Randy Saxon's page

This is my first election. My political news come from the Daily Show. Right now, we're in a tough time, and while my vote means nothing in actually electing our next president, I will still end up voting. I am proud to exercise my right.

I will be voting for...

Randy Saxon wrote:

Guns, Germs, and Steel taught me the value of an early morning sparknotes session after falling asleep. That book was the most boring thing I've read, and I'd wager that record will stand.

Just FYI for anyone who is planning on reading this particular book:

It has recently come out that Jared Diamond fudged large portions of his data.

Really wouldn't surprise me. In my college level world history course, a lot of the things he covered were untaught as utter BS

Of course, the only thing I recall directly from the book is the anecdote about the guy coming in with the infection and not wanting his wife to know he boinked a sheep.

Guns, Germs, and Steel taught me the value of an early morning sparknotes session after falling asleep. That book was the most boring thing I've read, and I'd wager that record will stand.

The Old Man and the Sea is high on the list.

Couldn't finish Harry Potter, but it wasn't so much boring as awful...and boring. If you ask me, the only wizard named Harry is Harry Dresden.

I went out today and preordered it. The video of the Beholder and its young sold me.

Tuition, dorm costs, meal plans. and the need to raise $1800 in about 8 weeks.

Do I really need college?

I'm looking for one or two more players for the Keep on the Shadowfell module I'll be running. The group meets every Sunday night, baring multiple outside circumstance, from 5-9 or 10pm. Interested parties can email me at

Bosaxon (at) Yahoo (dot) com

Scary, but I my SAN is too low to react. I watched the trailer and could only think "Weren't chihuahuas bred to be food? Could we go back to that system so make sure this movie doesn't have a sequel?"

Other than the 4e books, I'm reading the Commemorative Edition of the Necronomicon. It really reaffirms my love of the mythos. Soon, I'll be starting Small Favors, the 10th book in the Dresden Files series.

I don't have the books here, but there's a scene in one of Salvatore's novels, and I think it's the first time outside of Gygax's Queen of the Demobweb Pits where we really see driders, where one of Drizzt's brothers displeases a priestess and he is turned into a drider in a ceremony and then exiled to the greater Underdark.

Someone who's recently read the first Drizzt trilogy help me out; maybe I'm making this up.

Read it a few years ago, but it was his brother Dinin. His sister Vierna went mad, turned him into a drider, and began the hunt for Drizzt.

However, I don't think he was exiled but instead was kept around as Bruenor killed him.

Comes around late May and I realize that my "Prime" shipping defaults to two day, and I'd like to get it before the weekend so I go and change it to "1 day". Boom! New delivery date of July 23rd.

That's odd. I placed my order yesterday and it's scheduled to arrive monday. Must be location because mine came out of Lexington, KY.

I placed a two day shipping order from amazon after buy.com cancelled my order because "the PHB was no longer available". It left Wilmington Ohio about an hour ago. Says I should get it the nineth.

Creepiest Song Ever

That song haunts my dreams ever since I first heard it.

Preordered the PHB, as another person in my group volunteered to DM. I'll wait for the rest of the books. I've never played a gnome, doubt I will ever play a gnome. Badger minion be damned.

The gnome must die as the dwarf has. It shall solve my damnable problems within this city and allow me to return home, to my dear, dear Helmites and my beloved artwork.

This walled city, breeched by a simple gravedigger yet impregnable to an entire invasion force, will become my newest playground. I have escaped from their prison with the help on a tiny spider, I have killed their talkitive war hero, and I have only begun to leave my mark. I have exiled myself to the island home of a city official, built atop old drow ruins, to experiment while my colleges make their way into the city. My thoughts center on that Gnork Gnettle and his aspect of the theives guild and the drow ghost who claims dominion in the ruins. Jules wants the guild members returned to the city, but she never said they had to be still alive. This will require some finesse and research and maybe some pillow talk with the drow. I hope she likes it rough.

And as I think about my dedication to the work...

I do what I must
because I can.
For the good of all of you.
Except the ones who are dead.

I think some of the show is realistic in a pursuit (like the giant squid) while others (giant bird, atmospheric beasts, Stalin's apemen) are just for the ratings. Still, It's a great show, and I would watch it again and again.

My top five and why:

5. Steel Meets Steel: Ten Years of Glory-Hammerfall. A great compliation of one of the best Power Metal bands. It would rank higher, but there was too many songs from Threshold. High points include the remastered Legacy of Kings and new Last Man Standing

4. For the Sake of Revenge-Sonata Arctica: The best live album I've heard. The recording really captures the band's energy and skill. Coupled with a DVD of the concert, you can really get a feeling that you were there, and it was awesome. Have to say that Full Moon and The Cage/Vodka Singalong claim the best track spots.

3. Victory Songs-Ensiferum: Viking Metal at it's finest, and quite possibly one of the best metal album of 2007. The sounds of battle, victory, and reaping the pleasures of the world resonate throughout the album, and the bonus track, a cover of "Lady in Black", made it worth my while.

2. Valley of the Damned-Dragonforce: Dragonforce before they were Dragonforce. The album was fast and epic, but it wasn't fast just to be fast. A great effort for a debut, especially from guitarists Sam Totman and Herman Li. Valley of the Damned and Black Winter Night are the best songs.

1. Forgotten Tales-Blind Guardian: A compliation of covers, live recordings, and acoustics, Blind Guardian proves why they've lasted for these past 23 years. The Bard's Song live is a religious experience.

Honorable mentions:
Dethalbum-Dethklok
Tales along this road-Korpiklanni

I love their early stuff, especially Valley of the Dammned but Inhuman Rampage had a few misses, IMHO.

My problem with Dragonforce is, for a gaming session, some of their songs are a bit too fast. Awesome band, but, for my sessions, they need to be supplimented with some Hammerfall, Blind Guardian, and some of the more obscure power/folk metal bands.

It has been done. Regenald provided me with the knowledge necessary to create my first piece of artwork. I dubbed him Mr. Dread, and hope to ride into combat often with the fine steed. This workshop, located in the sewers of the temple district, formerly a tomb of a long deceased noble bloodline, provides the perfect living quarters and studio in which to practice. The stores of bodies I have collected in such a short time, ten in a day, assures my mind that I will not remain alone for long. Next I believe will be Aggie, but that must wait.

I am to head southward, along with Moonbeam, by order of Taskmaster Jules, in an attempt to aid that gnome and his associates escape the besieged South Westersonport. I believe I will accept this task, if only to improve my standing with darling Jules. The Rev and Veet have infiltrated the army, and while I am unsure about Veet, The Rev will surely bog down the military. The man has no mind for true combat. I also feel as if I might have did a bit too good of a job with the holy warrior of Helm. Does Helm forgive if you return the rest of the body? This concerns me not at this moment.

Regenald tells me the time is right, so I must attend to my armoring. Fear the scythe of the cloaked horseman, and know it as Death. Velsharoon show me the path to escape life and bring me into the world of unlife.

This journal is starting about six sessions into the campaign. Up to this point, the group has been causing general disarray around our home city of Haven. A nation to the south has recently invaded, and our theives' guild wants an evac of agents from our secondary city of South Westersonport(next session). They send in the B-Team, which includes the following:

Veet: Dwarf Barbarian8//Fighter8 (he plays a passive role. This game isn't the player's preferred style, as it requires a bit of finesse)
The Rev: Human Cleric8//Rogue8 of Mask
Moonbeam: HumanParagon3/Warlock5//Transmuter8(barred Evo and Nec)

In addition to this rogue's gallery, the narrator of this tale:

Kenesaw Landis aka M. Landis aka Lefty: DreadNecromancer8/Fighter8 with the Dungeoncrasher varient.

There will be repeated refences to the following events, but details are sketchy as for events.

1. Kenesaw accepted a joust challenge not to have to pay a toll on the road. The noble lost, and I shamed him by only taking his horse but not his armor. Later, he saw me in my war motif and inquired about our public kidnapping attempt in progress. I blinded the person he sent to tail me, and challenged him to a duel. I won by default as he fled. During the duel, Moonbeam and The Rev looted his warchest. He has since left the city to head to war, but Lefty is following him for multiple reasons.

2. Moonbeam is pro-free trade and wanted to attack a military base outside town for seizing goods. While he and The Rev went for the stealth approach to burn down the place after shrinking and looting warehouse stores, Lefty provided the distraction of breaking down the double gates, riding around the parade field blowing on a horn of fog, and summoning some undead ogres. This caused M. Landis to be labeled a terrorist by the state. Lefty loves the attention, because he gets to rack up the kill count.

3. Kenesaw names things often. His quasit familiar is named Regenald. His skeleton mount is named Mr. Dread. Any corpse he slays gets a name according to gender, and all raised undead take on the Landis last name to their corpse's first names. Dead paladins get decapitated and heads delivered to their respective church's doorstep. Teach them to smite evil.

So, this is starting with last Sunday's session. Updates on Monday.

Paizo
White Wolf
Evil Hat(gotta love FATE)

Gotta go with Desna. I'm very partial to deities of luck, plus the cool favored weapon makes it a potential favorite for me.

Can of troll meat?

1. Place meat in can
2. seal can
3. open can and slice away cuts of troll meat.
4. reseal can
5. *******
6. Profit!!!

Works for any creature with regerative properties.

I'm thinking about starting a summer(meaning episodic so players can miss for a week or two and not become a horsewatcher) campaign with my group and I believe that they would enjoy something like Xcrawl.

Does anyone have experience with the game? How was it? Anything you'd suggest to improve the game?

I'm a high school student and completely dependant on my parent.

(hoping to fix that second part in the relatively soon future.)

http://www.myspace.com/unknownwanderer

I really don't get into the whole myspace cult, but if you want to look, feel free to browse.

I am wondering if it is possible to cancel my order. It is said to be Pending

1. I am in high school, and the closest to a club we have are the people that hang out at my house playing anything. Nothing sactioned by our school, but since its so small, around 430 students, I don't blame it.

2. Of course!!!

3. Lack of a sponsor to become a school club, and no real interest outside my group of friends.

4. n/a.

How close to the books do you think it'll run? It looks like Murphy is a brunette instead of a blonde. I can live with that, but I wonder what other things they'll change?

It's been awhile since I've checked, but IIRC the actresses who were brought in to try out for Susan and Murphy ended up being cast as the other.

Here's what I know about the show:

*Sci-fi has ordered 11 episodes and a 2-hour pilot.
*The series premiers in January.
*IIRC, the pilot will stick close to the first book, while the show regular episodes are original storys, but I'm not 100% certain.
*As with most shows, they are working with a limited budget, so things might change from the books. Bob will no longer be a skull nor an air spirit, but a fire spirit to save on costs.
*Over on Jim Butcher's website, there is a forum with a board for the show with regular updates.

Short version: yes

Long Version: yes. It's much like a wizard copying spells into their spellbook. A 3rd level wizard or sorcerer spell would be 3rd level for the wizard. The same way goes the archivist because they're like a divine wizard.

Alright, since this was a pilot on Adult Swim, the continuation really depends on how the ratings and feedback they get. Really, there was nothing officially anounced,except that the pilot was in development, so this may have been a one-shot deal. However, I see a lot of good things all over the net.

As for the creator, Aaron Springer, who did some writing work involving Spongebob, created the series as a parody of Conan with a bit of Thundarr thrown in. Genndy Tartakovsky, whose works include Samuri Jack and Star Wars: Clone Wars, directed it.

I personally loved it, especially the opening bar brawl. I was laughing most of the time and would enjoy seeing this show on a weekly, if not almost daily, basis.

I'd go

Edit: NOW!!!

I really have to agree with the name Meepo.

I was wondering if there was any result on the search because I REALLY need this order soon...even without the holy hand grenade plush.

As an adolescent, my goth nature and my self-destructive nature are two completely different things. My basic goth-ness, or what is sterotyped as a modern goth, comes from a discomfort of what society deems normal as well as my own personal tastes, which stems from depression at an early age and the need for a signiture identity from my peers. My self-destructive nature stems from a knowledge of what not only limits are, but improving those limits, by force if necessary .

D&D has nothing to do with it. A disfunctional parent, the awesomeness of eurometal, and a feeling of uniqueness due to early praises of my intellilect caused all of it.

Thanks. I knew there was a reason I frequented this online establishment...and I now understand it's the excellent customer service.

On Friday, April 7th, I placed an order for three items, two of which are ready to ship. The last, the Monty Python Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch Mini Plush, has the status of "Waiting for Product." Is there an estimate on the time when the product will be back in stock?

It's on Toon Disney.

All I can say is now I actually have something to watch on Sunday.

I'd see myself as a human ranger living, in an self-imposed exile because I can't stand the civilized peoples, acting as a guide for those lost. Most likely, I'd be a ranged ranger, but with a thrown weapon. I might have an animal companion. but I might not. I doubt I'd cast spells, because that'd require faith in a nature god(at least in Faerun it does), and I'm way too cynical for that.

Pirates. 'Nuff said.

Right now I'm coming from a githyanki and slaad place. Not really sure why, but I am.

Regional feats are the best IMO. Generally, if the DM allows them, they allow the bonus equipment. I'm a bit partial to the Axethrower feat, but I generally can find a practical use for any of them.

Depends on my mood...but i do have some favorites in constant rotation. I guess my all time favorite would be Tymora. You got to love Lady Luck.

Randy Saxon wrote:

My favorite race would have to be the seldom discussed Arctic Dwarves. I dunno why I like them, particularly with their +2 LA, but I just dig them. Maybe because they're a travel size dwarf and maybe because they're not the archetypical dwarf.

I like them too! Theres an Artic Dwarf Ranger (and an Avariel) in the Rage of Dragons FR novels. If you havent already read them, check them out!

I heard about that, but right now my book budget is zero with a new car. If I get some extra money, I'll pick it up next time I make a run to town.

My favorite race would have to be the seldom discussed Arctic Dwarves. I dunno why I like them, particularly with their +2 LA, but I just dig them. Maybe because they're a travel size dwarf and maybe because they're not the archetypical dwarf.

My second favorite race is the Githyanki. The entire race has a sweet sword.

My third favorite would be the Illuskans, because I can't commit to a human subrace without a flavor and history like they have.

Iron Golem v. Shield Guardian
Githyanki v. Githzerai
Modron v. Slaad
Lammasu v. Heiracosphinx
Hippogriff v. Pegasus
Nymph v. Hag

I have weird tastes in fights, I know, but I have some theories behind each of these battles.

As a firm believer of the Carpe Noctem lifestyle, I get about four or five hours during the weekdays, one to two on the weekends.

I actually manage to pull a 3.5 GPA.

Paperback.

Seven seconds late.

Here's why it won't get good ratings outside the interest groups.

Poker is simple. It takes about a minute to learn the game; most shows explain it every episode. D&D, on the other hand, has very complex rules that many players have to reference several sessions in. When people watch poker, they feel smart because not only do they know the rules, but they know who's going to win. Star Appeal has nothing to do with it.

Second, most people don't have much imagination. They want to be entertained by their senses and not their minds. No matter how good of a role-player someone is, most people won't enjoy it because it's not actually happening before their eyes.

Third, and most importantly, the social stigma attached will prevent most from actually watch it. Either the alleged demonic ties or the sterotype of the gamer will keep many from watching the first season, and when something doesn't perform, on television, it gets cut without a second chance.