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What is it about thieves and our stuff?
So, we have no idea how it happened, but apparently we left the Prius unlocked during garbage day. Not to make any widespread social commentary, but it is well known around here that on garbage day, the people from the homeless encampment down by the water walk the streets, go through your recycling to take out anything with a deposit value, and check your car to see whether it's unlocked.
So, our car was unlocked, someone rifled through the whole thing, and stole... a bunch of parking change.
I'm rather surprised -- there was a FasTrak transponder, a bunch of CDs, iPhone chargers, Nintendo DS chargers, registration information, other electronic knick-knacks, mints, etc. And the person took... loose change.
So now we've been
robbedburgled twice. And both times were relieved of... loose change.I think we need to get more valuable stuff or something.
EDIT: I do have to admire the Albany police, though. They dutifully took my phone call, logged the incident, and treated the $3 theft with all the respect it deserved. "OK, we've logged it, and we'll watch for more incidents in that area, but we're not sending an officer to waste half an hour of your/his/her time taking a full report."
I'm glad it was only loose change.
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Anyway, my youngest son vomited again today.
This is now his second "relapse" after finishing his medicines.
I am officially concerned.
Still, it's not quite what I'd expect from a true "relapse"...
First, both relapse-vomits were exclusively in the morning before I'd gotten him up.
Second, there could well be reasons other than some recurring disease - yesterday, I learned (to my horror) that he can now dig through the trash to grab and attempt to eat discarded food (the one I'd found had been a bar his brother had discarded, still in the wrapper), and as well, I had a stomach-issue myself this morning - albeit mine was different than his own - so it could be that we both picked up something somewhere together.
And it's very possible that each instance is unrelated - I know that the second time, I just figured it was because of the very nasty-smelling poopsplosion he'd created that had broken his diaper (I nearly responded that way myself when cleaning it up).
Beyond that, over-all, each time has been a "lesser" occurrence - although it kind of seems like a relapse, it's no where near as bad as the one before it, which isn't even close to the one before that. Plus his poopy more-or-less continues to normalize.
Nonetheless: concerned. Trying to figure what is best to do, and how best to handle this, especially as his vomiting comes with one or more days in between each instance, and doesn't seem to be perfectly correlated to his diet, but neither does he have any other symptoms.
So.
:/
EDIT: to be clear, yeah, I'm on EST, and I've known about this for a while. I just haven't posted on it 'til now.
Sorry to hear that. I hope he gets better soon.
Me, too. All I'm saying is it's a really sucky feeling, refusing your child something that, under normal circumstances, is not only entirely reasonable, but even healthy. I'd be upset if I were him, too - I seem to be arbitrarily changing the rules on him and for no reason he can fathom. I'm pretty clearly worst human being.
Also, due to temporal shenanigans, we now get to sit in a car, belted in, in the rain, for ~20 minutes. Two-year-old's just lllllllloooooooove boring car sitting with nothing engaging to look at other than other bored sitting-still cars...
(Daddy may be a little emotionally tired/salty from a very irritable two-year-old today. Sorry if I'm laying it on thick.)
Me, too. All I'm saying is it's a really sucky feeling, refusing your child something that, under normal circumstances, is not only entirely reasonable, but even healthy. I'd be upset if I were him, too - I seem to be arbitrarily changing the rules on him and for no reason he can fathom. I'm pretty clearly worst human being.
Also, due to temporal shenanigans, we now get to sit in a car, belted in, in the rain, for ~20 minutes. Two-year-old's just lllllllloooooooove boring car sitting with nothing engaging to look at other than other bored sitting-still cars...
(Daddy may be a little emotionally tired/salty from a very irritable two-year-old today. Sorry if I'm laying it on thick.)
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And don't worry, NH, your stuff is plenty valuable: I mean, I'd steal all your stuff!
...
... no, I mean, wai-!
I'm glad it was only loose change.What is it about thieves and our stuff?
So, we have no idea how it happened, but apparently we left the Prius unlocked during garbage day. Not to make any widespread social commentary, but it is well known around here that on garbage day, the people from the homeless encampment down by the water walk the streets, go through your recycling to take out anything with a deposit value, and check your car to see whether it's unlocked.
So, our car was unlocked, someone rifled through the whole thing, and stole... a bunch of parking change.
I'm rather surprised -- there was a FasTrak transponder, a bunch of CDs, iPhone chargers, Nintendo DS chargers, registration information, other electronic knick-knacks, mints, etc. And the person took... loose change.
So now we've been
robbedburgled twice. And both times were relieved of... loose change.I think we need to get more valuable stuff or something.
EDIT: I do have to admire the Albany police, though. They dutifully took my phone call, logged the incident, and treated the $3 theft with all the respect it deserved. "OK, we've logged it, and we'll watch for more incidents in that area, but we're not sending an officer to waste half an hour of your/his/her time taking a full report."
More seriously, I'm with the badger. It reminds me (again) of the story I know I told last time about the somone(s) who broke into my car and, after rifling through all my stuff, left a bunch of loose change...
That said, Insuspect they only took what they did for the same reason you complimented the police: the theft amounted to about three dollars in an unlocked car, and almost no one is going to seriously prosecute that. Now, if they'd stolen all your stuff and/or your car, that'd likely be a different story, and it seems likely that someone was less than enthusiastic about spending time in jail...
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Well, I think the primary loss is the irritation of, "Oh, you idiot! You left your car unlocked?!?!? You got what you deserved!"
Classic blaming the victim mentality. (And I am absolutely not lashing out at you personally Rysky; it's a common theme that the majority of people subscribe to, so I'm complaining in general, NOT at you.)
It's just that being Lawful Good, it's hard dealing with people who simply say, "That's reality. Deal with it!" without an accompanying, "Yeah, I wish it weren't that way, but it is."
The usual idealism: I'd love it if pretty young blondes could walk the streets of East Oakland in miniskirts with hundred dollar bills hanging out of their back pockets, waiting to be plucked.
It's not a realistic hope. It's just disappointing to see hope shattered once again, and in my own neighborhood.
I'd just love it if I *could* leave my car unlocked all the time and not worry about it. I'm lucky enough that I can leave my house unlocked. I'm not lucky enough that I can do the same with my car.
Idealism vs. Reality.
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I don't have anything valuable enough in my car to steal. Especially the car.
"The only way that car is worth five hundred dollars is if you put a three hundred dollar hooker in the front seat!" - Saul Goodman, Better Call Saul.
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Depends on the restrictions, rules, system, etc. I'd love to help with a build, but I can't guarantee I'll be of much help till I get more than the teaser, heshvaun. :)
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Hey, Freehold. Are you certain that you don't have any Frost Giants in your ancestry? Just checking.sensible Saturday.68 degrees today, six inches (of snow) by Saturday.
February in Wisconsin.
my best friend, who loves skyrim to the point of nonsense(I regularly wonder what would happen if skyrim ever walked in on him with the Witcher, which is the other game he is insane about), says I am the nordiest redguard he ever met.
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Hope your kid is okay Tac.
I have wet socks and don't get off work fork five hours.
I hate wet socks.
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Wet socks are the worst! As someone that landscaped in Seattle for two years I know how much it sucks to wear wet socks for hours.
Sorry man!
When we first moved back and I started shoveling snow guys would laugh at me for bringing eight pairs of socks on a snow run. But whatever, my feet were relatively dry. :-)
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We're yelling random blade types, right?
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Galt!!!!!!
...sorry, habit.
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Grappling Hook!!
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A spot of tea!!!
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I'll get a handle on it one of these days.
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I'm glad it was only loose change.What is it about thieves and our stuff?
So, we have no idea how it happened, but apparently we left the Prius unlocked during garbage day. Not to make any widespread social commentary, but it is well known around here that on garbage day, the people from the homeless encampment down by the water walk the streets, go through your recycling to take out anything with a deposit value, and check your car to see whether it's unlocked.
So, our car was unlocked, someone rifled through the whole thing, and stole... a bunch of parking change.
I'm rather surprised -- there was a FasTrak transponder, a bunch of CDs, iPhone chargers, Nintendo DS chargers, registration information, other electronic knick-knacks, mints, etc. And the person took... loose change.
So now we've been
robbedburgled twice. And both times were relieved of... loose change.I think we need to get more valuable stuff or something.
EDIT: I do have to admire the Albany police, though. They dutifully took my phone call, logged the incident, and treated the $3 theft with all the respect it deserved. "OK, we've logged it, and we'll watch for more incidents in that area, but we're not sending an officer to waste half an hour of your/his/her time taking a full report."
how odd...
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Well, I think the primary loss is the irritation of, "Oh, you idiot! You left your car unlocked?!?!? You got what you deserved!"
Classic blaming the victim mentality. (And I am absolutely not lashing out at you personally Rysky; it's a common theme that the majority of people subscribe to, so I'm complaining in general, NOT at you.)
It's just that being Lawful Good, it's hard dealing with people who simply say, "That's reality. Deal with it!" without an accompanying, "Yeah, I wish it weren't that way, but it is."
The usual idealism: I'd love it if pretty young blondes could walk the streets of East Oakland in miniskirts with hundred dollar bills hanging out of their back pockets, waiting to be plucked.
It's not a realistic hope. It's just disappointing to see hope shattered once again, and in my own neighborhood.
I'd just love it if I *could* leave my car unlocked all the time and not worry about it. I'm lucky enough that I can leave my house unlocked. I'm not lucky enough that I can do the same with my car.
Idealism vs. Reality.
I'm sorry man. I tend to be idealistic at times, but real life just doesn't work that way...
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So sorry, TacticsLion. The worst sick I've had to deal with where my kids are concerned was when my daughter ate watermelon rind out of the compost bucket at school. No freaking idea what possessed her to do that. She was only two. She was throwing up for days and days, lost weight, couldn't eat. Totally sympathize.
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Anyway, my youngest son vomited again today.
This is now his second "relapse" after finishing his medicines.
I am officially concerned.
Still, it's not quite what I'd expect from a true "relapse"...
First, both relapse-vomits were exclusively in the morning before I'd gotten him up.
Second, there could well be reasons other than some recurring disease - yesterday, I learned (to my horror) that he can now dig through the trash to grab and attempt to eat discarded food (the one I'd found had been a bar his brother had discarded, still in the wrapper), and as well, I had a stomach-issue myself this morning - albeit mine was different than his own - so it could be that we both picked up something somewhere together.
And it's very possible that each instance is unrelated - I know that the second time, I just figured it was because of the very nasty-smelling poopsplosion he'd created that had broken his diaper (I nearly responded that way myself when cleaning it up).
Beyond that, over-all, each time has been a "lesser" occurrence - although it kind of seems like a relapse, it's no where near as bad as the one before it, which isn't even close to the one before that. Plus his poopy more-or-less continues to normalize.
Nonetheless: concerned. Trying to figure what is best to do, and how best to handle this, especially as his vomiting comes with one or more days in between each instance, and doesn't seem to be perfectly correlated to his diet, but neither does he have any other symptoms.
So.
:/
EDIT: to be clear, yeah, I'm on EST, and I've known about this for a while. I just haven't posted on it 'til now.
wooooow
Oh man I hope your kids heals up soon! That's gotta be scary, but little ones get into things as you know and they love to eat stuff... Even the most unsavory of things. I do not relish that part of parenthood, I'll tell you that..
"No, Freehold Jr, you can't eat that... No matter what you see uncle Sharoth eating. He is a dragon and can eat all sorts of things you can't... "
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Depends on the restrictions, rules, system, etc. I'd love to help with a build, but I can't guarantee I'll be of much help till I get more than the teaser, heshvaun. :)
I need a super optimized Mesmerist, a class I have never played in a killer DM Strange Aeons campaign. 20 pt buy. Aasimar race.
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Probably because they're so many light years away that nobody we know will know anyone who will know anyone who will ever travel there, so it's moot?
You can't beat C, and can't even match it if you have mass. There are places we just won't reach, because Physics.
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Seriously, it's far more feasible to terraform Mars and Venus, and even that would take roughly 20-50 thousand years of work, depending on process.
I mean a Wall-E style generational colony ship could make it in several millennia, but really they would have an entirely different culture and language sets by the time they make it, and communication would be impossible because an Ansible is pure fiction.
Eventually you'd question if we were still the same species as the one that separates. I mean, genetically we could breed offspring, but so could Neanderthal and Cro Magnon.
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Pillow!!!
Am I too late for the weapons of choice?
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In my case, it's because I hadn't heard yet. Thanks!
Probably because they're so many light years away that nobody we know will know anyone who will know anyone who will ever travel there, so it's moot?
You can't beat C, and can't even match it if you have mass. There are places we just won't reach, because Physics.
(Technically, light sort of kind of definitely has mass...)
((Technically, technically, if there is a Singularity - an even which is by no means assured, just the latest in a long line of popular concepts - we could possibly kind of achieve a sort of immortality...))
(((Technically, technically, technically, we might have a method of circumventing 'c' if we manage to ever find a practical application for the multi-world hypothesis...)))
((((Technically, technically, technically, I'm over-using the word "technically" too much...))))
Seriously, it's far more feasible to terraform Mars and Venus, and even that would take roughly 20-50 thousand years of work, depending on process.
I mean a Wall-E style generational colony ship could make it in several millennia, but really they would have an entirely different culture and language sets by the time they make it, and communication would be impossible because an Ansible is pure fiction.
Eventually you'd question if we were still the same species as the one that separates. I mean, genetically we could breed offspring, but so could Neanderthal and Cro Magnon.
Perhaps. But we could also hypothetically get pretty darn close to c, and at that point it's actually not so very far away (even though it's pretty far away) - probably hypothetically feasible within a century or three (based entirely on guestimation instead of hard data).
Certainly not within the current expected projection of our lifetimes, though.
And if we're limited to our current tech, yeah it'll take a while.
That said, since we're talking about really hypothetical and extreme science... ;D
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I've got a player who wants to play a one-shot in which he is required to non-lethally defeat and capture an ancient chromatic black dragon. It will be just me and him (my group is rather short on players at the moment), and he will be using gestalt rules.
Does anybody have any ideas for plot hooks I could use?
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Pillow!!!
Am I too late for the weapons of choice?
And here I thought you were a kind, merciful, reasonable one, badger.
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Rules questions I have to deal with: "can I use adhesive spittle to stick a bunch of Reefclaws to the wall... And then maybe another spell to create some sort of zombies out of them"
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What my player asks: "Are we going to find a town where I can buy higher than 4th level scrolls?"
What my brain thinks: "Why? You're already paralyzed by the choices you have now. What possible good could come of MORE choices?"
I am sometimes Bad.
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I need a super optimized Mesmerist, a class I have never played in a killer DM Strange Aeons campaign. 20 pt buy. Aasimar race.
I will see what I can do. Expect a statblock within 24 hours via PM.
DISCLAIMER: I know nothing about Strange Aeons, yet. Therefore: Do not quit pursuing all possible avenues.
And I'm guessing two traits, level 1, mapped to end of AP?
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Thank you.
Please map to level 8 for now. I assume we reach 7 or 8.
The DM will assign one Trait. Those Traits have tie ins later.
You awake feeling emboldened after a terrifying nightmare. Instead of being frightened by the bizarre creatures from your nightmares, these experiences have steeled you against these startling alien beings. You know that you fell victim to strange circumstances and loathsome forces, but you refuse to give in to a creeping sense of helplessness. Instead,
you vow to fight back against whoever or whatever is responsible for your current situation. The creatures of your nightmares won’t hold fear over your head. You’ll take the fight to them.
You gain a +1 trait bonus on saving throws against extraordinary, spell-like, and supernatural abilities of aberrations (for example, a gibbering mouther’s gibbering or an intellect devourer’s confusion). In addition, whenever you’re confused and roll to determine behavior in a given round, subtract 10 from the result.
Also feel free to add other Classes for Level dips.
Apparently Mesmerist/Spiritualist is a thing.
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I've got a player who wants to play a one-shot in which he is required to non-lethally defeat and capture an ancient chromatic black dragon. It will be just me and him (my group is rather short on players at the moment), and he will be using gestalt rules.
Does anybody have any ideas for plot hooks I could use?
Several.
The ultimate question you've got to ask is, "Why?"
As in, "What do you get from a live dragon that you don't get from a dead one?"
Several concepts immediately jump to mind:
- a magical power source
- a curse that will turn it into a more powerful undead
- replenishing resources (scales that grow back, blood that regenerates, acid-vomit that keeps increasing, and so on)
Now, as an 11th level caster, he's not terribly impressive, but potentially very problematic. Your player's character has to successfully deal with that. Wall of force, black tentacles, dimension door, dispel magic, hold person, glitterdust, and invisibility are all things he's going to have to be able to counter. Even things like blur, heroism, slow, mage armor, magic missile, magic missile, and true strike can make things exceptionally unpleasant, if not carefully tended.
And that's only the standard load-out.
As for its spell-like abilities, darkness, insect plague, and plant growth are at least constant.
Also, of course, its fly and swim; its solid AC; its six natural attacks; immunity to paralysis and sleep; spell resistance; frightful presence; and, of course, DR (though that's really kind of minor, over-all).
Bam: instant plot.
So!
First of all, create water. Even better, is create food and water.
Pop a few water elementals. Now, we're going to do some cheating, here, but templates let us use amalgam, and then a few for inspiration:
- blighted fey
-=> (fungal rejuvenation, parasitic bond, thorn throw, hive mind, tainted blood)
- broken soul (agonized wail, defenses, ability scores, feats, skills)
- debased fey (pretty much all of it)
- drunk (we don't actually want these powerful)
- color blighted (lower the fort save to a natural 1)
- fungal creature
- hungry (for the stats)
- the young simple template (applied enough times that any given creature gets small or smaller)
Creatures that are part of the amalgam:
- chaos beast (for the corporeal instability, combined with and compared to the fungal creature; also the resistance to transformation)
- nereid (poison, transparency, control water, beguiling aura, unearthly grace-or-equivalent, shawl weakness)
- harpy (captivating song only)
- crystal ooze (water dependency; explicitly fresh water dependency)
Maybe a hive or shadowbound template (I've not explored them, so I don't know, they just sound appropriate).
And, taking a hint from cursed items, making the amalgamate creature have to eat and drink twice the normal amount... as all of the different parts combined (). Also, maybe a penalty to Constitution, and maybe something like "sleep twice as much as normal" (for 16 hours).
Maybe something about needing to be within a certain range of each other.
Definitely give a weakness (acid) to the things.
Anyway, this all susses out as the following: a new rapidly-spawning plague of monstrosities that corrupts and slowly builds and rises. It continues to flood areas with food-and-fresh-water, but it has to be all together in a singular mass. Not only that, but it's alluring - the mere visual targets about half the population, and the siren song targets everybody.
It is resistant to most magic, and replicates and spreads too quickly to spam destructive magical forces (most of which it's resistant to).
So... what does this mean?
It needs to be killed, but only something that can easily and consistently resist (maybe even be immune to) its nonsense can do that... but, frankly, those are few and far between, and all attacks have to come from within the water, which means you have to breathe it. So... they need an ancient black dragon: a creature that can taint the water and turn it to acid. Of course, the black dragon would never do this on its own.
So, here's the plan: cursed item you can't be rid of upon contact - something like a slew of ioun stones that each function like stones of weight, that prohibits you from casting arcane spells.
Then you keep it in a sack, wrassal* the creature to the ground and render unconscious, use a pair of tongs to put it on the creature's "head" and bam: instant captive black dragon. No flight. No teleportation. No swimming out. No tricks to escape the massive swarm of monsters you're about to throw it into.
*
Then you establish a permanent telepathic connection to the creature, and toss it into the morass.
The dragon will be fine. That DR, natural armor, and resistance to magic means it's not going anywhere; its ability to breath water means it doesn't care about drowning; and its powerful defenses and saves means it simply does not care about most any of the other abilities the creatures have.
... that said, the morass of stupid is going to roll enough natural 20s to keep its potentially "forever food" there... well, forever.
So!
Instant "I win." against the nemesis of all (at least... you hope it's an instant "I win." ...) and you've successfully been practically required to use the unique skills and talents of an ancient black dragon (taken alive, of course) to stop a horrid spew of nastiness.
What caused the horrid spew?
Uh... crap, I don't know... Treerazer or his pappy, Cysthugug (or whatever its name is)? The nightmare of that water-lizard great old one, Borkug, or whatever it's called? Some combination of the two?
Heck, it could even have been a well-meaning arcanist who was attempting to do something with "eternal life" but was barking up* the wrong wrong tree? Whatever it originally was, doesn't matter: the thing spiraled entirely out of control, and here we are today.
*
Without spelling out exactly what the PC needs, you could explain these details, and a combination of meta-knowledge and in-character reasoning could make the plot clear (instead of just going, "get a thing and don't it").
It could even help inform the PC's race choice!
Something like nagaji, kobold, or other could be useful!
(Don't hinge on that, but it's a possibility as to why they went to that PC to hire them for the job.)
Anyway, that's just one (or a few) idea(s) out of many! Let me know what you think and if you do/don't use anything!
Hope that helps!
EDIT: dang it. Only one - one! - piece of coding. Sigh.
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What my player asks: "Are we going to find a town where I can buy higher than 4th level scrolls?"
What my brain thinks: "Why? You're already paralyzed by the choices you have now. What possible good could come of MORE choices?"
I am sometimes Bad.
Don't get me started about the wizard in my campaign who wants to be allowed to write his own scrolls so he can afford more of them. I read Ezren's backstory again and told him that every time he used one of his own scrolls I was going to roll a d12 for possible amusing scroll failure.
After all, a d12 needs to feel useful, too.
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I find physics fascinating and wish my disdain of math hadn't kept me from pursuing it as a major.
If I could remember the name of my Algebra 2 teacher who gave a ton of homework because she felt block scheduling warranted it, thus just burning me out from repetition (I always aced tests but got a C in the class because I skipped homework), I would send her a letter hoping to make her feel guilty that he possibly doomed me to obscurity single handedly. Sadly, social sciences are a dead end, but it was all I could do without heavy math.
Seriously, I used to like math. Now I have a Pavlovian hatred. I get it. I just hate it so much. Like...Michael Scott's hatred of Toby. It's irrational and visceral and pure.
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If I may call back to the discussion on things taken from/placed into unlocked vehicles, I am reminded of a story I heard on the radio a few years back. A local farmer had (for some reason) left his combine unlocked, with the keys in it, in the field overnight. When he returned in the morning, someone had entered it and rifled the contents. They did not take the hundreds of dollars worth of tools. They did not take the plethora of easily carried and expensive electronics (GPS, CB radios, moisture testers, etc). They didn't try to take to combine itself. Instead, they took the can of spray paint, which they used to paint various swears on the side of the combine, and the half-empty bag of peanut M&Ms.
A friend of mine moved to San Francisco after a few years in Budapest and had absolutely everything he owned in a Ford Escort parked on the edge of the Tenderloin. The man who broke the window didn't take the guns (plural), the swords or the computer, they took blue jeans, socks and underwear.
Probably, but maybe not as much as we might first expect...
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