Deep 6 FaWtL

[Drejk]

Muahahahha!

Got the first sniper rifle in Borderlands!

Yeah, yeah, I am doing it backwards, I'm playing Borderlands 1 long after finishing 2 and Pre-Sequel...

[Drejk]

Yeah, I am THAT excited!

[Drejk]

Off to bed for now. Tomorrow morning work. Again. Why weekends are so short again?

Next weekend will be gaming convention... I am supposed to GM a session for a gaming competition for randoms. *sigh* What do I agree to to get a free entry.

[Limeylongears]

Freehold DM wrote:

jumping is incredibly important. It is a matter of how it is done. Jumping on someone in the middle of a fight can be incredibly effective.

I'll try it tomorrow and see how I get on, though I've got a strong suspicion that I'll just end up getting stabbed in the belly.

[Drejk]

Could it be a difference between unarmed and armed combat techniques? Unarmed fighting, while very dangerous if done right, lacks the stabbing potential of sharp things making minor hits less dangerous than in case of melee weapon combat.

[Tequila Sunrise]

Tacticslion wrote:

EDIT: Also, yes, that soundtrack is... it's just... so good. Sacred music like down to the river is still enough to genuinely worship to, while the other is just so daggum fun.

Oh yeah, Man of Constant Sorrow is one of the best film themes of all time. So much fun! And O Brother... was my introduction to both Gillian Welch and Alison Krauss, who have done some work I can listen to all day long. :)

Though she didn't write it, Gillian Welch's NPR / A Prairie Home Companion rendition of One More Dollar is particularly meaningful to me.

[Tequila Sunrise]

lisamarlene wrote:

Well, with Whingey Wizzard actually having a QUASI-LEGITIMATE EXCUSE for not having leveled up for the first time ever, I more or less expected that part of the delay.

But the sheer number of times I wanted to scream, "WHO CARES! WHO CARES WHAT THE RANDOM SPELL YOU'RE CONSIDERING ACTUALLY DOES! YOU'RE ONLY GOING TO USE MAGIC MISSILE, GLITTERDUST, OR SOME KIND OF FLIGHT SPELL ANYWAY! JUST PICK ONE AND LET'S GET STARTED!"
But the food was good enough to keep my temper in check.
The main reason Nora jumped into the pit was because she was feeling a bit ineffectual. It was obvious we had to go down there, and if the AP calls for us being down there, then there was a pretty decent chance I was going to survive it. And if not, well... I was bored. But it was a total rookie move to realize on the way down, "Oh, wait, I had a rope...

Totally with you. I am that cautious player who will nevertheless touch that Thing Which Obviously Should Not be Touched, after the party has spent a half-hour debating what if anything to do with it. Just to force some sort of action.

[TriOmegaZero]

Ye gods, I need one of those players in every game. It doesn't always come up, but the times I have wanted to grab them all and scream "IT IS A PLAIN DOORKNOB. MOVE ON." are the most frustrating. I may just start cutting the discussion off with "you open the thing and nothing happens" after the first few minutes.

[Tequila Sunrise]

Rawr! wrote:

Hello! My wife and I are driving to Asheville to take our youngest spawn to lunch and to see Kingsmen in celebration of their 21st birthday. I think I’m now officially old. :)

Just FYI, I'm assuming you've seen the first Kingsmen, and know how it is superspies & other bizarre/adult themes turned up to 11. Golden Circle turns it up to 13. With Elton John!

Which for me was not a problem, but there are people who love the first but hate the second.

[Chromantic Durgon <3]

I always wondered what happened to players in their past that makes them fear door nobs and windows and other such things. I suspect opportunistic and sadistic DMs.

[captain yesterday]

It's not about sports because it wasn't in a competitive environment, but Tiny T-Rex made his first basket on an adult sized hoop.

With Pea Bear's coaching of course.

[lisamarlene]

Chromantic Durgon <3 wrote:

I always wondered what happened to players in their past that makes them fear door nobs and windows and other such things. I suspect opportunistic and sadistic DMs.

One name stands out: Grimtooth.

[Confused Durgon]

Who's Pea Bear?

Whats Grimtooth?

Whats happening?

Where am I?

Why am I?

[captain yesterday]

Pea Bear is my thirteen year old daughter

[Little Lost Bird]

Confused Durgon wrote:

Who's Pea Bear?

Whats Grimtooth?

Whats happening?

Where am I?

Why am I?

Are you my mother?

[Freehold DM]

lisamarlene wrote:

NobodysHome wrote:

Tacticslion wrote:

This sounds like my adult life.

EDIT: wait, when did you edit?? Uh... huh. That changes the message/tone a lot. Eh, I'll just note that my life is in no way disappointing. XD

Well, there were two big problems with the session:

(1) The aforementioned 3-hour delay just to get started
(2) It was one of those sessions where everyone else waits for someone to make a decision, so there was a huge amount of sitting around doing nothing while waiting for someone to decide to do something

I think my favorite moment was when Nora (lisamarlene's PC) jumped into the unknown-pit-o-doom just to do something, and even after they determined that she had survived and it was a viable way to get to the next level, they spent around 45 minutes trying to NOT do that.

I appreciated the very cautious, sensible roleplay. "Just because she made it down doesn't mean it's safe. Let's be careful."
But after hours and hours of previous delays there was a huge part of me that just wanted to say, "OK, you're down! Now get moving!"
But enough of them were enjoying the "puzzle" that I kept my mouth shut.

Well, with Whingey Wizzard actually having a QUASI-LEGITIMATE EXCUSE for not having leveled up for the first time ever, I more or less expected that part of the delay.

But the sheer number of times I wanted to scream, "WHO CARES! WHO CARES WHAT THE RANDOM SPELL YOU'RE CONSIDERING ACTUALLY DOES! YOU'RE ONLY GOING TO USE MAGIC MISSILE, GLITTERDUST, OR SOME KIND OF FLIGHT SPELL ANYWAY! JUST PICK ONE AND LET'S GET STARTED!"
But the food was good enough to keep my temper in check.
The main reason Nora jumped into the pit was because she was feeling a bit ineffectual. It was obvious we had to go down there, and if the AP calls for us being down there, then there was a pretty decent chance I was going to survive it. And if not, well... I was bored. But it was a total rookie move to realize on the way down, "Oh, wait, I had a rope...

you know, when I play wizards, I always level up in advance and have plan a, b and c spells chosen for combat....

Just saying.

sets black manliness to "Neil Degrasse Tyson", waggles eyebrows

[lisamarlene]

Confused Durgon wrote:

Who's Pea Bear?

Whats Grimtooth?

Whats happening?

Where am I?

Why am I?

Grimtooth's Traps is a now-legendary series of books with the most twisted, creepifying and funny ways to kill PC's ever devised.

I believe the first one came out in the mid-80's.

[Sharoth]

Netflix has a BBC "series" on it about the "rediscovery" of Egypt. The first episode covers Howard Carter.

[lisamarlene]

You know what is very, very wrong?
When your first grader hears the old folk song "John Brown's Body" on Magic School Bus, but the only lyrics she can remember and "hum hum hum lies a-moldering in the grave" over and over again.

[John Napier 698]

lisamarlene wrote:

Confused Durgon wrote:

Who's Pea Bear?

Whats Grimtooth?

Whats happening?

Where am I?

Why am I?

Grimtooth's Traps is a now-legendary series of books with the most twisted, creepifying and funny ways to kill PC's ever devised.

I believe the first one came out in the mid-80's.

Such as when you turn the door knob and a 10-foot deep pit trap with spikes at the bottom opens up underneath a player.

Or a volley of crossbow bolts rains down on the party.

Or when the person touching the knob is subjected to n-D6 of Electricity damage.

And so on...

Fun times.

[Tequila Sunrise]

TriOmegaZero wrote:

Ye gods, I need one of those players in every game. It doesn't always come up, but the times I have wanted to grab them all and scream "IT IS A PLAIN DOORKNOB. MOVE ON." are the most frustrating. I may just start cutting the discussion off with "you open the thing and nothing happens" after the first few minutes.

It's really helpful to have a mix of personalities at the table, much like it's helpful to have a mix of skillsets in a party.

CAUTION: THE FOLLOWING IS A 4E PLUG

Spoiler:

So the 4e DMG does something that I've never seen in any other gaming guide: It takes about three pages to talk about the different things that motivate different players, and a bit how to DM players who have each motivation. It's nothing elaborate, in fact I think they could have done more with it -- but I think it's immensely helpful particularly to new DMs to point out that there are a variety of player motivations, and most players have a mix of them.

For example, it talks about the Instigator, who wants to see and make things happen. And it talks a bit about how to game with an instigator. I think it might have been even more helpful to have advice like "If you have an instigator in your group, give them an egg timer. When the party gets indecision, let him start the timer; when it goes off, the instigator Does the Thing."

[NobodysHome]

lisamarlene wrote:

Confused Durgon wrote:

Who's Pea Bear?

Whats Grimtooth?

Whats happening?

Where am I?

Why am I?

Grimtooth's Traps is a now-legendary series of books with the most twisted, creepifying and funny ways to kill PC's ever devised.

I believe the first one came out in the mid-80's.

I am old enough to remember when they came out. Bought every single one. Still have them. One, too, four, and eight. :-P

EDIT: I know there are more, but I was delighted when they decided to choose numbering that made a computer geek happy.

[NobodysHome]

Oh, gods! Today's session was yet another reminder of why we have a GMNPC sorceress:
Round 1:

Reckless Ranger rushes into room, heedless of the 4 mooks (known rogues) so he can reach the dual-wielding enemy in the back. He is officially "in deep"

Traitorous Sorceress, supposedly on "our" team, drops Grease in the doorway, because, "I didn't want any of them coming out."
Cue the captain reminding her that they were all rogues, so the Acrobatics check would be meaningless to them, whereas the healer, whom the ranger desperately needs right about then...

...tries to run across the Grease, rolls a natural 1, and falls flat on her tush, taking the rest of the round to stand up. Sorry, ranger! Maybe you'll get some healing next round!

Round 2:

Reckless Ranger gets dropped to negative hit points

Traitorous Sorceress dismisses Grease

Healer runs in and slaps a Heal on the ranger

Round 3:

The dual-wielding enemy drops the ranger back to negative hit points again, so now the Healer and the Bard have to face him down

While that's going on, a wounded mook runs over to menace the sorceresses

With clear line of sight to every enemy in the room, the Traitorous Sorceress casts Possession on...
...the mook that's threatening her.
What about the dual-wielding enemy about to carve up the rest of the party, you ask?
Apparently not her problem.

So, I don't get to write up any fun obituaries because our ranger survived thanks to the other sorceress taking down the dual-wielder with three well-placed Scorching Rays, but it was definitely made far more difficult than it should have been.

The best part was getting to curse in Abyssal (Tongues oracle) through the entire fight, to the point Treacherous Sorceress was sure I was going to do bad things to her...

[The Game Hamster]

John Napier 698 wrote:

lisamarlene wrote:

Confused Durgon wrote:

Who's Pea Bear?

Whats Grimtooth?

Whats happening?

Where am I?

Why am I?

Grimtooth's Traps is a now-legendary series of books with the most twisted, creepifying and funny ways to kill PC's ever devised.

I believe the first one came out in the mid-80's.

Such as when you turn the door knob and a 10-foot deep pit trap with spikes at the bottom opens up underneath a player.

Or a volley of crossbow bolts rains down on the party.

Or when the person touching the knob is subjected to n-D6 of Electricity damage.

And so on...

Fun times.

My favorite trap by far is the 100 ft diamond encrusted, but otherwise smooth floored hallway, that sits on a pivot about 10 feet down, which will then drop all the Pcs down a fun, armor-tearing, flesh ripping slide. add mild acid (such as lemon juice) behind a fake wall for added effect.

[The Game Hamster]

NobodysHome wrote:

lisamarlene wrote:

Confused Durgon wrote:

Who's Pea Bear?

Whats Grimtooth?

Whats happening?

Where am I?

Why am I?

Grimtooth's Traps is a now-legendary series of books with the most twisted, creepifying and funny ways to kill PC's ever devised.

I believe the first one came out in the mid-80's.

I am old enough to remember when they came out. Bought every single one. Still have them. One, too, four, and eight. :-P

EDIT: I know there are more, but I was delighted when they decided to choose numbering that made a computer geek happy.

I believe you mean "ate"

(I probably wouldn't have said anything, but you spell the "too" right, so... :p)

[Pitfall Rampage Cap'n Yesterday]

Give me a pit and a vine.

No school like old school.

Turns up the volume on his boombox playing a Public Enemy cassette.

[NobodysHome]

The Game Hamster wrote:

NobodysHome wrote:

lisamarlene wrote:

Confused Durgon wrote:

Who's Pea Bear?

Whats Grimtooth?

Whats happening?

Where am I?

Why am I?

Grimtooth's Traps is a now-legendary series of books with the most twisted, creepifying and funny ways to kill PC's ever devised.

I believe the first one came out in the mid-80's.

I am old enough to remember when they came out. Bought every single one. Still have them. One, too, four, and eight. :-P

EDIT: I know there are more, but I was delighted when they decided to choose numbering that made a computer geek happy.

I believe you mean "ate"

(I probably wouldn't have said anything, but you spell the "too" right, so... :p)

Nope -- appreciate it. And wasn't it "fore" rather than "four"?

Ah, heck, now I've got to go grab 'em off the shelf...

EDIT: Yep, I have the original, Too, Fore, and Ate.

[The Game Hamster]

NobodysHome wrote:

The Game Hamster wrote:

NobodysHome wrote:

lisamarlene wrote:

Confused Durgon wrote:

Who's Pea Bear?

Whats Grimtooth?

Whats happening?

Where am I?

Why am I?

Grimtooth's Traps is a now-legendary series of books with the most twisted, creepifying and funny ways to kill PC's ever devised.

I believe the first one came out in the mid-80's.

I am old enough to remember when they came out. Bought every single one. Still have them. One, too, four, and eight. :-P

EDIT: I know there are more, but I was delighted when they decided to choose numbering that made a computer geek happy.

I believe you mean "ate"

(I probably wouldn't have said anything, but you spell the "too" right, so... :p)

Nope -- appreciate it. And wasn't it "fore" rather than "four"?

Ah, heck, now I've got to go grab 'em off the shelf...

EDIT: Yep, I have the original, Too, Fore, and Ate.

I thought it might have been, but I didn't feel like checking it ATM and didn't want to sound like a jerky idiot if it wasn't. :p

[Freehold DM]

lisamarlene wrote:

You know what is very, very wrong?

When your first grader hears the old folk song "John Brown's Body" on Magic School Bus, but the only lyrics she can remember and "hum hum hum lies a-moldering in the grave" over and over again.

...whut.

[Freehold DM]

Freehold and best friend come home from working New York Comic Con!

[gran rey de los mono]

Tequila Sunrise wrote:

TriOmegaZero wrote:

Ye gods, I need one of those players in every game. It doesn't always come up, but the times I have wanted to grab them all and scream "IT IS A PLAIN DOORKNOB. MOVE ON." are the most frustrating. I may just start cutting the discussion off with "you open the thing and nothing happens" after the first few minutes.

It's really helpful to have a mix of personalities at the table, much like it's helpful to have a mix of skillsets in a party.

CAUTION: THE FOLLOWING IS A 4E PLUG
** spoiler omitted **

I suppose I would count as an instigator when I play. But I don't need an egg timer. I wait until the discussion seems to have reached a bogging down point, and then start rolling percentile dice every 30 seconds. If I roll under some value I choose based on how long we've been stuck, I act. I've never explicitly told my fellow players that's what I'm doing, but I know some of them have picked up on it based on their reactions when I roll percentile for no good reason.

[Vidmaster7]

Apparently I've been moody lately and I have no idea why.

[gran rey de los mono]

Maybe you need to curl up under a blanket on the couch with a pint of ice cream and watch a movie that makes you cry?

[Vidmaster7]

That does sound rather therapeutic and preferable to being at work. I haven't cried over a movie since I was 8. I believe the movie was A Perfect World.

Edit: can it be chocolate ice cream?

[gran rey de los mono]

Sure. It can be whatever flavor of ice cream you want. And if you're looking for a movie to make you cry, I suggest you ask someone else. I don't really do crying.

[Vidmaster7]

We have to much in common Gran its weird.

[gran rey de los mono]

Well, maybe one of us is just a figment of the other's imagination. Which, if it's me, would be awkward since I sometimes think I'm a figment of my own imagination.

[Vidmaster7]

I feel like being a figment of an imagined imagination is a bit paradoxical.

[gran rey de los mono]

Well, who else who want the Orc Skald in the first book of Giantslayer to sing this song to inspire rage in his comrades?

[Vidmaster7]

Wow... point made. Gran is imaginary everyone.

[Rosita the Riveter]

Hey, Nobody's Home. You getting tha smoke from the Napa fire? We're smelling it all the way out here in western San Francisco.

[Limeylongears]

lisamarlene wrote:

You know what is very, very wrong?

When your first grader hears the old folk song "John Brown's Body" on Magic School Bus, but the only lyrics she can remember and "hum hum hum lies a-moldering in the grave" over and over again.

Put their name down for Necromancer School right now.

[Limeylongears]

Drejk wrote:

Could it be a difference between unarmed and armed combat techniques? Unarmed fighting, while very dangerous if done right, lacks the stabbing potential of sharp things making minor hits less dangerous than in case of melee weapon combat.

Could well be - none of the treatises I've read/systems I've studied have dealt with unarmed combat in much detail (bar a spot of grappling when you get in close), and I've never really looked at Asian martial arts at all, beside a bit of judo when I was tiny (but I'd like to - Gatka/Silat/Filipino Escrima all sound pretty interesting).

Jumping up to kick someone in the head makes sense, providing your opponent doesn't have something long and pointy to threaten you with. I imagine that technique's in Tae Kwon Do (NH? TL?) - if so, I'd be interested to hear how well it works.

[gran rey de los mono]

A local Chinese restaurant was vandalized recently. The police are saying it was an act of wonton destruction.

[Vidmaster7]

And now I want Chinese food thanks...

[gran rey de los mono]

I'm sorry. I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

[John Napier 698]

Limeylongears wrote:

Drejk wrote:

Could it be a difference between unarmed and armed combat techniques? Unarmed fighting, while very dangerous if done right, lacks the stabbing potential of sharp things making minor hits less dangerous than in case of melee weapon combat.

Could well be - none of the treatises I've read/systems I've studied have dealt with unarmed combat in much detail (bar a spot of grappling when you get in close), and I've never really looked at Asian martial arts at all, beside a bit of judo when I was tiny (but I'd like to - Gatka/Silat/Filipino Escrima all sound pretty interesting).

Jumping up to kick someone in the head makes sense, providing your opponent doesn't have something long and pointy to threaten you with. I imagine that technique's in Tae Kwon Do (NH? TL?) - if so, I'd be interested to hear how well it works.

GURPS: Martial Arts (4th Edition) might be a good source for inspiration. Just link maneuvers with Game effects. I.e. Eye Gouge causes blindness, Ear Clap deafens a character, and so on.

[Vidmaster7]

You know John your post to somoene else inadvertently may help me with some of the style feats I've been trying to write for my rpg.

[Tacticslion]

Vidmaster7 wrote:

And now I want Chinese food thanks...

Ours is delicious~!

And now I get to eat our left-overs!

[Vidmaster7]

gran rey de los mono wrote:

I'm sorry. I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

Yeah I remember your dislike of it. Its our greatest divide...

I still think maybe you've just been going to bad Chinese restaurants.