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Just applied for a job while working at this job. Check that one off the bucket list!
WOOOOOOOOO NAKEDDDDDDDD
Right now out my window it's orange and gray at the same time. Sleet is completely covering the ground and the avg temp for this time of year is 48 degrees. Oh yeah, and also there's thunder in the air.
I guess the positive is... the new insulation I added upstairs is working?
Captain, again, I hope you're not out in any of this or if you are I hope you're well. It's straight up creepy outside. To whatever higher power that's been trying to tell us all something all year ok... I surrender.
Did you see "orange day" in the Bay Area?
Freakiest day of my life.
(That video is what it looked like in San Francisco at 9:30 am on September 9, 2020.)
5E is whatever you want to make of it. Can it be used to railroad? Absolutely. Can it be used to create sandbox? Yes.
The new version of temple of elemental evil is a great example of a sandbox game in 5E.
But my 5E Black Company based game? Very linear. When I created the campaign, I told the players that it would be a railroad. They are members of the army and get sent on missions. They are okay with that because it fits the game world. While it is home-brew game, I don't have buckets of time to go down every rabbit hole. The players know that and it is accepted social contact for the game. I picked 5E because it was easier to explain the low magic under 5E than PF1/2.
We also play a fair amount of PF APs. And those can be pretty linear as well.
I can't think of a PF home-brew that has lasted very long for us.
Agreed. Mechanics of the system != Stories that can be told. You could completely do a Shadowrun story/campaign using PF/SF.
Right now out my window it's orange and gray at the same time. Sleet is completely covering the ground and the avg temp for this time of year is 48 degrees. Oh yeah, and also there's thunder in the air.
I guess the positive is... the new insulation I added upstairs is working?
Captain, again, I hope you're not out in any of this or if you are I hope you're well. It's straight up creepy outside. To whatever higher power that's been trying to tell us all something all year ok... I surrender.
Too wet to work, thankfully.
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I always like the idea of a sandbox campaign more than the execution. Every sandbox campaign I have played has petered out due to disinterest and lack of direction.
Lack of player agency is bad, but I’m all about the linear campaigns these days.
“We need to stop this wizard before he carries out his plot.”
Player: “Let’s get to the MacGuffin before he does.” Good.
Player: “Let’s hunt down the wizard in his lair.” Good.
Player: “Let’s charm one of his minions and infiltrate his organization.” Good.
Player: “Hey, the land next door is known for orc hordes. Let’s go kill some orcs!” That’s a different campaign, bud.
Agreed. Mechanics of the system != Stories that can be told. You could completely do a Shadowrun story/campaign using PF/SF.5E is whatever you want to make of it. Can it be used to railroad? Absolutely. Can it be used to create sandbox? Yes.
The new version of temple of elemental evil is a great example of a sandbox game in 5E.
But my 5E Black Company based game? Very linear. When I created the campaign, I told the players that it would be a railroad. They are members of the army and get sent on missions. They are okay with that because it fits the game world. While it is home-brew game, I don't have buckets of time to go down every rabbit hole. The players know that and it is accepted social contact for the game. I picked 5E because it was easier to explain the low magic under 5E than PF1/2.
We also play a fair amount of PF APs. And those can be pretty linear as well.
I can't think of a PF home-brew that has lasted very long for us.
SHADOWRUN FOREVER CHUMMER
Right now out my window it's orange and gray at the same time. Sleet is completely covering the ground and the avg temp for this time of year is 48 degrees. Oh yeah, and also there's thunder in the air.
you dirty talker you!
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I always like the idea of a sandbox campaign more than the execution. Every sandbox campaign I have played has petered out due to disinterest and lack of direction.
Lack of player agency is bad, but I’m all about the linear campaigns these days.
“We need to stop this wizard before he carries out his plot.”
Player: “Let’s get to the MacGuffin before he does.” Good.
Player: “Let’s hunt down the wizard in his lair.” Good.
Player: “Let’s charm one of his minions and infiltrate his organization.” Good.
Player: “Hey, the land next door is known for orc hordes. Let’s go kill some orcs!” That’s a different campaign, bud.
Yes. This.
Like many things, the beginning communication of expectations and negotiating the social contract is fundamental.
You may still get the 'but I wanna do x' comment, but you are free to say that is 'a different campaign, bud.' Yes, people can change their mind, in which case, they can perhaps ask to renegotiate the social contract, but expect that the answer may be 'no.' And, if people all look at each other and say 'this social contract is a dud, let's play a different campaign' well that happens too. The ToA campaign I played in ended that way.
When I ran WotR, I made it clear that I needed heroes. This was not the campaign for the angsty, shades of grey anti-hero. I believe that character concepts like the scoundrel with the heart of gold and the use evil to fight evil characters can work in that campaign, but at the end of the day, the heroic themes should be the primary focus.
I always like the idea of a sandbox campaign more than the execution. Every sandbox campaign I have played has petered out due to disinterest and lack of direction.
Lack of player agency is bad, but I’m all about the linear campaigns these days.
“We need to stop this wizard before he carries out his plot.”
Player: “Let’s get to the MacGuffin before he does.” Good.
Player: “Let’s hunt down the wizard in his lair.” Good.
Player: “Let’s charm one of his minions and infiltrate his organization.” Good.
Player: “Hey, the land next door is known for orc hordes. Let’s go kill some orcs!” That’s a different campaign, bud.Yes. This.
Like many things, the beginning communication of expectations and negotiating the social contract is fundamental.
You may still get the 'but I wanna do x' comment, but you are free to say that is 'a different campaign, bud.' Yes, people can change their mind, in which case, they can perhaps ask to renegotiate the social contract, but expect that the answer may be 'no.' And, if people all look at each other and say 'this social contract is a dud, let's play a different campaign' well that happens too. The ToA campaign I played in ended that way.
When I ran WotR, I made it clear that I needed heroes. This was not the campaign for the angsty, shades of grey anti-hero. I believe that character concepts like the scoundrel with the heart of gold and the use evil to fight evil characters can work in that campaign, but at the end of the day, the heroic themes should be the primary focus.
I was in WOTR for a few minutes and made a character that hunted demons for completely inappropriate purposes.
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Mrs Sunrise and I are two sessions into a 5e campaign, and we've already 'derailed' it. Airquotes, because the DMs have said they can adapt the story to roll with it. And by 'we' I mean mostly me, as I was the one to turn on our NPC chaperone. In my defense, I thought that the plot was about fleeing from or killing him, it was just a question of when.
Roleplaying again has reignited my interest in DMing, and the speed at which we've derailed the game has me inspired to put together a sandbox. I've always run plot-based campaigns, yet I'm kinda in Mark's friend's position -- for one reason or another my campaigns never get terribly far, and I always end up exhausted and underwhelmed from planning my own story.
So I'm gonna try the 'dungeon plus three adventure hooks' sandbox model. Enough choices to give the players agency and direction, but not so many that it feels overwhelming and directionless. The story is what happens as the PCs push toward their chosen hooks.
So I have a cracked tooth, one side of it is splintered off who knows how far down. Tomorrow the dentist numbs me up, then decides whether the tooth is root-canal-able or if it needs to be pulled.
Either way, ugh.
They ended up pulling it. It came out in four pieces, but it was a lot more pleasant than my first tooth extraction.
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Freehold’s RotW campaign:
Paladin: “Let’s save the world!”
Wizard: “Let’s save the world!”
Cleric: “Let’s save the world!”
Freehold’s bard: “If I don’t get to bang a succubus by the time this campaign is over, I’m going to demand a f@&~ing refund.”
It was for their redemption sake, I am sure of it!
Yeah, the whole, "Unspoken social contract" thing is an amazing game-killer.
We started the family homebrew as a 'friendly sandbox' -- the PCs would wander around, interact with NPCs, and build a plot based on what they thought was happening.
Talky asked to join the group, and he's a good kid, so we let him. And he proceeded to try to play a gritty, mean-spirited jerk who would alienate all the NPCs. Basically the antithesis of the game we were trying to run. Fortunately, the family's amazing at adapting, and GothBard's charismatic gnome started apologizing to everyone for his behavior, and Impus Minor's cluecless catfolk didn't understand the insults or abuse, and Talky's toned it down quite a bit.
But yeah, "Friendly, informal sandbox," and, "Gritty, antisocial antihero PC" don't mix. And it's one of those expectations you need to make clear at the beginning of a campaign.
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Work was light so I decided to muck around with my DF and particularly try to do an elevation build with the Hellscape set.
Along comes the 4 year old. Completely sidetracked from build. Fun diversion with the monster, but now have to start over with the build.
At least the paw patrol did not come and try to rescue the damsel in the soul cage.
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So I'm gonna try the 'dungeon plus three adventure hooks' sandbox model. Enough choices to give the players agency and direction, but not so many that it feels overwhelming and directionless. The story is what happens as the PCs push toward their chosen hooks.
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Freehold’s RotW campaign:
Paladin: “Let’s save the world!”
Wizard: “Let’s save the world!”
Cleric: “Let’s save the world!”
Freehold’s bard: “If I don’t get to bang a succubus by the time this campaign is over, I’m going to demand a f*+$ing refund.”
<_<
>_>
I don’t know what you are talking about.
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Yeah, the whole, "Unspoken social contract" thing is an amazing game-killer.
We started the family homebrew as a 'friendly sandbox' -- the PCs would wander around, interact with NPCs, and build a plot based on what they thought was happening.
Talky asked to join the group, and he's a good kid, so we let him. And he proceeded to try to play a gritty, mean-spirited jerk who would alienate all the NPCs. Basically the antithesis of the game we were trying to run. Fortunately, the family's amazing at adapting, and GothBard's charismatic gnome started apologizing to everyone for his behavior, and Impus Minor's cluecless catfolk didn't understand the insults or abuse, and Talky's toned it down quite a bit.
But yeah, "Friendly, informal sandbox," and, "Gritty, antisocial antihero PC" don't mix. And it's one of those expectations you need to make clear at the beginning of a campaign.
the problem for me is that everyone describes gritty and antisocial differently. Most bypass both and end up in a#$!!%+ territory, but some are just weirdly awkward and know only how to kill.
Work was light so I decided to muck around with my DF and particularly try to do an elevation build with the Hellscape set.
Along comes the 4 year old. Completely sidetracked from build. Fun diversion with the monster, but now have to start over with the build.
At least the paw patrol did not come and try to rescue the damsel in the soul cage.
paw patrol? Amateurs. PJMasks are clearly superior.
Hot wash on the Yeti microphone.
It is a high quality microphone that is not designed for my intended purpose....How this translates to NH question, I am not sure. But that is my first level review.
That reinforces what I've experienced: "Other people" talk about how much they love it. Anyone who actually tries to use one says it just doesn't work for what they want it to do.
- Impus Minor declared it inadequate for streaming games
- I determined that it was inadequate for recording software demonstrations
- You found it inadequate for GMingSomehow, "other people" find it a great microphone, but I still steer people away from it, because people I know always seem to find it inadequate.
I've met one person in-person who praises them. He was a member of my old Chattanooga 5e group, but what he used the mike for was recording podcasts. He said that it worked amazingly and he had nothing but praise for it. He did state that it was not a great mike for anything involving movement; it very much expects you to be sitting still with the mike in one place, preferably on a stable stand.
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I always like the idea of a sandbox campaign more than the execution. Every sandbox campaign I have played has petered out due to disinterest and lack of direction.
Lack of player agency is bad, but I’m all about the linear campaigns these days.
“We need to stop this wizard before he carries out his plot.”
Player: “Let’s get to the MacGuffin before he does.” Good.
Player: “Let’s hunt down the wizard in his lair.” Good.
Player: “Let’s charm one of his minions and infiltrate his organization.” Good.
Player: “Hey, the land next door is known for orc hordes. Let’s go kill some orcs!” That’s a different campaign, bud.
I imagine this may be somewhat an issue in the CastleVania game, though it will be somewhat mollified by the whole "you can't leave the castle" bit. But the determination of where to explore and in what order? Really just limited by whether you guys are capable of reaching the areas in question and surviving there. >.>
That makes sense.
Go here
So I'm gonna try the 'dungeon plus three adventure hooks' sandbox model. Enough choices to give the players agency and direction, but not so many that it feels overwhelming and directionless. The story is what happens as the PCs push toward their chosen hooks.
There is a strong possibility that #29 actually happened in the early stages of Human prehistory.
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the problem for me is that everyone describes gritty and antisocial differently. Most bypass both and end up in a+#+~$$ territory, but some are just weirdly awkward and know only how to kill.Yeah, the whole, "Unspoken social contract" thing is an amazing game-killer.
We started the family homebrew as a 'friendly sandbox' -- the PCs would wander around, interact with NPCs, and build a plot based on what they thought was happening.
Talky asked to join the group, and he's a good kid, so we let him. And he proceeded to try to play a gritty, mean-spirited jerk who would alienate all the NPCs. Basically the antithesis of the game we were trying to run. Fortunately, the family's amazing at adapting, and GothBard's charismatic gnome started apologizing to everyone for his behavior, and Impus Minor's cluecless catfolk didn't understand the insults or abuse, and Talky's toned it down quite a bit.
But yeah, "Friendly, informal sandbox," and, "Gritty, antisocial antihero PC" don't mix. And it's one of those expectations you need to make clear at the beginning of a campaign.
Yeah; in my experience "I want to be a gritty antihero" translates directly to, "I want to act like a jerk and steal from the party."
Talky didn't go that direction, but it's always annoying to be trying to run a team-based game and have one player go solo.
(Lara Croft guy is the same way, and in every single game we play he's not part of the team, he's a solo player who happens to be in a group with us. It's really amazing how much harder it makes things...)
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So, my immune system has taken one look at all the stuff that came in and decided that I must be sick. Mild cough, mild fever, headache, dizziness, etc.
And yes, the doctor did warn me that the pneumonia vaccine might do exactly this.
Stoopid body!
Wait...according to this we were supposed to kill the bacteria before mixing the vaccine...
...I'm sure it will be fine...
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So, my immune system has taken one look at all the stuff that came in and decided that I must be sick. Mild cough, mild fever, headache, dizziness, etc.
And yes, the doctor did warn me that the pneumonia vaccine might do exactly this.
Stoopid body!
Wait...according to this we were supposed to kill the bacteria before mixing the vaccine...
...I'm sure it will be fine...
Interesting note: Your body isn’t smart enough to distinguish between living invaders and dead invaders, and most cold “symptoms” are your body trying to defend itself from whatever it perceives as “threatening”.
So yeah, my body’s overreacting to a bunch of dead invaders. Not UNdead... just dead..,
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Just found a vastly underrated martial arts movie on Amazon Prime. Chocolate (or Zen, Warrior Within internationally). An autistic girl learns martial arts by watching Tony Jaa and Bruce Lee movies in ways that only that flavor of the autism spectrum can. Then her mother falls ill, can't pay the bills, there's Thai organized crime (I don't know the generalized name for the Thai mob/mafia) and Japanese Yakuza in the backstory, and the girl has to resolve the issue in the only way she knows. Very violently (again, it's a Thai martial arts movie, so emphasis on "very").
If you haven't seen this movie and you like this kind of thing, I highly recommend it.
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1. Over dinner last night, discussing what was going to happen when our Ruins of Azlant campaign ends later this year, somewhere between comments about Starfinder and Star Trek and resurrecting our short-lived Ankh-Morpork City Watch campaign, I somehow got railroaded into agreeing to transforming Absalom Station into a Morporkian version of DS9, with Vimes, Carrot and Angua (the PCs) becoming station security.
2. Apparently Hi is the one person in the world who can send me jpegs of what he thinks I would look like as a furry cartoon character, and NOT end up with me hating him forever. Because he's Hi.
3. Tomorrow is Friday. (Sorry, gran.)
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About to go home. Good night, everyone.
Good night, John. Take care.
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I think mt dew was invented by someone who had small children.
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I am so over the night shift. Sadly the night shift is not over me.
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Just found a vastly underrated martial arts movie on Amazon Prime. Chocolate (or Zen, Warrior Within internationally). An autistic girl learns martial arts by watching Tony Jaa and Bruce Lee movies in ways that only that flavor of the autism spectrum can. Then her mother falls ill, can't pay the bills, there's Thai organized crime (I don't know the generalized name for the Thai mob/mafia) and Japanese Yakuza in the backstory, and the girl has to resolve the issue in the only way she knows. Very violently (again, it's a Thai martial arts movie, so emphasis on "very").
If you haven't seen this movie and you like this kind of thing, I highly recommend it.
I watched that a few years back, I think? Good movie.
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1. Over dinner last night, discussing what was going to happen when our Ruins of Azlant campaign ends later this year, somewhere between comments about Starfinder and Star Trek and resurrecting our short-lived Ankh-Morpork City Watch campaign, I somehow got railroaded into agreeing to transforming Absalom Station into a Morporkian version of DS9, with Vimes, Carrot and Angua (the PCs) becoming station security.
HOLY FORKING SHIRTBALLS that is a great idea!
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1. Over dinner last night, discussing what was going to happen when our Ruins of Azlant campaign ends later this year, somewhere between comments about Starfinder and Star Trek and resurrecting our short-lived Ankh-Morpork City Watch campaign, I somehow got railroaded into agreeing to transforming Absalom Station into a Morporkian version of DS9, with Vimes, Carrot and Angua (the PCs) becoming station security.
2. Apparently Hi is the one person in the world who can send me jpegs of what he thinks I would look like as a furry cartoon character, and NOT end up with me hating him forever. Because he's Hi.
3. Tomorrow is Friday. (Sorry, gran.)
I'm glad someone else thinks Starfinder is more Star Trek than Star Wars.
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HOLY FORKING SHIRTBALLS that is a great idea!1. Over dinner last night, discussing what was going to happen when our Ruins of Azlant campaign ends later this year, somewhere between comments about Starfinder and Star Trek and resurrecting our short-lived Ankh-Morpork City Watch campaign, I somehow got railroaded into agreeing to transforming Absalom Station into a Morporkian version of DS9, with Vimes, Carrot and Angua (the PCs) becoming station security.
Seconded. Envious, would love to play in that game.
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They have a pocket edition of the Starfinder Core Rulebook now, so it's cheaper than ever to try out.
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Just found a vastly underrated martial arts movie on Amazon Prime. Chocolate (or Zen, Warrior Within internationally). An autistic girl learns martial arts by watching Tony Jaa and Bruce Lee movies in ways that only that flavor of the autism spectrum can. Then her mother falls ill, can't pay the bills, there's Thai organized crime (I don't know the generalized name for the Thai mob/mafia) and Japanese Yakuza in the backstory, and the girl has to resolve the issue in the only way she knows. Very violently (again, it's a Thai martial arts movie, so emphasis on "very").
If you haven't seen this movie and you like this kind of thing, I highly recommend it.
Freehold will watch.
Thank you.
In fact, thank you all.
I know I have been a bit much to be around these last few weeks. But my decision to see about finding another job and the encouragement I have received here and a few other places to actually move on has me turning a corner emotionally. While I still am mad at my boss and I dont think I ever won't be, I am able to work with him at least and I am keeping my opinions to myself- the mask helps there, I can tell you that! I'm still not happy with the way my job has been handling things, but not all of it is him(although he is certainly responsible for what he is responsible for), and it may just be time to move on in general. I'm still sending out resumes(the one sent out yesterday is still my favorite), and I am still primarily looking at Planned Parenthood because I have always wanted to be a sex educator, especially in this time that old stereotypes and fantasies from my youth are being held up as anything from gospel to positive wishful thinking. My time at the second job has educated me a great deal to the damage that misinformation can do, and the steps I can- and can't- take to remedy them. I would like to take what I learned there and in my first job in overall mental health work and use it here. I am aware I need to cast a wider net though so I am looking in other places too. Still, getting up and going to work today wasn't as awful as it has been the past few days and I want to thank you guys for the role you played in it.
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I imagine this may be somewhat an issue in the CastleVania game, though it will be somewhat mollified by the whole "you can't leave the castle" bit. But the determination of where to explore and in what order? Really just limited by whether you guys are capable of reaching the areas in question and surviving there. >.>I always like the idea of a sandbox campaign more than the execution. Every sandbox campaign I have played has petered out due to disinterest and lack of direction.
Lack of player agency is bad, but I’m all about the linear campaigns these days.
“We need to stop this wizard before he carries out his plot.”
Player: “Let’s get to the MacGuffin before he does.” Good.
Player: “Let’s hunt down the wizard in his lair.” Good.
Player: “Let’s charm one of his minions and infiltrate his organization.” Good.
Player: “Hey, the land next door is known for orc hordes. Let’s go kill some orcs!” That’s a different campaign, bud.
That’s just me as a GM. As a player, I’ll work with whatever format the GM has in mind!
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And, sure enough, today ALL of the symptoms are gone, with the exception of the still-sore arm.
Thanks, immune system!
And good luck in your search, Freehold!
And yeah, Mark. I feel you. As I've been helping my 16-year-old cope with online learning, he's come to realize that I actually care about him and his well-being, so when I was sick yesterday he came in at least 4 times to make sure I was doing OK. At first I thought he was doing it to annoy me, but then I realized he actually cared. It was really sweet. (Impus Major had a friend over and totally ignored my illness, so there's that...)
As a final note, it's the first day of the season with a high of under 70°F. That's... quite late for us. And it's supposed to go back into the mid-70s for the rest of the month; today is just a fluke "cool" day.
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It sucks when your house is out of tea bags.
And not like dust buster suck, but full on dyson industrial shop vac suck.
I am not even that picky about my tea. Lipton is fine.