As my fiance says, "Look, she's out, isn't she beautiful?!" on a daily basis during the summer. You can't ever see the mountain in the winter, though. And, yes, they most likely did have the same idea. And likely tried to enact it on the highway. There's a reason we're #13 on the list of the country's worst drivers.
Unrelated, I found this and immediatel though, "Our worlds collide!"
Alaina, glad to hear it and no problem, I'll do that later this morning. In the meantime I offer one of the finest inventions that science has ever produced: the fully automated kitten generator. Sometimes helpful for shitty days. (If you're a dog person, we haven't been able to warp the fabric of spacetime enough to generate puppies yet, but we're working on it.)
Cel, yeah, we had some near misses driving just outside of Seattle. That style of driving almost reminded me of Baton Rouge, where the side of the highway is consistently littered with broken glass and car parts. (My first thought after moving there was ‘wow, they must never maintain their major highways’. Within a week it was ‘wow, people crash a lot here. (A lot.)’) Then there’s LA, which as far as I can tell is just a RL version of Mario Kart. I am amazed every day there aren’t more accidents.
And indeed! That’s very true, the brain is great at physics. It even accounts for observational time delay and predicts the trajectory of objects when you catch things. I’m pretty much a walking talking physics engine myself; I don’t know how you feel about having realistic-ish hydrodynamics in game as a kineticist but that’s what you ended up with. (Could be really useful for you in the snow and/or mist.) Also, you are always welcome to ask ‘what will happen if I move air like this in this location’ anytime, including before you post.
Haha, yeah, I tend to teach the physics engine stuff to my patients a lot (without the full understanding of the physics part). In particular, people attempting a new sport...don't think, just throw, you'll be more accurate. Survival mechanism means don't line up your shot when throwing the spear you don't have time! Just wing it and you're more likely to hit!
I appreciate both the reality element and my getting to ask "what happens if..." As it becomes more applicable, you're going to be subjected to all my medically talk with the flavor text of stuff. I won't try to force realistic anatomy principles, because honestly a ton of it would break the game for both the players and the things we're attacking. We'd all be screwed! But, flavor text is fair game :)
== GM travel advisory ==
Hey all, I fly to Massachusetts tomorrow (Thursday), so I’ll probably disappear in the early afternoon and re-appear on Friday evening. (I get in by maybe 3am local time Friday, but then it’s a day of driving to NY and back.) I should have time to post over the weekend, then I’ll disappear again on Monday for about 10 hours when I fly back to LA. I’ll post when I can, and there's a good chance I'll at least be reading when I'm not 30,000 feet up.
Cel, yeah I definitely prefer you all to be cartoonishly resistant to damage. But flavor text is indeed fair game.
I always liked the "vigor points" style of realism. I think it was an alternate ruleset from UC, that was basically like your con was your actual hit points and your hit points was your ability to dodge dangerous things, you'd get more tired and eventually start taking wound points. Our GM did a really bad job of running it, but I like the concept for more "realism" - you get better at predicting and dodging danger as you level!
Interesting, Henri. That'd make pacing a fight much more strategically important, as it would be. Hmm.
As someone who loves fighting, all of my yes. All of it. Though, would some of the strikes on hitpoints be direct stikes, to add to a sense of urgency? Wait, I just answered my own question when crits came to mind.
...Curse you Henri, now I'm going to spend the rest of the night obsessively checking this out :D
Yeah, crits deal wound points equal to the weapon's crit modifier (though it you were already looking you probably have already seen that). I also like that wounds don't heal right away, you have to specifically heal wounds or vigor points - not both. Plus there are some interesting ways of targeting wound points directly, channeling being one of them :P
I really like alternate rulesets. I've probably said it before but I'll say it again, Words of Power got a bad rap. Mostly because it has received no support.
Hey all, for post-fight healing purposes I took stock of the damage to the party (I’d only been glancing at Cel’s, I’ll try to keep a better eye on this as we go next time).
-------
#743
Anathema -3 HP
#766
Cel -8 HP
Henri -1 HP
Alaina -1 HP
Xizoh -5 HP
#793
Cel -5 HP
#819
Anathema -8 HP
#829
Dulae -6 HP
Totals from the fight:
Anathema -11 HP
Cel -13 HP
Henri -1 HP
Alaina -1 HP
Xizoh -5 HP
Dulae -6 HP
#836 (Post-fight heal)
Cel +9 HP (-4 cumulative)
---------
Henri, Cel, Dulae, HP in your headers looks good.
Alaina, your header needs a -1 HP adjustment by my reckoning.
Xizoh, I think yours also may need adjusting: your fast healing is +1 HP per round and only when you are bloodraging, correct? (If so, we said you used 2 rounds earlier, and I think one of those goes to Anathema. You can take +3 HP in healing between the two of you if you want to tick up the number of rounds raged today to 3. Up to you).
Just to make sure I am following the text in #820): you healed Anathema for 1/11 HP to bring him just this side of consciousness when you next summon him (which could still be sometime today, as he is not dead).
If I missed something or that otherwise sounds wrong, that's probably true. Let me know.
Also, let the record show that Dulae last moved in the map as 'Anonymous Pumpkin', and shall hereafter be referred to as 'super adorable' in all instances of descriptive adjectives.
Sorry about that. Normally I'm quite on top of current HP. No idea how I missed that.
No worries. You check my math checking your math and it'll all work out.
Sorry, forgot to adjust Xizoh's header. I'll take the three rounds of rage. That correct in regards to Anathema. I'll summon him later.
Sounds good Xizoh.
Travel update: I'm back in LA as of this afternoon and you can expect a stable post schedule from me for the next 10 days until I dust off my passport (which I inevitably will have misplaced before then).
I thought combat during travel seemed to go pretty smoothly, so I'm not in a particular hurry to squeeze in gameplay before the next trip.
By the way Alaina, I finally figured out the local birds with the weird call are parrots. Escaped pets and their offspring, maybe? There's a feral parrot colony that seems to be getting along quite happily somewhere in my neighborhood. You called it for being a highly-localized LA thing, to my surprise.
(Bug not yet identified. Prime suspect: WADS (weird-ass desert spider)).
Well as long as it's not a Cockamouse, you should be fine.
Haven't seen one of those since I was last in New York! (Never did finish HIMYM.)
Meanwhile, in Louisiana...
(The lab is okay and everybody who works at the lab is okay. Their worldly possessions, not so much.)
In case you could use some faith-in-humanity restoration in your day, here is some evidence that humans are awesome.
(Except perhaps for the looting part, but I figure 10 looters in a major crisis, we're doing great. Go team human.)
Dulae Dulae Dulae, if you make it out of your lab before Emperor Trump has brought about nuclear winter, you need to see this: https://github.com/nvbn/thef*ck/blob/master/README.md
(Substitute *=u, because Paizo.)
It's a python app that (for certain defined mistakes) recognizes when you f*ck up, predicts the fix, and lets you run the corrected command by cursing at your terminal. It looks amazing and I need it in my life immediately. Thought it might bring you some good cheer.
Alaina: ..... =D
Henri: Happiest of birthdays to you. I'm told if you don't feel like an adult yet that means you're doing it right.
I'm going to give Dulae a little longer to emerge from solitary. I don't think he's been able to check the forums since about Monday. (Hang in there buddy.)
Happy birthday!!! Sorry for the lateness of post, I was distracted by the collosal disappointment that was the Mariners game yesterday, and then of course cheering myself up with watching more Olympics.
Thanks guys :P It was def a fun party. We talked about sex and D&D so i call it a success. We also went to one of those mystery escape the room things, I've never been to one and we almost made it to the end via logical guessing and sequence breaking some of the puzzles.
Glad to hear it. I've never been to an escape the room myself, but they sound like a lot of fun.
@Cel, I've had the occasion to meet a lot of a$*$$*%s in my line of work, and I think we can safely classify you outside that group. Your sense of humor seems to be pretty much 'agent of chaos', sure, but in my experience I'd say that's independent of a+%&!@+-ness. (Relatedly, I'm betting you enjoyed Animaniacs.)
Happy Birthday as well! Sorry, going back to school means trying to get all my ducks in an order while everyone else is playing chaotic stupid and trying to burn them alive :[
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You can't see it, but I'm touching my nose with my index finger right now
Has anyone ever told you that you go to a really intense school, Xizoh? Back in my day we just had to hike there, in the snow, uphill both ways.
(That is not true; we had buses. And fairly straightforward geographical topology.)
I hope things work out soon and all your ducks emerge alive, happy, and very well ordered.
Is anyone else kind of amazed at the number of common expressions across the country? We can't agree on what to call soda (it is soda by the way, I will fight you), water fountains/bubblers, or you plural, but everybody's probably heard of 'ducks in a row/order' coast to coast.
Happy birthday!
I think Xizoh goes to one of those crazy anime magic battle schools. Its the only explanation.
It's intense because I like a challenge, and the battle board believes character is born from near death experiences :D . The first day involved my shoes being hurled at student council and attempting to steal the school spirit stick, then I went to first hour.
@Dulae, Shush, don't share that secret! We haven't mastered our ultimate technique yet!
That is true, I have grown more as a person from nearly dying than I have from NOT nearly dying!
Thanks for all the birfday wishes, too :3
In Pathfinder-Related news, I have finally used a boot-knife in a sufficiently tense situation - in my ROTRL game my paladin got trapped in a pit without her weapons and with an ogre. I pulled out the ol' boot knife and critted him to death.
For context, I have bought a boot knife on EVERY SINGLE MARTIAL CHARACTER I HAVE EVER PLAYED. This is literally the first time I've used it.
Xizoh, in all honesty, I am still unsure if that was a description of your first day of school or the plot of an anime.
This may be illuminating: what is the point/purpose of a 'spirit stick'?
Well done Henri. That sounds satisfying.
===== GM travel advisory: Aug 26-Sept 5 =====
Hey all, tomorrow I head to the UK.
I’ll be traveling ~26 hours straight starting about noonish, so expect a day-long pause in GM posts unless I get wifi somewhere along the way. (If LAX is the armpit of Hades, Heathrow would be its a+%@~@%*, so probably not. But maybe on the train up to Glasgow.)
There’s a conference Sunday-Thursday; I expect to be able to post once a day, likely at night BST (mid-afternoon Pacific). That may make our 24-hour combat round schedule a little funny, but we’ll figure it out.
Next Friday I fly to Paris; not for work, but because the conference paid for the trans-Atlantic plane ticket and it’s a long weekend in the US. I expect to post at least once a day next weekend on European hours. (If you don’t hear from me, I’m probably geeking out in a museum somewhere. Sorry in advance.)
Another ~26 hour travel odyssey on Labor Day, and I’ll be back to regular posting by Tuesday Sept 8. (Then eight days later, on to the next trip.)
It’s going to be 50-60F and rainy in Scotland. I'm going to need a sweater. I am so f*cking excited.
I mean, to be fair, next weekend (on the ol' Labor Dabor) is PAX, so I'm pretty sure I will be out a lot, too.
I'll be at PAX too, but doing injury screens for the Enforcers, so I'll be hit and miss as well. Seems most of us will be mildly MIA next weekend!
And yes Henri, Pathfinder is not friendly to non-AoE ranged in the slightest. I have to be something like level 16 before I can even negate the soft cover AC bump and it still requires a feat to do! When I can fly in 3 more levels it won't be so much of an issue, but that's a pretty unique scenario among ranged attackers.
Hm, with at least 3/6 of us busy perhaps we want to call a brief hiatus for Labor Day weekend (Sept 2-5). What say the group?
Enjoy PAX!
Well, I know I'll be actually working on Labor Day, sooooooooo yeaaah, that.
I'll be at PAX too, but doing injury screens for the Enforcers, so I'll be hit and miss as well. Seems most of us will be mildly MIA next weekend!
And yes Henri, Pathfinder is not friendly to non-AoE ranged in the slightest. I have to be something like level 16 before I can even negate the soft cover AC bump and it still requires a feat to do! When I can fly in 3 more levels it won't be so much of an issue, but that's a pretty unique scenario among ranged attackers.
Well maybe I will see you but not recognize you, it will be very serendipitous :P
I'll be the person begging paizo devs to hire me.Yeesh that is very crazy business. I wish you luck xD but also if we get into more cave fights, HOW CAN YOU FLY.
As for the haitus I am fine with it, or at least a hiatus from gm-botting. I may still be able to eke out a post or 2.
As for the haitus I am fine with it, or at least a hiatus from gm-botting. I may still be able to eke out a post or 2.
This
You guys, we live in the future! By the time Starfinder comes out we might have a bunch of RL planets a ship could land on cataloged (not the big ass gas giant exoplanets astronomers have been finding). Maybe temperate planets that have multiple moons, or more than one sun in the sky. Proxima b probably has perpetual day and night (whaaaat, that would be a great setting).
Alaina, wow, that sucks big hairy yeti balls. Do you get any guaranteed holidays? Thanksgiving? Christmas? (Is nothing sacred anymore?)
Regarding posting, I should be able to post some over Labor Day weekend as well. Okay, let's do a post-as-you're-able schedule for Sept 2-5. There probably won't be any autobots unless we're in combat and it's been a couple days waiting on 1-2 PCs.
I had to volunteer the do four holidays this year, and Labor Day is one of them. I also have Veteran's Day to do. I already did MLK Day, and 4th of July. That's the price of working at a 24/7 position.
I didn't realize you're a 24-hour wizard. That's intense. Must be a big and/or always-open place to merit round-the-clock staffing.
(I also appreciate the phrase 'had to volunteer'. We have a variation on that we call being 'voluntold'.)
No, Voluntold is where they tell you that you're working a specific day and time and have zero say in the matter.
Them saying 'you have to volunteer' at least gives you options to plan with.
Indeed. Variations on a theme of shit.
I'm glad you have options for holidays? [=== Positive spin sequence initiation.... Failure.====]
@GM Mikkel That is the honest truth of my first day of senior year. The spirit stick as far as I can tell is a really poorly thought out attempt to get the student body to have school spirit. Also, it gave the student council something to do over the summer.
Also, just out of curiosity, how many of you would be willing to take the half century journey to Proxima b? I'd do it in an heartbeat
Listen, as long as we've got a decent party and enough RP systems, I can go a half-century anywhere. Plus some video games, movies and books, obviously.
Also if we did that thing from mass effect where we downloaded a lot of the internet, and then released stuff that was originally put out daily to be released every X number of days so it lined up with the half a century thing. Would be a great time.
I've been awake for 30 hours now - totally worth it. I had meant to sleep on the plane, but as we came close to the Arctic Circle I could see the Aurora Borealis out my window, so naturally I watched that instead as long as I could. (It was my first time seeing the northern lights (finally). I think it was probably the most breathtaking, incredible thing I've seen. Maybe ever. At least until next time.)
Dulae, I didn't catch a glimpse of Hadrian's wall on the train, but I think I could grab a few pound coins for your collection, whenever it is I see you next.
But right, passing out. Apologies in advance if something in gameplay doesn't make sense; not quite fully functional. (How did I do this back in college?)
Xizoh: setting aside the two-body problem, I still think I'd stay. I like Earth. There's no coming back from a journey where one way takes 50 years, and I don't know that I'd be able to go without feeling a warm breeze ever again. Or crisp apples right off the tree, a good storm, a fresh snowfall, live music, the first bloom in a garden, or rustling leaves on a sunny day. I think I'm just making my own version of My Favorite Things now... tl;dr: I'm on team stay.
(Disclaimer: the opinion expressed above may be colored by a stupidly beautiful train ride through the English countryside a couple days ago.)
Also, I highly doubt we'll see a 50-year-long trip in our lifetimes. Earth's escape velocity is ~11,200 m/s, and we can obviously do that, but it'd take 3 more zeroes to get to 10% the speed of light (~3x10^8 m/s). The only way we'd get a spacecraft to travel most of the way there at 3x10^7 m/s with current technology is with a metric f*ckton of fuel and an equally enormous budget. (Quick, someone convince the Pentagon we're in a space race for rare resources on Proxima b.)
Quick update: Dulae says he can post tonight, therefore I am going the f*ck to bed.
(Good conference, lots of science, now everyone here is in great need of sleep).
yay driving for 4 hours is overrrr
I know its not as long as some people here have travelled in a day but it was raining very hard on Washington's f%#$ing 70 mph speedways where people go 90 mph(we don't have ones that really go over 60 in Oregon for the most part).
Now to sleep until tomorrow where I ambush the paizo people and get them to hire me in an industry that is nearly impossible to break into