TRPG General Chat

GcL

3:00 PM

My tables start with:
\begin{table} \centering \begin{tabular}

JohnP

@Xirema Maybe here?

GcL

instead of \centering, see if \raggedleft ends up applying to the tabular env. I don't think that does what you want, but it's quick and worth a shot.

I did a multicol section in a document that put a table on the side of the page I wanted, but that's not exactly the same.

JohnP

@Xirema - Or maybe this? (Note, I'm just throwing spaghetti at the wall, I don't know latex)

GcL

@JohnP That's mostly about text alignment.

Xirema

I'm specifically trying to work with Stack Exchange, so I have to use the array environment, I don't believe the table/tabular environments are enabled.

JohnP

3:02 PM

ok, I'm out. That's all I got. :)

GcL

@JohnP Same thing. That's about the text alignment

Mark Wells

@GcL \raggedright in this case, yes? You want the left edge of the table to stick to the side

David Coffron

For what it's worth, I think he's asking about this table (which would look nicer in-line)

Xirema

\begin{array}{|l|l|l|}
\hline
\text{Day of Week} & \text{# of Times I've been Owned} \\ \hline
\text{Monday} & 0 \\ \hline
\text{Tuesday} & 1 \\ \hline
\text{Wednesday} & 1 \\ \hline
\text{Thursday} & 3,972,804 \\ \hline
\text{Friday} & 0 \\ \hline
\text{Saturday} & 0\\ \hline
\text{Sunday} & 0 \\ hline
\end{array}

@Xirema How would I left-align that table?

GcL

@MarkWells Sure. Either way, I don't think that applied to the tabular in the way we'd like.

Yuuki

3:05 PM

@linksassin Honestly, I've cooled a bit on Firefly in recent days because I've become a bit more jaded towards Joss Whedon.

David Coffron

@Xirema Doesn't seem to be a way (at least not mentioned on the fan wikia)

Xirema

@DavidCoffron =/

GcL

@Xirema Hmm... might try \hfill at the end of the array. I don't know if that's going to have the desired effect but might try it with a & \hfill \\ to see if that consumes the remainder of the horizontal space

Yuuki

Equating Black Widow's infertility to the Hulk's big green rage monster tendencies as well as both Age of Ultron and Justice League having the same "awkward dude falls on single female main character's chest" comedy moment is a bit...

David Coffron

3

A: Moving a matrix (array) to the left margin

If it is only an isolated array, a simple way is \noindent $\displaystyle \left[ \begin{array}{rrr} 1 & 0 & 0 \\ 0 & 1 & 0 \\ 0 & 0 & 1 \\ \end{array} \right] $ This works because the array is at the beginning of a paragraph and this paragraph indentation is set to 0pt.

But I don't know if that works with our implementsation with the $$[]$$

Yuuki

3:11 PM

I'm still trying to pin down what quo I'm trying to je ne sais but it's not good.

GcL

Uh... \hfill does not do the trick.

David Coffron

Some packages make it easy:

28

A: How can I use an align environment flush left?

The amsmath package has a fleqn option which, according to the manual (texdoc amsmath) has the following effect: Position equations at a fixed indent from the left margin rather than centered in the text column. Thus: \usepackage[fleqn]{amsmath} seems to be what you are after. The matht...

Xirema

Someone needs to pester the Stack Exchange team to make their MathJAX/LaTEX implementations more compliant.

Yuuki

@Xirema It's rattling around in the same drawer as "fix chat oneboxing" and "listen to feedback on ads".

Xirema

I volunteer, I'll recreate the scene from M*A*S*H, Season 7, Episode 2. XD

GcL

3:17 PM

Without access to the environment enclosing the array, I don't think this can be done easily.

David Coffron

I know formulae can be inserted in-line. Can arrays?

Or maybe they can't on our stack

This answer does in-line stuff

Hot RPG Questions

7

Q: Does Arcane Shot overcome resistance or immunity to damage from nonmagical attacks?

Would the Arcane Archer's Arcane Shot (Xanathar's Guide to Everything ch. 1; link requires access to XGtE in D&D Beyond), made using a nonmagical bow and a nonmagical arrow, count as a magical attack for purposes of overcoming a monster's resistance or immunity to damage from nonmagical attacks?

GcL

@Xirema here's a crappy workaround
\begin{array}{|l|cr|}
\hline
\text{Day of Week} & \text{# of Times I've been Owned} & \kern 15em \\ \hline
\text{Monday} & 0 & \kern 15em \\
\text{Tuesday} & 1 \\ \hline
\end{array}

Xirema

@GcL That seems like it might break if a user doesn't have the same screen size as me.

GcL

@Xirema I did warn you it was crappy

NautArch

3:28 PM

@DavidCoffron Really sorry if my question clarifications on that rogue build break your answer :(

David Coffron

@NautArch That's okay. I can always add a survivability section to each table

@NautArch Hmph. Sounds like just mentioning the defensive capacities for each dip is sufficient. I'll add it to my answer

NautArch

@DavidCoffron and did you catch that Sentinel was a must-have part of the build?

David Coffron

@NautArch Yeah

But he's Variant Human so I don't think it mattesr

NautArch

as well as dual-wield

@DavidCoffron Jus tnot sure if it changes any of your calculations. I thought there were fewer limits on how to build.

David Coffron

@NautArch It could change Fighter and Paladin if you pick up the dip at level 1.

(for Heavy armor)

The Oracle

3:38 PM

2

Q: What are the methods we have available to us to appropriately back up a subjective answer?

It is clear that we require answers to be backed up here- whether they are subjective or objective. Objective support is fairly clear, but what about subjective? Does stating "I've had X years of playing" qualify? Do you need to not only say that, but also provide examples of what your recomme...

discussion subjective-questions

NautArch

3:52 PM

@DavidCoffron Looks like it's an objective, but secondary to damage

Rubiksmoose

Phew, how's everyone doing today?

NautArch

@Rubiksmoose Subjectively pretty good :P

Rubiksmoose

@NautArch lol

NautArch

have our gameday tonight. looking forward to it, but it's gonna be a very deadly encounter.

Rubiksmoose

Thank you for asking that question. I'm not sure though if it wouldn't have been better to wait for Sardathrion to ask it themselves, but either way I'm happy that people are talking about it.

NautArch

3:59 PM

@Rubiksmoose I was just as interested. I never really thought I was approaching it with too hard a line after the other questions, but now I"m questioning.

Rubiksmoose

I'm sensing a lot of friction around backing up subjective answers and not all of which seems to me to stem from the crowd that just doesn't want to have to back up their answers at all.

I'm hoping some of those voices speak up so we can understand better where the sticking points are.

@NautArch That's fair! Sorry, I didn't mean to discount your concern or interest in the matter at all. I'm just hoping that Sardathrion feels they are getting their concerns heard is all.

NautArch

@Rubiksmoose very good point - although I think we were on the same page. maybe.

I hear him on the concern around anecdotal evidence, but that's what RPGs have if we're out of the objective metrics.

And years of experience doesn't necessarily give good ideas. It's the idea of practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.

Mark Wells

RPGs are made out of anecdotes, so I'm not sure what other kind of evidence anyone expects.

Rubiksmoose

@NautArch Yeah it is hard for me to judge there since I seem to not be fully following and understanding where exactly their concerns lie. But I'm sure it'll all work out :) If your post doesn't address their issue, hopefully they'll ask one that does. At the very least, you seem to be reading the same book at least.

Yuuki

@NautArch Practice doesn't make perfect and perfect practice doesn't make perfect either. Only great spellcaster called Dr. Lamatu can make perfect of your marriage.

Rubiksmoose

4:06 PM

@NautArch Our game nights have been cursed lately because of RL things. Which we usually have been good about really gunning for gaming and making that a priority. But we've had three people moving (myself included) one family getting two new jobs (one of which in housing construction and thus is incredibly busy now) and a bout of weddings and bad health.

NautArch

@MarkWells That was my thought as well. But i'm interested in the other viewpoint.

Yuuki

@Rubiksmoose something something curse something something dr. lamatu

Rubiksmoose

@Yuuki I tried, but apparently they Dr. Lamatu does not accept ModCoin(tm).

Yuuki

Now to figure out something else to talk/joke about before my account gets closed for spam.

NautArch

@Rubiksmoose We really try and do a minimum of 1/month with a goal of 1/week.

@Yuuki Let's talk about Dr. Lamatu!

Mark Wells

4:08 PM

@NautArch And I'm not sure that's a useful way to look at it. There is no "perfect practice"; this is a social activity where the only measure of success is "everyone is enjoying this".

NautArch

@MarkWells I know, but my point was that someone playing for 15 years doesn't mean their ideas good.

Rubiksmoose

@NautArch Same. Our goal is weekly sessions but we've slipped to montly or so the last couple of months.

Yuuki

4:28 PM

Why you shouldn't write too much backstory.

Carcer

@Yuuki sorry, did you mean: Why you should end every backstory with "but then they were cursed and lost all their memories and experience"

kviiri

I spent an hour in a board game store, bought zero games

Yuuki

@kviiri Where can I learn this power?

Carcer

can I extract this power and bestow it upon my partner?

G. Moylan

not from a jedi

kviiri

4:35 PM

What, you guys don't have a proper process for vetting board games before buying them?

G. Moylan

I mean, I do, and there are many on my list that I don't yet own

so when I'm in a store and they have 5 of them in stock, it's..... difficult

kviiri

Yeah the thing is, I don't really have a list

It keeps getting shorter every day

G. Moylan

I have a list of things I'd like but they're not really requirements. At least yet.

kviiri

My usual routine is to look up negative reviews of board games that seem interesting. I find they often tell more than positive reviews do

If they're only making petty complaints, it's a good sign

G. Moylan

The Shut Up and Sit Down folks typically do a good job of mentioning the negatives as well. In addition to just being entertaining to watch

Rubiksmoose

4:42 PM

@G.Moylan I love SUSD

Carcer

it's not about board games

it's about anything

Rubiksmoose

@G.Moylan I've strongly considered going to SHUX but it's never worked out.

G. Moylan

@Rubiksmoose It's in Canada, right?

Carcer

I would like my partner to have the power to be in a shop for any length of time and not want to buy something.

Rubiksmoose

@G.Moylan Vancouver IIRC

G. Moylan

4:43 PM

@Rubiksmoose it would be a blast to go. Seems like a fun convention

kviiri

Eg. I was on the verge of buying Zombicide: Black Plague until I noticed a review that it doesn't scale. No matter how many players you have, six characters are in game. Doesn't sound appealing for a game I intend to play largely 1-on-1

G. Moylan

@kviiri the Zombicide series plays more like a wargame skirmish for me. Which I guess is fine if that's what you want in a game, but I feel like there are so many games with minis right now that Zombicide is just another in a pool of games that fail to stand out as unique or inherently interesting

I have an acquaintance that is big into the zombicide games and of all the scenaros I've found maybe 2 interesting

kviiri

I took a look at the new Arkham Horror too but I think the second edition was so bad I'm a bit apprehensive about the third one too. And the board re-design failed to wow me so far

Not to mention I have the nots for Lovecraft, I'd rather play something that doesn't push his verse but does something original

G. Moylan

@kviiri none of those have sounded interesting. After hearing SUSD try and try to like that game and falling into the same pitfalls everytime, and finding reviews by others describing the same issues, I don't think I'll pick those up

@kviiri and I know that exact feeling. I wishlisted and was was later gifted Imperial Assault with the understanding that more than 1 other person would play with me, and I've subsequently played it once with 3 people. It wasn't that great with 3, so on the shelf it's sat for 3 years

I feel a bit guilty about it, honestly. It's a pricey game and someone was generous enough to gift it to me, and it just sits on my shelf

Yuuki

@kviiri Replace all the Old Gods with brand advertisement. Ch'urch's the Deep-Fried City.

Now you have cosmological horror and a secondary revenue stream!

kviiri

5:06 PM

@G.Moylan I liked Arkham Horror for about first half of my first game, Mansions of Madness for about one whole game. Eldritch Horror, now doesn't feel bad after a few whole games, and I have to say they've come a long way, although this is after an UNFATHOMABLY HUGE amount of expansions

G. Moylan

Is Eldritch Horror the card game?

GcL

@Carcer What's the level requirement for that feat?

kviiri

@G.Moylan Naw, that's Elder Sign I think. And there's a "The Card Game" for Arkham Horror too. Eldritch Horror is conceptually quite close to Arkham Horror except in global scale, but it has more variety and a few level ups in the game design sense.

G. Moylan

ah

which one has the colored dice with the stars on them?

kviiri

Maybe Elder Sign?

So uh. EH uses a similar core loop to AH: players do actions --> players get events ("encounters") --> mythos card brings a large, usually bad event and advances doomsday clocks.

But it's been tweaked in many ways to make it play a bit more smoothly and enjoyably. One gets events in any space, for instance! No more "wasted encounters" (AH doesn't give encounters in the street spaces)

Encounters are also possible after combat if one defeats all monsters in their space. And closing a portal is usually just one longer encounter, not several rounds of fumbling.

All in all it might not be perfect, but it's conspicuously free of many of the most annoying Arkham Horror things.

G. Moylan

5:17 PM

interesting. Sounds mechanically similar to the D&D adventure board games Move/Combat -> Encounter -> Enemy turn

Xirema

We're dual-wielding crossbows now, ladies. 8)

G. Moylan

@Xirema ~~GUN~~ CROSSBOW KATA

without using a feat!

Carcer

you just need to be an artificer!

Xirema

Or have an Artificer friend.

Carcer

(pretty sure artificer infusions only work for the artificer?)

G. Moylan

5:22 PM

if they don't you have a magic weapon vending machine

Carcer

nope, I'm wrong

anyone can use items an artificer infuses

G. Moylan

>.>

seems good

Xirema

Yeah, it doesn't explicitly say so, but it does specify that you can either immediately attune to items that require attunement, or hand them off for someone else.

> If the item requires attunement, you can attune yourself to it the instant you infuse the item, or you can forgo attunement so that someone else can attune to the item.

Also, I would generally expect that if only the Artificer could use the items, it would explicitly say so.

G. Moylan

true

considering how explicit they've been about that kind of stuff in the past

Carcer

yeah I'm pretty sure I've mixed it up with something else from the recesses of my memory

there is no reason anyone should conclude that the artificer's items can't be used by others

Sdjz

5:24 PM

@Xirema Sure you can hold both but you still would be unable to use two-weapon fighting with them since it's only for melee weapons

Xirema

@Sdjz Eh. Can still do Extra Attacks with them.

G. Moylan

@Sdjz there's a feat for that!

Xirema

Or just take Crossbow Expert, which IIRC does not, on its own, negate the "requires a free hand" thing.

Carcer

it doesn't

but there's still no functional benefit to holding two of the repeating shot crossbows

excepting that if you get disarmed, you're still holding one

Xirema

@Carcer Advantage on Ability checks to Intimidate. ;)

G. Moylan

5:26 PM

@Carcer uh looking cool?

Carcer

fine points well made

but it's hometime

ttfn

G. Moylan

sings tigger song

Xirema

o/

V2Blast

6:25 PM

@Ben Yeah, I'm saying it's clunky, that's all

@Carcer ask it as a mainsite question! (if you haven't already) :)

Rubiksmoose

7:02 PM

0

Q: Custom Item Rarity

I made a weapon in D&D 5e- A silver-plated scimitar that has a +2 wand of the war mage fused along the back of the blade, and a Arcane Focus crystal embeded in the hilt. I also intend to put a permanent flame illusion on it. Anyone know what rarity it should be? Aka Common, Uncommmon, Rare, very ...

dnd-5e magic-items homebrew-review

Can we get some eyes on this?^

NautArch

@Rubiksmoose yup, seems simple

can't think of any reason why the scimitar/focus/illusion effect would move the needle

Rubiksmoose

Oh good. I was mainly curious if people thought it needed more clarification.

NautArch

@Rubiksmoose divibisan's comment would be helpful, but I don't think it's a difference maker

Carcer

7:20 PM

I don't think there's much more clarified it can get

NautArch

@Carcer Yeah, looks solid to me. We have the important bits.

Carcer

though I think the real answer might be ~~the friends we made along the way~~ that rarity is a terrible way of measuring item power

hang on

Rubiksmoose

Cool! TBH I was too lazy/had no time to look up the items at question to see if anything funny was going on.

Carcer

I swear strikethrough works here somehow

Rubiksmoose

`---word---

Carcer

7:23 PM

where the heck is this documented

why does every site on the internet have its own special brand of markdown

argh

Rubiksmoose

There's a small help link down in the bottom right of this screen that takes you to chat formatting.

Carcer

so there is

my complaint about markdown interoperability still stands.

Rubiksmoose

It definitely does lol

also the only reason I know that is because I forget so often

NautArch

Ugh, I've gotten little work done today. We seem to have a GPL problem where our old local physical server (still online for archive purposes currently) is conflicting with the new cloud server's GPL. They've been on another employee's computer trying to fix it and I've given them mine to use in the meantime.

Carcer

your licenses are conflicting?

NautArch

7:30 PM

@Carcer Looks like it, but they're still digging into it.

Carcer

what are you running that's complaining about GPL versions not being alignment

that seems like a bizarre thing to cause an issue

NautArch

@Carcer THe issue seems to be showing up with regard to our printers. Specifically a xerox fiery, but on our zebra printers, too.

Carcer

ah well

my own env has enough weird crap tied together with spit and string that I can't really throw shade at anyone else's problems

NautArch

@Carcer We moved to a cloud server a few months ago and we've had a lot of issues (but it's made other things easier, too)

I knew that marvelous pigment question from GaelL

Carcer

@NautArch one of the projects going on round my way is investigating effective ways of building on-prem cloud platforms

it's informally nicknamed mist

because it's like a cloud, but closer

V2Blast

7:46 PM

https://www.humblebundle.com/books/beast-of-a-bundle-fifth-edition-books
Another Humble Bundle for D&D 5e (third-party) content

3

G. Moylan

oooo

goodguy5

that new question is a doosey (sp?)

JohnP

@V2Blast They had to have just added that, it wasn't there this morning.

goodguy5

doozy?

@V2Blast I'm gonna have to get that. the only question is $8 or $15?

uh lolwut. did the stack just crash?

Rubiksmoose

Note to stack: questions asking for a list of answers are not, by default, off-topic. I repeat, not off-topic.

goodguy5

7:51 PM

I think we should rename "list questions"

JohnP

@Rubiksmoose I was about to comment to that effect when he deleted it.

I'd be tempted to undelete as a mod, based on it being a misunderstanding.

Rubiksmoose

@JohnP Once the stack starts working properly again for me I am considering it.

JohnP

Especially since it was a defined, finite list.

V2Blast

@JohnP judging from the timer, it's been up for about 2 hours

goodguy5

I think deleting that question crashed the stack

Wrigglenite

7:52 PM

Oh, so it's you guys' fault

JohnP

@goodguy5 I retracted a close vote and the stack subsequently crashed. Sorry guys.

@goodguy5 And yes, doozy

And...we are back. (sorta)

NautArch

@Carcer RDS-lite?

V2Blast

pages are still taking a while to load, but I dunno if that's just my internet

NautArch

@V2Blast mine too

JohnP

@Carcer on prem cloud platform...isn't that just a datacenter?

@V2Blast same, and I'm on a phat company pipe

V2Blast

7:56 PM

tried to refresh a question and got this:

> Server Error in '/' Application.
Runtime Error
Description: An exception occurred while processing your request. Additionally, another exception occurred while executing the custom error page for the first exception. The request has been terminated.

but now it works

loading the page, at least

attempting to edit the question still not working for me

NautArch

@V2Blast i got a 503 error just now

JohnP

It's.....working.....but......dog.......slow....

goodguy5

it's other stacks too

Rubiksmoose

@JohnP I don't think it really has that many options right?

I know combinations can get out of hand, but it seemed pretty straight-forward to me.

Though very much like "do this grunt work for me"

JohnP

@Rubiksmoose not IIRC, he wanted unused weapon property combos. Not unused weapons, big difference.

@Rubiksmoose There is that aspect, for sure.

Rubiksmoose

7:58 PM

@JohnP Right weapon property combos.

JohnP

Build. Deploy. Test. Debug. Debug. Debug.

#ProgrammingIn6Words

Seems they maybe should have put "debug debug debug" first.

NautArch

@Rubiksmoose It definitely is. It's not that hard, but it's also kinda problematic. THere are quite likely reasons why those combos don't exist.

I guess a really good answer would list the combos and the concerns.

JohnP

okay, now we are back.

G. Moylan

is it possible to customize this screen:

JohnP

@G.Moylan I think that's a stack thing, not a site thing. I could be wrong. What would you want changed?

Rubiksmoose

8:12 PM

@JohnP More dinosaurs

Wrigglenite

I have seen custom images instead of that big ERROR on other sites

Though maybe the ERROR is a custom image already

JohnP

@Wrigglenite That's true, SO has that lying down robot image on that page.

Rubiksmoose

@NautArch Indeed. Which is also why it was good they listed the context of their problem

Yuuki

@JohnP Nat 1?

NautArch

@Rubiksmoose I'm not sure if my comment is a borderline answer in comments

G. Moylan

8:23 PM

@Yuuki this is what I was thinking

Carcer

8:42 PM

@JohnP no, a datacentre is a bunch of computers

a cloud is a bunch of computers you use in a very specific way

Yuuki

A cloud is a bunch of computers that you pretend aren't computers and therefore won't have problems that you think computers have and that willful ignorance later comes around and bites you in the butt.

NautArch

unclear, but we may have a new cheese candidate

JohnP

@Carcer :|

@Yuuki This is closer. :)

Carcer

heh

well, a bunch of computers does whatever, but a cloud is a bunch of computers for running virtual machines on that presents an interface that lets you spin them up and down on demand

or at least that's the functional difference in my case

I have a datacentre. In that datacentre I have a couple of racks that comprise a cloud

JohnP

@Carcer uhm...that's a datacenter. I work in provisioning those VM's in our DC's and in our cloud presences, and they are identical.

Yuuki

8:53 PM

A cloud is a bunch of computers that don't like you.

JohnP

Oh, wait, I see your distinction.

But a cloud is basically just a subset of the VM's in a datacenter. ~~Nobody~~ Hardly anyone runs single bare metal servers anymore.

Yuuki

@JohnP Is that why I can't find any hot singles in my area?

Carcer

I also have machines that are working as VM hypervisors but are manually managed, not as part of a cloud

JohnP

@Yuuki No, they are there, you just have to look in the lost sectors on the drives.

Carcer

I have a vast collection of bare metal servers which are serving specific, individual purposes

JohnP

8:55 PM

@Carcer in a corporate setting?

Carcer

Yes.

JohnP

Can I send some interns your way? They never believe me when I talk about server racks for individual servers.

Carcer

heh

we're gradually inching towards a more virtualised future

but there's a large organically grown infrastructure here and it's not trivial to change stuff.

JohnP

@Carcer Yeah, I've been through that in two different corporations, trying to uproot single servers and virtualize.

Xirema

I'm going to have to do a statistics to that Weapon Properties question, aren't I?

NautArch

9:09 PM

@Xirema You questioning the current answer's math?

Xirema

@NautArch I don't think the math is wrong, I think the base assumptions are wrong.

But stats will explain why.

Like, there's definitely a difference between a Light, Two-Handed Weapon that has a d8 for damage and a d10 for damage, but that difference isn't terribly relevant to what's actually being asked.

It's just nudging dials on a balancing scale.

NautArch

@Xirema ah gotcha. May not be a terrible idea.

That losing friendship question...woof.

G. Moylan

yeah

seems like they might be better suited to a Call of Cthulhu game honestly. That and I think the feeling of dread and terror is what he's really after, and that take a LOT of cultivation to get right

NautArch

@G.Moylan I hope so. It almost seems like they actually wan tto cause their friends emotional harm via information they've gained about them.

Hot RPG Questions

9:56 PM

8

Q: Are the requirements of a Horn of Valhalla cumulative?

Each type of Horn of Valhalla has a requirement, increasing in complexity in the same way the type increases in rarity: Silver Horns (rare) have no requirement, Brass Horns (rare) require proficiency with all simple weapons, Bronze Horns (very rare) require proficiency in all medium armors, and I...

dnd-5e magic-items proficiency

Hot RPG Questions

10:16 PM

17

Q: Is it possible to have a character with proficiency in all martial weapons without proficiency in Medium armor?

When thinking more about this question: Are the requirements of a Horn of Valhalla cumulative?, I started to wonder if characters could effectively use horns without being able to use their lesser counterparts. Being able to use Bronze, but not Brass is easily met by druids or many different ch...