TRPG General Chat

12:00 AM

I must never have landed a charged bolt on him (not too surprising).

Glad to be of help. Granted, there is a little "spoilerness" but Jarulf started that project trying to figure out the bugs (there were quite a few)

@Miniman THere are shrines that can be harmful. I learned that once at level 9 and below, do not touch shrines. But that was me being paranoid. The memory was FOS meas "Find Other Shrines" ... some shrines on the first 8 levels are very helpful.

I seem to recall that nothing is immuned to physical attacks. A player by the handle of Charles warren had a saying about "nothing is immune to sharp steel in Diablo" .., though I think Hellfire changed that.

Miniman

@KorvinStarmast Oh yeah, that reminds me I meant to look up what the shrine I found did.

Oooh, gloomy shrine: boosts the AC of all armor items in inventory by 2 while reducing weapons by 1.

Definitely would've been able to abuse that if I'd looked it up before I touched it :)

linksassin

12:27 AM

@Shalvenay I dropped by the backroom to see if there were more recent transcripts, looks like you guys played via discord or something?

Shalvenay

@linksassin yeah, the DW campaign I run and the ToA campaign Nits runs are both played via Discord

linksassin

@Shalvenay Cool. Can get better dice rollers that way

nitsua60

1:27 AM

@Shalvenay as regards the case we were discussing the other day, it's never good when you (as defendant) see a judge write this in their opinion:

> Given the foregoing, it is not surprising that Defendants fail to cite any authority in support of their novel argument. Perhaps more surprising is the ample authority that contradicts their argument that they simply ignore.

BESW

Mar 1 '16 at 21:13, by BESW

> The parties are advised to chill. -Ninth Court Judge Alex Kozinsiki, dismissing Mattel v. Aqua

trogdor

Huh

I like the one Pixie said in that thread

nitsua60

@BESW Federal Judge to Kobach: "That's not how trials are conducted."

Shalvenay

@nitsua60 yeah, that's pretty fatal to your argument alright

nitsua60

@Shalvenay I'm 190pp. into the opinion, where Commerce is arguing against the Plaintiffs' claims that injuries they would suffer (mostly states and municipalities suffering harm from degradation of data) are "fairly traceable" to the Census Bureau. Turns out, Commerce doesn't tackle the three cases cities won against the Bureau because injuries they suffered due to degraded data were "fairly traceable" to the Bureau.

Boom.

Shalvenay

1:37 AM

@nitsua60 yeah, I suspect that the Commerce Department is going to be fighting a seriously uphill battle

nitsua60

> By failing to make the [ripeness] argument in their motion to dismiss, in a motion for summary judgment, or in their pretrial briefing, Defendants [waived a ripeness argument]. In any event, Defendants’ belated ripeness argument would fail on the merits. (Emphasis added.)

That's not good.

"Oh, by the way, this thing that a second-year associate would have remembered to argue as a reason to dismiss and you forgot: it wouldn't have worked, in case you were wondering."

BESW

[blink] There's something particularly juicy about "You forgot to say this, but I'm going to insult it anyway."

nitsua60

@BESW I think it's because there's a real time-crunch at play, here, so if there's something that might come up but is facially ludicrous, the judge wants to tackle it now to cut off any delay. But I might be projecting, or misremembering some punditry I heard for something the judge actually said.

BESW

Fair enough.

nitsua60

(Questionnaire needs to be finalized something like September so that print runs can start for pre-testing in the field and training.)

BESW

1:44 AM

Sort of a "And don't let the door hit you on the way out!"

nitsua60

Or "don't let this argument hit you on the way to the Supreme Court!"

(A little less catchy a turn of phrase....)

@Shalvenay there is a standing issue being argued that I've started to hear and I'm not sure I feel positive toward: "diversion of resources." One of the standing arguments brought by some NGOs is that they suffer an injury of having resources diverted.
Basically, the argument is "we have standing to sue because if you hadn't done this thing we wouldn't have to sue you, which takes money away from other things we'd be doing."
Smells a bit circular to me.

I think I first hear it in one of the emoluments cases, maybe CREW?

Shalvenay

@nitsua60 yeah, it's a kinda funky one

BESW

That sounds like a justification for extra penalties, but not supportable as an inciting incident.

nitsua60

@BESW Right, like reclaiming attorney's fees in a civil case.

But "you, BESW, punched troggy and I have standing to sue because if you hadn't punched him I wouldn't have to pay this lawyer to sue you...."

I'm not a fan.

@Shalvenay in other legal news, did you hear that Thomas asked questions the other week in Flowers v. Mississippi? It was just after counsel basically said "I have nothing further," and I literally dropped my laundry when I heard him chime in.

Shalvenay

@nitsua60 I heard that

nitsua60

1:57 AM

He's got a nice voice, if nothing else.

I like it when he and Breyer go to the Hill to defend the budget request every year.

(Yes, we're going to spend eight hours of hearing time on their asking for $6M, $2M of which is for asbestos abatement or window replacements or whatever part of the building's falling off this year.)

Did you know the windows are very slightly trapezoidal? It's to provide the optical illusion, for the viewer at ground level, that they're rectangular.

BESW

That's cool.

Kinda like how David looks really wonky from straight on.

nitsua60

"Straight on" do you mean facing him, or elevated to his height?

BESW

2:16 AM

Elevated to his height.

user15026

I read a thing about that once about why that is but I can't recall any of it curses their forgetful brain

BESW

@Ash Speculation is that the statue was supposed to be displayed at the edge of a rooftop, so the statue gets bigger toward the head so you can see it better from the ground.

Though it's hard to ascribe specific intent to most any feature of the statue, not just because we don't have statements from Michelangelo but because he wasn't the only one to work on the statue.

trogdor

Huh

I didn't know any of that

BESW

Yeah, originally the Overseers of the Office of Works of Florence Cathedral (read: the woolen cloth guild) contracted Agostino di Duccio to make it, as part of an extremely ambitious twelve-statue project.

Then he lost the contract, though we don't know exactly why, and they hired Antonio Rossellino to work on it... briefly... and it sat in a workshop for a quarter-century described in inventories as "a certain figure of marble called David, badly blocked out and supine" until the Overseers got tired of having so much money locked up in a chunk of marble and invited sculptors to come look at it and bid to finish it.

Michelangelo, who hadn't even been born when the statue was first commissioned, managed to persuade them to give him the contract over more prestigious sculptors like da Vinci.

(My college advisor was a Renaissance art professor, can you tell.)

user15026

2:33 AM

(Not at all, very subtle, that)

nitsua60

So in the old story that he carved it by "taking away the pieces that weren't David," was he just backhanding di Duccio and Rossellino and the others who bid ?

😎

I like the sound of that.

BESW

I wouldn't put it past him.

Especially since we know di Duccio had blocked out clothing.

And those guys were all really mean to each other.

trogdor

@BESW lol

BESW

Hmmm. [rummages]

...Yeah, I thought I remembered that. Sorry to burst the amusing anecdote, but chances are good Michelangelo never said anything like that.

trogdor

My God that's mean

And for missing a party or something

nitsua60

2:47 AM

@BESW "Gregor Samsa woke one morning to find he was George Costanza."

2

BESW

The first reference to the "chip away everything that isn't the subject" line is 1858, and then it popped up several places with various attributions (Ruskin, or rural folk wisdom) and often a reference to carving an elephant, and the first easy-to-find reference to Michelangelo in connection to the concept is 1964. (source)

In summary, if Michelangelo had wanted to deliver a zinger to rival sculptors he probably would've hired someone to set fire to their beards or something.

user15026

@BESW That's like the stuff of nightmares for me, honestly

user15026

Like...dude, how about next time we just go "hey I am frustrated you missed my party" and go from there, hmmm?

BESW

Sometimes I think we need fewer take-over-the-world villains and more petty-revenge-with-elaborate-schemes villains.

4

user15026

It would be more fun.

user15026

2:55 AM

And less dangerous.

trogdor

@Ash yeah mhmm

How about doing that instead

nitsua60

@BESW might be a little too real. I think I might be in a squabble with a neighbor right now that'd fit that description.

BESW

@nitsua60 ...I'm not even going to get into my experiences with that.

user15026

Maybe this is where staying in my basement and not interacting with the world has saved me.....

user15026

Agoraphobia for the win? :P

trogdor

2:59 AM

XD

user15026

(I am slowly emerging from my cave and TOMORROW SOMEONE IS COMING FOR TEA (no one comes over ot my house, ever as a rule) but hey, in general it's saved me from those sorts of squabbles)

trogdor

No one comes over to my place either, unless i didn't invite them myself

user15026

My cat doesn't ever invite people over, so I'm safe there :P

trogdor

(is joke because it's my parents place)

V2Blast

I don't have my own place

how does that rank

trogdor

3:04 AM

@Ash it's something a cat would do though

linksassin

@BESW "petty-revenge-with-eleborate-schemes villains" are what pre-teen cartoons are built on

user15026

Yeah, and Norbert is the most lovingest kitty, so if he could work the phone you know people'd be here all times

linksassin

Also the first Incredibles movie

MikeQ

@BESW Taking over the world seems like a tremendous hassle

linksassin

@Ash I got a cat on friday. I had like 10 people drop in over the weekend to meet her. I haven't have 10 people over this year prior to that...

user15026

3:07 AM

@linksassin Cats are great for that

user15026

my neuroatypical bits dislike people interrupting the safe routine of my space, so I tend not to have people over, ever, as a rule. But....I am trying to consider maybe changing that.

linksassin

@Ash Honestly if it weren't for RPGs I'm not sure I would ever interact with my friends.

user15026

Most of my friends are on the internets so they don't have to come in my house! Except now I have an actual community of humans who are within "coming over to my house" distance. Which is new.

trogdor

In my experience it's much easier to adapt to one person at a time

Ben

So these arrived for me today

user15026

3:17 AM

@trogdor yeah, which is why it is one friend coming for tea tomorrow, that's doable.

Ben

user15026

I'm not about to be like YES DEVOTIONAL MEETING AT MY HOUSE because I think I'd vomit.

Ben

user15026

@Ben what is this?

trogdor

@Ash yeah, my parents have parties here sometimes and i lock myself in my room for most of it

user15026

3:18 AM

@Ben oooooh i like the colours

user15026

@trogdor that is a thing I am familiar with.

trogdor

@Ash Seemed likely

Ben

Necronomicon dice from the Elder Dice Kickstarter

Currently on sale

user15026

ooooh those purple ones....

V2Blast

3:37 AM

ooh

my challenge is in actually making new friends

(i.e. not just people I see at work or some other event)

trogdor

Yeah

I have a problem with that myself

user15026

Finding humans to spend time with is very tricky.

kviiri

5:49 AM

@Ash Oh my, I hope you have fun with tea <3

I should also reinstate my tea traditions

trogdor

Tea is pretty nice

Especially if you put some lemon and honey in it

kviiri

6:10 AM

My father used to be a fairly strict "black unflavored tea only, no additives" person... until I told him Earl Grey is flavored x)

Ben

@trogdor ohh I could do with some of that right now

Been coughing so much my throat is ragged

@kviiri I drink coffee only, but only flat white. Tea gives me a weird taste in the mouth, but I think that's when I have it with milk

kviiri

6:28 AM

What kind of taste? If it's bitter, it's probably badly prepared

I've been drinking a lot of pu'er lately. It tastes a bit like what a wet spring day smells like

Ben

Well, it's probably not a taste, more like a feeling.

Like... Sort of furry

kviiri

Oh yea, I get that at times too

MikeQ

@Ben Are you sure it's tea and not a wombat?

trogdor

@Ben so could I, I've had a cough for a while

Ben

We do check for wombats when we make our tea. Just part of the process

trogdor

6:34 AM

@Ben lol, I thought women were waiting around with police clubs to hit you for drinking tea

not really but it was a hilarious image

Ben

For drinking their tea

kviiri

Mortal Wombat

trogdor

@Ben oh yeah that would at least be a reason I guess?

mine was just "no one gets to drink tea here" I don't know why

kviiri

8:26 AM

1

Q: Can you use magic to create Corpses?

I’m trying to find the easiest and earliest way to obtain corpses magically. My intent is to use the corpses in reanimation with the Animate Dead and Create Undead spells. Wish can pull off such a feat, but I can’t find any other spell than Wish that seems capable of accomplishing such a feat.

The OP should worship Kikubaaqudgha.

@BESW I think more RPGs should have Skeletor as a villain

I've come to appreciate how finely crafted he is as a villain. He's awesome and has like zero cognitive overhead.

Hot RPG Questions

9:05 AM

1

Q: Can an Arcane Focus boost rolls

Is it possible for an arcane focus to boost spell attack or damage rolls? To act as a +1/+2/etc modifier, like stronger physical weapons.

dnd-5e magic

kviiri

Ok now that's clearly not hot

BESW

9:46 AM

Tepid RPG Questions?

Ben

9:59 AM

What are the criteria for a "hot" question?

BESW

10:35 AM

345

Q: Updating the Hot Network Questions List - now with a bit more network and a little less "hotness"!

Some of you may have noticed that we've been making some changes to the Hot Network Questions on the back end over the last week or so. I'm here announcing our first round of changes to how the HNQ works and give you some ideas of why we're starting here and where we're planning to go in the futu...

discussion featured hot-questions announcements

Which is building on this:

195

Q: What formula should be used to determine "hot" questions?

Right now the front page Popular tab is fairly broken -- it's a simple descending sort by views. As Joel said in podcast #18, it is "a self-fulfilling prophecy." But this is not intentional, it's only because we haven't had time to improve it yet! As I sit down to write a better algorithm, I tho...

discussion stackexchange-button hot-questions algorithm

Which was modified by this:

93

Q: How do the "arbitrary hotness points" work on the new Stack Exchange home page and in the sidebar on questions?

I really like the new Stack Exchange home page, where certain questions from the Stack Exchange Network are presented, along with a hotness rating that is described as "arbitrary" in its tooltip. Such questions also appear randomly on the sidebar on questions across the network, under the heading...

support stackexchange.com hot-questions

kviiri

It certainly seems to me that our questions go "hot" if someone as much as looks at it

BESW

Wait, no, that's site hot questions not network hot questions.

Getchyer tags in order, meta.

> My interest is entirely academic. Select one narrowly-defined magical effect or action. You are unable to create or perform this effect or action, but you automatically know the rough location of it whenever it happens within several miles of you.

kviiri

@BESW Heh, I didn't even know "site hot" is a thing

Although now that you said it, yes, it does have a button in the UI.

Hot RPG Questions

11:38 AM

5

Q: Can an armblade require double attunement if it integrates a magic weapon that normally requires attunement?

I'm pretty new to D&D, and right now I'm trying to make a character starting at a higher level for a campaign. The DM is allowing us to start with some magical items of our choice. Using the Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron, I decided to make a Warforged, and the Warforged race has a few exclusive ...

dnd-5e magic-items weapons warforged

goodguy5

11:57 AM

groan

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