TRPG General Chat

12:14 AM

Is there a way to format something like the following: "[Why is there no non-combat XP in D&D 5e? [closed]](rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/101102)";

V2Blast

@Medix2 What do you mean?

Including the bracketed text as part of the link? Type a backslash before the opening and closing bracket in the text

Medix2

It doesn't contract down the link into something like with the following: "Why is there no non-combat XP in D&D 5e?"

Ah gotcha, thank you! Probably should've tried that actually, forgot about literals

Carcer

escape

KorvinStarmast

12:37 AM

@NautArch Uh, I never had a problem with that. What? Why are you looking at me like I'm not right in the head?

How to kill a beholder in four words: fog cloud. Grapple. Melee

Akira_Kurusu

How to kill a beholder in four words? Twenty bards. Vicious Mockery.

KorvinStarmast

@Akira_Kurusu All Hail, Wizard of Beef! :)

2

@Akira_Kurusu This would also work.

And be hilarious to try and do

Akira_Kurusu

An unending onslaught of yo mama jokes

KorvinStarmast

Or you could use an illusion spell to conjure up a mirror so that the beholder either beholds itself, or thinks there is another beholder and attacks. Then ... fog cloud, grapple, melee (helps to have a hasted rogue for that last part)

NautArch

Illusions of working mirrors can be a tough sell...

KorvinStarmast

12:44 AM

Eldritch Blast + Repelling Blast at level 11: three shots from above that drive the beholder down to the ground. THen, fog cloud, grapple, melee ...

Akira_Kurusu

Command: Approach. Then fog cloud, grapple, melee.

KorvinStarmast

Druid wild shapes into a beast that has a grapple ability. Another PC helps, Druid grapples, all others melee in the fog cloud ....

Yes, it's a London mugging, why do you ask?

Akira_Kurusu

Bard throws in a vicious mockery for good measure

Himitsu_no_Yami

But our bard is dead

KorvinStarmast

or in the US, it's a Seattle Mugging, or a San Francisco Mugging ...

Akira_Kurusu

12:45 AM

D:

KorvinStarmast

@Himitsu_no_Yami Then viciously mock the bard

Akira_Kurusu

Animate Dead. Mock the zombard.

Himitsu_no_Yami

You mean skelebard?

KorvinStarmast

Lulz all around, even the beholder gets in on the joke. Then, while he's distracted, fog cloud, grapple, melee ....

NautArch

Don't forget about that amf. Fog cloud go bye bye.

KorvinStarmast

12:47 AM

Sword of Sharpness to trim off a few eye stalks ....

Akira_Kurusu

Can't amf an actual fog machine...

KorvinStarmast

@NautArch Can you dispel what you can't see?

Also, is amf short for adios, my friend or something else? 8^D

@NautArch Fog cloud is 1st level spell. Recast is easy and cheap.

NautArch

Yeah, the amf doesnt need sight

Himitsu_no_Yami

@KorvinStarmast you're forgetting the party makeup

BESW

@Himitsu_no_Yami Oh, you have a rouge?

KorvinStarmast

12:49 AM

@Himitsu_no_Yami I agree, so that eldritch blast with repelling is kind of important.

Akira_Kurusu

We don't have a rogue, but my plan is to hit it real hard.

NautArch

It's not dispelled, they'd opt to drop it I guess. But the cone is "free" except they can't use their eye Ray's in it, either.

Himitsu_no_Yami

@BESW Warlock, Warlock/Cleric, Druid, Fighter/Wizard

KorvinStarmast

Have the druid grapple and you melee. Works. Speed zero is a big debuff.

BESW

Sorry, it was a joke. You said makeup, and rouge is a common misspelling of rogue.

KorvinStarmast

12:50 AM

Warlock and Cleric have to keep it distracted/busy

Akira_Kurusu

I think the best chance to grapple would actually be the Fighter Wizard. Athletics +10

Himitsu_no_Yami

@BESW I completely overlooked that

NautArch

The goal, as korvin said, is it toget it close and the keep it there.

KorvinStarmast

Also, command no workee unless on a humanoid

NautArch

^^

Akira_Kurusu

12:51 AM

Suggestion then, hmm./

KorvinStarmast

I tried command on a dragon once. The result was a belch, in dragonish, and a new character to be rolled up soon.

@Akira_Kurusu I'd need to see all four char sheets to give you what I thought was the best strat.

Akira_Kurusu

I haven't fought a beholder before and don't want to know too much about its abilities and such.

KorvinStarmast

arrgh, look at the time. Our salt marsh group may actually show up tonight. I am off. Best wishes all ....

Akira_Kurusu

Adios, my friend.

NautArch

FYI, command works on any creature that can understand you

Himitsu_no_Yami

12:53 AM

@KorvinStarmast Best of luck with both getting the group to show up and if they do then with the session

But the question is would a beholder understand common and/or infernal?

NautArch

Nope

Himitsu_no_Yami

then no command

NautArch

But you don't know that :)

Himitsu_no_Yami

fair point

NautArch

You could ask the DM if your character would know

Arcana?

Himitsu_no_Yami

12:58 AM

I could see arguments for Arcana, History, or Religion

NautArch

Religion doesn't seem right, but I guess it whatever your DM thinks it should be :)

MikeQ

It's Persuasion. When in doubt, the answer is Persuasion.

NautArch

Perception

Akira_Kurusu

Everything always comes down to...

Survival

NautArch

1:27 AM

ain't that the truth

Akira_Kurusu

Sage Advice:

"It is impossible to fail a stealth check if you hire a bard and have him follow you around playing the pink panther theme."

2

Ben

Good.. [checks time] morning all

@Akira_Kurusu Or Kronks stealth theme

NautArch

@Akira_Kurusu Now I want one.

KorvinStarmast

1:44 AM

@NautArch If you want a beholder, first find a beauty, and then look in her eye. :)

NautArch

@KorvinStarmast It was me all the time?

no saltmarsh?

KorvinStarmast

@NautArch not sure, I have two of four showing up for sure, my son had to quit last month due to work schedule change. The other two are ... uncertain.

(insert face of sheer disappointment here) It has been two months since all players shows up on the same night.

NautArch

'tis the season

KorvinStarmast

@NautArch I feel a great disturbance in the farce ... and it ain't looking good. I have not been able to chatizen for over a month ... arrgh

As kviiri once said, RL vs Game has a DC between 25 and 30

Ben

Aug 24 '15 at 23:26, by Ben

Agh! Life! The bane of fun!

Mark Wells

1:58 AM

@Akira_Kurusu I just whisper "we are a shrub"

Ben

@MarkWells I had one game where the rogue stumbled upon a conversation about a mutiny, and as soon as he realized what was going on (as well as the fact that the mutineers had caught on to the fact someone was watching), he tried to bail, realized he'd barely outrun them, and tried to hide. He failed the roll and his RP of that was to place a leaf in front of his face, then hastily realize that was terrible, then kept running.

Mark Wells

(see, this way I can substitute Persuasion for Stealth)

(if I make my Persuasion check they HAVE to believe that I'm a shrub. it's the rules. :) )

NautArch

@MarkWells And you critted it!

Mark Wells

The word is "crat"

NautArch

that's disgusting

Ben

2:03 AM

Hahaha

Mark Wells

I crit, you crit, he/she/it crits. I crat, I have critten, I am critting

Ben

It still sounds dirty

Mark Wells

@Ben Now that's how you RP a failure

Ben

According to this one site that I've never heard of before: the past tense of "crit" is "crited"

And all variations of "crit" are only spelled with one "t"

The English language everybody, let's have a round of applause!

NautArch

Ben

2:14 AM

I should preface this with the fact that "LOL", "OMG" and yes, even "♥" have been added to the Oxford Dictionary.

It's that last one that really hurts

Mark Wells

but not "crit"?

Ben

Crit is in there, but it's an abbreviation of "criticism" or "critic"

Also as a verb, it is more commonly associated with "critique"

So as far as in regards to a "critical" on a roll, all forms of "crit" are up for grabs :P

NautArch

@Ben crotes

Ben

@NautArch croted

Mark Wells

I admit "critten" is dubious; that would imply a base verb "crite" (like write) and past tense "crote".

which if anything sounds even more gross

BESW

2:27 AM

Critten: to have crittered.

Ben

I like "crittened"

Hot RPG Questions

2:51 AM

2

Q: Is it legal to use True Polymorph to become a really old adult dragon so that you become ancient with time?

A scenario popped up in my mind that seems legal but feels like cheating. Say a level 20 wizard used True Polymorph to become an Adult Gold Dragon, at age 800 years and 364 days old. As stated in another question, this puts him a day before he becomes an Ancient Gold Dragon. So the wizard just wa...

V2Blast

3:02 AM

I am Croot.

Ben

3:16 AM

@V2Blast 5e half orc champion fighter.

nitsua60

3:31 AM

First session of a new Cyberpunk campaign last weekend--it was a blast. (Sometimes I go too long and I forget how much frikkin' fun it is running a game for teenagers.)

Ben

@nitsua60 Nice :D

I've wanted to play a proper Cyber-punk game for a while. Our regular game is... an odd configuration. The setting is always, like, a functional setting, the only "problem" is an uprising, that we have to deal with before it actually affects anything.

It's been a while since I've played in a setting where everything is already messed up, and our job is to stop the bad guy from literally destroying everything.

MikeQ

It's a very common pattern to establish a world and then set the protagonists' goal as maintaining the status quo

Ben

True. There nothing wrong with that, but it adds an extra level to the gameplay when you have to carry around a fire extinguisher at all times, in the not-quite-so-off chance that we need to put out a fire after not quite accidentally setting a fire in order to make sure a deal goes down the right way, or as a bludgeoning weapon

MikeQ

If the story is such that the players should upset the status quo, then that demands a more dynamic world

You may want to ask yourselves what choices you actually have, in terms of affecting the world. What happens if you allow any of these uprisings? Is that always a loss condition, or is it an option you're allowed to pursue?

nitsua60

3:48 AM

@Ben In our setting everything's screwed up and the goal is to scrape out an existence without getting nabbed by the cops or having to sell out. And maybe, just maybe, they'll have enough oomph to stick it to a Corp or two every once in a while.

V2Blast

@nitsua60 I was invited to one but dipped out due to lack of time and spoons.

It was also an ongoing campaign, in a server with a million old channels

was a bit overwhelming

Ben

@nitsua60 Yeah. That creates an extra level, or at least a different perspective on the world you're playing in.

@MikeQ I guess I'm using the 40K universe as a setting for this example haha

MikeQ

What, are you afraid of a bit of chaos? Nothing bad ever happened by letting in the chaos gods. :)

Ben

@V2Blast Oh wow. Reminds me of a video I saw once about a game that had been running for something like 20-30 years. It was the same campaign, and the DM had just been developing the world in real time. Players could jump in and out as they pleased, the world kept moving around them

@MikeQ Chaos? Not so much. Heresy? Hell yeah. You gotta burn that s*** down.

My Techpriest lost more limbs to Heretics than he ever did to Demons XD

Not to mention my Servo Skull. He was effectively useless for 7/8ths of the campaign, and then as soon as I gave him some useful upgrades, Heretics blew him up!!

I'm still salty about that XD

Ben

4:23 AM

Actually, I just had a thought... for my "short story" I'm writing; the one about my Techpriest, he's a mind-wiped. The Servo Skull that he has is from a previous iteration of the character, which was created from the Skull of another PC from that game.

Would/could a Psyker's skull still carry trace elements of psychic energy..?

jgn

5:53 AM

How much rep do you need to process flags?

Ben

@jgn rpg.stackexchange.com/help/privileges

Should be able to find your info there

It depends on what kind of "flag" you're referring to. You can flag comments, or posts as "low quality", etc.

jgn

I mean when you flag a comment as no longer needed or whatever. I didn't see anything on that list :3

Ben

@jgn That's probably a Mod privilege

I have >25k rep over on Arqade, which is the highest on that list, and I still can't delete flagged comments

jgn

6:12 AM

Ah, I see, thanks

Do you know if anyone can comment on deleted answers? (besides mods) I didn't see it on the rep list but it might be bundled in with something

Ben

@jgn Nope. Again that might be restricted to mods, even if that is a thing.

jgn

I see. A comment popped up but I guess it was just because of the timing

Hot RPG Questions

6:40 AM

4

Q: How do I calculate my AC for this character?

I play a Tortle Draconic bloodline sorcerer and my DM and myself are scratching our heads on what it's AC total should be. Draconic Bloodline gets 13 + dex, but Tortles get 17 flat with no dex mod. I have a shield that gives +2 so total is either 22 or 24. Thoughts?

dnd-5e armor-class

jgn

7:13 AM

Is there any guideline for what constitutes extended discussion? It feels very inconsistent to me. 8 comments from 6 people is fine, but 2 people posting twice each and ending the conversation is not? It's very confusing.

I guess it's something like a number of characters per person so if you have more people making short comments then there can be way more individual comments?

Ben

7:27 AM

It sort of what feels like a conversation that is going to take a while to get to a conclusion. The system will automatically "flag it" with a link to "move to chat" ( though I think that might be the OP?)

BESW

@Ben If a lot of people are making small contributions, the system doesn't see a conversation. If a few people are making multiple contributions each, the system sees a conversation. here's one example of people trying to figure out what trips the "extended discussion" flag

Ben

Ok, yeah. Ultimately there is no real way to define an "extended discussion". It goes off your judgement.

jgn

@Ben No, this wasn't an automated one, a mod moved it, so I assume they have some internal guidelines

@BESW Perhaps telling that the "answer" doesn't actually makes sense when considering the question....

Is there any purpose to keeping all these mechanics secret? :/

Ben

There's nothing "secret" to it. It's based off your better judgement.

jgn

@Ben So does it say somewhere how it works? :/ Because that meta definitely looked like guessing to me...

Ben

7:38 AM

@jgn That's cos it is, most of the time. For example if two people are arguing about "whats better", that can probably get moved to chat, or even deleted all together. Or a discussion about two different interpretations of a specific rule that's taking its time getting to the point.

There's not "one rule" of what defines an "extended discussion"

jgn

So just "whatever the mod feels like"?

It's a little bit undefined for me

Ben

There's a lot of guesswork in moderation

V2Blast

@Ben Indeed, only mods can do it. Otherwise, comments might slip in due to the fact that at least some of SE's restrictions (e.g. the inability to answer closed questions) are implemented clientside, so the page might not yet be updated on the commenter's end to prevent them from doing so. Not sure on that.

jgn

I don't really feel comfortable to do public callouts, but there's no DM feature. Is there any other choice for getting clarrification?

@V2Blast Uh? Is that true? I can just go comment on deleted posts if I construct the POST myself??

Ben

@jgn Not here, unfortunately.

V2Blast

7:44 AM

@jgn I have no idea whether that's actually true for comments, I just know it's happened for answers coming in after a question is closed and the explanation given was that the restriction on that was clientside

jgn

@Ben I see, thanks anyway! I hope they add DM one day >w<;

Ben

@jgn What are you wanting clarification for? We always try to be constructive and helpful, so if you have something you feel needs to be said, you can say it, so long as you Be Nice

jgn

@Ben For why the thread was moved and when it is done in general. Be Nice is great in theory but just leads to people making snide/condescending/technically acceptable comments in my experience :/

Ben

@jgn In which case those people making such remarks are not Being Nice, or the interpretation is taken incorrectly. Criticism can seem harsh, but is not always intended to be.

@jgn As for why, I see no harm in asking

jgn

@Ben I just find it stressful to be attacked or see the refund rep or whatever, so I'd prefer not to "cause problems" as others have put it. I asked in a general way and it seems there are no rules, so if I can't ask in private there's not much else I'm comfortable with. Thanks for the suggestions though.

Ben

8:01 AM

That's understandble

SmokeDetector

8:27 AM

[ SmokeDetector | MS ] Pattern-matching website in answer, potentially problematic ns configuration in answer (80): Is this the correct way to resolve a missed Ice Knife? by Suhail JLD on rpg.SE

kviiri

Wow, that's unusually clever for a spam.

Which... isn't really saying much but still.

Pierre Cathé

Hi guys

kviiri

Hi Pierre

How's it going?

Pierre Cathé

Wow yeah that is really clever spamming

I'm doing good, I've been working from home a lot these days because of the protests in Paris

So pretty comfy

How about you ?

kviiri

(For those with not enough rep to see it, the spam was a relevant snippet of text copied from the rules or from a legit quote in another answer, with a "for more info" link leading to a online store selling knives)

@PierreCathé Fluish, at a very bad time of the year :>

But I've been having these mini-flus a lot lately, I think this'll clear in a matter of a day or so

Pierre Cathé

8:36 AM

@kviiri Here's hoping

kviiri

At least it didn't until after the Christmas party season

So I could attend all the relevant festivities

Pierre Cathé

@kviiri You don't need "sees deleted answers" rep to see the spam, jus click the "MS" link in the SmokeDetector chat message

@kviiri Yeah even if it takes a week you should be better by then

kviiri

@PierreCathé Oh! That's news to me. Thanks!

Hot RPG Questions

1

Q: If you roll a saving throw where you only take half damage on a success, do you reduce the damage even more on a Natural 20?

For context, my character just got pounded by flaming boulders. She is currently immune to fire for story reasons, so the fire damage is null. However, she has to make a dexterity saving throw against the bludgeoning damage. It deals 60 damage, however if she succeeds she takes half damage. Wha...

dnd-5e saving-throw

kviiri

@HotRPGQuestions I once had a GM who insisted on house-ruling a variety of critical hit mechanics for saving throw spells as well. I found it silly at the time, but in retrospective, I think critical hits would make more sense for them than for normal attacks

Ben

8:58 AM

@kviiri what was the link?

kviiri

some knife review site, at least ostensibly

doppelgreener

10:21 AM

@jgn Two parts to that: First, just because it it's present doesn't make it 100% okay; we may simply have not seen it. We don't see every post and comment on the site. Second, comments have specific constructive purposes: they are meant to be actionable requests or suggestions, or minor moderation or meta stuff (like "related:" links on questions). Things that aren't that get removed. “Actionable” is also a key word here; unactionable commentary gets removed.

Extended discussion is specifically when folks are leaving discussiony comments, and not necessarily prolonged length alone. Six people leaving eight comments could be leaving approximately eight perfectly appropriate comments, each suggesting improvements, requesting clarification, etc. There might be a couple of "Thanks, I've done that now!" type responses from the author. All of that is perfectly fine and we wouldn't move it to chat. We'd remove the actioned comments though.

Now we could just nuke all the comments so they're gone forever. That's exactly as easy as moving them all to chat. When we're moving them to chat, that's because we're fine with the discussion that's happening, but we're moving the discussion and its participants to somewhere more appropriate for it.

And yeah, moderation involves a lot of judgement calls and some educated guessing. Not everyone's judgement calls will always line up but that's fine. This stuff is hard.

Miniman

@doppelgreener ~~answers~~ comments

doppelgreener

10:36 AM

@Miniman oops yes

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