TRPG General Chat

12:03 AM

@NautArch How do you find running unraid on a RPi? I'm in the process of sourcing parts for a proper unraid server to back up photos.

BESW

@MarkWells Or when you fail, or whatever--extra stuff that happens around the flat success or failure.

linksassin

@Someone_Evil Doesn't the program compare the total pool? I thought BESW wanted to compare only the highest dice. This program says 4d6 wins around 70% of the time.

NautArch

@linksassin I think John was building a Pi, my unraid is traditional :) I ran it off a low end Celeron for years, though. Upgraded after almost 10 years to newer hardware.

linksassin

@NautArch Ah makes sense. I was thinking the lack of drive capacity made it a poor unraid machine.

I'm looking at getting the Athlon 3000g but am torn about waiting for zen3

Someone_Evil

@linksassin If it was actually total pool the win rate would be way higher, but you're probably right. I'm not entirely sure what my code does now (I said I'd muck something up)

KorvinStarmast

12:13 AM

@linksassin are we playing Risk again?

NautArch

@linksassin unraid doesn't need much horsepower. Are you planning on running a lot of Dockers or apps on it?

linksassin

@Someone_Evil Hmm... Yeah don't know what yours is doing. 4d6 should win 99.73% of the time.

@NautArch Not a huge amount. Maybe a ubiquity controller and an ingest application for pulling data of SD cards.

Mostly its about having redundancy for our photos. Currently the only redundancy is that we have manually copied them to three computers.

But we have so many that is unmaintainable.

NautArch

@linksassin yeah, it doesn't need much.

Mark Wells

@linksassin p(max(4d6) <= x) = (x/6)^4, so if x is the result of 1d6, p(1d6 wins) = sum([i=1 to 6] i^4)/6^5 = 2275/7776 = 0.292. 4d6 wins 71% of the time. Yes?

linksassin

@MarkWells Yeah that's what my program did. What we don't understand is what @Someone_Evil 's original program did.

Somehow it outputs 87% which is neither the highest die in the pool or the total pool.

Ah, found it:
>When you perform such an operation on two dice, each number of the first die will be combined with each number of the second die.

Actually maybe it is treating them as sequences:
> Compared to a sequence
> The sequences are compared number by number, from left to right, resulting in either a 1 or a 0.

Someone_Evil

12:30 AM

It should be a sequence (of rolls) by the time any comparison happens

So, yeah I think it is something in sequence comparisons

linksassin

Ah it's because you are specify the parameter type.

Peter Cooper Jr.

I just put all 7776 possible rolls of 5d6 in rows a spreadsheet, since that's the only way I'm sure I'm not messing up probabilities. 1d6 player wins 12.6% of the time, 4d6 player 70.7% of the time, and they tie 16.7%. I'm sure anydice is easier once you know how to use it, but there's a sanity check for you. I know I had a million more useful things I should be doing instead.

linksassin

@PeterCooperJr. Excellent. We are very sure that 70.7% is the correct answer. What we don't understand is how comparing them as a sequence results in 87%

Someone_Evil

Hmm... 87.4% is awfully close to win+tie there isn't it? Now, why?

linksassin

@Someone_Evil Good point. Maybe {6} > {6,5,5,5} when comparing sequences?

@Someone_Evil That's definitely the case, this program shows it

So why does the shorter sequence win on draws?

Interestingly the results don't change if you flip the order or use an >= in the function comparison.

Someone_Evil

12:49 AM

Ok, there is something in anydice I really don't understand. output {3, 4} > {3} gives 1

Peter Cooper Jr.

> Compared to a sequence
The sequences are compared number by number, from left to right, resulting in either a 1 or a 0.

I'm guessing that "4" is greater than "nonexistant"

Someone_Evil

You may very well be right

linksassin

@PeterCooperJr. Yet output {3} > {3,2} also gives one. So it can't be that something is also greater than nothing.

Mark Wells

This answer implies that it sorts sequences in descending order, by default

linksassin

@MarkWells Dice rolls are sorted by default but not sequences I think.

Someone_Evil

12:57 AM

@linksassin I get 0 on that

Peter Cooper Jr.

@linksassin Hmm. You'd think that the documentation would mention how it handles comparing sequences of different sizes.

Mark Wells

Right, sorry, yes. But that means if the highest of the 4d6 beats the 1d6, then 4d6 wins. If the highest is equal, then it moves to the next position and compares the next die to (I suspect) zero, and 4d6 also wins.

linksassin

@Someone_Evil Oh, wait you're right. I read 100% as 1, but it was actually 100% 0. Whoops.

Mark Wells

(the missing positions don't get treated as zero, they are less than zero)

linksassin

So something is greater than nothing. So the longer sequence wins ties. Mystery solved!

A. B.

1:09 AM

Is there anything - book or anything - you know of that has any instructions about, you know, where to start with for-want-of-a-better-word-GMing?

Peter Cooper Jr.

@A.B. theangrygm.com/gameangry

linksassin

@A.B. Which system?

@A.B. Our new-gm tag is also a decent place to start.

Mark Wells

@A.B. thealexandrian.net/gamemastery-101

2

A. B.

I suppose I can make up a sketch-map and put things on it for people to find, it's more that I don't know how to make it sound like anything when I describe it.

Free-form. IRC, currently.

BESW

@A.B. Ah, you're asking specifically about narrative description techniques?

Mark Wells

1:20 AM

(It is kind of an overwhelming wall of links, but don't think you have to read the whole thing at once. Just pick articles that sound like they fit what you want to do. If you're playing a system with any resolution mechanics then I recommend the "Art of Rulings" series.)

BESW

31

Q: What techniques can I use to improve flavor text?

I've been improving my GM skills lately, but there is one area in which my skills are very weak, and that is flavor text. For example, if my players go into the woods, I tend to say something stupid like "you're in the woods, there are trees here." I know from being a player that more elaborate d...

10

Q: How do you convey the feeling of a crowded area?

Recently, one of my players suggested that streets and buildings felt too empty when we are playing Shadowrun. Other than many RPG, a lot of Shadowrun takes place in crowded cities, with the protagonists using the metro, casing a firm's lobby, or meeting someone in a club. So, usually there are l...

gm-techniques shadowrun-sr4 narration

50

Q: What is a good way to become a better NPC/monster actor?

One of the biggest problems I have as Game Master, (going on 30+yrs) is in portraying NPC and Monsters in any RPG. Is there a good resource for becoming a better 'actor'? Instead of just saying... the monster or NPC acts like or says blah, blah, blah... I prefer to act out the part whenever I ...

gm-techniques monsters roleplaying npc

A. B.

Well nabbed, all of you!

BESW

(I'd be careful about Angry GM material. He tends to be, at best, insultingly dismissive of playstyles he doesn't understand.)

linksassin

@A.B. And as always, if you are struggling or need advice that wouldn't suit a main site question you are welcome to ask for it here.

Peter Cooper Jr.

@BESW Yeah, I should have added that disclaimer. He's very D&D-style, and that the Game in RPG is at least as important as the RP, and I certainly like playing that style too but it's unlikely what you're using in a freeform IRC game.

linksassin

1:31 AM

@PeterCooperJr. Not even very D&D style. His very "this specific way of playing D&D-style".

Peter Cooper Jr.

It's been a long time (20 years?) since I played freeform IRC Roleplaying, and looking back I wonder how we ever got along without some sort of resolution mechanic.

@linksassin A totally fair characterization.

That said, I certainly found the "Game Angry" book helpful at learning to GM. Though I'm mainly playing D&D 5e (though I'm also exploring other options, particularly for RPing with my kids).

Ben

2:41 AM

Afternoon

linksassin

@Ben G'day how's it going?

Ben

Rough start to the day, but it's halfway done so I'm looking ahead lol

How about yourself?

linksassin

Not too bad

Ben

2:59 AM

That's good :)

By definition at least haha

Have you had a read through the Corruption system? @GcL has given me some good pointers about clarification etc. I have a concern about one of the Major Afflictions (phobia) in terms of balance though

linksassin

3:15 AM

@Ben I like it. Phobia and Compulsion are my favourite afflictions.

I find Paranoia a little overly complex.

I'm not sure about the balance between embracing and resisting though.

Ben

3:40 AM

Yeah, paranoia is its own mechanic basically. But the idea is that the player doesn't know if their roll of 14 is good or not, for the added level that 14 could be really bad

@linksassin how so?

linksassin

@Ben The resisting afflictions seem to have much more mechanical penalty than the embrace ones. At least at the minor level.

Ben

I think that might be because I've left them a bit vague?

I'll have another look at them and figure out how to work some small mechanics into them

linksassin

3:56 AM

Like vomiting is gross but since it takes no action economy it isn't actually a penalty.

Ben

I was thinking of adding fatigue in there somewhere (to a max of one)

linksassin

@Ben Hmmm... maybe. But the exhaustion mechanics are super harsh as soon as you get more than one.

GcL

4:21 AM

The paranoia thing is based on some crap I do with a my players because I've got a brace of meta-gaming min-maxers... who are fun, but just need special consideration. The flip a coin and invert the rolls is what I use for them with stealth so they can't make decisions based on the roll they see.

Interestingly, they've gotten quite good recently about using some role play and other roles to figure out if they're sneaking well. E.g. listening to guard's conversations, hiring an NPC as a lookout to signal if they're being loud, etc.

I've awarded more non-combat than combat exp to those goofballs for like three sessions running now.

gszavae

7:12 AM

@GcL Do you do this for all skill checks or just stealth? :3

Is there any guidance for answering complex AL questions? Surely they have judged or officials that they'd prefer be answering these technical queries.

Hot RPG Questions

4

Q: What would be the effects of allowing dual Pact Weapons?

I have been considering a Hexblade Warlock with a houserule to allow two Pact Weapons, so that they could dual-wield. What would the effects of such a houserule be? It is an extra option for Pact of the Blade, but is it stronger than things they can already do? It doesn’t seem like it to me, exce...

dnd-5e balance warlock house-rules two-weapon-fighting

Ben

7:31 AM

@linksassin Sorry I was halfway through a point then got distracted lol. I was iffy about the fatigue because of those reasons, I know the first level I scary, because the second level is harsh.

@gszavae AL?

Adventure League?

gszavae

@Ben Yeah, sorry should have specified

I guess there are worse things, like the law site or travel, which deal with things that you definitely need an expert for, so AL isn't that extreme.

Ben

7:48 AM

I can't really speak on that personally, never done anything with AL. But I think it just depends on the question.

gszavae

8:05 AM

True, just seems questionable seeing "can I do this semi-exploit?" and seeing answers "sure, why not, works fine" :P

Ben

Lol

V2Blast

8:50 AM

Well, we can answer AL questions if they're of the format that works for the site - but like some/many non-AL D&D 5e questions, the answer may often be "it's up to the DM"

for "semi-exploits" especially

We just hit level 4 in our Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus campaign. I'm playing a Zariel tiefling Glamour bard (Faceless background). I'm trying to decide what to do with my ASI, and what new cantrip and what new leveled spell to learn. (UA: Class Feature Variants stuff is allowed.)

I think I'll probably take the details of my question to The Back Room since it's sort of a wall of text (and it's not really a good fit for mainsite, being mostly opinion-based)

BESW

9:09 AM

@V2Blast Related: rpg.meta.stackexchange.com/q/5564/4398

Hot RPG Questions

10:11 AM

4

Q: My group is too big for my game, how to manage this situation?

So I may have a happy problem. I just finished a game with a group of five players, all of them enjoyed it and we've been talking about the next game we would start. None of them are problem players, none of them will refuse the invitation (I think) and ultimately all of them are friends and will...

group-dynamics group-scaling

AncientSwordRage

10:32 AM

@HotRPGQuestions Maaaa group. Is. Tooo Biiiiiiiiig.

doppelgreener

11:38 AM

@BESW i mean, also the ones he understands but aren't to his personal liking

BESW

@doppelgreener And... other things, but I didn't wanna derail the conversation.

doppelgreener

(suddenly recalling him deciding he didn't like how fate played, and thus arguing it's not even an RPG at all)

fair :P

trogdor

11:57 AM

I've never even gotten all the way through a single one of his posts about anything

XD

Maurycy

I have a question about DND 5e - back when I ran 3.5e I just approximated stats of enemies because I had a pretty decent intuition for what values are what challenge. The problem is I usually played with players who were level 5+ so they weren't as fragile. The question comes next

Is there some tricks for ballparking monster stats in 5e? I don't have monster manual nor plan to buy one, I prefer to just come up with stuff on the spot

Or should I just take the hard way and study some monster stats for appropriate challenge rating? In that case, there seems to be a bit more work than in 3.5 - here I need AC, Attack and 6 stats (for saving throws) where in 3.5 there were only three saving throw stats

Peter Cooper Jr.

@Maurycy There are tons of "free" monsters at dndbeyond.com/monsters if you go to Advanced Filter, Source Category = Basic Rules.

Someone_Evil

There are a slew of monsters freely available in the SRD

Peter Cooper Jr.

@Maurycy So yeah, I'd suggest grabbing a few of the appropriate CRs you think you might need, and re-skin as appropriate.

Someone_Evil

Do the ability score scaling differ between 3.5 and 5e? (I wouldn't know either way)

Peter Cooper Jr.

12:07 PM

@Maurycy The math around CR (if I understand it correctly) is all about average damage per round and average hits-taken before dying. So most of the stats aren't really that important, particularly Int/Wis/Cha. If you're making up a monster on the fly, just pick whatever makes sense for them, or just +0 it if you have no idea.

Maurycy

So the hard way - use preexisting monsters as basis to get the better feel for how the numbers interact and learn to ballpark from there. That's fair, but that leaves me with another question - what stats do I need to write down? Atk, AC for combat, 6 stats for saving throws, anything else?

MikeQ

Write down whatever you think you'll need. If it's a stealth mission, you may want to note the creatures' senses and perception.

Maurycy

Oh right, I am thinking strictly about combat at the moment

I am yet to run a single round of one and haven't touched DND in 5 years or so

MikeQ

It might be a good idea to start with pre-generated material, rather than trying to make up numbers, until you get a better sense of the system.

Maurycy

@PeterCooperJr. That's a good website, I feel like any monster I looked at previously online had 3 times as many numbers displayed, but this? I can pretty much write it all down easily in my notes and not feel like I am getting lost

@MikeQ Gonna do that. Thanks all!

BESW

12:13 PM

Got some ideas flowing for Cardboard Monsters today.

Peter Cooper Jr.

@Maurycy Yeah, the complexity of running a goblin is somewhat less than the complexity of running a dragon. :)

KorvinStarmast

@V2Blast Is that BG from the adventure? Or is it UA?

Maurycy

@PeterCooperJr. Haha, that's fair. I might've looked at beasts my players were unlikely to meet and had wrong impressions. Looking at the stats of low-CR monsters it seems like something easy to come up with on the spot. But, I'll run with pre-existing enemies for now

Someone_Evil

@KorvinStarmast From the adventure

Peter Cooper Jr.

@Maurycy And if you want to see a whole premade adventure for D&D-5e, Dragon of Icespire Peak is currently freely available but only through today. In my mind saving PDFs of everything would be legal timeshifting based on the Sony v. Universal precedent, though perhaps others have differing opinions on how legit it is to save it for later when it's only available now.

KorvinStarmast

12:32 PM

@Maurycy If you go to WoTC web site, and down load the basic rules and the SRD, you'll have enough monsters to run for a long time.

Peter Cooper Jr.

@KorvinStarmast The monsters are actually in the Basic Rules PDF, there's no separate SRD download on Wizards's site. I find D&D Beyond easier to search for stuff, though I find the Basic Rules PDF easier to copy stuff out of to make my own notes sheet.

nitsua60

@AncientSwordRage I AM A BANANA!

2

Peter Cooper Jr.

@BESW Are you making like a CCG?

BESW

Not a collectible card game, no.

nitsua60

On average they should hit between 1/2 and 2/3 of the time.
Their hits should be sized so that if the entire encounter ganged up on one PC they could do damage on par with that (one) PC's full HP in one round.
As for saves, if it's a save the monster's proficient in make the save bonus on par with the caster's "DC bonus" (which effectively makes it a coin toss as to whether the monster saves); if not proficient make the save bonus one or two.
Give the monsters HP such that if the full party hit for a round with their average/default attacks, it'd eat about 1/3 of the monster(-party)'s total…

@BESW Cardboard card game?

BESW

12:48 PM

Players take the role of goblin kids play-fighting in home-made monster costumes. They play cards face-up which represent the imaginary powers their costumes give them during the play-fighting, and draw cards into a hand which can be played to represent the kids' interactions with each other outside the play narrative.
Everybody takes turns attacking each other until they've either ripped off each others' costumes so only one monster remains, or they've destroyed all the landmarks of the fantasy land they're fighting over.

Peter Cooper Jr.

@BESW I love it!

nitsua60

@Maurycy if that sort of math-on-the fly is good for you, it's not hard to stat up monsters right-quick. That said, special abilities (pack tactics, nimble escape, grapple-and-submerge) and how you play the monster are what make it memorable.

Peter Cooper Jr.

Is it actually targeted at kids playing the game, or just adults who want to play as goblin kids?

BESW

I'm not designing for kids, but chances are good that it'll be approachable by kids.

My design goals include individually scalable complexity and cards which have their relevant instructions right on them so you don't need to memorize stuff (like how the back of the card says when you can flip it over, and the front of the card tells you how to activate it).

Scalable complexity is achieved by making the card effects opt-in; you activate them by reducing the size of your dice pool for that roll. This means you can get tactical by reducing your chance of success but getting more riders on the roll... or you can just roll lots of dice and ignore the card effects completely. Each person can choose their complexity individually, or even change their choices over the course of the game as they get more or less comfortable with the tactical options.

And it low-key takes place in the same setting as Space Goblins! and Goblin Court.

Peter Cooper Jr.

@BESW That sounds great. Let me know if you need playtesters. :)

JohnP

1:00 PM

@GcL Site of only downvotes? Wouldn't that be SO?

Peter Cooper Jr.

@JohnP You're thinking of Meta.

JohnP

@PeterCooperJr. Oh yeah, silly me.

nitsua60

@PeterCooperJr. you might be interested in this: boardgamegeek.com/thread/2362300/…

Peter Cooper Jr.

@nitsua60 Hmm. Intriguing as well, though I could do without the Comic Sans everywhere. I'll have to dig into it some time when I'm not working.

BESW

Hah. If it didn't have such limited characters, I'd be really tempted to use Comic Serif for Cardboard Monsters.

Peter Cooper Jr.

1:10 PM

comicsanscriminal.com

BESW

First panel 'fact' is wrong.

It was designed as the default system interface font for Microsoft Bob.

Peter Cooper Jr.

@BESW Yeah. And a lot of the links in its header don't seem to work anymore.

BESW

And wow but that's a hostile use of the word "childish."

Peter Cooper Jr.

I had thought it was designed for Microsoft Comic Chat. That's where I first remember seeing it, at any rate.

BESW

Microsoft Bob was released before Comic Sans was ready, so it was salvaged as an extra option in typeface selection menus in later Microsoft programs.

But yeah, no. Prescriptive font-shaming is bad. I agree that Comic Sans is often used in ways that aren't really in line with its intent, but it's a friendly, welcoming font and the idea that it's only appropriate for children, comics, and people with learning disabilities, is Very Bad.

Apr 11 '19 at 21:36, by BESW

@Rubiksmoose The font's ubiquity is actually a result of its effectiveness: it was originally designed as the system font for Microsoft Bob, which was an attempt to create an OS that was friendly and welcoming and non-threatening to new casual computer users.

Its popularity is a sign that it's a very good font because it achieved its goal above and beyond expectations. It's got a really important place in the evolution of desktop publishing. And yeah, there are some technical limitations; being designed for low-resolution legibility means it scales up poorly, for example.

Jan 15 '13 at 9:21, by BESW

@Rob Honestly both Comic Sans and Papyrus are not bad fonts. Papyrus is criminally low-resolution, but both of them are valuable and right to use in their contexts. They've just been plucked out of their contexts and smeared across unsuitable applications so generically that they've become the typographic equivalent of letter-by-letter typewriter-noise animation in PowerPoint.

I wish The Comic Sans Project had lasted longer.

Peter Cooper Jr.

1:19 PM

Yup. Really ire against people making poor font choices somehow gets redirected at the fonts themselves.

BESW

And, well. A lot of "poor" font choices aren't! Especially if you abandon the "ends are all that matter" approach most prescriptivists take. Comic Sans in particular has a super important place in desktop publishing because it empowered (and continues to empower) process. It's a comforting, welcoming choice for inexperienced computer users without any training in design. Without it, some of them would not be taking that first step at all.

"Comic Sans is a great font" is one of the smallest and most obscure hills I will die on.

3

(Also, that site uses "dyslexic" as a noun. Ew. It also makes sweeping authoritative claims about dyslexia-friendly fonts which are anecdotally useful but which studies do not support as a generally effective reading aid.)

KorvinStarmast

1:37 PM

@PeterCooperJr. I think that you may be mistaken. I've DL's the SRD from WoTC multiple times. I'll find you a link later.

My copy of the 5.1 has Monsters in it (including numerous that are not in the Basic Rules) from pages 254 to 357, including a bit of explanatory material before Aboleth on page 261.

395 - 403 has NPCs (lie Bandit, Veteran, Archmage, etc)

@PeterCooperJr. Yep, I just now downloaded the SRD again, (SRD_OGL 5.1). It's still up and the pdf still down loads.

@PeterCooperJr. media.wizards.com/2016/downloads/DND/SRD-OGL_V5.1.pdf

Peter Cooper Jr.

@KorvinStarmast Heh. It's just not anywhere near where they show the page for the Basic Rules?

GcL

@gszavae Just stealth.

KorvinStarmast

1:53 PM

@PeterCooperJr. Yeah, I think it's in a different section of the site.

It's purpose is different, and it is also missing a variety of spells that are in the PHB, but it's got lots of good stuff one can use.

Peter Cooper Jr.

@KorvinStarmast Their web site is almost as well-organized as their books. :)

KorvinStarmast

@PeterCooperJr. Giggle Snort Guffaw Yep.

I don't think I've found a worse index feature in a lot of years than the ones in 5e's books. (I remember years ago when I was working on training manuals that we had a tech writer who was an absolute fanatic about good indexing. She was valuable to have on the team)

Peter Cooper Jr.

@KorvinStarmast Yeah, like I said I tend to use D&D Beyond, which includes anything that's "SRD" under "Basic Rules" when you filter by source for monsters or spells, even if it's not in the Basic Rules PDF and is just in the SRD.

KorvinStarmast

I find DDB to be of variable use; what I like about BR and SRD is that you can download a pdf once. And there it is.

I also prefer to point people who say "I don't intend to buy MM/PHB {whatever}" to those two free assets: DDB isn't free

Peter Cooper Jr.

@KorvinStarmast Well, I only use whatever parts of DDB it lets me use without a login, and useful stuff (monster images and magic item descriptions and whatnot) I tend to save (partly since I'm turning into a player handout). Since nothing online lasts forever.

Or I suppose it should be, stuff you want to last forever doesn't, and anything you wanted to be time-limited actually lasts forever.

NautArch

2:06 PM

@GcL Thanks again for the game reco! The kids love Castle Crashers.

KorvinStarmast

@PeterCooperJr. Yeah, that's so true.

goodguy5

that's delightful

whoops.

GcL

@NautArch I was playing it last night. It's such a goofy game.

NautArch

@GcL The body parts laying around is a bit much for them, but i think they're mostly ignoring it.

i'm wondering what it looks like with the Gore setting on.

GcL

2:21 PM

@NautArch Wait until they end up riding deer to escape a gigantic deranged cat. At least one of the deer is propelled forward by a brown note.

NautArch

@GcL OH, we've done that part.

The pooping deer, owls, etc.

GcL

I imagine that's highly entertaining to children.

NautArch

absolutely

nitsua60

WotC labyrinth

Aug 11 '16 at 15:02, 36 minutes total – 55 messages, 5 users, 1 star

Bookmarked Jun 15 '17 at 17:12 by nitsua60

@PeterCooperJr. ^^

JohnP

@NautArch - You suggested emby, correct?

NautArch

2:31 PM

@JohnP I did!

JohnP

Ok. Got it all set up for remote access, going to give it a try. Do you have the premium version, or using the free one?

NautArch

@JohnP i bought premium

JohnP

ok. I'm really interested to see if I can connect the kids' kindles to it for movies.

NautArch

I'm not sure what was the final impetus to do it because it was so long ago.

Amazon definitely has an emby app.

should be able to work.

I had tried out Fire TVs, Roku, and Google NExus at one point in my search for preferred TV OS.

And they all had apps for it.

worst case is they use the browser on their fire

I had also created a separate Kids login and went through and added an "adults only" tag to content that I didn't want them to see and then filtered to not include that tag for their login.

JohnP

@NautArch That we have disabled currently. Might have to see if I can make it a favorite or home screen and then lock other sites.

NautArch

2:35 PM

@JohnP You should be able to download the emby app for it.

JohnP

@NautArch Yeah, that's the main goal. I'm interested in seeing if I can connect to other servers and download movies. If so, then I can just download all the movies I own rather than hassle ripping all 219 of them. ish.

We got rid of cable a while ago, but you can get a happauge tv tuner for the pi, eventually might look at getting cable again to use that.

NautArch

@JohnP you might even be able to use emby as a front-end for that tuner. i'm not sure, though.

again, i really miss WMC

JohnP

@NautArch i think you can. I was looking at a comparison chart between kodi/emby/plex and some new one, jellysomethingorother

NautArch

yeah, it's a pretty nice tool. I've been using it for a really long time. Since it's MediaBrowser name days. WHich then got shortened to MB->Emby

JohnP

@NautArch and you probably got the premium for the mobile apps

did you pay the monthly? Or just pony up for the lifetime?

NautArch

2:42 PM

@JohnP maybe. I don't use a lot of it for mobile stuff. I think when I got it, it was lifetime only.

JohnP

aight. Imma gunna givita try

My oldest just yapped at me "DAD! Sonic is even faster than YOU! Does that make you slow now?".

He may not work out in the long run. :p

Maurycy

3:01 PM

For 5e, if you're proficient in a skill you can add the level-based proficiency bonus to it, correct?

And if you're proficient in perception your passive perception also gets the proficiency bonus?

Someone_Evil

Yup

Maurycy

Thank you!

Peter Cooper Jr.

@Maurycy Yes, passive perception is just "What would you get for perception if the d20 showed a 10?"

Himitsu_no_Yami

3:36 PM

@PeterCooperJr. technically there's an exception to that rule if you take the observant feat

IIRC that basically makes the 10 a 15 (ie stacks with advantage still)

Peter Cooper Jr.

@Himitsu_no_Yami Yes, all statements about D&D rules have an implied "Unless a feat, class feature, magic item, supernatural gift, epic boon, or DM fiat says otherwise"

Himitsu_no_Yami

@PeterCooperJr. true enough tho I think that's the only one that does it without DM fiat in this case

NautArch

4:04 PM

My players have left a couple of mosnter to roam in the dungeon and I"m really not sure what to do with them.

Himitsu_no_Yami

@NautArch have them come back and attack the players when they least expect it

Mark Wells

@NautArch Is this not ordinarily a thing that happens with your players?

NautArch

These are monsters who were left to roam the dungeon obstensibly Helping the players.

During a long rest and even during the day, those monsters should be 'clearing' sections.

Or they'll be found dead potentially,too

or recaptured by the dungeon owners

Mark Wells

Can they barricade off one entrance to the dungeon, claim dominion over it, and charge tolls?

NautArch

@MarkWells THey aren't working together (the two monsters semi-freely roaming.) Only one has full access to the entire dungeon. THe other is very limited.

Himitsu_no_Yami

4:12 PM

@NautArch it's their dungeon now

Mark Wells

Just trying to think of the most amusingly disruptive thing they could do. Start knocking down walls and repainting in a brighter color scheme? With a couple days of work you can add 20k to the market value of your dungeon. Find out how, on FLIP THIS CRYPT.

NautArch

hahaha

these two monsters are very angry about being in this dungeon and the way they've been treated by the Thayans.

Someone_Evil

@NautArch Gather them around a table, give them pens, paper, and dice...

Peter Cooper Jr.

@Someone_Evil And they'll start playing Papers and Paychecks?

NautArch

The players do need all the help they can get. Just trying to make it realistic. Maybe ill see if anyone here wants to do a quick combat with me playing the monster and y'all playing the thayans in the rooms they visit.

Himitsu_no_Yami

4:38 PM

@NautArch if it's roll20 I wouldn't mind helping out. Can't really do it otherwise

NautArch

@Himitsu_no_Yami I could do it on roll20.

doy ou have my dndbeyond access?

Himitsu_no_Yami

I don't think I'm in your ddb campaign but I do have all content

NautArch

ok, cool.

need to think about how 'realistic' i want it to be or if i'm just going to roll a die to see if it lives/dies.

maybe i'll try one room and see how a fight would go.

Maurycy

5:04 PM

How would a bounty hunter "carry" the targets alive to their destination if he travels by a horse? Make them walk on foot behind the horse? Rent a carriage? Get them tied on another horse?

NautArch

@Maurycy lay them over the haunches of their horse

Or tie a rope to them and make them walk

depends on consciousness and how willing their bounty is

Maurycy

@NautArch Can you explain how it would look?

When I look at the definition of haunches it's buttocks + thigh combined, so I can't image how to use that information to carry a person, heh

NautArch

@Maurycy historically accurate photograph from red dead /s

Hot RPG Questions

2

Q: Is "Shove" an attack?

This question is prompted by reading this answer to a question about using the Polearm Master feat's bonus action after a Shove and halbard Attack In the section "Making an Attack" (PHB, page 194): If there’s ever any question whether something you’re doing counts as an attack, the rule is s...

dnd-5e attack

Maurycy

@NautArch Okay, that makes much more sense than whatever I imagined, thanks. If the bounty hunter had another horse, is it physically possible to tie two people on the horse such that they don't fall and are immobilized? I'm guessing yes, but I only ever saw it in questionably historically accurate movies I think so I am curious

Why do I even care if it's possible, I can just make it so, my players are about as knowledgable about horse physics as I am

MikeQ

5:14 PM

Physically possible yes, but probably more difficult unless they have a clever way of steering the 2nd horse

NautArch

@Maurycy exactly :) you can also just make a magic item that binds them to the animal.

Or they've got a magic item that allows them to cast Tenser's.

Someone_Evil

Annoying for long journey (because of the stops) but (tenser's) floating disk has the ritual tag, so fairly usable

Medix2

@Rubiksmoose Gotta love how "if something involves an attack roll, it is an attack" and then Whirlwind Attack and Volley involve multiple attack rolls but are still, for some reason, one attack

NautArch

@Someone_Evil magic item could be immediate

Rubiksmoose

@Medix2 ohhh, I never thought of that argument. Yeah gotta love that consitency eh?

Someone_Evil

5:22 PM

@NautArch Sure, and you could increase the duration (from 1h), but you'd also be giving a character a magic item, which might imply some things about them (depending on setting and context)

NautArch

@Someone_Evil also true

Someone_Evil

Actually, there's nothing stopping you from having any number of disks at the same time, is there? That sounds like a fun thing to choose if you get to at will a 1st level spell

GcL

@NautArch "Bouncer's Floating Disk" Like Tenser's but mostly used for removing drunkards from the tavern after too many tankards.

@Rubiksmoose I blame their lack of a philosophy major on staff.

NautArch

@GcL are you saying editors are philosophy majors?

GcL

@NautArch If you wanted a wholly consistent made up world with formal definitions for things, you really want a philosopher. Especially useful when you can just remove edge cases from the universe.

I didn't really think much of the field until we hired a couple of them.

JohnP

5:35 PM

@NautArch - This is turning into a rabbit hole. Evidently there was a kernel update between last night and this morning so I had to back out of the install of a vpn to update before I can even install emby. :|

NautArch

@JohnP are you installing on your Pi?

JohnP

yeah.

Medix2

@GcL Math also helps with the whole formal definitions thing

JohnP

On the bright side, a manager I know reached out to me today to say some business leaders are irritated I was put on the axe list. They are worried the product I used to help manage is going to go down the tubes.

GcL

@Medix2 Yeah, but the notation has the opposite problem. It's so darned terse. Why use an entire page to describe something?! We can just use four symbols and a footnote about demonstrating being an exercise to the reader.

NautArch

5:38 PM

@JohnP nelson ha!

GcL

@JohnP You should chat with @nitsua60 about axes. I hear they chop wood in all weather even when all of it occurs in a single day.

JohnP

nelson?

Rubiksmoose

Straw poll, what do you all think of the footnote formatting in my answer here? rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/169617/… Is it jarring as the comment suggests? I stole it from someone because I liked how it looked, but maybe it's not as clear as I like to think it is.

Medix2

@GcL Ah those type of mathematicians :(

Peter Cooper Jr.

@Medix2 The real problem is the text saying "the rule is simple" when that's an outright lie.

Rubiksmoose

5:40 PM

@PeterCooperJr. I mean the rule is kind of simple, it's just the rule isn't really as broad as it could be to cover the things the rule doesn't touch.

Medix2

@Rubiksmoose I often see credit attributions listed inline/inbody, but then footnotes, gosh do they vary all over amongst answers. That said, I think a footnote going off the very end of something is a bit unusual

GcL

Well any rule is simple as long as we're not talking about edge cases.... and especially not corner cases. You've got to be really careful when painting near those!

Medix2

@GcL At least face-cases are easy

Rubiksmoose

@PeterCooperJr. I think the big issue is that the way it is presented makes people think it is much more than it actually says it is.

GcL

@Medix2 Face-cases sound like a creepy necromancer luggage brand.

Medix2

5:42 PM

@Rubiksmoose I wish the rule explicitly called out grapple/shove. It's often helpful, when writing a rule, to explain an existing exception (or perceived-exception)

NautArch

@Rubiksmoose I don't think I'm a fan.

Rubiksmoose

@Medix2 Yeah, I hear that. I thought it was a bit odd as I was doing it as well. But I kinda wanted the JC stuff to be a bit of a sidenote because I don't really care about them so much any more, but I know some people do so like to to include them.

GcL

@Rubiksmoose It's difficult for me to read.

Peter Cooper Jr.

@Rubiksmoose Semantically, I'd tend to not use <sup> for a whole line. Does SE let you use <small>? I'd also tend to use superscript Unicode characters directly for the numbers themselves, rather than just formatting them. But none of that really matters.

NautArch

@Rubiksmoose If you don't care, then don't put it in. By putting it in, you are almost de facto giving credence to them. At least, that's why I don't do it, because I don't want to promote it.

Rubiksmoose

5:44 PM

@Medix2 Yes! That would have been wonderful. I love when rules point out the exceptions like that.

GcL

Yeah. I rarely put in JC quotes anymore. Mostly just the one about D&D not being a physics engine.

And no hidden rules I think originates as a JC quote?

Rubiksmoose

@NautArch eh, I can see that side, but also it feels more complete and helpful to me to acknowledge that they exist.

It might not actually be so, but it feels like it to me ;-)

@GcL Well that's at least three strikes! So time to reformat.

Medix2

I really don't know what to do with his tweets anymore... Imagine they'd never been official before. The interpretations and houserule of The Lead Rules Designer would still be pretty importanta

GcL

Sure, unless they suck.

nitsua60

@Rubiksmoose It's exactly how I would have done it. Don't know if that's good or bad....

Rubiksmoose

5:47 PM

@GcL I still find it useful at times to point out "this also exists, but it sucks because X"

nitsua60

Though I see what people're saying about note 1 as an inline possibility--that would make sense.

GcL

@Rubiksmoose That's a good approach. One of my favorite turns of phrase is, "I'd be inclined to agree with this, if it were correct."

Rubiksmoose

@nitsua60 I think I may actually have stolen this formatting style from you lol

nitsua60

For a longer (discursive) footnote, though, I usually set off with <hr> and (ab)use <sup> to make it small.

Medix2

Footnotes and accreditations are kinda "do what you want"

nitsua60

5:49 PM

@Rubiksmoose he he he. This one is probably the most egregious example.

Medix2

I personally just find small text in general a tad jarring on Stack Exchange since it's so utterly rare on the sites I look at

NautArch

@Medix2 except that he's changed his mind several times. WHich is fine, but then it really makes the tweets questionnable.

You're trusting an unreliable source

Medix2

I also hadn't seen a quoteblock in a footnote before and they're really weird (on mobile) gonna go check what they look like on desktop

Rubiksmoose

@nitsua60 Aha! I think it was from here that I got the idea.

Medix2

@NautArch Many sources are :(

including the rulebooks (errata exist)

GcL

5:52 PM

@nitsua60 Yeah. I can't read any of that. Just a Wall of Text cast using the "compress spell" metamagic.

NautArch

@Medix2 True. BUt that's why I guess it's useful as another piece of information to help a DM make a ruling.

But nothing more than that.

Medix2

Oh my gosh @Rubiksmoose that answer looks so much better on desktop, wow

Rubiksmoose

@Medix2 Well now I definitely have to see how this looks on mobile.

oh wow I had no idea that the old mobile version of the site still uses the old style quoteblocks

Well after having looked at it on the app, and mobile and responsive versions of the site I ... don't actually see much difference. Admittedly I still think it looks good on all of them. Maybe I'm just used to it. Or maybe I'm just weird :)

Medix2

@Rubiksmoose Was probably just something from my phone's weird browser

NautArch

@Medix2 what do you use?

Medix2

5:59 PM

Mobile on desktop looks alright, on my phone it was shunted to the side and quite small

@NautArch A somewhat customized samsung internet browser

Someone_Evil

The vertical space in and around the quoteboxes is... suboptimal. But none of that information is important to the answer, so making it smaller seems completely fair.

I personally just have footnotes in the same font after a vertical rule, but I also use daggers, so maybe I'm weird

GcL

@Someone_Evil The vertical rule of daggers. Sounds like a rogue's accompaniment to the right hand rule.

Medix2

So regarding the following question: "Why do all subclasses only use spells from the Player's Handbook?" I recall the existence of some question about "Do sourcebooks ever assume you have access to other sourcebooks" or something, but maybe I dreamed it up

Hot RPG Questions

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Q: What would be the implications of ignoring the incapacitated condition tied to the paralyzed condition?

The paralyzed condition notes A paralyzed creature is incapacitated (see the condition) and can't move or speak. Under incapacitated it says An incapacitated creature can't take actions or reactions. I mistakenly thought that my character could issue mental commands (to control a spir...

dnd-5e conditions

Rubiksmoose

@Someone_Evil Definitely agree with the quote spacing being super weird.

LizWeir

6:08 PM

@Medix2 That makes sense, but they call out Xanathar's Guide, which is both the greatest concentration of new subclasses and of new spells

so there being no XG subclasses adding XG spells does seem notable!

nitsua60

@Rubiksmoose That one contains one of my favorite lines I've written on site, I think: "Note that this site is 'of' Wizards of the Coast in the same fashion that my desk is 'of' wood: the site's made of things WotC, not made by WotC."

6

Medix2

@LizWeir Oh yeah it's still really weird for a book not to contain its own spells in the subclasses, just thought it was somewhat similar

Rubiksmoose

@nitsua60 That's a purely incredible line.

LizWeir

I suspect it's because they tend towards core toolkit stuff for the subclasses, and the Guide spells tend a touch more esoteric, but yeah, bit of a surprise!

Rubiksmoose

@PeterCooperJr. No SE does not have <small> BTW meta.stackexchange.com/questions/1777/…

Peter Cooper Jr.

6:15 PM

@LizWeir I wonder if it's partly to better support the case where a player has the book and the DM doesn't?

NautArch

Only thing I wonder is if dndbeyond came out before xanathar's and they realized someone might buy the class, but not the spell content. WHich would mean they could have access to only part of Xanathar's and would give access to a wider group to new content for anyone who is only wanting a small piece of the book.

Someone_Evil

@NautArch It sounds very fixable to include the individual spells in a subclass

NautArch

@Someone_Evil depends on how the back end is built

Medix2

@Someone_Evil I've learned that no matter how easy something sounds... it can be mighty difficult; though I'm unsure how D&D Beyond tags and builds their permissions

Someone_Evil

XGtE subclasses are already supposed to give access to the XGtE invocations

Rubiksmoose

6:24 PM

Maybe it has to do with the timing of the development of the subclasses and spells?

I don't think it's likely though.

Someone_Evil

A good number of them are reprints from EE (some with tweaks)

LizWeir

OK, fine, I'm gonna crack the book and see if any of these make sense ;-)

Someone_Evil

But, yeah, it might be a developmental thing, or it might simply be that out the not that PHB spells fit the subclasses better (most of the game's spells are still from the PHB)

LizWeir

OK, no, solid hit

Conquest Paladin really feels like Cause Fear would fit

Someone_Evil

But they already have a CD that does that

LizWeir

6:30 PM

I gueeeeess

being able to use spell slots for it opens that up a bit, though

Horizon Walkers could use Far Step instead of Teleportation Circle, though they fill v different niches and I think Circle may be a better pick

Someone_Evil

Also, gaining cause fear would mean losing one of the other 1st level spells. And a paladin who wants to double up on the fear aspect specifically can prepare the spell, no?

Actually no, not a paladin spell

Medix2

Could just be that they were all UA before? At least I think they were

LizWeir

I will go to bat on "conquest paladins really ought to get Infernal Calling as a 5th-level option" even if Cloudkill+Dominate Person is pretty solid ;-)

Someone_Evil

Yeah, and I guess they only started including spells in UA after XGtE

LizWeir

eh, I don't think UA clinches it - enough things change that a pass on "would any of these be better with new spells?" seems like a thing they could do

Someone_Evil

6:39 PM

A different example that springs to mind is chaos bolt being on the Izzet spell list and thus being reprinted in GGR

Artificer's also have XGtE spells on their class list, but I don't think any of the subclass spells are from there

Medix2

@Someone_Evil They do??? Oh no how does that even work with AL +1 rule

Someone_Evil

@Medix2 Eberron campaign has it's own version of that rule. We have a Q&A on the matter

Medix2

@Someone_Evil Wait what spells? I'm not seeing any

Someone_Evil

@Medix2 All the ones marked with an asterisk

Hot RPG Questions

5

Q: Artificer Armorer Guardian attack and cantrips like Booming blade

So the UA specialist for the Artificer, the Armorer, has an interesting ability for one of the models you can take. Thunder Gauntlets. Your armored fists each count as a simple melee weapon, and each deals 1d8 thunder damage on a hit. A creature hit by the gauntlet has disadvantage on attack ...

dnd-5e unearthed-arcana cantrips archetype artificer

Medix2

6:53 PM

@Someone_Evil No I meant if you took ERftLW as your +1 to play an Artificer what happens to the Xanathar's spells?

Someone_Evil

@Medix2 You can't take E:RftLW as your +1

42

Q: What is the "+1 rule" for Adventurers League?

In many places I see referenced a "+1 rule" for characters legal in Adventurer's League play. What does this mean?

dnd-5e terminology dnd-adventurers-league

Medix2

Oh! you meant on their spell list not their subclass spells

@Someone_Evil Ah, good to know

Apparently I can't read, but oh well. Thanks for clarifying

LizWeir

7:32 PM

and with the artificer thing, I'd argue that's no different to any PHB class - they all have a spell list that's mostly PHB spells but with a few XGtE ones on it

I basically view it as "well, Xanathar's got published earlier than Eberron, so the responsibility for listing which XG spells Artificers get goes in the Eberron book"

(on the assumption that the spell list is broad enough that you can happily play without XG, which admittedly I haven't checked)

WotC labyrinth

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