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1:06 AM
> Viditya Voleti wrote a twitter thread encouraging BIMPOC itch designers to tag their games "poc made."
What's the idea of this? I mean, if it makes him happy, but I don't quite get why.
I mean, I kind of assume most of them are, indie games especially.
I like the folding dungeon :-D
@Carcer
> I don't think the Lady of Pain actively erases any knowledge of her
> she does actively erase anyone who tries to worship her though
Which came first, her or The Colour of Magic?
1:25 AM
Chat does have a reply system, btw. Leftmost option on the dropdown when tapping a message on mobile
No dropdown here.
Thanks though.
Does it not drop a bar of buttons from up top when you select a message?
Nope. Thank goodness.
(Animation issues.)
(Maybe my CSS blocker's interfering with it.)
Ah, that might be it
I use a lot of the Internet on half-power like this, since animating every possible element of webpages became the fashion. That's life.
Answering my own question, having looked it up, The Colour of Magic was 1983 and Planescape was 1994, so The Lady did come first. Don't know if you know that one.
1:43 AM
It's been much too long since I read the colour of magic
Ditto! It's a good 'un.
It has, if you remember, one goddess who was known as The Lady, which was short for Lady Luck, but people didn't usually say that. Or talk about her at all if they could help it, really. Everyone knew that was a bad idea. If you actually prayed to her, your luck would run out, up to and including lightning.
Ah, yes. She also makes appearances in later books IIRC
2:04 AM
(1992, though the original short story is 1985 and obv. based on much older cultural touchstones)
(I really hope the new film gets really explicit about how awkward the text became when it was transposed from Liverpool to Chicago.)
My point, at any rate, is that "don't speak their name or bad things will happen" seems to be as old as names, and has really never gone out of style. (cf Robin Goodfellow and the Fair Folk, who were neither good nor fair but saying so might suggest it to them.)
War of Ashes: Fate of Agaptus is a setting largely defined by the reluctance of mortals to attract the attention of deities, and by the world-changing disasters which that attention causes. (But if you ignore the gods entirely, they notice that too, so you have to walk a line of keeping the gods indifferently ambivalent.)
...But now I'm thinking about conspiracy theories, which are the modern pop culture go-to for "the power that does not want to be known," and hrmmm. There may be something to that, though I always have to step carefully around story ideas drawing on conspiracy.
Concept: a cosmic Being that seeks to remain unknown, and bribes those who do discover it with supernatural abilities in exchange for enforcing its secret.
2:24 AM
Could work, that.
Okay, I think I might have something with this. Call it A COMEDY OF (T)ERRORS and use a simple "success = escalation" mechanic, because it's an impossible task for the same reason all conspiracy theories fail the sniff test: to so perfectly suppress information requires more coordination and organization than humans can achieve.
 
2 hours later…
4:40 AM
@doppelgreener Do you think he'd rather be referred to as "ow" or "uh-oh"?
 
5 hours later…
9:23 AM
[ SmokeDetector | MS ] Bad keyword with email in answer, email in answer, messaging number in answer, pattern-matching email in answer, potentially bad keyword in answer (355): What is an Arcane Archer's spell progression? by calvin Larry on rpg.SE (@Rubiksmoose)
 
1 hour later…
10:35 AM
The Hallowed Walk by bridlewise. A storytelling game for two to five players going for a walk in the outdoors.
11:17 AM
2
Q: How does Steel Wind Strike interact with Heated Body special trait?

EddymageEddy the mage is facing 3 Azors, which are 15, 25 and 10 ft far away from him. Azors have the special trait Heated Body (emphasis mine): Heated Body. A creature that touches the azer or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 5 (1d10) fire damage. Eddy casts Steel Wind Strik...

11:32 AM
@BESW cf. Bears
@AncientSwordRage I was going to use that as an example but in looking for a link I found that the postulation of taboo seems... hasty?
@BESW true or not, it's definitely an association I have
There do seem to be a few pockets where extant folklore supports the claim, but any broader implication looks like not so much jumping to conclusions as building elaborate cantilevers to reach conclusions for extended periods of time.
@Adeptus that'd be even worse lol
(Also, searching "taboo" and "bear" quickly got me into listings for the inevitable romance novel subgenres, which amused me enough to distract me from the scholarly search.)
11:40 AM
lol
Fun fact: while the name Arthur may be derived from the word for "bear," it would have to have been derived through Celtic rather than Welsh, which cast an interesting light on King Arthur (whose early provenance is more Welsh than Celtic).
(There's a Welsh-Arthurian scholarly branch that holds "Arthur" means "Bear Man," which breaks down when you get into the phonology in ways that the Celtic "Bear-Prince" derivation does not. Basically, the earliest poems don't rhyme right if it's Welsh.)
...weird that I keep randomly stumbling over the Matter of Britain a lot lately.
12:29 PM
@SmokeDetector Huh, our normal spellcasting spam but in norwegian. I'm a bit lost for words
@Someone_Evil we're branching out
 
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1:46 PM
5
Q: PC terrified of dying in combat

warfaRelatively new DM with a group of 5 PCs (some with ttrpg experience, some not) through a twist on the essentials kit module. One absolute first time PC is running a 3rd level rogue with low HP 13, lower even than our party wizard. My issue occurs in combat encounters: the moment the rogue takes a...

howdy howdy
1:58 PM
@ThomasMarkov hey
@HotRPGQuestions Not sure how I feel about SeriousBri's answer to this question. Seems a bit harsh.
@RevenantBacon yep, a lot of not great answers
With upvotes
The only supported answer didn't answer the actual question (aristotle's)
2:18 PM
I dunno, I feel like Aristotles' answer does offer at least some solutions to the issue.
Did you read the comments and clarification by OP?
Player, not character.
At least, that was what I thought they clarified
Yes
fortunately, most of the proposed solutions should work for both. Although, talking to the palyer should probably be step #1, rather than the last option.
Yep, I think fixes for character are Band-Aids
But having one hidden nugget is not an upvote for me when it's neither the focus and not when the rest isn't really supported, either.
Well, I do kind of agree with you there. I haven't upvoted it either
2:45 PM
@NautArch I am not going to answer until the asker has clarified a few more things. My gut is that there's a little bit of XY going on, but I am not sure. I think that the player has no idea how the game works (to the point of ending up in the opposite status of "ignorance is bliss")
3:33 PM
@KorvinStarmast I could definitely a see an x-y issue there
there's definitely something more
@NautArch I also sense a bit of DM anxiety (table issue, not in game issue) but so far no detail on what's behind that. There's a group I play with now who at level 1, 2, and 3 were very "oh, no, I lost HP!" in a way that really puzzled me. (My bard has healing word, or DM doesn't mind 5e's yo yo healing).
@KorvinStarmast I think Thomas' comment about playstyles is more about SeriousBri
It wasn't until level 5 that the constant "cast a heal spell on me!" requests subsided ... so I was the only one in the party who didn't do the thing similar to the problem posed. I was the weird one who takes 'the best defense is a good offense unless we all agree "time to withdraw, this is too big for us" is the situation' which, weirdly cropped up during an act end boss fight. I had to stiffen their resolve "Hey, guys, this is why we are here!"
@NautArch I think it was a reaction to received tone: the title in bold didn't help, and the "properly" smells of "you are doing it wrong" a bit too strongly.
@KorvinStarmast that, too probably
@NautArch and as it worked out, that boss fight, though a near run thing versus a demon, was a victory and a memorable one. Let's hear it for the bard (player) stiffening morale! (And I was the only one to drop to 0 HP that whole fight ... ) It scored me an uncommon item (instrument of the bards, Cittern) that is for an uncommon item Really Useful!
3:43 PM
@KorvinStarmast nice!
I am looking forward to my avernus character way too much now. I've finally found his personality (and yeah, a legendary item didn't hurt)
@NautArch What was Elric without Stormbringer? 😎
Who was Aragon without the Sword of Elindil? (The King of the Dead seemed suitably impressed, right?)
@KorvinStarmast eek. I Have no idea. I never read that!
but yeah, i get it :P
what legendary item do you have?
@KorvinStarmast Rod of Lordly Might
for the low low price of my soul.
and for getting us in Asmodeus' good grace's so that mephistopholes couldn't kill us.
Awesome! and nice bargain, if you can get it. (Hexblade?)
3:47 PM
@KorvinStarmast yeah, my hexblade
the perfect description from another player was that i made a Selfish Sacrifice.
I love it! 😎
It was not an easy decision, but it was set up like it was exactly for me. My character pursues power and martial prowess. ANd he's a yuan-ti who had been starting to accept non-yuan-ti as peers, but whose party members have been increasingly making evil choices.
So, he was able to rationalize getting mortal power as helping his friends, but also that it gives him everything he's looking for - including becoming a powerful pit fiend after death.
Felt like a, "Well, crap. I need to take this deal." moment.
if one of my PCs is a warlock with Devil Sight who casts Darkness centered on himself, and he casts Eldritch Blast, do rays after the first have advantage due to being hidden?
@chaos Assuming the target doesn't have an ability to see in magical darkness?
@NautArch Correct, target has no vision-related bonuses.
3:55 PM
15
Q: Ranged attacks from hiding with Advantage?

imaginaryIn D&D 5e, if you are attacking from hiding (successful stealth check) with a bow or spell, do you get advantage? Assuming yes to the above, if during combat you successfully hide again (break line of sight and succeed on a stealth check), do you have advantage when attacking from hiding again? ...

But yes, in general all attacks are with advantage - not because hidden, but because unseen attacker.
@NautArch Thank you.
@NautArch this sounds like good RP, and also the old issue of "if you stare into the abyss the abyss stares back" as a theme. 😁
@KorvinStarmast It felt 'cheap', but the reasons lined up perfectly with his personality and issues.
But now he definitely feels lordly and is going to embrace his power.
Almost leeroy jenkins, but not stupid.
just arrogant
@NautArch Oh, yeah, and with a high charisma, why not lean into arrogant? 😎
@KorvinStarmast Funny thing, is he was arrogant to start. But he was starting to experience feelings for other humanoids and it was confusing him. He decided to watch how the party acted and if they went evil, he'd embrace his evil tendencies, but if they went good, he'd pull himself away.
Party has been evil.
4:38 PM
@NautArch From the initial session, or did they grow into it due to the module/adventure?
@KorvinStarmast grew into it
Kept embracing evil decisions
culminating in our cleric accepting a Nightmare
and our CG paladin and Good rogue being totally fine with it and riding it
4:53 PM
@NautArch Nightmare as in the MM beast? 😯 Interesting development
@KorvinStarmast yep, that's the one
the one here they rip the wings off a pegasus and torture it.
@NautArch If one is going to go evil in a D&D game, why go by half measures? 😎
@KorvinStarmast And her character is Evil
so for her, it wasn't a big thing. BUt the rest of the party?
That was one of the final things my character witnessed that pushed him back to evil
@NautArch Even better. The rest of the party then gets to learn "Hmm, that Evil that she has on her char sheet's alignment block has in game consequences." 😯
@KorvinStarmast Yep, decisions have consequences. And theirs sent me back to evil. Maybe I/we can come back.
who knows?
5:03 PM
@NautArch Emergent role play - I like it! 👍 Sounds like you all are having fun. We rescued the princess on our last session
@KorvinStarmast What are you talking about? The player knows exactly how the game works. D&D is a game where you start out fragile and nothing on your character sheet will protect you, so you "play smart" and avoid engaging with the game rules until you level up and find treasure, becoming more powerful. That's the reason first-level characters start out with few useful abilities and, in some cases, single-digit hit points: because that's the vital experience of introductory levels of D&D.
@Glazius They are third level in the question at hand on main site, they seem to not know how to use cunning action(a second level feature). Their HP at level 3 being 13 is a char build mistake; DM probably needs to coach them on that rather than wringing their hands. Being cautious isn't a bad thing, and if this was a first level PC I'd not have commented.
13 HP is the average HP for a 3rd-level rogue with no Con bonus.
@Glazius Not It Is Not. 8 + 5 + 5 = 18.
Check PHB if you don't believe me.
@KorvinStarmast I'd very much like to always give him chance to change.
But that's a bell that's tough to unring
5:09 PM
Oh, whoops. Wrong year on the PDF.
And any DM who lets a new PC build a character with a CON less than 12 is doing that player no favors. @Glazius No worries, I realize you don't D&D much anymore.
@Glazius In Basic, back in the day, 0 HP meant "You are Dead" so that's a wholly different context.
@Glazius I may be a lone ranger on this, but I have always felt, based on my experience, that one element of DMing is coaching. That colors my view on how to handle new players, particularly in a group with both new and experienced players.
@KorvinStarmast Although there will always be uncoachable players
Just like in athletics.
@NautArch Yep, seen that also.
I am realizing that the avernus game i'm playing has some different table attitudes that I have to adjust to (like asking for skill check rolls)
rather than describing the action
@NautArch at my brother's table we run into that alot, given how much 3.x all of them played. When I DM for that group I am consistenly reminding them "just tell me what you are trying to do" and sometimes, they don't even need to roll the dice. 😊 It still crops up in our Salt Marsh game sometimes, depends on the night, but everyone in that game is pretty well grounded in the system.
5:27 PM
@KorvinStarmast In this case, "-13 in a single blow" also means "you're dead" doesn't it? Though I suppose that's a symptom of the larger problem of making bad MaxHP decisions.
@Glazius Yes, which means 14 damage if at 1 HP, or, 27 damage if at full HP. At third level there are some crits that can do that. You are correct: it's a symptom whose root cause is as you say, but there's also a player psychology aspect that may be a factor. (But cunning action lets the rogue dart in and out to attack, or, it lets the rogue try to hide as a bonus action, being tougher to hit ... ) Fear of Crits is a real thing, though. Still is at a few of the tables I play at.
@KorvinStarmast I think this is more of a critical role table
Not the DM, but the other players
They do mention that this aversion to combat kicks in after having already been wounded; in that case "-13 in a single blow" certainly feels closer.
@Glazius Yeppers; DaleM's answer is mostly spot on. The problem is only if the rest of the players are annoyed by it. If not, Dale, and a few others, point out that it isn't really the DM's problem. (I'd still recommend a respec/rebuild to get the HP into the average range though, but others have already recommended that).
6:11 PM
@KorvinStarmast Not so sure I agree with DaleM. And it does seem like at least the DM has concerns, and everyone at the table needs to have fun - including the DM.
If the actions are un-fun for the DM, then it is a problem.
And the obvious issue that the character is NOT a coward.
6:28 PM
@Glazius Sorry I did a typo up there, 26 damage in one blow from full HP (13) would do it. If you take any damage while you have 0 hit points ... If the damage equals or exceeds your hit point maximum, you suffer instant death The player might be afraid of taking damage while at 0 HP also ... but that's not specified in the question.
@NautArch As I see it, if the other players with PCs don't mind, it mostly doesn't matter, but if the DM is having axiety ... then the answers with "respec to a less badly built rogue" might be the best course to chart ...
DanB's frame challenges a good portion of that ...
@KorvinStarmast Right, if no one at the table minds, there is no issue (and no question.)
I also didn't see anything about the table having or not having an issue with it.
Did I miss that?
@NautArch This may be a case where we can teach new DM's the old "what are problems and what are non problems" based on our experiences, I suspect.
@KorvinStarmast By assuming there is no problem?
@NautArch Actually, by engaging with the DM and asking why they think this is a problem (beyond the build mechanics for a new player issue, which I personally think is a root cause)
@KorvinStarmast I agree, that'd be better than making assumptions (I think you're the only one doing that.)
But Dale's answer is predicated on an assumption - that's a downvote for me.
If you want to answer with clarifying, and then not change if you get more info, then i'm going to downvote.
6:36 PM
@NautArch As he has not told me that it's a pre gen character or a rolled character, I can't begin to advis him. No, I am not doing that. Note that I don't have a posted answer and I am still waiting for responses to a few question.
@KorvinStarmast i meant you're the only one asking clarification questions.
I've at least stopped VTCing on missing info that I'd like, but sure wish folks would hold off on answers, or update, when new info comes out.
@NautArch Oh, sorry, I completely mis read that. Apologies. 😯
had a feeling! It was a kudos, not a knock :)
@NautArch I have an answer for how to restrain the spell casters that is experience based, so I'll focus on that.
Hmm. How does one recommend homebrewing a solution without recommending an untested/unfinished homebrew?
Or is that not really a problem?
6:43 PM
@NautArch I mean, at some point you have to have enough related experience to make a qualified guess at how it would work, right?
@NautArch Isn't this exactly what Homebrew Reviews are, except we're applying it to written material instead?
@ThomasMarkov Specifically, this answer's approach
I guess the difference in "Homebrew a solution that works for you" may be different than "Homebrew a solution that works for you like X"
But X is undefined beyond a general idea.
7:19 PM
Hello, good evening. What's everybody up to today?
7:32 PM
@Powerdork at the moment, editing an answer where I made a bunch of little errors
how you ?
Nervous today. Juggling the work of adding a new player to a D&D game with the work of preparing for said D&D game, and the work of a job (that went until 2 AM last night).
@Powerdork Man, those jobs sure get in the way of games. What's up with that? 😮 (I have a session tonight that I am looking forward to) .
@Powerdork finishing work, hopefully
7:53 PM
while debating Starship troopers book vs movie in the sci-fi chat
WORK FINISHED!
8:17 PM
Is this a duplicate of the related link in comments?
Yeah, looks like it.
I affirm your notion to smash
Smashing.
@NautArch Positively!
8:46 PM
@ThomasMarkov Hulk vote in favor of smash
9:05 PM
@Someone_Evil @Rubiksmoose @linksassin Can one of you nice folks unfreeze the Back Room Live; I need to leave a message there ...

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