TRPG General Chat

BESW

12:15 AM

@AncientSwordRage Therefore, you are a ferret, because if you were tea then you would know that tea can drink coffee.

AncientSwordRage

@BESW excellent logic

Hot RPG Questions

6

Q: Which Rogue archetype does the highest damage for my Highwayman build?

Concept A single-classed Rogue who fits the Highwayman (Stand and Deliver!) archetype / trope. Not to be named Dennis Moore The Highwayman is both clever and bold. He will either attack from ambush or attempt to persuade / bully their victim into handing over their loot. Robin Hood is a fine ...

The Oracle

1:42 AM

0

Q: What is the etiquette for adding supplemental information to a good answer?

On this question, a user provided an excellent mathematical derivation of a numerical question that had been asked and provide a plot of the results. I thought that a different form of plot was a bit more instructive, and added it as another answer to the question. Would it have been more appro...

discussion etiquette

Axoren

2:10 AM

Last character got intellect devourer'd and I JUST realized that the character I made to replace it has INT as a DUMP STAT

I am LITERALLY not a smart man

Cutting it PRETTY close

nitsua60

3:06 AM

@HotRPGQuestions @KorvinStarmast do love me that swashbuckler...

d10

8

d10

5

darn, I lost this time

nitsua60

KorvinStarmast

3:26 AM

@nitsua60 It's a theme I can work with; been playing a bard (pirate/privateer) lately and have an idea to do a variation on that theme - highwayman by habit, but of course as one adventures the person grows into someone else.

Adeptus

6:09 AM

Bundle of Holding has Dungeon Crawl Classics and DCC Lankhmar bundles

Anyone familiar with them? What are they like?

Hot RPG Questions

7:29 AM

3

Q: Would allowing Shillelagh to transform your staff into another weapon be unbalanced?

I am planning a (not explicitly optimised) Ranger/Monk character, that uses Druidic Warrior to cast Shillelagh: Druidic Warrior You learn two cantrips of your choice from the druid spell list. They count as ranger spells for you, and Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for them. The spell in qu...

dnd-5e spells balance house-rules monk

BESW

"How is game design like packing a toolbox?" article by Logan Timmins.

Linda Codega wrote a twitter thread of TRPGs to play if you enjoy Netflix's upcoming "Shadow and Bone" or the novels it's based on.

illustro

9:27 AM

@AncientSwordRage Thats not really possible, as causality is part of one of the foundational assumptions of relativity. If we allow FTL then any analysis using relativity is broken, as at least some inertial observers will see events that are related to the FTL event to occur in reverse, which is precisely causality breaking.

@Akixkisu Oh, there are definitely other factors to why doctors are who they are related to how they were brought up and their resulting motivations. What I said was a massive simplification, but in some countries, economic capital in particular doesn't play as outsized a role in education as it does in others.

AncientSwordRage

@illustro I'm just going by what that page says

> However, faster-than-light communication (which includes travel) breaks something very fundamental about physics, something that is often ignored by sci-fi, and difficult for non-physicists to understand. If you allow faster-than-light (FTL), then you break causality: you are allowing time-travel. One pithy way of saying this is:
>
> Pick two:
>
> Relativity
> Causality
> FTL

Necessarily if you pick FTL that means you can pick to preserve either Causality or Relativity (unless they lied to me!)

illustro

@AncientSwordRage It's more complicated than the (self-admitted) pithy way of putting it. In particular when they are talking about relativity in the choose two, they are talking about the concept of having no preferred inertial reference frame for the universe, not the theory of relativity as we have formulated it.

Our theory of relativity, assumes that physics works the same in all inertial frames of reference, or to put it another way, there is no inertial frame of reference where a measurement can be taken which is more correct than another (when talking about physics)

So, when the page is saying choose two, they are saying you can either have a preferred frame of reference, causality and FTL, or you can't have FTL and causality

Newtons theory assumed a preferred frame of reference (with time being the unchanging irreversible clock)

Einstein's big leap, was that space and time are intractibly intertwined, which has a consequence that two people can measure the passage of time differently if they are travelling at different speeds

(same goes for distance)

So if you allow FTL, then you necessarily enable time travel (if the universe works as we think it does)

These two links give a slightly better explanation of the assumptions Einstein made when he was formulating his theories of relativity: ffden-2.phys.uaf.edu/212_fall2003.web.dir/Eddie_Trochim/….

webhome.auburn.edu/~smith01/notes/….

AncientSwordRage

9:50 AM

@illustro ah ok, so "Pick two" is not accurate

illustro

So, the real way to attack the problem you are looking to solve is to attack those two assumptions. Either light (in a vacuum) doesn't travel at a constant speed in all frames of reference, or physics as we know it doesn't work the same in all (inertial) frames of reference

(the second one is a longer winded way of saying that there is some preferred frame of reference for the universe)

@AncientSwordRage Yes

*ish

AncientSwordRage

@illustro that does sound like pick two though

illustro

It's accurate in a simplified pithy way, but to internalise what it's actually saying is sort of difficult

@AncientSwordRage Not quite. If the speed of light in a vacuum isn't constant in all frames of reference, then it doesn't really mean anything to go "faster than the speed of light" as light doesn't have a "speed"

AncientSwordRage

@illustro ahh gotcha

illustro

If you break the other assumption, then you are really choosing to have a preferred frame of reference

AncientSwordRage

9:54 AM

false dichotomy then?

illustro

But...this long winded explanation wouldn't make for a very good blog introduction then :P

@AncientSwordRage No, you just have to make some different choices about what you want to live with in your fiction. If you want to allow FTL...then someone somewhere will see events happening in reverse for that FTL event

But most fiction doesn't want to make that choice. They want physics to work as it does and for FTL to exist and for causality to be just peachy

AncientSwordRage

@illustro I'm ok with that I think?

illustro

Which the blog is saying they can't do if they are being consistent. That being said, to a certain extent, it's fiction and we handwave a lot of things away in fiction (for example I enjoy playing D&D, in which Teleportation exists :D)

illustro

10:22 AM

@AncientSwordRage I don't think I can answer that question for you. Probably the best* way to break it is to say that there is a preferred reference frame (eg outside the universe where the gods live) *in my opinion

AncientSwordRage

@illustro hmm

AncientSwordRage

10:41 AM

The world I'm building has working Alcubierre drives, and I was tempted to say it was isolated from outside causality, and made a krasnikov-like tunnel behind it that decayed away that was similarly isoalted

BESW

11:17 AM

Part of science fiction is exploring how societies and individuals respond to hard limits on technology... and part of science fiction is going "nah, that doesn't work for the story I want to tell so I'll say people figured out a way around it." Often both at the same time.

I'm fine with either/both; my problem comes when a specfic story is more interested in the technology than the people.

illustro

@AncientSwordRage So the Alcubierre drive sort of cheats a bit, by not allowing local FTL, in that the ship itself never achieves local super-luminal speeds, but instead warps space in such a way that the bubble of spacetime itself moves superluminally. The superluminal travel of the bubble can be used to enable backwards time-travel however.

Krasniov tubes, have a similar problem if there is more than one of them...in that two of them make a time machine

However, if you are fine with possible time travel in your universe...then there isn't a problem!

BESW

I was amused that Arkady Martine's latest novel implies two things about FTL breaking relativity with time-travel-like effects: first that in practical terms it's rendered ineffective by customs checkpoints creating travel delays between systems, and second that if taken to extremes it may be psychologically devastating for humans.

illustro

Albubierre drives also have issues...in that they probably would destroy the things in the bubble (due to the forces that are exerted on and in the bubble), but also, even if that didn't happen, you would expect a buildup of matter that was previously non-plasma on the leading edge of the bubble, which when the bubble stops would probably explode in a spectacular supernova-like explosion

@BESW But for a story in fiction...I'd take this approach

@BESW That sounds like an interesting novel...I shall have to investigate

BESW

@illustro A Desolation Called Peace, the sequel to A Memory Called Empire. It's not about time travel at all, her setting uses the standard handwaving "we aren't going to look at this too closely" convention of most space operas. But the implications are there.

illustro

Star-trek took this approach (and also allowed time travel) and it was an extremely successful fiction series (both on screen and in novella)

BESW

11:30 AM

I recommend her books very much though. They're clever and funny and heartbreaking and have poetry and politics and both at the same time.

When the sequel does get into a little bit of instant-communication stuff which probably break time if you look at it too hard, it's part of her main focus on "How wide is your concept of 'you'?" and what it means to be yourself in terms of culture, inheritance, and continuity of mind. So that's the lens it's looked at, not a "how does this work physically" lens.

illustro

I enjoy space-opera style novels. The most recent series of novels I've read is by Becky Chambers, the first of which is The long way to a small angry planet, which focuses more on characters and character relationships than "Adventure" of most space operas. From your recommendation, it (and the other books in the universe she has written) might be of interest to you (I would recommend them)

BESW

Oh yes, I read The Long Way and the other books are on my to-read list.

illustro

goes to order the Arkady Martine books

I would highly recommend the other books in the series as well if you enjoyed the long way [...]

BESW

Given your appreciation of Becky Chambers, you may also like the Murderbot books by Martha Wells.

And maybe the Binti stories by Nnedi Okorafor.

Someone_Evil

12:05 PM

@ThomasMarkov What lets you give a definitive answer in this case?

Thomas Markov

You don't have the feature when you gain a sorcerer level, so the feature can't apply to the first level.

Someone_Evil

Pretty sure 5e doesn't have a defined sequence for the level gain, though that's probably the logic I'd use as a DM.

But why can't you apply that logic to the target?

Thomas Markov

Cuz I havent read every feature to know that it applies in general.

Since youre here, another question

Enlightened badges were slow again

This time I had one that took 32 hours

Should I post another meta and be like "are you sure theres nothing wrong?"

Cuz that last answer was "theres nothing wrong, its just highly improbable to happen this way"

But its happened twice in a week.

Someone_Evil

I'm sure the responsible deamon is doing their best. Wait for a third to call it a pattern :p

@ThomasMarkov The other question isn't exceptionally general though, it's about other features with the exact same wording (even from the same class). If there's feature with distinction, that should be a separate question

Thomas Markov

Fair enough.

BaconyRevanant

12:14 PM

"Once is happenstance, twice a coincidence, three makes a pattern"

-Ian Flemming

Someone_Evil

Oh, is that actually Flemming or just attributed?

BaconyRevanant

Actual

Technically it's "Three is enemy action" but still

Akixkisu

@AncientSwordRage rpg.stackexchange.com/q/184166/44723 this is fine. The neat thing about house rules is that they don't have to be as encompassing as changing a sub-system. Just make sure that you check-in with your DM how you will handle versatile.

While Rangers got a lot of love with Tasha's they still are kind of underperforming.

kviiri

@Akixkisu While other classes are derperforming

Akixkisu

12:30 PM

It is a considerable buff to your monk toolkit, it shouldn't change things too drastically.

@kviiri sorry, I don't understand what you are saying.

kviiri

@Akixkisu Sorry, this is a particular type of bad language joke I've gotten into recently where we take common English prefixes such as un-, de-, ex- etc to imply the existence of words without said prefixes

So eg. parsing "understand" as the antonym ("un-") of the verb "derstand" which in all fairness sounds like it might exist, maybe as a German loan?

Someone_Evil

You forgot a space and capitalize your nouns though, it's "der Performing"

Akixkisu

@kviiri that makes sense.

kviiri

Or the verb exist, which implies that before ex-isting, things are in the foreordained status of istence that they cease to be once they become into existence.

Someone_Evil

Isn't exist to be derogatory to ones previous partners?

kviiri

12:35 PM

It certainly is not rogatory.

Akixkisu

Tasha's has done a lot to get classes on a more even field, and even changed the playing field for races.

I think the only class that is overperforming a little too well is the Bard.

kviiri

0

Q: is giving a demigod increaced stats reasonable or not

so i made a character to help my players because the game is going to have a ton of hard enemies so is it reasonable to have a super op dm pc early on or should i not be as op

character-creation dungeons-and-dragons

Akixkisu

Artificer feels like it might be up there with the Bard.

kviiri

this question has some problems but I feel it's still something that could attract very good answers

Thomas Markov

Possible dupe:

63

Q: Can the dungeon master have a player character?

I’m starting a campaign with some friends with me as the DM even though I’d rather be a player, I am the only person in my group who has had experience being a DM. I asked my friends if a DM is allowed to have a PC and not an NPC but they did not know either. Can I have a PC?

dnd-5e gmpc

AncientSwordRage

12:42 PM

@BESW my goal is to build the foundation of the world, then drop the people in it and see how it evolves

@illustro I picked it because I like how it cheats

@BESW that sounds painfully accurate as to how things could be

@illustro this why the ship has what I'm calling an Unruh scoop, cue handwaving

@Akixkisu yeah I'm happy with a few of those answers

Akixkisu

@AncientSwordRage @AncientSwordRage essentially what you are doing with granting that transformation is introducing the question of versatile, and adding a limited bonus weapon to your Path.

AncientSwordRage

@Akixkisu yes

NautArch

@AncientSwordRage I don't understand the uptvotes on the answer that doesn't answer.

Am i misreading the answer?

BaconyRevanant

That question is going to be a magnet for "this is a really bad idea" answers.

NautArch

@BaconyRevanant Which I don't understand. It's fairly easy for any player to carry different weapons.

Someone_Evil

12:53 PM

I would've assumed that was about our recent GMPC question

NautArch

Frustrating to see that answer score go up when it clearly doesn't answer the question. It's not even written as a frame-challenge.

I'm at my sister-in-laws house and there's a picture of an anchor that says "refuse to sink".

I'mnot sure what it's supposed to mean.

"Don't be your purpose?"

AncientSwordRage

@NautArch which one?

NautArch

6

Q: Would allowing Shillelagh to transform your staff into another weapon be unbalanced?

I am planning a (not explicitly optimised) Ranger/Monk character, that uses Druidic Warrior to cast Shillelagh: Druidic Warrior You learn two cantrips of your choice from the druid spell list. They count as ranger spells for you, and Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for them. The spell in qu...

dnd-5e spells balance house-rules monk

Medix2

That recent GMPC question has an easy answer for the baddies: magic missile

AncientSwordRage

@NautArch sorry, which answers that don't answer?

BaconyRevanant

12:57 PM

@NautArch No, not that question

The "Can I make an OP DMPC?" question

Thomas Markov

AC 31?????

AncientSwordRage

@NautArch ahhh I see

Medix2

Yeah just target saves and use magic missile, solved

NautArch

@Medix2 same thing casters do against high-ac players.

@AncientSwordRage yeah, i'm just not sure if this is a lack of coffeee thing. on my way to fix that.

AncientSwordRage

@NautArch good plan

Yeah, so one question does a sort of frame challenge, and the other is looking at the overall balance of that fighting style.... I think.

Akixkisu

1:14 PM

@ThomasMarkov I wonder how that happened.

Thomas Markov

Natural Armor (31), calculation would be 10+ 11 (Natural Armor bonus) + 9 (DEX Modifier)

Akixkisu

It kind of looks like somebody took a 2e demigod or went to dandwiki, and somehow meshed them together to a two hit die abomination of stats.

vicky_molokh- unsilence Monica

@AncientSwordRage Ah, the most scary and fun kind of worldbuilding+GMing: dropping stuff into a petri dish and seeing what happens. For science!

AncientSwordRage

@vicky_molokh-unsilenceMonica for science, from science

Akixkisu

@Someone_Evil you forgot to link to the meta answer rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/183917/…

Someone_Evil

1:23 PM

Oh, for the benefit of other readers, sure

NautArch

@AncientSwordRage But I don't think it's a frame challenge,

shrug

i'll just downote and move on

The Oracle

0

Q: Why am I suddenly being notified of privileges?

Yesterday, I got a notification informing me that I had received access to the Edit review queue. Today, I was notified that I had received access to the Reopen votes review queue. Not to brag, but I've had over 20k rep for a long time, so I'm not sure why I'm being notified of privileges I've ha...

discussion

illustro

1:58 PM

@BESW Thank you for the recommendations...I shall investigate those as well

Hot RPG Questions

2:14 PM

2

Q: How are Fireball attacks on Iron Golems resolved?

The party was in Curse of Strahd this evening and encountered two iron golems. A helpful NPC first cast lightning bolt, damaging both of the golems. The PC evoker then cast fireball on the golems, potentially healing them, but for how much? Each creature in a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on th...

dnd-5e spells monsters damage simultaneous-effects

Akixkisu

2:27 PM

The issue of this rpg.stackexchange.com/q/184176/44723 seems to be that tier 1 characters are playing a high tier 2/early tier 3 campaign.

BaconyRevanant

2:46 PM

@Akixkisu Your comment towards STTLCU is kinda pointless

Akixkisu

@BaconyRevanant I think their comment is not helpful at best and harmful at worst.

We can explain in an answer why someone shouldn't do something.

Thomas Markov

I think it's a great idea, and the only issue with it is that it approaches "answer in comments".

Akixkisu

A statement like that obstructs moving forward with making this an answerable question.

Thomas Markov

Which is the problem with answers in comments.

BaconyRevanant

@Akixkisu You're objectively wrong here

Akixkisu

2:49 PM

Please stop answering in comments.

BaconyRevanant

Those aren;t answers

They're not even partial answers

I think you need to reread them and make sure you understand what's being said

Thomas Markov

I mean, we could just reopen it and let what happens happen.

Akixkisu

@ThomasMarkov I think we are almost there.

BaconyRevanant

@ThomasMarkov I can certainly get behind that

Thomas Markov

There's enough material here to tell them not to do this, but Im still not sure it isn't a dupe of the other GMPC question.

But there are wayyyyy worse problems here than with that one.

Let's just reopen it.

BaconyRevanant

2:51 PM

Works for me

Thomas Markov

Rather, add whatever comment clarifications are helpful to the body, then reopen it.

and nuke the comments.

Akixkisu

Make sure to add all of the information, not just the information that suits your narrative.

BaconyRevanant

True. Also, OP seems to have difficulty with the concept of full sentence responses and not spamming responses in the comments :(

@Akixkisu Interesting thing to say

Thomas Markov

@BaconyRevanant forreal tho. What narrative?

BaconyRevanant

You wanna elaborate on who that's aimed at, and what exactly you mean by it?

Thomas Markov

2:54 PM

Ive flagged for chat move

on the comments

Akixkisu

@ThomasMarkov that is a good idea.

Thomas Markov

working on editing the question

Alright, I thin I added everything relevant.

BaconyRevanant

@Akixkisu Waiting to hear back on this still

bobble

Someone should probably remove dungeons-and-dragons from there, right? Since now it has dnd-5e

BaconyRevanant

3:09 PM

@bobble Meh, it's fine either way.

Akixkisu

@BaconyRevanant see my edit.

BaconyRevanant

@Akixkisu Yeah, that didn't answer my question. To reiterate: You wanna elaborate on who that's aimed at, and what exactly you mean by it?

Akixkisu

@BaconyRevanant you saw an issue and completely focused on it. A common side effect of that is dismissing other information that is relevant.

While explaining why not using a gmpc at all might be a better idea is a valid way to answer this question, there are other ways to do so.

BaconyRevanant

Yeah, once again, I find that you don't know what you're talking about, and have jumped to a conclusion that is inaccurate

Do me a favor: just don't talk to me anymore.

Akixkisu

Tunnelling on one problem and framing the information in a manner that already has the solution in mind is a disservice to the querent.

Someone_Evil

3:23 PM

@Akixkisu Did you confuse editors on the GMPC question? Our bacony friend has made no edits on it

Akixkisu

@Someone_Evil no, Thomas did the edit, Bacon did the comments see above, I reacted to a particular comment.

As to you Bacon, there is an ignore everyhwere chat function that you can use.

Someone_Evil

Ah, that makes more sense. I still think there may be some crossed wires, it might not be worth tearing apart now

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