TRPG General Chat

12:03 AM

0

Q: How to format a side-by-side comparison table?

I was thinking about asking one question, but to do so would require me to show my research so far, and that research would be best presented as a table of features, having similar features in same rows, and compared races / classes etc as columns. I know this format was used on the main site alr...

KorvinStarmast

12:23 AM

@G.Moylan enjoy

SmokeDetector

9:03 AM

[ SmokeDetector | MS ] Manually reported question (93): YAN LIMENGyyyyyyy by Ushik Asir on rpg.SE (@Rubiksmoose @ThomasMarkov)

Hot RPG Questions

10:20 AM

7

Q: Do multiple instances of the Death Ward spell stack on the same target?

In most situations, spell effects of the same name do not stack, per the rule on combining game effects added in the errata for the DMG (p. 252): [...] when two or more game features have the same name, only the effects of one of them—the most potent one—apply while the durations of the effects ...

dnd-5e spells stacking

SmokeDetector

[ SmokeDetector | MS ] Bad keyword in link text in body, pattern-matching website in body, potentially bad keyword in body, potentially problematic ns configuration in body (167): Can I write a dissertation in 3 days? by Dissertation on rpg.SE (@Rubiksmoose @ThomasMarkov)

AncientSwordRage

11:04 AM

@Trish I almost started writing an answer for your non-latin hand outs question

Trish

@AncientSwordRage qui?

I had thrown in the explanation about how languages work because i figured, TDE4th approach to language "you can make out some words but most is gibebrish" appears to be somewhat unique

AncientSwordRage

hmmm

I have played in a system with a tangentially similar system, but I'm not clear how useful it would be

When we larped at Bath Uni there was a skill called Rec(ognize) Creature. Different campaigns handled it differently but you got a cheat sheet to look up creatures

the one I preferred had different columns/rows/categories for different attributes. When you shouted out "Rec Creature 20!" at the monster, they might respond with "Red Diamond 12" and you'd look up those three things on your sheet (of if really keen, you've memorised it!)

then you might see that Red is Undead, Diamond is Spell caster and 12 is the rough Difficulty level. Somebody with a higher level in the skill can look up on their sheet that red is actually Skeleton, Diamond is Fire Mage, and 12 is level 16, with 120 hp etc....

You might be able to translate over that system to understanding languages?

So maybe the text they see is "Red Diamond 12" and all one player gets is that it's something about hunger, but on the other player's sheets who have more skill in a language they know it's "I'm hungry" vs. "The monster in the room is hungry"

not sure if something like that would work

¯\¯\_(ツ)(ツ)_/¯

@Glazius I see a good mouseguard answer, I bounty it :D

SmokeDetector

11:20 AM

[ SmokeDetector | MS ] Bad keyword with email in answer, email in answer, potentially bad keyword in answer (164): Running a game of Microscope that isn't totally insane? by jane on rpg.SE (@Rubiksmoose @ThomasMarkov)

AncientSwordRage

@SmokeDetector that's some odd spam

Thomas Markov

What is with the spam this morning.

Smokey be blowin up my phone

AncientSwordRage

@ThomasMarkov Spam, it's the spamiest!

I just checked further up

we're jumping with spam

Thomas Markov

Nobody:

Smokey: I’m going to do a Monty Python skit this morning.

2

Question: why doesn’t meta ever get spammed?

AncientSwordRage

I think it's keyed off of terms in the existing questions/answers

there's an answer there that has this fragment

> destroy his wife's memory of their love,

Thomas Markov

11:56 AM

Is this question unclear to anyone else?

It is nigh indecipherable to me.

AncientSwordRage

looks like "Here's a bunch of dice rolling schemes, how can I go from one to the other by applying linear modifiers"

KorvinStarmast

12:35 PM

@ThomasMarkov a serving of word salad; VtC complete

NautArch

I'm wondering if Acerak knows it's Acererak

Thomas Markov

Mom: We have Acererak at home. Acererak at home: Acerak.

NautArch

whoooosh. Do not get it :(

RevanantBacon

Yeesh talk about low quality answers

AncientSwordRage

12:51 PM

@NautArch are you wooshing on the meme?

this is the usual format

KorvinStarmast

@NautArch Given the incoherent prose, it's hard to tell much of what they know

NautArch

1:36 PM

@AncientSwordRage I am. Old man I am.

AncientSwordRage

@NautArch It's about ask to get something, being told you have it, but actually what you have is a lower quality version

I don't get how it relates to Acerak

AncientSwordRage

2:04 PM

@ThomasMarkov confusing dice question got self deleted

Either Barker's comment answered them or they didn't want to carry on explaining?

RevanantBacon

Honestly I had no idea what they were on about

Probability math has never been my strong suit

Thomas Markov

3:00 PM

I just hit my funny bone on the corner of my desk drawer. I am not amused.

bobble

Plot twist: the corner of your desk drawer hit your funny bone

RevanantBacon

@ThomasMarkov RIP your whole arm

Thomas Markov

@RevanantBacon off, please.

I think we can probably close this as a dupe: rpg.stackexchange.com/q/188444/62294

RevanantBacon

doppelgreener

3:33 PM

this answer (10K only) needs one more vote to undelete, was majorly revised

KorvinStarmast

@ThomasMarkov I don't think so, now that they have cleared up that they are starting at third level. This is a discrete case; the dupe target is very broad and covers multiple game systems.

AncientSwordRage

4:11 PM

The teaser for the MtG Forgotten Realms has just dropped!

Some of it is completely irrelevant, but things like the legendary hamster has to be Minsc and Boo.

Paging @RevanantBacon

Thomas Markov

@doppelgreener Still NAA imo.

Definitely dont get the upvotes.

Its a lore question, and the answer given is "the DM can change the lore", which doesnt answer the question.

MikeQ

@AncientSwordRage I see Drider and Owlbear in the creature types. I'm expecting the other gygax crew like Gelatinous Cube and Rust Monster.

KorvinStarmast

4:40 PM

@NautArch @ThomasMarkov @MikeQ Beholder Battle Question. We spotted a beholder and he spotted us. Cliff hanger, we start 'in situ' in his lair next session. I have a bard instrument that casts fog cloud once per day. I want to obscure his vision, albeit briefly, using fog cloud, and need to know: if he uses his central anti-magic ray, does it dispel the whole fog cloud or just the volume in the cone (while the rest of the cloud stays up?) I think it's the latter. Anyone disagree? Agree?

MikeQ

What happens to area-effect spells like Darkness or Fog Cloud when an Antimagic Field moves?

Thomas Markov

> Areas of Magic. The area of another spell or magical effect, such as fireball, can't extend into the sphere. If the sphere overlaps an area of magic, the part of the area that is covered by the sphere is suppressed. For example, the flames created by a wall of fire are suppressed within the sphere, creating a gap in the wall if the overlap is large enough.

So the antimagic cone would cut through the cloud, but cloud areas outside the cone would remain.

KorvinStarmast

@ThomasMarkov Yeah, thanks, that's what I thought. @MikeQ hmm, I searched beholder, not AMF, no wonder I didn't find that.

Thomas Markov

The beholder's cone description says "as in the antimagic field spell"

AncientSwordRage

@MikeQ that would be excellent

Interesting how they're doing half-elves

Upper_Case

4:56 PM

This question is missing something, but I can't precisely define what. It's drawing close votes and no comments though, which is discouraging for new users

L Cooper

@Upper_Case I think it's a little too hard to pin down the precise issue the person is having-- there's a lot of bits involved in roleplaying, and it's hard to nail down which aspect(s) they're asking about. I'm hoping that we'll get some clarification on it, because I think it has good potential, but just needs a bit more...stuff.

Upper_Case

@LCooper I agree. It could be a more open-ended "how do I do this at all?" sort of question, in which case it's almost certainly a dupe, but it could also be something more specific and novel

KorvinStarmast

@Upper_Case The only answer to that is 'learn by doing' but I gave a novice DM a few tips that she told me worked in her group. Might drop that into an answer.

Later

MikeQ

It's such a great question. And a complex one, since the typical answer might involve roleplaying/improv techniques and group social dynamic and expected pace of play. It's the kind of question that is tough to answer comprehensively without a long essay discussion, like a blog post.

L Cooper

@Upper_Case Yeah, it sounded from the question like they've been okay with some NPCs, but are intimidated by important ones-- which could mean that they have a hard time dealing with consistency, or forgetting what an NPC was doing, or their demeanor, or any number of things, but it's hard without knowing what the specific issue is

Upper_Case

5:09 PM

And there are so many helpful, well-defined techniques that can help, too. But I'm thinking the close voters will bring it to its end, and I just have a feeling that it won't be recovered after that

L Cooper

@MikeQ I was thinking about some of the youtube videos that I've seen on this sort of thing, and yeah, they're long, meaty videos. But there's a specific issue, that can be more easily answered.

Upper_Case

FWIW I would bet that the NPCs have been pretty incidental so far: "I need X done, please go there and do it in exchange for some money". But when there needs to be a bit more C to the NPCs they are feeling adrift because that atomized, focused approach doesn't work well for that

RevanantBacon

@AncientSwordRage Gee, I wonder what creature we could possibly see that has both the bird and the bear creature types? It's a mystery! :p

@Upper_Case Would it be untowards to recommend acting lessons?

AncientSwordRage

@RevanantBacon absolute stumper

MikeQ

It depends on what they want. GMs who prioritize efficiency might summarize the interaction. Other GMs, who prioritize immersion, might want to act out the entire conversation in realtime.

Upper_Case

5:18 PM

@RevanantBacon Only if it's not backed with personal experience...

But I'd also bet (I guess I'm in a gambling mood today) that the problem hinges on the NPCs not being as well rounded as the querent would like. They have lots of details in mind, but not of the right type nor arranged to produce the desired effect

L Cooper

@Upper_Case Or there's too many details, and it's hard to keep track of all of them... Not that I've done that exact thing before, nope

Upper_Case

Any time a newer DM asks a question like this while also mentioning a high level of detail, existing lore, etc., my money is on "a lot of ingredients which are a recipe for nothing"

@LCooper I've certainly done it... but most of the details, in my experience, are both superfluous to expressing the character's personality or helping them operate in the game world and are totally distinct from any in-game events or elements that would allow them to be expressed

A detailed backstory, biography, and wiki-style summary are awkward tools for this at best

L Cooper

@Upper_Case Yeah, I've had both types of issue-- I have a terrible memory, so if I improvise something, there's a decent chance I won't remember what I did (thank goodness for players who take notes). But it was way worse before I familiarized myself with professionally-written modules and figured out a better system to emulate

Upper_Case

@LCooper For me it's all about quick references. I find I just have too much to pay attention to to ensure that an NPC comes off correctly at all times. But a notecard with character details to emphasize, individual quirks to bear in mind, and a short list of things they think about the state of the game world... now we're talking. I almost never forget major NPC details, but extracting salient, evocative details in the moment is trickier for me

L Cooper

@Upper_Case I like to have a couple of quirks, an overall appearance, the demeanor/attitude they're gonna give the players, and, if the NPC is really important, what they want overall-- the goals of a character, ime, make it really easy to determine everything else they're going to do

Medix2

6:06 PM

If have a question about whether other people read gender neutrality in a pronoun, is that fine to ask in this room?

Ah, it's actually mentioned in the gender neutrality Meta question. Guess that answers that XD

Thomas Markov

@Medix2 Th suspense is killing me, so ask it somewhere

Medix2

I was just wondering how other read things like "A GM can do whatever he/she wants", which, I wasn't (and am still not) sure how I felt about

RevanantBacon

Ah

Well, the first thing that we should keep in mind is that it was obviously not intended to offend anyone, so offence shouldn't be taken

The second is that, as a technicality, "they" would be more gramatically appropriate

AncientSwordRage

@RevanantBacon it's good not to assume that, but I wouldn't necessarily take it for granted

RevanantBacon

Thirdly, it was likely done with the intent to be inclusive, not exclusive.

Medix2

6:16 PM

What struck me was that when I encountered it, the answer actually switched between "he" and "he/she"

L Cooper

@Medix2 Yeah, this is one is always a little gratingly out of date, but most of the time it's done by someone who is at least making an attempt at being inclusive. Barring other context, it's probably not that big of a deal?

RevanantBacon

@Medix2 Ah, yeah, then in that case, I would almost certainly expect that it's someone trying to be inclusive.

Medix2

I guess it's just a use case I hasn't thought of before

RevanantBacon

On an unrelated note, this question about the transfer of physics from outside to inside a bag of holding is interesting.

Medix2

Since I usually wrote off "he/she" as being unnecessarily hard to read XD

There's some Pathfinder question about throwing a horse off a cliff in such a bag

RevanantBacon

6:21 PM

@Medix2 Yes, I also agree with this.

vicky_molokh- unsilence Monica

@Medix2 Switching happens. Recently I read a contract whose text refers to the contractor (in this case an individual, not a corporation) alternatively as it, he, and he/she seemingly at random. In a language with no authority on styles, with everyone having one's own favourite style guide, and hundreds of dialects, you're bound to encounter different ways of handling almost anything, including a switchy one.

Medix2

Very, very true. I appreciate the insights from everybody, but alas, so begins my 8.5 hour work shift

RevanantBacon

@vicky_molokh-unsilenceMonica This, I believe, is what we call legalese. That, and there are probably parts that are standard add-ins for the contract that just get copy-pasted without change. My bet is that the parts that say "he" were written with this particular contractor in mind, while the others were written in a more generic format so they could be copied into multiple contracts without need to edit, for the contract drafters convenience.

vicky_molokh- unsilence Monica

Not sure. That may be the case, or not. I see arguments in favour of the hypothesis and against it.

Upper_Case

6:56 PM

I think a major issue is that, when communication online (and especially asynchronously) it's not a clear signal, and its consideration/offensiveness value will vary over time. There isn't enough information to assess much of anything, so we're kind of stuck using the most practical explanation for our purposes

Which will nearly always be "assume good intent, and change to suit guidelines if necessary"

RevanantBacon

7:09 PM

Well, that, and there's always the question of "does it actually matter what pronouns a Q/A uses to describe a hypothetical person?" In most cases the answer is "No, it doesn't matter, just leave it"

Thomas Markov

@RevanantBacon Answers should probably try to stay consistent with a question's stated pronouns for a person or character.

So if I ask a question about hypothetical Jim the wizard, referring to him as "he", I think it would be highly irregular for an answer to refer to Jim with she/her pronouns.

RevanantBacon

No, I'm not talking about if a specific person/character is named, only if a non-specific person/character is talked about.

Thomas Markov

@RevanantBacon Right, like "there's a wizard casting this spell, how does it work"

RevanantBacon

Right

Thomas Markov

Answers can refer to wizard however they like

RevanantBacon

7:14 PM

Exactly "first he gets out his components" vs "he/she", "they", or what have you

goodguy5

hot dropping in

sup

A certain D&D supplement came up in conversation, of a certain .... adult variety. But we're not sure we remember the name. Can anyone help?

1. I kind of like them.

2. More alarmingly, if you ever get a chance to try bud light lime, it's the exact same lime flavor.

Thomas Markov

@goodguy5 Maybe it is mentioned in one of our related questions?

AncientSwordRage

@goodguy5 I'm tee-total

goodguy5

@ThomasMarkov I was struggling to find the right words, but yea I tracked it down. Thanks, mate.

@AncientSwordRage Is that a way of saying tea-totaler?

AncientSwordRage

@goodguy5 I think the double E spelling is the original?

Thomas Markov

7:19 PM

Im disappointed "milk totaler" never caught on.

goodguy5

perhaps, now I'm interested.

Thomas Markov

My wife bought milk last night and was complaining that I finished a gallon at lunch today.

goodguy5

I've never seen it used in the form current form "teetotal"

AncientSwordRage

@ThomasMarkov Milquetoast is a fun word though

RevanantBacon

@ThomasMarkov My roommate does this. He goes through probably 5 gallons of milk per week. Every once in a while he'll have some V8 to change things up

MikeQ

7:21 PM

Is putting V8 in cereal an evil act?

goodguy5

@AncientSwordRage I actually can't stand it

RevanantBacon

@goodguy5 Book of [explicit] Fantasy?

@MikeQ Objectively yes

goodguy5

@RevanantBacon yea looks like it

and weirdly, the word explicit almost works better

RevanantBacon

I know right?

I almost went with [REDACTED]

goodguy5

Various theories exist around the origin of teetotaler/teetotalism.

Some of the most predominant being:
• A member of the temperance society had a stutter and struggled to say "tttotal abstinence"
• "tee" is spelling of "T", short for temperance-total
• Church meeting, the preacher (who promoted temperance) would mark any attendees in his notes that pledged with a "T", becoming teetotalers.

Just to joke about it and in no way doing the "eh, come on, might as well drink" thing.

But, Bud light's not alcohol....

@RevanantBacon that is an upsetting amount of milk for one person

I have the perfect meme! 1 sec. lemme find *rummages*

RevanantBacon

7:38 PM

Ah yes, I've sent him that one. He was amused

Thomas Markov

Im going to try this.

Although, I guess its not different than putting whey powder into milk.

Hot RPG Questions

7:50 PM

4

Q: If you as a player character get frightened and the caster dies, are you still frightened by the corpse?

Does the frightened Condition end when the monster you are afraid of dies?

dnd-5e conditions fear

Thomas Markov

@HotRPGQuestions Still think the question should be closed.

RevanantBacon

@ThomasMarkov Then you are braver than I, because I expect that it'll taste kinda gross

KorvinStarmast

8:18 PM

@MikeQ I am going to steal your list of related questions and put it into a footnote on my answer.

@goodguy5 I love that 'more milk per milk' line; we ran into a Parts Per Million issue last week at work; I am keeping that for a future moment to see who is awake during a meeting. 🤣

AncientSwordRage

@RevanantBacon grosser than normal powdered milk?

Not sure if anyone else here watches Taskmaster?

RevanantBacon

@AncientSwordRage Hard to say. Normally you would mix powdered milk with water, which (in theory) doesn't have much of its own flavor, but now, you're getting the flavor of the regular milk with the powdered milk, and it might reduce or it might amplify the grossness

GcL

9:38 PM

@RevanantBacon Yeah, just get whole milk in two glasses. Use two straws to get 2X milk.

Ben

10:44 PM

Quick, I need some good news to get me going :P

bobble

my dog is sitting on my feet

Ben

Cute :D

bobble

it does cause my feet to lose circulation

Ben

But at least they're not cold. Lol

I guess that depends on where you're living. In Australia it's getting a bit cool. Had to wear my hoodie 3 days in a row now lol

nitsua60

@Ben I just accidentally landed in the Coronavirus Chat Zone rather than here. Your good news: this is the better place to be =)

AncientSwordRage

10:54 PM

@Ben cats exist

Ben

Lolol

@AncientSwordRage cats can be hilarious

AncientSwordRage

Absolutely

Ben

We should take a lesson from cats and bring back physical comedy

BESW

Solo Summer Adventure Bundle by theinstagrahame and 25 others.

Top Shelf Wizardature by Justin Joyce. A game for 4+ Players about restocking a wizard library.

Kickstarter: Tide Breaker RPG: Cinematic Tabletop RPG system by Nick Butler. We're making Tide Breaker RPG, a cinematic tabletop RPG focused on collaborative worldbuilding and quick to pick up tactical fights.

Welcome To The Apocalypse Jam hosted by BasiliskOnline. This jam is for any ttrpg that is set in a post apocalyptic setting.

@BESW I'm super tempted to submit Goblin Court to this.

AncientSwordRage

@BESW do it!

BESW

11:03 PM

Goblin Court has always been quietly post-apocalyptic, but I'm not sure if I want to say it out loud.

It's a love letter to the people who will see themselves in it, not a persuasive essay for the people who aren't in it, and I worry that making the subtext text by juxtaposition will change that.

Hot RPG Questions

2

Q: Can the DM break the rule of maximum starting money?

The DM has the power to break and add rules, but can they change the starting money? What is the starting money? Even if the DM can change the amount, how much can he/she give? In the campaign I'm playing (Curse of Strahd), the DM gave 800 GP to a player. He did not roll for how he lived his bac...