TRPG General Chat - 2022-03-11 (page 1 of 2)

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Hot RPG Questions

01:32

18

Q: What's the origin of the Mimic?

The Mimic is an iconic figure of the modern fantasy genre, best known for disguising itself as a treasure chest to tempt and ensnare adventurers and turn them into a meal. It's shown up in D&D (ca. 1977), in Dark Souls (2011), and arguably in less predatory fashion as The Luggage from Discworld (...

dungeons-and-dragons history-of-gaming mimic

Feeds

02:09

Needles & Nilbogs: Hearts

posted on March 11, 2022 by Bardic Wizard

I’ve been a bit busy today (I have to get done with some stuff before leaving for a trip on Monday), so here’s a picture of some friendship bracelets I made a while ago. They have hearts!

2 hours later…

AncientSwordRage

03:45

@Feeds @BardicWizard they look lovely

2 hours later…

Bardic Wizard

05:32

@AncientSwordRage thank you! I’m in a really good mood which that entry doesn’t reflect because I don’t have to deal with school other than homework for the next 5 days (teacher in-service day tomorrow, then weekend, then the scholars trip until Tuesday afternoon), but I got really busy this afternoon and decided something was better than nothing

(And by the way: “a while ago” really means around Valentine’s Day. I’ve been saving those pictures for just this occasion… no not really)

2 hours later…

Hot RPG Questions

07:25

7

Q: If a paladin has a negative Charisma modifier, how many times can they use the Divine Sense feature (per long rest)?

The description of the paladin's Divine Sense feature says, in part: You can use this feature a number of times equal to 1 + your Charisma modifier. When you finish a long rest, you regain all expended uses. Unlike many abilities in 5e, it doesn't specify "a minimum of 1". This brought up an in...

dnd-5e class-feature ability-scores paladin

3 hours later…

doppelgreener

10:21

@NautArch I'm okay with it. I can see the case for it, and also I'm fairly sure that if it gets removed it'll be added again down the line ad infinitum.

AncientSwordRage

10:43

D&Digest: Ginny Di asks you to roll less and the Dungeon Dudes give advice on perception checks, and Tulok the Barbarian makes Pearl from Steven Universe in D&D 5e.

@HotRPGQuestions I can see it now... Negative time. Minus weeks. Time travel possible due to low charisma

2 hours later…

NautArch

12:21

@doppelgreener I guess that answers my question about original intent :) sounds like you didn't think about this as D&D, put this and your knowledge of the community shows that they will.

doppelgreener

13:02

That's right. To the degree it's now the community's to curate as well, it's a change that makes sense and is guaranteed to stick. I won't remove it.

NautArch

13:21

👍

doppelgreener

14:03

I finally have an inquisitive badge from the Mimic question. :D

AncientSwordRage

14:16

@doppelgreener YAY

doppelgreener

That took a little while!

oh, and i just realised i have another question to ask, yay

(not about mimics this time)

MikeQ

Not about mimics, huh? That's exactly what a mimic question would be.

doppelgreener

14:36

lol

you found me out

Thomas Markov

I throw a rock at doppel's questiion

NautArch

You would think that they would have adapted to something that doesn't always stick to what touches it. They'd also get real dirty real quick, right?

Someone_Evil

I'd presume the have the ability to digest or otherwise process the dust and debris which adheres to them. Maybe they use it as part of their camouflaging

Thomas Markov

The easter egg question has been reopened, but I'm not sure the changes resolved anything.

Someone_Evil

If anyone wants to write the skit about mimics being endangered due to discarded and indigestible magic items being adhered on their surface you're welcome to it

MikeQ

14:49

The most logical explanation is that mimics molt, and their old exoskeletons become treasure chests with adventuring loot

3

Matteo Devi

Tonight I'm thinking of giving a monk in the DND 5e game I'm DMing an Item that can create up to 40 liters of water per day. This beause he's gotten Shape of the Flowing River as a trait for RP purposes but its a bit unhappy that it's not that useful. I'm a bit worried about possible cheese utiliziation and would like to address those as soon as the item is given. What are the cheesiest applications you can imagine?

NautArch

15:04

@MatteoDevi I think you're real question is "What are the cheesiest applications I'm willing to accept?"

The player seems to want to have some fun with it, so just keep it in line with normal resources and it should be fine.

Exempt-Medic

There was a site change that let you VtC a question, it gets closed and later gets reopened, and you can VtC again, right?

Someone_Evil

I think there's an age gate on that. IIRC you should now be able to vote again when the vote has aged out

Exempt-Medic

Oh it was an aging thing that updated! I'll go searching the FAQ

Phoenices

@MatteoDevi Note that there is an item that can create up to a million liters of water a day, at uncommon rarity (Decanter of Endless Water). That doesn't mean it can't be used in ways that make the game unfun, just that there's already something far more powerful and reasonably cheap.

bobble

@Exempt-Medic meta.stackexchange.com/a/250453/1017231

(oops I linked the answer, see question for details)

Thomas Markov

15:18

@Exempt-Medic If your vote is successful, you only ever get one.

If your vote ages away, you can vote again.

Im pretty sure is how it works

Exempt-Medic

Ah yup, that appears to be it. Well, unless you're a moderator XD

doppelgreener

@ThomasMarkov [doppel's question gets up and starts running around cackling and kicking things]

Thomas Markov

@doppelgreener language too colorful for chat erupts

doppelgreener

15:34

i love how the mimics work in dark souls, honestly

they look mean

and a little scary, but not too much

then they start doing flying roundhouse kicks across the room

and laughing!

they're just surprises all the way down

Thomas Markov

16:00

@doppelgreener And then you can wear one as a hat.

KorvinStarmast

@Akixkisu agree with your comment under this one about damphir.

@AncientSwordRage Yeah

@ThomasMarkov But our sales would plummet!

@V2Blast Mimic first showed up in the MM in AD&D 1e, but we used them in OD&D since that is what we were playing when the MM came out before OD&D was complete (core books out by 1979)

Matteo Devi

16:15

@Phoenices oh well unless the party is very insistent on getting the decanter (wich i was aware of, but i'm pretty sure they're not), I'm not going to give it to them. I don't know, giving an infite resource to player seems risky in my opinion

Cat of doom2

i need inspiration. someone gimme something to give me courage and ask a girl out

goodguy5

@Catofdoom2 Worst case scenario, it's a learning experience

NautArch

@goodguy5 That's the spirit, coach!

goodguy5

user image

Cat of doom2

what if they laugh at me tho

goodguy5

16:23

then you've learned that they are jerks

Cat of doom2

what if the whole class laughs at me

goodguy5

Then you've learned that they are jerks. also don't do it in front of the whole class.

I managed to realize (or trick myself into believing) at a young age that mean school kids are unimportant. You'll most likely move away from where you live now and rarely see any of those people, if ever at all.

Their opinions are trivial and fleeting.

Cat of doom2

@goodguy5 okay

i'm still nervous

goodguy5

Of course you are.

Cat of doom2

but i think i'll do it

goodguy5

16:25

Things worth doing are rarely calming.

Cat of doom2

okay

i'l try

goodguy5

I don't know your odds of success here, but I do know that the odds of this being your soul mate are low. So, consider it a trial run and an exercise in wishful thinking.

MikeQ

Social status among peers may seem like the most important thing for a high schooler, but it in retrospect I think "why did I care what a bunch of jerks thought about me"

2

goodguy5

hrm.... I wonder if "soul mate" has any impactful provenance from "sole mate"

@MikeQ precisely this.

TheDragonOfFlame

@ThomasMarkov I am laughing at the list of links @BESW has sent

goodguy5

16:27

I just managed to turn that switch on while I was still in high school.

MikeQ

Once I reached college I realized that the social ladder was basically an illusion and a massive waste of time. Never should have stressed about it. Would have been better to be openly a nerd and be straightforward instead of trying to act cool in front of teenagers.

2

TheDragonOfFlame

thats a lot of links 😅

goodguy5

@Catofdoom2 do you care what the kids in kindergarten thought of you?

Cat of doom2

@goodguy5 i've been so stressed latly and i didn't eat this morning but if i don't do it now i'm not doing it at all

Thomas Markov

@TheDragonOfFlame the search results are 7 pages

Cat of doom2

16:28

@goodguy5 not anymore

goodguy5

exactly. before you know it, you'll feel the same way about high schoolers.

That said, go for it champ

Cat of doom2

well boys... wish me luck

Jack

This: "also don't do it in front of the whole class". Also, you don't have to go from 0 to 60. Instead of immediately asking out, you can just try some trivial conversations, work your way up from there.

goodguy5

*folks

Thomas Markov

@goodguy5 I feel that way about most adults...because most adults seem not to have matured past high school.

goodguy5

16:29

also, I'm realizing that I have no idea how to ask anyone out anymore, especially a high schooler (me being in my 30s, aside)

How has the internet affected courting

V2Blast

@KorvinStarmast TBH the particular edition of D&D it first appeared in wasn't really my point – just that as far as the question was concerned, a version of D&D seemed to be its earliest appearance. Good to know, though.

Cat of doom2

ill do it at the end of class

everyone will be busy so maybe i won't get laughed at

Jack

lol, are you in class rn?

V2Blast

Even if it turned out that there was another RPG it appeared in before D&D, I think that the D&D tag would still probably be fitting on that question, because mimics are seemingly iconic to D&D in a way similar to beholders, etc.... In contrast to, say, orcs or elves, which obviously had origins in other pre-D&D media and aren't especially D&D-specific. (Also, it's asking about the origins of the thing D&D calls a "mimic", which other things may use to refer to something different.)

Cat of doom2

@Jack of course

MikeQ

16:31

@cat If I could give any advice: don't make it a grand gesture, or in front of a crowd, or a way that puts a lot of stress on the person you're asking out. They're probably also feeling that peer pressure. And if they say no then you'll have to accept that; they don't owe you anything just because of your feelings.

doppelgreener

user image

Yuuki

@MikeQ tl;dr watch any 90s rom-com and do the exact opposite of what you see

Cat of doom2

@MikeQ of course. they come before me and i know that

doppelgreener

not so much they come before you, just that it's a mutual thing

a relationship is pretty much a mutual agreement, like hey, yeah, let's try each other out, that'd be cool

goodguy5

If I were to do it now, I'd ask something chill like "do you want to do ___ low key activity like a movie this day"

but back in school, I def went with the "do you want to be my girlfriend"

doppelgreener

16:33

neither comes before the other, but giving them an empowering circumstance where they can comfortably say yes or no is part of you both being mutually empowering about it

Cat of doom2

@goodguy5 that sounds terrible

doppelgreener

even if you're mutually empowering about a no

goodguy5

@doppelgreener hilarius

Cat of doom2

how about just asking for her number

doppelgreener

@goodguy5 honestly i love this advice

@Catofdoom2 "Hey, do you wanna maybe go out sometime? I know this great place that we could visit, it's got [cool thing]"

goodguy5

16:35

like I said, man. I can't really give advice on specific strategies. I've been with the same woman for uh.... 14? years.

Things have changed substantially.

Cat of doom2

@doppelgreener "i want to meme with you"

doppelgreener

or "we could go see this movie together, it's got [cool thing]"

V2Blast

@doppelgreener I was trying to figure out whether this was from a Doctor Who (Eleventh Doctor) episode I hadn't watched, one I had watched but just forgot, or from something else entirely... Apparently it's from the episode "The Christmas Carol", which makes sense.

doppelgreener

@Catofdoom2 also great. "Hey do you wanna like, go out and share memes and stuff"

@V2Blast right!

But definitely have, like, a suggestion of where to go and what to do

"Let's go here because good reason" is great

goodguy5

uh oh, we've drawn the ire of a mod

Cat of doom2

16:36

@goodguy5 what does that mean?

doppelgreener

"because good reason" is important! "Let's go get burgers from the shop?" is a great suggestion. But you could list any reason to get burgers and it'll make it seem like a winner. "Let's go get burgers from that shop down the road? They've got great drinks." The drinks don't even have anything to do with the burgers! But people will go yeah, cool, that sounds great.

goodguy5

I was just teasing that @Slate joined chat.

It was a throwaway joke, don't sweat it

MikeQ

The Ragnarok is upon us. Battle of the mods.

Slate

Chirp. :)

Cat of doom2

@doppelgreener "can i get your phone number because i think you're funny"

doppelgreener

16:37

i always thought the word moderator was a bit lacking, what if i want to be an extremerator?

goodguy5

@doppelgreener or the other direction "stock features"erator

doppelgreener

@Catofdoom2 This applies mainly to suggestions about places to go / things to do together, doesn't translate so much to stuff like that.

KorvinStarmast

@V2Blast It was also a chance for me to wax nostalgic, so thank you for the opportunity 😊 @MikeQ Monday is a Go for Salt Marsh. Will follow up in discorde this afternoon.

doppelgreener

@Catofdoom2 "Hey, I think you're really cool. Do you want to go out together sometime? We could go to [good place], they have [appealing thing]."

KorvinStarmast

@doppelgreener nice template for how to ask someone out. I am about 34 years past the dating thing, but that's more or less how it went even then before cell phones and memes and such.

Cat of doom2

16:43

@KorvinStarmast i'm still so nervous

i want to do it but i don't

MikeQ

You're putting too much pressure on yourself and the gesture itself. Again, you don't need some grand gesture or perfect pick-up line. Best route is to be straightforward about your motives and talk to the person like you would talk to anyone else.

KorvinStarmast

@Catofdoom2 , we all were! 😊 Nothing ventured nothing gained. Being nervous is fine, but it's no reason to not try.

goodguy5

And "no" isn't a failure on you as a person.

2

It's just a no

KorvinStarmast

And if the answer is no, yeah, that sucks, but at least you stop being nervous.

Cat of doom2

@MikeQ i don't have a gesture i'm litreally just asking for a number i'm just a nervous wreck

Thomas Markov

16:45

@goodguy5 I married my first girlfriend, so I don't even know what it was like back then, much less now.

goodguy5

@Catofdoom2 Just to put a quick meta note on it, are you a good version of yourself today? Are you clean and tidy?

Cat of doom2

@goodguy5 um. idk. my hair is messy but my cloths are clean and i showered last night

KorvinStarmast

@Catofdoom2 If you want awkward, try this one on for size. I am at a club (back when I was single) and meet a lady while we both are waiting for drinks to be served to us. (busy friday happy hour) I start to flirt with her, she flirts back, and we are doing the old back and forth when I feel a tap on the shoulder.

goodguy5

good enough

MikeQ

@ThomasMarkov Nowadays courtship is all about building an impressive nest out of sticks and grass, to show that you are capable of keeping away owls

Cat of doom2

16:46

@KorvinStarmast uh-oh

why was she flirtling back???

KorvinStarmast

My good buddy M___, who says "I see you two are getting along" (I then discover that she's not just his girl friend, she's his fiance and I didn't even notice the ring on her finger) LOL. I had to buy the next round for the three of us.

doppelgreener

@Catofdoom2 that's how it'll be. that little comic i shared isn't just a joke, i'm also serious about it as advice. :)

KorvinStarmast

@Catofdoom2 Because I am a fun and engaging personality, that's why. And she thought it was fun.

MikeQ

@Catofdoom2 Polite conversation may sometimes seem like flirting. Different folks have different communication methods.

doppelgreener

you can't not be nervous, it's a big deal!

if it wasn't one, you wouldn't be doing it, and you wouldn't be nervous!

KorvinStarmast

16:49

@Catofdoom2 And I think that she knew that I was a friend of M___ and was looking forward to the reveal gotcha when he showed up (M__ and I worked together, and we are still in touch. He and N__, unfortunately, got divorced about 15 years ago. 😥)

Thomas Markov

Something I learned in 8th grade: girls care way less about how good you are at PE than I had originally imagined.

KorvinStarmast

@ThomasMarkov Something I learned: a man who learns how to dance will never be a lonely man.

MikeQ

And if his friends don't dance, then they're no friends of mine.

goodguy5

@KorvinStarmast you don't even have to learn how to dance well

KorvinStarmast

@goodguy5 you are so right, and I can't. (My daughter and I had to practice a couple of times the 'father daughter dance' before her wedding since we both wanted it to come off well without tripping and falling all over the dance floor. That was a good plan, it turns out).

Thomas Markov

16:51

As a 13 year old, I really thought I would get a lot more mileage out of "Hey girl, wanna play some dodge ball?"

goodguy5

I actually managed to have a decent number of girlfriends in high school and college, but I got turned down more than enough times.

I remember being absolutely gutted at the 8th grade dance that I got turned down by someone.

I learned how to temper my weird just a little bit and grew into my bones a little bit.

bobble

I have some more recent experience in this area, but they've all been rejections :) turned down three and got turned down myself, though I'm still friends with the last

goodguy5

@MikeQ btw, thanks I hate it

Thomas Markov

I remember thinking my dodgeball career was over. Then when I was in college, the women's softball team challenged the men's swim team to a dodgeball match.

We lost, and our coach punished us for risking shoulder injuries playing dodge ball.

goodguy5

@ThomasMarkov .... in the water?

Thomas Markov

16:55

@goodguy5 No, unfortunately.

doppelgreener

@ThomasMarkov lol that impression is totally forgivable tho

Thomas Markov

@doppelgreener I treated every day in PE like it was the Olympics.

MikeQ

@Catofdoom2 Best advice I can give, for relationships, for GMing, for careers, and for all human interaction: Be clear about your motives, and if you're unsure about their motives, ask. Clear communication is essential. Don't try to guess their thoughts, don't play mind games, don't be coy.

2

goodguy5

tbh, I think conditioning class changed my life.

Just being able to lift weights for an hour a day had a huge impact on me, physically and mentally.

MikeQ

@Catofdoom2 Popular media is really bad with this, and usually shows people acting cool or clever or roundabout, but those methods of communication are very counterproductive.

bobble

16:57

One of my strongest dodgeball memories is when a guy was trying to get my attention by throwing the dodgeballs hard at my, ahem, puberty parts

It did not work out for him

goodguy5

@bobble "puberty parts" makes me irrationally uncomfortable

(not like you have to change it)

Cat of doom2

i didn't do it

doppelgreener

@MikeQ really solid advice

@Catofdoom2 that is OK.

goodguy5

no problem, cat. it's okay

Thomas Markov

@goodguy5 as though they were acquired later >.>

goodguy5

16:58

there's always next time

Cat of doom2

i'm going to try 1 last time

bobble

@goodguy5 couldn't figure out a more appropriate wording, if you have one I'm all ears

Cat of doom2

i need to be prepared tho

what do i say if i get rejected?

Thomas Markov

@bobble "bits" is my go-to for mixed company.

doppelgreener

you can try when you feel ready enough (key word being enough, you'll never feel totally ready for it)

bobble

17:00

oh well, too late to edit anyways

goodguy5

@Catofdoom2 bro, I think you need to take the weekend on it. just lay low.

you've waffled on it enough that it tells me you need to sleep on it.

Cat of doom2

@goodguy5 if i do that i'll end out waiting til the last day of school

goodguy5

There's not really a difference in doing it Monday, vs today. You can't plan anything this weekend anyway

Thomas Markov

@bobble For less sensitive viewers, you can add modifiers to bits, such as "wiggly" or "mystery"

doppelgreener

@bobble get elected to moderator and you will forevermore afterwards miss the unlimited edit when you step down lol

Thomas Markov

17:02

@doppelgreener Not gonna lie, I could get behind "doppelgreener reinstates herself as moderator just so she can edit messages in chat".

goodguy5

ask on Monday if she wants to do [tag:cool-thing] at [tag:cool-place] "this weekend" (next weekend).

If yes: Cool, can I get your number?
If no: Alright, no worries. Have a good day"

Cat of doom2

if i keep waiting i'll wait til the last day possible

doppelgreener

@ThomasMarkov this will be the entire platform for my campaign.

goodguy5

You've already kept waiting. you're in your head about it today. do it on Monday.

or if you think I'm wrong, do it today. w/e

Thomas Markov

@doppelgreener I dont think you have to campaign. Cant you just ask SE to put you back?

goodguy5

17:04

dang it, what's the chat tag notation? practice

doppelgreener

That used to be the case and might still be the case, but I'd campaign anyway.

goodguy5

oh, it's because I had a multiline comment got it

bobble

-16

A: Markdown in chat fails for multi-line messages

It is basically assumed that if you have something that is multi-line, you're either pasting a block of text and submitting it, or you're posting a block of code and the whole thing is going to be fixed-font/code. Markdown is only processed for single-line messages, unless the entire thing is cod...

goodguy5

ty

@ThomasMarkov "my mysterious wiggles"

V2Blast

@KorvinStarmast :thumbs-up:

doppelgreener

17:09

@ThomasMarkov Real talk: i wouldn't want to unilaterally decide i'm in the right place for moderation again, i feel like at each stage of the community's development there's specific individuals best suited to assist with the issues the community currently faces and i'd rather the community get to consider who that is. If I nominate and that's me, cool! If I nominate and it's someone else, we're all still winning including me because the community's growth would be shepherded by the right people.

MikeQ

My favorite mimics so far have been: door mimic, ladder mimic, 10 foot pole mimic (near a conspicuous empty chest), and intricate puzzle mimic (be careful with this one, otherwise you condition your players to throw rocks at all your puzzles).

Yuuki

@MikeQ rock mimic next to an intricate puzzle

what about a mimic mimic?

MikeQ

That's what the conspicuous empty chest is for.

Yuuki

like those butterflies that mimic other poisonous butterflies, the mimic mimic pretends to be a poorly disguised mimic to deter predators

MikeQ

Ah, so a mimic that disguises itself as a spike trap? It would have better odds of survival, but my understanding is that mimics are ambush predators, and simply avoiding foes isn't a viable strategy.

Yuuki

17:19

see, the mimic mimic isn't a predator

batesian mimicry is when an organism adopts warning signals of a more dangerous organism in order to deter predators by appearing to be more dangerous than it actually is

might just call it a batesian mimic instead of a mimic mimic then

MikeQ

This would only work in an environment with many mimics in it.... which is an excellent concept for a dungeon.

Yuuki

it's kinda funny because batesian mimicry is the most common type of mimicry irl, it's actually pretty rare for a dangerous organism to mimic a less dangerous organism like traditional mimics do

MikeQ

Ok, but what about the mimic mimic mimic? It's a predator, disguising itself as a mimic mimic.

Its primary food source is adventurers who think they're clever because they know about the mimic mimic.

Cat of doom2

i'm going to do it

okay

last try

last chance

@goodguy5 i will do this

MikeQ

Eventually you will realize that talking with other humans isn't as scary as you think

goodguy5

17:31

Hey man. I'm rooting for you either way

Cat of doom2

even if she says n it has to be better then this stree

stress

no

MikeQ

Polar bears. They are scary. You should be afraid of polar bears.

Cat of doom2

@MikeQ polar bears are adorable

not scary

my phone is dumb so do i write her phone number down? or like do i give her mine and then see if she texts me

cause i can't just add numbers to my phone for some reason

@MikeQ i fear people more then any other animal

goodguy5

You text her the number you get

Open your text app. Put number in. Say hey it's cat

Cat of doom2

@goodguy5 yoda?

MikeQ

17:35

If you're unsure, then ask them whether they want your number or if they want to give you their number.

Cat of doom2

@MikeQ okay, that an idea

MikeQ

As I said earlier. When in doubt of what another person wants, ask them.

Nobody in this chat room knows what this other person wants or how they think. You'll have to find out yourself, and you do that by talking to them and asking them.

Cat of doom2

should i do it while no one is around or would that be weird?

MikeQ

That's a very good question. Probably best to do in a semi-public area, but not in a way that draws too much attention. If nobody is around, it may make the other person feel unsafe; but if everyone's watching, then it puts too much pressure on both of you.

Cat of doom2

i really don't want to be laughed at but i don't want to be weird

person

@MikeQ you are indeed a ladies man

man

MikeQ

17:40

Communication skills are relevant in many fields. Relationships, GMing, careers, surgery, you name it.

Yuuki

social interactions in high school are only daunting because you'll see these people for the next few years if you don't move, i suppose adulthood is a bit more freeing that way

if you have a bad interaction with someone who isn't a co-worker, odds are that you just probably won't run into that person again

MikeQ

Also, social interaction as a kid is mostly shaped by the peer pressures and expectations of other kids, so it tends to be very narrowly focused. Like if the only possible goals presented are "be popular" and "get good grades", then they will seem like the most important priorities in one's worldview.

goodguy5

@MikeQ don't forget the breakfast club approach

MikeQ

17:58

Walking away to the music of a popular soundtrack, while pumping your fist in the air?

goodguy5

I meant more like making a ragtag group of friends and shunning popularity

AncientSwordRage

18:31

I think my biggest mistake when I was still asking people out was staking too much on a yes

Related: it's a bit creepy to give a mixtape cd with custom cd case art when you first ask somebody out

The Oracle

-2

Q: What about encyclopedic-like questions and answers?

The question What is a "Game Jam"? asks an interesting question, but maybe is a question asking information one more suited to Wikipedia ("Game jam"), which excels at taking a thing, and telling you what it is, with lots of references and detail. Encyclopedic entries don't seem to be what rpg.se...

goodguy5

@AncientSwordRage I think the line (and whether one has crossed it) depends on the art in question

Hot RPG Questions

4

Q: Can a wizard copy a not transcribed spell for later transcription?

The PHB states that a wizard can copy a known spell onto another spellbook. Replacing the Book. You can copy a spell from your own spellbook into another book—for example, if you want to make a backup copy of your spellbook. This is just like copying a new spell into your spellbook, but faster a...

dnd-5e spells wizard

Cat of doom2

19:01

plan I

i wrote a note.

i will give her the note

@goodguy5 @MikeQ @doppelgreener how do you feel about plan I

doppelgreener

0

A: What about encyclopedic-like questions and answers?

Encyclopedic answers are exactly our jam. In the early days of the site, Stack Overflow used this diagram to define itself: This diagram was featured in the early network's About page, and mentioned in blog posts in 2009, in 2012, and in 2014. It was used prominently to indicate that we function...

Cat of doom2

someone offered to give me her number but i refused because i thought that might be weird was that the wrong play?

doppelgreener

nah that's cool

you made the right decision

Thomas Markov

@Catofdoom2 yeah that's weird.

Good call.

Cat of doom2

okay

so is the note plan good?

Thomas Markov

19:08

No.

Cat of doom2

@ThomasMarkov no... so what do i do

goodguy5

we've already give you our sage wisdom, kid.

Cat of doom2

@goodguy5 you know what.

Thomas Markov

I dont know mate. I just asked my wife to the Valentine's dance and then we got married.

goodguy5

hrm?

Cat of doom2

19:11

you're right. i'm stressed today i'm disorganized and i already chickened out once. i'll gather my wights and try monday. @goodguy5

goodguy5

@ThomasMarkov I mean... yea. I played tag with my wife in college and we got married

Cat of doom2

@ThomasMarkov wow

Thomas Markov

Those two things were five years apart

Cat of doom2

@goodguy5 what??

goodguy5

(my two things were also 5 years apart)

@Catofdoom2 love it. brush your hair. Shave if you need to, make yourself presentable. Wear a decent shirt. nothing over the top (no flowers, no blazer, etc).

Thomas Markov

19:14

I'd give advice on what to wear but its probably wrong lololol

Idk, men's style hasnt changed much in the last decade, right?

goodguy5

Treat it like you were getting ready for picture day.

And don't put so much pressure on yourself. You're in high school.

@ThomasMarkov those silk button up shirts are even more out of style than they were

Cat of doom2

@goodguy5 theirs one variable i've been leaving out i found out just yesterday........ her mom is one of my teachers.........

doppelgreener

or have the messy hair if that's how you roll :D

goodguy5

@Catofdoom2 as long as you don't act like a weirdo, that's not an issue.

doppelgreener

yeah that doesn't really affect much on the dating front

goodguy5

19:16

If she cares, she'll say no.

Cat of doom2

@goodguy5 @doppelgreener so this is not good noir bad?

goodguy5

@Catofdoom2 I love your typo, but correct. it's immaterial.

doppelgreener

^

it's neither here nor there

Cat of doom2

does it matter that her mom thinks i'm funny?

goodguy5

@doppelgreener I disagree. It's definitely there, wherever cat is.

@Catofdoom2 not unless you're trying to date her mom. (ages in question aside)

doppelgreener

19:18

you're two kids, you might date, if you do hopefully you're good for her and she's good for you. her mom being a teacher just means her mom has slightly more access than a parent normally would to reach out to you if something's wrong or if she wants to invite you over for dinner or something like that.

if it factors in at all, her mother might be more comfortable with that because she already knows you and knows you're not some weirdo who's gonna hurt her daughter.

Cat of doom2

@goodguy5 i thought you wanted your parthers parents to like you

doppelgreener

it's not like your teacher can start giving you revenge F's or something, teachers aren't allowed to do that.

goodguy5

@Catofdoom2 yes, but you're putting the cart before the horse.

doppelgreener

@Catofdoom2 that's way further down the line. your teacher doesn't know you much outside of a student-teacher relationship; as an individual personally she barely knows you at all.

@goodguy5 you're right of course

Cat of doom2

@doppelgreener okay so it doesn't really matter @goodguy5

goodguy5

19:22

step 2. show romantic interest in girl
step 2.1 other person agrees
step 3. engage in romantic activities
step n. worry about her parents' like of you

Step 1 varies too much to quantify.

doppelgreener

first step is whether the person you like likes you, and much later is the parents getting to know you as an individual and as the person dating their kid.

Cat of doom2

okay

i'm over thinking

goodguy5

@Catofdoom2 not at this time. It has no more bearing on the situation as to whether we like you, or former President Bill Clinton likes you

fun fact about my current in laws....

My first meeting of Father in Law (FIL).

I was shirtless in his daughter's dorm bed.

But we weren't dating or anything. I had my own blanket and everything, but her roommate kept the room INCREDIBLY warm and I'd like spilled something on my shirt so I took it off and then fell asleep in my own blanket.

But her parents came to visit for something.

He still reminds me about it 15+ years later

doppelgreener

hahaha

oh no

that's not ideal circumstances for a first meeting

goodguy5

I've often said "I'd rather make a good second impression"

doppelgreener

19:27

Well put.

AncientSwordRage

@bobble sounds rough buddy

MikeQ

Important question: Would a jortsword be considered fashionable? Would it look good with jarmor? Would it be more or less effective vs a blue denim jragon?

AncientSwordRage

@bobble that sounds rougher

doppelgreener

@MikeQ Absolutely and yes the jarmor is a preferred pairing

They say fight fire with fire so I suggest fighting a jragon with jarmaments

MikeQ

Jungeons and jragons.

doppelgreener

19:30

Make sure you have a jorcerer handy

goodguy5

1. I hate this question.

2. the edit makes it worse.

3. I think that a jortsword WOULD be fashionable, but that jarmor would be too over the top.

4. it would have to be less effective against a blue denim jragon, right?

doppelgreener

You might be right about jeapons vs jragons ofc

goodguy5

@MikeQ I used to play with a group that referred to our games as "Don' Jawns and Drag Jawns" and you reminded me of that.

be sure to not team up with any jean wizards, they're gross

MikeQ

The +1 jarmor is bedazzled with magic ~~rune~~ rhinestones.

doppelgreener

Levi-athan.

Cat of doom2

19:34

okay

goodguy5

(Jartificer), Jarbarians, Jards, Jerics, Jruid, Jighter, Jonk, Jaladin, Jeanger, Jogue, Jorcerer, and Jarlock

nitsua60

I once ran for (math) department head on the campaign that I would (a) buy two gross of whiteboard markers, and (b) resign.
I was overwhelmingly voted in.
But we don't elect department heads, so my coup failed.

(Or did it? The reigning department head got a lot better about keeping the supply room stocked with markers!)

doppelgreener

LOL

beautiful

nitsua60

@MikeQ I think you've summoned it:

Qua qua qua is the sine qua non of sine qua non qua sine qua non.

goodguy5

I have never seen either that word, nor that xkcd

nitsua60

19:39

@Catofdoom2 The rule of thumb I adhered to and now advise is "out of earshot, not out of sight."

goodguy5

@nitsua60 ooooHHHHHhhh good good good

doppelgreener

Honestly there's at least one sentence I was inclined to use qua in my mimic question. It would've been the very first time I actually used it functionally in a sentence.

That there might be the first time I've used it in any capacity ever, just referencing it.

(it would've been "the mimic qua a D&D monster", because of sources examining it only inside that scope and not considering for a moment any real-world context outside and beyond D&D)

nitsua60

@goodguy5 A wise ex of mine once said "hey, remember: if you're lucky, once you'll meet someone that you don't eventually break up with."

Thomas Markov

10 posts on the site use the word "qua", and 8 of them were from Brian Ballsun-Stanton.

nitsua60

It really put things in perspective. Which helped when I realized that she had, in fact, just broken up with me.

@ThomasMarkov That's BBS qua academic, right there.

My undergrad institution basically forced everyone to be philosophy minors, so we quad plenty.

To extremes. "Are you having that salad qua dinner, or will you be going back for something else?"

goodguy5

19:44

I loved philosophy class

Especially how much it irked people that I sat in "their" (unassigned) seats.

Thomas Markov

I used the word a lot in one of religion and philosophy courses. I took a course called "Jesus and the Idea of Jesus" examining the diverse cultural conceptions of Jesus across history, so we frequently used the phrases qua divinity and qua humanity.

goodguy5

I mean, I like the class and content a lot and it gave me a lot of really interesting ways to talk about things, such as the platonic ideal of a chair or a tree.

But something about people being visibly uncomfortable that I've interfered with their routine in this particular way gave me a great deal of joy.

And again, only in Philosophy, and I started doing it so that I could get different perspectives (literally) from around the room.

nitsua60

First meeting of FIL: I knocked on door, a 6'6" 300-plus-pound man opened the door and extended his hand to shake. I reached out, felt my hand engulfed by his former-college-football-player's grip, and managed to maintain eye contact as he said
"Hi nitsua. I'm Dominic. I've got a shovel, a shotgun, and a lot of land."

I am now father to his only two granddaughters. And I've inherited his shotgun. And his line.

goodguy5

line or land or both?

and it's weird for you to call yourself Dominic

Cat of doom2

:(

goodguy5

19:51

why sad, cat

MikeQ

I bet it was a polar bear.

Cat of doom2

scared

stress

sad

headache

goodguy5

I'm about to hop into a meeting to see if we can get this video ingestion software running so that we can finally run some tests against our document library, but....

MikeQ

Typical symptoms of Being A Teenager.

goodguy5

Kid. Take a breath, drink some water. Have you pooped today?

It's really not that big of a deal.

Cat of doom2

19:55

@goodguy5 ok

goodguy5

It's just some girl (read: just some person, that happens to be a girl).

Maybe she's interested, maybe not.
Maybe you guys click, maybe not.

It will be okay; this will not be what kills you.

Yuuki

@nitsua60 that whole defensive father thing always felt weird to me, like you don't trust your daughter to make good choices about her partner. but then again, i'm not a dad

Thomas Markov

@goodguy5 Since we're talking about fathers-in-law, mine is a doctor, and I bet he's asked me two questions you guys have never heard from yours: "how're your poops" and "does it hurt when you pee".

Cat of doom2

imma try to calm down and chill this weekend

Yuuki

@ThomasMarkov a healthy excretory system is an undervalued aspect of any prospective life partner

nitsua60

19:58

@Yuuki I didn't understand it either, until the first time I noticed another kid at a playground bump into my daughter and I almost beheaded a two year-old while screaming "THIS IS A SPARK OF THE DIVINE SENT TO DWELL AMONG YOU SULLY NOT HER BEING!!!"

goodguy5

If I can remember how to put myself into my 15-year old shoes.

It helped me immensely to think of high school as a practice run for college, which was a practice run for adulting.

You have a lot of personal emotional growth during that time. And some of it is trying things that don't work. Some of that is learning new things about yourself and learning new things about how the world works and about how other people work.

And some of that is that your brain is literally changing from week to week from the (figurative) gallons of hormones being passed through it.

AncientSwordRage

@Yuuki I guess that makes me undervalued then?

goodguy5

@ThomasMarkov I get asked about my poops on occasion, the pee though....

Yuuki

side note: i always enjoy it when a term is pluralized as "<X>s <Y>" like "attorneys general" or "editors in chief"

Thomas Markov

@Yuuki "My granddaughters need a father who eats at least 40 grams of fiber a day" is a real thing he has said to me.

AncientSwordRage

20:00

@ThomasMarkov smart

Yuuki

heirs apparent

sergeants major

MikeQ

stacks exchange

doppelgreener

@Yuuki i was very confused about "attorneys general" until i learned we just stole a french noun-adjective order for no good reason and in English it's basically "general attorney", and suddenly everything made so much more sense. They weren't a general [modifier attorney], they were the state's attorney [modifier general, as in they just handled all kinds of attorney things].

Yuuki

speaking of french, there's culs-de-sac

Thomas Markov

@Yuuki This is where I draw the line.

Yuuki

20:08

apparently "agent provocateur" pluralizes both terms as "agents provocateurs"

same with femmes fatales

AncientSwordRage

20:30

@ThomasMarkov it's it a curved bag like line?

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