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  1. - Top - End - #571
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Ashiel's Avatar

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    Default Re: Talk to Ashiel About Anything Mark II

    Ah, I see the forums are back up. ^-^"

    I tried to hop on a while back but it said the forums were down and would be down for some days, and I hadn't got a chance to check back. Our store manager's out 'cause her cancer relapsed, so I've been making up a lot of the losses. I'm getting promoted to a management position (not the same position, I wouldn't even want that headache), so going through some training (so far it all seems simple enough), but it's all kept me really busy.

    On the plus side, I'm going to have a work schedule that's not insane, work less hours, make more money. I'll finally be able to get back into gaming on the regular (I haven't had the chance to run a D&D game in ages since it's impossible to schedule things with work changing week to week).

    Time to reply to all the posts I missed!
    You are my God.

  2. - Top - End - #572
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Ashiel's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by 137ben View Post
    Unrelated to any other question so far:

    Have ya tried the Pathfinder Adventures video game for iOS and Android? It's supposedly based on the pathfinder adventure card game, although I don't know how faithful a reproduction it is (I never played the card game).
    Sure haven't. I've never played the card game, though my friend Aratrok said it's pretty cool.

    Quote Originally Posted by Lemmy
    Hey! My haircut paid off! I got a promotion!

    (Admittedly, I don't actually know if the haircut had any effect, but I was tired of having long hair anyway, so an interview for a promotion is as good an excuse as any to get rid of the mane).

    Sorry... I just wanted to brag for a second...
    Hey, brag away. Also, congratulations on your promotion. The hair might have had something to do with it (sometimes making a big change in your appearance can help you get noticed). I just got bumped up as well, so I'll finally have some time to do stuff again. Cheers!

    Quote Originally Posted by Scavion
    Boy I am late to this party. I guess that goes to show you how frequently I venture outside of my PBPs nowadays.

    Congrats Lemmy!

    Also all my love to you Ashiel. I hope life is well.

    (Also this forum is incredibly lacking in good goblin avatars. )
    Thanks Scavion. I've missed forum life a lot lately (working a lot on different fronts), so it's always fun to see a friendly face. Aside from missing some of my friends, life is good and getting better all the time. I'm just trying to find a day that I can schedule an appointment with an endocrinologist, which is hopefully sooner rather than later.

    Quote Originally Posted by S@tanicoaldo
    Oh, sweet God indeed. :o :) ;)
    No force on earth could withstand the royal ground pound that is the bromance duggin' love.
    You are my God.

  3. - Top - End - #573
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    SwashbucklerGuy

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    annoyed Re: Talk to Ashiel About Anything Mark II

    Tch... This is a downer, but today a pretty serious accident occured because a worker didn't like using his PPE... Now he may literally lose his arm (and is lucky that it's only his arm that is at risk).

    Hopefully this incident will at least motivate others to take the necessary precautions in the future.

    Don't neglect your work's safety measures, people. Listen to your OSH technicians and medics. They're trying to save your life and limb! Only one mistake is needed for you to lose more than can ever be replaced.
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  4. - Top - End - #574
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Ashiel's Avatar

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    Default Re: Talk to Ashiel About Anything Mark II

    Quote Originally Posted by Lemmy View Post
    Tch... This is a downer, but today a pretty serious accident occured because a worker didn't like using his PPE... Now he may literally lose his arm (and is lucky that it's only his arm that is at risk).

    Hopefully this incident will at least motivate others to take the necessary precautions in the future.

    Don't neglect your work's safety measures, people. Listen to your OSH technicians and medics. They're trying to save your life and limb! Only one mistake is needed for you to lose more than can ever be replaced.
    Ouch. I know how dangerous it can be on the job. My first real job was working at a mill making pig feed. The number of things that could kill you if mishandled was staggering. The entire mill was also basically a ticking bomb (the feed dust in the air becomes volatile in that state, so do not make a spark, or the whole place will blow). It's really easy to forget how dangerous some jobs can be.

    Also, what's "PPE"? Personal Protection Equipment, or something similar?
    You are my God.

  5. - Top - End - #575
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    SwashbucklerGuy

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    annoyed Re: Talk to Ashiel About Anything Mark II

    Quote Originally Posted by Ashiel View Post
    Also, what's "PPE"? Personal Protection Equipment, or something similar?
    Almost. Technically, it's "Personal Protective Equipment". Sometimes also called IPE (Individual Protective Equipment). I graduated in mechanical engineering and have a master's degree in OSH engineering. But there's just no preparing for goddamn human stubbornness! If they spend their whole adult lives thinking there's no point in using their safety gloves, that it's too hot to use them, and that they "won't make dumb mistakes"... You can warn them every time, order them to do it, punish them for ignoring safety rules... And yet, at some point, some of them will still decide to do it the wrong way just out of pride...

    It takes a goddamn easily preventable accident for people to finally understand that it doesn't matter how good you are at your job! You're always one mistake away from serious injury! There are no second chances!

    Now I gotta spend most of my Saturday on an ICPA extraordinary meeting , but that's seriously not what frustrates me... It's knowing that a innocent, honest, working man is seriously wounded for no reason other than hubris and negligence. Maybe it was his fault... Maybe it was his supervisor's... But it doesn't matter who dropped the ball, it doesn't make the man's arm heal any better.

    Ugh... Sorry for the depressing post... I needed to vent a little.

    EDIT: PS: Electrical shocks can do a lot worse than give you a few burns. Don't mess with electricity unless you really know what the **** you're doing!
    Last edited by Lemmy; 2017-05-27 at 10:35 AM.
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  6. - Top - End - #576
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Talk to Ashiel About Anything Mark II

    Nah man, vent away.

    Unfortunately it's human nature. Many, many, many people just won't listen until they see firsthand that the stove is hot (figuratively speaking). Doesn't matter if it's safety, drugs, or whatever. At that point, you can only hope everyone else learns from that person's mistake, rather than repeating it themselves.
    You are my God.

  7. - Top - End - #577
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    Default Re: Talk to Ashiel About Anything Mark II

    I follow most of OSHA regulations when I'm on a job site but... some of them I straight up ignore. Like requiring a secured safety harness if you are required to climb higher than 3 ft. off the ground, such as to change a light bulb. If we have to climb high enough, we follow safety guidelines, but there are some cases where the safety procedures are "over protective".
    Founding member of the Cult of Ashiel

  8. - Top - End - #578
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tels View Post
    I follow most of OSHA regulations when I'm on a job site but... some of them I straight up ignore. Like requiring a secured safety harness if you are required to climb higher than 3 ft. off the ground, such as to change a light bulb. If we have to climb high enough, we follow safety guidelines, but there are some cases where the safety procedures are "over protective".
    Truth be told, I think such "over protective" rules are a disservice to people, because they create a precedent where it seems natural to ignore the rules (because some of the rules are arguably - and rightly so - pretty stupid), which I think dulls people's attention to the ones that are more practical and more serious (and might prevent you from losing various limbs or lives).

    Just my humble opinion.
    You are my God.

  9. - Top - End - #579
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    Default Re: Talk to Ashiel About Anything Mark II

    I've been on a few jobsites where ambulances had to come, and one (San Jose Airport, 2007) where a Pile Driver lost both arms!

    That job was particularly memorable to me because I was the Steward for the Plumbers and Steamfitters, and we were continually being "grinded" about minor matters such as how much task light was available ("inspectors" would go around with light meters, until finally at an "all trade safety meeting", a wisecracker said "what the light meter say now", so the "safety inspector" pulled out the meter only to find that hundreds of us were in violation of inadequate lighting at the safety meeting, which was greeted with guffaw!), meanwhile real threats to heath and lives went unaddressed.

    It was both comic and depressing.
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  10. - Top - End - #580
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    SwashbucklerGuy

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    Default Re: Talk to Ashiel About Anything Mark II

    Quote Originally Posted by Ashiel View Post
    Truth be told, I think such "over protective" rules are a disservice to people, because they create a precedent where it seems natural to ignore the rules (because some of the rules are arguably - and rightly so - pretty stupid), which I think dulls people's attention to the ones that are more practical and more serious (and might prevent you from losing various limbs or lives).

    Just my humble opinion.
    It's true that some rules can be overprotective... But mst of them only seem that way. I've seen people almost break their backs falling from "just 3 ft high". The accident last week happened because a worker wasn't wearing his second pair of gloves... Seems overprotective and pointless to wear a non-insulant extra pair of gloves... But it probably would've prevented the accident.

    No one uses a protective harness for changing lightbulbs, but I do insist that employees at very least have someone else with them to not only hold the step-ladder, but also to help if anything goes wrong.

    In any case... These borderline cases are there because the rules have to be clear, so they need an specific mark of when it's considered to be a dangerous activity... And it's always best to make it slightly more protective than necessary than slightly less.

    Quote Originally Posted by 2D8HP View Post
    I've been on a few jobsites where ambulances had to come, and one (San Jose Airport, 2007) where a Pile Driver lost both arms!

    That job was particularly memorable to me because I was the Steward for the Plumbers and Steamfitters, and we were continually being "grinded" about minor matters such as how much task light was available ("inspectors" would go around with light meters, until finally at an "all trade safety meeting", a wisecracker said "what the light meter say now", so the "safety inspector" pulled out the meter only to find that hundreds of us were in violation of inadequate lighting at the safety meeting, which was greeted with guffaw!), meanwhile real threats to heath and lives went unaddressed.

    It was both comic and depressing.
    Yes... This things can happen sometimes... Lighting may not be an immediate danger, like working in high places or with electricity. But it's best if the workers know about it. Even if it isn't a priority, just having that bit of knowledge in mind (even if it's seen as "trivia") can cause subtle improvements in safety.

    Of course, it's part of the job of the OSH technicians and engineers to know their priorities and allocate resources and efforts appropriately. Still, those seemingly pointless and nit-picky rules can often be VERY important.
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  11. - Top - End - #581
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    NecromancerGirl

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    Default Re: Talk to Ashiel About Anything Mark II

    Oh the forums are up, it;s jsut my open tabs have the wrong address now so it was saying it;s down still. I'm back!

  12. - Top - End - #582
    Pixie in the Playground
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    Default Re: Talk to Ashiel About Anything Mark II

    What are your favorite types of anime?

  13. - Top - End - #583
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    Default Re: Talk to Ashiel About Anything Mark II

    I'm typing this from my phone, so pardon any lack of proper formatting or spelling/grammar mistakes.

    Do you guys ever feel magic in D20 systems is just too rigid? Like it's not being g used how it actually would be in a world with magic? I feel that this is because combat is the primary focus if the system, but it makes it feel like magic users aren't very magical outside of course.bat.

    Sure, there are several utility spells, but they're all limited use. I mean, a Pathfinder Wizard on a day to day basis, never going to feel as magical as a Wizard from, say, Harry Potter.

    You're never going to see a collection of household spells published in a book, nor see people really learning or preparing them because there are only so many spells you can have, especially for spontaneous casters.

    Even discounting the movies, which makes magic more fantastical, but also more inane in some ways, magic in the HP books is used for so many simple things that would function like higher level cantrips. Or like canrtips actually scaled with caster level.

    Like, imagine if Prestidigitation let you conjure larger and larger objects that remain useable, but relatively fragile. For example, just snapping your fingers and making a chair to sit in, which would require a 4th level spell. Or a tea set, which requires a 5th level spell.

    You'll practically never see casters using magic to make their lives easier, not really. Because it eats up combat spells. It makes for very mundane casters when you stop and think about it.

    I know their are utilitarian spells out there, Mage Hand, Prestidigitation, Floating Disk, Unseen Servant etc. but these all cut into your combat spells. There are just some utilitarian aspects of magic that one would think are so basic they don't even need spells to do; like if every caster had Prestidigitation as a spell-like ability for taking 1 level as a caster, and it grew stronger as your level improved.

    Not sure if I'm explaining this right. I *am* typing this at nearly 3 in the morning from my phone after all :P
    Founding member of the Cult of Ashiel

  14. - Top - End - #584
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    SwashbucklerGuy

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    Default Re: Talk to Ashiel About Anything Mark II

    To be fair... Most PC Wizards are adventurers by trade, so it makes sense that they would focus more on combat spells. But I get your point. One thing I really don't like in the vancian system (well... besides the fire-and-forget mechanic) is that casters can't actually improvise. They have very rigid spells that do exactly what's written. No more. No less. Even when it doesn't make sense... It feels like they can write words, but can't combine letters.

    I'm currently trying to create a simpler, more versatile magic system for a homebrew class I have in mind... A mage that is more similar to how magic works in... Well... Everywhere other than D&D and D&D-inspired media. The caster can use spells at will, but can only sustain a few of them at a time and has to spend mana to get the really powerful effects. It uses Int (for aiming and concentrating) and Cha (for powering up their spells), so it should be reasonably MAD, which stops them from having higher Dex and Con than most warriors around, like D&D mages do.
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  15. - Top - End - #585
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    NecromancerGuy

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    Default Re: Talk to Ashiel About Anything Mark II

    So this is where you disappeared to. Was wondering why I hadn't seen you around the Paizo forums. Read all about that just now. Though, to be fair, I don't hang out there much myself, ever since my fiancee apparently triggered people in an LGBT thread with a legitimate question a few years ago (moderator and community response were more emotional than logical or reasonable). This is Artemis Moonstar BTW. Had a username, forgot what it was, forgot what email I used, just made a new one to say hey.

    So... Hey.

    Excuse me whilst I stalk you a bit. Always enjoyed reading your insights and ideas.

    Random question time!

    What's your top 10 list of MUST HAVE 3pp products. Besides Path of War, Spheres of Power, and Psionics Unleashed? (Preferably anything with classes or races).

    Quick edit: Also, who else from the Paizo boards moved on over here? Most of my recent Pathfinder related discussion activity has been on Reddit. Not so good for replies.
    Last edited by TheGrimPeddler; 2017-06-06 at 10:03 PM.

  16. - Top - End - #586
    Barbarian in the Playground
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    Default Re: Talk to Ashiel About Anything Mark II

    Well i just skipped through most of the last posts due to work and stuff so heres my penny on stuff:

    Safety at work: Arent people aware of that if safety rules are ignored it will have conseqences that void warranties and Insurances? Hell if you are going to be a stubborn arse and ignore rules just because you personally find them "stupid" while its technically there to cover your employers arse if your dumb ass get shocked, sliced or cleaved in half.

    Meanwhile in D20: I feel that some limitations to magic kinda have to be in place, as even as "rigid" as the d20 system is magic is still a means of "do all, end all" manner. Hell the best kind of magic system is not that its "magic" but something more akin to how "elemental bending" works in Avatar: The last airbender.

    But i do wonder why it has to be so "special" to manage to make a fireball into a "acidball" or "frostball"? There is a frame for easily customizable spells for just generic effects and yet there is so many that is against it because "muh resistances".
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  17. - Top - End - #587
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    Default Re: Talk to Ashiel About Anything Mark II

    Quote Originally Posted by TheGrimPeddler View Post
    Quick edit: Also, who else from the Paizo boards moved on over here? Most of my recent Pathfinder related discussion activity has been on Reddit. Not so good for replies.
    Well, I pretty much transferred over in its entirety. There are a few threads I keep track of on Paizo, but I don't go looking for more. I post on Reddit as well, but that community is much smaller.
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  18. - Top - End - #588
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    NecromancerGuy

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tels View Post
    Well, I pretty much transferred over in its entirety. There are a few threads I keep track of on Paizo, but I don't go looking for more. I post on Reddit as well, but that community is much smaller.
    Hey Tels. Long time no see... Actually I don't think we've ever really conversed, lol.

    Yeah, I mostly hit up Paizo for rules questions, though I'm beginning to just say "**** it" since I'm DMing home games, lol. That, and see what new is coming out.

    Can we discuss 7chan here? >_> They're my new favorite place ever.
    Last edited by TheGrimPeddler; 2017-06-07 at 11:45 PM.

  19. - Top - End - #589
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    Default Re: Talk to Ashiel About Anything Mark II

    Quote Originally Posted by TheGrimPeddler View Post
    Quick edit: Also, who else from the Paizo boards moved on over here? Most of my recent Pathfinder related discussion activity has been on Reddit. Not so good for replies.
    I was here before I was on Paizo. Actually, I was here well before I had even heard of Pathfinder. I'm now down to one active pbp on Paizo.com, and don't post nearly as much there anymore. My presence on this website has gone up and down periodically since I joined back in 2009.

  20. - Top - End - #590
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    SwashbucklerGuy

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    Quote Originally Posted by 137ben View Post
    I was here before I was on Paizo. Actually, I was here well before I had even heard of Pathfinder. I'm now down to one active pbp on Paizo.com, and don't post nearly as much there anymore. My presence on this website has gone up and down periodically since I joined back in 2009.
    Would you like to join another PbP? I can send you the details about the campaign and players.
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  21. - Top - End - #591
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    A post on Facebook recently made me aware of this website for map making called Inkarnate. It's in the early-ish stages of development, in that the program works, they just need more content and a few useability tweaks to make it function a little better. The maps made with it are not very accurate, depending on the scale of the map you want to make. If you wanted to make a precise world map, you'll either have to forgo a lot of the included terrain and features, or it won't be very accurate. If you wanted to make a map for the size of, say, a city and it's surrounding area, you could probably be pretty accurate.

    This got me excited as this is exactly the kind of world map making program I've always wanted to use; most every other program out there is too "precise" in that they are designed to make highly accurate or realistic maps. I much prefer maps to be more general, and, in fact, inaccurate, because they don't have highly accurate technology, like satellites, to make precision maps. For me, a good world map lets you know where you are in relation to other places, and maybe an approximate distance. The maps made themselves look like they might be out of some older turn-based video games, or maybe a real-time strategy game, I dunno.

    For a long time now, I've kept track of a fan-made GTA World Map that combines all of the locations from the Grand Theft Auto franchise, Vice City, Los Santos, Liberty City etc. into one location. IT's always struck me as having a lot of potential as a campaign setting, but I'm not artistic enough to attempt to convert it into a fantasy map. However, I decided to give it a shot with the Inkarnate program and, I think it turned out pretty well. Link to an imgur album with a comparison of the two maps.

    I'm posting this here in case anyone feels like they want to try out the program for themselves. I know lots of people have their own campaign settings, and some might even have some rough maps drawn out. It might be nice to sit down and flesh some of those maps out, or create the map for the first time.
    Founding member of the Cult of Ashiel

  22. - Top - End - #592
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Ashiel's Avatar

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    Default Re: Talk to Ashiel About Anything Mark II

    Quote Originally Posted by TheGrimPeddler View Post
    So this is where you disappeared to. Was wondering why I hadn't seen you around the Paizo forums. Read all about that just now. Though, to be fair, I don't hang out there much myself, ever since my fiancee apparently triggered people in an LGBT thread with a legitimate question a few years ago (moderator and community response were more emotional than logical or reasonable). This is Artemis Moonstar BTW. Had a username, forgot what it was, forgot what email I used, just made a new one to say hey.
    I knew who you are as soon as you mentioned your wife. I remember that. Shame, since the outrage was entirely unwarranted and unnecessary. It never ceases to amaze me how some people insist they just want understanding, then when people try to understand, they berate them for not already being experts on their situation. So counter productive.

    So... Hey.
    Hey!

    Excuse me whilst I stalk you a bit. Always enjoyed reading your insights and ideas.
    Works for me. I've been very "quiet" on the internet lately do to a lot of IRL obligations (going through a new promotion at work, getting in shape, remodeling my room, preparing for hormone replacement therapy, etc). However, after my promotion is finalized, I'll have four days off in a row each week, which will allow me to get back into the swing of things (including but not limited to: posting regularly, writing regularly, and engaging in general discussion instead of a single AMA thread).

    Random question time!

    What's your top 10 list of MUST HAVE 3pp products. Besides Path of War, Spheres of Power, and Psionics Unleashed? (Preferably anything with classes or races).
    I get this question fairly frequently off the forums and it's actually pretty hard to answer. I don't actually use a lot of 3PP that isn't essentially homebrew. I've never actually tried Spheres of Power (which is why I don't talk about it much, since I hate talking about things I feel I'm unqualified to talk about), and the majority of my regularly used 3PP products are the various psionics books by Dreamscarred Press (but most people sort of categorize those as extensions of Psionics Unleashed), with almost everything else being case by case stuff.

    When reaching outside of core, more often than not I'll just write something for my player that fits what they're looking for, or convert something they're interested in. Unfortunately, this makes recommending 3PP supplements pretty difficult, but it tends to have a pretty good effect on player happiness since they usually get closer to the character they're looking for.

    Here's a basic example. Let's say that the player wants to play some sort of pirate bard thing with a magical helper familiar sitting on their shoulder (like a parrot) and have a major focus on said familiar in their activities, while they're doing the swashbuckling sword fighting and stuff. I might create a bard option that lets the bard grab a familiar, let the familiar take over the bard's performances (such as having a parrot bark orders at your crew while you're engaging in fisticuffs), let them share some of their abilities with each other (such as giving the bard some of the familiar's natural armor, while the familiar can use the bard's bardic knowledge, etc) and stuff like that. Depending on what the player's looking for, I might do it like an archetype (where it swaps out some of the bard features), or I might do it as a feat tree, or quite often both (in which case I'll write up the material as a series of feats and then allow the trading of class features for said feats as bonus feats).
    You are my God.

  23. - Top - End - #593
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    Ashiel's Avatar

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    Default Re: Talk to Ashiel About Anything Mark II

    Quote Originally Posted by Tels View Post
    A post on Facebook recently made me aware of this website for map making called Inkarnate. It's in the early-ish stages of development, in that the program works, they just need more content and a few useability tweaks to make it function a little better. The maps made with it are not very accurate, depending on the scale of the map you want to make. If you wanted to make a precise world map, you'll either have to forgo a lot of the included terrain and features, or it won't be very accurate. If you wanted to make a map for the size of, say, a city and it's surrounding area, you could probably be pretty accurate.

    This got me excited as this is exactly the kind of world map making program I've always wanted to use; most every other program out there is too "precise" in that they are designed to make highly accurate or realistic maps. I much prefer maps to be more general, and, in fact, inaccurate, because they don't have highly accurate technology, like satellites, to make precision maps. For me, a good world map lets you know where you are in relation to other places, and maybe an approximate distance. The maps made themselves look like they might be out of some older turn-based video games, or maybe a real-time strategy game, I dunno.

    For a long time now, I've kept track of a fan-made GTA World Map that combines all of the locations from the Grand Theft Auto franchise, Vice City, Los Santos, Liberty City etc. into one location. IT's always struck me as having a lot of potential as a campaign setting, but I'm not artistic enough to attempt to convert it into a fantasy map. However, I decided to give it a shot with the Inkarnate program and, I think it turned out pretty well. Link to an imgur album with a comparison of the two maps.

    I'm posting this here in case anyone feels like they want to try out the program for themselves. I know lots of people have their own campaign settings, and some might even have some rough maps drawn out. It might be nice to sit down and flesh some of those maps out, or create the map for the first time.
    That's really cool. This could be super helpful, since I've not got a chance to try many user friendly map programs (there are some really powerful ones, even for free but I get a bit of feature overload and they were pretty light on documentation). Since I should hopefully have more free time in the near future, I want to spend a bit of it GMing and writing more, and making maps for the stuff I write would be great icing.

    EDIT: I also really like the license option, in case I might want to dump something onto the market.
    Last edited by Ashiel; 2017-07-02 at 01:10 PM.
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  24. - Top - End - #594
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    Default Re: Talk to Ashiel About Anything Mark II

    Quote Originally Posted by bankata View Post
    What are your favorite types of anime?
    That's pretty hard to say, honestly. I guess it depends on what you mean by types. Generally speaking, I tend to appreciate anime with the same general themes I like in other mediums (character development, conflict resolution, humor, etc), and I'm bored by most shounen genre anime (mostly due to the same old "I'm stronger!" - "No I'm stronger!" - "No I'm not even trying." - "My secret technique means I was trying less hard than you, and I'm really the stronger one!" - "But you haven't even seen my demon goat samurai dragon final form!" - "But I'm actually left handed, and wearing three ton weights on my d*** to slow me down, so it would be a challenge, and this is also not my final form, and I also have the power of friendship!"). When I get the shounen itch, all my bases are belong to DBZ abridged.

    I enjoy too many animes from the 80s / 90s / 2000s to count, especially stuff from the old Toonami lineups (the old tenchi series, Ranma 1/2, Ninja Scroll, Ghost in the Shell, Vampire Hunter D, Akira, Gundam Wing, Outlaw Star, Trigun, Cowboy Bebop, Rurouni Kenshin/Samurai X OVA, Neon Genesis Evangelion, etc, etc, etc). More recent stuff that I've really enjoyed includes Panty & Stocking w/ Garterbelt, Lucky Star, Highschool of the Dead (which I was hesitant to watch for a long time*, but turned out to be one of the best shows I've ever seen), Teenage Witch Academy, Tweeny Witches (this had horrible reviews on Netflix but I found it rather charming and different), Kabenari of Iron Fortress, and probably a few dozen other anime I'm forgetting at the moment and will probably remember later.

    *: After being burned by Queen's Blade (having no prior experience with it, I read a review that said it was a deep and compelling series and that the cheesecake was both exaggerated and minor in comparison to the rich characters and plot; a review that today I'm convinced must have been some sort of satire or denial of nature), I had suspected Highschool of the Dead to be another trap in that regards. Which didn't help that the first actual clip I saw was from the bonus OVA episode (which is basically a for-fun fanservice romp at the beach that's not in line with the rest of the series).

    (Note: I'm not an enemy to fanservice-y stuff. I enjoy overly sexualized images of both sexes (and hybrids), and my art disposition leans in that direction, but queen's blade just filled me with so much cringe I couldn't make it past the first few episodes before I was done.)

    However, having watched Highschool of the Dead, I think the sexuality in that series actively improves the ride. I was talking it over with my brother and his girlfriend (we all watched it together), and we all laughed, cried, cheered, etc. Watching that series is in a lot of ways kind of a buffet table of human emotions, where you can go from laughing, to being aroused, to crying, to enjoying badass action, and so forth. I felt that it kept you on this roller coaster that really made it, without ever dumping too much of a given flavor on you at once (I also liked that the characters have negative quirks and they actually interact and talk about those things like real people, such as when Saeko reveals
    Spoiler
    Show
    she once killed someone in a situation where it was "justified", but she drew enjoyment from it in a way that's probably not healthy
    in a moment of bitter honesty with another character).

    Artemis is going to kick my butt but I still haven't watched Gurren Lagann yet.

    Disappointments
    I've also seen some anime recently that I felt had potential but just ended up being disappointments. These were anime that I loved the concept of, or some aspects of, but felt they either fell flat, went in a direction I didn't care for, or were just ill executed.

    Tokyo Ghoul: Man, this anime was just one big tease. It starts out strong with an interesting and compelling premise, and some actually pretty emotional stuff (watching the protagonist cry trying to eat a burger was pretty powerful and really set the premise in), but just a few episodes in and everything that's good about the series just goes away. What initially appeared to be this fascinating take on a boy's descent into being a "monster" and seeing the life from the other side, it quickly devolves into a horrible mix of bad character development, the worst aspects of shounen anime, emphasis on crazy wing-weapon things, and edge angst that would make Shinji from Evangelion blush. The really painful part was that through the entire first season (I blame myself for watching the 2nd season since I really should have just learned my lesson) it keeps dangling the carrot where it seems like stuff's about to get real and then it jumps back into nonsense.

    However the premise and the first few episodes were so compelling that I still to this day would like to really like to run a sort of "slice of life" campaign where the players play minor undead characters passing as humans and the issues and subsocieties involved therein.

    Overlord: Another anime I felt had potential. I finished it, but was left pretty empty feeling. It had its good points, but before I watched it I didn't realize it was yet another weird MMO-themed-sort-of-stuck anime. Originally, I thought it was an unconventional fantasy anime where the protagonist was this badass lich, but was a bit turned off by the video game aspects and general lack of personality. Had some great scenes though, and parts of it I liked. Kind of depressing when you realize that the entire first season is a shut in who spends the entire season talking to NPCs (which may be the strongest thinking point of the season...).

    Sword Art Online: I pretty much hate this anime. I'm sorry. I just can't like it. The only thing that comes across to me as somewhat endearing about it is the romantic relationship between the two protagonists, which is actually kind of depressing. Depressing because it really shouldn't stand out much as a good relationship, since it's strong points are "they love each other and don't cheat on each other", which should kind of be a given. The protagonist felt like wet cardboard in terms of personality, and the vast majority of the game didn't make any rational sense (especially if you actually play MMOs and such).

    HOWEVER, the abridged series more or less fixed all the problems I had with this show. It actually gives the protagonist a personality and - oh wow - one that evolves over the course of the series. It's madness of the best kind. It also makes the MMO aspects of the show feel fairly authentic and funny. And really, if you're going to polish a turd, humor is the best oil for the job.
    Last edited by Ashiel; 2017-07-02 at 02:48 PM.
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  25. - Top - End - #595
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    I like Overlord as more of a thought experiment.

    What DOES happen when a level 20 lich and a cohort of powerful high cr monsters suddenly falls into a world where the biggest badass wizards are like, level 8 and they have to burn their greatest scrolls to summon the equivalent of an hound archon to face you down. What happens when a level 6 or so warrior tries to fight what is basically a wizard in plate armor in hand to hand. (Hey even a level 20 wizard has +10/5 bab.)

    There's a lot of potential there just thinking about all that stuff honestly. And frankly the mangas better but that's generally a given.

    Hormone therapy huh? Finally going through with it then?

  26. - Top - End - #596
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    Quote Originally Posted by Zilrax View Post
    I like Overlord as more of a thought experiment.

    What DOES happen when a level 20 lich and a cohort of powerful high cr monsters suddenly falls into a world where the biggest badass wizards are like, level 8 and they have to burn their greatest scrolls to summon the equivalent of an hound archon to face you down. What happens when a level 6 or so warrior tries to fight what is basically a wizard in plate armor in hand to hand. (Hey even a level 20 wizard has +10/5 bab.)

    There's a lot of potential there just thinking about all that stuff honestly. And frankly the mangas better but that's generally a given.
    Yeah, I remember the first time it really occurred to me how level really related to the rest of the world. I was playing a tiefling wizard, my brother a lich (kobold) sorcerer. The campaign made it a bit beyond 20th level (we played it regularly for about a year or so in tabletop, usually whenever our group was hanging out). I was fiddling with my sheet and my brother's sheet when it occurred to me that both his character and mine could single handedly take on an army without resorting to magic. Both were effectively immune to non-magical weapons, and even magic ones had difficulties harming them unless they were the right type. Both had ACs in the high 30s. Both had better attack routines and hit points than a 10th level martial character. Their saves, resistances, and immunities paled the defenses of 10th level characters.

    An army of hundreds or even thousands of 1st-3rd level characters, even dotted with 10th level heroes, really wouldn't have stood a chance against either of them, even if they never bothered to actually get serious enough to start using magic (and instead decided to just beat the enemy army to death with their weapons and/or natural attacks). In fact, their minions could have too.

    That moment actually forever altered my way of thinking about level, which eventually was reflected in a lot of my posts on the Paizo forums (including my ancient but popular Practical Optimization thread). It's important to realize you don't have to be the best at something relative to your level to be an absolute badass in that thing in the context of the overall campaign. If you're 5th level with a +6 Diplomacy (despite having a -2 Cha modifier), you're still great at social interactions by normal standards (given that most normal people will have between -2 and +6 (1st level, Cha 7-15, 0-1 skill invested, class skill = Y/N).

    As a result, I tend to think about my character in terms of varying degrees of competence, and I'll often drop a few ranks into odd things because they might come up. My witch Agatha ended her game at around 11th level or so, and despite having a 7 Cha was the party face (no Int to Cha traits either), and a wide variety of random skills that she picked up at various points (in fact, have a screenshot:
    Spoiler: Random Skills
    Show

    ).

    Hormone therapy huh? Finally going through with it then?
    Yep. I finally "lost the argument" with myself. Even after I came to terms with it some years back, I still continued to try to persuade myself that it was more trouble to do something about it than not, using all the excuses I could come up with. The usual suspects, I imagine.

    1. It'd be hard socially.
    2. It'd be hard on your family.
    3. It'd be too expensive.
    4. It's permanent and you won't even get a tattoo.
    5. You'd make a hideous woman.

    But, in the end all those things were pretty much just excuses, and as I grew as a person each argument eroded away. I've become socially strong and unwavering. My family's approval became less important (and to my surprise they've been wholly supportive, save my dad since I'm still evaluating the best way to break it to him). HRT is actually remarkable affordable. Dysphoria has proven to be no less permanent. Finally, estrogen apparently f'ckn sorcery.

    The moment I finally gave in to myself and decided to do it, it was like a light ignited inside. I wasn't fighting myself on it anymore, and suddenly I had the motivation and drive to start making some pretty major physical changes (as a lazy nerd, my physical health wasn't ideal). Since making the decision earlier this year, I've been eating better, drinking lots of water, going on long walks, lifting weights, etc. Even my blood pressure seems to have fallen to ideal levels (periodically checking it). I even don't forget to brush my teeth in the morning now (whereas before, many days I'd just skip / forget it). It's almost like I'm suddenly invested in me rather than merely tolerant.

    Unfortunately, I've had a hell of a time getting a hold of a doctor who specializes in this sort of thing. When I found one, I had to wait a month before there was an opening, and then had to reschedule to August because they couldn't see me that day. So while I'm waiting on all that to go through, I've decided to "DIY" (at least until I can get some doctor's aid in the matter). For the record, I've been doing a lot of research on it and I wouldn't recommend self-medding to anyone (there's a lot of health risks that can occur and some of them are very serious), so don't take my choice to do so as any indication that doing so yourself is necessarily a good idea.

    Spoiler: Ramblings about HRT stuff, feel free to ignore
    Show

    A few friends of mine from the Paizo boards accidentally helped me decide to make a go for it and led me to researching the medications, dosages, effects, side effects, warning signs, studies, and lots of other junk like that. I'm going to be taking b-oestrodiol or "estrofem" sublingually (melted under the tongue) in oral format, in small controlled doses multiple times per day (splitting the tablets into half-doses and taking them 4 times per day), which causes the estrogen to bypass the digestive system and enter the bloodstream more consistently.

    I was really hung up one what sort of androgen blockers to use, since most of them have some pretty gnarly side effects. The most common anti-androgen in the US is actually a diuretic known as spironolactone (I believe aldactone is the brand name), but it's a potassium sparing diuretic and I'd rather eat more fruits and vegetables, not less. It makes balancing salt, electrolytes, and potassium harder, makes you have to pee lots more (which would be a problem at my job), and can lower blood pressure (my blood pressure is actually pretty good right now so...).

    So then I was looking at cyprotone (Androcur) which is usually used outside of the US, but it's not FDA-approved so a lot of doctor's won't prescribe it here in the states. It's also a bit more aggressive towards your body than I'd like, and generally murders your sex drive and frequently causes depression.

    I finally decided on Bicalutimide (Casodex) which is another anti-androgen proscribed for the same types of things as cyprotone, but instead of crushing your body's ability to produce testosterone, it actually blocks the effects of the testosterone on your body. This can make testing your testosterone vs estrogen levels kinda wonky, but estrogen will lower your testosterone anyway, and as long as the testosterone isn't being used it's not really hurting anything in the process. The biggest benefit here is it requires very low doses to achieve the effects I'm looking for and has a very long lifespan in the body (12.5 to 25mg every few days should be sufficient), and doesn't come with the physical and mental maladies that cyprotone is known for.

    It also has the side benefit of having certain "benevolent" (at least for MtF folks) side effects, such as breast development, enhanced hair growth (on your head), reduction of body hair (reportedly, not only does cause you to lose body hair, the effects can be permanent even after stopping bicalutimide treatments).

    I'm also planning to supplement all of that with progesterone, likely through a topical cream to help with the development of certain feminine characteristics (particularly the characteristics I've always been fond of drawing).


    If anyone would be interested, when my meds come in I could do a blog or something where I upload pictures if anyone would be interested in watching it unfold.
    You are my God.

  27. - Top - End - #597
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    Default Re: Talk to Ashiel About Anything Mark II

    Quote Originally Posted by Lemmy View Post
    Would you like to join another PbP? I can send you the details about the campaign and players.
    Not right now, no.

    Anyhow, Ash, congratulations on starting HRT!

  28. - Top - End - #598
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    Quote Originally Posted by 137ben View Post
    Not right now, no.
    I wouldn't mind hearing about Lemmy's pbp game (mostly because it's probably fun to hear him talk about it).

    Anyhow, Ash, congratulations on starting HRT!
    Thanks. I'm hoping it goes well.
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  29. - Top - End - #599
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ashiel View Post
    I wouldn't mind hearing about Lemmy's pbp game (mostly because it's probably fun to hear him talk about it).
    Me too, I enjoy reading Lemmy's posts.
    Thanks. I'm hoping it goes well.
    Well, not to say that there are no risks, but I'd be rather surprised if it didn't go well. It's a very safe process nowadays with a high success rate

  30. - Top - End - #600
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    Quote Originally Posted by 137ben View Post
    Me too, I enjoy reading Lemmy's posts.
    Indeed.

    Well, not to say that there are no risks, but I'd be rather surprised if it didn't go well. It's a very safe process nowadays with a high success rate
    Well, I'm starting later than ideal (HRT is most effective if you begin early), but I've aged well so I'm hoping it goes well. The medical risks have the potential to be pretty severe (life threatening even) but being a bit conservative and looking for certain things can help minimize such risks.

    In any case, the level of excitement is roughly equivalent to all the Christmases of my lifetime at once.
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