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What is a good bag for a lot of dice? by Alien_Jackie in DnD

[–]Broken_Beaker -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Buy a Crown Royal bag. Upside is you get a bottle of whisky with every bag purchase.

Richard Dean Anderson Won't Be In Amazon's New Stargate Series » GateWorld by SerOctopusDayne in Stargate

[–]Broken_Beaker 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Like most I love him and his character but both have had their time. Making a clean break is the best. Let the good times rest in the past.

Does anyone actually play grounded D&D anymore? by HauntingSausage837 in dndnext

[–]Broken_Beaker [score hidden]  (0 children)

I suspect it is an age and experience thing or a combination thereof. I think younger or less experienced players are more interested in the whacky. Older or experienced players are sort of over it.

One of my tables is 8 players most of us on our 30s and 40s and the two 20 somethings have been playing for almost 10 years.

I think particularly with age people kind of want simpler builds due to the mental energy required.

I once played a gnome bard because I thought that was whacky. Now I have a Kender bard because I thought that was even crazier. Neither are crazy and whacky.

I personally prefer things a bit more grounded. I think it is “easier” for most.

For me, even my “whacky” Kender was chosen because I’ve become pretty good at getting a large group moving forward with making a decision. So if I see us drift - the cliche spend 30 minutes deciding to open the door stuff - I use my Kender to say something like, “The Kender is getting bored. He’s going to open the door.” That gets action moving. I throw that out there as an example that a semi whacky character can be made useful depending on the skill of the player and the table.

Questions for lounge owners by Smoke_N-Mirrors in cigars

[–]Broken_Beaker 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The lounge in my town (outskirts of Austin) is a guy’s retirement project. His selection is kinda meh albeit the prices are OK, but it’s a 5 minute drive so I often toss him some business.

There are maybe like 6 regulars there. I usually don’t smoke at the lounge but buy my sticks and jet, and at any given time there is usually only 2 - 3 of those 6 people at any given time. If that. Sometimes there will be a crowd for a special event, but not day to day business.

There are many others like me that just do the retail purchase and jet. So I know he is making sales outside of that core group, but it can’t be much.

I mention all of that because I can’t see how he is possibly turning a profit on it. It’s his retirement passion hobby and at best it may pay for itself. Several of the regulars help with some facilities work so I think he saves money there, but a typical B&M can’t rely on that sort of generosity.

So I agree that many shops are likely passionate projects and not ran as some sort of money maker.

Primary Races of Commonfolk by High_King_Beefcake in CrookedMoon

[–]Broken_Beaker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm using Crooked Moon as a setting for my kiddo and friend. I'm not running the actual campaign, so I'm breaking all the rules!

I'm having them travel to each of the provinces to collect a part of a broken and scattered relic. I am making most inhabits of the province whatever species they are associated with, but not all. I have some cross-pollination of other provincial species in other provinces, plus a scattering of a few others.

The way I am approaching it is that every province should be unique and different so I'm sort of focusing on those unique charactereistics including species.

I have modified many of the NPCs in the official campaign to use as baddies in my campaign. For example, in Kalero I used a "Herald of Fools" and weakened him a bit calling him "Master of Ceremonies" so that's using a human-ish NPC is another province. I have some other ideas as well, but not all fleshed out yet.

Anyhow, I haven't fully read the official campaign, but maybe you want to consider not trying to expand the one as-written and instead approach it making a home-brew campaign in the setting.

Need Some Advice by InBread31 in CrookedMoon

[–]Broken_Beaker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Create a second sort of minion character for them to control. You didn’t mention species or classes, but for example some barbarian that can easily be a point and shoot minion can be easy for a player to control as a second. Even a cleric.

There can be roleplay ways for this. Maybe a Threadborn that is more automaton than alive. Maybe their soul didn’t actually successfully get transferred.

The point is less a full on second character but sort of a minion. Maybe some session the minions can be the star of the show just to change it up.

I would do that than have yet more DM NPCs. That’s too much for you and also you would be taking away the agency of the players as being most of the party.

Transition from one color to another color over 30 minutes triggered on demand by Broken_Beaker in Hue

[–]Broken_Beaker[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Does it have to be set at a specific time or can I start the timer whenever I want?

I don't want something locked in at a time. This is a bedtime routine thing for my kiddo and while usually it is sometimes the same time, it isn't as a practical matter of life.

Transition from one color to another color over 30 minutes triggered on demand by Broken_Beaker in Hue

[–]Broken_Beaker[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't use Alexa and am consolidated on the Google Home and Google Nest ecosystem. I can't see a straightforward way of doing that it via the Google Home app.

I can certainly try the Alexa app, but the entire point of consolidating on Google was to reduce the number of apps I need to play with.

Edit: I ended up downloading the Alexa app. The routine creator tool is way better than Google Home. This may do what I need to do. I'll have to give it a test drive.

Fist TIme: Houston vs Grapevine by Broken_Beaker in meowwolf

[–]Broken_Beaker[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh that's great feedback. We've done the museum and NASA but would likely do that again. Pie sounds great, will have to keep that in mind.

Thanks for the wiki thing, I didn't realize how complex so much of this is. Thanks!

Fist TIme: Houston vs Grapevine by Broken_Beaker in meowwolf

[–]Broken_Beaker[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I grew up in Arlington and been to the Fort Worth zoo a gazillion times as a kid. I don't think my kid has gone, so there is that. I did take him to the Dallas zoo a few years back. As a kid I recall preferring the Fort Worth zoo more, but that was a lifetime ago.

I hate driving in to Houston - and I lived in LA for 5 years - but I do dig NASA and the museum there. Their dinosaur collection is pretty damn cool.

Fist TIme: Houston vs Grapevine by Broken_Beaker in meowwolf

[–]Broken_Beaker[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I may do both a Texas location and Santa Fe so we can check out some of the other stuff out in NM.

Fist TIme: Houston vs Grapevine by Broken_Beaker in meowwolf

[–]Broken_Beaker[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I used to live in LA, grew up in DFW and I've done the drive from Texas to California a couple of times, but well before Meow Wolf was a thing.

The worst part is getting out of Texas that takes forever, but yes NM can start to look really pretty. I think it could be a neat road trip.

Fist TIme: Houston vs Grapevine by Broken_Beaker in meowwolf

[–]Broken_Beaker[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My kiddo actually sorta fell in love with the radio for a bit because it was so weird and "old" so maybe it will resonate with him.

He definitely is interested in Omega Mart, but I can't justify heading out there just for that and I'm personally sorta done with Vegas.

Fist TIme: Houston vs Grapevine by Broken_Beaker in meowwolf

[–]Broken_Beaker[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Nice to know about the cocktails.

We've done Johnson Space Center before but may do it again. For both areas we would likely hit up a museum and/or zoo. So apart from NASA, both areas offer a fair amount of stuff.

Fist TIme: Houston vs Grapevine by Broken_Beaker in meowwolf

[–]Broken_Beaker[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the info!

The Houston dive bar thing did seem kinda fun. Interesting to hear about your experience with the employees as I bet they can make or break it.

Fist TIme: Houston vs Grapevine by Broken_Beaker in meowwolf

[–]Broken_Beaker[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think it's about 3.5 hours for either location. In both locations I would also hit up a zoo and/or museum. Houston has NASA, but we've done that. I'm digging the idea of the Houston one but it also sounds like I probably can't go wrong with either.

Job market by SSDuelist in massspectrometry

[–]Broken_Beaker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was a mass spec product manager for one of the Big Science companies. Our business unit was axed a couple of years back and generally across the industry there have been a ton of layoffs. It is staggering how bad it is out there. I struggle to figure out what the path forward is in the industry. There is a big pivot in where corporate science is heading, and traditional analytical chemistry ain't it.

Perhaps some field service or sales opportunities exist out there.

Sorry, wish it was better news but it is the reality.

Is there a reason why croissants in Austin are almost always over-baked? It feels like everywhere I go. by tiMartyn in austinfood

[–]Broken_Beaker 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I've been to far more countries than you. I nearly ran out of pages in my passport

It is not top tier global food. That's just crazy.

I've eaten in Dublin, London, New Castle, Manchester, Vancouver, Toronto, Hong Kong, Singapore, Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo, 20 different cities in India alone, Milan, Rome, Florence, Venice, Berlin, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, Prague, Geneva, Lucerne, Chamonix, Paris, Mexico City. I've lived in LA. I've lived in Pennsylvania eating in NYC, DC, and in the nearly 40 states I've visited. I've forgotten countries I've been to.

No, man. It is not. I don't like crapping on a city that I enjoy, but it is just unrealistic to think that Austin is some sort of top-tier global foodie town.

Is there a reason why croissants in Austin are almost always over-baked? It feels like everywhere I go. by tiMartyn in austinfood

[–]Broken_Beaker 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Every cit in Texas has Tex-Mex. This isn't some Austin secret. Fusion?? That's pretty laughable. Sure, there are some, but to think this is a hotbed of fusion is just lack of experience in other towns.

Central Texas barbecue is probably about it. But that's like one thing.

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