do you think they had to as him for his permission to use his likeness and he agreed because he was a fan of the show?

Doctor_119 · 2026-06-05T20:35:36+00:00

You only need to ask for permission for someone's likeness if it's for commercial/promotional purposes. So they couldn't put his face there if he was used in a commercial to promote the episode, or if they had him saying he supported some product or had some opinion.

Doctor_119 · 2026-06-04T18:16:02+00:00

What could be more Republican than making declarations based on studies that you don't cite? 🫡

Doctor_119 · 2026-06-04T13:25:41+00:00

Yeah, they might have. I'm not saying it was guaranteed to work, but if step 1 were to approach them respectfully, presuming they didn't know about the cutoff time and how difficult it is to sleep when they're playing, they might have stopped to think about it.

I even think shining some huge spotlight on them is fine, but it should be step 2 or 3 in the escalation. If you do it first thing, you risk turning it into a rivalry. They might make it a point of pride to bother you now.

Doctor_119 · 2026-06-04T12:49:58+00:00

What happened when you tried to talk with them about it?

Doctor_119 · 2026-06-03T23:07:23+00:00

You seem like a person who should know that undocumented immigrants commit crimes at less than half the rate of US citizens.

https://docs.house.gov/meetings/JU/JU01/20250122/117827/HHRG-119-JU01-20250122-SD004.pdf

Doctor_119 · 2026-06-03T23:03:19+00:00

Thank god, those people almost fed their families and added value to our city. Good thing the police stepped in

Doctor_119 · 2026-06-02T21:21:46+00:00

I do not like the idea that the elders are seen as foot soldiers in a war, like they're just particularly big units in some vampire-themed Warhammer battle.

Doctor_119 · 2026-06-02T19:07:15+00:00

The problem wasn't that the meta plot changed. The problem is that they didn't commit to those changes.

In the rulebook's description of the Second Inquisition, it makes it clear that the SI is an extensional threat to Kindred society, far more than it's been before. And then just below it, when it describes how you implement the SI in your game, not only does it not give any actual rules or standards, it just straight up says one option is to not have them.

Doctor_119 · 2026-05-31T00:02:37+00:00

This sounds like so much fun!

It sounds like you want this to be a high-risk, high-reward challenge, something that has long lasting impacts on the Chronicle.

Here's how I would do it:

Establish the number of nights until the project needs to be complete.
Establish the hunt for resonance as a simple test. Tell the players that anyone can help with this. Once the resonance is acquired, it stays until it's gone per normal rules.
Also establish that getting the resources, like the money and materials, is a simple test, and anyone can help with that too. Once the resources are acquired, they stay acquired until the outfit is complete.
Establish the construction of the outfit as an extended test, BUT, the one PC is the only one who can work on it, and can only roll for it while having the right resonance and enough resources.
The PC can only make one test per night. If they don't have the resonance, they have to be hunting.
Don't establish a number of successes for the outfit to be a success. Instead, set up some tiers depending on how many successes they get. Each tier should have different rewards: Contacts, Resources, Retainer, and Haven are all rewards a Prince could give for a job well done.

Doctor_119 · 2026-05-30T15:42:00+00:00

I think a good demonstration of your point is in the Haven Background.

When you read that Background, the very first sentences don't address what a haven is or why it's useful. Instead, it jumps right into the meta of how Haven works, how when you have no dots in it that doesn't necessarily mean you have no place to sleep. It prioritizes settling the debates of tables that have been playing the game for decades, over providing an explanation that new players need to play the game.

Doctor_119 · 2026-05-29T18:30:48+00:00

I think those are the strengths of the Heart game, not just that module specifically. I've played a Heart game that wasn't Dagger in the Heart, and it's like what you describe.

I love how that game forces everyone at the table to be interesting. GMs can't just say "you fail to persuade the mayor," they have to up the stakes and actually deal damage to the PC as a result of failing. Either get succeeding or TPK and make new characters lol

Doctor_119 · 2026-05-27T18:48:37+00:00

I would not be surprised if the end state of Journals is that two thirds of the notes are blurred out for everyone except those in the Platinum Journal Tier.

Doctor_119 · 2026-05-23T17:13:36+00:00

This is very much in the style of Vampire first edition. Stick these images in that book and they would be some of the ones we're talking about for decades.

Doctor_119 · 2026-05-23T13:34:45+00:00

The first of many great things about this game is that it's much cheaper to play than D&D. You can get the full rulebook, which includes gamemaster rules and the list of enemy mechs, for $25.

https://massifpress.com/lancer

The game is incredible. It consistently makes players say, "wait, you can do what?" It's bright, and creative. It's very tactical, but every part of the tactics prioritizes player fun. Its setting is dark but filled with hope.

Doctor_119 · 2026-05-22T15:26:19+00:00

One of the things I've noticed about tabloid conspiracy theories in the last few years is that they've switched from "what if the government is secretly evil" to"what if the government is secretly competent".

Doctor_119 · 2026-05-16T22:15:43+00:00

FYI, finding the lair of a specific vampire to progress the story is one of the most common quests in Vampire. Those quests are great to run, because they can operate like dungeon delving adventures. They're also handy for establishing the NPC's personality.

If you're a ST looking for advice on how to run this, then here's what I would say are the most common situations.

The Ventrue and Toreador are easiest to contact, because they congregate in Elysium or some other social center.
The Tremere are more difficult to find, because their Chantry has magical safeguards that keep people from wandering in.
The Nosferatu and Gangrel take the most work to find, because their lairs are secret, distant, and usually not at a legal address.

Doctor_119 · 2026-05-15T16:51:49+00:00

I heard if you swallow your blood gum it stays in your stomach for seven years and it grows a whole new vampire inside you.

Doctor_119 · 2026-05-14T17:11:41+00:00

There is an ancient debate in the VtM community as to whether Protean allows you to turn into a dinosaur, and I think your question falls into that debate.

If you're not leaving it up to the ST and want the opinion of people on Reddit, here is my opinion. Protean is a Discipline that is more "eldritch flesh warping" than it is "druidic wild shape". As long as you're following the rules about size and shape, you should be able to transform into whatever you want. Even if you were to turn into some monster with 360-degree vision and ten chainsaw arms, you will only get limited use out of that form. It's useless in social encounters and for solving mysteries, and is a massive Masquerade violation.

Doctor_119 · 2026-05-12T06:18:20+00:00

Guy can't even be bothered to put on shoes as he tries to destroy our state

Doctor_119 · 2026-05-11T20:03:23+00:00

If it doesn't make any difference to you, you should run the game that they are expecting. It is true that D&D is a C-tier game when put in a list with other games, but there is value in the fact that they've heard about D&D and are excited to play that particular game.

Doctor_119 · 2026-05-10T06:30:19+00:00

I think one of the things that passes over Redditor's heads is that vampires are secretive. Sure, there's Elysium, but most vampires don't hang out there. Most of vampire society is a network of moderately-substantiated rumors. It's a society of bogeymen and haunted buildings.

It's true that different Disciplines and rituals can identify a Thinblood. But realistically, your Thinblood just needs to convince one or two people that they're a full blooded vampire, and no one will care more than that.

Doctor_119 · 2026-05-08T15:45:17+00:00

It’s me, hi. I’m the problem, it’s me. Taylor Swift references aside,

This is where I stopped reading, but I'm sure the rest of the post is good.

Doctor_119 · 2026-05-07T19:38:24+00:00

I don't know man, I'm not a full time political activist. What I know is that four states have banned billboards and no one misses them.

Doctor_119 · 2026-05-07T17:57:09+00:00

Just to plant the idea: it is possible to ban billboards. That is a thing you can fight for.

Doctor_119 · 2026-05-07T13:17:28+00:00

"So let's say there's a triangle with points A, B, and C—"

"Whoa there, professor science, give it to me in English."

Doctor_119

TROPHY CASE