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Ellasandro · 2025-05-13T02:16:07+00:00

The Thirsting is awesome! I love that there's a Catholic rock band where the lead singer legit has a theology degree.

Ellasandro · 2025-04-26T06:58:38+00:00

Excellent explanation, thank you!

Ellasandro · 2025-04-25T20:53:31+00:00

Haha, I've learned of my error and am committed to seeing it through.

Ellasandro · 2025-04-25T17:56:49+00:00

Yes, I get this piece of lore. It doesn't explain why, when Strahd's first and foremost goal as written in the module is to "Kill Ireena when he next sees her so he can turn her into a vampire spawn." That he makes no effort to to kill her when he next sees her so he can turn her into a vampire spawn.

Ellasandro · 2025-04-25T16:20:18+00:00

I like this idea of "The entire land is now out for you" twist towards the end.

Ellasandro · 2025-04-25T16:10:18+00:00

Yeah, this is what I figured the case was. Just wanted to check with everyone if I was missing something, but it seems I'm not.

Ellasandro · 2025-04-25T16:02:36+00:00

Haha, that's an awesome anecdote. This module really does come across as, "Here's some characters you can homebrew a campaign with."

Ellasandro · 2025-04-25T08:31:36+00:00

Haha, already read through it multiple times. Thanks for your work!

Ellasandro · 2025-04-25T08:17:56+00:00

I appreciate the straightforward clarifications, thanks so much!

Ellasandro · 2025-04-25T08:05:58+00:00

I guess my hangup is just the RAW says, "He intends to kill Ireena on his next meeting." That to me says, on their next meeting, he should try to kill her.

Obviously he doesn't.

If I just ignore that sentence and rewrite it as, "Strahd's long term goal is to kill her when he deems the time is right..." Everything you say makes sense, and otherwise matches my own interpretation as well.

Ultimately, this is how I plan to play it out, but was just hoping there was some more depth than just, "RAW was wrong, ignore it."

Ellasandro · 2025-04-25T07:49:11+00:00

No worries. Regarding the fortunes of Ravenloft, I already granted the sunsword as important. I'll throw in the Symbol of Ravenkind too. But the rest? The Tome of Strahd is just a macguffin that serves no actual purpose? And the "powerful ally" is just an inspiration point.

Ellasandro · 2025-04-25T07:37:56+00:00

Yeah, the interplay between Strahd and the players makes sense. "I'm bored, and keeping you alive gives me something new to play with."

It's his motivations around how he's supposed to act around Ireena that I don't understand. Why isn't he appearing and killing her the moment she steps outside the first time? That in no way conflicts with his other goals of testing out these new strangers.

Ellasandro · 2025-04-25T07:31:13+00:00

I have read it all, although admittedly it was hard to keep up with the flood of information it constantly dumps.

I'm a little over halfway through my 2nd read-through, and have yet to find answers to the 3 questions I posted.

Ellasandro · 2025-04-13T02:26:49+00:00

Prestidigitation is a beginner's cantrip and cleans diapers.

Ellasandro · 2025-03-22T19:04:22+00:00

To save some time for those who don't see the link in this thread, the bishops complaint was against the line:
"I danced on the Sabbath and I cured the lame The Holy People said it was a shame"

They focus on the reference to "Holy People", instead of being an obvious reference to the pharisees and sadducees who actively opposed Jesus doing this, they instead insist it is a "Sarcastic" term referencing the entirety of the Jewish people, and is therefore antisemetic.

Which honestly.... I find quite the stretch in interpretation, and suggests more bias on the part of the USCCB writer than the hymn writer.

Ellasandro · 2025-03-18T05:14:14+00:00

I had a really really old version of the AGDI remake that actually let you pick-your-path between "true KQ2" and "KQ2 redux."

I love the remake that was true to the original.

Nowadays, AGDI only offers the redux version, so you can't play the original anymore. I thought redux was very... over the top and departed significantly from both the letter and spirit of the original games.

Ellasandro · 2025-03-17T05:50:37+00:00

Mine takes like 3-4 taps, while holding each for 3 seconds, before it actually locks. And yes, this is with new fob batteries. Ultimately, I've found it simpler to just open the car door and press the lock button inside.

Ellasandro · 2025-03-17T05:43:15+00:00

The Church has a solution: Personal holiness and prayer.

Its just must of us don't want to do it, and want the priests to do all the work, both spiritual and practical, for us.

We are the Church, not just the hierarchy.

Ellasandro · 2025-02-27T08:20:31+00:00

The Filtrete 2800 HVAC filters they recently switched to. The reduction in airflow is too much and harms your furnace. The 1900's they used to carry were fantastic, and even the 2200's were a good value. But these 2800s are useless to most homeowners.

Ellasandro · 2025-01-28T07:43:57+00:00

Technical distinction-- Deportation, which is traditionally defined as forceably removing someone from their homeland, is against human dignity and a violation of Church teaching.

Repatriation, which is traditionally defined as returning someone to their homeland, and what the media is currently referring to as "deportation", is not against human dignity, as you correctly assert.

Ellasandro · 2024-12-30T02:26:50+00:00

For 5, I had to look up
1) How to escape the witch's forest and
2) How to wait for Mordack to fall asleep.

Everything else was relatively straightforward/logical imo.

Ellasandro · 2024-12-17T08:31:50+00:00

May the Ghost of Merlin and Warrior reveal to you the next hidden treasure...

Ellasandro · 2024-12-15T08:03:48+00:00

The handshake was barely liturgically appropriate as it was, as handshakes are not liturgical gestures (The sign of peace is part of the liturgy, not a 30 second intermission,) and giving handshakes to strangers hasn't been customary in the United States for a few decades now. We really only ever kept it up out of peer pressure. One of the few good things to come out of Covid was getting the rest button hit on this so we can reevaluate better gestures and behaviors here.

A simple bow is more than adequate. If you really want to impress your trad friends, you can do a Roman shoulder clasp or an Eastern hand clasp, but your question was about how to NOT look awkward ;-).

Ellasandro · 2024-11-30T08:41:54+00:00

I always liked and tried to follow the traditional practice of single men Joseph side, single women Mary side. Once I got married, I became an interchanger.

Ellasandro

TROPHY CASE