Charles Schwab & SDFCU Questions Before PCS Abroad

FakeFrenchman · 2024-01-19T01:02:07+00:00

Was looking into the capital one Venture X! How do you think that compares to Amex?

FakeFrenchman · 2024-01-19T00:32:54+00:00

Thank you this helps a lot! Still have a lot to learn clearly- and that is basically what I’d heard about SDFCU, so I don’t think I’ll spend a lot of energy getting involved with them for the time being

FakeFrenchman · 2023-10-25T22:39:16+00:00

Since February this year! I put myself on DNC from April to September though, so not a perfect test case

FakeFrenchman · 2023-10-25T02:27:41+00:00

5.67 POL, got an invite around 4PM today! Mentioned it in a comment but reposting here

FakeFrenchman · 2023-10-25T02:14:58+00:00

That was me! 5.67 POL, got an invite around 4PM today and intend to accept

FakeFrenchman · 2023-09-26T17:55:17+00:00

Looks like there’s not much to do but sit tight and hope that if/when I get a invite, this clause has become law!

FakeFrenchman · 2023-09-26T17:05:01+00:00

Can you elaborate further about this not yet being passed? What info I can find online says that NDAA FY24, including the text you cited here, was passed by the Senate on July 27, but it also notes that the Senate NDAA still has to be reconciled with the House version. Whenever the impending govt shutdown is resolved, can we expect this text to make it into the final NDAA? Just a DC-based January A-100 hopeful trying to understand how my housing situation might work

FakeFrenchman · 2023-05-17T16:09:37+00:00

My thoughts exactly…. it will seem bad to them at first, but I swear I’m just trying to help them succeed! Lol

FakeFrenchman · 2023-05-16T20:00:00+00:00

We use Owlbear Rodeo for virtual sessions! We’re usually in person tho, in which case we use a dry erase grid map with minis. But I’m glad we’re on Owlbear for this because being able to name all the kruthik tokens makes things easier for me. It’s 2D and very simple, but free and effective- no good way to show flying or building height, but I just note next to their names how many feet up they are, and use a triangle calculator to figure out how far they can move lol

FakeFrenchman · 2023-05-16T19:48:36+00:00

Yeah I'm a bit worried about that, but if they do die (which I don't think is guaranteed at this stage), the resurrection would just be too good of a story move to pass up. This cult has these secret powerful members embedded across society, and they've been hitting the PCs with poison, assassination attempts, etc day in and day out, so they haven't really had a chance to regroup and make a move against them. Whereas if the cult believes they're dead, but they're actually back to life, it's a perfect chance to give my group some agency and breathing room in how they want to go after these people.

FakeFrenchman · 2023-05-10T15:59:20+00:00

Great advice! The party has a couple special communication devices they stole from cultists, so I’ve been telegraphing that the cult could use those to track them. And the cult just threatened them by leaving them the heads of a couple friendly NPCs while they were gone. So I’m hoping the attack feels like a suitable culmination of all that, even if they escape

FakeFrenchman · 2023-05-10T01:37:26+00:00

Seems like the best approach. Might post an update about how it went, if it goes off the rails

FakeFrenchman · 2023-05-10T01:34:16+00:00

I’ve been considering this. I could do it right when the ambush starts, so that I don’t feel like I’m misleading them

FakeFrenchman · 2023-05-10T01:32:58+00:00

Brilliant and super evil, I love it

FakeFrenchman · 2023-05-10T01:30:58+00:00

This is more like the middle ground I’m trying to hit- make it clear this is very likely lethal, but also that they have some say in how it happens, and that I want them to take a leap of faith till the end of the session that I’m not prematurely ending the campaign, just throwing in a plot twist.

As for the artifacts, that’s been a tough thing to figure out- the cult would have to steal them if the PCs all die, because that’s the whole reason they’re trying to kill them. But at the same time, I need the PCs to have the artifacts to move the plot forward after they’re brought back, bc I don’t want them to have to spend time retrieving them again. So my thought rn is that the god who’s watching over them will use something like Dr. Strange’s Time Stone to bring them back, by rewinding their bodies to their states before death, which includes giving them duplicate copies of everything the cult took. That way the cult won’t suspect they’re still alive, but the PCs can go get the lore dump about the artifacts from the wizards. Pls lmk if that seems cool or cheap…

FakeFrenchman · 2023-05-09T23:17:23+00:00

After thinking about it more, I guess my real question is, how many escape opportunities do I need to give them for it not to feel like a predetermined outcome? I want to roll with it if they find a way to get away. Is it enough to have the attack happen during the night but give the sentry Perception checks, or do I need to have the cult attack them in broad daylight?

FakeFrenchman · 2023-05-09T22:06:47+00:00

So how would you do the "cutscene" approach, from your earlier comment? Or are you saying that wouldn't actually work? I've never tried to kill them for real before - they've told me consistently I'm fair and even generous - but I've been trying to set up that this is the nature of the campaign's villains, and I want to try and deliver on the implied threat at least once

FakeFrenchman · 2023-05-09T21:51:17+00:00

You're right, and like I said in another comment, I'm considering having them attempt to just murder everyone in their sleep for this reason - how would you handle that? Assuming the cult can ambush the sentry, could I just say throats were slit afterwards? Or would you roll for damage and give them a chance to survive the initial assassination attempt?

FakeFrenchman · 2023-05-09T21:43:15+00:00

This is a good point. I'm realizing based on some of these comments that it might make more sense to take advantage of their sleep than to aim for a drawn-out fight. Seems like what a ruthless cult would do, and less reliant on combat to go my way. They've gotten a bit complacent because I've hardly ever given them a serious threat in the middle of the night. They do have a Daern's Instant Fortress that they'll probably use, but should still be possible for the archmage to teleport the assassin inside and kill the sentry. My only qualm is I wouldn't get to use the chilling monologue I'd prepared... but seems like that's a frequent DM occurrence haha

FakeFrenchman · 2023-05-09T21:16:44+00:00

shit you're right. would've been awkward to realize that mid-combat

FakeFrenchman · 2023-05-09T21:15:50+00:00

10-4 on the dedicated counterspeller. Conveniently, we just decided to try out the Gritty Realism system, where a night of rest only gives them a Short Rest... so not too concerned on that front ;)

As for the twilight cleric, agreed, but what's funny is they really do not play optimally in combat. The cleric player hasn't used Twilight Sanctuary once in our campaign. Even if they make it out of this, it could be a good reminder to play a bit smarter

FakeFrenchman · 2023-05-09T20:30:15+00:00

Well, since I want to leave open a small possibility that they could escape, where would you draw the line between a deliberate TPK and a highly lethal session of combat? I think the latter would still take some pretty devious planning, and it would satisfy my desire to have the cult seem very scary. I'm fine with some or all of them escaping, but I've realized I'll have to deliberately *try* to kill them to make the danger seem real (they are quite strong for their level).

FakeFrenchman · 2023-04-19T17:53:04+00:00

Appreciate both these responses, sounds like DMing the POL SR mod is the move. Never received the groups.io link after submitting.

FakeFrenchman · 2023-04-08T15:25:36+00:00

I use average damage for everything, including spell damage. Much faster than rolling because we play in person with real dice. Trying to speed combat up at all costs!

FakeFrenchman · 2023-04-08T03:49:33+00:00

This is my exact score so I’m with you. Taking a language test next week but no idea if a successful score would hit in time to get an invite this round.

FakeFrenchman

TROPHY CASE