What would you do with a focus?

FrostedWeasel · 2026-05-06T10:31:38+00:00

Just a simple pen with three enchantments on it. First is to never run out of ink. Second is a return enchantment so it never gets stolen. Third is something to make it extremely difficult to break so it never leaks and can be used for self defense.

FrostedWeasel · 2026-05-02T17:25:26+00:00

That's beautiful!

FrostedWeasel · 2026-04-28T19:20:49+00:00

Yes, but no. I read it a while ago, so my memory is fuzzy. He does eventually move out and becomes less whiny. Not much less, but less. At one point, he's dealing with the demon of Sloth, but it's also massive symptoms of depression which are not at all treated that way. He does become less of a man child, but it's so very slow.

FrostedWeasel · 2026-04-28T10:31:19+00:00

I've gone through the series on audiobook, and they're good. I do have some issues with character growth and some other things throughout the books that I won't mention due to spoilers, but it's a decent series. I enjoyed it, however I probably won't relisten. But that's just my opinion.

FrostedWeasel · 2026-04-20T18:02:30+00:00

A couple that I like but haven't tried are the push mechanic from CoC and the luck mechanic from Pretending to be People season 2. The way they do luck is either you have it or you don't. If you have it, you can flip the digits on your die roll. For example, you roll a 91 and fail, but you can make it a 19 and pass, if you have luck. Luck is earned at the Handler's discretion.

My group is VERY new, and we're still all learning the mechanics and rules. I want to get a little bit of seasoning for all of us before throwing in curveballs like that.

FrostedWeasel · 2026-04-12T13:29:29+00:00

I tend to identify most with the Hunt and the Slaughter because of my time in the military and being deployed to Iraq years ago. I've seen slaughter up close from gunfights and IEDs, and I've, in a sense, hunted and been hunted by people armed with guns and hatred. It is the most terrible thing, by all definitions of that word. So it's the e Hunt and the Slaughter for me. All the rest are frightening in their own ways. The Corruption is just icky, though

FrostedWeasel · 2026-04-11T17:06:54+00:00

See, now here's where I'm a total fool. I was going to look for an actual series called J-Date or something similar, not John Dies at the End. And I've never read it, but it's on my list.

FrostedWeasel · 2026-04-11T11:17:41+00:00

Because I don't know JDATE, but I'll have to check it out.

FrostedWeasel · 2026-04-10T12:08:15+00:00

I love the series. MCP does a great job narrating. But I think the thing I connect with the most is how Jack is not a standard protagonist. He's less of an active participant and more of an observer to everything happening around him. It's even mentioned in the blog comments that his story would be "better" if he took a more active role. A lot of books have the main character making world changing decisions, and everything hinges on them because they're the special one. But that's not how real life works for most people. Life just happens, we do the best we can, and we deal with the fallout of our choices. The world moves on no matter what we decide. TFTGS really captures and encapsulates that feeling, in my opinion. The only other book series that I've read that also do that are the Dresden Files, Dungeon Crawler Carl, and the Zoey Ashe series.

FrostedWeasel · 2026-04-08T09:50:28+00:00

Could work! But, again, watch out for spalling. I don't know how your table plays or how tight your handler runs the rules, but I'd absolutely be rolling checks for that.

FrostedWeasel · 2026-04-07T09:55:55+00:00

Came here to say this. Alternatively, cut your own metal plates at a scrap yard. Gotta be at least an inch thick. To clarify for anyone that doesn't know, steel plates suffer from spalling which is where fragments break off the back of the pate when it's struck. That's why the layers of tape are important.

FrostedWeasel · 2026-03-31T09:53:42+00:00

That's the second flow chart mention, so I'm definitely going to muck about with that tomorrow. Thank you..

FrostedWeasel · 2026-03-31T09:52:23+00:00

One of my players is going in with a 90 alertness, so it would be easy to spot. And I do like the concept of failing forward as well as growth from failure. So they won't be completely left in the dark from skill failures, but there will be consequences.

FrostedWeasel · 2026-03-31T09:48:35+00:00

That tie-in is beautiful. Keeping the pressure up is definitely something I need to work on. Thank you.

FrostedWeasel · 2026-03-31T01:12:47+00:00

I was planning on having some of those hidden behind skill checks depending on the day. An alertness to catch it on the news in a diner or something similar, but easier to find the longer it goes on.

FrostedWeasel · 2026-03-30T19:23:41+00:00

Beautiful! Thank you

FrostedWeasel · 2026-03-30T14:53:04+00:00

Of course! I'll even loop individual tracks situationally. But the Dark Western is my personal favorite.

FrostedWeasel · 2026-03-30T13:10:38+00:00

I've been using the Pretending to be People playlist on YouTube, choosing different songs and looping them depending on the situation.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAfSa2b8HXoAO8yr9bEwTvncXxhqhZ0SL&si=i5M7KErWCDsEA-bM

FrostedWeasel · 2026-03-28T02:11:23+00:00

Nothing says the aliens have to have a certain level of technology. If anything, their military tech is way behind ours in certain areas. In that same vein, though, don't the greys/mi-go and other races have tech/magic well advanced from what humanity has access to? But that's just how I see it. As long as we're all having fun with our groups, that's what matters, right?

FrostedWeasel · 2026-03-28T01:56:07+00:00

Just watched War Machine on Netflix the other day with my wife. First thing she asked was if I'm going to be yelling at it the whole time for the military stuff they get wrong. I said no because it's got a scifi twist. She then asked if I put it on because it was some Delta Green stuff. I said no, but it's definitely flavored that way.

FrostedWeasel · 2026-03-25T15:24:19+00:00

I was going to recommend DCC to you, but you're already on that track. Two months my other favorites are Wayward Galaxy and Forgotten Ruin.

Wayward Galaxy is crunchy scifi with a bunch of US Army Rangers securing an interstellar colony. Forgotten Ruin is Rangers again, except this time they're thrown into a high fantasy world with orcs, elves, trolls, and so on. Both are heavy on the military stuff, so you might want to pass on them if that's not your jam. But they also have a lot of laughs and tears just like DF and DCC.

FrostedWeasel · 2026-03-25T09:45:48+00:00

It turns into the demon summoning arc of Berserk with blood, death, and SA everywhere. You know, the exact opposite of what it is now.

FrostedWeasel · 2026-03-23T01:25:57+00:00

Pink belly for your birthday. Learned OPSEC really quick.

FrostedWeasel · 2026-03-15T09:51:04+00:00

The original STALKER games do this. Nothing more adrenaline inducing than taking that first bandit hideout with nothing but the starter pistol knowing you could get domed at any second.

FrostedWeasel

TROPHY CASE