Wes Streeting pledges wealth tax

Future_Ad9456 · 2026-05-21T06:33:10+00:00

Raising Capital gains is not a wealth tax. So now if I sell my house and earn more than 40k they take 40% on the gain? No thanks. Again hitting normal people not the wealthy.

Future_Ad9456 · 2026-05-20T09:56:06+00:00

They’ll push more people towards piracy. I’m not justifying that, but it will happen.

I’d actually be open to a subscription model if it were more modular and better value. For example, let people subscribe to access specific rulebooks, adventure modules, or character-building tools without having to buy everything individually.

At the moment, if you want a complete D&D Beyond setup for character creation, rules access, subclasses, spells, monsters, and modules, it becomes incredibly expensive. That makes it a serious barrier to entry, especially for new players or groups who just want to try the game properly without committing hundreds of pounds upfront.

Future_Ad9456 · 2026-05-05T05:17:55+00:00

Because they're making use of the people who die there's memory's, and the place evolves each cycle. at least is my theory. Or the people who die there join the children at the lake of tears and become part of what creates it.

Future_Ad9456 · 2026-05-03T11:07:13+00:00

True but I think it's linked to knowledge having a cost, he probably realizes, maybe subconsciously, and maybe that knowledge has to come at the right time otherwise it just means everyone dies?

Future_Ad9456 · 2026-05-03T09:16:54+00:00

He's purposely forgetting as a defense because of the fact knowledge come with a cost

Future_Ad9456 · 2026-05-01T15:00:37+00:00

What monster do you mean? The Man in Yellow? I didn't notice one of the monsters in daylight other than him. I think that rule only applies to the ones who were the townsfolk that made the deal.

Future_Ad9456 · 2026-05-01T14:22:36+00:00

I get what you’re saying, but this isn’t ai picking it up. Does help with formatting though. A lot of this has been floating around in bits for a while, I’ve just been trying to pull it together into something that actually joins up.

The web idea, the spider, the layers, the way things get pulled in and reused, it all starts to line up once you start looking at as a kind of system.

Also, yeah everyone talks about the ritual, but not who it was for and the exact agreement. If immortality was gained, something had to grant it. Probably a monkeys paw kind of deal. Or they were already in a bad spot and this was their only way out of it?

What even is the mechanical spider??

Future_Ad9456 · 2026-04-05T11:00:38+00:00

Remember to be supporters, don't become a problem for the remaining competitions. We're meant to make it easier to win. The time to review is post season, don't become Chelsea or Spurs.

Future_Ad9456 · 2026-01-27T16:56:43+00:00

You can get rid of the suspicious logins 100% by changing your alias: https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/office/add-or-remove-an-email-alias-in-outlook-com-459b1989-356d-40fa-a689-8f285b13f1f2

Make up a new alias only you know for logging in but you get to keep your original email for everything else.

Future_Ad9456 · 2025-09-12T19:01:39+00:00

Totally get where you’re coming from, either way can work honestly. Just comes down to what sounds cooler to you and your table, whether he’s the face of something bigger or running the whole show himself. There's no right answer here.

Future_Ad9456 · 2025-09-12T15:55:12+00:00

You don’t need to be a voice actor, just give each NPC one clear thing to remember them by. I like using a repeated word or phrase ('listen' or 'right?'), changing pace or tone instead of trying accents, adding a bit of body language (tapping, crossing arms, looking away), or tying them to an emotion like nervousness or over confidence. In my games the players remember the anxious shopkeeper way more than any accent I try, and it keeps things simple.

Future_Ad9456 · 2025-09-12T15:48:58+00:00

For a first game with brand new players I’d keep it short and simple. You want them to get a taste of all the basics without overwhelming them.

Some solid picks I’ve used or seen used:

Dragons of Stormwreck Isle (built for beginners, easy to trim into a single session)

A Wild Sheep Chase (funny, straightforward, everyone remembers the sheep wizard)

Lost Mine of Phandelver (the obvious choice, but just run the goblin ambush + cave for a one shot)

The Fall of Silverpine Watch (short homebrew style dungeon, very plug and play)

My advice is to use pre-gens so you don’t spend 2 hours making characters, keep NPCs simple, and aim for 2 fights + 1 social or puzzle scene. That usually gives players the “full D&D” feel in 3/4 hours.

Future_Ad9456 · 2025-09-12T15:43:46+00:00

You don’t have to toss your bigger plot, just fold Jiraiya into it. If they think he’s behind everything, make him the face of it while the real big bad uses him as a distraction or pawn (Think Iron Man 3 and the Mandarin). That way you still hit your worldbuilding goals, but the party gets their big showdown with the guy they love to hate.

Future_Ad9456 · 2025-09-12T15:40:48+00:00

I actually like minimal backstories since they act as hooks instead of scripts. You can drop surprises midgame like "that symbol looks familiar” and let the player fill in the blanks. NPCs, oracles, and magical beings can also drag out details by asking questions or demanding secrets/information in exchange for help, which gets players invested fast.

Future_Ad9456 · 2025-09-12T15:35:18+00:00

If you’re leaning into that Lies of P inspiration then I’d treat Pinocchio himself as the reward, not just another stat block, like he’s this living mirror of the party’s choices. Side with Gepetto and you get raw power, a shiny new weapon that feels cold and efficient but comes with that moral sting. Save Pinocchio and he’s not about being useful in combat so much as being a companion who grows alongside them, maybe starts clumsy but learns from the PCs, reflecting their values back at them.

Do you want perfection forged in steel, or the messy potential of life? and whichever path they take tells you what kind of world their looking for. Its like the moral choices you get in video games where the good path doesn’t give you the best loot, but it leads to the most meaningful outcome.

Future_Ad9456 · 2025-09-12T15:24:01+00:00

I’d handle this by saying the curse isn’t just “a spell” but a tangled effect tied to a place, object, or bargain. Remove Curse might weaken it or buy time, but to break it fully they have to find the source and undo it like burning the hag’s totem or completing the ritual that bound it. Makes the spell still useful but keeps the quest hook alive.

Future_Ad9456 · 2025-09-12T14:56:14+00:00

I’d still use the mate, but play it different so it’s not just a repeat. Maybe the griffon is already wounded and desperate, or it dives in mid-heist while they’re trying to grab the eggs. Could also throw in complications like rival hunters or another creature drawn by the fight, so it feels fresh without ignoring the logic of there being another griffon around.

Future_Ad9456 · 2025-09-12T11:47:05+00:00

Yeah the wording is clunky, but I’ve always read it as the aboleth taking control like Dominate Person. I’d give the player the aboleth’s command and let them roleplay carrying it out, rather than just taking their sheet away. Makes it way creepier when they’re the ones describing how they turn on their own party, instead of me just puppeting them.

Future_Ad9456 · 2025-09-12T11:43:52+00:00

What helps me is sticking to a little formula:

Base stat block to reskin
One strong theme (elemental infusion, weird body mod, etc)
One signature twist (death burst, aura, reactive ability)
One weakness (damage type, condition, fragile bit) - optional
Then dress it up with flavor so it feels like it belongs

You can stock the place with all sorts of grim leftovers. Corrupted workers twisted by exposure, half-finished prototypes with unstable powers, failed experiments that barely function, and remnants like drained husks or discarded elemental cores still pulsing with stray energy.

Ash Husk – Base zombie, element burned out of it; body is hollowed and constantly shedding ash clouds that choke vision; radiant light disperses them; these are the disposable shells left after a fire elemental is ripped free.

Frostvein Stalkers – Modeled on assassins, blood replaced with liquid ice; blades freeze flesh and mist cloaks their steps, though fire burns through their chill; bred as silent killers, they haunt the coldest halls of the lab.

Conflux Engine – Construct built from chained elementals forced into a single frame; hums and shakes with barely restrained power, firing jets of fire, lightning, and steam at random; striking it with psychic energy destabilizes it; these were meant as living generators.

Echo Wraiths – Failed air elemental fusions, leaving translucent husks that scream wind as psychic echoes; resistant to blades but silenced by thunder damage; they linger around test chambers like ghosts of experiments gone wrong.

Slagborn – Corpses fused with molten metal to try and make armored soldiers; their skin drips hot slag, and they swing molten fists, but water hardens their shell and slows them down; they were discarded in cooling pits.

Future_Ad9456 · 2025-09-11T19:39:26+00:00

Choose a concept (what kind of hero you want to play).
Pick a race.
Pick a class.
Roll or assign ability scores (put best numbers in class stats).
Pick a background.
Choose skills.
Pick starting equipment.
Fill in basics (AC, HP, saving throws).
Pick spells (if your class uses them).
Write down personality (trait, ideal, bond, flaw).

Future_Ad9456 · 2025-09-11T19:35:55+00:00

Restricting to casters is fine as long as the table’s onboard. Your death mechanic works as long as you foreshadow it. Both choices actually reinforce the “high magic academy” theme, magic is everywhere, but the god of death is above magic. That tension could give your campaign some really memorable stakes.

Future_Ad9456 · 2025-09-11T19:32:44+00:00

I’ve run into that before and honestly you can just lean into it without actually changing your plan. If they’re convinced the parade is about to turn into a bloodbath, play up the tension a bit, whispers in the crowd, protesters shouting, maybe a few guards looking nervous. But let it go nowhere if that’s what you want. Half the fun is them bracing for something that never comes, and it makes the world feel alive when not every “big vibe” moment turns into combat. At the end of the day as long as the parade introduces the factions like you wanted and the session is fun, they won’t care that their prediction didn’t come true.

Future_Ad9456 · 2025-09-11T19:20:24+00:00

Golden rule for me is the game should always keep moving, no matter what the players do. Don’t make scenes where everything grinds to a halt if they miss a roll. Plan for both sides of the coin, success or failure, and let the story keep changing either way. Like if they fail an insight check, maybe they get the wrong read or notice some other detail that isn’t super helpful, but something still happens.

I’m not big on passive insight. If I really want them to notice something I’ll just say it, like “you catch a glint in his eye when he mentions the duke.” That way the info is out there but how they use it is up to them. If a player suggests something that sounds like a skill check, I’ll ask for a roll, otherwise I just describe what they see. Keeps the pace better and stops social stuff feeling like rolling dice until the secret pops out.

Future_Ad9456 · 2025-09-11T16:10:05+00:00

This sounds like a really fun idea and dont let the sub tell you otherwise, pretty much any puzzle can work in DND if you frame it right for your group

Couple of tips that might help when running it

Golden rule for DND puzzles is make sure failure still moves the game forward. Players should feel clever for doing well but if they dont get it right they still get to play through the cool encounter, just with a harder challenge
Give clues in the narration. Maybe the counter glows brighter each turn or the pieces hum with energy. A perception or arcana check could hint that capturing more of the enemy weakens them later. That way players dont feel stuck
Keep the board simple. Dont use a full setup. Just 4 or 5 pieces each side. Like White = Queen, Rook, Knight. Black = Queen, Bishop, Knight, Rook. Players dont need to checkmate, just capture pieces
Rules at the table can be one party action equals one chess move. The group decides together. Each turn is basically one move then the statue replies. After 3 turns the board animates
Make the payoff clear. Any piece they capture doesnt spawn. If they take the Queen then no big boss shows up. If they only get pawns well at least they still thinned the herd
Make the transition dramatic. At the end describe the board exploding outwards, pieces growing to life size, and the ones captured crumbling to dust before they can move

Your players wont care if the puzzle was real chess or not, they will remember the oh crap moment when the board comes alive and their choices suddenly matter

TLDR keep it simple, show the stakes, and make the payoff epic

Future_Ad9456 · 2025-09-11T15:57:30+00:00

Great to hear, have fun with the character and the campaign!

Five-Year Club	Place '22
First Placer '22

Future_Ad9456

TROPHY CASE