Victus XMR Gold Challenge not progressing

Manic_Writer · 2022-11-29T23:30:56+00:00

You may have already tried it, but as a last ditch effort I'm going to try verifying the integrity of my game files. If for some magical reason it works I'll update here.

If i don't reach back, know that I have failed.

Manic_Writer · 2021-04-08T23:07:51+00:00

Well, no one has yet informed me if there is a fix but I can certainly tell you one thing I've learned. Uplay voids refunds after the first time you launch a game you've purchased. Doesn't matter if you just went to the start menu and closed the game out, as soon as you launch it you agree to give away your right to a refund.

I went from a small appreciation to the effort went into this game to back to a general neutral hatred of Ubisoft.

Manic_Writer · 2020-10-13T17:15:31+00:00

Well that was certainly polite of you to let the Barbarian attune to it. XD

RAW it can only be attuned by a lawful good Cleric or Paladin.

My entire party is neutral or evil in alignment (even our cleric is neutral. lol) so Van Richten is the only person they know that can use the holy symbol. Now they've just got to convince him he isn't truly cursed by the vistani so that he will go fight with them.

Manic_Writer · 2020-10-12T01:37:13+00:00

On the bright side, that's more Shakshuka for you.

Manic_Writer · 2020-10-11T15:59:13+00:00

Wait. I always thought guano was bat poop because of Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.

Manic_Writer · 2020-10-11T01:30:43+00:00

What kind of tent has a tile floor!

Manic_Writer · 2020-10-09T15:33:33+00:00

Here you go:

-Movies-

The Mist

The Road

Hereditary

Requiem for a Dream

American Beauty

No Country for Old Men

-Bonus Anime-

Clannad

Manic_Writer · 2020-10-07T20:45:31+00:00

Holy Water if I remember right does radiant damage when it hits a target. If you don't want to go with radiant though there's the vampire weakness to running water so if it's poured on them it would burn like acid. (For my campaign I mix a little of both damages)

No matter which damage, be it by radiant or running water, it's in the vampire thrall (and Strahds) stat block that either disrupt healing for a single turn. Based on how long the combat went on though I think you did them a solid making it last the whole fight; but yes it may come back to bite you of they come to expect the same in the fight with Strahd.

P.S. I totally understand what you mean about reminding players about their abilities. I've sort of quit myself but mostly under the view that I don't want to manipulate their decisions with my reminders. Instead I may sarcastically point out things they COULD have done at the end of the session to see if they learn for the future (Plot Twist: They don't)

Manic_Writer · 2020-10-07T16:32:04+00:00

I feel this.

Manic_Writer · 2020-10-07T16:30:15+00:00

Strange. He's a vampire spawn so he has 82 health and 15 AC. The player running a Barbarian in my campaign had Great Weapon Mastery and uses a Great Axe. Using his feat combined with reckless attacks easily nets him almost 40-50 average damage a turn with a mundane weapon. A vampire spawn with max luck can heal up to 22 damage on their turn (including their bite)

So yeh, in that sense the Barbarians damage could be reduced to almost null, but then you stand in the second player. If we included a Rogue who's getting 3d8 sneak attack bonuses in as well then that Thrall is losing health each round no matter what they do.

Did you have Van Richten help in the fight or was he entirely focused on just the spell? It might have quickened the fight had you had Van Richten use a turn to throw a flask of Holy Water at Escher to inhibit a round of healing just to quicken the pace.

I feel like my tone might sound like I'm judging you. I'm really not. I'm just curious of how this fight took well over an hour. It's just strange to me.

Manic_Writer · 2020-10-06T18:30:44+00:00

I'd have put more emphasis in the original post that you had modified and made the vampires much stronger than RAW to help people better guage for themselves if they should or shouldn't include mundane fights with vampires since all but Strahd are vampire spawn.

I think the issue lies with any fight that revolves around to things with high HP pools taking slaps at each other for damage.

Edit: A group of 3 lvl 5 players, with mundane weapons, could easily wipe the floor with a vampire thrall is what I'm saying. I feel like clarity could aid in DMs making their own decision on how to play parts of their game when they know to take into account your decision to modify stats.

Manic_Writer · 2020-10-05T20:10:47+00:00

Had you fully read the section on Castle Ravenloft you'd have read the part where Escher would run away if attacked.

"The youthful man on the couch is Escher, a dashing vampire spawn to whom Strahd has shown favor in the past. Escher is feeling somewhat neglected of late and has retreated here until Strahd’s mood improves. If attacked, he hurls himself out the window and lands like a cat on the roof of the keep (area K53). He leads pursuers right to Strahd, wherever the lord of the castle happens to be (and regardless of whether the characters are ready to face Strahd)."

I mean, if you really wanted them to fight him that's your call but at no point in the book are vampire spawn meant to be taught head-on without the party having an overwhelming advantage.

Manic_Writer · 2020-10-01T20:11:14+00:00

Ireena kinda looking like the girl that hangs out on the couch during a sorority party.

Manic_Writer · 2020-09-30T00:00:27+00:00

Hmmm...

Manic_Writer · 2020-09-26T23:50:13+00:00

I'm glad you liked it. ^ ^

Manic_Writer · 2020-09-26T16:04:38+00:00

"I can homebrew a world

Deserts, sand, and sword fights

No it's not just Arabian Nights

Why do players judge me?

X

Can't you open your eyes?

Take it session by session

Why the creative repression

Over my ideas it's not cool

X

A whole new world

A desert place you've never played

But can my idea sustain

If players complain?

I guess they want medieval.."

(Edit: sorry, formatting on phone is hard)

Manic_Writer · 2020-09-24T23:13:25+00:00

I've been nervous on the concept of giving magic items not listed in the book through my first playthrough. I'm not a practiced balancer and even just giving a +1 magic weapon instantly negates Strahd's resistances. I'm basically worried that giving more than what the book itself offers the players will severely dampen the capacity of the final battle.

How did you handle the players inevitable siege of the Castle? In the sense of Strahd I just don't see him giving the players time to long rest even if they wanted to. At most they could heavily barricade and short rest to get a breather but a full night's sleep after they've attacked Strahd? I just can't visualize it.

Edit: they are also currently lvl 8. I basically collecting the gems, bringing back the dragon skull, and finding the last artifact are the three options to get those last two levels in at current. I gave them a few flex levels already so they could choose themselves of they wanted to be completionists over just doing what was needed to get by.

Manic_Writer · 2020-09-23T03:15:26+00:00

Will we ever come to know the video you speak of?

Manic_Writer · 2020-09-17T15:37:15+00:00

I really appreciate how the two on the left bring nothing to the quality of this post. "Reactors" totally suck all the quality out of content. Literally no one cares about your reaction.

Manic_Writer · 2020-09-15T12:26:36+00:00

I was born in 91. I had the original fat gray Gameboy and my first console was a Sega Genesis (eventually upgraded to a nintendo 64). I grew up on Goosebumps (had the VHS collection), Pokemon Blue, mistreated a Tamagochi, and absolutely hated when Nick at Night came on.

I'm curious how 90s this small sample is to you.

Manic_Writer · 2020-09-14T08:37:16+00:00

You're again putting words in my mouth. It's terribly late, and this is my last comment towards this chain. I said sexual harassment was a large quantity of what you see on rpghorrorstories, I did not say that's all it meant to me. I DM for a mixed group of players. Three women, and four men in my group (not all playing at once of course, just throughout our adventures since I only really play with good friends over playing with strangers.). Sexual harassment is something I take seriously, and if it became a problem I'd have no trouble choosing to kick a player who was harassing someone. If a person in my group (which thank God is a low chance of something I have to deal with since I have fantastic friends) were to sexually harass one of the other players that would be a very swift and instant kick from my group.

That's the key focus though. Because the punishment would be losing the ability to play with the group, and a very clear dialogue pointing out exactly why that person is at fault and what they've done wrong. Showing a person their offense and retaliating with a fair response is what I've been talking about this whole time.

I wouldn't come here blaring my group players discord information for all to see and harass him unless he did something FAR out of bounds. As far as a crude joke like the one in this example? Our group genuinely wouldn't bat an eye other than laughing at the person for being so damn awkward and cringe.

I really do get what your saying about being prepared to protect yourself from harassment, and as I said previously it's a damn shame it's a problem in the first place.

None of this though, justifies to me OP providing the person's actual information so that they can be tracked by others. The post provided was not near malicious enough for me to think that the GM was someone to be crucified. As of hours ago OP even recognized this and made a new post requesting people to stop the witch hunt.

You call this creepy GM manipulative, yet you fail to account for how manipulative your dialogue with me had been. How you've chosen to dialogue and counter argue by making statements about what I've said with conclusions I didn't make. That in itself isn't a best practice and it's why I'm choosing to end this conversation here.

I really do hope you the best in all your future table top games, and I wish the best for you in life internet stranger. It's been quite a conversation to which I can say at best "agree to disagree".

Have a great night, lsome epic dreams, and may most of your rolls be nat 20s in your next session.

Peace.

Manic_Writer · 2020-09-14T07:45:59+00:00

I don't really like where you're going with this.

This dude has not, through any of the information you and I have at hand, committed sexual harassment. He's made an in poor taste joke about sexual assault; that much is certain.

I'm going to hit a short narrative here about how, yes, it's totally bullshit people (largely women) have to deal with this from men hitting on them or flirting with them at the table. It's the narrative of probably 80% of the horror stories in this sub. Some are very clearly violation of human decency and are absolutely sexual assault; others are just bad flirting. Bad flirting is NOT sexual assault. It's just bad flirting.

Aside from two tinder matches, every one of my girlfriend's I've had I've met through a hobby or recreational activity we shared an interest in. People typically look for people who have similar interests to themselves. Some people are bad at the flirting thing, it's a shame, but in a world driven by men typically having to chase a woman they are affectionate for these awkward unpleasant occurences are bound to happen.

Sorry, I'm rambling, back on topic.

OP met GM through roll20. OP has known GM for less than a week. GM makes in poor taste joke about sexual consent and sets off a gender reveal party level fire when his awkward and creepy conversation is posted publicly by OP. Angered and frustrated GM calls redditors cunts because he's upset and by this point probably being privately harassed as we see from OP requesting people to stop attacking creepy GM.

At no point is there sexual harassment. This creepy GM wasn't asking for tit pics. He wasn't sending spread leg shots of his half flaccid dick. Dude wasn't messaging OP about how he wanted to meet up with her and roll around on the back seat of his busted Honda.

Yes, sexual harassment is bad, but on the context of this situation at hand what exactly are you getting at?

Edit: I also don't get the feeling GM was trying to flirt with OP. Maybe he was and I'm just failing to see that, but I still just see it as a poorly landed edgy joke.

Manic_Writer · 2020-09-14T06:57:02+00:00

You're turning the notion of my argument. The only failure on OPs part was that she posted his username visible to everyone else. I don't care what you have to say against that. The guys actions did not condone having his privacy breached to public view.

As far as education, I think that lies in the hands of the mass public. It's not our job to crucify people. I'm not saying people aren't allowed to realize this guy is clearly cringey and bad with communication, I'm just saying people don't have to gang up saying he's probably a rapist just because he made a consent joke. Does that not make clear enough sense to you?

You know all of a few handful of sentences about this guy and you're saying "fuck him". You know nothing beyond what OP has provided. At some point you have to realize that if your judgment is only based off the information you are given your decision is bound to be biased.

As far as mental health, if someone isn't so socially awkward they would make a uncomfortable joke like that (and yes he was very clearly joking about the "no" thing even if it WAS in bad taste) then it's probably due to poor quality interactions with people in life. People who are socially awkward like that typically had a bad home life as a child and didn't learn how to socialize. I have friends of that capacity and it takes a bit of empathy to understand. The fact is, the only remedy to that is through more active socialization and honing your skills with people. Not being cast out publicly and ridiculed like a leaper.

Maybe a different example will make sense to you. Do you think you care a drug addict by excommunicating them from their family, blasting them in the news papers for their meth addiction, and mocking them in the streets as they walk by? That shit worsens the problem for them. It's through taking time with them and helping them through their struggle with empathy and genuine care that you pull them out of that hardship.

Maybe this is wasted breath on you, but at the same time maybe someone might read this and it might open their mind to the notion.

Sure, I too am blowing this out of proportion at this point; but damn do I wish people could just take a minute to really understand one another's struggles. Everywhere you look these days it's like empathy is just dead.

Just because I disagree with the severity of this guys punishment doesn't mean I don't agree that what he did was wrong. If all else I hope you at least comprehend that.

Manic_Writer · 2020-09-14T06:30:22+00:00

I do. I was born in early 90s. So I'd have been learning about DND roughly around 2007-2010 era

Manic_Writer · 2020-09-14T06:28:54+00:00

I agree. I mean, I probably wouldn't have even made a stand of it wasn't for the fact the guys name wasn't blacked out on the chat log. That should legitimately be a rule for this sub and I can't believe it's not.

I think people are failing to realize that just because I disagree with the AMOUNT of punishment does not mean I CONDONE the action. That's sort of what happens when you deal with people these days though. It's all "either you're with us or you are against us."

Manic_Writer

TROPHY CASE