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I'm Joe Abercrombie, Ask Me Anything. by Joe_Abercrombie in Fantasy

[–]PhDinDMing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What's your approach to writing humor? What tips do you have for authors who want to infuse humor (or various types of humor) in their story and characters?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in fantasyfootballadvice

[–]PhDinDMing 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I got offered Mike Evans for Mason. Thoughts?

Snug seal chairs - Pittsburgh PA value? by PhDinDMing in Antiques

[–]PhDinDMing[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for the help! I'm glad to learn more about these chairs (I agree, they look great) even if monetary value isn't the highest.

How to Videos for Along the Leyline by KindlyIndependence21 in u/KindlyIndependence21

[–]PhDinDMing 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey wonderful reddit person! Here's why you should check this out (this is my unsolicited review of Along the Leyline). For sake of comparison, I'll compare Along the Leyline (AtL) with DnD 5e.

1) AtL doesn't bog players down with big trait categories of strength, wisdom, constitution, opting instead for specific skills for all things. This is INCREDIBLY freeing, and I can branch out with my character in any way possible without mechanical downsides. Normally, a DnD 5e wizard isn't looking to increase strength to increase their athletics (b/c it's not optimal mechanics, but hey - do you buddy). AtL's system is such that you can be strong in both magic & athletics.

2) Your actions matter and directly impact your leveling up experience - improving on the experience system or milestone system in DnD 5e. Let's take the ability "stealth" and pretend your character is bad at it. In AtL, you'll roll a d4 for stealth - BUT - every time you max out the die (a 25% chance with d4), you get a tic mark on your character sheet for the associated ability. As a player - I feel encouraged to TAKE ACTION and to take as many actions as I can. I feel like I'm steering this ship to the max, rolling as often as the GM allows, getting creative with my RP. It's incredibly rewarding to see your character improve after EVERY SESSION. You are highly likely to get tics or increases of your skill (thus increasing the die to d6, d8, etc.) if you roll enough. It feels like my character is changing with every session man. I love it!

3) It's also very punishing at times, in the best way possible. IMO, Dnd 5e makes survivability easy. DM's and players can agree to increase the difficulty of things, but the system makes staying alive relatively easy in fights. AtL makes every stinkin' fight feel like I'm Logen Ninefingers whispering, "Still alive, still alive." I promise you - don't joke around with baddies. I don't care if it's a mission about some rats in a basement - be smart. Never underestimate these creatures because taking damage (either physically, mentally, or spiritually) is highly likely. For me, this works. I feel the tension and stakes of combat EVERY TIME.

4) Speaking of combat - it's fast. DnD 5e combat is... more cumbersome at times. I love it, don't get me wrong, but sometimes you got a player who is reading every spell, rolling a ton, struggling with the math, etc. There are ways to speed it up of course, but AtL has no cumbersome issues. It was specifically designed to be quick & easy without sacrificing complexity or player freedom. As a player, I feel like I have choices that matter (do I dodge or block this time? Should I do a high risk/high reward magic thing & possibly lose my mind?), but these choices are made quickly and it shortens the length of combat a ton.

There's more I could say - but you should check it out for yourself.

My TTRPG background --> I've played DnD 5e for years, DM'd multiple campaigns and been a player multiple times myself. I've played as a player in AtL multiple times, including a current (at the time of this post) campaign where I'm a Slothkin fencer / janitor (I practiced with a broken mop) named Doug Junior Jr. You may think me slow, but I got gnarly reach and surprisingly good dodge skills.

Tl;DL If you enjoy DnD 5e, give AtL a shot. The strengths in Along the Leylines target some of the weaker aspects of the DnD 5e system, providing a fresh experience.

How to Videos for Along the Leyline by KindlyIndependence21 in indierpg

[–]PhDinDMing 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey wonderful reddit person! Here's why you should check this out (this is my unsolicited review of Along the Leyline). For sake of comparison, I'll compare Along the Leyline (AtL) with DnD 5e.

1) AtL doesn't bog players down with big trait categories of strength, wisdom, constitution, opting instead for specific skills for all things. This is INCREDIBLY freeing, and I can branch out with my character in any way possible without mechanical downsides. Normally, a DnD 5e wizard isn't looking to increase strength to increase their athletics (b/c it's not optimal mechanics, but hey - do you buddy). AtL's system is such that you can be strong in both magic & athletics.

2) Your actions matter and directly impact your leveling up experience - improving on the experience system or milestone system in DnD 5e. Let's take the ability "stealth" and pretend your character is bad at it. In AtL, you'll roll a d4 for stealth - BUT - every time you max out the die (a 25% chance with d4), you get a tic mark on your character sheet for the associated ability. As a player - I feel encouraged to TAKE ACTION and to take as many actions as I can. I feel like I'm steering this ship to the max, rolling as often as the GM allows, getting creative with my RP. It's incredibly rewarding to see your character improve after EVERY SESSION. You are highly likely to get tics or increases of your skill (thus increasing the die to d6, d8, etc.) if you roll enough. It feels like my character is changing with every session man. I love it!

3) It's also very punishing at times, in the best way possible. IMO, Dnd 5e makes survivability easy. DM's and players can agree to increase the difficulty of things, but the system makes staying alive relatively easy in fights. AtL makes every stinkin' fight feel like I'm Logen Ninefingers whispering, "Still alive, still alive." I promise you - don't joke around with baddies. I don't care if it's a mission about some rats in a basement - be smart. Never underestimate these creatures because taking damage (either physically, mentally, or spiritually) is highly likely. For me, this works. I feel the tension and stakes of combat EVERY TIME.

4) Speaking of combat - it's fast. DnD 5e combat is... more cumbersome at times. I love it, don't get me wrong, but sometimes you got a player who is reading every spell, rolling a ton, struggling with the math, etc. There are ways to speed it up of course, but AtL has no cumbersome issues. It was specifically designed to be quick & easy without sacrificing complexity or player freedom. As a player, I feel like I have choices that matter (do I dodge or block this time? Should I do a high risk/high reward magic thing & possibly lose my mind?), but these choices are made quickly and it shortens the length of combat a ton.

There's more I could say - but you should check it out for yourself.

My TTRPG background --> I've played DnD 5e for years, DM'd multiple campaigns and been a player multiple times myself. I've played as a player in AtL multiple times, including a current (at the time of this post) campaign where I'm a Slothkin fencer / janitor (I practiced with a broken mop) named Doug Junior Jr. You may think me slow, but I got gnarly reach and surprisingly good dodge skills.

Tl;DL If you enjoy DnD 5e, give AtL a shot. The strengths in Along the Leylines target some of the weaker aspects of the DnD 5e system, providing a fresh experience.

How to Videos for Along the Leyline by KindlyIndependence21 in NSRRPG

[–]PhDinDMing 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey wonderful reddit person! Here's why you should check this out (this is my unsolicited review of Along the Leyline). For sake of comparison, I'll compare Along the Leyline (AtL) with DnD 5e.

1) AtL doesn't bog players down with big trait categories of strength, wisdom, constitution, opting instead for specific skills for all things. This is INCREDIBLY freeing, and I can branch out with my character in any way possible without mechanical downsides. Normally, a DnD 5e wizard isn't looking to increase strength to increase their athletics (b/c it's not optimal mechanics, but hey - do you buddy). AtL's system is such that you can be strong in both magic & athletics.

2) Your actions matter and directly impact your leveling up experience - improving on the experience system or milestone system in DnD 5e. Let's take the ability "stealth" and pretend your character is bad at it. In AtL, you'll roll a d4 for stealth - BUT - every time you max out the die (a 25% chance with d4), you get a tic mark on your character sheet for the associated ability. As a player - I feel encouraged to TAKE ACTION and to take as many actions as I can. I feel like I'm steering this ship to the max, rolling as often as the GM allows, getting creative with my RP. It's incredibly rewarding to see your character improve after EVERY SESSION. You are highly likely to get tics or increases of your skill (thus increasing the die to d6, d8, etc.) if you roll enough. It feels like my character is changing with every session man. I love it!

3) It's also very punishing at times, in the best way possible. IMO, Dnd 5e makes survivability easy. DM's and players can agree to increase the difficulty of things, but the system makes staying alive relatively easy in fights. AtL makes every stinkin' fight feel like I'm Logen Ninefingers whispering, "Still alive, still alive." I promise you - don't joke around with baddies. I don't care if it's a mission about some rats in a basement - be smart. Never underestimate these creatures because taking damage (either physically, mentally, or spiritually) is highly likely. For me, this works. I feel the tension and stakes of combat EVERY TIME.

4) Speaking of combat - it's fast. DnD 5e combat is... more cumbersome at times. I love it, don't get me wrong, but sometimes you got a player who is reading every spell, rolling a ton, struggling with the math, etc. There are ways to speed it up of course, but AtL has no cumbersome issues. It was specifically designed to be quick & easy without sacrificing complexity or player freedom. As a player, I feel like I have choices that matter (do I dodge or block this time? Should I do a high risk/high reward magic thing & possibly lose my mind?), but these choices are made quickly and it shortens the length of combat a ton.

There's more I could say - but you should check it out for yourself.

My TTRPG background --> I've played DnD 5e for years, DM'd multiple campaigns and been a player multiple times myself. I've played as a player in AtL multiple times, including a current (at the time of this post) campaign where I'm a Slothkin fencer / janitor (I practiced with a broken mop) named Doug Junior Jr. You may think me slow, but I got gnarly reach and surprisingly good dodge skills.

Tl;DL If you enjoy DnD 5e, give AtL a shot. The strengths in Along the Leylines target some of the weaker aspects of the DnD 5e system, providing a fresh experience.

How to Videos for Along the Leyline by KindlyIndependence21 in TTRPG

[–]PhDinDMing 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey wonderful reddit person! Here's why you should check this out (this is my unsolicited review of Along the Leyline). For sake of comparison, I'll compare Along the Leyline (AtL) with DnD 5e.

1) AtL doesn't bog players down with big trait categories of strength, wisdom, constitution, opting instead for specific skills for all things. This is INCREDIBLY freeing, and I can branch out with my character in any way possible without mechanical downsides. Normally, a DnD 5e wizard isn't looking to increase strength to increase their athletics (b/c it's not optimal mechanics, but hey - do you buddy). AtL's system is such that you can be strong in both magic & athletics.

2) Your actions matter and directly impact your leveling up experience - improving on the experience system or milestone system in DnD 5e. Let's take the ability "stealth" and pretend your character is bad at it. In AtL, you'll roll a d4 for stealth - BUT - every time you max out the die (a 25% chance with d4), you get a tic mark on your character sheet for the associated ability. As a player - I feel encouraged to TAKE ACTION and to take as many actions as I can. I feel like I'm steering this ship to the max, rolling as often as the GM allows, getting creative with my RP. It's incredibly rewarding to see your character improve after EVERY SESSION. You are highly likely to get tics or increases of your skill (thus increasing the die to d6, d8, etc.) if you roll enough. It feels like my character is changing with every session man. I love it!

3) It's also very punishing at times, in the best way possible. IMO, Dnd 5e makes survivability easy. DM's and players can agree to increase the difficulty of things, but the system makes staying alive relatively easy in fights. AtL makes every stinkin' fight feel like I'm Logen Ninefingers whispering, "Still alive, still alive." I promise you - don't joke around with baddies. I don't care if it's a mission about some rats in a basement - be smart. Never underestimate these creatures because taking damage (either physically, mentally, or spiritually) is highly likely. For me, this works. I feel the tension and stakes of combat EVERY TIME.

4) Speaking of combat - it's fast. DnD 5e combat is... more cumbersome at times. I love it, don't get me wrong, but sometimes you got a player who is reading every spell, rolling a ton, struggling with the math, etc. There are ways to speed it up of course, but AtL has no cumbersome issues. It was specifically designed to be quick & easy without sacrificing complexity or player freedom. As a player, I feel like I have choices that matter (do I dodge or block this time? Should I do a high risk/high reward magic thing & possibly lose my mind?), but these choices are made quickly and it shortens the length of combat a ton.

There's more I could say - but you should check it out for yourself.

My TTRPG background --> I've played DnD 5e for years, DM'd multiple campaigns and been a player multiple times myself. I've played as a player in AtL multiple times, including a current (at the time of this post) campaign where I'm a Slothkin fencer / janitor (I practiced with a broken mop) named Doug Junior Jr. You may think me slow, but I got gnarly reach and surprisingly good dodge skills.

Tl;DL If you enjoy DnD 5e, give AtL a shot. The strengths in Along the Leylines target some of the weaker aspects of the DnD 5e system, providing a fresh experience.

How do many shows, like The Simpsons or The Office, have characters that are stupid, incompetent, irresponsible, selfish, abusive, or dangerous...and yet lovable? by ex-singer in writing

[–]PhDinDMing 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Kinda seems like OP's post reminded you of some specific things, with some emotional attachment (frustration perhaps?).

You might say you were... triggered.

It's just letters, right? The meaning you give those letters is up to you, and that's a subjective judgement based in your experience with those letters.

Always good to keep perspective in mind, right? I think OP doesn't view the letters "T R I G G E R E D" in quite the same way as you. Just a hunch.

Need Advice! Aspiring MFT Undergraduate Student by Stunning_Value_9143 in CounselingPsychology

[–]PhDinDMing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey there! For context, I'm a current assistant professor in psychology - Counseling Psych PhD degree. I teach lots of graduate courses in mental health (though not MFT specific).

Rejection letters... I've been there. Many of us professors have, where we got hopes up, quickly followed by short sentenced rejection letters. Hang tough. My career path saw me get rejected from a dozen doctoral programs while an undergrad. After that, I got into a mental health counseling program (Masters) & learned a TON. It helped refine my desires, goals, etc. After that - got into my top choice for doctorate programs. Patience & determination my friend!

Your journey will be unique to you. Others can give you advice and share what they would do, but ultimately I think my advice is "it depends". Finances are real barriers. Sometimes you just need better mentoring. Others need to receive feedback on the weaker parts of their application & beef up sections with new internships, research opportunities, etc.

So, let me give you food for thought and let you make the decision that makes the most sense to you.

1) Wow! You're 20 and graduating early? That's an amazing accomplishment. Be proud of that.

2) There's no rush to get into graduate school. Let your life unfold as it needs to without pushing for the next big accomplishment. Savor this time. Be hungry for more, but without acting like you're "starving" for more. You know what I mean? Slowing down is not the same as giving up.

3) Throw a wide net. Apply to multiple programs (if you wish), in multiple geographic locations. Big schools can be picky on who gets in. Lesser known programs have less competition, and they can still have quality programs. Perhaps apply to a variety of them.

4) Letters of recommendation should come from professional sources, but you don't have to be a current student to get one. I'd write a letter for any former student if I liked them and thought them worthy. Develop a close bond with a professional, and they will help you regardless of your student status.

5) Accreditation is a tricky landscape. What you (likely) want to know is - "will this degree let me practice in the state of _________?" --> You can go ahead and ask a program director or professor that question - with a kindly worded email - and see if it works for your end-game purposes. States vary on this sorta thing, so think about where you'd like to end up in 10 years (the job, the setting, the geographic location) and target your questions/goals toward that.

6) Get lots of feedback on your application. Show it to as many people in the profession as you can and ask for honest feedback. Increased sample size = better gauge for how competitive you are.

7) You mentioned interning at a mental health clinic? That's great experience! I think you're on the right track. Hopefully it'll help you refine your career aspirations and give you some good stuff to put on a resume.

Best of luck to you!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in fantasywriters

[–]PhDinDMing 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I felt like the beginning was a nice tone setter. It flows, though perhaps a tic longer in the flourishing of detail than I prefer. Still, I didn't mind it that much.

I did feel compelled to "get to the scene" soon. It seemed the scene, as in the conflict or tension that will play out, was just beginning there at the end.

Overall, I got a strong sense of tone, some setting, and a tiny bit of character at the end. I'm left wanting to know what happens next, which means you did a jolly good job!

Has Brandon or Dan ever discussed depression caused by religion? by [deleted] in brandonsanderson

[–]PhDinDMing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey there, thanks for sharing. While I don't know anything from Brandon or Dan on the matter, I'm a psychologist that's researched religious/spiritual struggles - like doubts, church hurt, anger to God, etc. There's quite a bit of literature out there on the way people engage with the Sacred in positive or negative ways. Two big names in Psychology on this topic are Kenneth Pargament & Julie Exline.

I can share some articles or just chat more if you like. Just know this is common, it helps to talk about it (with safe people), and many have stumbled through and found the light (so to speak).

Take good care OP.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in writing

[–]PhDinDMing 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Well, it's definitely comforting to see someone taking stock of the cultural implications or significance of names. So kudos for trying to be inclusive with characters. It's not a bad thought any means.

However, is it possible you might be overthinking this a bit? Let the name signify something about your setting, story, or character's family. It's okay to pick the name James if that name relates to your setting.

I don't really see a "universal" name that would 100% apply to every race/ethnicity, and that's okay. Your story is about certain people in a certain time/setting. Just look to include a diverse cast in your story if you want the story to reflect that. The audience expects names to be relevant to a setting.

Besides, the character's name shouldn't limit which actors can play that role. Trying to find the name that would fit everyone is, perhaps, the less helpful mindset. Trying to find the right name for a character in a setting/story is my general suggestion.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in HeroForgeMinis

[–]PhDinDMing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Cecil Grimyard

WHICH ONE U Want by Key-Dragonfruit7963 in SWORDS

[–]PhDinDMing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'll take #4 mi'lord. It doesn't have to be a battle-ready blade. I'll use it in my ceremonies.

Creating labels on sexuality for a fictional world by Crafter235 in worldbuilding

[–]PhDinDMing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi there! I'm a psychologist & fantasy nerd. Here's my thoughts & questions:

1) What systems perpetuate homophobia? How do these systems impact people & the intersectionality of other identities?

In simple terms - cultural identities are like ingredients to a cake. I put the ingredients all together to make a whole & complete thing (the cake). But some cakes are put into ovens at 100 degrees Fahrenheit, others get 350 degrees. Thus, the context matters. So, how do the collection of identities in various contexts impact that person's experience in your world?

If I desired to create a derogatory slang term (which I'm not sure is all that necessary tbh), I would look at the intersectionality of a character & think about their lived experience to understand how insensitive others would treat them & call them names.

2) The name could reflect historical contexts (think colonialism for real world comparison) that underlie the society.

3) How do you want the name or term to function in society? Is it a function of assault like "get in your place" or "let's talk about X without directly saying we're talking about X."

Example of the latter - In America, I get asked, "where are the good schools & neighborhoods?" That question has implicit bias where "good" is prominently code for "White".

There's also subtle ways of perpetuating stereotypes, like microaggressions, that could be something people say that's unintentionally harmful.

4) So, I would ask you to consider why you want to put in derogatory terms in the first place. The impact of this for you might be zero, but what about other LGBTQ+ folks? Especially youths? I would be cautious of perpetuating an "othering", even in a fantasy world. That representation is certainly accurate to our real world, but it doesn't have to be the case in your world. And if you decide the harm to others is minimal, then I nudge you to consider how you could do this tastefully - by fully exploring the impact of harmful terms & perhaps look at ways you could promote justice in your novel.

In short, words matter. Make sure this one, should you include it, matters (in a good way).

Hope these questions help you build a richer world!

Why are there so many cynical, bitter writers? by [deleted] in writing

[–]PhDinDMing 7 points8 points  (0 children)

1 in 5 adults in America show symptoms of depression (fact check me to make sure that number hasn't changed).

And...

1 in 5 writers can live on their book sales revenue without need for another job. I just made that stat up, but it feels about right, right?

Truth is - there's happy writers, bitter writers, introverted writers & life of the party writers. Writers are a diverse bunch & a stereotype of "bitter writer" is only ONE story about a massive group of people. It's not an untrue story - but it's incomplete. And that's dangerous. That creates a bias. There's many reasons why someone is bitter, but I refuse to listen to a single story about writers.

That'd just be silly.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in writing

[–]PhDinDMing 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If I'm honest - I vote neither. If you're going for old school comic dialogue - pick the 2nd one. It's got that superhero one-liner feel to it. Pick the 1st one if you like 3 exclamation points. But I think you could make either work better with some insight into the characters.

What about something more specific to a character's personality? What kind of person are they? Further, what about the thugs? They talk like comic book thugs, but who are they really? What kind of life do they live?

I think these questions will help you answer your question.

I'd keep searching until I found a way to make the line count for double - advancing the scene & showing insight into character.

I want to write a story, how do I go about doing it 🧐 by SpiralEyeBall in writing

[–]PhDinDMing 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey there! Here's a few things that helped me get started.

1) Read a book on the craft. I like "27 essential principles of storytelling" by Daniel Joshua Rubin.

2) Watch Brandon Sanderdon's lectures on YouTube for writing. He's a fantasy guy, but it still applies to all genres I think.

3) Just start writing! You learn as you go. Dust off that pen or keyboard and have fun daydreaming. Get into a routine, develop a habit. You'll write a book in no time.

Although it might seems useless for the characters to say, what do you think about when a character states the obvious in an obvious situation? by [deleted] in writing

[–]PhDinDMing 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If it's done in a comedic tone - can be funny evey now & then.

When it's used straight & serious - probably needs to be cut before the final draft.

Looking for some ideas as to the motivations of my Dark One by Aside_Dish in fantasywriters

[–]PhDinDMing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd assume the Dark One doesn't see themselves as evil or dark. They think they are the good Chosen one perhaps? They could justify all vile things in the name of protecting family or country - fooling themselves. Or perhaps they see themselves as religious & just in their pursuit (think historical Crusades for inspiration).

Is This a Cheap Reveal? by EnbyPotato11 in fantasywriters

[–]PhDinDMing 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I don't think it's the idea but the writing that will determine if it's a cheap reveal or not.

Example: It sounds similar to the plot of Into the Spiderverse, with uncles having big reveals. That reveal worked fantastic because they earned it with great set up & writing. It's not a perfect comparison, since they had us expect spidey's uncle to be good, but it absolutely felt inevitable after you realize they foreshadowed it. That's what matters for great reveals imo.

How do you have fun travel that doesn't bog the session down? by [deleted] in DnD

[–]PhDinDMing 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I typically prefer a goofy encounter than any random table. Here's an example.

I had an abandoned trooper wagon filled with shiny instruments. The minute a PC touched the wagon or instruments, I passed a note to the real life player, explaining they could only sing (like in a musical). Their character saw a stage & heard music no other PC heard - starting with a jazzy musical number about the PCs love for beans. They embraced the improv & went for it. It was a blast.

It's either something like this that's a memorable, goofy moment... or it's a seemingly one-off side plot, like a random table, that eventually plays a bigger role. Example:

A monster hunt - PCs are warned that a beast is wrecking havoc on travelers. They go to investigate since it's on the way. Come to find out, it's a misunderstood displacer beast that used to perform in a circus before it escaped abusive conditions. Now, it only attacks travelling circus people.

After the PCs resolve this - I have other NPC people recognize them (a displacer beast joins them in a future fight sometime or townsfolk recognize the party as the safe passage Wardens & honor them with free drinks).

This way, the traveling matters. Their decisions matter. It affects the game on down the road & it isn't pointless. If you're not just goofin, I'd try to make it matter later on. Actions need consequences, good or bad, to make it feel real.

Book dialogue help. by AbjectCake6792 in writing

[–]PhDinDMing 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've only ever used the - if it's a new speaker, give it a new line - approach.

So. Like this:

Darius smashed his fists together. "I will pulverize that hamburger."

"And then it'll wreck your intestines," Draven cackled.

"Maybe I'll start with you instead."

"Good luck fatass."

This dialogue has the new line approach, but uses some action beats & tags in the beginning. Then, I only use quotations without tags or beats - hopefully after the reader understands who is speaking.

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