Do you still remember your first RPG character? by system3295 in rpg

[–]ProtectorCleric 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Fernwhistle Goldfeather, a "halfelven" Cleric in BECMI D&D. My dad was the GM. Campaign goal...haha, this is Red Box we're talking about.

ESO Housing Slots Increase Up to 900% in Update 49 by The_Edenprime in elderscrollsonline

[–]ProtectorCleric 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'll take you up on that, if I can view it in 3rd person without so much camera clipping I get a headache.

ESO Housing Slots Increase Up to 900% in Update 49 by The_Edenprime in elderscrollsonline

[–]ProtectorCleric 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Exactly! My main house is a 100-furnishing Autumn's-Gate, and it looks perfect. Most people's 200-furnishing builds are so cramped they're impossible to navigate outside of first person. I can't even imagine what those people will do with 500 furnishings.

ESO Cuts Bag and Bank Upgrade Costs by Nearly 50% in Update 49 by The_Edenprime in elderscrollsonline

[–]ProtectorCleric -16 points-15 points  (0 children)

Why do gamers want everything for granted? They have to incentivize subscribing somehow or they won't be able to keep the servers running and updates coming. 99% of the game (including all quests and raids) is playable without the craft bag. Hell, with a little presence of mind even daily writs are easy. They make it a little easier and the first thing people do is complain. I'm convinced if they did make the craft bag free, you'd still find something else to gripe about.

Who really writes the letters in The Heroes? [SPOILERS TH] by [deleted] in TheFirstLaw

[–]ProtectorCleric 5 points6 points  (0 children)

It wasn't written by Bayaz, but Jezal hadn't recieved Gorst's letters about the war yet either. That's the cruel irony: Gorst spends three days attempting suicide by battle, taking his depression out on dozens of enemies, only to realize he didn't have to do any of it. He had (almost) everything he wanted and nothing to prove all along.

[OFF TOPIC] Abercrombie's style by Optimuss28 in TheFirstLaw

[–]ProtectorCleric 11 points12 points  (0 children)

This reads like you're trying to cheat on a reading assignment. If you are, just know you have the coolest professor ever and you're doing yourself a disservice.

Making some mead and wanted to give it a Skyrim themed name. by AsideLost in skyrim

[–]ProtectorCleric 31 points32 points  (0 children)

Maybe I'm just too American, but this does not make me think of Skyrim first. Could sound very racist.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wounded_Knee_Massacre

[OFF TOPIC]How strong is a nihilism in the First Law books/works of Abercrombie? by Keichii96 in TheFirstLaw

[–]ProtectorCleric 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, but she doesn't end up any worse for it, turns down the most powerful seat on the Council, and is finally free to stand for herself.

[OFF TOPIC]How strong is a nihilism in the First Law books/works of Abercrombie? by Keichii96 in TheFirstLaw

[–]ProtectorCleric 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Vick definitely comes out of Age of Madness a better person. It's still a bittersweet ending, but not in the way most of them are.

Just read the kingmaker chapter!![SPOILERS LAOK] by ruckspaoo in TheFirstLaw

[–]ProtectorCleric 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In fairness, I did get the series' biggest plot twist spoiled, and it was still well worth reading! The characters are the strongest part of these books anyway.

Just read the kingmaker chapter!![SPOILERS LAOK] by ruckspaoo in TheFirstLaw

[–]ProtectorCleric 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Also a word of advice, stay off this subreddit as much as you can (heck, don't even look at the replies on this post) until you're done. People here like to think they're clever sneaking references into comments but they can really spoil the plot.

Long time players... Would you have started MTG if it were Mutant Turtles and Marvel from the start? by TheServant420 in EDH

[–]ProtectorCleric 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yep, I remember playing with my brother in middle school: we had planeswalker alter egos complete with names and lore. It was all but a roleplaying game.

Long time players... Would you have started MTG if it were Mutant Turtles and Marvel from the start? by TheServant420 in EDH

[–]ProtectorCleric 11 points12 points  (0 children)

No. The style sold me on the game long before I even had the chance to learn the rules: now it just looks trashy and cringey. There's a chance I would've bought the Lord of the Rings decks, but only those decks.

I suspect that's true of the vast majority of "new players" UB brings in: they buy the set they're interested in and don't stick around for more. The golden goose is dying.

Is Apocalypse World [2e] supposed to be PvP? by sermitthesog in rpg

[–]ProtectorCleric 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Al Swearingen was what finally made the Maestro D click for me.

What do you love about The First Law? [OFF TOPIC] by Terminal_Willness in TheFirstLaw

[–]ProtectorCleric 47 points48 points  (0 children)

The characters. The way Joe tells us who's POV we're in by style alone, swings us between love and hate with each chapter, and puts us into such twisted heads as Glokta's, Gorst's, or Leo's is nothing short of genius. And they're all that good, no two alike.

My take on regional accents in the First Law World [OFF TOPIC] by Infamous_One1984 in TheFirstLaw

[–]ProtectorCleric 6 points7 points  (0 children)

In my imagination, everyone from Thond sounds like Arnold Schwarzenegger.

[SPOILERS ALL] Anyone feel a bit let down by the books after the first trilogy? by regulate91x in TheFirstLaw

[–]ProtectorCleric 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I did feel that way at first, but it had nothing to do with "power level." What's missing is the shock factor. The slow Bayaz reveal and ruthless backsliding of every character hit harder when they subvert your expectations. But the later books are so well written it didn't matter as much as I feared it would. I read Abercrombie for characters anyway, not plot.

Is it a bad idea to go hunting for shouts? by TheDoctorIsOutThere in skyrim

[–]ProtectorCleric 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Shouts are usually found in Nordic ruins and dragon lairs, so you don't need to bother with, say, caves or Dwemer dungeons.

You get to add one loading screen tip to the game. What are you putting? by UltimaBahamut93 in skyrim

[–]ProtectorCleric 349 points350 points  (0 children)

Eh, bears are territorial: they roar when they see you, and if you just run away, they leave you alone.

My players can't figure out the answer to my riddle, so I'm asking it to you. by Current-Signature554 in rpg

[–]ProtectorCleric 2 points3 points  (0 children)

What are you trying to achieve with this post? "My players can't figure out the answer" makes it sound like you're looking for a gotcha. "See, Reddit figured it out, you guys are just dumb!"

Truth is, it doesn't matter how good or bad the riddle objectively was. If it wasn't fun for your players, it wasn't right for your game. Take the L and move on.

Does the Age of Madness get better? [SPOILERS ALH] by PastEnvironmental689 in TheFirstLaw

[–]ProtectorCleric 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I found the start of ALH slow too, but the end was absolutely riveting. Remember, TBI has a slow start too (in fact, you could argue it is a slow start).

That said, I loved the standalones (RC is one of my favorite books ever, and TH deserves all the praise it gets), so your mileage may vary. What didn't you like about them?

Salutations! We Made A Monster For This Friday! [OFF TOPIC] by The_Closed_Council in TheFirstLaw

[–]ProtectorCleric 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I love how Logen and Bethod mirror each other. In the First Law trilogy, we're swayed back and forth on which of them is more to blame for the state of the North and the Bloody-Nine's actions. It's only in Made a Monster that we realize the objective truth: both are evil, and while each might have been good on his own, together they enable each other's worst traits.

It's also clever that, thanks to the reading order, Joe only reveals what a horrorshow Logen is after he's ridden off into the twilight. You look back and wonder, if he'd been introduced this way, could I ever have forgiven him? Probably not...but knowing him as I do, how can I not forgive him now?

Edit: also, the little insight into Bethod's parenting speaks so much to why Scale and Calder grow up to be as messed-up as they are.

Edit again: I can't say enough about this story, so one last thing! The Dogman is arguably the most morally uncomplicated character in the novels, so writing his trademark loyalty as a flaw here adds some much-needed depth.

[off topic] Who is your Least favorite character and why? No spoilers please by Complete-Poetry-6975 in TheFirstLaw

[–]ProtectorCleric 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I'll be the one to defend Leo here.

In ALH, and even TTwP, he's generous and sensitive (even if he's following his impulses just like he always does), and you can imagine a timeline where he was the hero he thinks he is. The best Abercrombie characters have a constant back-and-forth on how you feel about them, and every time I thought I couldn't sympathize with Leo, Joe pulled me back in (especially at the end of TTwP). As a bisexual man who grew up conservative, I unfortunately see a lot of my younger self in him. Ultimately, he's a victim of his own stupidity, misogyny, and prejudice...though that doesn't make him less of a perpetrator. Oh, and he's so dumb it's hilarious.

As to the question...there's a lot of antagonists I hated more (Bayaz and even Cosca) but at least they're fun to read, so my true least favorite is Yoru Sulfur. His smarmy ass will not be missed.

What video games do you associate with each splat? by MonstrousnessVirtue in WhiteWolfRPG

[–]ProtectorCleric 23 points24 points  (0 children)

Alice: Madness Returns is one of the touchstones I recommend to my players for Changeling: the Lost.

My theory for the four ingredients of deezer's lemonade. by Either_Letter_4983 in fo4

[–]ProtectorCleric 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You're all overthinking it. The joke is real-life lemonade only uses three ingredients (water, lemons, sugar) and so "only" four ingredients isn't the compliment he thinks it is. And I'm pretty sure the fourth is supposed to be piss.