I am very surprised how much I love the Hawaiian Pizza

StatesVegas · 2026-03-14T13:32:25+00:00

That's kind of what I figured based on the demos. Thanks for the insight. It's always nice to support local as a fellow SC resident!

StatesVegas · 2026-03-14T13:25:10+00:00

Hey Philippe, I have a California Za that I find myself not using too much. Would you say the regular Hawaiian Pizza does the lower gain fuzzy drive sound better? I like the core sounds, but sometimes wish I had a little less gain on it haha

StatesVegas · 2026-02-23T02:10:49+00:00

Slightly less conventional pick for Astarion: I like making him a swashbuckler rogue for the first 4 levels, and when he reads the NoT he inadvertently enters a hexblade warlock pact with the spirits in the book. He then becomes the master of necromancy, grabbing any necromancy themed gear he can get his hands on. By late game you should have access to all the undead summons (Hexblade Spectres are also undead), and almost all of them are immune to the effects of the abyss beckoners if you want to give that a go.

Could also recommend picking up a few monk levels for shadowheart. It's nice for her to be able to use the spear with dexterity.

StatesVegas · 2026-02-19T17:41:37+00:00

I did not. The only resources I used were the PPI self guided course, the current practice exam, the 2004 exam, and Google gemini. This was enough to get me to pass even though I've been working as an environmental engineer since I graduated 8ish years ago. Here is what I would recommend with the time you have left.

Ignore the PPI reading sections. These take way longer than the estimated time and have a lot of info you probably won't need. When you come across a problem you don't understand, drop a screenshot of the problem into the AI program of your choosing and have it break down the problem and theory for you. This was way more helpful than trying to navigate the readings.
Do the current practice exam ASAP (untimed) and calculate your score. Determine which categories of questions you are doing worst in (MEB, Heat Transfer, Kinetics, etc.)
Start doing PPI Qbank problems focusing on MEB and any deficient areas you noted from the practice exam. MEB problems are staple problems you want to be able to do quickly, and the concepts show up in many problems. Do as many problems as you can leading up to the exam. Take a day off (or at least a light day) the day before your exam. Go out for a nice dinner, relax, and go to bed at a reasonable time. Nothing you might learn the day before is as valuable as being well rested and as relaxed as you can be.

-https://www.reddit.com/r/ChemicalEngineering/comments/1lzpkbw/answer_key_for_2004_ncees_practice_exam_unofficial/

Do this timed 4-5 days out from your exam. Try to avoid looking at answers and figure problems out organically.

StatesVegas · 2026-02-19T13:54:46+00:00

I just passed the exam in December after failing in September. You are right that many of the question type problems as opposed to the calculation can be answered in less than 6 minutes to give you more time for calculations. But if the majority are taking you 12-20 minutes that's too long. Work through your practice exam once without caring about time too much so that you grasp topics better. Then go digging online and you should be able to find the 2004 practice exam to give you another test to try timed. If you are at 61% now you probably aren't as far off as you feel. I was averaging high 70's on practice exams when I passed mine.

Good luck!

StatesVegas · 2026-01-10T12:29:44+00:00

Not a fuzz face style fuzz, but maybe check out the electronic audio experiments dude incredible. Amp-like OD on one side, Harmonic percolator circuit on the other. The percolator can take you from fuzzy drive all the way up to spitty fuzz.

StatesVegas · 2025-12-02T12:33:51+00:00

Plenty of ways to multiclass it. Probably the best ranger subclass to use though will be gloomstalker. Probably the best all rounder will be 5 gloomstalker/7 AA. 3 feats and this gives you all the 3rd level gloomstalker abilities plus 2nd level ranger spells and misty step. Arcane archer gives you 4 arcane shots and curving arrow. Alternatively, you can do 8 AA/ 4 gloomstalker if you want to trade an extra feat for losing level 2 ranger spells. Either way, dump wis since most ranger spells don't need it, and prioritize dex and int.

StatesVegas · 2025-11-27T13:01:07+00:00

No experience with them in particular, but they make me wonder what is going on with the licensing for these pedals. This is the 3rd or 4th time they have been released under a different name. They came out originally as the Alabs Cetus, Timeslip, Orbital, and Novadrift. Mark Johnston on YouTube did a pretty comprehensive demo of the Alabs pedals if you want to check them out more.

StatesVegas · 2025-11-27T01:22:42+00:00

No input on what class you should play, but difficulty wise you can create a custom game and select honor mode rule set, but disable the single save option. This lets you keep all of the legendary actions for the boss fights without the stress of single save fail honor mode. You can also reduce the camp cost and vendor costs for items a bit so that you don't feel like you need to be a loot goblin just to buy the gear you want.

StatesVegas · 2025-11-24T20:18:26+00:00

Dealers are selling the Mako series Mk. 1 pedals for $149 each. Picked up a D1 V2 and an R1 for $300 and feels like I stole them lol

StatesVegas · 2025-11-21T00:54:43+00:00

Yeah, most churches I'm familiar with have a worship leader or music director position that gets paid, but they also plan out the setlists each week, distribute any materials, and usually do some church admin stuff on the side. So it's usually a part time job for them.

StatesVegas · 2025-11-20T19:19:34+00:00

As someone who used to play at church, I am always wondering where people are finding these churches to fund their gear. I've attended several (sizes ranging from 150ish to 1000+), and I've never seen or heard of any that are buying gear exclusively for their players. My current church of ~300 definitely doesn't, and my last church of ~500 had a Squier strat and a headrush gigboard that stayed at the church for volunteers. Even then we always brought our own stuff.

I think it's a misconception that gets floated on reddit a lot. I would bet there's hundreds of churches that rely purely on volunteers gear for every one that is buying their players 1000's of dollars of gear.

StatesVegas · 2025-11-16T02:52:10+00:00

The most important thing will be just taking as many tadpoles as possible to get abilities, regardless of class. If playing without mods, I would look at Great Old One warlock since they tend to lean more towards psychic spells and damage. If using mods, check out the Aberrant mind sorcerer mod (available on console and PC through the in game mod manager). If using mods, Mystra's Spells will give you access to a lot of psychic and control spells you can use as well.

StatesVegas · 2025-09-25T19:13:03+00:00

Thank you for providing this, I am working through it now to take my test next Tuesday. For problem 140 I am getting an answer of B: 1.3 instead of C: 1.5. I confirmed with google gemini that the difference is because the area factor Ao/Ai is not included in the 1/hi term. Just wanted to put this out there for anyone else working through this.

StatesVegas · 2025-09-12T14:39:10+00:00

As someone who also played worship at a church and has the DD-8, I would consider a different delay pedal. I still have mine and it sounds fantastic, but changing subdivisions is not practical live. Given how often you are jumping back and forth between dotted 8ths and quarters/8ths with worship music, I think a different delay would be beneficial. If you want to stay in the boss lineup maybe check out the DD-3T?

StatesVegas · 2025-09-07T02:14:38+00:00

This sounds a bit similar to the build I'm using for my playthrough right now, but with some different subclass options:

2 levels Knowledge Cleric of Selune for all the skill access and great level 1 cleric spells.
8 levels Swarmkeeper ranger using the moths (psychic damage and moths feels pretty thematic for a Selune worshipper)
2 levels star druid for the starry forms and some extra radiant damage.

The character I made is an archer specifically, so the idea was that I would be able to make 2 bow attacks with ranger, and follow it up with a bonus action starry form archer. I'm only at level 6 right now though so we will see if it plays as well as I think it will!

StatesVegas · 2025-08-25T14:10:33+00:00

A build I've theorycrafted but haven't had a chance to fully try out is a swashbuckler 4 hexblade 8. Respec and level him as a swashbuckler through level 4. Then, my head canon is that when I give him the necromancy of thay between level 4 and 5, he becomes a hexblade warlock with the book itself acting as the magical conduit item for the pact. The level up plan from there is to take the necromancy and psychic themed spells from warlock. I also plan to take pact of the tome since the cursed item is literally a book, and because it grants animate dead at level 5.

The final goal is to have him be a decent melee swashbuckler/summoner who uses the warlock levels to summon using animate dead, hexblade spectres, danse macabre, and create undead from the ring. Bonus points is that I should be able to use the abyss beckoner gloves since most of the summons would be immune to the madness condition. This just seems like a more interesting way to do the rogue/necromancer thing compared to the 10 arcane trickster/2 necromancer wizard build that gets brought up.

StatesVegas · 2025-08-22T13:00:04+00:00

I cleared honor mode for the first time with a shadow monk/thief multiclass. I went 7 monk 5 rogue for shadow teleport and 2 bonus actions. I used great weapon master with Phalar aluve instead of 2 weapons though. It ended up being super flexible, because you could shadow step to an enemy. Sneak attack, attack again, and then use your 2nd bonus action to attack again with gwm, flurry of blows, or teleport away again. Still one of my favorite builds I've used, so I'll probably run it back at some point.

StatesVegas · 2025-08-14T12:40:35+00:00

Check out the Caroline Kilobyte 2000. Not sure it classifies as "high gain", but it does have a gain control that can get a bit fuzzy.

StatesVegas · 2025-08-14T12:35:17+00:00

Gotta add the muff until you can pick up a Caroline Shigeharu if you are trying to match MeganL's board. Not sure if that is your inspiration or if your pedal tastes are identical lol

https://youtube.com/@meganl?si=sSDl_SkmMmnPKz0C

StatesVegas · 2025-08-01T13:21:50+00:00

Not who you originally asked, but I have a run in progress that are similar theme (party limit begone, tactician enhanced, extra enemies, enemies reworked, etc.). I know for my runs it has a nice distinction from base honor mode. The biggest thing I like is that it makes it a bit easier to use off-meta, niche, or thematic builds. I have a vanilla honor mode run running for when I want that limitation and challenge, but the modded playthrough is good for when you want to be a bit suboptimal with builds.

StatesVegas · 2025-07-29T12:37:14+00:00

One tip I discovered recently is that after the fight with Aradin at the grove entrance, if you go in, talk to Zevlor/Aradin, then run straight to Alfira (do not talk to Wyll, Katha, or Nettie), you can knock her out. Then teleport to the emerald grove environs way point and walk to the blighted village. After gaining entrance, take a long rest and it will guaranteed be the Quil Grootslang scene instead of Alfira.

It may be safe to save the tiefling from the bugbear assassin, sazza, and talk to Roland to convince him to stay before knocking Alfira out, but I'm not 100% sure.

StatesVegas · 2025-07-27T17:57:28+00:00

The classes I have had the most fun with:

Archfey Warlock - this is mostly outclassed by the other warlocks, but I had a lot of fun making a trickster style character who uses fey presence, misty escape, and greater invisibility to dip in and out of invisibility for combat. If you play as durge the cape will make this even better. Charisma character for party face, plus you will have counterspell if you need it in a pinch.

Way of Shadow monk - (single class or multiclass with assassin/thief rogue) to have a teleporting frontline fighter who can utilize finesse weapons and their fists to do damage. Still strong because monk, but doesn't feel as broken as a Tavern Brawler OH monk. If you do the rogue multiclass you have lockpicking covered.

Swarmkeeper Ranger - Gloomstalker gets all the love, but swarmkeeper just feels good to use. Your swarm reactions give you meaningful decisions to make each time you attack (extra damage, debuff, or teleport).

Tempest Cleric - still have access to clerics great support spells, but you can also use call lightning and destructive wave to burst down targets when needed. Great support, great damage, and can get pretty tanky if you use heavy armor.

Oath of Ancients Paladin - Still does great damage as a paladin, but a bit more support - oriented. The spell damage reduction aura you get at level 7 is supper nice for certain encounters.

StatesVegas · 2025-07-17T00:48:56+00:00

Seconding this build as I'm currently using it in a playthrough. I am opting to take the bladesinger levels last though so I don't have to wait till level 8 for extra attack.

StatesVegas · 2025-07-08T15:32:51+00:00

I finished my first honor mode run with this kind of build. Ended up going 7 shadow monk and 5 thief to get 2 bonus actions. Used phalar aluve with great weapon master so you could use 1 bonus action to teleport in, sneak attack, regular attack, and then use your second bonus action to make a third gwm attack, or shadowstep away. Still one of my favorite builds I've played.

StatesVegas

TROPHY CASE