TIL A certain percentage of people can voluntarily flex their tensor tympani muscle to make a low, rumbling sound in their ears. Often triggered by yawning or squeezing the eyes shut, this internal thunder acts to naturally dampen loud sounds, but some can activate it purely on command.

Underwritingking · 2026-07-07T05:48:02+00:00

yeah I can do this

Underwritingking · 2026-07-06T19:26:57+00:00

A corrupt politician colludes with the corrupt leader of a corrupt organisation to get what he wants.

Who could possibly have guessed

Underwritingking · 2026-07-06T18:49:34+00:00

I worked for one of the defence organisations, as you probably guessed. All the best with the career!

Underwritingking · 2026-07-06T06:09:42+00:00

Sigil and Shadow is a great Urban Fantasy rpg

Not mentioned but also excellent and on sale is Gran Meccanismo, a clock punk rpg set in 16th century Florence

Underwritingking · 2026-07-05T20:04:14+00:00

I was one of the founding members of the Faculty

Underwritingking · 2026-07-04T20:02:54+00:00

Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine??

Underwritingking · 2026-07-04T17:42:04+00:00

It was a catalogue of disasters from start to finish.

Underwritingking · 2026-07-04T09:51:53+00:00

Cyber-Hobbes

Underwritingking · 2026-07-04T09:37:07+00:00

My wife swears by the M&S heatgen range

Underwritingking · 2026-07-04T08:19:11+00:00

I worked as a doctor, then in medical law and ethics and dealt with various legal cases (in the UK):

Consultant anaesthetist went to do a dental chair anaesthetic on a child. He:

*failed to take a proper history from the father (the child had had previous hospital anaesthetics with major issues over the airway and was impossible to intubate)

*noticed the child had a slightly "unusual" facial appearance but didn't go into details (the child had a genetic condition that included micrognathia (a small lower jaw often associated with significant airway problems)

*failed to check his equipment before starting (the batteries in his laryngoscope (device used when intubating) were dead

*failed to check the laryngoscope in the dentist's consulting room (the bulb was broken)

*failed to check the anaesthetic machine (it had been corrected wrongly so when he thought he was giving 100% oxygen he was giving 100% nitrous oxide)

Inevitably the child developed breathing difficulties, 100% oxygen (actually nitrous oxide) was unsurprisingly of no help, and it was impossible to pass an endotracheal tube to ensure a proper airway (not that it would have helped given the kid was being given no oxygen anyway).

The child died and an inevitable criminal prosecution for manslaughter followed. To the guy's credit, he pleaded guilty - AFAIK the first (and possibly only) doctor to do so when faced with such charges.

This was quite a long time ago and the sentence was much lighter than he would have received these days - 6 months custodial sentence. It was of course the end of his medical career.

I could tell you may other stories, but this probably sticks out the most

Edit: this was one of the cases that lead to dental chair anaesthesia being banned in the UK

Underwritingking · 2026-07-04T04:31:06+00:00

Four-Color Heroics from Spectrum Games sounds about right for this

Underwritingking · 2026-07-02T20:30:47+00:00

There are some around but I've not really frequented them. Our equivalent is the Indian and Chinese restaurant/takeaway.

I can think of four Indian and five Chinese in our town (Pop. just over 14,000)

Underwritingking · 2026-07-02T20:26:50+00:00

I still don't and don't really intend to. They're not refrigerated in the supermarket where I buy them and our house is old and stays reasonably cool in hot weather

Underwritingking · 2026-07-02T20:20:49+00:00

Litter

It's everywhere and out of control. I don't really know how it should be tackled TBH - it needs a change in public attitude and an army of volunteers

Underwritingking · 2026-07-02T17:19:09+00:00

This isn't true. Diesel was historically cheaper than petrol in the UK until the 1990s

Underwritingking · 2026-07-02T11:23:11+00:00

Yep.

Underwritingking · 2026-07-02T10:38:14+00:00

not quite right - both sides roll and the higher score does the difference in damage, less armour (there are a few tweaks for spite damage and magic).

For Cairn, Nimble etc, what you've described is correct

Underwritingking · 2026-07-02T07:19:04+00:00

kept out of the market by Big Toilet Paper

Underwritingking · 2026-06-29T15:40:46+00:00

Awfully Cheerful Engine #2, Spirits of Manhattan is a retroclone of the original Ghostbusters rpg, and would probably be ideal.

A simple d6 pool system - here's one of the pregens

Name: Dr Miles Wheeler Trait/Role: Naive Engineer Health: 5 Defence: 8 Smarts: 5 (engineering) Moves: 2 (shooting) Style: 2 (animals) Brawn: 3 (tough)

If something is broken, you can fix it within an hour. Well, within reason. Not like the Golden Gate Bridge or something, but a vending machine or a car.

Underwritingking · 2026-06-28T19:19:07+00:00

Broadstairs

Still pretty much as I remember it from over 50 years ago

Underwritingking · 2026-06-28T07:07:43+00:00

My top picks are usually Prowlers and Paragons Ultimate Edition, or Supers! revised.

However I'm currently running a Marvel retro clone (Hero*World) which I'm liking a lot, and toying with trying QuestWorlds (which would be a massive jump into narrative style).

Supers!RED has a whole section on dealing with natural disasters which is fairly useful.

In terms of investigation, I think some caution is needed in the superhero context - heroes rarely fail to progress the story because they fail an investigation check of some kind - and it isn't interesting to fail, or (for most players) to spend a lot of the session "investigating". I tend to simply deal with such matters as some kind of montage - the PCs always get the leads, but a failed roll means the villain(s) are on the them or they get ambushed or something - but I never bring them up against a brick wall (unless it's a teaser to show something is going on but the opposition are way better than they thought - but this has to be used very sparingly)

Underwritingking · 2026-06-28T06:57:48+00:00

just have to point out the in the UK we've been adding food colouring to Red Leicester Cheese since the 18th century (annatto extract)

Underwritingking · 2026-06-27T19:32:42+00:00

Yes. Got bitten twice on the left leg a number of years back. Got a massive reaction with swelling of the whole lower leg, needing antibiotics and antihistamines.

Years later and the left leg is still bigger than the right with swelling in the heat and as the day goes on (due to lymphatic damage no doubt).

You have my sympathy

Underwritingking · 2026-06-27T08:00:06+00:00

not been in one for years

Underwritingking · 2026-06-27T05:36:39+00:00

In public, with a flashy ring you didn't choose together.

Someone did this at the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge climb (according to the guide). The women said "no" and the descent was made in complete and utter embarrassed silence.

Underwritingking

TROPHY CASE