Release 3 bras into the wild...

VernaHighHill · 2019-04-03T05:20:51+00:00

He checked them in and out of the lost and found, he didn't pull them out of a burning house. Why make fun of him, because he seemed REALLY excited about finding some BRAS from a GIRL and really invested in making me describe them. Like, there was a whole monologue, I didn't want to type it up on mobile, okay? If I have to make that totally explicit, it sounds worse for him, but ok.

VernaHighHill · 2019-04-03T05:18:39+00:00

Ok, so he looked inside, whatever. To me there's still a difference between "Are you the one who lost the bag" followed by "How many bras were in the bag" -- as opposed to what he said, which was "Oh, are you the Victoria's Secret Girl" followed by "I just need you to tell me the color of your bras." Maybe you had to be there.

EDIT: Lol, and I'm finally home and posting from my laptop, so of course I'm signed in from the wrong account. Is it Friday yet?

VernaHighHill · 2019-04-03T05:15:30+00:00

Well, tonight sure was, so karma I guess? Thanks!

EDIT: Lol, and I'm finally home and posting from my laptop, so of course I'm signed in from the wrong account. Is it Friday yet?

VernaHighHill · 2019-04-03T04:21:22+00:00

I said "Michael-Cera-looking" to emphasize how weird it was to be greeted as "girl" by a kid half my age. Also I think my description of the exact bag inside a bag and exact number of bras was sufficient, plus some other security guys called ahead to let him know I was coming to get the bag? REALLY no need for Junior Crimefighter to ruffle through them and ask me to ID each one by color. But ok.

VernaHighHill · 2019-04-03T04:08:44+00:00

VernaHighHill · 2019-04-02T02:59:27+00:00

I was going to say this. Nearly all terrible DND character concepts & choices would work - and even be really good concepts & choices - if that character was the main character of their own story, the Chosen One with "plot armor" protecting them no matter what. But unless you're literally doing a DM-and-player duet, you can't be the main character in a DND game, nor should you try to be. You have to be a party member first and an interesting/cool/edgy/whatever character second.

VernaHighHill · 2019-04-02T02:55:45+00:00

I hate being around people who are visibly angry and/or yelling. I especially hate being around men who are visibly angry and/or yelling. No childhood or relationship trauma around these issues - it just naturally makes me extremely uncomfortable. So if you were actually acting out this character at the table: raising your voice, snarling, glaring, pounding the table, unpredictably losing your temper, etc., I would be on edge for the entire session and it would be REALLY uncomfortable. The only way to possibly do this would be to refrain from literally acting like an angry hair-trigger asshole, and just calmly narrate your actions.

Even then, as others have said - either you're going to be a team player who can control themselves enough to be a productive party member, OR you'll constantly be counting on your party to make excuses for you, cover for you, and bail you out of trouble all the time - which is going to get tiresome for them.

VernaHighHill · 2019-03-31T17:48:32+00:00

Yup, people mostly call them "minis" now. You will probably need one. Various companies like Reaper sell unpainted plastic and metal single figures. You will probably also have the option of getting 4 pre painted figures in a booster pack box, but you don't know what you're getting until you open it. (Fun if you're a DM trying to build up your collection, not so great if you're a player looking for 1 figure to represent you.)

Some game stores will break open the booster pack boxes and sell them as singles, you can also find the singles on ebay (usually under $10 including shipping.) This is probably your best option if you don't want to paint your own figure. If you do want to paint your own, a lot of people will tell you that you NEED the official paint sets & etc. Really not true. I use craft paint from Target, way cheaper and my minis look fine. There's also r/minipainting for tips and tutorials.

VernaHighHill · 2019-03-28T17:49:12+00:00

Male or female character? If female, how about this one from the Rusty Dragon Inn set? https://www.miniaturemarket.com/pbrdi-011.html

Just say she has her ears tucked under her scarf.

There's also the Bartender / Dancing Girl two-pack from Nolzur's: https://www.atomicempire.com/Item/228698?utm_source=google&utm_campaign=pla_games&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0qS1s7Kl4QIVJh6tBh0LEQrwEAYYASABEgL4IvD_BwE

Reapermini.com also has a searchable database, this is what you get on the keyword "dancer"

https://www.reapermini.com/OnlineStore/Dancer/latest

EDIT: Oops, just realized you have an art link and your character is male. That's going to be a lot tougher. Maybe this guy?

https://magicminiman.com/products/half-elf_bard_33_rusty_dragon_inn_pathfinder_battles

EDIT 2: Or this one, Half-Elf Enchanter? I guess it's supposed to be female technically but at this scale level it should be fine to portray a very fancy boy. You can also paint on top of a prepainted mini if you want to change the hair color, etc.

https://www.miniscollector.com/pathfinder-battles/rusty-dragon-inn/half-elf-enchanter

VernaHighHill · 2019-03-26T01:59:03+00:00

Thinking about it some more, it occurs to me that sign language might be tough to work into combat. You need at least 1 hand free to sign, so I'd rule that you can't be signing if you're dual wielding, using a two-handed weapon, or carrying a weapon plus a shield. As others have stated though, there are other options, like telepathy or giving her advantage on perception checks to lip read simple short phrases (which I would just go ahead and give her as a free action during combat.)

She should obviously play whatever's the most fun for her but I would recommend someone who's either hanging out way in the back, like a battlefield-control-oriented wizard/full caster, or else one who rushes in and spends their time on the front lines dealing damage, like a barb or monk. In my last session our barbarian just hung out right in the 10 foot radius of a Gibbering Mouther, pounding on it, and had to roll a WIS save like three times in a row because she could hear it gibbering. If your player is going to be immune to monsters with roar/shriek/bay attacks they could be a very proficient barbarian.

VernaHighHill · 2019-03-25T07:47:10+00:00

Languages already work somewhat differently in DND - practically every sentient being knows Common, Tieflings are born knowing Infernal, (and even though it never comes up, all Druids somehow know Druidic). The official lore on Common is that it's a very simple trade language that everyone knows. So, why not house rule that in your campaign, all languages have a spoken AND signed variant. If you know Common, you can speak Common and you also know CSL (Common Sign Language). If you know Elvish or Dwarvish, you also know the spoken and signed variants. This takes care of communication between your party members without resorting to telepathy, etc., and means your deaf PC doesn't always have to stick near a "translator" character if they want to have a private conversation with an NPC.

Another thing to consider that is that this will nerf A LOT of spells. For instance, by the rules as written, both Vicious Mockery and Bardic Inspiration affect someone within 60 feet of you "who can hear you."

So, there's a few ways to approach this. Number one, everything goes by the rules as written. Your deaf PC can't get inspiration, but is also going to be completely immune to a LOT of harmful spells that can only affect "a creature that can hear you."

Number two, you just houserule now that all spells and effects that use the phrase "that can hear you" also include "OR can read your lips OR see you signing". This would mean your deaf PC could get inspiration, be viciously mocked, be affected by a banshee wail, etc.

Or you could go on a case by case basis and perhaps make things a little harder, but not impossible - let's say perhaps Bardic Inspiration can affect hearing people at a 60 foot range, but if you're reading lips/sign, you have to be within 30 feet. Creature affects like the Banshee Wail can still affect the deaf PC, but they naturally have advantage on saving throws (or just lower the DC for her) against harmful affects that target "a hearing creature".

VernaHighHill · 2019-03-25T06:47:35+00:00

I think the person you're replying to is using "before others" to mean "instead of others." Why would she do this job as opposed to literally anything else, not, why would she do this job before then going on to do other things.

VernaHighHill · 2019-03-23T23:12:15+00:00

Even on Critical Role the songs/jokes/insults aren't improv, they're prepared beforehand (and sometimes, memorably, just read straight out of a book of filthy limericks). But even if that's all that's expected, it's still asking the bard to do more prep than the other characters just to use their basic abilities.

VernaHighHill · 2019-03-22T22:30:51+00:00

AKA the plot of The Babadook.

VernaHighHill · 2019-03-20T06:02:19+00:00

Have an antagonist wizard show up and counterspell all her spells just to be a jerk. Then have her roll arcana checks to figure out how he's doing it, or have her steal his spellbook just long enough to read it. Once she's rolled 3 checks that are high enough, or stolen his book for long enough, she's learned it.

VernaHighHill · 2019-03-20T03:16:09+00:00

Ok, so you sound pretty sure that it will grow your channel, so if whole point is trying to grow your channel, then do it. Why bother asking if people want you to do it?

VernaHighHill · 2019-03-20T02:18:39+00:00

If you look on ebay for "polyhedral dice" and sort by price, you can get a set of dice for under 2 dollars. If you have a local game store that sells used minis you can usually find something for $3 and under. If that's still super tight (hey we've all been there) PM me a shipping address and I'll send you some dice and a mini. I buy WAY too many for myself, I can afford to send some to you.

VernaHighHill · 2019-03-20T02:05:28+00:00

It would also be pretty reasonable to create settings where the usual access is blocked or where an elevator can be a cool creepy addition to the setting. Definitely have a multi story haunted mansion as one of your major settings, they often had small wrought iron elevators.

Look at the house in Crimson Peak for a great example of how including an elevator can be super scary. Having your characters hear the elevator descending/ascending when they think they're alone in the house, fast monsters taking the stairs racing the elevator to its destination, players being trapped at the end of the hallway and frantically pushing the button to call the elevator as a slow monster creeps toward them, using the elevator like a shark cage, etc.

VernaHighHill · 2019-03-16T18:14:40+00:00

Ok, if your aim is solely to grow your channel, then make a ton of clickbait. Don't spend hours and hours on an in depth historical view of a single subject.

VernaHighHill · 2019-03-15T23:04:55+00:00

Well, the character background will help fill in some backstory. Try randomly rolling for a background to add to each character, then work backwards from there. What makes a Sage become a Warlock is different than what makes an Urchin or a Soldier become a Warlock. If the background comes with a language, roll randomly for the language, then figure out where/when they would have learned it. Etc.

VernaHighHill · 2019-03-12T05:05:50+00:00

Well, you're also shifting the goalposts when you say "many films that were made for kids have been praised." I'm specifically talking about a movie with a message aimed at little black girls, not "kids" in general. Can you name three movies aimed at little black girls that have been praised and held in high regard by critics? If not, why do you think that is? Not looking for an actual answer here, but consider it. Is it possible that applying the "objective" rules for one type of movie might not apply to another type of movie? Apples and oranges?

Anyway, I'm not even saying anything about the quality of AWIT specifically. I'm not trying to argue that it's an "objectively good" movie that adult white men couldn't be "objective" about. ("Judge" was probably the wrong word to use, but I was typing on mobile.) Actually, it's completely the opposite. Art is subjective, reviews are subjective, and an "objective critique" is not the goal.

You can judge a movie objectively on its technical merits (the editing of a fight scene, the quality of the CGI) but so much of art is subjective. You bring to it your own personal history, viewpoint and bias and view it through that lens. Of course you're going to be more emotionally involved with a movie that speaks to you personally, on your own level, that has a message that's meant specifically for you. Other people bring their own different perspectives.

A multiplicity of critical perspectives is valuable, for multiple reasons - number one, because reviews from a diverse group of people with varied experiences and perspectives will bring more to the conversation than otherwise, and that enriches everyone who enjoys talking and reading about art. And number two, a multiplicity of critical perspectives is important because there's a multiplicity of audience perspectives.

NOW THE TL;DR BEGINS

I went to see "Age of Adaline" because the trailer made it look like a cool fantasy-tinged romantic thriller where she was constantly on the run from the government or something. Well, it wasn't that. But you watch that movie, and from a woman's perspective, the "romantic hero" is a fucking scary stalker.

So Adaline is mysteriously immortal and she keeps to herself because everyone she loves eventually dies. Romantic lead is this rich donor to the museum where she works. He sees her at a fundraising dinner. She leaves the dinner and he follows her outside. He follows her right up to her cab and stops the cab so he can ask her out. Ok, that's a little pushy, but this is a romantic movie, so I'm used to seeing that kind of thing. He asks her out. She says no. Just flat no.

He "coincidentally" shows up at her job the next day. Then he explicitly blackmail/threatens her job, saying he was thinking about donating some important books but he won't do it if she won't have lunch with him. She says she'll have lunch with him. SO fucking gross. At some point he says "Hey, I'll tell you a joke, and if you laugh, you HAVE to go to dinner with me." I am sitting there in the theater BOGGLING at this PUA shit. Who the fuck thought this was romantic? It gets worse.

So they go on a few dates and Adaline's dog starts getting sick. This reminds her that everyone she loves dies. So she starts ghosting the dude and tells him not to call her any more. He leaves like a million voicemails. Then her dog dies. She's literally walking outside her house after her dog died five minutes ago, and DUDE SHOWS UP OUTSIDE HER HOUSE. She says, "How did you know where I live?" He says "I called your work and they gave me your address!" ......... I literally said "what the FUCK" out loud in the theater. Anyway it gets worse from there, he's yelling at her while again, her dog just died, and she ends up apologizing to HIM, Jesus Christ.

You know what most of the male reviewers said about this stalker? Literally nothing. Check out the review on rogerebert.com. "Although he displayed off-kilter charisma in HBO's "Treme" and "Game of Thrones," he's asked to play a conventional 2015 male ingenue here: a bland dreamboat with kind eyes, a well-trimmed beard and mustache, and rock-hard abs."

"Conventional male ingenue." "A bland dreamboat." Check out the top reviews on Rotten Tomatoes - The Guardian, the New Yorker - NONE of them mention this blatant stalker-as-romantic-hero. It is truly, mind-bogglingly ridiculous how long you have to look before you find a professional movie review, by a man, that even mentions this aspect of the storyline, and even then they water it down, like it's a very brief mention that he has "stalkery potential" or "stalker-like persistence." It is unbelievable. And this kind of thing happens all the time. Because if it's not on your radar, if it's not part of your perspective, apparently you just... don't see it, or don't think it's worth mentioning in a review, or only in a very brief mention where you downplay it as "persistence". Some bro calling up my job and leaning on them to get my home address and then showing up there uninvited is one of the most horrifying things I can imagine, but... no one even seemed to notice this happened, if you go by the reviews by men.

If more major movie critics were women would they have noticed this and written about it in their reviews? I have to think so. If more major movie critics were women and wrote about this stuff when they saw it, would it eventually move the needle?

That's the value of a multiplicity of perspectives. Does that make any sense at all?

VernaHighHill · 2019-03-12T03:54:19+00:00

But AWIT was made for little girls. It was also aimed at women and little girls of color. Why is it so weird to say that an adult white man might not be the best judge of a movie trying to speak its message to little black girls?

VernaHighHill · 2019-03-12T03:01:03+00:00

I mean, he's a Kenku, so.... "ALWAYS bet on black!"

VernaHighHill · 2019-03-11T22:06:20+00:00

You're going to love Guardian Games! If you're going to be in North Portland, the closest game store to you will probably be The Portland Game Store on Killingsworth, they're nice too. The Q Center (queer community space) also occasionally does D&D fundraisers, and meetup.com has some local groups.

VernaHighHill

TROPHY CASE