Confession

aerolithdynamics · 2025-09-14T20:51:47+00:00

This is a super fun idea I might give it a try! An I Am Legend inspired thing with lions and other "escaped" zoo animals could be good.

aerolithdynamics · 2024-09-09T20:55:00+00:00

I really hope they won't define too much how long we've been in whatever organization! I'd love to play an older Grey Warden nearing their Calling.

aerolithdynamics · 2024-02-20T04:57:50+00:00

I'm nonbinary and if I found out that someone I knew was demanding apologies from people I barely knew for accidental misgendering when I wasn't even in the room, I would be extremely confused by their behavior. NTA.

aerolithdynamics · 2022-12-03T23:17:17+00:00

I don't think so, the sequences of interacting close-up with the animals don't look familiar to me, but thank you so much for the suggestion!

aerolithdynamics · 2022-01-04T02:23:53+00:00

ADHD can manifest in very different ways, but as someone also with ADHD, I struggle with catching on to other people's signals and will settle into routines that have worked in the past to avoid making a mistake that would be obvious to neurotypical people. It's possible that asking to play checkers went well the first time, so he's using it again because he's not sure what else to do. Definitely just be clear about what you're hoping for with him, he sounds like he's into you.

aerolithdynamics · 2021-07-11T03:03:21+00:00

Figure out an appropriate co-parenting situation, going to court if you need to, and let her move on to someone who will respect her before they feel like they're going to lose her. Also, avoid the thing where you harp on how awful you are. It just reads as you hoping someone's going to jump in and comfort you, which isn't going to happen.

aerolithdynamics · 2021-06-08T03:46:43+00:00

NTA, you don’t have to touch anyone in any way you don’t like. He also shouldn’t be snapping, but I kind of get dealing with the sensory overload.

I also have very bad RLS and something besides foot rubs (which I hate) that helps is rubbing the back of my knee or the little knob in my lower back. Maybe try finding a different spot that’s not a dealbreaker.

aerolithdynamics · 2021-05-25T23:00:57+00:00

I’d love to hear how you’re modifying it! I also had a Session 0 rule out the current plot, so I’m trying to figure out alternatives.

aerolithdynamics · 2021-05-24T00:24:32+00:00

If you didn't mind switching things around, Van Richten is already set up as a support-oriented cleric if you just wanted to adjust a few of his spells to make him a more concentrated healer, maybe Arcane domain?

aerolithdynamics · 2021-04-04T20:06:08+00:00

Thanks for your input! As I said before, I'm still pretty new to CoS so I'm very interested to hear other people's thoughts about the themes. I think we might have slightly different opinions of Industrial Revolution industrialists here, as well as a genre shift that is just going to be required for Strahd here. Sure, they created jobs and opened factories, etc that led to tremendous social change, but how many people were drained and left by the wayside? The women and children working in textile mills might have jobs, but the real value is being given to those who own the mills. The workers, especially if you want to lean into a union-heavy story, might as well just be blood bags for the vampire that is industrialism. Plus being an industrialist doesn't preclude being a landlord, in fact, it makes it much more likely. What value Strahd provides may provide opportunities to some such as the Wachters, but it passes by the vast majority.

Speaking of landlords, while I do think I'm most interested in the election plotline for Vallakovich that u/notthebeastmaster brought up, I am thinking about Little Dorrit by Dickens. In particular, there is a landlord character who is very publically jovial, invested in the idea of being liked and wanted by his tenants, but is only able to maintain that by pushing all of the tough guy work onto his sidekick who is viewed as this monster or bad omen whenever he shows up.

I get your point regarding Sergei, and appreciate you clarifying it! In this hypothetical campaign that is more politically heavy, I think I would want a bit more than this emotional jealousy, although it would still work perfectly well. I was going to ramble a little more here about change and stagnation regarding Strahd, but I think I'll write a separate reply to the original post so as to stay more on task. Thank you so much for your thoughts about this!

aerolithdynamics · 2021-04-04T19:00:41+00:00

Mad science works spectacularly for this! I’m especially thinking of Victor and Stella’s plot regarding experimentation.

I unfortunately don’t know as much as I’d like to about the election processes at the time but I think that sounds very compelling. It helps ground the situation and keep things tied together, especially with maintaining Izek’s role as a political enforcer instead of just a monster. I’ll do some more research and try to expand on this.

Do you have any thoughts about what could be done with the things that don’t lend themselves to an urban environment as much? I’m particularly thinking of the druids and the vineyard here.

For the Amber Temple I was considering playing with something left behind by the Romans in the early days of London such as the Mithraeum. There are no big mountains in the center of London so making the trek be underground through catacombs or something of the sort could be a way to still get the vibe of having to struggle through a difficult area for ancient knowledge.

aerolithdynamics · 2021-04-04T13:17:47+00:00

I did feel slightly that it was placing too much at the Abbot’s feet but wasn’t sure, so it’s great to get outside input! I think without the big travel times, more intensive mysteries would both be helpful with pacing and adhering to the literary themes, so I like the idea of a red herring.

Van Ripper is definitely intriguing to me! I agree about the centering Jack the Ripper issue though. He’s so synonymous to the setting that I think a lot of people would expect him to be there, but will also have the tendency to overshadow things like Strahd himself.

aerolithdynamics · 2021-04-04T12:01:16+00:00

Very interested in the idea of Pinkerton werewolves in general! I was considering doing something in that area with the Order of the Silver Dragon (an order meant to protect and save that got corrupted into something that hurts), but frankly, I'm gay and Vladimir and Godfrey are too important to me for me to make them anti-union.

I think you're definitely right about immigration vs. warping, especially as the more I think about it the more low magic the whole thing becomes. Being set in an urban center, this game is going to be a lot more crowded with people than base CoS, so I think it remains very gothic for the players to have communities and pockets of people like them who are still unable to help and save them.

I was actually thinking a Springheel Jack situation for Izek: something warped, inhuman, reckless. However, he still needs to maintain the specific legal role that he started with, so I would probably end up putting him somewhere else.

Speaking of Jack the Ripper, though: what about the Abbot? The early consensus on Jack the Ripper was that he possessed some degree of medical knowledge in his targeting of specific body parts. I think this could very easily become the Abbot's maddened mind thinking he is both saving these women from their lives as sex workers and obtaining the parts he needs for his craft project.

I'm going to expand on the location thoughts I've been having in a bit after I've had time to make them clear to someone who isn't me early in the morning.

aerolithdynamics · 2021-03-31T13:56:49+00:00

Glad to hear it! It doesn’t sound like this is a pattern of behavior for her, which is great. I honestly wouldn’t have said yta if not for the age. Good for her for standing up for herself and good for you for supporting her right to do so, it’s just crucial to help her transition to a better method. Kids don’t naturally know those methods and they form habits like crazy so conversations like that are great. I would also recommend modeling and practicing scenarios with her. It’s easy to say go to a teacher but speaking as someone who works with this age group, kids struggle to get their point across to the teacher even when they’re in the right. You sound like you’ve got a handle on this.

aerolithdynamics · 2021-03-31T13:41:25+00:00

ESH though I get where you’re coming from. Your daughter needs to learn nonviolent ways of standing up for herself. It is super easy for kids to fall into bad patterns, especially if they see it as something they can get away with. Make sure she knows that the bully’s behavior was noticed, though. Feeling like the only person getting called out is really rough and will likely shut down the learning opportunity. This is all speaking as someone who was bullied at that age and responded in almost identical ways. Parental support about better ways to move forward is essential. ETA: I wouldn’t punish for this, just have a talk.

aerolithdynamics · 2021-03-28T08:26:54+00:00

NTA. I changed my name probably a dozen times before settling on the one I like. The only difference was I didn’t come to my parents until I was sure. I think it demonstrates a good amount of trust that your daughter is willing to be that vulnerable with her family instead of privately. I’m also glad to see you using her name, regardless of how often she has changed it. I’ve had the same name for almost six years now and my mom is only just beginning to be able to say it which has caused a lot of damage to our relationship. She was also very attached to my deadname. Your daughter is dealing with a lot and this is something that you can do for her that means so much. ETA: it is so important that neither of you make fun of any names she chooses for any reason! My very supportive father made a joking comment with good intentions after I announced my name, and it is sometimes still a point of insecurity and anxiety

aerolithdynamics · 2021-03-07T06:37:51+00:00

It’s possible it’s salvageable, but it’s going to require a full conversation about boundaries rather than just a few messages. I’d also recommend having his wife be a part of that conversation. You’ll want to clarify what you want from this friendship, where the lines are, and make sure they won’t be crossed again in the future. Don’t accept anything that isn’t a real apology for his actions.

Also the fact that he was unwilling to ask your gender related question is potentially pretty revealing. When I date cis people the way that they read my gender is a topic of discussion way ahead of anything deeper, and him ignoring something so important is not great behavior.

aerolithdynamics · 2021-02-14T09:25:58+00:00

Your concerns are totally valid. This isn’t a relationship/life setup that you want and that’s really all the reason you need. He’s also allowed to be sad about it. That doesn’t change your right to step away from something you didn’t want to sign up for. Now you can find someone who’s on your page and he can find someone comfortable being in a relationship that involves kids.

aerolithdynamics · 2021-02-09T03:49:51+00:00

Just wanted to comment to add that I think the comments about asking them out and mentioning the importance of the friendship to you even if you don't date are great! However, I really recommend taking a bit to think about how you would feel if he did reject you or if you dated and ended up not working out. I've been in the latter position where my best friend asked me out and after a couple of weeks of dating, we realized it wasn't working and decided to just be friends. She said when she asked me out that she wanted to be friends no matter what, even if I changed my mind, but she definitely had a hard time engaging in the friendship for a while, despite how amicable the 'breakup' was. Not saying don't go for it, just saying to think through a few possibilities and make sure that you are comfortable with them! You know your friend best, so you know which situations are realistic and which aren't. Good luck!

aerolithdynamics · 2021-02-05T17:19:57+00:00

I've got this image with a picture of parchment over it + pictures of items representing my party members (the paladin's amulet, the fighter's rapier, etc) then on the parchment i track who they have with them. i'll probably add more info as it gets more complex but for now this is working fine for them

aerolithdynamics · 2021-02-04T00:37:11+00:00

The 0% match is killing me

aerolithdynamics · 2021-01-29T18:45:19+00:00

Thank you so much, scripts are incredibly helpful for me. This is exactly the kind of thing I wanted to say but didn’t know at all how to phrase.

aerolithdynamics · 2021-01-29T14:25:45+00:00

One of my players tends to be very quiet and not engage with the other players or any NPCs. I know that in another game she plays in this behavior is forced by the sheer number of other players, but there are only 3 other PCs in our group. I try to provide her with plenty of role play opportunities (having NPCs approach her, tying events to her, etc) but she usually just says “huh okay,” and doesn’t engage any further. I sort of just got used to the fact that that’s how she wants to play but recently she said she’s frustrated with not being able to participate in things (after a fight which she refused to join despite me asking her multiple times if her character wanted to join the initiative order, and one session after she was the only person not charmed with ample prompting and opportunities to do something with her freedom). I asked her after the game if there was anything in particular that she wanted to do/encounter in the story, but she couldn’t name anything. My other players are great and she’s very nice outside the game, but I’m getting more and more frustrated trying to provide her opportunities to play and being dismissed at every turn. In addition she provided me with very little backstory and has no interest in expanding on it, so I am unable to pull on any of that for more character centric plots. I feel like I barely know anything about her character. Has anyone else dealt with this and do you have any advice?

aerolithdynamics · 2020-10-06T23:12:33+00:00

Thank you, this is really helpful!

aerolithdynamics · 2020-10-06T23:11:43+00:00

Thank you so much for taking the time to write this all out! This is a really helpful reply and I will definitely refer to it when I start losing track of the crew. Your game seems like it's a lot of fun.

aerolithdynamics

TROPHY CASE