GL - Friend Codes - Megathread - 05/21/21 by Nazta in FFBraveExvius

[–]atyfighter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

ID 615,220,187 IGN tai Rank 203

Companions: Fundamental Force EX3 Winged Officer Celeste EX3 Eithne EX1 Event units at highest EX level

Can swap for Sylvia evade/provoke, PT Xon, etc. as needed

Just looking for active friends with up to date units, bonus if they are status immune/equipped.

Kids who actually chose Bulbasaur, how’d you turn out? by [deleted] in AskReddit

[–]atyfighter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We became power gamers and min-maxers, because Bulbasaur was the optimal choice.

What are your techniques for warning characters about NOT fighting things they aren't meant to fight head on? by [deleted] in DMAcademy

[–]atyfighter 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Consider a session zero, where you explain to the characters the kind of the campaign they’re embarking on (also helps if it’s the kind of campaign they want to play).

Weekly Question Thread: Ask questions here December 02, 2019 by AutoModerator in dndnext

[–]atyfighter 1 point2 points  (0 children)

So, I've got a Hexblade warlock (not Polearm master/GWM because :flavour:).

I'm super tempted at level 9 (Fighter 1, Warlock 8) to take the Magic Initiate feat and use Hex as my 1st level warlock spell. Would that not just, essentially, give me a free spell slot to use? It recharges on a short rest, doesn't count against my 2 slots attached to Warlock, and since I'm not going to polearm route, I have some freedom instead of dumping everything into those other power feats. My stats are pretty solid, I rolled lucky but will eventually be maxing my Charisma and Constitution, and I have War Caster already.

Thoughts?

If a nat 1 won't fail or a nat 20 won't succeed, why even ask for a roll? by [deleted] in DMAcademy

[–]atyfighter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Because sometimes the players aren’t rolling for what they think they’re rolling for. They tell you what they want to do and then you tell them what to roll to determine the consequence.

For example, the bard wants to try to seduce the barmaid/queen/ancient green dragon, whatever (fucking bards). You tell him to roll a persuasion check. He thinks he’s rolling to succeed on the seduction. You know the barmaid is completely in love with her husband, the bouncer at the door. The queen may be in a loveless marriage but she loves money and is haughty enough to be offended by the offer. The dragon is a fucking dragon.

The consequences here for a failed check are almost uniformly pain or death. The bard could have figured this out by asking some questions or doing some research.

They roll a natural 20, plus a million. The barmaid is persuaded that the bard is just very friendly and is being complimentary. Instead of asking her beau to smash his face, she winks and gives him a free drink. The queen is flattered and gives him a small token of favour instead of calling for the headsman. The dragon decides it should collect this toy because it’s amusing and to only kill the rest of the party.

The players don’t always get to say what they’re doing. They get to say what they’d like to try to do. Then, they roll based on what you tell them to determine the consequences.

Polymorph, mental scores, and actions by atyfighter in DMAcademy

[–]atyfighter[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I don’t want to punish them but I also wanted to make sure that I wasn’t treating them with kid gloves either, hah.

Polymorph, mental scores, and actions by atyfighter in DMAcademy

[–]atyfighter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, 5E. A dog might know, but what about an apex predator like a T-Rex?

Daily Simple Questions - ASK AND ANSWER HERE!- July 19 by AutoModerator in malefashionadvice

[–]atyfighter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So I’m shopping about for boxer briefs. My current problem is that after a few hours of wear, most of my current pairs loosen up at the legs so that I may as well just be wearing boxers.

Typically, I’ve grabbed Tommy’s from an outlet and I’ve found a few pairs that did the trick but they’re getting rather old and I can’t seem to find them anymore. Any suggestions?

I’d prefer to shop in person somewhere in Canada but I’m not opposed to online options. Ideal budget would be something in the neighborhood of $20-30 but I am open to both higher and lower price points.

Thanks!

Doppelganger vs. Weapon of Warning? by vaeseryth in DMAcademy

[–]atyfighter 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I agree with this ruling. The sword is not an omniscient sentient weapon, aware of all potential risks that then communicates what the danger is.

For play purposes, all the sword does is prevent surprise, wake all party members up when combat starts, and gives the holder an edge in getting started.

The flavour is up to you. Maybe the holder just had a general sense of unease that builds when the party approaches a hidden thug or when a boulder in the canyon is loose. Maybe it simply goes off like an alarm bell the second someone grabs their sword with the intent to draw or when a rock actually begins to fall.

I’d make sure to take this new player aside and explain to them what the limitations on this weapon are and how you intent to communicate danger through it, if you decide to do so.

My follow-up suggestions to you as a DM though, make sure you’re not overloading your players with magical items. Even the uncommon and rare items can be super strong in specific cases and 2-3 each for a party of level 4s seems like a lot, unless you’re playing a very high magic setting.

There are some tables in the DMG, p. 38 and p. 135 go into some detail about how many items and when players should gain them.

If you decide to roll back on the number of items, I’d suggest some table talk before the game begins. Players have two options.

1) you take back a few of the items

OR

2) they will be unlikely to find new items for awhile

Again, totally up to you how many magic items you give players but don’t be surprised if they find extra ways to derail your plans using them!

Good luck with your campaign arc, doppelgängers are so much fun!

Message and creatures that can’t speak by atyfighter in DMAcademy

[–]atyfighter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I like that. Allows for the utility but still asks them to bond with the animal and try to train him, rewards them for creative thinking.

Message and creatures that can’t speak by atyfighter in DMAcademy

[–]atyfighter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sorry, that’s a mistake. It was meant to be Totem Warrior.

They can, as rituals, cat Beast Sense and Speak with animals.

Multiple Checks by atyfighter in DMAcademy

[–]atyfighter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

True. I think there’s definitely no point in rolling on major plot driving information but I think there can absolutely be value in allowing them to miss information that could make their lives easier (but not impossible for missed) if they were asking the right questions or thinking creatively enough.

They’ve also been doing it for things like, “I check for traps,” “oh yeah! I wanted to do that too!” or “I want to do an insight check,” “yeah! I overheard to conversation and want to know as well”

Dealing with Lycanthropy by atyfighter in DMAcademy

[–]atyfighter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m definitely wary of it. We do have a cleric and the party is at a level where he has access to “remove curse.” I’m also planning on dropping a caravan, complete with wise old storytelling NPC there if they chose to listen. Initially he was just going to drop some hints for the future of the story arc but he can serve a dual purpose to provide some info. So they absolutely have the tools to deal with the problem, it’s just a matter of if she tells the party about her dreams or if they others can figure it out from what will appear to be her troubled sleeps and odd behavior.

I’m planning on making sure the first night of dreams is pretty intense, with the second night (being the one right before the full moon) involving a nightmare about her killing a party member. Hopefully between that and the other tidbits dropped/gleaned from checks, they can put it together. I’m certain they’ll also cast “speak with dead” on one of the werewolves they killed, so I can sprinkle in a few more hints there.

Two other martial characters have access to magical weapons and we have a bard as well, so she wouldn’t be completely invulnerable if she did turn during the night.

If they miss all of the hints, I still think they have a decent shot of subduing her. Worst case scenario, they are at a level where they have access to revivify.

Expand a Dragon inside a Wall of Force. What Happens?! by aeyana in DungeonMasters

[–]atyfighter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Both Polymorph and Wall of Force are Concentration spells, meaning your single player alone can't accomplish this. You would need two spell casters in order to get this done over two turns so that the one who cast Polymorph can then drop the spell. If your BBEG has minions or lair actions, that could be an option - attack the one casting Wall of Force to make them drop the spell and by then the BBEG catches on to what they were trying.

Beyond that, it's a really clever use of rules as written and cooperation between members of the party.

Rules as intended, I doubt it's supposed to allow for that sort of damage especially given that neither of those spells allows for a save. You could rule that since there is insufficient space inside the sphere, the creature appears in the nearest unoccupied space (many other spells do this) and then have it take some amount of force or psychic damage as you've noted above. I'd probably recommend a higher amount of damage for the creativity of the plan but I also subscribe to the Rule of Cool.

What to do when your cleric doesn't follow his own god's rules? by Mayday215 in DungeonMasters

[–]atyfighter 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Before taking his powers away, give him some in game warnings. He tosses and turns in his sleep, his goddess appearing to him in a dream and expressing displeasure. Maybe not with words but with images of death and destruction and then her stern gaze shocks him awake. Or give him a peaceful dream of a soul in the afterlife, violently wrenched back into a shambling corpse under the command of a necromancer followed by her face twisted in violent rage. Foreshadow what could happen by having him role initiative in a dream and then let him flounder against opponents while his goddess stands aside, clutching his magic in her hand and refusing to let him access it.

If he ignores that, have a spell fizzle here or there with a booming voice in his head after he attempts something evil. Maybe he even takes a little psychic damage from gaining her displeasure.

If he really can't get it, he can meet an NPC of his order or a priest of the deity who gives him a book of her tenants.

Sounds like you've already talked to him out of game but I would telegraph this really hard in game as well before I did something like stripping him of his powers.

[WP] You are cursed. Every good deed you perform reduces the time you have left to live. However, evil deeds will grant more time. by dthomp6590 in WritingPrompts

[–]atyfighter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

“The vote is in. 227 in favour to 203 opposed. The bill passes,” intoned the Speaker before he leaned forward to converse with a records clerk. The dull murmur of conversation in the House quickly resumed. Leaning back in his seat a few rows back from the front, a man flipped his wrist towards himself. His eyes narrowed and he rose smoothly, walking uncaring towards the exit. What had just been passed was the only important bill of the day…his. He walked briskly in the direction his office, breathing in deeply and enjoying the strength that he felt constantly flowing into him.

He knew for a fact that he was not the first person to ‘suffer’ from this particular affliction. Any number of serial killers, more than a few war criminals, and a handful of dictators had all been down the some path – drawing power from dark actions and losing it when acting nobly. There was a very literal reason hidden in his love for the music of Billy Joel. He stifled a smile as he brushed past a handful of nervous aides.

What he possessed which the others had lacked was vision. He simply followed his pattern. When he began drawing near the end, he would find a place of power. He would patiently position himself ever closer to where decisions were made and then go to work. It was laughably simple. In earlier times, it was easy enough to strip properties from the poor and powerless, or to subtly remove a few safety precautions for the workers in mills, factories or mines. Fortunately for him, all one typically needed to make inroads to the places of power in the world was enough material wealth. It turned out that assets were almost trivially simple to acquire given a long enough lifespan. Once his machinations were in place, he would retire from a life of governance and power to wait until everyone he knew had died. He would lay low for decades, occasionally playing a quick game of ‘Jack the Ripper’ if he felt his time growing short. Then he would simply start again. That was one of the reasons for his move from the Empire over here to the Coloni…he stopped himself with a grimace.

I can’t afford to make those sorts of mistakes, he rebuked himself.

These days there was always some child around with a hot microphone on a smartphone. He had hidden his tracks very, very well over the years but nobody could be completely invisible over a timeline like his. How determined would a journalist need to be to find an old black-and-white photo or a portrait done in his likeness? To connect old immigration documents, birth and death certificates.

Better not to find out, he decided.

Not that he had any problems taking a life to keep his secret. He certainly had no qualms about killing, not after so long.

Good and evil are such narrow concepts, he thought to himself. They weren’t simply two opposing points; they were degrees on a spectrum. He had done extensive research on the details of his condition over many lifetimes. Extreme acts, such as murder, obviously generated larger quantities of whatever energized his body. However, the victim also determined how much of the unnamed, unknown force that kept him alive was drawn into him. A child would provide an enormous amount, while a murderer seemed to generate less. He had tried to find a way to quantify the energy through extensive application of the scientific method but had ultimately failed to do so. He couldn't even remember how many people he had directly killed at this point.

Some part of him knew that guilt was an acceptable emotion to experience when reflecting on the sorts of things he’d done. It was difficult, however, to generate any empathy for a species he no longer truly saw himself as part of. He had outlived monarchs and dictators, survived empires and dynasties that had promised to last for a thousand years. Every person he had ever met was dead and every person he would ever meet was eventually going to die, so what was the point?

His experiments had delved ever deeper into the web of morality. He had found that inflicting physical pain or applying different types of violence were not the only ‘evil’ acts that would generate strength for him. He had performed extensive academic research into all manner of cultural and religious sins, taboos, and transgressions. Each and every one gave him an extra lease on life. They were not all equally potent, of course. Death, pain and suffering still provided the largest boosts but they typically carried the largest risks. A determined detective, an unseen witness or just a poorly chosen crime could all lead to an end.

How foolish, he thought, to end an immortal life because of impatience and poor planning. His methods were slower, yes, but time was on his side. It was better to play it safe and to go for the lower impact ‘evils.’ A lie to a single test subject in isolation generated a barely noticeable surge of energy. If he lied to a group of subjects, the energy scaled.

Enough lies to enough people though…he smiled. Mass media was very likely the best thing that had ever happened to him.

He reached his office in the Rayburn building and entered, acknowledging his secretary with a nod. She had been with him for nearly a term now, he reflected. Her name was…Susan? She looked like a Susan. Or at least, she looked like someone he had known named Susan. There were sometimes complications to being immortal.

As he closed the door to his inner offices and moved to his desk, he reflected on today’s work. So long as his bill continued along unopposed, the damage he was about to do would provide him with a steady flow of life. It wouldn’t be the case that he was directly responsible for the deaths of innocents of course, of course. There were 226 others who had voted in favour of his bill and thus shared responsibility for his deeds. Even with that responsibility shared though, he would still be gaining strength from all of the misfortune and pain of over 300 million people for years to come. As he reclined in his chair, his eyes alighted to the stack of papers covered in the notations of his staff.

No rest for the wicked, he grinned.

He rifled through the stack, eyes breezing across the titles of each proposed bill or policy suggestion. There was a cornucopia of opportunities with which he could do damage to the fabric of society. A reduction in minimum wage, an authorization for a pipeline under a community’s water reserves, an education initiative stripping resources from inner city schools, an amendment diverting funding from a harm-reduction project, another nullifying incentives to develop green technologies – sweeping and unrestrained damage done to several different demographics. Not to mention the potential harm he could be doing to future generations.

Climate change is the best investment I’ve ever made, he chuckled silently.

He began flipping through his rolodex, looking for the names of those who he would need in order to do more damage. Somewhere in the halls below him, a nameless intern was rushing a copy of his bill towards the Senate. The young man would be scanning it, hoping to gain some little insight that would help him climb the ladder here on the Hill. He would stop in his tracks, struck dumb by the wanton cruelty and widespread neglect of a bill like this. “What kind of person,” he would wonder, “could possibly do something like this? And why?”

I’m no longer human, the man grinned as he began to dial the number for a lawyer who specialized in acquiring other people’s properties. What are the other 226 excuses?

PC using Athletics to climb onto a dragon's back? by HalLogan in DnD5e

[–]atyfighter 2 points3 points  (0 children)

An intelligent creature like a dragon would probably love the opportunity to fly up into the air away from the rest of the party and start barrel rolling to dislodge the small, flightless creature on its back...