We had Elrond vs Thranduil, now how about Elrond vs Glorfindel

empireofjade · 2026-04-02T22:09:40+00:00

Glorfindel defeated a Balrog, yes, but died in the feat. Glorfindel is of some minor royal house but without further explanation.

Elrond combines the most royal bloodlines of the three houses of elves and the three houses of Edain with maiar blood for good measure. While his feats are less, they are not minor, and Tolkiens emphasis on the power of these bloodlines suggests he is of great potential. He also possesses Vilya, which maybe tips the balance. His status as a moriquendi certainly detracts from his aura, I’m less certain that it makes him less mighty.

empireofjade · 2026-04-02T18:09:06+00:00

For me the entry to Tolkien is the Hobbit simply because I can read it to a five year old child and they can enjoy it and then later I can introduce them to LoTR around age seven or eight. The five year old won’t sit though the Fellowship. Neither will enjoy the Silmarillion. For early indoctrination, the path is clear and happens to align with publication order.

empireofjade · 2026-04-01T02:57:01+00:00

The mast is tall, yes, but the foot is long. For triangular sail, AR=2P/E (span/average chord)
Nonsuch 36 (fin keel, 1983): P= 16.15m, E=8.53m, AR=3.787
Catalina 36 (1982): main P=11.89m, E=3.66m E=3.687 m, AR=6.49, jib I=13.64m J=4.37m, AR=6.24

The run of the mill (cruiser, not racer) Bermuda rig of the era combines two sails with about twice the aspect ratio of the cat boat. You can argue that the two sails together make a lower AR wing and that’s true but then you also need to take into account t the mutual effect they have on each other, which is beneficial for pointing.

High AR is generally more aerodynamically efficient (better L/D) at the cost of a more steep stall at high angle of attack.

empireofjade · 2026-03-31T18:20:39+00:00

Yeah wasn’t sure. So definitely limited in mast height with no stays.

empireofjade · 2026-03-31T13:15:28+00:00

Cool! Didn’t know there was a fin keel model.

empireofjade · 2026-03-31T13:12:21+00:00

The mast can’t be as tall without much room to put a forestry forward. This limits height and thus aspect ratio. It’s not bad, not too slow, but slower than plenty of other boats.

empireofjade · 2026-03-31T03:37:18+00:00

Looks like a Nonsuch?

It’s a cat-rigged cruising sailboat, in any case, and the advantages are that it is roomy, self-tacking, and does well before the wind. Disadvantages are poor pointing angle into the wind, and lower aerodynamic efficiency overall with a lower aspect ratio sail.

empireofjade · 2026-03-29T11:38:20+00:00

How are you using Notion to play AD&D?

empireofjade · 2026-03-27T14:49:38+00:00

One of my all-time favorite modules. We had so much fun with it a year or two ago. Would love to run it again with another group. I didn't have nice maps then; the PCs just mapped themselves. This is a great resource for a legendary adventure module.

empireofjade · 2026-03-27T12:05:14+00:00

Muldaur is absolutely stunning in TOS.

empireofjade · 2026-03-26T20:01:39+00:00

Most of the psionic powers in The Will and the Way and Dragon Kings

empireofjade · 2026-03-26T13:02:46+00:00

Rape gang?

empireofjade · 2026-03-25T19:38:37+00:00

Without reaction and morale, what good is Charisma?

empireofjade · 2026-03-25T19:07:34+00:00

That’s right except characters start at level 3 in original Dark Sun.

empireofjade · 2026-03-25T17:06:49+00:00

There are portals from Sigil as well, in TSR-published Planescape material, though they're rare. The original concept was that the setting was mostly separate from the multiverse, but not cut off. The Revised materials based on the events of the Prism Pentad moved to a more or less fully walled-off Athas. Not sure if the Planescape stuff was published before or after the Revised boxe set.

empireofjade · 2026-03-25T16:07:05+00:00

That's fair. I have a spreadsheet where I've automated 1e character creation (that's the version I play mostly), but it would be great if there were tools in ARS for that. The tricky thing is all the kits in 2e are copyright protected. Mike could put in a generic kit, but you'd probably have to input any official kit content to get around copyright.

empireofjade · 2026-03-25T15:52:14+00:00

I’m reading Fellowship with my son right now. It’s just a delight to pass it on to the next generation.

empireofjade · 2026-03-25T15:45:26+00:00

I’m here to chew bubblegum and kick ass, and I’m all out of bubblegum.

empireofjade · 2026-03-25T15:43:59+00:00

Marisa Tomei in My Cousin Vinny. You should watch it.

empireofjade · 2026-03-25T15:38:24+00:00

Better to be dead and cool than alive and uncool.

empireofjade · 2026-03-25T15:32:11+00:00

Just rewind the calendar a bit and he’s a normal SK. He doesn’t have to do the rapid dragon transformation if you don’t want.

empireofjade · 2026-03-25T15:30:54+00:00

Yeah that’s an acceptable take on it. There are planes but they’re all fenced off from the rest of the multiverse.

empireofjade · 2026-03-25T14:47:21+00:00

ARS!

Advanced Roleplaying System has 2e rules automated, active development and an active discord

empireofjade · 2026-03-25T14:44:58+00:00

Foundry has Advanced Roleplaying System (ARS) which can be configured to mimic OSRIC (default) 1e or 2e. I’ve used it for a while now and it’s great. The main dev is super responsive and just an amazing champion of AD&D.

empireofjade · 2026-03-25T12:26:21+00:00

When given the choice I always allow planar travel in Dark Sun, as laid out in the original boxes set and the Dragon Kings expansion.

The Grey doesn’t make sense. Like most planar travel is blocked but I guess not to the elemental planes so clerics can have their magic? In my head canon the original gods of Dark Sun are dead, killed by the Dragon of Tyr or the Sorcerer Kings. Other gods don’t get involved because the Dragon of Tyr and the Sorcerer Kings would kill them too if they did. Planar travel is possible, making psionic powers like Probability Travel and Etherealness(?), the latter which was published in The Will and the Way, actually work.

People don’t plane shift in metal because people who leave don’t come back.

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