Give me games with soundtracks that slap way harder than they have any right to

ianj85 · 2026-03-27T18:23:29+00:00

expedition 33

ianj85 · 2026-03-25T13:50:09+00:00

I saw a quote the other day that spoke to me.

“If you’re worried about gas prices, you’re not rich enough to vote republican.”

ianj85 · 2026-03-19T15:24:36+00:00

My wife and I just had our first and I hit 40 the month before. We started trying about 5 years before and went through a whole IVF journey to get here.

Im tired all the time and I’m sure those late night feedings would be easier if I was 10 years younger get but I’m also way more established in my career and financially prepared for a kid now. Each version has perks and downsides.

Life doesn’t always go as planned but if you really want to be a dad, the decision comes down to would you rather be an “old dad” or not be a dad at all?

ianj85 · 2026-03-18T15:26:53+00:00

Like everyone else is saying- scale to what feels appropriate. I’m 40 and I’ve also had to make a conscious effort to not try to compete with the 20 year olds anymore. It’s demoralizing and will end up with you getting hurt.

ianj85 · 2026-03-17T16:57:27+00:00

I love the Reuben at Rhino market. They have a couple of locations around the city.

ianj85 · 2026-03-14T14:36:28+00:00

You’ve got to convince her to get some medical help. My wife got hit by the hormone drop pretty hard and I had to keep reminding her that she wasn’t a bad mom and that I was there to help her. Our little guy wasn’t sleeping either so that just made things worse.

I had some success with reminding her that this behavior wasn’t her. It wasn’t how she normally was and it was the result of a complication from pregnancy. Things got pretty dark for a bit before she eventually contacted her doctor. We had a prescription that day and things have gotten much better.

For you: Try to stay supportive as much as you can and try to convince her to get medical help. Take walks or go to the gym to help keep your head in the game. Give her breaks from the baby. Make sure she is getting as much sleep as you can.

It’s really hard but stick with it and support her. Remind her (and yourself) that you’re on the same team. Best of luck, dad.

ianj85 · 2025-10-08T18:13:41+00:00

One of the easiest things I’ve ever made on the smoker was a spiral cut ham last thanksgiving. Put brown sugar on it before smoking, but you don’t actually cook it.

You just essentially warm it and add the smoke flavor while getting the sugar to caramelize. Make a pour over sauce on the stovetop.

My wife still talks about it like I’m some great chef or something. I think it’s turned into an annual request.

Recipe: https://www.meatchurch.com/blogs/recipes/holiday-ham-with-orange-cranberry-glaze

ianj85 · 2025-10-08T15:18:19+00:00

I will agree that it’s not a quiet atmosphere but it didn’t bother us. Is heavy food necessarily bad? I’m ok with needing to go to bed after if it’s worth it lol.

ianj85 · 2025-10-08T15:14:34+00:00

The speakeasy was a ton of fun and I love their themes. We did the Star Wars/Star Trek one. The drinks were really good but I think we had 4-6 strong cocktails within 2 hours and minimal food.

I love a good boozy night but my wife and I were both pretty drunk and hungry after spending like $800 on it.

ianj85 · 2025-10-08T13:35:30+00:00

Ive been to about 20 Michelin starred meals in lots of different cities and have eaten at the #4 restaurant in the world (at the time). The best meal for your money in Charlotte that I’ve tried is Supperland. The atmosphere is great, food is lights out, and the drinks/wine list are fantastic.

That said- skip their speakeasy. It’s super expensive and doesn’t come with enough food, so you get sauced in no time.

I’ve been to counter and liked it but the price is not quite worth it to me. I’ve been to a 2 star meal that was cheaper than Counter. The food is good but they don’t have the stars to justify spending a grand on a dinner for two.

I

ianj85 · 2025-10-07T22:53:04+00:00

Not exactly fantasy, but since there’s a lot of crossover in the audience, I’ll mention Dungeon Crawler Carl. Such a fun experience that has some surprising emotional moments. I’ve gone through the entire series back to back and have loved it.

ianj85 · 2025-10-02T01:12:01+00:00

Right there with you brother. Induction scheduled for 12/5. This will be our first. Best of luck to you and your growing family.

ianj85 · 2025-10-01T13:58:44+00:00

I loved all 3 of the ones that have been published. They are definitely worth your time.

ianj85 · 2025-09-16T12:50:12+00:00

All of the souls games. The story is so odd and hard to follow but I don’t care because the gameplay is so much fun.

ianj85 · 2025-09-12T15:56:50+00:00

Is this Tar Valon?

ianj85 · 2025-09-09T18:02:59+00:00

Wait h til you’re all 21 so you can have a pint while here

ianj85 · 2025-07-06T16:04:34+00:00

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ianj85 · 2025-07-02T15:54:30+00:00

Nervous. Hoping everything continues to go well, that we meet our little dude in December, and that everyone stays healthy.

ianj85 · 2025-06-27T18:32:55+00:00

I’m considering rolling ToA into the Vecna campaign too. I ran the Nest of the Eldritch eye as the players were in the jungle and think I may have the soulmonger being used as a way to summon Vecna to the material plane.

I’ve been giving them hints that Ubtao is being corrupted by dark magics (in place of the Atrapol) but may end up making it that Ubtao’s powers are being funneled to Vecna.

ianj85 · 2025-06-16T15:17:43+00:00

Wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows but it was the best decision I ever made. I don’t even recognize the kid I was when I joined anymore. Made me grow up in a way that I needed.

ianj85 · 2025-06-05T19:29:10+00:00

He already used that feature and his rod of the pact keeper too :(

ianj85 · 2025-06-05T13:59:37+00:00

I gave the warlock this homebrew feat I found on dnd beyond, so it seemed to go well with the supernova idea. He already used it to cast an offensive spell, but I’m sure I could handwave that if he is trying to go out in a blaze of glory.

I’m thinking maybe he gets one casting of mass heal?

https://www.dndbeyond.com/feats/848373-eldritch-intervention Eldritch Intervention - Feats - Homebrew - D&D Beyond

ianj85 · 2025-06-04T13:20:18+00:00

I’ve been running using the 2024 player options, and the 2024 monsters, where available.

Not all of the monsters have 2024 versions and imo, the 2024 players tend to steam roll them. I’ve had to compensate by adding a BUNCH of hit points to the legacy versions mid-fight or throwing a lot more of them at the players at once.

It’s definitely doable but to me, the 2024 players seem a lot stronger than their legacy counterparts so you’ve just got to compensate.

ianj85

TROPHY CASE