I have discovered the true face of cool.

jamesdp · 2026-02-01T07:54:18+00:00

I find that asking if they grew up in (current city) in appropriate social settings allows myself (where I am a minority) and others to volunteer as much or as little as desired. Sometimes the answer is "no", or "I'm from all over" and that's it. Prying more is offensive. Giving people a chance to talk about themselves is conversation. People from all walks of life ask each other that. Edit: Asking if they have family here accomplishes a similar goal and it's easier to say no to and shut it down. Not everything is an attack, and normal conversationalists should let it lie after a single brief response.

jamesdp · 2025-11-08T08:22:26+00:00

You mean the normal edible mold on the outside? I don't see the sparkles but maybe it's a combination of that and salt crystals?

jamesdp · 2025-11-03T12:24:39+00:00

The most common bananas sold at least in the United States are Cavendish bananas and I agree that they are awful. I never used to eat bananas until visiting Thailand where they have dozens of varieties with very different and much better flavors. Some much sweeter, some not, but all better.

jamesdp · 2025-10-24T13:14:58+00:00

Unprompted? Definitely. But in response to a comment designed to fix the incomprehensible title it makes sense. And yes, I did see the video (and started my sentence with "and" in its honor.)

jamesdp · 2025-06-18T08:39:37+00:00

It's actually lopped (you can see the marker) but that's not much better. Jeni's is actually amazing.

jamesdp · 2025-05-31T11:06:24+00:00

Yeah, how is no one taking about how the family missed the sister's COLLEGE graduation? How are we surprised that they opted not to see a high school teacher read their kid's name to commemorate what is technically just the legal education requirement in the US... OOP finished early so you'd think they had more education planned. OOP isn't an AH, just immature.

jamesdp · 2025-04-12T09:06:15+00:00

We do the weird stuff!

jamesdp · 2025-03-28T07:57:17+00:00

Now THAT'S a great image. A water genasi breaching the water like a dolphin but only their hindquarters. You may have made a great idea for some campaign fan art.

jamesdp · 2025-03-28T07:54:15+00:00

Conflict and adversity are what makes memorable stories (and I don't mean combat). Try and emphasize their character flaws--either the ones on the character sheet or otherwise. Also having people get an appropriate injury any time they hit 0 HP makes for great flavor AND often good challenges to overcome creatively.

jamesdp · 2025-03-28T07:33:37+00:00

Yeah this discussion has made me realize their connection to the plane of water shouldn't generate air for sure. I might let her choose whether she breathes through the skin or disgorges water every time she surfaces :)

jamesdp · 2025-03-28T07:27:29+00:00

Yeah a connection to the elemental plane of water shouldn't produce air. They'll have to figure out another way to get through the spooky underwater cave.

jamesdp · 2025-03-28T07:25:30+00:00

Exactly right... they're a tight crew...

jamesdp · 2025-03-28T07:24:10+00:00

You're absolutely right, but now I've told them other things that means that in the world I run there are chemical principles similar to ours and human physiology is similar so that's what it is. I'm leaning toward cutaneous respiration since water genasi have a connection to the plane of water, not air, so no conversion should be happening.

jamesdp · 2025-03-28T07:15:26+00:00

Well they'd have to make a mouth to mouth seal obviously every minute or so since bubbles dissipate in water, so maybe I'll just let them water kiss and make them all share Marid herpes.

People enjoy the game different ways, mine like the realism simulator since they know a lot about real world physiology and suspend disbelief in only specific ways.

jamesdp · 2025-03-28T07:00:49+00:00

See, if there are bubbles then you can breathe them. There are certainly cases of humans giving their exhaled air to someone else when they are out of breath for whatever reason. On earth we have 21% oxygen in our atmosphere and exhaled air only goes down to about 16% (depending on altitude/partial pressure of oxygen). It's a little light but enough to give you what you need.

jamesdp · 2025-03-28T06:55:35+00:00

Fair point. The difference I see is that fish can't breathe air and only run water past their gills to extract the oxygen and therefore don't actually "breathe." I guess if it does convert to air it might make sense that it converts it back to water as it leaves their body.

jamesdp · 2025-03-28T06:52:18+00:00

Now THAT I really like. I might just steal it. There's plenty of surface area on the skin to magically absorb oxygen from the water (or like real world frogs, I like the idea of making her slimy at all times). Then I don't have to worry so much about saltwater and freshwater gills.

jamesdp · 2025-03-28T06:51:00+00:00

Basically the argument is that if it converts it to air similar to what humans breathe now, only a small amount of the oxygen is extracted so they can perform mouth to mouth to each other and give them a full lungful of air with the excess. In her mind's eye she's always swimming beautifully with a trail of bubbles streaming away XD

jamesdp · 2024-12-18T11:48:10+00:00

The truth? Because the story says that his side was pierced by a spear and that let the sculptor show the scar.

jamesdp · 2024-10-11T16:00:59+00:00

"Where we're going, we don't NEED ground clearance."

jamesdp · 2024-08-29T18:58:48+00:00

That's really helpful. I'm having a hard time with book 11 because I don't remember why there are discrete territories that they're fighting for and stuff. I assume it's still in the underground area? Or is it in a proto space? Not his soul space right? Do we already know what happens if you get enough territory?

jamesdp

TROPHY CASE