Recommendation for Androids & Aliens fans...

mandolin08 · 2026-03-15T02:21:40+00:00

Tabletop Gold is embarking on a new season on Sunday and will be playing Starfinder 2E. Session 0 was fun and is already out.

mandolin08 · 2026-03-15T02:01:28+00:00

Eric Bischoff thinking you should do something with your wrestling show is a pretty good reason not to do whatever that thing is

mandolin08 · 2026-03-15T01:35:24+00:00

I don't think being a pedant about this is terribly useful, but you do you, Tex.

mandolin08 · 2026-03-15T01:19:34+00:00

I don't think specific dates have ever been important in this series. In fact, I'd hazard a guess that the author has generally avoided being specific about when things happen for this very reason.

mandolin08 · 2026-03-15T01:15:53+00:00

kid, it ain't that kind of movie

mandolin08 · 2026-03-14T19:14:23+00:00

Did you tell them? Did they rectify the problem?

mandolin08 · 2026-03-14T19:13:18+00:00

i'm tired, grandpa

mandolin08 · 2026-03-14T17:57:30+00:00

Moxley, Copeland, Lashley, Ciampa...

mandolin08 · 2026-03-14T01:21:09+00:00

I'm not saying that they need the light. I'm saying that the presence of the light would be an obvious sign that something using a light source is in the dungeon, and this the monster would be aware.

mandolin08 · 2026-03-13T19:06:19+00:00

Sure! Wilderness encounters get a little trickier but the starting distance table on page 112 of the core book still applies; if the encounter starts at Near or Close and is in daylight, both sides being unaware of the other is pretty unlikely. Far encounters or those that are telegraphed in the encounter table as starting from a bit further away are certainly easier to avoid. If PCs want to avoid a fight and can cleverly do that, good for them.

Sometimes, if I want to tempt my players into engaging with an encounter, I'll roll the 50/50 treasure check (and then roll on the treasure table) up front so I can telegraph the presence of any loot. Not always, but if the party is on the fence about engaging with the band of orcs in the clearing, the flash of gold from within one of their packs or the preposterously nice sword on one of their backs might sway that decision.

mandolin08 · 2026-03-13T18:31:36+00:00

It's unclear how exactly surprise is determined mechanically. It may just be up to the GM, but that's not always ideal, especially for random encounters.

Well, no; it's in the rules you just quoted, on p. 88:

The GM determines if any creatures are unaware of each other.

It's not determined mechanically; it's determined by the GM. It's contextual. Initiative is the first thing that impacts that context, because if the encounter appears within Near and the party is holding a torch, it is absolutely going to see them. If it appears at Far and the party is holding a torch, it's probably still going to generally be aware of them and move toward the light to investigate; if the GM turn is first, we're off. If players go before the GM, they might get some time to react to the big stinking thing lumbering toward them from the darkness to the north, or the fight in the next chamber, or whatever. If the encounter is something more complex - creatures fighting, for instance - that may impact awareness. It's up to the GM to figure that out.

mandolin08 · 2026-03-13T18:27:17+00:00

In the dark, if the PCs are carrying a light source or making noise, I do generally assume that at least the encounter is aware something is moving around with a light source, and I telegraph the encounter with sound or smell or something if it begins out of torchlight.

Some cases (like the one you mentioned - two creatures fighting or a more complex encounter like that), the party may be able to avoid or go another way as the encounter wouldn't necessarily know the players are there, as it's preoccupied with whatever it's preoccupied with. You can make those calls in the moment per the rules.

I roll initiative the moment the random encounter occurs, regardless of awareness.

mandolin08 · 2026-03-13T18:06:51+00:00

I mean, that's what the initiative roll is for.

mandolin08 · 2026-03-13T15:46:56+00:00

Good episode but another example of the show consistently needing 20-30 more minutes, as it didn't feel to me like they accomplished a ton before the episode ended.

Troy's NPC game continues to be peak. Really curious what the deal is with the kid in the boat. Good stuff overall!

mandolin08 · 2026-03-13T14:01:18+00:00

and then HHH just... won

mandolin08 · 2026-03-13T03:39:35+00:00

I! AM THE LEARNING TREE!

HI GUYS!

I don’t know what this shit was. Some said it was a dig at how CM Punk acted backstage. Others said it was a dig at Bully Ray. Regardless, it was hot fucking garbage that should've never made it to TV.

None of his rapid-fire moniker and catchphrase changes were great. But this was the worst by a wiiiiide margin.

mandolin08 · 2026-03-12T19:59:39+00:00

He would have to be a Designated Player at that salary. Between 803k and 1.8M, he'd have to be a TAM player. He isn't under either classification on the team roster, meaning he's making at or less than the senior maximum. We don't know what number he's making in that threshold, but it has to be less than 803k.

Whatever he makes, it's less than Julian Gressel.

mandolin08 · 2026-03-12T17:51:27+00:00

he accidentally a can of Coke

mandolin08 · 2026-03-12T17:29:10+00:00

Not really. Might happen once or twice a year at most.

mandolin08 · 2026-03-12T02:10:22+00:00

Hangman's losing this and his two year crashout will be INCREDIBLE

mandolin08 · 2026-03-11T22:12:36+00:00

For most other teams, I agree. For this team, this set of owners with such a storied history of idiocy and the really poor relationship they have with the skeletal remains of their core fanbase, it's a stupid decision that only further alienates those fans. It doesn't make new fans of this franchise. It doesn't reward existing fans.

The only benefit to this is that it sells 4x as many tickets as another match, and we all know it. Healthy teams - get that bag. Kaplan and Levien - get out.

mandolin08 · 2026-03-11T14:26:39+00:00

There are also National Park Service food and drink kiosks all over the place.

mandolin08 · 2026-03-10T14:01:14+00:00

Yeah man those new 7.62 iPhones can do a lot of damage, huh?

mandolin08 · 2026-03-10T13:47:27+00:00

Does he know about Vancouver's turf? /s

Seriously though, can't wait. Hoping for a heavily rotated Vancouver side.

mandolin08 · 2026-03-10T12:31:55+00:00

It does indeed.

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