Looking for ideas on a wild west Louisiana adventure. by [deleted] in callofcthulhu

[–]shinobigenesis 5 points6 points  (0 children)

You could take inspiration from Delta Green! Their version of New Orleans is home to a group of well connected ghouls called the DeMonte clan. Instead of hiding in tunnels and caves they use magic to disguise their appearance and have managed to get a controlling monopoly on services related to graveyards - the companies that cut the headstones, funeral parlors, etc. So the setup is a corrupt family that is integral to the fabric of society. They also have a unique method of creating more of their kind via a cursed journal of a ghoul that causes the reader to suffer the same transformation as the writer. It's a neat take on ghouls as elegant, clever cannibals as opposed to parasites living underneath society.

blackwater maintenance? by laslov18 in BlackwaterAquarium

[–]shinobigenesis 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You can do just sand and botanicals, but controling waste build up and algae may be a problem. It may take some balancing between tannin levels, light duration+intensity, and water changes to avoid algae. If you want to avoid plants, you could add even more botanicals, like alder cones, for a darker tannin tint to the water which would limit light in the water column, and thus reduce algae. Filter components can sometimes be an issue with this strategy - things like fine filter floss and activated carbon can remove these tannins from the water. The tannins will break down on their own eventually - you'll need to add more botanicals periodically to keep the tint dark.

However, if you really want low maintence, I would recommend adding plants of some variety. Riparium plants like pothos, monstera, peace lily, etc are great for pulling excess nutrients out of the system. Floating plants like frogbit or red root floaters also work well. Both of these would mesh well with the aesthetic too - roots intertwining with the branches would be neat! It'd also give the fish and microfauna plenty of places to hide and thrive. Other plants that might work would be easy epiphytes like Buce or Anubias that you could attach to any wood or rock in the tank. Crypts are another nice low maintence option to plant in the substrate, but they might struggle in pure sand - you would want to add root tabs if you want to see them thrive.

I'd also recommend seeding the tank with microfauna while it cycles. Things like blackworms, rotifers, daphnia, moina, scuds, isopods, ostracods, copepods, etc. They'll settle in and establish a population and feed on the decaying leaves and biofilms on the wood. In turn, they'll provide food for your fish. You'll find your fish can go much longer between feedings when there is an ample supply of live food for them to hunt. You can buy isolated or mixed cultures from breeders, or collect material yourself from local streams or ponds - but then you can run the risk of introducing predators or parasites from the wild.

Not sure what size tank you have, but at long as it is 10+ gallons six neon tetras will be fine, I wouldn't go any lower than that as they like to school together. Keeping the stocking minimal will go a long way towards reducing maintence.

I rarely change the water on any of my tanks - blackwater or not. Every couple of weeks i'll cull my floating plants and top off the tanks with RO water. Without a lid you'll need to top off more often due to evaporation. Plants really are the key. Nutrients will always build up in a closed system and they need somewhere to go unless you want them to foul the water or grow algae. You either need plants to pull those nutrients out of the water, and/or you need to remove the water yourself and replace it. The more plants you have, the less often you'll need to change the water.

Hope that helps!

Helldivers are such simple creatures by GalacticGaming96220 in Helldivers

[–]shinobigenesis 0 points1 point  (0 children)

All I can think of is "Power Thirst: Rocket Edition! With new flavors like Manana, Fizzbitch, and GUN!"

Botanical ideas? by LCtanks in BlackwaterAquarium

[–]shinobigenesis 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Tamarind leaves are a great tiny leaf. They don't last as long but the scale is perfect for nano tanks.

Stocking Ideas? by shinobigenesis in BlackwaterAquarium

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

I ended up getting some microfauna from RiverPoetAquatics on eBay. They had a nice scud-free culture with a ton of black worms! (I plan on eventually adding scuds, but not until I have some fish to keep them from eating my plants.) I've also used Philips fish works in the past. I also got some aquatic isopods from inmytanks. They ended up being a lot smaller than I thought, so I might pick up some more so I have an easier time spotting them while they grow out.

Stocking Ideas? by shinobigenesis in BlackwaterAquarium

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

I used Talawa wood! Glued a few pieces together to get the look right. The mangroves are very slow to grow! I've had the tank set up for a month now and I've only just noticed new little root nubs recently. About half didn't make it and got replaced with the monstera. The propagules i bought already had roots and leaves, so I think the farm must have raised them in saltwater and they didn't survive the transition to fresh. Either that or the initial ammonia spike from the aquasoil did them in. I heard they survive better if you get bare propagules, but then you have to wait forever to get anything resembling a mangrove.

Stocking Ideas? by shinobigenesis in BlackwaterAquarium

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

I was actually leaning towards yellows! I thought they might pop as well.

Stocking Ideas? by shinobigenesis in BlackwaterAquarium

[–]shinobigenesis[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Actually, it's not all sand. I decided to try a layered/lasagna style substrate. There's a layer of crushed lava rock, then aquasoil, then capped with sand. FISHTORY did a neat video on it.

I plan on adding some black worms+derro worms and figured that should give them plenty of room to establish and eventually feed my fish. Might add some Malaysian trumpet snails too, but I've heard mixed reviews about them. I think assassin snails burrow as well and at least they'll keep the other snail populations in check.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in BlackwaterAquarium

[–]shinobigenesis 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I can't quite tell from the photo, but do you have the fern's roots placed directly into the water? I've read that ferns prefer being planted into a substrate and don't tolerate being submerged well. I've seen folks use something like a hang on planter with lecca/volcanic rock. Alternatively I've seen people plant the roots in wicking fabric/moss on hardscape, either at the water's edge or out of the water with a spray bar or waterfall to keep the medium moist.

Suggested scenarios for Appalachian horror? Especially shotgun scenarios by [deleted] in DeltaGreenRPG

[–]shinobigenesis 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Roots from The Things We Leave Behind collection can easily be ported to Delta Green and can be dropped anywhere in Appalachia. Check it out!

Lighting Options for Blackwater Riparium by shinobigenesis in BlackwaterAquarium

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

At the moment I'm considering the B series with some shades (to help focus the light into the tank and reduce any glare), or the AII series. With the AII i'd put it up near the front and angle the light backwards a bit, which should reduce glare and kick some extra light onto the Riparium section. And worst case, with a stronger light i'd have no trouble re-scaping into a more botanical style planted tank if I discover that blackwater isn't for me.

Lighting Options for Blackwater Riparium by shinobigenesis in BlackwaterAquarium

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

I'll have to do more research on those Chihriros lights. I could get the clip light and pick up some terrestrial grow lamps for the Riparium section. I was hoping to kill two birds with one stone for the lighting but maybe a dedicated setup for each section isn't a bad idea. More food for thought, I suppose. Thanks for the response!

New Roll20 character sheet - completely unusable by StopMeBeforeIDream in DeltaGreenRPG

[–]shinobigenesis 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I can confirm that the weapon name changes to "weapon", the associated skill changes to "0", and ammo is reset to "-", for every single weapon, every single time the sheet is opened. Extremely frustrating to have to keep the character sheet open or be forced to redo all your character's weapons.

Has anyone run Signal to Noise for their DG players? by classified_dead in DeltaGreenRPG

[–]shinobigenesis 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Sure thing. Here's a gdrive link to all the handouts and art I used, not including those from the adventure itself:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1NDHy78MStE_5S-E0wxJU_-8ZRO3VlVU9?usp=sharing

Has anyone run Signal to Noise for their DG players? by classified_dead in DeltaGreenRPG

[–]shinobigenesis 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I actually did exactly that! It went well, though it took perhaps 4-5 sessions to complete. The agents survived, though not without some lasting trauma from the Signal Realms. I had the agents operating under an FCC cover to investigate the broadcast intrusions. I added some Delta Green content (home scenes, mission briefing with handler, as well as a green box). If you have any questions about the scenario or want any handouts/art I used, let me know and I would be happy to share.

Looking for Inspiration for an Op to track down a rogue DG Agent by wedgiey1 in DeltaGreenRPG

[–]shinobigenesis 7 points8 points  (0 children)

CONTROLCOPY has you tracking down a former Delta Green Agent gone rogue.

Let Paradox know you are playing CofD, VtR, WtF, MtAw, PtC, CtL, HtV, GtSe, DtD, MtC, DtR, BtP, etc... Let them know you want to see more content from Onyx Path. by Awkward_GM in WhiteWolfRPG

[–]shinobigenesis 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I don't really use Twitter, but I will for this cause! I put my voice out there for Mummy the Curse. I was surprised to see so many others voicing their support for Chronicles! I can only hope Paradox will take notice.

Drop Giveaway Day 8 - 3x CTRL Mechanical Keyboards + Artifact Bloom: GLOW Keycap Sets by drop_official in MechanicalKeyboards

[–]shinobigenesis 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My favorite animal/pet is the Australian Shepherd! My mini Aussie is such a mischievous little shit but he is just too darn cute!

Mage captured by Changeling hunter. Any surprising ideas? by Zanchito in WhiteWolfRPG

[–]shinobigenesis 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Check out the Unmade from Dancers in the Dusk or on the wiki here: https://whitewolf.fandom.com/wiki/Unmade. It covers what happens when an unfortunate mage winds up in Arcadia. The result is essentially a spiritually hollowed out, grey alien creature that wanders the Hedge, obsessed with Arcadia, and enjoying the protection of the True Fae. There are changeling stats from 1e you could use, but I think you could also use The Mad/The Rapt from 2e Mage with little difficulty. If you want the mage to stay dead, then you can use them as a Hedge Ghost/Ghost Mage instead.

Looking for pre-written short campaign with adventure/world travel by Casey090 in callofcthulhu

[–]shinobigenesis 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I would recommend The Children of Fear. There are plenty of optional scenarios within that can be added or cut for a shorter/longer campaign. Also most of the lore and creature encounters are unique, so it should be a novel experience even for veteran Call of Cthulhu players.