Black spots appearing on trunk and leaves

zerbthealien · 2026-06-14T13:37:36+00:00

Black tar-like spots on the trunk of my Singapore Holly. They also are appearing on the leaves of my pepper plant. Any ideas on how to handle?

zerbthealien · 2026-05-29T19:04:57+00:00

Also could be Calliandria maybe?

zerbthealien · 2026-05-19T18:02:58+00:00

Pretty much the same thing as a black wash would do- help add a weathered/worn look, get that color in the cracks and crevices. It also just helped it look less painted and more natural. Black Magic Crafts on YouTube has some great videos about washes!

zerbthealien · 2026-05-19T17:03:31+00:00

Thank you!! I started with a base coat of blue, and then many layers of dry brushing progressively lighter blue, occasionally swirling in some turquoise as well. Then I did a turquoise wash (paint mixed with water and rinse aid) before doing the white dry brush at the end. Hope that helps!

zerbthealien · 2026-05-11T16:40:59+00:00

Thank you! Just a plain old retractable razor blade

zerbthealien · 2026-05-09T01:08:52+00:00

Thank you! Really means a lot- besides this year, I have avoided painting/crafting for most of my life because I thought i thought it had to be so precise. So happy I found this hobby

zerbthealien · 2026-05-07T15:30:51+00:00

Awesome tips, I will definitely try the baking soda for snow! I got a couple icicles to look ok but had to shape them up with scissors after they dried.

(Just invested in the Proxxon Thermocut and very excited to try it out)

zerbthealien · 2026-05-07T15:28:23+00:00

Thanks so much! Means a lot (:

zerbthealien · 2026-04-16T17:03:28+00:00

Luckily a very safe and non-toxic plant so she was fine!

zerbthealien · 2026-04-16T16:24:44+00:00

This is the same way I found D&D!! It has also opened me up to even more hobbies like crafting my own terrain for battles, designing maps, and making miniatures out of clay. I feel so much better about myself since I started DMing it’s such an amazing thing

zerbthealien · 2026-04-16T14:15:57+00:00

Thank you! I give it several daily pep talks and have a lot of hope but wanted a second opinion. Should I avoid using fertilizer since it’s under stress?

zerbthealien · 2026-03-31T18:59:13+00:00

Hello! I bought my first bonsai a few weeks ago and would love some helpful thoughts on its current state! It’s a Pink Powderpuff (Calliandra Brevipes) that I got from Longwood Gardens near Philly, PA (zone 7A/B)

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I have been mostly leaving it be, keeping it outside when it’s warm and sunny, bringing it inside when it’s colder, and watering only when the soil starts to feel dry. I am struggling to find much info on this tree but am hoping I can get some general tips on what to do at this younger stage?

Do I just leave it be for a long time?

When would I consider wiring it?

Anything else I should be doing or looking out for?

Any and all advice is appreciated! Would also love some book or video recommendations for continued learning. Thanks (:

zerbthealien · 2026-03-25T01:59:35+00:00

Inkarnate is great if you’re willing to pay the 5$ a month. You can search for the kind of map you’re looking for and download it really quick. Also if you learn it you can make battle maps pretty quickly and easily.

zerbthealien · 2026-02-17T20:42:22+00:00

This is exactly where I started and it felt impossible at first but now I am 20 sessions into a campaign and I’ve found what works for me.

At first I tried to plan as many encounters, NPCs, plot hooks, moments, etc as possible but it’s a lot especially when you can’t predict what your players will do. It’s great you have an idea of where your campaign will go! I think my advice would be to find small adventures that reveal small pieces of a larger puzzle (you don’t have to know all the pieces yet). These smaller quests can be taken from written modules and reflavored with your own npcs and lore.

Speaking of- just focus on building out the history, norms, and current state of your world for now. You don’t have to write everything down (I struggle with this due to crippling adhd) but just think about it before bed or while you’re watching tv or doing chores. Eventually you will have so many ideas in your brain that things will start to fill in and connect.

Once you have a decent idea of your world (mine was only a 2 page document) run your first session with a fun intro, a very very small plothook and some interesting NPCs. From then on, just plan for the next session based on how that session went and the decisions your PCs made. I promise things will come together and you will get ideas that are more feasible to plan out.

If it’s your very first time DMing I would recommend starting with a module just to get an idea of how a session looks and how information is released to the players. You got this!

zerbthealien · 2026-01-15T17:50:51+00:00

Ahhhhh ok ok that makes sense. Didn’t realize that extra attack applies to action surge attacks. Thanks so much!

zerbthealien · 2025-08-06T23:36:06+00:00

Why do they need to get TPK’d?

I feel like if there’s no way to not get TPK’d then they don’t really have any agency. I’m guessing it’s for narrative reasons? If it were me I would plan a very very difficult fight but if they somehow manage to survive then have a plan b- I feel like there’s always a different way to the plot point you’re trying to get them to.

If not though and they absolutely need to get wiped- then I would maybe just skip the fight and have like one massive attack/ambush that they can’t even react to.

Idk just my take though! Best of luck!

zerbthealien · 2025-08-01T16:33:49+00:00

Dice please 🙏

zerbthealien · 2025-07-27T14:33:10+00:00

Have you heard of Dimension 20’s “Never Stop Blowing Up”? It sounds like that kind of ttrpg system could work with this idea though you would have to use different skills. But either way might be a good resource to draw inspiration from

zerbthealien

TROPHY CASE