unclevlad

To give a concrete example....player has Analyze (Magic); the GM allows the skill to apply to magical items. The campaign rules might have differing levels of info depending on the degree of success: --enhanced damage: don't roll an 18 --elemental damage (or 'bane' damage...against a race or type of critter): very easy (miss by 2 or less) --fire damage (or dragonslayer): make the roll --how much?: GM might consider this more subtle, so make by 2 --Ohhhh it does THAT???? (an undead bane weapon actually has Affects Desolid Undead, but it doesn't impact the damage): make by 5 It's also plausible that there's, say, 3 clues. Miss by 2, get 1; make, get 2; make by 2, get all 3.

I think we all knew this in advance, but still.... Drew Brees doesn't have 5 broken ribs. He has 11. Football players are insane.

Just more smokescreen, more of the false narrative. "See? We've had ALL these challenges, and the Deep State rejected them all!" It's the same as "we have all this proof of fraud!" when, in fact, they have nothing beyond perhaps the occasional bread crumb. What's even more ludicrous, I would think is that trying to throw out the mail-in ballots *already cast* would seem to be ex post facto. This doesn't even seem desperate any more...or pathetic, even. The more they continue this, the greater my worry that they're going to try to get Republican electors, and *really* try to steal the election. And that if the Electoral College picks Biden...there will be violence.

Taysom Hill might bomb but could shine. Winston's a much more known quantity...and that's not in his favor. Starlord: report is that Hill took all the first-string snaps. Plus, if you want situational....Winston seems like the main guy in that context, with Hill staying in his complementary, situational role.

So indeed...by WorldOMeter's count, we did break 200,000 cases today. Next up is the double-double...200,000 cases, 2000 deaths in the same day. We just missed (1951 deaths). We can hope we never get there, but I'm afraid that's a little more optimistic than I can manage....

How is someone holding a door open for you, a benefit? Whereas you *are* asking for a game-significant benefit. We've made our cases; you're just repeating an argument we've already countered, so for me, this thread's done as far as I'm concerned.

Well, Jameis Winston can pretty much start looking for a new job for next year. Taysom Hill named starter with Brees out. Hill's got snaps, sure, but I believe predominately as a wildcat QB. If Winston can't get past him, it's pretty clear he's got no real future with the Saints. Doesn't say his career is completely done, to be sure, but it's not a good sign.

There's a major vicious circle here...demand drops, so venues drop, so visibility drops, so demand drops. I'm not gonna say FLCS and FLGS were common, but now? They're almost non-existent. I'd make one point. The writers and artists might still be out there...but are they getting paid enough to continue on, for the artists? Are they given the freedom to create, or are their hands tied too much? Marvel is now part of a multi, multi billion dollar Corporate Giant. First service belongs to the Giant...not the fans. And the Giant is notoriously risk-averse overall.

But even that isn't available, unfortunately. I'm on a couple of FB groups for certain authors; who doesn't matter. A VERY common refrain is "when can I get more of ... " when the storyline's totally played out, or it'd just be More Of The Same. I know of at least one where...ok, maybe there's room for new stories here, but it's mostly same-old, same-old...and we know the ultimate outcome too, BTW. Not only that, but there's quite a bit of momentum...read, sales...that continue long past the point where the story should have ended. So, it's REALLY hard to completely retire a popular character.

I stopped a long time ago too, for various reasons, but a big one was that the art was so often TERRIBLE. I'm just as glad I did. All the retconning and multi-universe merging and junk...UGH. I get why; after a time, the story box gets to be pretty constrained. Doesn't mean I have to like it. And they can't stop so...reboot, yeah!!! <gag> Of course, that whole argument means MCU phase 4 probably won't appeal to me...

The base cost should always be 5 points; the active and real costs would vary depending on advantages and limitations. WIth KAs, the progression per 5 points is usually 1 pip, 1/2 d6 (OR 1d6-1, this can vary), d6. If you want to say that it's 1 pip, 2 pips, d6, that's fine. 1/2 d6 gives an average of 2 anyway, because of the rounding (1-2 -> 1, 3-4 -> 2, 5-6 -> 3, so the average is 2). And 1d6-1 gives an average of 2.5.

I think you're overreading RAW. To take it to the extreme: if someone is sleeping, there's nothing indicating bravery, forcefulness, etc. The description of PRE is when it is active, by and large; there are also some tells from body language. But you can't rely on those, because the high PRE person can fake it. Scrunch shoulders. Hunch over a bit. Eyes down, never make eye contact. Nervous, shuffling steps. Sounds like low PRE, right? Acting. To Spence's point...actually, yes, being completely ordinary-looking can be an excellent advantage. BUT, it's not low PRE; it's Acting, or even Deep Cover. It's a skill you practice, a look you cultivate.

Buy 2 HKAs defined as swords...now you have Off Hand Defense. A big use is for Teleport Locations. For fixed locations, buy 5...then use Quantity. It's x2 for 5 points...then x4 for 10, x8 for 15, etc. There are many powers where it won't make a lot of sense, or at least, won't make sense most of the time. But it can always make sense with the right limits...basically, think Fantasy Hero, and single-use magical items. That's why it's always included...better to have it and not need it.

Who? Oh. Nice lady there... If they have, I can't say as I blame them. The conviction was 30 years ago. They'd run a tox screen for booze or drugs to see if they helped lead to the accident, as that can be a key part of any wrongful death claims, and possibly for insurance claims. But...there were 5172 motorcycle fatalities in the US, in 2017; the numbers stayed in a very narrow band for quite a while, so it's likely that's a decent estimate. How many could have tested positive for covid? Granted, the obvious conspiratorial counter is, it's not just motorcycle accidents, man..... I sometimes wonder what it'd take to get the deniers to wake up...other than Trump reversing himself and declaring a national medical state of emergency. THAT ain't gonna happen. I know the numbers from El Paso were big for me...but that was more about finally quantifying the bad outcomes other than dying. IIRC last night it was about1000 in the hospital, 300 in ICU and 200 on ventilators. That's just one smallish city, albeit one with one of the worst outbreaks. According to https://covidtracking.com/data there are about 80,000 people in the hospital right now from it. Again, of course, the 'counter' is, it's all lies and inflated numbers and half those are flu cases and........ The degree of willful ignorance is truly terrifying.

The story won't help; the writer's core bashing of American democracy is excessive, for example. But several of the points are valid, and the warning is VERY valid, IMO. The path we are on is leading to serious violence and chaos.

This is beyond egregious. It not only affects writers, it affects everyone who creates. As archer noted...get the benefits but not the obligations is an incredibly insane suggestion. The obligation doesn't simply disappear.

Which was meant as a joke, of course, but its significance at a personal level..why should I vote when this BS is going on...isn't.

I suspect curfews are just bowing to the pressure that a complete closure brings. But I agree, the logic isn't particularly good. Well, we dodged 200,000 new cases today...only 192K. We didn't dodge 2000 deaths. Which is one every 45 seconds......

Michael J. Fox has had a remarkable career. It appears his health is finally forcing it to close. https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/19/entertainment/michael-fox-retirement-trnd/index.html Alex Trebek deserved all the credit he received for how he handled his cancer; Fox has been a champion against Parkinson's and a role model for many for 20+ years now. We tend to forget.

Data suggests France and Spain have turned the corner; new cases have dropped for a couple weeks. Italy, UK, and Germany have indications of doing so, but the trend's not that solid yet.

Interesting op-ed piece in the LA Times: https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2020-11-15/donald-trump-election-delusions-autocrats This one's more worrisome. https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/19/politics/what-matters-november-18/index.html

For your amusement, and if you still have articles left (or a subscription): https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/18/opinion/trump-barr-giulianni-worst.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage The head of the GSA came from nowhere to come in third. Quite the feat for someone probably none of us knew existed 2 weeks ago.

CDC's data is from this morning; it doesn't have the numbers from today. Today was the 2900, ergo the extremely high rate. To be sure, it was one Very Bad day. And I looked at our daily numbers; they're inconsistent, albeit with no obvious pattern; and the last day on the daily numbers charts is the 13th. But 2900 is a TON, and unless the data is wildly inconsistent as to reporting lag, I don't expect this is going to be the only Very Bad day. BUT, it also raised the 7 day average over at the NY Times; it's 77.8. NY Times says an average of 1635 for the last 7 days, so that's 1 per...1250 or so. North Dakota is reported at about 1400 cases per day, average...with only 700,000 people, yeah, that's 1 per 500. Welcome to the world of Covid. You only thought you knew what it would be like.

The state is requiring businesses with 4 or more rapid response positive tests in a 2 week period, to close for 2 weeks. One such was a Wal-Mart where I'd seen outright flouting of the store's posted requirement to wear masks...and they'd been ordered to close (and took their sweet time to do so) before. They didn't have 4...they had 8. I haven't gone to that store since the first time it was closed, and this just reinforces that choice. Unfortunately...the Albertson's I use MUCH of the time...is also on that list. So they're closed for 2 weeks. Almost 3000 cases in New Mexico today. Which means 1 case per 700 residents...which is probably in the top 5 highest rates in the country. Ugh. Considering getting tested...no appointments available at the 2 CVS testing sites. Checking the state DOH; their system is down for maintenance at the moment.

Ugh. Approached 2000 deaths today, unfortunately. Highest number since early May. 200,000 new cases looks to be inevitable tomorrow or Friday. Week over week (last Wednesday to today, for example) on WorldOMeters has commonly been 20% or more. It was today; 145K on the 11th; 180K today. Well, last Thursday was 162K...so we might skate just under. But last Friday was 187K...so if the trend doesn't suddenly reverse, we'll *blow* through 200K cases. Depressing......