Desmond Wilkins

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Fany's note: We did not, it seems, wake up in the best of moods. I wouldn't approach him really, you might get bitten.


SNARL!

About shooting a presidential candidate. In case any of you still thought Huckabee was, y'know, a nice folksy guy or something. At least his NRA audience didn't laugh. Jayzus, please let Huckabee be on the ticket with McSame.

More box of evil. I'll get to the meme in a bit!

I really like some of the stuff in Pendragon and wanted to explain some of it to make sure I was getting the rules right.

It has a very elegant combat system; combatants roll a skill check for their weapons, adding or subtracting modifiers, and then do damage based on their strength and size. Weapons are really elegant in that melee stuff does a little more or less damage based on weapon type, but what ultimately decides damage is the wielder, not the weapon (missile weapons are the big exception to this rule). If you want to hit someone, you have to succeed at your skill check, and also score higher than theirs. Once someone is hit, they compare the damage to their size to see if they're knocked over, subtract the amount of armor they have from the damage done, and then figure out whether any resulting wound makes them check against their personality traits to have them stay and fight, or turn and flee.

So for instance;

Etienne d'Hiver has the stats CON 12, SIZ 12, DEX 12, STR 12 (so he has 24 hit points and does 4d6 damage), Sword skill is 15, Valorous 15 - not impossible for a starting character. He's on pilgrimage to the most holy abbey at Lindisfarne, so he's riding a palfrey and the only armor he has is a gambeson, a tin stamped pilgrimage badge, and a very stylish hat (armor is 4 points); sword and miserichord hang at his hips. Suddenly he is ambushed by two less strong and tough bandits with STR 10, SIZ 10, DEX 10, CON 10, and Spear skill at 12, wearing cuir-bouilli (6 points), who command him to stand.

Instead he gallops towards them and they move to intercept. Both parties strike at each other; Etienne gets a +5 because he's on horseback, and although the bandits would normally get a -5 penalty, their long spears mean they actually have a better chance of hitting him. So Etienne's trying to roll under 20 and the bandits are trying to roll under 12. If Etienne rolls an 18, and the bandits roll a 10 and a 14, then Etienne's hit, so both bandits missed although one was close enough to be parried. Etienne does his 4d6 damage for 12 points of damage to bandit 1 - that's more than the bandit's SIZ of 10, and 6 points that get through the armor. The bandit rolls a SIZ check, and since he rolls an 14, he goes sprawling into the mud. Since 6 points is more than the bandit's unconscious total of HP/4, or 5 points - bad enough to be a major wound - the bandit needs to check Valorous. He needs to roll 10 or under on d20 and rolls another 14, so he scrambles to his feet and runs away.

The next round has the same penalties, but this time Etienne has seriously cold dice. He rolls a 5 and the remaining bandit rolls a 12. No way is Etienne parrying that one. The bandit's damage is 3d6 and he rolls let's say, a mighty 14. That's more than Etienne's size, so he has to make a DEX check to see if he stays in the saddle - he does - and minus the armor bonus deals out 10 points of damage, a grievous wound indeed. That means a Valorous check - but with Valorous at 15, and no adjustments because the other bandit might show back up, Etienne rolls a 12 and sticks around to defeat the remaining varlet.

There are only a few inconsistencies here. Shields don't modify the chance of hitting for cover, and they don't actually add points as armor. Instead, a successful roll means you've thrown the shield in front of yourself for 6 points of armor against that one attack. An axe does +1d6 worth of damage to an opponent using a shield. Wouldn't it be easier just to count the shield as more armor or a modifier, and just assume axes ignore it?

Okay. I should note that I'm not a fan of the Narnia stories to start with but, Stacey had been away on a trip and got in late last night and we wanted to spend some time together and she likes fantasy movies so.. We went to see it.

All I can say is: For the love of God and all that is Holy, don't go see this film! I don't care if you like Narnia or not. This transcends all.

If you go to the Narnia film, before the movie, you will be subjected to THIS trailer!

I am NOT responsible if you click on that link.

If you go blind or start speaking in tongues or summon a shoggoth to devour your mind, just so the hurting will stop, it is NOT my fault. I've WARNED you.

Of note: I just had a wonderful lunch with the lovely, charming and talented onceupon who is in town for a short visit. She is excellent company and it was good to see her. Thanks for the company Marianne.

Not of note: Today is casual dress in the office. Which means I can wear sneakers. And I am. So why am I wearing dress socks? Can you say "moron" boy and girls? I knew you could.

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So... In the news yesterday... BUSH claimed Obama was the sort of person who'd capitulate to nazis...

Seriously. WTF is the furor smoking?

So anyhow. He was saying this because Obama might in theory try talking to Iran rather than just storming in and murdering people or starting an insurrection (because that worked so well LAST time a super power tried it)

Then. Not to spare us any irony, he turns around and starts wheeling and dealing with Saudi Arabia, including putting development of nuclear facilities on the table.

But he doesn't deal with oppressive regimes...

You only have a few years to prepare
Before the party with the people from Altair.

http://gizmodo.com/390304/earth-set-to-receive-alien-reply-invasion-in-2015

Today's Dork Tower is up! (About bloody time)



Click Here, there or anywhere to see it.

****

Ever wonder what it's like to watch someone hoist themselves by their own petard? And by "hoist" I mean "eviscerate." And by "petard" I mean "ignorance."


It'd be kind of enjoyable, if it wasn't so sickening.

Ganked from the ever-astute robin_d_laws

****

30 Years Ago in Kovalic History (AKA "Diary of the Artist, Age 15 and a half.")

"AO History test essay on Napoleonic War went well. Julius Ceasar OK, but spoiled by other people who were watching. Found 50p."

You know, I always thought I was odd because I had this off-hand temptation to set up a waterboarding station in the garage, just to see how bad it could be. I'd have someone set me up in it, and see how long I could last - "Not long," would be my assumption - and then if any of my friends were curious, I'd give it a shot on them.

And then I'd have a handy tool for political debate! Every time someone said, "No, waterboarding's not torture," people in the neighborhood would say, "Well, why don't we jaunt over to Ferrett's house?" and the fun would begin. I suspect many a conservative might change his stripes after a little session on Ye Olde Garage Waterboarde. But really, I'm just curious to see how much I could endure - but I haven't done it because, well, the danger risk is pretty high, and I'm fairly lazy when it comes to building torture devices in my back yard.

I thought I was alone. But today, I found a BDSM aficionado who is going to get waterboarded because she's curious to see whether she can beat the CIA operative failure rate of fourteen seconds, and suddenly I feel a little more normal. Which I probably shouldn't. But hey, that's the Sensate in me.

(EDIT: The woman in question is absolute_tash, and she also eats fire. This is just one of many reasons why she is pretty awesome.)

Skylands: Storm Warning
     ©2008 by David J Rust

I originally posted a version of this story a few weeks ago. I've been adjusting it on my lunch breaks and finally polished it well enough that I think it's much clearer and better than it used to be. I put it here for your reading enjoyment.

It is a very short fantasy piece (although not short enough to qualify as "Drabble") that was inspired by me thinking about the fantasy world I've been working on for the past few months: Skylands. This is a world of floating islands, skyships, and a myriad of races, all cobbled together from pieces of other worlds. The game will be starting soon, replacing the venerable "Vanguard" campaign, and this tale sprung to mind as I was working on races.

Again, enjoy!

Yours,
Sylvan (Dave)

Just heard on the news that Oscar Pistorius has won his case and will be able to attempt to qualify for the Olympics and run in events if he qualifies.

This gets me really choked up and inspired for some reason. I mean some days I feel like we're barely out of the trees and flinging our own poop at each other and then suddenly I hear something like this. When a guy born without shins can compete on the Olympics, it makes me think that maybe just maybe we're going to make it after all.

It's also a good reminder. Hold onto your dreams and you can accomplish anything.

Much ado lately about the California Supreme Court overturning the state's gay marriage ban.

I've pointed out before and elsewhere that not only has the most damage to marriage been by straight couples (some celebrity couplings come to mind) but that part of the the reason there's a problem with the "definition of marriage" is that it was straights who already redefined it! Once it changed from total domination over another person to a partnership of equals, applying it to gay couples was inevitable.

But I think the best answer to the controversy is: Do you know a committed gay couple?
I know quite a few, actually. And I think the more we actually get to know them, the better we who are straight understand the issue and get past the hysteria.

*******

I've seen references to this being akin to the overturning of bans against interracial marriage, which reminds me of when, about a month ago, I came across an old news article about the staff in an Indiana county clerk's office scrambling to answer the question, "Can a Negro marry an Indian?" This report from years ago said that while black and white couldn't marry (this was taken as a given), no prohibition between two different nonwhite races could be found. So the marriage license was issued (a happy and just outcome, at least). Couldn't help but notice the novelty tone of the piece, like someone reporting on a dog marrying a horse.

We've come a long way, haven't we?

Yesterday I offered an open invitation for folks to drop off the list, no hard feelings, bon voyage. And the results are in.

Number of friends leaving = 0
Number of friends added = 1 (!)

I remember in my youth the Uncanny X-Men comics would introduce a new member to the cast with a cover that said: WELCOME TO THE X-MEN, (name of mutant), HOPE YOU SURVIVE!

So, in that jubilant spirit, I welcome brightflashes to the F-List.
=)
Nice to have another Arkie on board.

Happy Birthday, nlguy!

He was about four feet long. Gorgeous thing.

Welcome all to another edition of CASUAL DRESS FRIDAY.

Once again I thank you for your time and attention here in this space. I am always grateful that you take the time to stop by and lend your voice to the proceedings.

I usually start this part by stating that CASUAL DRESS FRIDAY is about YOU. And while that is partially true, it is about your voice and you expressing same, CASUAL DRESS FRIDAY is more than anything else I do on this space about me. I love to see you guys interact and talk and discuss. I love to hear the stories. And forgive a man for being selfish, but I just like learning about how you think. One of the best places to do that is on CASUAL DRESS FRIDAYs, because when I throw the idea out there and you run with it. It makes me happy. So yeah, it's about YOU, but it's about me as well.

Now DRAMA FREE THURSDAY, that's really *ALL* about YOU. Helping you through, but I am digressing.

So if I may turn your attention to the center ring, I'd like to say once again WELCOME to another edition of CASUAL DRESS FRIDAY!

I give you a topic and you respond and all I ever ask is that you BRING IT.

Show me what you got.

That simple.

And what pray tell are we to talk about today my friends?

Our topic is BBQ!

That's right.

Memorial Day is coming up and I wanna know if your grillin'.

What you are grillin'.

And if you have some favorite BBQ recipes to share.

What is involved with you getting your grill on?

Tell me.

Tell us.

Share the words and the wealth.

Because IT'S TIME TO MAKE THE DONUTS!!!*

CASUAL DRESS FRIDAY BEGINS...

*tucks napkin into collar*

...NOW!!!

Today in the News: ( Does Bush REALLY want to pick a fight over good Middle East policy with Obama? It wouldn't be the dumbest thing Bush has done, but, still... )

while what_neville_chamberlain_did_specifically_to_appease_hitler = "?????????"
{
say "NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN WAS AN APPEASER!"
}