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Junteenth

Juneteenth[b] (officially Juneteenth National Independence Day and historically known as Jubilee Day,[2] Black Independence Day,[3] and Emancipation Day[4][5]) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating emancipation of enslaved African Americans. It is also often observed for celebrating African American culture.[6] Originating in Galveston, Texas, it has been celebrated annually on June 19 in various parts of the United States since 1866. The day was recognized as a federal holiday on June 17, 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law.[7][8][9] Juneteenth’s commemoration is on the anniversary date of the June 19, 1865, announcement of General Order No. 3 by Union Army general Gordon Granger, proclaiming freedom for enslaved people in Texas.[10]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juneteenth

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Westworld has gone Cyberpunk

1/2 way into Westworld s3e1 it has gone cyberpunk. Not cp2020 but cp2050 if it was written in 2019.

Now my wondering is what the Westworld/Delos parks would have been like if Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild was the inspiration instead of Red Dead Redemption? GTA in the old west vs. Miyazaki’s Princess Monokee by Nintendo.

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Aliens Extended Edition

Watching Aliens Extended Edition while some of the deleted scenes are interesting, fill in gaps of the story, ultimately the theatrical cut is paced better.

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Dirty Dozen

Rewatching Dirty Dozen movie, the first one. Forgot that back 1967 it was a big budget serious movie.

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Having to go to work during COVID-19

An observation about still going to work that my wife picked up on. I’m exhausted every evening. Like fall asleep in a couple of minutes from the lights going out exhausted. Thing is there are very few people in the building. Everything I have to do are things I’ve done hundreds of times. But having to stay 6′ away from everyone, washing hands before and after I visit an office or lab, caring around a container of disinfected wipes to hit every surface when I arrive and leave is exhausting.

Don’t know how people treating actual patients deal with it.

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The Next Medium Defines this Medium

To me this was the stand out bit:


You could use a similar analogy for computer games and roleplaying games, and say that a computer is to a roleplaying game what a movie is to play.  As computers became masters of heavy math then roleplaying games could see their limits and focus on other areas like the social aspect or the physical play area.


Everything you think about Game Mastering is probably wrong: Part I – The whole concept

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Character Death ODD vs. 5E

Saw this idea in some review of ODD. Part of why character death in ODD and many OSR games isn’t as big of a deal character creation takes minutes instead of an hour or more. Building a character is usually less than the length of the combat encounter that killed your previous character. In 5E and many contemporary games making a satisfying experienced character takes an evening session or more. 

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D&D Beyond

  • Wizard 101: School of Abjuration

    It’s time to go beyond the Basic Rules. In this week’s Class 101, we examine the School of Abjuration, a wizard subclass from the Player’s Handbook that creates arcane wards to protect rather than to destroy.

  • It’s time to go beyond the Basic Rules. In this week’s Class 101, we examine the Archfey, a warlock patron from the Player’s Handbook that grants their followers powers of glamour and subterfuge.

  • It’s time to go beyond the Basic Rules. In this week’s Class 101, we examine the Wild Magic sorcerer, a magic-user from the Player’s Handbook that wields unpredictable arcana.

  •  It’s time to go beyond the Basic Rules. In this week’s Class 101, we examine the Assassin, a rogue subclass from the Player’s Handbook that has mastered the art of silent death.

  • It’s time to go beyond the Basic Rules. In this week’s Class 101, we examine the Beast Master ranger, the most controversial (and misunderstood) subclass in the Player’s Handbook.

  • Paladin 101: Oath of the Ancients

    It’s time to go beyond the Basic Rules. In this week’s Class 101, we examine the Oath of the Ancients, a sacred oath from the Player’s Handbook that wields sylvan power.

  • Monk 101: Way of the Four Elements   

    It’s time to go beyond the Basic Rules. In this week’s Class 101, we examine the Way of the Four Elements, a mystical and magical monastic tradition from the Player’s Handbook.

  • Fighter 101: Battle Master

    It’s time to go beyond the Basic Rules. In this week’s Class 101, we examine the Battle Master, a cunning and tactical fighter archetype from the Player’s Handbook.

  • Druid 101: Wild Shape Guide

    Last week, we looked at the druidic Circle of the Moon, but there wasn’t time to look at your Wild Shape options. Now, learn about the best creatures to transform into for combat, utility, and sheer fun!

  • Druid 101: Circle of the Moon

    It’s time to go beyond the Basic Rules. In this week’s Class 101, we examine the Circle of the Moon, a wild shaping druid subclass from the Player’s Handbook.

  • Cleric 101: Knowledge Domain

    It’s time to go beyond the Basic Rules. In this week’s Class 101, we examine the Knowledge Domain, an enlightened cleric subclass from the Player’s Handbook.

  • Bard 101: College of Valor

     It’s time to go beyond the Basic Rules. In this week’s Class 101, we examine the College of Valor, a bard subclass from the Player’s Handbook.

  • In this week’s class 101, we examine the iconic Thief archetype, and use it to build a talented and acrobatic rogue!

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The Witcher

As a long time Dungeons & Dragons / Table Top RPG player and game master The Witcher feels like a BECMI Dungeon Master’s really well developed home brew world. Very high praise. Like in BECMI the Elves, Dwarves and Gnomes feel like classes and occur spairingly. Like in BECMI religion is a thing but not much a part of the story. The brilliant bit is the whole Witcher orders creation and openly and actively hiring monster hunters.

I also like what seems to be elves are not these Tolkien beautiful angelic beings. Most of the elves running around in human society are beautiful but not most elves hiding in the hinterlands or “squirrels” raiding human society.

Somewhere I’ve read that 0-5 level characters are still in the normal human ability so in The Witcher there are “mutated” characters with level 5+ abilities.

Magically speaking maybe not so much BECMI but ODD with a very forgiving GM with on the fly spell creation. Signs work as traditional DnD spells and cantrips.

Using portals and the world spheres colliding to bring what are often time nonsensical and contradictory fantastic creatures into one world was a great idea not used as much since the 80’s.

I do have one complaint both time and distance feel much like a good DnD campaign, it only matters when it matters but in fiction I find myself lacking a good understanding of place. And place or Kingdoms and cities do seem to matter. Lots of good world building is being lost on my inability to link it all yet.

Disclaimer: Currently I’ve read Saga 1, 1/3 Saga 2, Last Wish and a couple chapters in Swords if Destiny. Watched the first season of the Netflix Series and caught a few YouTube videos on the books and games.

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iPhone11

Did the phone new phone yesterday, iPhone 7 to iPhone 11. Backup/Restore didn’t work so it is fresh setup. Feel like I’m re-establishing my butt grove into the couch.