TheRaySays

Oh, that's evil. I can do 8 PM MST on Fridays. How fiddly is Foundry? I've only used Roll20 and Fantasy Grounds, and I despise Fantasy Grounds. As unlikely as it seems, I also have not played/run Phandelver, so it'd be fresh to me.

I totally want to get one of those "100 _____ Movies" scratch-off posters, mostly because I love scratch-offs, and I love movies, but I hate lottery tickets. I don't even care if I've already seen most of the films, I'd rewatch them and scratch away one at a time.

"I wish I was filthy rich." "It is granted." "I wish my E-Fed was real." "As you wish." "I wish WWE would just go away." "Okay, you're going to have to give me a minute..." "I wish the Jacksonville Jaguars win the Super Bowl." "Seriously, Tony. You're pushing it."

I have very specific and often iconoclastic thoughts when it comes to D&D (and other TTRPGs), but here they are, for whatever they're worth. There's been a trend, exacerbated by the desire for Wizards et al. to sell overwrought adventure paths rather than simple, concise adventures (or, Gruumsh-forbid, a damn sandbox), and online actual plays (which are most often performances, and not "actual" play at all) to sell "stories," which is really NOT what TTRPGs are for. The story comes as a RESULT of play, not as an ingredient. So, for all of these concepts, I would start with a quick review of three classic examples (let's say, Casablanca, The Maltese Falcon, and L.A. Confidential) and then just make a quick list of the ingredients for each, maybe 12 NPCs, 12 locations, and 12 items. Any more than that is overkill, and you don't need to have exhaustive detail for most. The street urchin informant, for example, doesn't need combat stats, he just dies if you're a jerk and you hit him with something sharp and/or heavy. His value is in providing information, perhaps repeatedly over time. After that, all you need is a compelling opening to bait the hook. Drop the PCs in the middle of something interesting. The important part to remember is it is NOT the DM's job to determine potential outcomes. That's what the dice are for. The DM's job is like that of a theme park designer. You want some things off in the distance where the players can hear screaming and maybe see a loop, but they're not sure what it is or how to get there. Other attractions are right up front. Keep them moving through the setting. There should always be something interesting in their face, on the horizon, and off in the distance. Everything else is just playing to see what happens. Don't hold your NPCs as precious. You have an unlimited supply of characters, some stock, some significant, but let the chips fall where they may. If the party kills the King of Turan, let them reap both the rewards and the risks of that endeavor. They're NON-player characters. That includes you. If you want to "play" a character rather than present them as part of a living, breathing setting, let someone else DM. But, what do I know? Just doing a thing for 40+ years doesn't make one an expert. To be more specific to the actual request: -A noir style investigation = A macguffin and at least 3 interested parties at cross purposes to obtain and/or destroy it. Think of obvious motivations for each (the wizard wants to research it, the cleric wants to destroy it, etc.) and then shuffle them (the cleric wants it to use it as bait, the wizard wants to destroy it because it could thwart an undisclosed scheme, etc.). For each piece of crucial information, identify at least 3 ways the PCs can discover it. Have them hired by one (or more) of the interested parties who provide incomplete information (either purposefully or just because they don't have all the facts themselves). -gang war = Well, obviously, you need gangs. Four should be enough plus the PCs. Give them varied motivations. Make at least one of them memorably unusual (led by an intelligant Undead, from an alternate reality/plane, Dopplegangers who've replaced the original gang, etc.). -bounty hunting = A patron organization providing/paying the bounties, a variety of wanted criminals (four or five should be plenty to start), rival bounty hunters, interesting settings (box canyon, urban hellscape, abandoned industrial area, etc.). -smuggling = Most smuggling is boring as it revolves around tax evasion. You could always make it unusual contraband, like Myconids who are ground into a psychotropic drug by ruthless alchemists. Who wants/needs the contraband, who doesn't want it smuggled (authorities? dominant gang?), where does it come from, and what are the obstacles in between (a treacherous river, a fallen kingdom in the Underdark, airships traversing a veil of storms, etc.). -heists = One of the most difficult genres to capture at the table. Basically, just create an impossible fortress/vault/etc. and let the players figure out how to deal with it. As stated earlier, the DM is NOT responsible for outcomes. You do need to be careful to scale it to PC abilities. 1st Level characters have zero chance of liberating an Efreeti Crown from a vault in the heart of the City of Brass. This is basically a "Treasure on a Pole Match." Make them climb for it. TL;DR. Hope that helps.

Bad Santa, specifically the "Badder Santa" cut Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas

He was fun to play with, but he was the type of guy who explained everything in great detail to his fiancee and burned through eight characters in a year. Meanwhile, she played the same kick-ass barbarian the whole time while smiling and nodding, "Yes, dear. Of course, dear. Yep, you almost got him. I'm gonna take the magic scimitar off your dead fighter, though." All snark aside, I miss them both and hope they're well.

I had a player whose low level mage dove into a pool to fetch a glowing rod. The rest of the party just immediately walked away. They didn't even stick around to watch him inevitably get eaten by one of those Ixitwhatsit vampiric devil ray things. I don't think of my games as "stupid," per se, but there do seem to be a lot of stupid prizes. For those seeking enjoyable "meat-grinder" experiences, I cannot recommend the Dungeon Crawl Classics 0-level funnel adventures enough. Who doesn't want to play a halfling baker armed only with a rolling pin? Everyone starts with 4x 0-level nobodies. Those who survive level up and become bonafide adventurers. Those who don't, don't.

Anyone messed around with/interested in the World Wide Wrestling RPG? Site. I'm not totally sold on the Second Edition, but I did run a game using the First Edition and no one died. As a "Powered by the Apocalypse" (PbtA) game, it has a totally different feel than most people are used to with D&D. Much more collaborative and driven by player creation/interaction than the usual "Declare Action - Roll Dice - Apply Results - Repeat," but this can be daunting to more passive folks who prefer the GM just tell them a story where they're the star. Anywho, despite being pretty noob-friendly, the genre does seem to get in the way for tabletop gamers who don't care about wrestling as it uses terms like "kayfabe" and "face/heel." I would argue that shit like the World of Darkness and its super-specific lingo (Celerity? WTF?) is hella more arcane and goofy, but I'm admittedly a near-lifelong fan of both wrestling and RPGs. I'm curious to see if it plays better with wrestling fans who are less familiar with RPGs since it at least starts in a familiar genre/setting. If I were to attempt such an endeavor, would there be any interest? My track record is less than spectacular for sticking with stuff, but Roll20 makes setting up an online game super simple. The cat wrangling required to get people on the same timeframe is much more challenging, but that's always been the nature of the beast.

I went through my playlists and "Liked Songs" on Spotify looking for ones that didn't have "Plays" listed because they're under 1,000. There were a few I thought would qualify, but they were far more popular than I would've guessed. In some cases, I might've been the person who got them over 1,000.

Wow, that IS obscure.

It was interesting that they originally went with a more modern, lupine design but backtracked because Giacchino did not want Bernal lost in the monster design. There's also a bit of a nod to "El Hombre Lobo" Paul Naschy that may get developed further in future appearances.

Ooh, this is a tough one. Very specific, as you pointed out. Foreign films with subtitles seemed right out. Here's what I've got... Grabbers (2012, 94 min.) - I tried to mostly stay away from horror, but this is a goofy monster movie set in a sleepy fishing village in Ireland. The dialogue is snappy and the pacing is steady, so it's a good pick for folding laundry or filing paperwork or the like. It's become a St. Patrick's Day tradition for me. Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016, 101 min.) - A little longer than 90 minutes, but I think this is the pick that best fits your chosen genre. Sam Neill's a cranky rural misanthrope who has to spend time with his citified foster nephew. They end up on a heartwarming and madcap adventure, subject to an international manhunt. Also full of fun, back-and-forth dialogue. Free Fire (2016, 90 min.) - An arms deal between a bunch of over-the-top criminals in 1970s Boston goes horribly awry. Feels like the cliché climax of every gangster film jammed together to the point where it becomes (intentionally) laughable.

Completely standalone, though it will change the landscape in a certain sense. No mid-credits nor after credits stingers during the screening, though I'm curious to see if one gets added for streaming.

It was a surprise Secret Screening at Fantastic Fest in Austin, TX last week. Was cool to see it on the big screen.

Really enjoyed Werewolf By Night. It felt aimed directly at me as a love letter to Universal Monsters, Hammer Horror, Mortal Kombat, and janky-ass 70s Marvel monster comics. I just wish they didn't already waste Morbius on that crap Sony deal because he would've been perfect for a similar treatment. Hope they do one of these every Halloween season.