Thursday, March 02, 2017

Fat Exercise Tip: Boxer Briefs

Hey everyone ,  I am starting to get back on the treadmill.  After the first night my thigh friction had left a raw patch on both legs.  So if you are fat ( 421.8 lbs) please do yourself a favor and get Boxer Briefs.  Here is a link for DXL, basically the only place that sells clothing the behemoth size I require. 


http://www.destinationxl.com/mens-big-and-tall-store/mens-underwear/harbor-bay-3-pk-boxer-briefs/cat140162/96450?&navAction=push&navCount=0


I tried them out last night and chaffing was gone, and general comfort achieved.  Though friction remains a problem.  Hopefully no spontaneous crotch combustion. 


My other tip is exercise in clothes you don't intent do wear in public.  Sometimes I sweat out KFC fryer grease and that just doesn't wash out.  Dedicated work out clothes are the way to go.

Thursday, February 09, 2017

Victorian Aegis 4


The horses began to run, driving into the open patches within the crowd.  Those on foot feel back fearing being trampled under hoof, other coachmen started shouts that feel short.  Seeing the mad devil Jack at the lash halted there words and breath.  Wonder and fear gripped the street.


Johansen struggled to stay top the coach with the Jack carving a crazy course that often battered into coaches and building alike.  The Swede grabbed at the devils arm but it recoiled and hissed finally becoming aware of the big man.  A knife flashed out, slashing wildly at Johansen.  He fell back grasping for anything that would keep him atop the coach. 


Fragonard did his best to follow on foot cutting through the retreating crowd while keeping his eyes on the conflict on the cab.  His attention locked on the devil he batter full into another struggle on the street.  Fragonard gasped "But How", his arms bracing the space in between himself and the devil; now on foot.  His eyes falling back to the cab, yes it was there as well.  "There are two?"

Wednesday, February 08, 2017

Victorian Aegis 3


Honoria's cab slowed drawing her ire. "Driver proceed!" she called out annoyed but there was no movement. "Lady, the street it is stopped." replied the groom wary of her ill mood.  Lady Algor insisted on impecable service or her temperment changed to intolerable. "Then make them move."


The horses began to rear as a pair of men raced across the street.  The large man show a glance backwards.  His steps slowed after crossing, but his fellow wheeled backwards upending them both.  There pursueor now emerged from the very alleyway they raced toward.  His face a horror mask still cackling as he bounded over the two.


In seconds the groom was thrown from the cab by the devil.  It began at the reign, lashing the horses forward.  Honoria cried out for help which boolstered the large man's humors to rage.  Grasping at the coach as the horses began to run he felt himself in motion.  Strong arms pulled his big body to met the devil in the coachman's seat.

Tuesday, February 07, 2017

Victorian Aegis 2


The pair remained silent approaching a recently covered paupers grave.  Fragonard's eyes shot about, as whispers crept to his ears from all directions.  At times he wondered if his life had brought him too close to the dead or if chemicals had left their mark on his mind.  Johansen looked at him confused, wondering at direction a moment before the doctor pushed on.  Their movement halting from tree to tree measured and fearful.  Fragonard revealed a bundle of tools hidden near a tree trunk.  Passing a shovel to the Swede and igniting a lantern, the doctor motioned forward.


Life had fallen hard since France for the doctor.  Where he once maintained an obscure but respected medical museum he now procured specimens for others.  His clothes once fashionable where now archaic and threadbare.  Still this path allowed for further understanding of his craft, which was his utmost concern.


Johansens' shovel cut the earth again and again.  The big man quickly progressed at the task, though there were sounds that disturbed him ;odd snaps and scampering worrying.  His spade drove deeply into the ground when a cackle erupted behind them.  Fragonard wheeled the lantern to see who had set upon them, thou he saw he did not understand.  Was it a man, a devil conjured from his mind?  Wings Black bounded from the dark, and that hideous face. Johansen push his shovel at the thing shrinking back. 


It menaced them a moment before it belched sickly emerald flames at the men who fled in headlong fear. Its maniac laugh haunting their retreat.  They passed through a hole in the churchyard gate still in full sprint.  Johansen cast his eyes back to see it bound, as if spring heeled, fully over the gate.

Wednesday, February 01, 2017

Victorian Aegis 1

Chill grew from the fog, strength to strength a'gainst faces weary.  Opaque air beget ice to metals and strange swelling to the wooden doors.  Fragonard stalked about a fire waiting for the whaler.  He was uncertain of the evening.  Would the man hold true to the commitment and would their work complete undisturbed.


The doctor clad himself dark, hoping to not be seen and if so not recognized.  The whaler Johansen was instructed to be similarly attired.  The nights work, illegal, carried a capital punishment.  Removal of corpses from the grave was a lucrative endevor but Fragonards need was for research.  Johansens conscent was strictly a financial matter.


The night drawing dark about the city streets the doctor began to consider abandoning the work.  Though he troubled himself to hide shovels in a nearby crypt, which would require retreaval.  Soon though he heard queer sounds of paddling from the river.  The termination came with steps and drips from a nearby docking.  The huge Swede soon emerged from the dark, watery clothing plastered to his frame.

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Thoughts on the curent state of 5th edition D&D

Having looked over the recent posts on Tales from the Yawning Portal, I am less than thrilled.  I love many of the adventures and believe they should be updated and made available for every edition of the game.  That said there is something missing from the core of 5th edition that needs attention.  There just isn't enough rules to give the game enough variety.


We need more specialties, skills and options from the 5th edition of D&D and just are not getting them.  Combat bard or Spellish bard are ok for a video game but not a table top rpg.
More cultural flavors or era specific specialties would help.  Perhaps an option to trade specialty entirely for a few feats could be something, if their were more feats.


I'm sure it could be suggested that I am missing the point of the rules light style.  We could just play the character to match whatever trop or concept we wanted.  My friend once said, "I really like my samurai character, it's the first time I've had a character I want to play that can actually do something in the game."  This was a 3rd edition spirit folk samurai that wrote poetry and frequented tea houses.  It gets to the idea that often our fun roleplaying character may have sacrificed being mechanically sound for being an interesting character to play.  Players want to be able to do things, especially if they see other characters doing far more.


My hope is a wide reaching update product as the next book offered by wizards of the coast.  Less a region book like the Savage Coast Adventures, but rather something specially aimed rounding out the game.  Specialties and feats that help us recreate interesting characters from a wide range of settings.

Currently I like the minimalism of the rules but feel confined.  I think I can make characters from forgotten realms Cormyr and the savage coast but little else.  I would be at a loss for Kara Tur and completely adrift in Dark Sun. 

Monday, January 16, 2017

Skill Rolls don't let them derail your game

Role playing games can break when you have your players make a knowledge, skill or strength roll to beat a particular obsticle.  You have the theif try to pick a lock to open the only door into a building and the player rolls terrible.  This happened to me twice In the King Maker Pathfinder adventure path.  The first time was when we tried to open a closed gate in the ruins of a castle.  The second was when my cleric tried to make a religion check when analysing runes on an old tower.  Below I discuss your options as a Game Master.


Worst Option "One and Done":  If the players fail they never get a check again.  This can stop your entire adventure from going forward.  You always need to let your players try from a different angle.  Maybe not picking the lock but breaking down the door is good.  But remember there are times this is totally the best option.  If they fail a climb roll, maybe you gave them a save, but let them fall.  Think of it this way if the party is in no danger and has the option to go back to the bar and become a farmer, dont let a bad roll stop the adventure.


Badder Option "Reroll when things change": This is where you only let the players try again if something has changed.  Often Game Masters will let you check if you increase your skill, which isn't great as it halts things until you level up.  Other times you have a game master that lets you try again if you have come up with a better solution.  This seems a good solution at first, but its not.  You encourage your players to start with minimum effort and ratchet up their attempts so they are not defeated by their own dice.  We ran into this situation with a gate that would not open.  We eventually had a block and tackle and a horses helping us and we still failed the roll.  That could have been funny having the rope snap, but we would have come back with chain, then oxen. then elephants.


Bad Option "Just Reroll": we all have seen a player continue and continue to search for a secret door.  Your players will eventually say I search until I find something if you let them.  Letting them reroll can take away from the sense of accomplishment and turns the game into mechanics rather than role playing.


Ok Option "Take 20":  This is basically just reroll but it doesn't pull you out of the role playing.  Its a good option for players that don't like thinking about their characters actions much beyond the dice.


Good Option "Reroll with bonus when things change":  This is a good way to go because your players come up with better ideas from the start.  If they fail they are encouraged to think about it and try again.  It can also be the start of other scenes.  My cleric thought about going to the library with a rubbing of the runes from the tower to get an idea of their source.  It could have been another skill roll with a bonus or it could have been a little scene where my cleric talked to an archivist.


Great Option "Side adventure": This is where your attempts take you down another side quest.  Perhaps the archivist said "Yes I know those runes and brought out a man with the same cut into his back.  "He is the tomb of Tsaggqua, he has not spoken since we found him" seeing your rubbing the man starts screaming.   That is creating a new quest based off the work you did just to solve a problem.