I think I can credit "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" with initiating both my journey to understand the injustices of the world through a systemic lens, and sparking my skepticism towards the unstated biases of media.
Am I joking? I leave this as an exercise for the reader.
Question of the Day: What is your favorite childhood story?
I have been a nerd ever since I was born. My favorite books even before I could read were the ones about dinosaurs and animals. I liked huge collections of wildlife and learning as much as I could about the extinct beasts from past ages.
I enjoyed plenty of other children's books too, Corduroy, Curious George, etc. But Dinosaurs and animals were always my favorite.
I have to say, I started reading larger books very quickly, so I’ll give a call out to the Chronicles of Narnia: the Horse and His Boy. That story is just beautiful.
In terms of books you’ve read in your adult life, what book have you enjoyed the most? (I know that that’s a very difficult question for many self-proclaimed nerds, but I’ll allow multiple)
Mine are the Name of the Wind and I am the Messenger
I have to say, I started reading larger books very quickly, so I’ll give a call out to the Chronicles of Narnia: the Horse and His Boy. That story is just beautiful.
In terms of books you’ve read in your adult life, what book have you enjoyed the most? (I know that that’s a very difficult question for many self-proclaimed nerds, but I’ll allow multiple)
Mine are the Name of the Wind and I am the Messenger
Favourite childhood story was probably Wallace and Gromit: A Grand Day Out. Not really related to my current taste in TTRPG stories but yeah.
My favourite story I've read in adulthood was probably The Hobbit. Obviously today the story is fairly cliché and uses now commonly-known tropes, but it gets a pass because it's the first instance of many of said tropes. I love Tolkien's writing style.
Edit: was banned from the forums again. Mods don't like it when you mention them, I guess.
I’d also like to mention Dragonlance Chronicles. These books, especially the original trilogy and the Twins trilogy are both some of the best books I’ve ever read.
The Hobbit is a fantastic work. Reading and rereading it lends so much insight into creating fantastic adventures. You don’t have to use the actual elements of the story, but using its process and order of events is a genius idea. It has so much potential. The only issue I ever had was that Bilbo didn’t seem to have a character arc. Other than the emotional trauma and ring-madness he never really changed as a character.
The Hobbit is a fantastic work. Reading and rereading it lends so much insight into creating fantastic adventures. You don’t have to use the actual elements of the story, but using its process and order of events is a genius idea. It has so much potential. The only issue I ever had was that Bilbo didn’t seem to have a character arc. Other than the emotional trauma and ring-madness he never really changed as a character.
I mostly agree. His personality and morals stay pretty static throughout the story, though he definitely changed as a person in some capacity. In my view, the Bilbo who saved the dwarves from a pack of giant spiders, escaped the elves of Mirkwood, and parleyed with Smaug the dragon is not the same as the Bilbo who lived comfortably in the Shire.
Near the end of the book, Bilbo had achieved truly heroic feats. In the beginning, his main worry was that he wouldn't have any cakes left after the dwarves had eaten.
But yes, in terms of character, Bilbo is pretty much the same from start to finish, even if he grew more brave and courageous.
I was pretty into Nancy Drew novels as a kid. And Harry Potter. The most impactful book I read as a kid was Crime and Punishment, though. To this day, it remains my favorite book.
As an adult? A Green and Ancient Light, by Frederic S. Durbin. It's like a warm hug of childhood curiosity, nostalgia and the fantastical.
The Hobbit is a fantastic work. Reading and rereading it lends so much insight into creating fantastic adventures. You don’t have to use the actual elements of the story, but using its process and order of events is a genius idea. It has so much potential. The only issue I ever had was that Bilbo didn’t seem to have a character arc. Other than the emotional trauma and ring-madness he never really changed as a character.
Well emotional trauma and ring-madness are sort of life changing; but I think you're right, and it's also sort of the point. Bilbo was a stalwart. One could say he had a rare integrity of character, but found more frequently among Hobbits than other peoples of Middle Earth, which might be why Gandalf picked him to set stuff in motion in the first place. If Gandalf had brought the dwarves to a more dynamic character, things arguably would've have gotten bad for Middle Earth much faster and Gandalf and Elrond and Aragorn's line etc. wouldn't have had the time to prepare.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
I see these points and I’ve considered them myself. However, the issue for me is that Tolkien always focused more on world development, which I’m not against. But when learning about D&D and basing your games on such a thing, it’s not a great example because it excludes the players. There is also the points you brought up, which focus on player suffering, which can be good, but not as the only catalyst. Bilbo’s best trait was definitely his resilience though. That is true character there.
Question: do you have special or designated "D&D clothes"? For instance I have a slightly oversized T-shirt whose front is covered in a full Marvin the Martian picture with his palms up to his sides in a sort of "what?" shrug. I've worn that shirt to every session of my main game for three years (and I've had the shirt for over 12 years and doesn't look it, damn thing is indestructrable). I've got a war college shirt I sort of inherited that I dig out for T2K, and I just received this really cool xenomorph done in a sort funky psychedelic color scheme I'm looking forward to running Alien in. For a while I also had this red bandana patterned with a favorite radio station's logo, but that was literally to keep my hair out of my face after my bangs got Covid long, but was inspired to run Delta Green where their handler was loosely based on Tommy Lee Jones' character's personality in Under Siege with that look.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Question: do you have special or designated "D&D clothes"?
I’ve sewed a couple costumes based on my D&D characters and other fantasy works which I will usually put on for the first D&D session of a campaign. They’re mostly wool and other period-appropriate fabrics, so a bit too warm to wear on a regular basis, but they add a fun way to start a new game.
Question: do you have special or designated "D&D clothes"?
Yes. My character right now is a plasmoid and only wears a bandana and his armor, so I come to sessions with a bandana a lot. I also have a few D&D shirts (more than a few) that I wear to almost every session in a rotation. Most of them are old box covers or takes on popular D&D memes.
Question: do you have special or designated "D&D clothes"?
I mean... I have a black shirt with a big dragon ampersand in red wax. I like it because a) it feels nice, b) it looks cool, and c) an onlooker doesn't really have to know what D&D is to say "oh cool, a dargon." I like it when shirts can be appreciated by everyone, even if they are appreciated more by certain people.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny. Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
How I'm posting based on text formatting: Mod Hat Off - Mod Hat Also Off (I'm not a mod)
Question: do you have special or designated "D&D clothes"?
No...?
I do have a "wizard costume" which comprises of a snuggie, blanket, cheap pointy hat, and wooden staff. Might wear it for fun next time I play a wizard lol
Question: do you have special or designated "D&D clothes"?
I mean... I have a black shirt with a big dragon ampersand in red wax. I like it because a) it feels nice, b) it looks cool, and c) an onlooker doesn't really have to know what D&D is to say "oh cool, a dargon." I like it when shirts can be appreciated by everyone, even if they are appreciated more by certain people.
Two-way tie:
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
The Enormous Egg by Oliver Butterworth
I think I can credit "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" with initiating both my journey to understand the injustices of the world through a systemic lens, and sparking my skepticism towards the unstated biases of media.
Am I joking? I leave this as an exercise for the reader.
Yes. I never cease to be surprised by the apparent lack of dragons in real life.
I have been a nerd ever since I was born. My favorite books even before I could read were the ones about dinosaurs and animals. I liked huge collections of wildlife and learning as much as I could about the extinct beasts from past ages.
I enjoyed plenty of other children's books too, Corduroy, Curious George, etc. But Dinosaurs and animals were always my favorite.
These were two of my favorite books when I was a kid:
and here’s another:
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
I have to say, I started reading larger books very quickly, so I’ll give a call out to the Chronicles of Narnia: the Horse and His Boy. That story is just beautiful.
In terms of books you’ve read in your adult life, what book have you enjoyed the most? (I know that that’s a very difficult question for many self-proclaimed nerds, but I’ll allow multiple)
Mine are the Name of the Wind and I am the Messenger
Favourite childhood story was probably Wallace and Gromit: A Grand Day Out. Not really related to my current taste in TTRPG stories but yeah.
My favourite story I've read in adulthood was probably The Hobbit. Obviously today the story is fairly cliché and uses now commonly-known tropes, but it gets a pass because it's the first instance of many of said tropes. I love Tolkien's writing style.
Edit: was banned from the forums again. Mods don't like it when you mention them, I guess.
[REDACTED]
I’d also like to mention Dragonlance Chronicles. These books, especially the original trilogy and the Twins trilogy are both some of the best books I’ve ever read.
The Hobbit is a fantastic work. Reading and rereading it lends so much insight into creating fantastic adventures. You don’t have to use the actual elements of the story, but using its process and order of events is a genius idea. It has so much potential. The only issue I ever had was that Bilbo didn’t seem to have a character arc. Other than the emotional trauma and ring-madness he never really changed as a character.
I mostly agree. His personality and morals stay pretty static throughout the story, though he definitely changed as a person in some capacity. In my view, the Bilbo who saved the dwarves from a pack of giant spiders, escaped the elves of Mirkwood, and parleyed with Smaug the dragon is not the same as the Bilbo who lived comfortably in the Shire.
Near the end of the book, Bilbo had achieved truly heroic feats. In the beginning, his main worry was that he wouldn't have any cakes left after the dwarves had eaten.
But yes, in terms of character, Bilbo is pretty much the same from start to finish, even if he grew more brave and courageous.
[REDACTED]
I was pretty into Nancy Drew novels as a kid. And Harry Potter. The most impactful book I read as a kid was Crime and Punishment, though. To this day, it remains my favorite book.
As an adult? A Green and Ancient Light, by Frederic S. Durbin. It's like a warm hug of childhood curiosity, nostalgia and the fantastical.
Well emotional trauma and ring-madness are sort of life changing; but I think you're right, and it's also sort of the point. Bilbo was a stalwart. One could say he had a rare integrity of character, but found more frequently among Hobbits than other peoples of Middle Earth, which might be why Gandalf picked him to set stuff in motion in the first place. If Gandalf had brought the dwarves to a more dynamic character, things arguably would've have gotten bad for Middle Earth much faster and Gandalf and Elrond and Aragorn's line etc. wouldn't have had the time to prepare.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
I see these points and I’ve considered them myself. However, the issue for me is that Tolkien always focused more on world development, which I’m not against. But when learning about D&D and basing your games on such a thing, it’s not a great example because it excludes the players. There is also the points you brought up, which focus on player suffering, which can be good, but not as the only catalyst. Bilbo’s best trait was definitely his resilience though. That is true character there.
Question: do you have special or designated "D&D clothes"? For instance I have a slightly oversized T-shirt whose front is covered in a full Marvin the Martian picture with his palms up to his sides in a sort of "what?" shrug. I've worn that shirt to every session of my main game for three years (and I've had the shirt for over 12 years and doesn't look it, damn thing is indestructrable). I've got a war college shirt I sort of inherited that I dig out for T2K, and I just received this really cool xenomorph done in a sort funky psychedelic color scheme I'm looking forward to running Alien in. For a while I also had this red bandana patterned with a favorite radio station's logo, but that was literally to keep my hair out of my face after my bangs got Covid long, but was inspired to run Delta Green where their handler was loosely based on Tommy Lee Jones' character's personality in Under Siege with that look.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
I’ve sewed a couple costumes based on my D&D characters and other fantasy works which I will usually put on for the first D&D session of a campaign. They’re mostly wool and other period-appropriate fabrics, so a bit too warm to wear on a regular basis, but they add a fun way to start a new game.
Otherwise nope.
I mean... I have a black shirt with a big dragon ampersand in red wax. I like it because a) it feels nice, b) it looks cool, and c) an onlooker doesn't really have to know what D&D is to say "oh cool, a dargon." I like it when shirts can be appreciated by everyone, even if they are appreciated more by certain people.
Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny.
Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
How I'm posting based on text formatting: Mod Hat Off - Mod Hat Also Off (I'm not a mod)
I wear a cute Tee Turtle shirt. They have a bunch of entertaining art.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
No...?
I do have a "wizard costume" which comprises of a snuggie, blanket, cheap pointy hat, and wooden staff. Might wear it for fun next time I play a wizard lol
oh cool, a dargon
[REDACTED]
Half of my t-shirts are D&D related, soo… yes?
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting