In my games, I don't   have a 'level thing, it  expect the points  do help you with  Svaing rolls, and scuh, though most of it depeds on RP.

 as far as the  Monsters? I enver understood that? it reminds be of the  old  Julesverne  books  of the inderworld, where you moved up a river and   the natives  'evolved'

 so, In my games, you fight the things that are there? you might   fight nasties  one  time, and have a cake walk the next time.

our points  come 'team wise' as  far as the activity of the game, and everynow and then, for  outstnding game play.

 I mean? because i an 15th level, they stopped making orcs and Goblins?   when I was  level one..there were , no giants or dragons?

so , it depends on the story  and the  'bad guys' who live in it, while we make our way through.

In reply to Kree Quickshadow (msg # 928):

In the games I run, all the monsters were there but reasons for some not being close by, you'd find out what the myths or legends were for some, others you always had a choice, find or avoid. I'd ensure that there were clues or people to meet. Best was when someone killed the clue then said person complained when ran into the monster that almost killed the party, other members realised at last second but too late.
Point is, there is always a choice and clues/tools.

True. In my games, I like to reskin monsters sometimes. In one of my Dragonlance campaigns, the players were a bit overpowered and they would invade some goblin camp, to make things a bit more interesting and the encounters more challenging I used goblins but their statistics were of orcs and ogres and for the goblin spellcasters I used draconian statistics. Players were "OMG, goblins! This gonna be easy!". Two rounds into the combat and they had to review all their strategy.

In reply to Yardly (msg # 924):

The war to end all wars.

Man, how did that work out?

hahahahahahaha

Since the World Cup has started, there's a great soccer story about WWI.

Now, I've heard it a couple different ways, but basically this is the way it goes.

On Christmas Eve and Christmas day the English and the Germans called a true to the fighting and No Man's Land became a football field.  The combatants were the Germans and the English.

Sort of assuming a good time was had by all, after all, it was Christmas.

Now, I've heard it was Christmas Eve and Christmas, and I've heard that it was just Christmas day.  Either way, it proves the power of Football to unite, even if it's for just one days.

And, as we call know, Football (soccer) isn't a sport, it's a religion.  It has all the power, passion and everything that comes from a religion, but it can do the one thing that organized religion can't do: Bring people from around the world together.

I mean, from what I have been hearing, some 6 billion people of the 8 billion on earth are supposed to tune into the World Cup over the course of the tournament's run.

If that's not bringing people together, then what is?

And, by the way, some years back there was a Brit idiot who suggested that American Football be changed to Throwball.  Seriously?  Really?  Throwball?

hahahahahahahahahahahahaha

  the Xmas soccer story , you can see a few different versions on you tube.

  from when is was about  16, until late 20's my brother and  I Played   war games, Avalon Hill had the best. My favs  were , 'Richtfen's War 9WW1 air planes)  Tobruk , Woodenships and Iron men and  Submarine. they all deal with  single units plane vs plane , tank verse  tank,  ect.

  But we turned RW  into a  role playing game, he was the  German side, I was the allied  side

 I would  draw  cartoon strip-like  stories  of   the  games we played, with  our  dozens of characters, .

  to this  day, every Christmas, he sends me some version of the Xmas story...we had  two shelf loads of WWI aircraft   that we made from kits, or combined kids to make. and he set up  little trees  with  tiny gifts under them, for the chiasmas season...that was based on the  soccer-Christmas.

In reply to Diana (msg # 931):

It was indeed Cbristmas Day. All the soldiers that played on the German side and I think the English too, were cycled out as they didn't want to fire on new friends.

Goblins, I used the Humanoid's book to make Tunnel Rat Goblins and used the Modifiers for unfamiliar terrain etc, made the "I only need an 8 to hit", down to needing an 18 "Those Goblins should be dead, what's going on, that's not fair" (level 4 Goblin Tunnel Rat leader and many level 2 & 3s) "That should have killed them, they don't have that many hit points" and having 15hps, so the longsword didn't kill in one shot ;-)

When I talk to people about the power of sport, I always bring up that story.  Absolutely amazing.  To call a truce to play a FOOTBALL game!  Can you imagine?

There was also the story, I want to say 2006 World cup, but not sure of the year.

I forget which African nation was having major civil strife, and both sides called a truce to watch the national team play.

Can you imagine?  I mean, how incredible (if true) would it be?  To call a truce to watch your national team play.

That's why I say that Football (soccer) isn't a sport, but a religion, and is the ONLY thing that unites the world.

After all, can 3-4 billion people be wrong?

In reply to Diana (msg # 934):

You are right of course, Football to some is a religion, people go to their 'temple/church' to pray to their 'heroes/gods of football'.  If churches had this much support, communities may have less strife, if more people were involved in sports, even from their armchairs, less hassle would be around (except for rivaly within the sport, which just increases the fans connections)

a slight commentary.... we have churches here   that have people brain washed, to throw money at them ;mega-churches' that make palaces  look like garden sheds. but it  hasn't stopped anything, and the leaders   choose  to dabble in politics.

 when i grew up. money was tight, the Bishops  would threaten us by saying 'if you don't meet the Dioecies  yearly money  'they would close your church"...well?  eastern  Europens, , that's a fate worse then death. so people would cut out   food and stuff to meet the 'appeal'

 as a kid, i read...alot.. i asked  the priest at the time, that this sounds  just like the Bishops  in early england  that Robinhood  fought?.. he  made me say  prayers  for penance . I, Myself was in  a very bad  way in the  early 80's with Layoffs, until i got into the post office. I would  put   one of the last 2 dollars i had in my pocket so i would 'give something.. After I saw my mom and Dad  suffer, and  my LAte  wife, I stepped  away from the church. Niow,half of our catholic churches, merged,  some of the protestant  churches   are now  'other things' one is a funeral home.

 My church, is  on sunday mornings , on the football field... we have a 'fellowship' of players, we enjoy ( or suffer through  as this past sunday) weather  and  for 2 hours  we 'celebrate'.

 to quote the Movie, 'Kingdom of heaven'..." god will understand, and if he does not? He is not god!"

In reply to Kree Quickshadow (msg # 936):

My 'Church' or 'Temple' is outside, it's the trees, the rivers, the hills and where the animals roam. I count myself as lucky in that respect and I get to teach people this when I lead Corporate Worship. I don't push my faith/belief/lifestyle on anyone but will tell them about it if they ask.

I used to play football and field hockey (proper hockey) even with knackered knees but I just can't any more and it put me off watching the football too. So I play on games, create videos, edit videos and walk on the hills. (YouTube= "Earth Based Inspiration" if interested).

It's how I'm going to get over putting down my pet rat Reggie last night and how my gf could have died of Sepsis over theast 5 days. Yeah, it's been hard, so than you all for keeping me distracted.

I might have mentioned this year.. but  my games, especially my space game, has a  good community . they  can talk and vent OOC, sometimes send me or each other PMs.. i never  rean player to player PMs  unless i'm address.

 anyway, we had a woman join  a few years ago, she ended up in all three of my games. she was super enthusiastic .. made notes  asked me questions in PMs...

she fought through  brest cancer, i gave her some tips, as  my late wife  went through it twice,  we talked alot.. another woman who is a DR in the UK  talked with her, and she loved the games, it gave her a safe place.

  she beat it twice..But Covid   reared its  ugly head   and took her  through heart failure.

 she  had a GF who used to be her Oncologist... i woke up one  morning, answered posts the player put in , and went  grocery shopping... I came back to a PM from the GF, that the player  had died..she had  a heart attack, they  took her to the hospital were her GF met with her. The player had  detailed  ways she wanted her characters   to  be 'dealt with"..i was in shock, not only was she gone, but she mad certain her GF ( fiancee)  had   those instructions  for me...

  The GF asked if she could read  and   hang out..i said sure. though its against my own rules to have lurkers.( you either want to play or not?)

  anyway after a couple weeks  I talked to the GF, to  handle   the player  characters., and she  is now  'the player"

 she has  said in PMs  and OOC, how the games  give her a place to relax, and forget bad stuff.

 So? Yardly..if this  can help you, its a good thing, and a testament to the GM that you  view this  as a place to go.

  I wish i would have had these games   when My wife  was fighting., who knows, maybe, subconsciously , that's wwhy a GM..to give folks a place to go to?

In reply to Kree Quickshadow (msg # 938):

Oh that poor lady and her gf.
It's good the gf had some place she felt she could go.

As a Counsellor (I have my own company), I have ensured I have safe places to chat/vent, including with this GM and a player in another game, you guys are supportive too. I've found ways and help others when they are grieving or bereaved (not always the same thing).

It's great the ladies felt they could chat/talk with you Kree.

I used to be a sportsman, tall muscular, fast, I used to play soccer and volleyball. Nowadays , I'm twice my weight, I was an English teacher for 23 years then got tired of it, like really tired, almost burned out, went to therapy and changed professions. Now I'm a cyber security analyst and I'm pretty happy with myself and my job. I've been thru some ups and downs (lost my dad, then my mom) and as a brazilian, I'm always struggling to live a stable financial life. So, how do I keep myself sane? Well...playing d&d with the same people I used to play in the 90s, and playing AD&D here since 2011. Probably, Kree had given me a hint or two whenever I vented here, if I had. So yeah, I consider this game a very safe place for venting and even sharing.

In reply to Senuviel Alantir (msg # 940):

I've shared about my sister who has terminal Frontal Lobe Dementia.

Yesterday my other sister and I went to see her in the hospital.  While it's clear that our visits make her day, it's just so damned hard.

I always leave the hospital misty eyed, and a bit depressed.

She's doing good, she has a 2 to 8 year life expectancy.  I hope she makes it the 8 yeas, although, having read up on how her final days might be, I'm not sure.  Loss of speech, and then dementia itself can set in.

I just feel so damned bad, because I have a huge hesitancy to visit her.  I call her once a week, and still hang up misty eye.

She down to just skin and bones.  The FLD had taken away her ability to want to eat.  So, the first month and a half she was in the hospital she refused to eat or drink.  It got so bad, that the doctor had given her 2 weeks if she continued down that path.

They moved her to another hospital, this one a short term facility, and she's blossomed.  She's still skin and bones but is stable.

The funny thing is, when I went into her room, I didn't recognize her, because the hospital had a lice scare, and they had to shave her head.  Kind of funny.  If you have seen the wrestler Kane with no mask, she kind of looks like that.  Only she's lost a whole lot of facial tone.

Anyway, the holidays just aren't the same without her.  We used to go over to her apartment for all the holidays.

Last month my other sister and I cleaned out her apartment, as it didn't make any sense to pay rent on an apartment that nobody is going to be living in.

When I closed the door for the last time, I was seriously misty eyed.  It just felt like the last nail in the coffin so to speak, as it just confirms that she's never coming home.

As long as we paid rent on the apartment, it was like there was hope she could come home, even though she never would.  (I know, just being silly.)

One of the hardest things I've had to do was cleaning out her apartment.  I mean, a lifetime of stuff collected, had to be gone through, sorted, and decided what to keep and what to discard.

Anyway, getting off the poor me box now.  :)

 yeah Di? My wife  was  hospice  at Home...the postmaster  didn't like me alot ( i was the steward)..there was  a Lady supervisor  who was good to me, read him the riot act so i could usemmy sick leave to take care of her ( i had  2000+ hours)

 as it worked out, I went to get some papers signed by her  doc, while  her sister stayed with her... i ran into my Doc's  wife... she, of course didn't know anything, because of the law, but i coached her  kids in soccer and her boy played  football for me. I told her   how the PM was givign me a hard time, and said i'd have to use my annual, and after that i would have  to  take leave without pay...

 The wife of my Doc, told me to tell the doc  what i said, he wrote me a script  for 2 months off  due to stress..sadly, i didn't need the whole  2 months.

  My wife  was  happy i was going to be  there all the time, but  what i bring this up for is what Di said  about 'reading up"

 they gave me a pamplet to read.. telling me what was going to happen..i refused to read it..i didn't want to know...but  after a couple visits, the one nurse said   i had to read it..its  damn scary how it pinpointed everything..I hated  seeing the  thresholds  come and go, knowing what they meant...

 I tell this to everyone... in here, in RL..the best thing to do, is keep them alive  with good stories and memories , Like sagas from the Vikings. will you still be sad?  yep..but not as often, and that's what  they want. because if   thinkign of them causes you only pain? what was their purpose?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=095zEWH9MR0

 Have  a great thanksgiving, or a great thursday!

In reply to Kree Quickshadow (msg # 943):

Happy Thanksgiving y'all!!!

In reply to Senuviel Alantir (msg # 944):

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!!

In reply to Senuviel Alantir (msg # 944):

Everyone have a great Thanksgiving or if not a fabulous Thursday :)

I read through the PM/IM OCC and feel some of the same things you all experience - lost my mom right as COVID hit (not to COVID) and everyday keep up with my dad who at 84 still works like 20+ hrs a week.  I look to all the games I am in/DM or play and always make sure there is space for any type of posting needed.  We are a family too here in this gaming world and sometimes its better here to "talk" then the real world  lol

For my Games I run, I use a slow level up but strong allowance to build characters and most encountered are enough to challenge the players and only if they really mess up have a chance of RIP.  Yes, anytime the group can encounter in normal play say a par of mating red ancient dragons or two gods playing chess using the world as there game board but never to just over power the group but to make it interesting maybe to figure out "oh, its them dang dragons messing with us in this cave system or gods will be gods."

I think I should be able to get all my groups in this world back up to speed as I see Real Life will be stable again.

BUT just in case you forget everyone gets 100 exp for today.   It's become a tradition like a call sign out when you end a group call (at work I use "It's 5 O'clock somewhere.").

Enjoy the day, stay strong all and post away.   Goblins Orcs and Ogres oh my.

Well, I guess the US isn't as good at soccer / Football as we all though.

Lost to the Dutch 3-1. and it was really a shambles.

Defense let Dutch guys run right past them and, and, oh, gee, here, have a free shot at goal, with nobody around.  No, really, I insist. (Shaking head.)

Poor defense, and nobody go really score.  I mean a freak goal was nice, made it 2-1, but then that porous defense struck, and it was 3-1, game over.  (Sigh)

Came into the game with high hopes, I mean we had played very well during the group stage.  For 3 and a half halves, we were good to great.  Seemingly.

So, pros to the Netherlands, who looked like men playing with boys, or a cat playing with a mouse.  I really hate being the mouse!

On the bright side, the World Cup comes to the United States after a 32 year absence in 2026!

at least we didn't lose to a Middel eats team.

I never enjoyed Mens  soccer, they are too much , drama queens. I remember watching our ladies in Brazil play  tough   teams. when one of the  (very few) ladies  decided to take a prat fall, other  women  just laughed.

  The Mens  side,  I remeber  some  , I think, Brazilian  goalie,  go through all kinds of orchestrations
 to try to get fans to cheer  for him, most of them involved  picking up a slow  roller  with no one close to him.
'
 His last game  He  vove  of a  Ball, Just inside the Box , with no other jersey with in 30 yards of Him, he  got up and looked at the crowd.

so? yeah..I'll watch USA  Men's games  in the cup or Olympics...but I'll watch the US Ladies  anytime.

Brazilian soccer players are masters of drama, lmao. Argentinians, too. I'm Brazilian, I cheer for my country in the cup, of course, but I hate when they start all the drama.

In reply to Senuviel Alantir (msg # 949):

Nice win over South Korea.  Man, talk about man among boys!!

There's a reason that Brazil is ALWAYS a favorite for whatever tournament they are on.

So, who's your team?  :)

I'm a huge Liverpool fan, and a LA Galaxy fan.  Was in Los Angeles in 1996, when MLS was born.  During the 1998 world cup, fell in love with this young progidy name Michael Owen, who was tearing it up.

Have risen and died with Liverpool ever since!  And, believe me, sometimes it really SUCKS to have to get up and 430 am to watch my team play.  Thank heavens for DVR!

Yay, I went up a level in Sorcerer :-)
That's 1 extra HP and 1 extra spell a day, just need to learn more of them.

In reply to Beverly (msg # 951):

Nice!!! Welcome to my world, lol....It's been 2 lvls already since Senuviel has learned a new spell, lol!