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16 votes
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Adopting rightwing policies ‘does not help centre-left win votes’
36 votes -
Are there other good aggregator sites?
Tildes and Hacker News are my go to sites for general conversation, and information and I find being largely text based is what keeps the quality of the sites from devolving. Are there other...
Tildes and Hacker News are my go to sites for general conversation, and information and I find being largely text based is what keeps the quality of the sites from devolving. Are there other similar sites?
64 votes -
How crowded are the oceans? New maps show what flew under the radar until now.
27 votes -
Feedback on boss monster for tonight's DnD session
Hello tabletop peeps! I have completed a monster design for my first ever boss creature, and I wanted to get some quick feedback. This is all based on a previous post where I got ideas from y'all,...
Hello tabletop peeps! I have completed a monster design for my first ever boss creature, and I wanted to get some quick feedback. This is all based on a previous post where I got ideas from y'all, here: https://tildes.net/~games.tabletop/1cjn/designing_my_first_dnd_boss_fight_with_a_giant_mimic_5x_lvl_5_characters
Players are a group of 5 lvl 5 characters, fairly magic heavy and lower hp overall.
The boss creature is a mimic that appears to be a large stone fountain with blood in it. If a PC touches it or stabs it, then they (or their weapon) will be grappled for the start of combat. At that point, the mimic will sprout 6 tentacles that each can travel up to 40ft from the main body and wield a weapon. All tentacles will operate on the same turn as the main body.
Healing Pool in the boss room
The boss room is a large room with a pool in it where blood is mixed with water that has flowed over a magic crystal to produce a healing solution. The idea is that the PCs will figure out that they can either heal themselves by dipping into the pool, prevent the boss from getting close to the pool, or that they can break the magic crystal to prevent the boss from healing. Several of the boss abilities reference this pool.
Mimic main body:
STR 16 (+3)
DEX 10 (+0)
CON 20 (+5)
INT 16 (+3)
WIS 12 (+1)
CHA 8 (-1)HP 200
Main body loses 20hp if a tentacle diesArmor Class: 13
Speed: 15 ft
Proficiency Bonus: 2
Damage Resistances: None
Immunities: Poison, Acid, Sleep, CharmAbilities
Harden: Cannot take other actions, harden body to stone and increase AC to 18, as well as resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, slashing, cold, fire
Spew Blood: Begin charging up blood, PCs can see mouth direction. At the beginning of next turn, spew acidic blood in a 180 degree arc for 30 ft. Deals 3d6 acid damage, half damage on DEX 14 save. Mimic main body cannot do anything on its next turn as it recovers.
Chomp: +5 to hit. 1d12+3 piercing damage
Charge: If no arms are left, it will spew blood from the back and charge at a target. Increase speed to 45ft, and deal (+5 to hit) 4d6+3 bludgeoning damage to a target. Dex15 save for half damage.Sword Tentacle (x3)
HP 20
Armor Class 13
Speed 30 ft
Damage Resistances: None
Damage Immunities: Poison, AcidAbilities
Harden: Cannot take other actions, harden body to stone and increase AC to 18, as well as resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, slashing, cold, fire
Heal: If the healing pool is nearby, soak arm in the pool to heal it fully, and heal the main body for 15hp. Alternatively, resurrect a different defeated tentacle instead of healing self or the main body.
Slice: +5 to hit. 1d8+3 slashing damageShield Tentacle (x1)
HP 20
Armor Class 13
Speed 30 ft
Damage Resistances: None
Damage Immunities: Poison, AcidAbilities
Harden: Cannot take other actions, harden body to stone and increase AC to 18, as well as resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, slashing, cold, fire
Heal: If the healing pool is nearby, soak arm in the pool to heal it fully, and heal the main body for 15hp. Alternatively, resurrect a different defeated tentacle instead of healing self or the main body.
Shield Bash: +5 to hit. 1d4 + 3 bludgeoning damage
Defend: As a reaction, give disadvantage to an attack when an ally 5ft away is attackedCrossbow Tentacle (x1)
HP 20
Armor Class 13
Speed 30 ft
Damage Resistances: None
Damage Immunities: Poison, AcidAbilities
Harden: Cannot take other actions, harden body to stone and increase AC to 18, as well as resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, slashing, cold, fire
Heal: If the healing pool is nearby, soak arm in the pool to heal it fully, and heal the main body for 15hp. Alternatively, resurrect a different defeated tentacle instead of healing self or the main body.
Heavy Crossbow shot: +2 to hit. 1d10 piercing damageHandy Tentacle (x1)
HP 20
Armor Class 13
Speed 30 ft
Damage Resistances: None
Damage Immunities: Poison, AcidAbilities
Harden: Cannot take other actions, harden body to stone and increase AC to 18, as well as resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, slashing, cold, fire. Cannot harden when grappling a PC.
Heal: If the healing pool is nearby, soak arm in the pool to heal it fully, and heal the main body for 15hp. Alternatively, resurrect a different defeated tentacle instead of healing self or the main body.
Grapple: +5 to hit. Grab a target, they can avoid it with a DC16 strength saving throw. If the target is successfully grappled, they can escape with a DC14 strength save at the start of their turn.
Squeeze: If a target is grappled, squeeze them for 1d6+3 bludgeoning damage.
Throw juice: If the healing pool is within range, scoop up a handful of purple juice and throw it at a skeleton to resurrect it.Potential Adds
There are two skeletons in the room that can be resurrected by the Handy Tentacle with it's "throw juice" ability, should the fight is too easy for the PCs or they are hanging back too far. These adds are Boneknights from page 6 on this link: https://www.gmbinder.com/share/-Mv5UKsPhrHkBqSf9vo1
Conclusion and Questions
Is this a fun boss? I aim to have the tentacles each fighting a different person, so I don't think I'll wipe the party out too quickly, but I know of the mystical "action economy" and I might be overdoing things.
Also, how do I rate the CR of such a creature? And how much gold should a party earn for such a fight? Thanks for helping out a new DM!
20 votes -
Dan Levy’s Criterion Collection closet picks
5 votes -
"Goodbye internet": MatPat retiring from YouTube
27 votes -
China Miéville and Keanu Reeves to publish the novel 'The Book of Elsewhere' in Summer 2024
11 votes -
Anime is going digital. Fans are wary.
21 votes -
Easy money [exploring the effects of low central bank interest rates]
7 votes -
The economic secret hidden in a tiny, discontinued pasta
46 votes -
‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’: Jon Favreau to direct and produce ‘Star Wars’ pic for Lucasfilm
17 votes -
DGA Awards film nominations: Gerwig, Nolan, Scorsese, Lanthimos, and Payne
4 votes -
Sludge videos are taking over social media and people’s mind
16 votes -
Paul Thomas Anderson and Warner Bros set Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Regina Hall in film to shoot this year
4 votes -
As Houthi missiles block the Suez, drought depletes the Panama Canal
9 votes -
Politicians from Germany’s AfD met extremist group to discuss deportation ‘masterplan’
13 votes -
Hackers can infect network-connected wrenches to install ransomware, researchers say
28 votes -
MSI's new monitor uses built-in AI to flag enemy positions for you in LoL
22 votes -
SAG Awards nominations: ‘Barbie’, ‘Oppenheimer’ and ‘Succession’ top list
4 votes -
Movie of the Week #10 - Four Rooms
Warning: this post may contain spoilers
We begin the new year with a movie that takes place on new year's eve with Four Rooms from 1995. Written and directed by four direcors - Allison Anders, Alexandre Rockwell, Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino.
How was the movie as a whole? Were there any of the four segments that you particularly liked - or hated?
Rest of schedule for January is:
- 8th: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
- 15th: City Lights
- 22nd: Marcel The Shell With Shoes On
- 29th: The Iron Giant
8 votes -
I'm about to start my first ever job as a Software Engineer. I'm terrified about losing it in a layoff.
I wanted to be a SWE ever since I was a young kid, and now after a undergrad + masters degree I was one of the first people in my batch to get a job. I just moved to a new country for my first job...
I wanted to be a SWE ever since I was a young kid, and now after a undergrad + masters degree I was one of the first people in my batch to get a job. I just moved to a new country for my first job and I love it here already, it just feels sad imagining if I do get laid off and I'd have to go back to where I was doing my Masters (and even that would be limited time visa before I have to go back to my very under-developed home country). I do want to just mentally let go of the anxiety and just focus on performing good at my job but with all the recent layoffs it feels hard, my own company laid off a lot of people last year and because of that their glassdoor rating is kindof bad. I've been spiralling a bit just reading the glassdoor reviews of people blaming the management of uprooting their lives. Other people who changed cities or countries and were left jobless and were trying to navigate in a extremely bureucratic environment.
I have a 6 month probation in which I can be laid off pretty quickly, I just need to learn to not worry about the stuff I can't control.
34 votes -
You don’t need more resilience. You need friends. And money.
44 votes -
Sound maps that predict poachers' movements improve government deterrence and response
7 votes -
What happened in 2023 that will have an impact on the rest of the decade?
Things that come to mind for me: Israel and Gaza The rise of Ozempic and other similar medications Artificial Intelligence What do you all think?
42 votes -
OECD urges Denmark to address gender stereotypes in education and suggested introducing quotas to get more women in top management
5 votes -
Make perfect eggs every time with Sohla | Cooking 101
8 votes -
Is GenAI’s impact on productivity overblown?
21 votes -
Turn dollar store birdhouses into fantasy buildings for tabletop gaming
9 votes -
Plant-based spread maker tries move into paper-based tubs
13 votes -
The worst technology failures of 2023
28 votes -
Wind overtakes coal for electricity generation in Europe
13 votes -
Gordon Ramsay | Last Meals
10 votes -
A trip down the UK
Hey y'all, I was wondering if anyone had any advice/warnings/comments/thoughts/etc. about an anniversary trip (10 years!) my partner and I are planning for late May. For context, I have been to...
Hey y'all, I was wondering if anyone had any advice/warnings/comments/thoughts/etc. about an anniversary trip (10 years!) my partner and I are planning for late May. For context, I have been to the UK before a few years back but my partner has not. Also, I'm American and I've never driven anywhere but the US. This is the rough and very basic itinerary:
Day 0: Edinburgh
- Land in Edinburgh
- Check in to hotel
- Wander around the city
Day 1: Edinburgh
- Rent car
- Drive to St. Andrews
- Drive around in the Scottish Highlands
Day 2: Edinburgh > Redmire
- Drive south to a bed and breakfast in Redmire
- Check out the English countryside
Day 3: Redmire > Manchester
- Drive to Manchester
- Turn in car
- Check in to hotel
Day 4: Manchester > Bath
- Take a train to Bath
- Wander around Bath
- Stay at bed and breakfast
Day 5: Bath > London
- Take train to London
- Check in to hotel
- Do touristy things
- Eat a lot of food
Day 6: London
- Anniversary dinner
Day 7: London
- Wander around
- Eat a lot of food
Day 8: London
- Depart from Heathrow
I fully intend to add plan out the details and activities as we get closer, though I would be grateful for any recommendations for things to do or places to see. It's my partner's real first time out of the country and given it's an anniversary trip I wanted it to be mostly relaxed.
The first half or so of the trip is predicated on me, an American who drives on the right, driving good distances in the UK. I've plenty of experience doing long distance driving in the US, it's mostly the driving on the opposite side that concerns me. Is this recommended? Would it be better to just use rideshares or transit in the cities and take trains over the longer stretches between instead of a mini-roadtrip? Thanks y'all!
EDIT:
Thank you everyone for your thoughtful responses! I will try to get to as many as I can as soon as I can!20 votes -
Vectrex reborn: How a chance encounter gave new life to a dead console
4 votes -
Israel is murdering Palestinian journalists in Gaza – The pattern of killing cannot be denied. Is there a lack of sympathy because the victims aren’t American or European?
35 votes -
GitHub Actions feels bad
13 votes -
Looking for recommendations for sci-fi books with a 'body snatchers' theme of human possession or replacement
After reading The Body Snatchers and The Puppet Masters, I am almost finishing Blood Music and I am not yet done with that theme. These are all stories about human possession or replacement with...
After reading The Body Snatchers and The Puppet Masters, I am almost finishing Blood Music and I am not yet done with that theme.
These are all stories about human possession or replacement with copies by other entities, extraterrestrial or otherwise. As I finish Blood Music, I find myself craving for more. It doesn't matter if it is about invasion or something else that takes over our bodies and minds. Stories that question and entice our attachment to our identities, as well as our desire to conform and dissolve into the collective.
I wish for stories that are not about just one person undergoing a transformation, but rather a group or a community (family, town, country, the world).
Ideally, they should be some kind of science fiction (even if science's role is not immediately obvious and overt), but I am open to suggestions if you believe something in other genres deserves my attention.
References:
- The Body Snatchers
- The Puppet Masters
- Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
- Blood Music
- Body Snatchers - TV Tropes
21 votes -
Scientists attempt to explain “magic islands” on Saturn’s largest moon
6 votes -
Joe Biden administration announces $1 billion for low-emission US school buses
39 votes -
Album of the Week #15: Mew - Frengers
This is Album of the Week #15 ~ This week's album is Mew - Frengers Year of Release: 2003 Genre(s): Dream Pop Country: Denmark Length: 48 minutes RYM | Listen! (Album.Link) Excerpt from Drowned In...
This is Album of the Week #15 ~ This week's album is Mew - Frengers
Year of Release: 2003
Genre(s): Dream Pop
Country: Denmark
Length: 48 minutes
RYM | Listen! (Album.Link)Excerpt from Drowned In Sound:
On the cherub face of it this album is a soaring, triangle tapping, kitten cuddling, debut; Mew have playground innocence down - lunchbox in hand, toothpaste on tie and scabby knees, all set for a day of holding hands with the pigtailed girl. Mew could market this to my 6-year old cousin to dance around to whilst munching her Sugar Puffs, and they'd sell a billion. Pop is Universal... aaaaaaah, that's the cookie, that's what everyone has forgotten!
Discussion points:
Have you heard this artist/album before? Is this your first time hearing?
Do you enjoy this genre? Is this an album you would have chosen?
Does this album remind you of something you've heard before?
What were the album's strengths or weaknesses?
Was there a standout track for you?
How did you hear the album? Where were you? What was your setup?--
Album of the week is currently chosen randomly (via random.org) from the top 5000 albums from a custom all-time RYM chart, with a 4/5 popularity weighting. The chart is recalculated weekly.
Missed last week? It can be found here.
Any feedback on the format is welcome ~~
8 votes -
Netflix is reportedly exploring adding in-game ads to its gaming service
43 votes -
Bill Ackman and the crusade against free speech
16 votes -
Tennessee Titans fired head coach Mike Vrabel, per sources
@Adam Schefter: Titans fired head coach Mike Vrabel, per sources.Vrabel led Tennessee to four consecutive winning seasons after arriving in 2018, but the Titans have experienced back-to-back frustrating seasons, finishing multiple games under .500 both times.
8 votes -
The “everything home server” for under $300: fanless, eight cores, 4x 10Gbe SFP+, JBOD support
66 votes -
Iceland keeps feeding its tourist boom. Will it push locals out? – about six times as many visitors as residents came to the tiny island last year
8 votes -
Tom Cruise signs deal with Warner Bros. to develop and produce original and franchise films
8 votes -
Fascinating publication by and for hikikomori (Japanese language)
17 votes -
Tildes Video Thread
Find yourself watching tons of great videos on [insert chosen video sharing platform], but also find yourself reluctant to flood the Tildes front page with them? Then this thread is for you. It...
Find yourself watching tons of great videos on [insert chosen video sharing platform], but also find yourself reluctant to flood the Tildes front page with them? Then this thread is for you.
It could be one quirky video that you feel deserves some eyeballs on it, or perhaps you've got a curated list of videos that you'd love to talk us through...
Share some of the best video content you've watched this past week/fortnight with us!
11 votes -
TV Tuesdays Free Talk
Warning: this post may contain spoilers
Have you watched any TV shows recently you want to discuss? Any shows you want to recommend or are hyped about? Feel free to discuss anything here.
Please just try to provide fair warning of spoilers if you can.
5 votes