For the week of May 22 – 28 2024

Spawn Disguise Points

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1. Brimhaven Bush 1
2. Entrana Barrel 1
3. Gnome Maze Bush 1
4. Rellekka Rock 1
5. Southern Desert Cactus 1
6. Mort Myre Bush 2
7. Canifis/Haunted Woods Crate 2
8. Wilderness Rock 2
9. Wilderness Rock 2
10. Lletya Toadstool 2
    
11. Ghost Penguin See-through 3
    
12. Sophanem Cactus 2
    

* ‡ Back to the Freezer penguin
* This week the Polar Bear can be found in the Varrock Well.The well is in the south east corner of town, south of the tea stall, and near the fancy dressmaker.
* Penguin 11 is the ghost penguin, and teleports randomly every +/- 9 minutes
* This week the Circus can be found in Rimmington
* This week's D&D key token can be obtained from Penguin Hide and Seek
Please post locations below as you spy!
Quick links:
https://runescape.wiki/w/Penguin_Hide_and_Seek/Spawn_locations
https://runescape.wiki/w/Penguin_Hide_and_Seek#Optional_quest_unlocks
https://www.reddit.com/World60Pengs/wiki/roam-ranges
https://runescape.wiki/w/Calculator%3AOthePenguin_points

GAH....some of these questionnaire questions are so unclear what they're looking for..sigh. Which answer would you choose? B?
16.Which of the following best describes your approach to delivering clear, effective written communication in an organizational setting? A. I have no experience in this area.
B. I organize and express ideas effectively using language tailored to the audience.
C. I compile complex information from multiple sources into a single and cohesive document.
D. I tailor written communication to the level and experience of the audience.
E. I communicate basic or routine information clearly in written documents.

To start this story off, I suppose it's best to talk a little bit about myself and my experience in the TTRPG space. I've been an avid TTRPG enthusiast for almost two decades now. Yes, I'm a bit of an old hat/old fogey. I started my enjoyment of the hobby with Pathfinder 1st edition, eventually transferring over to DnD 5e when it first arrived on the scene, mostly because it was the new hotness, but I ultimately found that it was better suited for the type of games that I enjoy running at my table. While I very adamantly enjoy the structure that a game's mechanical rules bring to the table, 5e provided a rules system that wasn't invasive, and so me and my friends were able to focus on the things about the game that we enjoyed the most - the roleplaying, the storytelling, and (most importantly) the fun.
Many years would go by, as well as a couple of what I would consider to be successful campaigns - basically anything that managed to survive longer than 3 months. Scheduling, right? I digress. Eventually, I arrived at a point where my current circle of friends and I were itching to play a new campaign, and for the shits and giggles of it we decided we would livestream it on Twitch. At the time, we had managed to get affiliated on Twitch, and one or two of us would occasionally have a couple of viewers pop in when we were streaming whatever video game we were playing, and we figured it would be fun to do the same thing with our next campaign. So we did. As you might expect, nothing really ever came out of it. We were just doing it for fun. The campaign only lasted about 3 months or so, and we never set out with the expectation that what we were releasing into the world was anything amazing - we were just four normal dudes having fun playing a game we enjoyed, and if you happened to find yourself on our Twitch channel to see it, awesome! If not, cool. We weren't doing it for you.
So, yeah, that campaign eventually fell off, and we would eventually return to just streaming whatever video game excited us. One of friends got married, and had a kid, and was too busy for DnD. Another friend got a new job, and his schedule just didn't give him the time. Hell, even I managed to land a pretty decent job at the time, and I struggled to make time for our weekly video game nights, but I managed. But ever since that streamed campaign had ended, I had an itch in the back of my mind that I really wanted to scratch. I thoroughly enjoyed everything about livestreaming our campaign. Sure, it was nothing to write home about, but I fell in love with the showmanship of it all. Maybe it was because of the thought of the potential for someone to eventually watch it, but whenever we would stream, I would get in the zone and pretend I was putting on a show for thousands (even though we may have only ever had three or four viewers at max). Basically, I had fallen in love with the idea of putting on a show for others, and I knew I would jump at the chance to do it again in the future. Enter Wayne.
A little over a year ago (at the time of this posting), I was perusing through the /LFG subreddit and not looking for anything in particular, when I stumbled across a post that checked off all the boxes.
I don't like to admit that I'm picky, but that fact that this sub exists should give credence to that fact that one should, at the very least, have a criteria when looking for games to invest yourself in when looking at advertisements. And if my little backstory above should inform you, there were a number of things on my checklist that this post had. For starters, it was longer than a few sentences. Clearly, the person who posted this was meticulous about what they wanted and what they didn't want (I would learn, much later on, that Wayne was not the one who wrote the post, but one of his players). Secondly, the post was very adamant about what was of paramount importance at the table - rich and compelling narratives, deep exploration of characters, and a passion for roleplay. And thirdly, the plan was to turn this into a "production". The post even included a promo video of respectable quality. Clearly, the people involved with this had a plan, much more of a plan than my friends and I had when we streamed. And, I considered myself a pretty decent roleplayer, so I applied. They were only looking for 1 applicant, but I figured I had a decent shot, with my previous livestreaming experience, and the fact that I already owned a (what some would call excessive) microphone and camera. So I shot my shot. If I didn't get picked, no biggie, life goes on. But when I received a discord invite and told that I had made it to the second round of the application process, I was ecstatic.
It is around here that I should introduce you to our cast of characters (names have been changed, of course:

• There is, of course, me, Dave - a guy who fundamentally believes that fun and safety at a table supersedes everything else, who happens to really enjoy hamming it up in character, and telling exciting stories.
  
• Ava - an already confirmed player at the table, with a past experience of playing with Wayne. I would come to find out that Ava was the one who had written the LFG post. Ava was also in charge of Discord moderation, and the second round interview process. She has her own story, which I will allude to here, but is ultimately hers to share.
  
• Jelly - Wayne's significant other. Jelly was supposedly not involved with the upcoming campaign at all, but had a presence on the Discord, and have previously played in Wayne's campaigns.
  Seth - another already confirmed player at the table. Admittedly, Seth plays a minor role in the story, but his inclusion is necessary.
  
  • and Wayne - the lead character of our story. The DM of the upcoming campaign. The visionary. The guy who plans to have the next big thing in the TTRPG actual play space.

There are at least a half dozen other individuals involved in this story, but ultimately play very minor roles. If at some point while I am writing this one of them pop up, I will update the list above to include them.
Back to the story. I was ecstatic to find out I had been selected for an Discord interview and scheduled it at my earliest convenience. This is where I first meet Ava. To be honest, I don't recall much about the interview, but I remember it being pretty standard and what I was expecting an interview to be. Mostly it was just going into detail about some of the stuff I had included in my primary application and talking about expectations and goals. I was told that after the Discord interview, the next step would be a participation in a practice one shot, to get a feel for how I would play at the table. After the interview was over, Wayne hopped into the voice channel, and this would be when I would meet the man, the legend.
I pride myself on being very good at reading people. I can usually pick up on when someone is trying to sell me something, pretty quickly. I tend to over analyze words and expression looking for intent. I have been gaslit and manipulated several times in my past by people very close to me, and so I have developed this defense when meeting people for the first time. Very rarely do I take someone at their word, or completely buy what they are selling when I hardly know them, and even less so to a complete stranger. In this case, when meeting Wayne for the first time, my defenses failed me.
Perhaps it was because it had been over a year since I last ran a campaign. Perhaps it was because it had been even longer than that that I actually got to be a player in a campaign. Perhaps it was because of that itch of wanting to perform again for an audience. Or, perhaps, it was because Wayne was very good at pitching his plans. Whatever the reason, my first impression of Wayne was that this was a guy who had a plan, and had the means to enact that plan, and I wanted to be a part of it in any way that I could.
Wayne, you see, had two big passions in life. The first was DnD. The second, as he would admit, was being an entrepreneur. He owned his own business in New York City. One of several ventures he had pursued, and it afforded him a premium NYC apartment and the time and luxury to spend on his second passion - playing DnD. And so, he thought, why not marry these two passions together? He had a great head for business. And according to him, the last campaign he had run was fantastic. So fantastic, he thought, that surely other people would enjoy listening to it. And so he hatched a plan - he would use his business knowledge and savvy to launch a Youtube channel that would be home to his next great campaign. But he had the foresight, at least, to know of just how saturated the DnD actual play space has become in recent years. If he wanted to be successful at this venture, he would have to stand out from the rest. And he had a solution to that. He wasn't going to put out just any old DnD actual play. He was going to create "DnD Cinema".
To do that, he said, he needed the right people that share in the same core philosophies that he had. Namely, a "pretentious level of hyperfixation on roleplaying and narrative storytelling". Most other actual plays, to him, were playing "beer and pretzels" DnD. You know, the type of game were you sit around with your friends having a good time and a laugh, where you might spend five minutes on an out of character joke, etc. Shit like that wasn't going to fly in this campaign. When you came to the table, you were going to be in character from start to finish. And recording sessions were going to be seven hours long. Could I handle that?
And I admit that I told him I could. Like I said, he had a way with words. He was clearly passionate about it. And he talked a good talk. And he was friendly enough. So he said he would be in touch. And the wait began.
Over the course of the next month or so, I would come to become friends with Ava and Wayne. We would hop into Discord and play games, talk about the upcoming campaign, etc. It was going to be several months before the campaign actually began recording, and so Wayne was still conducting the interview process while also working on worldbuilding for the campaign. He was also spending over $3000 dollars commissioning an animated table for the youtube video. This was clearly something he was very proud of, as he took every and all opportunity to talk about how amazing and innovative it was going to be.
You see, in Wayne's vision of "DnD cinema", the videos that would be put up on youtube would not include the faces of the players. Or battlemaps. Instead, it would be animated table that he could manipulate in editing at various cue points. It would feature portraits of the characters that would light up when they speak. It was the next big thing in the TTRPG space - a (frankly) audio only experience that was accentuated with the occasional fancy animation that cost thousands of dollars. No one else was doing it, he would say, and that would help him stand out even more.
It was also during these more innocent days that I would come to understand Wayne's obsession with Brennan Lee Mulligan. He idolized the guy. In fact, he would brag on multiple occasions that his significant other's job had her 3 or 4 degrees removed from Brennan - basically, she worked for someone who worked for someone who was involved with the Dungeons and Drag Queens season of Dimension 20, and he would often mention how he was hoping to use that connection to someday have a sit down and meet and greet with BLeeM himself. As time would go on, I would eventually find out that Wayne actually considered Brennan Lee Mulligan as his competition.
About a month would past before I would hear anything about my application. I never brought it up during our gaming sessions, as another core tenet of mine is that I don't want my friendship or acquaintance with someone to give me an edge over other candidates. I want my experience and what I bring to the table to stand on its own merit. This will come up later in our story. Eventually, I would get a message from Wayne asking me if I would be interested in participating in a try out one shot for the campaign. Apparently, he had completely forgotten that I had applied, and wanted to schedule in a last minute try out for me. My fellow players during the one shot would be Ava, some other member of the discord community, and Jelly.
I'll be honest, the one shot was nothing to write home about. And even Wayne would admit it was something he threw together last minute so that he could say I had my chance. I immediately found Ava to be a fantastic scene partner, and even for a one shot, put the time and effort into her character and actions. Jelly, on the other hand, was not that good. To be fair to Jelly, my criteria for grading her performance was strictly on the curve that Wayne himself said he was grading people on. I found her to be a very selfish player, who failed to pick up on narrative cues, and was solely focused on her time in the spotlight. But it was a trial one shot that didn't mean anything. My biggest take away from Jelly was that she was a player that I would not enjoy playing with in the future, and that I wouldn't seek out as a player at a table that I was DMing for. Not horror story bad (yet), but not good. Average.
When the application process was done, it would eventually come down to two choices. I was one. Wayne loved my southern twang, and thought it would sound good in a production. And we had become friends. The other was someone with a theater and acting background, who had been to Julliard. I was not selected. And I was okay with that. The decision did not impact my friendship with either Ava or Wayne, and we continued to hang out and play games together. I then learned of Wayne's new plan.
In the original posting ad for the campaign, it had been mentioned that a possibility for guest character appearing in the campaign could happen. The original idea was that, as members of the Discord community would play in one shots, Wayne would then be able to invite stand out performance to appear in an episode or two of the new campaign, as a gift to the community and to give those players a chance to play in a campaign with other players of similar caliber. This all changed as the months got closer to release date. The idea for guests at the table changed completely. Instead, Wayne's plan was to use the guest spots at the table as a networking opportunity. Don't forget - Wayne is an entrepreneur. This was a business venture for him, and successful businesses need to show growth. And he wanted to achieve growth at an accelerated pace. The plan was simple - as the channel grew, Wayne would scour the internet for similar channels with slightly higher subscriber count than his. Well, I say Wayne would do this. Wayne would actually pawn this off on to someone else. A tangent that I will perhaps need to touch on later in this story - Wayne was very good at finding ways of pawning off work on to others, and then taking the credit. He very much believe himself to be a manager, and other members of the Discord that showed any interest in the success of this venture as his employees. He would then engage in communications with these other channels in the hopes of achieving some Quid Pro Quo. You send someone to be a guest on our channel for a few episodes, and we'll shout you out. In return, he would send someone from his channel to theirs, and get a shout out in return. Something to note here - all of this was done without ever including his players in the discussion. He was offering them up to strangers without even asking if they even wanted to do that.
Time passes, and eventually recording for the campaign begins. It would be about two months into recording when Wayne approached me about being the first guest character. (At this point, I had been an active member of the Discord community for over six months now). He wanted me to be the first guest character for two reasons. The first was because I was familiar, and he wanted to test out the format before bringing in strangers. The second was because of my prior livestreaming experience. I was a part of an affiliated Twitch channel that met the criteria of having a slightly higher subscriber count than his. But for the most part, our old Twitch channel was dead. Sure, we still streamed games into the void, but there was practically no engagement. And I told him so when he asked me if I wanted to be introduced as someone from that Twitch channel. I was more involved in his community as that point, anyway. And so, I finally got what I was wanting - to sit down and play quality DnD with like minded individuals for the purposes of entertaining others.
At this point, only a handful of episodes had aired. The recording schedule had them a grace period of a month or so before release, and I admittedly hadn't watched them. Honestly, I wasn't that interested. I don't know if that's bad or not. There are a lot of actual plays out there of varying quality. And each one requires a lot of time commitment to watch. Already I was regularly watching Critical Roll, and I was having a hard time to find time to watch some of the other really good shows I was enjoying, like Dimension 20 and The Glass Cannon. On top of that, it was an game that I wasn't a part of, so yeah, I admit I hadn't watch any of it. But even if I had, it wouldn't have prepared me for what playing at the table was actually like. The released episodes were highly edited, with sound effects and music. It wasn't until I became actually involved at the table that I would find out just how manufactured the game actually was. And I use the word "game" very generously.
For starters, once recording began, all out of character talk and banter was immediately and explicitly forbidden. We were to remain in character at all times. Secondly, I would find out that Wayne had developed a "formula for success" in regards to time spent recording. No scene would ever last longer than ten minutes. If players spent too much time having their characters engaging with each other and the time elapsed, we were moving on the next scene, regardless of if it was a natural conclusion or not. Speaking of the characters, I would come to learn that the characters that the player brought to this campaign were secondary to the story that Wayne wanted to tell. "This campaign isn't character focused, it's story focused" he would say. The campaign simply did not have time for that. I don't like to toss out the word "railroaded" very often, but it quickly became apparent that there was a good bit of railroading being done here. The only character decisions or choices or conversations that would ever make it to the final cut were ones that provided what he thought would be the most interesting while pushing his narrative forward. And for a DnD game, there wasn't a whole lot of game being done here. Sure, the players had character sheets, and classes, but it was all superficial. Combat was a rarity on the level of a shiny Pokemon. I think mostly because Wayne didn't find combat narratively compelling. But in that case, I have to ask, why use DnD as your game system? If all you want to do is roll clicky dice and improv, there are much better systems out there. And speaking of the dice - I'm sad to say that in most cases they were superfluous, as well. The only real purpose the dice served to Wayne was when they could be used to clip epic moments of success or failure. A natural 20 or a natural 1 was gold for him, because then he could clip it into a Youtube or Tiktok Short and grow those subscriber numbers. For a game in which "every decision hung on the roll of a dice", there weren't a lot of dice rolls, there weren't a lot of decisions, and when there were decisions, most of the time, the outcome was predetermined by Wayne. Everything Wayne did in regards to this game was in service to growing his Youtube channel. And the sad part? It worked.
In a shockingly short amount of time, Wayne was able to grow his Youtube channel from just over a 100 subscribers to over a 1000. This was mostly done by his excessive push of Youtube and Tiktok shorts. For a short period of time, I was deemed trustworthy enough to have access to the Youtube channel's admin, and I could view the statistics. The turnover rate for shorts into actual video views was miniscule. Only a tiny fraction were tuning in for the actual show. At this point, he had just become a Youtube Shorts creator.
And I want to mention at this point - I understand and respect the hustle. The world of Youtube is a dog eat dog world, and you have to have to play the game to stay in the game - I get it. I don't have any issue with being proud of what you've created, and pushing it out to people. I really don't. My issue was with how deceptive Wayne was being with it. And how deceptive he was, in general, as I would come to find out.
You see, before the inaugural campaign had even launched, Wayne approached me one day to see if I would be interested in running a campaign on his channel, as I had experience before in it, and had expressed an interest in doing it again. And I will admit, I was excited about the prospect. But before my words of "Yeah, I'd love to talk about" even had a chance to dissipate into the ether, Jelly would hop into the channel, in the middle of the discussion to say, "You know who should run a campaign? Seth." And then immediately log off.
I don't have a lot to say about Seth. I think he is an amazing, caring, friendly guy. He also happens to be an incredible roleplayer and storyteller, and his character is Wayne's campaign is truly phenomenal. I envy how easy it is for Seth to get into and portray the wide arrange of emotions of a character. He also happens to be a great GM. I understand why Jelly would suggest him to run a campaign. What I didn't understand, at the time, were her motives. Wayne, Ava, Jelly, and Seth had all played in a previous campaign together, and Wayne and Jelly had become enamored by just how good Seth was. And even prior to that, Ava and Seth had a past campaign together. Jelly wanted to be a player in a Seth run campaign. And if Wayne was going to have a second campaign on the channel, she wanted it to be Seth's, and she wanted to be a player in it.
And so, immediately, any and all discussion about me running a campaign was ceased, and the legwork was put forth for Seth to run a campaign. Wayne would approach him about it, and he was interested. Seth would already have in mind the players that he wanted for it - two friends of his from outside the server, Ava, and another player from the Wayne campaign. Noticeably missing from that list - Jelly.
Strangely, Wayne would then tell Seth that if he was going to run a campaign on the channel, he would have to have an application process for the players, and open it up so that anyone could apply. After Seth had already stated he already had players in mind - players who already said yes. I don't know about you, but as a DM, I would never let someone dictate to me who I could have at my table. If I have players in mind already, it's because I have a reason. But Wayne demanded an application process be followed, and a second LFG post would appear in LFG for the Seth run campaign - that was noticeably advertising for 4 players. After Seth had chosen his players. The advertisement came with another well edited and narrated youtube promo that was, and still is, the highest viewed video on the channel. And all of it was a sham. Which I knew it was. And I confronted Wayne about it. It was then that I learned some unsavory backstory involving Ava and Jelly and the prior campaign. That is not my story to tell. I have shared my accounts of events with Ava, and she is considering posting an account from her perspective following this. The most I am willing to say on this is that involves situations that should never be okay at a DnD table, and that Wayne would gloss over and sugarcoat these situations as no big deal. It would lead to Ava not being comfortable with being at a table with Jelly which both I, and Seth, would understand.
Wayne, however, found this to be unfair and manipulative on Ava's part. Those past incidents should have had no bearing on Jelly's consideration for the Seth run campaign. Which is why he would demand an application process. He would then confide to me when I questioned the duplicity of the LFG advertisement that it wasn't completely misleading. There would still be someone chosen from the list of applicants - because he was going to make sure that Ava wasn't part of the campaign. After Seth had already told both Wayne and her that she was. After the players for that game had already come together for a session zero. He claimed that Ava had prior incidents of being difficult to work with, and that because he wasn't involved in the campaign, he couldn't be there to handle any situations that might arise of conflicts between players at the table. At the time I thought that was an odd statement to make - if you are trusting enough of another person, like Seth, to run a campaign on your channel shouldn't you be trusting enough in their ability to handle problems between players? Looking back now, I can only assume he made that statement because he was certain that Jelly would be a player at the table, and that problems might arise between Jelly and Ava. He asked that I keep the conversation between us. But that was something I could not do. None of that situation felt right to me. Wayne, Ava, and I had been friends playing games together for nearly a year now. I never saw any inclination of Ava being a "problem player" - she was great at the table, and a great person to hang out with. And I found it weird that Wayne would say those things about her, and not approach her about it. So of course I talked to her. For weeks she had been sharing her excitement of the new campaign with me, often with Wayne in the voice channel with us. Ava would then share with me her past experiences with Wayne and Jelly. Again, it is not my story to tell, but I am a good judge of character. I believed Ava's account of events. It made sense to me, with how Wayne and Jelly acted.
I wish I could say this story had a happy and/or satisfying conclusion. I'm not even really sure if there is a point to it, or even if it will be a good read. It has been clear for some time now that Wayne has been entirely obsessed with the growing of his Youtube channel, damn any and all bridges burned, and walking back some of his initial promises of what he claimed the campaign and the Youtube channel would be. It's also very clear to me that Wayne is someone who absolutely has to have control over everything, especially the narrative (fictional and real life).
There are so many minor grievances to air about Wayne that I haven't already touched on, and I feel like I've already taken up too much of your time already. Here's just a brief overview, I'd be more than happy to go into more details if you want them:

• Multiple players from the Wayne campaign confided in me about some of the problems they had with Wayne and how the game was being run. When Wayne found out, he blew his lid, and said that he was both Manager and HR, and no one should be complaining to anyone outside of the table. If they were going to complain to anyone, it should be him.
  
  • It turns out, Wayne has a prior history of being an asshole. Long before the Youtube channel, and the campaign, even before the previous campaign, he told his then group that they were playing the game wrong. He then found a new group, sang their praises to the old group, and then even brought both groups together to show the old group "the right way to play"
  • In addition to Wayne, he has two editors working for him. One of which he pays. The other one has had no compensation. The one not getting paid is doing the same work as both Wayne and the paid editor combined.
  • I mentioned way early on in the story that Ava was the Discord Administrator for the Discord server. After the Seth campaign incident, Wayne unceremoniously removed Ava as Administrator, told her it was "by mistake", and never put it back. As far as I can tell, there was nothing to warrant this other than control. I suspect it was because there were certain Seth campaign related channels or other channels he didn't want Ava to see.
  • The unceremonious removal of myself and Ava from the Youtube channel admin. Admittedly, we contributed very little to it, but it was removed without a word mentioned.
  • Recently making a post requiring his "talent" to purchase a minimum $5 dollar Patreon subscription. He has admitted to me the reasoning for this was to inflate Patreon subscriber numbers to entice new subscribers. He has since walked that back after much outcry from the "talent"
  • Asking Seth if it wouldn't be too much to convert his envisioned DnD campaign into a Daggerheart campaign, because Daggerheart is the new hotness, and will attract more viewers.

Ultimately, I suppose I feel disheartened and deceived. Deceived because I originally signed up for what I thought was going to be a bunch of friends sitting around and recording themselves playing quality DnD, and it has shifted so far from that original purpose. Wayne is obsessed over subscriber numbers and views, it's all he ever talks about. He claims that his goal is to reach a level of success to which all 10+ people involved will be able to achieve financial freedom (which he claims is roughly $2000 a month). I'm sure you've done the math, just like I have. Even if you believe $2k a month is financial freedom (I certainly don't), that comes out to $240,000 a year. That's an insane level of success to promise your players. Oh, I'm sorry, your "talent".
I feel disheartened because....there's actually good work being done here. Some of the players are some of the best I've ever played with. Wayne can actually be a good storyteller, when he's not pushing for likes or clicks. The editors do a really fantastic job. I have seen and listened to the work being done on the Seth campaign (luckily Wayne is only tangentially involved), and Seth's campaign is turning out to be something really special. There is something good being done here, but it seems so tainted by Wayne and his obsession for Youtube and Tiktok success. So, maybe this is an RPG Horror Story, maybe it's a cautionary tale. I dunno. I have committed to finishing out my run in the campaign, (I was brought back to the table multiple times because the players enjoy playing with me, and also I suspect I was involved in one of his highest viewed shorts), but my hearts not in it. I've told Wayne I've no interest in any of his future projects, and I wish him well on his Youtube journey. But in the pursuit of clicks, and likes, and subscribers, I feel like he has fundamentally lost what attracts people to actually watch and invest in TTRPG actual plays - authenticity.

I am obese and miserable. I need workout routine advice for this summer. My future depends on it.
I am a 17m who is at a height of 6’2 and weighing about 282lbs as of today. My horrendously unhealthy eating habits began since I was 9.
For eight years I have been binge eating to cope with stress and sadness. I’d consume approximately 4000 calories today and to make things worse I have lived a sedentary life style. I am also autistic which further exacerbated my anxiety which in turn causes me higher levels of constant stress.
Over the years I have gained depression and severe self confidence and inferiority complex issues. My confidence is at a point to where I refuse to walk outside without layers of jackets on me regardless of how hot it is outside because I can’t stand how disgusting and gross I look.
The fat mainly built up in my stomach / abdomen area and the added gravity has put a toll on my spine and caused it to bend inward which caused me kyphosis. The kyphosis has worsened my appearance due to the build up of a hump and gave me an incredibly abnormal posture.
The only thing that is keeping me from dying is the fact that I inherited my fathers metabolism so my weight essentially stabilized itself. But my metabolism will slow down eventually so starting a workout routine is urgent and vital if I want to have a future.
So I ask you guys this, what workout routine would be best for me, a 17m who’s 6’2, weighing 282lbs, suffering chronic back pain, and suffering from muscle weakness. I need a workout routine that can guarantee me to lose at least 50lbs by the end of October and also build up muscle.

Looking at the Thunder now that they’re out of the playoffs, is it fair to say that had they advanced against the TWolves they’d have been killed by size?
Would it make sense for them to try and make a trade package for Bam? He’s a winning player that is a DPoY level player in his prime ready to win now. He could play the C and let Chet space out the floor to the cornedunker spot allowing him to expand his offense. Thunder have whatever picks realistically they could offer for Bam and can take on his contract. The Heat are not really a contending team with Jimmy as their expensive center piece at this stage of his career. Getting a ton of picks and maybe a player or two from OKC would be a great way to begin a strong rebuild with Jaime and Herro.
This makes the Thunder ready to win now as they were two games away from the WCF. They get a bigger C type guy in Bam who can bang in the paint for more rebounds and play great D alongside the young Thunder core. He doesn’t need the ball but gives you another vertical threat for SGA and he can get out and run. Heat get a good off-ramp to begin the rebuild.
Who says no?

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The Parable of the Good Samaritan: Lessons of Compassion and Love

Have you ever walked past someone in need and wondered if you should help? The Bible offers a powerful lesson in the Parable of the Good Samaritan, urging us to show mercy and compassion. Let’s explore this timeless story and its profound teachings.

Understanding the Parable of the Good Samaritan

In Luke 10:25-37, Jesus shares a compelling story in response to the question, “Who is my neighbor?” This parable begins with a man being attacked by robbers while traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. Left half-dead, he is ignored by a priest and a Levite, but a Samaritan—an unlikely hero—stops to help, showing great compassion and mercy.

Key Lessons from the Parable

Compassion trumps Social Boundaries

Samaritans and Jews in biblical times shared a strained relationship, yet the Samaritan in the parable rises above these social divides to help the injured man. This act teaches us that true compassion knows no boundaries. “But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him” (Luke 10:33, NIV).

Action Over Intention

The priest and Levite likely pitied the man but did nothing to help. The Samaritan, however, took action. His deeds overruled mere good intentions, reminding us that love and compassion require not just feelings but actionable steps. “He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine” (Luke 10:34, NIV).

Substantial Help Versus Minimal Assistance

Not only did the Samaritan tend to the man’s immediate wounds, but he also ensured his ongoing care. This comprehensive approach underlines the importance of truly committing to help someone in need. “The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have'” (Luke 10:35, NIV).

Reflect and Share

• Reflect on a time when you had the chance to help someone. How did you respond?
• Consider the barriers you face in showing compassion. How can you overcome them?
• Share your experiences or insights in the comments below. We’d love to hear your story!

Live the Lesson

The parable of the Good Samaritan calls us to be compassionate doers rather than passive observers. Let’s challenge ourselves to act with love towards others, breaking down social barriers and offering true, meaningful help. Remember, it’s not just about feeling empathy—it’s about stepping into action.

Join the Conversation

What does compassion mean to you? How can we become better Samaritans in our daily lives? Share your thoughts in the comments and let’s learn from each other!
Be sure to subscribe for more insights into biblical teachings, and let’s journey together in living out these timeless principles.
If you want to want to research more Bible Answers on your own, please try our Bible Answers GPT. It’s easy to get lost in the interesting responses you’ll find… every search is like a new treasure hunt 🙂
Source =

Earlier today I was replaying farewell just for fun and beat it with 48 deaths and in under 28 minutes. I then went back to play 8c before I stopped because I thought it’d only take me maybe 5 minutes, and I didn’t want to spend too much longer on the game.
It took me 35 MINUTES and 122 DEATHS just to beat 8C, almost entirely on the final screen. I literally had over TWICE the deaths than the ENTIRETY of farewell on that screen alone, about 90% of these deaths were at the bumpers or the hypers at the end. Is there something wrong with me????? I’ve goldened this level before too!
Just wanted to post this because I had to rant about it somewhere. I’m so confused as to how I can be so much worse at one level than another. Of course beating 8c for the first time is meant to take 100’s of deaths but I’m kind of shocked that it still takes me that many even after goldening half of the levels in the game.

I’m trying to record a song it’s in the key if F# Major. I’m trying to sing a line that goes from D# to C#. Every time I perform though it’s registering as D. I can’t seem to hear the nuance in D# anyone know how to remedy this problem/have tips that help. I’ve tried repeating it over and over again with my pitch pipe. Brain just won’t lock it in. lol

Discord: jperez
Email: [jperezonline@outlook.com](mailto:jperezonline@outlook.com)
Hola, ¿qué tal? My name is Jhon Pérez, a native Spanish tutor with over 10 years of experience in Spanish homework. I can help you with any type of Spanish assignments: exams, quizzes, tests, worksheets and essays.
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Besides being a native Spanish speaker, I have knowledge of vocabulary, functional grammar and the functions of all levels of Spanish (Beginners A1-A2, Intermediate B1-B2 and Advanced C1-C2.)
I can work with login, TeamViewer and screenshots. If you choose the latter I will make sure to be online at the agreed time to work with you (you send the screenshots and I send the answers.)
This is not an agency. It's just me, the Spanish tutor, so you don't have to pay double fees (one to the agency owner and another to the tutor.)
Unlike other Spanish tutors, I will provide you with safe, untraceable VPN connection to your closest location and follow your instruction(s) to deliver plagiarism-free Spanish papers.
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Proof and vouches can be seen on my profile.
Send your prompt and get a quote today!
Email: [jperezonline@outlook.com](mailto:jperezonline@outlook.com)
Discord: jperez
¡Nos vemos!

Discord: jperez
Email: [jperezonline@outlook.com](mailto:jperezonline@outlook.com)
Hola, ¿qué tal? My name is Jhon Pérez, a native Spanish tutor with over 10 years of experience in Spanish homework. I can help you with any type of Spanish assignments: exams, quizzes, tests, worksheets and essays.
I've done many accounts on VHL Central, McGraw Hill, Blackboard, Canvas, MyLabs, Cengage, Desire2Learn, ELEteca, Edgenuity, Contraseña, WileyPlus and more.
Besides being a native Spanish speaker, I have knowledge of vocabulary, functional grammar and the functions of all levels of Spanish (Beginners A1-A2, Intermediate B1-B2 and Advanced C1-C2.)
I can work with login, TeamViewer and screenshots. If you choose the latter I will make sure to be online at the agreed time to work with you (you send the screenshots and I send the answers.)
This is not an agency. It's just me, the Spanish tutor, so you don't have to pay double fees (one to the agency owner and another to the tutor.)
Unlike other Spanish tutors, I will provide you with safe, untraceable VPN connection to your closest location and follow your instruction(s) to deliver plagiarism-free Spanish papers.
For tight deadlines I can deliver the same day as long as I am contacted at least 4 hours before deadline.
My rates are pocket-friendly and flexible to fit your budget. You can use milestone payments or pay as you go.
Proof and vouches can be seen on my profile.
Send your prompt and get a quote today!
Email: [jperezonline@outlook.com](mailto:jperezonline@outlook.com)
Discord: jperez
¡Nos vemos!

Discord: jperez
Email: [jperezonline@outlook.com](mailto:jperezonline@outlook.com)
Hola, ¿qué tal? My name is Jhon Pérez, a native Spanish tutor with over 10 years of experience in Spanish homework. I can help you with any type of Spanish assignments: exams, quizzes, tests, worksheets and essays.
I've done many accounts on VHL Central, McGraw Hill, Blackboard, Canvas, MyLabs, Cengage, Desire2Learn, ELEteca, Edgenuity, Contraseña, WileyPlus and more.
Besides being a native Spanish speaker, I have knowledge of vocabulary, functional grammar and the functions of all levels of Spanish (Beginners A1-A2, Intermediate B1-B2 and Advanced C1-C2.)
I can work with login, TeamViewer and screenshots. If you choose the latter I will make sure to be online at the agreed time to work with you (you send the screenshots and I send the answers.)
This is not an agency. It's just me, the Spanish tutor, so you don't have to pay double fees (one to the agency owner and another to the tutor.)
Unlike other Spanish tutors, I will provide you with safe, untraceable VPN connection to your closest location and follow your instruction(s) to deliver plagiarism-free Spanish papers.
For tight deadlines I can deliver the same day as long as I am contacted at least 4 hours before deadline.
My rates are pocket-friendly and flexible to fit your budget. You can use milestone payments or pay as you go.
Proof and vouches can be seen on my profile.
Send your prompt and get a quote today!
Email: [jperezonline@outlook.com](mailto:jperezonline@outlook.com)
Discord: jperez
¡Nos vemos!

As title says: I’m 22, living at home, and went on a walk in the evening yesterday. I told her I’d grab something and went out. I was gone for a max of 30 minutes and by the 20 minute mark, I got angry texts, “where are you” -“on a walk”-“where are you” -“on a walk with my things”- then voice memos on how she was going to grab her car keys and look for me.
I am a healthy, confident and happy woman and I’ve never once shown any signs of being incapable of taking care of myself. But as soon as I came home, package in hand, my mother broke down crying, as if I’ve been stabbed, full on sobbing. “How could you go out and not tell me where you’re going, I was worried sick!” I told her what was she even on about, I’m an adult and there was absolutely nothing to cause such a reaction from her. She continued to sob, I had to stop myself from laughing at the absurdity of the entire situation to be honest. I did not apologize as I’ve done nothing wrong.
I live in a very very small town where nothing happens. I’m not living in New York or LA, I’m living in buttfuck nowhere. How do I survive with someone so unnecessarily overprotective? Nothing I do or say will ever change her.

⚠️ DISCLAIMER. I AM NOT A FINANCIAL ADVISOR. THIS IS NOT FINANCIAL ADVISE. I AM NOT TELLING YOU WHAT WILL HAPPEN, NOR DO I HAVE ANY WAY OF DOING KNOWING. ALL POSSIBILITIES PROVIDED BY ME, OR ANYONE IS SOLELY AN EDUCATED PREDICTION ON WHAT CAN HAPPEN IF ALL INVESTORS COLLECTIVELY MAKE THE SAME DECISIONS. THE ULTIMATE OUTCOME RELIES ON THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE NOT WHAT ONE PERSON SAYS ⚠️
Read here to catch up on yesterday’s recap - https://www.reddit.com/FFIE/s/yyNlzndKOc
Read here to catch up on FFIE in general (some of your questions might be answered!) - https://www.reddit.com/FFIE/s/hDH5ANRYji
Okay! We made it through another wild day. You apes fought HARD, and won today’s battle! But before we dive into today’s recap, a quick PSA 🗣️
🚨 TURN OFF STOCK LENDING ON WHATEVER BROKER YOU USE 🚨
READ THIS POST FROM TO READ ABOUT WHAT STOCK LENDING IS AND WHY WE SHOULD TURN IT OFF - https://www.reddit.com/FFIE/s/XjXiPkbDTc
BELOW ARE SOME LINKS TO GUIDES ON HOW TO TURN IT OFF ON SPECIFIC BROKERS:
Robinhood / TD Ameritrade / Fidelity / Charles Schwab / Webull / Interactive Brokers / Ally Invest / Trading212 / Vanguard - https://www.reddit.com/FFIE/s/snKwVTMwmM
Public - https://www.reddit.com/Superstonk/s/VzFGwTxPFO
Today we opened pre-market hours with a price point of 1.63/share. From then on until 10:30, we saw a steady price dip, bringing us to a low of 1.29/share. Because of how steady it was declining, this can tell us one thing. The big investors were dumping shares on us (mentioned again later) and we were just eating them right back up. They eventually eased up and we saw a NICE climb to 1.62/share at 11:45AM, to which we then began steadily declining again, bringing us to a daily low of 1.25/share. We closed the market day at 1.39/share, which is still GREAT. Please remember late market declines are normal, and alone they can’t determine our current state. Evaluations need to be done at a whole.
That being said, you guys can all give yourselves a huge pat on the back 👏🏼 “But Big Ape, we’re down from yesterday! You lie!” Hold on little ape, remember we talked about volume? No? You should! Remember, “Today’s Volume is the total of buys & sells of a stock in a certain time period. For a stock like FFIE, 677.89M is a BIG number.” Now that number provided is actually from YESTERDAY. So what was today’s number? A SHOCKING 220.14M 😱 What does that mean?
It means you crazy apes held your promises. It means you held your shares like your lives depended on it, and when the dips came, you ate them right up! Because the selling was mostly one sided, and so was the buying, with almost ALL OF US holding (👏🏼👏🏼) , all these contributed to us cutting the volume by 1/3!!!
But if we all held, then why were we -22.78% when the market closed??? Well, i’ll be completely transparent with you - I’m still figuring out all the details about this BUT, here’s what we do know - Today’s low volume means there wasn’t as much fighting going on within the stock market. It was a smooth game of hedge’s selling, and us holding for the dip, and buying more. Not a lot of trading going on compared to yesterdays volume of nearly 700M (Look at how volatile yesterday was!)
You all trusted one another to hold, while simultaneously keeping your end of the promise. Talk about a team bonding exercise.. very well done!! 🦍🖤
“But Big Ape! I goofed up and bought when the share price was higher! I’m not seeing any gains!” Well, it’s still a fight and we won’t see gains for a few more market days. But I understand little ape. You need reassurance. Well luckily for you Hope is my middle name. (It’s not.)
Here’s what else we know:
(Source for this segment - https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/FFIE/key-statistics/ )
As of the last update, FFIE has 42.41M shares outstanding. What does this mean? Let me put it like this. FFIE is a pie (company). Of that Pie there are 42.41 million pieces (shares). All of those shares aren’t available for everyone to buy and sell though. This is where the float comes into play.
As of the last update FFIE has a float of 17.09M shares. Those are pieces of the pie available for everyone in the stock market to play with.
The short % of this float is at 85.71%. What does this mean? It means the big boys have shorted 85.71%. “I still dont get it!” Okay, let me try it again.
When investors borrow shares, they do it in hopes that the price of those shares will fall. If that were to happen, they’d sell those same shares at a profit. This is what they’re trying to do to us.
You might be hearing a lot of numbers being thrown around, 60%, 90%, 80%. Places like Ortex are wrong because they’re only accounting for some of the shorts not all. Shorts positions aren’t released until every 2 weeks. The number provided is the number of ALL shares.
So, 85%, is that a good thing? Well you might be hearing that we were at 95%, or 97%. I’m not sure exactly how credible that is, but let’s focus on what we have. 85% is a GREAT number, the Hedge’s dumped 250k shares on us today causing the big first dip we saw and we ate that shit right up.
Today was a perfect representation of how we can maintain our position if we collectively move as a unit. I’m working on a Q&A post so if you have any questions regarding FFIE, or how stocks work feel free to comment, but first! Please try looking for your answer through this subreddit, as we have a lot of genius apes who have spent a lot of time making educational posts for you to read! I’ll link some in this post later tonight.
I have to run for now but I will be back tonight with some edits as well as a new post regarding what tomorrow could look like, what we can expect, and how we can fight tomorrow.

Please comment below before chatting, I won't respond otherwise.
Paypal (plus fees if using G&S), Zelle, or Cash App
No additional shipping costs for CONUS
Note: the boxes for some of these are not in the best condition, if that's an issue for you. The samples themselves are perfectly fine. Byredo and Xerjoff boxes are in great condition. Nishane box is fine except for some oil spots from fingerprints.
DECANTS - check images for levels! ML listed refers to the original amount

• Parfums de Marly Delina La Rosée 8ml (sprayed once) -$25
• Parfums de Marly Kalan 8ml (sprayed once) - $20
• Parfums de Marly Oajan 8ml (sprayed a few times) - $20
  • Take all three PdM decants for $50
• Byredo Gypsy Water 12ml - $20 (Blanche available as add-on)
• Roja Parfums Enigma (aka Creation-E) 8ml - $20

DISCOVERY SETS - images
Etat Libre d'Orange - 20 x 2ml samples - $25

• Check photos, I pictured four samples for comparison: One that I've never sprayed (Remarkable People) and the three that I've used the most. The rest are at Soul Of My Soul's level or higher.

Frederic Malle - 12 x 1.2ml samples - $30

• Full: Geranium Pour Monsieur, Vetiver Extraordinaire, French Lover, Monsieur
• 1/2 full: Bigarde Concentree, Musc Ravageur, Eau de Magnolia, Iris Poudre, Carnal Flower, En Passant
• 1/3 full: Une Rose (Rose Tonnerre before it was renamed)
• 1/4 full: Portrait of a Lady

Xerjoff - 8 x 2ml samples - $60

• Check photos for scents and levels

Byredo - 24 x 2ml samples - $100

• Check photos, I pictured two samples for comparison: One that I've never sprayed (De Los Santos) and the one that I've used the most (Young Rose). The rest are at Young Rose's level or higher.

Nishane - 21 x 1.5ml samples - $140

• Check photos, I only pictured the samples that had a noticeable amount missing, plus one that was never sprayed (Ani) for comparison. The rest are full minus a spray or two.

ADD-ON DECANTS - check images for remaining levels! - sold only with the purchase of options above

• Amouage Jubilation XXV 8ml - $15
• Byredo Blanche - $15
• Carner Barcelona El Born 8ml - $10
• Carner Barcelona Rima XL 8ml - $10
• Costume National Homme 8ml - $10
• Kenneth Cole Mankind Legacy 8ml - $5
• Malin + Goetz Dark Rum 8ml - $10
• Nishane Ani 8ml - $15
• Prada Infusions d'Amande 8ml - $10
• Sydney Rock Pool 8ml - $10

ADD-ON BOTTLES - check images for remaining levels! - sold only with the purchase of options above

• Armaf Tres Nuit 100 ml - $10
• Bath & Body Works Clean Slate 100 ml - $10
• Calvin Klein CK One Shock 100 ml w/box - $10
• Clinique Happy for men 50 ml - $10
• Hanae Mori HM 50 ml - $10
• Hanae Mori HiM 50 ml - $10
• Jaguar Classic Gold 100 ml $5
• Mandarina Duck Freedomland - $20
• Montblanc Legend EDT 30 ml (bottle is pretty scratched up) - $10

Hi there! I'm a new DM filling in for our regular DM for a session or two. I want to run this very fun, creative oneshot for 5-6 players instead of 4, and I'm not confident in the best way to adjust the difficulty. I was wanting to know if people think it would be better to lower the party level or additional enemies to improve my action economy.
There's a mechanical twist with this oneshot- enemies can move between the ethereal plane and the Feywild (but can attack the PC's from either) and players gain access to them by falling asleep due to aoe effects and being woken by con checks and/or their fellow players reawakening them.
There are three combat encounters, the first encounter is single enemy CR 4 max damage (non crit) 12 with poison and two-hit multi-attack. 95 HP. Can plane hop.
The second is four enemy, CR 1 max damage (non crit) 27, on a special ability regains half HP (temp) of damage inflicted, target can save and take half damage, can inflict the frightened condition on a 5 or 6 and a failed save from a single target. 37 HP each. Cannot plane hop.
The last has a CR 5 BBEG max damage (non crit) 20, can siphon 1d8 and gain equal HP, if the same creature gets siphoned 3x they die. Can cast color spray, druidcraft, dancing lights, 3x per day sleep, healing word, gust of wind, 1x per day moonbeam, thunderwave. 112 HP. Can plane hop
Has CR 1/4 minions with 10 max damage (non crit) with ability to sacrifice themselves for the BBEG if within 5ft of her, regains half HP of damage inflicted, can cast sleep 1x. 5HP. Can plane hop
Lair actions init 20: use HP siphon against 2 creatures, inflict blindness (gust of wind can clear), 1 round difficult terrain
Thank you for bearing with me, hopefully I've given the right amount of info. What adjustments would you make if any for a party size of 5-6?
Link to the oneshot for reference: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VTvPIv3OskVJhCqKDnx3bMdYRq5HahiERiphWYuxwoc/edit?usp=sharing

Telling my experience for those that may be new (or doubtful) to the ways of xp maps and non BR modes, as it also includes a tip I discovered for Jam Stage. I’m gonna be able to reach level 200 with less than 2 weeks playtime, after I learned about optimal afk xp income some days ago when I found this subreddit.
I was a non believer at first, I didn’t expect I would make it even to level 100 with what I read here. I thought the xp would stop coming by, and the videos here seem suspicious because I haven’t really seen such crazy xp per second after all. It takes longer to get to the daily max xp, but at least these famous xp maps do the work.
Maximizing my xp gains by trying and learning new tactics, I’ve been able to earn 12 daily levels WITHOUT lego, just by sucking dry both creative and Festival, mainly Jam Stage. The XP granting is really inconsistent in the latter though, I get amounts between 10k and 30k in varied time frames, and sometimes it gets stuck for a while then it gives me half a level all of a sudden, when you believe you’d have reached the max daily xp.
My daily routine is as follows: I use the inflate bull map for creative xp, some days it capped at nearly 300k and others at 400k. As for festival, namely Jam Stage, using the slowest traversal emotes (Sing along and Clean sweep) on auto walk became my strat, so that the game detects that you are moving (?) I started doing that from side to side of the farthest area, but yesterday I discovered an out of bounds access to the main stage area. That way you don’t need to change the direction of the camera once you reach the invisible wall and you can walk (or swim) infinitely. After I don’t seem to get any more xp from Jam Stage, I still get some 2 levels while playing songs on main stage. Finally, I complete the BR daily missions, as I don’t currently plan on playing lego even if I miss out on some daily levels.
Wish I had known about the concept of afk creative maps before, I don’t feel like playing the game anymore and I missed out on some great stuff by barely scratching level 50 these past seasons.