#Thess gets a Patreon

[thessalian]

Also ... welcome to my first foray onto the DMs Guild! This is all the beasties I created over the last month for the AngloCanadian Studios Patreon, condensed. I set the suggested price hugely low ‘cos there’s only eight of ‘em, but after a few months, I’ll be able to put together a compilation, which’ll be fun.

(Also this month is The Shrieking Sands; I’m doing desert creatures. Hee.)

[thesswrites]

Welcome!

Greetings, and welcome to AngloCanadian Studios’ new quasi-home. After some of the mishegoss with Patreon lately, I decided to try a different tack in terms of getting support for the things I do - mostly the writing and such, really.

So welcome to Thess Writes, where everything that would have been on my Patreon is now going to go, particularly once my Patreon stops being live as soon as Birth Rites is finished its chapters. Don’t worry, I will still be updating it meantime. I have no intention for the people who supported me on Patreon to get shortchanged. I’m too grateful to you guys for that.

Still, I’m going to move a lot of my non-personal blog stuff here. The thoughts on gaming, occasional highlights from Overwatch games, probably the vid of my D&D games, definitely the custom creatures and things that the gang ends up fighting... Just stuff, basically, that isn’t personal or memes. The writer stuff. The fun stuff. Also there’ll be occasions when I’ll make offers of the HIPPIE novels on PDF, stuff like that. So seriously, sit back and enjoy.

If you like what I write, maybe I could convince you to buy me a Ko-Fi? Given the uncertain life of a temp, it would be a huge help, and enable me to take on bigger and better projects.

[thessalian]

Thess vs Promotion

I’m thinking about ways to put myself out there a bit more, and I’ve come up with a thing. Basically, I should put more free stuff on my Patreon. Therefore, I’m going to start making my Single-Point Perspective essays open access a week after they’ve first been published. So the people who choose to donate that little bit still get something - early access - but people get to see what I do.

I’m also going to start putting them on Ko-fi, I think.

I’m proud of my essays! I want some people to see them. And maybe reading my stuff will make people want to read more!

Seriously, welcome to Single-Point Perspective. I’ve got reviews for Pillars of Eternity and The Drowning Deep by @seananmcguire​, and a whole bunch of essays on fandom-related stuff. It’s worth the read.

[thessalian]

Thess vs Monster-Making

Soooooooo I’m still working on the Dodecronomicon stuff for both my Patreon* and eventual publication to DM’s Guild. Working on desert-themed stuff right now, partly in preparation and partly because there aren’t enough desert creatures for my liking. And because of upcoming plot bits, I was thinking acid.

Stomach acid.

“...where you will be slowly digested for a thousand years...”

This series of loosely connected statement may have prompted me to stat a somewhat smaller version of the sarlaac.

I feel like I should apologise to my D&D group, but I have a distinct feeling that while they will hate facing it, @hyperewok1 in particular will probably enjoy seeing it on some level BECAUSE STAR WARS.

Heeeeeeeeeee.

* Oh, and seriously, if you can afford to chuck some change at either that or my Ko-Fi, or were pondering purchasing some perfumes from Etsy or @scentofawarden, now would be a really excellent time, as my phone bill is incoming and a whole bunch of fees just got nomfed out of my bank account so my budgeting is shot.

[thessalian]

Thess vs Matters of Pride

So real quick, here’s what I did today that I can be proud of:

Got everything squared away for Saturday’s Patreon posts. (I’m doing cursed objects this month.)

Got my Etsy orders sorted. (Can still fit a few more orders of the Mighty Nein with Mollymauk scent before I close that down on the 6th without having to blend more yay!)

Finally managed to succeed in my stupid level 60 BLM quest.

Things I did today that maybe I should be a little less proud of:

Sort of skipped that whole ‘eating’ thing in favour of perfume wrapping.

So I’mma go have dinner. Just I wanted to say that because sometimes while waiting for interviews and job phone calls, it feels like I haven’t done anything that could be worth being proud of and it feels like I should remind myself that I’m wrong about that, given the opportunity.

[thessalian]

Thess vs Derailment

So I was going to say, “Okay, I’m not allowed to go anywhere or do anything until I’ve finished all the AngloCanadian Studios stuff for the week”. And I did ... in fact ... say that thing. But I also need to prep the PDF document of the Shrieking Sands critters and ... well ... my Homebrewery window was full of nearly-finished Arcane Ink PDF-in-progress as I tried to decide what I wanted to do with the body piercing section, if anything.

So I have spent the past three hours finishing that up, including a solid hour fucking about with the table of contents. MY PARTY HAD BETTER FUCKING APPRECIATE ME BECAUSE THIS IS MOSTLY FOR THEM. (Though if they approve it, it’s going to DM’s Guild too.)

Anyway, because ‘do anything or go anywhere’ included things like eating, I’m going to have to break my resolution. It’s not like I didn’t get anything done, though!

[thessalian]

Thess vs Another Task List

So remember when I spent all day Friday working on a document?

Well, I’m redoing it. Or at least mostly redoing it.

Why?

Because while it looks good, it could look better if I wasn’t putting monster block stats in as images that, resized, actually look slightly like arse.

Also I am redoing the images.

And then I am putting the bastard thing on the Dungeon Masters’ Guild.

And then I have maps to make, and the finalising of my magical tattoo document...

So ... hey, am I allowed, like, Chinese food or something? Because like fuck do I have time to cook right now.

[thessalian]

Thess vs Hard Work

I have just spent. Over seven HOURS. Putting together a PDF of my miniature monster manual I’ve had over on Patreon for this month.

Over. Seven. HOURS.

(Okay, I lost three of those hours because frustration, but I am not mentioning that because I hurt enough without punching a wall.)

It’s about two-thirds done? I guess?

I keep trying to remind myself that I am not just doing it for one person. I am doing it so I can put it on the Dungeon Master’s Guild. Plus the ‘one person’ is one of my favourite persons so that’s okay.

Still, I think it might be time for a break. Soak my right hand in some cold water or something. Ow.

See, this is what I’ll do. I’ll work my ass off, even if I’m only doing it for one person and the potential for more. Plus it’s fun when I’m not in pain ... and it does look fucking amazing.

[thessalian]

Thess vs More Monsters

Still making monsters.

Did a nasty variation on the Roc. I mean, NASTY. No beast should have AoE Dispel Magic, but there we are.

Next up: a variation on the Displacer Beast. Mirage Hounds - making themselves harder to hit by FUCKING WITH YOUR HEAD.

No, seriously, these are the kinds of things that make me wish I had more patrons. I mean, the money would be hella useful right now, sure, but mostly I just want people to have these things for more fun at gaming tables.

I’m actually really looking forward to this going on the DM’s Guild at the end of the month. Almost as much as I’m looking forward to pitching this stuff at my players. Heeeeeeeeeeeeheeheeheeheeheeheehee.

[thessalian]

Thess vs Personal Scheduling

So I still haven’t been contacted about training; I don’t imagine that turned out to be a thing that had to be done before stated job start on Monday. Still, it’s just as well. This week is meant to be heat wave and at least being home means I can leave the windows open through the hottest part of the day. Even with a northwest-facing window, enough light gets in here that greenhouse effect plus good insulating brick walls means that it turns into a pizza oven if the windows are closed all day (which I have to do if I’m not home, despite being technically two stories up - ‘ground floor’ and garage; behold the benefits of living on a hill - and there being literally no way to climb up to one of my windows without being the godsdamned Batman, because insurance).

Also gives me time to get some further Patreon-related work done. I mean, next week is basically sorted, but the various patron rewards need putting together. Mostly it’s just a matter of putting data in established forms, but I want to get it done right because I’m going to be putting the miniature monster manual that is The Drowning Deep onto the Dungeon Masters’ Guild when it’s done, along with Arcane Ink, the guide to magical tattoos.

Also I am establishing next month’s theme, which will be The Shrieking Sands. I have such plans for that. Heeheeheeheehee. But given that I started June ahead of the game, I’d like to start as I mean to go on with July. Also need to pick the Perfume of the Month for July, just in case, and the theme for August. Maybe swamps. There aren’t enough critters in swamps.

I have to admit, I’m glad to be out of the old place of work. I’m still having issues where my payslip either arrives two days early or arrives on the day, which is always a herald that my paycheque from the previous week is going to be late. Again. This time, though, a late paycheque is going to seriously crimp my plans. See, when my paycheque comes in late, it’s usually in the afternoon, sometime around 2-3pm. The issue is that ... look, I came home the other day to a card in my mailbox that said that I had a parcel that still owed customs charges. I can’t pay those until I get my paycheque (they’re pretty exorbitant; I don’t know who’s sending me things but I wish that they or their proxy had actually figured the customs charges before sending me things), they only take cash so I will have to stop at an ATM to get cash before I go there anyway ... and the post depot where my parcel is being held closes at 1pm. So I’m going to have to wait until Saturday, when I had other plans, thank you very much. Not to mention that that’s when the post depot is most crowded with the possible exception of Wednesdays (when it’s open until 8pm) and I didn’t want to spend my Saturday late morning standing outside in a queue of people going part the way down the fucking block to pick up my parcel, whatever the hell it is.

Well, maybe I’ll be wrong and I’ll be paid in the actual morning like I should be, and this won’t be an issue, and I’ll feel silly about grumbling about it.

.........And swine may soar. Seriously, fuck that hospital.

[thessalian]

Thess vs More Kerfuffle

So, the job. Again.

No, I actually got some work done today. After lunch. It took that long to get even half the access I needed to do anything that falls under the bailiwick of ‘my job’. But there were hours - honest to gods HOURS - of migraine-filled nothing. And then all hell broke loose.

The first thing was my swipe card. See, the last time I worked at this hospital, they had a spare one to lend me. This time, not so much. So I had to go get my own, since this is a long-term assignment. So I went, got the card, then went and had lunch, and got up to my floor...

Keycard didn’t work. Worked on the main door on the ground floor, but not my office.

Thankfully the walk-in hours were still open over at the place they do the keycard thing, so I went back, and the guy behind the counter informed me that it was probably just taking an ungodly amount of time to register the new user into the system. He reset it anyway, and sent me on my way. This wouldn’t be such an issue if the place where one does the keycard thing wasn’t in an entirely different building, at the far edge of the hospital grounds, hidden behind some ill-maintained potted shrubs and a loading dock for the supplies warehouse with which the nice-on-the-inside little keycard office place shared a building. So ... yeah, I got my cardio, whatever.

Got back and discovered that the temp I was replacing had put the phone on voicemail and not mentioned that fact. So I missed a call from IT, but that’s okay because they hijacked my computer to get me access to the relevant drive anyway. Still don’t have a login for the dictation software, but since listening is only for double-checking in this situation anyway, it doesn’t matter so much. So I took the phone off voicemail and started to get to work, because one of the consultants is going away for three weeks starting Monday and he needs all his letters dealt with before he goes. I have no the fuck idea what the temp who preceded me was doing.

Well. I might have some idea. Three separate patients made my life hard today. One of them involved more walking around the hospital, and all three involved bending rules for patient ‘convenience’. The less said about that, the better.

In the middle of all that, though, I discovered that the job spec Agency Guy sent me was at least half bullshit. Look, I got a job spec that said, “Gastro, 9-5 five days a week, wear a smart suit”. I turn up in the best approximation of a suit I can manage and find the other two girls in the kind of stuff I normally wear to work. So that was wrong. The other thing they got wrong? The hours.

When I first interviewed for that job, I knew it was part-time, three days a week. So I was a little confused, but went with it. But when the other temp told me that the temp I replaced was only there three days a week, I got really confused and asked Office Manager. Who did confirm that it’s only three days a week. I am in the unique and enviable position of being able to afford that, just about. And honestly, working a Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday works out well because I can watch Critical Role guilt-free on Thursday nights and stay up for dungeon runs on post-Cupcake Sundays ... but dude, seriously, I wish I’d known at the time. Well, I still have odds and ends with Scent of a Warden and AngloCanadian Studios. Maybe I’ll get a bit more patron.

One thing I’m going to do with the patron money I will have come June is list some of my scents on Etsy. I don’t think I can do them all at a go so I need to decide which ones go on first. Any thoughts? My options are mostly Vox Machina and the MIghty Nein to start with ... of course I may have to reprice because of Etsy fees. Not sure what to do about Tumblr orders, though. If I link the Etsy shop here when not all the scents are up there, there’s whole different prices across the board. If I don’t, what’s the point of Etsy beyond the exposure and convenience? Mneh. I will think of something when my head doesn’t hurt so much.

[thessalian]

Thess vs Essays

Ever have one of those moments where you started writing an essay and stopping just wasn’t going to happen?

Yeah, I had one of those. I think I need a break now because I have been writing and editing the damnable thing for over an hour and a half now.

Apparently I have Feelings about trying to turn tabletop roleplay into a competitive esport. 

This essay will be up on my Patreon for patrons this Sunday, but will also be free to the general public next Sunday. Yep; I followed through on the “Essays are free with early access for patrons” model, and there’s actually some stuff I think you all might enjoy already gone up for free, so maybe check it out?

(Yeah, I may be self-promoting a little bit but I am genuinely proud of these.)

Now if you’ll excuse me, maybe I should actually eat something.

Also we had rain and it is so much cooler ALL HAIL THE SKY GODS.

[thessalian]

Thess vs Productivity

I have been Productive today! Clearly the relief of upcoming steady income has had a positive effect on my life - though again, I now have to manage for the next couple of weeks on a day’s pay and a recent SOAW order. More might be nice, if anyone wants perfumes. They’re delightful, I swear.

(Mollymauk’s is ... pervasive. Every time I bottle some of that one, my study smells of Molly for days. ...There are worse things.)

Anyway, I’ve also been working on the upcoming relaunch of my Patreon! Actually, I’m pretty excited about how this one’s coming. See, I figured that maybe if I got all this stuff done weeks in advance, that would ensure a good buffer of content in case of days when I get tired and disheartened and just lose all my spoons, y’know? So I’ve been getting the stuff done in advance and there’s actually a goodly amount of content already up, with more to be posted as the day goes on. I did a pretty interesting essay about the accusations of “SJW bullshit ruining video games / Star Wars / whatever”, and the new monsters are looking cool. I still have to get another essay and a couple of reviews written, I should probably at least ask @true0neutral if he still has the old audio files from the audio version of Chaos Magic to spare me some of the work, there are still some maps to do and monsters to stat, but overall, it’s looking pretty good.

I also found this neat page that lets you make PDFs that look like they came out of a D&D sourcebook. That’s going to be great for the $15 and $20 patron gifts.

It probably won’t gain much attention. It didn’t last time and the economy is worse. Still, I’m just going to say, “Fuck it; anything’s worth failing at”, make more content, and hope.

Clearly the fact that my study smells of Mollymauk is having its effect. Huzzah.

[thessalian]

Thess vs Planning

I have so much fucking PLANNING to do right now. Budgeting, RP-related stuff, Patreon-related stuff, trying to find a damn job to replace the one I’m currently doing for only one more truncated week, moving the Vox Machina and Mighty Nein scents to Etsy (which is happening in one more week because of budget shit, so I need to get on that “One More Week Until These Go Up In Price” post on SoaW...), and so on and so forth.

Patreon’s kind of exciting ... would be way more so if I had anything like an audience, but fuck it, never mind; in the end, the Dodecronomicon Monster Manual stuff will be going onto Dungeon Master’s Guild so at least someone will maybe read some of that. Anyway, next month’s theme is The Screaming Sands, and I have so many glorious ideas for desert creatures. There aren’t enough desert creatures in my Monster Manual or my Volo’s, and I can’t get Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes until next week at most, so I guess I’ll just have to do it myself. Heh. Also I want to launch FML Gaming next week, so I should probably start playing Far Cry 3 and figure out how feasible recording is while still running the game. Also need to consider what other essays I want to do in July. Probably at least one dealing with a topic that is more familiar than I would generally like it to be - namely, how to get around being down a player, both in the short-term and in the long-term. That’s another one I’m staring down the barrel of from both the short-term and the long-term perspective in the not-too-distant future, and have dealt with a lot in the past, so I guess some introspection on how I deal with it is probably interesting. To someone. Anyway, I also have tomb maps to create, and that’ll be fun. Also a few reviews, probably of older stuff that I’m rediscovering.

I also need to make a few decisions about art for the D&D group. I mean, I have a new player who I have not as yet commissioned art for ... again, because money. However, it’s probably just as well because there’s going to be another shift in the party dynamic in a few sessions. At least this time I got a chance to discuss with the player how to write her out, and there’s theoretically an opening for a return, at least on a guest-star basis, if she ever has time again. Given the composition of my gaming group, I guess that gives away who’s leaving, huh? Yet again, I will be running for a group entirely composed of guys. It’s a thing, apparently.

...Hell, given that one of my players in one group was trans and just hadn’t come to grips with that fact yet, I’ve only had one group that included women at all. ...Actually, is it done to retroactively correct one’s misgendering of a trans person when referring to them in a time when they weren’t aware they were trans? Given that it’s not done to use someone’s dead name when telling an anecdote about them before they began transitioning, it feels more fair if I consider that my friend was a man despite his presentation as female at the time. So ... yeah. One group with one girl in it, at least if I discount online forum stuff where I was running a lot more open-ended.

Anyway, point is that the group dynamic is changing and it feels like the art ought to change too and given the fluidity of this group I’m starting to wonder if it wouldn’t be more cost-effective to commission individual portraits and work from there. Not something I have to deal with right away, anyway.

Etsy ... I admit I’m reconsidering that, because of their policy about taking commission off the fucking postal fees. I mean, come on; that’s not even money we technically get, and involves us having to raise prices on postage to compensate or pay the difference out of our own pockets and is bordering on stealing from the postal service. Etsy, what the fuck are you doing? I may not like you raising the fees you take per sale, but for the POSTAL FEES? Really? That’s scuzzy. Still, I could use the customer base boost.

This is the kind of thing I’m doing that basically uses up all my spoons, guys. A lot of it I don’t know why I bother, but I keep plugging away.

[thessalian]

Thess vs Cruelty

Still homebrewing monsters for my Patreon, and then later the DMs Guild. And I have just made this ... thing.

Oh gods, this thing is evil. I mean, I finished making it and I read over the descriptions and I went, “...I would legitimately straight-up want to murder the DM that did this to me”.

...What does it say about me that I CAN’T WAIT TO SPRING THIS ON MY PARTY?

[thessalian]

Thess vs Shitty Disco

It is too hot to do anything but have every window in the house open. And someone in this block of flats is having something of a loud party.

The music? REALLY SHITTY DISCO.

Currently I am listening to “Boogie Wonderland” and am contemplating my response.

I am sort of torn between Pop Will Eat Itself, the Voodoo Glow Skulls or Bill Hicks’ “Rants in E Minor”.

Also I am trying to get up the guts to stick the Drowning Deep PDF on the Dungeon Masters’ Guild. It was a lot of work and it looks good to me but ... it’s tiny and why would anyone care? Argh.

My head hurts and I’m tired and I did so much document production and two massive RP maps today and I think I’m gonna have to break out the wrist brace and I know I’m going to have to break out the painkillers.

But if one person - just one person - is as happy with that little eight-page clump of monstrosity as I know one person is ... it was worth it.