#World Con 76

[mostlysignssomeportents]

2600’s amazing Hackers on Planet Earth con may go down under enshittification

Catch me in Miami! I'll be at Books and Books in Coral Gables on Jan 22 at 8PM.

It's been 40 years since Emmanuel Goldstein launched the seminal, essential, world-changing 2600: The Hacker Quarterly. 2600 wasn't the first phreak/hacker zine, but it was the most important, spawning a global subculture dedicated to the noble pursuit of technological self-determination:

https://www.2600.com/

2600 has published hundreds of issues in which digital spelunkers report eagerly on the things they've discovered by peering intently at the things no one was supposed to even glance at (I'm proud to be one of those writers!). They've fought legal battles, including one that almost went to the Supreme Court:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeCSS

They created a global network of meetups where some of technology's most durable friendships and important collaborations were born. These continue to this day:

https://www.2600.com/meetings

And they've hosted a weekly radio show on NYC's WBAI, Off the Hook:

https://wbai.org/program.php?program=76

When WBAI management lost their minds and locked the station's most beloved hosts out of the studio, Off the Hook (naturally) led the rebellion, taking back the station for its audience, rescuing it from a managerial coup:

https://twitter.com/2600/status/1181423565389942786

But best of all, 2600 gave us HOPE – both in the metaphorical sense of "hope for a better technological tomorrow" and in the literal sense, with its biannual Hackers On Planet Earth con:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackers_on_Planet_Earth

For decades HOPE had an incredible venue, the Hotel Pennsylvania (memorialized in the phreak anthem "PEnnsylvania 6-5000"), a crumbling pile in midtown Manhattan that was biannually transformed into a rollicking, multi-day festival of forbidden technology, improbable feats, and incredible presentations. I was privileged to keynote HOPE in 2016:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1D7APjmVbk

But after the 2018 HOPE, the Hotel Pennsylvania was demolished to make way for the Penn15 (no, really) skyscraper, a vaporware mega-tower planned as a holding pen for luxury shopping and empty million-dollar condos sold to offshore war-criminals as safe-deposit boxes in the sky. The developer, Vornado (no, really) hasn't actually done all that – after demo'ing the Hotel Pennsylvania, they noped out, leave a large, unusable scar across midtown.

But HOPE wasn't lost. In 2022, the ever-resilient 2600 crew relocated to Queens, hosted by St John's University – a venue that was less glamorous that the Hotel Pennsylvania, but the event was still fantastic. Attendance fell from 2,000 to 1,000, but that was something they could work with, and reviews from attendees were stellar.

Good thing, too. 2600 is, first and foremost, a magazine publisher, and these have been hard years for magazines. First there was the mass die-off of indie bookstores and newsracks (I used to sell 2600 when I was a bookseller, and in the years after, I always took the presence of 2600 on a store's newsrack as an unimpeachable mark of quality).

Thankfully for 2600, their audience is (unsurprisingly) a tech-savvy one, so they were able to substitute digital subscriptions for physical ones:

https://www.2600.com/Magazine/DigitalEditions

Of course, many of those subscriptions came through Amazon's Kindle, because nerds were early Amazon adopters, and because the Kindle magazine publishing platform offered DRM-free distribution to subscribers along with a fair payout to publishers.

But then Amazon enshittified its magazine system. Having locked publishers to its platform, it rugged them and killed the monthly subscription fees that allowed publishers to plan for a steady output. Publishers were given a choice: leave Amazon (and all the readers locked inside its walled garden) or put your magazine into the Kindle Unlimited system:

https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/arp/B0BWPTCP4K?deviceType=A1FG5NAKX0MRJL

Kindle Unlimited is an all-you-can-eat program for Kindle, which pays publishers and writers based on a system that is both opaque and easily gamed, with the lion's share of the money going to "publishers" who focus on figuring out how to cheat the algorithm. Revenues for 2600 – and all the other magazines that Amazon had sucked in and sucked dry – fell off a cliff.

Which brings me to the present moment. After 40 years, 2600 is still at it, having survived the bookstorepocalypse, the lunacy of public radio management, the literal demolition of their physical home by an evil real-estate developer, and Amazon's crooked accounting.

This is 2600, circa 2024, and 2024 a HOPE year:

https://www.hope.net/

Once again, HOPE has been scheduled for its new digs in Queens, July 12-14. Last week, HOPE sent out an email blast to their subscribers telling them the news. They expected to sell 500 tickets in the first 24 hours. They didn't even come close:

https://www.2600.com/content/hope-ticket-sales-update

It turns out that Google and the other major mail providers don't like emails with the word "hacker" in them. The cartel that decides which email gets delivered, and which messages go to spam, or get blocked altogether, mass-blocked the HOPE 2024 announcement. Email may be the last federated, open platform we have, but mass concentration has created a system where it's nearly impossible to get your email delivered unless you're willing to play by Gmail's rules:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/10/10/dead-letters/

For Emmanuel Goldstein, founder of 2600 and tireless toiler for this community, the deafening silence following from that initial email volley was terrifying: "like some kind of a "Twilight Zone" episode where everyone has disappeared."

The enshittification that keeps 2600's emails from being delivered to the people who asked to receive them is even worse on social media. Social media companies routinely defraud their users by letting them subscribe to feeds, then turning around to the people and organizations that run those feeds and saying, "You've got x thousand subscribers on this platform, but we won't put your posts in their feeds unless you pay us to 'boost' your content":

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/04/platforms-decay-lets-put-users-first

Enshittification has been coming at 2600 for decades. Like other forms of oddball media dedicated to challenging corporate power and government oppression, 2600 has always been a ten-years-ahead preview of the way the noose was gonna tighten on all of us. And now, they're on the ropes. HOPE can't sell tickets unless people know about HOPE, and neither email providers nor social media platforms have any interest in making that happen.

A handful of giant corporations now get to decide what we read, who we hear from, and whether and how we can get together in person to make friends, forge community, rabble-rouse and change the world. The idea that "it's not censorship unless the government does it" has always been wrong (not all censorship violates the First Amendment, and censorship can be real without being unconstitutional):

https://pluralistic.net/2022/12/04/yes-its-censorship/

What can you do about it? Well, for one thing, you can sign up for HOPE. It's gonna be great. They've got sub-$100 hotel rooms! In New York City!

https://store.2600.com/products/tickets-to-hope-xv

If you can't make it to HOPE, you can sign up for a virtual membership:

https://store.2600.com/products/tickets-to-hope-xv-virtual-attendee

You can submit a talk to HOPE:

https://www.hope.net/cfp.html

You can subscribe to 2600, in print or electronically (I signed up for the lifetime print subscription and it was a bargain – I devour every issue the day it arrives):

https://store.2600.com/collections/subscriptions-renewals

2600 is living a decade in the future of every other community you care about, weird hobby you enjoy, con you live for, and publication you read from cover to cover. If we can all pull together to save it, it'll be a beacon of hope (and HOPE).

I'm Kickstarting the audiobook for The Bezzle, the sequel to Red Team Blues, narrated by @wilwheaton! You can pre-order the audiobook and ebook, DRM free, as well as the hardcover, signed or unsigned. There's also bundles with Red Team Blues in ebook, audio or paperback.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/19/hope-less/#hack-the-planet

[thecreaturecodex]

Scrab

Image © Oddworld Inhabitants, accessed at the Oddworld Wiki here

[Sponsored by @martyslittleusedblog. Like previous Oddworld creature the paramite, the scrab combines a very distinctive look with pretty basic mechanics. After all, in a game where your character dies to a single bullet, combat isn't exactly the developer's goal. So the good stuff is in the flavor text, which I did tweak just a little. In the games, it's implied that scrabs are pure carnivores, but both their desert habitat and ability to be farmed for food suggests something a little broader. So I went omnivore.]

Scrab CR 7 N Magical Beast This creature has four crab-like legs, each tipped with a large claw, above which grows an armless, humanoid torso. Its head is eyeless, with a large upward scooping beak, sword edged along the lower jaw.

Scrabs are belligerent omnivores native to the desert mesas and canyons of an alien world. They are extremely territorial, repelling all other scrabs from their territory except for pack members unless it is the mating season. Territorial marking is done with booming calls that carry for miles through the still desert air, but if that fails, scrabs do not hesitate to fight others of their own species to the death. Due to the harsh nature of their habitats, scrab territories are large. Most scrabs forage independently by day, and then return to a communal nest during the night to feed the young, who are communally raised on regurgitated food provided by all pack members.

The bulk of a scrab’s diet consists of roots and gourds, dug up using their shovel-like bills. They prefer meat when they can get it, though, either carrion or killed on the hoof. Scrabs find the meat of their own kind unpalatable—the one thing a scrab will refuse to eat is another scrab. This is unusual, as many species find scrabs to be delicious, albeit difficult game. Due to their homebody nature and garbage disposal physiologies, scrabs can even be farmed, although this runs the risk of the farmer becoming the next meal if the scrabs are neglected or underfed. Due to their durability and fierce nature, scrabs are also sacred animals in some cultures. The cultures that farm scrabs and those that venerate them are usually deeply at odds with each other.

Scrab      CR 7 XP 3,200 N Large magical beast Init +5; Senses blind, blindsight 60 ft., Perception +9

Defense AC 21, touch 10, flat-footed 20 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +11 natural) hp 76 (8d10+32) Fort +10, Ref +7, Will +6

Offense Speed 50 ft. Melee bite +13 (2d6+6), 2 claws +13 (1d6+6) Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. Special Attacks thrash

Statistics Str 22, Dex 13, Con 19, Int 2, Wis18, Cha 9 Base Atk +8; CMB +15 (+17 bull rush); CMD 26 (28 vs. bull rush, 30 vs. trip) Feats Endurance,Improved Bull Rush, Improved Initiative, Power Attack Skills Acrobatics +10, Climb +15, Perception +9, Survival +10; Racial Modifiers +4 Acrobatics, +4 Climb, +4 Survival

Ecology Environment warm deserts and underground Organization solitary, pair or pack (3-12 plus 100% noncombatant juveniles) Treasure incidental

Special Abilities Blindsight (Ex) A scrab’s blindsight is based on hearing and electrical signals. When deafened, or in an area of silence, a scrab is considered to have blindsense instead. Thrash (Ex) As a standard action, a scrab can lash out with its claws and beak in all directions. All creatures adjacent to the scrab take 3d6+9 slashing damage (Ref DC 20 halves). The save DC is Strength based.

[simplyskipper]

What Fallout Games Should I Play?

Hello! My name is Skipper, and the Fallout games has been a special interest of mine for a few years now. With the resurgance of the fandom, and new people coming from the shows, I figured I'd make a post helping people figure out what games to play!

This is going to be the main 6 games (1-4, 76, NV), though I may add more if I play some of the other games. Feel free to add on, ask questions, or generally interact with this! I'm always happy to help people get into the games and love talking Fallout with people. :)

This is going to be as spoiler-free as possible, though I may mention some game locations vaguely, so be warned if you think that may ruin the experience.

For further reading, I highly reccomend the Independent Fallout Wiki! A lot less ads in your way, and the people over there are lovely. However, be careful, as there are spoilers there!

TLDR; New Vegas for story, Fallout 4 for gameplay and introducing concepts, Fallout 1 for authenticity, and Fallout 76 for multiplayer but absolutely nothing else of value.

Table of Contents

Fallout 1

Fallout 2

Fallout 3

Fallout: New Vegas

Fallout 4

Fallout 76

Last Updated: April 22, 2024

Fallout 1

Released; 1997

Setting; Southern California, 2161

Wiki Page

Almost a hundred years after the bombs fell, Vault 13's water chip has broken, and the Vault Dweller was selected (through random chance) to venture out into the wasteland and save their vault.

Pros:

The Original Fallout Game!

One of my favourites, story-wise.

Harold!

The game is relatively short compared to the others, and the story isn't overly hard to digest, in my opinion.

The 'talking heads' animations are super cool (Aradesh, Harold, Etc Etc)

Later character who I won't name but once you meet them YOU'LL KNOW

There's no limit to how many companions you can have at a time

I generally love the setting.

Cons:

The graphics do not age well. Even for the time, they were a bit lacking. (For reference, Doom came out in 1993, 4 years earlier).

Bit of a learning curve! But once you get it, it's pretty easy to use. The turn-based combat was the hardest to get a handle on.

The game DOES NOT hold your hand. Later games have objective lists and markers, but this game just has a list and memory. Pretty fun, if you're into a more difficult game!

Combat and general survival is difficult. The experience is authentic - which means you can and will die during the first combat scenario. Again, once you get it it's not that bad, but combat will remain difficult. But for some this could be a pro!

Fallout 2

Released; 1998

Setting; Southern California, 2241

Wiki Page

80 years after the Vault Dweller's heroic rescue of their Vault, the village of Arroyo is suffering a severe drought. The Chosen One, a descendant of the Vault Dweller, has been sent to retrieve a G.E.C.K. to save their village.

Pros

The story again is very good!

A lot of the strengths of the previous game.

There's something melancholy about exploring the world of Fallout 1 with so many changes and losses. It's perfect for the setting.

Sergeant Dornan. You'll see when you meet him.

More Harold!

Cons

This was released only a year after Fallout 1, so a lot of the graphics & gameplay remain the same, if that's not something you're a fan of.

This is where the idea of "wacky vault experiments" is introduced, something I've never super loved, but that's subjective.

Fallout 3

Released; 2008

Setting; Capital Wasteland (Formerly Washington, D.C.), 2277

Wiki Page

200 years after the war, the 19-year-old Lone Wanderer's father has mysteriously left their home at Vault 101. It is up to the Lone Wanderer to track him down and figure out what's going on, all while navigating the dangerous Capital Wasteland.

Pros

Brought the Fallout series into the modern era!

Some pretty cool locations, like Megaton and Rivet City

Sort of a pro and con, a lot of the game is spent in the underground Metro system. This is cool, but I'm not a huge fan of interior spaces. Still - it feels like a real DC Wasteland!

Galaxy News Radio is introduced, which is great background noise - and I love Three Dog. He's so silly.

No sprint button. It's not felt super bad in this game compared to Vegas, but it still can be annoying.

It feels like a post-apocalypse. The whole world is this muddy, almost sickly green, grey, and brown colour. All of the sets are carefully designed, full of dirt and debris and trash. Buildings are crumbling or outright hollowed out, the ghouls look like walking corpses (as they should be), the mole rats are nasty and all of the creatures feel gross. As they should be! This is a post-apocolypse, everything should be gross and dirty!

Lots of good world-building. Because this is based in the Capital, we get to interact with a lot of old-world history, and see how similar and different it is from our own.

Cons

Story is... not great, in my opinion.

Some of those DLCs physically hurt me. They definitely lean into the 'silly' aspects of the games, but I feel it hurts the worldbuilding and realism.

NOT Bethany Esda's best work.

Leans more into the 'game' and less on the 'role-playing', which was a big part of Fallout 1 and 2. The protagonist is 19, their father is James, and we see a bit of what their childhood looked like. You can work around it, but it's not as fun as the other games.

Sometimes the npcs are annoying. There's collision in this game, but sometimes if you step on something it'll move and a npc will shout 'Watch where you're going' or something, which gets on my nerves. Also, if you so much as look at a locked container, you get a 'That's locked for a reason'. Probably minor, but annoying.

Fire ants.

Fallout: New Vegas

Released; 2010

Setting; Mojave Wasteland (Formerly Mojave Desert), 2281

Wiki Page

Courier Six, or just the Courier, is in the middle of a delivery when they are interrupted by Benny and shot in the head - though they make a miraculous recovery and now need to figure out exactly what kind of mess they've landed themselves in this time.

Pros

I mean, it's Fallout New Vegas. This is a lot of people's favourite, for good reason. Story is phenomenal, the entire world feels real and interactive. If you shoot someone, there's consequences, and the other npcs will acknowledge it.

THE BEST radio. All of the music slaps and helps you feel the setting. Plus, I love Mr. New Vegas, the radio host.

The characters are amazing.

The world is not too silly but still silly. Like yeah, this makes sense for a post-apocalypse. But it's also so objectively funny. Some of the best memes come from this game.

Yes Man.

As usual, I love the map design.

Instead of greens for Fallout 3, this game is bathed in oranges and brown - making it feel warm, perfectly capturing the desert setting, and dusty.

the DLCs are amazing!!

We love the companions in this house.

I love how morally grey it is. No one is perfect, no faction is outright good or outright bad (except the Legion, fuck those guys). It's up to you to pick which you think is the lesser evil, which is the best future for the Mojave. Or you can kill them all, up to you.

Cons

The development for this game was pretty famously rocky. It was outsourced to Obsidian, and they were given only 18 months to make it. Therefore, this game is very similar to Fallout 3, with some general improvements here and there.

There is still no sprint button, which is definitely felt here. A lot of the stuff is spread out, so thewre's a lot of wandering through desert, slowly making your way to your destination. It also feels more empty. The great city of New Vegas is sparsely populated, quiet, and desolate - despite it being such a big deal and supposedly so popular.

Honest Hearts DLC :////

Fallout 4

Released; 2015

Setting; The Commonwealth (Formerly Boston, MA), 2287

Wiki Page

In 2077, the Sole Survivor (default names Nate or Nora) is ready to start a family. In their little neighbourhood, with their white picket fence and infant son, it is a time of new beginnings - despite the war raging around them. Unfortunately, the war quickly catches up to them, and their family is forced to take shelter in Vault 111, where they are frozen in time for 210 years. They emerge following the kidnapping of their infant son, into a time so different to their own, battling this new world alongside the ghosts of the old.

Pros

The graphics have been updated, and it looks great! Mostly. Instead of washed-out greens and browns, this game is bright and vibrant.

Some more awesome companions. Honestly, I love them so much.

I really like the level-up system in this. I prefer 3/NV, but the tier system is fun and visually neat.

Better crafting system. And more crafting systems in general.

Settlements!!! This game introduces settlements, which basically means there's a bunch of set locations around the map that you can take over and build in! You get a lot of freedom and are responsible for meeting the needs for people in the settlement. You can get some mods for more freedom/flexibility, and you can mostly ignore it if you want.

Cons

The story is... also lacking. It feels almost... unfinished? Some beats are strange and it's just like. What.

Playing this before Fallout 3 pissed me off so much, because there's so much that is ripped off of Fallout 3. The Commonwealth is brought up, the radio music is the same, the vault numbers so similar, there's even an early version of Vault 111. It feels lazy. Fallout New Vegas was more creative, and they had a fraction of the time 4 has.

40-50% of the game is spent in loading screens.

Preston Garvey deserves so much better. "AnOtHeR sEtTlEmEnT nEeDs YoUr HeLp!"

Nick Valentine is non-romancable.

It's so easy to forget about the main objective, and hard to really care about it. This is a common problem I've heard, so it's not just me.

Radio host gets on my nerves :/

Nuka-World DLC is frustrating. But at least it's not. Sideyes Honest Hearts (Fo:NV).

Game is... easy. Too Easy. Deathclaws are supposed to be dangerous and difficult to kill.

Fallout 76

Released; 2018

Setting; Appalachia (Midwestern US mountain range), 2102-2104

Wiki Page

25 years after the bombs fell, all members of Vault 76 have been kicked out in order to rebuild society.

Pros

It's. Multiplayer? Kinda.

I made some friends on there, which was neat.

Return of item condition. So.

CAMPs are fun. Like the settlement but without NPCs to look after and allows location flexibility.

Has. Some new songs on the radio?

ALMOST HEAVEN. WEST VE-

Amazing map design! The outside is gorgeous and feels like Appalachia, for the most part.

Honestly, I prefer this version of VATS (the game's targeting system). In other games, VATS will pause and slow down combat to help with aim, and can be kind of annoying. Here, the combat speed is the same, you just spend some AP (stamina) for aim assist.

Cons

I prefer settlements tbh

What's not to mention? Story sucks, game sucks, etc etc. It's pretty famously bad.

I usually love the story, but checked out very fast and spent most of my time running around. But I honestly didn't last long even then.

The game is broken. Like, fundamentally broken. You are constantly subjected to crashes, bugs, etc etc. Fallout 4 is buggy, but this takes it to an extreme.

50-70% of the game is loading screens.

The interiors are huge, and there is no local map, so you very easily get lost.

Generally the story is so stupid.

Fallout 1st is a cash grab.

Unbalanced.

Bad.

Some videos I like about Fallout 76

Internet Historian's video on the history and release. I'm iffy on Internet Historian as a creator, but I do like the video. Let's just hope it's not plagiarised.

Joseph Anderson's video on the game at it's released state. Primarily focuses on how poorly the game plays and how broken it is. Super funny.

PrivateSession's video released in 2023, reviewing a more current version of the game. More focused on story.

PatricianTV's 4-part series released in 2023, reviewing a more current version of the game. More focused on the game and gameplay.

In conclusion; thank you for reading! As I mentioned, any criticism, questions, and suggestions are welcome! I hate/love fallout and am always happy to drag people down with me.

Also, would people be interested in a post discussing the story/setting/timeline? Like where I infodump further about the universe. To make it easier to digest and answer questions. Or give me a chance to infodump further about fallout.

[lostcauses-noregrets]

Hi, Lost, I was just wondering if you could answer something about Erwin that I've been struggling to understand for a while! Why is Erwin's dream considered as corrupted and not innocent anymore? Why did he have to be "freed" from his dream? And why was he feeling guilty? How was he trapped between his dream and being commander? Why did he have to choose between one of them? Sorry if this ask is a little confusing! Im not very good at putting together words haha!

So, there are a number of ways to answer these questions.  In the manga, pretty much everything we know about Erwin’s dream comes from Erwin himself, and the point that some readers consistently overlook is that he is an extremely unreliable narrator, particularly in the chapters leading up to Midnight Sun, where he is in the depths of despair and sees his every action in the bleakest light. 

Erwin deludes himself into believing that he is a liar and a conman because he thinks that he alone is fighting for his own selfish reasons, and not the pure and noble goal of Saving Humanity. This causes Erwin enormous guilt which exacerbates the guilt he carries over his father’s death and the deaths of all the soldiers who have died under his command.  To make matters worse, he believes he has conned his soldiers into dying for the sake of his own dream, rather than to save humanity.

In the depths of his self-loathing, Erwin is deluding himself of course; he is far from the only character fighting for his own dream.  Many other characters have their own dreams and reasons for fighting; Eren wants to be”free”, Armin wants to see the ocean, Ymir wants Historia to live for herself, Annie wants to return home to her father, etc.  Also the tragic irony of all this is that Erwin’s dream is fully compatible with the cause of attempting to save humanity.  It’s Erwin’s dream that acts as the catalyst to uncovering the truth of the world and of course, as it turns out, his father’s theories were correct.   

Sadly Erwin never lived to see his dream fulfilled, however the thing about dreams in SnK is that they have a tragic tendency to turn into nightmares when they are fulfilled. Look at Eren’s dream of “freedom”. 

Isayama is explic about this in the Character Guide: 

When he faces the sea, Armin takes a seashell a representation of something that can only be found there and tells Eren to look at it.  But Eren, the all-important character, doesn’t even look at it. The sea shell that Eren doesn’t even glance at as it sits awkwardly in Armin’s palms is meant to symbolise their dreams coming to an end, or maybe their childhood coming to an end.

By contrast, when he’s talking about Erwin’s final moments he says

You hear people saying that dreams are better left unfulfilled.  As I was drawing Erwin’s last moments, I took this to mean that one’s life is better lived if they chase their dreams until the very end.

So the fact that Erwin’s dream remains unfulfilled is not necessarily a bad thing. 

As to why Erwin’s dream is regarded as being “corrupt”, rather than “pure” like Armin’s, I suspect this is primarily a result of Erwin’s monologue in chapter 76, with some readers failing to realise that he is an unreliable narrator. If you believe everything Erwin says here, then yes, I guess you could come to the conclusion that he is a selfish conman who sacrificed the lives of his soldiers for his own corrupt dream, but of course that’s very far from the truth.

I'm not sure if I've answered all your questions here Anon, but hopefully this helps to dispel some of the confusion.

[justicegundam82]

3.0 D&D to PF1 Conversion: Torturer Devil (Kocrachon)

This is a conversion of a rather famous creature that originated from Planescape. Since this is a rather low-ranking devil, I tried not to go overboard on the abilities, while attempting to give the Kocrachon its own flavour. I also got several pointers from a previous 3.5 conversion of the same creature, which appeared in the EN World Forums. Of course, you guys be the judges if my conversion is satisfying.

DEVIL, TORTURER (KOCRACHON)

Image (c) Wizads of the Coast, artist unknown

This horror looks like an overgrown bluish-black beetle with a long proboscis for a mouth, but its face has a disturbingly human look to it, and its legs end in slim, dexterous claws.

TORTURER DEVIL       CR 7

XP 3’200

LE Medium Outsider (devil, evil, extraplanar, lawful)

Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft., see in darkness; Perception +14

Defense

AC 22, touch 15, flat-footed 17 (+4 Dex, +1 dodge, +7 natural)

hp 76 (8d10+32) 

Fort +6, Ref +10, Will +9

Damage Reduction 5/good; Immune fire, poison; Resist acid 10, cold 10

Spell Resistance 18

Offense

Speed 40 ft., flying 60 ft. (good)

Melee bite +12 (1d6+2 plus disease), 2 claws +12 (1d4+1 plus excruciate)

Special Attacks disease, excruciate, sadism, sneak attack +2d6

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 8th, concentration +12)

     At will – cause fear (DC 15), darkness, greater teleport (self plus 50 lbs. objects only), stabilize, suggestion (DC 17)

     3/day – cure moderate wounds (DC 16), invisibility, magic circle against good, major image (DC 17)

     1/day – breath of life, summon (level 3, 2d4 lemures or 1 torturer devil, 45%), waves of fatigue (DC 19)

                   

Statistics

Str 14, Dex 19, Con 18, Int 16, Wis 17, Cha 19

Base Atk +8; CMB +10; CMD 24 (30 vs. trip)

Feats Dodge, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse

Skills Acrobatics +12 (+16 jumping), Bluff +13, Diplomacy +12, Fly +14, Heal +18, Intimidate +15, Knowledge (planes) +14, Perception +14, Profession (torturer) +18, Sense Motive +18, Stealth +15; Racial Modifiers +4 Heal, +4 Profession (torturer), +4 Sense Motive      

Languages Celestial, Common, Draconic, Infernal; telepathy 100 ft.

Ecology

Environment any (Nine Hells)

Organization solitary, pair or team (3-6)

Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Disease (Su) An opponent hit by a torturer devil’s bite attack must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 18) or contract devil chills. The save DC is Constitution-based

Devil Chills: Disease – injury (bite); save Fort DC 18; onset 1d4 days; frequency 1/day; effect 1d4 Str damage; cure 3 consecutive saves.

Excruciate (Su) A living creature hit by a torturer devil’s claw attack must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 18) or become sickened with pain for 1d6 rounds. A creature that is already sickened becomes nauseated for 1 round instead. The save DC is Constitution-based

Sadism (Ex) If a torturer devil inflicts 10 or more points of damage on a single creature in the span of a single round, either with a single attack or with multiple attacks, it gains a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls, saving throws and skill checks for the duration of the next round.

Kocrachons are also known as torturer devils for their specialization in inflicting prolonged pain on helpless victims. They are mostly tasked with extracting information through pain, and it is a job they thoroughly enjoy. In what spare time they have, they enjoy sharpening their skills on damned souls and other prisoners; ending up in the claws of the kocrachon is considered one of the worst possible fates, for these devils are merciless and go out of their way to deny their victims the sweet release of death. Torturer devils are fond of mental torture as well, and will gleefully manipulate and gaslight their charges in order to maximize their anguish.

Torturer devils are not particularly fond of combat, and will usually retreat if an opponent looks dangerous enough to fight them on even footing. If forced to battle, they will usually break up and confound the opposition with spells like cause fear or suggestion, and then strike from ambush, often with the cover of invisibility, and debilitate their victims with their painful claws and diseased bites. A kocrachon that inflicts enough suffering on a victim is bolstered by the act, and can briefly fight with enhanced vigor.    

Kocrachons are mostly found in infernal citadels, working for more powerful devils; they are 5 feet tall on average, and weigh roughly 110 pounds.

[jose92gt]

Resúmenes de los episodios 75 al 77 y 78 solo título de Yu-Gi-Oh Go Rush

Episodio 75: カルティオス計画 – Karutiosu Keikaku

(El Proyecto Kartios)

Yudias se encuentra con Phaser en el laberinto durante la final. Phaser parece tener algún tipo de motivo para interponerse en el camino de Yudias. Mientras tanto, mientras Yuhi y los demás se dirigen a la Reliquia, son testigos de un proyecto aterrador.

Episodio 76: プロトベルギャー – Puroto Berugyā

(Proto-Velgear)

Creado en un planeta en el borde del universo, gradualmente obtuvo más camaradas y dio origen a una civilización masiva en el Cúmulo Velgear. Un día, se sintió atraído por Rush Duels, lo que puso todo en movimiento en el proceso. ¡La impactante verdad ahora será revelada cuando Kaidoul Velgear, el primero de los Karutamata, haga su entrada!

Episodio 77: 創造主 – Sо̄zо̄shu

(El Creador)

Es hora de la batalla final de la Copa Galaxy. Yudias se enfrenta a Yuhi, pero termina chocando contra Kaidoul y quedando atrapado en su mundo mental. ¿Cuáles son los recuerdos sellados en lo profundo de la mente de Kaidoul? ¡Yuhi ahora pondrá fin a la triste historia de la creación de Velgear!

Episodio 78: アホ体験88 – Aho Taiken

(Momento idiota 88)

Episode 75: カルティオス計画 – Karutiosu Keikaku

(The Kartios Project)

Yudias meets Phaser in the maze during the final. Phaser seems to have some sort of motive for getting in Yudias' way. Meanwhile, as Yuhi and the others head to the Relic, they witness a terrifying project.

Episode 76: プロトベルギャー – Puroto Berugyā

(Proto-Velgear)

Created on a planet at the edge of the universe, he gradually gained more comrades and gave rise to a massive civilization in the Velgear Cluster. One day, he was drawn to Rush Duels, which set everything in motion in the process. The shocking truth will now be revealed when Kaidoul Velgear, the first of the Karutamata, makes his entrance!

Episode 77: 創造主 – Sо̄zо̄shu

(The creator)

It's time for the final battle of the Galaxy Cup. Yudias confronts Yuhi, but ends up crashing into Kaidoul and getting trapped in his mental world. What are the memories sealed deep within Kaidoul's mind? Yuhi will now put an end to the sad story of Velgear's creation!

Episode 78: アホ体験88 – Aho Taiken

(Idiot Moment 88)

[nuis-world]

"NUI WORLD" (LISTA DE CAPÍTULOS / TEMPORADA 01)

AUTORA: SHIZUME SHADE

01. Bienvenidos al mundo de K-Nuis (Grupal) 02. Amistad peluchera (Trio Homra, Anna y Reisi) 03. Cumple del Rey León (Grupal) 04. Reunión de Navidad (Grupal) 05. Háblame universo (Shiro/Kuro) 06. Se alquila (Mikoto) 07. Ventaja de estar soltero (Zenjo) 08. ¿Dónde está mi dinero? (Totsuka) 09. Media naranja (Izumo/Andy/Totsuka) 10. Si quieres flores... (Kusanagi) 11.  Shampoo VS Lavaplatos (Rikio) 12. Beneficios del agua (MikoRei) 13. Una cepillada (Seri/Izumo) 14. Alarma molesta (Shiro/Kuro) 15. La maquinita Chu-Chu (Mikoto/Reisi/Totsuka) 16. Respóndeme ya (SaruMi) 17. Necesito un aumento (Saru/Seri/Reisi) 18. Vendo (Andy) 19. Siempre hermoso (Yukari) 20. ¿Tienes hambre? (Yata/Rikio) 21. Rumores (Mikoto) 22. Nivel de stress (MikoRei/Zenjo) 23. Alegría de la vida (Totsuka/Izumo) 24. ¿Con qué trabajo? (Saru/Reisi/Seri) 25. Imposible hacer dieta (Rikio) 26. Busco acompañante (Yata/Rikio) 27. Etiquétame (Totsuka) 28. La herencia (Iwa/Sukuna) 29. El mejor guerrero (Izumo/Seri) 30. Tomando agua (Zenjo) 31. Cásate con... (Shiro/Kuro) 32. Es hambre (Rikio/Totsuka) 33. Cenicienta (Kuro) 34. Escucha atentamente (Yukari/Shiro/Kuro) 35. Ser de luz (Reisi/Totsuka/Mikoto) 36. Promoción (Shiro/Kuro) 37. Dos esposas (Totsuka/MikoRei) 38. Chisme (Mikoto/Totsuka/Reisi) 39. Quemando calorías (MikoRei) 40. Catador de princesas (Izumo/Seri) 41. Oración del borracho (Iwa/Grupal) 42. Sabias que... (Izumo/Seri) 43. Pesadilla (Iwa/Izumo) 44. Dos menos cinco (Izumo/Seri) 45. Burrito cervecero (Iwa/Grupal) 46. ¿Qué edad tienes? (Iwa/Totsuka) 47. Se busca (Totsuka/Mikoto/Iwa) 48. Sugar Baby (Totsuka/Iwa) 49. Tafirol (Andy) 50. Molestando (MikoRei) 51. El mujeriego (Izumo/Seri) 52. Promoción engañosa (Rikio) 53. Una nube (Mikoto) 54. No está en mi menú (Rikio/Yata) 55. ¿Quién eres? (Reisi) 56. ¿Para dónde vamos? (Izumo/Seri) 57. Recibo de luz (Trio Homra) 58. Todos contentos (MikoRei) 59. El chisme es vida (Izumo) 60. ¿Cómo conseguir pareja? (Yata) 61. Con estilo (Totsuka/Anna) 62. Estilo coquete (Totsuka) 63. Divorcio (Izumo) 64. De mugre nadie muere (Totsuka) 65. ¿Qué haces? (Totsuka/Mikoto) 66. Tres cosas en la vida (Trio Homra/Reisi) 67. Inmortal (MikoRei) 68. Mi corazón (Izumo/Seri) 69. Peso interior (MikoRei) 70. Es injusto (Seri) 71. Golpeado (Trio Homra) 72. Tenemos un problema (Izumo/Seri) 73. Inyección (MikoRei) 74. Engaño (MikoRei/Grupal) 75. Buen gusto (Yukari) 76. Tres fans (MikoRei) 77. Oiga, Doctor (Izumo/Seri) 78. Abrazos (Totsuka) 79. ¿Qué somos? (Rikio/Grupal) 80. Soledad (Reisi) 81. Maldita panza (Rikio) 82. Valora a quien cocina bien (Shiro/Kuro) 83. Querido Dios (SaruMi) 84. Conciencia tranquila (Izumo) 85. Papacito (Izumo/Seri) 86. Nadie te obliga (Izumo/Seri) 87. Mate con calor (Seri/Totsuka) 88. Migajas (Kuro/Neko) 89. Mosquito (MikoRei) 90. ¡Oh, no! (MikoRei) 91. Adicto a Netflix (Totsuka) 92. Calor insoportable (Grupal) 93. Amarre (Shiro/Neko) 94. Nuevo amor (Seri/Izumo/Zenjo) 95. Cómetelo (Seri/Izumo) 96. Comiendo lo ajeno (Seri/Izumo/Zenjo) 97. Quédate conmigo (Zenjo/Seri) 98. Dale la razón (Izumo/Seri) 99. Mi vida (Izumo/Seri) 100. Bluetooth (MikoRei/Totsuka)

[risalei-nur]

The Words - The Thirty-second  Word - Part 76

Also, with its creatures being its amiable residents and lovable adornments, with which you feel a profound connection and for whose wretched- ness you grieve, the world is like a home for you. Through reflection, you may perceive how much your spirit loves and to what degree you need the Names the All-Wise and the All-Sustaining of the One Who has organized the world and it creatures and thus governs, grows, and sustains them with perfect wisdom. You also may understand to what extent your spirit needs the Names the Heir, the All-Quickening, the All-Permanent, the All- Munificent, the All-Reviving, and the All-Benevolent, of the One Who brings all of the people to whom you feel connected and at whose death you are grieved, out of the darkness of eternal extinction and settles them in a place far more beautiful than this world.

Since we, as human beings, are noble, elevated beings with comprehen- sive natures, our endless needs and aspirations make us needy of one thou- sand and one Divine Names in their numerous degrees of manifestation. Compound or intense need is eagerness, compound or intense eagerness is love, and compound or intense love is adoration. In proportion to the degree of the spirit’s perfection, love increases and flourishes in degrees according to the levels of the Divine Names’ manifestations. Since the Names are titles with which the Majestic Being manifests Himself, love of all Names turns into love of the Divine Being. Out of thousands of levels of manifestations of the Names the All-Just, the All-Wise, the (Ultimate) Truth, and the All- Compassionate, we present one as an example as follows:

If you want to see the Names the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate, and the (Ultimate) Truth in full manifestation in wisdom and justice, con- sider the following comparison: Suppose an army formed of four hundred companies. Each company has unique uniforms, rations, weaponry, and medicines. If these companies are situated together mixed with one another without the uniqueness of each considered, and yet, out of his perfect compassion and through his extraordinary power and miraculously encompassing knowledge, and with utmost justice and wisdom, a peerless king equips each with unique uniforms and weapons and provides them with appropriate foods and medicines without mistake or help, you may under- stand what a powerful, compassionate, just, and munificent king he is.

[maydayfireball]

a little concert idea rambling session-

idea: a meiko or kaito centered concert for their 20th anniversary. the entire track list are songs in their release order. if this were a thing i executed, that would include covers. so 2008 would be nostalogic, 2009 would be change me, but then 2010 might be calc or secret police. each song representing each year until we hit the 20th anniversary mark. Another catch: cover contributors could only use their V1s for songs that predate their V3s. so if the cover contributor picked tell your world (2012) they'd have to use meiko / kaito v1, since their v3s were released in 2014 / 2013 respectively.

pros: - i think it's a neat idea - good diversity and potentially a fun challenge for cover creators - it's a particularly good fit for Kaito, seeing as he is like. the king of having covers of other character's songs. - it would only really work for meiko or kaito, because they have a small number of original songs with motions. Characters like len / rin / gumi / flower would have enough motions for originals that you could make a full concert, where as characters like piko / seeu / fukase have so FEW motions it would be basically all covers.

cons: - No motions exist for songs older than 2007, so there would be a 3 year gap for meiko and a 1 year gap for kaito - Even with the gap.. that's a lotta songs. kinda long for an online concert. if we're averaging each song at around 4 minutes, that's 76 minutes for kaito and 68 minutes for meiko. for perspective, nico cho parties generally last about 40-50 minutes and the plps have both hit just above 50 minutes

if u got this far u should give me ur thoughts on this matter because i am steadily rotating it in my brain whenever i have a free moment.

[telodogratis]

GeForce LAN 50: l'evento globale di gaming con premi esclusivi targato NVIDIA

(Adnkronos) – A partire dal 5 gennaio, sarà possibile ottenere ricompense speciali in-game dedicando almeno 50 minuti consecutivi a titoli come Diablo IV, The Elder Scrolls Online, Fallout 76, The Finals e World of Warcraft  ​Read More  (Adnkronos) – A partire dal 5 gennaio, sarà possibile ottenere ricompense speciali in-game dedicando almeno 50 minuti consecutivi a titoli come Diablo IV, The…

[criptovalutait]

Nel giorno del nuovo ATH di Bitcoin, vi sono performance rialziste importanti da parte delle altcoin, come nel caso di Ondo (ONDO). Nelle ultime 24 ore è cresciuto del 11%, mentre negli ultimi sette giorni ha registrato un incremento del 28%. Attualmente, ONDO quota 2,020 USDT e nelle prime ore della giornata ha toccato il suo ATH a 2,15 USDT ed è acquistabile su Bybit, che offre 1000$ bonus gratis. Rialzo e nuovo ATH per la crypto ONDO Il rialzo del prezzo di $ONDO da inizio dicembre si attesta a +76%, portando l’andamento complessivo del 2024 a oltre +1000%. Ondo è un progetto recente, lanciato sugli exchange l’8 gennaio di quest’anno, ma, come evidenziato dai dati sopra, in questi mesi ha registrato una crescita notevole. Attualmente, la sua market cap ha raggiunto i 2,907 miliardi di dollari, salendo alla posizione numero 53 nel ranking di Coin Market Cap. Effetto Trump grazie agli acquisti di WLF Il rialzo di Ondo è stato influenzato da un effetto Trump, non direttamente legato ancora alla sua elezione, ma ad un recente acquisto effettuata da World Liberty Financial (WLF). Questo di WLF, è il progetto crypto della famiglia Trump, ed ha acquistato 134.216 token ONDO per un valore di 250.000 USDC. Gli acquisti fanno parte di una strategia più ampia, poiché WLF ha investito quasi 45 milioni di dollari in diverse criptovalute nelle ultime settimane. Gli investimenti si sono concentrati su progetti come Ethereum, AAVE e ChainLink. Tuttavai, le crypto coinvolte in questo nuvoo effetto Trump, sono anche altre e lo potete leggere nell’articolo dedicato, del nostro caporedattore Gianluca Grossi, Perché Donald Trump fa VOLARE 3 NUOVE crypto: gain PAZZESCHI per ENA, COW e ONDO! Tokenizzazione dei titoli del Tesoro degli Stati Uniti Ondo ha un progetto ambizioso all’interno della DeFi (finanza decentralizzata). In particolare, si focalizza nel settore degli RWA (asset del mondo reale), con l’obiettivo di evolvere l’investment banking Web3 tramite la tokenizzazione dei titoli, in particolare quelli del Tesoro degli Stati Uniti. Dal punto di vista operativo, player come BlackRock e Morgan Stanley e altri venture capital, come Coinbase Ventures, hanno investito nello sviluppo di Ondo, basato sulla blockchain di Ethereum (standard ERC-20). OUSG il token dei Titoli del Tesoro USA l primo atto tangibile di questo progetto è il token OUSG (Ondo Short-Term US Government Treasuries), che tokenizza i titoli del Tesoro USA a breve termine, con scadenza inferiore a 1 anno. Il rendimento di OUSG riflette gli interessi generati dai titoli del Tesoro sottostanti. Analisi grafica del prezzo di Ondo Ondo (ONDO) - Weekly 16 Dicembre 2024 Sul grafico weekly allegato, abbiamo una panoramica dell’andamento del prezzo di Ondo dalla sua quotazione. A partire da gennaio, Ondo ha mostrato subito un uptrend, con un primo massimo rilevante di 1,4841 USDT lo scorso giugno, mantenuto fino all’accelerazione di dicembre. Dal massimo di giugno, c’è stata una fase di correzione, con un minimo di 0,501950 USDT toccato ad agosto. Successivamente è iniziata una fase di rimbalzo, con il prezzo che si è mosso in swing fino alla rottura della resistenza segnalata nell’analisi del 19 ottobre. ..In questa prospettiva, la resistenza principale si colloca nell’area di 1 USDT. Alex Lavarello – Trader professionista e analista di Criptovaluta.it Dal grafico si può osservare come, dopo l’elezione di Trump, ci sia stata una forte accelerazione rialzista, con il prezzo di $ONDO che ha rotto il livello di resistenza a 1 USDT dopo una settimana di consolidamento in quell’area. Scenario di breve termine: obiettivi e supporti Ondo (ONDO) - Daily 16 Dicembre 2024 Analizzando lo scenario di breve termine sul grafico daily, possiamo osservare l’andamento di Ondo dal mese di novembre. Nella giornata di oggi, ha registrato il suo ATH a 2,15 USDT, per poi ritracciare leggermente. Sarà importante osservare la chiusura della candela di questa sera per capire se vi sarà un proseguimento del rialzo. Utilizzando le estensioni di Fibonacci, i prossimi livelli obiettivo di Ondo, passano a 2,30 USDT e a 2,54 USDT. Il primo livello di supporto di breve termine passa in area 1,6450 USDT. A scalare, il supporto principale si colloca nella zona tra 1,32 e 1,375 USDT. Read the full article

[alujimenez]

TIM CURRY:

1976 - The Rocky Pciture Horrror Show personaje Dr. Frank N. Furter,

1985 - Leyenda, Ridlye Scott, El señor de las tiniewblas

1990- IT, payaso Pennywise

1998 -LA reunión de los Locos Adams, Gómez Adams

VOZ del emperador en - "Star Wars: La Guerra de los Clones"

Infarto - solo narrador - Remake en vez del detetcive

4 músicos para teatros

orequesta para opelicula

ajustaron el timbre para las vices de Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick y Meatloaf.

I

Jim Sharman was born in Sydney, the son of boxing tent impresario He was educated in Sydney, though his upbringing included time spent on Australian showgrounds, where his father ran a travelling sideshow of popular legend, founded by his own father, called "Jimmy Sharman's Boxing Troupe".[3] This brought him into contact with the world of circus and travelling vaudeville.

DENTIDAS SEXUAL FLUIDA

LO BINARTIO NO ES SUFCIENTE

O BRIEN - SI HIBIERA SIFDO MUJER

“What I’ve always wanted to be was whole — centrally whole and complete,” “But I have so much girl in me it doesn’t make any sense. I think it would have made more sense had I been born a girl. That’s true. But it is a patriarchic, misogynistic fucking world. So aren’t I lucky? Because I’ve been able to walk down streets and go places that I wouldn’t ever have been able to go down had I been a girl. You just have to put everything in perspective, really.

However he dislikes sexual labels and refuses to refer to himself as straight, gay, or bi. At a 2007 charity auction, he declared that "I have slept with 300 women, 30 or 40 men and around 12 transsexuals".

richard o brien

COMICS, SICNEIA FICCÓN, POELÑ´CULAS B

Obra de teatro, la dirige Jim Sharman

QUéia ser ocky, Fue a un gmnasio a buscar a rocky y se topa copm Tim Cyurrty,

Richard O’Brien has revealed that the inspiration for  Dr. Frank N. Furter, was inspired by his own experiences cross-dressing and grappling with his gender identity as a young aspiring actor from New Zealand living in London in the early 1970s.

O’Brien, 81, has been married three times, to three different women, and has three children from the first two marriages — two sons and a daughter. When it comes to his own gender identity, however, he says no binary answer is sufficient.

Barry Bostwick "Brad Majors"

Susan Sarandon - Had her breakout role in “Rocky Horror” as Janet Weiss, the wholesome young woman who discovers her wild side.

Susan Sarandon _ in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, challenged traditional gender norms and embraced sexuality as a form of empowerment. Sarandon advocates for open, non-judgmental conversations about sexuality and supports empowering women to make their own choices.

MEat LOaf

Meat Loaf landed the onscreen role of delivery boy/brain donor Eddie after he played the part in the Broadway production.

B -Movie Cult film references

. FRANKENSTEIN (1931)

DOCtor X .- 1932 .- primera película de horrro en color

El Hombre invisible,. basada en novela de HG Wells, Dir,. James Whale, esfectso especiales el set y cámara

THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935) - Magenta rocks a zany new hairstyle for Rocky Horror’s thrilling climax. Her arresting coiffure was more or less directly lifted from The Bride of Frankenstein. In this spectacular sequel, the title character dons a streaky, upright hairdo that was modeled after a famous bust of Nefertiti, an ancient Egyptian queen.

THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (1951) - “Science Fiction/Double Feature” acknowledges one of the most topical films of 1951. Once the Cold War arrived, sci-fi movies began to grow more overtly political. In The Day the Earth Stood Still, a benevolent alien named Klaatu (played by Michael Rennie) warns the human race that its increasing usage of nuclear weapons has made other planets nervous enough to consider wiping out all life on Earth in a preemptive strike

The Night of the Hunter  - Los tatuajes de Ediie - love an dHate

TARANTULA (1955) -mencionadas en los labios

IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE (1953) - también la menciona los labios

WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE (1951) -la canción de los labios menciona uan frase el oproductor de pelñuclas de sci fi

KING KING 1932 - ; los labios cantan sobre KIng King, el vestido de la actriz al final. Rocky himself climbing up a model radio tower, RKO’s logo, before falling to his death. 

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (often shortened to Ziggy Stardus

is the fifth studio album by the English musician David Bowie, released on 16 June 1972

loose concept album and rock opera, Ziggy Stardust focuses on Bowie's titular alter ego Ziggy Stardust, a fictional androgynous and bisexual rock star who is sent to Earth as a saviour before an impending apocalyptic disaster.

”4 musicos

[thecreaturecodex]

Cessirid

Image by Thomas Baxa, © TSR, Inc.

[Dragon 150 has two articles about the illithids. One was a piece of fiction/ecology titled "The Sunset World", and the second was an installment of "The Dragon's Bestiary" focusing on natives of that planet, the illithidae. Three of the original monsters, the kigrid, embrac and saltor, were converted to D&D 3.5 in Lords of Madness. The fourth, the cessirid, was not.]

Cessirid CR 7 LE Aberration This creature looks something like a hyena, with a hunched back studded with two rows of short spines. Its head ends in a hooked beak, and four ribbon-like tentacles dance around its maw.

A cessirid is a pack-hunting carnivore found on planets terraformed by the mind flayers. They are sometimes called “illithid hounds” by adventurers, because illithids use the creatures as guard animals and trackers. Cessirids are rigid minded and very hierarchical. Every cessirid in a pack knows its place and how to challenge for leadership through contests of athletic prowess, and a lone cessirid is usually one that has been ejected from its pack, or is the sole survivor of a hunt gone wrong. Cessirid packs are very territorial, and clashes between packs, unless mediated by a more intelligent mind flayer, usually result in fatal violence.

Cessirids are well-versed in teamwork. They communicate with each other silently through telepathy while surrounding prey and setting up ambushes, and then strike in unison. They are as comfortable in the water as on land, and their ambushes may be from underground rivers or pools. A cessirid’s tentacles aren’t powerful enough to attack on their own, but secrete chemicals that cause incredible pain when smeared on an open wound (such as those inflicted by their shearing bites). Their magical abilities are used to position themselves, or to flee from a losing battle.

Cessirids lay their eggs inside of fresh corpses. They believe that the more intelligent a victim, the more cunning and skilled the young who grow up inside its carcass will be; this appears to just be a superstition. Cessirid larvae do not take over the tissues of the cadaver the way that illithid tadpoles do. Instead, they feed within the tissue until emerging as Tiny sized "puppies". Once emerged, the young are trained in the art of combat by the rest of their pack. Those that are hesitant towards violence are usually killed and eaten by their siblings.

Cessirid  CR 7 XP 3,200 LE Medium aberration Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +13, scent Defense AC 20, touch 13, flat-footed 17 (+3 Dex, +7 natural) hp 76 (8d8+40) Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +8 SR 17 Weakness light blindness, sun sickness Offense Speed 60 ft., swim 50 ft. Melee bite +12 (1d8+6 plus pain) Special Attacks sneak attack +1d6 Spell-like Abilities CL 7th, concentration +9 3/day—detect thoughts (DC 14), feather step, levitate 1/day—dimension door, mind thrust III (DC 15) Statistics Str 20, Dex 17, Con 20, Int 8, Wis15, Cha 15 Base Atk +6; CMB +11; CMD 24 (28 vs. trip) Feats Lightning Reflexes, Stealthy, Vital Strike, Weapon Focus (bite) Skills Climb +12, Escape Artist +12, Perception +13, Stealth +12, Survival +13, Swim +20; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception, +4 Survival Languages telepathy 100 ft. SQ hold breath Ecology Environment underground Organization solitary, pair or pack (3-20) Treasure incidental Special Abilities Pain (Ex) A creature bitten by a cessirid must succeed a DC 18 Fortitude save or suffer from tremendous pain, suffering a -4 penalty to attack rolls, skill checks and ability checks for 1d4+1 rounds. The save DC is Constitution based. Sun Sickness (Ex) A cessirid is sickened whenever it is exposed to natural sunlight.

[alexsmale]

End Of Year Round Up: The Best VR Headsets Of 2024

The rise in popularity of Virtual Reality (VR) has been considerably slow. Still, it has had a significant influence in various industries, including gaming, education, entertainment, and even health care. However, with many models in the market, it’s difficult to determine which one offers the best virtual experience. That’s why I’m here to guide you on some of the best VR headsets of 2024.

By the end of this post, you’ll know exactly which headset will best meet your particular preferences and needs. 

Best VR Headsets of 2024

Here is a list of the best VR headsets of 2024:

1. Best Bang For Buck: The Pimax Crystal Light

For those seeking a high-quality VR without the trouble of a steep cost, the Pimax Crystal Light is your go-to set-up. It features an ultra-sharp resolution of 2880×2880 pixels per eye, with an impressive 35 pixels per degree. The display also uses QLED technology that offers vibrant colors and contrast compared to traditional LCD panels.

It’s also worth noting that the Crystal Light uses the exact same display as its more expensive sibling, the Pimax Crystal. Other significant improvements over the original Crystal include a 200-gram reduction in weight and a redesigned head strap. This means you’re getting the same top-tier display quality and added comfort at a cheaper price.

Pros

Wide field-of-view (FOV) that contributes to a more immersive experience

Uses inside-out tracking, which simplifies the setup and makes the headset more user-friendly

Employs high-quality glass aspheric lenses that contribute to a large sweet spot

Cons

There’s no eye-tracking feature

Has a very large and clunky design

2. Best For Budget: Meta Quest 3S

The Meta Quest 3S is the best budget-friendly VR headset, offering impressive performance for its price. Most people would consider this setup to be a watered-down version of its well-received predecessor, the Meta Quest 3. However, Meta Quest 3S still carries more similarities than differences at a much lower price. 

The Meta Quest 3S consists of a Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chip along with 8GB of RAM. The combination of both helps deliver twice-as-fast GPU performance, thus catering to faster loading times and overall smoother gameplay. Additionally, the 3S has a dual RGB camera system, allowing for full-color passthrough during mixed-reality games. 

Pros

Rated for a higher battery life than the Quest 3

Has an “Action Button” to easily switch between passthrough and immersive modes

A smoother and less jagged visual experience due to that extra processing power

Cons

Consists of fresnel lenses, which lead to lower resolution and less sharp visuals

Lacks the fine-tuning PD (Pupillary Distance) adjustments

3. Overall Best: Somnium VR1

The Somnium VR1 emerges as one of the best VR headsets due to its acute attention to quality. One of the standout features of this headset is its crystal-clear visuals and exceptional brightness, which help add to the immersive experience. Users are able to explore virtual worlds with such stunning details and vivid colors that other headsets dim in comparison. 

Another feature that contributes to VR1’s experience is its expansive FOV. Most high-end headsets feature an FOV of about 130 degrees. So, you’ll be glad to know that the Somnium VR1’s FOV is more than 120 degrees horizontally and 105 degrees vertically. This means you’ll be able to view more of your virtual surroundings at once and feel fully present in the environment. 

Pros

Accommodates PDs of 58 mm – 76 mm through manual adjustment

Headset can be fully opened and customized by expert users

Can enjoy the content without technical glitches or interruptions

Cons

Does not have built-in audio speakers

Front-heavy design that weighs on the user’s neck after a while

Conclusion

The VR headset you choose to invest in can make or break your overall virtual experience. So, we’ve narrowed down your search to some of the best VR headsets. To get the most out of your money, go for the Pimax Crystal Light or Meta Quest 3S. If not, you can also consider the Somnium VR1 for overall quality.

Besides this, VR technology can also help improve the quality of life of dementia patients. If you want to help a loved one and learn more about this service, contact me today. I’m Alex Smale, and proud owner of the award-winning VR application, Immersicare.

[otrosmundos]

GLOBAL GROOVE [F] » Luanda Baldijao » DIARIO TROPICAL » Música Gatuna » GateandoAmérica [F] » Veneno Sonidero (listens) » Selecta Smith | Douglas Noble (Tigerbalm) // Ness Radio » Mondaze Radio // Toto La Mamposina » Anacaona

Andrés Landeros (YT) » Archivo Sonido Dueñez [F] » Ritmos del cometa | Selección Mexicana Andrés Landeros (YT) » Sonido Superchango

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Ecuadorian Rhythms / Ponchito de Colores with Quixosis // 24-05-20 » quixosis [s] » MOVIMIENTOS|Guest Mix #48: Da Iguana » Lascivio Bohemia [s] » EDMXT005/ Martin i - Cumbia All Stars Mixtape

W 60 minut dookoła świata, Conjunto Papa Upa > EBB Music

Sonido Gallo Negro, Son Rompe Pera, Cumbia, Bolero, Dengue Dengue Dengue, Silvana Estrada, Abelardo Carbono, Celso Piña, Villa Diamante, Chicha Libre, Ska Cubano, Los Cojolites, Son Jarocho, Perez Prado, Systema Solar, KoKoKo, Ibibio Sound Machine, Art Ensemble of Chicago, Ancient Infinity Orchestra, marjorie eliot's, Nana Benz du Togo, Os Originais do Samba, Los Pirañas, currulao, merecumbe, bolero, Andrés Landeros, nada el shazly, Carmen Prieto, Madame Vacile, Fruko, Sidestepper, meister lampe, Sofia Kourtesis, funtcase, manu chao, cornelius doctor, Mabe Fratti, Martina Camargo, Sonora Ponceña, Dred Scott Trío, La Sociedad 76, Yanti Bersuadara, Martin Denny, Lila Downs, Los Mirlos, DonQuichiote, Hermanos Gutiérrez, Arsenio Ramirez, Amadou, Farida Amadou, Mama Tora...

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[p3rf3ctly-flaw3d]

Lista de coisas para fazer antes de morrer

1- Fazer o parto de alguém 2- Conhecer alguém famoso 3-  Escalar uma montanha 4- Pular de uma cachoeira 5- Pular de para-quedas 6- Doar sangue 8- Dançar 9- Andar fantasiado pela cidade 10- Viajar de trem 11- Cuidar de uma fazenda por 1 dia 12- Fazer uma tatuagem 14- Visitar uma fábrica de chocolate 15- Acampar em um: lago/praia/montanha/floresta 16- Aparecer na TV 18-Visitar um vulcão. 19- Morar um tempo em outro país. 20- Surfar 21- Ir para um show de rock 22- Entrar de penetra em uma festa 23- Meditar 24- Ficar um mês sendo vegetariano 26- Pular de asa delta 28- Ir para Las vegas 29- Pegar um táxi em NY 30- Ver uma aurora boreal (na Islândia ou Alaska). 31- Invadir uma casa que tem piscina e nadar 32- Ir para Londres 33- Falar tudo que você acha das pessoas na cara delas 34- Ver a neve. 35- Divertir crianças em um hospital 36- Colocar meu cadeado do amor na Pont des Arts. 38- Adotar um cachorro 39- Colecionar alguma coisa 41- Ir para Disney 42- Fazer um boneco de neve 43- Ir para o Grand Canyon 45- Participar de um protesto 46- Ver um musical 49- Fazer um discurso 50- Escrever um livro 51- Realizar o sonho de um estranho 52- Zerar Mario World e Sonic (de novo eu acho) 53- andar de pedalinho em um lago 54- Ficar em uma ilha paradisíaca 55- Chegue perto de um estranho, pergunte em que ano nós estamos e grite “Uhuuul! A máquina do tempo funcionou!”. Em seguida, saia pulando de felicidade! 56- Nadar com um golfinho 57- Viajar em um trailer 59- Ir para um Drive-In 60- Beijar na chuva 62- Ir para a Comic-Con 64- Fazer uma declaração em público 65- Dar um soco em alguém 68- Ver um eclipse 71- Tocar algum instrumento 72- Dirigir um caminhão 73- Fazer uma cápsula do tempo (Abrir após 10 anos) 74- Superar um medo 75- Ver uma chuva de meteoros 76- Fazer um piquenique de noite 77- Ficar chapado 79- Ir para o Super Bowl 80- Cruzar os EUA de carro (NY para L.A) 84- Assar marshmallow em uma fogueira 86- Sair com uma placa na rua escrita: “Abraços de Graça” 88- Tocar em um iceberg 89- Fazer um passeio em um balão de ar quente 90- Fazer uma luta de comida 91- Sentar na mesa de um estranho no restaurante e comer com ele 96- Ir a uma festa à fantasia. 100- Andar de patins dentro de um shopping 105- Ler no mínimo 1 livro por mês. 106- Adotar uma criança para enviar presentes no natal. 107- Plantar uma árvore. 114- Ficar 72 horas sem dormir 115- Dançar uma musica lenta com alguém 116-Ir em um Spa fazer massagem 117- Cuspir fogo 119-Salvar a vida de alguém 120-Competir quem come primeiro 10 paçocas num prato com as mãos amarradas 121-Andar a cavalo 124-Ensine sua língua para um estrangeiro.   127-ter uma biblioteca em casa 130- Pagar uma rodada de bebidas no boteco 131-Dançar com um bêbado na rua 136-Cantar em um bar karaokê 137-Comemorar o fim da sua lista 138-converse com alguem com mais de 80 anos sobre como foi a juventude dele 139-Ir a pelo menos um restaurante diferente por mês 140-Comprar álbuns de fotografia 141-Ir a um Paintball 142-Ver uma tempestade de raios no mar. 146-Ter um peixe chamado Nemo