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No, the heart of the Ukraine scandal was Trump and Giuliani. They made it very clear that what was important to them was that Ukraine announce that they were investigating the Bidens, and that they were willing to withhold approved aid until they got the announcement. It was the announcement that was important to them, not evidence of wrong doing or exoneration. The important thing was to score the political hit. Speaking of exonerating evidence, Joe Biden has been exonerated of wrong doing in Ukraine by multiple parties. This includes a Republican led Senate investigation that

You're in our prayers, Cygnia. But you're a Hero. You've faced down demons and supervillains. If this virus had an ass, you'd kick it.

Inspired 100% by Ninja-Bear a few posts up, A pair of "villains" showed up in my last few Teen Champions sessions: "Mista Finsta" and "The GOAT" (Greatest Of All Time). They are a pair of 15 year old mutants that are using their powers to become internet stars. They are social media influencer wannabes that are committing very splashy crimes and posting them online for the attention. They haven't taken anything expensive and no one has gotten hurt (yet) so they are low on the authorities priority lists, but their antics have spilled over into the personal lives of my PCs. Mista Finsta is

Within limits, sure. It's easy to say "the government will pay for it", but that does not make it free. How much more taxes are you willing to pay (not impose on other segments of the population - pay yourself - "who should pay taxes?" is a completely separate question from "what should taxes pay for")? Or, what other programs (being realistic) are you willing to cut? More funding for COVID, so less for other medical conditions? More old people get hospitalized, so reduce social security benefits (or tax them more heavily) to compensate? A special medical tax? Just like the d

It's the "shiftless, lazy blacks" trope. And, sadly, there are plenty of white folks who silently nod their heads in agreement, and don't believe they're being racist, just "realistic". See, those ugly negative stereotypes, in their minds, are largely "true", and therefore it can't possibly be racist for them to believe such things. Archie Bunker writ large. It's kinfolk to the same mindset that disregards scientific experts when those experts tell them inconvenient truths.

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump made it a habit to stay at Trump properties whenever possible. When he got a Secret Service detail assigned to him, like they do when someone becomes a serious contender, the Secret Service rented rooms at the Trump properties in order to stay close to him. That was entirely legal. After Trump was sworn in, he's made a habit of staying at Trump properties with his now expanded Secret Service detail also staying...with Trump continuing to get paid for renting them rooms. That's a direct violation of the Constitutio

Once you've rationalized minority rule, you've rationalized cheating on the election. Which is why we are now seeing a spate of targeted post office sabotage, gerrymandering, intimidation at polling locations, voter roll purges, ballot drop box removal, polling location removal, and a long running campaign of disinformation designed to question the results of the election long before election day.

Exactly this. The problem isn't just the cops who served the warrant, it's the entire system that led a nurse to get gunned down in her own bed. Yet there is zero movement on the parties involved to reform no knock warrants, verify the informant's testimony, check whether the perp they're looking for hasn't already been picked up, or check whether they have the right address. Instead the only serious charges that were leveled were for the one cop who missed, and then the prosecutor intentionally fumbled the case in court. And while it might not have been a racial issue until the

Not an ad, as I’m not a lender, but I am a subject matter expert (SME, in my business slang). Mortgages can be confusing and intimidating, and currently, rates are quite literally at all time lows the likes of which I never expected to see in my lifetime. As a point of reference, we just bought a house and I managed to secure a 2.75% interest rate. If you are interested in purchasing or refinancing, I can answer the common questions. If you have a question related to the industry, to your own circumstance, or just how everything works, this is the thread to post those. I’ll answer

Beau of the Fifth Column predicted this on his YouTube channel just today. He said we can expect a flurry of spurious "news stories" related to the Bidens to be released between now and election day, to attempt to sway undecided voters while distracting from Trump's failures. All too late to be proven or disproved before the vote. I can only imagine how you Yanks must feel having to put up with this behavior. I'm truly sorry.

It is a limitation, NOT AN ADVANTAGE. Just because there are 'advantages' doesn't make it an advantage rules wise. I say the way you explain it, -1/4 limitation. But I personally would value it at -1 because it will only cut the extremely evil. As in physical embodiments of Demons and those who sell their souls to them. I know what your saying, but there is the thing that it can't be used at will. Sure, you can swing the sword any time, but it only damages evil. If you want to be disarmed but your opponent can't use the power, then it is an Obvious Assesable Focus which

Some international perspective.

There are stats for these things in various books. How powerful or weak they are kind of depends on which book you're referencing. As far as guns go, here's the rule of thumb I tend to follow: Little concealable snub-nosed revolvers tend to do about 1D6 killing. A normal sized pistol is probably 1 1/2 D6 killing. A big-ass hand cannon like a .44 Magnum or a .50 Desert Eagle is probably 2D6 or 2D6+1 killing. Shotguns or rifles are probably 2D6 to 2 1/2 D6 killing. A military-grade sniper rifle (.50 cal Barrett) is clocking in around 3D6 killing.

Okay I have been super busy and I must have missed this. This isn't how you calculate the mortality rate of an age group. To calculate the rate, you'd be dividing deaths by time. To calculate the lethality of the virus, you'd be dividing deaths by known infections, both for that specific age group. I know I'm being pedantic, as that isn't your point. I just don't want the numbers to be misrepresented. You may be more (or less) likely to die in that age group from covid. What you are arguing is how many actually die. I don't disagree that ther

We use Teams at work. Most people don't have their video feed on. One thing that's superior to an old fashioned conference call is screen sharing of visual information, which we do all the time. We also conduct live training this way. I recently completed two FEMA classes via Zoom, for example.

I see a few common threads emerging which I concur with, and steriaca touches on most of them here. By default, the attack works on anyone the character targets and hits. He can already choose not to attack some targets. He is limiting viable targets, and that means there is a limitation. Now we need to value it. The question is how often he will target, or will wish he could target, someone or something that the KA will not work on, That depends on exactly who it will, and will not, work on, which the player needs to detail. Object, automatons, animals, entities t

The SWAT guys interviewed by the review investigation said the Taylor detectives screwed up everything and should have been shot since they were all standing in the door when they went in to arrest. Then they screwed up the after action. And the detective in charge was trying to file eight arrest warrants at the same time. SWAT was like hold your roll. And they went for this warrant anyway without threat assessment, or backup CES

I find it truly appalling that you cannot get tested right away nine months after the start of the pandemic and even more shocked at how uneven the testing availability is. Alabama is by no means a hotbed of modern society, but we've had drive-in testing with 45 minute wait lines since June. My aunt, sister and I went in after my sister fell ill in one car. They gave us the brain swab, temperature checks and blood oxygen at curbside. My sister had blood oxygen in the low 80's and the doctor on site wrote her a hospital admittance on the spot. I don't know if you have a

Well I am sadden by what I have read here. I am actually reading the books now. Book three was really good and it appears that book five is going to be in the same ranking. The others so far have been decent but not great. As with most authors, he gets better as the series goes on. My favorite is still book 3 though. I am going to get a copy of MHI after reading through these posts. I don't get on social media much because people are really dumb when they can hid behind the internet. I have heard from many people that Larry is actually a pretty good guy. He has his beliefs and his

It really varies for me due to the episode. However, a very general listing would be: The Tough Mook would be CV 5, Dmg varies 6-8 DC. The Elite Thug would be CV 6, Dmg 6-10 DC, depends on the hero & situation The Senior Henchperson could be CV 6-8, Dmg 8-10DC, again depends on the hero & situation.

So what other of the Twelve Caves should be described? The holographic paradise (with traps) of the Field of Reeds? The dark House of Seker (with traps)? The cave of the Binding of Apep? Pfft. Take it as read, they all have various traps and challenges. Let's just skip to the end, or ends. So the intrepid tomb-looters have fought their way passed the robot guardians and survived all the traps. Everything from the classic spiked pit trap (with artificial gravity to pull victims down... or up... or sideways) to curtains of taut monofilament that can slice through armor, o

Well they hired Dan Reeves as coach back in the day, so of course. It's a Delayed Effect Curse.

Stat of the millenia. Falcons have had win probabilities of 98.7, 99.6, and 99.9%.....and LOST...already this year. (From SVP.)

I'm sorry you're going through that, Duke. My own wiring is wearing out, as is my plumbing and foundation... oh, you meant your house. Never mind. My copy also has a blank rectangle on the back, although that has its ISBN number written across the bottom. As I recall, in the 1980s my FLGS (each of them) would put a bar code sticker, or one of those anti-theft foil patches, on the cellophane wrapper those modules came in, and IIRC those were usually stuck over that blank patch, I guess so as not to spoil the view of the cover.

I couldn't tell you who first coined the term, but I believe that is one of a handful of plot-twisting devices that fall under the general title "dick move."

Excellent read. Highly recommended. I don't want to cherry-pick a lot from this, but there's one point that is huge to me.

Strategies to win the EC while losing the popular vote, OTOH, strike one as a bit obscene. "we know the other party is more popular at the national level, but here's a way we can win by threading the needle with narrow victories in a handful of battleground states". Once a party rationalizes that, it's a short hop to rationalizing minority rule in general, which is yet another step on the way to authoritarianism and tyranny.

Yes, various parties did assert that, beyond the Democrats. The House of Representatives voted down a motion for impeachment brought by two Democratic representatives in 2017; the majority of Democrats voted against it. When the Democrats regained control of the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi initiated several investigations of the President and his staff, but resisted calls for impeachment until the Ukraine scandal broke.

Assuming "average" heroes with OCV/DCV 8-10; 12-14 DCs; Defences 15-25 (about half resistant); SPD 4-5; STUN 35-50. I'd go with: Basic Mugger/Petty Criminal/Bank Robber: OCV/DCV: 4, Damage: 1d6K-2d6K (depending on how well armed they are likely to be); Defences: 5 with no resistant def; SPD: 2; STUN20. Tough Mook/Enforcer/Trained VIPER thug: OCV/DCV: 6 Damage: 8-10DC; Def 10 (about half resistant); SPD3; STUN 25. Elite Thug/Senior Henchperson: OCV/DCV: 7-8; Damage: 8-10 DC; Defences 10 (about half resistant); SPD 3-4; STUN 30.

That's because the officers weren't ever going to be charged with murder or homicide. The boyfriend defended himself against what he perceived as home invaders. Nobody has an issue with him firing on the police as far as I've seen. However, the police are in the very mirror of his situation: They were fired upon by someone who they assumed was the subject of a no knock warrant. Such warrants are issued under the presumption that there's a danger of the subject fighting or destroying evidence if a normal warrant is served. The officers were completely justified in returning

Margins of victory in the popular vote are interesting, but not particularly meaningful. Popular vote does not, and has not ever, determined who becomes the President. The President has always been elected by the States through the Electoral College, never by popular vote. Good, bad, or indifferent, those are the rules. Continuing to talk about the popular vote, while interesting, is not particularly meaningful.

Stats from last night for El Paso, from local news: You can't take these as rate indicators, either. Progressing from "positive test" to "hospitalized" generally doesn't happen that fast...and the last 2 days alone account for almost 1/4 of those active cases. If we postulate that generally there's about a week between positive test and hospitalization, we start by knocking off 6000 cases that were identified *this week*. OK, we can add in perhaps 1000 cases that recovered, so wouldn't be in the active count. So that 715 is from a pool size of more like 6000 mature ca

A whispered warning is another power (Enhanced Senses: Detect Evil) and not an advantage on the sword. As for the knowing what the OP wants, that is based upon the original post. Like I said, it doesn't affect the value because that has to be discussed between the player and game master. If it was just me, as the game master, I would value it as -1. By the way, I like the sword whispering the fact on what is evil to the user. If it does so at command it is a power. Have you ever thought of creating the sword as a computer, and buying that power on the comput

My sister and I have different perceptions about the color purple. Anxiety and arthritis are a losing combination.

The theater industry has been on the ropes for years, pinched between the extortionist terms of the film distributors and their own business costs. AIUI their only significant source of profit is the concession stand, where the the extortionist film distribution costs are passed down to the rest of us. (In particular, the distributors offload all the risk onto the theaters, taking around 90% of ticket sales for the first couple of weeks of a movie's run, then allowing the theater to keep more of the box office takes for subsequent weeks... if the movie doesn't flop.) I genuinely believe tha

Of course it's a limitation. Don't be ridiculous. Bob the Paladin with his Holy Sword is walking through the dungeon. Out of the darkness, a creature attacks him. Is it evil? If it's not, he's going to be wasting his attacks. Do you want to be involved in a life or death combat, and you don't even know if your weapon will affect your opponent? You aren't going to know until you spend actions swinging on him. And depending on the special effect of your sword, you might not even get immediate feedback that your sword isn't affecting it. If it just bounces off the creature's a

As you say, ScottishFox, we don't have numbers for suicide, overdose, and alcohol-related deaths for 2020. That argument is being driven by assumptions and anecdotes with no hard evidence to back it up. And is often being pushed by corporate interests who want laborers back at work to boost their profits. Not that I believe for a moment that's your motivation. But it's highly questionable to base public policy on a "bet." After all, many of our early bets for COVID-19 proved faulty. But Old Man makes a salient point. You don't become obese from bumping into an overweight person. Yo

As another option... Treat them as superheroes, only they haven't had their "origin" yet. Their origin involves gaining magic items. Have them write up their characters as 175 points, or whatever power level you decide to start them at. Except that mentally, you've decided that their power level is "really" 400 points. Alternatively, why not either let them write their characters up at 175 points, and you add magic items to bring them each up to 400 points? Or let them write their characters up at 400 points, including magic items of their choice? I

How dark were these porcupines' coats?

Actually that's the way Reed figured out how to defeat Gladiator, because there's no way he could pick up the building like that. So Reed concluded he's using some sort of telekinesis to protect himself and deal damage, so they distracted him and Susan knocked him out. Some day I want to have that entire Byrne run, its so well done. By the way, if you pick up a copy, it helps the sales (and hence, the wallet of both me and Hero Games, who gets a cut) if you drop a review on the site.

I agree with Chris to an extent. I always felt that the best edition was 4e with a few of 5e's new ideas sprinkled in. But using 5e or 6e as the foundation is not my preference. One huge advantage of 4e, in my view, is that it doesn't lure you into thinking you have to search the rulebook for the "official" answer to every tiny piece of minutiae that comes up in play (or during character creation). Quite a bit is left up to you and your players to reasonably extrapolate from what's given. Once you get the hang of that, you'll be using the system as a general framework for playing a

Typically if the player gets a powerful piece of equipment for free then the character can expect that it may be lost. I just watched the original Clash of the Titans. Perseus was given a magical helmet - which he lost in a swamp. And his shield was destroyed by Medusa’s blood. So I’d say he didn’t pay for those items.

It depends on how it used and who has ultimate control, the player or the GM. A wonderful sword that cuts like a lightsaber.....the player. A wonderful sword that cuts like a lightsaber AND eats part of the welders soul for every kill....the GM. Its all about whether the item is intended by the GM to be just another pice of equipment (all be it a really good piece) or as a plot device. Basically forget the Greeks, “Beware GM’s bearing gifts.” Or the modern version “Here kid, the first hit’s free.”

Another thing about Social Media is some Youtubers video do outrageous stunts for likes. So the Teen Villains do flashy crimes to take videos of themselves.