Lucius

I have good news for you. We have, at the time, a divided government. When different parties control the Presidency and Congress,  the government acts much more financially conservative. Deficits grow more slowly, and sometimes even shrink. Remember back in the late 90s when there was a surplus? Divided government Bay Bee!
 
To demonstrate:
I took Deficit data from Whitehouse.gov. Then I typed in a simple formula to see the rate of change in deficits (are deficits bigger or smaller than the year before).
 
The data show that when Democrats control both branches they increase spending, and increase taxes to try to pay for it. But, the increased revenues don't quite cut it and the deficit grows. When Republicans control both branches, they increase spending and lower taxes to pay for it. But, that does even worse and the deficit grows.
 
But a Divided government? Neither side wants the other to get credit for lower taxes or increased spending, so taxes stay high and spending lowers and we decrease the deficit.


 

Shelter Animals Named the Official State Pet of Ohio

As long as we're quoting Snopes:
"In an email sent to Snopes.com, Brandon Kendhammer, associate professor of political science at Ohio University and an expert in Nigerian politics, said the religious dynamics of the conflict were further complicated by the fact that Fulani herders had also been attacking farmers in Zamfara State, “where nearly all the farmers and victims are also Muslim.” He added, “Here, the conflict very clearly appears to be rooted in the impunity of criminal gangs.” "
 
I think the real reason the Nigerian atrocities are getting less play than the New Zealand massacre has to do with the fact that one is in Africa, and the other is in a first-world Western nation we don't expect to be plagued with such violence. In Nigeria, violence is expected, thus, not "news."
 
Lucius Alexander
 
In a Lucius Alexander post, a palindromedary tagline is to be expected.
 

As long as we're quoting Snopes:
"In an email sent to Snopes.com, Brandon Kendhammer, associate professor of political science at Ohio University and an expert in Nigerian politics, said the religious dynamics of the conflict were further complicated by the fact that Fulani herders had also been attacking farmers in Zamfara State, “where nearly all the farmers and victims are also Muslim.” He added, “Here, the conflict very clearly appears to be rooted in the impunity of criminal gangs.” "
 
I think the real reason the Nigerian atrocities are getting less play than the New Zealand massacre has to do with the fact that one is in Africa, and the other is in a first-world Western nation we don't expect to be plagued with such violence. In Nigeria, violence is expected, thus, not "news."
 
Lucius Alexander
 
In a Lucius Alexander post, a palindromedary tagline is to be expected.
 

As long as we're quoting Snopes:
"In an email sent to Snopes.com, Brandon Kendhammer, associate professor of political science at Ohio University and an expert in Nigerian politics, said the religious dynamics of the conflict were further complicated by the fact that Fulani herders had also been attacking farmers in Zamfara State, “where nearly all the farmers and victims are also Muslim.” He added, “Here, the conflict very clearly appears to be rooted in the impunity of criminal gangs.” "
 
I think the real reason the Nigerian atrocities are getting less play than the New Zealand massacre has to do with the fact that one is in Africa, and the other is in a first-world Western nation we don't expect to be plagued with such violence. In Nigeria, violence is expected, thus, not "news."
 
Lucius Alexander
 
In a Lucius Alexander post, a palindromedary tagline is to be expected.
 

As long as we're quoting Snopes:
"In an email sent to Snopes.com, Brandon Kendhammer, associate professor of political science at Ohio University and an expert in Nigerian politics, said the religious dynamics of the conflict were further complicated by the fact that Fulani herders had also been attacking farmers in Zamfara State, “where nearly all the farmers and victims are also Muslim.” He added, “Here, the conflict very clearly appears to be rooted in the impunity of criminal gangs.” "
 
I think the real reason the Nigerian atrocities are getting less play than the New Zealand massacre has to do with the fact that one is in Africa, and the other is in a first-world Western nation we don't expect to be plagued with such violence. In Nigeria, violence is expected, thus, not "news."
 
Lucius Alexander
 
In a Lucius Alexander post, a palindromedary tagline is to be expected.
 

Touch of Chaos:  (Total: 57 Active Cost, 57 Real Cost) Deadly Blow:  +3d6 ([broad circumstances]) (Real Cost: 57)
 
Lucius Alexander
 
Touch of a palindromedary

As long as we're quoting Snopes:
"In an email sent to Snopes.com, Brandon Kendhammer, associate professor of political science at Ohio University and an expert in Nigerian politics, said the religious dynamics of the conflict were further complicated by the fact that Fulani herders had also been attacking farmers in Zamfara State, “where nearly all the farmers and victims are also Muslim.” He added, “Here, the conflict very clearly appears to be rooted in the impunity of criminal gangs.” "
 
I think the real reason the Nigerian atrocities are getting less play than the New Zealand massacre has to do with the fact that one is in Africa, and the other is in a first-world Western nation we don't expect to be plagued with such violence. In Nigeria, violence is expected, thus, not "news."
 
Lucius Alexander
 
In a Lucius Alexander post, a palindromedary tagline is to be expected.
 

As long as we're quoting Snopes:
"In an email sent to Snopes.com, Brandon Kendhammer, associate professor of political science at Ohio University and an expert in Nigerian politics, said the religious dynamics of the conflict were further complicated by the fact that Fulani herders had also been attacking farmers in Zamfara State, “where nearly all the farmers and victims are also Muslim.” He added, “Here, the conflict very clearly appears to be rooted in the impunity of criminal gangs.” "
 
I think the real reason the Nigerian atrocities are getting less play than the New Zealand massacre has to do with the fact that one is in Africa, and the other is in a first-world Western nation we don't expect to be plagued with such violence. In Nigeria, violence is expected, thus, not "news."
 
Lucius Alexander
 
In a Lucius Alexander post, a palindromedary tagline is to be expected.
 

Q: What if they gave a Jeopardy! match and nobody came?
 
A: Your choice in headgear has removed all remaining doubt as to whether I would enjoy your company -- in the negative.

If I were to charitably paraphrase Ninja-Bear, as # of limbs matters for certain Grab based maneuvers a centaur-like creature with 4 legs and 2 arms might circumstantially gain some benefit in situations where an opponent used such a maneuver against them. 
 

"Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win."
 
- Stephen King

After Gandalf's speech there was a brief silence, and then the King of Eagles spoke.
"Gandalf, I and my people hold you in high regard and greatly esteem your wisdom. But what you ask of me now seems the greatest folly. I am no wizard but I am not wholly without lore,  and I know something of this Ring you speak of. It I were to bear it aloft into the sky, it would blaze like a beacon to the Eye of Sauron; within three beats of my wings he would know where it is, and if he bent his powers to beguile me, I cannot say I would not bear you and your small friend and the Ring straight to his doorstep. If he chose to blast rather than to beguile, or set his own winged servants upon us, I would not expect to reach the borders of Mordor alive. Indeed, it would likely cost my life to try to pass that border even if I did so alone and without carrying that treasure he would stop at nothing to reclaim. One does not simply fly into Mordor!"
 
Lucius Alexander
 
One does not simply ride a palindromedary into Mordor either.

No Conscious Control?
 
Lucius Alexander
 
Side Effect: Palindromedary

We must not look at goblin-men
We must not taste their fruits
Who knows upon what soil they fed
Their hungry-thirsty roots?
 
Lucius Alexander
 
The palindromedary identifies the quote as from the poem "Goblin Market" but doesn't think the art is an allusion to that....

The "PRE Attack Problem" is not fundamentally different form the "Blast Problem," which is that if the player characters are built to take 12d6 Normal Attacks and I hit them with a 25d6 Blast, I will wreck them. "Well, don't do it then" is in fact the perfect solution to the Blast Problem, and is also the perfect solution to the "PRE Attack Problem"
 
And we might as well ask about the rules for the Power Blast, "If we are never going to use it (defining "use it" as "wreck the player characters with an overwhelming Blast they're not built to handle)" then why have it?"
 
We have it because it's a good and useful Power. We have PRE because it is a good and useful Characteristic.
 
Just in case we'd like to , you know, play Hero System in a fun and reasonable way.
 
Lucius Alexander
 
I could unleash a Killer Palindromedary on the player characters, but why would I do that?

If that's how you habitually use PREsence attacks, no wonder your players don't like them.
 
If their only exposure to Martial Arts were guys who outclass their Combat Values by 4 or 5, and stun with every hit, they wouldn't like Martial Arts either.
 
Lucius Alexander
 
If every time I put a palindromedary in a tagline I hit you over the head with it, you probably wouldn't like palindromedaries either
 
 

Charisma was part of D&D from the beginning. And the wargames that the first role playing games evolved from had morale mechanics.
 
This is neither something unique to Hero, nor a Hero innovation. We're talking about a kind of mechanic that not only predates Hero System, it PREDATES ROLE PLAYING GAMES.
 
Lucius Alexander
 
and a palindromedary providing morale support

This Week in Space News (summary).

 

I can't tell a bessel function from a bessel malfunction.
 
Lucius Alexander
 
Is this palindromedary functional?

I don't see what purpose the ExtraDimensional Move serves?
 
 
Uh huh. To do that Transform you have to overcome the BODy anyway. Might as well have Killing Attack with Alternate Defense: Power Defense.
 
Lucius Alexander
 
Expectum Palindromedarius!

And have the sitter say "Probably in their room. Which one is the kid's room anyway? The one with all the toys? Oh wait, there IS no room with toys or any other indications that a child was ever present. I don't know what's wrong with you people but as long as you're paying me to watch a nonexistent child, I'll take your money but I won't take your crap."
 
Lucius Alexander
 
The palindromedary has no money to take

Does everyone "just take it without thinking", or do a lot of players see this and think "that is the cinematic lightly/no armored character gets shot at multiple times and emerges uninjured trope - just the thing I was looking for"?  There are plenty of ways to look at it.
 
It can be common because it's often in genre.  A lot of players buy WF:  Melee Weapons in a Fantasy game.  Pretty much everyone buys extra CON, too.  That does not make it inappropriate or out of concept. 

And have the sitter say "Probably in their room. Which one is the kid's room anyway? The one with all the toys? Oh wait, there IS no room with toys or any other indications that a child was ever present. I don't know what's wrong with you people but as long as you're paying me to watch a nonexistent child, I'll take your money but I won't take your crap."
 
Lucius Alexander
 
The palindromedary has no money to take