It doesn't matter what I believe unless I'm on a jury for the guy being accused.

Quote from: Mistwell;1130081Particularly since their rules tweaks have literally become official 5e rules in two books now, as opposed to your house rules which have appeared in zero official rules.

What rules did WotC change to conform to Mercer's house rules?

Did WotC present the change as the new official rule or offer it up as a variant concept?

I'm legitimately asking because I hadn't heard of Mercer's house rules going beyond his own Kickstarter book.

Quote from: RPGPundit;1130103In fact, several important figures on the Left have gone so far as to say "I actually DO believe Tara Reade, but I just think it's far more important to beat Donald Trump, so I'm still going to totally support someone I think is a sexual abuser if it will stop the Orange Man".

That's the official DNC party line now.

We believe all wahmens, but Orange Man super bad so vote for sticky fingers!

Quote from: RPGPundit;1130103And that is absolutely pure hypocrisy.

And I don't think anyone cares. Trump supporters aren't going to vote for Biden if he's innocent and his supporters consider getting him in the White House more important than any scandal whatsoever.

One question might be what do the undecideds think, but most of them don't vote. Thus, the bigger question is how MUCH scandal and hypocrisy is needed to get enough Democrats to stay home on election day.

Quote from: Theory of Games;1130127System mastery is a real thing, despite you Story-banging lollies that troll this site.

Thanks for the laugh!  You're making a totally unfounded connection there.

Fate is a darling of the "story-banging lollies", yet can involve considerable system mastery around how to handle aspects, compels, and the Fate Point economy.

B/X D&D can be played successfully in OSR style with absolutely zero rules mastery (or even knowledge of the rules on the player side) whatsoever.

Rules mastery absolutely is a real thing, but there are those with no taste for it, even among those of us who don't want any "story" in our RPGs aside from the one recounting the session after it's over.  I want my players to do things "because it's what my character would do in that situation", not "because it would make the best story", nor "because it's the most mechanically optimal solution".

Quote from: Spinachcat;1130149And I don't think anyone cares. Trump supporters aren't going to vote for Biden if he's innocent and his supporters consider getting him in the White House more important than any scandal whatsoever.

I don't think anyone truly supports Biden, to be honest. Everyone knows he's a senile old man that's barely even aware of WTF is going around him half the time and shouldn't be running for office. The Democrats simply painted themselves into a corner by running off every other viable candidate and ended up with a man who could seriously--no joke or ill intent--DIE or have a stroke or something before the election. And now they're tripping over themselves to pretend that he's their only hope cuz they bet on a dying horse.

It's pathetic and weird, and a testament to how insane politics have become.

Quote from: VisionStorm;1130174I don't think anyone truly supports Biden, to be honest.

There's a difference between winning a nomination and being the only person who didn't lose it.  Biden is the nominee because the Democrat establishment was faced with Candidate Bernie and said, "Are you sure we can't have Barabbas?"

Quote from: jeff37923;1130136It doesn't cost anything to not be a WotC shill, either.....

It doesn't cost anything to not be a Traveller shill, either....

Quote from: Spinachcat;1130149What rules did WotC change to conform to Mercer's house rules?

Did WotC present the change as the new official rule or offer it up as a variant concept?

I'm legitimately asking because I hadn't heard of Mercer's house rules going beyond his own Kickstarter book.

EXPLORER'S GUIDE TO WILDEMOUNT

That's a Setting book / Rules Supplement. Which might be full of great stuff (I don't know), but that's not a change to 5e's official rules. AKA, how you would run a table of Adventurer's League events.

Is there something specific Mercer created as a house rule that has become the defacto rule at 5e tables?

Quote from: Theory of Games;1130127System mastery is a real thing, despite you Story-banging lollies that troll this site.

System mastery is important for medium to high crunch games played RAW.

But nothing I play is beyond light/medium and I often ignore RAW, so players who mastered the RAW and expect to use that for their advantage at the table aren't going to be pleased. Rulebooks are rarely opened when I run stuff. I'm far more interested in the players' actions than what rules they are trying to use. The only exception I make is what's on the character sheet. Players should trust whatever is on their sheet and understand how its gonna work in the game.

As for story, that's what happens when we talk about the game in the past tense.

Quote from: Mistwell;1130198It doesn't cost anything to not be a Traveller shill, either....

Someone hasn't read my review of Traveller 5.

Quote from: Spinachcat;1130225That's a Setting book / Rules Supplement. Which might be full of great stuff (I don't know), but that's not a change to 5e's official rules. AKA, how you would run a table of Adventurer's League events.

Is there something specific Mercer created as a house rule that has become the defacto rule at 5e tables?

There is nothing that Mercer contributed. The same pinhead logic that produces "Orange Man Bad" churns out "Everything WotC D&D Good" equally well.

Quote from: Alderaan Crumbs;1130114Did you see that Biden himself said that if what she says is true he wouldn't vote for himself?

I did. It was hilarious, because he clearly didn't get what he was really saying, and for once it was just how out of touch he is, not how senile his dementia is making him.

Quote from: CTPhipps;1130007Am I the only one who thinks "Believe All Women" is a perfectly valid take and that the whole Tara Reade thing isn't enormously hypocritical as the caveat can still include, "Until there is substantial evidence that the claim is untrue?"

I mean, it feels like a lot of people have a GOTCHA moment when it's...not really?

So, do we believe everyone who accuses anyone of a crime? Because that's where BAW leads. Conviction upon accusation would sure save court costs. As an old Warren court liberal, I am going to stick with due process and skepticism.

Quote from: VisionStorm;1130174I don't think anyone truly supports Biden, to be honest. Everyone knows he's a senile old man that's barely even aware of WTF is going around him half the time and shouldn't be running for office. The Democrats simply painted themselves into a corner by running off every other viable candidate and ended up with a man who could seriously--no joke or ill intent--DIE or have a stroke or something before the election. And now they're tripping over themselves to pretend that he's their only hope cuz they bet on a dying horse.

It's pathetic and weird, and a testament to how insane politics have become.

2016: Could we have worse choices than these two?
2020: Hold my beer.

Quote from: Spinachcat;1130225That's a Setting book / Rules Supplement. Which might be full of great stuff (I don't know), but that's not a change to 5e's official rules. AKA, how you would run a table of Adventurer's League events.

Is there something specific Mercer created as a house rule that has become the defacto rule at 5e tables?

Yes, of course. If someone plays a subclass from that book, all his house rules for that subclass are the defacto rules for 5e tables for players playing those subclasses.

Which, I will note again, is more than you've published for 5e.

But go on, do tell us loudly how you're not jealous.