u/SorchaSublime

Hi! Although I've considered it before I don't regularly do breathwork (at least not in a principled manner, i do breathing meditation but kind of just make it up as I go), so I'm mostly coming here because it seems like a community most likely to know what the fuck it is I'm doing here, because Google hasn't been particularly helpful.

So, some context: I'm a daily weed smoker. Not ideal ik, I only mention it because there's a chance it's related. I often notice my glottal fry exacerbating as a result of this, so something I do to try and "clear" it a bit is to like...

OK actually this may be hard to explain. Basically isolating like, the vocal "action" which produces exclusively vocal fry/the part of my like, vocal/breathing repertoire where the glottal fry "originates"? I then like, with my throat as closed as possible push as much pressure through my throat (and by extension the vocal fry) for as long as I can handle before intentionally violently coughing.

For a reason I am unaware of, this produces extreme light-headedness to the point that I generally fall to the ground/fall over if I was sitting. It feels like a more extreme version of the light-headedness I get from long holding periods when meditating. It also reminds me of like, the inner experience of "greening out" on weed, minus the aspect of *actually being stoned* (I'm very sober today and the affect is at the most reproducible it has ever been).

Idk, I would just be interested if this is like, an identifiable phenomenon within the auspices of breathwork or if anyone at least knows what is going on. I'm not sure if I should stop doing this.

Thanks :)

No spoilers, this is mostly an observation as someone who was quite into VtM already before this season started, but the choice to not make the older vampires straightforward anachronisms is really refreshing to me.

Like, yea HJ is from the 1920s, but he's kept up with the world that entire time. He immediately knows what an NFT is because he's been farming the sort of idiot who obsesses about that kind of thing for decades. He isn't arbitrarily a stereotype of someone from 100 years ago who somehow doesn't know what the Internet is or whatever.

It's just a choice I find really neat. Unless they've been in torpor for ages there is no real reason a vampire couldn't keep up with the times, so it's nice to see some who managed to.

Tried posting about this on the standard DnD sub-reddit earlier, won't make that mistake again lmao. I'm coming up with all of this in anticipation of going to a new university in September, which I know has an established tabletop society which is good :)

I do quite like the *base system* of 5e, but I'm heavily inclined to tinker, especially with how many 5e players would rather not try something entirely different. A lot of what I'm planning draws on established mechanics from third party sources for 5e specifically (with one major exception).

Any constructive feedback aside from "you should just play another system instead of doing this" (trust me, I've considered it) is highly welcome. I'll cite the sources I'm using as I go.

The most immediate departure is that I'm doing away with the default classes in favour of the Callings from LOTR 5e. I'm *not* running Middle Earth, or even Tolkein-esque fantasy, but I like LOTR 5e as a set of base mechanics and it is fairly convenient for my purposes. It's lower fantasy, the travel mechanics are cool, I like the balance better, Feats (rebranded as "Virtues") every 2 levels is just fun and the lack of default spellcasters makes room for me to import a new magic system.​ plus, only going to level 10 just makes more sense to me given how rare it is to get much past that point anyway.

Other big resources I'm using are Grimhollow and Sandy Petersens Cthulhu Mythos 5e. Advanced Backgrounds and Transformations from the former, Dread, Magic Formulae, Elder Influences and Dreamland Cats from the latter. They all just do a lot to flesh out the experience imo, and unlike variant encumbrance don't involve an undue amount of book-keeping on the players front.

In addition to Exhaustion and Dread, I also have a custom positive counterpart called Focus, which either provides bonuses or allows the negation of Dread and/or Exhaustion (or at 7 levels of Focus, even the effects of being below 0HP).

In terms of player races, the primary option will be Variant Human. The free feat permits a Transformation at Level 1, which covers a lot of the vibes of unusual humanoid races, but aside from that the only other racial options will be warforged (but entirely mute, think less magic bladerunner and more Castle in the Sky) and a literal cat.

I have a unique plan for stat generation to bias players towards weaker starting characters, as opposed to any permutation of 3D6. 2D8, always reroll the first 1 AND/OR the first 8 rolled for a given stat, roll an additional D8 for any stat below 4 a maximum of 2 times and add a D6 to any 1 stat above 10 of your choice.

I'm also using *some* of the new mechanics from 5.5E. Circle magic suits my custom magic system (see below), Bastions fit very nicely into the LOTR 5e gameplay loop, and I like the concept of Weapon Mastery *As A Feat*(/Virtue) as opposed to a level 1 feature for martial classes. I'm however most excited about the magic system I'm using, as it's the most outside-the-box change given that it's the only thing adapted from an outright non-D&D source.

The main inspiration for this is gonna be Ritual Path Magic for GURPS (RPM), although I've heavily adapted it to fit the 5e framework. Fundamentally, spellcasting is now 100% ritual casting based (no spell slots), and Calling agnostic. As per Cthulhu Mythos 5e, anyone who possesses the Formulae to a particular spell can attempt to cast it, although with increased risk. The features of Level 1 Wizard are now packaged within a Virtue, "Thaumic Initiate", permitting more stable casting of basic spells as well as use of Casting Focuses and a Grimoire. Some consequences for unqualified casting of a spell from Formula would include physical/mental harm, levels of exhaustion/dread or even involuntary levels in a Transformation.

More precise/spontaneous spellcasting requires levels in a specialised kind of Class called "Mysteries", which represent a characters connection to certain spiritual/metaphysical Principles. These take the role of Ritual Paths in RPM, more powerful spells will generally have the pre-requisite of Invoking levels in Mysteries, which is also essential for improvising new magic. Levels in Mysteries will also give benefits for interacting with entities/spiritual domains associated with that Mystery.

But yeah, that's everything :) I'm curious what peoples thoughts are, if anyone has worked with individual elements I'm working with and gotten good use out of them.

Also, I'm always open to working more homebrew into this. Im playing with incorporating potion crafting from Obojima for example, although I'll have quite a bit of work on my plate keeping all of this organised as it is lmao