u/kullundee

https://preview.redd.it/8yu09alrvemh1.png?width=960&format=png&auto=webp&s=683a48d7699f149450106aef722962466c08a64d

About a third done! I'm not that great of an artist, but I wanted to do a JJK inspired Duskbloods piece for a YouTube thumbnail. Let me know what you think!

Company name was Hanford Pharmaceuticals, though that probably doesn't matter since they'll probably switch it up.

I've applied to a lot of positions over these past few months, so I'm used to hearing back from places that I might have forgotten applying to. There is a legit company that shares the same name. and while I couldn't find the original job posting (RED FLAG #1 for the folks at home!), I figured they probably took it down now that they started interviewing candidates.

It was a great opportunity though! 40.75 hourly rate for a remote IT Support role? (Red Flag #2, obviously) Lucky me! I'll put my best foot forward here.

Communication was done through Microsoft Teams and in both the original email and the "interview" process they did a decent job sounding professional at first. They talked about their company values and the requirements for the role.

However, all this communication was over text. (Red Flag #3!) I never encountered something like that, so I was confused but I proceeded like normal to make sure I could get this golden opportunity.

The quality of the interview quickly degraded and several more redflags were raised:
- An offer would be made the next day, should the hiring team like my qualifications (Red Flag #4)
- The interviewer would frequently go inactive for 5-10 minutes (Red Flag #5)
- Name of the guy I'm interviewing doesn't have a LinkedIn profile (Red Flag #6)
- They dodged my question clarifying if there would be a written contract going over the terms of employment sent out with the offer (Red Flag #7)

Eventually, I started researching while awaiting the next message in the interview and sure enough- I found a couple reports about scams using the same company name (Red Flag #8) and learned how no legitimate company will conduct an interview over text.

I called the actual company number and sure enough they affirmed that there had been a scam going around using their name. (Red Flag #9)

Sure enough, that was when the interview slipped in questions about my payment preferences and details about which bank I use between general softball IT inquiries. (Red Flag #10)

Shut the interview down at that point and deleted all my answers to previous questions. Luckily, I did not download any programs, click suspicious links, or offer sensitive personal information. But I did take several of their questions about my qualifications and work experience seriously in my previous answers.

So now they'll probably hurl more scam offers my way with more tailored details using the information I provided, oh joy! Hell- if they're bold enough maybe they'll try to go for identity theft with the little bits of info they got.

Don't be a fool and wait for 10 red flags like me. Stay smart, y'all.

Despite the punches visibly bruising and hurting Character B, they do not react at all to the hits. Character B just sorta stands there and mogs Character A with this deep stare full of patience, compassion, and understanding. Character A's building frustration is what pushes them to start crying.

I think Character B is a man and Character A might(?) be a woman.
I also think it may be raining during the scene and light may break through the clouds and shine on character B's face halfway through the punches.

My top 10 games:

1. Sekiro (And other FromSoftware games)

2. Disco Elysium

3. Undertale/Deltarune

4. The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess

5. Paper Mario The Thousand Year Door

6. Titanfall 2

7. Hades

8. Sonic Adventure 2 Battle

9. Hollow Knight & Silksong

10. Journey

My GF's top 10 games:

1. Final Fantasy Series (XV and VII most notably)

2. Baldur's Gate 3

3. Bear's Restaurant

4. Viva Piñata

5. Skyrim

6. Ark Survival Evolved

7. Blue Prince

8. Halo 1-3 and Boderlands 1-3

9. Harvest Moon/Animal Crossing

10. Tomb Raider

We really struggle to find common ground. Our tastes differ but we can't pinpoint how exactly. Open to any ideas!

Hey all! I'm running a homebrew TTRPG campaign and I wanted to try introducing a custom magic system for my players. The goal is to create a system that they will discover and figure out the mechanics of in real time as they progress through the campaign. So keep in mind, most of what you're about to read is barely gonna be accessible to the players. I finished my first draft of the mechanics and would appreciate some feedback. I'm sure there's probably a lot of ways I can refine the system, so try to find any potential flaws, missing pieces, or areas that don't make a lick of sense. Here is what I got so far:

INTRODUCTION

Every tangible thing that resides within this world exists via an invisible rhythym. Think of it like a hidden radio frequency or heartbeat eminating from all things, waiting to be discovered. This concept is known as World Rhythym. Those who are patient enough to tune into specific rhythyms, could learn to replicate it and cast magic through Rituals. This is the fundamental basis for Rhythym Sorcery.

LEARNING NEW RYTHYMS - Aptitudes and Ritual Frequency

New rhythyms can be learned through a number of means: lengthy obeservation and familiarity with the inspired object, intense study of a prediscovered and recorded Ritual Technique, or tuning into an opponent's internal rhythym during as they cast rituals in the midst of combat. An individual will have a much easier time tuning into a rhythym if they have an affinity for the inspired object or something relating to it.

During character creation, players write down 4 aptitudes. Aptitudes can quite literally be anything so long as it is something that tangibly exists in our world. Aptitudes are things a player character has a deep understanding, familiarity, and connection to. It could be something extremely specific like "Icicles" or something incredibly broad like "Winter." There are advantages to going either direction. Likewise, there are strengths and weaknesses toward having 4 categorically similar aptitudes VS 4 varied and diverse aptitudes. There's no wrong way to go about it.

These aptitudes work alongside a new custom stat called Ritual Frequency (RF). Players will check their RF stat whenever they are attempting to tune in and listen to a new rhythym. The difficulty of this check will be determined by a number of circumstances such as: the context in which they are attempting to learn it, if they have an aptitude for the targeted rhythym, and their overall understanding of Rhythym Sorcery mechanics.

LEARNING NEW RYTHYMS - Wavelength

A successful RF check will reveal a portion of an objects Wavelength. (How much of the wavelength being revealed will be proportional to the degree of success to the RF check and the player's aptitudes.) Much like glyphs or magic circles, the Wavelength is a visual guide that represents the inspired object's Internal Rhythym. It is comprised of 4 sections that are each composed of 3 nodes. In total, there are 12 nodes to be filled by a variety of specific patterns. Each of these spaces describes different aspects of the object and it is structured as followed:

Section 1 - Geometric Properties

1. Dimensions
2. Size
3. Shape

Section 2 - Physical Attributes

1. State of Matter
2. Material/Texture
3. Composition

Section 3 - Origin

1. Creation
2. Environment of Origin
3. Perception

Section 4 - Object Dynamics

1. Behavior
2. Reactiveness
3. Usage

There is an entire chart for this, but unfortunately I cannot attach an image to this post. Point being, there are 3 potential symbols with 6 variations that can be inserted into each of these points. In total there are roughly 1.1568314e+15 potential sequences that can hopefully be used to distinctly describe every object in existence.

Players will be tasked with recreating the wavelength sequences in order to showcase that their characters now understand the target objects internal rhythym. If their submitted wavelength has at least 9 correct nodes (75% accuracy), then they will permanently learn the target objects rhythm and can use Ritual Techniques inspired by that rhythm.

The idea here is that at first, players will need to rely soley on repeated RF checks to learn a new sorcery. Even then, they will likely only be able to copy the ones they discover. But after a while, by comparing a contrasting different rhythym wavelengths and getting hints from various NPCs they'll come to understand what each node represents and what the patterns mean in each node. This means that they may only need 1 or 2 successful RF checks to reveal enough of the wavelength and they'll successfully make an educated guess to recreate it. They will fully master Rhythym Sorcery when they don't even need to make RF checks and can successfully produce an accurate rhythym wavelength without having witnessed the original.

This is a magic system designed where ANYTHING can be learned. Sorcerers can pull from the world around them and even from their enemies. Players will start by slowly acquiring a handful of Ritual Techniques without fully understanding what rythym means. But over multiple sessions they will be able to tune into any rythym they desire and be able to come up with on-the-fly ritual techniques to suit their current situation. But be warned- as they progress, so will their enemies.

RITUAL TECHNIQUES

Once a sorcerer has learned the rhythym of a specific object/thing, they may begin to cast magic inspired by it. The act of casting rythym sorcery is called a Ritual. There are exactly 5 different types of Rituals a sorcerer can cast that each accomplish different things. These are called Ritual Techniques and they are as follows.

Technique 1 - Creation
Creating the inspired object near the sorcerer.
Examples: Sprouting a flower from the ground in front of you, making a puff of smoke surround you, getting a brick to suddenly appear in your hand.

Technique 2 - Manipulation
Controlling the inspired object through direct contact.
Examples: Turing a steel door more brittle, making a feather weigh 20 pounds, enlarging a hand grenade to the size of a beach ball

Technique 3 - Enhancement
Enhancing the sorcerer's body with properties from the inspired object.
Examples: Hardening your torso to be as tough as kevlar, reshaping your teeth to that of a tiger's, giving your body the mass of a helium balloon

Technique 4 - Imbuement
Altering the environment around you with properties from the inspired object.
Examples: The floor is now littered with the spikes of a cactus, a rock in a dark cave now shares the luminosity of a glow worm, a carpet is now as slippery as ice

Technique 5 - Nullification
Disabling an opponent's Ritual by targeting their sorcery with the exact opposite wavelength
No real example, this is just a great defensive move.

RITUAL TECHNIQUES - Cost

This section is a WIP. Currently debating whether to use drain HP or stats for cost. Both of these have their own advantages and disadvantages in regards to the other mechanics of the ruleset I've been creating. But regardless- there is no mana pool. For now I will assume HP is what needs to be spent in order to do something.

0 HP - Trivial effect just being used for flavor.

1 HP - Simple. The intended effect could be achieved without sorcery. Notable effects, but very abstract in it's application. Not very helpful overall. Basic Creation and Manipulation will tend to fall here since they directly involve the inspired object.

2 HP - Standard. Just beyond human capabilities. Effect has clear applications to the current scenario and will give players an advantage. Still an overall simple Ritual in regards to what it's trying to achieve and how it relates to the inspired object. Basic Enhancement and Imbuement will fall here as they involve the properties of the inspired object.

d6 HP - Major. A big departure from basic applications of the inspired rythym in terms of its complexity. Requires an almost violent execution as the sorcery is granting some level of power that far exceeds what a normal person is capable of. The meaning and understanding of things is being stretched thin.

2d6 HP - Powerful. Big picture. Take everything I said in the last paragraph and heighten it further. This should effectively be the player attempting to unleash an ultimate attack.

Rituals are more costly if: the player has never before dealt with a rythym similar to what they're targeting; the player doesn't fully understand the mechanics behind what they're doing; they are notably trying to extend beyond reasonable ranges or hope to deal excessive damage; the ritual targets multiple people; the inspired object is notably rare or complex.

Rituals are cheaper if: the player has a very close aptitude to something similar to the inspired object; the player has frequently casted the ritual before; the inspired object is simple and/or common; there are explicit downsides to the ritual; the stakes of the situation are relatively low key; extra casting time

RITUAL TECHNIQUES - Damage

I'm pulling a lot from Knave and Whitehack to create this campaign's magic system. So for damage I will be referring to those campaigns weapon tables and looking at the different damage dice for a variety of weapons to find something that closely resembles the current situation.

Aside from direct damage, Sorcery will more often than not be used to put their opponent at a disadvantage. Players can gain advantage on an opponent by: attacking a target that is unaware, on lower ground, off balance, disarmed, distracted, or tactically disadvantaged in some other method by a ritual.

Hey all! I'm running a homebrew TTRPG campaign and I wanted to try introducing a custom magic system for my players. The goal is to create a system that they will discover and figure out the mechanics of in real time as they progress through the campaign. So keep in mind, most of what you're about to read is barely gonna be accessible to the players. I finished my first draft of the mechanics and would appreciate some feedback. I'm sure there's probably a lot of ways I can refine the system, so try to find any potential flaws, missing pieces, or areas that don't make a lick of sense. Here is what I got so far:

INTRODUCTION

Every tangible thing that resides within this world exists via an invisible rhythym. Think of it like a hidden radio frequency or heartbeat eminating from all things, waiting to be discovered. This concept is known as World Rhythm. Those who are patient enough to tune into specific rhythyms, could learn to replicate it and cast magic through Rituals. This is the fundamental basis for Rhythm Sorcery.

LEARNING NEW RYTHYMS - Aptitudes and Ritual Frequency

New rhythms can be learned through a number of means: lengthy obeservation and familiarity with the inspired object, intense study of a prediscovered and recorded Ritual Technique, or tuning into an opponent's internal rhythm during as they cast rituals in the midst of combat. An individual will have a much easier time tuning into a rhythm if they have an affinity for the inspired object or something relating to it.

During character creation, players write down 4 aptitudes. Aptitudes can quite literally be anything so long as it is something that tangibly exists in our world. Aptitudes are things a player character has a deep understanding, familiarity, and connection to. It could be something extremely specific like "Icicles" or something incredibly broad like "Winter." There are advantages to going either direction. Likewise, there are strengths and weaknesses toward having 4 categorically similar aptitudes VS 4 varied and diverse aptitudes. There's no wrong way to go about it.

These aptitudes work alongside a new custom stat called Ritual Frequency (RF). Players will check their RF stat whenever they are attempting to tune in and listen to a new rhythym. The difficulty of this check will be determined by a number of circumstances such as: the context in which they are attempting to learn it, if they have an aptitude for the targeted rhythym, and their overall understanding of Rhythm Sorcery mechanics.

LEARNING NEW RYTHYMS - Wavelength

A successful RF check will reveal a portion of an objects Wavelength. (How much of the wavelength being revealed will be proportional to the degree of success to the RF check and the player's aptitudes.) Much like glyphs or magic circles, the Wavelength is a visual guide that represents the inspired object's Internal Rhythm. It is comprised of 4 sections that are each composed of 3 nodes. In total, there are 12 nodes to be filled by a variety of specific patterns. Each of these spaces describes different aspects of the object and it is structured as followed:

Section 1 - Geometric Properties

1. Dimensions
2. Size
3. Shape

Section 2 - Physical Attributes

1. State of Matter
2. Material/Texture
3. Composition

Section 3 - Origin

1. Creation
2. Environment of Origin
3. Perception

Section 4 - Object Dynamics

1. Behavior
2. Reactiveness
3. Usage

There is an entire chart for this, but unfortunately I cannot attach an image to this post. Point being, there are 3 potential symbols with 6 variations that can be inserted into each of these points. In total there are roughly 1.1568314e+15 potential sequences that can hopefully be used to distinctly describe every object in existence.

Players will be tasked with recreating the wavelength sequences in order to showcase that their characters now understand the target objects internal rhythm. If their submitted wavelength has at least 9 correct nodes (75% accuracy), then they will permanently learn the target objects rhythm and can use Ritual Techniques inspired by that rhythm.

The idea here is that at first, players will need to rely soley on repeated RF checks to learn a new sorcery. Even then, they will likely only be able to copy the ones they discover. But after a while, by comparing a contrasting different rhythym wavelengths and getting hints from various NPCs they'll come to understand what each node represents and what the patterns mean in each node. This means that they may only need 1 or 2 successful RF checks to reveal enough of the wavelength and they'll successfully make an educated guess to recreate it. They will fully master Rhythm Sorcery when they don't even need to make RF checks and can successfully produce an accurate rhythm wavelength without having witnessed the original.

This is a magic system designed where ANYTHING can be learned. Sorcerers can pull from the world around them and even from their enemies. Players will start by slowly acquiring a handful of Ritual Techniques without fully understanding what rhythm means. But over multiple sessions they will be able to tune into any rythym they desire and be able to come up with on-the-fly ritual techniques to suit their current situation. But be warned- as they progress, so will their enemies.

RITUAL TECHNIQUES

Once a sorcerer has learned the rhythm of a specific object/thing, they may begin to cast magic inspired by it. The act of casting rythym sorcery is called a Ritual. There are exactly 5 different types of Rituals a sorcerer can cast that each accomplish different things. These are called Ritual Techniques and they are as follows.

Technique 1 - Creation
Creating the inspired object near the sorcerer.
Examples: Sprouting a flower from the ground in front of you, making a puff of smoke surround you, getting a brick to suddenly appear in your hand.

Technique 2 - Manipulation
Controlling the inspired object through direct contact.
Examples: Turing a steel door more brittle, making a feather weigh 20 pounds, enlarging a hand grenade to the size of a beach ball

Technique 3 - Enhancement
Enhancing the sorcerer's body with properties from the inspired object.
Examples: Hardening your torso to be as tough as kevlar, reshaping your teeth to that of a tiger's, giving your body the mass of a helium balloon

Technique 4 - Imbuement
Altering the environment around you with properties from the inspired object.
Examples: The floor is now littered with the spikes of a cactus, a rock in a dark cave now shares the luminosity of a glow worm, a carpet is now as slippery as ice

Technique 5 - Nullification
Disabling an opponent's Ritual by targeting their sorcery with the exact opposite wavelength
No real example, this is just a great defensive move.

RITUAL TECHNIQUES - Cost

This section is a WIP. Currently debating whether to use drain HP or stats for cost. Both of these have their own advantages and disadvantages in regards to the other mechanics of the ruleset I've been creating. But regardless- there is no mana pool. For now I will assume HP is what needs to be spent in order to do something.

0 HP - Trivial effect just being used for flavor.

1 HP - Simple. The intended effect could be achieved without sorcery. Notable effects, but very abstract in it's application. Not very helpful overall. Basic Creation and Manipulation will tend to fall here since they directly involve the inspired object.

2 HP - Standard. Just beyond human capabilities. Effect has clear applications to the current scenario and will give players an advantage. Still an overall simple Ritual in regards to what it's trying to achieve and how it relates to the inspired object. Basic Enhancement and Imbuement will fall here as they involve the properties of the inspired object.

d6 HP - Major. A big departure from basic applications of the inspired rythym in terms of its complexity. Requires an almost violent execution as the sorcery is granting some level of power that far exceeds what a normal person is capable of. The meaning and understanding of things is being stretched thin.

2d6 HP - Powerful. Big picture. Take everything I said in the last paragraph and heighten it further. This should effectively be the player attempting to unleash an ultimate attack.

Rituals are more costly if: the player has never before dealt with a rhythm similar to what they're targeting; the player doesn't fully understand the mechanics behind what they're doing; they are notably trying to extend beyond reasonable ranges or hope to deal excessive damage; the ritual targets multiple people; the inspired object is notably rare or complex.

Rituals are cheaper if: the player has a very close aptitude to something similar to the inspired object; the player has frequently casted the ritual before; the inspired object is simple and/or common; there are explicit downsides to the ritual; the stakes of the situation are relatively low key; extra casting time

RITUAL TECHNIQUES - Damage

I'm pulling a lot from Knave and Whitehack to create this campaign's magic system. So for damage I will be referring to those campaigns weapon tables and looking at the different damage dice for a variety of weapons to find something that closely resembles the current situation.

Aside from direct damage, Sorcery will more often than not be used to put their opponent at a disadvantage. Players can gain advantage on an opponent by: attacking a target that is unaware, on lower ground, off balance, disarmed, distracted, or tactically disadvantaged in some other method by a ritual.

I've been voice acting for about 7/8 years. Of all the things I do during my free time, voice acting is the perfect blend of something that was fun and constructive.

I've found myself thinking about it a lot more seriously recently. Next month I turn 25 and it marks my 2 year work anniversary as an IT guy. To put it mildly- working in IT suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucks. It eats up way more time and energy than I'd like and it leaves me feeling like a zombie by the time I finish my commute home. My friends, family, and partner have all expressed their concern over the years. Many times, they suggest I think outside the box and try to pursue something I truly give a shit about. And each time, I would hand wave their ideas away because in my hubris, I thought the stuff I liked doing "was too impossible to try."

Cut to these past few weeks. I've been reminiscing on voice acting. It's the only thing I've done where I can work my ass off to get something done and feel utterly fulfilled. I want to try it professionally.

I did some basic research into what it takes to get picked up by a professional studios/agencies and what it takes to land a well paying gig. The realist in me starts weighing all the logistics. Can I truly get to a skill level similar to the professional VAs I admire through hard work? Can I afford the time and money it will take to attend classes and workshops to improve? Could I break through a job market that's already saturated and sought after? And if I managed to do all of that, could I even keep myself afloat?

Would really appreciate some insight from others who know more about "career stuff" than me. I want to believe in taking a leap of faith into a risky industry, but I don't know if my pessimistic outlook is protecting me or getting in the way.

I've been voice acting for about 7/8 years. Ever since I got a Blue Snowball microphone in high school, I've been engaging with voice acting as a hobby as any amateur would. I've scowered Casting Call Club and Discord servers for fun projects, I've watched YouTube tutorials and acting workshops to get better, and I've made my fair share of irresponsible purchasing decisions to upgrade my equipment and DIY booth. Of all the things I've done during my free time, voice acting was the perfect blend of something that was fun and constructive.

I bring all this up because I've found myself thinking about it a lot more seriously recently. Next month I turn 25 and it marks my 2 year work anniversary as an IT guy. To put it mildly- working in IT suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucks. It eats up way more time and energy than I'd like and it leaves me feeling like a zombie by the time I finish my commute home. My friends, family, and partner have all expressed their concern over the years- it goes as far back as to when I chose to study CS in college under the assumption that it was "the safe option." Many times, they would suggest I think outside the box and try to pursue something I truly give a shit about. And each time, I would hand wave their ideas away because in my hubris, I thought the stuff I liked doing "was to impossible to try."

Cut to these past few weeks. I've been reminiscing on the times I've worked closely on a project or the times I stayed up late editing my demo reels. Those experiences are the only time in my life where I worked my ass off to get something done and felt fulfilled to the brim. I want to do something I love.

But I worry. I did some basic research into what it takes to get picked up by a professional studio/agency or to land a well paying gig. The realist in me starts weighing all the logistics. Can I truly get to a skill level similar to the professional VAs I admire through hard work? Can I afford the time and money it will take to attend classes and workshops to improve? Could I break through a job market that's already saturated and sought after? And if I managed to do all of that, could I even keep myself afloat?

Would really appreciate some insight from others. I want to believe in taking a leap of faith, but I don't know if my pessimistic outlook is protecting me or getting in the way.