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So, we're back with the Dungeons and Dragons campaign (it's so much more than a game at this point - we're invested in these characters...)
Hat, Regie and Alice joined our esteemed Dungeon Master Liz across the internet via the miracle of a Discord Server - and for the first time since lockdown were able to view the action thanks to the wonder of the "Battlecam" - allowing all participants to view the action on scrupulously prepared maps and floorplans. Some screencaptures are included in these notes.
So. The party, in pursuit of Mr Crane and his group of Academic researchers who had gone missing while exploring some ancient ruins, were making their way through a corridor in those self same ruins when Tiefling Sourceress Nyx (Alice) came across an iron sculpture of a Cobra. Half Elven Palladin (dedicated to his Lady Liv, Goddess of Joy) Emanon (Regie) was a little way behind her, while the Dwarvish Druid Grit (Hat) hung back further down the corridor.
When we left them, stuff was about to go down...
Now. Since lockdown we've been conducting this campaign over the internet - initially with Skype, and then with Discord. Waaaaaay back in the before times, in the days when we all met up around Liz and Hat's dining room table, when we got into combat situations our little 3D printed avatars would take their place on meticulously designed (by Liz) maps and floor plans, alongside beautifully printed and painted (by Liz) figures representing the antagonists.
Until now, we've not been able to do that, because we're all separated and communicating over the 'net.
But for this recording Liz set up "Battlecam"! A webcam connected to the Discord server that allowed us to once again see the meticulously created maps, floorplans and wonderfully painted figures.
And to help you follow the action we took regular screen shots of the action.
And because we are idiots* these images were accidentally deleted. So listen to the podcast and use your imagination...
JAMES RANDI - R.I.P.
James Randi, also known as "The Amazing Randi" was a magician - a conjuror. And a good one. He claimed that Magicians were the most honest people there were - the told you they were going to fool you, and then they did.
And as such he looked at making claims to be able to control the paranormal and supernatural and realised that many of them were using the magic tricks he knew to fool people into believing in supernatural powers that were not real.
And he hated that and thought that it was wrong.
And so he set out to debunk such charlatans, and that became his life's work.
Unlike so many people who seek to attack pseudo-science and fake spirituality, he never called believers "stupid", he just pointed out to them that they had been lied to, and demonstrated how they had been fooled.
He was the essence of Geek. He was passionate about his "magic" skills, and hated to see them used in misleading ways. He was dedicated to scientific method and rationality. He was a great voice of critical thinking and rationalism. He will be missed.
Check out his Wikipaedia HERE
*A note for all the other Geeks in the Geeks at the Gates Collective. We did nothing. Regie messed this up. It's on him. He's the idiot.