Recent content by Mallus

  1. M

    How Special Are The PCs?

    D&D is heavily inspired by pulp adventure stories about larger-than-life protagonists. Proto-superheroes, if you will. I expect D&D PCs to be like that.
  2. M

    Spoilers Alien: Earth Spoiler Thread

    It was nice of Noah Hawley to make a great hour long Alien movie inside of his fascinating science fiction series set in the Alien universe.
  3. M

    Worlds of Design: The Great Divide

    Am I alone in not understanding this framing? Do I need more coffee?
  4. M

    D&D 5E (2024) 5e GMs: Do/Have/Would You Start Above 1st Level? (Note: Cannot change your vote.)

    We started our current 5e 2024 campaign at 3rd level because it fit the story better. We started our old 5e campaign at 1st. It's all good. Except when the PCs start setting random things on fire...
  5. M

    Spoilers Alien: Earth Spoiler Thread

    The show wants us to ask, “Who are the aliens/monsters on Earth, the xenomorphs or the various posthumans?”. So the show has been blurring the lines between them. I think that explains why Wendy can go mano a mano against a xenomorph and win. Consider the latest episode: Nibs leaps across a...
  6. M

    Worlds of Design: Only Human

    Probably because the vast majority of fantasy and science fiction stories treat nonhuman characters as people. It’s why they work as characters. To paraphrase Sting, the Horta love their children, too.
  7. M

    What are you reading in 2025?

    Right now, a nonfiction horror saga about the Dust Bowl.
  8. M

    Describe your last rpg session in 5 words

    Wait, the Inquisition is bad?!
  9. M

    D&D General In 2025 FR D&D should PCs any longer be wary of the 'evil' humanoids?

    I come from a community that got bored with evil mortal races by the late 1980s. Well, my college DM and I did at any rate. Seemed to be going around though, considering some of the official 2e publications, or 1e, since playable Drow were introduced in the original Unearthed Arcana. Also, not...
  10. M

    Spoilers Alien: Earth Spoiler Thread

    And artists like Hawley dedicated to running at that line with reckless abandon. You can almost imagine the exact moment he hit on Peter Pan as his way into the Alien mythos (or franchise, whatever), his synapses lighting like lightning, the snap decision to include a character reading from...
  11. M

    Spoilers Alien: Earth Spoiler Thread

    It’s a reference to the Maginot Line, a series of military fortifications the French built along their border prior to WWII to prevent Germany from invading. Spolier: didn’t work.
  12. M

    Spoilers Alien: Earth Spoiler Thread

    About as subtle as naming the ship the Maginot.
  13. M

    Spoilers Star Trek: Strange New Worlds - Season 3 Viewing (Spoilers)

    I don’t think Kirk was feeling remorse, exactly. Or not just remorse. More like identification. They started out as explorers, the best and the brightest. Kirk was contemplating how many hard command decisions like the one he just made turned them into the scavengers.
  14. M

    Worlds of Design: The Problem with Space Navies, Part 1

    Allow me to make an argument for space navies: Space Battleship Yamato and Legend of the Galactic Heroes. (they don't make any sense but they sure are fun)
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