#balance druid macros

[thydungeongal]

Hi there, I got started with ttrpgs after dnd 5e came out so I don't have any personal experience or strong opinions about 4e. Would you be willing to share some of the things that were different in that version that you enjoyed?

So okay with the caveat that there isn't a single edition of D&D I don't enjoy to some extent, this isn't really a "list of reasons why D&D 4e is objectively better than any edition of D&D ever," but more like "list of features of D&D 4e where I feel it distinguishes itself from other editions":

As much as D&D has always been a combat-focused game, where characters usually have to at some point rely on violence, D&D 4e is the one edition where combat has felt the most tactically engaging and where there are sometimes genuinely tough tactical decisions to be made. Part of the beauty of D&D 4e's combat is down to a very simple fact: combat isn't quite as swingy as in other editions, where a couple of lucky rounds can either make or break the combat in the characters' favor. If you lose in D&D 4e it's usually not the result of a single bad turn, but multiple turns' worth of bad decision-making and bad luck. There's nearly always a way for players to turn around a combat that's going badly. While I also enjoy the extremely lethal and swingy editions of old on the macro level, combat in them isn't as tactically satisfying as in 4e to me (but on the flipside, combat being very quick and dirty is definitely a benefit of those systems).

I genuinely feel that it does class balance better than any other edition of D&D. Class balance has always been tough in D&D: you've either had artificial balancing like "start Magic-Users weak and have them advance slower, but once they survive to higher levels they become extremely strong," or just poorly thought out "I guess one of the Druid's class features is having an extra character that's a bear and almost as strong as a Fighter, and the Druid can summon more bears while turned into a bear." That isn't to say that it's perfect: some classes had their growing pains (Warlocks weren't great to begin with, Avengers were good but not great) and some classes did outshine others (I'm not sure if this was ever the consensus, but I always got the vibe from discussions that Fighters were probably the best Defender), but it was very hard to build a character who could overwhelm an entire party or play rocket tag while everyone else was still playing D&D.

Many of the additions and changes to the lore and cosmology of D&D were welcome to me. I liked reframing the cosmic conflict as gods vs elemental primordials, as it felt like a return to the Law vs Chaos conflict of old. I liked the idea of devils as corrupted angels, punished for deicide, which also made them a great mirror to demons that in 4e were technically corrupted elementals! It basically turned the Blood War into a dark reflection of the ongoing conflict between order and chaos (as represented by the gods and the primordials)

The Warlord is such an amazing class. It is genuinely my favorite thing to come out of 4e, and the fact that it was never brought into 5e is actually the worst thing the designers of 5e ever did, even though they explicitly promised the return of every class that had ever been featured in the first PHB of the game.

Of all the WotC D&Ds it had the simplest and most intuitive action economy. Standard, Move, Minor. You get one of each. Standard action can be traded in for a Move or Minor action. Move action can be turned in for a Minor action. It's hilarious to me how simple it is and how 5e in trying to simplify it further by making movement something you have every turn by default and making bonus actions a separate thing ended up making the action economy more complex with its various if: then statements about when you're allowed to use a specific bonus action and how sometimes a bonus action you've used can limit the actions you can take.

#thydungeongal answers

[ftafp]

Since people don't seem to get the concept of urban druids, here's the deal:

There is no line between nature and civilization. People are animals and animals are people too. Urban druids don't shun human creations like metal, and many prefer leather jackets covered with metal studs and pins.

The spiritual forces druids mediate exist in cities as they do anywhere else, but the forms they take are different. Bridge spirits, grafitti elementals, and the horrors sealed in sewers: druids can feel the balance of these forces through the streets of the concrete jungle, and where corruption either metaphysical, political or economic seeps through the cracks, urban druids are there to fight it, even if they might be labeled criminals or terrorists in the attempt

We are a part of a greater whole. On grander scales this might mean the whole of nature, but on the more local level, this means the city itself. Cities are macro-organisms, colonies composed of millions of smaller organisms that breathe, eat, breed and think. They are primal forces druids draw on for power, and live in as part of a greater whole. There's a reason they can vanish in crowds, open locks at a touch and always seem to know where to get a meal or a ride. The city itself knows their purpose, and arranges things to suit their needs

#dnd #d&d #druid #druidry #urban druid #rpg idea #character idea

[ansu-gurleht]

one annoying thing about balance druid so far is the amount of things that pull you from moonkin form. like why can’t you cast rejuvenation from moonkin form. i tried to make a macro for reactivating it but i couldn’t get it to work, and rejuve triggers the gcd anyway so

#wow talk

[momsden]

Simple Macros for Balance Druid in Shadowlands: You Need These!

Simple Macros for Balance Druid in Shadowlands: You Need These!

Boomies are one of the most simple specs to play these days, but that doesn’t mean it can’t get any easier. If you’re looking for some super simple, yet effective macros that will improve your gameplay, while being macro beginner-friendly and safe to use, you’re in the right place. Before we begin, though… I highly recommend some sort of group-frame-bar-manager-addon thingy (Healbot is my…

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#balance druid #balance druid guide #balance druid macros #best balance druid macros shadowlands #boomie #boomie macros #boomkin #boomkin guide #boomkin macros #macros for balance druid #shadowlands #warcraft #world of warcraft

[yfere]

Shipping Calculus! Live Updates from C2E59

Wow, so coming off of a lean week, we get a lot of uh, punch, to the shipping totals. Wow. Wowie. Masterpost here. 

This week debuts our new Cockblocking Points program, which fills—or rather prevents from being filled—a hole in the shipping calculations up till now.

+20 to Fjord/Caduceus as Caduceus proves once again what a fantastic Charisma Partner he makes with Fjord as they work together in perfect sync to bring the giants to their side. Featuring 1) Fjord draping his arm around Caduceus (!!!) and 2) Caduceus initiating Fjord’s favorite “I work for Fjord” roleplay (!!!!!!!!!). Besides that, muchos complimentos on both sides, even if Caduceus’ pleasure with Fjord taking his side and saying “You’re usually the voice of caution” conveniently ignores how Fjord’s reckless actions rarely ever line up with what his cautious mouth says. Fjord making goopy eyes when Caduceus admits of his altruistic plans that he can “be on the soft end of things” and making something perilously close to a romantic declaration when he says, “I trust your heart, Caduceus. It’s in a good place.” And lest it be forgotten, Caduceus fucking saving Fjord’s life from Mosquito Man. Keep that cleric close, Fjord! Romance him if that’s what it takes!

+15 to Caduceus/Every Single NPC. As per usual, Caduceus’ classic fairy tale princess sweetness  and Common Courtesy earns the implicit trust of everyone within a ten mile radius—all the giants like him, and only him, absolutely no one else.

+4 to Beau/Sensing Bullshit as she is the only person who picks up on and seems concerned about how Caduceus seems to think this mountain clearing quest is related to his personal quest for……no discernible reason. Are we concerned about the vagueness? No? All right then. Something is off about that dude, even if he’s not secretly plotting to murder the M9 in the mountain caves.  

-2 to Yeza/Nott as Nott entertains about five billion separate fears over the eventual demise of her marriage and beats herself up over having locked the poor man (who just got out of prison btw) in a hotel room and ditched him. Point loss ameliorated as Caleb musters All The Powers of Friendship to lift her spirits with a firm hand, telling her sure, she might be a bit of an adventure addict, but he is as sure as he can be that Yeza truly loves her now and always, that he, Caleb, is glad that she’s here, and that thinking in the macro she can do whatever she likes with no guilt because she is Good, and they are all doing Good together (a moving speech also earning +6 to Caleb/Hopebringer) 

+0 to Jester/Caleb. Pluses: Caleb giving Jester a risque locket, claiming it’s magical and “gives you access to balloon porn” just to make her smile. Caleb’s absolute faith in Jester’s swoleness in thinking she can absolutely just crack a chest open like a nutcracker who needs finesse? Jester thinking of Caleb first when she thinks of who needs healing #ItPaysToBeADamselInDistress. Unfortunately, all these points are flushed down the drain when Caleb coldly exiles Jester from the Tiny Hut when she gets the runs. She couldn’t have stayed inside, but you could have been nicer about it—she’s already suffering! 

+0 to Jester/Yasha On the one hand, it was very cute of Yasha to try to share her favorite food with Jester while risking the ire of the giants, very cute of Jester to try to bond with Yasha over this excellent tasting land food. But all point gains were forcibly expelled once Jester got the runs. The universe punishes those who tread too close to the Yasha ship.

+2 to Nott/Jester The word around the lab is that secretly Jester just wants to be a Knight In Shining Armor, which is why one of the most effective ways to gain points with her is to a) buy her shiny armor and b) allow her to protect you as a true KISA would. Today featuring: 1) Jester channeling her inner Aladdin with a “Do you trust me?” and Romantic Proffering of a Hand to Nott before whisking her away to the top of a tower, and 2) Jester hoisting Nott up by the waist so Nott can more efficiently murder their enemies.

+3 to Caleb/Cat Shaped Creatures as he debuts another sexy cat paw spell to dramatically tear down a gate for his grand Cat Person entrance to the battlefield. Was sadly prevented from showing off the full murdering capabilities of the cat paw, however. Points taken away for covering Frumpkin in mud For Stealth, which pisses Frumpkin off.

+1 to Jester/Soorna as Jester awkwardly tries to flirt Soorna into friendliness,petting her and complimenting her bald head which looks “really nice and stuff”

+20 to Fjord/Detective Work as Fjord’s investigation yields 1) exactly the kind of humiliating material they need to absolutely destroy the foreman, and 2) A fuck ton of healing potions! Including a greater! Very sexy cool of him, as Jester very perceptively notes. Unfortunately hasn’t started investigating for a riftmaking device—yet

+1 to Fjord/Caleb as once more their tag-teaming over Detective Work yields amazing (and this time, saucy!) results. Fjord supporting Caleb’s hopeful plan to bring the giants along with them and leave them to die in the mountain if things take a turn for the worse. Their minds—they think alike.

-3 to The Mighty Nein/Boxes as neither Nott, Yasha, nor Jester (on her first try) were able to open the box with the Humiliation Material—it takes some creative artistry from Jester to manage it.

+20 to Beau/Jester as Beau proves that true love is there for you in sickness and in health, being the only one of the Mighty Nein to sit with Jester through her spider-meat induced illness, holding her hair out of her face, dealing gently and uncomplainingly with frankly an incredible amount of grossness which automatically makes Beau a shipping hero and a hero in all future beaujester sickfic. The pair of them getting equally psyched up about the pornographic Humiliation Material, with Beau requesting a dramatic reading of the letter from Jester (Caleb sucks at voices anyway). Beau also continuing to embody the shipping spirit of Molly by invoking the Slap/Punch of Love to return her love interest back to consciousness. Not even an Attempted Cockblocking from Nott insisting Beau is an enemy manages to put a damper on the moment. A+ UnStraight Out of Fanfic Material.

+23 to Fjord/Jester as, although Fjord rolls his eyes and tells Jester to leave the moorbounders for once, earning a death threat from our dear cleric, he cleverly forestalls massive point loss by bringing up the “L” word. Cute, mischievous, also kind of horrible on the flirting front (as evidenced by annoyed head shake from our dear cleric) because you need to jive with Jester’s love of animals if you want any chance at a long-term relationship. However, the moorbounder conversation earns all the points, with Fjord and Jester having a lovely disagreement over which of them should get the healing potion because they love each other so much (fuck the rest of the M9, potential love interests Caleb and Beau included). Fjord trying and failing to pretend that he cares about animals, misidentifying the type of creature Yarnball is two times and asking adorably dumb questions about her in an attempt to Bond With The Jester. He’s right though—he is being disarming. Minor point loss for the awkwardness nearly giving me the spins, and +2 to Caleb/Cockblocking for his pornographic jewelry gift thoroughly ruining Fjord’s moment with Jester. +10 to Mosquito Man/Cockblocking for preventing Jester from Knight in Shining Armor-ing Fjord with a lollipop to Mosquito Man skull, and making her pass out instead. Fainting Maiden is the wrong archetype!

+1 to Caleb/Fjord/Jester as Jester nags Caleb into telling her whether the balloon porn necklace is magical, and Fjord gets increasingly cute at her in his attempts to get her to settle down and leave poor Caleb in peace to translate. The thought was lovely but unnecessary—Caleb can tune all you motherfuckers out whenever he so desires.

+5 to Beau/Listening because despite claiming not to be listening in on your conversation, she can definitely repeat back word for word everything that was said. Not sure that this is what Dairon had in mind, but…

+19 to Caleb/Caduceus “What about that Caduceus though??” Caleb asks with the same “Wowie wowwow” tone he used while charmed by a succubus a few days previously. This man, absolutely starstruck by Caduceus’ ability to be such a sweetheart he can win over complete enemies to their side (bonus if he did it with dick jokes, Attempted Cockblocking from Nott and Beau notwithstanding), all while Caleb was busy thinking of the most efficient way to murder em all. Staring at Caduceus, stunned over his everything, agreeing to his plan because That’s What Caduceus Wants To Do. Caleb doing That Thing He Does where he aggressively bosses someone into being the Leader, because Caleb is not the Leader, he just Commands everyone to listen to the Real Leader—this week snatching the title away from Fjord who has hoarded the privilege previously, and bestowing it on Caduceus, all “we will all look to you,” at him. Saying “you can’t argue with results” which is as good as a love confession from Mr. McPractical, Need-Goals-Met. Caleb finding an excellent excuse to get handsy by picking the firbolg to grab onto while scouting through Frumpkin. Not to mention, Caleb and Caduceus finding a surprisingly compatible decision-making balance between Caleb’s Cutthroat “We Can Always Murder Our Allies If We Need To” pragmatism and Caduceus’ Sweet But Not Overly Invested “Everyone Can Win Here” diplomacy. These two definitely like each other’s opinions and decisions a hell of a lot….

+40 to Soorna/Revenge as despite being a druid she manages a HDYWTDT on her demonic foe Without! Casting! A! Single! Spell! It’s… hot.

+10 to Sam Riegel/His watch as it attempts to save him from a heart attack. Honestly.......same.

#critical role #cr spoilers #fjorester #beauyasha #clayleb #fjorclay #widofjord #widojest #lavorregard #widofjorester #yashajest #nott the best detective agency #shipping calculus #long post #more rushed than usual bc finals #debating how to pare things down for eps like this #the word count: getting crazy

[itsbambrr]

Rules: Answer questions about yourself and tag 20 people.

I was tagged by @talerano​. I don’t like to tag people, but if you’d like to get to know more about me (within reason), feel free to tag me and I’ll probably tell you.

Name: Amber

Age: 23

Gender: Female

Orientation: Gray-asexual (bisexual + gray-ace)

Height: 5’6

Favorite color: Navy and Tiffany Blue

Book recommendations: 

Nursing Against the Odds -- Suzanne Gordon // A slightly dated but very compelling sociology and macro-level commentary and analysis of the institution of nursing in the early to mid 2000s. A lot of the commentary prompted reorganization and the overarching work is used in nursing scholarship today. It also gives the reader a much deeper understanding of what nurses do today. This work went on to expand into a few volumes that evaluate nursing in the contemporary western world, of which has largely influenced my academic career as a medical sociologist, aspiring nurse educator, and future doctor of nursing practice. 

The Complexities of Care -- Edited by Siobhan Nelson and Suzanne Gordon // For those that aren’t interested in the 400+ pages of Nursing Against the Odds, I recommend this entry in the same vein. This was a much faster read and focuses on the complicated role of “caring” in the institutionalization of nursing. While the overall political position of the writers tend to be much less radical than my own, this more contemporary entry allows readers alike to better understand the social challenges nurses navigate on a a daily basis. Fun fact: I analyzed half of its content in an academic essay where I examined the politics of care and macrosocial structures in the institution of health for a midterm essay in a medical sociology course. 

The Iron Druid Chronicles -- Kevin Hearne // For fans of urban fantasy. 21-(century)-year-old druid Atticus O’Sullivan manages an occult book store in Tempe, AZ. After centuries of hiding, Atticus’ past eventually catches up with him and then some. The series includes 9 novels, 3 novelas, and several short stories within the universe. I highly recommend the audiobook, which is read by Luke Daniels. The book reads at a YA level, but with a more mature tone due to graphic violence (and occasionally gore) and sexual content. 

The Subtle art of Not Giving a Fuck -- Mark Manson // I like nonfiction, but I’m not a big fan of self-help. Which is why I appreciate this book. The Subtle art of Not Giving a Fuck reads less like a preachy life coach and more like a good friend you asked to convince you to get your shit together and start living your life. 

If you care for more, just use the ask button.

Movie recommendations: 

Thor: Ragnarok // I don’t need to explain how great it is to see Tessa Thompson kicking ass. Also, Taika Waititi’s humor is great. 

Black Panther, dir. Ryan Coogler // It’s not really a secret that I love Ryan Coogler’s work, so when I heard that directing Black Panther, I knew I was going to see the movie multiple times. I saw it three times -- twice in theaters while interning at Disney, once on a cross-country flight back home. 

Enchanted, dir. Kevin Lima // While it isn’t as widely advertised in this iteration of my tumblr, I’m a HUGE Alan Menken fan. I’m an even bigger Disney nerd. Like... I go ALL OUT on Disney. Enchanted is a comedic meta commentary that satirizes the Princess and Renaissance Disney eras in a more lighthearted tale. Featuring Amy Adams (a favorite of mine), Patrick Dempsey (meh), James Marsden, Idina Menzel, Susan Sarandon, and cameos from your favorite Disney Princess voice actors.

TV recommendations: 

Brooklyn Nine-Nine // I’m not generally a big fan of IRL police, but I do appreciate a funny and well-written comedy featuring a diverse ensemble cast. Shout-out to the Nine-Nine for having TWO queer characters of color: Captain Raymond Holt (Andre Braugher) and Detective Rosa Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz). Catch all five seasons on Hulu and season six on NBC (whenever that starts). 

Community // I was recommended this by a friend who has the same comedic sense as I do. While I think the first season was a bit slow, I do appreciate the humor. Donald Glover and Danny Puti were the main reasons why I watched all six seasons (#sixseasonsandamovie). I loved their onscreen chemistry and their character development. 

The Clone Wars // (aka #sixseasonsandamovie: Star Wars Edition) While it may take some adjustment coming from the live-action films, this animated series expands on the events of The Clone Wars. I found this series particularly useful in parsing out the canon and Legends universe because Lucasfilm was in the process of aquisition by Disney throughout the later part of its production. As a child, I appreciated the well-timed humor and sci-fi action. As an adult, I appreciate the subtle themes and narratives posed in a war that relied upon cloned labor. 

Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Last Airbender: The Legend of Korra // UGH JUST LOOK AT THIS MASTERPIECE THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN MORE SERIOUSLY. A:TLA is basically a Chosen One narrative in which our immature hero must rise to the occasion and bring balance to the world by defeating a major imperial power. The Legend of Korra expands on the universe and is set approximately 70 years after the conclusion of A:TLA. While Korra (the heroine) is much farther in her physical journey as the Avatar/Chosen Once, she still has much to learn about the world aroundher and of Republic City. This series focuses more on social and spiritual conflicts in a recently industrialized world. As a viewer, I think Korra is a much needed representation of brown girls in popular media, especially in animation. REALLY I’M JUST HERE FOR THE WORLD BUILDING AND LORE. And honestly, if you’re a writer or even a lover of well-written worlds, check these two series out for great examples of world-building.  Check out creators Mike DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko on tumblr for more of their work!

Music recommendations: 

I have a pretty broad taste in music, so here’s a quick sample of what you’ll find on shuffle when you’re me:

Pay My Rent - DNCE

Trader Sam’s (background music loop for Trader Sam’s Tiki Lounge at both the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, CA and Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort in Orlando, FL)

Shiver Shiver - Walk the Moon

Hard Times - Paramore

Etta James - I’d Rather Be Blind

Christ Stapleton feat. Justin Timberlake - Tennessee Whiskey

Wannabe - Spice Girls

Aquarium, from Camille Saint-Saens’ Carnival of the Animals

Nocturne op. 9 no. 2 by Frederic Chopin (Fun fact: this appears on Bioshock Infinite’s ambient soundtrack and in the following song...)

United States of Eurasia - Muse

We haven’t really gotten into jazz standards or soundtracks either, so /shrug

Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate: Iced cold brew coffee!

Cats or dogs: Dogs if I am not personally responsible for them for more than 48 hours, cats if I am.

I want to live long enough to witness: The end of this bullshit presidential administration, the elimination of undocumented and prison labor, worldwide denuclearization, public beach access for all, institution of universal or single-payer health insurance in the US, the end of my alma mater’s budget crisis

Weird obsessions: Dr. Sandra Lee’s (DrPimplePopper) YouTube Channel, Filipino fusion cuisine, eating raw fish

Tumblr birthday: September 2010, I think. I’ve had my tumblr since high school. 

How many sideblogs: None anymore, but if you’re interested in my academic and professional work, ask me about my pro-blog on Wordpress. 

Random fact about me: I several redundant professional certifications in water rescue and CPR/AED administration.

[ggyppt]

In my 107th review I take a look at The Shannara Chronicles 2x01 “Druid” 

Spoilers Below

The new season of The Shannara Chronicles ends up falling into a weird place on a macro level, feeling much more like a soft reboot of the series than a direct sequel. That in of itself is not an unusual trend for Hollywood these days, but it feels a little off with this only being the second season of the show. It creates this dissonance between expectation and reality that’s a little jarring for the first chunk of the episode. Once you adjust yourself to what this episode is presenting, it ends up becoming a really fun ride.

One of the big things that makes this episode work as well as it does is the characters, both new and old. For the most part, this is a lore and set-up episode that gives us the status quo for us to break as the story continues on.  It also thrust a whole lot of new information and character at us. Most of those characters end up being really strong, the stand out being Mareth (played by Malese Jow from The Vampire Diaries and The Social Network) who brought so much charisma to the generally dower Will. We also get Lyria (Played by Vanessa Morgan from My Babysitter’s a Vampire and Finding Carter), Eretria’s new love interest.

Another one of the thing that I think makes this episode work is how it balances providing information to new viewers and giving little callouts that those who watched season 1 would enjoy. This is especially shown by the nods towards Amberle in this episode, which were handled well.

Finally, I just have to call out is the visuals on this show. It has a very distinct style, especially through the character design and it’s establishing shots. The visuals by themselves immerse you in the world that you are getting into.

The frustrating thing about this episode is that it touches a lot of points, and sets balls rolling, but not in any discernable direction, and with no apparent real heft to them. It’s an enjoyable time, and makes me interested in seeing where they head with this, but it feels like it went nowhere unexpected. 7/10

#ggyppt reviews #spoilers #The Shannara Chronicles