Bought used caad12 frame, on the underside of the top tube there is shallow but long dent, I assume caused by clamping. I can return the frame, which is what I initially planned, but when I look at it now it doesn't look that bad, and I am not sure if this can somehow compromise the frame integrity. Do you think it would be safe to use this frame or I should just return it? It's hard to find caad 10/12 frames in good condition these days.

I'm sure it is not news that vanilla fighters are really bad. Just as a demonstration comparison of Balaur vs Eclipse Vanguard (and Chimera, but that just unfair).
All ships get 2x Torps Mk2, rest is Bolt Repeater Mk2, Arg Shield Mk3, SPL Combat Engine Mk3, SPL Combat Thrusters Mk3. I consider HP as total hull + shield
This comes out to:
Chimera: HP 7511 (0%), Speed 478.2 (0%), Cost 2.3 Mil (0%) + One extra gun
Balaur: HP 6911 (-8%), Speed 475.3 (-0.6%), Cost 1.8 Mil (-21.6%)
Eclipse: HP 6822 (-9.2%), Speed 305.0 (-36.2%), Cost 2.3 Mil (-0.5%)
In what world do these numbers even make sense? Why even bother building any fighters from vanilla game.
I'm just trying to make sense of the what balancing criteria might have been used. I mean, obviously, in semi real scenario number of engines would not make an impact on top speed a fighter in space would reach, just how long it will take there. But it is a game, so lets bend reality a bit.
Assuming ship hull is also it's mass we can come up with this weird number of m/s * Hull / #Engines, which for Chimera in above configuration comes out to 729255. Applying this as a baseline to the other fighters Balaur should be going at 397.8 m/s and Eclipse 364.6 m/s. A Quasar by that metric should be going 857.0 m/s by the way, and Pulsar 1151.1 m/s.
There is literally no sense in how speed is related to the number of engines and mass of the ship in this game.
Since acceleration is a thing in a the game already and maneuverability too, why not just say as a baseline all heavy fighter have like 320 m/s top speed as a baseline at mk 1 and get around 60-70 m/s per additional engine mk. Light fighter can have 350 or so as a baseline. And scout 380. Maybe some +/- 10 m/s variation on those numbers as additional race specific flavor.

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Hi Ladies, this is a short story by me which will help bring some joy to your day.
Mangalore Buns
It was a beautiful day in September, the sun was gentle, the trees were in between the hues of orange and brown and the afternoons were perfect for a nap. Dharma, however, was in the middle of chaos.
He was waiting for the parents of his students to start arriving. It was the dreaded parent-teacher meeting before the biggest festivities of the year began.
Dharma worked in a prominent convent school in Bangalore in South India. He was 26 and taught Chemistry to high school students from grades 8-10. This was his first job and he had been here for a little over a year and was glad that he didn’t have to work for a lesser-known school. He enjoyed the benefits he received like free transportation and low-cost meals at the canteen.
He was a lanky, tall man with dusky skin and delicate almond eyes. He wore grey almost every day to work and liked to keep to himself most of the time. His age almost always worked against him in his work as the senior teachers disregarded his ideas and the head of the department of Chemistry asked him to temper his work constantly.
However, Dharma liked his students. They were his source of entertainment and pride. The boys always had interesting PlayStation games to talk about and the girls loved discussing the latest Netflix shows with him. When any of them exhibited even a remote interest in Chemistry he felt his job had a purpose.
The parents waited in line as Dharma addressed each of them patiently. There were the usual parents he had always encountered. The type who was perpetually unhappy despite their child being in the top 10% of the class, the type who wanted their child to make friends with the top 10% and not hang out with average Joes, the type who was embarrassed by their child’s academic performance and did not want to be at the meeting and lastly, the ones whose solution to everything was tuition classes for all the subjects that matter.
Three hours and several cups of coffee later, he offered a tissue to the last student who was pretending to cry as her mother bombarded her with questions. “She will pass all the subjects in the finals sir, I guarantee it. This girl is too focused on enjoying life” the mother told Dharma as she was leaving. “Don’t worry madam, Anju is going to do well” he responded mentally noting Anju’s mother’s definition of enjoying life was her daughter’s gift for music and the arts.
And then there was one. Yogi was the only student left in class waiting for his mother patiently. She came rushing into the door just as Dharma thought she wouldn’t show.
Ambika Bhat wore a lavender shirt that was dotted with yellow sunflowers with small gold hoop earrings. She was a chubby woman with curly hair and a very expressive face. She had a vibrant personality and a voice that demanded attention.
She apologised profusely for being late. Dharma couldn’t help but notice how lavender was such a beautiful colour on her, he hated lavender in general. He only liked greys and blues. “Did she do something different to her hair?” he wondered as she scanned Yogi’s grades.
“I have already gone through his grades and overall performance online, I came for a discussion” she informed him. They discussed Yogi’s weaknesses in depth when Dharma offered to take tuition classes exclusively for Yogi. “That won’t be necessary Dharma, I have almost finalised a private tutor who can cover Math and Science, he has a Master’s degree from a really good university and teaches at an international school” she declined politely. “This has nothing to do with the past, he is a bright student and because we’ve spent so much time together, I know how to guide him” he protested. “I didn’t question your intentions, I just think this is the best option for him,” she said. “Private tutors are expensive,” he said noticing that she was tapping her foot nervously against the table. “I’ll manage, thanks for your help. Let’s review his performance after the mock exam before the finals” she said ending the conversation. She left the classroom as swiftly as she had entered it, her perfume lingered which took Dharma back in time.
It was a hot day in June when he met Ambika for the first time. It was his first month on the job at the school. She wanted to meet Yogi’s math and science teachers. She was surprised to find a young twenty-something Chemistry teacher talking to her passionately about different academic opportunities for her son.
Within a month, Ambika had Dharma conducting private tuition classes for Yogi at her residence. He understood how Yogi learnt and had a reassuring presence. They met at her place twice a week for two hours. Ambika always ensured Dharma received hot chai and biscuits, she would never let a guest leave her house without them trying her ginger chai. She took it personally when Dharma told her that he was a coffee person and didn’t like her tea.
Dharma, being an introvert, did not attempt to start a conversation with Ambika. He preferred to keep it professional and discuss only school-related issues. Ambika, a busy single working mother, had no time to spare to talk to Dharma after class.
‘There’s nowhere you can be, that isn’t where you’re meant to be’ – John Lenon
Bangalore was notorious for its unpredictable weather, it would rain all day at the drop of a hat. Dharma was just about finished with his session with Yogi when the beginning of the rainfall that could drown you began.
There was nothing much he could do except browse through articles on his phone. Ambika was exhausted after a long day of training for the new employees, she was a Human Resources manager at Amazon.
After what seemed like an hour, Ambika realised that the rain would continue for the next few hours and Dharma could not travel on his bike in such heavy rainfall nor would he be able to get a cab. She decided it would be rude if she didn’t offer him dinner.
Sitting across the dining table, sharing a meal of Sambhar and rice, for the first time in 2 months, they had a conversation about themselves. Yogi was in the living room watching Japanese anime. They chatted about their careers, their favourite restaurants in the city and their families. Ambika’s parents were living in Udupi and visited her often, especially after her difficult divorce to lend support and help take care of Yogi. Dharma lived with his mother, he had lost his father a few years ago.
It was easy to talk to Ambika. She was so talkative and cheerful that the conversation flowed easily for Dharma. They both liked Italian food and she disliked the same senior teachers in school that he did. He was almost disappointed when it was time to leave. He felt like he had a long conversation with his best friend from college.
It rained that entire week and Dharma was stuck at Ambika’s house for many hours after class. They enjoyed long conversations over a bowl of noodles, fried rice and khichdi depending on the day. Ambika shared stories of the funny candidates she had interviewed and the twisted corporate politics that Dharma was not privy to.
When the bout of bad weather had ended, Dharma found himself thinking about Ambika. He was attracted to her in a way he knew was wrong. She was a mother in her early 40s, focused on giving her son the best education she could afford. He could find someone in the same phase of life as him he told himself.
It was Yogi’s 14th birthday and Dharma was invited for a private lunch Ambika had organised with Yogi’s close friends and some of her friends. It was in a gaming arena where a bunch of teenagers were too distracted with virtual reality to care about the adults. Ambika looked radiant in a yellow maxi dress with her curly hair tied up in a bun. He could smell her rose-scented perfume standing next to her.
Ambika’s friends were as extroverted as she was. They tried to include him in the conversation, they shared a delicious lunch and he discovered through them that she used to be a theatre artist for many years as a passion until she had Yogi. ‘That explains her expressive face’ he thought.
When he chanced upon an opportunity to find the famous city theatre RangaShankara hosting folk music he felt no harm in asking Ambika if she wanted to watch it. “I haven’t watched a live performance in years, it’s sweet of you to remember I used to be a theatre artist,” she told him smiling at the thought of being near the stage again.
Several months passed, and Yogi was busy with school, friends and his anime oblivious that his mother had been having evening dates at the ‘darshini’ (a local cuisine restaurant) with his favourite teacher. They often met after her work to grab a bite, she always picked Mangalore buns, a sweet fried bread made from flour and ripe bananas served with coconut chutney. A childhood favourite that originated from her birthplace. “Only this place makes it fresh,” she told Dharma each time.
Yogi’s mother who normally stayed away from romance of any kind after his father had broken her heart was now looking at love differently. She looked at love as companionship, a friendship that she could rely on rather than an all-consuming emotion that could blow up in flames if ignited.
“You are interested in a 40-year-old single woman whose son you teach?! Have you lost your mind?” Dharma’s mother asked him looking stunned at the news her son had just given her. “You can find an equal match, you are out of her league, why would you want to shoulder this kind of responsibility at 26?!” she continued getting visibly angrier at his nonchalant attitude. “So, pretending to like a spouse for 30 years of marriage like you did was not a burden but choosing to like someone who just happens to be unconventional is a burden?” he asked her. “Everyone has different burdens they need to carry in their lives, I could not choose mine, it was forced upon me, but you get to choose and this is not an option,” she told him leaving the room to ensure Dharma did not attempt to convince her.
It took many dinners at her house together after Yogi’s class, theatre performances and darshini dates for Ambika to arrive at the realisation that she was unconsciously building a relationship that could not be defined . He was an intelligent, thoughtful, reliable man whose presence comforted her but he was also very young. Her family and friends would disapprove, they lived in a relatively conservative society. She would be risking her son’s future but most importantly she couldn’t afford to have another broken heart in one lifetime.
It was a hot summer’s day in April, the beginning of summer vacation at the school. 9 months after they had first met. The chutney was sour just like Ambika’s mood. Dharma arrived not wearing grey for the first time hoping she would notice. Ambika had been distant to him for a few weeks, he did not expect this to be the usual chat over filter coffee. He knew that both of them were dealing with conflicting emotions.
“It would be best if we stopped meeting, I will find another tutor for Yogi, I have the entire summer break to look for one,” she said looking sadly into his eyes. “Was it something I did or said?” he asked taken aback by her statement. “None, I took our friendship too far, it’s a relationship we do not need,” she told him looking down at her plate. “Are you worried about what Yogi or your family will think?” he asked her. “I don’t think there’s any point in us spending any more time together. We can focus our efforts elsewhere….sorry but this colour doesn’t suit you” she said trying to finish the last bit of sour chutney. “You don’t have to be an HR all the time, you sound like you are firing someone, we were more than colleagues” he responded to her impersonal way of ending their relationship. There was nothing more to say since they both knew the cards were stacked against them.
He processed his grief quietly, informing his mother that it was over. His mother was relieved and performed a puja to thank God for helping her son choose the right path. Dharma steered clear of eating at any darshini and made his conversation with Yogi only about class despite Yogi’s attempts to digress. Dharma never saw Ambika again until the Parent Teacher Meeting in September.
On some days, Ambika almost sent Dharma messages when she wanted to talk about the bad phase at work she was going through. She accidentally did one day and he responded “we can always share updates, we are still friends”. Dharma found weekends particularly hard to deal with. His friends didn’t possess the type of excitement and passion for life Ambika had when they went out.
In the last 3 years of Yogi’s school life, they saw each other at Parent Teacher Meetings. The conversations were brief, Yogi had become a good student in his subject so he had no complaints. The big day had finally arrived, it was the school graduation day.
He was hoping to see Ambika at Yogi’s graduation. She wore a lavender saree and had let her curly hair flow wild and open, it reflected her mood. She looked proud and happy as she posed with Yogi and her parents for photos.
She looked for Dharma, and she spotted him taking pictures with students and other teachers. He looked handsome in his grey blazer, as he bid farewell to his young students. She almost wanted to ask him to meet her at the darshini after graduation, she came very close.
“Hi…I wanted to thank you for your effort in the last 3 years. You are still Yogi’s favourite teacher and his grades in Science have always been high thanks to your guidance” she told him smiling. “I didn’t do much, he gets the zeal from his mother” he responded as their eyes met. “Will I see you after this?” he asked her afraid of the answer. “I hope so” she responded gently touching his shoulder.
It was a few years later and Dharma’s mother was excited. It was the day they were finalising the menu for Dharma’s wedding. Dharma’s fiancee Niharika, her family, Dharma and his mother were incessantly discussing the dishes. After much deliberation they handed over the final order to the caterer, there was only one dish that the chef felt was out of place on a dinner menu, it was Mangalore buns.

Is anyone else extremely disappointed with the Oculus 2 headset? My son has wanted it for a long time, so we made a deal that if he raised £300 i would pay the rest. And he did, he saved up all his Christmas/birthday money, sold his xbox and some of his good funko pops to get the funds and we bought it for £429. All i can say is what a heap of utter shite! I'm actually shocked at how bad it is and a bit gutted for him tbh. We are jut a normal WC family and that is a lot of money to us. It's been difficult to save the money (especially when a box of Crunchy Nut Cornflakes hit £4.50!) but he stayed true to the cause and saved every penny. Now I'm not a tech genius nor am I a crazy gamer but I have eyes and ears and a head, so this is all purely from an out of pocket, tired 39F mum's perspective (so be nice).

• The headset is so clumpy and heavy and the strap is basically useless (especially if there's more than one person playing). It's constant adjustment to make it fit every time and then it either sits so far up on your head, it risks falling off or down too far it's nipping at your ears. Side mention for the baggy top strap (It's like a multi purpose bra strap, whose sole purpose is to piss you off).
  
• The 3 "adjusting" eye lenses...well unless you're perfectly cockeyed or you're eyes sit at 9 & 3, it will never be right and just make you feel nauseous. Also why make it so you are touching the lenses? Have they seen any child any age near any glass?
  
• The silicone face strap thingy provided with it, comes loose as soon as you remove the headset and makes your face sweat in goggle shape.
  
• The controllers are okay but I suppose comfortability depends on hand size. Also did we not learn from the Wii era not to make the straps white? 2 months in and they resemble that "mixed washed manky grey Y front/bra colour"
  
• The "free" games are terrible and are akin to insert any shitey free app game on ios or google play. The graphics are shocking and for the most part basic, repetitive and boring. Then everything else is a "trial" or "demo" then it's another £15-35 to get the full version of the crap game. Same with fitness etc they all want a monthly subscription to punch a couple of flying discs.
  
• But the biggest issue (imo) is the disgusting language, abuse, racism, bullying in the games and in the metaverse. The "kid friendly" rooms/games are full of grown men hanging about with teenagers and little kids and the things I've heard are pretty shocking (and I'm no prude...heard/seen it all). This isn't your average COD/Fortnite banter and swearing but this is a new level of disgusting.
  

Now I get kids will be kids (I have been one and I have one). They will always get carried away playing games and are annoying AF singing or repeating YouTube memes over and over and over again. Then 9/10 they will always start argee bargee'n about who's party leader, who's played the game longest etc and start shrieking and swearing...i get it...it's the passion!
Also, kids have always and will continue to play "adult" games before they reach the"recommended age" - listen, I knew that "nobody puts baby in a corner" at 9 yo, so the rules don't change, just the content. But I cannot get my head around why a grown man would want to play a game of VR tag on a Friday night, with a bunch of kids looking like a Gorilla. Then use really shocking language, bully/harass/ racially abuse them? Then laugh or double down when confronted about it by another adult? The most typical justification being the same as your average nonce, the old, "well the website says you need to be 13+ to use the oculus, so they shouldn't be here" so what, that would be okay if they were all 13 then? Which is still a child! and your a 42 yo man who's in a pancake flipping competition with 6 kids, calling them the N word and asking them things like "are your mum and dad together or are you a little bastard?". Who does this? And they aren't "trolling" for a giggle, these are creeps and unhinged freaks. It's not just one or two either, it's a large percentage of the people in the room. There's something really wrong with these types of people. Sitting alone on a night with a headset on, hanging about with little kids saying sexual and disgusting shit to them! And it's been all men i have heard. (I'm not a man hater, nor a feminist, I love the normal gamer banter and don't mind the boytalk at all) but this is not that! Not in my experience anyway, even some of the worse stuff I've seen/heard is nothing like this. This is intentional and targeted at kids. Also I would understand if you were allowing your kids to play games that were targeted at adults, then it's obvious they shouldn't be there and anything they hear will be 18+ but these are silly kids/young teen games, targeted towards children under 18. So why would adults be paying tag or hide and seek with kids to then say these things? I'm not talking about parents playing along either.

• The kids are mostly horrible to one another too, they don't want to have fun or team up they are just little cretins out to bully the kids and say anything with a bit of shock value. Any kids asking genuine questions about the game or asking to play are just insulted straight off the bat and harassed or ignored till they leave. The only way to stop it is to mute them and they're all screaming at once so who knows what one is the wee prick...they all are! So you then mute your mic and turn sound down and then what's the point of it?

It may well "bring people together" but (imo) it is a magnet for the worst type of people and the anonymity aspect and the difficulty in reporting/blocking people, just means all the good people give up and are muted or playing with their own group of people and you're left with the swamp creatures...a bit like OLD in your 30s!
So overall I'm counting down the days till said child is bored of hearing Macklemore singing Thrift Shop for the 8th time, whilst watching some creepy bloke in the corner rubbing his avatar's thighs or being told to GTF for the 10th time, just for asking how to shrink his gorilla! Then we can sell it and make it some other person's expensive mistake!

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Mypaynow are running a promo where you get a $50 bonus when you sign up and cash out. You just have to sign up and cash out $50, you'll get the bonus $50 on top of that so $100 into your bank account. On your next payday you'll repay the $50 plus the 5% fee so $52.50 which will leave you $47.50 profit. You can also earn $50 every time you refer someone so get your whole family onto it like I did haha. Feel free to share your links in the comments after you sign up to pass it on.
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Hey all, I posted before about a homebrewed One-Shot I want to run for my party. Like I said there I'm a fairly new DM with just LMoP under my belt.
I wanted to run the False Hydra after watching Dungeon Dad's video on it. But I thought I'd take what I have to the more experienced DMs here to see what I can improve and add to make it a great session.
Someone told me that most people wouldn't click a Google doc link so I'm just gonna post all my notes here, sorry if it's a little long. I appreciate any feedback I get, thanks to all of you.
​
Set Up
The small town of Windwick is being attacked by a False Hydra. Using its song to mask its presence from viewers and erase the memories of its victims. The former leader of The Basilisks smuggled it in and left it in the sewers when he knew he’d been caught.
The party have been adventuring together for awhile and Windwick was where they based themselves early in their career. The once crime ridden town is now proposing thanks to them after they destroyed The Basilisks. They also became fairly close to the mayor and his family.
Now after having long moved on, they receive a letter from the mayor inviting them to the town’s Centennial Festival, but with a concerning message scrawled at the bottom.
Part One: Entering Windwick
Have the party make DC 15 Wisdom saving throw -2d4 to fall under the Hydra’s song.
Windwick is a small town housing just over 2,000 people. Its streets are dark cobblestone and the houses are sturdy and stark. The small gaps between the buildings create shadowy alleys that the soft light of the gas lamps that line the streets cannot reach.
Many have already been eaten by the Hydra, the mayor’s wife included.
The town is lively in preparation for the festival the next day. Setting up stalls, building stages, and generally keeping busy.
Uponing entering the town the party will be given a hero’s welcome. Most people will know their name and be ecstatic to see them. But a character with a Passive Perception of 13 or higher will notice that many of the citizens are exhausted but working like normal.
The mayor’s manor is at the very end of the main road. It is a tall two story Victorian style home. The interior is cozy with thick throw rugs covering the hardwood and a crackling fire in the stone fireplace.
Reynard Beltran is a 53 year old human male. The top of his head has long been bald with only a ring of white hair around his head. His face is round, his mustache is bushy, and his round spectacles don’t quite fit his face. He’s a genial and earnest man. A kindly grandfather type.
He is overjoyed to see the party and greets them warmly. If the party addresses the letter and or show it to him, he will deny having written the last message and chalk it up to a prank on the part of the messenger.
If the party notices that the mayor’s wife, Elenore, is missing and asks the mayor about her, he will be very confused. He will claim that he’s never been married and doesn’t know anyone by that name. If it’s pointed out that her name is in the letter, he will be confused for a moment before claiming it says his daughter, Elise’s name.
Further questioning will only confuse him further, as he truly doesn’t remember her. He invites the party to stay in the manor free of charge.
The party may begin investigating now here are some approaches and outcomes.

• If the players ask around about anything strange going on in town they will be told that the sewers haven’t been cleaned in weeks, and that they need to fire someone to do it. Either asking or rolling a DC 10 Persuasion check will get an NPC to tell them that despite having no trouble sleeping, they’re tired all the time.
• Investigating the mayor’s home will give this information. A DC 10 Investigation check would make it clear that a woman used to live in this home. A DC 18 check will reveal drops of dried blood on the mayor’s writing desk (showing it is his blood on the letter). And a DC 20 check will reveal a spot of dried blood, torn grass, and ripped cloth in the front yard. A DC 13 Survival check follows the tracks out of the garden and further into the city.
• Nature/Survival/Arcana Checks to identify what could do this starts at DC 40 and lowers by 5 for every piece of evidence the party gathers.
• A DC 20 Survival/Investigation check will find scratches and dried blood all over the town.

That night, as the party is bedding down is when their secret member will go out for his nightly stroll. That is when he is attacked and killed by the Hydra. Have the party roll a Perception Check (Disadvantage for those asleep); 15 to hear the screams, 20 to know the general location, 25 to know exactly where.
If the party inspects the area at any point a DC 15 Investigation check will find the dry blood and a message hastily carved into the stone street that reads Beware its Song from Below (Finding this evidence reduces the DC to identify the Hydra by 10).
Part 2: The Festival
The PCs have forgotten Elenore come morning but still aren’t charmed enough to not think anything is wrong. But if they bring Elenore up, inform them that they can no longer remember her.
The main street through the town is lined with stalls and games, people are milling about and children run in excitement.
As soon as the party hits the streets in the morning they’ll meet a young artist they’d met the last time they were here that painted a portrait of the town’s heroes. The artist is extremely excited and asks the party to let him go get the portrait and give it to them.
There are food stalls and games. Allow the players to explore the festival before bells are rung to signify the mayor’s opening speech.
“Welcome, welcome all who have joined me on this auspicious day. It warms my heart to see so many people gathered here to celebrate this town’s 100th year, whether you be citizen, visitor, or hero. Yes I’m sure you are all aware that our town’s own heroes have chosen to join us. Please, come stand beside me my friends.”
Any PC that chooses to join the mayor on stage will be met with applause.
“Many months ago, our town was dying. The buildings were falling apart, the water was unclean, and the streets were dangerous. The Basilisks were a parasite infecting us, but these heroes saved us and destroyed those cowards once and for a-”
During the mayor’s speech the last remnants of the Basilisks have been getting into position to assassinate him. 2 stand on nearby rooftops with Heavy Crossbows while 8 more stand in the crowd, ready to rush the stage. If unnoticed, this is when they will strike.
A DC 20 Perception check is required to spot the criminals, the DC is lowered to 15 if the PC is on the stage. Whenever the PCs or Basilisks take action, combat begins.
This combat is not meant to be deadly, only to add some action and wake the players up.
If possible, one of the last enemies should flee when things become hopeless, in hopes one or more PCs follow. If only a single PC follows then they will come across one of the Hydra’s heads devouring the gang member. Initiative should be rolled and the Hydra’s first action will be to restart it’s song and wipe itself from the players memory. This scene should take place in private.
If multiple follow then they will only corner the gang member who will give up if cornered.
If the PCs capture the fleeing gangster or leave any others alive and choose to interrogate them about the strange events in the town with a successful DC 15/Intimidation/DC 20 Persuasion check they will tell them that they’re boss was into smuggling and had some weird kinda monster. When things looked bad for the gang, the boss left the creature in the sewers to get back at the town.
Prompt a Nature/Survival/Arcana check with a DC dependent on how much information they’ve gathered.
At this point the party should at least know the danger is in the sewers even if they don’t know it is a False Hydra. Before they prepare to confront it however, the artist from before finds them and gives them the portrait. But in the painting is a figure that none of them recognize standing with them. This is their member that was killed the night before.
Have the party make DC 20 Wisdom Saving Throws, on a success memories of their friend come back to them and the knowledge of the death as well. This will lower the DC for identifying the Hydra by another 10 and prompt a check.
Part 3: Facing the Hydra
When the PCs enter the sewer it smells truly awful. Backed up sewage and rotten meat mix together in a terrible scent.
A DC 13 Survival check is enough to follow scratches and blood smears to the Hydra, otherwise traveling aimlessly for a handful of hours will have the same result.
The 3 headed Hydra is currently eating its latest bounty so the party gets their first view of the monster. Its skin is sallow and stark white, so thin you can see the thick, pulsing blue veins under the clammy surface. Its body is a bulbous, misshapen mass All 3 sets of eyes are pitch black and full of malice. Its mouths are too long and wide, and have too many teeth. The teeth themselves are all incisors, not meant for tearing meat, which makes it all the crueler when they see it using them to devour flesh.
If the party is sneaking contest a Stealth vs. Perception check. No matter how combat begins, the creature will attempt to affect the party with its Blind Song while viciously attacking whoever is closest.
Every 100 lost hit points will kill one of the heads and the Hydra will immediately shift focus to regrow it. After the first head dies, it will focus on killing rather than evading the party. And when reduced below 70 HP, it will try to flee.
Part 4: Epilogue
If the party failed to kill the Hydra and let it get away, narrate how the party hurried to track down the monster. Finding bodies and destroyed towns along its path in their hunt.
If the party is killed by the Hydra, narrate how the whole of Windwick forgot their heroes that day. The monster continued to feed on the town until it grew so huge and powerful it was able to pull all left in the town under its thrall. It forced them to pull it from the sewers and carry it to another source of food.
If the party defeats the Hydra, narrate how the party slay the beast and bring evidence back to the people of Windwick. Without the enchanting song of the Hydra, the memories of those lost and visions of the horrid monster returned to the people. They were the heroes of Windwick once again, though their adventure this time had a bittersweet ending.

Hi everyone,
Our upcoming Tuesday morning meeting will be on Tuesday, April 4, from 12 pm to 1 pm ET, on Zoom. Login information below.
The theme of the meeting is: Our experiences with autism and family dysfunction
TIME ZONE INFO: The meeting takes place at 9:00 am Pacific US time 10 am US Mountain time 11 am Central US time 12 pm Eastern US time 5 pm UK-Ireland time 6 pm Central European time 2 am (Wednesday) in Sydney, Australia
Read on for information about the meeting format, discussion questions, Zoom login info, and FAQ.
If you would like to receive optional weekly email notifications about upcoming meetings, topics, and share questions, you can sign up at autisticwomensgroup (dot) com. You will receive one email each Sunday. Unsubscribe any time.
Hope to see you at the meeting!
Annie

Zoom information

Alas, Reddit is no longer letting me put the Zoom link in this event post. No worries though, you can find the Zoom link in any of three ways:

• Click the Zoom icon in the subreddit sidebar of autisticwomensgroup when it's time to join the meeting
• Visit autisticwomensgroup (dot) com to find the Zoom link on the top half of the page. We use the same link every week.
• Login to Zoom and search the Meeting ID: 834 8589 7435 and use the Passcode: autism

Contact me directly by chat or direct message to u/annie_m_m_m_m if you have trouble connecting. I will personally send you a link and make sure you get in.

Meeting format

The purpose of this meeting is to allow autistic women to share on our own experiences as we understand them. We come from a range of backgrounds and have many different ways of understanding and speaking about autism. When we join this meeting, we may hear others describing their own experience in different terms from what we would have used ourselves. But by taking part in the meeting, we agree to respect others' understanding as it stands today. And we can expect our own experience to be treated with the same respect. Rather than making it our business to change others' perceptions of their own lives and experiences, we agree to listen to each other where we are right now. We follow the motto, "Take what you like, and leave the rest."
The meeting will be guided with a slide show, with space for members of the group to share their personal experiences in response to discussion questions.
Opening: Reading the declaration of group purpose and ground rules for respecting others' shares and experience
Main reading: Anonymous shares from autisticwomensgroup members. At this time, shares are still being collected. Check back before the meeting to see this week's shares.
Have a share on this week's topic? DM annie_m_m_m_m 4-6 sentences. It will be compiled into this week's group reading document and read anonymously at the meeting. Feel free to use a throwaway account for added anonymity.
Sharing on the following questions:

• Share period I (to about 35 min past the hour): Does autism have a relation to any kind of dysfunction within your family? Please describe. (Example: Previously unrecognized autism in one or more family members contributing to trauma/shared harmful coping habits?) Has autism awareness grown in your family since you discovered you are autistic? If so, has it helped the dysfunction at all? Please describe. Has your relationship with the family dysfunction changed since you learned you are autistic? Has learning about autism changed the way you understand your family dynamics? In the present generation? Intergenerationally? Anything else to add?
• Share period II (to about 57 min past the hour): Continue shares from Period I, and/or share on the question, "How’s your week going? Any struggles, triumphs, or other experiences to share relating to autism?"

Closing: Reading the group affirmation

FAQ

Does my camera/mic have to be on?
You don't have to turn your camera or mic on! Please participate in the way that makes you feel most comfortable. For some, this will mean sharing with the camera off, sharing by writing in the chat, or not sharing at all but just listening. It's all good.
Do I have to read the materials beforehand?
You do not have to read the materials beforehand, though of course you can. Everything you need in order to participate in the meeting will be provided within the meeting itself.
Do I have to use my real name or share my contact info?
You don't have to use your real name or share your contact info, although you can if you want to. We respect everyone's privacy and ask that people only share what they feel comfortable with.
Do I have to stay for the whole meeting?
You only have to stay as long as you can/would like to. You can leave at any time with no judgment from others.
Do I have to come to every meeting?
You do not have to come to every meeting. You can be a full member of the group and come whenever you have time/feel like it.
Will people be telling me what to do? Will I be expected to solve anyone else's problems?
No one will be telling you what to do. You will not be expected to solve anyone else's problems. In this meeting, we share on our own experiences only. And we listen respectfully to other people's experiences, with no other response than to thank them for sharing what they have experienced in the world.
What if I am looking for feedback/advice?
Members who would like to look for or give feedback/advice are encouraged to exchange contact info for conversation, support, and friendship outside the meeting.

[ Editing: Fixing formatting now ]
How it's done:
I wrote a program and it's not working like I expect. I have the following source:
cat /tmp/x.c ```attribute((naked)) int add(int a, int b) { asm ("addw a0, a0, a1 # return sum of arguments"); asm ("ret") }
attribute((naked)) void _start(void) { asm ("addi x29, x0, 5 # Add 5 and 0, and store the value to x29."); asm ("j _start"); } ```
My program builds cleanly and without errors:
riscv64-unknown-elf-gcc -Wall --verbose-asm -O -nostartfiles -nostdlib -c /tmp/x.c -S -o foo.s && cat foo.s ``` .file "x.c" .option nopic .attribute arch, "rv64i2p0_m2p0_a2p0_f2p0_d2p0_c2p0" .attribute unaligned_access, 0 .attribute stack_align, 16

GNU C17 (g2ee5e430018-dirty) version 12.2.0 (riscv64-unknown-elf)

compiled by GNU C version Apple LLVM 12.0.0 (clang-1200.0.32.29), GMP version 6.2.1, MPFR version 4.1.0, MPC version 1.2.1, isl version isl-0.25-GMP

warning: MPFR header version 4.1.0 differs from library version 4.1.0-p13.

GGC heuristics: --param ggc-min-expand=100 --param ggc-min-heapsize=131072

options passed: -mtune=rocket -mabi=lp64d -misa-spec=2.2 -march=rv64imafdc -O

 .text .align 1 .globl add .type add, @function 

add:

/tmp/x.c:3: asm ("addw a0, a0, a1 # return sum of arguments");

#APP

3 "/tmp/x.c" 1

 addw a0, a0, a1 # return sum of arguments 

0 "" 2

/tmp/x.c:4: asm ("ret");

4 "/tmp/x.c" 1

 ret 

0 "" 2

/tmp/x.c:5: }

#NO_APP .size add, .-add .align 1 .globl _start .type _start, @function _start:

/tmp/x.c:8: asm ("addi x29, x0, 5 # Add 5 and 0, and store the value to x29.");

#APP

8 "/tmp/x.c" 1

 addi x29, x0, 5 # Add 5 and 0, and store the value to x29. 

0 "" 2

/tmp/x.c:9: asm ("j _start");

9 "/tmp/x.c" 1

 j _start 

0 "" 2

/tmp/x.c:10: }

#NO_APP .size _start, .-_start .ident "GCC: (g2ee5e430018-dirty) 12.2.0" ``
When I look in the generated executable, I see that it's not mangled by the firmware uploader, and the opcode stream matches what I expect:
% riscv64-unknown-elf-gcc --verbose-asm -O -nostartfiles -nostdlib -c /tmp/x.c -o foo && riscv64-unknown-elf-objdump --disassemble foo
``` foo: file format elf64-littleriscv
Disassembly of section .text:
0000000000000000 : 0: 9d2d addw a0,a0,a1 2: 8082 ret
0000000000000004 <_start>: 4: 4e95 li t4,5 6: bffd j 4 <_start> ```
My GNU toolchain successfully creates other executables and is sourced from the trusted GNU homebrew project at https://github.com/riscv-software-src/homebrew-riscv and was updated yesterday. The affected versions are:
% riscv64-unknown-elf-gcc --version && riscv64-unknown-elf-objdump --version ; ``` riscv64-unknown-elf-gcc (g2ee5e430018-dirty) 12.2.0
Copyright (C) 2022 Free Software Foundation, Inc. This is free software; see the source for copying conditions. There is NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
GNU objdump (GNU Binutils) 2.39 Copyright (C) 2022 Free Software Foundation, Inc. This program is free software; you may redistribute it under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 3 or (at your option) any later version. This program has absolutely no warranty. ```
When I load this onto my Sipeed MAIX Bit K210, I already have my Segger Mini attached, so I can run GDB and have used this combination (cabling is finicky, yo!) to debug other programs. I expect to be be able to see a '5' in register t4 for infinity. Instead, I get an invalid exception. I haven't decoded the m_cause register to figure out why yet, but the debugger shows m_epc at 0x89437AB3 and that's not even close to where I loaded my program.
Can ne1 recommend a less buggy compiler?
OK, this is over the top, but not by a lot. It's also clearly deriving from recent topics here. There are several key points.
This is a group about a processor architecture, not a specific chip running on specific hardware with a specific operating system built in a homogeneous, reproducible way. It's very possible that we have half as many combinations of those things as we do developers in this crowd.
First, we provide the entire source code needed to reproduce the observed problem. (Yes, this one is comically short.) Nobody wants to debug your 900 KLOC program, but if you can reduce it to a hundred lines that always does something weird and can contain it here or on a github repo or something, the odds of getting extra eyes goes WAY up. So there's all the source code.
We've given the steps to build this source and turn it into the executable. Again, nobody wants to debug your 10,000 line diving make monstrosity and then have to come beg you for the contents of $(LD), $(LDFLAGS) and foo.ld. Everything is right here.
We've availed ourselves of letting the tools help us. -Wall will tell you if you're doing unnatural things with floats vs. ints or int pointers vs. char pointers (hint: ou really can't cast between them willy-nilly). They won't find everything, but -Wall will find that missing prototype that'll bust your program returning a 32-bit int when the declaration actually returns a 64-bit value and other things. Use -Wall, even on embedded.
We've looked at the generated code. This also confirms we're using the compiler we think we're using (you can't imagine how many bin/riscv*-gcc executables I have - all different) and the flags that were actually used during the build. Importantly, it shows the arch we're building for. If we hadn't turned off the linker invocation, this stage would show us the linker call, which would contain hints on libraries used which might point to building some code with a Linux ABI and some with an embedded ABI or some built with RV64E and some with RV64G or a mismatched float truth or whatever.
Since we're crashing early, it's wise to not only check what we put INTO the binary, but what's actually IN the binary. So we disassemble the whole thing - again, showing all commands sed - and confirm it's sane. How buggy can a 4 opcode program be anyway?
This program may very well work as expected in QEMU, but fail on the target board. I'm not saying why...the actual bug here is not the point. The point is that it's important to spell out ALL the steps used to generate the executable and reproduce it.
Make it easy for your readers to help you. Don't antagonize - the help you need may come from a contributor to the program you're using. Don't make them deduce or guess what libc you're using or where your compiler came from or what flags it was built with. Don't make them decode T9 "leet speak". All these steps are error-prone and increase work and frustration for everyone. RISC-V scales from $1.50 (yes, really) development boards boards with $.10 SoCs on them up to multi-core, server-worthy behemoths with dozen stage pipelines. We all talk about our systems with different assumptions, so be sure you've stated as many of your assumptions as possible. Debugging a Linux app on a Mango Pi is completely different than debugging a GPIO wiggler on a CH32V003 or BL702.
Don't be a jerk. Coming in with fists swinging about Itanium being better and compilers being buggy and your cat hating you don't really advance the conversation. Any or all of those things may be true, but it doesn't make the conversation very much fun.
Ideally, drop a complete reproduction case into GitHub or a file sharing site. (Personally, I will click on a GH View Source over a "download random file from Megaupload every time.) A test case should be buildable and runnable. Provide a short script to build, execute, and debug your app so the helper can "see" what you see.
Hopefully, adhering to these basic guidelines (and there might be more good ones...) will help increase the quality of the discourse here. Regardless of your experience level or background, these basic tips should help you ask better questions, which increases the odds of you getting better help and thus, get you better answers.
Enjoy. (And if you immediately spot the bug in this app, please keep it on the down-low for a while so others have a chance to work through the "obvious" not being that at all.)

Hey peeps
I haven’t been around much since selling my case study site, but I’m sure some of you will remember me and I’ve kept in touch with a bunch of you. :)
The title isn’t clickbait; over the last year, I’ve sold all of my websites and started a couple of YouTube channels.
The message behind ‘Just Start’ couldn’t be more apropos, too. I’ve wanted to start YouTube channels for years but kept making excuses and putting it off.
To be fair to myself, I didn’t have a lot of time while I was running a few blogs, especially because I always do everything myself and don’t outsource anything (still lame excuses).
Anyways, I’ve finally started a couple of channels and I’ll post updates here as I grow them if there is some interest.

Here’s Why I’ve Transitioned to YouTube

I’ll say off the top that I didn’t sell up in a hurry and switch to YouTube due to ChatGPT and other AI tools changing the face of blogging - but it did help with the decision.
But I won’t go into that here, this is about growing a YouTube business.
Some of the reasons why I’ve wanted to get into YouTube for a while are:

• Video, especially shorter format videos have been growing in popularity for years
• There are loads more barriers to entry than blogging; I’m hoping this stops copycats and people from quickly duplicating my stuff which happened a lot with my blogs
• I like the viral aspect of video and how YouTube ‘should’ reward good content based on likes and good engagement rather than shady tactics like blogs
• It just feels a lot more flexible than blogging to me with more room to be creative and I’m tired of writing thousands of words a day to be honest

Another reason why I sold my blogs was that it enabled me to hit some personal financial goals.
I was always going to sell up when I could make enough money to never have to work a ‘job’ again or worry about paying the bills - so I did.
As a result, I only ‘work’ 2-3 days a week now on this YouTube stuff. I’m able to spend most of my time with my family and doing my hobbies, which means the world to me.
So progress on these channels might be a little slow, but we shall see.

I’m Making Faceless Videos - Here’s What That Means and Why

I’m only going to be making faceless videos, which as the word ‘faceless’ suggests - I won’t be showing my face.
There is nothing wrong with this, and it doesn’t mean the quality has to suffer. In fact, the majority of channels I watch are faceless and it’s perfect for a lot of niches.
There are successful faceless channels in just about every niche from health, to finance, teaching, and more, but some are better suited than others.
What does seem to get a bad rap is ‘YouTube Faceless Automation’.
This is that scammy stuff, like ‘Earn $10k a day without doing anything’, or ‘Earn $10k a day uploading thunderstorm sound bites’ all the fake guru's push saying all you have to do is pay for a script, then a voice-over, then an editor, and print money.
The reason I’m making faceless videos is because I don’t want to put myself out there, yeh, but also because I want the process of making videos to be a lot quicker and not to brand the channel around me.

Costs

Anyone who followed along with my blogging journey will know that I don't like spending money, and I intend to keep expenses low on my YouTube business as well.
My main cost has been a microphone. I spent about £220 on a Shure MV7 that was recommended to me by more than one person.
But in all honesty, it's been a nightmare. I've spent at least 5 hours messing about with the settings and troubleshooting stuff on forums and I still do not like how it sounds.
I've got all the settings cranked up to max and I think it's still too quiet. It also seems to auto-fade in and out when it feels like it, and outright cuts out in spots.
This means I have to keep chopping at my audio and rerecording bits and it’s obvious when listening through that the volume and sound of my voice keep changing.
I don’t have a great voice for audio anyway, which is why I wanted to try and compensate with a good-quality microphone. Maybe it’s just practice.
I see people recording videos with a $20 mic that sounds better, so if you’re on a budget I would get started with a cheaper option.
At this point, I don't want to pay for voice-overs, and there is a grey area around AI voices and whether or not it affects YouTube monetization and engagement so I’m going to keep doing the voiceovers myself.
Outside of the microphone, I'm using my iPhone to record footage and paying £18 a month for editing software with a stock library built-in.

Avoiding Copyright Issues

If you want to try and get an ‘easy win’ with YouTube, you could follow the crowd and start an Elon Musk Channel chopping up his interviews, a motivational channel using the same clips of motivational speakers everyone else is using, or one of those ‘best of’ channels cutting up the ‘Top 10 shocking moments’ from TV shows.
But the problem with all the channels like that is that you’re using footage owned by someone else.
If you hang around in some of the YT subreddits, copyright strikes and issues are one of the most popular topics.
It appears that a lot of people find a way around it by using clips shorter than 5 seconds, distorting or flipping the footage, replacing the audio, or just seem to go under the radar.
I’m not going to risk any of that.
Being denied monetization when hitting 1k subs, losing monetization on a successful channel, and getting strikes against a channel…these are all real things that can happen when you use footage owned by someone else without their permission.
I don’t want to risk my channel or revenue, so I’m not going to use any footage that I either didn’t record myself or isn’t from a stock library I paid for.
It sucks at times, I’ve done some videos where I’m talking about a clip from another video and could really use showing an example; but better safe than sorry.

The Goal - Getting into Youtube’s Partner Program and Monetized

The goal is to get a channel into YouTube’s Partner Program so they turn AdSense on and I start earning money!
The requirements to do this are:

• 1. Get 1,000 subscribers with 4,000 valid public watch hours in the last 12 months, or
• 2. Get 1,000 subscribers with 10 million valid public Shorts views in the last 90 days.

It’s nice to have a clear goal, and how hard can either of those be anyway, right?
🙂

Channel #1

I started my first channel as a way to practice and learn how to create videos, upload them to YouTube, and test some SEO things.
It’s in a classic faceless niche where most channels are literally just someone reading stuff out with a static image on the screen; think poems, quotes, short stories, etc.
It’s a channel I’m using to test stuff and practice, but I feel like I’m bringing some added value to what a lot of successful channels are doing so I’m going to try and take it all the way to 1k subs.
I’m basically writing scripts around keywords and titles I think people will find interesting and click on when YouTube recommends my videos to them, then I’m using stock footage and images.
I’m doing some SEO-focused stuff based on Google search volume, but don’t have a reliable way of checking the SERPs within YT at the moment.

Channel #2

This channel is very different, I’m going out and filming all the footage for this channel. It’s basically me exploring stuff around the UK that I think (hope) people will find interesting.
There are loads of successful channels where people just walk around, drive, film monuments and other features, etc, so I’m trying to tap into that general niche.
Some of these channels even do well without even filming anything themselves!
I’ve seen some channels just using stock footage that isn’t even the areas they’re talking about or taking images from Google Earth and growing to tens of thousands of subs.
I’m trying to add value by incorporating stats and facts about areas, using elements and popups on the screen, and editing it a little more dynamically than most people do.
I’m also hoping to get an advantage by studying YouTube’s algorithm and optimizing my videos better for search and discovery than most channels do.
I don’t have a problem sharing this channel once it has a bunch of videos and is something I’m proud of.
Like I said above, it’s not like someone can go out and film all the same stuff as me and copy my ideas, so it would be nice to get some feedback on it down the line.

Stats for My Channels

Here are my channel stats:
​

Channel	Date Started	#Videos	#Shorts	#Views	#Subs	#Watch time (hrs)
1	15/02/23	21	1	3,513	39	109.7
2	11/03/23	6	3	2,298	42	75.1

What’s Next

Well, I took the biggest step which was starting and I’m already loving the process of recording, editing, and creating videos – so it’s full steam ahead.
Two months ago I’d never edited a piece of footage and could barely put a header image together on Canva, it’s been a steep learning curve!
The good thing is that if I can pull this off and make it profitable, anyone can. ;)
If anyone has any tips or advice, don’t be shy about sharing it and I’m sure I could use it.
I’ll drop back in with an update in a month or two if I’m starting to get some traction or have anything useful to add.

Hey folks, I am trying to understand how much my pension contribution will actually be after government top-ups, and also how tax benefits work.
Situation: Salary -- £115,000
Bonus -- £15,000
My employer pension is NEST relief at source and 3% on between £6,240-£50,270.
Scottish income tax payer. Vanguard SIPP just opened.
I have used the calulcator here and based on a £10,000 pension contribution, the government adds 20% to make £12,500.
It then says I can claim back £4,191 ("real" cost of £5,809 to get the £12,500) and that's where I get confused.
Do I just add this £10K as a private pension contribution in my self assessment? If so, how is the claim back made - do I pay less tax through the tax code or are you sent it in a lump?
Assuming I'm OK with the "real" cost being the original £10,000 contribution (and therefore get the benefit of a greater government addition, albeit at same 20%). This would require a payment of approx £18,700 according to the calculator. To make sure I understand this correctly, I basically need to fund the whole contribution up front (d'uh) and then get the £8,704 back from HMRC?
Hopefully not too many dumb questions -- this is very new to me and any sense checking or guidance is much appreciated!