Harbinger of Doom
@brandesstoddard.bsky.social
Early 21st century game designer, freelancer writer, stay-at-home dad. I talk about #DnD and other games. He/him.
Reposted by Harbinger of Doom
Reposted by Harbinger of Doom
Good old ocean, making up crazy monsters faster than any ttrpg bestiary.
Scale up that death sponge and put it on land and that's totally a #Numenera monster.
Scale up that death sponge and put it on land and that's totally a #Numenera monster.
A 35-day deep-sea expedition in the Southern Ocean has uncovered 30 new species: from a carnivorous “death-ball” sponge to iridescent armoured worms, black corals and even the first-ever live footage of a colossal squid in its natural habitat. buff.ly/9uVWJvN
#ShareGoodNewsToo
#ShareGoodNewsToo
Armored worms and death-ball sponges among array of life newly documented from the deep sea
In the darkness of the deep ocean, where pressure crushes and light fails, an expedition has found an astonishing array of life, including a carnivorous “death-ball” sponge (from the genus…
buff.ly
November 24, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Good old ocean, making up crazy monsters faster than any ttrpg bestiary.
Scale up that death sponge and put it on land and that's totally a #Numenera monster.
Scale up that death sponge and put it on land and that's totally a #Numenera monster.
Reposted by Harbinger of Doom
A great story about Pete Seeger (an American folk singer, songwriter, and social activist) cleverly outwitting fascists.
November 24, 2023 at 7:51 PM
A great story about Pete Seeger (an American folk singer, songwriter, and social activist) cleverly outwitting fascists.
I was there, Charlie Brown. I was there three thousand years ago, when the strength of Men failed!
You came in that? You’re braver than I thought, Charlie Brown.
Forget about it Jake, it’s Chinatown, Charlie Brown.
November 24, 2025 at 4:14 AM
I was there, Charlie Brown. I was there three thousand years ago, when the strength of Men failed!
Atlanta folks, the Alliance Theater staging of A Christmas Carol is really, really wonderful. Do recommend.
November 23, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Atlanta folks, the Alliance Theater staging of A Christmas Carol is really, really wonderful. Do recommend.
@sayyadina.bsky.social, my darling wife instructs me that you need to see this.
Brandy you're a fine girl
What a good wife you would be
But my life my love and my lady
Is the See
What a good wife you would be
But my life my love and my lady
Is the See
November 23, 2025 at 4:01 AM
@sayyadina.bsky.social, my darling wife instructs me that you need to see this.
The ranger that leveled to 15th is now the highest-level character in any D&D game I have ever run, in 32 years of DMing.
I’ve had several games make it to 14th, then have to end for one reason or another. Feels great to break that record while launching into a new major villain.
I’ve had several games make it to 14th, then have to end for one reason or another. Feels great to break that record while launching into a new major villain.
Today's roster:
14th-level Fey Wanderer ranger*
3rd-level Forge cleric/10th-level Diviner wizard*
10th-level Vengeance paladin
9th-level Evoker wizard
8th-level Arcana cleric*
8th-level Champion fighter
7th-level Claw witch*
* gained a level
14th-level Fey Wanderer ranger*
3rd-level Forge cleric/10th-level Diviner wizard*
10th-level Vengeance paladin
9th-level Evoker wizard
8th-level Arcana cleric*
8th-level Champion fighter
7th-level Claw witch*
* gained a level
November 23, 2025 at 12:56 AM
The ranger that leveled to 15th is now the highest-level character in any D&D game I have ever run, in 32 years of DMing.
I’ve had several games make it to 14th, then have to end for one reason or another. Feels great to break that record while launching into a new major villain.
I’ve had several games make it to 14th, then have to end for one reason or another. Feels great to break that record while launching into a new major villain.
Aurikesh Session 170: Where Four Dragons Meet
The session starts with the witch still among her own people, up in the mountains (from session 168). She knows that a truly vast black dragon has woken nearby, but not what to do about that or what the dragon might want.
The session starts with the witch still among her own people, up in the mountains (from session 168). She knows that a truly vast black dragon has woken nearby, but not what to do about that or what the dragon might want.
Aurikesh Session 169: A Fallen Tower
In this online session the PCs used their fast travel artifact, Gravestone, to travel from their home city to a graveyard that is a week or two away, in the hinterlands.
48 sessions ago, they had freed a storm giant king, who had once ruled an empire.
In this online session the PCs used their fast travel artifact, Gravestone, to travel from their home city to a graveyard that is a week or two away, in the hinterlands.
48 sessions ago, they had freed a storm giant king, who had once ruled an empire.
Aurikesh Session 168: The Valley of Dry Pines
In this session the PCs handled some personal magic item crafting; I'm negotiating a variant Figurine of Wondrous Power with one of them, and another finished making a reskinned Mizzium Apparatus called the Coffer of Cacophonies. (This will come up.)
In this session the PCs handled some personal magic item crafting; I'm negotiating a variant Figurine of Wondrous Power with one of them, and another finished making a reskinned Mizzium Apparatus called the Coffer of Cacophonies. (This will come up.)
November 23, 2025 at 12:41 AM
Aurikesh Session 170: Where Four Dragons Meet
The session starts with the witch still among her own people, up in the mountains (from session 168). She knows that a truly vast black dragon has woken nearby, but not what to do about that or what the dragon might want.
The session starts with the witch still among her own people, up in the mountains (from session 168). She knows that a truly vast black dragon has woken nearby, but not what to do about that or what the dragon might want.
Reposted by Harbinger of Doom
If you have been sharing that Malwarebytes article on the Gmail thing, you should note the giant correction up top.
www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/20...
www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/20...
November 22, 2025 at 9:44 PM
If you have been sharing that Malwarebytes article on the Gmail thing, you should note the giant correction up top.
www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/20...
www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/20...
Reposted by Harbinger of Doom
Friends, this is a low hanging boycott action.
Similar to Hulu and Disney+ actions.
You can help turn the tide and it will make other platforms think twice.
The working class has much more power than they think.
Similar to Hulu and Disney+ actions.
You can help turn the tide and it will make other platforms think twice.
The working class has much more power than they think.
Spotify is helping ICE recruit more agents to infringe our rights and terrorize our communities. Stop paying for or using the app until Spotify stops running ads for ICE: indivisible.org/cancel-spotify?source=bluesky
November 21, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Friends, this is a low hanging boycott action.
Similar to Hulu and Disney+ actions.
You can help turn the tide and it will make other platforms think twice.
The working class has much more power than they think.
Similar to Hulu and Disney+ actions.
You can help turn the tide and it will make other platforms think twice.
The working class has much more power than they think.
Reposted by Harbinger of Doom
It’s widely known (and, I think, pretty uncontroversial) that learning requires effort — specifically, if you don’t have to work at getting the knowledge, it won’t stick.
Even if an LLM could be trusted to give you correct information 100% of the time, it would be an inferior method of learning it.
Even if an LLM could be trusted to give you correct information 100% of the time, it would be an inferior method of learning it.
Relying on ChatGPT to teach you about a topic leaves you with shallower knowledge than Googling and reading about it, according to new research that compared what more than 10,000 people knew after using one method or the other.
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
November 21, 2025 at 12:49 PM
It’s widely known (and, I think, pretty uncontroversial) that learning requires effort — specifically, if you don’t have to work at getting the knowledge, it won’t stick.
Even if an LLM could be trusted to give you correct information 100% of the time, it would be an inferior method of learning it.
Even if an LLM could be trusted to give you correct information 100% of the time, it would be an inferior method of learning it.
Reposted by Harbinger of Doom
It's important to donate for big, important things. I do that. I also have to donate for the little things sometimes, because it's big and important to them.
What a fucking world, huh.
What a fucking world, huh.
@catsofyore.bsky.social
Can you give this a boost to help some poorly kitties? The Society for Abandoned Animals is where I adopted my cats Merlin & Juno from many years ago.
www.justgiving.com/campaign/whi...
Can you give this a boost to help some poorly kitties? The Society for Abandoned Animals is where I adopted my cats Merlin & Juno from many years ago.
www.justgiving.com/campaign/whi...
November 20, 2025 at 9:14 PM
It's important to donate for big, important things. I do that. I also have to donate for the little things sometimes, because it's big and important to them.
What a fucking world, huh.
What a fucking world, huh.
Reposted by Harbinger of Doom
My new favorite kind of meme is "here are detailed instructions on how to turn off AI". 🔨
November 19, 2025 at 3:00 PM
My new favorite kind of meme is "here are detailed instructions on how to turn off AI". 🔨
LARP prep for our Season 1 closer meant I didn’t play much over the last two weeks, but today I beat the Unravelled!
Not sure if I want to tackle High Halls or Bilewater next.
Not sure if I want to tackle High Halls or Bilewater next.
Father of Flame down. I liked that fight for being really different. Also it made me feel super fucking cool about my clawline technique!
It's been a long time since my last Silksong boss kill! I've been playing and making progress, but it was only this morning that I finally took down the First Sinner.
Next up: Raging Conchfly? Or maybe doing the Trail's End quest?
Next up: Raging Conchfly? Or maybe doing the Trail's End quest?
November 20, 2025 at 4:59 AM
LARP prep for our Season 1 closer meant I didn’t play much over the last two weeks, but today I beat the Unravelled!
Not sure if I want to tackle High Halls or Bilewater next.
Not sure if I want to tackle High Halls or Bilewater next.
Reposted by Harbinger of Doom
I’ve been a FreeTaxUSA proselytizer for years and years and I strongly encourage everyone to make the switch. same kind of step by step “for dummies” interface, even for my complicated freelancer taxes, and you don’t have to give your money to one of our most evil lobbyists
TurboTax is about to be integrated into ChatGPT, where customers will be guided through tasks tied to their tax filings or financial profile by the AI chatbot.
TurboTax owner Intuit is also paying OpenAI more than $100 million a year to power AI agents.
TurboTax owner Intuit is also paying OpenAI more than $100 million a year to power AI agents.
November 19, 2025 at 3:41 AM
I’ve been a FreeTaxUSA proselytizer for years and years and I strongly encourage everyone to make the switch. same kind of step by step “for dummies” interface, even for my complicated freelancer taxes, and you don’t have to give your money to one of our most evil lobbyists
Reposted by Harbinger of Doom
LARPing is fun and good actually, and immediately after an event is the time I feel best about being a LARP runner.
November 16, 2025 at 5:05 PM
LARPing is fun and good actually, and immediately after an event is the time I feel best about being a LARP runner.
@worldsbeyondnumber.bsky.social shirt selfie!
November 14, 2025 at 4:51 PM
@worldsbeyondnumber.bsky.social shirt selfie!
Idiocracy now seems about as overly optimistic as the West Wing.
Do political science profs have to explain to their students that, for most of American history, it was actually borderline unthinkable that elected officials and their spokespersons would constantly talk like trashy reality show contestants?
After calling Schumer a "Palestinian," Leavitt refers to "Gavin Newscum." So she's just ripping off her boss's smears now.
November 14, 2025 at 3:03 AM
Idiocracy now seems about as overly optimistic as the West Wing.
Watership Down is amazing, and one totally underrated thing about it is Adams writing about his characters solving reasonably basic physics problems and making it REALLY REALLY work.
“Watership Down,” by Richard Adams. First read in 5th grade. Has become my most re-read fav throughout life for different reasons at different times. As a leader/executive coach, is now my go-to resource for new & aspiring leaders & immediate answer to, “What’s the best book about leadership?”
November 12, 2025 at 2:26 AM
Watership Down is amazing, and one totally underrated thing about it is Adams writing about his characters solving reasonably basic physics problems and making it REALLY REALLY work.
Bernard Cornwell's The Winter King (and later Enemy of God and Excalibur) shaped so much of what I think is cool.
performative reading, lack of reading skills, nobody's reading anymore -- NO!
tell me about a book that changed you
for me? the *extremely* ahistorical novel, THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY which I read at 13 and was like, "Oh, art can be *everything* to a maker, for good and bad"
tell me about a book that changed you
for me? the *extremely* ahistorical novel, THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY which I read at 13 and was like, "Oh, art can be *everything* to a maker, for good and bad"
November 12, 2025 at 2:24 AM
Bernard Cornwell's The Winter King (and later Enemy of God and Excalibur) shaped so much of what I think is cool.
Reposted by Harbinger of Doom
I think the book that just fundamentally rewrote my sense of what a book could be is Italo Calvino’s “If On a Winter’s Night a Traveler”, a book you should absolutely know nothing about before reading it for the ideal, maddening experience
performative reading, lack of reading skills, nobody's reading anymore -- NO!
tell me about a book that changed you
for me? the *extremely* ahistorical novel, THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY which I read at 13 and was like, "Oh, art can be *everything* to a maker, for good and bad"
tell me about a book that changed you
for me? the *extremely* ahistorical novel, THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY which I read at 13 and was like, "Oh, art can be *everything* to a maker, for good and bad"
November 12, 2025 at 1:56 AM
I think the book that just fundamentally rewrote my sense of what a book could be is Italo Calvino’s “If On a Winter’s Night a Traveler”, a book you should absolutely know nothing about before reading it for the ideal, maddening experience
Reposted by Harbinger of Doom
Grandmother Fish is the first book to teach evolution to preschoolers. Kids love learning that they are part of the great family of life on Earth, and they love wiggling like Grandmother Fish and hooting like Grandmother Ape. Now in Chinese, Japanese, and Italian.
www.powells.com/book/grandmo...
www.powells.com/book/grandmo...
January 11, 2025 at 3:47 AM
Grandmother Fish is the first book to teach evolution to preschoolers. Kids love learning that they are part of the great family of life on Earth, and they love wiggling like Grandmother Fish and hooting like Grandmother Ape. Now in Chinese, Japanese, and Italian.
www.powells.com/book/grandmo...
www.powells.com/book/grandmo...
look you never know when you might need that healing potion later
what if there's a BIGGER crab around the next corner
what then, Crustaceanslayer?
what if there's a BIGGER crab around the next corner
what then, Crustaceanslayer?
no matter what the circumstances, democrats are always saving their energy for a mythical future situation where they will do something good
November 10, 2025 at 5:21 PM
look you never know when you might need that healing potion later
what if there's a BIGGER crab around the next corner
what then, Crustaceanslayer?
what if there's a BIGGER crab around the next corner
what then, Crustaceanslayer?
Reposted by Harbinger of Doom
it is absolutely true that "the gospel is political but not partisan" insofar as per se support for a given political party is not the content of the gospel
but if that becomes "one party supports pepper spraying the baby, so you can't talk about that or you're being partisan" we should all go home
but if that becomes "one party supports pepper spraying the baby, so you can't talk about that or you're being partisan" we should all go home
November 10, 2025 at 3:11 PM
it is absolutely true that "the gospel is political but not partisan" insofar as per se support for a given political party is not the content of the gospel
but if that becomes "one party supports pepper spraying the baby, so you can't talk about that or you're being partisan" we should all go home
but if that becomes "one party supports pepper spraying the baby, so you can't talk about that or you're being partisan" we should all go home