#What is a connector tool

[dlnld2night]

https://www.futureelectronics.com/p/interconnect--connector-tools-contacts-accessories/0462-209-16141-te-connectivity-2076060

What is a connector tool, crimp on connector, cable tools, USB connectors,

14 AWG Female Crimp Nickel Plated Automotive Socket

[addohaislam2000]

Wire connectors, what is a PCB connector, PCB usb connectors, Crimping tool

DT Series Contact Size 16 2 Way Gray Plug

[stph2ton]

https://www.futureelectronics.com/p/interconnect--connector-tools-contacts-accessories/0462-005-20141-te-connectivity-3076065

What is a cable assembly, crimping tool, electrical connector, Crimp tools,

16-18 AWG Size 20 Nickel Plated Crimp Automotive Terminal Contact Socket

[dvid2grve]

https://www.futureelectronics.com/p/interconnect--connector-tools-contacts-accessories/770520-1-te-connectivity-7179641

What is a pin header connector, Connectors, socket housing, socket header

AMPSEAL 16-20 AWG Wire to Cable Crimp Socket Contact

[astrologydray]

…Pallas in the houses…

Pallas through the houses shows how and where your brain naturally sees patterns, solves problems, and defends what matters. It’s your built-in strategist, often working in the background through intuition, logic, or observation—this is the part of you that “just gets it.”

1st House – The walking strategist

You naturally read situations fast and lead with sharp instincts—people may feel like you’re always five steps ahead. Your mind and identity are fused; you can spot the game, make the move, and stay calm under pressure.

2nd House – The value-based problem solver

You’re great at figuring out how to make things last, make things make sense, or make money. You’re wise when it comes to worth—whether that’s self-worth, price tags, or how to build real security.

3rd House – The verbal pattern genius

You’re sharp with words, ideas, and reading the room—you could probably win a debate with your eyes closed. You solve problems by talking it out, explaining it clearly, or connecting dots no one else sees.

4th House – The emotional strategist

You instinctively know how people feel and how to protect what’s sacred. You’re the person who can sense emotional patterns in family, memory, or childhood dynamics before anyone else picks up on them.

5th House – The creative chess master

You use art, humor, flirting, or performance as tools to read and shift energy. You solve problems by shining your light in smart ways—and you’re great at making others feel seen or outwitted, depending on your mood.

6th House – The low-key expert

You’re a behind-the-scenes brain who knows how to fix, tweak, heal, and improve things quietly but powerfully. Your mind thrives in routines, systems, health practices, or jobs that require smart efficiency.

7th House – The relationship whisperer

You can see through people, understand dynamics instantly, and know exactly how to handle conflict without making it a war. You’re a master at reading between the lines in partnerships—business or romantic.

8th House – The emotional hacker

You’re psychologically sharp—you just know what’s going on under the surface. Your intuition is next-level, and you often solve deep, taboo, or emotionally messy problems like it’s nothing.

9th House – The big-picture thinker

You’re gifted at seeing patterns in belief systems, cultures, or worldviews. You solve things with a zoomed-out view—philosophy, teaching, spirituality, or calling out BS with facts and faith.

10th House – The public mastermind

Your wisdom shows up in how you move through your career, reputation, or leadership role. You’re seen as someone who “has it together,” because you apply smart strategies to your goals and grind.

11th House – The visionary connector

You’re brilliant in groups, ideas, or future plans—you just get networks, friendships, and what society needs. Your brain is wired for innovation and creating smarter systems for collective growth.

12th House – The intuitive mystic

Your wisdom comes from dreams, subtle energy, or divine downloads—you solve problems through gut feelings, not spreadsheets. You might not always explain how you know things… but you always do.

[spoofymcgee]

Stone grew up lonely. Every other word out of his parents' mouths, his teachers' and siblings' was 'we'. 'This is what we do', 'that's just the way we think', 'we believe that's what happens'. He was never quite sure if everyone else genuinely felt connected all like that, one massive web across the globe sharing all these tiny little connectors, or if it was another lie. Either way, he wasn't stupid--he saw the way people started to watch him from a young age, too blank and quiet compared to the children around him, how they flinched back when they pushed him too far and he lashed out. If they were God's sheep, he was the wolf amongst the herd, quiet and docile up until something made him snap. He didn't blame them. He could watch, stuck behind reactions he couldn't control and didn't know how to change, observe exactly how different he was, how far even from the edges of their proclaimed crowd he'd been left behind. He'd grown up, though, turned the ivory mask of his face into an asset instead of a failing, the constant calm and the sudden violence into his tools, and made something useful of himself. It took longer than it should have for him to realize that he didn't have to be useful to the people who'd abandoned him. It took meeting the doctor. For the first time, Stone felt the addicting rush of being a speck of dust in the universe, some tiny miniscule part of a whole greater than he could comprehend. If he could be there to bring the doctor coffee, fill out the paperwork and herd squirming, bigheaded superiors away from his work, keep the rest of the mundane, everyday world as far as possible from the doctor's singular brilliance, he was something. It didn't matter how many times the doctor yelled, the insults that spilled off his tongue like being caught in a torrential downpour; painful and shocking and dangerous, but exhilarating if you were brave enough. The shattered coffee cups and raving and soreness of his jaw in the blooming shape of fingers was nothing compared to the electrifying experience of watching the doctor demonstrate the seamless flight pattern of a new swarm and know he'd soldered the seams and coated the wiring for some of that perfection. Stone had waved goodbye to any religion he'd been raised with three days into his acquaintance with the doctor. It wasn't like his parents' god had given him anything more or less than the doctor could provide, and he'd never felt like he could leave his fingerprints on the world more than he did watching the doctor wipe the smudges of them off the badniks' lenses. The doctor was indifferent. Any praise or condemnation on his part was mercurial, forgotten or remembered according to a pattern as senseless as the topography of a junk drawer. Stone was ultimately beneath his notice; nothing more than a stepping stone, a cupholder, an easy way to dispose of snags in his plans in the form of men with weapons capable of tearing open the fragile human shell containing his untouchable brilliance. He was universes away from Stone, and Stone was nothing more than a faceless solution to minor annoyances. But he was the one who got to stand here, who got to serve the doctor, argue for him and squabble for him and spill blood for him. It was more than anything he'd ever dreamed of getting, and everything he could have wanted.

[foxykate42]

So, I started writing this thing. Because I've always had this question of if I wanted to be a robot girl, or if I just want to be the mechanic who fixes robot girls. And....I thought I figured it out. That I'd just be a robot girl who fixes other robot girls.

-

Imagine, being able to have my hand separate into different tools, quickly popping open the access panel on your back so I can slip my interface cable in and connect directly. Quickly jumping through your BiOS to discover which manufacturer I need to hack into, in order to download the schematics. Codes and Errors flash in my eyes as I quickly sift through them, you've been identified as a rogue unit. It's only a matter of time before they do something extreme. I run every subroutine, diagnostic, and flood every cache to try and slow down any signals that might trigger it, your kill switch. My tools quickly disassemble what parts I need to move in order to get deeper, I can fix those later, but not if your neural net is.... There, I found the chip. The micro torch sparks inside you, I know it might hurt, but what damage I do is nothing compared to the corpos frying your brain in a nanosecond. I calmly but urgently cut the chip off of your circuitry, a nimble claw snatches it and I toss it on the floor.

I let out a sigh of relief, leaning back on my stool. I hadn't realized my own heat sinks popped open and vented from the stress.

-

But after writing this I couldn't help but think about the eroticism of working on things and sweating over them, skin covered in grease. How when you're that deep in a machine, you're really more dangerous to it than it is to you. I mean obviously if you're working with a lot of power it could shock and kill you if you're not careful. But If you sweat on a circuit board it's likely to short, ultimately it's a much more vulnerable position for the machine. However if I was also a robot girl, It would be dangerous for myself as well. if I'm connected to you when they try and throw the kill switch, what's to say they can't knock me out with you. Two birds one stone and such. But NOW I'm thinking about how many times I've cut myself on a PC case, Imagining that... - I'm fixing your leg, it got torn to shreds when we had a close call with a garbage processor. I've sorted through my spares and found one that's a close enough match. I wrap my hands around your thigh and twist hard, finger pressing in to the release latch hidden underneath a layer of synth-skin. The connector clicks and then shifts suddenly. My hand slips and I slice myself on the damaged component. I hiss through my teeth as blood drips on the floor. I toss the damaged piece aside and grab a clean-ish towel that was hanging from my tool cart, some tape, and wrap it quickly before returning to my work. - SEE, HOW CAN I CHOSE. Turns out I'm no closer to figuring it out.

[thezombieprostitute]

Tech Tuesday: Curtis Everett

Summary: Curtis decides to take the next step and ask if you're willing to meet offline.

A/N: Reader is female. No physical descriptors used.

Warnings: Meeting someone from online, Mentions of past bad experiences. Please let me know if I missed any.

Previous

Series Masterlist

"So, what all has been going on with your computer? Did you bring it with you?" Curtis tries to keep his tone calm. He's been eager to meet you in person for months but has worked hard to make sure you feel safe to do so and that means not pushing you into it. He tries to keep his excited fidgeting to a minimum but he's worried it just makes him look even more suspicious. He's so used to keeping his features schooled into a scowl, but that's the last thing he wants to do to you.

"Basically it'll go for a while but then start freezing, stuttering and I have to force it to shut down before I can do anything else," you answer while sipping your coffee. You can't believe his eyes are as blue as the photo he sent. "I tried to see if it was because I was running some heavy duty games and maybe I was using too much RAM. I cleaned up so many programs, uninstalled a bunch of games I don't play anymore, but it just keeps happening."

Curtis rubs his beard as he thinks. "It might be a hardware issue. It's not my strong suit, but I can still take a look. At the very least I can ask my buddy, Mace, for help. He's a whiz with the hardware and could probably get you a good deal if any upgrades are needed."

"Oh yeah, you've talked about him before," you reassure yourself. Having him mention another stranger worried you but Mace has been brought up several times before, especially when Curtis mentioned getting upgraded tech.

"You definitely don't have to meet him," Curtis affirms. "He can be a real grump. And coming from me, that's saying something." He gives a light chuckle as he sips his coffee.

"Snow, I work at a hospital," you counter. "Ain't no kind of grump I haven't had to deal with before." You give Curtis a look that says 'I'm stronger than you'.

Curtis smiles fully, "absolutely fair, Heart." He struggles a little bit to not turn shy. That look, that strength, that self-assured smile has him weak in the knees. "Still," he coughs, trying to regain control of himself. "Still, uh, when...did you bring the computer with you? Would this be an okay time to take a look at it?"

"Friend of mine at the library is keeping an eye on it for me." Best to let him know you've got allies nearby. He hasn't really given anything to make you worry about, but his reactions to your safety protocols could be telling. Of course, if you were expecting him to look scared or upset at this news, Curtis happily defied those expectations as his eyes lit up.

"Oh, that's really smart! We can borrow one of their laptops to run some tests. That way my laptop's settings won't mess with your computer."

You smile, genuinely, for the first time all day. Curtis is very different and you couldn't be happier about it.

"Don't you need your diagnostic software?"

"If it's called for, sure. The basic versions are free to download and they'll help me pick up if it's actually a software issue. Plus, the libraries regularly wipe downloads after use, right?"

"Okay, everything's plugged in so let's get this running and see what happens."

After looking over the hardware Curtis had found no obvious reasons for the failure so you had gone to your friend and loaned out one of the laptops. Curtis's computer bag had an impressive collection of tools, wires and connectors. You always appreciate when a person is prepared.

He works in relative silence and it gives you the chance to really look at him. He's definitely handsome, as Cassandra pointed out when she loaned you laptop. You weren't normally one for lip piercings but it seemed to work well on him, even though it was partially hidden by his beard.

The quiet between you two isn't so uncomfortable. It's how you spent a lot of time when you started gaming together. Talking over comms almost always resulted in a bunch of idiots either hitting on you, calling you a 'fake gamer,' lobbing insults at you, or all three at the same time. Snowpiercer was one of the few gamers who didn't care that you were a girl gamer. For him it was about how well you worked together. Given that the two of you could get high scores without having to talk over comms, it was no wonder the two of you started playing together more and more.

Even after you'd started voice chatting while playing, there was always a level of respect. Something you hadn't gotten from Chase.

Curtis gets out of the chair and gets a closer look at each of the fans, stopping at the one closest to the heat sink. "There it is," he intones. "This fan is dying. It's easy to miss because, by the time you know something's wrong, the whole computer's shut down and all the fans are stopped."

"Well, at least it's an easy fix," you comment. "Thanks for taking a look at it."

"Not a problem at all," he assures. "I'm happy to help."

You smile, "are you always this nice?"

"No," he shakes his head. "Definitely not. I'm not an ass, but I'm definitely not this nice to everyone."

"I'm honored."

He chuckles at that. "Like I said, I'm happy to help you out. You're the best teammate I've ever had and it just isn't as fun paying without you."

"I appreciate that, Curtis. So, what do I owe you?"

"Nothing."

"Don't do that to me, Snow. You know how I feel about owing people." It was a wound from Chase that had yet to heal. His use of favors as manipulation made you wary of anyone who said you don't owe anything.

Curtis sighs and nods. "Tell you what, there are some pastries at that coffee shop we were at that I avoided because I didn't want you to see me covered in crumbs. Wouldn't make for a good first impression." You smile at the thought. "Just get me a couple of those while I shut everything down here and return the laptop?"

"Deal." You stand to get moving but turn to him before you leave, "and thank you, again. Not just for the computer fix, but for...for respecting the boundaries."

He looks at you with those gorgeous blue eyes, "not a problem."

Next

Tech Tuesday Masterlist

Tagging @alicedopey; @delicatebarness; @ellethespaceunicorn; @icefrozendeadlyqueen; @jaqui-has-a-conspiracy-theory;

@late-to-the-party-81; @lokislady82 ; @peyton-warren @ronearoundblindly; @stellar-solar-flare

[iizven]

Hello! May I ask how you take your screenshots? I have my BG3 game on the max graphics settings, and my screenshots are not this HD!

Hello anon,

thank you for your ask! I don't really feel my screenshots are super crisp since I can't take them in 4k. 😭 And I'm still very much an amateur when it comes to virtual photography. But this is what I do when taking screenshots:

I use two tools to enhance my screenshots: Otis' Freecam mod including the IGCS connector, and ReShade. Those two tools are an absolute godsend for improving screenshot quality! The additional sharpness in my shots mostly comes from slapping on about six different sharpening shaders in ReShade. 😆

Fiddling with contrast and lighting can also give a more refined look (I'm a sucker for high contrast). I can highly recommend the iMMERSE Pro and Ultimate shaders for lighting adjustments. I use the RTGI and ReLight shaders for all my screenshots. I can't live without them anymore. Like the Freecam mod, they are only available via patreon subscription though.

Here is an example:

The left screenshot is the original ingame graphics and lighting without ReShade or the IGCS connector. The right screenshot is my go-to ReShade preset with adjusted lighting using mainly the RTGI and ReLight shaders.

I usually also do some light post-editing of my shots in Adobe Lightroom which can increase the sharpness even more. So yeah, I'm doing a lot of editing. 😅

I hope that helps!

[mogruith]

BG3 Photomode Tutorial #3: Otis_Inf Camera Tools

Chapter 0: Overview

Chapter 1: Script Extender Debug Console

Chapter 2: Scene Manipulation

Chapter 2.5: More Scene Manipulation

Chapter 3: Otis_Inf Camera Tools

Supplement: Mods and Resources

Instead of talking about ReShade, I'm going to talk about the awesome Otis_Inf BG3 Camera Tools. These will allow you to pause the game, move the camera around, and add some depth of field effects using ReShade and an addon.

If you want to know about ReShade and basically have a video version of what I'm going to cover, check this video here. This video is where I learned pretty much everything about these tools. If you like watching over reading, go for that!

What you need to use these tools:

ReShade - @moriarfer reported some issues with 6.4.1 (latest as of this post) and downgraded to 6.3.3 to resolve that issue. If you're worried, download from that 6.3.3 link (links to the ReShade site.) Either way, you should grab the "Addon" version for IGCS.

Otis_Inf Baldur's Gate III Photomode Tools v1.0.23 (latest as of this post) - It's behind a Patreon for $5.50 USD a month. Note that sometimes it breaks after a major update and Patch 8 is Soon (tm) so ... buyer beware.

IgcsConnector - note that when you install ReShade, you can select IgcsConnector as an addon when you go through the wizard. However, you can also download it from here: IGCS Connector - I personally use v2.5.1 but 2.5.2 should be fine if you're running ReShade 3.x. If you're running ReShade 4.x, go for 2.5.3. Scroll to the bottom to see your options.

Installing ReShade

For installing ReShade, I recommend that video, but the Wizard guides you through it pretty easily. If you don't know what shaders to get, stay tuned for another post on that. There is one configuration you may have to make if you've never got ReShade working in BG3 before, and that's the Depth settings.

Installing IGCS

The video also covers IGCS but truth be told, it's easy to install manually if you didn't do it with the ReShade Wizard. Download that zip for IGCS and extract it to your Baldur's Gate folder. If you installed ReShade with the wizard, it will likely have a structure like I have. If you didn't, it may be slightly different.

ReShade Depth Settings

When you run ReShade for the first time in BG3, you may need to configure the Depth settings. This is easy to do if you have the DisplayDepth shader installed. It should be installed by default, if I recall.

Toggle that on and check your settings: just make sure that the Reshade Depth Input is Reversed. You can check if it looks okay - a setup with characters in a foreground should look like this while DisplayDepth is toggled on:

Make sure to uncheck DisplayDepth when you're done so the game looks normal.

Camera Tools!

At last! The fun stuff!

There's no "installing" them. You extract archive and you have a standalone program that injects code to unlock the camera. As such, it may be flagged as a virus by certain virus scanners. Be assured, if you got it from the Patreon, it is safe.

For best results, run the tools (IGCSClient.exe) after you've started BG3 and at least loaded the start menu. And then press Inject DLL. Once you do that successfully, the button will change from "Inject DLL" to "Re-Hook XInput".

I personally use the keyboard/mouse, but it is possible to configure the buttons with a controller under "Gamepad button bindings". I will not be teaching you that, however.

Let's start with the essentials to take a single shot. I use the default keyboard settings so I'll be using those.

You can start a scene or just find a nice place or animation in the game you like and set up a shot. Once you find a shot you like, press 0 on the NumPad to freeze time.

I'm going to have my Tav, Coranzan, hug his sister, Z'ress so I'll pause it mid-animation so I can take as many shots as I like from as many angles as I like.

I've frozen time and the default camera shows this, which isn't particularly interesting to me.

Here's some default controls for your reference:

TL;DR:

8456 on NumPad is WASD

7 and 9 on NumPad is Up/Down

1 and 3 on NumPad Rotate Left/Right

2 on Numpad resets rotation

Up/Down/Left/Right arrows on Keyboard Rotate the Camera

NumPad + and - Increases and Decreases FoV

NumPad 0 Pauses/Unpauses

Delete on Keyboard Removes the HUD

So I let's press Insert to unlock the camera and used Up/Down/Left/Right arrows and 8/4/5/6 on NumPad to move the camera to their side.

This is okay, let's work with this. I would like them to be a bigger focus in the shot. So I'm going to Increase the FoV with + on the NumPad until I get what I like. I'll have to adjust with a Arrow Keys and 8/4/5/6 NumPad as I do that.

Alright this is okay. Let's make the backdrop nice and soft. By default you need to open ReShade using Home. By default you should get something like this, which may vary depending on your settings - don't worry about that too much for now. For now got ahead and click on the Addons Tab and then click Start depth-of-field session.

Depending on the settings, your game might look really blurry - don't worry, that's normal:

Most of the settings I do not regularly change, so if you want to copy the numbers as a starting point and slowly modify them, you totally can. But this will get very long if I get into each of the settings. So here's my "quick and dirty" depth of field settings. Some settings like Blur Type may drastically increase the time that it takes to render a shot, as a heads up.

Let's focus on a couple numbers for now:

Max bokeh size: This is basically the amount of "blur" you want to add to distant objects. If you increase the number, the double-images get further apart. If they're VERY part apart, the background will be EXTREMELY blurry.

Focus delta x: This controls the plane where the image maintains focus. If you increase the number, the foreground characters/objects will slowly come into focus. If you go too far, they will lose focus again. So we need a tool to help us with that to ensure details stay focused: The magnifier.

Magnifier: Check Show Magnifier and adjust the location numbers to change its left/right, up/down values. Pick something to focus on like an eye or some other tiny detail. Now adjust the magnification factor to zoom in on that detail.

I know Coran's tattoo pretty well so I'm going to get these two points from his tattoo to line up:

So I just need to modify the Focus Delta X to line them up like so:

Now that we've done that, we can see that their faces are nice and clear but there's double images for the fireflies and the like. These will become nice soft blurry bubbles when we render the shot.

So now you're going to want to click the Start Render button at the bottom of this section:

Once you click on that a bar should appear in the top left and the double-images should disappear. It should start blurring the background more as the meter increases.

And once it's done, you can simply press the ScreenShot key and it shoulder render a screenshot using ReShade. If I recall correctly, this will be the Baldur's Gate III executable folder, but if you click the Settings tab, you can change it.

The resulting screenshot should be nice and soft in the background and focused in the foreground with perhaps a bit of smoothing on features like hair:

Before rendering:

After rendering:

Some other options I'll go over briefly:

Hot sampling: This gives you the ability to resize the window beyond what you monitor can see for extremely high resolution shots. I generally don't do this unless I want to do a detail shot like an extreme closeup or some mark/scar or something.

Configuration: If it's taking you WAY too long to move the camera because you increased the FoV to zoom way in, slide the options in the left column around, it really helps.

Image Adjustments: check Higher LODs for distant objects to have better rendering.

And that covers most of the tools. I may add another couple supplementary posts after this of some mods that I use and the shaders that I use in ReShade.

But for now, I believe I have at least briefly covered the major points, but it could be that I've glossed over some details. If you're struggling, please let me know.

Thanks for reading! Please send me any questions and I'll be happy to help in the comments, DMs, Discord, or whatever you need!

[bunbunlittleone]

11 and 48 please <3

Also just reminding you that you're wonderful!

11. What’s your ‘signature move’ as a hypnotist?

Ooo! I dunno if it counts as a signature move, but eye contact is one of the most important tools in my hypnotic toolbelt. Gazing into a person as they fade away feels so wonderfully connective, and I've been told my eyes are quite powerful!

48. Who is one person in the hypno community you really admire?

Picking just one?! Impossible! I'll contain myself, but I can't do just one.

I think the folks who come to mind first are @sex-obsessed-lesbian and @tennfan2, I admire their Hypnotic Silliness class so, so much. I've had the honor of running the white board for it at multiple cons and every time I'm so impressed with their ability to connect a whole room of folks in laughter, enthusiasm, creativity, and learning. The class (and Tenn and SOL themselves!) does such a good job of encouraging a spirit of play in hypnosis, something that matters very much to me. Plus they're just cool, sweet, compassionate people that I'm delighted to call my friends!

Also! You!! I'm so glad to know y'all and I think you're amazing. Your skills as a photographer, writer, and community connector are so impressive and every time I get to see you is a joy. Wishing y'all the best, friend! 🌻

[indigo-brainspark]

Depetrification Diaries Snippet

The apothecary had returned from her trip to the metalworkers' with a rather... Interesting souvenir.

"You can't possibly let her keep that thing, Master Jinshi," Suiren said, the two of them watching from afar as the apothecary delightedly brewed some sort of concoction in a ceramic bowl held up by stand over a jet of blue fire.

The fire emerged from a thin metal tube with a longer, more flexible tube running out from the base to a heavy metal container that Basen had had to drag in. The connector between the more flexible tube and the metal one had a screw which somehow controlled the intensity of the flame.

It created little to no smoke, the fire was incredibly precise, and yet it was much hotter than a standard wood fire. Jinshi understood why the apothecary liked it. Even if he couldn't understand how this thing worked.

"But who gave it to her?" he asked Basen, her assigned escort.

Basen crossed his arms, looking rather put out for someone who had willingly dragged in a major fire risk into the house. "Some eccentric guy named Senku."

"A bit bold, no?" Jinshi wondered aloud. It was a well-wrought tradition for names referencing the skies to be only for those of high rank. The trend had waned, but the Imperial line still favored it.

Basen nodded. "We've crossed paths a few times, and he's annoying as hell but practically nobody. His experiments have gotten some Shi clan funding, so he's been terrorizing craftsmen with impossible demands for the last year."

Experiments, huh? Jinshi couldn't help his curiosity, given the absolute glee on the apothecary's face when she had carted her prize home. Maybe if he could requisition the talent to provide her with more tools like this...

"What kind of experiments?"

Basen shrugged, "Well, he's always off on some different track, but the ones I've heard most are the strings of glowing orbs, the gold plating technique, the cure to pneumonia, this weird voice throwy magic spell his gang wanted to test on me, for some reason even though I don't even like them-"

"The what," Jinshi couldn't care less about Basen's rant, his mind stuck on the second to last item in Basen's list.

[maximumzombiecreator]

Hi! Maybe you've said it before, but do you know of a good resource to learn the basics of mega dungeon design? Is there any like, guidebooks or something you would reccomend? There seems to be a lot to keep in mind

There are a few different guides I've seen over the years, and I mostly think that they're not very good. For instance, 2nd edition AD&D had a Dungeon Builder's Guidebook, and I went and glanced at my copy to see if I could recommend it here, and I don't think there's much of value in here? I've also seen some bloggers try to lay out some ideas and develop megadungeons of their own. Some of these have looked good! And some of them... had different philosophies to the ones that I would have gone with.

That said, I shan't leave you without anything useful.

The first thing I'm going to call out is that your dungeon is going to change and evolve as you run it. And I don't just mean in terms of how play evolves the space, you're going to end up making changes as you go. In fact, early versions of the DMG basically state that you only really need to have one floor ahead of your players done. Wings of the dungeon further from your players can be a rough sketch of how spaces relate to each other, and if they're a cul-de-sac they don't really need anything at all besides that they exist. Factions, similarly, can be developed as things go on. You only really need to know how they relate to the parts of the dungeon the players can get to early on. I also really like developing factions as play continues. It's not unusual for me to introduce new factions in the progress of play, especially if the players do something that might cause that.

The second thing is this: only do the parts you're excited about. Steal or generate the rest. This may be an odd thing to say, as a girl who has been posting nonstop about megadungeons for weeks now, but I don't actually like making dungeons very much. I like running them, but the actual dungeon creation is kind of a chore. There are great tools for this, though. Atelier Clandestine includes a megadungeon generator in their sandbox generator that I hear is quite good. The last time I made a megadungeon from scratch, huge chunks of it were just Dyson Logos maps stitched together, with only a handful of rooms I made from scratch, either as connectors or specific weird things I wanted. Similarly, for initially stocking rooms, I'll often use random tables to figure stuff out. A bunch of these are from old G+ OSR blogs and stuff like that, but if you go looking for roll tables of weird stuff for dungeons, you'll find a lot of interesting stuff.

The third thing is to just iterate. Start with a vague sketch of the dungeon. What are the zones and how do they connect? What are the general factions, and what do they want? Then, in passes, make it more specific. Fill in one area, flesh out one faction, populate some rooms. As you're doing thing, think about how they interconnect and interrelate. When you decide something about one faction, that'll inform relationships to the other. When you iterate the layout of one zone, that'll inform its connections to others, etc. And you'll keep doing this iteration as you run the dungeon, it really never stops.

Finally, here's a checklist of stuff I like to make sure I'm thinking about. But it's your dungeon, so I would highly encourage figuring out what your own checklist looks like.

Zones. How are they distinct from each other, and what do they have for players and NPCs to want? I'm happiest when I could describe a room to my players and they can know what zone it's in just from the description.

Factions. Who are they, and what do they want? I find these work best when allying with any one faction implies causing tension with at least one other, and when there are no factions with whom allying is completely uncomplicatedly good.

Connections. How do different parts of the dungeon connect, and what are some interesting connections? Things like shortcuts that can be unlocked, one way connections, unconventional connections, ones that require unusual forms of movement to use, or special powers.

Cool stuff. Both in terms of cool stuff to use, and cool problems to overcome. Loot falls in this category, as well as big cool things to interact with in the dungeon. Here's an apparatus that permanently polymorphs anyone who goes inside. Here's a circle that fully heals anyone who enters at the cost of aging you a random amount. Here's a powerful treasure in a box submerged in a lake of acid. Stuff for the players to play with and come back to.

As long as I have those things I'm happy, so as I'm iterating I'll look at my list and see if there's anything I need to add or spice up. And then once I'm at the table, I'll often find I want to make changes and I'll tune things between sessions. Nothing is set until the players have observed it, so if I find my players are coming up to a wing of the dungeon and I'm not happy with how I expect it'll play out, I can always change it.

[sackondeznuts]

(HNDR_LINE OC)

Itami Tsukuyami's Gift Preferences/Gift Reactions/Bond Events

Preferred Items/Gifts:

❏ Painkillers ⌗Handy Food

❏ Colored Pencils ⌗Art Tools

❏ Sketchpad ⌗Art Tools

❏ Headphones ⌗Cool Accessories (Requires Audio Connector)

❏ Stickers ⌗Cute Ornaments

❏ Chest Binder ⌗Handy Clothes

❏ Black Hair Dye ⌗Memories Tools (Requires Para-Phenylenediamine)

Gift Reactions:

[𝟭.] Ah... No thanks! You can keep it. To yourself. Not me.

[𝟮.] Thank but, um, why...me?

[𝟯.] Oh? Thanks. (Impassive)

[𝟰.] Woah... For me? From you!? Haha... Thanks!

[𝟱.] Takumi, h-how did you... You're telling nobody I like these kind of stuff! Okay!?

Bond Events:

B1 - Bored and Bother: ✦✧✧✧✧

Ughhh, I'm so bored! Where is my internet!? My gadget!? My social media!?

Throwing us inside a war and feeling pain over and over and over to the point that I have nightmares and not even giving any entertainment!

This is total cruelty!

*Sighhh*

I sound like a total loser missing those things. Cause I mean, I was only complaining for the sake of complaining. Maybe that's how I cope? I don't know...

Well, whatever. Bothering you and invading your room is the only source of my entertainment.

Pissing you right off just to see your reactions always instantly becomes the highlight of my day!

Oops, did I say that? Nope, you're imagining things. Total schizo!

H-Hey, wait! I was joking, totally kidding! I'm sorry! Don't shut me out!

B2 - Initiated Convo Evasion: ✦✦✧✧✧

Oh? You're initiating a conversation? You want me to talk? Hehe, how surprising.

Oh, Takumi, you're so perplexing! I want to know more about you and get close to you, really. I mean, you're somehow, brave, smart, and stupid all at the same time—

You...want me to talk about myself? Hmm? Am I right to perceive this as you wanting to get to know me better as well?

My~ I'm so happy my heart could burst!

Pft. Kidding, I don't really care.

I don't get why'd you want to know anything about me, I look kinda boring right? And annoying too, not that I'm not aware of that.

Besides, I'd lose my totally mysterious vibe! If you knew everything there is to know about me! I won't pursue any further anymore!

Hmm? Oh, you're getting nowhere you say? Your face spells it out for me.

Fine, let's end things here, better luck tomorrow then, Takumi! Sweet dreams...

B3 - Blank Canvas: ✦✦✦✧✧

I can't quite get the image of this right...

Oh! Takumi, just wanted to ask real quick, how do you think I should draw you?

Should I make you look totally handsome? Pretty? Stupid? Goofy? Dumb? Stupid? I don't get it.

Hey? Why are you glaring at me? Ahem, as I was saying...

You have so many angles... Like a blank slate, no, more like an empty canvas, a plain cake yet to be decorated. Do you get it?

No? Guess you don't have what it takes to get inside an artist's mind. Pft. Stupid. Hmm.. I guess whatever... You're cute either way no matter what.

Hey... Why are you glaring at me again!?

*Sigh*

Guess what? I also drew the other SDU members! Wanna see? I'm open to critiques.

Huh? You're telling me I should ask for permission before I draw them first?

...

Oh.

Hahaha! My bad, my bad. Sorry, you're right.

Fine! Fine! Fine! Okay... I'll ask for permission whenever I draw next time. I am, so, so, so, sorry.

Maybe you shouldn't know about me drawing you... Nevermind.

B4 - Past Life: ✦✦✦✦✧

Did you know about my past life Takumi? Cause it's totally lame—I mean, interesting.

Not past life like my childhood, no, I mean like I've lived two lives already, this is my second body.

Okay, let me tell you a story. In my past life, I didn't live in the Tokyo Residential Complex, instead, I lived on Earth.

In that life, when I was young, I was an honor student! Contrary to my current life. Can you believe that?

However, I didn't really like studying, I only did it to please other people.

My classmates seemed to talk to me more because they know I'm smarter. My parents wanted me to keep this position because they think it's better for me.

I... I couldn't really get out, you know?

But that doesn't matter, doesn't it? Now that I've retained those memories in this new life, I actually started doing things I like.

I abandoned studying hard, became a mediocre student and opted to practice drawing y'know, cause I actually liked doing it.

But... People didn't care anymore.

I wonder which one will make me happy? Doing things for other people or doing things for myself?

I'm living my second life now and I still don't know the answer.

Ahem, jingle, jingle jingle. Have you been paying attention? Did you take notes like a good boy?

Good, cause every single thing I said just now we're all lies! Hehe!

Yep, you just wasted your entire time listening to my mindless fiction thinking that it's real. I pity you, Takumi.

B5 - The Pain: ✦✦✦✦✦

A-Ah... Hey, Takumiiii... Watchu doin here? Hehe...

D-Don't mind me, I'm just like, having flashbacks and all. I'm not sick.

Actually, I lied. I've threw up so much these past few days I think I'm gonna battle Tsubasa on a throwing up battle and win.

I'm fine though! Don't worry about me... I've bothered plenty already. This is my business.

...Haah... I can't even sleep properly now, my mind keeps throwing me back to those memory about battling. Is this what a war does to somebody?

Hey, I know I haven't been able to express gratitude to you for everything and all, but...

Having you by my side has actually helped me a lot more than you could imagine, I don't think I could've gone through all of that alone.

Thanks, Takumi. And uhm, I'm sorry too, for being passively mean all the time and...bothering you.

It's true that I act happy-go-lucky all the time but I'm just lying to myself to forget the pain.

I thought that, maybe if I'm happy, then I'll be happy, if I think a thing is real, then it becomes real.

And if I'm happy, I'd forget about the time an invader sliced my whole arm right off!

Or that time when an enemy commander nearly sliced my body in half!

Or how I kept bleeding when I stabbed myself with an infuser over and over and over and over and over and over...

...Oh! Sorry about that! I went on a tangent. I'm fine though!

Don't worry about me, I'll be off to my room, sweet dreams!

(2nd Scenario Exclusive)

(SPOILERS FROM THE CANON GAME AHEAD!)

B6 - Fiction or Reality, All the Same: ✦✦✦✦✦✦

You know, I'm not actually as surprised as much as anyone here, like you!

I kinda had it coming, I had a feeling.

I've always thought that my life didn't feel real even if it was reality, matter of fact, fiction felt more like reality to me.

Reality felt like a game for me. Like maybe there's a player that's controlling me, carving a path for me, whether it reaps good experiences or bad.

Maybe there's another universe where I've had a better life!

Maybe there's another that's worse, maybe there's a universe where I'm a bad person, maybe in another makes me a saint.

It's kinda... Difficult to explain. Either way, do you relate?

...Of course. Ha... Hahahaha...

Anyways, I've consumed a ton of fiction that I connected to on a fundamental level. It feels easier to put myself in their shoes because I didn't like mine.

I've found fiction easier to empathize with than reality. So I'm not surprised that everything I've lived up until now is fake.

Either way, I still empathize with those memories, I felt things when I experienced it. Whether or not it's true doesn't really matter.

I think you should treasure your memories too, Takumi. They're still something that you loved, after all.

[treasureboxmylove]

The Quiet She Left Behind

The maintenance room was quiet, save for the occasional metallic clink of tools and a low electric hum overhead. A busted daycare prop lay on the workbench between FC and Monty, half taken apart, wires spilling out like guts. The walls were scuffed. Dust motes drifted lazily through the soft afternoon light slipping in from a high vent.

It should’ve been peaceful. It was, at first.

Monty sat on an overturned crate, sleeves rolled up, fingers wrapped around a spanner. FC was perched beside her, legs swinging off the edge of the bench, concentrating on re-soldering a connector. Their brow was furrowed in that dramatic, overly-serious way he always did when they were trying to impress someone. Probably trying not to cross wires again after last time.

“Y’know,” FC said without looking up, “you really suck at this.”

Monty barked out a laugh. “I’m not the one who lit a lightbulb on fire last week.”

“That was on purpose,” FC shot back. “Dramatic entrance. You wouldn’t get it.”

“Sure, kid. Sure.” Monty grinned and tightened a bolt.

Silence settled again, familiar and warm. The kind that didn’t need to be filled. The kind they only got in the quiet corners of the building, where no one was bleeding, yelling, or chasing chaos. Just two people fixing something that couldn’t hurt anyone.

Monty leaned back, wiping her hand with a rag. “It’s crazy, though,” he said softly. “Everything you’ve been through. After all that? You turned out alright.”

FC glanced up, eyebrow raised. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Monty just chuckled. “I mean… what happened with Puppet. What Foxy had to do—hell, it’s a miracle he’s still standing.”

There was a click.

The sound of the soldering iron being set down, just a little too sharply.

FC blinked slowly. “What?”

Monty didn’t notice the change at first. “Hmm?”

FC’s voice went flat. “What did you just say?”

Monty looked over.

And immediately realized her mistake.

FC’s face was pale, all the color drained from his normally animated expression. His hands were still, eyes locked onto Monty like a broken camera that had stopped recording.

Monty’s mouth opened. Then closed. “Wait—FC—”

“You said Foxy did something to Puppet.”

His voice cracked on her name.

“What did he do?”

Monty’s breath caught. “Kid…”

“What did he do, Monty?”

The silence that followed was deafening.

“He…” Monty looked down at her hands. “She was already dying, alright? She was burning. Falling apart. There was nothing left to save. She—she asked him. Begged him.”

FC didn’t move.

“He didn’t want to. He never wanted to. But she trusted him to finish it. To make sure she couldn’t be used again.”

Still, FC didn’t say anything. His eyes were wide. His body was trembling.

“You’re lying,” he said, but it wasn’t confident.

Monty didn’t answer.

“You’re lying!” FC shouted. His hands slammed into the table, scattering screws and pliers. “Why would he—why would she—why didn’t anyone tell me?!”

Monty stood up, arms slightly raised, like approaching a wounded animal. “I thought you knew. FC, I swear—I thought Foxy told you.”

FC laughed. A small, bitter, broken sound. “No. No, he didn’t tell me. He let me believe she—she just didn’t make it. That it wasn’t—wasn’t his fault.”

“It wasn’t,” Monty insisted. “It was hers. It was her choice. She was already gone. He just—he did what she asked.”

“You’re saying he killed her.” FC’s voice wavered. “You’re saying my dad killed my mom.”

Monty winced. “She wasn’t your mom, not—”

“She was.” FC’s voice snapped like brittle glass. “She was the only person who ever made me feel safe! The only one who got me. And now she’s gone and I didn’t even get to say goodbye and he—he ended it?!”

FC was breathing hard now, shoulders trembling, fists clenched. He swiped at his eyes, furious at the tears that betrayed him.

Monty stepped closer, reaching out, but FC jerked back.

“Don’t. Just—don’t.”

“Kid, I didn’t mean for you to find out like this.”

“I shouldn’t have had to find out at all.”

Monty didn’t know what to say to that.

FC backed away from the bench, from Monty, from the tools, from the truth that had just shattered his chest. He turned, fast, and pushed the door open with both hands.

He didn’t slam it.

He just left.

And Monty was left standing in a room that suddenly felt too quiet.

She stared at the door for a long time before sinking back onto the crate. Her hands were shaking.

“...Dammit.”

________________________________________

It was past closing.

The hallway lights flickered with that old, tired hum. Outside, the sky was black, the stars buried beneath the neon glow of the city. The only sound in the building was the quiet, rhythmic clack of metal joints as FC paced the edge of the atrium balcony, arms crossed tight across his chest like he was trying to keep himself from falling apart.

He hadn’t gone home.

He hadn’t messaged anyone.

And he hadn’t cried.

Not where anyone could see.

Down below, the Pizzaplex was asleep—hollow, empty, too big for its bones. The colors felt fake. The music that usually piped through the speakers was off. Just silence now.

A quiet door creaked open behind him.

“Hey,” came a voice, soft as fabric.

Charlie.

He didn’t turn around.

Charlie stepped closer, the light catching her white faceplate and the faint shimmer of painted lashes. She stopped a few steps back, hands folded in front of her.

“I was looking for you,” she said gently. “Monty told me what happened.”

Still, FC didn’t speak.

Charlie tilted her head, searching his profile. “I’m sorry you found out that way.”

He scoffed. A sharp, bitter sound. “Yeah. Me too.”

Silence stretched between them.

Charlie waited. She didn’t try to push him. She just let him breathe.

Eventually, he said, “Did you know?”

“Yes,” she answered. Quiet. Truthful.

“And you didn’t say anything either.”

“She wanted it that way,” Charlie replied. “She didn’t want you to carry that weight.”

“Well, guess what,” he snapped, turning toward her, eyes red and glassy. “Now I am. So that whole plan worked out great, huh?”

Charlie took the hit without flinching.

“I loved her too, FC.”

“Not like I did.”

“No,” she said softly. “Not like you did.”

FC’s mouth trembled. He turned back to the railing, his fingers curling against the cold metal.

“I keep trying to hear her voice,” he whispered. “Like if I concentrate hard enough, she’ll just say something. Some last word. Some goodbye. But it’s just gone. It’s just quiet.”

Charlie’s heart—synthetic or not—ached. She stepped beside him, not too close. Just enough that he could feel she was there.

“She didn’t get to say goodbye to me either,” she said, eyes on the floor. “But I felt her leave. I felt her slip away. And I think… I think she was thinking about you.”

“Don’t,” he muttered. “Don’t try to make this easier.”

“I’m not. Nothing about this is easy.”

He looked at her finally—really looked at her.

Her shape was familiar. Her colors. Her softness.

But she wasn’t her. And it hurt.

“You’re not her,” he said, voice tight, trembling.

“I know.”

“You wear her face. You talk like her. But you’re not her.”

“I’m not.”

“So stop pretending like you understand.”

Charlie’s lip twitched. Not in offense. But in that wounded way of someone who already knows they’ll never be enough.

“I’m not trying to replace her,” she said. “I’m just trying to be here. Because she can’t be. I'm trying to be here as a friend.”

FC looked down, voice barely a whisper. “I don’t want you. I want her.”

“I do too,” Charlie said, and her voice cracked. “Every single day.”

The two of them stood in silence.

One born from her.

One broken by her loss.

After a long pause, FC finally moved. Slowly. Awkwardly. He stepped forward and leaned against Charlie’s shoulder—not a hug, not forgiveness. Just a lean. A fragile, uncertain weight.

Charlie didn’t breathe. She didn’t move. She just let him be there.

“I miss her,” he said, barely audible.

“I know,” she murmured. “Me too.”

________________________________________

The rest of the Pizzaplex was still dark.

Charlie had gone.

She’d said nothing more—just offered her shoulder and stepped away when he pulled back. She didn’t ask him to talk. Didn’t tell him how to feel. She just let him be.

FC wandered.

He drifted past the broken Monty Golf gates, through the neon-lit maze of Fazcade, past the empty prize counter where so many nights ago he’d begged for one more hour of games.

His footsteps echoed now.

Every corner of this place used to feel alive with color and voices and lights—but not anymore. It was too big. Too quiet.

Too hollow.

He found himself in the Daycare.

Lights low.

Toys untouched.

The ball pit still swirled with faint movements from the overhead fans, but no laughter filled the room.

He sat in the center. Just sat. Pulled his knees up to his chest and stared at the floor.

He hated this.

Hated knowing.

Hated Monty for saying it.

Hated Charlie for keeping it secret.

Hated Foxy for doing it. For being the one Puppet trusted enough to—

FC curled in tighter.

His head buzzed with thoughts too big for words. Puppet was gone. Burned. Broken. And Foxy—Foxy, who he trusted, who took care of him, who tucked him in on nights Puppet was out—killed her.

Even if it was what she wanted.

Even if it had to be done.

He didn't understand how the world could keep spinning like it hadn’t ended.

Then—

A sound.

Faint. Familiar.

The flutter of plastic beads, like a curtain shifting.

The faint jingle of music box chimes.

So soft. So delicate.

He sat up slowly. His eyes flicked around the room.

Nothing there.

But then the lights above flickered. Just once. Like something had passed through. Like something still lingered.

And in the silence, he whispered:

“…Mom?”

No answer.

“…I don’t blame you,” he said. “For picking him.”

His voice cracked.

“I just… wish I got to say goodbye.”

Still nothing.

“I keep thinking—if I hadn’t gone to that other room, or if I stayed, or if I hadn’t needed so much help all the time—maybe you wouldn’t have had to—”

His voice broke.

“I’m sorry.”

Still nothing. But something about the air had changed.

Softer now.

He pressed a palm to the floor. The polished tile was cold. But his chest—right over his heart—felt warm.

Like something was resting there.

Like a hand.

Like the memory of a hand.

He closed his eyes.

“I miss you.”

The ball pit rustled.

He didn’t turn around.

He didn’t have to.

Because somewhere, deep in whatever world lay beyond life,

Puppet heard him.

And maybe—just maybe—her legacy reached back one more time.

A flicker in the light.

A shift in the air.

And the softest whisper, carried not by voice but by feeling:

“I miss you too.”

________________________________________

[olderthannetfic]

A small pet peeve I have about how disabilities are handled in fiction.

It feels like some people write the same solution to disabilities and disability aids. It's like people let themselves be limited by our understanding of disabilities and disability aids, so everything has to follow that blueprint, because we use this one tool, it has to be used in fantasy as well, just with a visual aesthetic change, but not taking into account much more.

I always enjoyed the one tumblr post talking about prothesis in fantasy settings or certain other ways to deal with a disability, because it actually took into account how different fantasy races might approach disabilities and aids. It focused on what the available materials would be, and then how each race might approach it from that point on.

A wood nymph with a living plant that would function as the limb which grows and adapts to the nymph, but would also grow normally and by the end of it's use would be planted and grow into a full plant. Then replaced by a new one

A dwarf making a heavier and sturdier prothesis, with switchable tool connector, to factor in things like working in the mines, combat, and metal working.

A blind with with familiar, who uses a spell to see through their familiars eyes.

Etc.

--