GURPS has a specific disadvantage that is essentially this.

Nah, if I remember right, those arrows use the poison from a tree frog’s skin, not something like a snake’s venom. So still poison!

…I think that might be less far-fetched. After all, our black VP is competing for her next job with a guy who’s a few oranges short of a basket…

That’s not what I’ve seen. The stories I’m familiar with usually involve defending those things where they already exist, not establishing them. Even in cases where that needs established, as often as not, they’re usually protecting someone else who embodies that ideal.

I’m sure there are stories similar to what you’ve described, but I don’t see that in the stories I’m familiar with.

It’s always seemed strange to me that earth never made any sort of meaningfull technological progress despite having access to a galaxy full of new tech.

This actually seemed reasonable to me - if alien tech is anything like ours, we lack the parts to make the parts to make the parts to make the tech, so we can’t mass produce any of it yet. And we’re a bit of a backwater - what resources we do have of galactic interest (vibranium, maybe?) isn’t for sale. So we make do with what scraps do find their way to earth.

Stories don’t need to be told, humans need to tell stories. That’s what makes us human, and is how we spread ideas like honor, justice, and even civilization itself.

Hero stories reinforce all of these ideas, and others besides.

I don’t think it’s bullying, because bullying involves tormenting them - finding what they react negatively to, and pushing on that. Here, you’re letting them know that there’s something you need them to do before you’re comfortable playing with them. You might think of it as modelling how to protect your own bodily autonomy!

For me, when my kids were going through that, I’d say something like “Ack! Don’t touch me with poo hands! Go wash first, then you can climb on me!” It’d generally get a giggle, then they’d go finish washing up. You’ll want to pay attention to their reaction whatever you do, but if you make it clear they’re still welcome to play, I don’t see how it could be bullying.

…how kid friendly? Haven’t been able to introduce my kids to his stuff yet!

I want a horror movie where some of the heroes are genre-savvy, Practical Guide to Evil style. I picture it starting as a horror, and shifting into a kind of heist storyline

…I would be very interested in seeing how you describe your hummingbirds!

I certainly hope that happens. But it’s not a reliable enough consequence to justify the currently low level of fines, which was how I read your earlier comment.

That seems like a pretty weak consequence, and not an intended one. Worse, it’s one likely to be least impactful for the worst offenders - a megacorp isn’t going to care much about fines, and the market won’t see any danger to their investment in them.

As they burned, it hurt because

…it didn’t occur to them to even start learning Russian before they went?!

so many fuckin Worfs

…so it’s a party van!

I’ve been trying to avoid soap labelled antibacterial for this reason, and it’s tricky to even find any that’s not labelled antibacterial.

Been wondering if they don’t just slap the label on any soap, because it could be considered antibacterial by its nature. Apparently not?

My players ran across some Imperial guardsmen killing off skeletons, only for the orcs accompanying them to protest that they were destroying “registered cultural artifacts!” The orcs didn’t have much, and they would leave their bones to their children to help them eke out a meager existence.

About a year ago, I was playing with my younger kids watching. I had a home base above an extensive cave system that featured a ladder up a large stalactite as the main way in and out, as I figured that was plenty safe from mobs.

Was messing with something in the cave system, picked up a creeper on the way back, and dashed back to the ladder and started climbing out. Looked back down and the creeper was climbing the ladder after me! I’d never seen any mobs use ladders before! So I’m making these panicked shrieks in between laughing at my potential demise, the kids are cracking up, and I eventually get to the top and close a door behind me - but that panicked, giddy rush still sticks with me!

(I never looked into it - how long have creepers been able to climb ladders? And can most mobs do that now, or just them?)

Dead? Really? Cuz Portal and Minecraft are my kids’ top two games!

Dragon’s not completely gone; she’s just attending to other stuff while the characters are handling their slice of things. She does show up more towards the end, IIRC. I think she also had some plot resolution; though my memory is fuzzy here.

And some of my other favorites feature in Ward!