Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
On the Wandering DMs Discord, we have a regular debate over how dangerous a housecat should be in D&D terms. Fortunately on our show last weekend we got a live demo: #dnd #cats #mythbusters
Old-school RPG writer at http://OEDGames.com and https://deltasdnd.blogspot.com/, streamer at https://wanderingdms.com/, lecturer in math & computing at CUNY, ex-PC game programmer.
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view profile on Bluesky Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
On the Wandering DMs Discord, we have a regular debate over how dangerous a housecat should be in D&D terms. Fortunately on our show last weekend we got a live demo: #dnd #cats #mythbusters
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
Next up, cancel the NEJM for making him a liar
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
More on #RPGaDAY2025 here: #ttrpg castingshadowsblog.com/2025/07/07/r...
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
On the Wandering DMs Discord, one of our patrons wrote us a thought-provoking post every day in August, roughly 1,000-words daily, as part of #RPGaDAY2025. We have absolutely the best patrons. And we love having new folks join us! #dnd www.patreon.com/wanderingdms
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
In twenty minutes, as we enter spooky season, we'll have an animated discussion on all things Undead in D&D. Join us in the live chat! #dnd #undead #halloween www.youtube.com/live/SQvkWvA...
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
@paulsgameblog.bsky.social made a map like that with magnetic hexes covers that could be lifted & revealed as players entered each space. Worked great!
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
NPR observing immigration court in NYC: www.npr.org/2025/08/25/n...
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
Realizing I just saw Fantastic Four on Jack Kirby's birthday, weird coincidence
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
Ugh, Halloween advertising and giant store placements started mid-August this year, I hate it
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
www.lulu.com/shop/daniel-...
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
Our awesome patron Baquies built this amazing model of Helm's Deep at scale for Book of War play! #wargame #lotr
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
Also, "make General Robert E. Lee come out with all due respect" as a directive from singer/bandmate Levon Helm (in his autobiography) is kind of a giveaway.
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
They give a powerful performance here and then 5 minutes later they're in the studio with a huge Confederate flag on the wall. So not much of a debate IMO.
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
Watching The Last Waltz, Scorcese's lauded doc on the the last show by The Band. Apparently there's debate if the song "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" is a piece of Lost Cause propaganda or not.
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
Made a new friend at the Star Frontiers game this weekend #ttrpg #dogs
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
Zach addressed that in his 3rd post
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
There's a story this weekend that Youtube is experimenting with altering normal videos to make them look more AI-like. Possibly to make the AI content less distinguishable, or train viewers to accept that style? Interesting they may feel that's necessary: ca.news.yahoo.com/youtube-snea...
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
Folks who are unfamiliar with how randomness in a sequence can be measured should read the article on Statistical Randomness (and related articles on Randomness Tests): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statist...
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statist...
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
In 15 minutes we'll be chatting about the role of multiclassing & career options across editions of D&D. Join us in the live chat! #dnd #classes www.youtube.com/live/bF42inI...
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
100%. The most common being "you need to make your password shorter to fit with our unstated maximum"
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
I've been hearing this assertion, delivered with absolute surety, since at least 2018.
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
And I'm taken aback by the major, mythos-twisting plot points lifted from Invincible and The Boys. It's somewhere between surprising and cringey. If I were those creators I think I'd be kind of steamed.
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
Cons: For me, Gunn's writing & direction style is pretty spastic. Scenes never get a chance to breathe. Always hyped-up pacing. Tone seems uncontrolled. The huge number of characters being introduced means almost no one gets a proper voice or arc.
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
Finally saw James Gunn's Superman. Pros: Bright, pretty, enthusiastic, positive, good messaging. Great flying scenes. Like all the actors. Bet it's a blast to be on set. IMO hits better than any Snyder film. #superman #movie
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
Came to say this. My father's a large-animal vet, recently retired after 50+ years working. In his lifetime the vet schools went from effectively-no-women (e.g., profs refused to recognize them in the classroom, yuck) to effectively-no-men.
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
I used to have band practice multiple times a week in a space where the owner had Almost Famous playing on a projector in a constant loop.
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
That said: The leadership is almost entirely white men. archive.ph/8Hz5m
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
Interesting fact: Over 50% of the U.S. Border Patrol, and about 30% of ICE agents, are minority Latinos. #immigration #cbp #ice www.latinorebels.com/2020/07/06/l...
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
Interesting fact: 50% of the U.S. Border Patrol, and 30% of ICE, are minority Latinos.
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
"She said that Peterson only ate meat" wut
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
okay Imelda
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
^ This is up there with the Hemingway baby-shoes story.
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
The good people at Dustdigger just posted a Portuguese translation of my blog article "On Treasure and XP" for classic D&D. Thanks for that! #dnd dustdigger.blogspot.com/2025/08/sobr...
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
In one hour we're reviewing the Blackmoor supplement to D&D at its 50th anniversary. Join the live chat! #dnd #blackmoor www.youtube.com/live/LJJ2tW0...
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
Not a stretch at all, e.g. Project 2025
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
I'm just going by what local journalists have said! www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2...
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
Last week I was in Rochester NY and learned of a culinary dish invented there, which some fans argue is the city's singular contribution to culture in the USA, called the “garbage plate” #food en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garbage...
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
And be aware that half of all the ICE courthouse arrests in the nation (to prevent respondents from getting to their next legally scheduled court dates) are happening in NYC. www.thecity.nyc/2025/08/11/2...
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
If you know someone at risk for ICE arrest, Human Rights First recently released the ReadyNow! app, to help make advance plans and in an emergency, give secure one-click notification to critical contacts. Recommended, free at the stores. #ice #rights humanrightsfirst.org/library/huma...
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
I honestly don't think it would ever be worth the loss of space in my NYC apartment. If that wasn't an issue then hypothetically maybe $1K tops for me.
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
Last night we crashed a puppet slam in Brooklyn and subjected them to our improv-with-puppets act:
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
My former bank is now a fancy weed store
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
In 30 minutes, we'll wrestle the tricky issue of the week — What to do when one of your players already knows the adventure? It's happened to us a bunch, and we've got solutions. Join the live chat! #dnd #ttrpg www.youtube.com/live/5CkRyCf...
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
100% this
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
Same. 20 years experience here.
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
The first episode of the new King of the Hill is one of the best pieces of TV I've seen in a while. Writing is fantastic, feels totally fresh.
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
Arguably it's Biblical
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
My friend Andrea released a new song with her band Gun-Shy Butterfly: gun-shybutterfly.hearnow.com/lose-someone
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
In 30 minutes: What's the best way to handle searching & sneaking mechanics in D&D and other RPGs? We'll hash it out. Join the live chat! #dnd #ttrpg www.youtube.com/live/4bp1qJ8...
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
Smells like victory
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
Dan achieves level of “nerdiest 15 seconds that I've ever listened to in my entire life” from @lukegygax.bsky.social #dnd #math #nerds www.twitch.tv/wanderingdms...
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
Grabbing people from courtrooms literally seconds after they're given valid future hearing dates from a judge. That kind of emotional roller-coaster is basically dystopian lit torture 101.
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
Respectfully disagree here slightly. Changing the rules on the fly adds psychological trauma. Canceling valid visas, green cards, asylum hearings, etc., for no reason, after years of work invested, and thrown in a torture camp, is extra. Splitting families via masked stormtroopers is poor+.
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
I mean, have you seen his official portrait, currently hung in all federal offices, courthouses, etc.?
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
Paul Reiser talking about how obviously everyone could relate to it, earlier this year: youtu.be/wPC18k9LIF0?...
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
... I guess I should say that I always found it cringey, but also inescapably omnipresent.
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
I feel like this is practically all comedy, stand-up, and advertising up to... like last week? You just described the beloved "Mad About You" show to a T (8 seasons in the 90s + 2019 revival; among many other things). Wonderful that people find this foreign now, but also memory-holey?
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
Sad lesson from the farm — Chickenshit is lousy fertilizer
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
NYS has banned phones & electronic devices in K-12, starting this fall. Will be interested to see how this works out. www.silive.com/education/20...
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
SO has signs it's likely already in a death spiral for some time: www.ericholscher.com/blog/2025/ja...
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
2025: We need all workers onsite for that human connection. Also, half of them will be laid off and replaced with AI.
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
Halfway skeptical that folks who say that have really thought through their take deeply (c.f., describing any good thing as "it's fun!")
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
The Awesomes.
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
Microsoft is so furious to get us using their AI that logging into my school email on Outlook, there's a shiny-bright Copilot button in TWO separate places on the far left and far right of the one window.
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
Lost. Murder One. Prison Break. Battlestar Galactica (2004). Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. I'd say it's advanced TV-watching behavior to be able to recognize this and quit a show ASAP when it happens. (Took me decades to achieve this myself.)
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
This is close to my favorite storyline in this season of Earth
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
And for a trip I recently planned, there's not even any effective cost advantage over a cheap hotel. So, I'm pretty puzzled.
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
For those who use AirBnB: Is it a value-add for you to be in a private home? For me, being in another person's personal space is fundamentally uncomfortable. And the cluttery knickknacks, ugh.
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
People are going to move the goalposts in order to keep famous, foundational, imagination-grabbing texts still relevant
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
Likely AI-written (and human-unread) response to a question on SE Academia about what to do if someone uses your method without citation:
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
And now I know Leviticus 11:22 for the next time a right-winger complains that someday vegetarians will make them eat insects
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
Recently seeing a bunch of deepfake ads on YouTube (Oprah Winfrey weight-loss salt scam, Robert Downey Jr. web security?) So here we are.
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
I wish this wasn't even a concern in the first place, anywhere
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
Wild, it looks identical to Brightspace that we had to shift to last year
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
If the point is to imagine the action continuing after the series, the I'd prefer to see the original hero as gritty and sticking with the work after the movie-eye has moved on.
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
Seems like a fair number of action/super series try to set up an heir apparent in the last movie. E.g., Logan, Dark Knight Rises, No Time to Die, etc. Always Sunny even satirized the trend in 2019. Has this ever worked (in the sense of successful sequels)? What's the point?
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
Always trying to get stronger, smarter, wiser, tougher, faster, smoother
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
Came to say this (supernatural stuff but thematically on point)
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
They weren't wrong, e.g., people don't memorize epic poetry anymore.
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
The Wandering DMs chat show is off this Sunday, but I'm up for a rewatch of this part of our marathon Skull Mountain game -- in which we confronted a devil face with a pitch-black mouth which was either instant death or the only way forward: #dnd #actualplay #devil www.youtube.com/live/ewSZfFZ...
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
My great-great-grandmother was born in Armagh, Ireland. The gorgeous observatory there celebrates its 230th anniversary of continuous weather records this week! #weather #science #ireland www.bbc.com/news/article...
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
"Holland countryside ruined by windmills" "New England coast ruined by lighthouses"
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
Yesterday we had a nifty post-mortem of our marathon actual play in Skull Mountain. Touched on a bunch of interesting design & performance issues. Neat we had perspectives from Paul as DM & me as player! #dnd #chat www.youtube.com/live/U3cQN-d...
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
This is wildly common? Someone wrote an article a few years ago where they interviewed someone who was rich, then super-rich, mega-rich, and ultra-rich. Everyone but the last expressed thanks and good fortune, but the last guy was bitter as hell.
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
I guess that's the book-on-book violence I'm always hearing about
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
About to do a live postmortem of our epic marathon actual-play in legendary Skull Mountain! #dnd #chat www.youtube.com/live/U3cQN-d...
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
He says he's a lawyer himself, but ofc someone's getting a fool for a client
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
Anyone watching the World Series of Poker? Will Kassouf's complete psychic meltdown last night was one of the most painful things I'd ever seen. I'd be interested to have a professional opine if medical intervention was warranted. #poker youtu.be/-eiJA4i2OwY?...
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
Omg the other day I gave a little tip to my local taco truck, and the next time I went they gave me so much extra food I could barely lift it up
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
For the holiday we ran a weekend-long marathon D&D session, daring the depths of legendary Skull Mountain. Here's the session where we tried to sneak up on the first defenders. It's a loud kind of quiet. #dnd #actualplay youtube.com/live/9-P35pn...
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
Would it help to use D&D dice at the World Series of Poker? #dnd #dice #poker www.youtube.com/live/1vK7suB...
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
This past weekend we did a marathon D&D game in Skull Mountain where I played an outrageous Scottish-piratish dwarf warrior for 3 days straight, and I'm seriously having trouble switching back to my normal diction #dnd #actualplay youtube.com/live/1LqkbDC...
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
www.youtube.com/@WanderingDMs
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
Starting Jul-4 we've got a marathon 3-day old-school D&D actual-play session happening on our Wandering DMs YouTube channel. Spread the word & tune in when you get a chance! #dnd #actualplay #live youtube.com/shorts/uAAWF...
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
I'll be on the player's side, so I have literally no idea what the adventure entails
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net)
This weekend all of us at Wandering DMs are going to be livestreaming a marathon 3-day game of old-school D&D, as we'd do in the way-back. Keep an eye on our YouTube channel for more info! www.youtube.com/@WanderingDMs
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
I see ultrafinitism encroaching, anathema
Daniel Collins (@superdan.net) reply parent
Forever jealous she played the CBGB's main stage when we only played the downstairs gallery