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Tiak
2008-02-04, 11:04 AM
Yes wands. i beleive wands are in fact the gayest magical item in all of creation. how can one be scared being at the "business" end of a wand? i just can't bring myself to take them seriously.

kamikasei
2008-02-04, 11:08 AM
Because I know that it can cause a fireball to engulf me, or drain away my soul, or turn me to dust, with a flick of the wielder's wrist, and whether that wrist be limp makes no difference?

Personally I tend to envisage wands as being held like a light fencing weapon (they do this sometimes in the Harry Potter movies), which adds an element of finesse and threat to their appearance.

Rachel Lorelei
2008-02-04, 11:09 AM
Yes wands. i beleive wands are in fact the gayest magical item in all of creation. how can one be scared being at the "business" end of a wand? i just can't bring myself to take them seriously.

All right, kids. Who can tell me what's wrong with this post?

Theli
2008-02-04, 11:09 AM
Think of them as being the fantasy equivalent of a gun.

Maybe the problem for you is the word? What synonyms are there for wands? Hmm...

Rachel Lorelei
2008-02-04, 11:11 AM
Think of them as being the fantasy equivalent of a gun.

Well that doesn't help--guns are just phallus substitutes, after all.

Mikeavelli
2008-02-04, 11:12 AM
You will rue the day you crossed the bearers of wands.

You will Rue it hard (http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/05/19).

Nebo_
2008-02-04, 11:15 AM
I can't see how a wand can be gay unless you're using it to sodomise someone.

Theli
2008-02-04, 11:16 AM
Well that doesn't help--guns are just phallus substitutes, after all.

Bah, EVERYTHING is a phallus substitute.

I mean, look at swords, come on...

Narthon the Bold
2008-02-04, 11:19 AM
I can cut things with swords a lot better than I can with a phallus.

Frosty
2008-02-04, 11:22 AM
I can't see how a wand can be gay unless you're using it to sodomise someone.

Animate Object anyone?

Indon
2008-02-04, 11:22 AM
Bah, EVERYTHING is a phallus substitute.

I mean, look at swords, come on...

Small and Large Picks (Also, Scythes, on the same principle)? Poor guy.

Edit:

Animate Object anyone?

Note to self: Never animate a Wand of Grease.

Edit again: Magic items can't be animated, I'd forgotten. Whew.

Trouvere
2008-02-04, 11:23 AM
All right, kids. Who can tell me what's wrong with this post?It's not wands, it's rings?

Kioran
2008-02-04, 11:24 AM
Apart from "gay" obviously being the wrong choice of word, Iīd say yes, Wands are decidedly unmanly items. Staves, as in at least 80cm long and heavy, are considerably cooler, since you can beat people up with them - or unleash deadly magic. Now if they werenīt that expensive......

kjones
2008-02-04, 11:24 AM
I'd really appreciate it if you wouldn't use the word "gay" as a pejorative. Look it up if you don't know what it actually means.

I deal with this sort of thing enough in the real world. GiantITP is usually a good place to get away from it.

KIDS
2008-02-04, 11:33 AM
Ahahahahahaha, even though I'm not offended or anything, the thread title made me chuckle very much. LOL.

I don't have anything significant to add but I think the comment about Harry Potter styled wands was a very good reminder, I'll try to implement some of that in my own adventures...

Telonius
2008-02-04, 11:34 AM
A wand of Hideous Laughter would be pretty gay. So would Dancing Lights - imagine how much that could improve a party! Though a wand of Heroes' Feast would probably be the gayest one of all. Food for everyone, could you have a gayer time than that? :smallwink:

Burley
2008-02-04, 11:35 AM
I agree with anybody on this thread who is offended in the slightest bit.
I, personally, am tired of people using somebody's life-style as a term for anything they dislike. Please keep in mind that we're GAMERS! We, according to a lot of the public, cause school shootings and the like. Wouldn't you be a little annoyed if people starting saying: "That shirt is so gamer."
On top of that, what's wrong with being gay? Seriously, depending on whether you're born that way or discover it through a bunk mate at summer camp, it's no more threatening to people than being of any race or even being an accountant.

Open your mind, or shut your mouth.

Rutee
2008-02-04, 11:36 AM
You will rue the day you crossed the bearers of wands.

You will Rue it hard (http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/05/19).

I'd so play a game like that. Maybe call it "Mage: The Awakening"..

Anyway, tot he OP, you're sitting around a table tossing, potentially, buckets of dice. How 'manly' could you possibly need anything to be?

Nerd-o-rama
2008-02-04, 11:44 AM
OP: Assuming you meant "un-manly" (and I know some pretty manly gay dudes, so you might want to rethink that usage)...I don't get it. They're handheld symbolic phalluses, which is a) about as manly as you can get and b) the same as swords, knives, guns...unless they're not big enough for you. Needing to compensate for something?

Really, I guess it's a problem with me not knowing what you mean. What do you mean by gay in this case?

Rachel Lorelei
2008-02-04, 11:57 AM
Bah, EVERYTHING is a phallus substitute.

I mean, look at swords, come on...

Well, duh. Swords are just shiny steel penises men carry to make themselves feel better.

Rachel Lorelei
2008-02-04, 12:00 PM
On top of that, what's wrong with being gay? Seriously, depending on whether you're born that way or discover it through a bunk mate at summer camp, it's no more threatening to people than being of any race or even being an accountant.

Open your mind, or shut your mouth.

I don't know that the poster is saying something's wrong with it.

For example, Greek wrestling is, well, pretty gay. Nothing wrong with that.


Incidentally, I keep meaning to play a half-elven drag-queen "sorceress". Color thpray!

F.L.
2008-02-04, 12:01 PM
Yes wands. i beleive wands are in fact the gayest magical item in all of creation. how can one be scared being at the "business" end of a wand? i just can't bring myself to take them seriously.

A wand focused artificer with wand mastery, etc, using 2 wands of phantasmal killer. Not scary, but certainly lethal. Hope your will save is high.

Oh, and here's how to ruin Harry Potter, by the way,

Replace the letter d in wand in the books with another letter. And it doesn't make wane or want, by the way... The result is vile.

kamikasei
2008-02-04, 12:05 PM
Bah, EVERYTHING is a phallus substitute.

I mean, look at swords, come on...

Everything?

Nets?


Oh, and here's how to ruin Harry Potter, by the way,

Replace the letter d in wand in the books with another letter. And it doesn't make wane or want, by the way... The result is vile.

One of the best bash quotes ever (http://bash.org/?111338).

its_all_ogre
2008-02-04, 12:11 PM
it's no more threatening to people than being of any race or even being an accountant.
.

i resemble that remark! cause i am....an......accountant....
but in spirit i agree!

Tiak
2008-02-04, 12:14 PM
i am quite sorry if anyone was offended by my title, i meant only to state the fact that wands are just about the most unthreatening magic item i've ever encountered. on the other hand lighten up people! it's just a word, yes i was not using it in the proper way and mabye i should have shown some better word choice. Also, if i'm a bit behind i'm sorry i was away from my comp.

huttj509
2008-02-04, 12:15 PM
I dunno, belt of gender change is the item most likely to cause a character to have a sexual identity crisis, regardless of how they started out.

Sleet
2008-02-04, 12:16 PM
You will rue the day you crossed the bearers of wands.

You will Rue it hard (http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/05/19).

You win the Internet. :smallbiggrin:

Tiak
2008-02-04, 12:18 PM
i can't stop thinking of the time i shot a wand weilding pc in the face with a
.357 magnum, threaten me with a wand will you? i led the party from that point on... true story.

shaggz076
2008-02-04, 12:19 PM
A wand of Hideous Laughter would be pretty gay. So would Dancing Lights - imagine how much that could improve a party! Though a wand of Heroes' Feast would probably be the gayest one of all. Food for everyone, could you have a gayer time than that? :smallwink:

Naw if you mean gay as in the homosexual I would have to say Otto's irresistable "Disco" dance would be. If you mean gay as in happy then yeah I would have to go with Tasha's hideous laughter, you can't be mad while laughing your ass off. lol

Draz74
2008-02-04, 12:25 PM
On top of that, what's wrong with being gay? Seriously, depending on whether you're born that way or discover it through a bunk mate at summer camp, it's no more threatening to people than being of any race or even being an accountant.

Open your mind, or shut your mouth.

Well, in the spirit of open-mindedness, you should remember that there are those of us (myself included) who really do believe that acting on gay tendancies has negative psychological and spiritual consequences. This thread (and Forum) is not really an appropriate setting to get any deeper into that topic. But just as the OP was offensive in its closed-mindedness, I'd prefer not to have my view, in turn, treated like it's automatically wrong and unworthy of existing.

And before I get flamed too badly, I would like to say that I don't hate gay (or similar) people, in spite of disagreeing with this particular aspect of their actions. There are lots of other things people do that I believe aren't the best choices, and that doesn't stop me from loving and respecting those people for other reasons. And definitely don't approve of "gay" being used as a derogatory term like the OP did.

To add a d20-related note to this post:

I never did like how wands in 3e are just "scrolls with 49 more charges." It doesn't fit with how wands appear in literature. I think Metamagic Rods come a lot closer to the flavor that wands should have, and I hope 4e is approaching this idea with its "implement" rules. If not, I'll houserule that into 4e myself.

As far as aesthetics ... depends totally on the personality of the spellcaster whether little, lightweight implements seem out-of-place or not. I hope they encourage more character-individual fluff about wand appearance in 4e as well. (Although at least, even in 3e, they let you decide your own fluff about whether wands are plain, simple wooden sticks vs. rainbow-colored crystals with stars and flowers carved on them.)

Theli
2008-02-04, 12:26 PM
Everything?

Nets?


Nets are another kind of substitute.

*Ba-dum-tish*

warmachine
2008-02-04, 12:37 PM
If wands are phallic symbols, what does that make Tinkerbell?

Zincorium
2008-02-04, 12:40 PM
If wands are phallic symbols, what does that make Tinkerbell?

Hot but of an inconvenient size.

kamikasei
2008-02-04, 12:40 PM
If wands are phallic symbols, what does that make Tinkerbell?

...A fairy?

dungeon_munky
2008-02-04, 12:40 PM
In response to the new topic of "Wands, world's most unthreatening magical items," I tend to agree. At first. Honestly, what's scary about a finely crafted piece of wood....until you know what it can do. As soon as a wand becomes more than a piece of wood, it becomes one of the most terrifying magical items around.
Take a look at how different people would react to wands.

Cliche Barbarian: HAH! Puny mageling! You think you can stop me with a stick? You will fall before my mighty *dies due to wand related injuries*

Typical Wizard/Sorc/Bard/Rogue: Aaaaawwwww frick he's got a wand! RUN!!

Rachel Lorelei
2008-02-04, 12:47 PM
Well, in the spirit of open-mindedness, you should remember that there are those of us (myself included) who really do believe that acting on gay tendancies has negative psychological and spiritual consequences. This thread (and Forum) is not really an appropriate setting to get any deeper into that topic. But just as the OP was offensive in its closed-mindedness, I'd prefer not to have my view, in turn, treated like it's automatically wrong and unworthy of existing.
Sorry, but there's a problem here.
It's that your view IS automatically wrong and unworthy of existing. What's more, the official position of this forum is that expressing those sentiments is a no-no, for that very reason. What you're doing is the direct equivalent of going "well, I believe that black people are inherently inferior. But that's OK, I love them anyway, for other things."
It's bigotry, plain and simple, and you need to face up to that before you can deal with it. Furthermore, you do not deserve to have your bigotry indulged.

"Psychological consequences". You know what has psychological consequences? Telling people loving the gender they love is Bad and Wrong.
It's sentiments like yours that contribute directly to the enormous suicide rate among gay teens.

Craig1f
2008-02-04, 12:49 PM
Wands are classic in fantasy. That's just their role. DnD has changed them to be limited resources though, which I think is kind of strange. Usually, wands are thought of as focuses.

My thought is that spellcasters should have personal wands that they can store spells into (much like how they write scrolls), and they should provide a +1 on their ranged attack roll, with the ability to enhance this bonus.

Rachel Lorelei
2008-02-04, 12:49 PM
i am quite sorry if anyone was offended by my title, i meant only to state the fact that wands are just about the most unthreatening magic item i've ever encountered. on the other hand lighten up people! it's just a word, yes i was not using it in the proper way and mabye i should have shown some better word choice. Also, if i'm a bit behind i'm sorry i was away from my comp.

"Gay" does not equal "unthreatening". Frankly, the most dangerous person I know is a gay man.

Craig1f
2008-02-04, 12:50 PM
Sorry, but there's a problem here.
It's that your view IS automatically wrong and unworthy of existing. What's more, the official position of this forum is that expressing those sentiments is a no-no, for that very reason. What you're doing is the direct equivalent of going "well, I believe that black people are inherently inferior. But that's OK, I love them anyway, for other things."
It's bigotry, plain and simple, and you need to face up to that before you can deal with it. Furthermore, you do not deserve to have your bigotry indulged.

"Psychological consequences". You know what has psychological consequences? Telling people loving the gender they love is Bad and Wrong.
It's sentiments like yours that contribute directly to the enormous suicide rate among gay teens.

Hey, you guys are off topic. We're talking about wands here. Jeez. Some people have no manners.

Charles Phipps
2008-02-04, 12:52 PM
Dammit, *I* wanted to post Song of the Sorcerlator.

Nerd-o-rama
2008-02-04, 12:52 PM
i can't stop thinking of the time i shot a wand weilding pc in the face with a
.357 magnum, threaten me with a wand will you? i led the party from that point on... true story.
Just getting this in before this thread is inevitably locked for the side conversation going on.

How is a wand any different than a gun? A gun is a metal stick that kills people. A wand is a more minimalist wooden stick that kills people. What you were facing was - assuming he had a wand of a decent damage spell like Scorching Ray, or an instant death wand like Phantasmal Killer, a Quick Draw situation. The only reason you shot him in the face instead of the other way around was because you won initiative. Wands are lethal. Going with d20 Modern firearms, significantly more lethal than a .357. They may not look threatening, but if you know what manner of unseemly things they can do to you, they get a lot scarier.

Cuddly
2008-02-04, 12:54 PM
Well, duh. Swords are just shiny steel penises men carry to make themselves feel better.

And trees remind us that the god of nature is a man with a lot of wood.

The phallus argument is retarded.

13_CBS
2008-02-04, 12:55 PM
I'm...not entirely sure how this thread is still open :smallconfused:

Green Bean
2008-02-04, 12:55 PM
The phallus argument is retarded.

You mean it's a phallusy. :smalltongue:

Cuddly
2008-02-04, 12:55 PM
Sorry, but there's a problem here.
It's that your view IS automatically wrong and unworthy of existing. What's more, the official position of this forum is that expressing those sentiments is a no-no, for that very reason. What you're doing is the direct equivalent of going "well, I believe that black people are inherently inferior. But that's OK, I love them anyway, for other things."
It's bigotry, plain and simple, and you need to face up to that before you can deal with it. Furthermore, you do not deserve to have your bigotry indulged.

"Psychological consequences". You know what has psychological consequences? Telling people loving the gender they love is Bad and Wrong.
It's sentiments like yours that contribute directly to the enormous suicide rate among gay teens.

Check it, logic ninja, or you're getting banned again.

Dragonmuncher
2008-02-04, 12:56 PM
I never did like how wands in 3e are just "scrolls with 49 more charges." It doesn't fit with how wands appear in literature. I think Metamagic Rods come a lot closer to the flavor that wands should have, and I hope 4e is approaching this idea with its "implement" rules. If not, I'll houserule that into 4e myself.

Ignoring the first half of his post, I'll agree with Draz about this. Wands always seemed like they should be more of a focusing aid than actually have spells inside of them- to go back to Harry Potter, it's POSSIBLE to do magic without a wand, but the aid of a wand as a conduit vastly increases ease and power.

Adumbration
2008-02-04, 12:57 PM
You mean it's a phallusy. :smalltongue:

Cookies all around for a Pratchett referance!:smallbiggrin:

Yes... I chuckled.

Theli
2008-02-04, 01:00 PM
If the OP was a troll, then consider this mission accomplished.


I said "If". "IF"!

Though one wonders...

shaggz076
2008-02-04, 01:04 PM
Ignoring the first half of his post, I'll agree with Draz about this. Wands always seemed like they should be more of a focusing aid than actually have spells inside of them- to go back to Harry Potter, it's POSSIBLE to do magic without a wand, but the aid of a wand as a conduit vastly increases ease and power.

So what your saying is that they should function more like the Angreal and Ter'angreal from the Wheel of time D20 system? I think it would be great to see magic run more like the Wheel of Time D20 in general. If you can cast magic, great. If you run out of spells it is ok because you can always overchannel but be careful because there is a chance of burning your magic ability right out of you and to top it all off, if your a male there is a chance to go even more mad than you already are.

Chronicled
2008-02-04, 01:07 PM
Well, duh. Swords are just shiny steel penises men carry to make themselves feel better.

Even though I agree with most of your posts in this thread, this one is a bit much. There are numerous girls/women in my saber class, and one of them is downright scary with a shinai.

streakster
2008-02-04, 01:13 PM
If you think about it, a gun is far from threatening either. I mean, a short metal stick? It's not even a good sized club. It becomes threatening, however, when you know what it can do.

The same applies to wands.

Nerd-o-rama
2008-02-04, 01:15 PM
You mean it's a phallusy. :smalltongue:
Sigging this immediately.

BRC
2008-02-04, 01:16 PM
It's a matter of perspective, If you took a gun into the standard DnD world (one without gunpowder) it would not seem very threatening, it dosn't look very threatening physically. We feel threatened by a gun because we know what it can do, same goes for a wand, We see a little stick, somebody from a society with wands see's enough magical firepower to kill them ten times over, while We see a heavy pistol, they see what looks like a very unfunctional hammer or somthing.

Rachel Lorelei
2008-02-04, 01:43 PM
Check it, logic ninja, or you're getting banned again.

Um... what? Gay-bashing is in fact prohibited here, and what does logic ninja have to do with it?

its_all_ogre
2008-02-04, 01:51 PM
the logic ninja used to post here i believe this person is suggesting you are his/her new incarnation.

Kioran
2008-02-04, 01:54 PM
If you think about it, a gun is far from threatening either. I mean, a short metal stick? It's not even a good sized club. It becomes threatening, however, when you know what it can do.

The same applies to wands.

Still, thereīs a heavier and generally more feared version around - the rifle/the staff. And yes, a Rifle is even scarier than a Pistol, not only because you can use it as an improvised bashing implement, also because itīs much more effective at firing highly accelerated lead. Apart from wands looking stupid, staves have more detail and can be considerably more effective.....

Rachel Lorelei
2008-02-04, 02:08 PM
Even though I agree with most of your posts in this thread, this one is a bit much. There are numerous girls/women in my saber class, and one of them is downright scary with a shinai.

I'm not serious, there. That's a well-known outdated "philosophy".

Rachel Lorelei
2008-02-04, 02:09 PM
the logic ninja used to post here i believe this person is suggesting you are his/her new incarnation.

OK, no. This is my first and only account here.

streakster
2008-02-04, 02:12 PM
Agreed: That to a person who knows nothing about guns, a rifle somewhat is more threatening than a pistol.

Doesn't change my point, though - to a person who knows what guns do, a pistol or a rifle or whatever is scary. To a person who doesn't, they're really aren't. A paladin with a great big sword is going to laugh at your long metal stick (rifle). Same again with wands and staves - if you know what they can do, it doesn't matter if they look stupid. They're still pretty durn terrifying.

Chronicled
2008-02-04, 02:12 PM
Oh, come on. I'm obviously not serious, there. That's a well-known outdated "philosophy".

When you get ticked about an issue, it's difficult to tell when you are being sarcastic. I'm sure you didn't mean to insult all men with an interest in swordfighting (which is a very fun sport), either, but I could be wrong.

Rachel Lorelei
2008-02-04, 02:20 PM
When you get ticked about an issue, it's difficult to tell when you are being sarcastic. I'm sure you didn't mean to insult all men with an interest in swordfighting (which is a very fun sport), either, but I could be wrong.

I was being sarcastic there. I both do kendo and fence, myself (although intermittently; no time for both of those and sparring). Swords are fun!

Crimson Avenger
2008-02-04, 02:20 PM
Agreed: That to a person who knows nothing about guns, a rifle somewhat is more threatening than a pistol.

Doesn't change my point, though - to a person who knows what guns do, a pistol or a rifle or whatever is scary. To a person who doesn't, they're really aren't. A paladin with a great big sword is going to laugh at your long metal stick (rifle). Same again with wands and staves - if you know what they can do, it doesn't matter if they look stupid. They're still pretty durn terrifying.

Actually, the paladin is far from laughing at the long metal stick. I submit he's soiling his armor because you're holding a staff.

Zenos
2008-02-04, 02:20 PM
If you think about it, a gun is far from threatening either. I mean, a short metal stick? It's not even a good sized club. It becomes threatening, however, when you know what it can do.

The same applies to wands.

Even when not doing it's primary purpose a pistol as a club is pretty scary. Pistol-whipping can actualy bash someone's head in.

Zenos
2008-02-04, 02:23 PM
Agreed: That to a person who knows nothing about guns, a rifle somewhat is more threatening than a pistol.

Doesn't change my point, though - to a person who knows what guns do, a pistol or a rifle or whatever is scary. To a person who doesn't, they're really aren't. A paladin with a great big sword is going to laugh at your long metal stick (rifle). Same again with wands and staves - if you know what they can do, it doesn't matter if they look stupid. They're still pretty durn terrifying.

Er, I would be careful if someone held a long metal stick and was intent on killing me.

Wolf53226
2008-02-04, 02:31 PM
Sorry, but there's a problem here.
It's that your view IS automatically wrong and unworthy of existing. <snip>


Said the pot to the kettle!


Bigotry: stubborn and complete intolerance of any creed, belief, or opinion that differs from one's own. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Bigotry)

The_Blue_Sorceress
2008-02-04, 02:32 PM
Um... what? Gay-bashing is in fact prohibited here, and what does logic ninja have to do with it?

The original poster (may) have been gay bashing, but Draz was just voicing another point of view. You equated his statement to racism, but you read him incorrectly. He happens to think that homosexual sex is morally wrong, just as he (probably) thinks adultery is morally wrong. He didn't say gay people are bad. He didn't say gay people are inferior, he just said that he thinks there are moral consequences to it. He didn't say gay people should be punished by society either, in fact he pointed out that he thinks that being cruel toward homosexuals is morally wrong too. That's no gay bashing or intolerance or bigotry.

He disagrees with you, that doesn't make him a bad person.

-Blue

Chronicled
2008-02-04, 02:32 PM
Actually, the paladin is far from laughing at the long metal stick. I submit he's soiling his armor because you're holding a staff.

I submit that he's cautious and disconcerted, because while you're only holding a long metal stick, you don't seem at all concerned about fighting him and his sword. It doesn't matter if he doesn't recognize the gun for what it is, if he's reading your body language--and that language says you're holding a very deadly weapon.


I was being sarcastic there. I both do kendo and fence, myself (although intermittently; no time for both of those and sparring). Swords are fun!

That they are :smallsmile:.

streakster
2008-02-04, 02:42 PM
All right then:

The paladin, if attent to your body langauge, may suspect that the long metal stick you are holding is somehow dangerous. He will likely not believe it to be a staff - it doesn't resemble one very much. If he is not attent, he likely believes you to be a moron for challenging him with what looks to him like a highly ineffective club.

Certainly, pistolwhipping can be effective - but regardless of the gun's actual use in combat, it does not look threatening. Take, say, a pink scarf with baby ducks on it. You can choke someone to death with it, but it does not look threatening.

And Zenos, what if you were in full armor, on your mount, with a magic sword, being threatened by a man with a stick? Metal or not, you'd laugh. Or, to reverse the situation, imagine a man in a long robe pointing what looks like a pencil at you and announcing that he was going to kill you. Not that scary.

Maroon
2008-02-04, 02:45 PM
In the same vein that a rifle may appear to be a staff in a fantasy world, a wand in our world could be pretty scary, especially when it's visibly magical. E.g. when it's crackling with barely contained eldritch power, people might think it's some sort of high-powered tazer. Or a metal wand. Psycho!

Aerogoat
2008-02-04, 02:47 PM
Check it, logic ninja, or you're getting banned again.
Out of curiosity, have you ever read anything TLN has written? Does RL's writing read anything like his? Does she address subject matter remotely similar to his? Does he address subject matter remotely similar to hers?

I think the answer to all of these is a definite "no."

The only purpose of this post which I can determine is to get Rachel kicked.

Zenos
2008-02-04, 02:49 PM
All right then:

The paladin, if attent to your body langauge, may suspect that the long metal stick you are holding is somehow dangerous. He will likely not believe it to be a staff - it doesn't resemble one very much. If he is not attent, he likely believes you to be a moron for challenging him with what looks to him like a highly ineffective club.

Certainly, pistolwhipping can be effective - but regardless of the gun's actual use in combat, it does not look threatening. Take, say, a pink scarf with baby ducks on it. You can choke someone to death with it, but it does not look threatening.

And Zenos, what if you were in full armor, on your mount, with a magic sword, being threatened by a man with a stick? Metal or not, you'd laugh. Or, to reverse the situation, imagine a man in a long robe pointing what looks like a pencil at you and announcing that he was going to kill you. Not that scary.

I would be msot concerned about him tripping me and unleashing a hail of blows on my head, yes, but since we're talking a magic setting here, where small statuettes can turn into a hulking brute of an eagle-lion hybrid I would be cautious.

Rachel Lorelei
2008-02-04, 02:54 PM
He didn't say gay people are inferior, he just said that he thinks there are moral consequences to it. He didn't say gay people should be punished by society either, in fact he pointed out that he thinks that being cruel toward homosexuals is morally wrong too. That's no gay bashing or intolerance or bigotry.

He disagrees with you, that doesn't make him a bad person.

-Blue

Come now, he's spreading the old "psychologically damaging" chestnut, combined with the It's Wrong thing. Opinions like that dovetail quite nicely with more active gay-bashing, and are almost as harmful.
I'm glad he's enlightened enough to not think that actively being cruel to people, but getting That's Just Wrong And You Should Stop, Why Don't You Stop to something that isn't wrong and that you're still having difficulty coming to terms with? It's pretty terrible.
He's essentially arbitrarily picking homosexuality and deciding It's Wrong. If it were Wearing Clothes Made Of Mixed Fabrics, it'd be just as absurd and nobody would care, but then it wouldn't be feeding into a ridiculously widespread social trend.

You think it's wrong? Don't do it. People are not obliged to be considerate of the opinion that it *is* wrong, any more than they're obliged to be considerate of the opinion that black people are less intelligent or Jews are greedy and control the media or that being left-handed or eating lobster is immoral. He said that "in the spirit of open-mindedness", people shouldn't just dismiss his views.
And he's wrong.


Said the pot to the kettle!
I'm fine with most opinions that differ from my own.
You don't have to, for example, listen to the KKK and think "that's just, like, their opinion, maaaan" to not be a bigot.

Rachel Lorelei
2008-02-04, 02:56 PM
Out of curiosity, have you ever read anything TLN has written? Does RL's writing read anything like his? Does she address subject matter remotely similar to his? Does he address subject matter remotely similar

I think the answer to all of these is a definite "no."

The only purpose of this post which I can determine is to get Rachel kicked.

To be fair, I do address subject matter broadly similar to his (game (im)balance) on occasion, largely whenever Giacomo manages to bait me into it with a mindboggling statement. But then, so do a lot of people on this forum.

I'd rather not be accused of deserving a ban (as someone who's already been banned does, according to the rules), thank you very much.

mostlyharmful
2008-02-04, 03:08 PM
I think in a world where magic is real and the most dangerous thing around is a little old guy/girl in a faded robe with a big floppy hat waving a pencil then yes, wands are scraey and i'm sure it'd be common to have robbers holding up shops with fake wands and big scarey monsters afraid of very ornate twigs. Response follows function follows form. Guns are scarey because they kill, not because they crackle with unearthly energies, wands do both and they're a whole lot more unpredictable than guns

And on the side note I nominate the cloaks of displacement as simply fabulous.

shaggz076
2008-02-04, 03:18 PM
And on the side note I nominate the cloaks of displacement as simply fabulous.

They might be fabulous but so hard to flirt in I mean when someone goes to grab your junk they miss 20% of the time!

Fenix_of_Doom
2008-02-04, 03:19 PM
I'd like to state that
1: there's nothing wrong with wands.

2: Gay people are in fact born gay, you don't turn gay or choose to be gay, although you can deny it(which often does have negative effect), it is all decided by genes and hormones. This is the main reason why gay behaviour can NEVER been seen as morally wrong! This has been known for quite a while and claiming not to now this is almost wilful ignorance.
There is also a reason why gayness exist, although I'm not certain these results are 100% accurate, research has shown that having gay relatives has proven beneficial in the evolution.

kamikasei
2008-02-04, 03:20 PM
Or, to reverse the situation, imagine a man in a long robe pointing what looks like a pencil at you and announcing that he was going to kill you. Not that scary.

"Baldrick, believe me... Eternity in the company of Beelzebub and all his hellish instruments of death will be a picnic compared to five minutes with me and this pencil (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Blackadder#Ink_and_Incapability)."

Illiterate Scribe
2008-02-04, 03:20 PM
Bravo to Rachel Lorelei, for injecting some sense into this discussion!

:salute:

I'd also say, before this thread is locked, that speculating about other people's bans ... well, read this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/announcement.php?a=1).

Anyhow, back on topic - I take it that the OP, with his oh-so-terrifying .357 has never encountered an artificer with a metamagic item'd wand of scorching ray with twinned, energy admixtured damage. 48d6 damage, anyone? That's not even very optimised.

Edit:Also, to continue with the current theme, druids are furry.

ZeroNumerous
2008-02-04, 03:29 PM
Well, duh. Swords are just shiny steel penises men carry to make themselves feel better.

And what about the women who carry swords? A pseudo-phallus taken to fulfill phallus-envy?

To the OP: Wands are gay, they're very happy to continue existing and serve their purpose of containing nigh unlimited arcane power to be unleashed at their user's whim.

Now, assuming you actually meant unmanly.. Well.. You usually don't stay too manly after getting popped by a wand of disintegrate, do you?

Chronos
2008-02-04, 03:56 PM
And what about the women who carry swords? A pseudo-phallus taken to fulfill phallus-envy?My armory is brazen, but my weapons are ironical;
My sword is rather phallic, but my chakram's rather yonical (http://www.kith.org/logos/words/lower/x.html)

(from Xena of Penzance)

ZeroNumerous
2008-02-04, 03:58 PM
My armory is brazen, but my weapons are ironical;
My sword is rather phallic, but my chakram's rather yonical (http://www.kith.org/logos/words/lower/x.html)

(from Xena of Penzance)

I was more pointing out that Rachel assumes only men wear swords. :smalltongue:

Zenos
2008-02-04, 04:11 PM
By the way, do you guys (and gals) know that gay originaly meant "merry", so the OP says the worlds merriest items.

ZeroNumerous
2008-02-04, 04:15 PM
By the way, do you guys (and gals) know that gay originaly meant "merry", so the OP says the worlds merriest items.

Yes.. That's-That's the joke everyone who isn't arguing about TLN has been making since the beginning of this thread. Thanks for pointing out for people who are all SRS BIZNUS. :smallbiggrin:

Tengu
2008-02-04, 04:18 PM
And what about the women who carry swords? A pseudo-phallus taken to fulfill phallus-envy?


Yes. Didn't you know that the driving force of a man is sex, and the driving force of a woman is phallus envy? In everything?

...

Freud was so offensively misogynist it's almost hilarious.


the logic ninja used to post here i believe this person is suggesting you are his/her new incarnation.

I find that suggestion very funny, for two reasons:
1. If I remember correctly, Rachel Lorelei posted here even when TLN wasn't banned yet.
2. It is very easy to spot the actual new incarnations of TLN, at least for me - he doesn't try to hide himself very much.
Now I had the thought of TLN being this forum's Avatar.

Toliudar
2008-02-04, 05:15 PM
You know...there might be fun to be had (in a "I see your Shwartz is as big as mine" way) if wands shrank as you used up their charges. Not unlike pencils

Newtkeeper
2008-02-04, 05:31 PM
Thor! Do even the mods fear to tread in this thread for long enough to lock it?Or are they enjoying it as much as we are?


Anyway, a wand is really about as threatening as a gun.

Mage vs. Guy Who Doesn't Know about Wands


Mage: Don't move, or I kill you!
GWDKAW: Huh. I could break that stick easily- I doubt I'd feel that clubthrough my...
GWDKAW: Cough gurgle splat.
---
Gunslinger vs. Guy Who Doesn't Know about Guns:

Gunslinger: Don't move, or I kill you!
GWDKAG: Huh. I've seen more impressive daggers. I doubt I'd feel that club through my....
GWDKAG: cough gurgle bleed


And there is no one-handed gun on this green earth that can equal a good fireball.

Other advantages of a wand:

Goes through metal detectors.
Easily concealed in a large toothbrush.
Biodegradable- Green is the new bloodred

RoboticSheeple
2008-02-04, 05:35 PM
Exceedingly offended by several responses in this thread. Mods have been contacted.

ashmanonar
2008-02-04, 05:42 PM
You mean it's a phallusy. :smalltongue:

*smites for a bad pun*

ZeroNumerous
2008-02-04, 05:46 PM
Freud was so offensively misogynist it's almost hilarious.

He wasn't just misogynist. He was just a general person-hater.

Solo
2008-02-04, 05:51 PM
I'd like to state that
1: there's nothing wrong with wands.

2: Gay people are in fact born gay, you don't turn gay or choose to be gay, although you can deny it(which often does have negative effect), it is all decided by genes and hormones. This is the main reason why gay behaviour can NEVER been seen as morally wrong! This has been known for quite a while and claiming not to now this is almost wilful ignorance.


Sociopathy maybe genetic, you know, and it's still considered morally wrong.


There is also a reason why gayness exist, although I'm not certain these results are 100% accurate, research has shown that having gay relatives has proven beneficial in the evolution.
Yes, less competition for the opposite sex :smallamused:

Incidentally, I was not aware that there were any psychological studies that showed being gay, in and of itself, to be detrimental to a person psychologically. (Spriritual damage is beign left out, as I am not "spiritual" myself)

Rutee
2008-02-04, 05:57 PM
Sociopathy maybe genetic, you know, and it's still considered morally wrong.

Sociopathy strikes me as something that isn't morally wrong, within our society. How often do criminally selfish jerks get /punished/, as opposed to /glorified/, within our culture?

ZeroNumerous
2008-02-04, 06:00 PM
How often do criminally selfish jerks get /punished/, as opposed to /glorified/, within our culture?

On T.V? Never.

In something we like to call reality? All the time.

Newtkeeper
2008-02-04, 06:05 PM
In something we like to call reality? All the time.

Yes, but not always. All too often, they get away with it (or elected, depending on how rich they are).

And, of course, even Sociopathy is morally wrong, if it is genetic, we should pity rather than hate them. Hating a person for something that isn't his fault seems a bit... odd.

Illiterate Scribe
2008-02-04, 06:06 PM
I am not "spiritual" myself

A truer word was never spake (typed, whatever).

Solo
2008-02-04, 06:07 PM
Hating a person for something that isn't his fault seems a bit... odd.

You're just not trying hard enough.

Fenix_of_Doom
2008-02-04, 06:08 PM
And, of course, even Sociopathy is morally wrong, if it is genetic, we should pity rather than hate them. Hating a person for something that isn't his fault seems a bit... odd.

My point exactly, I'd could also argue that actions that can't be controlled can't be judged morally, but that's a whole other philosophic debate.

streakster
2008-02-04, 06:38 PM
Exceedingly offended by several responses in this thread. Mods have been contacted.

Exceedingly offended by this response in this thread. Mods have been contacted.

Charity
2008-02-04, 06:46 PM
Wow, still open eh...
curious...

Nowhere Girl
2008-02-04, 06:47 PM
Think of them as being the fantasy equivalent of a gun.

Maybe the problem for you is the word? What synonyms are there for wands? Hmm...

I skipped to the end just to say ...

This comment has now firmly embedded in my mind the image of wizards brandishing wands turned sideways, "gangsta-style."

Roland St. Jude
2008-02-04, 07:15 PM
All right, kids. Who can tell me what's wrong with this post?

Sheriff of Moddingham: I'm going to go with - uses "gay" as a derogatory term.

Such comments are trolling when made in this fashion and flaming bordering on hate speech when directed at a specific poster.

Do I win a prize?

(Thread locked.)