#seismologically-silly

oh I am so proud of what I did with the stats page and I'm really glad people are loving it so far! It's really fun to make, and inserting hints all over the place is just :))))))))

That’s a solid stance to take. He’s like Data in that he deserves that level of devotion sight unseen. He’s unlike Data because if you tell Data he did something human-adjacent you get 🙂and with Tuvok you get:

So all you really need to get started is a phone that can download apps! If you decide you really like it and want to get into it more, something like a GPS can be helpful for fine-tuning your search or using out where there isn’t cell service, but Groundspeak has a nice app integrated with their website (geocaching.com, the app is just called “Geocaching”) that you can use to search out in the field. I’ve done almost all my searching via phone and it’s gone pretty well honestly.

The app is also free to download, although if you want access to all the caches in the database you’ll need to pay for a Premium subscription. For just starting out I imagine you’ll probably want to play around with the free version first, but if you decide you like caching and would make use of it, I find the Premium subscription (about $30/year, iirc) to be super worth it -- it’s not a lot to be paying for a hobby I like, especially monthly, and subscribing to Premium also gets you access to more caches types, which as someone who really like some of the weirder and more puzzle-y ones is a big plus (although I will also add, there are absolutely a lot of “standard” type non-Premium caches that have fun themes or puzzles to them, too, so if the cost is a barrier, don’t worry, there are still a LOT of really interesting caches you can look for, completely free of charge).

The basic “what” and “how” of geocaching is that you can look at the map of caches near you on the site (you’ll want to make a geocaching.com account to get access) or on the app and go to the locations where there are cache markers. Once you’re near enough to whatever landmark/streets/etc gets you closest and your app says you’re within about 30ft or so, you can start searching the area to try to find whatever container is hidden there! There are different cache sizes -- micros are really small, smalls are the size of like a pill bottle or so, regulars are often tupperware containers, and so on -- and the cache entry should give you some idea of what size-ish container you’re looking for. The entry will also have a difficulty rating (for how hard the find is to spot/solve) and a terrain rating (for how hard it is to get to the spot where the cache is hidden), on a scale or 1-5. I recommend trying to find some in the 1-2 range first, but fortunately, that also describes the majority of caches. Sometimes there will also be an extra hint left by the owner, and if you’re having trouble, it can also be worth it to look at other logs people who have found it before have written.

Once you find the cache, you get to sign the little logbook inside (you’ll want to bring your own pen or pencil -- most caches aren’t large enough to fit one inside, and even if there’s room, there might not be one in there) as well as log it on the app (or on the website when you get home). Depending on the size of the cache there might also be some little goodies left inside -- you’re welcome to take those, although it’s good etiquette to leave something nice in return if you do. I like to carry around some fun little space-themed erasers I bought specifically for leaving in caches.

That’s the basics of caching! As you try some caches you may become more familiar with certain types of hides or strategies, but it really is just poking around looking for weird containers, for the most part. If my stories about some of the wilder ones I’ve found have you wanting to look for something a little more exciting, I’d recommend trying to find a caches nearby that has 20+ favorite points (which premium users can leave on caches they especially like). Often that’s a sign that there’s something a little special about a cache! Getting a Premium account will also unlock multicaches (caches where the coordinates to another cache are hidden inside the first cache, and you can only log it once you’ve found the final cache in the series) and mystery caches (caches that have unconventional clues you have to solve to get the coordinates at all), which are great for that, too, but even a plain old green “standard” cache that’s marked with the “field puzzle” attribute or seems to have been favorited a fair bit will probably have something fun up its sleeve.

(2/?) fire as a way to cope with the events. A few years later, a baby aasimar she names Ducky arrives and the Head Druid guy realized that the Wizard guy whose people killed Joey’s family need Celestial tears as a part of their ritual to bring back the Wizard, so they send Joey to bring Ducky back to his family. Ducky has a halo, small wings, a lion’s tail, and white pupils so Joey has swaddled Ducky in robes and goggles to hide him.

Ooo, great question! They are all so cool...

My favorite subclass really does shift depending on how it fits with the character I’m playing. For instance, School of Enchantment was something that I was never particularly enthusiastic about, but I had a ton of fun playing it when I made a wizard who was modeled after Tahani from The Good Place - she had a famous bard sister she was trying to live up to, but a low Charisma that meant she relied on intelligence and enchantment spells to try to do the same things. It made for some great subclass specific RP opportunities.

I think mechanically I’m currently most interested in the Graviturgist and Chronurgist wizards, although that might just be because they’re shiny and new, haha. I love the Graviturgist flavor of basically being a magical physicist and creating black holes in the battlefield. I also think Divination is an interesting subclass that gets a bad rap and is way more powerful than a lot of people think. Same with Abjuration, which I’ve seen called “boring” because it’s more defensive focused, but is a great subclass if you like playing support.