TL;DR
I created a laundry list of high-level tenets that drive the game design of specific genre I coined the World game based on Brad's famous quote. These aim to be applicable to any game that would scratch my old school MMO itch.
What tenets would you choose?
Preamble
The MMO community is, to some degree, divided by the different expectations and desires of its player base. Even an MMORPG can mean so many things to so many different people. I wanted to get to the root of what a good MMO is to me, and in the process, I found that the ambiguous label of MMO is likely getting in the way.
Passionate players across the board seem to complain about the same issues. Ease of difficulty. Cash shops. Single-player focus. Theme park design. Players of these games either leave the genre, ultimately disenchanted with the thin veil over Skinner box design, or they continue to search for something better, because they know it is possible. Maybe this is intentional. Developers piggy back on the MMO genre to hook the player-base before extracting as much as they can from the whales in their glorified casino.
So, here, I present the tenets of a specific game genre: the World genre. The focus on world over game is not a new idea. Brad McQuad famously said, “I want to make worlds, not games.” That focus can be seen right there in the name of Visionary Realms. And without the right language to describe what we are after, the community is continually bit by games that fit the abstract label but disappoint in the details.
The goal with these tenets isn’t to create a template so much as it is to create rough guidelines. In fact, these guidelines probably wouldn’t do a game designer much good in creating a solid design. But they should help in evaluating different options and validating an existing design. Certainly, none of the tenets get as specific as the theme or even the existence of combat. They should apply equally well to a game set in feudal Japan, The Sims Online, or the next zombie apocalypse.
Some tenets are broad, while others more specific. Some tenets are rigid, others more malleable. Some tenets are critical pillars of the genre, while others are less important. Tenets frequently conflict, creating tension.
A note on intuition
The tenets below are driven by the principle that they should be intuitive. The World genre is trying to capture something deeply human, buried in our brains because of the way we have interacted with ourselves, each other, society, and our planet over millennia of evolution. There is no right or wrong answer. When in doubt, we err on the side of realism.
A note on ownership
Establishing reasonably prescriptive tenets on the World and gameplay highlights the necessity of strong ownership and vision for this style of game. This is particularly true given that many of these tenets go explicitly against what makes a great game in general. For example, how many games would actually benefit from less player matchmaking? This also does not lend itself well to player-generated content, where those tenets can be easily violated.
The tenets of immersion
TENET 1 The player should be directly represented in the World
The World genre requires the player to form a direct relationship with the World, not with the character. This is a key difference between Eastern of Western RPGs (both of which I love) and so this may be controversial. The player should be able to insert themselves into their avatar. On the flip-side, it precludes certain mechanics, such as squad-based designs.
TENET 2 The World should be realistic in both form and function
That is, the World should minimize the need for suspension of disbelief. It should pull the player in naturally. I have always felt conflicted by WoW’s appearance. I absolutely loved the cell-shaded look of Wind Waker, but instinctually disliked the cartoon-like nature of WoW. This goes back to immersion. That doesn't mean the visuals have to be photorealistic. They just have to pull you in. It may be possible to get around this through the setting. For example, if the setting is a digital afterlife, you may be able to get away with a more abstract appearance.
TENET 3 The player and World should interface only through the player character
The player should only be able to influence the World through their character. And the World should only be able to influence the player through the character. This means, respectively, no cash shops and a first-person camera. It also means no GPS — unless, of course, the setting supports it. Taken to an extreme, this precludes voice chat, at least without something like racial voice filters.
TENET 4 The player should directly engage with the World around them
The key here is “direct”. No minimaps, no waypoints, no fast travel. Of course, these are not absolute deal-breakers. The key is that the player is able to establish a connection with the World around them. The player should, over the course of the game, develop a strong mental model of the World and its relation to their character.
The tenets of freedom
TENET 5 The player should not be assigned a story
The World itself can (and should!) have a story to tell. But the player character’s story should be their own. The player must have the freedom to make their own place within the World, eschewing the rails that a story provides. Side quests are lesser evils, but still evils. The more choice the better.
TENET 6 The player should be able to pursue multiple forms of progression
The choice should not just be in how to progress. It should be in which ways to progress. The most obvious example is crafting, but this can also include loot, skills, the economy, faction, or even — maybe most importantly — growing in strategy and skill.
TENET 7 The World should be demanding, but not prescriptive
This is an extension of the idea of a lack of story. If the game is too prescriptive, it becomes a job. A chore. To combat this phenomenon, the player needs significant choice at all times. This may, in fact, be the primary draw of the World genre: to provide an environment where players are purely driven by their own will. It is equally important to avoid visibly and overtly influencing the player’s decisions. The player’s incentives and motivating factors should be an organic part of the World. No daily XP boosts, for example. Alternate forms of progression can help here, because even once a player is motivated to progress, they have the choice of which dimension of progress to pursue.
TENET 8 The World should encourage downtime
The player should not feel compelled to move forward at all times. There should be joy simply in existing in the World, experience it moment to moment. Even better, progression itself can require downtime; this is related to the notion that players should be encouraged to play any game in the most fun way possible. This can be accomplished with world design, such as guard-protected cities or social taverns, or mechanics, such as fishing, firework shows, and waiting in queue for a boat. This is effectively the white space of gameplay. And it is all but lost in modern MMOs.
TENET 9 The World should be dangerous
Choice is meaningless without consequence. With real, negative consequence, comes danger. This not only gives weight to the player’s decisions, but also helps to establish the intricate give-and-take relationship between the World and the player. Looking at you, death penalty. If a World game is about finding your place within that world, then danger and risk makes this a meaningful pursuit. If that tension between risk and reward does not exist, even at the start of the journey, it undermines those goals. Note that this is different than challenge — and challenge itself is not enough.
TENET 10 Players should be encouraged to explore the World
This doesn't mean that players are constantly seeking some never-before-seen point of interest, but it does mean that players get out and move. In other words, the world provides resources across its footprint, and you must seek those out. Most forms of progression should require you to get out and explore. This also does not necessitate baubles scattered around the landscape to find.
The tenets of impact
TENET 11 The player’s actions should be worn like a badge
You should be a product of your choices. Your reputation, gear, and skills should tell a story about where you have been and what you have accomplished. Your spoken languages can tell a story of what cities you have spent the most time in. As you spend time in different climates, you may develop a natural acclimation to those environments. Imagine you walk into town and one of the NPC gnomes recognizes the scent of the nearby crystal caverns you have been exploring. This is interesting because it relates to life; the player’s accomplishments should come with artifacts. This also means that auction houses should be limited, as they create an artificial divide between adventure and outcome.
TENET 12 Players should have something unique to offer
The ways that a player can help others in their progression should be relatively unique to that player. As much as possible, they should tell a story about adventures undertaken; e.g., a proc from an item dropped by a famous mob. Of course, classes and class-specific skills are one way to accomplish this, but the more ways the better. For example, if one form of progression is fishing, then fish should be useful to others in many ways. A cooking skill is obvious. More creatively, certain kinds of fish could be used as powerful but low-level weapons. A butcher could extract gills or eyes to, in turn, be used as reagents for spells.
TENET 13 There should be no end game
Even the name “end game” is problematic for several reasons. It suggests a hard limit to progression. It suggests a hard divide in the way the World is experienced once the player reaches this limit. It also suggests that the focus is no longer on the World, but on the game — which is to say, the core promise of the genre is lost. This doesn’t mean to eliminate raids or AA points. It just means that those things should be included in the game proper. This tenet also implies that progression should be relatively limitless. Skyrim is an interesting example of this. One way to accomplish this is to create exponential progress; for example, having each level take 10% more experience than the last. Granted, this is a much harder problem than the simple discussion here suggests.
TENET 14 The player should leave a mark on the World itself
Can a World be meaningful if there is no way to make an impact on it? Of course, their character is one such mark. It is easy to imagine statues erected in town, or NPCs chatting about the first character to hit max level. But there should be a means for all characters to leave some lasting impact. Given that players can already say whatever they want in chat, breaking immersion, a simple example is the ability to leave a journal. These could even be curated. Other possibilities include geocaching, naming items, plaques that can be erected in various places throughout the world. Player-owned housing is perhaps the most obvious.
TENET 15 Power, fame, and fortune must be possible
A world game should be able to provide all three of these drivers. As with reality, these should not be the only reason to play. Fame is largely supported by communication; fortune by economy and loot. Power can be found even outside the game, in the player’s mind, as they grow in skill and strategy.
TENET 16 The player should have a home
Can you have a world without a home? Some place in the world should feel like your own. Where even the NPCs tend to be supportive of you: merchants give discounts and trainers more assistance. This could simply be your birthplace, your hometown.
The tenets of socialization
TENET 17 There must be no explicit matchmaking
Players must find each other. In fact, a World game should ideally employ the opposite of matchmaking: some players should have barriers preventing that connection. This makes it all the more meaningful when these seemingly unlikely relationships form. There are many ways to accomplish this, including separating players by distance or climate or language. Allowing certain players to engage in PvP is another.
TENET 18 There should be risk in trusting others
Trust can only exist when that trust can be violated. Otherwise there is no trust — just a cold, lack of consequence. By allowing negative consequences through socialization, we enable trust, and so enable more meaningful relationships. For example, a player might grief the group, log out at the wrong time, or simply lack the skill to effectively play their character. They might steal your loot.
TENET 19 Players must be able to communicate with language
The purpose of having a World is to allow the player to tell their own story within it. And what story is worth telling that doesn’t involve real connection with others? Connection with others requires communication. And not just any form of communication, but with language. This communication should extend throughout the game, as much as possible. That is, it should be limited to the tavern, but should naturally extend out to the dungeon as well.
TENET 20 Players should be able to help each other organically
Those that have the means to help should find themselves naturally in proximity to those that might need it. For example, have high-level dungeon entrances in low-level areas. Have new characters start out near big cities.
TENET 21 Cooperation should generally benefit progression
For example, a blacksmith could gather all of her own materials or rely on other players. In some cases, a blacksmith might actually require an enchanter to lend a hand in creating the best equipment. This is not a difficult tenet to design towards; it is more a warning against designing forms of progression that specifically do not lend themselves to cooperation. In many MMOs, solo combat is so fast-paced and rewarding that there is little incentive to try to find a group.
The tenets of the World itself
TENET 22 The World should be persistent
Things can change, but not so frequently that it harms the connection the player has with the World. This is one reason why Minecraft may not work as a World game, and perhaps one reason why the focus on player-generated content in EverQuest Next did not lend itself well to a fun experience.
TENET 23 The World should be shared
There should be no instancing. If you need to come up with elaborate lore and mechanics to facilitate this, then so be it. For example, say all of the top tier raid bosses are spirits that can only be summoned by rare relics. And the spirits can only be hurt by those that share a clan sash with the one who summoned them. Obviously this is terribly contrived. But it demonstrates that it is possible to work backwards from the need of a shared world.
TENET 24 The World should be big
You should move slowly compared to the size of the world. It should always feel as though there is somewhere new to explore.
TENET 25 The World should be open
Big by itself is not enough. Theoretically, you could create a massive, linear world — imagine Ant Hill: The MMO. But that is not sufficient for a World game. Exploration is critical, and so the specific layout of the space is important. For another example, imagine Destiny but with hundreds of expansions. The game would be large by any standard, but it would not be a World.
TENET 26 The World should be alive
To some degree, the World should be the main character. Day and night cycles are a simple start. Other possibilities include transient events or even changes to the landscape over time. The World should be full of surprises, unpredictable. You should come across enemies not normally found in the local climate. You should discover loot normally reserved for much tougher mobs. Emergent gameplay can help here as well. The more mechanics and attributes that can be projected naturally to some underlying physics, the greater the chance for interesting and unique interactions. In the same breath, the World should have history. The best example of this is Hollow Knight, a game that tells the history of the World through visual storytelling, environments, enemy design, dialog, secrets, and journals.
TENET 27 The World should be consistent
The World should carry an underlying consistency through it. The World should feel congruent. Variety, also important, must be tempered.
TENET 28 The World should be varied
Different places within the World should have an identity of their own, through climate or culture or environment. Different environments should encourage different play styles and behavior, even downtime.
TENET 29 The World should have landmarks
The World should be defined by the interesting places within it. More than that, the World should have locations that pull players together. Breath of the Wild does an amazing job with this, whereas it is one of the weaknesses of The Witcher III. In EverQuest, the camps themselves often serve this role — think Treants — showing how landmarks can emerge from gameplay rather than, say, visual interest.

Welcome to Lost in the Sauce, keeping you caught up on political and legal news that often gets buried in distractions and theater… or a global health crisis.
Housekeeping:

• HOW TO SUPPORT: I know we are all facing unprecedented financial hardships right now. If you are in the position to support my work, I have a patreon, venmo, and a paypal set up. No pressure though, I will keep posting these pieces publicly no matter what - paywalls suck.
  
• NOTIFICATIONS: You can signup to receive notifications when these posts are done.
  

Post-election

On Saturday, Trump announced on Twitter that he has put his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani in charge of his campaign's long-shot post-election legal challenges. Other people on the team include Joseph diGenova, Victoria Toensing, Sidney Powell, and Jenna Ellis.

• Giuliani worked with a Russian agent to smear Biden. diGenova and Toensing tried to get the Justice Department to drop charges against corrupt Ukraine oligarch Dmytro Firtash. Powell represents Michael Flynn and champions "deep state" conspiracies. Ellis said gay marriage leads to pedophilia.

NYT: Mr. Trump turned to Mr. Giuliani earlier on Friday in reaction to the latest setback he faced in court, this one relating to votes in Maricopa County, Arizona… A half-dozen other Trump advisers have described Mr. Giuliani’s efforts as counterproductive and said that he was giving the president unwarranted optimism about what could happen… In an Oval Office meeting with aides on Thursday, Mr. Trump put Mr. Giuliani on speakerphone so the others could hear him. He angrily accused the aides of not telling the president the truth

Giuliani’s conspiracy-riddled rant at Four Seasons Total Landscaping was so disastrous that it “scared off many of the lawyers” recruited to argue election-related lawsuits. Politico: “Campaign officials described the episode as disastrous...there are widespread concerns within Trumpworld and GOP circles that Giuliani’s antics are thwarting the president’s legal machinery from within.”
Two major law firms have withdrawn from Trump campaign cases as his legal challenges crumble. Arizona’s largest law firm Snell & Wilmer dumped the RNC and Trump campaign effort to challenge votes in Maricopa County. Porter Wright Morris & Arthur is abandoning Trump’s attempt to block Pennsylvania's popular vote for Joe Biden.

• In one day (Friday), nine cases meant to attack President-elect Joe Biden's win in key states were denied or dropped - seven in Pennsylvania, one in Arizona, and one in Michigan.

The new federal chief information security officer, Camilo Sandoval, has already taken leave from his day job to participate in a pro-Trump effort to hunt for evidence of voter fraud in the battleground states. The group, Voter Integrity Fund, is a newly formed Virginia-based group that is analyzing ballot data and cold-calling voters. Sandoval was officially appointed on Nov. 4, 2020, but lists his starting date at October on his personal LinkedIn page.

WaPo: Sandoval is part of a hastily convened team led by Matthew Braynard, a data specialist who worked on Trump’s 2016 campaign. Another participant is Thomas Baptiste, an adviser to the deputy secretary of the Interior Department who also took a leave to work on the project. Braynard said in an interview that several other government officials on leave are also assisting the effort, but he declined to identify them.

Media’s role:

• Facebook Cut Traffic To Leading Liberal Pages Just Before The Election: Liberal page administrators who spoke with BuzzFeed News said that their reach declined by as much as 70%, and still hasn’t recovered.
  
• Facebook Live Spread Election Conspiracies And Russian State-Controlled Content Despite Employee Fears: The social network’s live video tool has recommended videos featuring misinformation and the hyperpartisan views of Trump allies leading up to and following election day in the US.
  
• In the week after the election, Trump’s postings dominated Facebook, accounting for the 10 most engaged status updates in the United States, and 22 of the top 25. “I WON THIS ELECTION, BY A LOT!” was his top post.
  
• YouTube Is Doing Very Little to Stop Election Misinformation From Spreading
  
• Social media app Parler receives financial backing from conservative hedge-fund investor Robert Mercer and his daughter Rebekah, The Wall Street Journal reported. Parler turned into a kind of de facto home for conservatives’ protests against the election— including the persistent “Stop the Steal” campaign— after the race was called for former Vice President Joe Biden. Several high-profile conservative social media personalities encouraged people to abandon Twitter and Facebook because of their moderation policies, and instead follow them on Parler.
  

Transition

Emily Murphy, the head of the General Services Administration, still hasn’t signed the official letter that would allow the incoming Biden team to formally begin the transition. House Democrats are assessing options to force the GSA’s hand, which could include summoning Murphy to the Hill to testify or suing her. “Obviously, Congress could file suit against the GSA administrator for failing to do her duty. We could seek to get a court to, in fact, issue an order

Her ascertainment is the legally necessary precursor to the government’s assistance to the Biden-Harris Presidential Transition Team. It releases $6.3 million dollars to the team, which is funded by public and private money; a loan of expanded federal office space and equipment; access to government agencies that will begin sharing information and records about ongoing activities, plans and vulnerabilities; national security briefings for the president; and other support.

• The Office of the Director of National Intelligence recently confirmed that it is not providing national security briefings to the president-elect. The Defense Department has also reportedly indicated that it will not meet with the Biden-Harris transition team until Murphy formally affirms the apparent winner.

One of the officials fired in Trump’s latest purge was helping prepare for the transition to the new administration. USAID Deputy Administrator Bonnie Glick was removed abruptly to make way for a Trump loyalist after she had been supportive of transition planning, including the preparation of a 440-page manual for the next administration.
The GSA’s refusal to enact the transition has locked Biden’s team out of crucial Covid-19 pandemic data and government agency contacts. The president-elect’s Covid-19 task force has been trying to work around the federal government by connecting with governors and the health community.

• The head of Operation Warp Speed, Moncef Slaoui, called on the White House to allow contact with the Biden team, saying “It is a matter of life and death for thousands of people.”

White House’s Office of Management and Budget is considering 145 new regulations and other policy changes they could enact before Biden’s inauguration - rules that will be challenging to undo once they are finalized. Critics and supporters of the administration say they expect a final burst of regulations to be finalized in the weeks before Jan. 20.

The rules under development include policies that the incoming Biden administration would probably oppose, such as new caps on the length of foreign student visas; restrictions on the Environmental Protection Agency’s use of scientific research; limits on the EPA’s consideration of the benefits of regulating air pollutants; and a change that would make it easier for companies to treat workers as independent contractors, rather than employees with more robust wage protections.

Last week, both Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said they’re preparing for a second Trump term. “There will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration,” Pompeo said during a news conference Tuesday afternoon (clip). Pompeo then doubled down on Fox News (clip). “We are moving forward here at the White House under the assumption there will be a second Trump term,” Navarro said on Fox Business Friday (clip).

DOJ interference

Attorney General William Barr stopped career prosecutors in DOJ’s Public Integrity Section from investigating whether President Trump broke any laws related to his conduct with Ukraine last year. The section was initially given the green light to pursue “a potentially explosive inquiry” into Trump, but after the Senate acquitted the president during impeachment proceedings, Barr sent the case to the U.S. attorney’s office in Brooklyn.
Prosecutors in DOJ’s Public Integrity Section were also prevented from bringing charges against former interior secretary Ryan Zinke by political appointees atop the Justice Department. Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen told prosecutors that they needed to gather more evidence and refine the case against Zinke for lying to Interior investigators.

• The investigation into Zinke stemmed from his decision to block two Native American tribes—the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan—from opening a casino in Connecticut. Zinke’s office had been lobbied heavily by MGM Resorts International, which had been planning to open its own casino very close to where the tribes intended to break ground.

Sixteen assistant U.S. attorneys specially assigned to monitor malfeasance in the 2020 election urged Barr on Friday to rescind his memo allowing election-fraud investigations before results are certified. "It was developed and announced without consulting non-partisan career professionals in the field and at the Department. Finally, the timing of the Memorandum's release thrusts career prosecutors into partisan politics," the prosecutors wrote.
An internal Justice Department investigation found that federal prosecutors who oversaw a controversial non-prosecution deal with Jeffrey Epstein in 2008 exercised “poor judgment” but did not break the law. “They just say he used poor judgment, and that's their way of basically letting everyone off the hook while offering some sort of an olive branch to the victims that we acknowledge weren't treated perfectly,” said Brad Edwards, who sued the DOJ in 2008 on behalf of Epstein accusers.

Immigration news

Eastern District of New York Judge Nicholas Garaufis (Clinton-appointee) ruled that Chad Wolf was not legally serving as acting Homeland Security secretary when he signed rules limiting DACA program applications and renewals. Therefore, in a win for Dreamers and immigration activists, Garaufis said the changes were invalid.

The judge described an illegitimate shuffling of leadership chairs at the Department of Homeland Security, the agency responsible for immigration enforcement, for the predicament of Wolf's leadership and that of his predecessor, Kevin McAleenan.
"Based on the plain text of the operative order of succession," Garaufis wrote in the Saturday ruling, "neither Mr. McAleenan nor, in turn, Mr. Wolf, possessed statutory authority to serve as Acting Secretary. Therefore the Wolf Memorandum was not an exercise of legal authority."

• There's a renewed push to get Chad Wolf confirmed as Homeland Security secretary -- a position in which he's been serving in an acting capacity for a yearr -- before Inauguration Day. In the past week, Homeland Security officials spoke to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's office about bringing the nomination to a floor vote in the coming weeks.

Within the last six months, as the coronavirus pandemic gripped the US, the Trump administration filed 75 lawsuits to seize private land along the US-Mexico border for the border wall." People right now are having to choose between their health and their homes," said Ricky Garza, a staff attorney at the Texas Civil Rights Project, a legal advocacy group.
After a series of price increases, Trump’s border project will cost taxpayers $20 million per mile of border fence. A review of federal spending data shows more than 200 contract modifications, at times awarded within just weeks or months after the original contracts, have increased the cost of the border wall project by billions of dollars since late 2017.
DHS has expelled unaccompanied immigrant children from the US border more than 13,000 times since March, using the coronavirus as an excuse to deny children their right to asylum. Previously, unaccompanied children were sent to government-run shelters as they attempted to pursue their asylum cases.
Migrant children from Central America are being expelled to Mexico, where they have no family connections. The expulsions not only put children in danger - the policy violates a diplomatic agreement with Mexico that only Mexican children and others who had adult supervision could be pushed back into Mexico after attempting to cross the border.
The House Judiciary Committee released a report on the Trump administration’s policy of separating families at the border, revealing that the federal agency that cares for migrant children was not told about the policy. The chaos contributed to the inability to later reunite parents and children.
The Trump administration is trying to deport several women who allege they were mistreated by a Georgia gynecologist at an immigration detention center. Hours after one detained woman spoke to federal investigators about forced hysterectomies at a Georgia detention center, she said ICE told her that it had lifted a hold on her deportation and she faced “imminent” removal. Six former patients who complained about Dr. Mahendra Amin had already been deported.
Northern District of Illinois Judge Gary Feinerman (Obama-appointee) blocked a key Trump administration policy that allowed officials to deny green cards to immigrants who might need public assistance Advocates who had feared that the policy would harm tens of thousands of poor people, particularly those affected by widespread job loss because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Miscellaneous

Microsoft said it has detected attempts by state-backed Russian and North Korean hackers to steal valuable data from leading pharmaceutical companies and vaccine researchers. “Among the targets, the majority are vaccine makers that have COVID-19 vaccines in various stages of clinical trials.”
Two census takers told The AP that their supervisors pressured them to enter false information into a computer system about homes they had not visited so they could close cases during the waning days of the once-a-decade national headcount.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday signaled it’s unlikely to tear down Obamacare over a Republican-backed lawsuit challenging the landmark health care law. Chief Justice John Roberts and Trump appointee Justice Brett Kavanaugh strongly questioned whether the elimination of the mandate penalty made the rest of the law invalid. Kavanaugh appeared to signal on several occasions that he favored leaving the rest of the law intact if the mandate is struck.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) was sued last week by four whistleblowers claiming that he abused his office to benefit himself, a woman with whom he was said to have had an affair, and the wealthy donor who employs her before retaliating against the members of his staff who reported him to the FBI.
The Trump administration is rushing plans to auction drilling rights in the U.S. Arctic National Wildlife Refuge before the inauguration of Biden, who has vowed to block oil exploration in the rugged Alaska wilderness. Biden’s efforts could be complicated if the Trump administration sells drilling rights first. Formally issued oil and gas leases on federal land are government contracts that can’t be easily yanked.

Hello again, and good morning!
This listing is for items that did not sell during the January 17 Auction, so you can buy anything you want right here and right now - no buyer's premiums, no additional fees.
*FREE shipping for any order over $100.
*All items priced at $1 are now .75 each
Each lot was individually imaged (front and back) for the auction - so the easiest way for you to see exactly what you're buying is to visit the auction link (the auction is over, so I'm not advertising anything different or advertising an upcoming auction) - so here that is:
https://www.invaluable.com/catalog/2qx7j50tq0?size=50&page=1&categories=&sort=
Here is the required "prove you still have the stuff" photo with the username card and today's date:
PHOTO
Payment: PayPal only. I do not have Venmo/Zello/Bitcoin or any other form of digital payment at this time. No notes if using PPFF, please. (Thank you.) If you choose to use PPFF, please make sure to send me your shipping address here as it won't automatically load with your payment.
Shipping: I will charge you what it costs me for the USPS label rounded up to the nearest dollar. For First Class that is usually $4, for USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate Small Box it will be $9. I will get you a tracking number right after payment is received and will get your package scanned into the USPS system within 24 hours of receipt of payment. I will offer "Risky Shipping" (via stamped greeting card) at my discretion for $1 - for single, small coins ONLY. NOTE: These prices are for Continental US shipping only - if you live outside the continental US, shipping will be more expensive. I am still happy to do it under the same rules as above, but just keep in mind it's going to cost more.
What do YOU need to do to buy coins from this group: send me a list of which lots you want (for example, I want to buy lots # 51, 52, 53, 54, 55) and I will send you a total. There are too many coins here (plus there are duplicates) so I cannot look up the coins you want by description - just give me lot numbers and it will be much simpler.
I'd like to make a simple and polite request - if I have sent you my PayPal information (meaning we've agreed to a deal) please finish it up as soon as you can so I can check you off the list and move on to the next person. This helps make sure you get all the coins we discussed and no one else is in limbo.
I will do my absolute best to update the ad as soon as lots sell.
LEFTOVERS:
52 China (Republic) 10 Cash $5.00
57 China (Hu-Peh Province) 10 Cash $1.00
59 Hong Kong - 1866 1 Cent NICE $8.00
61 China (Republic) 10 Cash $3.00
62 China (Kiang-Nan Province) 10 Cash NICE $20.00
63 China (Republic) 20 Cash $5.00
64 1977 D Eisenhower Dollar UNC MINT CELLO $4.00
67 British West Africa - 1940 1/10 Penny NICE $5.00
70 France (Perpignan) 1917 A 10 Centimes $5.00
71 1976 Shelbyville Dam (Illinois) Elongated/Smashed Nickel Souvenir $3.00
76 France (Orleans/Lyon/Toulouse) 10 Centimes Transportation Token (good to 31 Dec 1918) $3.00
77 Papua New Guinea - 2008 2 Kina UNC $2.00
78 Missouri Insurance Company (St. Louis) Good Luck Token $3.00
79 1900 India (Rama-Laksmana) Type C #1 (Brotman) Temple Token NICE $40.00
80 1956 Roosevelt Dime UNC TONED $6.00
83 1955 General Motors "Motorama" Medal BU $15.00
86 Central States 70th Anniversary Convention Token Jerry Lebo Advertising $6.00
87 Consolidated Numismatic Advertising Token Good For $1 Edmundston, Canada $2.00
88 France (Perpignan) 1917 A 5 Centimes $5.00
91 France (Perpignan) 1921 A 25 Centimes Scalloped Edge $8.00
93 Ukraine - 2003 100 Hryvnia UNC $2.00
94 German East Africa (Tanzania) - 1916 T 20 Heller $10.00
95 Illinois Governer Otto Kerner Inauguration Medal $2.00
96 5 Cent Trade Token NICE $3.00
98 Germany (Schleswig-Holstein) - 1923 10 Mark Notgeld UNC $10.00
99 A. Phillips Co Cambridge, Maryland 20 Cent Trade Token NICE $8.00
100 EZ Park Courtesy Token $1.00
159 Great Britain - 1949 Penny NICE $2.00
163 1959 Type B Reverse Washington Quarter UNC TONED $12.00
165 Great Britain - 1932 1 Penny NICE $3.00
166 1960 Type B Reverse Washington Quarter UNC $10.00
167 1960 Type B Reverse Washington Quarter UNC $10.00
169 Portugal - 1921 10 Centavos NICE $10.00
170 Germany (Prussia) 1700's-1800's Jeton (Token) Wilhelm 3 "Neue Ehre Neues Gluck" $3.00
172 1963 Type B Reverse Washington Quarter UNC TONED $12.00
175 1964 D Washington Quarter UNC TONED $8.00
176 Canada - 1921 1 Cent NICE $4.00
179 Stag Beer Wooden Nickel "Fair on the Square" $1.00
180 The TV Shop Slidell, LA One Wooden Buck $1.00
181 Canada - 1929 1 Cent NICE $3.00
185 1962 Type B Reverse Washington Silver Quarter NICE $8.00
186 Canada - 1920 1 Cent NICE $4.00
188 1957 Type B Reverse Washington Quarter NICE $6.00
192 Canada - 1945 5 Cents NICE $2.00
193 State of Missouri Sesquicentennial Medal $2.00
194 State of Missouri Sesquicentennial Medal $2.00
195 Canada - 1945 5 Cents NICER $4.00
196 France - 1916 2 Centimes LOW MINTAGE $2.00
197 Germany (Empire) 1914 J 2 Pfennig NICE $8.00
198 Mexico - 1946 1 Centavo NICE $1.00
200 Mexico - 1924 2 Centavos BETTER DATE $6.00
259 1954 S Washington Quarter UNC $10.00
260 1957 Washington Quarter UNC TONED $10.00
261 1963 Type B Reverse Washington Quarter UNC TONED $20.00
262 1999 D Kennedy Half Dollar UNC from Mint Set GEM BU PROOFLIKE $3.00
263 1941 S "Large S" Lincoln Wheat Cent $1.00
264 1941 S "Large S" Lincoln Wheat Cent $1.00
266 1941 S "Large S" Lincoln Wheat Cent $1.00
267 1941 S "Large S" Lincoln Wheat Cent $1.00
269 Maybrook NY Golden Jubilee Good For 10 Cent Wooden Nickel $1.00
270 Maybrook NY 1975 Golden Jubilee 25 Cent Wooden Nickel $1.00
274 2009 P Lincoln Cent "Formative Years" Doubled Die Reverse 013 UNC $2.00
275 World Silver - Barbados 1973 Proof 5 Dollars LOW MINTAGE $20.00
276 2009 P Lincoln Cent "Formative Years" Doubled Die Reverse 013 UNC $2.00
277 2009 P Lincoln Cent "Formative Years" Doubled Die Reverse 013 UNC $2.00
279 2009 P Lincoln Cent "Formative Years" Doubled Die Reverse 012 UNC $2.00
280 2009 P Lincoln Cent "Formative Years" Doubled Die Reverse 012 UNC $2.00
281 2009 P Lincoln Cent "Formative Years" Doubled Die Reverse 012 UNC $2.00
282 2009 P Lincoln Cent "Formative Years" Doubled Die Reverse Book Low UNC $2.00
286 2009 P Lincoln Cent "Formative Years" Doubled Die Reverse 002 UNC $2.00
287 1983 Lincoln Cent DDO FS-101 $25.00
288 2009 P Lincoln Cent "Formative Years" Doubled Die Reverse 012 UNC $2.00
289 2009 P Lincoln Cent "Formative Years" Doubled Die Reverse 012 UNC $2.00
291 1964 D Washington Silver Quarter UNC TONED $8.00
293 1960's Terre Haute, IN Sesquicentennial Wooden Nickel $2.00
295 2009 P Lincoln Cent "Formative Years" Doubled Die Reverse 002 UNC $2.00
296 2009 P Lincoln Cent "Formative Years" Doubled Die Reverse 002 UNC $2.00
298 1982 Buffalo NY Sesquicentennial Wooden Nickel $1.00
352 Denmark - 1950 5 Ore KEY DATE $10.00
354 2009 P Lincoln Cent "Formative Years" Doubled Die Reverse 013 UNC $2.00
355 2009 P Lincoln Cent "Formative Years" Doubled Die Reverse 013 UNC $2.00
356 2009 P Lincoln Cent "Formative Years" Doubled Die Reverse 013 UNC $2.00
357 1990 Rappahannock Area Coin Club Wooden Nickel $1.00
359 Germany (Empire) - 1874 C 1 Pfennig $2.00
360 Old Time Wooden Nickel Co Support Our Troops Wooden Nickel $1.00
361 1941 S "Large S" Lincoln Wheat Cent $1.00
362 1941 S "Large S" Lincoln Wheat Cent $1.00
364 1980 D Jefferson Nickel Mint Error - Minor Curved Clip (@3:30) $3.00
365 1979 S "Type 2 - Clear S" Proof Jefferson Nickel $2.00
367 Germany (Empire) - 1895 F 1 Pfennig $3.00
368 Germany (Empire) - 1874 A 1 Pfennig $2.00
369 Germany (Empire) - 1900 F 1 Pfennig $2.00
370 Germany (Empire) - 1874 B 1 Pfennig $2.00
371 Australia - 1951 3 Pence $2.00
372 Great Britain - 1861 3 Pence $3.00
373 Germany (Empire) - 1875 J 5 Pfennig $2.00
375 50 Cents in Trade Token $1.00
376 Germany (Empire) - 1874 E 2 Pfennig $2.00
377 Clear Lake, IA Perkins Wooden Nickel $1.00
378 50 Cents in Trade Token $1.00
379 Medallic Art Co Grand Canyon National Park 50th Anniversary Medal Bronze $3.00
380 Great Britain - 1981 25 New Pence UNC $3.00
382 Pomona National Bridge / Jackson County 200 Year Anniversary Medal $3.00
383 Guyana - 1970 1 Dollar UNC $2.00
384 Germany (Empire) - 1875 J 2 Pfennig $4.00
385 Illawarrra Numismatic Association Membership Discount Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
386 San Juan Quality Royale Casino Token $1 Face Value $1.00
387 Canada - 1963 Prooflike 1 Cent Emerald Rainbow Toning $3.00
388 Artisan Silverworks Temecula, CA Wooden Nickel $1.00
389 Canada - 1966 1 Cent Emerald Toning $2.00
390 Germany (Empire) - 1875 E 2 Pfennig $2.00
391 Germany (Empire) - 1874 H 2 Pfennig $4.00
392 5 Cent Token $1.00
394 Germany (Empire) - 1894 F 1 Pfennig $3.00
395 Denmark - 1904/804 1 Ore NICE $8.00
396 Netherlands Antilles - 1965 2.5 Cents UNC TONED $6.00
397 Germany (Empire) - 1874 G 1 Pfennig $10.00
398 Netherlands - 1921 1/2 Cent BETTER DATE $2.00
399 Netherlands - 1922 1/2 Cent BETTER DATE $4.00
400 Germany (Empire) - 1874 D 10 Pfennig $3.00
451 Sweden - 1901 1 Ore $1.00
452 Norway - 1948 50 Ore Overdate 4/4 $5.00
453 Netherlands Antilles - 1959 1 Cent UNC $2.00
454 Germany (Empire) - 1899 A 1 Pfennig $1.00
455 Germany (Empire) - 1899 A 1 Pfennig $1.00
456 Germany (Empire) - 1898 A 5 Pfennig $1.00
457 Germany (Empire) - 1875 F 5 Pfennig $1.00
458 Canada - 1948 5 Cents $1.00
460 Denmark - 1951 10 Ore NICE $5.00
461 Barbados - 1973 Proof 5 Cents in OGP $1.00
462 Germany (Empire) - 1875 A 5 Pfennig $1.00
463 Barbados - 1973 Proof 25 Cents in OGP $1.00
464 Germany (Empire) - 1876 D 5 Pfennig $1.00
465 Hungary - 1965 2 Filler Key Date $5.00
466 Germany (Empire) - 1889 A 5 Pfennig $1.00
467 Germany (Empire) - 1889 A 5 Pfennig $1.00
468 Switzerland - 1968 5 Rappen UNC TONED $1.00
469 Germany (Empire) - 1875 A 5 Pfennig $1.00
470 Germany (Empire) - 1875 C 5 Pfennig $1.00
471 Trinidad & Tobago - 1973 Proof 1 Cent in OGP $1.00
473 Germany (Empire) - 1892 D 5 Pfennig $1.00
474 Germany (Empire) - 1897 A 5 Pfennig $1.00
475 Germany (Empire) - 1890 E 5 Pfennig $1.00
477 Germany (Empire) - 1890 D 5 Pfennig $1.00
478 Germany (Empire) - 1894 D 5 Pfennig $1.00
480 Barbados - 1980 Proof 25 Cents in OGP cello $1.00
481 World Silver - Switzerland 1975 1 Franc $6.00
482 Germany (Empire) - 1897 D 5 Pfennig $1.00
484 Canada (New Brunswick) - 1861 1 Cent $3.00
485 Canada (Nova Scotia) - 1861 1/2 Cent $2.00
486 Austria - 1893 10 Heller $1.00
488 Netherlands East Indies - 1921 1/2 Cent NICE KEY DATE $8.00
489 Austria - 1895 10 Heller $1.00
490 Austria - 1894 20 Heller $1.00
492 World Silver - Mexico - 1887 Do C 10 Centavos LOW MINTAGE $5.00
551 South Africa - 1965 Proof 1 Cent LOW MINTAGE 25,000 $2.00
553 Switzerland - 1902 2 Rappen KEY DATE FIRST YEAR $8.00
554 Panama - 1975 Proof 1 Centesimo in OGP $5.00
557 South Africa - 1965 Proof 5 Cents LOW MINTAGE 25,000 $2.00
560 South Africa - 1965 Proof 20 Cents LOW MINTAGE 25,000 $2.00
561 Panama - 1975 Proof 5 Centesimos in OGP $1.00
562 Panama - 1976 Proof 5 Centesimos in OGP $2.00
563 South Africa - 1965 Proof 50 Cents LOW MINTAGE 25,000 $5.00
564 South Africa - 1966 Proof 1 Cent LOW MINTAGE 25,000 $2.00
565 South Africa - 1966 Proof 2 Cents LOW MINTAGE 25,000 $2.00
566 South Africa - 1966 Proof 5 Cents LOW MINTAGE 25,000 $2.00
567 South Africa - 1966 Proof 10 Cents LOW MINTAGE 25,000 $2.00
568 Panama - 1974 Proof 5 Centesimos in OGP cello $1.00
569 South Africa - 1966 Proof 20 Cents LOW MINTAGE 25,000 $2.00
572 Panama - 1973 Proof 1/10 Balboa in OGP $1.00
573 South Africa - 1967 Proof 1 Cent LOW MINTAGE 25,000 $2.00
574 Barbados - 1973 Proof 1 Cent $1.00
575 Panama - 1973 Proof 1/4 Balboa in OGP $1.00
576 South Africa - 1967 Proof 2 Cents LOW MINTAGE 25,000 $2.00
577 South Africa - 1967 Proof 5 Cents LOW MINTAGE 25,000 $2.00
578 South Africa - 1967 Proof 10 Cents LOW MINTAGE 25,000 $2.00
579 South Africa - 1967 Proof 20 Cents LOW MINTAGE 25,000 $2.00
580 South Africa - 1967 Proof 50 Cents LOW MINTAGE 25,000 $4.00
584 Liberia - 1974 Proof 10 Cents in OGP $1.00
590 Mexico - 1923 1 Centavo NICE UNC TONED $8.00
593 Mexico - 1923 5 Centavos NICE $5.00
594 Bahamas - 1970 Proof 1 Cent in OGP $1.00
595 Mexico - 1935 20 Centavos NICE $30.00
596 Token "10" Unknown origin $1.00
652 Indiana Sesquicentennial Medal 1966 $3.00
654 Alleppey Dist Treasury 286 Token $3.00
655 Creotina Remedies Belleville, IL Token $3.00
657 Mexico - 2001 1 Peso UNC in original cello $1.00
658 Germany (Empire) - 1903 A 1 Pfennig $4.00
662 Germany (Weimar) - 1924 A 1 Pfennig NICE $6.00
664 Malaysia - 1977 50 Sen TONED UNC $3.00
665 Franklin D Roosevelt $2 Trade Token Union Maystern $3.00
666 Great Britain - 1953 5 Shillings UNC (Crown sized) $5.00
667 Russia - 1994 50 Roubles Blind Mole Rat LOW MINTAGE UNC $3.00
672 Mint of Romania Aluminum Token UNC $3.00
673 Bahamas - 1973 and 1974 Proof 1 Cents in OGP (two coins) $1.00
675 Canada - 1939 5 Cents UNC $20.00
676 Penny Press Mint 1 Dollar Token (Morgan Dollar Inspired Design) $2.00
677 Penny Press Mint 1 Dollar Token (Morgan Dollar Inspired Design) $2.00
678 France (Paris) Montmartre Auditing Firm "Good for one audition" Token $2.00
679 Thailand - Bangkok Institute of Accounting Token $1.00
680 Swedish Shooting Medal Double Pistols Design $3.00
681 1941 Mercury Dime Pin $4.00
682 Korea (Republic) - 1968 5 Won UNC $25.00
683 Korea (Republic) - 1973 50 Won NICE $5.00
684 Russia - 1994 50 Roubles Bison NICE LOW MINTAGE $2.00
685 Coca-Cola 1974 "It's the real thing" Silver Dollar City Token $5.00
686 State Mint of Romania Octagonal Token UNC $2.00
687 Canada - 1937 Dot 5 Cents UNC $10.00
688 France - 1977 10 Francs TONED $2.00
690 Saarland - 1954 10 Franken UNC $8.00
692 Mount Vernon, VA High School Token $1.00
693 Korea (Republic) - 1967 10 Won NICE $5.00
694 Korea (Republic) - 1967 10 Won UNC $40.00
695 Princes of Jerusalem - Cahokia Council A.A.S.RITE Valley of East St Louis Token $3.00
697 Magic Mountain Valencia California Souvenir Token $2.00
698 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Driver's Association "good for one full fare" token $1.00
700 Downtown Granite City (Illinois) Shopping Center Token $3.00
751 Canada - 1957 House of Commons Medal $3.00
753 Mr. Pizza (World's Worst Pizza) Wooden Quarter Token $1.00
754 National Pony Express Centennial Medal So Called Dollar UNC TONED $5.00
755 Pulaski Bowling Center Free Game Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
756 Four Canada 1991 UNC Cents (4 coins) in OGP CELLO $1.00
757 Four Canada 1991 UNC 5 Cents (4 coins) in OGP CELLO $1.00
758 Pair of Two Thomas Jefferson 1 Cent Postal Stamps $1.00
761 Mexico - 2000 10 Pesos UNC in original cello $6.00
764 Ye Olde Curiosity Shop Seattle 25 Cent Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
765 Mexico - 2000 20 Pesos UNC in original cello $10.00
768 Morocco - AH1320 10 Mazunas $8.00
773 Diamond Dolls Pompano Beach, FL Free Hamburger Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
774 Nadine's Backwoods Bistro One Free Tap Beer Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
775 Ocean Springs Mini Golf One Free Game Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
777 Poland - 2014 2 Zlotych UNC $2.00
778 Lansing, Michigan University Quality Inn One Free Well Drink Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
780 San Jose, California Donut Delight One Small Drink 40 Cents Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
781 H.E.B. Hustle Chip Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
782 Two Mixed Tokens $1.00
784 South Gate, California Robby's Tepee 1 Glass Draft Beer Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
785 Macadoo's One Free Sara Lee Bagle (with butter!) Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
786 Canada - 1970 1 Cent TONED $1.00
788 State Penal Institution 5 Cent Good For Token $3.00
790 Fishing Equipment & Tackle 10% Discount Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
791 District Treasury Alleppey 1860 Token Government of Kerala $2.00
792 Russia (Empire) - 1881 1 Kopek $1.00
793 Black Duck Buck Good For One Premium Drink Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
794 Goodles, Michigan Cook's Cobblestone One Free Beer Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
796 San Diego, California My Yogurt Place One Free Frozen Yogurt Sundae Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
797 Canada - 1939 Coronation Medal $2.00
798 Ellsworth, Maine Bicentennial Headquarters Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
800 Suwanee River Attractions 25 Cent Admission Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
851 Sunnyvale, California Odyssey Room 1 Free Drink Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
852 Great Britain - Queen Victoria 60 Years of Rule Medal $3.00
854 Belgium - 1944 2 Franc NICE $1.00
855 Fredericksburg, Virginia Rappahannock Area Coin Club Wooden Nickel Token One free month $1.00
859 Monarch Automatic Co Northhampton Good For One Coupon in Trading Token $2.00
860 Netherlands - 1881 1 Cent $1.00
862 Mexico - 2000 20 Pesos UNC in original cello $10.00
863 Fredericksburg, Virginia Rappahannock Area Coin Club Wooden Nickel Token One free month $1.00
864 Tullahoma, Tennessee The Finish Line Free Drink Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
865 Here's Johnny's 25 Cents off Purchase Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
866 $1 Good For Token Large $3.00
867 Canada - 1939 Coronation Medal $3.00
868 Boise, Idaho Miller's Sewing Center 25 Cent Needle Package Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
869 San Antonio, Texas Dan's 10861 FM "Round TUIT" Wooden Token $1.00
870 Belgium - 1836 2 Centimes $1.00
871 Vandalia, Ohio Skipper's $3 off purchase Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
872 Roseville, California Onyx Club One Free Beer Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
873 Long Beach, California Fayette Cleaners Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
874 Beckett, Massachussetts 1965 Bicentennial Lee National Bank 5 Cent Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
875 Munhall, Pennsylvania 5 Cent Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
877 Washington, Indiana Sesquicentennial 1966 Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
878 1953 Queen Elizabeth Coronation Medal $3.00
881 Fredonia, New York Coyle's Pub One Free Drink Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
882 Monterey, California Wharfside Restaurant Complimentary Calimari Appetizer Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
883 Lyman, Wyoming Cecil Sanderson Military Token & Wooden Nickel Collector "Round TUIT" Token $1.00
884 Eastlake, Colorado Karl's Farm Dairy Inc 25 Cent Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
885 Elko, Nevada Ed's Coins & Currency "Cents of Humor" Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
887 Richmond Hot Stuff Deluxe Tattoo One Free Drink Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
888 Australia - 2014 1 Dollar 100 Years of ANZAC $1.00
889 Sacramento, California The Tides 1 Free Beer Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
890 Lancaster, Pennsylvania The Comic Store Free Comic Wooden Nickel Token RARE $1.00
891 Bennington, Vermont Bicentennial 1961 5 Cent Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
892 Torrance, California Old Towne Mall One Free Play Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
893 Duenweg, Missouri State Bank One Quart Token NICE $3.00
894 Rotary International Token $1.00
896 Canada - 1930 House of Commons Medal $3.00
897 Greenfield, Iowa Al's Shoe Service 5 Cents Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
900 France - 1944 C 2 Francs $1.00
951 France - 1944 C 2 Francs $1.00
952 Poland - 2006 2 Zlotych $3.00
953 Poland - 2003 2 Zlotych $3.00
954 Aurora, Illinois Dairy Queen Free Small Sundae Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
955 Mullan, Idaho Silver Dollar Bar 1 Free Drink Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
956 Poland - 2004 2 Zlotych $3.00
957 New Horizons Computer Learning Center Turkey Token 10 Auction Dollars Wooden $1.00
962 Lake of the Woods 40th Anniversary Token $2.00
963 The Travancore Bank Trivandrum #103 Token $1.00
964 Perryville, Wisconsin Good For 1 Glass Tap Beer Wooden (plastic) Nickel Token $1.00
966 1925 Larkin Dollar Medal BU $8.00
968 Palmolive Soap Chicago, Illinois Good For One Cake Token NICE $5.00
969 Duenweg State Bank Duenweg, Missouri Strawberry Token Good For 1 Crate $6.00
970 Dallas, Texas City Hall Token $1.00
971 California State Numismatic Association 1973 53rd Anniversary Token $2.00
972 Worldwide Bi-Metallic Collector's Club World Money Fair Encased Coin (Mexico 20 Centavos) $3.00
973 Worldwide Bi-Metallic Collector's Club World Money Fair Encased Coin (Mexico 20 Centavos) $3.00
977 Worldwide Bi-Metallic Collector's Club World Money Fair Encased Coin (New Zealand 5 Cents) $3.00
979 Worldwide Bi-Metallic Collector's Club World Money Fair Encased Coin (New Zealand 5 Cents) $3.00
981 Worldwide Bi-Metallic Collector's Club World Money Fair Encased Coin (New Zealand 5 Cents) $3.00
983 Worldwide Bi-Metallic Collector's Club World Money Fair Encased Coin (New Zealand 5 Cents) $3.00
984 Worldwide Bi-Metallic Collector's Club World Money Fair Encased Coin (New Zealand 5 Cents) $3.00
987 Harry S Truman US Mint Bronze Medal in OGP $3.00
988 John Wayne US Mint Bronze Medal in OGP $5.00
989 Vietnam Veterans National Bronze Medal in OGP $3.00
992 2010 Korea Money Fair Token with original Flip $3.00
993 Matchless Metal Polish Co Liverpool 1906 Token $5.00
995 Marissa, Illinois 1967 Centennial Wooden Nickel Token $1.00
996 Central States Numismatic Society 2005 Token Original AirTite $2.00
997 Central States Numismatic Society 2005 Token Original AirTite $2.00
998 Central States Numismatic Society 2005 Token Original AirTite $2.00
999 Rustler Silver Gas Token $1.00
1000 Worldwide Bi-Metallic Collector's Club World Money Fair Encased Coin (Euro 5 Cent) $3.00

Magic items. Objects imbued with magic in order to make them better, or even gain a completely different function. But apparently the only places they exist are in monster hoards and adventurers' backpacks.
Realistically however, everyone wants things that are better at what they do. And eventually, people get what they want.
Today i will go over some objects that are useful outside of the context of adventuring, as well as how they might change the world around them. I will not mention artifacts, since those are one-of-a-kind objects with pre-established locations, usage, etc.
While the topic has always existed, Tasha's Cauldron has added a few interesting toys to our proverbial tool box, which makes this as good a time as any to take a look and
Much like in the Spells and Society post, the rarer an item the more amazingly powerful it must be to be worthy of mention. Actually i recommend reading that post before this one. Since a lot of magic items just allow you to cast spells for free, knowing which spells alter the world gives a good idea of which items can do the same.

Uncommon

+1 tools.
That's right, +1 tools. Not +1 weapons.
Consider a guard. How much of his time is actually spent fighting? A minute every other day? That's not getting a lot of use out of his sword. Even a soldier spends weeks marching, or months guarding a fort, and then only fights for a few minutes or hours. Even if a guard has a superb weapon that doubles his combat effectiveness, it only makes him 1% or 2% better at being a guard[1]. Given a choice of uncommon item, any guard and most soldiers would rather have a Weapon of Warning to prevent being backstabbed, ambushed or caught off-guard.
Now consider a lumberjack or miner. They spend several hours a day hitting trees and rocks. An enchanted axe, saw or pickaxe would see continuous use in their hands. Not only that, magic items are also described as being "at least as durable as a nonmagical item of its kind. Most magic items, other than potions and scrolls, have resistance to all damage". This means the +1 pickaxe would be far, far more resilient to wear and tear than a mundane one, potentially being passed down for generations. And with your miners and lumberjacks being more efficient, you need less of them. Which in turn means you get to have more guards.
Another noteworthy thing here is adamantine items. They deal automatic critical damage to objects and are much harder to destroy. In other words, they're great at chopping trees and ores, bending hot metal, cutting cloth, plowing a field, etc. All while having a fraction of the wear and tear.
​
Bags of Holding, Handy Haversacks and Portable Holes.
AKA your transporty boyes.
The bag of holding is an old favorite among players, and the reason is obvious: it has a million uses.
Most adventurers use it for carrying all their junk. The bad guys in the original Baldurs Gate game used bags of holding to smuggle whole shipments to and from their iron mine base with just one guy. One of my players once put a huge boulder in it, then flew up and dropped the boulder on an enemy transport ship. And let us not forget the classic Arrowhead of Total Destruction.
All of these are perfectly valid uses. Smuggling a small object is easier than smuggling a large object. Dropping huge objects from a high place turns anything that flies into a siege weapon. And the Arrowhead, while expensive, can deal with very large threats that could level a city.
But honestly, every merchant is a smuggler at heart. After all, as long as brigands roam the roads, there will always be a need to hide your valuables in an extraplanar space small enough to fit any orifice. Not only that, the bag allows you to dump a cart entirely and just ride to your destination much faster (and therefore, more safely).
Of course not every merchant can afford a bag of holding, so this brings about an interesting topic of inequality in your campaign. Some merchants can go from A to B faster and more safely on a horse, while the majority must go with a bull-drawn cart that is slow and vulnerable. And bags of holding don't even require attunement, so once you have one and your income soars you can get another, and another... Its a serious rich-get-richer situation, and you risk running all the mundane merchants out of business.
​
Broom of Flying.
I'm gonna start this one with saying that brooms of flying and carpets of flying are overpowered. They are consistently better than items of similar rarity that provide the same benefit, like boots and wings of flying. The reason here is, in my humble opinion, the same reason why Fireball deals more damage than any 3rd level spell and most 5th level ones: its iconic.
As for the item itself, its pretty much a permanent flying speed of 50 while carrying up to 200lbs, or 30ft. speed while carrying 201-400lbs. Its a deliveryboy's dream... except not.
You see, the broom of flying isn't just a hoverbike, its also a drone. You say the command word, and it flies up to a mile a way. Say it again, it comes back. In other words, the crazy wizard in his tower can just tie some money and a note on the broom and send it to a shop, then call it back once the shopkeeper has tied the groceries to it. Poor delivery boy just lost his job.
But wait, there's more! If the broom can fly on its own, can it plow a field? Can it spin an "animal" traction mill? The answer is: yes. But there's no reason to use magic where a common animal would do, unless its a crazy high magic setting or something.
​
Decanter of Endless Water
I think anyone can see how infinite water is broken as fuck[2]. But that's not all. By speaking the command word and pulling the lid, you can cause 30 gallons (136.4 litres) of water to pour out with enough force to push a 200 pound object 15 feet. This action can be repeated every turn (6 seconds), since a decanter of endless water has no limit on how often it can be used.
So a decanter is not just infinite water, but also infinite energy provided you have enough technology to build a mill. Even more energy if you activate the decanter in a high place and use gravity to give those 30 gallons even more potential.
Do keep in mind however that in 5e there must be someone using their action to activate it every turn. In previous editions however one could leave the decanter open and it would pour water constantly.
​
Hat of Disguise
This wee cap is not game-breaking for its great usefulness, but rather for its ability to fuck the world up. Any charlatan with a Hat of Disguise can walk into a bank, guild, ship, etc. and pretend to be anyone. Sure it doesn't happen often, but when it happens the crime spree is enormous. And while there are ways to work around disguised criminals, the fact people have to work around it is an issue in and of itself.
Societies based on trust pretty much can't function. Does everyone sign everything? Do people start using IDs? Do organizations start using items or employing animals that can see through illusions? Is there an industry for door frames that detect illusions?
Even without the hat, Disguise Self is still a 1st level spell. Yet somehow the sourcebooks have no mention of how the world might adapt to the idea that you can't trust people to be who they seem to be. And if anyone with access to 1st-level spells can walk up to the king without difficulties, you wont have kings for long.
​
Ring of Mind Shielding
A great item, if you're an asshole. Keeps people from sensing your evil alignment, keeps them from reading your evil thoughts, keeps pesky zones of truth from sensing your lies, and it even makes itself invisible so nobody can notice you're wearing the "i am evil" ring. It even keeps your immortal soul from going into eternal damnation!
One thing i always think of soul-trapping items is that they're a good way for evil people to avoid the afterlife. If you're good, you want to go to Celestia, Elysium, Arborea or Ysgard. Yet if you're evil, being stuck in a ring and talking to its wearer might be better than Baator, Carceri or the Abyss.
​
Sending Stones
Another classic, unfortunately the stones were nerfed and now can only Send to each other once a day.
Still, long range communication is nothing to scoff at. And while hiring someone to Send for you is cheaper, the stones provide more privacy and can be sent to far off corners of the world where you can't afford to station a caster full time.
Expect each mayor or baron to have one of these, while someone in the capital answers their "calls". Something of a royal secretary if you will. While magic items are expensive, shaving days off of your disaster response time can be the difference between having a kingdom and having ruins.

Rare

Bag of Beans
An often overlooked item, the BoB is crazy powerful. It has 3d4 beans, each of which can trigger a random effect. Notably they have a 10% chance of creating a random potion that lasts 30 days, a 10% chance of creating 1d4+3 eggs that can permanently raise an attribute by 1[3], a 9% chance of spawning a full on pyramid with a mummy lord and appropriate loot[4], and a 1% chance of leading anywhere.
Why bother with tomes when you can get twice as many stats from a bag of beans?
​
Helm of Teleportation.
1d3 castings of Teleport every day, plain and simple. That means 9 people can travel about 14 times in a week[5].
That's a lot of potential trading to be had for sure, but why stop there?
Say your kingdom spent tons of time and money training and equipping an elite unit. You wouldn't want them to spend 80% of their time on the road and 20% solving issues right? One rare item can make your 9-men unit five times more efficient.
Adventurers are in much the same boat: small group, lots of capital invested into their gear and training, yet they somehow spend most of their time going back and forth between adventures (until level 9 if they have a bard, sorcerer or wizard in the party, past 9 if they don't). It honestly amazes me that the Helm of Teleportation is not listed more often as a must-have party item.
​
Manuals/Tomes
For those unaware: there are 3 manuals and 3 tomes in the game, each increases an attribute by 2 when used and then loses its magic for 100 years.
The #1 item on any adventurer's to-get list, the existence of the tomes raises far more questions than answers. Who makes these? Why are they not mass produced? Can i get a magically accelerated demiplane, throw the books in and recharge them in a fraction of the time? Why do people not abuse the f*** out of them?
And when i mean abuse, i mean make smart use of them. Say a kingdom has, over the course of generations, acquired 5 or so tomes. Then the ruler reads them and becomes super smart/wise/popular. That sounds like the sort of thing that would make the whole realm prosper. Do it on an elven/dwarven kingdom and the ruler can read his tomes multiple times, granting him a godlike mind.
And that's without considering the idea of immortals. Or even high level druids. Any lich or vampire could become insanely powerful, not only from being able to use each tome a dozen times, but also from having eons to look for more or even craft them[6].
One thing i really like about tomes is watching the party decide what to do with them after spending the magic. Do they auction the books? Trade with some elf for favors? Give it to a friendly vampire?

Very rare

Candle of Invocation
For 4 hours clerics and druid of the proper alignment within 30ft can cast 1st level spells without using spell slots. In other words, crazy amounts of healing. Pop one after a battle and in a few minutes your whole army will be ready for more. Or pop it during a battle, and have the Healing Word the crap out of your troops from a safe-ish distance.
​
Carpet of flying, Peregrine Mask
Carpets of flying function much like brooms of flying, except they are faster or carry more weight (depending on size). They would be a strict upgrade, except they lack the drone function the broom has.
A peregrine mask provides a flying speed of 60, but has no carrying capacity. That means if you have a Powerful Build or a similar feature it can actually carry more than the carpets.
​
Cauldron of Rebirth
If there's one thing Tasha's Cauldron has brought us, its this cauldron.
It has some minor uses for scrying making potions, but here's the deal breaker: you put a corpse in the cauldron, fill it with 10gp worth of salt (200lbs.) and it casts Raise Dead on the creature.
Resurrection normally costs 500gp. worth of diamonds. With the cauldron it costs 10gp worth of salt. Sure there's a one week cooldown, but who cares? I see two scenarios here: either a resurrection every week is more than the local demand, or less than the local demand.
If its more than the demand, that means everyone who dies of unnatural causes and has 10gp to spare gets resurrected.
If its less than the demand, that means you're raising one person every 7 days. Depending on how high the demand is you could be making as much as 500gp a week, or 26k a year. Considering that the DMG says a Very Rare magic item costs 10.000-50.000 gold, the cauldron can pay for itself in under two years. Even if the math is way off for some reason, it is still crazy strong.
Honestly, this should be an artifact. Or at least have some heavy downside. The idea that someone over at Wizards of the Coast read this and said "Ah yes, 10gp resurrection, perfectly fine" simply boggles the mind.
​
Crystalline Chronicle
Speaking of items that make things cheap, 1d3 times a day this spellbook allows you to cast a wizard spell without material components of up to 100gp.
That means two spells on average, so let's take a look at a few good options: Continual Flame[7], Magic Circle (exactly 100!), Stoneskin (100!), Teleportation Circle and Astral Projection.
The ones that stand out here are Continual Flame and Teleportation Circle. Both cost 50 and have a huge demand in the world. Where a permanent TP circle would normally consume 18.250gp worth of materials over a year, it will now cost nothing[8].

Legendary

Staff of the Magi
This is, i think, the most powerful item in the game.
Has a bunch of charges, yadda yadda, here's the important part:

1. When someone else casts a spell on you, you can use a reaction to absorb the spell. The staff then gains charges equal to the level of the spell it just ate.
   
2. It can cast Plane Shift for 7 charges.
   

This means on an average day you get 16 charges, or two Plane Shifts, from the natural charge generation. But what if you could have someone cast spells on you without spending spell slots?
There are several monsters who can cast spells at will, too many to list. But there are also a few ways for players to do it. The first that comes to mind is the level 18 Wizard feature Spell Mastery, allowing any 2nd level spell. There's also the level 15 invocation Shroud of Shadow that allows infinite casts of Invisibility. Either case allows a duo to have infinite Plane Shifts a day, which is really powerful.
As usual, trade comes to mind. But with infinite charges you might as well start a tourism agency or a hotel and/or casino that brings in people from all planes. Yet what few people realize is that Plane Shift can be used offensively in order to permanently banish anyone to any plane. Infinite save-or-die effects.
You could also just settle for a fuckton of Shifts instead of infinite, and use a warlock or four-elements monk to convert their short rest resources into charges for the staff.
Now think of the possibilities and plot hooks. Mad king banishing dissidents, Red Queen style. Alternative death sentence. A high level wizard/warlock stranded somewhere because the guy who was attuned to the staff died or got separated from him. Random archdemon bringing an army to the Material Plane a couple demons a minute.

Notable mentions

These are items i left out, but which i will get yelled at in the comments if i "forget" about them.
​
Anything that creates energy
The truth is that a lot of magic items can do that. Fire for heating things, wind or water for pushing things, etc. For an energy source to be noteworthy it has to provide a considerable amount of continuous energy, without charges or daily limitations. Otherwise you might as well just use a regular water mill or a bull.
​
Alchemy Jug (uncommon)
It creates an amount of a liquid (beer, honey, etc) every day. It does nothing that cannot be done by an amount of workers, and for it to be world-altering we'd have to go into a lengthy math argument of how many labor hours of a bee farmer are needed to make a gallon of honey, and how that compares to the initial investment of hiring a wizard to make the item.
As a general rule, if something can be done mundanely it will be done mundanely. Let the casters focus on stuff where they have an infinite comparative advantage, like flying stuff, teleportation, resurrection, etc.
​
Cap of Water Breathing (uncommon)
It allows you to breathe underwater indefinitely. Can be great if you have important stuff to do underwater, and might enable interaction with sentient water folk. But in and of itself, not a world-altering item.
​
Horseshoes of Speed (rare)
Essentially +30 speed for hooved creatures, without requiring attunement. Honestly this item does not really fit this list, but i just thought the idea of pegasi flying real fast with these was worth mentioning. Sure a helm of teleportation outclasses it entirely for travel, but that's not useful in combat.
And i really want to play a centaur monk with these some day. Unfortunately the item description specifically says you have to have four equipped to benefit, so don't even think about it you satyrs and tieflings out there.
​
Lyre of Building (rare)
At a glance this looks like a regular magic items, with nothing too weird about it. Until you look at its spell selection and notice you can cast them as an action.
Mending normally takes a minute to cast, with the lyre its an action, and you can do it at will even without knowing the spell.
Fabricate takes ten minutes to cast, with the lyre its an action. That means once a day you can turn the ground under an enemy into a spiky cage, his sword into sword parts, etc. Until the lyre came about the only way to instantly cast fabricate was with a Wish, and that is a pretty good combat use of the 9th level spell.

Conclusion

To be quite frank, a lot of these item uses are a little niche and wont work in every setting. Then again, that that is never the goal with these posts. I hope i have provided you with at least a few interesting plot hooks and other crazy ideas, whether to amaze your players or ruin your DM's plans.

Notes

[1] There is a notable exception however. If your kingdom has a group dedicated to fighting monsters, some of which are resistant to nonmagic damage, then those guys should be prioritized. Not only does the +1 weapon double their damage output in this scenario, it also prevents your kingdom from losing special soldiers that are very expensive to train and replace.
[2] Stuff like constant abuse of Decanters of Endless Water are why in my setting there is a doomsayer cult that believes the world will be flooded some day. As they say it, every time someone activates a decanter, magically creates water, creates food and water, opens a portal to the Plane of Water, etc; the amount of water in the world rises just a bit. Given enough time, everything will be flooded by it. Unless someone like, puts a Sphere of Annihilation by the shore or something. But nobody said the cult has to be right.
[3] The bag has 3d4 beans. Each bean has a 10% chance of spawning 1d4+3 eggs. That means 7.5*0.1*5.5 = 4.125 raised stats, on average. Sure I'm assuming you'll pass the DC20 save every time, but with proper preparation its quite doable. Be near a paladin, get bardicly inspired, have someone cast Resistance, find ways to reroll a failed save, etc. Since the eggs last forever, you have all the time in the world to stack the saving throw in your favor. Or just use Portents.
[4] The mummy lord could have anything, even another bag of beans!
[5] Someone will say "but what about the chance of going off target? What if nobody has teleportation circles?" To that person i say: associated object. Get a pebble every time you're in a region, and you wont need a circle. Buy a bit of silk and you can teleport to any place along the silk road. Buy a used horseshoe and you can go all over the country. Now I'm just imagining this badass-looking special-ops soldier, clad in the finest plate, wielding a blazing blade, his cloak cackling thunder... and with a rusty-ass horseshoe tied to his helmet.
[6] And thus is born the legend of Swolomon the Buff. He was once a base vampire, who got stuck in a tomb for 4000 years with nothing but a Manual of Bodily Health and a Manual of Gainly Exercise. Now he's... selling supplements or something.
[7] See On Spells and Society linked at the top for why there's a near infinite demand for Continual Flame.
[8] You can even make two circles at a time, but there's some math about it. You have 3 charges, use 2, so you should always be with one to spare. Until you roll a 1 on the d3, and then its gone. After that whenever you roll a 1 without first rolling a 3 you'll have to pay the 50gp or let the circle go to waste. In other words, you'd be paying roughly 1/6 of the regular cost.

How many: 12.

1. Tyler Blacksmith (The main antagonist of the game). Tyler was a world famous black metal artist and a secret gang leader who serves as the main antagonist of Dead Rising 5. He started the outbreak with a Terrorist Militia organization Ortiz of destruction's leader Pete Harris by releasing the zombies to the cities with the help of his minions. Looks: Black Metal Hair, Mayhem's Dawn of the black hearts shirt, Black Metal face paint, Black bondage jeans with a lot of chains and long boots with chains. Weapon. The Black Society (guitar+scythe). Location. Fortune City Arena. Theme. Cannibal Corpse Evisceration Plague. Intro: When Chuck entered the Arena once again after he saw his battle against TK in the screens. After that it changed to a black metal skull image. Chuck was confused that gang members started to attack him (Which you battle first before Tyler appears). After few of the members were killed. Tyler will appear from the ceiling and he will jump down on a trampoline that lunges him on the ring that he lands on. Tyler explained to Chuck that he was the one behind the outbreak and that he released the zombies from phenotrans. Tyler will than attack Chuck after saying the phrase ''Now Let's Fade You To The Rushing Shadows In Black''. Death: After Chuck defeats Tyler. he stumbled on some objects on the way and warning Chuck about people kidnapping his 9 year old daughter Katey and dies after first being impaled by his weapon and head getting crushed by the Crane's arm. As Chuck drops on his knees and starts to scream for victory.
2. CJ Morrison. CJ was a silent insane African-American butcher who took the outbreak as a chance to make ''THE BEST MEAT IN THE WORLD'' and also to murder Chuck Greene and making him his own Meat. Looks. Short Dreads, Tattoos, Big Beard, Black Bloody Butcher Clothes and Black Boots. Weapon. Meat Cleaver. Location. Food Court's Modified Hamburger Fiefdom. Theme. Zardonic Bring It On. Intro: Chuck enters the hamburger fiefdom. But it was changed somehow. There was tables blocking the entrance but Chuck was able to get through and it had a hole that was bloody. As Chuck peaked at it he noticed that it had blades that can only be jammed with a weapon and the body will stay there stuck. As a Butcher came and screamed and he swinged his meat cleaver and did not say a word until he attacked Chuck. Death: CJ stumbled on the treadmill and had no idea and what it was but he thought it was a roller coaster that you go by head first until Chuck screamed 'Well Get In The Hole' and turned on the grinder and the only words CJ said was ''Oh Shit, CJ Morrison is down in hell''. His beard pulls him in and he screamed as his head gets sliced and he accidentally jams it with his meat cleaver and Chuck says the word 'May medieval be your grave' and left the area.
3. Ricky Frank. Ricky 'Rick' Frank is a shop owner and world famous auctioneer who never fails at his job (Much like Carl Schliff from Dead Rising 2). He went insane during the outbreak. And thinks that selling items like human heads, saws, cars, treasures, human flesh, hanged corpses, more corpses and combo weapons would be a great chance to earn money by believing that surviors are bidders (turned victims) and zombies are not bidders. Looks: Brown Goatee, Light Brown Ponytail Hair, Red Button Shirt, Blue Jeans, Black Trilby and Yellow Sneakers. Weapon: Money Maker (Knife + Six Shooter). Location: Still Creek town. Theme: Celldweller - I Believe You. Intro: Chuck was walking in the town of Still Creek where he had some good memories. As he had some flashbacks when he was fighting Jed in the Junkyard he heard someone saying '1.56 Dollars on a human liver'. Chuck had no idea what was going on in still creek. Until he saw a man doing bets on items that were human parts and other useful items. As Chuck said 'Hey there is a zombie outbreak Mister.' And the man saw him and introduced himself 'Oh hey there sir. The name's Ricky Frank.... And yours.' And chuck recognized who that Ricky was. Ricky was a auctioneer who never failed anytime in his career. He was so famous that Chuck hated him because of his jealousy of his non-failing. Chuck just said that there are not suppose to be bets due to the zombie outbreak. Chuck said 'The name's Chuck Greene and i will kick your ASS' and Chuck punched Rick right in the face and Ricky punched back and took his weapon and said 'How's this Money Maker for your bet kid' And Chuck got back up and raised his fists meaning for battle and he said 'Wanna go Mr Fat Rick' and silently as Rick looked down. He said 'Let's Dance Player'. Death: After Chuck defeats Ricky. Rick stumbled on a stack of cars and informing Chuck that all the combo weapons are his and Chuck and Rick took the weapons on his truck than Chuck kicked Ricky on his head until Rick landed on a rotating saw blade and getting his head sliced in half as he screams in pain and when his head was cut in half and he stopped screaming Chuck says the word 'May bets bid your bidding' and drove back to fortune city.
4. Mick O'Neal. Mick O'neal was a abusive alcoholic from Canada who pretty much enjoys drinking beer.. After he noticed the Outbreak broke out he didn't care about the outbreak so he just wanted to drink beer and shoot and kill survivors because he was a hillbilly. Looks. Hillbilly Hair and Beard, Tank Top with the Canadian and American flag, unzipped pants, lost 5 teeth, beer belly, boots and military vest. Weapon. Chainsaw. Location. Juggz Bar & Grill. Theme. Celldweller - Narrow Escape. Intro. Chuck Greene was inside the juggz bar and he noticed that the whole place was a mess until he heard someone saying 'HEY *Burp*' And Chuck looked back and he had no idea who he was but he noticed he was abusive. And than the man tells his 'Own Bar' was being a bar fight club before he urinated on a bottle and than he threw the bottle and he just didn't do anything because he didn't care what he did. And than he took his Chainsaw he calls 'Baby' And he than says 'I'm Mick O'Neal and i will kill you for mother CANADA!!!' And attack Chuck. Death. After Chuck defeats Mick. Mick Stumbled and tries to escape but he slipped on his chainsaw and he lands on the ground with a chainsaw through his legs and all of the zombies surround the area and they eat Mick alive as Mick screams in pain as he dies from bleeding.
5. Oscar Morrison. Oscar Morrison was an exterminator who wanted to spread some gas everywhere on survivors while keeping his holding 10 year old boy Ryan Huntington and 10 year old girl Jillian Kyle hostage. Looks. Long Hair, Spiky Goatee, Blue Exterminator Clothes, Green Protective Glasses and Extermination Equipment. Weapons. Toxic Gas Sprayer And Baseball Bat. Location. Royal Flush Plaza. Theme. Celldweller - The Best It's Gonna Get. Intro. Chuck heard child screaming and the words help and Chuck ran towards Royal Flush Plaza where the scream was heard. And in there he saw two panicking children and a grinning exterminator and Chuck was shocked and screamed at the children ''DON'T WORRY KIDS I'M COMING!!!'' And Chuck kicked him and Oscar landed on his back until Chuck tried to free the kids but Oscar tackled Chuck and said 'That's what you get for attacking Oscar Morrison' and than aimed the exterminator sprayer on the kids as the kids panic and Chuck was able to tackle him and Oscar got sick of Chuck and Attacked Him after he picked up a baseball bat. Death. After Oscar is defeated, he stumbled on the stairs and fell one by one and landed on his back and looked at his gas canisters although mistaking it as a gas mask and giggled and laughed so hard that he said that he would now spray gas everywhere but he didn't have a mask to protect himself. As he put the gas in his mouth thinking it was the mask, he started to cough blood and he said in horror ''W-W-W-WHAT THE HELL. What's Happening To Me???'' and Chuck said in victory ''You injected gas inside of yourself and your gas mask is right here''. As Oscar tried to come up the stairs he just started to bleed from his mouth and than he fell again and a male zombie bit him and he than noticed something. He had grenades and with them he laughed and ending it with the words ''how's this for extermination'' and commits suicide by exploding himself with the grenade until his head and intestines landed on the zombies who ate them and the rope that was holding the Kids on a pipe was releasing and Chuck was able to rescue them before the pipe would even fall on the equipment. Chuck than walked with the children to the safe house.
6. Donatello Romero. Donatello Romero was an Italian-American mob boss and gangster who ordered his men to kill every survivor in fortune city. He took the outbreak as an opportunity to rob as much stores as possible and doing whatever he wants and keeping fortune city as his own nation which failed miserably. Looks. dark blue business suit, yellow tie, dark blue gangster hat with a yellow ribbon and cigar on his mouth. Weapon. Pistol. Location. South Plaza. Theme. Skillet - Resistance. Intro. Chuck was killing a zombie by snapping it's neck and after he killed the zombie he heard 2 people speaking Italian. As he came closer he saw a business man like 5'11 tall man who he had no idea who he was. The guy's name was Donatello Romero. He was a crime boss and leader of a mafia family and drug cartel called The 'Romero Family'. An Organization who committed crimes in Italy before they moved to the US where their leader Donatello himself became a world famous business man and mafia boss who would slowly commit crimes all over western and southern Europe and little bit in the USA. He ordered his minion to kill whoever is in the his area. As Chuck tackled and threw the minion on the rotating saw (similar to Seymour) killing the minion instantly and Chuck moved the body to the corner after Romero tried to shoot and kill Chuck but he dodged and went hiding from Romero as Romero ordered all of his men to find Chuck. After Chuck killed all of the men Romero than started to shoot, accuse and try to kill Chuck who jumped and climbed on the platform where Romero was standing and where Romero would attack Chuck. Death. After Chuck defeated Don. Chuck accidentally kicks Romero who drops his gun and would fell down the platform and landing on his back and he rolled from platform to platform before landing chest first to a rotating saw and as he screams in pain. he would bleed everywhere and dies on the table as his guts and blood comes everywhere and than a piece of the platform would fall on his head, ultimately decapitating him. It was a brutal death as Chuck looks in horror.
7. Tom Harrison. Tom Harrison or nicknamed himself the 'Coffee Nightmare' was a barista/serial killer who murdered survivors and military members and collected their heads and placed them all over food court and the next one on his list.... Is Chuck Greene. Looks. Charismatic hair and mustache, butler clothes and bloody apron. Weapon. Exsanguinator And Shotgun. Location. Food Court. Theme. Excision - With You (Sullivan King Remix). Intro. Chuck walks on the food court and discovers decapitated heads everywhere. Chuck was shocked and as he walked and walked and walked he heard a shotgun blast and he ran to get cover and as he hided he saw some sort of butler holding a shotgun and as he went hiding behind the sign of one of the restaurants a survivor ran at the butler asking for help but the butler shoots at the survivor and goes to get a weapon that has a saw blade on the end of a vacuum cleaner and as Chuck was about to save him he butler shoots at Chuck and the butler said 'You would not get in the way of Tom Harrison HA HA HA HA HA'. Tom went to get a machete and his weapon he calls The Exsanguinator and as he put his machete on the victims neck he said 'Deja Vu Kid' and than decapitates the survivor as his body is being sliced and ripped by the exsanguinator. As Chuck accidentally fell and Tom saw him.Tom than walked to him but Chuck was able to counter his machete attack so he threw him away just 2 meters. And Tom took his weapon and he screams and attacks Chuck. Death. After Chuck defeats Tom. Tom stumbled on the wall to wall but he didn't notice his exsanguinator was on. So he than accidentally cut himself as he first cut himself in a machete as his left arm that he just cut plunged into the blades and he screams in pain, he steps on his shot gun and as it fired his legs slipped and his head plunges inside the exsanguinator as he dies immediately. As Chuck says 'Your butlering is over Tommy' as Chuck leaves food court.
8. Peter Harris. Peter Harris was a dictatoterrorist and the leader of the militia gang called 'Ortiz of destruction' that defends the entrance to the Fortune City Arena. He was born in the Saudi Arabia outskirts before emigrating to the US the same year he was born. He became the only american to become a terrorizing dictator. He serves as the secondary antagonist of the game because he had connections with Tyler Blacksmith's gang by releasing the zombies to Fortune City in order to kill Chuck (Some members of his team is in each area in Fortune City on a mission to Kill Chuck Greene). Looks. US Army Officer with medals and a black peaked cap. Weapons. Pocket Knife and Mercenary Rifle. Location. Outside of the fortune city arena. Theme. Sabaton - Ghost Division. Intro. Chuck was on his way to fortune city arena to stop Tyler until a military terrorist ran at him with a machete and Chuck karate threw him before even the terrorist was swinging it at him and killed him and another terrorist ran at him and Chuck kicked and impaled him. Peter than walked on his podium and speaking with Tyler and they both had an announcement that Fortune City will be known as their kingdom and in the middle of their speech Chuck took a machine gun and opened fire killing everyone as Peter attacks Chuck as Tyler runs inside the arena. Death. When he is defeated. Peter walked to the podium one last time and explains to Chuck that the military is the militia and that they are searching for him. but Chuck than says that he killed them. As of that Peter attacked Chuck only to fail the attack as Chuck kicks him on a military tank arguably firing it on the Door where Tyler entered. Peter however wasn't on the tank. Instead he got impaled through the nose by his pocket knife and his rifle through the abdomen.
9. Rocky Rumsfeld. Rocky Rumsfeld was a world famous retired boxer, pro wrestler and TIR contestant and current Bodybuilder and Chuck's lifelong childhood friend. He snapped during the outbreak and believed that the outbreak would be a chance to slaughter the zombies and survivors so that he will become a viking. He serves as the enemy turned deuteragonist of the game after you beat him and does appear in each psychopath meeting and cutscenes. Looks. Fur pants, Leather Boots, Eye patch, Long Beard, Viking Helmet and a Fake Scar (formerly) White T-Shirt, Short Hair, Shaved Beard, Black Jeans, Purple TIR Sweater, Black and Purple Shoes and Protective Gloves. Weapons. Battle Axe, Holy Arms and a Modified Motorcycle Shaped Like A Horse. Location. Silver Strip. Theme. Amon Amarth - Guardians Of Asgard. Intro. As Chuck was walking in the silver strip. He saw that he was in an another problem. He heard a motorcycle engine sound approaching him. He noticed that the bike had a horse head tail and seat with armor and one spear. On the seat there was a viking like bodybuilder male with viking like clothes. The guy called himself 'King Odin'. And said he would spill Chuck's blood to Valhalla. He than swinged his axe at Chuck but missed. Chuck than kicked Odin and Odin went into a giant heat seeking rage and attacked Chuck by first hopping on his motorcycle and ride towards him while screaming. Defeat. After Chuck defeats Odin. Odin stumbled on the wall of a restaurant and explains that Odin was not his name in fact his name was Rocky Rumsfeld. Rocky was a skilled retired Motocross Champion, Pro Wrestler and Boxer turned current Bodybuilder... And Chuck's Best Friend since childhood. Chuck and Rocky both hugged each other because they were happy that they reunited so Chuck asked Rocky does he want to investigate the outbreak and since they are Best Friends he accepted.
10. Brandon Nichols. Brandon Nichols is Chuck's and Rocky's 3rd Friend. He was a Military soldier and SWAT officer and former mercenary and TIR Motocross contestant. He was born in Jamaica before moving to US at the age of 9. And serves as an Enemy turned tritagonist of the game. He also Appears in meetings and cutscenes just like Rocky. Looks. Military Soldier Suit (Formerly) Jamaican Hair, Pink TIR Sweater, Blue Jeans, Blue Tank Top and Brown Shoes. Weapon. Mercenary Rifle. Location. Underground. Theme. Pendulum Mix of Prodigy - Voodoo People. Intro. Rocky and Chuck killed 4 Zombies in the underground but then a military member attacked them for some reason and didn't say a word. Chuck and Rocky knew that they had to get through the guy. Defeat. After Chuck and Rocky beat the solider the soldier stumbled on the wall and he revealed his face. The guy was Brandon Nichols. Brandon is the 3rd best friend of Chuck alongside Rocky. Chuck and Rocky haven't seen Brandon for years ever since Brandon served in the army in Afghanistan. After revealing that it was Brandon the team went to find who was behind the outbreak.
11. Bobby Sullivan. Bobby Sullivan was a world famous archaeologist and explorer who found 10000 treasures in the world. But he actually was not a archaeological explorer. In fact Bobby was actually a criminally insane mercenary leader who sent his soldiers to kill, torture and torment ancient people. He was in fortune city to steal Poseidon's trident in the Atlantica Casino because he thought some people found the trident underwater and put it on there as a souvenir but little does he know it was just built (He is similar to Donatello Romero since both order their minions to attack the player but both are different, since Don is Italian-American Crime Boss and Crime Family Leader, Bobby is a Mexican-American mercenary and treasure hunter.). Looks. Explorer's Shirt, Pants, Shoes and Backpack. Weapon. Kitchen Knife, Six Shooter. Location. Atlantica Casino. Theme. Blue Stahli - Scrape. Intro: Chuck walked in the Atlantica casino until he heard an order from a person. It was 4 soldiers who took an order from an Explorer trying to get a trident. The guy was named Bobby Sullivan. Sullivan is an american archaeologist and explorer but is actually a criminally insane mercenary who tormented ancient cultural people and stole their treasure and lied to everyone that he found them all by himself. He stole 10000 treasures all over the globe. He saw Chuck and ordered his men to kill him. Chuck was able to kill Bobby's men and Bobby tackled Chuck and took a knife from his backpack. Chuck kicked him away and Bobby ran at Chuck (Ending The Cutscene). Death: After Chuck defeats Bobby. Bobby started swearing in Spanish and than climbed to Poseidon's trident again before Chuck screams that it was built until Bobby realised it was built and screamed ''WAIT A MINUTE THIS IS NOT A TREASURE, IT'S JUST AN OBJECT OH MY GOD WHAT A PENDEJO I AM!!!!'' Bobby fell to the ground almost breaking his back as the trident falls and crushes his head. As Chuck looks and says ''Check the newest Treasure you will find.. in HELL.'' and Leaves the area.
12. Nikolai Stalin. Nikolai Stalin was a Russian Terrorist and the leader of a terrorist organization who made the zombies. He appears as the minor antagonist of the game. He also has connections to Blacksmith's gang and even the militia. Looks. Russian Hat, Business Suit. Weapon. Tenderizers and Sniper Rifle. Location. Fortune Park. Theme. Newgrounds - Blue Brass Of The Beast. Intro: Chuck was on his way to Tyler Blacksmith's property until his path was blocked by a lot of vehicles on the way with a helipad in the middle and a giant gate in the back. He noticed like a Russian person riding a motorcycle. The man's name was Nikolai Stalin. He was the grandson of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. But he was also something else of a leader. He was also a Terrorist who terrorized Northern and Southern America. Nikolai jumped from his motorcycle and attempted to kick Chuck from the Helipad but Chuck countered the hit and karate threw him. This began the battle between Chuck Greene and Nikolai Stalin. Death: When Stalin was defeated he fell from the helipad and landed on a running engine. Nikolai attempted to climb to the helipad and attempted to murder Chuck. However Chuck impaled Nikolai on his weapons and Nikolai realizes that he said his last words ''I Always Wanted You... To Do That.'' And Died and Landed on the engine again after he shot himself in the head with his shotgun. The engine slices his face and devoured his whole face. Chuck than jumps from car to car until he gets through the gate and runs towards Tyler's area where a dictator named Peter Harris and his men were and Tyler's minions were in.

Good morning everyone, get ahead of the week, follow your rules, let’s all make some money
Of note for Semiconductors (SOX), Japan is aiming to invite Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM) or other global chipmakers to build an advanced chip manufacturing plant jointly with domestic chip equipment suppliers.
Of note for Automakers (F, GM, FCAU, TSLA), Volkswagen (VOW3 GY) CEO Diess reportedly told the Executive Board that the Co. is expecting to return to pre-COVID sales/profit at the commencement of 2023.
This week’s Barron’s articles argues that chains like Dollar General (DG) and Dollar Tree (DLTR) are focused on value, and as a result, they are a growth story when other retailers are not, noting that when economic conditions become more difficult for consumers, the dollar stores get going. A separate article notes that SoftBank (SFTBY) considering an IPO of its Arm Holdings makes sense, and it’s an important signal for investors about the future of the chip business. Chipotle (CMG) should “crush its earnings” this week, and Barron’s notes one sell-side analyst stating investors should buy the August USD 1,150 call option to cover the July 22nd earnings report. On banks (XLF, BKX), It might be time to embrace the uncertainty around bank names and consider Wells Fargo (WFC), the worst-performing of the big banks this year, noting that Wells has something the other banks don’t have: problems to fix. Goldman Sachs (GS) is a rare big financial company with an improving business and earnings outlook, Barron’s said, and it has a stock that looks reasonably priced at little more than 10x forward earnings. Barron’s argues that while shares of index providers MSCI (MSCI) and S&P Global (SPGI) aren’t cheap, both stocks could keep rising as new products and services translate into higher sales and profits

DOW JONES

Boeing Company (BA) is running out of space to stash newly-built 787 Dreamliner’s, with dozens of the planes sitting on the company’s premises, sources said; one BA watcher puts the number at 50, more than double the number of jets typically awaiting customers along Boeing’s flight lines. Elsewhere, Boeing and Etihad broaden its sustainability alliance by testing innovations on ecoDemonstrator 787, which flies on sustainable fuel made from vegetable oil, and waste animal fat. Meanwhile, NASA administrators are very confident in the SLS flying during 2021.
Chevron Corp. (CVX) is to acquire Noble Energy (NBL) for USD 5bln in an all-stock transaction, or USD 10.38/shr, with a total enterprise value, including debt, of USD 13bln; the deal marks a 7% premium for Noble, which trades at 50% below its 52-week high.
Goldman Sachs Group (GS) Senior Executives flew into Malaysia for talks with the government on the recovery of 1MDB assets; Malaysian prosecutors have charged GS and 17 current and former directors of its units for allegedly misleading investors over bond sales totalling USD 6.5 billion that the US bank helped raise for sovereign wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).
Pfizer Inc. (PFE) and BioNTech (BNTX) signed an agreement with the UK to secure 90mln doses of two possible COVID-19 vaccines from the company and French Group Valneva. Note, the two Cos also announced early positive update from German Ph1/2 study; generated strong t-cell data; supports and expands upon early results from the corresponding US trial reported earlier in July.

NASDAQ 100

Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) had its PT raised to a street high of USD 3800 at Goldman Sachs and Jefferies. Goldman Sachs maintains a conviction buy rating on the shares, rising the PT to the street high from USD 3,000. Analyst Heath Terry updated his estimates ahead of earnings to reflect the accelerating e-commerce growth. Revenue estimates are increased by 3% per year on average, while EBTIDA is left unchanged due to COVID expenditure and for an increase in infrastructure spending due to faster growth in retail and AWS.
Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) NBCUniversal is reportedly planning broad-based layoffs to offset losses from the pandemic.
eBay Inc. (EBAY) Classifieds business auction has been awarded to Norway’s Adevinta for close to USD 9bln, where eBay will keep a minority stake in the unit, according to a source. Earlier reports noted it would be USD 8bln or above. Elsewhere, eBay (EBAY) is to begin expanding its management of payments globally; expected to deliver USD 2bln in revenue and USD 500mln in operating income in 2022.
Facebook, Inc. (FB) has had its advertising expenditure by Disney (DIS) dramatically cut, according to sources. Disney was Facebook’s top US advertiser for the first six months of 2020, research firm Pathmatics estimates. Meanwhile, The FTC is considering taking sworn testimony from Facebook (FB) CEO and COO as part of its investigation into whether the social-media giant has violated US antitrust laws, sources said; top Facebook officials are preparing for potential depositions and some are worried about the possibility.
Tesla (TSLA) is being probed by South Korean Fair Trade Commission, who launched an internal review of its advertising that described its autopilot as self-driving technology, according to Korea Herald citing sources. Meanwhile, it has also pulled another “demand lever” for it Model Y and has begun offering a lease agreement to customers for the vehicle.

S & P 500

Celanese (CE) announced it has raised its share repurchase authorisation by USD 500mln to USD 1.563bln.
Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL) told its pilots that furloughs could be avoided if they agree to a cut in guaranteed minimum pay, according to CNBC.
Ford Motor (F) and MobilEye have expanded its relationship to offer better camera-based collision avoidance in vehicles.
Halliburton Co. (HAL) Q2 20 (USD): Adj EPS 0.05 (exp. -0.12), Revenue 3.2bln (exp. 3.34bln). It recognised USD 2.1bln of pre-tax impairments and other charges in the quarter. North America revenue -57% Q/Q to USD 1bln.
Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT) has been awarded a USD 15bln contract for C-130J development.
Quest Diagnostics (DGX) received the FDA’s green light for pooled testing, using the same COVID-19 molecular diagnostic first authorised by the agency in mid-March.
Southwest Airlines (LUV) – Almost a quarter of pilots accepted either early retirement or voluntary leave offers, according to CNBC.
Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO) is expanding capacity for those developing new and existing therapies for COVID; now supporting more than 200 projects globally.
Twitter, Inc. (TWTR) announced the hackers on last week’s attack did more than cryptocurrency fraud, but they also walked away with some users personal data, according to WSJ. The report notes that data was taken from eight users.

OTHER

Alibaba (BABA) Ant Group is to plan simultaneous IPOs in Shanghai and Hong Kong, according to reports.
AstraZeneca (AZN LN, AZN) to publish eagerly anticipated COVID-19 trial results today. The FDA authorised its first COVID-19 diagnostic test for pools of samples, to let laboratories conserve resources by evaluating several people at once
Eldorado Resorts (ERI) USD 17.3 billion acquisition of Caesars Entertainment (CZR) received approval from The New Jersey Casino Control Commission, the last regulatory approval needed before the deal can close; the deal will result in the formation of the largest gaming company in the US.
Nikola (NKLA) chairman filed a new stock offering of up to 53.4mln shares related to warrants, but later noted it was just part of the process, adding “it’s difficult going ipo and after this, we’ll be full steam ahead”. Deutsche Bank note that the S-1 filing became effective, meaning 24mln warrants are now exercisable, which provides holders the right to buy shares for USD 11.50 and the 53.4mln shares owned by PIPE investors, enables them to be traded on the market. The analyst believes the potential for a portion of these 77mln shares to hit the market could create large technical selling pressure.
PTC Therapeutics (PTCT) and Royalty Pharma (RPTX) announced an agreement to acquire a portion of PTC’s royalty interest in risdiplan for USD 650mln in a one-time payment.
Samsung (SSNLF) is reportedly struggling to improve 5nm process yield, according to Digi Times citing sources. The article notes “It remains to be seen whether unsatisfactory yield rates at Samsung Electronics’ 5nm EUV process may affect the launch of Qualcomm’s next-generation flagship 5G mobile chip series.
Uber (UBER) and Alphabet Google (GOOG, GOOGL) announced a four-year agreement with Alphabet’s unit to use the Google Maps Platform Rides and Deliveries Services; Financial terms were not disclosed.
Yum China (YUMC) named official retail food services sponsor of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, also becomes an official sponsor of the Chinese Olympic Committee through 2024-end.

Edit 10:00AM

Additional US equity stories

Walmart (WMT) is restarting talks of a potential sale of its UK supermarket unit, Asda - potentially of note for Tesco (TSCO LN), Sainsbury's (SBRY LN), Morrison's (MRW LN), Marks & Spencer's (MKS LN)
Sorento Therapeutics (SRNE) FDA has cleared the co.’s Abivertinib for Phase Two safety and efficacy study in hospitalized patients with moderate to severe coronavirus.
Pfizer Inc. (PFE) and BioNTech (BNTX) announce early positive update from German Ph1/2 study; generated strong t-cell data; supports and expands upon early results from the corresponding US trial
Crown Castle International Corp. (CCI) - Elliott Management calls upon CCI to outline a five-year plan for its fiber segment on its July 30th earnings call.
Halliburton Co. (HAL) CEO says international business is continuing to be a more meaningful contributor to the company going forward; believes North America production will remain structurally lower in the future. The CEO Expects to see a more disciplined market with stronger operators and

"OK, so we're breaking in an ancient old mansion that has 4 lethal threats within it... how do you usually break in?"
"Simple! I fly in, break through the library, and steal as much as I can before they chase me down, ze?"
"Are you stupid? It's almost like they're letting you do it. Hold on, I have something that should take care of them."
It was sleeping gas, the same gas that was supposed to be used for a contract I had to rob the Golden Grin. The original function of this gas was to put the camera room guards to sleep, and my crew would sneak down to the vault, grab The Dentist's loot, and the money.
"What else do they have?"
"Fairies, devils, and goblins. Ze, I think that's what they have in there..."
"Are they immune to gas?"
"No..?"
"Great, what else, you said there was a time stopping, knife throwing maid, two vampires, and a Chinese lady. That's what the sleeping gas is for, an odorless, colorless agent to make everyone in that mansion go nighty-night for at least 10 minutes. I'm still doubting if it'll work on vampires though..."
Breaking into giant mansions and robbing vampires wasn't my gig, like at all. Smashing banks, casinos, and other various compounds were. Assuming Marisa's intelligence was right, I would need to bring sleeping gas to put 2/4 of the lethal threats to sleep. Along with nearly everyone else. To deal with the vampires... I was hesitant to put my brass knuckles on lethal mode or actually hurt someone as I've done it too much during my criminal career. I had my specialized handguns, but it was only a last resort. I also brought gas masks, blowtorch, C4, flashbangs, smoke bombs, and weak incendiaries as an emergency tool.
Marisa wouldn't be the first woman that I can mentor into being a highly skilled burglar. So I taught her everything I knew. Bribing the right people, casing the place, getting favors done by insiders, intimidating civilians, knocking out guards, avoiding cameras, destroying evidence, stealing as much as possible, and escaping without having the cops on our ass.
After hours of planning our burglary, a plan was finally executed. I would preemptively find a blind spot in the mansion and the drone would automatically fly, highlight anyone, and in general, keep tabs on everyone in it. I never used this drone before for my stealth jobs, but judging by contracts like Murky Station and Breakin' Feds, there should be a guard pattern.
Of course, the chance for Plan B always exists, so if the vampires caught us, incendiaries and an implanted water cannon in my suit should do the trick, if the maid caught us, flashbangs and gas should be able to disable her, along with cable ties. If not, then maybe threatening to burn down the mansion would. Marisa told me the maid is still human. If the librarian caught us, I would exploit her asthma and use weakened pepper spray to trigger her asthma.
All of those were dirty underhanded tactics to survive, but I've done much worse things in the past. Just ask the people that I cheated out of their life savings in Golden Grin, or the jewels I) stole), or the banks that) I had robbed.
Under the cover of night, with my drone inside the mansion highlighting everything, me and Marisa were on the roof, grappling onto the mansion and finding our entry point into the library. I waited to see if my drone marked anyone asleep after releasing the gas, and there it was, the maid fell asleep, the librarian, the Chinese lady, and the fairies and other useless security guards.
"Ahh bollocks! The vampires aren't fucking sleeping. Bloody hell."
"What do we do now? Ze?"
"You have your mask?"
"Ze."
After getting on top of the library's tower, I found a skylight leading down to what seems to be a library. I tried lockpicking, but for whatever reason, I just couldn't get through. Using the blowtorch, I loosened the lock enough to be able to lockpick, but I had to be careful, if that thing fell onto the floor, Plan A will turn into B faster than my trigger finger when I found The Rat.
Opening the skylight barrier, and having information from an insider that there are devils inside there, I prepared smoke bombs to cover our location. I padded my smoke bombs to reduce the bouncing sound that would inevitably be heard when I threw them down.
Marisa was going to fly in with her broom, like all witches, but I was going to parachute down with the equipment. I wasn't going to risk adding extra weight until we successfully robbed the library, because I can't fly.
Jumping in, masks on, nobody has woken up yet. Good, but I feel like that sleeping gas wasn't going to last for more than 10 minutes. So we were going to work with 7 minutes stealing books, and 3 minutes to GTFO. Dropping smoke bombs in strategic locations, me and Marisa were down in the library, next to the sleeping librarian.
"Librarian's pretty hot. If I've gotta say. Hate robbing her. But I would rob her."
"I rob her daily, ze!"
I took out a timer and the loot bags and Marisa started shoving all the books she wanted into them. 1 minute, 40 seconds elapsed after we last set down the gas. 5:20 left to go, or so I originally thought... noticing movement from the maid, going over to our general location, I warned Marisa that we had only 30 seconds to go before Plan B arrived. This song played in my head and it gave me flashbacks to the Shacklethorne Auction.
"Marisa... hurry up with those books, I sense movement to our location!"
"That's all I need today! Let's do this tomorrow!" she shouted.
OK, there was no way in Hell the maid or the vampires could not of heard that. Unless they were deaf or completely stupid, someone was fated to check that sound.
"Patchouli... is everything alright in there?"
Marisa, doing her best impression, tried lying, "Yes Sakuya. Everything is fine and dandy."
"You sound weird, what's wrong?"
"Oh goddammit!" I yelled, "I'm shutting down this operation!"
"Wait, what operation?!!"
Grabbing Marisa by the arm and the loot bags, I placed her on the broom, sat on it with the loot intact, burnt the parachute, threw smoke grenades at the voice's location, and we flew out of there as fast of possible. Granted we were probably going to get caught regardless, but leaving behind weak evidence of our burglary was much better than having to silence a witness, or two.
Flying at high speed, I saw a bunch of knives getting thrown. I managed to catch and deflect a few of them, but Marisa was hit and lost control of her broom temporarily, I still held the loot, but experienced flying fast upside down. Now I feel like those poor bastards who are peer-pressured by their friends to try those giant roller coasters at some overpriced amusement park.
Paying attention to the speed and direction of the knives being thrown, I returned fire with 2 flashbangs and used my brass knuckles to summon lightning and chain it through the knives, in hope of stunning the maid, or at catching her off guard.
Flying over Marisa's house. I threw her the loot bags and made way to Alice's house. Told her that she's going to need way more practice to be a burglar that can terrorize an entire country. Truth be told, she was much better than Clover when I first taught her my skills, but unlike Clover, Marisa lacked discipline and deceptiveness.
Punching my way throughout the Forest of Magic and snapping the neck of plants, I encountered the maid. She probably didn't know that there was a 2nd one, so she asked, "Excuse me Mister. Mister? Have you seen a witch flying quickly throughout the sky. I need to have a few words with her."
Acting surprised and giving a false impression of shock. I replied, "No," and she let me go after that. I walked back to Alice's place without any more problems and saw that Alice was opening a portal to Makai.
Hox, we'll see Mom again, won't we?
Ali... I hope so...

1. Break in a corporation to test the security (might not be known to the team or the employer might be lying).
   
2. Theft of a MacGuffin (data, blueprints, prototype, newest research report, etc.)from a secured place.
   
3. Placing a MacGuffin (data, drugs, etc.) somewhere in a secured place.
   
4. Observe a secret product test undetected.
   
5. Destroy a MacGuffin (computer, data, server, prototype, etc.).
   
6. Sabotage a MacGuffin (prototype, product presentation).
   
7. Assassination of a protected person or of many people like a gang.
   
8. Extraction of an employee out of a corporation.
   
9. Rescuing hostages.
   
10. Doing a heist (bank, casino, etc.).
    
11. Protection against assassinations.
    
12. Bodyguard for a person who will meet dangerous persons.
    
13. Creating a dangerous diversion.
    
14. Compromise a target u/ThaliusThalius
    
15. create false evidence u/ThaliusThalius
    
16. police duties in regions normal police wil not enter u/ThaliusThalius
    
17. prevent terrorist attack (somhow inialised by employer) u/ThaliusThalius
    
18. escort human traficing (intended for organ replacements) u/ThaliusThalius
    
19. sabotage mechanical bodiparts of profi-sport u/ThaliusThalius
    
20. Break into secure facility and steal data (blackmail on company, blackmail on client, client list, R&D, security) u/World_of_Ideas
    
21. Break into secure facility and steal prototype (AI, android, computer, cyberware, vehicle, weapon) u/World_of_Ideas
    
22. Defend a (facility, item, person, project, shipment) vs. another black ops team u/World_of_Ideas
    
23. Intercept and steal a shipment u/World_of_Ideas
    
24. Intercept a shipment and add something to the cargo (undetected) u/World_of_Ideas
    
25. Sneak into a secure facility and plant surveillance bugs u/World_of_Ideas
    
26. Sneak into a secure facility and plant a virus on their secure server u/World_of_Ideas
    
27. Spy on "x" person. Find out: where they go, what they do, who they talk to, how they evade surveillance u/World_of_Ideas
    
28. Theft or destruction of a defective prototype. Company can make an insurance claim instead of losing all the money that R&D dumped into it u/World_of_Ideas
    
29. Find certain exotic animal u/TheWoodcarveree
    
30. Lobby and spread brand name among possible buyers u/TheWoodcarveree
    
31. Scout buildings for weak points/security breaches u/TheWoodcarveree
    
32. Cleanup crew after a dirty fight. To throw of police and leave fake evidence u/TheWoodcarveree
    
33. Make the plot of the campaign based on Front Line Assembly video for "Mindphaser", using the plot of GunHead, to find Texmexium in a forgotten AI core on an abandoned island. Then things go inexplicably weird and south from there. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJdt25fl9oI u/OctopusMugs
    
34. Kidnap an industrial band so that a corporation can make brain tapes of them. the party then has to dump the comatose bodies at an organ dealer. after they do that as they travel through the city the band's now uploaded consciousness has begun to take over billboards, tv stations and radios and are whipping up anti corporate anarchist mobs. They have to chose to let it be, or take the money the company is offering to go steal the bodies back so they can purge their system. u/OctopusMugs
    
35. One of the party members has become addicted to a VR game. The party has to decide if they want to help break the addition, or help them get a fix and have to find the source of the new VR drug, (and if do they stop it or try to get a cut?). u/OctopusMugs
    
36. The party has to smuggle a crate of books (now illegal) into the city to an unlicensed learning center run by an artist's collective for escaped bioroids. (hey, do you want to have fun with your party? one of the books is the King In Yellow so also a way to do a Cthulhu tie in) u/OctopusMugs
    
37. The party has to infiltrate a corporate run jail to take out an informant. while they are there it becomes apparent there are sinister experiments using the prisoners by the corporation u/OctopusMugs
    
38. Find and kidnap children with strange abilities and bring them to a lab. u/chlorinecrownt
    
39. Break children with strange abilities out of a lab that is torturing them in the course of study. u/chlorinecrownt
    
40. Provide security for negotiations between rival (gangs, corporations). u/World_of_Ideas
    
41. Investigate the crash site of a transport that was carrying classified (passengers, equipment, prototypes). u/World_of_Ideas
    
42. Infiltrate a black market auction. Acquire "x" item(s) that they are selling by any means. u/World_of_Ideas
    
43. Find the thieves who stole "x". Reacquire "x" by any means. u/World_of_Ideas
    
44. Sneak into a secure facility. Sabotage "x" prototype or steal and replace prototype with a defective version. Must be done before (public reveal, "x" series of testing) u/World_of_Ideas
    
45. Shadow a corporate (exec, IT specialist, janitor, office worker, scientist, security guard). Acquire copies of their security keys (finger prints, palm print, voice print, retinal scan, DNA, key cards, physical keys, ID badge, ID chip, pass codes, etc) without being noticed. u/World_of_Ideas
    

I believe the market is overvalued, and a crash significant is yet to come. I can't time the market and have no idea exactly when it will come, but believe many stocks are grossly overvalued given the situation. I also believe once it crashes it will take years to get back to current levels. These are my reasons:

• Unemployment and GDP indicate companies will lose lots of $$$ and many will go out of business.
• This is not a typical recession where stimulus spending is putting people back to work (in some cases the opposite is happening where people make more $ staying home and make). Many sectors of the economy (restaurants, airlines, retail) are tough enough to compete in as it is, never-mind when they are shut down (or customers are afraid to go out).
• The reduction in sales/economic economy we are seeing is with stimulus spending. Just wait to it wear off (I do anticipate more but there is a limit as I said before it will not fix the economy and only put a further debt burden on it).
• When businesses do open there will be capacity and safety restrictions that make opening a business less profitable and more expensive to operate.
• Inflation will (eventually occur) and possibly higher interest rates. Typically it can be very tough for stimulus to cause inflation. However, in this case, there are many aspects which limit production and cause goods to be more expensive which will increase prices. The government will welcome inflation but will have to raise rates eventually to bring it back in line which will damage stock valuations.
• We will eventually have to pay back all the debt which will result in higher taxes.
• The stock market was pricey enough before COVID-19.

Below are my short stock picks and brief rationale why. I'd love to get feedback if anyone agrees or disagrees.
Name P/E Debt/Capitalization
Air Lease Corp 4.39 72%
Credit Acceptance Corp 9.08 66%
Hilton Grand Vacations 9.14 79%
Best Buy 13.61 27%
Genuine Parts CO 17.9 51.50%
Callaway 21 51%
IAA Auto Auctions 26.24 108%
Restaurant Brand International 28 78%
Five Below 29 0
Penn National Gaming 51 85.00%
Zillow Negative 37%
Credit Acceptance Corp: This is my #1 Short. I think this company is going to get hammered (fuck this company too as they are predatory lenders). These guys provide auto financing to the worst of the worst (think 25% interest rates and no verification of income). In good times about 30% of their loans go bad. Even if their loans get paid (I don’t think they will), futures sales will be driven down along with auto sales (which will decrease with the weak economy as well as people not needing cars because they are not commuting).
Penn: They own racetracks, casinos and slot machines. They have considerable and a 2019 P/E of 51 (negative TTM P/E for 3/31/2020), and will lose money for 2020 and beyond. I don’t see how anyone thinks this is a good time to invest in a growth, leveraged casino company.
Restaurant Brands International: These guys own Burger King, Tim Hortons and Popeyes. I like Popeyes but that only represents a small fraction of income (under 10% I believe). I like Tim Hortons, but they have no room to grow and will lose with COVID-19 with less people commuting and no need for their morning coffee. I view Burger King as one of the weaker fast food brands.
Zillow: Company is not profitable as it is (negative earnings). Less people will be moving with COVID-19. Recession will also result in less advertising. Will take much longer for this company to become profitable. Price will go down.
Five Below: I think the loss in retail sales are really gonna hurt these guys. There is no reason to go to this store if you can get the same stuff delivered to you from Amazon for cheaper.
Air Lease Corp: This company will get hurt with the loss of air travel. They lease aircrafts to major airlines. Some of their customers may not even be able to continue paying their lease.
IAA Auto Auctions: This company facilitates auto auctions. They have a lot of debt and P/E is up there a bit. This companies holds auto auctions. I think there will be less demand for autos which will affect their revenues. They do get some revenues from auto sellers but most is from the buyer (66% is from the buyer).
Genuine Parts Co: This company Genuine Parts Company distributes automotive replacement parts, industrial replacement parts, office products and electrical/electronic materials. With the decline in industry and miles driven, I think they will be negatively affected.
Hilton Grand Vacations: This is a spin off of Hilton that sells time shares. I don’t think now is a time people want to commit to buying a timeshares. Some existing customers may stop paying if they are unable to use their timeshare or unable to afford it. They also have a lot of debt.
Best Buy: These guys may do okay (competitors were closed), but if they report bad earnings this week I think they are screwed. Why do we need BestBuy anymore? People can buy lab-tops online and can buy TVs at Target and/or Walmart. I think long-term this is a bad investment and COVID-19 may speed that up.
Callaway: I love this company and brand (I use to own this stock), but this is a competitive industry and less discretionary income results in less sales. P/E has been increasing and I think price will adjust. Is this the year people want to upgrade their golf equipment? You cannot even talk about your new clubs in the clubhouse in most states.

​
I believe the stock markey is gonna crash again and here are my short stock picks. I welcome any feedback from bulls or fellow bears.
​
Credit Acceptance Corp: This is my #1 Short. I think this company is going to get hammered. These guys provide auto financing to the worst of the worst (think 25% interest rates and no verification of income). In good times about 30% of their loans go bad. Even if their loans get paid (I don’t think they will), futures sales will be driven down along with auto sales (which will decrease with the weak economy as well as people not needing cars because they are not commuting).
Penn: They own racetracks, casinos and slot machines. They have considerable and a 2019 P/E of 51 (negative TTM P/E for 3/31/2020), and will lose money for 2020 and beyond. I don’t see how anyone thinks this is a good time to invest in a growth, leveraged casino company.
Restaurant Brands International: These guys own Burger King, Tim Hortons and Popeyes. I like Popeyes but that only represents a small fraction of income (under 10% I believe). I like Tim Hortons, but they have no room to grow and will lose with COVID-19 with less people commuting and no need for their morning coffee. I view Burger King as one of the weaker fast food brands.
Zillow: Company is not profitable as it is (negative earnings). Less people will be moving with COVID-19. Recession will also result in less advertising. Will take much longer for this company to become profitable. Price will go down.
Five Below: I think the loss in retail sales are really gonna hurt these guys. There is no reason to go to this store if you can get the same stuff delivered to you from Amazon for cheaper.
Air Lease Corp: This company will get hurt with the loss of air travel. They lease aircrafts to major airlines. Some of their customers may not even be able to continue paying their lease.
IAA Auto Auctions: This company facilitates auto auctions. They have a lot of debt and P/E is up there a bit. This companies holds auto auctions. I think there will be less demand for autos which will affect their revenues. They do get some revenues from auto sellers but most is from the buyer (66% is from the buyer).
Genuine Parts Co: This company Genuine Parts Company distributes automotive replacement parts, industrial replacement parts, office products and electrical/electronic materials. With the decline in industry and miles driven, I think they will be negatively affected.
Hilton Grand Vacations: This is a spin off of Hilton that sells time shares. I don’t think now is a time people want to commit to buying a timeshares. Some existing customers may stop paying if they are unable to use their timeshare or unable to afford it. They also have a lot of debt.
Best Buy: These guys may do okay (competitors were closed), but if they report bad earnings this week I think they are screwed. Why do we need BestBuy anymore? People can buy lab-tops online and can buy TVs at Target and/or Walmart. I think long-term this is a bad investment and COVID-19 may speed that up.
Callaway: I love this company and brand (I use to own this stock), but this is a competitive industry and less discretionary income results in less sales. P/E has been increasing and I think price will adjust. Is this the year people want to upgrade their golf equipment? You cannot even talk about your new clubs in the clubhouse in most states.