HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: kjenks@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov
Subject: Re: Most powerful PC ever
Originator: kjenks@gothamcity
Keywords: 7th?!
Organization: NASA/JSC/GM2, Space Shuttle Program Office
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 1992 23:43:25 GMT

In article <1992Nov2.220953.23488@henson.cc.wwu.edu> n9046319@henson.cc.wwu.edu (Jeremy Corley) writes:
>	I think the highest level character I have every had was about
>7th.  I was then swamped by politics (and enemies.)  I like retiring a
>character after they become a hero rather than letting them die a
>miserable death, alone several hundred feet below the ground. :)

If the highest level character you've ever had was 7th, you're pretty
inexperienced.   I feel that every player should have played at least
one character in each of the four main classes from 0 XP up to name
level (about 10th) before he can consider himself an "old hand."  And
if you've never had a character who couldn't take on a TSR module
single-handedly, you've never had a "powerful" character.

But a truly powerful character in a role-playing game is one who can
evoke real emotions in your DM and fellow players.  If you've never had
everybody else scared for your character's life and/or soul, or
frustrated to wordlessness, or utterly in awe, you've never had a
powerful character.  Because power, in role-playing, is not just a
matter of numbers and do-dads.  Power is the ability to bring grown men
close to tears, even when -- especially when -- they know it's just a
game.

Fear, love, hate, friendship, greed, loyalty, shame, lust.  If you
can't cast these spells, you're not a powerful character.  You're just
big numbers on a piece of paper.  

If your DM can't evoke emotions in your game, get a different DM.

-- Ken Jenks, NASA/JSC/GM2, Space Shuttle Program Office
      kjenks@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov  (713) 483-4368

      "Orcs dwell in places where sunlight is dim or non-existent,
       for they hate the light.
         -- AD&D Monster Manual 1, p. 76.
From: trottibw@nextwork.rose-hulman.edu(Barry Trottier)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Stoneskin and Fire Shield
Date: 10 Nov 1992 19:30:49 GMT
Organization: Computer Science Department at Rose-Hulman
Reply-To: trottibw@nextwork.rose-hulman.edu
NNTP-Posting-Host: g222-22.nextwork.rose-hulman.edu

What happens if you have a Combination Stoneskin and Fire Shield?

Does an attacker of this person take damage from the Fire Shield, even when the  
Stoneskin is working?

I have played it that the attacker takes 1 damage, instead of the full fire  
shield damage.  This is to give some effect to the fire shield, but not allow  
the combo of stoneskin and fire shield to be all-mighty.

------------
Barry Trottier
e-mail:  trottibw@nextwork.rose-hulman.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: cmeadows@nyx.cs.du.edu (Chris Meadows)
Subject: Help!  Tips Needed on Dungeon Construction
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix @ U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 92 21:22:06 GMT


I'm trying to build a dungeon, and I'm running into problems. 
To wit, I'm lousy at it.  I never know what I should put in ALL
THOSE ROOMS...There's only so many things you can put, and if it's
a 10 or 15-level dungeon, I generally end up with a lot of rooms 
with chests in them.
 
Also, should standard passages be 5 feet wide or 10 feet wide?  How
many people can fight abreast in a 5-foot passage, anyway?

I need help.  If you have any tips on what I should do, please
post them.  Tell me what works for you, and what works for others
you've played or GMed with.  I hope that, with your help, I can
complete the one I'm working on (sigh).

--
Chris Meadows // CHM173S@SMSVMA // CMEADOWS@NYX.CS.DU.EDU
   "If blood be the price of admiralty, then I've just bought me 
    a naval commission."  -- Corwin, SIGN OF THE UNICORN, Roger Zelazny

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: tap2368@venus.tamu.edu (Saufferin)
Subject: Re:  Most Powerful PC ever
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: Texas A&M University, Academic Computing Services
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1992 02:51:00 GMT

   You might think that my Paladin who died in Ravenloft was from a munchkin
campaign, he wasn't; just played over an 8 yr period.

Come on guys, If it's not true or if it's from a munchkin campaign don't
post it.  After all anyone can say that they accquired every artifact in the
book, beat up great wyrm red dragons barehanded, nuked the tarasque in 3 rounds,
cleared out all of Under Mountain(yeah right, a dungeon that runs under all of
faerun), and then handed Zeus his head - all before breakfast with out breaking
a sweat.

    Get Real.  I'm sick of seeing this shit.  This is about YOUR MOST POWERFUL
CHARACTER, not the best munchkin character that I can create off the top of my
head.

That's my $.02 worth


################################################################################
Saufferin              |"No, light speed is too slow, we must go...
tap2368@venus.tamu.edu | LUDICROUS SPEED!" - Dark Helmet
Texas A&M University   |"Yeah, you go to pieces so fast people get hit by the
                       | shrapnel." - Ford to Zaphod
================================================================================
Warning: The Surgeon General has determined that reading this sig may lead to
         cancer, heart burn, head aches, tumors, or learning disabilities.
################################################################################
Organization: University of Maine System
Date: Thursday, 5 Nov 1992 14:36:55 EST
From: The illustrius Pat Ellis (the DM) <IO11330@MAINE.MAINE.EDU>
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: New AD&D modules
 <92308.155548IO11330@MAINE.MAINE.EDU> <1992Nov4.162838.17846@athena.mit.edu>

Do you own Rary the Traitor?  Doesn't seem so to me or do you own it
but not C2 Ghost tower of Inverness?  Because your statement is completely
incorrect, I own both and to say the least the only mention of the Ghost
Tower is the location, if you need any more info on it you need the Module
(which of Course is out of print)  Everything in Rary the traitor is new,
I own Nearly everything in greyhawk and I can find no similarities to any
other product.  T1-4 has been explained to my satisfaction in a following
article but just let me add that you were Wrong about that one too......

                 Pat Ellis
                   THE DM
From: n9046319@henson.cc.wwu.edu (Jeremy Corley)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Time/Level (was Re: Most Powerful PC ever)
Date: 5 Nov 92 05:59:30 GMT
Article-I.D.: henson.1992Nov5.055930.4272
Organization: Western Washington University


	I'm not good at guessing time, but I would say that I give out levels
about 1 every 4-5 good adventures.  If I were to guess I would say that this
is about 40-60 hours of play.  Maybe this is kinda long, but we have combat
_and_ roleplaying. (I know, weird).

--------------------------------------------------------------------
"Senator Kennedy, What are you going to do about the abortion bill?"
"Pay it, I guess."
				J. Corley
			n9046319@henson.cc.wwu.edu
--------------------------------------------------------------------
From: boelter3945@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: New spell???
Date: 6 Nov 92 10:50:25 -0600
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

In article <RANNOU.92Nov4033618@watson.info.polymtl.ca>,
    Rannou@info.polymtl.ca (Patrick Rannou) writes:
> 
>    Uh, excuse me?  Enchant Armour spell?..  Maybe my mind isn't working right
> now, but where is the reference to this spell?  I've never heard of such a
> spell (or don't remember it if I do)...
> 
> You are right: your brain isn't working right. It lacks IMAGINATION!

   Gee, thanks for the flame, really need that.  Of course, you wouldn't know
how much imagination my brain has, having run campaigns successfully for over
10+ years, and having created whole files of new and researched spells, magic
items, a new PC class (which playtested rather well, I thought), ...

   That was not my point, if you'll read my message.. I was just asking if
there was a spell called Enchant Armor that I didn't know about, say perhaps
in one of the supplement rule books, like Greyhawk worlds or Forgotten Realms
books, or Dragon magazine.  Being one of those college students, I don't have
the money to buy all of these books, so I just thought I'd ask where this
spell reference was (if it existed at all).

> Gee whiz, how many times will I still hear the famous rules-lawyer war cry?
> "This spell doesn't exist! It's impossible!"

   Tsk.  I never said it was impossible, look again at my message.  I most
certainly agree that it is possible.

> Dull dull dull, and clearly unimaginative.

   Flame, flame, flame, and clearly not even answering my question (ie: does
that spell exist in another book, like FR or Greyhawk or Dragonlance?..)

                                        John "Nightwind" Boelter

--
*******************************************************************************
* John Boelter        a.k.a. Nightwind            boelter3945@iscsvax.uni.edu *
* Organizational Manager and contact person for everything and then some.     *
*******************************************************************************
* Real programmers never work 9 to 5.  If  *            <Definitions>         *
* any real programmers are around at 9am,  * Endless Loop:  See Loop, Endless *
* it's because they were up all night.     * Loop, Endless:  See Endless Loop *
*                -Rune Huseby-             *           -Radio Shack Manual-   *
*******************************************************************************
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: scythe@byron.u.washington.edu (The Grim Reaper)
Subject: Re: NO no no...
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1992 04:49:54 GMT

In article <1992Nov9.181817.19437@news.cs.brandeis.edu> st923058@pip.cc.brandeis.edu writes:
>
>	Er, you guys misunderstood what I meant about Xanth talents. Making
>up a system for using them should be pretty straightforward--I can probably
>dig one out of the old CHAOS rules if anyone wants it. What I meant was, how
>would you work them into the campaign? And what kind of talents would you
>give to people? I mean, giving one person telekinesis, another person
>invisibility, etc. would work okay, but wouldn't it be boring as hell? One
>of the most interesting things about the Xanth novels (besides Mr. Anthony's
>truly impressive command of outdated sexist platitudes =)) is the diversity
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Yep :)
>and limitations of the talents. This would be a role-playing issue,
>probably, since very few of the talents in the books dealt with combat...
>and that's another interesting idea. Do we want to invent some combative
>magics? How would they work? Would that end up being too much like, say
>Champions? Just some stuff to think about.
>				Rosaleen
>
>Rosaleen Dhu |st923058@pip.cc.brandeis.edu
>VOTE CTHULHU '92!!! Why not the worst?
>"By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes."--The Bard
>"Don't reach out and touch the world, you don't know where it's been."
Mmm.  First of all, I think it would be best if very few (if not no)
combat-oriented talents were given out.  Someone who could
cast fireball at will is just a bit too powerful for me, thank you very much...
Second, the major thing that makes the Xanth setting special/bizarre/different
is not really the talents, but the creatures and terrain.  Basically,
really, really bad puns on various things, and large amounts of magic
are more or less routine for the average Xanthan.  This requires a
whole different outlook on life.  While it's not the best serious
campaign setting, it could be a lot of fun.
P.S. I wouldn't mind reading the CHAOS rules, if you wouldn't mind posting
     them =)


--------------------+-----------------------+---------------------------------+
HIC IACET ARTVRVS   +The Grim Reaper        +Though I respect that a lot,     +
IN INSVLA AVALONIA  +SCYTHE@U.WASHINGTON.EDU+I'd be fired if that was my job  +
REX QVONDAM REXQVE  +-----------------------+For killing Jason off            +
FVTVRVS             +                       +and countless screaming Argonauts+
--------------------+-----------------------+---+-------------------------+---+
                                                | They Might Be Giants -  |
                                                | "Birdhouse in Your Soul |
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: 003695s@ace.acadiau.ca (STEPHANE ANDRE SAVOIE)
Subject: Re: Most powerful PC ever
Organization: Acadia University
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 1992 20:06:17 GMT

In article <1992Nov5.032003.9898@mailer.cc.fsu.edu> zuniga@loligo.cc.fsu.edu (Ralph Zuniga (FREAC/CAR)) writes:
>From: zuniga@loligo.cc.fsu.edu (Ralph Zuniga (FREAC/CAR))
>Subject: Re: Most powerful PC ever
>Date: Thu, 5 Nov 92 03:20:03 GMT
>In article <1992Nov4.193100.7256@spock.UUCP> friar@spock.uucp (Tom Walcott) writes:
>>MY most powerful player character was a 99/99/99/99/99/99/99/99/99/99  human
>>fighter/cavalier/mage/thief/druid/bard/ranger/paladin/thief-acrobat/wildmage/specialist (all), with straight 25's
>>He had 500 hitpoints, and everything he wanted appeared when he
>>wanted it.  He just contemplated something happening, and it bloody well did.
>>He decided that being a paladin was an intrinsically selfish act, and that made
>>him neutral, while depriving everyone else in the entire multiverse of their
>>paladin abilities, if they possesed them.  *HAH*.
>>So there.   ;-)
>>
>
>Big deal! That's nothing! My character was.... GOD!!!!

 Big deal!  My character was... a DM!!!
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: vputz@nyx.cs.du.edu (Victor Putz)
Subject: Re: Whatever happened to Gary Gygax?
Organization: University of Denver, Dept. of Math & Comp. Sci.
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 92 14:53:40 GMT



(Chuckle) no, I can't really see EGG's prose being terribly stunning; he
thinks too much like a gamer.  This acts, though, to his advantage; I have
finally gotten a chance to examine Mythus (Dangerous Journeys) and find
that it is a very elegant gaming system; a LOT more time is spent on
preparation, but once that chunk of time is set, I imagine play would
proceed quite smoothly (with the possible exception of Combat, which seems
to me to be no more complicated than AD&D).  This isn't r.g.f.advocacy, so
I won't launch into a full wave of support for DJ, but all the gentle
readers out there may want to give it a peek before categorically trashing
the lot.

-->Vputz

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: vince@sscl.uwo.ca
Subject: for Steve Wilcoxon
Organization: Social Science Computing Laboratory
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1992 20:43:52 GMT

Steve Wilcoxon (cwp01002@pacevm.bitnet) has requested the DRAGON KWIC
index from me; I have been unable to reply to him.  Please send me an
alternate mail address if you can and still want the file.

Sorry to flood the net with this :-(

Vince Gray
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: jng53092@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Jon Gad)
Subject: Re: Some questions about elves, swashbucklers and sword specialisation
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 14:16:36 GMT

brunborg@alkymi.unit.no (]dne Brunborg) writes:
>A character in my group, an elven swashbuckler specialised in rapier and sabre
>wants to get the +1 to-hit bonus other elves get with their long swords on his
>rapier and sabre. He claims that the +1 bonus is because of the love elves hav
>for swordplay (fencing, etc.). This is partially what the PH states.
>He says that a rapier is a far more elegant weapon that the long sword, and he
>right. So, he screams for a +1 bonus to-hit with at least one of the weapons.
>Any opinions?

Well, as the DM you have the right to simply say "Because that's the way it is,
that's why not!"  But I assume you're looking for more of a logical approach
to things.

On elves and rapiers.  It mostly depends on where the elves are.  The way I see
it, elves have made the long sword a traditional weapon.  Its sturdier than
a rapier and is less likely to break when hit by a orc's battleaxe.  Since the
elves usually have to defend themselves from orcs, goblins, and whatever other
opponents they have in the area, a rapier or sabre is NOT a good weapon for a
tribe of forest-dwelling elves to be proficent in.  A clan of city-elves (of 
more than one generation) maybe.  But not for wood-elves.  Hence the long and
short swords are taught to elvish children since they can be used both in a 
tournament or duel and on the battlefield.

>lFurthermore, when he fights two-weapon-style, he wants to attck 3/2 with both
>weapons (for a total of 3 attacs per round). Any opinions on this?

I believe the rules in the CFHB state that only one attack is ever added with
Two-Weapon Style.  Therefore, this elf in question (assuming he's less than 7th
level) would attack 1-1, 2-1, 1-1, 2-1, etc.  The logic here is that (excepting
truely ambidexterous people) all the training in the world isn't going to make 
a person as proficient with thier off-hand as with thier primary, therefore
the number of attacks for the off hand is limited to one.  And game balance 
says so as well, since by 7th he'd be getting 4 attacks per round, and by 14th,
6....

>Third, he wants to get a +2 saving throw bonus for dodgeable attacs, ie. breat
>Rod/Staff/Wand, fireballs etc., when wearing light or no armor. The CFHB says 
>gets a -2 on AC (bonus) when wearing light or no armor. Any opinions?

This one actually makes a certain amount of sense.  I don't have a strong 
opinion either way, on this one.

Your player is a bit of a Powergamer, isn't he?  Oh well, Powergaming can be 
fun, just don't let things turn Monty-Haulish and you'll do fine.

-- 
*******************************************************************************
Jon Gad                              *      "Wrath of God.  Ha.  Its the 
jng53092@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu            *       Wrath of GAD that you should
				     *       worry about..."   Me
From: Jesse.Taylor@launchpad.unc.edu (Jesse Taylor)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: To Kill a Black Dragon
Keywords: Dragon
Date: 13 Nov 92 16:14:54 GMT
Article-I.D.: samba.1992Nov13.161454.17539
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of North Carolina Extended Bulletin Board Service

In article <BxnD3M.AxI@news.cso.uiuc.edu> tgt33358@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Thanatos) writes:
>In article <GSPIEGEL.57.0@bsa1.kent.edu> GSPIEGEL@bsa1.kent.edu (Greg Spiegelberg) writes:
>>A virgin, female cleric who just so happens to be engaged (kinda) to someone 
>>in my party has been supposedly kidnapped by a very large black dragon.
>>(BTW, we're in Forgotten Realms)
>>
>Well, first off, you're dealing with no mere dragon...you have one of those 
>with the dreaded ability to Detect Virgins!  (Really, how the HELL did the 
>dragon figure out this?  Ask?  CHECK?!?)
	Methinks a dragon like that could be useful. Maybe you can get him
to teach your Wild Mage that spell. Or (horrible thought) what if it's not
really a black dragon after all, but Elminster, having gone
alternate-prime hopping and gotten *really* drunk and shapeshifted or
poly'self'd into a black dragon, and then cast one of his Famous Munchkin
Spells to find a... Well, you get the picture. Really, are you *sure* it's
a black dragon? I mean, did it give someone an acid bath, or is it just a
Big Nasty-Lookin' Critter?

>Second, you've got to talk to the damn thing.  If the cleric isn't et (sic)
>by now, there's a reason she's still alive.  Dragons don't collect virgins,
>they eat them.  Perhaps he can be reasoned with?  (Yeah, reason with a 
>reptilian redneck oozing toxic Redman...it's gonna happen).  In any event,
	"H-hey! Mr. Dragon?! Can I talk to you for a moment? Ye-yeah! You
wif the funky B.O.!"

>-- 
>man in the world...I just wish it   \ Time and Space tgt33358@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu 

JT


--
   The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the University of
     North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Campus Office for Information
        Technology, or the Experimental Bulletin Board Service.
           internet:  laUNChpad.unc.edu or 152.2.22.80
From: millerl@wharton.upenn.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Help! Tips Needed on Dungeon Construction
Date: 10 Nov 92 22:49:16 GMT
Organization: Newt World Order

In article <1992Nov10.205049.15154@u.washington.edu>, scythe@byron.u.washington.edu (The Grim Reaper) writes:
> In article <sezz1ty00VpO4PxFY6@andrew.cmu.edu> Mike Molloy <mmaq+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:
>>> Also, should standard passages be 5 feet wide or 10 feet wide?  How
>>> many people can fight abreast in a 5-foot passage, anyway?
>>
>>It must depend on the size of the character. For example, you could 
>>probabally(sp?) have 5 or 6 elves fighting abreastin a 5-foot passage,
>>but no more than 2 orcs.
> 
> Ummm..... no. No. Definitely no.  An elf is about 1.5 feet wide,

I get it. He is talking about Tinkerbell style elves, not about
Glorfindel style elves. Now that I've readjusted my perceptions to match
Senor Molloy, it becomes obvious that maybe up to a hundred elves could
fight effectively in a 5 foot wide corridor, though any more and the
whole corridor would be swarming with the little suckers, just like
locusts.

Or maybe he's talking about those annoying little red elves from the
coastal jungles of the Sozganjio, the ones popularly known as bog
gremlins, swamp goblins, or "those murderous midget mutant skunk
cabbages." They're from half a foot to two feet tall, about the size of
a cat, and probably don't mind if they whack their neighbors while going
after a tasty adventurer, so you might be able to fit five of them in a
five foot corridor.

In any case, the only way that Glorfindel style elves could fight five
abreast in a five foot wide corridor would be if they were firing wands
of magic missiles.

-- 
whoah,
+++++++++++++++++++++++23
Loren Miller                           internet: MILLERL@wharton.upenn.edu
Mediocrity is a hand rail.                         -- Baron de Montesquieu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: sport@leland.Stanford.EDU (David Gregory Schaefer)
Subject: Re: Hurled Weapons To hit/damage
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Distribution: global
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 92 07:34:13 GMT

Point: Hurled and device propelled weapons will not have the same impact
as melee weapons. This is simply because there is no continuously applied
force. Therefore, they should not recieve the full strength bonus. 

However, the arguments for 'a bow built for strength' do stand, and an 
arrow launched from said bow would not only have a straighter path, 
it would also have more penetration on impact. This then justifies 
applying both a to hit and damage modifier. 

A third question is that of balance. Consider a person with 21 str (a girdle
or whatever) using a special bow. He had an excellent dex to boot, he's able
to fire two shots around at +7 +9 (if full str bonuses are allowed) as opposed
to one sword stroke a round at +4 +9. That means about 25 pts/round with a bow
vs. 12 or 13 a round with the sword. This obviously makes the bow much too 
powerfull, especially if the DM also allows (gag) specialization.

There is a two fold solution. For the realism, allow half bonuses with missle
weapons (exept xbows, of course). For balance, make special bows rather 
expensive (x2 or more) and limit the max strength a bow can be built for:

"Im sorry sir, but I cant make a bow with a greater than 300lb pull. There
are no suitable materials, and i couldn't string the bloody thing"

The other missle weapons are pretty good as is. Darts need to be limited 
on the maximum damage they can inflict, however (they can only go so deep)
perhapse 6pts/ hit max. This keeps the rate of fire from making them the
new minmax weapon of choice.

Dave
"But then Id rather be a killer than a victim"
  --Decker, The Blade Runner