HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Athas is FR?
From: wright@latcs2.lat.oz.au (Michael G. Wright)
Date: 16 Nov 92 22:22:42 GMT
Organization: Comp Sci, La Trobe Uni, Australia

jw67+@andrew.cmu.edu (Jordan M. Wolbrum) writes:

>>Secondly, the abscence of gods does pose a small problem. If there 
>>were FR gods looking over Athas, they wouldn't just pack up and leave
>>when the
>>dragon turned up.
>How about the cycle of worship?  Basically, it says that a god' s powers
>are directly dependant upon his or her flock.  If magic went haywire,
>perhaps people would lose faith in the gods, and the gods would weaken. 

>	>Fifth, the change of climate due to defiling magic doesn't explain >the
>>proliferation of psionics that is way beyond anything we have seen on
>>any other
>>world.
>As above, evolution.

>Basically, this could be an alternate FR, billions of years in the
>future, abandoned by the gods, and where the raw primal forces of
>nature(air, earth, water, fire, and magic) took over.  The reason
>everyone has psionics on Athas, is because the weak do not survive. 
>While some psionics wild talents really are wimpy, I'm sure almost all
>of them have some use somewhere.  The crystal sphere fits the god's
>leaving the dead world theory(maybe the existance of gods prevented this
>"isolation of destiny."

Ah Ha! I just remembered! Athas's cycle around it's Sun is 375 days. Is
that the same year length as FR's calendar? I think not. Of course you could
say that the orbit changed over billions of years (after all, the Sun is  
approaching Red Giant stage, so it has to be a _long_ way into the future).

Don't forget that it's only been a couple of thousand years since the world
changed from green and pleasant to red and nasty. The millions of years   
between FR Sun's development and Athas's Sun's development would then have to
have had almost no social advances to have kept at the same level of technology
This is something that needs a _big_ stretch of the imagination.

>But, it' s your campaign, do what you want.  It really doesn't matter
>very much anyway, does it?
>But it's a fun intellectual exercise!

Agreed, 100%.  My point though, is that DS was not designed around FR. 
Remember everyone, FR is not the be all and end all of AD&D campaign worlds.

>-The Wizard

-- 
Michael Wright            _-_|\     Peg- "Al, can I have a thousand bucks?" 
LaTrobe University,      /     \     Al- "Why sure honey, have you got change
Melbourne, Australia.    \_.-_*/          for a million?"
wright@latcs1.lat.oz.au       v                Married with children. :-)
From: rogue@ucrengr.ucr.edu (ed zeamba)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: The REAL Undead/How they see, REALLY
Date: 22 Nov 92 09:25:44 GMT
Organization: University of California, Riverside

In article <1992Nov20.145253.1@ulkyvx.louisville.edu> tfpayn01@ulkyvx.louisville.edu writes:
>-- 
>	My current DM concurs with me:  
>	
>	Undead don't 'see' in the sense of using organic/magical 'eyes'.
>
>	All creatures have a positive self and a negative self, alter egos.
>
>	Undead see your negative self, and are attracted to that negative plane
>self.  If you read the 'Invisibility to Undead' spell, you don't become
>invisible in the sense that you no longer have a 'physical manifestation' of
>yourself. You 'ward' the undead away from you, making yourself unnoticeable.

The idea of detecting positive/negative egos is interesting, but lets
put it in terms used by the rulebooks.

instead of ego, it's called life energy (represented by levels/Hit Die)
ie) sword of life-stealing, or Energy Draining attacks/spells..

Now why do you say Undead detect the "negative" part of life?
Unarguably, the level draining effects comes from the Negative Material
Plane (MOTP), and "free-willed" undead can use its energy.(wight, vamps,etc)

The manual of the Planes describes the Positive Plave as the plane of Life
(and Neg. = Death)  Thus, all living things have a life of positive
energy.  Now THIS is what would be noticble, even disgustingly repulsive
to creatures of undeath!  iThey seek it to destroy it!

Now, I GM this as an aura (like the aura of fortune tellers?) of
positive creatures that is seen by "free-willed undead" (those not
animated by spell)  Such a positive aura is not hidden by Illusionary
Invisibility, but can be cloaked by Necromatic "Invis to Undead"

Thus skeletons and zombies ARE fooled by Illusionary invis as they have
no strong link (if any) with the Negative Energy Plane.  
Wights and more powerful undead have this link, and can sense its
opposite: Positive energy -- which surrounds living things. . .
This life emanation cannot be disguised by illusions (Invis.)
so they are not fooled by it.

[note: the "life aura" idea is suggested by the fact that, according
to the MAnual OTP, if one spends enough time in the Positive Plane
they will actaully Visibly glow with life energy.  I'm mearly suggesting
that powerful undead can see it alwys]

What do you think?

             "I'd rather be an obscure thief than a famous fool..."
     /                                                                \
@###I===============> "Know me as GORD of GREYHAWK..." <===============I###@ 
     \		                                                      /
		With the slightest bow and tip of his hat,
	  	   the Rogue steps back into the night... 

rogue@ucrengr.ucr.edu		UC Riverside -- home of the Guildsman
>

-- 
     /                                                                \
@###I===============> "Know me as GORD of GREYHAWK..." <===============I###@ 
     \		                                                      /
rogue@ucrengr.ucr.edu		UC Riverside -- home of the Guildsman
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: ins894r@aurora.cc.monash.edu.au (Aaron Wigley [Wigs])
Subject: Re: New Spell idea, comments needed
Organization: Monash University
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 23:44:20 GMT

Dis (perseant@stein.u.washington.edu) wrote:
: >	Any sugestions to stop abuse of this spell. I can easily imagine
: >abuse in the form of characters making up heaps of knots with Cure Wounds 
: >contained within them, or does anyone think I shouldn't worry about this?
: 
: How about level: 8.

After I posted this, I went through it with my DM..

: The spell is approximately as powerful as the 6th level Enchant An
: Item spell, 

But not as specific..

: and *much* easier to cast.  

We've lengthed the casting time to something similar to a contingency spell.
(About 1 turn).

Other things we have decided. The highest spell level you can cast into it
is 4th level (similar to contingency's limitation to 6th level spells at 
most), and this maximum spell depends on caster's level.

One way of looking at it also, is this is similar to the preparation of a
spell, but the spell has already been cast. So we are looking at mages of 
about 9th level or higher being able to cast the spell. So that puts it as
a 5th level spell at least.

Something I will do with the spell is have different versions at different
levels, and power.

: Hundreds of fireballs on a
: coil of rope is not something level 5 MUs are supposed to be able to
: do....

*chuckle* Another thought. Cast this on a rope connected to a grappling hook,
and use them to storm a castle. If the defenders cut the rope.. :-)

: Just my opinion, of course.
: 		    				Konrad Schroder

The Wigs of Oz,
Aaron Wigley
From: u906583@bruny.cc.utas.edu.au (Paul Roberts)
Subject: net.spheres.book & net.forgotten.realms.book WANTED
Summary: net.books wanted
Organization: University of Tasmania, Australia.
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 03:05:33 GMT

If anyone one in net.world has a copy of net.spheres.book or
net.forgotten.realms.book can they either post it to the net or mail it to me.

Thanks,
Paul.
--
| Paul Roberts   Keeper of Queen Lore                                          |
| Student at University of Tasmania  -  Australia's largest Uni, 200km from    |
| e-mail : u906583@bruny.cc.utas.edu.au                          one end to    |
|          u906583@tasman.cc.utas.edu.au                         the other     |
From: RMB111@psuvm.psu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: A call to the Sages of the Forgotten Realms
Date: 18 Nov 92 17:34:32 GMT
Article-I.D.: psuvm.92323.123432RMB111
Organization: Penn State University


  I need the help of my fellow scholars.  I need information on a wizard from
the Forgotten Realms.  His name is Halister.  My new DM (I DM'ed until recently
) says that he is listed in some form of published material about Waterdeep.
He told my I could "try" and find something out and to "use ALL my resources"
but that I wouldn't be able to find him, But if I wanted to try.... well I do.
Little did he know I had the help of all you ladies and gentleman, he he he ;)
So how about it, can you help a poor little sage find this Halister from
Waterdeep?  ANY help AT ALL will be appreciated.

                                            Thanks in advance,
                                                 Meldlm (Sage/Mage)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: rsm58307@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Ron)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Spellcasting in Armor (was Re: Dual Class Characters)
Keywords: armor
Date: 16 Nov 92 00:29:34 GMT
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana



A mage in metal armor? I think it's alright, but I'd be memorizing
Heat Metal alot.
From: cheung@acsu.buffalo.edu (Chris Cheung)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Erratas for any of the AD&D2 Handbooks.
Date: 16 Nov 92 22:02:27 GMT
Organization: UB

Does anyone know of any form of an errata for any of the AD&D 2nd edition
Handbooks?  Specifically, I'm looking for the errata for the Thief's
Handbook.

Thanks in advance.
Chris C.
cheung@cs.buffalo.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: steevesm@woods.ulowell.edu
Subject: Re: Athas and FR
Organization: University of Lowell
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 16:20:48 GMT

In article <18NOV199221361693@venus.tamu.edu>, tap2368@venus.tamu.edu (Saufferin) writes:
> In article <1992Nov18.084211.1@woods.ulowell.edu>, steevesm@woods.ulowell.edu writes...
>>Something about the whole FR/Athas thread occurred to me....
>> 
>> {My theory on FR gods deleted}
> 
> As if Lord Ao could make a bad choice, and if he did, as if he would let it 
> happen... (remember Ao can do anything he wants - game designation for DM)

Who is to say that Ao didn't get fed up with the gods and let this happen?
He was kinda pissed off the last time the gods messed up....

:)

-darkelf
-----
"I have no brother, am like no brother;
 And this word "love", which the greybeards call divine,
 Be resident in men like one another
 And not in me.  I am myself alone."
	-Gloucester, Henry VI Pt. 3
-----
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: kjenks@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov
Subject: Triple Normal Fire Rate & Harlot Encounter Table (Was: Re: A very good POINT on Bow Profic.)
Originator: kjenks@gothamcity
Keywords: harlots
Organization: NASA/JSC/GM2, Space Shuttle Program Office
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 1992 00:52:26 GMT

I, kjenks@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov, wrote:
>>An obscure AD&D1 rule allows TRIPLE normal fire rate during surprise
>>segments if you have your missile weapon ready.  [...]  I'll give
>>3,000 XP to the favorite PC of the first netter who correctly
>>identifies the page in DMG1 where that obscure "triple normal fire
>>rate" rule can be found and posts the results here.

Then rogue@ucrengr.ucr.edu (ed zeamba) wins the XP by writing:
>OUCH yea!  I'm glad I never saw this rule Abused to its full effect!
>And dont forget DOUBLE allowable Melee attacks Per segment!

I can't find your "double allowable melee attacks" rule.  Are you
misreading the same paragraph?  Or am I missing something?

>I found it: pg. 62, paragraph 3  DMG v1
>Please debit the 3000 to Sly Roguen's X.P. Receivable Acc't :)
>
>Now then, for 10,000 x.p., find me the Harlot Encounter Table
>in the same text!  Boy, didn't 'ole Gygax think of everything? :)

In less than a minute from reading your challenge, I found page 192,
DMG1:

  01-10 Slovently trull      76-85 Expensive doxy
  11-25 Brazen strumpet      86-90 Haughty courtesan
  26-35 Cheap trollop        91-92 Aged madam
  36-50 Typical streetwalker 93-94 Wealthy procuress
  51-65 Saucy tart           95-98 Sly pimp
  66-75 Wanton wench         99-00 Rich panderer

I remembered where it was by its proximity to that delightful
illustration enigmatically entitled "Emirikol the Chaotic," depicting a
magic-user galloping down the street, casting spells as he rides.
(How's that for somantic components?)  I've always wondered what led up
to that dramatic encounter....

Now, rogue@ucrengr.ucr.edu (ed zeamba), show this reply to Sly Roguen's
DM and see if he'll honor the 3,000 XP for a job well done.

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

     "An expensive doxy might resemble a gentlewoman, a haughty
      courtesan a noblewoman, the other harlots might be mistaken
      for goodwives, and so forth." -- AD&D DMG1, p. 192
From: wilsonm@vaxb.acs.unt.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Most powerful PC ever
Date: 18 Nov 92 15:10:53 GMT
Organization: University of North Texas

>> 
>> The Fighter/Mage already had Several Defensive items giving him -10 AC, and he  
>> had a +3 Vorpal Sword which he could attack twice per round with (L 7  
>> specialized fighter).  He also used a +5 Defender Sword, two-hander style.  He  
>> also had a girdle of Storm Giant Strength!  Now, he also had a Vampiric Ring of  
>> Regeneration.
>> 
>> So here is the possible damage for a single round (This is by memory so it  
>> could be slightly off.)
>> 
>> Vorpal Sword:  20-27 damage!  THAC0:  3  Behead on 17+.
>> +5 Sword:      22-29 damage!  THAC0:  1
>> (Damage and THAC0 count all bonouses.)
>> 
>> First, he had a better chance to hit every monster than they have to hit him.  
>> (except dragons which I will talk about in a second.)
>> Second, he does more damage per round than any monster except a Tarrasque (the  
>> party killed a Tarrasque, wished it dead, and walked on in less than 5  
>> minutes!)
>> 
>> Net result:  This PC could never be defeated by physical attackers.  Even 3  
>> storm giants (certainly no more could attack him simultaneously.) could not  
>> out-damage this PC in melee!

The damage on a Storm Giant wielding a Storm giant 2-handed sword would 
cquickly but this person in half...

>> 
>> Now, you might think that this PC could be killed by magic.  This was also  
>> basicly not the case:
>> 1.  He had several protective items which lowered all of his saves down to  
>> close to 2.
>> 2.  He had magic resistance through items of 40%.

Pffft - Magic resistance does nothing to a falling wall of iron - a dig spell
under the character - an earth quak under ground in a cave (roof falls in on
his head) - No save type stuff - and he dies - without hope of anyone
re-gaining his EQ.

>> 
>> So, now it would seem that the only thing that could possibly stand a chance  
>> against this PC would be a Great-Wyrm Dragon.
>> 
>> 
>> He would cast Anti-magic shell and charge in and kick Axe!  (Both swords, his  
>> bracers AC 0, and his ring of vampiric regeneration could work even in  
>> anti-magic zones due to several wishes.)

There is NO sort of wish that shoud allow a character to get this - NEVER.
And another thing - he should not have GOTTEN several wishes in the first 
place.

And to top it all off - this character should NEVER I repeat NEVER gotten
ALL THIS EQ.


*sigh*


>> 
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: sh30443@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Shiva the Destoyer)
Subject: Re: Most powerful first level spell
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1992 22:28:24 GMT

chrisc@cae.wisc.edu (Chris Carey) writes:

>Not incredibly versatile, but for a mage who wants to survive I think Armor is
>incredibly useful.

>Others:
>gotta like Sleep
>I think Enlarge is a darn good spell when you start to get to about fifth,(Hmm
>large creature, two-handed sword, wow, you nailed him for 14 with your streng
>and +2 sword, wait make that 21...)

enlarge only adds to the BASE damage of the weapon.  magic and strength
is not multiplied.

That's why my transmuter specialist doesn't learn it that much
From: pmfranc@afterlife.ncsc.mil. (Paul M. Franceus)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: spellcasting in Armour!!!! Indeed!
Date: 18 Nov 92 19:07:15 GMT
Organization: The Great Beyond

In article <1992Nov17.205208.18934@aio.jsc.nasa.gov>  
kjenks@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov writes:
> In article <1e1043INN8ca@lester.appstate.edu> FDN02462@CONRAD.APPSTATE.EDU  
(*Lewis Edward Lynn) writes:
> >The concept of casting [magic-user] spells in armour is absurd.  [....]
> 
> What about 9th level human Rangers?  They do it all the time.  My AD&D1
> ranger, Silver Wind, has just reached 10th.  She casts Unseen Servant
> almost every game day.
> elves or humans?  Why not dual-class humans?  Simple: game balance.
> 
> Any other anwser is just smoke and mirrors.
> 
> -- Ken Jenks, NASA/JSC/GM2, Space Shuttle Program Office
Finally, a bit of common sense...

Paul
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: david@avenger.ecn.uoknor.edu (David Bump)
Subject: Re: area of effect for color spray
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 14:51:27 GMT
Organization: Engineering Computer Network, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
Keywords: dimensions

jlagrave@zeno.ss.uci.edu (John Lagrave) writes:

>In the PHB it gives the dimensions of the area of effect for color spray,
>5'x20'x20'.  Fine, but what does that mean?  It goes further to describe the
>area as a wedge, but it is unclear as the width of this spell.

>Is it a fine line that expands like so?
>Or is it a volume?
>Or is it something else?

I have always taken the area to be a volume like this:

                        |---------|
                        |         |
                        |         | 20 feet
                        |         |
                        |         |
                        |---------|
                          20 feet

which was five feet high.  I allow characters to change the height at
which it appears a little.  Like to get ogres or rats, but both of
those types of creatures could not be hit by the same spell in most
circumstances.


David Bump
david@midway.ecn.uoknor.edu

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: mpd48941@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Mike Duff)
Subject: Re: New Spell idea, comments needed
Reply-To: duff@cs.uiuc.edu
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 1992 04:31:07 GMT

In <1992Nov23.042142.5229@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au> ins894r@aurora.cc.monash.edu.au (Aaron Wigley [Wigs]) writes:

>
>	Any sugestions to stop abuse of this spell. I can easily imagine
>abuse in the form of characters making up heaps of knots with Cure Wounds 
>contained within them, or does anyone think I shouldn't worry about this?

I am of the opinion that Clerical spells should not be allowed to be cast
with this spell.  Reason being that I have always treated them as 
completely different forms of magic, and that this would make the 
cure light wounds thing very easy to do.  Another possibility is to make
clerical spells or spells not from the mage's specialty area of shorter
duration.  This would lead to a little less munchkinism.

However, I think the spell is quite nifty otherwise. :)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Michael Duff              | "Thank you for bringing up such a painful     | 
| ACM membership coord.     |  subject.  While you're at it, why don't you  |
| ACM SIGsoft               |  give me a nice paper cut and pour lemon      |
| duff@cs.uiuc.edu          |  juice on it.                                 |
| mpd48941@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu |                           - Miracle Max       |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: msawyer@mael.soest.hawaii.edu (Michael Sawyer)
Subject: Re: Testing for Biased Dice
Organization: School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 03:25:50 GMT

In article <wright.721879981@latcs1.lat.oz.au> wright@latcs2.lat.oz.au (Michael G. Wright) writes:
>
>Actually, I use a program I made to roll dice for stats. Unfortunately, nobody
>in the party wants to use it, because dice rolls invariably end up better. I
>think this must be because of the pseudo-randomness of the program. 
>Anyone out there that knows better?

The dice rolling routine of the chat-like server I wrote took quite a
bit of time to get to a good level of randomness.  Right now, running
that routine through the chi-squared test, I get good results, but
never really great ones; I always seem to end up on the border between
"good" and "maybe."  It is really more of a condition of (1) what you
seed the random number generator with and (2) what style of random
number generator you use.  Of the various generally available Unix
routines, I have found srand48() to be the only partially acceptable
one, although I know that better algorithms do exist if you look
through the literature on Monte Carlo techniques and other numerical
procedures requiring good psudorandom numbers.  Since you are using a
computer, you should be able to test the randomness fairly easily with
a method like the one described here not long ago.

-- 
Michael Sawyer		msawyer@mael.soest.hawaii.edu
University of Hawaii Physical Oceanography/Satellite Remote Sensing
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: wade@nb.rockwell.com (Wade Guthrie)
Subject: Re: Mage Robes
Organization: Rockwell International
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 18:01:10 GMT


In the world I ran, I used a little retro-active continuity to mold the world
into the one we traditionally think of when we think of D&D.  The mages belonged
to an acadamy that ran the Elvin world -- a few mages existed that don't belong
to the acadamy, but by-and-large, they belonged.  Moreover, since the acadamy
ran the place, it was very beneficial (as a sign of office -- regular mages
were the equivalent of knights) to wear the robes.

It was kind-of cool.  There were different offices of spell caster from
mage (bottom) to council member (the head honchos).  The office of the caster
was only loosely attached to the level of the caster.  The level of the caster
was granted by the council when the user could demonstrate sufficient capability.
Only at that point, would the mage's master teach the mage the concentration
techniques required to gather more mana to cast those nastier spells.

This technique wouldn't work for everyone, but it worked well in my campaign.

Wade
wade@nb.rockwell.com 
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd