HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: slip@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Doolie)
Subject: Re: Priests and Spellcasting
Summary: On the spot praying
Keywords: Preists 
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 00:09:36 GMT

In article <1992Dec17.225320.14935@CSD-NewsHost.Stanford.EDU> cdb@CS.Stanford.EDU (Craig Davis Becker) writes:
>
>One problem with many priests is that they are expected to be the
>party's full-time medic. Of course, if your deity doesn't give you
>healing spells, that solves this problem.
>
>So, as the medic, a priest often is forced to pray for many healing
>spells, which then limits the selection of spells available in other
>situations.
>
>So, what we decided to do was to let the priest cast spells without
>pre-determining them. So, unlike a mage, who must still memorize
>selected spells beforehand, the priest is now able to cast any spell
>as the situation dictates.
>
>This may seem like a major advantage, but we have been using it for a
>while and it doesn't seem to unbalance things. And it certainly makes
>priests more versatile and fun to play!
>
>As far as the "reality" of casting spells, we just explain this by
>saying that the priest prays for the spell as it is cast. The fact
>that priest spells generally have longer casting times than do roughly
>equivalent mage spells makes this explanation reasonable.
>
>I wouldn't suggest making the same change for mages, however!
>

I've found this to work well.

I play a Preist of a god that is basically the patron god of rangers,
and my DM assigned me an *interesting* set of spheres.

Well, we also use the on-the-spot casting for Preists, and it has made the
Preist quite versatile, without overshadowing the rest of the party.

As he is the only preist in a fighter-heavy party, a while back we invested
heavily in healing magic (an item that allows one of each of the cure ____
wounds spells once a day).  So, while he is still needed to get the party back 
on their feet during and after battles, he has been able to spare a few spells
for creative spellcasting on occasion. (not normally a combat monster, as
he seems to have difficulty hitting things...ask my party about the produce 
flame spell sometime.- we used the missle scatter rules alot that episode)

So I suppose what I am saying is that he can still be the Medic of the party,
but on-the-spot spellcasting allows for spell use in situations you just
cant prepare for.  (Like when we took shelter in an cave and 3 hours later
were fleeing from dwarvish city at top speed through an occupied guardroom--
--my last spell was an Obscurement... There was no way we could have thought
of that ahead of time.)

On another thread... My 3 fav preist spells.... 
Obscurement, dust devil, Entangle.
--------------------
Gordon Emore
aka Sumac Loggerson, the Preist whos been:
Drained to level -1
Petrified
Polymorphed into a barn owl
and engaged to a lovely Princess.....All by 5th level.  

-- 
* Gordon Emore	          *   <Place nifty quote here>      *
* slip@sage.cc.purdue.edu *   < Or maybe not >              *
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: gerry@eng.umd.edu (Gerald Emil Shukert)
Subject: Ideas for gaming
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 92 05:02:21 GMT
Organization: Project GLUE, University of Maryland, College Park


Does anyone have any good answers for coming up with fun and
challenging adventures for DND?  I know alot were talking about high
level DMing, but I am more interested in lower level games.

Thankyou for the space,

-gerry
-- 
Still in search of those BEATLES issues...help me fulfill my dream!!!!

I don't believ in Beatles, I just believe in me...and Yoko<spit>
					-John Lennon
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: jwolf@nyx.cs.du.edu (The WolF)
Subject: T$R Catalog '93
Organization: University of Denver, Dept. of Math & Comp. Sci.
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 92 01:29:35 GMT

I just got a look at the T$R 1993 catalog - not the $10 hardback, just the
free one that they give away.

If you LIKED the artwork of the '92 collector card series, you'll like the
art ardorning most of the products for '93...  If you like GOOD artwork how-
ever...  :|

There's a Humanoid Handbook in May, Glory of Rome in November, Creative Cam-
paigning In February, Gnomes and Halflings in March, and Ranger's in January
of '94.  Elves are still due out nex month.  There'll be a Book of Artifacts
in October, the Monstrous Manual (395 pages, hardbound) in July, Deck of
Magical Items (432 cards) in April, and, of course, the Magic Encyclodedia
Vol. 2 in February.

There'll be Player's Guides for Forgotten Realms and one for DragonLance in
December and August (respectively).

Thief's Challenge is due in Feb and Cleric's in Oct.

Of course, there's many new DL and FR things, new Al-Qadim and Ravenloft as
well. Heck, there's even a four new Greyhawk items listed.  Spelljammer and Dark
Sun live on as well.

There are, however, only 495 cards in this year's collector's series - to be re-
leased in three (3) parts.  Idiots!  The Boxed set is due in Dec.  :+|

Buck Rogers XXVc seems to have died off, only a new novel is listed.  However,
there is now a Bick Rogers - Adventure, Excitment, Thrill series.  Complete
with its own logo.  Give it up, folks ...

Gamma World is doing as well as Grewhawk - four new items.

Marvel Superheroes seems to have gone away entirely.

Thought I'd pass it along ...

Jon WolF
From: scythe@stein.u.washington.edu (The Grim Reaper)
Subject: Re: Bastard DM from Hell &a matter of Honour
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 17:50:55 GMT

In article <1gs7dgINNm2q@uniwa.uwa.edu.au> gujn@uniwa.uwa.edu.au (Jeremy Nelson) writes:
>ecrjbruce@economics.adelaide.edu.au writes:
[SNIP!]

>>>  Some societies *choose* to make
>>> arbitrary decisions like, "You may kill an opponent, but only using
>>> the following techniques...".  Rob suggested that everyone knows what
>>> honour is, and some groups choose to ignore it.  I disagree, no
>>> everyone has a concept of honour at all,
>>Everyone knows what honour is.  You may choose not to follow it but you still
>>know what it is.
>
>Perhaps everyone from that society, but even that is unlikely.  By way
>of example:
>The concepts and codes of honour vary widely between the Chivalric code of
>Europe and those of Japan.  Yes, there is a large core of common
>concepts, but differences in priorities, and many smaller differneces.
There are some general parts of the code that are constant.  
Like, "Don't stab a friend in the back" or "Don't hurt the innocent
and the children".  Those are fairly consistent for most societies.

>>> Think lawful good.
>>I am trying yet I still believe that the thief should be executed as a common
>>criminal with little hope of redemption.
>Personally, I don't think that is unreasonable.  
>
>Tutting sadly the Paladin says, 'Well common Law dictates you must loose your 
>hand.  I'm terribly sorry Lefty.'
This part is getting a little specific. Maybe take it to email?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
When he goes swimming does he get wet, | The Grim Reaper
Or does the water get him instead?     | scythe@u.washington.edu
-They Might Be Giants, "Particle Man"  |
---------------------------------------+------------------------------------
Villager: She turned me into a newt!   |Lister, If two people came to you 
Bedevere: A newt?                      |for a job, and one of them was dead,
Villager: I got better.....            |who would you choose? -Rimmer
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: arromdee@jyusenkyou.cs.jhu.edu (Ken Arromdee)
Subject: Re: A question on aging.
Organization: Johns Hopkins University CS Dept.
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1992 04:12:54 GMT

In article <78203@hydra.gatech.EDU> ccoprdj@prism.gatech.EDU (Jorge Diaz) writes:
>>  I'd say that I've encountered both T$R-like ( rather small, and long-lived )
>>and Tolkien-like ( rather tall, and immortal ) elves side by side in the same
>>AD&D adventures. They were different, but they were still elves. They never
>>discussed such strange topics as old age and death. That didn't affect their
>>present state. So, once again, who cares ?
>Well, sorry, but I couldn't disagree more.  When you have things like age
>affecting ability scores, whether or not they die of old age does matter.
>Why would an elf lose points of Dex, Str, and Con if his body isn't "dying"?
>Not to mention the fact that wishes suddenly become no problem.  "Oh, I
>age five years every time I cast one?  So what?  Didn't you know?  I'm
>IMMORTAL."
>Age limits *are* important.

Elves have level limits severe enough to keep them from being able to cast
wishes.
--
"the bogosity in a field equals the bogosity imported from related areas, plus
the bogosity generated internally, minus the bogosity expelled or otherwise
disposed of."  -- K. Eric Drexler

Ken Arromdee (arromdee@jyusenkyou.cs.jhu.edu, arromdee@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: cdb@CS.Stanford.EDU (Craig Davis Becker)
Subject: Priests and Spellcasting
Organization: Computer Science Department, Stanford University.
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 22:53:20 GMT

Hi everyone.

I am in the mood to get flamed today, so I thought I'd tell y'all
about something my group has done to help out the poor old priest
class. Now, some of you may feel that they don't need any help, and
that's fine, it's just that in our parties, priests have always gotten
the short end of the stick.

One problem with many priests is that they are expected to be the
party's full-time medic. Of course, if your deity doesn't give you
healing spells, that solves this problem.

So, as the medic, a priest often is forced to pray for many healing
spells, which then limits the selection of spells available in other
situations.

So, what we decided to do was to let the priest cast spells without
pre-determining them. So, unlike a mage, who must still memorize
selected spells beforehand, the priest is now able to cast any spell
as the situation dictates.

This may seem like a major advantage, but we have been using it for a
while and it doesn't seem to unbalance things. And it certainly makes
priests more versatile and fun to play!

As far as the "reality" of casting spells, we just explain this by
saying that the priest prays for the spell as it is cast. The fact
that priest spells generally have longer casting times than do roughly
equivalent mage spells makes this explanation reasonable.

I wouldn't suggest making the same change for mages, however!

Comments? Criticisms?


Craig
From: brehob@plantain.cps.msu.edu (Mark W Brehob)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Fighter/Priest of God of War | was:Re: Clerics vs. Specialty Priests?
Date: 11 Dec 92 16:44:05 GMT
Organization: Michigan State University

Michael Sawyer writes
> There is an interesting problem with the specialty priests I am
> interesed in how other people have solved...  A few points:
> 
> 1> Multi-Classed fighters cannot specialize in a weapon.
> 
> 2> Priests of war are __required__ to specialize in one of a short
> list of weapons.
> 
> Now, assuming you allow priest/fighter multi-classes (which makes
> sence if you are not allowing clerics), does a Fighter/Pr. of War have
> to specialize, or is he not allowed to?  Our decision was that he did
> have to, but I think it was far from truely resolved.
> -- 
> Michael Sawyer		msawyer@mael.soest.hawaii.edu
> University of Hawaii Physical Oceanography/Satellite Remote Sensing

My 'main' AD&D character is a fighter/priest of the god of War.
We have ruled that because both sides of the multi class can specialize,  
it only makes since that the F/C should be able to.

The fact that my character is a fighter/priest was something of a mistake.   
Why not just be a priest of the god of war?  They are just about as good  
as fighters, and, well climb ranks a lot faster.
(esp at high levels)
 
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: how to imprison a psionicist ?
Date: 15 Dec 92 19:42:44 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh
Originator: seawasp@unixd3.cis.pitt.edu

In article <1992Dec15.181755.11653@u.washington.edu> scythe@stein.u.washington.edu (The Grim Reaper) writes:
>The reason helms keep psis from using their power is because the weight
>of the helmet keeps the psi from concentrating. 

	You CANNOT POSSIBLY BE SERIOUS! If THAT is true, no Psi could
work wearing CLOTHES; they'd be just as distracting. Can a Psi work
in the winter, or does a hat distract him too much?

	Or, if it's just the weight, could a really LIGHT helm be
okay? Get one enchanted to weigh no more than a very light hat, or
even weightless, eh, that'll work, right? My +5 weightless helm here.

	Come on. The weight of a helmet is not even NOTICEABLE after
a while, especially if the weather isn't too hot. If it's cold, the
helmet may make you even MORE comfortable by protecting your head
from cold.

	Your approach would make it easier to disrupt a Psi than it is to 
disrupt a mage. 


					Sea Wasp
From: jjas@acs.nntp-read.bu.edu (Jason Stephenson)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: player vs. PC stats
Date: 18 Dec 92 04:20:04 GMT
Organization: Boston University Information Technology Boston, MA USA
In-reply-to: jdelisle@udel.edu's message of 15 Dec 92 19:03:00 GMT

Flamethrowers?  What flamethrowers?  Maybe an ancient, red dragon?
Seriously, Joe, I think you have a good method for dealing with
discrepancies between player and character stats, perhaps the only one
that works.  I've been playing ADnD for over twelve years now (gasp,
has it been that long?) and as a GM I've used more or less the same
method that you specify in your post.  However, I am not so kind and
things such as attribute checks do not exist in my campaigns.  If the
players don't figure something out, then neither do their characters.

		Jason, jjas@acs.bu.edu, Stephenson
Organization: University of Maine System
Date: Wednesday, 16 Dec 1992 14:50:57 EST
From: Solipsist at Large <IK20001@MAINE.MAINE.EDU>
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: bards
 <1992Dec12.000104.5430@CSD-NewsHost.Stanford.EDU>
 <4f_gguC00YUo135YY2@andrew.cmu.edu> <Bz70xz.Kvq@mentor.cc.purdue.edu>
 <wsbusr1.724511572@rwa.urc.tue.nl>


On the "Four Free NWPs are too darn much" argument--

They aren't.  That's because the `Bard Kits' aren't Bard-kits,
but Subclasses.  A `Kit' is a series of NWPs one *takes* and a certain
pattern of behavior, enabling you to play a coherent and consistant
role.  That doesn't begin to describe the "Every Bard is Different"
thing you can find in the Complete Bard's Handbook.

They're fun Subclasses, I'll admit.  But they aren't variations
of one class.  Deep sigh.  Maybe I should post the Bard Kits I wrote
up for my campaign before the CBH came out.  They're nice things,
really -- a bonus here and there, a penalty here and there, and
everyone's capacity and abilities were consistant.

Interest?

--
Eric Alfred Burns                        "Life is full of decisions
Solipsist at Large                        but you never get to make any."
"It's all in your mind"
IK20001@maine.maine.edu                           --Linus Van Pelt
From: jelliw@warren1a.its.rpi.edu (William Brian Jellig)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Class' power (was Re: how to imprison a psionicist)
Date: 20 Dec 92 21:09:44 GMT
Reply-To: jelliw@rpi.edu
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY.

In article <1992Dec20.055329.12237@sfu.ca>, akostur@fraser.sfu.ca (Andre John Kostur) writes:
|> In article <1992Dec19.165011.750@Princeton.EDU> dagolden@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (David Alexandre Golden) writes:
|> >Yes.  Psi's can pick.  But remember that they have to have at least twice
|> >as many in their primary discipline as in any other, which limits them from
|> >spreading too thin.  Or else they become a "one trick pony".
|> 
|> Twice?  I somehow remeber it being equal to or less than (if you have 2
|> sciences and 5 devotions in your primary discipline, you may not have more
|> than 2 sciences and 5 devotions in any other discipline singly)

Getting closer. It's strictly less than # in primary. in your example, the 
limit in other disciplines would be 1 science and 4 devotions.  David was 
probably recalling the rule that you must have twice as many DEVOTIONS as
SCIENCES _within_ a single discipline, i.e. you must have 4 devotions to 
get 2 sciences.

no sig, just Bill
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: mark@cheers.jsc.nasa.gov (Mark Manning)
Subject: Re: How many gp's = 1 pound?
Organization: NASA
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 14:57:06 GMT

It seems there is another kind of question here also.  One of reality
versus fantasy ways of dealing with gp per pound.  The reality question
though should not be investigated IMHO.  Why?  Because there were
many different sizes and shapes to coins depending upon what time
period you talk about.  Not only in time, but in countries as well.
I remember a series on PBS where they were talking about coins, pottery,
and the like.  A single coin the size of your fist and made of gold
for one country was of the same value as a coin the size of your
thumb and made of silver in another.

Coins have also gotten smaller as time has gone along simply because
the methods of creating the coins has changed over the years.  What
we think of as "coins" today are nothing like the coins which were in
use at the turn of the century.  We no longer have silver dollars,
quarters (in the USA) are no longer completely silver, and the two
dollar bill has come and gone.

So in a fantasy game you have to make your own rules and simply
go with them.  As with others, I use 1GP=10SP=100CP.  Simply because
it is easy.  But I also use 10GP=1lb.  Again, simply because it is
easier.

Just my $0.02 worth.
:)
From: maillet@tls-cs.cert.fr (Luc Maillet)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: A question on aging.
Date: 14 Dec 92 08:28:36 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: CERT, CS Dpt. Toulouse, France

In article <78203@hydra.gatech.EDU>, ccoprdj@prism.gatech.EDU (Jorge Diaz) writes:
|> In article <2521@cix.cict.fr> maillet@tls-cs.cert.fr (Luc Maillet) writes:
|> 
|> >  I'd say that I've encountered both T$R-like ( rather small, and long-lived )
|> >and Tolkien-like ( rather tall, and immortal ) elves side by side in the same
|> >AD&D adventures. They were different, but they were still elves. They never
|> >discussed such strange topics as old age and death. That didn't affect their
|> >present state. So, once again, who cares ?
|> 
|> Well, sorry, but I couldn't disagree more.  When you have things like age
|> affecting ability scores, whether or not they die of old age does matter.
|> Why would an elf lose points of Dex, Str, and Con if his body isn't "dying"?

  What's the problem ? Over such a time span, the human PCs will have retired,
and a new campaign will start. And IMHO, an elf SHOULDN'T lose points in physi-
-cal stats.
  BTW, in AD&D 1stEd, elves had such long lifespans that stat considerations
became a point of rhetoric. And no one ever complained. So why complain now ?
|> 
|> Not to mention the fact that wishes suddenly become no problem.  "Oh, I
|> age five years every time I cast one?  So what?  Didn't you know?  I'm
|> IMMORTAL."

  Explain me how Elven Mages can cast wishes ( level limitations, you know ). And
I feel I must explain : having played AD&D for 10 years, I've NEVER seen a PC
able to cast wish. The highest PC I've ever seen is 15-16 level Mage. He is the
only one above 13th level that I've ever seen.

|> 
|> Age limits *are* important.

  No, they aren't. According to how I see elves, they are ridiculous. And both
LoTR ( for 'noble' elves ) and Elfquest ( for 'sneaky' elves ) agree with me.
BTW, Rolemaster elves ARE immortal. And it doesn't upset game balance or any-
-thing.

								Redwing.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1992 13:40:20 -0500 
From: "Joseph E. Beck" <jb8n+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: how to imprison a psionicist ?
	<Bz5n1A.F4r@jabba.ess.harris.com>


jcarl@jabba.ess.harris.com (Joe Carl Jr.) writes:
> In <1992Dec11.222022.2965@aio.jsc.nasa.gov> kjenks@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov wri\
> tes:
> 
> >In article <1992Dec11.140432.5090@cs.ruu.nl> mdrijsma@cs.ruu.nl (Michael Rijs\
> man) writes:
> >>[...]  So how do you(as DM) imprison your psionicists ?
> 
> The Spell Sepia Snake Sigil is great for keeping prisoners.
> 
> Force them to read something with the spell cast on it.  Tell them if they
> don't submit to the spell then they will be killed. 
My psionicist would think you were very funny.  You simply can't
threaten to kill a 6th level psionicist.  If the situation looks
unpleasant (poof!), he's gone.  It's not a spell so you can't
interrupt it.  Also, the sigil now has a limited duration in 2nd
edition of 1 day per level (thank god).  So even if you somehow manage
to capture him (I still don't know how you force him to read the
sigil), he get out after a week or two.

	joe
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: cbnorman@cayley.uwaterloo.ca (Bruce Norman)
Subject: Re: PC vs. Player INT
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 14:37:12 GMT

In article <780@blue.cis.pitt.edu> seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp) writes:
>
>	Er.... no. I don't think I've EVER encountered a serious gamer
>in the 9-12 range. That's average intelligence, and the game attracts
>the very intelligent.

Luckily you've left yourself a big loophole by saying "serious gamer" instead
of gamer, which you can define to mean pretty well anything you want.  Still,
however, you've made a silly statement.  I've been playing D&D now for 
11 years, and I've encounted players who's ints range from, best estimate
on my part, 5-16.  Were they serious gamers? Sure.  For example, one player
who was in a D&D group for two years with me, was very seriously into playing
AD&D.  He was still really stupid.  There is no requirements for intelligence
to play AD&D, none at all.  How much intelligence does it take to properly
play a fighter with an intelligence of 3?  Maybe a 4, if you want to understand
what the dice you are rolling mean.  How much intelligence does it take to
play a mage with an intelligence of 18? Maybe a 9 if you want to understand
how the spell rules really work.  Youc can still play one improperly (not
really knowing what you're doing, misinterpreting rules right and left)
if your intelligence is lower.  How much intelligence does it take to hack
and slash? To Monty Haul? Not a whole lot.  These players can still be
"serious gamers", it's incredibly egotistical to say they're not, to say
that certain ways of playing AD&D are "wrong" and others are "right".

>	In fact, since I use the bell curve to represent INT, most gamers
>start at 16, average 17-18, and go on from there...
>
16-17-18 intelligence? We're talking the top 5% of the population here (if
we assume 3d6 for intelligence--by AD&D1's claim that int=IQ/10 we're talking
the top 1% of the population).  Believe me, I know it, most gamers do not
fall in this range.  Most gamers are NORMAL PEOPLE.  

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd