HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: spzkny@lims02.lerc.nasa.gov (JAMES ZAKANY)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Bastard DM From Hell Pt 2
Date: 19 Aug 92 21:33:00 GMT
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <1992Aug18.193632.8733@usenet.ins.cwru.edu>,
 cb317@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Stephanie J. Kessler) writes...

>If the book in question is a spellbook (and I cannot remember for
>sure), then it is limited to 100 pages.

Why??!?
                                                  James S. Zakany
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: The illogic of draining levels
From: jwwalden@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu (P'relan)
Date: 20 Aug 92 10:20:58 -0500
Organization: Dept. of Physics

In article <COVIN.92Aug19134547@despair.cs.uchicago.edu>, covin@tartarus.uchicago.edu (David Covin) writes:
> The major problems I have with level-draining undead are: 
>    1) game balance.  Two wights can obliterate a mid-to-high-level
> party if they get a few lucky rolls.  I *like* undead, but I don't
> like punishing my players that severely on a regular basis.

Yes, that was one of my problems with level-draining - it's just far too harsh
of a penalty for being hit.

>    3) vampires.  Because level-draining is the trademark ability of
> all D&D undead, vampires have to drain levels, or they couldn't be
> powerful undead.  Indeed, they have to drain 2 levels per hit.  Which
> means that no vampire would ever bother to go through the convoluted
> courtship/stalkings of Dracula or Nosferatu-- indeed, no vampire
> *could*.  Merely shaking hands with a dinner guest will kill the poor
> sap if he's not an experienced adventurer; and will announce your
> nature for all the world to see in any case.  Sneaking in repeatedly
> to nibble on Lucy and Mina Harker's tender necks?  Forget it!  Either
> will crumple instantly at your touch, and rise again undead before the
> night is out.  For a GM who likes vampires, this is no fun at all; and
> not at all in keeping with the vampires of literature.

I've tried two solutions to this problem, the first being that corporeal undead
could avoid draining levels by touch by an act of will (usually only done by
vampires but I did have a nice adventure with a wight impersonating a wandering
priest), and the second being that vampires simply didn't drain levels though I
haven't yet decided whether they need some advantage for the loss of that
power.
 
> Though I didn't do this in the last game I ran, which was quite a
> while ago, I rather like the idea of 1) changing level-draining to
> just drain h.p., strength, and constitution; 2) restricting
> level-draining abilities to wraiths and wights; and 3) making up
> something else entirely for vampires (and spectres).

I'm not sure why you want to do something else for spectres.  True, they are
simply powerful wraiths for the most part, but it's also nice to have a
creature like that for more powerful parties.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 P'relan (and Birith)      	   ``Time stand still -
 jwwalden@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu      I'm not looking back -
  or jwwalden@miavx1.bitnet	     But I want to look around me now.'' - RUSH
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: ess3791@zeus.tamu.edu (Storm)
Subject: Re: Bastard DM From Hell Pt 2
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: Texas A&M University, Academic Computing Services
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 23:27:00 GMT

In article <phil.714031568@adam.adelaide.edu.au>, phil@adam.adelaide.edu.au
(Phil Kernick) writes...

>Consider.  If a ranger wears armour when he needs to fight (gaining full xp)
>and takes it off at other times (so he get's special abilities) why would
>*anyone* become a straight fighter?

Weapon specialization.

-Storm

/--------------------------------------------------------------------------\
|-|  "The Power of Love    /    Scott Shaw  (ess3791@rigel.tamu.edu)     |-|
|-|   is a curious thing" /      Texas A&M University - Mathematics      |-|
|-|     (Huey Lewis)     / "Words as weapons, sharper than knives" (INXS)|-|
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------/
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: hachiman@milton.u.washington.edu (Matt Downer)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Bastard DM From Hell Pt 2
Date: 18 Aug 92 02:59:10 GMT
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle

In article <phil.714031568@adam.adelaide.edu.au> phil@adam.adelaide.edu.au (Phil Kernick) writes:
>seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp) writes:
>
>>>The latest ruling from the BDMFH is that if a Ranger wears armour heavier than
>>>studded leather then he is not acting as a ranger but as  a fighter, and so
>>>does not gain any experience.
>
>>	If the Ranger is NOT specifically prohibited from wearing armor of
>>any type, the only thing I'd have studded leather do is affect his ability
>>to sneak around and move very quickly. Of COURSE he's still going to gain
>>experience.
>
>
>Consider.  If a ranger wears armour when he needs to fight (gaining full xp)
>and takes it off at other times (so he get's special abilities) why would
>*anyone* become a straight fighter?

	1) Doesn't have the stats to be a ranger.
	2) Wants to play a dwarf or other race that can't be a ranger.
	3) Wants to be able to have weapon specialization.
	4) Wants to advance in levels quicker.
	5) Doesn't like rangers.
	6) Isn't comfortable with alignment restrictions.
	7) Doesn't feel the need to waste time changing armor all the time.
	8) Doesn't want to be the target of humanoids, anti-nature evil people
and others with good cause to hate rangers.
	9) Doesn't want to be limited to owning "only what he can carry on his
mount".
	
There's plenty of reasons to be a straight fighter.   The best ones are weapon
specialization, playing a simple and uncomplicated character, and not having to
buy into certain mindset/ideology.  I like playing rangers, but I know plenty of
people who hate playing rangers (and vice versa).

If a ranger doesn't earn any experience while "acting like a fighter", maybe he
should also be penalized for wearing anything lighter than studded leather, 'cuz
he would then be "acting like a thief", with all that slinking around and such.
Fighting is as much a part of a ranger's duty as the slinky stuff, rangers are
humanity's first line defense against the humanoids: a ranger has to be able to
go toe to toe with orcs and gnolls and trolls and giants etc.  Denying them the
best tools in this area seems kind of silly.

Rangers are a subclass of fighter.  They do have extra abilities, but they also 
have steeper experience point charts and some restrictions thrown in to even 
things out.  If you want to deny your pc rangers the use of armor, perhaps you
should have them advance on the theives' experience point chart instead of the 
rangers'.

 _______________________________
|  Matthew B. Downer       	|
|  hachiman@u.washington.edu	|
|  				|
|  Ore no denwa bango wa 911 da.|
|_______________________________|
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: silber@m.cs.uiuc.edu (Ami A. Silberman)
Subject: Re: Berserkers and hit points
Organization: University of Illinois, Dept. of Comp. Sci., Urbana, IL
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 21:11:32 GMT

Why not go with the way the rules actually read for Berserkers? They get
the advantage of fighting with up to negative 10 hp. Big deal. If I remember
correctly, they do have to make some sort of CON check when negative.
It takes them ten rounds of noisy preparation to go berserk, if they decide
to hold it in they can wait up to another hour or so, but they still remain
noisy. The berserker classes biggest advantage, if you haven't noticed, is
doing an additional +3 points of damage per hit. For a low strength fighter,
this is excellent.
-- 
ami silberman - janitor of lunacy
	silber@cs.uiuc.edu
From: seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Levels (was: Re: Anecdotes... Death... How come?)
Date: 14 Aug 92 13:03:56 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh
Originator: seawasp@pmax1.cis.pitt.edu

In article <1992Aug14.114821.14031@eng.cam.ac.uk> yt1@eng.cam.ac.uk (Y. Tremblay) writes:
	[I write]
>>	Ah. I consider roleplaying to be experience. For ANY class.
>>The more you interact with the world, the more you learn... and it's
>>GENERAL experience that applies to ALL classes. Some of the biggest
>>experience awards come from fantastic roleplaying/politics/etc.

>    But, why don't you give any experience for roleplaying, solving a 
>plot ?

	I do. It's the other poster who doesn't. As I say in the
quote above, I consider roleplaying to be experience. I've given
thousands of points of XPs for roleplaying.

>>	My players tend to get involved in major problems even at
>>low level... then they have to start scrambling for ways to
>>handle it...
>>
>     Should we call your campaign "Monthy Haul" ? :-)  Really, as Patrick
>Rannou said some time ago, Monthy Haul at the origin means a campaign where
>characters have to "save the world".

	The hell it does. Pardon me, but if Pat uses it to mean that then
he's the ONLY one I've ever encountered who did so.

	The origin of the TERM is from the game show "Let's Make A Deal",
and the meaning of a "Monty Haul" campaign is that it's a GIVEAWAY. The
players get everything, have infinite levels, kill anything in their way
with grotesque overkill and are rewarded in ridiculously overgenerous
ways. 

>     I like the way Sea Wasp says he involves players in major events at
>low level.  But he has to recognize that at low level, their power to 
>solve such problem is limited.  They have to gain levels before being able
>to play an important part.  However, they can still be involved.  It
>applies with political solutions too.  Which ruler would listen a first 
>level character ?  A character that has a reputation behind him however...

	A ruler might well listen to a first level character... who was an
emissary from another ruler. Or who was a prince or princess. Or who came
from a special clan of defenders (like the Bloodguard).

	But generally the way I get them involved is to let them wander
about and find something which connects to something else which connects
to something REALLY big. Then as things start getting hotter for them
they slowly start to realize that this little book/note/whatever is 
a lot more important than they thought. 
	Or they just get hired to do a simple job and end up in the wrong
place at the wrong time.
	A lot of this isn't even PLANNED. By bizarre coincidence, the 
last 6 groups of PCs all ended up in the capital city at the same time...
just in time for the assassination of the king. Moreover, several of these
groups had managed to have audiences with the king... and one of them
was actually the medium through which the assassin gained entrance.


                                 Sea Wasp
                                   /^\
                                   ;;;
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: wilsonm@vaxb.acs.unt.edu
Subject: Re: Optional Specialization Ruling
Organization: University of North Texas
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 15:10:28 GMT

In article <1992Aug11.170833.274@csc.canterbury.ac.nz>, engf002@csc.canterbury.ac.nz writes:
>>What about the 2nd ed Fighter Manual(??).  I've never really looked
>>through it, but I've heard there are lots of options...
>>Two weapons, Weapon w/ Shield, etc....
>>
>>What does everyone think of these?
> 
> Two weapon style combined with specialization gets way too silly.
> 
> Start with a Swashbuckler kit (Myrmidons will work just as well, 
> though). Specialize in Longsword (or even rapier if you want to) 
> and then specialize in Two Weapon fighting style. While you're at
> it, take Ambidexterity too. All this only costs you four weapon
> proficiency slots. 
>     What you end up with is an obscene fighter able to do on
> average three attacks a round (3/2 with right hand and 3/2 with
> left) with +1 to hit and +2 damage each (the Ambidexterity 
> practically nullifies the off-hand penalty). Then combine this with
> an 18-something strength (not unheard of) and you have a killing
> machine of gargantuan proportions. All at first level too!

By the rules the "Off" hand is only allowed ONE and ONE only attack no matter
what level or specialization the character is.  This limits it to 2 first then
3 the second.  But also remember that the weapons must be of different sizes,
thus the charater will need to be either proficient in 2 weapons or have a 
minus added to the already off hand weapon...  

There are other ways around this...but I prefer to think of them as enjoyable
characters.  I had a Swashbuckler that took the "Broad" group of swords, 
specilized in the rapier took 2 weapon style specilization and single style
specilization along with a few other things...Eneded up when fighting with 1
weapon with an AC of 0 with leather armor.  The extra profs required for all
the specilizations were gained from the language bonuses.  The rules say that
these can be used in the place of "normal" profs if wanted (allowed).

However after all the above the character was not a munch machine.  Doing
only on the average of 3 to 5 HP a hit (secondary weapon was 1-3 damage).  He
was however the funnest character I ever played.  The campaine we played in
had little or no melee at all so the character grew under a role-playing
environment.

The worst/best character I ever saw was a Gladiator specilized with the 
fist (+ the glove things that give you 1-4 damage) with the 18 and percent
strength damage bonus.  To many attacks a round and he could kill just about
everthing in one hit.
From: reddrgon@matt.ksu.ksu.edu (Red Dragon)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Kender
Date: 18 Aug 1992 22:59:55 -0500
Organization: Kansas State University
NNTP-Posting-Host: matt.ksu.ksu.edu

raycole@matt.ksu.ksu.edu (Ray Cole) writes:

>Hello, this may be a FAQ and if it is please point me to where I can get the
>FAQ list and I'll be happy.  Anyway, I'm currently running a campaign and one
>of the players has expressed interest in running a kender; however I don't have
>any stats and such on the kender race.  Can anyone tell me where I might find
>all the stats and such for kender?  Any and all help will be appreciated.

>Ray

in the DragonLance hardcover book if your using 1st edition rules, or if your
using the 2nd edition rules then kender are listed in the DragonLance
Monstrous Compendiumj

Red Dragon


>-- 
>Ray Cole                    |    raycole@matt.ksu.ksu.edu
>Computer Consultant         |   This space for rent or hire 
>Manhattan KS  USA           |         Make an offer
From: yt1@eng.cam.ac.uk (Y. Tremblay)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Roleplaying personal stuff (Re: Experience ...)
Date: 17 Aug 92 23:36:47 GMT
Organization: Cambridge University Engineering Department, UK

In article <Bt3MHy.ELH@acsu.buffalo.edu> swann@acsu.buffalo.edu (Stephen Swann) writes:
>In article <1992Aug16.105943.3395@eng.cam.ac.uk> yt1@eng.cam.ac.uk (Y. Tremblay) writes:
>>PS: BTW How does one roleplay reading a book ?
>
>One describes the (physical nature of the) book, and then the contents
>in general to the player, then allows the player to query as to
>particular details that he is curious about.  In other words, a book
>is -almost- a way of getting to "ask the DM" direct questions about
>things in his world, as limited by the topic of the book, of course.  :-)
>
    Sorry, my quotation was taken out of context, in your previous article,
you said: "my character spend time doing tings normal people do ... reading 
a book ...".  So, I guess you don't mean significant books.

PC:  OK, I am taking some holiday at home.
DM:  What are you doing during this time ?
PC:  Euh... Well, I sleep a lot and read.
DM:  What are you reading ?
PC:  Well, what can I read ?
DM:  The town library own the following 5787 books. (Giving the list)
PC:  (After looking at the list) OK, I take "Odysseus" (sp?)
DM:  It is two gp fo the membership. (Then give the book) (Now to the player:)
     You can go home if you want or read here and sleep while we roleplay
     the thief going to the disco...  Come back when you finish the book.

Note: If you want to get rid of the player for longer, give him "War and Peace"
      or the complete serie of Amber (anything you can think of...)  Although,
      it was not written yet in the middle-age...(Oups)

>>warning:
>> sarcasm/irony included between the two "---"
>
warning:
   irony in the totality of this article.

>I'd never have guessed.  "Silver GM"?  :-)

Yes like in "Silver Jubilee" :-)
>-- 
>Steve Swann                 |    Speak to me in many voices; make
>swann@acsu.buffalo.edu      |      them all sound like one...  -BOC

Yannick
From: query@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Samuel Green)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Paladins
Date: 23 Aug 92 16:00:31 GMT
Organization: Northwestern University, Evanston Illinois.


	Um, why should paladins have to be lawful good?
	Why shouldnt say, a chaotic nutral god or goddes be able to have
their own 'holy warriors'?  
	I could easily see the ways that a CN or CG or LN etc paladin oculd
be played...  Would make it a bit easier.  I think that the thought of
religious warriors as ONLY lg or ce (anti-paladins) is a bit off...
	I allow a N character to be a paladin of a N diety, but, they must
uphold that dieties laws, not just the alignment.  Works very well, and, as
far as dnd goes, more realistic.
	Sam, most untrustworthy leader of the infidels.
From: pentangl@spdcc.com (Scott Moir)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Tarresque - Anyone killed one?
Date: 23 Aug 92 10:51:31 GMT
Article-I.D.: spdcc.1992Aug23.105131.1091
Organization: S.P. Dyer Computer Consulting, Cambridge MA

In article <1992Aug20.165601.4759@mcs.kent.edu> adray@Chaos.mcs.kent.edu (Adam Dray) writes:
>In article <1992Aug20.111513.10456@spdcc.com>, pentangl@spdcc.com (Scott Moir) writes:
>|> 
>|> The way they did it was that they engaged it in combat while an illusionist
>|> in the group made a ledge seem further out than it was. The main fighters
>|> deliberately led it onto the ledge (They went out too) and dropped down
>|> into a lake. The terrasque drowned. No little terrasques, and no damage to
>|> regen from.
>|> 
>|> They also mentioned using a mirror of entrapment to capture one, and kill
>|> it off later by dropping it into a volcano or something. Another suggestion
>|> was to transmute rock to mud under it, then mud to rock and let it starve.
>
>
>Though I haven't looked at the stats in a while (how often do you use
>a terrasque, anyway?) I think it (frequency: unique?) has a great deal
>of magic resistance.
>
>Spells and magic items are of little use against the terrasque.

Right, but notice the group cast no spells AT it, only AROUND it.

Scott

-- 
Scott Moir / Pentangle / Satyr ______ # "There's really only one requirement 
pentangl@Ursa-Major.spdcc.com  \ \/ / #  for a Prophet, and you've got it."
B4 f t+ w g k+(+) s+ m r p+     \/\/  # "What's that?"
These are my opinions, not SPDCC's    # "A mouth." - 'God' to J.R.'BoB' Dobbs
From: burdickd@copper.ucs.indiana.edu (Dakin Burdick)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Thieves stealing from the group (Was: Re: Kender)
Summary: In defense of thieves
Date: 21 Aug 92 16:08:54 GMT
Organization: Indiana University

Boy, have you guys got your shorts in an uproar!  Here is your thief,
risking certain death by deactivating traps with poison needles, and
scouting ahead into dangerous territory because you bonehead fighters
can walk softly to save your life.  So what if he takes a couple
extra items in those scouting trips.  He deserves it for bringing
you back information that could save your life.  Thieves, steal the
party blind if you can, BUT DON'T GET CAUGHT!

I remember well the time my dwarf thief was tossed in a back window
of a bandit's stronghold and told to open the door for the fighters.
Plummeting into the pit below the window, the dwarf climbed out and
was promptly caught by the bandits, who offered the dwarf a job.
The dwarf accepted (to lull their suspicions and hopefully save
his life) and the fighters outside decided that he was a traitor
("he's a thief, after all") and must die.  The thief then said he
would kill his buddies and battle was joined.  Of course the thief 
was lying (but I did rave appropriately about butthead fighters)
and backstabbed the head bandit (a VERY tough fighter).  And of
course, what happened after the combat?  The fighters said, "Well,
we did all the fighting so we deserve the loot more than you do.
After all, what did YOU do?  You can't even fight!"  This 
convinced me to steal all I could in the future, and consequently
my thief did quite well thereafter.

At one point, there were two thieves in the party, each competing
to see who could steal more money from the party.  The other guy
went up in levels twice as fast as everyone else, and I went up
three times as fast.  It was my most successful character of all.
One note, hopeful thieves, be sure to keep maps of everywhere the 
party has been and careful notes of any information the DM gives
out.  That kind of information allowed me to survive two separate
attacks by fighters (who never did any mapping of course).

A couple other rules:

1.  Never pick the party's pockets.  They will notice for sure.
2.  DO volunteer to scout ahead.  Information is power.
3.  Make sure you have lots of ways to escape being tied up.  It
    happens all the time.
4.  Cultivate the friendship of a good fighter or mage, someone
    who will stay on your side (because of all the stuff you
    gave them) when push comes to shove (like when the paladin
    finally does catch you).

Dakin
burdickd@copper.ucs.indiana.edu
From: marios@cc.uch.gr (Marios Chrysopoulos)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Tarresque - Anyone killed one?
Date: 20 Aug 92 16:34:20 GMT
Organization: Computer Science Department, University of Crete HELLAS

u894793@bruny.cc.utas.edu.au (Timothy D Little) writes:


>I'm interested in knowing if anyone has ever actually killed a Tarresque in a
>non-Monty Haul campaign.  Any stories?
>--
>dom..
>--
 Ahhhhh...well...can this thing be killed????? Didn't know that!!!
*shivering by the horror of the idea meeting a tarrasque*

Anyway i believe that this creature is unique (lucky us), so i don't
think there would be people out there that could tell proudly that
they have killed one of them.
From: seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: A really neat character!
Date: 18 Aug 92 01:37:28 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of Pittsburgh
Originator: seawasp@pmax1.cis.pitt.edu

In article <1992Aug17.204322.12432@sei.cmu.edu> jbm@sei.cmu.edu (Jason Mahoney) writes:
>   I was wondering, does anybody have any ideas for a really neat character?
>For example, a quickling theif, or a dark elf necromancer, or perhaps a pixie
>magic user? Please stay within the rules for ADnD 2nd edition!!!

	My most unusual character at the moment is just human, thank you.

	However, he also has 4 personalities. What makes him REALLY bizarre
is that he's a SUBCONSCIOUS illusionist... and the illusions are cast to 
make his personas appear to be real. Imagine Calvin of Calvin and Hobbes
with the power to make other people see him as Stupendous Man or 
Spaceman Spiff... or, if you're familiar with Anime, imagine a serious 
version of Prince Patalliro. Whenever he changes personas, his appearance
changes, and so do (at least apparently) the things he uses...


                                 Sea Wasp
                                   /^\
                                   ;;;
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd