HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: davidt@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (David Teo)
Newsgroups: rec.games.netrek
Subject: Re: borg talk...sigh...borgs are for losers
Keywords: borg
Date: 27 Sep 92 17:37:31 GMT
Article-I.D.: ut-emx.80564
Reply-To: davidt@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (David Teo)


In article <1992Sep23.141644.131@wam.umd.edu>,
nicknac@next01csc.wam.umd.edu (Knick-Knack) writes:
|>In rec.games.netrek article <Bv18KA.CB5.2@cs.cmu.edu> you wrote:
|>> Syl the Wallydraigle writes
|>> hill@norman.VI.RI.CMU.EDU (Robert Hill) writes:
|>> Joe is quite correct...however you *CAN* do them really quickly(for  
|>> firing  
|>> simultaneously).  It is possible to phaser one person while torping  
|>> another.  (HINT: fire torps first, move cursor)
|>
|>I guess you guys havn't seen enough borg players, I mean, full server
|>of them. You can find the sorry players(beginners and some advance)
|>really easy. Just check their firing pattern and dodging ability.
|>By that, I mean, borgs can do a lot, even without users permission.
|>
|>>
|>> You obviously don't know how to play a borg.
|>> 
|>> Why thank you.  For your reference, I wasn't talking about playing a  
|>borg,  
|>> however.  
|>
|>I agree that beginners shouldn't play with borg. Later, dependency on
|>them for DI's is too much.
|>
|>> Rob
|>> aka Spaceace!
|>Anyways, human players, I seen really neat people. Sorry, Rob, haven't
|>see you around yet.
|>
|>Later, fellows.
                             
Borgs are most fun to play when you are writing one yourself. 
Unfortunately most borg users are either beginners or average players
playing on public borgs.  To make matter worse, most borg players do not
know their borgs and thus, couldn't make use of them effectively.

I believe that I know enough about borgs, having written one myself and
played in it for more than a year.  Although I don't spend too much time
on a single server because of the limited borg hours, plus the fact that
I'm usually busy programming and such, I made commander on 2 servers.

I think I will post an article to help borg users use their borgs more
effectively.

Author of GFBorg
David E. Teo
From: sjsmith@cs.umd.edu (Stephen Joseph Smith)
Newsgroups: rec.games.netrek
Subject: Re: INL (new schedule for games)
Date: 29 Sep 92 04:41:03 GMT
Organization: Dept. of Computer Science, University of Maryland at College Park

paulsen@eniac.seas.upenn.edu (FreeKill) writes:
>This goes without saying... Just flame the hell out of me.

Nope, we're just going to ignore you.  Thanks, but the INL season can't
be put off any *further*.

Any team not *already* trying to schedule their first game is risking a
double forfeit being stuck on their record...

- Gamera
From: leonard@mimsy.umd.edu (Leonard Dickens)
Newsgroups: rec.games.netrek
Subject: Coup with No Name
Date: 5 Oct 92 21:25:09 GMT
Organization: Deep Thirteen, Gizmonics Institute

From the PA systems: Nameless Citizens, Hail Wreck!!

[cheers from the croud]

Fellow citizens, dark times stand before us.  Our enemies are legion,
and hideous: golems, edible rotting vegetables, and Pro Wrestlers.
Shall we go back to the dark times of happiness and prosperity?

[silence]

NO!!!!  And will fail to genocide even the greatest of our scheduled
games?  

[Dark looks among the crowd]

NO!!!  Citizens!

[Hopeful looks]

Among our ranks was one who dared to take a name... one who dared to
set himself above the rest... one who would exploit and destroy all
that we have worked for!

[Murmuring.  Incredulity.]

Yes!  Our very own emperor for life, rjones!  

[Silence.  Aghast looks.]

Citizens, he was a great man, a noble man... a revolutionary!  The
nameless people owe him a great debt.  But he fell, my brothers, he
fell: seduced by a life, and shameful money, he put his job above his
Leadership.  He used a Name, shamefully chosen: `Ray Jones'.

[Gasps.  "No!" one citizen yells, and is brutally beaten senseless.]

Citizens, we must respect this great man... and the leniency of the
nameless court is great.  Rjones has been banned to his life, until he
can see the true revolution yet again and rejoin his brethen in the
nameless work.  The Great Crusade.  NETREK!!

[Roar of approval.]

Citizens.  The Leader is gone, long live the new leader!  [Raises his
hands over his head.]  It is I.  I HAVE NO NAME!

[Roar.  "No name, no name, no name..."  they chant.]

From the PA systems: Nameless Citizens, Hail Wreck!!

[Wild celebration.]
From: hill@norman.VI.RI.CMU.EDU (Robert Hill)
Subject: Re: Flame on botelle + possible INL server bug + Re: Results of 4pm Clue Game
Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 21:19:11 GMT

FreeKill writes
> >No, you had no armies.  You had been trying to retake sir (agri) for  
> >awhile, but we stopped you.  You didn't have enough to take it at the 
> >time (i.e. less than 4 armies)
> 
> Further proof that Rob was under heavy drugs and not sharing with his
> teammates.  This is very rude to your buddies.  When Justin asked me to
> pause, it was near the beginning, and we had TONS of armies.  In fact, I
> was amazed at how many planets we took back right away when I thought we
> had few armies.

You are confused, brian.  I wasn't talking about when justin wanted the  
pause, but when we had taken sir at the end..get your posts straight.

> For the record, we lost 14-6 after SS ogged our ghostbusted base.  There 
> were still 20 minutes left in the game, and we could've easily come 
> back, but rob decided to kill the game to ensure a win for his team.  
> Most of the game was 12-8, which is damn close to a tie, but still a 
> loss.

Sure, there was time, but you had demonstrated absolutly no ability to  
hold your front line (much less take ours).  The game was a constant  
battle for sir and hyd, not cap-ind-reg which (even if it was) would still  
make it a win for us.  You were beaten soundly at the 20 minute mark...a  
comeback was possible, but highly doubtful.

> This seems very reminiscent of the Horsemen beating UPenn last year by a 
> score of 12-8 after they just made a big push, won back a couple 
> planets, and then said, "oops! we gotta go - guess we won! Ha ha!"  
> Let's be serious, I think any team could win a game as long as they can 
> decide when the game is over.
> 
> Rob, start trying to report the facts on r.g.n. rather than your 
> hallucinations
> 
> Brian

I'll assume the last part was a joke.  If you honestly think i'd crash a  
good game just to ensure a victory, please let me know.  I don't think  
i've ever done anything that wasn't 100% sportsmanship in any INL game.   
How long did you wait from the time you requested a pause until the time  
one was granted?  1 second, maybe?

Brian, I always report the facts.  It seems UPENN grads don't get cured of  
their cluelessness upon graduation.

Rob
Newsgroups: rec.games.netrek
From: tedebear@leland.Stanford.EDU (Theodore Chen)
Subject: Re: Possible changed in the "E" message:
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Date: Sun, 27 Sep 92 21:49:52 GMT

In article <1992Sep26.173544.26039@cs.yale.edu> tang-nelson@CS.YALE.EDU (Nelson Tang) writes:
>IMHO, starbases don't need to broadcast fuel -- when's a starbase
>actually going to be so low on fuel that they'll need help from
>teammates??

well, on bigdog there is something called transwarp.
when your teammates are transwarping to you and refueling on you
and you're busy fighting off enemy ships, the fuel goes really fast.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Date: Tue,  6 Oct 1992 15:48:46 -0400 
From: "Joseph E. Beck" <jb8n+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: Psionicist problems...(No Nukes!)

>   It really is kind of idiculous to try to apply too much science to magic.
>    For example, the sphere of annihilation defies the Law of Conservation of
>    Matter.  It totally destroys matter.  Poof! It's gone for good.  You could
>    pretend that the sphere transformed the matter into an outrageous amount
>    of energy that it stored, but why wouldn't the damage it causes when
>    exploding increase proportionally to the amount of matter it destroyed?
>    Magic is magic, and you shouldn't really worry about nuclear reactions,
>    chemical equations, or Laws of Physics.

Definitely.  Someone was describing uses for obscene, er...unseen
servant.  Since it applies a *force* of 20 (or 40, forget which)
pounds, you can use F=ma to accelerate the object faster and faster
until it approaches c.  Copper pieces going 3x10^8 m/s do immense
amounts of damage to things (just think what second level spells must
do! :-)

Seriously though, it is one of the best first level spells, it's *so*
versatile.  

	joe
From: gupw@uniwa.uwa.edu.au (Paul Wagland)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Trolls' regeneration
Date: 2 Oct 1992 04:57:18 +0800
Organization: The University of Westrn Australia
NNTP-Posting-Host: uniwa.uwa.edu.au

boelter3945@iscsvax.uni.edu writes:

>> This brings up another question:  How much do trolls eat?  If enough food
>> is around powerful evil leaders could create quite an army by capturing a
>> few trolls and then "breeding" them.

>   This is why I use the above ruling.. You could just lop off the troll's
>fingers, put each one in an enclosed area, and let them grow.  Nasty..

Hmm, not a problem really. I mean the only things that would even
consider eating troll flesh would have to horribly ravenous, and would
probaly eat half of the rest of the camp before the troll meat anyway.

Can you say gee whiz this meat smells foul, and the only way I'm gonna
eat it is if I had already eaten my own arms and legs first.... :)

Catchya
-- 
Paul Wagland            | These opinions are mine and no-one elses
gupw@uniwa.uwa.edu.au   | Bingy Bingy Bingy Frogs Go round and round
------------------------+     -- Another silly quote from me  :-)
From: rsm58307@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Ron)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Trolls' regeneration
Date: 1 Oct 92 00:53:36 GMT
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana

>   Eating them, well, if you could _manage_ to get the horrid taste down, the
>acids in the stomach would do it, yes.  As for a blender, that won't work,
>that's just physical damage, which they can regenerate.

And what would happen if you got a piece stuck in your throat?

	- Ron
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: fraser@munta.cs.mu.OZ.AU (Fraser Wilson)
Subject: Re: It's a horse race
Organization: Computer Science, University of Melbourne, Australia
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 02:59:51 GMT

arromdee@jyusenkyou.cs.jhu.edu (Ken Arromdee) writes:
>8 times as massive with 8 times the propulsion _is_ linearly with its mass.

Oh, bugger.  Next time I'll read the article more carefully before jumping
in with a subtle witticism.  :-(

Fraser.
From: blythe@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Critical Hits
Date: 3 Oct 92 20:30:12 CDT
Organization: University of Kansas Academic Computing Services

I was wondering about the implemented ways of afflicting critical
damage with weapons.  I mean like when a PC or for that matter a NPC
rolls a natural 20 to hit.  Do any of you DM's out there give bonus
damage?  If so, in what ways do you penalize the character if they
roll extremely bad to even it all out?
My curiosity arose when I examined the wild mage class and questioned
if a spell's power can be altered by a die roll, then why not allow
the other classes to have similar special cases.
-- 
________________________________________________________________________________

2ftokneel@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu		Garrett Arch Blythe
2ftokneel@ukanvax.cc.ukans.edu		Alias:	Schmoo!!!
blythe@ccstaff.cc.ukans.edu
blythe@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu
blythe@ukanaix.cc.ukans.edu
blythe@ukanvax.cc.ukans.edu		"Don't say a prayer for me now.
blythe@ukanvm.cc.ukans.edu		 Save it till the morning after."
blytheg@acsaix.cc.ukans.edu			--Save A Prayer
gblythe@hawk.cs.ukans.edu			  Duran Duran
gblythe@venus.cs.ukans.edu
________________________________________________________________________________
From: swv3752@ritvax.isc.rit.edu (Morning Reaper)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: ASSASSIN
Date: 3 Oct 92 14:39:53 GMT
Reply-To: swv3752@ritvax.isc.rit.edu
Organization: Rochester Institute of Technology


 I am creating a dual-classed/multi-classed fighter thief.  He is or maybe was
an assassin for the king, or perhaps merely a very moral assassin, ei true
neutral- only slays evil.  I want him to be a western style and  am looking for
suggestions on any fictional or real people who I could base him on.  The other
thing on him is that I want him to be totally non-magical.  He disdains magic
and desires to use nothing magical at all.  So any suggestions, also unique
western style weapons would be apreciated along with stats for them.
						 -Morning Reaper

"I do not hold people to my own set of ethics, rather I hold them to thier
own.  This usually entails a much more strigent set of guidelines, which are
more than likely to have been broken at one point.  The end result being that
I will be found to be more moral than them.:)"
From: s892341@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au (Matt=Goodall)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Dual classing
Date: 5 Oct 92 01:28:23 GMT
Organization: RMIT Computer Centre
NNTP-Posting-Host: minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au


	The real problem with dual classing is the fact that you
can't use your old abilities once you have switched over.  This
is for game balance, otherwise you get the fighter/mage killing dragons
with his sword after throwing a magic missile or two and going up
levels like it was out of fashion.  A fix for this is to limit the amount
of xp he gets to put into the mage class.  The best way I can think of
at the moment is to divide the xp he needs for his new class by that
needed for his old class.  A 10th level Fighter turned Mage (1st level)
can only put 2,000/1,000,000=1/1000 of his xp into the mage class,
for every 1000 xp he earns he can put 1 point into the mage class the
other 999 go into his fighter class.

Matt

-- 
Matt Goodall
s892341@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au
Famous last words: "Who's the bitch with the spiders?"
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: alongley@cape.UWaterloo.ca (Allan Longley)
Subject: Re: Dual classing
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 16:41:31 GMT

In article <1992Sep30.142425.7217@iscsvax.uni.edu> boelter3945@iscsvax.uni.edu writes:
>In article <5689@news.duke.edu>, dks@acpub.duke.edu writes:
>> 	We have a 9th level fighter, Str 15, Int 17, Con 15, proficient in
>> the use of the staff, among other weapons. After years of study, he dual-
>> classes as a magic-user (this is for 1st or 2nd ed.)... He takes dagger 
>> proficiency as an m-u.
>> 	   b) Our lucky guy gets another Con point, up to 17... Since he
>> got his original hit points as a fighter, does he get another 9 hp's (as the
>> hp bonus goes from +2 to +3)?  Or since he's an m-u now, is he denied the
>> extra 9?
>
>   Now being switched over to a Mage, he is not training as a Fighter anymore,
>so no, doesn't get 9 more hp from a Con of 17.

But he is still a 9th level fighter who can use the higher con to full
advantage.  So he is not training as a warrior any more, he is still a
warrior, just not improving as a warrior.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Allan Longley, University of Waterloo, Department of Chemical Engineering
e-mail: alongley@cape.uwaterloo.ca
voice: (519) 885-1211 x3816		Dodge, parry, spin, FIREBALL!!
home: (519) 746-5747
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: kinsler@newton.physics.uq.oz.au (Paul Kinsler)
Subject: Re: Deaths Door
Organization: Physics Morgu, The University of Queensland
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 03:30:10 GMT

In article <1992Oct2.023345.5375@cam.compserv.utas.edu.au>, 
cmcarthu@esk.compserv.utas.edu.au (Christopher Gary McArthur) writes:
|> The way we do it in out campaign is that if the character's hit points are
|> below zero, they are unconcious and bleeding at -1HP per round.  If they are
|> at zero hit points exactly then they do not bleed to death.  To determine how
|> long they last their constitution score is divided by two, and this is the
|> maximum below zero they can go.  If someone spends a round binding their wounds
|> they stop bleeding.  Using this system allows people with a high constitution
|> to survive longer than those who are weaker.  This adds a spice of realism into
|> the game.
|>
We do it the same, but the point of death is -10hp modified by their
hit dice constitution bonus, which I feel fits in better with the rest 
of the game mechanics. So if you have a +1/dice bonus, you live down to -11,
but a -2/dice (un)bonus lets you live to only -8.
-- 
+soluble fish+
"You people, you do not see the grandeur in the wind and stone and stars,
 in the blood and fire and iron - but paint only the flowers."
From: brunborg@solan.unit.no (]dne Brunborg)
Subject: Re: familiars and homonculi
Organization: Norwegian Institute of Technology
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 92 11:26:33 GMT

In article <1992Oct5.170707.1@vx24.cc.monash.edu.au>, edb892rsft@vx24.cc.monash.edu.au writes:
 > 
 > 
 > A player in my campaign wants to get both a familiar and a homonculous
 > Is it possible to have both at the same time? I know that a homonculous
 > is an alchemic creation cf Montrous Compendium but they seem similar to
 > each other......
 > 
 > 
 > Any opinions on the matter would be apreciated.
 > 
 > Hugh Jenkinson
 > Monash University
 > Australia
 > 
 > edb892rsft@vx24.cc.monash.edu.au
 > 

As far as I remember, you don't need a Find Familiar-spell in the creation of a
homonculus, and so the homonculus is not always a familiar, but it is often used
as one. Right now I can't think of any good reason why not, exept perhaps game
balance. 
Does the character know about homonculi, or just the player? If not, he can't get
it.


So long!

		Aadne Brunborg
		Norwegian Institute of Thechnology
		University of Trondheim
		NORWAY

	"If ye can't see it, it's right behind ye..."
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: LRPR000 <LRPR@UNB.CA>
Subject: swords of sharpness
Organization: The University of New Brunswick
Date: Sat, 3 Oct 1992 01:52:04 GMT

       My players are about to find a sword of sharpness, and I am
thinking about this.  I believe I will apply penalties as follows for a
pruned opponent:
    1) System shock or pass out for D8 rds.
    2) Lose d4 hp per round from bleeding until attended by a healer
or given a curative spell or potion or 3 rds continuous care by 2
unskilled characters. If you don't clamp on it with a hand, lose d10/rd.
   3) if a leg is lost, lose dex bonus, roll dex check each rd to move a
t 1/3 speed (40 feet/round) or attack. failure means a fall.
  4) if an arm is lost lose use of shield or weapon. Note I allow someon
 who is right handed to attack with the left hand only, once per rd.
and at -2 pernalty modified by dex.  These last two rules were evolved t
o cover partial ghoul paraysis (1 arm paralyzed) with a great deal taken
 from a dragon magazine article.

I figure people (PC's and important NPC's) should get a chance to fight
on - it's just more heroic, if you can grit your teeth and go for it.
From: jackson@ess43.Berkeley.EDU (Jeff Jackson)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: D&D and political correctness
Date: 30 Sep 92 16:26:35 GMT
Reply-To: jackson@ess43.Berkeley.EDU (Jeff Jackson)
Organization: Schlumberger CAD/CAM

|> In article <65927@cup.portal.com>, Tagi@cup.portal.com (Tagi Mordred
|>    Nagashiva) writes:
|> 

|> 
|>    Enscribing a scroll requires the mage to essentially memorize the spell from
|> hir book, have material components at hand, and essentially 'cast' the spell
|> into the scroll as sHe inscribes it, which is why the process takes (in my
|> world) one hour/spell level, plus the required inks, parchment, and quiet area
|> to work....
|> 
|> > Thyagi


    Well, I see that even fantasy worlds are not immune to the PC effect.



       - JWJ
From: ccoprdj@prism.gatech.EDU (Jorge Diaz)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Critical Hits
Keywords: critical hits
Date: 5 Oct 92 06:19:29 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

In article <1992Oct5.024651.4565@u.washington.edu> scythe@byron.u.washington.edu (The Grim Reaper) writes:

>But even by the rules,
>I think thieves are sneakier fighters than clerics, and are
>beter able to hit vital spots.

A thief might be able to hit the vital spots, but this is only if he's
attacking from behind, in which case it's been taken care of with the
backstab multiplier.

But in a stand-up fight, a cleric would waste a thief.  Better armor,
more hit points, better THAC0.  In a head-on fight, the cleric should
have the better chance to roll a critical hit because he's the better
fighter.

Now, a question:  I'm thinking about running a thief in a campaign that
a friend of mine is going to be starting.  What happens when a thief rolls
a critical hit on a backstab?  Let's say he's 5th level, so he does 3x damage.
If you use the "critical hit results in 2x damage" rule, what would you
get?  I can think of three possibilities:

1) Double (for CH) the triple damage (for BS) to get 6x damage.
2) Just add one more multiplier to the triple damage to get 4x damage.
3) Rule that a backstab is an automatic critical hit (which is why you
     get 3x damage) and don't add anthing:  3x damage.

Is there a 'cannonical' ruling?  If not, what is the most commonly used?

-- 
Jorge Diaz                       | "I want you to remember, Clark... in all
Georgia Institute of Technology  |  the years to come, in your most private
Office of Information Technology |  moments...my hand at your throat.  I want
ccoprdj@prism.gatech.edu         |  you to remember the one man who beat you."
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: lazarus@ug.cs.dal.ca (Chuck Turner)
Subject: Re: Trolls' regeneration
Organization: Math, Stats & CS, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 03:16:08 GMT

In article <70236@hydra.gatech.EDU> ccoprdj@prism.gatech.EDU (Jorge Diaz) writes:
>In article <Bvpqz9.9Gy@cs.dal.ca> lazarus@ug.cs.dal.ca (Chuck Turner) writes:
>
>>Each limb of the troll will continue to fight, or attempt to return to the
>>body for a period of 24 hours, after which time it withers and dies. 
>
>Did you make this up, or is it from the MM?  Why wouldn't a new troll
>be able to grow from a limb?

 This is direct from the 2nd Edition MM. 

>>>|> 	Is a troll regenerated from a finger a new troll?
>>
>> If that finger is the single largest remaining piece of the troll, then yes
>> it will grow into a troll.  But not a NEW troll.  It will be the same troll
>> that it came from, with only a new body.
>
>I thought you just said that a limb would wither and die.  But a single
>finger can generate a new troll?  Which is it?
>
>And, if you cut a troll into ten pieces, you say that they would all be
>the same troll with new parts grown in to substitute the parts that had
>been removed?  I.e.  They would all think and act exactly alike, have
>the same memories, the same name, etc?

 You failed to pick up on the most important line in the above paragraph.

  'If that finger is the *SINGLE LARGEST* remaining piece of the troll'

 Only one portion of a dismembered troll regenerates.  After 24 hours, all
 the other pieces are just so much meat.  During the 24 hour period, if the
 dismembered bits can somehow claw their way back to this largest bit
 (usually the torso), they will reattach themselves, thus speeding the
 regrowth.  Obviously only arms and legs will be able to reattach themselves,
 unless the gobbets of flesh are in contact with the other piece.  Once
 again, this is all straight from the MM.

 You will never get multiple trolls growing from the remains of a chopped
 up troll.

					 Curan of WhiteSands

 _______________________________________ 
|                                       | '..err..of course I suck blood.' 
| "--whether you are quiet and ALIVE or | 'I don't believe you.' 
| quiet and DEAD makes no difference to | 'I've got a straw right here PAL! 
| Cerebus."                             |  You want a demonstration?!'
|       - Cerebus the Aardvark          |                   - The Tick 
|_______________________________________| Chuck Turner -> lazarus@ug.cs.dal.ca
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd