HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: Mark.OLeary@newcastle.ac.uk (M.D. O'Leary)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Do we need a FAQ?
Summary: Yes, probably.
Date: 9 Sep 92 17:01:03 GMT
Organization: University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK NE1 7RU

Having followed *.frp hierarchy groups for a couple of years, and more 
especially now that we have a specific ADnD group, I think that there should be 
a FAQ to prevent/reduce these recurrent discussion (ie the current alignment 
fest? 4th time for me, I think ).
   A FAQ along the lines I am about to suggest would be BIG, I think, but would 
also be a n excellent resource for DMs... Here goes with my suggestion.

1. Obvious recurrent topics would be described, with all the net-suggested 
options for fixing the problem, ie.

LOW-LEVEL MAGES ARE PUNY.
A suggests a SPELLPOINT system (briefoutline)
B suggests BONUS SPELLS as per clerics (briefoutline)
C suggests DROP ALL MAGES IN ACID
etc etc


2. Locations of FTP, Mailing Lists etc could be centrally held and updated.

3. Rules fixes, References to Dragon articles etc listed for reference...


You begin to get the idea, I hope.

Now we need a volunteer to run the FAQ....

Comments suggestions etc welcome
(I have a horrible feeling that if a FAQ was set up, it would re-start ALL the 
old chestnut arguments until a satisfactory FAQ entry was arrived at for each!)

Mark
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: nowlola@elof.iit.edu (Olatunji Nowlin)
Subject: How to get copies of the Standard AD&D books? (electronically)
Organization: Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 92 03:34:35 GMT


Does anyone know how I can get copies of the standard AD&D books?
(such as Unearthed Arcana?).  Are there any versions on the net?
(I already have the net.books spells/priest/plots etc.,).  I would
appreciate any info at all.

Or if there are no versions on the net, does anyone know what I can
get a AD&D design program for PC's?

OAN
-- 
No signature here...
From: alvalent@husc9.harvard.edu (Alvin Valentine)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Poisons
Date: 4 Sep 92 21:54:59 GMT
Article-I.D.: husc3.1992Sep4.175500.15374
Organization: Harvard University Science Center

You folks do realize, of course, that Herbalism which does a whole lot besides
brew poisons can let you come up with some nasty poisons (like curare) for
2 slots, plus gives you a lot of other stuff.

An Animal Lore slot gives you a ton of stuff in addition to giving you clue
on which critters have poisonous skin, venom, etc.  This is the kind  of 
stuff tribes use, grind the skin of that poisonous toad and use it on our
arrows thing.

Heck, Alchemy, from the Dragon issue ?? (I'm working in Puerto Rico for the
summer sorry, no gaming stuff) costs 3 slots and you can brew any bloody
thing you darn well please within limits of materials, etc.  But I would
assume a general working knowledge of what things you should probably tinker
with to make X potion or Y poision:  you are an ALCHEMIST after all.  Heck 
even the backwoods leech in Romeo and Juliet made a pretty kickin' poison and
who was he (other than massive deus ex machina). 


What does this mean?  Charging 3 slots for poison brewing is REAL steep,
as you could be a full blown alchemist for the same price.  For 2 slots
you could take Herbalism or 1 slot for ANimal Lore and do a bang up job at
crafting/finding poisons to use on people.

How about a 2 slot proficiency in poisoning which allows for IDing poisons
from outward signs and occasionally having to taste them, being able to brew
them, and something no one's talked about, ADMINISTERING THEM.

Heck I could poison you with a syringe of Draino--worked in T2.  But I can't
adminster them in such a fashion that you wouldn't notice.  Perhaps a
poisoner knows what foods, drinks, and spices "go best" with which poisons
so that you have no clue that you are being poisoned; and when you die, you
might not even imagine that you were poisoned by guy X, he did it in such a
sneaky fashion.  I'd never pay 3 slots for a Make Poisons skill, but I might
pay 2 (or if we must 3) slots for a Make, Identify, and ADMINISTER POISON
proficiency.  This is not something that Druid and that Ranger can do,
this is Cesare Borgia stuff, this is Ivan Dilysnia stuff (hail Ravenloft
fans!).

 
Later,
 
Lee Valentine
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: rnmg1200@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (A Lady and her Walrus)
Subject: Re: Need to find Were-Dragons
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 03:45:38 GMT

In article <1992Sep9.104030.11335@news.cs.indiana.edu> switzki@cs.indiana.edu writes:
>>This is off the top of my head, but I dont remember seeing stats for a
>>were-dragon in Hall of Heroes. There were stats for a dracolich though,
>>which was redone for the Forgotten Realms Monstrous Compendium.(first
>>one)
>>I think there was a module published recently set in the Moonshae Isles
>>- I cant remember what it was called - and this included a MC version of
>>the were-dragon. Off the top of my head though, I dont think it was a
>>lycanthrope.
>
>I e-mailed a response to the author a few days ago, but since the thread is
>still going, I shall post it as well.

:) Well, here's some more...

>The weredragon being discussed is indeed misnamed.  It really should be a
>dragonwere, since it shares characteristics with the similarly
>non-lycanthropic jackalwere and wolfwere.  It was created by Ed Greenwood and
>was originally published (to my knowledge) in a DRAGON issue (the number
>escapes me).  

YES!!!  This is the one I was thinking of!!!  So I haven't gone crazy after
all...(yet)

>It was subsequently revised to 2nd Edition format in the
>module/sourcebook FA1 Hall of Heroes, which, as was pointed out, is set in
>the Moonshae Isles of the Forgotten Realms.

Whoa, hold on a minute there.  Hall of Heroes was a set of statistics for
characters in the FRealms, including Alias, Dragonbait, Kelemvor, Cyric
(before ascension), etc.  I don't recall it being "set" anywhere, and I
definitely don't recall seeing an MC version of the weredragon there.
Still, I don't have my copy here (it's still in Texas), so I'll pop down
to the local gaming store and see if they have a copy I can thumb through.
As I said, what was in my copy was a brief description of different
lycanthropes in the FRealms (I like that abbreviation :)), including the
werepanther, weredog, were-this-and-that, were-my-keys, etc.  If there's 
maybe another printing of Hall of Heroes which does have the MC version
of the weredragon (mine's kinda old, after all), I *want* it.  

The Walrus


Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: dwest@cwis.unomaha.edu (David West)
Subject: Re: Cube of Force usage question
Organization: University of Nebraska at Omaha
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 12:58:29 GMT

crchakford@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu writes:

>In article <1992Sep8.215417.15358@aa.cad.slb.com>,
> jackson@ess43.Berkeley.EDU (Jeff Jackson) writes:
>>     In our adventure last weekend, our priest took out his Cube of Force
>>     and invoked it to keep out "all non-living matter".  We then had a
>>     discussion about whether or not people inside the cube:
>>     Our DM of the day ruled that:
>>         1) air wasn't affected by the cube and so they could keep breathing;
>>         2) You couldn't poke people inside the cube with a polearm, but you
>>            could enter the cube area, draw your sword, and then hack.
>>     I disagree.  I think that:
>>         1) If air could pass through, then so could a cloudkill, which
>>            sort of defeats the purpose of that function of the cube:
>>         2) You'd have to be naked to get into the cube.
>> 
>> 
>>     What do y'all think?
>> 

>        I think you were right.  No question.  I also think any DM who
>gives his players a cube of force is a moron.  It's just to d*mn
>powerful.
>        DM: "The great wyrm red dragon attacks!"
>        PC: "I turn on my cube of force, face 6, stops EVERYTHING!
>             *evil grin*"
>        DM: "@$%^&%&$*%*&(@!!!!!!"
>        PC: "The magic user teleports us outta here! *chuckle*"
>        DM: "....."

Well, in this example, the cube stops everything...including magic. Go
ahead and try and teleport, bub, cause they can't get in, and you can't
get out either.

Just remembering that the cube works both ways short-circuits the power
of the item. Also remember it has charges...just remember to keep
dropping boulders on top of the thing (it is a cube...flat top), and
your players will curse you for giving them what looks like an easy out.

Just my two cents,

David West

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: silber@m.cs.uiuc.edu (Ami A. Silberman)
Subject: Learning without profficiencies
Organization: University of Illinois, Dept. of Comp. Sci., Urbana, IL
Distribution: rec
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 17:30:56 GMT

	I think that there should be an intermediate step between incompetence
and profficiencies. For some profficiencies, such as swimming and cooking, there
is a default, all characters are assumed to be able to cook at a rudementary 
level, and, assuming that they come from a background where swimming is normal,
can swim in calm water. For other profficiencies, I think that there should
be sort of "mini-profficiencies" that one gains merely through taking the
time to study. For instance, the musical instrument profficiency states that
with this profficiency, the character need not make a profficiency check under
normal conditions. I would suggest that if a character either took the time
to practice with an instrument he or she could get as competent as your average
high school band member without using a profficiency slot. Similarly, a starting
character might have a number of basic skills that do not take up profficiency
slots, but which are not assumed to be universal among characters. For instance,
most characters should be able to ride, if they come from a rural background.
Not well, mind you, but well enough to ride a horse while not in combat.
A cleric might be able to sing well enough to carry a tune, but not well 
enough to take the singing profficiency. His friend the fighter, however, might
be unable to carry a tune in a box.
	Where this comes in most strongly is in languages. I've been in 
campaigns where a character had to study a language for several levels of
experience, and a year of game time, and take a profficiency, in able to
converse in it at all in a game sense. What I think should happen is that
as the character learns the language, they acquire a working knowledge
and can hold limited conversations in it, albeit with an attrocious accent,
much misunderstanding etc. My character might want to pick up a little
of the goblin toungue without devoting the time and effort to become fluent
in it.
	Just some thoughts...
-- 
ami silberman - janitor of lunacy
	silber@cs.uiuc.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: bradav@auto-trol.com (Brad Davidson)
Subject: Re: Missiles into Melee Combat
Organization: Auto-trol Technology Corporation
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 21:54:41 GMT

Our gaming group use the following method...

Name your target and roll your dice.  If you miss (in that you needed a 15
and rolled below a 15) then the DM sees if your rool would have hit the target
at Armor Class 10.  If so the shot was not effective, you hit the target but
the armor deflected the shot.  If you still missed AC 10 then we roll by
ratio to see who might be the target and roll the D20 to see if the arrow
was effective.  The orginal target can not be hit.


Works for us and takes into account that a miss is not always a miss just
an ineffective shot.

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: staats@athena.mit.edu (Dick)
Subject: Religions, Roleplaying, Fun
Keywords: Religions Granted Abilities Campaign
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 19:03:52 GMT

Beast Ent. ran an excellent set of religions in its (shortlived :-(  ) "Zhalindor"
campaign.  Also, the "Cults of Prax" and "Cults of Terror" from RQ2 had VERY
good descriptions of workable, fantasy religions.  

The points made on the system about players not choosing religions which don't
have lots of "cool" spells and granted abilities is pretty valid.  Even with very
well designed campaigns and players who want  A LOT of roleplaying and character
development, you will tend to have less PC's choose certain gods than the general
population.  For example, Boondarg was the god of agriculture in the Zhalindor
campaign.  In general, one would suppose many peasant farmers would worship such
a god to attempt to raise better, more crops, but in practice, not many PC's ever
chose such a religion (willingly ;-)   ).  But, but mind you, PC's are NOT
generally your "run of the mill," average members of society.  Can you imagine
the following scene where the members of your party gather together to play . . .

	There is a palpable tension in the air.  As the DM opens up his folders
and carefully lays out the props for the evening, the players look on
expectantly.  For the past two years, the same party has played together, and
tonight will be culmination of all that time . . .

	DM:  "Does everyone remember where they left off . . . the simple
cottage, the sputtering flame of the tallow candles, the cold wind slicing
outside, barely held at bay by the simple cottage walls . . . Guisbane was about
to speak.  You all wait expectantly for her words, because the greatest danger to
touch your homeland in millenia is at hand!  Guisbane, take it away!"

	Guisbane:  "The aphid population has reached explosive proportions! 
Something must be done at once or the entire valley will pership.  To date, our
attempts at pesticides and prayer have failed, but as the chosen warriors of
Boondarg, we are sworn to defend our homeland against all such fiendish
incursions! . . ."

Sure, sure, I could work out scenarios where this could happen (e.g. the aphids
are the harbinger of a great evil magic, the scenario is a "one-up", etc.), but
in general, this is not the stuff to bring the crowd back to the table year after
year.  Still, there are probably more members of the Boondard in the fantasy
world than of Filhean [god of fire], but there would tend to be more PC's
involved with Filhean (it just presents more opportunities for "heroic" play).

	Helmsman, prepare for flames.

	Aye Sir!

	In service,

	Rich
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Missiles into Melee Combat
From: alvalent@husc9.harvard.edu (Alvin Valentine)
Date: 7 Sep 92 17:09:48 EDT
Organization: Harvard University Science Center

Firing into combat to hit a specific target?  I'd say make a called shot.
If you can knock a wand out of someone's hand, then you could probably hit
a moving target.  So if Robin Hood lobs in arrows randomly he'll be more
likely to hit you than a random lobber of 1st level, but if he makes a
called shot, then he'll hit who he's aiming at.  That's a simplified 
solution, and one might want to take in # of targets, target size, etc.
in figuring out the penalty for the called shot instead of making it a -4.
I say if you want to make a bigger or smaller penalty, you could consider
making use of the coverage mods and modifying them to take into account
the difference between hitting one out of two lone combatants vs. hitting
one out of a mass of 10.
 

 
Later,
 
Lee Valentine
From: switzki@landshark.cs.indiana.edu (Shawn M. Witzki)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Need to find Were-Dragons
Date: 11 Sep 92 00:07:27 GMT
Reply-To: switzki@cs.indiana.edu
Organization: Working on it. . .

rnmg1200@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (A Lady and her Walrus) writes:

[weredragon hunting journal deleted for brevity]

>>The weredragon being discussed is indeed misnamed.  It really should be a
>>dragonwere, since it shares characteristics with the similarly
>>non-lycanthropic jackalwere and wolfwere.  It was created by Ed Greenwood and
>>was originally published (to my knowledge) in a DRAGON issue (the number
>>escapes me).  
>
>YES!!!  This is the one I was thinking of!!!  So I haven't gone crazy after
>all...(yet)
>
>>It was subsequently revised to 2nd Edition format in the
>>module/sourcebook FA1 Hall of Heroes, which, as was pointed out, is set in
>>the Moonshae Isles of the Forgotten Realms.
>
>Whoa, hold on a minute there.  Hall of Heroes was a set of statistics for
>characters in the FRealms, including Alias, Dragonbait, Kelemvor, Cyric
>(before ascension), etc.  I don't recall it being "set" anywhere, and I
>definitely don't recall seeing an MC version of the weredragon there.
>Still, I don't have my copy here (it's still in Texas), so I'll pop down
>to the local gaming store and see if they have a copy I can thumb through.
>As I said, what was in my copy was a brief description of different
>lycanthropes in the FRealms (I like that abbreviation :)), including the
>werepanther, weredog, were-this-and-that, were-my-keys, etc.  If there's 
>maybe another printing of Hall of Heroes which does have the MC version
>of the weredragon (mine's kinda old, after all), I *want* it.  

Gak!  My fingers got ahead of my brain again and merrily typed the wrong
title.  FA1 is Halls of the High King.  Hall of Heroes is FR7.  I hang my
head in shame (perhaps I should have kept quiet ;-).

For the record, FR7 Hall of Heroes does indeed describe lycanthropes under
Kelemvor's heading, and the weredragon mentioned there is NOT the beastie that
you're looking for.

-- 
============================================================================
A penny saved is a Congressional oversight.      \\          Shawn M. Witzki 
                                    -- Unknown    \\  switzki@cs.indiana.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: scythe@byron.u.washington.edu (The Grim Reaper)
Subject: Re: Scrolls and spells
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 02:49:33 GMT

In article <1992Sep8.214743.15260@aa.cad.slb.com> jackson@ess43.Berkeley.EDU (Jeff Jackson) writes:
>|> 
>|> 	I have to agree with this. Scroll spells are specifically made for 
>|> casting, not learning. The scroll spell is basically a 'compiled' version of 
>|> the spell, ready to run and with a fixed effect. 
>|> 
>|> Brandon Cope
>
>
>   That's a very interesting concept.  I think I'll use it.  If someone
>   wants to copy spells, he'll have to find them in a spellbook, not on
>   a scroll.
>
>   Now then, assuming that scrolls are "load-and-go" spells, here's a
>   question:  Can a MU use it if it's a spell from an opposition school?
>   For example, can an Illusionist cast a Fireball from a scroll?
>
>   The "pro" I see in the docs is that scrolls can be used even with
>   spells the MU cannot learn.  The "con" is that a MU is prevented from
>   using magical items that duplicate spells from an oppostion school
>   (meaning, for example, that an Illusionist cannot use a Wand of Fire).
>
>
>                       ----------------------------------------
>                       |  PC:  "He opens the door quickly."   |
>  - JWJ                |  DM:  "You see a brass dragon."      |
>                       |  PC:  "He shuts the door quickly!!"  |
>                       ----------------------------------------
IMNSHO, specialists are unable to use scrolls from opposing schools.
This is because they cannot understand the basic principle behind
opposing schools, and how the magic of opposing schools is created.
Thus they are unable to "execute" the scroll properly.


--------------------+-------------------------+
HIC IACET ARTVRVS   + The Grim Reaper         + 
IN INSVLA AVALONIA  + SCYTHE@U.WASHINGTON.EDU +
REX QVONDAM REXQVE  + ----------------------- +
FVTVRVS             +                         +
--------------------+-------------------------+


Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: mowen@nyx.cs.du.edu (Guinny)
Subject: Re: Lycanthropes, shape changers , and werebeings.
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix @ U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 92 12:32:36 GMT


If you're looking for an example of a shape-shifter society,
get hold of the film 'Nightbreed', by Clive Barker, based
on his own book Cabal.   While the shape-shifters in that
would be difficult to incorporate into and AD&D campagn as
they are (some of them being undead of sorts) it should
give you enough ideas on abilities and disadvantages

Let us know how you get on with them - might be fun to play,
especially if you mix that with Vampire and Werewolf/Lycanthropes

Guinny
--
-------------------------------------------------------------
Guinny the Undead  (Still walking but in need of a life) 

May your path lead to wisdom, and in wisdom, know ye peace
From: jackson@ess43.Berkeley.EDU (Jeff Jackson)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Cube of Force usage question
Date: 8 Sep 92 21:54:17 GMT
Reply-To: jackson@ess43.Berkeley.EDU (Jeff Jackson)
Organization: Schlumberger CAD/CAM



    In our adventure last weekend, our priest took out his Cube of Force
    and invoked it to keep out "all non-living matter".  We then had a
    discussion about whether or not people inside the cube:

        1) would eventually run out of air and suffocate;

        2) could be touched by anyone outside the cube.


    Our DM of the day ruled that:

        1) air wasn't affected by the cube and so they could keep breathing;

        2) You couldn't poke people inside the cube with a polearm, but you
           could enter the cube area, draw your sword, and then hack.


    I disagree.  I think that:

        1) If air could pass through, then so could a cloudkill, which
           sort of defeats the purpose of that function of the cube:

        2) You'd have to be naked to get into the cube.


    What do y'all think?


                       ----------------------------------------
                       |  PC:  "He opens the door quickly."   |
  - JWJ                |  DM:  "You see a brass dragon."      |
                       |  PC:  "He shuts the door quickly!!"  |
                       ----------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: marrou@cs.ucf.edu (Lance R. Marrou)
Subject: Re: Cube of Force usage question
Organization: University of Central Florida
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 15:21:30 GMT

pentangl@spdcc.com (Scott Moir) writes:
>Other options for the dragon....

>Pick up the cube and go airborne.. at around 1000 feet, drop it.
>Sit and wait for the group to run out of air.
>Keep breathing on it to HEAT the cube....

Also, the dragon can just swipe with its front/rear claws, bite, swing its
tail, slash with its wings...the cube doesn't stop living matter, right?

Another thing (this is not really to Scott, but to the list in general), if
the magic user has time to use the cube and s/he has a teleport spell, why
not avoid any hassle and initially teleport out!  Of course, this depends
on house rules and how long you determine it takes to activate the cube, etc.

Personally, I have never used the cube of force, but sometimes I do put
beads of force in my campaign.  The PCs have yet to find a bead of force
that is not used on them first, however *grin*

--
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Lance R. Marrou
   Work   - Marrou@IST.UCF.edu
   School - Marrou@Eola.cs.UCF.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd