HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: barnett@mummy.agsm.unsw.OZ.AU (Glen Barnett)
Subject: Re: Trolls' regeneration
Organization: The Australian Graduate School of Management
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 02:55:52 GMT

An attempt to follow up two different posts in a single post:
In article <Bvpqz9.9Gy@cs.dal.ca> lazarus@ug.cs.dal.ca (Chuck Turner) writes:
>
> One must assume that the brain rests not in the head, but in the torso of
> the creature, and even then, is not really necessary for combat.  I would
> think the troll would need a brain in order to have a society, and a language
> (of sorts), but its limbs fight of their own initiative for a limited time
> once separated.
>
Wouldn't it make more sense for the brain to be "distributed" through the
whole nervous system? If a part is cut off, it's not completely stupid,
but thinks like the rest of the troll, at a degraded sort of level. 
It would be perfectly possible to have such 'distributed processing'. 
However, higher functions (such as speech) might be sensibly localised
in a necessarily smaller head-brain. Interestingly, it would make for
different ways of thinking, and undoubtedly different perceptions.
E.g. perhaps the troll can use the distributed processing as a really
intelligent brain, but in order to have messages travel over the whole 
body, thinks in this fashion quite slowly.
If you allow this, perhaps troll shamans can cast higher spells, but the
casting times are really long :-)
Perhaps they can use it as a kind of race memory, since there could be a
lot of storage space (anyone read Orson Scott Card's 'Wyrms'?)
Or if they live long enough, imagine what they could have tucked away
in such an intelligent nervous system? Every nasty trick in the book.
(but perhaps they need time to plan and access it).
>
> 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.
>
How does the finger know? Do troll-cells have telepathy?

-------------------------------

In article <1992Oct6.183911.28382@ncsu.edu> mrmarcel@eos.ncsu.edu 
(MICHAEL RONN MARCELAIS) writes:
>|> >In article <Bvo9Lp.CHx@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca>, alongley@cape.UWaterloo.ca 
>|> >(Allan Longley) writes:
   [stuff deleted] - sorry the correct attributions seem to have got mucked
                     up in this thread. If you feel you have been badly
                     treated, then I apologise, but it was like this when
                     I got it, honest.
>|> 
>|> Killed or destroyed?  Wraiths are destroyed, bears are killed.  Is there any
>|> other immortal creature that is alive?
>
>Most diety's think they're both alive and immortal.
Ahh, That solves it all. Trolls are just wierd deities! ;-)

Glen
From: thg@cam-orl.co.uk (Tim Glauert)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Kobolds (Re: Intelligent opponents)
Date: 16 Oct 92 13:35:21 GMT

In article <Bw2n2r.7CG@acsu.buffalo.edu>, cri@acsu.buffalo.edu (Mr. PlEaSanT) writes:
|> thg@cam-orl.co.uk (Tim Glauert) writes:
|> 
|> >A horde of Kobolds might be able to set up some very fatal traps for a 10th
|> >level party, but the creatures themselves should not really cause any
|> >problems.
|>
|> 	Do the following words mean anything to you - 
|> 	Trap Doors
|> 	Murder Holes
|> 	Arrow Slits

These are traps. As I said, they can cause problems.

|> 	Back Stabbing

How often does the average 10th level party member put itself in a position to
be backstabbed by a simple <1HD monster while exploring a hostile dungeon?
Anyway, Backstabbing for extra damage is a thiefly skill which Kobolds don't
have, and most 10th level characters can take a normal dagger or two in the
back before falling over.

|> 	Overbearing Attacks...

No Kobold is going to get near enough for this.

Each fighter, in theory, attacks 10 times each round. Each "Burning Hands"
spell kills all Kobolds in a 3' radius, 120 degree arc from the Spellcaster.
Each "sleep" spell hits 4-16 Kobolds. Each "Magic Missile" spell hits 5
Kobolds for D4+1, killing most of them. 10 Pints of "Firewater" makes quite a
few nasty fire-bombs giving 2-12 HP damage. An imaginitive use of "Phantasmal
Force" can be pretty effective against such low-level monsters. And that's
only the 1st level spells, these guys can use 5th level spells!

Also, most 10th level parties have picked up a few interesting items here and
there, not to mention a useful supply of "normal" scrolls and potions. One of
my characters has just got a "Potion of Fire Breath", very nice! Using half
of this potion would kill virtually every Kobold in a 1"x4" area.

Don't me wrong. I wouldn't enter a Kobold home base with a 10th level party
without a lot of preparation. But I would not expect combat with the creatures
themselves to cause any real problems.
From: Devon_Sheppard@mindlink.bc.ca (Devon Sheppard)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Question about 2nd Ed Wrestling
Date: 9 Oct 92 21:09:40 GMT
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Distribution: world

I emailed this to the poster, but I thought the net in general might like to
see it, too...


One method I've adopted to try to solve the problems inherent in the 2nd
edition wrestling (and punching) rules is to let players make a called shot
to
get the result that they want. For instance, the fighter can declare that
he's
trying to do grab the orc leader in a full nelson... he makes his to-hit with
the -4 penalty (and -1 penalty to initiative), and, if successful, he's
managed
to grab the orc, no matter what the roll.

For specialists, the +1 chart bonus would merely reduce the called shot
penalty
for these circumstances... they've just got a better knowledge of how to get
people into holds, how to get out of them, etc.

Hope this helps...

  Devon


--
devon_sheppard@mindlink.bc.ca

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: tao@potato.princeton.edu (Terry Tao)
Subject: Re: house-rules
Organization: Princeton University
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 14:57:16 GMT

I'm all for doing away with percentile strength ! (sorry Mr munchkin..) not
only is it unfair to other non-warriors, the difference between 18 and 19
strength is so massive that any race with a +1 to strength suddenly gets
super 18/00 strength far too often!

I do concede there is some value in extreme strength: many heroes like
Hercules depended on it.  But the 19-25 range seems adequate.

Please post your modified tables one day!

Terry
From: parkerma@NeXTwork.Rose-Hulman.Edu (Mark A. Parker)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Kobolds (Re: Intelligent opponents)
Date: 14 Oct 1992 05:20:15 GMT
Organization: Computer Science Department at Rose-Hulman
Distribution: world
Reply-To: parkerma@NeXTwork.Rose-Hulman.Edu (Mark A. Parker)
NNTP-Posting-Host: o231-25.nextwork.rose-hulman.edu

In article <16282@mindlink.bc.ca> Devon_Sheppard@mindlink.bc.ca (Devon  
Sheppard) writes:
> .... and of course, the point that >I< really wondered about... these  
buckets
> can be made of neither wood nor metal, so your kobolds are hauling  
around
> stone buckets full of green slime?! Give the monsters unreasonable  
advantages
> like these, and of course they'll win.
	I hate to say it, but since it doesn't say how much green slime is  
necessary to do the job of dissolving something, a stone bucket (man, that  
would have to be heavy!!) probably wouldn't be necessary. A clay vial of  
the stuff would work, with a lot less overkill. Heck of a lot easier to  
transport around, but considering how fragile the vials are, it could be  
worse than these buckets everyone is throwing at each other.
> Play the monsters intelligently, but do it fairly as well.
	
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: marrou@cs.ucf.edu (Lance R. Marrou)
Subject: Re: Prismathic Sphere
Organization: University of Central Florida
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 13:54:17 GMT

brunborg@solan.unit.no (]dne Brunborg) writes:

>I have a few questions about Prismatic Sphere:
>The spell-description says that one of the colours stop spells. Does this include
>spells such as Blink, Dimension Door, Teleport, Teleport w.o. Error, Plane Shift
>and Astral Spell? (and any other spell of that type). Is it possible to teleport
>out (since the spellcaster can pass through it without harm), but not in?

Yes, it stops ALL spells by other people.  The spell caster can walk in and out
at will.  He can also cast spells in and out (IMHO).  I say that for spells
at that level (9th) then the caster should be able to define the spell the
way he wants (usually in his favor), interpreting the description loosely,
yet still remaining within bounds.


>The 7th colour stops mental attacs. Does this include the psionic powers
>Teleport and Dimensional Door (and similar)?
Yes, just like above.

>If a MR-creature tries to walk through, how many times are needed to check MR?
>Once, or once per colour remaining?
Once per color remaining or once per effect.  Moreover, if the MR-creature
"gets stuck" or stops in the middle of the wall of colors, then those colors
will affect (vs. MR) the creature every round.

>The 6th colour (I think) stops gas. Dos this include oxygen? Or will the (N)PC's
>inside run out of air and suffer suffocating?
This is such a minor and nit-picky rule, but I would again rule in favor of the
magic user.  If a spell is on the same level as a wish, then something this
minor would not happen.  You could also rule that enough air is in the
sphere to last the duration of the spell.  Or that the 6th color just
filters out all gas particles but oxygen.  Either one works and they are
very plausible.


>So long!

Adios! ;>

>		Aadne Brunborg
>		Norwegian Institute of Thechnology
>		University of Trondheim
>		NORWAY

>	"If ye can't see it, it's right behind ye..."
--
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Lance R. Marrou
   Work   - Marrou@IST.UCF.edu
   School - Marrou@Eola.cs.UCF.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: djdaneh@pbhyc.PacBell.COM (Dan'l DanehyOakes)
Subject: Re: Kobolds (Re: Intelligent opponents)
Reply-To: djdaneh@PacBell.COM (Dan'l DanehyOakes)
Organization: Pacific * Bell, San Ramon, CA
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 18:04:37 GMT

In article <1992Oct13.073246.6935@blaze.cs.jhu.edu> arromdee@jyusenkyou.cs.jhu.edu (Ken Arromdee) writes:
>Another point about the kobolds with green slime buckets as weapons: What
>would you do to PCs who tried to do that to the monsters?
>
>You would no doubt think of some reason why not only would it not work most of
>the time, but it'd be too hazardous for any sane player to do.  Now, remember
>most of those reasons apply to the kobolds too....

A good point, and one I'd thought out.

A PC that tried to *carry* *around* a bucket of GS would eventually spill
some.  Bad plan.

The kobolds are not carrying it around, of course.  They keep it in a well
and fish out a bucket of it when-and-only-when they need to zap an invader.
And, of course, the little bugger has to make a to-hit roll with all the
usual chance of fumbling and spilling it on himself. . .



		Until the philosophy that holds one race superior and another 
								inferior
		Is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned
		Everywhere is war
			-- Haile Selassie via Bob Marley

		FIGHT THE REAL ENEMY
			-- Sinnead O'Connor

Dan'l Danehy-Oakes, Net.Roach
My opinions do NOT represent Pacific Bell,
Professional Development, or anyone else.
But I'm willing to share.
From: Rannou@info.polymtl.ca (Patrick Rannou)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Intelligent opponents:Dragon
Date: 15 Oct 92 10:38:44 GMT
	<JAMIE.92Oct9220659@kauri.vuw.ac.nz>
	<1992Oct9.145307.4583@Princeton.EDU>
	<JAMIE.92Oct10180635@kauri.vuw.ac.nz>
Organization: Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, Canada

In article <JAMIE.92Oct10180635@kauri.vuw.ac.nz> jamie@kauri.vuw.ac.nz (Jamieson Norrish) writes:



      (c) slow reproduction rates (or for liches and the like, none at all).
      It's never easy for one being to take over the world (though possible for
      one being to destroy it), you always need underlings.

   This is a good point, but begs the question of why don't dragons *get*
   hirelings? With their magical abilities and the sheer fear they would
   inspire in almost everybody they would not lack for people to do their
   bidding. And although they might have to start small, they have lots
   of time, and such an operation could easily excalate.

Dragons have discovered that having underling is often more trouble than
it's worth because attempts at stealing their treasure -even a single gold
coin- which is, we all know, just as bad as taking it all, drastically
increase, both by the underlings themselves (not thrustworthy) and by
adventurers who detect far easier a dragon's lair when there is a whole
bunch of unerling who need a hunting area nearby.

Even tough most dragons are paranoid, some dragons HAVE underlings, tough.
I really hope for the day my party is 15th level so they'll finally meet
that green dragon with "it's" lizard man tribe...


      (d) other interests (food, e.g., for trolls, or gold, for dragons) - who
      wants to rule humans anyway? they're entertaining as it is trying to sneak
      up on our lairs, etc.

   Hmmm, well, if the dragons want gold, why not force other races to
   mine the stuff, and create beautiful works of art from it. They could
   get a lot more treasure this way than they could by picking off the
   odd adventurer.

Yeah, they do that also... although a long lived dragon isn't one to make
himself too evidently present in humans/dwarfs affairs unless he's pretty
sure no retaliation can occur.

--
/---------------------------\
| Patrick "Paradak" Rannou. |
| Rannou@info.polymtl.ca    |
\---------------------------/
From: boelter3945@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: house-rules
Date: 10 Oct 92 17:42:42 -0500
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

In article <1992Oct9.145716.5145@Princeton.EDU>, tao@potato.princeton.edu
   (Terry Tao) writes:
> I'm all for doing away with percentile strength ! (sorry Mr munchkin..) not
> only is it unfair to other non-warriors, the difference between 18 and 19
> strength is so massive that any race with a +1 to strength suddenly gets
> super 18/00 strength far too often!
> 

   Just a curious question, but when you have such a race (+1 to strength)
and you rolled an 18 strength (for example), doesn't that +1 just move you to
the next higher category (18/01) instead of a full jump (19)?  That's the way
I've always run things like that.

   Perhaps I am using a house rule then.. Oh well.

                                        John "Nightwind" Boelter

--
*******************************************************************************
* John Boelter        a.k.a. Nightwind            boelter3945@iscsvax.uni.edu *
* Organizational Manager and contact person for everything and then some.     *
*******************************************************************************
* The individual who said we only use 10%  * The first 90% of a task takes    *
* of our brain's mental capacity, was      * 90% of the time, and the last    *
* probably 90% incorrect.                  * 10% takes the other 90%.         *
*            -Unknown comic on A&E-        *   -99 rule of Project Schedules- *
*******************************************************************************
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: pmenard@cse.unl.edu (Patrick Menard)
Subject: Re: The TSR Trap
Organization: University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 01:22:57 GMT

z_copeab@ccsvax.sfasu.edu writes:

>In article <1992Oct11.080116.8813@leland.Stanford.EDU>, loren@leland.Stanford.EDU (Elina Aulikki Compton) writes:
>> 
>> How many think that TSR has gone too far with its products?
>	I do.

>> Do we lose creativity when we use these products?
>	Not really.

>> Why do they call Hobbits, Halflings?
>	'Cause Tolkien's estate sued T$R.

hehe

>> Why do we all flip to the Dragonmirth page at first?
>	I do it because I like humor.

hehehe

>> Is Sage's Advice really needed?  Are the rules too Screwy?
>	Inquiring munchkins want to know...

>>  All this takes is your own imagination.  If you have 
>> fallen into the TSR Trap and buy the products so they can do the
>> thinking for you, just sit down and read Tolkien.  I'm sure many
>> new plots, monsters, spell, etc. will come to mind.  
>	Ahh, a Tolkien-freak. Sorry, but except for one short story of his
>(the title eludes me, but its something about a farmer with a blunderbuss),
>I find his work very boring and poorly done. There are *many* fantasy writers
>out there who are better.
>	Anyway, if you get ideas from reading Tolkein, you still aren't using
>your imagination.

Most imaginative ideas spawn from something concrete, not out of thin air.

>	If you really don't like T$R, then write them a letter telling them
>why, and *stop* buying their products.

I agree totally

Shadow
From: z_copeab@ccsvax.sfasu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: house-rules
Date: 16 Oct 92 19:34:30 GMT
Article-I.D.: ccsvax.1992Oct16.133430.1528
Organization: Stephen F. Austin State University

In article <7758@blue.cis.pitt.edu.UUCP>, seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp) writes:
> In article <dmatiske-151092172157@archmacconsultant.architecture.lab.nd.edu> dmatiske@larson.helios.nd.edu (David Matiskella) writes:
>><jb8n+@andrew.cmu.edu> wrote:
>>> The problem with darts is that you get 4 attacks per round (if
>>> specialized).  Now say you're a strong fighter (+4 damage), you get 4
>>> attacks doing d3+4.  A lot of people feel something is wrong when the
>>> strength bonus is more than the maximum damage possible from the weapon.
> 
> 
> 	IF strength didn't matter in war darts and similar things, then
> you ought to be able to use a two-fingered underhand toss to get the same
> damage; I doubt anyone would try to argue THAT line.

	I don't think that many people are arguing that thrown weapons
*shouldn't* get strength bonuses. Its just that you can only throw something
so hard before the extra force is wasted. Thus, there should be *some* cutoff
with bonus damage.

> 
>>> The dart thrower is still in a lot of trouble against the mage; it's
>>> unlikely he'll beat the sleep spell and actually get to shoot.
> 
> 	If you're below the HD level (about 4+1 HD, or 4th level),
> you go down under a sleep. No chance.

	Note that in 2nd Edition, it affects the *lower* HD first. So if that
4th level fighter has a couple of 0-level M@A with him, he could very well
*not* be affected.

Brandon Cope
From: jb8n+@andrew.cmu.edu (Joseph E. Beck)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: house-rules
Date: 12 Oct 92 02:28:15 GMT
	<BvvCqx.BJz@news.cso.uiuc.edu>
	<QeqB2ey00VoxQ2qapq@andrew.cmu.edu>
	<AeqC5O_00Uh_Q45q92@andrew.cmu.edu>
Distribution: usa
Organization: Junior, Math/Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA



>If you use those thief abilities that you can always use, you should be
>gaining levels much, much faster than the rest of the party.  Each
>successful use of a thieving ability gives 250 xp + xp for money(pick
>pockets).
Most campaigns I've been in it's been *significant* use.  Picking
someone's pocket for 6 s.p. isn't significant.  Stealing the
merchant's key to break into his shop is significant.  I agree that
thieves get much more x.p. than other classes (at low levels at least,
before the 250 x.p. becomes meaningless), but not quite double or
triple.  Perhaps 40% more (this was my experience).  So they're a
level or 2 higher.

>One problem:  Shouldn't the bard need more xp than the thief?
Yes, the bard was rather mondo in 2nd edition (he can cast 2nd level
spells before the mage).  We made him use the fighter x.p. table.


	joe
From: Jason_Croutch@mindlink.bc.ca (Jason Croutch)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Alignments: A new look
Date: 15 Oct 92 06:20:23 GMT
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada

Mr BDJ. Johnson writes:

> In my campaign, alignment was tossed out. Detect Evil Spells etc. still
>existed,but they only detected evil creatures like demons, devils, evil
>weapons etc. ie.
>those things that are some way linked to the lower planes.
>I feel that alignment restricts a character somewhat. For example, a CE
>character may have a love of little children (say), and if he goes around
>helping them,
>then some DMs will say "You can't do that, you are evil!", even if your
>character will take advantage of every other situation possible. This is a
>fairly extreme example.

   My players and I threw out alignments as well, at least among player
characters. We decided that it is realisticly possible for a person to have
traits which would conflict eachother in good/evil terms or in lawful/chaotic
terms.
   For instance, a person could commit acts which some would term as evil
through a large extent of self interest. The same person, though, might value
his the people who surround him, and commit very 'good' acts at some points.
A person might commit evil acts in the cause of greater good (i.e. the
crusaders) or have his good actions working towards a larger evil.
   The conflicts can be as extreme in law/chaos terms. A person could abide
by a personal code of honour, but also have no respect for the concept of law
in general. A person could work to assist law in a large manner of things,
but also respect personal freedom in other things.
   In light of all these variables, we just found that alignment was never
useful enough to warrant our trouble. At the start of a character, it might
be helpful to have a quideline for actions. But well played characters become
too complex for the alignment system very quickly.
   I also never understood the idea of experience being taken away for a
change in ideology. How could a warrior lose experience because of a shift in
ideology. It's like saying that a scientist would not be quite as bright
after converting to communism, or any other way of thought.

                                                        ...later
From: cyoung@ctron.com (Chris Young)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Trolls' regeneration
Date: 9 Oct 92 12:51:59 GMT
Reply-To: cyoung@cardinals.ctron.com (Chris Young)
Organization: Cabletron Systems INc.

I think the life force idea works and is clarified in the follwoing example:

	A troll is torn to shreds.  Say the largest peice is a head followed
by a foot.  The life force inhabits the head as it is the largest receptacle.

While it is growing a new troll (because we`ll say that the peices of the troll
are kept apart by gnomes with cattle prods) a wise guy halfling comes over and 
dumps oil on it and lights it on fire.  At this point after the head is consumed
the troll is dead and the life force wisked away to troll heaven.  The life
force does not "jump" to another peice of the troll.  The remain peices of the
troll all wither away.

Chris
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd