HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: matt@unidata.ucar.edu (Matt Hicks)
Subject: Re: Elven Chain Mail (Why?)
Organization: Scientific Computing Division/NCAR Boulder, CO
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 19:39:10 GMT

>For a history of elven chain mail, the reader is referred to "The Lord of
>the Rings", a fantasy novel series by T.R.R. Tolkein.  Of course, EGG and

That's _J._R.R. Tolkein. And "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" (you can't
have one without the other) is much more than just "a fantasy novel series."
It is a classic. To me it defines the genre of fantasy and is the work to
which all fantasy writers must try to measure up--few have any hope of suc-
ceeding however. Beyond being an incredibly well conceived epic, it is 
masterfully written. I really can't imagine anyone being even remotely 
serious about D&D and not having read these books; that would be like
someone calling themselves a devout christian, never having read the Bible.
Buy the series, read it, and you'll _never_ forget it. Amazing.


--
_________________________________________________  /\_/\  _________________
Matthew  B.  Hicks     | Unidata Program Center | ((ovo))  The spotted owl:
matt@unidata.ucar.edu  | UCAR, PO Box 3000      | ():::()  the other "other
303/497-8676	       | Boulder, CO 80307-3000 |   VVV    white meat."   
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: royle@highland.manassas.ibm.com (Matthew Royle x4553 highland)
Subject: Re: Multi-Class Hit Points
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 92 15:21:52 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: IBM T. J. Watson Research
Keywords: Why split?


  Hmm..  My question is, why split the hit points at all?  The way I
do multi class characters is to give them the full range of hit points
that they deserve, so a fighter/thief for instance, will get a d10 when
the fighter goes up, and a d6 when the thief goes up.  So, at lower levels
they have an extraordinary amount of hit points, but hell, they earned
the experience, why not give them the FULL benefits of it?  I have found,
throw much much playing that this evens itself out in the end.  I have had
two multi-class characters, one was a Cleric/MU, and the other was a
 MU/Cleric, and both had just enough hit points to survive in the beginning,
and eventually had just enough to survive in the end.  They didn't have a
bogus amount in the end.  And, especially for Magic Users, this helps them
to survive.  What I wound up with, was an 18/8 Mu/Cleric with 117 hit points.
Instead of an 18th level Mage with 65 hit points that dies whenever anyone
looks at him funny... He can now live through one, maybe two hits from a
large demon type.  Since the average mage does have to see hand to hand 
combat once in a while (surprise, etc...) it is beneficial to have a few
extra hit points... You should try it some time... It really doesnt cause
that big of a problem.   One thing that also is true is that I limit the
'secondary' class of anyone to below Name level... This causes hit points
to also stay a little lower.  

  -Rastafan Ballista Durskaen, Legion of the Storm, 44th Ranger Battalion

  -Matthew Royle
    royle@manvmd1.vnet.ibm.com
From: jim@baldrick.cs.flinders.edu.au (Jim Entwisle)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: 15th Level  Ok, this is in response to the person that said he retires his characters at level 15...
Date: 14 Aug 92 13:06:59 GMT
Organization: Flinders University

We played a wild version of roleplaying where the characters went from
universe to universe as we moved from gaming system to gaming system.
We combined Stormbringer, D&D, Paranoia and a few more. 

Usually we play very low-level games but this time we decided to go
all out on power. We ended up being unbelievably powerful: 30th or so
level in several classes simultaneously, as well as having
top-of-the-line Stormbringer weaponry etc. The GM found it very
difficult, eventually, to write dungeons for us but this did not
really matter.  We found the important thing in this particular
campaign was to play with STYLE. Just blasting the shit out of
everything was too easy. I recall, as a 29th level Cleric wanting to
cast a Sticks to Snakes to stop a charge of orcs. The GM pointed out
that I did not have 29 sticks so I Wished for them: I had a few
wish-rings at the time.

We did tend to be kind of God-like but it made an enjoyable change.
However, for most of my D&D gaming I usually prefer levels 2-7 or so:
I find these to be the most intriguing as a rule and as a GM myself I
find it easier to balance the scenarios at these levels. The chances
of a walk-over/slaughter become more likely at higher levels.

Speaking of which, is it possible to sell scenarios? Does any company
publish privately written dungeons?

Jim Entwisle.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: ault@engin.umich.edu (Matthew Ault)
Subject: Re: Paladins
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 92 17:00:39 EDT
Organization: University of Michigan Engineering, Ann Arbor

In article <66300@hydra.gatech.EDU> ccoprdj@prism.gatech.EDU (Jorge Diaz) writes:
>In article <Bt59y8.Cws@news.cso.uiuc.edu> dv52151@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Axly) writes:
>>ccoprdj@prism.gatech.EDU (Jorge Diaz) writes:
>
>>>In article <2A8F5222.28205@ics.uci.edu> kgieselm@ics.uci.edu (Kenneth Gregory Gieselman) writes:
>
>>>>Evil acts, characters, thoughts, etc., are not tolerated within the party.
>>>>More than one thief has gone with a broken nose, arm, etc., to study the path
>>>>to "the Light".
>
>>>Man, you would HATE our party.  Considering some of the guys I play with,
>>>your paladin would wake up one morning with his throat slit.
>>>:-)
>
>>And that's why paladins don't adventure with evil people.
>
>No, we don't have any evil characters in our party.  Call it self-defense.
>If our paladin tried to 'educate' me by breaking any of my limbs, I'd make
>damn sure he didn't wake up one morning.

I'm sorry, but by my definition, slitting a fellow adventurer's throat in
the middle of the night while he's asleep is *not* a good act.  Neutral
possibly, but not likely.  There are plenty of ways to deal with "over-
zealous" paladins.  You could confront him when he tries to re-educate
you.  You could get some people on your side and try to "reason" with him.
(Not whole-sale violence, just sitting down and saying, "There's one of you
and ten of us.  Now we'd like to discuss some of your recent actions...")
Or quit adventuring with him.

-matt

 
-- 
======================================================================
|   Matthew A. Ault    | Zarquon's knees!  Did I *ask* for an        |
| ault@engin.umich.edu |  existential elevator?  --Zaphod Beeblebrox |
======================================================================
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: dv52151@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Axly)
Subject: Re: Paladins
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 16:26:38 GMT

reza@magellan.ae.utexas.edu (Alireza Vali) writes:

>In article <1992Aug16.204249.10357@wam.umd.edu> you write:

>highly magical item for a mere bag of platinum.  My Ranger character
>confronted the gnome and after some serious threats, confessed to the
>sneaky act.  The Paladin drew his sword and was ready to dice the little
>guy, and the Ranger had to wrestle him down to prevent this.  The moral
>of the story is that (a few days later) the DM told us the instant he
>would strike the CG thief with his sword, he would have lost his status
>as a Paladin and become a Lawful Neutral fighter.  It wouldn't matter
>if he actually killed the thief or not, but the intent was enough to
>merit the ruling. 

Well, I tend to think this is a bad call on your GM's part. 

1) The gnome stole from the group. 

2) Given the average LG diety, the gnome broke a dietic stricture.


Theft, in medieval times, tended to be taken as a much more serious
crime than it was in our times. Theft of a bag of platinum would be
a serious crime. That's quite a sum of money. 

Most fanactics have rather inflexible ideas about the laws that their
diety has given them to follow. Executing an unbeliever who flouts
the laws of his diety is not out of character or out of line for 
a paladin.

Axly

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: Kevin_Bailey@qmgate.anl.gov (Kevin Bailey)
Subject: Date for Gencon?
Followup-To: rec.games.frp.dnd
Organization: Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 20:45:44 GMT

Hi Folks,

Well, when is/was it this year??

Thanks

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kevin_Bailey@qmgate.anl.gov
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: mxr@neptune.dsc.com (Max "Clinical Whip Cotillion" Rible)
Subject: Re: Kender
Organization: Digital Sound Corporation
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 19:41:27 GMT

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.

Be careful having a kender in your party.  Kender are one of the
favourite races for munchkins to play: they're effectively thin
halflings with a genetic predisposition to kleptomania.  Many of my
characters who have met them are inclined to tie them up or slay on
sight; the continent I run as part of a shared world has a good bounty
on the heads of kender, available in any decent-sized city and
subsidised by both the Merchants' and Thieves' Guilds.  (The merchants
don't like being stolen from, and the thieves find that kender give
them a bad name.)  No one in the open gaming has yet taken up the
challenge of running one after my explanation.

Very few characters that live to a decent level, in my experience,
will put up with a kender or similar compulsive thief in the party.
The first time he does a cute, endearing "here's your *fill in the
blank* that you've been looking for, it was in my Kender Pouch [TM]",
it's usually off-with-his-head-and-search-his-possessions.  If there's
someone extremely good like a ranger in the party, they merely strip
him naked rather than kill him, give him a loincloth, a dagger, and
any change he was carrying below the level of gold, and tell him not
to ever come with shouting distance of the group again.  Harsh?  
Certainly.  However, characters like that are more of a threat to
a party than they are useful.

Has anyone seen a kender played in such a way that it wasn't an
inconvenience and serious annoyance to a party?
/-------------v-----------------------v---------------------------------------\
| Max Rible   | mxr@dsc.com           | "Powerful big rats, gentlemen."       |
|             | rible@vorpal.ucsb.edu |                         - Neil Gaiman |
\-------------^-----------------------^---------------------------------------/
-- 
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: alongley@cape.UWaterloo.ca (Allan Longley)
Subject: Re: The cure for Liches
Keywords: lich
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 00:10:58 GMT

>In article <1992Aug17.230552.4470@aio.jsc.nasa.gov> kjenks@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov writes:
>>In article <14518@borg.cs.unc.edu> taylorr@debussy.cs.unc.edu (Russell Taylor) writes:
>>>	While furiosly attempting to save his skin from the impending
>>>assault of a giant sword-wielding Lich, Lamdor [cast Anti-Magic Shell]
>
>>Now, if your DM has magical creatures utterly dispelled by this spell,
>>it becomes much too powerful.  You can kill deities that way.  Any
>>Elemental is instantly extinguished.  Any undead is instantly
>>destroyed.  Any god becomes just a guy with lots of hit points.

According to the old DMG, an artifact is not affected by dispel magic and
anti-magic shells.  I would consider a God(dess) more powrful than an
artifact, and a lich could arguebly be an artifact -- a least give it a
save (my ruling).  Remember that a lich is more than just magic, it is a
life-force.

In addition; an elemental is not a magic being.  They are magically summoned
and controlled, but not magical themselves.  They are residents of the inner
(material) plane, and as most creatures on that plane, non-magical.  Most
creatues on the outer (spiritual) planes are magical.  So, an elemental
walks into an anti-magic sphere and its control is lost ... it cannot
magically return to its home plane until it exits the sphere, but it is now
free-willed (and, as usual, mad as hell).  Now what about demons, solars...
they assume a material form when in the inner planes -- an anti-magic shell
does not destroy that form but does make it non-magical.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Allan Longley, University of Waterloo, Department of Chemical Engineering
e-mail: alongley@cape.uwaterloo.ca
voice: (519) 885-1211 x3816		Anti-magic shell on the Outer
home: (519) 746-5747			planes has neat effects.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Tarresque - Anyone killed one?
Date: 20 Aug 92 20:36:43 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh
Originator: seawasp@pmax1.cis.pitt.edu

In article <66465@hydra.gatech.EDU> tmiller@prism.gatech.EDU (Thomas Miller) writes:
>  Actually, the tarrasque is no more than a rabid dog compared to
>Hastur, of the Cthuhlu mythos of the AD&D 1st edition Dieties &
>Demigods.  At 600' in height, Hastur could just kick the tarrasque
>out of his way, or step on it, or whatever.

	Depends. If you ran Hastur according to the listing in that book,
Hastur might kick the 50-60' tarrasque aside, yeah, but it would most likely
then grab hold of his foot and bore its way right up his leg, into his brain,
and out the other side.

	Now, if you run Hastur as the Cthulhu mythos deities really work..
the Tarrasque would either BE Hastur's rabid pet dog, or would just
die of shock when it MET Hastur.

>  Ahh...if I could just bring Godzilla and some of his buddies into
>the AD&D world...I guess this would be more appropriate for some

	You mean you HAVEN'T?

	Monster Island is set somewhere in my world. Fortunately no one
but my ancient munchkin group ever found it...


                                 Sea Wasp
                                   /^\
                                   ;;;
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: gregs@meaddata.com (Greg Smith)
Subject: Re: Berserkers and hit points
Organization: Mead Data Central, Dayton OH
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 15:25:27 GMT

In article <1992Aug14.135302.1806@csd.uch.gr>, chrysop@csd.uch.gr (Chrysopoulos Marios 484) writes:
|> In the fighter's handbook are described a lot of warrior kits, amongst which
|> is the Berserker kit. Now, i'm DMing a low level party and have a fighter who
|> wants to be a Berserker. I've read about all the bonuses and disadvantages
|> that a Berserker has and i agree that it's ok for him to become one. But we
|> have a problem involving the number of hit points below zero the character
|> should sustain before dropping dead. I must note that the system i use is
|> that when a character reaches 0 hp falls unconsious and if noone takes care
|> of his wounds he loses 1 hp/rnd until -10 where he dies.
|> 
|> My first thought was that because a Berserker doesn't feel pain, he can't
|> fall unconsious so he will still be fighting until he reaches -10 where he

You might find some medical student that could tell you for sure, but I don't
think it's necessary to feel pain to become unconsious from wounds.  The loss
of blood and shock will do the trick.

Now about this fighting past 0 and living past -10:
I (personally) might consider letting the players stay consious until -5, or as
someone else suggested, use a die roll (say 1d4 or 1d6).  I certainly would still 
rule that -10 is death.  

Now about this not feeling pain:  
Wouldn't that preclude the character from accurately knowing how many hit points
he has taken?  (Some DM's tell the players exactly how much damage they sustain, 
while I've know others to only give them a relative sense).  I would give this
character an idea of the damage, but keep them guessing about exactly how much
they have taken.

Is this "feeling no pain" something that only happens when they are beserk?
If not I would think this could really complicate one's life.  I believe there
are medically documented cases of people born without pain receptors (at least
in some parts of their bodies).  These people have problems with things like
when they burn themselves, it's really bad because they don't know it until they
see it or smell themselves on fire.  There are numerous other examples where the
pain reflex is helpful to lessen injury.

|> dies as all other characters. But my player says that this is not right and
|> that he should be able to sustain more wounds before dying, something like
|> 10 hp/lvl. This means that while in the first level he will die when reaching
|> -10 hp, he will be fighting until -50 hp just in 5th level!!! I think that this
|> makes him way too strong, a lot stronger than the rest of the party and i don't
|> like that. I would like some suggestions or alternatives i could use instead of
|> this, so that neither he becomes too strong nor he becomes sad and doesn't enjoy
|> the game.

Don't let this person convince you to let them turn themselves into a terminator,

-- 
Greg Smith

DISCLAIMER:  My ideas are entirely my own unless MDC decides to patent them.
I am not empowered to speak for Mead Data Central or Mead Corporation.
From: douglash@meaddata.com (Douglas Holzworth)
Subject: Intelligent Discourse (Was: Bastard DM From Hell Pt 2)
Organization: Mead Data Central, Dayton OH
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 1992 20:34:07 GMT
Distribution: usa

In article <66180@hydra.gatech.EDU>, ccoprdj@prism.gatech.EDU (Jorge Diaz) writes:
|> In article <phil.714031568@adam.adelaide.edu.au> phil@adam.adelaide.edu.au (Phil Kernick) writes:
|> >seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp) writes:
|> 
|> >>	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. This GM is becoming more twitlike the more I hear of him.
|> 
|> >It is a *very* dangerous thing to says things like this in an open forum.
|> >You may disagree with my ideas and rulings but it is *very* bad manners to
|> >insult someone whom you don't know.
|> 
|> Quite correct.  Insulting their ideas, however, is another matter.  And,
|> although I don't know you, I must say that I think your ideas suck. :-)
|> 

Yeah, I see the smiley face.  But posts like this still make me think people
should pass a maturity test before they are allowed to post.  A minority of
intolerant .edu posters give college folks a bad name.

-- Doug H.
From: swann@acsu.buffalo.edu (Stephen Swann)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Elven Chain Mail (Why?)
Date: 21 Aug 92 19:36:46 GMT
Organization: UB

In article <1992Aug21.173113.16296@u.washington.edu> scythe@byron.u.washington.edu (The Grim Reaper) writes:
>In article <1992Aug21.015746.7601@latcs1.lat.oz.au> wright@latcs1.lat.oz.au (Michael G. Wright) writes:
>>Can anyone out there give me any good reason why elves (a sylvan race who 
>>prefer to work with nature and wood than craft metal etc) are able to make
>>a special chain mail that nobody else can make?? It's one of the most stupid
>>things I can think of! Out of all the races in AD&D, the elves should really
>>be the last race that would create such a thing. (Of course, you could just
>>cop out and say that they're gifts from the gods :-(        )

I've always assumed that it's because of the "Elven" mithril mailcoat
that Bilbo had (and loaned to Frodo, along with Sting).  Of course,
the fact that it was actually -made- by Dwarves was probably just
overlooked by the Big G.G.  He took some pretty extreme liberties
with the Tolkien references he included in AD&D.

What really breaks me up is the fact that the great Gary included
"Grey" and "High" elves in AD&D.  Like, the High elves are the ones
that saw the light of the two trees in Aman, I guess?  And the Grey
elves are the ones that turned back from the journey to Aman and
stayed in Middle Earth with Thingol and Melian?  Sure makes sense in
your typical AD&D campaign, yup.

-- 
Steve Swann                 |    Speak to me in many voices; make
swann@acsu.buffalo.edu      |      them all sound like one...  -BOC
From: tmiller@prism.gatech.EDU (Thomas Miller)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Tarresque - Anyone killed one?
Date: 21 Aug 92 18:55:29 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

In article <1992Aug21.162626.11131@aimla.com>, jc@optimla.aimla.com (John VanHoozer) writes:
> 
> A druid (and to some extent, a ranger) should realize that this is an
> animal that is just following it's nature.  It is not a monster and 
> I think that the Earth Mother (or whatever) would not find it amusing if
> her one, unique, _most_powerful_ animal were to be destroyed.
> 



  Yeah...come to think of it, a very powerful druid might actually get
a bit hyper and decide to _find_ the thing, and unleash it upon the 
world (or a certain land) for equalization purposes.  This assumes
of course that the druids in the world concerned were into the whole
"equalization" bit (cf. some of Gygax's old novels).  What better
way to get rid of that massing evil (or good) army that is disrupting
the delicate balance of the lands...?
  It could even be an adventure/module - a party is tricked into helping
this druid do this - then they have to deal with the consequences of
their actions.  Even if it means running away (I would).


tm


-- 
Thomas Miller     Georgia Tech Network Services     GT EE 1992 (?!) 
WORK: (404) 853-0254 / Rich Bldg Rm 127, 258 4th St Atlanta, Ga. 30332
HOME: (404) 876-7929 / 345 Peachtree Pl NW, Atlanta, Ga. 30318 
Internet: tmiller@prism.gatech.edu OR Thomas.Miller@oit.gatech.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: aq061@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Scott Devine)
Subject: REQUEST - FTP sites for role playing
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, (USA)
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 92 15:33:20 GMT


I am looking for any sites that carry dnd images, dragonlance, character editors
monster creators, text files, spellbooks, games, etc- anything to do with dnd.
This can be for IBM or amiga.  Please forward site names via mail (post here,
send mail too.)  Thanks.
-- 
-------------------------------------------------
_  //   Scott Devine (aq061@cleveland.freenet.edu)
\\//                                              
 \/ Amiga, the world's most perfect machine.