HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: stv@unislc.uucp (Steve Spencer)
Subject: Re: New D&D Alignment ...
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Organization: Unisys Corporation SLC
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1992 15:33:10 GMT

Tom Walcott (friar@spock.uucp) wrote:
: >Sounds like Chaotic Neutral to me.
: >Some players think CN means to "keep the balance in a chaotic way".
: >The way I see it, a CN person is partially insane (aren't we all?) and does
: >_exactly_ as he pleases - at the moment. 
: >One second later, however, he may do the opposite - just for fun. It's a very 
: >hard alinment to play.
: >
: Yes, but I think CN is forced to balance out his evil with his good, in a
: choatic fashion.  I think that Ammoral characters would end up just doing
: what they want.  It's pretty much taking the Neutral part out, and being
: simply chaotic.  (Not to sound like D&D).  
: 
I wholeheartedly disagree. To worry about rather you good is balancing with
your evil, and all that sort of jibberish is by no means chaotic. To worry
about such things is defenitely a form of lawful tendencies. Okay, I'm not
exactly sure if the books agree with me on this, but here's how I see it:
Good= good
Evil= evil
Neutral= Neither good nor evil (but not neccessarily a "keep the balance"
	granola head).
Choas= doing action without forethought. Acting on impulse.
Law= planning things, and seeing how they affect other things

THUS:
Chaotic/Neutral= Acts without forethought, as long as the goodness, or
		evilness of the deed is outside of the scope of neutrality.
		(which really gives you a lot of leeway to either side).
		This is basically what most people are. The take each choice
		one at a time, and may at times tend to be greedy.
Lawful/Neutral= Are worried about how their neutrality effects the "big 
		picture". Now these people are your "keep the balance"
		granola heads.
True Neutral=   Now this is a hard one to pin down. Basically, I'd say that 
		a true neutral keeps a good/evil balance in their life, but
		will not generally be concerned with how that good/evil fits
		in with their surroundings. ie. they will not tend to act
		more toward the evil side if they are around good people
		(where a LAWFUL/NEUTRAL might). They will simply keep their
		OWN balance.
So basically, I would say the new alignment is unneeded.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
It's the sputter of a raindrop. It's the sunlight on my face
My mind's eye into other realms. It's my paradise escape. 

Steve Spencer	SLC, Utah 	stv@unislc.slc.unisys.com
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: friar@spock.uucp (Tom Walcott)
Subject: Re: NO no no... (Was: Xanth Talents)
Organization: Choate Rosemary Hall
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 17:35:36 GMT

In article <1992Nov11.170403.662@wixer.cactus.org> raistlin@wixer.cactus.org (Eli Boaz) writes:
>[a little bit deleted ...]
     [A little more deleted ...]
>
>>But I think the most fun would be to combine the players from Mundania with
>>Xanth magic. And let Xanth magic interfere with Mundane magic to let every
>>spell become literal. Just think of a magician with fire in his balls...
>                       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>Ouch!  (A)D&D Paranoia-style, eh?   This sounds most interesting. . .
>
>Gives a new meaning to spells like: Spider Climb, Knock, *Stoneskin*,
>Magic Jar, Veil, Delayed Blast Fireball (heheheheh), Statue, and Mind Blank,
>no? [big evil grin]

     How 'bout magic missile?  (I can see it now . . . "T -30 seconds.)

Friar
-- 
    "Silence isn't golden if I'm holdin' it inside."
                           --- W. Axl Rose

friar@choate.edu
From: v121mhb5@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (D.O.G. of S.A.R.P.A.)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Whatever happened to Gary Gygax?
Date: 6 Nov 92 15:48:00 GMT
Article-I.D.: acsu.BxAx88.JB8
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <1dcdhgINNjqa@master.cs.rose-hulman.edu>, trottibw@nextwork.rose-hulman.edu writes...
>In article <1992Nov5.212519.13607@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu> vputz@nyx.cs.du.edu  
>(Victor Putz) writes:
>> 
>> ...I'm sure sall the "real" gamers out there that have been following D&D
>> for years know this, but I've just come back to playing after oh...12
>> years or soo (last game was in 7th grade!)... what happened to good old
>> Gygax?  None of the "new" stuff seems to be by him at all!
> 
>He just finished a computer game.  I can't remember the name off hand, but it  
>was in a computer gaming mag (I can't remember which one of these either :( )  
>this month.
> 

	I'm not sure about the computer game project, but if you actually
made the trip to your local hobby shop or read Dragon magazine you'd know
that Gary Gygax has his name on a new syten from Game Designers Workshop
(GDW, the same people who brought you Twilight:2000 and Dark Conspiracy)
called Dangerous Journeys.  The system currently consists of two or three
massive paperback volumes.  One contains the basic system, two has the
magic rules, and three is a gigantic world sourcebook.  Other worlds are
being planned; I've heard talk of a Cyberpunk sourcebook as well.
	The system, from what I've seen, resembles AD&D in some respects.
You have classes, experience points, and what not.  In other respects, every
abbreviation Gygax uses is entirely unlike AD&D.  It seems T$R was going to
sue him if he used anything like one of THEIR abbreviations (there was talk
that T$R was trying to copywrite "DM").
	Anyway, I'm not real impressed by Dangerous Journeys, and if you
D&Ders out there haven't heard of it yet, then GDW's hype campaign for
the game (it features an Elmore cover, a sure sign that they're pulling
out the stops) hasn't worked very well.  It's supposed to be the "next
generation" fantasy system, but I think it falls well short of that mark.

	(Other rumours surrounding Dangerous Journeys hint that Gygax
didn't really write it, but just put his name on the work of the "co-writer".
I doubt this one, as I could see plenty of Gygax touches just by flipping
through the book).

						Jim Scannell
						Director of Gaming
						SUNY at BUFFALO
						Strategists and Role-Players
From: cheesmna@HYDRA.ROSE-HULMAN.EDU
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: New D&D Alignment ...
Date: 11 Nov 92 01:34:50 GMT
Article-I.D.: master.1dpnvqINNgbj
Reply-To: cheesmna@HYDRA.ROSE-HULMAN.EDU
Organization: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
NNTP-Posting-Host: hydra.rose-hulman.edu

In article <1992Nov10.090634.23261@ugle.unit.no>, brunborg@alkymi.unit.no (]dne Brunborg) writes:
>In article <raa.056x@guild.socal.com>, raa@guild.socal.com (Raa Lopez) writes:
>> One of My friends created an alignment for D&D ... and I think I should share it with everyone.
>> 
>> It's called "Ammoral".
>> Now ... you have your good people that just do good things, and your neutral people who keep the balance, and your evil people who just do evil things.
>> Then you have the Ammoral ... who does what he damn well pleases. He can do both good things ... nuetral things ... and evil things ...
>> Ammoral is like neutral with a weird twist ... 
>> Well ... whaddya think?
>> --- Via UCI v1.15 (C-Net Amiga)
>
>Sounds like Chaotic Neutral to me.
>Some players think CN means to "keep the balance in a chaotic way".
>The way I see it, a CN person is partially insane (aren't we all?) and does
>_exactly_ as he pleases - at the moment. 
>One second later, however, he may do the opposite - just for fun. It's a very 
>hard alinment to play.
>
>Well, just my 2 cents, anyhow.
>
>
Hmmm, after a rash of stupid ideas by one of our characters (or was it the
DM?  Heaven forbid :)  it just came to me in a flash,  NEUTRAL STUPID.  Just
kind of blind to what's going on around him, he barges about hoping to God
he doesn't get killed.
From: jelliw@nuge112.its.rpi.edu (William Brian Jellig)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Hurled Weapons To hit/damage
Date: 13 Nov 92 18:39:21 GMT
Article-I.D.: rpi.c#s1ms
Reply-To: jelliw@rpi.edu
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY.

In article <BxMCru.4tn.2@cs.cmu.edu>, ddj+@cs.cmu.edu (Doug DeJulio) writes:
|> In article <5sp1ldm@rpi.edu> jelliw@rpi.edu writes:
|> >   This assumes that most arrows that actually hit the target penetrate to
|> >some degree.  Longbows wielded by _average_ archers were able to pierce heavy
|> >armor quite easily without being created for exceptional strength, which most
|> >of them werent.  Missed shots with arrows are more likely due to completely
|> >missing the target rather than failure to penetrate on impact.
|> >   Therefore, having a greater strength would not increase the chance to hit, 
|> >and would not merit a bonus.
|> 
|> By this logic, if you don't give a strength bonus to hit for a bow that's
|> made to take advantage of someone's strength, you should also not allow armor
|> to make someone harder to hit.  I mean, the typical peasant is going to be
|> able to shoot right through it anyway...
|> -- 
|> Doug DeJulio

	Of course they could, assuming your *typical* peasant (THAC0 20,non-
proficient in bows, no dex bonus) could hit the target in the first place.

	Seriously, though, the rules (PHB2, p.99) clearly state:
   "Attack roll and dam-damage (<--it DOES say that :) ) modifiers for Strength
are *always* used when an attack is made with a hurled weapon.  Here the power
of the character's arm is a signifigant factor in the effectiveness of the 
attack.
   "When using a bow, the *attack roll* and damage strength modifiers apply only
if the character has a properly prepared bow (i.e. a Strength bow)..."

But, on p. 73, under BOWS:
   "The greater the pull, the more strength needed to work the bow.  Thus it
is possible for chars. to have bows that grant them *damage* bonuses for high
Strength..."
	Wait a minute here! this page says NOTHING of TO HIT bonuses.  Compare
bows to crossbows for a minute.  Obviously, being a mechanical device, no Str.
bonuses apply.  Now, heavy x-bows do more damage than light x-bows, because they
deliver more force (equivalent to damage bonus from a Strength bow).  Hmmm, 
since they fire their projectiles with more force, why dont you have different
THACO's with heavier x-bows??  By your logic, you should get a +1 or +2 bonus
with a heavy crossbow. WOW! Lemme go get my Ballista, that oughta be worth 
about +4 my THACO! (which should just about cancel penalties from being 
non-proficient with it :) )

no sig, just Bill
From: IO01092@MAINE.MAINE.EDU (SEM)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: What to do about ridiculous characters...
Date: 6 Nov 92 17:45:41 GMT
Organization: University of Maine System

Ask the player to retire the character.  Then, give the
character a prominent place in the overall structure of
the campaign.  The character becomes an NPC but perhaps
with some advice from the player.  Bumping off a player's
beloved character usually results in bad feelings all
around.
From: IO11330@MAINE.MAINE.EDU (the DM)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Whatever happened to Gary Gygax?
Date: 9 Nov 92 16:44:06 GMT
 <92313.204409IO11330@MAINE.MAINE.EDU> <BxG2HI.IIq@news.cso.uiuc.edu>
Organization: University of Maine System

In reponse to Mr. Thanatos's remarks let me just say that yes your
right the Gord the Rogue series of books were shit, and these are the
books that were published by New Infinities, as I noted they were not
of high quality, the original two books published by TSR (Greyhawk
Adventers) were well written in my opinion (MY OPINION) being able to
visualize what is happening in the book in your head is important in
the story telling atmosphere, if it is this aspect of the book that you
didn't like THEN WHY ARE YOU PLAYING ROLEPLAYING GAMES TO BEGIN WITH??????

   just my opinion........

                       Pat Ellis
                          THE DM
From: ba446@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Todd M. Hanson)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: net.plot books?
Date: 10 Nov 1992 08:29:33 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Reply-To: ba446@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Todd M. Hanson)
NNTP-Posting-Host: hela.ins.cwru.edu


What ever happened to the net.plot books?  I had a copy, but lost them 
during a disk swap... (and you always think you've backed up everything
important... sigh)

I dont have ftp access, so if someone could post or email them, it would
be much appreciated!
 
Thanks..

Todd

-- 
* Todd Hanson                              ba446@cleveland.freenet.edu  *
*                                                                       *
*     "No woman's worth a bullet between the eyes.. "                   *
*          "Depends on who's eyes.. and which woman."    'Bugsy'        *
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: ag757@yfn.ysu.edu (Ian Clysdale)
Subject: Re: NO no no...
Reply-To: ag757@yfn.ysu.edu (Ian Clysdale)
Organization: St. Elizabeth Hospital, Youngstown, OH
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 22:06:05 GMT


In a previous article, st923058@pip.cc.brandeis.edu (Rosaleen Dhu) says:

>
>	Er, you guys misunderstood what I meant about Xanth talents. Making
>up a system for using them should be pretty straightforward--I can probably
>dig one out of the old CHAOS rules if anyone wants it. What I meant was, how
>would you work them into the campaign? And what kind of talents would you
>give to people? I mean, giving one person telekinesis, another person
>invisibility, etc. would work okay, but wouldn't it be boring as hell? One
>of the most interesting things about the Xanth novels (besides Mr. Anthony's
>truly impressive command of outdated sexist platitudes =)) is the diversity
>and limitations of the talents. This would be a role-playing issue,
>probably, since very few of the talents in the books dealt with combat...
>and that's another interesting idea. Do we want to invent some combative
>magics? How would they work? Would that end up being too much like, say
>Champions? Just some stuff to think about.
>				Rosaleen

   I don't know that that would be too hard.  Actually what I would probably
do would be to have them roll for a level of talent, and then let them choose
the talent to fit that range.  Also, as someone said earlier, if you happen
to have a high talent, than you're already tiued up with so many things.  It
all balances out.  I do think that a true Xanth campaign would, by it's
very nature, be a bit of a munchkin campaign, but I know that I at least find
an occasional munchkin campaign very good for a laugh.  Also, it can be 
worked out so that it wouldn't be munchkin, like any other campaign.  If 
you give them these powers, make the monsters able to counter them (ie. some
one whose talent is seeing the invisible, someone who can pick up telepthy,
etc.)  Yes, this is the same reasoning as was used for psionics in dark sun,
and it can apply to just about everything.
    I wasn't very serious about a Net Xanth Handbook, but with the interest 
we're getting, I think that we might lmost be able throw one together.
Any feedback?

-- 
			Ian Clysdale
		 Student and Official Nobody
	        Internet:   ag757@yfn.ysu.edu
	      Fidonet:   Ian Clysdale, 1:163/241
From: tao@truffle.Princeton.EDU (Terry Tao)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: To Kill a Black Dragon
Keywords: Dragon
Date: 13 Nov 92 18:25:29 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Princeton University
Originator: news@nimaster

Use whispering winds and so on to communicate your plans to the priestess.
If you can hire a wizard who can telekinese, and invisibility, use it to
pass some useful objects to her like a spare holy symbol, a nail file,
cloak of invisibility, anything.   (Of course, you have to use wizard eye
and so on to find out where she is.  This is why you're hiring the 10th
level wizard.  Hopefully the fee will be low if you can assure him that
he'll be standing 1000 feet away from the action, and only performing
non-combative spells like telekinese and wizard eye.)  Now if the black
dragon can cast spells and/or has friends around its lair, then the normal
distraction technique may not work.  It looks like a stealth job for your
thief.  Get the high-level mage to cast some stealthy spells on the thief
(improved invis, and the prist can do silence 15') and prayer and bless
will come in handy too.  Try not to make the thief stink.  Hopefully, the
virgin priestess can sneak past the dragon when it's asleep, join the
thief, and run the hell out of there.  Don't try to steal any treasure, the
dragon's surely got some sort of trap or guardian on it.

Oh.. grab a diviner first to check that the priestess is not yet eaten..

Terry
Organization: University of Maine System
Date: Sunday, 8 Nov 1992 20:44:09 EST
From: The illustrius Pat Ellis (the DM) <IO11330@MAINE.MAINE.EDU>
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Whatever happened to Gary Gygax?

Actually the first two books that he published through TSR (Saga of
Old City, and Artifact of Evil) were very good, in fact some of the
best I've read, However it went downhill after that when he published
four more books in the series with New Infinities, I haven't read his
latest (in dangerous Journey's) but well see.......

          Pat Ellis
             THE DM
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: mmidura@ccs.northeastern.edu (Marc Midura)
Subject: Re: Hurled Weapons To hit/damage
Organization: College of CS, Northeastern U
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1992 15:12:09 GMT

In article <2421@cix.cict.fr> dutech@reseau.Berkeley.EDU (Groupe ELEVES) writes:
>
>  [... marc allows both STR and DEX bonus to hit, on the rationale that
>more pull = more energy...]
>
>  I still disagree. More pull certainly doesn't increase accuracy, which
>is all we are talking about, provided we agree that the archer is able
>to keep his bow pulled for more than a heartbeat ( a bow adapted to his
>strength ). Only DEX counts for accuracy, IMHO. For the same reason, you
>could not increase the bow ranges for greater strength : yes, the arrow
>will go farther, but the accuracy is the same.
>

Stationary targets:

more pull = more energy 
          = less flight time to a target of equal distance 
          = less time gravity has to change the flight path
          ==> less estimation need to determine at which angle to shoot the 
	      arrow to hit the target
              (for short ranges this does not have much of an affect,
	       however at long ranges this becomes more significant)

Bow ranges should be increased for greater strength bows.  If my bow can
shoot 200 yards and yours can only shoot 150 yards, my accuracy at that 
distance in infinitly better than yours.  And there lies the posibility
of a solution.  Increase the ranges for greater strength bows and do not
add a STR "to hit" bonus (it is inherent in the range.)

.marc
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: st923058@pip.cc.brandeis.edu (Rosaleen Dhu)
Subject: A list of Talents
Reply-To: st923058@pip.cc.brandeis.edu
Organization: Brandeis University
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1992 18:55:59 GMT

	This list was devised for a frp that a friend and I were running which
was partly based on the Heralds of Valdemar. We haven't written to Mercedes
Lackey to ask if it's okay, so don't tell anyone where you got this :)

	Mindspeech (self-explanatory)
	Mindcall (like above, but can only be used to get someone's attention)
	Farspeech (self-explanatory)
	Animal Mindspeech (self-explanatory)
	Farsensing (like clairvoyance, but you recieve images rather than a
			clear picture of what's happening)
	Thoughtsensing (self-explanatory)
	Empathy (like Thoughtsensing, but you sense emotions rather than 
		coherent thoughts. Usually found among Healers)
	Empathy: Plants (like above; sense images/emotions from trees, etc.)
	Empathy: Animals (self-explanatory)
	Empathy: Children (self-explanatory)
	Healing (combination of knowledge which can be gained by non-Talented
			people, and Healing spells)
	Mindhealing (sort of like psychology and Empathy combined)
	Visual (found among artists, etc.)
	Audial (perfect pitch, can tell size of dark space by sound bouncing
		off walls, etc.)
	Kinetic (understanding of, and feel for, energy patterns. Common among
		dancers, martial artists, astronomers.)
	Bardic (the ability to project images through music. Does not
		automatically denote musical proficiency; likewise, musical
		proficiency can be had without having Bardic Talent)
	Sense Auras (self-explanatory)
	Read Gifts (ability to tell what Talents others have)
	Teach Gifts (ability to teach the basic control and understanding that
			is necessary for use of any Talent)
	Scholar (the ability and patience to do impeccable research)

	There are more, but I don't have the list with me and those are all
I can remember offhand. More next time.
				Rosaleen Dhu and her friend Liz
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: stanford@lonestar.utsa.edu (Sandra S. Stanford)
Subject: PBeM (This Is It) :)
Organization: University of Texas at San Antonio
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1992 16:19:44 GMT

To all my PATIENT players, I am happy to announce that my PBeM will finally
be starting... now.  If you're an active player but haven't received the
background yet, please e-mail me and let me know.  On a different note, I
will be sharing the DMing with a friend of mine (named Dorin), who also uses
this account, so don't worry about mail.  Good luck to everyone! :)

--
Sandra
stanford@lonestar.utsa.edu
"What does this button do?"


Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: picl17@fsphy1.physics.fsu.edu (Jeffrey Johnson)
Subject: Pandemonium -- net magazine
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.3-4   
Reply-To: picl17@fsphy1.physics.fsu.edu
Organization: F.S.U. Dept of Physics
Distribution:  world
Date:  8 NOV 92 20:46:07    

To any and all subscribers to Pandemonium:

Our first issue is temporarily delayed, because our editor's son has had
to go into the hospital.  We will attempt to put out the first issue ASAP,
but it will be delayed.
	Please be patient, we WILL get it out.

Travis
picl17@fsphy1.physics.fsu.edu
From: jelliw@nuge113.its.rpi.edu (William Brian Jellig)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Hurled Weapons To hit/damage
Date: 11 Nov 92 07:31:31 GMT
Article-I.D.: rpi.5sp1ldm
Reply-To: jelliw@rpi.edu
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY.

>> Groupe ELEVES writes:
>>
>>   [... marc allows both STR and DEX bonus to hit, on the rationale that
>> more pull = more energy...]
>>
>>   I still disagree. More pull certainly doesn't increase accuracy, which is
>> all we are talking about ...
>
>
>   Except that AD&D subsumes both accuracy and penetration in the to hit roll
>- Str _will_ affect the penetration.           ^^^^^^^^^^^
>
>
>--
>
>               Edjs                    _
>              ------                _ //  CI$  : 76427,662
>   Edward_Swatschek@mindlink.bc.ca  \X/   GEnie: E.SWATSCHEK


   The basis for Dex = to hit bonus, Str = damage bonus with missile weaps.
is this:
  greater dexterity will make it easier to connect with the target at range,
or to strike an area of the target that is not well protected, thus the 
to hit bonus.
   Greater strength will cause a deeper penetration and more force upon a 
successful hit, so the damage caused is greater.

   This assumes that most arrows that actually hit the target penetrate to
some degree.  Longbows wielded by _average_ archers were able to pierce heavy
armor quite easily without being created for exceptional strength, which most
of them werent.  Missed shots with arrows are more likely due to completely
missing the target rather than failure to penetrate on impact.
   Therefore, having a greater strength would not increase the chance to hit, 
and would not merit a bonus.

no sig, just Bill.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: trottibw@nextwork.rose-hulman.edu(Barry Trottier)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: My experience (Re: rec.games.frp.campaign)
Date: 10 Nov 1992 19:27:41 GMT
Organization: Computer Science Department at Rose-Hulman
Reply-To: trottibw@nextwork.rose-hulman.edu
NNTP-Posting-Host: g222-22.nextwork.rose-hulman.edu

In article <1992Nov9.161642.1288@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>  
cbnorman@cayley.uwaterloo.ca () writes:
> My name is Bruce Norman
> I don't like salad dressing

Ok, that's it!  No way am I ever listening to Bruce Norman again!  :)

------------
Barry Trottier
e-mail:  trottibw@nextwork.rose-hulman.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd