HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: scythe@byron.u.washington.edu (The Grim Reaper)
Subject: Re: Xanth (was: Wanted : Traps and info)
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1992 21:38:53 GMT

In article <1992Nov7.185138.16557@spock.UUCP> friar@spock.uucp (Tom Walcott) writes:
>In article <1dejo9INNndf@master.cs.rose-hulman.edu> cheesmna@HYDRA.ROSE-HULMAN.EDU writes:
>>Also, I would be interested in any kind of information on monsters,
>>terrain, NPC's, or especially Good Magician Humphrey's castle for Piers
>>Anthony's Xanth setting.  I was thinking of creating a little adventure
>>set in Xanth :)
>
>  Is there a setting for Xanth in a formal form? If so, could someone tell
>me what it is, and if not, please give me any ideas too.
>
>Friar
>-- 
>    "Silence isn't golden if I'm holdin' it inside."
>                           --- W. Axl Rose
>
>friar@choate.edu
As far as I know there isn't, but it wouldn't be too hard to do
stats for some of the stuff there.... I'll do it myself once
I get the time =)


--------------------+-------------------------+---------------+
HIC IACET ARTVRVS   + The Grim Reaper         +YipYipYipYipYip+ 
IN INSVLA AVALONIA  + SCYTHE@U.WASHINGTON.EDU +YipYipYipYipYip+
REX QVONDAM REXQVE  + ----------------------- +YipYipYipYipYip+
FVTVRVS             +                         +YipYipYi..SPLAT+
--------------------+-------------------------+---------------+
From: n9046319@henson.cc.wwu.edu (Jeremy Corley)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: And then there were NONE.
Date: 5 Nov 92 06:16:29 GMT
Article-I.D.: henson.1992Nov5.061629.5333
Organization: Western Washington University

cm601@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bradley Alexander Derrick) writes:


>	I have been writting this adventure for 4-5 level char-
>acters and would like some input on the topic of magic items.

>	When I first started buying Dragon(tm) Magazine I picked
>up issue #83, which talked about the non-combative Magic items,
>but I have been out of D&D for a while, is there a table better
>than the one provided in that issue that I should use?  I don't
>want to give my players a Brush + 2, or a hour glass that can
>be set run out of sand at any time..  I'm looking for something
>a bit less comical, but not on the POWERFUL side.

>	-Alex

	How about some items that have a little history and background
(good adventure hooks :) .)  Good examples are maps that were created
a while ago (maybe by an ancient empire's army scouts) and some interesting
(read: vague) things on it that might make the players salivate.  Of course,
the maps land marks might have changed and the language on the map may be
virtually unintelligable accept by experts.  This will usually get them
running all over the place trying to find land marks on the map and clues
as to how to translate this language.  Of course, some people may become
interested in this map once they find out it is in circulation (because the
players are usually too vocal in asking questions.)
	Another one is a holy symbol from an obscure race or culture. This
one is good for many of the reasons above and provides lots of reasons for
people to come and try to get it back. Also, since it will put off some
magical aura, the players will constantly be trying to figure out what it
"does".  I usually have these items have a specific purpose or not really
"do" much of anything.  The players however usually have a hard time 
believing this (especially when lots of religious nuts keep trying to kill
them for it.)

	Always remember, for the players to get a magic item:
		1) someone had to have made the item for a purpose
		2) someone had to loose the item.  Perhaps many people.
		3) there may be other people out there who want the item.
		All of the above could cause problems for the players.

	Most of all!!! Make each item unique!

	Just my $0.02.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
"Senator Kennedy, What are you going to do about the abortion bill?"
"Pay it, I guess."
				J. Corley
			n9046319@henson.cc.wwu.edu
From: tmiller@prism.gatech.EDU (Thomas Miller)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Otiluke, Tenser, & Rary
Date: 13 Nov 92 13:46:03 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

In article <BxJFHw.1Mx@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, rsm58307@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Ron) writes:
> Does someone have the time/patience/desire to rehash what happened to greyhawk?
> I used to play it a while back and would enjoy a description of the various
> things that occurred in the world since I played (long time back), ...



  I concur.  I just saw the set "From the Ashes" last night in a store
but have no idea whatsoever of its setting (the post-Greyhawk Wars world).
Can someone fill us in, in a nutshell ?
  Thanks,


      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) 351-1017 / 1185 Collier Rd NW apt 2A     Atlanta, Ga. 30318 
Internet:  tmiller@prism.gatech.edu   or   thomas.miller@oit.gatech.edu
From: v073pzuy@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Damned for all time...)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Forget...
Date: 5 Nov 92 19:18:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

Forget Bane *and* Cyric...resurrect Moander, the Dark God...

(My character that I'd been playing for 6 years--a cleric of Tempus--was 
seriously considering this...or wanting to do it, anyway)

					---Lord Thanos of Titan
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: brunborg@alkymi.unit.no (]dne Brunborg)
Subject: Re: New D&D Alignment ...
Organization: Norwegian Institute of Technology
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 92 09:06:34 GMT

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.



So long!

		Aadne Brunborg
		Norwegian Institute of Thechnology
		University of Trondheim
		NORWAY

	"If ye can't see it, it's right behind ye..."


Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: tgt33358@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Thanatos)
Subject: Re: Whatever happened to Gary Gygax?
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 10:29:41 GMT

In article <92313.204409IO11330@MAINE.MAINE.EDU> The illustrius Pat Ellis (the DM) <IO11330@MAINE.MAINE.EDU> writes:
>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.......
>
You might read this as a mild flame, but I can't believe you said the above.
The Gord the Rogue series is the ultimate in fluff (fiction written about an
adventure the author's character went on).  One of my friends hit the nail on
the noggin when he proclaimed:  "I can _hear_ the dice rolling!"  And you could.
Someone recorded a session of AD&D, and then sat down and transcribed it!  
Combat was CLEARLY delineated, with initiatives, number of attacks per round,
and thieving rolls were SCREAMED at the reader, ie Gord fails a Move Silently
roll..."Gord failed to see the loose board on the floor, and it screamed in
protest as his full weight came upon it."  AARRGGHH!!! 

-- 
I don't mind being the smartest	    / Thanatos, DeathUrge, Master of Unknown
man in the world...I just wish it   \ Time and Space tgt33358@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu 
wasn't this one...	       	    / It's a Zen thing... 
	-Ozymandias 		    \	 you wouldn't understand...  
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: prrunste@napier.uwaterloo.ca ()
Subject: Riddles
Organization: University of Waterloo
Distribution: rec.games.frp.dnd
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1992 21:44:29 GMT

	Does anyone know any really challenging (or even semi-challenging)
riddles that I can borrow for a campaign (sp?) I am currently running ?

I've read the last Dark Tower book (by Stephan King) and it has a few
good ones but I need more...My players crave situations where they 
must work as a team and put their heads together in order to accomplish
their goals and I have given them a few mind benders of my own,     
unfortunatly they have solved most of them without too much difficulty. 
I need a fresh mind with a some original riddles

			Thanks in advance for any help...


			        Kaelin Pathfinder
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: scythe@byron.u.washington.edu (The Grim Reaper)
Subject: Re: wish spell results
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1992 22:42:46 GMT

In article <Nov.10.14.34.48.1992.9582@gandalf.rutgers.edu> ghuber@gandalf.rutgers.edu (George Huber) writes:
>I am running a module in which the main villian will be using wish's to
>hinder the party.  The problem, is that as I am designing the wish I may be 
>to close to the process to see any loop holes or other ways to pervert what
>is wished for (normally I can do this with my players wish's quite easily).
>I am currently considering the following two wishes:
>
>1) "wish that that the next attack spell that I throw will do maximum damage
>   to its targets"
>
>2) "wish that all the targets of the next attack spell that I throw fail to 
>   resist it's effects"
>
>What I intend for these two wishes to do is:
>
>1) this spell will cause the maximum amount of damage, saving throws and items
>   will still be alowed (ie a fireball will do 60 points of damage 
>   automatically)
>
>2) this spell will cause all the targets to fail their save.  Items will still
>   function normally.
>
>Anyone see any loopholes in these wish's that might pervert them into something
>else (or other ways of intrepretating these)?
>
>Thanks in advance-
>George Huber

IMHO, villians should not use wishes.  They are simply to
difficult for DMs to use fairly by the bad guys.  Besides...
9th level spells are bad enough as it is (time stop!).
PS-If you still want to use that wish, how about a literal
interpretation of throw?  Only spells that are actually
thrown will have that effect... =)

--------------------+-----------------------+---------------------------------
HIC IACET ARTVRVS   +The Grim Reaper        +Though I respect that a lot,     
IN INSVLA AVALONIA  +SCYTHE@U.WASHINGTON.EDU+I'd be fired if that was my job  
REX QVONDAM REXQVE  +-----------------------+For killing Jason off            
FVTVRVS             +                       +and countless screaming Argonauts
--------------------+-----------------------+---+-------------------------+---
                                                | They Might Be Giants -  |
                                                | "Birdhouse in Your Soul |
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: dutech@reseau.Berkeley.EDU (Groupe ELEVES)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Suicide
Keywords: suicide, question
Date: 10 Nov 92 14:55:30 GMT
Reply-To: dutech@reseau.Berkeley.EDU (Groupe ELEVES)

> 
> I don't know if this has come up before, but how is suicide defined
> in regards to good or evil?  I mean, wouldn't an evil character commiting
> suicide, therefor ridding the world of his evil, be a GOOD act?
> And wouldn't a good character killing oneself be an EVIL act?
> This could lead to interesting scenarios, such as a evil person
> going to the seven heavens due to committing suicide when all was lost.
> The only person whom this would not affect would be the Neutral type.
> Just curious.  Lemme know if this has already come up or anything.
> 

  Curious idea. It all depends on the person's personal beliefs, reli-
-gion, and inner character. I mean, in medieval Japan, suicide was a
way either to atone for one's failures, or to express an inner conflict
between one's beliefs and obligations ( such as a good-oriented samurai
whose lord orders to slay a hundred peasants just because the harvest is
poor. The samurai MUST comply to this order - if not, he is disgraced.
On the other way, it is totally alien to his beliefs. Ritual suicide -
the Seppuku - is a way to regain peace and balance, and to show his lord
the error of his ways. Such suicide were considered both honorable and
highly moral. )

  So, a Lawful Evil character committing suicide because of a
pledge he could not fulfill, or a Lawful Good character commiting sui-
-cide to avoid committing an evil act, are not contrary to one's align-
-ment. But It COULD be contrary to one's religious beliefs...

  Eventually, I don't think that alignment has anything to do with that.
Beliefs and religion have. So define alignment according to the charac-
-ter's beliefs/religion, not the other way round. Alignment is such an
arbitrary thing anyway...

							Redwing.
> 
> Friar
> -- 
>     "Silence isn't golden if I'm holdin' it inside."
>                            --- W. Axl Rose
> 
> friar@choate.edu
From: boelter3945@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: AD&D:damage from cold based spells while wet?
Date: 11 Nov 92 17:57:14 -0600
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

In article <Nov.11.15.29.00.1992.6272@gandalf.rutgers.edu>,
   ghuber@gandalf.rutgers.edu (George Huber) writes:
> 
> If a party that is soaked with water (say from an decanter of endless water)
> and is then hit with a cold based spell (say cone of cold, ice storm, freezing
> sphere); what should the extra effects, if any, be?
> 
> George Huber

  I would probably give the spell a +1 on each damage dice rolled, and a -2
on saves (if the was a save).

                                        John "Nightwind" Boelter

--
*******************************************************************************
* John Boelter        a.k.a. Nightwind            boelter3945@iscsvax.uni.edu *
* Organizational Manager and contact person for everything and then some.     *
*******************************************************************************
* Real programmers never work 9 to 5.  If  *            <Definitions>         *
* any real programmers are around at 9am,  * Endless Loop:  See Loop, Endless *
* it's because they were up all night.     * Loop, Endless:  See Endless Loop *
*                -Rune Huseby-             *           -Radio Shack Manual-   *
*******************************************************************************
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: zuniga@loligo.cc.fsu.edu (Ralph Zuniga (FREAC/CAR))
Subject: Re: Most powerful PC ever
Organization: Florida State University Computing Center
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 92 03:20:03 GMT

In article <1992Nov4.193100.7256@spock.UUCP> friar@spock.uucp (Tom Walcott) writes:
>MY most powerful player character was a 99/99/99/99/99/99/99/99/99/99  human
>fighter/cavalier/mage/thief/druid/bard/ranger/paladin/thief-acrobat/wildmage/specialist (all), with straight 25's
>He had 500 hitpoints, and everything he wanted appeared when he
>wanted it.  He just contemplated something happening, and it bloody well did.
>He decided that being a paladin was an intrinsically selfish act, and that made
>him neutral, while depriving everyone else in the entire multiverse of their
>paladin abilities, if they possesed them.  *HAH*.
>So there.   ;-)
>
>Friar
>
>-- 
>    "Silence isn't golden if I'm holdin' it inside."
>                           --- W. Axl Rose
>
>friar@choate.edu

Big deal! That's nothing! My character was.... GOD!!!!
From: dutech@reseau.Berkeley.EDU (Groupe ELEVES)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Hurled Weapons To hit/damage
Date: 5 Nov 92 07:58:33 GMT
Reply-To: dutech@reseau.Berkeley.EDU (Groupe ELEVES)

> >Using both STR and DEX to hit applies only to "hurled weapons"
> >ie) spear, dagger, dart, etc.
> >NEVER bows, slings, x-bows
> 
> 	NEVER?
> 	This implies that a 20 pound draw bow hits as hard as a 100-pound
> draw. 
> 
> 	NOT A CHANCE.
> 
> 	If the bow is designed for your strength, you get the STR bonus.
> 
> 	And a sling is all muscle power and coordination. If you have more
> of both, you hit harder.
> 

  IMHO, if the bow was designed to match your strength, you get the DEX bonus
to hit (only) and the STR bonus to damage. There's no way you can get the STR
bonus to hit. If it wasn't you don't get any damage bonus.

  For Thrown weapons, you always get the DEX bonus to hit and the STR bonus
to damage.

  This comes from the rationale that DEX is a measure of precision and accuracy
(hence the to hit bonus on hurled/missile weapons) while STR is a measure of
both raw physical might (hence the damage bonus, if the weapon allows it) and
the ease with which you move your weapon in a fight (hence the to hit bonus in
melee combat).

  This was from Radio Toulouse...

								Redwing.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: rsm58307@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Ron)
Subject: Most favorite PC ever
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1992 07:46:23 GMT

My favorite character would probably be the one I am currently playing,
a 5/6 gnome illusionist/thief named Fenris.

Fenris has black eyes, sharp teeth and almost always is grinning. He
is NE, which gives my DM fits because I tend to intercept the money
before it comes to the rest of the party (my DM requires *lots* of cash
for training).

What makes Fenris special is the extent to which he has prepared himself
for eventualities that may never come (invisible caltrops, cont dark stone,
cont light stone, invisible rope&quarrel).  Just as importantly, Fenris
is in the business of researching new spells.

I won't post them here because I know other characters in the party
have access to and READ network news. If you want to know of such
greats such as Shadowrune, Fenris's Greenbane, and Fenris's Fantastical
Fistibrulation you can email.

Anyway, he is by far the most enjoyable character to play I have had.

	- Ron

Organization: Freshman, CIT general, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Date: Thu,  5 Nov 1992 01:29:52 -0500 
From: "Jordan M. Wolbrum" <jw67+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: MOST POWERFUL PC EVER

I guess my PC's pretty powerful, he's only a zero level human, but he
knows when to use lowercase letters.
From: cm601@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bradley Alexander Derrick)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Kelvin Elves
Date: 10 Nov 1992 00:06:51 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Reply-To: cm601@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bradley Alexander Derrick)
NNTP-Posting-Host: slc10.ins.cwru.edu


	I have two friends who have been designing a world on and off for
the last three years.  One of them whos art work rivals Larry Elmore (Who I
get to do character sketches :>) has been working more off than on, so I
have taken his place.  So I have devised a stock of elves who call
themselves Kelvin(tm).  The Kelvin elves are a race of elves who dwell in
the tree tops.  They have built entire cities suspended above the jungle
floors in which they live.  I want for them to be slightly magical, but not
to rival 1st level wizards.  Unfortunately TSR decided it was a good idea
to get rid of some of Gary Gygax's creations and axed the druids class. 
But the Kelvin have some inate magical abilities that are about equal to
first level druid spells.  And I have included:

	 Glide - a spell that allows for creatures to literally glide 
		 on air at a maximum of 5'+1' per level.  For one round.
		 Glide is primarily used to get a character from one place
		 to another were the distance is to far to jump.  Glide is
		 also able to break falls lessing damage by 2 Hit Points
		 for every 15 feet fallen.

	Kelvin elves will have this ability, and pick of probably one 1st
edition druid spells.

	Further information about Urath( Ur - Ath) can be E-mailed from me.
 If you would like maps and the newsletter that is soon to be released
E-Mail me.  Or if you would like further documentation of Kelvin Elves
E-Mail me!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright c 1992  Alex Derrick (cm601) All Rights Reserved
  This material may not be copied, photographed, reproduced, 
  or translated or reproduced to any electrical medium, 
  in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of the 
  author.

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: LRPR000 <LRPR@UNB.CA>
Subject: RE: Spicing up combat?
Organization: The University of New Brunswick
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 21:51:49 GMT

In article <1992Nov13.163009.19323@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu> vputz@nyx.cs.du.edu (Victor Putz) writes:
>Four:  This is a biggie, and I'm not sure how to do it under D&D rules.
>In the beginning of a character's life, mages and clerics are virtually
>useless in a combat and will quickly assume the roles of "human target" or
>"fly on the wall".  Getting them involved is tricky.  Anyone have ideas?
    Whoa - aren't 1st level clerics in the best position they'll ever
be with respect to fighters, who have the same starting thac0? And short
of having a scroll of Tenser's transformation, I can't imagine any MU
who would be keen to go hand to hand at any level. Although one 10th
level mage who would always come in with a dagger +2 to clean up the
last 2 or 3 orcs does spring to mind...

   On a more constructive note, I recommend highly the special combat
maneuvers of Oriental adventures martial arts and a similar system
reprinted in a dragon magazine (don't recall the number but it had a
small boat and a big ichthysaur on the cover) for occidental weapons
combat. Also, see the Dragon magazine article "in defence of the shield"
For example, the Paladin in my campaign got his keep from a murderin'
cutthroat cattle - rustlin' varmint (near longsaddle in FR).
   I had the bad guy with 2 slots spent specializing in the shield;
this gave him a 2 ac bonus, even though the shield was non-magical.
It was very amusing, since in a tense battle he had to drop his shield
drink an X-heal potion; then he spent a round picking it up again
(which gave the PC's a much needed break from the fury of this 8th level
fighter's attacks) - this made one of the greedier players sure that the
shield must be magical, and he went on carting it around (even though
it didn't detect magic) for months, even passing up a +1 shield to use
this one. Also, there was a high level thief there; it was interesting
to say the least when he decided to bug out of a sword fight and just
tumbled 30' off the roof of the keep - the PC's really scrambled for a
way to catch him before he escaped into the night... It's also been
interesting to use the mounted combat rules for things like heroic
dismounts, snatching up a wounded comrade and riding away, knocking
people out of the saddle, etc. Flying combat can be interesting; I
highly recommend casting a fly spell and then using dimension door to
gain altitude... Anyway, the point of all this rambling is that the
proficiencies, like riding, tumbling, climbing etc. can make battles
more interesting; some variant combat abilities similar to the official
OA ones can also be important; generally, if an ability is balanced,
new proficiencies, weapon and nonweapon, can give your character
that different edge in combat that won't be a powergaming experience,
but may be oh-so-useful in a particular situation.
                     JubbaBones.