HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: acsoedf@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Eric Frohnapple)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Elven Chain Mail (Why?)
Date: 21 Aug 92 17:14:00 GMT
Article-I.D.: acsu.BtCD3p.9zK
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

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 :-(        )
> 

	Well, there's two factors in the quality of chainmail.  (I know a
little bit about the subject, having personally made a suit...)
	First, is the quality of the material.  I would have to guess that
the elves probably buy the Mithril from Dwarves (or something like that.)
	Secondly, and the main reason that only Elves make Elven chainmail is
the size of the rings.  Elves tend to like the pattern of chainmail (...it 
really is quite facinating to look at and play with if you have ever seen it.)
The smaller diameter links, the prettier it looks, and the lighter the weight.
Since Mithril is being used to make the links, it can effectively be used for
VERY small links.  Unfortunately, chainmail takes a very long time to make.  I
have known people who spend a full year making one suit (complete with boots,
leggings, gauntlets, and coif....but still only one that year.)  Making 
chainmail with signifigantly smaller links would take much longer.  Elves seem
to be the only race with the skill (spending hundreds of years practicing helps)
and PATIENCE to make it.
	I would suppose that it would be possible for a very dedicated Dwarf
to make elven chainmail (after all, they do come in Dwarf sizes), but who
is going to be able to tell who made it after it has been taken from some
gnoll?


Akryn
From: ccoprdj@prism.gatech.EDU (Jorge Diaz)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Bastard DM From Hell Pt 2
Date: 17 Aug 92 07:22:14 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

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. :-)

>Consider.  If a ranger wears armour when he needs to fight (gaining full xp)
>and takes it off at other times (so he get's special abilities) why would
>*anyone* become a straight fighter?

Maybe because he doesn't want to have to play a 'good' alignment?  Maybe
because fighters gain levels more quickly than rangers?  Maybe because
you can't play a ranger/mage or a ranger/thief?  Maybe because he doesn't
have the necessary requisite abilities to play a ranger?

You're right.  Why on earth would anyone pick a fighter when they can
be a ranger instead?

>As it was never pointed out, I suppose that I will say.  It is bound in a
>wooden jacket that is about 1/2" thick and has a very large and ornate metal
>lock on it.  Before flaming anyone, go find a piece of dense wood that is
>about the size of the book and pick it up.

All realism aside, let's compare it to the world that this game is being
played in.  In the standard D&D world, an entire suit of plate mail
weighs 50 pounds.  I cannot believe that you expect anyone to believe that
this book weighs 10 pounds more than a suit of plate mail, unless its pages
are made of stone.


-- 
Jorge Diaz                       | Sign in a restaurant:
Georgia Institute of Technology  | 
Office of Information Technology |   "We reserve the right to serve refuse to
ccoprdj@prism.gatech.edu         |        anyone."
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: educ@unixg.ubc.ca (Vicki Domansky)
Subject: Re: Gender in D&D
Organization: University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 19:26:03 GMT

In article <1992Aug21.170809.19627@nic.umass.edu> rjr@titan.ucc.umass.edu (Richard J. Resnick) writes:
>I am a fairly frequent reader of this newsgroup, and am curious as to how many
>female readers/posters we have on this group. It interests me that very few
>D&D players are female (unless I can of course be proven wrong), and I was cu-
>rious as to whether or not there are really any female players who read this
>group.

Hasn't this come up before?  I'm a female, and the first group I gamed
with was made up of 5 "female" teenagers in high school 10 years ago.
I still game regularly with one of those women, and occasionally with
2 other of them and know several other women players.  However I also
belong to a gaming club where there are over 20 people, and only two
of us are women.  But many of the men there seem to prefer to play
women characters, or will play two characters with one male and one female.


>I am currently running an internet campaign, where all seven of the party mem-
>bers are male, and only one of them role-plays a female character. In previous
>experience with D&D as well, I have found a real lack of female participation,
>although female players have always added to any party I have ever gamed with.

Interesting.  I am in several pbems at the moment, and am the only
female player in each of the games.  But some of the other male
players are playing females that are exceedingly memorable!  One is a
cleric/mage who is constantly trying to seduce our paladin - it is
hilarious reading, but especially so when you realize it is a male
playing the part :-) 

-- 
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Vicki Domansky <Morgaine>                               educ@unixg.ubc.ca
Education Computing Services                       v_domansky@mtsg.ubc.ca
U of B.C. Vancouver Canada                        usereduc@ubcmtsg.bitnet
From: seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Anti-paladins
Date: 20 Aug 92 21:59:15 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh
Originator: seawasp@pmax1.cis.pitt.edu

In article <1992Aug20.214004.7276@wam.umd.edu> spanky@wam.umd.edu (Mephistopheles (The Devil)) writes:
>Anti-Paladin?!?  What the heck is that?  There is no way to explain an
>anti-paladin without pissing off anyonw who plays a paladin.  How does a
>Paladin gain his extraordinary abilities?  Discipline, devotion to higher
>principles than everyone else. 

	I guess it depends on what you say a Paladin does. I say that a Paladin
gets his/her extraordinary abilities because the DEITY HE SERVES GIVES HIM
those powers. He gets them because he DOES WHAT HIS DEITY  WANTS DONE very
well, faithfully, and probably with a complete fanaticism.

>provocation, etc...  The Anti-Paladin, on the other hand, acts as he or
>she pleases, slaying without any care whatsoever, stealing, etc...  Where's
>the difficulty in that?  Where's the hardship he or she goes through to earn
>the special powers?

	No hardship. Their powers are coming from a god that LIKES these 
kind of things and promotes them, and because these Anti-Ps are soooooo
good at doing them and serve this deity of darkness well and faithfully
the deity rewards them with these powers.

	Obviously in my campaign I have Paladins ("Holy Warriors" "Saints"
"Champions" etc.) of all alignments and gods, and often with different
powers depending on the god...


                                 Sea Wasp
                                   /^\
                                   ;;;
From: yt1@eng.cam.ac.uk (Y. Tremblay)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Bastard DM From Hell Pt 2
Date: 18 Aug 92 22:02:27 GMT
Organization: Cambridge University Engineering Department, UK

In article <1992Aug18.193632.8733@usenet.ins.cwru.edu> cb317@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Stephanie J. Kessler) writes:
>
>If the book in question is a spellbook (and I cannot remember for
>sure), then it is limited to 100 pages.  Therefore, they must be
>really THICK pages, which might explain the weight, besides the
>heavy cover and lock...
>-- 

   No, no, if the pages are thick, it weights less.  I don't know the
exact weight of paper but the ones that computed the weight of this item
used density of modern high quality paper.  In these time, paper was of
really poor quality (nothing like our ultra-thin and soft white paper) 
rough, "poreux" (sorry don't remember the english term: lots of very 
little holes...).  So, the density of this paper is far less than what 
we have now.
   My opinion since I am here.  I think 60 pounds is a bit too much but
20 is too small.  I didn't compute it since I lack some information about
the book (kind of paper, wood ) and in this situation, I would
probably go to a library and try to find such a book.  However, as 
someone else said, the weight is often adjusted to reflect the encumbrance
and that kind of book is certainly not really easy to carry.

(Well, maybe I'll go to the library tomorrow...)

Yannick
From: jgostin@eternal.chi.il.us (Jeff Gostin)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: a few questions
Date: 12 Aug 92 23:50:12 GMT
Organization: The little node that could...

by763@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Michael G. Mantel) writes:

> 1.Can a spell with permanency cast on it be dispelled?
I don't see why not. I would, however, make seperate rolls for each
enchantment: 1 for the permanency, 1 for each other, individually.

> 2.Would adventurers have to pay the prices of an inn in their
>   home town?
Until they get VIP status, or legendary status, why not?

> 3.What is the Underdark?
It's the place that the Drow live in.

...From a tiny little node called Eternal!
--
    /|Email  to:   jgostin@eternal.chi.il.us, offline@infopls.chi.il.us
   / |Smail  to:   Jeff Gostin, 917 High Ridge Pass, Carol Stream IL 60188
   \ |Vmail  to:   708-293-5526
    \|Flames to:   trashcan@eternal.chi.il.us
From: mxr@neptune.dsc.com (Max "Postdoctoral Perspiration" Rible)
Subject: Re: Anecdotes... Death... How come?
Organization: Digital Sound Corporation
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 19:24:16 GMT

seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp) writes:
>In article <Bsw9z1.IIn@acsu.buffalo.edu> swann@acsu.buffalo.edu (Stephen Swann) writes:
>>In article <4210@blue.cis.pitt.edu.UUCP> seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp) writes:
>>>	The lowest level character death was first. The highest level character
>>>death of mine was 67th.

>>Funny, you never before really struck me as being a munchkin.  Was
>>that a one-off, Monty Haul (or Monty Python) campaign, or do you 
>>have wagonloads of way-better-than-godlike characters?

>	That's not better than godlike. Maybe godlike, though. The Arduin
>level charts don't even STOP until they hit 100...

Just because a game is incredibly-high-powered doesn't mean that it's
necessarily gone munchkin.  I've heard tales from a friend of the high
level scenarios his group in Cambridge would get into.  These included
a borrowing of the heroquest idea from Runequest, where characters
would often end up adventuring in a world's mythology, often following
in the footsteps of their own gods, and interacting with them.  Some
of the ideas I've heard were of incredible power levels, but the foes
they had to face not only possessed similar degrees of power, they
possessed them for a damn good reason and knew how to use them
sensibly and effectively.  Some of the characters were in fact working
on becoming gods--- the world's mythology lacked a god specialized in
thunder and lightning, so one high level character was going through a
great deal of work to identify himself with such powers and forge his
own part of the mythology.  I've heard tales of two long campaigns
(and I believe a third is going on now) where the premise was to
actually save an entire plane from destruction, and this required a
great deal of ingenuity on the parts of the players. Gaming becomes
different at such levels, but no less interesting or challenging.
Of course, it's difficult to find people good at running and playing in
high fantasy without overdoing it...
/-------------v-----------------------v---------------------------------------\
| Max Rible   | mxr@dsc.com           | "Powerful big rats, gentlemen."       |
|             | rible@vorpal.ucsb.edu |                         - Neil Gaiman |
\-------------^-----------------------^---------------------------------------/
--
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology-Office of Information Technology
Date: Sun, 16 Aug 1992 18:44:10 EDT
From: Paul Goodwin <CC100PG@GITVM1.GATECH.EDU>
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Monty Haul (was Re: Levels)
 <4727@blue.cis.pitt.edu.UUCP> <1992Aug14.114821.14031@eng.cam.ac.uk>

I'm really gonna show my age here, but Monty Haul (in campaign terms) means
a campaign where characters (of any level) get rewards which have no logical
connection to the risks they take.  Anyone remember 'Let's make a deal' ?

Paul
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: royle@highland.manassas.ibm.com (Matthew Royle x4553 highland)
Subject: Re: Movement Rates
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 92 12:56:26 GMT
Organization: IBM T. J. Watson Research
Keywords: Distance, average, guess, approximations, etc...


Hmmm. Well, why dont we do a little calculating here.... These numbers
are by no means fact, but only rough guesses by myself... Feel free to
correct me if I am wrong:

  Walking man travels at about 5mph, and one could probably travel about 6 to
   10 hours a day depending on how desperate he is. So, that makes between
   30 and 50 miles a day.

  Riding horse... Well, they move, walking pace, maybe around 6 or 7 miles
   an hour, and riding pace of up to 25 miles an hour (assumed to be loaded
   with rider and equipment), so, they can probably travel that way for
   5 to 12 hours, (5 hours of hard riding, if that) So, 5*25=125 miles, and
   7*12=84 miles...

  Wagon... Hmm.. Generally two horses on a wagon, traveling around walking
  speed or a little faster, say 7 miles an hour, and they can usually go
  for 8 hours, maybe 12 if you pushed it.  So, 56 to 84 miles in a day.

  Ships... Well... I have little idea here... There are some fast fast
   ships these days (non motor powered) but I have no idea how fast they
   can travel... Anyone have any ideas?

   And again, all the above distances/times are sheer guesses and approximations by me, and they could be vastly wrong, but they seem reasonable enough.

  -Matthew Royle
   royle@manvmd1.vnet.ibm.com
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: mmunoz@vxcrna.cern.ch (MUNOZ,MARC./DG)
Subject: Re: The illogic of draining levels
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: European Organization for Nuclear Research, CERN
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 10:20:00 GMT

Yes, draining levels is illogic (well, levels are illogic, AD&D is illogic), but
it's the best way to bring terror to the players. The undeads are supposed to
be the incarnation ot terror and fear, and do you know any better way?
   I agree that some patches would be necessary (someone has posted something
about AD&D vampires and Dracula/Nosferatu).
                              MArc 
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: Rannou@info.polymtl.ca (Patrick Rannou)
Subject: Re: Tarresque - Anyone killed one?
Organization: Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, Canada
	<1992Aug20.165601.4759@mcs.kent.edu> <66465@hydra.gatech.EDU>
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 1992 09:39:44 GMT

In article <66465@hydra.gatech.EDU> tmiller@prism.gatech.EDU (Thomas Miller) writes:


     Hmm.  I always wanted to pit the party that I DM-ed against the
   tarrasque.  We never got the chance, though.  I'm sure they don't
   mind.
     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.
     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
   kind of super heroes game.
     Just my two cents.


   -- 
No, no.... just bring EGO, the LIVING PLANET father: SUPEREGO!!!

I mean, tentacles that are thousands of kilometers in diameters should hit
pretty hard...

I just can see it:



GM: "OK, you see a big bubbling mass in the sky, bloating it and darkening
the sun... Many tentacles are prodding from it, and some of these grab the
moons... and squish them..."
PCs: WHaAAaaT?
GM: "It's super-ego, the living whatever, and suddenly you see one of the
tentacles coming toward you. It's becoming huge, so huge that it covers the
whole sky and hides even the super-ego entity. EARTHQUAKE!
PCs: "Run for your lives!"
Mage: I mass teleport the party out of here! To the next continent!!!
GM: OK, but that's no use: Thep planet goes squish on next round anyway!
    Roll up new PCs. Not munchkin ones this time!
PC: Hey, no fair! My PC is immune to damage and can breathe in vacuum! 
    While floating in space amidst the planet's debris, I use that
super-life-giving potion to make the mage come about, and hen I cast a
wish that this creature nevern existed!"
GM: AAAARGH!
--
/---------------------------\
| Patrick "Paradak" Rannou. |
| Rannou@info.polymtl.ca    |
\---------------------------/

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: morrow@fnalo.fnal.gov (Dan Elmoe)
Subject: Al-Qadim: Late.  Why?  When?
Organization: The Democrats' Best Hope in '96
Date: Sun, 16 Aug 1992 21:39:17 GMT
X-Posted-From: fnalo.fnal.gov
X-Posted-Through: sol.ctr.columbia.edu

	Anybody had any word on why the Al-Qadim boxed set is late, or when it
is now expected to come out?
-- 
"We're off to see the Wizard."                                                 
--Dorothy and friends                                                          
  
elmo (morrow@physics.rice.edu,morrow@fnal.fnal.gov)
From: willimsa@unix1.tcd.ie (Gavin Williams)
Subject: Re: High STR & small weapons (was: Re: Optional Specialization Ruling
Organization: Trinity College, Dublin
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 13:30:20 GMT

(Phil Kernick) writes:


>Just another ruling from the BDMFH.


muahahahahahaahah!!!!!! :-)

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: pluther@percy.rain.com (Pat Luther)
Subject: Stockton Fruit Fly Spell
Organization: Percy's mach, Portland, OR
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 04:56:48 GMT



The following spell is based on a true story.
In the summer of 1990, Stockton California was infested with a type  
of insect called the Ash Whitefly.    

These bugs were everywhere.  On one particularly heavy day, I figured  
there to be 10 of them per cubic foot.  In the entire city.  They  
secreted a sticky goo, which got all over EVERYTHING.  Car  
windshields were full of dead flies, people walking around outside  
got flies and flygunk all over them. And for those of us who had to  
ride our bicycles to and from work every day: ugh.
The plague (which still isn't completely under control) is only one  
example of what happens when you mess up your environment too much!
I toned it down a bit for the spell, figuring the reality was just to  
disgusting for a fantasy game.

ALBINO FRUIT FLIES (Conjuration/Summoning)
Level: 3
Range: 30yds+10yds/level
Components: V,S,M
Duration: special (see below)
Casting Time: 3
Area of Effect: 1 10' cube per level
Saving Throw: Neg. (but see below)

This spell causes a great cloud of small, white, harmless but  
annoying flies to spring forth.  These bugs are so dense as to 
obscure vision within the cloud to only 2'.  These albino fruit  
flies, while they do not bite, secrete a sticky gooey substance, so  
that anyone caught within the cloud and failing a saving throw will 
be affected as if by a _slow_ spell (cde).  While the cloud itself  
will only last for 2 rounds + 1 round/level of the caster, the  
effects of the sticky gunk on characters will last until they manage  
to wash it off, a feat which requires at least 1/2 gallon of water  
for a man-sized creature, and takes 1 turn.  Using more water will 
reduce this time, of course, and complete submersion in water will 
wash a character in a single round.  These flies have an even worse  
effect on vegetation.  Beings made from vegetable matter will take 
1d3 of damage per level of the caster for as long as they remain 
within the cloud.  Other vegetation will surely be eaten within a few 
rounds, destroying gardens or forests, and probably greatly angering  
any nearby druids! The material component of this spell is a live ash 
whitefly or any other kind of small, harmless, but extremely annoying 
insect.

-- 
Pat Luther: Lex's Evil Twin
picard!pat@percy.rain.com <-- NeXTmail OK.
pluther@percy.rain.com (sometimes quicker)
luther@uop.edu (slowest of all...)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: cb317@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Stephanie J. Kessler)
Subject: Re: Optional Specialization Ruling
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, (USA)
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 92 19:45:27 GMT


I cannot remember which book this is from, but somewhere it says
that you cannot use a weapon in your off-hand that is the same
size or larger than the main hand weapon without a special
proficiency (can't remember what it is... ambedexterity???).
Otherwise, it must be smaller, like a dagger or short sword...
-- 
The United States is a nation of laws:  badly written and
randomly enforced.     Frank Zappa

cb317 @ cleveland.Freenet.Edu
From: scythe@byron.u.washington.edu (The Grim Reaper)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Elven Chain Mail (Why?)
Date: 21 Aug 92 17:31:13 GMT
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle

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 :-(        )
>
>
>-- 
>Michael Wright            _-_|\     Peg- "Al, can I have a thousand bucks?" 
>LaTrobe University,      /     \     Al- "Why sure honey, have you got change
>Melbourne, Australia.    \_.-_*/          for a million?"
>wright@latcs1.lat.oz.au       v                Married with children. :-)

For the same reason that elves get bonuses to secret door location,
a bonus to hit with swords and bows, and all their other special
racial abilities.  TSR is *strongly* biased towards elves.

P.S.  Halfling rule!

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