HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: dv52151@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Axly)
Subject: Re: Paladins
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 16:21:06 GMT

Rannou@info.polymtl.ca (Patrick Rannou) writes:


>   The LN character is actually the one more likely to take the thief in to
>   the proper authorities. It's the paladin's good side that is more likely
>                                              ^^^^
>   to lead him to kill this larcenous bandit. If the paladin moves in
>                  ^^^^
>   alignment
>   at all, it's going to be away from Law not towards it. Killing someone who
>   steals without a trial is a good act, not a lawful one.  Lawful neutral
>   characters are very strict about following the letter of the law.

>I feel the "it's his good side which will make him kill the thief" is just
>as twisted.

Okay, think about this. Who is morely likely to kill a thief on the spot,
a chaotic good character or a lawful good character? In most instances,
the chaotic good character will take the law in his own hands ala Dirty
Harry. 

>A truly GOOD person won't try to kill. Quite on the contrary.
>Your paladin is very obvisouly lawful neutral, and even borderline
>NEUTRAL neutral at that. Some might say that it's even a temporary laspe in
>neutral evil. Killing for theft. Maybe, but recheck your history books.

That's your definition of good, wherein all killing is evil. If all killing
is evil, then why does the diety have paladins, who are just men and women
who kill people for the right reasons? 
The theft must also be considered in context. If a gnome will steal from
his friends, he'll most likely steal from anyone. To protect those members
of the community who he may prey upon, the paladin has to do something to
keep him from stealing in the future. The Muslim paladin is likely to
cut off his hand, and other responses will vary according to religion.
Consider the Norse gods. Condemned criminals were used for blood sacrifices
to their dieties.  

Axly

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: cjudd@esk.compserv.utas.edu.au (Craig Thomas Judd)
Subject: Re: What is with these Katana's?
Organization: University of Tasmania at Launceston
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 92 08:58:02 GMT

In article <67219@hydra.gatech.EDU>, ccoprdj@prism.gatech.EDU (Jorge Diaz) writes:
>
>In article <Bts2HB.sv@percy.rain.com> pluther@percy.rain.com (Pat Luther) writes:
>
>>Because a katana is a two-handed sword!
>What, are you kidding me?!!!
>Leonardo uses one in each hand, and he's not even that big (5'4" or so).

Think of a katana as an Oriental bastard sword.

Yours bastardly;-)

-- 
   \/\ "Turn out the lights! Or do you want everyone for miles around to /\/
====\/\      know about our secret base?!" - Colonel, AKIRA Book 2      /\/====
=====\/\  WANT ANY MANGA ARTWORK DONE? Email me! (NO Anthropomorphs!)  /\/=====
      \/\   cjudd@esk.compserv.utas.edu.au      a.k.a. KUROTO Shiro   /\/
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Why are their level limits?
From: gajensen@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu
Date: 26 Aug 92 18:09:29 -0500
Distribution: na
Organization: Miami University Academic Computer Service"

jwwalden@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu (P'relan) writes:
> gajensen@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu writes:
>> I still don't think you could have those special people as PC's, though. Using
>> [Stuff deleted]
>> it's hard to protect your people if you're messin' around somewhere else.
> 
> I'm not sure why this wouldn't apply just as equally to the human paladin...
> [Stuff deleted]
> in the elven party...:-).

Probably for the reason outlined in Dragonlance hardbound. Soemwhere in that
book it says that Paladinhood is a human concept and alien to other races.
Sorry to be copping out on this part of the argument, but that's the best I can
come up with for now. 

>> I don't think I can buy this, you will always have the exception to the rule.
> Why can't you have an exception to the racial level limits then?  At the worse,
> the rules are equally illogical.

Bt saying an exception to the rule, I meant an exception to the normal mode of
activity and goals for their race, not an exception to the rules, (We are fond
of the term guidlines now), outlined in the book. 

> Finally, a
> character would probably be up for divine ascension either by his or her deity
> or through special quests to attain something like the Greyhawk quasi-diety
> status long before they'd gained such a level.

Yeah, probably right on this one, hadn't really thought of that. But again,
what about the person who desires to hang around the mortal world for a bit
first and be king and master before going to be an undering to a god for
several centuries. 

  
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>  P'relan (and Birith)      	   ``Time stand still -
>  jwwalden@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu      I'm not looking back -
>   or jwwalden@miavx1.bitnet	     But I want to look around me now.'' - RUSH

Greg Jensen, aka:
	Silk, thief extraordinaire!!
From: boelter3945@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Attack roll for spells
Date: 31 Aug 92 20:08:22 GMT
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

In article <o400PB1w165w@sosaria.imp.com>, chrisb@sosaria.imp.com (Chris Brand)
   writes:
> Something has been bothering me for quite a while: what spells need an
> attack roll? What about Magic Missile? Or Shocking Grasp?

   Well, Magic Missile doesn't require one, while Shocking Grasp does.  It
depends on the spell, check the individual spell description if you don't know
for sure.

                                        John "Nightwind" Boelter

--
*******************************************************************************
* John Boelter        a.k.a. Nightwind            boelter3945@iscsvax.uni.edu *
* Organizational Manager and contact person for everything and then some.     *
*******************************************************************************
* The individual who said we only use 10%  * "I hit it with my Sword+10 of    *
* of our brain's mental capacity, was      *  Super Slaying" - "It laughs" -  *
* probably 90% incorrect.                  * "I give the DM the rest of my    *
*            -Unknown comic on A&E-        *  pizza" - *munch* "It dies"      *
*******************************************************************************
From: cwatters@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Coyt D Watters)
Subject: Re: Munchikinism/Min-Maxing (Require Def'n)
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 14:57:48 GMT

MIN/MAX:

This is the practise of creating a character with the maximum of advantages 
while minimizing disadvantages. 

You'll see this when a player is rolling up a character, especially if you
allow them to arrange the scores to suit:

	Mage:	I wonder if I should put this 18 in INT, or into
		my CON?  I'll put the 16 in my CON, since I can only get
		2 hit points of bonus/level, and put the 18 in my INT.

Often this takes place when the player is picking weapon proficiencies:
they will weigh the damage a weapon can do against the weapon speed, armor
bonuses, etc.

MIN/MAX also includes taking advantage of every obscure rule in the 
system (see also RULES RAPE) to give the character every advantage.

Some Min/max is good, it lets the Gm know the player at least understands
the system.  Excessive min/max smacks of munchkinism.

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: menery@de3a1066a.osd.mil (Ristonofer)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: finding a game
Date: 27 Aug 92 11:47:36 GMT

> Paul Goodwin <CC100PG@GITVM1.GATECH.EDU> writes...

>>Let me know if you find a good way to dis-invite people without hard
>>feelings...I'm not sure it's possible, but if so, it's the kind of thing
>>that may be useful in future.

It all depends on why you're disinviting them.  If their level of play simply
isn't up to the standards you have set, then tell them gently, and possibly
suggest methods for improvement and/or other gaming groups.  If they're just
munchkins/powergamers/royal pains, give them an unceremonious boot--
especially if they've become a disruptive force in your game.  Tact is a good
thing, remorse not neccessarily so.

--
Ristonofer
menery@galt.osd.mil
Lucid observation.  Snappy retort.  World-embracing cliche.
Witty non-sequitir.
From: lavonius@kruuna.Helsinki.FI (Ville Lavonius)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Origin of the 2nd ed. Ranger
Date: 29 Aug 92 17:35:00 GMT
Organization: Vidal Sassoon's Mosh&Go

In article <1992Aug29.102224.15207@husc3.harvard.edu> alvalent@husc9.harvard.edu (Alvin Valentine) writes:

   If you wonder why Rangers get to wield 2 weapons at butt kicking levels,
   but only in light armor, watch Robin Hood and the sorcerer (or any other
   Michael Praed/Jason Connery Robin Hood episode).  In this episode, Nasir,
   our prototypical ranger is shown acting like a ginsu on Robin Hood who is
   barely ducking and dodging until.....

No, no, no... Nasir is an assassin: he's a foreigner, wears black clothing
all the time and never pets animals :-)

   Later,

   Lee Valentine
--
Ville Lavonius	        University of Helsinki, Dept. of Computer Science
lavonius@cc.helsinki.fi : I'm the son of a gun and the gun of a son
From: dv52151@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Axly)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Rangers and studded leather armor
Date: 25 Aug 92 17:38:27 GMT
Article-I.D.: news.BtJvo4.CqD
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana

alvalent@husc9.harvard.edu (Alvin Valentine) writes:

>You can make a psuedo-ranger by taking a tracking proficiency and other
>woodland skills such as survival (woodlands).
>Singleclass fighters can be rather interesting provided they aren't left...

>Yup, you can, Axly, but remember that non-rangers track at a -10 penalty and
>don't get by level bonuses to the roll.  One might allow for kits which
>ignore this penalty though.

That's using the 1st edition. In 2nd edition, you are making a stat roll
on your wisdom stat if you have this proficiency. Taking it more than
once gives you a bonus of +1 on the roll for every proficiency you take
above and beyond the initial slot put into tracking.
The ranger gets bonus profiencies as he progresses, but a single class
fighter may do this, merely paying proficiency slots to  get the same
effect.

Axly
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: marrou@cs.ucf.edu (Lance R. Marrou)
Subject: Re: What is with these Katana's?
Organization: University of Central Florida
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 14:03:58 GMT

sl9b4@cc.usu.edu (Deep Six) writes:

>In article <1992Sep1.152747.1@economics.adelaide.edu.au>, ecrjbruce@economics.adelaide.edu.au writes:

>>> The masame and nogi-hada styles of Japanese blademaking resulted in
>>> 32,768 folds in the steel -- taking a kataha bar, doubling it on itself
>>> and welding, repeating 15 times.  Masamune and other famous makers took
>>> four kataha and made blades with 4,194,304 layers.
>>> 
>> Are you serious?  How thick are these things?  4,000,000 layers of say .1mm
>> material = 400,000 mm = 40,000 cm = 400metres!

>Shit. That's one big whacking stick you got there. I guess the question 
>now should be: Why do kantanas ONLY do 1d10!?

:)  Maybe 1d1000? 
Of course, the metal is hammered to incredible thinness and double width
before folding...sort of like making a pizza pie! :)

--
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Lance R. Marrou
   Work   - Marrou@IST.UCF.edu
   School - Marrou@Eola.cs.UCF.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: djdaneh@pbhyc.PacBell.COM (Dan'l DanehyOakes)
Subject: Cure for Munchies (Re: They say . . .)
Reply-To: djdaneh@PacBell.COM (Dan'l DanehyOakes)
Organization: Pacific * Bell, San Ramon, CA
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 22:03:56 GMT

In article <l7mpbppn@cck.coventry.ac.uk> cmh512@cck.coventry.ac.uk (Iain Morales) writes:

>   And talking about munchkins... I would like to hear a of a cure for a sorry
>looking party, who consists of two pure but seemingly curable munchkins.. one 
>real player and another good player who likes to spend half the session arguing
>senselessly  about  minor  calls  and one reforming player, recovering from  a
>serious bout of powergaming which was bordering on the munchkin!
>
>what can I do with this sorry looking bunch???

Present them with challenges they can *NOT* fight their way out of, puzzles
that have to be solved by creative roleplaying.  Make the problems serious
that they can't just ignore them, though they need not necessarily always be
life-threatening.

Don't give them significant rewards in the form of gold, magic, etc.

*Do* give them significant rewards in the form of experience.

Even more:  give them significant rewards in the form of enjoyable roleplay.


		The Pavlov dog and the Schroedinger cat
		Side by side in my forebrain sat
		With Shakespeare's monkeys crowding in behind. . .
		. . . it's all in your mind.
			-- Visual Purple

Dan'l Danehy-Oakes, Net.Roach
My opinions do NOT represent Pacific Bell,
Professional Development, or anyone else.
But I'm willing to share.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: rnmg1200@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (A Lady and her Walrus)
Subject: Re: Origin of the 2nd ed. Ranger
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 03:23:11 GMT

In article <36924@uflorida.cis.ufl.edu> spp@surf.cis.ufl.edu (Stephen P. Potter) writes:
>In article <1992Aug29.102224.15207@husc3.harvard.edu> alvalent@husc9.harvard.edu (Alvin Valentine) writes:
>>Michael Praed/Jason Connery Robin Hood episode).  In this episode, Nasir,
>>our prototypical ranger is shown acting like a ginsu on Robin Hood who is
>>barely ducking and dodging until.....
>>
>Except for the small problem that Nasir is not a ranger.  Robin in a ranger.
>Nasir is a Saracen, an assassin.  Please reconcile that problem   ;)

Simple.  Ranger is a class.  Assassin is a kit.  It is possible (according 
to the description of the thief's version of the assassin's kit in the Thief's
Handbook) to have a good assassin.  Therefore, all you have to do is port
the kit over to the fighter class (making allowances for different class)
as was done last year in Dragon, and voila!  Instant ranger-assassin.

I thought we'd hashed (pardon the pun) this out already.

The Walrus
From: morpheus@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Morpheus Nosferatu)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: A new version of Familiars
Date: 27 Aug 92 16:29:03 GMT
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center

Someone sent me e-mail in response to this message, and in relation to
barbarians.  The mail system ate your return address.  Could you send
me a note so I can get back to you?

I apologize to everyone else for sending this over the net and wasting
bandwidth.
From: z_copeab@ccsvax.sfasu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Scrolls and spells
Date: 31 Aug 92 10:28:07 CST
Organization: Stephen F. Austin State University

In article <31AUG199208570934@lims02.lerc.nasa.gov>, spzkny@lims02.lerc.nasa.gov (JAMES ZAKANY) writes:
> In article <1992Aug30.223309.734@ccsvax.sfasu.edu>,
>  z_copeab@ccsvax.sfasu.edu writes...
>>In article <RANNOU.92Aug29030456@zuse.info.polymtl.ca>,
>  Rannou@info.polymtl.ca (Patrick Rannou) writes:
>>> In article <1992Aug28.014141.17465@latcs1.lat.oz.au>
>  barton@latcs1.lat.OZ.AU (Douglas P Barton) writes:
> 
>>>>(Doug Barton)
>>>>    Can an MU copy a spell from a scroll to his spell-book?
> 
>>> (Pat Rannou)
>>> So a scroll CAN'T be copied, but it can be used to gain INSIGHTS on a
>>> spell, and thus helps spell reasearch. The rules say using "up" a spell
>>> specifically to gain insight on it halves the time and cost used for spell
>>> reasearch.
> 
>>(Brandon Cope) 
>>	I have to agree with this. Scroll spells are specifically made for 
>>casting, not learning. The scroll spell is basically a 'compiled' version of 
>>the spell, ready to run and with a fixed effect. 
> 
> Well...  I guess I'm a bit more liberal as DM.  I allow the use of a first-
> level spell ('write') to copy a scroll to a spellbook.  The scroll is 
> obliterated in the process.  That does not confer "knowledge" of the spell, 
> however.  One must roll to see if one can "learn" the spell after spending 
> several weeks studying it (approx. 1 week per spell level).

	I might see how a Write spell could 'uncompile' a scroll spell. In this
case, the act of uncompiling would count as casting the spell, and place a
readable, generic form of the spell in the PCs spellbook. It would be this
readable form that the PC would try to study from.

> 
> Scrolls present one of the easiest methods to gain spells in my campaign.   
> I rule that spellbooks are only completely readable by their owners.  
> Before a captured spellbook can be of any use, one must spend time studying 
> it.  And, of course, 'read magic' is required to read any scroll or s'book.

	Mages in most of my games get the majority of new spells from captured
spellbooks. I've finally stopped using the Read Magic spell; Magical script is
simply a specialized written language, nothing more or less (similar, in some
ways, to Thieve's Cant, for example). If the spell(book) is written in an
unfamiliar script, the Comprehend Languages spell is used. The same holds true
for scrolls. (this is all IMC - In My Campaign).

Brandon Cope
 
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: pwoolsey@world.std.com (Patrick Woolsey)
Subject: Re: What is with these Katana's?
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 01:33:17 GMT



Well, I hate to contribute to the extension of this thread much more,
but I just couldn't resist. It being the case that several people have
previously posted very good summaries of Japanese vs. Western
sword-making methods, I would like to mention two items. Sorry if
these seem really obvious...

First, the probable cause of the Russo-Japanese war stories is an
incident or two where some Japanese soldier managed to cut through
someone's rifle _stock_. I cannot imagine a blade cutting a barrel in
the way described, as I am quite certain after a back of envelope
check that you cannot apply sufficient force to do this, but I can
pretty readily see a well-swing blade cutting through the wrist (the
grip portion) of a wooden stock. Then, the story spreads, sort of like
net news...

Second, in regard to notching blades by hitting objects. It is
possible that some of you out there have seen/heard of the Buck knife
ads some time ago, where they cut bolts with the knife. Sure, a
gimmick you say. Well, it works, but you have to do it right. Rest the
bolt on top of a solid surface, place the edge in once of the grooves
and tap the knife through with a hammer. Do _not_ try to do this in
one blow or you will notch the blade. It works; I have done it. A good
blade steel is capable of some impressive things under _carefully
controlled_ conditions.  However, this is an ideal condition. Hardened
bolts or any discrepancy in striking angle will notch the blade. (I
have done this too.) This is a problem with edged weapons of all
sorts, and Japanese blades, despite the fine quality of some, are
limited to following the same physical principles that govern the
yielding and deformation of metals.

My $0.02 for the day.


 Patrick Woolsey  (the Bear)  	*/*  Why choose the _lesser_ of two evils?
   pwoolsey@world.stds.com     	*/*         Vote Cthulhu in '92!
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: cjudd@esk.compserv.utas.edu.au (Craig Thomas Judd)
Subject: Re: What is with these Katana's?
Organization: University of Tasmania at Launceston
Date: Sat, 29 Aug 92 01:08:17 GMT

In article <1992Aug28.200413.21792@burrhus.harvard.edu>, canders@isr.harvard.edu (Carl E. Anderson) writes:
>	Here's something I've been wondering about for quite some time:
>Why does a katana do d10 damage in AD&D?  Why is it so much better than a
>scimitar or even a long sword.  Don't make sense to me.

A well-crafted katana (and most of them were) consisted of a single sheet of
metal folded and hammered 2000 times. They were so sharp that it was considered
blunt if it couldn't slice through the torso of a peasant in a single strike.
At least, that's what I've heard. Of course, you have to polish them at least
once every four days or they decompose rather badly... 

Yours bluntly;-)

-- 
   \/\ "Turn out the lights! Or do you want everyone for miles around to /\/
====\/\      know about our secret base?!" - Colonel, AKIRA Book 2      /\/====
=====\/\  WANT ANY MANGA ARTWORK DONE? Email me! (NO Anthropomorphs!)  /\/=====
      \/\   cjudd@esk.compserv.utas.edu.au      a.k.a. KUROTO Shiro   /\/
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: Rannou@info.polymtl.ca (Patrick Rannou)
Subject: Re: Paladins
Organization: Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, Canada
	<1992Aug28.113031.715@ccsvax.sfasu.edu>
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 23:02:04 GMT

In article <1992Aug28.113031.715@ccsvax.sfasu.edu> z_copeab@ccsvax.sfasu.edu writes:


   In article <Btp5F5.MAB@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, StarWatcher@uiuc.edu (StarWatcher) writes:
   > Rannou@info.polymtl.ca (Patrick Rannou) writes:
   > 
   > : I.E. Sex is socially more acceptable than death. Astonishing, huh?
   > :      We truly live in a crazy world.
   > 
   > Do you have a problem with sex?  After all, it is responsible for all of
   > our existances....

	   I think he switched 'sex' and 'death' in his statement by accident.  If
   you flip the two, it makes more sense (the sentence, not the world).

   Brandon Cope

Brandon, you really know how to read between the lines. OF COURSE, given
the context, I was meaning 

I.E. Death is socially more acceptable than death.

Not the reverse. Its just that I typed too fast and didn't recheck my
writing before hitting C-c C-c...

Still, I made some strange mistake, here... Wonder how I managed to swap
the two words (while in my brain, they were typed in just the way they were
suppsoed to, of course).

See, I wrote suppsoed instead of supposed. I swap letters all the time.
Seem it's happening with entire words once in a while too.

Pat.


      "Doctor, I need a valium!"

--
/---------------------------\
| Patrick "Paradak" Rannou. |
| Rannou@info.polymtl.ca    |
\---------------------------/

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd