HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: Rannou@info.polymtl.ca (Patrick Rannou)
Subject: Re: Scribing from a Spell Book
Followup-To: rec.games.frp.dnd
Organization: Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, Canada
	<drool.080a@retreat.Bah.Rochester.NY.US>
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 03:01:32 GMT

In article <drool.080a@retreat.Bah.Rochester.NY.US> drool@retreat.Bah.Rochester.NY.US (Paul Coene) writes:

   > 
   > I am well aware that scribing a scroll destroys it, but have always believed
   > that scribing from another mage's spell book was perfectly safe and both copies
   > of the spell (original and copy) are intact. In a campaign I played in at a
   ... stuff deleted
   > destroyed. I said it's a book, not a scroll so we all should be able to scribe
   > it. The DM refused to look it up and I only had my PH with me. I can't seem to
   > find anything on it in the books, but would swear I read it somewhere.

   Well, I don't think there is a black and white ruling in the DMs guide.  I
   believe it is something left up to the DM.  In my campaigns, these things
   can be transferred (scribed) once, just like the DM you mentioned.  I do
   this because I find it makes spellbooks much more valuable, and all the mages
   in a particular campaign don't end up carbon copies of each other.

   Regardless of what's in the books, final word on such stuff is up to your DM.

Yup. I do the same thing as you, for 2 reasons:

1) I don't want all the mages in the party knowing the same spells
2) Since the MU class is the most powerful anyway (starting at level 5+, I
think), well not in all situations but in normal ones anyway, well I find
that this "rule" limits the number of spells a mage can have, and thus
helps mkae mages who don't have "80% of all the spells in a given level"
too soon. ;-)

My players know this, and it works fine. Of course, I myself am a player in
another campaign, and in that one mages are mega-blasters:
   -no need to study spells
   -can decide which spell to cast at casting time
   -no need to worry about material components
   -can still cast a spell even if hit in the same round

But hey, I'm not one to feel bad about it: my PC is a mage, after all...


--
/---------------------------\
| Patrick "Paradak" Rannou. |
| Rannou@info.polymtl.ca    |
\---------------------------/
From: djdaneh@pbhyc.PacBell.COM (Dan'l DanehyOakes)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Clever player tricks (Re: Phantasmal Force? - vague!)
Date: 31 Jul 92 17:15:26 GMT
Reply-To: djdaneh@PacBell.COM (Dan'l DanehyOakes)
Organization: Pacific * Bell, San Ramon, CA

In article <1992Jul30.040835.1340@uniwa.uwa.edu.au> perry@tartarus.uwa.edu.au (Perry Staltari) writes:

>	Could anyone give me some examples on how this spell can be used
>to its full potential and also whether it can actually produce light and
>radiated heat.

Here's a favorite old story. . . a friend was playing a low-level illusionist
at a DunDraCon and found himself in a higher level party.

The party found itself faced with a large number of -- well, nasty things.  The
illusionist and the party's higher level mage were standing on a rise together
when the mage pointed his finger and cast a very effective fireball.

"That's not bad," said the illusionist, "but have you ever tried it this way?"
-- and spread his five fingers out and, with a jerk, did a phanty-force of one
fireball from each finger, flying out in parallel (so as to maintain proximity)
into a crowd of baddies.  Since they'd just seen fireballs coming from that
hill, the GM ruled that the disbelief roll was at a disadvantage; they believed
and fried.

"No," said, the mage, "that's a good trick," and cast his fireball spell again
with a similar jerk of the wrist.  So the illusionist cast a similar illusion
emanating from the mage's fingers. . .  Wappo!


>	I found this spell very vague and although it lets me use my own
>imagination, I'm not too sure on how to get my illusion to react to its
>surroundings if the need arises.

When I act as GM, my general ruling is that the illusion behaves as the caster
directs, but the caster must maintain concentration or the illusion will either
dissipate or continue doing whatever it was doing, depending on circumstances.
Remember:  the illusion can only react to those parts of the surroundings that 
the caster can see!

>	Also with hypnotism, is it possible to make a creature believe
>that something is before it; eg Making an ogre king believe that a pile
>of coins is before him, or is it strictly used in forcing the use of
>another creatures actions., 'cause the DM disallowed this.

I'd permit it but give the already-hypnotized creature a second save against 
it.


		He's got a mask that's black and white
		  Mine's just black but that's all right
		In silence and cunning he plies his trade
		  I ply mine in silence and shade
		[. . .]
		In the heart of the city it's murder time
		  It ain't no crime to kill a mime
			-- "Killing a Mime" by 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: joeb@moci.uucp (Joe Bronikowski (Little Joe))
Subject: Re: AD&D PBeM Starting / Apply with a character sketch
Organization: ICOM, Inc., West Allis, WI
Distribution: rec
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 92 19:40:01 GMT

In article <LAVONIUS.92Jul23182713@kruuna.Helsinki.FI> lavonius@kruuna.Helsinki.FI (Ville Lavonius) writes:
>
>2) Created with 4d6, one re-roll. 

>6) No munchkins, any chars with improbable attributs are going to have a
>	rough time.
>7) You get a few magic items, you can ask for specific items, but again,
>	I'll decide (max. weapon strength +2 for example).

I'm sorry, but I see a lot of this type of hypocracy in the frp groups.  With
all the munchkin-bashing going on here, why on earth do GMs go to such lengths
to give players munchkin characters?  Why WOULDN'T you expect the 4d6 to create
many 17's and 18's among the party?  And giving REROLLS?!  (And I'm assuming
you meant 4d6, use highest 3.)

To be FAIR, why not start all players with the SAME characteristics?  Eg., let
them choose either 11,12,13,14,15,16 or 10,11,12,13,14,17 as their attributes,
distributed as they wish (no racial bonuses either).

And as far as magic items go, wouldn't it make more sense to give things like 
healing potions instead of magic swords?  Ie. simple, low-level, one-use
"helpers" rather than slay-the-mighty-undead magic weapons?

I'll get off my soapbox now.

Ps. Not directed solely at you, Lavonius.
-- 
     //	   |------+---,				Joe Bronikowski
 \\ //	   |      |    )			ICOM, Inc.
  \X/	   |------+---'				...!uwm.edu!moci!joeb
From: edwardsr@milton.u.washington.edu (Richard Edwards)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Dragon Magazines for Sale!
Date: 21 Jul 92 22:50:38 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Jul21.225038.6867
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle


 


 I have a complete set of DRAGON MAGAZINE for sale by auction. The set includes 
#1 - 178, in excellant to mint condition (the early ones are in their own mylar 
bags). As a collector I put the collection together years ago, but since I don't
 play D&D I have never used them beyond skimming. Now they take up too much shel
f space and I need to be rid of them (if I find them a good home).
 
 I have posted this auction message on several boards and nets, so Email your bi
ds to me at EDWARDSR@U.WASHINGTON.EDU and I'll put you on the list of bidders an
d keep you up to date on the current high bid. When I have not received any bids
 for one week I will declare the highest bid the winner IF the high bid is accep
table to me. 
 
 For those of you who always wanted the whole set or those of you who go to cons
 and know you can sell them off issue by issue this is a real deal. So far the h
igh bid is only $400! This is just a fraction of their worth, but I need the fun
ds so they're likely to go.
 
We'll work out details about postage and payment when the auction is over.
 
Rich Edwards
EDWARDSR@U.WASHINGTON.EDU
 
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: anderson@pysgjb.physics.ncsu.edu (Edwin Anderson)
Subject: Re: Paladin
Organization: NCSU Physics, Condensed Matter Theory
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 15:58:27 GMT

It is somewhat silly people carry on these argumnets when it is so easily
settled.
		According to Websters:

paladin  (pal' a din) n. a knight errant; one of the twelve peers of 
  		Charlemagne [L. palatinus, an officer of the palace].

Hope this ends this thread.
					Sincerely:
					Edwin Anderson, Jr.
					Dungeon Master
					World of Telvar
-- 
Edwin Brooks Anderson, Jr.		anderson@pysgjb.physics.ncsu.edu
Condensed Matter Theory
North Carolina State University	
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: bdianton@cs.ulowell.edu (Mark Diantonio)
Subject: Re: Missile weapons 4 Krynn knights?
Originator: bdianton@cs.ulowell.edu
Organization: University of Massachusetts at Lowell Computer Science
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 21:33:45 GMT


Yes, it is an official rule.  A knight must take the largest opponent
(or toughest) if he is in the line of sight.  To fire a missle weapon
would be breaking this.  Exceptions are made for life and death 
situations or saving someones life.  If the creature flies than a 
Knight can fire a missle weapon at it.  I think all these rules are
covered in the Tales of the Lance boxed set.

Mark DiAntonio
bdianton@cs.ulowell.edu
Keywords:
From: kiko@ax.apc.org
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Date: 28 Jul 92 16:35 PDT
Subject: Re: Questions about liches and undead
Nf-ID: #R:Bs2F0o.L7q@news.cso.uiuc.edu:1045889345:ax:51300003:000:176
Nf-From: ax.UUCP!kiko    Jul 28 16:35:00 1992


About the undeads, because they don't have physical constitution alive,
they do not have the power to regenerate what they have lost, except for
the reverse of healing spells.

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: smayo@wang.com (Scott Mayo)
Subject: Re: Number of Dice
Organization: Wang Labs, Lowell MA, USA
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 92 18:44:06 GMT

dan@thyme.jpl.nasa.gov (Dan Allard) writes:

>In article <1992Jul18.011357.19389@usenet.ins.cwru.edu> bz556@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Joshua E. Randall) writes:
>>
>I can never, ever get enough dice.  I find them extremely addicting
>and can't help but buy at least one every time I enter a game store.
>I must have dozens of six siders and made a chart with 30 entries
>just so i could use my 30 sided die.
>I've heard of other DND players who scoff at multitudes of dice,
>10 sided dice, etc.  I can't figure out how they can resist the
>little plastic buggers.

There's hope. Many people have sucessfully overcome this foul addiction;
you can too. Simply send me 50 dice and $50, and I can help you, slowly,
to reclaim pocket space, release your compulsive need to spend money on
little plastic things, and find a life less filled with randomness.

Take your addiction seriously. It doesn't stop at dice. Soon you'll be
buying *any* small plastic object. You know where *that* leads? Smurf
collecting! Send me that cash *today*, before it is too late. Just follow
the Mayo d12 step process... or is that the d8-fold path?
--
Let "Lester" be your character's god.  He'll be sorry you did.

For details: mail to spider@decvax.dec.com
smayo@wang.com
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: jg4o+@andrew.cmu.edu (James T Graves)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Computer mapping aids (was: Re: Net Adventures?)
Date: 29 Jul 92 00:28:23 GMT
Organization: Sophomore, Math/Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA

Excerpts from netnews.rec.games.frp.dnd: 28-Jul-92 Re: Net Adventures?
by James E. Kittock@duke.cs 
> In article <92209.172643LPR100@psuvm.psu.edu> LPR100@psuvm.psu.edu writes:
> >
> >   I'm wondering why I have never seen anything about people posting
> >adventures to the Net. There is the Net.Plot.Book, but I'm talking about
> >fully fleshed out adventures. Seeing that people spend a lot of time
> >posting fluff, I don't think it would be a problem to type in some of
> >the shorter homemade adventures. And if enough people started doing this,
> >DMs would have a great source of adventures and ideas.
>  
> Few people that I know keep adventures handy in electronic format.
> Most seem to have sheafs of random papers, piles of notebooks, etc.
> etc.  For example, I have no computer at home, so I would have to
> bring my stuff to work to type it up.  

Here's a related question.  Has anyone found a good system for
generating adventure maps on the computer?  Full-fledged CADs like
Autocad are pretty much overkill (and gawd-awful expensive), but most
drawing programs I've seen are too basic.  I've seen a couple of
packages in stores which claim to be "arrange your furniture" type
programs, but I haven't wanted to plop down the bucks just to find out
how they work for D&D maps.

Note to anyone writing DM's helper software: a mapping aid would be real
neat (but then, if you have that kind of time, why not write a program
you could make money from?)

As an aside, I have been using Word Perfect to do almost all of the text
for any adventures I've written.  Makes things easier and prettier.  I
also used Fractint to generate some coastlines once.

Jim

---------------------------------------------------------------------
James T. Graves                                  jg4o+@andrew.cmu.edu
Carnegie Mellon University
---------------------------------------------------------------------
"Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour.
 Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute.  
 That's relativity."    - Albert Einstein
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: kjenks@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov
Subject: Re: Scribing from a Spell Book
Originator: kjenks@krakatoa
Organization: NASA/JSC/GM2, Space Shuttle Program Office
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 1992 16:26:00 GMT

In article <1992Jul23.042006.28886@umbc3.umbc.edu> cs106b16@umbc5.umbc.edu (cs106b16) writes:
>I am well aware that scribing a scroll destroys it, but [...] The DM
>said we either had to take turns studing the book or only one person
>could scribe the spell into his book because it would be destroyed.  I
>said it's a book, not a scroll so we all should be able to scribe it.

You were right, and the DM was wrong.

-- Ken Jenks, NASA/JSC/GM2, Space Shuttle Program Office
      kjenks@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov  (713) 483-4368

     "Orcs dwell in places where sunlight is dim or non-existant,
      for they hate the light."  -- Monster Manual 1, p.76
From: a_copeab@ccsvax.sfasu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Scribing from a Spell Book
Date: 27 Jul 92 13:16:08 CST
Organization: Stephen F. Austin State University

In article <1992Jul27.024013.9197@uniwa.uwa.edu.au>, gupw@uniwa.uwa.edu.au (Paul Wagland) writes:
> kjenks@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov writes:
> 
>>>cs106b16@umbc5.umbc.edu (cs106b16) writes:
>>>I am well aware that scribing a scroll destroys it, but [...] The DM
>>>said we either had to take turns studing the book or only one person
>>>could scribe the spell into his book because it would be destroyed.  I
>>>said it's a book, not a scroll so we all should be able to scribe it.
> 
>>You were right, and the DM was wrong.
> 
> The DM is _NEVER_ wrong. 

Nope, the DM *can* be wrong in his interpretation of rules. However, if there
is no rule for something, the the DM must have a consistant (within the
campaign) way to handle the situation. A DM is similar to a baseball umpire in
this respect; the players can question his interpretation of a rule, but not
a ruling based on his opinion (ie, balls and strikes, balk).

We on the group can certainly disagree with an individual DMs ruling in a
situation not covered by the rules, but we can't say he's right or wrong.
We can, perhaps, judge if the DM is good or bad, but this is something that
only matters to the players, not the rest of us in net.land. The player's only 
recourse is to find a new DM, if he/she feels that something that drastic is 
needed. If all or most of the players don't like what the DM is doing, they 
should say something about it; if the players aren't having fun, then the DM
*probably* isn't doing his job.

Brandon Cope

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: gudjm@uniwa.uwa.edu.au (D John McKenna)
Subject: Re: When players and characters experience doesn't match.
Keywords: funny,story
Organization: University of Western Australia
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 15:37:42 GMT

jzku_ss@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Joeski) writes:

[Story involving 1st level characters and a nasty green thing]

I always try to not let my knowledge 'leak' to my characters, even if I
know it will probably get me damaged (by my own actions, or by the other
players). One of my best attempts involved a spell called 'explosive
runes'.
Tim had no idea what it was supposed to do (I did, but Tim didn't). So
he cast it on a bit of paper. Hmm. The writing he put on the paper was
there, but it didn't seem to do anything. Next time we're in a large
city, he found a highish level mage, showed him the paper, and asked
what the spell was meant to do - had he cast it incorrectly or
something?
We wanted to leave the country anyway.

John West
-- 
gudjm@uniwa.uwa.edu.au  For the humour impaired: insert a :-) every 3 words
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: a_copeab@ccsvax.sfasu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: The Bastard DM from Hell!
Date: 31 Jul 92 10:39:06 CST
Organization: Stephen F. Austin State University

> ecrjbruce@economics.adelaide.edu.au writes:
> 
>>Should a mage earn experience for the party if he kills things at range?? This
>>is a very general case and I would appreciate points of view, my DM ruling that
>>as a mage I only get exp's if I go into MELEE combat!!!!
> 
>>Opinions would be appreciated

	I divide XPs based on the character's usefulness in a fight. For
example, if a fighter and ogre are slugging it out, and the mage MMs the ogre
after it becomes apparent that the ogre is about to die (and th fighter is
faring well), killing it. I would award the fighter about 90% of the XPs. If,
on the other hand, the mage fireballed the ogre, and the fighter finished it
off with a single sword thrust, I would award the mage with 80-90% of the XPs.
Also, in some cases, a character may be trying to use a plan (ie,
thief sneaking around behind foes in an attempt to strike from the back) but
because of the power of the rest of the party, the foes are slain before he can
accomplish his goal. In such a case, I will award that character a share of the
XPs, since they were trying to help, and to encourage behavior other than a
slug-it-out mentality. I also give quite a few XP awards for non-combat
activities.

	To answer your question, I would say that your DM does seem to have
ruled unfairly. I'm not sure, but I think he tried to achieve a reasonable goal
by unreasonable means. I don't like the long range, destructive power of mages
(fireballs, lightning bolts, etc), either. Your DM seems to want to discourage
the use of such spells. His method, however, is poor. A much better way would
have either been to make such spells very rare and hard to obtain, or to make
them illegal (the king's guard will track down anyone with a major offensive
ranged spell, just like police today would go after someone with a working 20mm
cannon with a few hundred rounds of ammo -- the person is a possible threat to 
the crown and the people).

Brandon Cope

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: StarWatcher@uiuc.edu (StarWatcher)
Subject: Re: New uses of dices...
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL4
Reply-To: StarWatcher@uiuc.edu
Organization: UIUC Actuarial Science Program
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 15:04:31 GMT
Keywords: significant words from a document used as an index to content

ccoprmd@prism.gatech.EDU (Matthew DeLuca) writes:

: The fastest way I have found to do initiative is to do individual initiative
: for the players and group initiative for the monsters, and then just start 
: calling off numbers.  When a character's number is called he raises his hand 
: and his action goes through.  All I have to keep track of is (usually) the 
: one monster initiative roll, although occasionally I'll let the monsters do 
: individual initiative as well.  This has (to date) been a pretty fast and 
: workable system.

My group did something similar...'course this was one of the many things 
negotiated among the three co-DM's.  The difference was that we did group
initiative for different classes of nasties....  In your typical orc
raiding party, the high honcho gets a different initiative roll from his
lieutenants, who get a different initiative from the main body of the
raiding party....

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|Michael Adams (aka StarWatcher) 	   |    "To spend too much time in    |
|UIUC Actuarial Science Program 	   |     studies is sloth."	      |
|+1 (217) 344-0709, +1 (217) 344-4857	   |	  	-- Sir Francis Bacon  |
|StarWatcher@uiuc.edu (NeXT mail accepted) |				      |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|          The standard disclaimer is here...it's just invisible....          |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Organization: Penn State University
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 17:26:43 EDT
From: <LPR100@psuvm.psu.edu>
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Net Adventures?

   I'm wondering why I have never seen anything about people posting
adventures to the Net. There is the Net.Plot.Book, but I'm talking about
fully fleshed out adventures. Seeing that people spend a lot of time
posting fluff, I don't think it would be a problem to type in some of
the shorter homemade adventures. And if enough people started doing this,
DMs would have a great source of adventures and ideas.
   I can see one conflict of interest...some players may read the same
adventures that their DMs want to use. What about an adventure mailing
list or digest then? GMAST-L doesn't really fit the bill for this.

   I'm just hoping to start a discussion here, I'm not volunteering to
do any list managing or anything like that. I will be happy to post some
older adventures, BUT not for a month or so, as they are at home. This
net just seems like a great place to exchange ideas in this way and to
help out DMs who are short of something to run for the evening...
   Comments?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Larry Rossi                     | "He Harkened unto her.
LPR100@PSUVM.PSU.EDU            |     'Hark Hark,' Harkened he!"
Pennsylvania State Univiversity |                     -Stimpy
                                |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: keary@apollo.HP.COM (Matt Keary)
Subject: Non-weapon Proficencies
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 20:01:26 GMT
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Company, Chelmsford, MA


In our campaign, we have a Dwarven Cleric and a Human Berserker (myself)
who often boast of their respective capacity for alcoholic consumption.
After several unsatisfactory attempts to determine a pecking order in
the drink chain, we convinced the DM to let us add a Drinking Proficiency.
I don't have the stats in front of me, but its something like no ill 
for a number of drinks equal to half your Con, then Con checks at -2 
cumulative for each drink above this number.  Failed check drops Wis and
Int by 2 points apiece, and puts additional -2 on future checks.  When a 
stat reaches zero, WIPEOUT.  Beddie-bye time.  Good for bragging rights
and adds flavor to bar scenes.

Anyone else make up interesting/unorthodox NWPs?  Let's hear 'em.

- Mateo