HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: cmeadows@nyx.cs.du.edu (Chris Meadows)
Subject: Re: A question on aging.
X-Disclaimer: Nyx is a public access Unix system run by the University
	of Denver for the Denver community.  The University has neither
	control over nor responsibility for the opinions of users.
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix at U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 92 02:02:55 GMT

In article <1992Dec14.163813.14542@dunix.drake.edu> tel002@dunix.drake.ed
 (Tim "Spock" Larson) writes:
>Why does everyone want to screw over mages using wishes?  "Take away 1d4
hps
>permanently", "He has to roll system shock or he dies", "He loses 1 INT
>point from the strain" etc etc.  What is this BS?  If the spell wasn't m
ant
>to be used it wouldn't have been put in the book.
>The only thing I might change on it is make the aging proportional.  Elv
s
>live about 10 times as long as a human...they age 50 years casting one i
stea
>of 5...how bout that?
>Also, why does everyone try to twist a wish?  If its a "I have to wish f
r
>this to save my party's collective ass" then it's fine (the "weapons in
>Ravenloft" wish).  Wishes based on greed are a totally different matter,
>however....  MWUUUHAHAHAHAHA!
>
>Tim Larson


That's one of the things I like about Basic D&D.  In the Rules
Cyclopedia, nowhere does it mention anything about aging for
the wish spell.  You just do it, but you have to make sure there 
are no loopholes.  And you don't wish for something munchkinish,
or it will come true in ways you don't like.

Personally, I tend to like the idea of a higher chance of wishes
working if your alignment is close(r) to that of the the entity
granting the wish.  If a good deity grants a good individual a
wish, there's not as much of a chance that the wisher will be 
screwed over.  Similarly, if a good individual frees a neutral
genie, the genie is likely to be grateful enough for being freed
that he MAY NOT screw the wisher as much as he usually would...

--
Chris Meadows  | Editor of Robotech: The Misfold; author of other               
CHM173S@SMSVMA | Robotech/Rifts stories; DEFENDER of PALLADIUM BOOKS!!!         
CHM173S@VMA.SMSU.EDU   | NOTE: I will be on vacation 12/17 to 1/10; if          
CMEADOWS@NYX.CS.DU.EDU | important, please email; posts tend to expire.
From: scythe@stein.u.washington.edu (The Grim Reaper)
Subject: Re: how to imprison a psionicist ?
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 20:52:16 GMT

In article <783@blue.cis.pitt.edu> seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp) writes:
>In article <1992Dec15.181755.11653@u.washington.edu> scythe@stein.u.washington.edu (The Grim Reaper) writes:
>>The reason helms keep psis from using their power is because the weight
>>of the helmet keeps the psi from concentrating. 
>
>	You CANNOT POSSIBLY BE SERIOUS! If THAT is true, no Psi could
>work wearing CLOTHES; they'd be just as distracting. Can a Psi work
>in the winter, or does a hat distract him too much?
We aren't talking about hats here.  We are talking about large lumps of iron.
And there's a difference between weight on your head, and the same weight
distributed over your body.  Besides, the concentration required by pisonics
must be greater than that for mages, since psis don't have verbal/somatic/
material components to make powers easier.

>
>	Or, if it's just the weight, could a really LIGHT helm be
>okay? Get one enchanted to weigh no more than a very light hat, or
>even weightless, eh, that'll work, right? My +5 weightless helm here.
That's fne, according to the rules.  All magic helms are weightless,
and thus not distracting.

>
>	Come on. The weight of a helmet is not even NOTICEABLE after
>a while, especially if the weather isn't too hot. If it's cold, the
>helmet may make you even MORE comfortable by protecting your head
>from cold.
>
>	Your approach would make it easier to disrupt a Psi than it is to 
>disrupt a mage. 
>
Really?  To disrupt a mage, all you have to do it hit him.  To disrupt a
psi, all you have to do is hit him.  The only difference is that 
the psi has a lower speed factor...

>
>					Sea Wasp


======================================================================
I've made it a project of mine, * The Grim Reaper
The value of Pi to assign.      * scythe@u.washington.edu
I've set it at three;           * 
For it's simpler you see,       * (Accepting quote submissions)
Than 3.14159....                *  
======================================================================

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: ddj+@cs.cmu.edu (Doug DeJulio)
Subject: Re: how to imprison a psionicist ?
Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 20:12:21 GMT

In article <Bz9K6B.71E@sci.kun.nl> gip207@sci.kun.nl (gip2 course) writes:
>In <1992Dec13.221033.22732@sfu.ca> akostur@fraser.sfu.ca (Andre John Kostur) writes:
>
>> Here's a way to imprison a psionicist.....put a normal helmet on his head.
>> (PsiHB page 16 "...But if the psionicist is wearing a normal helmet of any
>> sort, he cannot use his powers...")
>
>I'd rule this only work for mind-affecting powers (i.e. most telepathy and
>mabye clairsentient powers) but woudn't affect things like psychometabolism
>or teleportation.

Why?  That makes the class much, much more powerful.
-- 
Doug DeJulio

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: jdelisle@udel.edu (J. G. Delisle)
Subject: player vs. PC stats
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: Boyz from the Dwarf
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 19:03:00 GMT

	The way I play it, players have their own INT, WIS, and CHA as far
as "real-world" events are concerned, like interparty relations and puzzle
solving. The purpose of puzzles is for the PLAYERS to think it over, not
their characters; characters only have to make an intelligence or wisdom
check, and they "know" what they're doing.
	To keep the puzzle problem from being unfair (a bright player whose
character has 3 Intelligence), I use an Intelligence check to see if that
person can help the group answer the question. If it's a matter of life and
death, then the whole group can join in.
	As far as Charisma is concerned, it only affects NPC's -- players 
see the other players for what they really are. :-)

	Joe

PS: This was my first post, so keep the flamethrowers off, please!

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| From the terminal of Joe Delisle      |                                    |
| jdelisle@loyola.edu  (preferred)      |    "Home is where the hell is."    |
| jdelisle@cs.loyola.edu                |                                    |
|              "I was up above it, but now I'm down in it"                   |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
From: seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: how to imprison a psionicist ?
Date: 17 Dec 92 04:21:29 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh
Originator: seawasp@unixd3.cis.pitt.edu

In article <1992Dec16.144951.4678@spcvxb.spc.edu> 6anthony_m@spcvxb.spc.edu writes:
>Hahahaha, I assume youve never worn a real helm. 

	Never assume; you know the old saying about THAT. You're wrong.
They're not much worse than a football helmet. Clunky, a little heavier,
but not uncomfortable at all. I could concentrate just fine wearing one.


                                 Sea Wasp
                                   /^\
                                   ;;;
From: cb317@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Stephanie J. Kessler)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Level Limits
Date: 16 Dec 1992 02:53:09 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)
NNTP-Posting-Host: hela.ins.cwru.edu


I'I'm using the multiple experience requirements based on Prime
Requisite for my demi-humans, but have yet to get any high enough
to test it.  Basically, if you're prime is below 13 (I think),
you cannot advance further... 14-15 is like x4, 16 is x3, 17 x2
and 18 or greater is normal advancement such as human.
-- 
The United States is a nation of laws:  badly written and
randomly enforced.     Frank Zappa

cb317 @ cleveland.Freenet.Edu
Xref: sparky rec.games.frp.dnd:7303 rec.games.frp.misc:9704
From: c188-cr@po.berkeley.edu (Chua Hak Lien)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd,rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Compound longbows and regular bows
Date: 11 Dec 1992 22:52:33 GMT
Organization: University of California, at Berkeley
NNTP-Posting-Host: po.berkeley.edu

< Snip! Commercial break... >

Myth factoid ( bows ):-

	Yew was considered to be good material for making bows, as it is
poisonous, and can kill by poison and as a weapon, making twice
as deadly.

< Now back to our regular discussion... >

=)

Chua
+==+
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: jdelisle@udel.edu (J. G. Delisle)
Subject: Re: Class' power (was Re: how to imprison a psionicist)
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: Boyz from the Dwarf
Date: Sun, 20 Dec 1992 01:03:00 GMT

In article <gfAv=Vi00YUo4XlLg1@andrew.cmu.edu>, "Joseph E. Beck" <jb8n+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes...
> 
>dagolden@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (David Alexandre Golden) writes:
>> What has to be realized is that ANY class seems overly powerful if you 
>> create the right scenario, i.e. one suited for that class' strengths.
>Ok, I want to hear one for a fighter or a thief.  
> 
>	joe

	OK... a mid-level thief who's maxed out move silently and hide in
shadows (95% in each) can effectively become invisible within seconds. Since
theives tend to be the observant type (especially in unfriendly areas), they're
a _lot_ more likely to hear the armored guards coming than be heard. Thief 
hides, and lets them pass. And what about that squeaky wooden floor in the
compound? Thief moves silently, and dice willing, isn't heard. In fact, with
dice rolls worse than those needed for Psi powers, can go anywhere and be
unnoticed, and do so without the need to recharge after three rounds. And
backstab with a x3 modifier and a short sword can take out most first level
fighters (avg: 9 HP damage). A thief with high Pick Pockets can become rich
by lifting from the right people (and framing other right people), high Read
Languages can be used to read ancient warning signs (in dungeons), etc.
	Best case fighter scenario... fighting against 0 level creatures, using
either 1st ed, or the optional 2nd ed rule (one attack per level). Even a mid-
level fighter could mow down kobolds, goblins, and unclassed humans with that
kind of attack power, and weapon specialization just compounds that. A high
level fighter has enough hit points to withstand just about anything, makes
most of his saving throws, and has a THAC0 high enough to have a good chance
of hitting anything. A Psi using disintegration against a high level fighter
is going to run out of PSP's quickly, and unless properly protected physically
the Psi is going to get very hurt, very quickly.

	Remember, these are best case scenarios, and just about never happen.
The thief could stumble across a magical trap, or fail a roll. The fighter
needs magical weapons to combat some (most?) creatures. Mages have to worry
about magically resistant opponents and low hit points. And psionicists have
to worry about the things that will disrupt their powers: various spells, 
magic items, and bad rolls on the dice.

	Just my two platinums,
	Joe Delisle

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| From the terminal of Joe Delisle      |                                    |
| jdelisle@loyola.edu  (preferred)      |    "Home is where the hell is."    |
| jdelisle@cs.loyola.edu                |                                    |
|              "I was up above it, but now I'm down in it"                   |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: wiltinkm@dutiws.twi.tudelft.nl (M. Wiltink.a73A.telnr-015-138378)
Subject: Re: Small query on multiple mages in a party...
Organization: Delft University of Technology
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 15:16:38 GMT

In article <1992Dec14.191728@cc4.kuleuven.ac.be> stud02@cc4.kuleuven.ac.be writes:
>Hello,
>
>I have a party in which we have a human mage and an elven thief/magic-user.
>The mages would like to learn spells from eachother.  Because they have
>different spells in their spellbooks, it is their hope to be able to learn
>spells which are listed in the other's spellbook.  I do not see any objection
>to this, really, as it looks the same as learning a spell from a scroll.  Yet,

_LIKE_HELL_

>when learning a spell from a scroll the scroll is destroyed.  Would this be
>likely to happen to the page the spell is written on in the spellbook?
>
>Any ideas, comments, suggestions on this?
>
>Kris Van Hees, DM.

Let me start by saying that this is one point that caused and sometimes
causes carloads of trouble and dissension in the local gaming community
over here.

A spell in a spell book is a recipe for LEARNING the spell. Apart from
notation, this is non-controversial and with a single read magic, any
wizard can read it forever.

A scroll is a very different thing. Effectively, the spell has been cast
and all effects on the caster (aging, CON loss, you-name-it) have taken
place. Material components have been used up, etc. It's just that the 
effect has been stored for the time on something, and when this is read
aloud the spell comes into effect.

A wizard CANNOT learn a spell from a scroll. He _can_ research it, but
this takes time and destroys the scroll. Learning from a scroll is not
what a scroll is for.

Similarly, casting from a spell book is ridiculous. It would also seriously
imbalance the game. With a copy spell, spell books may be copied. So copy
Evard's Black Tentacles and cast the copied one. That's a real cheap way
to cast a spell that is only fourth level because of the octopus parts
you normally need.

What your wizards want to do is easy and legitimate. Just let them learn
spells from each others' books and write them down in their own book. I
don't know how long this takes, but you could look it up - or make it up,
what do I care. And a spell book is NOT a scroll; there is NO chance of
erasing spells accidentally.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
wiltinkm@dutiws.twi.tudelft.nl
Maarten Wiltink

Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science
Delft University of Technology
The Netherlands
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: casivils@lescsse.jsc.nasa.gov (craig sivils)
Subject: bards
Organization: Lockheed Engineering and Sciences
Date: 13 Dec 92 02:36:24 GMT

On the subject of bards being too powerful, the Loremaster/Mage multiclass
is kinda an overkill in my opinion.  True, it goes up slower but because the
Loremaster goes up levels quicker (at least untill about 10 or so) and casts
spells as if they were one level higher, this is about the same as being a
Mage/Mage with more hitpoints and a couple of extra nifty abilities.

The DM I play under grants magic-users a spell bonus off of the wisdom table 
(using the int of the MU instead of wisdom).  I suggested that it was a bit
much but they went with it so I'm now playing a Mage/Loremaster who gets the 
bonus twice (once for each class) and can cast magic missiles all day long.  
(not quite, but the actual number is impressive).

				Banzai.
From: ses52823@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Marius)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Bastard DM from Hell &a matter of Honour
Date: 16 Dec 92 02:17:03 GMT
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana

Here is an analogous situation (not with a paladin, however) --

I play an ex-gladiator (his story is somewhat similar to Conan's
except that this guy has a BRAIN and was taught the etiquette of
the court after winning his freedom) in an ADND PBEM game, and
he has a very strict (almost Klingon) sense of honor (as per a
warrior).

If in that situation (a hostage who refuses to speak), there are
a couple of considerations he would take up... we are actually at
the end of such an encounter (goblins, hobgoblins, ogres, some of
the goblins unconscious and the rest fleeing) and this is what
would probably happen...

* If any of the party members (esp. friends) were killed then the
  honorable warrior would be incensed and might rough the guy up
  without actually killing him (this might change if the goblin in
  particular had been the killer)
   
* If he refused to speak, the warrior would probably challenge him
  to single combat, putting down some rules such as, "If I am the
  victor you will tell me everything you know, or die, for your life
  will be mine according to all of the ancient laws of combat.  If
  you conquer me, you shall leave this place free of harm.  If you
  run away during our battle, you shall find yourself with several
  arrows painfully protruding from your back a little ways down the
  path."  You get the idea -- this is a case where the paladin as
  warrior overcomes the paladin as priest.  Get it?  I think that 
  would be a most honorable way to go.

Keep in mind that Sturm Brightblade (from the Dragonlance series),
although he was not a paladin, but a Knight of Solamnia (damn close),
became angered to bloodthirst when he offered to help two plains 
nomads (Riverwind & Goldmoon) on their quest.  Goldmoon accepted with
gracious thanks and Riverwind snorted and said he needed noone's help.
Sturm flushed an angry red color and said something to this effect --

"I am a Knight of Solamnia.  I have given my word to escort you on your
 way and keep you from harm.  My word is my honor and my honor is my
 life.  If you challenge my word, you insult my honor, and I cannot 
 allow that insult to remain between us.

 Right, which shall it be?  How do you barbarians fight in your land --
 with sticks?  Or clubs?  Knives?"

Although it sounds fairly laughable, Sturm was QUITE angry when he
uttered the challenge.  I would suggest something similar if you see
your paladin as being more of a fighter than a lover.

Hope this hasn't been too boring.

* * * * * * * * * *

Marius
ses52823@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu

* * * * * * * * * *
.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: baltzebw@newton.ccs.tuns.ca (Bruce W. Baltzer)
Subject: Re: how to imprison a psionicist ?
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1992 06:52:29 GMT
Organization: tuns.ca
Keywords: ectoplasmic form

i won't include your article, but you made some really good suggestions!
that'll add some variety to my habit of having the captors who know of the
psionicists abilities drug the poor guy into a stupor...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|   Bruce W. Baltzer  ......  Amiga owner and proud of it, man!              |
|   internet address : baltzebw@newton.ccs.tuns.ca                           |
|   ... soon to be an electrical engineer (4 down, 2 to go (*sigh*))         |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: mcsbc3maw@dct.ac.uk
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: PC vs. Player INT
Date: 16 Dec 92 11:32:47 GMT
Organization: Dundee Institute of Technology

[Stuff deleted]

> There would typically be several PCs in my group who had
> INT scores in the 15-18 range -- the problem arises from
> the fact that ... (how do I say this nicely?) ... well,
> let's say that these high-intelligence PCs were being run
> by real people with maybe a real intelligence somewhere
> in the 9-12 range.  See the problem yet?

[Stuff deleted]

> 
> Have any of you encountered this type of situation/scenario
> in any of your role-playing?  What can be done (if anything)
> to account for these PC vs. real life differences in abilities
> -- (whether they are INT, WIS, CHR, or anything else you've
> experienced)?  Can the game be made more playable somehow?
> 
> Thanks for any input.
> 
> +---------------------------------+
> | Rusty B. Ramser                 |
> | DL-DSD-21                       |
> | Kennedy Space Center, FL  32899 |
> |                                 |
> | rusty-ramser@ksc.nasa.gov       |
> +---------------------------------+


	Well one way i have found that sometimes works ,albeit with a little
more work from the GM , is to give the Puzzle from the point of view of a
low intelligence character , ie give very little clues to the problem.
	Then hand out preprpared notes to the characters of intelligence
9-12 giving some information , then another note to characters of
13-15 intelligence , and finally a note to characters of intelligence 16-18.

Ask them to try to work with characters of the same int bracket , so as to
not corrupt the categories;if a category has only one person in it some of
the clues of the categories above might be needed given later.

There are two problems with the above .

1) the players can't all pile in and discuss the problem together (their
characters are !) . This might stifle roleplaying a bit .

2) Players of truly high intelligence might be able to solve the problem
   with a low score int character before the average intellegince player
   solves the problem with a high int character


	But who said it was easy ??
From: dtnguyen@sdcc13.ucsd.edu (Take Life One)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: questions
Date: 19 Dec 92 09:18:34 GMT
Organization: University of California, San Diego


Hi out there...I'm new here and have some questions...

1) Has anyone tried converting teh Rolemaster critical system to
AD&D ? I'd appreciate any and all info on this.

2) I'd like to make my DMing more descriptive but not boring and
long winded. Are there any tips or tricks of the trade that might
help?

Thanks for your time

Dzu

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd