HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: alvalent@husc10.harvard.edu (Alvin Valentine)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: 'New' way to do attack rolls.
Date: 8 Jan 93 16:37:02 GMT
Article-I.D.: husc3.1993Jan8.113703.19098
Organization: Harvard University Science Center

I can say that Champions is more intuitive, but I can't say that using armor
to reduce your chances to hit rather than bouncing damage is bad either.
Why?  Well, statistically speaking you probably shouldn't look just at the
chance to hit or the chance to do damage.  The process as a whole determines
damage every round.  You can thus figure out the probability of actually
hitting and doing a certain amount of damage.  So, no, it's not really
intuitive necessarily like Champs, but if you take the combined probability
into account, then it works out OK anyway.

Example: you have a 20 THACO against an AC of 9 -- you hit 50% of the time
	 you have a dagger in hand which does 1d4 damage.  You have 
	 a 12.5% chance each to do 1, 2, 3, or 4 points of damage along the
	 lines of straight probability.  It would thus be possible to turn
	 AD&D into a Rolemaster style system all on charts using a % based
	 roll.

In general, they all can tend to have similar effects, but one is much more
intuitive than the other. 
 

 
Later,
 
Lee Valentine
From: ccoprdj@prism.gatech.EDU (Jorge Diaz)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: No Healers
Date: 10 Jan 93 17:43:25 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

In article <1993Jan8.010719.9735@lclark.edu> ross@lclark.edu (Anthony Ross) writes:

>	I think the thread of "Walking Bandages" has been one of the
>best, most productive I've seen since I've been reading this group.  
>The party I'm DMing right now has one priest (with no access to healing
>spells), no one with healing/herbalism proficiencies, and no healing
>potions. Have others been in this situation before? If so, what are some
>of your expreinces, the advantages and disadvantages of lacking any
>healer, etc.. Thanks!

Advantages of not having a healer?  I really can't think of any.  That's
like asking what are the advantages of not having a fighter in the group?

Disadvantages, however, I can think of a few.  Namely, the party can't get
into a lot of combat (although, I guess you might call this an advantage :-).
Seriously, without healing magic, the party just can't do a whole lot of
fighting.  This might be what you wanted.  If it's not, I'd recommened
an NPC cleric, or maybe giving out a few healing potions.

-- 
Jorge Diaz                       | "I want you to remember, Clark... in all
Georgia Institute of Technology  |  the years to come, in your most private
Office of Information Technology |  moments...my hand at your throat.  I want
ccoprdj@prism.gatech.edu         |  you to remember the one man who beat you."
From: ross@lclark.edu (Anthony Ross)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Broken Weapons & Arrows
Date: 11 Jan 93 06:00:46 GMT
Article-I.D.: lclark.1993Jan11.060046.12843
Organization: Lewis & Clark College, Portland OR


	Here are my two latest queries:

	1. Does anyone (an arms enthusiast perhaps) know which weapons
	from AD&D are more "breakable" in real life than others? For 
	example, I would guess that weapons that incorporate wooden parts
	are more likely ot break than all metal ones. Polearms seems
	like they'd break easier, etc.. Maybe someone who has actual
	experience wielding these pupies could tell me. I'm asking
	because when I incorporate fumbles into my sessions, I'd prefer
	that sturdier weapons don't break as easily as "flimsy" ones.

	2. I read in some novel about coasting an arrow with magnesium
	so that when you fired it in the dark, it'd be like a flare.
	Can any chemistry majors tell me if this is possible?

	Thanks to everyone who told me about the battlerager kit, and
	all those contibuting to the thread on cursed magic items, and
	the thread on no healers.
From: StarOwl@uiuc.edu (M. Adams/StarOwl)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: The Complete Book of Elves
Date: 8 Jan 93 22:14:30 GMT
Reply-To: StarOwl@uiuc.edu
Organization: Actuarial Science Program at UIUC
Originator: mda46419@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu

wilsonm@vaxb.acs.unt.edu writes:

>It does however
>use the word SHE instead of HE.  This confused me (course this could have been
>at just the area I glanced at (Archers)) as they seemed to use it OVERLY 
>much.

Check out the comment made in the next-to-last paragraph of the introduction.
An explanation is provided there.

The use of "she" does make you think a little, though, doesn't it?  ;)
-- 
Michael D. Adams	      | Bigotry not being founded on reason cannot be
StarOwl@uiuc.edu	      | removed by argument.  -- Samuel Johnson
an692@anon.penet.fi	      | There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned 
NBCS: B1f+t-w+g+k++s+me+h-qv  | lies, and statistics.  -- Benjamin Disraeli	
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: Clayten_Hamacher@mindlink.bc.ca (Clayten Hamacher)
Subject: Re: Healing
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 22:45:32 GMT

>Hit points are not a measure of how a tough a character is.  They are a
>measure of the character's ability to keep from being damaged.  Imagine
>two fighters: one with 10 hp and one with 100 hp.  A 10 point damage
>sword attack would kill the low-level fighter but not the high-level
>fighter.  The low-level fighter did not have the battle experience to
>escape the blow unharmed, but the high-level fighter did and could do
>so 9 more times before dying.  This is the difference between the
>defensive fighting skills of the two characters.  If you let the
>high-level fighter heal faster than the low-level fighter, then you
>give him more skill than he deserves.  Imagine the fighter enters
>battle and escapes 3 death blows for 30 points of damage.  That night
>he heals up.  The next day his skill is back to maximum and he can
>escape 99 hp worth of damage.  This makes him too powerful.  What if
>he only healed up 3 points of damage?  The next day he could only escape
>from 72 points before getting the death blow.  This increases an
>over-worked or battle-starved fighter's chances of dying.  An
>experienced fighter who averages one battle per month would have more
>healing time (game terms) and would be less likely to get killed in
>battle (real terms).

That's why in the same article I suggested specific injuries, the number of
which was based on the damage you took. This would keep the game balance
while fixing the fact that a tenth level fighter heals a scratch as fast as a
first level heals a punctured lung.

Hit points would be 'general health', You could have two broken legs and 100%
of you hitpoints, same as a one armed fighter wouldn't have less hitpoints.

The thing is that someone with two broken legs needs to wait a long time
until they heal (or have a higher level cure spell cast on them).

This would average out to everyone needing as much rest as everyone else in
the long run, just fixing a small inconsistency in the game.

P.S. This also allows for more role-playing if your are into anything other
than hack & slash. Mordock the fighter has a broken leg from that boulder the
giant threw at him, he can limp along with a crutch at 1/3 speed or the party
carry him (must find a way to do this, fireman's carry get's hard after 10
miles).

--

Clayten_Hamacher@Mindlink.bc.ca                 Land of the rising snow.
From: kelek@ais.org (Mike McDonald)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Wrath of the Immortals
Date: 12 Jan 93 02:45:11 GMT
Organization: UMCC

damiene@aurora.cc.monash.edu.au (Eccles) writes:

>Is anyone as annoyed/disatisfied with this set as I am?

>Leaving the campaign book asside for a bit, the actual rules for
>playing an Immortal (I am _NOT_ a munchkin :) seem to take a lot of 
>the flavour away from belonging to a specific sphere, and make most 

  There wasn't much flavor with belonging to a sphere either.  I really
hate the idea of being limited to one of five spheres.

>Immortals the same. For instance: the old Immortals set had a factor
>formultipling the power it took to cast spells out of your own sphere
>the new set gets rid of this. Immortals of a Sphere associated with 
>a particular sphere were able to regenerate faster in the element
>associated with this sphere.
>	The newer rules/guidelines :) also take aweay a lot of the
>Immortals powers, and abilities, and don't really replace them with
>very much.

  I don't see any abilities taken away, but the ones added are useful,
if limited.

  Overall I think the new rules are streamlined a little bit, with lots
of the complexities of the old set thrown out with good and bad
side-effects.  In all, a step in the right direction, but still a
failure.

>	The campaign booklet is a nightmare of illogical :) actions
>and occurences, and requires ages to punch holes in it :)

  I liked the campaign ideas of stirring up the world a bit, but I
didn't like being force-fed everything.  It's definitely going to
take some serious tweaking (and if you think this is bad, check out
the Year in Review in the Poor Wizards Almanac).

  Overall, my advice to anyone interested: Don't buy it unless you're
really interested in the campaign.  Get the Primal Order instead.

  Cheap plug: The Primal Order is the first in a series of capsystems
(supplements usable in any RPG, including specific conversion notes for
some common RPGs) by Wizards of the Coast which covers the lives, powers,
and existence of deities (plus religion, artifacts, planes, minions, etc.)
so completely and eloquently that I can not imagine any suppliment, present
or future, equalling it.  It is the BEST suppliment I've ever read
and I highly reccomend it to anyone even remotely interested in
deities, planes, religion, or artifacts.  I'm eagerly looking forward
to the Military Order and other future releases as well.

>Eccles
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: D&D and Christianity
From: ajsmith@ualr.edu
Date: 6 Jan 93 10:11:03 GMT
Organization: University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Greetings all

	D&D and Christianity, to me there truly is little discusion.

	I am now 20 years old, have been playing D&D and RPG's since I was
around oh, (4th grade) 10 years old. 
	* I am a Christian firmly rooted in the rock and not ashamed of the
	cross that I've claimed.
	HOWEVER, I never have seen that my interaction with a GAME (after all
D&D is a GAME just like oh say monopoly or checkers) has hurt my relatiosnhip
with God.
	There are 2 types of D&D players that I have witnessed.

	1) Type A - Those who play with the black hoods and black candles
and say wierd things during the game. Ones who demand EVERY spell component
to cast a spell, those who let the game take over thier life. I am sorry but
if a simple book with game rules can take over your life that easily then
perhaps they needed help in the first place.

	2) Type B - Those who play merely for fun. Who gets together with
friends on the weekend, who role-play fantasize for a little while, strecth
their creative legs for a time away from a world that will not let them do
that. Many of you are quite possibly familiar with DikuMUDs. The fascination
behiond DikuMUDs is the same with D&D, for a short time you can pretend to be
someone else, and not draw to many funny stares (as acting like Napoleon in 
your college class might)

	D&D, AD&D, etc. is harmless if played strictly for fun and amusement
	If anyone was "posessed" by the game then that person had serious 
problems going in.

	BOTTOM LINE : IT'S JUST A GAME! A diversion and when all is said and 
done, nobody dies, everyone just goes back to reality.

						Aaron Michael Smith
						(main character BTW
						Eagle Eyes 32nd level Paladin)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AJSMITH@ualr.edu * University of Arkansas at Little Rock * Running on a VAX yuk
Played poker with tarot cards the other day, got a flush five people died......
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: jnielsen@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (John F Nielsen)
Subject: D&D and Christianity
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 21:07:24 GMT


Sorry if this has already been hashed over, but here's an FAQ I found
for soc.religion.christian discussing why one should not play AD&D.
I am curious if there are any christians out there who play AD&D
and disagree with this FAQ.

-----------------------------------
From: jszeder@napier.uwaterloo.ca (John Szeder)
Subject: Play-by-email
Organization: University of Waterloo
Distribution: ont
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 17:13:34 GMT

Hi There! I am starting up a play by email campaign this term and I am now
taking submissions for characters.

The setting is 1rst level, second ed. AD&D and the campaign world will be
unique. I must stress that the world will be low magic, hence no mages will be
allowed as PC's. No druids either, but fighters, bards, rangers, paladins,etc
are all acceptable.

I will be taking submissions for three characters. No specialty characters 
and no more than single weapon specialization.
From: tmiller@prism.gatech.EDU (Thomas Miller)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: The Complete Book of Elves
Date: 8 Jan 93 18:49:01 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology


  Ed Greenwood's "Drow of the Underdark" is a good supplement also.



Thomas


Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd,rec.games.misc,rec.games.rpg
From: jnielsen@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (John F Nielsen)
Subject: D&D and soc.religion.christian
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 19:32:33 GMT

The moderator on that newsgroup finally got back to me saying he
would be happy to accept contributions to their FAQ. 

I offered this newsgroup's FAQ on the matter, but he would rather not post it
without the knowledge of the appropriate person who created it.

So, I forget who did make it, but if you want, post it to that newsgroup.

john
-- 
John Nielsen   MAGNUS Consultant            ______   ______   __  __	
jnielsen@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu         /\  __ \ /\  ___\ /\ \/\ \
                                           \ \ \/\ \\ \___  \\ \ \_\ \
  Back off man, I'm a Scientist!            \ \_____\\/\_____\\ \_____\
From: ross@lclark.edu (Anthony Ross)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Cursed Items - Why?
Keywords: magic items, cursed items, wizards
Date: 8 Jan 93 00:56:16 GMT
Article-I.D.: lclark.1993Jan8.005616.9419
Organization: Lewis & Clark College, Portland OR


	Here's my question, and I'm pretty damn sure the FAQ doesn't
answer it:

	OK, given the amount of time, effort, money, etc... needed
to contruct a magical item, why would a mage be making a cursed one?
I can see a few very special instances where it makes sense to put
forth the effort, such as:

	The king will soon be leading his troops into battle, the royal
wizard has been plotting to figure out how to seize the throne.  Hah! 
Instead of working to complete his suit of +5 plate, I'll actually make
cursed -5!  That's pretty sneaky, it still radiates magic, looks nice,
etc..

	But...that's pretty rare. More often the function of cursed
items in most published scenarios is to have them mixed in with the
hoard just discovered by the adventurers just to add a little danger
or whatever.  What sort of mega-wizard would sit aruond for weeks
wasting time and resources constructing items he can chuck in his 
vault on the off-chance that some persky PCs are going to kill him
and access his vault? The wizard would have to be rather unstable for
him/her to do so. I don't see how any dying wizard would gain satisfaction
from this arrangement.

	Anyway, enough rambling....let the replies (and flames I'm sure 
;-) begin).
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: soth@spock.uucp (Samid Hoda)
Subject: Writing RPG games
Organization: Choate Rosemary Hall
Distribution: usa
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1993 22:18:44 GMT

I am interested in writing a RPG, but do not know where to start. I would
appreciate advice on writing role-playing games or if there are any good
books that would help me learn about writing RPGs. For instance I am
interested in knowing if there are any bitmap libraries available for
an Eye of the Beholder or Underworld evironment for the game. If there are
such libraries what language are they for. I am an experienced programmer
in C and Pascal and would appreciate if the libraries would be for those
languages. 
-- 

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
/       soth@choate.edu                                                    /
---------------------------------------------------------------------------/
-  _     _     __    __      _______       ____    __    _______  _    _  -/
- /_/   /_/\  /__/\ /__/\    \  *  /      /___/|  /_/\  /______/ /_/  /_/ -/
- | |  / _\/| | ||| | _\/|    \ | /      / ___|/ / _\/| |_____|/ |||__||| -/
- | |_ || | | |--|/ || | |  \  \_/       |_|__/| || | |   | ||   ||/__||| -/
- | |_/||_|/  ||\\ \||_|/ -+|========>   /__\ || ||_|/    | ||   ||---||| -/
- \___|\__/   ||/\\/|__/    /            |____|/ \__/     |_|/   ||/  ||/ -/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------/
From: ccoprdj@prism.gatech.EDU (Jorge Diaz)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Cursed Items - Why?
Keywords: magic items, cursed items, wizards
Date: 9 Jan 93 04:58:35 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

In article <79522@hydra.gatech.EDU> ccoprdj@prism.gatech.EDU (Jorge Diaz) writes:

>Isn't there a chance that making a weapon fails.  If it does, does it have
>to end up as a non-magical weapon?  Why not a cursed on instead? :-)

Blah!  I was in a hurry when I wrote this.  Let's try again.

When creating a magic item, there's a chance that it won't work.  The process
is corrupted (at least, I seem to remember this), and something goes wrong.
I'd always assumed that this is how most cursed items come about.  They're
accidents, not something that the mage was trying to make.

This, of course, begs the question:  Why wouldn't the mage just destroy
it?  Two reasons I can think of:

First, an evil mage might give it to a low-level party just for kicks.

Second, the mage himself might not even realize that his spells failed.  He
gives the item to whomever it was created for, under the false impression
that it is a help to said person.  This person, of course, won't realize it
until it's too late....


-- 
Jorge Diaz                       | "I want you to remember, Clark... in all
Georgia Institute of Technology  |  the years to come, in your most private
Office of Information Technology |  moments...my hand at your throat.  I want
ccoprdj@prism.gatech.edu         |  you to remember the one man who beat you."
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: kinsler@newton.physics.uq.oz.au (Paul Kinsler)
Subject: Re: Cursed Items - Why?
Organization: Physics Dept. The University of Queensland
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1993 23:18:13 GMT

In article <1inr5qINN1r1@nic.umass.edu>, ABPD103@UCSVAX (John F. Donoghue) writes:
>>    [...]
>>    So a failed +1 sword might still guide the attacks of the wielder, only
>>    incorrectly, becoming a -1 sword.  But there is no reason to think that it
>>    would suddenly gain the power to FORCE someone to wield it.  It might or
>>    might not still have the +1 on damage.
>>    
Yeah. but its no fun if the PC can just throw the cursed sword away, is it?

Either you lie through your teeth to the player:
PC: i do ... 8 +3plusses, ... eleven points!
DM: well, actually your sword also does double damage this round, so thats 22!
    (dm marks off 8-3 = 5 points)
DM: but this must be a tough orc - obviously a leader type, it is still alive...

which can be a pain to keep track of...

Or you just say:
DM: This sword somehow keeps forcing you to wield it in combat. It also seems
    be -3.
PC: what!! damn.. now i'll has to go to the Lost City of Inginarrrd, to find
    the Wizard of Bibblefrip, and convince him to remove it's powerful curse.
    I bet that bastard will make me go on a quest to recover the Amulet of the
    Seven Mad Nuns from the Demon IxxIchalIn, for which I will need the 
    Famed Ring of ...
-- 
+soluble fish+
"You people, you do not see the grandeur in the wind and stone and stars,
 in the blood and fire and iron - but paint only the flowers."
From: pkralik@ecst.csuchico.edu (Wintermute)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Funny spells
Keywords: Weird Stupid Funny Insane Spells
Date: 5 Jan 93 03:54:31 GMT
Organization: California State University, Chico
NNTP-Posting-Host: grotus.ecst.csuchico.edu

How about:


Awaken Self

Lvl 1				Components: V, S
Range: Self			Casting Time: 1 
Duration: N/A			Saving Throw: none
AOE : Self

Explanation/Description:  This spell will awaken the caster if he is in a 
	non-magical, non drug-induced(i.e. NORMAL) slumber.  The caster must
	simply recite "Wakey, Wakey!" while at the same time bashing himself
	repeatedly with a mace or other heavy, blunt object.
	


Stealth

Lvl 1				Components: V, S
Range: Spec.			Casting Time: 1 
Duration: Spec.			Saving Throw: neg
AOE: Spec.

Explanation/Description:  This potent spell enables the caster to duplicate
	the silent, cat-like movements of the most skilled thief.  The caster
	simply shuts his eyes and runs, screaming hysterically, past the 
	creature he wishes to elude.  

*Note: This spell is currently under investigation by the Verkandian Mages
	Guild in response to reports of results described as "...a bit 
	dissapointing.".
From: mcglk@cpac.washington.edu (Ken McGlothlen)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: D&D and Christianity
Date: 06 Jan 93 14:25:23 GMT
Organization: Dubious.
Distribution: usa
	<C0FBEI.9L8@news.cso.uiuc.edu>
NNTP-Posting-Host: yang.cpac.washington.edu

Peter M. White (pmwg1641@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu) writes:
+----------
| By the way, there is a very good reason why those descriptions of devil and
| demons coincide nicely with Bible references and common occult sources; Gygax
| lifted them directly.
+----------

No argument there.

+----------
| Now we get to the important point: he did so without any qualms BECAUSE of
| his Christian beliefs.  Gary Gygax is a Seventh Day Adventist; so, he does
| not believe in Satan.  (I am far from versed in the subtleties of this strain
| of faith.  But I did get this story from a reliable source.)
+----------

You may want to ditch your "reliable source."  It's wrong on two very important
counts:  (1) Gary Gygax is, to my knowledge, not a Seventh-Day
Adventist---indeed, to my knowledge, he's never come out with any statements
regarding his religious beliefs, and (2) Seventh-Day Adventists *do* believe
that Satan exists, that he was once then angel Lucifer, and so on.

Interestingly enough, many Seventh-Day Adventists are just as up-in-arms about
role-playing games as the rest of the Moral Majority.  So trying to tie SDAs to
this is peculiarly ironic.  If Gygax *were* SDA, his church would be *very*
disapproving.

(No, I'm not SDA.  I used to be, though.)

+----------
| [...]  But including actual Christian religion in the background IS a touchy
| problem; it seems to have been very carefully avoided.
+----------

For good reason.  It was a *very* wise decision on Gygax and Arneson's part, in
that demons and devils and other such evil spirits are components of almost
*every* religion on the planet, so their inclusion in D&D and its successors
could be considered "excusable" as merely being part of mythology, like the
Greek and Roman gods.

Unfortunately, there's no pleasing the fundamentalists. . . .

				---Ken McGlothlen
				   mcglk@cpac.washington.edu
				   mcglk@cpac.bitnet