HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: wbennett@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (William F Bennett)
Subject: Re: Another Meta-Magic spell, this one's a doozie.
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 21:34:31 GMT

In article <1992Jul23.073712.397@uwm.edu> gblock@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Gregory R Bl
ock) writes:
>Bilador's SpellShape
>Level:  3
>
>Range:        10 yards/level
>Components:   V
>Duration:     Special
>Casting Time: 3
>Area of Effect:    Up to 20 cubic feet/level, minimum value of 6" on axis
>Saving Throw: None
>
>    When cast, this spell allows the altered spell to affect the
>area the caster desires, up to 20 cubic feet per level.
>
>    For instance, a 19th level mage (that's Bil) could make a wall
>1' x 19' x 19' in any orientation which would be "filled" with the
>area of effect, a solid dome in a spherical shape 6" thick and having
>a radius of 15', or flood a hemisphere with a radius of 6'.  A
>hemispherical dome would have a radius of 22' at 6" thickness, and a
>cube 7' on a size could also be shaped.
>
>    Any spell can be shaped.  For instance, a teleport can move
>anything "encompassed".  Lightning bolts become fields of lightning
>affecting all those "encompassed".  Abjurations can enclose areas or
>surround people.
>
>
>Well, whatcha think?

     I think that there are powerful implications of this spell and that it 
should be higher in level at least 4th and maybe fifth.

>
>
>--
>(: (: (: (: Have you overdosed on smileys today?  Why NOT!?! :) :) :) :) :)
>(:"The person who said size doesn't matter was probably a very small man":)
>(:  gblock@csd4.csd.uwm.edu            Gregory R. Block         :)
>(: (: (: (: (: (: (: (: (: (: (: (: (:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)
-- 
Bill Bennett     wbennett@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
From: MWORKMAN@vm.cc.purdue.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Weight vs Bulk on Encubrance?
Date: 27 Jul 92 23:23:12 GMT
Organization: Purdue University


 
I'm DMing a campaign that keeps track of encumbrance, but I have found that the
  encumbrance numbers listed in the DMG (pg 225 Appendix O) are a bit unrealist
ic.  For example:  a scroll case (bone or ivory) has an encumbrance of 50 gp or
 5 lb!  Does this seem a bit much to anynone?
 
I know that this number is supposed to reflect not only the weight of the item,
 but its relative bulk.  However, wouldn't the encubrance of something depend o
n how you carry it?  It's hard to believe a scroll case in a backpack could sti
ll give an encumbrance of 50 gp.
 
Are there any realistic lists of weights or bulk out there?
 
Any info is greatly appreciated!
 
Ryan at Purdue University
 
P.S I'm new to this group, and to networking (so excuse my initial mistakes ;-)
From: seawasp+@pitt.edu (Ryk E Spoor)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Paladin
Summary: What ARE they teaching them in these schools?
Date: 24 Jul 92 17:58:18 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh

In article <marrou.711991467@eola.cs.ucf.edu> marrou@cs.ucf.edu (Lance R. Marrou) writes:
>fraser@munta.cs.mu.OZ.AU (Fraser Wilson) writes:
>>torban@csuvax1.csu.murdoch.edu.au (Torban Bennett) writes:
>>>PS: Getting back to an old thread.  How do you pronounce Paladin?
>>>      Pal-laddn or Palla-din?

	Neither. The word has THREE syllables, not two.

	PAL-uh-dihn.

                                 Sea Wasp
                                   /^\
                                   ;;;
From: lavonius@kruuna.Helsinki.FI (Ville Lavonius)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: AD&D PBeM Starting / Apply with a character sketch
Date: 24 Jul 92 15:19:06 GMT
Distribution: rec
Organization: The few, the proud... the stupid, the inept

Game closed. Enough applicants.
--
Ville Lavonius	        University of Helsinki, Dept. of Computer Science
lavonius@cc.helsinki.fi : With friends like that, who needs anemones
From: jacobus@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Bryan J. Maloney)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Castles - Prices
Date: 31 Jul 92 18:22:03 GMT
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center

In article <51300004@ax.apc.org> kiko@ax.apc.org writes:
>
>Does anybody know the prices, or where to gather this information, about 
>castle constructions??


I suggest hitting the local university library if possible, look in history
or architecture.


Anyway the monetary price would be, simply put, ENORMOUS.  A lord (as opposed
to a major lord or king) would have one castle because two would crush
him under the cost.  Furthermore, VERY FEW castles were built "all at a go".

Most of them started as simple towers and were added on generation by
generation.  If you want to build a castle all in one shot, consider that
the Welsh Castles of Henry of England took five to ten years EACH to build.
(Usually on the five side).
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: Rannou@info.polymtl.ca (Patrick Rannou)
Subject: Re: Best possible AC
Organization: Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, Canada
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 07:36:46 GMT

In article <1992Jul28.203439.10294@oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu> dcarroll@oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu (Dana Carroll) writes:


   What is the best possible AC for the four basic character classes (Fighter,
   MU, Thief, Cleric) in the two editions of AD&D?
[...]


   I personally have run across an AC of -22, but that wasn't in a player 

-22? I thought AC couldn't go lower than -10? (well, in 2nd ed. at least).

Not that I care: In my campaign, ACs below -10 are a very real possibility.

Mage:  Bracers AC 2, dex 18, that=s already AC -2.
       Now, *IF* you allow rings of protection to work with armor (I do), 
       then with a ring of protection +6 you get -8 AC.
       Now, if you allow other items like cloaks of protections, etc...
       to also work in addition to bracers, you can get under -10 very
       fast.

Same discussions for other classes.

That's why I would simply find it easier to compare the AC WITHOUT
the "dex bonus" (it's the same for every PC: 18 DEX = -4 AC), or
magical bonuses from items that any class can wear. I.E. Check the
minimum for each classes SPECIFIC items.

Mages: Bracers AC 2
Thief: Full Plate + Shield, both +5, thus AC -10
Priest: Same as fighter (why not? SOME deitys must allow for such tanks)
Thieves: Elven Chain Mail +5, thus AC 0.

If you allow magical cloaks of protection to work with say leather
but not metal, then a cloak of protection +3 wouls mean
that the thief's AC still stay at 0 (change the chain +5 for a leather+5)
while the mage's AC drops to -1.

Of course, a helm of protection +3 would mean that fighter/priest AC drops
to -13!

Now add dex, rings, and any other items or magics applicable.

NWhy not have a couple artifacts with bonuses on AC? A few ioun stones?

And what about all those items and spells that each honorable GM
should create in the life of a campaign? A GM creates new monsters,
why shouldn't he create new spells and new items?

-22 AC? What level was that PC?

I'd call him a demi-god!

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

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: Rannou@info.polymtl.ca (Patrick Rannou)
Subject: Re: About beginning players, and then about AD&D 3rd edition... ;-)
Organization: Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, Canada
	<3281@blue.cis.pitt.edu.UUCP> <63769@hydra.gatech.EDU>
	<marrou.711635864@eola.cs.ucf.edu>
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 04:02:02 GMT

In article <marrou.711635864@eola.cs.ucf.edu> marrou@cs.ucf.edu (Lance R. Marrou) writes:



   >In article <3281@blue.cis.pitt.edu.UUCP> seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp) writes:

   >*>	Jeez, I'd love to know where you people get these somewhat sheeplike
   >*>players. That wouldn't have worked with me, and certainly not with ANY
   >*>of the players I've had over the years. Every one of them, from myself
   >*>on down, has bought everything available as soon as the interest in the
   >*>game began. (And as soon as the money was available). If I'd tried to
   >*>tell anyone not to buy the PH and let me do it all (assuming I was
   >*>THAT masochistic as to want to do it all, and had the money available
   >*>to be a walking copier) they would have said, "Uh, yeah, sure." and then
   >*>shown up with their own PH the next day.


   >At which point you say "Get out of my campaign.  I told you not to buy
   >the book.  I don't want you in my game if you can't play by my rules."

   >Problem solved.

   At which point the DM becomes a complete jerk and ends up playing
   by himself while his "friends" go somewhere else.  Sheeesh.

   Lance


I have to garee here. All I ever did what strongly suggesting NOT to
succumb to the urge to go buy the books and read everything. I never
actually did ANYTHING to "implement" that "ruling", even tough the majority
of my players didn`t choose to hear what I said and actually went and
bought everything they could as soon as they got the cash.

I simply said: "Well, it's your loss..."

What I find strange is that after a few years, over half of them said that
given the choice to do it all over again, this time they wouldn't go buy
the books, not even the PH, not because they think the books are crummy,
but because they think that they effectively missed on the "discover new
things" part of the fun.

That was the purpose of my original posting. To show that discovering
things while roleplaying IN CHARACTER can be a lot more fun than
discovering things by reading it in the book that you would buy anyway
after a few months/years.

Thank you for your attention, I'm outta here!

Patrick Rannou.


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

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: 10726446@eng2.eng.monash.edu.au (LAU WAI KUEN)
Subject: Stupid Pc Tricks
Organization: Faculty of Engineering, Monash University 
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 06:40:26 GMT


    Ha, this is a doodad of a trick.  The players were munchkin... You'll 
see why.

   The players hear of some orcs owning a small keep, and decide to go out 
and capture it from them.  After scouting around the keep, they discover the 
unused and forgotten escape tunnel into the keep.  'Ah ha!' say the players 
gleefully.  Rather predictably, they follow the tunnel into the basement of 
the keep, which (unbeknowst by the players) consists of the kitchen, a few 
rooms and two cells.  The players come out in a room that the chief orc 
gorilla handler and his pet gorilla occupy.  After a tremendous fight, they 
kill the handler and toss the gorilla into a pit that seperates the side of 
the room with the secret door from the side of the room with the door to the 
rest of the keep.  'Gee, we're all wounded' mutter the players 'Lets camp 
and get some hit points back'
   So they pull up the planks that they crossed the pit with, and went to 
sleep on the side with the secret door.  No guards, no scouting, just '
We all go to sleep'.  Rather predictably, an hour later, an orc sticks his 
head through the door to inform the handler that lunch is ready.  He yells 
in surprise, waking the party, who cant do a damn thing because they've 
pulled up the planks; then rushes off.  The pc's then, strangely, put the 
planks back and stand around.  A few minutes later, in rushes the orcs, 
equiped with swords and stuff.  They hesitate, the half rush back through 
the door, with the rest just stand there, yelling insults.  The players    
'wait'.  Five minutes later, the orcs come back with bows.  Twang! Twang!  

     


Halcyon

'Greetings! I am Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez, chief metallurgist to 
King Charles the Fifth of Spain.  And you, my friend, are Connor McLeod.'
From: walrus@bessel.umd.edu (Grig Larson)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: AD&D Junk Pileup
Date: 31 Jul 92 05:23:28 GMT
Organization: Punkadyne Industries(tm)

I started D&D Gaming in the late 1970's, and since then I have accumulated
quite a bit of stuff. During my last move, I got the following numbers:
 
	o 180+ Premade D&D and AD&D Modules, some original editions
	o Dragon Magazines #68-158
	o Dungeon Magazine 1-25
	o All Hardbacks up to 2nd Ed D&D
	o about 12 boxed sets like Kara Tur, Greyhawk (all 3 versions!)
	o 40 Suppliments
	o The original 3-book set, chainmail, and the 4 suppliments
	o Lots of role-playing aids, mostly TSR
	o Dice! Dice! Dice! oh, boy, I can't have enough of them!

Is this stuff worth anything? Can anyone give me a figure (round, no exact
dollar required) of what is growing yellow in my cardboard boxes?
 
I stopped gaming in 1989 when the people in my area became geeky, rule-
grubbing lawyers that did not game for fun, they gamed because it *was*
their life. Ugh, I lost a lot of good players to college, moves, etc. I
miss the good old days when you just gamed because you liked the company.
Then TSR went bonzo, players in my area went geekoid, and I began to gain
other hobbies.

Is this stuff for sale? Not yet. Some of my friends who have similar gripes
about playing. We might dust off the Monster Manual and begin all over
again (what table do I use.... damn this Alzheimer's Disease!). But if I
can get buku bucks for it, I may just chuck it to the highest bidder.
 
Thanks.
 


=================<<< <  <   < *Punk Walrus* >   >  > >>>=================
[  \||/  |       ---------------------------------------       |  \||/  ]
[  (o-)  | "It might be in the     ||  walrus@bessel.umd.edu   |  (o-)  ]
[   /\   |  basement, I'll go up-  ||  Punk Walrus on the      |   /\   ]
[ Punkus |  stairs and check..."   ||  FanTek BBS 301-203-9582 | It's   ]
[ Walrus |       -- M.C. Escher -- ||  SF&F Author Extrordinare| Punkie!]
=========================================================================
Official EveCon 10 Representative for the InterNet Entertainment System.

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: mepstein@csws15.ic.sunysb.edu (Not On Our Customer File)
Subject: Re: Best version of AD&Dv1 Monster Enc. Prog for IBM-PC via ftp
Organization: State University of New York at Stony Brook
Date: Sun, 26 Jul 1992 00:56:45 GMT






I have no ftp access
can some kind soul e-mail me it
I would really appreciate it.
thanks in advance because my e-mail is messed and i probably
won't be able to mail you a letter of thanks
mepstein@ic.sunysb.edu
From: mpk9716@rigel.tamu.edu (Health Man)
Subject: Meta Magic Spells
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: Texas A&M University, Academic Computing Services
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 17:45:00 GMT

Meta Magic involves spells that manipulate other magic.

Spell Name: Forget Spell
Range: 100 Yards
Components: V,S,M
Duration: Instantanious
Casting Time: 3
Area of Effect: 1 Wizard
Saving Throw: -5 to Neg.

When casting this spell the Meta Mage trys to make another wizard forget
a single spell.  The target wizard must save vs. spell at -5, if successful,
nothing happens.  If he fails, one of his spells is lost (determine at
random). The Meta Mage does not steal the spell, it is simply forgotten and
must be rememorized.

This is a 3rd level spell in the School of Meta Magic-Invokers can not use
Meta Magic
From: cxc4107@hertz.njit.edu (Christopher Lee Cavender)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: stupid player tricks
Date: 25 Jul 92 03:59:08 GMT
Organization: New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, N.J.

This is a group stupid trick. It happened while we were at Princecon, which BTW
and INEAO is a great con.
	The party was wandering around in strange land where for many reasons
they could not tell who they were. They meet a nice little merchant type who
politly asks if they were bandits. The party says no of course not. The merchant then asks where the party is from. Frantic looks among players. My character 
speaks up, "We are from a small ilsand in the eastern ocean." Another player 
shoots me an astonished look and says quickly," We're here hunting pirates."
Another player then perks up and says, "They attacked our island and we followed them here." (The Dm has been unable to say anything but is looking more and
more interested) Next player says," We swam here from the ilsand." The Dm manages to get a word in and says but You wear Plate Mail! Mail such as never been seen before!" The final player says"We brought it with us!" The Dm said"Of course."	The goal of the adventure is to get to a lake in the south and since this fellow is a merchant we ask him about shipping. We then ask if HE has any 
shipments leaving soon. THEN we ask him if he could hurry up the shipment! And
for the final touch some bright boy says" Do you have any gaurds for your shipments?" Later he explained he was thinking about offering our services but at the
moment the merchant just did the logical thing and ran like a motherFaqer. We
managed to elude the soldiers sent to capture us thankfully. 
	The happy ending is that it got us mentioned at the end of the con
wrapup as the most inventive party.
					Chris





At least I THINK it happend that way.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: gupw@uniwa.uwa.edu.au (Paul Wagland)
Subject: Re: Scribing from a Spell Book
Organization: University of Western Australia
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 02:29:47 GMT

drool@retreat.Bah.Rochester.NY.US (Paul Coene) writes:

>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 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.

Well, what I do in my campaigns is to allow MU to copy spells between
their own spell-books, thus enabling them to make back-up spell books,
though not cheaply, but they can't copy from anothers spell books. The
reasoning behind this is that the spell in the spell book is like a
recipe...but very finely tuned to the caster. You can scribe from a
scroll because they contain the magic force neccessary to cast the
spell, ie. even though the MU isn't fully proficient with the spell the
force behind the scroll 'pushes' him through the spell.

So tell me what you think.
-- 
Paul Wagland            | These opinions are mine and no-one elses
gupw@uniwa.uwa.edu.au   | I still don't like Microsoft, even after using
------------------------+  their products. :-)
From: drool@retreat.Bah.Rochester.NY.US (Paul Coene)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: When players and characters experience doesn't match.
Followup-To: rec.games.frp.dnd
Distribution: world
Reply-To: drool@retreat.Bah.Rochester.NY.US
Organization: 
Keywords: 
Summary: 
Date: 24 Jul 92 19:11:27 EST
Organization: Not an Organization

In article <1992Jul23.132120.1694@galileo.cc.rochester.edu> jzku_ss@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Joeski) writes:
> 
> This is where we got confused.  The player playing the ranger says,"hmmm,
> do I know what this is?" Knowing wery well that he does.  (I can't 
> remember the name of it right now, but it corrodes metal for lunch, 
> including weapons) I'm thinking the same thing as the ranger, then we
> both realized that we were 1st level, so we shrugged and went after it
> swinging, fully expecting our weapons to be bye-bye in a moment or two.
... stuff deleted
> Anyone else got a similar experience? Where players' experience almost
> got in the way of their characters?
> 

Oh, very much so!  Many of the folks in our group, including myself, keep
a list of creatures faced and the attributes observed on a per character
basis.  Of course, adventurers can share information, so when a party 
encounters, say, yellow mold, if one of them has it on their list and knows
its properties, then the group can back off.  

Some things, like Dragons, are just assumed to be well known.

										<: Drool :>

ARPA: drool@retreat.Bah.Rochester.NY.US   UUCP: kodak!bisco!retreat!drool
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: ess3791@zeus.tamu.edu (Storm)
Subject: A question about *Bracers*
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: Texas A&M University, Academic Computing Services
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1992 08:50:00 GMT

After reading a couple of the posts about how low can your AC go, I was
reminded of something that has bothered me for awhile.  As a rule, how
does everyone classify Bracers of Defence?  In other words, are they magical
armor or just a misc. magic item that lowers AC?  I've always ruled that
they are not magic armor and thus rings of protection can be used with them,
but apparently everyone doesn't feel that way.  What do you think?

-Storm

/--------------------------------------------------------------------------\
|-|  "The Power of Love    /    Scott Shaw  (ess3791@rigel.tamu.edu)     |-|
|-|   is a curious thing" /      Texas A&M University - Mathematics      |-|
|-|     (Huey Lewis)     / "Words as weapons, sharper than knives" (INXS)|-|
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------/
From: ccoprmd@prism.gatech.EDU (Matthew DeLuca)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Stoneskin revisited
Date: 21 Jul 92 18:20:53 GMT
Organization: The Dorsai Grey Captains

In article <63999@hydra.gatech.EDU> ccoprdj@prism.gatech.EDU (Jorge Diaz) writes:
>
>I wrote:

>>>Opinions?

>Matthew, that wimp, wrote:

[This idea sucks]

>Why not have a stoneskinned character not able to cast mage spells (cleric 
>spells are still OK, because clerics can cast spells in armor)?

[...]

>He wouldn't be able to cast any others spells, but he could cast it on 
>himself and then run like hell. :-)

I'll give you (and your wizard character) a clue: any mage in *my* party that
has room for a fourth-level spell and uses it on himself so he can run away
when the rest of the party is getting whaled on is going to get a boot to 
the head when I catch him...

The least the mage in question can do is wade up to the front lines and use
his staff. :-)

Probably the best solution is to either make it protect against *one* attack, 
or make it affect only the caster.  This is a good idea, but on thinking 
about it, it defeats the purpose of having a mage in the party to begin with.
-- 
Matthew DeLuca                      "I'd hire the Dorsai, if I knew their 
Georgia Institute of Technology      P.O. box."
Office of Information Technology                - Zebediah Carter, 
Internet: ccoprmd@prism.gatech.edu              _The Number of the Beast_