HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: reza@magellan.ae.utexas.edu (Alireza Vali)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: A question on aging.
Date: 14 Dec 92 07:55:27 GMT

In article <584@blue.cis.pitt.edu> seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp) writes:
>
[much deleted]
>
>	Unless you (A) remove the aging BS from the Wish spell (why 
>aging? I don't know. I always figured it made more sense for it to injure
>the person physically or psychically, but aging seemed a little silly),
>or (B) say that Wish imposes a STRAIN on anything (other than gods, demons,
>etc) that uses it, and this strain shows up differently depending on
>your race. In humans, it ages you by 5 years; in Elves, it removes 1d4 
>HP PERMANENTLY. (you could get them back by gaining a level, but that
>in itself is a pretty steep cost...) Or something like that.

Acutally, the PHB states a -3 Strength loss for "some forms of wishes."
It does not state whether this loss is permanent or it is restored after
bed rest.  I think this gives the DM a lot of discretion.  If a Mage
does something "resonable" such as Wishing a Tarrasque would stay dead,
or use it to restore a character who was disintegrated by a beholder,
I would suspect the spell's strength effect would not be ruled permanent.
I think the aging effect is silly.  A couple of nice things to make the
spell "expensive" would be to require a system shock roll to see if a
caster will survive the spell, or requiring an intelligence check with
modifiers based on the level of the mage.  

Just my $0.03.
-- 
Ali R. Vali - reza@magellan.ae.utexas.edu
Organization: Junior, Math/Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1992 18:40:17 -0500 
From: "Joseph E. Beck" <jb8n+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: Class' power (was Re: how to imprison a psionicist)
	<1992Dec19.005219.21858@Princeton.EDU>


dagolden@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (David Alexandre Golden) writes:
> In article <1992Dec18.145226.1@ulkyvx.louisville.edu> tfpayn01@ulkyvx.louisvil\
> le.edu writes:
> >In article <1gr21hINNgqd@master.cs.rose-hulman.edu>, operbwt@nextwork.rose-hu\
> lman.edu (Barry Trottier) writes:
> >> In article <1992Dec17.023455.24956@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu>  
> >> praxis@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu (Laura L Perkinson) writes:
> 
> >>>     Sheesh! Where did folks get the idea that psionicists are so
> >>> ungodly powerful? Sure they've got their strengths (one being: they're
> [etc...]
> 
> >> Yeah, but the Psionicist can do the following:
> [various ways for psionicists to kick ass]
> 
> [followed by various commentaries]
> 
> OK, but what happens to that awesome psionicist when he runs out of PSI 
> points?  Say after taking on multiple opponents.  Sure, teleport away before
> it's too late, but you can't run away forever and still get anything done.
So the psion is weak because he can got a lot done (is versatile) and
then escape.  Wow.  Sucks to be him.  

> 
> Or, what happens when a psioicist runs into another psionically active
> creature/NPC.  Whoa, now!  Bye bye free contacts!  Kiss off more points for
> defense, and then pray for good luck on counterattack rolls.  Maybe if
> you force a contact, you'll still have enough points to do some lobotomizing.
> Then, if there's a melee going on around at the same time, and opportunities
> for disruption exist...
> 
> It seems to me that a psionicist only has great superiority facing
> non psionicists, and only if heavily loaded on psi points.
If the psion gets receptacle he's in much better shape.  Also, you're
arguing psionicists aren't too powerful because they only do very well
when they're *not* fighting psionicists.  So X isn't that good because
it can't beat up X, but can beat up Y.  Seems like X is better than
Y...

	joe

> 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
Organization: Junior, Math/Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1992 12:21:36 -0500 
From: "Joseph E. Beck" <jb8n+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: 2ed class questions

pachang@nyx.cs.du.edu (Peter Chang) writes:
> I have a question to those of you who like to follow the rules as closely
> by the book as possible, or at least can come up with logical solutions
> to problems with rules.  They are as follows...
> 
> 1).  The PHB says on page 23. that humans can attain any level of ANY class.
> and that this is a limiting factor of other races...Yet the book also says
> that Humans are NOT allowed to be multi-class (p.44) I personally was always
> under the impression that Humans could be anything...And some character
> generators out there allow Multi-Class humans...Is this a error on my part
> as well as some other players?  or do some people just allow humans to 
> be multi-class
I don't think humans have ever been allowed to multi class.  

> 3).  Why can't a character of a certain race be a multi-class character
> with any two classes selectable if the character were single class?
> (ie.  an elf can be a cleric. an elf can be a fighter, why can't an elf
> be a fighter/cleric?)
Game balance or TSR whim.  Take your pick.  I personally favor TSR
whim, since game balance is very rarely considered when dealing with
multi class characters.  

Some more questions about 2nd edition:

How come Dwarves/Gnomes/Halflings don't sink in water no matter how
encumbered they are?  (read the sinking rules carefully)

Why do muscular people decend through water more slowly than people
with less muscles?  Do muscles float in TSR worlds? (read the diving
rules carefully)

Does a heavy crossbow bolt really do as much damage as a sling stone?

	joe
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Paladins, Clerics, and Horus
From: <MVS104@psuvm.psu.edu>
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1992 19:52:47 EST
Organization: Penn State University

In article <lii05uINNjrs@latexo.cs.utexas.edu>, dant@cs.utexas.edu (Dan
Alexander Thompson) says:
>
>My question is, should I treat such characters as priests, paladins, or dual-
>classed priest/paladins?  I'm willing to waive the non-human dual-class
>restriction for this one god (there is precedent in the Egyptian mythos for
>that--see Isis), but is that the right thing to do?
>
>I'm talking in terms of XP, THAC0, saves, etc.--most of the special abilities
>are spelled out in TOM.

Make them what it sounds like--paladins with free clerical ability.
I wouldn't give them the paladin track for spells at high level, though.
After all, the spheres are, well, few in number (although they have a
couple good ones there). So basically they're paladins, with the paladin
powers, thac0, xp, fighter saves, etc...and they have a track of cleric
spells to boot. One of the more gross yet fun gods T$R has come up with.

Martin Schulte

P.S. Isis is another favorite...human multiclass mage/cleric with MR...
From: raycole@matt.ksu.ksu.edu (Ray Cole)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: how to imprison a psionicist ?
Date: 17 Dec 1992 20:50:07 -0600
Organization: Kansas State University
NNTP-Posting-Host: matt.ksu.ksu.edu

In <1992Dec17.154143.1@ulkyvx.louisville.edu> tfpayn01@ulkyvx.louisville.edu writes:

>> Ray
>	This brings to mind something I've heard, though I can't verify it in
>the rules, Ray....

>	If you place a psionicist in a room made of lead walls, he is
>neutralized (he'll have his PSPs, he'll feel himself utilizing powers, but they
>have no affect.  Actually, this'd be a great roleplaying action).

>	Help me out, people, if you know what I'm talking about.

>-- 

Wish I could help out here, I can't remember reading it, but then that doesn't
mean its not in there and I've unfortunatly loaned out my CPH to a player that
is thinking of running a psi-guy in my next campaign.  If anyone else can
find reference to this please tell us.

Ray


-- 
Ray Cole                    |    raycole@matt.ksu.ksu.edu
Computer Consultant         |   "Any time we thought we were special in
Kansas State University     |    the universe, we've been wrong"
Manhattan KS  USA           |   Air & Space, Bill Cochran Univ. of Texas
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: david@avenger.ecn.uoknor.edu (David Bump)
Subject: Re: Silver Piece Standard
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1992 17:17:14 GMT
Organization: Engineering Computer Network, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA

tjz6090@bcstec.ca.boeing.com (Ted Zuvich) writes:

>   Is anyone else out there using the silver piece standard, instead of
>gold piece standard?  I am interested in hearing about how you managed
>the conversion, if so.
>Each coin is a bit larger than a US 50-cent piece.  For conversion to
>modern-day prices (useful when your players are trying to figure out how
>much grain a farm has to  produce to feed the villagers), I use a ratio
>of 1 sp = $10 US.  A gp ("eagle") of this size is worth about $100.

I also use a sp standard:
	1 platiunum piece = 20 gold pieces
	1 gold piece = 10 silver pieces
   		= 2 electrum pieces
	1 silver piece = 10 bronze pieces
	1 bronze piece = 10 copper pieces
	1 copper piece = 10 tin pieces
I have since come up with a much more realistic system, but that's
the one I can remember now.  Incidentally, I normally set the
silver piece as about $50 to $100, depending on the wealth of
the area.

>   Another difficulty is that prices in the AD&D PH don't seem to make a
>lot of sense.  Aurora's Whole Realm's Catalog is a little better.  I
>adjusted the prices by dividing all costs in the PH by 10, i.e. a dagger
>costs 2 sp under the new system.  This is the simple conversion.  I
>tweaked things a bit after that, to make armor and weapons more
>expensive, and food much cheaper.  This makes selecting equipment at
>power.  For example, you can now buy a suit of plate mail for 40 gp, or
>4/5 of a pound of gold coins.  This seems much more reasonable than
>plopping down 400 gold coins, or 40 pounds of gold!.  A 2 sp mug of beer
>becomes a 2 cp (pfennig) beer, or about $2, also good.  IMHO, gold is
>just too common in the standard AD&D system.

I just ended up writing a new price chart altogether.  I am working
on setting the differences in equipment prices in different areas.
I think that would allow for more realism than wandering around
across seven countries, and everything costs the same in all of
them....

>My Opinion.  No one else's.

It may be yours, but you're not the only one....


David Bump
david@midway.ecn.uoknor.edu
From: pmenard@cse.unl.edu (Patrick Menard)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Level Limits
Keywords: AD&D, races, experience, level limits
Date: 17 Dec 92 23:30:12 GMT
Organization: University of Nebraska--Lincoln
NNTP-Posting-Host: cse.unl.edu

>In article <BzBp0G.IpJ@bunyip.cc.uq.oz.au> kinsler@physics.uq.oz.au (Paul Kinsler) writes:
>>Now I know that a lot of you guys *hate* the level limits [...]

Level limits is a Gygax thing.(of course so are dual-class,multi-class and monks
so there are a lot of strange things)

>>[...] What I do want to know is if anyone has 
>>"softened" the limits in some fashion (eg by doubling EXP costs to 
>>rise to the next level), and how that worked out.

I'm in a campaign right now where humans get normal experience, demi's get
half experience(multi-demi's get 1/5 experience)  It works real well.  Its
basically the same thing as in the DMG where they suggest if you don't want
limits to double,triple,quadruple the experience required.  Of course we
also use this nifty method of creating characters using a points system
instead of rolling.  It has its ups and downs.  It creates balance in that
if you Multi-demi, or choose a powerful Class/kit combination, your abilities
will be lower.  Whereas a single-class character will have higher ablilities,
but fewer special abilities.(of course, creating characters like those used
in all the AD&D examples is pretty hard (and they say that roleplaying is more
important than numbers, have you ever added up the numbers they come up with?!
(lets just say, the odds are the sun would fissle out before they actually could
roll all those characters (one I saw had a 15 for his lowest ability! odds are
about 1,586,874 to 1 of getting all 15's or above, not counting he had 3 18's(
that raises it to 12,694,994,580 to 1) and they regularly "roll" these
characters up, sheesh, talk about hypocrites!))

well, thats all from me(for now)

Shadow
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: ernar@dit.upm.es (Jorge F. Delgado Mendoza)
Subject: PC vs. Player INT
Organization: UUES, Asociacion de Usuarios de UNIX, Spain
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL4
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 15:17:41 GMT

I usually let the players do the thinking, independently of their INT score,
but IF there is a clue i make them throw d6's (usually its the mages who do it)
and tell them the clue , that way the mage solved the riddle in the
reckonings of the group because he got the crucial clue :)

Also I encourage you not to make the all/nothing puzzles, because what
usually is simple to the DM if absurd for the players ;)[DM incompetence?
players utter stupidity?]  just make them that, if they are solved, they 
save hp's spells and get treasure that would be gained in the hard way
if the puzzle is not solved.

my opinions :)

--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| ernar@sanson.dit.upm.es |   And they placed in his hands a sword made from  |
| Jorge Fernando Delgado. |  cold vengeance, forged in Brimstone and templed  |
| Madrid Telecom, Spain.  |  with the woeful tears of the other damned......  |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: baltzebw@newton.ccs.tuns.ca (Bruce W. Baltzer)
Subject: Re: how to imprison a psionicist ?
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1992 06:49:48 GMT
Organization: tuns.ca
Keywords: ectoplasmic form

doesn't seem like it'd be too hard, really.  assuming the captors know of the
psionicist's abilities, they would just keep him/her drugged to the point
where the PC couldn't think straight.
in my campaign, when i first introduced psionics, the psionicist was a boon
whenever the party was captured, and i was prepared for this - after all,
psionics was a 'new class', and npc's weren't used to it either.  but a villain
who knows of the party members' abilities could certainlt be expected to keep
a psionicist heavily sedated.  if really woozy won't do the trick, then
sleeping drugs.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|   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*))         |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: adair@hal.gnu.ai.mit.edu (Jonathan Edward Adair)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: how to imprison a psionicist ?
Date: 14 Dec 1992 15:27:17 GMT
Organization: Evil Geniuses for a Better Tomorrow
NNTP-Posting-Host: hal.gnu.ai.mit.edu

In article <1992Dec11.222022.2965@aio.jsc.nasa.gov> kjenks@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov writes:
>In article <1992Dec11.140432.5090@cs.ruu.nl> mdrijsma@cs.ruu.nl (Michael Rijsman) writes:
>>[...]  So how do you(as DM) imprison your psionicists ?
>
>(I'll tell you how I imprison spell casters in general.  Same principle.)
>
>Death works just fine, in most campaigns.  The character can get out of

You stole my answer...  Kill 'em.  

Actually, my approach for spellcasters in general is to mob them with
guards.  Those spells (and power points or whatever) will run out
sometime.  It's easy to keep a mage without her/his spellbook in
a cell once the've blown their good spells.  A psionicist is tougher,
though.  I guess you could torment them Rambo-First Blood style, 
keeping them from sleeping, etc., so they can't regain points.

Once you've got one caught, you just have to keep some beefy
guards (and a lot of nearby reserves) ready.  If I was a relatively
weak guard in charge of holding a mage-type in a cell, I'd sure 
be tempted to smack him/her around some, maybe even tying them
up, gagging them, etc., or even knocking them unconcious or
nearly killing them.  If you use the ever-popular "Death's Door"
rule that lets PC's live past 0 hit points, play it by the book.
When the PC goes below 0 hit points, they LOOSE ALL OF THEIR
SPELLS.  When the PC's get captured, have the mage/psionicist taken 
aside and beaten/flogged/pummeled/whatever until they are nearly
dead.  No mage can stand up to a half a dozen guards when the mage's
hands are tied behind his/her back, they're gagged, and being beaten
constantly.


--
Jonathan E. Adair  -  Programmer at Large                          /\
adair@gnu.ai.mit.edu             <-  Best choice                  /<>\
adair@eggo.csee.usf.edu          <-  Almost as good              /    \
adair@cfrrisc1.cfr.usf.edu       <-  Works for now              /______\
adair@psycho.fidonet.org         <-  Read yearly             The Illuminati




Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: kjenks@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov
Subject: Re: Druid Shapechange
Originator: kjenks@gothamcity
Keywords: humanoid forms
Organization: NASA/JSC/GM2, Space Shuttle Program Office
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 01:54:04 GMT

The PHB's (both v1 and v2) say the Druid can change into mammal, bird
and reptile (once each per day).  Does the mammal form include humanoids?

Argus, the Druid, tried it in my campaign, and I let him change into
ANY "natural" mammal, including humanoids (or, as the player, Tony
Silva, put it, ELF-oids), up to bugbear size.  

On a related note, if he can become a human(oid), is the new form
wearing clothes?  Whose?  Can he turn into a specific human form, i.e.
the King?  (I say yes.)  

I haven't had to rule on this one for several years.  What do you folks 
think?

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

     "Three Rings for the Elven Kings under the sky,
      Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
      Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
      One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne.

      In the Land of Mordor, where the Shadows Lie."
        -- "Lord of the Rings," J.R.R. Tolkein
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: vernard@cc.gatech.edu (Vernard C. Martin)
Subject: Re: Spells on Computer anyone?
Reply-To: vernard@cc.gatech.edu (Vernard C. Martin)
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 20:27:20 GMT

In article <00965393.5157B9C0@vms.csd.mu.edu> 2186filterj@vms.csd.mu.edu writes:
>Hello,
>
>I was wondering if anyone has taken the time to type in the mage spells for
>AD&D 2d edition?  I own the books and was planning to type them up on my
>word processor so that I could print them out in my "spellbook" that I keep
>with my character sheet.  My mage has relatively few spells, and that is why
>it would be easier that paging through the PHB or the Tome or the Wizard's
>HB or whatever other book the spell may be in.

I have all the spells up to 5th level from the 1st edition player's handbook typed in.
I'm working on the rest. I am a ADDv1 gamer and  I got tired of using both the unearthed 
arcana  and the ph to look up spells so I am typing them all in so that I can make my 
own spell book that is easier to handle.

>I realize that this may be a fuzzy line on copyright legality, however, I 
>assure you that I do own the books.  If you do not feel that it would be
>right to email me the spells, then DO NOT DO IT.  I would also appreciate
>a copy of any net.spells that have been compiled.

There are a plethora of net.spells compiled on various anonymous FTP sites. Check out 
the FAQ for more details.
Vernard Martin (vernard@cc.gatech.edu) Georgia Tech College of Computing 
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: A question on aging.
Date: 13 Dec 92 04:51:33 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh
Originator: seawasp@unixd2.cis.pitt.edu

In article <78202@hydra.gatech.EDU> ccoprdj@prism.gatech.EDU (Jorge Diaz) writes:
>In article <434@blue.cis.pitt.edu> seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp) writes:

>>	Everything doesn't die -- Gods certainly don't die naturally,
>>nor do Demons, and some people don't have dragons die, just get bigger...
>
>Well, I agree that gods don't die, nor do demons.  However, any creatures
>that are part of a race, IMHO, should die.  Basically, if it was born, it
>should eventually die.  Even dragons.

	Demons are part of a race... But you just agreed that they don't 
die.

	And there was a beginning to All Things -- even the gods (assuming
you have more than one. The Norse gods had a beginning and end and the 
Greek Gods were not always around; Zeus and his siblings were born...)

>That leaves the question "If the gods weren't born, where'd they come from?"
>That's just one of the mysteries that makes the game fun. :-)

	Again, depends. If you use a lot of the "historic" deities, they
WERE born.

	I have five distinct classes of gods, each with a different "origin"
and history. All of them, however, are either immortal or so long lived
(millions of years) so as to BE immortal for most intents and purposes...
(note that I use "immortal" to mean "does not die without help", not
"indestructible".)

                                 Sea Wasp
                                   /^\
                                   ;;;
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: akostur@fraser.sfu.ca (Andre John Kostur)
Subject: Re: how to imprison a psionicist ?
Organization: Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1992 22:10:33 GMT

In article <Bz7qKL.Jw5@news.cso.uiuc.edu> rsm58307@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Ron) writes:
>Two methods come to mind.  A Disclaimer: I have never played a psionicist
>and have very little understanding of their funky powers.
>
>A stronger psionicist. Maybe he could edit their memory so that they forget
>their own powers, or something like that.
>
>If its a world of psionicists, couldn't they have some sort of drug that
>inhibits psionics?  This seems to be a way to curb their power, which everybody
>seems to complain about at one point or another.  Archers might put this
>gunk on their arrows... etc.  Or mages could have spells designed to
>enfeeble their minds for a time.  The most powerful facet of being a 
>psionicist, I'd imagine, is that nobody knows what you can do till you do
>it.  In a psion rich world this wouldn't be as much of a threat, perhaps.
>
>Third method:
>
>If they're using dimension door to escape and their captor knows of this
>possibility, the jail could be somewhat more fearsome than a normal one.
>Like putting it deep in the earth (mage scoped it out with the help of
>wizard's eye and a friendly earth elemental, then made a small chamber,
>then sealed it all back up).  If magic doesn't affect psionics and psionics
>doesn't affect magic, seal the entire thing in a force bubble (like wall
>of force, or force cage, but spherical).  If the psionicist tries getting
>out with a dimension door spell they'll step into solid rock.
>
>Or put it deep under water.  Or on an elemental plane.  Come on, they're
>not gods, as long as the bad guys have a working intelligence service.
>
>	- Ron
>

 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...")

 A second way comes from the Deryni series (a set of 3 trilogies from Katherine
 Kurtz about a race of people called the Deryni which are psionic due to
 genetics).  In this series is a drug called Merasha which acted as a 
 mild sedative to humans, but royally screwed up psionically active people.


      ^ 
     ' ` 
  **'   `**         Andre Kostur
 ***  _  ***
  *''***``*         akostur@sfu.ca 
   `     ' 
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd