From: warren@Apple.COM (Chris Warren)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: REC.GAMES.FRP.DND - Frequently Asked Questions - Read before posting/1
Summary: This file should be read by anyone who wishes to post to the
         rec.games.frp.dnd news group.  It contains the following:
            1   a list of frequently asked questions about
                D&D, AD&D, and all of their brethren
            2   Glossary of terms used by rec.games.frp.dnd
Keywords: questions,hints,faq,info
Date: 14 Sep 92 22:05:49 GMT
Reply-To: warren@apple.com
Followup-To: rec.games.frp.dnd
Organization: Apple Computer Inc., Cupertino, CA


Archive-name: dnd-FAQ
Last-Modified: 1992/09/14

Posting Frequency: Once a week

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------- rec.games.frp.dnd ----------------------------
----------------------------- FAQ in 4 Parts -----------------------------
----------------------------- Parts 1 and 2 ------------------------------
---------------------------- Rev date 9/14/92 ----------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Administrivia/Soapbox: 

    Hello, here is your friendly neighborhood FAQ [person, sacrificial orc,
    slave to Asmodeus, ??? :] 

    "Whew!" He says wiping the sweat off of his brow.
    
    Here is the second pass at the FAQ.  Thanks to everyone
    who contributed.  We have doubled it in size to 88K thanks
    to all of you!  This thing dwarfs the size of the
    comp.sys.ibm.pc.games FAQ, which is only 55K.
    
    We need YOUR help.  This FAQ will be great if you help make it great.
    The answers here are my initial guesses at what they should be.

    Please email me additions, corrections, or whatever to any of
    the questions that already have answers.

    Also please email me answers to the questions I have left blank.

    On controversial issues this FAQ will try to present the different
    points of view that exist on the issue.  If your point of view
    is missing from an answer please send me an addition.

    If you help, you will earn eternal fame (but not fortune, sorry:()
    by getting your name in a credit in the FAQ.

        Real Men:          prefer the thrill of victory
        Real Roleplayers:  prefer everlasting fame
        Loonies:           prefer fortune cookies
        Munchkins:         prefer whatever will give them
                           the most XP, and you get 1000 XP
                           per contribution to the FAQ

    When it is done, the FAQ will be posted every week or so.
        
    Cheers
       Chris Warren (editor without cause)

    PS: A big thanks for Philippe Goujard and Brad Samek for letting
        me ruthlessly ripping off big portions of the ADND-L FAQ
        to go in here.
    
    BTW: there is a bitnet list for ADND, but that
         it is not connected to the newsfeed.  The list 
         is ADND-L@UTARLVM1 or ADND-L@UTARLVM1.UTA.EDU


--------------------------------------------------------------------------


Contents:

Note: if you want to skip to a later part of this document search for the
string "Part <n>" where n is 1 to 4. On UNIX, using rn 
type "g Part <n>" (example "g Part 2:" to go to the section
on Player Questions)

Part 1: General Questions

    The following questions are covered in part 1.  You can search for the
    coresponding number with your editor if you want to skip to that question
    On UNIX, using rn type g <number>: (example "g 4:")

        1:  What is rec.games.frp.dnd?
        2:  What should I be aware of when posting to rec.games.frp.dnd?
        3:  What are these other rec.games.frp.* newsgroups?
        4:  I've heard that some people want to bannish ADND because it's connected
             to evil : is this true?
        5:  What is Munchkinism, and what is Monty Haul?
        6:  What is Powergaming?
        7:  What is Min/Maxing?
        8:  What is the difference between ROLLplaying and ROLEplaying?
        9:  What is game balance?
        10: Why are there level limits on demihumans?
        11: How do I FTP?
        12: From where can I download D&D related stuff?
        13: What are the differences between 1st and 2nd Edition?
        14: What's this alignment stuff? 
        15: What about Paladins vis a vis alignment?
        16: What is pure evil?
        17: What are "Ravenloft" "Forgotten Realms" and  "Dark Sun"?
        18: How do I join the Ravenloft mailing list?
        19: Why don't more women play roleplaying games?
          20:    What do the T.S.R letters stand for?
        21: Can I use copyrighted material in my programs or database?

        Others?

Part 2: Player Questions

    If you are playing or are thinking about playing in a D&D game,
    look here for info that might be useful.

        1:  What do I look for in a Dungeon Master?
        2:  What should I be aware of when creating a character?
        3:  I want to run a Paladan.  What should I know?
        4:  I want to run a human multiclass or I want to run an unusual
            character.  What do I do?
        5:  The Rulebook says X and my Dungeon Master says Y what do I do?
        6:  Why can't my ranger sneek while wearing plate armor?
        7:  What about Mages and Crossbows

        Others?

Part 3: Dungeon Master Questions

    If you are running a campaign or are thinking of running a campaign
    look here.  If you are a player, particularly a relatively new
    player, looking here may spoil some of the surprises that you may
    have in store for you.  Proceed at your own risk.

        1:  How do I become a Dungeon Master?
        2:  What should I know in designing a campaign?
        3:  I don't agree with a rule in the rulebook, what do I do?
        4:  How do I fairly adjudicate a wish?
        5:  How do you deal with a that damned stoneskin spell?
        6:  A player wants to bring in a character from another
            campaign.  What do I do?
        7:  How do I deal with a player who wants to have a stronger
            character than the characters in the party?
        8:  How powerful should a dragon be?
        9:  How can I get more spells, magic items, traps, weapons...?
        10: How often should a DM tell players "what to do"?
        11: Why does the invisibility spell stop when I attack?
        12: How to take alcohol and sex in account in my games?
        13: How well will armour resist against fire?
        14:    Can an illusionary light allow you to see?
        15: Is "Animate dead" an evil act?
        16: What happens when someone teleports into solid rock?
         17:    How do I deal with pregnancy in my campaign?
 
        Others?

Part 4: Glossary

    Did you ever wonder about the meaning of DM, IMHO, THAC0, PBEM
    or any of the other funny acronyms that fly fast and furious in 
    this group?  look here for info.




------------------------ Part 1: General Questions -----------------------

1:  What is rec.games.frp.dnd?

A:  The charter of this group is to provide a forum for the discussion
    of the official rules and settings of the D&D family of
    roleplaying games, produced by TSR, Inc., including
    Collector's Edition Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), Basic D&D,
    Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (AD&D), and AD&D Second
    Edition. This newsgroup includes discussion of TSR's rules
    and products and compatible products, such as: character classes;
    character races; monsters; magic spells; weapons; Greyhawk; 
    the Forgotten Realms; the Known World; Dark Sun; Spelljammer;
    RavenLoft; Hollow World; City State of the Invincible Overlord;
    and so on. Crossposting between this group and other groups in
    the rec.games.frp hierarchy is discouraged, however issues of
    general interest that happen to involve a D&D rulebook or
    setting are more than welcome.
 
    For example (not comprehensive):
        o Discussion of rulebooks, modules, or playing aids
        o Discussion of TSR and other related companies.
          flames go to rec.games.frp.advocacy
        o Discussion of conventions
        o Discussion of favorite characters and adventures
        o Discussion of game mechanics
        o Requests for help
        o Discussion of locations of ftp sites for D&D materials.

    If you want to talk about other game systems and you are not talking
    about D&D please post to rec.games.frp.misc.

    If you have insights from another game system that apply to D&D then
    feel free to post them here.
    If you want to talk about how D&D is better or worse that any other
    game system please post rec.games.frp.advocacy (and bring a +5 vest
    of fire resistance:)

2:  What should I be aware of when posting to rec.games.frp.dnd?

    Check the postings guidelines in the WELCOME messages in
    rec.games.frp.announce

    When you post an article there a few things you can do to make life
    easier for others.
    
    a) Subject Headers: Please try to use a subject header that
    indicates what the topic of discussion.  Subject headers like
    "Test", "Question", or "Help wanted" are vague and put some
    in a bad mood.  If you need to do a test to make sure you can
    post works, try posting to news.test.

    b) Understand about SPOILERS. If you post something talking about
    something in a module or a D&D novel that is supposed to be a
    surprise, please put the word SPOILER in the header to indicate
    that the message contains a SPOILER.  This will usually apply to
    modules in this group.

3:  What are these other rec.games.frp.* newsgroups?

A:    go to rec.games.frp.announce and read the FAQ over there 

4:  I've heard that some people want to bannish ADND because it's connected
    to evil : is this true?

A:  This subject was quiet for the last few months... until a film
    called "Cruel Doubt" was shown on american networks and it all
    started again.
    
    - There are always people to blame something they dont know for being 
    "satanic" or for making people commit suicide and so on. Those
    integrists  don't know most of the time what they are talking about,
    it's the case for ADND.

    - It looks like that at least in the USA, those integrists had enough
    power to make TSR think that it would be better to make minor
    cosmetic changes in the second edition of ADND.
    
    - There is absolutely no proof that playing ADND (or any other
    role-playing game or wargame) has increased the number of suicide
    and the number of mental illness. On the opposite, some people say
    that playing ADND or any other role-playing game helps to live in
    groups and gives good initiative and helps to find solutions in a
    stress situation. This last statement may be proved by the fact
    that many recruiting agengies have a favorable view on people who 
    played DND or wargames. Most companies use role-playing as
    part of the recruiting process or staff training.
    
    John Daniel <C548285@UMCVMB.earn> has written a good article
    on Sociology and ADND in which he says :
     
    " At the same time of the Egbert disappearance and media circus,
    the Moral Majority and other fundamentalist groups were gaining
    in power.  Part of their ideology was that America was in a
    moral decline, and this decline was caused by the Devil.  Apparently
    Satan had formed a nation wide underground network of corruption
    that was slowly undermining the fabric of American Society.  These
    religious groups see themselves as fighting against the influences
    of Satan.  Because of the media portrayal, it was easy for these
    groups to decide that D&D was one of the influences of the Devil,
    it was seen as one of Satan's tools for corrupting the youth of
    America.  Along with Rock Music (later narrowed down to Heavy
    Metal RocK Music), promiscuity and abortion."
     
    John Daniel  c548285@umcvmb.missouri.edu

5:  What is Munchkinism, and what is Monty Haul?

A:  Munchkinism is another name for "Monty Haul" gaming; i.e.,
    playing at incredible power levels purely for the sake of
    watching the terrain get blown away by player characters who
    are unstoppable.

    There is nothing wrong with this per se.  If you are having
    fun playing this way by all means continue with it.  Some
    people find this kind of play boring and prefer to focus
    on the roleplaying aspect of the game.

    The term "munchkinism" derives from the hordes of pre-teenage
    kids ("munchkins, or "munchies") who tend to haunt gaming
    conventions and seek to enter open campaigns with their
    73rd level, AC-17 Paladin/Mage with his +8 Holy Vorpal 
    Sword of Everything Slaying, and similar accoutrements.

    The main argument against munchkin-ism are :
    
    - It is easier to role-play a weak character or one that is not perfect
    - Not having only offensive spells leaves space for creative 
    spell-casting
    - Giving too many magic items might seriously alter the game balance and 
    the game wont be fun to run in the long term.
    - The stats of a character are not important, do not worry if you have 
    low or average characteristics.
    
    But people mostly agree that it is fun to play muchnkin-ism, "from time 
    to time" and have lots of funny and or powerfull items.

    Munchinism can sometimes be confused with serious campaigns
    that happen to run at a very high power level.  These games
    require a lot of skill and imagination on the part of the
    Dungeon Master to keep the players intersted and challenged.

6:  What is Powergaming?

A:  Powergaming is the practice of playing for the purpose of gaining
    the most power possible.  This can happen even in non-munchkin
    campaigns where a player tries to squeeze every possible advantage
    out of the rules.  A powergamer, for example, might take
    a weapon specialization in long sword, combine it with
    ambedexitity and two weapon style specialization for a
    first level character that gets two attacks per round with
    a longsword at +1 to hit +2 dammage (+ any strength bonus).
    They could might choose a race just to get racial bonus
    that will maximize their to hit and to get the strongest
    character possible.
    
    Some people find this objectionable is because it involves
    thinking like a player rather than a character.  If you're in a
    campaign where this is the norm, go for it.

7:  What is Min/Maxing?

A:  Min/Max
    Here is a good example of min/maxing:

    A new character manages to get the following rolls:

    18, 17, 16, ...

    The player decides to make a thief and arranges
    the numbers as follows:

    Dex: 18
    Str: 17
    Con: 16

    Notice where the 16 ends up.  Putting either
    the 17 or 18 in con wouldn't give the character any
    extra hit points bonus since it's not a fighter.
    By putting the 17 and 18 in strength and dex,
    the player gets some good bonuses.  Clearly
    a case of min/maxing the stats rather than just
    arranging them for role-playing.

8:  What is the difference between ROLLplaying and ROLEplaying?

A:  ROLLplaying refers to the practice alluded to in question 6
    where a player see D&D as a dice rolling game and the goal
    is to get the best possible dice rolls.
    
    ROLEplaying refers to the practice of building a character
    conception that has depth and almost a life of its own.

9:  What is game balance?

A:  Game balance is the notion that different elements (races,
    character class, etc) within D&D should balence each other out
    in such a way that each element has its particular advantages
    and disadvantages.  This encourages players in a party
    to have different types of characters that can work together
    to achieve their party goals.  Teamwork is an important
    part of a group oriented fantasy role playing game such as
    D&D.  If one character class or race was much better than
    all the others then every player would want to play that
    type and parties would start looking like groups of clones.

    Another aspect of balance is that if one character in the party
    is much stronger than the rest of the party then the game
    can become boring for the weaker members since the stronger
    member is less dependent on the rest of the party.

    Some people belive that game balance lies more in the Dungeon
    Master than in the rules, since it is nearly impossible to
    create a perfectly balanced game.  These people will often
    change the rules to suit their own fancy.  Remember
    the rules are guidelines that a Dungeon Master can change as
    they wish.  It is just that they need to take a certain amount
    of care not to unbalance the game or they will wind up
    with a game that is either Monty Haul or opressive/deadly to
    the players.

10: Why are there level limits on demihumans?

A:  TSR did this primarily to give players motivation to play
    plain old humans.  Unlimited level advancement and
    the freedom to play any class are the advantages of humans
    over demihumans.  If you are uncomfortable with this
    try the sugested variations in AD&D 2nd Edition.

11: How do I FTP?

A:  First of all

    Those without FTP access should send e-mail to mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu
    with "send usenet/news.answers/finding-sources" in the body to find out
    how to do FTP by e-mail.

     All Hail Discordia,

     Brian David Phillips
     Meiguo Langren Zai Taibei            NCCUT132@TWNMOE10.BITNET
    {An American Werewolf in Taipei}      NCCUT132@TWNMOE10.EDU.TW



    Users at non-Internet sites (especially those on
    BITNET/Netnorth/EARN) may want to try the BITNET FTP server at
    Princeton. To obtain directions on the use of the server, send a
    mail file containing the line
    
                                         HELP
    
    to BITFTP@PUCC.BITNET. An alternative is the ftpmail service at
    decwrl.dec.com. Again send a message containing the one line
    
                                         help
    
    to ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com.


    [Thanks to John Gordon and Stephen M. Smith for most of what follows
     as well as the FTP Directions at the end of this document]

    [We are assuming that you are on a UNIX machine.  If you are using
     something else, you are on your own.  Sorry :( ]

    FTP Directions are appended to the end of this document
    (comes after part 4) do a search for the string
    "FTP Directions" to go there.
     

12:  From where can I download D&D related stuff?

A:  here are someplaces. 

    these are are login anonymous as far as I know
    
    tybalt.caltech.edu    (131.215.139.100)    /pub/adnd/*
    greyhawk.stanford.edu (36.8.0.243)         /D_D/*
    soda.berkeley.edu     (128.32.121.179)     /pub/ars-magica/*
                                               /pub/vampire/*
    potemkin.cs.pdx.edu   (131.252.20.145)     /pub/frp/*
    quayle.mu.wvnet.edu   (129.71.32.151)      /pub/rpg/*
    garfield.catt.ncsu.edu                     /pub/DND/*
                                               /incoming/Dnd.stuff/*
    ftp.nau.edu                                /public/rpg/*
    beelzebub.acusd.edu
    usdcsv.acusd.edu       (192.55.87.6)
    ics.uci.edu                                /usenet/rec.games.frp/*
    eklektik.cs.pitt.edu   (130.49.2.135)
    ftp.cc.gatech.edu                          /pub/frp/*
    ftp.white.toronto.edu                      /pub/frp/*
    topgun.agps.lanl.gov   (192.12.184.4)      /pub/usml/*
    ocf.berkeley.edu       (128.32.184.254)    /pub/*
                                               /pub/Traveller/vehicles
    plague.berkeley.edu    (128.32.234.21)
    tornado.berkeley.edu   (128.32.234.15)
    iesd.auc.dk            (130.225.48.4)      /incoming ?
    rainbow.cse.nau.edu    (134.114.64.24)
    sunbane.engrg.uwo.ca   (128.100.100.12)
    morticia.cnns.unt.edu

    [??? others]

    NOTE: A simply massive ftplist can be downloaded from the Document Site:
          typhoon.Berkeley.EDU(128.32.184.254) in pub/Library
          This place has a lot of other documents also.


13: What are the differences between 1st and 2nd Edition?

A:  It looks like there are players who dislike the 2nd editions rules
    while other like them very much.

    The main argument against the 2nd edition is "Information is dilluted
    amongst too many books" to which the main answer is "You're not obliged
    to buy the supplements to play, the PH and DMG are enough".
    
    It is also possible to use a mix of both editions this is what many
    players do.
    
    PLEASE refrain from stating those points again, there have been
    discussed at nauseam.
    
    On that subject Vince G. (vjg@CBLPH.ATT.com) tells us :
     
    "On the topic of liking 1st Edition or 2nd Edition better, I think
    2nd Ed has the following good points:
     
        - a comprehensive list of proficiencies, rather than piecing
          them together from three different 1st Ed books (DSG, WSG,
          and OA) (this is a good point only if you care about the
          non-weapon proficiencies)
     
        - the expanded mage and cleric classes
     
        - the flexible point distribution for thieves
     
        - the chart for creating new character classes (it ain't
          perfect, but it's better than what 1st Ed provided -
          NOTHING!)
     
        - the new PH is MUCH more complete and useful for a
          player
     
        - the kits in the Complete XXX Handbooks are handy, but
          you could figure them out yourself if you wanted to
          flavor a character or adventure a certain way. But I've
          found the background information to be interesting and
          useful - the thieves' guild stuff in the Thief Handbook,
          the fighting styles and information on weaponsmithing
          and making armor in the CFH. (Haven't read the others.)
     
    On the other hand, I found the 1st Edition DMG to be richer and
    filled with more information than the 2nd Ed DMG. The Dungeoneer's
    Survival Guide had lots of information for someone who doesn't
    spelunk for a hobby (whether the info is realistic or not is
    irrelevant; it's good enough for me to use). I presume the Wilderness
    Survival Guide has similar information."
     
    In addition :
    
    - The "monster compedium" of the 2nd edition is more complete that
    the 1st ed monster manuals (see also the thread about Dragons).
    
    - Some players complain that things have been "lost" between the
    2 editions such as :
      - The "assassin" class
      - The "illusionist" class who is now a specialist mage
      - The demons who were renamed
    
    - The organisation of the Monster Compedium instead of the monster
    manual doesn't please everybody. Having monsters in alphabetic order
    and in a folder is a good idea but having 2 monsters on the same
    page prevents from inserting new monsters or mixing monsters from
    different "worlds".
    
    It has also been stated that the second edition had at least 3 different 
    versions with minor changes each time.


14:    What's this alignment stuff? 

A:  A well worn discussion is about alignments. It appears that if 
    nearly evrybody understand what alignments are, players have different
    view on how to use them in a game. So far the following points have
    been made :
    
    - Some players just don't like alignments at all. They say that it put 
    unnecessary limits on roleplaying the characters and should be removed
    
    - Alignments are used a lot for clerics. Some players have suggested
    a list of "punitions" that might use the god if the cleric behaves
    incorrectly with his cult.
    
    - Alignments should not be seen as a limitation. Players should not
    say: "I cannot do that because I'm lawful-good". They should say
    "It goes against my beliefs to do that."
    
    - Characters should not talk about their alignment the should talk about
    their beliefs and let other players try to infer their aligment.  Some
    evil characters may actually be able to convince you that they are good.
    
    - There is not one stereotype of one alignement. For example a
    "lawful-good" character can be very lawful but average good or the
    opposite.
    
    - Alignments should not be fixed. Characters have the possibility to
    evolve, become more good, more evil, more lawful or more chaotic
    according to their experience. 
    
    - A DM should not prevent a character from acting. Instead of saying
    "No you cannot do that because it's opposite to your alignment" say
    "Warning, I think that this is opposed to your alignment, do you still
    want to do it?"
    
    - Some players have suggested to replace/enhance the alignments with
    a list of goals and beliefs for a character. The list would become
    more and more detailed as the character gain levels.

15: What about Paladins vis a vis alignment?

A:  There have been lots of questions like "In my campaign a paladin done 
    such and such action (kill a defensless monster, not rescue a memeber of 
    the party, look at women...) do you think it's evil, should I remove the 
    paladinhood of that character?". (in the rest I assume that "paladin" 
    means lawful-good adjust to the aligment of the paladin's deity if not)
   
    The answer to that question is "it depends". For example killing a 
    defenceless monter can be considered as evil because the monster is 
    defenceless or not because the monster is still a threat etc...
    Here are some hints to help resolve such problems :
   
    - Try to be sure both player and DM have the same idea about what is 
    "good" for a paladin to do and what is not.
   
    - DM : let the player explain how he intends to play his paladin, what 
    are for him "lawful" and "good" and how it matches his deity aligment 
    and will.
   
    - Player : do not say "I cant do that it's opposite to my alignment". Do 
    what you want to do, after all your character doesnt have to think 
    logically before each action. Of course if you do something "bad" you 
    might have to repent and do some pennance. But if you character acts 
    impulsively more than from time to time he is probabely more chaotic
    than lawful.
   
    - Removing ones paladinhood might not be irreversible. It can be granted 
    again by the deity or be part of a new adventure or a quest. Be creative.

    Some campaigns allow paladins to be of any alignment but must follow
    a strict code of ethics, agreed upon between the Dungeon Master and the
    player.  They should be similar in magnatude to the code of ethics
    defined for lawful good paladins.  Some might argue that a code
    of ethics for a chaotic character is an oxymoron.  But part of
    chaos is being unpredictable even about being always unpredictable
    *grin* [ed]

16: What is pure evil?

A:  People have asked what could be pure evil : that is an act that is 
    recognised as evil in all cultures/ religions/ countries.
    There have been a lot of post on the subject and it touches a 
    philosophical and well know question "what is evil and what isnt?"
    So far the following points have been made :
    
    - It is very difficult or even impossible to come with a definition of 
    evil that everybody will accept. What can be evil for one person can 
    not be for another one (our modern society is full of those conflicts,
    as might be your ADND world).
    
    - Sometimes people who commit evil acts dont think as themselves as 
    evil and have justifications or excuses. Someone stated that real evil 
    is performing an evil task while you know what you are doing, but it is 
    getting a little bit recusive here (the "chicken and the egg" syndrom)
    (In other words you can act a character that as an evil aligment but 
    who doesnt think himself as evil).
    
    - It has been also said that pure evil is Satan (or whatever you call 
    it in your local religion) to what some people answered "who?" and 
    anyway this is getting recursive too (Satan is pure evil, but what is 
    pure evil? Pure evil is Satan ....)
    
    - Somebody mentioned that "torturing innocents" is certainly evil but 
    then people asked : what was the evil : commiting the act or the 
    conscience (or lack of) doing so. It has also been answered that the 
    word "torture" itself means inflicting harm with an evil goal. In fact 
    evil and vocabulary are mixed : actions such as "taking", "killing" or 
    "having sex" have their evil counterparts ("stealing", "murdering" or 
    "raping"). And stating that "torture is evil" is also redundant.
    
    - Since the sentence "treat your brother like yourself" is mostly 
    agreed as a "good" behaviour in most civilisations it can be said that 
    doing something to someone that you dont expect to be done to you is 
    evil.
    
    - It has also been stated that if an absolute evil exists there should 
    be an absolute good. Or the same problem as evil arise : is an action 
    good if you dont have the conscience of it?
    
    - You can of course rule that good, evil whatever comes from the morale 
    imposed or teached by the gods and their priests.
    
    For more info mail Joe demon (dobenson@ua1vm.ua.edu) who collected and 
    summarized all the posts on evil.

17: What are "Ravenloft" "Forgotten Realms" and  "Dark Sun"?

A:  a) Forgotten Realms
    
    >From Beth Gaynor <bgaynor@csi.compuserve.com>
    
    The Forgotten Realms were originally created by Ed Greenwood as a 
    setting for a campaign he DM'ed.  Over the years, the world grew and 
    expanded and began to leak out in the form of Dragon articles and 
    modules, and when TSR wanted a new setting to publish a few years ago,
    they chose the Realms.
    
    Like Greyhawk, the Forgotten Realms do not change the rules of 2nd 
    edition AD&D much, although there is some customization involved (new 
    spells, new monsters, roles variations, etc).  The main reason folks 
    enjoy the Forgotten Realms is because of the rich, lifelike setting it
    offers.  The books and modules of the Realms offer everything from 
    gods and major personalities to common sayings and runes for everyday 
    life.  It gives folks who have never gamed together before a common 
    place to start out in.
    
    The original Forgotten Realms concentrates on the part of one 
    continent called Faerun, roughly the size of Asia.  Other settings 
    have since been released that are considered to be or can be part of 
    the Realms, too, like the Kara-Tur Oriental lands and the upcoming 
    Al-Qadim.  The known Realms already include deserts, temperate zones, 
    oceans, and mountains.  Details about a lot of the land has been 
    purposely left sketchy for each DM to fill in as he/she prefers, but 
    major cities and some other locations have been filled in in great 
    detail, full of mysteries and current events for characters to be 
    swept up into!
    
    
    b) Ravenloft 
    
    From: MacGyver <macgyver@cis.ohio-state.edu>
    
    Ravenloft is a demi-plane that lies somwehere in Ethereal. The place
    borrows heavily from Gothic Horrors. 
    
    The demi-plane exist byitself, surrounded by mist as borders. Plane 
    Travel of any kind can not get you in or out of Ravenloft. From time
    the time, the players/victims see mist, they walk throuh it, next
    thing they know they are now at the demi-plane. And even if you
    don't walk through the mist, you still somehow end up in the demi-plane.
    Within the demi-plane, there are different domains, each reflect
    the personality of the lord.
    
    The demi-plane is not stable, and is alive in some senses. It responds
    to stronge emotion of hatred and evil. If someone carries strong enough
    emotion, new domain will form for that individual. The individual's
    power grows, but the power comes with a great price. He's forever
    bounded to the domain, and can never leave. In addition, a curse of
    sorts always follow him.
    
    No Gothic horror is complete without Gypsies or curses, Gypises are the 
    only ones that can enter the Mist and sometimes determine where and when
    they should leave the mist. They are also protected by the Mist. The
    Ravenloft set even inlcuded a card reading system for fortune telling.
    A chapter is devoted to designing curses as well.
    
    Werebeasts and vampires are also changed quite a bit in Ravenloft.
    Lycanthropy comes in two different forms now, natural lycantheopy
    and diseased lycanthreopy. Natural lycantheopy are born with such
    abilities, and the lycantheopy can't be removed by any means. They
    can assume three forms: human, animal form, and hybrid of both. 
    The diseased lycantheopy can only assume the human form and human-animal
    form. Curing such diseases is VERY difficult in Ravenloft. 
    Vampire's power in Ravenloft grows with age, just like dragons.
    For example, a 500 year old vampire can spend 1 hour in sunlight
    with no problem.  There is also "The Vampire Elite", these type
    have unique powers and abilities. The Ravenloft set also included
    tables for creating such beasties. 
    
    Adventuring in Ravenloft focuses more on survival and maybe even escaping
    the demi-plane. Definitely more suitable for role-players and players
    who enjoy horror.

    
    c) Dark Sun
    
    Thom Watson (twatson@pbs.org) gives us a good description of the Dark Sun 
    world : 
     
    The Dark Sun world was once a lush paradise, but a particular type of
    magic there sucks the life force from the land around the caster,
    leaving most of the planet (after many years of spell-casting) a vast
    desert. The planet is ruled by powerful sorceror kings who have made
    the use of magic by anyone other than themselves illegal (punishable
    by death). Gladiatorial combat abounds; there is a gladiator class.
    There are two types of mages: defilers and preservers. The defilers
    use the afore-mentioned draining magic; preservers have learned how
    to use magic that does not drain the life force of the environment.
    The priest class has been changed, too, but I don't recall the
    specifics--I vaguely think they're all tied to nature and the
    elements, not to deities.
     
    The world is harsh. Characters start out at 3rd level, because in
    playtesting they found that lower level characters just didn't
    survive. Stats are generated on 5d4, and thus range from 5-20.
    'Course, there are new races, and all the old ones are skewed.
    Elves are 7-foot tall jungle runners, basically controlling the
    black market. There are bald, wide dwarves, and half-dwarves
    (called "mules"). Hobbits are savage, almost cannibalistic.
    There are no gnomes. There are now half-giants, who can have a
    theoretical starting strength of 24. And thri-kreen are now a
    viable player race.
    
    And, everyone has psionics. All those who are not single or
    dual-classed psionicists have a wild talent, as per the
    psionics handbook, which you absolutely *will need* to
    play in the Dark Sun world.
     
    Also, because of the desert environment, water is the most precious
    commodity on the planet. There are new rules for water deprivation,
    and you will lose hit points and be at severe minuses on your stats
    the longer you go without it.

18: How do I join the Ravenloft mailing list?

A:    If you are interested in talking about Ravenloft, or the
    Gothic genre, please mail a subscription request to
    rl-request@ais.org.  It'll actually be handled by a (*gasp*)
    real live person! :-) If you have any questions, either mail
    me directly (I'm one of the moderators), or mail to
    rl-request@ais.org, and it'll get burst to the three
    moderators.

          Jeff Gostin
          Ravenloft Mailing List
          Co-Moderator

19: Why don't more women play roleplaying games?

A:  Some reasons advanced were :
    
    - Fantasy worlds are often base on medieval history where the place of 
    women was poor and have few women hero tales.
    
    - Other games like "Cthulhu" might be more appealling to female 
    role-players.
    
    - AD&D is/was designed for a male customer (also called the "chainmail 
    bikini syndrom")
    
    - In all-male player game, a new female player might receive a rude 
    welcome and be discouraged.
    
    - There might be a social pressure like "this is not a game for girls"
    
    - Some female player might came only to be with their boyfriend and 
    hence not give good role-playing
    
    However, during the years the number of women players had increase, 
    there are also more and more women who write fantasy novels.
    It has also be noted that women play often Paladin better than their 
    male counterparts, avoiding the "frontal attack syndrome".

    Some Dungeon Masters report that the women players that they have
    tend to get more into their characters and roleplay them better
    than their male players.


20:    What do the T.S.R letters stand for?

A:  From: "Eric N. Milligan" <EM7127@BROCK1P.earn>
 
    To quote from the letters coulumn of Dragon #175, pg 5:
  
    TSR, Inc. was originally known as Tactical Studies Rules, back
    in the precambrian epoch of gaming history, until about 1975. At that
    point (judging from the notices run in The Strategic Review, Dragon
    Magazine's original incarnation), the acronym took over and the company 
    was variously known as TSR Rules, TSR Games, or TSR Hobbies, Inc. 
    Today, the letters "TSR" actually don't stand for anything at all; 
    they're merely part of the corporate name and logo.

    Note: some people on the net spell it T$R

21: Can I use copyrighted material in my programs or database?

A:  That question comes very often. Since most of us have computers at home 
    we would like to write or have programs that help us to generate new 
    charaters, keep a database of spells or of magic items etc...
    Unfortunately most of the stuff needed for those programs (tables, 
    spells etc...) are copyrighted by TSR.
     
    The answer is : There is no answer.
    If it is for your private use, you can do what you 
    want, fill a database of all the spells or even scan pictures.
    But if you plan to redistribute your work you are infringing copyrights 
    and might get sued by TSR or SSI. However it will only happen if they 
    consider you as a commercial threat so dont be paranoid about it.
    And if you really want to distribute widely your program and make money 
    from it, consult a lawyer and not the list.
     
    On that subject Coyt D Watters <cwatters@MAGNUS.ACS.OHIO-STATE.EDU> 
    tells us :
    "Actually, you can defend a copyright no matter what.

    If you go to a Library and photocopy a book which is out of print, the
    copyright holder can defend the copyright and sue you, even if there is
    no intention to ever release the work again.

    SSI has an exclusive contract to produce ADND software.  
    TSR must fend off all people who subvert this contract to keep SSI from 
    dumpig them.
    The ADND based computer games are very lucrative..."
    
    On a side note you cannot sale copyright stuff even if you mention it. 
    Sentences like "AD&D is a trademark of TSR" are only valid for names, 
    you cannot say "the 200 pages of the ADND book which I have copyed in my 
    program are all copyright of TSR".


---------------------- Part 2: Player Questions ---------------------------

    If you are playing or are thinking about playing in a D&D game,
    look here for info that might be useful.

1:  What do I look for in a Dungeon Master?

    The best way to find a Dungeon Master you like is to sit in
    on a few different games and find a style you like.
    Talk to the players in the game to find out more about
    the Dungeon Master and their particular style and
    quirks.
    
    [Dan'l DanehyOaks writes]
    Talk to your DM.  He/She might be willing to show you the ropes,
    and/or let you watch them DM.  talk to the GM first and find out
    whether he and his group are willing to deal with the slowdowns
    involved in explaining things to a newbie as they go along.
    I think most are, but I've met some groups who weren't and you
    don't want to get into one of these

2:  What should I be aware of when creating a character?

A:  First of all.  Talk to your Dungeon Master and find out what
    they want from characters.  This can range from simply
    rolling up characters and assigning equipment to working
    with the Dungeon Master on creating a richly developed
    character background and character personality.
    
    As a rule DMs like characters to be more flushed out rather
    than less.  With some DMs a good story can go a long way to
    getting him to accept your fighter with the "family
    heirloom plate mail."  These types of things give
    the character pesonality.  Such a character would be
    loath to give up that plate mail later even when he
    or she comes across +1 plate.
    
    On the other hand, don't try to use character conception
    to get things that will unbalance your character with
    respect to the rest of the party.  If you are sensitive
    to the DM's needs in this area, then you are more likely
    to get what you want.  The goal here is to have fun.
    
    Also your character's weak points often represent good
    opportunities for roleplaying.  These can produce some
    of the funniest moments in a game.

3:  I want to run a Paladin.  What should I know?

A:  [???can someone give me info on this]

4:  I want to run a human multiclass or I want to run an unusual
    character.  What do I do?

A:  Talk to your Dungeon Master.  Make sure you are doing this for
    roleplaying reasons and not for powergaming reasons and
    you will have a better chance of getting what you want.
    Be prepared not to get everything you want.

5:  The Rulebook says X and my Dungeon Master says Y what do I do?

A:  The Rulebook is a set of guidelines.  Your Dungeon Master has
    the right to do whatever they want with the rules.  However
    it is in the DM's interest to make the game enjoyable to their
    players so most DMs tend to be reasonable.  If your DM is 
    unreasonable in your opinion, find a new DM.
    
    If your DM is reasonable.  Talk to him or her.  Present your
    argument clearly and logically and live by whatever ruling
    the DM makes.

6:  Why can't my ranger sneak while wearing plate armor?

A:    The armor will make noise when the character tries to move.

7:  What about Mages and Crossbows?

A:  [Coyt Watters writes]
    An argument I have seen on adnd-l and r.g.r was about allowing a mage to 
    take crossbow as a weapon proficiency at a low level, thus improving the 
    chances the mage will live by giving them a stand-off attack not
    dependent on spellcasting.  Some argue that it makes sense, some
    cringe in fear.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd