HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: kjenks@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov
Subject: Re: Critical Hits
Originator: kjenks@gothamcity
Keywords: critical hits
Organization: NASA/JSC/GM2, Space Shuttle Program Office
Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1992 19:55:28 GMT

In article <1992Oct3.203012.43557@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu> blythe@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu writes:
>I was wondering about the implemented ways of afflicting critical
>damage with weapons.

I strongly recommend that you do NOT implement critical hits or fumbles
in your game.  We've been over this several times already, but I'll
reiterate.

Since more monsters swing at PC's than vice versa, there's more chance
for PC's to be injured by this rule.  Since monsters rarely swing very
valuable weapons, it matters less to them if they drop their weapons
than it does to PC's.  In short, critical hits and fumbles penalize
player characters MUCH more than they do monsters.  It's just a matter
of the numbers.

For example, 10 kobolds attack a party of four armored first level
fighters (AD&D1 rules).  We can expect the fighters to win without
suffering more than one person falling unconcious.  Add critical hits
and run the battle a few times.  The kobolds win 2 times out of 5.  The
proof is left as an exercise in your favorite programming language.
(The odds change greatly with AD&D2 or Unearthed Arcana rules due to
weapon specialization [fighters always win].  The odds change again if
you add weapon vs. armor type adjustments [fighters win].  I highly
recommend this method of rules validation for any DM contemplating a
change in basic combat rules.)

While we're talking about our friends, the kobolds, what happens when
your fighter has AC -2?  The little lizards need a 20 to hit the guy.
Does that mean they always do double damage?  And you think that's fair
and proper?

If you implement critical hits and fumbles in your game, you are
doing a disservice to the player characters.

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

      "Orcs dwell in places where sunlight is dim or non-existent,
       for they hate the light.
         -- AD&D Monster Manual 1, p. 76.
From: uldry@eig.unige.ch
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Net.Book.Riddles Posted
Date: 1 Oct 92 08:20:27 GMT
Organization: University of Geneva, Switzerland


	In article <1992Sep26.005457.10224@aio.jsc.nasa.gov>, 
mark@cheers.jsc.nasa.gov (Mark Manning) writes:
> Just a short line to let everyone know that the new version of the
> Net.Book.Riddles has been posted to rec.games.frp.archives.
> 
> PS:If you have any new riddles which are not on the list already,
> then please send them to me so I can add them.  Thanks.

OK, I searched for It but I didn't find It, so Where It Is?

	The Great and Lonely FU
	Francois Uldry
	19 Village Suisse
	CH-1205 Geneva
	Switzerland...
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: eda858xsft@vx24.cc.monash.edu.au
Subject: RE: DarkSun (Some topics for Discussion)
Organization: Computer Centre, Monash University, Australia
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1992 03:48:37 GMT

Here are some DarkSun Questions.

1) How does everyone handle damage bonus to strenght... (This is mainly brought
up because of the habit of people wanting to wield multiple weapons.
e.g. two longswords at (1d8 +10)
The solution I have tried is to say that this is the total extra damage that
can be done and is spilt between attacks [note attacks NOT hits]
N.B. Just think of this TK with 20 STR. 4 claws each 1d4 + str bonus each !
Before a brought this rule into the game (1 round into the first combat) one
character could do 30 - 90 points of damage per round ... and he was using
short swords.

2) Do half-giants use extra large (and hence extra damage weapons). Would a
two-handed sword be wielded one handed...
I would appriate any comments on this as I am not quite sure how to handle
this.

3) TK have evoled over the last 1000 years, they are intelligent, never sleep
(active during night)... errr .... How do they see at night? Ultravision?
Infravision? Or do you expect me to believ that a creature that spends half its
life in darkness can't see in it?!

4) To who ever said that TK can't specialize with Natural Weapons. How come
they can specialize in unatural weapons, and for that matter what about a TK
Gladiator... Do they get the bonues ... If they do this means that
specialization is possible.

I sure that there are many other topics to provoke some discussion but I better
get back to work. Hope to here form you all.

Paul Ortenburg
eda858xsft@vx24.cc.monash.edu.au
From: Devon_Sheppard@mindlink.bc.ca (Devon Sheppard)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Swords of Sharpness and Incredible Constitution
Date: 29 Sep 92 08:33:49 GMT
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Distribution: world

>Terry Tao writes:
>
>Brings up another interesting question.  What DOES kill trolls apart from
>fire and acid: what about...

Good question... here's my opinion:

old age             ...sure, but what's the lifespan? MC says 100+ years
death spells        ...dead for good
suffocation         ...dead for good
poison              ...if it fails vs poison, with a GREAT (+10?) Con bonus
freezing to death   ...but just wait until it thaws again...
psychic attacks     ...dead for good
disease             ...see 'poison'
falling             ...dead, but something's going to regrow from the puddle
                       that's left over at the bottom of the cliff
petrifaction        ...stoned for good (until stone-to-flesh comes along)

  ... just my thoughts.

  Devon

--
devon_sheppard@mindlink.bc.ca
From: z_copeab@ccsvax.sfasu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Dual classing
Date: 5 Oct 92 09:06:20 CST
Organization: Stephen F. Austin State University

In article <1992Oct3.140621.13514@ultb.isc.rit.edu>, swv3752@ritvax.isc.rit.edu (Morning Reaper) writes:
> In article <1992Sep30.140432.1283@ccsvax.sfasu.edu>, z_copeab@ccsvax.sfasu.edu writes:
>>In article <5689@news.duke.edu>, dks@acpub.duke.edu writes:
>>> 	1) Does he get a "free" proficiency in the staff, so long as when
>>> he attacks with it he uses the mage tables?  He already knows how to use
>>> staff, and m-u's have staff on the allowed weapon list...  Does he mystic-
>>> ally "forget" and need to attack as an m-u with the -5 non-prof penalty?
>>
>>	I would give him the difference between the old class and the new one,
>>not add them together. Thus, the fighter gets *no* extra weapon proficiencies
>>when changing to mage. I also think it is rather silly that he has to 'forget'
>>how to attack with his fighter weapons, so he should be allowed to use his
>>fighter weapons at no penalty.
>>
> 	As stated in the 2nd edition, when using any knowledge from the
> previous class the said character gains no exps.  Using a staff from when he
> was fighter would mean that he was reverting to the old ways and need to
> "retrain" to get used to his new class.  He hasn't forgotten how to use a staff
> it just interferes with his learning as a mage.  I would rule that only
> languages could be used from his original class, no other NWP's. 

	If you want to run the Game According to T$R. I and many others don't,
and are quite willing to break with the printed rules when they don't make a
great deal of sense. 
	Also, by the logic of T$R's argument, you could also say that the
fighter should loose his HPs -- they represent luck, skill, etc. after the
first level. The reason why fighters have more HPs than mages is because they
are combat trained. Thus, the fighter moving to mage should have to forfeit all
HPs, since they are part of his 'old' character knowledge. The fact that T$R
exempts this creates, IMHO, a severe flaw in their argument, as HP totals are
*very* class-dependant.

Brandon Cope

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: tao@potato.princeton.edu (Terry Tao)
Subject: Re: Swords of Sharpness and Incredible Constitution
Originator: news@nimaster
Keywords: Trolls, regeneration, sword, sharpness, constitution
Organization: Princeton University
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 21:20:12 GMT

Brings up another interesting question.  What DOES kill trolls apart from
fire and acid:: what about

old age
death spells
suffocation
poison
freezing to death
psychic attacks
disease
falling long distances
petrifaction

If trolls are immune to all of these, then I can think that trolls will be a major problem in an ice world without the secret of fire and without enough chemistry to produce acid..
From: wright@latcs2.lat.oz.au (Michael G. Wright)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Dark Sun: Wizard Biased?
Date: 28 Sep 92 02:47:33 GMT
Organization: Comp Sci, La Trobe Uni, Australia

tony@phsbbs.princeton.nj.us (Anthony Foglia) writes:

>I'm interested in getting Dark Sun, but have heard it is severely biased 
>agianst wizards.  Since mages are my favorite class will I like it or 
>will it be a waste of money?

Oh dear me, well if the wizard can't be the most ultra powerful character  
around then it _must_ be a waste of money!! :-)   It's really irritating 
sometimes to see a good idea of TSR's to be ignored just because it removes
the superiority of the mages. The idea of the wizards in DARK SUN being put
down is that it was their fault that Athas was transformed from a green and
pleasant land to the barren wasteland that it is today.

	The wizard class hasn't changed much in stats (except for the defiler
who can gain levels faster than the standard mage) but the social standing of
the mage is lower than dirt. "Aargh, there's one of those cursed defilers!
Kill him before he drains the little water that's left in the ground and leaves
us here to die!!" Note that everyone thinks that mages are defilers except for
a select few who are in the know.

	If Athas were biased against wizards, then the rulers of the city
states would be fighters or clerics rather than wizards. Admittedly, the 
sorcerer kings also use a fairly liberal amount of Psionics, but they need
their wizardly powers too!

	My final say in this matter is that DARK SUN is a very well set out and
exciting game world and is probably the best game world that TSR has made in 
recent times. If you are at all interested in Psionics, then it is a must get,
and if you are interested in seeing your character grow influential, rich, and
lead a comfy life after adventuring then forget it! Every day is a challenge,
the way a good fantasy world should be!

P.S. Dragon issue #185 has a review of the DARK SUN boxed set, which may help
you decide further. But _don't_ look it over just because of the mage class
having a rough time there. Who knows, you may just prefer a Psionicist   
anyway!!


-- 
Michael Wright            _-_|\     Peg- "Al, can I have a thousand bucks?" 
LaTrobe University,      /     \     Al- "Why sure honey, have you got change
Melbourne, Australia.    \_.-_*/          for a million?"
wright@latcs1.lat.oz.au       v                Married with children. :-)
From: Devon_Sheppard@mindlink.bc.ca (Devon Sheppard)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: New NWP for wizard
Date: 26 Sep 92 09:52:24 GMT
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Distribution: world

>Paul Ferron writes:
>
>A while ago I had the idea to create a new proficiency for wizards, called
>Concentration.
>
>My thoughts were if a wizard wants to study a spell he has to sleep for 8
>hours (rest) and spent 10 minutes/level of spell to learn the spell.I think
>the reason behind the 8 hours are that he needs to be in a concentrate mind
>frame. But concentration is something you can learn and improve. Hence the
>proficiency CONCENTRATION.

I would think that taking out the requirement of 8 hours of rest before new
spells can be studied/prayed for would wreck game balance. But I seem to
remember somewhere in first edition a rule for letting wizards cast spells
right out of their spellbooks. I think the spell being cast has a chance of
being wiped from the book, and there's a chance of the spells before and after
that one in the book getting wiped as well. Thus, this isn't something a caster
is going to do every day. I _think_ the rules are in the Unearthed Arcana book.

  Devon



--
devon_sheppard@mindlink.bc.ca
From: boelter3945@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: What makes a troll up.. (was Re: Sword of Sharpness and ...)
Date: 29 Sep 92 15:22:57 -0500
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

In article <BvB2J0.MHD@news.orst.edu>, brett@oce.orst.edu (Brett Barksdale)
   writes:
> In article <1992Sep28.112427.7130@iscsvax.uni.edu>
>    boelter3945@iscsvax.uni.edu writes:
> 
>>    No, reaching -10 will still cause death.  In fact, a troll hitting -10
>> will still dies as well, at least in my ruling.  It's the fact that they
>> regenerate that makes it difficult to bring them to -10. :-)
> 
>  I always thought trolls regenerated from the tiniest bit (a state much
>  worse than -10) unless burned...

   Not that it may matter, as this is my own opinion of what trolls are and how
they work, but I thought I should clarify how I run them.

   First off, they regenerate at 3hp/round from anytype of damage, though not
fire and acid, although that can be gotten back by rest/healing.

   If a single hit takes them to -10 or below from positive hp, then they are
dead, died, system couldn't handle it.  However, if they just drop to between 0
and -9, then they are still 'alive', and enter something similar to a stage of
dormancy, where they channel all they're energy towards healing, rising again
in 3d6 rounds at full strength.

   If during this 'dormancy' period they are burned, or immersed in acid, then
they are destroyed.  If they are just hacked on while in this state, it won't
affect them, as they are internally regenerating their entire systems.  It will
delay them (each 10hp further hacking delaying their getting up by one round).

   So the trick is to burn them after they go down, not before. :-)

   Please keep in mind this is just my own opinion of trolls, and how I run
them.

                                        John "Nightwind" Boelter

--
*******************************************************************************
* John Boelter        a.k.a. Nightwind            boelter3945@iscsvax.uni.edu *
* Organizational Manager and contact person for everything and then some.     *
*******************************************************************************
* The individual who said we only use 10%  * The first 90% of a task takes    *
* of our brain's mental capacity, was      * 90% of the time, and the last    *
* probably 90% incorrect.                  * 10% takes the other 90%.         *
*            -Unknown comic on A&E-        *   -99 rule of Project Schedules- *
*******************************************************************************
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: l2wang@cantor.math.uwaterloo.ca (  Lei Wang  )
Subject: Re: Deaths Door
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 00:56:40 GMT

In article <1992Sep30.091459.19570@ugle.unit.no>, brunborg@solan.unit.no (]dne Brunborg) writes:
> I rule that when a character is between 0 and -9, he can stay there as long as
> needed to heal him up (usually no more than 1 day). In the real world, it is not
> unusual to be in coma for several weeks, and concidering that adventurers are
> more healthy than the average pesant or office clerk, a coma has no bad
> side-effects. If you want to be nasty, you could rule a cumulative 1 % per hour
> chance to get permanent brain damage, wich need a Heal or Restoration to reset.
> In that way, your players get a little more careful, and will try not to fall in
> coma during a battle. But again, use this only if you want to be nasty...

  On the contrary...

  Those that remain in comas for weeks on end in the modern world remain in
that condition mainly due to all the supporting medical equipment that's 
feeding life into them.

  In the AD&D world, those that go to 0 to -9 hit points, are there because
they have had their lung bashed in, main arteries cut, what have you.  The
blood loss is the reason for the -1 hit point per round rule.
  The type of coma that is self-sustained(the patient can live for a few days
by themselves while in it) are mainly due to problems with the nervous 
system(the brain, mostly), and not due to physical damage to muscle tissue
or other vital organs.

-- 
l2wang@napier.UWaterloo.ca
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
ME:  Univ. of Waterloo  YOU:  Huh?   o=> ME:  in Canada,  YOU:  Huh?
ME:  in Ontario,        YOU:  Huh?  /o/  ME:  up north!   YOU:  Aaaaaahhh...
ME:  near Toronto,      YOU:  Huh? ==o                                    Huh??
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: skomedal@solan.unit.no (Knut Torstein Skomedal)
Subject: RE:CRITICAL HITS
Organization: Norwegian Institute of Technology
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 92 16:51:45 GMT

In my campaign we haven't used any critical hit systems for a few 
months, though we have experimented with them before. We use the 
following system:

A natural 20 is *not* an automatic hit. I find it too stupid to have
someone/something with a THAC0 of 20 automatically hit an opponent with AC-5
when they would hit AC 0 normally. So what we do is roll another d20 and add this
to the 20 it already has rolled. Thus the creature with THAC0 20 would have to
roll a 5 or better on the second roll to hit the character with AC -5.

A natural 1 is treated the same way. It is (IMNSHO) rediculous for
someone/something with a THAC0 of, say, -5 to miss something with AC 10  on a 
roll of one. Instead of the automatic miss it has to roll another d20 and
add this to its THAC0. Thus the creature in the above example would have to
roll a 15 or more on the second roll in order to miss. 
 

The above is in order to see if you hit at all. Various DM's may add their 
own critical hit system after that if they use one. If the attack hits a critical
hit is possible. If a roll of 1 fails to hit (which it has a good chance of 
doing as most creatures don't have as obnoxious THAC0's as the above 
example), a fumble is possible. With this system we have found that one 
aviods some rather ludicrous situations, while still keeping the option
of the critical hit.
From: cary@carina.unm.edu (Ithlial the Archer)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Deaths Door
Date: 1 Oct 92 20:14:25 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque


Hiya Folks,

In the campaign I play in we have adopted the rule that from -1 to -Con
you are unconcious and losing 1 hp/rd, below -Con you're toast.  After falling
below 0 (if you don't die) you must rest one entire day before being able to
perform any activity other than walking, operating a wand or other easy tasks.
The only thing that will allow you to avoid losing a game day is Death's Door
and I think Heal.  In addition spellcasters lose their mana (we use a spell
point system).

Using -Con as the lower limit unstead of a somewhat arbitrary -10 makes
sense to us since it reflects the hardiness and health of the character.
It also makes players weigh their Con higher than Dex, so the nasties
that the DM throws at them can have a chance of  hitting them!

The draw back of this method is that the characters with low Con are
penalized, in a sense, since they are more likely to die from being taken
under zero.  (The number of rounds they will last is less, on average.)


BTW we also award experience for dying, of course if you fail your System
Shock/Resurection Survival roll it's kinda pointless...

Ithlial

My opinions, mine, mine, mine!


               The only good Troll is a dead Troll

Collary:

          Trolls regenerate - There are no dead Trolls
From: seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Enchanted weapons to hit...
Date: 6 Oct 92 14:35:23 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh
Originator: seawasp@unixd2.cis.pitt.edu

In article <1992Oct6.135038.10307@unislc.uucp> stv@unislc.uucp (Steve Spencer) writes:
>Ryk E Spoor (seawasp+@pitt.edu) wrote:
>: 	In general, my justification is that the creatures in question
>: are not made of ordinary material. They're either essentially energy

>For the most part I agree, but what about, as stated in the original post,
>the problem with high hit dice creatures being able to hit? Is the ability
>for the high hit dice creatures to do damage realistic, or just another 
>one of those "game balance" rules?

	Augh! Game Balance! Never. It's a myth.

	First, I modified that rule. It's not just your hit dice, it's 
anything extraordinary about the character or creature that will allow
me to say that their personal life-aura is intense enough to equate to
a magical weapon -- say, a superhuman strength, a creature with magical
or psychic powers, etc. Given THAT, I can then use the same justification
to allow them to hit magical creatures.

	Super-huge creatures, like a Tyrannosaurus or something, may not
do "real" damage to things needing magic to hit, but their physical form,
if they have one, will be so squashed that it'll take at least SOME time
for the true life-energy to reinstate a useful shape to the material.
At least you'll have some time to get away...

                                 Sea Wasp
                                   /^\
                                   ;;;
From: gt8071b@prism.gatech.EDU (Geoff (Norm!) Smith)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Sowrds of Sharpness and Incredible Constitution
Keywords: AD&D
Date: 2 Oct 92 19:38:26 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

Is it possible to sever someone's neck without taking a head with it?

Norm!

(New guy)

-- 
Geoff Smith
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332
uucp:	  ...!{decvax,hplabs,ncar,purdue,rutgers}!gatech!prism!gt8071b
Internet: gt8071b@prism.gatech.edu
From: zweldron@ruhets.rutgers.edu (Matthew Charlap)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Dark Sun
Date: 3 Oct 92 04:23:44 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.

raa@guild.socal.com (Raa Lopez) writes:
>I am moderatly interested in Dark Sun, and I've been thinking about getting it. I just want to take a concensus of how many other of you AD&D'ers out there think it's worth the buy ... and I'm talking about the Box Set.

It is very much worth the buy if you meet any of the following conditions:
1) You are interested in an AD&D world vastly different from any you have ever
played in.
2) You enjoy psionics. (Psionics and Dark Sun are almost synonymous)
3) You want to try playing with new and strange character races (half-giants,
half-dwarves {muls}, thri-kreen, and changed elves just to name a few)
4) You want a pre-fab world which is much harder than any other one out there
(with the possible exception of Ravenloft- I haven't played this one, so I
don't know.)--- There is a reason why stats range 5-20 instead of 3-18 :-}

If any of these fit, it is a good buy. If 2 of them do, It is a very good
buy. If 3 or all of them apply, you should run out and get it this instant :-}

Hope this helps,
just a humble opinion from an experience AD&D player, who is currently in a
Dark-SUn campaign.
--Matthew