HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: aevans@nmt.edu (Alex Evans)
Subject: Re: How many dice?
Keywords: dice
Organization: New Mexico Tech
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 19:29:39 GMT

In article <64072@hydra.gatech.EDU> ccoprdj@prism.gatech.EDU (Jorge Diaz) writes:
>In article <1992Jul20.204817.14809@nmt.edu> aevans@nmt.edu (Alex Evans) writes:
>
>>While it is very true that it is possible to generate the effects of
>>any integer sided die with a coin, this has the problem that it may take
>>an arbitrarily long time (for example if you count two heads as a four,
>>and you continuously get heads, you will never be able to get a number
>>between one and three)
>
>And if you roll a d4, and you continually get a four, you will never be
>able to get a number between one and three, either.
>
>Not sure that I understand your point.
>

The point is that that when attempting to emulate a die with a
non-power of two number of sides with a coin you will either get, a
slightly non-flat probability distribution, or face the possibility of
the emulation requiring an arbitrarily large number of throws.  I do
realize that this is not very important as far as the real world is
concerned being as you can get to the point where the error from the
coin not being fair will overwhelm the skew in the probality
distribution caused by the errors in the method.

-- 
Theodore (Alex) Evans aka Alexei Vnebrachnei Ivanovitch
MOL College of St. Golias
From: kallen@cs.utk.edu (Karl Allen)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re:Krynn knights, Paladins, and Range Weapons
Date: 30 Jul 92 13:29:38 GMT
Organization: University of Tennessee, Knoxville - CS Department
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: duncan.cs.utk.edu
Originator: kallen@duncan.cs.utk.edu

I've always held that Paladins <and by extension, Knights of Krynn> 
don't use range weapons under any normal circumstances. They may, 
however, use such weapons against those who refuse to enter into 
hand to hand combat. <Usually my Paladins carry a javelin, or other
large throwing weapon.> It doesn't realy make sense for Paladins to
*never* use range weapons, especially considering the kinds of 
opponents they fights <chaotic evil, unscrupulous pigs.> I know if
I ran into a Paladin that wouldn't use range weapons, I'd get a rug 
of flying, a bow, and make a nice pin cushion. :-) 

Don't understand the "no 2-handed sword" rule mentioned by someone earlier. 
After all, who better than to wield such a weapon than a guy who wants
nothing more than to destroy evil-doers as quickly as possible, and
isn't worried about not having that extra AC point? <After all, if a Paladin 
dies, he goes right to heaven...>

I remain,
Karl Allen
kallen@cs.utk.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: dv52151@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Axly)
Subject: Re: TSR History (Was Re: TSR Worlds)
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 00:57:44 GMT
Keywords: Gygax Arneson Greyhawk Blackmoor

grendel@uhuru.uchicago.edu (Cliff Winnig) writes:


[History of TSR and Gary Gygax]

For those of you who are interested, GDW's new game by Gary just
started showing up in local stores. *grin* Dangerous Dimensions.
Gary will get people to call his game DD one way or the other.

Axly

********************************************************************************
*  Axly            * "Well, yes, I did it... but it's not my fault. "          *
*  Red Sword Targa * "Alright, it is my fault... but I'm not responsible."     *
*                  * "Well, maybe I am responsible..but I'm not to blame."     *
*                  * "Yes, I am to blame... but they made me do it."           *
*                  *   -Axly                                                   *
********************************************************************************



Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: StarWatcher@uiuc.edu (StarWatcher)
Subject: Re: New uses of dices...
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL4
Reply-To: StarWatcher@uiuc.edu
Organization: UIUC Actuarial Science Program
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 03:38:03 GMT
Keywords: significant words from a document used as an index to content

johnf@apollo.hp.com (John Francis) writes:
: In article <Brt5pw.L0s@apollo.hp.com> keary@apollo.HP.COM (Matt Keary) writes:
: >We have a thief who often runs around invisibly, so it has been standard
: >practice for some time now to put his figurine on a die to denote this
: >status (anyone else, too, when they're invis)
: 
: No, No - you put a figure on a die (or stack of dice) to indicate flying.
: Each d6 represents 10' of elevation. Finer-grain information can be shown
: by the uppermost face of the top die.  The imaginative DM can also use
: other types of dice, but I don't recommend a d4.
: Invisibility is indicated by putting the figure inside a coke-bottle cap.

Actually, in my gaming group we spent all of our free money on dice rather
than figurines.  So, when it came time to map out melee somehow, we ended up
using dice instead of figurines.  We used different-sided white dice to
represent the party, different blue dice to represent horses, etc, and 
different colored dice to represent beasties.

Of course, among the 11 of us we had well over 500 dice....

Anyone know where I can pick up another couple of hundred dice cheap?  :-)
--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|Michael Adams (aka StarWatcher) 	   |    "To spend too much time in    |
|UIUC Actuarial Science Program 	   |     studies is sloth."	      |
|+1 (217) 344-0709, +1 (217) 344-4857	   |	  	-- Sir Francis Bacon  |
|StarWatcher@uiuc.edu (NeXT mail accepted) |				      |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|          The standard disclaimer is here...it's just invisible....          |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: educ@unixg.ubc.ca (Vicki Domansky)
Subject: Other uses for dicee
Organization: University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 03:17:54 GMT


In our games, we often use dice to represent monsters if we are using
miniatures.  Placing the number upwards that corresponds the monster's
stats on the dm's notes makes it easier to keep track of who is
attacking which monster.  And you can use the different types of dice
to represent different monsters.  If you need more than 20 monsters in
a battle (heh heh) you can always re-use the numbers as the monsters
die, or (if they don't die ;-) you can use a different color, etc. to
number from 21 to 40.

Actually, one time I was planning a humungous battle scene, with a ton
of goblins getting ready to attack my unsuspecting party :-) I made up
a whole set of numbers from 1 to 60 on little squares of paper to
represent the monsters.  Made it a hell of a lot easier to keep track
of their stats, and you could turn over the paper when they were
killed to represent the body.  

Not as fun as using actual miniatures for the monsters (don't you love
the look on the player's faces when you pull out that hydra miniature
;-) but certainly helps keep the play moving along.

-- 
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Vicki Domansky <Morgaine>                               educ@unixg.ubc.ca
Education Computing Services                       v_domansky@mtsg.ubc.ca
U of B.C. Vancouver Canada                        usereduc@ubcmtsg.bitnet
From: whayden@chainsaw.ecn.purdue.edu (Bill Hayden;;;;)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: AD&D edition 1 PBeM Wanted.......
Date: 30 Jul 92 23:46:24 GMT
Organization: Purdue University Engineering Computer Network

Hey all,

      I have notices several threads or should I say invitations for
AD&D edition 2 PBeM games.  I would like to know if there are any
PBeM games using the first edition rules.... (Which I think allow
more inventive roll playing).  If any games exist, can I be so bold
as to ask WHERE?????  And if any of them need a player... let me know!


Thanks 

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Bill "Short Flying" Hayden                 whayden@chainsaw.ecn.purdue.edu
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: wilder@mik.uky.edu (jeff wilder)
Subject: Re: Marking figures as invisible, etc. - Was: New uses of dice(s)...
    <4189@astroatc.UUCP> <1992Jul24.171028.3407@mcs.kent.edu>
Organization: University Of Kentucky, Dept. of Math Sciences
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 17:57:07 GMT

In <1992Jul24.171028.3407@mcs.kent.edu> aloysius@Chaos.mcs.kent.edu (aloysius) writes:

|In some of our campaigns, we have often used (35mm) film cans, especially
|the clear ones, to denote player figurines which were invisible.  Opaque
|cans can be used to indicate figures which are blinded, stoned, etc.
                                                         ^^^^^^
hahahhahahahahahahahah It really did take me a minute.  Seriously.

What *we* do in this situation is just keep renewing the smoke surrounding
the figurine. :)

|In use, the cap is discarded, and the main part of the film can is up-ended
|over the figure being marked as invisible.  Works well for small figures,
|dice, and other small markers.

Disclaimer (naturally):  I don't use drugs, of course.  I have a Pell Grant.

Oh, and before I forget:  we have other uses for the film cannisters, too. :)

--
================================================================================
| Jeff W   uk06666@ukpr.uky.edu | Meddle not in the affairs of cats, for they  |
| Wilder   & wilder@mik.uky.edu | are subtle, and will piss on your cyberdeck. |
================================================================================
From: kallen@cs.utk.edu (Karl Allen)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Anybody Heard of This?
Date: 24 Jul 92 20:21:44 GMT
Organization: University of Tennessee, Knoxville - CS Department
NNTP-Posting-Host: duncan.cs.utk.edu
Originator: kallen@duncan.cs.utk.edu

I tried this question over on rec.games.frp.misc, and got very little 
response. 

Has anyone here ever heard of any game called "Realms of Glory" or
something close? Could be a frp, a computer game, or a board game. 

Thanks,
Karl Allen
kallen@cs.utk.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: Rannou@info.polymtl.ca (Patrick Rannou)
Subject: Re: Scribing from a Spell Book
Organization: Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, Canada
	<1992Jul25.162600.25150@aio.jsc.nasa.gov>
	<1992Jul27.024013.9197@uniwa.uwa.edu.au>
	<1992Jul27.131609.257@ccsvax.sfasu.edu>
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 04:05:33 GMT

In article <1992Jul27.131609.257@ccsvax.sfasu.edu> a_copeab@ccsvax.sfasu.edu writes:

[...]
   > 
   >>You were right, and the DM was wrong.
   > 
   > The DM is _NEVER_ wrong. 

   Nope, the DM *can* be wrong in his interpretation of rules. However, if there
   is no rule for something, the the DM must have a consistant (within the
   campaign) way to handle the situation. A DM is similar to a baseball umpire in
   this respect; the players can question his interpretation of a rule, but not
   a ruling based on his opinion (ie, balls and strikes, balk).

   We on the group can certainly disagree with an individual DMs ruling in a
   situation not covered by the rules, but we can't say he's right or wrong.
   We can, perhaps, judge if the DM is good or bad, but this is something that
   only matters to the players, not the rest of us in net.land. The player's only 
   recourse is to find a new DM, if he/she feels that something that drastic is 
   needed. If all or most of the players don't like what the DM is doing, they 
   should say something about it; if the players aren't having fun, then the DM
   *probably* isn't doing his job.

   Brandon Cope

The GM can change any rule he wants. If in that campaign the GM
decided that spells can't be copied from spellbooks without erasing the
original copy, then he has decided it. The player casn of course give his
opinion, but he can't argue once the GM said his decision is final. If the
player is still unhappy, well he can either live with it, talk to the GM
OUTSIDE the game, or quit.

The only way I see for the GM to be "wrong" is to have non-consistent
rules. Even then the players should stop rules-lawyering and simply accept
that things do not always work as expected. I just hate it when my players
suddenly argue with me because an enemy mage casted a spell at the party
which doesn't work "as in the PH". I get tired of repeating "Well, *that*
version of the spell work that way. Heck, you're not even sure it's a spell
of the same level. There are thousands of version of any spell, not just
those you see in the PH. Now stop arguing and start roleplaying."

If players don't have firmly in their head that the GM's word is law, then
instead of concentrating on the roleplaying they concentrate on stats,
monster/spell descriptions, etc. For these (few I hope) guys, I just tell
them to go play wargames, not rpgs.

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

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: l2wang@napier.waterloo.edu (  Lei Wang  )
Subject: Re: Scribing from a Spell Book
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 15:44:28 GMT

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
> convention our party killed a mage and he had a travelling spell book with him.
> A few of his lower level spells all of us were able to use and everyone wanted
> to scribe it. The DM said we either had to take turns studing the book or
> only one person could scribe the spell into his book because it would be
> 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.
> Anyone more knowledgeable on this than I am please enlighten me!

  A spellbook is a spell Book.  It does not contain magic, but only the ways
of using magic.

  As a mage can copy some of his spells from his tome-like spellbooks to 
his travelling spellbooks for adventure use, anyone else can copy from his
spellbook into their own without destroying the original.

  Of course, I haven't found one spellbook to date that is not trapped to
self-destruct or worse when someone other than the owner touches it.  
  They'd rather lose the spellbook than to risk your learning their knowledge.

-- 
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: spzkny@lims01.lerc.nasa.gov (JAMES ZAKANY)
Subject: Re: How many dice?
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center
Date: 21 Jul 1992 08:13 EST  

In article <10726446.83.711701158@eng2.eng.monash.edu.au>,
 10726446@eng2.eng.monash.edu.au (LAU WAI KUEN) writes...

>(Lau Wai Kuen)
>     You can NEVER have enough dice.  Anyway, you have to have heaps of 
>dice, so when your GM says; 'You get hit by the dragon.  Roll every dice you 
>own and take that much damage', you can be sure of a most triumphant roll.

Welllll....  Seem like THIS ol' boy's got him a dice fetish.  I bet you 
collect pennies in a jar in case of an unexplained future zinc shortage.

                                                  James S. Zakany
From: lavonius@kruuna.Helsinki.FI (Ville Lavonius)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: AD&D PBeM Starting / Apply with a character sketch
Date: 23 Jul 92 16:27:13 GMT
Distribution: rec
Organization: The few, the proud... the stupid, the inept


The Honorable Merchanter's Guilde of Forthrighth seeketh
menne and womyn of adventurouse spirit and good intentions
to aid them in a delicate mision.

Applicants should at the caravanseray to discuss any details,
please take with you your wepons and spellbookes for inspection
also there will be religiouse men to weed out any wrongdoers
from this aspiring groupe.

-----

Yeah folks, send me a character sketch (or a readymade char) and you
get to play in the most wondrous (hem-hem) of all fantasy worlds: Lahwon,
a cheerful mixture of Greyhawk, FR and my own fermented imagination.

The guideliness are:

1) Good / neutral fellows only.
2) Created with 4d6, one re-roll. Trade points with 1:1 for one point 
	1:2 thereafter.
3) Multiclasses ok.
4) No pooftahs.. ops. No psionics.
5) Druids are ok, as are general clerics, if you have ideas for a specific
	cleric, inquire.
6) No munchkins, any chars with improbable attributs are going to have a
	rough time.
7) You get a few magic items, you can ask for specific items, but again,
	I'll decide (max. weapon strength +2 for example).
8) 2nd Ed. rules where it matters, you can use any handbooks that you wish
	but you'll have to paraphrase any new rules (other than proficiencies
	you wish to use). I have access to the Thieve's and Fighter's HBs.
9) The country where the campaign starts is quite standard, late medieval
	celtic society, monotheistic, but with schishms (serious sp?).
	Monsters are quite rare. Magic is too. 
10) The first adventure is a simple seek and destroy affair, after that YOU
	decide what to do.
11) You ought to be able to post at least a couple of times per week.
12) I'll give out all player's addresses so you can have private conversations.
14) This is my first ever attempt to GM a PBeM game so pardonnez-vous
	any mistakes.
15) Get the imagination rolling.
16) The address below and in the header ought to work, but I grudgingly
	take mail from bitnet as lavonius@finuh (or finuha can't remember).



--
Ville Lavonius	        University of Helsinki, Dept. of Computer Science
lavonius@cc.helsinki.fi : With friends like that, who needs anemones
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: gupw@uniwa.uwa.edu.au (Paul Wagland)
Subject: Is the DM ever wrong? (was Scribing from a Spellbook) 
Organization: University of Western Australia
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 01:22:29 GMT

a_copeab@ccsvax.sfasu.edu writes:

>gupw@uniwa.uwa.edu.au (Paul Wagland) writes:
>> kjenks@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov writes:
>>>You were right, and the DM was wrong.
>> 
>> The DM is _NEVER_ wrong. 

>Nope, the DM *can* be wrong in his interpretation of rules. However, if there
>is no rule for something, the the DM must have a consistant (within the
>campaign) way to handle the situation. A DM is similar to a baseball umpire in
>this respect; the players can question his interpretation of a rule, but not
>a ruling based on his opinion (ie, balls and strikes, balk).

OK that is what I meant, you may disagree with the DM's ruling, but
right or wrong you have to accept it. 

>We on the group can certainly disagree with an individual DMs ruling in a
>situation not covered by the rules, but we can't say he's right or wrong.
>We can, perhaps, judge if the DM is good or bad, but this is something that
>only matters to the players, not the rest of us in net.land. The player's only 
>recourse is to find a new DM, if he/she feels that something that drastic is 
>needed. If all or most of the players don't like what the DM is doing, they 
>should say something about it; if the players aren't having fun, then the DM
>*probably* isn't doing his job.

Hear, Hear. BTW I am being sincere in my applause of your argument.

>Brandon Cope

Paul Wagland
-- 
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. :-)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: wildcard@nevada.edu ( WildCard !!)
Subject: Quick weapons, initiative, and multiple attacks
Organization: Shadowland BBS
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 01:59:02 GMT


I want to give smaller, faster weapons in my campaign an edge, so possibly
someone might use them...

I'm going to use individual initiative for each person (weapon speed/casting
time +1D10 +dex bonuses) and rank them from lowest to highest in terms of who 
hits first.

My question: does anyone out there have a number that I can use and say 
"initiative at this number and below will recieve an extra attack or parry per
round."

Well, I could pull out the weapon speeds and such but I'm more interested in
what other people have tried and what works... 

If anyone has any suggestions/advice/flames, they are all welcome by email.

                              - WildCard !!

+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|   " Go ahead and give 'im a squeeze! Treants need love, too!.... Oh       |
|    sorry, that was just an oak tree; boy you looked silly doin' that."    |
|                            - Maeglon, Tree-Hugger Extrordinaire           |
+ --- wildcard@redrock.nevada.edu  -----------------------------------------+
From: torban@csuvax1.csu.murdoch.edu.au (Torban Bennett)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: The Bastard DM from Hell!
Date: 30 Jul 92 08:04:12 GMT
Organization: Murdoch University

perry@tartarus.uwa.edu.au (Perry Staltari) writes:

>	In the adventure I'm in, I'm an illusionist so I can understand
>your plight. What my DM has done is split experience evenly among all
>players. We all agreed and it seems to be working fine. Obviously
>fighters will be doing a lot of the killing to begin with and as
>magic-users attain levels they kick butt. So I'd say that our system is
>running well for all and fair.

   This is true.  I play using the individual awards as specified in the
2nd edition rules.  This means that Fighters earn heaps at early levels,
and skip away from everyone else.  Poor Theives and Clerics get a particularly
raw deal.  (Mages get their own back at later level ;-)

>	I believe that you should get experience for what you kill if
>this is the way experience is dealt out. Whether at range or in melee
>combat, you should get acreditted for what you kill.

  Don't forget the xp for class specific actions.  I like to encourage good
play/ideas/character action with bonus xp.  The other point is that I share
the xp from a monster evenly among all those who damaged it.  (Not really
fair if Igor the barbarian almost slays a dragon single handedly, but
Eric the Mage throws a dart for 2hp!  But a good DM should be able to sort it
out)
   Finally, there's the goal/adventure completion bonus.  All those who
are still alive when the adventure is succesfully completed, get a completion
bonus based on gp worth of treasure taken, scaled by the xp of the foes 
defeated. (The scaling is important to keep the game in balance.  Anyway,
I like to keep the treasure count low, too keep the pc's keen
   "Oh it's another mound of 5000 gp"  - arrgghhh 
 

>	Perry. (the Gnome with no brain)
>-----------------------------------------------------------
>Perry Staltari		          	| Things aren't always as bad
>perry@tartarus.uwa.edu.au       | as they seem. They're worse.
>University of Western Australia | "Use the force Luke."      

Torban Bennett,        torban@murdoch.edu.au
Murdoch University,    .sigmentation error
Western Australia.      core dumped
From: kevin@sherman.pas.rochester.edu (kevin mcfadden)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: SEMI RECENT PBEM GAME INFO WANTED!!!
Date: 26 Jul 92 02:29:22 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: University of Rochester


	To anybody out there who has just recently received three mail files
for the solo-type PBEM adventure I was wondering if you could either 
email me the guy's address or the three files that were sent.  I changed
their mail file to a directory without thinking and lost them!  

Thanks a bundle,

kevin@sherman.pas.rochester.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd