HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: educ@unixg.ubc.ca (Vicki Domansky)
Subject: Re: The Bastard DM from Hell!
Organization: University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1992 01:36:03 GMT

In article <1992Jul30.130357.1@economics.adelaide.edu.au> ecrjbruce@economics.adelaide.edu.au writes:
>A couple of points I would like opinions on:
>
>WEB spells.
>
>If this is cast on an area that contains several humanoids, monsters or
>whatever do these creatures act as pillars, supports or whatever neccesary to
>prevent the webs collapsing on themselves and becoming useless. 
[...]
>that because there were no huge features around the spell collapsed on itself
>and would not work. Why shouldn't it cling to people as well as to rocks etc. 

I agree that the web would collapse without something large enough to
cling to - after all people aren't 10' wide - but I think when the web
collapses there should be a chance for anyone in the area to still end
up entangled in the web.  Perhaps a dex roll to see if they can dodge
out of the way in time. Presumably the web doesn't just "disappear"
when it collapses, and it should therefore still be sticky enough to
inconvenience a few people who get caught in it. 

-- 
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Vicki Domansky <Morgaine>                               educ@unixg.ubc.ca
Education Computing Services                       v_domansky@mtsg.ubc.ca
U of B.C. Vancouver Canada                        usereduc@ubcmtsg.bitnet
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: kevin@sherman.pas.rochester.edu (kevin mcfadden)
Subject: Re: Net Adventures?
Organization: University of Rochester
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 92 20:09:03 GMT

In article <712348161@tyranno.cs.duke.edu> jek@duke.cs.duke.edu (James E. Kittock) writes:
>In article <92209.172643LPR100@psuvm.psu.edu> LPR100@psuvm.psu.edu writes:
>>
>>   I'm wondering why I have never seen anything about people posting
>>adventures to the Net. There is the Net.Plot.Book, but I'm talking about
>>fully fleshed out adventures. Seeing that people spend a lot of time
>>posting fluff, I don't think it would be a problem to type in some of
>>the shorter homemade adventures. And if enough people started doing this,
>>DMs would have a great source of adventures and ideas.
>
>Few people that I know keep adventures handy in electronic format.
>Most seem to have sheafs of random papers, piles of notebooks, etc.
>etc.  For example, I have no computer at home, so I would have to
>bring my stuff to work to type it up.  
>
>So, I think the reason we see less stuff on the net than we might
>otherwise is convenience.  Also, it is not too easy to include
>diagrams and maps...  (#$*@#$&! ascii code)

	You could always get a scanner and convert to gif or ps format.
Of course not everybody has a scanner handy :(

Kevin
From: tmiller@prism.gatech.EDU (Thomas Miller)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Questions about liches and undead
Date: 28 Jul 92 13:48:49 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

In article <1683112A32.MWORKMAN@vm.cc.purdue.edu>, MWORKMAN@vm.cc.purdue.edu writes:
> In article <Bs2F0o.L7q@news.cso.uiuc.edu>
> was28667@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (palamino) writes:
>  
>   (stuff deleted)
> >what does the phylactery do for the lich?
>  
> It's a place (in a gem or amulet) where the essence of the MU is held.
> A lich could retreat there if outmatched, but if the phylactery was
> found by non-friendly beings... the lich is out of luck.  If the
> phylactery is destroyed the lich is also.
>  
> I didn't look these responses up in any AD&D manual, but they make the
> most sense to me.  If anyone else can offer further assistance, I'd like
> to here it also.
>  



  That's about the gist of it, according to the AD&D 2nd edition
Monstrous Compendium.  If you manage to kill a lich, but don't know
where its phylactery is, you're in trouble.  It basically retreats
to the thing and regathers its strength.  I don't remember if they
lose a level when this happens, by 2nd edition rules.
  In one module I have been working on, there is a lich in the
arch-villain role.  His phylactery is hidden in a sealed (caved-
in on purpose) dungeon chamber about 500 miles away from his current
base of operations; in the same chamber are a monstrous blob of gray
ooze and a banshee.  Chests there also contain several spellbooks,
magic items, etc. in case the lich is killed and needs to get back
to snuff.



-- 
Thomas Miller     Georgia Tech Network Services     GT EE 1992 (?!) 
WORK: (404) 853-0254 / Rich Bldg Rm 127, 258 4th St Atlanta, Ga. 30332
HOME: (404) 876-7929 / 345 Peachtree Pl NW, Atlanta, Ga. 30318 
Internet: tmiller@prism.gatech.edu OR tmiller@oit.gatech.edu
From: ccoprdj@prism.gatech.EDU (Jorge Diaz)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Tackling, subduing NPC/PCs
Date: 22 Jul 92 17:42:51 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

In article <Brss6H.BC2@news.cso.uiuc.edu> dv52151@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Axly) writes:
>joeg@meaddata.com (Joe Gayda) writes:

[About tackling....]

>>Once it is determined that an attacker has pinned his opponent on the
>>ground, what rolls should be done to sustain that postion every round?
>>Strength checks?  How can you represent exceptional strength
>>appropriately?

>No, you keep making attack rolls as per the origanal overbear. If you
>hit, the person stays pinned. 

Yeah, but there's a real problem with this:

The strength-10-level-1-mage only needs a 10 to keep that strength-
18(83)-fighter-who-isn't-wearing-any-armor pinned.

Kinda unrealistic, isn't it?
 
>The thing I have a problem with is armor helping you on your AC vs. an
>overbear. Why does armor, bracers, robes, etc. make it harder to tackle
>you?

Yeah.  I found a thief picking my pocket once.  I get a note from the DM
saying "You feel a tug on your pocket."  I say "grab the hand," and he
asks me to make an attack role against the thief.

Now, this thief is wearing leather armor, and I miss.  However, my roll
was enough to hit AC 6 (which is AC 10 [no armor bonus] - the highest
possible dexterity bonus).

Why would his leather armor prevent me from grabbing his hand which is
in my pocket????


-- 
Jorge Diaz                       | "You're outmanned, you're outgunned, you're
Georgia Institute of Technology  |      outequipped what else have you got?"
Office of Information Technology | "Guile."
ccoprdj@prism.gatech.edu         |      -- Riker and Worf   "Peak Performance"
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: spzkny@lims02.lerc.nasa.gov (JAMES ZAKANY)
Subject: Re: Secrets
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Keywords: secret communication
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center
Date: 24 Jul 1992 13:31 EST  

In article <BrwD28.E29@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu>,
 burdickd@copper.ucs.indiana.edu (Dakin Burdick) writes...

>>(Jim, me)
>>I discourage note-passing.  My players either get up and whisper to 
>>me or they'll speak up.  I simply warn the 
>>others that they do NOT have that information!  

>(Dakin)
>This is a lousy way to do it.  It ruins the suspense of what is going
>on, etc.  Your players seem to be able to handle it, but that is to 
>their credit, not yours.  A little pointless note passing can get some
>really good paranoia going.

Honestly, Dakin, I have absolutely NO problem creating suspense without 
resorting to pointless note passing.  To a good DM, pointless note passing 
would be, well, pointless.

>>(me again)
>>By the way, I DO get an occasional note and I DO send them, but no more 
>>than one a session.

>(Dakin)
>About every two or three hours, I'll dash off an empty note...

Whatever works for you.  The original poster was having the problem of 
getting too many notes from his players.  I tried to help.

                                                  James S. Zakany
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: alongley@cape.UWaterloo.ca (Allan Longley)
Subject: Re: Questions about liches and undead
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 16:13:30 GMT

In article <Bs2F0o.L7q@news.cso.uiuc.edu> was28667@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (palamino) writes:

>Do undead reconstitute in any way (do they regain hit points)?  I could see
>that animated dead (skeletons/zombies) wouldn't, but I would think that ghouls
>or ghosts or any other undead that wouldn't be considered volitionless would
>have some way of regaining hit points.
 
Some undead regenerate (vampires), some undead are automations
(skeleton,zombie) and therefore do not reconstitute, some undead is the
realm of the DM (wraith, wigth, lich).  My ruling, these undead regain power
from the negative material plane at a rate that replentishes hit points at a
rate similar to normal mortal healing (ie., 1,2, or 3 hp per day).
 
>But it never says WHY a lich would flee to its phylactery.  What does that do
>for the lich, anyway?
 
A liche retreats (forced) back to its phylactery when its material form is
damaged to the point were it is unusable (ie., 0 hp).  A liche can, at any
time, volentarily retreat to its phylactery, but escaping from the
phylactery can be difficult if the proper precautions are not taken.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Allan Longley, University of Waterloo, Department of Chemical Engineering
e-mail: alongley@cape.uwaterloo.ca
voice: (519) 885-1211 x3816		Figure this; liches and Mind
home: (519) 746-5747			Flayers are worth the same xp?!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: ccoprdj@prism.gatech.EDU (Jorge Diaz)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Too many notes! (Was Re: New uses of dices...)
Date: 23 Jul 92 19:46:21 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

In article <92205.134844CC100PG@GITVM1.GATECH.EDU> CC100PG@GITVM1.GATECH.EDU (Paul Goodwin) writes:

>A second note:  In a campaign (which I'm DMing for) I have a thief who likes
>to go on private intellegence-gathering missions, etc. and this can really
>slow down the game flow.  Anyone have any ideas for how to avoid slowing
>things down too much for the group in situations like this?

Sure, next time the thief goes off on one of his little missions, have
him beaten and robbed, or arrested by the authorities (if he's doing
anything illegal, that is), or whatever.  *Lots* of things can happen,
and who's to say that there isn't an 8th level thief in town that can
pick *his* pocket, or a high-level mage that needs him for an experiment....

*evil grin*


-- 
Jorge Diaz                       | "You're outmanned, you're outgunned, you're
Georgia Institute of Technology  |      outequipped what else have you got?"
Office of Information Technology | "Guile."
ccoprdj@prism.gatech.edu         |      -- Riker and Worf   "Peak Performance"
From: drool@retreat.Bah.Rochester.NY.US (Paul Coene)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Scribing from a Spell Book
Followup-To: rec.games.frp.dnd
Distribution: world
Reply-To: drool@retreat.Bah.Rochester.NY.US
Organization: 
Keywords: 
Summary: 
Date: 24 Jul 92 19:07:05 EST
Organization: Not an Organization

In article <1992Jul23.042006.28886@umbc3.umbc.edu> cs106b16@umbc5.umbc.edu (cs106b16) writes:
> 
> I am well aware that scribing a scroll destroys it, but have always believed
> that scribing from another mage's spell book was perfectly safe and both copies
> of the spell (original and copy) are intact. In a campaign I played in at a
... stuff deleted
> destroyed. I said it's a book, not a scroll so we all should be able to scribe
> it. The DM refused to look it up and I only had my PH with me. I can't seem to
> find anything on it in the books, but would swear I read it somewhere.

Well, I don't think there is a black and white ruling in the DMs guide.  I
believe it is something left up to the DM.  In my campaigns, these things
can be transferred (scribed) once, just like the DM you mentioned.  I do
this because I find it makes spellbooks much more valuable, and all the mages
in a particular campaign don't end up carbon copies of each other.

Regardless of what's in the books, final word on such stuff is up to your DM.

										<: Drool :>

ARPA: drool@retreat.Bah.Rochester.NY.US   UUCP: kodak!bisco!retreat!drool
From: boelter3945@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Hypnotism
Date: 31 Jul 92 14:47:57 -0500
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

In article <1992Jul30.040835.1340@uniwa.uwa.edu.au>
       perry@tartarus.uwa.edu.au (Perry Staltari) writes:
>
>	Also with hypnotism, is it possible to make a creature believe
>that something is before it; eg Making an ogre king believe that a pile
>of coins is before him, or is it strictly used in forcing the use of
>another creatures actions., 'cause the DM disallowed this.
> 

   Well, I don't remember exactly what the Hypnotism spell does, but if it is
anything like being Hypnotized for real, I can tell you about that, having been
hypnotized myself and watched others being under hypnosis.

   You can change literally anything in the victim's mind, including where they
think they are, what they see around them, what their senses are receiving,
including temperature, touch, smell, and so on.  You can block out things from
their minds that would otherwise be common facts.

   The basic underlying rule is that you _cannot_ force anyone to do something
under hypnosis that they would not feel right doing normally.  (Note that
acting like a chicken normally would make you feel stupid, but isn't something
you wouldn't feel right doing).

   I have seen people under hypnosis been told to do many things, including: 
forget the number 6 ever exists (count to ten :), imagine they are sitting on a
hot park bench (squirm), detect odors in the air around them, think they are
talking to and can understand a martian and their language (interesting to
listen to), at a race track betting on horses, and so on. :)

   Well, that's my opinions on the subject, however long-winded it may be. :)

                                        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%  * "I hit it with my Sword+10 of    *
* of our brain's mental capacity, was      *  Super Slaying" - "It laughs" -  *
* probably 90% incorrect.                  * "I give the DM the rest of my    *
*            -Unknown comic on A&E-        *  pizza" - *munch* "It dies"      *
*******************************************************************************
From: bc122@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Naveed Ihsanullah)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Stoneskin and Haste Spells
Date: 21 Jul 92 08:07:21 GMT
Article-I.D.: usenet.1992Jul21.080721.10823
Reply-To: bc122@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Naveed Ihsanullah)
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)


In a previous article, sears@tree.egr.uh.edu (Paul S. Sears) says:

>     Haste is a little trickier. I run a campaign where I keep track of time.  
>Each character has an age at which they will die of old age(unknown to them).  
>With the party being high enough to build their own magic items and  
>strongholds, and able to cast Wishes and Gate spells, aging one year from  
>being under the effects of a haste spell gets expensive real quick, not to  
>mention the other spells. Then, as a D.M., all you have to do is limit the  
>supply of Longevity potions, and watch the party slow down. NPCs (i.e.  
>henchmen) NEVER submit to being hasted, by the way....
>     On the other hand, I realize that not everybody out there is in a  
>campaign where people can cast Wishes & Gates. And, lots of campaigns aren't  
>so complex that the D.M. keeps track of aging. But, if that's the case,  
>realism isn't a serious issue, so just sit back and enjoy the game!
>     Mitchell White ( via Paul Flamesalot Sears )
>--
>

	Now I've seen this idea of aging as a imiting factor on haste
several times now. I was wondering if anyone of these contributors have
ever seen the spell age creature in the Tome of Magic (6th level Priest,
p98).  This spell is in the sphere of Time so druids, who get 6th level
spells in an almost reasonable time, can cast this easily.  The material
component is a 'pinch of ruby'.  Now to characters capable of casting 6th
level spells this should not be much  of a problem.  The point I am trying
to get at is the reverse of this spell, restore youth, restores years lost
to magical aging (haste, gate, wish, etc.)

	In my opinion this spell significantly reduces any fear a character
or even henchmen and hireling would have of getting hasted.  Wouldn't a
henchman be willing to get hasted if he/she has seen the party's druid or
other priest easily restore those years.  Note, this spell has no chance of
failure or removing the years regained by other factors, unlike a potion of
longevity.
From: l2wang@napier.uwaterloo.ca (  Lei Wang  )
Subject: Re: Best possible AC
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 22:39:07 GMT

  Normally I'd only allow AC of -10 for PCs, so that's the max.

  But, better AC is possible, if you ignore that rule.
  Considering that Cloaks, Rings, and Bracers of Protection do not
work in conjunction with magical armor or with each other(2nd edition):

  So off the top of my head, 

  Base AC:             -14       (Great Wyrm Shadow Dragon Armor +5)
                       -20       (Shield +5)
                       -22       (Boots of Speed)
                       -24       (Cloak of the Bat)
                       -25       (Dusty Rose Ioun Stone)
                       -29       (18 DEX)
                       -34       (Sword +5 Defender)
                       -36       (Warrior Swashbuckler)

  So it's -36, in general, against general opponents.

                       -40       (Improved Invisibility)
                       -42       (under 3rd level Wizard Spell Blur
                       -44          if it's the first attack)

  -44 while under duration spells.
                        
                       -48       (Vs. Large Opponents, if Gnome)

  or, 
                       -54       (Vs. missile fire, while under 90% cover)

  This is according to strict letter rules in the 2nd edition PHB and DMG.  
More specific ACs can be further improved, if you take the optional rules
that one can parry for 1/2 your level worth of AC, or while tumbling
and strictly parrying(-4).

-- 
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: keary@apollo.HP.COM (Matt Keary)
Subject: Re: How many dice?
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 19:24:15 GMT
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Company, Chelmsford, MA
Keywords: dice

In article <1992Jul22.192939.1771@nmt.edu>, aevans@nmt.edu (Alex Evans) writes:
|> 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)
|> >
|> >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

How 'bout this...

I forget who first started the "all you need is a coin" thread, but it seems
that you are assuming s/he meant using a standard binary number 

   000 = 1          (Where 0's are tails and 1's are heads)
   001 = 2
   010 = 3 ...
   111 = 8

In which case I agree, that if you were looking for d7 or d6 or something,
then you would not necessarially get it the first time (ie flipping d7 you 
get :  1... 1... 1!  Arrrrg! I rolled an eight!)  About the same as trying 
to get 1-7 probability out of a d8.

BUT....  if you flip as many dice as the number you are trying to get, and
add all the heads you get : 1...1...1...1...1...0...1...1!  I rolled 7! almost
max damage!
   Then as your dXX (whatever you are rolling) gets bigger, you'll have
to flip a large # of coins, but it will be a _defined_ large number, as 
opposed to an *arbitrary* one.  :=)

- Mateo
From: kjenks@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: The DM is Never Wrong (was: Re: Scribing from a Spell Book)
Keywords: DM technique
Date: 27 Jul 1992 22:46:03 GMT
Organization: NASA/JSC/GM2, Space Shuttle Program Office
Originator: kjenks@gothamcity

[...DM/player argument deleted...]

I said to the player:
>>You were right, and the DM was wrong.

gupw@uniwa.uwa.edu.au (Paul Wagland) replied:

>The DM is _NEVER_ wrong. It is merely that he has a different
>interpretation of the rules than the player. BTW have you never heard of
>the Dungeon Masters *GUIDE*  [...yada, yada, yada...]

I'm a DM.  I've been wrong in the past.  I'll be wrong in the future.  
I always listen to players' questions and comments about the rules.

Here, an Internaut asked The Net a question about his DM's ruling.
The DM ruled arbitrarily, in a manner inconsistent with the rules,
and in a manner which can only hurt player characters.  (You don't
see NPC's having problems with copying spells, now do you?)  

The DM is the referee in a very complex game.  There are hundreds of
pages of rules, which are frequently internally inconsistent,
especially if you're still playing by AD&D1 rules.  I know the (AD&D1)
books as well as anybody, but I still get the rules wrong once in a
while.

His DM was flat-out wrong.  If you truly feel that the DM is NEVER
wrong, I really feel sorry for players in your dungeons.

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

     "Is there not an abode in Hell for the arrogant?"
        -- Koran, SURA XXIX -- The Troops, v. 63
From: dan@thyme.jpl.nasa.gov (Dan Allard)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: New uses of dices...
Date: 23 Jul 92 20:48:55 GMT
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA

In article <Brt7ML.M0H@apollo.hp.com> 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.
>Invisibility is indicated by putting the figure inside a coke-bottle cap.
>
>John (Would you like your figgin toasted?) Francis  johnf@apollo.hp.com

Our last party had a thief named Bernie who was always using that
dratted ring of invisibility.  We had a small plastic cauldron from
another game that we used to put him in to denote him becoming
invisible.

"Bernie jumps in the cauldron!" was the rather strange cry that
echoed over the gaming tables.

dan@thyme.jpl.nasa.gov
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd