HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: kjenks@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov
Subject: Re: Lich / Holy Swords
Originator: kjenks@gothamcity
Keywords: Death Knight
Organization: NASA/JSC/GM2, Space Shuttle Program Office
Date: Sat, 10 Oct 1992 21:45:58 GMT

While we're on this thread, I thought I'd let you know where a Holy
Sword is in my campaign: in the hands of a Death Knight.  They used
to be paladins, you know.  Death Knights are one of the few usefull
monsters from the Fiend Folio.  (AD&D1 rules, as usual.)

Most Holy Swords would probably be already in the hands of high-level
NPC paladins, and she's not likely to just GIVE one to your low-level
PC.  Unless you marry her son or something.

-- 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: pmenard@cse.unl.edu (Patrick Menard)
Subject: Re: The TSR Trap
Organization: University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 01:15:56 GMT

burdickd@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Dakin Burdick) writes:

>In article <1992Oct11.080116.8813@leland.Stanford.EDU> loren@leland.Stanford.EDU (Elina Aulikki Compton) writes:
>>
>>How many think that TSR has gone too far with its products?
>If they're still making money, they haven't gone too far.

or not far enough in most cases.  They come out with interesting things and
then don't support them, so the games die before having a chance to get a
good base of players to modify the game and exchange ideas and make the game
theirs.

>>Is the Dragon Magazine unbiased?
>I think the Dragon Magazine, as it is today, is entertaining and useful
>for the first year you read it; after that the comics are all that's
>interesting.  White Wolf is better, but there really aren't any
>excellent magazines anymore (except maybe "Unspeakable Oath" for CoC).

whatever, it has nice art, occasionally a good article, and adds for new things.

>>What is the deal with Dungeon Magazine?  Do we all really need such 
>>help?  Where did our imagination, creativity, impulsiveness go?
>It takes time to write adventures.  A lot of us have more important
>things to do (real life, remember) than write adventures all the time.

The first thing any dungeon master should learn is how to make things up on
the fly and circumnavigate the rules if you need to.(the best adventures are
usually when the DM and players don't worry about the rules)

>>Is DarkSun a created TSR fad? 
>I doubt it.  DarkSun almost got me interested in D&D again (almost!).
>It's the first original thing they've put out for years.

>>If you are a newcomer to RPG's, read Tolkien or Weis&Hickman.
>I can't believe you mentioned these authors in the same breath!
>Weis & Hickman are entertaining, but they are not classic fantasy
>by any stretch of the imagination.

Who defines 'classic fantasy' you?  I thought not.

>>If you hate long-die rolling combats, invent your own RPG.
>Or if you want longer die-rolling combats, for that matter.

>>If you invent your own rules, you might find a better game.
>Agreed (after all, that's what I did), but it does take a lot
>of time.  Why not learn to play a musical instrument instead?

Or sit around on Sundays drinking beer and watching football.  Its fun
too.(thats what I do)  I also invented a few new games when I got a great
idea (or so I thought) and had a free few weeks. (hey, I'm in college, time
is relative)

Shadow
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: ddj+@cs.cmu.edu (Doug DeJulio)
Subject: Re: Intelligent opponents (was Re: Lich & Demi-Lich...)
Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 14:58:56 GMT

In article <9OCT199223095035@juliet.caltech.edu> aaron@juliet.caltech.edu (Packman, Aaron I.) writes:
>What's the difference anyway?  I always thought the idea behind a lich
>was somewhat silly.  Any decent arch-mage should be able to keep him/herself
>alive indefinitely without resorting to lich-hood.  Being undead is probably
>safer, but it's surely less fun.  And then there're always all those paladins
>and other do-gooders out gunnin' for ya'.

Doesn't brewing potions of longevity usually require elf blood or
treant sap?  Plus there's the risk of age reversal.

Becoming a lich is a nice reliable method.  Not only do you no longer
age, but you don't require food or sleep anymore either.  I can
imagine a mage obsessed with research wanting to become a lich so that
they'd *never* need to leave their lab, working around the clock
without pause for months and months, pausing only to go out and obtain
further subjects for their experiments.
-- 
Doug DeJulio
ddj+@cmu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Spell Points in DND
From: Geoffrey@yvax.byu.edu
Date: 11 Oct 92 14:03:43 -0700
Reply-To: Geoffrey@yvax.byu.edu
Distribution: world
Organization: BYU

 In case anyone's interested.  This is something I've been using in the games
I've DM'd for years.  I learned it from my old DM's, Fred Funk and Glenn
Kurkowski in Minnesota.  The concept is called "Spell Points"-I'm sure it's
been used in other systems and other campaigns-it makes a lot of sense.

I never agreed with the concept in DND that once a spell is cast, the caster
forgets the spell and that in order to cast the same spell again the caster
must re-memorize the spell.  That would be like telling a master pianist that
each time he played a piece in front of an audience he would have to start from
scratch and learn the piece again.  No one except those with godlike levels of
patience would even bother to learn magic.  This system is better.  Every day
the caster receives his level squared in spell points.  Each spell that he
casts costs that spell's level squared in spell points.

Example: An eighth level magic-user casts a fireball.  The caster was at full
spell points before he cast the spell.  He's at eighth level, therefore he has
64 spell points to start with (8 x 8 = 64).  Fireball is a third level spell,
therefore it costs nine spell points to cast  (3 x 3 = 9).  After the spell,
the caster finds himself with 55 spell points left (64 - 9 = 55).

It's a system that holds a lot of promise.  But, individual referees may wish
to alter the math of it all so it better fits how they feel magic should be
run.

Thanks for listening.
Geoffrey Eastbrook.
  
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: brunborg@solan.unit.no (]dne Brunborg)
Subject: Re: Intelligent opponents (was Re: Lich & Demi-Lich...)
Organization: Norwegian Institute of Technology
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 92 10:50:44 GMT

In article <9OCT199223095035@juliet.caltech.edu>, aaron@juliet.caltech.edu (Packman, Aaron I.) writes:
 > In article <14868@chalmers.se>, d9bertil@dtek.chalmers.se (Bertil Jonell) writes...
 > >In article <BvqE10.K0@mentor.cc.purdue.edu>, slip@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Doolie) writes:
 > >> Does a Lich have to LOOK like a lich?  I mean, couldnt they simply put a 
 > >>permanent change self on themselves to look alive?.
 > > 
 > >  This will of course lead to the pc's suspecting every strangely longlived
 > >wizard to be a lich:)
 > > 
 > >DM: The bearded person says:'Some people call me Elminster'
 > >Players: "Yikes! Turn him! Break out the holy water! Turn him!"
 > 
 > 
 > What's the difference anyway?  I always thought the idea behind a lich
 > was somewhat silly.  Any decent arch-mage should be able to keep him/herself
 > alive indefinitely without resorting to lich-hood.  Being undead is probably
 > safer, but it's surely less fun.  And then there're always all those paladins
 > and other do-gooders out gunnin' for ya'.
 > 
 > Aaron
 > aaron@caltech.edu

Well concidering the fact that it is a _cumulative_ 1% chance each time you drink
a potion of youth that it backfires, restoring _all_ years removed by previously
potions, the idea of becoming ageless is a bit more attractive, don't you think?



So long!

		Aadne Brunborg
		Norwegian Institute of Thechnology
		University of Trondheim
		NORWAY

	"If ye can't see it, it's right behind ye..."
From: sfo@milton.u.washington.edu (Stephen Omalley)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: new stuff
Summary: dnd requests
Keywords: READ THIS WHATEVER YOU DO
Date: 12 Oct 92 20:28:39 GMT
Article-I.D.: milton.sfo.718921719
Organization: University of Washington

Hello, I'm new to this news group and would like to get my hands on the various Net (I think that is what they are called) or any other available guides/
supplements/etc. I've been playing many different rpgs for about nine years
now and am always interested in discovering new stuff that players and dms
not directly connected to the big guns (TSR,etc.) have devised,because this
is most often where the most interesting and original stuff is born. I have
already recieved Reid Bluebaugh's VERY INTERESTING guide to sex in d&d 
(thanks,Reid) but have heard of Net spell,prayer, and plot books which I would
love to obtain. So send anything you got to


						Stephen F. O'Malley
						aka Beelzebub
						sfo@u.washington.edu


     			THANKS ALOT!!!!!
From: mbmst12+@pitt.edu (Michael B Mullig)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Many-to-one combats
Date: 8 Oct 92 19:16:47 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh


Organization: Freshman, CIT general, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 00:32:11 -0400 
From: "Jordan M. Wolbrum" <jw67+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: Intelligent Opponents (A summary of some email)
	<1bi2u3INNacc@master.cs.rose-hulman.edu>

>	If you take it the spell name as literal (i.e. the caster now has  
>skin as hard as rock), wouldn't regular vorpal and sharpness weapons still  
>cut them? These weapons still decapitate/dismember stone beings on high  
>rolls, so would they still work on the mage?

Never thought of this before, but I say vorpal weapon beats 4th level
spell.  Vorpal sword wins if it rolls high enough to sever stone.

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From: V276m8gv@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Eric Frohnapple)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: A question about dual class characters
Date: 14 Oct 92 19:27:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <71231@hydra.gatech.EDU>, ccoprdj@prism.gatech.EDU (Jorge Diaz) writes...
>In article <1992Oct13.151722.7588@iscsvax.uni.edu> boelter3945@iscsvax.uni.edu writes:
>>In article <AeqSsbC00VooQ8BpNy@andrew.cmu.edu>, "Joseph E. Beck"
>>   <jb8n+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:
>>> 
>>> Consider:  a fighter can wield  a long sword and a dagger, but *not* 2
>>> daggers (1 weapon must be of shorter length than the other).  
>>
>>   Actually, two daggers can be used at the same time.  This is one of the
>>exceptions to the 'longer length than the other' rule.
> 
>Actually, it would probably be a not-bad idea to change that to:
> 
>A character can always use two small weapons.  If a fighter can use a
>short sword and a long sword, why not two short swords?  Two longswords is
>out of the question, but why not two short swords?


	Why is two long swords out of the question?  I understand that this
is the nastiest combination of weapons you can have in the game, but there
is no physical reason that you can not use two long swords at the same time.
They are not too heavy or bulky (trust me, if you have ever held a long sword
in your left hand it is no problem...)
	Understandably, you will have a few things that should be taken into
account:

	1) reduce the amount of damage a long sword does to a large creature
	   to 1-10.  (This is where it belongs.  Two handed weapons -sword
	   excluded- should be increased here.)

	2) reduce the effective strength that a character has in his left hand.
	   (how many people -even ambidextrous ones- have two arms equally 
	   strong?)


eric
From: gtd543a@prism.gatech.EDU (death)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: character generator
Date: 13 Oct 92 06:54:18 GMT
Organization: Fool's Paradise
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5

How much interest is there in a portable character generator, written
in almost 100% ANSI C?

-- 
Jeff M. Garzik                    |
25861 Georgia Tech Station        | "Only sheep need a leader"
Atlanta, GA  30332                |                       - Nomeansno
E-Mail: gtd543a@prism.gatech.edu  |
Organization: Freshman, CIT general, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Date: Wed,  7 Oct 1992 16:05:32 -0400 
From: "Jordan M. Wolbrum" <jw67+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: Intelligent opponents (was Re: Lich & Demi-Lich...)
	<BvqE10.K0@mentor.cc.purdue.edu>

I remember seeing a spell called Mask of Death, that makes a dead body
look like any live body.  I don't remember the specs.
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Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: Rannou@info.polymtl.ca (Patrick Rannou)
Subject: Re: Critical Hits
Organization: Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, Canada
	<1992Oct5.160921.29563@aio.jsc.nasa.gov> <70229@hydra.gatech.EDU>
	<1992Oct6.211155.29474@u.washington.edu>
	<1992Oct7.095529.1402@ccsvax.sfasu.edu>
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 22:38:47 GMT

In article <1992Oct7.095529.1402@ccsvax.sfasu.edu> z_copeab@ccsvax.sfasu.edu writes:
From: kjenks@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: house-rules
Keywords: minimums
Date: 12 Oct 92 15:12:36 GMT
Article-I.D.: aio.1992Oct12.151236.12874
Organization: NASA/JSC/GM2, Space Shuttle Program Office
Originator: kjenks@gothamcity

In article <MepQSNu00VohRoNUJO@andrew.cmu.edu> "Peter F. Delaney" <pd1x+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:
>	One other important change was to get rid of the 10% bonus to earned xp
>for high stats.  Now, no matter what your class is, the xp bonus you get
>is based on Wisdom (so there's a reason for your fighter not to put a 5
>in Wisdom).

I don't know what version your modified system is based on, AD&D1 or
AD&D2 (SINCE YOU DIDN'T TELL US!), but under AD&D1 rules, a Fighter
can't have a 5 Wisdom.  Only a Thief can have a Wisdom that low (Wisdom
table I., PHB1, p. 11).  In AD&D2, a Fighter, Mage, Thief or Bard can
have a 5 Wisdom (Table 13, PHB2, p. 25).

Please, folks, when we're talking about rules, let us know which
version you're using.  A few characters from you can save useless
chatter like this.

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

     "Take the time and effort to become not just a good DM,
      but a brilliant one." -- Zeb Cook, AD&D DMG2, Foreword
Organization: Freshman, CIT general, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 14:24:48 -0400 
From: "Jordan M. Wolbrum" <jw67+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: 20th level mages

If you were a 20th level mage, would you bother enslaving peasants? 
That would just anger everybody enough to send the adventurers after
you.  At this point in the mage's life he probably just wants to
research new spells, or approach godhood, or explore other planes.  Face
it, there's very little that mere humans can do for him, and much that
they can do to inconvenience him.  There also are other powerful mages,
and most people at these levels have some sort of truce, if they want to
live.
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Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: scythe@byron.u.washington.edu (The Grim Reaper)
Subject: Re: house-rules
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 01:22:23 GMT

In article <1992Oct14.005721.17853@Princeton.EDU> tao@fine.princeton.edu (Terry Tao) writes:
>The underworld contacts of the thief can actually be a great advantage, I
>think.  Preciselyt because thieves are not the strongest, the most
>righteous, or the ones who are gifted with magic (btw I could start a whole
>new thread on whether magical ability is a gift or something anyone can do,
>BUT getting to the subject..) I think many other evil humans will
>sympathize with even the neutral good thieves up to a point.  No goblin
>will trust the holier-than-thou cleric and the steamroller-fighter, or the
>smart-alecky wizard - they have all the power, all the grinding monsters
>under their heels, etc.  However, an outcast from society, one with no
>special skills except the ones he picked himself, might be able to win over
>many humanoid monsters.  A thief, knowing the underworld, can also fit
>right in into an enemy camp of bandits, say.  Great rpg idea!
Perhaps.  Some might argue that they'd be less likely to trust someone
who can backstab and pick pockets....

>
>about thief advancing faster in levels: this flattens out after a while,
>the difference is always at most about three levels for the first dozen
>levels or so, I think..
That's true.  They also get weaker in power, and so don't get as much exps
as the other characters.
Just as a side note, I noticed that mid-level mages actualy require
less exps than fighters to level (2nd ed, at least).  Isn't this kind of 
unfair?
>
>Why not make thieves able to use poison in a limited way? some abilitiy
>like this may attract PCs to this character class.
>
>Terry
No thanx.  Poisons are (IMNVHO) a bit too deadly in AD&D to
give special ability to one class.  I might give thieves a discount
if they tried to buy poison tho....
I remember a looong time ago (back when there was only rec.games.frp =)
someone posted some extra skills for thieves.  There was about 12 skills
listed, and thieves could pick any 9 to advance in.  Some of the extras
included Lie Detection, Resist Detect Lie-type spells, umm....
I can't remember anymore.  sigh.  Anyone have the info I'm talking
about?
>
>levels, I think.  (I'll hve
(Problems with an editor?)

--------------------+-------------------------+
HIC IACET ARTVRVS   + The Grim Reaper         + 
IN INSVLA AVALONIA  + SCYTHE@U.WASHINGTON.EDU +
REX QVONDAM REXQVE  + ----------------------- +
FVTVRVS             +                         +
--------------------+-------------------------+


Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: burdickd@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Dakin Burdick)
Subject: Re: The TSR Trap
Organization: Indiana University
Distribution: na
Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1992 18:03:11 GMT

In article <1992Oct11.080116.8813@leland.Stanford.EDU> loren@leland.Stanford.EDU (Elina Aulikki Compton) writes:
>
>How many think that TSR has gone too far with its products?

If they're still making money, they haven't gone too far.

>Is the Dragon Magazine unbiased?

I think the Dragon Magazine, as it is today, is entertaining and useful
for the first year you read it; after that the comics are all that's
interesting.  White Wolf is better, but there really aren't any
excellent magazines anymore (except maybe "Unspeakable Oath" for CoC).

>What is the deal with Dungeon Magazine?  Do we all really need such 
>help?  Where did our imagination, creativity, impulsiveness go?

It takes time to write adventures.  A lot of us have more important
things to do (real life, remember) than write adventures all the time.

>Is DarkSun a created TSR fad? 

I doubt it.  DarkSun almost got me interested in D&D again (almost!).
It's the first original thing they've put out for years.

>If you are a newcomer to RPG's, read Tolkien or Weis&Hickman.

I can't believe you mentioned these authors in the same breath!
Weis & Hickman are entertaining, but they are not classic fantasy
by any stretch of the imagination.

>If you hate long-die rolling combats, invent your own RPG.

Or if you want longer die-rolling combats, for that matter.

>If you invent your own rules, you might find a better game.

Agreed (after all, that's what I did), but it does take a lot
of time.  Why not learn to play a musical instrument instead?

Dakin
burdickd@silver.ucs.indiana.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: thiggins@cix.compulink.co.uk (Tarry Higgins)
Subject: Re: Level draining seems sadistic, doesn't it?
Reply-To: thiggins@cix.compulink.co.uk
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 01:39:51 +0000


Level draining seems sadistic, doesn't it?
 
> I think the current rule for level draining are sadistic.  With each
> successful hit, a vampire can destroy several long game sessions of play
> for the victim.  And, although this rarely bothers me in AD&D, it makes
> no sense!
 
Well it makes them scarey for one thing, otherwise they wouldn't hold 
the terror for PC's that they do.  

> My solution:
> 
> When a level-draining creature hits, temporary level draining occurs. 
> HP's do not drop from the draining, nor are proficiencies lost, but the
> fighting of spellcasting effectiveness is lowered as a standard level
> drain.
> 
> The levels will return at a rate of 1/day, and a restoration will return
> them all right away.
> 
> The only exception would be energy drain, it's a ninth level spell, and
> should be on par with wish, so it's still just as nasty!
> 
Well for me I look upon it a bit like poison vs hit points, you get a 
saving throw vs poison if a poisoned weapon gets a successful 'to 
hit' on you, because the poison might not have entered the blood 
stream, the weapon didn't 'actuly' hit you and break the skin, it 
used up some of your combat luck (hit points).  So in a similar 
fasion the touch of an undead uses up some luck, however it 
accumulates a cumulutative -4 to the saving throw (vs death magic) 
until you fail the saving throw, at which point the penalty is reset. 
 For undead that have a double level drain, one level is lost 
automatically and a st is required not to lose a second level.  This 
means that level draining undead are still scarey, just a little less 
so, and fits in with how I view the game


Taz AKA thiggins@cix.compulink.co.uk AKA Tarry A Higgins
The only valid test is combat,           
The only valid result is victory.
From: aaron@juliet.caltech.edu (Packman, Aaron I.)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Priests & Thieves (was Re: house-rules)
Date: 10 Oct 1992 00:19 PST
Organization: California Institute of Technology
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: juliet.caltech.edu
Summary: rogues and priests, strength
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    

In article <Bvut3E.K8n@news.udel.edu>, rothwell@bach.udel.edu (James C. Rothwell) writes...
[intro deleted]
> 
>In our campaigns, we thought about the general roles of rogues and priests
>(yes, 2nd. ed.), and decided that in general, even adventuring priests
>fight/brawl much less often than rogues do.  So we switched their THAC0
>tables, and hit dice.  
[stuff deleted]

Adventuring priests are all supposed to be from military religious orders.
That is, the they're knights of the church (read as: head smashers).  
This doesn't work if your priest worships the god of peace, etc., but that's 
the way it's supposed to be.  I think it makes more sense to split up the
priest class in some way, so that there are figting-oriented priests and
prayer-oriented priests.  AD&D has cast the paladin as the figter/priest,
but it's hard to make one (under many attribute-rolling systems) and the
paladin has many powers that are (IMO) beyond what the typical fighter/
priest should have.  One way to split the priest class is to let the
fighter/priest be the same as the current "standard" priest and let
the prayer-priest have extra spells, offset by d6 HP/level and mage THAC0.
This sort of system broadens the class to allow more individuality and
roleplaying, and it better represents priests of non-warlike gods.  Also,
since the prayer-priest has more spells, it allows the low-level character to
use spells besides cure light wounds.  In other words, it lets the priest be 
something more than "the 2nd rank fighter with healing spells."

As far as thieves go, I think the AD&D setup is ok.  Thieves should only
be midlin' fighters, at best.  If they liked to fight, then they'd be 
fighters, right?  But if you wish you could split the thief class as well.
Make one a sneak-thief (as current rules), and one a brawler-thief (using
d8 and priest THAC0, but less skilled as a thief).  It doesn't matter too
much as long as all your classes are relatively equal.


Aaron
aaron@caltech.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd