HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: lavonius@kruuna.Helsinki.FI (Ville Lavonius)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: AD&D PBeM Starting / Apply with a character sketch
Date: 25 Jul 92 10:44:44 GMT
Distribution: rec
Organization: The few, the proud... the stupid, the inept

In article <1992Jul24.194001.517@moci.uucp> joeb@moci.uucp (Joe Bronikowski (Little Joe)) writes:

   >2) Created with 4d6, one re-roll. 

   >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).

   I'm sorry, but I see a lot of this type of hypocracy in the frp groups.  Wit
   all the munchkin-bashing going on here, why on earth do GMs go to such lengt
   to give players munchkin characters?  Why WOULDN'T you expect the 4d6 to cre
   many 17's and 18's among the party?  And giving REROLLS?!  (And I'm assuming
   you meant 4d6, use highest 3.)

   To be FAIR, why not start all players with the SAME characteristics?  Eg., l
   them choose either 11,12,13,14,15,16 or 10,11,12,13,14,17 as their attribute
   distributed as they wish (no racial bonuses either).

True, this idea (distribution) is a much better one than the traditional
rolling, but I never actually gave any thought to it. The re-roll was a
new idea, that doesn't very well come across on the net (I meant it not to
be a necessarily good thing, ie. if you rolled lower, you had to _keep_ it).
But then I forgot this tidbit and some other very important issues too, goes
to show that I should have written the call to players beforehand instead
of typing it "live". 

Fairness is an important question, but as I'm going
to run a combat-light campaign anyway, the stats aren't THAT big a thing.
Next time I'm so much wiser ;-)

Of course I might be a bit paranoid toward munchkins, after reading a few
AD&D scenarios and Dragons I decided that I've never seen bigger munchkins
than those loonies at Lake Geneva (Ed Greenwood, Dale Henson and many
others).
 
   And as far as magic items go, wouldn't it make more sense to give things li
   healing potions instead of magic swords?  Ie. simple, low-level, one-use
   "helpers" rather than slay-the-mighty-undead magic weapons?

Yeah, they DO get low-level stuff, but I decided to give everyone a couple
of low-powered items (a +2 sword or a weapon + armor, not too MH IMO). 
Another detail I gladly surpassed was that all chars
were of 4th level, I'd _never_ give magic items to beginning characters.

   I'll get off my soapbox now.

Yeah, I'll quit rambling too.

   Ps. Not directed solely at you, Lavonius.

*Shrugs* There were mistakes in my writeup.

   -- 
	//	   |------+---,				Joe Bronikowski
--
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: win2@kimbark.uchicago.edu (Cliff Winnig)
Subject: Re: TSR History (Was Re: TSR Worlds)
Summary: oops
Keywords: Gygax Arneson Greyhawk Blackmoor
Reply-To: win2@midway.uchicago.edu
Organization: University of Chicago Computing Organizations
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 00:24:53 GMT

I wrote:
>Anyway, Gygax and TSR negotiated over Greyhawk.  He got the right to finish  
>his novel series set in the world, and they owned it.

I just realized I was being ambiguous here.  The "it" TSR owned is the world,
not the novel series.
--
Cliff "Striving for Accuracy" Winnig   ||  	 ,     ___     .    -------_
cliff@uchicago.edu		       ||    	 \_|__/_ _\__|_/     \    //
or, for mail with NeXT attachments:    ||            /  >  \ 	      \  //
grendel@uhuru.uchicago.edu	       ||	     \^-^- /           \//  
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: grendel@uhuru.uchicago.edu (Cliff Winnig)
Subject: Re: TSR's own copyright violation
Organization: University of Chicago Computing Organizations
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 22:05:03 GMT

Tales of the Elmoworld writes
> 	Dark Sun's "burnflowers", from Monstrous Compendium 12, are directly
> and unequivocably ripped off from Larry Niven's "sunflowers", featured in
> _Ringworld_ as well as a few other Known Space stories.  This is a  
criminal
> violation of copyright, and I intend to write a letter to Niven's  
publishers.

Good luck, though it's probably not actionable.  Ideas are much harder to  
maintain a copyright on than words, so unless they quote directly from  
Niven's works, his publisher probably wouldn't have a case.

The displacer beast comes directly from an SF novel, the only difference  
being that the original critters breathed chlorine gas.  (I can't remember  
which novel, though I used to know.)

> 	The basis of Dark Sun is, of course, Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom
> with magic and dwarves.

Well, it's definitely not close enough to Barsoom to be a rip-off.  The Gor  
books, for example, are much closer and *they're* not close enough.  Harsh  
desert environments with gladiators are something of an SF staple.

Of course, TSR is the company that printed the Melnibonean and Cthulhu  
pantheons while Chaosium held exclusive gaming rights to both of those  
universes....
--
Cliff "Weregamer" Winnig	       ||  	 ,     ___     .    -------_
cliff@uchicago.edu		       ||    	 \_|__/_ _\__|_/     \    //
or, for mail with NeXT attachments:    ||            /  >  \ 	      \  //
grendel@uhuru.uchicago.edu	       ||	     \^-^- /           \//
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: How many dice?
From: a_copeab@ccsvax.sfasu.edu
Date: 24 Jul 92 15:00:06 CST
Organization: Stephen F. Austin State University

In article <RANNOU.92Jul21230637@zuse.info.polymtl.ca>, Rannou@info.polymtl.ca (Patrick Rannou) writes:
> In article <1992Jul17.201145.23609@midway.uchicago.edu> arxt@quads.uchicago.edu (Aidan Palmer) writes:
> 
> 
> 	   How many dice do you usually need for a D&D type game? I have
>    heard tales of people with hundreds of dice.  I myself usually have 1d4,
>    3d6, 1 or 2d8, 1d12 (how often do you really need these, anyway?), and
>    a "plus" d20.  I personally find 30-sided, 100-sided, and other fancy
>    dice useless.  I also have no need for 10-sided dice, using a "plus"
>    d20 instead.

	For most of my GMing career, I was able to get by with one each of:
d4, d8, d10, d20. I usually had about 5-6 d6. Within the last year, I've added
'backups' for my dice, and replaced my old, worn d20 with a new, black d20
of death (it rolls 15+ about half the time). Nice for those monster attacks.
Nowadays, since I am running more GURPS than AD&D, I carry about 10 six-siders.

Brandon Cope

ps. One player carries a small glass marble with his dice that he refers to as
a d0 -- I have had several philosophical discussions with him about it actually
being a d1. :-)

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: adray@Chaos.mcs.kent.edu (Adam Dray)
Subject: Re: Ftp site?
Keywords: FTP
Organization: Kent State University
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 19:07:25 GMT


==============================================================
	Anonymous FTP Sites for Role-Playing Games
==============================================================

	tybalt.caltech.edu	/pub/adnd/*
	greyhawk.stanford.edu	/D_D/*
	potemkin.cs.pdx.edu	/pub/frp/*
	quayle.mu.wvnet.edu	/pub/rpg/*
	garfield.catt.ncsu.edu	/pub/DND/*
				/incoming/Dnd.stuff/*

==============================================================
 	Internet: adray@mcs.kent.edu (Adam Dray)
==============================================================
From: adray@Chaos.mcs.kent.edu (Adam Dray)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Number of Dice
Keywords: heresy, betrayal, libel, slander, nuh-uh, is too, is not
Date: 22 Jul 92 21:53:29 GMT
Organization: Kent State University


In article <brt4gv.cez@wang.com>, smayo@wang.com (Scott Mayo) writes:
|> adray@Condor.mcs.kent.edu (Adam Dray) writes:
|> >Hey, I'll help at zero cost.  Just send your nasty dice to me, and
|> >I'll take care of them for you.
|> 
|> Don't fall for it. He isn't accredited or registered. It's a scam: he'll
|> just keep telling you to send him more and more dice, and you'll have to
|> buy more and more to keep him satisfied. He secretly works for the
|> dice manufacturers, that's what it is. I'm your only real hope.


Don't believe a word he says.  I do this as charity work.  I genuinely
*care* about dice addicts.

My name is Adam Dray, and I'm a diceaholic.  At the tender and very
impressionable age of 12, I was given the boxed Basic D&D set by an
evil witch.  The game inside was just the dressing to hide the _real_
perils: those horrifyingly hideously ugly orange and cyan Armory dice
that TSR used to ship.

I couldn't fight the urge.  I *had* to buy new dice, more attractive
dice, to replace the hunchbacks and lepers that I used to run my D&D
games.

Oh sure, first you buy a GemDice (tm) pack.  It all seems innocent
enough, but then someone shows you a d30, and you have to have one
of those, too.  It's insidious.

Before I realized it, I'd ordered just about every type of dice you
can imagine: opaque, translucent, glittered, marbleized, swirled;
7-sided, 30-sided, 100-sided; roulette dice, d4s with the numbers 
written at the top instead of at the base, ten's d10s, averaging 
dice; arithmetic dice, direction dice, treasure dice, alignment dice.

Dice! Dice! Dice!  I couldn't stop.  I bought blank dice in decorator
colors.  I even bought a coin with a 1 and a 2 printed on it.

But that was before I discovered the Method.  Now I'm offering to
share my knowledge with you.  The knowledge which cured my 
obsession with dice, which let me be normal again.

Send your dice to me, and I'll send you information on how *you*
can solve all your dice problems!  You'll be free again.  You
won't regret it.

Before the Method, I was too busy fiddling with my dice to hear
the Game Master.  I spent all my money on new dice.

Now I concentrate on role-playing, and can even play Amber without
breaking a sweat.  You can, too.

Now if only I could get my d100 to stop rolling....


					Adam Dray / adray@mcs.kent.edu
From: dv52151@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Axly)
Subject: Re: Jousting Question
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 02:04:10 GMT

mross@mcigate.apdev.mci.com (Marty_Ross) writes:

>I have a question about jousting rules that some of the more 'seasoned' 
>DMs may be able to answer.  The way I understand it is a charging 
>character wielding a lance will get +2 to attack and inflict double
>damage.  He also suffers a +2 to initiative and +1 to AC.

Yeppers except it's normally written as a -2 to initiative.
No Dexterity adjustments either.

>My first question is, what if the character charging has a high 
>initiative (typical) and the monster is wielding say a short sword or 
>claw.  That monster will not be anywhere near (14 ft. lance) the mount 
>when his turn is up (can understand a missle attack).  Can the monster 
>forgo his initiative and attack when target is 'in range'.  If he did 
>this, wouldn't the mounted character get first attack?  If so, the 
>second question becomes much more important.

I'd say that the mounted character hits first. This just makes sense to me.
Unless the knight has incredibly bad timing or misses, he's going to go 
first.

>The second question is if the lance does hit (over 6d6 on large monsters) 
>does that monster suffer any loss of attack/future initiative?  It seems
>a hit of X points (where X is a large positive integer) just before a
>monster attacks, should throw it off balance at least and land it on
>its' perverbial monster butt.


We normally say that the lance breaks off in the monster's body if it
does more than 8 points (Yeah, I know you're supposed to roll a save,
but this saves time.). So Monster guy can attack if he wants one initiative
number after the mounted lancer does, 'cause the horse is moving. *grin*
Yes, I play it so that movement isn't stop-go but continual. Sue me.

Axly

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: sevans@andy.bgsu.edu (Stephen W. Evans)
Subject: Re: Stoneskin: A new(?) idea
Organization: Bowling Green State University B.G., Oh.
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 17:47:54 GMT

wright@latcs2.lat.oz.au (Michael G. Wright) writes:
>>>>Why not require that the subject of the spell make a system shock check
>>>>when the spell is first cast (when his skin is turning into stone), and
>>>>then another when the spell is negated (when his skin returns to normal)?
>>>>As an example, a mage with a Constitution of 11 (average) has an 80%
>>>>chance of surviving a system shock.  That means that he has a 36% chance
>>>>of dying if he casts the spell on himself.
>>>>Opinions?
>>
>>>Yes...pretty damn brutal, if you ask me.  I would think that the risk of 
>>>casting a protective spell should be *less* than the risk of not casting it. :-)
>  [Stuff Deleted]
>>
>>If you think it's too much, you can just require 1 system shock roll
>>(when the spell is first cast).  But I don't see why.  Polymorph requires
>>two rolls (once when you change, and once when you change back).  By
>>requiring two rolls, this might force the mage to cast the spell on
>>other members of the party with higher constitutions (such as dwarves).
>>
>>Just a thought.
>>
>  If you're worried about the brutality of the spell, why not make it that the
> spell fizzles (the host body could not contain the magic) and the Wiz is
> knocked out for a day (Backlash) as well as the recipient (if not the Wiz).


Yeah,
	If you don't like the spell don't let it into your campaign.  If
you use it for your NPC bad guys be prepared when the PCs find the Evil
Wizards spell book and wonder where the spell is.  Frankly a very minor 
change that eliminates most problems is to make the spell Range:0.  If it
only effects the caster then it is serving it purpose in keeping the
parties vulnerable mage alive.  In the case of F/Mu's the poor Elf is 
already sacrificed a large part of his hit points and character advancement,
its only right that he gets a few combat bennies from being a mage.
-Steve
From: kiko@ax.apc.org
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Date: 28 Jul 92 19:57 PDT
Subject: Castles - Prices
Nf-ID: #N:ax:51300004:000:154
Nf-From: ax.UUCP!kiko    Jul 28 19:57:00 1992


Does anybody know the prices, or where to gather this information, about 
castle constructions??
*Walls
*Doors
*Windows
*Towers
*Etc...

Kiko - Brazil!!!

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: gblock@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Gregory R Block)
Subject: Another Meta-Magic spell, this one's a doozie.
Organization: University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 07:37:12 GMT

Bilador's SpellShape
Level:  3

Range:		10 yards/level
Components:	V
Duration:	Special
Casting Time:	3
Area of Effect:	Up to 20 cubic feet/level, minimum value of 6" on axis
Saving Throw:	None

	When cast, this spell allows the altered spell to affect the
area the caster desires, up to 20 cubic feet per level.

	For instance, a 19th level mage (that's Bil) could make a wall
1' x 19' x 19' in any orientation which would be "filled" with the
area of effect, a solid dome in a spherical shape 6" thick and having
a radius of 15', or flood a hemisphere with a radius of 6'.  A
hemispherical dome would have a radius of 22' at 6" thickness, and a
cube 7' on a size could also be shaped.

	Any spell can be shaped.  For instance, a teleport can move
anything "encompassed".  Lightning bolts become fields of lightning
affecting all those "encompassed".  Abjurations can enclose areas or
surround people.


Well, whatcha think?


--
(: (: (: (: Have you overdosed on smileys today?  Why NOT!?! :) :) :) :) :)
(:"The person who said size doesn't matter was probably a very small man":)
(:	gblock@csd4.csd.uwm.edu			Gregory R. Block         :)
(: (: (: (: (: (: (: (: (: (: (: (: (:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: spzkny@lims01.lerc.nasa.gov (JAMES ZAKANY)
Subject: Re: Tackling, subduing NPC/PCs
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center
Distribution: na
Date: 24 Jul 1992 08:35 EST  

In article <1992Jul23.143636.19914@meaddata.com>,
 joeg@meaddata.com (Joe Gayda) writes...

>> (Jim, me)
>> A grappled person can break the hold with a successful attack against the 
>> grappler (-2 to hit penalty).

>(Joe) 
>Is this a house rule, or in the PHB, DMG?

It's in both the PHB and the DMG (2nd Ed.), but not completely!  They both 
state something like, "the defender can break the hold with a successful 
throw, gouge, another character's help, or a successful attack (penalties 
to a weapon attack apply)".  They don't state what the penalties are, 
though!  Also, can I TRY for a throw/gouge, or do I have to hope I roll the 
wrestling attack that says "throw" or "gouge"??!?

The -2 I got from UA.  It states that a grappled character can attack his 
holder at -2 and can be attacked at +2.  I guess that I was mixing sources 
for my response, but it seems to be reasonable.  If you grab me and I stab 
you with a dagger, chances are that you'll let go...

                                                  James S. Zakany
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: l2wang@napier.waterloo.edu (  Lei Wang  )
Subject: Re: Hurled Weapons, again.
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 05:06:06 GMT

In article <1992Jul17.124514.9774@ugle.unit.no>, joniteig@solan.unit.no (Jon Inge Teigland) writes:
> Does anyone (including anyone from TSR) actually know what extra benefits you
> get from specializing with a thrown weapon? If it at all has even been decided,
> and not just completely forgotten by TSR.

  They were not forgotten.

  In the PHB, 2nd Edition, it says that if you specialize in a thrown missile
weapon, you get extra attacks per round, as stated on Table 35, page 52.
  That is ALL you get.
  You can throw faster, but do not get any hit or damage bonuses.
  The +1 to hit and +2 to damage is only for melee weapons(sword, axe,
polearms, etc) when you specialize in them.

  If you specialize in Bow or Crossbow, you can 1. get a +2 to hit at point
blank: targets under 30 feet for bow and 60 feet for crossbow, and 2. let off 
an arrow at the beginning of the round if you were nocked and drawn.
  But that is ALL you get.  No double damage at point blank range, no extra
attacks if you use a bow.  In fact, if you use a bow, you get two attacks
per round no matter how specialized or high-leveled you are.

-- 
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: joeg@meaddata.com (Joe Gayda)
Subject: Tackling, subduing NPC/PCs
Organization: Mead Data Central, Dayton OH
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 14:58:02 GMT
Distribution: na

Scenario: How do other DM's handle tackling and subduing characters?

The DMG states that you can tackle a character by making a sucessful
attack roll, and the attacker is at minuses for wearing certain types
of armor.  The attack is also modified by the size differences between
the two.  It then states in the next round, the attacker can then
subdue the opponent by making a succesful attack roll.  How can the
defender resist either of these?   Does the defender have to rely on
the attacker missing their AC?  Should the defender get some type of
dexterity role?

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?

I'm very interested in your opinions.  This is a tactic that could be
very useful against spell-users.

-- 
Joe Gayda           | The probability of       |          (513) 865-1560   
Mead Data Central   | someone watching you     |     
P.O. Box 933        | is proportional to the   |       joeg@meaddata.com
Dayton, Ohio  45401 | stupidity of your action | ...!uunet!meaddata!joeg

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: overlord@wam.umd.edu (Identity Unknown)
Subject: Wrestling and Punching
Organization: University of Maryland, College Park
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 08:43:46 GMT

I have anouther question reguarding wrestling and punching.  There is a table
listing modifiers for wrestling (and puching?) in armor.  When are you
supposed to add these modifiers and to whom?  This stuff is still confusing
to me!  Thanks for answer to my other post reguarding this subject and thanks
to anyone who posts in reguard to this question.
						Overlord

overlord@wam.umd.edu
UMCP, who cares where I go?
From: bret@technix.mn.org (Bret Indrelee)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Too many notes! (Was Re: New uses of dices...)
Date: 26 Jul 92 02:33:23 GMT
Organization: /usr/usenet/organization

In article <64206@hydra.gatech.EDU> ccoprdj@prism.gatech.EDU (Jorge Diaz) writes:
>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*

Tell me, do you have trouble attracting thieves to your campaign, Jorge?

Give the thief his chance in the spotlight.  He will never cast a spell
and wipe out 20 orcs.  He will never last in individual combat against
an equivilent fighter, and usually can't stand a chance against a cleric.

About all the thief can do is be sneaky.  He is O.K. at that, but you
have to give him a chance to do it.  When it becomes a problem, then
start hinting to the player that it might be a good idea to have backup.

If the player is reasonable, and you give him a couple of chances to
show off his own abilities, you can probably work out a reasonable
solution.  Talk to the player first.

-Bret
-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bret Indrelee		    |	This space left intentionally blink.
email: bret@technix.mn.org  |	                               ;^)
I am not an employee of Technix, nor do I represent them in any way.