HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: dclayton@bnr.ca (Don Clayton)
Subject: Re: Killing Liches with Staves of the Magi, HA!!!
Reply-To: dclayton@bnr.ca (Don Clayton)
Organization: Bell-Northern Research Ltd.
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 13:20:08 GMT

In article <oeoa8tq00Uh7A8RNJD@andrew.cmu.edu>, "Jordan M. Wolbrum" <jw67+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:
|> Seriously, I was just joking around about the staff thing!

I broke a Wand of Fireballs one time.  It involved a large dragon, a character with
very few hit points, an evil alignment, and a teleport spell.  96 Charges left!  I
lived, but the rest of my party and the dragon were scattered all over the astral
plane.  Nothing a few resurection spells couldn't help :):)

That's evil for ya!

Don Clayton
a.k.a. Rear-Adm. Maverick, DM of the Drow
My brain, my thoughts, my words.
If I had a million dollars, I'd buy you a K-car (a nice reliant automobile),
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: thiggins@cix.compulink.co.uk (Tarry Higgins)
Subject: Re: Critical Hits
Reply-To: thiggins@cix.compulink.co.uk
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 18:35:58 +0000


TITLE: Re: Critical Hits
 +Subject      : Re: Critical Hits
im article  <1992Oct6.211155.29474@u.washington.edu> scythe writes

> that Bard was using.  But on damage-face it, AD&D damage is not realistic.
> In real life, people get killed by dagger thrusts.  In AD&D, people
> have a good chance of survival. People also get killed if they fall
> off high buildings.  Level 20 fighters can jump into deeeep pits and
> walk into battle the next second.  Face it, damage is not realistic.
> 
remember normal people have 1D6hp, and a dagger thrust does 1D4, 
chance of a kill (under standard DnD rules 0hp=death) is about 30%. 

Taz AKA thiggins@cix.compulink.co.uk AKA Tarry A Higgins
The only valid test is combat,           
The only valid result is victory.
From: murphy@npri6.npri.com (David P. Murphy)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Missed Move Silently Results
Date: 6 Oct 92 22:08:32 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: NPRI, Alexandria VA


>>The amount the move silently was missed by, is added to a new
>>percentile roll.  So Johnny our 4th level thief has a 40% chance
>>of moving silently.  He rolls a 51.  He rolls a percentile for the
>>chart, 45, and adds 11.  He looks up the results for a 56.  You
>>cannot get higher than a 90 without rolling it.
>>
>>[interesting chart deleted]
>>
>>joeg@meaddata.com (Joe Gayda)

 >There seems to be a lot of nails and bees in your world.
 >I don't see how creeping around will cause all these dramatic effects:
 >otherwise, just walking normally would require the same things happening.
 >Also, people creeping around silently are more CAREFUL than people taking
 >a normal stroll.  They don't step on things and so on.  Finally, thieves
 >would be trained in the art of silent moving.  They know how to pace
 >themselves, and so on.
 >
 >tao@ginger.princeton.edu (Terry Tao)

hello terry.  perhaps you missed the part of joe's explanation that said
his chart is for a _second_ roll, after the character has _already_ blown
the standard "Thief Move Silently" roll.  joe hasn't changed the mechanism
at all, he's just flavored the effect from the oh-hum "they hear you".

ok
dpm
-- 
murphy@npri6.npri.com 602 Cameron St. Alexandria, VA 22314 (703) 683-9090

              When every one is dead the Great Game is finished.  Not before.
                              --- Hurree Babu, "Kim"
From: Devon_Sheppard@mindlink.bc.ca (Devon Sheppard)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Question about 2nd Ed Wrestling
Date: 9 Oct 92 21:13:14 GMT
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Distribution: world

I emailed this to the poster, but I thought the net in general might like to
see it, too...


One method I've adopted to try to solve the problems inherent in the 2nd
edition wrestling (and punching) rules is to let players make a called shot
to
get the result that they want. For instance, the fighter can declare that
he's
trying to do grab the orc leader in a full nelson... he makes his to-hit with
the -4 penalty (and -1 penalty to initiative), and, if successful, he's
managed
to grab the orc, no matter what the roll.

For specialists, the +1 chart bonus would merely reduce the called shot
penalty
for these circumstances... they've just got a better knowledge of how to get
people into holds, how to get out of them, etc.

Hope this helps...

  Devon



--
devon_sheppard@mindlink.bc.ca

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: DLODG00@RICEVM1.RICE.EDU (Corwin)
Subject: Re: Trolls' regeneration
Organization: Rice University  
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 16:06:27 GMT

In article <1992Sep30.180759.5710@samba.oit.unc.edu>
cptully@med.unc.edu (Christopher P. Tully,Pathology,62699) writes:
 
>In article 92Sep28173905@despair.cs.uchicago.edu, covin@tartarus.uchicago.edu (David Covin) writes:
>>In article <1992Sep28.212012.6975@Princeton.EDU> tao@potato.princeton.edu (Terry Tao) writes:
>
>{edited for simplicity}
{Edited further for more simplicity}
>
>David-
>
>No offense, but you're obviously not a biologist.  I'm absolutely sure
>(I haven't played in fffaaarrr too long) but I seem to recall that
>trools are flesh and blood like the rest of us (if I'm wrong don't
>flame me - just comment and ignore the rest of what I have to say :).
>Anyway, there is one major problem with frezing living cells - unless
>you go to extreme lengths and are very careful, the water in the cells
>forms little tiny ice crystals that lyse (cut open) the cells.  I would
>tend to think that doing this to any creature (magical or not) would
>have rather drastic effects on its health!
>
>Chris
 
Just a quick comment here, Chris.
It seems to me that even damage on the cellular level (lysing (sp?)) is
merely physical damage and would eventually regenerate.  Thus your
trollsicle might take a while to wake up, but awaken it would.
 
- Corwin
 
 
--
***********************************************************
* "Nietzsche thought he was the Antichrist or Dionysus,   *
*  but that was after the syphilis crossd the blood-brain *
*  barrier"          - Dr. Stroup, RELI 451               *
***********************************************************
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: rupe@rtsg.mot.com (Bernard Rupe)
Subject: Detect Evil
Keywords: paladin evil detect spell
Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 15:02:42 GMT

My players and I have had some problems with the new interpretation of
detect evil (both the spell and the paladin ability).  An otherwise evil
creature will not show up as evil unless there is evil intent (does this
mean towards the character?).  Inherently evil creatures, such as evil
undead, will always show up as evil.  I am interested in learning how
other gaming groups deal with this spell/ability.

Thanks in advance,

Bernie

-- 
Bernie Rupe 		                      1501 W. Shure Drive  Room 1315
Motorola, Inc.                                Arlington Heights, IL 60004
Cellular Infrastructure Group		      +1 708 632 2814
					      rupe@rtsg.mot.com
From: cheryl@ocf.berkeley.edu (Cheryl Trooskin)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Lich / Holy Swords
Date: 9 Oct 1992 07:03:19 GMT
Organization: U. C. Berkeley Open Computing Facility
NNTP-Posting-Host: monsoon.berkeley.edu

Guidelines regarding a holy sword, in my campaign:
	
	The Paladin is consistently doing his/her god's work, so the god
will *want* to give him/her a holy sword.

	The sword itself is only as powerful as any other item given
away at that level, so if a character is exceptionally holy at low
level, they'll get a rather unexceptional sword-- at least it will appear
so until a greater need evolves.

	I *don't* give away +5 holy avengers.  My player characters don't
*want* +5 holy avengers.  Less powerful but more unique swords are much
more interesting to role-play.

	The paladin appreciates the holy sword because it is not just 
handed down on a silver platter.  For example, in my current campaign,
a paladin has been on a quest for her holy sword for a year and a half,
real time.  As she progresses, she becomes more deserving of it and 
appreciative, etc.

	My final criterion:  Not only does the god judge the paladin to
be worthy of a holy sword, but so must the DM judge the player character.
Any player who would abuse the power of a holy sword just won't get one.
If you as a DM can see from a player's behavior that he or she would abuse
the holy sword, then so can a god see from a character's thoughts (or even
Organization: Junior, Math/Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Date: Thu,  8 Oct 1992 22:09:09 -0400 
From: "Joseph E. Beck" <jb8n+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: A modest proposal concerning HEALING
	<1992Oct7.210529.6730@unlv.edu>




>Another point is that you need the mightiest of healing to restore
>damage a peasant with 4 hp took falling a wagon.  If he took 3hp of
>damage, you need a 7th level spell!  The system just seems to have a
>few bugs.
Perhaps a minimum of 1 point of healing for any spell?  

>Other than that, it's good idea.  I like the increased rate of healing
>for a hero, but the system with spells is a bit much.  If it did 20
>points of damage, no matter who you are, cure "light" isn't going to
>do it.
Really?  20 points of damage to a 100 hp fighter should be roughly
equivalent to 1 point to a 5 hp man at arms (they're both nicked and
bruised).  Why shouldn't cure light wounds work?  It only heals nicks
and bruises on the weak?

	joe
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: anderts2@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Aaron Smith)
Subject: Re: Thri-Kreen and blowguns
Organization: Worlds Welfare Work Association, Purdue Branch
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 03:40:23 GMT

I am currently running a Darksun campaign.  I would allow the venom to go directly onto the dart of a blowgun and be potent.  However, I would have a problem with a Thri-Kreen getting the pressure to propel a dart from a blowgun.
A Thri-Kreen doesn't quite have lips to purse to get the air pressure into the blowgun, nor do they breathe through their mouths.  Thri-Kreen, at least in my campaign, breathe as do the insect they resemble, the preying mantis, through ventricles in their abdomen.  If the Thri-Kreen were allowd by the DM to use them, however, I would think that the venom would work on blowgun darts.  Spreading it all over chatkcha or Kyorkcha on the other hand would mean it would have to be in contact with the air for seve






ral seconds before the weapon got thrown.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
||-------------------------------------------------------------------------||
|| Aaron Smith  Charter Member, Shampoo International Fanclub              ||
||-------------------------------------------------------------------------||
|| anderts2@mentor.cc.purdue.edu|| "The sexes will both be equal with"     ||
||------------------------------|| "their erogenous zones blown sky high!" ||
|| Shampoo Fans Unite!!!        ||          ---Penguin, Batman Returns     ||
||------------------------------||-----------------------------------------||
|| Welcome to Prime Time, bitch!   ---Freddy Krueger                       ||
||-------------------------------------------------------------------------||
||The opinions stated above are nobody's but mine, though I won't admit it.||
||-------------------------------------------------------------------------||
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: bret@technix.mn.org (Bret Indrelee)
Subject: Re: Alignments: A new look
Organization: Private System - Saint Paul, MN
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1992 00:28:08 GMT

In article <16358@mindlink.bc.ca> Jason_Croutch@mindlink.bc.ca (Jason Croutch) writes:

[ For those who care, the group I game with also throws out the alignments...]

>   I also never understood the idea of experience being taken away for a
>change in ideology. How could a warrior lose experience because of a shift in
>ideology. It's like saying that a scientist would not be quite as bright
>after converting to communism, or any other way of thought.

The person is wrapped up in a large period of change and adjustment.  All
of their old values have just been tossed out the door, discarded as
naive or impossible to achieve.  They now have to start building up their
new moral attitudes.  Things that before never bothered them, now pose
moral and/or ethical questions.

A scientist that did care about comunism and believed in it would be less
capable if the government changed to capitalism.  The old methods for
working within the system no longer work, things that used to be acceptable
no longer are and things that used to be punished are now rewarded.

It isn't that they are any less bright, it is that they have to go through
a period of adjustment.  Adapt to the new environment.  This is true for
anyone going through a period of massive (personal or social) change.

-Bret


-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bret Indrelee               |   Pretend there is something profound
email: bret@technix.mn.org  |   written here.
From: rugi@cie.uoregon.edu (Russ Gilman)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: mimics; dumb, but why not clever?
Date: 15 Oct 92 17:55:06 GMT
Article-I.D.: nntp.1992Oct15.175506.3842
Organization: University of Oregon Campus Information Exchange


Mimics.  Ugh.  You have a nifty idea for a monster, a chest that sticks
your hand to itself, and then engulfs you to a slow painful death.  Straight
out of horror.  Perfect for one victim.
But what about more than one?  Most delvers these days are travelling in
packs of five or more.  You try to eat one and the others kill you.  If you're
lucky, they might trade their companion for some of their own grub- but most
often they kill you.  

So what can you do?  What about getting together a bunch of your friends 
yourself- One can provide a "door" to the room, another a spongy bed (
tastes great and less filling too!  If they actually take off their armour
and lie down to sleep. . . yum!  And you can still do your favorite chest
impersonation.
Or what about suspending yourself over an open pit?  If it's deep enough,
you can turn the delver over and tenderize him with your body when
you strike bottom.  His friends would have to follow you through the
hole to get him back, and by then he's an hors' deurve. . .

We don't need even to fall the whole distance- just grab onto the sides of 
the pit with our sticky 'pods and suck on the delver's face!  What about
presenting ourselves as a rather thick spiderweb?  When the delver tries to
burn us, we can eat his arm!


Happy Slurping!

-- 

Cthulu in '92!  Why Settle for the Lesser of Two Evils!

rugi@cie-uoregon.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: covin@tartarus.uchicago.edu (David Covin)
Subject: Re: house-rules
Organization: University of Chicago Computer Science
	<MeqSes600VooM8Bo86@andrew.cmu.edu>
	<1992Oct13.003357.10122@u.washington.edu>
	<Aeqjppm00VpEEBdKIu@andrew.cmu.edu> <Bw4vHn.2zu@news.cso.uiuc.edu>
	<MerKRpq00VoxQWJUxe@andrew.cmu.edu>
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 21:19:08 GMT

In article <MerKRpq00VoxQWJUxe@andrew.cmu.edu> "Joseph E. Beck" <jb8n+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:

   >A knife/shuriken/dagger up the sleeve is something most fighters carry
   >for making sure that mage doesn't get his spell off. Sure, it won't do
   >much damage, but it'll keep him from doing any spellcasting until I'm
   >close enough to do serious damage. True, he may be further away than
   >those weapons can reach, but that's situational, as the bow can out
   >distance the spell most of the time... 
   Knives/shuriken/etc are *very* short range.  Bows aren't that much
   further (spell ranges also convert to yards outdoors)
            ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Is this a 2nd Ed. ruling?  At least in 1st Edition AD&D, spell ranges
emphatically did *not* convert to yards outdoors.

In general, how well a fighter does against a wizard depends on how
you play the casting restrictions that wizards have.  In 1st Ed., most
mage spells took 6 seconds/level to cast.  Practically, this means
that unless the spell is a 1st level spell (sleep, magic missile) and
the mage gets the initiative by a good margin, the fighter will have a
chance to spoil the spell with a missile weapon (it doesn't take
*that* long to throw a dagger, folks!).  Not only does the spell not
take effect, but it's lost-- and mages don't have very many spells to
lose.  The fighter almost certainly has more arrows than the mage has
spells. :)

I'd also allow any fighter who had a bow drawn and ready, with arrow 
nocked and aimed, to shoot before a mage could croak out a 6-second
incantation.  This means that ambushes are very effective against
mages; likewise any situation where you have more than one fighter
(one can run forward and engage, while the other stands back with a
bow and shoots the mage every time a spell is started, until the first
fighter reaches the mage and engages in hand-to-hand combat).  Also,
it should be easy for any fighter in actual hand-to-hand combat with
a mage to prevent any spells from getting off-- just kick the spell-
slinger each time you see the beginning of an incantation or mystical
gesture.  You don't have to do damage, and you don't have to worry
about getting slashed with a dagger in return, or that the mage will
dodge too enthusiastically-- that would break concentration.

The rules may be very different in 2nd Ed., but in 1st Edition it was
the conclusion of my local gaming group that mages were essentially
useless in any fight against intelligent monsters, unless the mage was
protected by a shield wall of sturdy fighters, a shield spell, and/or
defensive terrain features.

Now, at higher levels, mages start to come into their own.  At 7th
level you can cast Protection from Normal Missiles...

--
David Covin                           covin@despair.uchicago.edu
From: kinsler@newton.physics.uq.oz.au (Paul Kinsler)
Subject: Clerical bonus spells / Re: A Viable spell point system.
Organization: Physics Morgue, The University of Queensland
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 22:42:50 GMT

In article <1992Oct13.122755.6914@ugle.unit.no>, brunborg@solan.unit.no (]dne Brunborg) writes:
|> slgmj@cc.usu.edu writes:	
|> 
|> <	... stuff ...
|> While I'm on the subject, why doesn't the wizard get bonus spells for high
|> wisdom? It's not logical that a wizard with 5 wis can store as much spell energy
|> as a 18 wis wizard, I think?

I think the reason is that low level parties need more
healing spells available so as to avoid dying off.
-- 
+soluble fish+
"You people, you do not see the grandeur in the wind and stone and stars,
 in the blood and fire and iron - but paint only the flowers."
From: parkerma@NeXTwork.Rose-Hulman.Edu (Mark A. Parker)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Intelligent Opponents (A summary of some email)
Date: 14 Oct 1992 21:20:25 GMT
Organization: Computer Science Department at Rose-Hulman
Reply-To: parkerma@NeXTwork.Rose-Hulman.Edu (Mark A. Parker)
NNTP-Posting-Host: g222-07.nextwork.rose-hulman.edu

In article <1992Oct14.073234.3023@usage.csd.unsw.OZ.AU>  
barnett@agsm.unsw.oz.au (Glen Barnett) writes:
> From: Knut Torstein Skomedal <skomedal@solan.unit.no>
> By the Way: If your players use that nasty Stoneskin spell, try this on
>  for size:
> Stoneskin protects from magical weapon attacks, but isn't powerful  
enough to 
> stop +5, +6 and Vorpal weapons(House Rule picked up at a convention  
duel)
	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?
	Just an honest question.
					Mark Parker
From: dseal@armltd.co.uk (David Seal)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Kobalds in large numbers
Date: 16 Oct 92 16:46:26 GMT
Distribution: rec
Organization: A.R.M. Ltd, Swaffham Bulbeck, Cambs, UK

In article <1992Oct15.025613.3967@nctams1.uucp> n36ia@pnet16.cts.com (Et3
Francis) writes:

>In a previous message Bertil says that since the numbers are working for
>kobalds they would still win even if they had a few deaths due to buckets of
>slime killing them. Sure this might work in the numerical sense BUT, how are
>you going to convince the kobalds it would be in their best interest to be the
>slime holder for that month(or whatever). I know that if someone told me to do
>something dangerous like that they better have a DAMN good reason that I was
>chosen or they can just find another bucket holder and I'm sure the kobalds
>would feel the same way.

Suggestion: GS duty is a punishment for serious crimes that fall short of an
outright death penalty. Do the job correctly and you've paid your debt to
society. Any failure and you're used for target practice by your
successor...

IMHO this would fit in well with a LE society.

David Seal
dseal@armltd.co.uk

All opinions are mine only...
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: scythe@byron.u.washington.edu (The Grim Reaper)
Subject: Re: Level draining seems sadistic, doesn't it?
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 04:41:30 GMT

In article <MeqpR1W00iUxM5h8Vd@andrew.cmu.edu> "Jordan M. Wolbrum" <jw67+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:
>Thought it was time for a new topic!
>
>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!
Yeah. I agree.  Wights, for instance, are essentially level-draining machines.
No damage or hp or decent ac, but they drain a level with every hit!

>
>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!
>
>Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated!
>
>\begindata{text,17029828}
>\textdsversion{12}
>\template{default}
>\majorheading{Jordan M. Wolbrum
>
>}\center{\smaller{at jw67@andrew.cmu.edu
>
>}}\enddata{text,17029828}
>

My Solution:
I have a random table that a roll on each time a direct link to the Negative
Material plane is opened to a character (ie, touched by a level-drainer).
Effects on this table range from being paralyzed or fleeing from fear,
to being aged, or losing str con and dex temporarily or permanently.
Naturally, higher HD undead are more likely to get nastier results...


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