HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Athas is FR?
From: wright@latcs2.lat.oz.au (Michael G. Wright)
Date: 16 Nov 92 02:21:25 GMT
Organization: Comp Sci, La Trobe Uni, Australia

CC100PG@GITVM1.GATECH.EDU (Paul Goodwin) writes:

>I have heard (via someone on ADND-L, who heard via someone who allegedly has
>connections in TSR...so take with a grain of salt) that Athas may be the
>Forgotten Realms many thousands of years in the future.

>One thing that could explain: what happens to Anarauch, the great desert,
>as it continues to grow for no apparent reason.

>However, if it is indeed the case, what happened to all the metal?

This is something that a DM could do if they wished, but the history of Athas
clearly shows that it is _not_ FR or Greyhawk in the future. Firstly, it has
been explicitly stated somewhere (can't remember where) that the animals of
Athas never included horses, dogs and other standard creatures. These things
_never_ existed, even when Athas was still normal (i.e. not desert).
	Secondly, the abscence of gods does pose a small problem. If there 
were FR gods looking over Athas, they wouldn't just pack up and leave when the
dragon turned up.
	Thirdly, metal. Yes, where would all of the metal go?
	Fourth, the giant race is different to that from standard worlds.
	Fifth, the change of climate due to defiling magic doesn't explain the
proliferation of psionics that is way beyond anything we have seen on any other
world.

It is interesting to note, however, that the Dark Sun map in the boxed set
fits easily inside the sea of Dust in Greyhawk and undoubtedly inside a large
desert in FR. I's possible to place Athas west of the Flanaess, though
it isn't a good idea (the sorcerer kings aren't dumb and neither is the
dragon. When they would find out, it would be goodbye rest of the world!)

I would _love_ to hear other people's opinions on this, so please post in.

-- 
Michael Wright            _-_|\     Peg- "Al, can I have a thousand bucks?" 
LaTrobe University,      /     \     Al- "Why sure honey, have you got change
Melbourne, Australia.    \_.-_*/          for a million?"
wright@latcs1.lat.oz.au       v                Married with children. :-)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: kjenks@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov
Subject: Re: Spellcasting in Armor (was Re: Dual Class Characters)
Originator: kjenks@gothamcity
Keywords: armor
Organization: NASA/JSC/GM2, Space Shuttle Program Office
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 20:41:02 GMT

I, kjenks@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov, wrote:
>>There's a Ranger PC in my AD&D1 campaign wearing +3 Banded Armor usable by
>>magic-users.  [...]
>
>>If a magic-user is going to manufacture a suit of magical armor 
>>[...] he's probably gonna make some armor that he can use.  Nu?

To which n9046319@henson.cc.wwu.edu (Jeremy Corley) replied:
>	No.  I would think that MU would _hate_ to wear armour.  [...]
>
>	Armour is heavy, uncomfortable, hot, and a cast iron b_tch to move
>around in (especially when someone is beating you over the head).  If they
>were not used to it (like most magic-users), travelling for any distances 
>would be _miserable_.

Of course we all know that ALL magical armor is enchanted to be more
comfortable and easier to wear than non-magical armor, hence its lower
encumbrance.  (Jeremy must have forgotten this.)  This +3 Banded is 
especially enchanted to be nice and cushy.

One reason a magic-user would want to wear armor and carry a (purely
decorative) sword is to appear to be anything BUT a magic-user.
Intelligent monsters may tend to target spell casters, but will
probably ignore a fighter who hangs back from combat.

Thinking about this brings up another question: since 9th level Rangers
can cast magic-user spells and can also use any armor, where does that
leave these weird arguments about metal disrupting magic?

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

      "Orcs are fecund and create many cross-breeds, 
       most of the offspring of such being typically orcish."
         -- AD&D Player's Handbook 1, p. 17
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: ag757@yfn.ysu.edu (Ian Clysdale)
Subject: Re: Athas is FR?
Reply-To: ag757@yfn.ysu.edu (Ian Clysdale)
Organization: St. Elizabeth Hospital, Youngstown, OH
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 01:28:03 GMT


In a previous article, rparker@wpi.WPI.EDU (Richard E Parker) says:

>
>	Well, sorry to disappoint all the folks who think Athas is the
>Realms....
>
>	The new boxed set, Forbidden Lore features a "Land" and a Dark Lord
>who are both from Athas.  Considering that there are quite a few people
>from Forgotten Realms in Ravenloft too, most notably Gondegal, it is reasonable
>to assume that Athas and Abeir Toril are NOT the same place.
>
>							Paladin
>



  It's probably been mentioned before, but nobody is really quite sure
how the ethereal plane works.  My personal view of it is that you can step
into it at any point, and step out of it at any point.  Now, if we
ascribe to the theory that time is a dimension like the others, then
we assume that through use of the ethereal plane ne can jump to any time
as well as any location.  All this is, of course, in my most humble opinions.
And if you disagree with me, you're wrong.  But anyways, WHY DOES IT MATTER?

-- 
			Ian Clysdale
		 Student and Official Nobody
	        Internet:   ag757@yfn.ysu.edu
	      Fidonet:   Ian Clysdale, 1:163/241
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: brunborg@alkymi.unit.no (]dne Brunborg)
Subject: Re: Spellcasting in Armor (was Re: Dual Class Characters)
Keywords: armor
Organization: Norwegian Institute of Technology
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 92 10:32:30 GMT


	Thinking about this brings up another question: since 9th level Rangers
	can cast magic-user spells and can also use any armor, where does that
	leave these weird arguments about metal disrupting magic?


   What about 9th level human Rangers?  They do it all the time.  My AD&D1
   ranger, Silver Wind, has just reached 10th.  She casts Unseen Servant
   almost every game day.

I've always belived that 9th level rancers can cast PRIEST-spells, not mu-spells. 

just my 0.02 $


 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 ++                                     +                                    ++
 ++++++++++++brunborg@alkymi.unit.no+++++++++brunborg@solan.unit.no++++++++++++
 ++                                     +                                    ++
 +++++++++++++brunborg@lise.unit.no++++++++++brunborg@siri.unit.no+++++++++++++
 ++                                     +                                    ++
 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
   

          "I refuse to have a battle of wits with an unarmed person."
From: dks@acpub.duke.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: A very good POINT on Bow Profic.
Date: 19 Nov 92 15:51:22 GMT
Reply-To: dks@acpub.duke.edu


	Bow specialization in 2nd edition makes little sense to me, too.
	All characters receive two separate attacks per round when using
a bow -- long, short, self, composite.
	In 1st edition, if you specialized with a bow, you received an
increasing number of shots per round (3, 4, maybe even 5 at high enough
level).  Right off the bat, you got insane bonuses to hit and damage at
the 'point blank' range (6-60 feet, I think), which added up to a non-
magical arrow doing 6-16 points of damage.
	Now in 2nd edition, you still have to spend two extra proficien-
cies (total 3) to specialize, and receive only (correct me if I'm wrong
-- _one_ of you, not ten) a bonus to hit (+2?) at point blank range.
The 2nd edition ruling should be modified by individual DMs, either to
reduce the cost to the normal one extra slot, or increase the power of
the specialization (very carefully).
	Anyone else have something to say on this?
							-Abdiel
From: chrisc@cae.wisc.edu (Chris Carey)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: AD&D:damage from cold based spells while wet?
Date: 18 Nov 92 17:40:42 GMT
Article-I.D.: doug.1992Nov18.114043.2837

Chris Carey                                         chrisc@cae.wisc.edu

Expires: 
I know I do.
Followup-To: 
Distribution: 
Organization: College of Engineering, Univ. of Wisconsin--Madison
Keywords: 

In article <53246@licre.dn.mu.oz.au> DAVIS@licre.dn.mu.oz.au writes:
>In article <1992Nov11.175714.8650@iscsvax.uni.edu>, boelter3945@iscsvax.uni.edu 
>writes:
>> In article <Nov.11.15.29.00.1992.6272@gandalf.rutgers.edu>,
>>    ghuber@gandalf.rutgers.edu (George Huber) writes:
>>> 
>>> If a party that is soaked with water (say from an decanter of endless water)
>>> and is then hit with a cold based spell (say cone of cold, ice storm, freezing
>>> sphere); what should the extra effects, if any, be?
>>> 
>>> George Huber
>> 
>>   I would probably give the spell a +1 on each damage dice rolled, and a -2
>> on saves (if the was a save).
>> 
>>                                         John "Nightwind" Boelter
>
>This is a good question, but I don't agree with John.  It isn't as if it is 
>a cold-based attack against a fire-based creature.  If you are zapped by a 
>wand of cold or whatever else, it makes you freezing cold and you take 
>damage as a result.  If you are already wet, you aren't going to become any 
>colder, so I wouldn't give extra damage or modify saving throws.
>
>Another question: we always play these field effects such that they will 
>destroy all mirror images (if any); do other people do the same?
>
>
>Ian Davis                                       DAVIS@licr.dn.mu.oz.au
>
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: barnett@mummy.agsm.unsw.OZ.AU (Glen Barnett)
Subject: Re: Writing Scrolls - why they are lower level
Organization: The Australian Graduate School of Management
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 07:17:34 GMT

Don't you guys read your books?

Seriously! Go back and read REAL carefully.

For those of you who still can't find it 
(I'm pretty sure its DMG 1st Edn, but it
 could be something else like PHB 2nd Ed 
 for all I know), email me after a week
 (to allow everyone time to find it),
 and I may post the exact book and page number.

Glen

(Regular players at least should know the books.
 I'm certainly not that [regular :) ] ).

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: alongley@cape.UWaterloo.ca (Allan Longley)
Subject: Re: Testing for Biased Dice
Originator: alongley@cape.UWaterloo.ca
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 18:24:23 GMT



	IF ANY ONE WANTS TO FIND SOME NEAT RESULTS, BUY A D100 FROM 
GAMESCIENCE AND THEY HAVE LITTLE PAMPHLETS WHICH SHOW SOME OF THEIR RESULTS.
			LOVE,
			BUNNY BEAR

 <jonescl.17.0@math.concord.wvnet.edu>
From: rparker@wpi.WPI.EDU (Richard E Parker)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Athas is FR?
Date: 19 Nov 1992 15:35:13 GMT
Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
NNTP-Posting-Host: wpi.wpi.edu

	Well, sorry to disappoint all the folks who think Athas is the
Realms....

	The new boxed set, Forbidden Lore features a "Land" and a Dark Lord
who are both from Athas.  Considering that there are quite a few people
from Forgotten Realms in Ravenloft too, most notably Gondegal, it is reasonable
to assume that Athas and Abeir Toril are NOT the same place.

							Paladin

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: bret@technix.mn.org (Bret Indrelee)
Subject: Re: Chaotic Neutral (was Re: New D&D Alignment)
Organization: Private System - Saint Paul, MN
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1992 03:30:22 GMT

In article <7262@news.duke.edu> dks@acpub.duke.edu writes:
>
>In article <raa.05wm@guild.socal.com>, raa@guild.socal.com (Raa Lopez) writes:
>|> That could work. I find it difficult for Mee as a player to play anything
>|> BUT Chaotic Neutral! It's just My thing. I cant play Goods effectively ...
>|> I cant play Evils effectively. I cant even play Neutrals! But when I have
>|> a Character that's Chaotic Neutral ... BINGO! I can Play it! :)
>
>	I take it that you do a lot of solo adventuring... no sane party
>would take on a real CN character.
>	However, if you're all insane (ie all CN), then it's different...
>	But then it's also a short session.
>	[insert favorite smiley here]
>

Why wouldn't a group want a CN?

Although T$R didn't do a very good example for the CN when explaining
the alignment, it is very workable in any group.

The Lawfull is concerned with the law, and would put things in terms
of the society as a whole.  The needs of the many always outweigh
the needs of an indivual.

The Chaotic is concerned with the individual.  They would be in favor
of individual choice, and value the individual above the society.  Very
strong family or group ties are totally in character, allowing the CN
to be more trustworthy in a group than a lawfull.

Look again at the alignments, especially the ideals for the LG and CG.

A CN can be easily viewed as someone who thinks themselves above the
laws, who is more concerned with the individuals than a society as
a whole.  Slavery would definately be allowed in a lawfull society,
but be totally inappropriate in a chaotic society.

Just as Lawfull Good doesn't have to be Lawfull Stupid, there is no
reason that someone should use a die to decide how a chaotic reacts
to each situation.

-Bret

-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bret Indrelee               |         Insanity is all in the mind.
email: bret@technix.mn.org  |
From: wilsonm@vaxb.acs.unt.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Most powerful PC ever
Date: 18 Nov 92 15:32:46 GMT
Organization: University of North Texas

In article <RANNOU.92Nov4022655@watson.info.polymtl.ca>, Rannou@info.polymtl.ca (Patrick Rannou) writes:
> Let's hear from those POWERFUL PCs who where also:
> 
> - NOT munchkins
> - Played intelligently
> - Not played for laughs only (i.e. had a real roleplaying life)
> - And most imortant, had a GM with a head on his shoulders.
> 
> I'm sure the stoopid 2years-in-the-head olds will continue to pleague us
> with their "soooper PC" but hey, that's life...

Well - I will give you the story on my favorite character.  he was began 
on a world created by my DM ( the World was rather a tough place - simular
to the DarkSun world - so under stand the high stats ).  Here is what I can
remember off hand :
Level 10/12 Fighter/Mage (MultiClass Valley Elf)

Str 17 (Str was 18/02 - lowered buy age)
Int 21 (INT was raised buy aging and Gem of insite also goes for Wis)
Wis 16
Con 15
Dex 19
Chr 9/17 (17 from deck of many things - really do not like that)

This Char is around 275 years old and has been played by myself for
about 6 years.  His has several role[playing features that I like and 
the hardest one is his Multi-PErsonality problem.  He was once polymorphed
into a drow elf... sounds rather tame - but I had fun with it and really 
got into the "drow" thing.  After awhile I was transformed back into my
original form (Valley-Elf) - so at that time I purchased the alingment
dice and began the Multi-Personality traits he is known so well for. He is
able to trasform his shape "somewhat" using a Hat of disguise to look like 
a Drow (or Valley elf).  In Drow form his aling is CN to CE, as a Vally elf 
he is CG.  He also wields 2 different swords in the different forms.
In Valley elf form - Sword of Sharpness  and in Drow form he wields a 
sword of LifeStealing.

This is just a tad bit of the life of Celestian Correlus - but you asked 
for a fairly tame character - and this is my most prized character. Just 
to enter a bar and be able to play with the hateful humans (hat of disguise)
makes his day... He longs for the days of delayed blast fireball...

Some of his EQ are as follows.

Elfin cloak and Boots.
Rod(Or wand whatever it is...)  of Negation
Ring of wizardry (3rd level)
bracers Ac 2
Ring of Prot +3
Ion Stone (+1 level)
Hat of Disguise
Sword of Sharpness
Sword of LifeStealing
wand of wonder *chuckle*
Crystal Ball

I would be glad to hear your thoughts on this character - although if you
plan to tell me how stupid you think it is... I would prefer not to hear it.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: tao@ginger.princeton.edu (Terry Tao)
Subject: Re: spellcasting in Armour!!!! Indeed!
Originator: news@nimaster
Keywords: Rangers
Organization: Princeton University
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 15:59:15 GMT

In article <1992Nov17.205208.18934@aio.jsc.nasa.gov>, kjenks@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov writes:
|> In article <1e1043INN8ca@lester.appstate.edu> FDN02462@CONRAD.APPSTATE.EDU (*Lewis Edward Lynn) writes:
|> >The concept of casting [magic-user] spells in armour is absurd.  [....]
|> 
|> What about 9th level human Rangers?  They do it all the time.  My AD&D1
|> ranger, Silver Wind, has just reached 10th.  She casts Unseen Servant
|> almost every game day.
|> 
|> The ONLY reason human single-class magic-users aren't allowed to wear
|> armor is game balance.  Any other reason (metal blocking magic, armor
|> hindering somantic components, etc.) is pure fabrication and really
|> isn't necessary if you accept the idea that there is such a thing as
|> game balance.  If multi-class elves can wear armor, why not single-class
|> elves or humans?  Why not dual-class humans?  Simple: game balance.
|> 
|> Any other anwser is just smoke and mirrors.
|> 
|> -- Ken Jenks, NASA/JSC/GM2, Space Shuttle Program Office
|>       kjenks@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov  (713) 483-4368
|> 
|>       "Orcs are cruel and hate living things in general, 
|>        but they particularly hate elves and will always 
|>        attack them in preference to other creatures."
|>          -- AD&D Monster Manual 1, p. 76.

No, it's not just smoke and mirrors.

It takes experience and painful practice to learn how to wear armor without
 chafing and restricting your movements.  I suppose a mage could take the time to
 learn how to do it, but at the expense of his magical studies.  Rangers, I think,
 can only cast spells in light armor; the ranger knows how to move around in this
 kind of armor, after all he can use two weapons in it, for example.


And ok, depending on the magic system you use, armor may or may not inhibit
 spellcasting.  Witchdoctors dancing around and shrieking would have a hard time
 doing all this with plate mail.  A belgariad character regularly casts spells in
 armor, being only Verbal components.  A priest maybe does not need to be so exact
 about his finger movements and so on, just needing an impassioned plea to his
 deity and some nominal gesture, perhaps.  Bards don't treat magic as a science,
 they just cast the spell in an aesthetically appropriate manner, and hope it
 works (maybe with a small chance of failure), and rangers take so much time (8
 levels?) to learn low level spells that they are able to do it in light armor.


Game balance is another rationale, of course, but it tends to come naturally.
  There's almost always a reasonable explanation too.

Terry
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Questions about ftp site
From: wright@latcs2.lat.oz.au (Michael G. Wright)
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 13:34:12 GMT
Organization: Comp Sci, La Trobe Uni, Australia

In article <1992Nov17.091238.1404@atri.curtin.edu.au> clarke@atri.curtin.edu.au writes:
>In article 721683777@ace.acadiau.ca, 890661b@ace.acadiau.ca (MATTHEW EARL KEITH BALL) writes:
>> I was recently trying to download some of the Ravenloft information and 
>> digests that exist on ccosun.caltech.edu .
>> 	The problem - all these files are encrypted/compressed ?? or in some 
>> fashion unreadable. They all end with the extension .Z as in Ravdig1.Z.
>> 	Is there anyone who can tell me how to make these files readable? Is 
>> there a program needed to decode them?
>> 
>> If you have any answers for me, please e-mail me at:
>> 	890661b@ace.acadiau.ca
>
>You need the Unix program "uncompress". (filename.Z is created by the
>command "compress filename". Type "uncompress filename.Z" to decode.)
>
>If you don't have compress or uncompress I might be able to email you a
>copy.
>
Some archives allow you to decompress while ftp'ing. Simply get the filename
without the .Z extention.

-- 
Michael Wright            _-_|\     Peg- "Al, can I have a thousand bucks?" 
LaTrobe University,      /     \     Al- "Why sure honey, have you got change
Melbourne, Australia.    \_.-_*/          for a million?"
wright@latcs1.lat.oz.au       v                Married with children. :-)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: vputz@nyx.cs.du.edu (Victor Putz)
Subject: Re: Spicing up combat?
Organization: University of Denver, Dept. of Math & Comp. Sci.
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 92 20:44:24 GMT

praxis@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu (Laura L Perkinson) writes:


>	The game may be AD&D, but take a clue from super-hero games. Combat
>is always better if the opponents are named, recognizable folks who have
>beat the stuffing out of/harassed/conflicted with/whatever the PC's befo
e.
>Monsters are nice and all, but adventurers on par with the players make 
he
>best opponents. If they use the same kind of tricky stratergy as the PC'
,
>and most importantly, inspire fear and loathing, then fights with them
>will have some gusto. Super-villains for D&D. Think on it.
>		Praxis

Must concur with you here.  Also, the benefit of secretly possessed
player characters (talk to them privately or just pass notes) cannot be
ignored.  Had a remarkable combat within the party when one of the
characters was supplanted by a shapechanging demonic feller that'd been
dogging them for days.

-->Vputz

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: brian_vickers@isd.jpl.nasa.gov (Brian Vickers)
Subject: Re: A call to the Sages of the Forgotten Realms
Followup-To: rec.games.frp.dnd
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 20:29:21 GMT

In article <1992Nov20.141300.16974@bnr.ca>, dclayton@bnr.ca (Don Clayton)
wrote:
> 
> In article <1eh0qvINNb2@matt.ksu.ksu.edu>, reddrgon@matt.ksu.ksu.edu (Red Dragon the True) writes:
> |> dclayton@bnr.ca (Don Clayton) writes:
> |> 
> |> >2. He's powerful (can you say kick Elminster's but?)
> |> not likely, seeing as how Elminster is immortal and all
> 
> Really, where did you read this?  He appears to be very old and powerful, but 
> I don't remember reading he was immortal.  

It is a not too well known fact that Elminster, Khelbun (sp?), and the
Simbul are all immortal. What this means is that they will never "die" due
to aging.

This kind of ties in with the Faerun==Athas thread too. You see, these
three were all effected/partook of this "mystery force" which was very
similar to the energy vortex that effected the Sorcerer Kings. Hmmm.

(I guess even Ed Greenwood had his munchkin/Monty Haul days.)

-- Brian
brian_vickers@isd.jpl.nasa.gov
[This is not my REAL .sig, its my .sig's ALTER EGO.]
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd