HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: zweldron@ruhets.rutgers.edu (Matthew Charlap)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Dark Sun: Wizard Biased?
Date: 26 Sep 92 16:15:18 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.

tony@phsbbs.princeton.nj.us (Anthony Foglia) writes:
>I'm interested in getting Dark Sun, but have heard it is severely biased 
>agianst wizards.  Since mages are my favorite class will I like it or 
>will it be a waste of money?

The bias against mages is that they are severely distrusted by the most liberal
non-wizard, and despised by most others. This is because defilers (mages who
take the quick road to power) destroy all plant life and all possibility of 
plant life forever in an area around them when casting (although I think there
is a 9th level priest spell to cure this). Since this can happen, people hate
defilers, other defilers hate each-other, because it's competition for the
plant life. The wizards who take care not to hurt the land, preservers are
seldom differentiated from defilers. Playing a mage can be just as much fun,
if not more so, but it IS a lot harder. The preserver in my group hid the fact
that he was a preserver (he is a preserver/thief). Only after earning some of
our trust did he allow his mage status to be known. There is a proficiency
in Athas (the DS world) called 'somatic concealment' which helps to this end

As for whether or not DS is worth getting, you have to decide that for yourself
I can only give you info.

--Matthew
From: mcspikgfm@dct.ac.uk
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Drow Offspring with elves & Rangers.!
Date: 30 Sep 92 17:18:38 GMT
Organization: Dundee Institute of Technology


	I was wondering everyones opinion on the possibility of the offspring
of a Drow and another Elf. Would the offspring have magic resistance or the 
natural powers that drows show as they grow up. Would it be more likely to show
drow traits than Surface Elven traits depending upon where it is raised?

	If it had a Drow Mother would it make any difference? With the
introduction of the drow "Potions of Magic Resistance" (circa "Drow of the
Underdark") which help to steady a young drows magic resistance before they
reach maturity?

	I personally don't believe that there would be any difference between
the offspring and the surface elf parent, but strange things might start to
happen when they grew older. This may well be up to the Gm to call.
	
	Its a question thats been annoying me for a while now and I am yet to
come upon anyone with a reasonable answer.

	Also, as an aside.....Does anyone agree with me in that Rangers tend to
have too high an experience level table. How would you stop this or change it?
I have found that although a Ranger is very good in the forest.. he loses out
everywhere else...and although there should be more modules set in the
forests.. they tend to become dungeon delves or city adventures...thus leaving
the old ranger on the scrap heap....as a fighter expected to fight but with a
high AC due to his dislike of heavy armour and no specialisation. Also why do
Rangers get a wizard crossover proficiencies when they use Priest spells now!!


					Melandra Flametree,
					Lady Wizardess, Immolater,
					Princess of Vyalia and
					Insane Elf.
From: aaron@juliet.caltech.edu (Packman, Aaron I.)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Dual Classing
Date: 30 Sep 1992 21:29 PST
Organization: California Institute of Technology
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: juliet.caltech.edu
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    

The dual class rule about not using your old abilities always seemed
silly to me.  In 1st ed. they just gave this rule out with no reason;
when 2nd ed. came along they decided to stick some logic to the 
previously unexplaied rules, this being one of them.  But I still 
don't buy it.  There is no reason why a person can't learn new skills
while still practicing the old ones.  You don't have to give up old
proficiencies to learn new ones; why should this be true with class
skills?  The reason the rules are this way, of course, is to preserve
game balance.  I think the wise DM can cause the game to balance itself
without recourse to too many obvious crutches.  For example, the fighter
becoming a mage could have to "go back to school" to learn the basics
of magicing (cantrips, etc.), have xp penalties for his lack of preparation, 
be shunned by other mages and have problems finding instructors, etc.  And 
there's always the bit about no spellcasting in armour.  (Actually, I don't 
agree with parts of that rule either--shouldn't a mage be able to cast spells 
without a difficult somatic component while wearing armour?  It's the same
game balance thing.)  Similar difficulties could be faced when switching to/
from other classes.  Creative DM's should develop their own guidelines for
beginning a new class, thereby imposing a more logical framework on the 
process while increasing its personality and playability.

Aaron Packman
aaron@caltech.edu
From: boelter3945@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Critical Hits
Date: 5 Oct 92 14:03:11 -0500
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

In article <1992Oct3.203012.43557@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu>,
   blythe@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu writes:
> I was wondering about the implemented ways of afflicting critical
> damage with weapons.

   Here is the system I currently use, though I'm thinking of modifying it
based on some of the other ones I've read here in this newsgroup (some of
them sound quite interesting to me! :)

   Basically, a critical hit can only occur on a natural 20, and that's only
if the attacker didn't need a natural 20 to hit in the first place (in which
case criticals do not happen, ie: you're lucky enough to hit in the first
place. :)

   If a natural 20 is rolled, a d20 is rolled again.  If this is less than or
equal to your level of experience, a critical is made (this makes higher
level characters get criticals more often).

   The result of a critical is double base damage dice (2d8 for a Longsword,
2d6 for Short Sword, etc).  If a 1 is rolled on the crit check, then the d20
is rolled again vs. Level to see if a triple crit is done (triple base damage
dice plus a special, like stun of knock prone).  This could repeat again if
another natural 1 is rolled, getting progressively worse as to effect.

   The same goes for crit fumbles.  On a natural 1, a crit fumble is
possible, roll <= Level to avoid, otherwise a fumble happens, usually
flinging your weapon out of your hand.  If a natural 20 is rolled on this
crit check, roll again for possible triple fumble (fling weapon into
companion, break weapon, snap bowstring).  And so on for further natural 20s.

   Obviously, I don't have a table of effects, as I usually make up an effect
that happens based on the situation at the time.

                                        John "Nightwind" Boelter

--
*******************************************************************************
* John Boelter        a.k.a. Nightwind            boelter3945@iscsvax.uni.edu *
* Organizational Manager and contact person for everything and then some.     *
*******************************************************************************
* The individual who said we only use 10%  * The first 90% of a task takes    *
* of our brain's mental capacity, was      * 90% of the time, and the last    *
* probably 90% incorrect.                  * 10% takes the other 90%.         *
*            -Unknown comic on A&E-        *   -99 rule of Project Schedules- *
*******************************************************************************
From: ccoprdj@prism.gatech.EDU (Jorge Diaz)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Critical Hits
Keywords: critical hits
Date: 5 Oct 92 01:14:15 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

In article <1992Oct4.203943.20047@u.washington.edu> scythe@byron.u.washington.edu (The Grim Reaper) writes:

>Okay.... in my campaign, I use a system for determining if a critical
>has occured that is dependent on level.  Fighter have a chance to
>critical of 10% per level, rogues have a chance equal to 7%/level,
>priests 5%/level, and mages 3%/level.  The player must
>roll under that percent to achieve a critical when they roll a 20.  

Why would you give a rogue a better chance to roll a critical hit than
a priest?  Preists are supposed to be better fighters than rogues.


-- 
Jorge Diaz                       | "I want you to remember, Clark... in all
Georgia Institute of Technology  |  the years to come, in your most private
Office of Information Technology |  moments...my hand at your throat.  I want
ccoprdj@prism.gatech.edu         |  you to remember the one man who beat you."
From: pcs58187@zach.fit.edu ( TALLET)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Psionicist problems...(No Nukes!)
Date: 5 Oct 92 15:17:17 GMT
Organization: Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne USA

In article <1992Sep29.013011.120634@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu> cfw2@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu (CARL F. WALDBIESER) writes:
>In article <wright.716735837@latcs1.lat.oz.au>, wright@latcs2.lat.oz.au (Michael
> G. Wright) writes:
>>>> In our campaign we hve a psionicist who has come up with a brillant idea. He
>>> ...
>>>>
>>>> In a battle he decided to cloak and phase out, walk behind the enemy, gently
>>>> insert his cloaked and phased staff, and then unphase, with the staff stuck
>>>> well into the enemies chest.
>>>>

I'd say that this would permanently stick the staff (or any object) into the
target.  I.e. the staff would now be 6 inches shorter.  The part within the 
target is effectively lost.  If the opponent has armor, the staff would be 
stuck into the armor and need to be cut off -or would automatically 'break' off
from the imbedded part.

I'd have the staff shrink with each 'application'. 

Since there is a lot of space between atoms, I would even consider the 
possibility that the attack may inflict less damage but have a greater
to-hit probability.  
Maybe the victim would only feel a little warmer inside?  

The real question is what about attacks to the head (or maybe the heart)?  
I'd have the target save versus death magic or die.  A save simply inflicts
the usual damage (as above).  Maybe even save at +2 (or +4).

I probably wouldn't allow this attack mode to give 'easy' kills to the 
character (even for head shots).  This takes the fun out of the game.  But,
remember, opponents can have psionic abilities too!  This means that 
they can (and would) do the same thing!

jot
From: mlee@ocf.berkeley.edu (Michael Lee)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: NEW PBeM!!!
Date: 7 Oct 1992 04:15:27 GMT
Organization: U.C. Berkeley Open Computing Facility
Distribution: na
NNTP-Posting-Host: bigbang.berkeley.edu

===================================NEW PBEM===================================

STYLE:  Tournament, every (wo)man for himself/herself.

GAME:   Generic AD&D World, 2nd edition.

CHARACTERS:	Make 1st level characters of any alignment, evil included.  
True neutral are going to have a tough time making it in.  Dark Knights are 
allowed, ask me if you are interested.

DESCRIPTION:	I'm going to try to make it vague, but the first adventure will
be like a normal adventure, where you will fight monsters and die.  You will
start alone.  High death rates and high level advancement are expected, higher 
than allowable by the books.  But, in order to achieve your goal, you will have
to make allies with others when you meet them, then backstab them later.
	Experience will be given for ingenuity and role-playing, with some for
hack-and-slash.

APPLY:  to mlee@ocf.berkeley.edu
	with character description, race, class, alignment, and suggestions.
	New character classes will be allowed via the DMG, if it is approved
by me.
	Kits are onle allowed for warriors, thieves, and priests.  Priests of
specific mythos are allowed, via the PHB only.

FORMAT:	One update per day, and one for the entire weekend.  If you can't make
those time requirements, then you will be at a disadvantage.

					mlee

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: scythe@byron.u.washington.edu (The Grim Reaper)
Subject: Re: Thri-kreen PC (DARK SUN)
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 23:05:31 GMT

In article <wsbusr1.717959978@rw7.urc.tue.nl> wsbusr1@urc.tue.nl writes:
>dshaffer@andromeda.rutgers.edu (Donald A Shaffer) writes:
>
>
>>  Also, how would you DM's handle thri-kreen character's who want to 
>>specialize in fighting with their own natural weapons.  So far, I have 
>>disallowed this, but my players are asking for a logical explanation for it
>>and I can't find one.
>
>One of my fellow players is a Thri-kreen Psionicist who has Psycho-
>Metabolism as his major. His favourite is a psionic ability called
>something like "body control" (that's not the name, but what it does is
>that it increases one stat by a d6). Anyway, he usually rolls a 5 or
>six, thus increasing his strength to 23 or 24. This means he does a
>base damage of 5*8 or so if all attacks hit (five attacks with a +8 to
>damage due to strength). This character could kill of the rest of our
>group (5 members) in no-time. My DM doesn't allow Psionicists anymore.
>-- 
>
>
>Boudewijn Wayers, wsbusr1@urc.tue.nl,
>Keeper of the Great Net Spellbook and Prayerbook.

Ummm.... no.   Sorry.  Dark Sun is Psionics.  No Psi, no Dark Sun.
You can't run a good Dark Sun campaign without psionics.  Of course,
who likes Dark Sun anyway? =) (Watch the flames I get for that one!)


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

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: guido@cs.washington.edu (Guido Hunt)
Subject: Sowrds of Sharpness and Incredible Constitution
Keywords: AD&D
Organization: Computer Science & Engineering, U. of Washington, Seattle
Date: Sun, 27 Sep 92 23:34:56 GMT

Well, in recent gaming sessions my group has come up with a couple
of interesting questions.

One, we just found a sword of sharpness, in the DMG it just says that on an
exceptional good hit 19 or 20 the sword severs a limb.  But nothing about
damage, loss of blood or shook, basically the guy takes 2-9 points of
damage plus str bonus and losses a limb but shrugs it of, this seems very
unrealistic.  This sword is only worth 3K exp less than the vorpal blade
which gives you an insta kill, if you hit well.  So we came up with an
unsatisfactory tempory solution, but i'd hoped that maybe you'd be able
to come up with something a little better.  This is what we did: on a 
sever roll 1-4 to see which limb is severed (head not possible), and then
triple damage.  This is what we went with and is all right, we thought about
triple damage if this is over half total hits, then the person had to safe
verus death magic or die from shock, or possible just fall unconsious.  Any
input on this would be appreciated.  I think we're looking for something
not too complicated, as we don't want to slow the game down too much, bue
something a little more realistic would help.

Two, we have a VERY healthy elf in our group, he has a 20 con.  At this lofty
hieght, he is entitled to regeneration a one point per hour. Our question is
what if he sustains enought damage to take him below -10, does he die or
does his regen still work and eventually he will get back up like a troll.  In
second edition it says regular damage (other than acid and fire) will be healed
at this excelerated rate, but unlike the ring of regen desc. it doesn't say
anything about avoiding death.  We figured that a troll would have about a 54
con and that this is a little above a 20 and so that might be a misleading 
comparison.  I think we kind of decided that he still would die if -10 was
reached, but we would again appreciate your comments.

Thats all for now...

-Guido Hunt




-- 
:-*-::-*-::-*-::-*-::-*-::-*-::-*-::-*-::-*-::-*-::-*-::-*-::-*-::-*-::-*-:
     guido@wolf.cs.washington.edu ::  As my father says: "fate is the clay
or   noprking@u.washington.edu    ::    from which we mold our own destiny"
:-*-::-*-::-*-::-*-::-*-::-*-::-*-::-*-::-*-::-*-::-*-::-*-::-*-::-*-::-*-:
From: mlee@ocf.berkeley.edu (Michael Lee)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Continuation of Drow Offspring and Rangers
Date: 1 Oct 1992 03:14:54 GMT
Organization: U.C. Berkeley Open Computing Facility
NNTP-Posting-Host: avalanche.berkeley.edu

In article <BvF4pw.7Bz@news.cso.uiuc.edu> rsm58307@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Ron) writes:
>[Stuff about Rangers and Their Failings]
>I like giving them a set of proficiencies all their own that relate to their
>indepth knowledge of a prey's habits. Coupled with the ability to do +1 dmg
>per two levels against most creatures they know about, this gives the Ranger
>a degree of wisdom/competance that makes their high experience gain balance
>out. They become very powerful in forests, good in dungeons, and ok in towns.

	Actually, in 2ed, rangers only pick one enemy and get a +4 against
that one enemy.  In 2ed, rangers were too powerful (with the 2 hd at first
level and everything), but now, they're too weak, for a subclass of warriors.
They pale in comparison to Paladins and even regular fighters could best a
ranger, if he took the necessary NWP and two-weapon styles as in CFH.
	They trimmed down on rangers, and the idea is that rangers are
supposed to be rare, because of their high requirements, so that means they
should be a little bit more powerful than the ordinary fighter.
	Oh well, I like playing rangers anyway, because of the roleplaying
possibilities, and the nature part.  It makes them unique, in their own
little way, even if they aren't the most powerful things in the world.
	But, they do have to have higher experience than fighters no matter
what, because of their special abilities and their spell casting abilities.
I don't know, maybe GMs could incorporate a new ranger, a mix between the
1ed and the 2ed.

			mlee


Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: brunborg@solan.unit.no (]dne Brunborg)
Subject:  Dancig Sword and THAC0, part II
Organization: Norwegian Institute of Technology
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 92 08:39:04 GMT

In article <1992Sep29.121513.10988@ugle.unit.no>, brunborg@solan.unit.no (]dne Brunborg) writes:
 > My character, a fighter at 8th level, has just recently found a Sword of Dancing.
 > The fighter has a strenght score of 18,76 (+2/+4) and double specialisation
 > (+3/+3, per Unearthed Arcana), wich gives him a THAC0 of 8-x, x=1..4.
 > 
 >  BUT when I release the sword, my DM will just give it THAC0 13-x, not counting 
 > neither strenght nor specialisation. The DMG says: "The sword will fight for itself as
 > it's wielder..."(or someting like that, shoot me if I'm wrong).
 > What do you think?
 > 
 > 
 > PS: I'm a DM myself, so don't shoot me for reading my own book!
 > 
 > So long!
 > 
 > 		Aadne Brunborg
 > 		Norwegian Institute of Thechnology
 > 		University of Trondheim
 > 		NORWAY
 > 
 > 	"If ye can't see it, it's right behind ye..."

PPS: I've read my DMG now. It says: "The sword will fight alone at the same level
(and class) as its wielder." There goes my strenght bonus, but what about
specialisation? After all, if the sword knows what class and level it's wielder
is, it should know if he's a specialist?

Aadne.
From: boelter3945@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Survival of the Trolls
Date: 30 Sep 92 10:20:50 -0500
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

Incidentally, I enjoyed reading your comments. :-)

In article <1ac03hINNdgv@uniwa.uwa.edu.au>, gusar@uniwa.uwa.edu.au (Sean A
   Reith) writes:
> boelter3945@iscsvax.uni.edu writes:
>>In article <1992Sep28.212012.6975@Princeton.EDU>, tao@potato.princeton.edu
>>   (Terry Tao) writes:
>>> Brings up another interesting question.  What DOES kill trolls apart from
>>> fire and acid:: what about
> 
>>psychic attacks -- Sure, the troll regenerates its body, not its mind
> 
> I disagree, you yourself say they regenerate from a fall, but the fall
> is just as likely to splatter their brain matter as any other cells.
> Furthermore, the trolls regeneration can be viewed as the state that
> babies developing in the womb are, they can (re)create limbs from the
> DNA print (hey, I'm no genitic expert, so excuse me if this is rather
> simplistic, the concept still hold (I think)), so why not brain cells?
> Sure, the new brain cells would not contain any memories etc etc, but
> would still work (even if at the level of a newborn).

   Ah, but this assumes your psychic attack actually is affecting the physical
brain matter.  There are many types of psychic attacks (that I know of), and if
you refer to the ones that attack the mental psyche, the mind so to speak, they
can't regenerate that.

   As you can tell, I have two distinct components to the creature.. the body
and the mind.  They do interrelate with each other, but they are separate
things (eg:  Magic Jar?).

   Now, the question of actually wanting to mentally attack something which is
already mentally, um, void?.. that's another matter. :-)

> I think the "can't regen from acid or fire attacks" ruling is rather
> limited and stupid, why not?

   I don't use this either, unless the body is entirely destroyed by those (eg:
Druid sees Trolls.. Druid panics.. Druid casts Fire Storm.. GM winces, feels
sorry for Trolls.. :-)

> (a) Anything that destroys all the cells kills the troll.

   Yup, exactly.

> Enjoy, be free,
> Sean.

   Adventurer's tip #1:  The only good troll is a dead troll.
   Adventurer's tip #2:  Trolls regenerate, there are no dead trolls.
   -author unknown-

                                        John "Nightwind" Boelter
--
*******************************************************************************
* John Boelter        a.k.a. Nightwind            boelter3945@iscsvax.uni.edu *
* Organizational Manager and contact person for everything and then some.     *
*******************************************************************************
* The individual who said we only use 10%  * The first 90% of a task takes    *
* of our brain's mental capacity, was      * 90% of the time, and the last    *
* probably 90% incorrect.                  * 10% takes the other 90%.         *
*            -Unknown comic on A&E-        *   -99 rule of Project Schedules- *
*******************************************************************************
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd