HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: swann@acsu.buffalo.edu (Stephen Swann)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Anecdotes... Death... How come?
Date: 13 Aug 92 17:51:39 GMT
Organization: UB

In article <4677@blue.cis.pitt.edu.UUCP> seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp) writes:
>
>>Funny, you never before really struck me as being a munchkin.  Was
>>that a one-off, Monty Haul (or Monty Python) campaign, or do you 
>>have wagonloads of way-better-than-godlike characters?
>
>	That's not better than godlike. Maybe godlike, though. The Arduin
>level charts don't even STOP until they hit 100...

I'm not familiar with Arduin.  In all the roleplaying systems I'm
familiar with, being 12th level is pretty powerful, being 16th level
is WAY powerful, and being more than 20th level is essentially unheard
of except in gods, demigods and soon-to-be-gods.

>	Wagonloads... well, having been playing for 16 years now, I
>do have tons of characters of every possible (and some almost IMpossible)
>power levels. I have lots and lots of much weaker characters, and some
>which would make that one 67th leveler look like a first level hairdresser.

I've been playing since 1978, and GMing since 1979.  I've had one
continuously running (modified AD&D) campaign for that whole period of
time.  Back when we used to play on a regular basis (i.e. between 6
and 10 hours/week), the characters advanced at a fairly steady rate of
about 1 level every 6 to 8 months.  Because our playing time has been
sharply curtailed over the last several years, the characters are just
now getting to be about 12th and 13th level.

I don't know what gaming systems you use, but in AD&D, if I see any
character over 18th level, I look -real close- to see if he looks
legit (i.e. if he earned his powers in a reasonable, non-Monty Haul
campaign), and if I see a character over 25th level, I just start
laughing...

-- 
Steve Swann                 |    Speak to me in many voices; make
swann@acsu.buffalo.edu      |      them all sound like one...  -BOC
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: keary@apollo.HP.COM (Matt Keary)
Subject: Re: Berserkers and hit points
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 19:45:58 GMT
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Company, Chelmsford, MA

In article <1992Aug15.071926.22829@leland.Stanford.EDU>, tremblay@leland.Stanford.EDU (Marc Tremblay) writes:
|> In article <1992Aug14.135302.1806@csd.uch.gr> chrysop@csd.uch.gr 
|> (Chrysopoulos Marios 484) writes:
|> >
|> >My first thought was that because a Berserker doesn't feel pain, he can't
|> >fall unconsious so he will still be fighting until he reaches -10 where he
|> >dies as all other characters. But my player says that this is not right and
|> >that he should be able to sustain more wounds before dying, something like
|> >10 hp/lvl. This means that while in the first level he will die when reaching
|> >-10 hp, he will be fighting until -50 hp just in 5th level!!! I think
|> >that this makes him way too strong, a lot stronger than the rest of
|> >the party and i don't like that. I would like some suggestions or 
|> >alternatives i could use instead of this, so that neither he becomes
|> >too strong nor he becomes sad and doesn't enjoy the game.

Yup, I agree with you.  -10 is most certainly dead.  I play a berseker
in my campaign at school, and have come across many a problem that
would cause me _not_ to want such a rule (-10 per level).

First of all, a second level berseker, when berserk, could easily be brought
to say, -13.  At this point all enemies are dead, and berserker calms down...
and promptly dies.  Healing spells have no effect until coming out of the
berserk state (but neither does finger of death, etc :-)).  So he comes out
dead.  

Second, you have no idea how many hit points you have left...
DM :  You get struck by the ogre's tree-trunk, but barely feel the impact.
      Roll initiative *grin*.

I would either explain these problems to him, or let him try the good
suggestions other people have had here, but if you choose one like -1 hp 
below -10 each level, remember that the 3rd level berserker brought to -12
while berserk will promptly find himself dead once the rage has left him.

Mateo
From: dgc@cs.purdue.EDU (Doug Crabill)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: 2nd Ed. Players Handbook errata?
Date: 14 Aug 92 14:47:05 GMT
Organization: Purdue University

My officemate told me there was a posting made to
rec.games.frp.archives containing errors and corrections to the 2nd
Edition Players Handbook.  Unfortunately, he did not save it and I was
on vacation and missed the posting.  I've read the FAQ, but saw no
mention of any sites which archive rec.games.frp.archives.  The archie
database couldn't find anything either.  Could someone please either
tell me where rec.games.frp.archives is archived or simply email the
posting in question to dgc@cs.purdue.edu?

Thanks,
Doug
From: npearl@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Nathan Y Pearlstein)
Subject: Re: Anti-paladins
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 19:52:51 GMT


The Anti-Paladin is a NPC, a truly insane dm might have one as a PC b but the 
article in Dragon 39 and Best of Dragon 2 say it is an NPC!!!!!!

But then again so what if Dragon says its a NPC hahahahahahahahahahah!!!!!!!
-- 
*  Nathan Pearlstein   npearl@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu     Astronomy -gasp!  *
*  Sir Nathan Pearlstein     silly@camelot.uk.mil           Undergrad -GASP!! *
* "...We eat ham and jam and spamalot..."  - Knights of The Round Table Choir *
*        Beware lest the Slanneshi hordes pervert the Net    -- let them      *
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: keary@apollo.HP.COM (Matt Keary)
Subject: Re: High STR & small weapons (was: Re: Optional Specialization Ruling
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 20:17:03 GMT
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Company, Chelmsford, MA

Our DM maintains that no matter how dextrous/ambidextrous etc a char is,
s/he can't muster a str bonus on more than one hand.  Off-hands always 
are at penalties or unmodified.

Mateo
From: ccoprdj@prism.gatech.EDU (Jorge Diaz)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: A really neat character!
Date: 18 Aug 92 22:16:59 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

In article <1992Aug18.201059.11210@usenet.ins.cwru.edu> cb317@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Stephanie J. Kessler) writes:
>
>I find that character quirks like phobias and likes/dislikes are
>very fun to play.

Oh yes!  I'm playing a cleric/mage that is arachnaphobic.  I thought it was
hilarious, because we were fighting some drow (who worship some spider
demon or something), and ended up with some magic weapons that have spiders
on them (not alive, but still)...  We kept the handles of the weapons wrapped
with leather, so that I (and everyone else) couldn't see the spiders. :-)

We got into a fight with some giant spiders once, and I was basically
huddled on the floor while everyone else fought them off.  After the spiders
were dead, they had to put a cloak over my head just so I could walk passed
the dead spider bodies. :-)


-- 
Jorge Diaz                       | Sign in a restaurant:
Georgia Institute of Technology  | 
Office of Information Technology |   "We reserve the right to serve refuse to
ccoprdj@prism.gatech.edu         |        anyone."
From: boelter3945@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Tarresque - Anyone killed one?
Date: 20 Aug 92 15:45:27 -0500
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

In article <u894793.714246199@bruny>, u894793@bruny.cc.utas.edu.au (Timothy D
   Little) writes:
> I'm interested in knowing if anyone has ever actually killed a Tarresque in a
> non-Monty Haul campaign.  Any stories?

   Sure, I got one, and I'm sure I'll get some responses saying this was Monty
Haul type of campaign, but I felt it wasn't.

   The group had to eventually plan to _prevent_ the ravaging appetite of the
Tarresque (sp?) before it woke up from its long sleep, as the sages predicted
it would wake up within the year (yeah, long time, but keep reading).

   So the group set out for a number of things, starting with how the heck
could they do something like this.  Then adventuring in mini-adventures over
the countryside in search of pieces of a magic item.  After assembling the item
(finally), and using it to open a portal, they further adventured to retrieve
what they were after, a little black sphere. (yippee! "This is supposed to stop
a Tarresque?")

   So, in a climactic timing end to the campaign (which lasted 2 years Real
time), they brought the Sphere of Annihilation (sp? yeah, I'm terrible at
spelling some things) to where the Tarresque was (had to find that out too :)
and destroyed it.

   I'll don my flame-proof jacket now. :-)  Seriously though, this is the
campaign I ran, and the players all enjoyed it.

   Enjoy, and happy gaming!

                                        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%  * "I hit it with my Sword+10 of    *
* of our brain's mental capacity, was      *  Super Slaying" - "It laughs" -  *
* probably 90% incorrect.                  * "I give the DM the rest of my    *
*            -Unknown comic on A&E-        *  pizza" - *munch* "It dies"      *
*******************************************************************************
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: cary@carina.unm.edu (Ithlial the Archer)
Subject: Re: Garbage Compactor (was Re: Items that become TOO POWERFUL!!!)
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 92 15:00:36 GMT
Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque

In article <65731@hydra.gatech.EDU> gt6441c@prism.gatech.EDU (Jon Edwards ) writes:
>Not to be nit-picky here, but isn't metal maleable, not flexible? :)
>
When a sword is forged the forging process introduces carbon into the
steel.  This 'alloy' (using the term loosely) is elastic and not plastic
like the more pure metal.  The core is still the more pure plastic form,
though.  This combination gives the sword its flexibliity with a minimum.
of permant benting.  I fence and I've had my foil bent to half its length
(ie radius of curvature of the arc formed by the blade is small enough
that the tip is half the distance to the bell guard as it is in the relaxed
position.)  There is some permanent bend but you can undo it by stepping 
on the blade and pulling it under your foot.  Heavier blades are harder to
bend and much harder to unbend.  BTW having you foil bent that much is 
_not_ good technique, is how poeple get run through, but in the heat of a 
bout it happens sometime.  

There is a trade off for making the blade flexible, the carbonized iron is 
more brittle, and therefore more apt to break.  
>
>Jon
>aka Selk, Landon, Denek, Elhmo  
>-- 
>Jonathan R. Edwards                                 gt6441c@prism.gatech.edu  
>Georgia Institute of Technology     

Ithlial

I bet the main reason the police keep people away from a plane crash 
is they don't want anybody walking in and lying down in the crash 
stuff, then, when some comes up, act like they just woke up and go, 
"What, was THAT?!"
From: batemanc@p4.cs.man.ac.uk (Mad Chris)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Bastard DM From Hell Pt 2
Date: 17 Aug 92 14:33:31 GMT

phil@adam.adelaide.edu.au (Phil Kernick) responds:

>It is a *very* dangerous thing to says things like this in an open forum.
>You may disagree with my ideas and rulings but it is *very* bad manners to
>insult someone whom you don't know.

I have to agree with you on this. I don't think the Ranger armour ruling is
very fair or sensible, but I respect your right to make that kind of 
decision for yourself.

In point of fact, the experience rules themselves have little grounding 
in reality, and any alteration of them is almost certainly going to 
have no precedent from reality.

If your players don't like your rulings they should talk to you about it.
If you're not prepared to compromise, and they're not prepared to play
under those rules, they should leave your group. There is no reason 
anyone should resort to usenet as a forum for setting precedent. Games-
masters have tailored rules to their own ( and their player's ) preferences
since time immamorial, and will continue to do so as long as rules exist.

However, I would suggest to any GM that they consider any rules changes with
their group before enforcing them, as disharmony between players and GM can
cause a great degree of problems. As a Cyberpunk GM ( yes, I know this
group is for DnD but this is relevant. Honest. ) I've had to alter the rules
considerably to make it playable, but I've changed nothing without discussing
it with my players first ( for example, I have very little hands-on experience
with firearms, whereas two of my players have. I usually accept their opinions
on such matters above my own. Yes, there is a potential for abuse, but I 
trust my players ).

AMA, no RPG is ever finished. They are all in a state of perpetual play testing.
If you think like this, you should find all game's shortcomings a lot easier
to bear.

Viva Lost Vegans.

Mad Chris.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: mshields%peruvian.utah.edu@cs.utah.edu (Michael S Shields)
Subject: Re: Paladins
Date: 17 Aug 92 23:00:04 MDT
Followup-To: rec.games.frp.dnd
Summary: Not a Paladin but wanted it
Organization: University of Utah CS Dept

This isn't a story of a Paladin but a Paladin wanna-be.

Konrad was a Cavalier(Fighter kit).  A young Cavalier who had just won his 
spurs.  One evening, on a dare (he was only 19) he and a couple of friends 
were coerced into staying the night in a "haunted" house on the outskirts of
town.(DM plot backgound).  Now when they got to the house and it got dark, they
found out the house _was_ haunted, by a vampire who had manipulated the town's
finest out here so as to enslave them.  Needless to say they were easily taken.

Fast forward a length of time(Remember the Batman TV show scene changes??:^).
They awake in a distant land(Waterdeep) and find themselves enslaved to a very
old and evil vampire *itch. (DM note: our DM decided that the change to CE was 
not instantaneous but was releted to the absolute power corrupts absoulutely
theme, so we were still our same alignments, I was NG).  Now, my character 
decided (and DM agreed) that the restriction on convered vampires attacking the
converting vampire(our master) extended only to direct attacks upon her. We
could hate and think bad thoughts about her and if we were really clever, we
could act against her through outside agents and not do our tasks to the
fullest of our abilities(Like legal loopholes).  The reason for all this was to
allow us to roleplay our time as vamps.  MY character was committed to
defeating this *itch and worked towards those ends.  

This eventually happed, and we were freed from our slavery to her.  Now, by 
this time I had aquired a bowl of blood which my DM ruled would feed me.(Hence
I did not have to commit the sin of feeding off a humen life). Now, I found 
that being a vampire gave me tremendous power which I tried to do good with.  
I became a vigilante, righting wrongs and doing right.  I never killed, I just
"tied" the perps up until the proper authorities arrived and then vanished 
into the night.  The only killing I ever did was to any lycanthropes I found. 
This became my personal quest, to make the city free of this evil scourge.  
Eventually, my actions brought about the notice of my God.

Now, unfortunately, my tale stops here, because the campaign up and ended
about this time.  However, I think I might have become one of the only vampire
paladin in existence.  I have to say, that this was the funnest character I 
have ever played, and the most fulfilling.  I spent my time before being
noticed by my God acting as I felt a paladin in my situation would act.  I felt
that the powers I had were a gift and I should use them to help better the 
world around me.  Just call me Batman (Pun intended:^).

Mike
mshields@peruvian.utah.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Bastard DM From Hell Pt 2
From: David.Empson@bbs.actrix.gen.nz
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 10:31:16 GMT
Organization: Actrix Information Exchange

In article <phil.714031568@adam.adelaide.edu.au> phil@adam.adelaide.edu.au (Phil Kernick) writes:
> 
> Consider.  If a ranger wears armour when he needs to fight (gaining full xp)
> and takes it off at other times (so he get's special abilities) why would
> *anyone* become a straight fighter?

A normal fighter needs less experience points to go up levels.  It is
also easier to be a fighter - less race restrictions and ability
requirements.  There is also that little capability of fighers (NOT
including rangers in 2nd ed.) called weapon specialization.
-- 
David Empson

Internet: David.Empson@bbs.actrix.gen.nz    EMPSON_D@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: dv52151@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Axly)
Subject: Re: Multi-Class Hit Points
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 00:29:56 GMT

wbennett@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (William F Bennett) writes:


>     I have just started a new campaign after being out of touch with DND for 
>several years. One of the players is a multi-class elf. I have always had a 
>problem with the hit points for multi-class characters. It seems after they 
>struggle along to get their levels due to the splitting of the exp they are
>again penalized by doling out meager hit points. The max a
>fighter/magic-user/thief can get is 3 HP on his fighter level, 2 hP on his 
>thief
>level and 1 on his MU level. When they are traveling wth characters with
>higher levels because they didn't split their exp's they are also a 
>disadvantage because their ht points are so low. This is even more a 
>discrepancy at higher levels when the multi-class is limited .

>     I have tried to come up with a better way of giving HP's but have had 
>difficulty. If I give a regular dce throw not divided then the HP's go up too 
>fast.

Well, I've always found that the classes that had the worst hitpoints as 
multi-classes were mage variants. The benefits of being a multiclassed
mage (esp. fighter/mage/thief ) more than make up for a lack of hitpoints.

Axly

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: cb317@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Stephanie J. Kessler)
Subject: Re: Multi-Class Hit Points
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, (USA)
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 92 17:15:39 GMT


I don't split the CON bonus either, it gives multiclass chars a
couple extra points that can come in handy, and they do add up.
However, I haven't come across any problems in having too many
hit points for a character 
their level, since they move slower than single-class characters.

Of course, if a tri-class has a CON of 18, they can clean up on
hit points at low levels, but  they could probably use it...
-- 
The United States is a nation of laws:  badly written and
randomly enforced.     Frank Zappa

cb317 @ cleveland.Freenet.Edu
From: taylorr@debussy.cs.unc.edu (Russell Taylor)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: The cure for Liches
Date: 17 Aug 92 14:14:36 GMT


	While furiosly attempting to save his skin from the impending
assault of a giant sword-wielding Lich, Lamdor fervently scanned his
memory for the spells he had taken...
...magic missile? ...not in time to keep from being hit (only got 25 HP)...
...charm? ...right...
...6th level spells... damn, I only know Anti-Magic Shell...
  ...sure, just the spell every wizard needs to become instantly useless...
  ...Wait a minute, aren't Liches held together by magic???

...Three Liches in three rounds, and all done by sprinting!

	Now, how to get rid of the pesky Quasit familiar without
invoking the wrath of the gods and the loss of four levels...

-- 
He who follows a path perpetuates that path.
Practice random kindness and sensless acts of beauty.
From: cri@acsu.buffalo.edu (Whoopee Buttlord)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Tarresque - Anyone killed one?
Date: 20 Aug 92 21:35:24 GMT
Organization: UB

seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp) writes:

>>  Ahh...if I could just bring Godzilla and some of his buddies into
>>the AD&D world...I guess this would be more appropriate for some
>	You mean you HAVEN'T?
>	Monster Island is set somewhere in my world. Fortunately no one
>but my ancient munchkin group ever found it...

	actually, there si actually a published 1st edition moduale in which
you run into (for all intents and purposes) King Kong and  (I think) Godzilla.
	It's a stoopid-high level Gygax moduale, the name of which eluds me at 
the moment.
	criss

cri@acsu.buffalo.edu

"Shoot me again! I love the smell of burnt feathers, and gunpowder,
and cordite! Look! I'm a moose! Shoot me! It's Moose Season! Now
I'm a fiddler crab! Why don't you shoot me? It's Fiddler Crab Season!"

"I think you're pretty tough, don't I?"
                                         -Daffy
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: cb317@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Stephanie J. Kessler)
Subject: Re: Elven Chain Mail (Why?)
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, (USA)
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 92 21:46:38 GMT


I've always understood that all types of craftwork interests the
elves (or maybe those are justst my elves).  They find swordplay
and such things interesting.  If I understand it correctly, it
is a suit of  chain mail that is light enough to be worn under
the clothing and yet provide the protection of normal chain.  It
seems to make sense to me that the magically inclined elves would
find a way for their mages to be better protected, and mages  can
wear it with few restrictions (as with thieves).   They also use
swords of elven  make, so they must have some ability in metal
workings (although in basic, they use word and sap of the Tree
of Life).
-- 
The United States is a nation of laws:  badly written and
randomly enforced.     Frank Zappa

cb317 @ cleveland.Freenet.Edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: laruedm@ucsu.Colorado.EDU (David Larue)
Subject: Re: Psionic-problem 
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 17:19:46 GMT

In article <1992Aug13.102612.27049@ifi.uio.no> kjetilgr@ifi.uio.no (Kjetil Granlien) writes:
>
>What may hurt this cloud??

I rule that a Fireball spell has a chance of returning the psionic to
normal form, thus doing normal damage.  Rain-making spells, fire-breathing
dragons, and total distraction will return him to normal.

>
>As a thought, I'd say that this power was made to allow a psionist to pass
>through walls or doors, not as a combat-power.
>
>When I'm writing about this.. What can stop a psionist in this state from 
>passing through a wall or door??
>
How about (a) a Wall of Force sealing off the door, or an airtight door?
The wall is easy, just make it very thick.  I rule that the mist has a
limit of 1+1/2 feet when going through a solid wall.  If it is any thicker
than that then the psionist will return to normal (inside the wall) and
Save vs. Squishing (save for strength and constitution, one success means
he has succeeded).  If the psionist makes the save, the wall bursts,
otherwise he is totally squished.

-= Justin =-
r
>