HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: mgates@entiat.boeing.com (Michael Gates)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Bastard DM From Hell Pt 2
Date: 18 Aug 92 19:30:36 GMT
	<1992Aug15.133029.598@ccsvax.sfasu.edu>
	<phil.714031857@adam.adelaide.edu.au>
Organization: Boeing Computer Services, Bellevue, WA
In-reply-to: phil@adam.adelaide.edu.au's message of 17 Aug 92 06:10:57 GMT

>>>>> "PK" == Phil Kernick <phil@adam.adelaide.edu.au> writes:
PK> a_copeab@ccsvax.sfasu.edu writes:

>	The DM must be running a VERY  variant AD&D -- the only things a ranger
>loses (and only in 2nd Edition) by wearing armor heavier than  studded leather
>is Move Silently and Hide in Bushes/Trees (or whatever) and the freedom to use
>two weapons at the same time with no penalty. Yeah, the DM seems to be getting
>twit-like.

PK> And precisely how does this now vary from a straight fighter?
PK> What you have just said is that if a Ranger wears more than
PK> studded leather he loses almost all of his special abilities, and
PK> hence is not a ranger!

	He can still track with +1 to the check for every 3 levels at
no NW proficiency slot cost, he can still cast priest spells at higher
levels, he still has a bonus to hit creatures of a chosen type, he
still has a special affinity for animals and can alter their moods.

	Oh yes, just a fighter.
--
et tu mgates?
From: quin@deakin.OZ.AU (Daniel Quinlivan)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Undead abilities
Date: 20 Aug 92 07:12:42 GMT
Organization: Deakin University, Victoria, Australia

Two ways to changes the attributes for undead.
1:  Make a level draining undead 'Atypical' as was found in an old
dragon magazine and reprinted in a Best of (No I can't remember off hand)
This means that when the undead hits a character that character must
make a saving throw (vs. death magic i think) or lose the amount of
hit points that the undead does normally permanently.  For example if
a character is hit for 6 damage from an Atypical wight and fails the
saving throw then that character is less 6hp permenantly.  A wish will
cure the damage as will a restoration spell I think.  This makes the
undead a bit weaker as only hit points are lost rather than whole abilities
or spells.
The article was the Deathmaster by the way.

2: Is mutilate the undead.  This means that when the characters find the undead they are damgaged in some way.  This doesn't mean that they have lost hit 
points though as it could have happened before death.   So if three ghouls
are a bit tough for your group you can lop the arms off one and deprive the
creature of two of its attacks.  This can also be used to slow down something
such as a wight so a party can run from the undead, all you do is make it have
a shattered leg which halves its movement rate.  This is can be useful to 
weaken undead as they feel no pain so zombie with only an arm left that is
buried into a wall makes a good trap.  Cheap as well for the budding 
necromancer.
Of course this doesn't work for uncorperal undead such as wraiths or
regenerating undead such as vampires.

Hope this helps someone out there.

******************************************************************************
The only difference between VR and RL is that RL has a better interface.....
******************************************************************************
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Tarrasque - Anyone killed one?
From: mikew@mdcbbs.com (Mike 'the Bard' Whitaker)
Date: 21 Aug 92 07:14:20 PDT
Organization: Shape Data - a division of EDS Ltd

In article <mxr.714356717@neptune> 
   mxr@neptune.dsc.com (Max "Boring Slime Distemper" Rible) writes:
>mikew@mdcbbs.com (Mike 'the Bard' Whitaker) writes:
>>Whether it was REALLY dead or not, the party weren't about to speculate on, 
>>so the druid deposited it under a very deep rock to mud spell, and they 
>>carried on, fingers crossed.
>
>>It's been a hundred and twenty game years...
>
>>I think it's about time it woke again...
>
>This would imply the tarrasque is a divine being itself.  If Corellon
>Larethian--- head of the elvish pantheon and being an archer himself---
>declares an arrow will be able to kill anything, it will kill (not
>render dormant) anything that is capable of being dead.  

Yes - If HE's touched the target, if I remember rightly.
[please - no flames, I'm working from memory and improvising like mad - see 
relevant thread!] 

If it's only someone in his favour doing the touching, I can see it having 
certain limitations, and given what it OTHERWISE takes to kill a tarrasque...

>If the 
>tarrasque is going to wake up again, that means that either (a)
>Corellon Larethian isn't that powerful or (b) that the tarrasque is
>a mythic monster on the level of some sort of god in its own right.

*The* tarrasque on Altrion (my world) is certainly a) unique and b) past
being ordinarily mortal - I really must work out where it came from, although
I have my suspicions that it is probably on a power level with the 'Hands'
of the various deities - their immortal 'hero' (usually deserving mortals)
servants... I'm babbling - I shall stop.

>Be careful when cheapening gifts from deities; news of this could
>seriously undermine the faith of the religion when it turns out that
>Corellon's power couldn't slay a creature that can be taken out by
>mortals.
Grin. Point taken... 
-- 
Mike Whitaker +44-223 | mikew@mdcbbs.com, bard@spuddy.uucp | Me: Bards just
Shape Data/EDS 316673 | -or- mwhitaker@cix.compulink.co.uk | KNOW things...
From: jimv@ucrmath.ucr.edu (jim vassilakos)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: AD&D1 Program for IBM-PC - Generates Band of NPCs
Date: 19 Aug 92 05:29:57 GMT
Organization: University of California, Riverside


Hi everybody:

I just put another AD&Dv1 program up in the anonymous ftp archives.
This one is for use with the IBM-PC, and it assumes some variation
(particularly when it comes to magic) from the standard rules.
The program basically generates NPC's, a whole band of them, in
such a way that each one fits in one 80-column line. Basically
you get their class, combat stats, exceptional ability scores,
weapon, armor, etc.... and the DM gets to run an encounter with
a whole smear of NPC's from one page of computer printout. The
program is simple to use and simple to modify (its QB45 source
code is included with the compiled version).

     Site: potemkin.cs.pdx.edu
     IP: 131.252.20.145
     Directory: pub/frp/src
     File: band.zip

Enjoy... and if you have any trouble with it, or if you need it
emailed to you, or if you need help unziping it (i.e. you don't
have any unziping software) let me know.

Good gaming,

           _   /|
           \`o_O'          Jim Vassilakos
             ( )     <---  jimv@ucrmath.ucr.edu
              U            ucsd!ucrmath!jimv (uucp)
           Aachk!

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: bret@technix.mn.org (Bret Indrelee)
Subject: Thieves stealing from the group (Was: Re: Kender)
Organization: Private System - Saint Paul, MN
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 04:22:08 GMT

In article <mxr.714253287@neptune> mxr@neptune.dsc.com (Max "Clinical Whip Cotillion" Rible) writes:

[ Text deleted ]
>Very few characters that live to a decent level, in my experience,
>will put up with a kender or similar compulsive thief in the party.
>The first time he does a cute, endearing "here's your *fill in the
>blank* that you've been looking for, it was in my Kender Pouch [TM]",
>it's usually off-with-his-head-and-search-his-possessions.  If there's
>someone extremely good like a ranger in the party, they merely strip
>him naked rather than kill him, give him a loincloth, a dagger, and
>any change he was carrying below the level of gold, and tell him not
>to ever come with shouting distance of the group again.  Harsh?  
>Certainly.  However, characters like that are more of a threat to
>a party than they are useful.

Actually, if I were a thief in a group with another thief like this
I would tend to not only turn the thief in to the rest of the party,
but ask whether we were going to only exile them or kill them...

You are absolutely right that no smart thief would steal from his
party members.  After you have stolen from the party, how much chance
you you really have of them coming to your rescue if (when) you get
into trouble.  Although a thief should not have any problems with
stealing from others, anyone who is a 'friend' or a member of his
adventuring party should be strictly off limits.  Thieves also should
not steal from other thieves (for the same reason sharks don't eat
lawyers: professional curtesy).  Cheat, probably, steal no.

As for stealing from the group, there are characters who do not have
the thieving skills I have seen steal from the group.  It is stealing
if you 'forget' to tell the group about a particular scroll or gem
that you found while they were searching other areas in the same
location.

Stealing magic from the group (once again including not reporting it)
should ALWAYS be a capital offense.  I would even argue with a Paladin
if he said that the person should only be exiled.  A person should be
fairly sure that it is happening before making any accusations, but
if they are guily make sure there are no more repeat offenses.  Ever.

-Bret
-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bret Indrelee               |   Pretend there is something profound
email: bret@technix.mn.org  |   written here.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: adray@Chaos.mcs.kent.edu (Adam Dray)
Subject: Re: Tarresque - Anyone killed one?
Organization: Kent State University
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 16:56:01 GMT

In article <1992Aug20.111513.10456@spdcc.com>, pentangl@spdcc.com (Scott Moir) writes:
|> 
|> The way they did it was that they engaged it in combat while an illusionist
|> in the group made a ledge seem further out than it was. The main fighters
|> deliberately led it onto the ledge (They went out too) and dropped down
|> into a lake. The terrasque drowned. No little terrasques, and no damage to
|> regen from.
|> 
|> They also mentioned using a mirror of entrapment to capture one, and kill
|> it off later by dropping it into a volcano or something. Another suggestion
|> was to transmute rock to mud under it, then mud to rock and let it starve.


Though I haven't looked at the stats in a while (how often do you use
a terrasque, anyway?) I think it (frequency: unique?) has a great deal
of magic resistance.

Spells and magic items are of little use against the terrasque.


Just look at the damn thing.  It's a big joke really.  Some frustrated
DM got sick of munchkin PCs running around killing everything, so he
invented the ravenous terrasque.  It's nigh invincible.  How many PCs
have a _wish_ available to finish it off?

					Adam.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: raistlin@wixer.cactus.org (Eli Boaz)
Subject: Re: The illogic of draining levels
Organization: Real/Time Communications
Distribution: na
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 92 04:29:46 GMT

In article <1992Aug21.132730.1127@bnr.ca> dclayton@bnr.ca (Don Clayton) writes:
>In article <1992Aug20.165458.430@csc.canterbury.ac.nz>, engf002@csc.canterbury.ac.nz writes:
>|> <comments concerning the fact that undead draining levels is unfair>
>|>
>|> Does this not rather tone down the undead encounters?
>|> 
>|>     A wraith approaches the party.
>|>     Before : "Aaaargh! A wraith! Run for your very lives!"
>|>     Now : "Ho hum. A wraith. What's it going to be? A week of resting?"
>|> 
>|> Thus taking away the very essence of undead : T E R R O R
>|> 
>|> This is player terror as well as character terror.
>|> 
>|> >	The system that T$R has presented for level draining simply does not
>|> >work if you are running a campaign where characters gain about 2-3 levels
>|> >per *year* (of real time). A single creature of less HD than the party
>|> >can destroy a couple years of years of work in just a few rounds.
>|> 
>|> But you could also apply this argument to any spectacular character 
>|> death - a seventh level character is fireballed and dies = 3 years 
>|> of playing gone. C'est la vie.
>|> 
>|> IMHO, I think TSR did very well. There is NOTHING that strikes 
>|> fear into a player's heart more than level-draining undead.
>|> And that is the purpose of them, nes pa?
>|> 
>|> Andrew Earl
>|> --- To err is human, to moo bovine. ---
>
>I agree with Andrew 100%.  I say : "You see a Dragon/Drow/Other Monster"
>and for the most part my players say "Ok, ready for attack/talk/blah blah
>blah".  The one time I said : "You see a Vampire", they said "Holly SHIT,
>run, run, run, fireball, run, teleport, etc.".  It really added some fun
>to the game.  Besides, levels can be restored by High Level Clerics, and
>it helps in my world (Forgotten Realms) that there happens to be a lot of
>very high level clerics around (of course, sometimes this is bad too).

I have to disagree with both of you.  Undead are *wimps*.  The way TSR set
them up is a bit on the weak side, IMHO.  Personally, in my campaign Undead
are *not* affected by weapons or spells (exception: healing spells) unless
the weapon or spell in question is specifically created to destroy the undead
(ie. mace of disruption) or if there is a known weakness of the undead
creature (ie. stake-through-the-heart, silver weapons, garlic, etc).  Magical
weapons only do the damage indicated by their plusses (ie. sword +2 does 2 pts
of damage).  In a campaign I'm setting up (levels: 10 - 14) wights are truly
something to yell "Holy SH*T!" at...  Even though I do allow a save vs. death
magic (at a -5 penalty) to avoid the level drain.

Just my 0.02 worth...

-- 
Eli Boaz                      | Line noise provide by S.W. Bell Telephone!
raistlin@wixer.cactus.org     | "Anyone not wearing 2 million sunblock is
...!cactus.org!wixer!raistlin |  going to have a REAL BAD DAY, get it?" -T2
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: jbm@sei.cmu.edu (Jason Mahoney)
Subject: Re: Berserkers and hit points
Organization: Software Engineering Institute
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 14:36:11 GMT

In article <1992Aug14.135302.1806@csd.uch.gr>, chrysop@csd.uch.gr (Chrysopoulos Marios 484) writes:
> In the fighter's handbook are described a lot of warrior kits, amongst which
> is the Berserker kit. Now, i'm DMing a low level party and have a fighter who
> wants to be a Berserker. I've read about all the bonuses and disadvantages
> that a Berserker has and i agree that it's ok for him to become one. But we
> have a problem involving the number of hit points below zero the character
> should sustain before dropping dead. I must note that the system i use is
> that when a character reaches 0 hp falls unconsious and if noone takes care
> of his wounds he loses 1 hp/rnd until -10 where he dies.
> 
> 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.


   Here's a suggestion:

       Instead of giving 10 HP/level use a die roll/level.  You could give him
either 1d4 hp more per level or 1d3 more per level!
 ______   ___  ___  _________          e-mail me at: jbm@sei.cmu.edu
   ----\    / /    /------              aka "Chevy Van Halen"
        \  / /----/              "WAHHHHHHH WHEEEEEEEEEEEEE RAOUUUUUUU WAH WAH
         \/ /    /                WAH WAH WEEeeeee......Yeah!"-Eddie Van Halen
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: tsang@cs.washington.edu (Donald Tsang)
Subject: Re: Multi-Class Hit Points
Organization: Computer Science & Engineering, U. of Washington, Seattle
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 92 20:36:28 GMT

In article <> boelter3945@iscsvax.uni.edu writes:
>In article <1992Aug13.214806.12344@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>,
>   wbennett@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (William F Bennett) writes:
>>[asks for comments on how Multi-class hit points work]
>
>   Well, for one, you are not treating averages the way they should be.  Six hp
>max for a first level F/M/T?  That's about right, considering two of the three
>classes you have are the two lowest HD classes there are.  This is dragging
>down your effective HD:
>        Class        HD Type             Average Roll
>        Fighter         10                    5.5
>        Thief            6                    3.5
>        Mage             4                    2.5
>                     -------               --------
>                        20 / 3 = 6.67        11.5 / 3 = 3.83

That's not quite correct, since by the rules you have to round down ANY
fractions.  But then, the minimum is 1 pt.

Fighter: 1+1+1+1+1+2+2+2+3+3 / 10 = 1.700
Thief:   1+1+1+1+1+2         / 6  = 1.167
Mage:    1+1+1+1             / 4  = 1.000
                                   -------
				    3.867 for going up one level in all three

But it's really disappointing when you figure out you'll have a 50% chance
of getting just one hit point from the fighter class. The chances of just
one hp from the thief level is five in six ... and it's guaranteed for
mage.

>   As a counter example, say you had a Fighter/Cleric character.  This would
>average out to a d9 for hit points, which is an average of about 5 hp/HD,
>excluding any Con bonus.  It all depends on the mix of classes you have.

Fighter: 1+1+1+2+2+3+3+4+4+5 / 10 = 2.600
Cleric:  1+1+1+2+2+3+3+4     / 8  = 2.125
                                   -------
                                    4.725, a little less than a d(8.5)


>   If you really want more hp for your multi-classes, I'd suggest rounding to
>the nearest rather than rounding down all the time, add up all hp rolled from
>all classes/levels before dividing by the number of classes (to make sure you
>don't lose any parts/fractions of hit points), and always make sure you have a
>decent Con. :)

I'm testing a stupid idea: make multi-classes go up levels simultaneously,
and give them the largest die.  Thus, any F/X[/x] would have a d10, but
require enough experience for both [all three] classes in order to advance.
Experience bonuses are 5%/5% [3%/3%/4%], where applicable.

Seems to work okay, and with level limits, balances fairly well with
Dual Classing.  In fact, I'm thinking about dropping dual classing
entirely.

-- 
Donald Tsang                    "Ho!  Haha!  Guard!  Turn!  Parry!  Dodge!
tsang@june.cs.washington.edu     Spin!  Ha!  Thrust!"
..!uw-beaver!june!tsang                       -- Robin Hood Daffy
From: cb317@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Stephanie J. Kessler)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Question:  Liches & Phlacteries
Date: 15 Aug 92 17:25:51 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, (USA)


The creation of a lich is described in  the Monster Comp. under
Ecology.  It says  there  that a phylactery can be any type of
object as long as it is
of the finest craftsmanship and materials with a value not less
than 1500 GP per level of the wizard.  Not many leather cases  will
be worth that much, but gems and crystals can be found that fit
the bill.
-- 
The United States is a nation of laws:  badly written and
randomly enforced.     Frank Zappa

cb317 @ cleveland.Freenet.Edu
From: seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Paladins
Date: 20 Aug 92 20:42:40 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh
Originator: seawasp@pmax1.cis.pitt.edu

In article <66469@hydra.gatech.EDU> ccoprdj@prism.gatech.EDU (Jorge Diaz) writes:
>There's a big difference between what the law/church wants and what the
>deity wants.  I play a cleric, and I'm always having to have keep in
>mind that the words of the church are not necessarily 'straight from
>heaven'.

	This points up the eternal questions of: 1)In a FRP world, IS
the word of the Church going to divert much from the word of the Deity?
Why would it? Any cleric who diverted much would just lose his/her
powers; why should the deity keep giving him/her this power when they
aren't doing the job right?

	2) What god are you following? A LOT of gods consider themselves
Good... but if one of your deity's commands is "DEATH to the theif!"
then so let it be. A paladin of Justice and Vengeance will stalk down
and kill treacherous dogs who have injured others, while a paladin of
a god of Peace will always seek to find non-violent solutions.

	3) What *IS* "LG" alignment?


                                 Sea Wasp
                                   /^\
                                   ;;;


Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: Rannou@info.polymtl.ca (Patrick Rannou)
Subject: Re: Tarrasque
Organization: Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, Canada
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 1992 10:13:14 GMT

In article <1992Aug20.164629.9999@csd.uch.gr> kermits@pasifae.cc.uch.gr
(Aggelos Keromyths) writes:

   I think that's the way it's written.Anyway, i read an article mentioning
    some ways of killing a Tarrasque (or THE Tarrasque).


I'd say that a "Unique" Creatureew means that there is a MAX of one per
prime material plane...

When you get with things like Demogorgon, who are unique outer planes
creature, with only one outer plane while there is an infinity of prime
planes, well you can say:

a) The outer planes are infinite. Who`s to say that Jack the demon didn't
decide to look just like Demogorgon, and since both don't concentrate at
all on the same prime planes it turns out OK?
b) What about time travel or ...
c) Parallel universes???

I'm sure you'll always end up with an infinite number of the same monster
if you serach hard enough (and are powewful enough to search these places).

    I think that although
    they give a temporary solution,it is not a good one.Just remember that a
    Tarrasque needs a Wish after it drops under -30hp so as to never assemble
    again (it reformats).So,even if it dies or gets drown,it will reappear.And
    i don't know if it can swim...(devious dm: the Tarrasque is higher than the
    lake you dropped it in...:-}  )

Or it can breathe in any environment (or better yet: It doens't need to,
like the Aliens in the movie!)

   And what are these Maunty Haul Campaigns ? (I am new to ADnD and i am a PLAYER
    not a Dm,so i feel excused for the question...)
    Aggelos

Monty Haul: The kind of campaign that munchkins love...

GM: Your Paladin finds... a HOLY SWORD!!!
PC: Is it better than the one I've already got?

Usually, a Monty Haul campaign is one where the party is composed of
super-heroes PC, demigods or whathave you, whose main adventures center
around world shaking events. If the PCs are good, they get to save the
entire universe at least once every time they go up a level.

That's Monty Haul.


Pat.
--
/---------------------------\
| Patrick "Paradak" Rannou. |
| Rannou@info.polymtl.ca    |
\---------------------------/