HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: x90drew6@gw.wmich.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: new magic system??
Date: 26 Jan 93 16:08:42 EST
Organization: Western Michigan University

In article <1993Jan25.112302.6222@ifi.uio.no>, kjetilgr@ifi.uio.no (Kjetil Granlien) writes:
> 
>  The other day I was thinkin'.. (yeah it hurts)
> 
>  I'm about to start a new campaign, and was wondering if I could change
> anything of the old system to make it even better.. or more fun.. 
> 
> Magic is a huge part of my usual worlds and the player willl not do without
> it.. So I thought if I could make the magic system better.. . 
> 
> Then I thought of this.. No big change other than no spells are pre
> defined.. All spells must be made by each player. New rules for creating
> spells is required, but more than that it should be easy.
> 
> What would we get... A very personal spellcaster. Sure, the spells would
> be very similar to each other.. at least some of them. I'm sure all would
> make the Fireball. 
> 
> But I'm also sure that a good player with some imagination could make
> something out of this possibility.. 
> 
>  I haven't tried this yet.. What is your oppinions about it??
> What changes would be required? Would it be easier to roleplay?
> 
> Mail me or post your opinions.. 
> 
> Kjetil Granlien
> ---
>  "Overhead the albatross hangs motionless upon the air
>   And deep beneath the rolling waves
>   In labyrinth of coral caves
>   The echoes of a distant time comes willowing across the sand.."
> 						PinkFloyd, Echoes
 Sounds like a very interesting idea, I also agree that players with good
imagination could make it a fun thing to try.  The only major problem I forsee
would be that the players might try to make only strong offensive, ie improved
magic missile, spells for low level.  You would have to make sure that balance
was kept to prevent over powerful spells that a first level mage could use. 
Other than that I think it would be different and something the magic using
characters would enjoy.
From: tmh@expert.cc.purdue.edu (Todd M. Helfter)
Subject: Re: CONSOLIDATE:  A single character generator
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 18:01:14 GMT

	I am interested and have already compiled a letter to send you,
 however I cannot seem to get through to you via e-mail.

	I am attempting to send to gtd543@sol.crt.columbia.edu

	Please reply.

	Todd M. Helfter
	tmh@expert.cc.purdue.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: mortoj@marcus.its.rpi.edu (Jeffrey Robert Morton)
Subject: Re: Missing Info in AD&D2 DM's Guide
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 23:42:25 GMT

In article <1jn35hINN818@meaddata.meaddata.com> joeg@meaddata.com (Joe Gayda) writes:
>The Table for Bucknard's Everfull Purse is missing in the AD&D2 DM's
>Guide.  Could someone post the 1st edition table...

It was actually moved to another place, by misprint.  Unfortunately, all of my
gaming gear is 3000 miles away, so I can't help any more.  It is within a few
pages of the descrip for B.E.P., under some magic item that doesn't need a 
table.

Jeff

-- 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
     "For every darkness there is a light, for every dusk, a dawn."
                                                     --uncertain
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: jat6h@Virginia.EDU ("Mars, The Bringer of War")
Subject: Re: Walking Bandages
Organization: University of Virginia
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1993 19:44:24 GMT

I have to agree about clerics; that they are the most
underestimated and underplayed class.  Even if you're like me
and had a bonfire for all of T$R's 2nd ed. stuff, even without
the new priest rules, the cleric is potent, indeed.  My group
has somewhat of a tradition of playing very neutral, chaotic,
mercenary characters, and the clerics are no exeption.  The
value of healing becomes very important, as does currying favor
with the cleric, not to mention some of the cleric's really
fearsome spells at higher levels (especially against
humans/demi-humans...) we've had several parties where the
cleric was party leader just because all the other players were
in abject of him.  The trick, like you say, is to be an active,
rather than passive player.  By asserting your (desperately
needed) abilities, even the toughest fighter or mage will toe
the line.

Mars

"No matter how sublte the wizard, a knife between the
shoulderblades will surely cramp his style..."
						-Steven Brust
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: CONSOLIDATE:  A single character generator
From: alanb@sdl.ug.eds.com (Alan Braggins)
Date: 27 Jan 93 12:53:54 GMT
Organization: Shape Data (Division of EDS), Cambridge UK
In-reply-to: mikew@ug.eds.com's message of 27 Jan 93 04:05:13 PDT

>>>>> On 27 Jan 93 04:05:13 PDT, mikew@ug.eds.com (Mike 'the Bard' Whitaker) said:

> In article <1993Jan25.234528.3941@sol.ctr.columbia.edu> 
> gtd543a@sol.crt.columbia.edu (death) writes:
>>I like playing AD&D, and I know others do.  I would like to set up
>>a mailing list for developers who would like to create a single set
>>of tools for the AD&D player.  

> Count me in...
Me too - actually I can just read over MikeW's shoulder :-)

>>Optimally, these tools would be compiled under gcc and be portable
>>to other environments.  However, this is not a requirement.  My
>>development environment is emx+gcc under OS/2 and DOS.  There has
>>been some interest in making tools available under UNIX also.
> Yes please B-)
In which case getting it running on Amiga too shouldn't be too hard.
What kind of interface were you thinking of? Straight cli/text,
curses, or full GUI (in which case who's volunteering to write the
portable GUI toolkit).

> One of the things that occurred to me as being important in a project like
> this, and in fact generally, is a set of STANDARD data file formats for things
> like spells, character/monster details, etc, that can read in by one or more
> different programs... ISTR someone else had this idea also - anyone plead 
> guilty? How far did it get?
This also makes it easier for people to stock their data files with material that
can't be published for copyright reasons, e.g. copy stuff out of PH, MM, etc. for
personal use only.
From: hermann@ovid.uni-passau.de (Michael Hermann)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: How do you unzip a file on Unix?
Date: 27 Jan 1993 19:41:51 GMT
Organization: University of Passau, Germany
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: ovid.fmi.uni-passau.de

And then zipped ???

If the file happens to have a .Z extension, that
would be compress/uncompress rather than zip...
(that's the way I encounter most uuencoded files..)

  -Mike

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: Clayten_Hamacher@mindlink.bc.ca (Clayten Hamacher)
Subject: Spells for mages starting at higher levels
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 13:46:14 GMT

I was trying to think of a way to give high level mages an appropriate number
of spells, the method I came up with is for the mage to get 2 or 3 spells of
each level for every level they have been able to cast spells of that
level...

In other words, a first level mage would get 3 first level spells, a 3rd
level mage would get 9 firsts and 3 seconds.. a 5th level would get 15 1sts,
9 2nds, and 3 3rds.

P.S. This isn't meant for people playing these characters up each level, this
is for NPCs or characters starting at higher level to fit in with a party or
be tough enough for a specific adventure.


What do you think of the number of spells and can you think of a good way to
'randomly' pick what spells of a given level a character has. Preferably a
way that would keep a character from getting three similar spells for a level
and missing out totally on ones they want/need.

Also, would 2, 3, 1d2+1, 1d3, or 1d4 etc be appropriate for the number of
spells gained per level (for a general mage) and what should be done to give
specialists more spells without making them over powerfull?

--

Clayten_Hamacher@Mindlink.bc.ca                 Land of the rising snow.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: potamian@furnace.ecn.purdue.edu (Vakis G. Potamianos)
Subject: Re: REQUEST: Info on Modules & Supplements
Organization: Purdue University Engineering Computer Network
Date: 22 Jan 93 13:50:30 GMT



  In response to the person who asked about info on the Treasure Maps 
accessory, I found it to be quite helpful in doing "last minute adventures" 
. The different adventures leave a lot of space for DM creativity and are 
better if used in this way.
From: adray@mcs.kent.edu (Adam Dray)
Subject: Re: hit points & falling
Keywords: alternative system
Reply-To: adray@mcs.kent.edu
Organization: Kent State University CS
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 18:27:00 GMT


NOTE TO MODERATOR/KEEPER O' THE FAQ:  Falling damage should be in the FAQ list.


I've seen a number of postings trying to solve the problem of falling.  
A while back on the ADND-L list I wrote a somewhat humorous article 
addressing the issues of "instant deceleration trauma" (as I've heard it
called).

I've long lost the file, but I have a hard copy I could dig up and type 
in if someone asks me nice.  

Basically, the problem with all the proposed "solutions" for falling 
damage is that they're too damn complicated.  To keep the feel of the
AD&D rules, it should be a quick and dirty thing.

Here's the crux of my solution: a saving throw.  Save vs. petrification 
or die.

That's pretty harsh for a short fall, of course, and a little easy for 
really long falls.  Also, all falls should cause *some* damage, so we add 
the following easy provisions.

1. Falls cause 1d6 damage per 5 feet fallen, with no limit.  A fall of 100 
   feet would cause 20d6.  Even if you make your save, the damage may
   kill you.

2. Falls of 15 feet or less are handled differently.  If you save, you
   take no damage at all.  If you fail, you do not die instantly, but
   you still take the damage.

3. Modify the saving throw by -1 (penalty) for every 10 feet fallen.  IE, 
   a fall of 40 feet requires a save with a 4 point penalty.

4. Modify the saving throw by +1 (bonus) by the same amount as the PC's 
   AC bonus for Dexterity (+4 for a Dex 18, or a penalty for really low
   Dex scores).

It's easy and quick.  I'm sure you can think of other considerations.
These are just suggestions for a simpler type of system.  

						Adam.

PS/Have *you* ever fallen more than 20 feet?

-- 
adray@mcs.kent.edu            The word is my oyster,
                              and meaning is
                              a tiny grain of sand.
From: hermann@homer.uni-passau.de (Michael Hermann)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: New ADDCHAR.EXE
Date: 25 Jan 1993 19:11:35 GMT
Organization: University of Passau, Germany
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: homer.fmi.uni-passau.de

Silly me..

I forgot to mention,

it's at greyhawk.stanford.edu
in D_D/incoming.

The file is called addcharc.zip

  -Mike
From: steevesm@woods.ulowell.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Spells for mages starting at higher levels
Date: 28 Jan 93 15:09:07 GMT
Organization: University of Lowell

In article <20168@mindlink.bc.ca>, Clayten_Hamacher@mindlink.bc.ca (Clayten Hamacher) writes:

[good idea deleted to save space]

> What do you think of the number of spells and can you think of a good way to
> 'randomly' pick what spells of a given level a character has. Preferably a
> way that would keep a character from getting three similar spells for a level
> and missing out totally on ones they want/need.

Maybe classify the spells as either offensive, defensive, and misc, and
chose 1,1,1 from each as per your idea, or else divide everything up by
school.  Possibly come up with some weighting system that would let you
get a higher probability of coming up with "useful" spells, but not exclude
the rest of the spells.
 
> Also, would 2, 3, 1d2+1, 1d3, or 1d4 etc be appropriate for the number of
> spells gained per level (for a general mage) and what should be done to give
> specialists more spells without making them over powerfull?

I would use 1d2+1, with maybe a 1d2+2 for specialists, with the 2 extra spells
to come from his/her school.

-darkelf
-----
"I have no brother, am like no brother;
 And this word "love", which the greybeards call divine,
 Be resident in men like one another
 And not in me.  I am myself alone."
	-Gloucester, Henry VI Pt. 3
-----
From: mittman1@athena.mit.edu (Christopher T Chiu)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Missing Info in AD&D2 DM's Guide
Date: 29 Jan 1993 00:35:49 GMT
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Distribution: na
NNTP-Posting-Host: m4-035-6.mit.edu

x92joslin@gw.wmich.edu writes:
>My advice to you is to buy the first edition AD&D DM GUIDE. The second edition
>senerio of AD&D is a money pit. All you'll do is keep buying more books and
>more books when all you have to do is use the one REAL sourse of information
>that you can rely on YOUR MIND!!!

Toward that end, I have a copy for sale, if anybody's interested.

From a curious adventurer,
Genghis
mittman1@athena.mit.edu   
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: LRPR <LRPR@UNB.CA>
Subject: RE: Two-Weapon Combo
Organization: The University of New Brunswick
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 23:17:26 GMT

In article <1993Jan21.132420.13678@syma.sussex.ac.uk> bapg3@syma.sussex.ac.uk (Eain Cathcart) writes:
> In the campaign that I'm currently helping to run we are about to
>introduce rules for parrying and for fighting with two weapons. I would
>be interested in any ideas or suggestions that you might have.
   In my campaign we use the rules for 2 weapon style from the Complete
fighter's handbook.  I found as DM that it was a little too powerful,
as presented - the ability to use 2 longswords makes fighters into
mowing machines, especially if they are allowed all their strength and
specialization bonuses.  I now limit the left hand to size S weapons
(and short swords only if the right handed weapon is a short sword or
smaller).  The only exception is for Rangers, who when wearing studded
leather can use one size M weapon of their choice (chosen at the time
the style is taken, and unchangeable) in their right and left hand.
This is because the style otherwise did nothing for rangers in
studded leather, who could already fight with 2 weapons with no penalty.
We have alternatively discussed halving strength and specialization
bonuses for the left hand attack.
 I would like to see a system of parrying with the left hand while
fighting with the right (the florentine style of rapier and main-gauche)
                                 JubbaBones
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Dark Sun Advice Needed!!
From: <MVS104@psuvm.psu.edu>
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1993 00:18:00 EST
Organization: Penn State University

In article <1jdiflINNg2e@access.usask.ca>, donald@dvinci.USask.Ca (David Donald)
says:
>
>1/2 Elven Ranger/Cleric
>
>Str: 16
>Dex: 19
>Con: 19
>Wis: 20
>Int: 16
>Cha: 14
>
>
>Basically, I wanted to give the group some good healing, and liked the look of
>the new Ranger.
>
>So, are the stat choices ok?  I was told the group was lacking in armour so I
>chose the big Dexterity over the huge strength.

Dex is fun...use missile weapons a'plenty. There's many more strength
enhancers in D&D so a 16 strength oughta be okay.

Martin Schulte
From: x92joslin@gw.wmich.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Question about HP (Falling Damage)yes
Date: 25 Jan 93 22:51:11 EST
Organization: Western Michigan University

In article <1993Jan22.175354.4011@doug.cae.wisc.edu>, chrisc@cae.wisc.edu (Chris Carey) writes:
> In article <1993Jan21.174307.5152@wkuvx1.bitnet> kozloce@wkuvx1.bitnet writes:
>>In article <19775@mindlink.bc.ca>, Clayten_Hamacher@mindlink.bc.ca (Clayten Hamacher) writes:
>>> Falling Damage, Player's Handbook, p 104, column 1.
>>> 
>>> Falling
>>> 
>>> Player characters have a marvelous (and, to the DM, vastly amusing) tendency
>>> to fall off things, generally from great hights and almost always onto hard
>>> surfaces. While the falling is harmless, the abrupt stop at the end tends to
>>> cause damage.
>>> 
>>> When a character falls, he suffers 1d6 points of damage for every 10 feet
>>> fallen, to a maximum of 20d6 (which for game purposes can be considered
>>> terminal velocity).
>>> 
>>> More about how people can survive falling miles, and some die tripping over a
>>> root.
>>> 
>>> Looks to me like TSR meant damage to be 1d6 * (height/10') instead of the 1d6
>>> + 2d6 etc...
>>> 
>>> --
>>> 
>>> Clayten_Hamacher@Mindlink.bc.ca                 Land of the rising snow.
>>
>>
>>
>>Trylooking inthe first addition Dungeoneers survival guide for
>>guidlines. I seem to remember they covered the subject rather
>>thoroughly
>>
> Yes, they do mean 1d6 * height/10'.  I don't remember how they cover it in the
> survival guide, but in one of the older Dragon magazines it's covered VERY
> well.

Dragon magazine are alternate sources of information but on page 19 of the
Dungeoneer's Survival Guide.  Damage was stated to be cumlative 1d6 per 10
feet, ie a 30 foot fall would result in 6d6 of damage, hopefully this will
clear up any confusion.
From: tgt33358@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Thanatos)
Subject: Psionics Class
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 03:04:13 GMT

What's the value of See Sound and how do you keep a psionicist down?  Easy.

We're presently going through Deserts of desolation.  The only reason we've
come this far is that my psionicist is INCREDIBLY inventive, and sometimes
that doesn't even help.  He has ECTOPLASMIC FORM, but I don't see that as
a major bonus.  Sure, no cell can hold me, but I can die.  Drop me down a 
shaft.  I can turn ectoplasmic, but I'm still falling.  I'll be driven into 
the earth, and unless I can weasel my way out, when the PSP's are gone, I'm 
meat.  Alos, just because I can pass through a door doesn't mean that
the rest of the party can.  Sure, now there's no such thing as a one 
way door, but if an entire dungeon revolves around a single one way door, then
it's a poorly written dungeon.

As for the merits of see sound.  We were told that a drow was in this room.
We opened it to find half taken up by a globe of darkness.  As one 
of us entered, he was attacked by spiders.  We spent quite some time 
trying to figure out how to "see" if the drow was in there, allowing him
a chance to escape.  Has I see sound, it would have been simple.  Psionicists
are not that powerful.  They just force a DM to be more clever, which is a
good thing. 
-- 
I don't mind being the smartest	    / Thanatos, DeathUrge, Master of Unknown
man in the world...I just wish it   \ Time and Space tgt33358@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu 
wasn't this one...	       	    / It's a Zen thing... 
	-Ozymandias 		    \	 you wouldn't understand...
From: wsbusr1@rwc.urc.tue.nl (Boudewijn Wayers)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Net Spellbook PS version: HELP
Date: 27 Jan 93 12:50:33 GMT
Organization: Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands

Firstly, sorry to bother the net with a private message.
Now, would the person who sent me a PS version of the Great Net
Spellbook/Prayerbook please contact me again. I'd like to give my
remarks, but I lost your address (Damn! This is the first time this has
happened to me...).

Boudewijn Wayers, wsbusr1@urc.tue.nl,
Keeper of the Great Net Spellbook and Prayerbook.
-- 
Boudewijn Wayers, wsbusr1@urc.tue.nl,
Keeper of the Great Net Spellbook and Prayerbook.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: wgarrett@cs.cornell.edu (William F. Garrett)
Subject: Experience Points for Spell Research
Keywords: research, spells
Organization: Cornell Univ. CS Dept
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 18:55:12 GMT

How many experience points should a mage earn for researching an
original spell?  Various sources (incl. 1st & 2nd ed rulebooks)
suggest the following options:

	a)  100 XP * spell level
	b)  200 XP * spell level
	c)  500 XP * spell level
	d)  100 XP * (spell level)^2
	e)  200 XP * (spell level)^2

Schedule A seems too tight-fisted, while schedule C is too generous for
low-level mages.  D and E look like good choices for 1st and 2nd level
spells, but might give too many XP's for higher level spells.

Comments or suggestions?  Other proposals?

				- The Wizard

-- 
*-----------------------------------------------------------------------*
| Bill Garrett                                       Cornell University |
| wgarrett@cs.cornell.edu                Department of Computer Science |
*-----------------------------------------------------------------------*
From: jskinner@starbird.WPI.EDU (James Bryan Skinner)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Copyright
Date: 22 Jan 1993 09:12:52 GMT
Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
NNTP-Posting-Host: starbird.wpi.edu

(Jim Gitzlaff ) writes:

>In article <1993Jan21.095304.4921@maths.tcd.ie> you write:
>>In article <1jl2dtINN460@bigboote.WPI.EDU> jskinner@starbird.WPI.EDU writes:
>>>It will include the PHB and TOM spells, and whatever else I come across.

I still plan to write a total list with modifications for spell point.  But
this list will not be distributed on the Net, it will be for use in my own
campaign only.

>>	Yes! Finally someone with the time, energy and forebearing to JUST
>>SAY NO to copyright laws. I've been looking for the standard spells on-line
>>for years. Actually gone half-way to typing them in myself. I wholy support
>>and encourage this effort.
>
>>PS: Don't let the copyright demons frighten you. TSR almost certainly
>>will not press charges or anything so rediculous.
>>_______________________________________________________________________________
>>Jo Grant			| Warbot: "I am the very model of a modern
>>jaymin@maths.tcd.ie		|		major war machine!"
>>Dublin, IRELAND			| Jakobot: "So what?"	[Extreme Paranoia]
>
:::stuff about copyright laws and ethics deleted to save space:::
>
>Trust me on this.  I'm a law student myself, and know what the system looks
>like if you get hit.  Avoid it.  You save yourself a lot of trouble AND have
>the added benefit of NOT being a thief.
>
>Jim Gitzlaff
>gitzlaff@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu
>

Right, it's not worth the trouble, and with my usual luck (bad) I would be
the one made into an example :).

I do still plan on translating the new Net.Spellbooks, some other spells I've
ran across on BBSes, and a few of my own into LaTeX.

I'll also include a description of the rules for my spell point system (please,
no flames about the merits of a SP system).  And perhaps a list of the SP costs
of the official spells.  Would a list of spell name, location, SP cost, and 
changes to the spell under a SP system be legal?

Jim
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Two-Weapon Combo
From: alanb@sdl.ug.eds.com (Alan Braggins)
Date: 25 Jan 93 10:35:51 GMT
Organization: Shape Data (Division of EDS), Cambridge UK
In-reply-to: 's message of Fri, 22 Jan 1993 07:07:23 EST

>>>>> On Fri, 22 Jan 1993 07:07:23 EST, <MGL4@psuvm.psu.edu> said:

> proficiency .. oh, yeah and the "learned" ambidextrious (sp?) clause in the
> rules (sigh).

I think this should only apply to one weapon (or possibly weapon class),
or it should be taken at character creation time (and possibly cost more
proficiency slots). [By "this should" I mean "how about this as a suggested
house rule", not "this is what I think the published rules say".]