HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: thack@antares.tymnet.com (Tom Hackwood)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Tarresque - Anyone killed one?
Summary: no, but it was in interesting ending
Date: 21 Aug 92 00:08:43 GMT
Organization: /etc/organization

Regarding the Terror-esque, I had a party of 6-10th level pc's.  To make a
long story short, there was a survivor...the magic user that, as a last
resort, used a modified Wand of Wonder (cursed, of course).  He rolled up
a random polymorph (I let the players roll the first roll of any multiple
chart outcome).  I rolled up a beetle.  I then rolled magic resistence
(I beefed the monster up just a tad...).  Utter failure (99).  I rolled
saving throw.  I couldn't do worse - an ace (1).  Because I was feeling
rather god-like, the rolls were in the open for everyone to see (I was
confident that everyone would die....)

Yep.  The MU now has a beetle that is impossible to kill.  And a vicious
one to boot.

Was this a Monte-Haul group?  Not really.  Most characters died in the
first three rounds.  

I'll never live this one down.

Tom



This is not the opinion of             "I may be synthetic,
BT North America, nor is               but I'm not stupid!"
this personal opinion                  - by Bishop from the
endorsed by BT North America.          movie "Aliens"
From: tsang@cs.washington.edu (Donald Tsang)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Solution to Psionics problem! (Sorta long)
Keywords: Psionics
Date: 16 Aug 92 19:53:55 GMT
Organization: Computer Science & Engineering, U. of Washington, Seattle

In article <> wright@latcs1.lat.oz.au (Michael G. Wright) writes:
>I've been reading the thread about the Psionicist being too powerful with 
>some interest [...] Well, I'll protect you all with this simple, yet
>convincing solution :-)
>
>CPsiH, pg16:  "...A psionicist can use his powers while wearing a
>helmet that is psionically active, or one featuring magical
>enhancements that affect or simulate psionic powers. But if the
>psionicist is wearing a normal helmet of any sort, he cannot use his
>powers."

>What does this mean? [...] Obviously psionic powers cannot pass
>through a normal metal helmet. SO....
>
>	One conclusion to this is that telepatic sciences and devotions 
>cannot be used against an opponent who is wearing a metal helmet, because his
>mind is surrounded with the same metal that stops the psionicist from wearing
>a metal helmet himself!

Oh boy, oh boy!  I have another great solution, this time for MAGES.

A mage can't cast spells in armor.  Obviously magic powers cannot pass
through a normal metal helmet.  SO....  he can't cast person-affecting
spells (Charm Person, Sleep, etc) on people wearing *any* armor (boots,
gauntlets, whatever).  Moreover, he *obviously* can't cast spells that
affect metal... "Glassteel" was obviously a misprint.

Somehow, I just don't think it works that way.

-- 
Donald Tsang                    "Ho!  Haha!  Guard!  Turn!  Parry!  Dodge!
tsang@june.cs.washington.edu     Spin!  Ha!  Thrust!"
..!uw-beaver!june!tsang                       -- Robin Hood Daffy
From: swann@acsu.buffalo.edu (Stephen Swann)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Gaining level fast (was: Re: Anecdotes... Death... How come?)
Date: 16 Aug 92 20:17:43 GMT
Organization: UB

In article <1992Aug8.023817.22215@eng.cam.ac.uk> yt1@eng.cam.ac.uk (Y. Tremblay) writes:
>
>   Here we are back with the anti-munchkin, anti-minimax, anti-hack'n slash, 
>anti-powergaming, anti-experience... brigade. :-)  

And nobody called me, either!  :-)

>So, what is the problem of
>this guy and his GM ?  If they like the idea to have a bit more XP than some
>other groups, is this that a big problem ? 

You're right there's no point whatsoever in fighting it on the net.  
The only solution is to ban them from your playing group. _Think
Globally, Act Locally_.

Anyone who takes this post seriously should go out and have their
blood pressure checked.  :-)

>   OK, back a bit more serious.  I've GMed and played with different GMs, each
>has his own style and his way to handle XPs.  One didn't even count them but 
>just told us we went up a level when he felt like we did enough.  

Aw, don't give me ideas.  This newsgroup *already* thinks I'm a fiend
DM from Hell who makes his players live on bread and water.  :-)

-- 
Steve Swann                 |    Speak to me in many voices; make
swann@acsu.buffalo.edu      |      them all sound like one...  -BOC
From: seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Bastard DM From Hell Pt 2
Date: 17 Aug 92 20:35:49 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh
Originator: seawasp@pmax1.cis.pitt.edu

In article <1992Aug17.182616.3070@intelhf.hf.intel.com> hutch@hutch (Stephen Hutchison) writes:
>I read this thread starting from the beginning - nothing seemed to set a max size
>for this book.  However, recall that the "weight" of an object is often inflated

	Then, pardon me for saying so, you didn't read the thread very 
carefully at all.

	The dimensions given in the original post were 2 feet by 1 foot
six inches by six inches (or 2x1.5x.5) including cover.

                                 Sea Wasp
                                   /^\
                                   ;;;
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: u894793@bruny.cc.utas.edu.au (Timothy D Little)
Subject: Re: Bastard DM From Hell Pt 2
Organization: University of Tasmania, Australia.
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 06:54:36 GMT

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

['Discussion' about a 24"x12"x6" book weighing 60lb]

>	I'll give you thirty pounds, max. Sixty is ridiculous, even with
>a "large lock" on it -- that lock, even if HUGE, won't weigh more than
>five pounds. SIXTY?

> [Allowing 20 lb for heavy wooden covers]

>the covers. Add in a monstrous 5 pound lock and you still have 5 pounds for
>PAPER before you even get over 30.

What makes you think the paper weighs only 5 lb?
Modern paper generally has a density of 1.2 g/cm^3.
Let's say the spell book has lighter paper, only .7 g/cm^3 (floats on water)
24"x18"x6" is 42 475 cm^3.
The paper therefore weighs about 29.7 kg.  This is about 65 lb.

(This calculation included the space taken up by the covers, but since they
are almost certainly denser than the paper, the weight must be higher.)

>Personally, I'd say about 20 for the whole thing.

Personally, I'd say at least 60 lb, probably more.
--
Timothy D Little   a.k.a.   u894793@bruny.cc.utas.edu.au
"I'm a Tasmanian." - Yahoo Serious, in the film Young Einstein.
From: mgates@entiat.boeing.com (Michael Gates)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Question
Date: 20 Aug 92 17:53:48 GMT
	<1992Aug19.233225.18595@leland.Stanford.EDU>
Organization: Boeing Computer Services, Bellevue, WA
In-reply-to: tremblay@leland.Stanford.EDU's message of 19 Aug 92 23:32:25 GMT

>>>>> "Marc" == Marc Tremblay <tremblay@leland.Stanford.EDU> writes:

Marc> (Marios Chrysopoulos) writes:
>
>And another question...would it be wise to let a 1st level dwarven
>player get a dwarven plate just because he says that his father was an
>armorer and he made it for him? I mean this is nice role play but
>dwarven plate?
>

Marc> I think dwarven plate is overkill for first level. What you might say
Marc> is that the father has indeed built the armor for him and plans on
Marc> giving it to him when he "comes of age" as a fighter, and can wear it
Marc> with honor. Then at 3rd level (for example), when he's more weathered,
Marc> let him have it. It could create interesting roleplaying to have a
Marc> dwarven player who's main goal is to "prove himself" to his father.

"Thought you might need a *real* Berserk..."
--
et tu mgates?
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: cb317@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Stephanie J. Kessler)
Subject: Re: Bastard DM From Hell Pt 2
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, (USA)
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 92 21:34:58 GMT


Rules on spellbooks say so (I don't have a DMG laying around now)
that the maximum number of pages in a spellbook is 100.

Of course, as with any rules, the DM can drop them as he wishes.
-- 
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: tremblay@leland.Stanford.EDU (Marc Tremblay)
Subject: Re: Berserkers and hit points
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 92 07:19:26 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.

Heck, being able to fight until -10hp are reached is already a great
advantage. Think how powerful he will be at lower levels... I wouldn't
give hime anything more. But if he keeps on whining and you have a
soft spot in your heart that day, maybe you could give him an extra
hp/level. I feel anything more would disrupt the balance of the 
game (IMHO).


========================================================
| Marc Tremblay                  |  There's no time    |
| tremblay@sunrise.stanford.edu  |  like the pleasant  |
========================================================
From: boelter3945@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: The illogic of draining levels
Date: 19 Aug 92 15:26:07 -0500
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

In article <1992Aug18.181129.12171@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu>,
   jwwalden@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu (P'relan) writes:
> Has anyone else ever thought that the ability of undead (and certain other
> creatures) to drain experience levels just didn't make any sense?

   Agreed!  I can't myself see how a creature connected with the Neg plane of
energy will suck your memories of how to do certain skills, fight better (more
experienced), and so on.  This would be the powers of a memory drainer creature
of sorts.

> So I modified the rules that energy draining attacks drained
> 1-8 hit points, 1 strength point, and 1 constitution point per level of
> draining.  These hit points could only be regained by magical healing and then
> only at 1/4th normal effectiveness with ability points being regained once the
> damage taken with them had be regained.

   I myself have tried to come up with a reasonably workable (and one that I
like) system for undead draining, but haven't yet come up with anything
concrete.  Right now, I am mostly considering having the drain effect of an
undead do something like this:

   Roll damage for the hit normally.  Then save vs. Death, if failed the damage
is permanent (debating this point, maybe making it only recoverable by natural
rest, not magic).  Also, you body loses its life energy (drain in stats,
considering either -1 to each physical stat or -1d3 to one random stat..) with
can be regained on a 1 point in one stat / 1 day of rest basis.

   Opinions?  What do others use for variations on draining levels?

                                        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"      *
*******************************************************************************
From: yt1@eng.cam.ac.uk (Y. Tremblay)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Roleplaying personal stuff (Re: Experience ...)
Date: 16 Aug 92 10:59:43 GMT
Organization: Cambridge University Engineering Department, UK

In article <Bt1Er3.B5J@acsu.buffalo.edu> swann@acsu.buffalo.edu (Stephen Swann) writes:
> (they had been too busy pursuing matters of "personal
>interest" to do any real adventuring)...
    ...
>My characters tend to spend time doing what people in the real world
>would do - they visit friends, they fall in love, they read books,
>they listen to stories, they learn to play musical instruments, they
>travel, they do all kinds of non-adventuring stuff, that serves only
>to expend the "role playing" aspects of the game, and does nothing
>to earn them money or make them better in combat.  
    ...
>do plenty of adventuring, but they actually spend -more- time 
>roleplaying personal stuff about their characters.

    This is an aspect I have problem with.  It is not that I am against it,
I actually like the idea, I just have problem with it.

    I'll explain myself.  The problem I have with role-playing personal stuff
is that it is _personal_ stuff.  When you are running a game and players
start role-playing a lot of that, What do the other players do during this 
time ?   I see it a bit like the problem of the thief that alway goes alone
to sneak around.  It is limited to one players (maybe two if they fall in love
with each other) but I have problem to make it run with a group.  As well
take each player alone for a session.  Like with the thief, I can deal with
a certain amount of it but not too much.  

    Even if it is a group event, like say the good old pub drink between
PCs, I am OK with it for a short time or when PCs meet important NPCs and
try to get some information (or start a brawl :^))  But, I would rather go
and have a pint with the players than roleplay a evening at the pub between
PCs.  

Any though ?



---
Inexperimented GM seeking advice from some "silver" GM

PS: BTW How does one roleplay reading a book ?
---

warning:
 sarcasm/irony included between the two "---"

Yannick
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: jc@optimla.aimla.com (John VanHoozer)
Subject: Re: Kender
Reply-To: jc@optimla.aimla.com (John VanHoozer)
Organization: OptImage Interactive Services Co., L.P.
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 92 16:45:12 GMT

My favorite/only kender character - forgot his name - was a great asset
to the party.  He was smart and never found things in his own
pouch.  

Scene:  Large circular room.  Small niche in wall with small chest in it.
Kender in room with 1 other character.  Others are in hall discussing 
what to do.

Fighter to Kender: You think that you can open that box?

Kender:  Sure.  it'll be easy.

Fighter:  It may be trapped.  Be careful.  I'll stand here in the
middle of the room.

Kender:  O.K.  [to the DM: I remove the box from the niche]

DM: As you remove the box,  you here a *snick*.  Mr. Fighter and you then
hear a loud *snick* and then you [the kender] hear a loud crash.

Fighter:  I didn't hear a loud crash?

DM:  No.  A trap door in the ceiling 30 ft overhead opened and a 
large (LARGE) iron trunk fell right on top of you.  You are dead.

Kender:  Did I pull on a cord that release the trap door?

DM: why yes.  there is a limp cord dangling from the back of the small
box in your hand.

Kender:  If there is a hand of the fighters exposed then I'll put the
small box in it.

DM: OK.  There was and it's done.  Now what?

Kender;  I race out into the hall looking stricken and yell for help
and when every one gets in side I tell them that he pulled the cord and
set off the trap!

DM:   Very good! 


					jc
-- 
___________________________________________________________________________
John C. VanHoozer			     |
OptImage Interactive Services Company, L.P.  |  uunet!{optimage,aimla}!jc
11040 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite #300	     |  Fax:  (310)445-5720
Los Angeles, Ca. 90025			     |  Phone:(310) 445-5721
___________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer:
   Opinions,  yew doone neeed my steenkeeng Opinions.

Carpe Diem:  A carp a day, that's all we ask.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd,rec.games.frp.misc
From: cwatters@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Coyt D Watters)
Subject: COMPILATION: Request for some Lines.
Followup-To: cwatters@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
Summary: Send me some descriptives
Reply-To: cwatters@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
Organization: The Ohio State University
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 18:34:25 GMT

Please note crossposting!

I am working on a little program (aren't we all) to create NPCs
usable under ADND and ADND2.1.

Instead of creating a character with simple numeric stats (which I already
have), I want to DESCRIBE the stats.

For Example, if a Character has a strength of 16, instead of :

STR: 16

My program will output :

He looks stronger than the average person

or for an 18;

She has an amazingly developed set of muscles, you think she might be able
to pick up your horse with one hand.

(of course, matching gender is a simple task.

A sample output (right off the top of my head):

Calen Herzig	Class: Cleric	Thaco: 14  Race: Human

A stiff breeze presents problems for him.
He has spent a lot of time in study and research.
Sometimes he must be reminded to come in out of the rain.
He constantly bumps into things and is dangerous to himself with sharp objects.
A lot of damage would have to be done to him.
People don't pay much attention or listen to him very often.

Then the program will follow up with ht/wt hair/eyes, secondary skills/
non-weapon proficiencies.

Finally, using information similar to that in the back of the 1st edition
_DMG_, personality traits would be added.  If anyone has good descriptive
phrases which match these tables, please include them.

****************************************

Now the request:

As you can see from the example above, I can't come up with very good
descriptions of the various attribute ratings.  What I'd like the 
Net.community to do is send me, in the following format, descriptive
values for the ratings of different scores.

SUBJECT you message as COMPILIATION.

First, header each section like this:

HEADER, STRENGTH

then please do VALUE,Description

Value should be in tha range 3-18 (no decimal values please), and the 
description should include the following symbols to denote different 
pronouns:

$ he,she	% him,her	# his her	@ his,hers

Example:

HEADER,STRENGTH
16, $ looks like $ is better than average in the muscle department.
8, # strength is nothing to brag about
3, You wonder how $ can hold up # own weight, let alone that of # clothes.

If you have an idea for the personality section from the 1st edition DMG, I
need a different format:

Item, Value, Description

Piety, Fanatic, $ is very militant about # beliefs and will gladly kill or
die in the name of # Power.

I'll compile these lists into a usable format, and upload them to Tybalt
or some FTP site so anyone can use them.  Once the program is done, It'll
be placed into public domain and put on the FTP site.

EMAIL (note Followup and Reply should automatically come to me) me at
cwatters@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu with your additions to the list.
I'll try to keep track of everyone who responds and put your accountnames
into a 'Credits' file.

Thanks!
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: dclayton@bnr.ca (Don Clayton)
Subject: Re: 2nd Ed. Players Handbook errata?
Reply-To: dclayton@bnr.ca (Don Clayton)
Organization: Bell-Northern Research Ltd.
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 18:57:20 GMT

In article <19262@ector.cs.purdue.edu>, dgc@cs.purdue.EDU (Doug Crabill) writes:
|> 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

I would like this also.  Could some one tell me the sight and file, or
post it, or email it to me.

Thanks
Don
My brain, my thoughts, my words.
Let's pretend that protestants and catholics are friends.
   Northern Pikes
From: wright@latcs1.lat.oz.au (Michael G. Wright)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Psionic-problem
Date: 14 Aug 92 02:45:42 GMT
Organization: Comp Sci, La Trobe Uni, Australia

In article <1992Aug13.102612.27049@ifi.uio.no> kjetilgr@ifi.uio.no (Kjetil Granlien) writes:
>
>What would you do if a psionist used (oh sh.. I forgot the name of the
>power. let me describe it: you become almost like ethernalness.
>That is a fog.. or cloud and you are able to pass through material as
>if it didn't exist. You can take with you some pounds of equipment 
>in the change as well. You know what I mean!?)
>to kill people. The way he does it is he goes into his cloudlike state
>and takes his sword with him. Then he sneaks(glides, floats) up on the 
>monster(or npc or pc) and he puts his sword through the enemy's body(or head)
>and then he goes back to normal form. The sword which is now solid is 
>potruding from it's victims head or body.. Death follows quite naturally.
>
Well, what if the cloud could not penetrate living matter? This is exactly 
how the etherealness is worked out in normal rules (see the Manual of the
Planes). So a character couldn't go into a human or other form. To stop a
character from going through a wall, simply grow _lots_ of moss or vines on
it. 
	I find that this method is very balanced and easy to implement.

	Comments?

 

-- 
Michael Wright            _-_|\     Peg- "Al, can I have a thousand bucks?" 
LaTrobe University,      /     \     Al- "Why sure honey, have you got change
Melbourne, Australia.    \_.-_*/          for a million?"
wright@latcs1.lat.oz.au       v                Married with children. :-)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: tremblay@leland.Stanford.EDU (Marc Tremblay)
Subject: Re: Tarresque - Anyone killed one?
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 92 23:42:12 GMT

In article <1992Aug19.190028.21199@mcs.kent.edu> adray@Chaos.mcs.kent.edu (Adam Dray) writes:
>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?
>
>It's a trick question.
>
>Tarrasques don't exist in non-MH, non-Munchkin campaigns.
>
>
>						Adam.

Hmmm, I'm not sure I agree. Granted, I haven't looked at its specs in
a while... But, I think a cleaver/ressourceful party of reasonable
level could come up with a clever way of defeating one given adequate
preparation time. It would be interesting to see. Obviously, they
wouldn't go head to head with it...


========================================================
| Marc Tremblay                  |  There's no time    |
| tremblay@sunrise.stanford.edu  |  like the pleasant  |
========================================================
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd