HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: mayla@ais.org (Doreen Devlin)
Subject: Re: High STR & small weapons (was: Re: Optional Specialization Ruling
Organization: Sossal, Faerun
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 03:03:26 GMT

In article <Bt74CG.3Eu@apollo.hp.com> keary@apollo.HP.COM (Matt Keary) writes:
>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

  What??  That's what having the ambidextrous proficiency is _for_!!!  You
don't _have_ an off-hand!!!

  That DM is being just a bit silly....


Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: spanky@wam.umd.edu (Mephistopheles (The Devil))
Subject: Re: Anti-paladins
Organization: University of Maryland, College Park
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 21:40:04 GMT


Anti-Paladin?!?  What the heck is that?  There is no way to explain an
anti-paladin without pissing off anyonw who plays a paladin.  How does a
Paladin gain his extraordinary abilities?  Discipline, devotion to higher
principles than everyone else.  That's hard!  You have to supress all those
little urges to kill this guy or that guy, take this gold, attack without
provocation, etc...  The Anti-Paladin, on the other hand, acts as he or
she pleases, slaying without any care whatsoever, stealing, etc...  Where's
the difficulty in that?  Where's the hardship he or she goes through to earn
the special powers?

You wanna piss off all the Paladins in your campaign, go for it.  Me, I need
a little more reason to add such an unbalanced class.
--JLW
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: goldman@orac.CRAY.COM (Matthew D. Goldman)
Subject: Re: Gender in D&D
Organization: Cray Research, inc.
Date: 21 Aug 92 14:57:25 CDT

In article <1992Aug21.183320.11919@nas.nasa.gov> cassie@worf.nas.nasa.gov (Cassandra L. Baldassano) writes:
>In the group I game with we have almost 50/50 male to female players.
>Our DM likes us to have us play our own gender. It gets quite interesting
>when our female players use the female sexuality to get information
>out of the NPC's. We have had a couple characters come up pregnant :)
>
>Cassandra Baldassano

Am I the only person to think of using the 2nd edition proficiancy
"Herbalism" to prevent/abort unwanted pregnancies?  I was the first
person to pass the referee a note, and our characters were not even
rolled up yet!

M

-- 
Matthew Goldman          E-mail: goldman@ferris.cray.com
Fax: (612) 683-3099                 Work: (612) 683-3061
"There is nothing wrong with the software that rm won't cure.~
		-Arnie Romo
From: ccoprdj@prism.gatech.EDU (Jorge Diaz)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Multi-Class Hit Points
Date: 16 Aug 92 12:28:57 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

In article <1992Aug13.214806.12344@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> 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

Which is exactly what you should expect.

A fighter uses d10, a thief, d6, and a mage, d4, so the most a fighter
could get is 10, the most a theif could get is 6, and the most a mage
could get is4.

10 + 6 + 4 / 3 = 6.666666

Round down, and you have 6.  So the most a fighter/thief/mage could get
is 6.  Makes sense to me.

>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 .

But it's so much more powerful than a single-class character.

And the levels difference isn't that much.

I play a half-elven cleric/mage.   After earning 10,000 XP, I will have
5,000 XP.  The other mage in the party will have 10,000 XP (let's assume
we both gain XP equally).

At 10,000, he's at level 4.  At 5,000 I'm at level 3.  So even though he
has twice as many XP as me, it's only a one level difference.  With 1/3,
I can see how it could be a 2 level difference, but it shouldn't be more
than that.


-- 
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: ecrjbruce@economics.adelaide.edu.au
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: <None>
Date: 20 Aug 92 08:08:26 GMT
Organization: Economics, University of Adelaide


 
> As a ranger wearing studded leather you can attack twice per round
> (say, once with your dagger and once with your long sword) with no
> inconvenience even if your DEX is as low as 13.  Quite an asset
> when you're one of the front fighters.
> 
> Give it a try, being able to kill an opponent fast can save your
> life more surely than a set of Plate Mail +2.


NOT!!

No way would I swap a suit of plate +2 for the right to have an extra attack. 
The ranger will die very quickly in a combat zone ifhe doesn't wearany sensible
form of armour.  My point is that in some instances, such  as those where a lot 
of combat is expected itmakessense forthe rangerto wear heavy armour and
exploit the ability of his class to do so.  Give that up for 1 extra attack? I
think  not.

regs

Rob
From: yt1@eng.cam.ac.uk (Y. Tremblay)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Roleplaying personal stuff (Re: Experience ...)
Date: 17 Aug 92 23:02:20 GMT
Organization: Cambridge University Engineering Department, UK

In article <Bt3KF0.DtB@acsu.buffalo.edu> swann@acsu.buffalo.edu (Stephen Swann) writes:
>In article <1992Aug16.105943.3395@eng.cam.ac.uk> yt1@eng.cam.ac.uk (Y. Tremblay) writes:
>>>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,
>>
>>    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 ?   
>
>Two answers:
>
>(1)  the whole group partakes.
> Example: the adventurers go to visit their friend and one-time
>patron, the Baron of Altros.  They are very familar with this part of
    [First nice example deleted]

   Yes, exactly.  It is the way it's going to be describe in my games too.
About this length.  We all understand what happen and that it was mainly 
unimportant.

>(2) Soloing personal stuff
> A lot of times the party just decided to take a month for everybody
>to do their own thing.  We split the group, and everybody soloes the
>next couple of playing sessions (or works in very small groups, like
>maybe two).  Erileth will go to visit the thief that he's been in a
    [Stuff deleted]

   You mean really you regulary play many (a couple of playing session)
soloes with each of your players.  I could do it once or two but not 
regulary.  (No wonder why you don't have time to prepare :-))

>Sometimes, even when the group splits, we don't play it out in detail.
>I do a quick determination of "exceptional events" that might occur
>while they're doing this stuff, and if nothing significant happens,
>then we just "say" that it was done, and that the party rendezvous 
>in a month, and we start from there.
>
   It is the way I am used to handle the situation.  Most of what happen 
during this time is not significant so we just say it.  Unless a few 
significant thing happen...  It is roleplayed really fast.  However, 
someone (Steve) said that his player spend more time roleplaying that kind
of stuff than actually "adventuring".  So, I'd like to know how.

Yannick
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: mclellan@maximillion.mcc.com (David McLellan)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Monty Haul (was Re: Levels)
Date: 18 Aug 92 15:32:00 GMT
Organization: MCC Corporate Computing
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

>I know that this term has been used since second edition D&D at least ( I
>believe it appears in the glossary ), but I wondered if anyone knows where
>the term actually comes from? A DM called Monty? I've been waiting nine
>long years, and no-one seems to know.

An early and long-time host (maybe the original host) of "Let's Make a 
Deal" was Monty Hall.  It's a short step from Monty Hall to Monty Haul 
once you have these facts. :)

This is my opinion (as well as others opinion) as to the origin of the 
term.  There may (on Internet, read - will ) be others with a 
difference of opinion.

:)  for the humor-impared

David
From: tgt33358@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Deus Imperator)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Anti-paladins
Date: 21 Aug 92 16:22:02 GMT
Article-I.D.: news.BtCDGr.L94
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana

In article <1992Aug20.214004.7276@wam.umd.edu> spanky@wam.umd.edu (Mephistopheles (The Devil)) writes:
>
>Anti-Paladin?!?  What the heck is that?  There is no way to explain an
>anti-paladin without pissing off anyonw who plays a paladin.  How does a
>Paladin gain his extraordinary abilities?  Discipline, devotion to higher
>principles than everyone else.  That's hard!  You have to supress all those
>little urges to kill this guy or that guy, take this gold, attack without
>provocation, etc...  The Anti-Paladin, on the other hand, acts as he or
>she pleases, slaying without any care whatsoever, stealing, etc...  Where's
>the difficulty in that?  Where's the hardship he or she goes through to earn
>the special powers?
>
>You wanna piss off all the Paladins in your campaign, go for it.  Me, I need
>a little more reason to add such an unbalanced class.
>--JLW

I'm not sure where the term originated, but the best example of Mr. Death
I have found is _Paladin of the Night_ by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman.
It contains full details on how they do what they do.
-- 
Thanatos, DeathUrge, Master of Everything But Love tgt33358@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu
"Oh God, does this mean we have to fight?"
			-Selina Kyle, _Batman_
From: kgieselm@bonnie.ics.uci.edu (Kenneth Gregory Gieselman)
Subject: Re: Paladins
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Reply-To: kgieselm@ics.uci.edu (Kenneth Gregory Gieselman)
Organization: Univ. of Calif., Irvine, Info. & Computer Sci. Dept.
Date: 17 Aug 92 07:15:47 GMT

The paladin is a great class.  I like nothing more (except perhaps CE
characters) than playing a hard-nosed, inflexibly principled paladin.
Paladins, because of their Charisma and large numbers of hit points, usually
end up in a leadership position within the party, a marvelous place from
which to "lead the fight against the Darkness."

In my current campaign, my paladin is the leader of the party and finds
fulfillment in educating the ignorants of society - whether with reason or
force.  Honorable and polite, he can usually "bring a peasant into the Light"
with no more than rhetoric.  Occassionally, however, force is required -
usually against reticent monsters or evil humanoids (goblins, orcs, unpleasant
elves/dwarves, thieving halflings, etc.)  The most fulfilling thing he does is
demand that a town "reach into and embrace the Light, moving away from the
Darkness," and enforcing that demand.  But killing "evil" monsters is also
nice for entertainment.

Evil acts, characters, thoughts, etc., are not tolerated within the party.
More than one thief has gone with a broken nose, arm, etc., to study the path
to "the Light".
Organization: Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 16:54:51 -0400 
From: Alex Feely <af2e+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: RE: Elven Chain Mail (why?)

Hello,

    As far as I know, the reason the elves make it is as follows. The
mail gives bonuses to stealth and other things, such as magic, that are
part of an elves life. in my campaign it was developed for the hunting
of beasts to supply ritual feasts with food. A little wierd but it gave
my players a feel for it's specialness. The reason it wasn't made by
dwarves is they don't use magic, so why would they use armour that
allows magic!

                                                                        
              Sincerely
                                                                        
           Alex feely
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: Rannou@info.polymtl.ca (Patrick Rannou)
Subject: Re: Tarresque - Anyone killed one?
Organization: Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, Canada
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 1992 09:26:46 GMT

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?

Well, there was that time when the party entered that 10' x 10' room and
met a band of tarrasques... 

They ran. Of course, when I told them it was just a joke, they stopped.

I mean, how many tarrasques can dance on a pinhead?

Answer: Take the numbers of angels that can and divide by one google.

;-)

Pat.
--
/---------------------------\
| Patrick "Paradak" Rannou. |
| Rannou@info.polymtl.ca    |
\---------------------------/
From: Loball@cup.portal.com (Bill - Vitro)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Elven Chain Mail (Why?)
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 92 09:23:23 PDT
Organization: The Portal System (TM)

For a history of elven chain mail, the reader is referred to "The Lord of
the Rings", a fantasy novel series by T.R.R. Tolkein.  Of course, EGG and
D.A. did _not_ lift this item from the good Mr. Tolkein's works for
use in *D&Dv*, since that might constitute plagerism, copyright violation, 
or, heaven forfend, even a lack of creativity.  Other than that, maybe
elves created "elven chain mail" as a way of protecting themselves while 
still being able to dance in that carefree and flighty manner so well
known to anyone who reads works by TSR.
   Another possibility: Elven chain mail is a money gathering method used
by unscrupulous elves, primarily on Hobbits^H^H^H^H^H^H^H Half-lings.  This
was originally documented in the afore-mentioned Tolkein novels.  I believe
the letter said something like:
   "Send one gold ring to the 5 creatures listed at the top of this letter,
and you will bring yourself good luck.  If you fail to do this, you will
invite disaster down upon yourself.  One little hobbit from the shire lost
his letter and was immediately sent on an _adventure_ to the Dark Tower.
Fortunately for him, he found it while on his journey, and was able to send 
it to some friends he had met while on the road.  This saved him from falling
into the heart of fire (although he lost a finger in the process), but when
he got back, he lived a long comfortable life, and was then allowed to _go 
with the elves when they sailed to the East_.  Don't let this happen to you!
Send the gold rings (please make sure they have something engraved on them 
first) to the creatures listed above, cross out one of the names and replace
it with yours, and then send it to 10 of your friends.   Good Luck!"

	;)		Billy
Have a day.  :|
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: mxr@neptune.dsc.com (Max "Spectral Hootenanny Honker" Rible)
Subject: Re: Paladins
Organization: Digital Sound Corporation
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 19:39:46 GMT

yt1@eng.cam.ac.uk (Y. Tremblay) writes:
>In article <66181@hydra.gatech.EDU> ccoprdj@prism.gatech.EDU (Jorge Diaz) writes:
>>In article <2A8F5222.28205@ics.uci.edu> kgieselm@ics.uci.edu (Kenneth Gregory Gieselman) writes:
>>>Evil acts, characters, thoughts, etc., are not tolerated within the party.
>>>More than one thief has gone with a broken nose, arm, etc., to study the path
>>>to "the Light".

>>Man, you would HATE our party.  Considering some of the guys I play with,
>>your paladin would wake up one morning with his throat slit.
>>:-)

>   Error Jorge, he would _NOT_ wake up :-)  

That depends on whether the party necromancer thought a paladin's body
would make a particularly fine servant.  Handsome, strong, knew how
to wield weapons in life, already equipped with armor that fits... :-)

(I don't know that there's a necromancer in the party, I'm just
recalling my current Ars Magica group, which benefits from the company
of Klopec the Necrophiliac Necromancer who Dabbles in Diabolism...)

"Evil acts, characters, thoughts, etc., are not tolerated..."  That
would get a number of my quite-Good characters annoyed (especially as
I have a mage who likes to suggest things like "Why don't we burn down
the village that the enemy is hiding in, and anyone who survives is
obviously tough enough to be the enemy," and then has to spend ten
minutes convincing the rest of the party it was a joke before they
*try it*...  he wasn't used to adventuring with parties with no
particular moral code on that occasion.).  The only true conversion
achieved by violence is usually followed by visits from vultures and
jackals and a proliferation of worms and bacteria.  I could certainly
see a ranger of mine leaving someone like that at the bottom of his
"people important to the survival of the party" list, and not feeling
very remorseful if the fellow became dragon bait.  ("Why pay for his
resurrection?  Think of how many more reasonable knights that money
could train!")
/-------------v-----------------------v---------------------------------------\
| Max Rible   | mxr@dsc.com           | "Powerful big rats, gentlemen."       |
|             | rible@vorpal.ucsb.edu |                         - Neil Gaiman |
\-------------^-----------------------^---------------------------------------/
--
From: phil@adam.adelaide.edu.au (Phil Kernick)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Bastard DM From Hell Pt 2
Date: 17 Aug 92 06:06:08 GMT
Organization: University of Adelaide, South Australia

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

>>The latest ruling from the BDMFH is that if a Ranger wears armour heavier than
>>studded leather then he is not acting as a ranger but as  a fighter, and so
>>does not gain any experience.

>	If the Ranger is NOT specifically prohibited from wearing armor of
>any type, the only thing I'd have studded leather do is affect his ability
>to sneak around and move very quickly. Of COURSE he's still going to gain
>experience. This GM is becoming more twitlike the more I hear of him.

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.

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?

>>Another ruling that got me - my spell book wieghs more than a suit of plate
>>mail!  We just captured this book which is about 2' *1'6" * 6" and it weighs at
>>least 60lbs!

>	Two feet by one and a half and a half and it weighs SIXTY POUNDS?
>My GOG, what in all the seven hells of space is it MADE of, IRON? Or is
>it like one of the books in B.C. -- carved in stone?

As it was never pointed out, I suppose that I will say.  It is bound in a
wooden jacket that is about 1/2" thick and has a very large and ornate metal
lock on it.  Before flaming anyone, go find a piece of dense wood that is
about the size of the book and pick it up.



Phil.

-- 
   _-_|\    Phil Kernick                E-Mail: phil@adam.adelaide.edu.au
  /     \   Departmental Engineer       Phone:  +61 8 228 5914
  \_.-*_/   Dept. of Psychology         Fax:    +61 8 224 0464
       v    University of Adelaide      Mail:   GPO Box 498 Adelaide SA 5001
From: ecrjbruce@economics.adelaide.edu.au
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Bastard DM From Hell Pt 2
Date: 15 Aug 92 12:13:37 GMT
Organization: Economics, University of Adelaide

Well he's at it again!!  This time it affects our Ranger, not me

The latest ruling from the BDMFH is that if a Ranger wears armour heavier than
studded leather then he is not acting as a ranger but as  a fighter, and so
does not gain any experience.  I disagrred with this because we are in a very
combat oriented situation at present (at least he doesn't force my mage into
melee any more!) so it would be logical for a fighter subclass which is not
specificvally prohibited from wearing armour of a heavier type to do so.  Yet
if he does he won't get exp!!  Does this seem logical to anyone?

Another ruling that got me - my spell book wieghs more than a suit of plate
mail!  We just captured this book which is about 2' *1'6" * 6" and it weighs at
least 60lbs!  So the dumb half ogre is lugging that around for me.....

Just as a general question how do you guys rule on recharging things like wands
etc.  I can't seem to find it anywhere - all the books seem to give is airy
fairy well-it-can-be-done-but-we-aren't-going-to-tell-you-how sort of rulings. 
Ideas would be appreciated.

regs

Rob
From: tagg@hg.uleth.ca (Nathaniel Tagg)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Bastard DM From Hell Pt 2
Date: 18 Aug 92 16:36:51 GMT
Reply-To: tagg@hg.uleth.ca
Organization: University of Lethbridge

In article <phil.714118354@adam.adelaide.edu.au>, phil@adam.adelaide.edu.au (Phil Kernick) writes:
>ccoprdj@prism.gatech.EDU (Jorge Diaz) writes:

>Secondly, before anyone else flames me, *GO*AND*TRY*IT*.  I got the 1992
>>Adelaide Yellow Pages, which measures 11"x9"x3" and weights 6lb.
>
>The spellbook measures 24"x18"x6" and so has a volume of 8.73 times that
>of the phone book, hence would weigh in at 8.73*6 = 52.4lb
>
>As I have previously said it has a wooden cover on it that is about 1/3"
>thick and a large metal lock.  Does anyone really believe that this would
>not weigh 60lb.
>
>The characters found it on a large pedestal (not in a bookshelf) and it did
>not look as if it had been moved in a very long time (opened - yes,
>transported - no).
>
>
>Regs,
>Phil.

   Further, many important volumes such as spellbooks may be made with thin
_metal_ pages... this would be even heavier.  Yep, spellbooks are BIG.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          Nathaniel Tagg               The U of Hell,  Lethbridge, AB
    "It's just a matter of putting one point seven nine five three seven two
and two point two oh four six two eight together."     --The Doctor 
___The opinions expressed by the author of the preceding message are not 
nessesarily representative of the opinions of the author of the
preceding message.____
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------