HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: warren@apple.com (Chris Warren)
Subject: Re: Critical Hits
Followup-To: rec.games.frp.dnd
Organization: Taligent.com
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 18:46:00 GMT

The system I have used in the past is as follows.

Roll to hit.  Natural 20 gives the attacker a chance for a critical.
Roll to hit again, if a hit is scored, roll double dammage.
A second natural 20 gives the attacker a chance for IK (Instant Kill).
In this case, roll to hit a third time and if a hit is scored, the
victem goes to 0 HP and is bleading 1 HP/round.  If medical attention
is given, the character can be revived normally.  If a third natural
20 is rolled, then the victem is Instantly Killed.

All of these assume that something less than a 20 is needed to hit.
If a twenty or higher is needed to hit then the first natural 20
is an automatic hit, and you roll again.  If a 20 is scored then
check for a critical as above.

The advantage of this system is that it adds excitment to combat
with out it getting out of hand.  Players and inteligent monstors
can usually survive an IK attack if they medical attention.
With this system a week character or monster can overcome overwhelming
odds and defeat a powerful opponent-- and that's the stuff from which
legends are born from.

In my campaign, binding a wound stops the bleeding, and
conciciousness is regained one day after the HPs become postive.
So anyone who goes negative needs to rest for at least one full day,
even they are brought above 0 immediately.  If a powerful spell
that removes other conditions (like heal), or a wish is used, the
character can be roused immediately.

--Chris
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: loren@leland.Stanford.EDU (Elina Aulikki Compton)
Subject: RE: The TSR Trap
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 92 20:46:49 GMT

Okay, now I think that everyone is right regarding this!  Let's not
altercate about the grey-areas.  It's pointless.  TSR, obviously,
has great, creative ideas- and so do we all!!!!  Let's not get
caught up with it, though!  If you are letting TSR take over your
own creativity, that is bad.  If you need some TSR help, that is
okay!  Almost everyone I know will incorperate the ideas of TSR
into their own world, RPG, etc.: that is using both their own and
TSR's imagination!  But with those "more experienced" players & DM's, 
I think that the general trend diminishes upon TSR products.

I think it boils down to your personal EXP level.  If you need a
greater basis, by all means get your hands on Norse Myths, Tolkien,
Eddings, or any fantasy author you like.  And also, buy the TSR 
products you find the most creative and interesting.  We all need
a fantasy-foundation from somewhere, of course.  But even so, keep
open-minded about your own capabilities and potential. -Just make
a Wisdom check (sorry about that pun).

					Sincerely,
	
					Scott (loren@leland.stanford.edu)
From: st1pd@rosie.uh.edu (Robertson, David J.)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Troll Regeneration : A New Question (Maybe)
Date: 9 Oct 92 22:35:00 GMT
Article-I.D.: rosie.9OCT199217352071
Organization: University of Houston
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41


     If you put the largest part of a chopped up troll in a small space,
how could it regenerate a new body?  Would it burst the chest, or wait 
for a bigger space to grow?  And how long would it take for a troll to
starve to death, considering their high metabolism.
From: Devon_Sheppard@mindlink.bc.ca (Devon Sheppard)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: XP........
Date: 13 Oct 92 23:00:18 GMT
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Distribution: world

Geoffrey@yvax.byu.edu writes:

>       A system a friend of mine uses for people is: They're worth 1% of
>the X.P. that they currently have.  (Someone who's barely a second level
>fighter with 2100 X.P. would be worth 21 X.P. if you killed him).

>        It seemed accurate to me.  Hope you like it.

>        Geoffrey Eastbrook

The percentage idea makes good sense, but surely a little more than 1%... at
21xp, it would take 3 second level fighters to equal the xp value of a single
zombie. And (N)PCs are sure to fight a little better than animated undead...
maybe 10% or 20%, I'd think.

Let's see (grabbing DMG)... your average 2nd level fighter: 17 Str, Longsword
specialization, at least banded mail and a shield; that works out to 65xp for
your average Joe Fighter. If he's got a +1 sword, tosses daggers or somesuch,
has a good Con and Dex, and wields two weapons, he could be worth 650xp (for
2HD, AC<0, 4+ attacks/round, greater than normal hp, missile weapons, magic
items, and multiple attacks causing 30+ point of damage). This is a little
extreme, I know, but you see my point.

I know that a percentage idea gets a little out of hand at way-high levels,
but then, the PCs are way-high as well, so 50xp means absolutely nothing to
them (especially if you split it between half a dozen characters :). The xp
given has to be commensurate with both the risks taken and the current
character level, such that the characters are actually gaining something for
fighting that 15th level fighter and his henchmen.

  Devon

--
devon_sheppard@mindlink.bc.ca

Organization: Freshman, CIT general, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Date: Fri,  9 Oct 1992 16:24:21 -0400 
From: "Jordan M. Wolbrum" <jw67+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: Intelligent opponents:Dragon
 ><1992Oct5.120254.13349@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu><1992Oct7.004210.15057@usage.csd
 .unsw.OZ.AU><1992Oct7.015837.43652@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu><1992Oct8.031237.15843@eng.ufl.edu><1992Oct8.144022.29006@Princeton.EDU>
	<JAMIE.92Oct9220659@kauri.vuw.ac.nz>

>With all this talk of how undefeatable dragons are, I'd just like to
>ask a couple of questions. Like, why aren't they usually the dominant
>race in any game world? 

Numbers.  In almost all standard campaigns, there are thousands to
millions of people for each dragon.  Dragons are very territorial, and
many battles have been seen between the wyrm.  Also, for each evil
dragon type, there is a more powerful good dragon type.  Why don't the
good win?  For the same reason.  Usually, for reasons of balance, as
creatures advance in power, their numbers decline.  That's why orcs
breed faster and more prolifically than elves.
It's also how those pesky kobolds and goblins manage to stay alive.

\begindata{text,17029828}
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\template{default}
\majorheading{Jordan M. Wolbrum

}\center{\smaller{at jw67@andrew.cmu.edu

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From: dutech@reseau.Berkeley.EDU (Groupe ELEVES)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Lich & Demi-Lich...
Date: 14 Oct 92 08:23:09 GMT
Reply-To: dutech@reseau.Berkeley.EDU (Groupe ELEVES)

In article <Qen9xn200Uh_051CEr@andrew.cmu.edu>, jw67+@andrew.cmu.edu
(Jordan M. Wolbrum) writes:
> 
> What's all the commotion about a Lich?  It's just a monster, not even
> the most powerful undead!  Now a Type VI demon, that's a monster!

  A Lich ? Do we speak about the same thing ? The 18+ -level evil magic-
user (with all that comes with such a character), genius or higher
intelligence, who CHOSE to become undead ? Hey, I saw a lich kill almost
all the members of a group in 1 blast (the classical rock-to-mud/dispel-
magic/delayed blast fireball or chain lightning). A lich can think and
plan the meanest, nastiest, deadliest traps with mighty magic to help.
And you think it's not a big threat ?
  Of course, a lich NEVER relies to face-to-face combat... it leaves
such small matters in the hands of its underlings...
 
> 
> If you really need to kill a lich, have your henchman break the Staff of
> the Magi near it.  It will never survive.

  Well, if you still have henchmen after such a proposal, let me know...
I remind you what the books say about henchmen, that they are "more like
friends". Would you do that to your friend ? I'd rather do it myself.

  About the breaking of a Staff of the Magi, I have a few objections :

  1) It is one of the most powerful items a mage will ever possess. It
should be truly mythical in nature. The need better be GREAT !

  2) Won't some magic (wall of force, or even anti-magic shell) protect
the fiend from such a blast ?

  3) If you manage to come that close to the monster, then it doesn't
have necessary intelligence to be an archmage.... so it is not a lich.

  Happy gaming,

							Redwing.
From: mperry@waikato.ac.nz
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Trolls' regenerationad
Date: 16 Oct 92 15:11:56 +1300
Organization: University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand

In article <1992Oct10.174013.7487@iscsvax.uni.edu>, boelter3945@iscsvax.uni.edu writes:
> In article <70634@hydra.gatech.EDU>, ccoprdj@prism.gatech.EDU (Jorge Diaz)
>    writes:
>> 
>> Why would you have the troll's lifeforce inside a human regenerate TROLL
>> cells?  Since we know that the regeneration has nothing to do with the
>> troll's physical substance, why couldn't it just as easily regenerate
>> human (or dwarven, or elven, or gnomish, or whatever) cells?
> 
>    Ugh.  A Troll's lifeforce inside your own body?  Isn't that called
> possession?  Two lifeforces fighting each other for control of the one body? 
> This could produce interesting results (or nasty ones, depending on the GM).
> 
>    Besides, isn't it the body of the troll that regenerates (the cells
> themselves)?  The lifeforce just lives in the body, so once the body is
> destroyed (by those ever vigilent adventurers), then the lifeforce ceases to
> exist and the troll dies.
What about transplanting a players lifeforce into a troll? They would need a
system shock roll. Then the player (as a troll) could regenerate quickly.
From: seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Spell Points in DND
Date: 12 Oct 92 23:35:01 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh
Originator: seawasp@unixd2.cis.pitt.edu

In article <1992Oct12.113430.6978@nntp.hut.fi> pkokko@vipunen.hut.fi (Petri J Kokko) writes:
>The major advantage of a spell point system is that it allows
>the mage a greater flexibility, and the famous drawback in it
>is almost always that it allows a 20th level mage to cast zillions
>of magic missile spells. I think (almost) everyone agrees here.
>by giving him some points that are used up by casting. What we
>do not want is to allow him cast mega death with his magic missile
>arsenal.

	Why?

	I mean, a 20th level mage SHOULD BE CASTING  MEGADEATH! 
You should be shivering in STARK TERROR if you have to fight one!
20th level mages should be levelling small mountains, blasting
ancient dragons head to head. 

	Give the mages their due. They should be rare, powerful, feared,
and nasty. If you have ROLEplayers rather than ROLLplayers, there will
still be plenty of people playing other classes....

>It even gives the first-level mage more spells to cast and so
>he is not doomed to eternal boredom as the fighters of his party
>do everything. A very lucky tough 1st-level mage could cast
>even 4 spells before exhausting himself.

	Yep, and if that mage casts his MM early in the round and gets
bopped by a giant dust ball in the later part of the round, he dies.
Don't tie your magic power to hit points, unless they're "ghost" hit
points, that is, they aren't the same as your real HP, just equal to
your HP.

	I prefer the Arduin system: intelligence, times level/2. Spell
costs are 1.5*level of the spell, for the base cost, then multiplied by
any increase in power you get  (that is, a base fireball spell is 4.5
mana points [3*1.5], and one that is cast at a 10th level of power is
twice as powerful, so costs twice the base, or 9 points.).

				Sea Wasp
From: murphy@npri6.npri.com (David P. Murphy)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: The TSR Trap
Date: 13 Oct 92 15:30:26 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: NPRI, Alexandria VA

>Why do we all flip to the Dragonmirth page at first?
>
>loren@leland.Stanford.EDU (Elina Aulikki Compton)
>    but signed "Scott @ Stanford"

why do we all flip to the comics, and THEN read the rest of the newspaper?

ok
dpm
-- 
murphy@npri6.npri.com 602 Cameron St. Alexandria, VA 22314 (703) 683-9090

              When every one is dead the Great Game is finished.  Not before.
                              --- Hurree Babu, "Kim"
From: ccoprdj@prism.gatech.EDU (Jorge Diaz)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Trolls' regeneration
Date: 9 Oct 92 03:33:51 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

In article <1992Oct9.015652.915@usage.csd.unsw.OZ.AU> barnett@mummy.agsm.unsw.OZ.AU (Glen Barnett) writes:

Well, I made an earlier post about dismembering a troll, then using acid on
the biggest portion of the body, and seeing what would happen.  Would the
troll be dead, or would the lifeforce flee to another part?

Well, I got no response, but that's OK, it's only been about 12 hours.  However,
think about this:

Most people will say that you can't kill the troll that easily.  So, unless
some other option presents itself, the obvious answer is that the troll
lifeforce moves to the next largest part.....

OK, here's our scenerio:

A group has just succeeded in dismembering a troll.  The chest portion is
the biggest, so it contains the 'lifeforce' of the troll.  All other parts
will die in 24 hours if kept away from the chest.  Now, our characters bravely
hack the chest into itty bitty pieces.

So, is the troll now totally screwed?  Does the lifeforce move into another
piece?  (Let's assume it can't stay in the piece it was - instead of hacking
it, they burned it.)

If we assume that the lifeforce moves, and that the new piece containing the
lifeforce begins to regenerate, then we have ruled that it's not a very
high Constitution, or indeed any part of the troll's physical being (eg
his metabolism, or anything else) that enables it to regenerate, but rather
the lifeforce itself.  This is suggested by the explanation put forward
previously - that the largest part of the troll containing the lifeforce
is the one to regrow, while the rest die.

So, if it's the lifeforce and not the body of the troll that's responsible,
then what happens if someone else (say, a character) can somehow manage
to harness this lifeforce?

I can see a bunch of munchkins sitting around, with hacked-up troll parts
all over the place, using TRUE SIGHT, DETECT INVISIBLE, and maybe even
WISH, to track this lifeforce.

"OK, when I pour acid on the chest, watch for the lifeforce running out.
If you can stop it with the WALL OF FORCE, do it!"

Somehow, get this lifeforce into a globe, or maybe even a potion of
some kind....  Characters soon begin regenerating at 3 hp's per round.

It could happen!  Never underestimate the power of a munchkin.


-- 
Jorge Diaz                       | "I want you to remember, Clark... in all
Georgia Institute of Technology  |  the years to come, in your most private
Office of Information Technology |  moments...my hand at your throat.  I want
ccoprdj@prism.gatech.edu         |  you to remember the one man who beat you."
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: barnett@mummy.agsm.unsw.OZ.AU (Glen Barnett)
Subject: Re: Prismathic Sphere
Organization: The Australian Graduate School of Management
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 01:42:29 GMT

In article <marrou.718466057@eola.cs.ucf.edu> marrou@cs.ucf.edu 
(Lance R. Marrou) writes:
>brunborg@solan.unit.no (]dne Brunborg) writes:
>>I have a few questions about Prismatic Sphere:
   [stuff deleted]
>>The 6th colour (I think) stops gas. Dos this include oxygen? Or will the 
>>(N)PC's inside run out of air and suffer suffocating?
>This is such a minor and nit-picky rule, but I would again rule in favor of the
>magic user.  If a spell is on the same level as a wish, then something this
>minor would not happen.  You could also rule that enough air is in the
>sphere to last the duration of the spell.  Or that the 6th color just
>filters out all gas particles but oxygen.  Either one works and they are
>very plausible.
If you are going to leave it permeable to oxygen, better let through
nitrogen and carbon dioxide as well (breathing *pure oxygen* might not
be such a Good Thing(tm).). It seems to me the first option (the air inside
lasts the duration of the spell) might be better.

Glen (barnett@agsm.unsw.oz.au)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: Geoffrey@yvax.byu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Input wanted on a combat scenario
Date: 14 Oct 92 04:14:39 GMT
Reply-To: Geoffrey@yvax.byu.edu
Organization: BYU


	I can see how this would be difficult to answer with the rules.  It's hard to
run both grappling and melee at the same time.
	For the elf, I'd say grab a daggar and slash his wrist.  If he's being held
with one hand and hit with the other, I assume his arms aren't completely
restricted and it shouldn't be too hard to get to the vital point...at the very
least...if the "giant" sees what you're up to he may let you go just to get
away from the immediate danger.  Then, kick his butt.
	For the "Giant"...good luck, the rules just aren't exact on what he's trying
to do.  I once had a paladin who had a girdle of storm giant strength, boots of
striding and springing and a very nice pair of spiked gauntlets.  He liked to
have others distract evil dragons.  While their backs were turned, he'd fling
himself on to the tops of their backs.  With his legs wrapped around their
necks, he'd begin to hit them in the back of the head.  The gloves, because
they were metal and spiked, did actual damage rather than pummeling damage...it
was small but the strength bonus is what actually did the trick.  I'm not sure
how many punches you'd allow in a melee round, we used 6.  That was a total of
70+ pts. of damage in one round.  The dragon couldn't escape because my legs
were 24 strength and tightly wrapped around his neck, not to mention the fact
that it's questionable whether his arms could reach me.  I really couldn't miss
because his head was right in front of me and didn't bob around at all. 
Nonetheless, the referee was confused and didn't really know what to do about
it.  It just wasn't in the rules.
	I suppose that there is one thing you can do.  If you are so easily able to
overpower this guy, hold his head underwater for as long as it takes or simply
cup your hand over his nose and mouth and let the suffocation rules take
affect.  Aside from that, I really don't know.

Good Luck!
Geoffrey Eastbrook. 
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: cs202144@umbc8.umbc.edu (cs202144)
Subject: Re: The TSR Trap
Organization: University of Maryland, Baltimore County Campus
Distribution: na
Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1992 16:44:17 GMT

I admit I am pissed that it has become more of a money seeking venture than
a company who wants to support gaming. I have always been happy with 1st
Edtion AD&D. The rules were not always 100% clear in every aspect, but that
allowed for DM improvisation! The 2nd Edition is not compatible with the
1st Edition as far as I am concerned. Certain rules have totally changed,
certain classes perform different functions, and certain races have different
restrictions. It is not a Second Edition of AD&D! It is simply a second AD&D
in every sense. As far as I am concerned it is a different game altogether.
About the only good thing they did was make the schools of magic which even
that could use some additional explanation as to why certain schools oppose
others.

Forgotten Realms is a good world to play in. I tend to use generic modules and
find a place in the Forgotten Realms where it will fit without having to
chance any part of the world that has already been developed. Then the players
can never guess what module it is since it is a generic one converted for
a specific world.

That's how I feel!

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: cs202144@umbc8.umbc.edu (cs202144)
Subject: Re: Kobolds (Re: Intelligent opponents)
Organization: University of Maryland, Baltimore County Campus
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 19:36:07 GMT

>		I think I should warn you...Kobolds are Lawful Evil.
>				So are Orcs
>				So are Goblins...
>
>	Lawful Evils could come up with these kinds of plans easily!
>
>		Average(low) intelligence for Kobolds doesn't mean the
> leader might not have INT 13, which would justify that kind of plan!

Exactly! That Average (LOW) is only a racial average. Kobolds can have up to
probably 16 int in an 18 modified roll...
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: alvalent@husc10.harvard.edu (Alvin Valentine)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: The TSR Trap
Date: 12 Oct 92 13:35:05 GMT
Organization: Harvard University Science Center

Scott@Stanford writes:
But to continue on, buying countless $$$ of TSR stuff (outlined with
pretty pictures from Elmore/Parkinson/Easly/Cadwell/etc) will only
result in more dependence and in the long run (my theory) will lead
to a vegetative state of plot-seeking, monster-finding, new spell-
seeking, and fantasy burnout- if you let you money purchase away your
imagination.



Please!!!  I run a Ravenloft campaign, which, although it has its flaws, is
the finest campaign set I've ever seen put out.  It is inherently a game
unto itself.  Gothic-fantasy is a genre created by the boys at TSR in this
industry.  It's neat.  Am I on a road to vegetative plots, et. al.

Well, last night I ran a Cesare Borgia style Italian run based upon a 
Saturnalian feast from the pages of Heroe de Balzac's    WILD ASS'S SKIN.

Now if you analyze literature of the genre you play in to make your plots 
let me know.  Certainly it is not the sign of greatness, but the sign of
someone who cares about their game.  In the long run you say?  I've played
RPGs since 4th grade and now I'm a senior in college.  I've played 2nd ed.
AD&D since it hit the shelves.  I do not feel that TSR has crippled my
creativity.  It's a nice controversy you're trying to start up, but you
may be playing to the wrong crowd.  We all have our problems with AD&D, but
if you expect much support you probably won't find tons of it save for
anti-TSR activists going out of their way to subscribe to this news forum.
This is rec.games.frp.dnd, after all, and that implies we all play D&D or
AD&D*.  We may not be fond of everything about them, but...

It wouldn't make sense for all of us to be anti-D&D everything and sit here
chatting about the products all day.

Moreso, friend, the mere fact that this forum exists should prove to you
that TSR has not stifled our collective imagination. 
 

 
Later,
 
Lee Valentine
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: n36ia@pnet16.cts.com (Et3 Francis)
Subject: Re: Many-to-one combats
Organization: People-Net [pnet16], NCTAMS EASTPAC
Date: Sat, 10 Oct 1992 12:56:04 GMT

I believe that shields are only able to be used in the first 1 or 2 attacks
depending on the shield type. Another thing to take into account is the fact
that at least a few of the attacks will be from behind and therefore you get
no dex bonus to them. This should bring most characters AC down to the point
that they are in serious trouble against a pack of monsters.
                                Brian

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From: young@wattle.dg.oz (Philip Young)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Magic Resistance
Date: 14 Oct 92 01:45:48 GMT
Organization: Data General Australia

What exactly is "standard" magic resistance?  Does this really mean "none"? 

-- 
Philip R. Young                   | When the chips are down, you can
Data General Australia Pty. Ltd.  | steak your life on Sir Lloyne!
 
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd