HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: griffin@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Zack Thompson)
Subject: Re: Most powerful first level spell
Keywords: enlarge
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 06:35:31 GMT

In article <By5JIn.EDu@news.cso.uiuc.edu> ses52823@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Marius) writes:
>
>You only need to have a point-to-point connection for transfer
>of electricity;  I would assume that a rip or deficiency in said
>padding would qualify as a potential armor-to-skin touch zone.
>
>The Shock would travel over the course of the chainmail and course
>into either a sleeve or gorget/helmet connection where subsequent
>electrocution would take place... 
>
>You CAN'T convince me that someone can completely insure that the chain
>mail armor they're wearing touches NO part of the wearer's body... even
>if the person tried to engineer this the motions of adventuring and
>battle would strain the padding anyway such that there would be a
>contact zone.
>
>Your point about water-born electricity spells is probably a good one
>though... The area of effect is pretty limited too (ionization only
>really occurs within small defined volumes of water... this is why
>you don't see miles of dead fish every time lightning hits the ocean)
>
>*
>
>Marius
>
>*
>.
>


Howdy-

ZT here.

And hell, think about the sweat your average battle works up.  Contact 
  all over.

Just for the Record.

                       The Crystal Griffin
From: young@wattle.dg.oz (Philip Young)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: New D&D Alignment ...
Date: 17 Nov 92 06:44:22 GMT
Organization: Data General Australia

In article <raa.056x@guild.socal.com>, raa@guild.socal.com (Raa Lopez) writes:
> One of My friends created an alignment for D&D ... and I think I should share it with everyone.
> 
> It's called "Ammoral".
[...]| 
> Then you have the Ammoral ... who does what he damn well pleases. He can do both good things ... nuetral things ... and evil things ...
> 
> Ammoral is like neutral with a weird twist ... 
> 
> Well ... whaddya think?

Not much, sorry.  It's even worse than CN, which is hard to play well.
It just invites the PC to avoid creative roleplaying and substitute
personal grandstanding.  Far too many memories of long, boring evenings
where some idiot goes off on a tangent totally irrelevant to the 
campaign or the interests of the other PCs.

-- 
Philip R. Young                   | Sir Lloyne ... the kind of guy  
Data General Australia Pty. Ltd.  | you'd really like to meat.
 
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: s9877751@phobos.ucc.umass.edu (s9877751)
Subject: AD&D Survey!!! (near the end)
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 21:30:00 GMT

Keep those replies coming!  November 22nd, this Sunday, is the last day that
my mailbox will be open to votes for your favourite AD&D modules of all time.
So, you have until Nov. 22.

here's the survey, incase you missed it. (though i don't see how that's really
possible).

(1) WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE AD&D MODULE(S)/ADVENTURE(S)?--please include the
	full title and moduel #, if you can.
(2) BRIEFLY STATE WHY--only if you want to.

thanx, to all who have replied, and will reply.
Matt

I will post a final summary, including all modules that got at least one vote,
sometime next week!

As always, mail your choice(s) to me at:
s9877751@phobos.ucc.umass.edu

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: brunborg@alkymi.unit.no (]dne Brunborg)
Subject: Disbeliving Invisibility (Was Re: How do UNDEAD see?)
Organization: Norwegian Institute of Technology
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 92 18:03:33 GMT

In article <kf1220200UhWQ4yQNc@andrew.cmu.edu>, "Jordan M. Wolbrum" <jw67+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:
> >Exactly!  That is why the spell Invisibility to Undead exists.  The normal
> >2nd level invisibility does not work against them.
> 
> Incorrect!  The reason that Invis to Undead exists is that it is one
> level lower than regular invisibility.  Where does it say that all
> undead can see invisible objects?  Do they all have true sight?  Some
> undead are immune to illusions(zombies and skeletons) but why should a
> ghost be?  The curse of intelligence is that it can be deceived.
> -JW
> 
> 
> -The Wizard


Yes, but boes "immunity to illusions" mean the same as "detect invisible"?
I've read someplace (I belive it was in DRAGON MAGAZINE) that immunity to
illusions ment "automatic disbelive", BUT that the Invisibility spell was
"automatic believe" or something. 
So, immunity to illusions is the same as automatic disbelive when you may attempt
to disbelive, but you automaticly belive some other Illusion/Phantasm spell that
does not give you the chance to disbelive.


 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 ++                                     +                                    ++
 ++++++++++++brunborg@alkymi.unit.no+++++++++brunborg@solan.unit.no++++++++++++
 ++                                     +                                    ++
 +++++++++++++brunborg@lise.unit.no++++++++++brunborg@siri.unit.no+++++++++++++
 ++                                     +                                    ++
 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
   

          "I refuse to have a battle of wits with an unarmed person."
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: kjenks@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov
Subject: Re: Multiple spec. 
Originator: kjenks@gothamcity
Keywords: Q: Who ever read keywords?  A: I dunno
Organization: NASA/JSC/GM2, Space Shuttle Program Office
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 18:30:34 GMT

In article <1992Nov20.171346.4962@ugle.unit.no> brunborg@alkymi.unit.no (]dne Brunborg) writes:
>Does anybody have a non-munchkin-system on multiple spec. in
>melee-weapoms? I'm aware of the UA double-spec., but it's a little too
>munchkin after all.
>
>If you [don't] have a system, post your opinions to the net.

Nope, I don't have a system I've play-tested.  But one might give +1
to-hit and damage for every extra proficiency slot invested.  This
works well, even at high levels.

In our munchkin campaign, using UA rules, my 10th level Ranger is
double specialized in longsword (+3/+3, 2/round) and specialized in
hand axe (+1/+2, 2/round).  Combined with magical weapons and
strength bonuses, it's excessive.  With my Ranger-ish damage bonus
vs. giant class critters, she averages 100 HP/melee round.

A little too munchkin after all.

-- Ken Jenks, NASA/JSC/GM2, Space Shuttle Program Office
      kjenks@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov  (713) 483-4368

      "Orcs are cruel and hate living things in general, 
       but they particularly hate elves and will always 
       attack them in preference to other creatures."
         -- AD&D Monster Manual 1, p. 76.
From: kinsler@physics.uq.oz.au (Paul Kinsler)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Testing for Biased Dice
Date: 17 Nov 92 23:09:19 GMT
Organization: Physics Desert, The University of Queensland

In article <Bxu26A.3F6@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca>, alongley@cape.UWaterloo.ca (Allan Longley) writes:
|> In article <wright.721879981@latcs1.lat.oz.au> wright@latcs2.lat.oz.au (Michael G. Wright) writes:
|> I've been playing with the chi-square test and you know what I found out --
|> ALL DICE ARE BIASED!!  Well, that's not true -- all except d4's and d6's are
|> biased.  Of course, this really shouldn't be a surprise.  So, I've been 
|> looking at modifiying the chi-square test for "real world" dice -- more on
|> this in a later post.

ALL DICE ARE BIASED?

Perhaps you'd care to explain further - you mean that it is in practise
impossible to manufacture d8+ dice that are unbiased? or that any (even
"ideal") dice are biased!!???!?!? or some bizarre property of the chi-sq
test indicates a bias even for dice with a perfectly even distribution
of numbers?!!#%??! or are you refering to the fact that for any finite sample
of roll, the mean etc are never exactly the theoretical ones??, or what?

-- 
+soluble fish+
Masks beneath masks until suddenly the bare bloodless skull.
Salman Rushdie, "The Satanic Verses"
From: david@midway.ecn.uoknor.edu (David Bump)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Artifact designing
Date: 16 Nov 92 17:57:26 GMT
Article-I.D.: constell.BxtLvs.MqD
Organization: Engineering Computer Network, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA

I doubt seriously if this would count as an artifact, but I had fun
with it.  It is called the Staff of Chaos.  It was made by a high 
level wild mage to backup his spell capability.  
I'm not sure I exactly remeber everything, and I don't have the
thing with my, but here goes:

Quarterstaff +3 in combat, 
For No charges:
     Detect Magic
     Read Magic
     Light (from the staff only, not as an attack)
     Identify (as per the spell, with Con loss, etc)
For One charge:
     Identify with no Con loss
     Contact Other Plane (-10% chance of insanity)
     Legend Lore
     Vision (with a +2 to the 2d6 roll)
     Protection from weather (complete protection from rain, hail, etc.
         for 24 hours.  Only natural weather, of course)
For Two charges:
     Timeshift (a spell the wild mage created)
Other Powers:
     It gave the bearer Infravision as per the spell (he was human)
     It granted a "sort-of" 20% magic resistance.  Only on a MR roll
         of 01-05 was the magic resisted, other times it was 
         converted to a wild surge.  Good Luck.
     If carried by a non-wild mage, it caused 10% of all of his
         spells to wild surge.
     From up to 40' away, the staff would telkinese itself back
         to its owner in a single round, having a strength of 18
         for purposes of breaking out of a creature's grasp.
     It could recharge by absorbing wizard spell energy, one spell
         per round with no other action possible.  It gained one
         charge for every three levels of the spell cast.
     The staff would convert any normal force applied to it into
         energy used as reinforcement of its physical structure.
	 This effectively made the staff unbreakable by any normal
 	 physical force.  Its creator did not know what it would
	 take to break it, nor what would happen if it did break.

I think that was about it.
The Timeshift spell put the wizard 1d6 rounds into the future.
At the "time" when he appeared, he had the 1d6 rounds as time
to cast spells, do whatever else he wanted, etc.  Only thing is,
he could not affect ANYTHING (including door, etc) until the 1d6
rounds were up.  He could, however, maneuver to wherever he 
liked, since he could see where everyone would be when he came
out of shift.  Of course, he had no idea how many rounds he had....

The Staff of Chaos looks just like any quarterstaff, simple oak.
It has no iron bands or studs, and can be (and often was) used
as a walking stick. 


Whaddaya think?

David Bump
david@midway.ecn.uoknor.edu
      
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: ses52823@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Marius)
Subject: Re: Most powerful first level spell
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 04:37:34 GMT
Keywords: enlarge


You only need to have a point-to-point connection for transfer
of electricity;  I would assume that a rip or deficiency in said
padding would qualify as a potential armor-to-skin touch zone.

The Shock would travel over the course of the chainmail and course
into either a sleeve or gorget/helmet connection where subsequent
electrocution would take place... 

You CAN'T convince me that someone can completely insure that the chain
mail armor they're wearing touches NO part of the wearer's body... even
if the person tried to engineer this the motions of adventuring and
battle would strain the padding anyway such that there would be a
contact zone.

Your point about water-born electricity spells is probably a good one
though... The area of effect is pretty limited too (ionization only
really occurs within small defined volumes of water... this is why
you don't see miles of dead fish every time lightning hits the ocean)

*

Marius

*
.

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: tsang@cs.washington.edu (Donald Tsang)
Subject: Re: New D&D Alignment ...
Organization: Computer Science & Engineering, U. of Washington, Seattle
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 92 18:31:33 GMT

In article <raa.05wm@guild.socal.com> raa@guild.socal.com (Raa Lopez) writes:
>That could work. I find it difficult for Mee as a player to play
>anything BUT Chaotic Neutral! It's just My thing. I cant play Goods
>effectively ... I cant play Evils effectively. I cant even play
>Neutrals! But when I have a Character that's Chaotic Neutral ... BINGO!
>I can Play it! :)
[try putting a carriage return every 70 columns or so... please?]

So what you're saying is, you don't know how to roleplay anyone other
than yourself.  You're CN, and you can't think like anyone who isn't?

Sad...

(Good alignments: put others first)
(Evil alignments: put yourself first.  Yes, greed is a form of evil)
(Lawful alignments: think before acting)
(Chaotic alignments: do what seems "right" to you at the moment)
(it helps if you flesh out character personalities, of course)

-- 
Donald Tsang                    "Ho!  Haha!  Guard!  Turn!  Parry!  Dodge!
tsang@june.cs.washington.edu     Spin!  Ha!  Thrust!"
..!uw-beaver!june!tsang                       -- Robin Hood Daffy
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: griffin@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Zack Thompson)
Subject: Re: A very good POINT on Bow Profic.
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 09:26:22 GMT

In article <1992Nov19.015231.1@ulkyvx.louisville.edu> tfpayn01@ulkyvx.louisville.edu writes:
>
>	What gives? We think, after having timed how long it takes to string an
>arrow, aim, and fire, that it could conceivably be 4 shots per round at levels
>1-6, culminating at level 13 in 8 shots per round, where the Unholy Elf from
>Hell fires his AUTO-Longbow..
>
>	Realistically speaking, one COULD do this, ASSUMING one has taken the
>BOW proficiency.
>
>	Questions? Quips?
>
>
>	Tom 
>
>PS> Yes, yes, yes, I realize gaming rules are fairly vague sometimes to allow
>flexibility, but we wanna pin this down for a particular Monk from Hell...
>
>THANKS!
>
>
>


Howdy-

ZT here.

Realistically speaking, I, myself, right now at 4:00AM in the morning, can hit
  something with a dagger AT LEAST 50 times a minute, which I'm assuming is
  the time limit you're using for your bow shots.  But not when I'm trying to
  keep the resident Sh*tkicker from removing precious portions of my anatomy.
  And right now, I, myself, 3 minutes later than before, could probably off
  about 8-10 shots from a standard recurve bow.  But I also know that when
  I want to feather a deer, I'll take a hell of a lot longer than that to aim,
  and if I was REAL lucky, I might get off a second shot.  Moving targets are
  a BITCH!  And if your target is in combat, it's probably even worse.  I 
  always thought they were being rather generous with 2 shots per round.  
  Compared to real life, I'd say you come out shooting more shots in the game
  than you would in real life.

Just for the Record.

                        The Crystal Griffin
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: kjenks@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov
Subject: Re: Evil Campaigns!
Originator: kjenks@gothamcity
Keywords: smurfs
Organization: NASA/JSC/GM2, Space Shuttle Program Office
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 22:26:41 GMT

My favorite campaign for evil characters was a series of adventures I
ran: The Smurfs Go Hunting, The Smurfs and their Pets (dinosaurs),
The Revenge of the Smurfs, and The Slaughter of the Smurfs.  

The Smurfs, as some of us recall from their television show, are the
ultimate in obnoxious goody-goody critters whose sole purpose in life
seems to be to thwart the plans of villains.  Oh, and to sing
sickly-sweet songs with squeaky little voices.  

I made most of them zero-levels, so (under AD&D1 rules) the fighters
would get godzillions of attacks while wading through villages of
them.  Many of the Smurfs, however, were adventurers, including
Magic-users, Thieves, a Monk or two, several Illusionists, and the
occasional Bard or Cleric.  Their general alignment is Chaotic Good
(liberals, you know).  

They have blue skin, white hair, and shocking pink blood (which gushes
out during melee in the most grotesque manner which the DM can
describe).  They are about 2-3 feet tall, and they live in tiny,
cramped (by human standards) cottages chock-full of deadfalls, Snare
spells, Fire Traps, globs of Green Slime, and other nasty creations
which the Smurfs use to repel invaders.  The Smurfs tend to be very
intelligent and creative and they're determined to Get Those Nasty
Villains -- non-fatally, of course.

The worst of the lot was the Smurf illusionist/thief with Improved
Invisibility, two magical weapons and the Potions of Giant Strength.
He killed a couple of player characters before they finally squished
the little guy.

The most fun adventure was when the Smurfs used their singing to charm
a group of dinosaurs then attacked the PC's mounted on 18-36 hit die
monsters.  Lots of fun, lots of experience, lots of pink blood.

-- Ken Jenks, NASA/JSC/GM2, Space Shuttle Program Office
      kjenks@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov  (713) 483-4368

      "There is no doubt; you have come to a place of ineffable Evil.
       Still, it is most certainly a place for high adventure and 
       untold treasures.  It is time to ready spells, draw weapons,
       check equipment, and set forth into the maze of peril that
       awaits you."
         -- AD&D Module T1-4, Temple of Elemental Evil, p.36
From: R.J.Collingham@newcastle.ac.uk (R.J.Collingham)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Will anyone run PBEM _D&D_??
Date: 19 Nov 92 09:21:07 GMT
Organization: University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK NE1 7RU

I have seen lots of people offering to run play by email (PBEM) AD&D
campaigns and lots of people saying they prefer the non-advanced
D&D game since the new Rules Cyclopedia came out. Well, putting
2 and 2 together to get 5 (!), is anyone willing to run a _D&D_
PBEM adventure?

Let me be the first volunteer player.

Russell

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Russell J. Collingham		
Artificial Intelligence Systems Research Group
Computer Science (SECS) ***undergoing id change - beware email problems***
University of Durham		email: R.J.Collingham@durham.ac.uk
Stockton Road			phone: 091-374 2637 (2630 secretary)
Durham, England DH1 3LE		  fax: 091-374 3741
From: alvalent@husc10.harvard.edu (Alvin Valentine)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: "official" crossbow damage from Dragon?
Date: 18 Nov 92 06:09:39 GMT
Article-I.D.: husc3.1992Nov18.010940.17560
Organization: Harvard University Science Center

They redid this damage.  They changed everything around and even included
several new classes of crossbow: medium and artillery/great crossbow
or something of the sort.  I lost my copy of the stats.  Can anyone help?

Thanks 
 

 
Later,
 
Lee Valentine
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: GSPIEGEL@bsa3.kent.edu (Greg Spiegelberg)
Subject: Hear ye!  Hear ye!  The Dragon is D.E.A.D!
Organization: Kent State University, School of Business Administration
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 01:25:12 GMT

Some people said they would be interested in hearing how my party faired 
with the dragon.  So here's my story...

[Somewhere in Forgotten Realms]
We found information and a Ranger who lead us to a ruined city on the sea 
close to Cormyrian borders.  The Ranger left us before we even came about 
1/2 a mile from the coast.  

The dragon's lair (we found out) is an underwater cavern.  The entrance was 
about a 1/4 mile off shore so we rounded up some dwarves in a city approx. 3 
days ride to the North and let it "leak out" that we had found enormous 
amounts of iron ore and gold to the South (also giving a very good 
description of the place as well as directions).

We rode back a day later only to find what we had hoped... the dwarves had 
dug numerous holes all around the ruins but one led way deep from what had 
seemed a cave in.

I (the cleric) went in first to inspect only to find many dwarven skeletons 
and materials about.  Beyond lay a vast cavern.

To make a long story longer, we got lost for a day and a 1/2 in the caves.

But eventually we found the other kidknapped cleric, freed her, and made it 
maybe as far away as a days ride until the dragon caught up with us in a 
small village to the east.

We [the party] along side the people of the village beat the beast to a pulp 
and later feasted on it's heart.  :)

(I'd just like to add at this point that my cleric gave the fatal blow 
with his 2-Handed sword while in one of my beserking rages.  It's nice 
being a cleric of Tempus!)

Anyways, thanks for the ideas and I'd like to hear anybody else's stories.

BTW, my 6TH (!!!!) level cleric thanks y'all too!

-Greg
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: barth@wam.umd.edu (Kevin J. Barth)
Subject: Re: 3d edition
Organization: University of Maryland, College Park
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1992 05:45:38 GMT

In article <1992Nov11.181333.149@news.cs.brandeis.edu> st923058@pip.cc.brandeis.edu writes:
>
>	A UK correspondent of mine from another newsgroup says that, overseas,
>there is a rumour about a 3d edition AD&D trickling over there from the
>States. Is this true? I promised him I'd ask.
>					Rosaleen Dhu

Another new edition?  Not too likely.  It took them what, 20 years to come out
with 2nd edition, and there is still a lot more to go before it gets old and
decrepit.

Not to mention that T$R will have to deal with or face losing TONS of already
aggravated players if they come up with another new edition so soon.  They 
couldn't possible be THAT greedy and that stupid.

Kevin Barth
barth@wam.umd.edu


Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: jlagrave@zeno.ss.uci.edu (John Lagrave)
Subject: area of effect for color spray
Keywords: dimensions
Organization: University of California, Irvine
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 02:08:15 GMT
Reply-To: jlagrave@zeno.ss.uci.edu (John Lagrave)
X-Posted-From: zeno.ss.uci.edu
NNTP-Posting-Host: sol.ctr.columbia.edu


In the PHB it gives the dimensions of the area of effect for color spray,
5'x20'x20'.  Fine, but what does that mean?  It goes further to describe the
area as a wedge, but it is unclear as the width of this spell.

Is it a fine line that expands like so?

				20 feet
			-----------------
			\		/  
			 \	       /  
			  \           /    20 feet
			   \	     /     
			    ---------
				5 feet

Or is it a volume?

				--|
			      --  |
			    --    | 20 feet
			  --	  |
		 5 feet |	  |
			|	  |
			-----------
			  20 feet

Or is it something else?

____________________________________________________________________________
The four points on the compass be logic, knowledge, wisdom and the unknown.
Some do bow in the final direction.  Others advance upon it.  To bow before
the one is to lose sight of the other three.  I may submit to the unknown,
but never to the unknowable.  The man who bows in that final direction is 
either a saint or a fool.  I have no use of either. R Zelazny, Lord of Light

jlagrave@aris.ss.uci.edu