HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: Rannou@info.polymtl.ca (Patrick Rannou)
Subject: Re: An Interesting Question
Organization: Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, Canada
Date: Sat, 29 Aug 1992 08:33:19 GMT

In article <1992Aug28.161834.9470@ncsu.edu> knight@garfield.catt.ncsu.edu (Lindsey Lambert) writes:


   While gaming the other night we ran into a perplexing problem...


	   A party of five summoned a greater beholder (via
	   his true name and a book on summoning) who had been 
	   presenting some problems for a nearby elven forest.
	   During the course of the fight, the paladin was
	   polymorphed into a garden snake (he maintained his
	   personality). *Here comes the fun part* (evil grin ;^)
	   Then the Paladin's +3 intelligent long sword was
	   polymorphed (via polymorph any object) into a hawk
	   (the intelligent sword also managed to retain its
	   personality). At some point in the combat the inteligent
	   sword turned hawk was killed via a blast of magical
	   energy.

		   The question is this...

	   Would a speak with dead work on the hawk since the
	   sword managed to retain its personality when polymorphed?	
	   What happens if the Paladin has someone (high level
	   church member) cast dispel magic cast upon the dead hawk?
		   (Does the Paladin then have a +3 unintelligent sword?)
	   What happens if the Paladin has a resurrection cast upon
	   the dead hawk, followed by a dispel magic?


	   Note - The party was successful, although at great loss,
		  and managed to kill the greater beholder with an
		  arrow inscribed with his true name.


I do polymorph this way: as soon as the creature dies, it reverts to it's
original form.

End of problem.



Gee, if i had the arrow that would have been the FIRST thing I'd have used
against it.

--
/---------------------------\
| Patrick "Paradak" Rannou. |
| Rannou@info.polymtl.ca    |
\---------------------------/
From: chrisb@sosaria.imp.com (Chris Brand)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Attach roll for spells
Date: Sat, 29 Aug 92 20:46:11 MESZ
Organization: Sosaria Realm Berne, Switzerland

Hello everybody

Something has been bothering me for quite a while: what spells need an
attack roll? What about Magic Missile? Or Shocking Grasp?

By the way: there seems to be much less traffic here since I visited
this group the last time (about 1 year ago). What's the matter? Is
AD&D no longer popular in the USA?



-----------------------------------------
Chris Brand   --   chrisb@sosaria.imp.com
-----------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: Rannou@info.polymtl.ca (Patrick Rannou)
Subject: Re: Two Weapons
Organization: Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, Canada
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 09:35:43 GMT

In article <1992Aug25.195923.16309@bnr.ca> dclayton@bnr.ca (Don Clayton) writes:

   In article <BtJur3.A5x@acsu.buffalo.edu>, acsoedf@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Eric Frohnapple) writes:
   |> 
   |> 	One thing I can not understand is the reason why Rangers and
   |> Warriors can only use a smaller weapon in their off hand when fighting
   |> with two weapons.  Having some experience with full contact weapon martial
   |> arts, I can assure you that it is not by any difficulty to use two 
   |> long swords at the same time.  (In fact it is FAR more effective than
   |> fighting with a long sword and a dagger.....)
   |> 	Is this just perhaps a "balancing rule" to keep warriors from
   |> getting an 18/51+ str, specialization, dex of 16+, two weapons proficiency,
   |> and at first level having something like 5/2 attacks at +3 to hit and +5 to
   |> damage?  Or, perhaps, something else?

   Probably just to make the game playable.  I had one fighter who had 2 scimitars
   and a 18/89 strength.  He just walked around and slaugtered everything in sight.
   It depressed me and the other fighters, so we made a new rule :

     You can fight with two weapons, both being the same size, but Strength
     bonus only apply to the first attack.

   The reasoning : you put all of you strength into your first hit and on
   the second one you just glance.  It seems to work pretty good.  Now the 
   extra weapon isn't so deadly, but comes in handy.

The tohit bonuses from strength should also apply to one attack only then.

Try this: always split equally between the two hands both tohit and damage
bonus, with the advantage going to the better hand if the numbers aren't
even.

That way multiple attacks with the main weapon still get bonus, bout not
all of it is given...

--
/---------------------------\
| Patrick "Paradak" Rannou. |
| Rannou@info.polymtl.ca    |
\---------------------------/
From: JLM@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Stuck for Ideas?????
Date: 28 Aug 92 08:26:15 GMT
Organization: Stanford Linear Accelerator Center

In article <1992Aug28.140347.1@vx24.cc.monash.edu.au>,
edb892rsft@vx24.cc.monash.edu.au says:
>
>Tough question to ask you veteran AD&D and D&D players /DMS
>
>       What do you do when your players have done everything?
>
>I've been playing D&D and AD&D for about 9 years and in this time i have
>run and participated in many campaigns.. But it would appear that i've
>run out of ideas for traps, encounters, story lines, and puzzles!
>
>It seems that every thing has been done before!
>
>Does any one have any ideas for any of these things or maybe remember
>the classic adventures of theirs....
>I would appreciate any replys on the matter.


 Try to get one or more of the other players to Co-DM a game or two.

 First of all, it gives you a chance to join the game as a player.

 Second, it adds new ideas and directions to the game. You can then
play off of these new ideas and improve on them or take them in new
directions.

 I have been doing this with my group for several years now and it's
been extremely succesful. The stories have not become stale; as a matter
of fact, we seem to have a surpluss !! It does require that all those
players that agree to co-dm be quite imaginative, because you could
start a thread which is then taken in a different direction by the next
dm, and by the time it comes back to you it is a completely new story.

-- Jose --
From: dv52151@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Axly)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Paladins
Date: 25 Aug 92 17:13:48 GMT
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana

z_copeab@ccsvax.sfasu.edu writes:

>	Look at it this way: is it really justice to punish someone if the
>victim doesn't want them punished? The paladin is well within his rights to
>preach to the thief about the wrongness of his actions, and to chastise him,
>but to punish him? No.

Yes, it is justice. The victim may not be qualified to judge the right or
wrong of the situation. A rape or spousal abuse victim might blame herself
for the crime and not want the other person punished. The paladin is trained
to judge these sort of things, and having the advice of his diety doesn't
hurt either.


>#1 (from GURPS Fantasy, talking about a way adventurers can be viewed)
>	"If such a thing as a dungeon exists, the most likely occupant is a
>group of intelligent creatures. [2 lines deleted, using Orcs as an example]
>Of course, this makes the dungeon-delvers into a gang of racially-motivated
>thugs, breaking into strangers' homes to kill them and take their property."

This isn't going to break the paladin's heart. He is concerned with
his people and his god foremost. Most gods aren't that concerned with
what you do with outsiders.

>#2 (from "The Last Resort", from _Hotel_California_, written by Don Henley)
>	"We satisfy out endless needs,
>	And justify out bloody deeds,
>	In the name of destiny
>	And in the name of God."

This works in our world, where a believer is never really sure God is real.
Gods are real things in game worlds (no offense intended to believers in 
this world) who manifest themselves in visible ways. A priest of a god
can do miracles. A holy warrior can heal up wounds. If God isn't with
these people, then they can't do these things. 

Axly
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: StarWatcher@uiuc.edu (StarWatcher)
Subject: Re: Paladins
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL4
Reply-To: StarWatcher@uiuc.edu
Organization: UIUC Actuarial Science Program
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 13:57:04 GMT
Keywords: significant words from a document used as an index to content

Rannou@info.polymtl.ca (Patrick Rannou) writes:

: I.E. Sex is socially more acceptable than death. Astonishing, huh?
:      We truly live in a crazy world.

Do you have a problem with sex?  After all, it is responsible for all of
our existances....

Ah, but I see you are from Canada.  I keep forgetting that they have strange
laws and ideas up there.....

--
Michael Adams / StarWatcher  (.sig undergoing plastic surgery)
From: kevin@sherman.pas.rochester.edu (kevin mcfadden)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Gender in D&D
Date: 25 Aug 92 20:00:03 GMT
Organization: University of Rochester

In article <1992Aug25.030648.2521@mdcbbs.com> mikew@mdcbbs.com (Mike 'the Bard' Whitaker) writes:
>In article <RANNOU.92Aug22053815@zuse.info.polymtl.ca> 
>Rannou@info.polymtl.ca (Patrick Rannou) writes:
>
>>I don't want to appear sexist or anything, but with years of gaming I've
>>got the feeling that males are more prone to use their imagination in
>>"fantasy" ways. Male are more "players", while females are more
>>down-to-earth, common sense, I don't know. 
>
>I agree with you that there are more male gamers.
>
>However, in my experience, the *best* gamers I know, in terms of quality of
>roleplaying and characterisation, are female, with only one or two exceptions. 
>I also have found that those women who ARE interested in roleplaying games tend
>to discover ROLEplaying (i.e. playing a *character*) much earlier in their 
>gaming life, frequently with their very first character, very early on...
>
>These are just my observations - your mileage may vary - if so, I'd be 
>interested to know!
>-- 
>Mike Whitaker +44-223 | mikew@mdcbbs.com, bard@spuddy.uucp | Me: Bards just
>Shape Data/EDS 316673 | -or- mwhitaker@cix.compulink.co.uk | KNOW things...

	My best friend is female (Her best friend is her fiancee.....:( but I have never
ever seen anybody so obsessed with a character as she gets when she has been playing the
game.  She would tell me all about the character three or four times a day and bounce 
around smiling the whole time!  So I must agree with you that women get into it more
than guys do.

Kevin
From: mosson@reseau.Berkeley.EDU (Groupe ELEVES)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Chromosonally-Challenged Characters
Date: 26 Aug 92 14:44:57 GMT
Reply-To: mosson@reseau.Berkeley.EDU (Groupe ELEVES)


  About role-playing elves...

  If you want a goodelven role-playing experience, try either MERP
(for the noble-faerie approach) or Elfquest (for the wild elf approach).
Both very good games IMHO. And elves are certainly not "humans in
funny clothing" in these settings...

  Any such references for other races, such as Dwarves?

						Redwing
From: jgostin@eternal.chi.il.us (Jeff Gostin)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Deities
Date: 28 Aug 92 02:50:06 GMT
Organization: The little node that could...

johnf@apollo.hp.com writes:

>Please, everyone:  It's "deity", not "diety".  Say it out loud:
>
>"Day-It-Ee  --  deity"    not   "Dye-Et-Ee  --  diety"
How about "Dee-eh-tee"? (Deity)

                         Jeff

...Paladin or no Paladin, a woman's scorn is still the deadliest weapon.
--
    /|Email  to:   jgostin@eternal.chi.il.us, offline@infopls.chi.il.us
   / |Smail  to:   Jeff Gostin, 917 High Ridge Pass, Carol Stream IL 60188
   \ |Vmail  to:   708-293-5526
    \|Flames to:   trashcan@eternal.chi.il.us
From: chrisb@sosaria.imp.com (Chris Brand)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Aging
Date: 29 Aug 92 20:58:46 GMT
Organization: Sosaria Realm Berne, Switzerland

slip@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Doolie) writes:

> Now, about aging, what would be the effect of:
> 	A)   excessive use of healing potions

Hmm...where do you get so many healing potions? Anyway, I don't think
this is covered somewhere, but what about 1 year of additional age for
every 20 potions you quaff?

> 	B)  a ring of regeneration  (repairing the effects of the 
> 		years?)

Limit the duration of a ring of regeneration. If someone wears it
non-stop, the ring looses its power after some time...

>         C)  herbalism proficiency   (useful, or just Oil of Olay(tm)

To know something is one thing, to act according to that knowledge is
another....look at all the people who know what smoking can do to your
lungs. If a PC announces that he or she will quit eating those greasy
chicken and concentrate on a healthy diet, why not slowing the aging
process to 3/4 of that of a normal PC?

Just some proposals....



-----------------------------------------
Chris Brand   --   chrisb@sosaria.imp.com
-----------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: rnmg1200@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (A Lady and her Walrus)
Subject: Re: What is with these Katana's?
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 19:08:01 GMT

In article <Btux91.E09@news.cso.uiuc.edu> maxson@cerl.uiuc.edu (K R Maxson) writes:
>Actually, the only blade you would have been likely to see on a serf
>was a himogatana.  Spears (like the well-known "woman's spear," the
>naginata) were the peasantry's weapon of choice.  Possession of a
>sword by most of the populace of Japan was punishable by death for
>a long, long time -- since it usually indicated that the villagers
>had killed a wandering samurai and looted his body.
>
>Although I am not a fantastic authority, everything I have read or
>heard indicates that wakizashi were, in fact, only used by the
>hereditary swordweilding classes; unless you are talking about much
>more modern times.

Actually, the stuff I've read refers to wakizashi being used by the peasantry
during *wartime*, which could very well be the cause of the confusion.  But
It's mentioned very often that the wakizashi was the primary weapon of the
lower classes.  Why the discrepancy between the two sources, I've no idea.  
I'll do some more checking and see if I can figure out what the deal is.

Anyways, I think it's about time to lay this thread to rest, so unless I
find anything earth-shattering (like a book saying "All Peasants used
Naginata at all times":)) then I won't post about it again.  Deal?

the Walrus
From: 91babik@gw.wmich.edu (Lisamarie Gemma Babik)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: WANTED: Large list of Original Magic Items
Date: 31 Aug 92 14:37:33 EST
Organization: Western Michigan University

I am looking for a LARGE list of magic items.  I had downloaded it some 
point and then (like a DUFUS!) I deleted it so I could have a bit more disk 
space!  Argh!  Now I'm looking for it again.  If you know of the location 
of this list (it was HUGE!), please e-mail me.

Thanks in profusion!
    Lisamarie
	91babik@gw.wmich.edu

-- 
_______________________________________________________________________________
              Cthulu in '92!  Why vote for the lesser evil?

     Did you know that if you rearrange the letters in H. Ross Perot's name
                        you can spell Short Poser?

________Lisamarie "Rifa the Insane" Babik_________91babik@gw.wmich.edu_________
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: gordon@meaddata.com (Gordon Edwards)
Subject: Re: Origin of the 2nd ed. Ranger
Organization: Mead Data Central, Dayton OH
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 12:58:47 GMT

In article <1992Aug29.102224.15207@husc3.harvard.edu>, alvalent@husc9.harvard.edu (Alvin Valentine) writes:
|> If you wonder why Rangers get to wield 2 weapons at butt kicking levels,
|> but only in light armor, watch Robin Hood and the sorcerer (or any other
|> Michael Praed/Jason Connery Robin Hood episode).  In this episode, Nasir,
|> our prototypical ranger is shown acting like a ginsu on Robin Hood who is
|> barely ducking and dodging until.....
|> 
|> Still.  I'M SURE someone watched this show, or used the same references the
|> British producers did , so there must be some heroic tradition for 
|> Rangers wielding 2 weapons and wearing leather armor, or the 2nd edition guys
|> just got off on the show.  Also, they were probably trying to allow Rangers
|> a lesser version of weapon specialization in order to balance out the losses
|> to there uniqueness, etc. in 2nd ed.  For this reason we also have the -6
|> penalty to tracking for non-Rangers, not just non-Woodsy folk.	
|>  
Is this the guy that wore studded leather, had two scimitars that he wore
strapped across his back and a quiver strapped to his waste. If this is the
same guy then he was a major bad-ass. They used to air the show here on 
Cinemax/HBO.

--
Gordon Edwards
Mead Data Central
gordon@meaddata.com
From: seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Role Playing in Middle Earth
Date: 2 Sep 92 01:58:20 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh
Originator: seawasp@pmax1.cis.pitt.edu

In article <MJB.92Sep1170238@srl07.cacs.usl.edu> mjb@srl07.cacs.usl.edu (Matthew Brumley) writes:
>Well, I was wondering how many DMs use Middle Earth as their setting?  

	I've played in Middle-Earth under AD&D2 rules, and I've also put
Middle-Earth in my world, as one of four continents. Players haven't 
GOTTEN there yet..

>And a couple of other things
>I think of mithril as this mystical metal, found only at the heart of the 
>mystery that I get when I read about it in the Lord of the Rings.  It is 
>somehow...  different from other metals, but I can't find a trait that would be
>suitable (pardon the STUPID pun) for such a valued prize.  

	Make it give protection versus evil things; do extra damage against
true evil; be as a poison versus certain beings; and so on.

>(I know, this is stupid) In the MERP game (not the novels), would the Ring
>allow it's bearer to attack while he/she was invisible?  No, I'm not gonna let
>players use it in a game (tho' a short, wicked little fellow might attack the 
>party)...

	Of course it would, since that's the way it worked in the books. MERP
is a very down-scaled version of RoleMaster. If you want to know how the
Ring works and how Sauron worked and all that, buy the MERP supplements
like Lords of Middle Earth and so on; they are well worth the money if you
want to do a middle-earth campaign. VERY well worth the money.

>(sheesh, some of my players don't even know what a hobbit is...)

	Blasphemers. Burn them at the stake. Hire them out as cheap 
labor in Mordor.

                                 Sea Wasp
                                   /^\
                                   ;;;


Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: chadwick@world.std.com (Chadwick Ngan)
Subject: Re: Tolkien (was: Re: Elven Chain Mail (Why?))
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 22:50:13 GMT

In article <1992Aug22.002917.5005@ccu.umanitoba.ca> thorntn@ccu.umanitoba.ca (Duncan Peter G. Thornton) writes:

>people who read Tolkien after reading piles of genre
>fantasy are at a disadvantage because Tolkien _isn't_
>genre fantasy; it's literature. 
>
>It's just like if you read _War and Peace_ after 15
>years of reading supermarket sagas about the civil
>war.
>
>I'm not putting down genre fantasy when I say that a
>lot of it is imitations of Tolkien. But the parts you
>can imitate aren't the things that make Tolkien great.


	I agree.  I read Tolkien after reading several *good* fantasy series
and I fould him ... boring.  I don't meant to put down Tolkien here, but
quite frankly I don't like his style.  It is, as Duncan said, literature
rather than fantasy.
	It's been a few years since I last read Lord of the Rings, perhaps
I should try it again now that I've grown older.  Perhaps I will appreciate
it more this time.


					Chadwick
					Sheeta "the Elf"
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: cb317@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Stephanie J. Kessler)
Subject: Re: Campaign to save Prometheus
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, (USA)
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 92 18:43:20 GMT


I know a bit about Greek Mythology, and its my understanding that
the myth goes as follows (note:  this is not a FLAME)

Prometheus was a mortal man who climbed Mount Olympus with his
brother (whose name eludes me).  He stole fire from the gods  and
returned to Earth with it.  The gods were furious, but his act
could not be reversed.  His punishment was as you described.

Idea for a game sounds cool, traveling to Hades can be quite a
journey, if you know the story of Orpheus and Euripedes, you know
what I mean.
-- 
The United States is a nation of laws:  badly written and
randomly enforced.     Frank Zappa

cb317 @ cleveland.Freenet.Edu
From: ccoprdj@prism.gatech.EDU (Jorge Diaz)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Why are their level limits?
Date: 27 Aug 92 13:19:59 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

In article <1992Aug26.220054.695@ccsvax.sfasu.edu> z_copeab@ccsvax.sfasu.edu writes:
>> class choices). 

>	I want penalties that make sense, not penalties that are slapped
>together for 'game balance' (that ugly phrase again) so that T$R can claim that
>game worlds would be humanocentric.

But the problem is that you can't have penalties that make sense.  There
would be no game balance at all.

Why can't wizards wear armor?  They don't know how to put it on.

Fine.  Wama (Mystra rest his soul)!  Get over here and put this plate mail
on me.

He doesn't have to learn how to put it on.  He could learn how to move
around it given time.  But if wizards could wear plate mail and use
real weapons, everyone would be a wizard (well, maybe not everyone,
but you get the idea).

Why can only thieves pick locks?  I'm not a thief by profession, but I could
learn to pick a lock if I really took the time.  Why aren't there lock
picking/trap finding/trap removing non-weapon proficiencies?  Because
they don't want everyone able to do those things.  That's what a thief
does, and if everyone else could do them, no one would choose to be
a thief.

Why can only fighters specialize in weapons?  Because since the poor
bastards can't do anything else spectacular, they have to have
*something*, or no one would want to be a fighter.

Why can clerics not use edged weapons?  Because their deities don't want
them to shed blood?  Hey, have you ever been hit in the face with a mace?
:-)
Besides, the deities don't have any problems with their paladins shedding
blood.

Notice that all my examples are class-based instead of race-based.  That's
because the class restrictions (IMHO) are the most ridiculous of all.
But hey, we live with them, in the name of game balance....


-- 
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."
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: joeg@meaddata.com (Joe Gayda)
Subject: Fact or Fiction
Organization: Mead Data Central, Dayton OH
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 13:53:38 GMT
Distribution: na

In reading some of the recent "boring" threads. (Yawn)  I did catch
two interesting comments...

1) You don't get dex modifiers with plate.
2) You are +4 to hit and damage against an unarmed opponent.

Where are these rules?  Are they house rules?

-- 
Joe Gayda           | The probability of       |          (513) 865-1560   
Mead Data Central   | someone watching you     |     
P.O. Box 933        | is proportional to the   |       joeg@meaddata.com
Dayton, Ohio  45401 | stupidity of your action | ...!uunet!meaddata!joeg

Xref: sparky rec.games.frp.dnd:3343 rec.games.frp.advocacy:1990 rec.games.frp.misc:4716
From: jacobus@symphony.cc.purdue.edu (Bryan J. Maloney)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd,rec.games.frp.advocacy,rec.games.frp.misc,rec.gam
Subject: Re: guilliotine at Gencon (WAS-Re: HMGS Siege of Gondor?)
Keywords: What the hell happenned?
Date: 31 Aug 92 18:12:34 GMT
Organization: I'm a Lumberjack.




Actually, I recall the censored product, it was something from "The
Unspeakable Oath", and it was censored, not for "excessive sex" but for
"excessive violence".  (Unspeakable Oath is a Cthulhu fanzine, so you
can imagine what it might have been--seriously yucko, let me tell you.)

Of course, there could have been another product around as well.