HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: batemanc@p4.cs.man.ac.uk (Mad Chris)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Villians can't use wishes!?!? (was Re: wish spell results)
Date: 12 Nov 92 09:25:47 GMT

cary@carina.unm.edu (Ithlial the Archer) opines:

>>IMHO, villians should not use wishes.  They are simply to
>>difficult for DMs to use fairly by the bad guys.  

>This is such a cop out!! This seems to me to be a way to tip a high level
>adventure in the favor of the Players.  I suppose you don't let the bad
>guys specialize in a weapon either?  As far as I'm concerned what goes for
>the PC's goes for NPC's and 'monsters'.

There is another approach to this, however, depending on what kind of 
fantasy game you're playing. Broadly, all fantasy games tend to be either
Pseudo-realistic, or Heroic Fantasy. 

In Pseudo-realistic, anything the players can do, their opponents can do
 too. PR games are rarely Epic, because one of the characteristics of
 Epic's is being up against Overwhelming odds, and in a PR game you
 are pretty much doomed in such a situation. That's not to say there is
 anything wrong with them, but they have their place.

In Heroic Fantasy games, villains can't use Wish spells UNLESS it is
 Dramatically Appropriate. They can't use a Wish spell to completely 
 ruin the story, because that is Dramatically Inappropriate. They could
 use Wish spells in ways that make the plot more interesting, though.

Personally, I think D&D is best suited to Heroic Fantasy, because the 
entire Level system is geared towards making the players stand out from
the crowd, but this is (as ever) just my opinion.

Just some thoughts.

Mad Chris.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: dcgonyie@eos.ncsu.edu (DWAINE CHARLES GONYIER)
Subject: Re: Spellcasting in Armor (was Re: Dual Class Characters)
Originator: dcgonyie@c00084-100lez.eos.ncsu.edu
Reply-To: dcgonyie@eos.ncsu.edu (Dwaine Gonyier)
Organization: North Carolina State University--Environment for Impoverished Engineers...
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1992 14:38:47 GMT


I could have sworn that there was a statement in PHB2 that magic was not
disrupted by armor (if that was the case, woe to the mage casting a fireball
on a Fighter in Full Plate... :)  ).  I think it was discussed in the mage
class description under allowed weapons/armor.

My suggestion is since mages are physically vulnerable and weak (at least
at lower levels), leather (not studded)_or padded might not be too
cumbersome.  As far as somatic or other components go, someone once made a
rule that NO armor could be worn to cast fifth level spells or higher.

Thus, mages are given slight assistance at the beginning, but as they
progress
in levels, such help is no longer needed.

-- 
    ___  ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 / /__   + Dwaine Gonyier         + "Intelligence is just an  +
/____/   + dcgonyie@eos.ncsu.edu  +  excuse for human error." +
         ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: s903040@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au (Christopher Francis Anderson)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: spells in combat
Date: 11 Nov 92 03:26:26 GMT
Organization: RMIT Computer Centre
NNTP-Posting-Host: minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au

Well, in any games that we run (and they aint' real serious ones, either), the
mage gets his spell off regardless. I think the only time that a mage hasn't
is when I jumped on the party mage who was going to let fly with a fireball in
the middle of the captains cabin. I then got killed by the lizardman behind
me, but that's life.

An' it sucks.


-- 
ThunderKat (a.k.a. Chris Anderson)    s903040@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au

"Sam pressed the button. A few lights flashed on the CPU. And another human
life ended. Somehow, it's always sad, no matter what."
From: zweldron@ruhets.rutgers.edu (Matthew Charlap)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Stoneskin and Fire Shield
Date: 11 Nov 92 00:55:44 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.

trottibw@nextwork.rose-hulman.edu (Barry Trottier) writes:
>What happens if you have a Combination Stoneskin and Fire Shield?
>Does an attacker of this person take damage from the Fire Shield, even when the  
>Stoneskin is working?

First, I have never had this situation come up, so I'm going to tell you what
I'd do as a DM if this came up.

Since Fireshield does damage based on the fact that the attack goes through the
shield to hit the protected character. as a result, Stoneskin should not affect
the backfire 2x damage from the attack. I'd have the attacker roll damage 
normally, take 2x that, and leave the mage with one less attack on the 
stoneskin. (I believe fireshield is a caster-only spell)
--Matthew
-- 
This is a test of the .signature 
If this were a real .sig file, something else would be here.
From: n9046319@henson.cc.wwu.edu (Jeremy Corley)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: spells in combat
Date: 11 Nov 92 22:46:14 GMT
Article-I.D.: henson.1992Nov11.224614.7135
Organization: Western Washington University


	I never allow a spell caster to cast in combat.  I rule that if he
wants to cast he must standd virtually still, thus making it very easy for
any brute in melee with him to line up a good one right in the middle of 
his melon.  The (sorry about misspellings , n my delete key is messed up)
Thius usually convinces teh MU types in my c games to stay in the back.

	Just my $0.02.

					Jeremy Corley
				n9046319@henson.cc.wu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: LRPR000 <LRPR@UNB.CA>
Subject: Re: Magic Shops
Organization: The University of New Brunswick
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1992 16:14:15 GMT

In article <1992Nov6.130033.23790@ugle.unit.no> brunborg@alkymi.unit.no (]dne Brunborg) writes:
> [to the qestion about exact determination of pluses]
>
>If you use a luck stune in combination with Identify, you can determine the exact
>number of pluses.
>Just my 2 cents.
   Yeah - but you have to grind up (destroy) the luckstone in the
process - a little much, unless you're trying to ID a VERY powerful
item - then Legend lore might be more the ticket...
             JubbaBones

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: friar@spock.uucp (Tom Walcott)
Subject: Suicide
Keywords: suicide, question
Organization: Happy Shiny Magic Place 
Date: Sun, 8 Nov 1992 22:42:06 GMT

I don't know if this has come up before, but how is suicide defined
in regards to good or evil?  I mean, wouldn't an evil character commiting
suicide, therefor ridding the world of his evil, be a GOOD act?
And wouldn't a good character killing oneself be an EVIL act?
This could lead to interesting scenarios, such as a evil person
going to the seven heavens due to committing suicide when all was lost.
The only person whom this would not affect would be the Neutral type.
Just curious.  Lemme know if this has already come up or anything.


Friar
-- 
    "Silence isn't golden if I'm holdin' it inside."
                           --- W. Axl Rose

friar@choate.edu
From: jcarl@jabba.ess.harris.com (Joe Carl Jr.)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Some questions about elves, swashbucklers and sword specialisation.
Date: 13 Nov 92 14:14:03 GMT
Organization: Harris Corporation - ISD

In <1992Nov13.095059.1791@ugle.unit.no> brunborg@alkymi.unit.no (]dne Brunborg) writes:

>A character in my group, an elven swashbuckler specialised in rapier and sabre,
>wants to get the +1 to-hit bonus other elves get with their long swords on his
>rapier and sabre. He claims that the +1 bonus is because of the love elves have
>for swordplay (fencing, etc.). This is partially what the PH states.
>He says that a rapier is a far more elegant weapon that the long sword, and he's
>right. So, he screams for a +1 bonus to-hit with at least one of the weapons.
>Any opinions?

Elves have been working with long sword for eons.  The whole group of them
are used to fighting with long sword.  They are train each other, and learn
the ins and outs of a long sword.  Thus they all get +1 for long swords.

Rapiers, though more elegant, do not have that many elves training each other.
So the whole group of elves doesn't get +1 for rapiers.  He specialized to get
the +1, but the race of elves didn't so no additional +1 for him.

>Furthermore, when he fights two-weapon-style, he wants to attck 3/2 with both
>weapons (for a total of 3 attacs per round). Any opinions on this?

He should get 3/2 for his primary weapon hand (if he's ambidextrous choose
which hand is primary each time he attacks).  The secondary hand only gets
1 additional attack for a total of 3/2 + 1 each round

>Third, he wants to get a +2 saving throw bonus for dodgeable attacs, ie.
>breath, Rod/Staff/Wand, fireballs etc., when wearing light or no armor. The
>CFHB says he gets a -2 on AC (bonus) when wearing light or no armor.

This sounds reasonable.  As nimble as Swashbucklers are they should get this
additional +2 to dodgable attacks

--
Joe Carl Jr.               "If you ever drop your watch      |Deep Thoughts
jcarl@jabba.ess.harris.com  in a pool of molten lava,        | Saturday Night
                            let it go, cause man it's gone"  | LIve
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: 31babik@gw.wmich.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: New D&D Alignment ...
Date: 10 Nov 92 10:58:26 EST
Organization: Western Michigan University

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".
> 


In our group we had an alignment called "Neutral Bitchy," which was used 
to describe our resident Druidess and her Bardic friend........a very apt 
description I might add...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                         Lisamarie Babik
                      91babik@gw.wmich.edu
 CS MAJORS:  We do more after 11:00 p.m. than most people do all day.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: FDN02462@CONRAD.APPSTATE.EDU (*Lewis Edward Lynn)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: re: spellcasting in Armour!!!! Indeed!
Date: 13 Nov 1992 19:36:35 GMT
Organization: APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: alf.appstate.edu
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.24

The concept of casting spells in armour is absurd.  First you have to be able
to move your arms in a variety of motions from a simple flick of the wrist to a 
grand rotation of the shoulder joint.  For those of you who have been in armour
you know that even the best made suit of armour is constrictive (whether it be
steel or leather or padded).  Second, metal and leather are suppose to have a
restrictive quailty which prevents the free flow of magic through them.  Third,
a caster must not have bulky objects in thier hands when performing magic.  The
hands must be free to use spell componets or to perform the correct gestures. 
This puts the use of shields right out!  For those of you that are going to say
"What about Elven Chain?", what about it?  Every rule has an exception.  Now I
am talking about mages, not clerics, of all types (elf included).  The reason a
mage might want to be part fighter is to have a better chance of survival at
low levels, but to counteract the magic and brawn combination...you have to
lose the armour and shields (execpt Elven Chain and other Magical PROTECTION
devices such as ring, bracers, cloaks, etc.)  
With clerics it is a different matter.  Clerics are a god's priest/priestess    that has the 
ability to use armour and magic hand-in-hand.  Even so, it depends on the god's
dispostion as to how much armour (sometimes none) a priest/priestess can wear. 
Look at the Priest's Handbook for futher details.  
Some people just want it all, powerful magic with no strings attached and a
good physical fighting ability...that is why they take Fighter/Mage.  However,
as with every class, there are limitations that must be followed otherwise you
end up with juggernuats that are invincible.  
Of course, it is always left up to the DM as to what can occur in his/her 
campaign.  So if you want armour and magic, become a cleric or talk your local
DM into it.

Lewis (Lew Lynnwood...DM) Lynn 
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: bane@spock.uucp (Cameron Huang)
Subject: Re: I have xxx A WHOLE BUNCH of words to say about munchkins.....
Organization: Acheron Technical Institute 
Distribution: rec.games.frp.dnd
Date: Sun, 8 Nov 1992 16:47:54 GMT

In article <1992Nov6.145148.22811@walter.cray.com> goldman@orac.cray.com (Matthew D. Goldman) writes:
}In article <jjonsson.234@alexandria.lib.utah.edu> jjonsson@alexandria.lib.utah.edu writes:
}}In article <1992Nov4.205001.7639@spock.UUCP> bane@spock.uucp (Cameron Huang) writes:
}}}In article <6163@sersun1.essex.ac.uk> sandman%sx.ac.uk@essex.ac.uk (sandman) writes:
}}}} Power word: stun.
}}} Meteor Swarm!!
}} Delayed Blast Fireball.!!
}Nuke them from orbit, it is the only way to be sure!
Blow up my warehouse full of staves of the magi!!!!


-- 
"If love is blind, I guess I'll buy myself a cane."
                                   --W. Axl Rose

"There can be only one!"
		--Kurgan

bane@choate.edu
From: dks@acpub.duke.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Testing for Biased Dice
Date: 10 Nov 92 18:06:50 GMT
Article-I.D.: news.6882
Reply-To: dks@acpub.duke.edu


	This is called a chi-square test, and an article with the
procedure and numbers for it appeared way back in Dragon issue 
#74...  Thank you, Mr. Longley, for reposting it (or did you come
up with it in isolation? =) ) for the benefit of those who don't
have the issue (probably most readers).
						-Abdiel
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: dv52151@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (RedSwordTarga)
Subject: Re: What do I do about Bastard Player from Hell?
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1992 20:22:12 GMT

bane@spock.uucp (Cameron Huang) writes:

>In article <BxAAI8.4Cp@news.cso.uiuc.edu> rsm58307@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Ron) writes:
>>>>Who is your god of evil? I personally prefer Bhaal,
>>>>
>>>What about Bane!??! Forget this Cyric character! Bane LIVES!!
>>
>>Bah. Bane the Wimp. Cyric the Fool.
>>Bhaal, God of Murder, Master of Assassins, the One, The ONLY.

>But... NOT the only one who is SUBORDINATE to Bane...

Of course, all these gods pale when faced with a true Lord of Chaos
like Arioch or Xiombarg...

Axly

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: alongley@cape.UWaterloo.ca (Allan Longley)
Subject: Re: Monster lists
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1992 16:51:30 GMT

In article <BxHIyz.I1z@news.cso.uiuc.edu> duff@cs.uiuc.edu writes:
>I was wondering if anyone had ever heard of a decent net version of the 
>Monstrous Compendiums, Monster manual 1&2, and/or Fiend Folio (All of the
>ACTUAL TSR monster products)  I was wondering if anyone had had a good reason
>at some time to put all of these beasties in.  I'm writing a monster data-
>base and would very much like to incorporate the old lists without having
>to type them all in.

I have put all the textbook monsters from 1st & 2nd edition into dBaseIV
with the creature's HD, Int, Climate, Terrain, Diet, Align, # appearing,
and the book in which the monster appeared.  If you would like this then
mail me.  I will ask a few skill testing questions to ensure I am not giving
the monsters away to people who don't have the books.  We could arrnage a
trade -- I'm looking for all the spells from 1st & 2nd edition. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Allan Longley, University of Waterloo, Department of Chemical Engineering
e-mail: alongley@cape.uwaterloo.ca
voice: (519) 885-1211			About 40 hours!!
home: (519) 746-1498
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
           "Ph-nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn"              
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: lucas@scicom.AlphaCDC.COM (Raistlin Majere)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Raistlin
Date: 6 Nov 92 18:57:41 GMT
Organization: Conclave of High Sorcery, Wayreth Forest


	Okay, a lot of you have been asking why TSR just decided
that Raistlin should be 'special' and have extra abilities and
stuff. The answer is:
	
	Raistlin Majere was special! He was the most powerful mage
ever to exist on Krynn and he had enough wizardly power to destroy
Takhisis, Gilean, and Paladine (one on one here folks)! He didn't
get there by advancing from level to level just kind of letting the
winds blow him wherever, he got there by aggresively seeking out
every kind of powerful magic in existance! So just remember this
next time.... Raistlin was powerful enough to destroy a god....
Your common 20th level mage is not.... He had access to the spell
books of Fistandantilus, your common 20th level mage does not, and
plus, he must of had something like 20 intelligence (magically
augmented perhaps?) to have such strong magic.

	To sum this up, to have a character like Raistlin around,
you'd have to bend the rules at least a little bit to show his
power!
-- 
Raistlin Majere, Alpha Institute. -  DOMAIN lucas@scicom.alphacdc.com
Order of the Black Robes, {csn,ncar,}!scicom!lucas  Kevin L. Lord
"Est Sularis Oth Mithas, My Honor is my Life." --- Michael
"Yes. So it generally ends." --- Raistlin Majere
From: sjsmith@cs.umd.edu (Stephen Joseph Smith)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: "War Stories"
Date: 6 Nov 92 13:47:47 GMT
Organization: Dept. of Computer Science, University of Maryland at College Park

In article <6687@news.duke.edu> twyse@acpub.duke.edu (Timothy Wyse) writes:
>Enough ranting and raving. If anybody's interested in "war stories" I be more
>than happy to oblige.

Yes please!  I wish there were more war stories on this newsgroup---quick
little vignettes with just enough background that you could understand the
story.  Anything that other people would find amusing or interesting---not
just something that seemed funny at the time.  Maybe a general campaign
thread that's also amusing or interesting.

For example:

Our party, like most parties, has made a number of enemies.  At one point,
we were in this amphitheatre for this huge gathering of a vampire's evil
minions.  In walked a group of four humanoids in dark, hooded cloaks.

"Party of four, dressed in black, your table is now ready," someone said,
and it made the quote file.

Anyway, the DM told us that we perceived that two of these people were
indeed the pair of Drow that we had royally annoyed a few sessions ago.
The DM said, "If they realize you're here, they'll probably kill you."

Someone said, "Look, there are plenty of people who want to kill
us---they'll just have to take a number."  This also made the quote file.

Anyway, when we returned to town, we procured one of those "take-a-number" 
things you often find in delicatessens even today.  The ones where they
have a sign on the wall that says, "Now serving Number 38."  So we decided
to start leaving numbers on just about anything that we killed, the idea
being that later, the vampire would, say, stumble onto a bunch of dead
orcs, and there would be a little note that said, "Number 27.  Have a nice
day" complete with a smiley-face.

Ok, that was it, how about your war stories?

- Stephen
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: tgt33358@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Thanatos)
Subject: Re: Rules for D&D in the Modern Day?
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 06:45:13 GMT

cmeadows@nyx.cs.du.edu (Chris Meadows) writes:


>Has anyone come up with a set of rules for playing D&D in a modern
>setting?  Things like firearm range and damage, automobile speed,
>modern skills and weapon masteries, et cetera?  It would seem like
>such a thing would be relatively easy to write (I could probably
>come up with something myself, given a week or two)...just give the
>weapons higher amounts of damage (say, 2D6 for a .22 pistol, 3D6 for
>a .38, etc.) and the vehicles higher amounts of speed, and transpose 
>what you know...

>Has anybody created such a system, and is it available for FTP?  I'd
>really like to know...it would save me a whole lot of work...

Dragon magazine #100:  City beyond the Gate (I think).  EXCELLENT adventure
in modern London.  A few problems, but reasonably entertaining.  Especially a
random encounter where a man in an overcoat and a thirty foot scarf pops into
a blue box, slams the door shut, and the box vanishes.  Magic indeed. 

-- 
I don't mind being the smartest	    / Thanatos, DeathUrge, Master of Unknown
man in the world...I just wish it   \ Time and Space tgt33358@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu 
wasn't this one...	       	    / It's a Zen thing... 
	-Ozymandias 		    \	 you wouldn't understand...
From: s903040@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au (Christopher Francis Anderson)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: MS-DOS char generator
Date: 11 Nov 92 03:53:07 GMT
Organization: RMIT Computer Centre
NNTP-Posting-Host: minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au

How about keeping track of mages/priests spells, like how many they have, what
they have cast, etc.

BTW, are you going to post the code, or just the .EXE file?


-- 
ThunderKat (a.k.a. Chris Anderson)    s903040@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au

"Sam pressed the button. A few lights flashed on the CPU. And another human
life ended. Somehow, it's always sad, no matter what."
From: v073pzuy@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Damned for all time...)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Spellcasting in Armor (was Re: Dual Class Characters)
Date: 13 Nov 92 06:48:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <2420@cix.cict.fr>, dutech@reseau.Berkeley.EDU (Groupe ELEVES) writes...
> 
>  [... Michael Wright has ruled that spells can be cast in armor if there
>is no somatic component. J Corley answers that he doesn't, because he
>ruled that armor disrupts magic ...]
> 
>  About the metal disrupting magic, that's okay for me, because it's a
>world rule - as opposed to a game rule. But what about the leather and
>padded armors ? what about a metal armor with specially-enchanted metal ?
>Some alchemist ( dwarves especially ) is bound to think about it one day.

How's this:  now that I think about it, if armor disrupts magic--why doesn't it
prevent the casting *on*, as well as the casting *from*?  In other words, why
isn't the plate-mailed fighter immune to the magic, if metal truly disrupts the
magical energies?

Just a question...

>							Redwing.

					---Lord Thanos
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
From: cbnorman@cayley.uwaterloo.ca ()
Subject: Re: Wanted : Traps and info
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 13:32:05 GMT

In article <1992Nov8.181226.2137@news.ysu.edu> ag757@yfn.ysu.edu (Ian Clysdale) writes:
>	I believe (don't quote me on this) that there actually is a Xanth
>RPG around specifically set up to play in Xanth adventures.  Good ol'
>Piers mentioned it in the epilogue to one of his novels (golem in the gears?).
>  	You might want to ask at your local hobby shop to see if they
>know anything about it.  Also, I know a friend of mine was working on adapting
>Xanth to AD&D.  I'll check to see what he got done on it.

I sent a proposal to Piers for a Xanth adaption for AD&D a few years ago (
though now I think it would be better suited for GURPS).  He told me that
he wasn't interested in having Xanth adapted to any existing RPGs.  There
may very well be a Xanth RPG, I haven't kept track lately, I don't really
like Xanth anymore.  Piers can't write like he used to.

Side comment, Piers was once my favorite writer.  The gnome diplomat "Piers"
in my module "Unchained!" was named after him.

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd