

                        FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
                            
                            REC.GAMES.FRP.DND
                               
                               Version 4.21
                          
                          Compiled by Joel Hahn

                           
                          Last revised 06/19/96

Introduction

     Welcome to the Rec.Games.Frp.Dnd Frequently Asked Questions list!

     Minor changes this month; mainly just updating expired URLs and
updating a few facts.

     I do not have the time to monitor the net to discover every new 
web page, net.book, or any other resource that comes along.  If you want 
your resource added to the Resources section of the FAQ, please send me a 
note with the resource name, what type of resource it is (WWW page, FTP 
site, net.book, computer program, etc.), your name & e-mail address, 
where the resource can be obtained, and a one-line description of the 
resource.  Otherwise, it probably won't find its way into the FAQ.


Disclaimer

     TSR, Dungeons & Dragons, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, AD&D, 
Dungeon Master, Dragon, Dungeon, Greyhawk, Forgotten Realms, DragonLance, 
Ravenloft, Planescape, Dark Sun, Mystara, Spelljammer, Birthright, and 
Player's Option are registered trademarks of TSR, Inc.  Several other 
trademarked names appear throughout this work; the author hereby states 
that he is using the names, including the above-mentioned ones, in 
editorial fashion only and to the benefit of the trademark owners, with 
no intention of infringing in any way upon the trademarks.  The author is 
not affiliated with nor endorsed by TSR, Inc.

     Throughout this FAQ, I use the male pronouns.  This is not meant to 
belittle the contributions of female gamers, but rather to serve as a 
simple generic pronoun.

Copyright notice, legal mumbo jumbo

     This FAQ is copyright (C) 1996 by Joel A. Hahn.  All rights reserved.
It may be redistributed freely, but only in its entirety; no part of it 
may be changed, added, or deleted.  This means you, bub!

Note for new users

     Before I get into the nitty-gritty, there's one thing which must be 
said.  If you are new to Usenet, or if you aren't new but never heard 
about the guidelines & helpful pointers for Usenet, there are six posts 
you should go read as soon as possible in the newsgroup 
news.announce.newusers. These have the subjects:

     Emily Postnews Answers Your Questions on Netiquette
     Rules for posting to Usenet
     A Primer on How to Work With the Usenet Community
     Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Usenet
     Hints on writing style for Usenet
     What is Usenet?

     If your server does not carry news.announce.newusers, your sysadmin 
is doing you a disservice--demand that it be added!
     
     These files are also available via FTP from rtfm.mit.edu, in the 
/pub/Usenet/news.announce.newusers/ directory. 
 
     If you are new to Usenet, you should also think quite seriously about
regularly reading the newsgroup news.newusers.questions.  Some of the
topics discussed there are repeated here, but those files have much more
complete answers than are possible here.

     Now that we have that out of the way, on with the show!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Table of Contents

* designates topics which have been updated.
+ designates topics which have been added.

Part 1-----Introduction to rgfd
  Introduction
  Disclaimer
  Copyright notice, legal mumbo jumbo
  Note for new users
  Table of Contents

  A1: What is D&D?
  A2: What is rec.games.frp.dnd?
  A3: Where can I find the FAQ?

Part 2-----Netiquette
  B1: What is this "netiquette" thing anyway?
  B2: So, what's the deal with this board?
  B3: Are there any gaming groups in my area?
  B4: What codes can I use for Distribution?
  B5: "...Me, too!"
  B6: Why should I play *D&D instead of Rolemaster, Torg, or some other 
      RPG?
  B7: "D&D IS EVIL & SH*T, DON'T PLAY IT."  What do I do when this gets 
      posted?
  B8: Do those "MAKE MONEY FAST" ideas really work?  
  B9: If X fought Y, who would win?
  B10: Where can I buy/sell old books, modules, & other stuff?
  B11: How do I get past a certain point in this SSI/TSR game I just 
      bought?
  B12: Some people's posts go off the right edge of the screen; is my 
      newsreader broken or something?
  B13: How creative should I get with my .signature file?
  B14: Do I have to be an elementalist mage to post a "flame" or start a 
      "flamewar"?
  B15: Where can I post this?
  B16: Why hasn't anyone responded to my posts?
  B17: Why isn't anyone talking about Al-Qadim?
  B18: Would anyone like to start a campaign here on the newsgroup?

Part 3-----TSR

TSR
* C1: What is the history of the game now called AD&D?
  C2: What does "TSR" stand for?
  C3: What does "T$R" stand for?
  C4: What is TSR's e-mail address?
* C5: What is TSR's snail-mail address?
* C6: What is TSR really working on in the way of TV shows and movies?
* C7: What's the deal with TSR's copyright policy?
  C8: Did TSR really try to trademark the word "Nazi"?
  C9: Didn't TSR just "borrow" everything from J.R.R. Tolkien's works?
  C10: How can I submit my latest work of literary genius to TSR?
* C11: Where's Gary Gygax these days? 

Part 4-----FAQ: 1) META 2) FAQ 3) Satanism
META
  D1: I've found a mistake in the latest TSR module; where can I report 
      it?
  D2: Where can I find a list of official TSR errata? 
  D3: What is a PBEM and how do I get into one or start one?
  D4: What are the best *D&D products (books/modules/etc.) to get?
  D5: What to those letter/number combinations on older modules and 
      handbooks stand for?

FAQ
  E1: Wasn't there a Saturday morning cartoon about *D&D?
  E2: What *D&D-specific comic books have been published?  
  E3: Wasn't there a TSR module that was banned?  
  E4: Aren't these new core books actually the third edition of AD&D?
  E5: What was removed from Deities & Demigods?
  E6: Was Legends & Lore really originally a 1st ed. book?
  E7: What happened to Mystara, Greyhawk, and Spelljammer?
  E8: Where did all the devils, demons, daemons, and the rest go?
  E9: Who is this Cthulhu guy, anyway?

Satanism
  F1: Is *D&D really the tool of the Devil?

Part 5-----Glossary
  G1: What do those weird abbreviations mean?
  G2: How do you pronounce...?
  G3: How do you spell...?
  G4: What is a "newbie"?
  G5: What is a "Spoiler"? 
  G6: What is bandwidth?  How does one waste it?
  G7: What is "fluff?"
  G8: Who's this "Monty Haul" character I keep hearing about?
  G9: What is "munchkinism"?  What does the Wizard of Oz have to do with 
      *D&D?
  G10: What is "Spam"?
  G11: When is a troll not green, rubbery, or regenerative?
  G12: Are there any other terms I should be aware of?

Part 6-----Resources 1: Internet

Internet
* H1: What other newsgroups are out there for role-playing junkies like 
      me?
  H2: Are there any FTP sites for *D&D?
  H3: What does .zip mean?  And why can't I read this file I just 
      downloaded?
* H4: Are there any WWW pages for *D&D?
  H5: Where can I upload this neat program I just wrote?
  H6: Is a complete index of Dragon Magazine available anywhere?
  H7: Is there a complete list of every *D&D product TSR has ever 
      published?
  H8: Where can I find a complete list of every monster TSR has published 
      for *D&D?
  H9: Is there really an "AD&D Guide to Sex?"
  H10: Where can I find the Net.*.Book?
  H11: Are there any *D&D-related mailing lists?
  H12: Are there any other *D&D-related resources on the Internet?

Part 7-----Resources 2: Non-Internet

Non-Internet
  I1: What non-electronic resources are there for *D&D ?
* I2: What are some good books to read to get good ideas?
  I3: Where should I start looking in a library for more information?
  I4: What are some good movies to watch to get good ideas?

Part 8-----Gamespeak 1: For Player's Eyes

For Player's Eyes
  J1: What books do I need in order to play?
  J2: Does the weapon proficiency "Ambidexterity" give me extra attacks? 
  J3: Is the use of poison automatically an evil act?
  J4: What about slitting throats?  Anything else?
  J5: Are all orcs inherently evil?  What about orc babies?
  J6: Can mages wear armor?
  J7: I don't like the spell memorization system for clerics & wizards...
  J8: What does "Lawful/Neutral/Chaotic Good/Neutral/Evil" really 
      indicate?
  J9: Is alignment really necessary?
  J10: What is a morning star?
  J11: But medieval combat wasn't anything like the way it is in *D&D!

Part 9-----Gamespeak 2: For DM's Eyes

For DM's Eyes
  K1: What books do I need in order to be a DM?
  K2: Which TSR campaign world should I use?  
  K3: Stoneskin seems too unbalancing.  What can I do?
  K4: What can I do about Bladesinging elves?
  K5: What can I do to prevent psionics from really unbalancing a game? 
  K6: How do you deal with critical hits?
      A)  Determination of criticals
      B)  Resolution of criticals
  K7: What can I do to make crossbows as useful as normal bows?
  K8: How much do coins weigh?
  K9: What can I do to make the hit point system more true to life?
  K10: The energy drain power of greater undead sucks.  What can I do?
  K11: Where else can I look for info about being a Dungeon Master?
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

A1:  What is D&D?

A:  D&D is an abbreviation for Dungeons & Dragons, a fantasy role-playing 
    game published by TSR, Inc. (Hereafter referred to as "TSR").  It 
    made its first public appearance in 1973, hit the general market in 
    1974, and has been wildly popular ever since.  It is generally 
    referred to as "The grandfather of all role-playing games."  It was 
    later revised to become part of AD&D, or Advanced Dungeons & Dragons.  
    AD&D is the most widely recognized and played role-playing game. 
      For the purpose of preventing confusion, I use "*D&D" as a generic
    term referring to all of the forms this game has taken over the years.

A2:  What is rec.games.frp.dnd?

A:  Rec.games.frp.dnd is a Usenet newsgroup dedicated to discussions
    pertaining to AD&D, D&D, TSR, and anything else that happens to come 
    up.  It was voted into existence by a result of 357 to 84 in May 
    1992, as part of "The Great rec.games.frp Reorganization".  Here is 
    the charter for the group:

NAME:      rec.games.frp.dnd
CHARTER:   This unmoderated discussion newsgroup is for discussion of
           the official rules and settings of the D&D family of
           role-playing games, produced by TSR, Inc., including
           Collector's Edition Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), Basic D&D,
           Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (AD&D), and AD&D Second
           Edition. This proposed newsgroup would include discussion of
           TSR's rules and products and compatible products, such as:
           character classes; character races; monsters; magic spells;
           weapons; Greyhawk; the Forgotten Realms; the Known World;
           Dark Sun; Spelljammer; RavenLoft; Hollow World; City State of
           the Invincible Overlord; and so on. Crossposting between this
           group and other groups in the rec.games.frp hierarchy is
           discouraged, however issues of general interest that happen
           to involve a D&D rulebook or setting are more than welcome.

A3:  Where can I find the FAQ?

A:  The rec.games.frp.dnd FAQ (which you are currently reading) is posted 
    to rec.games.frp.dnd monthly, on the first of each month.  This is the
    best and easiest way to find it.  It is also currently the only way to
    get the latest version.
      As of this writing, the FAQ is not archived at any FTP sites.  
    However, a slightly revised hypertext version is available through 
    the World Wide Web at both http://web.cs.ualberta.ca/~wade/HyperDnd/ 
    and http://sac.uky.edu/~mlmorr0/rgfdfaq.html.
      If you are desperate for a copy of the FAQ, and can neither use the
    WWW, nor wait the less than thirty days until the next public
    posting, then you can write the keeper at <jhahn@nslsilus.org>.  I 
    will consider every request, but will usually just tell you to wait 
    the short while until the next posting, unless circumstances allow me 
    more Internet time than I normally have.

***End Part 1***


