REC.GAMES.FRP.DND
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HTML Version 5.3
Compiled by Joel Hahn
Last revised 05/09/03
Table of Contents
Part 1-----Introduction to rgfd
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: "...Me, too!"
B5: Why should I play *D&D instead of Rolemaster, Torg, or some other
RPG?
B6: "D&D IS EVIL & SH*T, DON'T PLAY IT." What do I do when this gets
posted?
B7: Do those "MAKE MONEY FAST" ideas really work?
B8: If X fought Y, who would win?
B9: Where can I buy/sell old books, modules, & other stuff?
B10: How do I get past a certain point in this AD&D computer game?
B11: Some people's posts go off the right edge of the screen; is my
newsreader broken or something?
B12: How creative should I get with my .signature file?
B13: Do I have to be an elementalist mage to post a "flame" or start a
"flamewar"?
B14: Where can I post this?
B15: Is all "d20" discussion on-topic here?
B16: Why hasn't anyone responded to my posts?
B17: I posted a question; why hasn't anyone answered it?
B18: Why isn't anyone talking about Al-Qadim?
B19: Would anyone like to start a campaign here on the newsgroup?
B20: I missed a message; could someone please repost it?
B21: Why are people telling me to stop writing my responses above the post
I'm responding to?
B22: What's wrong with posting with MIME or in HTML?
Part 3-----TSR/WotC
C1: What is the history of the D&D game?
C2: What did "TSR" stand for?
C3: What does "T$R" stand for?
C4: What is WotC's e-mail address?
C5: What is WotC's snail-mail address?
C6: What is WotC really working on in the way of TV shows and movies?
C7: What's the deal with WotC'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 WotC?
C11: Where's Gary Gygax these days?
Part 4-----1) Meta 2) Misc. 3) Religion
Meta
D1: I've found a mistake in the latest D&D product; where can I report
it?
D2: Where can I find a list of official D&D 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?
D6: What font did TSR use for Planescape and where can I get it?
D7: What is the chance of rolling up a character with all natural
18's?
D8: I heard there are some official *D&D modules on the
web. Where are they?
Misc.
E1: Wasn't there a Saturday morning cartoon about *D&D?
E2: What *D&D-specific comic books have been published?
E3: Whatever happened to SnarfQuest, What's New?, Wormy, and Yamara?
E4: While we're talking about it, whatever happened to Erol Otus?
E5: Wasn't there a TSR module that was banned?
E6: Wasn't there already a FIFTH edition of D&D?
E7: Now that 3rd ed. is out, are all my 2nd ed. sourcebooks obsolete?
E8: What was removed from Deities & Demigods?
E9: Was Legends & Lore really originally a 1st ed. book?
E10: What happened to my favorite TSR campaign world?
E11: Where did all the devils, demons, daemons, and the rest go?
E12: Who is this Cthulhu guy, anyway?
E13: What are the major changes in AD&D, 2nd ed. from 1st ed.?
E14: What are the major changes in D&D, 3rd ed. from AD&D, 2nd ed.?
E15: What is the Gazebo story about? And what's the Head of Vecna?
E16: Isn't there a humorous "Dungeons & Dragons" skit out there?
Religion
F1: Is *D&D really the tool of the Devil?
F2: Yeah, but is *D&D really the tool of the Devil?
F3: Isn't Al-Qadim actually one of the holy names of Allah?
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 download electronic versions of the 3rd ed. Player's
Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and Monster Manual for free?
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 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 magazine 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 fantasy movies to watch to get good ideas?
I5: What is some good background or inspirational music for *D&D games?
Part 8-----Gamespeak 1: For Player's
Eyes
For Player's Eyes
J1: What books do I need in order to play?
J2: 2ND: 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: 2ND: 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: Can paladins have an alignment other than Lawful Good?
J11: What is a morning star?
J12: 3RD: How do Attacks of Opportunity work?
J13: 3RD: Ouch! How can I avoid attacks of opportunity?
J14: 3RD: When can I take a five-foot step?
J15: 3RD: What is "stacking"?
J16: 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: 2ND: Stoneskin seems too unbalancing. What can I do?
K4: 2ND: What can I do about Bladesinging elves?
K5: 2ND: 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: 2ND: 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: 2ND: The energy drain power of greater undead sucks. What can I do?
K11: 3RD: How do you apply multiple multipliers?
K12: 3RD: Is caster level a prerequisite for creating magic items?
K13: Where else can I look for info about being a Dungeon Master?
Appendix: Preformatted Tables
Continue on to Part 1
Copyright (C) 2002 by Joel A. Hahn