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rec.games.frp.dnd FAQ: 6/9 -- Resources 1: Internet

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Archive-name: games/roleplay/dnd/part6
Posting-frequency: monthly
Last-modified: August 2004
URL: http://users.rcn.com/aardy/faq/rgfdfaq.html

See reader questions & answers on this topic! - Help others by sharing your knowledge
                            REC.GAMES.FRP.DND FAQ
                                   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?
  H6: Where can I upload this neat program I just wrote?
  H7: Is a complete index to Dragon Magazine available anywhere?
  H8: Is there a complete list of every *D&D product TSR has ever 
      published?
  H9: Where can I find a complete list of every monster TSR has published 
      for *D&D?
  H10: Is there really an "AD&D Guide to Sex?"
  H11: Where can I find the Net.*.Book?
  H12: Are there any *D&D-related mailing lists?
  H13: Are there any other *D&D-related resources on the Internet?
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Internet
H1:  What other newsgroups are out there for role-playing junkies like me?

A:  There are several groups dedicated to role-playing games.  The vast
    majority are, naturally, found in the rec.games.frp.* hierarchy, but 
    several others are in the alt groups.

    alt.dragons-inn             Role-playing via Usenet
    
    alt.fan.dragonlance         Fans of Dragonlance, unite!

    alt.games.adnd              Like rgfd, only different
    alt.games.adnd.forgotten-realms  Discussion about the Realms
    alt.games.frp.2000ad        Discussion of the 2000 AD game
    alt.games.frp.dnd-util      Posting & discussion of util's, etc.
    alt.games.frp.live-action   Discussion of live-action fantasy rpg's
    alt.games.frp.tekumel       Discussion of the Tekumel game

    comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.adventure Discussion of IBM adventure games
    comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg       Discussion of IBM computer RPGs
    comp.sys.mac.games.adventure    Discussion of Mac computer RPGs

    rec.games.frp.advocacy      Which games or rules are the best/worst?
   *rec.games.frp.announce      Con announcements, gamers/games wanted
   *rec.games.frp.archives      Fiction, programs, house rules, etc.
    rec.games.frp.cyber         Discussion of rpg's involving cyberware
    rec.games.frp.dnd           Discussion of *D&D
    rec.games.frp.gurps         Discussion of GURPS
    rec.games.frp.industry      Industry issues, concerns, discussion
    rec.games.frp.live-action   Discussion of live-action fantasy rpg's
    rec.games.frp.marketplace   Buy/sell (usually used) gaming supplies
    rec.games.frp.misc          Discussion of all other RPG topics
   *rec.games.frp.moderated     Discussion of all other RPG topics
    rec.games.frp.storyteller   Discussion of White Wolf's games
    rec.games.frp.super-heroes  Discussion of super-hero games
    * Moderated newsgroups; all posts are automatically mailed to the 
    moderator, who then decides which ones are of posting calibre and 
    posts them.

      If you have something to say which doesn't really fit in rgfd, but
    seems to fit more in one of the others, please post it there.  This
    is especially true for auctions, sales, and items wanted posts, which
    belong in rec.games.frp.marketplace, and entire combat or magic 
    systems, which belong in r.g.f.archives.
      There are many other newsgroups that may be of interest to someone
    looking for ways to spice up a fantasy role-playing game; far too
    many to list here.  However, some groups deserving of notable mention
    are:

    rec.games.pbm               Discussion of PBMs and PBEMs 
   *rec.games.mud.announce      Advertisements for MUDs
    rec.games.mud.diku          Discussion of DikuMUDs
    rec.games.mud.misc          Discussion of MUDs in general
    rec.games.mud.tiny          Discussion of TinyMUDs, MUSHes, etc.
    rec.heraldry                Discussion of coats of arms
    rec.org.sca                 The Society for Creative Anachronism
    soc.genealogy.medieval      Genealogy of people living AD500-1600
    soc.history.medieval        Discussion of medieval history

H2:  Are there any FTP sites for *D&D?

A:  Back in 1994, FTP sites were one of the most widely-used ways of
    distributing files over the Internet, the primary mode of file
    transfer now takes place via web sites.
      Most FTP sites with *D&D-related content were shut down after being
    threatened with legal action by TSR.  The one official site, MPGN,
    was bought by an online game company who apparently removed the
    RPG directories sometine in 2001. Because of TSR's threats, only some
    of the files that used to be at MPGN were mirrored elsewhere; some of
    them may now be gone for good. There are still a few FTP sites left
    out there, most notably Funet (the Finnish University and Research
    Network), which can be accessed at:
    <ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/doc/games/roleplay/systems/>.

H3:  What does ".zip" mean?  And why can't I read these files I just 
     downloaded?

A:  The .zip file extension means that the file has been compressed with 
    some form of PKZip in order to save space in the archive and to keep 
    up- and download times relatively short.  You will need to unpack the 
    file in order to read it properly.  There are many compression systems 
    besides PKZip, and this leads to the often bewildering maze of file 
    extensions one must wade through on most ftp sites.  
      Most ftp sites (including MPGN) have a directory dedicated to 
    providing copies of the various packer/unpacker programs.  Many will 
    also automatically unpack certain formats of downloaded files as you 
    download them if you simply leave off the file extension when you
    request the file.  If your site does not already carry the program you 
    need, either check for such a directory at the ftp site, or ask your 
    local sysadmin for assistance.  
      Some common file extensions:

    Extension      File type      Transfer as    Then... (By using...)
    .arc            Archive         binary          un-archive (ARC)
    .asc             Text           ascii           read normally
    .au          Unix Sound file    binary          player needed
    .bmp        Graphic (bitmap)    binary          viewer needed
    .doc    Word/WordPerfect file   binary          viewer needed
    .exe        Executable file     binary          execute
    .gif           Graphic          binary          viewer needed
    .gz     GNUzip compressed file  binary          un-compress (gzip)
    .hqx    Macintosh encoded file  binary          un-encode (BinHex)
    .jpg           Graphic          binary          viewer needed
    .lzh        LHarc archive       binary          un-archive (lharc)
    .mpg      Video graphic file    binary          player needed
    .pdf     Adobe/Acrobat file     binary          viewer needed
    .ps     Adobe PostScript file   binary          viewer needed
    .sit     Macintosh compressed   binary          un-compress (Stuffit)
    .tar       Unix tape archive    binary          un-archive (tar)
    .tar.z \    Compressed Unix
    .taz    >    tape archive       binary          un-compress (gzip)
    .tgz   /                                        then un-archive (tar)
    .tif           Graphic          binary          viewer needed
    .txt            Text            ascii           read normally
    .uue      Unix encoded file     ascii           un-encode (uudecode)
    .voc   Soundblaster sound file  binary          player needed
    .wav         Sound file         binary          player needed
    .z, .Z   Unix compressed file   binary          un-compress 
                                                        (gzip/decompress)
    .zip        Compressed file     binary          un-compress 
                                                        (pkzip/unzip)
    
      If you try to transfer a binary file as ASCII, all you end up with 
    is garbage.
      If you try to transfer an ASCII file as binary, you can lose the 
    line breaks, which means the entire file will transfer as one long 
    line.
      Note that gzip, though it has the default file extension of .gz, 
    additionally uses the extension .z; gzip will also handle any .Z 
    files condensed with compress.
       
      To help clear up some of the confusion about using ftp, here is a 
    section quoted from an FAQ posted on rgfd by (but, to my knowledge, 
    not written by) Boudewijn Wayers.


    How to get files by ftp.
    -----------------------

    FAQ lists cross-posted to news.answers and rec.answers can be gotten
    from rtfm.mit.edu (18.70.0.209), under /pub/usenet/news.answers or
    under /pub/usenet/more.specific.group.name.

    "Anonymous ftp" is just a way for files to be stored where anyone can
    retrieve them over the Net. For example, to retrieve the latest 
    version of the Moria FAQ, do the following:

      ftp rtfm.mit.edu      ==> connect to the site; a message follows
      anonymous             ==> type this when it asks for your name
      <your email address>  ==> type your address as the password
      cd /pub/usenet        ==> go to the directory you want to be
      cd rec.games.moria    ==> one level down (no slash)
      dir                   ==> look at what's there
      get r.g.m_F_A_Q       ==> get the file; case-sensitive
      quit                  ==> stop this mysterious thing

    If your ftp program complains that it doesn't know where the site you
    want to use is, type the numerical address instead of the sitename:

      ftp 18.70.0.209       ==> connect with numerical address

    If you don't have ftp access, send e-mail to mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu
    with the single word "help" in the body of the message.

    Getting binary files (executables, or any compressed files) is only
    slightly more difficult. You need to set binary mode inside ftp
    before you transfer the file.

      binary               ==> set binary transfer mode
      ascii                ==> set back to text transfer mode

    FAQs and spoiler lists are generally ASCII files; everything else is
    generally binary files.

    Generic help can be found in the FAQs of comp.binaries.<your_system>
    for how to transfer, extract, and virus-check binary files (at
    rtfm.mit.edu).

    If you can't FTP from your site, use one of the following ftp-by-mail
    servers:

      ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com
      ftpmail@src.doc.ic.ac.uk
      ftpmail@cs.uow.edu.au
      ftpmail@grasp.insa-lyon.fr

    For complete instructions, send a message reading "help" to the 
    server.

    If you don't know exactly what you're looking for, or exactly where it
    is, there are programs and servers that can help you.  For more info,
    send e-mail to mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu with the body of the
    message reading
    
      send usenet/news.answers/finding-sources

H4:  Are there any WWW pages for *D&D?

A:  TSR has an official web page that is chiefly made up of AD&D material;
    they are working on expanding it further in many interesting ways.
    There are also a plethora of other, fan-maintained WWW sites related
    to *D&D or some specific facet thereof, as well as to role-playing
    games in general.
      Since listing every single *D&D-related web page would easily 
    double the size of this entire FAQ, what follows is a sampling of 
    the many, many web pages out there which deal in some way with *D&D 
    or may be of significant interest to a *D&D player.

    http://www.wizards.com/dnd/main.asp?x=dnd/welcome,3
          WotC/TSR's Official Web Page
    http://www.wizards.com/D20/article.asp?x=srd
          The d20 System Reference Document--the basic rules of the PH,
          DMG, MM, and the psionics handbook, all free and online.
    http://www.opengamingfoundation.org/
          The Open Gaming Foundation site, including the latest version of
          the Open Gaming License, the d20 System Reference Document, and
          the d20 trademark license.
    http://www.rpga.com/
          The RPGA's official web page
    http://www.d20reviews.com/
          d20 and D&D news & reviews
    http://www.d20reviews.com/Eric/whatis.htm
          EN World: The Black Pages, D&D info, explanations, errata, etc.
    http://www.kargatane.com/
          Secrets of the Kargatane, the official Ravenloft webpage
    http://www.planewalker.com/
          Planewalker, the official Planescape webpage
    http://www.mimir.net/
          The Mimir, a semi-official Planescape fan webpage
    http://www.athas.org/
          The Burnt World of Athas, the official Dark Sun webpage
    http://www.darkwoodforest.com/rpg/compendium/
          Compendium, the official Spelljammer webpage
    http://www.dnd.starflung.com/
          The official Mystara webpage
    http://www.birthright.net/
          The official Birthright webpage
    http://www.rpggateway.com/
          Effie's Concordance of the D&D books and magazines, Game Finder,
          Great Wyrm listing of D&D-related web pages, and more
    http://www.webrpg.com/
          WebRPG, with "gamers wanted" ads, artwork, chatrooms,
          fun surveys, game store, etc.
    http://sefton.tradepage.co.za/Realms/
          Webpage of the Forgotten Realms mailing list
    http://crpp0001.uqtr.uquebec.ca/www_wanderer/rpg.html 
          Everything you wanted to know about *D&D and more 
    http://www.irony.com 
          On-line dice roller programs, a virtual village, and many
          random town/cave/etc. generators
    http://acm.org/~papay/dnd/tsr_prices_intro.html
          List of TSR products which have been auctioned in 
          rec.games.frp.marketplace, with average prices compiled from 
          data dating back up to three years
    http://www.acaeum.com/
          List of (almost) everything TSR published, along with
          descriptions and suggested prices
    http://www.ucc.gu.uwa.edu.au/~knight 
          Mystara web page, and more
    http://www.istari.org:44/
          The Great Net.Book Archive
    http://www.math.auth.gr/~bchr/
          Nostradamus' Vault of net.books
    http://attila.stevens-tech.edu/gamers/links.html 
          Netbooks galore 
    http://www.atfantasy.com/
          More netbooks
    http://www.yahoo.com/Recreation/Games/Role_Playing_Games/ 
          Yahoo's list of RPG-related web pages 
    http://www.pbem.com/pbem-page.html 
          PBEMs, PBEMs, and more PBEMs
    http://www.iuk.bwl.uni-muenchen.de/~peceny/home/spiele/rollenspiele.html
          Michi's gaming page 
    http://www.complang.tuwien.ac.at/alex/home.html.en
          Selected postings from rgfd, guides, house rules, helpful 
          computer programs, and more
    http://www.stack.nl/~nushae/ 
          Nushae S. Fahey's AD&D page at Stack 
    http://www.omnigroup.com/People/surge/rpg.html
          Mbs upon Mbs of AD&D and RPG files 
    http://www.upl.cs.wisc.edu/~woodelf/RPG/RPG.html
          Extensive list of RPG web pages, etc. 
    http://www.cs.technion.ac.il/users/massi/ffp 
          The Fellowship of the Flying Paladin 
    http://www.execpc.com/~ozyr/fbs.html 
          The Fellowship of the Black Spot 
    http://www.lysator.liu.se/~johol/rpg/rpg.html 
          RPG-related files, etc. 
    http://members.xoom.com/ioreth/u_adnd.html
          Greyhawk information, and lots of links 
    http://www.miniworld.com/adnd 
          Several random character/item/etc. generators, the 
          Dragon/Polyhedron index, and some Mystara information 
    http://www.schlumpf.de/~schmidt/rpg/roleplaying.html
          Spells, kits, and other miscellaneous info
    http://www.mimgames.com/~legolas/
          Legolas' page of AD&D links 
    http://www.usc.net/~bean/main.html
          Bean's page of modules for AD&D
    http://www.mag7.com/
          Mag Force 7; featuring homepages of Margaret Weis (of 
          Dragonlance fame), Don Perrin, Jeff Grubb, and others 
    http://www.rpg.net/ 
          RPGnet--reviews, campaign ads, links, files, art, etc.
    http://roleplaygames.miningco.com/msub43.htm?pid=2759&cob=home
          The Mining Company's page of AD&D links
    http://www.judgesguild.com/
          Judges Guild's official web page
    http://www.gygax.com/
          Gary Gygax's homepage

    Other URLs which contain *D&D information:

    http://www.dem.csiro.au/~matthewt/personal.html
    http://www-zeus.desy.de/~hungbhy/rpg.html
    http://www.acc.umu.se/~stradh/
    http://www.ed.ac.uk/~geas/
    http://www.geocities.com/Area51/1966/
    http://www.co.jyu.fi/~np/rpg/
    http://www.pathguy.com/lipo.htm
    http://www.netrpg.com/
    http://spitfire.ausys.se/johan/cave/default.stm
    http://members.aol.com/jimvassila/
    http://www.io.com/~tenzil/rpgs/adnd.html
    http://www.wirehub.nl/~quinon/add.htm
    http://www.bath.ac.uk/~su3blarp/
    http://www.inforamp.net/~gthoms/
    http://www.mit.edu:8001/people/jerrod/home.html
    http://users.interconnect.net/indy/
    http://www.perkworks.com/erda/
    http://www.webring.org/cgi-bin/webring?ring=tcadndwr;list
    http://www.webring.org/cgi-bin/webring?ring=adnd;list
    http://www.webring.org/cgi-bin/webring?ring=planes;list
    http://www.webring.org/cgi-bin/webring?ring=ircadnd;list
    http://kunst.uib.no/Dragonlands/
    http://www.pazsaz.com/dundrag.html
    http://home.att.net/~hwid/Wod/Wod.html
    http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/2937/
    http://lune.webjump.com/
    http://roleplaygames.miningco.com/mbody.htm?COB=home&PID=2759
    http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/7633/RPG/
    http://www.webcom.com/~apcrypha/
    http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/pbm.html

    Other URLs of possible interest for shoppers:

    http://www.dragontrove.com/
      The Dragon's Trove on-line gaming store, which has a large selection
      of new and used RPG material for sale.
    http://www.titan-games.com/
      Titan Games, selling new and used RPG material.
    http://www.sagesguild.com/
      Sage's Guild, selling new and used RPG material.
    http://www.egameguild.com/
      The Game Guild store in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, selling new
      and used RPG material.
    http://www.hitpointe.com/
      The Hit Pointe, selling used and out-of-print D&D and AD&D material.
    http://amazon.com/
      Amazon.com, one of--if not the--largest on-line bookstore. 
    http://futfan.com/
      An on-line bookstore, specializing in SF, Fantasy, Mystery, & 
      Horror.  You can browse their catalog and place orders through their 
      page.
    http://www.ebay.com/
      An on-line auction house, where it is common to find many D&D
products.

H5:  Where can I download electronic versions of the 3rd ed. Player's
    Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and Monster Manual for free?

A:  Wizards of the Coast has made a slightly stripped-down version of the
    3rd ed. D&D rulebooks freely available to the public as part of the
    Open Gaming project, at <http://www.opengamingfoundation.org/srd.html>.
    It doesn't contain every single word of the printed books, but it's
    close enough for most uses.

H6:  Where can I upload this neat program I just wrote?

A:  If the program adheres to TSR's online policy (see Section 3), then it
    can be uploaded to your favorite ftp site, whatever that may be.  Once
    you upload the file, please post a note to rec.games.frp.dnd explaining
    what the program does, and at what site people may find it.
      An alternative to ftp is making the program available via a WWW 
    page.  To do this, you must either have a personal page, or convince 
    one of the existing *D&D WWW page keepers to include your program in 
    their page.  This latter course of action is not as difficult as it 
    sounds, as people tend to be looking for new things to add.  Once it 
    gets added to a page, post a note to rec.games.frp.dnd listing what 
    the program does and the URL of the page on which it may be found.
      If this doesn't seem like your cup of tea, you can try posting it to
    Usenet.  If you decide to take this course of action, the correct
    group to post it to is alt.games.frp.dnd-util.  Posting such programs
    to rec.games.frp.dnd is strongly discouraged.  If you do not get
    alt.games.frp.dnd-util, ask your Usenet sysop to add it.  If you do 
    not get this newsgroup, and your sysop refuses to add it, then and 
    only then should you try posting it to rec.games.frp.archives, which 
    is a moderated newsgroup, so all postings are mailed to the moderator, 
    who then decides if each message is worthy to be posted, so there is a 
    chance that he will decide not to post your program.  Once it gets 
    posted, then post a note in rec.games.frp.dnd explaining what the 
    program is supposed to do and in which newsgroup people may find it.
      The final course of action you can take is not to upload it at all, 
    but rather to post a note to rec.games.frp.dnd that anyone interested 
    in trying your program can send you e-mail and you can e-mail the 
    program to the interested parties.
    
      No matter which of the above methods you use, there are certain
    protocols which should be followed.  When done, your methods should be 
    explained in a companion text file (if uploading to an ftp site or 
    placing on a web page) and in any advertisements you post to Usenet.

      1) Compress the program, both to save room on the ftp site/Web page/
      Newsgroup/etc., and to cut down on download times.  This is 
      especially necessary if you post a program to Usenet.
      
      2) If you post programs to Usenet, don't forget to convert the file 
      to ASCII before you post it (uuencode [preferred by most], BinHex, 
      MIME, etc.); otherwise, it will be unusable by most, if not all 
      systems.

      3) State the compression system used (pkzip, compress, lharc, tar, 
      gzip, StuffIt, etc.) and the ASCII conversion program, if used; 
      don't rely on people's ability to decipher file extension(s).

      4) State the computer & system requirements (i.e. DOS, Windows,
      Macintosh System 7, ANSI-C source, etc.).

H7:  Is a complete index to Dragon Magazine available anywhere?

A:  An index of Dragon Magazine from #2-#236 and Polyhedron #45 through
    the end of its original run, compiled by Vince Gray
    <vince@sscl.uwo.ca>, is available in an xref ASCII (KWIC) file via MPGN.
    It is updated annually, around the first of the year.  An online lookup
    form--not yet updated with the most recent KWIC files--created by
    Scooby (Joseph DuBois) <scooby@miniworld.com>, is located on the World
    Wide Web at <http://www.miniworld.com/adnd/magIndex.html>.
      TSR has also released the entirety of Dragon #1-250 on CD-ROM, in
    PDF format.  The search feature of that product, while it isn't exactly
    a true "index," is probably close enough to it for most users.

H8: Is there a complete list of every *D&D product TSR has ever published? 

A:  Yes, there is.  Originally compiled by Anthony Brooks (ne Goth) 
    <anthony@internet.org.za> it is now being kept up and updated by Gavin 
    Bartell <gavin.bartell@anu.edu.au>.  The current version is available
    at <http://www.rpggateway.com/tsrlist/docfiles.html>. The original
    version is available at <ftp://ftp.mpgn.com/Gaming/ADND/TSRGuides/>.
    It includes listings for every known release of every TSR *D&D product,
    from rulebooks to modules to box sets to mage stones, and everything--
    and I mean everything--in between, along with short descriptions of
    each.  If, in looking through it, you discover that a certain item is
    not listed, feel free to drop a line to Gavin about it.
      Other, independent, attempts at listings and/or reviews of every *D&D
    product can also be found at <http://www.acaeum.com/>, and
    <http://members.tripod.com/~phammer/dndlist0.html>.

H9: Where can I find a complete list of every monster TSR has published 
    for *D&D?

A:  A list, which was up to date as of the beginning of 1996 and
    included only 2nd ed. creatures, was maintained by Anthony Brooks (ne 
    Goth) <anthony@internet.org.za>, when he found time to update it
    (5165 entries and rising at the last count). One version of this
    list was at MPGN, at <ftp://ftp.mpgn.com/Gaming/ADND/Monsters/
    Monster.List.zip>.  It is not known whether any copies of this file
    are still publicly available.

H10:  Is there really an "AD&D Guide to Sex?"  What other Guides are there?

A:  Yes there was, though it was not a TSR product (as one would infer 
    from that name).  Chiefly compiled by Reid Bluebaugh from 
    submissions by many people on the Internet (collectively known as 
    "The Guide Creator"), it has been revised to remove trademarks &
    copyrighted material belonging to TSR, as well as make it more
    applicable to more games than just AD&D; its proper name is now "The 
    Complete RPG Guide to Unlawful Carnal Knowledge."  At this time, no 
    FTP site is publically known to contain any of the Complete Guides.
      Revised versions of these files, in which all of TSR's trademarks
    and any quotes from TSR's books have been removed, are slowly
    making their way onto the net, via rec.games.frp.archives and a web
    page, as the compiler finishes them.  As none of them are really 
    AD&D-specific now, they are all called "The Complete RPG Guide 
    to..." or "The Fantasy Guide to..."  Direct any questions about, as
    well as any requests for copies of the Guides to Reid Bluebaugh
    <d2dcblu@fre.fsu.umd.edu>.
      On a side note, if you happen to find a copy of a '92 version of
    the Guide to Sex--or a copy of any of the guides which is dated 
    before 1996--pass it by.  There are much better, much more complete 
    (some 200+ pages longer in a couple instances), and much more recent 
    versions available.
      
      A partial list of Complete Guides is as follows; more are created
    as "the Guide Creator" thinks them up:
      
      Complete RPG Guide to Alcohol
         "      "    "   "  Hygiene
         "      "    "   "  Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (previously "Sex")
         "   Fantasy "   "  Star Trek
         "      "    "   "  Technology
         "      "    "   "  Sanity
         "   Highlander Guide
       Appendix 1: Complete RPG Guide to Drugs
          "     2:    "      "    "   "  Dice Games
          "     3:    "      "    "   "  Blue Ball Bowling
          "     4:    "      "    "   "  Comedy
          "     5:    "      "    "   "  Gruel

H11:  Where can I find the Net.*.Book?

A:  This type of file is not usually posted to rec.games.frp.dnd, and only
    occasionally sees light on rec.games.frp.archives. Rather, these files
    tend to be found on various ftp sites and WWW pages.  There are many,
    many more netbooks out there than can ever possibly be listed here,
    so what follows is merely a sampler of the kinds of files you may find.
      Some examples of Net.Books are:

    Great Net.Book of Net.Books for use with AD&D
    Compiled by Joel Hahn <aardy @ rcn.com>
      Available via www to:
      http://users.rcn.com/aardy/rpg/nb-index.html

    Net.Plot.Book  (Contains generic fantasy plot hooks)
    Originally compiled by Aaron Sher
    Afterwords compiled by <mdlcpgs@lhn.gns.cri.nz>
    Currently compiled by Alex Forst <alex@complang.tuwien.ac.at>
      Available via ftp to:
      ftp.cs.pdx.edu\pub\frp\general\
        net.plot.book.4.gz  (gzipped; future releases will be here)
        Releases 1-3 are archived here as well.
      And via www to:
      http://www.complang.tuwien.ac.at/alex/Handbooks/
        Most recent releases found here first

    Great.Net.Spellbook  (Every homemade wizard spell the compiler found)
    Great.Net.Prayerbook  (Ditto for priest spells)
    Orig. compiled by Boudewijn Wayers <dedos4@win.tue.nl>
    Currently compiled by Ezra Van Everbroeck 
        <ezra@onyx.arts.kuleuven.ac.be>
      For ftp info write to: Ezra Van Everbroeck 
        <ezra@onyx.arts.kuleuven.ac.be>
      Both available via www to:
      http://www.istari.org:44
    
    Ultimate Spell Database (2800+ TSR spells' names & bare essentials)
    Compiled by Mark Middleton <magesage@infinet.com>
      Available via ftp to:
      ftp.funet.fi\pub\doc\games\roleplay\systems\adnd\spells\
        *.tab (tab-delimited text-only version)
        *.fm (FilemakerPro version)
        *.sea.hqx (Macintosh version)
        *.zip (Windows version)

    Net.Psionics.Handbook
    Net.Psionics.Handbook II
    Compiled by Charon <rbiggs@interlog.com> [and possibly 
      also <raven@nessus.demon.co.uk>]
      Version 1 available via www to:
      http://www.complang.tuwien.ac.at/alex/Handbooks/
      Version 2 available via www to:
      http://www.istari.org/~olik/NetBooks_Guides.html
        (Net.Psi II is available in Adobe .pdf format and Word 6.0 format)

    Tome of Vast Knowledge  (database & generator of just about anything)
    Compiled by Douglas Webb <dwebb@cetac.com>
      Available via ftp to:
      ftp.mpgn.com/Gaming/AD&D/Programs/Tome_of_Vast_Knowledge/
        vast112.zip  (later releases may be available)

    Database Builder for the ToVK
    Compiled by Douglas Webb <dwebb@cetac.com>
      Available via ftp to:
      ftp.mpgn.com/Gaming/AD&D/Programs/Tome_of_Vast_Knowledge/
        vbilt106.zip  (later releases may be available)

    Net.Riddles.Book
    Compiled by Mark Manning
      Available via www to:
      http://www.fortunecity.com/victorian/byzantium/55/dmbooks.htm
    
    Net.Traps.Book(s) (three different collections)
    Compiled by (book #1) David A. Lamb <dalamb@cs.queensu.ca>
      Available via ftp to:
      ftp://ftp.trawna.com/pub/rpg/net.books/traps/
    Compiled by (book #2) Michael Sloves <grms@marist.bitnet>
      Available via www to:
      http://web.mit.edu/elau/www/adnd/tomes/Net%20Traps%20Book.html
    Compiled by (book #3) James C. Phillips <jphillip@ecn.purdue.edu>
      Available ??
    Compiled by (book #4) Jason Seeley <jseeley@aros.net>
      Available via www to:
      http://www2.aros.net/~jseeley

    101 Spells Not Worth Memorizing  (and we mean it!)
      Available via www to:
      http://users.rcn.com/aardy/rpg/101spells.html

    101 Bard Songs  (popular songs which typify certain classes/races)
      Available via www to:
      http://www.math.auth.gr/~bchr/humor/101_bards.txt 

    101 Things You Don't Want to Hear Your Apprentice Say (Ummm, Master?)
      Available via www to: 
      http://www.complang.tuwien.ac.at/alex/rec.games.frp.dnd/101donts 

    101 Familiars You Would Have Been Better Off Without (Here, kitty...) 
      Available via www to: 
      http://www.complang.tuwien.ac.at/alex/rec.games.frp.dnd/101familiars

    101 Uses for the DM's Screen 
      Available via www to: 
      http://www.complang.tuwien.ac.at/alex/rec.games.frp.dnd/
        101-Uses-DM-Screen

    Dark.Sun.Net.Handbook
    Forgotten Realms Notebook
    Great.Net.Book.of.Classes.and.Kits
    Net.Wizards.Handbook
    Net.Libram of Wild Magic
    Net.Monstrous.Manual
    Net.Book.of.Names
      Available via ftp to:
      ftp.mpgn.com/Gaming/AD&D/
      
    Famous Last Words
      Available via www to:
      http://user.cs.tu-berlin.de/~rossi/flws.txt

    Net.Munchkin.Handbook  
      Available via www to:
      http://www.omnigroup.com/People/surge/gaming/

    Net.Book.of.Poisons
      Available via www to:
      http://www.complang.tuwien.ac.at/alex/Handbooks/

    Net.Bard.Songs.Book  (Goofy lyrics for songs only bards would sing)
    Compiled by: Jeff Gostin <jgostin@best.com>
      Volumes 1 & 2 available via ftp to:
        ftp://ftp.trawna.com/pub/rpg/net.books/bardsong/
      Volume 1 available via www to:
        http://www.istari.org/~olik/NetBooks_Guides.html

    Net.Monstrous.Compendium
    Compiled by: Robert Chrisitian <robertc@garfield.cs.mun.ca>
      Available via ftp to:  
      ftp.mpgn.com/Gaming/AD&D/Archives/NetBooks/
        Net_Monstrous_Compendium.Z  (LaTeX only)

    Net.Forgotten.Realms.Book (Tome of the Forgotten Realms)
    Compiled by: Chris <CMK113@psuvm.psu.edu>
      Archived ??
    
    Net.Abyssal.Layers.Book
    Compiled by Tyrus Hellbane <c9108613@cc.newcastle.edu.au>
      Available via ftp to:
      ftp.eskimo.com/u/b/berg/Netbooks/
        abyss.zip

    Tome of the Damned  (A book of all things evil and/or undead)
    Compiled by Brennan Brooks <ab347@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca>
      Version 1.666 and version 2.0 available via www to:
        http://www.internations.net/us/damned/damnbook.htm

    Net.Fiction.Story  (Latest version of the Net.Fiction Story)
    Compiled by: <mar@astrop.physics.su.OZ.AU>
      Available via www (or ftp) to:      
      http://ftp.funet.fi/pub/doc/games/roleplay/stories/net.fiction.story
        
    There are many more Net.Books out there; MPGN has several, and 
    several Web pages have many more.  Check out MPGN and the Web sites
    listed in the answer to Question H4 before posting a request to
    rgfd.
      There is also a list which occasionally circulates around the ADND-L
    mailing list, and is infrequently posted to rgfm & rgfd, of current 
    Net.Book projects, with short descriptions and contact addresses.

H12: Are there any *D&D-related mailing lists?     

A:  There are several *D&D-related mailing lists.  A mailing list is 
    similar to Usenet, with the main difference being that all messages 
    are mailed directly to your account, instead of being stored on a 
    remote News server.  Some of these mailing lists can get quite high in 
    volume at times, so you might want to think twice about subscribing to 
    something that will quickly swamp your mailbox.
      One of the more popular *D&D-related mailing lists is ADND-L, which 
    is very similar to rec.games.frp.dnd in direction and topics of 
    discussion.  A major difference between ADND-L and rgfd is that 
    contributors are limited by common practice to two posts per day on 
    ADND-L, both in order to cut down on the amount of mail received and 
    to keep enough space on the listserver archives to maintain a six 
    month backup.  Anyone can look up and retrieve recent articles.  To 
    this end, many of those people who have a proclivity towards longer 
    posts put a table of contents at the top of each message.

    Mailing Lists
    Listservs
    al-qadim-l@oracle.wizards.com    Al-Qadim
    adnd-l@listserv.uta.edu          *D&D discussion (digest possible)
    adnd-l@gitvm1.gatech.edu         Alt. address for ADND-L (no digest)
    birthright-l@oracle.wizards.com  Birthright
    corerules2-l@oracle.wizards.com  Core Rules CD-ROM
    dark-sun-l@oracle.wizards.com    Dark Sun
    dnd-l@oracle.wizards.com         More *D&D discussion (digest possible)
    dragonlance-l@oracle.wizards.com Dragonlance
    greyhawk-l@oracle.wizards.com    Greyhawk
    greytalk@mitvma.mit.edu          More Greyhawk discussion
    mystara-l@oracle.wizards.com     Mystara
    planescape-l@oracle.wizards.com  Planescape
    qadim-l@knidos.cc.metu.edu.tr    Al-Qadim
    ravenloft-l@oracle.wizards.com   Ravenloft
    realms-l@oracle.wizards.com      Forgotten Realms
    rpganews-l@oracle.wizards.com    RPGA News (read only)
    spelljammer-l@oracle.wizards.com Spelljammer
    taogm-l@oracle.wizards.com       The Art Of Game Mastering
    tsrannounce-l@oracle.wizards.com TSR Announcements (read only)

    Majordomos
    birthright@lists.mpgn.com   Birthright
    dark-sun@lists.mpgn.com     Dark Sun
    dragonlance@lists.mogn.com  Dragonlance
    planescape@lists.mpgn.com   Planescape
    ravenloft@lists.mpgn.com    Ravenloft
    realms@lists.mpgn.com       Forgotten Realms
    spelljammer@lists.mpgn.com  Spelljammer

    Other
    gmast-l@phoenyx.net              Roleplayers' discussion
    (Send an empty e-mail to gmast-on@phoenyx.net to subscribe.)

    Subscribing to a Mailing List
    Listservers:  If you are interested in joining a listserv list, send a
    message to LISTSERV@<listserv domain name> with "SUBSCRIBE <list name>
    <name/pseudonym>" in the body (without the quotes).  For example, to
    subscribe to the ADND-L mailing list, you would send mail to
      listserv@utarlvm1.uta.edu
    with the message
      SUBSCRIBE adnd-l Aardy R. DeVarque
    You will get a message in confirmation of your subscription, which 
    also details some of the ways to use the listserv.  When the time 
    comes for you to send your first message out to the readers of the 
    list, send it to the address listed above for the listserv, which, in 
    the case of ADND-L, would be
      adnd-l@utsrlvm1.uta.edu
    To unsubscribe, send a message to LISTSERV@<address> with the message
      UNSUBSCRIBE adnd-l
    It does no good to send unsubscribe messages to the main list, you 
    will just get laughed at.  You have to send them to the listserver 
    itself.

    Majordomos:  Subscribing to a majordomo list is similar to the method
    for subscribing to listservs, except you sometimes include your e-mail 
    address instead of a personal name.  For example, to subscribe to a 
    majordomo mailing list, you would normally send mail to
      majordomo@<domain>
    with the message
      SUBSCRIBE <listname> joeshmoe@foo.bar.edu
    However, when subscribing to the mailing lists at MPGN, the
    server automatically finds your address from the mail headers.
    Therefore, you only need send mail to
      majordomo@lists.mpgn.com
    with the message
      SUBSCRIBE <listname>
    Once again, you will receive a confirmation message with more details.
    For majordomos, as with listservs, do not send unsubscribe messages 
    to the main list; send them to the majordomo, as you did to subscribe.

      Digest means that the list's messages are collated into a large
    message and then mailed to you, usually on a daily basis.  This is
    useful to prevent your mailbox from being swamped with 200 messages
    per day, but does not save you anything in terms of disk space.
    People who only check their mail once a day or so and people who have
    to pay per message received usually prefer this method.  Information
    on how to get the digest form of a list, if one is available, is
    usually included in the introductory material sent to you when you
    subscribe to the list.  Listservs usually require you to send a 
    special command message to the listserver, while majordomos 
    usually require you to subscribe to a slightly different list name to
    begin with.  The lists at MPGN all have digests available,
    by subscribing to <group>-digest@lists.mpgn.com instead of
    <group>@lists.mpgn.com.
      There are numerous other mailing lists which are dedicated to other 
    RPGs, or which are more general; a complete list is regularly (if
    infrequently) posted by Alistair G. Lowe-Norris <agl1@le.ac.uk> on
    most, if not all of the rec.games.frp.* newsgroups and gaming mailing
    lists.

H13:  Are there any other *D&D-related resources on the Internet?

A:  There are quite a few other resources on the 'net; including the 
    rec.games.frp.* FAQ, IRC channels and chat rooms, and Internet
    provider-specific resources.
      If you are looking for more generalized information, or just
    information which is not *D&D-specific, a good place to check is the
    rec.games.frp.* FAQ, archived at both MPGN (in the /Gaming/ADND/FAQ/
    directory) and rtfm.mit.edu (under the /pub/usenet/ directory).
      Those interested in web-based chat don't have far to search, as there
    are *D&D chat pages all over the web; the foremost of these is on
    TSR's web page.  TSR's chat area generally requires that you download 
    and install special client software from http://www.ichat.com in order 
    to properly access the chats.  TSR has set up various chat areas,    
    including two set aside specifically for on-line role-playing.
      Additionally, the TSR message boards are open to anyone with a
    configurable newsreader.  Simply change the news server to
    "cipher.wizards.com" and look into the list of quasi-newsgroups that
    are available on that server.  Read and post just as you would to
    Usenet newsgroups.
      The only other resource commonly available on the Internet which has
    not already been discussed is IRC, namely the chat areas #AD&D and 
    #RPGA.  There, you can have real-time conversations with other gaming 
    enthusiasts about life, the universe, and role-playing.  There are 
    also several campaigns being run on IRC which are advertised on #AD&D; 
    if you're interested, look there first.  Simply /join #ad&d, then 
    /msg noppa games to see a list of IRC campaigns.  There is also a chat 
    line called #rpg_inn, which is dedicated to running real-time 
    free-form gaming.  The #AD&D channel's homepage can be found at
    http://www.wwnet.net/~fyndalf/irc/intro.html; it has much of the
    information one might need to get into IRC and find the #AD&D folk.
      GEnie, Compuserve, and Delphi also have large discussion areas 
    dedicated to AD&D.  Check around in the Games Special Interest Groups 
    and you'll find them.  Unfortunately, if you do not have an account
    with one of these companies, you're out of luck; there is no way to
    get there from the rest of the 'net.

***End Part 6***


-- 
Aardy R. DeVarque
Feudalism: Serf & Turf
Rec.games.frp.dnd FAQ: http://users.rcn.com/aardy/faq/rgfdfaq.html

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Last Update March 27 2014 @ 02:11 PM