HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: silber@m.cs.uiuc.edu (Ami A. Silberman)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Magical World Wonders
Date: 12 Aug 92 17:08:08 GMT
Article-I.D.: m.1992Aug12.170808.19260
Organization: University of Illinois, Dept. of Comp. Sci., Urbana, IL

I once had the players encounter a long line of small houses, all identical.
They were positioned about 200m apart and extended to both horizons. The 
characters investigated and found that at one end of the line (about 10km
away) there was a giant like figure constructing them, and at the other
end (about 30km away) was another figure demolishing them and disposing
of the rubble in a sack. Although perhaps not qualifying as a "magical wonder",
these two rather pointless demigods and their perpetual urban renewel fetish
were amusing.
-- 
ami silberman - janitor of lunacy
	silber@cs.uiuc.edu
From: Elizabeth.Mccoy@bbs.oit.unc.edu (Elizabeth Mccoy)
Subject: Re: GURPS: What price a soul?
Organization: Extended Bulletin Board Service
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 18:34:19 GMT

In article <Bsz8Jv.E46@math.uwaterloo.ca> jglarson@watmsg.uwaterloo.ca (Johan Larson) writes:
>I'm designing a Gurps character who has the interesting feature
>of having traded his soul to the Devil 
>for some specific advantages.  As part his part of the bargain, 
>the character has to kill one person every week, or he will lose the
>abilities and suffer other grievous consequences.
>
>I'm trying to fit this into Gurps by having a disadvantage
>Demonic Agreement added to the game.  My problem is cost.
>I'm not sure how much this disadvantage should be worth;
>none of the disadvantages in the Basic set seem comparable.

Try modeling it after the Secret disad that's found in Supers,
Illuminati, and I think Uplift, among others. Alternately, base it off a
mega-vow, rare enemies and add a little for what happens if he doesn't
off anyone. Add in the cost for the advantages he gains. If it comes out
as a cheap advantage, that's just tough. :-) Omnipotence at the price of
a life a week isn't a disad (sure, you've got lots of enemies, but they
can't *do* anything to you!).

>I understand that the cost should vary depending on the setting;
>for example, the duty is a trivial disadvantage in a war setting.

Yes and no -- a war will probably end eventually (and even in a war,
you're not going to get a person every week and you probably can't build
up life credits with a demon.....), so it's only a problem if the
character is for a one-shot adventure. If the victim has to be killed in
some ritual manner, then that makes it more difficult, too.
--
   The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the University of
     North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Campus Office for Information
        Technology, or the Experimental Bulletin Board Service.
           internet:  bbs.oit.unc.edu or 152.2.22.80
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: singley@helix.nih.gov (Erick D. Singley)
Subject: Re: The Benedictine Problem (amber question at bottom)
Organization: (National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD)
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 21:35:58 GMT

Pulling a bow out of nowwhere would be covered, according to the Amber rulebook
under the same trick that Corwin used to pull his sword out of a tree stump in the first book.  Things that are yours cannot be separated from you (well... in the long run that is).  Gamewise, depending on how you spend the points, the item can be unique, all the way up to scattered about everywhere and you will be able to go into some world's Shop-and Pay and find YOUR magic item there.
The descriptions in the book cover this well... if I could only find it...

Erick
From: rnmg1200@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (A Lady and her Walrus)
Subject: Re: Music & Roleplaying
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 10:20:24 GMT
Keywords: Roleplaying, music

In article <1992Aug11.084152.1755@cs.kuleuven.ac.be>, philipd@cs.kuleuven.ac.be (Philip Dutre) writes:
>Has anyone tried to use music and/or sounds during a roleplaying session?
>Did it enhance the atmosphere of the game, or was it just annoying when the GM
>was busy trying to locate the correct sound on a tape?
>
>What kind of music did you use? The "Campaign & Catacombs Guide" gives some
>titles of classical music (Wagner etc...). Anyone tried these out?
>
I've never used music for setting, but a player in one of my campaigns was
playing a mage who substituted music for all of his verbal components.  So
he compiled several tapes for songs which he felt were appropriate for the
various spells.  Since this was an AD&D game, certain spells got certain
songs (eg. Fireball = Great Balls of Fire).

As a side note, what songs would you have picked for individual spells?  I 
ask this to the net in general, and not restricted to any particular rpg,
although I can't think of many spells in, say, GURPS that would easily
lend itself to this.  The cantrip rules do come close, though.  And the
names for some of the spells in Ars Magica...*shudder*  Where would you
find a song for _that_?

Just an idle question...

The Walrus



Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: elk@cblpo.att.com (elk)
Subject: Alternate GURPS Spell System
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 17:02:09 GMT


A few weeks back someone posted an alternate magic system for GURPS to
f.g.f.archives.  (It was apparently an Ars Magica variant.)

Did anyone save a copy of that article?  WOuld you mind mailing a copy
to me?  (BTW: does anyone actually archive things posted there? :)

Thanks!!
--
+------------------------+  
|Ed King                 |  Evolution hasn't had enough time to 
|elk@cblpo.cb.att.com    |  determine if having too many neurons is 
|                        |  a survival trait.
+------------------------+  
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: cb317@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Stephanie J. Kessler)
Subject: Re: Multiple characters
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, (USA)
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 92 20:00:15 GMT


One of my characters in another campaign was captured by a group
of goblins and sold as a slave.  During that time period, she was
raped, and became pregnant.  Unfortunately, she "forgot" the
experience due to the mental trauma of the event.  So, when she
started getting sick all the time, she went to the temple to find
out what was wrong.  Imagine her shock at what she found!!!  As
far as she knew, she was a virgin  (and she still doesn't remember
exactly what happened).  Fortunately for her, the clerics at this
temple had a way to end her pregnancy (don't ask me how), and
once she recovered, she was her normal self again, for the most part.
-- 
The United States is a nation of laws:  badly written and
randomly enforced.     Frank Zappa

cb317 @ cleveland.Freenet.Edu
From: swann@acsu.buffalo.edu (Stephen Swann)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Music & Roleplaying
Date: 13 Aug 92 01:10:27 GMT
Organization: UB

In article <RATINOX.92Aug12152410@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu> ratinox@meceng.coe.northeastern.edu writes:
>
>AAS> For Cyberpunk genre games - (mostly just band names, * for especially
>AAS> apropos)
>AAS> Hawkwind
>
>Try some Blue Oyster Cult if you're looking for Moorcock-inspired stuff;
>Veteran of the Psychic Wars, Black Blade, The Great Sun Jester; these I can
>remember.

Of course, the fact that Moorcock wrote the lyrics to those songs 
makes them somewhat more than Moorcock-inspired, I'd say.  :-)  :-)

Hawkwind's _Chronicle of the Black Sword_ (and _Live Chronicles_,
which is the in-concert version of the aforementioned) are favorite
RPGing albums for my gaming group.  (Hawkwind worked closely with
Moorcock for a number of years, those albums were done with his
assistance and collaboration).

What does this have to roleplaying you say?  I dunno, I'll shut up now. :-)

-- 
Steve Swann                 |    Speak to me in many voices; make
swann@acsu.buffalo.edu      |      them all sound like one...  -BOC
From: chem7l@jane.uh.edu (Corbit, Jim)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: SRun: Firearms range (was Mag 3 Cyber Eyes in Combat
Date: 14 Aug 92 17:34:00 GMT
Article-I.D.: jane.14AUG199212342457
Organization: University of Houston
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <Bsy79v.4ML@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, dv52151@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Axly) writes...
>praxis@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu (Laura L Perkinson) writes:
> 
>>	Hmm, I'm no expert, but I'd assumed that the range modifiers for
>>firearms had nothing to do with vision. Vision mag or rangefinder shouldn't
>>help, because a pistol should still have big problems hitting something
>>100 meters away.

>Well, the weapons have a maximum effective range, beyond which they are
>pretty much useless. Up until that point, vision has a lot to do with
>it. Firing a weapon with optics vs. iron sights, you can see a marked
>difference in how well you perform. The difference between firing
>at something you see as a small object 50 meters away, and firing
>at somone you see as if they were in front of you with a targeting
>symbol superimposed on their head makes a difference.

>Axly

>********************************************************************************
>*   Axly      *  "Is Axly tough? Yes. Talented? Yes. Brave? Oh, certainly.     *
>* Red Sword   *   He is also erratic, irresponsible, accident-prone, and a     *
>*   Targa     *   constant threat to public safety. The trick is to keep him   *
>*             *   pointed in the right direction. "                            *
>*             *         -Niki                                                  *
>********************************************************************************

The problem I have with it is controlling the gun.  When something is 400 meters
away, it takes a lot more time and concentration to get the gun aimed just right
than it would take if the target were 4 meters away.  As range increases, the
amount of error in the exact alignment of the barrel becomes more important.
This is why I require anyone using magnification at long range to aim for one
action (without the aiming bonus) and anyone using mag 3 at extreme range to
aim for two actions.  Still, you made a good point about mages having infinite
range.  (Technically, a mage using a high-powered optical telescope could hit
a satelite or space shuttle with any spell he wanted to cast, like wrecker.)
Does anyone use any house rules to control mages' range?  And does anyone know
whether SR II limits mages' range?

Jim Corbit
chem7l@jetson.uh.edu
From: PCHEM14@Zeus.unomaha.edu (FALL88)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: HERO's cheesy $ flow cost...
Date: 20 Aug 92 02:57:54 GMT
Article-I.D.: news.1992Aug20.025754.28171
Organization: University of Nebraska at Omaha
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.11

In <Bt90sn.Krw@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu> joshua writes:

> 
> 	Why does HERO allow someone to be fabulously wealthy for 20 cp, yet
> make an AK-47 cost 5 points as a power? If you were fabulously wealthy, you cou
> could just buy an AK-47, hell, buy ten. I think that the cp for being rich are
> incongrous with the aforemntioned AK-47 price. Or vice versa. Can someone put
> forth a clear answer on which price to use and how to adapt the other one?
> 
> 	HERO is riddled with problems, but is the best I have seen so far...
> 
> 								-jsalter
Because it's not cheesy, that is why.  The low cost of money speaks to it's
realtive worth.  Since in Hero (at the superheroic level) you have to pay for
gadgets, the money advantage is cheap.  It's for things like airplane tickets,
movies, and other services (which can start to add up).

And, you don't know Hero rules very well.  At the heroic level, it does allow
you to buy the AK-47s you so badly desire.  Why?  Because everyone is assumed
to have limited or better access to normal equipment, you just have better
access.  Now, of course, they are illegal, but that's your problem.

-james
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: dv52151@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Axly)
Subject: Re: SRun: Mag 3 Cyber Eyes in Combat
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 22:29:18 GMT

rhunt@med.unc.edu (Rick Hunt) writes:

>He thought that they worked like a scope on a gun and reduced the 
>range of the shot.  I informed him that that was not my opinion, 
>especially while someone was running and shooting a SMG.  He thought 
>that the smartgun link would take care of the movement.  After a more 
>careful look at the mag 3 eyes later, I noticed that it never said 
>anything about making the range shorter for fire combat, but did have 
>a short sentence that they "behave like Imaging scopes of the 
>appropriate rating."

Well, that's what Imaging scopes at level 3 do. They make all ranges
short. 

>For .1 essense or less and 11,000 Y, I have no intention of letting 
>them reduce the firearm range of every combat to short.  Is this the 
>general concensus of the net.srun.gurus?  Help a poor beginning 
>Shadowrun GM.

*shrug* It's not that overpowering. Consider that a mage never has range
mods on his combat. This toy just keeps samurai apace of the spellslingers.

Axly

********************************************************************************
*   Axly      *  "Is Axly tough? Yes. Talented? Yes. Brave? Oh, certainly.     *
* Red Sword   *   He is also erratic, irresponsible, accident-prone, and a     *
*   Targa     *   constant threat to public safety. The trick is to keep him   *
*             *   pointed in the right direction. "                            *
*             *         -Niki                                                  *
********************************************************************************
From: swann@acsu.buffalo.edu (Stephen Swann)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Diceless or Senseless?
Date: 13 Aug 92 00:21:23 GMT
Organization: UB

In article <Bsut2L.FA4@news.cso.uiuc.edu> dv52151@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Axly) writes:
>Yes, I've read the Amber books.
>
>Benedict is P.O.'d. Big deal. Anyone that good at warfare and still alive
>would have learned to focus past his emotions by that point. He's seen
>more death in his time than any shadow soldier ever will, so the idea
>that a few dead bodies are going to unhinge him is fairly off base. They
>may fuel a burning rage in him, but it wouldn't make him stupid.

So what did he do that was stupid?  Attacking Corwin?  If Benedict is
going to kill him, he's got to attack him, and Benedict apparently
wants the satisfaction of killing him personally, which necessitates
approaching him.  You can't wait for him to come to you, as he has no
intention of doing so (as a matter of fact, he was -leaving-, and
Benedict pursued him).

>Corwin committed himself to the terrain he was holding by staying there
>as Benedict approached in much the same way that the English were committed
>to their position at Agincourt. Benedict makes the same mistake the French
>made, he accepted battle on the terrain of his enemies choosing. 

Yeah, I can understand why a good military strategist would avoid
those wide stretches of flat ground.  Especially when you're alone
with an opponent whose swordfighting skills are inferior to yours.

>strategist from Sun Tzu to Patton would have told him "Never attack an
>opponent where he wants. Choose when and where you strike." Apparently
>Benedict must be ranked last in reading.

Kind of a different situation your opponent doesn't have any intention
of fighting, though, isn't it?  You either have to pursue him, or
forget about your fight with him.  Benedict was acting out a personal
vendetta, which demanded immediate retribution, not waging a war of
logistics.

-- 
Steve Swann                 |    Speak to me in many voices; make
swann@acsu.buffalo.edu      |      them all sound like one...  -BOC
From: menery@de3a1066a.osd.mil (Ristonofer)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Tales From The Floating Vagabond.
Keywords: Questions, Quality, Quizlings
Date: 13 Aug 92 11:17:57 GMT

jais@daimi.aau.dk (Jais Lytje Hansen) writes:


> Hello, Big World.
>Have anyone tried the game-system 'Tales From The Floating Vagabond', or at
>least read the rules?
>Is it any good?
>Is it any FUN?
>My brother is considering buying it, and would like to know if it's the
>moneys worth?


Tales from the Floating Vagabond is uproariously funny; just reading the rules
is worth the price of the package.  They promo it as "Ludicrous Adventure in a
world where the laws of nature have gone to lunch", and that's pretty accurate.
Any type of character is possible.  Additionally, each character has a shtick,
like the "Rogers and Hammerstein Effect", where theme music plays in the 
background to suit the character's mood and setting, or the "Trenchcoat Effect",
where the character has pretty much anything someone might want inside his
jacket.  The rules are very simple; character generation is less involved than,
say, GURPS, but not quite as quick as AD&D.  It's a skill-based system, and you
can get skills like "Swing Nasty Pointy Thing with Panache" or "Look Good at AllTimes".

It's definitely a game that must be approached with a sense of humor.  I hightlyrecommend it to anyone who would like a break from their normal, more serious
game.  Get some beer and pretzels and about 10 friends, and go for it.
"I ain't your mudda"
	-Hawk "Spit" Luger, proprietor, The Floating Vagabond

--
Ristonofer
menery@galt.osd.mil
Lucid observation.  Snappy retort.  World-embracing cliche.
Witty non-sequitir.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
From: educ@unixg.ubc.ca (Vicki Domansky)
Subject: Re: Hello out there...
Organization: University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Date: Sun, 16 Aug 1992 20:17:19 GMT

In article <2a8a629e@f406.n247.z2.fidonet.org> Brian_Matschke@f406.n247.z2.fidonet.org (Brian Matschke) writes:
>In a message to ALL, Dennis wrote:
> DJB> I'm new to this group and was wondering if this is just for D&D style  
>DJB> gaming or are there strategic simulation gamers (eg. Avalon 
> DJB> Hill...) out here as well.
> 
>Hello Dennis!
>      Well, I asked that same question a few days ago and found out that this 
>area is for Fantasy Role Playing...I wish there was an area for 
>wargaming/Strategy! Since this subject is "Off Topic" here, I will netmail you
>with some ideas for PBEM (Play by E-Mail)...and others..

Have you looked at rec.games.board?  They discuss all sorts of
wargaming/strategy games there, including stuff like battletech,
Avalon Hill, 1830, etc.

-- 
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Vicki Domansky <Morgaine>                               educ@unixg.ubc.ca
Education Computing Services                       v_domansky@mtsg.ubc.ca
U of B.C. Vancouver Canada                        usereduc@ubcmtsg.bitnet
From: wt0b+@andrew.cmu.edu (William Henry Timmins)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: No longer Re: Dangerous Journeys
Date: 20 Aug 92 23:11:32 GMT
	<1992Aug20.124828.8830@gucis.cit.gu.edu.au>
Organization: Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA

>Jase.
>PS :-
>Sorry to include the whole article, but I wanted those who had not read it to
>be aware of the context in which I write this.

I still think YOU'RE the ass.

-Me
[Pooh Bear incarnate.]
<B1 c+ f+ w g+ k+ s+ r- e+ p>
From: holmes@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Krishgan)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: SR: Stealth Suits-
Date: 21 Aug 92 15:49:47 GMT
Organization: the Night Crafters Associated Press

Concerning Predator/Beast's comments on Stealth Suits...

->>>>>[Hey Predator, here are a few things that occurred to me during all
  of this discussion.  You might like 'em...]<<<<<
    -Reflex


  1.  Ultrasound Stealth, not a real possibility without spending more 
     money than you and -most- of your freinds have combined.  However, try
     an Ultrasonic Sweeper, something that is a relative to a Whitenoise
     Generator.  Throws off all sorts of false images and -static-.

  2.  Thermal Stealth, ok this one is easier.  The best two ideas that I
     have seen regard the Catalytic stuff, as its easier, and something that
     would vent the heat in random designs/directions (which would NOT
     power a Laser).

  3.  Light Stealth, ok lets call this Optic Stealth.  I don't think that
     technology has Adaptive Coloration just yet, but I know of two variations
     that are used.

     a.  Soft Armors that use Rheuthenium Fibers (spelling?)
     b.  Hard Armors that use Optic Ceraglass and an encoding system.
	"GEE, I can see right through him..."

   4.  Sonic Stealth, ok lets call this one "Auditory Stealth" and categorize
      it for -normal- band hearing.  This isn't too hard with the types of
      insulatory materials that are accessable.  If you do it though, make
      sure its a conic design for the sonic "padding" as that causes a far
      wider dispersion of the noise(s) you big ass makes.

   5.  Magical Stealth, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA....talk with someone from
      the Death Knights or the Lord Knights, they might have a better idea
      on this one than I.

   6.  Sensory Stealth, in this case I am referring to Radar/Sonar/EM tracking
      styles.  I can make something the size of a Headband that is an ECM
      Lvl 4 with -little- difficulty.  It costs a mint and a half, but it
      is -really- worth it.

->>>>>[But this is what I am aware of to date....]<<<<<
    -Reflex
From: smyers@hpdmd48.boi.hp.com (steven myers)
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 05:56:42 GMT
Subject: Re: GMs have a responsiblity
Organization: Hewlett Packard - Boise, ID
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp

/ hpdmd48:rec.games.frp / tfv0@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu (Theodore F. Vaida ][) /  8:57 am  Aug  4, 1992 /
>I've heard more talk about players responsible for role playing and GMs
>for roleplaying their NPCs but from all this talk, I keep hearing this
>little voice wispering in my ear (go away gnome, i heard you) saying
>"But where is the FUN".  Thas right, I play becuase its FUN.  If a player

Yippee! Someone normal! I get so irritated with gamers that get so caught up
in the old,"Your character wouldn't do that," baloney.  If I want Gonzo the
Unpredictable to spread cheeze whiz all over himself, walking on his hands,
and singing the star spangled banner in the middle of combat, he does! Role
playing is only fun when the characters are dynamic and not some boxed char-
acter from the archives of ones' mind under the category:PC's.  I know very
few people in real life that I can predict what they'll do in any situation
(at least few people that are exciting enough to get to know).
	I'm with you. Do what's fun. If you feel stifled and limited by your
GM, try to find another.  I hate the feeling that Siskel and Ebert are about
to pop up from behind the couch and say,"Great roleplaying. I was moved by     the character development of Grunt the Voracious.  Yeah! Two thumbs up!"
	In short, if you aren't having fun, you might as well not play.

>cant (as in mentally handicappd by stress or whatever) roleplay, either
>that session or every session, the GM should either tell the player
>that this game isnt for them, or adjust.  Players are there to have FUN
>and I take my responsiblity to them seriously, and yet I always try to
>have fun.  If I know my players well, then I can browbeat some roleplaying
>into them, otherwise, I reward for roleplaying, but I never penalize for
>non-roleplaying, or roleplaying outside of the charachter's "limits", after
>all its a GAME.  I think some of us have lost that player's viewpoint 
>(which I always try to examine, since I love to try and figure out what
>my players are thinking) and so we miss the subtle clues about players
>who are getting fustrated with our games.  I mentioned in a earlier post
>about the last time I played AD&D, id been playing with my friend Theo
>for several years, and I continued to play becuase he was the only GM I
>knew, but he PISS*D me off repeatedly by forcing me into a mold he had
>decided on before the game started, and he never bother to take things
>from my viewpoint and so missed that fact that I was bored/fustrated/angry.
>I was playing to have fun, and those games werent.  It took alot of guts
>to tell him such since he was a good friend.  Unfortunatly he was so 
>determined that he was right, that we are no longer friends, and to think,
>all becuase of a game.
-- 
Steve Myers
smyers@hpdmd48.boi.hp.com
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp