HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: mauht@csv.warwick.ac.uk (Mr A Jones)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: GURPS: Quick Melee Combat for High Defense Characters
Date: 22 Jan 1993 21:27:11 -0000
Organization: Computing Services, University of Warwick, UK
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: borage.csv.warwick.ac.uk


In article <1993Jan22.002627.15343@oz.plymouth.edu>, sos@oz.plymouth.edu
   (Steffan O'Sullivan) writes:
|> Now that I've calmed down from a heated (and pointless) discussion that
|> I'll bow out of, I decided to post something constructive as a way of
|> apologizing to the net at large for waste of bandwidth.  Here is an
|> article I've submitted to Pyramid, SJG's new magazine.  I thought I'd
|> let the net folk read it first - and, in fact, it might be rejected by
|> SJ since he's not fond of suggestions to use d% with GURPS.  Since this
|> has been submitted to a magazine, however, I have to restrict usage and
|> retain all rights.
|> 
|> This article is copyright 1993 by Steffan O'Sullivan.  All rights
|> reserved.  It may not be reproduced without written consent.

Oh dear, I'd better not include the rest of the article here then :-) Rather
too long to do so, anyway, so people will just have to go back to the original
item. Anyway...

It's a nice idea: combat between characters with good defences can take a
long time in GURPS. However, there's one important point which has not been
considered: Feinting. Use of feints, especially when enhanced a l\`a Martial
Arts can considerably reduce the length of fights, and also makes a defence of
over 16 useful.

RTFM :-)

Alex
-- 
*****************************************************************
*Alexander Lewis "Second and Special" Jones - the terminal sloth*
*****************************************************************
From: mjg@dcs.ed.ac.uk (Mark Gallagher)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Faerie Folk (Pedantic Note of no interest to gamers)
Date: 22 Jan 93 13:37:09 GMT
Organization: Department of Computer Science, University of Edinburgh

In article <18063@umd5.umd.edu>, joe@astro.umd.edu (Joe Mcmullin) writes:
> >Daoine sidhe (Pronounce it if you dare!!)
> 
> 
> I dare....
> 
> Thee-na Shee
> 
> 
> Joe

Not at all, it's pronounced TOK-SIK PEA-NUTS, as everyone knows...

The Grey Mage
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: dv52151@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (RedSwordTarga)
Subject: Re: Burn, GURPS, BURN!
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 21:40:13 GMT

dunkelza@titan.ucs.umass.edu (KEITH C MCCORMIC) writes:

>In article <C19q8p.299@rice.edu> adam@owlnet.rice.edu (Adam Justin Thornton) writes:
>>You can't create Arnie with 100 points.  Neither can you create Conan.  What's
>>your point? 
>>The man is _clearly_ not a 100-point character; however, you could
>>probably create a pretty decent Schwarzenegger on, say 250 points.  Is there
>>a problem?
>>

>   Yeah, but what point value does modern earth tend to have?  Does everyone 
>on modern earth have 250 points to play with?  RIGHT.......

The point here is that not all people are created equal. GURPS (HERO also)
never made that claim. They don't try to make *all* people equal, they 
try to make all the people in your group equal. If you can't play without
some random roll making you tougher, stronger, and better looking than 
the other people in your group without their getting some compensation in
terms of skills/contacts/MartianBlenders/etc., well....


Axly

********************************************************************************
*          Axly                  *   BLAM. BLAM.                               *
*      Red Sword Targa           *   "Stop."                                   *
*    "Sword's Path: Glory"       *   BLAM. BLAM.                               *
*                                *   "Police."                                 *
*                                *       -Officer Axly                         *
********************************************************************************
From: bell@cs.unc.edu (Andrew Bell)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: RQ: Chalana Array Cult (Possible River of Cradles spoilers)
Date: 26 Jan 93 18:15:03 GMT
Organization: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
NNTP-Posting-Host: beethoven.cs.unc.edu

In article <C1Gpr3.7s4@chinet.chi.il.us> pat@chinet.chi.il.us (Patrick Louis Sugent) writes:
>bell@cs.unc.edu (Andrew Bell) writes:
>>That's why Ca worshipers, when they go out in dangerous areas, should
>>go out with Orlanthi and Storm Bullers.  The CA worshiper then Sleeps
>>or Befuddles any broos he must, because they will otherwise kill him,
>>but then the Storm Bullers won't leave until the broos wake up/come
>>out of it anyway, even if they do listen to the Chalana Arroy
>>worshiper regarding his "protection."

>  Hmm.  I thought that there was a specifically mentioned penalty
>in that anyone breaking the CA worshiper's "protection" was cut
>off from any healing from the cult.

Not that I can see in the longish write-up in "River of Cradles."
However, it does specifically state that chaotic foes are exempt from
this protection, so the broos aren't actually a problem.  (I didn't
see this before my last posting, sorry.)  I would think that a berserk
Storm Buller wouldn't be paying attention to a CAer's cries of protected
status anyway, although the CAer shoultry to pacify the Storm Buller as
per the associate cult gift in such a situation.  Chaos seems to be
the only real "problem", as non-chaotic foes can be disarmed and
captured relatively safely in most cases, and the CAer shouldn't be
hanging around anyone who would slaughter sleeping non-chaotics.

Andrew Bell
bell@cs.unc.edu
From: lemonies@laas.fr (Camille le Monies de Sagazan)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Amber RPG
Date: 21 Jan 93 11:11:07 GMT
Distribution: rec
Organization: LAAS-CNRS France

I would like to have opinions on Amber RPG. I find it really good and
extremely challenging. I just have some problems in judging combat (as
most GM I guess), particularly missile or beam weapons which I am
uneasy when judging them in a contest of Warfare (can you
systematically dodge a bullet?). Otherwise the system is really great.
Someone game-mastered it?


--
Camille le Monies de Sagazan   +---------------------------------------------+ 
LAAS - Bureau 28b              | Je suis le Surfer d'Argent                  | 
7, Avenue du Colonel Roche     | Les miens m'ont rejete'                     | 
F-31077 TOULOUSE CEDEX         | Je suis tombe dans un bac a                 | 
E-mail:lemonies@droopy.laas.fr |             electrolyse quand j'etais petit | 
Tel:61 33 62 42                | Un plat Guy de Grenne est mon frere de lait | 
                               +---------------------------------------------+

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: esi102@cck.coventry.ac.uk (The Magician)
Subject: Re: Rolemaster
Organization: Coventry University - Where ????
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1993 22:52:26 GMT

Hello .. I am glad to see someone from inside ICE on the Net..

I've been using ICE stuff for a long time now, and i do enjoy the products
alot...
anyway, my only real gripe is that a gm's screen would be very nice,
including a set of plastic covered attack & critical tables so that they 
dont get F***ked up during play.


Tim.
The Magician.
esi102@cck.cov.ac.uk
'Dreams fade, but nightmares last forever'
 
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: burke@vxdesy.desy.de (Stephen Burke)
Subject: Re: SRII:  Fetishes
Organization: (DESY, Hamburg, Germany)
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 17:58:16 GMT

In article <C1BJ04.Fy8@visix.com>, gray@visix.com (Gray Jones) writes:
> 
> Can you ground a spell through a fetish?

No - a fetish is just a mundane item.

e----><----p | Stephen Burke           | Internet: burke@vxdesy.desy.de
 H   H   1   | Gruppe FH1T (Liverpool) | DECnet:   vxdesy::burke (13313::burke)
 H   H  11   | DESY, Notkestrasse 85   | BITNET:   BURKE@DESYVAX or SB2@UKACRL
 HHHHH   1   | 2000 Hamburg 52         | JANET:    sb2@uk.ac.rl.ib
 H   H   1   | Germany                 | Phone:    + 49 40 8998 2282
 H   H 11111 | HERA, the world's largest electron microscope!
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: aa699@Freenet.carleton.ca (Michel Boucher)
Subject: Re: DragonQuest?!
Reply-To: aa699@Freenet.carleton.ca (Michel Boucher)
Organization: The National Capital Freenet
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 03:14:00 GMT


In a previous article, David.Rapp@launchpad.unc.edu (David Rapp) says:

>Hi.  Does anyone know about this new TSR game? I was browsing through Toys
>R Us and noticed it. Please send me info about it if possible..... 

Hardly new.  It was originally released by SPI in two editions, and if
memory serves, was designed by Eric Goldberg (KURSK).

I can't say much about it, although I own it, as I've never had the
opportunity to play it.  The gods only know what TSR have done to it...

The original editions by SPI also had accompanying modules.

Michel

-- 
C. Michel Boucher               | aa699@freenet.carleton.ca
<no affiliation>                | alsandor@micor.ocunix.on.ca
Ottawa, Ontario                 |
CANADA                          | member, Muriel Moreno fan club
From: zamick@brushfire.rutgers.edu (Jonny the Z)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Rolemaster Power Points
Date: 23 Jan 93 05:58:52 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.

Its interesting... I have a mage in a campaign who I think is ready
for 13th level and doesn't have any PP modifier. Odd magic items are
around, but spell multipliers that can be counted on are rare. Then
again we just don't understand magic as well as we used. Ah well. :)
Actually this character is a better natural fighter in background
options and stats than any other member of the party so the spells are
amusing secondaries to this Brunhilde of a female mage. :)

(Only character I've ever run in this fatal world to survive long
another oddity.)

Jon Z
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Rolemaster
From: alanb@sdl.ug.eds.com (Alan Braggins)
Date: 26 Jan 93 10:34:43 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: Shape Data (Division of EDS), Cambridge UK
In-reply-to: maillet@tls-cs.cert.fr's message of 25 Jan 93 16:58:12 GMT

>>>>> On 25 Jan 93 16:58:12 GMT, maillet@tls-cs.cert.fr (Luc Maillet) said:

>   But what Rolemaster lacks most is a complete rewriting. Sort of <Nth edition>
> Rolemaster. With the basic rules exposed, the most-often-used professions des-
> -cribed, a working ( and not optional ) unified skill system, and a 2 or 3-parts
> Spell Law. This is becoming critically necessary. Major overhaul, with intensive
> playtest of the main mechanisms. Oh, and if you could come up with a simple,
> efficient, working "unified initiative system", it would be perfect.

I keep muttering "One day I am going to get all this on a computer and decently
indexed...". If I ever get around to it I'll send a copy to ICE :-)
[I won't post it for copyright reasons, unless I end up changing _everything_]

I like the new skill system - it has stuff in common with the one I had
half worked out myself. My ideal aim is for all characters to use the
"No profession" option, but for background, stats, and already learnt skills
to influence development costs so that taking a group of "related" "appropriate"
skills is easier than selecting disparate ones with no unifying theme.

I'm not convinced by the new high level spells - anyone using 150th
level spells should be inventing them individually, not learning them
from a standard list.

I have difficulty with the idea of an initiative system that works in 1/10ths
of a second, other than for superhero or cyber-enhanced combat.
From: burdickd@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Dakin Burdick)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Anybody play Mertwig's Maze?
Date: 25 Jan 93 18:52:46 GMT
Organization: Indiana University

Anybody else play "Mertwig's Maze", a boardgame from TSR?  It's
designed by Tom Wham (of "Snit's Revenge" and "Awful Green Things" 
fame) and is a lot of fun (although it may be out of print now).
It seems to be based on the "Search for the Emperor's Treasure"
game in the back issues of the Dragon (#40 or so?)  Anyway,
it's good stuff and I've created a number of extra cards for it,
as well as additional dungeons.  Anybody want to trade?  

Dakin
burdickd@silver.ucs.indiana.edu
From: P.C.Steele@newcastle.ac.uk (P. Steele)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: SR: Reach question
Date: 22 Jan 93 18:28:43 GMT
Organization: University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, NE1 7RU
Originator: n1z6g@tuda




In article <C14IGy.HJ8@rice.edu>, hyatt@owlnet.rice.edu (David Waterman Hyatt) writes:
[stuff deleted on the PA SAM debate]

> What it really comes down to is REACH.  Regardless of whether you are
> a PA or a SAM, when the Troll has a reach of +3 and you're a human with
> killing hands and a reach of 0, you are in serious trouble.
> 
> It seems to me that Reach penalizes you too much.  What does everyone
> else think?

I noticed someone else recently quoting this rule and later discovered it to be
the rules as per say from SII. As SI lacked any rules on reach we had some house
rules long ago. They are very similar but they only subtract the difference in
reach from the person with the larger reach. They don't add that same difference
to a person with the smaller reach. This of course makes differences of 3 or
greater useless unless the person with the larger reach is wounded (or whatever).

Ie. Our house method.
    PA with sword at +1 fighting Troll Sam with axe at +3.   2 difference in 
                                                             sams favour

    PA Target to hit = 4 (No penalty given to the person with shorter reach).
    Sam Target to hit = 2 (So the advantage for extra reach is still given).

-- 
Phillip Steele

P.C.Steele@uk.ac.ncl
Organization: Penn State University
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 09:15:08 EST
From: <CSD108@psuvm.psu.edu>
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Obscure Shadowrun Rules Questions (and my answers)

In article <93020.160747CSD108@psuvm.psu.edu>, <CSD108@psuvm.psu.edu> says:
>>(1) What exactly do Physical Adepts get in the way of Metamagic?
>>
>>Our Answer:  Centering and Masking.  A Physical Adept may only use
>>DELIBERATE Masking if he/she has Astral Perception.
>>
>Centering and Masking are pretty much it.
>
I take that back. I just re-read that stuff last night and regular Centering
is only good for Spellcasting/Drain Resistance. *Enhanced* Centering, one
of the new Initiate PA abilities is what you would need.

--Presto

_______________________________________________________________________
|   Trouble with sigs?  Try    |  Internet: CSD108@psuvm.psu.edu      |
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: b_kondalski@vssi.trw.com (Brian J. Kondalski)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: RQ: Chalana Array Cult (Possible River of Cradles spoilers)
Date: 27 Jan 1993 08:24:43 -0500
Organization: TRW Vehicle Safety Systems, Inc.
NNTP-Posting-Host: trwvssi.vssi.trw.com

In article <C1Gpr3.7s4@chinet.chi.il.us> pat@chinet.chi.il.us (Patrick Louis Sugent) writes:
>
>  Hmm.  I thought that there was a specifically mentioned penalty
>in that anyone breaking the CA worshiper's "protection" was cut
>off from any healing from the cult.  In our(my) campaign this is a
>very serious matter.  There isn't a tough guy on the battle field
>that has yet been willing to give up the healing of the CA cult. :-)
>

In our campaign, when someone breaks the CA code (ex: attacking someone who
is sleeping), they are marked through a ritual that any CA healer will recog-
nize.  Any CA that sees it will not heal the offender.  The CA healer may also
use a 1 point DI (works on 1-95 like attunement) to give the same results
immediately....

As far as weapon skills and CA members, when chaos is involved, I'd say that
a CAD would be able to defend himself.

-- 
Brian J. Kondalski      b_kondalski@vssi.trw.com
TRW V.S.S.I.            Voice: (313) 781-7382           "The guaranteed eternal
4505 West 26 Mile Road  Fax: (313) 786-7702              sanctuary man."
Washington, MI  48094   Views expressed here are MINE!
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: uplink@cwis.unomaha.edu (uplink 2099)
Subject: Re: SRII PhysAds
Keywords: Physical Adept Abilities
Organization: University of Nebraska at Omaha
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1993 07:50:34 GMT

tmont@cerc.wvu.wvnet.edu (Todd Montgomery) writes:

>Dicoted(tm) Weapons? A  Dicoted(tm)  Combat Axe  for a troll?   NUYEN,
>NUYEN,  need I  say it again? NUYEN. I  think to balance the  game and
>make it so that  people didn't all have  Dicoted(tm) weapons  the SRII
>people used availability. I  can't remember the exact availability for
>Dicote(tm), but I do think  it's kind of  high. Then what in the slums
>of Seattle is a troll leader of some two-bit  street gang doing with a
>Dicoted(tm) battle axe?

	Oh, come on.  Dicote is only so much per 100 square cm, right?
According to the illustration of the Wallacher Combat Axe in Street
Sam Catalog, the blade is thin, with the inside gone.  I thing one
application of Dicote will suffice for the axe.  And as for being the
leader of a "two-bit" street gang, I said that he was the leader of a
PhysAd circle.  (I think.)  This is NOT I repeat NOT just a "two-bit"
Street Gang.  If it's two-bit to you then you play at a much higher 
level than we do around here.

>How do you get 12 successes from 18 dice with a Target Number  (TN) of
>4.  With a TN of 4 you need a 4, 5, or 6 on  a D6. 3  out of  6 chance
>for that.   Gee  thats 50% chance  isn't it. 50% of 18  is 9. Gee only
>nine successes.

	The way I always have figured it (non-mathematically, but it's 
always worked for me), you can always get a target number if you
have more dice.  And the number of dice over the target number is the
amount of successes you will have.  This is seen thusly:  Say I have 
a skill of 10, and a target number of 4.  I roll my dice and they come
up:
   1   2   3   4   5   6+1   6+2   6+3   6+4   6+5
	According to your system, I'd have 5 successes.  According to mine,
I'd have 7.

[useless stuff deleted]

	Look chummer.  We were trying to make a point that a physical adept
could go toe-to-toe against a street samurai.  Tactics are another point
entirely.  Ambushes, by the way, are NOT tactics in my book.  Anyone can
set up an ambush.  If the mage in your game was stupid enough to walk into
one (didn't have his detect life up, obviously), then he deserved to be
fragged.

uplink

--
*           _    / _/       /     * "It's been surreal!" - Gogo Dodo, TTA  *
*     / /  / /  /    '_ |  /' _/  * Please send all flames to someone else *
*    / /  __/  /  /  /  /    <    * email to uplink@cwis.unomaha.edu  . .  *
*  ___/ _/   _/ _/ _/ _/ _/|_/    * Hey! I _LIKE_ my pompous .sig!    ---  *
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: wigs@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au (Aaron Wigley)
Subject: Re: SRunII help needed
Organization: Monash University General Access Unix
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL8]
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 03:13:31 GMT

KittyKat (mr55371@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu) wrote:
:   I'm going to be running a modified ShadownRun campaign this semester and
:   I'm looking for someone to bounce ideas off of.  I don't want to post too
:   much information to the net about the campaign because some of my players
:   read this group.  I can say that what I'm thinking of is a bit unusual, 
:   and I've chosen to use the ShadowRun system, but not the history provided
:   with the game.  

To all people who are interested in GM's getting together and bouncing
Ideas off each other, I'm setting up a mailing list to achieve such
ends. Some of you may recall I posted a note similar to KittyKat's just
over a Month ago, and I received several expressions of Interest from
people. Don't worry people, I haven't forgotten you :-).

:   Thanks :)

The mailing list should be ready in the next few days. Interested
parties please Email me.

:   KittyKat


The Wigs of Oz,                     "Cyberguns no longer have an Essence
Aaron Wigley                        Cost. Merry Christmas."
Email: wigs@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au    -Street Sam. Catalog Update,
					Shadowrun II, page 277.
From: corleyj@helium.gas.uug.arizona.edu (Jason D Corley )
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: GM needs help/ideas
Date: 26 Jan 93 05:34:37 GMT
Organization: University of Arizona, Tucson

In article <1993Jan26.024636.19127@ncsu.edu> jmkaraka@eos.ncsu.edu (JOHN MARTIN KARAKASH) writes:
>
>|>
>	Different themes along this line are:
>	  1) a govt/corporation (spills a chemical/releases radiation) that
>	     gives people powers
Mwah hah!  Men In Black knocking at the door.  "Come with us, please sir."
They want them to get brainwashed by the NSC and be used to overthrow
governments in Central America.  Good source: GURPS Illuminati or the
Illuminati books by R.A.Wilson (if you can struggle through at least part
of them, you should get the idea).

>	  2) aliens grant powers (or an accident like in 'Cocoon')
>	  3) lost 'magic' or technology from previous races/star travellers
>	  4) new tech that the players get ahold of
>	  5) all players were a part of genetic experiment before they were
>	     born.  The genes are manifesting NOW!
>	  6) players discover that magic does work, is effective, and how
>	     to use it
Especially good if you have the Call of Cthulhu rules.  "Gee, Gramps left
me this book.  What's that say 'De Vermiis Mysteriis'...hmmm...what's
this binding made out of...I wonder what happens when you say _this_?"

As a matter of fact...a lot BETTER if you have the Call of Cthulhu rules.
Yog-Sothoth eats GURPS supplements for breakfast...and not even a very
nourishing one at that!  Mwah ha ha haaaaaa!


--
*******************************************************************************
"Keep an eye on the species below us...because you never know who may be next."
	----Bertha's Save The Cat Committee (Garrison Keillor)
Jason D. "corleyj@gas.uug.arizona.edu" Corley, Poet, Polymath, Scoundrel.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: pmwg1641@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Peter M. White)
Subject: Re: SRII: questions (yet again)
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 07:29:17 GMT

gray@visix.com (Gray Jones) writes:

>Do cyber-mages get cyberware benefits on the astral plane?
>I am inclined to say yes.  

Absolutely not.  Look at some of the desciptions for intelligence,
quickness, and knowledge enhancing cyber/bioware; they usually
explicitly say that such enhancement do *not* aid magic based
activities.

--Malthus

______________________________________________________________________________
						|
     "Guards!  Let me draw their fire!"		|	p-white@uiuc.edu
		   --Scapegoat,_Marshal Law_	|
______________________________________________________________________________
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: cwatters@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Coyt D Watters)
Subject: Re: DragonQuest?!
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 13:29:31 GMT

In article <1993Jan26.043540.29698@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu> jwolf@nyx.cs.du.edu (The WolF) writes:
>In essence, DragonQuest is a stripped-down version of D&D (not AD&D). Its
>intended to be a gateway into D&D. Seems T$R is aggressively pursuing the
>novist gamer. :)
>

Exactly.  The old SPI _DragonQuest_ game (which is ok BTW) is not the same as 
the current TSR _DragonQuest_ game.  Since TSR owns the rights to the name, 
they can slap it on anything they choose.  It's a simplification of D&D, 
intended to compete with HeroQuest and BattleQuest, and provide a stepping
stone to D&D and/or ADnD2.  Term it "D&D Lite."

It does include 6 NON-LEAD metal figures.

-Coyt
From: millerl@wharton.upenn.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: RQ: using other magic systems
Date: 25 Jan 93 21:25:15 GMT
Organization: Newt World Order

I noticed that some of you have adapted other magic systems to
RuneQuest, such as Rolemaster's Spell Law, and wondered if you could
post how you did it? If you have adapted Ars Magica I'd be especially
interested.

Thanks

-- 
whoah,
+++++++++++++++++++++++23
Loren Miller                           internet: MILLERL@wharton.upenn.edu
Mediocrity is a hand rail.                         -- Baron de Montesquieu