HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: chem7l@jane.uh.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: A few minor SRII points
Date: 29 Sep 92 16:32:00 GMT
Article-I.D.: jane.29SEP199211321935
Organization: University of Houston
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <BvBr3y.JMM@acsu.buffalo.edu>, v121mhb5@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (D.O.G. of S.A.R.P.A.) writes...

>	P.S.> If you play with Metahuman race priority 2, and take
>priority 4 attributes, and a mild allergy to sunlight, you could get 33
>points to split between 6 attributes.  This leaves you 3 points
>short of completely maxing out your 6 attributes.  I've found this a
>little suspect, so for now I'm keeping Metas at priority 4, but
>priority 2 for magic metas.
> 
>						Jim Scannell
>						Killer GM at large

You can get over 30 attribute points, sure, but it's generally a very bad idea.
If you put A on attributes and C on race, that leave B, D, and E for magic, 
resources, and skills.  That means that you are either an adept with few skills
and little money (and few force points if you can use spells), or you have too
little money and skills to put yourself on par with other street sams, deckers,
and riggers.  The reason that this is a bad idea is that, in 2nd Edition, you
can use karma to raise attributes up to racial maximums, regardless of your
beginning attributes.  Since it takes fewer karma to raise attributes than to
raise skills, it is better to use your A (and maybe your B) on other things that
are more difficult to improve later.

Besides, with the new rules for raising attributes, many experienced characters
will raise their attributes up to these levels pretty quickly. (It only takes
72 karma to raise all attributes from 3 to 6, and most people will start with
20-24 attribute points, giving 3+ - 4 average on each stat.)  I think the 
problem of having weak metahumans outweighs the problem of having too high stats
for some (otherwise weak) characters.

Jim Corbit
Chem7l@Jetson.UH.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: eclipse@unixland.natick.ma.us (Mark Urbin)
Subject: Re: TW:2000 firearm rules
Organization: Unixland Public Access Unix & Think_Tank BBS
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 11:26:48 GMT

In article <1992Sep26.170042.1191@ccsvax.sfasu.edu> z_copeab@ccsvax.sfasu.edu writes:
>In article <Bv57oA.9E@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, dv52151@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (SilverFang Ahroun) writes:
>> porterg@gems.vcu.edu writes:
>>>3. For both of these to make any sense in Twlight:2000, the damage of the
>>>.45 should be *1*, and the 9mm should be *2*, and the Pen of both should be
>>>*1* (1/nil for the .45, 2/1 for the 9mm).
>> The 9mm is going faster, but the .45 is much larger. That has an enormous
>> effect as far as damagimg people is concerned. There are many documented
>> cases by the DEA of the 9mm being used and failing to acheive a kill
>> even after many rounds had hit the perpetrator. (sp?) The .45 tends to
>> kill or disable much faster. On the whole energy-damage relationship,
>> the only study relating caliber to first shot kills (they accumulated
>> all the shooting statistics available) the .357 Magnum leads the pack
>> and no gun expert can tell you why.
>
>	Still, because of the (screwy) way that T:2000 handles bullet
>penetration, the 9mm has to have a higher damage than the .45 to simulate its
>ability to get through body armor (which is *is* better at doing than a .45).
   I don't buy this.  If the 9mm is better at penatrating armor, then increase
it's pentration value, not it's damage.  There is a such a thing as blunt 
trauma.  Someone with a kevlar vest shot with a .45 (dam:2 pen:nil) would take
two points of damage, same clown shot with a 9mm would take 1d6).
>Also, I'm wondering about one thing when Traveller: The New Era comes out,
>supposedly based on T:2000 -- what is going to happen to the old armors less
>effective than the flak vest (mesh, jack, etc.), since T:2000 gives kevlar 
>bodyarmor a rating of 1?
  Since jack is simply a thick leather jacket, it won't do 'jack' against 
firearm damage.  It's ment to turn knife blades, not stop bullets.  Mesh is
chain mail (either metal or plastic), won't stop a crossbow bolt.  But then,
a kevlar vest won't stop one either.
>Brandon Cope
>


-- 
eclipse@unixland.natick.ma.us  a.k.a. Mark Urbin  These Opinions are mine.  
"There are going to be situations where people are going to go without
assistance.  That's just the facts of life." ex-LA Chief of Police, Gates.
From: dfn@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (David Nalle)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Ragnarok Mail List
Date: 30 Sep 92 13:54:48 GMT
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX

There is now a mail list for Ragnarok RPGs.  It was originally intended for
our network based playtesters, but we're now opening it to the interested
public.

Much of the discussion is fairly technical, having to do with in-depth 
world background and game mechanics topics relating to Ysgarth and To 
Challenge Tomorrow based games.

If you are interested in participating, send me a quick note and give me an 
idea of what you'd add to the group.

If you want to know more about what goes on in this mail list group, just ask.

Dave
From: 9029699@ul.ie (F.O.Connell)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: PARANOIA: Is it still around?
Date: 28 Sep 92 22:59:01 GMT
Organization: University of Limerick, Ireland

In article <BvAq1o.Hyt@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, sjs28257@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Steve Stelter) writes:
> spivey@stortek.com (Jerry Spivey MS2286 x8008) writes:
> 
> West End is still cranking out Paranoia stuff, but at a very slow rate.
> Most of West End's focus in recent years have been on Star Wars, and
> particularly Torg, meaning that maybe one or two Paranoia products are
> released every year.  I'd suggest trying a different game store.
> 

The last I heard about Paranoia was that West End Games have seen the errors
of their ways and are returning the Computer to the system. They were suppost
to be releasing a whole campaign (Paranoia campaign????) which the computer was
rediscovered by the PCs but I haven't seen or heard anything about it since..



						Fergus
						<9029699@ul.ie>
From: corleyj@helium.gas.uug.arizona.edu (Jason D Corley )
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: PARANOIA: Is it still around?
Summary: The Computer Is Your Friend
Date: 29 Sep 92 00:49:15 GMT
Organization: University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

Of course Paranoia is not dead, citizen.  The Computer
will never *POP* Squuiiirrp fzzzzzz......

One problem you might run across even if you _do_ find
the Paranoia supplements you want, they might not make
any sense unless you realise that 'round about "The Iceman
Returneth", WEG decided to Crash your Friend and mine,
the Big C, The Computer.

Scary thought, huh?

I heartily recommend picking up _The_Crash_Course_Manual_
_before_ any of the supplements printed recently.  They
won't make a whole lot of sense, though they will be as
entertaining and enlightening and perfectly Safe, Happy
and Fun for Everyone as they always were.

Now that The Computer is dead, we don't have to worry
report all treason report all treason report all treason
about those darn subliminal messages anymore!

	Yours,
		Jasonco-R-LEY-4
		Research and Design, DOA sector.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: as018b@uhura.cc.rochester.edu ( aaron russell sher)
Subject: Net.Plots.Books
Organization: University of Rochester - Rochester, New York
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 92 17:09:31 GMT

For anyone who's wondering what's happened to the Net.Plots.Books, I've
moved to a different account.  Please DO NOT send requests for the Books,
as I don't have them on-line yet, so I can't send them.  I'll repost them
to rec.games.frp.archive when I do.  I am (yes, STILL) in the process of
compiling the third volume.  Any submissions are more than welcome.  For
anyone who's never seen the Net.Plots.Books before, they contain short
plot summaries, preferably as game-independant as possible (but I'll look
at anything).  They range from one-liners "Kill the dragon and rescue the
princess" (a BAD example :-)) to ten-page campaign summaries.  Like I said,
I'll look at anything.  Contributors get credited in the Book.  Anything 
that appears in the Book is public domain, so please don't send me stuff
with copyright notices on it.  Address submissions to 
   as018b@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (preferred)
     or
   pa2cs252@troi.cc.rochester.edu (only if you can't get to the other)

Thanks muchly,
   Phrixus, Lvl 1, Room 15, S3
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: agent86@netcom.com (Michael McBride)
Subject: Re: RFD: GURPS disad limits
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Distribution: all
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 16:14:35 GMT

In article <Oct02.062900.78585@yuma.ACNS.ColoState.EDU> jamtgaar@CS.ColoState.EDU (arne jamtgaard) writes:
>Michael-
>	Well, technically, Mr. Brain the Psi is perfectly okay, 
>within the rules as given.  Drop either stat to _7_, and they
>would count against his 40 pts of disads.  However, as a GM it
>would behoove me to point out that such a one-sided character
>would be hosed in the first serious combat, and maybe Mr. Brain
>would want to make himself a little more well-rounded.  On the
>other hand, your mileage may vary, depending on your campaign.
>
>			Arne
	I agree..I _have_ taken to warning the players that the combat
	system in GURPS seems a little more deadly than many others.
	Also I do not wish to emphasize combat as it will mainly be a 
	Horror genre.  I am personally a fan of well rounded characters,
	I think they are much more fun to play as well...

Thanks!
-- 
_____________________________________________________________________________
  Michael McBride		   |__"I've done...questionable things."-Roy
  [agent86@netcom.com]		   |~~"More human than human..."-Tyrell
=============================================================================
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: eebonar@sn01.sncc.lsu.edu (Dave Bonar)
Subject: Re: SRII -- a suggested Rep tweak
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.3-4   
Reply-To: eebonar@sn01.sncc.lsu.edu
Organization: News and Views from LSU
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 03:09:31 GMT
Nntp-Posting-Host-[nntpd-18235]: sn01.sncc.lsu.edu

In article <1ag02tINNqvi@darkstar.UCSC.EDU>, rlebeau@cats.ucsc.edu (Robert Charles Lebeau) writes...
>>
>>I am not going to argue with your formulas.  I just thought that if a runner
>>did a good enough job on a run, no one would know who did it.  If you have
>>characters that like to brag though...
>>
>	One thing I think works good with reputation is that the rep
>is about the street name.  And the chance is for the name to be recognized.

	I don't even view it quite that way.

	A success should up your rep, at least in the shadows.  Maybe no one
	can finger that it was definitely you but they've got an idea.  They
	can see that you now have nuyen, or good stuff, or something.  They'll
	put two and two together even if you don't drop hints.

	And unless your rep gets very large its always a good thing.  I mean,
	who would you hire for a job; the guy that everyone says is tough
	and efficient of the gal that no one has ever heard of?

Dave
__________
Dave Bonar
eebonar@lsuvax.sncc.lsu.edu
__________

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: sichen@norton.uwaterloo.ca (Simon Chen)
Subject: Re: SRII: Some questions and Comments.
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 19:36:13 GMT

In article <BvEovo.H0E@ecf.toronto.edu> elder@ecf.toronto.edu (ELDER J David) writes:
>
>1) Phys Ads can increase their abilities at a later time by expending
>   points later on ... if they have purchased the ability at the 
>   beginning of the game. However, where do these points come from?
>   Magic Rating is fixed at 6 and is decreased by Essence loss. 
>   Karma cannot be used to increase the Magic Rating. Does this
>   mean that Adepts can use Power foci to increase their abilities?
>   Can spells be cast upon adepts which would increase their magic 
>   rating? 

The information you seek is available in the Grimoire, the SR2 version will be
out shortly I hope...  Anyways, physical adepts, like other mages and adepts,
can become initiates by joining magical orders.  Everytime they rise a level in
the order, they get an increase of +1 to their magic abilities.  So, they can
have maximum magic rating of above 6.... 8)

>3) Possible misprint. Mana combat spells ... three of the four 
>   Manabolt, ManaMissile ... are listed as physical and I think 
>   they should be Mana spells - otherwise what real difference is there
>   between these and the Power series of spells?

I don't have the SR2 yet, but in SR mana series are mana and power series are
physical.  That was the difference between them.  The power series also have
a higher drain... 8)

Xref: sparky rec.games.frp.misc:6565 rec.games.frp.advocacy:2681
From: jacobus@symphony.cc.purdue.edu (Bryan J. Maloney)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc,rec.games.frp.advocacy
Subject: Re: WereVamp->Ars?
Date: 6 Oct 92 18:58:48 GMT
Organization: Purdue University

In article <2L61RB1w165w@runic.via.mind.org> thantos@runic.via.mind.org (Paul Williams [SysOp]) writes:
>
>   Thank you  *so*  much...    Now  I  just  need  to  tweak together some
>        firearms rules for Ars Magica  (like,  how'm  I  going  to  handle
>        aut-weapons)   and   figure  out  just  what  I  need  to  add  to
>        talent/abilities.


Jeezopeets!  You want me to do ALL your thinking for you?  Hokay, guns for the
Ars Magica game--rather a means to figure out guns for Ars Magica.


1:  Compare the damages for various missile weapons in Ars Magica with their
    equivalents in the Storyteller system.  Use the derived curve to convert
    the damage to Ars Magica bonus to Dmg.

2:  Automatic weaponry have SHITLOADS of bonus to the rate.  Give standard
    pistols sufficient bonus to rate to allow them to fire 2X/round (not
    accurate, but it's a start).  Extend the rate chart (using the same
    progression--the principle seems obvious enough to me.  Now, give auto
    weapons sufficient rate stat so that they will fire as much in a given
    time proportional to how much they can throw out vs. a "typical" pistol.

3:  Now, if you don't want to deal with oodles and oodles of Dmg rolls and
    soaks, break up your autofire attacks into burst of three or four, add
    the Dmg for each shot, and Soak (or not, hee hee hee hee hee) accordingly.
    (Moral--automatic weapons KILL.)


As for the various talents, whatnot, the effects seem to be pretty much
system-independent.  However, if you REALLY must know how to convert things
on some sort of exact scale, a means of approximating the chance of getting
a certain number of successes with a given number of dice at a given difficulty
can be found thus:


P=(n!/(n!*(n-x)!))*(p^x)*((1-p^x))

where:

P=probability of getting x successes using n dice.
n=number of dice rolled
x=number of successes desired
p=probability of getting one success on one die

Note that this does NOT take into account specializations or the rule of one,
it only gives an approximation.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: rrn@milton.u.washington.edu (H++ Visser)
Subject: Guns, Guns, Questions.
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Date: Sat, 26 Sep 1992 17:39:49 GMT

I have some questions regarding 3G3....

1) Why MOT make all your weapons binary-propellant? It seems like they are
   better than other convetinal weapons, and can do things that others can't,
   in addition.

2) No 10:1 rounds can be fired from a gun directly. What about, say, 7:1? Or is
   3:1 the limit?

3) Do 2mm railgun rounds have to observe the 4000 m/s limit? I mean, if they
   do, then most guas rifles can't be 2mm (unless I've badly misinterpreted
   the velocity rules). 

4) Why is the energy loss when going from a PAW's battery to its capacitor
   higher than that for a laser or a railgun? I can imagine that the PAW itself
   would be less efficient, but aren't the battery and capacitor exactly the
   same for all energy weapons?

5) Just how much energy does a 12G 00 buckshot shell have? How many shots?

6) What is a pistol? If I make, say, a caseless 3mm 3:1 round, and put it in
   a gun with a 10-shot magazine and a 12cm barrel, do I have to pay double?
   In short, what are the criteria for the increased cost?


	Thanks a bunch, 
		-H
From: e5af046@cezanne.ucdavis.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: The Primal Order - Is it worth it?
Date: 4 Oct 92 23:59:02 GMT
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL3

Hi!

A question:  I was browsing through the store the other day, and I picked up a
copy of Wizards of the Coast's "The Primal Order."  Due to circumstances beyond
my control (read:  shrinkwrapping), I was unable to read any of the material
within.  Today, however, I just notice a post in rec.games.frp.announce from
WOTC for "Pawns:  The Opening Move," which I am inferring is supporting materialfor TPO.  Should a prospective god-maker buy TPO, and P:TOM?

(I am considering doing an Ars Magica campaign, the information in TPO may be
useful as, as of yet, I have not seen the Pax Dei or the Maleficium in any
stores in my area...)

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely
Eric Lulie

(P.S.  Speaking of the Pax Dei and the Maleficium, does anyone know if these
two supplements are out?)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: uplink@cwis.unomaha.edu (John M. Scheibeler)
Subject: Re: Cyber Hero Review
Organization: University of Nebraska at Omaha
Distribution: na
Date: Sat, 26 Sep 1992 18:44:22 GMT

I created a very simple system for cyberspace using the mental combat rules.
I'll post them if anyone shows any interest.

uplink
.s

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: 003316g@ace.acadiau.ca (STEPHEN EDWARD ELLIOTT GREGORY)
Subject: What is Talislanta
Organization: Acadia University
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1992 01:30:35 GMT

>Anybody out there pick up the new edition of Talislanta yet?  IMHO, it 
improves>things about a thousand percent.  I've always enjoyed the world, 
but the old>books were too disorganized and decentralized for my tastes.  
Opinions? Anyone?>Anyone? Bueller?
>

	How does Talislanta compare to D&D, AD&D? Is the new combat system 
easy to use?
	What is Talistanta, I have never heard of it before.(Sorry)

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: sjs28257@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Steve Stelter)
Subject: Re: Torg: Infiniverse?
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 02:16:19 GMT

<LUCKE@NDSUVM1.BITNET> writes:

>     As a Torg player since its release, I have been an Infiniverse subscriber
>since issue one.  How many people out there in net.land actually subscribe to
>Infiniverse?

>Out of the people that do, do you...

>(a) Enjoy and read every issue
>(b) fill out your response forms like good little boys and girls
>(c) actually read and use dispatches and rumors
>(d) just read the Herald messages

>And while I'm interrogating everyone, do you use published adventures, or
>make up your own?

Well, I read every issue, and I enjoy them all to a greater or lesser
extent.  (Especially the issues that have my Top Ten lists in them.  :)

I subscribe to Infiniverse solely because I think the Possibility Wars
are neat, and I want to stay informed as to what's going on in them.
However, I don't have a campaign of my own.  If I *did*, though, I would
fill out the response forms.

Some of the rumors, dispatches, and published adventures stink, while
others are great.  If I had my own Torg campaign, I'd expect about 
a third of the adventures I'd run would be WEG material, and the rest
would be stuff I wrote myself.

The extent to which the Herald messages fail to interest me is almost
unbelievable.  IMHO, that whole section is a waste of space.


                                             --Steve Stelter
                                               sjs28257@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu
From: v121mhb5@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (D.O.G. of S.A.R.P.A.)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: SR: history of rule changes?
Keywords: rule updates
Date: 29 Sep 92 05:11:00 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <Bv90s5.CzA@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, pmwg1641@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Peter M. White) writes...
>I am now the proud owner of both SR first printing and SR2 first
>printing, i.e. the hardcover version (not that soft cover SR2 will
>be out for a while).  SR1 went through, what, 5 updates?  I am
>sufficiently impressed with the second edition that I suspect the
>degree of tweaking and customization the typical gaming group
>will feel obliged to subject the rules to will be approximately
>an order of magnitude less.  (Well...the Matrix still needs help, but
>let's not get into that.)  In the context an everpresent need for
>overhaul in some of the fundamentals, what errata appeared in new
>printings never seemed important to me.  But now that such
>is quite obselete, I am strongly curious just how the rules
>developed, and see which lines of thought were slowly tweaked
>and which were scrapped and overhauled by the designers themselves.
> 
>What I would like to know is:  What are the rule changes made
>for SR1, printing to printing?
> 
>I hope I am wrong, but it seems unlikely that anyone out there would
>have a neat list compiled already.  Perhaps someone at FASA does.
>But if anyone out there has a piece of this puzzle for me, I
>would love to hear about it.
> 
> 
>--Peter
> 
 I have the second or third hardcover printing, and at these early
stages most of the rules changes involved clearing up a few glaring
errors in the original printing.  The Magic rules were overhauled
somewhat when the Grimoire came out, and many of those changes have now
worked their way into SRII.  As for the genesis of the new autofire rules,
I saw a preliminary version of the burst rules here on the NET before
the Rigger Black Book Came out.  The autofire rules from that book
were more or less carried over to the SRII rules.  As for the newer
way in which armor works, and some of the overhauls in the magic system,
these are relatively recent innovations.

	From what I know of the game's writers, Paul Hume is very much
Pro-Magic (he wrote the Grimoire) and likes to make sure magic kicks ass.
Tom Dowd, who is ultimately responsible for the rules tinkering in SRII,
likes his magic a little less potent.  This is reflected to some extent
by the new rules.

						Jim Scannell
						Killer GM at large
From: philipd@cs.kuleuven.ac.be (Philip Dutre)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: WFRP: Castle Drachenfells
Date: 30 Sep 92 22:24:05 GMT
Organization: Dept. Computerwetenschappen

Regarding Realms of Sorcery:

A few weeks ago someone mentioned on the WFRP mailing list that a FTP'able
version of ROS is available. A few people (including myself) had a look at it,
and there
was a general consensus that this document is a draft of ROS. I don't remember
the exact name of the site (potemkin???).

-- 
| Phil Dutre                            Dept. Computer Science              |
| philipd@cs.kuleuven.ac.be             Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL)|
| Phone: (32) 16 201015 x3094/3552      Celestijnenlaan 200A                |
| Fax:   (32) 16 205308                 B-3001 Heverlee, BELGIUM            |
From: gt7219a@prism.gatech.EDU (the manatee)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Torg:  Thoughts about settings.
Date: 5 Oct 92 04:38:50 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

I started running Torg a few weeks ago and I finally got to the
first module  in th Relics of Power trilogy.  When I first realized
that the opening setting was Atlanta, I was estatic.  I went out
of my way to flesh out the locations of the various scenes.  The 
appartment of the Cyberpapacy agent was listed as Spring Street, 
which is about three blocks from where I am writing this from.

The point of this post is this:  How do you Gm's in net.land deal
with adventures and modules that take place in your own hometown,
or the town you are currently residing or basically a town that you 
have a good knowledge of its geography?  I have yet to see anything
take place in Tampa, Fla (my own hometown) so it is a new experience
for me.  I suppose that those of you from say, New York or LA might 
be used to this sort of thing.  


-- 
the manatee                 "What we have here is a failure to 
gt7219a@prism.gatech.edu    communicate bilingually"  SNL