HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: gharris@jade.tufts.edu (George W. Harris)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: RuneQuest 4
Keywords: RuneQuest, in shops, whats it like.
Date: 6 Nov 92 03:42:11 GMT
Organization: Tufts University - Medford, MA

In article <1dc7l3INN34g@lily.csv.warwick.ac.uk> pyuaq@csv.warwick.ac.uk (Mr G S Sutherland) writes:
>I've heard rumours that Avalon Hills are going to reprint RuneQuest
>in a new format (perfect bound I think) and also make some rules
>revisions. Has anyone heard about this? Were there any annoncements
>at GenCon? Is it in the shops yet?

	Yes, they are.  They are revising a number of rules, most notably the
character creation system, adding a few skills, and creating categories of
skill difficulty.  There will be minor tweaking of other rules, and probably
a major overhaul of sorcery, either in the rules or in a later supplement
focusing on the West (Fronela).  Also, all examples in the rules are going
to be Gloranthan, rather than Fantasy Earth.

	However, this is very far in the future (over a year, probably more).
It's still very early in playtesting.

	On the good side, I have heard that Strangers in Prax (the new scenario
pack) and King of Sartar (Greg Stafford's novel about a king of Sartar between
Sartar himself and Argrath should be out later this month.

>Thanks in advance.

	You're welcome.

>Graeme Sutherland.
--
gharris@jade.tufts.edu          
George W. Harris              	"He'd kill us if he had the chance."  
Dept. of Mathematics            
Tufts University              			The Conversation
From: pmenard@cse.unl.edu (Patrick Menard)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: SR2: Can someone tell me whats going on...
Date: 5 Nov 1992 05:27:04 GMT
Organization: University of Nebraska--Lincoln	
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: cse.unl.edu

cbj005@cch.coventry.ac.uk (The Mistress) writes:


>As the title suggests, can someone(s) tell me what exactly has  happened
>with  SR2?  What are the major changes, it hasn't been released in the UK
>yet and my inept game store at home in York won't be getting it in for  a
>long time.

>All  this  is because a friend of mine( who has no net access) has bought
>all the supplements so far and  is  pretty  dischuffed  at  the  idea  of
>forking out the 14+ pounds for SR2 because all his supplements are out of
>date or need updating to the new rules..

>So could someone please enlighten me as to what the major  rules  changes
>are,  email replys would be preferred as I'm sure a lot of people on this
>group are sick and tired of SR2 rule change discussions *:-)

>Thanks a lot.

>-- 
>|  The /\/\istress of /\/\anipulation   |      cbj005@cch.cov.ac.uk     |
>|           Big Red Lobsters and Purple Hedgehogs unite!                |
>|         "Shoot first, fingerprint the corpse later..."  2xs           |
>|      Cannot recover from virus....rm: remove /freshers/all (y/n)      |

well, its real nifty.  for fire combat, armor doesn't count for auto-successes
it subtracts its rating from the power level of the gun.(so for an assault rifle
power 8M shooting at long coat Bal=4 the target number would be 4 to resist
damage)
also, instead of a dodge pool you have a combat pool (Q+W+I /2) this is used
for all combat things and can be used offensively too.(such as adding dice
when shooting a gun!)
the staging number for everything is 2 so all weapons and spells have been
adjusted and listed.
it has an update section for all the sourcebooks in the back.  basically,
weapon damages are updated, and a few tweaks here and there are too, but it
uses all the stuff from the other books with the exception of the Grimoire.
VERY minor changes to the other books.
different rules for metahumans.  allergies are optional, but give benefits.
optionally, metahuman race can be set third instead of first.

I recommend getting it when available.  as I said, its real nifty.

Shadow
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: braca2@cspyr1.cs.adfa.oz.au (BRAY CHRISTOPHER)
Subject: Re: Steve Jackson Games/Secret Service Incident
Organization: Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra, Australia
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 09:20:43 GMT

cwagner@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Christian Wagner) writes:

>In article <1992Nov3.091233.2544@bvc.edu> meierdalepau@bvc.edu writes:
[relates to SJG, the govt. and EFF]

>Seriously, I think Loyd had better handle this one (for obvious reasons).

What reasons?
From: bkoike@sdcc13.ucsd.edu (Bryce Koike)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Magic Systems
Date: 5 Nov 92 05:03:57 GMT
Article-I.D.: sdcc12.40587
Organization: University of California, San Diego

In article <4082@bcstec.ca.boeing.com> hall@bcstec.ca.boeing.com (Robert J. Hall) writes:
>Does somebody have a list of the basic Magic systems being using in FRPGs? I'm
>familiar with two:
>
>  1. Memorize a limited number of spells from the list of known spells.
>
>  2. Spell casting costs a specific number of points, and there is a random
>     chance that the spell will fail.
>
>Are there any others?
>-- 
> Bob Hall                   |
> Boeing Computer Services   |  Behind every dark cloud,
> root@chicken.ca.boeing.com |  there's a Seattle Skyline.

	Well, there's quite a few I could categorize under #2 that
aren't the same.  (Whatever, eh?)  There's the GURPS method of
learning spells as "skills" with spells costing an X amount of
fatigue...
	...there's also the GURPS/Ars Magica method of
improvisational magic where you mix keywords together to create
spells.
	There's also the Conrad's Game method of generic spell
casting...(sorry, I can't remember much about it.  Surely I'm not
the only person who's played it!)  I mostly remember the weapons...
"Heroic Weapon" type stuff...highly generic, little detail or
complexity involved.  Fairly gnifty idea, but I prefer more detail
personally.  (Certainly can be inducive to greater role-playing, I
believe...but that's My Opinion)
	I've fiddled with a GURPSian "Cast Whatever You Want" style
of magic...there's various "levels" of magic and each level costs so
much fatigue to use.  The longer you take, the less fatigue you must
spend, but the more powerful levels (The, "I want to raze the
countryside with lava" style) are incredibly expensive and would
tend to require ceremonial magic (oh yes, there's the GURPS method
of gourp magic as well...)
	There's also the Hero style of magic where it's basically
just super powers.  So instead of Laser Beam you've got Lightning
Bolt...whatever.  Not my style, but it's interesting.
	Hope this helps, and I hope you can get past all the damn
ellipses!  I seem to have this thing about 'em.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: moonman@camelot.bradley.edu (Craig Levin)
Subject: "Adventurer" as an occupation, was Re: Carrying weapons around (was Re: META: Swords, etc)
Organization: House of the Moss Rose
Date: 11 Nov 92 13:06:18 GMT

In <1dpv4gINN5va@escargot.xx.rmit.OZ.AU> s892341@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au (Matt=Goodall) writes:

[lots of interesting material deleted]

>	The useage of the word "adventurer" is beginning to annoy me. 
>Thanks to T$R, gamers everywhere use the word indisciminately in and out
>of character. Out of character is OK, "In the woods the adventurers will
>encounter 5 trolls" but in character "We seek noble adventurers...", 
>"The adventurer's Guild" etc etc is terminally stupid. Try the words "hero",
>"explorer", "mercenary", "trouble shooter" etc etc instead after all very
>few of your characters are actually professional "adventurers".

	Actually, if one takes the old medieval chansons de geste
literally, probably many men had little occupation save riding around
the land, doing good deeds, driving out infidels, etc.. Besides, what
better word to describe a viking jarl and his war-band, or a group of
crusaders, or Columbus and his bunch?

>	This is not flaming anyone in particular, but I think Sea Wasp might
>have a think about how mediveally realistic his world is with adventuring
>recognized as a profession.

	Or, the medieval world-view itself, with knight-errantry as a
high goal and aspiration. If you want examples of "real" adventurers,
Huizinga's DECLINE OF THE MIDDLE AGES or Keen's CHIVALRY can help
immensely.
	
--
Craig Levin/Pedro de Alcazar, Illiton, MKdm moonman@camelot.bradley.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: jmkaraka@eos.ncsu.edu (JOHN MARTIN KARAKASH)
Subject: Re: APPLESEED
Originator: jmkaraka@c00359-247dan.eos.ncsu.edu
Reply-To: jmkaraka@eos.ncsu.edu (JOHN MARTIN KARAKASH)
Organization: North Carolina State University, Project Eos
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 21:08:12 GMT


|>>>	I'd be even more hesitant than you about putting it in SR.  If SJ
|>>>would finish up the vehicles rules and the mecha rules I'd say GURPS, but
|>>>since they haven't....
|>>>
|>>>	-john-
|>
|>	Urk.  No way on Shadowrun (and the guy was complaining about
|>Palladium?  Hmn)
|>	Since GURPS doesn't have ANY mecha rules whatsoever, GURPS
|>is about last on my list to handle Appleseed.  


	As I said, I realize that GURPS doesn't have mecha rules... yet.
The vehicle rules are very close to being printed and the mecha rules
will be, basically, just Vehicles with the few special rules you need
to simulate that good 'ol anime action.
	(This is a very hot topic on Illuminati BBS.  The one run by SJG)

	-john-
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: sos@oz.plymouth.edu (Steffan O'Sullivan)
Subject: Re: List of Superohero RPGs
Reply-To: sos@oz.plymouth.edu (Steffan O'Sullivan)
Organization: Plymouth State College - Plymouth, N.H.
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 92 14:13:48 GMT

ag885@yfn.ysu.edu (Charles Gibbs) writes:
>OK, I'm trying to get a list of superhero RPGs.  Here's what I have...
>  Marvel  (TSR)
>  DC Heroes (Mayfair)
>  Champions (HERO/I.C.E.)
>  GURPS Supers (Steve JAckson Games)
>  Heroes Unlimited (Palladium)
>  Villians & Vigilantes (Fantasy Games)
>  Superworld (Publisher unknown)

              (Chaosium published Superworld)

>  Guardians (Starchilde)
>
>What games have I missed?

Batman (Mayfair) (variant of DC Heroes, yes, but its own game)
Challengers (Ragnarok)
Enforcers (21st Century Games)
Golden Heroes (GW)
Judge Dredd (GW)
Masters of the Universe (FASA)
Official Superhero Game (Phillips)
Supergame (DAG)
Superhero: 2044 (this was the first Superhero game) (Saxman, then Zocchi)
Super Squadron (Adventure Sim)
TMNT (Palladium)
TWERPS Superheroes (Reindeer Games, now Gamescience)

-- 
  - Steffan O'Sullivan		         sos@oz.plymouth.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: mason
Subject: Re: List of Superohero RPGs
Organization: Rice University  
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1992 02:14:01 GMT

So can anyone give a quick review of the best systems?  I've
played both "Champions" and "Villains and Vigilantes", but I'm
not happy with either system.  Are any of the others better?
 
 
-- mason
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: roking@lynx.dac.northeastern.edu (robert king)
Subject: Re: Journeys Magazine
Organization: Northeastern University, Boston, MA. 02115, USA
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1992 16:47:00 GMT

In article <1992Nov5.152404.8881@infonode.ingr.com> john@porta.b24a.ingr.com (John Nolin) writes:
>What does everyone think about the Journeys Magazine that GDW is
>publishing for Dangerous Journeys?  I thought it was pretty good, but
>found the adventure that was included in the mag to be pretty weak.
>
>-John-
>

I was impressed by the list of contributors.  I also liked the fact that
it was a cross-company magazine, covering anything that fits within its
theme.  There are few such animals left anymore, most mags seem to cover
the works of one company only.

Unfortunatly, it does not seem to be selling well (at least, not hear in
Boston...  I was talking to the owner of the local gaming store and he
said it has not sold well at all, and he does not expect it to last more
than 6 issues max :(

Bob King
roking@lynx.dac.northeastern.edu
From: ins894r@aurora.cc.monash.edu.au (Aaron Wigley [Wigs])
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: PBEM
Date: 12 Nov 92 10:31:53 GMT
Organization: Monash University
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]

Jeremy Corley (n9046319@henson.cc.wwu.edu) wrote:
: 	I keep on hearing about PBEM and now I'm curious.  How do the mechanics
: of it work?  I'd love to play one, find out how it works, and then start my 
: own later.  Could someone please email me the basics?  Better yet if someone
: has a game that is short a player I'd love to learn directly.

I'm not familiar with any 'proper' rules for the conduct of Play by
Electronic Mail games, but, having been involved in a long running Shadowrun 
PBEM, and now in a AD&D 2ed PBEM, here are a few suggestions/tips etc:
(If this isn't in the FAQ, perhaps it could be ?)

  o PBEMs, I find, are a great chance to role play, you can let the other
    characters really learn about your character more slowly. Brings a new
    dimension to note-passing :)
  o There is a large amount of work involved. The Shadowrun PBEM I was in 
    went for quite a while, involved about 20 people, and generated at least
    4 Meg of Email. Your mail spools should be prepaired to handle upwards
    of 200 messages a day at least.
  o There are two ways you can handle the dice rolls. Either the GM/DM trusts
    the players and lets them roll the dice, and mail the results (which we
    did on the Shadowrun pbem to good effect); or the DM does all the dice
    rolls.
  o Its advisable you know in advance who is archiving the transcripts of 
    the pbem. Remember that there is a large bulk of text involved.
  o The text stores better if it is cleaned up, mail headers removed etc.
    To help with this, make sure your character's actions clearly follow
    that of another. Many times Email has shown up and the character's 
    actions could have fit in anywhere in the recent past.
  o Have the subject line of all pbem mail start with something like
    "PBEM: ". This separates the pbem mail from the regular mail the 
    player might get. Also, Have the players recognise "PBEM ADMIN: "
    and so forth, for non-character, but pbem related, subjects.
  o Change the Subject of the Email whenever you feel the current thread
    has moved on from what is appropriate. Its no use having as a subject
    "Pbem: Breakfast" for the combat mid-afternoon.
  o Don't include your .sig's in the postings, there will be enough mail
    flying around that the .sig's combined do add up to a lot. 
  o Some people don't like receiving talk requests from the other players
    about the pbem, as they have no record of the transaction, and often 
    the DM doesn't listen in. This is personal preference.

This is all I can think of at the moment, Opinions anyone ?
 
: 	Constantly Curious....
: 				J. Corley
: 			n9046319@henson.cc.wwu.edu

The Wigs of Oz,
Aaron Wigley
From: betel@camelot.bradley.edu (Robert Crawford)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: GURPS: Armor / Martial-Arts / Guts / Glory
Date: 11 Nov 92 18:40:45 GMT
Organization: Bradley University


	One thing I don't agree with -- the attitude that most
low-tech fighters are built on what has been called the Conan-model. I
had a horribly effective fighter with ST 11, no High Pain Threshold,
and a reasonably high DX. I believe he got hit seriously a total of
three times over a nine-month period -- once from behind with a
crossbow bolt.

	As for the fear of weapons --- play the NPCs as intelligently
as they should. It seems to me that the best way to make players
afraid of combat is to make the combat _dangerous_.

--
"Uh, oh.  This isn't good.  I've seen good before, and this isn't it."
       --- Tom Servo

Robert Crawford 			betel@camelot.bradley.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: sos@oz.plymouth.edu (Steffan O'Sullivan)
Subject: Re: Updated List of Superhero RPGs  [and comments]
Reply-To: sos@oz.plymouth.edu (Steffan O'Sullivan)
Organization: Plymouth State College - Plymouth, N.H.
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 92 02:56:19 GMT

bz978@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Charles E Gibbs) writes:
>
>Thanks to everyone who supplied info.  The following is the list compiled
>by myself and the netters.  (Special thanks to Steffan O'Sullivan, who
>supplied much of the list.)

You're welcome, but I made a mistake, I see:

>TWERPS Superheroes (Reindeer Games, now GameScience)

Should actually be:

TWERPS Superdudes

-- 
  - Steffan O'Sullivan		         sos@oz.plymouth.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: jcarl@jabba.ess.harris.com (Joe Carl Jr.)
Subject: Re: Shadowrun book.
Organization: Harris Corporation - ISD
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1992 13:21:33 GMT

In rda822l@nella16.cc.monash.edu.au (J. Wood) writes:

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

>>       I can't get on to usdcsv.acusd.edu to get the Net.shadowrun.book.
>>Does any other site have it?  I would like to get it.  

>I too checked out this site and couldn't get in, so if someone could either     
>post or e-mail the address it would be great.  Alternatively, if someone
>has a copy of the Net.shadowrun.book and could e-mail it to me ...

Please post the address, I think enough people are interrested!

-- 
-----

Joe Carl Jr.                  "If you ever drop your watch
jcarl@jabba.ess.harris.com     in a pool of molten lava,
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: mppc3@syma.sussex.ac.uk (Duncan White)
Subject: Vampire II
Organization: University of Sussex
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL4
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 13:19:59 GMT

Having just seen Vampire second edn. in the shops I was wondering if
anybody had any info it. What differences are there between it and the
first edition other than being hardbacked and more expensive?
From: d9bertil@dtek.chalmers.se (Bertil Jonell)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Rec.games.frp.cyber
Date: 8 Nov 92 12:13:38 GMT
Organization: Chalmers Tekniska Lekskola, G|teborg, G|taland

In article <1daqtnINNpam@uniwa.uwa.edu.au> davidc@tartarus.uwa.edu.au (David Cake) writes:
>But there is also Shadowrun, and lots of
>games with bits of cyberpunk style tech, but where it is not very
>central (like traveller 2300, the upcoming Traveller:TNE, and Dark
>Conspiracy), and people who play these games are a little unsure of
>where to post.

  Traveller a cyberpunk game. This is rich:)

>>Quoting the Dark Conspiracy rulebook: "a horror game, not science-fiction."
>>Seeing as cyberpunk is a form of SF, I think that makes it pretty clear. ;)
>So you should talk about Dark Conspiracy cyberbetic arms with the Call
>of Cthulhu players?

  Now that is a definition: All games where prostethic arms present are 
cyberpunk games, which would include viritually every SF game on the market.
Cyberpunk is a combination of two words, cyber and punk, and if the definition
relies on only one of those, 'cyber' in this case, it will be unusable.

>							Dave Cake

-bertil-
--
"The Universe is a sphere precisely 1.069604911 kilometers in radius."
                The Traveller Mailing List PBEM Campaign, as refereed by 
		Metlay, Cook and Johnson and played by the rest of us maniacs.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: amigaman+@pitt.edu (Russell A Howard)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re:SR2: Shadowrun query
Date: 6 Nov 92 07:15:10 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh


About this spell defense during a suprise situation.  I would say you couldn't
use it unless you had an action first.  Why?  On page 85 under MAGIC POOL is 
says "Dice from the Magic Pool are allocated immediately following the Declare
Actions step of the Combat Turn".  Also, on page 132, under SPELL DEFENSE DICE,
it says:  "Magicians may, immediately following the declaration of their
-- 
--
Russ Howard
Internet:  amigaman+@pitt.edu
BIX:       russhoward
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: wilder@mik.uky.edu (jeff wilder)
Subject: Re: Shadowrun query
    <18893@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu> <lward.720990569@husc8> 
    <Bx9vu2.2uq@ulowell.ulowell.edu>
Organization: University Of Kentucky, Dept. of Math Sciences
X-Path: wilder
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1992 08:43:29 GMT

In <Bx9vu2.2uq@ulowell.ulowell.edu> rcashman@cs.ulowell.edu (The Jester) writes:

|The rules are very specific: you allocate dice for spell defense at no action
|cost ON YOUR ACTION.  The pools refresh and are reallocated on your next
|action.  You may choose when and if you wish to use dice allocated to spell
|defense for that purpose when hostile magic is cast upon you/your teammates.

I agree with Lester's interpretation, and as far as I'm concerned, your
rule clarification is appreciated, as I think it supports the mage's
ability to use spell defense in surprise situations.

Basically, any magician in my game can say to me, "In any action I do
not specifically use dice for something else, they are allocated to
personal spell defense."  In fact, I won't even require the magician
to tell me. :-)  These guys are professionals, after all.

--
==============================================================================
| Jeff W  uk06666@ukpr.uky.edu | Meddle not in the affairs of cats, for they |
| Wilder  & wilder@mik.uky.edu | are subtle, and will piss on your cyberdeck.|
==============================================================================
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: fischers@Informatik.TU-Muenchen.DE (Samuel Fischer)
Subject: Re: Vampire Music (was Re: Vampire: Combat.. HELP!!
Originator: fischers@hphalle4j.informatik.tu-muenchen.de
Organization: Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Germany
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 12:33:42 GMT



|> >In article <1992Nov8.175254.8463@lehi3b15.CSEE.Lehigh.EDU>, kammr@lafcol.lafayette.edu (Rob Kamm) writes:
|> >>   BTW: Does anyone else use a "Theme Song" in their campaigns?  You know
|> >> something to listen to as the players get set up and read introductory
|> >> information.  Give it a try--I use The End by the Doors.  Works real well at
|> >> depressing the players.  
|> >>                         Rob Kamm

You should check out Paul Roland's 'Nosferatu' or 'Werwolves of London' ... well
in fact most of his work:)

bye,
sammy
-----

-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
' Every Day is like the last,		|  mails to  :  	
  Each a Pleasure, when it's past. '	|  fischers@hphalle4.informatik.
		(Paul Roland) 		|  tu-muenchen.de
----------------------------------------|
Have I forgotten to say 'IMHO' ?	|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: silk@mcl.ucsb.edu (ken mencher)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: miniatures
Date: 9 Nov 92 23:57:27 GMT
Article-I.D.: mcl.silk.721353447

Does anyone have the net.address for the miniature painting mailing list??

ken
From: kuvamp@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: GENCON '93 In Fort Worth??????????
Date: 12 Nov 92 09:49:33 CST
Organization: University of Kansas Academic Computing Services



 Can someone confirm or deny the rumor I've heard that GENCON '93 is being held
in Fort Worth, Texas?  I've heard it in a number of places, but the TSR mailer
i got on it said Milwaukee, as usual.  So whassup?

	E-mail me directly to avoid wasted bandwidth.

				-----------Gareth
From: kammr@lafcol.lafayette.edu (Rob Kamm)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Vampire: Combat.. HELP!!
Summary: Vampire--good edition to campaign
Date: 8 Nov 92 17:52:54 GMT
Organization: Lafayette College, Easton PA


  I have tried a variant to the rule system that seems to work well in
my Vamp. campaign.  Basically, to cut down on the number of dice roles and
to speed things up we just roll one D10 and compare that either with the 
opposing roll (for non-combat rolls) or with a difficulty value minus the 
character's appropriate attribute and ability.  The difficulties range from
7 to 13 (though this may change) over the same scale as the normal rules
difficulties.  This speeds up the combat and returns us to the namby, pamby
role-playing that we enjoy so much :).
  BTW: Does anyone else use a "Theme Song" in their campaigns?  You know
something to listen to as the players get set up and read introductory
information.  Give it a try--I use The End by the Doors.  Works real well at
depressing the players.  
                        Rob Kamm
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc