HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: leifmk@Lise.Unit.NO (Leif Magnar Kj|nn|y)
Subject: Re: So-called "dark futures"
Organization: Norwegian Institute of Technology
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 92 19:15:53 GMT

In article <1992Sep9.023708.29136@news.unomaha.edu>, uplink@cwis.unomaha.edu (John M. Scheibeler) writes:
 >    Yeah.  What a load of good long-term campaigning to be done in THAT
 > sort of world.  Keep your ideas of "Dark Future" a little lighter.
 >  
 > -----------uplink
 > 

Right.  I was going to run a truly dark, near-future campaign.  Found I couldn't
make myself do it.  The subject matter just got too depressing AND realistic...

Leif
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: braca2@cspyr1.cs.adfa.oz.au (BRAY CHRISTOPHER)
Subject: Re: Repartee in Gaming
Organization: Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra, Australia
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 08:30:26 GMT

Often my players reach a stage where they need to figure out the problem,
or convince certain members to go with them on some run.  This is when i
love to sit back and watch the characters come to the fore.  I also
notice it happening when I am focussing on one or two players, the rest of
the group ( if they are together) have a chat about the food, or social
life or even philosophy.  

It just gives me a warm fuzzy feeling deep down inside to see it happening.

hook

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: ins769v@lindblat.cc.monash.edu.au (Veltyen)
Subject: Re: SR: Ruthenium(?) Swords
Organization: Monash University
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 03:46:14 GMT

steven mancini (mancinis@mentor.cc.purdue.edu) wrote:

: 	Somehow, I imaginne it might be easier to just find yourseld
: 	an intiate magician and beg/plead/pay him to drop an invisibility
: 	spell on the blade, then quicken it....

: 							-Minotaur
: +-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-+
: | Steve Mancini (a.k.a. The Minotaur) | mancinis@mentor.cc.purdue.edu   |
: |    Grad Student {Dazed & Confused}  | mancinis@vm.cc.purdue.edu       |

Yeah, but then you'd end up with a sword that's very obvious on the astral,
and can be dispelled.

Done wanna maka myself a targit, y'catch.

Veltyen
From: carl@gergo.tamu.edu (Carl D. Perkins)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: SR: Non-animal totems
Date: 10 Sep 1992 07:05:00 GMT
Organization: Geochemical and Environmental Research Group - TAMU
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <1992Sep9.110950.11946@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au>, ins769v@lindblat.cc.monash.edu.au (Veltyen) writes...
>John M. Scheibeler (uplink@cwis.unomaha.edu) wrote:
>: mxr@neptune.dsc.com (Max "Vicious Audacious Melon" Rible) writes:
> 
>: >(I wouldn't permit turning a modern rigged vehicle with lots of fancy
>: >high-tech materials into an Ally, but having an antique-style hand-built
>: >car has *style*!)  
>: 
>:    Why not?  I think having your hand-built Eurocar Westwind 2000 (with 
>: Turbo option) would be a neat idea.  But why a Rolls-Royce?  The 
>: traditional symbol of freedom of the open road, the Pink Cadillac or the
>: T-bird, would be even more stylish.
> 
>Sorry to interject...
> _American_ symbols of freedom.

Besides, they are less stylish than the old Rolls-Royce mentioned (although
I prefer the 1939 Deusenberg myself).

>In Australia if you want a car with style you get a Commodore HSV.
>But thats just my opinion.
>Anyway, ever seen a Cadi or T-Bird built by hand?
>Get a Ferari, some of those are still handbuilt.
> 
>: -------------uplink
> 
>On a related <<<munchkin possibly>>> topic what would people think
>of a handbuilt computer focus.
><Its not so stupid, it's virtually what is in my course at the moment>

They are hand *assembled* but the parts are severely non-handmade. The
number of components in the chips is far greater than the number of
components that are then hand assembled. To count as hand made for the focus
purposes the parts can have very little of that sort of thing (haveing an
operator use a lathe to make a part is unlike having a machine produce a
CPU).

--- Carl

>The ultimate in file protection if you have an ally on board 8-)
> 
>-Veltyen
From: jdale@cats.ucsc.edu (Jonathan Dale)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: GURPS: Multi-Genre Otherworld
Date: 15 Sep 92 16:59:50 GMT
Organization: University of California; Santa Cruz
NNTP-Posting-Host: si.ucsc.edu


You do have to be careful balancing character power and NPC strength in a
crossover game like this, but I certainly agree it can be done.  I did it too.
I called mine Crossworld.  My party consisted of an Ancient Greek priestess
with psi (but thought it was magic), a sorceress from Yrth, a necromancer
using improvised magic from a different fantasy world, a modern day superspy
with an invisibility device, a far-future Chambarra type martial artist,
and the character Paul the Samurai from the Tick comic book.  It worked
well; my biggest problem was that the players were all oblivious fools!
(ie, they didn't realize that a demon had infilitrated the party for 3 game
sessions, when it attacked them; one player was seduced but didn't bother to
figure out who she was, or why it happened; etc).  I hope to start this one
up again when I get back to school, with new players....  I've developed 
six worlds for them to romp through and a background the first set of players
never even scratched the surface of.
Organization: Penn State University
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 11:24:24 EDT
From: <MRM122@psuvm.psu.edu>
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: GURPS Combat - Step & Wait vs. All Out Attack
 <92254.155347MRM122@psuvm.psu.edu> <1992Sep11.065602.20155@eua.ericsson.se>

The penalty for doing an All-Out-Attack would have ended at the end of the
turn.  A new turn is a new turn for everyone.  A character still gets active
defense even if they did an All-Out-Attack the previous turn.  The only time
that they don't is the turn that they actually do the All-Out-Attack.  He was
already penalized for it- he doesn't get penalized twice.

                                                       Marsh
From: palmerbh@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (The Dark One)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: SR: Non-animal totems
Date: 13 Sep 92 06:45:34 GMT
Organization: Campus Crusade for Cthulhu

In article <1992Sep8.102413.9774@ncsu.edu> bkdavis@eos.ncsu.edu (B K DAVIS) writes:
>
>In article <1992Sep7.114601.17155@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au>, ins894r@aurora.cc.monash.edu.au (Aaron Wigley [Wigs]) writes:
>>I don't suppose anyone has designed non animal totems, 
>>such as what is hinted at in the London Sourcebook om page 143 under
>>Druids:Totems?
>>Other posibilities (warning - brainstorm coming! :-)
>>	Moon, Summer, Winter, Spring, Autumn (Fall for all you Americans :),
>>	etc..
>Hmmm I do not know about the seasons. Think of this can only cast magic in winter.
>Hmmm NOT GOOD.

Um, whatever gave you the idea that a Winter Shaman could only cast in Winter?
We already have the equivilant to a Night Shaman (Owl), who gets penalties* to
casting (or anything else) during the day, but gets a lot of bonuses at night.
True, only having bonuses for 1/4 of the year would mean the bonuses would have
to be damn impressive, and I wouldn't make the penalies too obnoxious.
Maybe -1 die to all magic (Sorcery, Summoning, and Enchanting) during the rest
of the year, and a +1 penalty to all non-magical activities during the entire
year (except Solstices and Equinoxes, they are Druids ya know), and a +2 dice
to all Magic, and a -1 bonus to target numbers for Magic in the appropriate
Season, and of course an additional -1 bonus to magic T#s during a Solstice or
Equinox.

Shitty normally, but I want to be on his good side come Winter Solstice!
The above was just a spur of the moment guess, you'll probably want to make at
least role-play differences for the seasons (Winter Shamen would be cold and
fridgid, Summer Warm and Loving, etc...)

-The Dark One

-Freeze, who has Old Man Winter for his totem...
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc,rec.games.frp.advocacy,rec.games.frp.dnd
From: ketil@struts.ii.uib.no (Ketil M. Malde)
Subject: Re: Alignments
Reply-To: ketil@ii.uib.no
Organization: student of computer science at the University of Bergen, Norway
Date: 8 Sep 92 23:12:24

In article <RANNOU.92Sep4132449@zuse.info.polymtl.ca> Rannou@info.polymtl.ca (Patrick Rannou) writes:

   From: Rannou@info.polymtl.ca (Patrick Rannou)
   Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1992 18:24:49 GMT

   In article <1SEP199219354030@rosie.uh.edu> lib1p@rosie.uh.edu
(Tammy Stark Blandino) writes: 
 
      I have a new topic if anyone would like to discuss it.  Alignments.
	       ^^^                                            ^^^^^^^^^^

   Gee, if you call THAT topic new, then WHAT is old? The Big Bang???

Actually, if you believe that God is good (or Evil for that matter)
then I suppose alignments came first... :-)



--
 = Ketil Malde                     In real life:  ketil@ii.uib.no =
 = Nuke the whales!                    Honk if you love unicorns! =
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc,rec.games.frp.advocacy,rec.games.frp.dnd
From: lib1p@rosie.uh.edu (Tammy Stark Blandino)
Subject: Re: Alignments
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: University of Houston
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 12:37:00 GMT

In article <RANNOU.92Sep4132449@zuse.info.polymtl.ca>, Rannou@info.polymtl.ca (Patrick Rannou) writes...
>In article <1SEP199219354030@rosie.uh.edu> lib1p@rosie.uh.edu (Tammy Stark Blandino) writes:
> 
>   I have a new topic if anyone would like to discuss it.  Alignments.
>            ^^^                                            ^^^^^^^^^^
> 
>Gee, if you call THAT topic new, then WHAT is old? The Big Bang???
> 
>--
>/---------------------------\
>| Patrick "Paradak" Rannou. |
>| Rannou@info.polymtl.ca    |
>\---------------------------/
> 
I'm new to the net and in the time I've been here no one has talked
about it, so for me.net.talk.alignments is new.  Everyone can kill
the alignment stuff o.k.  I've gotten the picture.  The WHOLE
picture.  

P.S.  Anyone who went to TEXICON in Houston this past weekend
I am interested in some e-mail conversation on it.

Tammy
lib1p@jetson.uh.edu
From: v054nn84@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Foto...Taking pictures again, and Happy for it!)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: RE:  Placing clues behind the characters
Date: 9 Sep 92 21:22:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

That's VERY good!  I like it...I wonder what would happen if I put a few on the
ceiling with velcro.  I wonder how long the missing iron in that bludgeoning
murder would stay up there...

Skeksis
From: mancinis@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (steven mancini)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: rec.games.frp.srun
Date: 8 Sep 92 20:14:39 GMT
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center

In article <8SEP199207464691@rosie.uh.edu> lib1p@rosie.uh.edu (Tammy Stark Blandino) writes:
>Might I suggest that the Shadowrun people start their own
>newsgroup.  It looks like there are enough postings on this
>subject to warrant one.
>
>Just a friendly suggestion.
>
>Tammy

And a Fantastic one at that Tammy! But I doubt this split-happy crowd
could stand another group....

							-Minotaur


+-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-+
| Steve Mancini (a.k.a. The Minotaur) | phi@sage.cc.purdue.edu          |
|    Grad Student {Dazed & Confused}  | mancini@vm.cc.purdue.edu        |
|    Political Science Department     | mancinis@mentor.cc.purdue.edu   | 
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| "Of all that is written, I love only what a person hath written with  |
|  his blood. Write with blood and thou wilt find that blood is spirit" |
|				    -Nietzche, Thus Spoke Zarathrustra  |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ 
-- 

+-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-+
| Steve Mancini (a.k.a. The Minotaur) | phi@sage.cc.purdue.edu          |
|    Grad Student {Dazed & Confused}  | mancini@vm.cc.purdue.edu        |
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: dzik@access.digex.com (Joseph Dzikiewicz)
Subject: Re: GURPS character questions
Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1992 14:28:22 GMT

In article <1992Sep1.161230.58558@cc.usu.edu> sl9b4@cc.usu.edu (Deep Six) writes:
>>
>>First, in your campaign, how many points and how much starting money 
>>do your players get to build characters? How many characters do the
>>players have? Please mention the type of campaign/setting when you 

I do two things a bit different from what is described in the books.  First,

when learning a new skill, I make character earn the first half point using the
study rules.  This keeps characters from waking up one day, spending experience,
and suddenly knowing a language that ehy did not know the night before.


Second, I recently had to introduce new characters into a campaign containing
characters built on 100 points each of whom had upwards of 80 points of experience.

I allowed the new characters to take as many disads as they wanted, but take only

135 points at most of stats and advantages and be limited by the age rules for points in skills.
This allowed the new characters to compete.

Joe Dzikiewicz

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc,alt.vampyres
From: yousten@atlantis.CS.ORST.EDU (Ken Yousten)
Subject: Vampires game in C-U area
Organization: Computer Science Outreach Services - Oregon State University
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 92 06:13:13 GMT

I'm looking for a Vampires (White Wolf) game to join-- I'm in the
Champaign-Urbana area of Illinois, nowhere near Oregon.  Played/run a
few RPG's before, but the closest to Vampire is Ars Magica GM'd by
Mark Rein-Hagen.  (how's that name-dropping?)  If you might know of
a game here, please let me know by e-mail.

Thanks.
--
Ken Yousten  (Currently living in Champaign, IL)  yousten@atlantis.cs.orst.edu
	 "Her voice-- I know other words, but we'll stick with this
	 	   one-- was nice."   -- Dashiell Hammett
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc,rec.games.frp.advocacy
From: cwatters@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Coyt D Watters)
Subject: Btech and Shadowrun, the newsgroups
Followup-To: rec.games.frp.advocacy
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 12:49:10 GMT

Folks,

Back when we were discussing the splintering of R.G.F into the various R.G.F.*
newsgroups, Joshua Levy (who is a pretty nice guy) ventured that AFTER the 
major split happened, the rec.games.cyber would probably begin the arduous
process of undergoing a rename and unmoderation.

Btech normally goes over in rec.games.board (admittedly it is also unsuited
for that group).  There is discussion in news.groups hashing out the logistics
of creating a newsgroup dedicated to strategic games (of which Btech is part).

If you wish to take part in these discussions, check news.groups and join the 
fun and random flamage.

The only reason *DND got a group of it's own was that it was show that over
the course of the life of rec.games.frp, xDNDn was a consistent high volume 
topic.  This is not a single game group: DND, ADND1, and ADND2 are all 
different games.  Moving these systems to their own group reduced other 
volume as well, there are a lot fewer postings flaming the die hard DNDer
for playing a system so many "sophisticated" (and I use the term very loosely)
players turn their nose up at.  (Now the flamage is Dice vs. Nodice, known
as AMBER vs. the world)

As a *general* guideline, I'd suggest that only a gaming system which generates
as much traffic over a six month period as the r.g.f.dnd group be considered
for it's own group.

*********************

Since the split, overall volume is up, but NO INDIVIDUAL member of the
new hierarcy is handling the overwhelming volume of rec.games.frp.

SRUN was just released in a new edition, that drives the SRUN volume up.
Anytime a new system is released or a new edition comes out, the volume
for that given system will increase for a period of time 1-6 months normally.

At the end of that time you can often change your killfile.

FWIW (for what it's worth),      I do read all the rec.games.frp.* groups.
I have an advantage in TRN instead of RN, which lets me kill whole threads
with a single keypress.  My killfiles are empty, I never know where a gaming
gem might lie.

=
Stupid player quote: "At least you'll have the satisfaction of knowing you
were completely innocent".

-Coyt (who would HATE to have to change the FAQ a lot real soon.)  B^)



Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc,rec.games.frp.advocacy,rec.games.frp.dnd
From: stv@unislc.uucp (Steve Spencer)
Subject: Re: Alignments
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Organization: Unisys Corporation SLC
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 14:34:49 GMT

Chris Meadows (cmeadows@nyx.cs.du.edu) wrote:
: 
: 
: How to deal with alignment tongues with no alignments, though?  If an
: intelligent monster understands alignment, and that's the only language
: you have in common, it can be an invaluable aid to communication.
: 
: When I play D&D (regular, not advanced), I tend to emphasize the selfish
: side of neutrality, rather than the philosophical (I mean, let's face it,
: if characters spent all their time philosophizing and considering exactly
: what they should do so good and evil would be totally balanced, they would
: have no time to go adventuring with!), and Good can be anything from
: angelic
: to slightly "Dirty Harry"-ish.
: 
: ---Chris Meadows
: 
This is a part of D&D that I have NEVER agreed with. I mean how do you 
speak "Chaotic-Neutral" to some monster? Give me a break. If it is with
hand signals, etc. then why do you need to be the same alignment 
anyway. Come on now. Gimee a break.



Steve Spencer		This is a subliminal message. Pay no attention.
Salt Lake City, Utah   
stv			(Short .sig to keep all the PRUDES off my back!)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: cwatters@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Coyt D Watters)
Subject: Re: Bandwith and groups
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 17:05:54 GMT

In article <12SEP199215555531@rosie.uh.edu> lib1p@rosie.uh.edu (Tammy Stark Blandino) writes:
>
>If everyone is so worried about bandwith, then why do we
>have groups like:
>
>alt.wesley.crusher.die.die.die
>
>alt.french.captain.borg.borg.borg
>
>just a thought.
>


Thanks for asking Tammy!

In a nutshell....

   (number of newgroups) != bandwidth

The number of groups in existence on netnews does not directly affect the 
bandwidth of the net at large.

For example - how many postings do you find in 
alt.french.captain.borg.borg.borg?

A small, infrequently used group requires far fewer resources than a monster
like news.groups.

"Using up (wasting) bandwidth" is a euphamistic term used to refer to postings
which will cause flamewars (keep watching kiddies, one's about to erupt!) or
a serious overflowing of messages not germane to the newsgroup.  For example,
the "Woman vs. Womyn" flamewar which is currently taking up a fair amount of
traffic on at least 2 of the rec.games.frp.* newsgroups.

Are you familiar with the term "store and forward?"  Netnews works along these
lines, with some sites having high-speed data links, while others are 
connected using slower links (like 14.4 modems).  Imagine dumping about a 
gigabyte (1000 meg) through a slow link.  That's pretty much the average days
traffic on the net. 

Another (unrelated) point:

Posts cost money.  The message must be stored, sent over data lines (which
the phone companies charge a nice fee), and forwarded to the next site.
Even though you may not see the assoicated costs of sending a post, all the
sites to which the post propogates pay.  Reducing bandwidth (by staying on
topic and within the guidelines of the group) helps lower the cost by reducing
the overall wasteful traffic.

-Coyt
From: ratinox@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu (Richard Pieri/Stainless Steel Rat)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: SRUN II Screwups
Date: 11 Sep 92 00:13:21 GMT
	<uplink.716009589@cwis>
Reply-To: ratinox@meceng.coe.northeastern.edu
Organization: 3WA, Boston Office. Or Nu Meta Chi. Take your pick.
In-reply-to: uplink@cwis.unomaha.edu's message of 9 Sep 92 03:33:09 GMT
X-Get-A-Clue: Have two, they're small.
X-Signature-Virus-Protection: Version 1.51
X-Posting-Software: GNUS 3.14.1 [ NNTP-based News Reader for GNU Emacs ]

>>>>> "JMS" == John M. Scheibeler <uplink@cwis.unomaha.edu> writes:

JMS> The name is _uplink_, dude.

Then take your other name out of your headers :-)

>Oh, jheeze. You want the rulebook to hold your hand while you select your
>dice, too? :-) Look in an electronics catalog (or even a ham catalog if
>you're ambitious), find something you like, point it out to the GM and say
>"I want this." Shell out some money and you've got a radio.

JMS> Some GM's don't run this way; they figure, "if it's not in the
JMS> book then you can't buy it."  I was hoping they (FASA) would come
JMS> up with a more complete equipment list for SRUN II, but they
JMS> didn't.

Then it sounds like its time for you to find another GM. If they can't
improvise just a bit on that, they shouldn't be GMing, IMO.

JMS> Stainless Steel Rat?  You have to >earn< that title, boy.

I did. A long time ago. Boy.

--Rat

||||| | | | |  |  |  |   |   |    |    |    |   |   |  |  |  |  | | | | | |||||
                                                   __        ___ 
Richard Pieri, Northeastern's Stainless Steel Rat/   | /| / /   | The Worlds
Internet: ratinox@meceng.coe.northeastern.edu   /__  |/ |/ / /| | Welfare Works
    UUCP: ...!northeastern.edu!meceng!ratinox  /   | /| / / / | | Association:
  BITNET: UA_RLP@NUHUB{.BITNET}               /__  |/ |/ / /  | | I will solve
  USNail: 14 Westdale RD  Holbrook, MA 02343 /   | /| / / /___| | any problem
 ICBMnet: 42 deg 1 min N, 71 deg 0 min W    /    |/ |/ /_//_____| for you.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: mkkuhner@phylo.genetics.washington.edu (Mary K. Kuhner)
Subject:  SR:  Magic/tech interaction
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 06:08:55 GMT

In article <uplink.716091255@cwis> uplink@cwis.unomaha.edu (John M. Scheibeler) writes:

>   Nope.  Sorry.   The creators of Shadowrun have stated that it is
>Canon; the matrix is the matrix, magic is magic, and never the two
>shall meet.

This is true; on the other hand, our campaign cheerfully ignored it,
substituting the idea that mixing magic and high tech works, but has
progressive warping effects on the human being involved as the two
incompatible powers struggle for domination.

This turned out to have lots of potential for horror.  Only one PC ever
crossed the line herself and combined the two, and she (arguably) went
quite mad as a result.  The rest stayed strictly away from what they
called the Black Path after seeing a few examples of it.

The rules we used computed Essence costs both for being magical (mages,
adepts, metahumans) and for having Cyberware, applied somewhat different
penalties to each, and kept track of the sum of the two to assess Black
Path effects.  I can provide a rough outline if anyone's interested,
though they were pretty loose rules.

Sometimes you can get good stuff by ignoring the Canon.  It's worth a
thought.

It's the only campaign I've ever been in where the PCs routinely
destroyed any software, magic items, or cyberware captured from their
enemy (a corporation whose research into the Black Path had gone far
beyond the bounds of sanity).  Use it?  No way!

Mary Kuhner mkkuhner@genetics.washington.edu