HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: mfp+@CS.CMU.EDU (Michael Polis)
Subject: Re: Rolemaster Rules Clarifications
Organization: Carnegie Mellon University
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 21:29:13 GMT

In article <MJUNG.92Oct9114624@laplace.math.TU-Berlin.DE>, mjung@math.TU-Berlin.DE (Michael Jung) writes:
|> In article <1992Oct8.165750.19869@vssi.trw.com> b_kondalski@vssi.trw.com (Brian J. Kondalski) writes:
|>    2) Various spells (mostly Essence) have a range but have a spell class of 
|>       Utility.  Utility spells are said to not effect anyone but the caster,
|>       but then why would the spell have a range?  Examples of this are on
|>       the Physical Enhancement list (Open Ess).  Seems to me if a spell-user
|>       can cast Utility spells on others, it could make some low level spells
|>       very deadly (cast Leaving on someone, and make their destination 100
|>       feet up!).  Other spells make great sense to be able to cast on others
|>       (ie Night vision).
|> 
|> I don't have the rules at hand, but Utilities may not affect others? Leaving is
|> deadly, but allow a RR against it. Or allow only Movement over ground not just above
|> ground.

3rd level is too low for a death spell.  The right thing to do with leaving is to say that
it gives you the power to teleport, and that the person it is cast on gets to decide where
he goes.  Alternately, the person it is cast on gets to decide whether or not to go where
the caster wants him to go.  This option must be used if the caster's targeting skill is
to apply.  A variation on the second alternative is whether or not the target gets to know
where he may be going.  If he doesn't, then enemy mages may confuse your fighters into
taking the wrong leaving spell.

On a slightly related note, does anyone else find the Fall/Crush table too dangerous, at
least for small falls?  Consider what the average 1' fall does.  How about kids falling off
of playground equipment?  The table would knock nearly every one unconscious, and crit
quite a few into coma or death.
From: dv52151@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (SilverFang Ahroun)
Subject: Re: TW:2000-2nd edition?
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 19:26:11 GMT

bzb47596@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Phaedrus) writes:

>I am an old Twilight 2000 player and I just bought the 2nd edition, I am currently trying
>to work myself up to speed on the new rules and such.  I have the Small Arms Guide,
>Soviet and American Vehicle guides from the first 2000 editon.  Is the information
>in the new books sufficiently different that I need to buy them?  I'm not all that
>excited about spending all that extra money.

Unfortunately, it does look that way. Things have changed enough that you'll 
want to have the new books. I'd check through the new rulebook and make
sure that you actually need to buy the supplements. Most people can get
by fairly well with the ones they provide in there.

Axly


Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: tomscud@ruf.rice.edu (Thomas Reid Scudder)
Subject: Re: Newbie System?
Organization: Rice University
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 20:53:09 GMT

In article <1992Oct9.140140.15001@schbbs.mot.com>, TUK865@maccvm.corp.mot.com (Stephen Gill) writes:
|> I have run STORMBRINGER since it was first released and must agree that
|> it is a wonderfully complete game.
|> 

<stuff deleted>

|> 
|> On the negative side magic is complex (tho' powerful) and there is often
|> the situation where one member of the party is powerful and the rest are
|> relatively weak.

Yeah, that second one is an especially big problem, at least in the edition
of Stormbringer I have (a fairly old one, they may have changed the character
creation rules).  The only thing which can compete with a Melnibonean (sp?)
Warrior/Noble/Sorceror is another Melnibonean (sp? again)
Warrior/Noble/Sorceror.  If I were to run a Stormbringer campaign, I'd probably
require that the players come from a fairly limited set of nationalities, to
keep them from getting the extremely good and extremely bad ones...

(note to those who like to scream about game balance not being important:
It may not be the be-all and end-all of gaming, but there are certain points
where game balance is SO far out of whack that its a problem:  those cases
where one player is so much more powerful than the others that anything which
challenges him would nuke the rest of the party.  This is quite possible given
Stormbringer's system for starting characters.)
|> Steve

-- 
Tom Scudder                    tomscud@ruf.rice.edu
"It's 106 miles to Chicago, we have a full tank of gas, a half pack of
cigarettes, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses."
"Hit it."
-The Blues Brothers

Xref: sparky rec.games.frp.misc:6654 rec.games.frp.advocacy:2736
From: good@turing (Joe Good)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: CHAMPS: Movement Question
Summary: Do I get x2?
Date: 12 Oct 92 21:06:11 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Math Department, UC Davis


	Our gaming group has recently hit upon a question that doesn't
seem to be clearly answered in the Champions book.  When a character
starts out, they automatically get x2 noncombat multiples on their
running and their swimming; if you buy teleportation, you can
teleport twice the distance without spending any extra points.
	My question:  What about other forms of movement?  If I
buy 5" of Flight, do I automatically get a x2 multiple?  I would
guess that the answer was no, but I thought I'd leave it to the
wisened readers of this group to decide or clarify.

===============================================================================
Joe "BD" Good, President, BRS movie reviews; and generally nice guy
... "We owe it to the brain of our species to stand here and die!" ...
... "OH, little grasshopper; Zen is the art of saying little and meaning all"..
===============================================================================
Xref: sparky rec.games.frp.misc:6986 rec.games.board:9899
From: v116r8ac@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Chris Nasipak)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc,rec.games.board
Subject: Personal to Earl Walters
Date: 15 Oct 92 16:20:00 GMT
Organization: United Nations Intelligence Taskforce
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41


This is a personal message to 
Earl Walters, aka
ICECW@ASUACAD.PROFS




Hello..   I've been TRYING to e-mail, but your address is invalid according
to my machine.  PLEASE send a valid address!


>*** Reply to note of 10/05/92 12:33
>From: Earl Walters
>Subject: Re: more stuff for sale
>Highest current offer is $8 plus postage (around $3)--please let me know if
>you wish to continue bidding or let it go to the other bidder!  Thanks!

>-- Earl Walters (3-7715)

Yes, I'll continue bidding.  Raise to $8.50 + postage.

Chris.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Do you really feel like   |         Not Croaker           |
arguing with a can of     |                               |  "Why Me?"
deoderant that registers  | v116r8ac@ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu |
nine on the Richter Scale?|   nasipak@acsu.buffalo.edu    | --- Belgarath
        --- Ace           |                               |       the Sorceror
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer - If SUNY wants my opinions, they'll pay through the nose for 'em!
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: cleggp@aix.rpi.edu (Paul Jason Clegg)
Subject: Hot Lead by SJG info?
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 16:33:32 GMT

Does anyone have any info on SJG's "Hot Lead" game?  I saw an ad for it in
Dragon Magazine, and, being a big miniatures buff, I was wondering what it
was about...  If it's a generic miniatures battle system, I'm going to hunt
it down and buy it!  (I've been trying to design one myself...)

...Paul


Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: wljohnso@nyx.cs.du.edu (William "Wes" Johnson)
Subject: Re: Justitfiers RPG?
X-Disclaimer: Nyx is a public access Unix system run by the University
	of Denver for the Denver community.  The University has neither
	control over nor responsibility for the opinions of users.
Keywords: wolf, brontosaraus, Hershey bar
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix at U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 92 23:08:01 GMT

In article <1992Oct14.111837.59701@cc.usu.edu> sl9b4@cc.usu.edu (Deep Six
 writes:
>Question for you -- I saw a poster ad for an RPG called ``Justifiers,''
>and I am wondering what it is. The poster depicts a being who looks
>like a garden variety soldier/mercenary/hunter, except he has a wolf's 
>head instead of a human one. The soldier/merc is kneeling on the ground,
>and in front of him is a creature which looks like a baby brontosaraus.
>The soldier looks like he is trying to catch the baby brontosaraus by
>offering it a Hershey (tm) bar. The baby bronosaraus looks like it is 
>about to take the bait. Above the soldier and the baby dinosaur, on a 
>small cliff, an adult brontosaraus (just like a regular brontosaraus, 
>except it has big nasty teeth) is descending on the unsuspecting soldier

>
>It's a great drawing, looks like pen and ink with 3 or 4 colors screened
>in. There is no copy on the poster, except the name of the game at the 
>bottom: JUSTIFIERS RPG. 
>
>Anyone know what this game is like? What it's about? Who makes it? If it
s
>any good? Thanks.
>
>Okay,
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>Chadd VanZanten SL9B4@CC.USU.EDU + ``There  is water  at the  bottom 
>of the ocean.'' --David Byrne, Once in a Lifetime


Well I have Justifiers RPG and can say it's a lot like TMNT, well in
premise.  Essessially the basis of the game in you are a genetically
enigineered animal who does the grunt work for a corporation (of which
there are many) usually staking out new planets and going onto planets
that the company is having trouble with.

Its an okay system, though some of the rules are a little unclear (like
armour), and I have the base game plus a few books.

The Corporation Book is pretty decent and almost a must for the game as it
gives stats for all sorts of planets, some new equipment (like mecha..sort
of) some new critters (?) and new classes.

The source/adventure supplements are pretty decent from what I have seen (
I have Cold As Ice) and might be worth picking up if you really want to
play/run the game.

Its a pretty okay game in a very flooded market of RPG's, read through it
(or ask your game store to order a copy so you can look at it), you just
might like it.

-------------------------------------------------
William "Wes" "Arrrr" "Man Thats a Loud Shirt"
"Gener Fox" "Mr. Kamikazi" "Mr DNA" "Boojie Boy" 
"Golden Earring" "Sentri Bastion" Johnson
-------------------------------------------------
YES! I still like Battlelords Of The 23rd Century

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc,rec.games.frp.advocacy
From: jmkaraka@eos.ncsu.edu (JOHN MARTIN KARAKASH)
Subject: Re: Newbie System?
Originator: jmkaraka@c00096-100lez.eos.ncsu.edu
Reply-To: jmkaraka@eos.ncsu.edu (JOHN MARTIN KARAKASH)
Organization: North Carolina State University, Project Eos
Date: Sat, 10 Oct 1992 21:21:30 GMT


|>BTW, how would Runequest work?  Character generation is pretty simple,
|>the basic system is fairly simple, there's a world sitting there, and
|>plenty of canned adventures.
|>
|>DHT
|>
	The old edition Runequest is phenomenally good for beginners.  The
new edition is WAY too big (and is unneccesarily complicated.  the original
has an elegant simplicity to it.)

	-john-
From: dfn@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (David Nalle)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: A Free (condensed) RPG
Date: 11 Oct 92 06:13:20 GMT
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX

For those who've wondered about Ysgarth and To Challenge Tomorrow, and for
those who haven't wondered, but should have, I'm about to post the complete
Minirules to Y/TCT from the latest edition.

The Minirules are intended as a promotional item, and they'll be available
for free in game stores everywhere in a month or so.   The idea is to give
you all the basic mechanics and even let you set up characters and try out
some of the features without having to pay a cent.

We think the mechanics are so strong and so flexible that they will sell 
themselves and you'll want to go out and buy the complete rules to fill in
the details.

Any feedback on the minirules would be appreciated.

Dave

Xref: sparky rec.games.frp.misc:6706 rec.games.frp.advocacy:2755
From: mcgrew@ichthous.Eng.Sun.COM (Darin McGrew)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc,rec.games.frp.advocacy
Subject: Re: Newbie System?
Date: 9 Oct 1992 19:07:25 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mt. View, Ca.
NNTP-Posting-Host: ichthous

jhk6@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (John H Kim) writes:
>	Actually, the first thing that comes to mind is a mystery party 
>game... I've done this a couple of times with people who have never played 
>RPG's - and I think reflects role-playing alot better than dice- and 
>power-oriented munchkin-like games. 

Actually, this is how I generally describe roleplaying games to
people who are unfamiliar with them (or are only familiar with
D&D, with which I'd rather not be associated).  It also helps
separate the concept of roleplaying from the swords & sorcery
genre.

>	After that, for a real RPG campaign: 
>
>1)	For starters, a simple, easy to follow, and relatively quick 
>character creation process. Complex point systems like GURPS and Hero 
>are right out. Systems with templates (Star Wars, Shadowrun, etc.) are 
>OK, as are straight rolling systems...
>
>2)	It should have an introductory adventure and some very clear 
>and straightforward guidelines on how to set up a campaign....
>
>3)	Rules should be simple and straightforward....
>
>4) 	Complete, detailed adventures available...

While I don't think GURPS is ideal, I think you're being a bit to
hard on it, John.  The following is a reasonable introduction for
novices--

The novice GM-to-be would pick one of the sample characters at
the back of GURPS Basic and play the first sample adventure
(which is a numbered-paragraph solo adventure).  Running it
multiple times with various characters would be ideal.

The novice GM-to-be would allow a novice player-to-be to pick one
of the sample characters, and would then GM for the player for
the same solo adventure.  This is optional, and can be repeated
for multiple players and various characters.

The novice GM-to-be would run the second sample adventure in
GURPS Basic (a multi-player adventure).  The main problem here is
that the adventure is designed for 3-6 players, and there are
only four sample characters, and only two sample characters that
are mercenary guard types (the other two are thieves).  I've let
novices pick one of the sample characters as a template, and then
rearrange things slightly (eg, different disads, or swap a number
of thieving skills for animal skills); this seems to work, but
I'm not sure a novice GM would think of this.

I think that roleplaying is like a lot of other games; picking it
up based on just the rules is difficult, and even then you won't
know what the game is like when played well.  As long as there
are experienced players around, I've found that novices do pretty
well with GURPS.

Darin.McGrew@Eng.Sun.COM            He is risen!
    Soli Deo Gloria!                              He is risen indeed!
From: barnejd@wkuvx1.bitnet
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: CHAMPIONS Stuff - Various and Sundry
Date: 13 Oct 92 08:49:39 CDT
Organization: Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY

If anybody out there has any info on the Champions mailing list, could
you please e-mail it to me.
  Also, have y'all caught the latest issue of ADVENTURERS' CLUB?  It
looks promising - has a review of "the upcoming Champions computer
game" (_I_ can't wait!), a good Protectors-related article, and more
than a bit of throwaway filler.  Check it out.
                                         -Drizzt
 
************************************************************************
Jeff Barnes                   "..The meek shall inherit the earth,
Western Kentucky University    And the bank shall repossess it." 
BarneJD@WKUVX1.BITNET                    -Sawyer Brown
The few, the proud, the LNH!              "The Cafe Down On The Corner"
My opinions are not necessarily those of WKU, but they should be!  :+)
************************************************************************
From: lang@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM (John J. Lang)
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 18:01:11 GMT
Subject: Re: SRUN: Da Minotaur has *more* Questions!!!
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc

> Can a PA demonstrate that he's more than just an ordinary martial
> artist, say, by using Killing Hands to clap his hands together
> and produce an unnaturally large sound?  It's nice to be able to
> perform presence attacks--- saves actually going up and breaking
> necks.

Just add whistling noises when the PA moves, and slapping sounds
on all blocks and hits, just like most low cost Bruce Lee movies.

John Lang
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: elandal@archtwr.tower.nullnet.fi (Ismo Peltonen)
Subject: Re: RFD: GURPS disad limits
Organization: Chambers of the Archmage
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 10:45:21 GMT
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]

Clayton Miner (cm182s182@pdrome.UUCP) wrote:
: The term disads is a stupid term!  I was comment on the term itself not the 
: game!  You in turn seem awfully defensive about a game that was not even under 
: question.

  Do You have objections to term 'disadvantage' also, or just 'disadd'?
Since 'advantage' and 'disadvantage' are quite long words and those
terms are used a lot, people tend to shorten them. In Finland we talk
about 'disadv', since it's quite easy to pronounce for us, as it is
trailed by 'i' (I don't know much about Finnish as a language, and why
it's so, but so it is). So we say 'disadvi' where disadv is pronounced as
in English, and the 'i' is pronounced short like i in 'dis' or 'mis'.
Other forms of the word can then be mungled as for any native Finnish
word.
  Disadd is not so good a term since it may be confused to addition,
while disadvantages are actually negative modifiers.
-- 
Elandal		(aka Ismo Peltonen)			Hanuripolku 5B15
home (DAILY):	elandal@archtwr.tower.NullNet.FI	00420 Helsinki
Univ (fast):	ipeltone@cc.Helsinki.FI			FINLAND
data		+358-0-5072005			voice	+358-0-537515
From: s903609@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au (ACE)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Vampire
Date: 9 Oct 92 03:34:40 GMT
Organization: RMIT Computer Centre
NNTP-Posting-Host: minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au

jmkaraka@eos.ncsu.edu (JOHN MARTIN KARAKASH) writes:


>	[tons and tons of stuff deleted]

>    I play, and have played Vampire since its release, and I really enjoy it,
>but it does have flaws.

>    a) some of the worst technical editing I've seen this decade
>        see pg. XX, poor organization, bad proofing, etc.

	This problem occurs in many printed games, and considering that
Vampire has an INDEX, I'd count you're blessings.

>    b) too many 'gray' areas in the rules
>        does celerity work for spell actions?, what happens to 'extra'
>        damage when a vamp is wounded all the way down, etc, etc

	But I LIKE grey !!

>    c) a 'widget' system of powers
>        almost every new discipline, power, psionic, faith powers and spells 
>        (see Hunters and Hunted, Werewolf, Player's Guide...) has a new rule
>        mechanic.  The 'system' seems to fracturing as bad as the 'basic
>        role-playing system' that Chaosium claimed to be sticking to years ago.

	SO ?? Variety is the spice of (un)LIFE !!

>    d) a loosely thought out magic system
>        (see points c & b)  this one is really sad, since these are the
>        people who put out Ars Magica!

	IMHO Vampire doesn't need a magic system, and I am planning on ignoring
it to the best of my unwordly powers. Therefore, WHO CARES ? Not this savage,
rampaging dreadnaught of a vamped out black duck.

>    e) (minor point) a difficulty scale that tops out at 10, very poor
>        design that

	IT WORKS !!

>    Now where Vampire excells is creating a mood within which to play (BTW
>that's one of my major complaints about Werewolf.  PC to a fault and proud
>of it!).  I have several games that I love for the setting, but I don't use
>the rules (anything by Tri-Tac, Shadowrun I or II, Star Trek, and others), but
>Vampire rules work GOOD ENOUGH so I make the necessary fixes and keep going.
>    The system runs, with a couple of jerks and grinding gears, but it runs.
>I've had enormous fun playing it.  My character is probably one of the most
>detailed I've ever developed and she has grown in ways I couldn't have planned.
>THAT'S what Vampire is good for.  Now it was extremely unprofessional of the
>publishers/designers to let the flaws mentioned be published, but I suppose
>they will eventually get better.

 	Good to see you like it. No further comment.

> 	-john 'Caitiffs unite!  Throw off your oppressors!' karakash-

			       ACE
                   s903609@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au
	        " How deep is the ocean ? " - Eric
" No Silicon Heaven ? But where would all the calculators go ? " - Kryten
      " Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast." - Hero Rimmer
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: tsang@cs.washington.edu (Donald Tsang)
Subject: Re: Champions Question
Organization: Computer Science & Engineering, U. of Washington, Seattle
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 92 22:34:54 GMT

In article <> kdmiller@athena.mit.edu (Kenneth D Miller) writes:
>The effect is that of a wall of fire trailing behind him, like the light-cycles
>in the movie TRON.  Flamerunner can switch the wall on and off at will.

Umm, I don't know about the turning on and off part, but this is probably
best:

  area effect: 1 hex, damage shield, continuous, uncontrolled, sticky, 0 End

That way, wherever you run, the sticky damage shield will burn the
ground... and then anyone who steps on it...

BTW - the other obvious name for this character is "Roadrunner".


-- 
Donald Tsang                    "Ho!  Haha!  Guard!  Turn!  Parry!  Dodge!
tsang@june.cs.washington.edu     Spin!  Ha!  Thrust!"
..!uw-beaver!june!tsang                       -- Robin Hood Daffy
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: tbarnes@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (thomas wrentmore barnes)
Subject: Re: Post-Apocolyptic GURPS
Organization: Indiana University
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 18:42:28 GMT

In article <1992Oct11.004738.59599@cc.usu.edu> sl9b4@cc.usu.edu (Deep Six) writes:
>One thing that I haven't really made rules for is radiation. My apocolypse
>was not a nuclear one, but I plan on making up or adapting some kind of 
>rules for radiation some time in the future.
>
Rules for radiation are found in Gurps Space. If they had space they
should be in High Tech, too. Essentially anything over 50 rads
requires you to roll vs. HT or suffer radiation sickness (nausea).
Anything more requires increasing penalties to the HT roll. 6000 rads
kills. Over time 90% of radiation absorbed goes away. The extra 10%
counts towards the 50 rad minimum (so a character who had absorbed 500
rads in the past would have 50 rads left in them. Any exposure to
radiation would make them sick.)

Here is a new disad. I've made up for just such a campaign.

ABSORBED RADIATION  -1 point/25 rads.
	At some point in the past, the character has been dosed with
radiation and still has some rads in his system. This means that he is
more susceptible to future radiation poisoning. For every 25 rads still
in the character's body he gets a 1 point disadv.

You could probably also create vulnerability to radiation and immunity
to radiation (for all those intelligent cockroaches) using the Supers
rules.

Have fun, 

Tom


A

>Other than that, I think setting up a world which isn't covered under
>a certain supplement is time consuming, but not all that hard. It's more
>a matter of concepts and ideas, not hard and fast rules (unless there's
>something REALLY unusual about the world, I guess).
>
>Okay,
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>Chadd VanZanten SL9B4@CC.USU.EDU + ``Charlie don't surf!'' --Big Duke in
>Francis Coppala's Apocolypse Now