HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: burke@vxdesy.desy.de
Subject: Re: SRUN: A few observations
Organization: (DESY, Hamburg, Germany)
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 11:51:37 GMT

In article <1992Aug27.132907.9734@uoft02.utoledo.edu>, steiner@jupiter.cse.utoledo.edu (jason "Think!" steiner) writes:
> sorry, but anyone with a programmable calculator & stats book can
> "work out the best option." *guilty grin* i know. i did it.

OK, a test. Suppose you're a mage with magic 6, willpower 5, sorcery 6, and
you're going to cast a mana bolt (learnt at force 4) at a target with unknown
willpower - what's the best force to cast at, and how many dice do you allocate
to resist drain? (Working must be shown :-). Let's forget about focuses,
elementals, fetish requirements, and the possibility that you might be better
off with a stun bolt or a mana dart or .....

e----><----p | Stephen Burke           | Internet: burke@vxdesy.desy.de
 H   H   1   | Gruppe FH1T (Liverpool) | DECnet:   vxdesy::burke (13313::burke)
 H   H  11   | DESY, Notkestrasse 85   | BITNET:   BURKE@DESYVAX or SB2@UKACRL
 HHHHH   1   | 2000 Hamburg 52         | JANET:    sb2@uk.ac.rl.ib
 H   H   1   | Germany                 | Phone:    + 49 40 8998 2282
 H   H 11111 | HERA, the world's largest electron microscope!
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: mehawk@agora.rain.com (Michael Sandy)
Subject: Champions Questions
Keywords: Non-combat movebys
Organization: Open Communications Forum
Date: Sat, 29 Aug 1992 03:22:58 GMT

I flipped through Champions of the North and noted that they had
two characters who often participated in combat at non-combat speed,
having worked out their dcv due to Flight Speed.


What precisely are the effects of combat at Non-combat speed?
On:
Movethrus
Movebys
Flying Tackles  (A Ninja Hero Martial Art attack form that adds +v/5"d6
to the Hand to hand attack.
Hand to Hand Focus damage

Specificly, how do you calculate OCV, DCV, damage, and damage to the
attacker for each of these maneuvers.

Can one buy levels with DCV, only usable for non-Combat Flight?

What is the normal turn mode at non-Combat velocity, and can you buy
levels to improve it?

What is a suitable ocv penalty for doing a move thru on a target you
couldn't see before a half-move?  (For example, Speedy ran behind a
building last phase, this phase he'll circle the Building to hit
his opponents from behind.)

Does being Mind Linked to someone who can see the battle area help
someone who suddenly arrives from behind cover?


-- 
Michael Sandy
mehawk@agora.rain.com
michaels@m2xenix.psg.com
"The above does not reflect the views of any organization."
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: mcclure@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Gaeron McClure)
Subject: Re: Rolemaster news from GenCon??? Is there any??
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1992 18:41:33 GMT

	Rolemaster:  the only thing I noticed was the Alchemical Companion,
which is quite large and, according to my friend the RM guru, takes the old
rules and EXPANDS them (shiver).
	Other ICE:  the long awaited Cyberhero (compatible with 4th ed. HERO)
has hit the shelves.  It seems to focus a lot on netrunning and includes what
looks rather like a ShadowRun archetypes section.  Unfortunately, after two
years of waiting for this thing to come out so I could convert SR, I decided
that I like SR after all, and found the HERO product fairly uninspiring.  I
didn't take a really long look at it, however.
	There may be other things that I missed -- if so I'll repost when I
have some more literature in front of me (assuming no one else rectifies my
ommissions by then).  :-)


-- 
GRiM	(Gaeron	R. McClure)	(mcclure@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu)
-- 
GRiM	(Gaeron	R. McClure)	(mcclure@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: macgyver@turtle.cis.ohio-state.edu (MacGyver)
Subject: ShadowTech Errata
Summary: shadowtech errata
Keywords: shadowtech sr errata
Organization: The Ohio State University Dept. of Computer and Info. Science
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 22:45:45 GMT

Here it is again. (plus a few new ones.)
----------------------------------------
On page 6, it says that the penalty from bioware to magical healing 
is equal to half the Body Index divided by two, rounded down. 
It should read "Body Index, divided by 2, round down".
 
Cyanide should have a Damage Code of 4D2, not 4D3.
 
Muscle augmentation can be used on previously replaced muscle tissue,
as long as that tissue doesn't already give you a bonus. So, yes for
generic surgical replacement, no for adding on top of muscle replacement.
 
Muscle Augmentation is +1 Quickness and +1 Strength per level.
 
the Encephalon (p.49) ONLY adds to Langauge, Knowledge and B/R Skills
 
1/2 of the Mnemonic Enhancement rating can NOT be added to Hacking Pool

				Mac




-- 
Wilson MacGyver                      |"I do like a road, because you can be 
Internet:macgyver@cis.ohio-state.edu | always wondering what is at the end
=====================================| of it."
Disclaimer:All opinions are mine only|=======================================
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: GAYNOR@agvax2.ag.ohio-state.edu (Jim Gaynor)
Subject: SRUN: Shadowrun II Errata
Organization: The Ohio State University - OCES
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 01:54:10 GMT
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.23

Here's the full text of the FASA errata sheet for SRII, as downloaded
from the RPGAMES forum on CompuServe.  Now, if only my local gaming
shop (The GuardTower) would get the dang thing in...

Oh, while we're at it, could someone please either re-post or email me
a copy of the ShadowTech errata?  Thanks!

* * *

SHADOWRUN II ERRATA
Hey, it's better than a third edition...
	-The Folks at FASA

Sometimes, no matter what you do, errors creep in. What follows is the 
official errata for Shadowrun, Second Edition. Most of these aren't as
much errors as clarifications or reconsiderations of some rules after
the book went to the printers. The relevant rules sections will be
corrected in future printings. Enjoy.

VEHICLES AND WEAPON DAMAGE

An important point was inadequatly made in the rules. On page 108 it
speaks about comparing the Power of an attacking weapon against the
Vehicle Armor Rating. It states that if the Power of the weapon does
not exceed the Vehicle Armor Rating the attack will do no damage.
This is true, except that when using Burst or Autofire (p.92) the
comparison should be made _before_ the Damage Code is increased to
account for the multiple rounds in the burst. So, a weapon with a base
Damage Code of say 5M will not penetrate vehicular armor with a
rating of 6 or higher, even if a burst is fired (adjusted Damage Code
8S). Note also that the Damage Code modifier for a Called Shot should
be applied before the comparison.

BARRIERS AND WEAPON DAMAGE

The references above to the Damage Code and Barrier Ratings hold for
attacks against normal Barriers as well (p.98).

FULL-AUTO SHOTGUNS

Shotguns capable of Full-Autofire mode (FA) should use the Heavy 
Weapon Recoil rules (p.89) and recieve a Recoil Modifier of +2 per
round, not the standard +1 per round.

SPELLS

Change the Drain Code of Mind Probe to [(F/2)+2]D.


SHADOWRUN II ERRATA V1.0 (8/92) 
Shadowrun is a trademark of FASA Corporation 
(c)1992 FASA Corporation All Rights Reserved
Permission is granted to copy this page for distribution.


---
   Jim Gaynor    | "Man-of-Many-Beeping-Sounds-and-Flashing-Lights" - KAJ
OSU/ACS/FMS/OCES | <gaynor@agvax2.ag.ohio-state.edu> or <gaynor.4@osu.edu>
ObDiscl:  Everything stated here and above is _my_ opinion.  Mine mine mine!
ObQuote: "Every devil I meet becomes a friend of mine." - Indigo Girls
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: sos@oz.plymouth.edu (Steffan O'Sullivan)
Subject: Re: GURPS: Release dates for some supplements??
Reply-To: sos@oz.plymouth.edu (Steffan O'Sullivan)
Organization: Plymouth State College - Plymouth, N.H.
Date: Sat, 29 Aug 92 18:41:16 GMT

u894793@bruny.cc.utas.edu.au (Timothy D Little) writes:
>
>I have a (no Net access) friend who has been waiting for a long time to get
>the GURPS supplements  "High-Tech", "Bestiary" and "Vehicles".
>
>Could someone with authoritative information on the release dates (past or
>future) please enlighten me?

1st edition Bestiary was 1987, now out of print.  It was compatible
with 2nd edition GURPS.  The 2nd edition Bestiary, compatible with 3rd
edtion Basic Set, is scheduled to have been out for months.  There is a
delay because SJ can't find the time to write the Were-creature rules
himself.  (He had previously farmed it out, and the resulting mess was
so complicated and unreadable that only the author understood it.)
Send SJ a postcard clamoring for 2nd edition Bestiary and maybe he'll
get the project off the back burner onto the front burner.

1st Edition High Tech (1988?) is now out of print.  2nd edition should
be shipping soon - it was at the printer last I heard.

Vehicles - last I heard it was still in playtest - lots of bugs to be
ironed out.  Patience on this one.

-- 
  - Steffan O'Sullivan		         sos@oz.plymouth.edu
From: smith@ctron.com (Larry Smith)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Improvisation!
Date: 1 Sep 92 16:27:24 GMT
Reply-To: smith@ctron.com
Organization: Cabletron Systems, Inc.

In article <1992Aug28.150739.720@ccsvax.sfasu.edu>, z_copeab@ccsvax.sfasu.edu writes:
>In article <28AUG199214231685@lims01.lerc.nasa.gov>, spzkny@lims01.lerc.nasa.gov (JAMES ZAKANY) writes:
>
>> I wouldn't.  Sometimes (okay, often) the DM will make a gaffe.  It happens.  
>> The WORST thing a player can do is stop play to bitch!  After the "No, you 
>> were busy" line, play should have continued.  Pick the bone with the DM 
>> during a break.

>	But if the GM makes a mistake that would cause severe problems if it
>were corrected later, he should be told about it when it happens. I don't mind 

For myself, I'll only accept a correction during play if the mistake was
mine, and it resulting in major bad juju for the players - like death,
dismemberment, theft of major magical items, and so forth.  It is not
worth stopping the game for anything less, because anything less occurs
fairly often and you'll wind up stopping all the time.  It's a major
time-waster and knowing they can argue for relatively small things will
enccourage the players to argue about relatively small things.  I'm basically
only interesting in fixing things that might make a player mad enough to
throw the game over.  Minor things are dealt with in game context as the
game goes on.

Larry Smith (smith@ctron.com)  No, I don't speak for Cabletron.  Need you ask?
-
How about we all do something reasonable?  I bet that'll confuse 'em!
From: millerl@wharton.upenn.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: NET Bibliography
Date: 2 Sep 92 02:46:55 GMT
Organization: Newt World Order

In article <9209011528.AA27437@nettlerash.berkeley.edu>, NCCUT132@TWNMOE10.BITNET (Brian David Phillips) writes:
>                           NETable STUFF
>                          <=============>
> 
> Mencher, Kenneth.  "Fantasy Role Playing Games: Good for You."
> [File: ANTI-ANTI-DND.PAPER; Source: GRASS-SERVER@wharton.upenn.edu]
> 
> Schroeder, John G.  "Dungeons and Dragons: Cause of Suicide or
> Parental Scapegoat?" [File: SUICIDE-ADND.PAPER; Source: GRASS-
> SERVER@wharton.upenn.edu]

You should also mention the FAQL for this newsgroup, which you can find in
rec.games.frp.announce, and the question with the topic something like "my
friend says that roleplaying games are satanic and that is a bad thing. what
can I do to show him they aren't without losing him as a friend?"

Also, under the published history of RPG section, mention _Heroic
Worlds: A History and Guide to Roleplaying Games_, by Lawrence Schick.
1991. Buffalo, NY: Prometheus Books. ISBN 0-87975-653-5

-- 
whoah,
+++++++++++++++++++++++23
Loren Miller                           internet: MILLERL@wharton.upenn.edu
The more corrupt the government, the greater the number of laws -- Tacitus
From: Jonathan Egre' <jonathan@mantis.co.uk>
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: ROLE Playing (Was: Improvisation)
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 92 18:40:44 BST
Distribution: world
Organization: Mantis Consultants, Cambridge. UK.

maxson@cerl.uiuc.edu (K R Maxson) writes:

> Now for the caveat.  In my opinion!  In my opinion, role playing
> is about playing a role.  Attempting to become, for an amount of
> time, a different person, with their likes, dislikes, fears, loves,
> goals, and so forth.

It usually seems that a narrow majority of the population of rec.games.frp.*
share your definition "role-playing".  So, to a large extent you are 
"preaching to the converted"; and for the rest of your audience, no amount
of preaching is going to convert them (which I think you would like to do -
and, if done politely, there's nothing wrong with trying to convert people).

There are still a large number of people - possibly a majority - who enjoy 
playing characters (however shallow) who have very different abilities to
the players' own, doing things that the players dream of doing but cannot, 
in a fantastic or atmospheric setting.  They use rule books with the words
"role playing game" written all over them.  They enjoy the game; they 
entertain each other; they are rarely agressively competetive.

It does seem a bit silly to deride these people by saying that they are
"not role-players", "poor role-players" or "munchkins".  One participant in
the "Improvisation" thread even accused these people of not playing a game at
all, but a "mere" simulation (as if nobody could possibly enjoy taking part
in a simulation).  The fact is that these people *are* playing "roles", even 
if they are shallow, and they are definitely playing "role-playing games".
They just don't have the same priorities.  Calling them names will only 
encourage them to call the people from the other camp "method acting nuts" or
whatever.

This isn't especially directed at K R Maxson; my article could have been
written in reply to many other people.  And I'm not writing against
"role-playing" or even against fully developed characters with backgrounds
and opinions of their own; I'm just trying to poing out that calling people
"non/poor role-players" is neither accurate nor helpful.

--
Jonathan Egre' = jonathan@mantis.co.uk = jonathan_e@cix.compulink.co.uk
From: z_copeab@ccsvax.sfasu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: GURPS character questions
Date: 2 Sep 92 00:16:46 CST
Organization: Stephen F. Austin State University

In article <1992Sep1.161230.58558@cc.usu.edu>, sl9b4@cc.usu.edu (Deep Six) writes:
> Hello,
> 
> I have some questions for GURPS GMs about experience points, character
> generation and character developement.
> 
> 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 
> answer.

	I normally go with 100 points for any campaign, though I will make
exceptions for some settings. New players get points equal to (party average +
100)/2. Most players in my fantasy/horror/cyberpunk game have two characters.
In other campaigns, they have one. However, the player may only use one
character at a time. Starting money depends on the setting ($1000 for fantasy,
$15,000 for just about everything else).

> 
> Second, how much experience do you award? Do you award individual 
> experience to players/characters who play well or do something out-
> standing? What do you award experience for? What things do you look 
> for when deciding how much experience you will give?

	Usually, I award 5 CPs per session. This is adjusted up or down
depending on how well the character was run, and how entertained I and the
other players were during the session. I may have given out 8 *once*. The
fewest has been 3, for a short, easy adventure (might have been a wrapup).

 
> 
> Finally, when do you give experience? Let's say you begin a sceanrio --
> the players leave on a trip, go into a battle or embark to solve some
> problem. You get half way through the event and the game ends for the
> evening. Do you award experience? Must the characters seek training to
> use their experience points? If you do award experience ``mid-adventure,''
> do you put limits on how the characters can use their points? Limits
> such as they are only able to improve skills they have used during that
> session/game? 

	I usually award it at the beginning of each session. Since normally
each session covers a single adventure, this isn't much of a problem. Also, I
have it set at default that there is a one week gap between adventures (varied
depending on circumstances). PCs may add ONE new skill OR spell between
adventures, subject to my approval, and may only put one point into it for the
first adventure they have it.

Brandon Cope

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: bcushman@lust.reed.edu (Ben Cushman)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Jorune
Date: 3 Sep 92 17:52:05 GMT
Article-I.D.: reed.1992Sep3.175205.25110
Organization: Reed College, Portland, OR


Hello folks--

	I have been talked into running a Skyrealms of Jorune campaign,  
but I know nothing about it beyond a preliminary reading of the rules.   
I'm sure that there are quirks to the system that a GM should know and  
that cannot be gleaned from merely reading the rules.  If you are an  
experienced Jorune GM, or know anything about the system, PLEASE drop me a  
note with such details.  I would be greatly appreciative.

						Ben Cushman
						Reed College
From: jdugger@gluttony.reed.edu (Jay Dugger)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: CoC Campaigns (Was: Re: Call of Cthulhu Archives?)
Date: 29 Aug 92 21:20:11 GMT
Article-I.D.: reed.1992Aug29.212011.11910
Organization: Reed College, Portland, OR

In article <robert.715066547@cs.anu.edu.au> robert@cs.anu.edu.au (Robert  
Cohen) writes:

> I don't really understand the problem people have with CoC and
> campaigns. Or why people have such high character turnovers.
> Sure combat with Cthulhu entities is deadly. Don't do
> combat. The combat is pointless anyway. With the minor entities you
> could successfully combat, it makes very little
> difference to the world if they are killed. The major entities
> you are not going to be able to effect anyway so don't bother to try
> combat.
	Hear, hear!  In the CoC campaign I played in over the summer, com-
bat was _the_ surest way to get killed.  We never physically fought any  
Mythos baddies because we knew better.  In fact, we tried to avoid combat  
in general.  This was due to the variant rules system the Keeper used: a  
Morrow Project derivative, and the Cyberpunk Cthullu setting.  Everybody  
was armed with automatic wepaons and consequently nobody got into fights!

Jay Dugger
jdugger@reed.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: dlaird@terapin.com (Delbert Laird)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Champions: Some Mental Questions, sort of!
Date: 31 Aug 92 20:29:40 PST
Organization: BBS

The following was stated by: damatt01@romulus.spd.louisville.edu

>To stake a vampire, you need to target the vitals with wood, I would say.

What?!  As far as I know, the Vitals have been regarded as the genital region
of the body.  You'd have to make the action a Placed Shot using a -8 penalty
(appriately matching that of hands, feet, head or vitals...due to size).

I'm assuming therefore you MEANT to say "the same penalty as that of Vitals".

:-)

Lord Digital
dlaird@terapin.com
Xref: sparky rec.games.frp.misc:4911 alt.feminism:511
From: seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc,alt.feminism
Subject: Re: Looking for "women's" rpg.
Date: 3 Sep 92 17:18:34 GMT
Followup-To: rec.games.frp.misc
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of Pittsburgh
Originator: seawasp@pmax1.cis.pitt.edu

In article <1992Sep3.151131.27369@umr.edu> asparrow@mcs213f.cs.umr.edu (Angelia Sparrow) writes:
>The main problem with the thread is that
>rpg's are power fantasies for the powerless.

	Eh? That's an interesting statement, and possibly true in many cases,
but to say it as such a blanket pronouncement makes it automatically 
wrong if there's even a single counterexample. And I can think of a LOT of
counterexamples.
	I'd say that "power fantasy for the powerless" can be a good 
description of many campaigns, but hardly of all of them.

>I've never been on a campaign where the women had
>any greater ambition that to fill out DD platemail.

	Then you've played in sadly deprived campaigns. Both the female
players and the female characters I've played with have had far more
to them than that. I play a roughly 50/50 ratio of m/f characters, and
believe me, none of MY characters (well, almost none) had such vacuous
ambitions (the exceptions being where I INTENDED to play an airhead --
male or female).

	The marvelous characters played by the ladies in my campaigns
(and the campaigns I've been in) will be long remembered: Mortis,
W'yn Saphier, Jean Edward (later Jeanne Ellen -- long story) Campbell,
Dharos, Skial're Haigh, Raphael (Mage of Jello), and on and on...

	As will the female characters, some by males, some by females:
Kyrie Ross, the Phoenix Saint of Myrionar; the Princess Koriand'r;
Force Leader Cheryl MacBairn (later called the Iron Saint); Elidon,
the Silver Dragon; Lady Starfire; Manriel; and the list goes on.

	I have seen hundreds of characters, many, many of them female,
and most of them had a LOT more on their minds than double-D platemail.

>
>On the same area:  I write fantasy fiction.  I will
>be sending a few fragments to the net soon, and wonder
>if anyone is interested.

	Lots of people are, I'm sure -- but make sure you preface 
the title of the article with STORY:  or Story: so that killfiles of
those who don't read the fiction can catch it! :)

  The most powerful person in
>the world is female.

	Do you have a specific one in mind, or is this just a sort of
philosophical saying?


                                 Sea Wasp
                                   /^\
                                   ;;;
From: millerl@wharton.upenn.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Improvisation!
Date: 28 Aug 92 14:41:59 GMT
Organization: Newt World Order

In article <1992Aug27.232312.58456@cc.usu.edu>, sl9b4@cc.usu.edu (Deep Six) writes:
> In article <1992Aug25.221929.1@wharton.upenn.edu>, 
>   millerl@wharton.upenn.edu writes:
>> Anyway, as I have a full time job, a real life, and other interests, I
>> don't have 3-6 hours to plan scenarios every week. 
> 
> Now, this is probably the third time I have heard this ``I have a life''
> thing in response to my estimated prep time. As I said, I can usually
 
> So enough with the ``life'' flames.

Here we see why Deep Six is at odds with the entire rest of the net on
the Improvisation issue. He takes a simple comment that someone has a
busy life and interprets it as an insult directed at him.

This is why he takes someone else's comment that he improvises 99% of
the time as an insult directed against all GMs who prepare.

Good grief, boy. Calm down.

Read. Reflect. Reply if you must. Never write while angry.

-- 
whoah,
+++++++++++++++++++++++23
Loren Miller                           internet: MILLERL@wharton.upenn.edu
The more corrupt the government, the greater the number of laws -- Tacitus