HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: pmwg1641@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Peter M. White)
Subject: Re: SRII: Attributes
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 00:11:16 GMT
Keywords: SR, SRII

dv52151@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (SilverFang Ahroun) writes:

>schamber@envy.Reed.Edu (Seth Chamberlin) writes:

>>1)  The new rule of being able to raise all attributes to 1.5x original is  
>>plain stupid.  I say this for a few reasons. One, not all people in this  
>>world should have 6's or higher in all their attributes is just not  
>>possible.  Both of my GM's and all our characters believe this is stupid.
>>I mean it is great if you want to munchkin the game but it is just stupid  
>>if you want to be even somewhat realistic.  Plus with the ability to raise  
>>attributes cheaper then skills it just makes for complete munchkins  
>>running about Seattle with 14 combat pools and the like.

>2) Saying the new system will "munchinize" the game is sort of silly. The
>old system isn't munchkin proof. You can start a character with all 5's
>using that method, and you will wind up with a character with lots of 6's 
>pretty darn quick. 

True, but you are giving up quite a bit to choose attributes priority 4.
In the long run, after surviving a few dozen runs and finally installing
your dream cyberware, you DO have a more potent runner.  But in the
short term, 40 skill points or 1 million nuyen go a long way towards
helping that character live to see tomorrow.

With abundant attribute raises available, it does not take much karma
to get straight 6's with 24 starting attribute points, 51+ in fact.
IMHO, that's pretty cheap considering what you get.  It used to take
30 karma plus using your best "pick" to see 6's across the board.
Big difference.

I do like the idea of players not feeling so "locked into" their 
players attributes, but I think the costs should be finagled to
balance things out.


--Peter


______________________________________________________________________________
						|
     "Guards!  Let me draw their fire!"		|	p-white@uiuc.edu
		   --Scapegoat,_Marshal Law_	|
______________________________________________________________________________
From: sl7sg@cc.usu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Robotech/Rifts Mecha Strength Question
Date: 7 Oct 92 20:21:52 MDT
Organization: Utah State University

In article <1b02paINN12g@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu>, aj834@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Scott A. Maehner) writes:
> 
> In a previous article, kinnema@wkuvx1.bitnet (Mark Kinney, Attorney at Chaos) says:
> 
>>Do any rules exist in the Palladium system for strength conversions
>>(or just strength attributes) for mecha and powered armor like in
>>Robotech and Rifts?  Several players in my group have wondered about 
>>this, and before I make up something I'd like to see any existing 
>>rules (or some ideas anyone out there may be using).
> 
> *begins flipping thru Robotech: Sentinels*
> 
> *begins flipping thru Rifts*
> 
> I don't expect this to help much, but supposedly on p. 57 Sentinels:
> 
> "The Cyclone (powered armor) also has a physical strength equal to P.S. 40
> (+25 S.D.C. damage bonus)"
> 
> and lower still on the page:
> 
> "P.S. of the VR-038-LT  (light female powered armor) is equal to P.S. 30"
> 
> That might give you something to start with.
> 
> 

	A group I was in tryed this, with Shadowfighters (?, I can't remember
if that is right...?).  Anyhow, the shadowfighers, converted directly were
underpowerful for the high octane stuff in Rifts.  If I were you, I would fudge
some of the stuff, so it is closer to par with some of the Frag in Rifts, one
item I would modify is the cloaking device on the shadowfighters, so that they
can hide from any power souce finder, not just protoculture...

	Daemonically:
			Shade Pendragon
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: goldman@orac.cray.com (Matthew D. Goldman)
Subject: Re: Bushido
Organization: Cray Research, Inc.
Date: 7 Oct 92 16:02:15 CDT

In article <1992Oct4.073602.6885@fcom.cc.utah.edu> davis@news.ccutah.edu (mike davis) writes:
>jsalter@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (joshua salter) writes:
>: 
>: 	Hello, does anyone out there still play Bushido? I recently aquired
>: a copy of this out of print game, and I was wondering whether anyone still knows of it's ex
>: knows of it's existence.
>
>	I have a copy, yet I have never played it.  I'm not sure if it's
>	out of print or not.  FGU has appeared to recently released a
>	new copy of "Aftermath".  That is the info from one poster last
>	week.
>
>
>				Mike
>

I played it long ago, before the books 'grew up'.  Okay, I have the
first edition, the second edition were printed in a larger format.

We had been investigating some strange stuff, and found the main
hiding place for a very, very, (did I say very?) powerful group of
Ninja's.  They saw us.  We ran.  They surrounded us on a hill.  

The referee asked us with an evil gleam in his eyes, "What do you do
now?"  The evil Ninjas advanced up the hill.

I looked at the other players.  We knew that we were doomed.  We
shouted out to the referee, "We form Voltron!"  It did not work, we
died; however, we got bonuses for our next characters.  All in all, a
lot of fun.  It was worth it to see the double take the referee did.

Matt

-- 
Matthew Goldman              E-mail: goldman@orac.cray.com
Fax: (612) 683-3099                   Work: (612) 683-3061

"It's real handy, havin' an Elder God in the band, eh?"
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: mmalak@cco.caltech.edu (Michael Jay Malak)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Weird Dice?
Date: 14 Oct 92 06:06:59 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
NNTP-Posting-Host: jomby.caltech.edu

summers%sanctum.cs.utah.edu@cs.utah.edu (Jim Summers) writes:

>Hmmm. You could make a servicable two-sided die by taking a dowel and
>slicing it thinly.  You would then have two large sides with a thin
>round seperator.  Assuming you cut thinly enought, this could be
>viewed as a two-sided die (with a thin enough cut, the rounded surface
>would never land face-up).  

Well, you could also just flip a coin!

Seriously, I would say that the the best way to make a d3 is to
take a d6 and identify `4' with `1' and so on.  All you'd need is
a Sharpie.

Another idea: make a spinner!  You can simulate a d17 with ruler,
compass, thumbtack, and pointer. (Gauss)

-- 
Michael Malak                          | ``Is the number 846
mmalak@looking_glass.caltech.edu       |   possible or necessary?''
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: jmkaraka@eos.ncsu.edu (JOHN MARTIN KARAKASH)
Subject: Re: WHy is this newsgroup supposed to be gone?
Originator: jmkaraka@c00040-100lez.eos.ncsu.edu
Reply-To: jmkaraka@eos.ncsu.edu (JOHN MARTIN KARAKASH)
Organization: North Carolina State University, Project Eos
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 21:13:45 GMT


In article <s9242932.718499920@win4>, s9242932@win4.vut.EDU.AU (WildStar) writes:
|>I wanna a alt.games.shadowrun
|>or similar ...torg had one, why cant we, were bigger than that pathetic game


	If you look carefully I think you've answered your own question...
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: dvandom@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (David VanDomelen)
Subject: Re: Weird Dice?
Organization: The Ohio State University
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 18:11:45 GMT

Of course, like most Physics grads, I have a calculator with a random number 
generator that is more random than any physical die (which is to say it has a 
honking big repeat pattern on the order of billions of trials and can't be 
weighted surreptitiously), so I just make whatever dN I want.  Also, I make 
menus for Champions dice rolling to compute Stun and Body from a roll of N 
dice.  Handy little thing.  And only $200....(similar capabilities probably 
available from much less money, of course).
     Dave Van Domelen, knows players who bias-test all their dice to know which
to roll for what results...try bias-testing random seeds of 12 digits for 
trielas of more than one roll....
From: tgt33358@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Deus Imperator)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: An amusing anecdote
Keywords: SJG, Steve, Jackson, WildCards
Date: 16 Oct 92 20:06:22 GMT
Article-I.D.: news.Bw8D6q.48u
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana

Well, the new WildCards book just came out (yay!) and within, I found this
amusing passage.  Reprinted without permission, of course:

	He hadn't seen any real action since Messer had cut him so badly.
He'd taken part in a raid the Secret Service had conducted on Long Island, but 
that hadn't amounted to anything.  Supposedly on the trail of hot computer 
criminals, they'd targeted a small outfit called Jack Stevenson Games
that published kid's role-playing games.  Ray was among the agents who'd
busted in with guns drawn and warrants flapping to find themselves in a room
full of goofballs who had nothing more lethal than twenty-sided dice.  The
Secret Service still hauled everything away, computers, files, dice, and all,
and then Ray had spent more than a month wading through piles of game manuals
filled with crap about dungeons and hit points and saving throws only 
to discover that you committed computer crime in these games by rolling
dice real well.

Heh.  I wonder who's he talking about...
-- 
I don't mind being the smartest	    / Thanatos, DeathUrge, Master of Unknown
man in the world...I just wish it   \ Time and Space tgt33358@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu 
wasn't this one...	       	    / "No, I don't know how much unknown is... 
	-Ozymandias 		    \	...THAT'S THE POINT!" 
Organization: Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Date: Fri,  9 Oct 1992 13:55:29 -0400 
From: William Henry Timmins <wt0b+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: RFD: GURPS disad limits

Clayton Miner says:

>I am not a GURPS player, so take my comments with a grain of salt, but...
> 
>    Who was the IDIOT who came up wit hthe term DISADDS!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!
> 
>    For God sake, they are MINUSES!  Have we as gamers become so sensative 
>that we can not longer face the thought of having minuses, penalties, or 
>whatever but instead have to refere to them as 'negative positives'?!?!?!?!?!?
> 
>Skeksis

Heh... :) Maybe this was a joke, but if not:

Clue- 'DISAD' is a shortened form of 'disadvantages', as 'ad' is of
'advantages'.

-Me
[Pooh Bear incarnate.]
<B1 c+ f+ w g+ k+ s+ r- e+ p>
From: cm182s182@pdrome.UUCP (Clayton Miner)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: CHILL: Using Other Creatures with Vampires
Date: 9 Oct 92 10:48:24 GMT
Organization: The PowerDrome BBS [(716)825-3614 Excelsior]
X-BBS-Software: EXCELSIOR! v0.960

Other atmospheric areas for Chill???
 
   How about Boston, MA...that was always a favourite...just a hop, skip, and
a five pointed star shaped stone's throw away from Arkham and Miskatonic U... 
;)
 
   Seriuously though....how about a run set in some Inca ruins or in a corn 
field in Iowa during Indian Summer under a swollen orange full moon...
 
Skeksis - Sorry for the spelling but my left hand keeps falling asleep while I 
type...
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: mortimer
Subject: Re: SR damage
Organization: Rice University  
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 03:54:54 GMT

In article <1992Oct5.222348.43611@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu>
kucloak@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu (Bryan Kennedy Reed) writes:
 
>In article <JALKANEN.92Oct5185735@lk-hp-6.hut.fi>, jalkanen@lk-hp-6.hut.fi (Janne P R Jalkanen) writes:
>> Do you think that the PhysAd Increased Reflexes Power has a little bug in
>> it? I think that the Cost line should read 2-4-6 or 1-3-6, but not 1-4-6.
>> Look at the other powers, there the Costs double from level to level
>> (For instance: Killing hands : .5-1-2-4) or go up with a constant step.
 
>I think that this was done intentionaly to discourage people from
>playing fast physical adepts.  In first edition there was a problem
>with everyone playing lightning fast, munchkinized phys ads.  I think
>now they are now trying to say that if you want to be really fast,
>then you ought to play a Sammie.  It's a real shame, though.  I had a
>phys ad who was fast!, but wasn't a heavy hitter when it came to
>combat.  Can't play him that way any more.
 
You could find a friendly mage to quicken Increased Reflexes +3
on you, or accept the risks involved in a spell lock.  Although,
considering the Karma involved, the mage would have to be REAL
friendly.
 
"Life IS pain.  Anyone who tells you differently is selling something."
-- mason hart
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: ctatro@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Christopher D Tatro)
Subject: Boston by Night: help
Summary: info on Boston for Vamp.
Organization: The Ohio State University
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 02:03:20 GMT

     I'm running a Vampire campaign based in Boston Massachusetts and need some
help.  It's been a number of years since I've been there.
     Anyone who lives in/has lived in/hangs out in Boston, could you send me 
anything that you think would be appropriate (parts of town that make good 
feeding grounds, cool club areas other than Landsdown, brief descriptions of 
parts of town or the various suburbs, buildings that vampires ^must^ live in, 
etc).  Anything you can send would be a big help.
     Please send info directly to me via email, as some of my players haunt 
this newsgroup...
     Many thanks in advance!
                                         Disturbitas Vobiscum
                                             kristoff
From: bkoike@sdcc13.ucsd.edu (Bryce Koike)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Newbie System?
Date: 9 Oct 92 18:42:08 GMT
Organization: University of California, San Diego


	Just about any system will do so long as the GM and the
players involved are supportive.  Taking time to explain the game's
mechanics and a little "hand-holding" is necessary for any  game.
Too often I've seen people bolt through the game's rules, leaving
the new player's head reeling in confusion.  I mean, I've seen
people introduced to gaming via Champions, GURPS, Ghostbusters,
AD&D, Teenagers from Outer Space...
	(TFOS stands as my favorite "easy" game system, but I don't
necessarily think that it's any more ideal than any other game.
Champions is probably last on my list because of its complexity, but
I've seen it done, so nothing is impossible.)
	In the end it's the support of the players and GM that will
get the "newbie" through just about any gaming system.  Patience is
a must with the more complicated ones, as is a dedication to just
having fun.  (Highly-competitive gaming can really intimidate a new
player.  Or at least this is my own personal experience from a few
years back...)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
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 21:40:52 GMT


|>*grin* He's right here. A Melnibonean or Pan Tangian is so much more powerful
|>than anyother character that it's the most obvious sign of a munchkin in 
|>Stormbringers. "I swear, I rolled 01-02. Really. " "Bob, you've had four
|>Melniboneans so far this year...."
|>
	:)

	My roommate ran two Stormbringer campaigns.  In the first one everyone
was pretty tough, but they all were waxed in the tower of chaos (I had a priest
of Balo, and I swear my GM purposely misread his die on the attribute rolling
game.  You see I had bet all my chips on one roll...)  (BTW, he never would
show us what he rolled for me :)
	In the other one, everybody rolled the DUMBEST characters I've ever
seen.  Not dumb character conceptions mind you, just low IQ's.  I was
the smartest at INT 7, I won't tell you what the lowest was!

 -john 'and Melniboneans would mysteriously explode when rolled up' karakash
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: schwarts@cps.msu.edu (Steven Eric Schwartz)
Subject: GrimRules
Originator: schwarts@atlantic.cps.msu.edu
Reply-To: schwarts@cps.msu.edu (Steven Eric Schwartz)
Organization: Dept. of Computer Science, Michigan State University
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 92 13:06:04 GMT

I found a copy of GrimRules on an old ftp site (can't remember which) but they
are version 3.0. Someone emailed me saying they had v3.5 but I never got a
reply. Can someone send me a copy or connect me up with the author.




-- 
Steven Eric Schwartz            "It's not safe out here. It's wonderous, with
(schwarts@cps.msu.edu)           treasures to satiate desires both subtle and
125 East Wilson Hall-MSU         gross.  But it's not for the timid."
East Lansing, Michigan  48825                           - Q, "Q Who"
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: burke@vxdesy.desy.de
Subject: Re: ATTENTION REC.GAMES.FRP.* FAQ-POSTER!!
Organization: (DESY, Hamburg, Germany)
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 19:45:37 GMT

In article <14911@chalmers.se>, d9bertil@dtek.chalmers.se (Bertil Jonell) writes:
>   That is: I suspect the postings are done with distribution: us or something 
> similar.

No, they get to Germany

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: wljohnso@nyx.cs.du.edu (William "Wes" Johnson)
Subject: Re: Rolemaster Companion VI
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.
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix at U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 92 23:17:45 GMT

In article <1992Oct14.161928.1173@u.washington.edu> harmonix@stein.u.wash
ngton.edu (Chaz Stevens) writes:
>
>	I recently picked up the new Rolemaster Companion VI, and I am
>mightily impressed.  This will probably be the most useful Companion sin
e
>RMCII.  Most especially, I like the new Unified Skill System.  This syst
m
>is a near-complete revision of the old skill system, and is much tighter
and
>cohesive than the old.  I will certainly experiment with it.
>	Has anyone else seen this book?  Any opinions?
> 
>---
>Chaz Stevens                                         Call the Neutral Zo
e BBS!
>harmonix@u.washington.edu                              (206) 527-9049, 2
 hours


Yeah I picked it up last week, and for the most part I like it and find it
worth the almighty $13.95 (well I got it for less, but the guys at the
store almost like me..).  Admittedly if you are not a real diehard Role
Master player/GM then it might not be really worth you $$$.  

The Unified Skill Sytem I have read over once and find it might be a good
revision over the RoCo II skill list.

The new combat/melee system looks far too complex for my blood (why make a
hard system even more complex?)...I prefer the AP system in RoCo IV.

The Guidelines for game settings were pretty decent.  I liked the addition
of a Gothic based campaign, and the other suggestions seemed worthwhile.

The newcharacter classes I liked (especially the Romantic...but I have
always liked the Duelist types..).  And its nice to see some 'new'
non-spell using types being done.  The space-fantasy classes seemed to be
interesting, but resembled Dark Space.

Over all I say buy it, it is fairly jam packed with rules/options to make
the Role Master gamer intrigued.

Some of the material though seemed a little out of place, not to say it
was boring.  Just some of the stuff I think maybe could have been else
where.

(Perhaps I should Call Monte Cooke and see if he would call up and give us
feedback from ICE...if its good enough for Steve Jackson games, BTRC..)

-------------------------------------------------
William "Wes" "Arrrr" "Man Thats a Loud Shirt"
"Gener Fox" "Mr. Kamikazi" "Mr DNA" "Boojie Boy" 
"Golden Earring" "Sentri Bastion" Johnson
-------------------------------------------------
He Tried To Kill Me With A Forklift --MST3K
From: bell@monet.cs.unc.edu (Andrew Bell)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Newbie System?
Date: 10 Oct 92 00:54:44 GMT
Organization: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

In article <7150@blue.cis.pitt.edu.UUCP> seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp) writes:
>However, it seems to me that premade
>characters are directly against all roleplaying.

Excuse me if I'm mistaking you for someone else, but weren't arguing
vehemently in favor of rolling character attributes in AD&D?

>You designed it differently,
>you have a different conception of it, and in short it isn't a character
>for me; it's a collection of numbers with no relation to me at all.

Is the mechanical of a character really the only standard you have for
personality?  While personality will have some impact on the skills
chosen, this could be adjusted for simply by having a Chinese menu
system ("Choose 1 from column A, 2 from column B")...  Even without this,
the personalities of two beings with the same skill set can be widely
varying.  Take AD&D v1, for example.  Only the stats, race, gender, and
weapons of proficiency distinguish one fighter or thief from another in
the raw (significant) mechanics.

   -Andrew Bell
bell@cs.unc.edu
From: cm182s182@pdrome.UUCP (Clayton Miner)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: New From SJ Games!
Date: 11 Oct 92 12:37:06 GMT
Organization: The PowerDrome BBS [(716)825-3614 Excelsior]
X-BBS-Software: EXCELSIOR! v0.960

John,
 
  I am sorry, but I just can't see GURPS Bunnies and Burrows...I just can't.  
I have tried, but I just can't see it.  I still have my original copy of 
Bunnies and Burrows (I have two copies in fact) and I have some fond memories 
of the time we found that hunter's camp and some dead rabbits and vowed 
revenge so we waited for the bastard to show up, tripped him with a branch we 
found, and then shot him with his own gun...but I just can't see a GURPS 
verwsion...I don't know why...maybe because the guy at the local gaming store 
siad he felt a GURPS version would not be as much fun.  I gotta ask 
though...if there is going to be a Bunnies and Burrows book for GURPS, when is 
there going to be a TOON book....
 
Skeksis
From: hapa@cats.ucsc.edu (Doug Easterly)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Justitfiers RPG?
Date: 14 Oct 1992 20:25:10 GMT
Organization: University of California; Santa Cruz
NNTP-Posting-Host: ucsco.ucsc.edu
Keywords: wolf, brontosaraus, Hershey bar


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. 
(Description of poster deleted....)
>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

I actuall bought a copy of this game at a low price and found it
very mediocre. The mechanics are percentile-based, and lack anything
new about them. Character creation is random, but lack enough detail
in developing skills. What is semi-interesting is that characters
begin as genetic experiments, intelligent humanoid animals, or 
criminals who work as "Justifiers" exploring planets for their corp-
orate owners. This makes them quite expendable, and makes them quite
beholden to their corporate bosses. Players work on their missions
and try to buy their own freedom (literally.)

The game does not have much world background at all, but is not aimed
at being generic, either. Its equipment lists are rudimentary, and
its cybernetics section is lacking. A ho-hum game.

But if you want a copy for five bucks, I think I can dust of a copy
that has barely been read....

Doug "I don't have to mark this IMHO, do I?" Easterly

-- 
-------------------------- Magic-------------------------------
Sandra's seen a leprechaun,	  Donald heard a mermaid sing,
Eddie touched a troll,		  Susy spied an elf,
Laurie danced with witches once,  But all the magic I have known
Charlie found som goblins' gold.  I've had to make myself.
			-Shel Silverstein