HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: jcarl@jabba.ess.harris.com (Mr. Briggs)
Subject: Re: SRII: armor spell
Organization: Harris Corporation - ISD
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 18:56:29 GMT

In <1ji3akINNiu7@shelley.u.washington.edu> mkkuhner@phylo.genetics.washington.edu (Mary K. Kuhner) writes:

>Incidentally, how obvious do other SR groups think the spells actually
>are?  If you use Control Thoughts on someone, is she aware of it (and
>just helpless to resist) or unaware?  Is the spellcasting itself
>visible?  How about Mind Probe?

>We used rolls on Intelligence against 10-force of spell to address these
>questions, incidentally; the more powerful the spell, the more obvious.
>(Of course, a Fireball that works at all is going to be hard to miss.)
>Channa's Mind Probe was spotted once by a secretary who promptly called 
>the police; she was quite a while talking her way out of that one.  The 
>temptation to proceed by trying to mindcontrol the cops was great, but
>she resisted it (she wasn't a very powerful mage, and it only takes one 
>strong-willed cop to ruin your whole day).

My group uses the ntelligence vs. 10-force to notice a spell being cast.
All spells in my world have spill over into the physical plane just for
that reason.  A Force 1 spell isn't very noticable.  I also give a -2 to
the target if you watching for such events. This gives justification for
telling runners where some spell it is coming.  This way the Mage hiding
in the car skoky glassed car can be found because a streamer of magical
energy from that Force 6 mana bolt comes through the car window.

As far as Control Thoughts is concerned.  No the person is not aware of
the control as long as it is sustained.  When the spell is dropped
the the victem will know something occured if they behaved out of
character.  I use the equation of 6 - Force for any spell that
manipulates someone.  That includes Transform, Mind Probe, Control
Thoughts etc...

Sustained spells have a streamer of energy going from the Mage to the
victim.

I don't have any initiates yet, so I don't know how I'll handle masking
the effects.  Anyone got any ideas?
--
Joe Carl Jr.               "It ain't what a man don't know that makes him a
jcarl@jabba.ess.harris.com   fool, but what he does know that ain't so."
                                                           -- Josh Billings
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: Jason_Mulligan@camelot.apana.org.au (Jason Mulligan)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: SRII Combat System: Bugs
Distribution: world
Date: 27 Jan 93 01:51:32 EST
Organization: The TOWER BBS

In a message dated Wed 28 Jan 93  0:43, Wintermute@otago.ac.nz wrote:

>No, compare the *base* power of the weapon to the vehicle's armor rating.
If
>the base power is not higher, the weapon can't damage the vehicle. The
armor
>on the Banshee is 18. 'Nuff said.

 W> Is this *base* power thing a standard rule? It seems sensible, but I
 W> don't remember seeing it anywhere.

        Yep. It is part of the standard rules. Its on page 108 , third
paragraph. 

        What I'd like to know is how long long FlashPaks and Flash grenades
last for? (ie: the duration of the flash)

--Jason


 -- AEd V1.36f/EvaA

-- Via DLG Pro v0.992

Jason Mulligan
                                      "It's better to be dead and cool,
                                        than to be alive and uncool"
Jason_Mulligan@camelot.apana.org.au          -Harley Davidson

        "WordPerfect 5.3....Insanity has a new name"

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: dv52151@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (RedSwordTarga)
Subject: Re: SRII: Mage w/Trauma Damper
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 02:23:49 GMT

drac@uumeme.chi.il.us (Bruce Maynard) writes:

>>I read and am re-reading the Secrets of Power trilogy, and that is
>>partially where I got the idea. My character is a street kid who had some
>>cyber (under 1 pt. of essence) installed before his magic awakened. Due to
>>some of his recent experiences, and his slowly increasing understanding of
>>what he is and how that affects his life and self, he may attempt to have
>>the cyberware removed.

>Of course, with under 1 pt of Essence, he'll have a magic attribute of ZERO... meaning any time he takes drain, it shows up as PHYSICAL damage. Later on, of course, he could (if he survives long enuff with a handicap like that) Initiate to heighten his magic attr... but, of course, Essence does NOT "come back" with cyberware removal...

What he was saying is that he had minor cyberware installed that didn't take
up more than 1 point of essence. Datajack/eyes/smartlink or something like
that. He was not saying that he took himself down to under 1 essence. 

Axly

********************************************************************************
*  Axly            * "Well, yes, I did it... but it's not my fault. "          *
*  Red Sword Targa * "Alright, it is my fault... but I'm not responsible."     *
*                  * "Well, maybe I am responsible..but I'm not to blame."     *
*                  * "Yes, I am to blame... but they made me do it."           *
*                  *   -Axly                                                   *
********************************************************************************
From: eschneid@sparc10.tamu.edu (Erich R Schneider)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Vamp / Ars Magica
Date: 24 Jan 93 21:57:45 GMT
Article-I.D.: sparc10.ESCHNEID.93Jan24135745
	<C1BnIr.9Gz@world.std.com>
	<RATINOX.93Jan23163621@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu>
Organization: Texas A&M University
NNTP-Posting-Host: sparc10.cs.tamu.edu
In-reply-to: ratinox@meceng.coe.northeastern.edu's message of 23 Jan 93 21:37:29 GMT

In article <RATINOX.93Jan23163621@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu> ratinox@meceng.coe.northeastern.edu (Not just a pretty Lemming) writes:

>>>>>> On Sat, 23 Jan 1993 19:30:26 GMT, mjg@world.std.com (Mitchell J
>>>>>> Gross) said:
>
>Mitchell> I've heard rumors that the MAGE game is actually Ars Magica
>Mitchell> adapted to the Storyteller System and updated to the present.
>
>Not exactly. True, the Order of Hermes will be around, but the primary
>author (who's name escapes me at the moment) is well-versed in other forms
>of magic: animism, chaos magic, Wicca, voodoun, shamanism, and others. Mage
>will cover *all* of these to one degree or another. Certainly missing will
>be how Ars Magica categorizes all of these as "evil".

"Evil"? Ars Magica certainly categorizes them as "non-Hermetic", and
the Order of Hermes as presented considers itself to have a monopoly
on magic use which it zealously defends. 

The Goetic magic in "Maleficium" _is_ presented as evil, but then
again, it draws its power from the classical Catholic Satan. I do
recall, though, that some of the Ex Miscellanea magae are effectively
Dianic Wicca practicioners, and then of course there were the hapless
Diedne druids.

Maybe in modern times, the Order has lightened up a bit; perhaps 
Bonisagite philosophy has taken a turn down a more inclusive path.
--
Erich Schneider  eschneid@cs.tamu.edu

"Today/Yes  Winners/Yes Losers/Yes  In the Zone/Yes  Tomorrow/No"
                       - Walter Jon Williams, _HardWired_
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: man@magwien.gv.at (Andreas Manessinger)
Subject: Re: Rolemaster, Oriental Companion, ICE, Europe
Organization: Gemeinde Wien, MD-ADV/Md Ref. EPS
	<1k07sbINN7od@shaman.nexagen.com>
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 13:22:06 GMT

>>>>> On 25 Jan 1993 01:20:27 -0700, cook@shaman.nexagen.com said:

 cook> If there are any other product suggestions that anyone has, I'd lke to hear 
 cook> about them--dealing with Rolemaster or any other ICE product line. What
 cook> do you want to see in the future, what have/haven't you liked that we have
 cook> put out so far, etc. Speaking of which, any Rolemaster players out there
 cook> get a copy of the Oriental Companion yet? What did you think? 

A little bit hard here in Austria. Today I called the leading gaming
shop in Vienna and they haven't even heard of it yet. They told me,
that they'll get the next delivery from ICE in about four weeks and
maybe it would be in :-(

OK, now my question: Is it possible to order ICE products directly and
would it be faster? Do they accept Master Card? Do they deliver to
locations outside the US, even to Europe, even if Austria is still not
member of the EC? How much are the extra charges? (Not a real problem.
I suppose it's still a lot cheaper than flying to London :-) 

Is there any `How-To-Order Guide`???
--
    /\            | eMail: man@magwien.gv.at (Andreas Manessinger)
   /  \ndreas     | pMail: Alserstra"se. 20/6; A-1090 Wien; Austria
  /\/\ \          | Work : Gemeinde Wien MD-ADV/Ma; Ref. EPS
 / /  \anessinger | Phone: +43 222 4039584/13, FAX: 4039584/18, Home: 9350434
From: mfp+@CS.CMU.EDU (Michael Polis)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Rolemaster
Date: 27 Jan 93 22:00:56 GMT
Article-I.D.: cs.C1J95n.26n.2
Organization: Carnegie Mellon University

In article <EPPERLY.93Jan26125727@osnome.che.wisc.edu>, epperly@osnome.che.wisc.edu (Tom Epperly) writes:
|> In article <1k3024INN8s8@shaman.nexagen.com> cook@shaman.nexagen.com writes:
|>    As a matter of fact, yes. It wont come out until late 1994, and it is still
|>    uncertain what exactly it will include (and wont include). Some things that
|>    are a certainty--the skill system will be revised to make it more playable
|>    without losing realism. No more lists of thousands of skills like in RM 
|>    Companion II. Yet, the skill system will be flexible enough so that if you
|>    want your character to be skilled in Left-handed arrow fletching, you still
|>    have that option too. :) Basically, how this will be done is that a number
|>    of general skills will be presented, and then guidelines for developing
|>    more specific skills will be included afterwards. By that, I mean that the
|>    skill costs for Perception will be given, and then some suggestions for 
|>    specialized skills like Detect Secret door will be mentioned.
|> 
|> I don't know if I want a new systems of rules.  I would just like a
|> better presentation and organization of their current rule system.  As
|> it is, you can just ignore the skills that you don't think are required.

And I'd be happy if the whole thing was just well edited and bound.  I'd
really appreciate it if you would come out with reprinted companions with
the errors corrected.  The errata sheet in the back of RMC I was a step
in the right direction, but it didn't cover half the errors in the book.
I'd also appreciate hardcover books or at least paperback books with the
pages bound in signatures.  I don't mind paying more, since I know that
I want the book to last.  My 1979 AD&D player's handbook is still in
usable condition, although I haven't touched it in 3 years, thanks to RM.
In the other hand, pages are falling out of the front and back of RMC II
and SL.
From: slb3y@cc.usu.edu (Punk Rocketeer)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: CHAMPS:: Illusionary attacks
Date: 21 Jan 93 21:38:13 MDT
Organization: Omega:  The Final Solution

In article <1993Jan21.165838.28883@ryn.mro4.dec.com>,
rivers@mdnite.enet.dec.com (Kim Rivers) writes:
> 
> According to rules in the book, one can create a sufficient level of mental
> illusion against a character (EGO+30) that can cause the character to 'no
> longer interact with his surroundings'.
> 
> [basic description of situation deleted]
>
> Therein lies my mild puzzlement.  If a character is totally removed from
> interacting with reality, then it would seem to me that they receive no
> sensory input from their surroundings.  That would imply that a character hit
> with an EGO+30 Mental Illusion would just stand there no matter what was going
> on around him or her, no matter if he was 'in his head' or happening in real
> time.  And THAT would suggest a 0 DCV.
> 
> Has anyone else mulled over this seeming inconsistency?  What's the rationale?

     The character is no longer interacting with the 'real world'. 
She/he/it is still interacting with *something*, though - whatever
illusion the egoist is supplying.  That makes the target somewhat
unpredictable.  Sure, he only thinks he's walking forward, when really
he bounced off the wall.  No paralysis is implied, just disassociation
from reality.

     Anyway, that's my shot at an explanation.  Works for me.  I don't
know if it does for you.
-- 
Patrick S. Clark | "You can think of Tyrannosaurus rex as the
Email is life!   |  8,000-pound roadrunner from hell."
Usual disclaimer | Bob Bakker in A&E's _Dinosaur_ series
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: hyatt@owlnet.rice.edu (David Waterman Hyatt)
Subject: Re: SRII Combat System: Bugs
Organization: Rice University
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 22:52:37 GMT

In article <1993Jan21.104925.17012@uumeme.chi.il.us> drac@uumeme.chi.il.us (Bruce Maynard) writes:
>No SMG miniguns? Quite true... howver, the 'minigun' used in SR is NOT an SMG!
>Take a look at the stats for the weapon... it rather closely approximates
>the US  M-240 5.56x45mm rotary-barrel beastie (uses M16 ammo).

The Vindicator Minigun is an LMG, and the Vengeance and Vanquisher Miniguns
are the MMG and HMG versions (see Rigger Black Book).

Dave (hyatt@owlnet.rice.edu)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: goldm@rpi.edu (Mitchell E. Gold)
Subject: Re: GURPS Paranoia
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
	<1993Jan25.062557.6923@usage.csd.unsw.OZ.AU>
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 16:00:22 GMT

There are those of us who have kept the clean feel of Paranoia while adding
the portability of GURPS by playing Paranoia as an extremely warped
version of Spawn of Fashan.

Would I kid you?
--
 Mitchell Gold     /  middleman of
 sundance@rpi.edu /  rec.games.frp.archives
From: sjs28257@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Steve Stelter)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: GM needs help/ideas
Date: 26 Jan 93 18:59:19 GMT
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana

ST30525@VM.CC.LATECH.EDU writes:

>Greetings:
>I'm kinda new to this group, and i need advice/help. I'm gonna be running
> a campaign soon in Gurps or champs where my players play themselves. I want to
> give them powers of some type in the adventure, but im not sure of a good way
>to do it.  I also need a good excuse for an adventure. Can i FTP stuff like tha
>t anywhere? I appreciate all help/advice.. Thanx lotz

I saw an RPG once called "Time Lords" or something similar in which the players
play themselves; the premise is that they've discovered an artifact that
allows them to travel through time and space.  Proper use of this artifact
requires a special skill -- the PCs, being regular Joes, obviously don't
have this skill at first, so they more or less pop randomly around the space/
time continuum for the first few adventures.  As the campaign progresses,
the characters learn to control the artifact and are able to influence 
where they go to a greater and greater extent.

Not exactly a superhero setting, perhaps, but it's a step in the right 
direction.

                                    --Steve Stelter
                                      sjs28257@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu
From: lward@husc11.harvard.edu (Lester Ward)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: SR: WHAT THE HELL ARE NERPS???? -Shadowrun-
Date: 28 Jan 93 18:24:01 GMT

Robert Everett Brunskill <rb6t+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:

>Just curious, but, um,  WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY?????

I thought everyone knew this.  NERPS are for endomorphs.

Wordman
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: s14249nm@UMASSD.EDU
Subject: Any .gif pictures at FTP sites??
Reply-To: s14249nm@UMASSD.EDU
Organization: UMASS DARTMOUTH, NO. DARTMOUTH, MA.
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1993 16:28:57 GMT

Are there any fantasy gifs out there at any ftp site(s)? Please mail response.Thanks...
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: apace@mta.ca
Subject: Re: Ethical Dilemna (GURPS Fantasy - LONG)
Reply-To: apace@mta.ca
Organization: Mount Allison U, Sackville, N.B. Canada 
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1993 23:56:49 GMT

   It is my experience that you have a duty to kill characters who act in a 
foolish and violent manner.  If you are easy on them, they will do it again.
   A truly huge weregild might be reasonable, but make it clear that such
mercy will not be extended next time.
   Sad but true.
   

	"Sublett said it was the Devil's work.
	 Rydell said it was a Tokyo franchise operation."
	          _Virtual Light_   -    William Gibson.

	 Tony Pace           -            <apace@mta.ca>
From: esper@cs35b.cs.umn.edu (Dave Sherohman)
Subject: Re: SRII Physical Adepts
Organization: University of Minnesota
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1993 04:22:08 GMT

In article <1jiuffINNgd9@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu> by670@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Marc-Eivind Cruz Evensen) writes:
>
>    Points 1 and 2 are the biggest problems, with 3 being relatively minor.
>Looking in the NAG to Real Life gives some info on Astral security, and
>tipping your hand in astral space can be just as easy as tripping an alarm
>inthe real world. (and possibly just as dangerous)

No lie...  My players just about got wiped (the troll sammie took a deadly
and every body else took at least serious) because when the mages (yes, they
have 2 hermetics) projected through the walls of the elevator to check on
security, one of the hellhounds surprised both of them...  With a little help
from the team's decker, they managed to trip every alarm in the place...

esper@ima.umn.edu
From: arp2@ellis.uchicago.edu (andrew robert polis)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Vamp / Ars Magica
Date: 25 Jan 93 06:26:51 GMT
Reply-To: arp2@midway.uchicago.edu
Organization: University of Chicago

In article <1993Jan25.050449.17827@news.uiowa.edu> durrell@pinball.arcade.uiowa.edu (Bryant Durrell) writes:
>In article <1jv58bINNjl4@darkstar.UCSC.EDU> gorilla@cats.ucsc.edu (Christopher John Arnold) writes:
>>The story behind the existence of Tremere vampires is that
>>a member of house Tremere in ARS MAGICA decided that he
>>would invent a ritual that would turn him in effect into a vampire.
>>This person happened, I believe, to be the Primus of the House at
>>the time. He forced all Tremere mages to go through this ritual.
>>So we have 98% of a house of  The Order of Hermes that is now
>>Vampiric, and in the VAMPIRE world.
>
>Uh, that doesn't mesh with the info in the Players Guide and World of
>Darkness and other sources.  As I recall, some poor Kindred took the
>risk of Embracing a Tremere mage and was promptly Diablerized for his
>trouble.  I don't recall if the entire House ended up Kindred.  It 
>may not be specified.
>
Well, they do say somewhere that this magus went and embraced all of his
buddies, and then they got all of theirs.  So this might well amount to the
whole house.

-Andrew Polis
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc,rec.games.frp.advocacy
From: talbert@athena.cas.vanderbilt.edu (Robert Talbert)
Subject: Re: Random Rolls
Organization: Vanderbilt University Mathematics Department
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 22:00:46 GMT

In article <1993Jan22.163503.7783@news.tufts.edu> gharris@jade.tufts.edu (George W. Harris) writes:
>In article <1993Jan21.220026.12671@news.vanderbilt.edu> talbert@athena.cas.vanderbilt.edu (Robert Talbert) writes:
>>
>>That's why GURPS characters don't start out with 0 points. They start out with
>>some positive number (usually around 100) that they can spend on things 
>>*before* taking anything extra. And any advantage, skill, or what-have-you 
>>that exceeds the initial point value must be countered by an equal and 
>>opposite disadvantage. What's lame about that? Would you rather make it so
>>that characters can get outrageous powers without a counterbalance? That's
>>the D&D way, and it's just not the way things work in real life. 
>
>	Appealing to real life is a bad idea if you're trying to justify
>the way GURPS `balances' advantages (using the term here to mean *anything*
>that helps the character) and disadvantages.  In real life, someone who gets
>a college degree, or makes friends with the mayors daughter, doesn't suddenly
>find herself saddled with a phobia or an allergy to milk.  It *doesn't* work
>that way in real life.

It's not the way it works in GURPS, either. Generally, if you don't start 
out with something like what you mentioned, there has to be some effort 
put forth to attain it, right? Ergo, the character point. Said points are
spent to get those things. And besides, even if you do take a disad to 
counter your newfound advantage, it needn't be inane; you make friends 
with the mayor's daughter, but little do you know she has an enemy or a 
psycho stalking her and her friends... cheezy example, but you see the 
point, right? 

-- Robert

I thought I was gonna drop this thread... sigh.


--
Robert N. Talbert    		  | "I saw what cannot be seen
Mathematics Department  	  |  She spoke to me
Vanderbilt University		  |  'Take what you've learned, set it free
talbert@athena.cas.vanderbilt.edu |   See what you'll see.' " --- King's X
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: gray@visix.com (Gray Jones)
Subject: SRII:  questions (yet again)
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1993 17:45:22 GMT
Reply-To: gray@visix.com (Gray Jones)
Organization: Visix Software, Reston, Virginia


If a mage has an elemental sustaining a spell, what happens if
he/she astrally projects?  I assume the elemental continues to 
sustain the spell, but are the effects stuck with the character's
body or do they accompany him on the astral plane (particularly 
increase reflexes and combat sense spells)?

Do cyber-mages get cyberware benefits on the astral plane?
I am inclined to say yes.  

The description for encephalon in Shadow Tech says that it helps
magic.  How?  Can the task pool dice be added to the sorcery skill?
Does the intelligence bonus carry on to the astral plane?

Okay, now for some comments:

In the last game I ran, I allowed players to buy whatever equipment
they could afford, but:

They had to apply the street multiplier.

They couldn't get anything with an availability higher than
street ettiquette +2.  Remember that additional money
will lower an item's availability.

A good story (with at least one group hunting the character)
allowed the character to obtain some equipment at list price
(GM's discretion).

The end result was Street Samurai with high street ettiquette
(making their character a little more believable).

NOTE:  this also makes tac computers way too expensive for
starting players.

--gray
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: n9045178@henson.cc.wwu.edu (Sean Dean)
Subject: MegaTraveller
Organization: Western Washington University
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1993 02:09:58 GMT

 sdfs
fdd
ddf
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
d
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..
..........
........


Xref: sparky rec.games.frp.misc:11423 rec.games.frp.advocacy:3776
From: millerl@wharton.upenn.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc,rec.games.frp.advocacy
Subject: eternal gurps flamewar
Date: 21 Jan 93 15:04:34 GMT
Followup-To: rec.games.frp.advocacy
Organization: Newt World Order

In article <20JAN93.23287310.0073@VM1.MCGILL.CA>, CX6L@MUSICA.MCGILL.CA (CX6L) writes:
> So: what *do* you like, Sea Wasp? Murderous powergaming systems?
> Clunky ROLL-playing system (complete with 20 dice)? Restrictive
> random-rolled, class-driven systems? I'm curious!

Right on the nose! Sea Wasp loves powergaming with tons of dice, the
more the better. He loves Rolemaster, with its unbounded d100 from hell
charts for everything in the world, and Space Opera, which is the only
game to require more out of the players when generating a character than
Rolemaster. I'm actually surprised that he doesn't go for even more
complexity like in Living Steel, with the optional rules that break down
actions into 1/100th second increments, but guess he'd rather play games
that allow his character to survive hydrogen bomb explosions than games
that let his character get killed by a stray bullet.

-- 
whoah,
+++++++++++++++++++++++23
Loren Miller                           internet: MILLERL@wharton.upenn.edu
Mediocrity is a hand rail.                         -- Baron de Montesquieu