HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: slb22@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Seth "the Lesser")
Subject: Re: GURPS Luck
Organization: Generic American College Kids (G.A.C.K.)
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 07:37:33 GMT
Reply-To: slb22@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Seth "the Lesser")
Distribution: rec
X-Posted-From: cunixb.cc.columbia.edu
NNTP-Posting-Host: sol.ctr.columbia.edu

dseal@armltd.co.uk (David Seal) writes:
>  Effective    Chance of success    Chance of success    Chance of success
>   skill        with one roll        with two rolls       with three rolls
>  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>     4-           0.0185               0.0003               0.0000
>     5            0.0463               0.0021               0.0001
>     6            0.0926               0.0086               0.0008
[rest of table deleted]

Umm, David, you've got your equations wrong.  It should be _easier_ to make a
roll if you get three chances, not _harder_....

The relevant equations are as follows (C = chance of success on one roll, C' =
chance of success with two rolls, C" = chance of success with three rolls):

C' = C + (1 - C) * C
C" = C + (1 - C) * C' = C' + (1 - 2C + C ** 2) * C

  Effective    Chance of success    Chance of success    Chance of success
   skill        with one roll        with two rolls       with three rolls
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
     4-           0.0185               0.037                0.054
     5            0.0463               0.090                0.133
     6            0.0926               0.177                0.253
     7            0.1620               0.298                0.412
     8            0.2593               0.451                0.594
     9            0.3750               0.609                0.756
    10            0.5000               0.750                0.875
    11            0.6250               0.859                0.947
    12            0.7407               0.933                0.983
    13            0.8380               0.974                0.996
    14            0.9074               0.991                0.999
    15            0.9537               0.998                1.000-
    16+           0.9815               1.000-               1.000-

(Note that there may be some errors of +/-0.001 in these figures, since I
calculated them based on the rounded figures in the first column.)

The maximum step in the first column is 0.125 (9-10-11), in the second column
0.158 (8-9), in the third column 0.182 (7-8).  This does not support your
thesis that Luck increases graininess; rather, Luck moves the "cliff" of the
probability curve to a lower skill value.

Seth L. Blumberg          \ Warning: This posting has been determined to cause
slb22@columbia.edu (play)   \ cancer in laboratory animals.  Please make sure
sethb@ctr.columbia.edu (work) \ that no white mice are allowed to read it.  
    > No one I know shares my opinions, least of all Columbia University. <
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: irvine@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu (Brent Irvine)
Subject: Swashbuckling
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1992 23:31:10 GMT


Does anyone know of RPG games set in the 1492-1715 era?

I am starting to adapt Ars Magica to that era, but want to first see how
others are doing it...

Thanks in advance,
brent

-- 
+-------------------------+-----------------+---------------------------------+
| Brent L. Irvine         | NE PER INGENIUM | The above personal opinions     |
| irvine@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu | MEUM SED DEI    | can be yours too for only $50!  |
+-------------------------+-----------------+---------------------------------+
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: Scheirich Harald <scheirich@eigcl1.una.ac.at>
Subject: RQ:  Runes question
X-Xxmessage-Id: <A757BBB71401A62B@eigmc3.tuwien.ac.at>
X-Xxdate: Fri, 18 Dec 92 17: 32:39 GMT
Organization: Technical University Vienna
X-Useragent: Nuntius v1.1.1d10
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 16:31:07 GMT

First thanks to everybody who answered my question about Runelords and
Heros.
This one is the natural followup to the first one, or maybe I should have
posted it
first.
Could you explain the concept of runes in Runequest, what are they, how
can a character obtain them, are there different types of runes, what
kinds are there...........
I still do not have any material from editions earlier than 3rd so please
be as explicit as you can be.

Thanks in advance
Replies to this list or to 
scheirich@eigvs4.una.ac.at
From: hgarcia@sw.stratus.com (Henry Garcia)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Marvel SuperHeroes
Date: 16 Dec 1992 19:13:17 GMT
Organization: Stratus Computer, Inc.
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: boynton.sw.stratus.com

In article <BzD4uA.F4r@uxa.ecn.bgu.edu>, mujel@uxa.ecn.bgu.edu (Ranger) writes:
> I have the original Marvel SuperHeroes boxed set.
> How does this differ from the newer version (Advanced)?
> What new rules are there, or what was modified?
> How does the new martial arts work (A, B, C, etc.)?
> 


One of the additions in the advanced rules is that they expanded the power
rankings out to something like class 5000 or something (it's been a while since 
I picked look at the rules)
From: seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Palladium/Wizards of the Coast Lawsuit
Date: 18 Dec 92 03:29:46 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh
Originator: seawasp@unixd1.cis.pitt.edu

In article <1992Dec17.223531.4921@oz.plymouth.edu> sos@oz.plymouth.edu (Steffan O'Sullivan) writes:
>I haven't seen your products yet, so I can't answer you exactly.  The
>reason I haven't seen them yet is two-fold: I have no clue what the
>word capsystem means (did you make it up, or is it from some milieu I
>am unfamiliar with?)

	They made it up. A capsystem is a system of rules designed to fit
on top of (like a cap) any existing rules you may be using, to supplement
you in areas you may not have rules to cover. Right?

, and I'm not interested in gaming multiple deities
>except in a mythic Greek world, and I have enough knowledge to run that
>on my own, thanks.  (Yes, I realize you will be making other types of
>books - if I ever learn what capsystem means, I might pick one up.)

	I find TPO to be useful for getting a direct handle on what
deities can and can't do, and their limitations versus both each other
and other Powers.

>I also remember saying I didn't think putting in system-specific stats
>was either wise or necessary.  As I said, I haven't seen your product,
>so I don't know how much space you devoted to system translations, but
>it's bound to be a waste of space to most people.  If you give stats
>for twenty systems, nobody will use nineteen of them.


	GURPS, AD&D, Talislanta, Torg, Arduin, RuneQuest, Ars Magica,
RoleMaster, WarpWorld, Hero, Warhammer... I think I've forgotten a couple
others. "Nobody"? Oh, yes, ShadowRun, too. 

	Took up about 18 pages, total? I'm not sure.  Very useful.

>Or you could just use FUDGE :-)  ...  most people understand words like
>"a Good swordsman, a Great swordsman, a Superb swordsman" and so on.

	I suggested that many times myself. I've been shouted down
every time. Ah, well...


                                 Sea Wasp
                                   /^\
                                   ;;;
From: marauder@terapin.com (Delbert Laird)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Test
Date: 18 Dec 92 23:35:00 PST
Organization: BBS

Posting test from terapin.com-------------->>>> Please ignore.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: sos@oz.plymouth.edu (Steffan O'Sullivan)
Subject: Re: Swashbuckling
Organization: Plymouth State College - Plymouth, NH.
	<BVNmVB5w165w@swob.nullnet.fi> <Bz66nz.GA7@news.cso.uiuc.edu>
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 92 00:33:32 GMT

irvine@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu (Brent Irvine) writes:

>Does anyone know of RPG games set in the 1492-1715 era?

In no particular order:

Flashing Blades, FGU.
Lace & Steel, Australian Games Group
Witch Hunt, StatCom Sim
En Garde, GDW
Pirates & Plunder, Yaquinto
Skull & Crossbones, FGU
GURPS Swashbucklers, SJG

Hero and Palladium both have supplements, also, but I don't know the
names, sorry.

-- 
  - Steffan O'Sullivan		         sos@oz.plymouth.edu
From: at731@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Troy L. Nothnagel)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: SRII: Matrix rules
Date: 11 Dec 1992 20:29:04 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Reply-To: at731@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Troy L. Nothnagel)
NNTP-Posting-Host: hela.ins.cwru.edu


In a previous article, lward@husc11.harvard.edu (Lester Ward) says:

>I can see how this would be true up to a point.  Because reality filters
>exist and decks include simsence hardware, it would make more sence for
>a node to send a message into your deck saying "I look like a standard
>SAN" and your deck looks up a UMC standard SAN icon and displays it.
>However, for specific icons, like scultpted systems, or even the Fuchi
>Star (funny you should mention the Fuchi Star, Adam....), icon descriptions,
>most likely vector maps would have to be uploaded to the simsence software
>at least once.
>
>Wordman
>

It's stated several times in Virtial Realities and perhaps elsewhere
that the part of the program you see in the matrix IS the program.  That
is, you don't make up a spiffy Attack 6 program and then decide to make
it look like an assault cannon.  You have to 'sculpt' the program to
look the way you want while you're programming it.  Yet another good
reason for menacing-looking IC.  If it LOOKS badass, and they took time
with small details, it's reasonable to assume that it's nasty IC.
From: meierdalepau@bvc.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: SW Rebel Alliance Sourcebook Error
Date: 17 Dec 92 11:31:46 CST
Organization: Buena Vista College, Storm Lake, IA

	In the chapter on the Alliance military [p.38?], the author notes that 
SpecForce marines are trained to use the Alliance's battlesuits and have 
access to them when needed.  However, there are no stats covering this 
piece of hardware.  Granted, these suits mimic the concept behind the armor 
used by the Empire's zero-g stormtroopers and would have to be pretty rare 
in a campaign, if not inaccessable to PCs, in order to keep game balance.  
I just want to know if anyone else has found this glitch and what they've 
done to correct it besides ignoring it.

Dale Meier
From: mavra@cpac.washington.edu (Peter D. Adkison)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Palladium/Wizards of the Coast Lawsuit
Date: 19 Dec 92 17:58:29 GMT
	<1992Dec17.204454.17079@unislc.uucp> <1gr9umINNq61@mozz.unh.edu>
Organization: Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

Richard Tomasso writes (regarding our listing Palladium's address):

> Hey, Peter, wouldn't this sort of prove WotC isn't doing this
> to hurt game companies, since you provide a reference to all the games so
> people who buy the book can check out a system they think looks neat?

I think it could certainly help to illustrate that there was no
malicious intent.  I'm not sure how much bearing that will have on the
causes of action, but you can be sure we'll bring it up.

				--Mavra!
				  Peter D. Adkison
				  Janitor, Wizards of the Coast
				  mavra@wizards.com

The above internet address should be used for e-mail if it is
different from the e-mail address in the header.
From: maillet@tls-cs.cert.fr (Luc Maillet)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: SR:  Laverty
Date: 15 Dec 92 08:13:38 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: CERT, CS Dpt. Toulouse, France

In article <1992Dec14.164240.11102@cs.uwp.edu>, johnson1@cs.uwp.edu (Christina Johnson) writes:
|> 
|> ok...  I don't remember where, but somewhere I read that Professor Laverty
|> (of the Tir) is an excellent teacher of magic, but is mundane himself. 
|> Yet, in one of the FASA books on the Dog Shamen (the third, I believe) Sam
|> sees Laverty moving about in the astral plane.  Pr.  Laverty and his
|> buddies hold a conference there, in fact.  Is Laverty Active or not?
|> 
|> Thank you

  What makes you believe he's mundane ? I've always thought he was hermetic mage,
and of pretty high caliber at that. Does someone has a positive ref. ?

								Redwing
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: burke@vxdesy.desy.de
Subject: Re: SRII: Matrix rules
Organization: (DESY, Hamburg, Germany)
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 21:13:12 GMT

In article <1gatmhINNohm@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu>, at731@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Troy L. Nothnagel) writes:
> it look like an assault cannon.  You have to 'sculpt' the program to
> look the way you want while you're programming it.  Yet another good
> reason for menacing-looking IC.  If it LOOKS badass, and they took time
> with small details, it's reasonable to assume that it's nasty IC.

As far as I can see, this is really only a role-playing device. It's made
pretty clear (notably in the story that comes with Virtual Realities) that
the visual impression of anything is arbitrary, and is under control of the
decker's deck - even in a sculpted system, you can ignore the system's image
of itself and use your own. The only difference is that in a sculpted system
things don't send out the standard signals saying "I'm an SPU", "I'm a SAN"
etc., so if you don't use the "sculpting" you'll have no clue as to what
things are (of course, the sculptors may be deliberately trying to mislead
you, so you may be better off that way ...)

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: dunkelza@titan.ucc.umass.edu (KEITH C MCCORMIC)
Subject: Re: Palladium/Wizards of the Coast Lawsuit
Organization: University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 03:25:49 GMT


    I apologize for my lack of knowledge about your company, and about your
"Capsystem".  I also am surprised to note that your capsystem has not appeared
in my area, so I assumed that you were a smaller company.  When you said 
Talislanta, it rang a bell, and I remembered the name from a catalog (I think).

    Anyways, I would recommend the use of those used games to prove the 
legality of the Capsystem.  Do not, however use anything by the Judge's Guild.
Not only were the licensed by T$R, but Siembda was one of the bigwigs in it.

    
Dunkelzahn

P.S.-What are the systems that the Capsystem is for?

P.P.S.-I do agree with the idea of making supplements for other companies'
       games, but the company I'm with doesn't.  Hell, I would be really
       flattered if someone started coming up with stuff for my game....
-- 
_____________________________________________________________________________
| Dunkelzahn the Greater Western Dragon | "Eternal vigilance is the price   |
| Dunkelza@titan.ucc.umass.edu          |  of Freedom"                      |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: hyatt@owlnet.rice.edu (David Waterman Hyatt)
Subject: Re: Shadowrun Question -- Auras and Spells
Organization: Rice University
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 07:53:29 GMT

In article <lward.724315878@husc11> lward@husc11.harvard.edu (Lester Ward) writes:
>It always makes me kinda roll when, in a system where generating energy from
>nothing is accepted as fact, something is objected to on the grounds that
>it doesn't make sense.

The astral energy is drawn from the spellcaster's aura.  That's why
he rolls drain.  I don't have any problem with this.

>
>Anyway, the posters whole point was based on the fact that the word 'aura'
>was used the same way throughout the text.  I don't feel this is correct.
>It the "how spells works" section, (a very hand-wavy portion of the book)
>it seemed like 'aura' was used because it was a more pleasure phrase than
>"thing you can see in astral space".  In the second instance it was used
>as the more familiar aura generated by living things.

I disagree.  I think the term AURA is well-defined under the Shadowrun
rules, and the authors had the same intent in both passages when they
used that word.

As to the point raised by Mason.  If a spell grounds through objects'
auras, then how do you define what constitutes an object?  Is an
entire building considered an object, or can you selectively
target the windows, the door, etc?  If you CAN selectively target,
why can't you apply this to people?  

The conclusion that I'm coming to is that objects do have auras,
based on how close to nature they are.  When an area effect spell
is cast, we'll see which targets are affected, etc., but I won't
roll for the secondary damage.  Like the first edition Grimoire
says, around page 50 or so, make car windshields blow out, floors
blow away, etc., but purely for dramatic effect.  Don't worry about
rolling unless the spellcaster wishes to specifically attempt to
target an inanimate object.

Any more feedback?

Dave
From: mrm70@diag.amdahl.com (Mike McAllister)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Warhammer FRP - WH40k conversion
Date: 12 Dec 92 01:38:04 GMT
Organization: Amdahl Corporation, Sunnyvale CA

I have just started getting into WH40k, and am wondering
if any official (GW) rules have been created for converting
between this and Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay rules. Wounds, for
example, are different (regular humans have 6 or so in WHFRP,
only 1 in WH40k). I don't know most of the WHFRP rules, but
couldn't find any reference to this conversion in any books or mags I
looked at.

Please don't flame me for wanting to run WH40k as a single-character
rpg-type game. I'd just like the capability to run reasonably in it at
any level, and to convert with WHFRP. Also I realize I could make up
my own conversion rules, and may do so if nothing 'official' is out there.

Mike
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: lavonius@plootu.Helsinki.FI (Ville Lavonius)
Subject: Re: Dangerous Journeys: Feedback
Organization: Cthulhoid Entities for a Better Tomorrow
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 16:19:51 GMT

In article <18522@mindlink.bc.ca> a481@mindlink.bc.ca (J.D. Frazer) writes:

   > Robert J. Hall writes:
   > There's a review in the latest issue of The Gamer that pretty much
   > summed up my opinion of Dangerous Journeys. When I originally picked
   > up DJ, I very much wanted to like the game system. Try as I might,
   > I just couldn't. Honest! It just isn't worth the expense.

   Thanks for the warning. I won't be blowing my money on it then.

White Wolf reviews weren't that positive (2/5 if I remember correctly).

   Sounds like E.G.G. hasn't changed from his _Dragon_ days. Are there any
   references to Gentle Reader or Learned Author? GOD, I *hated* his pompous
   style.

Yes. At least in his magazine articles in Journeys (the GDW multi system
trite). And there are some "nice" letters from the public in the second
issue: "I am a follower of Gary Gygax", "I immediately bought two copies
of each book". 

   Despite the shortcomings of the author, it's too bad DJ is a disappointment.

At least it is the "Densest RPG book" award winner of '92...

   J.D. Frazer, a481@mindlink.bc.ca, (Vancouver, B.C., Canada)
--
Ville Lavonius	        University of Helsinki, Dept. of Computer Science
lavonius@cc.helsinki.fi : "Military intelligence - two words combined that
                           can't make sense.
From: gadbois@cs.utexas.edu (David Gadbois)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: RQ: Runelords and Heroes question (still LONG)
Date: 19 Dec 1992 20:54:38 -0600
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu

   From: beykema@infonode.ingr.com (Maurice Beyke)
   Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 20:01:22 GMT

   In article <19921218045243.2.GADBOIS@CLIO.MCC.COM> gadbois@cs.utexas.edu (David Gadbois) writes:

   >This example is particularly compelling in light of the recent
   >revelations about the cult of Yelmalio. [...]

    Okay, I'll bite.  Where was this "recent revelation" revealed?
    This is way cool, but I'd like more information, please; was this
    from private conversations with Greg Stafford (so what do you
    thing, RQ Fans, should we take up a collection to pay for someone
    to follow GS around 24 hours, writing down all things Gloranthan
    he mutters, and mail it out in a monthly apa or what?) or has it
    been published somewhere that I missed?

Greg Stafford was telling the story at Convulsion last summer.  I get
the impression that he made up it up on the spot.  David Hall and
Scott Schneider provided more details, and I filled in some gaps
myself.  I'd be happy to contribute to the Stafford scribe project.

   >My guess as to why the questers were able to pull off such a
   >mind-boggling alteration of the fabric of History was that,
   >mythologically speaking, they were following the path of least
   >resistance.  [...]

    Next question: did this change the (Y)Elmalio cult's "history",
    i.e. what has happened to it since the beginning of Time (up till
    now considered impossible by all the heroquest experts I'd heard
    from) or did it just change it's mythology, and how it functions
    from now on?  This is a *very* important distinction, and, if the
    first is correct, changes a great deal of what *I* thought I
    understood about Heroquesting.

   [...]

    But even there, I don't believe anything in *Time* changed.  They
    made up a history for the cult, but there was no one to contradict
    them, so no events in Time necessarily changed.  This is a very
    different thing we're talking about now.

Maybe I'm getting carried away here, but my impression is that Time
(which I have been calling History) is the result or shadow of what
"happened" in Godtime as ossified by the Great Compromise.  The
strange part, of course, is that from within Time you can fiddle with
Godtime.  The conclusion I draw is that Time has to change to
accomodate changes in Godtime.  Cheng and Harris have made some good
points downthread, so I'll continue the discussion there.

--David Gadbois


Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: esper@cs35b.cs.umn.edu (Dave Sherohman)
Subject: Re: SR:New Releases
Keywords: Grimoire II
Organization: University of Minnesota
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 19:32:16 GMT

In article <BzEtCG.rH@mentor.cc.purdue.edu> mancinis@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (steven mancini) writes:
>
>	There are new powers; a contact on another group told us about
>	a new power->  Spell Anchoring. It is gross. So there will
>	be some additions...
>
>	Spell Anchoring? basically it allows you to contigently link one
>	spell to another from what I have been told, like, for example
>	linking a Hellblast to a Detect Enemies.
>
>	'Scuse me whilst I go toss my cookies.
>							Minotaur

'Taint nearly so bad as you think, Minotaur.  Sounds like your chummer forgot
to mention that all spells involved take effect at the location of the anchoring
object.  In the example you mentioned, as soon as an enemy came within range of
you, you'd blow yerself up with the hellblast...  Now, you could put hellblast
on a bullet set to go off when it hits the target, but that'd cost you (Force +
1 (or more)) karma to set up.  Per bullet.

Also, the anchored spell can be activated by a physical event in contact with
the anchoring object - good for making magic traps and such, or items that
set off a spell upon hearing a certain word or phrase.

Since nobody else has told the world yet, I'll toss in the rest of what's in
Grimoire II:
- Elemental Adepts (the Hermetic equivalent of Shamanic Adepts)
- New insect totems (now you can meet Ant, Fly, Termite, Wasp, Roach, and
	Mantid)
- Updated spell design rules (accompanied by expanded spell list, of course)
- Some new Physical Adept powers (and an end to arguments over Centering by
	PA's - "a physical adept can make a Centering Test to reduce the
	target number modifiers against any Physical Skill Test")
- A couple pages of info on major magical personaliies
- Druids
- Use of symbolic links in ritual sorcery and the decay of genetic links
- General updates, clarifications, and expansions on everything else

esper@ima.umn.edu