HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: weeks@astroatc.UUCP (Pat Weeks)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Searching for a story...
Summary: Story request......
Date: 7 Apr 92 18:26:53 GMT
Reply-To: weeks%astroatc.UUCP@spool.cs.wisc.edu (Patrick Weeks)
Distribution: rec.games.frp
Organization: Astronautics Technology Cntr, Madison, WI


	OK!  Idon't know if anyone else has read this story, but I really need
to find it.  It's about a mage who is travelling.  He meets up with some
pretty nasty encounters, deals with them in the most convenient of spell-
casting fashion and then finally makes it into a room where stands(or sits, or
whatever he wants to do) a red dragon.  It turns out the mage was there to
make his next chess move.  Cool story and I want it!

					Post and/or reply

						Thanks!!

					Ghostwheel
					weeks%astroatc.uucp@spool.cs.wisc.edu

Organization: Freshman, Physics, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 00:35:59 -0400 
From: Faisal Nameer Jawdat <fj05+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: 100-DICE: they don't work.
	<1992Apr14.190312.10652@news.nd.edu>

|> Rather than making a d100, it would be much more useful to make a dice
|> with the numbers 00,10,20,30,...,90 to avoid the arguments after a
|> roll is made over which dice was the tens. I might even have seen such
|> dice somewhere?

i know a lot of people with these
washington dc area people might check out Dream Wizards in Rockville and
see if they've got dice like that in stock
i think the number is (301)-881-3530 but i'm not sure
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
From: Dakin Burdick <burdickd@copper.ucs.indiana.edu>
Subject: Re: Swashbucklers vs. Knights in Armour, was: GM's Pain
Organization: Indiana University
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1992 18:06:49 -0500

In article <1992Apr14.152411.1385@ncar.ucar.edu> nexus@karnak.cgd.ucar.edu (Jeff Berry) writes:
>
>point a)  Rapier and Smallsword _are_ fencing weapons.  Fencing is derived
>	from defence, and these were the weapons most commonly used.

STUFF DELETED

>What this means is: fencing weapons can stand up to attacks by substantially
>heavier weapons, and can, quite probably penetrate fairly heavy armor.

The ability to penetrate armor does not mean that the fencer has a
decent chance against an armored opponent.  The fencer still has LESS
of a chance to injure the opponent, since he must attack spots that
the plate does not cover (armpits, neck, etc.; this of course assumes
plate armor), while the opponent can injure the fencer anywhere he
hits.

>Further, a well trained fencer is much less likley to be hit in the arms
>than the battle-axe wielding warrior. 

But the fencer is much more likely to get steamrolled and flattened.
 
>historically, a fencer would almost invariably fight with two objects, the off
>hand holding anything from a buckler to a sturdy dagger to a heavy cloak.

A fine idea, but unfortunately the armored opponent will also have a
second object in his off hand, namely a bloody great shield.  Not only
does the shield block target areas much more effectively than a main
gauche, but it can also be used for above listed "steamroller"
technique, and like the knife it can also be used to attack (shield
edge).

Most importantly, a fencer would have a good chance against a single
armored opponent (if nothing else, he could run away), but give me
a good suit of armor in a grand melee anyday.  The most expert fencer
will get cold-cocked by some idiot with a club, mainly because people
don't have eyes in the back of their heads (a good reason to wear
a helmet).

Dakin
burdickd@copper.ucs.indiana.edu
From: mjln_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Mikeey J. Lin)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: Lich Killing Advice Needed
Date: 11 Apr 92 22:38:33 GMT
Organization: University of Rochester - Rochester, New York

In <1992Apr11.130335.25925@usenet.ins.cwru.edu> bh967@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Greg Weller) writes:


>This is every DM's dream!! To have a lich pop up whereever you want to
>terrorize the party!! Actually he said he would have just let us run away
>if we would have left his stuff alone...but since we trashed his cave he 
>is going to come after us....
>This lich is really smart..and our DM is playing him to the fullest...He won't
>just come after us full out..He is going to wait and plan...Set a few traps
>for us on the way..and then sneak up on us when we last expect it!! So we want
>to out smart the lich before he can sneak up on us!!!


	Dude, I know the feeling. My DM once sent the a Drow Noble Family
against my 1st level Fighter just because he wanted me to face a "challenge".
Needless to say, after a few months, the Drows tracked my character down a
few hundred miles away. (he had changed his name, hair, clothing...) My 
character had advanced to second level. (ohhh wooowwww!!!) before he faced
his hunter, a MezzoDaemon. (10+ HD) Apparently, the drows had summoned a
major demon to kill me. I saw the demon, I ran, and I died running. So...
what's the solution? Start rolling for new characters. You have control over
your characters BUT the DM has control over the game. If he wants to kill your
party, there's nothing you can do. Buy life insurance and write out your will.
(Unless you make some serious threats to the DM, IMHO of course :-> )

						Mikeey
				    mjln_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu

Proud Player of BOK! The half-orc fighter. Why use magic to kill when you can
rip them apart with your bare hands? It's messier this way. :->
(The mages shouldn't have all the fun, I'm tried of playing mages)

>-Greg
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
From: sasso@flounder.phy.anl.gov (John F. Sasso)
Subject: EC's in champions
Organization: Argonne National Laboratory
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 20:33:52 GMT


The way that Elemental Controls work in Champs4:

Decide which powers will belong to the EC.  The cost of the
EC is 1/2 of the lowest point power.  Each power saves that
amount in points.

Power	Points	AfterEC
A	30	30-15=15
B	35	35-15=20
C 	50	50-15=35

With a 15 pt EC.
This is simple enough.  My question is, what constitutes a single
power?  This is very important, especially when you want to put
them in an EC.

My interpretation is the following:
(Any contrary comments welcome!)

1)  All armor physical+energy = 1 single power
2)  All FF physical+energy = 1 single power
3)  Damage reduction physical, energy, mental = SEPERATE powers

What about powers where some has lims/advantages and some doesn't,
like those extra points of presense which burn endurance?



							John F Sasso





-- 
"The only way to true inspiration is the study of TedDo.  And lots
of MauMau, of course."  The Elvis Lectures
"I am not the False Bob, I am a free man."  The Book of FalseBobs
"Since the introduction of MauMau, HP sales have skyrocketed." Book of MauMau
From: 91babik@gw.wmich.edu (Lisamarie 'Rifa the Insane' Babik)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: Inspired character names
Date: 17 Apr 92 04:12:52 GMT
Organization: Western Michigan University

In a campaign that is running at our school, one of the characters (a 
ranger) was named Erutan Yob...i.e. the backwards Nature Boy....

I thought that was a cool sounding name, though!

-- 
_______________________________________________________________________________
If you get the impression I'm not qualified to speak for this University, it's
         because I ain't, I can't, I don't, I won't, and I don'wanna. 
________Lisamarie "Rifa the Insane" Babik_________91babik@gw.wmich.edu_________
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
From: laurence@cco.caltech.edu (Dustin Lee Laurence)
Subject: Re: Steve Jackson Games is gone?
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1992 19:21:06 GMT

IK20001@MAINE.MAINE.EDU (Society for Creative Solipsism) writes:

>Oh for Christ's Sake....  Loyd????  Loyd Blankenship?  Settle all
>this *please*.

What was the net.consensus for the value of Psych. Lim.: No Sense
Of Humor?  -5 or -10 points?

-- 
Dustin

laurence@alice.wonderland.caltech.edu
From: John_Morgan@mindlink.bc.ca (John Morgan)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: DMs AID
Date: 11 Apr 92 16:45:44 GMT
Article-I.D.: mindlink.11377
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada

> The Dragon Queen writes:
> 
> Msg-ID: <11Apr92025028@miracle.UUCP>
> Posted: 11 Apr 92 07:50:28 GMT
> 
> Org.  : Miracle Computer Consultants
> 
> Anything except SSI's DM's Assistant!  Man, is that a lame program
> or what!!!
> 
> 
> 
> ---
> |         _\|/_          |This posting compliments of The Dragon Queen|
> |        /     \         |                                            |
> |       | O   O |        | Any imaginative suggestions about what can |
> |__ooo__|___ ___|__ooo__ | be writen in this box are welcome at:      |
> |  UUU      U      UUU   |           sue%miracle@merk.com             |

What was in this program?  I have never seen it so I don't know what to say
about it.

Ciao Ciao
    J

--
######################################################################
#                        #                   ARMY                    #
#  John Morgan           #              Another fine game            #
#  a345@mindlink.uucp    #              By Milton Bradley            #
#                        #                 Ages 17 & up              #
######################################################################
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
From: rayres@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Russell W Ayres)
Subject: Stupid PC Tricks
Organization: The Ohio State University
Distribution: usa
Date: Sat, 11 Apr 1992 03:27:59 GMT


A moderately high-level party (around 7th) was engaging in shipboard combat 
with a group of sailors, goblins, and other nasties.  The Paladin, Abduljab, 
rolls a natural 1; the DM rules that he lost his grip on his Sword of Sharpness
+1.  Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh, SPLASH!  He turns to a lesser (and less 
intelligent) fighter and says "Quick, give me your Long Sword +1!", which said 
lesser fighter does.  Three rounds later, another natch. 1.  Whoosh, Whoosh, 
Whoosh, SPLASH!  He turns to yet another fighter and acquires a Sword +2.  Four
rounds later (you saw it coming): Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh, SPLASH!  AT this 
point he turned and looked imploringly at the Dwarven fighter with his Flaming 
Sword; said Dwarf spit in his face and told him to stick to rubber balls 
instead.  Needless to say, the party did not let that Paladin have ANY magic 
for a LONG time (months of subsequent play).

And hence the surrounding waters came to be known as the Sea of Swords . . .

--Bill
aka Delnor, Dwaelin, Feldin, etc.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
From: jwtlai@jeeves.waterloo.edu (Jim W Lai)
Subject: Shadowrun security (Re: Shadowrun: Controlling magicians)
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 20:41:45 GMT

In article <1992Apr15.135433.27998@jarvis.csri.toronto.edu> cks@hawkwind.utcs.toronto.edu (Chris Siebenmann) writes:
> And the security systems of 2050 aren't just security systems; they're
>a lot more. Be ingenious and see current research on things like people
>locators. Information is money, and security systems are a prime source
>of it. Corps don't pass up things like that.

Large corporations who provide on-site living spaces for their employees also
kindly provide location detectors, in case anything untoward may happen to
them, of course.  (This is suggested in the novels and sounds about right.)
How thoughtful.
From: pentangl@spdcc.com (Scott Moir)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: The Undead and level loss
Date: 14 Apr 92 20:36:10 GMT
Article-I.D.: spdcc.1992Apr14.203610.7433
Organization: First Church of Cthulu, Insmouth MA

Excuse the messy post and mispellings, but I am fighting
horrid line noise.


In article <204886@unix.cis.pitt.edu> seawasp+@pitt.edu (Ryk E Spoor) writes:
>
>	[delete discussion of problems with level-loss, work on characters,
>etc.]
>
>	Best thing I can suggest is: when you're level drained, you lose
>the physical stuff that comes from the level (i.e., the HPs) and the 
>energy stuff (magical power, etc), but NOT skills (THAC0, level of
>spells you can cast [you've lost power but not skill and knowledge],
>lockpicking, etc.). This makes more sense, I mean, why would you suddenly
>forget how to pick that lock? But it does model the "enervating" effect
>of the Undead pretty well, and the characters are STILL going to be afraid;
>after all, they're taking damage and then LOSING the ability to heal to
>their former level, plus losing any power they might have had. 
>
The problem I have is that a restoration spell
brings back levels regardless of experience points.  I hate taking away hard
earned levels too, but if they can't get to a cleic in time to fix
the problem, tough bunnies, theey lose!  They should have brought
along some scrolls. Simple as that. Undead are usually not
a problem, for the most part they are turned. Those that get through
a turning aught to have a serious affect on the group. Otherwise, why
fear them?

>	You could also have them drain Con points.
>
I only drain con points for death or disease.

>				Sea Wasp

 Scott

-- 
Scott Moir / Pentangle / Satyr ______ # "There's really only one requirement 
pentangl@Ursa-Major.spdcc.com  \ \/ / #  for a Prophet, and you've got it."
B4 f t+ w g k+(+) s+ m r p+     \/\/  # "What's that?"
These are my opinions, not SPDCC's    # "A mouth." - 'God' to J.R.'BoB' Dobbs
From: caladan!seanews!monorail@seattleu.edu (Brannon Boren)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: CHAMPS:  What sort of games do you play?
Date: Tue, 07 Apr 92 01:54:20 PDT
Organization: SEANEWS - Seattle Public Access News & Mail

kieran@cmatter.physics.indiana.edu writes:

>
>   I'm interested in what sort of Champions games people have ran, *other
>than* the standard four-color, spandex, superhero games, or the angst filled
>"New Mutant" grim'n'gritty ones.  How did they run? What were the problems?  
>The point levels?  
>                         

        In college my GM ran a "one thousand years in the 
future" space game, using the heroic genre rules.  We played 
characters in the 250 point range, allowing a choice of races 
with special abilities, humans with psi powers or normal 
humans with scads of skills.  We paid no points for equipment, 
only for inherent powers and skills.
        There was the danger of unbalancing elements, but the 
players were all very good, so we didn't have much of a 
problem with that.  There was even a cameo in the game by one 
of the superheroes from our Champions game (an immortal cosmic 
energy projector named Auarkle, who was played by my buddy
Bob "I literally EXPLODE with solar energy!" Brundrett).

        Also by the same GM was a game in which we all played 
members of the Green Lantern Corps.  In a game where all the 
PCs have essentially the same powers, we each had to work 
extra hard on our conceptions to make them unique.  I played a 
yellow skinned GL from an empathic delphinoid race - sure she 
couldn't directly affect herself, but she was hell on wheels 
against other Green Lanterns (she was originally recruited to 
take out the former GL of her sector, who had gone renegade).


>    - A Bureau 13 game where players are special agents investigating
>       paranormal phenonmena?

        I ran a solo game for a friend of mine who is very 
into the Stalking the Night Fantastic genre.  He played an FBI 
agent by the name of Aarron Crown, who had a special psychic 
talent that allowed him to see life auras.  This gave him 
limited insight as to what kind of person he was dealing with, 
if people were generally good or evil, etc.  He was often 
involved in strange cases and we had a lot of fun with it.  He 
had a mysteriously intelligent black cat, too...
        He was around 250 points, but almost ALL of that was 
skills.

                        Monorail Green
                          aka B-Man



please reply to: polari!eisley!monorail@uunet.uu.net
             or: caladan!seanews!monorail@seattleu.edu
             or: monorail@pismo.wa.com
--
There is no God but Mickey Mouse,  ||  "I have this thing for
Walt Disney was His prophet, and   ||  three inch tall blondes
Michael Eisner is the Anti-Disney. ||  with wings."  - Me
From: jcorwin@ocf.berkeley.edu (Jason Corwin)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: Shadowrun: Controlling magicians
Date: 17 Apr 92 16:42:43 GMT
Article-I.D.: agate.smv63INNflt
Organization: U.C. Berkeley Open Computing Facility
NNTP-Posting-Host: avalanche.berkeley.edu

In article <1992Apr15.220726.13571@ulowell.ulowell.edu> rcashman@cs.ulowell.edu (The Jester) writes:
>In article <0dv6v5q00WAuQ94Vkd@andrew.cmu.edu> wt0b+@andrew.cmu.edu (William Henry Timmins) writes:
>
>[My original post deleted.]

[more stuff deleted]

>Lookit.  By their NATURE, to play in ANY RPG, you have to suspend that
>little voice in the back of your head that says, "This isn't real."  The
>whole point of an RPG is to take part in something fantastic, some kind
>of adventure that you, personally, could NEVER have.  So excuse me if
>I don't buy this.  If you're going to question the way the Matrix works,
>why not question the way magic works in a fantasy game?  Or why energy
>weapons or warp drives function the way they do in space-age games?
>The point is this: if something is integral to the genre you choose to
>play in, then just accept it!  Your character LIVES in the world where
>this Matrix exists, and has ALREADY accepted it!  You have to work to
>do the same.  If you can't, you'd be better off playing Papers and Pay-
>checks seven days a week.

Sure you have to suspend disbelief, but it's nice to have a consistent
framework in the game so the players know the limitations of the
characters.  The scary part about your comment about questioning the 
way magic works is that there are people who do that, in order to know
more about the world.  And if you think people don't question the
operation of energy weapons or warp drives, you should try playing
Traveller with three physics majors and a biochem major, the game gets
bogged down in techno-babble.



>Brett Cashman (The Jester)

Jason Corwin
jcorwin@ocf.berkeley.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
From: dragon@camelot.bradley.edu (Matthew Korth)
Subject: Re: STEVE JACKSON NOT GONE!!!!
Organization: Bradley University
Date:  7 Apr 92 18:06:49 GMT

In <92097.233636IO92668@MAINE.MAINE.EDU> IO92668@MAINE.MAINE.EDU writes:

>I don't know where this all started.  SJG is alive and well.  They just
>signed on Ral Partha to cast minitures for them for Gurps, Car Wars
>and others.

It came from the original post ("ADND 3rd edition & SJG", or something
like that), made on APRIL FIRST.
--
*** Matt Korth *** dragon@camelot.bradley.edu *** dragon@buhub.bradley.edu ***

Municipal Sewer Department, we've had enough shit out of you...
From: brunner@kazoo.ssd.loral.com (Brian Brunner)
Subject: Re: AD&D:  Dual Class Limits
Reply-To: brunner@kazoo.ssd.loral.com (Brian Brunner)
Organization: Space Systems/Loral
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1992 19:15:55 GMT

In article <1992Apr14.042518.710@beaver.cs.washington.edu>,
tsang@cs.washington.edu (Donald Tsang) writes:

!!>Nowhere does it say that two (or three) is the limit.
!!>It is called "Dual Class", because "Multi-Class" was taken.
!!>Bard is a character class following the pattern of the dual class
!!>that is a three-class dual-class character class.
!!
!! It is a character class; "Dual Class" is not.  A Fighter & Thief &
!! Druid is _not_ a Bard.  The 1st Edition Bard was unique.

The unique points about it were the reason for spelling it out separately.
If Bard were merely fighter -> thief -> druid, it would (we're mindreading
EGG now?) have been laid out that way. Bard is a class in addition to
Monk, Fighter, Cleric, etc. that one can get into ONLY by dual-classing
and then thee-class-dual-classing. Why not three-class-dual-class
with fighter->cleric->mage? So I wrote out the Egoist class.
BTW... 1st ed Bard as a class with no dual-class pre-requisites
is fun! Melees on the Cleric/Druid table forever, functions as a Thief of
Bard lvl/2, cannot specialize... is fun. After trying this, look at 1st
edition Bard as a three-class-dual-class and you're ready to appreciate
the egoist class.

!!
!!>Switching to Monk   (to learn to master myself,
!!>	got to get to 7th, not more than 11th)
!!
!! It was stated sometime waaaay back in Dragon that one could never
!! switch away from Monk or Paladin.  Besides, between the two, you would
!! need 17's in ALL your stats...
1: I don't get or read Dragon; T$R has enough of my $.
2: the way my wife rolls dice, straight 17's is not hard.
3: the way the egoists' player choses which campaign to run in,
	straight 17's is pickyune.
!!
!! Also, switching away from Cleric selfishly is a basis to lose *all* of
!! one's clerical spell ability.
Unless one has a God who really doesn't care... or who is IN FAVOR
of what the egoist is doing with the power...
!!
!!>Never needed this class to play an egoist. It comes natural.
!!
!! Umm, that's "egotist".
Thankx, but sorry. EGOIST is  one devoted to his own interests and
advancement; EGOTIST is a conceited, boastful person, and normally
implies being an egoist... but one can be egoist in a quiet, plotting,
non-egotist manner. EGOIST is guided by "what's in it for ME". Egotist is
"look what I can do". 

!!Donald Tsang     
--
HELP!! Somebody slapped a "stop payment" on my sanity check!!
brunner@kazoo.ssd.loral.com; Space Systems/Loral; Palo Alto, Calif.
Black Holes... the /dev/null of the Universe; the opinion of 65534.
From: hennessy@acsu.buffalo.edu (Mathew A. Hennessy)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: Shadowrun: Economics of Running
Keywords: Shadowrun
Date: 17 Apr 92 02:45:46 GMT
Organization: UB

In article <1992Apr16.222134.27845@spdcc.com> pentangl@spdcc.com (Scott Moir) writes:
>
>MemBox
>
>This is a battery operaterated chipjack-box. It contains a number of
>standard chipjacks interlocked with a central CPU. The box is
>approximately the size of a lunchbox. It can contain a number of chips
>Equal to 5000 NewYen + 1000 NewYen per chip-port. It allows instant
>access to any chip that is online. (allowing multiple chip input to
>one chipjack) Corps use this for sentry-deckers who are monitoring
>thier systems.
>
>(Think about it, this makes LOADS of sense.)

	I have been thinking about this very thing!  and wondering how to
implement it with my GM..  saves on essence (quite important figuring my
decker only has .62 or so, he's very EDGY and has an almost paralysing fear of
spirits/elementals) and oh so affordable!  I'd like a way to network it into
your deck so you could use your deck to run the chips to your head and make it
your central computing unit thru one jack...  maybe for an extra 5-6000nuyen?

>
>Armored Membox
>
>Same as above, but encased in Kevlar. 4/3 shielding.
>As above + 1000 NewYen.

	would go perfect with my armored deck 4/3 (hey if you're gonna put
hundreds of thousands of nuyen into your deck, why be an absolute brainless
eediot and go without the best protection?)

>
>Scott

-- 
   /I\          The Power of the Pyramid...  working for ME!  HAHAHAHA!!
  /(*)\         hennessy@acsu.buffalo.edu...  master of discord!
 /IIIII\        UB could care less what a student thinks, let alone says.
/IIIIIII\       Someone you trust is one of us.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
From: sjs28257@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Steve Stelter)
Subject: Re: DMing Question: Player/Character IQ differences
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1992 15:56:17 GMT

jpk2581@tesla.njit.edu writes:


>What is the best way to resolve a difference in the
>intelligence of a player and the intelligence of 
>his/her character?

>I am thinking specifically of a situation where all
>the PLAYERS were stumped by a particular riddle, but
>several of the CHARACTERS had Int's of 18 and would 
>have been able to solve it easily.

GMing situations in which the characters are more intelligent than the
players is pretty easy.  The best way I know of to handle stumped PCs
is to let them make Intelligence rolls; success means you provide the
players with some hints.  Unless the players are real dimwits, though,
I'd avoid revealing the complete solution to them.

This way, you can simulate the increased powers of insight the characters
have, while still not giving the whole thing away to the players.


                                 --Steve Stelter
                                   sjs28257@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu