HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: surge@cqs.washington.edu (Jonathan Sari)
Subject: Re: SJ Games Licenses White Wolf's Vampire
Organization: University of Washington
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 09:09:19 GMT

jhk6@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (John H Kim) writes:


>	Alot of these posts should really be moved to frp.advocacy, I 
>think, if they don't have anything constructive to say.

No, a lot of these posts should be moved to frp.advocacy, especially if
they have something constructive to say.  Posts with nothing constructive
to say should have been sent in E-mail.

-Jon
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Mad Scientists and Dr. Frankenstein
From: charles.summerhill@grapevine.lrk.ar.us (Charles Summerhill) 
Date: 22 Nov 92 21:46:00 GMT
Reply-To: charles.summerhill@grapevine.lrk.ar.us (Charles Summerhill) 
Distribution: world
Organization: The GrapeVine BBS *** N. Little Rock, AR *** (501) 753-8121


[ I'm glad you asked this question.  There are many routes for the
  enterprising Mad Scientist to follow, but I'll only present a
  couple here.

  One is, as you mentioned, biotechnology.  However, Frankenstein's
  creation was pitiful and clumsy compared with what modern Science
  can accomplish. ]

I both agree and disagree with your statements above <g>.  In the
Champions
campaign that I am currently playing in, my character is very much like
the Mad Scientist that you describe.  He is a master of genetics and
electronics.  My favorite thing to do in this particular campaign is to
"invent" new technologies which appear in the world and of course some
of the benefits and side-effects (especially the side-effects).
---
   Case in point, our characters had "found" some very alien technology
which could produce "statis" fields along with some other alien tech-
nology.  After a couple of "game" years, my character has produces among
other things a very limited Time Machine and technology for creating
force fields.  This is the most satisifing aspects of this campaign for
me.
---
[ The possibilities for the Modern Mad Scientist go far beyond creating
  buckets of bolts barely capable of uttering a coherent sentence and
  afraid of a little open flame (I'm referring to the popular, rather
  than the literary, conception of Frankenstein).  Countless wonders
  await those who understand the foundations and ways of the universe
  and power far beyond that possessed by any Kindred or Lupine. ]


   By the way, my only disagreement comes from the unique <g> orgin of
my character.  He is basically a "what-if" of Dr. Frankenstein Monster.
I proposed that Dr. Frankenstein was not trying to create life, but to
sustain it.  He created an alchemical formula of constant, low-level
regeneration and administered to a mentally-retarded (Savant) child.
This is the most enjoyable character that I have ever played, especially
in a Champions campaign.  I especially love to force my 17th century
morals on a group of SuperHeros.
---
   Charles A. Summerhill
From: durrant@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (unknown)
Subject: Re: Srun 2: Vampires
Summary: Dwarves and HMVV
Organization: Purdue University
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 20:41:27 GMT

In article <1ef4lgINNpen@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu>, at731@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Troy L. Nothnagel) writes:
> 
> In a previous article, johnson1@cs.uwp.edu (Christina Johnson) says:
> 
> >I play in a campaign with a shape-shifter PC.  I realize it's not usual to
> >have them as characters, but the gm likes big PC's so he can have big, bad
> >villians.  It's actually pretty fun.  At any rate, what happens if this
> >shape-shifter (she's an elven mage in human form and a tiger in shifted form)
> >contracts the virus? 
> >
> >The reason i ask is because we DID encounter a vampire.  No one got
> >"bitten", but the question was raised.  We didn't know if she would succumb
> >to the elven nature (ie become a vampire) or if shapeshifters take on a
> >different form (as orcs become wendigos).  Or if shapeshifters were immune.
> >We had NO IDEA.  
> 
> In my campaign I've basically ruled that people aren't "immune" to it
> (except perhaps dwarves and the like) but if they get drained to 0 they
> DO contract the virus.  Unfortunately, they also die from it.  Horribly
> and quite painfully.  Came up with this because I've got that a male elf
> who is magically active will turn into a special kind of vampire that
> instead of draining essense drains magical energy.  The unfortunate male
> elf that also happens to be mundane dies.  (Not a pretty sight, mind
> you.)
> 
> 


At this years GenCon our group played in the FASA sponsored tourney Corporate 
Nightlife:II.  We won first place and after the  last round we were able to talkto the writers of the adventure.  They told us that the basis of the adventure:
that HMHVV was created by a dragon as an experiment will become mainline SR 
reality in an upcoming suppliment.  The said dragon also had help. Two dwarves.
Both of these dwarves had HMHVV and according to the writers a dwarf with 
HMHVV is called a goblin. The stats for them will be published with the work
From: futrena@wkuvx1.bitnet
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: A GURPS Inquiry...
Date: 20 Nov 92 18:24:06 CST
Organization: Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY

In my opinion, GURPS, Generic Universal RolePlaying System, by
Steve Jackson Games is one the best RPG's on the market today.
However, a good RPG can't overcome writer's block.  Here's the scoop.

I am currently between adventures in my current campaign.  The
campaign 'universe' is called Space Fantasy.  It contains elements of
science fiction (hi-technology, starships, weird alien races,
futuristic weapons, psionics, etc.) and fantasy (magic, melee weapons,
fantasy races, etc.).  I have also thrown in a bit of cyberpunk to add
tension.  There is much more to it than this, but I don't want to bore
you to tears.

I am just asking to find out if any of you can give some new plot ideas 
for adventures.  I have acquired several used copies of AD & D
adventures, but I prefer to write my own.  My gaming group is very
advanced, meaning they haved gamed for a number of years.  I am
running out of original ideas for adventures.

If you want more information, I can e-mail the basic, overview
document.  Any questions, comments, thoughts, and ideas will be
appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
-- 
+===============================================================+
|Nathan Futrell			|DangerMouse:  Penfold...	|
|futrena@WKUVX1.BITNET		|Penfold:  Yes...?	  	|
|Western Kentucky University	|DM:  SHUSH!		  	|
|Bowling Green, KY USA		|P:  Oh, 'eck!		  	|
+===============================================================+
From: dfn@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (David Nalle)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Need Info on Gaming in Germany
Date: 18 Nov 92 16:53:16 GMT
Article-I.D.: ut-emx.83880
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX

I'm going on a trip to visit relatives in Germany later this year and I was
looking for information on game stores and distributors in Germany.  I had
in mind flogging some Ragnarok games to them and have very little information
to work from.

I'm going to be spending most of my time in Frankfurt, but will be mobile.

There must be some German gamers out there who would like to help me get
Ysgarth and other Ragnarok games into the stores over there.

Please respond in email.

Thanks

Dave
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: drew@snow.geology.wisc.edu (Drew Novick)
Subject: Re: SJ Games Licenses White Wolf's Vampire
Organization: Dept. of Geology & Geophysics, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 92 22:19:56 GMT

In article <1992Nov16.031813.22661@news.uiowa.edu> durrell@pinball.arcade.uiowa.edu (Bryant Durrell) writes:
>
>Can any of the GURPS people out there
>provide us with a writeup of Celerity that is point-balanced with 
>the other Disciplines?  Or do you think they'll just define 
>Disciplines as another mechanic?
>
>(Celerity gives 1-5 extra actions per turn, depending on the level.
>For comparison's sake, Dominate 1 is the equivalent of AD&D's 
>Command spell, and Auspex 1 doubles normal sensory abilities.)

I'm not a GURPS expert so I'm not going to try a direct write up.  I'll
simply point out that in playing Vampire, Celerity seems to be a bigger
advantage than anything else I've come across.  No surprise that in GURPS
it would cost more.

>Bryant
>durrell@chop.isca.uiowa.edu

Drew Novick (drew@ice.geology.wisc.edu)  Game systems are irrelevant.
Genres are irrelevant.  You are irrelevant.  I am irrele.....
From: mason
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Srun 2: Vampires
Date: 15 Nov 92 23:38:52 GMT
Organization: Rice University

Vampires in Shadowrun are the victims of an Awakened virus, which
affects its victims magically as well as biologically.  They are
difficult to detect, and register as mundane to most medical
examinations (there are a few blood tests that will reveal the
presence of the vampiric virus).
 
So question:  Can a vampire have children, and would those children
be vampires?  (I have my own opinions, but am interested in those
of the board).
 
 
-- mason
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc,rec.games.frp.advocacy
From: cwatters@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Coyt D Watters)
Subject: SRUN: Straw Poll being tallied
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 15:10:19 GMT

Ok, I have begun tallying the results of the Straw Poll on Shadowrun.

Expect a total posted by close of business today.

-Coyt
From: phi@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Aeleck)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Shadowrun-Trid
Date: 19 Nov 92 14:55:01 GMT
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center

In article <1992Nov18.195502.10999@ncsu.edu> jlperkin@eos.ncsu.edu (JERRY LEE PERKINSON) writes:
>
>In article <BxvyHw.Lwz@mentor.cc.purdue.edu>, phi@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Aeleck) writes:
>|>And speaking of that nasty dragon and 
>|>what he would do, I personally saw an orc take out a dragon
>|>SINGLE-HANDEDly before that dragon could inhale!  :)
>|>
>|>                        -Talltales
>|>
>|>
>I hate to say it but without heavy modifications, most of the animals/
>paranormals in SR are weak.  SRII did a better job with the updates.
>Finally gave some of the animals real armor.  Some even vehicular armor.
>Too bad, I can no longer take down a Juggernaut or Behemoth with a pistol.
>Or a dragon with an SMG.
>
>Killjoy, eater of lost souls


Well the joke about my original posting was that the orc was armed with a 
HMG.  (Also, but nobody knows this, the rigger of the group sunk two AVM 
missiles into it at the same time.)

(*giggle*) Ok, it's out.

Aeleck                 /                  /  
                      /                  /        
     __      __      /   __      __     /         
    /  \    /  \    /   /  \    /  \   / \        "If you're not having
   /   /   /\__/   /   /\__/   /      /\_/         fun, you're doing some-
   \__/\__/\___/__/\__/\___/__/\___/ /   \__/      thing wrong." -Patrick

             Hate is not a family value.  Boycott Colorado
From: ratinox@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu (Richard Pieri)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Hero Question: focii
Date: 15 Nov 92 21:58:58 GMT
Reply-To: ratinox@meceng.coe.northeastern.edu
Organization: 3WA, Boston Office. Or Nu Meta Chi. Take your pick.
X-Posting-Software: GNUS 3.14.1 [ NNTP-based News Reader for GNU Emacs ]
X-Signature-Virus-Protection: Version 1.51
X-Get-A-Clue: Have two, they're small.

>>>>> In article <1992Nov13.202821.16547@daffy.cs.wisc.edu>,
>>>>> hague@cat20.cs.wisc.edu (Vince Hague) writes:

VH>   What I want to do is try to use some of the powers as special
VH> melee attacks. For instance:

VH>   A) Missle deflection: this ability can only be done while using
VH> a shield or an object much like a shield (silver serving plate,
VH> metal table top, etc). Only missles like daggers and arrows can be
VH> deflected (sorry, spears are just too powerful)

This is a special effect of the Obvious Inaccessable Focus limitation:
Missile Deflection vs. thrown weapons, OIF (shields, etc). I'd say
that spears are more easilly deflectable than arrows are, tho.

VH>   B) Double strike: this attack does two very fast hits to an
VH> opponent in the same phase. Here is how it is bought:

No. Buy more Speed if you want to make more attakcs in a Turn. In a
Supers game you could use a Reduced Penetration attack; you don't do
this in Heroic-level games. Again, buy more Speed if you want to make
more attacks in a Turn.

VH> On an alternative question,
VH>   When attacking witha melee weapon, If I am using a Great Axe
VH> (2d6 HKA), How much endurance do I expend when using a 2d6 attack?
VH> (3 END?)  Also, can I choose to strike lighter (a 1/2 d6 attack)
VH> for (1 END?)?

You use 1 END for every 5 Strength required to use the weapon (STR
Min) and every 5 Strength used to add to damage. So, with a STR 15 and
a battle axe (2D6K, STR 13) you would do 2D6K and spend 3 END (3 END
for Strength, none added to damage); with a knife (1/2D6K, STR 6), you
could do 1D6K (adding 5 STR) using 2 END (1 END for Strength, 1 END
for 5 Strength added to damage). A Strength 15 would have an OCV
penalty when using a Great Axe (2D6+1K), because it has a Strength Min
of 18; he'd still spend 3 END for the Strength, though.

--Rat
||||| | | | |  |  |  |   |   |    |    |    |   |   |  |  |  |  | | | | | |||||
Northeastern's Stainless Steel Rat          ratinox@meceng.coe.northeastern.edu
The only way to deal with temptation is to yield to it.           --Oscar Wilde
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: sos@oz.plymouth.edu (Steffan O'Sullivan)
Subject: Re: Converting a book into a world
Organization: Plymouth State College - Plymouth, NH.
	<1992Nov18.005454.2837@oz.plymouth.edu> <BxxI66.Jyo@access.digex.com>
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 92 22:20:50 GMT

dzik@access.digex.com (Joseph Dzikiewicz) writes:
>>I always set a three musketeers after the events in the
>>book.
>
>But after which of the books?  Remember there were many books about the
>Three Musketeers, including the original, "After Twenty Years", 
>"The Man in the Iron Mask", "Louise de la Valliere", and, I believe,
>others still.
>
>I presume you mean after the first book, still under Louis XII, with
>Richielieu still running around.  (All the others took place in the 
>time of Louis XIV.)

Right - under Louis XIII, in 1628, just after The Three Musketeers.
There were only three books, and the gaps between them are very large,
timewise, as is the quality, alas.  I suspect Dumas didn't write much
of the latter two.  _The Man in the Iron Mask_ is usually sold in the
States as a separate book, but in reality it is only an excerpt from a
much longer book, _The Viscount of Bragelonne_.

I do have to admit that _Twenty Years After_ gave me my favorite pub
name: The Hogshead of Love.  (A hogshead is an enormous barrel that
would take a hard-drinking man a year to drain . . .)  It has its
moments, too, I admit, but as a whole can't compare to the wonderful
novel that _The Three Musketeers_ is.  One of the most entertaining
novels I've ever read!

-- 
  - Steffan O'Sullivan		         sos@oz.plymouth.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: pkaminsk@undergrad.math.waterloo.edu (Peter Kaminski)
Subject: Re: Shadowrun-Trid and other questions
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Sun, 15 Nov 1992 20:30:33 GMT

>|>      Trolls is tough, and grenades is not.  Grenade tech didn't rise
>|> quite so fast as armor tech.  Now, if you use SPECIAL grenades...
>
>|Second edition solves this problem.  A single grenade in a small room
>|is enough to kill about anyting (except maybe a dragon.)
>
>No, SRII didn't fix this.  Grenades now do a Serious base, but there's no    
>way to stage up the damage code.  However, through the use of the concussion
>wave rules, a character in an enclosed area *will* take that serious wound.
>I'd suggest upping the damage code on grenades to D, and fiddling with the
>power level.  It *is* possible to survive a close-by fragger, it's just not
>real likely.  

  Actually, I believe that SRII states that you use your successes on your
Throwing success test to stage up the damage, as usual - as well as for
accuracy.  (ref:  p.97, right column, second paragraph from the top)  So, yes,
grenades CAN kill now - and it's not even too difficult!  :-)

								-Aleph 2

-- 
  pkaminsk@descartes.uwaterloo.ca  ||  pkaminsk@math.undergrad.uwaterloo.ca
             ** Good signature line sought.  Apply within. **
From: sl7sg@cc.usu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Vampire/Werewolf... What next?
Date: 20 Nov 92 14:03:51 MDT
Organization: Utah State University

In article <By13yB.5G4.1@cs.cmu.edu>, tomault+@cs.cmu.edu (Thomas Galen Ault) writes:
> 
> Another idea is to have the Mad Scientist working right under the nose of
> society, like in a hospital.  Maybe those patients who checked out never made
> it home.  Maybe those corpses in the morgue weren't lost by a "bookeeping
> error."  In a fashion similar to the above, the familiar and comforting are
> transformed into the strange and horrifying.  Or perhaps the scientist works
> in a government lab, and all those misapprorpiated government funds weren't
> used for department parties.
> 


	Have you seen hellraiser 2?  The doctor in that could be classified as
a mad scientist, right down to his taking part of the hospital basement...for
his "special" patients.  :)

		Brandon
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: SR II: astral/physical gateways
From: lward@husc8.harvard.edu (Lester Ward)
Date: 23 Nov 92 12:29:39 GMT

picl17@fsphy1.physics.fsu.edu (Jeffrey Johnson) writes:

>A question one of my players recently came up with, and I'd like to
>try out on the net:

>Since a physical spell can be "grounded" from the astral plane onto the
>physical through an active focus, is it possible to do the reverse?  That
>is, to "ground" a mana spell into astral space through an active focus?

>The answer I came up with was yes.  That is, it is possible, but rarely
>useful, because ranges do not work the same on the Astral Plane, and thus,
>an area-affect spell sent into astral space will only affect those who are
>astrally "touching" the focus.

I'd say no, although its an interesting idea.  You  run into targeting
problems.  While on the astral plane, you get a sense of what is on the
real plane and can see it to target a spell (provided a "bridge" of some
kind), but when in real space, you have no real conception of what is
in astral space.  I guess you could cast it while perceiving, although
way you'd want to do this, I have no idea.

Wordman
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: dzik@access.digex.com (Joseph Dzikiewicz)
Subject: Re: SH questions & stuff (Superhero names)
Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 13:27:30 GMT

>>>>
>>>>Also, I wanted to start a thread :)  Please name the 3-5 best and worst
>>>>names you or other people have given for superheroes/villians in any
>>>>Superhero-type game (and a brief description if possible).
>>>>

Best villain team I heard of:

The Pentagon: consisting of General Electric, General Motors, General
Dynamics, and two other Generals whose names escape me.
From:  (Spike)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: SJ Games Licenses White Wolf's Vampire
Date: 16 Nov 92 21:10:44 GMT
Followup-To: rec.games.frp.misc
Organization: GE Power Generation

In article <1992Nov16.031813.22661@news.uiowa.edu>,
durrell@pinball.arcade.uiowa.edu (Bryant Durrell) wrote:
> 
> In article <1992Nov16.004635.24540@snow.geology.wisc.edu> drew@snow.geology.wisc.edu (Drew Novick) writes:
> >The point to remember is SJG _is_ buying the background.  The positive in
> >this is that more people will be exposed to the Vampire source material
> >than if it stayed solely with White Wolf.
> 
> Absolutely.  I think this is a good thing.  I'm not one of the people
> who bemoaned the idea, remember.  <grin>
> 
> >I see no difficulty in putting the clan work in GURPS.  Flexible systems
> >are usually quite good at this sort of stuff.
> 
> Hm.  This I'm not sure about.  Can any of the GURPS people out there
> provide us with a writeup of Celerity that is point-balanced with 
> the other Disciplines?  Or do you think they'll just define 
> Disciplines as another mechanic?
> 
> (Celerity gives 1-5 extra actions per turn, depending on the level.
> For comparison's sake, Dominate 1 is the equivalent of AD&D's 
> Command spell, and Auspex 1 doubles normal sensory abilities.)
> 

I would say, have each level of Celerity give a bonus to Basic Speed
and use the rules for multiple actions based on high speed from GURPS
Supers.

This (probably) wouldn't give the player as many actions as sie would 
have under the Storyteller system, but 1) GURPS turns are (If I recall
correctly) MUCH shorter than Vampire turns, and 2) It's not so much 
how many times you get to go, it's whether or not you go *first* :-)


> >And somewhat off the topic, it appears that many of these Vampire lovers
> >dislike SJG publishing GURPS:Vampires.  Why?  One the the primary points of
> >the Storyteller concept (and any good GM does anyway) is to deemphasize the
> >rules.  Why would the system make any difference in a well run game?
> 
> If I were to make I guess, I'd say we feel like White Wolf is 
> saying that they don't think their rules are the best they could
> come up with after all.  It isn't logical, I know.

Having played the Vampire system a bit, I'd like to hope that those are
*not* the best rules they can come up with.

Spike
From:  (Spike)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Hero Question: focii
Date: 16 Nov 92 21:39:57 GMT
Followup-To: rec.games.frp.misc
Organization: GE Power Generation

[tons of stuff deleted]

Vince, it sounds to me like you are trying to build a slightly
cinematic martial-artist type. There are specific guidelines
for handling cases such as this in Ninja Hero (Missile 
Deflection, weapons etc.)

Spike