HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: cmeadows@nyx.cs.du.edu (Chris Meadows)
Subject: Re: RIFTS: Help a Rifts newbie, please
X-Disclaimer: Nyx is a public access Unix system run by the University
	of Denver for the Denver community.  The University has neither
	control over nor responsibility for the opinions of users.
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix at U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
 <1jkdg4INNbn3@geraldo.cc.utexas.edu>
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 93 22:03:41 GMT

In article <1jkdg4INNbn3@geraldo.cc.utexas.edu> geurink@ccwf.cc.utexas.ed
 (Josh Geurink) writes:
>In article <1993Jan20.011908.3003@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu> cmeadows@nyx.cs.d
.edu (Chris Meadows) writes:
>
>>Seriously, if you have TMNT, you really should look at getting
>>Ninjas and Superspies.  When you compare Ninjitsu in NASS to Ninjitsu
>>in TMNT, you notice that TMNT's version is a pale shadow of the 
>>"real thing."
>
>Yeah.  Nothing stands up to NASS marital artists -- nothing.
>This is not a good thing.
>
>>Heck, you should go ahead and get ALL the Palladium Books.  That's
>>what I'm doing. :-D
>
>But, for God's sake, don't interchange the systems (RIFTS excluded, of
>course!)!!!  Can you imagine a mutant superpowered weasel with ninjitsu
>piloting a veritech fighter?!?  I can.  It happened once, just about
>the time I finally gave up on the system and bought TORG.
>
>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-=-=-
>King Rat                       | "You got the power (Ha ha ha ha ha ha h
!)"
>Josh Geurink, C.V.E.           | "You got the might (No way!)"
>_C_ertified _V_ampire _E_xpert | "Get ready for battle (Give me your mon
y!)"
>geurink@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu     | "Defeat the Black Knight!"
>`:'`:'`:'`:'`:'`:'`:'`:'`:'`:'`:'`:'`:'`:'`:'`:'`:'`:'`:'`:'`:'`:'`:'`:'
:'`:'


That's why I flatly refuse to allow mutant animals in Robotech.  Never.
No way.  Nuh-uh.  However, I have written up a rather nice little 
set of rules for martial arts schools and superspy organization splin-
ter groups that remain around during the Invid Invasion.  

I think that playing superspies during the invasion has a certain 
appeal, don't you?

--
Chris Meadows  | Robotech/RIFTS/Palladium fanfic author/editor                  
CHM173S@SMSVMA | They Might Be Giants about Star Trek aliens:                   
CHM173S@VMA.SMSU.EDU   | "Everybody wants prosthetic foreheads                  
CMEADOWS@NYX.CS.DU.EDU | on their real heads!"                                  
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: flindholm@mta.ca
Subject: Re: Vamp / Ars Magica
Reply-To: flindholm@mta.ca
Organization: Mount Allison U, Sackville, N.B. Canada 
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1993 15:52:24 GMT

In article <C1B09K.6y7@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, wogg0743@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (William Shakespeare) writes:
>I've played neither Vampire nor Ars Magica, but I'm curious, do they take
>place in the same universe (ie, are from the same company)?
>
>Any comments on how good they are as games.

>-- 
>William ("Shakespeare") Gulstad          /  So where are the C.S. babes?
>wogg0743@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu                /  Joni Mitchell for President!
>I vote, so I can complain!               /  Did you vote?  Then don't complain!
>Republican is the opposite of democracy! /  Tune in, drop out, log on.

  I think they are both placed in the same universe. In Vampire 2nd ed one
of the clans is named Tremere and formerly an order of wizards. In Ars Magica
there is a house named Tremere which has as its center of power, coincedentaly
enough, the same place where clan Tremere first appeared. Also, VtMII mentions
the Order of Heremes as the orginization that magicions belong to. This is 
the same orginization you belong to when playing Ars Magica. 
   I suspect White Wolf's upcoming game MAGE is about playing one of these
mysterious people from the Order of Heremes in modern times. (Mixed in with\
all the other wierd stuff out their).

          Cyrus

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: mfterman@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Mutant for Hire)
Subject: Re: GM needs help/ideas
Originator: news@nimaster
Reply-To: mfterman@phoenix.princeton.edu (Mutant for Hire)
Organization: Mutant for Hire, Inc.
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 19:49:16 GMT

In article <16B61EB94.ST30525@VM.CC.LATECH.EDU>, ST30525@VM.CC.LATECH.EDU writes:
>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 that anywhere? I appreciate all help/advice.. Thanx lotz

In the comic book Elementals, four ordinary people died and came back to life
with various strange powers. They were given these powers to right a wrong,
though they weren't aware of it. The wrong they were going to right did know
about this, and tried a preemtive strike on them to take them out. That got
the ball rolling pretty quickly. This was done through a magical route, but
you could do the tech route and have them rebuilt by benevolent aliens.

Then there's the Wildcards scenario, where humans were used as lab rats to
test an alien virus. The adventures happened after people started trying to
cope with their powers.

There are a variety of choices, supernatural or natural. Heck, most comic
book origins are of ordinary people having some sort of accident that gives
them powers.

-- 
    Martin Terman, Mutant for Hire, Mean Ol' Top, Priest of Shub-Internet
    Disclaimer: Nobody else takes me seriously, why should you be the first?
mfterman@phoenix.princeton.edu mfterman@pucc.bitnet terman@pupgga.princeton.edu
"Sig quotes are like bumper stickers, only without the same sense of relevance"
From: 9225625@ul.ie
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Mailing List Subscription wanted...
Date: 27 Jan 93 23:00:05 GMT
Organization: University of Limerick, Ireland


 I would like to be on a Role-Playing mailing list,
 AD&D and Warhammer preferably...
 Could someone please put me on the list as I don't have
 access to External Mail or FTP.....
  My number is 9227792@ul.ie
 
    The Psychotic,Narcotic & Chaotic Dwarf.
             CRUNDELL BONECRUSHER
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: pat@chinet.chi.il.us (Patrick Louis Sugent)
Subject: Re: RQ: Chalana Array Cult (Possible River of Cradles spoilers)
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 13:01:15 GMT

b_kondalski@vssi.trw.com (Brian J. Kondalski) writes:
>pat@chinet.chi.il.us (Patrick Louis Sugent) writes:
>>
>>  Hmm.  I thought that there was a specifically mentioned penalty
>>in that anyone breaking the CA worshiper's "protection" was cut
>>off from any healing from the cult.  In our(my) campaign this is a
>>very serious matter.  There isn't a tough guy on the battle field
>>that has yet been willing to give up the healing of the CA cult. :-)
>>
>
>In our campaign, when someone breaks the CA code (ex: attacking someone who
>is sleeping), they are marked through a ritual that any CA healer will recog-
>nize.  Any CA that sees it will not heal the offender.  The CA healer may also
>use a 1 point DI (works on 1-95 like attunement) to give the same results
>immediately....

  I'm curious.  How does the ritual work?  Does it involve having
to incapacitate the offender in some way?  Is there any defense against
the ritual?  Illumination? :-)

  I think these are very interesting ideas.  As I said, I haven't
really had to worry about the practical points yet, but your ideas
seem worth incorporating.

 
Pat

Personal P.S. to "lro":  I received and enjoyed both of your letters
in response to this issue.  Let me know if you receive mine.

-- 
Patrick Sugent                       

pat@chinet.chi.il.us		     
Xref: sparky rec.games.frp.misc:11868 rec.games.frp.advocacy:3950
From: heinr@sci.kun.nl (Hein Ragas)
Subject: Re: Rolemaster Power Points
Organization: University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands
X-Newsreader: NN version 6.4.19
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 11:27:32 GMT

In <1993Jan21.063948.22282@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> ewalents@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Erich Walentschak) writes:

>Im just writing to ask all the GMs out there how they distribute Power Points 
>to their spell users.  We've tried the base PP per level with that amount added
>again if they train PP dev and we've tried giving a d6 PP when they train dev 
>along with a few others, and we havent seemed to get a good balance between 
>pure and non spell users yet.  Any suggestions or methods youve found to work?

>Erich

What I allways use:
Look in the table how much PP's a character gets, based on the stat(s) that
applies to his realm(s).
Then multiply that number by the level of the character. And that's the amount
of PP's the character has.

So, for example, if a character has 2 PP's per level, and he is level 4, he will
have 8 PP's.

Works for me (and my group).

Greetings,
           Hein
From: flindholm@mta.ca
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: SRII Insect Spirits *possible spoiler*
Date: 25 Jan 93 21:18:42 GMT
Reply-To: flindholm@mta.ca
Organization: Mount Allison U, Sackville, N.B. Canada

In article <1993Jan25.175824.6312@dvorak.amd.com>, markl@dvorak.amd.com (Mark Luedtke) writes:
>I have several questions about insect spirits.  The stats for true form
>spirits in Grimoire II says they are for manifest form only.  What are the
>stats of the astral form?  All force?  If so, how come they have different
>mental attributes?  Especially the rediculously low Willpower?
>
>Also, is the Queen's attributes all force in astral space (plus spirit
>energy?)  As far as I can tell, any manifest insect spirit is just
>mage meat, which is really depressing, and as always any astral spirit is
>an easy target for a mage.
>
>Am I missing something?
>-- 
>
>Mark Luedtke    markl@dvorak.amd.com
>
>This was typed by an infinite number of monkeys.

   Actualy, I don't think they can astraly project. They may be dual beings
though. I know the most advaced ones (that look totaly human) have the power of
aura masking.
  As to why they're mage meat, it's probaly because their fanasticly good at
fighting and FASA needed some way to stop these things from being TOTALY
unstoppable. Besides, if that mage gets to close he isn't going to be the 
one doing the smearing.

                 Cyrus
From: loydb@fnordbox.UUCP (Loyd Blankenship)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: GURPS Paranoia
Distribution: world
X-NewsSoftware: GRn 1.16e (7/4/92) by Mike Schwartz & Michael B. Smith
Date: 25 Jan 93 11:20:47 CST
Organization: Texas Net Illuminati

> > Actually, I kind of like the idea of GURPS Paranoia...
>
> Me too, but they wouldn't sell. :-)

By "they" I meant WEG, not the books themselves . . .

Loyd


***************************************************************************
* loydb@fnordbox.UUCP	     Once you pull the pin,  *	Loyd Blankenship  *
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Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: goodin@fraser.sfu.ca (Charles Frederick Goodin)
Subject: Re: META: Un-powered characters
Organization: Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1993 18:12:11 GMT

mwlucas@vela.acs.oakland.edu (Michael W. Lucas) writes:


>What are people's opinions on playing characters without "unnatural" 
>powers?  Do most gamers require that they have the ability to create a
>character with psi, magic, cybernetics, or whatever, to make their 
>character more than human?  Has anyone out there run a game with just
>normal humans, setting their skills against the universe?  If so, how well
>did it run?
     I ran a GURPS adventure in the semi-Horror genre with totally
unpowered 100 pt. characters in the real world.  It made for an 
interesting summer.  Of course, I only had two players and both 
were quite good roleplayers.  A lot of the campaign was taken up
with personal life stuff, like hanging out with their friends and
going to work.  We had two combats in the whole session, which was
good because there was only one combat skill between the 2 PCs 
(one of them had Karate-12).
     In a related but not really very closely line, I am currently
running a GURPS Supers adventure where the players made only their
normal, 100 pt. characters.  They don't actually know what their
powers are, so they tend to act more like real people.  Mostly.

>-- 
>Michael Lucas			mwlucas@vela.acs.oakland.edu
>Buy Gatecrasher, the new high-tech high-fantasy RPG from Hot Tub Dragon Games!
>Don't buy SST records; they like suing their bands.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: DragonQuest?!
From: alanb@sdl.ug.eds.com (Alan Braggins)
Date: 27 Jan 93 12:56:40 GMT
Organization: Shape Data (Division of EDS), Cambridge UK
In-reply-to: cwatters@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu's message of Tue, 26 Jan 1993 13:29:31 GMT

>>>>> On Tue, 26 Jan 1993 13:29:31 GMT, cwatters@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Coyt D Watters) said:

[DragonQuest]
> It does include 6 NON-LEAD metal figures.

Do you mean plastic, or has someone started using brass figures, or some new alloy?
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc,rec.games.frp.advocacy
From: jacobus@symphony.cc.purdue.edu (Bryan J. Maloney)
Subject: Re: Random Rolls
Organization: Purdue University
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 22:23:15 GMT

In article <1993Jan22.173632.19154@unislc.uucp> stv@unislc.uucp (Steve Spencer) writes:
>Well now, I see why we seem to have a disagreement here. Clearly,
>if you are not in it for acting practice (read that: role playing),
>or challenge, then there are definitely going to be some flames headed
>your way.


YES!  O, thou sinner!  Thou hast profaned the TEMPLE OF THE ONE TRUE GAMING
WAY.  Thou hast durst to admit that thou playest the GAMES OF ROLE-PLAYING for
mere hedonism, that thou durst have FUN in the presence of the HOLY GAMES!


But worse than this, o vile fecal-spawn, thou has stated that thy only purpose
in playing the GAME OF ROLE-PLAYING is to pollute them with thy monstrous,
perverse, hedonism.


Aye, and knowest thou not the ONE TRUE GAMING WAY is to perform naught but
that holiest of holys !!!!!!!!!!!!ROLE PLAYING!!!!!!!!!!  Aye, it is only
!!!!!!!!!!ROLE PLAYING!!!!!!!!!! for which these holy GAMES are worthy.

Thou coprapedum!  Thou filium canis!  Thou shalt be cast into the FIERY PIT
for eternity for thy unforgivable sin!


>Okay, so here you have stated NOT ONLY that you don't want a challenge
>in your role playing... oh wait... you stated above that you don't do
>acting practice (role playing)... Well, so what ever in the hell you 
>want to call it that you do, not only do you state here that it needs
>to follow your every desire and whim, but I am already beginning to see
>that you aree DEFINITELY the right person to be preaching to us about 
>it (NOT!)
>

Tell him the HOLY TRUTH about !!!!!!!!!!ROLE PLAYING!!!!!!!!!!, o Brother,
AMEN!  AMEN!  AMEN!


>Well I think I know where many of these misconceptions come from, they 
>come from post like yours where people state that they do not enjoy
>a challenge, or acting in their role playing.
>



Oh, thou preachest so TRUE, o Brother!  Tell him the SINS of his EVIL
HEDONISM!!!!  Teach him of the TRUTH of !!!!!!!!!!ROLE PLAYING!!!!!!!!!!
From: maxxon@swob.nullnet.fi (Mikko Kurki-Suonio)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: GURPS: Quick Melee Combat for High Defense Characters
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 93 22:24:33 EEZ
Distribution: world
Organization: Sweet Oblivion

Nice, but I think it lacks one thing - followthrough!

IMHO, it's very usual in GURPS combat that after getting one blow in,
the defender gets such penalties that a follow-up blow will succeed much
more likely.

What if a character's defense is altered after getting hit? (Shield gone
etc.)

Maybe: After a successful hit, switch to blow-by-blow until both players
reach a state where no temporary penalties apply anymore (shock,
stunning). If stringent, keep in mind auto-failures already rolled for
(and forbid the other guy to make all-out attack just because he knows
beforehand the defense will fail).






--------
maxxon@swob.nullnet.fi (Mikko Kurki-Suonio) Voice +358 0 8092681
Sweet Oblivion (+358 0 8092678, V.32bis 8N1) Official SRP Headquarters
SnailMail: Maininkitie 8A8 SF 02320 ESPOO FINLAND
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: jhk6@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (John H Kim)
Subject: Re: GURPS worldbook: Space 1889 ?
Reply-To: jhk6@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (John H Kim)
Organization: Columbia University
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1993 22:21:11 GMT

CX6L@MUSICA.MCGILL.CA (CX6L) writes:
>gharris@jade.tufts.edu (George W. Harris) writes:
>> Famtastical technology?  Hardly.  The Science Museum in London has
>>built a working Difference engine from Chas. Babbage's revised designs. 
>
>Hmm. Yes, I know about this machine. However, many *other* things
>in Gibson's & Sterling's _The Difference Engine_ are a tad less
>realistic, including the *scope* of usage of Babbage's machine in
>that story. Not to mention that it is *not* likely his design
>could have been made to work without 20th century machining . . .
>All-in-all, I'd say that _The Difference Engine_ and Space 1889
>share a lot of the same vision, albeit on different scales.

	I don't think so, any more than Orwell ('1984') and Gernsback 
shared the same vision of the 1980's. 

	Both Space 1889 and _TDE_ involve a more advanced technology 
around the turn of the century - but Space 1889 is a 'fantasy' technology 
based on the likes of Jules Verne and such, more concerned with fitting 
in with romantic notions and Victorian perceptions than with possibilities. 
_The Difference Engine_ is a speculative work, based on some improbable 
postulates, but with the intent is generally to be as believable to a 
modern, skeptical mind as possible. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Kim                    | "You're on the cutting room floor, Chaplin.
jhk6@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu | Not a good place to be."
Columbia University         |                  (from the movie 'Chaplin')
From: rowe@soda.berkeley.edu (Eric Rowe)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: RQ: Daka Fal and Spirit Block
Date: 22 Jan 93 09:30:10 GMT
Organization: UCB Integrative Biology
NNTP-Posting-Host: soda.berkeley.edu
In-reply-to: tsl@munta.cs.mu.OZ.AU's message of 22 Jan 93 05:39:44 GMT

In article <9302216.21086@mulga.cs.mu.OZ.AU> tsl@munta.cs.mu.OZ.AU (Tim Leask) writes:

   I am I the only one who finds it surprising that Daka Fal does NOT get
   the spell Spirit Block ? There is no mention of this spell in the Daka Fal
   write up in River of Cradles, this seems surprising since in Cults of
   Prax it stated that Daka Fal taught the spell to everyone. I can only assume
   it was dropped from the spell list for play balance reasons. So much for
   Daka Fal worshippers vote on the spirit plane. Do others feel this a
   reasonable omission for RQ3.

Then again, it could be due to the fact that in RQ3 Spirit Block is listed as
a common spell so any god/goddess can give it including Daka Fal.  The cult
write-up only lists Rune Magic exclusive to the cult.

eric
Organization: Junior, Philosophy, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 19:15:57 -0500 
From: Andrew David Weiland <aw1s+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: Obscure Shadowrun Rules Questions (and my answers)

I'll give you my answers to your questions.  I own the 2nd edition
rules, but I don't have the 2nd edition Grimoire; all of my information
comes from the basic rules and from the original Grimoire.

>(1) What exactly do Physical Adepts get in the way of Metamagic?
>
>Our Answer:  Centering and Masking.  A Physical Adept may only use
>DELIBERATE Masking if he/she has Astral Perception.

I've considered making a ruling that Initiated Physical Adepts without
Astral Perception are continuously masked.  Those who can see into the
Astral can turn it on and off at will.  Otherwise I agree with you.

>(2) SRII states that Manifest Spirits receive a number of extra
>dice for the purposes of Spell Defense equal to their Force.  This
>is stated in the description of the Manifestation Power in the SRII
>rulebook.  The question is, if they get this bonus while physically
>manifest, should this work against MANA spells that target the spirit
>in the astral plane?

Hmm.  I always figured that a non-manifest spirit could only be attacked
on the astral plane (by mages in astral form by or astral perception). 
The manifest form has magical protection in part because it's only
partially present on our plane.  The no defense for normal forms is
because you're attacking them on their home plane; and the drain for
your spell is physical.

>(3) Should there be a Grade 0?
>
>Our Answer:  Well, it's justifiable for mages/shamans, but for PA's,
>it really seems worthless.  They don't get anything except the
>Centering and Masking.  That doesn't seem like enough to justify
>the Karma outlay.  I have done away with Grade 0 completely in my
>game.

I like Grade 0 for mages.  If you eliminate Grade 0, Grade 1 comes off
as a real bargain price compared to the other magical Grades (Grade 2+
just gives you higher Magic Rating, while Grade 1 gives you higher magic
rating and all the other bonuses).  It does seem sort of unfair for
Physical Adepts to have to take a grade when the benefits are so minor,
so I'm in favor of eliminating it for them.  One of my more radical
ideas was to start all Physical Adepts as Grade 0 Initiates with all the
attendant benefits.  Yes, that includes Automasking; which makes
Physical Adepts truly stealthy and explains why they weren't detected at
the same time as shamans and hermetics.

>(7) Can Nature Spirits manifest?
>
>Our Answer:  Yes.  Why was this left out?  They can manifest, and we
>just adjusted the first edition codes using the same rules provided for
>adjusting the codes in the Paranormal Animals book.

It was left out because it made 1st edition Shamans too powerful.  I
didn't like having shamans able to just whistle up an extra combatant
free of charge.  This way, nature spirits can still aid the shaman, but
they can't act as an extra pair of hands or an extra attacker (and extra
attackers are even better in the 2nd edition).  This make hermetic
conjuration useful for other things besides Aid Sorcery and Spell
Defense.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: uplink@cwis.unomaha.edu (uplink 2099)
Subject: Shadowrun 3 in discussion!
Organization: University of Nebraska at Omaha
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 04:00:08 GMT

	Just wondering how many of you I scared with the topic.  Have a nice
day.

(Who says I can't waste bandwidth?)

uplink
End of Line.

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Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc