From: sos@oz.plymouth.edu (Steffan O'Sullivan)
Subject: Lost Souls: Conversion to Point Allocation
Reply-To: sos@oz.plymouth.edu (Steffan O'Sullivan)
Organization: Plymouth State College - Plymouth, N.H.
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 92 02:59:56 GMT

Since I submitted a review of the RPG Lost Souls to a magazine, I don't
want to annoy my publisher by posting the same thing here.  Instead,
I'll just talk briefly about the game, then give information that I
think is vital to playing the game: how to generate characters using a
point-allocation system instead of the frustrating random-generation
system :-).

Lost Souls, published by Marquee Press, $12.95, is a game where the PCs
are ghosts (or mediums - living characters with the ability to
astral-travel).  This refreshing genre is very entertaining, and I
recommend the game.

However, I have two problems with it:

1. The class-based random character generation system - I refuse to
play such nonsense; and

2. I disagree with their definitions of good and bad karma.

The latter is easily fixed by ignoring the Karma Table and each GM
supplying his/her own.

The former took a little analysis and work to do, so I thought I'd
share that with any other point-allocation fans out there who might
otherwise enjoy this game.  If you're a random-generation fan, read no
further, though ordering info is at the end of the article if you want
to buy the game.

To create characters in Lost Souls using a Point Alloction method:

1. Allot 132 points among the 12 base skills (average base skill: 11).
2. Choose 16 Specialties.  (You may specialize in a skill twice - merely
   add +5 to it, as the book says if you had rolled it twice.  This
   counts as two of your specializations, though.)
3. Select 6 spririt powers if you are a ghost, or 4 medium powers if a
   medium.
4. Look over the various lists of starting gear that the different
   professions have, and select whatever gear you want to start with,
   using those lists as a guideline not to exceed.
5. Decide how your character died, any ghostly vows, etc.

That's it, except for one biggie - a one-time thing that was the most
work:

6. To facilitate choosing 6 powers from among 125, list them by category.

Since I already did this, and since posting this list won't lose
Marquee Press any sales, (because you have to buy the book to get the
game meaning of the powers :-), here are my categories.  Yours may
differ - in fact, the game is a little vague on whether certain powers
can affect material objects or only ectoplasmic objects . . . if anyone
has any opinions on this, I'd love to hear them.

Lost Souls Ghostly Powers
(* = Power has another effect, also)
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Affects Material Object                 Affects Any Object (?)
  Animate the Dead                        Call Item
  Corruption                              Facade
  Dematerialize                           Lock
  Pass                                    Mechanical Failure
  Whirling Chaos *                        Molder
                                          Move Object
Affects Ectoplasmic Object                Mutate Object
  Duplicate Object                        Open Portal
  Materialize Object                      Telekinesis
                                          Vanish
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Control Other Being
  Allure                                  Feral Fellow
  Animal Possession                       Forget
  Astral Walk                             Freezing Touch
  Aura of Good Cheer                      Hallucination
  Aura of Hostility                       Haunt
  Aura of Pain                            Howl
  Aura of Powerlessness                   Hypnotism
  Beguile                                 Levitate
  Blinding                                Moan
  Boo                                     Mood Swing
  Cackle                                  Mute
  Cause Insanity                          Possession
  Compel                                  Reverse Intentions
  Corpse Lights                           Rotting Stench
  Death Sleep                             Seduction
  Disease                                 Shape Change
  Dream Control                           Shriek
  Enslavement                             Sleep
  Evil Eye                                Sleepwalk
  Faint                                   Slow
  False Memory                            Steal Memory
  Father Figure                           Tangle Vines
                                          Truth Tell
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Damage to Living Beings                 Damage to Any Being
  Age                                     Aura of Death
  Death Knock                             Black Hound
  Glimpse of Death                        Charnel Breath
  Nightmare *                             Chill Touch
  Whirling Chaos *                        Fester
                                          Frightful Visage
Damage to Ethereal Beings                 Life Drain
  Disbelieve                              Summon Pests
  Putrefy
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Personal Powers                         ESP
  Astral Double                           Contact Higher Being
  Distort Reality                         Far Sight
  Fly                                     Find the Way
  Frenzy                                  Foretell
  Growth                                  Ghostly Knowledge
  Healing Hands                           Intuition
  Read Minds                              Life Detection
  Reduce Size                             Precognition
  Speed                                   Premonition
  Steal Shadow                            Scrutinize
  Summon Animal                           True Sight
  Teleport                                Watcher
  Time Stop
  Wind Form *                           Defense Powers
                                          Blur
                                          Friends
                                          Power Shield
                                          Revulsion
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Affect Local Area                       Interact with Living Being
  Bedazzle                                Appear
  Change Temperature                      Imitate
  Darkness                                Make Noise
  Fog                                     Manifest
  Image                                   Message
  Silence                                 Nightmare *
  Unnatural Rain                          Speak to the Living
                                          Speak with Animals
Become Material                           Telepathy
  Return                                  Ventriloquism
  Rise from Dead                          Wind Form *
  Transform                               Write

---------------------end of list------------------------------------

BTW, I haven't yet done the Medium powers, except where those are
duplicated by ghostly ones.  Since there aren't too many of these, I
leave them as an exercise for the reader, and to insure that Marquee
Press doesn't get mad at me, since I haven't listed *all* their
powers.

I recommend the game.  The game system works fairly smoothly, once you
learn it.  It's the only percentile-based system I've seen that I like
- because they figured out a way to create a very fine-looking bell
curve for every single possible skill level - a remarkable
achievement.  Of course, you have to refer to a chart to accomplish
this, but they put one right on the character sheet, so everyone has
one.

Lost Souls RPG:  $12.95
Shipping: $2 for USA, $5 for Canada, $10 for elsewhere.

Marquee Press
14314 SW Allen Blvd., Suite 400
Beaverton, OR  97005

Disclaimer:  I have nothing to do with this company or the designers.  I
just like the game, except for the inane generation system.

-- 
  - Steffan O'Sullivan		         sos@oz.plymouth.edu