HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: mcgrew@ichthous.Eng.Sun.COM (Darin McGrew)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: RPG's for disabled kids
Date: 12 Aug 1992 21:31:32 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mt. View, Ca.
NNTP-Posting-Host: ichthous

Greetings.  My wife is blind, and I introduced her to roleplaying
about a year ago.  A mutual friend is also blind and has been
roleplaying for a long time.

Regarding "suitability", you don't have to incorporate elements
into the game if you, your players, or their parents find them
objectionable.  There are plenty of genres around to choose from.

Regarding braille dice, you can get tactile 6-sided dice from AFB
(American Foundation for the Blind).  They're a bit oversized,
with recessed areas so that none of the raised dots actually
touch the table surface.  Also, many regular 6-sided dice are
large enough with deep enough dots that they can be read with
one's fingers, albeit slowly.  If you're ambitious, you can use
Dymo tape to label other dice, but we don't bother since GURPS
only uses 6-sided dice.  Also, if each player has their own dice,
then you don't have to worry about where the dice are when you
need them.

Regarding colors, my wife was born blind, but colors still have
some meaning to her because she grew up in a society that
attaches meanings to colors.  It might help to describe what
their characters hear, feel, or smell, in addition to what they
see, but that really applies to any group.

The main way that my wife's and the other player's blindness
affects our gaming is that they record all their character info
in braille (or on accessable laptop computers), and it's harder
to pass notes or show maps to them.  In order to tell one of them
something, you either have to whisper in their ear or take them
outside for a moment.  Maps only really become an issue during
combat situations, and then someone just describes the scene from
their character's point of view and maybe mentions a couple
obvious options.

Oh, one other impact...  My wife brailled the GURPS Quick
Reference Sheet, which includes the tables and lists necessary
for her to create her own characters.  For beginning players, you
may just want to hand them pre-generated characters anyway, but
eventually they will want this info (or the equivalent in
whatever system you use) in an accessable form.

Anyway, I hope this helps.  If you do try it, let the kids offer
suggestions when you encounter problems.  Tell them what you need
to do, and ask them for ideas on how to do it.  In general
though, it shouldn't be much different from running a game with a
group of able-bodied kids.

Darin.McGrew@Eng.Sun.COM            He is risen!
    Soli Deo Gloria!                              He is risen indeed!

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: harp@netcom.com (Gregory O. Harp)
Subject: Re: Improvisation!
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 92 10:08:07 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 

dfrancis@tronsbox.xei.com (Dennis Heffernan) writes:

>In article <ts!n#3g.harp@netcom.com> harp@netcom.com (Gregory O. Harp) writes:

>|Besides, sometimes the ideas one gets on the fly are much better than
>|the ones that were planned ahead.  Perhaps the players hit upon
>|something that changes the whole previously planned outcome.  Perhaps
>|simply being "there" gives you an idea you would never have had whilst
>|designing the world.

>	This is one of those bits of self-indulgence that people perperate upon
>themselves in an effort to belive that they don't really have to think about
>what they're doing.

Oh, come on.  I said nothing that made it sound like it wasn't work.
I didn't say I didn't have to think about it.

My point is that, at least in my case, I get ideas _during_ play that
I don't hit upon when I'm just sitting at my table working on my
world.  It's a matter of _being_ there.  

I write practically all of my ideas down, no matter when I get them.
Sometimes I take them home and work them into my world.  If I'm in the
middle of a gaming session and the point is relevant, I work it in
right there.

I don't totally pre-plan nor do I totally improvise.  I'd said the
ratio is about half & half.  The major plot points are (generally)
solid, while the details are nowhere near it.

You're acting like I put zero effort into it.  Plainly and simply:
You're _wrong_.
-- 
-----------------Greg-Harp----------------harp@netcom.com------------------
  Love me, love my ferrets.               "Break out of the mold before
  Or at least love my ferrets. ;)          the mold sets in" -- B52's
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Music & Roleplaying
From: mikew@mdcbbs.com (Mike 'the Bard' Whitaker)
Date: 17 Aug 92 05:20:00 PDT
Organization: Shape Data - a division of EDS Ltd
Keywords: Roleplaying, music

In article <4740@blue.cis.pitt.edu.UUCP> 
	seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp) writes:
[whole load of very good music<->spell mappimgs - nice one Ryk]

The one I use occasionally is Mirrim, my paladin of Mitra's chant when facing 
demons, undead and other turnable creatures..... It's from "Mount Tam", by the 
filksinger Leslie Fish (who gives permissiom for her work to be quoted on the
net as lomg as it's credited):

       "If there be 
        Anything here
	That cometh not in the name of the Powers of Light
	Then in the name of the Powers of Light
	LET IT BE GONE!"
-- 
Mike Whitaker +44-223 | mikew@mdcbbs.com, bard@spuddy.uucp | Me: Bards just
Shape Data/EDS 316673 | -or- mwhitaker@cix.compulink.co.uk | KNOW things...
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: beykema@infonode.ingr.com (Maurice Beyke)
Subject: Re: GURPS: Percentile based
Organization: Intergraph Corporation, Huntsville, AL.
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 19:42:27 GMT

In article <1992Aug10.230058.20087@oz.plymouth.edu> sos@oz.plymouth.edu (Steffan O'Sullivan) writes:
>urban@stout.atd.ucar.edu (Art Urban (PROFS)) writes:
>>
>>So the question is: If SJG was waiting for you personally to make the 
>>controlling decision on 3-18 system or percentile, what would you answer?
>
>None of the above.  I'd go with a 3d10 system.  I hate percentile
>systems - a bell curve of some sort makes so much more sense to me.

 Funny you should mention this.  When I was in college the GM I gamed with
 ran a modified version of The Fantasy Trip based on 3d10 (with lots of other
 changes as well).  After GURPS came out, I worked off and on converting it
 to 3d10, because I like the wider spread of values much better.  I've got
 some initial notes and stuff for that, if anyone is interested; no more than
 stat/skill costs and preliminary notes on some ads/disads, because I've not
 ever gotten much further than that with it, but the next time I run GURPS,
 I'll probably give it a try.  (I run RuneQuest now, because I love Glorantha
 and the cult system; I also have a lot of notes about converting Glorantha
 to GURPS mechanics.  Oy vey, talk about headaches, but I think I have
 something ready for initial testing, if I ever retire my current crew of PCs
 and start a new bunch.  I'd rather not do initial playtesting with a party of
 two Storm Kahns, two Wind Lords, a Waha Shaman, a Eurmal Priest, and a
 journeyman sorceror.)

<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>
< Boris Mikey            | "You mean mainstream commercial  |Disclaimer:     >
< aka Maurice Beyke      |    nihilism can't be trusted?"   |I claim nothing!>
< mab@batman.b11.ingr.com| "'Fraid not, kiddo."             ----------------->
<                        | "Childhood is so disillusioning." Calvin & Hobbes >
 vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
From: singley@helix.nih.gov (Erick D. Singley)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Improvisation!
Date: 20 Aug 92 14:20:57 GMT
Article-I.D.: alw.1992Aug20.142057.20767
Organization: (National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD)

Some gamesystems are MEANT to be railroaders too.  If in Dark Conspiracy or Parinioa the GM doesn't have complete control over the senario, he isn't playing the dark ones/computer well enough.  This is not to say that the characters don't have free will (your NPC is stolen you can't do anything about it. Press any key to continue) we'll run all over the place for our GM to improvise, but in games like this, we're definatly SUPPOSED to be out of our leage.  The dark is everywhere. Round down.

(aside- fav. quote from Dark Conspiracy book "Buy a Zil (car) it's not quite as bad as a root canal" -'a profound statment, and like all advertisements- it's wrong)

Some things, in a game where you SHOULD have control over your life (I've got the road and the open sea- why can't I just skip town, start a new life and let everything else slide?) Railroading to drag people headlong screaming into a plot
is a mean cruel DM thing.

'share and enjoy'
Erick
From: dfrancis@tronsbox.xei.com (Dennis Heffernan)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Ambushes (was Re: Gurps Supers is still broken)
Date: 12 Aug 92 16:57:11 GMT
Organization: Xanadu Enterprises Inc.

In article <1992Aug11.061040.5079@news.unomaha.edu> PCHEM14@Zeus.unomaha.edu (FALL88) writes:
|Give a ordinary infantry-man a high-calibre rifle.  Tell him to wipe out
|a M1 tank in a typical battlefield enviroment.  Even with total realism,
|do you expect the fact that the infantry-man will be able to pierce the
|tank's armor with his rifle?  Imagining that the Thing is like a walking
|tank, so you can't 'trick the crew to come out' or similar.  How will an
|ambush matter much against this guy?  Even realism states that it hardly
|matters.

	The Thing would have a DR in the 60-80 range, if not outright
Invulnerabilty to kinetic attacks.  This has NOTHING TO DO with how an
ambush will affect him, except insofar as those attempting it are probably
better off if they leave their assault rifles home.  They'll use another
weapon.

|The purpose of the system is to support the genre.  If you have to constantly

	Fuck the genre.

	I am not going to dictate to my players how they have to roleplay their
characters.  I am not going to tell them what they can and can't do based on
whether or not it's "genre".  If I make the villains act like idiots so they
can stay in "genre" then what I've got isn't a supers campaign, it's a
parody.  Even the original poster said that his style was to have the
villains act in as intelligent a manner as possible, which is certainly not
"genre".  (We were also talking about Golden-Age type heroes, not the
Thing.)


dfrancis@tronsbox.xei.com   ...uunet!tronsbox!dfrancis     GEnie: D.HEFFERNAN1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I don't understand why you make such a big deal out of everything...haven't
you learned; if it's not happenning to me it's not important?" -Murphy Brown
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: herbison@manage.enet.dec.com (B.J.)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Speaking of ambushes (where we?)...
Date: 18 Aug 92 20:45:27 GMT
Reply-To: herbison@erlang.enet.dec.com
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation, Littleton, MA


In article <1992Aug15.005209.58171@cc.usu.edu>, sl9b4@cc.usu.edu (Deep Six) writes:

>Ambushes have been sort of a big topic in my campain lately. Both for
>the players and for me. Here is my dillema. 

What is the purpose of the patrols?  As another poster mentioned,
patrols should be looking for trouble.  The other side doesn't care
if they hit a particular patrol, they just want to win the war.

If the other side does want to hit this particular patrol, they
will monitor the activities of the patrol and set up attacks or
ambushes in areas that the patrol is likely to go (even if the
spots aren't the best spots for ambushes).

>Now, I don't want to kill the PCs off, but 
>I would like to see them have to react and defend more, rather than being 
>always on the offense. 
>
>So, I have been toying with the idea of setting up ``unavoidable'' 
>ambushes, where I as GM say, ``where ever the party goes, there will be 
>an ambush.'' Is that fair to the players? Like I said before, I don't 
>want to kill the players, I just want them to be on the receiving end a 
>little more often.
>
>Thoughts?

If the purpose of the game is to play out combat, play a combat simulation
game and specify the starting conditions (i.e., walking into an ambush).
If you want a role-playing game, analize the motivations of the parties
involved.  Unavoidable ambushes are unfair to the players only because it
doesn't logically develop the role playing world.

						B.J.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: atmpas@vax.oxford.ac.uk
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: 'Braille Dice'
Date: 14 Aug 92 13:52:16 GMT
Organization: Oxford University VAX 6620


	I saw a stand for the RNIB in a shopping mall yesterday.  (The RNIB is
the national British organisation for the blind.)  Among the things on display
was a cunningly constructed snakes and ladders board and a touch-readable die.

	The die was made with a square indentation covering most of each face,
within which the were raised points showing the numbers.  Anyone looking for
touch-readable dice should probably try the same kind of organisation that
provides things like talking books and braille typewriters.

	I expect that only six sided dice would be available, but many games
(Traveller, GURPS, Star Wars, Shadowrun) use only or primarily six sided dice.

	With regard to describing things for the blind, I suspect that they 
would be used to things being described with colours, but that inclusion of the
other senses in descriptions (which is in itself good for refereeing) would
be appreciated.  (after all, most fiction is not written with the blind in
mind and uses colours extensively in description)

		- Paul
From: skeksis@pdrome.UUCP (Clayton Miner)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Best RPG Combat?
Date: 7 Aug 92 11:47:30 GMT
Organization: The PowerDrome BBS [(716)825-3614 CNet]

Yup, the Leading Edge stuff has GOT to be the grizliest I have ever seen...
 
Skeksis
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: cwatters@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Coyt D Watters)
Subject: Re: Mailing Lists/Digests
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 12:40:05 GMT


The monthly FAQ postings are placed on rec.games.frp.announce near the
beginning of each month (they were late this month - sorry).

Rec.games.frp.announce is extremely low volume (how low is it?  Catatonic)
and you should convince your friendly SYSADMIN to set the expiration of 
rec.games.frp.announce to an arbitrarily high value (say 2 months.)

-Coyt
Moderator of Rec.games.frp.announce
From: swann@acsu.buffalo.edu (Stephen Swann)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Improvisation!
Date: 22 Aug 92 17:05:09 GMT
Organization: UB

In article <1992Aug21.062836.2517@mdcbbs.com> mikew@mdcbbs.com (Mike 'the Bard' Whitaker) writes:
>
>Good improvisation is hard - it requires experience, quick thinking and an
>ability to parallel process. Good preparation, IMHO, is just as hard, but the
>patience and attention to detail it requires don't come easy to the improv.
>GM (at least the ones I know).

The critical thing there, I believe is "patience".  I'm not a patient
person, although I am meticulous.  I find it more satisfying to
generate a soewhat complex scenario in my head, set it in motion,
and then let the complications arise naturally as the situation
evolves.

Disclaimer: it works for my playing group.  :-)

-- 
Steve Swann                 |    Speak to me in many voices; make
swann@acsu.buffalo.edu      |      them all sound like one...  -BOC
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: ins893k@lindblat.cc.monash.edu.au (Rai)
Subject: Re: Shadowrun Astral Adepts-
Organization: Monash University
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 18:08:21 GMT

Lester Ward (ward1@husc8.harvard.edu) wrote:
: ratinox@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu (Richard Pieri/Stainless Steel Rat) writes:
: >Combat as your Astral Combat Skill, the Astral Defense Pool only works
: >against other Unarmed Combat; it gives you diddly-squat against spirits or
: >spells. [I interpret it this way from the example on page 66 of the
: >Grimoire: if you use Conjuring as your Combat Skill, you only get your
: >Defense Pool against spirits.]
: 
: I completely disagree with this interpretation.  The reason you can use
: Conjuring as a .combat. skill to attack spirits is that you know a lot about
: spirits.  If you knew a lot about .combat. (and most magicians don't) then
: you'd just use that knowledge to attack anything.  In other words, I believe
: it means Conjuring will work against Spirits (because Conjuring is knowledge)
: of spirits), Sorcery will work against spells and other astral things (because
: sorcery is the ability to manipulate astral space), but combat skill will
: work against anything (because combat is the knowlegde of doing damage).

	Does this mean my PA is lethal against spells?
	He knows nothing about Sorcery, but he's good at unarmed combat :-)

						Daniel
From: seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Music & Roleplaying
Date: 15 Aug 92 03:25:01 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh
Originator: seawasp@pmax1.cis.pitt.edu

In article <Bszsvn.4Ep@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu> kieran@cmatter.physics.indiana.edu (kieran) writes:
>*not* the music and orchestration of Karl Orff.  Perhaps the original 
>poster purchased such a recording rather than the Orff version?

	Nope. I'm the poster in question, and it says right here on the
CD jacket: ORFF. Carmina Burana.

	And I can't imagine where in either movie it was used. There are
a few places where there are choral pieces, but none of them have more
than a vague similarity to this thing.

                                 Sea Wasp
                                   /^\
                                   ;;;
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: parkerma@NeXTwork.Rose-Hulman.Edu (Mark A. Parker)
Subject: Re: Music & Roleplaying
Keywords: Strange and magical music
Organization: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 05:49:54 GMT


> In article <1992Aug11.084152.1755@cs.kuleuven.ac.be>  
philipd@cs.kuleuven.ac.be (Philip Dutre) writes:
> 
>Has anyone tried to use music and/or sounds during a roleplaying session?

>What kind of music did you use? The "Campaign & Catacombs Guide" gives  
some
>titles of classical music (Wagner etc...). Anyone tried these out?

	Stranj (as I call it) music that I have tried:

   - Pink Floyd - "One of These Days" (from MEDDLE)
   - Hawkwind - songs I can't remember the names to right now from STASIS 
	(if you want some good chants, there are a few Moorcock pieces 	 
	here.)
   - Wavestar - MOONWIND (like Pink Floyd in new age)
   - Vangelis - "Theme from OUTLANDER", or something like that.
   - Tangerine Dream - LEGEND Soundtrack
   - Queen - "Innuendo"
   - Steve Howe - TURBULENCE (in particular, "Corkscrew")
   - Mannheim Steamroller Fresh Aire II
   - Yes - "The Fish" from YESSONGS
   - LOST BOYS Soundtrack

	Haven't tried these, but would recommend them:
   - Jon Anderson - OLIAS OF SUNHILLOW (an album with a storyline along  
	the lines of Spelljammer)
   - Rick Wakeman - ZODIAQUE, "Merlin the Magician" from KING ARTHUR AND  
	THE KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE (Hell, the rest of the album, too)
   - Yes - GOING FOR THE ONE ("Awaken" is pretty good, as is "Turn of the  
	Century"), CLOSE TO THE EDGE, TALES FROM TOPOGRAPHIC OCEANS, 	 
	YESSHOWS, UNION ("Masquerade","Ankor Wat","Shock to the System"),   
	YESYEARS 
   - Led Zepellin - III, (untitled fourth album), PHYSICAL GRAPHITTI 	 
	("Kashmir")
   - Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe - ABWH ("Fist of Fire")
   - Queen - QUEEN II, A KNID OF MAGIC
   - HEAVY METAL Soundtrack
I usually only play them for background music; I haven't had the urge to  
cue specific songs (yet). Most of the music listed that I have used is  
dark, moody stuff appropriate for delving into some undead zone (as it so  
happens, we're playing "Nightmare Keep"). It was generally well received.

			 	M. A. M. Parker

		"This shall now be termed as Mistake #5"
		Zdellet Saud, upon entering a gate leading to Tahkisis.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: oakes@nmt.edu (David Oakes)
Subject: Re: Improvisation!
Organization: New Mexico Tech
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 21:09:23 GMT

In article <1992Aug21.134453.58310@cc.usu.edu> sl9b4@cc.usu.edu (Deep Six) writes:

[lots of "duck season" "rabbit season" argument deleted]

>Well, they may not be trying to influence or manipulate the scenario, but
>you just said sometimes they do. That's not the players' job.
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>Chadd VanZanten SL9B4@CC.USU.EDU  ``You know, I thought this was a
>good idea but this is one weird mama-jama.''  -- TV's Frank, MST3K

actually, that is exactly the players job, unless they dont do anything
that the GM doesnt tell them to do.  the players have their own adgenda,
there own interpretation of the reality around them, and they are attempting
to fullfil their own, individual, goals.

it is their choice to enter into the preset scenerio, their choice to try 
combat or diplomacy, their choice to save the damsel and take the treasure.
and everyone of these choices influences the outcome.  if it doesnt, than
my being there, or my characters being there has no meaning, so why bother?

no, it is not influence to the extent of "i know the princess must be 
behind door number three, i win, lets play again", but if the entire 
scenario hinges on them choosing door number three, it is a poor scenario.
no matter how well the Prep GM plans it, no matter how good his clues,
or how deft his manipulation of the characters into the preset plot,
the characters are not guaranteed to recognize the clues, and they can
always leave the scene, rent a boat, and go fishing.

good Improv GMs might think up something to happen at the lake.
good Prep GMs will be a little behind, but might be able to use
something they have already preped, or at least understand the 
NPCs well enough to know how they would react.
(more than likely, the characters end up doing nothing but fishing,
 but that is what they want to do anyway)

bad Improv GMs will have the crime come to the players, regardless
bad Prep GMs will disallow renting a boat, and force the crime on the players

it all depends on the quality of the players, and the willingness of the 
players to work with the GM, and the GM to work with the players,
and not in some kind of "i win, you lose" contest of dice and ego

i am an Improv GM, and i can game anything of the cuff, but my environments
arent very tight, and my NPCs are shallow, but my players are looking for fun
now, not when i have the time to write it upmy best friend is a Prep GM, with
large world sweeping plans, detailed maps, NPCs with plans and parties of their
own, and when it works, it is good, and when it fails, it is boring clockwork. 

dave "if you are not having fun, who cares. if you are, who cares." oakes