HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: mstorer@ponder.csci.unt.edu (Mark)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: SRUN: Questions from the Minotaur: The Next Generation
Date: 3 Sep 92 19:23:03 GMT
Article-I.D.: ponder.mstorer.715548183
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of North Texas

In <BtzHzF.KD9@news.cso.uiuc.edu> pmwg1641@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Peter M. White) writes:
>>2. Do your magically actives assense EVERYTHING? It seems like no matter 
>>   what room, it is assensed, no matter who the person is, as soon as 
>>   he/she/it is introduced, it is assensed, no matter what the object, 
>>   it is assensed. 

>This is my *major* gripe with the SR magic system.  Overall, I really
>like it ascetically, but access to Astral Space is far too easy.
>Except for masked initiates, which should be uncommon, assensing
>someone tells most everything you need to know about a person.  It
>is reasonable to bet the member of the sec team without cyberware
>is a mage, for example.  And a mage without focuses and fetishes has a real
>disadvantage against those who do.  The heart of the matter, as
>I see it, is assensing or projecting is too powerful: being able
>to view all living and inanimate things as they *truly* are
>inhibits good game play.  What makes plots interesting is the unexpected.

>--Peter

How about an item to conceal astral energies... Make them relatively simple
to make (once the theory has been discovered), but limited.  THIS item can
only make THAT astral pattern look like X.  So each different thing you wanted
concealed would require a trip to the enchanting shop to design and build
a new focus.  

Or a magic item that created a background count equal to its force, an astral
smoke screen.

But players shouldn't be the ones to make up these items, they might have to
do a run for some high muck-a-muck, a corp (not likely, they tend to hold onto
their secrets) or a dragon, in return for the general theories behind the 
enchanting of these new gizmos.  

A spell that created a background count shounld be too complicated either...
Xref: sparky rec.games.frp.misc:4868 rec.games.frp.advocacy:2010 rec.games.frp.dnd:3432
From: peterw@cs.man.ac.uk (Peter Wake)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc,rec.games.frp.advocacy,rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Alignments
Date: 2 Sep 92 15:34:35 GMT
Followup-To: rec.games.frp.misc
Organization: Dept Computer Science, University of Manchester, U.K.

I guess the general feeling is that alignments are bunk, that they
always were bunk, and that they always will be.

Since the days when we all played D&D and were thankful for it (a long
time ago now) alignment has always been a problem.  Everyone has their
own definitions of law, chaos, good and evil because we have different
moralities.  Some people think X is evil, others do not.  In addition
to this problem alignment failed to do the job it was intended to do.

To be fair all alignment was really for in D&D was dividing people into
sides: I'm on this side, you're on another side.  It helped the players
decide who to fight.  It also helped the referee decide who the
monsters would fight.  This was only necessary for those who danced to
Gygax's tune (or wanted to).

Since those (best forgotten) days better games and wiser gamers have
produced some better ways of regulating character behaviour.  This
means encouraging roleplaying, and encouraging consistent and
believable roleplaying.  Pendragon & Ars Magica have the best systems
for doing this (IMHO) but the codes of honour that most super games use
are something different.  For instance a CHARACTER might hold to a code
he doesn't really believe in - such as bushido, because of social
pressures.  In the end they have a similar effect but they come at the
problem from a different direction.  People still behave in consistent
ways without holding to codes.  Just having codes is not enough for
some types of game.
--
Peter Wake
I have sworn an oath never to play D&D again :-)  Can I have my points now?
From: macgyver@turtle.cis.ohio-state.edu (MacGyver)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: ShadowTech Errata
Date: 1 Sep 92 12:49:19 GMT
Organization: The Ohio State University Dept. of Computer and Info. Science

In article <1992Sep1.021206.14135@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au> ins894r@aurora.cc.monash.edu.au (Aaron Wigley [Wigs]) writes:
>MacGyver (macgyver@turtle.cis.ohio-state.edu) wrote:
>: Here it is again. (plus a few new ones.)
>
>I would say that the essence cost for the TacComp is a bit exessive myself.
>(perhaps .3 and .4, not 3 and 4 essence).

no, the essence are very correct. TacComp is a VERY POWERFUL item.
-- 
Wilson MacGyver                      |"I do like a road, because you can be 
Internet:macgyver@cis.ohio-state.edu | always wondering what is at the end
=====================================| of it."
Disclaimer:All opinions are mine only|=======================================
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: alan@ps-mail.pass.wayne.edu (Alan Moen)
Subject: Re: Amber (questions and comments)
Organization: Wayne State University Placement Svcs.
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 17:56:01 GMT

In article <1992Aug31.140334.14311@orionsci> goodwin@orionsci.uucp (Ben Goodwin) writes:

>Question:

>I asked before but no one answered.  I am confused about laddering
>the ranks above first.  I know that in the Rules book it says number
>one ranked is number one ranked.  But it goes on to mention allowing
>players to buy above first using a ladder system.  Has anyone done
>this?  And how did you set up the ladder?

If you spent 65 points for the first rank, another player can spend 65 points
and rank just below you, but unless you don't put any of your experience
into psyche and the other player does, s/he won't surpass you.


Alan
Alan@ps-mail.pass.wayne.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: markey@specxn.enet.dec.com (Ron Markey)
Subject: Re: GURPS Will Rolls
Reply-To: markey@specxn.enet.dec.com (Ron Markey)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation, Colo. Spgs, CO
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 20:06:54 GMT


--
As opposed to mailing any more "me, toos", there doesn't seem to be any seperate newsgroup for Battletech.  The most active information I have seen on Battletech has been in the REC.GAMES.BOARD newsgroup.  There is ususally a good deal of discussion about mech designs and rule questions there.

Ron
 
                ___---                                    ---___
  +------__--~~~   _~--------------------------------------~_   ~~~--__------+
  | __-~~        _~                Ron Markey                ~_        ~~-__ |
 _-~            ~_        markey@pbst.enet.dec.com or         _~            ~-_
~-_              ~_       markey@gsrc.enet.dec.com           _~              _-~
  |~--_           ~_        Digital - Colo. Spgs., CO       _~           _--~|
  |    ~~--__      ~_ Digital is blameless for my rambling _~      __--~~    |
  +----------~~~---_~_------------------------------------_~_---~~~----------+
Xref: sparky rec.games.frp.misc:4951 rec.games.frp.advocacy:2028 rec.games.frp.dnd:3460
From: lucas@scicom.AlphaCDC.COM (Huma Dragonbane)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc,rec.games.frp.advocacy,rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Alignments
Date: 4 Sep 92 02:42:39 GMT
Followup-To: rec.games.frp.misc
Organization: Knights of Solamnia, Order of the Crown

In article <1992Sep2.044630.9689@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> sboiarsk@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Sean L Boiarski) writes:
>After all, how many of us go around thinking that we are "evil"? Even Hitler 
>probably didn't align himself as Lawful Evil, and to label him as such is 

Actually, Hitler thought of himself as 'Chaotic Evil' :-)
>Just a little flame :)
Just a little joke! :-)
>
>Sean L. Boiarski

Huma Dragonbane! KING OF ALL! (in his own fractured, strange
dreams!) He happens to be: (DRUM ROLL!!) Lawful Neutral (I think!
:-)) 
-- 
Huma of the Lance, Alpha Institute. -- DOMAIN lucas@scicom.alphacdc.com
Order of the Crown  ncar!scicom!lucas --- Huma Dragonbane of Solamnia
"Est Sularis Oth Mithas, My Honor is my Life." --- Old Solamnic Saying
Ah love! What a strange and wonderous thing!!  --- Me on love (and in love!)
From: slb3y@cc.usu.edu (Punk Rocketeer)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Legos as props.
Date: 3 Sep 92 19:21:50 GMT
Article-I.D.: cc.1992Sep3.132150.58597
Organization: United Order of Non-joiners

In article <1992Sep03.160508.13502@rchland.ibm.com>,
seurer@rchland.vnet.ibm.com (Bill Seurer) writes:
> I am going to try using Legos (specifically the Lego Imperials/Pirates sets)
> for props in a GURPS Swashbucklers campaign.
> 
> Has anyone else tried this?   Perhaps using the Castle sets for a "normal"
> fantasy campaign?
> 
> If so, how'd it work out?

     I have used or played in games with any number of props, ranging
from nothing to all sorts of miniatures and terrain.  Legos are great
props for every genre.  They give a good feel for size and location of
objects, and are a lot more versatile than my 2YO son's wooden blocks.

     Basically, go for it.
-- 
Patrick S. Clark | "I believe the word you're looking for is
Email is life!   | AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
Usual Disclaimer | The Penguin, in _Batman_Returns_
From: swann@acsu.buffalo.edu (Stephen Swann)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Improvisation!
Date: 26 Aug 92 00:15:57 GMT
Organization: State University of New York at Buffalo/Comp Sci

In article <1992Aug25.220628.17273@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu> cassidy@cps.msu.edu (John J Cassidy) writes:
>In article <BtCIM9.Cxn@acsu.buffalo.edu> swann@acsu.buffalo.edu (Stephen Swann) writes:
>
>[quote, quote, quote, ... ad infinitum]
>
>>But to extend the example, do you know the location of every loose
>>paving stone on every road in every part of the adventure, or doesn't
>>your world have loose paving stones?  That's one way to make sure the
>>players don't do anything unexpected - have every object in your
>>campaign be equivalent to its Platonic Ideal form.
>
>	Steve brings up a good point.  A loose paving stone used to kill
>many a cartdriver in ancient days.  The wheel plants on it and when the
>stone moves it usually provides for more than the driver can handle.
>When your characters race over paving stones in a cart chase, do you
>know just which stone is loose?  Or do you roll a percentage every turn
>to see if their cart hits one?  Or do you roll every fifth turn or so?

Actually I was thinking of the possibility of picking up a paving
stone to throw through a window, to start a distracting commotion.  Or
that maybe you would hide the gem you just stole under a loose paving
stone so that when that detachment of soldiers catches you, they won't
find it on your person.  Or that you might want to use it to prop open 
a self-closing gate, while you explore the courtyard.

When someone claims that they have taken -everything- into account in
their preparation, I have to ask them if they know the location of EVERY
loose paving stone.  Because I might need one.  I might also need a
handful of dry grass, so they better have detailed that in their
writeup as well.  If you don't have that, then you just aren't a full
prep DM, in my book.

-- 
Steve Swann                 |    Speak to me in many voices; make
swann@acsu.buffalo.edu      |      them all sound like one...  -BOC
From: doug@abby.chem.ucla.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Improvisation!
Date: 27 Aug 92 20:47:31 GMT
Reply-To: doug@abby.chem.ucla.edu
Organization: Department of Chemistry, UCLA

In article <27AUG199208123764@rosie.uh.edu>, lib1p@rosie.uh.edu (Tammy Stark Blandino) writes:
>At the beginning of the game the DM rolls a six sided die.  The
>number that comes up is the number of fudges he/she gets.  Every
>time the DM fudges they turn the die to the next lower number.
>
>Now fudges can be done both for and against players, usually in
>situations that really *WARRANT* a fudge.  Since players see the
>die being turned they know it is a fudge.
>

IMHO, letting the players know that you've fudged something is the WORST
POSSIBLE thing you can do.  It's much worse than simply fudging, and it's also
much worse than adamantly refusing to fudge die rolls.  Letting the players
know when you're fudging the die rolls, in my experience, accomplishes nothing
and simply makes the players less satisfied with whatever the result of their
actions was.


-Doug Gibson
 doug@abby.chem.ucla.edu

Neither UCLA nor the National Science Foundation has a clue what I am doing.
They just pay me to do it.

"We have to tear you to shreds because we care." - EAC
From: Elizabeth.Mccoy@bbs.oit.unc.edu (Elizabeth Mccoy)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Improvisation!
Date: 25 Aug 92 21:53:13 GMT
Organization: Extended Bulletin Board Service


smith@ctron.com (Larry Smith)  writes:

>What is the GM?  Is he God, or is he ILM? 
[In response to a much longer thread, of course....]
Unfortunately, it gets me to thinking... :-)

Last Saturday, I ran my first live game. (I've been doing a PBEM,
previous to this.) I plotted, planned, had about 80% or so of the caper
written down, and details tucked away in my head. Due to my
underestimating the paranoia of one character (when I'd been planning
for a bit more "overconfidence"), I got to use about 50% of my planning.
Oh, well....

Going into the game (2 weeks ahead of time, when I committed to running
it), I had minor panics where I went around going "Arrrrrgh!" because I
could see the responsibility closing in on me. In the middle of the
game, I was too busy to go "Argh!" (more than once), and after it... The
*scope* of the responsibility and power I had! *I* brought trouble to
the PCs, *I* decreed whether it was raining or not, *I* determined what
NPCs thought! If the PCs didn't go looking for trouble, I could send
trouble after them! The responsibility of making sure that everyone had
a fairly good time, and that I didn't break too many laws of the
universe.... That was *nothing* compared to my feeling of responsibility
for everything that the PCs faced!

I was God -- with a slight inferiority complex, thinking, "Who am I to
be visiting such turmoil upon the characters, and somewhat from out of
left field, too!"

Heady experience -- NOT! Scary! I was *real* glad that I had stuff
written down, even though much of it became useless. My brain was all
but locked up at times, and that plot was all that kept me going.
Turn me loose with less than I'd had? Gah! Watch me have a spurious
seizure, just to give myself some time to think!

And I'm pretty much an improv advocate! :-)  I *want* to be able to
figure out stuff on the fly. I *want* to let the players generate plots
by bouncing off the woodwork. (Idealy, I want umpteen million plots
going on in the background that the players activate, but that goes into
the metaplane where everything is prepared but what will happen in the
game.) 

So, just to be a bit snide, how many people who speak anti-improv are
convinced that without their prep, they'd just sort of sit there and go
"Uhhhhhhhhhhh..." 

How many *pro*-improvers think that? I'll raise *my* hand... :-)

("Two weeks and more, and I *still* didn't think what would happen if I
couldn't prise that PC off her ship! Feh!" <sound of wall intercepting
head> "Until the next day, of course!")
--
   The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the University of
     North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Campus Office for Information
        Technology, or the Experimental Bulletin Board Service.
           internet:  bbs.oit.unc.edu or 152.2.22.80
From: perez@mgr.hjf.org (Charles Perez)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: cluelessness in mystery games (prep vs improv)
Date: 2 Sep 92 19:25:09 GMT
Organization: HJF AIDS Research Project, Washington DC

In article <37488@sdcc12.ucsd.edu> djohnson@cs.ucsd.edu (Darin Johnson) writes:
>>In such a case, we are no longer talking about a "mystery game".  A mystery
>>requires creativity, persistance and insight.  If one can just roll to be
>>"creative, persistant and insightful" we have effectively turned an
>>intellectual problem into a "hack-n-slash" problem.  
>
>I had said "in this case".  The case being that the mystery was not in
>a "mystery game", but part of a larger campaign perhaps or a side
>adventure.  It's the old problem of your character being better at an
>intellectual skill than the player.  (Imagine a Sherlock Holmes RPG -
>no player could every be Sherlock, because they wouldn't be smart
>enough)

Remember also that no Sherlock Holmes story was a "whodunnit". Holmes
was so smart because Doyle used deux ex machina to declare him to be.

[...]


-- 
==========================================================================
That which is necessary is never evil. If an evil seems necessary, look
to your context; that's where its root lies.  - Charles Perez
==========================================================================
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc,rec.games.frp.advocacy,rec.games.frp.dnd
From: stv@unislc.uucp (Steve Spencer)
Subject: Re: Alignments
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Organization: Unisys Corporation SLC
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 15:15:15 GMT

Tammy Stark Blandino (lib1p@rosie.uh.edu) wrote:
: 
: My definition of alignments are as follows:
: 
: 
: Lawful:
: 
: Here is where the fun begins.  In my definition, lawful means that
: you follow a code, not necessarily the law of the land.  A person
: that will not eat carrots on Tuesday and will not break that even
: if there is nothing but carrots to eat on Tuesday is a lawful person.
: They will not break their own code, no matter what.  If I am a lawful
: person and I promise not to reveal a secret you tell me and you then
: tell me that you killed someone, based on my code I cannot reveal
: that secret (provided keeping my word is part of my code).
: 
I personally disagree 'partially' anyway. I feel that I Lawful alignment
can be interpreted to be as you have above stated, and in no way feel that
that is inapropriate. However, there is another aspect of lawfulness that
could go hand in hand with, or in place of, what you stated. 
	A lawful character (good or evil) is very 'plan oriented' ie. they
plan things out meticulously (sp?) rather than jumping into things hlf cocked.
This is where lawfulness gives the character's a certain degree of advantage
in situations, where if we were just saying that the lawful character's had
to ALWAYS obey certain rules, it could be rather restictive on a character,
and would thus seem more sensible to choose a chaotic alignment. 
	This may just be a house rule, I don't know, that's how I was taught
to play 12 years ago. But in my eyes, the planning in lawfulness comes about
not due to the fact that it is really a description of the defenition of
lawful, but because it is the opposite side of the coin to chaos.
: 
: Tammy
: 
: lib1p@jetson.uh.edu
: 
: 
Hope it helps...


Steve Spencer		This is a subliminal message. Pay no attention.
Salt Lake City, Utah   
stv			(Short .sig to keep all the PRUDES off my back!)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: GAYNOR@agvax2.ag.ohio-state.edu (Jim Gaynor)
Subject: SRUN: SRII (un)availability
Organization: The Ohio State University - OCES
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 17:27:19 GMT
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.23

First off, I'd like to thank MacGyver for re-posting the ShadowTech
errata.  I knew if I nagged him enough, he'd get around to it.  :-)

Stopped by my local gaming shop (The GuardTower) this afternoon, as
Pete, the owner, had said he might have SRII today.  Unfortunately,
there were no copies in.  Then Pete told me what he had heard as to
-why- there were no copies out in the world.

According to Pete, there have been some problems with the binding of
the first printing of Shadowrun II.  Bad enough that some folks were
going back to the FASA booth at GenCon to bitch, and that FASA has
sent their remaining stock back to the printers.

If this is true, it looks like at -least- 2 more weeks until FASA can
get re-printed SRII out to distributors, and another week to get from
there to the dealers.  Me, I'll bet on October.  Anyone wanna start up
a pool?

<sigh>


---
   Jim Gaynor    | "Man-of-Many-Beeping-Sounds-and-Flashing-Lights" - KAJ
OSU/ACS/FMS/OCES | <gaynor@agvax2.ag.ohio-state.edu> or <gaynor.4@osu.edu>
ObDiscl:  Everything stated here and above is _my_ opinion.  Mine mine mine!
ObQuote: "Every devil I meet becomes a friend of mine." - Indigo Girls
From: d9bertil@dtek.chalmers.se (Bertil Jonell)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Dwarf Women with bears, Not!
Date: 29 Aug 92 16:01:23 GMT
Organization: Chalmers University of Technology

In article <1992Aug28.100051.1@wharton.upenn.edu> millerl@wharton.upenn.edu writes:
>If
>you've ever heard dwarves sing "Scarborough Fair" or "Chicken in the
>Straw" you will understand that it is unlikely for a dwarf, whether
>breaded or not, to be a bard.

  That's where the expression "Dwarven wine, women and song simply isn't!"
comes from.

>Loren Miller                           internet: MILLERL@wharton.upenn.edu

-bertil-
--
"It can be shown that for any nutty theory, beyond-the-fringe political view or
 strange religion there exists a proponent on the Net. The proof is left as an
 exercise for your kill-file."
"This is the famous Hasan B Mutlu-trigger, insert it in your .sig file today!"
From: doug@abby.chem.ucla.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: 4th ed. Stormbringer-what's different?
Date: 4 Sep 92 16:59:45 GMT
Reply-To: doug@abby.chem.ucla.edu
Organization: Department of Chemistry, UCLA

In article <37596@sdcc12.ucsd.edu>, jlkim@sdcc3.ucsd.edu (Justin Kim) writes:
>
>	Can some kind soul tell me what changed between the 3rd. and
>4th. editions of Stormbringer?  I understand that some large changes
>were made to the magic system in the fourth edition.
>

Yup.  Those are the main changes, I think.  "Virtues" have been added (Law's
equivalent of demons).  Summoning demons is considerably more difficult... a
PC sorcerer who tries to summon anything bigger than an elemental is taking a
serious risk (unless he/she has a particular incantation for the particular
demon).  I haven't cracked the book in quite a while, so that's about all
I remember.


-Doug Gibson
 doug@abby.chem.ucla.edu

Neither UCLA nor the National Science Foundation has a clue what I am doing.
They just pay me to do it.

"We have to tear you to shreds because we care." - EAC
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: lib1p@jane.uh.edu (Tammy Stark Blandino)
Subject: Re: Humorous bumper sticker...
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Keywords: Cthulhu president humor
Organization: University of Houston
Date: Sat, 29 Aug 1992 00:30:00 GMT

In article <1992Aug29.000924.29243@pony.Ingres.COM>, dwilson@Ingres.COM (It's up to me.) writes...
>Seen on a bumper sticker plastered to a light post in 
>Hayward, CA:
> 
>Vote Cthulhu for President!  Why vote for the *lesser* evil?
> 

That's even better than the button I have (which I am sure
everyone has seen or heard of) which reads......

Cthulhu for President!
..If your tired of choosing the lesser of two evils.

--Tammy--
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: leifmk@Lise.Unit.NO (Leif Magnar Kj|nn|y)
Subject: Re: Humorous bumper sticker...
Organization: Norwegian Institute of Technology
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 92 15:29:08 GMT

In article <1992Sep1.083709.10194@odin.diku.dk>, klaus@diku.dk (Klaus Ole Kristiansen) writes:
 > BJP108@psuvm.psu.edu (Brian Panulla, MooCow) writes:
 > 
 > >With the actual text alien text from the short story "Call of Cthulhu" in
 > >of "In his sunken city of R'ylea (sp) dead Cthulhu lies dreaming" or
 >                                        ^^^^
 > >whatever (this is from memory) on the back.
 > 
 > That's dread
 >         ^
No, it isn't.