HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: lower-tony@CS.YALE.EDU (Tony Lower)
Subject: Re: Surprises
Organization: Yale University Computer Science Dept., New Haven, CT 06520-2158
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 14:41:18 GMT

>>
>>    WHEN HAVE PLAYERS SURPRISED YOU?
>>
>Heh.  I've got two, and sadly, I think you were there for the first, Tony.
>
   [Horrendous silliness removed for the sanity of those reading]

Yeah, I remember that one.  Oy.  I just want to state, for the record,
that while I was THERE, MY character was not one of the ones mentioned,
and he had LONG since stopped trying to influence the other characters.

My favorite surprise from that campaign was the following... we come
upon this "corpse" which is wonderfully preserved.  A PALADIN in our
party wants to butcher the corpse and look for treasure in it.  My
character, being a bit more perceptive than the others, realizes
that this guy is Feigning Death:

   PALADIN: YEAH!  We can cut him up and see if he swallowed anything!
   ME: Don't be STUPID!  This guy isn't DEAD!  He's just STUNNED!
   PALADIN: Hm?  So what does that matter?
   ME: >gack!<  Ahmmm... it would be, you know, murder!
   PALADIN: You know what?  I don't believe you!  I think you just
         want to come back and get the treasure for yourself!
         [sticks sword in the guy, who instantly dies... for real]

   ME: >shaking head<  Don't say I didn't warn you...
   PALADIN: Geee... I guess he was just faking.  Oh well, I couldn't
         have known, so I'm not morally responsible.

The council of Knights didn't see it his way, as I recall...

                                            Tony
From: mancinis@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (steven mancini)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: SR: Ruthenium(?) Swords & the Astral Plane
Date: 15 Sep 92 06:12:31 GMT
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center

In article <1992Sep15.000415.11522@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au> ins769v@lindblat.cc.monash.edu.au (Veltyen) writes:
>
>Obvious is a relative thing. A troll carrying a sword is obvious on the
>astral. A troll carrying a magical sword is obviously a PA or Mage.
>
	Not necessarily. A sword with an invis spell quickened to it
	does not need to be bonded. Therefore you mundane troll can
	swing this invisible slicer-dicer.
							-Minotaur


-- 

+-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-+
| Steve Mancini (a.k.a. The Minotaur) | mancinis@mentor.cc.purdue.edu   |
|    Grad Student {Dazed & Confused}  | mancinis@vm.cc.purdue.edu       |
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: cleggp@aix.rpi.edu (Paul Jason Clegg)
Subject: Twilight:  2000  1st ed. vs. 2nd ed.
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
Date: Sat, 12 Sep 1992 01:06:05 GMT

As you may or may not know, I'm a fan of the first edition Twilight:  2000
game, but now they've got their newer revised system out (actually, it's been
out for a while now).  Has anyone played with both versions, and if so, could
they please give me a quick rundown on the differences?  I want to know for
two reasons:  1.  If the new system sounds good, I'll buy the new system.
2.  If the new system is backwards compatible enough, I'll just buy the one
or two supplements I've been looking at...  Thanx in advance...

Oh, you might want to email me the replies...  But that's your choice.

...Paul


Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: hopcraft@spock.ecs.umass.edu (Geoffrey S Hopcraft)
Subject: Re: ars-magica ... questions
Organization: University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1992 18:12:13 GMT

Christian Malterer writes:
>hi .. i just have some questions realating ars magica 3rd edition
>
>how do you study from book of you mundane library ? like from your arts books?
>but then why is the "level" so low ? hmmm i really must have misunderstood
>something....

In the second edition, it was specified that studying from a mundane library
grants experience in the skill at the rate of 3 exp per season of study as long
as your skill is lower than that of the library. In the third edition, library
study is folded into the generic experience system; I myself prefer the second
edition method.

>second .. the rules always mention that an aura of 6+ warps living things
>(covenant rules) ... i only found no specific describtion "how" you are
>warped ? and how living things are influence bad or good .. the only thing
>describing the effects of auras is in the saga part but no mention of being
>"warped"...

This is a role playing decision; though in general the 'warping' should make it
harder to live in the environment. Chickens will occaisionally be born as
cockatrices, nearby people will have weird virtues and flaws, common creatures
will have magic might and the trees will take offense at being cut down and
used in buildings. Faeries love 6+ magic auras, and will constantly be playing
games with your vis sources. The area around your covenant will be widely known
as a rejuvinating vacation resort for intelligent magical beasts. Rivers will
occaisionally run the opposite direction, and ooblek will rain from the sky
when the master is bored. Powerful magi can survive and prosper in such an
environment, but nothing should be straightforward.

>the last thing .. is there an ars-magica mailing list ??  ... i would really
>appreciate to find other people playing ars-magica ... 

Indeed there is! Just send mail to ars-magica-request@ocf.berkeley.edu, and ask
to be subscribed.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Geoff Hopcraft		| "If only 30% of the people vote in an election, then
hopcraft@ecs.umass.edu  |  15% of the people choose who leads the country. All
			|  we have to do is control that 15%" - Pat Robertson
From: ppugliese@pimacc.pima.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Matriarchal Societies...Fact or Fiction
Date: 15 Sep 92 14:11:30 GMT

In article <1992Sep14.174706.28465@mks.com>, viktor@mks.com (Viktor Haag) writes:
> In article <BuIyHB.2HL@news.cso.uiuc.edu> dv52151@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Axly) writes:
>>lib1p@rosie.uh.edu (Tammy Stark Blandino) writes:
>>
>>>How much do people take for granted as true without really
>>>thinking about it, yet run in fear of anything that smacks of
>>>matriarchal or matrilineal?
>>
>>Oh, I don't think anyone is running in fear of them. However, I 
>>must point out that since most matriarchal societies were/are 
>>based on agriculture and a cyclical view of the universe, the
>>allowance for social and intellectual change was minimal. Yes,
>>the modern society, descended from a patriarchal beginning, 
>>still has some faults, but I think we all consider it better
>>than rutting around in the dirt with sticks. If you want a
>>more eloquent argument on the subject, check Sam Keene's
>>"A fire in the belly".             
> 
> Oh, Yes!  I think we can all agree that the expansion of the city state
> through armed agression, the perpetration of oppressive economic 
> class based systems upon the uneducated majority, the 
> inculcation of state-church partnerships remain obvious advantages
> when faced with the horribly brutal life of the average _primitive_
> society.  I mean after all, we civilised euro-caucasians can stand
> proudly and declare our obviously greater intelligences, moral
> fibre, and proximity to heaven ...
> 
> This not to mention the wonderful advances we have made in conservation
> of natural resources, and husbandry of our own environment, et al.
> 
> I am not saying that you don't have a point, but I think you should 
> realise the racist, patriarchal, eurocentric roots of your statement
> about rutting around in the dirt with sticks.  Don't think that
> merely because you have risen above the dirt in your gleamingly clean
> condominium, you have somehow elevated your intellectual, moral
> or philosophical status.  We have merely become different, not better.
> 

Well, I'm not saying that you don't have a point but why don't try ex-
periencing a Neolithic lifestyle for a while & then decide which is
superior? You should recognize that primitive societies were not some 
sort of 'Golden Age' but were in fact brutal struggles (usually short) 
to stay alive. You may *think* that modern society is no better but you'd
probably change your mind if you had to live a truly primitive lifestyle.
They had all the flaws you mention above (except, perhaps, patriarchy)
plus more. (No legal codes to protect individuals & very few individual
rights come to mind offhand)

BTW, all nature cares about is survival. It's the root of evolution.
Intellectual, moral & philosophical status don't mean much if your
culture/society can't/won't survive.

Yes, we have become different. We had to, to survive.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: Rannou@info.polymtl.ca (Patrick Rannou)
Subject: Re: Alignments
Followup-To: rec.games.frp.misc
Organization: Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, Canada
	<KETIL.92Sep2170534@struts.ii.uib.no> <5403@blue.cis.pitt.edu.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1992 18:48:43 GMT

In article <5403@blue.cis.pitt.edu.UUCP> seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp) writes:

   In article <KETIL.92Sep2170534@struts.ii.uib.no> ketil@ii.uib.no writes:

   >It i obvious for the experienced netter/player that ADD alignment
   >system sucks.  Isn't it? 

	   I guess not, since I've been netting and playing probably longer 
   than 90% of each respective group, and I use alignments with great joy.

	   I view alignments as a general outline of the way a character
   views the world and the things that they can be expected to do/permit/
   believe. It's not a cast-iron system, since anything that involves
   real people (and a good character can have so much put into it that
   he/she/it is damn near real) tends to blur at the boundaries, but it
   is a very useful tool for me to use. I never use it as a forcing function
   since the players should know what their characters would do, and if
   I see something developing which shows a definite trend to another
   alignment, I just change the character's alignment. If this is bad for
   the character (i.e., that Paladin just went NG) c'est la vie -- they
   should know better... if the player isn't SURE, of course, they can
   always ask, but I usually give a good description of the way Alignment
   works in my world to every new player and questions are rare. Usually
   if the character does a questionable act, they are allowed to 
   justify it if the alignment shift is important...

	   BTW, I do agree with a prior poster -- Tammy, if you don't
   read r.g.f.dnd then why are you even TALKING about this???????

	   Heck, if you'd just SUBSCRIBED to r.g.f.dnd you would have
   seen that this discussion was ALREADY going full blast, complete
   with Pat Rannou's *480* line posts on the subject [I kid you not!].

				    Sea Wasp
				      /^\
				      ;;;

OK, I'll make THIS one short, then:

I agree with Sea Wasp on most things:

1- I use alignements and have fun using them

2- Alignements are, to me, just a very general view/simplification of a
character's personnality. So I let my players define a personnality first,
THEN we "tag" an alignement on it.

3- I'm very lax on alignements. So what if a LG character does a "CE"
action? I'm sure the player tought it was justified. Only in cases of
repeated strong deviations do I change the PC's alignment.

4- Yes, it's a VERY old thread.

5- Yes, I really write too long posts. Ever saw my 600+  lines long
postings, SW? I tried to reread myself once. A NIGHTMARE! If I don't want
people hitting the 'n' key too fast, I'd better start to learn how to
summarize... 

--
/---------------------------\
| Patrick "Paradak" Rannou. |
| Rannou@info.polymtl.ca    |
\---------------------------/

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: lib1p@rosie.uh.edu (Tammy Stark Blandino)
Subject: r.g.frp.* and sci fi games
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: University of Houston
Date: Sat, 12 Sep 1992 20:54:00 GMT

I have heard several people say several things and I thought
I would try to put it all together in a single post.  Note
this is not intended as flaming material, but as an observation.

This is r.g.frp.misc.  In the hierarchy r.g.frp.* is for 
fantasy role playing games.  Sci fi games are not fantasy
games.  Therefore, officially they do not belong here.

Now someone mentioned that there is a group r.g.rpg, but I
haven't noticed it.  Is this true?  Seems that is where
sci fi games should go.  But if this is true, then the
hierarchy should be r.g.rpg.fantasy.* and r.g.rpg.sf.*.

Then you could have r.g.rpg.sf.board.  Sounds like Battletech
and Warhammer 40K to me.

Just an observation.

Tammy 
lib1p@jetson.uh.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: tdunn@ecst.csuchico.edu (Tim Dunn)
Subject: Healing Vampirism (was 
Organization: California State University, Chico
Date: Wed, 09 Sep 1992 19:42:13 GMT

Punk Rocketeer writes:
[has a healing PC in a game he's running, using Transform]
>     The problem came up when I turned one of the PC's into a vampire. 
[dud(e) tries to 'heal' the vampire.]
>     What do all you Hero gamers think?  To me, resurrection is not
>genre for superheroes, Jean Grey to the contrary.  Superheroes die
>seldom enough that it generally turns out to be a major event.  

I'd agree.  It may be in character for the character to try, but
if it fails, then it fails.  I know you don't encourage players to
argue rules with you, and you should not make an exception here.

Vampirism (as I have seen it done in games and source material) is
not the same as a 'broken bone' or anything.  It could be a spiritual
affliction of some sort (hence the priestly angle) or a virual
infection (SR has a 'vampirism' virus.)  I'd subscribe more to the 
metaphysical than the mere scientific, and I'd rule that it is outside
the special effect of the transform.

I would give the character a chance to perform the heroic effort (that'd
look great in a comic,) but in the end, that's the end. 

-- 
In a five year period we can get one superb programming language.  Only
we can't control when the five year period will begin.
From: mark@trillian.jsc.nasa.gov (Mark Manning)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Net.Book.Riddles
Date: 8 Sep 92 15:26:41 GMT
Organization: Simulacron I

Hello EVERYONE!

As the person who (somewhat) keeps the Net.Book.Riddles, I feel
that enough time has passed that there simply MUST be one or
two new riddles floating around out there.  So I think it is
time that Version 2.0 of the Net.Book.Riddles was compiled.
Please send (via e-mail) any and all new riddles which you might
have to my mailing address.  You can try any of the following:

mark@cheers.jsc.nasa.gov
mark@trillian.jsc.nasa.gov
mark@arthur.jsc.nasa.gov

In addition (since I've been _very_ busy lately) I would like
someone to e-mail where I should post the new version once it
has been compiled.  :)

Thanks again!
From: seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: To all Battlelords people...(Was Re: Let's talk REAL sci-Fi systems)
Date: 10 Sep 92 17:01:56 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh
Originator: seawasp@pmax1.cis.pitt.edu


	After reading Bluerazor's(?) so-called "objective" puff-piece for
Battlelords, I have to make a statement, especially in view of the reactions
I've seen so far:

	First... Blue, if that's who it was, you ain't no spokesman. To put
it bluntly, your babbling diatribe in favor of Battlelords gave me the most
NEGATIVE IMPRESSION of ANY GAME SYSTEM I have EVER gotten, even from its
most PARTISAN fanatics. I used to think GURPS addicts were virulent in the
promotion of their games, and that the Gygaxian AD&Ders were religious 
nuts. Compared to this kind of blatant "pushing", both of the aforementioned
are calm and reasonable in their discussions of other systems. 
	Terms like "coolest races" and so on, snide sneering remarks about
other systems (while missing a lot of the other SF systems), and the fact
that the entire post was filled with bad grammar and spelling, contribute
to the (quite possibly WRONG) impression that the writer was a thirteen
year old munchkin with a world of hostility inside.

	Second: I saw another post, from someone else who was involved in
this game, which seemed much more reasonable. To be brutally honest, it
might be a good idea for you to see if you can convince Blue to change his
ways, because he sure ain't giving you any good publicity. 

	The name of the game itself doesn't strike me very well (Battlelords)
for a game that is touting the claim that it ISN'T just a game for
combat types. Combined with the name of the manual "Lock-n-Load", and the
lists of killed characters and so on, I get the impression of a game 
made for fans of Rambo-in-Space.

	Any "positive" claims based on "negative features" ("no elves here!")
are actually BAD for your cause, since you then set your game specifically 
in opposition to those who like such things; a neutral position, ignoring
but not excluding other types of players, is much more likely to reach
a wider audience. For example, I happen to LIKE combining magic and tech,
and a game specifically saying that it WON'T allow that (or whose spokesmen
CLAIM that it won't) automatically gets a downrating from me.

	And extravagant claims that are obviously derived from straight
personal bias and opinion (the best combat system, bar none... coolest
races... etc.) are very negative downchecks, by their implication that
all other game systems and their players are worse AND the fact that
these claims are generally not substantiable.

	(As an example, no one so far has mentioned what I consider
the most well-developed alien races in space games; those from Other
Suns.)

	In short, Battlelords people, your public image needs some serious
damage control, and pronto!


                                 Sea Wasp
                                   /^\
                                   ;;;

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: bkdavis@eos.ncsu.edu (B K DAVIS)
Subject: Re: SR: Non-animal totems
Originator: bkdavis@c00059-100lez.eos.ncsu.edu
Reply-To: bkdavis@eos.ncsu.edu (B K DAVIS)
Organization: North Carolina State University, Project Eos
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 10:26:01 GMT


In article <mxr.715904581@neptune>, mxr@neptune.dsc.com (Max "Vicious Audacious Melon" Rible) writes:
|>Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
|>Path: taco!rock!stanford.edu!ames!haven.umd.edu!uunet!dscares!neptune!mxr
|>From: mxr@neptune.dsc.com (Max "Vicious Audacious Melon" Rible)
|>Subject: Re: SR: Non-animal totems
|>Message-ID: <mxr.715904581@neptune>
|>Sender: news@dscares
|>Nntp-Posting-Host: neptune.dsc.com
|>Organization: Digital Sound Corporation
|>References: <1992Sep7.114601.17155@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au>
|>Date: Mon, 7 Sep 92 18:23:01 GMT+5:00
|>Lines: 25
|>
|>ins894r@aurora.cc.monash.edu.au (Aaron Wigley [Wigs]) writes:
|>
|>>I don't suppose anyone has designed non animal totems, 
|>>such as what is hinted at in the London Sourcebook om page 143 under
|>>Druids:Totems?
|>
|>Well, I've got a Fog shamaness (from San Francisco, of course), with
|>bonuses for summoning Mist spirits and illusion.  If you have Road
|>spirits, you might have fun playing a Car shaman (we've had them long
|>enough that they're part of human consciousness by now).  (Road spirits
|>are capable of using the Movement power on anything native to their domain:
|>this includes cars, trucks, bicycles...)  A fun thing for a Road shaman
|>to do is to hire several blacksmiths with a very large amount of nuyen
|>to put together an old Rolls Royce--- Silver Phantom, I think an
|>appropriate one would be--- by hand, and enchant the thing into an Ally.
|>(I wouldn't permit turning a modern rigged vehicle with lots of fancy
|>high-tech materials into an Ally, but having an antique-style hand-built
|>car has *style*!)  Just think of the advantages inherent in having a
|>car that's also an Ally:  it doesn't need gas, it's worth a good deal
|>of armor protection, it can drive itself...
|>/-------------v-----------------------v---------------------------------------\
|>| Max Rible   | mxr@dsc.com           | "Powerful big rats, gentlemen."       |
|>|             | rible@vorpal.ucsb.edu |                         - Neil Gaiman |
|>\-------------^-----------------------^---------------------------------------/
|>-- 
|>

Does Christine Ring a bell ??
:)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: sjs28257@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Steve Stelter)
Subject: Re: champ: What if...
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 04:16:32 GMT

v076jy2p@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Cosmo Of The Cosmos) writes:

>Hi Ho, Keeds!


>	Question for all you guys out there who play champions.
>	(replies can be posted or e-mailed. I don't care.)


>Setting:
>	Normal world, today.

>What's going on:
>	Normal people are waking up with funky new superpowers.
>(ie. The PCs)  Why?  I'd post that except some of people who might
>play might read this and find out.  Besides, it's not important.

>Question:
>	How would the world react to finding out that it had real,
>live superheroes?  Please try to keep your replies semi-serious,
>as this will be a semi-serious campain with a touch of black humor.
>However, if your idea is either way funny or way dark, feel free to
>post anyways.  All sugestions are welcome.

It would probably depend almost entirely on what the new superbeings
do with their superpowers.  This being a semi-serious real-world
campaign, I would probably expect some of the superbeings would
become heroes, but most would become villains (the temptation would
be just too great, at least at first!), and a few might try to find
some way to lose their powers so they can get back to a normal life.
But since all the new superbeings are player characters, the decision
rests entirely with the players.

Assuming that everybody decides to follow the cause of law and order,
the first organization to take notice would probably be the government,
who would probably attempt to force the PCs to register as bona fide
law enforcement officials--working for Uncle Sam, of course.  The
scientific community would want to examine the PCs in the hopes of
discovering the source of--and then duplicating--their powers.  And,
of course, the media would go nuts; real superheroes walking around
is a story that puts the British royal family to shame.  All in all,
with so many interest groups demanding the heroes' time, the PCs would
be hard pressed to have any spare time left over to actually fight crime!


                                     --Steve Stelter
                                       sjs28257@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu
From: cwagner@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Christian Wagner)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Resurrection in HERO (was Re: Permenant damage in HERO)
Date: 11 Sep 92 13:27:54 GMT
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX

In article <BuBn8z.44H@acsu.buffalo.edu> v076jy2p@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Cosmo Of The Cosmos) writes:
>DO NOT allow the player to put any limitaions on the power!
>I can think of about 7 limitations I can put on it to get the cost down
>by a tenth!  You'll never be able to get rid of him!
>
>(But hey, could be funny!  "Charge!" *BLAM* "Charge!" *BLAM* "Charge!")

I designed a character like this in GURPS Supers (please, no system comments
on this group); he had invulnerability to nearly every form of attack 
available, including all kinetic attacks and Generic Energy. Other than that,
he was a normal.

Now, the neat thing was, he had a limitation "Takes actual damage effects but
always comes back after one minute." on all of the invulnerabilities. In 
effect, you could kill him easily, but only for a minute. -No- damage was 
permanent. This wasn't like regeneration abilities; he could be run over by a 
steam roller and a minute later he would peel himself up off the ground. We
never actually got a chance to nuke him, tho....

He was based vaguely on an anime character (the zombie from 3X3 Eyes) who had 
similar abilities, but making the guy into a mild-mannered professor type made
for some interesting weirdness.



-- 
    "Well, do you ever get the feeling that the Story's too damn real
                        and in the present tense?"
               Christian Wagner - cwagner@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu