HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: apearlma@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Andrew Pearlman)
Subject: Re: SRUN: Heavy weapons as sidearms
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1992 04:03:29 GMT

In article <RATINOX.92Apr8195416@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu> ratinox@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu (Rich Pieri) writes:
>Okokok. So you chummers think you can lug around a Panther assault cannon
>instead of a light pistol. Or an HMG instead of an Uzi.
>So what's a smart runner to do? Think small instead of big. With the new
>autofire rules, your Scorpion or Beretta machine pistol just became a
>weapon of deadly potential. Or step up to the H&K MP5 TX submachinegun: 7M3
>damage in burst fire with no recoil problems (integral gas vent). Get
>yourself some saboted DU rounds (APDS) if you feel the need for an extra
>punch. Not to mention that all three weapons can be fitted with sound and
>flash suppressors. Try that trick with an assault cannon.

Not quite true.  You can't stick a silencer on a weapon with gas-vents or
vice-versa.  Silencers are an exclusive barrel mount.  You can get shock-pads
though.  Neat trick:  Get smartgun link, spec in Tiffini Defender(8), and
APDS ammo, shockpads, reactive trigger, and silencer.  Get 7 successes on
the average doing 5L1(with rigger rules).  This stages up to 5D+31.  Say
you have a 6 body and Lined Coat.  Take it down to 5D1 with the lined coat
then probably get 2 successes on the resistance test.  Still a medium wound.

Andy Pearlman
From: mark@trillian.jsc.nasa.gov (Mark Manning)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Some more riddles
Date: 8 Apr 92 14:29:56 GMT
Article-I.D.: aio.1992Apr8.142956.12996
Organization: Simulacron I

1. I'm up.
   I'm down.
   I'm all around.
   Yet never can I be found.

   Who am I?

2. I can be moved.
   I can be rolled.
   But nothing will I hold.
   I'm red and I'm blue.
   And I can be other colors too.
   Having no head, though similar in shape,
   I have no eyes - yet move all over the place.

   What am I?

3. I can be eaten,
   I can be grown,
   And sometimes you'll find me,
   As part of your home.
   Though able to bend,
   And sticky when broke,
   I'm stouter than maple,
   But weaker than oak.

   What am I?

4. Upon me you can tread,
   Though softly under cover.
   And I will take you places,
   That you have yet to discover.
   I'm high, and I'm low,
   Though flat in the middle.
   And though a joy to the children,
   Adults think of me little.

   What am I?

5. What is it which builds things up?
   Lays mountains low?
   Dries up lakes,
   And makes things grow?
   Cares not a whim about your passing?
   And is like few other things,
   Because it is everlasting?
From: bianco@aethelbehrt.cs.odu.edu (Dave)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: AD&D:  Problems with 1st ed. Bard
Date: 8 Apr 92 21:41:24 GMT
	<1992Apr7.204449.13703@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>
	<1992Apr8.163048.17714@umbc3.umbc.edu>
Organization: Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA

In article <1992Apr8.163048.17714@umbc3.umbc.edu> cs201139@BugsBunny.acslab.umbc.edu (cs201139) writes:
   YOU BETTER GO CHECK THE DAMN BOOK LOSER! Man do you have me pissed off now.
   2nd Edition made the Bard a Theif sub-class!!! Of course it comes after
   the Theif...Sub-classes usually are listed directly after the root class.

Bards and Thieves are both subclasses of a general class
of 'Rouges.'  It's interesting to note that there is really
no flesh to the Rouge base type.  It merely exists to allow
Bards and Thieves to be derived from it...
--
==========================================================
David J. Bianco -- Systems Dude & Xanth IRC admin...
Old Dominion University
Dept of Computer Science,
Norfolk, VA 23529

<bianco@cs.odu.edu> || <...!uunet!xanth!bianco>

	"That's the short definition of Systems Engineer."
			-- Geordi LaForge (Paraphrased)
==========================================================
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
From: mark@trillian.jsc.nasa.gov (Mark Manning)
Subject: Re: The Undead and level loss
Organization: Simulacron I
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 01:40:20 GMT

By the time I'd started I think Blackmoor had just come out.  I too bought
(and still have) the original three book set.  Mine are signed by E.G.G
and Dave Arneson (as well as one other I forget), when TSR came down to
Nan's Toy Store in Houston for the second Nancon.  Had a pretty nice
time too!
From: velmeran@milton.u.washington.edu (Jack Brown)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: Stupid PC Tricks
Date: 9 Apr 92 08:50:23 GMT
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle

This happened in the last round of my current campaign.  The characters had
been attacked in camp at night by trolls.  A few had been trapped by a web
spell that was then set on fire.  The problem was that this was a semi forested
area.  No, that's not all.  It gets worse.  We use miniatures to show where
everybody is.  Anyway, the druid and one of the mages went around the web
stomping out fires.  Then, the last troll broke free from the other web and
proceeded to charge straight at the female mage.  She used her staff of the
magi (I'll be taking care of THAT mistake soon >) at the charging troll.
The problem is that the other mage was exactly behind the troll on the other
side of the sizzling area stomping fires.  In the line of fire.  The lightning
bolt obliterated him beyond belief.  Scratch one mage.

Then, to top it all off, it took the troll down to exactly one hit point.
A very pissed off troll then hacked her into unconciousness.  Semi poetic
justice, eh?


===========================================================================
Jack Brown				Those on the moral high-ground,
aka velmeran@u.washington.edu		beware of low-flying aircraft

"Our opinion of the gods and our knowledge of men leads us to conclude that
it is a general and necessary law of nature to rule whatever one can."

===========================================================================
From: reynard@susie.cs.scarolina.edu (John Reynard)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: Inspired character names
Date: 16 Apr 92 22:02:30 GMT
Organization: USC  Department of Computer Science


sue%miracle@merk.com (The Dragon Queen) writes:

>Well, one more thread can't hurt..... :-)

>Here's a question:  What's the silliest or most unusual name you've
>ever given a character?

>sjs28257@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Steve Stelter) writes:
>>In a Champions solo adventure, I played a ninja with the inspired name
>>"Katana."  (Hey, I was young.)

>Before I started DMing, I played a ninja named Kawasaki.....



 I played a Druid named Gerbil once.  Boy was that a stupid character.
He set fire traps on everyone's sword scabbards who made fun of his name.

John








>---
>|	  _\|/_          |This posting compliments of The Dragon Queen|
>|	 /     \         |                                            |
>|      	| O   O |        | Any imaginative suggestions about what can |
>|__ooo__|___ ___|__ooo__ | be writen in this box are welcome at:      |
>|  UUU      U      UUU   |           sue%miracle@merk.com             |
From: guido@netlink.cts.com (Joel Cherney)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: META: Books for source material...
Date: 7 Apr 92 19:24:36 GMT
Article-I.D.: netlink.P4kViB3w164w
Organization: NetLink Online Communications, San Diego CA

c9e-al@danube.Berkeley.EDU (Chua Hak Lien) writes:

> Anyway, some books I'd reccomend to gamers to flesh out their campaigns:-
> 
> David Macaulay's Castle, Cathedral and Pyramid series.
> 	[ Goes into detail ahout the building of these structures, as well
> 	  as the inhabitants. ]

A very good series of books.

> Any other reccomendations? 

Time-Life Books.  No, not the "Enchanted World" garbage.  I'm talking about 
the non-fiction.  They have books on historical peoples that are EXCELLENT, 
as a general overview. I mean, it's basic and shallow, but it's good.

The series I reccomend:
  The "Time Frame:" ones.  I got Fury of the Northmen: AD 800-1000.

--
Stamp out .sig virii!  ( "Neitzche is dead" - God ) Blues Traveller/Church
Fanaticism is the root ( Ignorance is extinction. ) /Copland/Davis/Ministr
of all evil. Just say  (          * * *           ) y/Misfits/NIN/PIL/PWEI
no to straightedges!   (  guido@netlink.cts.com   ) /Rush/Sonic Youth/ etc
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
From: cosc143u@rosie.uh.edu (91F9774)
Subject: Re: The Undead and level loss
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: University of Houston
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1992 21:39:00 GMT

In article <167C2E738.MHART00@ricevm1.rice.edu>, MHART00@ricevm1.rice.edu (mason hart) writes...
>Adventurers have an uncomfortable tendency to lose hard-earned
>levels after an encounter with the Undead.  I love it when my
>monsters and NPCs do well against the players, but I work as hard
>(harder) than they do to advance their characters in level, and I
>hate to see those levels lost in a fight with a wight.  Rather
>than ignore the more powerful undead completely, I've been toying
>with the following options, and would be interested in your opinions.
> 
>1)  Characters recover lost levels at the rate of one per week, unless
>      they are reduced to less than zero.
>2)  Characters may save against Death Magic to avoid level loss.
>3)  The Priest spell Restoration is level four or five, rather than
>      level seven.
> 
>Further suggestions?
> 
>-- mason

In my current campaign monsters I'm using a lot of undead so I decided to 
try something different.

  Wights drain   500-1500 exps.
  Wraiths drain  2000-3000 exps.
  Vampires drain 4000-5000 exps. (but never more than 2 levels at a shot).

It has the same "horror" affect so far without quite the "sting."
---
Stephen McLeod
The Eternal Student

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
From: pmwg1641@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Peter M. White)
Subject: Re: Srun Magicalness reisited.
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1992 20:21:53 GMT



>-And he survived the drain without a bother on him?
> Question:Does his magic pool consist of his MAGIC + SORCERY skill,or
>just his Sorcery.The second one is correct,and practically GUARANTEES
>that he'll be yawning and say ing things like "My brain hurts!"

No....  The Grimoire is VERY specific that the opponent resists the
Sorcery skill of the mage, while the mage resists the power of the
spell.  Consider a fresh mage throwing a force 3 Sleep.  He will
probably take no drain with a willpower of 5 or 6.  Dump his 6 pool
dice with the 3 from the spell power and against a target of 4
(a typical willpower, or could be using Dam. Man. optional rule)
will yield a average of 4.5 successes.  Only the strongwilled won't
likely drop after that.  With even very weak focuses and/or fire
elementals to help, it gets pretty ugly for the opposition.  And
the mage will still be bright-eyed and bushy tailed.

My brain always throbs trying to figure out why the game designers
don't like everyone consistently resisting the spell power

p-white@uiuc.edu
From: Kay.Shapero@f524.n102.z1.fidonet.org (Kay Shapero)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: Sex and RPG's - Why Oh Why ?
Date: 9 Apr 92 22:36:37 GMT
Organization: FidoNet node 1:102/524 - StormGate Aerie, Los Angeles CA

On <Apr 08 14:44>, Elizabeth Mccoy wrote to All:

 EM>And forget *just* sitting around a gaming table! I talk 
 EM>gaming-stuff
 EM>with my VSO all the time; I wonder what waitresses think of 
 EM>us....

You should have been around the time a group of us went out to breakfast
ater being up all night slaying a really ferocious dragon.  The waitress
asked us what we were all so pleased about.  We told her that if we told
her she wouldn't believe it.  She asked us to tell her anyway.  So we did.
And she didn't believe it... :->  (Sigh - if I tried to pull an allnighter
these days I'd probably fall asleep in my scrambled eggs...)

 EM>And nominally "mainstream" folk are often the norm -- while D&D 
 EM>(or
 EM>whatever) is an acceptible "stage" for guys, gals have to be
 EM>non-conformists already to even think about it. 

Yep - things have changed since I started in the game.  When it was new
only us weird science fiction fans and suchlike played it. 



--  

Kay Shapero
Internet: Kay.Shapero@f524.n102.z1.fidonet.org
Compuserve: >internet:Kay.Shapero@f524.n102.z1.fidonet.org
Organization: City University of New York/ University Computer Center
Date: Thursday, 16 Apr 1992 14:19:20 EDT
From: <I27LG@CUNYVM.BITNET>
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Need ideas about devils(Baatezu)

Have any of you use the outer planes compendium?  Can you tell me what
you think about the Baatezu?  What adventures have you created concerning
which devil and how were they used?  Just wanted to know since I am about to
unleash some of these nasties on the pcs, i just needed ideas.  Thanks for
replying.

Kyramus
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
From: pmwg1641@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Peter M. White)
Subject: Re: SRUN Second Edition
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1992 00:44:09 GMT

ktko@athena.mit.edu (Kwanghyon T Ko) writes:


>Tom Dowd was at ICON XI last weekend and he gave a sneak preview of the Second
>Edition Shadowrun rules.  The rulebook will be out at Gen-Con this summer.  
>It clarifies a lot of the rules inconsistencies.

>....  Dodge and defense pools are gone.  
>They are replaced by the combat pool, which is Will+Int+Qu/2.  This refreshes
>will other pools and can be applied to any combat test, attack or defense.  

(I just feel that I have to beat a dead horse.)

No defense pools, huh?  Now, who do you think will benefit the most from
the combat pool?  Mages!!!  At least those poor samaurai used to be able
to fantasize about the gruesome damage they would inflict if they only
could run up to a spell caster....  No more.  Mages will have the highest
inherent melee defense ability.  Grunts will not have high int & will.
I don't want to be the one to break the news to the Trolls.

Sure, I haven't seen the rules as whole yet.  I am looking forward to
it.  Being able to convert that pool into firepower may really improve
samaurai in combat relative to mages.  Sometimes, I really wonder....
At least in the 1E, all mages really needed to spend karma on was spells
and Sorcery to become ultrapowerful, while everyone else fritters away
their karma into many different skills.  Isn't something wrong here?

p-white@uiuc.edu


Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
From: MHART00@ricevm1.rice.edu (mason hart)
Subject: Re: Ravenloft info
Organization: Rice University, Houston, TX
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1992 20:10:19 GMT

In article <204682@unix.cis.pitt.edu>
seawasp+@pitt.edu (Ryk E Spoor) writes:

>In article <1992Apr9.115858.1691@vax1.mankato.msus.edu> mscs057@vax1.mankato.mss.edu writes:
>>Look I have a necro. in Ravenloft. What is going to happen to him?
>>My DM alway smiled when I casted any necro spell. Explain, please?
>
> Every time you do something EVIL in Ravenloft or use certain
>kinds of powers (Necromancy being FOREMOST among these) there is a
>chance that the Plane Itself will notice you and "reward" these actions.
>This is called a Ravenloft Power Check. If you fail a Power check (or
>succeed, whichever you prefer),Ravenloft will bestow a "gift" (generally
>accompanied by a curse) upon you. "Gifts"may include night vision,
>increased armor class or stats, etc. Curses can include glowing eyes,
>fangs, scales, incredibly short temper, etc. Each "gift" helps you
>more along the Evil Road, and if you blow SIX power checks, you become
>a brand spanking new Lord of Ravenloft (and are INSTANTLY an NPC).
>
> Only REALLY goody types have a good chance of spending a lot of
>time in Ravenloft and still getting OUT.

Power checks are usually small, and are made in response to evil actions
made by the PCs.  Casting a necromantic spell isn't of itself an evil act,
but the powers of Ravenloft are attracted to necromantic magic.  I still
find it hard to imagine anyone who isn't truly evil becoming a Lord of
Ravenloft.

"If you're not having fun, you're doing something wrong."

-- mason
Organization: Senior, Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1992 17:28:29 -0400 
From: Charles Anthony Leone <cl2g+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: Stupid adventures

Well,

I ran one that had my players rolling. After 10 minutes all seriousness
went out the window.

It was a Marvel Superheroes Advanced game, where Havok, Rogue, Thor, the
Hulk, Captain America, and the Silver Surfer were sucked into a
whirlwind and they appeared in different parts of a cartoon world. Bugs
Bunny's world, to be specific. They had to stop Martin the martian from
destroying Earth, among other things. Highlights included:

1. Havok blasts Yosemite Sam with plasma. Sam turns black and crumbly,
but is otherwise unhurt.

2. The Tasmanian Devil eats Captain America's shield, and his whole body
turns round and concave.

3. The Silver Surfer pursuing the Road Runner, tries to follow the RR
into a tunnel. Surf smacks a cliff face (the tunnel was painted on) and
makes a real tunnel 300' deep into the cliff.

4. Rogue kisses Daffy Duck to gain Stupor Duck's powers, and she grows a
bill. Moments later, when shot by Yosemite Sam, her bill winds up wide
open on top of her head.

5. The Hulk walks across an empty gorge between 2 cliffs. Cap tries to
follow, but he makes his Intuition check and looks down. He falls and
has to be recued by Thor. (Wiley's Law)

This one made everyone wet themselves laughing. We had a soda-spill
disaster too:


6. Thor hurled his hammer at the Tasmanian Devil, and missed. Rather
than turning around, Mjolnir went all the way around the world. 2 rounds
later when Thor caught it, it was covered with travel stickers and
graffitti. Everyone but me rolled.


Stupid? Yeah.... but we had a ball.
________________
Tony L.

8^\)
________________
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
From: opermwb@HYDRA.ROSE-HULMAN.EDU
Subject: Re: SRUN magicalness
Reply-To: opermwb@HYDRA.ROSE-HULMAN.EDU
Organization: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Date: Mon, 6 Apr 1992 19:25:31 GMT

[ Bunch of stuff on how powerful magic is in Shadow Run]

Shadow Run is a game where magic CAN dominate.  I feel that it is the GMs Realm
to be sure that each charicter can contribute.

Some ideas

1. (As stated before) Do NOT allow locked/quickened health spells.  This
includes all of the ability increases.

2. Feel free to have 'bad guy' mages summon elementals to rip off spell locks.  
   It is a needed tactic.  


As to why the world uses cyber and not magic:

Cyber can be easily mass produced.  Magic can not.  It all must be done by
hand.  

I feel that a mage is reasonable _if_ the only way he can go fast is to pay the
price for cyber (essence).

Mark Brehob

Rose-Hulman, where men are men and there ain't nothing else.
 

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
From: pentangl@spdcc.com (Scott Moir)
Subject: Re: AD&D: Rings and gauntlets (result of discussion)
Organization: S.P. Dyer Computer Consulting, Cambridge MA
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 23:07:31 GMT

In article <1992Apr14.162759.27661@rhrk.uni-kl.de> chst@stud.uni-sb.de writes:
>
>                                Hi There!
>First Point: Rings and Gauntlets in AD&D 2nd Edition
>After considering what I read, I decided to handle the problem in the following
>way:
>You may wear more than two Rings at the same time BUT then there are penalties
>performing actions like CLIMBING WALLS or even FIGHTING (just try swinging a
>sword with rings on all five fingers)

I have, Real life, and it doesn't make a damnn bit of difference.
 
>Second Point: Prices for magical items in AD&D 2nd Edition
>Is there anyone working at any terminal who possesses a pricelist for magical
>Items? Yes? OK! EMAIL IT, SEND IT TO ME. If I get enough of these lists or just
>single Items with prices I can make a GREAT NET MAGICAL PRICELIST. 

These are just BASE PRICE, adjusted by the character's charisma. Price =
 book price- 1* -.05(charisma -12)   [18 = 6, 3 = -9]


-- 
Scott Moir / Pentangle / Satyr ______ # "There's really only one requirement 
pentangl@Ursa-Major.spdcc.com  \ \/ / #  for a Prophet, and you've got it."
B4 f t+ w g k+(+) s+ m r p+     \/\/  # "What's that?"
These are my opinions, not SPDCC's    # "A mouth." - 'God' to J.R.'BoB' Dobbs
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
From: sasso@flounder.phy.anl.gov (John F. Sasso)
Subject: Re:  New GURPS License
Organization: Argonne National Laboratory
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1992 17:01:22 GMT

In article <1992Apr8.223847.54315@cc.usu.edu> sl7sg@cc.usu.edu writes:
>In article <loydb.2759@fnordbox.UUCP>, loydb@fnordbox.UUCP (Loyd Blankenship) writes:
>> urban@stout.atd.ucar.edu (Art Urban (PROFS)) writes:
>>>As product manager, perhaps you could tell me what, if any, progress is being
>>>made on GURPS software tools. Thanx.
>>>
>> 
>> We have a signed contract for a Mac program, and are negotiating with people
>				  ^^^
>				   !
>
>	  		   Mac'n'trash - Why?
>
>	>>Not meant for comments and flames, I just can't help it<< 
>	>>If you feel like continuing this descussion, move to an<<
>	>>appropriate computer newsgroup<<
>
>		Shade Pendragon

Excuse me for using this service to vent my frustrations, but

FUCK YOU!

Take your PC and shove it up your 1970's ass!

Sorry.  Back to the rational discussions.


							JFS



-- 
"The only way to true inspiration is the study of TedDo.  And lots
of MauMau, of course."  The Elvis Lectures
"I am not the False Bob, I am a free man."  The Book of FalseBobs
"Since the introduction of MauMau, HP sales have skyrocketed." Book of MauMau
From: akuma@netcom.com (Steven E Barnes)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: RQ: Heroquesting? What is it?
Date: 10 Apr 92 00:29:24 GMT
Article-I.D.: netcom.6hsjasj.akuma
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest)

>
>|> Does anyone out there know where I can get some decent HeroQuesting
>|> information. I regularly play 3rd Edition Runequest and have Glorantha (
>|> Genertela ), Gods and Elder Secrets supplements. None of these are any help
>|> regarding HeroQuesting. I have a feeling that HeroQuesting is covered in
>|> earlier ( 2nd Ed. ) material.
>
>'Fraid not. The Heroquest stuff has been "almost ready" for over 10 years
>now (not quite fair; it went through a couple of playtests and was then
>abandoned). Rumor from the Tales of the Reaching Moon fanzine says that
>it's being worked again, and the most recent issue includes a lot on 
>heroquests.
>I'd recommend you pick it up; I'll try to get the address and follow-on post.
>
>Curtis Scott

Steven Maurer also has his varient rules, which are probably available
at some ftp site, or you can maiil him at: steve@tfs.com

What I wonder about is what they will call the game, if it ever gets
published.  Games Workshop seems to have taken the name "Heroquest".

steve
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp