HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: burdickd@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Dakin Burdick)
Subject: Re: RQ: reversing skill multiplication
Organization: Indiana University
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1992 01:14:33 GMT

In article <1992Dec11.193645.5892@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> cwatters@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Coyt D Watters) writes:

>>Frankly Loren, I did away with Debate, Oratory and Fast Talk
>>long ago.  To me they seem to be just crutches for player inability
>>to roleplay.  I have my players say what they would say, and I then
>>judge it for how well they present their case, modified by their
>>CHA (which for me is a derived characteristic based on Appearance,
>>Social rank, and Fame of the character).

>Unfortunately, too many GMs expect a player to be able to do more than
>he is able to perform.  If you can out-debate your player because he
>gets flustered and unable to keep ahead of you, you should not ignore 
>a high Debate score.  Likewise, if a player speaks with a lot of pauses,
>because he is searching a vast vocabulary for the right word (my problem B^)
>do you ignore the fast talk score?

Yup.  A good GM is not someone who overawes his players; the whole
point after all is for everybody to have fun.  If the players aren't
able to keep up with my B.S. (which is very likely to happen, given
that I'm finishing off a Ph.D. in the humanities and have led
discussion groups and given numerous lectures), then I have a lot of
fun giving verbose descriptions, but tone down how clever the 
NPCs are.  Likewise in strategy.  My players don't have nearly the
amount of experience their characters would in combat, but I don't
have them roll STRATEGY and then tell them what they do.  Instead,
I judge what they do and then make a roll to see if the NPCs are
cleverer or dumber than the players.  Every once in a while, the NPC
is cleverer, and really nails the players, but I don't do it most
of the time (although I could); except when we're playing Paranoia
or CoC of course!

>A near genius character may be played by a player of average intellect.
>In this case, the charcter might be able to figure something that the player
>is unable to.  Would you penalize the character for that?  Or do you figure
>a COS and determine that the charater gets a sudden flash of insight, and 
>give the player subtle (or not so subtle) hints.

This is tougher!  I've never had this problem, but I think it would
depend on how slow the character really was.  I would probably do it
with secret notes on a written code, giving hints to the character.
On the whole tho', the slow characters tend to take combative types
who then get into rather senseless combats.

Dakin
burdickd@silver.ucs.indiana.edu
From: maxxon@swob.nullnet.fi (Mikko Kurki-Suonio)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: GURPS sharp-shooter
Date: 16 Dec 92 15:56:25 GMT
Organization: Sweet Oblivion

malcolmc@spider.co.uk (Malcolm Campbell) writes:

> You just spent 24 points to get a Gun skill of 21 (DX and HT are generally
> useful, and can get you some good mental and physical skills). How many GM's
> would say DX 14 and IQ 12 was unreasonable..?

I'd say spending 24 points on one skill is unreasonable. Well,
characters don't usually survive my games unless they have a skill list
as long as their arm.

> Lets look at an example from Cyberpunk Adventures...
> 
> Sniper - Guns - 16
>  carbine - acc  11
>  bracing         1
>  aiming          4
>  range          -4
>    (inc elevation)
> 
> 		==
> 		27 or less
> 
> So he aims for the head, full autofire - and guess what, the scenario says
> he misses.. Of course, its a bad idea to kill characters so easily.. :)
> 
> Maybe it is realistic, but its not much fun to play.. When PC's start using
> snipers, the opposition should surely do the same..

Hey! They range is 10 yards across a street! Are you saying that it
would be more "fun" if a sniper had a real chance to MISS at that range,
given time to aim?

> Im more concerned with how easy it is to get unreasonably high skills with a
> gun for very few points. Eg, as before - DX 14, IQ 12, 1/2 point gives a 15
> skill - plus a possible +15 in bonusses from Acc, aiming, sights, etc..

Well, you could dump the IQ bonus, but it's not very realistic either.
Guns are relatively easy to shoot.

> Thats the other problem with high Guns skill - the ability to ignore the
> snapshot penalty too damn easily..

??? A pistol has a typical SS of 10, a rifle maybe 12. What exactly is
high to you? 15? 18? 21? All it takes is 10-20 yards of range to drop
the skill under SS in most cases.



--------
maxxon@swob.nullnet.fi (Mikko Kurki-Suonio) Voice +358 0 8092681
Sweet Oblivion (+358 0 8092678, V.32bis 8N1) Official SRP Headquarters
SnailMail: Maininkitie 8A8 SF 02320 ESPOO FINLAND
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: cmeadows@nyx.cs.du.edu (Chris Meadows)
Subject: Re: Palladium RPG comments
X-Disclaimer: Nyx is a public access Unix system run by the University
	of Denver for the Denver community.  The University has neither
	control over nor responsibility for the opinions of users.
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix at U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 92 02:42:46 GMT


Man, I wish I was playing in that campaign the Crystal Griffin
described (details not quoted to save space).  I love RIFTS, but
can't seem to find anyone to play with...

I got Beyond the Supernatural today, and looking through it I've
noticed that many of the creatures presented as O.C.C.s in RIFTS
(Gargoyles, for example) are entirely evil monsters.  This I find
quite fascinating, since if such a character came through from RIFTS
to Supernatural, he might be hunted as a fiend by the disciples of
Lazlo...

I'd like to ask some questions about Ri
I'd like to ask some questions about RIFTS, if I may, and hope to
get some good answers (and not flames, if you please...).  First of
all, why do Ley Line Walkers, ALL of them, wear that weird SCUBA-
like helmet?  Second, I thought Techno-Wizards couldn't pilot power
armor...or was that Shifters?  I dunno...

My personal favorite Rifts mecha (so far) is the Glitter Boy Mark IV,
with the HUGE particle beam cannon instead of the boom gun.  I 
can think of two nicknames for that one--"the munchkinmech" and  
"Burning Chrome."

It's really funny...looking at Beyond the Supernatural, one can
tell that they took a lot of RIFTS stuff (the entire magic system,
for example) wholesale from that.  Another thing I've noticed is
that some of the monster descriptions tend to be a bit different.
Neat book, though.

One beef I have with Beyond the Supernatural is that, while it 
features a comprehensive section on automatic and energy weapons, 
it doesn't seem to have any sort of sections on "anti-supernatural"
weapons, like the Ghostbusters' proton-throwers and ghost traps.
As if a 7.62mm Israeli Galil sniping rifle is going to do you a 
heck of a lot of good against a poltergeist...

Another thing I don't like is their portrayal of ghosts as being
nonintelligent psychic entities rather than spirits of deceased people,
which is something I may throw out in my campaigns.  After all, the
ghosts were REAL ghosts in Ghostbusters (though, admittedly, they
did look a bit odd for ghosts...).

I may just adapt Ghostbusters to Beyond the Supernatural...it looks
good...

--
Chris Meadows  | Editor of Robotech: The Misfold; author of other               
CHM173S@SMSVMA | Robotech/Rifts stories; DEFENDER of PALLADIUM BOOKS!!!         
CHM173S@VMA.SMSU.EDU   | NOTE: I will be on vacation 12/17 to 1/10; if          
CMEADOWS@NYX.CS.DU.EDU | important, please email; posts tend to expire.
From: gobeski8618@iscsvax.uni.edu (Steve 'Gobes' Gobeski)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: FANTASY HERO: duration for spells
Date: 16 Dec 92 21:03:48 -0600
Organization: United Anarchists of the World Association, Inc.

In article <1992Dec15.204142.18950@noose.ecn.purdue.edu>, dunning@chainsaw.ecn.purdue.edu (GALACTIC COMMANDER) writes:
> In article <1992Dec13.032152.10325@daffy.cs.wisc.edu> hague@cat27.cs.wisc.edu (Vince Hague) writes:
>  Lastly, can the DELAYED EFFECT advantage be used as follows:
>>     An armor spell which will activate when the wizard is attacked...
>>     Well???
>>Vincent.
> 
> Delayed Effect can be used for combat spells, but not in the method that
> you want.  Basically this spell allows the caster to activate the spell
> as a 0 phase action.  You could buy the advantage Trigger, but if you
> set the Trigger to Caster gets attacked then the trigger will go off
> after the attack roll.  I have seen this used effectively with a nice

Answer: NONE OF THE ABOVE.  Delayed effect doesn't do what you want, and a
"whenever I am attacked" trigger is a Damage Shield!! RTFM!!

It is, however, unclear whether an armor damage shield will affect the attack
that triggers it.  Probably should.  It depends.  Dunno.  Sheesh.

OFF AND BE BOTHERED WITH CREATIVITY!!! ;-)

Incidentally, as long as you don't take the "extra time" limitation, you can
pop up your armor as soon as trouble begins as long as you don't get out-DEX'd.

A better investment would be a 0-END/continuous charged/persistent/perpetual
END reserve -type armor spell or some other form of massless armor.


-------------------------------------------------------------------
| Steve "Gobes" Gobeski | GOBESKI8618@iscsvax.uni.edu             |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|  more
| A BORING SIG IS WORSE | I don't believe the preachers           |  useless
| THAN NO SIG AT ALL!!! | They're just sticking out they're hands |  wasted
|-----------------------| I don't believe the government          |  space
| useless, wasted space | Who the hell is this Uncle Sam?         |
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: deitrich@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Dave Deitrich)
Subject: Re: New Rifts releases?
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 03:43:29 GMT

cq267@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Jeremy Fox) writes:
>From observing discussion on RIFTS in this group I realize that RIFTS
>is not very popular.  Knowing this, I was wondering if anyone new when 
>any new releases were coming out from Palladium about the world of RIFTS.

Not sure how you related these two thoughts together, but anyway... ;)

>I read somewhere they were going to adapt the Mechanoids soon, but I
>have seen no real products materialize about the Mechanoids or anything else 
>from Palladium, either.  I remember Palladium had a sort of newsletter,
>does anyone know if it still exists?  Thanks for any help.

Current RIFTS Releases to date:
------------------------------
						ISBN #		CAT #	PRICE
						------		-----	-----
RIFTS: the Role Playing Game			0916211-50-9	800	$24.95
RIFTS Sourcebook Number One			0916211-51-7	801	$11.95
RIFTS World Book One: Vampire Kingdoms		????????????	802	$??.??
RIFTS Conversion Book                           0916211-53-6	803	$19.95
RIFTS World Book Two: Atlantis			0916211-54-1	804	$14.95
RIFTS Sourcebook Two: The Mechanoids		0916211-55-X	805	$11.95
Mutants in Orbit				0916211-48-7	514	$11.95
  (Actually a sourcebook for both 
   _After the Bomb_ & _Rifts_)

I own all these books right now (except Vampire Kingdoms, which looked sort of
dumb to me) so Mechanoids is definitely out.  As for future products for RIFTS,
Mechanoids has some cryptic references to RIFTS Africa and RIFTS Europe, but
no hard data on contents or release dates.

As for Palladium's newsletter, I haven't seen a recent copy in ages.  I doubt 
they're even making them anymore.

Hope this helps!

--
Dave Deitrich                             Manager, CCSO Oregon Computing Site
deitrich@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu                and One o' the Guys in charge of JACK
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  CCSO and I have this deal; I don't represent them and they don't fire me.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: wntrmute@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu (August Paul Yang)
Subject: Re: SR:New Releases
Keywords: Grimoire II
Organization: HAC - Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 08:35:55 GMT

In article <valentin.724457564@husc8> valentin@husc8.harvard.edu (Brian Valentine) writes:
>Grimoire II is out.   Shipped last week.
If someone buys this and has the Original Grimoire could he/she/it please
either e-mail me or post a comparison on the info found inside?
If there are *MAJOR* changes to the Original Grimoire rules I might
consider buying it, otherwise...

August Paul Yang almost has the pattern down for the spell drains.
wntrmute@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Laserburn
From: klind@cs.arizona.edu (Konrad Lind)
Date: 17 Dec 92 19:23:50 GMT
Distribution: all
Organization: U of Arizona CS Dept, Tucson

I was wondering if anybody here could help me out with an
RPG, science fiction, called Laserburn.  I have some of
the books for it, and I am wondering more about it.  It is
not in print anymore, but if anybody could help me, I would
most appreciate it.

-kon
--
You can pick your friends            I didn't make the world,
And you can pick your nose           I just try to live in it.
And if you're really fast     
You can pick your friend's nose.     klind@caslon.cs.arizona.edu
From: millerl@wharton.upenn.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: RQ: scripts and written language
Date: 17 Dec 92 21:17:56 GMT
Organization: Newt World Order

In article <1992Dec17.184405.26928@samba.oit.unc.edu>, George.Harris@launchpad.unc.edu (George Harris) writes:
> 	I think this is a valid objection.  Also, I was wondering how this
> system would handle people who cannot 'speak' a particular language well (or
> at all) because of some physiological limitation (eg Auld Wyrmish for humans).
> In these cases ones ability to read/write is not necessarily similarly 
> limited.

I have been in communication with the author, and we went over this
point. The conversation went something like this...

me: what about languages that humans don't speak very well, like
auld wyrmish with its psionic morphemes, and so on?

he: auld wyrmish is completely speakable by humans. it was invented by
humans and an interested dragon to allow humans and dragons to speak to
each other. draconic, on the other hand, is mostly telepathy.

I think the way to handle the problem does not require separate
read/write and speak language skills, for one thing they keep the
problem anyway. The solution would be to say that certain languages and
scripts that require sensory apparatus that you may not have (for
example: darktongue script depends on variations in texture as well as
relief for its meaning, and is only readable by humans as a kind of
braille. also, written draconic is not only huge, but ideographic, and
contains fields created by draconic telepathy to pass certain meanings)
divide your learned skill by a certain amount, or give you a skill
maximum. I'd think the draconic examples would divide your skill by 10
to determine the rate of information transfer, and darktongue might
divide skill by 2.

In any case, I don't think this is a problem specifically with my
proposal. In fact, I think it highlights the strengths of the proposed
treatment of languages, and scripts, or symbol systems and character
sets.

-- 
whoah,
+++++++++++++++++++++++23
Loren Miller                           internet: MILLERL@wharton.upenn.edu
Mediocrity is a hand rail.                         -- Baron de Montesquieu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: jcarl@jabba.ess.harris.com (Joe Carl Jr.)
Subject: SRII Insect Shamans
Organization: Harris Corporation - ISD
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 20:59:52 GMT

Okay most shamans can summon some kind of spirits.

Even a toxic shaman gets spirits to use from his standard base shaman totem
it's just that they are twisted.

But what can an Insect Shaman summon.

Does he always have to have an insect spirit in a host?
Can he summon normal spirits?

Take a Spider Shaman for instance.  Shouldn't he have access to a spirit
of man, or some aspect of the type of spider he has taken.

A Wolf spider shaman would have acces to spirits of man and good with
hearth spirits in particular?

Any comments?


Joe Carl


--
Joe Carl Jr.               "It ain't what a man don't know that makes him a
jcarl@jabba.ess.harris.com   fool, but what he does know that ain't so."
                                                           -- Josh Billings
From: v124pz9t@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (David Cheng)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: RQ: Runelords and Heroes question (still LONG)
Date: 19 Dec 92 05:43:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <1992Dec18.200122.19258@infonode.ingr.com>, beykema@infonode.ingr.com (Maurice Beyke) writes...
>In article <19921218045243.2.GADBOIS@CLIO.MCC.COM> gadbois@cs.utexas.edu (David Gadbois) writes:
>>
> 
> Okay, I'll bite.  Where was this "recent revelation" revealed?  This is
> way cool, but I'd like more information, please; was this from private
> conversations with Greg Stafford (so what do you thing, RQ Fans, should
> we take up a collection to pay for someone to follow GS around 24 hours,
> writing down all things Gloranthan he mutters, and mail it out in a monthly
> apa or what?) or has it been published somewhere that I missed?

I heard rumour about this from David Hall, ed of _Tales of the Reaching
Moon_.  At Convulsion, Stafford spoke more about it.  It seems he, and many
others, wanted a better explanation why Yelmalio, a Solar deity, would
be in such cahoots with those savage Orlanthi...

I will chip in for the 24 hr scribe :-)

> Next question: did this change the (Y)Elmalio cult's "history", i.e. what
> has happened to it since the beginning of Time (up till now considered
> impossible by all the heroquest experts I'd heard from) or did it just
> change it's mythology, and how it functions from now on?  This is a *very*
> important distinction, and, if the first is correct, changes a great deal
> of what *I* thought I understood about Heroquesting.

AS I UNDERSTAND THIS REALLY WAY-OUT PHILOSOPHICAL STUFF:
You should think about this as an "evolutionary" process, not as 
a "changing history" process. 

When grandpa was a kid, that tribe down south worshipped Elmalio.
But, during his lifetime, the Elmalio HeroQuesters changed the
way their god would be perceived, _from that point onward_.

So, for me, I only hear the priests talk about Yelmalio.  
Grandpa says it was different back in his day, but that doesn't
matter so much to me, right?  I'm living now, and into the future,
not back in the past.

Grandpa won't be around to tell my kids about the old Elmalio, 
and I only remember some of what Grandpa told me, so gradually
the "story" changes.

To an objective observer, the cult has evolved, including a 
name change.  The "new" cult has different needs, so it comes
up with different legends to "teach" (indoctrinate ?) the
next generation.

Please compare this to how the Russians and Japanese have 
taught their kids about the WWII era.


-David Cheng
 drcheng@sales.stern.nyu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: lavonius@plootu.Helsinki.FI (Ville Lavonius)
Subject: Re: Warhammer FRP - WH40k conversion
Organization: Cthulhoid Entities for a Better Tomorrow
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1992 10:10:43 GMT

In article <a5k602ri2e2H01@JUTS.ccc.amdahl.com> mrm70@diag.amdahl.com (Mike McAllister) writes:

   I have just started getting into WH40k, and am wondering
   if any official (GW) rules have been created for converting
   between this and Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay rules. Wounds, for

These have been on their "to do list" for ages, but as they have completely
scrapped the roleplay-side of their activities, I'd say that the probability
of ever seeing this is zero (same goes for Lustria, Realms of Sorcery etc).
At least until Bryan Ansell and the other spikeheads are violently removed
from the board room :-)

   example, are different (regular humans have 6 or so in WHFRP,
   only 1 in WH40k). I don't know most of the WHFRP rules, but
   couldn't find any reference to this conversion in any books or mags I
   looked at.

But, there were WH40K roleplay rules in Dragon several years ago (#149
I recall). By the almighty Ken Rolston, the article simply oozed playability
and had many many good ideas. They were, however, very much against the
herd mentality of Space Marines (go forth, kill 'em all, return), aimed
at low-powered characters.

   Mike
--
Ville Lavonius	        University of Helsinki, Dept. of Computer Science
lavonius@cc.helsinki.fi : "Military intelligence - two words combined that
                           can't make sense.

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: dunning@chainsaw.ecn.purdue.edu (GALACTIC COMMANDER)
Subject: Re: FANTASY HERO: duration for spells
Organization: Purdue University Engineering Computer Network
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 15:20:52 GMT

In article <1992Dec16.210348.9472@iscsvax.uni.edu> gobeski8618@iscsvax.uni.edu (Steve 'Gobes' Gobeski) writes:
>In article <1992Dec15.204142.18950@noose.ecn.purdue.edu>, dunning@chainsaw.ecn.purdue.edu (GALACTIC COMMANDER) writes:
>> In article <1992Dec13.032152.10325@daffy.cs.wisc.edu> hague@cat27.cs.wisc.edu (Vince Hague) writes:
>>  Lastly, can the DELAYED EFFECT advantage be used as follows:
>>>     An armor spell which will activate when the wizard is attacked...
>>>     Well???
>>>Vincent.
>> 
>> Delayed Effect can be used for combat spells, but not in the method that
>> you want.  Basically this spell allows the caster to activate the spell
>> as a 0 phase action.  You could buy the advantage Trigger, but if you
>> set the Trigger to Caster gets attacked then the trigger will go off
>> after the attack roll.  I have seen this used effectively with a nice
>
>Answer: NONE OF THE ABOVE.  Delayed effect doesn't do what you want, and a
>"whenever I am attacked" trigger is a Damage Shield!! RTFM!!
>
>It is, however, unclear whether an armor damage shield will affect the attack
>that triggers it.  Probably should.  It depends.  Dunno.  Sheesh.
>
>OFF AND BE BOTHERED WITH CREATIVITY!!! ;-)
>
>Incidentally, as long as you don't take the "extra time" limitation, you can
>pop up your armor as soon as trouble begins as long as you don't get out-DEX'd.
>
>A better investment would be a 0-END/continuous charged/persistent/perpetual
>END reserve -type armor spell or some other form of massless armor.

Actually what I was advocating with the Trigger was having it with the
limitation Telepathy must recognize hostile intent.  Therefore when
someone comes next to you and your Telepathy gets the necessary level then
the FF automatically goes up.  RTFP!!!

:)

Actually You can take the extra time to the 5 minute to cast level and then
stack a few nice FF spells.  Quite cheap and still very usable in combat.

Chip

--
-----------------------------\_/-----------------------------
   Elwood H Dunning III       |  CASE:  Proof that even the
                              |   smartest people can write
    GALACTIC COMMANDER        |   themselves out of a job.
From: klind@cs.arizona.edu (Who did you think it was?)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: New Rifts releases?
Date: 14 Dec 92 07:25:16 GMT
Organization: U of Arizona CS Dept, Tucson

Dave Deitrich doth writes:

>						ISBN #		CAT #	PRICE
>						------		-----	-----
>RIFTS: the Role Playing Game			0916211-50-9	800	$24.95
>RIFTS Sourcebook Number One			0916211-51-7	801	$11.95
>RIFTS World Book One: Vampire Kingdoms		????????????	802	$??.??

                                                0916211-52-5    802     $14.95

>RIFTS Conversion Book                           0916211-53-6	803	$19.95
>RIFTS World Book Two: Atlantis			0916211-54-1	804	$14.95
>RIFTS Sourcebook Two: The Mechanoids		0916211-55-X	805	$11.95
>Mutants in Orbit				0916211-48-7	514	$11.95
>  (Actually a sourcebook for both 
>   _After the Bomb_ & _Rifts_)
>

-kon


--
You can pick your friends            I didn't make the world,
And you can pick your nose           I just try to live in it.
And if you're really fast     
You can pick your friend's nose.     klind@caslon.cs.arizona.edu