HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: wsbusr1@rw6.urc.tue.nl (Boudewijn Wayers)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Net Books, version 4.
Keywords: Introduction.
Date: 14 Apr 92 14:23:01 GMT
Reply-To: wsbusr1@urc.tue.nl
Organization: Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands

************************************************************************
         WARNING: the six messages following this one are LONG.
	  If you do NOT want to read them, use your kill-file!
************************************************************************


Hello!

As I promised a while ago, I am now posting the updated versions of the
Net Spellbook and the old version of the Net Prayerbook. These versions
are labeled "Version 4, April 14th 1992". Since I haven't recieved any
new prayers since the appearance of version 3, the Prayersbook hasn't
changed, compared to version 3.

To get these new versions, you need to save two of the six following
messages. To try to please as many people as possible, I have used
three different methods of posting. You will only need one of these for
each of the Books.

1) I have posted PATCHES to version 3 of the Books;
2) I have posted the entire version 4,
	- tar-ed (.tar),
	- compressed (.Z),
	- uuencoded (.uu);
3) I have posted the entire version 4,
	- zoo-ed (.zoo),
	- uuencoded (.uu).

The postings containing these Books are labeled as follows:

Subject: Net Books, version 4.
Keywords: Spells/Prayers, Patch/Zoo/Tar

If you don't want to have to go through all these LONG files, you can
use your "k"ill-key now to skip them: this mesage has the same
subject-line.

It is possible that the files posted are too long for your system or
your newsreader to handle. If this is the case, send me a note asking
for the Spellbook and the Prayerbook (or just one of them) and it will
come your way: zoo-ed, uuencoded, hacked in pieces, and by e-mail.

Good luck!

Boudewijn Wayers.
From: hennessy@acsu.buffalo.edu (Mathew A. Hennessy)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: SR: Courier Archetype??
Date: 6 Apr 92 19:41:52 GMT
Organization: UB


	it would be alright for a PC i spose but only if the runners only do
courier jobs... why would they do anything else?
	I think it would be better for npc's
From: vanderla4870@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: SRun: LMG Range Question
Date: 7 Apr 92 18:20:47 -0500
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

>>>>>[I have played Shadowrun for quite a while now, and it's a lot of fun.
However, one question has eaten away at me for a long time.     
Why do LMG's have such an unbelievably short range.
LMG's in Shadowrun have basically the same effective range as SMG's.
I was just wondering if anyone out there could EMAIL the answer to me.]<<<<<

        -Gazelle (18:20:18/04-07-52)
From: mikec@jpl-devvax.jpl.nasa.gov (Mike Civita)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: Need ideas about devils(Baatezu)
Date: 17 Apr 92 17:26:18 GMT
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NASA)

In article <92107.141920I27LG@CUNYVM.BITNET> I27LG@CUNYVM.BITNET writes:
>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

Baatezu, aren't they that empathic race on Star Trek. Like, counselor
troi (pant, pant, pant) is 1/]2 Baatezu?

mike
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
From: ken@gbrmpa.gov.au (Ken Dwyer)
Subject: Re: AD%&D: HELP! I'M LOST!
Organization: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Date: Sun, 12 Apr 1992 04:35:48 GMT

Kevin.Tuttle@f6008.n124.z1.fidonet.org (Kevin Tuttle) writes:

> Maybe you can give me a heads up on a few of the powers that may be too
> inexpensive as far as PSP prices go in the new Psionics handbook.  I have
> just started a campaign in which there is a 1st level psionicist and I told
> him that we would have to see how all the powers balanced out in game play
> since I was unfamiliar with most of them.  A friend of mine told me that he
> thought some of the pyschoportive powers were too cheap (like Dimension
> Door) so I thought that you could give me an idea of some that you
> found to be unbalancing at their current price.  I have already thrown out
> disintegration and a few others that I felt were too powerful for a
> psionicist to posess.  Also, any ideas on magic items for psionicists?
> Thanks in advance for any help, 
>                                       Kevin

In the group I play with, there have been three Psionics, one didn't even
make it past first level, one was a 7/6 thief/psionisist and the other was
11th level psionisist in a 'one-off' game.
The high level guy had disintegrate, and from what the player told
me about it, it wasn't all that great.  For a start you need to have
'contact' with the opponent and then when you make your power roll there
is a 1 in 20 chance that you disintegrate yourself!
This is a big limiting factor in itself.  If the guy goes round
disintegrating everything he comes across then on average he's only ever
going to kill 20 critters before he zaps himself.  Besides there are
heaps of nasty save-or-die spells for a wizard of comparable level to use.
And none of them (that I can remember) have the 1 in 20 'kill-yourself'.
I read on this news group only the other day:
	"polymorph other" land dwelling opponents into goldfish.
basically this is as good as dead, disintegrate is just more spectacular.

IMO Psionics are ok the way they are.
Besides if they do get too powerful, throw a few Mindflayers/etc at them.

> * Origin: Meridian -=- (214) 235-3164 -=- Dallas, Tx. (1:124/6008)

--
ken@gbrmpa.gov.au
From: millerl@wharton.upenn.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: GURPS combat time.
Date: 13 Apr 92 15:10:21 GMT
Distribution: world,local
Organization: Newt World Order

In article <12APR199223254462@milori.ccit.arizona.edu>, yingst@milori.ccit.arizona.edu (JIM YINGST) writes:
> Lucky me, I actually have my book with me for once.

Not so lucky, actually. The point was that in the quick contest rules
under discussion, which are ***house rules***, the contest was between
full weapon skills, not between attack skill and parry or dodge totals
as defined in the official rules.

-- 
whoah,
+++++++++++++++++++++++23
Loren Miller                  internet: MILLERL@wharton.upenn.edu
Throw this screen against the wall, right now!
From: esper@cs35b.cs.umn.edu (Dave Sherohman)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: GURPS: UlTRA Tech ?= Ultra Death??
Keywords: GURPS DEATH ULTRA
Date: 15 Apr 92 14:23:21 GMT
Article-I.D.: news2.1992Apr15.142321.445
Organization: University of Minnesota

In article <1992Apr14.183720.3405@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> jhk6@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (John H Kim) writes:
>In article <1992Apr12.112007.9414@newstand.syr.edu> tmyoung@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Thomas M. Young) writes:
>>       1" Steel has DR8,HT80,DR(for occupant)70.  Ceramic composits might
>>       have DR16, HT40, DR(for occupant)140 - great protection until they
>>       shatter.
>
>	Hmmm. This may work OK for some styles of gaming, but I hardly 
>think it is 'realistic'. Holding a 2" thick steel plate in front of you 
>is not going to protect you from being hit be an artillery shell, any 
>more than a chainmail coif is going to protect you from a mace hit to 
>the head. Real armor is not 'worn down' without damaging what is 
>underneath.

Looks to me like tmyoung's system fits what you're talking about - if you're
protected by 1" steel with DR8, HT80, DR(for occupant)70 and you get nailed
by an 80-point hit, the armor takes 80-DR8 = 72 points of damage, while you
take 80-DR(for occupant)70 = 10 points.  Note that with HT/DR(for occupant)
values like those given, once the armor is penetrated, it's almost ready to
fall apart - or, in the case of the ceramic composite example, a shot for
anywhere in the range of 56-139 points will shatter the armor without hurting
the occupant at all!

esper@ima.umn.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
From: as724@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bryan D. Jones)
Subject: Re: New Net.Book?
Reply-To: as724@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bryan D. Jones)
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 92 18:39:27 GMT


In a previous article, guido@netlink.cts.com (Joel Cherney) says:

>thomas@capitol.com (Mark Thomas) writes:
>
>> I was just kicking around an idea this weekend, so I thought I'd post
>> and see what other people thought. How about a NET.GROUPS book? This
>> book would contain summary information about groups of any sort, for
>> example cults, tribes, religious orders, military commands, guilds,
>> corps, gangs, and fleets. I envision it as a cross genre / game-system
>> book. I would personally find it useful. How about others? Does such a
>> beast already exist?
>> 
>Yeah!  This sounds like a great idea.  It would be a sourcebook of secret 
>(and non-secret) societies, assasin's guilds, and all those nifty 
>intrigue-type things that make for easy adventure-writing.  I'm definately 
>interested.
>
What A great idea why don't you take submissions and compile it chummer!
I would be happy to submit stuff.

-- 
Bryan D. Jones  (as724)
email   bdj@engr.uark.edu
Only The Insane Have the Strength to Prosper.  Only those who
     Prosper Truely Judge What is Sane.   --Proverb--
From: npb41275@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Noah Ban)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: Playing yourself in GURPS
Date: 10 Apr 92 21:24:32 GMT
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana

ztsindi@ubvmsc.cc.buffalo.edu (The Independents - SUNY Buffalo) writes:


>	One neat-o thing we've done with GURPS is to make up a 
>character based as closely as possible on ourselves. Then we play 
>those characters through one night games against villians we already
>have made up as NPC's. It was interesting to see that since I was in
>the Army Reserve I could choose a proficiency with the M-16. One of
>our players is a Black Belt in Karate so he got a proficiency in that.
>Of course when we went up against the Super with Psionics it got hairy
>real fast. Anyone else ever try this?

>							-Joe

Yes.  My friend ran a GURPS adventure where we played ourselves--in the
year 2000!  We made characters that were part fiction/part fact and the 
adventure turned out to be a bit of Cyberpunk included.  It was really
fun...especially since my friend and I wound up accidently shooting
a police officer and had to live in seedy parts of downtown Chicago (year
2000 style) so the police woudln't catch us.  (We were also charged for
crimes we didn't commit...but that's part of the story I won't go into).

Anyway, this allows the GM to make up his own world, and the characters
to be fictional, but have a "real" basis to them.  Also, the PCs meeting
is very interesting aseveryone discusses what they have been doing for
the past 10 years...kind of like a High School reunion.  There's opportunity
for lots of creativity. 

MHO--Noah
npb41275@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu
.
From: belgarath@vax1.mankato.msus.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: more Inspired Character Names
Date: 17 Apr 92 05:59:25 GMT
Article-I.D.: vax1.1992Apr16.235925.1738
Organization: Mankato State University




The best two names I've ever had in an AD&D campaign were from two jocks tha
were interested in trying the game...and are still playing.

One was Neon Deionson, wonderful psionicist 3rd, who can ego whip you inside of
3 seconds, (not too far from the original Deion, I suppose)

And a dwarven F3, who always loves to over shoot the mark with his bow, his
name?> Harbaugh Korban (from Jim Harbaugh, famed overthrower of Wide Recievers)

			sweet water and light laughter `til next
						-bel



||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|belgarath@vax1.mankato.msus.edu|||||||||||||Jeremy Hallum  |||||||||||||||||||
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||"You are irrelevant- the Borg|||||||||||||||||||||||
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
From: rwallace@unix1.tcd.ie (russell wallace)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: AD&D Char Death < GURPS Char Death
Date: 8 Apr 92 13:46:30 GMT
Organization: Trinity College, Dublin

In <1992Apr5.201543.25456@ncar.ucar.edu> urban@stout.atd.ucar.edu (Art Urban (PROFS)) writes:

>I would like to hear comments on the following view point; mine, in fact.

>Losing a GURPS character due to death is harder than losing an AD&D character
>due to death, because it takes so long to create a GURPS character. 

It does *not* take very long to create a GURPS character once you've got
the hang of it. I can create a GURPS character from a standing start in
about 2 minutes. (To be sure, 2 minutes worth of drawing up stats does
not necessarily give a character with a fully-worked-out personality,
but in all systems I do this during play anyway). And 2 minutes is for a
full player character; a grunt (e.g. NPC henchman) takes as little as 30
seconds.

Furthermore, I've seen other people create their 4th or 5th GURPS
character in as little as 3 or 4 minutes, so it can't be just me.

Admittedly an AD&D character can be created in 30 seconds, but 3 minutes
is not an excessively long time.

The trick I think is not to spend ages agonizing about the most
efficient way to allocate your points, or the precise difference between
skill 14 and skill 15; just put down whatever you think is a good idea,
and review it all at the end. Also, my group ignores the difference
between easy/average/hard skills, we just treat them all as average;
this makes no difference in the long run to the game, but makes it
quicker to create characters.


--
"To summarize the summary of the summary: people are a problem"
Russell Wallace, Trinity College, Dublin
rwallace@unix1.tcd.ie
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
From: dragon@camelot.bradley.edu (Matthew Korth)
Subject: Re: Inspired character names
Organization: Bradley University
Date: 16 Apr 92 05:19:12 GMT

In <1992Apr16.042747.27147@oz.plymouth.edu> a_curtis@oz.plymouth.edu (Andrew M. Curtis) writes:
>	A friend of mine in a AD&D campaign had a gnome i believe.  His
>name was   'Diddly Squat'  We always called him 'Squat'.  He died though...
>Every so often we make a comment or so about how this person or that
>person cant do 'squat.  That person would reply 'I know, he's dead'.

...and on those lines, in the ongoing Star Wars campaign here at Bradley,
we have a Gotol named Jak Schitt.  Of course, being Rebels, we have at
times been pursued by Imperial vessels.  Last week, we were taking off,
and when we finally got above the ionosphere, we picked up an Imperial
class Star Destroyer on our instruments.  So we got something like this:
"Oh, shit!"
"Yes?"

And of course, just before we made our jump into hyperspace, he turned
on the radio and said "Shit happens" to the Imperials.

The upside to this is that our characters now know Jak Schitt. (and boy,
does the player use that pun...)
--
*** Matt Korth *** dragon@camelot.bradley.edu *** dragon@buhub.bradley.edu ***
You are confused.  Black does not represent evil.  Black represents
anxiety.  Sen. Jesse Helms represents evil.

			--the Omniscient Usenet Oracle
From: jacobus@symphony.cc.purdue.edu (Bryan J. Maloney)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: A battle system for AD&D with Magic included ...
Keywords: ad&d,battle system,magic
Date: 16 Apr 92 00:16:21 GMT
Reply-To: jacobus@symphony.cc.purdue.edu (Bryan J. Maloney)
Organization: Purdue University

In article <1992Apr14.063128.23600@lth.se> dat91uni@ludat.lth.se (Urban Nilsson) writes:
>In our roleplaying goup we have discussed if we shall develop a battlesystem
>that include rules for how to handle Mages and all other kind of magic ...


In the first edition of Battlesystem from T$R, there were rules to handle
the magic in the D&D and AD&D games.  I never looked at the second edition,
but it wouldn't make sense for T$R to drop these rules, since their
"Battlesystem" is pretty much only useful as a *D&D supplement, anyway.

(To forestall flames, I'll put it very simply:  I judge ancient/medieval
miniatures rules by the standard of WRG's latest editions--although The
Killing Ground was pretty good.)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
From: comptec89033@camins.camosun.bc.ca
Subject: Re: CHAMP:  Racial Packages:  Ripoff?
Organization: Camosun College
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 22:22:49 GMT

In article <8x0t-6k@rpi.edu>, cleggp@aix.rpi.edu (Paul Jason Clegg) writes:
> Is it me or are Racial Packages totally bogus when it comes to increasing
> maximum characteristics values?  

Well, yes and no.
Buying increased characteristic maxima is a waste since it is the same 
as increasing the characteristics over normal maxima anyway.
However, any well-designed racial package will include offsetting 
disads that balance things out. 
Buying decreased characteristic maxima is one.
Another is the 'Fantasy Hero' rule that says racial disads don't count 
against normal disad point limits; this is an optional rule, but 
should be used to make racial packages worthwhile.

That said, I still don't know why the cost for increased maxima was 
changed ...

Jeff Johnson; .sig agnostic
From: speno@clam.rutgers.edu (John P. Speno)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: "Rules of the Shadow" in Amber RPG
Date: 15 Apr 92 19:53:43 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.


	As a real being, i.e. An Amberite, you are you no matter were
you are.  Thus, if in a shadow were people talked backwards, you'd
talk however you'd normally talk.
-- 
========================+======================================================
John P. Speno		| "If you lose a wager to the King of the Sea,	
Souless Student		|	you'll spend the rest of forever in the cage
speno@clam.rutgers.edu	|		with me." - Sting. The Soul Cages.
========================+======================================================
VOTE FOR REN & STIMPY -- THE HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY TICKET -- REN & STIMPY IN '92!
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
From: bkoike@sdcc13.ucsd.edu (Bryce Koike)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: AD&D Char Death < GURPS Char Death
Date: 7 Apr 92 00:55:04 GMT
Organization: University of California, San Diego

In article <1992Apr5.201543.25456@ncar.ucar.edu> urban@stout.atd.ucar.edu (Art Urban (PROFS)) writes:
>Losing a GURPS character due to death is harder than losing an AD&D character
>due to death, because it takes so long to create a GURPS character. 
>
	Depends, to be honest.  Certainly creating a GURPS character
is a massive pain during a gaming session, and one doesn't always
want to use some other character from some previous campaign, so
losing a GURPS character is very often a situation people want to
avoid.  In some of the games I've played in, to get around this we
just let "another" member join the party who...gasp...is exactly
like the one who died (minus, of course, whatever he found during
the campaign, and any knowledge of what's going on).  This is far
from my favorite way of doing things, but if you don't want to have
to deal with creating another character on the spot, it works.
	Although I've normally been more upset at losing a good AD&D
character than a GURPS one (normally...losing my space pilot in one
gaming session really upset me).  For some reason I find it easier
to get into an AD&D state of mind.  (ack!)
	Strange, but true.

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
From: impster@ais.org (Charles Budensiek)
Subject: Stormbringer 4th ed. review wanted
Summary: Anyone care to give a review of Stormbringer? 
Organization: UMCC
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 92 05:04:48 GMT

I am thinking about buying an RPG called Stormbringer and would like to get
some sort of review as to its workings and general playability. Anyone care
to enlighten me?

impster@ais.org

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
From: gmayer@wpi.WPI.EDU (Gary R Mayer)
Subject: Re: Sex and RPG's - Why Oh Why ?
Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1992 05:07:55 GMT

In article <1992Apr12.203129.27394@usenet.ins.cwru.edu> bh967@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Greg Weller) writes:

>IMHO, i think that there aren't alot of female roleplayers because guys
>don't think there capable of grasping the concept...Plus if all the group
>does is role dice and get XP's then most females don't want to participate..
>I'd much rather play a different personality and use my wits to get out of
>a mess than go around hacking and slashing...It stimulates the imagination...

>-Heather

I disagree with your point about there not being a lot of women because guys
feel they can't grasp it.  Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there are plenty who
do.  However, I've moved around quite a bit and played rolepalying games
at most places.  Most of the players were guys but had no qualms nor did
they try to disuade female players.  It seems to be more your second point --
a lot of women do not like the "hack and slash."  On campus, we play in an
open, frequently travelled area.  A large number of people (both men and 
women) will stop by to see who is getting slaughtered that night but only some
of the guys will ask "Need another player?"  We do get into roleplaying though.


						The DROW

-- 
*** The DROW :: gmayer@wpi.wpi.edu :: I am NOT prejudiced, I hate everyone. ***
*      Being a professional @$$hole is a dirty job and _I_ get to do it!!     *
*     "Reality is a crutch for those people who don't understand Dr. Who."    *
*TWANG*  -- -------- - - ------------- ---------- - - ---   >:>>-------------->
From: luther@uop.uop.edu (Pat Luther)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: GM's Pain
Date: 16 Apr 92 01:32:20 GMT
Organization: University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA [138.9.200.1]

vanor@vax1.mankato.msus.edu writes:
> Hello, here's a intersting new thred to folow up on the stuped pc tricks
> GM'S PAIN
> What I am thinking of is posting of stories of when the pc's have done somthing 
> to totaly destroy a GM's well laid plans.....

OK, here's two, both involve those damn wild mages:

1] I was the PC wildmage: 1st level adventure, we're underground, and
   we meet this THING blocking the corridor... It requires +3 or better
   weapons to hit it.  The DM had stats for it, but considers it a wall,
   not a monster (i.e., it won't attack or pursue, but you can't get
   by it....)
   I immediately try to charm it.  Not having the charm memorized at the
   moment, I cast Nahal's Reckless Dweomer.... (Charm wouldn't have worked
   anyway, it wasn't a person, but I didn't think about that at the time)
   Needless to say, there wasn't a +3 weapon anywhere in the party....
   I add +2 to all magickal weapons in the area.  fighter's +1 longsword
   becomes +3, and theif's +2 dagger becomes +4. (Good thing he broke his
   short sword)
   Fighter rolls 20, naturally. Then 00 on the crit chart. Thief rolls 20,
   then 97 on crit chart.  Monster goes down.  The rest of the dungeon
   denizens fled as soon as they saw the dead monster...

2] I'm DMing. PC has a wild mage follower.  There's this great setup with
   two rival dragons.  One very powerful, but the other very sneaky (He
   ended up killing the other with a single cantrip, thanks to the party...)
   Anyway, they find themselves in the lair of the ancient white.  He peeps
   his head around a corner, says, "Greetings."  The party is at this point
   trapped in a very very small corridor, no room to dodge (read: no save
   vs. Breath weapon).  Wild mage starts casting. Of course, he gets a wild
   surge. That surge leads to another surge, which lead to another surge, etc.
   And of course, for the final surge he rolls 000 (My surge chart goes up
   to 1000)  He ends up with TWO lightning bolts, one at double-strength, one
   at quadruple strength. That's 66 dice of damage. Dragon makes both saves,
   takes 109 points of damage, out of a total of 110 HP.  About to breathe on
   the party, the other mage gets off a Wall of Fire half a segment before he
   was gonna breathe. It did more than 1hp damage......

-- 
Pat Luther:Lex's Evil Twin
luther@uop.edu <-- ascii mail only
picard!pat@uop.edu <-- NeXTmail OK.
"I never met a man I didn't like."
		-- Dr. H. Lecter