HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: loydb@fnordbox.UUCP (Loyd Blankenship)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: SJG - Miniatures
Distribution: world
X-NewsSoftware: GRn 1.16e (7/4/92) by Mike Schwartz & Michael B. Smith
Date: 9 Oct 92 14:59:49 CST
Organization: Texas Net Illuminati

hall@bcstec.ca.boeing.com (Robert J. Hall) writes:
>
> I see that Steve Jackson Games is joining the long line of companies that
> sponsor miniatures. I wonder what they will be? Perhaps the 'Generic' cast of
> characters? :)

Actually, there we're concentrating in some specific areas. The first, of
course, is the already-available _Ogre_ miniatures. Ral has done a great
job producing 1990s versions of everything.

The next line (and the biggest) is the _Space Knights_ line. _Space Knights_
is the official worldbook for _Hot Lead_, our new miniatures system. (No,
you haven't missed anything . . . they won't be out until December or
January!) The Space Knights initially consists of three separate forces:

    1) The Knights of the Realm -- kind of Camelot 40K. Shining power armor,
       force lances, monoswords, power axes, etc.
    2) The Necrovore. Bionic skeletons. Creepy & spikey, also powerfully
       magic.
    3) The Psions. A warlike, bestial culture. The psions are crossed between
       dinosaurs, dragons, serpents and the mother from Aliens.

    Ask about them at your local game store! <end shameless plug>

    We'll also be doing Car Wars minis again sometime in '93.

Loyd

***************************************************************************
* loydb@fnordbox.UUCP	     Once you pull the pin,  *	Loyd Blankenship  *
* GEnie: SJGAMES	    Mr. Grenade is no longer *	PO Box 18957	  *
* Compu$erve: [73407,515]	 your friend!	     *	Austin, TX 78760  *
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From: rt22@unix.brighton.ac.uk (thomassen)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Rolemaster
Date: 9 Oct 92 14:50:53 GMT
Organization: University of Brighton, UK

Rolemaster - yes, it is still played by some.

To answer your question on what to play, it depends on how many of the
5 companions your group uses. If 'basic' rolemaster is used, I would suggest
playing the basic character classes from each group ( ie fighters, magicians, 
clerics, etc ) as these are normaly the strongest.  If companion 2 is used, 
there are many new skills which are needed, so it may be wiser to play
something which is less powerful in combat but is more versitile.

Make sure every character has plenty of PERCEPTION ( and SENCE AMBUSH with
com.2 )

Never use frenzy unless you are in full plate.
Always use a shield if you are a fighter, and ALWAYS ALWAYS parry.

If playing a spell caster, I prefer spells which need saving throws to bolts
as

1	-	Monsters are often imune to some bolts
2	-	Level bonuses to base spells make high levl RR based spells
		almost imposible to save against

3	-	( bloody vi ) front row fighters often obscure line of sight
		for bolt spells.


My personal preference is to play evil priests - all spells on the dark
channels list are instantenious!

Hope this has helped.  

Richard Thomassen. University of brighton.
From: cm182s182@pdrome.UUCP (Clayton Miner)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Newbie System?
Date: 11 Oct 92 12:14:42 GMT
Organization: The PowerDrome BBS [(716)825-3614 Excelsior]
X-BBS-Software: EXCELSIOR! v0.960

Well...in a way you comments regarding people not liking a given background 
would apply to any game.  It does not matter what the tpoicwas, if someone was 
not interested in that subject they would not have fun.  I for example can't 
stand swords and sorcery so I don't play AD&D or RQ or anything like that 
(Lace & Steel is NOT swords and sorcery).  It has been my experience with new 
gamers though that they tend to be a little more flexible at this stage, 
willing to try almost anything.  Maybe I have just been lucky with getting the 
right kind of new players???
 
Skeksis
From: hall@bcstec.ca.boeing.com (Robert J. Hall)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Why not NET.GURPS ST: TNG??
Date: 9 Oct 92 16:16:24 GMT
Organization: Boeing Computer Services, Seattle


>In article <3806@bcstec.ca.boeing.com>, hall@bcstec.ca.boeing.com (Robert
>J. Hall) writes...
>>
>>On the subject of a net file for ST-TNG: I think it's a cool idea, but I'd
>>rather see a system-independent supplement that a GM can modify for any game
>>system. I.e. keep out the system-specific rules and just include relative
>>values. Perhaps an appendix can be included for conversion to various game
>>systems.

<picl17@fsphy1.physics.fsu.edu> (Travis) responds:
>True, this is probably a better idea.  However, making an appendix to
>convert things to various game systems can be tough; over the summer, I
>worked on the conversion notes for TPO: Bestiary, so I have an idea what it
>involves.

Okay, I guess I should have been clearer about what I meant. I didn't mean
that there should be a conversion system in the appendices. Instead, the main
text could contain basic verbal descriptions and relative ratings. (E.g. a
statement that a Klingon is physically more powerful than a comparable human,
etc.) Appendix A could then contain stats for use in GURPS for each of the races, characters, equipment, etc. described in the text. (While Appendix B, C, ...
can be similar to A, but contain data for other game systems, such as HERO.)

-- 
 Bob Hall,                 | "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
 Workstation Peripheral    | Then give up. No use being a damn fool about it."
 Boeing Computer Services  |                                     -Groucho Marx
From: dfn@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (David Nalle)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: White Wolf doesn't read its mail
Date: 7 Oct 92 14:49:54 GMT
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX

> I ordered a subscription in January of this year, but I had to phone
> them up to actually receive the first issue (#30).  I received #32
> (the July/August issue) in the mail on Saturday, just finished reading
> it, and am as impressed with it as I was with #31.

Am I just imagining this, or was that a fantastically carefully worded slam?

I take it you didn't ever get #31, and therefore #32 impressed you just as
much as NOTHING?  Well put!

As for their problems with mailing, I suspect it's a function of too much
rapid growth.  You have to understand that the magazine is probably a net
money loser for them, so when something has to get put on the back burner
it will be the magazine.

Dave

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: rush2112@mace.cc.purdue.edu (Troy Hickman)
Subject: Question about Champions Books
Organization: Purdue University
Distribution: rec.games.frp.misc
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1992 18:30:34 GMT


Does anyone have a list of all the books published under the old system? I 
believe I either have or know about all of them, but I'm not sure.
From: skuff@vax1.mankato.msus.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: SRUN: Kage
Date: 13 Oct 92 07:38:55 GMT
Article-I.D.: vax1.1992Oct13.133855.2268
Organization: Mankato State University

In article <1992Oct9.133409.43713@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu>, kucloak@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu (Bryan Kennedy Reed) writes:
> Has anyone sent away for Kage, the magazine that FASA puts out for
> Shadowrun.  Does this thing still exist, and if so, is it any good?
> -- 
> 		
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>   Invincibility depends on one's self;	   kucloak@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu
>   The enemy's vulnerability on him.	    bkreed@oread.cc.ukans.edu
>  		  --Sun Tzu 		      Bryan Kennedy Reed
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kage IMHO is kind of lame.  The new gear and canned senerios were pretty
bad.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: sichen@morse.uwaterloo.ca (Simon Chen)
Subject: Re: Champions Question
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 19:20:08 GMT

In article <1992Oct12.210327.24718@athena.mit.edu> kdmiller@athena.mit.edu (Kenneth D Miller) writes:
>The "area" in question is the trail of hexes the character has run through.
>Like I said, the rule for "dropping" the effect is quite specific and limited,
>so I just "made up" my own Area Effect based on Line (+1 Advantage, 2 hexes
>per 5 points in the base power).

I think you're area effect is more closely related to the any area option,
where the area of effect can be of any shape as long as they are adjacent.
The cost for that is 10 pts per hex and it is a +1 advantage.  The 5 points
per 2 hexes is a little too cheap, this was used for a straight line.

You'll probably wanna buy a limitation on top of this, something like only
on the hexes travelled through...  Since this limitation is more restricted
than the standard 'no range' limitation.  This limitation should run for
around -1 on the limitation.  You can't take 'no range' on top of this...

>The character is a flame-powered speedster named (what else?) Flamerunner.
>His main useful ability is to leave a trail of 1d6K fire behind him where
>ever he moves.  I did this by purchasing 1d6 RKA, with Continuous, the afore-
>mentioned Area of Effect, 0 END, x2 hexes.  Is this "fair"?
>
>The effect is that of a wall of fire trailing behind him, like the light-cycles
>in the movie TRON.  Flamerunner can switch the wall on and off at will.

This sounds kind of gross actually... this guy can make a city burn forever
just by passing through it and then maintaining it... 8P 

							Masque
From: batemanc@p4.cs.man.ac.uk (Mad Chris)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Request reminder on Vampires
Date: 13 Oct 92 12:37:24 GMT

Vampires were supposed to be the embodiment of the Victorians three
worst fears. Can someone remind me what these were? Something like
lust without love, death without release and existence without purpose,
or some such.

All polite replies appreciated.

Mad Chris.
From: pmwg1641@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Peter M. White)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: SRUN: a question from the sprawl
Keywords: skills SRUN Srun Shadowrun
Date: 15 Oct 92 18:20:29 GMT
Article-I.D.: news.Bw6DM8.9Iv
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana

lward@husc8.harvard.edu (Lester Ward) writes:

>wilder@mik.uky.edu (jeff wilder) writes:
>>In <Bw35Iu.EEH@mentor.cc.purdue.edu> phi@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Aeleck) writes:

>>|>Say your character decides to up a particular skill by using the
>>|>rules for concentrations and specializations.

>>|>For instance:
>>|> Firearms: 5
>>|> -SMG's: 6

>Spending 5 points for the Firearms skill, then specializing (during
>character construction) would give Firearms 4, SMGs 6.  Once the game
>begins, they advance separately.  It's more cost effective to go for
>a general skill than it is to build two or more specializations of that
>skill.

This is the by the book answer, but I do not like it.  It is immensely
more cost effective to buy general skills, and immensely unrealistic.
Many SR general skills are so broad, e.g. Armed Combat, that anyone
being equally good in all subcategories is totally absurd.

Fix:  When a character ups a general/concentration skill, allow the
character to claim as credit any karma spent on conc./specializations.
As an added qualification, require the specialization/concentration
to be no more than one greater than the concentration/general.

Example:  Firearms 6; Pistols 7; Predator II 8
	  Firearms 6-->7 costs 3.5 karma (conc. already cost 10.5)
	  Pistols 7-->8 costs 4 karma (spec. already cost 8)
	  Predator 8-->9 costs 9 karma

My motivation is that characters should not be penalized in their
longterm progress for acquiring skills in what is, in fact, the
most natural manner.  The added qualification (flavor to taste)
is because someone with *much* higher conc./special. is really a
specialist in that area and should justify/beg the karma credits to
The GM.


--Peter

______________________________________________________________________________
						|
     "Guards!  Let me draw their fire!"		|	p-white@uiuc.edu
		   --Scapegoat,_Marshal Law_	|
______________________________________________________________________________
From: cs125a89@eng-nxt14.cso.uiuc.edu (cs125 student)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: SRII: Called shots
Date: 16 Oct 92 19:27:34 GMT
Article-I.D.: news.Bw8BDz.35F
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana


On the subject of called shots (such as to the head), do you apply armor  
to wounds from these shots? This has been a subject of some debate for
our gaming group. If you don't use armor, it makes called shots very 
powerful. If you do use armor, it makes them somewhat "unrealistic" -
depending on the shot.


Axly
Xref: sparky rec.games.frp.misc:6665 news.admin:7925
From: d9bertil@dtek.chalmers.se (Bertil Jonell)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc,news.admin
Subject: ATTENTION REC.GAMES.FRP.* FAQ-POSTER!!
Date: 9 Oct 92 07:08:38 GMT
Organization: Chalmers University of Technology


  For some reason I have never seen any of the rg-frp-announce postings on
rec.games.frp.announce. Why this is I have no idea, although I suspect that
it have something to do with distribution, but even though I've been here a
long time it would be nice to see the posting listing mailing lists once in a
while.

  I'd rather handle this by Email, but since I've never seen more than the
header of any post from rg-frp-announce, I don't know the email adress:)

-bertil-
--
"It can be shown that for any nutty theory, beyond-the-fringe political view or
 strange religion there exists a proponent on the Net. The proof is left as an
 exercise for your kill-file."
		"Revive the Swedish-Madagascan Brigand Pact!"
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: jacobus@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Bryan J. Maloney)
Subject: Re: RFD: GURPS disad limits
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 16:50:16 GMT



Are we having a bad week, Clayton?

So one player was unable to tell you that "disad" is an abbreviation for
"disadvantage"--this does NOT mean that ALL players are euphemising a
"minus".  In any case, the term "minus" would also be a bad choice of words,
since, in some cases, low values are GOOD to have.  


One more time, for the mentally impaired:

"disad" is an abbreviation for "disadvantage".  It is NOT a euphemism, any
more than DNA is a euphemism for deoxyribonucleic acid, EDTA is a
euphemism for something far too long for me to remember, etc.  
-- 
*******************************************************************
 "Darn these computers. They're all so naughty and so complicated.
  I could pinch them."
*******************************************************************
From: ez005523@othello.ucdavis.edu (David Lucey)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Vampire Question:  The Hunters Hunted - is it out?
Date: 12 Oct 92 21:03:11 GMT
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL3

Hello!

Where the frack is The Hunters Hunted supplement for Vampire?  (My local game
store says it isn't available yet, and I know at least one store in Sac.
confirms that this is so.)  Is it available for ordering from WW?  Can it be
purchased in the Bay Area?  If it's not available, when will it be?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Sincerely,
Eric Lulie
From: loydb@fnordbox.UUCP (Loyd Blankenship)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Hot Lead by SJG info?
Distribution: world
X-NewsSoftware: GRn 1.16e (7/4/92) by Mike Schwartz & Michael B. Smith
Date: 10 Oct 92 01:07:56 CST
Organization: Texas Net Illuminati

In article <t#wz5d_@rpi.edu> cleggp@aix.rpi.edu (Paul Jason Clegg) writes:
> Does anyone have any info on SJG's "Hot Lead" game?  I saw an ad for it in
> Dragon Magazine, and, being a big miniatures buff, I was wondering what it
> was about...	If it's a generic miniatures battle system, I'm going to hunt
> it down and buy it!  (I've been trying to design one myself...)

It is indeed a generic minis system. Look for it in January . . .

Loyd

***************************************************************************
* loydb@fnordbox.UUCP	     Once you pull the pin,  *	Loyd Blankenship  *
* GEnie: SJGAMES	    Mr. Grenade is no longer *	PO Box 18957	  *
* Compu$erve: [73407,515]	 your friend!	     *	Austin, TX 78760  *
* cs.utexas.edu!dogface!fnordbox!loydb		     *	512/447-7866	  *
***************************************************************************
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: Mark E. Johnson <mjohnson@force.decnet.lockheed.com>
Subject: RE: Star Trek the RPG
X-UserAgent: Nuntius v1.1.1d9
Organization: LMSC
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 92 00:01:32 GMT
X-XXDate: Thu, 15 Oct 92 17:10:19 GMT

>If you plan on using their scenarios, I'd suggest two;
>"DENIAL OF DESTINY" and "A DOOMSDAY LIKE ANY OTHER" (the best one!) And
if
>you'd like a great adventure, write me with your address, and I'll send
you
>one I wrote which my players enjoyed immensley.

You didn't leave an e-mail address, and your news reader didn't supply
one! Let me
know, because I'm interested.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
---
Mark E. Johnson                        
mjohnson@nebula.decnet.lockheed.com
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: jbridson@kean.ucs.mun.ca
Subject: GM wants to be a Player
Organization: Memorial University. St.John's Nfld, Canada
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 22:21:26 GMT

Any other GM's/DM's/Animators/etc have this problem?  Any solutions?
Please do NOT respond via e-mail...

I game with a group of friends quite often.  I am usually the GM, and I 
quite enjoy it, and think I'm fairly good at it (by no means excellent!).  
However, (a) I'm a bit lazy (b) I would love to play just as a Player with 
a character.

There's another guy in the group who GM's occasionally (or who STARTS 
adventures, only to forget about them...) and who has momentarily taken over 
from me as Animator in our TOON games (at my suggestion)

The problem is that during play, when he pauses, I usually can see what to 
do, or when he says something I think "No no no!  That's not the way to it!"
sometimes.  And sometimes I'll open my mouth and voice my ideas.  But I 
don't want to make a habit of contradicting the Director...

How does a GM turn into a simple Player again?  How do you get back into 
the feel of role-playing just one person and having no control over others' 
actions?

    --- Robert "Biggles" Bridson   (using the account of JBRIDSON)
    Please do not respond via e-mail.  Thank you.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: jhk6@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (John H Kim)
Subject: Re: Vampire
Reply-To: jhk6@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (John H Kim)
Organization: Columbia University
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 07:33:24 GMT

s903609@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au (ACE) writes:
>jmkaraka@eos.ncsu.edu (JOHN MARTIN KARAKASH) writes:
>>    e) (minor point) a difficulty scale that tops out at 10, very poor
>>        design that
>
>	IT WORKS !!

	This is a rather odd point. Yes, every time you throw the dice, 
you get a result. The problem that I have is that difficulties of 10 are 
mentioned in many places. 

	Difficulty 10 tasks have the odd result that having more dice 
*increases* your chance of botching. That is to say, a master is more 
likely to screw up than an untalented novice. 

	This is not an obvious point of probabilities, but it is true. 
It is certainly obvious that the average result for *anyone* is the same, 
zero successes - no matter how many dice they have. 

1 die  ->  10% botch, 10% success
2 dice ->  17% botch, 17% success (1 or 2)
4 dice ->  26% botch, 26% success (any number)
6 dice ->  30% botch, 30% success (any number)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Kim                    | "Remember, a running man may slit a thousand
jhk6@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu | throats in a single night."
Columbia University         |                    - Klingon proverb
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: quirk@pioneer.unm.edu (Gym Z. Quirk)
Subject: Re: Star Wars Second Edition
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 92 22:34:01 GMT
Organization: Nit-Pickers for a Better Tomorow Afternoon

In article <Bw39LF.Ew5@news.cso.uiuc.edu> sjs28257@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Steve Stelter) writes:
>cm182s182@pdrome.UUCP (Clayton Miner) writes:
>>Does anyone have any information on the changes between the first and second 
>>edition?  Inquiring minds want to know....is it worth laying out the cash?
>>If someone already has the first edition and three of the hardcovers, would
>>it be enough diffenert to merit looking into?  I am asking for a friend as I
>>enjoy the system as it is now and will stay with it.
>
>My friends and I asked the WEG folks about this at GenCon.  I don't remember
>any details, but apparently the second edition will be different enough from
>the first edition to justify buying it.  I think they're revamping the
>damage system and making the system in general more like that of Torg, but
>I'm not sure.

More like Torg?  Oh dear...

My opinion of Torg can be summed up thusly: The most expensive d20 I
ever bought. ;-)  (Very nice d20, tho. ;-)

The multiverse idea was very interesting - a couple of people in my
gaming group went ahead and ran 'invading universe' campaigns using
GURPS after our initial attempt at playing Torg.

The mechanics were indeed simple, but not to my liking.  The other
members of the group found the plot cards 'amusing' but not
particularly useful. *shrug*  Suffice to say that our initial
impressions of the game were not favorable, and given my already
considerable investment in GURPS and Star Wars, I did not want to
spend more money to see if the supplements made it more sense as more
rules were provided.  To those who enjoy Torg, more power to you.  I
like GURPS and Star Wars more or less the way they are.

Getting back to Star Wars, I would appreciate it more if West End
published a 'conversion kit' along with the 2nd edition rules, but
that's probably too much to ask.

>                      --Steve Stelter
>                        sjs28257@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu

-- 
Capt. Gym Z. Quirk  (Known to some as Taki Kogoma)  quirk@pioneer.unm.edu
 I'll get a life when someone demonstrates that it would be superior to
                          what I have now...
From: schamber@envy.Reed.Edu (Seth Chamberlin)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: SRII: Attributes
Keywords: SR, SRII
Date: 11 Oct 92 22:23:58 GMT
Article-I.D.: reed.1992Oct11.222358.15955
Organization: Reed College, Portland, OR

This is just a general comment on attributes and Karma in SRII.

1)  The new rule of being able to raise all attributes to 1.5x original is  
plain stupid.  I say this for a few reasons. One, not all people in this  
world should have 6's or higher in all their attributes is just not  
possible.  Both of my GM's and all our characters believe this is stupid.
I mean it is great if you want to munchkin the game but it is just stupid  
if you want to be even somewhat realistic.  Plus with the ability to raise  
attributes cheaper then skills it just makes for complete munchkins  
running about Seattle with 14 combat pools and the like.

Just my two cents about attributes.

	Wraith and Preston making a finer day for Shadowrunners everywhere
Xref: sparky rec.games.frp.misc:6799 rec.games.frp:25215