HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: cms@mse.cmu.edu (Curtis M Scott)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: GURPS combat time.
Date: 13 Apr 92 17:02:28 GMT
Organization: CMU/SEI Master of Software Engineering Program

In article <1992Apr13.120527.1@eagle.wesleyan.edu>, hzhao@eagle.wesleyan.edu writes:
|> > However, I think the 1 blow/second rate for weapons (SCA or otherwise) is
|> > probably realistic. I don't think any SCA fighter could land 3-4 blows/second.
|> > The fastest fighter I ever knew or heard of was Sir Francois of the Kingdom
|> > of Meridies, and high-speed film showed him striking 3 times in 2 seconds
|> > (that's total blows with two swords). I think Francois is the reason that
|> > SJ put the one blow/second rule in based on that experience.
|> > Recognize that 4 blows a second is one blow every 250 millisecond---basically
|> > reflex speed for the human body. Aimed blows for damage---I don't think so.
|> 
|>      It is possible, depending on the blow used. A strike to one side of the
|> head can be followed up virtually instantaneously by a strike to the other side
|> (provided, as you say, the weapon isn't stuck) by rolling the forearm bones and 
|> redirecting the force of the rebounding blow. Works perfectly for maces, which
|> tend not to get stuck.  In general, with a full swing, such speeds are indeed
|> difficult, and if attainable, tend not to go on for very long before the
|> assailaint either wins or gets tired.

I know the kind of fighting you're talking about. That's exactly what Sir
Francois was doing. However, when you say "virtually instantaneously" I think
you need to realize the scale of time. I'd be willing to say that two blows
within a single second period would be possible, but no more. 

The people who did the study photographed over a dozen SCA fighters with
high-speed film. The fighters were TRYING to strike quickly, as they knew
there was measurement being done. And still 3 in 2 seconds (with two weapons)
was the highest rate recorded. The typical "whap-whap" of an SCA two-weapon
combination has more than 600 milliseconds of slop in it.

Perhaps another thing to consider is a drum-roll, which if anything has less
momentum than a melee weapon. A high-speed drum roll is 3-4 beats/second;
I can't imagine swinging a sword or a mace anywhere near that fast with
force.

Curtis


With REAL maces (vs. SCA equivalents), momentum would make this more difficult.
However, with real maces there's often nothing in the way to hit the second
time around. (Squish!) :-)

|> 
|>         Perhaps a better measure of skill could be implemented with "gets X
|> blows for every N of yours". Thusly, a highly skilled fighter could throw a
|> barrage into a lesser opponent without time being much of a factor. Unless the
|> defendant's buddy is sneaking up behind him.....
|>
From: jacobus@symphony.cc.purdue.edu (Bryan J. Maloney)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: AD&D Char Death < GURPS Char Death
Date: 7 Apr 92 19:10:22 GMT
Reply-To: jacobus@symphony.cc.purdue.edu (Bryan J. Maloney)
Organization: Purdue University

In article <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. 


Interesting point, and valid, to a certain extent, if I can recall a 
conversation I had with the folks at SJG three years ago at GenCon about
this topic--why are GURPS characters so darn resilient?

Pretty much, the consensus was that, since it was a bit of work to make up
a character, it made sense to make it hard for them to kack off instantly.
However, the same did not hold for injuries, incapacitation, etc., which in
the hands of a skilled GM, can make for some very fun gaming (ransoming,
enslavement scenarios, quests for major healing items/masters, etc.)

This also applies to Hero games as well.  It is SOOO easy to stun and
KO a "hero-level" Hero character, but killing one usually requires first
winning the entire battle and finishing off the wounded.

Oddly enough, this practice does not hold for all games which are more 
cumbersome/time-consuming in character creation (relatively speaking--I'm 
not going to bother with jerks who claim that "my fave game is NOT cumbersome,
since I can make an entier 10,000 complete characters with equipment, skills,
and 25-year backgrounds in seventeen and one-half minutes"--said jerks are
also quite proficient in these systems, and often have YEARS of mastery).

In the ICE-Law games and derivatives, death is usually BANG!!, you're dead
from a lucky critical.  
In Traveller, one of the most time-consuming character-generation systems,
death is amazingly easy.

I've a feeling that the ease of death vs. speed of character generation
relationship has some validity, but not over all games.
From: rible@vorpal.ucsb.edu (Max Rible)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: SR: waiting for the falmes :-)
Date: 16 Apr 92 00:45:08 GMT

Richard Pieri/Stainless Steel Rat writes
> >>>>> On 10 Apr 92 23:53:46 GMT, krischel@nunki.usc.edu (Blackstar) said:
> krischel> In article <RATINOX.92Apr10190911@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu>  
ratinox@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu writes:
> >vanor> Also has any one ever thoght about posting stuf about Shadowrun
> >vanor> tricks like when you have both a smartgun link and vission mag. that
> >vanor> you can shot at any rage and still have a target number of 2
> 
> >This is a hack. You don't get a higher target number for range because it's
> >harder to see, you get it because the further away the target is, the
> >harder it is to hit. It don't matter that you can see a fly perfectly well
> >at 100 meters, or a human-sized target at over 1 kilometer, it's still
> >going to be nigh-impossible to hit either with a handgun.

Our house rules hold that you need to spend an action per level of
range reduction you get from magnification; you can then use Aiming
to further lower your target numbers.  Further, unless you're firing
a weapon with no recoil whatsoever (not just "not suffering recoil
mods") you need to do this again. This makes sniping quite good, but
doesn't allow you to hose down people at extreme range quite like you
can point blank...

Max
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
From: apearlma@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Andrew Pearlman)
Subject: Re: SR: Alternative dodge rule.
Keywords: shadowrun
Organization: The Ohio State University
Distribution: usa
Date: Sat, 11 Apr 1992 17:47:32 GMT

In article <1992Apr10.152716.26075@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> pmwg1641@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Peter M. White) writes:
>As far as travel time, a merely speed of sound projectile will cross
>3 meters, a reasonable indoor firefight distance, in about 10 milliseconds.
>Not much time to get ot of the way.  Yes, these can be big effects for
>hunting, but I do not think so here.

From what I've been told by a martial arts instructor, dodging guns is
more difficult and easier than it looks.  Basically, the ability to dodge
is being able to move a substantial amount of the gunner's field of vision.
It does virtually no good to dodge at long range.  Why?  You're just a dot.
Any movement you make does you no good.  Up close on the other hand, you can
see the gun move.  Then you can try to avoid where the gun points.  Not
easy.

Anyway, that's why I like taking the base target number to hit and using that
for the dodge.  So if someone aims at point-blank, you need a 4 to dodge.  If
someone aims at extreme, you need a 9.  If they are using smartgun links or
lasers, this doesn't change it.  However, Image Magnification or Aiming will
change it.

Example:  A sammi with smartgun link and a Predator II.  He shoots a Troll
point blank.  His target # to hit is 4-2 =2.  The target # of the Troll to
dodge is 4.  He then takes 2 actions to aim at the mage and do a called shot.
His target number is 4 -2 -2 + 4, or a base 4.  However, the chance of dodging
is 4 -2(aiming) or a base 2.  The sammi then realizes aiming at an aware
target doesn't help much.

Andy Pearlman
From: bibaert@eursus (Hans Baert)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: 100-DICE
Date: 10 Apr 92 09:44:34 GMT
Organization: Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam
Originator: news@mailgate.eur.nl

Hello Everybody,
Can anybody supply me with a 100 sided dice?
I need it for ADD. Please reply by mail if you know where i can buy them.
Greetings,
				       Hans.
From: ratinox@meceng.coe.northeastern.edu (Richard Pieri/Stainless Steel Rat)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: SR:Alternative Initiative
Date: 14 Apr 92 01:54:10 GMT
Reply-To: ratinox@meceng.coe.northeastern.edu
Organization: 3WA, Boston Office. Or Nu Meta Chi. Take your pick.
In-reply-to: ins769v@lindblat.cc.monash.edu.au's message of 8 Apr 92 04:24:15 GMT
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>>>>> On 8 Apr 92 04:24:15 GMT, ins769v@lindblat.cc.monash.edu.au (Veltyen) said:

ins769v>     IMHO the vanilla initiative system gives out in one inportant
ins769v>   respect ... How do the players get caught with their testis up a 
ins769v>   tree in the middle of combat. I mean why don't people get _no_ 
ins769v>   actions occasionally; say because they couldn't decide who to shoot
ins769v>   at, or were distracted for other reasons. 

Suprise! Someone jumps out from behind a tree/corner/bathroom stall. Maybe
have the suprised character make an Intelligence roll to recover quickly
enough. You figure the target # from the environment.

ins769v>       ZERO INITIATIVE RULES

ins769v>   Roll all ones on your initiative die and you get no action.

I've got a Reaction of 4, and I get just 1 die for initiative. I roll a
one (1 in 6 chance) and I'm screwed? I don't think so. Not when that same
Rigger gets 2 more dice while rigging, and gets ``caught with his pants
down'' only 1 turn out of 216? Your mechanic is screwed--it just doesn't
work.

ins769v>   If damaged and you roll within certain limits you still get no
ins769v> action ie writhing in pain on the floor ; or standing stunned.

ins769v>   Therefore the initiative multiplier is put to each die and if
ins769v> all the die come out at one or less then you get no action.

In other words, your jacked-up Sam or Adept or quickened Mage can do stuff,
but my Rigger can't do jack-shit if he's wounded outside of a rigged
vehicle. Your mechanic isn't screwed, it's royally fucked.

Take a suggestion: don't try to come up with more mechanics or more things
to roll dice on. Instead, *remove* mechanics whenever possible, and role-
play the rest.

--Rat
--
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Richard Pieri, Northeastern's Stainless Steel Rat/   | /| / /   | The Worlds
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 ICBMnet: 42 deg 1 min N, 71 deg 0 min W    /    |/ |/ /_//_____| for you.
From: v054p8yx@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Daniel J Kowalski)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: Shadowrun (rigger/adept???)
Date: 7 Apr 92 21:31:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <RATINOX.92Apr1113536@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu>, 
	ratinox@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu writes...
>>>>>> On 1 Apr 92 15:24:19 GMT, 
	odella@vccsouth18.its.rpi.edu (Adam Joseph O'Dell) said:
> 
>odella> I am starting up in a new shadowrun campaign and was thinking about
>odella> playing a rigger/ sorcery adept.  I have heard that rigging places
>odella> you in a virtual reality and so the magic might not meld well with
>odella> my rigging abilities.  Has anybody out there heard anything about
>odella> this.  Its kind of nice to be able to protect your vehicle from
>odella> outside influences and so, if it is possible, I`m going to give it
>odella> a shot.
> 
>A rigger is gonna cost you around 3-5 (or more!) Essence for the Vehicle
>Control Rig, datajack, and whatever other miscellaneous headware and
level one rig is 1 essence and in all rigs a datajack is included as i recall
(dont flame i dont bring FRP rule books every time i use a computer)
>hardware you pick up. That seriously chops into your Magic ability. Magic
>and Tech don't mix well at all. If you go all-out on skills, you could go
>the rigger/decker route, no problem. But remember that a VCR only adds to
>your reaction in a vehicle, not the Matrix.
again as i recall it does, but not dice(i dont recall if wires add dice 
in the matrix)
> 
>Rigging isn't like a decker's VR. The ``virtual reality'' of rigging is the
>imagery of the vehicle's systems overlayed onto your optic nerves, or
>directly into the visual sense regions of your brain, while the vehicle's
>sensors relay information to other parts of your brain. You still see the
>road in front of you (or the clouds, or water, whatever), but you ``feel''
>the vehicle around you as well. The better the VCR, the better you can feel
>the machine and the faster you can make it respond.
> 
>I wonder if SRII is going to have some kind of rigged power armor :-).
(armor is to nasty as it is imho while losing your character every adventure
is not condusive to roleplaying i feel such violent games should have more
violent consquenses(ie. I WANT TO SEE SOME MORE DEATH!!!!))
> 
>--Rat
>--
>||||| | | | |  |  |  |   |   |    |    |    |   |   |  |  |  |  | | | | | |||||
>                                                   __        ___ 
>Internet: ratinox@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu  /   | /| / /   | The Worlds
>    UUCP: ...!northeastern.edu!splinter!ratinox /__  |/ |/ / /| | Welfare Works
>  BITNET: UA_RLP@NUHUB{.BITNET}                /   | /| / / / | | Association:
>  USNail: 14 Westdale RD.                     /__  |/ |/ / /  | | I will solve
>          Holbrook, MA  02343-1031           /   | /| / / /___| | any problem
> ICBMnet: 42 deg 1 min N, 71 deg 0 min W    /    |/ |/ /_//_____| for you.

i don't mean to flame, i could be wrong and you might be right or we could 
both be wrong
As a rule of thumb don't take anyones word on the rules, look it up yourself
and/or consult your gamemaster.
		dan
From: ratinox@meceng.coe.northeastern.edu (Richard Pieri/Stainless Steel Rat)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: Shadowrun: Controlling Deckers
Date: 13 Apr 92 02:24:25 GMT
Reply-To: ratinox@meceng.coe.northeastern.edu
Organization: 3WA, Boston Office. Or Nu Meta Chi. Take your pick.
In-reply-to: kinnema@wkuvx1.bitnet's message of 11 Apr 92 20:06:09 GMT
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>>>>> On 11 Apr 92 20:06:09 GMT, kinnema@wkuvx1.bitnet (Mark Kinney, Attorney at Chaos) said:

> Nonetheless, why would these people need to get TOP-SECRET corporate
> data?  It would be infinitely more safe to keep the really secret stuff
> offline if it were possible.  Mary's points seem extremely valid to me.

kinnema> This is done even today. Remember in _The Cuckoo's Egg_ when Cliff
kinnema> Stoll talks about a laboratory near Berkely (which I can't
kinnema> remember the name of) being offline.

It wasn't completely isolated, because it could be dialed into. A truely
isolated system would have no means of access from outside. Period. If you
can access a system from outside of it's physical location, it isn't
secure. Period.

Friends of mine work on government contract jobs, and they *DON'T* dial in.
They must be physically on site, in sound-proofed, laser mike-proofed,
Tempest shielded terminal areas.

kinnema> It was still broken into in that case, but in Shadowrun, it'd
kinnema> probably be a matter of old fashioned phoning in on modem-type of
kinnema> turtleizing, or jacking in within the facility. There is still
kinnema> external access, but no decker in their right mind would try it
kinnema> that way.

If you can connect to the system from the outside, in any way, shape, or
form, it isn't isolated.

If it is isolated, then the only way to access is to physically break in
and connect from the inside. You still have to deal with all the on-line
security, but you also have to deal with the physical, real world security.

--Rat
--
||||| | | | |  |  |  |   |   |    |    |    |   |   |  |  |  |  | | | | | |||||
                                                   __        ___ 
Richard Pieri, Northeastern's Stainless Steel Rat/   | /| / /   | The Worlds
Internet: ratinox@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu /__  |/ |/ / /| | Welfare Works
    UUCP: ...!northeastern.edu!splinter!ratinox/   | /| / / / | | Association:
  BITNET: UA_RLP@NUHUB{.BITNET}               /__  |/ |/ / /  | | I will solve
  USNail: 14 Westdale RD  Holbrook, MA 02343 /   | /| / / /___| | any problem
 ICBMnet: 42 deg 1 min N, 71 deg 0 min W    /    |/ |/ /_//_____| for you.
Organization: Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Date: Mon,  6 Apr 1992 21:14:52 -0400 
From: William Henry Timmins <wt0b+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: Sex and RPG's - Why Oh Why ?
	<1992Apr6.010751@kazoo.ssd.loral.com>
	<wds_SCq00aw6Q381gi@andrew.cmu.edu>

>Mine was very stubborn, and stomped off.  He later returned and muttered
>something to the effect of, "You're right--I was being stubborn and
>stupid.  I see what you mean--but I STILL don't want to do that!"  I
>learned afterward that another player said jokingly to the GM, "A real
>man wouldn't back down like that!"

As the GM, it seems Faye misheard.

	I was the one who made the comment, and it was more of a joking comment
that 'A guy wouldn't admit that he was being irrational. He may be being
irrational, but he wouldn't admit it!'

	This is more along the lines of playing someone from another culture.
Women may be unaware of the common 'man culture' that men tend to get
snagged in, as men are of 'woman culture'. That's the only problem with
playing crosssex.

	Oh, and about the comment on rules, personally I tend to use as few
rules as possible. And when I do use a rules system, I invariably end up
ignoring it. I find rules only useful for some hints on how a character
is, and for creating characters.

-Me
From: sl7sg@cc.usu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: AD&D2: Al-Qadim F*cked Up Everywhere?
Date: 15 Apr 92 10:50:19 MDT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Utah State University

In article <1992Apr15.004851.22985@wam.umd.edu>, huesmann@wam.umd.edu (Joseph Edward Huesmann) writes:
> 
> Hi. A friend of mine and I recently bought TSR's Al-Qadim "Arabian
> Nights"-type sourcebook for AD&D2. The pages were f*cked up. By
> f*cked up, I mean that pages 65-80 were replaced by pages 49-64.
> That is to say, instead of pp 65-80, they had repeated pp 49-64.
> Are Al-Qadim's all over the country f*cked up like this?
> 
> Also, I've noticed that both the "Pirates of the Fallen Stars"
> sourcebook and "Al-Qadim" had screwy bindings: The spines of the
> books are skewed, or twisted. Is TSR trying to save printing costs
> and maximize profits even more?
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Joe


	Why do you even question such a thing... Of course they are!  That and
they don't give a shit for their product quality.  As long as the naive gamer
continues to purchase cheep shit from T$R they will continue to produce the
defacation of the gaming industry.

		Shade Pendragon


			SLANDER! SLANDER! SLANDER!
From: mscs057@vax1.mankato.msus.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: More Humanoids (Orcs, etc.)
Date: 9 Apr 92 16:02:19 GMT
Article-I.D.: vax1.1992Apr9.100220.1690
Organization: Mankato State University

I have add kobolds to the list under <none>.
I would like to tell you all now what Orcs can be.
      Fighter   Unlimited
       Ranger   N/A
       Paladin  N/A
      Thief     12
       Bard     N/A
      Wizard    6
       Special  N/A
      Cleric    11
       Druid    N/A

I have stats on goblins, ogres, hobgoblins, gnolls, etc.

Ask and ye shall receive.

Steve -- Thorin the Dwarven Cleric
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Organization: Penn State University
Date: Thursday, 16 Apr 1992 12:26:14 EDT
From: Thomas J. Cusick <TJC111@psuvm.psu.edu>
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Character Names

I recall a while back that someone posted (I'm not sure if it was here, or
on ADND-L Listserver) a list of Character names.  Does anyone know where
this list can be found?  I have a copy, but the pages are starting to get
worn.  If anyone could let me know where i can get this Character Names list
I would be greatful.
  Thanks,

**********************************************************************
+                                    \                               +
+ DM: You are at a big wooden Door.  /   Thomas J. Cusick            +
+     What do you do?                \   Lab Attendant/Team Leader   +
+ PC: Is it Locked? and Trapped?     /   TJC111@PSUVM.psu.edu        +
+ DM: Yes and No.                    \   cusick@endor.cs.psu.edu     +
+ PC: Ok, we throw the Dwarf through /   tjcusick@vivaldi.psu.edu    +
+     the door .                     \                               +
+ Disclaimer : My views do not reflect those of my employers         +
**********************************************************************
From: kclark@jarthur.claremont.edu (A nigga 4 life)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: Gamma World
Date: 15 Apr 92 17:15:03 GMT
Organization: Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, CA 91711

In article <1992Apr14.041423.26613@uwm.edu> aragorn@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Steve) writes:

>Would you please give a quickie synopsis of `Gamma World' for us?  Or
>should I say for me...  I've never heard of the game system and I'm always
>looking for new sci-fi systems to pick-up.  Thanks...
>
>- steve
>
Makes me feel old - i played the original Gamma World way back when...
From: jma8492@usl.edu (Andrus Jeanne M)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: Herb List Needed
Summary: Good book on herbs.
Keywords: herbs medicinal
Date: 9 Apr 92 18:55:01 GMT
Article-I.D.: usl.1992Apr9.185501.345
Expires: Thu, 30 Apr 1992 05:00:00 GMT
Followup-To: jma@usl.edu
Organization: University of Southwestern Louisiana

In article <1992Apr8.151035.1447@ccc.govt.nz> vanhalewyns@ccc.govt.nz writes:
>Hi there all you fine upstanding citizens.
>
>I'm aftr a list of herbs for roleplaying games, anybody know where I can
>pick up some such thing.

A really good book on the subject is *Herbs* by John Lust.  Tells lots
about the medicinal uses of various herbs.
                         Jeanne
			jma@usl.edu
From: nesiusra@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Keith)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: AD&D: So what happens when ...
Keywords: AD&D
Date: 7 Apr 92 19:48:26 GMT
Organization: the Dreymark Archives



  I just had to respond to the comments put forth by Gregory R Block in
  Article #63664-

  1.  Bags of Holding and such access the Ethereal Plane.  Look it up in a
    Manual of the Planes.

  2.  Rope Trick within a Rope Trick.  As far as additional space.  I would
    have to say NO!!!.  But I would allow the recasting to lengthen the 
    duration of the first spell...

  3.  And you CAN open up an extra-dimensional space within another already
    existing one.  Look at the Portable Hole in a Bag of Holding information
    sources.  I NEVER SAID it would be a peaceful opening-  ;)

  4.  Eating an Illusion would probably end up giving the individual(s)
    the feel of eating the flesh (OH YUCK!!!) but would vanish at some
    RAPDILY APPROACHING point in time.

  5.  Troll Pieces for lunch.  First of all, did they cook it?  Second of
    all stomach acid would -probably- destroy the process.  Third, who would
    want to eat Troll Flesh?

  6.  I have to agree, the mutation possibilities for the Elf/Giant-Giant
    mating would be neat.  But the GM/DM would have to be REALLY open-minded
    about that stuff.


  Rathior Lorikai
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp