HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: hudson@dragon.cpe.ulowell.edu (Kevin Maurice Hudson)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: GURPS: Julian May's Metapsychic Genre - Request
Date: 15 Oct 92 04:51:16 GMT
Article-I.D.: dragon.HUDSON.92Oct14235116
Reply-To: hudson@dragon.cpe.ulowell.edu
Organization: Productivity Center
X-Content-Length: 401
X-Newsreader: GNU Emacs 18.57.4, GNUS 3.13, NNTP 3.10
X-Content-Type: Text


Quite a while back, someone posted a set of GURPS Psionics modifications
for playing in Julian May's Metapsychic Milieu.  I was wondering if that
person is still about on the net or if someone else could point me to
where the files are located.  Any help would be appreciated.

If possible please reply to this through email; I don't know when I will
be able to read news in the near future.  Thanks.
--
hudson@dragon.cpe.ulowell.edu		uhqfba@qentba.pcr.hybjryy.rqh
Kevin Hudson, Systems Manager		Xriva Uhqfba, Flfgrzf Znantre
Center for Productivity Enahncement	Pragre sbe Cebqhpgvivgl Ranuaprzrag
University of Massachusetts Lowell	Havirefvgl bs Znffnpuhfrggf Ybjryy
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: mppc3@syma.sussex.ac.uk (Duncan White)
Subject: Re: Vampire
Organization: University of Sussex
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL4
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 13:47:29 GMT

jhk6@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (John H Kim) writes:
: 
: 	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 entirely true.....
      The problem does exist that at difficulty 10 the character's skill
level is usually irrelevant, but any real 'master' should be able to get
together a 10 dice pool to attempt the skill and claim an automatic 
(admittedly marginal) success. The same applies to ANY vampire
attempting to use a physical ability - pump some blood points into the
relevant stat until you can gaurantee success. Does away with much
tedious dice rolling too.

: 	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. 
: 

      Almost anyone at any rate.

: 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)

 10 dice ->   0% botch,100% success (1)


     This is also the way round the stamina 7 combat problem - lots of 
strength! Plenty of dice on your attacks also help - split the dice pool
to make a lot of attacks that all hit for a gauranteed 1 point of damage
and let the target worry about splitting soak dice.

The system DOES work without any major modifications, but we normally
average about 1 (actually rolled) dice roll an hour when playing 
Vampire anyway, so minor glitches don't really bother us.
From: v124jw4y@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Benjamin R Pierce)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Newbie System?
Date: 9 Oct 92 16:16:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <1992Oct9.133812.13995@cs.tulane.edu>, eebonar@sn01.sncc.lsu.edu writes...
>In article <1992Oct9.014129.13498@jade.tufts.edu>, gharris@jade.tufts.edu (George W. Harris) writes...

>>	GURPS for a newbie?  I think not.  What if they don't think that their
>>character must have a high stat to be good in skills, as you are forced to 
>>think in GURPS?  What if they are unfamiliar with the character creation 
>>system and create grossly inefficient, and therefore ineffective, and there-
>>fore (we ARE talking newbies here) unfun characters?  GURPS requires far too
>>much handholding in character creation to be a game for newbies without the
>>guidance of Role-Playing Gurus, unless the newbies in question are accontants.
> 
>	Actually, that's the beauty of introducing a whole new group of
>people to role playing.  If everyone is starting out basically even it 
>doesn't matter!  Why are inefficient characters unfun?  If the newbies 
>really get the idea of role playing it won't matter if their characters
>aren't the most tightly designed in existence.  After they play a while
>and learn more about the system they might look at their characters and
>decide they need to be rewriten.  Oh well, maybe starting out new and
>not worrying about maximizing designs will help keep them from always worrying
>about making the perfect character.




I have to disagree here.  Bear in mind that most novice role-players are going
to be coming in with certain preconceptions of what a game is.  Among these
will probably be:

1. Games are structured (much moreso than the typical RPG session).
2. Games have a definite winner and loser.

   A player whose character fails at nearly every action because he or she
is inefficiently designed will not have fun simply because most of the other
characters are also failing at everything.  If your first adventure had ended
up with a summary like, "Well, you tried to rescue the princess, but failed,
and now you're all dead and she got eaten.", how likely would you be to return
for another game?  I feel that GURPS is (may the powers that be forgive me) not
the be-all end-all role-playing system that many people on the net purport it
to be; in truth, I've never liked it much.  I certainly feel that it is not a
good choice as a first-time game; the rules strike me as too complex.  I feel
that a more free-form game is generally much better suited to the purpose; the
players are less likely to be driven off by movement rates, passive defense,
impaling criticals, or what have you, and more likely to remember, "Hey, I had
a really great time playing that wizard who could never remember what spell he
wanted to cast!"


                                                           --Ben
From: jacobus@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Bryan J. Maloney)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: The Primal Order - Is it worth it?
Date: 12 Oct 92 21:09:55 GMT
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center

In article <16073@mindlink.bc.ca> Nick_Janow@mindlink.bc.ca (Nick Janow) writes:
>It looked to me like a product for a very specific style of gaming (although
>it would fit most game systems that supported that style).  It did however,
>look like a very useful product for that style of gaming.


See, Peter, I'm not the ONLY one who thinks this.  Peter and I went around
a few times on this point when TPO was in the late development stages and
afterwards.  However, that does not make the supplement useless for other
styles of gaming.  Unfortunately, It does take some work to adapt it to
campaigns where gods are not just big, bad, NPCs, but really are GODS.

Divine by essense, different by basic nature, not just characters with
an extra unstoppable power pool, that is what I'm talking about.  I
grumbled something about writing an article to that effect several months
ago, but I've still yet to convince my boss that 40 hours a week does not
mean 12 hours a day, 5 days a week.  Anyway, I actually do hope to have
it written up by the end of this week and sent off to a few magazines (I
think White Wolf might be amenable).

My notes are not available at the moment, but the gist of the article is
that transcendent (non-TPO) deities use the system in TPO in a slightly
different manner--basically it becomes a means of dealing with those
divine conflicts which are not considered part of the basic structure of
a mythos.  (Those conflicts which are touch TPO more peripherally.)
Furthermore, transcendent deities (as opposed to the temporal TPO style)
have different limitations and basic abilities than outlined in TPO.

However, the framework of TPO still can be used as a basis.
-- 
*******************************************************************
 "Darn these computers. They're all so naughty and so complicated.
  I could pinch them."
*******************************************************************
From: bkoike@sdcc13.ucsd.edu (Bryce Koike)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: SJG - Miniatures
Date: 14 Oct 92 02:05:19 GMT
Organization: University of California, San Diego

In article <GOLDM.92Oct13152123@sage4a.rpi.edu> goldm@rpi.edu (Mitchell E. Gold) writes:
>In article <3819@bcstec.ca.boeing.com> 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? :)
>--
>But SJG has has miniatures for a long time. Don't tell me you never heard of
>Cardboard Heroes!

	Alas, they've been discontinued...quite a while ago, as I
recall.  (And I was VERY sad to see them go.  Picked up a few extras
at the gamestores, though! :)  It's too bad because you could get
armies of guys cheap.  (No painting involved!  Just cut them up,
glue them to pennies, and get moving!  We used them in AD&D, GURPS,
and any other RPG that came our way.  Really great when the GM says,
"Uh, twenty-five guys are on the battlefield...")

>(and yes, we really did use these, mostly in Champions when we needed normals.)
>--
> Mitchell Gold     /  middleman of
> sundance@rpi.edu /  rec.games.frp.archives

	The main problem with them, I suppose, is that they weren't
"cool" enough or something silly like that.  (And they weren't
"official" for anything save GURPS, I guess [oh, Traveller...].
Everyone would run out and buy Ral Partha crud for AD&D because they
were Real AD&D Monsters and blah...)
	Still, they were really neat.  And with the pennies on their
bases they worked something like weeble-wobbles...
=)
Xref: sparky rec.games.frp.misc:6666 news.admin:7926
From: d9bertil@dtek.chalmers.se (Bertil Jonell)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc,news.admin
Subject: Re: ATTENTION REC.GAMES.FRP.* FAQ-POSTER!!
Date: 9 Oct 92 07:36:36 GMT
Organization: Chalmers University of Technology

In article <14910@chalmers.se> d9bertil@dtek.chalmers.se (Bertil Jonell) writes:
>Why this is I have no idea, although I suspect that it have something to do
>with distribution

  That is: I suspect the postings are done with distribution: us or something 
similar.

-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: jmkaraka@eos.ncsu.edu (JOHN MARTIN KARAKASH)
Subject: Re: New From SJ Games!
Originator: jmkaraka@c00120-100lez.eos.ncsu.edu
Reply-To: jmkaraka@eos.ncsu.edu (JOHN MARTIN KARAKASH)
Organization: North Carolina State University, Project Eos
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 22:06:33 GMT


|>John,
|> 
|>  I am sorry, but I just can't see GURPS Bunnies and Burrows...I just can't.  
|>I have tried, but I just can't see it.  I still have my original copy of 
|>Bunnies and Burrows (I have two copies in fact) and I have some fond memories 
|>of the time we found that hunter's camp and some dead rabbits and vowed 
|>revenge so we waited for the bastard to show up, tripped him with a branch we 
|>found, and then shot him with his own gun...but I just can't see a GURPS 
|>verwsion...I don't know why...maybe because the guy at the local gaming store 
|>siad he felt a GURPS version would not be as much fun.  I gotta ask 
|>though...if there is going to be a Bunnies and Burrows book for GURPS, when is 
|>there going to be a TOON book....
|> 
|>Skeksis
|>
	With SJG as the publishers of TOON it probably will never come.  The
original B&B was at least semi-serious, but TOON is totally devoted to slap-
stick humor.  The complexities of GURPS would just weigh down a game devoted
to that kind of thing.  So you'll just have to live with TOON for cartoons and
GURPS for everything else!

	-john-
From: markl@dvorak.amd.com (Mark Luedtke)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: SRII: Plant totems,Deities, and Magic.
Date: 15 Oct 92 15:24:09 GMT
Organization: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.; Austin, Texas

In article <1992Oct14.230332.43856@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu> kumagic@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu (Stephen R. Figgins) writes:
>All this talk about spider shamans, and insect shamans has me
>thinking....
>
>
>Why not a plant shaman, or a fungus shaman, certainly readers of swamp
>thing out there can identify.  I can imagine tree shamans would be
>very popular among the druids, also ivy, holly, and mistletoe shamans.
>Plants have been an important part of many shamanic traditions.  
>
>I think deities would make good totems as well.  I think that SRUN
>shies way from this for religious reasons, not wanting to step on nay
>censor's toes out there, but for many magical traditions it is a
>patron deity that is the totem.  Even in Native American religions,
>totems are closer to being non anthropomorphic deities than they are
>some animal spirit.  If you go with the western tradition of

I am considering creation of Christian magicians who get their power from
patron Saints.  Very similar to the shamanic tradition, using the Saints
as Totems.  I think I will only allow them to summon spirits in Great Form,
however, and only after they become an initiate.  Of course, if they
are affiliated with a church, they will have very hand magical groups to
assist them.  I plan to allow bonuses and penalties by patron much like
the current totem modifiers.
-- 

Mark Luedtke    markl@dvorak.amd.com

This was typed by an infinite number of monkeys.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: mcclure@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Gaeron McClure)
Subject: Re: SRII: Disarming Oponents
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 22:42:17 GMT

kucloak@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu (Bryan Kennedy Reed) writes:

>After watching Segal's latest flick, a question popped up.  How do we
>deal with disarming in Shadowrun?  For a physical adept (or Samurai
>for that matter) who deals only in hand to hand, it's a good think to
>separate you opponent and his firearm.  Has anyone come up with any
>rules on this?-- 

	Try using a Called Shot (+4 to Target #), resisted with the appropriate
combat skill and Combat Pool only (no Body, no armor effects).  If the 
attacker scores net succeses, then use an  Opposed Stregth Test between the 
parties involved to see if the weapon goes anywhere, adding the extra 
successes from the attack test to those from the Strength test (after all, it
would be hard to disarm a troll if you're a weenie normal human type, but not 
impossible if you're good enough).
	That seems reasonable for melee.  How about shooting guns out of
people's hands?  Should be harder, seems to me, so just running the same test
with Firearms skill and the Power level of the weapon instead of Strength
seems way too easy (especially since the target wouldn't get his/her combat
skill to resist).  Up the target number to +8, perhaps?

>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>  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
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-- 
GRiM	(Gaeron	R. McClure)	(mcclure@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu)
-- 
GRiM	(Gaeron	R. McClure)	(mcclure@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: jogle@zia.aoc.nrao.edu (Jim Ogle (Ks. Jim))
Subject: Re: WHy is this newsgroup supposed to be gone?
Organization: National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Socorro NM
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 92 16:08:04 GMT

In article <mumble> s9242932@win4.vut.EDU.AU (WildStar) writes:

>Why the hell is this newsgroup supposed to be gone???

I presume you mean rec.games.frp?  I'm reading your post on
rec.games.frp.misc so maybe your sysadmin aliased it or something.

>Where are we supposed to post ShadowRun stuff?

Here I guess.

>I wanna a alt.games.shadowrun

So create one!

>or similar ...torg had one, why cant we, were bigger than that pathetic game
                    ^^^
We still have our newsgroup, alt.games.torg.

"Pathetic"? *Snicker* Shadowrun's so pathetic it drove a GM here into
near suicidal depression recently.  At least TORG has mechanics that
worked the first time around....

(BTW, any followups to this argument should be forwarded to
rec.games.frp.advocacy.)

-- 
Kansas Jim (Jim Ogle, TORG guru)                               /|
jogle@aoc.nrao.edu (NRAO-VLBA, Socorro New Mexico)           o| |-
"I'd be apathetic if I cared."                              /|\\|
From: cm182s182@pdrome.UUCP (Clayton Miner)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Newbie System?
Date: 11 Oct 92 12:39:40 GMT
Organization: The PowerDrome BBS [(716)825-3614 Excelsior]
X-BBS-Software: EXCELSIOR! v0.960

Your comments on starting a group out together have merit.  I have been lucky 
is that when new players are introduced to the group they do try to blend in 
though...
 
Skeksis
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: uplink@cwis.unomaha.edu (John M. Scheibeler)
Subject: Re: long .sigs
Keywords: skills SRUN Srun Shadowrun
Organization: University of Nebraska at Omaha
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 01:07:04 GMT

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


>>ObBitch&Moan:  How many of us were informed that a four line .sig was
>>	considered the max in terms of netiquette?  Honestly, I'm just
>>	curious.  I find longer .sigs extremely annoying, but it's not
>>	real difficult to ignore.  (In fact, the more obnoxious .sig      
>>	posters hold a very special place in my killfile.)

>Hear, hear!

	I get around that very easily.  I don't have a .sig.

>Wordman

>>--
>>==============================================================================
>>| Jeff W  uk06666@ukpr.uky.edu | Meddle not in the affairs of cats, for they |
>>| Wilder  & wilder@mik.uky.edu | are subtle, and will piss on your cyberdeck.|
>>==============================================================================

uplink
.s
From: dseal@armltd.co.uk (David Seal)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: New From SJ Games!
Date: 12 Oct 92 12:13:13 GMT
Distribution: rec
Organization: A.R.M. Ltd, Swaffham Bulbeck, Cambs, UK

In article <1992Oct10.044002.4467@ncsu.edu> jmkaraka@eos.ncsu.edu (JOHN
MARTIN KARAKASH) writes:

>...  Very playable and very funny in spots.  (e.g.  rabbits
>are not very good at math, so they can't count very high.  "One, two, three,
>four, lots!")

But they sure can multiply :-)

David Seal
dseal@armltd.co.uk

All opinions are mine only...
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: 003316g@ace.acadiau.ca (STEPHEN EDWARD ELLIOTT GREGORY)
Subject: Re: help
Summary: we need help
Keywords: mech stuff
Organization: Acadia University
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 20:08:08 GMT

In article <1992Oct13.225038.25325@cirrus.com> lobby3@cirrus.com (Receptionist Lobby3) writes:
>From: lobby3@cirrus.com (Receptionist Lobby3)
>Subject: help
>Summary: we need help
>Keywords: mech stuff
>Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 22:50:38 GMT
>We are working on a game built around the cartoon style of mecha
>combat.
>
>What beefs do you people have about current mecha systems?  What do
>you think is missing??  Please give us your comments!
>
>Thanks,
>
>Stuart
>

	I first beef is with Palladium (sp) and Robotech. Robotech could 
have been a great game, the game world was fairly well done and anyone who 
ever saw any Anime would love it. Unfourtunately character generation was 
sloppy and the rules were poorly written. No, "poorly" is too good a word, "
awfull" is more apropriated but still not harsh enough, well you get the 
picture.
	I had the opourtunity to look at Mekton 2 ( sorry can't remember 
the publisher), and found it not to be too bad. It had a few not too serious 
shortcommings, but nothing that couldn't be worked out over time. It truely 
captured the heart of JapanAnime and allows for the creation of ones own 
Mecha. It has the disadvantage of being on a fairly low budget and the game 
world support wasn't the greatest. It is deffinately worth looking into.
	If you are looking for a fairly realistic Mecha game check out 
Battletech from FASA. It is one of my favorite games however it is not 
really a role-playing-game, instead it is played on hex map. It may be 
possible to play this not using a board but I have never tried this and 
there is ABSOLUTELY NO support supplied by FASA ( of my knowledege ). It 
does have RPG support in the forme of MechWorrior. BattleTech also has a 
very rich game world which is constantly being updated. I strongly recommend 
getting this game if you don't mind using hex maps. Also be warned that 
BattleTech can require a little bit of $$.

	If you would like further info or simply my thoughts and opinions 
feel free to E-mail me, 003316g@ace.acadiau.ca.
	If you wish to flame me don't bother.

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: ins769v@lindblat.cc.monash.edu.au (Veltyen)
Subject: Re: Virtual Reality Supplements
Organization: Monash University
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 23:35:01 GMT

Brian Vickers (brian_vickers@isd.jpl.nasa.gov) wrote:
: 
: What RPGs deal with and/or have published supplements for Virtual Reality?
: Can some of you provide me with a list?
: 
: -- Brian
: brian_vickers@isd.jpl.nasa.gov
: 
: "I have to tough filthy and repulsive things everyday ... don't I honey?"

SRUN Virtual Realities,

-Veltyen

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: sleibowitz@hamp.hampshire.edu
Subject: Re: Magus and AI release Dates
Organization: Hampshire College
Date: Sat, 10 Oct 1992 16:04:02 GMT

In article <Bvw017.LI5@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, irvine@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu (Brent Irvine) writes:
> 
> 	Hello, Does anyone know when the (new) proposed release date
> 	for _Magus_ from White Wolf?

August, 1993... new?  Anyway, that's the date I heard.
 
> 	How about _AI_ from Digest Groups Publications?

No idea.

						Your humble servant,
						    Smiling Wolf

sleibowitz@hamp.hampshire.edu

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: davidc@cs.uwa.oz.au (David Cake)
Subject: Re: Amber: Question
Organization: Dept. Computer Science, University of Western Australia.
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 04:46:21 GMT

	If another Amberite didn't wish to be found, and you used the Pattern
to send you there, I am of the opinion that it would work, barring extremely
clever use of powers by the other Amberite. However, is it smart?
	As others have pointed out, you end up weakened, you arrive 
unprepared. The most likely outcome as a GM is to take the character away,
tell them what has happened (most likely capture) and tell the rest of the
PCs that X has disappeared. Now they have a good reason to work harder at 
finding out where the hiding place is by conventional means.
	Then again, it might work. Half the fun of role-playing is big gambles
like this. And using unknown trumps, and accepting unknown trump calls, and 
entering unknown passages.
	
							
-- 
David Cake		|life is easily understood as bit strings with logical
[WLM] Weird Little Man	|depth greater than their length - Rebis, Doom Patrol
Cognitive science, UWA	|..think about a government entirely of fish - JBC
From: cm182s182@pdrome.UUCP (Clayton Miner)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: RFD: GURPS disad limits
Date: 11 Oct 92 12:17:37 GMT
Organization: The PowerDrome BBS [(716)825-3614 Excelsior]
X-BBS-Software: EXCELSIOR! v0.960

Using a term like disads is like using the term gravitationally challenged for 
people who can't jump high!
 
Skeksis