HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: gt0040a@prism.gatech.EDU (Tom Sorensen)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Hero Bestiary and other Hero Stuff
Date: 3 Jan 93 20:21:43 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

In <1993Jan3.132830.9623@iscsvax.uni.edu> gobeski8618@iscsvax.uni.edu (Steve 'Gobes' Gobeski) writes:

>In article <davis.725738537@cwis>, davis@cwis.unomaha.edu (James J Davis) writes:

>> 
>> My rationale stems from the fact that 'Stun only' is a -0 limitation.  If
>> doing normal BODY is -0, and STUN only is -0, you might ask, why is Reduced

>STUN only should *not* be a -0 limitation!!  As stated above, it should be
>worth something since it lacks the ability to knock down forcewalls and break
>entangles.  It could be worth up to -1/4 in a supers campaign iff entangles/fw
>are even  somewhat common.  Not to mention that a STUN-only is no good for
>blowing holes in the walls of that VIPER base...

AH, but it *IS* a -0 limitation and has been since Champions v1. There's a good
reason for this- sure, it can't destroy things, get people out of entanges,
etc. but it also can't KILL PEOPLE. You can use that 10d6 STUN only EB against
a normal with no problem- it'll certainly knock them out, but they'll also live.
(on average they'd live anyway, but a 12d6 EB will kill normals on the average,
and a 10d6 very well can).

>In a non-supers campaign, like FH (moreso in CH) STUN-only attacks are quite
>obviously worth something, IMO on the scale of BODY-only attacks for Champs (-2
>at the very least!  Experienced hero-level gamers will surely be quick to note

So you think that they're MORE of a limitation in lower power campaigns? I
don't think so...

>that the average Normal attack (ex. staffs) are not comparable to killing
>attacks with the same points because the target gets to apply both PD and rPD
>against the body; leading some to consider allowing a lim for normal attacks or
>rescaling killing attacks to 20pts/die.

No, Killing Attacks are perfectly in line with normal attacks. They are more
likely to do BODY (they're called Killing Attacks!) but they do considerably
less STUN on the average. A 10d6 EB will do 10 BODY, 35 STUN on average.
A 3d6+1 KA will do 10.5 BODY and 26 STUN on average.

May I suggest you join the Champions Mailing List? I don't believe I've
seen you there...
            Tom Sorensen

-- 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom Sorensen              gt0040a@prism.gatech.edu
"I believe OS/2 is destined to be the most important operating system,
and possibly program, of all time." - Bill Gates, November, 1987
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: phaedrus@halcyon.com (Mark Phaedrus)
Subject: Re: Champions and SNES
Organization: The 23:00 News and Mail Service
Distribution: rec.games.frp.misc
Date: Fri, 1 Jan 1993 08:32:43 GMT

In article <SPENO.92Dec31232733@clam.rutgers.edu> speno@clam.rutgers.edu (John P. Speno) writes:

>Attention females with Super Nintendo machines in the Denver area!
>Would you like to make Champion's characters with me? I make
>competitive characters who can hold their own in any fight. Must have
>good math skills and an interest in power gaming. Call Ted at (303)
>832-6169. 

    Either this person left himself logged in, or this is one of the more
unusual approaches to getting dates that I've seen in quite some time.  Or
quite possibly both. 
    So, how many ladies out there are planning on calling this fella whose
interests include saving the princess and learning to spell Champions
correctly? :) :)
-- 
\o\ Internet: phaedrus@halcyon.com  (Seattle, WA Public Access Unix)     \o\
 \o\ "How'd you like to move a few steps down the food chain, pal?"       \o\
  \o\ If you enjoy fantasy/SF stories with transformation themes, email me \o\
   \o\ for a copy of the Transformation Stories List.                       \o\
From: ratinox@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu (Richard Pieri)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: SR Spell Locks
Date: 22 Dec 92 16:23:42 GMT
	<1992Dec22.072334.9075@coe.montana.edu>
Reply-To: ratinox@meceng.coe.northeastern.edu
Organization: 3WA, Boston Office. Or Nu Meta Chi. Take your pick.
X-Posting-Software: GNUS 3.14.1 [ NNTP-based News Reader for GNU Emacs ]
X-Signature-Virus-Protection: Version 1.51
X-Get-A-Clue: Have two, they're small.

>>>>> On Tue, 22 Dec 1992 07:23:34 GMT, icsu0237@cs.montana.edu (Jeff
>>>>> Patterson) said:

Jeff> 	I am currently GMing a SRI campaign (moving to SRII after the
Jeff> holidays) and have three mages in the party (one is an NPC).  One of
Jeff> the mages came up with a great idea for his character - lock a spell
Jeff> onto himself.  After consulting both the SR man and the Grimoire we
Jeff> found nothing that said that this could not be done, and so he locked
Jeff> "personal combat sence" to himself.  With the use of fetishes and
Jeff> elementals he was able to cast a pretty mean spell.  He now gets as
Jeff> many actions per turn as any of the wired sammies in the party.

Absoutely nothing wrong with that. But now you he has to deal with
"grounding". Each and every spell lock on his person is just screaming
TARGET to anyone with astral sensing ability. These spell locks are very
easy targets from astral space.

You see, the spell lock is a magical focus, with a link between the casting
mage and astral space. An astrally projecting mage could target a physical
spell on the spell lock. The spell would then "ground out" to the physical
world. If the spell is a single target spell, it will affect the carrier of
the lock; if the spell is an area effect spell, it will affect everything
in the area. The spell must be a physical spell.

Additionally, spell locks have a Force 1 when it comes to astral combat. So
my real-world whimpy Snake shaman with Sorcery 6 can make those spell locks
go away *pfft!* like that.

You don't need to do anything else to balance spell locks.

--Rat
||||| | | | |  |  |  |   |   |    |    |    |   |   |  |  |  |  | | | | | |||||
Northeastern's Stainless Steel Rat          ratinox@meceng.coe.northeastern.edu
Sleep with one eye open/Gripping your pillow tight...
Exit: Light/Enter: Night/Take my hand/We're off to Never-Never Land
                                                     --Metallica, Enter Sandman
From: loren@wmkt.wharton.upenn.edu (Loren Miller)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: META: Game Mechanics vs. Background
Date: 22 Dec 92 15:56:23 GMT
Organization: Wharton Marketing

In article <1992Dec22.144025.13182@news.uiowa.edu> durrell@pinball.arcade.uiowa.edu (Bryant Durrell) writes:
>In article <1992Dec21.234008.1@wharton.upenn.edu> millerl@wharton.upenn.edu 
writes:>>I think that GURPS' new
>>Madlands stuff is good this way, possibly SJG's best non-licensed world
>>pack ever.

>I haven't seen this -- what genre is it?

It's for GURPS. It's their new _fantasy ii_ book, or is it _fantasy 
adventures ii_? anyway, it's in a new cover format for GURPS so you may have 
to look for it, but check out the various shamans and also the sorcerors who 
smash up gems and shoot them up (like bug powder). The setting is 
extraordinarily weird, a true work of art.
--
+++++++++++++++++++++++23
Loren Miller              LOREN@wmkt.wharton.upenn.edu
Time am I, wreaker of the world's destruction, matured, grimly
resolved here to swallow up the worlds.             -- Krishna
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: gray@visix.com (Gray Jones)
Subject: Re: Unique Races (insect societies et al)
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 1992 21:18:47 GMT
Reply-To: gray@visix.com (Gray Jones)
Organization: Visix Software, Reston, Virginia

Read Helstrom's Hive by (I think) Frank Herbert.  It is about a "race" of humans
that form a hive and develop "chemical communication" similar to those mentioned
in James Nicoll's article.

--gray
From: pcorless@cisco.com (Peter Corless)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Paranoia Schtick
Date: 23 Dec 1992 03:33:12 GMT
Organization: Computer Science Lab, SRI International
Distribution: world
Reply-To: pcorless@cisco.com (Peter Corless)
NNTP-Posting-Host: corless-mac.cisco.com

In response to post:
From: adair@hal.gnu.ai.mit.edu (Jonathan Edward Adair)
Subject: Re: Paranoia Schtick

> I think it's in Acute Paranoia, but I've had success with this
> idea:  Make the players do some live-action stuff.  Acute Paranoia
> tells you to make the players do some calesthenitcs like jumping jacks,
> etc.  If they're sluggish about it, or refuse, give them a wakey-wakey
> pill (nearly random effect, of course).  

Thanks! Steve Gilbert and I wrote that schtick a while ago. It's nice to
hear it still plays well in Peoria! (Or wherever...)

Other "real" roleplaying stuff that was fun was leading the sing-alongs in
Send in the Clones. (Having people sing on key or get treason points is worth
a good few laughs.)

Another thing I saw once were rubber stamps. Get a good rubber stamp set
together (with numbers from 1 - 6 in BIG type). The next time you want to
terminate someone, ask them to pass over their character sheet and stamp a
big number "3" on it in red ink, and tell them they've just activated their
next clone.

Maps. Give your players a map of the New York City subway, and tell them
it's IRT Sector. (Hee hee!) They'll freak out about getting run over by
giant mindless vehicles, mugged, lost... Well, on second thought, it'll be
just like everyday life in Alpha Complex! ;-)

Electronic props. Give your players toy zap guns, walkie talkies, bits of
interesting looking circuitry and wiring... anything from Radio Shack! Ken
Ralston ("Uncle Kennie") once had this incredible helmet that had lights,
buzzers, and a microphone/speaker mounted in it. (Something he found at a
toy store.) He used it when GMing to great effect.

Enforced roleplaying. If you give a player a wakey-wakey pill, tell them
they can't sit down. Hand them a coke and a vivirin. If you gave them a
sleepy pill (or even a bad plate of "Cold Fun"), tell them to lie down under
the table. (Yes, they can get kicked, but they can also tie shoelaces
together...)
From: lev0@kimbark.uchicago.edu (Ron Levy (Armchair))
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Stun Only attacks
Date: 3 Jan 93 20:01:00 GMT
Reply-To: lev0@midway.uchicago.edu
Organization: Worshippers of Yig



>> My rationale stems from the fact that 'Stun only' is a -0 limitation.  If
>> doing normal BODY is -0, and STUN only is -0, you might ask, why is Reduced
>> Penetration worth a limitation at all?  My answer is that it's becuase
>> Reduced Penetration has the worst of both worlds.  It does not do enough
>> BODY to harm forcewalls and entangles of equal active point value. 

>STUN only should *not* be a -0 limitation!!  As stated above, it should be
>worth something since it lacks the ability to knock down forcewalls and break
>entangles.  It could be worth up to -1/4 in a supers campaign iff entangles/fw
>are even  somewhat common.  Not to mention that a STUN-only is no good for
>blowing holes in the walls of that VIPER base...

The incredible advantage of the Stun Only attack is that you can't
kill anyone or anything with it.  It is that natural advantage that
negates the disadvantage of its inability to harm inanimate objects.


 
 
 
 
 
 


-- 
Welcome to the Hotel CaineFiona
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: mkkuhner@phylo.genetics.washington.edu (Mary K. Kuhner)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: SR Spell Locks
Date: 26 Dec 92 00:12:21 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Dec26.001221.1476
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle

Citizen Lemming <ratinox@meceng.coe.northeastern.edu> writes:
>>>>>> mkkuhner@phylo.genetics.washington.edu (Mary K. Kuhner) said:

>Ummm... elementals consume Force * 1000kY in materials to summon, and
>rituals consume Force * 100-1000kY (depending on the spell type) in
>materials and require a library or lodge of at least the spell's Force.

This is true; but the library/lodge is a one-time expense that the
magician is likely to want anyway, and the nuyen for elementals or
rituals is not really that high (compare the cost of ammunition, for
example).  In any case, both are *much* less expensive than spell locks,
which are likely to have to be replaced every second or third run and
cost $40K; and elementals and rituals require no karma.

>And rituals require that you pretty much stick around in one place and
>concentrate on the ritual. Can't go out on a 'run while that's going on,
>now can you? :-).

Hm.  My reading of the ritual rules (which could very well be wrong; I
have an uncorrected 1st printing) is that one completes the ritual,
dedicating dice to holding the spell, and the spell then lasts 1 day per
die dedicated.  So a magician can do the ritual in safety before the
run and have the effects persist for a day or two--long enough for
almost any run.  The ritual only takes 2*Force in hours, less if the
magician rolls well.

>Spell Locks are good *if* you realize how vulnerable they are and can deal
>with them.

As a GM I find continually destroying spell locks tedious, and it can be
destructive of world coherency if you have to do it too often.  We
eventually got rid of them entirely, and it didn't seem to hurt the
game at all.

Mary Kuhner mkkuhner@genetics.washington.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: swaim@owlnet.rice.edu (Michael Parks Swaim)
Subject: Re: Ars Magica: A few questions
Organization: Rice University
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1992 02:23:25 GMT

In article <minerva.cis.yale.edu-171292134216@je-college-node.net.yale.edu> minerva.cis.yale.edu (Sam Kim) writes:
>In article <5096@equinox.unr.edu>, hodges@unssun.nevada.edu (Marcus Hodges)
>wrote:
>> 2.  If a person rolls a 0 on a stress die, is that an automatic failure,
>>     or is their still a chance of success (for example, they have a +10
>>     to their attack roll, and the defender only has an 8 defense total)?
>
>     In this instance, the attack is an automatic failure, although you
>have to roll for a Botch. The idea is that a zero is an automatic failure
>no matter what your bonuses.
  We play that it's simply a zero, and roll for botches. I think that's
how it was in second edition rules.


-- 
Mike Swaim            | "101 Dalmations? Yeah I saw that."
swaim@owlnet.rice.edu | "You Did! REALLY? The same film?
Disclamer: I lie      | Let's stop driving! We must get out and jump
up and down and up and down and dance around and around!" Matt and Delerium
From: stv@unislc.uucp (Steve Spencer)
Subject: Re: Newsletter Seeking Submissions
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Organization: Unisys Corporation SLC
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1992 16:01:41 GMT

Hey Scott,

Steve Spencer here, from Utah. I was just making sure that I was sent a 
copy of the fourth issue. I haven't seen anything. Am I jumping the gun?


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
| It's the sputter of a raindrop. It's the sunlight on my face |
| My mind's eye into other realms. It's my paradise escape.    |
| Steve Spencer	SLC, Utah 	stv@unislc.slc.unisys.com      |
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: colin@Cayman.COM (Colin "Atilla" Steele)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: CP2020: Adventure idea "FINAL EXAMS"
Date: 23 Dec 92 14:37:23 GMT
Distribution: rec
Organization: Cayman Systems Inc., Cambridge, MA


			     FINAL EXAMS
				   
	  Copyright (C) 1992 Colin A. Steele

	  This document is free.  Permission is given to redistribute
	  it and/or modify it under 2 conditions:

		 1. My name stays on it.
		 2. No profit is made from redistribution or
		    modification.

	  This is not meant to be a fully fleshed-out
	  adventure; it's really just a bit more than a
	  one-liner.  There are many gaping holes, that you,
	  the GM, will have to fill.

	  Thanks, and enjoy.


			   SUMMARY OF PLOT

	* Characters are hired to bodyguard a corporate who
	is making an offer to a promising young biotechie
	who is enrolled at NCU.

	* Rival firm arrives just after the characters, and
	assumes	that the biotechie has accepted the offer.
	They are under orders to obtain the signature of the
	biogeek, at any cost, so they will attempt an
	immediate extraction.

	Firefight ensues, running across part of NCU's
	campus, and the characters are hopelessly
	outgunned/outflanked.  The biotechie is indeed
	extracted by the rival firm.  Extreme bummer for our
	chombattas!
	
	If you need a short adventure, or want things to
	come back to haunt them, this is where the adventure
	ends, for now.  If not...

	* Pleased with the characters' performance thus far,
	(and hoping to cover his ass), the sarariman hires
	the characters to attempt a counter-extraction.  He
	provides some limited support, the scope of which is
	up to the GM.

	The rival firm has hidden the biogeek at a safehouse
	in Night City, the location of which has been
	obtained for the characters.  The counter-extraction
	won't be easy.

	* No matter what happens, the characters have
	incurred the wrath of the rival firm, and will have
	to watch their backs for a long time to come.
--


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Colin Steele     | Cayman Systems, 26 Landsdowne St., Cambridge, MA 02139
 colin@cayman.com | (617) 494-1916 x209 | applelink D0523 | Fax (617) 494-9270
 
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Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: mfterman@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Mutant for Hire)
Subject: Re: META: Game Mechanics vs. Background
Originator: news@nimaster
Reply-To: mfterman@phoenix.princeton.edu (Mutant for Hire)
Organization: Mutant for Hire, Inc.
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 22:29:45 GMT

In article <1992Dec21.232019.14670@oz.plymouth.edu>, sos@oz.plymouth.edu (Steffan O'Sullivan) writes:
>Hmmm - I've had some interesting conversations with folks lately about
>what sells in an RPG, and why.  What do you look for when you buy RPG
>material?  Good game mechanics or good world background?

Actually, I look for both, but for different reasons. Often I will buy
the rulebook for a system though I have no interest in playing in that
world that comes with it. I'm just looking for ideas as I slowly come
up with the Ultimate Roleplaying System, due to come out in 2189 at this
rate. On the other hand, there are a couple of worlds that really interest
me despite disliking the mechanics that go with them.

Additionally, I ran a poll not too long ago, where I asked people to list
their favorite mechanics and their favorite worlds. There was very little
overlap, the only case that scored high in both categories was Call of
Cthulhu. Storyteller and Shadowrun blew everyone away in top worlds,
but were not in the top five mechanics, being near the bottom of the top
ten. Obviously this says something.

Some people like to make up their own gaming world. Others like to use
existing stuff. I prefer to be in the former category, but from practical
considerations I'm leaning towards the latter category. But just because
a world comes with a set of mechanics doesn't mean I necessarily want
to use those mechanics. (anyone got a good Shadowrun-to-BTRC converter?)

>When I buy a game, I'm looking for clean, smooth-playing, simple,
>comprehensive game mechanics that aren't obtrusive into the game
>setting.  This is very important to me, so whatever setting I'm using
>works.

Its important for me too. But I also like to look at what sort of
game I'll be playing. If I want highly cinematic to superheroic
genre, I'd look towards HERO. GURPS or BTRC for a more realistic
level campaign. Playing a very low-rules game, Over the Edge, and
so on.

>I don't need or even like to be spoon-fed a gaming world with every
>little detail filled in.  The exception might be a setting from an
>existing fictional source that works - already worked before somebody
>made a game out of it, in fact.  But in general, I am more offended by
>some game designer's opinion on a genre than helped by it.  Just as an
>example, I can figure out a decent vampire society without being forced
>to use clans . . .

Some gaming systems are world first, rules second. Others work the other
way around, giving generic rules, then a world to go along with it. There
-- 
    Martin Terman, Mutant for Hire, Mean Ol' Top, Priest of Shub-Internet
    Disclaimer: Nobody else takes me seriously, why should you be the first?
mfterman@phoenix.princeton.edu mfterman@pucc.bitnet terman@pupgga.princeton.edu
"Sig quotes are like bumper stickers, only without the same sense of relevance"
From: chuahl@ocf.berkeley.edu (Chua HakLien)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Horror Hypercard Magazine
Date: 26 Dec 1992 23:48:16 GMT
Organization: U.C. Berkeley Open Computing Facility
NNTP-Posting-Host: sandstorm.berkeley.edu

[Posted on Michael, who's having some trouble accessing the rec.games.frp.*
groups... ]

     The horror hyperzine (hypercard magazine) Night Watch has been released to
mac.archive.umich.edu and is in mac/hypercard/fun. If you have a Mac and 
Hypercard be sure to check it out. The first issue contains two Call of Cthulhu
adventures, a fantasy-horror adventure, and other material. If it's supported, 
it will continue and will contain top quality material (support=tyou read it 
and let me know what you think and you distribute as much as possible). It's 
free, so what have you got to loose?
Michael

[PS: If anybody knows of the IBM equivalent of the Hypercard, email me about
it. Thanks. ]
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: jester@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Jester)
Subject: Re: SR Spell Locks
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 1992 18:20:48 GMT

 icsu0237@cs.montana.edu (Jeff Patterson) writes:
>	I am currently GMing a SRI campaign (moving to SRII after the
>holidays) and have three mages in the party (one is an NPC).  One of
>the mages came up with a great idea for his character - lock a spell
>onto himself.  After consulting both the SR man and the Grimoire we
>found nothing that said that this could not be done, and so he locked
>"personal combat sence" to himself.  With the use of fetishes and
>elementals he was able to cast a pretty mean spell.  He now gets as many
>actions per turn as any of the wired sammies in the party.

First things first. SRII states that the spell personal combat
sense now adds success dice divided by two to the combat pool dice.
PCS no longer adds to iniative dice.

>	I am trying to keep the balance by "charging" 1 point of karma
>a month per lock to keep the astral link secure.  If he doesn't pay the
>point, there is a chance that the link will unstailize and suck him into
>astral space; no hope of return.  Is this fair?  Am I missing something
>in the rules?  Is it answered in SRII?  How do you guys handle it?

Spell locks cost 3pts of karma to bond. They also cost between
25-50000 Nuyen from a talismonger. Quickening a spell costs 1 pt
of karma and the spell is permanent until the spell is either
dispelled or fought in astral space.o

I suggest you by the SRII grimoire..and fast...

Jester
-- 
Join the Omnipotent Overlords of the Omniverse today. Add to intelligent    	
political, environmental, and social discussions. Buck the growing trend of 
apathy in the world today, and most importantly have some well earned fun.  
Read all about us on alt.overlords or e-mail : jester@sage.cc.purdue.edu    
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: sos@oz.plymouth.edu (Steffan O'Sullivan)
Subject: Blade (was Re: Palladium/WotC Lawsuit--How You Can Help)
Organization: Plymouth State College - Plymouth, NH.
	<MAVRA.92Dec18102351@bailey.cpac.washington.edu>
	<clanti55.724912874@ursa>
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 92 14:04:47 GMT

clanti55@ursa.calvin.edu (Christopher Lantinga) writes:
>Blade: the company that produces cool supplements and yet fends off
>	lawsuits by means of Storytelling -- Brilliant, Thank-You!

Blade died, Ed, but the line has been re-assumed by FBI, who is still
putting it out.

And I agree one hundred percent with your assessment of it, but Mavra
doesn't . . .

-- 
  - Steffan O'Sullivan		         sos@oz.plymouth.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc