From: jogle@zia.aoc.nrao.edu (Jim Ogle (Ks. Jim))
Newsgroups: alt.games.torg
Subject: INTRO: FAQ List, Part One
Date: 7 Apr 92 07:56:07 GMT
Article-I.D.: zia.1992Apr7.075607.1381
Organization: National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Socorro NM


			    TORG FAQ LIST
			   (Apr. 06, 1992)
			    By Kansas Jim
			       Part One

	This file of FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) will be posted
on a semiregular basis in the hopes of cutting down on the number of
repetitive posts asking the same questions that have been answered
many times before.  It isn't that some people are stupid and keep
asking the same questions over and over again, its just that newer
subscribers may have missed the last time a particular question was
discussed and haven't gone to the Black Marble Wombat and accessed all
of the archived files.  Rather than forcing people to read through
untold megabytes of archived files, the 'distilled wisdom' of the Torg
list will be contained in this file and (hopefully) periodically
updated with new FAQs or rulings on old FAQs.
	Some questions will not have one answer; there are some
subjects that the list is unable to agree upon and West End Games has
not provided a ruling on In cases like these the more popular answers
will be covered and it will be up to the GM to determine what he does
in his game.

	A question marked with a '*' before it has been changed since
the last version of the FAQ list was posted.  New questions are also
marked this way.

TABLE OF QUESTIONS:

PART ONE
  1. What the heck's a Black Marble Wombat?
  2. How do I get these archived files?
  3. How can I contact West End Games?
 *4. What sourcebooks/modules/supplements/etc are currently available
	for Torg? 
 *5. What products are due to be released and when?
 *6. Will WEG be releasing an updated map anytime soon?
 *7. How do I subscribe to Infiniverse?  Do I have to subscribe?
  8. Can I be a playtester for Torg?  Will they take my submissions?
  9. Is there an errata sheet available for Torg?
 10. Where can I find Baruk Kaah's stats?
 11. What's the Rogues Gallery?
 12. When are characters affected by world laws?
 13. While in a pure zone of an alien cosm, you cannot create any kind
	of contradiction.  Does this mean that you cannot use a tool
	supported by the local axioms but not supported by your
	personal axioms?
 14. Can Storm Knights be transformed by staying in an alien realm too
	long?  
 15. When using a long-range tool supported by the realm's reality but
	not by your own axioms do you have to make a long-range
	contradiction check?
 16. Do spells create long-range contradictions?

PART TWO
 17. Can I spend a Possibility point on my Reality skill check to
	reconnect?  
*18. How often can I try to reconnect?
 19. What happens when undead creatures disconnect?
*20. Can werewolves hurt other werewolves/monsters that are resistant
	to normal attacks?
 21. Can I buy off more than one wound/three shock points of damage
	when I use a Possibility to negate damage?
 22. Can I 'save up' my damage and buy it off all at once?
 23. What is stun damage?  How is it different from normal damage?
 24. How long does a K result last?  How long does an O result last?
*25. How long does a Stymie result last?  Can you have multiple
	Stymies?
 26. Who can counter a spent Possibility Point?
 27. Can NPCs negate Hero and Drama cards?
 28. Does a shield act like armor and add to your Toughness?
 29. How does Aggressive Defense work?
 30. Does a spellcaster take backlash damage if he disconnects while
	casting a spell?
 31. Can I use my Dodge skill to defend against Unarmed/Melee attacks?
 32. What does Elvis have to do with the Space Gods?
 33. How does spell construction work?  How do the Nile Gizmo construction
        rules work?
 34. If I roll a 1 on the die, can I spend a Possibility or use a Second
	Chance card to avoid disconnection?
*35. Can I buy adds in Honor or Corruption in Aysle?
*36. Is the maximum damage value of a melee weapon the maximum damage I can
	do?
*37. Haven't I seen some of the cover art somewhere else?
*38. Where are the rules for falling damage?

---

1. What the heck's a Black Marble Wombat?

	The BMW is Clay Luther's name for his Darkness Device, the
computer system that oversees the operation of the Torg list.  It is
currently better known as morticia.cnns.unt.edu.
	The BMW supposedly has gospog and ravagons working for it that
are able to track people down by their email addresses, but this is
only a rumor.  (Or is it? 8-)

2. How do I get these archived files?

	Anonymous ftp access to the BMW is the easiest way.  Simply
ftp to morticia.cnns.unt.edu and login as 'anonymous'.  The password
is your email address.  The Torg archives are located in the directory
/pub/lists/torg.  New submissions can be found in the directory
/pub/lists/submissions.
	The list's postings are archived in compressed .Z format in
the form of Arc-X-YY.Z where X is the month archived and YY is the
year.  There are also several subdirectories containing various and
sundry things such as a japanese name generator program, reference
files, an index, homemade cosms, etc.
	If you don't have ftp access, you can use the list server to
get files.  Send email to:
		   torg-request@morticia.cnns.unt.edu
with 'help' as your subject for more information on how to use the
server.  You don't need to include anything in the body of the
message.

3. How can I contact West End Games?

	The address to use is:

	West End Games
	RD 3 Box 2345
	Honesdale PA 18431

for anything.  If you want to call, there are two numbers.  To order
products you can call 1-(800)-338-6140 (MC or Visa only).  You can
also call WEG staffers at (717)-253-6990 9am-5pm EST during the week.
According to Infiniverse #13, the staffers are "always happy to talk
with fans, people with game questions, or those who have questions
about submissions."  They just ask that you remember not to take up
too much of their time and to please not call any of their staffers at
home (apparently they were having a problem with this).
	WEG can also be found on the GEnie computer network and on the
SUMMIT Games Network BBS.  (Personal note: I have never been able to
contact SUMMIT so I cannot verify if it is even working or not.)

4. What sourcebooks/modules/supplements/etc are currently available
	for Torg?

As of 4/06/92 the following products are available:

Torg boxed set
Infiniverse campaign newsletter (#2-21)
Sourcebooks-
	Living Land, Nile Empire, Aysle, Cyberpapacy, Nippon Tech,
	Orrorsh, Land Below, Space Gods, Tharkold
Adventures-
	The Destiny Map (with GM screen), The Possibility Chalice, The
	Forever City, Cassandra Files, Queenswrath, Full Moon Draw,
	High Lord of Earth, Operation: Hard Sell, Crucible of Pain, 
	Cylent Scream, The Temple of Rec Stalek, City of Demons
Novels-
	Storm Knights, The Dark Realm, The Nightmare Realm, Strange Tales
	From the Nile Empire
Supplements-
	The GodNet, Kanawa Personal Weapons Catalog, Pixaud's
	Practical Grimoire, Creatures of Aysle, Kanawa Heavy Weapons
	Catalog, The Storm Knights' Guide to the Possibility Wars
Misc-
	Torg comic book issue #1

5. What products are due to be released and when?

As of 4/06/92 the scheduled releases are:
April -
	Infiniverse Update, volume #1
	Central City Gate (Tharkold/Nippon Tech/Living Land module)
	Torg comic book #2
May -
	Kanawa Land Vehicles Catalog
	Creatues of Orrorsh
	Dragons Over England (short story collection)
	Torg comic book #3
Summer '92 -
	Delphi Council Worldbook (Core Earth sourcebook)
	Torg comic book #4
	LA City Sourcebook
	Mysterious Cairo (short story collection)

6. Will WEG be releasing an updated map anytime soon?

	WEG has decided that an updated map would be too expensive for
them to publish.  Instead, the Infiniverse Update is going to list the
latitude and longitude for every stelae and GMs will make up their own
maps.  (Note: the latest word from WEG is that there will be actual
maps as well in Infiniverse Update.)  

7. How do I subscribe to Infiniverse?  Do I have to subscribe?

	To subscribe, just send $25 to WEG at the address above and
tell them you want a subscription.  Overseas subscriptions are available 
as well, but the price is $30.
	Subscription is not mandatory (and if you're a poor college
student, rather expensive).  However, Infiniverse does usually contain
preview material for upcoming products, errata, rules clarifications,
and some interesting adventure ideas.  Much of the material can be
used either to involve your gaming group in major campaign-shaping
events or as background material to give your game a feeling of things
occuring in the world without requiring the presence of the player
characters.  If you can afford it and are heavily into Torg you'll
probably want to get it.  If not, a lot of the information in
Infiniverse usually ends up getting posted on the Torg list.
	Individual back issues of Infiniverse are available from WEG.
A brief overview of Infiniverses #2-15 is available from the archive
site.  

8. Can I be a playtester for Torg?  Will they take my submissions?

	Information from WEG on these subjects are available in the
Torg archives (see above).

9. Is there an errata sheet available for Torg?

	Errata for the Torg boxed set appeared in Infiniverse #2 and
errata for the Nile Empire sourcebook appeared in Infiniverse #7.
They will eventually be placed in the Torg archives (when I or someone
else gets around to it) but currently are not on-line.  Small amounts
of errata and clarifications usually appear in every issue of
Infiniverse. 
	Something everyone should know is that the Link Difficulty
Chart in the rulesbook and on the GM screen has the column headings
backwards.  "Character is from" should be on the left and "Character
is in " should be on the right.

10. Where can I find Baruk Kaah's stats?  Every other high lord has been
	written up.

	The big lizard's stats are in Infiniverse #4 and can also be
found at the archive site.

11. What's the Rogues Gallery?

	The Rogues Gallery is a collection of NPCs created and
submitted by some of the members of the Torg list.  A copy of the first 
(and so far only) Rogues Gallery is available at the ftp site.
	There are two types of NPCs, generic and characters.  They are
pretty much what they sound like; generic NPCs are non-specific, can
appear almost anywhere, and usually have very little personality
development.  Examples are Gin Joint Bartender, Ninja Squad Leader,
Elf Warrior, etc.  Characters are more specific and will usually have
histories and their own goals.  Examples would be Ptolemy the evil
dwarf Nile Engineer, Cheetah the Chimp, Ian Stryker the Core Earth
researcher, etc.
	The keeper of the first Rogues Gallery is no longer with us
(on the Net that is; he didn't die or anything bad like that) and so
far no one has stepped forward to begin collecting characters for a
second Rogues Gallery.  Judging by the low level of response to the
first Rogues Gallery there may not ever be a second Gallery.

12. When are characters affected by world laws?

	When a character is in his home realm he must abide by his
world laws; there's no way of getting around it.  It's when a
character enters an alien realm that things can get complicated.
	Characters that leave their home realm carry their world laws
with them as long as they remain connected to their reality and are
not in an alien pure zone.  If the character should disconnect or
enter an alien pure zone he loses his world laws.  Stormers who have
erected a Reality Bubble may use their native world laws in an alien
pure zone for the duration of the Bubble.
	The use of native world laws while in an alien realm is a
1-case contradiction.  Some world laws are always affecting the
character (such as the Nile Empire's Law of Morality) and the GM
should roll at the beginning of each scene to determine if
this causes the character to disconnect (as per the rules for passive
use of items, like armor).  Other world laws will affect a character
whenever he attempts a certain type of action (like the Cyberpapacy's
Law of Heretical Magic) and the die roll the character makes is used
to determine if he disconnects even if the realm he is in supports his
action (a Cyberpapal Witch casting a spell in Aysle for example).  The
last kind of world law is one that the player can voluntarily decide
whether or not to use it (like the Nile and Land Below Law of Action).
Again, the die roll the character makes is used to determine if the
character disconnects or not.
	Characters in an alien realm are also subject to the world
laws of that realm.  The only way a character can avoid being
subjected to the alien world laws is to put up a Reality Bubble (ords
are just out of luck).  Part of the alienness of being in another
realm is that the character finds himself acting in a different manner
and has no control over this (being deceitful in Nippon, suspicious in
the Cyberpapacy, straight Good or Evil in the Nile, etc).  
	Using an alien world law is a one-case contradiction because
the character's native reality doesn't support that world law.  As a
result, GMs may have to check for contradictions every scene that a
character is in an alien realm (a Core Earther in the Nile Empire is
affected by the Law of Morality so a contradiction check would have
to be made at the start of every scene, for example).  Certain actions
that a character takes may result in contradiction checks too, even if
the act itself isn't a contradiction (an Ayslish character casting a
low-axiom spell in the Cyberpapacy is affected by the Law of Heretical
Magic, which requires a contradiction check for example).
	WEG has said on GEnie that this was not their original
intention for world laws but a strict reading of the rules does
support this.  What they had intended was that while in a realm you
could use those World Laws without contradiction but using your own
World Laws in an alien realm would still be a contradiction.  If a GM
wishes to run things this way, WEG said it was all right with them.
	Note that if you run world laws the official way (alien world
laws cause a contridiction), WEG has pointed out that the Akashan Law
of Acceptance will allow a character from that realm to use alien
world laws without it causing a contradicion unless it is a world law
that is in conflict with Akashan world laws (like the Law of the One
True God in the Cyberpapacy; see the Space Gods sourcebook for more
information).  And of course, the Akashan Law of Acceptance will let
visitors to the Space Gods realm use their world laws and the Akashan
world laws without creating a contradiction.
	Note that the Orrorshan Power of Fear is a special exception
to the normal rules concerning world laws, as it can affect characters
in Reality Bubbles and Orrorshan Horrors can use the Power of Fear
against other people outside of Orrorsh (such a use does require a
contradiction check however).

13. While in a pure zone of an alien cosm, you cannot create any kind of
	contradiction.  Does this mean you cannot use a tool supported
	by the cosm but not supported by your personal axioms?

	While you are in a pure zone of any kind you are for all
intents and purposes a person from that cosm.  You can do anything
that is supported by the cosm even if your own reality won't support
it because you are no longer part of your home cosm (unless you put up
a reality bubble, in which case you can preform actions contrary to
the reality you happen to be in).

14. Can Storm Knights be transformed by staying in an alien realm too
	long?

	No.  A possibility-rated person can only be transformed as the
result of a reality storm (natural or invoked), even if the stormer
has no Possibilities.  Only Ords and equipment can be transformed by
long-term exposure to an alien realm's reality.  (Equipment carried by
stormers is safe from transformation as long as the stormer has not
disconnected.)  

15. When using a long-range tool supported by the realm's reality but
	not by your own axioms do you have to make a long-range
	contradiction check?

	No.  Since the tool is no longer physically connected to the
character the realm supports the existence of the tool.  It is only
when the realm the character is in doesn't support the tool that a
long-range contradiction check is necessary.  Note though that the
character may still disconnect when using the tool.

16. Do spells create long-range contradictions?

	No.  Spells remain connected to their caster through the
pattern of the spell and therefore do not cause long-range
contradictions.  

End of PART ONE.

-- 
Kansas Jim (Jim Ogle, Torg guru)
jogle@nrao.edu (NRAO-VLBA, Socorro New Mexico)
"I'd be apathetic if I cared."