HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: jlperkin@eos.ncsu.edu (JERRY LEE PERKINSON)
Subject: Re: SRUN I: Questions from the Minotaur
Originator: jlperkin@c00746-400wi.eos.ncsu.edu
Keywords: shadowrun, srun
Reply-To: jlperkin@eos.ncsu.edu (JERRY LEE PERKINSON)
Organization: North Carolina State University, Project Eos
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 20:02:59 GMT


In article <Bxw4tw.I0w@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, pmwg1641@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Peter M. White) writes:
>Hmmm...I never considered really considered that possibility.  I suppose
|>that I simply jumped to the conclusion that only one could be used
|>based on my personal assessment of game balance and authors' intentions.
|>Actually, I am quite certain that the game designers expect only one
|>could be used simultaneously.  There are some rules in the Grimoire
|>about using Enchantment to reduce bonding costs, which, to my recollection,
|>would only make sense if only one were allowed.  Otherwise, mages would
|>bond multiple low power focuses instead of a high power one.  It is
|>true that higher power focuses survive Astral Combat much more easily;
|>but, face it, Focuses less than rating 4 are slag anyway.
|>
|>Note: Clearly a mage may have multiple focuses bonded, just no point
|>in carrying more around.
|>
|>Another question about focuses to chew on:
|>Does a PA who bonds a Power Focus get those extra attribute points
|>to spend on more abilites?  (IMHO, nyet; but I wondering what others
|>think...)
|>
|>--Peter
|>______________________________________________________________________________
|>						|
|>     "Guards!  Let me draw their fire!"		|	p-white@uiuc.edu
|>		   --Scapegoat,_Marshal Law_	|
|>______________________________________________________________________________
|>

In the rules, you can reduce bonding costs to 1 X rating for any kind of
focus.  Anyway...

Why would a PA bond to a Power focus, they can't use it, or rather, how
can they use it?

Killjoy, eater of fine upholstery
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: clanti55@ursa.calvin.edu (Christopher Lantinga)
Subject: Re: Generating Characters during play.
Organization: Calvin College
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 21:22:19 GMT

bkoike@sdcc13.ucsd.edu (Bryce Koike) writes:

>	Hmn.  Normally I have my players make their characters and
>during the first handful of sessions (first two or so is normally
>all it takes) I'll let them change disads and quirks so they can
>roleplay what they really WANT to role-play.  Oh, yeah, there's all
>sorts of arguments about this, but I'd rather have good gaming that
>sticking strictly to something that'll only ruin a character for a
>player.  And it happens infrequently at best, so there's little
>worry for me.

Yes, that's the "moderate" version of the same idea. First do some
gaming with no pre-planned character, or only a shell of a character,
and then sit down and stat the boy out.

---Ed Heil
c/o Chris Lantinga
clanti55@ursa.calvin.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: dburgdor@cwis.unomaha.edu (Darryl Burgdorf)
Subject: Looking for Tony Leneis  ;)
Organization: University of Nebraska at Omaha
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 05:25:44 GMT


Tony:

I got your mail .... Unfortunately, for whatever reason, your address got
left off, and I don't still have the scrap of paper I wrote it down on the
other day!

Please let me know how to respond!

Thanks ....

	Darryl


(My apologies to the rest of you .... This is the ONE newsgroup that I know
he reads!)

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: uplink@cwis.unomaha.edu (uplink)
Subject: Brain Games and the Intellectually Challenged
Organization: University of Nebraska at Omaha
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 06:46:45 GMT

	I have a problem, and I'd like some advice with it.

The Situation:  Where I game, most of the GM's play "Brain Games", where
"you must use your brain to survive".  (Favorite saying of theirs.)  Okay.
Specifics:  The game I am currently in, Shadowrun, the Gamemaster is taking
us through a FASA-published adventure (I won't say which one, so no one 
apprises me of the plot unfairly) which seems to me to have been written
for intellectuals in mind.  (Most of the Shadowrun adventures FASA publishes
are like that, actually.)

The problem:  I am dense.  I have very little common sense (a psychologist
report stated that I have less common sense than most toasters), and my
problem-solving capabilities are nil when it comes to mental puzzles.
For this reason I tend to like physical, hack-n-slash games.  When faced
with a puzzle, I tend to get frustrated unless it's simple enough I can
solve it.  The trouble is, I'm fairly immature, enough that I can't deal
with my frustration in an adult manner.  (Three years ago, I threw temper
tantrums when I got frustrated.  Now, I can manage to hold it together long
enough to make it outside.  THAT'S how immature I am.)  When I get frustrated
I also tend to give up.  In the game we're in, the team is hunted by Lone 
Star.  At a certain event, I wasn't allowed to carry in my sword.  (I'm
playing an elven Paladin who has very little shadowrunning experience.)
I got frustrated, and decided to go to Lone Star, turn myself in, and rat
on the players.  Because I wanted to get revenge on my gamemaster, by
making his life, and the lives of the other players, hell.

The question:  I know I'm immature, and am dealing with the problem, and
have improved remarkably.  That's not the problem.  My problem has to
do with the propensity of "intellectual" games out there.  What should
I do?  Is it my fault I'm dense?  I like role-playing games yet I'm not
half as smart as most GMs I've played with.  Is it my fault I like
RPG's?  Your opinions, advice, etc., would be most welcome.  Please do not
include any advice like, "If you're that immature, I wouldn't allow you
in the game."  Our group has been through that already.  I want advice,
and also, why aren't there more adventures for the Intellectually 
Challenged (P.C. term for dense) ?

uplink

--
*           _    / _/       /     * "It's been surreal!" - Gogo Dodo, TTA  *
*     / /  / /  /    '_ |  /' _/  * Please send all flames to someone else *
*    / /  __/  /  /  /  /    <    * email to uplink@cwis.unomaha.edu _\|/_ *
*  ___/ _/   _/ _/ _/ _/ _/|_/    * Hey! I _LIKE_ my pompous .sig!   ~/|\~ *
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: thornley@pico.cs.umn.edu (David H. Thornley)
Subject: Re: Carrying weapons around (was Re: META:  Swords, etc)
Organization: University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, CSci dept.
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1992 02:28:23 GMT

In article <9593@blue.cis.pitt.edu.UUCP> seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp) writes:
>
>
[Justiciars show up almost immediately after crimes in Zarathanton, dispense
 impartial justice.  Question is:  Why is it that adventurers, that is,
 strangers, are expected to carry arms and are not considered a threat
 while doing so?]
>
>  Second, why is it that the Justiciars protect anybody but
>>adventurers?  If a heavily armed fighter comes into town, he's safe to be
>>around because the Justiciars will protect everybody else, but an unarmed
>>fighter is in dire danger because nobody will protect him or her?
>
>	You're making the mistake of assuming Justiciar means protection.
>It doesn't. It means JUSTICE. (it's no coincidence that many of the 
>Lords are adherents of Myrionar, god of justice and vengeance).
>
OK, this is fine.  Adventurers are in danger, although if they are simply
robbed the Justiciars might be able to remedy things.  Now, we have a
few possible scenarios:

1.  The adventurers trust the deterrence of the Justiciars, and their
    opponents do likewise.  Nobody goes armed, nobody gets hurt.

2.  The adventurers trust the deterrence of the Justiciars, and their
    opponents flout it.  The adventurers get trashed, the Justiciars
    show up, justice is done.

3.  The adventurers don't trust deterrence, opponents do.  Nothing happens,
    but the adventurers are armed.

4.  The adventurers go armed, are attacked.  A fight ensues.  Innocent
    bystanders can get seriously hurt.  Probably the worst outcome for
    the bystanders is if the opponents do a lot of damage and get killed.
    (Justiciar:  "Yes, we're sorry about your inn and your husband, but
    the guilty party is here <nudge with toe>, is only carrying about
    3 coppers worth of stuff, and is certainly in no position to recompense
    you in any way.")

One assumes that the innkeepers have no way of telling upstanding adventurers
from evil opponents.

Now, what does the innkeeper think when seeing armed adventurers coming into
the inn?  These guys are either thinking of starting something (and the
Justiciars can't stop them, they can only avenge), or they think somebody
is thinking of starting something.  If the party is tough-looking, their
possible opponents are likely to attack by surprise, and are certainly
not going to be fussy about collateral damage.

In any case, fighting is likely to break out, and there is no guarantee that
anybody causing damage will be able to pay for it.

Therefore, I still don't understand how, in Zarathanton, adventurers are
well-advised to go around armed, and nobody shuns them for it.

DHT



Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: dunkelza@titan.ucc.umass.edu (KEITH C MCCORMIC)
Subject: Re: ERRATA: GURPS Bunnies & Burrows
Organization: University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 21:54:14 GMT

In article <1992Nov16.212114.12422@oz.plymouth.edu> sos@oz.plymouth.edu (Steffan O'Sullivan) writes:
>dunkelza@titan.ucc.umass.edu (KEITH C MCCORMIC) writes:
>>
>>    Did someone point it out at Contrary?  
>
>["It" referring to the errata I posted.]  No, I've known about it since
>before GenCon, actually.  Just slow in getting around to posting it.

  Makes sense.  

>>Did anyone play
>>in SOS's GURPS B&B event?  How was it?  
>
>Six people played in each of the two B&B games; they seemed to enjoy it
>very much.  The dealer brought eight copies of the book to the con, all
>of which sold.  I autographed over half of them, all from people who
>had played in one of the games, so that's a good sign.

  That's good.  I hope you had time to try out some other games at the con.
There were a heck of a lot of them.

>I've run B&B at cons for six years now, and it is consistently the most
>praised genre I run as being a very fun game.
>

  Impressive.  I have yet to meet anyone else who can claim that.  Of course,
even Roger E. Moore wrote about the original version of it.

>>How did Mr. O'Sullivan like it?
>
>Just Steffan, please.  I was actually ill, so was a bit groggy, but had
>as good a time as I could have given that scenario.  All the players
>were excellent roleplayers.
>
>-- 
>  - Steffan O'Sullivan		         sos@oz.plymouth.edu

  Well, I'm glad to see I wasn't the only GM who had fun.  Hope your cold
gets better.

Dunkelzahn


-- 
_____________________________________________________________________________
| Dunkelzahn the Greater Western Dragon | "Eternal vigilance is the price   |
| Dunkelza@titan.ucc.umass.edu          |  of Freedom"                      |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: jcarl@jabba.ess.harris.com (Joe Carl Jr.)
Subject: Re: SR2:Grounding through Quickened Spells
Organization: Harris Corporation - ISD
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 13:59:38 GMT

In <lward.722400542@husc8> lward@husc8.harvard.edu (Lester Ward) writes:

>amigaman+@pitt.edu (Russell A Howard) writes:

>>Well, some of you aren't going to like this but, and I got this directly
>>from Tom Dowd himself, spells CAN ground out through quickened spells.

>You're right, I hate it.  I'm assuming that this will be in Grimore II?  I

Don't worry to much about that ruling.  I was at GenCon/Origins convention
this year when Tom Dowd made that comment.  He was winging it during
a seminar on the Shadowrun II rules.  Someone asked him that questions
about grounding spells and quickening.  The impression I got was it was
the first time he had heard of doing such a thing.  So he made up a rule
on the spot.  Like and good GM though, I assume he'll change his mind for
the Grimore II once he figures out its a bad ruling!!!


--
Joe Carl Jr.               "If you ever drop your watch      |Deep Thoughts
jcarl@jabba.ess.harris.com  in a pool of molten lava,        | Saturday Night
                            let it go, cause man it's gone"  | Live
From: krischel@girtab.usc.edu (Taxi)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: SR:  Teleport?
Date: 23 Nov 1992 19:35:00 -0800
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
NNTP-Posting-Host: girtab.usc.edu

In article <1992Nov23.221445.27584@cs.uwp.edu> johnson1@cs.uwp.edu (Christina Johnson) writes:
>
>hmm...  I may have missed it.  But:  is there a teleport spell?  Looked in
>SRI, II, and the Grimoire.  If there is no teleport spell, any one care to
>give ideas why?  I ended up creating a very limited one, but if there are
>valid reasons for not having one i'd rather stick to them.  Or if anyone
>has any ideas about what one would be...
>

Don't do it.  Teleport spells would give any half-done mage instant
access wherever he wanted.  Picture this...

Mage knows of rich company...
Mage astrally scouts area to familiarize with terrain...
Mage teleports into the heart of the secret base, gets the goodies,
and continues to munchkinize his heart out...

If you allow teleport spells, you'd have to increase the amount of astral
security in the world, else everyone who could teleport would wreak
havoc extraordinaire.  As it is, magic is *extremely* powerful.  To allow
matter transmission would completely alter the balance of the game, not to
mention society.

Do whatcha like, but don't say I didn't warn ya, chummer....

-Taxi





Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: jhk6@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (John H Kim)
Subject: Magic and Physics (was Re: Rolemaster Physics question)
Reply-To: jhk6@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (John H Kim)
Organization: Columbia University
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 22:17:47 GMT

news@sifon.cc.mcgill.ca (Kromm) writes:
>One of the bigproblems with the "locality" argument is that, on the 
>field theory level, physics is constructed so as to be the same in
>*all* of the universe (for the enlightened: I'm talking about
>gauge invariance under interactions, and Lorentz invariance).

	Our field theory laws might be *contructed* to be the same in 
all the universe, but this hardly means that it is actually the case. 
Our physical laws are based on alot of assumptions and experimental 
results. Occam's razor, in particular, is an especially *bad* assumption, 
although it is fairly neccessary for workable science. 

	At any rate, most of us game in *fictional* universes, where it 
is quite possible that different physical laws apply than have been discovered 
in the real world. It is possible to construct a set of laws which would 
produce a universe which seems the same to most humans, but which has no 
twentieth century physics in it. It is possible to construct a set of laws 
which will produce a universe where even the basic assumptions of science 
are challenged. 

	At any rate, my point is that *consistant* laws of magic need not 
involve any of modern physics. 

	I much prefer that the laws of magic be *integrated* with the laws 
of physics in a world. For example, if your system of magic distinguishes 
Air, Earth, Fire, and Water as good symetries - then you should have those 
be the elements in your physics. 
	In particular, I think that in fantasy games which concentrate on 
'fantasy' themes, it is good if physical laws *seem* consistant. That is, 
if players in a fantasy game start dealing with complexities of electromag-
netic theory, then the flavor of the game is going to shift, and there may 
be problems of player knowledge vs. character knowledge. 






------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Kim                    | "Nostalgia ain't what it used to be."
jhk6@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu | "The future's not the same anymore."
Columbia University         | "What the hell's wrong with my langauge."
From: tdunn@ecst.csuchico.edu (Tim Dunn)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: SJ Games Licenses White Wolf's Vampire
Date: 16 Nov 92 22:34:43 GMT
Article-I.D.: charnel.1e97m3INN3uh
Organization: California State University, Chico
NNTP-Posting-Host: hairball.ecst.csuchico.edu

Bryant Durrell writes:
>n write:
>>I suppose the matter is that they don't force vampires to be only one
>>stereotype (the punk, the malformed, the noble, et al) but they force
>>them to be *of* one of the stereotypes.  

>example of vampires who don't come close to the popular conception
>of their clan.  One of the stalwarts of the status quo is a Brujah.
>One of the leaders of the Anarchs is a Ventrue.  One of the two most
>covert, secret, and conspiratorial vampires in the city is a 
>Toreador.

Quite true, and perhaps that is the shining star in the lot.  However,
most players upon reading the rules will end up with hideous Nosferatu,
grim yet elegant Ventre (with hun-GAR-re-an ACK-cents no less  =), and
the standard lot of well-tread archetypes, or dare I say it?  Stereo-
types.  Damn them hy-phens.  

PS.  Just saw the B&W Lugosi Dracula.  Very good, given the age.  

>Perhaps the element of stereotype that people sense in the game is 
>the degree to which vampire society has been stratified.  [...]
>This is a valid reason to dislike the game, but it's also not a matter 
> of mechanics -- it's a matter of background.  

No, it is also a matter of mechanics, as (for once) the mechanics 
support the background.  Unfortunately, I don't care much for the back
ground.  A shoddy take on Anne Rice, I see it as.  As for the rest of
the mechanics, they suck (bad pun) but that's not the discussion here.
However, gaining a better mechanic is probably the chief selling point
to Gurps Vampire.

>Returning this to the original topic of discussion, I don't think 
>GURPS Vampire is going to provide you with more flexibility than the
>original system

It will allow me to play a human, without the referee going into 
coniptions.  And don't say that a human is not a part of the Vampire
mythos.  Without Renfield, we would have never had all the fun we
do now.   8-)=

-- 
Pascal, n.:
	A programming language named after a man who would turn over in
his grave if he knew about it.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: phi@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Aeleck)
Subject: Re: Shadowrun-Trid
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 00:25:07 GMT

In article <Bxv65I.F5y@mentor.cc.purdue.edu> mancinis@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (steven mancini) writes:
>	Remember trolls have innate Dermal Armour- Crunchy on the Outside
>	but Chewy on the inside... and if they have skill wires they come
>	with Dental Floss :)

Gee, Minotaur,  as a troll with both dermal and skillwires, you
would know best, right?  And speaking of that nasty dragon and 
what he would do, I personally saw an orc take out a dragon
SINGLE-HANDEDly before that dragon could inhale!  :)

                        -Talltales
From:  (Spike)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: GURPS Vampire
Date: 16 Nov 92 21:31:02 GMT
Followup-To: rec.games.frp.misc
Organization: GE Power Generation

In article <Bxo23z.wH@mentor.cc.purdue.edu>, jacobus@symphony.cc.purdue.edu
(Bryan J. Maloney) wrote:
 
> Lloyd:
> 
> Allow me to be one who hopes that the SJG license of Vampire is true and
> applauds this.  It's about time that such a strong background gets free
> of such a poor rules system.
> 
> 
> (And don't go off the handle and call me a "roll-player" or other such
> irrational things to which Vampire players tend to be prone.  I play Vampire
> and Werewolf, actually do enjoy myself.  I do NOT roll my way through the
> game, and am one player who actually uses the dice less than most.  I just
> think the system is badly designed.)

I think he'd be more inclined to answer your posts if you spell his name
right;
it's *Loyd*, one "L".

Fat chance anyway; he never posts here except to drop bombshells :-)

Spike
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: burdickd@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Dakin Burdick)
Subject: Re: Converting a book into a world
Organization: Indiana University
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 23:11:38 GMT

In article <1992Nov18.205701.26844@ncar.ucar.edu> nexus@ylum.cgd.ucar.edu (Jeff Berry) writes:
>>I presume you mean after the first book, still under Louis XII, with
>>Richielieu still running around.  (All the others took place in the 
>>time of Louis XIV.)
>
>Actually, they are, in order:
>The Three Musketeers
>Twenty Years After (set, shockingly enough, 20 years after)
>and the Vicomte de Braglonne

And don't forget "Ten Years After"!

Dakin
burdickd@silver.ucs.indiana.edu
From: kucloak@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu (Bryan Kennedy Reed)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: SR2ed, some questions about tech
Date: 18 Nov 92 18:23:00 CST
Organization: University of Kansas Academic Computing Services

In article <BxtnJ7.MGI@nic.umass.edu>, dunkelza@titan.ucc.umass.edu (KEITH C MCCORMIC) writes:
> 
>   Actually the Calico M-950 and M-100 models are pretty small.  However, they
> are large for a submachinegun, much the same way as a Thompson is.
>   The M-950 is a 9mm weapon with a 50 or 100 round magazine, sorry, no 150s.
>   The M-100 is a .22 caliber weapon with a similar capacity.  The M-100 was
> rifle used by the Spaceballs in Spaceballs.  They just shot them and drew in
> laser beams.
>   All of the Calico weapons are lightweight, and as sturdy as an M-16.  They
> are incredibly cheap for their effectiveness, they M-100 is around $350 and
> the M-950 is a couple hundred more. 
>   Nice irony that they guy who wrote the weight statement had a Quote from 
> that movie in his .sig.
>  
> Dunkelzahn
> 

Sorry, didn't make myself clear.  I ment make up the stats for the
weapons.  The part about the weight was just about the magazines
(since the hold more ammo, they are heavier and less concealable.)  
I have heard conflicting things about Calico products.  Some people
love 'em, some people hate them.  Almost like the SIG/Beretta split on
rec.guns.  
As for me, I had to come up with stats for Glocks (my personal favorite.)
-- 
		
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: SRUN:  Legality of packing
From: kait@vax1.mankato.msus.edu
Date: 16 Nov 92 18:00:55 -0600
Organization: Mankato State University

In article <1992Nov16.104434.60882@cc.usu.edu>, slb3y@cc.usu.edu (Punk Rocketeer) writes:
>      I am a Shadowrun newbie, unashamed to admit it.  I have SR 2nd
> ed., with one major question.  What are the laws governing weapons,
> cyberware, etc.?  Is there a Tir Tairngire Rifle Association dedicated
> to protecting the right of every elf to own Panther Cannons and lesser
> weapons?  Does the California Free State frown on anyone packing
> something bigger than a Swiss Army knife?
> 
>      Did I miss a section in the rulebook?  Is there a supplement that
> details this?  Does the GM make all this up?

Yes there are sections covering this, in Shadowtch, Neo-Anarch guide to north
america and the now out of print Sprawl sites. whats more in Neo- guide to real
life the talk a little about the Social Attitudes twards guns armor and other
toys...

                        Th Anderson