HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: burdickd@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Dakin Burdick)
Subject: Re: Historical Camapigns, was Converting a book into a world
Organization: Indiana University
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 23:19:55 GMT

In article <moonman.722123022@camelot> moonman@camelot.bradley.edu (Craig Levin) writes:
>	One of the risks I'm afraid of running is "railroading" the
>characters too much. I'm a student of history, and I know the time
>period that I'm putting the characters into very well. In fact, it's
>the time period that is the subject of my senior paper. I have a good
>idea of what risks and adversities that the characters will be exposed
>to, but I am worried that I'll expect them to literally follow the
>historical pattern, when I know the players are a bit cleverer (if
>not more) than the historical personages.

I'm not sure that the players are "cleverer" than people back in the
olden days, but they certainly will have more resources (ie. magic).
As a fellow student of history, I'd advise you to run the campaign
as a "What If?" exercise.  Unless the players really change a
historical event, have the historical timeline be relatively
self-healing, if only to keep the amount of work you have to do
(creating a whole new timeline) to a minimum.  I'm preparing a Cthulhu
campaign starting in 1783 and going to the present, but I tend to
use historical events as peripheral to the adventure.  The adventure
itself should have been able to occur in history without changing
(written) history, at least in a Cthulhu campaign where you are
trying to make the characters paranoid.  I also tend to alter
the flow of time (events occur a year or two later sometimes, like
the Wall Street Crash; just to keep the players honest).  

The advantage to historical roleplaying is that you can explain 
afterwards that there really WAS a religious cult like that, and that
a magician of that time was SAID to have those powers, so it COULD
have happened that way, if we believed in all that stuff.  My 
players have always appreciated the research, but remember, the play
is the thing.  Don't sacrifice the game for reality's sake.

Dakin
burdickd@silver.ucs.indiana.edu
From: 9111123@ul.ie
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: vampires, vampires, VAMPIRES !!!
Date: 20 Nov 92 13:39:52 GMT
Organization: University of Limerick, Ireland

In article <1992Nov16.121544.15113@schbbs.mot.com>, TUK865@maccvm.corp.mot.com (Stephen Gill) writes:> Silly one:
> 
> Are there any games left that don't have Vampires in them ?
> 

 You must be new arround here troop' we have russians,germans,mexicans,and even
the occasional Belgium(gasp) but there aint no vampires in Twilight 2k (except
 for the occasional werewolf[see sci aviation and ask about the russian werewolf
])

  Coyote 
   Kaptain Fallscrimjaeger
   
  "I'd check my instrament again if I were you,
   no one in there right mind would lay a mine field in a place
    Like ....."
     Reportedly last word of Captain Wolf 2nd US div Poland 2000


********************************************************************************
* Coyote          *   "Four things greater than all things are,                *
*  9111123@ul.ie  *     Women and horses and power and War"                    *
*                 *      Rudyar Kipling(maker of exceedingly good cakes)       *
* I would be greatly susprised if anyone shared my views:disclaimer            *
********************************************************************************
  

 Also I have no connections with any paramilitary,military,civilian or political
organisations that infringe on the defence of the state act 1939(?) or any 
 subsequent laws relating to the posession of firearms,explosives,pyrotechnics,
narcotics,banned literature or membership of a proscribed organisation, nor do
 I wish  to at this time,or at any time in the forseeable future,nor do I wish
to infrige any law which would result in the destablising of the state,death,in
 jury,or maiming of another,or in the damage or destruction of another person`s 
,company`s,or state properties.

                  **SO DON'T BOTHER ME ABOUT ANY OF THESE**


Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: wilder@nx02.mik.uky.edu (jeff wilder)
Subject: Re: Shadowrun-Trid and other questions
    <1992Nov13.151751.13793@midway.uchicago.edu> 
    <1992Nov14.212351.44792@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu>
Organization: University Of Kentucky, Dept. of Math Sciences
X-Path: nx02.mik.uky.edu!wilder
Date: Sun, 15 Nov 1992 18:31:38 GMT

In <1992Nov14.212351.44792@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu> kucloak@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu (Bryan Kennedy Reed) writes:
 
|>      You bet it is.  Sure, trolls is tough.  We knew that.  Pelt a spell
|> into them and they fall over and go beddy-bye.

|Try second edition.  Even trolls aren't bulletproof now.  Everybody
|dies.

This be true.  Trust me.  I *never* thought I would be saying this, but
combat has perhaps become *yoo* deadly in SRII, especially if you want
to encourage any heroics at all.  (Some people don't, I know;  I kill the
heroes in my CP2020 game...but SR has a slightly different feel.)
 
|>      Trolls is tough, and grenades is not.  Grenade tech didn't rise
|> quite so fast as armor tech.  Now, if you use SPECIAL grenades...

|Second edition solves this problem.  A single grenade in a small room
|is enough to kill about anyting (except maybe a dragon.)

No, SRII didn't fix this.  Grenades now do a Serious base, but there's no    
way to stage up the damage code.  However, through the use of the concussion
wave rules, a character in an enclosed area *will* take that serious wound.
I'd suggest upping the damage code on grenades to D, and fiddling with the
power level.  It *is* possible to survive a close-by fragger, it's just not
real likely.  
--
==============================================================================
| 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.|
==============================================================================
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: dv52151@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (RedSwordTarga)
Subject: Re: Backstab in Shadowrun?
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 01:46:08 GMT

ins769v@lindblat.cc.monash.edu.au (Veltyen) writes:

>I use a situation where at zero range with surprise,
>A: All armor is forgotten
>B: For firearms I use "double short" range modifier (equivalent of a
>6 shot burst, -2 to targets)
>C: No dodge pool(SR1 at the mo')

>However even in this situation it is almost impossible to kill someone
>_outright_ with a knife. Going for sliting the throat is stupid, too much
>chance of catching on cartilage in the throat, and even then a slow death
>is much more probable than a zero-elapsed take down. Better to go for either
>a stabb into the jugular or kidneys.

Well, the Gurkha's get around this by using an ungodly big knife and lopping
the targets head off. That might work for your characters if they are the
type who'll carry a Kukri.

Axly

********************************************************************************
*   Axly      *  "Is Axly tough? Yes. Talented? Yes. Brave? Oh, certainly.     *
* Red Sword   *   He is also erratic, irresponsible, accident-prone, and a     *
*   Targa     *   constant threat to public safety. The trick is to keep him   *
*             *   pointed in the right direction. "                            *
*             *         -Niki                                                  *
********************************************************************************

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: wogg0743@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (William Shakespeare)
Subject: Looking for gamers in C-U
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1992 23:24:15 GMT

Hi, I'm an ex-gamer looking to get back into role-playing in the Champaign
Urbana (that's in Illinois) area.  I'm a grad student working on my
dissertation, so I wouldn't want to dedicate more than one evening/afternoon
a week to gaming.  I've played DnD, Hero, CoC (once), Warhammer (a few times),
Shadowrun (old edition, played it twice), and I wouldn't mind trying TORG.

I would prefer an older group of people (circa age 25).

Is there anybody out there in the C-U area?

-- 
William ("Shakespeare") Gulstad          /  So where are the C.S. babes?
wogg0743@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu                /  Joni Mitchell for President!
I vote, so I can complain!               /  Did you vote?  Then don't complain!
Republican is the opposite of democracy! /  Tune in, drop out, log on.
From: tdunn@ecst.csuchico.edu (Tim Dunn)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: vampires, vampires, VAMPIRES !!!
Date: 16 Nov 92 16:43:14 GMT
Organization: California State University, Chico
NNTP-Posting-Host: hairball.ecst.csuchico.edu

Chua Hak Lien writes:
>Stephen Gill writes:
>>Are there any games left that don't have Vampires in them ?
>Of course. Monopoly.

Oh, we're talking boardgames?  Here's a tidbit: don't think WizWar is
proof against vampires: get the shadowstone (aptly named, IMPO), the 
speedstone and the thrown knife and you are effectively a vampire.

-- 
Any small object that is accidentally dropped will hide under a
larger object.
Xref: sparky rec.games.frp.misc:8536 rec.games.frp.dnd:6329
From: gt7803b@prism.gatech.EDU (Shrike)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc,rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Anarchists of the world, unite!
Date: 17 Nov 92 23:31:06 GMT
Followup-To: rec.games.frp.misc
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

It had to be said.
-- 
Life sux. You can't change that fact, so the next best thing is to figure out
why exactly YOUR life sux. Once you've done that, it's all down-hill. Oh, well.
From: v124pz9t@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (David Cheng, using Mark S Cheng's acct)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: RQ: Divine intervention
Date: 20 Nov 92 22:55:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <1992Nov20.193139.21888@news.tufts.edu>, gharris@jade.tufts.edu (George W. Harris) writes...
>>
>>I think that _sometimes_ a DI could be offensive.  George Harris (cited 
>>above)thinks that an earth god would not open a hole under some 
>>enemies.  What is the "Shake Earth" spell of Maran Gor (is that the right
>>spell name?)?  How about the Tarshite Earthshakers of the Dragon Pass
>>boardgame?  Their earthquake is one of the most powerful, destructive
>>magical effects available.
>>
>>I think a god could make you a better fighter, for instance.  Humakt
>>could give you Shield, Truesword, Bladesharp, etc.
>>
> 
>	Yes, but...would you allow a death cultist to DI to have Sever Spirit
>thrown at an enemy?  You're getting into dangerous territory.  If a cultist
>casts this spell, the god is not doing it directly.  However, with a DI, the
>god *is* the one acting, so it is a direct violation of the Compromise.  I
>would think long and hard before letting a DI affect anyone unwillingly.
> 

I apologize for my last post being incomplete.  I got called away 
unexpectedly, and had to wrap up prematurely.

No, I would not allow Humakt/Zorak Zoran hit a foe with a Sever Spirit
as a result of a DI.

But, I _might_ let the player ask to be granted a Sever Spirit, and
he could throw it himself.  It would be backed by his (reduced) POW,
not the god's POW.

What would affect the decision?  The situation as the player perceives
it, but also lots of subjectivity on my part.  I think the GM should
have quite a bit of say as to how a deity responds to a call for DI.
The GM should, in effect, really be willing to roleplay the deity.

How good has the worshipper been?  How many cult foes has she smitten?
How many temples has she established?  How many new worshippers has
she inspired to join by her deeds (the god would know this from the
prayers of the other new initiates)?

I would be much more generous with DI to good worshipper, and much
more stingy with marginal initiates.

I have to run again.  Sorry.  Let's see what kind of comments this
brings out, and I'll have lots of time to give a full reply on,
say, Sunday.  I'll also  post the DI part of the essay.

-DC
drcheng@sales.stern.nyu.edu
or, the above address
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: mcclure@force.ssd.lmsc.lockheed.com
Subject: Where to post miniature wargaming questions?
Reply-To: mcclure@force.ssd.lmsc.lockheed.com
Organization: LMSC, Sunnyvale, California
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 92 20:28:26 GMT

I am new to the net and would like to properly post questions/comments/
figure reviews/etc. for wargaming with miniatures.  I game everything from
Ancients to SciFi (including Sci Fi armor).  Could someone please direct
me to the proper place or is there enough people interested in the same
area that a separate group would be feasible.
Kent M. McClure
Auto racing afficionado and member of San
Jose IPMS chapter.
My views are what they are, like them or not.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: pmwg1641@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Peter M. White)
Subject: Re: SR many magic questions (semi-long)
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 18:20:53 GMT

In article <168A81EB9.MHART00@RICEVM1.RICE.EDU> mason writes:
>In article <1992Nov21.213103.28036@oswego.Oswego.EDU>
>ma_ind07@oswego.Oswego.edu writes:
> 
>>    -What spells can I cast at an astrally projecting mage (mana/phys)?
> 
>Mana spells will affect the mage's astral form.  Physical spells will
>ground to the mage's body and affect it.  Area-effect physical spells
>will also affect anyone close to the mage's body (another of those
>disadvantages mentioned earlier).  Damaging manipulation spells will
>*not* work.  Stun spells are tricky.  They would ground to the mage's
>physical body and do stun damage there, and could thus be used to
>remove a mage from astral space without doing him physical harm.
> 
It makes much more sense to be able to use damaging manipulation spells
by grounding from Astral than other physical spells.  Consider that
the only requirement to successfully target an area manipulation spell
is to observe a point to center the effects.  So the mage's physical
body becomes the center.  But *other* physical spells, say a
combat area effect fire spell, only affects targets within the area
of effect that are *also* observed.  Same principle as the Sleep,
can only affect those you can see, right?  Since the projecting mage's
body can be most anywhere, in general, those guarding the body will
not be observed for targetting.  It is the damaging manipulations
that are the sole exception to this rule. 

>>    -Can I cast a physical spell at an astrally projected person and
>>          ground the effects were the body is?
> 
>Yes (see above).
Yes (see above).

--Peter

_____________________________________________________________________________
						|
     "Guards!  Let me draw their fire!"		|	p-white@uiuc.edu
		   --Scapegoat,_Marshal Law_	|
______________________________________________________________________________

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: dagibbs@quantum.on.ca (David Gibbs)
Subject: Re: Adventurers? (was Re: Carrying weapons..(was Re: META: Swords..))
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 92 00:33:33 GMT
Organization: Quantum Software Systems

In article <1992Nov13.203307.5311@news2.cis.umn.edu> thornley@mega.cs.umn.edu (David H. Thornley) writes:
>
>Again, if all adventurers can be expected to abide by the Adventurers' Code,
>which presumably prohibits such things as rape, looting, killing, and
>arson in the town you've come to save, the town will feel a bit better
>about the dangerous strangers who have just ridden down the road and ask
>for directions to the nearest monster lair.  However, I don't see this
>happening in most campaigns - the adventurers mostly behave, but it isn't
>obvious why, or why they should be trusted.

We have a different situation here from a medieval human one, in
the medieval human one most of the bad guys as well as all of
the intelligent and organised bad guys were also humans.  In
a fantasy world it can easily be that most of the bad things
are NOT human.  Therefor it becomes a racial survival thing,
and most be are basically racist -- humans are ok, we protect 
them; monsters are bad, we destroy them.  This sort of mindset
can easily be seen as a possible outgrowth of a mixed fantasy
world and helps to justify the trust in the adventurers that
town militia would not be able to control.

>Yes, but some things will have to be the same.  The general idea is that
>we are role-playing beings recognizably human in a recognizably human
>world, and so heavily-armed freelancers will cause fear and alarm.

They may, but they may not if one of the basic assumptions in this
world is that humans don't hurt humans.  It is sort of like a
frontier mentality, everybody has a gun in his house, and if
he hears something outside at night, he takes his gun out with
him cause it might be a bear.  But nobody worries about the
fact that his neighbour has a gun and might shoot him, cause
you know the gun is only for hunting and protection.  He's
a human, you're a human, and Mother Nature is really nasty
so us people had damn well better stick together.  In the
fantasy world there is a lot more than just Mother Nature
to stick together against.

-David Gibbs
(dagibbs@quantum.qnx.com)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: claymoar@next09pg2.wam.umd.edu
Subject: Armed-two weapons
Reply-To: claymoar@wam.umd.edu (William Flint)
Organization: Workstations at Maryland, University of Maryland, College Park
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 16:17:01 GMT

There no rule about what target # modifier should be applied when fighting  
with two  melee weapons.
I already know about the second firearms target modifier(+2 each weapon,  
no bonus from anything except recoil, and etc).

Any suggestions of how about of playing this idea will be helpful.
--
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\/////////////
 \Claymore the Metaknight Champion           /
  \    "You're nothing unless you got Speed"/
   \\\\/////////////////////////////////////
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: johnson1@cs.uwp.edu (Christina Johnson)
Subject: Re: SR:  Teleport?
Organization: University of Wisconsin - Parkside
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL7]
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 1992 04:42:40 GMT

ok...  game balance aside.  Any reasons not to have a teleport spell?
-- 
-brandy the dandalion eater-
"Give me a steak.  Rare."
From: ma_ind07@Oswego.EDU (Mark St. John)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: SR many magic questions (semi-long)
Date: 22 Nov 92 23:26:56 GMT
Reply-To: ma_ind07@oswego.Oswego.EDU (Mark St. John)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Instructional Computing Center, SUNY at Oswego, Oswego, NY

You'd have to sustain it.  Just out of curiosity, does that original poster
use conditionally relased spells often?  I think FASA may have abandoned them
in SRII, preferring to use delayed actions instead.

Wordman

Yes, I do like to use conditionally released spells, especially when we (the
group) has screwed up or BIG strong nastys are after us. I go into super hyper
paranoid mode.
	Thanks to everyone that responded
Cybermage   ma_ind07@oswego.oswego.edu
_
Organization: Freshman, CIT general, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1992 03:22:06 -0500 
From: Robert Everett Brunskill <rb6t+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: Srun 2: Sequels?

phi@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Aeleck):
>Point four: (If you survived AND succeeded in UB, and Now have Harlequin
>and Ehron as common contacts, etc.) You are playing in a munchkin game,

Hey!  Watch it!  You never know there might be some runners out there
who are just better than you! B-)!

Sheer luck, and a gamemasters inability to come up with anything
original (like having the UB take some retribution) really help. 
Besides my players ain't blabing (I think they're too scared), they're
even afraid of spiders now.  As for what's actually going on in
Harlequin - they're clueless (which is the way it's supposed to be, my
character base was large enough that I could spread the jobs out a
little to reduce suspicion).  As for TE, they fared that one ok.  They
did get rather banged up (mage put himself out, one guy almost died from
essence loss until I found that stupid little rule that someone must be
subdued before they can be drained, I might change that).  There has
been a little bit of munchkin creaping into a coulpe players, but I'll
be more careful in SR2.  Oh well, I guess it just depends on your GM (I
tend to forget things), style, and luck.  

Munchkin examples:
Before I knew it one player had just about every bid of recoil
compensation on an SMG!  I let him try it.  Once.  No it wasn't in any
of the above scenarios.  I make sure he doesn't carry around the gyro
mount anymore.

One player had so much money he was funding the other players.  One day
the money dissappeared.


Hey, some style, grenades, and some quick and creative thinking will get
you out of anything.  In the latest campaign I've been in we faced some
fun shapeshifting magic type guy that could kick a whole hive without
breaking a sweat, but we toughed it out and finished the job!  What'd we
do you ask?  We RAN!  And then told our big brother the corp that that
bully was after us.  Well, the corp paid us off and then went after it. 
Ummm, they - didn't - um - kill it though so uh - we do have to keep an
eye out for retribution.  Oh well, such is life on the street. (By the
way, we have failed half our runs to this point and our fixer, who was
also one of our players got killed, I wasn't there - so I know nothing
about it, actually I'm just afraid that our GM might read this and take
my posting it as word getting out on the street.)

I've typed enough.  For anyone who suffered through the entire thing
congradulations.  Your award is the knowledge of another bad post well
read.

Rob Brunskill
PS:  At least the fixer won't be trying to sell me for parts anymore. B-).
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: pmwg1641@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Peter M. White)
Subject: SRun: Spoiler warnings please!!!
Summary: careful about spoilers
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 07:02:16 GMT
Keywords: spoilers

I don't want to be a nag, but please do be more discrete about
revealing ANYTHING about the subject matter of the published
scenarios.  Yes, I do know UB is about bugs, since I have looked
at the scenario cover (Grrr...I wish FASA would stop that.  At
*most* they should leave clues on the back cover.)  But
mentioning specifics, or even reminding others of unwanted
knowledge, is very impolite.  It may not seem like a big deal,
but even vaguely similar behavior in any of the rec.arts.star_trek.*
would earn you an almost instant tap on the shoulder by a local
God of Nettiquette, and for good reason.

If you want to discuss with others how scary/fun various scenarios
with others here, you are more than welcome.  However, there
are well established methods for allowing other subscribers to
protect their innocence, called spoiler warnings/protection:

1)  Try to warn of *potential* spoilers in the subject line.  (Not
    actually mandatory)
2)  Whether step 1 is successful or not, give another warning
    in your first line.  Example: "Warning:  Potential Spoilers!!! UB"
3)  Skip 22+ lines.  Some newsreaders reveal the top page
    automatically.
3') There is a more sophisticate method involving ^L (or is it ^Y?).  If
    you are not 110% certain that you can embedd said control character
    into your file, use both techniques.
4)  Always use the above procedure for all followups, even if the
    original posting is clearly labelled.

Thanks you your cooperation!!! :-)

Hmm...Let me see if I can successfully do the control-L thang...


--Peter

______________________________________________________________________________
						|
     "Guards!  Let me draw their fire!"		|	p-white@uiuc.edu
		   --Scapegoat,_Marshal Law_	|
______________________________________________________________________________