HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: GAYNOR@agvax2.ag.ohio-state.edu (Jim Gaynor)
Subject: Re: SRUN: SR2 Errata 1.1
Organization: The Ohio State University - OCES
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 19:47:39 GMT
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.23

In <1992Aug31.172228.1@vxdesy.desy.de> burke@vxdesy.desy.de writes:

> In article <1992Aug31.150008.15322@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>, GAYNOR@agvax2.ag.ohio-state.edu (Jim Gaynor) writes:
> > BTW, I'm still looking for a copy of the ShadowTech errata that
> > MacGyver posted to r.g.f.misc/announce a while back.  If you have it,
> > please email me a copy.  Thanks!
> 
> Me too! Could it be re-posted? Has anyone actually *got* SRII yet???

Look, for all you folks who've been doing the "Me too!" routine (both
posting and sending me email), rest assured that if someone ever
-does- send me a copy of the bloody thing, I'll clean it up and post
it.  Really.  Honest.  I mean it.  And if I never get one, I'll bloody
well make one.  So there.

<sigh>


---
   Jim Gaynor    | "Man-of-Many-Beeping-Sounds-and-Flashing-Lights" - KAJ
OSU/ACS/FMS/OCES | <gaynor@agvax2.ag.ohio-state.edu> or <gaynor.4@osu.edu>
ObDiscl:  Everything stated here and above is _my_ opinion.  Mine mine mine!
ObQuote: "Every devil I meet becomes a friend of mine." - Indigo Girls
From: gharris@jade.tufts.edu (George W. Harris)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: cluelessness in mystery games (prep vs improv)
Date: 29 Aug 92 20:37:30 GMT
Article-I.D.: jade.1992Aug29.203730.25398
Organization: Tufts University - Medford, MA
Originator: gharris@jade.tufts.edu

>In article <l9ptttINN1v6@west.west.sun.com> markk@sagredo.West.Sun.COM (Mark Kampe) writes:
>>If the players aren't getting anywhere near the clues, there are two possible
>>reasons:
>>
>>	these particular players should not be playing mystery games
>>
>>	this particular story is too hard for these players to crack
>>

	There is also the possibility that:

	The GM did a total balls-up designing the scenario.

--
"If you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce, they taste more like
prunes than rhubarb does."              -Groucho Marx 

gharris@jade.tufts.edu          George Harris, Tufts Univ. Dept. of Mathematics
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: tdunn@ecst.csuchico.edu (Tim Dunn)
Subject: Re: Champions Questions
Keywords: Non-combat movebys
Organization: California State University, Chico
Date: Sat, 29 Aug 1992 09:33:24 GMT

Michael Sandy writes:
>What precisely are the effects of combat at Non-combat speed on:
>Movethrus, Movebys, Flying Tackles, Hand to Hand Focus damage
>Specificly, how do you calculate OCV, DCV, damage, and damage to the
>attacker for each of these maneuvers.

All OCV's and DCV's are halved. Moreover, this halving occurs after
all modifiers for combat maneuvers, weapons, skill levels, etc.
Damage is the same as it always is, it's not halved. 

Moveby's do 1/3 the damage back to the attacker, no matter what.

Movethroughs do 1/2 the damage back to the attacker if the target 
is knocked back or knocked down. If not, the attacker takes full
damage back.

>Can one buy levels with DCV, only usable for non-Combat Flight?

Sure. Just remember that 5-pt levels are the minimum for DCV, and
the minimum to apply limitations.  And remember that skill levels
are halved as well, so you will need two levels to increase your
DCv by 1.

>What is the normal turn mode at non-Combat velocity, and can you buy
>levels to improve it?

I suppose it's the same as for combat velocity (5 turns per action
of flight) and yet, he can lower his turn mode by 1 for each skill
level used to do so.

>What is a suitable ocv penalty for doing a move thru on a target you
>couldn't see before a half-move?  

Have him make a PER roll. If he makes it, fine. If not, a possible
penalty is to have the attack go at 1/2 OCV.

>Does being Mind Linked to someone who can see the battle area help
>someone who suddenly arrives from behind cover?

I suppose. That's a GM call. As a general rule, I'd allow it.

-- 
"A witty saying proves nothing."
		-- Voltaire
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: carl@gergo.tamu.edu (Carl D. Perkins)
Subject: Re: TacComs (was ShadowTech Errata)
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: Geochemical and Environmental Research Group - TAMU
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1992 05:09:00 GMT

In article <Bu0Evs.JC5@mentor.cc.purdue.edu>, holmes@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Krishgan) writes...
> 
>Concerning Aaron Wigley {Wigs} comment on TacComs in the SRUN ShadowTech
>supplement...
> 
>->>>>>[I have to agree with Wigs.  I looked up what they were trying to do
>  and found those little pictals in the upper portion of the catalog to be
>  pretty relavant to size and comparison.  All the Tactical Computer appears
>  to be in a processing center for the information that is incoming from
>  various sources (such as Cybereyes and the Orientation System).
> 
>  I think there was either a typo in the Essence Charting, or they were
>  really trying to control game balance (probably the latter).]<<<<<
>    -Reflex

To some extent I disagree. Part of the cost is that the Tactical Computer
modifies the way your mind works - which is very essence unfriendly.
An Encephalon is something you ask questions and it gives you answers, sort
of, and I'd say it is essentially modiying only your concious mental activity
allowing you to locate information in a database and similar things.
A Tactical Computer modifies your mind at a much more fundamental level,
allowing your reflexive abilities (aiming, for example) to take advantage
of it. On the other hand, I think the essence cost *is* a bit excessive - but
not by the factor of ten that you all seem to think - maybe by a factor of two.
On the other hand, with the way it works it is necesary to make it very
expensive - minor changes that limit its effects and it could be cheaper.
As it is, add a few sensory mods (low light and thermographic vision,
ultrasonic hearing, or whatever) and it becomes extremely advantageous (and
even though its cost is high you can still afford cybereyes, cyber ears, and
a few other low cost goodies).

--- Carl
From: jhk6@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (John H Kim)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Improvisation!
Date: 28 Aug 92 23:02:19 GMT
Reply-To: jhk6@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (John H Kim)
Organization: Columbia University

In article <1992Aug27.230030.58454@cc.usu.edu> sl9b4@cc.usu.edu (Deep Six) writes:
>In article <4840@balrog.ctron.com>, smith@ctron.com (Larry Smith) writes:
>> In article <1992Aug21.134453.58310@cc.usu.edu>, 
> sl9b4@cc.usu.edu (Deep Six) writes:
>> As I've said before, the mere act of suggestion makes no guarantees!I merely
>> admit of the _possibility_.  
>> Their "want" has no bearing whatsoever in even the tiniest and most remote
>> sense.
>
>I realize that you choose the actual specifics of whatever the ``idea'' 
>is, and I realize that you will comply only if the players' comment or
>suggestion is reasonable/logical/internally consistant, but are you going
>to go along with every logical suggestion the players come up with? 
[example deleted]
>And so on and so on, until the original direction of the session (if there 
>was one) loses it's direction. The players just bounce suggestions off the 
>GM, some logical, some not; some likely, some not. 

	This gets down to a matter of preference, I think. Many people would 
not mind if the scenario went in a different direction than the original. 
If the players decide to leave the country rather than face the gang that is 
threatening them, then that's OK. 
	Obviously, if the GM is too pliant, or if the GM always changes 
things so the players win no matter what, then there is a problem. However, 
there are also many problems which can arise from relying too heavily to 
prepared material. 

	A scenario should be consistent, and challenging but not impossible, 
and should not railroad the players. If a player's thinks of something which 
you have not, and it does not interfere with the former - then there is no 
reason not to make things that way. The trouble is deciding and trusting 
your own decisions. 

>
>I don't have to second guess my scenarios. If I did, I might be prone to 
>change details in order to comply to the players' logical comments or 
>conversation. 

	Many others do not have the time, the willingness, or the skill to 
prepare scenarios which always work out well and as written. Many games are 
run without plotted scenarios - in these games, the players are implementing 
their own plans upon the world rather than getting caught up in other peoples 
plots. How do you plot a pirate adventure where it is up to the players 
where they want to hunt for ships to raid? 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Kim                    | "Faith - faith is an island on the setting sun.
jhk6@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu | But Proof - proof is the bottom line for 
Columbia University         | everyone."                     - Paul Simon
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: sjs28257@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Steve Stelter)
Subject: Re: Dealing with the Uneducated
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1992 15:58:27 GMT

pvanheus@frodo.cs.uct.ac.za (P A van Heusden) writes:

>I am running a RuneQuest 3rd Edition (+all the nice mods from the RuneQuest
>Digest) campaign set in Dark Ages Germany, AD 494. It relies heavily on
>factual data about the Germanic belief system, the social structure, etc.
>Which is fine by me, I love the subject. However, here we have the problem:
>My players do not have a background in this subject matter. This has lead to
>some alarming happenings, eg. a player asking, just as an aside "Do these 
>people think dreams are important?", having players with no idea of base
>social structure, etc. Has anyone else dealt with something like this? Any 
>suggestions for how I can get everybody into the world, and the mythos,
>in a reasonable time?

Every time we start a new campaign in our gaming group, the GM composes
a short writeup on the history, setting, and ground rules of his game
world, which he distributes to each player about a week before the first
adventure is run.


                                        --Steve Stelter
                                          sjs28257@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: JENKINS@agvax2.ag.ohio-state.edu (Kent Jenkins)
Subject: Re: Werewolf
Summary: Werewolf?  Good?  Did I get a different one?
Organization: Ohio State Cyberpsycho Rehab Clinic
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 21:44:43 GMT
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.23

In <RATINOX.92Aug31111506@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu> ratinox@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu writes:
>>>>>> "A" == Axly <dv52151@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu> writes:
[Axly drools at his best.]
>
>A> The background: What can I say, it's White Wolf at their best!
>
>A> I haven't given the book a clinical reading yet, but from the first
>A> few times through, it seems to be quite excellent.
>
>Everything is a lot tighter and more coherent. Many mechanics have been
>streamlined, spruced up, etc. Diced combat has been revised (same version
>as in the Storyteller's Handbook) in a much more reasonable fashion.

I hope I'm not the only one disappointed in Werewolf, then.  The game
mechanics are tighter, yes, but it has its holes to make up for the mistakes.

For instance, all the page number ref's (or most of them, at least) are still
'xx'.  (See page XX.)  Do lupine physicly enter the Umbra?  The book also
states that inanimate objects have spirits of their own and must be walked
around like the objects they represent.  (Buildings, doors, and so on.)
However, it also states that you cannot see into the real world unless you
'peek', which only gives you shadows of the real world.  (Buildings look
like shadows.)  So does this mean you can't see a building in the Umbra but
you still can run into it?

The rules just aren't clear on the new items they've introduced, it's organized
so that, at least for me, finding the information I want is difficult. 
(Similar information is spread throughout the book but never speaks of the
related information it may be with elsewhere.)  It was about as easy to figure
out as most of the Shadowrun rulebook.  And I had to mentally patch over the
things they left open and unexplained.

For players, that's okay.  That's great.  For GMs it takes up time that I'd
rather spend exploiting ... erm, challanging the players.


---
Kent Jenkins	| He who fights with monsters might take care,
("Thenomain")	| lest he thereby become a monster.
		| And if you gaze for long into an abyss,
		| the abyss gazes also into you.  -- Nietzsche
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: lee@coredump.npac.syr.edu (Lee C Brink)
Subject: Re: SRUN: A few observations
In-reply-to: splash@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu's message of Thu, 27 Aug 1992 18:43:16 GMT
Organization: Northeast Parallel Architectures Center (NPAC)
	<1992Aug27.132907.9734@uoft02.utoledo.edu>
	<1992Aug27.184316.23045@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu>
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 92 14:39:20 EDT


	   Everything can be statistically computed, that's not the problem
   with the d6.
	   The real problem with the d6 system is the statistical difference
   in rolling a 5 or a 6.  You have a 50% better chance of rolling a 6 than
   a 5.  
	   Personally, I decided to convert to a d10 based system, for more
   linear chances.



I've taken a statistics class, and I was taught that on a non-biased die, that
every side had an equal chance or coming up.  How do you get the 50% better
chance of getting a 5 over a 6?  Of course, if it's a biased die....

     Lee


--
+---------------------------+----------------------------------------------+
| Lee C Brink	            | Office Support Co-ordinator at NPAC	   |
| lee@nova.npac.syr.edu     | Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244-4100 |
|			    | 315-443-1722				   |
+---------------------------+----------------------------------------------+
From: markk@sagredo.West.Sun.COM (Mark Kampe)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Harlequin (aka double GMing)
Date: 1 Sep 1992 16:21:43 GMT
Organization: SunSoft South
NNTP-Posting-Host: sagredo.west.sun.com

I have a friend who occasionally asks me to design and/or run NPCs.
It is fun and easy for me, because he has already figured out the
story.  I just have to figure out who the NPCs are and how they fit
into the story, and then be them.

We generally get together to design the NPCs ... he tells me what his
world is like and what kinds of folk he needs, and I ask him questions
about how his world got that way and propose people.  We then iterate
on the NPCs and the events a few times until they are well woven together.

At this point, he can play them or I can play them.  In several E-mail games
(with anonymous posts) I ran most of the NPCs directly.  This offloaded the
GM and gave the NPCs a delightful brightness and independence.  In these games,
there were no NPCs - they were all being played.  It added considerable
vividness to the game and strongly encouraged role playing (since you could
never tell whether someone was a minor NPC, a major NPC or a PC).

We have done it in face-to-face games too, but with less dramatic effect.
In that venue, everyone knows that if Mark is playing them, they are an
NPC.
From: cassidy@rec/games/frp/miscps.msu.edu (John J Cassidy)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Improvisation!
Date: 27 Aug 92 20:42:42 GMT
Reply-To: cassidy@cps.msu.edu (John J Cassidy)
Organization: Dept. of Computer Science, Michigan State University
Originator: cassidy@pacific.cps.msu.edu

In article <37242@sdcc12.ucsd.edu> djohnson@cs.ucsd.edu (Darin Johnson) writes:
>>>1. Improv GMs cannot create detailed maps, written portions and physical
>>>props.
>>
>>Can't argue with that.
>
>You can't???  I see.  Using improvisation along with props, maps,
>written-portions takes imagination - the lack of which makes
>using improvisation impossible anyway :-)
>
>This is such a STUPID argument going on here.  One side thinks the
>other is doing 100% improvisation, and the other side thinks the other
>is doing 100% pre-planning.  Neither is right.  Most people are
>doing something in the middle.

	I agree: and, it just may be that what I "improv" on is not maps and
written material.  It may be that what I improv on in plot directions
other than those expected.  And sometimes what I improv on is "ways to
cover my behind, because the players have knowledge I don't".

>-- 
>Darin Johnson
>djohnson@ucsd.edu
>  - Brought to you by the 'Elvis in 92' committee.

	John J Cassidy		cassidy@indian.cps.msu.edu
	~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: uk02700@mik.uky.edu (mitchell e french)
Subject: Re: Werewolf
    <RATINOX.92Aug31111506@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu> 
    <1992Sep1.214443.5461@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> 
    <RATINOX.92Sep3122303@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu>
Organization: University Of Kentucky, Dept. of Math Sciences
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 17:14:11 GMT

In <RATINOX.92Sep3122303@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu> ratinox@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu (Richard Pieri/Stainless Steel Rat) writes:

>KJ> Do lupine physicly enter the Umbra?

>Common sense time: no, of course they don't.

	Hmmm....that's odd....Then how come it says that the distance
travelled in the Umbra translates into distance travelled in the "Real
World" (tm) ?  
	Personally, I think they *do* physically enter the Umbra.  They've
already got 'teleporters' (ie the Moon Bridges).  Why shouldn't they be
able to enter a higher reality?

Mushroom
From: dpm@ignem.EBay.Sun.COM (David P. Martin)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Dealing with the Uneducated
Followup-To: rec.games.frp.misc
Date: 3 Sep 1992 20:32:29 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems
Distribution: world
Reply-To: dpm@ignem.EBay.Sun.COM
NNTP-Posting-Host: ignem.ebay.sun.com


>In article <pvanheus.715433486@frodo> pvanheus@frodo.cs.uct.ac.za (P A van Heusden) writes:
[Intro deleted]
>>My players do not have a background in this subject matter. This has lead to
>>some alarming happenings, eg. a player asking, just as an aside "Do these 
>>people think dreams are important?", having players with no idea of base
>>social structure, etc. Has anyone else dealt with something like this? Any 
>>suggestions for how I can get everybody into the world, and the mythos,
>>in a reasonable time?
>>Peter van Heusden              "Thou shalt not kill
>>CS2 lab, UCT, Cape Town               Kill kill kill!"
>>pvanheus@frodo.cs.uct.ac.za                    Ministry   

I agree with several others about campaign briefings, campaign
background handouts, etc., but one of the best ways that I have found
to introduce players to a campaign is fiction.  If you feel comfortable
writing fiction about the world, write some stories, legends, and/or
myths to introduce the world - they don't have to be long.  They are
much more exciting than a regular handout (which can make for pretty
dry reading), and they will get the players interested in the campaign,
not just informed about it.  They will also set a mood much better than
a regular campaign handout can, and to me that is more important than
any information the players could have.

Another idea which I had, but I never actually tried, was to have a
"story time" each game session.  Start the players out with basic
background info on the campaign, and each session tell the players a
legend, story, or myth about the campaign.  It would probably work best
to do this in character, as some NPC.  You could schedule story time at
the beginning of every session to get the players in the mood for the
game.


David

Xref: sparky rec.games.frp:25086 rec.games.frp.misc:4886 alt.feminism:482
From: krueger@galileo.physics.arizona.edu (Ted Krueger)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp,rec.games.frp.misc,alt.feminism
Subject: Re: Looking for "women's" rpg.
Date: 2 Sep 92 15:19:02 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of Arizona, Tucson AZ

In article <1992Sep2.082310.9810@maths.tcd.ie> jaymin@maths.tcd.ie (Jo Jaquinta) writes:
>
>	I don't know of the one in question but I understand what you mean.
>	I did some plotting out, once, for a game, or perhaps better
>described as, a campaign background revolving around a holy-quest or oddessy
>across a continent. Paralelling the rise of patriarchy from the earlier
>matri-centric society the players own culture, on the Western edge, is
>matri-centirc but as they travel across toward the eastern edge the cultures
>become increasingly patriarchial. The whole was modeled on the rise or
>patriarchy in the Ancient Near East say from pre-Sumer to the high
>classical age in Greece but instead of being displaced by time the
>cultures are displaced by distance. Thus the whole journey would slowly
>take the players through a thousand years of our cultural history. Who
>knows, they may even think of a way to stop it :-).
>	If I ever get around to doing a Masters Degree in Women's Studies
>I might do it. Has anyone else seen anything like that done?
>
>			Jo Grant
>
>_______________________________________________________________________________
>Jo Jaquinta			| Warbot: "I am the very model of a modern
>jaymin@lanczos.maths.tcd.ie	|		major war machine!"
>Dublin, IRELAND			| Jakobot: "So what?"	[Extreme Paranoia]

Since there is not any evidence that there ever was a truly matriarcal 
society of any impact, the type of campaign you speak of could be completely 
original.  I encourage people to create their own societies, and not be 
bound by any attempt to copy history.

I guess they will call me a femiphobe.

Ted

-- 
"I got my brain on hype-tonight'll be your night.  Die, die, die, pig, die.  
F--k the police!  I know your family's grievin'.  F--k 'em!" -- Ice-T
"Aw, that's just black street talk." -- Ice-T (about the above line)
         -----krueger@galileo.physics.arizona.edu-----
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp,rec.games.frp.dnd
From: Rannou@info.polymtl.ca (Patrick Rannou)
Subject: Re: Dwarf Women with bears, Not!
Organization: Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, Canada
	<l9nbv7INNsp@phad.hsc.usc.edu>
	<1992Aug27.221722.17910@ncmicro.lonestar.org>
	<1992Aug29.005822.9545@cam.compserv.utas.edu.au>
Date: Sat, 29 Aug 1992 08:08:57 GMT

In article <1992Aug29.005822.9545@cam.compserv.utas.edu.au> cjudd@esk.compserv.utas.edu.au (Craig Thomas Judd) writes:


   In article <1992Aug28.201258.11731@jade.tufts.edu>, gharris@jade.tufts.edu (George W. Harris) writes:
   >
   >
   >	That's odd-- I didn't think dwarves could be Bards.  Female dwarves
   >can?

   Oh yes, it's quite true. I've known several Dwarvish women to be complete bores.
   Dwarvish men, too. I don't know where people got this idea that Dwarves can't
   be bores - it happens all the time!

Yeah, Dwarves are Brave, all right. I knew that!

--
/---------------------------\
| Patrick "Paradak" Rannou. |
| Rannou@info.polymtl.ca    |
\---------------------------/

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
From: psavoie@terranet.cts.com (Pierre Savoie)
Subject: T$R, Inc.
Organization: People-Net [terranet], Thornhill Ontario 
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 1992 06:36:07 GMT

    Lorraine Williams, the president of TSR, has steered it far away from its
fun roots.  Game design work is by anonymous committee, whereas before in the
old days you knew you could credit (or blame) Gary Gygax for something.
    How mercenary is TSR in its holy quest to sap us of more money?...
 
    ...say hello to AD&D, 3rd edition, coming in 1994.  Or so the rumour goes
from GEN CON.

UUCP: zoo.toronto.edu!generic!terranet!psavoie
ARPA: generic!terranet!psavoie@zoo.toronto.edu
INET: psavoie@terranet.cts.com
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
From: osiris@crash.cts.com (James Lanaghan)
Subject: Dream Park
Date: 25 Aug 92 19:16:15 GMT
Summary: looking for...
Keywords: Dream Park

I am looking for people that got the game Dream Park if you do send me mail,
and we can trade ideas, help each other with running games, etc.  So if you
are interested please respond.

--
No. .sig here!!!                osiris@crash.cts.com
Xref: sparky rec.games.frp:25090 rec.games.frp.misc:4953