From: [rg frp announce] at [magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu]
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.announce,news.answers,rec.answers
Subject: [rec.games.frp.*] Frequently asked questions Part 1
Date: 4 Jun 1994 18:26:20 GMT
Archive-name: games/roleplay/part2
Last-Modified: 6/1/94
* Asterisks denote new/updated items. *
* Please also see the DND FAQ on rec.games.frp.dnd, the Shadowrun FAQ on .cyber
and the GURPS FAQ on .misc.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON REC.GAMES.FRP HIERARCHY
This posting contains some of the most common questions that get posted
in the roleplaying discussion groups, at least those which have stock
answers and which aren't answered by the regular postings on
news.announce.newusers.
Questions Answered:
1: What are the rec.games.frp.* newsgroups for? What are their charters?
2: How do I get hold of a copy of the Net.<whatever>.Book?
3: What is the address for the <whatever> mailing list?
4: How do I access the <whoever> Games BBS?
5: Are there any clubs for roleplayers besides the one run by TSR, Inc?
6: Does anybody know what E. Gary Gygax is doing these days?
7: What about Steve Jackson Games vs. the United States Secret Service?
8: What is Fluff?
9: What is this rec.games.rpg newsgroup I keep seeing mentioned?
10: What's a Cthulhu?
11: I want to sell some of my old game stuff. How should I go about it?
12: What is Munchkinism? What does the Wizard of Oz have to do with
roleplaying games?
13: I've run out of adventure ideas for my game. Does anybody have ideas
for new plots?
*14: What game magazines are out there?
15: I've heard of the Arduin Grimoire but am unable to find it. Where is
it?
16: What is MONTY HAUL?
17: I want a group dedicated to my favorite game, how do I do it?
18: What's the Facts on ICE and bankruptcy?
19: What is FUDGE? Where Do I get it?
*20: What is the net.warhammer.project?
*21: Where's the Magic: The Gathering, or Spellfire discussion?
* - new or updated items
1: What are the rec.games.frp.* newsgroups for? What are their charters?
NAME: rec.games.frp.advocacy
CHARTER: Frequently discussion on rec.games.frp amounts to vigorously
overstated disagreement about the quality or lack thereof of
a particular game system or game company. This unmoderated
discussion newsgroup will give readers of the rec.games.frp
hierarchy an outlet for such material. This newsgroup would
be expected to hold such lines of discussion as: Champions
versus GURPS; AD&Dv1 versus AD&Dv2; AD&D stinks; class
systems versus skill based systems; game critiques wanted;
mine are bigger than yours; and so on.
NAME: rec.games.frp.announce (Moderated)
MODERATOR: Coyt Watters <[rg frp announce] at [magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu]>
backup by Joshua Levy <[j--sh--a] at [veritas.com]>
CHARTER: This group is intended for all announcements relating to
roleplaying games. This may include, but is not limited to,
game release announcements, pbem announcements, convention
announcements, and any other events. Discussion of material
in this newsgroup should be done in the appropriate
roleplaying discussion group. Please direct followup lines as
appropriate.
NAME: rec.games.frp.archives (Moderated)
MODERATOR: Steve Mansfield <[s m m] at [uunet.uu.net]>
CHARTER: This newsgroup will serve as a temporary archive for postings
that should be archived on one of the anonymous ftp or
mail-server sites, and which do not belong in one of the
other roleplaying newsgroups. Therefore only finished work
such as net.books, campaign background, convention modules,
the tabolport project, fiction, poetry, compilations, and so
on should be posted here. This newsgroup is not for
discussion purposes, and discussion of anything in this
newsgroup should take place in the appropriate roleplaying
discussion group. Please direct followup lines appropriately.
NAME: rec.games.frp.cyber
CHARTER: This moderated newsgroup is for the discussion of Cyberpunk
specific topics. This group replaces the moderated group
rec.games.cyber. Topics of a General Interest should be
directed to rec.games.frp.misc.
NAME: rec.games.frp.dnd
CHARTER: This unmoderated discussion newsgroup is for discussion of
the official rules and settings of the D&D family of
roleplaying games, produced by TSR, Inc., including
Collector's Edition Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), Basic D&D,
Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (AD&D), and AD&D Second
Edition. This proposed newsgroup would include discussion of
TSR's rules and products and compatible products, such as:
character classes; character races; monsters; magic spells;
weapons; Greyhawk; the Forgotten Realms; the Known World;
Dark Sun; Spelljammer; RavenLoft; Hollow World; City State of
the Invincible Overlord; and so on. Crossposting between this
group and other groups in the rec.games.frp hierarchy is
discouraged, however issues of general interest that happen
to involve a D&D rulebook or setting are more than welcome.
NAME: rec.games.frp.live-action
CHARTER: This unmoderated newsgroup is intended to contain all the
discussion unique to live-action roleplaying. General
roleplaying discussion should be directed to .misc, and
announcements about events should go to .announce.
NAME: rec.games.frp.marketplace
CHARTER: This unmoderated newsgroup is intended to hold For Sale and
Wanted postings for roleplaying game materials.
NAME: rec.games.frp.misc
CHARTER: This is a discussion group for all aspects of roleplaying
games which are not subsumed within another rec.games.frp.*
newsgroup. It fully replaces rec.games.frp within the
roleplaying newsgroup hierarchy. The acronym "frp" refers to
Fantasy Role-Playing, but this does not mean that the scope
of the group is restricted to pseudo medieval settings where
magic is common and powerful. The common misuse of the word
"fantasy" comes from the marketing distinction between the
literary genres of science fiction and fantasy. Fantasy
actually means anything that is set in a time or place that
is **in some essential way** unlike our own. Science Fiction
fits this definition of fantasy, as do other genres including
Horror, Tolkeinesque High Fantasy, and Westerns. Lines of
discussion in this newsgroup can be expected to include,
among other topics: roleplaying advice; gamemastering advice;
reviews of roleplaying products; scenario ideas; rules;
errata; gaming anecdotes; and many peripherally connected
subjects. Crossposting between this group and other
roleplaying discussion groups is to be discouraged.
In addition, there are a few groups which, while not part of the actual
hierarchy of rec.games.frp.*, are close cousins of the core groups:
rec.games.design is a "multicultural" group which is used to
discuss issues of game design. This group is visited by
designers of both computer and traditional games. FUDGE (q.v.)
was designed, in part, on this newsgroup.
rec.games.miniatures, while primarily a discussion group for
wargaming, often has discussion of scenery building, miniature
painting and other topics of interest to "traditional" role
gamers.
See also rec.games.board, rec.games.pbm, alt.torg and many
others for related topics.
2: How do I get hold of a copy of the Net.<whatever>.Book?
A: First off, thanks for reading the administrative articles before
posting. One of the administrative articles is entitled
"Net.*.Books" and contains details of how to get at the Net
Books, suprisingly enough. Please check in there before posting a
request to rec.games.frp.misc.
3: What is the address for the <whatever> mailing list?
A: Once again you'll find the answer in another of the
administrative articles, in this case the two part "FRP Mailing
Lists and Digests" posting. If the answer isn't in there, go
ahead and ask the net at large - if you get results, please let
us know so we can update the postings.
4: How do I access the <whoever> Games BBS?
A: First off, look in the "BBS's of interest to gamers" posting,
where a number of games companies' BBS's are listed.
5: Are there any clubs for roleplayers besides the one run by TSR, Inc?
A: Yes. There are several. The National Association for the
Advancement of Role Playing (NAARP) is nominally an association
for the USA only, but accepts members from other countries.
CARpg, which is associated with the NAARP, is the Committee for
the Advancement of Roleplaying games, and is a strong pro-gaming
voice in the fight against BADD and other groups that think that
roleplaying is evil. The following is some info for the NAARP.
The National Association for the Advancement of Role-Playing, Inc
is a national non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the
hobby of role-playing. NAARP provides its members with an annual
membership directory, so game players can contact each other.
NAARP publishes a quarterly newsletter featuring information on
upcoming releases from the industry, and news about conventions.
NAARP is also dedicated to educating the public about the hobby
through tournaments and public discussions.
If you'd like a membership form and more information, send an
SASE to
NAARP, Inc
P.O.Box 2752
Chapel Hill, NC 27515-2752
or if you have specific questions E-Mail to
USENET chatham![r--r--n] at [duke.cs.duke.edu]
WWIV Net [REDACTED] at [9955]
6: Does anybody know what E. Gary Gygax is doing these days?
A: As of May 17, 1992 EGG has completed a multi-genre fantasy
roleplaying game for Game Designer's Workshop to be called
Dangerous Dimensions. June 5: The name was changed to Dangerous
Journeys, rumors were that TSR had some problems with the "D&D"
abbreviation. It has been released and is now on the market.
March 22, 1994: A two year lawsuit involving the rights to the
Dangerous Journeys multigenre roleplaying game recently came to
a conclusion. On March 18, TSR, Game Designers Workshop (GDW),
Omega Helios, Trigee Enterprises Corporation, and Gary Gygax
jointly announced all rights to the game system were acquired
by TSR.
7: Wasn't there a lawsuit between Steve Jackson Games and the Secret Service?
A: You bet, and without further ado, here's email from SJ himself:
PRESS RELEASE March 15, 1993 - For Immediate Release
STEVE JACKSON GAMES WINS SUIT AGAINST SECRET SERVICE
Steve Jackson Games and its co-plaintiffs - Steve Jackson himself
and three users of the Illuminati Bulletin Board - have won their
lawsuit against the US Secret Service. The decision was announced
late Friday, March 12.
Federal judge Sam Sparks ruled for SJ Games on the PPA (Privacy
Protection Act), saying that the publisher's work product was
unlawfully seized and held. Under the ECPA (Electronic Communications
Privacy Act), he ruled that the Secret Service had unlawfully read,
disclosed and erased the messages - despite their repeated denials
that they had done any such thing. On a separate ECPA count, he ruled
for the defendants, saying that taking the computer out the door was
not an "interception" of the messages on it within the meaning of the
law.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation, which sponsored the suit, hailed
the decision as "groundbreaking." According to Mike Godwin, legal
services counsel for the EFF, "This case should send a message to law-
enforcement groups everywhere that they can't ignore the rights of
those who communicate by computer."
The judge awarded damages of $1,000 per plaintiff under the ECPA, for
a total of $5,000. Under the PPA, he awarded SJ Games $42,259 for lost
profits in 1990, and out-of-pocket costs of $8,781. The plaintiff's
attorneys are also entitled to costs, an amount which will be well in
excess of $200,000.
The Justice Department has not stated whether it will appeal.
Sparks' opinion was quite critical of the Secret Service's behavior,
before, during and after their raid, calling the affidavit and
warrant preparation "simply sloppy and not carefully done."
Commented Steve Jackson: "I'm overjoyed, and a little numb. We stood
up to them and we won. It was never a sure thing . . . legally, this
is all new ground. We won because what the Secret Service did to us
was totally outrageous, and because our lawyers did a great job of
penetrating their cover-up and bringing out all the facts.
"I'm more grateful than I can say to the Electronic Frontier
Foundation for making the suit possible. And since the government
will have to pay our legal costs, the EFF will get their money back,
to fight the next case!
"And if I've gained any notoriety from all this mess, I want to use
it to work for changes in the law, to stop this kind of abuse forever."
And, another note:
NEWSFLASH! STEVE JACKSON GAMES WINS LAWSUIT AGAINST U.S. SECRET SERVICE
A games publisher has won a lawsuit against the U.S. Secret Service
and the federal government in a groundbreaking case involving
computer publications and electronic-mail privacy.
In a decision announced Friday, March 12, Judge Sparks of the
federal district court for the Western District of Texas
announced that the case of Steve Jackson Games et al. versus the
U.S. Secret Service and the United States Government has been
decided for the plaintiffs.
Judge Sparks awarded more than $50,000 in damages to the plaintiffs,
citing lost profits for Steve Jackson Games, violations of the
Electronic Communications Privacy Act, and violations of the Privacy
Protection Act of 1980. The judge also stated that plaintiffs would
be reimbursed for their attorneys' fees.
The judge did not find that Secret Service agents had "intercepted"
the electronic communications that were captured when agents
seized the Illuminati BBS in an early-morning raid in spring of
1990 as part of a computer-crime investigation. The judge did
find, however, that the ECPA had been violated by the agents'
seizure of stored electronic communications on the system.
Judge Sparks also found that the Secret Service had violated
Steve Jackson Games's rights as a publisher under the Privacy
Protection Act of 1980, a federal law designed to limit the
ability of law-enforcement agents to engage in searches and
seizures of publishers.
Mike Godwin, legal services counsel for the Electronic Frontier
Foundation, which has underwritten and supported the case since
it was filed in 1991, said he is pleased with the decision.
"This case is a major step forward in protecting the rights of
those who use computers to send private mail to each other or
who use computers to create and disseminate publications."
"Judge Sparks has made it eminently clear that the Secret
Service acted irresponsibly," Godwin said. "This case should
send a message to law-enforcement groups everywhere that they
can't ignore the rights of those who communicate by computer."
Press can contact Mike Godwin at 617-576-4510, or by
pager at 1-800-SKYPAGE, 595-0535.
Update: The government has agreed to a cost figure in excess of
a quarter-million dollars - this goes to the EFF and the lawyers,
not us. However, they still have a month in which to turn around
and appeal . . .
8: What is Fluff?
A: Fluff is the polite net.word for stories based on roleplaying
campaigns. Net roleplayers are violently divided on the quality
and utility of stories on the network. If you post your stories
to rec.games.frp.misc please put STORY: at the beginning of the
subject line so that those who hate fluff can avoid it and those
who love it can find it, and use a consistent title so that those
who like or dislike your stories can identify them quickly.
Fluff also is used to indicate non-gaming compilations such as
the "Famous Last Words" and "Secret Government Warehouse" lists.
9: What is this rec.games.rpg newsgroup I keep seeing mentioned?
A: rec.games.rpg is a defunct newsgroup that was created (amongst
some controversy) a few years ago and then promptly deleted from
most of the news sites in the world. However, some sites still
carry it. It only propagates to 20% or so of the net.world. If
you want to discuss roleplaying games but are not interested in
the "fantasy" genre your best bet is to participate on
rec.games.frp.misc instead of trying to use rec.games.rpg, which
reaches only a fraction of the readership of the official groups.
If your site gets rec.games.rpg, you should ask your friendly
sysadmin to remove it.
10: What's a Cthulhu?
A: H.P.Lovecraft wrote a number of scary science fiction stories
in the early twentieth century. These stories, along with others
written in conscious imitation of Lovecraft by like minded
writers, have come to be known as the "Cthulhu Mythos" of
stories after Cthulhu, who is an awful, terrible being from the
stars who sleeps in his temple in a sunken island much like
Atlantis in the seas of the Earth.
There is a group for discussing this topic: alt.horror.cthulhu
11: I want to sell some of my old game stuff. How should I go about it?
A11: Post to rec.games.frp.marketplace. There are several things that
you should do if you are selling items through news: (1)
describe each item you have for sale, including complete,
accurate name and publication information (2) if you have firm
prices or minimum bids for items, put them in your posting. (3)
supply a valid internet return address.
12: What is Munchkinism? What does the Wizard of Oz have to do with
roleplaying games?
A12: Munchkinism is similar to "Monty Haul" gaming; however it involves
playing at incredible power levels purely for the sake of
watching the terrain get blown away by player characters who
are unstoppable. Munchkinism also involves "rules rape," wherein
players milk every advantage out of the rules. Often a munchkin
will carry a favorite character from game to game, usually with
the maximum allowable ability scores, skill ratings, etc - and
enough hardware/magic to destroy the planet four times over.
Munchkin is the term referring to the ages of players who do this,
as a general rule, munchkins are younger gamers, in their early
teens.
13: I've run out of adventure ideas for my game. Does anybody have ideas
for new plots?
A13: There are only so many times you can use the same plot pattern
before it grows tiresome. So use different plot patterns.
This is condensed from Georges Polti's _The 36 Dramatic Plots_.
Each short plot description starts with the title of the plot
pattern. After a hyphen the main characters to be found in the
plot are given, separated by commas.
Supplication - Persecutor, Suppliant, a Power in Authority
Deliverance - Unfortunates, Threatener, Rescuer
Revenge - Avenger, Criminal
Vengeance by Family upon Family - Avenging Kinsman, Guilty
Kinsman, Relative
Pursuit - Fugitive from Punishment, Pursuer
Victim of Cruelty or Misfortune - Unfortunates, Master or Unlucky
Person
Disaster - Vanquished Power, Victorious Power or Messenger
Revolt - Tyrant, Conspirator(s)
Daring Enterprise - Bold Leader, Goal, Adversary
Abduction - Abductor, Abducted, Guardian
Enigma - Interrogator, Seeker, Problem
Obtaining - Two or more Opposing Parties, Object, maybe an
Arbitrator
Familial Hatred - Two Family Members who hate each other
Familial Rivalry - Preferred Kinsman, Rejected Kinsman, Object
Murderous Adultery - Two Adulterers, the Betrayed
Madness - Madman, Victim
Fatal Imprudence - Imprudent person, Victim o lost ect
Involuntary Crimes of Love - Lover,eloveRevea
Kinsman Kills Unrecognized Kinsman - Killer, Unrecognized Victim,
Revealer
Self Sacrifice for an Ideal - Hero, Ideal, Person or Thing
Sacrificed
Self Sacrifice for Kindred - Hero, Kinsman, Person or Thing
Sacrificed
All Sacrificed for Passion - Lover, Object of Passion, Person or
Thing Sacrificed
Sacrifice of Loved Ones - Hero, Beloved Victim, Need for
Sacrifice
Rivalry Between Superior and Inferior - Superior, Inferior,
Object
Adultery - Deceived Spouse, Two Adulterers
Crimes of Love - Lover, Beloved, theme of Dissolution
Discovery of Dishonor of a Loved One - Discoverer, Guilty One
Obstacles to Love - Two Lovers, Obstacle
An Enemy Loved - Beloved Enemy, Lover, Hater
Ambition - An Ambitious Person, Coveted Thing, Adversary
Conflict with a God - Mortal, Immortal
Mistaken Jealousy - Jealous One, Object of Jealousy, Supposed
Accomplice, Author of Mistake
Faulty Judgement - Mistaken One, Victim of Mistake, Author of
Mistake, Guilty Person
Remorse - Culprit, Victim, Interrogator
Recovery of a Lost One - Seeker, One Found
Loss of Loved Ones - Kinsman Slain, Kinsman Witness, Executioner
14: What game magazines are out there?
A14: Here is a limited list. I know there are more, but these are all
available at the addresses given.
White Wolf Magazine
4153 Indian Manor Drive
Stone Mountain, GA 30083
Bi-monthly, $25/yr US, $40/yr Canada, $52/yr Overseas
404/292-1819; FAX: 404/292-9426
** Alarums and Excursions
Attn: Lee Gold
3965 Alla Road
Los Angeles, CA 90066
Monthly, Postage + $1.50 per issue
310/306-7456
Polyhedron Newszine
RPGA Network Headquarters
POB 515
Lake Geneva, WI 53147
Silver Griffin
Attn: Devlin Janax
POB 1751
Saint Paul, MN 55101
The Gamer
127 N. Madison St, Suite 202
Pasadena, CA 91101
818/795-8130
Bi-monthly, $15/yr; $25/yr Canada or Mexico; $40/yr elsewhere
Dragon (US)
POB 756
Lake Geneva, WI 53147
Monthly, $30/yr; $50/yr anywhere other than US, Canada, or Europe
Ph: 414/248-3625; Fax: 414/248-0389
Dragon (Europe)
120 Church End, Cherry Hinton,
Cambridge CB1 3LB, United Kingdom
Monthly, 16 pounds/yr UK, 24 pounds/yr Non-UK Europe
Ph: (0223) 212517
The Unspeakable Oath
Pagan Publishing
1409 Wilson Ave.
Columbia, MO 65201
Quarterly, $4 per issue
Inet: [C 521832] at [umcvmb.missouri.edu]
Tales of the Reaching Moon: THE RuneQuest(tm) Magazine/Fanzine
Quarterly, price varies by country
UK: David Hall, 21 Stephenson Court, Osborne St, Slough,
Berkshire, SL1 1TN, #1.75 per issue, or #5 for three
Au: Michael O'Brien, 2/33 Carween Ave., Mitcham 3132, Victoria
$5 (AU) per issue
US & Canada: David Gadbois, PO Box 49475, Austin, TX 78765, USA,
[g--b--s] at [cs.utexas.edu], $3 (US) per issue
Germany: Dr. Lutz Reimers-Rawcliffe, Theodor-Heuss-Ring 1,
D-5000 Koln 1
Norway: Lars-Roger Moe, Hans Hagerupsgt. 1, 7012, Trondheim
Sweden: Jussi Hyvonen, Henniksdalsringen 65, S-131 32, Nacka
Finland: Lauri Tudeer, Fantasiapelit Tudeer Oy, Laulurastaantie 1,
01450 Vantaa
Vortext
Vortext Publishing
5506 Beaudry St #C
EmeryVille CA 94608 USA
Quarterly, US$2.75 per issue, $10 subs. ( 4 issues )
Abyss
Ragnarok Enterprises
POB 140333,
Austin TX 78714 USA
Quarterly(?), US$2 per iss, $10/6, $18/12, $25/18 iss
Ph: 1-(512)-472-6535
Dungeon
Dungeon Adventures
TSR, Inc.
POB 5695
Boston MA 02206
Bimonthly, US$3.75 per iss, $18/yr subs
Interface
R. Talsorian Games
P.O.Box 7356
Berkeley, CA 94707
One year subscription is $16 USA in USA and Canada, $26 elsewhere.
The Eternal Soldier Newsletter
Tom Harris
1837 Paddington
Naperville, IL 60563
Internet: [z--nk--r] at [ihlpf.att.com]
The Eternal Soldier Newsletter is a Twilight 2000 /Merc 2000 based
amateur newsletter published with the help of GDW. The editor Tom
Harris has a net address and will accept submissions for publication
via e-mail Articles regarding Dark Conspiracy and Cadillacs and
Dinosaurs will be accepted as well. S-mail address is 1837
Paddington, Naperville, IL 60563.
Space Gamer
P.O. Box 11424
Burbank, CA 91510-1424
(818) 845-4201
The Last Province
TFR 45 Duke Street
Edinburgh, Scotland
EH6 8HH
TLP is a general gaming magazine, dedicated to intelligent
articles and scenarios about a large variety of role-playing
games.
It is available in the US currently through Atlas Games
distributors, and should go into print in the US presently.
Metagame
Society for Interactive Literature (SIL)
PO Box 44-1478
Somerville, MA 02144-1478
email: [o--e--l] at [husc.harvard.edu] (John O'Neil)
Cryptych Magazine
30617 US HWY 19 N
Ste 700
Palm Harbor, FL 34684
[c--pt--h] at [wizards.com]
[cryptych l] at [wizards.com]
Up to date news on Grimoire Games can be found in Cryptych's
newsletter section.
We regularly feature company newsletters from:
Digital Alchemy Faysylwood Press
Global Games Grimoire Games
Heartbreaker Howling Falcon
Mayfair NBOS Software
Peregrine Reaper Miniatures
Studio X West End Games
Wizards of the Coast (and Daedalus games starting in MAY)
** KNIGHTLINE is a new gaming magazine ( seems to be in
the mould of Cryptych and Shadis ) and is seeking submissions.
Originally meant to be a club newsletter, KNIGHTLINE is expanding
to become a professional magazine.
For more information or to make submissions contact --
KNIGHTLINE -or- Tom Sullivan
c/o DVGL Colonial Square West, 724B
PO Box 3055 385 Hofstra University
Cherry Hill, NJ 08034 Hempstead, NY 11550
(609) 662-7488 (516) 463-7373
** SCRYE is a trading card game collector's guide.
SCRYE features: Spellfire & Supers and lists every
M:TG card from the alpha to the revised, giving average high/low prices
for each card. We have the rules for Spellfire and a description of
Supers play and they will appear in advance of release of both games.
SCRYE also includes regional retail information... giving readers an
idea of cross country currents, articles on all aspects of collecting.
SCRYE cover price is $2.95 US.
Subscriptions are $14.95 US to a US Address.
(FL res. inc. State Sales Tax)
$22.95 CAN to a Canadian address
$40.00 US Overseas Air
Any questions can be directed to <[c--pt--h] at [wizards.com]>.
15: I've heard of the Arduin Grimoire but am unable to find it.
Where is it?
A15: When Dave Hargrave passed away the rights to the Arduin line
were split between two companies. The two companies' addresses
are as follows:
Dragon Tree Press
118 Sayles Blvd
Abilene, TX 79605
Has rights to Arduin Grimoires IV, V, VI, VII, and VIII (or 5-8)
Grimoire Games
POB 4363
Berkeley, CA 94704
Has rights to the original Arduin Trilogy, and the Arduin
Adventure, which turns Arduin from a D&D supplement (WHICH IT
REALLY IS, down to reproducing the typos in the original D&D
monster listings) to a free-standing game.
16: What (or who) is Monty Haul?
A16: Monty Hall was the host of an American game show called
_Let's Make a Deal_, which was on in the 60s and 70s. People
would dress up in stupid costumes and come onto the show
and Monty would hand them money then talk them into trading
it for whatever's behind curtain number one, number two, or
number three, or you can keep the money, or you can take this
box right here. He would keep on getting them to trade, some
times letting them see what they had so far and sometimes not,
until they declined to trade any more. Sometimes they would
win a car, a hawaiian vacation, an airstream mobile home, and
other times they would win a goat, a bucket of rubber monkeys,
or a year's supply of automotive wax. The prizes were random,
sometimes good, sometimes bad. Gary Gygax dubbed a style of
play of D&D where the gamemaster hides treasures behind some
doors and monsters behind others Monty Haul style, punning
on the game show's host.
17: I want a group dedicated to my favorite game, how do I do it?
A17a: The simple answer is not to do it at all, you'll save yourself a lot
of grief and pain if you learn to use a KILLFILE to limit the volume
of information you receive. The current hierarchy was forged after a
long discussion and massive flaming. If you insist on trying, please
read the guidelines for group creation over on news.answers. In a
nutshell, you have to start a request for discussion on news.groups,
which must be at least two weeks long. In the rec.games.frp.* is was
considerably longer, because of all the bugs which were ironed out.
After getting an acceptable charter and namespace figured out, then
a VOTE must be run. This vote has to meet certain criteria to
fulfill the guidelines for group creation. If, and only when the
vote is considered VALID, i.e. there are no legitimate complaints
about the voting, the new group is created. ALT groups are easier to
start, because there is no network control over ALT groups, however
ALT is only carried on about 10% of the net.
A17b: Check the fourth and fifth parts of this informational bulletin,
ROLEPLAYING MAILING LISTS AND DIGESTS, there is a good chance the
system you want to discuss already has a mailing list dedicated to
it. Mailing lists send the postings directly to your mailer,
rather than reading them through netnews.
18: What's the Facts on ICE and bankruptcy? *
A18: John Nephew [j--p--w] at [carleton.edu]:
Someone raised the question of ICE's solvency. I asked Bruce Harlick
of Hero Games ([B--c--H] at [aol.com]) about these rumors, and he responded:
>ICE is NOT in Chapter 7, Chapter 11, or Chapter 13. They were in a
>voluntary-type of receivership, but it wasn't a formal one. They are
>out of that now. They are even starting to pay off their back author
>debt! Or so I've heard. ICE should be in fine financial shape.
So that should settle the rumors. :)
19: What is FUDGE? Where do I get it?
A19: Here's an extraction from:
"FUDGE Frequently Asked Questions, (answers by Steffan O'Sullivan):"
Q1. What is FUDGE?
===================
A1. FUDGE is a free role-playing game (face-to-face table gaming, that
is - not a computer game or Live Roleplaying Game). It is just a
gaming "engine" - each GM must provide the "body" of the RPG in
order to make it work. A certain amount of customization work is
necessary in order to use FUDGE, and many things are left
unstated: the GM will have to fudge a lot.
However, it provides a simple, word-based mechanism for creating
characters and resolving actions that is very easy to use in
almost any given situation.
FUDGE stands for:
Freeform (simple, laid-back, not rules-heavy. Customizable to
taste.)
Universal (usable with any genre.)
Donated (it costs nothing, and may be reproduced and given to
players legally.)
Gaming (role-playing gaming, that is.)
Engine (it's just the basic mechanism for character creation
and development, as well as action resolution. No
world details are provided.)
FUDGE was written by, and is copyright by, Steffan O'Sullivan.
Much valuable aid was received from many people on
rec.games.design, most of whom are credited in the actual FUDGE
manuscript.
Q2. Who is the target audience?
================================
A2. FUDGE is for experienced GMs, though it can be used with novice
players. You must enjoy making decisions on the fly in order to
run FUDGE. It's also not for those who want extreme detail. You
must enjoy either creating or adapting your own world background,
as none is provided (but sample characters from a number of genres
are included).
Q4. Where can I get it?
========================
A4. FUDGE is available via anonymous ftp from:
Site: oz.plymouth.edu
Directory: pub/fudge
It is in a single, compressed, tarred file called fudge.tar.Z.
Ask your sys admin if you don't know how to ftp or extract files
from a tarred, compressed file.
Basically, after you get the file via ftp (be sure to enter "binary"
before getting the file), you first uncompress it then untar it:
uncompress fudge.tar.Z
tar xf fudge.tar
Q5. Can I contribute?
======================
A5. Yes, you can. I am acting as "editor" (or "filter" if you prefer)
for suggestions and feedback. This is very subjective, however,
so don't be offended if your suggestions don't make it into the
main text. My main criteria for including rules are simplicity
and necessity. At this point, new suggestions won't make it in
the main text for a few months, at best.
It is easier to contribute to the Addenda that is attached to
FUDGE. I still filter things, but am more tolerant. Simply write
a clear, concise rules addition, in ASCII, using existing Addenda
sections as guidelines. E-mail any submissions to:
[s--s] at [oz.plymouth.edu.]
(MS-DOS ASCII or XyWrite format submissions may be sent to:
Steffan O'Sullivan, P.O. Box 465, Plymouth, NH 03264 USA.)
Q20) What is the net.Warhammer.project?
A) The net.warhammer project has been around for around 16 months, set
up in response to people wanting a net.collection of new material
created by fellow net dwellers for Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay.
The idea is to set up a central location where ideas and creativity
can be shared. I am interested in hearing from anyone who has ever
written their own spell, monster or career class; designed their
own adventure or campaign setting; written their own computer
program or ANYTHING for Warhammer, and who is interested in sharing
their efforts with others.
Much of the material is under constant revision, and all the
authors would appreciate feedback - if you like it, EMail the
contributor and tell him to keep up the good work - if you don't
like it, give some constructive criticism. All work remains the
property of the contributor.
The archive can be accessed via anonymous ftp to
greyhawk.stanford.edu in the D_D/incoming/Warhammer directory.
The net.warhammer project co-ordinator is David Peterson, who can
be contacted via EMail at [p--er--n] at [sage.newcastle.edu.au]
Q21: Where is the discussion on Magic: The Gathering or Spellfire?
A: Quite simply, these "deckmaster" type games have their own newsgroup:
rec.games.board.deckmaster. Sales and trades take place on both
rec.games.board.marketplace and rec.games.frp.marketplace.
===============================================================================
The rec.games.frp general FAQ is maintained by Coyt D. Watters
[c--tt--s] at [magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu]
Free or at cost distribution rights granted in all instances, for profit or
cost+ distribution rights require a signed release.