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From:	The Reverend <MDB0213@*****.TAMU.EDU>
Subject:	10 Point rules?
Date:	Tue, 14 Sep 1993 21:12:25 -0500

Message no. 1 ]>and now a question to the character priority generation system.
]>we use the 10 point system (see Mechwarrior). With one limitation,
]>only Mages and Metahuman's(not if optional Meta is in use) could
]>assign two four's(A).
]Can I say human mundane and take 0 points each? If so, then I could
]essntially tak Tech A, Skills A, and Attributes C. . .very nice indeed for
Can I get a "not" from the congregation?

*pause*
okay. ANYWAY, though, you CANNOT use the 10 point rule. We talked to
Tom about this, since in SR1.0 (SR1 blue book, first hardback printing)
it said that you could do the 10 point thing. He said, basically, "how
the hell did THAT get in there?" and that they "never intended for that
to be in there". He told us that it was NOT sanctioned, it was a typo, and
should NOT be used. In fact, I believe that's why SR2 has ABCDE, instead of
43210.

Rev
---
The Reverend "They called me the Reverend when I entered the church unstained"
Fear the Information Revolution...for it has reached the hands of the strange.
PGP 2.2 Public Key Block available upon request

From:	Stainless Steel Rat <ratinox@***.NEU.EDU>
Subject:	Re: 10 Point rules?
Date:	Tue, 14 Sep 1993 22:17:27 EDT

Message no. 2 >>>>> "TR" == The Reverend <MDB0213@*****.TAMU.EDU> writes:

TR> okay. ANYWAY, though, you CANNOT use the 10 point rule. We
TR> talked to Tom about this, since in SR1.0 (SR1 blue book, first
TR> hardback printing) it said that you could do the 10 point thing.
TR> He said, basically, "how the hell did THAT get in there?" and that
TR> they "never intended for that to be in there". He told us that it
TR> was NOT sanctioned, it was a typo, and should NOT be used. In
TR> fact, I believe that's why SR2 has ABCDE, instead of 43210.

Ok, everyone, go dig out your Contacts book, and check out all the
"old" archetypes--the ones that were in the 1st edition rulebook, the
SSC, etc. Now figure what rankings they have. Almost all of them use
the 'add up to 10' method.

Rat <ratinox@***.neu.edu> Northeastern's Stainless Steel Rat
PGP Public Key Block available upon request Ask about rat-pgp.el v1.61
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there was, hypothetically, a problem, and it was not your fault, it would be
impossible for us to fix. That's not a supported configuration.
-- ANDREW MOLITOR (in a post on alt.fan.pern)

From:	"Robert A. Hayden" <hayden@*******.MANKATO.MSUS.EDU>
Subject:	Re: 10 Point rules?
Date:	Tue, 14 Sep 1993 21:32:01 -0500

Message no. 3 I dispise the ABCDE rule. I don't use it.

I use the 'you have 10 points, spend em where you want' rule. I also don't
make Meta-humans a special category. If you want to be a meta, you can
just by saying that is your race, BUT, you will have to deal with the
social implications; the hatred and bigotry; of that decision.

Why? Because as it is, meta-magicians are inherently weaker than human
magicians. Metas are less skilled and have lower attributes than humans.
This is racist, IMHO. This is caused by the fact you have to spend 40% of
your creation points on your race. Can you imagine if instead of an elven
race or a orc race, you could choose among African American or Hispanic or
American Indian? Can you imagine if, as the rules are, each of those
minority races, if taken, produced a starting caharacter that was
significantly less 'capable' (stats and skills) than a 'white' race?

Sorry, I don't buy it and I don't like it.

But, that's also my house rule. I cannot and will not force anyone to
use it.

------

And let me reiterate my overall opinion of 'balancing' techniques:

Phuck Game Balance.

{[> Robert A. Hayden ____ EARTH <]}
{[> \ /__ smog | bricks <]}
{[> aq650@****.INS.CWRU.Edu \/ / AIR -- mud -- FIRE <]}
{[> hayden@*******.mankato.msus.edu \/ beer | tequila <]}
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From:	The Wyrm Ouroboros <aalberdk@******.SAN.UC.EDU>
Subject:	Re: 10 Point rules?
Date:	Tue, 14 Sep 1993 23:46:59 -0400

Message no. 4 >>>>> "TR" == The Reverend <MDB0213@*****.TAMU.EDU> writes:

TR> okay. ANYWAY, though, you CANNOT use the 10 point rule. We
TR> talked to Tom about this, since in SR1.0 (SR1 blue book, first
TR> hardback printing) it said that you could do the 10 point thing.
TR> He said, basically, "how the hell did THAT get in there?" and that
TR> they "never intended for that to be in there". He told us that it
TR> was NOT sanctioned, it was a typo, and should NOT be used. In
TR> fact, I believe that's why SR2 has ABCDE, instead of 43210.

Heh. Heh heh heh. Hehheheheheheheheee.....

Sorry, had to break up and roll around on the ground laughing for five
minutes. *ahem* *acquires soapbox*

Reverend -- Tom Dowd may have created Shadowrun, but TOM DOWD DOESN'T
RUN MY CAMPAIGN. Go bloody ask M. Dowd if the following printing was
"never intended .. to be in there", and that it's a typo, wasn't
sanctioned, and should NOT be used.

"....helpful to read. As with all the Shadowrun rules, these
are primarily guidelines. If players and the gamemaster do
not agree with the working of a particular rule, or more im-
portant, how it .feels., they are free to change it. No one
is going to come by their house late one night to fin dout if
they are playing by the .published. rules. We stopped doing
that..."

--Shadowrun Second Edition, p. 180.

Tell Tommy to bite my big left toe; I use the 10-point system, toss the
cost for Metahumanity out the window, and use a completely different
essence system that allows for a body to carry above six points of
cyber. If he wants to enforce his ruling of 'you CANNOT use a 10-point
system', he can come and tell me in person -- at which time I'll laugh
in his face and tell him to go jack off, this is MY game.

--
Ouroboros
The (Dead) Wyrm of the .Net

From:	Chris Siebenmann <cks@********.UTCS.TORONTO.EDU>
Subject:	Re: 10 Point rules?
Date:	Thu, 16 Sep 1993 10:01:51 -0400

Message no. 5 When I played in an (early) campaign that used the sum-to-10
'rule' instead of 4/3/2/1/0 priorities, we had an informal rule
that you could only have one 4 priority. This seemed to keep the
most blatant abuses in check.

- cks

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