| From: | Doctor Doom <JCH8169@*****.TAMU.EDU> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | The Return of Doom |
| Date: | Wed, 25 Aug 1993 01:46:52 -0500 |
I extend my most sincere greetings and poignant felicitations to the denizens
of this, the ShadowRun mailserver, juxtaposed to a cordial welcome to those
individuals who saw fit to join during my extended absence!
Indeed, I have observed the collected efforts of the list's occupants from
afar, experiencing considerable frustration due to my location completely
precluding any direct communication. Therefore, I am driven to this
alternative, which is to comment upon various and sundry topics from the
weeks past:
1. J. R. R. Tolkien
I do not accept the postulation that Herr Tolkien is universally, or
even generally despised in 2054. Drawing from contemporary referents, there is
the instance of those endeavors to bring about the removal of Mark Twain's
works (more often than not from school libraries). During such efforts, the
texts in question are frequently assailed for reasons based on the "unpopular"
(or insensitive) depictions of individuals of minority ethnic groups coupled
with language considered derogatory in current settings.
Following this, one is more likely to conclude Herr Tolkien is disliked
among various metahuman groups (the emphasis being particularly upon Orks and
Trolls) and certainly metahuman rights activists.
The counter point to this are those individuals who take great (and I
would argue almost juvenile) pleasure in perusing unpopular texts, the
motivation behind their selection based merely on the merit of their "banned"
status.
Of course there are also those who do still read Tolkien's tomes for
their literary merit, which could be judged to be, dependent upon the reader's
particular tastes, considerable.
2. MegaCorporations
Some time ago, commentary touched upon the subject of the relative
power and authority of the MegaCorporations; suggestions were put forth
implying all states were impotent comparatively. It should be pointed out that
not all nations have thus "hobbled" themselves in terms of authority. It is
true that UCAS has, via the series of Supreme Court decisions detailed in "And
So It Came to Pass...", almost literally "sold out" to business interests;
however, not all states have followed this.
One generates the impression England, in the guise of the Lord
Protector, does manage to rule with a firm hand. The same could be said of Tir
An Nog and Tir Tairngire. A similar approach was employed by myself when I
formulated my profile on the Fourth Empire of Germany, a country where the
central authority is so powerful, even the MegaCorps must tread quietly (makes
for quite subdued shadowrunning, where discretion is imminently more vital).
Truly, it likely varies considerably from state to state, depending
upon the Game Master's purpose and the available literature on the region.
3. Jumping
I perceived a brief discussion regarding computation of jumping
distances, which therefore motivated me to query unto The Dark Lord on High
regarding the conspicuous absence of guidelines for such purposes. What
followed was a short discussion with him regarding several possible approaches
to the solution of this conundrum. The ultimate result was this:
Jumping distance is contingent upon the circumstances and upon which
dimensional axis a certain threshold of distance must be achieved.
In all cases, it is a Strength or Quickness test--whichever is higher--against
a Target Number of the character's Body. Athletics or a concentration
thereof may naturally be supplanted for either, reflecting intensive training
or skill; although it cannot be utilized to AUGMENT the other test.
In instances involving Horizontal distance:
When the character has a running start, each success counts 1 meter.
Without a running start, each success equates to .5 meters.
For Vertical distance:
With a running start, each success is 1/3 meter.
If jumping from a stationary position, each success is .25 meters.
4. Dual Weapon Skills
The many and varied proposals mainly concerned with making this far
more potent. Although I shall not endeavor to assert these suggestions are
Munkinous, there is a aspect of these designs that has been a source of
vexation for me:
What does one exchange for this increased potency? What ARE the disadvantages?
For all the speculation for how one would determine the greater effectiveness
of Florentine or other dual weapon styles, discussion of any requirements or
costs has been manifestly lacking in the debate.
At the very least, the skill should require more Karma to elevate. One
possibility would be to would treat it as a Specialization (possibly a
Concentration); however, require the player expend Karma for advancement as
though it were a General Skill. Furthermore, I would suggest some Karma
requirement for purchasing Ambidexterity.
Remember: EVERYTHING comes at a price.
5. Psionic (Mental) Adepts
If one truly wishes to be a psionicist, I would suggest to generate a
Sorcery Adept whilst restricting spell choices to those which would adhere or
could be approximated by the the traditional and cinematic mental powers.
There does not seem to be a glaring need for a entirely new class of
character, especically one calling for copious lists of innovative (and
occasionally unbalancing) powers.
6. Paper and Coin Currency
The Dark Lord on High: YES, it does still exist. The UCAS dollar is
in circulation, equal to approximately 1/5 nuyen. Paper currency transactions
are common in UCAS (although slightly less so in Seattle) for their endearing
quality of being untraceable without requiring a certified credstick. In the
instance of other countries, it is the call of the Game Master (or author of
the country's profile). However, the nuyen exists EXCLUSIVELY in electronic
form. There are no nuyen coins or bills.
Ahhh, 'tis so good to be back!
Colonel Count von Hohenzollern und von Doom, DMSc, DSc, PhD.
Doom Technologies & Weapon Systems -- Dark Thought Publications
>>> Working on solutions best left in the dark.
<<<
[ Doctor Doom : jch8169@********.tamu.edu ]
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^
"Attack, attack, and when in doubt, ATTACK!" -- Frederick the Great of Prussia
