From: owner-the-edge-digest@ (The Edge Digested) To: the-edge-digest@robin-nvh.bvsd.k12.co.us Subject: The Edge Digested V1 #45 Reply-To: the-edge@robin-nvh.bvsd.k12.co.us Sender: owner-the-edge-digest@ Errors-To: owner-the-edge-digest@ Precedence: bulk The Edge Digested Thursday, April 16 1998 Volume 01 : Number 045 Today's subjects from The Edge: [The Edge] Re: Tulpas - Origins? [The Edge] Various and Sundry ... Re: [The Edge] Various and Sundry ... [The Edge] CBT Analysis [The Edge] A Moment of Silence, Please Re: [The Edge] Tulpas - Origins? Re: [The Edge] A Moment of Silence, Please ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1998 19:46:31 EDT From: AtlasGames Subject: [The Edge] Re: Tulpas - Origins? As far as I know, the word was taken from real-world paranormal beliefs. I believe Robin Laws would know more, but he's off on a trip at the moment. - -jn [O] You received this message because you are subscribed to the-edge [0] To (un)subscribe, send a message to majordomo@robin.ml.org with body of [O] (un)subscribe the-edge ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 03:38:57 -0500 From: Peter Jansen Subject: [The Edge] Various and Sundry ... Greetings all - After some time, I have finally restored my system from a hard drive crash, read the 150 or so messages from the list that accumulated in those weeks, and prepared responses to some of them. Please scroll down, as I may be responding to YOU! =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D Re: [The Edge] Quick kamikaze question At 02:08 PM 2/15/98 -0600, Paul J. Lareau wrote: >Trevor Stone wrote: > >> Long, long ago, in a galaxy far, far away, >> Lars Casteen said: >> >> >Is there a quick and easy to get rid of a kamikaze when it becomes a >> >problem for me? I'm sure there's something that gets rid of nekros >> >conditions somewhere... anyway, thanks for your time. >> > >> Exorcism. Whammy from Arcana. Pops any Nekros card. > >Also Sister Mary Evangeline. > Also may I suggest Techno-Necromancer Dr. Maria Valdez (A148) "Crank to Flip any Nekros =85 " so that you can reuse your own Kamikaze'd character. =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D Re: [The Edge] OnTE: Cheap Baboon Trick Question The people I play with don't use this card much, but when it has been used, the Chaos or Dog-Face character need not be active for it to work. The line we have had trouble with is: "=85 If DP of new target is than combined AP of both attackers, original attacker is popped and your Character survives." Seeing as this does not address all possible combinations of greater or lesser powers between the three characters involved, IMHO the best way to interpret this line is that it overrides the normal Gang Up rules for deciding popped attackers, giving the decision (of who is popped) to the player of the CBT, much like Kalev Maran's ability. Thoughts? =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D Re: [The Edge] Pierced Heart and related topics I thought the novel was good - a couple holes in the plot and a blatant deus ex machina, but overall, a good read. As a longtime gamer and someone who has never been a GM, and only role-played OTE once, I have to say, DON'T SPLIT THE PARTY!!!!!!!!!!! As a player, there is nothing worse than feeling like a mainframe process, only getting a slice of the GM's time every so often. If it necessary that the GM interact with only one person, take it outside and be quick. Otherwise, pass notes. I was recently in a four-hour one-shot where one character was not introduced until about three hours in to the session. As far as keeping the party together (including introducing them and getting them to work as a group) if the GM cannot provide the players with a good reason to WANT to stay together, then there are bigger problems with the scenario. I do realize that sometimes groups will have to act separately (fire teams in combat, etc.) and in this case I think the best thing to do is cut quickly between groups, so that the others do not get bored. Granted, having inactive players take the part of GMC's is an even better idea. =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D Re: [The Edge] William S. Burroughs - Device/Machine At 10:20 PM 4/3/98 -0600, Carl L. Congdon wrote: >Adam T. Ness wrote: >>=20 < Omitted > > Keep in mind that W.S. Burroughs was big in France...the same people >who drolled over Jerry Lewis' comic stylings. > < Omitted > > Anyway, speaking of Cut-Ups, I have a theory that the Cut-Up Machine >and the Throckmorton Device are either rivals, brothers, lovers, or any >or all of the above, and Al Amarja is as whacked as it is due to the >two machines sparring with one another. Or, following the lovers >tangent, they are each doing things to make sure the other one is used >and therefore maintained properly. > >Any thoughts? First, I think you mean "drooled". The French are already pretty droll if you ask me. Second, what makes you think they are separate entities? Perhaps, like Monique, its nature is fluid and dependent upon need and the observer. (And of course, the observer's needs as well.) =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D Re: [The Edge] Control freakyness WAS: off topic monoplies At 09:42 PM 3/19/98 EST, DocCross wrote: >Aw, the Kergillians aren't so bad.....especially broiled with a bit of= garlic >butter:) Actually, they're best in a white wine sauce with shallots, mushrooms, and garlic. =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D Re: [The Edge] Everyone's FAVORITE family, the D'Aubainne's! At 03:19 PM 2/13/98 -0000, spax wrote: >Um...which Monique would they be the children of? Personally, I think=20 >they weren't Monique's children at all, but kids the Gov. stole from a=20 >daycare operation. > > Spax > >>> Ok, We all know Monique is Constance, Cheryl and Jean-Christophe's >>> mother, but who the heck is their father? The good Doctor Nusbaum? a >>> time travleing Clyde Throckmorton?. Something FAR more sinister? >>> Perry Lyons >> >>How about this: >> >>The good Doctor, but only in the metaphysical sense. That is, Constance, >>Cheryl, and Jean-Christophe are clones of Monique and carried by her. = Yes, >>all three of them. Synthesis of a "Y" chromosome was beyond even the good >>doctor's genius (at the time) so he spliced in his own. As for why the >>kids are so weird, please note Monique's own varied natures. Note also >>this serves as a handy excuse for why the SACQ has no effect on good old >>Furchtegott, as the neurotoxin is unable to affect his genetic makeup as >>well. ( or something like that ... aside from the fact that he created= it, >>of course ... ) >> >>Pete J Which Monique? Well, drawing from the cards (pun unintended) I would have say that I see connections between Constance and card D23 (Net), between Cheryl and A41, given the religious and demonic overtones, and J-C and 71 - he's weird enough already with the Nusbaum angle, assuming you buy mine anyway. =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D That's it, thank for reading. Thanks also to Tony Hughes and Monty Python for ideas and inspiration. Pete Jansen [O] You received this message because you are subscribed to the-edge [0] To (un)subscribe, send a message to majordomo@robin.ml.org with body of [O] (un)subscribe the-edge ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 10:19:29 -0700 (PDT) From: Yanni Cooper Subject: Re: [The Edge] Various and Sundry ... - ---Peter Jansen wrote: > Re: [The Edge] OnTE: Cheap Baboon Trick Question > The people I play with don't use this card much, but when > it has been used, the Chaos or Dog-Face character need > not be active for it to work. The line we have had > trouble with is: "… If DP of new target is [greater] than > [the] combined AP of both attackers, original attacker > is popped and your Character survives." > Seeing as this does not address all possible combinations > of greater or lesser powers between the three characters > involved, IMHO the best way to interpret this line is > that it overrides the normal Gang Up rules for deciding > popped attackers, giving the decision (of who is popped) > to the player of the CBT, much like Kalev Maran's ability. > Thoughts? I don't have the card infront of me but here's my interpratation of the quoted line. Lets assume three characters A (Original Attacker) B (Babboon/Defender) C (New Target) A&Bs attack on C can go X ways: 1)power of A+B is less then C: They don't have enough power to pop C, so he survives, as does B, while A is popped (See quoted text.) 2)I don't remember what the other ways are... (; ===============Yanni Cooper=\ Chaos reigns within. | Reflect, repent, and reboot. The code was willing, | Order shall return. It considered your request, | But the chips were weak. \=aslum@rocketmail.com======== _________________________________________________________ DO YOU YAHOO!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com [O] You received this message because you are subscribed to the-edge [0] To (un)subscribe, send a message to majordomo@robin.ml.org with body of [O] (un)subscribe the-edge ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 14:54:35 -0500 From: Peter Jansen Subject: [The Edge] CBT Analysis All - In this message I will attempt a rigorous analysis of the possible outcomes of the playing of a Cheap Baboon Trick (C17), which reads in full, as follows: "Play when one of your Chaos or Dog-Face Characters is attacked. You select a new target for attack, and both original attacker and your Character Gang Up on this new target. If DP of new target is less than combined AP of both attackers, original attacker is popped and your Character survives." Given three Characters, A, the original attacker, B, a Chaos or Dog-Face Character, and C, the new target. Also keeping in mind the rules for Gang Up, which read in full: "The Character may attack along with another Character who is already attacking. The Character mayGang Up out of turn. Use the Characters' combined AP to determine whether the defender is popped. The defender can pop any attackers of the defending player's choice whose total AP scores are no higher than its DP." There are three main cases: 1. Combined AP of A+B < C's DP - Result: A & B are popped. 2: Combined AP of A+B = C's DP - Result: All Characters are popped This is the case mention by the card, and where things get sticky: 3. Combined AP of A+B > C's DP - Result: A & C are popped, per card text. But what if A's AP > C's DP? It would appear from the card that again, A & C are still the only ones popped. This, then, I understand as I read what I am writing, why they call it a CHEAP Baboon Trick. So you could, theoretically, when your Patrol Baboon (174) is attacked by Norton Rumple (D80) you could play Cheap Baboon Trick (C17) redirecting the attack to Raw Steamer (231) and get rid of a pesky Loyal Defender. Happy Whammys! Pete Jansen [O] You received this message because you are subscribed to the-edge [0] To (un)subscribe, send a message to majordomo@robin.ml.org with body of [O] (un)subscribe the-edge ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 16:17:31 EDT From: AG Jeff Subject: [The Edge] A Moment of Silence, Please This is an announcement that as of the end of this quarter, the Conspiracy has been cancelled. The Conspiracy was the official OnTE player's league. The decision to cancel it was not an easy or a fun one, but it was determined that it simply did not do enough to meet its goals for us to continue spending our resources to sustain it. All cell coordinators will receive one last issue of Propaganda (which has just been posted today) going into greater detail on our decision and offering a special parting gift to all members. Prizes from the Spring quarter have been sent along with that issue of Propaganda, as usual. In order to head off any rumors, On the Edge is still available from us via mail order, and we're still selling it to any distributors (and retailers) who want to buy it from us. The rules have not stopped working, and if you continue to play, you'll still have fun. :) Jeff Tidball Out-of-Work Conspirator General [O] You received this message because you are subscribed to the-edge [0] To (un)subscribe, send a message to majordomo@robin.ml.org with body of [O] (un)subscribe the-edge ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 14:40:06 -0700 From: David Thomas Fisher Subject: Re: [The Edge] Tulpas - Origins? This sounds very much like the story "The Circular Ruins" by Jorge Luis Borges, in which a magician decides to dream a human, and dream him in complexity that everything was encompassed, everything obeyed the laws of reality. Eventually, the god Fire came to the dreamer and gave the creation life, so that it could worship Fire. The story is to be found in _Labyrinths_, along with a number of other stories that may be of interest to the OTE GM, including one of my favorites, "El Zahir". I am obsessed with that story. :) - -- David Fisher (davefish@cory.eecs.berkeley.edu) "Seduced, shaggy Samson snored./ She scissored short. Sorely shorn,/ Soon shackled slave, Samson sighed,/ Silently scheming/ Sightlessly seeking/ Some savage, spectacular suicide." - Stanislaw Lem, "The Cyberiad" [O] You received this message because you are subscribed to the-edge [0] To (un)subscribe, send a message to majordomo@robin.ml.org with body of [O] (un)subscribe the-edge ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 22:31:37 -0700 From: Chris Johnson Subject: Re: [The Edge] A Moment of Silence, Please AG Jeff wrote: > > This is an announcement that as of the end of this quarter, the Conspiracy has > been cancelled. The Conspiracy was the official OnTE player's league. The > decision to cancel it was not an easy or a fun one, but it was determined that > it simply did not do enough to meet its goals for us to continue spending our > resources to sustain it. > > All cell coordinators will receive one last issue of Propaganda (which has > just been posted today) going into greater detail on our decision and offering > a special parting gift to all members. Prizes from the Spring quarter have > been sent along with that issue of Propaganda, as usual. > > In order to head off any rumors, On the Edge is still available from us via > mail order, and we're still selling it to any distributors (and retailers) who > want to buy it from us. The rules have not stopped working, and if you > continue to play, you'll still have fun. :) Damn. Well, it was $5 well spent, as far as I'm concerned. Thanks to Atlas for their continuing efforts...and here's to hoping that things pick up. On that note, my favorite local game store sold its one and only copy of Cloaks before I got to it, and they have been trying to reorder it from a variety of distributors for about a month, and have not been able to turn up a single copy. I'm going to try my other local game store, as they had several copies when it came out... Chris (who thinks that this distributor mess is going to get a lot worse before it gets any better) [O] You received this message because you are subscribed to the-edge [0] To (un)subscribe, send a message to majordomo@robin.ml.org with body of [O] (un)subscribe the-edge ------------------------------ End of The Edge Digested V1 #45 ******************************* [O] You received this message because you are subscribed to the-edge-digest [0] To (un)subscribe, send a message to majordomo@robin.ml.org with body of [O] (un)subscribe the-edge-digest To get off digest, subscribe the-edge [O] To post a message, send it to the-edge@robin.ml.org