The List of Character Survival Techniques V1.3 [LONG]
Willem van Driel
This is the list so far (last updated October 10th 1999). It contains
advice for both low-tech and hi-tech games. It may sometimes seem a bit
incongruous, with AD&D stuff right next to something directly from a
cyberpunk game, but all in all I think the point usually comes across.
Anyway, I've tried to keep the advice general enough to be of use in a
wide range of games. I've also tried to keep it practical and to avoid
such advice as 'don't get shot' or 'don't mess with dragons'. (Heaven
help you if you needed to be told those things :-)
The most recent version of this list can be found on my website at
http://home.wxs.nl/~jvdriel. For those of you who wish to put the list
on your own website, that's fine by me as long as: a. it's not done for
profit and b. the contents aren't altered. If you let me know that
you've put the list on your site, I'll make sure you automatically get
any new versions.
Finally, I'd like to give a warm thanks to everyone who sent in their
advice and comments. This list wouldn't have been possible without you.
Willem van Driel <jvan...@wxs.nl>
[Note: * indicates new or revised entries.]
---INDEX---
Equipment.
Combat.
Character creation.
Negotiations.
Extreme environments.
General advice and strategy.
---EQUIPMENT---
1. The 10 ft pole (Thaddeus Moore)
As in the expression "I wouldn't touch that with a ten foot pole!" Well
I guess u could carry a larger one. In a party I once played with the
thief carried a collapsible 10 ft pole, made of sections with treaded
ends so they could be screwed together. I think he also had some kind of
pulley operated claw at the end. For picking things up, very useful for
detecting trip wires and pulling suspicious levers too.
2. Bandages (Lloyd Revious)
Bandages are a must!!! Unless your DM just kills you and doesn't do
unconsciousness or bleeding to death.
3. Chalk
A good way to keep from getting lost in dungeons and mazes. When you
leave a mark, add a small, hardly noticeable detail so that you'll be
able to tell if someone has messed around with your signs.
4. Crowbar
At least one person in the group should carry one. That way, you won't
have to start using Excalibur to pry open a wooden chest or door. In an
emergency, a crowbar will also serve as a weapon.
5. Lightsources
Always carry torches, a flashlight or some other form of illumination. A
coin with continual light cast on it is popular in many AD&D campaigns,
though you shouldn't neglect to bring some ordinary lightsources with
you as well. Otherwise a simple dispel magic could leave you groping in
the dark. A burning torch can also be useful as a weapon, especially
against animals and regenerating monsters.
6. Straps (Lloyd Revious)
String or leather tie straps are almost as useful as rope. Then you
don't have to cut up your much needed climbing rope to tie up a prisoner
(or whatever).
7. Piano Wire (Thaddeus Moore)
Thin very strong (metal?) wire, can be used to bind things together or
for trip wires. Use in conjunction with spikes and drive them in at
various heights. While traveling through a dimly lit corridor the group
came to a wooden door. They listen and heard orcish voices on the other
side. So they doused all the torches on the walls. And set up piano wire
at head level by driving spikes into the wall and fastening the wire to
them. Then the group's fastest runner opened the door, taunted the orcs
and took off down the hall. The party had notched the wall where the
wire was. And the runner was able to duck and keep running. While the
orcs got some nasty headaches.
8. Firestarters
Fire is one of the most useful things there is. It can be used for
illumination, warmth and destruction. You should always carry the means
for making fire, whether it's old-fashioned flint and steel or a
zippo-lighter.
9. The small mirror on a stick
Ideal for looking around corners. Also useful if you're being shot at
and don't want to stick you're head out of cover. (Believe me, taking a
quick peek only works in the movies. In real life (well, real
role-playing), a quick peek isn't enough to give you any useful
information but it's certainly enough for a sharpshooter to add a third
eye).
10. Rope (The Wizard)
Rope, you can never have enough, every PC should carry some, and at
least one PC should have a grapple hook. Try to get silk rope, lighter
and stronger.
11. Wooden wedges
Shoving a wedge under a door is a much quicker way of blocking it than
by piling up furniture (of course, you should always make sure the door
opens in the right direction). Alternatively, a wedge can keep doors
from closing behind you (secret doors tend to have this nasty tendency).
12. Fire extinguisher (Boltcutter)
[Shadowrun] Keep a fire extinguisher by the bedside; ritual magic's
payback, and payback's a bitch.
13. Missile weapons
Always carry a missile weapon with you, even if it's only a couple of
darts or a small pistol and even if you don't have the relevant skill.
If an enemy is coming at you from a distance, a missile weapon basically
means you get some free attacks. Also, there will be times when a gun or
bow is simply the only way you can reach the enemy. Besides, a missile
weapon can be very useful for intimidation purposes.
14a. ID (Craig L Wigda)
Always have a spare "fake" ID handy (several if you can get them). Have
"real" or "false" permits for your gear (cyberware or weapons, or any
other restricted items).
14b. ID (Blank Dave)
Don't forget a badly faded piece of ID. Man I can't believe Superman
believed me when I said my union card was a Cross Dimensional
Immigration Authority card.
15. Fake plates (Craig L Wigda)
Have at least two other sets of license plates made up for your vehicle
that match a "legally" registered vehicle of the same make and model
(having the fake ID to go with the plates is also needed, just for your
common traffic offenses).
16. Smoke grenades
When pinned down by enemy fire, a well-placed smoke grenade might be
your only way out. My own group got stuck in a building once. We were
completely surrounded by snipers and getting to the nearest neighboring
building meant having to run across a lot of open ground. I would have
given a lot to have had some smoke-grenades back then.
17. Stethoscope
Useful for finding out if there's anybody on the other side of a door,
or for listening in on conversations in the room next-door.
18. Pistols and knives (Blank Dave)
Pack a pistol and a knife (both are easy to hide, cheap to lose, and are
like brains (everyone's got one, but few use them). They will go
unnoticed, and if not they probably won't draw much attention, unlike
monoswords and assault shotguns. Neither might pack much kick, but their
general utility level makes up for that.)
19. Nasties (Lloyd Revious)
One thing I also like to do <...> is add some nasties. Like say
caltrops, snap traps, dog pepper, or anything else your devious heart
desires.
20. Stun weapons
Carry some sort of stun weapon (tasers, darts coated with sleeping
poison, etc.) in case you need to capture someone unharmed (for example:
a partymember who has been possessed or has gone berserk). You might
even want to consider making a stun weapon your primary weapon of
choice. People who don't leave trails of corpses behind usually get less
hassle from the law. You also run less risk of being hunted down by the
familymembers or friends of your victims (a lot of action movies are
based on that concept and who knows where your gamemaster gets his or
her ideas).
21. Protective clothing
You never know what you're going to have to touch or walk on, so a pair
of heavy gloves and strong boots should definitely be part of your
inventory. Players in a more futuristic setting might want to carry some
gloves and boots capable of withstanding toxic waste. If you've got the
money and vehicle-space, bring along an entire environment-suit.
22a. Paper and pen (Klaus AE. Mogensen)
Useful for drawing maps, writing messages, doing calculations, drawing
portraits ("Have you seen this man?"). The paper can also be used as
kindling, to wrap things, and as a fan.
22b. Paper and pen (bardic_d...@my-dejanews.com)
Also the paper can be waved in front of a guard while stating "Important
message for your boss" as you stroll past. As long as they don't get to
read your laundry list you may get by. In a similar vein you can walk
around ostentatiously taking notes and asking questions and people may
assume you belong.
23. Sticky stuff (Darkwalker)
I would also add Duct Tape and Super Glue to the list. I've found
endless uses for them.
* 24. Explosives
If you can get away with it, carry some explosives (preferably in a nice
shock/fire/waterproof box :-). You don't need to carry many, just have a
few handy to bail you out of difficult situations. An explosive can
open/create doors, take out that armored vehicle/creature that's
impervious to your bullets, provide a diversion, etc. Most grenades can
also be made into booby traps.
* 25. Hooks and whistles (Matt "Dirty A Sid" Johnston)
A note about preparation; five words for you: Fish hooks and signal
whistles. Oh yeah, don't forget the string. Can you imagine dropping
Nystuls Magic Medallion of Unending World Peace down the sewer grate,
just as the bad guy with Tensers Magic Medallion of World Destruction,
is about to tear your world apart? Is your thief really going to be
strong enough to tear that grate from the ground? Hope your DM thinks
so. What about that time you tried to get your friends attention before
they mistakenly gutted the runaway prince in disguise, during the heat
of battle, with swords clanging on shields all around? Bet he bit it
didn't he?
---COMBAT---
1. Standard operating procedure (Thomas R Nelson)
Have an S.O.P. for battles, i.e., these guys in front/left/middle/
right, and these guys in back, clerics casting this and this, and mages
casting this and this. There aren't that many different situations
you'll encounter. When you're under attack, if you ALWAYS set up the
same way for the fight, then you'll get quicker at it and not only will
the players react better as a team, but also it can make a difference
whether you spend a round coordinating or can get set quickly. i.e., we
spent two rounds deciding who does what and in the meantime, the monster
was able to close on our mage; or the fighter went to close with the
monster, but the mage was casting a lightning bolt at him, so the
fighter moved into the path of the bolt and...
2. Keywords/phrases (Bardic_D...@my-dejanews.com)
In certain circumstances a character yelling one word or phrase could
make everyone do "the right thing". Little things like "double team
right" might mean the mage and right fighter are to combine on the right
side enemy. Customize the concept to your team and abilities.
3a. Concentrating attacks (Sean Emmott)
Concentrate as many attacks as possible on one opponent: the quicker one
is killed, the sooner there's one less attack on your group.
3b. Concentrating attacks (Klaus AE. Mogensen)
While this may be true in AD&D, it's not necessarily true in games where
damage impairs the ability to fight. In HERO or Rolemaster (for
instance), if all PCs attack different opponents in the first round,
they may be able to stun them, so they can't hit back. In Rolemaster,
HarnMaster, Storyteller and other games to numerous to mention, damaged
characters get combat penalties, so even if they aren't stunned, they
are unlikely to hit you. In many games with reasonable combat rules, the
best mass combat tactic is to let the poor fighters perform holding
actions (parry for all they're worth) while the good fighters finish off
_their_ opponents.
4. To fight or not to fight... (D.G. Larush)
Know when NOT to fight- A thief or mage who is out of spells is NOT
useless in a fight as long as you realize that you can be valuable while
not fighting. Reining up the horses, pulling wounded party members out
of combat, throwing burning oil. These can all aid the party without
placing a wounded or otherwise non-battle ready party member in
jeopardy.
5. Evil altars (Boltcutter)
Don't leap on the, actively used, altar to the Evil God to get a better
swing at someone.
6. Surrendering (D.G. Larush)
Surrender IS an option- I almost lost a character once because I got too
"heroic" and never even considered paying off highwaymen as an option.
Learn to recognize when the DM is hinting that you're outnumbered (forty
of the king's archers with arrows nocked is a good sign), and learn to
be able to eat crow and surrender when appropriate. A good DM will never
let your characters rot in jail forever, but will use it to further the
plot. What do you think thieves are for?
7. Cover
Use cover if any is available. Anyone who needlessly stands out in the
open during a firefight deserves every bullet he gets. Remember that
cover can sometimes be shot _through_ (not even stone walls can always
provide safety), so try to never give away your exact location.
8. Melee against groups
When fighting against a large group in melee combat, always place your
back against a wall or another large object so you can't be attacked
from behind. Even better, try fighting from an enclosed space such as a
doorway or a narrow pass. That way, even less enemies can get at you
and, more importantly, you still have the option of retreat. If you
yourself have the advantage of numbers, then be sure to use it. Surround
your enemy so there's always someone who can attack from the rear, try
to catch the opponent in a cross-fire, etc.
9. Pursuit
If you have an advantageous position, the enemy might try to lure you
out of it by retreating. If you were winning before the withdrawal,
you'll probably feel a strong urge to pursue and continue the fight.
Only do this if you're sure the enemy is truly broken and disorganized.
* 10. Shield-wall (Phil Hendry)
Assuming a dungeon setting... When meeting an opposing group in a
corridor, any fight which ensues is almost bound to be 'fair'- i.e. one
on one, two on two etc. The odds can easily be weighted in the party's
favour if the party is prepared to retreat to the last chamber they were
in, then by clustering around the doorway inside the room, they can get
maybe as many as three on one. This works best if the room is off the
side of the corridor, rather than at an end- otherwise the opposition
can 'charge' down the corridor and break through the 'shield-wall' in
the room, negating any advantage.
---CHARACTER CREATION---
1. Spell selection
When choosing your spells (or mutations or psionic powers or whatever)
make sure the spell isn't superfluous. A lot of spell effects can be
achieved just as well by having the right equipment or by the skills of
your fellow partymembers. For instance, if you're a low-level mage and
have several warriors in your party, go light on the combat spells. Most
of the time, the damage you can do with them is negligible compared to
what the fighters will dish out. Pick something more useful instead.
2a. Skills
With all the combat skills to pick from, it's often easy to overlook the
more unobtrusive ones. Don't forget skills like swimming, riding (or
driving) and reading/writing.
2b. Skills (Blank Dave)
Always have a medical skill, First aid will do (if only one person has
such skills, you can be almost guaranteed he'll be the first one in need
of those skills when the fighting breaks out).
Always have some form of combat skill (a fight will always break out,
being able to defend yourself is a must. Even non combat oriented games
will usually have a physical fight somewhere).
3. Group input (Blank Dave)
As a group make your characters as a group. Too often the characters are
independently made. This results in holes in the group. By making
characters as a group, it is possible to provide a better width and
depth to the group. Think what happened when no one made a cleric or
magic user.
4. Powerlevel
Strange as it may seem, sometimes your odds are better if you don't try
to create an all-powerful character. There are several reasons for this:
a. GM compensation. It's a gamemaster's job to provide the players with
a challenge. If you create characters capable of taking on a tank, then
tanks are what you'll get.
b. Overconfidence. Powerful characters usually wade into combat without
even considering if there's another way of dealing with the situation.
But combat can be deadly no matter how strong you are.
c. Lack of character attachment. Powerful characters rarely have
interesting non-combat skills or equipment, because the player spent all
his resources on boosting fire-power. The end result is usually a combat
machine with about as much originality as the average toaster. Because
of this, the player tends to care much less about keeping the character
alive.
If you're used to playing terminator-type characters, it can be quite
difficult to make a change. Power gamers usually shudder at the thought
of not maxing out a combat skill, and start sweating at the idea of
actually spending some points on charisma or social skills. The best
advice I can give is this: when creating a character, choose the one
thing that most defines the character. This could be anything. Perhaps
your character is a thief with a love for climbing. Or perhaps she grew
up near the ocean and loves ships. Or tends to be very curious. Or wants
desperately to be a part some social group. Or has a drug problem that
he's trying to beat. Or wants to be the first mage to perfect the
growing (and domestication) of really big carnivorous plants. Once you
establish the core concept, the rest of the character usually comes
naturally and you'll feel much less inclined to spend all your character
resources on combat.
5. Be interesting (Xiphias Gladius)
I have had at least one GM change a die roll so that I didn't die, just
because he liked my character. In my experience, GMs are much more
willing to let boring characters poorly played die, while they will go
out of their way to find some way of keeping favorite fun characters
alive.
---NEGOTIATIONS---
1. Basics
Never let on how badly you need the other parties help. And always be
sure to let your most charismatic/silvertongued partymember do the
talking.
2. Talking is an option (ChAoS)
One overlooked survival technique is to talk. Many people die because
they attack the too tough for them creature because "it's there" or
"it's evil". But kings have armies, some monsters gate in help (some
fiends gated help can also gate), and sometimes you just aren't tough
enough. But talking may give you a chance to deal with the enemy, get an
idea of its plans, find a weakness, or deal with the villain while
others sneak by to complete the mission. Perhaps he'd GIVE you the goal
of the quest if you do something for him. <...> As usual talking
requires judgement but may save you a painful death.
3. Truth (D.G. Larush)
Never assume the other guy is telling the truth. All too often I've seen
PC's take the word of any NPC as gospel truth, even if the NPC has
obvious reasons to lie (i.e. is having the crap beat out of him by the
PC's).
4. Motivations (D.G. Larush)
Always keep the other guy's motivations in mind. The key to negotiation
is figuring out what the other guy wants. Is the other guy a mercenary?
Offer double what the other guy's paying. Is the other guy a Techie? How
about some flashy tech? Is he a religious devotee? Hope you know enough
about theology to convince him that you're in the right.
5a. Lying (Ryan Mark Vurlicer)
Don't lie unless you need to. I've seen many PCs who ended up as
pathological liars when talking with NPCs, when there was no known
reason to lie. Often, the NPCs eventually found out they were being lied
to. This does not make for successful negotiations.
5b. Lying (Jim Davies)
And when you do lie, make absolutely sure that you know what you said.
Lies are harder to remember. It's often a good idea to make sure that
the GM remembers it as well, so that you can at least agree on
something.
6. Losing face
When you've got your opponent over a barrel, make sure he knows it but
be careful not to rub his nose in it too much. If you do, he might
decide to refuse your demands, regardless of the consequences. There are
people who would rather die than be extorted/humiliated, especially by
someone they don't respect, so loss of face should be kept to a minimum.
Staying polite helps. And occasionally you might want to consider giving
up something relatively invaluable, so your opponent has something to
show his own people that can be interpreted as a victory.
7. Ask for the moon (bill.d...@ibm.net)
Don't be afraid to ask for the moon. The other party may have no use for
it.
---EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS---
* 1. Jungle: machetes (Vos MC)
<...> you want to take machetes with you when you're traveling through
the jungle, as our group recently found out. Short swords get real thin
when you use them like that.
* 2. Jungle: transport (Vos MC)
Also, horses aren't a very good form of transport in the jungle, and
horsemeat gets a bit boring after a couple of weeks. (That must have
been the third batch of horses we went through. And the first of the 4th
batch died recently too. (Never charge unknown creatures that are slow
enough to run away from.))
* 3. Jungle (Vos MC)
Bring something waterproof to keep your maps and other papery stuff in.
* 4. Space: vacuum-suit
NEVER, EVER go on a space-journey without a vacuum-suit. Somewhere along
the line, your ship *will* get a hull breach. (They always do. Sigh.)
Keep the suit handy and know how to use it. If you haven't got an
appropriate skill, then at least train until you're able to:
a. get into and out of it without too much delay.
b. seal the suit and activate life-support.
c. seal ruptures.
* 5. Stuff to bring along (Pieter)
Jungle: insect net, poison antidote, machete, portable boat.
Desert: water, white clothing, water, compass, water, camels and water,
warm clothes (it gets COLD at night), water.
Arctic: black goggles (to prevent snowblindedness), rope to tie each
other together to avoid snow-filled chasms, knowledge of how to build an
iglo, really warm clothes, ice pick, crampons.
Space: well, gee, a space suit; comm gear; navigational stuff, spare
fuel, space suit repair kit.
---GENERAL ADVICE AND STRATEGY---
1. Keeping your Polish minedetector alive
When exploring a dungeon with a lot of traps, the person who walks point
basically acts as a Polish minedetector. Needless to say that this
person should have a lot of hitpoints/dexterity/good saving throws/luck.
Since a lot of traps are of the pitfall variety, the pointman should
always hold on to a rope that is also being held by the other
partymembers. That way, if the floor collapses beneath him, he won't
immediately be turned into hero-kebab on the spikes that traditionally
line the floor of any self-respecting pitfall.
2. Marching orders
Several people have remarked to me about the importance of this. Though
the actual marching orders will vary depending on the party in question,
the general order usually resembles something like this:
Point: any character with stealth.
Front: warriors, preferably with distance weapons available.
Middle: vulnerable characters.
Rear: warriors again or other characters with at least a little bit of
combat power.
3. Splitting up the party
Never. Ever. No matter how good an idea it may seem at the time.
Remember that 'divide and conquer' works just as well for the enemy. If
you are, by some act of God, forced to split up, then at least agree on
a rendezvous-point and time and also on a recognition sign or password
(shapeshifters can be a real pain in the butt).
4. The Law (Dave Brohman)
Use the proper authorities whenever possible. The cops are a lot less
likely to think you are a crook when they see you show up every three
month bright and chipper to renew your e25 monoknife carry permit. This
came up in our game just last week. Someone broke into my apt. And tried
to access my computer for incriminating information. We caught her and
she though she had me over a barrel. She knew from her source that I
wasn't going to kill her so she was all smug. So I picked up the phone
and dialed 911. Everyone's jaw dropped. No one, ref included, had
thought of that. Remember, 'punks straddle the line. Just cos they
spend a lot of time on the wrong side doesn't meant they have to stay
there.
5a. Public transport (Dave Brohman)
Use the subway. Everyone keeps suggesting that making a getaway on
public transport is a bad thing. Not so. A subway is a really good place
to get lost in the crowd. Plus, they can't run your plates or I.D. your
vehicle.
Guard: "They got away sir."
Boss: "What did their vehicle look like?"
Guard: "About 40 feet long, seats 60, 'Night City Transit Authority'
written on the side..."
* 5b. Public transport (Dragonscroll)
A corollary to this advice. Do not attempt to flee from the police or
the Transit Authority via public transportation. They both have the
ability to stop the subway car/bus/rickshaw you are on and come to get
you.
6a. Low profile
When your on a mission or if you've got something to hide (like having a
body in the trunk of your car), don't do something stupid like speeding
or driving under the influence. Even if you get off with only a ticket,
that ticket might be enough to connect you to the crime. Also, don't get
into fights and when a cop/guardsman tells you to do something, say "yes
sir" and play the concerned citizen. Don't overdo it though. An overly
helpful person gets remembered as much as a troublemaker.
6b. Low profile (Craig L Wigda)
If you have expensive/military/or hard to get gear, do not flash it
around. People would just love to take things away from you if they can.
7. Bugs (Craig L Wigda)
Always check provided gear/safe houses for bugs.
8. Shooting cops (Blank Dave)
Don't shoot at the police (it makes them mad, and this point can never
be overstated enough).
9. Keywords/phrases
These were already mentioned in the combat section but they can also be
useful in other situations. The party should have a short list of subtle
signs, with meanings like:
"Something is wrong, try to leave unobtrusively."
"Get ready for a fight."
"Get ready to run like hell."
10a. Planning
When you're making a plan, _always_ make a backup plan for when things
go wrong (which, let's face it, they always do). So don't just say:
"We're going to sneak into the temple, steal the Ruby Eye of the Mad
God, and then sneak back out again", but also decide in advance what
you're going to do if you get discovered halfway and you've got hordes
of mad priests and guards coming towards you from all directions, while
bells madly toll the alarm. My group usually starts arguing, with half
the players wanting to make a run for it and the other half wanting to
go on and try for the Eye anyway. Of course, while we're arguing our DM
happily lets the guards and priests close in.
10b. Planning
In general, try to keep plans simple. You can't plan for every
contingency anyway and having too many/too long/too detailed plans only
ensures that things will get messed up, not to mention the fact that
they suck up a lot of game-time.
10c. Planning (Sander Biesma)
Whenever you decide to make a plan, stick to it. Just because you
discover a hidden door which might hide a load of treasure (and your
usual Fiend or two) that doesn't give reason enough to sidestep from
your original plan and screw it up completely, making your original goal
harder to achieve.
11. Unknown territory
When heading into unknown territory, try to get information beforehand
if you can. Try to find out about weather and terrain conditions,
monsters you might encounter, local leaders, customs the people might
have, laws of nature, laws of supernature, etc.
12. The real deal (Dave Brohman)
Ask questions FIRST, shoot later. So many punks accept the line they are
fed without bothering to check the facts. Get your employers line, then
visit your local information sources and find out the REAL deal.
13. Mr. Johnson (Craig L Wigda)
Always check out your job and the person hiring you before you take the
job (but most GMs do not allow you the chance to do this). Never trust
the equipment provided by Mr. Johnson.
14. Coffins (Gary Astleford)
Don't open coffins. Only stupid people open coffins.
15. Navigating buildings (D Howard)
One of the best survival techniques is if you run into a building to
evade capture NEVER head upwards, through yes, but never up because it's
a lot harder to get back down again!
16. Portable phones
If your character carries a portable phone, turn off the sound before
you go on a mission requiring stealth.
17. Meetings
Never let the other party chose the place for the meeting. Make sure
it's held somewhere public and unenclosed, such as a mall. If you need
more privacy, try to meet somewhere in the open, a public park for
instance. That way, it's harder for your enemy to box you in. Always
arrive at the meeting place early and spend some time observing it. Note
the available exits. During the meeting, have some backup waiting
(preferably with a getaway vehicle and a long range rifle).
18. Mugshots
Before going on an assignment, try to get pictures or descriptions of
people important to your mission. My own group once went to talk to a
scientist without taking this precaution. The person we met later turned
out to be a very well-armed imposter [Ouch].
19. Payment
When accepting a mission, try to get as much money in advance as
possible. Not only does this reduce the chances of being cheated, it
also makes it less likely that your employer will try to stab you in the
back in order to avoid having to pay you. Don't forget to ask if your
expenses (hospital costs, ammo, broken equipment etc.) are covered.
Also, those surviving should receive the shares of deceased teammembers.
20. Traces
Be careful not to leave traces at the scene of the crime. You might want
to invest in some gloves, a disguise or perhaps even some spells
specifically designed to clear all traces. These can be extremely handy,
especially in Shadowrun, where even a single drop of blood or strand of
hair is enough for a ritual magic team to track you down. Also remember
that a lot of firearms eject empty cartridges, which might be used for
evidence.
21. Dealing with the Mob (Blank Dave)
Don't wave sexual apperatus at the local mafia Don (we learnt that
through experience).
22. Boltholes (Craig L Wigda)
Have more then one bolt hole or safe house with some extra gear, cash,
and fake IDs.
23. Intrusion
While (or before) trespassing through a fortress/dungeon/corporate
building, see if you can pick up an appropriate outfit/suit that will
allow you to blend in. Also, pay attention to the names of high-ranking
personnel (again, try to find this out beforehand if possible). That
way, when someone stops you and asks you what the hell you're doing in
the Inner Citadel carrying the Scepter of Urgh, you'll be able to say:
"I've got direct orders from lord X, out of my way, you flunky." This
will probably not be enough to get you out of trouble, but it should
keep the guards from attacking you on the spot and thus buy you some
time.
24. 'To do' list (Lauri C. Gardner)
Make a list of all things you are supposed to do, especially the dumb
things. If you don't mention them, you will forget them. Have the list
go around having rest of the team members make additions.
25. Some advice for thieves (Barry Wood)
[AD&D] If you detect traps, do NOT assume just because you have a
"Remove Traps" roll after the "Detect" that you are somehow responsible
for removing each and every trap. Even at medium levels, the odds of you
failing your roll and being killed by a trap are high. So, let the mage
spend some spells removing it. Let the fighter use his polearm to poke
around a bit. The best thief I ever ran with would go to the front of
the party and say "Yep, there's a trap here" and then promptly return to
his place in back of the party.
26. Animals
Keep a sharp eye and ear on the local fauna. When something is wrong,
the animals often know about it before you do. An unusually quiet forest
or a flock of birds that suddenly takes off for no apparent reason could
both indicate trouble. You might also want to consider getting a trained
dog or another animal with senses sharper than your own.
* 27. Use it!
If you've got it, use it! Saving your resources 'for the real
emergencies' is all very well, but when you feel you might have need of
a certain item/spell/whatever, don't hesitate to use it. A lot of
characters die with unused healing potions in their backpacks and unused
spells on their minds. Don't let that be you.
* 28. Know Who Your Friends Are (Colin Turner)
Many groups fail to note who's good to deal with. Or worse, they even
fail to remember who they've dealt with at all. Sometimes an old friend
has just what you need, or knows who can help you - why takes risks all
over again by asking favors of new contacts when you don't have to?
Associates from years past don't drop off the face of the earth because
you've been out of town for a while. In fact, they may have just the
information you need, but you've forgotten all about them.
* 29. Hair (Bish...@aol.com)
Long flowing hair (on either sex) looks good, keeps your neck (and
possibly shoulders, depending on length and your taste in clothing) from
being sunburned, and cushions those nasty crit hits - skull. Problem is,
if a clever opponent gets close and grabs you by that hair, you're in
deep trouble. Same goes for long beards. If you still insist on looking
like a Viking, a punk rocker, or Weird Al Yankovic, I would suggest the
following measures:
a) pre battle haircut. possibly with dagger.
b) some sort of magic spell, possibly "Retract Hair" or somesuch.
c) grease applied to hair to make it too slippery to hold.
d) become a character who wears a helmet, and tuck all that hair inside.
In short, GET A HAIRCUT. A short one. Even if you're female, and
required by fantasy gaming law to have "midnight black"/"golden yellow"
hair down to your ankles, it's better to break the law than to be one
day dangled out a window by that hair.
Well, that's it for now. My thanks go out to the following people whose
suggestions made it into the list in one form or another:
Gary Astleford <oce...@connectnet.com>
<Bardic_D...@my-dejanews.com>
Sander Biesma
<bill.d...@ibm.net>
<Bish...@aol.com>
Roderick Christ
Blank Dave <blank...@sympatico.ca>
Ronald Boehm <ronald...@tu-clausthal.de>
Boltcutter <sbart...@sprintmail.com>
Dave Brohman <HughM...@aol.com>
ChAoS <j...@monadnock.keene.edu>
Darkwalker <darks...@aol.comNOSPAM>
Jim Davies <j...@moose.powernet.socks.co.uk>
Florian Decker
Dragonscroll <c...@dragonscroll.com>
Sean Emmott <seane...@email.msn.com>
Flykiller <flyk...@aol.com>
Lauri C. Gardner <la...@dawn.joensuu.fi>
Phil Hendry <p.he...@lancaster.ac.uk>
D Howard <bi...@wyrmtalk.u-net.com>
Matt Johnston <dirty...@tyler.net>
Peter Knutsen <pe...@knutsen.dk>
D.G. Larush <laru...@muss.cis.McMaster.CA>
Klaus Ę. Mogensen <klau...@get2net.dk>
Thaddeus Moore <tadm...@erols.com>
Thomas R Nelson <tne...@uic.edu>
Pieter <psim...@wi.leidenuniv.nl>
Ike Porter <ipo...@umbc.edu>
Lloyd Revious <etr...@imt.net>
Turner, Colin <ct...@Allstate.com>
Vos MC,0876208 <mc...@cs.vu.nl>
Ryan Mark Vurlicer <rmv...@unix.tamu.edu>
Craig L Wigda <clw...@gdwest.gd.com>
The Wizard <dz...@hotmail.com>
Barry Wood <fen...@utdallas.edu>
Xiphias Gladius <i...@schultz.io.com>
Jay A. Hafner, D.C.
Jay H, D.C.
Klaus Ę. Mogensen
Willem van Driel wrote:
>The List of Character Survival Techniques V1.3
(snip)
>15. Navigating buildings (D Howard)
>One of the best survival techniques is if you run into a building to
>evade capture NEVER head upwards, through yes, but never up because
it's
>a lot harder to get back down again!
Corollary: Unless said building has a moat, in which case you can jump
from the wall into the moat (it works in movies). Just hope that the
moat is more than 3 ft deep...
Other advice:
* Bring Water (equipment)
You never know when you might get near clean drinking water again.
Also useful for cleaning wounds or getting encrusted muck off plaques
that you need to read.
* Don't invest to much in vehicles (character creation)
You may have to leave your horse, car, or whatever behind at some
point. Or it could get stolen or even destroyed. While such things are
always unfortunate, it's downright murder if it's a thorougbred
Arabian horse or a Rolls Royce.
Klaus Ę. Mogensen
klau...@get2net.dk
http://hjem.get2net.dk/Klaudius
The Moving Finger writes, and having writ, Moves on
Varsil Savai
<klau...@get2net.dk> wrote:
>
>Willem van Driel wrote:
>>The List of Character Survival Techniques V1.3
>
>
>(snip)
>
>>15. Navigating buildings (D Howard)
>>One of the best survival techniques is if you run into a building to
>>evade capture NEVER head upwards, through yes, but never up because
>it's
>>a lot harder to get back down again!
>
>
>Corollary: Unless said building has a moat, in which case you can jump
>from the wall into the moat (it works in movies). Just hope that the
>moat is more than 3 ft deep...
>
And that it's free of monsters (jn a fantasy setting), and that it's
actually water, and not acid or someone's personal biohazard growing
vats :).
Varsil Savai
<jvan...@wxs.nlREMOVE2REPLY> wrote:
Add to the list:
When carrying hidden weapons, never forget to keep some 'public'
weapons, or some weapons which are less well hidden. If you have a
reputation as a thug and produce NO weapons when asked, expect a
cavity search. Giving up a pistol may allow you to smuggle in a
grenade...
>Klaus Æ. Mogensen <klau...@get2net.dk>
aetherson
"Klaus Æ. Mogensen" <klau...@get2net.dk> wrote:
<snip>
> * Bring Water (equipment)
> You never know when you might get near clean drinking water again.
> Also useful for cleaning wounds or getting encrusted muck off plaques
> that you need to read.
My last group always stocked up on 50+ proof alcohol. Better for
cleaning wounds than water... Especially the quality of water you'll
be able to find in most realistic low-tech games.
Mike (aetherson)
(Plus, our characters were lushes)
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Tim Myers
for my somewhat misguided, overly heroic gaming group right away. They have
gone to amazing lengths to avoid capture, including in one case a thief type
in my GURPS campaign commited suicide and let his clone be activated rather
than be captured. A party of four decided to CHARGE a group of 30 archers,
relying on dumb luck to keep them alive long enough to get the two fighters
in swordplay range in the AD&D game I run. They made it, killed all thirty
Lvl 1 and 2 archers, and to quote them " Hey, and we only lost the wizard,
I'd say we did pretty good!"
Peter Knutsen
Varsil Savai wrote:
>
> On Sat, 23 Oct 1999 10:58:27 +0100, Willem van Driel
> <jvan...@wxs.nlREMOVE2REPLY> wrote:
>
> Add to the list:
[addition snipped]
Did you HAVE to quote the whole posting, when you had nothing to add
to it? I spent a minute or so scrolling down to check if you had
added some comments further down, and I'm sure that hundreds, if
not thousands of other usenet readers have done the same.
--
Peter Knutsen
Martin Boyden
On Sat, 23 Oct 1999, Varsil Savai wrote:
> On Sat, 23 Oct 1999 10:58:27 +0100, Willem van Driel
> <jvan...@wxs.nlREMOVE2REPLY> wrote:
>
> Add to the list:
>
> When carrying hidden weapons, never forget to keep some 'public'
> weapons, or some weapons which are less well hidden. If you have a
> reputation as a thug and produce NO weapons when asked, expect a
> cavity search. Giving up a pistol may allow you to smuggle in a
> grenade...
>
Just a question for clarity. Is said grenade gonna get by only if you
avoid the cavity search? Youch,
--Marty
Peter Knutsen
Martin Boyden wrote:
> Just a question for clarity. Is said grenade gonna get by only if you
> avoid the cavity search? Youch,
Remember that futuristic grenades can be very small. Maybe explosives
cannot be made much more powerful than they are today, but it should
be possible to make an antimatter containment system that takes up
only a cubic inch or so. While it stores only a little bit of
antimatter, the explosive power can be devastating.
> --Marty
--
Peter Knutsen
Bruce Grubb
Tim.m...@worldnet.att.net wrote:
Without knowing what level these guys were its hard to judge the behavior
of AD&D characters - missle weapons are generally pathetic damagewise and
certain 'optional' rules (Plate armor from Unearth Arcania and the kits
from the Complete books) just make it worse. Besides wizards in AD&D are
a mess so I not suprized the wizard bought the farm.
Martin Boyden
Good thing Three Kings wasn't set in a high cyberpunk or Traveller millieu
then, envisioning an anti-matter booby trapped assmap.
Of course, given the genetically altered horrors that'll undoubtedly be
essential for the nutrition of teeming far future masses, such a device
may also be necessary as an enema against re-re-re-constituted blockage.
apolgies for the scatology, the early flu's got me so I'm possesed by my
bodily functions,
--Marty
Mathieu Roy
Make COMPLETE plans. Nothing's more annoying than develop a complete and
successful plan to enter the place squeaky-clean, with nary a soul the
wiser, then do what you came for and suddenly realize you have no plan to
get OUT. (Running fights are fun for players, but not characters...)
Mathieu
Mr. Tines
<jvan...@wxs.nlREMOVE2REPLY> writes
>1. The 10 ft pole (Thaddeus Moore)
>As in the expression "I wouldn't touch that with a ten foot pole!" Well
>I guess u could carry a larger one.
I am reminded of something I saw a long time ago in the way of equipment
lists - it included a 12-foot pole "for all those DMs with 11-foot
quicksands"
>
>---COMBAT---
>
>1. Standard operating procedure (Thomas R Nelson)
A good SOP is "never use a door - or a window - if you can make your own
entry"
-- PGPfingerprint: BC01 5527 B493 7C9B 3C54 D1B7 248C 08BC --
_______ {pegwit v8 public key =581cbf05be9899262ab4bb6a08470}
/_ __(_)__ ___ ___ {69c10bcfbca894a5bf8d208d001b829d4d0}
/ / / / _ \/ -_|_-< http://www.ravnaandtines.com/
/_/ /_/_//_/\__/___/@ravnaandtines.com PGP key on page
Avery Davies
"Klaus Ć. Mogensen" wrote:
>
> Willem van Driel wrote:
> >The List of Character Survival Techniques V1.3
>
> (snip)
>
> >15. Navigating buildings (D Howard)
> >One of the best survival techniques is if you run into a building to
> >evade capture NEVER head upwards, through yes, but never up because
> it's
> >a lot harder to get back down again!
(snip)
When storming buildings, come in from above and from below.
>
> Other advice:
>
> * Bring Water (equipment)
> You never know when you might get near clean drinking water again.
> Also useful for cleaning wounds or getting encrusted muck off plaques
> that you need to read.
>
> * Don't invest to much in vehicles (character creation)
> You may have to leave your horse, car, or whatever behind at some
> point. Or it could get stolen or even destroyed. While such things are
> always unfortunate, it's downright murder if it's a thorougbred
> Arabian horse or a Rolls Royce.
Corollary: Rent transportation. And do it under an assumed name or ID,
just in case the car or horse doesn't return.
--
This is the Avery Davies within your computer.
Varsil Savai
wrote:
>
>
>Varsil Savai wrote:
>>
>> On Sat, 23 Oct 1999 10:58:27 +0100, Willem van Driel
>> <jvan...@wxs.nlREMOVE2REPLY> wrote:
>>
>> Add to the list:
>
>[addition snipped]
>
>Did you HAVE to quote the whole posting, when you had nothing to add
>to it? I spent a minute or so scrolling down to check if you had
>added some comments further down, and I'm sure that hundreds, if
>not thousands of other usenet readers have done the same.
>
I'm truly sorry. I'm sure that you won't ever get that minute back
again. Lets look at some of the things you might otherwise have done
with that minute, if I hadn't so viciously taken it away from you
because I forgot to snip the rest of the post...
You could have:
-Bashed someone else for trivial things.
-Done 1/5th of the boiling for a package of Chicken Noodle Soup.
-Decided to see a doctor about those stress/high blood pressure
problems, AND called him (but not finish talking).
-Hunted in vain for that cheese snack that long ago fell behind your
computer.
Yes, again, I must say how truly sorry I am that I have ripped that
precious minute away from you due to an act of extreme negligence.
I'm sorry, my sarcasm emitter has just overloaded, so I'm going to
have to cut this post short.
Varsil Savai
<by...@mail.rochester.edu> wrote:
>On Sat, 23 Oct 1999, Varsil Savai wrote:
>
>> On Sat, 23 Oct 1999 10:58:27 +0100, Willem van Driel
>> <jvan...@wxs.nlREMOVE2REPLY> wrote:
>>
>> Add to the list:
>>
>> When carrying hidden weapons, never forget to keep some 'public'
>> weapons, or some weapons which are less well hidden. If you have a
>> reputation as a thug and produce NO weapons when asked, expect a
>> cavity search. Giving up a pistol may allow you to smuggle in a
>> grenade...
>>
>
>Just a question for clarity. Is said grenade gonna get by only if you
>avoid the cavity search? Youch,
>
Heh, unless it's very small, you don't hide it in a cavity. Also:
the really GREAT thing about grenades is the 'dead mans trigger'
fashion in which they work:
Press lever.
Pull Pin.
Release lever, throw, and run like hell.
If you're taking hostages, a grenade with the first two steps
completed should keep snipers from trying to pick you off...
Varsil Savai
Also... make sure you've done enough recon. Nothing is funnier than
a bunch of PC's who've done NO recon (through clairvoyance, sneaking
around, spy drones, etc) stumbling into an area and finding it
COMPLETELY opposite from their expectations (say, the dark cathedral
really is a gate to some nether plane... :).
Bruce Grubb
<sheit...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>> >Love It, especially the part about surendering. Im going to print of a
>> >copy for my somewhat misguided, overly heroic gaming group right away.
>> >They have gone to amazing lengths to avoid capture, including in one case
>> > a thief type in my GURPS campaign commited suicide and let his clone
>> >be activated rather than be captured. A party of four decided to CHARGE
>> >a group of 30 archers, relying on dumb luck to keep them alive long
>> > enough to get the two fighters in swordplay range in the AD&D game I
run. >> >They made it, killed all thirty >Lvl 1 and 2 archers, and to
quote them
>> > "Hey, and we only lost the wizard, I'd say we did pretty good!"
>>
>> Without knowing what level these guys were its hard to judge the behavior
>> of AD&D characters - missle weapons are generally pathetic damagewise and
>> certain 'optional' rules (Plate armor from Unearthed Arcania and the kits
>> from the Complete books) just make it worse. Besides wizards in AD&D are
>> a mess so I not suprized the wizard bought the farm.
>
>Umm... really? 2 shots per round,
1 shot per round for 1 and 2nd level fighter (which is what archers basicly are)
> Sheath arrows - d8 damage,
Arrows in AD&D1 were only 1d6
> piercing weapon vs longsword - 1attack, d8 damage, slashing weapon.
Unlike GURPS AD&D doesn't distinguish between piercing (impaling),
slashing (cutting), or bashing weapons in the core rules.
>Bows in AD&D have always been ridiculously strong - especially when
> specialised.
Bows in AD&D have been ridiculously weak and only a series kludges have
made them aqt least repectable.
Bruce Grubb
>On Sat, 23 Oct 1999 18:14:22 +0200, Peter Knutsen <pe...@knutsen.dk>
>wrote:
>>
>>Varsil Savai wrote:
>>>
>>> On Sat, 23 Oct 1999 10:58:27 +0100, Willem van Driel
>>> <jvan...@wxs.nlREMOVE2REPLY> wrote:
>>>
>>> Add to the list:
>>
>>[addition snipped]
>>
>>Did you HAVE to quote the whole posting, when you had nothing to add
>>to it? I spent a minute or so scrolling down to check if you had
>>added some comments further down, and I'm sure that hundreds, if
>>not thousands of other usenet readers have done the same.
>>
>I'm truly sorry. I'm sure that you won't ever get that minute back
>again. Lets look at some of the things you might otherwise have done
>with that minute, if I hadn't so viciously taken it away from you
>because I forgot to snip the rest of the post...
>
>You could have:
>-Bashed someone else for trivial things.
Quoting long portions of text for minimal comments is NOT a trivial thing
- it basicly poor netedicate.
>-Done 1/5th of the boiling for a package of Chicken Noodle Soup.
What on earth does this have to do with the topic at hand? Not one
blessed thing.
>-Decided to see a doctor about those stress/high blood pressure
>problems, AND called him (but not finish talking).
Attack the person rather than the arguement. Real good one NOT.
>-Hunted in vain for that cheese snack that long ago fell behind your
>computer.
More nonsence.
>Yes, again, I must say how truly sorry I am that I have ripped that
>precious minute away from you due to an act of extreme negligence.
>
>I'm sorry, my sarcasm emitter has just overloaded, so I'm going to
>have to cut this post short.
Sarcasm usisally involves :-)s all over the place. Another example of
poor netedicate.
Allen Wessels
(Bruce Grubb) wrote:
>1 shot per round for 1 and 2nd level fighter (which is what archers
basicly are)
See 1st Edition Players Handbook, page 38 for weapon rate of fire. (Bow
rof is 2 for 1st level)
>Unlike GURPS AD&D doesn't distinguish between piercing (impaling),
>slashing (cutting), or bashing weapons in the core rules.
See reference above for adjustments to hit by weapon/armor type. It does
disinguish.
>Bows in AD&D have been ridiculously weak and only a series kludges have
>made them aqt least repectable.
2-12 points of damage per round is well above average damage for AD&D weapons.
- Allen
Amber, Dan, DARE, or Julie
>
<snip>
> Did you HAVE to quote the whole posting, when you had nothing to add
> to it?
A rule I try to live by: if it's not important enough to put in front
of what you're adding, it's not important enough to repeat.
- DARE, GURPSist extraordinaire and plenipotentiary
* "So if the water is flowing upward, how do we drink it?"
* Hi! I'm a .sig virus! Join the fun and copy me into yours! :)
Amber, Dan, DARE, or Julie
<snip>
> Press lever.
> Pull Pin.
> Release lever, throw, and run like hell.
I've always wondered:
If, between steps 2 and 3, you decide to nevermind it, will reinserting
the pin prevent it from blowing?
If instead you accidentally release the lever, will quickly reinserting
the pin prevent it from blowing?
- DARE, GURPSist extraordinaire and plenipotentiary
* To Oracle: "We have ways of making you state the obvious!"
Deric Bernier
Bruce Grubb wrote:
>
> Sarcasm usisally involves :-)s all over the place. Another example of
> poor netedicate.
Only if its friendly and respectful, he obviously feels neither for you.
D
Bruce Grubb
(Allen Wessels) wrote:
>In article <bgrubb-2310...@lc0353.zianet.com>, bgr...@zianet.com
>(Bruce Grubb) wrote:
>
>>1 shot per round for 1 and 2nd level fighter (which is what archers
>basicly are)
>
>See 1st Edition Players Handbook, page 38 for weapon rate of fire. (Bow
>rof is 2 for 1st level)
Which made the mage even more likely to died, which is my may of the DMs
ignored it.
>>Unlike GURPS AD&D doesn't distinguish between piercing (impaling),
>>slashing (cutting), or bashing weapons in the core rules.
>
>See reference above for adjustments to hit by weapon/armor type. It does
>disinguish.
The AC adjustment table was one of the most clumbersome things in AD&D1.
Very few Players or DM ever used the thing.
>>Bows in AD&D have been ridiculously weak and only a series kludges have
>>made them aqt least repectable.
>
>2-12 points of damage per round is well above average damage for AD&D weapons.
Except when compared against the larger than man size damage calcuations
(which had their own sort of illogic)
Sheitan
> >Love It, especially the part about surendering. Im going to print of a
copy
> >for my somewhat misguided, overly heroic gaming group right away. They
have
> >gone to amazing lengths to avoid capture, including in one case a thief
type
> >in my GURPS campaign commited suicide and let his clone be activated
rather
> >than be captured. A party of four decided to CHARGE a group of 30
archers,
> >relying on dumb luck to keep them alive long enough to get the two
fighters
> >in swordplay range in the AD&D game I run. They made it, killed all
thirty
> >Lvl 1 and 2 archers, and to quote them " Hey, and we only lost the
wizard,
> >I'd say we did pretty good!"
>
> Without knowing what level these guys were its hard to judge the behavior
> of AD&D characters - missle weapons are generally pathetic damagewise and
> from the Complete books) just make it worse. Besides wizards in AD&D are
> a mess so I not suprized the wizard bought the farm.
Umm... really? 2 shots per round, Sheath arrows - d8 damage, piercing
weapon vs longsword - 1attack, d8 damage, slashing weapon. Bows in AD&D
have always been ridiculously strong - especially when specialised.
- Sheitan
NEil Phillips
share the following wisdom:
>Varsil Savai wrote:
><snip>
>> Press lever.
>> Pull Pin.
>> Release lever, throw, and run like hell.
>
> I've always wondered:
> If, between steps 2 and 3, you decide to nevermind it, will reinserting
>the pin prevent it from blowing?
Yep. However, reinserting the pin may not be as easy as it sounds. I
say that from experience, but I'm not going into any more detail :)
--
NEil (phil...@webzone.net.au)
Support the use of real names on the Internet.
The opinions expressed in this message are not my own,
but rather are those of Microsoft Corporation.
Zimri
news:38122ce3.20585750@news...
It's almost as funny as watching that party's DM stagger through the
streets clad only in tar and feathers.
-- Z
Werebat
>
> In article <awessels-231...@192.168.0.2>, awes...@pacbell.net
> (Allen Wessels) wrote:
>
> >In article <bgrubb-2310...@lc0353.zianet.com>, bgr...@zianet.com
> >(Bruce Grubb) wrote:
> >
> >>1 shot per round for 1 and 2nd level fighter (which is what archers
> >basicly are)
> >
> >See 1st Edition Players Handbook, page 38 for weapon rate of fire. (Bow
> >rof is 2 for 1st level)
>
> Which made the mage even more likely to died, which is my may of the
> DMs
> ignored it.
<Boggle>
That reminds me. I have some papers to correct from my ESL classes.
- Ron ^*^
Tiberius
paragraphs LIKE someone whose initials are V.S...>
*After looting a guard's body and seeing his buddy come around the corner...
Don't forget that used crossbows make good clubs, throwning weapons, etc,
and if you can unstring it, voila! Instant garrote!
*Star Trek TNG RPG
Never, ever lose your comm-badge. The number of times those things have
been used in some way or another as remote controls, sources of vitally
needed electronic bits or "off" switches for security fields is almost
enough for the series to be renamed "Star Tech". Keep a backup if possible.
*False cover
Remember that flash/ stun grenades and smoke can be just as effective a
deterrent as a belt-fed .50 cal machine gun, and far less lethal. Less
casualties now means less hassle later.
*Make sure you have a decent set of clothes for meets, classy hotels/
restaurants, etc. Waltzing into the Ritz wearing a curry-stained Mega Death
Tour '54 t-shirt and bloody combats with big tears where that devil rat
tried to chow down on your leg is never a good idea. Firstly, it may stop
you from getting in at all (dress code and all), it attracts attention,
makes security suspicious, and when the Yakuza jander in two minutes after
you there is _no way_ you keep your face hidden and just blend in. Standard
issue black suits are great for this. If things get hairy, you can always
pretend to be a waiter and head for the kitchen door out back.
*Take a good look at any official ID an NPC shows you. Just like believing
anything an NPC says, too many players take authority at face value. A
shave, a shower, a suit, and a few minutes with a computer, and a ganger can
declare himself to be an FBI agent. Badges are similarly easy to fake.
*If you can distract a horde of Ravening Fiends (TM) hot on your heels by
dropping rations, DO IT!!!
*If your backpack makes you encumbered because you insist on carrying a tent
and a month's rations in it, at least remember to drop it before starting a
fight.
*A "Warm Solid" spell can be useful on cold nights, and "Heat Liquid" is a
great one for cooking/ medical use when starting a fire is impossible (eg in
a blizzard).
*Flaming oil makes a good stop sign for monsters.
*"Never deal with a dragon" may be a Shadowrun quote, but how many game
systems have dragons? Quite a damn few.
*No matter how cunning it sounds to join in with the bad guys in order to
infiltrate them, DON'T. The last thing you need is to return as a
conquering hero after having dispatched Lord Evil, and on your victory
parade, have a woman point at you and scream "He's the one who killed my
[insert random family member here]!" There will be witnesses. There always
are.
-Tiberius
And that's all he wrote.
Tiberius
>>> Press lever.
>>> Pull Pin.
>>> Release lever, throw, and run like hell.
>>
>> I've always wondered:
>> If, between steps 2 and 3, you decide to nevermind it, will reinserting
>>the pin prevent it from blowing?
>
>Yep. However, reinserting the pin may not be as easy as it sounds. I
>say that from experience, but I'm not going into any more detail :)
I thought that once the pin was out and the lever was gone, it started a
timed chemical reaction within the grenade? Delay fuse and all that. So
even putting the pin back in wouldn't stop it.
Or am I totally wrong?
-Tiberius
<sing> Techie techie techie...
Tapio Erola
> >><snip>
> >>> Press lever.
> >>> Pull Pin.
> >>> Release lever, throw, and run like hell.
> >>
> >> I've always wondered:
> >> If, between steps 2 and 3, you decide to nevermind it, will reinserting
> >>the pin prevent it from blowing?
> >
> >Yep. However, reinserting the pin may not be as easy as it sounds. I
> >say that from experience, but I'm not going into any more detail :)
>
>
> I thought that once the pin was out and the lever was gone, it started a
> timed chemical reaction within the grenade? Delay fuse and all that. So
> even putting the pin back in wouldn't stop it.
Yes. The question was about pin itself _before_ the lever was released.
After the lever is released, the thing is going to blow; no matter what.
--
Tapio Erola t...@rieska.oulu.fi (no mail to rak061.oulu.fi please)
Why? Why not?
Fiarforfindel
"Tiberius" <deaths...@hotmail.com> wrote:
(snip)
> *After looting a guard's body and seeing his buddy come around the corner...
> Don't forget that used crossbows make good clubs, throwning weapons, etc,
> and if you can unstring it, voila! Instant garrote!
(snip)
* Also, if the guard is the right size, _it_ may make a good throwing
weapon.
-- Fiarforfindel, the Fiend of the Fell --
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Tom Knight
>
> Yes. The question was about pin itself _before_ the lever was released.
> After the lever is released, the thing is going to blow; no matter what.
>
What about unscrewing the bottom bit, a la Hard Target? Does this actually work
in real life?
Bob
>
> Varsil Savai wrote:
> <snip>
> > Press lever.
> > Pull Pin.
> > Release lever, throw, and run like hell.
>
> I've always wondered:
> If, between steps 2 and 3, you decide to nevermind it, will reinserting
> the pin prevent it from blowing?
> If instead you accidentally release the lever, will quickly reinserting
> the pin prevent it from blowing?
>
If you re-insert the pin *BEFORE* you release the spoon (lever), then yes,
that would prevent it from exploding. After you release the spoon, an
internal fuse is now burning which well set off the primary explosives in
approx. 3-5 seconds, and nothing that you can do short of placing as much
distance or hard cover between you and the grenade will save your ass.
-Bob
Estne rosa ab quis nomine iustus ut dulcis?
Bob McCann
rmc...@mesastate.edu
Varsil Savai
wrote:
>In article <38122af8.20094905@news>, var...@home.com (Varsil Savai) wrote:
>
>>On Sat, 23 Oct 1999 18:14:22 +0200, Peter Knutsen <pe...@knutsen.dk>
>>wrote:
>>>
>>>Varsil Savai wrote:
>>>>
>>>> On Sat, 23 Oct 1999 10:58:27 +0100, Willem van Driel
>>>> <jvan...@wxs.nlREMOVE2REPLY> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Add to the list:
>>>
>>>[addition snipped]
>>>
>>>Did you HAVE to quote the whole posting, when you had nothing to add
>>>to it? I spent a minute or so scrolling down to check if you had
>>>added some comments further down, and I'm sure that hundreds, if
>>>not thousands of other usenet readers have done the same.
>>>
>>I'm truly sorry. I'm sure that you won't ever get that minute back
>>again. Lets look at some of the things you might otherwise have done
>>with that minute, if I hadn't so viciously taken it away from you
>>because I forgot to snip the rest of the post...
>>
>>You could have:
>>-Bashed someone else for trivial things.
>
>Quoting long portions of text for minimal comments is NOT a trivial thing
>- it basicly poor netedicate.
>
If it was done accidentally, it's definately trivial. If I was out
there maliciously or unknowingly spamming thousands of people each
day, THEN it becomes poor netiquette. If Peter had done his research,
he'd have found that I usually <snip> posts gratuitously in my
replies. Of course, that would probably have used up another one of
those 'minute' things, which he clings to so tightly.
>>-Done 1/5th of the boiling for a package of Chicken Noodle Soup.
>
>What on earth does this have to do with the topic at hand? Not one
>blessed thing.
>
>>-Decided to see a doctor about those stress/high blood pressure
>>problems, AND called him (but not finish talking).
>
>Attack the person rather than the arguement. Real good one NOT.
>
>>-Hunted in vain for that cheese snack that long ago fell behind your
>>computer.
>
>More nonsence.
>
>>Yes, again, I must say how truly sorry I am that I have ripped that
>>precious minute away from you due to an act of extreme negligence.
>>
>>I'm sorry, my sarcasm emitter has just overloaded, so I'm going to
>>have to cut this post short.
>
>Sarcasm usisally involves :-)s all over the place. Another example of
>poor netedicate.
For anyone else that thought I was involved in a debate here, let me
rectify the situation. This is not a formal debate. In fact, this is
not ANY sort of debate. This is ad hominem. Any questions? No?
Good! I'm soooo glad we've got that one cleared up...
Varsil Savai
<kni...@planetoftheapes.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:
>> Yes. The question was about pin itself _before_ the lever was released.
>> After the lever is released, the thing is going to blow; no matter what.
>>
>
>What about unscrewing the bottom bit, a la Hard Target? Does this actually work
>in real life?
>
more exp with grenades than I do says you have 3-5 seconds after the
spoon is released (hey, he knows the correct terms, so that's a point
for him :). Hell, I'm sure there IS a way to disarm an active
grenade. I'm also pretty sure it would take more than 3-5 seconds.
:)
Fitz
<delph...@geocities.com> wrote:
>Varsil Savai wrote:
><snip>
>> Press lever.
>> Pull Pin.
>> Release lever, throw, and run like hell.
>
> I've always wondered:
> If, between steps 2 and 3, you decide to nevermind it, will reinserting
>the pin prevent it from blowing?
Yes, as long as you haven't inadvertantly released the lever enough to
trip the fuse. (But see below)
> If instead you accidentally release the lever, will quickly reinserting
>the pin prevent it from blowing?
No. This is a common way of soldiers killing themselves with grenades
- the lever doesn't have to move far to release the switch which
activates the fuse; sometimes the spring pressure against the fingers
is enough to do it. When I was in the army we were taught that once
you pulled the pin on a grenade, you got rid of it.
Bruce Grubb
>On Sat, 23 Oct 1999 17:40:43 -0600, bgr...@zianet.com (Bruce Grubb)
>wrote:
>
>>In article <38122af8.20094905@news>, var...@home.com (Varsil Savai) wrote:
>>
>>>On Sat, 23 Oct 1999 18:14:22 +0200, Peter Knutsen <pe...@knutsen.dk>
>>>wrote:
>>>>
>>>>Varsil Savai wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> On Sat, 23 Oct 1999 10:58:27 +0100, Willem van Driel
>>>>> <jvan...@wxs.nlREMOVE2REPLY> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Add to the list:
>>>>
>>>>[addition snipped]
>>>>
>>>>Did you HAVE to quote the whole posting, when you had nothing to add
>>>>to it? I spent a minute or so scrolling down to check if you had
>>>>added some comments further down, and I'm sure that hundreds, if
>>>>not thousands of other usenet readers have done the same.
>>>>
>>>I'm truly sorry. I'm sure that you won't ever get that minute back
>>>again. Lets look at some of the things you might otherwise have done
>>>with that minute, if I hadn't so viciously taken it away from you
>>>because I forgot to snip the rest of the post...
>>>
>>>You could have:
>>>-Bashed someone else for trivial things.
>>
>>Quoting long portions of text for minimal comments is NOT a trivial thing
>>- it basicly poor netedicate.
>>
>If it was done accidentally, it's definately trivial.
Most newsreaders worth the name will not let you send more quoted text
than new text. Besides this -current- subject is OFF TOPIC for both the
thread and the involved newsgroups which is poor netedicate and NOT an
accident so you do NOT have that out this time. So give it a rest.
Now back to the accual topic of this thread.
In article <381186C2...@wxs.nlREMOVE2REPLY>, Willem van Driel
<jvan...@wxs.nlREMOVE2REPLY> wrote:
>---EQUIPMENT---
>17. Stethoscope
>Useful for finding out if there's anybody on the other side of a door,
>or for listening in on conversations in the room next-door.
A rolled up piece of paper will serve much the same purpose. Good idea
not to overly reliy on this - AD&D undead make no noise and some doors
are too thick to hear anything through.
>---COMBAT---
>1. Standard operating procedure (Thomas R Nelson)
It is a good idea to have -several- of these; one size does not fit all.
>5. Evil altars (Boltcutter)
Unless you really know what you are doing don't even get into the same
room as one of these.
>---EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS---
The onw thing missing here is it is best to hire someone who knows the area.
>---GENERAL ADVICE AND STRATEGY---
>1. Keeping your Polish minedetector alive
>When exploring a dungeon with a lot of traps, the person who walks point
>basically acts as a Polish minedetector. Needless to say that this
>person should have a lot of hitpoints/dexterity/good saving throws/luck.
Better for this person to have a high detect/disarm Traps skill. If the
GM has discovered any of the Grimtooth trap books being able to spot traps
and NOT set them off is critical especially if the party wants to last any
length of time.
>3. Splitting up the party
>Never. Ever. No matter how good an idea it may seem at the time.
>Remember that 'divide and conquer' works just as well for the enemy.
Along the same line never use an unexplored passageway as an escape route.
>11. Unknown territory
>When heading into unknown territory, try to get information beforehand
>if you can.
It is surprising how many parties do not do this. In addition try to get
a myrid of sources.
>14. Coffins (Gary Astleford)
>Don't open coffins. Only stupid people open coffins.
Accually this is not good advice because there are obvious exceptions.
(not all vampiric undead use coffins)
>25. Some advice for thieves (Barry Wood)
>[AD&D] If you detect traps, do NOT assume just because you have a
>"Remove Traps" roll after the "Detect" that you are somehow responsible
>for removing each and every trap. Even at medium levels, the odds of you
>failing your roll and being killed by a trap are high.
Accually with the new rules of being abble to select where the percentages
go a middle level thief can good chance of disarming traps.
>So, let the mage spend some spells removing it.
AD&D wizards spell selection in this area to put it mildly sucks.
>Let the fighter use his polearm to poke around a bit.
Definitily a BAD IDEA. Some traps are specifically set up to
blast-hurt-maim-kill anyone who is not right on top of them. Again
Grimtooth created a bumper crop of these little jems.
>The best thief I ever ran with would go to the front of the party and say
>"Yep, there's a trap here" and then promptly return to his place in back
> of the party.
Given that few of the other classes can even disarm traps the thief is
going to going back out again.
>* 27. Use it!
>If you've got it, use it! Saving your resources 'for the real
>emergencies' is all very well, but when you feel you might have need of
>a certain item/spell/whatever, don't hesitate to use it. A lot of
>characters die with unused healing potions in their backpacks and unused
>spells on their minds. Don't let that be you.
At low level AD&D this is definitily a bad idea as not all magic items in
all situations are a good idea. A wand of fireball in an underground
dungeon is generally a formula for disaster - especially when the mage is
a pyromaniac. :-)
This dovetails into another point analyze magic items as soon as
possible. Have on idea of what it accually is before you try to use it.
Bob
> On Sun, 24 Oct 1999 19:29:22 +0100, Tom Knight
> >> Yes. The question was about pin itself _before_ the lever was released.
> >> After the lever is released, the thing is going to blow; no matter what.
> >>
> >
> >What about unscrewing the bottom bit, a la Hard Target? Does this actually work
> >in real life?
> >
> Dunno... and it's sorta irrelevant. Another poster who probably has
> more exp with grenades than I do says you have 3-5 seconds after the
> spoon is released (hey, he knows the correct terms, so that's a point
> for him :). Hell, I'm sure there IS a way to disarm an active
> grenade. I'm also pretty sure it would take more than 3-5 seconds.
> :)
>
AFAICR, U.S. (NATO...?) grenades actually unscrew from the top, where the
pin and spoon are. Inside, suspended from the top mechanism, is a fairly
standard fused blasing cap. The inside of the bottom part of the grenade
is lined with the explosive material, which will be set off when the
blasting cap detonates. Now, if you could unscrew the grenade in aprrox
3-5 seconds and remove the triggering charge completely from the grenade
body, then you would only recieve minor (in contrast) damage from the
blasting cap (temp hearing loss, flash burns, maybe a finger, etc.) The
point is, you probably wouldn't make it, and would be much better off
throwing it as far as you can.
All of this, is of course in discussion of fragmentary and concussive
grenades, smoke, incendiary, "Willie P" (white phosphorus) and the like,
have different actuating mechanisms.
Brad Carletti
>> Pull Pin.
>> Release lever, throw, and run like hell.
>
>the pin prevent it from blowing?
Just yesterday (no, wait, day before... all-nighters really screw your
sense of time :) ) I was playing a game of Action Quake and pulled the
pin on a grenade because I thought a bad guy was lurking over the wall
in the desert map. There was none, so I whipped out my sniper rifle.
Unfortunately that meant I dropped the grenade. :)
BOOM.
Brad Carletti
-16.5 Point Writer
It's kind of like watching grass grow, isn't it. :)
One day I'll be worth positive points. One day.
Arivne
Willem van Driel wrote:
>
> The List of Character Survival Techniques V1.3
<Please assume I have <snipped> after each of my comments below>
> 2. Bandages (Lloyd Revious)
> Bandages are a must!!! Unless your DM just kills you and doesn't do
> unconsciousness or bleeding to death.
Also true for first aid kits/medkits in hi-tech games and
healer/herbalism kits in fantasy games.
> 4. Crowbar
> At least one person in the group should carry one. That way, you won't
> have to start using Excalibur to pry open a wooden chest or door. In an
> emergency, a crowbar will also serve as a weapon.
This is true for other tools as well. A complete toolkit/toolbox can
save your party. Some examples:
Fantasy games: hammer, chisel, axe/hatchet, file, pick, shovel/spade,
tinderbox*
Modern games: bolt cutters*, eyedropper, hacksaw, magnet, padlock,
pliers, scissors, screwdriver, Swiss Army Knife, tweezers, wire cutters,
wrench
*mentioned elsewhere in the original List
> 5. Light sources
> Always carry torches, a flashlight or some other form of illumination. A
> coin with continual light cast on it is popular in many AD&D campaigns,
> though you shouldn't neglect to bring some ordinary light sources with
> you as well. Otherwise a simple dispel magic could leave you groping in
> the dark. <snip>
If you have Continual Light devices, try to obtain a container that
gives immunity to Dispel Magic and other magic-draining effects.
> 7. Piano Wire (Thaddeus Moore)
> Thin very strong (metal?) wire, can be used to bind things together or
> for trip wires. Use in conjunction with spikes and drive them in at
> various heights. While traveling through a dimly lit corridor the group
> came to a wooden door. They listen and heard orcish voices on the other
> side. So they doused all the torches on the walls. And set up piano wire
> at head level by driving spikes into the wall and fastening the wire to
> them. Then the group's fastest runner opened the door, taunted the orcs
> and took off down the hall. The party had notched the wall where the
> wire was. And the runner was able to duck and keep running. While the
> orcs got some nasty headaches.
For Shadowrun substitute monowire. Remember GM's can use this too. }:)
> 22b. Paper and pen (bardic_d...@my-dejanews.com)
> Also the paper can be waved in front of a guard while stating "Important
> message for your boss" as you stroll past. As long as they don't get to
> read your laundry list you may get by. In a similar vein you can walk
> around ostentatiously taking notes and asking questions and people may
> assume you belong.
If you know anything about the enemy leaders/organization, forge a false
document (or obtain a real one) in advance that can even fool someone
who reads it. See also "23. Intrusion" in the original List.
> * 24. Explosives
> If you can get away with it, carry some explosives (preferably in a nice
> shock/fire/waterproof box :-). <snip>
If at all possible, get stable explosives that won't blow up if you fall
on them or drop them (i.e. no nitroglycerine, dynamite etc.).
> 7. Cover
> Use cover if any is available. <snip>
Magic can provide "instant cover", e.g. the various ADnD "Wall" spells.
> 3. Truth (D.G. Larush)
> Never assume the other guy is telling the truth. <snip>
In games with magic, use divination/information spells to detect lies.
Remember that magic can also mask the truth.
> 7. Ask for the moon (bill.d...@ibm.net)
> Don't be afraid to ask for the moon. The other party may have no use for
> it.
Be careful here: being too greedy in negotiations can anger an NPC. Try
to get some idea about the NPC's attitude first.
> ---EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS---
When in any unusual environment, try to find out how the natives live in
it. They've been surviving in it all of their lives, so they know more
about it than you do.
> 6b. Low profile (Craig L Wigda)
> If you have expensive/military/or hard to get gear, do not flash it
> around. People would just love to take things away from you if they can.
This is also true for magic items in fantasy games. If you use your
Staff of the Magi in a city street, you should assume that the local
thieves' guild has noticed it.
> 8. Shooting cops (Blank Dave)
> Don't shoot at the police (it makes them mad, and this point can never
> be overstated enough).
In real life, police *never* give up hunting a cop-killer. They are also
more likely to use overwhelming lethal force against one. Try to use the
stun weapons mentioned elsewhere in the original List if possible. If a
cop has "gone bad" and you have to kill them, try to get evidence to
prove it was necessary and justified.
> 10c. Planning (Sander Biesma)
> Whenever you decide to make a plan, stick to it. Just because you
> discover a hidden door which might hide a load of treasure (and your
> usual Fiend or two) that doesn't give reason enough to sidestep from
> your original plan and screw it up completely, making your original goal
> harder to achieve.
This is especially true for tournament games played at conventions,
which usually have a time limit.
> 14. Coffins (Gary Astleford)
> Don't open coffins. Only stupid people open coffins.
In fantasy games there is usually some treasure in the coffin(s), but
there are also often undead of some kind. If you decide to open one,
prepare to fight undead first (ready holy water/fire, have your priest
get out his holy symbol, etc.).
> 16. Portable phones
> If your character carries a portable phone, turn off the sound before
> you go on a mission requiring stealth.
Also true for wristwatches with an alarm feature, pagers etc.
> 24. 'To do' list (Lauri C. Gardner)
> Make a list of all things you are supposed to do, especially the dumb
> things. If you don't mention them, you will forget them. Have the list
> go around having rest of the team members make additions.
Very useful when setting up security (e.g. when making camp or settling
into a hotel suite). You can just tell the GM "we do everything on the
security checklist" instead of having to remember each item. This ties
in with the Standard Operating Procedures section elsewhere in the
original List.
> 25. Some advice for thieves (Barry Wood)
> [AD&D] If you detect traps, do NOT assume just because you have a
> "Remove Traps" roll after the "Detect" that you are somehow responsible
> for removing each and every trap. Even at medium levels, the odds of you
> failing your roll and being killed by a trap are high. So, let the mage
> spend some spells removing it. Let the fighter use his polearm to poke
> around a bit. The best thief I ever ran with would go to the front of
> the party and say "Yep, there's a trap here" and then promptly return to
> his place in back of the party.
As one of the other party members in an ADnD game I would never let a
thief PC get away with the last bit. Any other character has _no_ chance
of Removing the Trap safely under the rules, so it's the thief's
responsibility to do so if all other methods fail.
What the thief *can* demand is that the other party members give him all
of their magic items that could protect him if the trap goes off
(Rings/Cloaks of Protection, Ring of Spell Turning, etc.).
> 26. Animals
> Keep a sharp eye and ear on the local fauna. When something is wrong,
> the animals often know about it before you do. An unusually quiet forest
> or a flock of birds that suddenly takes off for no apparent reason could
> both indicate trouble. You might also want to consider getting a trained
> dog or another animal with senses sharper than your own.
Trained animals are also useful in combat, as trap detectors (non-Good
alignment only), and so on.
> * 27. Use it!
> If you've got it, use it! Saving your resources 'for the real
> emergencies' is all very well, but when you feel you might have need of
> a certain item/spell/whatever, don't hesitate to use it. A lot of
> characters die with unused healing potions in their backpacks and unused
> spells on their minds. Don't let that be you.
Another piece of advice which is especially true when using one-shot
PC's in tournaments at conventions, where you must beat a time limit to
succeed.
Arivne
NEil Phillips
the following wisdom:
>I thought that once the pin was out and the lever was gone, it started a
>timed chemical reaction within the grenade? Delay fuse and all that. So
>even putting the pin back in wouldn't stop it.
>
>Or am I totally wrong?
Yeah, but the pin jsut stops the lever from rleasing, right? So you
pull the pin and dont' release the lever, you can try to put the pin
back in. But once the lever is gone, it's time to throw..
That's my understanding, anyhow.
news.span.ch
And ^you had to get rid of it quick !
:)
Same experience for me then...
l8r,
Fu.
Frank T. Sronce
>
> In article <awessels-231...@192.168.0.2>, awes...@pacbell.net
> (Allen Wessels) wrote:
>
> >In article <bgrubb-2310...@lc0353.zianet.com>, bgr...@zianet.com
> >(Bruce Grubb) wrote:
> >
> >>1 shot per round for 1 and 2nd level fighter (which is what archers
> >basicly are)
> >
> >See 1st Edition Players Handbook, page 38 for weapon rate of fire. (Bow
> >rof is 2 for 1st level)
>
I've heard a few times that this is actually just poor writing on TSR's
fault- the ROF is supposed to be the maximum number of attacks you can
make with it, if your character gets multiple attacks. Dunno- it's
clearly pretty messed up, but I suspect that the above 'correction' was
just handwaving on TSR's end to try and fix the '18/00 STR dart-throwers
from hell' problem.
Kiz
Robin Lim
aetherson <aeth...@my-deja.com> wrote in message
news:7ustck$vrr$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...
> In article <xNfQ3.220$IO6...@news.get2net.dk>,
> "Klaus Æ. Mogensen" <klau...@get2net.dk> wrote:
> My last group always stocked up on 50+ proof alcohol. Better for
> cleaning wounds than water... Especially the quality of water you'll
> be able to find in most realistic low-tech games.
>
> Mike (aetherson)
>
> (Plus, our characters were lushes)
Sounds like my present 7th Sea group. One PC is hedonistic, and an able
drinker, and he's also a bad influence on his noble patron, so... :)
One caveat: Much less of an issue in 7th Sea, but in D&D, having 80+ proof
alcohol is a Bad Idea. Alcohol that's weaker than 100 proof has a tendency
to put itself out. However, anything stronger will burn! This is a major
danger in the fireball prone universe of D&D.
Rob
Gareth Roberts
Peter Knutsen <pe...@knutsen.dk> wrote in message
news:3811F7C2...@knutsen.dk...
>
> Remember that futuristic grenades can be very small. Maybe explosives
> cannot be made much more powerful than they are today, but it should
> be possible to make an antimatter containment system that takes up
> only a cubic inch or so. While it stores only a little bit of
> antimatter, the explosive power can be devastating.
>
Advice to live your life by: Never shove any amount of anti-matter up your
ass, no matter how small.
As far as weapons searches go; install no cyberware for deadly purposes that
can't be easily removed. If you do, the police will remove them the hard way
when you're inevitably arrested. And there's no way you're going to be able
to claim that you lent the gun to a friend when the ballistics match the
bullet with the gun in your arm. You will, in general, be throwing a lot of
guns in a lot of building foundations for this reason. Don't go blowing half
your annual income on modifications for something you'll use once, then have
to ditch.
Best advice: Learn a martial art which makes you the deadliest man alive
with the leg of a bar stool. It works for Jackie Chan, it can work for you.
Robin Lim
Arivne <ari...@home.com> wrote in message news:3813E1C4...@home.com...
>
>
> > 22b. Paper and pen (bardic_d...@my-dejanews.com)
> > Also the paper can be waved in front of a guard while stating "Important
> > message for your boss" as you stroll past. As long as they don't get to
> > read your laundry list you may get by. In a similar vein you can walk
> > around ostentatiously taking notes and asking questions and people may
> > assume you belong.
>
> If you know anything about the enemy leaders/organization, forge a false
> document (or obtain a real one) in advance that can even fool someone
> who reads it. See also "23. Intrusion" in the original List.
Modern corrolary: bring a clipboard.
> If at all possible, get stable explosives that won't blow up if you fall
> on them or drop them (i.e. no nitroglycerine, dynamite etc.).
And get enough of the appropriate skill to use them. This is one roll you
don't want to botch!
In WW, f'rex, demolitions 1 is just asking to get yourself killed.
> Magic can provide "instant cover", e.g. the various ADnD "Wall" spells.
Modern corrollary, which someone stated: flash and smoke grenades.
Submachine guns are good too. They aren't just for mowing down mooks,
y'know.
[snip]
> > 8. Shooting cops (Blank Dave)
> > Don't shoot at the police (it makes them mad, and this point can never
> > be overstated enough).
>
> In real life, police *never* give up hunting a cop-killer. They are also
> more likely to use overwhelming lethal force against one. Try to use the
> stun weapons mentioned elsewhere in the original List if possible. If a
> cop has "gone bad" and you have to kill them, try to get evidence to
> prove it was necessary and justified.
Other genre corrollary: Musketeers, Inquisitorial Guards, Royal Guards, and
so on usually count as cops. In fact, try not to kill/shoot anyone with a
lot of friends and a lot of influence. Even shooting a Made Man is asking
for trouble. All such groups are likely not to forgive, or to forget.
Rob
Timothy J. Miller
> <...>
Another item, though it applies more to modern and SF settings:
* Bring a clipboard and a non-descript service uniform/jumpsuit.
You'd be suprised how many times you can get by the guards by the
simple expedient of being uniformed and waving a clipboard around.
Also useful if you're caught somewhere you're not supposed to be;
simply keep your head down, shuffle the papers on the clipboard, and
head for the nearest exit in a straight line.
Steve Hilberg
"Klaus Hegersheim, section G6...checking radiation shields...?"
--
Steve Hilberg <Necromancer> CCSO Workstation Support Group
<hil...@uiuc.edu> Unpublished Fiction Author
KB9TEV CCSO _still_ doesn't pay me enough to
speak for them, so I still don't.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"And if He ever suffered, it was me who did His crying...."
-- Concrete Blonde, "Tomorrow Wendy"
Kelly Ross Pedersen
Arivne wrote:
[snip]
> > * 24. Explosives
> > If you can get away with it, carry some explosives (preferably in a nice
> > shock/fire/waterproof box :-). <snip>
>
> If at all possible, get stable explosives that won't blow up if you fall
> on them or drop them (i.e. no nitroglycerine, dynamite etc.).
>
Dynamite is very stable, and _not_ subject to going off when dropped,
unless it has spoiled. That was the point of creating dynamite in the
first place: To get something with the blasting power of nitroglycerine,
without the extreme volitility. Another good explosive, incidently, is
plastic explosive. Moldable to give you a shaped charge, and you can do
practically anything to it and it won't go off. I've heard that even
setting it on fire doesn't work. You NEED a blasting cap. And its as
good as dynamite, and less conspicous too.
[snip]
--
I teleported home last night
with Ron and Sid and Meg.
Ron stole Meggy's heart away,
and I got Sidney's leg!
The Teleporting Song,
Douglas Adams, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
Kelly Pedersen, Student, Megalomanic, and aspiring All-knowing Being
Kelly_p...@yahoo.com
Moglwi
<38135002...@planetoftheapes.freeserve.co.uk>...
>
>
>
>>
>> Yes. The question was about pin itself _before_ the lever
was released.
>> After the lever is released, the thing is going to blow;
no matter what.
>>
>
>What about unscrewing the bottom bit, a la Hard Target?
Does this actually work
>in real life?
>
>>
grenade body and the detonator/striker which is the fuze the
flip leaver and the pin what you do is carefully insert the
detonator into the body and screw home. 1 live grenade. I
suppose that after the lever has struck the fuse if you were
really really lucky and fast you could unscrew the body from
the detonator and not set of the main charge you would
probably lose fingers from the detonator going as nothing
can stop that once the lever has struck the pin
--
"No Mr Bond I expect you to Die"
Goldfinger
mog...@tinyonline.co.uk
Ilkka Mannisto
> > > Also the paper can be waved in front of a guard while stating "Important
> > > message for your boss" as you stroll past. As long as they don't get to
> > > read your laundry list you may get by. In a similar vein you can walk
> > > around ostentatiously taking notes and asking questions and people may
> > > assume you belong.
> >
> > If you know anything about the enemy leaders/organization, forge a false
> > document (or obtain a real one) in advance that can even fool someone
> > who reads it. See also "23. Intrusion" in the original List.
>
>
> > on them or drop them (i.e. no nitroglycerine, dynamite etc.).
>
> don't want to botch!
>
> In WW, f'rex, demolitions 1 is just asking to get yourself killed.
>
>
> for trouble. All such groups are likely not to forgive, or to forget.
This is kinda off-topic, but does anyone know what this term "Made Man"
means? Thank you in advance!
-ile
Steve Hilberg
> This is kinda off-topic, but does anyone know what this term "Made Man"
>means? Thank you in advance!
A "made man" is someone who has been formally inducted into the Mafia
(although people use it to refer to members of other organized crime groups
or to people who simply work for the Mafia).
Tim
>plastic explosive [you can do] practically anything to it and it won't go
>off. And its as good as dynamite, and less conspicous too.
i've heard it's edible (dunno how it tastes) - i.e.: not poisonous.
tim
Anders Egneus
>
>
>
>>
>> Yes. The question was about pin itself _before_ the lever was released.
>> After the lever is released, the thing is going to blow; no matter what.
>>
>
>What about unscrewing the bottom bit, a la Hard Target? Does this actually work
>in real life?
>
You *definitely* don't want to try that. If you have a live grenade
in your hand, throw it away (they're made for that, after all), don't
play around with it!
(and I agree with a previous poster, trying to put the pin back in is
no easy thing either. And while on the matter, so is using your teeth
to yank the pin. The pin is *hard* to get out, and good thing too...)
Anders Egneus
>>> Press lever.
>>> Pull Pin.
>>> Release lever, throw, and run like hell.
>>
>> If, between steps 2 and 3, you decide to nevermind it, will reinserting
>>the pin prevent it from blowing?
>
>Just yesterday (no, wait, day before... all-nighters really screw your
>sense of time :) ) I was playing a game of Action Quake and pulled the
>pin on a grenade because I thought a bad guy was lurking over the wall
>in the desert map. There was none, so I whipped out my sniper rifle.
>Unfortunately that meant I dropped the grenade. :)
As someone (here?) has in his sig file,
"Once you pull the pin, Mr. Grenade is no longer your friend."
/AndersE
Chad Lubrecht
<krp...@mail.usask.ca> wrote:
>
>
>Arivne wrote:
>[snip]
>> > * 24. Explosives
>> > If you can get away with it, carry some explosives (preferably in a nice
>> > shock/fire/waterproof box :-). <snip>
>>
>> If at all possible, get stable explosives that won't blow up if you fall
>> on them or drop them (i.e. no nitroglycerine, dynamite etc.).
>>
>Dynamite is very stable, and _not_ subject to going off when dropped,
>unless it has spoiled. That was the point of creating dynamite in the
>first place: To get something with the blasting power of nitroglycerine,
>without the extreme volitility.
But be carefull, I've heard that when dynamite gets old, it "sweats".
This is the nitroglycerine (or is it TNT...) leaking out of the
sawdust, and the whole thing becomes dangerously explosive again.
Chad Lubrecht
>> 3. Truth (D.G. Larush)
>> Never assume the other guy is telling the truth. <snip>
>
>In games with magic, use divination/information spells to detect lies.
>Remember that magic can also mask the truth.
>
But even then, detect lies only works if the target knows what they're
saying isn't true. The true evil mastermind doesn't let his crownies
know the whole story.
>> 14. Coffins (Gary Astleford)
>> Don't open coffins. Only stupid people open coffins.
>
>In fantasy games there is usually some treasure in the coffin(s), but
>there are also often undead of some kind. If you decide to open one,
>prepare to fight undead first (ready holy water/fire, have your priest
>get out his holy symbol, etc.).
And not all dieties would look kindly on graverobbers (I mean
adventurers) going around disturbing the peace of the dead. Some
might refuse to grant the priest his powers, and let the party deal
with whatever undead horrors themselves.
Andy Baker
Ilkka Mannisto wrote:
> Robin Lim wrote:
>
> > lot of friends and a lot of influence. Even shooting a Made Man is asking
> > for trouble. All such groups are likely not to forgive, or to forget.
>
> This is kinda off-topic, but does anyone know what this term "Made Man"
> means? Thank you in advance!
>
In Mafioso slang, a "made guy" is someone who has a measure of authority and
immunity from being killed out of hand by guys on lower rungs of the crime family.
Getting made is similar to getting a promotion, in that it's generally an honor
bestowed on someone who's done something useful or proven himself or herself
valuable. Watch Goodfellas to see what happens to people who kill made guys.
Of course, there is no Mafia in reality- just a Hollywood story inflated by the
feds ;)
Klaus Ę. Mogensen
>
>Steve Hilberg wrote:
>> "Klaus Hegersheim, section G6...checking radiation shields...?"
>
So it should work if you play the James Bond RPG, shouldn't it? ;-)
Klaus Ę. Mogensen
klau...@get2net.dk
http://hjem.get2net.dk/Klaudius
The Moving Finger writes, and having writ, Moves on
Doug Berry
Hilberg) channeled Elvis who passed this on:
>Ilkka Mannisto <iman...@cc.hut.fi> writes:
>> This is kinda off-topic, but does anyone know what this term "Made >>Man" means? Thank you in advance!
>
>A "made man" is someone who has been formally inducted into the Mafia
>(although people use it to refer to members of other organized crime groups
>or to people who simply work for the Mafia).
More precisley, a Made Man is someone who has committed a murder
for the family. Before that, you are just a solider.
--
Douglas E. Berry grid...@mindspring.com
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/
"We are GURPS. You will be assimilated. We will add
your distinctive setting and background to our own. |
Resistance is futile."
Doug Berry
anders.egneus@*REMOVE.THIS.TEXT*bioquest.se (Anders Egneus)
channeled Elvis who passed this on:
>(and I agree with a previous poster, trying to put the pin back in is
>no easy thing either. And while on the matter, so is using your teeth
>to yank the pin. The pin is *hard* to get out, and good thing too...)
Also. never wear grenades on web gear, like in all those WWII
movies.. for some reason, stray tree limbs are better at pulling
pins than you are.
I once had a bush pull the pin on a smoke grenade that was
hanging off my belt. nasty burns on my leg, and I was bright
purple from the smoke.. luckily I was already wearing my gas mask
when it happened.
Shawn Wilson
Kelly Ross Pedersen <krp...@mail.usask.ca> wrote in message
news:3814AB96...@mail.usask.ca...
> I've heard that even
> setting it on fire doesn't work. You NEED a blasting cap.
My Army instructors said the same thing. It takes heat AND pressure to
detonate C-4. They were VERY clear about NOT stepping on any flaming pieces
that may be left over after use.
Geoffrey Brent
<7v3g7n$k25$1...@bgtnsc03.worldnet.att.net>...
> > I've heard that even
> > setting it on fire doesn't work. You NEED a blasting cap.
>
>
> My Army instructors said the same thing. It takes heat AND pressure to
> detonate C-4. They were VERY clear about NOT stepping on any flaming
pieces
> that may be left over after use.
I was talking to a former explosives engineer about this
a while back. What he told me is that although _in theory_
plastic explosive won't detonate if you burn it or drop it, in
practice funny things can happen; if you're doing this stuff
for a living you don't take chances. He told me one story
of an explosives technician who dropped a large chunk of
plastex - trying to demonstrate that it doesn't go off if you
drop it - and was rather messily proved wrong. It may be
nice to know that you _probably_ can't set the stuff off
by hitting it with a sledgehammer, but handle it gently all
the same. Just in case.
Geoffrey Brent
Geoffrey Brent
<38261842...@news.mindspring.com>...
> Also. never wear grenades on web gear, like in all those WWII
> movies.. for some reason, stray tree limbs are better at pulling
> pins than you are.
>
> I once had a bush pull the pin on a smoke grenade that was
> hanging off my belt. nasty burns on my leg, and I was bright
> purple from the smoke.. luckily I was already wearing my gas mask
> when it happened.
IIRC, some soldiers tape the lever down to protect
against this sort of accident (though the obvious
drawback is a longer time to prepare the grenade.)
Geoffrey Brent
Varsil Savai
wrote:
>On Mon, 25 Oct 1999 22:02:53 GMT,
>anders.egneus@*REMOVE.THIS.TEXT*bioquest.se (Anders Egneus)
>channeled Elvis who passed this on:
>
>>(and I agree with a previous poster, trying to put the pin back in is
>>no easy thing either. And while on the matter, so is using your teeth
>>to yank the pin. The pin is *hard* to get out, and good thing too...)
>
>Also. never wear grenades on web gear, like in all those WWII
>movies.. for some reason, stray tree limbs are better at pulling
>pins than you are.
>
>I once had a bush pull the pin on a smoke grenade that was
>hanging off my belt. nasty burns on my leg, and I was bright
>purple from the smoke.. luckily I was already wearing my gas mask
>when it happened.
>
Gah! That'd have been it for me I think...
Picture WP smoke... :(
Varsil Savai
<krp...@mail.usask.ca> wrote:
>
>
>Arivne wrote:
>[snip]
>> > * 24. Explosives
>> > If you can get away with it, carry some explosives (preferably in a nice
>> > shock/fire/waterproof box :-). <snip>
>>
>> If at all possible, get stable explosives that won't blow up if you fall
>> on them or drop them (i.e. no nitroglycerine, dynamite etc.).
>>
>Dynamite is very stable, and _not_ subject to going off when dropped,
>unless it has spoiled. That was the point of creating dynamite in the
>first place: To get something with the blasting power of nitroglycerine,
>without the extreme volitility. Another good explosive, incidently, is
>plastic explosive. Moldable to give you a shaped charge, and you can do
>practically anything to it and it won't go off. I've heard that even
>setting it on fire doesn't work. You NEED a blasting cap. And its as
>good as dynamite, and less conspicous too.
>[snip]
Yeah... the only problem with C-4 is that the blasting caps themselves
aren't quite so stable... Well, so I've heard :).
Geoffrey Brent
fall
> >> on them or drop them (i.e. no nitroglycerine, dynamite etc.).
> >>
> >Dynamite is very stable, and _not_ subject to going off when dropped,
> >unless it has spoiled. That was the point of creating dynamite in the
> >first place: To get something with the blasting power of nitroglycerine,
> >without the extreme volitility.
Unfortunately, it _does_ spoil if you don't keep it in a
controlled climate - temperature variations etc. will
make it "sweat" nitroglycerine, making it unstable.
If you're going to be carrying it around for any length
of time, plastex is a better bet.
> > Another good explosive, incidently, is
> >plastic explosive. Moldable to give you a shaped charge,
Actually, that's not what a "shaped charge" is. "Shaped
charge" usually refers to a specific sort of charge that
uses the "Monroe Effect": you take a cone-shaped piece
of metal, with explosive packed around it. The detonation
forms it into a high-velocity jet of molten metal - very good
at piercing armour. This is how HEAT and HEDP armour-
piercing warheads work. I don't know how easy it would
be to improvise one, but probably not trivial - the jet is
highly directional, so if the charge isn't very carefully
prepared it probably won't form as you'd like it too. Besides
anti-tank warheads, they're used as cutting charges for
explosive demolition and sabotage work.
I don't know if HESH warheads are also considered "shaped
charge" - they're more like what you're talking about there -
but they seem to be unfashionable these days anyway.
> >and you can do
> >practically anything to it and it won't go off. I've heard that even
> >setting it on fire doesn't work.
(See my other post - while it _probably_ won't go off if you
burn it, you shouldn't count on it.)
> >You NEED a blasting cap. And its as
> >good as dynamite, and less conspicous too.
> >[snip]
Yup. About the only reason I can think of to use
dynamite rather than plastic explosive is the cost.
> Yeah... the only problem with C-4 is that the blasting caps themselves
> aren't quite so stable... Well, so I've heard :).
Detonators usually aren't, since by definition they have
to be relatively easy to set off. So it's a good idea to
keep them well away from your explosives.
Geoffrey Brent
(Incidentally, a happy Jam Echelon Day to you all,
even if it's late :-)
Arivne
Steve Hilberg wrote:
>
> timothy...@afiwc01.af.mil (Timothy J. Miller) writes:
> >Willem van Driel <jvan...@wxs.nlREMOVE2REPLY> writes:
> >> <...>
>
> > Another item, though it applies more to modern and SF settings:
>
> >* Bring a clipboard and a non-descript service uniform/jumpsuit.
>
> > You'd be suprised how many times you can get by the guards by the
> > simple expedient of being uniformed and waving a clipboard around.
> > Also useful if you're caught somewhere you're not supposed to be;
> > simply keep your head down, shuffle the papers on the clipboard, and
> > head for the nearest exit in a straight line.
>
> "Klaus Hegersheim, section G6...checking radiation shields...?"
That only works if your name is Bond...James Bond. ;)
> Steve Hilberg <Necromancer> CCSO Workstation Support Group
<snip sig>
Arivne
Xiphias Gladius
> I was talking to a former explosives engineer about this
> a while back. What he told me is that although _in theory_
> plastic explosive won't detonate if you burn it or drop it, in
> practice funny things can happen; if you're doing this stuff
> for a living you don't take chances. He told me one story
> of an explosives technician who dropped a large chunk of
> plastex - trying to demonstrate that it doesn't go off if you
> drop it - and was rather messily proved wrong.
I heard a war story from a friend who said that in Grenada, someone he
knew decided to blow down a door by nailing a chunk of C-4 to the door.
They found his legs and some of his lower torso.
- Ian
--
Marriage, n: The state or condition of a community consisting of a master,
a mistress, and two slaves, making, in all, two. -- Ambrose Bierce
http://www.ccs.neu.edu/home/ian
SSBB Diplomatic Corps; Boston, Massachusetts
Xiphias Gladius
Or if you're a Cuban burglar dressed like a plumber trying to get into the
Watergate hotel to find out what the Democratic National Commitee is doing
in order to help Richard Nixon.
Or you're my father. Or you're me. Dad taught me this trick; it works.
Won't get you into any *secured* areas, but it'll get you into any
"Employees Only" areas you'd like to check out, and, from there, you can
often get into other interesting places. This was a hobby of mine when I
was a kid.
Kelly Ross Pedersen
Geoffrey Brent wrote:
>
> > >> If at all possible, get stable explosives that won't blow up if you
> fall
> > >> on them or drop them (i.e. no nitroglycerine, dynamite etc.).
> > >>
> > >Dynamite is very stable, and _not_ subject to going off when dropped,
> > >unless it has spoiled. That was the point of creating dynamite in the
> > >first place: To get something with the blasting power of nitroglycerine,
> > >without the extreme volitility.
>
> Unfortunately, it _does_ spoil if you don't keep it in a
> controlled climate - temperature variations etc. will
> make it "sweat" nitroglycerine, making it unstable.
> If you're going to be carrying it around for any length
> of time, plastex is a better bet.
Yeah, I know about sweating. Animals can gnaw on it, too, which also
makes it unstable.
>
> > > Another good explosive, incidently, is
> > >plastic explosive. Moldable to give you a shaped charge,
>
> Actually, that's not what a "shaped charge" is. "Shaped
> charge" usually refers to a specific sort of charge that
> uses the "Monroe Effect": you take a cone-shaped piece
> of metal, with explosive packed around it. The detonation
> forms it into a high-velocity jet of molten metal - very good
> at piercing armour. This is how HEAT and HEDP armour-
> piercing warheads work. I don't know how easy it would
> be to improvise one, but probably not trivial - the jet is
> highly directional, so if the charge isn't very carefully
> prepared it probably won't form as you'd like it too. Besides
> anti-tank warheads, they're used as cutting charges for
> explosive demolition and sabotage work.
>
Well, I was thinking of the stuff they used after the Gulf War, to help
shut down the burning wells. I saw an IMAX film called Fires of Kuwait,
where they kept talking about using shaped explosive charges to send a
shock wave in one specific direction, to blow the fire away from the
oil. Is this the same thing?
> (See my other post - while it _probably_ won't go off if you
> burn it, you shouldn't count on it.)
Ah. I'll remember that.
>
> > >You NEED a blasting cap. And its as
> > >good as dynamite, and less conspicous too.
> > >[snip]
>
> Yup. About the only reason I can think of to use
> dynamite rather than plastic explosive is the cost.
>
Damn handy stuff.
Robert Seeger
that the explosive is set up such that the explosion goes in a specific
direction. By placing the explosive in the shape, with the correct
materials around it, you can make sure that most of the destructive
force goes in one direction, making it more effective.
Rob Seeger
Kelly Ross Pedersen wrote:
>
> Geoffrey Brent wrote:
> > Actually, that's not what a "shaped charge" is. "Shaped
> > charge" usually refers to a specific sort of charge that
> > uses the "Monroe Effect": you take a cone-shaped piece
> > of metal, with explosive packed around it. The detonation
> > forms it into a high-velocity jet of molten metal - very good
> > at piercing armour. This is how HEAT and HEDP armour-
> > piercing warheads work. I don't know how easy it would
> > be to improvise one, but probably not trivial - the jet is
> > highly directional, so if the charge isn't very carefully
> > prepared it probably won't form as you'd like it too. Besides
> > anti-tank warheads, they're used as cutting charges for
> > explosive demolition and sabotage work.
> >
> Well, I was thinking of the stuff they used after the Gulf War, to help
> shut down the burning wells. I saw an IMAX film called Fires of Kuwait,
> where they kept talking about using shaped explosive charges to send a
> shock wave in one specific direction, to blow the fire away from the
> oil. Is this the same thing?
--
Whenever you're having a bad day, and it seems like everyone's
trying to piss you off, remember this - it takes 43 muscles to
frown, but only 4 to pull the trigger of a decent sniper rifle.
- Sorry, I stole this .sig, but I love it. . .
Varsil Savai
<krp...@mail.usask.ca> wrote:
>
>
>Geoffrey Brent wrote:
>>
>> > >> If at all possible, get stable explosives that won't blow up if you
>> fall
>> > >> on them or drop them (i.e. no nitroglycerine, dynamite etc.).
>> > >>
>> > >Dynamite is very stable, and _not_ subject to going off when dropped,
>> > >unless it has spoiled. That was the point of creating dynamite in the
>> > >first place: To get something with the blasting power of nitroglycerine,
>> > >without the extreme volitility.
>>
>> Unfortunately, it _does_ spoil if you don't keep it in a
>> controlled climate - temperature variations etc. will
>> make it "sweat" nitroglycerine, making it unstable.
>> If you're going to be carrying it around for any length
>> of time, plastex is a better bet.
>Yeah, I know about sweating. Animals can gnaw on it, too, which also
>makes it unstable.
>>
>> > > Another good explosive, incidently, is
>> > >plastic explosive. Moldable to give you a shaped charge,
>>
>> Actually, that's not what a "shaped charge" is. "Shaped
>> charge" usually refers to a specific sort of charge that
>> uses the "Monroe Effect": you take a cone-shaped piece
>> of metal, with explosive packed around it. The detonation
>> forms it into a high-velocity jet of molten metal - very good
>> at piercing armour. This is how HEAT and HEDP armour-
>> piercing warheads work. I don't know how easy it would
>> be to improvise one, but probably not trivial - the jet is
>> highly directional, so if the charge isn't very carefully
>> prepared it probably won't form as you'd like it too. Besides
>> anti-tank warheads, they're used as cutting charges for
>> explosive demolition and sabotage work.
>>
>Well, I was thinking of the stuff they used after the Gulf War, to help
>shut down the burning wells. I saw an IMAX film called Fires of Kuwait,
>where they kept talking about using shaped explosive charges to send a
>shock wave in one specific direction, to blow the fire away from the
>oil. Is this the same thing?
I believe that was good ol' fashioned TNT...
Tom Knight
Whilst we're on the subject, one of my P.C.'s has developed a fondness for
sticking bits of foam rubber to his grenades, to muffle the sound of them
hitting the floor and son ot give any warning of their presence. Is this
an any way reminiscent of anything that happens in real life?
Andy Luker
Geoffrey Brent wrote in message <01bf1f9f$73b3fd60$4e58ab95@GB-
>> > Another good explosive, incidently, is
>> >plastic explosive. Moldable to give you a shaped charge,
>
>Actually, that's not what a "shaped charge" is. "Shaped
>charge" usually refers to a specific sort of charge that
>uses the "Monroe Effect": you take a cone-shaped piece
>of metal, with explosive packed around it. The detonation
>forms it into a high-velocity jet of molten metal - very good
>at piercing armour. This is how HEAT and HEDP armour-
>piercing warheads work. I don't know how easy it would
>be to improvise one, but probably not trivial - the jet is
>highly directional, so if the charge isn't very carefully
>prepared it probably won't form as you'd like it too. Besides
>anti-tank warheads, they're used as cutting charges for
>explosive demolition and sabotage work.
>
plasic exp around the domed top of a deodorant spraycan and used the shaped
charge effect to punch through steel plate (ca 1/4 inch IIRC)
Rick Pikul
says...
>
>
> Arivne wrote:
> [snip]
> > > * 24. Explosives
> > > If you can get away with it, carry some explosives (preferably in a nice
> > > shock/fire/waterproof box :-). <snip>
> >
> > on them or drop them (i.e. no nitroglycerine, dynamite etc.).
> >
> Dynamite is very stable, and _not_ subject to going off when dropped,
> unless it has spoiled. That was the point of creating dynamite in the
> first place: To get something with the blasting power of nitroglycerine,
> without the extreme volitility.
Correction: Dynamite is more stable than nitroglycerine, but it
can still go off from shocks (it's just less likely). Also, the first
test (which can be done in the files) able to detect the nitroglycerine
starting to separate out is dropping it on a rock and seeing if it
explodes.
> Another good explosive, incidently, is
> plastic explosive. Moldable to give you a shaped charge, and you can do
> practically anything to it and it won't go off. I've heard that even
> setting it on fire doesn't work. You NEED a blasting cap. And its as
> good as dynamite, and less conspicous too.
It's far better, as it does not degrade and is more powerful.
--
Phoenix
Glenn Dowdy
Robert Seeger wrote in message <3815E33D...@nycap.rr.com>...
>Actually, with regard to C-4 and the like, a shaped charge just means
>that the explosive is set up such that the explosion goes in a specific
>direction. By placing the explosive in the shape, with the correct
>materials around it, you can make sure that most of the destructive
>force goes in one direction, making it more effective.
>
to direct the blast of standard explosives. The effectiveness of a shaped
charged is very dependent upon the angles of the cone shape and the distance
from the object to be penetrated. That's why you have a long fuse on the TOW
II missiles.
We used shaped charges, not for cutting, as another poster offered, but for
blasting deep but narrow holes in the ground. A 40 lb (18 kg) shaped charge,
in the right soil, could blast a hole around 8 to 10 feet deep (3m). You
place cratering charges in the holes to create road craters. The best
standoff for a 40 lb shape charge was a significant distance above the
surface (IIRC, around 4 feet or so), but we never had any good way to set
them up that high. The crate they came in made a good enough field
expendient standoff, around two feet.
--
Glenn Dowdy
Former combat engineer
Kelly Ross Pedersen
Varsil Savai wrote:
[snip]
> >Well, I was thinking of the stuff they used after the Gulf War, to help
> >shut down the burning wells. I saw an IMAX film called Fires of Kuwait,
> >where they kept talking about using shaped explosive charges to send a
> >shock wave in one specific direction, to blow the fire away from the
> >oil. Is this the same thing?
>
> I believe that was good ol' fashioned TNT...
Yeah, but it was shaped so that the force went in only one direction.
Lord Kabal
Or is that ESOL?
Werebat <hes...@etal.uri.edu> wrote:
>Bruce Grubb wrote:
>>
>> In article <awessels-231...@192.168.0.2>, awes...@pacbell.net
>> (Allen Wessels) wrote:
>>
>> >In article <bgrubb-2310...@lc0353.zianet.com>, bgr...@zianet.com
>> >(Bruce Grubb) wrote:
>> >
>> >>1 shot per round for 1 and 2nd level fighter (which is what archers
>> >basicly are)
>> >
>> >See 1st Edition Players Handbook, page 38 for weapon rate of fire. (Bow
>> >rof is 2 for 1st level)
>>
>> Which made the mage even more likely to died, which is my may of the
>> DMs
>> ignored it.
>
><Boggle>
>
>That reminds me. I have some papers to correct from my ESL classes.
>
>
> - Ron ^*^
--------------------------------
"Bless you bong boy!"
"DAMN YOU BONG BOY!!!"
--------------------------------
Bastien Evain
>>Dynamite is very stable, and _not_ subject to going off when dropped,
>>unless it has spoiled. That was the point of creating dynamite in the
>>first place: To get something with the blasting power of nitroglycerine,
>>without the extreme volitility.
Absolutly true, this was invested by a swedish engineer after his brother
get killed by an unwanted blast in a mine. The guy is named Nobel if you've
ever heard about him. :)
>But be carefull, I've heard that when dynamite gets old, it "sweats".
>This is the nitroglycerine (or is it TNT...) leaking out of the
>sawdust, and the whole thing becomes dangerously explosive again.
Originally it was nitroglycerine.
Champignac
Amber, Dan, DARE, or Julie
Lord Kabal wrote:
>
> Werebat <hes...@etal.uri.edu> wrote:
> >
> >That reminds me. I have some papers to correct from my ESL classes.
> >
> ESL?
> Or is that ESOL?
English as a Second Language.
- DARE, GURPSist extraordinaire and plenipotentiary
* "I think he should be whacked upside the head with a clue-by-four,
that's what I think of him." - Jenna
* Hi! I'm a .sig virus! Join the fun and copy me into yours! :)
chao...@bellsouth.net
-Murphy's Law is not selectively enforced.
M.Lewis
>
> Geoffrey Brent wrote in message <01bf1f9f$73b3fd60$4e58ab95@GB-
> >> >plastic explosive. Moldable to give you a shaped charge,
> >
> >charge" usually refers to a specific sort of charge that
> >uses the "Monroe Effect": you take a cone-shaped piece
> >of metal, with explosive packed around it. The detonation
> >forms it into a high-velocity jet of molten metal - very good
> >at piercing armour. This is how HEAT and HEDP armour-
> >piercing warheads work. I don't know how easy it would
> >be to improvise one, but probably not trivial - the jet is
> >highly directional, so if the charge isn't very carefully
> >prepared it probably won't form as you'd like it too. Besides
> >anti-tank warheads, they're used as cutting charges for
> >explosive demolition and sabotage work.
> >
> On Tomorrow's world (UK science program) 2-3 years ago they wraped
> plasic exp around the domed top of a deodorant spraycan and used the shaped
> charge effect to punch through steel plate (ca 1/4 inch IIRC)
When I was stationed in Germany, our unit went to a little training
exercise to play with explosives. :*) The mortar unit with us took a
Coke can, stuffed it with the explosives, some kind of little block, TNT
I guess, and I *think* they made a little cone in it. Anyway, they put
it on an old automobile transmission that a Lieutenant had brought with
him, and it blew a *perfect* hole right through it. It didn't mess
anything else on it up, it just made a clean hole.
Melvin
--
Oath of blood is Liart's bane
Oath of death is for the slain
Oath of stone the rockfolk swear
Oath of iron is Tir's domain
Oath of silver liars dare
Oath of gold will yet remain
-The Deed of Paksenarrion
Jonathan Bastow
>
> Yeah... the only problem with C-4 is that the blasting caps themselves
> aren't quite so stable... Well, so I've heard :).
There's a science fiction writer who worked as a demolitionist in Viet
Nam who to this day has nightmares where he's running through the jungle
with a box full of blasting caps while a VC soldier throws lit
cigarettes at him.
In short, blasting caps are easy to set off. Just recently some guy
blew most of his face off by biting down on one.
Reverend
Marshall
<pe...@knutsen.dk> wrote:
> Martin Boyden wrote:
>
> > Just a question for clarity. Is said grenade gonna get by only if you
> > avoid the cavity search? Youch,
>
> Remember that futuristic grenades can be very small. Maybe explosives
> cannot be made much more powerful than they are today, but it should
> be possible to make an antimatter containment system that takes up
> only a cubic inch or so. While it stores only a little bit of
> antimatter, the explosive power can be devastating.
>
> > --Marty
>
> --
> Peter Knutsen
Would anyone really feel comfortable putting anti-matter _anywhere_ inside
them? I'd much rather get 10 fingertip compartments, fill them with C-12
and have my watch double as a detonator/fuse device. And I wouldn't
really want to do that either. Internal explosives just don't jive with
my PCs. Any interest out there in a META thread on smuggling techniques
(into buildings, not across boundaries).
-Andrew
Geoffrey Brent
<8766zvqrd9.fsf@eas_unclass133.afiwc01.af.mil>...
> Another item, though it applies more to modern and SF settings:
>
> * Bring a clipboard and a non-descript service uniform/jumpsuit.
>
> You'd be suprised how many times you can get by the guards by the
> simple expedient of being uniformed and waving a clipboard around.
> Also useful if you're caught somewhere you're not supposed to be;
> simply keep your head down, shuffle the papers on the clipboard, and
> head for the nearest exit in a straight line.
Or - works best on inexperienced guards - put them on the
defensive by asking _them_ the questions first. "Ah, yes, I've
been _looking_ for you. Now, can you tell me how long this
seal has been like this? No? Can you get me somebody who
_can_?" (wait till the guard goes to find somebody, then run.)
Geoffrey Brent
Geoffrey Brent
<3815CE20...@mail.usask.ca>...
> > Unfortunately, it _does_ spoil if you don't keep it in a
> > controlled climate - temperature variations etc. will
> > make it "sweat" nitroglycerine, making it unstable.
> > If you're going to be carrying it around for any length
> > of time, plastex is a better bet.
> Yeah, I know about sweating. Animals can gnaw on it, too, which also
> makes it unstable.
That I didn't know, but I'd believe it. Oh, and there
are tests to check whether you've been handling
nitroglycerine/dynamite by looking at nitrates on
your fingers (though as several British cases
showed recently, there are other things that can
give a false positive on those tests.)
> > Actually, that's not what a "shaped charge" is. "Shaped
> > charge" usually refers to a specific sort of charge that
> > uses the "Monroe Effect": you take a cone-shaped piece
> > of metal, with explosive packed around it. The detonation
> > forms it into a high-velocity jet of molten metal - very good
> > at piercing armour. This is how HEAT and HEDP armour-
> > piercing warheads work. I don't know how easy it would
> > be to improvise one, but probably not trivial - the jet is
> > highly directional, so if the charge isn't very carefully
> > prepared it probably won't form as you'd like it too. Besides
> > anti-tank warheads, they're used as cutting charges for
> > explosive demolition and sabotage work.
> >
> Well, I was thinking of the stuff they used after the Gulf War, to help
> shut down the burning wells. I saw an IMAX film called Fires of Kuwait,
> where they kept talking about using shaped explosive charges to send a
> shock wave in one specific direction, to blow the fire away from the
> oil. Is this the same thing?
It doesn't sound like the same thing. As far as I know,
the main explosive technique used to put out those
fires was a fuel-air explosion - you disperse petrol or
some such fuel, ignite it, it all burns at once creating
a massive explosion, and because it consumes all the
oxygen nearby the fire goes out. I haven't heard of the
technique you're describing, though that doesn't mean
it wasn't used - I wasn't there and haven't seen that
film. Usually, though, "shaped charge" means something
more specific than a charge that's shaped.
> > Yup. About the only reason I can think of to use
> > dynamite rather than plastic explosive is the cost.
> >
> Damn handy stuff.
Oh, and it's easier to get hold of or make at home,
which is why terrorist organisations use it a lot.
(Look for people with stained skin and missing
fingers or eyes...)
Geoffrey Brent
Kid Chameleon
<d993...@mail.connect.usq.edu.au> etched into silicon:
<
<>>Dynamite is very stable, and _not_ subject to going off when dropped,
<>>unless it has spoiled. That was the point of creating dynamite in the
<>>first place: To get something with the blasting power of nitroglycerine,
<>>without the extreme volitility.
<
<
<Absolutly true, this was invested by a swedish engineer after his brother
<get killed by an unwanted blast in a mine. The guy is named Nobel if you've
<ever heard about him. :)
<
Had a thing against Physicists, I believe. Decreed there would never
be a Nobel award for it.
"If this is all the gods can do, I'm over to the dark side so fast."
Tom Servo
Geoffrey Brent
<38165ff2...@news.erols.com>...
> Had a thing against Physicists, I believe. Decreed there would never
> be a Nobel award for it.
You're mistaken - there _is_ a Nobel Prize for physics.
What there isn't, is a Nobel Prize for mathematics. The
popular story is that Nobel's wife ran off with a mathematician
and so he hated them, but that's nothing more than a myth -
for starters, Nobel never married...
The real reason Nobel didn't institute a prize for mathematics,
as far as I can tell, is because he didn't think pure maths
was of great benefit to humanity, and the prizes were supposed
to reward those who benefited humanity with their work (from all
accounts Nobel was rather upset by the number of people killed
with his invention.)
OTOH, quite a few mathematicians _have_ won
Nobel Prizes. The main ones would probably be
Bertrand Russell (mathematical logician) and
Jose de Echegaray (professor of maths, engineer,
and Spanish Finance Minister), both of whom won
it for Literature. Of course, a lot of the 'scientific'
prizewinners did a lot of mathematics in the work
that won their prizes.
Geoffrey Brent
Geoffrey Brent
<38166C...@NOSPAMekx.infi.net>...
> When I was stationed in Germany, our unit went to a little training
> exercise to play with explosives. :*) The mortar unit with us took a
> Coke can, stuffed it with the explosives, some kind of little block, TNT
> I guess, and I *think* they made a little cone in it. Anyway, they put
> it on an old automobile transmission that a Lieutenant had brought with
> him, and it blew a *perfect* hole right through it. It didn't mess
> anything else on it up, it just made a clean hole.
Not a bad party trick :-)
Geoffrey Brent
Christopher Adams
> Or is that ESOL?
I think he means "English as a Second Language."
--
Christopher Adams
A man of no fortune, and with a name to come.
Vice-President SUTEKH 2000
Librarian PAGUS 2000
The grave of Karl Marx is just another Communist plot.
Jesus said to them, "Who do you say that I am?"
They replied, "You are the eschatological
manifestation of the ground of our being, the kerygma
of which we find the ultimate meaning in our
interpersonal relationships." And Jesus said, "What?"
And the angel said unto the shepherds,
"Shove off. This is cattle country."
Christopher Adams
> Nobel Prizes. The main ones would probably be
> Bertrand Russell (mathematical logician) and
> Jose de Echegaray (professor of maths, engineer,
> and Spanish Finance Minister), both of whom won
> it for Literature. Of course, a lot of the 'scientific'
> prizewinners did a lot of mathematics in the work
> that won their prizes.
Ernest Rutherford, a physicist, won his Nobel prize for chemistry :)
Anders Egneus
>Kelly Ross Pedersen <kelly_p...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>plastic explosive [you can do] practically anything to it and it won't go
>>off. And its as good as dynamite, and less conspicous too.
>
>i've heard it's edible (dunno how it tastes) - i.e.: not poisonous.
>
Ouch! DON'T!
It may depend on the exact compund, but in general, stay away from
(eating) non-biological organic compounds. Practically none are
healthy, most are downright dangerous. (So's many inorganics, if you
eat them).
You can use plastic explosives in the fire, they burn nicely - BUT as
others tell, with age they may become less stable....and then fire is
a really bad idea. Basically, IRL, if you are not professionally
trained in using explosives, treat all off them as if they were
something unstable like nitroglycerin. You can't be too careful with
this. (Just as you NEVER point a gun - loaded or not - at someone you
don't intend to shoot, you should never play around with explosives.)
About the only thing that would get me to actually try to burn plastic
explosives is if was in desperate need of warmth in a blizzard.
/AndersE
Brad Carletti
>
>6. Straps (Lloyd Revious)
>String or leather tie straps are almost as useful as rope. Then you
>don't have to cut up your much needed climbing rope to tie up a prisoner
>(or whatever).
Handcuffs. Lots and lots of handcuffs. I'm going to buy a crapload of
them in my Pulp campaign, I keep running out.
Brad Carletti
-16.5 Point Writer
It's kind of like watching grass grow, isn't it. :)
One day I'll be worth positive points. One day.
Jason Gorringe
>> > Another good explosive, incidently, is
>> >plastic explosive. Moldable to give you a shaped charge,
>
>charge" usually refers to a specific sort of charge that
>uses the "Monroe Effect": you take a cone-shaped piece
>of metal, with explosive packed around it. The detonation
>forms it into a high-velocity jet of molten metal - very good
>at piercing armour. This is how HEAT and HEDP armour-
>piercing warheads work. I don't know how easy it would
>be to improvise one, but probably not trivial - the jet is
>highly directional, so if the charge isn't very carefully
>prepared it probably won't form as you'd like it too. Besides
>anti-tank warheads, they're used as cutting charges for
>explosive demolition and sabotage work.
>
(amazing what you can find in second had bookshops) gives details for doing
this with C4, icluding the dimensions required for penetrating various
thicknesses of steel
Glenn Dowdy
Anders Egneus wrote in message <38162270...@news1.telia.com>...
>td...@netcom.com (Tim) wrote:
>
>>Kelly Ross Pedersen <kelly_p...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>>plastic explosive [you can do] practically anything to it and it won't go
>>>off. And its as good as dynamite, and less conspicous too.
>>
>>i've heard it's edible (dunno how it tastes) - i.e.: not poisonous.
>>
>
>Ouch! DON'T!
>
>It may depend on the exact compund, but in general, stay away from
>(eating) non-biological organic compounds. Practically none are
>healthy, most are downright dangerous. (So's many inorganics, if you
>eat them).
I've heard/read tales of soldiers in Vietnam eating C-4 to get high.
>
>You can use plastic explosives in the fire, they burn nicely - BUT as
>others tell, with age they may become less stable....and then fire is
>a really bad idea. Basically, IRL, if you are not professionally
>trained in using explosives, treat all off them as if they were
>something unstable like nitroglycerin. You can't be too careful with
>this. (Just as you NEVER point a gun - loaded or not - at someone you
>don't intend to shoot, you should never play around with explosives.)
C-4 is pretty damn stable. It does burn very well, and chunks of C-4 were
used by Vietnam era troops to heat rations. What do don't want to do is
combine heat and pressure (say, set a piece on fire and stomp on it). Heat
and pressure are the two initiators for C-4, and you'll will be doing your
foot no favors.
>
>About the only thing that would get me to actually try to burn plastic
>explosives is if was in desperate need of warmth in a blizzard.
>
Or for hot coffee.
--
Glenn Dowdy
Strife
Cheers,
Trevor
Tom Knight <kni...@planetoftheapes.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
news:3815F1BA...@planetoftheapes.freeserve.co.uk...
Strife
a custodian, handyman or some general schmuck. Most security guards are
going to assume that someone else checked your ID for you to be here and
don't really want to be bothered with the drudgery. Admittedly, this
wouldn't work (probably) around a "secure" area, but for anything short of a
Presidential visit...;)
Cheers,
Trevor
Klaus Æ. Mogensen <klau...@get2net.dk> wrote in message
news:ikoR3.1179$wo....@news.get2net.dk...
> Arivne wrote:
> >
> >Steve Hilberg wrote:
> >> "Klaus Hegersheim, section G6...checking radiation shields...?"
> >
> >That only works if your name is Bond...James Bond. ;)
>
>
> So it should work if you play the James Bond RPG, shouldn't it? ;-)
>
> Klaus Æ. Mogensen
> klau...@get2net.dk
> http://hjem.get2net.dk/Klaudius
>
> The Moving Finger writes, and having writ, Moves on
>
>