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From: lucius@tardis.UUCP (lucius)
Newsgroups: net.games.frp
Subject: Re: High Tech in AD&D (help).
Message-ID: <10136@tardis.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 26-Jan-86 22:25:55 EST
Article-I.D.: tardis.10136
Posted: Sun Jan 26 22:25:55 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 28-Jan-86 05:42:16 EST
References: <1277@hpda.UUCP> <6700012@uiucdcsp>
Organization: Harvard University, Cruft Lab (TARDIS)
Lines: 40

> Hmmmm.  Scum Bag sounds about right.  Finding new ways of blowing away 
> characters isn't hard and isn't very fun.  Nonetheless, if you like Jeff's 
> suggestion for making techno-items tough (and dangerous) to figure out, 
> Gamma world has a reasonable system for that purpose.  It makes use of flow 
> charts which map the progress of tinkering with techno-items, with chances 
> for accidents, success, and permanent failure.  The character progresses 
> through his tinkering, getting "warmer" or "colder" towards learning the item.
> Player's knowledge of 20th century technology doesn't matter.

	Nevertheless, players' "common sense" should matter (see below).

> Death is boring.  Challenging struggles to defeat death are interesting.
> That's why I've always found instant killer traps and magic items droll.
> A complicated trap that you know is there and that you have to think your
> way through is fine, but nuking your dedicated players for pressing some
> button is a bit harsh, don't you thing?  (flame-off)

	I don't know how to "thing," but I think that *trying* to nuke your
dedicated players for pressing some button is not only more realistic, but
fine; the issue is you have to give them a fair chance to keep you from nuking
them by taking reasonable precautions (although ones that might in themselves
be challenging to set up) (the same applies for instant killer anything else).
For example, first set up a bad but non-fatal experience to show them that
high-tech items are quite dangerous as well as weird to their characters (this
may be unnecessary and thus omittable for some players), and then provide more
deadly items.  After their first experience (some players might require a
little more to get the idea), players should be doing things like putting the
high-tech object behind a very thick rock wall or Wall of Force or other
appropiately tough protection within their means to construct and using Unseen
Servants and such to push buttons, pull levers/triggers (this last can also be
done with a string going over the wall or through a very small hole in it),
etc. while using Clairvoyance, Wizard Eye, or other means to see what happens
while remaining safe (for the most part. . .).  This kind of testing would
also provide the chance for the additional challenge of someone or something
plotting to steal the item while it was on the other side of the barrier from
the players, and the players having to take precautions to prevent this.

-- 
	-- Lucius Chiaraviglio { seismo!tardis!lucius | lucius@tardis.UUCP }
	"Don't tug on that.  You never know what that might be attached to."