Cambridge University Roleplaying Society ======================================== Newsletter the Third 1996/97 ============================ GUIDE TO DEALING WITH REAL-LIFE SCIENCE FICTION =============================================== What to do... if reality disappears? Hope this one doesn't happen to you. There isn't much that you can do about it. It will probably be quite unpleasant. if you meet an older version of yourself who has invented a time traveling machine, and has come from the future to meet you? Play this one by the book. Ask about the stock market and cash in. Don't forget to invent a time traveling machine and visit your younger self before you die, or you will create a paradox. If you expect this to be tricky, make sure to ask for the princ iples behind time travel, and possibly schematics. Never, NEVER, ask when you'll die, or if you'll marry your current SO. if you get a phone call from Mars: Speak slowly and be sure to enunciate your words properly. Limit your vocabulary to simple words. Try to determine if you are speaking to someone in a leadership capacity, or an ordinary citizen. if he, she or it doesn't speak English? Hang up. There's no sense in trying to learn Martian over the phone. If your Martian really had something important to say to you, he, she or it would have taken the trouble to learn the language before calling. if you get a phone call from Jupiter? Explain to your caller, politely but firmly, that being from Jupiter, he, she or it is not "life as we know it". Try to terminate the conversation as soon as possible. It will not profit you, and the charges may have been reversed. if a starship, equipped with an FTL hyperdrive lands in your backyard? First of all, do not run after your camera. You will not have any film, and, given the state of computer animation, noone will believe you anyway. Be polite. Remember, if they have an FTL hyperdrive, they can probably vaporize you, should they find you to be rude. Direct them to the White House lawn, which is where they probably wanted to land, anyway. A good road map should help. if you wake up in the middle of the night, and discover that your closet contains an alternate dimension? Don't walk in. You almost certainly will not be able to get back, and alternate dimensions are almost never any fun. Remain calm and go back to bed. Close the door first, so that the cat does not wander off. Check your closet in the morning. If it still contains an alternate dimension, nail it shut. The Library =========== The Society still maintains a library of role-playing material that can be borrowed for a refundable deposit. We have a wide selection of games, adventures and magazines, currently residing with the Vice President (see below). The LRPO also holds the Society's stock of latex weapons and accessories for Live Role-Playing. The EGM ======= We have two motions to put to the Society which will affect us in a major fashion. To this end, we will be holding an Extraordinary General Meeting this term, replacing the 11th February weekly meeting. To avoid confusion, we will still be in the Buttery in Clare from 8pm onwards. If you have any points to make in the discussion of these motions, be sure to come along on the night. Also, this is a good time to submit any motions of your own if you want to raise them before the AGM next term. Any motions must be submitted to the President in writing by noon of the preceding Saturday (i.e. the 8th February). Anyway, onto the motions we have: 1. We propose that the Society should accept sponsorship from TSR Proposed: Rob Wilcox Seconded: Rohan Platts 2. a) We propose that the whole Society should join the Role Playing Games Association (RPGA) b) We propose that if the Society does not join the RPGA then a small number of memberships should be created Proposed: Rob Wilcox Seconded: Rohan Platts Voting at the EGM is simple: motions are voted on by show of hands of persons present. Normal motions are carried by simple majority, constitutional ones need a two-thirds majority. Weekly Meetings =============== These are continuing every Tuesday at the usual venue, Clare Buttery, from 8pm until 11pm. This year we appear to have 2 regular games running there every week, so there is still lots of room for more if any GMs are interested. The bar is also just seconds away if you need liquid refreshment as an encouragement for your players. The next CURS pub meet is, as usual, on the first Sunday of the month (i.e. this Sunday) at the Ancient Druids. Discounts ========= These are still available on all role-playing products at Games & Puzzles and Otherworld Games. You must present a valid CURS membership card and photographic ID. The discounts do not apply on Saturdays nor on purchases of under L10 at Games & Puzzles. However, the situation has worsened at Games & Puzzles - only current student members of the University will apparently be able to gain a discount there and must show valid student ID. Otherworld are apparently happy for any Society members to claim a discount, so understandably we are endorsing them in preference. 1997 Rag Dungeon ================ The year is 1937. Annexation of European countries by Hitler has begun. Armies are being raised. War is beginning to seem inevitable. The British Government has organised a diverse group of specialists to tackle a suspected Nazi threat, details unknown. We need YOU to fight Nazis, crack bullwhips and drink coffee for 24 hours non-stop to raise money for RAG. The game will take place at a secret location far from Cambridge, from 3pm on Sat. 8th Feb to 3pm on Sun. 9th Feb. A year's planning has gone into this event; last-minute changes may not be possible - in other words, you must let us know that you're going to play as soon as possible. Sponsorship forms are available from committee members and will also be available on the WWW for you to print your own. Please note that the game will stress co-operation between groups, not competition. For further details, mail the Vice President (tmac2@hermes.cam.ac.uk) or the Assistant Secretary (mjc42@hermes.cam.ac.uk). Video Evening ============= This term we'll be holding our regular(-ish) cinematic extravaganza on the evening of Sunday the 16th February, from 6.30pm onwards in the usual venue of Christ's Z basement. If you have any suggestions of films you want to see, or old favourites you think the rest of us would enjoy, please let us know. Polycon ======= Don't forget - at the end of term comes the second incarnation of this annual Cambridge RPG convention, This year we have been asked to help in publicity and organisation, and also to provide GMs for the games run on the day. We have some advance details of the events scheduled for the day but I've not got enough space to fit it all in... This week's committee is: Steve Strafford President Destiny * Christ's sds22@cam.ac.uk Steve McIntyre Secretary Destruction * Churchill stevem@chiark.greenend.org.uk Tim Cooke Vice President Dream * Trinity tmac2@cam.ac.uk Rohan Platts Jnr Treasurer Despair * Homerton rp207@cam.ac.uk Mat Charles Asst Secretary Desire * Trinity mjc42@cam.ac.uk Alden Spiess LRP Officer Delirium * Corpus Christi aos20@cam.ac.uk Dave Stewart CC Entity Death * Churchill dbs20@cam.ac.uk Rob Wilcox Ext Officer The Corinthian *Real World robw@chiark.greenend.org.uk World Wide Web: http://hammer.chu.cam.ac.uk/~sam1007/curs/ Steve McIntyre 27/01/97 * Apologies to all concerned - if you think you can do better let us know... Remember - fortune is your friend! Does anybody actually read this bit?