Tell me about N&SS

Mysticism, spies, cybernetic implants, & cool vehicles. Discuss these two great classics here.

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Spinachcat
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Tell me about N&SS

Unread post by Spinachcat »

I like spy games and the closest to my "go-to" spy RPG is SpyCraft (1e) for home games and Impossible Mission or Feng Shui for conventions and one shots.

Tell me about N&SS and why you love the game. Give me the good, the bad and the ugly. What makes N&SS different than other spy games or action RPGs?
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Spinachcat
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Unread post by Spinachcat »

I want more info!

Tell me the differences between 1e and Revised!

Tell me about WHY the martial art combat feels cooler and more exciting than other RPG combat.

Tell me why about chase rules!
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oni no won
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Unread post by oni no won »

I believe there was only one edition.

HtH is a lot more involved in N&S. There is a lot of back and forth action with the combatants attacking, parrying/dodging, and counterattacking. There are martial arts powers that border on the supernatural.

There are what is called "losing pursuit maneuvers". Basically they are bunch of maneuvers that take place before and after vehicle to vehicle combat and if successful, you break away from combat and run.
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Ten Tigers
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Unread post by Ten Tigers »

Spinachcat wrote:I want more info!

Tell me the differences between 1e and Revised!

Tell me about WHY the martial art combat feels cooler and more exciting than other RPG combat.

Tell me why about chase rules!


The un-revised edition generally had higher bonuses and more flexability when it came to martial arts.

I feel that the rest of Palladium Books is degenerating to a crude form of Rock em' Sock em' Robots. Ninjas & Superspies takes things like combat range into consideration and a lot of the moves, both offensive and defensive actually have mechanical functions beyond causing damage. The other systems still have this to some effect, but you won't find joys like "combination parry/attack" or "circular parry" or one of my favs "multi-dodge."

Just to illustrate the usefulness of these kinds of rules I will use combo parry/attack. Instead of relying on your free automatic parry for inbound melee attacks you can spend a single attack to parry the attack then make a counter strike. Now you get your regular attack. You can picture it in your mind as a block followed by a rapid two-in-one combo. Again, using the advanced mechanics if you can make your actual attack a trip or leg sweep which will cause your opponent to lose initiative and one melee attack.

I will issue one caveat on the combat. Most of us feel it needs to be seasoned with house rules. For example, you get no bonuses to combo parry/attack. It is a strait roll of the dice. I disregard this all together. It also restricts certain kicks from being performed either after another kick or with any other kicks at all that round and that is something else I disregard.
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Spinachcat
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Unread post by Spinachcat »

Ten Tigers wrote:The un-revised edition generally had higher bonuses and more flexability when it came to martial arts.


Do the books have different covers? What does the un-revised cover look like? Also, how does the current edition lack flexibility in comparison?
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Unread post by Guest »

Spinachcat wrote:
Ten Tigers wrote:The un-revised edition generally had higher bonuses and more flexability when it came to martial arts.


Do the books have different covers? What does the un-revised cover look like? Also, how does the current edition lack flexibility in comparison?
The front cover of the original edition looks like the revised cover, only the word "Revised" isn't printed right below "Ninjas & Superspies". The back cover added the ninja pic .
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Colt47
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Unread post by Colt47 »

And might I add, I still want to find this original N&SS book to buy. I've heard they altered some of the martial arts as well in the revised edition compared to the original. For example; Aikido.
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