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I keep a copy of the sheet, sometimes they show up in modified form as NPC's. I currently have a file box full of them after 20+ years of play. They are filed according to class and campaign. I almost never have to make an npc from scratch any more....

Rule #1 - Have Fun! Rule #2 - refer to rule #1 if in doubt. DM advice - keep it simple, especially since you are new to the game. Try one of the little booklet type adventures they are usually about $4. Dungeon Magazine is great too. If you can borrow a couple of the magazines try to get...

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0766133206 all the plots you could ever use with examples from film and liturature.

My favorite is a milk crate. They are cheap (free), rugged and everything doesn't get banged up or smushed like in a backpack. It even has handles for convenient carrying. As an added bonus the crate can be used as a seat when waiting in line for badge pickup at the con.

Throw random hooks into all your adventures, that way they can show up again in the future when the current series is done. NPC's from the past are always a good way to remind PC's of those hooks.

I would use Craft Mechanical at regular DC or Knowledge Mechanical with a -4. Disable Device could be used to gum up the whole works and hopefully not break anything permanently (permanent damage if dc is missed by more than 4, catastrophic damage if DC is missed by more than 8). I also have...

I don't use any electronic aids, but type up salient points that are likely to come up during the game and tape them to the back of my screen. I also expect players to have references ready when they do an action if I have a question. If they don't I make a ruling and move on. Keeps things...

If you want just the d20 rules, then the stunts system in Iron Might is pretty good. A non D20/OGL system that is great is The Riddle of Steel. Depends on the flavor you want and the amount of work you are willing to do. http://www.riddleofsteel.net/ for TRoS rules... the quickstart may be...

You could also use the Grim N Gritty revised rules... they are great.

Its not railroading unless you force things events in game to follow a certain predetermined order and outcome. Starting new players off with an obvious goal isn't railroading. I started a game one time with " you dust yourselves off count your bruises and look up at the hole you just fell...

I think that my favorite firefight in a modern game happened in the back of a 2 1/2 ton truck. 5 people were flailing away with AK 47s, but due to the wild swerving of the truck, everyone ran out of ammo and was reduced to clubbing each other with the empty weapons. Was a wild flight with...

Spells become DC based. it's pretty cool and you can adjust the DC to control how magic heavy you want to have your campaign.

Mechanically, I give Bronze a -2 to hit and a break chance if a player rolls a one on their attack, typically a second roll between 1 and 10. The lower the roll the more damaged the weapon... anything from broken at the hilt to slightly bent. Iron is slightly more resistant to damage, but more...

I think that the first thing to do is define what is meant by balance. does Player A have an all around better character or have they just focused on one aspect at the expense of others? MinMaxing is great and usually means an unbalanced character. If you have problems in one situation with...

I don't know about this, but some of the best D&D ever was played while I was in the Air Force. At one point during Desert Shield, it's how we passed time in the bunker waiting for incoming missile warnings to pass. For a really surreal game, try getting dressed up in your chemical protective...

If Gomez is talking about victorian era then the propellent is either Black Powder or Cordite, neither of which are as efficient or powerful as modern propellents. The .50 round with modern propellent is probably just about the same foot pound range as a black powder 600 Express round. Somewhat...

I would give it similar stats to a modern .50 Cal rifle, with a bit shorter range.

My three favorites are Traveller T20, Blood and Space and the Star Wars ruleset. They each have a different feel and all go pretty quick. T20 is the most detailed, Star Wars the simplest and fastest. Blood and space falls in between.

It sounds like you would like to use the grim and gritty revised rules... I definitely recommend them for a more realistic 'gritty' game.

The trick is to give them motivation to get into the larger themes and subtexts of the game. it can be tricky, but when a action of their past blatatly comes back to bite them most players get motivated in a hurry, trying to see the connections.