ULY 1981 NUMBER 41

SpeciTHE MAGAZINE OF ADVENTURE GAMING

al D&D Issue

BY

YOUR NAME) AND THE HOLY GRAIL ALTERNATE RACES TIPS FOR TFT PLAYERS TIPS FOR THIEVES DM DON'TS NEW FEATURE: PBM UPDATE TRIPLANETARY AND 7 PAGES OF REVIEWS 1 In This Issue

It seemed as though the most widely known of all games deserved its NUMBER 41 — JULY, 1981 own special issue . . . so here we are with a D&D Space Garner. Our leadoff article is a story by Gary Gygax him- self. He details the quandary a game Articles designer feels when is company is TOO WHO AM I? * Gary Gygax successful, and he has to choose be- The beginnings of TSR, Inc., as seen by its chief executive officer 4 tween game design and business. I TIPS FOR THIEVES * Richard Meyer learned a lot from Gary's article — Playing those crafty and unobtrusive characters 6 maybe you will, too. ALTERNATE RACES FOR D&D * Aaron Allston & Forrest Johnson For you Monty Python fans, we've New — and different — character races and their classes ...... 8 got "(your name) and the Holy Grail." NON-HUMAN CONTEST WINNERS Like last month's adventure supplement More character races for D&D 10 on Tschai, it can be pulled out of the DM DON'TS * Lewis Pulsipher magazine. Insane role-playing in the Ways to improve your refereeing skills 12 world of the Vorpal Bunny is now GAME DESIGN: THEORY AND PRACTICE * Schuessler & Jackson within your grasp. Part XV: The Game Market — Knowing the buyers of games 16 And there are several other D&D TIPS FOR TFT PLAYERS * Jim Dickey (and general role-playing) articles. Plus, Hints for playing beginning TFT characters 25 for the real "space garners" out there.. . William Barton reviews GDW's new edi- tion of the classic Triplanetar y. Special Feature: —Steve Jackson Adventure Game Supplement (YOUR NAME) AND THE HOLY GRAIL * John Morrison Gaming Monty Python in D&D terms 18 Computer Gaming Publisher: Steve Jackson DEUS EX MACHINA * Dave Albert Editor: Forrest Johnson Interactive Fiction: Stories you live — not read 14 Art Director: Denis Loubet Contributing Editors: Reviews William A. Barton David Bolduc TRIPLANETAR Y * William A. Barton 26 Ronald Pehr CAPSULE REVIEWS 28 Lewis Pulsipher GAMES: Attack of the Mutants, A Fistful of Turkeys, Survival/The Barbarian, Nick Schuessler Sword Quest. SUPPLEMENTS: Basic Role-Playing, The Book of Ruins, Geptorem, I.S.C.V. Bruce F. Webster Leander, I.S.P.M.V. Fenris and S.F. V. Valkyrie, Legion of Gold, Nystalux, Scouts & Assassins, Space Opera Ground and Air Equipment, Temple Book I, Tulan of the Isles,. PLAY AIDS: Business Manager: Elton Fewell D&D Outdoor Geomorphs Set One: Walled City, Dungeon Drawings, Dungeon Geomorphs, Circulation Manager: Aaron Allston Dungeon Tiles, The Fantasy Masters' Codex, Fantasy Masters' Screen. MINIATURES: The Evil Utility Infielder: Elisabeth Barrington Lord. COMPUTER GAMES: Action & Bumping Games, Monster Mash & Battleship, Torpedo Fire. PUBLICATIONS: Abyss, Breakout, Interplay. THE SPACE GAMER (ISSN 0194-9977, USPS 434-250) is published monthly by The Space Gamer, 7207 Onion Crossing Dr., Austin, Departments TX 78744. Second class postage paid at Austin, TX. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to WHERE WE'RE GOING 2 The Space Gamer, P.O. Box 18805, Austin, TX GAME MASTER 2 78760. ABBRE VIA TIONS All material is copyright 1981 by The Space 28 Gamer. All rights reserved. PBM UPDATE 38 Printed in U.S.A. by Futura Press, Austin. LETTERS 39 NEWS & PL UGS 39 Subscription rates, as of 4-7-81: CALENDAR In the United States — one year (12 issues) 40 $21.00; two years (24 issues) $39.00. A life- INDEX TO ADVERTISERS 40 time subscription is $250. Outside the U.S. — READER ADS 40 please add $5 per year for surface mail. Airmail THE GOOD GUYS 40 rates vary by country — please write for your current airmail rate. International rates subject ART IN THIS ISSUE: David Allee: 28; Virginia Campbell: 4, 5; Gavin Gossett: 10; Janet to change as postal rates change, NOTE: All Jackson: 6, 25, 34; Paul Jaquays: 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 36; Denis Loubet: 10, 11, 14, 20, 30; Rich- payments MUST be in U.S. dollars, made by ard Mather: 39; Robert Phillips V: cover; George Pratt: 12; J.D. Webster: mailer cartoon, 40. International Money Order or checks drawn on Publishers may wish to write for a copy of our Recommended Artists List. a U.S. bank. 2

able to do. And somewhere in there, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson got into the act . . . LATE FLASH. This one will now have full-color counters, too!

Where We're Going Other Projects

Paul Jaquays is working on the first set This will be a short column. (I can hear nounced we were doing it, which is really of Cardboard Heroes for TRAVELLER — the cheering already.) Things are proceed- gratifying. I don't think anyone will be more on those next issue. We're talking ing very well, but nothing new and fasci- disappointed. with a couple of different designers about nating is happening, and I'm too busy get- possible games to go into TSG. Denis' next ting ready for Origins to write much any- fantasy Cardboard Heroes are going to be way. Besides, thsese darts keep going by Undead and Monsters, but he's barely got- and messing up my concentration . . . This one is also finished except for ten started — too many other projects. Which ought to tell you that KILLER pasteup — but pasteup of a multi-compo- And the computer version of RAID ON is in the final playtest. Right now I'm GM nent game is harder than for a simple book. IRAN looks more and more like it might for a six-person scenario. Well, it started All the counters are finished, and the col- really be here by fall. with six. Three of them bit the dust with- or separation has been made. The counters in twelve hours of starting time, and the for CAR WARS are going to set a new For Subscribers Only other three are jumping at shadows. The standard — and not just for small games. rules are in next-to-final draft; we're still Starting next month, we're going to polishing up the scenarios and coming up Undead (formerly "Vampire") start putting an occasional "subscribers with new and ingenious ways of slaughter- only" bonus on the mailer cover from time ing each other. As you can see, we've had a name to time. Next month's goodie will be a change on this project. Details next glossy b&w reproduction (or two) of the Game Design month, when space allows (these lines are CAR WARS counters. For those who are being written long after deadline). The heavily into the game (and I predict there The Game Design book is finished ex- game itself is going well; the playtesters will be a lot) this will be a chance to add cept for pasteup. It will be 48 pages long are enthusiastic, and it seems to be very to your stable. (Garage?) If you don't like rather than 40; Nick and I got to add ev- easy to GM ... the trouble is that people the van in blue, take this one and paint it erything we wanted to. Feedback on the keep coming up with more things that red ... Whatever. book has been excellent ever since we an- Drac and the vampire hunters ought to be — Steve Jackson keep track of whose turn and which year it was, simply by memory. GAME MASTER (2a) No. GAME MASTER exists to answer questions was not realistic, so it might be best to forget (2b) No. on your favorite games. If you have a rules it. (3) No. question or play problem, send it in. Questions 2. Terrain affects a mobile CP as though it (4) A Magnate is of the religion of his birth- to be answered will be chosen on the basis of were a MHWZ. place-area; the only exception occurs with general interest. They will be first referred to 3. A unit traveling through a town (or for- special rules concerning the dreaded Syrian the game publisher or designer. If no response is est) on the road gets the road benefit for move- Magnate. So a Moslem-Spanish Magnate is received, GAME MASTER will offer its own ment AND the terrain benefit for defense. Moslem. interpretation of the rule. Sorry — no individual 4. Yes, and yes. Missiles only. (5) No, but areas too far from their ruling replies are possible. 5. If the bridge is down, infantry treat that seat run perpetual risk of being in unrest. hex as "rubble." Thanks for mentioning this — Ogre we'll clear it up in the next edition. NEXT ISSUE 1. Is there any limit to the number of miss- Empires of the Middle Ages iles that an Ogre Mark V can launch in a single turn? I have several questions concerning SPI's TSG 42 will be a special 2. How does terrain effect both moving and Empires of the Middle Ages. Star Trek gaming issue, with nonmoving CPs? (1) Where is the Game-Turn Record Track? 3. Does a unit on a road get its defense in- (2a) Does a "diplomatic conquest" of an an article on Star Trek compu- creased on road hexes passing through towns area of a different religion convert the area's ter gaming; and other terrain? If not, can the owning player religion to that of the attacker? specify whether the unit in a certain hex is (2b) Can an area be converted by "diplo- Official errata for Star Fleet on or off the road? matic conquests" instead of regular attacks? 4. Can Ogres overrun other Ogres under- (3) Does a "diplomatic conquest" also give Battles; water? If so, are missiles still the only weapon the "attacker" a claim to the area? types that can be used in the overrun combat? (4) If a Magnate appears in one of the A Task Force '81 company 5. Lastly, can infantry units cross the river Moslem-Spanish areas, is he Moslem or Roman bridge hex if the bridge is down? Catholic? If Roman Catholic, does the area stay report; Raja Thiagarajan Roman Catholic when the Magnate dies (is Gbarnga, Bong County, Liberia deactivated), or does it become Moslem again? Also, "METAMORPHOSIS (5) Do seagoing areas have to be connected It looks as though Ogre is spreading every- overland to an area they want to colonize? ALPHA Notebook" by W.G. where .. . — David Barnes Armintrout; To answer your questions 1. In the first edition, a rule limited the (1) Our copy did not have a Game-Turn And more Non-human Race Ogre to firing only two missiles per turn. This Record Track, and none was listed on the index limitation has not appeared in either the second of parts enclosed, even though one is mention- Contest Winners. or third editions. I have to admit the limitation ed in the rules. However, we found it simple to