The Rune and the Dragon Lawrence Evans This MonthS Fiction: What It Feels Like to Be Followed by Something ThatS Really Breathing Down Your Neck
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D RAGON 1 16 18 SPECIAL ATTRACTION 51 Treasure Trove various authors A storehouse of new magic items for the AD&D® game. OTHER FEATURES 8 The goristro revealed E. Gary Gygax In this installment of From the Sorcerors Scroll, the author of the AD&D game makes up for a big omission in Monster Manual II. 10 Realistic vital statistics Stephen Inniss Using the science of geometry and the art of intuition, the author puts forth a new system for determining the height and weight of player characters. 16 The ecology of the leucrotta Ed Greenwood Spotlighting the ugly killer an animal with a familiar-sounding voice but a body that not even a mother could love. 18 Nine Hells revisited Ed Greenwood As a followup to his earlier essay on devils and where they live, Ed describes more outcasts, the treasures to be found in the hells, and other details that devil-fighters will find helpful to know. 38 Eight devilish questions Ed Greenwood Our resident diabolician fields queries from readers about The Nine Hells. 44 Chronicles: a novel idea A preview of the first DRAGONLANCE book, coming soon. 64 Spies advice Penny Petticord Answers for agents and Admins on the TOP SECRET® game. 86 The Rune and the Dragon Lawrence Evans This months fiction: What it feels like to be followed by something thats really breathing down your neck. Publisher 94 The SHOGUN game: Such a deal! Paul Smith Mike Cook Reviewing a new card game with an Oriental flair. Editor-in-Chief 96 The butler didnt do it Ken Rolston Kim Mohan An overview of the genre of mystery role-playing adventures, with reviews of three Editorial staff products designed with intrigue in mind. Patrick Lucien Price Mary Kirchoff DEPARTMENTS Roger Moore 3 Letters 69 The ARES section 109 Dragon Mirth Graphics and production 6 The forum 102 Gamers Guide 110 Snarfquest Roger Raupp 46 Convention calendar 107 Wormy Subscriptions Melody Knull COVER Advertising Our latest-offering from Dean Morrissey depicts the artists interpretation of Lee Hein fantastic naval technology a ship that looks like it could fly even better Contributing editors than it floats. Ed Greenwood Ken Rolston Katharine Kerr This issues contributing artists It looks good, and its good for you Roger Raupp Bob Maurus Every issue of DRAGON® Magazine is new, but this one is newer than most. We came up Jeff Butler with a different design for our contents page one that we like for a lot of reasons. Even if Marvel Bullpen you find the new look a little tough to get used to, we hope youll appreciate the ways in Phyllis Andersen Dave Trampier which it makes the magazine better. Richard Tomasic We enlarged and expanded the format for the table of contents to make it easier for you to Joseph Pillsbury see at a glance whats inside and where its at. We moved the list of staff people and contribu- David Hutton tors lower on the page, on the theory that the people who make the magazine arent as Larry Elmore (Turn to page 66) 2 NOVEMBER 1984 chance of something really weird happening. For times like this, percentile dice are obviously necessary; at other times, a d20 would probably do. But don’t switch back and forth between two types of dice for ability-score checks, or the players might figure out when you've got some- thing really devious on your mind. — KM Rustbusters the system that Jonathan’s reasoning suggests. A Further beyond character with a dexterity of 5 wouldn't live long Dear editor: in an adventure with a lot of “dexterity checks” if In The ecology of the rust monster (issue To the editor: the player had to roll 5 or less on 3d6 every time #88) there are a few errors. The Monster Manual Katharine Kerrs Beyond the Dungeon (Part a check was taken. The chance of doing so is a states that they inhabit and roam only dark 2) in issue #88 is one of the most intelligent and shade over 3%. It doesn't seem overly generous subterranean places. The article states that clearly written pieces Ive ever seen in your to give the character a base figure of 25% in- Gulgathas issued orders that all smithies in his pages. Ms. Kerrs work is a wealth of ideas and stead; he’s still going to fail his share of dexterity major encampments are to be encircled with speculation to even a veteran DM. In the spirit of checks and pay the price for being clumsy, but at sloped stakes or spears to discourage the attacks her article, I want to pass on a few thoughts least he’s got a fighting chance — or a chance to of such creatures. But such monsters are not based on my experience. There are two points I fight, if you prefer. No one in the playing group supposed to be there in the first place. will address: using the six ability scores to roll will like the 3d6 rule very much, especially if the Since the article states (or suggests) that they success in a variety of situations, and the reaction clumsiest character also happens to be the party’s do, it would be a safe assumption to say that rust of city dwellers to player characters. only cleric. monsters might roam open areas at night when In an example, Ms. Kerr suggests judging a Katharine’s system is more difficult to justify there is not much going on and no light. Or, that PCs ability to leap across a five-foot-wide pit by toward the higher end of the dexterity scale. If they might come out in search for more or better multiplying the characters dexterity of 15 by a jumping across a small pit is no big thing, and metals. This point might help to clarify the factor of 5. The result (75% in this case) repre- even the clumsiest of characters can do it with a article. sents the chance of success. My complaint is that reasonable chance of success, then why should John H. Cantrell II this approach is too generous to low ability scores anyone with above-average dexterity or better Jeffersonville, Ga. and too stringent on high ones. have any trouble at all? For those of you who The six basic characteristics are rolled on 3d6, agree with Jonathan, try tinkering with the Dear Dragon: so each point represents a different amount rather system: Award 5% per point up to 10, and 10% In issue #88 I found what appears to be an than a constant 5%, as Ms. Kerr suggests. It is, per point after that, up to a maximum of 99% at error in the text. This error is evident on the for example, 7% easier to roll a 7 or less than it is 15 and above. This puts all characters with article describing the rust monster. In the for a 6 or less, and 9% easier for an 8 than a 7. dexterity of 15-18 on equal footing, so to speak, Notes section of this article, under captions Someone with a 3 dexterity should have a 0.5% which addresses Jonathan's complaint. It also two and five, there were two statements in which chance of accomplishing a dexterity-based feat, attaches some significance to the range of dexter- the ", or inches, sign was used. I feel that the not a 15% chance. A 15 dexterity should give a ity scores from 11 through 15; if the players in author meant to use the ', or feet, sign instead. Is 95% chance: the odds of rolling 15 or less on 3d6. your campaign know that you use a system like my assumption correct? Allowing only a 75% chance devalues a score of this, it might give them some more to think about William Blandford 15. during the character-generation process. Wallingford, Pa. Aside from being more realistic, this approach Or, you can keep Katharine’s system intact, does not require figuring the odds as a percent- reasoning that the “5% per point” system al- Dear editor: age. The DM simply hands the player 3d6, with ready does make each point of dexterity (or There are a few questions raised by The instructions to roll the characters dexterity (or whatever) significant — and it already has the ecology of the rust monster and a few old un- strength, intelligence, etc.) or under. potential to make players think harder during asked questions concerning the rust monster and Note that you can also avoid calculating per- character generation; even if you're not planning its attacks. They are: Do any metal objects get a centages with Ms. Kerrs method. Simply check to run a thief, you might want to assign a high saving throw against the rust monsters effects? the ability score by rolling a d20. The effect is the score for your character’s dexterity to increase his Does a magic bonus add to this save? If a rust same as multiplying by 5 and rolling percentile chances of making a five-foot leap across a six- monsters blood is collected and bottled, will the dice. foot-wide pit. Dexterity is a good example to bacteria still be active? (If so, adventurers will try On to the second point. The material on city illustrate this way of thinking, because a lot of this to make good missile weapons to easily adventures is superb, but I disagree in one area. dexterity checks will probably involve the threat destroy enemy armor and weapons.) Finally, can Assuming that the overwhelming percentage of of damage, and may even be life-or-death situa- a magic-user isolate the bacteria to make a rust- city folks are zero-level, they will be fearfully tions.