10 The Death Knight-Ed Stark Issue #222 To keep your campaign lively, sometimes Vol. XX, No. 5 you need a little extra-powerful un-life. October, 1995 16 The Necrology of the Penanggalan— Paul F. Culatta Publisher TSR, Inc. Some forms of undead are so terrifying and fell that even mighty paladins can fall Associate Publisher prey to their powers. Brian Thomsen

Editor-in-Chief Pierce B. Watters FICTION Editor Anthony J. Bryant On the Scent at Slab’s — John Gregory Betancourt Associate editor 46 What’s an innkeeper to do when his dead boss won’t leave Dave Gross him alone, and then asks to be fixed up with the heir to the Fiction editor throne? Barbara G. Young REVIEW Art director Larry W. Smith Role-playing Reviews-Rick Swan Editorial assistant 26 Rick investigates voodoo, necromancers, and a new grimoire. Michelle Vuckovich

Production Staff Tracey Isler FEATURES

Subscriptions First Quest-Douglas Niles Janet L. Winters 8 Tarzan may have fired his imagination, but it was a high U.S. advertising school student who provided the fuel. Cindy Rick Sage Advice-Skip Williams U.K. correspondent 35 This month, the sage answers questions on PLAYERS OPTION™: and U.K. advertising Combat & Tactics. Carolyn Wildman

DRAGON®Magazine (ISSN 0279-6848) is published Kingdom is by Comag Magazine Marketing, Tavistock monthly by TSR, Inc., 201 Sheridan Springs Road, Road, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7QE, United Lake Geneva, WI 53147, United States of America. Kingdom; telephone: 0895-444055. The postal address for all materials from the United Subscription: Subscription rates via second-class States of America and Canada except subscription mail are as follows: $30 in U.S. funds for 12 issues orders is: DRAGON® Magazine, 201 Sheridan sent to an address in the U.S.; $36 in U.S. funds for Springs Road, Lake Geneva, WI 53147, U.S.A.; tele- 12 issues sent to an address in Canada: £21 for 12 phone (414) 248-3625; fax (414) 248-0389. The issues sent to an address within the United Kingdom; postal address for all materials from Europe is: £30 for 12 issues sent to an address in Europe; $50 DRAGON Magazine, TSR Ltd., 120 Church End, in US. funds for 12 issues sent by surface mail to Cherry Hinton, Cambridge CB1 3LB, United any other address, or $90 in U.S. funds for 12 issues Kingdom; telephone: (0223) 212517 (U.K.), 44-223- sent air mail to any other address. Payment in full 212517 (international); telex: 818761; fax (0223) must accompany all subscription orders. Methods of 248066 (U.K.), 414-223-238066 (international). payment include checks or money orders made Distribution: DRAGON Magazine is available from payable to TSR, In., or charges to valid Mastercard game and hobby shops throughout the United States, or VISA credit cards; send subscription orders with Canada, the United Kingdom, and through a limited payments to TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 5695, Boston MA number of other overseas outlets. Distribution to the 02206, U.S.A. In the United Kingdom, methods of book trade in the United States is by Random House, payment include cheques or money orders made Inc., and in Canada by Random House of Canada, payable to TSR Ltd., or charges to a valid ACCESS Ltd. Distribution to the book trade in the United or VISA credit card; send subscription orders with Kingdom is by TSR Ltd. Send orders to: Random payments to TSR Ltd., as per that address above. House, Inc., Order Entry Department, Westminster Prices are subject to change without prior notice. The MD 21157, U.S.A.; telephone: (800) 733-3000. issue expiration of each subscription is printed on the Newsstand distribution throughout the United mailing label of each subscriber’s copy of the

2 OCTOBER 1995 Rumblings — Michelle Vuckovich 41 What’s hot and who’s new? Find out here. Roaming the Realms: The Green Elves of Faerûn- 42 Belinda G. Ashley Don’t travel in Faerûn without reading this ranger’s report on some of the notable and more infamous tribes of elves dwelling in the realms. DRAGON® Magazine Interview: Steven Brust 55 Sit back for an illuminating chat with the man who gave us Vlad Taltos. It’s All In the Details — Jamie Nossal 62 Illusions are potentially more deadly than you think. Adding Substance to Psionic Combat-Bill Slavicsek 75 It’s mental combat, so try using imagination in its execution. Running Scared... and Really Fast!-Spike Y. Jones 81 Scare your superheroes right out of thier tights. Who Needs Hit Points When You Have Credit?— 86 Peter C. Zelinski Eight ways to give 0-level bad guys an edge over powerful PCs. Secrets of the Sunless Seas-Wolfgang Baur COVER 90 In the depths of the Underdark, the powerful aboleths use This month's cover by West Coast artist glyph magic. Hung Mac was part of his portfolio sub- mission. We felt it was too cool to let it A Slither in The Dark-Gregory W. Detwiler just sit in the file drawer, so it became a 96 A retired officer of the British Raj reflects on his encounter most appropriate cover for our Undead issue. with a fierce creature of the Mythos. DEPARTMENTS

4 Letters 103 Libram X 6 Editorial 108 Gamers Guide 59 Convention Calendar 112 Dragonmirth 72 Floyd 120 TSR Previews

magazine. Changes of address for the delivery of the above address; include sufficient American part without first obtaining permission in writing from subscription copies must be received at least six postage or Internation Reply Coupons with the return the publisher. Material published in DRAGON® weeks prior to the effective date of the change in envelope. In Europe, write to: Writers’ Guidelines, c/o Magazine does not necessarily reflect the opinions of order to assure uninterrupted delivery. DRAGON Magazine, TSR Ltd., include sufficient TSR, Inc. Therefore, TSR will not be held accountable Back issues: A limited quantity of back issues is International Reply Coupons with your SASE. for opinions or mis-information contained in such available from either the TSR Mail Order Hobby Shop Advertising: For information on placing advertise- material. (201 Sheridan Springs Road, Lake Geneva, WI ments in DRAGON Magazine, ask for our rate card. ® designated registered trademarks owned by 53147 U.S.A.) or from TSR Ltd. For a free copy of the All ads are subject to approval by TSR, Inc. TSR TSR, Inc. ™ designates trademarks owned by TSR, current catalog that lists available back issues, write reserves the right to reject any ad for any reason. In Inc. Most other product names are trademarks owned to either of the above addresses. the United States and Canada, contact: Advertising by the companies publishing those products. Use of Submissions: All material published in DRAGON Coordinator, TSR, Inc., 201 Sheridan Springs Road, the name of any product without mention of trade- Magazine becomes the exclusive property of the Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A. In Europe, contact: mark status should not be construed as a challenge publisher, unless special arrangements to the con- Advertising Coordinators, TSR Ltd. to such status. trary are made prior to publication. DRAGON Advertisers and/or agencies of advertisers agree ©1995 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. All TSR Magazine welcomes unsolicited submissions of writ- to hold TSR, Inc. harmless from and against any loss characters, character names, and the distinctive like- ten material and artwork; however, no responsibility or expense from any alleged wrongdoing that may nesses thereof are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. for such submissions can be assumed by the publish- arise out of the publication of such advertisements. ORIGINS is a trademark owned by the Games er in any event. Any submission accompanied by a TSR, Inc. has the right to reject or cancel any adver- Manufacturers Association. self-addressed, stamped envelope of sufficient size tising contract for which the advertiser and/or agency Second-class postage paid at Lake Geneva, Wis., will be returned if it cannot be published. We strongly of advertiser fails to comply with the business ethics U.S.A., and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: recommend that prospective authors write for our set forth in such contract. Send address changes to DRAGON Magazine, TSR, writers’ guidelines before sending an article to us. In DRAGON is a registered trademark of TSR, Inc. Inc., 201 Sheridan Springs Road, Lake Geneva WI the United States and Canada, send a self- Registration applied for in the United Kingdom. All 53147, U.S.A. USPS 318-790 addressed, stamped envelope (9%” long preferred) to rights to the contents of this publication are reserved, Writers’ Guidelines, c/o DRAGON Magazine, as per and nothing may be reproduced from it in whole or in

DRAGON 3 not swing up into the saddle.” Museum Replicas, Ltd., a supplier of battle-ready weapons and armor, printed the following in a recent catalogue. It con- cerns a knight's typical exercises: “He leapt onto a horse without placing foot in stirrup, fully armed.... Placing one hand on the saddle-pommel of a war horse and the other near the horse’s ears, seizing the mane, he leapt from the ground through his arms and over the horse. Next, between two high walls an arm’s length apart, he would climb to the top and down again, simply using the Dear Dragon: strength of his legs and arms-fully You ask readers to send you a SASE. I armed.” don't know how to proceed with a SASE Their source? The Marshall of France, since I do not live in the United States. 14th century. Benoit Chassé We also have proof you can see today. A Montreal, Canada single afternoon at an SCA event or Renaissance festival can provide a world What did you think of this issue? Do you I’m glad you asked. Anyone in a foreign of information. have a question about an article or have country can go to the local post office and Laurence MacNaughton, IV an idea for a new feature you’d like to request International Reply Coupons (IRCs) Mansfield Center, CT see? In the United States and Canada, which they can enclose with the unstamped write to: Letters, DRAGON® Magazine, 201 self-addressed envelope. By international Sheridan Springs Rd., Lake Geneva WI agreement, one IRC is the rough equivalent 53147, U.S.A. In Europe, write to Letters, of a domestic first-class stamp in the coun- Drinking Redux DRAGON Magazine, 120 Church End, try using it. What that means is that we Cherry Hinton, Cambridge CB1 3LB, usually recommend two IRCs if you want a Dear Dragon: United Kingdom. If you wish your letter reply to reach you before the turn of the Rev. James Wyatt brought up interesting to be published, you must sign it. We will century. points about drinking in the letters col- not publish anonymous letters. We will umn in issue #220. withhold your name if you request it. The main issue concerning alcohol con- sumption is responsible drinking. More Books to Is there a moral difference between a Buy? 17-year-old and a 25-year-old who drank responsibly even if the drinking age is 21? What’s an Armor Dear Dragon: There may be a legal difference, but there Class? Is it really necessary to buy the new is not a moral one. editions of the Player’s Handbook and Age is not a definition of responsibility. Dear Dragon: DUNGEON MASTER® Guide if I already own While there may be statistically more irre- I have a problem with my weekly D&D® the last printings? sponsible drinkers in the younger age group. The players want to get out of the Sean O’Dell bracket, it is not proof of an individual’s D&D world and into the FORGOTTEN REALMS® lack of responsibility. and other worlds. Being the DM, I’m all We get asked that one a lot. No, the old Andrew Norris for that, but they aren’t ready. When we printing — as long as it is 2nd Edition — is Knoxville, TN play a normal D&D adventure, they don’t fine. The material is the same; it was just understand Armor Class, saving throws, reorganized and given a facelift. etc. When they do understand, they won’t use it. Justin Bogert Houston, TX The Truth About Armor You have a problem: armor class is pretty basic to the whole game. Perhaps after a Dear Dragon: few of their favorite characters are killed Alison Brooks’ article “Out of Armor” off or ignoring armor when they should be (issue #219) certainly holds some interest- Aak Oops! wearing it might help, but I doubt it. Have ing points. Unfortunately, it is centered you asked them to describe or draw their around the outdated notion that armored In DRAGON Magazine issue #219, the characters? AC isn’t an abstract number: it knights were as helpless as turtles. This is authors of “Run! A Guide to Heroic relates directly to something they are wear- not only laughable (why on earth would Flight” and “Out of Armor” were inad- ing. Once they’ve made that connection, anyone venture onto a battlefield help- vertently misidentified on the contents maybe you can move on. As a last resort, less?), but is rooted in latter-day specula- page. you may have to recruit new players if the tion. Drawings cited to support the turtle “Run! A Guide to Heroic Flight” was ones you’ve got can’t (or won’t) learn the myth frequently originated centuries after written by Daniel Mark Vyleta, and rules. Perhaps someone in the group set- the age of plate. “Out of Armor” was by Alison Brooks. ting a good example might help. One passage in particular fired my DRAGON Magazine apologizes to the two blood: “. . . in fact, knights in full plate authors, and the two gentlemen who armour used hoists or ramps to mount were identified as the authors. their horses, because they literally could

4 OCTOBER 1995

Wisconsin Dreamin’

As associate publisher Brian Thomsen stood how this company’s signature prod- habanero king” Watters as editor-in-chief said in his editorial in issue #218, “change uct, focusing on mazes and labyrinths, of TSR periodicals. Pierce is going to be can be good.” I would like to hope so. came about. My own office is on a corner overseeing both DRAGON Magazine and It has been less than a month since I in what we call the French Quarter. No DUNGEON Adventures, and dealing with all was furiously packing box after box of one will tell me quite why we call it the the dull, corporate things, allowing Dave books in my apartment in California’s French Quarter, but I suspect it has some- and me to actually put magazines together Silicon Valley. A whirlwind courtship with thing to do with cheap booze, spicy food, instead of doing meetings all the time. TSR had produced an offer to leave sunny and lots of both. What a guy... California to take up an editorial position Working with all these creative people is It’s a rush to sit in the chair of the edi- ® working on the RAVENLOFT and a thrill, but gaming with them can be tor of DRAGON Magazine; ever since I was DRAGONLANCE™ lines. At the time, I was stressful. One of my favorite games is a kid I’ve wanted to be here. Toto, this associate editor of a cutting-edge-technol- SPELLFIRE™. There are people here with isn’t Kansas; it’s the Emerald City. I still ogy computer magazine; but I wasn’t half a dozen different, specially tuned remember being a 16-year-old fantasy and interested in computer chips or applica- decks, one of which they will choose SF fan playing my first D&D® game back tion-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), depending on whether they want to with the old white boxed set. Anyone out and using the word “architecture” as a squash you right away like the bug you are there remember DRAGON’S old “melting let- verb every day (as in, “the device is archi- or slowly drag your fate out to an hour or ters” logo, Strategic Review, and the tectured with a 1.5µm CMOS technolo- more of torture before the inevitable Judge’s Guild Journal? Those were the gy...”) grated on my nerves. I needed a smutching. And try playing DRAGON DICE™ days. There were fewer rules, but more change. (my newest addiction) with people who chaos. Now we have options galore to Moving from the San Francisco Bay created the thing. Lester Smith tells me he choose from. Still got the chaos, though, area to a small rural community is a sys- regularly has people come up to him Yes, change can be good. tem shock, but I made the saving throw. claiming to have created The Unbeatable More changes are coming for DRAGON. I Those living in this area in need of a mall Strategy; and then he calmly sets about can’t be too specific now, but I can sug- fix must go to Racine or Kenosha, I have destroying their best laid plans, sending gest that you Watch This Space. found. If one wants theatre (not theater, them away with their tails between their One thing that will never change is that, mind you; theatre) Milwaukee or Chicago, legs. What chance do mere mortals have as always, we are interested in your opin- 45 minutes and an hour away, respective- against his like? ions. Drop us a line at Letters, DRAGON ly, are the destinations. Exotic, ethnic cui- There are quite a few different AD&D® Magazine, 201 Sheridan Springs Rd., Lake sine is not a Lake Geneva specialty, but we campaigns going on, too, and I’m looking Geneva, WI 53147, or e-mail us at do have one fine coffee spot in Kyle’s Top forward to lunches in the games library, [email protected]. of the Bean downtown. One must cope, where playtesting is part of the job. Gee, Oh... for those of you who keep writing and adapt. ma, they pay us for this... really. in and asking, TSR still stands for Tactical Some changes come quickly. I was a I have been working most closely with Studies Rules. Hey, not everything has to ® RAVENLOFT editor for roughly six hours David Gross, editor of DUNGEON change. when I was called downstairs by the Adventures, and our editorial Jill-of-all- Powers That Be and asked if I would be trades Michelle Vuckovich; both have ® interested in editing DRAGON Magazine. been showing me the ropes here since my After three picoseconds of careful predecessor, Wolfgang “The Sexiest Man thought, I said yes, and moved into a On Earth™” Baur, departed before I game-lined office. arrived. Art director Larry Smith’s The TSR offices are great, but it took me patience with a clueless new editor during two weeks to learn where some people his deadline crunch phase is amazing. were. Wandering the mazes that are Cube Another change here in the French City (upper and lower), I finally under- Quarter is the addition of Pierce “the

6 OCTOBER 1995

Tales of fantasy, science fiction, espionage, to my girlfriend and the occasional term way, is now a teacher in his own right; I military heroics, westerns, mystery, and paper. I blinked once or twice, and sud- run into him every year at the GEN CON® murder-pretty much the whole gamut of denly I was a high school teacher; those Game Fair.) adventure-have lined my bookshelves stories from my own adolescent days were With several D&D® campaigns going, I since I became old enough to choose my just a pleasant memory of something I found myself with a delightful new hobby, own reading material. Edgar Rice used to enjoy. and (as DMs are wont to do) I devoted a Burroughs quickly became my favorite One hears, often, of the difference a lot of time to designing campaigns, draw- author, single teacher can make in a student’s life. ing maps, and inventing encounters. Still, I especially liked the Tarzan stories. In my case, it was a single student who simply playing the game didn’t seem to be Those melodramatic adventures, despite made a great difference in the course of enough. One day during a summer vaca- (or perhaps because of) their setting in an my future. Her name was Heidi Gygax, tion, after I’d been playing for a couple of Africa that never existed, are really fantasy and her father had invented this game.... years, I pulled my typewriter out of the tales. From cities of lost legionnaires and Actually, I didn’t know much about Heidi basement, dusted it off, and wrote the Atlanteans to colonies of ant men (and (except that she did “A” work in speech class) prologue to a fantasy novel. It was fun, so I magical potions to reduce Tarzan to until she came into my room one afternoon kept going, writing chapter after chapter, diminutive size) to the fabulous hollow with an excuse to miss school the following watching with a kind of detached amaze- world environment of Pellucidar, the set- day. The reason given on the excuse was ment as the pages piled up beside me. tings and events portray a broad array of “Interview with People magazine.” Now, in In retrospect, of course, that’s not the heroes, villains, and treasures. The 20- Clinton, Wisconsin, interviews with nation- best way to go about writing a novel-in plus novels of the Tarzan series have ally distributed publications were far from fact, the story that resulted wasn’t fit for remained in my library, well-thumbed daily occurrences, so this aroused my publication, though a few elements (such and replaced numerous times. curiosity. When I asked why she was going as a bard, a hound, and a horse) went on Writing my own stories (each with an to be interviewed, she explained that the to show up in Darkwalkcr on Moonshae. adventure theme) became a hobby start- magazine was doing a feature on her dad But, for me, playing the D&D game ing in about eighth grade. I found it very because he was the inventor of the opened up a desire to create, to become ® gratifying to tell a tale that provoked an DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game. a storyteller-a desire that had lain emotional reaction in a reader. Lacking I had heard of the game, but I’d never dormant for quite a few years. any avenue for publication, I turned these seen or played it; I mentioned to Heidi Finally, in the autumn of 1981, with the manuscripts over to friends and family that I thought it sounded kind of interest- encouragement of a friend who’d gone to members and was encouraged by a great ing. The day after the interview, she work for this very magazine, I tucked my deal of constructive feedback. brought me a brand-new copy of the old unfinished manuscript under my arm and A change in the kinds of stories I enjoyed blue-boxed Basic Set, thus ensuring her went over to the TSR buildings to apply for occurred very suddenly, with a single, grade of an A for the semester (just kid- a job as a game designer. After five suc- memorable book. An older friend gave me ding). Anyway, I believe that was a cessful interviews, I was hired, joining the a copy of Frank Herbert’s Dune, and for the Wednesday. By Friday I had the rules read, design staff in January of 1982. first time I grasped the full, magnificent a group of friends invited over, and a I’ve often wondered what course my sweep of epic adventure. My interests dungeon ready to run. life might have taken if I’d taught a differ- turned toward Tolkien, Lloyd Alexander, That was sometime in 1979, if my mem- ent subject in a different school-or even and a whole host of science fiction authors. ory serves me correctly. A fantastic night if Gary Gygax had been interviewed by At the same time, I discovered wargam- of adventure gaming began a campaign People during a different semester. I’d like ing, cutting my proverbial teeth on several that lasted several years. Some of the to think that I would have discovered the Avalon Hill oldies. My brother Don and I characters from the very first night, such game on my own, and that my career spent a lot of time over the Luftwaffe* and as my best friend’s thief Bonzo, and my would have proceeded along a similar France 1940* boards, though we had little wife Chris’s cleric Guida, lasted the entire path. But who knows? exposure to the scope of the hobby time. (In fact, Guida survives, at least in All I can do is take the chance offered beyond those games (which Don had name, in the person of our cat, who has by this forum and say, “Thanks, Heidi!” received as gifts). lived to the ripe old age of 17.) Though it seems ironic when I look Before that school year was over, I had back, I went to college and forgot about started a campaign with some students * indicates a product produced by a company other writing and wargaming as hobbies. I con- who met around my desk after school was than TSR, Inc. tinued to read and enjoy fantasy, but my out. We drew some raised eyebrows from time at the typewriter was devoted to the principal, but we managed to have a more pragmatic pursuits, like long letters lot of fun. (One of those students, by the

8 OCTOBER 1995

by Ed Stark

Artwork by Robert Klasnich

“As you force the door to the tomb “Right. And move they do. The on their own terms. They make your open, dust and cobwebs blow into body on the right stands up clutch- game a little more interesting in the your faces-” ing a two-handed sword. It swings it process. The NPC death knight described in this “I hold up my cloak to ward it once, as if to make ready, while the article is based on the “Death Knight” off!” other pulls a morning star and a entry in the MONSTROUS MANUAL™ tome for “I hold my breath!” shield out from under its feet. Both the AD&D game. That book features the “basic” death knight-a powerful, interest- “I turn away and close my eyes!” are moving fluidly, as they were ing adversary for the heroes in its own “Okay, okay. The dust and cob- once practiced warriors.” right, and a good place to start with this webs don’t hurt you, and the stale “Yeah, yeah. C'mon, let's start terrifying new NPC class.

air from inside the tomb starts to counting the gold.” Creating the Death Knight dissipate. You push the door inward, “Do I see anything that looks All death knights were once proud and able slowly but firmly, and its ancient magical?” warriors, and their statistics reflect this. hinges groan —” “I hold up my holy symbol. Even the most inexperienced death knight must have had some ability before it died, or “I pull out some oil and splash it ‘Begone, foul creatures! Bach to the it would not have been made a death knight on the hinges!” sleep of death!’” in the first place. Incompetence is not the “I ready my crossbow! I’m also “Nice. They don’t seem impressed. same as true evil, after all (though it may sometimes seem like it). ready to throw a torch in the room!” In fact, they seem so unimpressed As a result, death knights seldom have “Remember — we’re not stepping that one strides forward and points any ability scores below 10. The following inside the door! We’re pushing it at the fighter looking over its pile of chart shows how to determine a death open from outside!” gold. The other one doesn’t seem knight’s basic abilities. “Fine. The door's open. Inside, you see nearly as dramatic-it steps forward Characteristic Die Roll Strength 18+d100* dust and cobwebs covering two large and takes a swing at the thief.” Constitution 14+1d4 mounds. Gold and silver, only partially “Wait a minute! I thought you Dexterity 12+1d6 covered by the dust, peek out through the said these were skeletons!” Intelligence 8+1d10 Wisdom 8+1d10 cracks in the cobwebs. There apears to be “Yeah! What do you mean it swings at Charisma 10+1d8** a body lying on top of each of the piles—” me? Skeletons are slow! I'd have plenty of “I'm throwing some oil on the time—” * The death knight’s Strength may improve (see below). nearest pile!” “Hold it! I turn skeletons auto- ** Living beings may or may not find “My torch follows it, buddy! Oh, matically at 4th level! These can’t the death knight horrific in appearance, and I’ve still got my crossbow ready!” be—” but there is no denying its presence or “I pull out my holy symbol and Silence. power of command. peek out between the two fighters!” “Death knights! Aaaah!” All death knights are evil in alignment. “Good. Fine. The oil splashes on Almost all are chaotic evil, but a few (10%) are able to resist the chaotic pull of both piles, and the cobwebs catch Are you up to your armpits in nameless undeath and stay either lawful (30%) or fire easily. Old garments and death undead? Are low-level encounters with the neutral (70%) evil. shrouds burn away, and you see spawns of evil becoming predictable and Death knight NPCs seldom start out at tiresome? If you hear one more player 1st level. Whatever evil force creates them gold and silver underneath. You also joke “Brains, we want brains...” when your usually “rewards” them with power to see the bodies of two large warriors, supposedly horrific necromantic creations reflect the evil might they had in life. And, covered in ancient armor and shamble forth to do battle, are you going because the death knight is an intelligent to scream? and fairly independent creature, it can clutching mighty swords. They are Well, then, inject a little death into your advance in level after its creation. skeletal—any remnants of flesh left campaign. Death knights use the same XP table as on their bones has been burned A death knight, to be specific. rangers and paladins, roll ten-sided dice for a way.” hit points, and have the same rules for pro- The Death Knight as NPC ficiencies and weapon specialization as “All right—undead!” warriors. Their THAC0s are the same as for “I put away my crossbow—it's no Originally found only on the world of warriors of their level, though many death good versus skeletons.” Krynn, death knights pervade the planes knights specialize in their chosen weapons and worlds of the AD&D® game like, well, and, therefore, gain certain bonuses. “Hah! Don’t worry about these undead warriors out for blood. They do Death knights make saving throws as skeletons, boys—I’m 4th level! They’re battle with the forces of good and evil either warriors or priests, whichever save going bye-bye af they start to move!” alike, pursuing their nightmarish destinies is better. They have no level limits, though

DRAGON 11 death knights over 9th level are extremely knight has rolled successfully for a special and undeath wherever it goes, and other rare (thank goodness!). weapon, he can never roll again on the fol- undead sense and seek out the source of lowing table, even if he loses his weapon. the evil. The death knight attracts undead Unlife Abilities followers and allies that it can use to The evil that creates and motivates a death Roll Death Knight’s Weapon hatch and execute its schemes. knight rewards its servant with certain 1 Long sword +2 special abilities. All death knights have the 2 Two-handed sword +3 Undead Followers following characteristics: 3 Two-handed sword +4 The followers of the death knight include • When a death knight performs an act 4 Short sword of quickness skeletons, zombies, ghouls, ghasts, wights, of pure, unmitigated, imaginative evil (like 5 Short sword of dancing and other low-intelligence undead that corrupting a lawful good character and 6 Short sword of life stealing may be wandering around the DM’s cho- convincing him to take evil actions), it sen world. These creatures feel the evil in gains +10% to its Strength. But with each Experience Before and After Death the death knight and rise from their rest- such act, it becomes more and more diffi- As mentioned above, living warriors who ing places, wandering by twilight and cult for the death knight to gain another become death knights retain some of their darkness toward the death knight’s abode, bonus. Thus, death knights with high experience and abilities, depending on knowing only that they must serve a power Strength bonuses are extremely inventive how evil they were in life and how terrible greater and more evil than their own. in their evil. The Strength incentive the force of evil is that creates them. For For every month that a death knight inspires them to new lows in evil. (There example, Lord Soth, the most famous (if spends in a particular area, it attracts 1d20 are rumors that some death knights, by not most powerful) death knight of all, undead followers of this type. Many death achieving acts of unspeakable horror and murdered his wife so that he could con- knights actually loathe these followers and depravity, have actually advanced their tinue an affair with an elf maid. The fact either assign them menial or pointless undead Strength beyond the 18/00 limit that Lord Soth was supposedly an honor- tasks (like digging a hole through the and up to 19 or 20.) able Knight of Solamnia made this an even earth or carrying water from the sea to an • Unlike most other undead, death more terrible crime, and it “earned” him adjoining river) to get them out of the way, knights cannot be turned by a priest of great power at the beginning of his death or send them on suicide missions against any mythos or level. Death knights can be knight “career.” more powerful foes-like walled towns or dispelled by a holy word spell, however, It is unlikely that any force of evil, no armed citadels. The undead respond with- and this one weakness makes them hate matter how weak or powerful, would cre- out question and obey the death knight; and fear all good priests. ate a death knight at less than 4th level- that’s all they can contemplate doing. • Each death knight gains a magic resis- except as an extraordinary punishment But some death knights use their fol- tance equal to 30% plus 5% per level of for a warrior who once fought against evil lowers to set up a gruesome parody of a experience. A 4th-level death knight has a but finally succumbed. Begin your death living court. Inside a death knight’s castle, 50% magic resistance, while a 9th-level knight NPC at the lowest experience total zombies and skeletons act as pre-pro- death knight resists magic at 75%. possible for the level desired, and let it grammed servitors, jugglers, and ghastly However, no death knight may have a progress using the ranger/paladin XP courtiers, playing out roles the death magic resistance higher than 95%. chart in the Player’s Handbook. knight sets for them. They act out plays, • All death knights involuntarily radiate Remember, death knights use the same fight duels, and guard the walls, all as if fear in a 5’ radius. This sometimes makes rules for proficiencies and specialization they were living, breathing men and their dealings with the living much more as living warriors, so determine their women in a high court of the land. interesting. abilities along those lines. The most common use a death knight • Death knights can use any magical As do some living characters, death has for its undead followers is to disturb items not prohibited to fighters. Some death knights earn more abilities as they achieve the living. The death knight uses its min- knights (who were multi- or dual-classed in higher levels of experience: ions to raid villages, carry off the living, and life but lost those abilities in undeath) can • At 4th level, a death knight radiates wipe out caravans. The death knight has no use wizard (10%) or priest (15%) items as fear in a 5’ radius, and it can cast detect concern for its own losses-more undead well. No death knight can use a potion or magic and detect invisibility at will. find it every month. It is fortunate that the item that must be ingested, since it has no • At 5th level, it can cast dispel magic chaotic nature of most death knights natural bodily functions and cannot eat, twice per day. makes them feel this way; if they merely drink, or breathe, even if it desired. • At 6th level, it can cast wall of ice at waited a few months or years, they could • The force of evil that creates a death will. build unstoppable armies of the dead. knight often provides it with magical • At 7th level, it can cast one of the fol- Undead followers who must normally weapons, armor, and other equipment it lowing spells, once per day: power word check morale do not do so when following can use in the fight against good. The most stun, power word kill, or power word a death knight. Perhaps this is because the basic magical item a death knight usually blind. death knight is such a charismatic leader, has is a magical sword or other weapon. • At 8th level, it can cast symbol of fear or, more likely, it is because the undead • Every death knight has a 10% chance and symbol of pain once per day. innately fear the wrath of the death knight per level of gaining a roll on the table • At 9th level, it can cast firball once more than any other possible fate. below. For example, if you create a 5th- per day. level death knight, check five times to see Undead Allies if it gains a magical weapon; once at 10%, All of the death knight’s magical spells Once per month the death knight has a then 20%, 30%, 40%, and finally 50% to function at twice its own level of ability, to chance to attract a powerful undead ally reflect the five opportunities the knight a maximum of 20th level. For example, a such as a lich, vampire, skeleton warrior, has to gain such a weapon. Swords are 2nd-level death knight casts spells as a or other creature. This chance is equal to listed, but feel free to substitute other 4th-level caster. 5% per level of the death knight. The ally weapons with corresponding powers. arrives at the death knight’s lair as a possi- • A death knight’s magical weapon is Companions of Evil ble servitor, master, or partner in evil, not acquired in the manner of other such depending on the death knight’s power items. The weapon is usually placed where Upon achieving 9th level, a death knight and prestige. the death knight will find it only if he com- becomes an extraordinary force of evil in For example, a newly arrived death mits a terrible, evil act. Once the death its own right. It begins to radiate dread knight could attract a powerful lich that

12 OCTOBER 1995 would attempt to subvert it and force the Lady Jane Restfield, a.k.a. Adventure Suggestions death knight to do its will, resulting in a “Bloody Jane the Damned” Death knights come from anywhere and battle between the two creatures. Most Lady Jane Restfield once served the forces can go anywhere. Though they tend to be likely, however, the force of evil that con- of order and goodness with bright steel territorial, inhabiting places that remind trols the death knight keeps the two from and an even brighter soul. A paladin, she them of their previous lives, a few wander becoming deadly enemies, and they work fought to keep evil at bay and bring good- the land almost like revenants, seeking together (at least at first) to plague the liv- ness and fair play to all the corners of her some lost meaning for their undead lives. ing. Once a death knight has attracted an world. She numbered among the Twelve Most death knights are not motivated by undead ally, it will not attract another Knights of the Golden Realm, and she was a hatred for the living but by a loathing for until the first has departed or been chief in their order when darkness fell. their own horrible existence. While no destroyed. It continues to attract undead It began with an attack on her family. It death knight would ever succumb to followers, however. was not a physical attack, oh, no-Lady destruction voluntarily, they resent all Jane and the Restfields could handle any those who have and cherish life, since they, The Lair of the Death Knight battle an enemy brought to them. Two of at some point, despaired and embraced the three Restfield sisters (Lady Jane evil and unlife (consciously or not). Death knights can and do exist anywhere. included) had distinguished themselves at As a result, death knights exist to tor- They usually try to make their abode in the Battle of Broken Lances, and Jane’s ment the living and sorely test the valor- undeath mimic the abode they had, or third sister, Antonia, was a wizardess ous. They desire to prove that they made wanted to have, in life-if they do not still without peer. the only choice possible to them during possess that lair, that is. But a death The attack was slander. First, Antonia their lives by continually corrupting the knight’s strange nature wars with its was accused of dabbling in dark magic good and noble and bringing them down desires, and the holding becomes a house and forbidden lore. The family’s own to their level of evil. A death knight that of horror soon enough. investigators, employed to clear the young succeeds in corrupting a truly good indi- All death knights “remember” being woman’s name, found evil tomes hidden vidual does not experience bliss or tri- great warriors and, possibly, lords in life. among her belongings. Though Antonia umph, however. Something in its makeup They seldom build castles or palaces, but swore she’d never seen or used them forces it to loathe even that victory, and they are happy to take them over after before, doubt began to grow. the death knight usually destroys anyone putting their occupants to the sword. On Then Lady Jane’s second sister was who succumbs to its evil. rare occasions, death knights construct killed. That would not be dishonorable, Death knight adventures should be cen- their own castles, and these tend to be but her body was found in a tavern of ill tered around cleverly woven traps and horrors of impossible architecture and repute, a knife in her back and a tankard hard choices. For example, it would be torture, maintained only by the evil will of in her hand. Though her own retainers characteristic for a death knight to kidnap the death knight and the efforts of its swore that she’d been nowhere near the the entire family of a good character and undead followers. tavern that night and that they’d never threaten to torture and kill those inno- The interior of a death knight’s lair seen her drink a drop of ale in her life, the cents, while at the same time sending its smacks of incongruity. All the floors and body (and the evidence) was plain. undead legions and allies against a village furnishings in a given room may be old Amidst all the scandal, Lady Jane strove the PC is sworn to protect. The PC has and covered in dust and cobwebs-except to distinguish herself and shield her family. time to save only one group, his family or for a vase full of fresh, red roses that seem She became more aggressive in battle and the village-which will it be? If the death to thrive in the dark, dank atmosphere. Or won the nearly impossible Siege of knight has its way, the PC’s choice is a wall might be covered by moth-eaten Hightower almost single-handed. But always the wrong one. tapestries, majestic, sad banners from bat- when rumors of bribery and dishonorable Sometimes, death knights hatch even tles long lost or won-and the freshly battle practices shrouded even that victory less straightforward schemes. Kidnapping killed body of a cleric, pinned to the wall in shadow, Jane found herself in despair. and torture are always good motivations, with a spike through his chest. Something No one knows what pushed Jane over and the death knight seems to have an old, something new, something bloody, the edge. Perhaps it was her mother’s uncanny ability to manipulate PCs into something blue-death knights lead the apparent suicide, or Antonia’s lapse into doing what it wishes. It might kidnap a undead with their “fashion statements.” madness. Whatever the cause, one day loved one or loyal retainer and force the As a result of this strange life-and-death Lady Jane killed an entire audience of PC to “prove” his valor by fighting mon- juxtaposition, hirelings and henchmen courtiers who had come to demand her sters, performing quests, and eventually (and other NPCs) who venture into a death presence at a trial of honor, and she rode choosing between good (and the death of knight’s lair automatically lose two ranks off into the night. his loved one) or evil (and the loved one’s from their morale. The bizarre horror and The next time anyone saw “Bloody Lady survival). twisting terror of the lair strike fear into Jane,” she had changed dramatically. Her even the bravest and most loyal souls. skin, once white and clear, was now A Final Word bleached and gaunt to the bone. Her eyes Building the Death Knight were hollow and her beautiful, raven tress- Though this article must end, there is no es were gray and brittle. She was undead. end to the usefulness of the death knight Begin with the living character. Who was Lady Jane the Damned, as the people of as an NPC villain. The death knight begins he (or she)? What order of honor and the Golden Realm call her, rode down on as a tragic character that the PCs might goodness did he serve? What heroic deeds the estate of her birth with an army of actually feel sorry for (make certain they made his later fall so tragic and his betrayal undead. She slew the groundskeepers and know or learn of its history), but it so complete? How has he made himself so those of her distant family who still inhab- becomes a terrifying evil that must not be infamous since becoming undead? The fol- ited the place, and she butchered all who allowed to roam free. lowing is an example of a death knight you came to fight her off. Now she holds court What’s more, the death knight is not can use to make your world darker and in that villa of the damned, content to sing just a villain: It is a promise. PCs who more deadly of her terrible betrayal and expedition into ignore their alignments, break their vows, unlife only so long as no one approaches or make “the hard choices” too easily and her gates. If anyone ventures onto the without conscience can look at a death lands of Bloody Lady Jane, they are never knight and wonder: How far away from seen again . . . Alive. that am I?

14 OCTOBER 1995

To Lord Briar of Thornwood, Grand Now my ambition to fulfill my father’s and advised us that we were welcome but Master of the Order of Storm. wish, indeed my ambition to live, is gone, all the friars were absent, having Sire: the spark extinguished; not from cow- answered a call of distress from It is with the deepest sorrow and regret ardice, not from female weakness, but Thistledale. It seemed that plague had that I hereby resign from the Order of from an all pervasive dooming evil that broken out there, and the Abbey had been Storm. has consumed my body and soul beyond left in Marla’s sole care. I was quite True, the vows of paladinhood are sup- human aid or assistance. Having been amazed at her friendliness and lack of posed to be eternal and only can be taken thrown on to this evil path, I can do the fear for one who was all alone. away by our beloved Deity; yet in my only honorable thing, which is to resign, Looking back on it, I should have seen instance, I know that this is simply a fast in the wilderness, and pray for divine that this tale was highly improbable, but matter of time. relief from this curse. the pain in my arm distracted me from Let me assure you and my other broth- It is my fervent hope that this letter clear thinking. Why would the friars of St. ers that this is not a matter of cowardice reaches you so that others will learn of Marlowe, a celibate order, keep such an or failure to complete my first mission. and avoid this threat’s wicked grasp. The attractive servant lady in their midst? She You sent me to slay the beast of Boltang fellow I hired to deliver this letter was was quite pretty with shining raven hair, Swamp, and it is done. I did not hesitate to attracted by the fire at the Abbey, and he blue eyes, and a figure that most women take this quest, nor did I falter when com- seems trustworthy enough. I can only would envy. And why would they not send bat was joined. Strength flowed through hope that he finds the 20 pieces of gold I for the aid of our Order to stem this out- my body in response to my prayers, and gave him enough incentive to make the break of disease? And was it not unlikely His aura shielded me from the worst of long trek to Castle Midgard and put this in for them to leave their monastery in the the beast’s attacks. Although I was wound- your hands. hands of one servant in a countryside all ed, my sword found its way into the mon- How did this all begin? It started on the too well known for its fierce monsters and ster’s heart, and now its head rests on a day that I slew the swamp beast. I wanted ruthless outlaws? Oh, would that I had stake along the old swamp road. to press on and return swiftly, if for no been more alert! Nor is my leaving the Order in any way other reason than to show my doubting Marla noticed my damaged shield and related to what some of my brothers per- brothers that a woman paladin indeed had how I favored my left arm as I dismounted ceive as my “womanly weakness.” I fully a place in this world. But old Squint feared and offered to fix me a hot bath after a good realize that you did not share this warped that I had been hurt too badly and insisted meal. I gratefully accepted, hoping that a view, but there are several who sneered that we stop at the Abbey of St. Marlowe for good soak would help on the morrow’s and whispered among themselves when I the night. The beast had smashed my shield ride. She then showed Squint where to sta- made my application. They cared little of with his great spiked club and it had left my ble our mounts and directed me to one of my dying father’s last wish that I become a arm flaming with pain, so it took little per- the austere apartments that the friars kept paladin like him. Although he regretted suasion to stop and ask for hospitality that for visitors. After lighting the single lamp, not having any sons to follow his example, night. Marla bade me take off my armor while she he did his best to mold me into a true holy I should have known that something prepared my meal and bath. knight. Well do I recall your decision to was amiss from the beginning. When I The small room was quite plain: a sim- give me a chance, and I thank you for rang the bell at the gate, a young servant ple bed with woolen blankets and pillow, a your faith in me, even though so many lady, about my age, came out bearing a wardrobe with two doors, a few pegs on doubted. torch. She introduced herself as Marla the wall, a chamber pot, and a small table

DRAGON 17 and candle by the bed. On one wall was a “Well,” I explained patiently,” this is a As I pondered this, Marla came in with small painting of St. Marlowe, and there shield of the Order of Storm, a brother- a breakfast of two eggs, thick sausage was one small window next to the door. hood of paladins, holy knights who heal cakes, and more of the Abbey’s bread. She My armor was difficult to get off — the sick and protect the weak. Our keep is looked very pleased and happy — her some of the snaps and clasps had been Castle Midgard, two days west of here. You cheeks were all aglow, apparently from jammed by the blow of the beast’s club have never heard of us?” the morning chill,5 and she had a wonder- and several of the bands were bent Marla parted her lips slightly and her ful sunny smile. As she set down the tray inwards-so I had to call for Squint, eyes widened in curiosity and she said, “A and poured me some tea, she remarked housed in the neighboring apartment, to paladin? But I only thought men....” that Squint was already up and about sad- assist me. He had no more success than I, I interrupted: “Generally, yes; but the dling the horses, and that he would be in and had to go to the stables where he world is changing, girl. As far as I know, I to pick up my armor to pack it up (since it found some tools. These worked well, but am the only one in this land, but I doubt could not be worn). She talked about it was obvious that my wonderful blue that I shall be the last.” some other small things as well, but I paid banded armor was due for repairs at the At this, she smiled widely3 and stated her no further mind; the warm breakfasty armorer once we were to get back to that she had brought us supper and that a odor of the meal was too much and I ate Castle Midgard. warm bath awaited me when I was done. like I had never eaten before, even the Equally obvious was the fact that the She then brought in a tray with a bowl of entire half loaf of bread.6 When I had beast’s club had hurt me far worse than I hot mushroom and lentil soup, a loaf of eaten all there was, I laid back down for suspected. Squint was the first to notice it. bread, and jug of herbal tea. The smell of just a few moments because I was still a Just above my wrist were the edges of a something other than cold jerky and dark bit tired, and I promptly fell back asleep. large purple bruise. Rolling up my sleeve tack was wonderful and as I took my first Some time later, Squint was shaking revealed the worst: it radiated all the way sip of the soup, Marla told Squint that his my shoulder. My loyal squire gasped and up my left forearm and no doubt it would food was waiting in his room. asked what in the nine hells had hap- eventually turn an ugly yellow. I uttered a After my meal, she took me to the pened. I told him nothing, just a bad quick prayer and laid my hand upon the monks’ bath house where a large tub of dream, and then got out of bed to look for area and the bruise receded a little, and it steaming water was waiting. Marla insist- some riding clothes, and promptly fell seemed that it would be a few days before ed on personally attending to me as I was down on the floor. Squint pulled me up the forearm would be totally healed. still hurt, and I did not complain. How gently, saying that I looked terrible, and It was while I was contemplating the wonderful the water felt, and how gentle that no, I was not all right, and that he severity of the wound that Marla returned. this raven-haired servant was. Best of all, was terribly worried. I repeated that I was As she opened the door, she saw me pray- she washed my hair with a delightful fine, but then he held me up to the mir- ing with my hand on my injured arm, and soapy mixture that smelled like newly ror, and sure enough, I was quite pale. Squint of course was kneeling in prayer as picked strawberries, and after it was Something was not right, and that well. I confess that I did not even hear her dried, my hair, short as it was, looked pos- moment was another opportunity to real- open the door (nor did Squint), and when itively lustrous. ize that there was an evil infecting the she asked in an icy voice whether she After I returned to my room, Marla Abbey (and now me). wanted her to return later, both my squire loaned me a comfortable, high-necked Instead, I became plagued with self- and I jumped a little. nightgown, bade me a good night’s rest, doubt and blame. Paladins, once Looking at her, I was taken aback by and left. It did not take me long to drift off ordained, were not supposed to get ill, yet her truly frightening look: her forehead into a deep, peaceful slumber. here I was, quite weak and sick. Had I was tightly creased and she positively But, my lord, my sleep did not remain done something contrary to the Order? glared at us. Her face was such a mask of that way. Upon reflection of the last few Was He punishing me? I had fought brave- fury that for some reason (instinct? train- days’ events, the memory of my dream ly and completed my mission, as well as ing?) I clutched my holy medallion and has returned. At first, it was a wonderful offering prayers of thanks following my attempted to detect for any evil. dream. There I was on the grassy banks of victory. Severing the head of the beast and Simply put, there was none,1 which the River Excelsior. It was sunset and the putting it on display might have seemed was hardly a surprise. (After all, how breeze was cool but not overly so. As the barbaric, but you had expressly ordered could a simple serving girl emanate pow- sun reached the horizon, it turned the me to leave a sign for any other denizens erful evil?) Still, her look was so intense waters a lovely pink, and then orange, and of the swamp to dissuade further raids. that I had to say something, so I said, then red. And then a deep red-like The display, I had reasoned, would also “Marla, is something wrong?” blood-and the hitherto clear waters reassure the local inhabitants that law and “No, milady,” she replied stiffly, “I see became choppy while the wind trans- order had prevailed. Surely this could not you want privacy so I shall leave.”2 formed into a long, hot breeze. Then an be the reason for the punishment? Suddenly I saw what she was thinking, endless line of heads, bobbing on stakes, Squint summed it up in his usual blunt and I laughed. came floating down the river. To my hor- manner: I needed another day of rest, no “No, Marla, it’s all right. Squint and I ror, I saw that they were all the heads of arguments, no discussion. Over his shoul- were just uttering a prayer together. the beast of the Boltang Swamp. As each der, Marla — who had observed all of this Squint is an old family retainer and my passed me by, it laughed and laughed and from the doorway-agreed. I got up to squire. He often prays with me when I am laughed.” protest, but it was no good, I could not healing.” At dawn I awoke feeling absolutely even stand up on my own accord. She looked confused for a moment, awful — my head was throbbing, my I reluctantly went back to bed and then asked, “Healing? Are you not a mouth was parched, and my body seemed Squint decided to take the day to sharpen knight, milady?” sluggish. I drained the small water jug our weapons and see what he could do “Yes, Marla,” I replied, “a knight I am, next to the bed as if I had not drunk in with my armor. I tried reading from my but did you not notice the emblem on my days, and then tried to get up. As I got to book of prayers but I had trouble focus- shield?” my feet, I nearly fainted, and I had to sit ing, and instead just rested and enjoyed She looked to the corner where my on the bed. What was wrong? A hot bath, the sunshine and songs of the robins out- poor shield, though battered, still clearly good meal, and warm bed (even if the side. Marla came back twice during the showed the three yellow lightning bolts. sleep hadn’t been all that pleasant) should day, once to change the bed linens and She shook her head. have rested me for today’s trip, but I empty the chamber pot, and another to “Lady Rebecca, I know not these colors.” hardly felt refreshed! bring another fine meal of roast beef and

18 OCTOBER 1995 lemonade. Yet another opportunity to was bad, only that I slept deeply, the best And as I fell to my doom, I prayed hard and unlock the mystery passed by for had I night’s rest since we had stopped. saw that what surrounded the mouth was a been able to pay attention I would have And when I awoke, I actually felt a little face. It was a familiar one: that of Marla, the noticed that on both these occasions the better. Wobbly still to be sure, but my Abbey’s serving girl and my good hostess robins stopped singing and would not mind was not as muddled and my fear these past days! return as long as Marla was around.7 was gone. But all of this was dashed to With a shriek I tore my hand free and That night, after another fine dinner pieces when a very concerned Marla slashed and cut. But no longer was I on and bath, I instructed Squint that no mat- came in with breakfast and announced the raft of doom. I was in my room and I ter what, we had to get back to Castle that Squint had left. This made me sit was clutching the dagger I always kept Midgard. Although I felt only a little bit bet- straight up and ask (probably in a not too under my saddlebag or pillow. My breath ter, I was determined to return and report pleasant tone) what had happened. Marla was ragged and I scanned the dark room on my victory. Also I wanted desperately to sat at my bedside and looked me in the but all I could see was a veil of black with speak with Father Matthias to see if there eyes (hers seemed so lifeless!) and told me two glowing red eyes. And my breath was was something that I had done so wrong to that I had cried out so loudly in the night not the only rasping sound in the room. deserve this illness and what I could do to that Squint, sputtering a slew of Dalish Tentatively I reached out with my detec- atone for it. Prior to blowing out the can- curses, had saddled up, told her that he tion of evil and was repulsed by a sicken- dle, I uttered another prayer and laid was riding to Castle Midgard for help, and ing glow of pure, seething evil.11 hands upon my bruise and again it retract- that no matter what, she was to care for With a hiss, the thing swooped at my ed, but the weakness and dizziness still me until he returned. throat, and I quickly kicked out of the cov- persisted.8 Well, this was a mess. Here I was actu- ers. Simultaneously I grabbed my pillow That night my dreams again started ally feeling a little better, and Squint had with my free hand and held it out like a wonderfully, with my charger and me ridden off. Apparently the fever was begin- shield. Whatever it was hit it with a thump relaxing on a hill and enjoying the colors ning to break and it would only be maybe and a snarl. I rolled out of bed, releasing and smells of fall leaves, but then the top another day and I would be able to ride. the pillow and leaving the monster chok- of the hill collapsed inward and we fell for Perhaps my application of curing disease ing on feathers. I fumbled with the door a long, long time. I hit the ground hard had done something after all? In any case, to the stand up closet, then got it opened, and found myself weak, broken, and help- I was frustrated and humiliated as I real- and reached for my sword, only to find it less. Next to me was a blood-red iron cof- ized how ridiculous my first adventure gone. fin, barely illuminated by the light at the would turn out. Instead of riding in to the Something hit me in the back of my top of the hole. Then I saw the small brass castle in glory, a rescue party of healers head and knocked me sprawling into the label, and its writing was clear: “Here lies would have to come and get me! No doubt closet, and I nearly passed out. But I knew Lady Rebecca, the first and only woman they would insist on bearing me in on a that to give up would mean death. Paladin of Storm.” Then I heard laughing litter. This was awful. Gasping, I got to my feet. The monster was from above as the light went out, and And what made it worse was that there just above the bed and it sounded like it looking up I saw two small red dots upon was little I could do about it. Although my was having quite a time with the pillow. a black background. They slowly descend- spirits were up, my body was still weak, When she got it out of her mouth, I knew ed toward me, and as I lay helpless the even with my laying on of hands and she would try again. I saw the crimson laughter got louder and the dots became Marla’s cooking. I simply did not have the eyes again, and they were staring at me eyes that dripped salty blood all over me.9 strength to ride yet. But I did persuade malevolently. Slowly they weaved back and The morning after went much like the Marla to help me out to a chair in the forth, and I rued the day that I had previous day. I could not recall the dream, courtyard where I could enjoy the sun- declined Sir Tristan’s offer to teach me and I was even weaker. Squint disobeyed shine. Of course she insisted that in how to fight blindfolded. It would have my previous day’s orders and stated flatly return I had to allow her to prepare me a made this a little easier, but at least the that we were staying another day and that bath that evening, and of course I agreed eyes (not to mention the amazingly strong if I were not better by the next morning, readily. glow of evil) helped me focus. In the dark- he was going to ride to Castle Midgard for This brings us, my Lord, to the final ness of my apartment, I could even see help. I was in no mood (or condition) to night, the time when I discovered the evil what appeared to be a black glow. argue the point. The rosy-cheeked Marla that was infecting my body and soul. And I All I had was my dagger. No armor, no readily agreed and reiterated that we were am sorry to say that I missed the final clue shield, no lance, no sword... just a dagger. honored guests and could stay as long as that would have revealed the curse of this And judging from the blow that nearly we wanted. She also speculated that per- place. The clue was in the bath house felled me, Marla had something else at haps the brothers would return to the itself and seemed insignificant. After I had her disposal. 12 What was I to do? Then it abbey that day or the next, and perhaps taken off my nightgown, slipped into the came back to me: your words at my ordi- they could help. (Oh, Lord Thornwood, warm, soapy water, and begun to wash, nation, that no matter how desperate the where were my brains? Why did I not my hands ran across some small scabs at struggle, no matter how naked and afraid question their absence at the outset?) the base of my throat.10 I asked Marla what one might be, and despite a lack of By now I was afraid to sleep: while I she could make of these, and she said that strength or weapons, the paladin’s great- could not then recall the specifics of the apparently I had been bitten by mosqui- est asset was his mind and his ability to dreams then, I knew they were bad. In des- toes at some point. She suggested that think, reason, and-if necessary-outwit peration I prayed long and hard but got no perhaps they had been the cause of my ill- the forces of evil. So I thought, reasoned, insight at all. I even tried my power to cure ness. At any rate, she said, they looked and came up with a plan. disease on myself (I, who could not be dis- well healed. I though no more of it and “Come, you twisted bit of nothingness eased!), and not surprisingly, I felt no bet- enjoyed the rest of the bath. and taste my blade!” I cried. Cackling hor- ter. I did feel a little better that evening The night’s rest was short. It started with ribly, the monster hissed and made right when I laid hands on my shoulder and the peaceful slumber, but soon reverted to an for my face. Just before it got there, I fell bruise completely healed and vanished. evil nightmare involving a flooded river of straight to the ground, and the back of the And of course Squint and I enjoyed Marla’s blood with me nailed to a circular wooden wardrobe resounded with a satisfying good cooking. raft. As it spun in the wild current, I heard a crack. I reached up quickly and slammed Amazingly, on the third night I slept roaring sound, that of a waterfall, and then the closet door shut, and thrust my dagger well. If I had a good dream or vision, I do I was falling down into a wide-opened between the two handles, effectively lock- not recall it now. Nor do I remember if it mouth filled with incredibly sharp teeth. ing the creature in the wardrobe.

20 OCTOBER 1995

Oh, what a thumping and pounding she With that, I reached down, removed Storm! Nothing could ever make me like caused! I though that she would shake the the dagger, and jumped back, sword in you!” I gave the head a solid kick, but that wardrobe to pieces and for a moment I one hand, dagger in the other. The doors did not silence her. She laughed a horri- doubted that the dagger would hold, so I immediately banged open and out she ble, gurgling laugh. fled with the crashing on the thick oaken came. “Little one. You don’t know what you wardrobe walls ringing in my ears. Never, my Lord, have I seen a more are saying. There are powers greater than I found a lantern and looked for my despicable, unholy sight. It was indeed you. Shout all you want, but it will missing equipment. It was in a barn stall Marla, but only her head attached to a happen. Feel your neck.” along with Truscott, my noble steed, and slimy, tapered, black appendage that was a So I did, and in spite of all the curing, I Brandy, Squint’s mare. Neither looked like little longer than my sword. Two of could still feel the marks and I could they had suffered from whatever this evil Marla’s front teeth were incredibly long, sense within myself the brutal truth. I had creature was, but then I remembered: much like the fangs of a snake, and she been healing myself for days, and I had Squint had left, according to Marla, so hissed and gurgled as she flew about. I drunk enough potions to bring huge Sir what was Brandy doing here? swung at her, and the creature easily and Bertram back from the dead, but my Taking the lantern, I went back to the quickly backed away, chuckling wetly. strength and health had not returned. In small apartment where my squire had But its laughter was short-lived fact, all had gotten steadily worse. There been housed and opened the door care- because as soon as she retreated, she flew could be only one answer: I was infected fully. Squint was still there all right, right into the sun’s early morning rays with evil — paladinic powers notwithstand- sprawled in his bed, dead white, with two coming in the apartment’s window. And ing-and now I was apparently doomed to puncture wounds in his neck, right where as soon as that happened, Marla gave a the worst of fates: being like the drooling the “mosquito bites” were on mine.13 I had sharp gasp and the entire fell creature, thing at my feet, an undead feasting on the seen death before, but never had one so head, tail, and all, fell to the ground with a helpless whom I was sworn to defend. close been lost to such a foul monster, thump and did not move.14 The rest of my tale, Lord Thornwood, and I burst out in wracking, heaving sobs. This was truly amazing, and I was is as brief as my remaining days among Why had I not seen through this foul immediately suspicious and thus the living. I did a thorough search of the thing’s guise? approached cautiously. This was too easy, rest of the abbey grounds and in a shed of It took me at least an hour to gather yet it just lay there quite still, although still gardening tools I found Marla’s headless myself, and by then the dim glow of dawn making damp gurgling sounds. Even body. I could even look down into the was lighting the horizon. I felt exhausted, when I pricked the thing’s black tail with body cavity and seen that her organs were but I knew that I had to drive myself to see my sword, it did nothing. So, I thought, all dried and withered. And I took this what other horrors were lurking in the you don’t like light, do you? Well, let’s get body, that of Squint, and those of the abbey. All of the brothers’ cells were you nice and warm. And so I sunk my priests and stacked them all atop Marla’s empty, and the chapel was in reasonably sword into the black tail, picked it up, and head. I confess that it took most of my good order, although it had not been took it outside in the yard, leaving a blood remaining energy to do this, and I had to cleaned in some days. But in the base- trail all the way out. rest for a good hour before I could muster ment I found them. Each and every one of Now its muttered curses grew louder, a little strength to douse the pile with oil the peaceable brothers of St. Marlowe and if it could have squirmed away, I’m and set it ablaze. Marla shrieked and cried were dead, killed in the same way as sure it would have done so. But it just pitifully, but I cared not. Squint, and they had been stacked in the spluttered away with curses I supposed, Although Truscott and Brandy did not wine cellar like so much cordwood.14 for I could not understand any of its look like they had been harmed by Marla, By now, I had precious little energy left warbly speech. I did not want to take any chances if I and it was good to find the Abbey’s heal- But then, yes, I could make out that it were to become like her, and so I set them ing room. I took two of the brothers’ seemed to be calling my name. So I free. I then burned the rest of the abbey potions and immediately felt the pain pinned the black part to the ground, and as well. No doubt it was somehow infected recede from the back of my head, where knelt by Marla’s face, dagger ready to with the same evil as I was, and only the the monster’s tail or whatever it was had thrust right into her eye if she made so purifying cleanliness of fire could assure struck me. But I still felt far weaker than I much as one move. Incredibly, there was anyone that the grounds were free of should have, and a third potion did not a fresh slash just above the left eye from Marla’s curse. help at all. my first dagger cut, but there was not As for myself, my Lord, I regret that I Weak or not, I still had to confront the even one drop of blood showing from this fell prey to such a horrible fate, but I can- monster and put this matter to rest. So I wound. Yet on the tail, there was still not run the risk that I would return to took my sword and went back to my bright red blood flowing from where my become an avenging evil spirit among my room. At first, I was shocked when I saw sword had pierced it. This was truly a brothers. I will therefore make my way as the wardrobe laying on its side, but then horribly mystifying monster.15 far from Castle Midgard as I can, but if saw that the dagger holding it in place was “Rebecca,” it croaked, in such a horri- any of the members of our Order should still in place. I thumped it on the side and ble way that I barely understood the meet me, they should know, from the immediately it began to bump and shake words, “come here, I would talk to you.“16 account of this letter, what I am and how again. For a moment I considered leaving “What is it, you fiend? A plea for mercy, to go about destroying me. the creature there and riding for the perhaps? You will surely be disappointed,” In the meantime, this peasant is wait- Castle to get your aid, but then I had I replied, waving the dagger right in front ing for me to finish this letter, and I must visions of Squint riding by my side and of her eye. be off. Please have the chaplain pray for telling me stories (for the 37th time) of my Marla seemed to gulp and then smiled, my soul, and if Marla’s prophecy is true, father’s glorious quests before he had got- “Ah, you don’t understand, milady. Soon seek me out soon before I unleash myself. ten married and had a daughter. My eyes you will be with me in sisterhood., just -Rebecca of Kryptgarden misted over, knowing that I would never like me. Nothing can stop it. I have tasted * * * see Squint again, and that decided it for your blood, and it is just a matter of time. Lord Thornwood sighed, then shook me. I did what my father would have It is inevitable. You will drink blood just as his head. “Sir Kaye!” he bellowed. done. I have, and you will enjoy the taste forever. “Sire!” answered a hard-looking knight. “Be still, evil one, I will let you free,” I Now, please, let me go back to my body.” “Get you to the Beastmaster and tell said, “and know you that it will be a short “Rubbish!” I cried. “Never, do you hear? him to ready our griffons with two days’ freedom, for today I shall destroy you.” I am a knight, a paladin of the Order of rations!”

22 OCTOBER 1995

“All of them, my lord?” however innocent, between a couple. from consecutive attacks no longer “Yes. Now hurry!” Lord Thornwood From that moment on, the female of applies, and the victim’s saving roll is replied tersely. As Sir Kaye trotted off, he the couple will be singled out for the subject only to the initial -3 penalty called out again. “Sir Tersted!” vampiress’ attention, even ahead of a from a first night’s attack. “Sire!” Another knight stepped from the female of a higher charisma. The male 11. When the head is detached from the shadows into the light of the Grand will also be targeted for a later attack, body, the penanggalan’s strong evil Master’s dais. and the monster will not rest until both alignment is quickly revealed by any “Go down to the chapel and disturb have been death with. detect evil or know alignment spells. Father Belding’s prayers. Give him my 3. The penanggalan will always prefer a Note that a victim awakening from a apologies, but then advise him that he is female with high Charisma as its victim penanggalan feeding is almost com- going to take a griffon ride with Sir above all other females (except one pletely unheard of: only someone very Bertram, Malerius, and me, as soon as he who has shown affection to a man). strongly aligned with good has any can get ready... which means in 15 Hence a female paladin is the victim of chance of doing so. minutes, no complaints, no excuses!” choice due to her high Charisma and 12. The black “tail” of the penanggalan’s Sir Tersted nodded and headed quickly her strong lawful good alignment. head has a strength of 19 and is used for another hallway. Although the paladin’s protection from as a whip to snag and choke victims, “Sir Tersted, one more thing!” called evil aura and +2 bonus to saves makes causing 1-4 hp damage (+7 for the 19 Lord Thornwood. such a conquest risky, the penanggalan Strength) each round. In total darkness “Milord?” The other knight stopped will go to great lengths to make her an it glows with an eerie black lumines- and turned around. undead sister. cence. “Tell Father Belding that if he does not 4. Victims of a penanggalan are always 13. While the penanggalan will slowly have a dispel evil spell quick at hand, he attacked while asleep. If they fail their drain a female victim over a period of had better come up with it before we saving throw (with a -3 penalty), they several evenings, she will kill a male leave or he will have to take along one of are effectively hypnotized and acqui- victim outright in one night’s feeding. his precious scrolls!” esce to the monster’s draining attacks 14. A penanggalan typically inhabits deso- “Aye, milord!” Sir Tersted returned to without awakening. Nothing is remem- late, deserted places, such as aban- his errand, running off down the corridor. bered from the experience, but victims doned buildings and graveyards. Yet if “Sir Bertram!’ often have horrible dreams of blood, she can get away with it, she will take “Yes, Lord Thornwood?” replied a corpses, and other ominous images. up residence in an inhabited area, huge, bearded man with an unusually 5. Another subtle clue that one is dealing such as a wayside inn or monastery, to large battleaxe at his side. with a penanggalan is her complexion. wreak havoc-and feed for several “Old friend, go on up to Malerius’ Prior to feeding, it is rather pale. Up to nights running. tower and tell, er ask, him to join us, and ten hours after draining a victim, how- 15. The greatest weakness of this undead if he wouldn’t mind, he needs to bring ever, her complexion is rosy and monster is its absolute vulnerability to along that crystal ball of his if we have any flushed. This is even noticeable with sunlight, for once that strikes the chance of finding her.” penanggalans of all but the darkest penanggalan while in “head” form, it “Finding her? Finding who, milord?” skins. falls to the ground paralyzed and “Bertram,” Lord Thornwood whis- 6. Although weak and dizzy, a penang- helpless. pered, “a fellow paladin, our only sister, is galan’s victim always awakens with a 16. The tail of the penanggalan is a reser- in trouble, and we are going to save her tremendous hunger and thirst. And voir for blood that it has taken from its soul.” although satisfying the body’s appetites victims. It serves the same function as Sir Bertram nodded solemnly. As is an attempt to recover the lost hp, a camel’s hump, although it can also quickly as he could, he lumbered away to Strength, and Constitution, once the serve as a whip-like club with a find the mage and his crystal ball. process starts, it is inevitable. strength of 19. No other part of the 7. Animals are generally good at knowing penanggalan will ever bleed, even FOOTNOTES when something is not right. They usu- when in human form. This is another 1. While in human form, the penanggalan ally flee at the sight of undead, and way to find out if one is dealing with exudes the alignment it had in its previ- although they won’t do so when in the one of these creatures, but such a ous life. Thus Lady Rebecca’s detect presence of a penanggalan in human method has obvious risks, particularly evil ability did not work. Had Rebecca form, they will slink or fly away just on if the object of the experiment is not a been a wizard or cleric casting a know their instinct that it is not a friendly penanggalan! alignment spell, she would have person. No matter how hard a penang- 17. While in “head form,” the penanggalan learned the alignment it had in its pre- galan tries, it cannot attract an animal speaks in a gurgling manner that is vious life, but that is all. The same to come to it. barely recognizable as Common. A lis- applies for the clerical true seeing spell. 8. Although lost hit points due to “non- tener who makes an Intelligence check Note that had Marla had an evil align- penanggalan wounds” can be restored can understand the speech, but the ment in her pre-penanggalan days, by magical curing spells, potions, and monster’s conversation is about Rebecca’s ability might have worked if abilities, the hit points, Strength, and impending doom of the listener or the Marla had been strongly aligned and Constitution drained by this horrible joys of being undead. intent upon evil actions previously. vampiress can only be restored after a About the only spell that works reliably dispel evil spell has been cast upon the with these creatures is the wizard spell, victim. detect undead. 9. After the first attack, future attempts on 2. A creature of the Nine Hells, a penang- a victim entitle her to another saving galan is incapable of showing feeling or throw, but with an additional -2 penal- articulating love in any form. Yet it is ty (hence the second night’s attack is at intelligent enough to realize that love is -5, the third at -7, etc). Note that the something that should be experienced paladin’s +2 bonus on saving throws and desired. Being incapable of love in still applies against these penalties. any form, a penanggalan becomes furi- 10. If a penanggalan leaves a victim alone ous if she witnesses any intimate act, one night, the cumulating -2 penalty

24 OCTOBER 1995

dreds?—of supplements and magazine articles brought an onslaught of new spells. And they never stop coming. Gamers, it seems, have an insatiable appetite for spells, which designers are only too happy to indulge. If spells were lollipops, we’d all be hyperglycemic. Even though we want ‘em, that’s not to say we need ‘em. Most spells are forget- table, unimaginative variants on existing effects that add little to a campaign or the designer’s reputation. One of my favorite offenders in the last couple of years is White Wolf’s Wizard’s Grimoire for the Ars Magica* game, which gave us hairless hound (an animal’s fur falls out) and lips of the sky (your lips turn blue). Fisherman’s wooden island creates a row- boat. Why not fisherman’s wooden shoes to conjure up durable footwear or fisher- man’s wooden mount to make rocking horses for the kids? Hey, I could do this all day. (And I did. In the Tome of Magic, I whipped up a batch of warding spells that were more or less minor variations of the same thing; one kept away bad weather, another kept away undead, another kept away fire; you get the picture.) I’ve learned the hard way that if you want interesting spells, you start with interesting casters. If you’re designing spells for lifeless nobodies, you tend to come up with deadwood like hairless hound and undead ward. But if you begin with, say, the maniacal, tormented shapeshifters in White Wolf’s Werewolf: The Apocalypse* game, you come up with dazzlers like crawling hand (the caster’s hand detaches and scoots across the floor) and gluttony (the caster swallows his opponents whole). In fact, dark fantasy in general seems to be a fertile ground for memorable magic. In a sense, all spellcasters, even the good guys, have a dark side; there’s something inherently creepy about anyone who can read minds and spray fireballs from his fingertips. If your campaign has too many hairless hounds and not enough crawling hands, check out this month’s products, all of which explore the seamier side of the arcane arts. They prove once again how wrong we Duells of the world can be.

GURPS Voodoo: The Shadow War In 1899, Charles H. Duell, the director of GURPS* game supplement the United States Patent Office, said the 128-page softcover book time had come to abolish his agency, Steve Jackson Games because, he claimed, “everything that can Design: C.J. Carella be invented has been invented.” In 1990, I Editing: Susan Pinsonneault felt the same way about magic spells. I’d Illustrations: Shea Ryan just spent a month beating my brains out, Cover: Tim Bradstreet struggling to come up with my share of the entries for the Tome of Magic, a col- Let’s start with a quick quiz. Which of the lection of more than 200 spells for the following products pits supernatural PCs AD&D® game. After completing the assign- of questionable morality against malevo- ment, I was convinced the Tome would be lent forces of infinite power in a gritty the last word on this particular subject. It contemporary setting? had to be, because there weren’t any I was wrong, of course, big time. more spells. Every one that could be Subsequent publication of the invented had been invented. Earthdawn*, Mage: The Ascension*, and Aria* games, as well as dozens — hun-

26 OCTOBER 1995 A. White Wolf’s Vampire: Carella devotes a hefty chunk of the text to but he soars when discussing their ramifi- The Masquerade’ game. the Lodges, tracing their rise from the cations. He points out, for instance, that B. White Wolf’s Werewolf: The Middle Ages through a shake-up in World the death penalty won’t deter crime in a Apocalypse. War II that resulted in a profusion of magic-drenched society; an executed C. Steve Jackson Games’ splinter groups, each with their own dia- criminal will probably be born again, GURPS Voodoo. bolical agenda. Along the way, the Lodges ready to resume his evil ways. Psychiatry D. All of the above. gained control of the U.S. Congress, the is futile; how can you analyze somebody Italian Mafia, and a sizable portion of the who’s lived a dozen times? The answer is D. But before you accuse world’s armed forces. The Lodges seem An essay on the “Electronic Crossroads” Jackson and company of chasing a train so powerful, so all-consuming, that in a explores the connection between witch- that’s already left the station, consider that by-the-book campaign, I don’t see how a craft and netrunning, a concept worth a they’ve been down this track before. A party of lowly Initiates can persevere. But supplement of its own (GURPS couple of years back, they published maybe that’s the idea. Cybervoodoo?). The Campaign Themes GURPS versions of Vampire and Werewolf, In theory, GURPS Voodoo PCs can be section offers some strong adventure jettisoning White Wolf's ponderous lan- anything from ordinary folks to grotesque hooks, along with suggestions for combin- guage and the pretentious aspirations that shapeshifters called In-Betweeners (bird ing Voodoo with other GURPS products made some players (like yours truly) people, cat people, and snake people). In (among them a promising hybrid with cringe. GURPS Voodoo mines the same practice, most will be magic-enhanced GURPS Psionics and a not-too-convincing territory, fraught with spooky atmosphere humans who commune with the spirit merger with GURPS Werewolf). The and metaphysical murk. It’s more sedate world. Archetypes include Journalists, Entities chapter profiles Zarabanda, the than White Wolf’s angst fests. But it also Magicians, and Parapsychologists; PCs cannibal god, and Mbua, a depraved spirit takes fewer risks. Call it White Wolf Lite. with a penchant for mischief can be who appears as a Great White Hunter with For a zombie-come-lately, however, Cultists and Gang Members. Among the a posse of serial killers. GURPS Voodoo has a lot going for it, due new advantages and skills are Evaluation: Plopping us “in the middle of mostly to the smarts of designer C.J. Reawakened (vivid memories of previous a cosmic struggle,” GURPS Voodoo uses Carella. Not only does Carella know existences), Karmic Ties (knowledge car- the entire world-make that the entire GURPS like Bill Gates knows computer ried over from past lives), and Vever universe-as a canvas. But this cosmic code—Carella wrote the excellent GURPS Drawing (the art of sketching voodoo sym- stuff is getting old. We’ve endured similar Martial Arts and GURPS Imperial Rome— bols), all clearly explained and fun to use. struggles in Werewolf and Vampire; now he has a knack for blending diverse I’d avoid the Ghost advantage, however, as here comes GURPS Voodoo, trotting along source material into a seamless whole. It’s it reads better than it plays; ghostly char- behind, squealing, “Me too! Me too!” White hard to tell where fact ends and fantasy acters, though enjoying the benefits of Wolf Lite, indeed. begins, which adds to Voodoo’s unsettling intangibility, suffer from short life spans GURPS Voodoo needs less sprawl and tone. I found myself wondering how and chronic exhaustion. more focus. I wish Carella would’ve con- much of these grisly events actually hap- The magic system combines psychic fined the game to a small, self-contained pened somewhere. and spiritual elements derived from area, like Haiti. It would’ve been easier to Carella’s take on voodoo has little to do African-based cosmologies. Voodoo gods, manage, and a lot more frightening; imag- with pin-pierced dolls and dead chickens. neither strictly good nor strictly evil, grant ine being trapped on a tiny island teeming Rather, his interpretation draws on real- special abilities to anyone, providing with spirits, clawing through steaming world antecedents, ranging from the Haitian they’re attuned to the supernatural, profi- jungles while snarling zombies staggered voudoun cults to the obeah practitioners of cient in the dark arts, and respectful. A from the brush. A claustrophobic setting the British West Indies and the macumbe of ceremonial casting involves five steps— such as this would’ve really turned up the Brazil. He explains the significance of syn- preparation, invocation, wish, offering, tension. And better yet, it would’ve made cretism, where Christian and African tradi- and dismissal-which gives access to the the game seem a lot less derivative. tions combine to spawn new religions, and Paths of Dream, Health, Luck, Protection, Still, an ambitious referee ought to be Gnosticism, a mystic movement from the and Spirit. Castings also require conse- able to beat GURPS Voodoo into submis- second century promoting the superiority of crated grounds (ancient ruins, a room sion. Familiarity with the GURPS system is the spirit world. Elsewhere, he discusses the with vever drawings, a blessed temple) helpful, but not mandatory; Carella soft- development of voodoo temples (called and material components (occult badges, pedals the statistics, so the material can be hounfors), the European conquest of the life-sized mannequins, a set of sacred adapted to other game systems. And it’s Caribbean, and the links between religion robes). worth the trouble. The rich characters, and racism in the Spanish and French Each path gives access to a host of eerie atmosphere, and slow-burn spiritu- colonies. Those turned off by anthropology spells. The Path of Health includes evil eye alism add up to a riveting experience— may find it all a bit dreary. But scholarly (enabling the caster to kill with a glance) assuming, of course, you’re willing to take players should be impressed. and dose (which causes disease). The Path on the cosmos one more time. On this historical foundation, Carella of Luck has money maker (generating an constructs an elaborate “Shadow War,” an unexpected fortune) and rainmaker (which The Complete Book of Necromancers epic conflict between voodoo believers changes the weather). The intricate rituals AD&D® game supplement called Initiates (the player characters, in a give the magic system a real-world feel, as 128-page softcover book typical campaign) and the Lodges, a secret if the caster were following the directions TSR, Inc. $18 cadre of European magicians with enor- for baking a cake or building a house of Design: Steve Kurtz mous political and economic influence. cards. But realism comes at a price. Unlike Editing: Matt Forbeck The Lodges’ cruel lust for power has the European-based spells of most fantasy Illustrations: Karl Waller, Brom, resulted in rampant drug addiction, games, African spells have few flashy Jeff Easley, John & Laura chronic Third World poverty, the Cold effects; no magic missiles here. And they Lakey, and Robh Ruppel War, even the assassination of JFK. As in take time. A typical ritual requires hours of real life, the big shots pull the strings, and chanting and dancing. A high-powered rit- TSR has given us Complete books for all the rest of us suffer the consequences. ual may eat up several days. And Carella the core classes, all the races, the barbar- In this case, the strings are attached to doesn’t provide nearly enough spells; the ians, the gladiators, even the spacefarers. homicidal ghosts and zombies; imagine a Paths of Dreams, Health, and Protection So why not the wizard specialists? The cross between the Call of Cthulhu* and have a mere five each. necromancer is a good place to start, as Illuminati* games, and you’ve got the idea. Carella may have skimped on the spells, he’s arguably the most interesting of the

DRAGON 27 bunch, and unquestionably the guy with considers spiritual corruption as an unfor- Evaluation: If you’re a DM who runs an the most marquee value. The Complete tunate but inevitable cost of doing business. ordered campaign, and you’re in the mar- Book of Abjurers doesn’t quite have the The character kits, especially the ket for necromancer NPCs, this is the same pizzazz. Anatomist and Philosopher, are intriguing book for you. But if you’re a player inter- This volume pretty much follows the for- but tame. Even the Deathslayer, a selfless ested in ruling a kingdom of zombies or mat of the previous Complete books, cover- enemy of dangerous undead, comes off as sewing tentacles to your chest, keep look- ing character creation, kits, proficiencies, a pussycat. And don’t expect any mad sci- ing. Reserved and brainy, The Complete and gizmos. Kurtz’s literate, no-nonsense entist material, like essays on autopsy tech- Book of Necromancers is the role-playing style makes this one of the most readable niques or organ harvesting. Kurtz favors equivalent of a college text, an erudite col- entries in the series. He employs, however, history (the differences between Roman lection of provocative ideas. Just don’t a pair of premises that may not sit well with and Celtic witches, how Eastern societies expect it give you the creeps. everyone, especially those who like their viewed death) and sociology (the cultural AD&D in-your-face and unconditional. stigma of necromancy, how wizards deal The Bronze Grimoire First, unlike most Complete books, which with discrimination). None of this is bad; Elric* game supplement speak to players as much as Dungeon in fact, the serious tone gives necro- 80-page softcover book Masters, the Complete Necromancer aims mancers an unexpected depth, certain to Chaosium, Inc. $13 squarely at DMs. “These rules,” says Kurtz satisfy those who prefer Masterpiece Design: Ross A. Isaacs with Lynn Willis in the introduction, “must be kept strictly Theater to Beavis and Butthead. But players and Mark Morrison hidden from the players, even if they are used to the unapologetic assault of Editing: Lynn Willis adamant about portraying a necromancer." Werewolf and Call of Cthulhu may find it Illustrations: Ben Monroe Thus, PCs may not partake of augmented hit all a little too, uh, nice. Cover: Charlie Krank points, food corruption, and the other exotic If you buy the approach, however, Fantasy doesn’t get much darker than the powers discussed in the Dark Gifts chapter you’re in for a treat. Kurtz has packed the Stormbringer* game, a 1981 RPG based on (“They are definitely not intended for player book with sharp insights and inspired the novels of Michael Moorcock. Using the characters.“). Nor may they become necro- mechanics. Not only can humans special- war between Law and Chaos as a back- mantic priests, as outlined in the fascinating ize in necromancy, but so can drow, drag- drop, Stormbringer features bloodthirsty Death Priests chapter, who commune with ons, githyanki, even undead; mummy cultists, diseased beggars, and brutal slave nightmare entities like the God of the Dead necromancers safeguard tombs and tem- lords-about as far away from amiable and the Goddess of Murder (“ . . . it is ples, and their vampiric counterparts can wizards and adorable elves as you can get. strongly suggested that death priests . . . change into bats and cast spells like The game also boasts a terrific magic sys- remain NPCs for the campaign, where they brainkill. The Allies chapter provides tem, substituting power ranks for ability can serve as unusual advisors, employers, workable rules for apprentices, hench- levels, and replacing long lists of spells and evil arch-villains.“). men, and familiars (necromancers recruit with nasty entities who grant magical Grudgingly, Kurtz allows everyone weasels and imps). The death gods are powers. As casters acquire higher ranks, access to his new priest spells (“ . . . a masterful inventions; the Queen of the they can call on entities of increasing carefully selected minority [of spells] may Noose rules as the patron of premeditated strength; first-rank sorcerers can sum- be available to PC clerics.”). Still, whenever killing, and followers of the God of mon lesser elementals, second-rank sor- I’m tempted to load up a PC with life drain Pestilence foster disease by harvesting cerers can call on lesser demons. and cause insanity, I half-expect Kurtz to slime from corpses. Rounding out the Enchanted weapons, such as the sword whack my wrist with a ruler. book are a set of ready-to-play NPCs (one Stormbringer, derive their magic from the Kurtz has good reasons for being so per character kit) and a fully developed evil spirits who inhabit them. strict. Because of the dubious morality of campaign base called Sahu, Isle of the Elric, a sequel to Stormbringer, also necromantic magic, he argues, most prac- Necromancer Kings. uses Moorcock’s Young Kingdoms as a titioners are evil, and evil PCs should be Kurtz also provides an elegant analysis setting, along with a similar magic system. discouraged. Further, high-level PC necro- of the relationship between spells and As in Stormbringer, magic remains a mancers threaten the balance of the alignments. He sorts spells into three province of Chaos, meaning that casters of game, particularly if they learn to animate color categories, each linked to a particu- Chaotic alignment have an advantage over dead. “Half the adventure will be reduced lar ethos. Black necromancy, encompass- their law-abiding counterparts. Elric to the necromancer sending minions into ing spells like disintegrate and chain light- magic is less potent, addressing a flaw in the dungeon. Zombie, open that door! ning that bring physical injury or spiritual Stormbringer (high-level casters in Zombie, open that chest! Zombie, walk annihilation, is associated with evil practi- Stormbringer wreak havoc on play bal- into that room!” tioners. Gray necromancy, to which the ance). Elric adds more information on He’s right, but most DMs, myself includ- majority of necromantic spells belong, are invocations, provides step-by-step instruc- ed, never let common sense interfere with appropriate for neutral wizards. Good tions for learning magic, and describes a good campaign. I’ve had more than a few wizards are drawn to white necromancy, dozens of evil spirit abilities (such as evil PCs, and sure, they’re annoying, but with spells like reincarnation and delay exsanguinate, which drains hit points, and handled with care, they can spice up an death that restore life and fortify living the self-explanatory vomit acid). What it otherwise bland party of do-gooders. And if bodies. Kurtz encourages necromancers doesn’t have, however, is much in the way I had a PC who abused animate dead to this to stick with their own color categories of specific effects for player characters. extent, I’d drop a few boulders on his zom- and suggests punishing violators; for The Bronze Grimoire fills the gap with a bies until he got the message. I have other instance, a good necromancer who uses cornucopia of new spells, along with suggestions, but I’ll keep them to myself—I disintegrate might get a visit from an lengthy sections on runes and necroman- don’t want to get my wrist whacked. extraplanar entity in a bad mood. cy. A bonus chapter discusses 13 magical Kurtz’s second premise is a matter of Finally, Kurtz augments the skimpy list tomes found in the Young Kingdoms, tone. I’ve always envisioned the necro- of necromancy effects in the Player’s detailing their formulas, locations, and mancer as a sociopath, one part lunatic, Handbook with 15 pages of new spells. booby traps. (Look for Vengir’s Black one part grave robber, who enjoys nothing Among the winners are embalm (prevents Tome, a necromancy text bound in more than lounging in a dingy crypt with corpse decay and strengthens golems), human flesh, in the court of King Juku of decomposing cadavers. Kurtz, however, bone blight (dissolves the bones of a living Argimiliar. But watch out for the teeth— sees him as a scientist, cerebral, detached, creature), and graft flesh (replaces lost this book literally bites. Isaacs writes with and haughty, a medieval pathologist who arms and legs with limbs from cadavers). precision and clarity, sprinkling tables,

28 OCTOBER 1995 lists, and sidebars throughout the book to this material to other games, but not with- enhance its value as a reference. out effort—a lot of effort. If you’ve never Rune magic is the Grimoire’s best fea- read a Moorcock novel, you may find ture. Shapes and inscriptions imbued with yourself joining Cymoril in her trance-like mystic energy, runes function as supernat- sleep. ural time bombs. Triggering a rune requires neither the caster’s presence nor Short and sweet even his physical existence-a drop of The SPELLFIRE™ Card Game Reference rain, a muttered word, or a beam of Guide, by Bruce Nesmith and Tim Beach. moonlight can activate a rune long after TSR, Inc., $13. The INWO Book, by Steve the caster’s death. Isaacs presents nearly Jackson. Steve Jackson Games, $17. 40 examples, complete with illustrations, These guidebooks reveal everything you which induce hallucinations, drain magic want to know about the SPELLFIRE and points, imprison, disorient, and incinerate. Illuminati: New World Order* card games, Rune placement adheres to an intricate set and then some. Both feature illustrations of rules; you can inscribe a rune on a hol- of every card from the initial publication low sphere, but not on a solid one (that cycles. Both include informative strategy violates the laws of shadow topography), tips and clever optional rules. The you can attach a rune to the SPELLFIRE Guide has two good solitaire vari- inside of a crate, so long as you ants and some jaw-dropping dirty tricks (I leave the lid open (close the recommend Beach’s Unstoppable crate, and the rune evaporates), Monster and Nesmith’s Catch-22 and so on. Champion). The INWO Book reprints Steve As in The Complete Book of Jackson’s production reports, covering Necromancers, The Bronze Grimoire planning sessions (“As somebody who was views necromantic magic as distasteful, actually offered the chance to invest in the unnerving, and dangerous. But because original Magic: The Gathering* game— alignment distinctions aren’t as rigid in and turned it down—I know when to say Elric as they are in AD&D, necromancers ‘Whoops.“‘) and sales assessments (“The are more accepted in the morally disor- pre-sales for the Limited Edition alone dered Young Kingdoms than in the were more than 10 times as much as for FORGOTTEN REALMS® setting. Isaacs allows any game we’d done before.”) The Jackson any sorcerer to employ necromancy, pre- book is the more revealing read, but TSR suming he has a strong-enough stomach. offers a better bargain; the SPELLFIRE Guide If an animate skeleton or create abomina- clocks in at 384 pages, compared with tion goes awry, the summoned creature INWO’s meager 152. might pull its own head off. Or it might explode, spraying the caster in noxious The Dancing Nut of Baba Yaga, by Lisa sludge. Smedman. TSR, Inc., $10. The new spells, some 50 in all, delineate The dancing hut remains of one TSR’s a generous number of effects, both most durable villains, having boogalooed ® Chaotic and Lawful. They’re not particu- through a 1976 DUNGEONS & DRAGONS larly destructive-surprising, considering game supplement (Eldritch Wizardry), the the Young Kingdoms’ violent heritage— AD&D Book of Artifacts, and a couple of but they’re devious. Dreams of poisonous DRAGON® Magazine articles. After spelling love induces nightmares that depress and out the hut’s powers and immunities, debilitate. Lassa’s embrace suspends the Smedman serves up an adventure with an victim thousands of feet above the ground. avalanche of adversaries and what seems Candle stripling, the oddest spell in the like an infinite number of rooms. Sure, it’s book, foretells if a youth will grow up to a glorified dungeon crawl, but it’s a dun- achieve anything of substance; it helps the geon crawl of transcendent proportions— caster decide which kids to befriend and how many dungeons do you know that which to ignore. lead to Alternate Reality Tokyo?

Evaluation: For Elric buffs, The Bronze Towers In Time* game, by Mike Sager. Grimoire is essential, as it not only Thunder Castle Games, $7 (54-card starter expands the number of spells but clarifies deck), $1.45 (8-card booster pack). some of the game’s murkier concepts. It Mighty wizards face off in a bizarre fan- reads, however, like a collection of tasy realm, competing for spells, allies, excerpts from the rule book rather than a and terrain in a duel to the death. Sound self-contained supplement; don’t look for like a variant of the Magic: The Gathering staging tips, setting notes, or a unifying game? Well, sort of, but give Towers In theme. Note, too, that Isaacs presumes Time credit for finding its own niche. you’re familiar with the source material. A Players deploy their cards in columns, sample from the rune magic section: called towers, with the top cards repre- “When Elric summons Arioch for the first senting magical shields. An elemental time, he covers the walls and floor of his force, such as air or water, supports each room with runes. Yyrkoon uses runes to shield, which in turn protects up to three place Cymoril into a trance-like sleep, creatures or artifacts. By accumulating before he carries her off top Dhoz-Kam. temper, the magical energy inherent in all He does it again when Elric returns for things, players can activate spells and the Sack of Imrryr.” It’s possible to adapt allies to attack enemy shields. Whoever is

DRAGON 29 the first to eliminate all of the enemy strong throughout, though many of the ent era. Good stuff: a cast of sinister NPCs shields is the winner. illustrations are muddy and indistinct. (like Manshoon of the Zhentarim, inventor Building a tower requires thoughtful, Which, considering the stomach-churning of the stasis clone spell) and vicious mon- sophisticated tactics; a reckless player will physiognomy of some of these guys, may sters (like the render, a food-aholic that soon find himself on the wrong end of a be a good thing. can digest anything). Not-so-good stuff: Sword of Swiftness. Though essentially a the random event tables, which are game of combat, Tower’s languid pace Steam Age, by Paul A. Lidberg, Mike underdeveloped to the point of irrelevancy and charming imagery-serene forests, Pondsmith, Mark Schumann, Barrie (so what if a gang of trolls suddenly shows luminous sail boats, even a smiling Rosen, Chris Williams, Derek Quintanar, up? What the heck do they do?) and the wolverine-give it a fairy tale ambiance. and David Ackerman. R. Talsorian Games, l-o-n-g historical summaries. But consid- As for the cards, their soothing pastels Inc., $14. ering the sheer volume of material-over make them as cuddly as Muppets. No fire- This supplement for the Castle 200 pages worth, plus all manner of data works here, but plenty of low-key fun. Falkenstein* game describes a warehouse tucked away on card sheets and poster (Information: Thunder Castle Games, PO of inventions steeped in Victorian Age sci- maps-the misfires are easy to overlook. Box 11529, Kansas City, MO 64138-0029.) ence-fiction. Among the entries are steam zeppelins, clockwork servants (who wash Wilderness, by Shane Lacy Hensley. West Horrors, by Robin D. Laws, Teeuwynn windows and change diapers), and a End Games, $18. Woodruff, Greg Gorden, Sam Witt, Allen primitive submarine called the The World of Bloodshadows, the wildest Varney, Chris McCubbin, Caroline Submersible. Of marginal utility-I, for realm in West End’s anything-goes Spector, and Fraser Cain. FASA one, can get along fine without a steam- Masterbook* series, was made for urban Corporation, $18.00. powered unicycle-it’s nonetheless adventures. After all, it was inspired by the Yep, it’s another collection of fantasy delightful, a goofy addendum to one of the Mickey Spillane school of private eyes, and monsters, which we need about as badly decade’s most inventive RPGs. Spillane isn’t exactly the kind of guy you as Donald Trump needs another credit find on a nature hike. But this collection of card. But because the Earthdawn* game Ruins of Zhentil Keep, by Kevin Melka and wilderness scenarios works surprisingly contained plenty of hints but few hard John Terra, with David “Zeb” Cook and Ed well, thanks to Hensley’s knack for breath- facts about the mysterious Horrors, this Greenwood. TSR, Inc., $25. less pacing and wacky encounters. The sourcebook is overdue. Excerpts from the Dungeon Masters stuck with stalled party can roam Larvae Valley and the Bone Eurydon Document explain how to erase campaigns can do no better than this, a Mound in search of acid moss, blood men, the mark of Aazhvat Many-Eyes (hint: you lavish boxed set so stuffed with ideas that and skeetharks, the latter an obnoxious need a sharp dagger). An apprentice from the lid practically bulges. The Campaign strain of mountain-dwelling imp who use the Great Library of Throal describes the Book covers Zhentil Keep’s people, trespassers as toilets (don’t ask). Absurd? elusive Bone Crown the Usurper (“ . . . a locales, and creatures in delirious detail. Absolutely. Engaging? You bet. Next time, thousand tongues, all gibbering; a thou- The Adventure Book offers a trio of whirl- though, let’s get Bloodshadows back in the sand teeth, all gnashing.”). The writing is wind adventures, each staged in a differ- city-where it belongs.

Rick Swan’s recent design work includes In the Cage: A Guide to Sigil for the PLANESCAPE™ setting. You can write to him at 2620 30th Street, Des Moines, IA 50310. Enclose a self-addressed, stamped enve- lope if you’d like a reply.

* indicates a product produced by a company other than TSR, Inc. Most product names are trademarks owned by the companies publishing those products. The use of the name of any product without mention of its trademark status should not be construed as a challenge to such status.

30 OCTOBER 1995

by Skip Williams

This month, the sage armors up and * A shield rush is performed in the attack- takes a crack at question about the new er’s base initiative phase. PLAYER’s OPTION™: Combat and Tactics book. All page references are for the ** The bonus is used during the opposed Combat and Tactics book (C&T). Strength check that takes place if the attack hits (see Chapter 2, page 46). If the The various attack options listed in character’s Strength check succeeds, add Chapter 2 don’t allow penalties or the listed number to the roll before the bonuses based upon the sizes of the two rolls are compared. For example, combatants. Is it really as easy to block Rikard uses his large shield to rush Jon. the club of a halfling as it is to block a Rikard’s Strength score is 16 and Jon’s is giant’s club? Could a pixie character dis- 17. If Rikard hits, there is an opposed arm an ogre? Given the emphasis C&T Strength roll to see if a knockdown occurs. has placed upon size, this rather sur- Rikard rolls an 8, a success; Jon rolls a 10, prised me. Shouldn’t the opposed roll of also a success. Normally Jon would win the attacker be penalized/increased by the roll because he succeeded with a roll +4 or so per size difference? Say a higher than his opponents. Rikard’s large human fighter is attempting to block shield, however, gives him a +3 to his an attack from another human fighter, check, so his roll is effectively an 11, which the former must make an attack roll is high enough to win. Note that if Rikard against AC 4. Say this same fighter had rolled a 16, he still would have suc- attempts to block the attack of an ogre, ceeded with his Strength check and his shouldn’t this be penalized, say to roll effective score would be a 19 for purposes against AC 0? Against a giant, perhaps of resolving the opposed Strength check. If against AC -4? Why were such penal- Rikard had rolled a 17 or higher, he would ties applied toward overbearing and have failed his Strength check and would tripping but not the rest? have fallen down himself. The attack options you seem to be ask- ing about (block, disarm, grab, and trap) Shouldn’t the light and medium are more a matter of skill and timing than lances inflict double damage if used brute strength. If you don’t like the idea of from a charging mount? What happens a pixie blocking a giant’s weapon, apply a if a rider scores a critical hit when -2 modifier to the acting character’s roll charging with a lance? for each size difference. For example, a Yes, footnote “m” (page 133) applies to pixie trying to disarm a giant would have all the lances listed on the master weap- to win an opposed roll against AC 0 with a ons table in Chapter 7. The rider must be penalty of -8 while the giant rolls to hit using stirrups to get the extra damage. armor class 4 with no modifier. In all cases where a weapon that is inflicting multiplied damage (a lance from What are the statistics for shield a charging mount, a thief’s backstab, a punches and shield rushes? They seem “slayer” sword, etc.), add only one extra to be missing from Chapter 7. damage die (or group of damage dice if They are missing from Chapter 7. Here the weapon’s base damage is more than is the missing material: one die). For example, a warrior charging a giant with a light lance inflicts 3d8 hp Shield Punch damage on a critical hit, not 4d8. Note that Shield Size Speed Melee Damage Knockdown if the critical is severe enough (triple dam- Reach age), two dice are added. Small S Fa (2) 1 1d3 d6 Medium M Av (6) 1 1d4 d8 Large L Sl (8) 1 1d6 d10 Don’t lanterns weigh more than 1/10th of a pound? Shield Rush Yes. A lantern weighs two or three Shield Size Speed Melee Damage Knockdown** pounds depending on the type. A lantern Reach should be marked with footnote “d” Small S Base* 1 1d3 0 Medium M Base* 1 1d4 +1 instead of an asterisk. Large L Base* 1 1d6 +3

DRAGON 35 Shouldn’t the staff sling be size L? where the area effect overlaps the figure is this one for you. Its approach to kits is No. The staff portion of the sling is pretty marked with a little cross.). The text and very different from the one in the soft- short. the diagram don’t exactly match however, backed rule books. because the text says a medium cannon is You have two choices when trying to fit Is there a natural armor class below firing and the diagram shows a light’s area elven archers and dwarven sharpshooters which a creature becomes immune to of effect. into a game that uses the PLAYER’S OPTION damage from whips? The whip entry combat system. You can ignore the C&T on page 145 doesn’t list one. On page 131, the weapon table rules and use the rules that go with the kit A whip can make almost any creature doesn’t list any damage for a gaff/hook. instead (which is a pretty bad deal for the smart if it hits a soft spot, and not all crea- In the Complete Fighter’s Handbook the sharpshooter) or you can drop the kit tures that have great armor classes are damage is listed as 1d4 (Sm-Med)1d3 rules in favor of the C&T rules. If you thick skinned. A good house rule might be (large), which should work fine in a C&T choose the latter, assume that both char- to say that whips don’t damage creatures game. acters start out as specialists with their with natural armor classes of 2 or better if chosen weapons and then spend their the creature actually has a carapace or a I have two character kits from the proficiency slots (or character points) on thick skin. It’s reasonable to say that a Complete Book of Elves and the weapon mastery. In both cases, adhering dragon turtle can shrug off stings from Complete Book of Dwarves that have to the kit restrictions is a good way to jus- whips, but a will-o’-the-wisp that gets been completely befouled by the new tify acquiring advanced levels of mastery. tagged with a whip should suffer damage. Combat and Tactics book. The elven Remember that becoming a grand master The DM will have to decide which crea- archer fires at a rate of 5/2 moving or takes some special effort. tures are immune on a case-by-case basis. 3/1 standing still. Since the new spe- cialization rules came out, how is the Do any of the kits in any of the Isn’t the direct fire example on page archer to be modified to reflect the books automatically start with any 161 wrong? To agree with the text, the rules change (since bow specialists mastery above specialist? (The elven yellow area and some of the markings now get an increased rate of fire?) bladesinger maybe?) Would bard need to be moved on the diagram. The Also, the dwarven sharpshooter used blades be allowed to become experts text says the cannon’s area of effect to have an improved rate of fire and automatically? strikes the umber hulk, but the yellow extra damage due to training and cus- Specialization is the highest level of mas- area of effect doesn’t include the tom equipment. What are the new tery anyone gets for free, and then only sin- umber hulk. damage and rate of fire ratings for gle classed fighters get it. Elven bladesingers Look again more carefully. The umber crossbows fired by the sharpshooter? and bard blades receive no free levels of hulk is in the area of effect. Cannon shots Is any of this going to be cleared up in mastery. If you’re going to use the PLAYER’S have little “tails” that represent the can- the Skills and Powers book? OPTION rules in your campaign, you should nonball bouncing around. (The place The Skills and Powers book won’t solve stick to the kits presented in the Skills and

36 OCTOBER 1995

Powers book. If you’re using the character lowing general rule, which we both point system from the Skills and Powers agreed should have been in the book in book, both blades and bladesingers could the first place: In a situation where a char- achieve mastery in their chosen weapons. acter is charging or guarding against an They should however, also have to pay a opponent with a weapon that has the hefty character point cost for their kits; the same reach, the figure with the large DM should set a cost based on the special weapon (or the larger creature) goes first. abilities presented in S&P’s character For example, a human swordsman guard- creation chapter. ing against a human attacker armed with a dagger goes first. A troll guarding against What’s going on with the initiative a human attacker with a dagger also goes system? Under the rules in Chapter 1, first because it is a large creature a giant is always going to lose initiative guarding against a small weapon. against man-sized characters. Hey, what’s going on here? Chapter What’s the deal with guarding? A bill 1 says a character with a dagger giant with a club has a reach of 3. always strikes before a character with Does this mean that if the giant guards a long sword. it will get three attacks of opportunity Both of these statements are false. First, before a human charging in with a everyone rolls initiative normally, and the long sword can make an attack? side with the lowest roll wins. It is possi- No. The giant gets one attack when the ble, however, to win initiative and still not human first enters the group of squares strike first. For example, a hill giant armed the giant threatens. This is the giant’s nor- with a club has a base initiative of slow mal attack, not an attack of opportunity. If and has a weapon speed of fast. Any crea- the human bores straight in and swings at ture’s attack, however, comes during its the giant, the giant doesn’t get any more base phase or its weapon’s phase, attacks. If however, the human changes whichever is worse. So, will a giant always course and leaves the area the giant threat- strike after a human, whose base initiative ens, or turns his back on the giant, the is fast? Not necessarily. A human armed giant would get an attack of opportunity. with a fast weapon, such as a dagger, usu- ally will strike before a giant. The human So how come psionic creatures have also would go first if armed with an aver- to wait until their base initiative phase age weapon, such as a long sword. If the before using their abilities? human has a slow weapon, however, such One of the general premises of the as a two-handed sword, he is as slow as Combat and Tactics book is that creatures the giant, and the initiative roll determines have certain characteristics derived from who goes first when two opponents act in their size. Smaller creatures generally are the same phase. Even if the human has a quicker to react than bigger ones are, fast or average weapon, the giant still even when what they’re doing is purely won’t always strike second. Its superior mental. Besides, if a baku really gets reach allows it to guard or charge and annoyed with a brain mole that keeps automatically strike first, no matter what beating him to the punch, the baku can its initiative roll is. If the human gets in always overrun the brain mole and stomp nice and close so the giant can’t guard or it into the dirt. Note that many psionic charge, the giant can always overrun the abilities don’t happen until a round’s reso- human (and maybe half the human’s lution phase. If a power has a preparation party in the process) and move off some- time of a round or more, it’s among the place where it can guard or charge the last things to take effect. If you don’t want next round. to stick psionicists with acting on their A human armed with a dagger usually base initiative phase all the time, you can will strike before a human armed with a make psionic powers with preparation long sword (a fast character with a fast times of fast or very fast. Or, you can roll weapon strikes before a fast character 1d10 to determine the power’s base phase. with an average weapon) unless the char- This reflects the ever changing state of the acter armed with a long sword is charging psionicist’s mind and helps keep the play- or guarding. Before you decide that dag- ers guessing about what’s going to happen gers are the weapon of choice, take anoth- from phase to phase. er look at the weapons’ damage ratings and knockdown numbers and at the criti- cal hit rules. The swordsman is going to win over the long run. Note that if you interpret the rules strictly, a character armed with a dagger always strikes first when charging or guarding against a character of the same size armed with a long sword, because both weapons have the same melee reach. Use some common sense and let the swordsman go first. In discussing this last point with C&T co-author Rich Baker, we came up the fol-

38 OCTOBER 1995

You can send us news, press releases, Warner Books and Taylor Publishing. He available through the company’s worldwide announcements, and gossip using the was the founding editor of lnternal Arts web site at http:/www.interplay.com. Internet at [email protected]. We Magazine and the owner of WCS, a DRAGON DICE for PCs is due out this month. welcome your comments at Rumblings, company that exported computer periph- DESCENT TO UNDERMOUNTAIN will be available DRAGON® Magazine, 201 Sheridan Springs erals to Japan. Pierce likes to dance and in early 1996. Road, Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A. grow herbs, and always carries a small jar of ground habanero peppers with him. Capcom Entertainment, Inc. will bring the popular coin-operated DUNGEONS & TSR welcomes two new staff members! Interplay, the company producing the DRAGONS®: TOWER OF DOOM™ game to the Anthony J. Bryant has taken over as edi- computer game version of DRAGON DICE™ Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn before tor of this fine publication and Pierce and the DESCENT TO UNDERMOUTAIN™ game the end of the year. The game allows two Watters is our editor-in-chief of periodi- has formed an internal division to create players to play simultaneously, while they cals. Tony has been a gamer longer than he computer games for TSR. Interplay owns the assume the roles of player characters try- cares to admit. Before he joined us here in exclusive license to produce electronic ing to restore peace to the Republic of Lake Geneva, he lived in the San Francisco games for AD&D® campaign worlds, includ- Darokin. Players control the outcome of Bay area and was the associate editor of ing PLANESCAPE™ and FORFORGOTTEN REALMS®. the game through interactive decisions Integrated System Design magazine. And Mark O’Green will lead the new division of and new players can join even after game even before that, Tony made his home in over 50 artists, designers, and programmers play has started. Japan where he was the features editor for in creating computer, home video, and coin- The Illuminati: New World Order* the Mainichi Daily News and the editor of operated games based on the AD&D game. data base program is now available from the Tokyo Journal. Pierce has worked for More info on Interplay and its products is Geekware Inc. It can be ordered directly from Geekware at 5023 W. 120th Ave., Suite 126, Broomfield, CO 80020, or e-mail: [email protected]. Fans of INWO* can check out Steve Jackson Games on the World Wide Web. The site has over 100 pages with info on GURPS*, Car Wars*, and Pyramid Magazine. Also of interest is the Daily Illuminator, a news page updated daily with the latest info on SJ Games. Check it out at http://www.io.com/sjgames.

Acclaim Comics will publish the graph- ic novel, Magic: The Gathering— Homelands this month with one of three randomly inserted, rare Homelands cards. The graphic novel, based on the expan- sion set for M:tG*, is written by D.H. Chichester and painted by Rebecca Guay with cover art by Tim and Greg Hilde- brandt. Acclaim has also entered into a distribution agreement with Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. Diamond distrib- utes DC, Image, and Dark Horse Comics.

World Builder Publishing will release a new role-playing game in 1996 called Lords of Fantasy*. The game uses a point building system for creating characters, allowing players to create the exact char- acter they want to play and even allows them to flesh out their characters as the game progresses. A preview of the game is available directly from World Builder Publishing.

40 OCTOBER 1995

As a ranger, I have wandered nearly all my not only for cooking but for fabric dyes, The Misty Forest life across the great expanses of Faerûn, liqueurs, and healing. Many an adventur- With the recent battles at Dragonspear, the met many people, and seen many strange ing elf owes his life to the superb medici- green elves have become quite famous and wonderful sights. I was born a moon nal remedies brewed by the green elves. and, through some shrewd business ven- elf in Evereska and believed I knew every- Much has been said about the fighting tures, are cashing in on their status. thing there was to know about my people. tactics of the green elves (for that’s how Eamond Blackmantle is the very charis- But I have since had an eye-opening expe- most people encounter them), yet I have matic and outspoken Speaker of this tribe, rience among our forest brethren, the discovered a few new strategies. Though and he has worked hard to establish his green elves. I spent two years touring the all elves are proficient with magic, the people as a major influence in the area. tribes and another year deciphering a green elves have modified their magic to Eamond told me that the tribe had lost a jumble of notes for my book, Living with reflect their beliefs and respect for nature. significant number of people from battles the Green Elf. Below are a few excerpts As an example, I had noticed the lack of in the last five years, and he has been scur- from the book. I hope these notes will fire magic and asked about this omission. rying to lure other green elves from help shed some light on this elusive elf. The Circle informed me that casting fire nearby forests into this tribe. His boldness The green elves, despite the common spells is strictly forbidden. All too often and unusual tactics have met with success. belief, are quite jovial and are practical these spells cause substantial damage to Their numbers have risen by almost a jokesters among themselves. Only in the the forest-the very thing they are trying hundred in the last two years, and now it company of strangers are they reserved, to protect. Even starting a campfire with has close to 300 members, making them morose, sometimes even hostile. They are magic is taboo; any green elf can build a the highest concentration of green elves never pretentious and hold no regard for fire, and it is a point of pride to do so with- this side of the Sea of Fallen Stars. the petty bickering of society. A green elf out aid. Magic has other useful purposes, Eamond hails originally from the High sees the world with amazing clarity and is however. Magic mouths are placed on Forest and comes from one of the oldest often considered by outsiders to be blunt, trees to warn intruders away, camps are royal families known to exist. He came to rude, and brutally honest. encircled with magically enhanced traps the Misty Forest five years ago at the end of Green elves are known by many names. and snares, and valuables, like caches of the Battle of Daggerford and helped the Sy-Tel’Quessir is the elven name, others arrows, are strategically hidden in invisible tribe rebuild their elaborate tree homes are forest, wood, or wild elf. “Wood” is a holes. When expecting an attack, the green and way of life. In our discussions, Eamond derogatory name (as in “wood-headed”) elves often set up illusory camps, lacing said he would like to see the tribe increase used by elves, particularly moon elves. the area heavily with traps. Few intruders to around 400 and he wants to establish a “Wild,” used by most non-elves, is quickly can pass through a green elves’ forest company of 100 crack archers. becoming demeaning as well. It seems without their knowledge or their approval. Now that their homes are in order and many people associate “wild” with smelly, For the most part, I found the green the Way Inn rebuilt, the tribe is re- unintelligent heathens. I assure you, the elves quite agreeable to me and to other establishing trade with merchants passing green elves are neither. like-minded individuals. Only a few tribes through the area. The green elves keep The green elves live throughout the were openly hostile at my intrusion, and bees and make an excellent honey mead forests of Faerûn, with the highest concen- even those became somewhat amicable by and wine. They do a brisk business selling trations in the Western Heartlands and the the time of (or maybe because of) my or trading the liquors by the urn-full in Savage North. The tribes I visited had departure. I have here listed a few of the exchange for items they cannot make members numbering anywhere from more unusual tribes. themselves. Unlike other tribes, the green 50-400, with the larger tribes breaking into elves of the Misty Forest are not adverse in smaller clans. Outside of Evermeet, the The High Forest dealing with non-elves and have learned tribes are ruled by the Speaker and the Until recently, I had not realized the large to drive a hard bargain with the mer- Circle; the latter an informal but powerful numbers of green elves living in this old chants. group. The Speaker, often of royal descent, wood. Taekar Greenbow, the Speaker of This is one of the most unusual tribes I is the figurehead of the tribe, the arbitra- the tribe, seemed anxious at our meeting have encountered. They are more cul- tor, and the person who handles outsiders. and gave me a hurried tour of the area. I tured, adventurous, and open-minded The Circle rules over personal matters, soon learned that the elves had been than any other group; several elves have daily affairs, and justice. Both are chosen under sporadic, but heavy, attacks by orcs even gone on into the world to become by the tribe, however, the Speaker’s posi- and, more recently, drow. Taekar suspects adventurers. Eamond and the Circle tion is for life while members of the Circle there is an opening to the Underdark encourage independent thinking among are free to withdraw their positions at somewhere in the Star Mounts and the their kin and believe the tribe can only their, or the tribe’s, choosing. two enemies are working together. The benefit from the brisk trade without sacri- Despite their distrust and dislike of out- treants to the north refuse to get involved ficing their love and devotion to nature. siders, most green elves have a secret pas- and the druids are split as to whether they They have dug their heels in with spirit sion for trade and sometimes arrange for should help. Do they send for outside help and are determined there will continue to their goods to be sold by other elves during or not? Their fear is that if they let other be green elves living in the Misty Forest autumn trade fairs. They make a number elves, humans, or (the gods forbid) dwarves for centuries to come. of goods, from hemp ropes and baskets to into the woods, the forest will be destroyed leather jerkins and shields. The only items by their axes, swords, and spells of fire. I The Laughing Hollow they will never sell or trade are their bows pointed out that the orcs and drow were This tribe of green elves was nearly and arrows. Considering the quality work- already doing this. My comment was huffed destroyed during the battles of manship of these items, I can readily at, and I drew several angry stares. Dragonspear and Daggerford and, like the understand why they wouldn’t want them Taekar and I had long discussions elves of the Misty Forest, have had to to fall into the wrong hands. about the future of the tribe. He told me rebuild; however, they have not gained the Other than making goods, the elves that many of this tribe have left for numbers of the former group had. Unlike spend their time worshipping, hunting, Evermeet and the few that remain (about Eamond, who is actively recruiting, Prince and harvesting. Most of the harvest comes 500) are too small in number to battle the Florfindyn, the Speaker and hero from the from the wilds, though a few plants are dark elves and their allies. If he cannot battles, is allowing the population to grow cultivated: mushrooms, berries, and convince the Circle to ask for outside at its own pace. Green elves have trickled shrobee plants (found in forests all over help, he is afraid that soon there will be in from all across the Savage North and Faerûn). They also grow herbs and spices, one less tribe of green elves in the North. many have even come from the Misty

DRAGON 43 Forest (not all green elves abide by druidess I have ever met. She maintains the greeted me with a radiant smile as she Speaker Eamond’s unusual practices). frenzied drive behind this tribe’s religious approached, and her scent... aaahhh. The tribe now numbers just over 100. practices, and she creates their many dra- Where was I? Oh, yes. After meeting Prince Florfindyn was a gracious host matic and colorful rituals. I experienced a Rheánna, I was given a brief rundown of and we spent many evenings enjoying few ceremonies; they were wild affairs, the tribe and its 300-plus members, and I long talks by the fire. Since his capture by filled with exotic dances and songs and settled in for a two-month visit. the cornugon Vesarius, he has become flutes that permeated the forest with the While celebrating the festival of more reflective and deeply religious. haunting sounds of dissonant harmonies. Springrite, I stumbled across the source Several beautiful shrines have been built During my visit, I had the (mis)fortune of the rumors; the green elves plant the to Rillifane Rallathil, Solonor Thelandira, to witness the tribe’s particular form of gossip themselves! They believe the and others. I counted nine shrines justice. Unlike other tribes, this group sel- rumors deter would-be trouble-makers throughout the tribe; very many for such dom calls the Circle into session when from entering the forest, but I am not so a small community. outsiders are involved. Justice before the sure that the opposite is not actually the Not all is somber and serious, though. Circle is normally reserved for members truth. Whatever the case, there is plenty of Most of the tribe’s members are in their of the tribe or visiting elves. Tyriana talk in nearby taverns. One rumor I over- prime of youth and are somewhat reck- explained that it is her responsibility to heard was that forest spirits had captured less and aggressive. A small group of deal with outsiders so that the tribe may Nentyarch’s soul and bound it within a green elves and pixies have taken to heck- pray undisturbed and not be soiled by magical cage of wood. Another rumor was ling travelers passing through the area, their ways. The unlucky group of adven- that Nentyarch practiced necromancy and and they are fond of frightening the well- turers was tried, sentenced, and found commanded an undead army of wild to-do and over-pompous clerics on their guilty of destroying woodlands (the camp- elves. Both the spirits and the undead way south from Waterdeep. Though no ing area was trampled), entering the forest were blamed for the many disappear- one has been harmed (aside from injured without permission (not that they would ances within the woods. There were sev- pride), I fear a visit will be paid by the have been given it anyway), stripping eral variants on these rumors, as well as High Guards of Waterdeep, for rich travel- branches from live trees for firewood, and other equally outlandish tales. It seems ers often influence matters of justice. killing mistletoe (pulled down with the the green elves have a penchant for mis- Prince Florfindyn is unconcerned, saying branches; I don’t believe the group knew chievous humor and greatly enjoy confus- that the group is just having fun and no what mistletoe was). As punishment, their ing and scaring the locals. Even they harm has been done. axes were taken away, they were stripped aren’t safe from their own gossip; there is of their clothing, chased through camp at a very quiet rumor among the tribe that The Wood of the Sharp Teeth spearpoint, covered in poccah mud, and Rheánna is having an affair with Recently, a small group of green elves finally run out of the woods. (Poccah mud Nentyarch. Interesting, but I could never (about 50) has broken off from the tribe in is an obnoxious mixture of poccah prove or disprove it. the Misty Forest and headed into the berries, roots, and mud. It stinks, stings, During my visit, I discovered that the Wood of Sharp Teeth near Baldur’s Gate. and itches, and it lasts for days. (Once dry, elves and Nentyarch have a close working It seems there was an argument between it’s next to impossible to get off.) Though relationship. (An odd union if ever there Speaker Eamond and Derdryl, an older their methods are rough, I doubt that was one.) The mage wants privacy, and and much sterner elf, about courting the group will pass this way again. both parties want to protect the forest, so favors of humans. The last report from For all their gruffness, they have an they have come to an agreement. All the Derdryl’s group said that they had excellent rapport with many of the wood- unannounced visitors are quickly and qui- made a temporary pact with a tribe of land creatures (particularly the centaurs) etly ushered by the green elves to satyrs and were continuing to forage deep and a healthy respect for the druids of Nentyarch’s castle where he disposes of into the woods. Derdryl, it seems, is Chondalwood, though the druids were the intruders. In return the mage grants obsessed in finding the ancient elven often targets of the elves and centaurs’ Rheánna an occasional new spell or two. empire of Anauria. He has used the argu- practical jokes. There is even a bit of trade At first I was alarmed at the “disposal” of ment between himself and Eamond to between the three groups. Despite their intruders, but then, through persistent gather a group to explore the unknown indifference to me and other outsiders, I prying, I learned that the intruders were, reaches of the Sharp Teeth. What he felt that the three groups held a mutual as they put it, simply “misplaced”-all over expects to find is up to speculation. The respect for one another and worked Faerûn. I’m glad my arrival was by ruins of that fabled empire are old even together to protect their woodlands. invitation. by elven standards, and it would appear The tribe heavily patrols the perimeter that Derdryl is leading his group on a Rawlinswood of the Great Dale of the forest and is seldom seen outside its wild, and very dangerous, goose chase. I must admit that I have never heard so boundaries; however, occasionally, many rumors about such elves as the Rheánna or a lesser mage will wander to Chondalwood green elves of Rawlinswood. In passing nearby villages in disguise and scout out The Tribe of Chondalwood (approximately through Uthmere near the Great Dale, I buyers for their goods or check on the 400 members) certainly holds the record came across at least a dozen rumors development of the newest rumor. The as being the most sullen bunch of green regarding the infamous elves and the pow- elves make a number of high quality elves in all of Faerûn. They are a strange, erful mage of the Dale, Nentyarch. goods such as rugs, hemp ropes, and moody lot, full of dark humor, odd rituals, Needless to say, my curiosity was aroused intricately carved wooden goblets. They and mysterious music. Their dislike of by the time I arrived at the tribe’s camp. I also make a number of magical pouches, outsiders borders on hatred, and though I was greeted by the outlandish Speaker of boots, and staves; but Rheánna insists the spent nearly three months with them, I the tribe, Princess Rheárma Talltree. She tribe trade magic for magic. was barely tolerated. Fortunately, I was clad in an almost sheer, flowing dress With their access to high magic, this befriended one of the Circle members of bright greens and golds, and she bore tribe is extremely secure and quite power- and had at least one elf in the tribe who the green facial tattoos of a tribal mage. ful. I noticed a high percentage of tribe could help me understand their ways. Copper-colored hair flowed over her members who were mages, as well as a Their Speaker, an aloof female named shoulders in tiny braids, sparkling with the good number of clerics. Despite their low Tyriana, is said to be older than the rotted dust of diamonds and gold. Brass bells numbers in relation to the size of their heart of Chondalwood. She is a religious dangled from the ends of the braids and forest, an enemy would be hard-pressed fanatic, and possibly the meanest elven tinkled with every graceful movement. She to defeat this gutsy band of elves.

44 OCTOBER 1995

he common room smelled, but not of spilled wine or drunken men. I sniffed suspiciously. No, I thought, it wasn’t perfume, exactly, but something else light and sweet. More than anything it reminded me of wildflowers. Such a scent didn’t belong in a dive like Slab’s Tavern, I ought to know. I, Ulander Rasym, owner of Slab’s, took great pride in nurturing my bar’s less-than- savory reputation. Surreptitiously I glanced around at the evening crowd. Pirates dressed in brightly hued silks and bedecked with glittering jewels lounged in secluded booths along the back wall, haggling with merchant- princes over the disposition of ill-gotten cargoes. Since the Great Lord of Zelloque declared his city a free port, pirates became common here. To my left, against the far wall, a dozen Coranian slavers in hooded gray cloaks threw eight-sided dice while stamping their feet and shouting with bravado. Meanwhile, at the bar, a motley assortment of thieves and cutthroats engaged in a boisterous game-Queen’s Ransom, I realized as their tankards slammed together in the Heroes’ Toast. by John Gregory Betancourt Even the solitary few, nursing cups of wine at tables in the center of the room, looked ready for a fight. No, of all the lowlifes who patronized Slab’s, none would reek of such a dainty scent. Nor were there any new women about, just my usual crew of barmaids and serving girls, and out of self preservation none of them would dare perfume themselves-they were black and blue already from too many unwanted pinches, pokes, and outright grabs from customers. That only left one other possible source for the sweet offending smell: Slab Vethiq himself, the founder of my ignoble drinking establishment. Slab had died nearly a decade before, but that hadn’t stopped him from taking an active interest in the bar; his ghost had caused more than a bit of trouble over the years. Perhaps, I mused, things had been too quiet in recent weeks. Of course the bar had its usual nightly show of spirits-earlier this evening the severed heads of two dead sailors appeared over the bar singing bawdy songs until one of the barmaids chased them away with a broom-but there hadn’t been any real trouble in more than a month. It was about time for Slab to put in an unwanted appearance to stir things up. Nodding and smiling to patrons as if I hadn’t a con- cern in the world, I strolled toward the back of the tav- ern, where I kept my private booth. If Slab had indeed returned to interfere in my affairs again, I’d let him think his game didn’t concern me. Then perhaps he’d grow bored, show himself, and make his latest demands so I could get on with my business. Sure enough, as I slipped through the curtain into my booth, a ghostly hand appeared before me holding a bottle of my best wine. It seemed proof enough that I’d done right in feigning a lack of concern; Slab sel- dom appeared so quickly when he wanted something. Next a ghostly goblet appeared, and Slab poured Artwork by Terry Dykstra me a generous drink. The floral scent grew stronger.

DRAGON 47 “What do you want this time?” I asked him. Great Lord of Zelloque’s younger sister, and after him, “A toast to your good health, Ulander!” said his the last of the Ri bloodline, since the Great Lord had gravely voice. yet to marry and produce an heir. Should anything “That’s one thing I’ll always drink to.” I took a hesi- happen to His Eminence Narmon Ri, Deana would tant sip. As I’d half expected, the wine tasted like ascend the emerald throne to rule Zelloque. warm blood; it took all my strength of will to swallow Slab might as well have asked me to bring the Great rather than spray it out across the table. I wouldn’t Lord himself. Besides, I thought, struggling to recall give Slab the satisfaction of knowing he’d begun to what little court gossip I knew, wasn’t she already bother me this time. betrothed to a Coranian prince? What interest could As I smacked my lips with pretend satisfaction, the she possibly have in the ghost of a dead barkeeper? rest of Slab materialized: the piercing gray eyes, the No, Slab had once again demanded the impossible. jagged dueling scar on his left cheek, the bearded Only I knew he’d make me suffer if I didn’t at least try chin, the one gold earring. As always, he wore splendid to carry out his whims. What could I possibly do? clothes: tonight, red silk breeches and shirt, with huge I had to find out more about the Coranian prince, I ruby rings on his fingers. As he conjured another gob- thought. let and poured himself a drink, the flowery smell grew I parted the curtain to my booth and gestured to Lur, cloying. I had to cover my nose with a handkerchief. my bodyguard and doorman. He lumbered over, all “Slab,” I said, “you’re going to ruin business with seven feet of him, and bent his bald head to hear what I this stench.” wanted. He leaned forward, elbows on the table. “I have “Have any of the Coranian slavers finished with come for your good advice,” he said, “friend Ulander.” their game?” I asked. I couldn’t tell if any of them had Slab never called me “friend” even when he was alive joined the crowd at the bar. and I was his loyal right-hand man. More than anything Lur grunted once, which I took to mean no. else he’d said or done tonight, that worried me. And “I want to talk to one of them. Bring their leader he’d never bothered to ask-let alone take-my here when he’s done.” counsel in the nearly twenty-five years I’d known him. When Lur nodded, I closed the curtain to a slit, “Advice?” I asked. I could only give him a blank, through which I continued to watch. Lur turned at bewildered stare. once and strode toward the dice game. I sighed. He He smiled. I’d always found his smiles dangerous in was without a doubt the best bouncer and bodyguard the past, but this one looked merely silly. And just as I’d ever had, but his reasoning abilities left something suddenly I knew what had happened. to be desired. I should have realized my instructions ‘You’re in love,” I whispered, awed in spite of myself. would be too complicated for him; he’d get one of the “She’s a most wonderful creature,” he said softly. slavers for me now. “What should I do?’ I watched Lur look over the men, select one-the “Tell her, by all means,” I said quickly. This could be tallest, of course-then bend and whisper a few words the answer to my prayers, I thought. It was hard to into the man’s ear. The slaver glanced toward my imagine Slab finding a friend, let alone a lover, but I booth and frowned, but nodded. Passing the dice, he would be the last to dampen the flames of such a scooped up a few coins, tucked them into his pouch, romance. If some spectral woman would have him, and headed toward me with a swagger. then have him she would. Perhaps this was all he need- I leaned back and waited until he swept the curtain ed. Perhaps he would now content himself to move on aside. “Please, join me,” I said, and when he did, I to the underworld and leave me and my tavern alone. asked, “Wine?” “Tell her,” he mused. “What a marvelous idea. You He nodded solemnly, and I gestured to one of the will arrange it, of course.” serving girls. When she’d set a goblet before him, I I stopped short. “You don’t mean-she’s among the pulled the curtain closed again. living?” “You are, of course,” I said, “familiar with the “Of course.” upcoming marriage between one of your Coranian “How—” I began, at a loss for words. “Who-” princes and Deana Caltonos qua Salian Ri, the sister of “She is called,” he said with the softest of sighs, our beloved Great Lord.” “Deana Caltonos qua Salian Ri.” “Prince Destabo na Laolos of the noble House of A chill ran through me as he spoke her name. Kempon,” he said off-handedly. “What of it?” “I must talk with her, Ulander,” he continued, more “Then the wedding is still to be held?” forcefully now. It sounded almost a threat. “Bring her He regarded me strangely. “The wedding is in here. Tomorrow.” thirty-five days.” “But she’s-” I began. “What?” I cried. “Where?” He shook his head in warning. Then he faded away. “Here, you idiot!” He drained his goblet and I pressed my eyes shut and took another sip from slammed it down. “Don’t you listen to news-criers? my goblet, which Slab had had the good sense to leave Have you heard none of your own Great Lord’s procla- behind. Its contents tasted a lot more like wine now, mations? A month of festivities begins next week in and I certainly felt the need to get drunk. honor of the wedding.” Deana Ri. Of course I knew of her; she was the “Ah,” I said. I chewed my lip, recognizing now that

48 OCTOBER 1995 Slab’s sudden interest in Deana Ri came at a curiously As Lur and I strolled through the darkened streets, I inopportune time. Normally I would have known noticed great changes happening throughout the city. about the upcoming festivities-by habit as well as These had to be preparations for Deana Ri’s wedding, I preference I kept myself well versed in the city’s thought. Despite the lateness of the hour, the city bus- affairs-but as Slab surely knew, I’d faced one dire tled with activity. Thrice we passed long lines of creak- emergency after another for the last few weeks, capped ing wooden drays pulled by six-legged xylopods. Their by a pestilence of giant flesh-eating rats in the cellars reptilian heads and shaggy, doglike bodies strained with (and serving girls who refused to fetch wine unless sinewy strength, and every so often their broad nostrils accompanied by well-armed escorts). As a result, I’d flared as they caught scent of the sides of salted meats, barely stirred from my tavern in all that time. bushels of grain, and other foodstuffs they hauled. Still “A little more than a month away,” I mused. “Then more impressive than that, the streets had been swept, Prince Destabo will have already left Coran.” the paving stones scrubbed, and decades of grime “I’m not privy to the prince’s schedule. But yes, I seemingly stripped away from the buildings so that would imagine his ship sailed last week.” everything gleamed in the starlight as though newly I nodded to the slaver. “Thank you for your help. built. The air itself smelled sweet-almost a miracle, Your next bottle of wine is on the house.” considering it was a warm summer night in June. Truly, He grinned with sudden goodwill. “My thanks, sir, the Great Lord had spared no expense in preparing for and may the great god Derethigon bring fortune to his sister’s wedding. you.” He slipped from my booth. Captain Lastoq lived in one of the better sections of “And to you,” I murmured, but my thoughts were the city, but his twenty-room house seemed almost mod- already far away. est in comparison to the walled estates of the merchant I suddenly knew with an amazing certainty that princes around him. A single downy-checked guard, his Prince Destabo was dead. Perhaps his ship had been silver breastplate and helmet gleaming with a mirrorlike attacked by pirates; perhaps it had fallen victim to a polish, stood late duty at Lastoq’s front gate. As I ap- whirlpool or a sea monster; perhaps some storm or proached, the young man snapped to attention, throw- plague or other natural disaster had overtaken him. It ing out his chest and smacking the butt of his didn’t matter. Somehow he had perished on his jour- silver-tipped spear on the pavement in challenge. ney to Zelloque. For Slab to have developed such a “Who goes there?” he demanded. sudden interest in Deana Ri, I knew he must have spo- I heard Lur grunt and sensed him reaching for his ken to the dead prince’s spirit. Being dead himself mace, but I calmed him with a gesture. gave him a certain advantage in that area. “I have come on urgent business to see your cap- But why would he want to meet with Deana Ri? Why tain,” I said. I pressed a gold half royal coin into the this whole charade of being in love? For now I knew it young man’s hand. It was undoubtedly more than he must be a charade. Had Slab gone to such lengths expected or even required, but I felt the need for merely to annoy me-always a possibility-or did he haste, which an extravagant bribe would certainly elicit. have more devious motives? Or could he really have “Your name?” he asked more cordially. fallen in love with Deana Ri based on the dead “Ulander Rasym. It is a matter of utmost importance.” prince’s description of her? “Wait here, sir.” At that moment I realized I made a singular mistake. He slipped through the gate. I shifted uneasily from Slab never actually said he was in love. I assumed it foot to foot, studying a fourth line of drays now pass- from the way he was acting. And once I made that ing, then watching Lur finger the handle of his mace assumption, he never bothered to deny it. When would as though he longed to use it, then gazing up at the I learn never to trust my former employer? He could be stars in the nighttime sky. a master of deception and subterfuge when he chose. At last the young guard returned. “Captain Lastoq He probably had a message for Deana Ri from her says for you to come back after the noon hour. He has betrothed, and he undoubtedly hoped to use that mes- just retired from a long day’s honest labor and will see sage in some way for his personal gain. Now, if I could nobody.” only find a way to turn it to my advantage rather than “Did you tell him my name?” I demanded. his... and get that awful flowery smell out of my tavern “Yes.” in the bargain... “Tell him,” I said in a soft, dangerous voice, “that I Later, in the small hours of the morning after I’d bear news of the gravest import, if he doesn’t see me seen the last drunk rousted and the tavern’s doors now, I will go over his head to one of the Great Lord’s securely barred for the night, I ventured forth to see ministers, and he’ll probably be executed as a result.” my good friend Captain Lastoq, who was in charge of “He told me you would say something to that effect, the city guard. I always kept my bribes to him paid up, and that if I let you in I would be patrolling the docks and he owed me at least one favor for certain magical to the last minute of the last hour of the last day of my potions of a highly illegal-and highly amorous— service. You may not pass.” nature that I had procured for him at great personal “Did he also warn you about Lur?” expense. If not that debt, then the pouch of gold royals “What’s a lur?” I carried and Lur’s hulking presence beside me guaran- I turned to my bodyguard. “Show him.” teed that Lastoq would see me at once. The mace rose and fell with astonishing speed. The

DRAGON 49 guard crumpled, a new dent in his shiny silver helm. I rely on me to do as told-and I have always followed bent to make certain he was merely unconscious— such instructions in the past. He will believe me if I tell luckily, he was-then pushed the gate open and him Deana Ri is coming to my tavern to see him.” entered the courtyard. Lur stooped, then followed, “But she must come in disguise,” he said, catching dragging the young man along by his heel. Once we on. “No one must know she has visited a place such as were inside, I shut the gate with a soft clang, then Slab’s” recovered my coin from his pouch. There was no sense “Veils and concealing robes will do the trick,” I said. in rewarding stupidity and incompetence, after all. “And I will have the tavern surrounded by half a By the light of the lone torch that burned by the front hundred men,” he said. “Security is as important as door, I noted that Captain Lastoq had redone the garden secrecy.” since I had last visited. Pale, night-blooming flowers I gestured grandly. “It must appear that she is there sweetened the air, their scent quite delicious compared to with all due precautions. Make it a hundred men!” the cloying reek in my tavern. Sniffing happily, I strolled “But who will play the part of Deana Ri?” he won- up the pebble walkway toward the front door. dered. “Attacking a city guardsman,” said a soft voice from At that moment young Barsil groaned and stirred. the shadows to my left, “is still a crime, even in these Captain Lastoq and I glanced at him and then at each degenerate days in this degenerate city.” other. Then we both smiled. “So is the possession of certain magical love potions,” I said. “Besides, that pup slipped on a paving stone and It took another hour to finalize our plans, then we hit his head. We were merely helping him inside.” shook hands in agreement. Dawn had just begun to “Of course you were.” Tayn Lastoq stepped from the color the east with pale fingers of pink and yellow shadows. He wore a loose black robe rather than his when I made it home. Of course, I could not afford a uniform and carried no weapons that I could see. ‘You grand estate like Captain Lastoq, who collected bribes have done me a favor, actually,” he said. “Young Barsil from half the merchants in Zelloque and extorted pro- there is from a wealthy family with close ties to the tection money from the rest. I lived in a modest Great Lord. He parents will doubtlessly buy many pro- three-story house near the city’s west gate, with only motions for him over the next few years, and I expect two servants and Lur to keep things in order. he will rapidly become one of my most influential offi- I knew it would take many hours for someone to cers. Despite that, he shows promise. I needed to know arrange even a clandestine visit from Deana Ri, and I how unquestioning his loyalty to me would be, and he intended to spend those hours sleeping, as did Captain passed the test admirably. He could easily have taken Lastoq. I normally opened my tavern’s doors around you to see one of the Great Lord’s advisors.” three o’clock in the afternoon, but today we would “He did seem promising,” I allowed. “I am pleased open late. Lastoq and I had agreed upon a twilight visit, to have rendered you yet another service.” and only after we had wrung whatever news we could Laughing, he turned and entered the house from Slab would the tavern be opened as usual to cus- through a side door, and I followed. Lur, still dragging tomers. I went at once to my bedroom and shuttered young Barsil, brought up the rear. We went straight to the windows; already the first sounds of traffic had Captain Lastoq’s study, where a tray of sweetmeats and begun to rise from the street. Far off, a crier proclaimed goblets of fruit nectar had already been set out for us. the morning’s news, but I could not make out the We sat and sampled them. words. No doubt it had something to do with Deana Ri’s “Now,” he said, after the required few minutes of wedding celebration, I thought. polite conversation, “what is it that brings you out of Exhaustion claimed me. As soon as I had changed your tavern to see me at such an hour, Ulander?” into my night clothes, I climbed into my large “Bad news, I’m afraid.” I told him of all Slab had canopied bed, snuggled into the down-filled mattress, done, then gave voice to my suspicion that Prince and slept a deep and dreamless sleep. Destabo had died in passage to Zelloque. Marina, my elderly housekeeper, awakened me at Lastoq sipped his nectar thoughtfully for a second. one o’clock in the afternoon by throwing open the “You have no actual proof,” he said slowly. “Nothing shutters, as usual. Mumbling and groaning, I sat up you have told me would convince the Great Lord’s and squinted at her. She wore her ash colored hair in counselors to permit Deana Ri to visit your tavern-let a tight bun, in the style of Pavonian matriarchs, and alone halt preparations for the wedding. But if we bustled about the room with efficient speed. She laid could get proof of some kind, surely it would be worth out my clothes, poured fresh water into a basin by the a lot for both of us.” window, and then returned to the kitchens to prepare “True,” I admitted. “I believe Slab can be tricked into my breakfast, all without a word. giving us the proof we need.” I rose, splashed lime-scented water on my face from “How is this possible?” the basin, and studied my reflection in a looking glass. “From years of experience, I have come to believe Slab had aged me, I thought. Dark circles lined my eyes; that Slab is somehow bound to my tavern. He sees all new wrinkles had appeared around my eyes and mouth. that happens within, yet remains blissfully ignorant of If I didn’t get rid of him, I knew I’d be an old man long all that happens without. In cases such as this one, before my time. when he has given me explicit instructions, he must Quickly I dressed and descended to the dining

50 OCTOBER 1995 room. Marina served a light meal of toasted oat cakes Finally, from up the street I heard the sounds of in honey, and I ate in silence, wondering if I had done marching boots, and seconds later a squad of city the right thing. Slab could be vengeful. If anything guardsmen, three abreast, turned the corner. Captain went wrong and he discovered our plot, I might well Lastoq, looking splendid in his gold and red dress uni- come to regret it. But what else could I do? form with a plentitude of medals pinned on his chest, No, I had made the right decision, of that I was rode at their head on a magnificent black stallion. sure. I would have to rely on my own wits and skills to Lastoq stopped in front of me and dismounted, giv- make sure everything turned out as anticipated. ing the horse’s reins to one of his men. Then he Finishing my oat cakes, I dipped my fingers in a clapped his hands, and his guards broke ranks and sur- rinsing bowl, wiped them clean on a soft white cloth, rounded my tavern. They drew their short, slightly felt for my pouch to make sure I hadn’t forgotten it, curved swords and assumed a watchful stance, facing and bellowed, “Lur!” It was time to get going. All else outward. would depend on Captain Lastoq, I knew. Sarri Slaughter wandered from his tavern to look Lur ducked through the doorway into the dining everything over. He smiled, showing cracked yellow room. “Master?” he said in his low, rumbly voice. He teeth, then scratched at the fleas nesting in his long, already held his mace. scraggly red hair. “It’s time,” I told him. “Trouble, Ulander?” he called. He probably thought the Great Lord had sent Captain Lastoq to arrest me. The walk to my tavern took a little more than fifteen “A few rats in the cellar,” I called back. “The city minutes, primarily because I chose the longer route guard is going to exterminate them for me.” through Storyteller’s Square. Here preparations for “Oh,” he said, looking disappointed. Then he Deana Ri’s wedding continued at a great pace. We ducked back inside his own establishment. passed piles of lumber intended for platforms and food Except for the guards, the street had become com- booths, groups of jugglers and tumblers practicing pletely deserted. The Great Lord’s guardsmen often their arts, and more lines of xylopod drays heading for had that effect when they arrived in large numbers. the Great Lord’s warehouses. Old women were busy Lastoq said, “Shall we wait inside?” scrubbing down the flagstones; younger boys and girls “Everything’s ready?” I asked him. painted fresh coats of whitewash on walls facing the ‘Yes. Her ladyship will be here any time now.” square. The whole city had taken on a festive gleam. “Good.” I turned and rapped twice on the door. “It’s Little had changed in the dockside section of Ulander Rasym,” I called. “Open up.” Zelloque, however. The drab stone and brick buildings, I heard the patter of bare feet as the boy I kept to the ships bobbing slowly at the piers, the fishy reek watch the place at night hurried to obey. He shifted hanging over it all. Yes, I thought, you’d never know the heavy bar out of position, then I heard it thud to preparations for the wedding of a lifetime had begun a the floor. I pushed the door open. few blocks away, judging from this section of the city. Young Kel—he was about nine or ten years old, with My tavern sat one block in from the docks, on a tangle of unruly blond hair and a mischievous grin— Serpent’s Row. Several Coranian smugglers I recog- tried to dart past me. I grabbed his tunic and hauled nized as loyal patrons lounged on the wooden bench him back. He started to kick, so I passed him to Lur, by my door; they struggled to their feet and threw back who held him upside down by the ankle in front of me. their gray hoods as I approached. “What’s wrong in there?” I demanded. “Why were “We’re closed this afternoon,” I called. you trying to run away?” “Preparations for the wedding.” “G-ghosts!” he said. “Everywhere! Hundreds of ‘em!” They groaned. “Just a few drinks, Ulander,” Old I peered in. “I don’t see anything unusual.” Sherton called, squinting at me with his one good eye. “They’ve went away,” he said a little apologetically. “Fer ol’ times.” “If they went away, they can’t hurt you.” “Not today. Try Slaughter’s.” I nodded across the He thought that over for a second. “Maybe.” street at my competitor, who had already opened. “Let him go,” I said to Lur, who immediately Grumbling, they meandered away. I didn’t blame released him. Kel tumbled head over heels and them. When you find a tavern like Slab’s, it’s hard to bobbed to his feet with catlike grace. “Kel,” I told him, settle for second best. Sarri Slaughter watered his “go home and see your poor widowed mother. Be back drinks too much, or so I’d heard, and he employed by nightfall. We’ll take care of the ghosts.” some of the ugliest barmaids this side of Pavonia. “Thank you, Ulander!” he said and dashed away up I sat on the bench they had vacated. Lur stood the street. beside me, one hand resting on the handle of his Shaking my head, I turned to Lastoq. “After you.” mace. In silence, we waited. He gave a nervous laugh, glanced at his men, then Several times I heard odd thumps from within the ducked through the doorway. I followed. tavern, and once came the sound of a wine bottle shat- The place had changed. All the furniture had been tering on the floor. I winced, hoping it was just the moved around to clear a straight path to my private giant flesh-eating rats at play, But I had the strangest booth. At least the ghosts had done some good, I feeling Slab and his ghostly friends were hard at work thought; the floor had been swept and the tables in preparation for Deana Ri’s visit. scrubbed. Although the scent of wildflowers lingered

DRAGON 51 in the air, it had become a subtle, almost appealing giant flesh-eating rats, but it could just as easily have smell. Everything seemed altogether too perfect, I been some of Slab’s ghostly friends playing tricks. decided. Eventually the four guardsmen clambered up the “Slab?” I asked. steps and marched over to Lastoq. They had what I heard nothing, not a whisper, not a creak from the looked like numerous bite marks on their hands and floorboards, not a rustle from the rats in the cellar. faces, and blood smeared their uniforms. The bar seemed completely deserted. I hesitated, my “The rats,” announced the one on the left, “are all stomach feeling jumpy and nervous. More than ever, it dead.” felt like a trap. “Excellent,” I said, rubbing my hands together. They Lastoq called to four of his men. They ran inside, had saved me a lot of aggravation. “Then we will all be swords drawn, and saluted smartly. safe tonight.” “Check the wine cellar,” he told them. Lastoq nodded. “Help yourself to a few bottles from “There’s a lantern by the door,” I called. “Watch out behind the counter,” he said to his men. “When you’re for the rats!” done, return to barracks and have the company physi- They gave me puzzled glances but kept their swords cian dress your wounds. The wine will ease your pains out. One of them lit the lantern, and then they tonight.” proceeded down the steps with exaggerated caution. I gave him a mildly displeased look because it was Shaking my head, I led Lastoq to the bar and pulled expected of me, but said nothing. His men had rid me a bottle of Coranian brandy from my private store. I of my rat problem, and a few bottles of wine were a poured us both large drinks. small enough price to pay. Then, as if from a great distance, I heard Slab’s His men took their leave with happy grins, cheerful voice call, “Ulander.” salutes, and six bottles of my finest Merindian wine. It I glanced at Lastoq, who had abruptly paled. He was no wonder, I thought, that Captain Lastoq had heard it, too. Quickly he downed his drink. remained so popular among his troops. With a sigh, I went into my private booth and The barmaids and other serving girls arrived as pulled the curtain. Instantly Slab was there. I stared at expected. I set some of them to cleaning up the mess in the magnificent gold-and-emerald robe he wore, the the wine cellar and dispatched others outside with cool ornately carved emerald rings on his fingers, the lime-scented water for Lastoq’s men. There followed sparkling emerald pendant around his neck. He was calls of thanks from outside. dressed like a prince... a Coranian prince, I thought. At last, twilight began to fall, so I sent all my ser- “Well?” he demanded, leaning forward and putting vants outside to wait. In case anything unfortunate his elbows on the table. happened, I didn’t want anything to happen to them. “She will be here,” I promised. “It cost me a for- Good help is hard to find. tune-” Right on schedule, I heard horses’ hooves and the “What do I care of money now?” rattle of carriage wheels drawing to a stop in front of “It keeps the roof fixed,” I pointed out, “and the my tavern. cellars stocked.” “This is it,” Lastoq muttered unnecessarily, rising “Bah. This is love, Ulander. When will she be here?” and hurrying to the door. “Twilight. A lady of her standing cannot parade I followed. We got there in time to see young Barsil through the streets like a common barmaid. And espe- step down from the carriage. He was dressed in a cially not in this section of the city. She is coming in noblewoman’s rich concealing robes, with a veil of pur- disguise.” ple silk hiding all but his eyes and his freshly-and “What of the guards?” quite neatly-plucked eyebrows. He hesitated for a sec- I gave a dismissive wave. “The Great Lord’s coun- ond, looking at Lastoq and me, then stepped forward cilors insisted. Slab... I had to tell them a lie to get her with slow, mincing steps. here.” Captain Lastoq bowed to him, and I bowed too. “What lie?” he demanded, eyes narrowing That’s what we would have done with the real Deana suspiciously. Ri, after all. “That the ghost of her mother had appeared to me Barsil waved us back up with casual indifference. He and asked for her. It’s well known my tavern is haunt- had taken his role to heart, I could tell. ed; why shouldn’t Deana Ri’s mother come here, too? “This way, Great Lady,” Lastoq said, escorting Barsil It was the only thing I could think of at the time. And inside. They headed toward my private booth. it worked.” “Your mother will be joining us shortly,” I said. “May “Twilight...” he said softly. Then he smiled. And then I offer you any refreshments? Wine, perhaps?” he slowly faded from view. Slowly Barsil shook his head. He was trying not to speak, I realized. I decided not to ask him any more Lastoq joined me in my private booth, and for the direct questions. Slab might get suspicious if he discov- next few hours we drank and waited together in silence. ered our so-called Deana Ri spoke with a male voice. Several times we heard cries of pain from the wine cel- The room’s temperature dropped abruptly. Giant lar, followed by cursing and the clank of swords on phantom rats appeared, scurrying over the walls, and stone. I could imagine his men fighting off hordes of then Slab himself materialized before us... and beside

52 OCTOBER 1995 Slab stood another ghost, this one dressed in tattered teeth and nails into him. He shrieked and tried to silks, with strings of seaweed draped from his shoul- flee-but they dug in their feet and began to drag him ders and a gaping would in his left cheek. I swallowed. away, toward the wine cellar. This had to be Prince Destabo. Lastoq, Barsil, and I stood well back, watching with “I see you have not failed us, Ulander,” Slab said in mingled horror and revulsion. The rats bore Prince a booming voice that shook the walls. He turned to the Destabo into the darkness. I thought I heard him prince. “All is as I promised,” he said. scream, then came a drawn-out cry of “No-o-o-o-o---” “Truly,” Destabo whispered, his voice a horrible gur- I shuddered. The rats, I realized, must have been gle. He took a step toward young Barsil, raising one under Slab’s control all along. They must have carried hand. The flesh had come off it, leaving bare bones, Prince Destabo to the underworld, from which no but I could see a huge diamond ring upon one white ghost could ever return. knuckle. “Come, my love...” Slab turned and glared. “Ulander—you’ve cost me a Barsil shrank back in fear. I didn’t blame him. fortune!” he snarled. “He agreed to give me half the “Slab!” I cried, “you can’t do this!” treasure aboard his sunken ship!” “It’s worth it, Ulander,” he told me. “But you’ve made a fortune for me,” I told him. “But the Great Lord-” “Captain Lastoq and I have successfully foiled a mur- Slab laughed. “He’s welcome to join us!” der attempt against Deana Ri, for which the Great Lastoq drew his sword. “Begone, foul creature!” he Lord will doubtless shower riches upon us, and we can said to the thing that had been Prince Destabo. ‘You also report that Prince Destabo na Laolos of the noble have no claim upon the living!” House of Kempon is dead, for which we can expect Destabo raised his fleshless hand. “By this ring, she similar rewards.” gave herself to me... and I will have her!” “A fortune indeed...” he mused. “Then behold your betrothed!” I cried, snatching “My fortune,” I pointed out. away young Barsil’s veil. “Half of a fortune,” Captain Lastoq said to both of us. Barsil understood and quickly ripped away his con- “I am of a generous nature,” Slab said. “A third of a cealing purple robes, letting them fall to the floor. fortune will suit me. Just throw it into the cellar when Standing there in nothing but a white loincloth, with a it arrives, Ulander, and I’ll take care of the rest. And fierce, determined look on his face, he was unmistak- you can thank me for being such a forgiving fellow...” ably a man. He slowly faded from view. Prince Destabo howled in anger and frustration. I I looked at Lastoq. “Don’t expect any of his share to thought he was going to strike Barsil, but instead he come from my half,” the Captain of the Guard said. “I whirled to face Slab. have my own expenses to take care of.” “What—” Slab began. “But-” For the first time in “Such as...?” I prompted. my life, I saw him speechless. For once, I had outsmart- “Young Barsil here... he needs to be rewarded, and ed him, I thought with some satisfaction. It felt good. promotions are expensive. And then there’s the matter Destabo didn’t give Slab a chance to explain. “Liar!” of the men who rid you of those rats. And all the other he cried. ‘You betrayed me!” men we borrowed for this little adventure. And the Seizing Slab around the neck, Prince Destabo threw carriage rental, and the robes that Barsil tore in his him to the floor. The two began to roll around, scream- haste to reveal himself...” ing, cursing, trying to best each other. Unfortunately “I see,” I said, frowning. “Very well. Part of a fortune they were both already dead, so they couldn’t do any real is still better than nothing.” harm, not even when Slab ripped off one of Destabo’s “Just take care,” he whispered, leaning close so only arms and began to bludgeon him with it. The moment I could hear him, “that Slab doesn’t end up with it all.” he let go, the arm reattached itself. I forced a laugh. “I have no intention of letting that The phantom rats were all squealing and circling happen.” the battle. He nodded, turned, and strode out the front door, “Help me!” I cried to Barsil and Lastoq. calling to his men. In quick order he had them back in I ran to the windows and began throwing open the formation and marching off toward their barracks. shutters. The last dying rays of the sun streamed in, Sighing, I turned and looked over my tavern. and where the light touched the ghosts, they grew pale “Well,” I said to my barmaids as they ventured back and insubstantial as mist. The giant phantom rats, hiss- inside, “let’s get this place back to normal. It’s business ing and gnashing their teeth, slunk away to the corners. as usual tonight.” At last the two figures broke apart. I could barely I noticed one of the barmaids had a handkerchief see them now. Destabo continued to glare at Slab. over her nose. That’s when I thought to sniff the air— “Be warned,” he said in his horrible, gurgling voice, really sniff it. The flowery smell was gone. But now, “you have made an enemy this day. I will not rest until replacing it, was a stench like that of rotting meat... and I see you destroyed!” it seemed to be coming from the wine cellar. “Make no threats you cannot fulfill,” Slab said. “Slab?” I said. “Slab?” He gave a quick nod, and that seemed to be the sig- Far off, I heard a ghostly chuckle. And I knew, sud- nal the rats had been waiting for. Dozens of them denly, that it would cost the rest of that fortune to get swarmed onto Prince Destabo, fixing their ghostly rid of the phantom stench of rotting meat.

DRAGON 53

Undercutting the Conventions of Fantasy

Why do you like immortal characters, like the long-lived Dragaerans?

I hadn’t actually noticed. I’d noticed it We met Steven Brust at the Fourth about Roger [Zelazny], but never about Street Fantasy Convention in Minneapolis, me. I remember somebody asked Roger where we hoped he could start off by that, and he said, “Well, because then the answering a common rumor about his guys have hung around long enough to be most popular books. interesting.” I thought that was kind of cool. For me, Are the Vlad books based on your I’d never thought about it. gaming experiences? But I don’t know that I do that. Vlad cer- tainly isn’t immortal. He’s surrounded by “I write stuff that I think is cool.” Yeah, definitely. Adrian Charles Morgan long-lived people, and even they’re not “I think everyone who stops changing is evil.” created a world called Piara, and a whole immortal. And that’s just because it’s fun “Vlad was my alter ego, who you didn’t lot of what became Dragaera was simply to play with the psychology of someone necessarily like, but had to respect.” lifted from that. Adrian did a really good who’s going to do whatever he’s going to job. A lot of what he did involved turning do in his life in a big hurry compared to Steven Brust’s work ranges from the us loose in an undeveloped world and say- everyone around him. strange and evocative The Sun, the Moon, ing, “Here’s your piece of it. Go make it up.” I think the difference between being and the Stars to the daring epic To Reign long-lived and being immortal is actually in Hell, and from his science fiction What sort of character did you play? really huge. You’re going to die at a cer- adventure Cowboy Feng’s Space Bar and tain point. I mean, you know that. But Grille to the moody vampire novel Agyar. I was Vlad. then psychologically I don’t think there’s Among gamers, Brust is most famous for that much difference unless you have his Vlad Taltos novels, including Jhereg, Were there Dragaerans and the rest in something to compare it to. Yendi, Taltos, Teckla, Phoenix, Athyra, and Piara? As far as the Dragaerans are concerned, the upcoming Orca. (See DRAGON® they are immortal. Magazine issue #213 for Vlad’s AD&D® No, it was different. It was a game, and game statistics.) More recently, he has games don’t translate to fiction. Is that why you introduced Morganti written about the history of Vlad’s world daggers, to give your near-immortals in the novels The Phoenix Guard and Five Why not? something to fear? Hundred Years After, written in homage of Alexander Dumas’ The Three Musketeers Because games are built around plot, and No, that wasn’t it. A lot of what I’m doing and Twenty Years After. fiction around characters. is playing off of and undercutting fantasy

DRAGON 55 conventions. So what you’ve got is these people together to get my questions I'm very heavily influenced by dialogue. To Moorcock obviously, with Stormbringer, answered. Among the things I thought me, that’s what drives a book. and it goes further back than that, with about coming out of that convention was Norse mythology you have the sword that what I was doing with that character. I had Are you more influenced by dialogue drinks souls. It’s become kind of a cliché a character who was a hit man. in the Phoenix Guard books than in of fantasy. So I said, “Okay, if they’ve I had a friend who was killed by a hitman the Vlad series? become generic, we’ll make a generic long before I wrote Jhereg, But I’d never term for them.” It was a kind of playing really connected it until that time. I said, No. Because there, and in the Vlad books, [with the fantasy convention]. “Whoa, time to take a look at what you’re too, the narration is part of the dialogue. Take the line in Jhereg, in which Vlad doing, Bucko.” And that was when Vlad So maybe the answer is yes. Voice is has to cast a spell. He says, “I pulled out an started to change. He would have changed important both in the Vlad books and the enchanted dagger. It was a cheap, over-the anyway, though how he would have Phoenix Guard books, the Khaavren counter enchanted dagger.” It’s that same changed I can’t say. He would have either Romances. That’s maybe a question of kind of taking the fantasy convention and changed or stopped. I couldn’t have written definition. If you include voice as a part of undercutting it. him past Yendi if he hadn’t changed. dialogue, then yes. In a lot of ways, I never should have During a panel this afternoon, you said written Yendi. There’s no growth in it. It’s Isn’t there a big difference between you’d like sometime to start a novel by a repetition of Jhereg. It’s got a slightly dif- Vlad as a narrator, since he’s also the pandering to the audience and then ferent plot and hints of interesting things, protagonist, and Parfi of Roundwood, switching gears to tell an important but it doesn’t go anywhere, like Jhereg who doesn’t actually appear in the story, when someone in the audience did. I think it’s my weakest book. story he narrates? said that’s exactly what you’ve already done. What’s your strongest? But Parfi is still a major character in the books. That’s whose eyes you’re seeing it I hadn’t realized that I’d done that, but it’s The new one, Orca. through. That’s who’s interpretation true. It didn’t start as pandering. [Jhereg] I’m very pleased with Phoenix. There you’re getting. He’s the one lying to you started out as straight wish-fulfillment fan- are a lot of things about that I like. I’m about all the history. tasy, and that’s okay. But it got old real really happy with Taltos in a lot of ways, fast, so it developed. It became more because structurally it did some cool Vlad and Khaavren are both distinctive intense. I was keeping myself interested, things and got away with them. characters. How are they different? because I liked the character. I’ve been Orca is the book I wanted Yendi to be. fascinated with the character all along. It’s a really plot-driven book with a neat To me they are more different than simi- story and some interesting character lar. Khaavren is nicer. Some think that Vlad has more than a development and some revelations. It’s little of Steven Brust in him. just a straight-up, kick-your-heels-back, Yet he regularly kills people for what good-time yarn. I don’t mind those. I like we’d consider trivial reasons. How do I put this? those. I approve of doing them. And I was Most people are either liked or respect- trying to with Yendi, and I failed. Because Hmm. Okay. ed by their peers. Not that many achieve there just wasn’t enough to it. Khaavren does not go out looking for both. Most people get at least one. At a people to kill, if you know what I mean. certain formative period of my life, I was What of the fans who love Yendi? He isn’t cold about it. Vlad is cold about it. liked but not respected. Therefore, what Khaavren’s a young, brash kid, at least in was important to me, of course, was to be I’m glad [they like it]. I know what I had in the first book. He’s very much d’Artagnan. respected. Who cares about being liked? mind, what I wanted to do. They only Consciously. Deliberately. With malice of The one you want is always the one you know what I did. The goal of getting bet- forethought-that’s who he is. Through the don’t have. ter, the reason you keep working on your strainer of my imagination. So Vlad was my alter ego, who you didn’t craft is so that when you’re having an off In fact, he came from friends who’d sit necessarily like, but had to respect. He day and you’re not turning out your best around with me and we’d talk about inspired respect. He inspired fear. He was work and things aren’t coming together, mutual acquaintances. Among ourselves, tough. He was all of the things I’m not. you’re still good enough to pull it off. If we’d assign people to Dragaeran houses That’s a good way to start, but you can’t they like it, it means that when I wasn’t based on their personalities. At one point just leave a character there or he’s going doing my best work, it was still good someone said, “So-and-so is a lyorn.” At to get boring fast. enough to please people. That’s excellent. this point, I knew very well what the That’s what I want. lyorns were, but none of the others did, Do you think Vlad started out as an because I’d deliberately misrepresented evil character? You do most of your experimenting them so I could come back later and outside of the Taltos books. smack ‘em. I think he would have been evil if he hadn’t The Vlad books are from Vlad’s ideal, changed. In a certain sense I think he’s still Except for Taltos. Taltos, and Yendi in a and Vlad has a very distorted view. He’s evil if he doesn’t change, because I think certain way. Yendi was an experiment. I said things in these books which are just everyone who stops changing is evil. was trying to learn how to draw charac- dead wrong because he just doesn’t know You have to keep growing. Stasis is bad. ters quickly. That’s one of the reasons any better. Other things he’s said are Degeneration is bad. Only progress is there are too many characters in it. I was wrong because he’s seen them from his good. trying to train myself to be able to just viewpoint, and that’s skewed. What’s important is your ability to do quickly and precisely sketch different peo- So when I explained the houses to my something, to make something that makes ple and make them distinctive and memo- friends, I said, “The perfect example of a the world better. rable. I didn’t completely succeed in that lyorn is Athos, from The Three Vlad began to change at the first Fourth book, but I learned a lot. Musketeers. Come to think of it, Porthos is Street convention, nine years ago. I put the If I have a new character, he’s going to a Dzur. Aramis is the classic Yendi. And convention together in order to answer my say something. What he says tells me who d’Artagnan is a Tiassa.” And then I own questions about writing. So I got all he is, and I won’t know until that point. thought, “Hey, that’s kinda cool.”

56 OCTOBER 1995 I’ve always adored Dumas’s style and have been sorry that people don’t write that way anymore. So I thought, “I can write that way. I can do my own Three Musketeers.” I didn’t expect it [The Phoenix Guard] to sell. That was a book written to entertain myself.

You once said you liked to write about cloaks and swords because they are cool. Is that why you write fantasy adventures?

What I do is write stuff that I think is cool, which is what every good writer does. A hack will write what he thinks will sell. A good writer will write stuff that he thinks is cool, to the best of his ability. There are a lot of things I think are cool. And cloaks and swords-rapiers in particular-are definitely on the list. That doesn’t mean every book has them, but that’s what I gravitate toward. Also, really clever word play is cool. An elegantly turned metaphor is cool. A neat form, a shape to the novel, where things wrap in on themselves in just the right way, is cool. It’s a lot of different things.

Other than your two series, your novels are all very different from each other. What are your favorites? And are there any you consider not to be successes?

I mentioned Yendi. The other failure is Cowboy Feng. My favorite book is probably Phoenix Guard or Five Hundred Years After, probably the latter. My best book is Agyar. I was attempting something difficult and pulled it off to my satisfaction. It came out the way I wanted it to, and it wasn’t easy.

But you made it look easy.

That was part of the goal. If it looks forced, it fails. That was one of the prob- lems with Cowboy Feng. It doesn’t look easy enough. There are a lot of problems with Cowboy Feng. If you’re going to shoot for a surprise ending, there are two things you want to accomplish. One, you don’t want people to have seen it all along. Two, you want people to think, when it hits, “Oh yeah, he did plant the clues for that.” The reaction I got was that people saw it coming all along and yet I hadn’t set it up right, it wasn’t justified. That was one problem. The main problem is that I was trying to explore some things that are important to me, some serious things, and simultane- ously tell a light, flip, and amusing tale and make it seamless. And I didn’t. Those things clashed. And the goal of the book was to make those things happen as part of the same movement. It’s another one that a lot of people like anyway, and I’m delighted. If I do some- thing that isn’t up to what I want it to be and it still pleases people, that’s all you can ask for.

DRAGON 57

DIRE CONSEQUENCES III, Important: DRAGON® Magazine does not publish phone numbers for conventions. Publishing incor- Oct. 6-8 CT rect numbers is always possible and is a nuisance to This convention will be held at the Sheraton both the caller and those receiving the misdirected in Waterbury, Conn. Events include role-play- call. Be certain that any address given is complete ing, board, card, and miniatures games. Other and correct. To ensure that your convention listing makes it activities include RPGA® Network events and into our files, enclose a self-addressed stamped tournaments. Registration: $20. Write to: DC III, Convention Calendar Policies postcard with your first convention notice; we will P.O. Box 251, Bristol CT 06011. return the card to show that your notice was This column is a service to our readers received. You also might send a second notice one worldwide. Anyone may place a free listing week after mailing the first. 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DRAGON 59 INTERCON ‘95, Oct. 13-15 NORMAN CONQUEST VII, include Mark Poole and Larry Bond. Events This convention will be held at the Kamloops Oct. 27-29 OK include role-playing, card, board, and minia- Exhibition Complex in Kamloops, British This convention will be held in Dale Hall on tures games. Write to: HaRoSFA, Box 9434, Columbia, Canada. Events include role-playing, the University of Oklahoma campus in Norman, Hampton VA 23670, or e-mail: board, card, and miniatures games. Other Okla. Guests include Dennis McDonald, Peter [email protected]; [email protected] or on activities include tournaments, movies, and a Bradley, John Russell, Mitch Bentley, and Ric the Web: http://www.pinn.net/~michaela/. masquerade ball. Write to: INTERCON ‘95, 1021 and Angela Lowry. Events include role-playing, McGill Road, Kamloops, BC, Canada, V2C 6H4. card, board, and miniatures games. 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60 OCTOBER 1995

Few elements of the AD&D® game are more difficult to referee than illusions, particularly the “pure” illusions typified by the phantasmal force spell. Unlike other spells, the effectiveness of an illusion is highly subjective, and rarely, if ever, do the rules quantify the potency of a spell in simple game terms. A common offensive spell like cone of cold inflicts a set number of dice of dam- age, while spells such as hold person affect a clearly stated number of crea- tures. In each case, the effects of the spell can be negated wholly or in part with a saving throw which has been adjusted according to a set of fairly standard modifiers. Illusions, on the other hand, present a stark contrast to such generally accepted conventions because their effectiveness depends on the eye of the beholder (or DM, if you will). Not only are the actual illusions themselves limited only by the imagination of the caster, illusions can appear in an infi- nite variety of situations. The circumstances surrounding the use of an illusion spell are often as important to the success of the casting as the form of the illusion itself. The AD&D game defines the power of illusions; unfortunately, with such a vast array of options and potential situations, it is not surprising that the Player’s Handbook (PHB) and the DUNGEON MASTER® Guide (DMG) offer only the most basic sug- gestions for handling illusion magic. The uncertainty and “gray areas” that remain too often result in player/DM bickering. On more than one occasion, I replaced the illusory monsters or spells in a pub- lished game module with the real thing rather than risk having to deal with the more arbitrary aspects of illusion magic. But a clear need still exists for a less sub- jective method of deciding the game effects of illusions in their various forms. This is especially true with regard to adju- dication of spells such as phantasmal force, audible glamer, improved phantas- mal force, spectraI force, advanced illu- sion, permanent illusion, and programmed illusion, all of which create free-standing illusions and employ disbelief as a means to a saving throw. Though this article is directed primarily toward resolving the effects of these spells, the methodology is entirely consistent with any of the spells belonging to the illu- sion/phantasm school of magic.

A Question of Disbelief

Possibly the greatest complicating factor where illusions are involved is the nature of the saving throw. Illusion spells such as phantasmal force do not have the simple you-made-it-or-not save required by most spell effects. The player must instead state an intent to disbelieve, an action that takes up an entire round. No other type of spell or magical attack requires such a sacrifice. A character surviving a lightning bolt spell can still attack, flee, etc., regardless of the

DRAGON 63 success of the saving throw, while the poor Eliminating the idiosyncratic and important is odor when creating an illuso- PC confronting a suspected illusion must unworkable disbelief rule neatly solves ry otyugh? And what about creatures with stand quietly and hope for the best. these difficulties. The player no longer has particularly good or poor senses of vision Adding insult to injury, the rules state to announce an intent to avoid an attack, or smell? How do such abilities affect that if the PC attempts to disbelieve a real an intent that is assumed versus virtually their chances to detect an illusion? spell or monster, the spell or attack auto- every other kind of attack. The DM doesn’t This system attempts to answer these matically succeeds regardless of Armor have to worry about how he will manage questions by classifying the sensory com- Class or saving throws. Even if the player is to alert his players to the odd silence of an ponents of an illusion, from a human per- fairly certain that his PC is about to be encountered ogre without instantly tipping spective at least, as primary (sound and “incinerated” by illusory dragon breath, his them off to the presence of an illusion. It vision), secondary (extreme odor or tem- best bet is to treat the attack as if it were likewise eliminates any argument as to perature), or minor (normal odor or tem- real, which allows his character a chance whether an NPC would attempt to disbe- perature). These are then used in con- to reduce the damage by half with a suc- lieve on his own or if DM bias was involved junction with an Intelligence check by the cessful save. in the decision to grant a saving throw. subject. The effectiveness of the illusion An attempt to disbelieve merely gains Unfortunately, there is a major disadvan- then becomes a matter of which compo- the PC a different saving throw (which tage to ignoring categorically the disbelief nents are missing, how easily these would probably be more difficult to make requirement. The original basis for defects are detected, and how likely the in this example, given the probable bonus- employing disbelief before a save arose subject is to fully understand the signifi- es for magical armor or Dexterity). This from the varying degrees by which the dif- cance of these sensory clues. Hopefully, comes at the cost of forgoing any attack or ferent illusion spells could imitate reality. such a system will be far less subjective defensive action, and the PC will suffer full The least powerful illusions, audible and easier to implement than the old dis- damage if the attack turns out to be real. glamer and phantasmal force, produce belief rule. That seems like a steep price just to avoid only audial or visual effects. The missing An Intelligence check is used because an attack that can only result in uncon- components are gradually added as the Intelligence represents the creature’s sciousness, at worst. spell level increases. The 2nd-level spell mental acuity and capacity for reason; The other major problem with disbelief improved phantasmal force combines both are important factors in the ability to is that a fair DM has to give the players a audial and visual effects, while the assimilate meaningfully the sensory infor- clue as to when they should suspect an 3rd-level spell spectral force adds heat. A mation provided by an encountered illu- illusion is at play. Only a novice gamer will complete illusion possessing audial, visu- sion. Characters with very high fail to recognize what has happened when al, thermal, and olfactory components can Intelligence scores are automatically the DM announces “the attacking ogre be produced only by the 5th-level spell immune to certain illusions, so it does not makes no noise.” Granted, such a state- advanced illusion. If the same save vs. spell seem inappropriate to allow characters ment suffers from an exaggerated lack of is employed for all illusions without using with lesser Intelligence scores a bonus to subtlety, but as soon as any DM begins to the disbelief rule, the 1st-level phantasmal their save vs. spell if they notice inconsis- make statements regarding an unusual force becomes just as powerful as the 5th- tencies in the presentation of an illusion. lack of sound, odor, or heat, he has no level advanced illusion. This quite obvious- This also means that unintelligent or just business being surprised by the sudden ly is not the intent of the rules; the save vs. plain stupid creatures will be less likely to chorus of “I disbelieve” that is certain to spell needs modifiers applied based on question the presence of an illusion and follow. the completeness and relative power of will be easier to fool even if the illusion is Consider, too, the difficulty in having to the encountered illusion. incomplete in some way. determine whether an NPC should attempt to disbelieve an illusion cast by a Doubt Is a Two-Edged Sword The Building Blocks of Illusion PC. Since, in all likelihood, the DM is already aware that the NPC is facing an Consider a creature or object that should It is no accident that vision and hearing are illusion spell, how can the DM fairly be making some noise but isn’t, or odd the first senses affected in the hierarchy of decide if the NPC knows enough to disbe- noises emanating from an unexpected or illusion spells. Sight and sound are usually lieve the effect? Players will rightfully feel unusual source. Although such a situation the most convincing components of any they are at a disadvantage if every oppo- should quickly arouse the suspicion of illusion and the lack of either component nent attempts to disbelieve their illusions. most humans or demihumans, there is no should be easy to detect. When encounter- Conversely, the DM cannot allow his vil- reason to assume that the character will ing an illusion that lacks one or more of lains to dumbly accept every absurd illu- automatically associate these unusual these primary components, the target sion thrown at them by the PCs. The DM events with the presence of an illusion. should be granted an Intelligence check. is forced to make a tricky judgment call There are many equally plausible expla- Success on this roll means that the target on a case-by-case basis. The prospect of nations, especially in the AD&D world. Is has correctly observed the missing visual making judgment calls should certainly that plate-armored warrior running or audial cues and can therefore be grant- not frighten any DM who is worth his toward your mage silent because he is an ed a +4 bonus to the save vs. spell. weight in dice, but isn’t there some way to illusion, or has he had a silence 15’ radius This assumes that the illusion created is provide a slightly more objective frame- spell cast upon him? Are those disembod- one that can be reasonably expected to work for the DM? ied voices the result of an audible glamer, have sight or sound. An illusory wall isn’t Simply ignoring the rule that calls for a or is there actually an invisible or camou- going to be expected to make any noise, disbelieving character to forfeit any flaged creature present? Given these pos- and an audible glamer can be cast in an defense versus an actual attack fails to sibilities, an incomplete illusion shouldn’t area that the victim cannot see clearly. In improve the situation; it would only automatically fail, but it does make for an these cases, no Intelligence check or sav- encourage illusion-wary players constant- easier save vs. spell. ing throw bonus is applicable. Targets that ly to disbelieve everything that they The fact that most creatures tend to fail the Intelligence check either do not encounter. Instead, let’s examine the fol- rely heavily on one or two primary senses notice the missing component or assume lowing argument: Illusions are, by AD&D adds a further complication. For instance, that some other factor (such as magical definition, spells (or spell effects). The is an illusion of a silent red dragon more silence or invisibility) is in play. An excep- game already provides a saving throw ver- or less believable than one that creates tionally striking visual effect may even sus spell. Therefore, illusions should be noise but whose fiery breath weapon fails overwhelm observers to the extent that saved against like any other spell. to produce a scorching blast of heat? How they swear they not only saw the illusory

64 OCTOBER 1995

ogre, but they also heard it crunching up to three components (primary, sec- missing component, gaining a +4 to the through the leaves, even if it was actually ondary, minor) missing from the illusion. save for one successful check, +6 for two silent. Thus, a hero with an Intelligence of 15 successes, and +7 for three successful Odor and heat are details that make needs a roll of 15 or less on his checks (assuming that many components minor contributions to the overall effec- Intelligence check to detect the lack of a are lacking). With their high Intelligence tiveness of an illusion. They become primary component, a roll of 11 scores and relatively easy saving throws vs. important only in situations where the (Intelligence -4) to detect the lack of a pri- spell, dragons will be quite difficult to fool desired effect has a strong thermal or mary and secondary component, and a with all but the most powerful illusion olfactory component. But even in those roll of 7 (Intelligence -8) or better to magic. cases, odor and heat are secondary to detect the lack of all three types. (This Similarly, if the DM feels that a particu- sound and vision in the attempt to con- assumes that the illusion lacks that many lar monster or animal possesses two or vince the target that the illusion is real. components, of course.) more excellent senses, he should grant In cases where olfactory or thermal com- In other words, a character who is so the monster the appropriate number of ponents are important to the overall effect intent on attacking an illusory ghast that Intelligence checks and reward each suc- (for example, an illusory troglodyte or he fails to notice its odd silence (a fairly cess with the above saving throw modi- bonfire) but are missing, the subject can obvious primary component) will not fiers. However, don’t adjust a monster’s roll an Intelligence check at a -4 penalty notice that the ghast also lacks an odor (a Intelligence score to reflect its superior (Intelligence -4. If the check is successful, more subtle secondary component). senses; stupid is as stupid does. the subject receives a +2 bonus to his sav- These bonuses are cumulative, but a For example, the fighter Gronk is chas- ing throw to see through the illusion. The character can receive only one +4 bonus ing a thieving half-elf wizard down an bonus is reduced and the Intelligence for a missing primary component, one +2 alley when the tiring wizard creates the check made more difficult because the bonus for a missing secondary compo- illusion of a wall with a spectral force components are secondary to the primary nent, and one +1 bonus for a missing spell. The illusory wall lacks no primary, visual and audial cues, even in more dras- minor component, for a maximum save secondary, or minor components, and tic cases. bonus of +7. Though this may seem like a walls have no distinctive odor (the only Note that even if the optional infravision lot of bonuses, few illusions will be so component not provided by the spell). rule is used, infravision does not automat- poorly conceived that they lack all three Gronk must make an unmodified save vs. ically detect the presence of an illusion. components, and only characters with a spell to detect the illusion. Infravision is simply a variant of ordinary fairly high Intelligence score have a realis- Here’s another example: Tamara, a sight and will be affected just as surely as tic chance of noting the minor inconsis- priestess with an Intelligence score of 18, normal vision. A character or monster tencies. In any case, once the DM deter- is attacked by an illusory troglodyte creat- cannot test for the presence of an illusion mines how effectively the illusion has ed with a phantasmal force spell. She must simply by looking at the suspect object in fooled the target, he can attempt the save roll an 18 or less on her Intelligence check the dark and checking for the absence of vs. spell. to notice the missing primary component heat (or cold). (sound) and a 14 or less (Int -4) to notice Under normal circumstances, however, Illusions vs. Monsters and the missing secondary component (smell). thermal or olfactory effects will not be Animals Tamara rolls a 12, thus succeeding at both vital to the success of the illusion. Indeed, checks. She gains a +6 bonus to her sav- it will take a sharp eye (or nose) and some The modifiers and the relative importance ing throw vs. spell. quick thinking to be able to pick out these of sight, sound, odor, and temperature In a third example, the wizard Portnoy subtle inconsistencies. If the DM decides have thus far been given from the human casts audible glamer, hoping to distract a that the targeted creature has some and demihuman perspective. The guard dog (Intelligence 2) with the sound means of detecting a lack of temperature MONSTROUS MANUAL™ specifically describes of a cat meowing in some nearby foliage. or odor (meaning that the illusion-caster some animals and monsters as having The missing visual component is unimpor- is probably going to have to get pretty exceptionally good or poor senses. The tant (since the dog cannot see the source close), it gains a +1 saving throw bonus if DM should take these factors into account of the sound anyway), and the lack of heat it succeeds at an Int -8 check. by increasing or decreasing the impor- is likewise unimportant. The dog can be A good example of this is an illusory tance and ease of detection of the various considered to have a superior sense of dungeon wall made by a phantasmal force sensory phenomena. smell, however, allowing it the chance to spell. Someone touching the illusory wall For example, a rhinoceros possesses detect a missing primary component: the may discover that it is room temperature poor vision but has an excellent sense of scent of the alleged feline. In the unlikely while the other walls in the dungeon are smell; thus, odor should be considered event that the dog makes its Intelligence quite cool to the touch. If the character the primary component, and vision check, it gains a +4 to its saving throw vs. picks up on this clue (in other words, suc- becomes the minor one. Since most ordi- spell. ceeds at the Intelligence -8 check), he nary animals have Intelligence scores of 5 One last modifier can be added to the would receive the +1 bonus to the save or less, it may seem too harsh to require saving throw. Illusions that inexplicably needed to see through the spell. an Intelligence check even if their spring from out of nowhere should give The Intelligence check should be made improved senses are taken into account. the target a +1 bonus to its save with no as soon as the DM deems that the subject But remember, animals tend to rely on Intelligence check being necessary. creature has interacted sufficiently with instinct, not reason. A guard dog does not Though spellcasters in the AD&D game the illusion to require a save vs. spell. stop to think about why an illusory intrud- certainly have the ability to bring forth Static effects such as illusory walls or er doesn’t have any scent-it simply howls walls of stone or fire or cause monsters to doors might be investigated for several or attacks as trained. appear out of thin air, actually witnessing rounds or even longer before any At the other end of the scale are crea- such an effect is enough to make most Intelligence checks or saving throws are tures such as dragons which have average viewers wary (hence the +1 modifier). This needed. However, an instantaneous effect or better Intelligence scores and enhanced bonus is cumulative with the adjustments like an illusory fireball is going to require senses of sight, hearing, and smell. Such for missing components, which means that an immediate ability check and save. creatures are exceptions to the rule that the save vs. spell can have a maximum Note that the same d20 roll is used to requires a single Intelligence check for all bonus of +8. determine the success of the various of the missing components. They receive an Note that this bonus does not apply to Intelligence checks, though there could be unmodified Intelligence check for each illusions that are in place before a charac-

DRAGON 67 ter encounters them; the bonus relies on believes the illusion to be real. creatures that he has never seen. the obviously magical, and therefore sus- As noted in the PHB and DMG, all dam- The DM should pay attention to the pect, appearance of the illusion. A party age directly caused by the illusion is imag- areas of effect of the various illusion that turns a corner in a castle courtyard ined by the victim and is not real, though spells. They are quite large and, if the limit and encounters an illusory wall would not the loss of all remaining hit points via on hit dice is not heeded, a 1st-level wiz- receive a bonus to their save unless they these imaginary attacks results in uncon- ard could conceivably fill his phantasmal somehow witnessed the casting of the sciousness for 10-30 minutes. Illusory force area of effect with 20 or more ogres spell that created the wall. However, the damage should be restored after a like or even a great red wyrm (thus creating a DM may allow the +1 bonus if a detect period. Indirect damage is still possible significant problem with game balance). magic successfully reveals the magical when an illusion is used to disguise real Illusory creatures must remain in the area nature of an illusory object. dangers such as a pit trap or monster. of effect designated at the time of the cast- Lastly, divination spells such as detect ing; attempts to move them out of that After the Saving Throw evil or know alignment, which rely on the area do dispel the image immediately. inspection of an aura, do not usually pro- Illusory creatures move and fight at the PCs or monsters that successfully save vs. vide any accurate information when used whim of the caster. Therefore, they should an illusion recognize it for what it is. They to view an illusion. The caster of the div- attack using the caster’s THAC0, not the can see only a fuzzy, transparent outline ination sees only what the caster of the THAC0 of the actual creature. The damage of whatever object the caster attempted to illusion wants him to see. The true seeing resulting from successful attacks is stan- depict. The illusion may not hinder, dis- spell will show an illusion for what it is, dard, though it is not permanent, as tract, or harm the subject unless the illu- and a detect magic unerringly reveals its already noted. Creatures with special sion is quasi-real (in other words, formed magical nature. When cast by a wizard, attacks like breath weapons, gaze attacks, by shadow magic, shadow monsters, etc.). detect magic also has the potential to or energy draining abilities can be mimic- A creature that fails its save is com identify the magic as illusion/phantasm. ked with the illusion, but, as with normal pletely fooled by the magic for the dura- attacks, any effects are temporary and tion of the spell. The subject must react to The Illusionist’s Bag of Tricks should be regained within three turns or the illusion as if it were a real object or so. Of course, PCs subjected to these spe- monster. Even if the illusion behaves in an While the deceptive power of an illusion cial attacks do not actually turn to stone unexpected or improbable manner, the depends largely on the perspective of the or lose an experience level, though they affected creature will rationalize some target, the skill of the caster definitely absolutely believe this to be so and behave explanation other than the presence of an plays an important role as well. The scope accordingly by freezing in place or illusion. The subject believes the illusory of illusory effects should be more clearly fighting less ably. object to be real and absolutely cannot be defined to reflect this role. Illusory effects Lastly, illusory monsters that are bat- convinced otherwise, even if he should can be grouped into three broad cate- tled by PCs or other monsters disappear witness some physical impossibility such gories: monsters, spell effects, and inani- on a successful hit or physical spell attack as an unaffected companion walking mate objects. unless the illusion reacts appropriately; through an illusory wall. To the affected casters who are concentrating on main- character, his companion must have Illusory Creatures taining the illusion can cause “appropriate turned invisible, been teleported or disin- A very traditional and common technique responses” automatically, if desired. The tegrated, or suffered some similar fate. is to create illusory monsters or compan- illusory creatures wink out of existence as A PC who has already encountered an ions using one of the illusion spells. Not soon as the caster ceases to maintain his illusion and failed his saving throw cannot surprisingly, it is probably the most abused concentration and the illusion is struck by gain a second saving throw or improve on technique as well. The optional guidelines a physical attack, however. his original attempt by being informed of given in the PHB are helpful here: The For combat with illusory opponents, the nature of the illusion by another char- caster should not be allowed to create assume that they have the maximum acter. In such cases, the PC is certain that more hit dice of illusory monsters than he number of hit points. When the illusory he is the one in the right-the other party has experience levels, and the types of creature runs out of hit points, the caster members must be mistaken! The +4 monsters created should be restricted to can allow it to “die” or may let it keep bonus mentioned in the DMG should be creatures that the caster has personally fighting. If he chooses to keep the crea- granted only if the target has been warned observed. The caster must concentrate on ture “alive,” the attackers have cause to in advance of encountering the illusion. guiding the actions of his creations in an suspect something is amiss. They get to Naturally, PCs who fail their saving throws appropriate and believable manner, which roll an Intelligence check with a cumula- vs. a particular illusion cannot grant their is nearly impossible if he generates an tive -1 bonus for every round in which the companions this +4 bonus, since the PC absurdly large number of monsters or undying adversary absorbs damage but does not fall. Attackers who succeed in this Saving Throw Modifiers for Illusions Intelligence check gain a second saving Condition Saving Throw Modifier‡ Ability Check throw vs. the illusion with any bonuses for Missing primary* component +4 Intelligence missing components, just as if they were Missing primary** component +2 Intelligence -4 encountering the illusion for the first Missing minor† component +1 Intelligence -8 time. More saving throws are possible as Target witnessed casting +1 automatic long as the creature continues to fight and Received forewarning +4 automatic take damage and the attacker has not yet Caster attempts “unknown” spell +2 automatic succeeded in his save vs. spell.

*Primary components include sound or vision or strong odors for creatures Illusory Spells with a superior sense of smell. Casters may use illusions to duplicate the **Secondary components are strong odors or extreme temperatures or normal effect of any spell of a level that they can odors for creatures with a superior sense of smell. cast. A 5th-level wizard can therefore try †Minor components are normal odors or temperatures or sight or sound for to duplicate wizard or priest spells of 3rd creatures with poor vision or hearing. level or less. The caster does not have to ‡All modifiers are cumulative, but only one of each type is applicable per spell. know the spell that he is trying to dupli-

68 OCTOBER 1995 cate, but attempts to copy an unknown Although the nature of an object might effective at creating believable illusions of spell are convincing and the targets be disguised, its physical properties have ordinary creatures and any spell that does should be granted an automatic +2 not been changed. Most notably, the invisi- not rely on heat or odor. It is less effective bonus to their saving throw vs. spells. bility spell description establishes that an if used against a target with a keen sense Illusory spell effects can be detected as invisible light source continues to emit of smell. Djinn and efreeti have illusion illusions in the manner already described. visible light. Not only is this true of any powers of this type. This is also the most Targets failing their saving throws suf- light source disguised with an illusion, it is powerful effect that can be created with a fer the effects of the illusory spell just as if also applicable in the case of heat, a form wand of illusion. they had been subjected to the actual of light. In the backpack and campfire spell. The mimicked spell performs at the example, the heat of the flames could be Invisibility: Treat this spell as a visual illu- ability level of the caster. An illusory fire- felt by anyone that approached closely sion lacking the other components, but ball results in the target having to save for enough. If the illusory backpack was cre- one that allows a save only if the invisible full or half damage and could even result ated with a spell that allows for thermal creature is making noise or has a distinc- in the need for item saving throws. The effects, the backpack itself could be made tive odor. A successful save indicates that items do not suffer any actual harm, of to feel cool to the touch, but the warmth the general location of the creature has course, but an unfortunate PC certainly radiated into space by the campfire would been established, though the creature still might be fooled into believing that his remain unaffected. has all of the benefits of invisibility. PCs sword has melted. Conversely, the Spectral force of a and monsters of sufficiently high Illusions can only duplicate spells with campfire would be hot to the touch with- Intelligence scores and level or hit dice a physical manifestation. Spells such as out actually radiating any heat or light. receive a save as described in the PHB. hold person or sleep cannot be sensed Such clues allow subjects to gain bonuses Success means that the target can actually until its targets are already affected. Such to their saving throws as previously see a colorless outline of the invisible being spells could not be duplicated by an illu- detailed. Regardless of the results or and can attack without penalty. Unlike most sion; they create nothing that can be seen, method, any PC who picks up a campfire illusions, multiple saves could be required heard, or felt. If a target cannot sense an disguised with an illusion of a backpack is if the observing creature loses track of the illusion, it cannot be affected by it. (Note going to get burned! invisible creature for any length of time. that this last stipulation does not apply to many innate magical attacks used by mon- Quick Review Spectral force and programmed illusion: sters. For example, a basilisk’s gaze These illusions are very difficult to detect weapon and a vampire’s charm attack are The following procedure summarizes the unless the caster foolishly attempts to cre- fairly well-known abilities and can easily steps a DM should take when the target of ate an object with a strong odor, the only be imagined by their victims without an an illusion does something that requires component not produced by these spells. obvious physical prompt.) the illusion to react. For example, the target Powerful evocations such fireball, light- No illusion spell can duplicate another. may attack an illusory creature or walk ning bolt, and ice storm can be accurately Regardless of the level of the caster, it is toward a pit concealed with an illusory rug. duplicated. pointless to attempt to fake an improved phantasmal force spell with a phantasmal 1. Determine if any components (primary, Shadow monsters and demishadow mon- force. The audial component does not exist. secondary, or minor) are missing from sters: The illusory monsters produced the illusion and if any such discrepancy have no missing components. If the target Illusory Objects might be noted by the target. of the attack manages to save, he is still The last category covers inanimate objects 2. Let each observer or target roll a single subject to some actual damage as noted in such as illusory walls, pits, or bridges. d20. Use the result to resolve the PHB. Even if a target fails its save, actu- Though these applications are not as Intelligence checks made for any miss- al damage cannot exceed this amount. spectacular as illusory monsters or spells, ing components (up to three). they are the most difficult to detect and 3. Modify the target’s saving throw vs. Shadow magic and demishadowmagic: No possibly the most effective. Even the lowly spell (maximum bonus of +7) for any adjustments need be made to the save for phantasmal force spell can create a more successful Int checks. missing components, and it does not matter than adequate illusion of a pit or wall to 4. Apply any situational modifiers (the tar- whether the caster is familiar with the evo- deter pursuit by one’s foes. The caster is get witnessed the casting, received fore- cation to be duplicated. Regardless of the limited only by his imagination and the warning, etc.). success or failure of the saving throw, only a area of effect of the spell. 5. Let each observer or target roll a saving portion of the inflicted damage is real. However, casters should not be allowed throw vs. spell using the appropriate to create more than one object per spell. modifiers. Advanced illusion: This is the complete illu- Phantasmal force does not allow a caster sion. Illusions created with this spell are to change the appearance of every object Spell Notes virtually undetectable from the real thing. in the area of effect, although he could Phantasmal force: This is not a terribly Creatures with innate illusion-generating use the illusion of a collapsed doorway to effective combat spell unless the target is capabilities (such as aboleth, baatezu, and hide the room’s contents from view. very stupid or the caster avoids creating leprechauns) create this type of illusion. Illusions can only cover or disguise an illusions that require sound or heat. It is object, not make it invisible. best used to simulate inanimate objects Note that many illusion/phantasm spells By logical extension, this is also true of such as walls, doors, spike-filled pits, and (for example, spook and hypnotism), already the audial or olfactory properties of an piles of coins. employ a straight save vs. spell. This fact object. A backpack created by a phantas- adds further validity to the recommenda- mal force spell does nothing to mask the Audible glamer: This is useful mainly as a tion that the disbelief rule be discarded. crackle and smoky odor of a campfire, but distraction, though it can be used to Other spells such as deafness, wraithform, an advanced illusion of a growling and increase the effectiveness of a phantasmal and hallucinatory terrain do not allow a sav- malodorous otyugh could do so. It is gen- force spell. It can also simulate sound- ing throw and are not subject to the guide- erally assumed that the size, sound, and based spells such as shout or music of the lines for detection given here. A few spells, smell of an illusion must be equal to or spheres. like phantasmal killer, use a special saving greater than the real object being hidden throw that requires consultation of the spell for the illusion to be effective. Improved phantasmal force: This is fairly description for resolution.

70 OCTOBER 1995

72 OCTOBER 1995 DRAGON 73

A new psionics system has been Whichever rule system you use in your Psionics introduced for the AD&D® game. campaign, however, psionics—like all Certain characters in some campaign It appears first in the PLAYER'S OPTION™: rules designed to add a quantitative ele- worlds have powers and abilities that Skills & Powers book and then in the new ment to role-playing-should be more aren’t related to priestly or wizardly DARK SUN® campaign boxed set (shipping than a series of cold, hard dice rolls. The magic. These characters have access to in October of 1995). For most AD&D® mechanics provide a system that tests skill the internal power of their own minds-a campaigns, this new system is optional. level and adds an element of randomness. power source called psionics. Psionic It’s designed to be faster, easier to use, Players and Dungeon Masters must pro- energy is present in every living thing (and and less complicated than the system pre- vide the imagination that makes the me- many unliving ones), though only a few sented in The Complete Psionics chanics become part of the story. The can access and shape the energy at will. Handbook. For DARK SUN players, it next few pages offer suggestions to help When this energy is tapped and used for a becomes the line’s core psionic system. you add substance and role-playing ele- specific purpose, it manifests as psionic ments to psionic combat. The DARK SUN powers. setting provides the backdrop for all A psionicist character molds his mind, examples used in this article. body, and spirit into a unified whole from which he draws energy to form into psionic powers. Unlike magical spells, the

DRAGON 75 energy for these powers comes from the clairsentience, psychokinesis, psychome- altering whatever they find there. psionicist himself and not some extrapla- tabolism, psychoportation, and telepathy. The mindscape is a reflection of the nar energy reserve. Note that the psioni- (The rules in The Complete Psionics material world, as though a mirror were cist is a specific character class like a war- Handbook give six different disciplines, hung across the sky to catch the mental rior, wizard, priest, or rogue. but one—metapsionic powers-has been images of the living minds below. But the Some schools of psionics, such as those redistributed among the others.) mindscape has no physical dimensions or in DARK SUN campaigns, have given special Clairsentient powers allow characters to reflected images of the landscape of the terms to core psionic concepts. The inner perceive things beyond the natural range material world. There are no sky-scraping reserve of energy is called the Nexus, the of their senses; psychokinetic powers mountain ranges, no weathered sea innate ability to use psionics is called the move objects across a given space through coasts, no deep canyons. No permanent Will, and the process of study that makes a the energy of the mind; psychometabolic features provide continuity or direction. If character a master psionicist is called the powers affect a character’s own body; psy- a mountain rises on the mindscape, it Way. On Athas, the world of the dark sun, choportive powers permit psionic travel; owes its existence to whatever mind creat- every living creature has the Will, but few and telepathic powers allow the direct ed it-and once the mind stops imagining develop the Way to use it effectively. contact of two or more minds. For more it, the mountain fades away. The mirror A character whose natural psionic information about psionics in the AD&D exists in a dark place; the only light is that potential has manifested as just one or two game, see PLAYER'S OPTION: Skills & Powers, provided by the reflected minds them- psionic powers is known as a wild talent. the new DARK SUN campaign box, or The selves. Picture a vast, black emptiness with He can belong to any class other than Complete Psionics Handbook. occasional sparks of glowing light that psionicist. A wild talent cannot learn any represent the minds of living beings in the other powers but can make good use of The Mindscape material world. These sparks go about the the natural ability he possesses. business of thinking and dreaming, with- Nonpsionic characters (those who The minds of all living things form a dif- out really being aware of the existence of aren’t psionicists or wild talents) have nat- ferent level of reality than that of the mate- the mindscape around them. Psionicists, ural mental defenses, but no way to draw rial world around us. This mental land- however, are aware of the mindscape, and consciously upon their psionic energy. scape, or mindscape, is a strange terrain they make constant use of it when These mental defenses are measured in of mental constructs, dreams, and ideas employing psionic powers. the new psionics system as mental armor that most characters access in the normal When a psionicist enters the mind- class, or MAC. As with regular Armor way-through thought and concentration. scape, he appears as a glowing, transpar- Class, the lower the number, the better Psionicists (and, to a lesser extent, wild tal- ent representation of his physical form. It the protection. This natural defense ents) can enter this place at will in a man- may be slightly exaggerated or improved, assures that those without psionic powers ner that’s more akin to everyday reality by as the psionic form is often an idealized still have some measure of defense against creating psionic bodies and projecting version of a physical self. More powerful those who would reach into their minds them into the mindscape. Once their psionicists can even change their psionic or otherwise mentally attack them. psionic bodies step into the mindscape, forms more substantially, either for visual Psionicists have access to psionic pow- they can interact with the terrain and its effect or specific purpose. ers that are divided into five disciplines: occupants, manipulating and even When a psionicist’s psionic body enters

76 OCTOBER 1995 the mindscape, it either floats freely on their natural mental armor class (MAC) nent’s psyche. The minds of nonpsionic the mental winds of the black expanse, or to protect them. characters aren’t strong enough to create it stands upon a glowing, transparent plat- The five psionic attack forms are ego psionic versions of their physical forms. form of light. This glowing platform can whip, id insinuation, mind thrust, psionic Instead, they appear in the mindscape as be disk-shaped or rectangular. Powerful blast, and psychic crush. The five psionic glowing balls of pulsing light or illuminated psionicists can even form psionic scenery defense forms are intellect fortress, mental clouds of bright sparks floating in the black on the glowing platforms, reconstructing barrier, mind blank, thought shield, and expanse. Using the five psionic attack a real-world site from their memories or tower of iron will. How these attacks and forms, the psionicist batters the nonpsionic imaginations. (Note that wild talents never defenses manifest in the mindscape mind’s mental armor until it collapses. The have this level of control. Their psionic depends on the skill of the user. nonpsionic mind has no way to fight back platforms and bodies are crude con- When a psionicist enters the mindscape and must rely on its natural defenses. structs, showing an inherent lack of skill for the purposes of conducting psionic When these defenses fall, other psionic and knowledge in the use of the Way.) combat, a portion of his conscious mind powers can be used against the mind. In general, clairsentient powers make remains aware of events happening in the If the psionicist is fighting a wild talent, the most use of the mindscape, but it’s as material world. In effect, the psionicist is his opponent appears as a crude, unfin- an arena for psionic combat that the mind- in two places at the same time. In the ished psionic body. Whereas the psioni- scape takes on its most active, visual role. material world, the psionicist appears to cist’s form is crisp and bright, a wild tal- concentrate or perhaps gets a faraway ent’s psionic body is blocky, ill-defined, Psionic Combat look in his eyes. Tension may play along and less brilliant. The wild talent’s glow- the corner of his mouth, or a bead of ing platform has the same characteristics The mechanics involved in engaging in sweat may slip down his brow. Otherwise, as his psionic form. Knocking out the wild psionic combat are detailed in the products there is no visible sign that combat is talent’s defenses and opening his mind mentioned earlier. Please refer to those occurring in the mindscape. remains the psionicist’s goal, though the rules while reading the rest of this article. In the mindscape, glowing armor girds wild talent can strike back. Psionic combat assaults closed minds in the psionic body. This is the mindscape The true scope of psionic combat is an effort to open them to further psionic manifestation of the psionicist’s mental demonstrated when two psionicists go contact. There are five psionic attack armor class. When the assault on the head-to-head. Such battles rock the mind- forms and five psionic defense forms avail- closed mind of the psionicist’s opponent scape and create a cacophony of vivid, able to use in psionic combat. Psionicists begins, other weapons and defenses are psionic imagery. Athasian psionicists, for can eventually learn and employ all 10 willed into existence for use in the battle. example, create attacks that take the form psionic attacks and defenses, whereas wild What direction such a psionic battle takes of charging mekillots, slashing swords, talents can never learn to use more than depends on the psionicist’s opponent. and battering boulders. Their defenses three attacks and three defenses. Non- If the psionicist is launching an assault appear as glowing shields of light, tall, psionic minds (all characters who aren’t on a nonpsionic mind, he searches the shimmering walls, and convoluted mazes psionicists or wild talents) must rely on mindscape for the dim glow of his oppo- of misdirection.

DRAGON 77 The Role-Playing Dimension shafts of a rain of arrows, or a relentless, Players can simply select psionic attacks stampeding herd of carru. and defenses and roll dice to determine the outcome of psionic combat involving Constructs (Psionic Defense Forms)

their characters. DMs and players, howev- l Intellect Fortress: This defense encases er, will increase the fun of a game session the mind in a powerful keep of mental by concentrating on role-playing. Picture energy. It may take the form of a field of the black expanse of the mindscape, the brambles, the chitinous, spiky shell of a howling mental winds, and the distant cha’thrang, the rock-hard carapace of a glow of thoughts and memories. giant beetle, or glowing suits of metal Players should start by describing their armor from the most ancient of days.

character’s psionic bodies, glowing plat- l Mental Barrier: This is a wall of thought forms, and mental armor. Each should that blocks psionic attacks. It appears as a then select an attack and defense form wall of worked stone, light, or even metal, (without rolling any dice). Then, in initia- as a shimmering globe that surrounds the tive order, the players should describe the psionicist, or as a lightning-filled cloud imagined form that the psionic attacks that zaps incoming attacks before they and defenses take on. reach the defender.

All imagined attack and defense forms— l Mind Blank: This defense hides the forms that are very real in the mind- psionicist. It can appear as a thick fog, a scape— are called harbingers and con- raging sand storm, a featureless void, a structs. Harbingers are the visual repre- dark forest, labyrinthine ruins, a vast sentations of the attack forms; constructs desert, or a bottomless crevasse that lies are those of the defense forms. Sample between the attacker and defender.

harbingers and constructs for the DARK l Thought Shield: This is a glowing shield SUN campaign are given below, though that turns away psionic attacks. It can be players and DMs are encouraged to add to visualized as a shield, armor, a mystic these common forms to match particular rune, or any monster that appears to psionicists and their personalities. protect the defender from attacks.

l Tower of Iron Will: This unassailable Sample Harbingers and haven takes the form of a tall tower, a Constructs stout gate, an impossibly high cliff, or a jagged, lonely crag. The following harbingers and constructs are the most common ones used by the Psionic Combat as a psionicists of Athas. They add nothing to Story Element game mechanics, but they can add a wealth of entertainment to the role-play- How does all of this work to enhance ing aspects of psionic combat. role-playing? Leaving the dice mechanics aside for the moment, let’s observe a DM Harbingers (Psionic Attack Forms) and a player tell the story of the battle of

l Ego Whip: This psionic assault on a tar- two psionicist characters. Lester, the play- get’s self-esteem can be visualized as a er, runs the hero Drasik of Tyr, a psioni- glowing whip, a belligerent templar, an cist of some experience and power. The arrogant noble, the terrifying Dragon, or DM runs the NPC villain, Salistar of the the buffeting winds of a Tyr storm. Dark Mind. The two characters spot each

l Id Insinuation: This assault on the sub- other across a crowded tavern, and the conscious mind can take the shape of a scene plays out as follows. glowing battering ram, a charging mekillot, DM: “Drasik notices his old foe Salistar a shimmering war hammer, or a deadly on the other side of the tavern’s common silk wyrm that slithers past defenses room. As he spots her, she locks eyes with instead of smashing them. him.”

l Mind Thrust: This piercing attack stabs at Lester: “This is it. Drasik has been wait- thoughts and memories, so it takes the ing to confront Salistar for a long time. form of piercing weapons. Glowing swords Drasik concentrates, sending his psionic of light, swift and graceful chatkachas, form into the mindscape in preparation flaming spears, and scorpion stingers all for psionic combat.” fall into this category. DM: “Salistar does the same. To the

l Psychic Crush: This is a mental weight crowd around them, though, nothing out that slowly crushes defenses. As such, it of the ordinary can be detected.” can be visualized as a huge boulder slowly Lester: “Drasik’s psionic body forms rolling forward, the crushing tentacles of atop a glowing platform of light in the a silt horror (of a color of the psionicist’s blackness of the mindscape.” choice), the punishing rain of a Tyr storm, DM: “What does his form look like? And or the plodding, steady attack of a moun- what about the platform?” tainous earth elemental. Lester: “Drasik looks much as he does

l Psionic Blast: This attack sends a wave of in the physical world, though his psionic mental energy racing toward the target. As body glows brightly and is semitranspar- such, most psionicists imagine it as light- ent. He’s a tall, bald human with a thin, ning strikes from a Tyr storm, the swift, muscular build. Sparkling armor like the slashing claws of a kirre, the flaming heart of a lightning storm covers his body,

78 OCTOBER 1995 and he stands on a glowing disk of light.” ally makes it to Salistar. Her kirre shoots shoots up from my battle platform to DM: “Cool. Well, Drasik sees Salistar back toward Drasik, its claws sparking rocket me out of the tentacles’ reach.” appear a short distance away in the dark- through the blackness as it blasts toward DM: “That almost works, but the tenta- ness. She, too, looks like a shimmering him. The lightning-filled mental barrier cles catch hold of Drasik and squeeze. version of her physical self. Her semi- blocks the rushing psionic blast, and with Unbelievable pain shoots through Drasik’s transparent form is shapely and strong, a rumbling growl the kirre fades into mind, but his mental armor remains and her hair flows like spun lightning in nothingness. intact. What about Drasik’s mind thrust?” the mental winds. Her disk of light is wide “In the tavern, Drasik remains calm and Lester: “A glowing sword appears in and thin, and a glowing skin of mental collected, sipping his kank nectar while Drasik’s hands, and in the next instant his armor outlines her psionic body.” keeping his gaze locked on Salistar. battle platform slides into Salistar’s. He Lester: “Drasik chooses ego whip as his Salistar; meanwhile, lets out a barely audi- swings the sword, hoping to add to the attack form and mental barrier as his ble cough, and a few beads of sweat begin damage he inflicted in the previous attack.” defense form.” to develop on her brow.” DM: “Her intellect fortress forms into a DM: “Okay, consider how those forms Lester: “How does Salistar look in the giant beetle with a carapace as black as will manifest while I tell you what Salistar mindscape?” the expanse of the mindscape and as solid has planned. She’s calling forth a psionic DM: “Her personal armor isn’t as bright as a half-giant’s skull. It crawls in front of blast and using a thought shield”. as it was, but it still shimmers around her. the psionicist to take the brunt of Drasik’s Lester: “Drasik’s ego whip attack Otherwise, she seems to be very angry mind thrust. His glowing sword clatters appears as a fast-developing Tyr storm that her kirre was destroyed before it harmlessly off the beetle’s carapace. with glowing, swirling winds as strong could reach Drasik. On to the next round.” “In the tavern, Drasik swallows hard and sharp as shards of obsidian. His men- Lester: “Salistar’s going to try something and momentarily closes his eyes to the tal barrier takes shape as the lightning- big this time, so Drasik reaches into his crushing pain and failed attack. A slight filled clouds that accompany the storm.” nexus to call forth a tower of iron will. As smile creeps across Salistar’s lips, and DM: “Salistar’s psionic blast forms into an attack, he starts to shape a mind thrust.” both psionicists prepare for a third round a huge kirre with shimmering fur and DM: “You’re right, Salistar wants to fin- of psychic combat....” claws that spark as they move through the ish this with a bang. She prepares a psy- Remember, when it comes to psionic air. Beside her, opposite the kirre, a chic crush attack and an intellect fortress combat, it’s all in your mind. Add details, ghostly braxat takes shape to act as her defense. Immediately, a red silt horror describe exciting visuals, and stretch your thought shield.” rises out of the darkness near Drasik, its imagination to paint the psionic canvas of Lester: “The sharp winds of Drasik’s grasping tentacles reaching from beneath the mindscape. Then the role-playing will ego whip rush across the black expanse to his glowing battle platform and wrapping really come alive. slice into Salistar.” around his tower of iron will.” DM: “Nice try, but the braxat leaps in Lester: “Uh, oh. Salistar certainly likes front of Salistar. The cutting winds rip the to create monsters. The tower of iron will braxat apart, but only a little damage actu- takes the form of an impossibly tall crag. It

DRAGON 79

Scaring Superheroes Right Out of Their Tights

by Spike Y. Jones (with thanks to Dale A. Donovan, Lee Gold, Richard Bark, and Lisa Padol)

Artwork by Bob Lessl

Last October, my article on how to scare difficult to do. Describing a “dark and player characters in a fantasy setting— stormy night” is too big a departure from “Who’s Afraid Of The Big, Bad Ghost?”— the norm in a CHAMPIONS* or GURPS appeared in issue #210 of DRAGON® SUPERS* campaign for the GM to use Magazine. The central point of the piece such atmospheric techniques to sneak up was that you can’t scare the PCs unless on the players and the PCs. No matter you first scare the players. While a “scary” what the build-up, if the end product is monster like a ghost is supposed to fright- just another villain to pound, the PCs will en a fantasy hero, most players aren’t in proceed to pound him without stopping the least frightened by them (“Okay, it’s 10 along the way to be frightened by him. hit dice, and humans get hit worst by its What if the GM wants to have a more aging power, so you guys sit this one out. intense gaming experience? What if, for Cedric, you’re above 7th level; try to turn it reasons that range from a desire to shake while we get the holy water out.”). up the complacency of the players to a Atmosphere and matters of delivery are simple Halloween theme, he wants actual- the key in that setting to making what’s ly to frighten the heroes, and as a neces- supposed to be scary actually scary. sary prerequisite, the players? Scaring In the superhero game genre, the superheroes (and superhero players) is desire to frighten the PCs comes up less possible, but it’s a different task than scar- frequently, and it is correspondingly more ing PCs in other role-playing genres.

DRAGON 81

Who’s Afraid of the combat advantage to the villain. PC pow- properly brave superheroes put on their Big, Bad Villain? ers like sun bursts or sonic blasts should best faces, and the average player still has be unaffected by a villain’s light and sound faith that some miracle will occur to keep To get the same results that a spooky damping fields, but attempts specifically to the PCs from suffering the defeat that atmosphere engenders for fantasy games, a counter the annoying special effect should would seem to be their fate, but it’s a start. supers GM has to use entirely different be completely ineffective. A third way for a villain to scare a hero methods. Superheroes aren’t supposed to Players get suspicious of a villain if they is by being insane. Superheroes (and play- scare easily, and the traditional method of can’t figure out why his points weren’t ers) expect to be able to outthink their attempting it-producing bigger, better vil- used as economically as were those of the opponents almost as often as they out- lains (How do you frighten a s uperhero PC heroes. “Does he have so many points muscle them. At the very least, the hero who can lift an apartment building? With a that he can afford to waste them on frivo- expects that he’ll be able to comprehend supervillain who can lift a planet?)—just lous effects?” players will wonder. “Do the villain’s motives and understand his stiffens the resolve of the better sort of these special effects have some deeper actions, however unlikely he is to agree hero. Even if the player isn’t as heroically meaning, such as a slow power drain with or allow them. An insane villain (or a fearless as his PC is supposed to be, he does field, that we haven’t figured out yet? Are monster that operates from entirely inhu- have the advantage of knowing a few things we missing something?” man motivations) is scarier in some ways about the superhero genre and the rules of In a similar vein, temporarily depriving than a rational, predictable one. He can most superhero RPGs that the PC doesn’t. the hero of some of his senses (and there- be harder to defeat, and what’s more, For instance, heroes are supposed to win in fore, depriving the player of some of the there’s something in all of us that’s the end, and killing one (generally thought input he’s used to) can cause some repulsed by the mentally ill-a fear that it to be the only thing that will scare a player) unease. The simplest way of doing this could happen to us. is intentionally very hard to do (unlike the (especially if the hero lacks extrasensory case in some other game genres). powers) is to turn out the lights; describ- Collateral Damage As a result, the players are nearly fear- ing a fight in an alley solely in terms of less. Although the causality should have sounds, smells, and transitory touches All in all, personal threats don’t scare been the opposite (in other words, the can confuse and frighten a hero who can heroes. Of course, threats to others might player should be attempting to duplicate normally handle almost any situation work. But the possible harm to the fearlessness of a hero in the genre, (which is why almost all of us are scared near-strangers isn’t usually enough to instead of the hero PC being fearless of the dark to some extent). worry the average player. In order to because of player confidence in the rules), Other methods of establishing sensory make the player actually fear the death or the PCs end up being equally fearless. deprivation include forcing the hero to disfigurement of an NPC, you have to Facing a much stronger opponent may conduct missions when common sense make the NPC’s life important to the play- cause a superhero some consternation, would require him to spend time recover- er character and the player in some way. but it’s not likely actually to frighten him. ing from attacks that blinded or deafened There are two ways to do this: make him Against a more powerful villain, a true him, or having him face villains whose significant in game terms, or make him hero just finds himself more determined powers include sensory manipulation (a intrinsically significant as a person. to succeed. And a player running a super- loss of trust in his sight to an illusion- The most obvious game-significant hero PC in a role-playing game feels much crafter can be as effective as a villain who NPCs are a hero’s dependents in both his the same. He may wonder how his PC will merely generates darkness). Finally, the super and his secret identities: his wife, defeat the villain, but knowing that it’s all GM can remove the hero to a location children, relatives, contacts, lawyer, just a game, with his own entertainment (such as an alien dimension) where our co-workers, sidekick, and so on. A proper- and enjoyment as key goals, he won’t have senses don’t work quite as they do in our ly designed dependent NPC (or DNPC) is any doubt that he’ll win in the end. normal reality. important to the player both because of To make the villain something extraordi- There are still a few ways for a villain to the role-playing connections built up nary, the GM can give him the trappings of unsettle players simply by being exceedingly between the characters and because of the supernatural (a name and powers powerful. The first partakes of the “super- the disadvantage points the DNPC repre- based on voodoo or vampirism, for natural special effects” options mentioned sents. Other NPCs who don’t have a direct instance), even if his powers are still pure above: if the villain is certifiably dead, and connection to the PC can still be a signifi- supervillain. This is especially useful if the then returns to bedevil the PCs, it produces cant part of his life by being important in hero group has no “supernaturalists” in its a certain amount of distress in the players’ the campaign world for other reasons. A roster, as supernatural menaces will thus minds. Of course, for the distress to arise, threat to the mayor of the campaign city a be something out of the ordinary for them. the players have to be certain that some- congressman who sponsors a bill with Next, modify his abilities so that they thing strange is going on, which means that implications for paranormals, or even the don’t appear to follow the rules (although they also have to be certain that the villain capture of another hero (PC or not) can you shouldn’t actually break them unless was definitely dead, perhaps seen by the cause an emotional response in a player, you know that the players would under- heroes’ own eyes (as opposed to the usual especially if the danger is made credible stand if they found out). Give him powers mysterious probable death of the “nobody and immediate. without obvious limitations (though they could have survived that fall” sort). What if the threatened character is just a probably should have hidden limitations), The second method is for the villain to random innocent bystander? How is the or let him do things that seem impossible have no real interest in defeating the PC GM supposed to make such a faceless NPC but simply rely on a heavy use of points or heroes because they’re so far beneath his significant to the players? The key is the stretched interpretations of the rules. power level as to be inconsequential. If word “faceless.” If you put a face to an oth- Minor spooky special effects, like dim- the villain has already defeated a team of erwise minimally meaningful NPC, he sud- ming all the lights (including the sun) in much stronger superheroes, he may not denly means more. For example, if a fleeing the vicinity of the villain or silencing all even give the PCs a second thought criminal grabs a bystander and whirls the noises within a certain radius around because they’re so badly outclassed that around to face the pursuing heroes with a him, make a supernatural villain stranger. they can’t possibly affect his plans. Thus, knife held to the innocent’s throat, the To keep such effects from being seen by there’s bound to be some trepidation players immediately convert to “hostage sit- the players as just more superpowers, when “the B team” (often made up of side- uation” mode. They attack the criminal they should have no direct impact on the kicks, rejects, and has-been heroes in the with mental powers with little thought for abilities of the heroes and thus convey no comics) must face him anyway. Of course, the hostage, while the GM merely gauges

DRAGON 83 the speed of their attack against the crooks A hero doesn’t have to lose full control would be for the hero to remove himself ruthlessness to determine the result. of his powers in order to harbor fears from contact with human society, but such But what if the GM gives the hostage a about them. What if powers that were a course of action would seem unthink- role in the encounter? Instead of immedi- normally kept in tight check suddenly able to the average superhero character. ately looking up the defensive bonus the became unpredictable or even uncontrol- In a more direct vein, if a villain feeds villain gains for having a body in front of lable? While the player might have had no on the powers of a hero (whatever they him, the GM could babble in the voice of qualms about giving his character powers may be), the character isn’t quite deprived the hostage (“Oh, God, oh, God! Please that could destroy a city because he knew of his abilities-after all, he still has them don’t hurt me! I have children! I’ll give that he’d never do that, making him worry at his fingertips-but their use could lead you whatever you want! Oh, God!“), forcing about the possibilities of “power surges” to disaster. What’s more, the very exis- the players to think of the victim as a per- or “accidental discharges” can force him tence of the hero could be as great a son, instead of an impediment to a clear into a whole new style of play. threat as the existence of the villain if the shot at the criminal. Another form of powerlessness is more hero doesn’t have to use his powers The more difficult the GM makes the insidious and effective. Leaving the hero’s actively for the villain to benefit from situation, the more “real” the NPCs powers intact, the GM can confront him them. become. When threats have personal with menaces against which his powers meaning to the hero-even threats that are simply ineffective. While villains with “I Didn’t Do That!” aren’t directed at him-he is more likely special defenses are obvious examples of to feel fear at the thought of failure, and this principle, even more interesting are Similar to a loss of power, a loss of control so is the player. things that huge muscles, radar senses, on the part of a hero can be devastating. If and laser eyes were never designed to fight: he wakes up from a long, troubled sleep to “But Even with the government, social policy, the laws of see news reports claiming that he commit- All My Powers...” nature, and interpersonal relationships. ted numerous crimes during the night, not When such things go horribly wrong only does the hero have to make amends What makes a superhero super is his (for example, Congress passing a law to for his supposed crimes, but he must also panoply of powers. So what would happen restrict the actions of paranormals), the restore his reputation and track down the in a situation where the hero’s powers heroes must depend on other abilities in source of the spurious reports of his night- were superfluous instead of super? Or order to find success. And when a time activities. And if he discovers that the where they were the problem instead of law-abiding or officially sanctioned hero reports are true, that he actually did rob the solution? must choose between disobeying lawful banks, set fires, and threaten lives without Super impotence is a hero’s greatest authorities or allowing an evil deed (possi- any recollection of his actions, he’ll wonder fear, as it strikes directly at his entire rai- bly on the part of a politician) to go unpun- whether he’s going insane, perhaps about son d’être; without his powers, Captain ished, it can put him in a horrible fix. to become the same sort of menace to soci- Clean is just another silly looking guy in If the player has put any effort into his ety that he’s always fought in the past. long white underwear. And there are a character’s creation and “life” beyond his But how does the GM convince the number of ways to pull off such power- superpowers, such areas can be targeted player that his PC is going uncontrollably lessness. The most obvious of these is the by the GM. Many heroes simply can’t han- insane? After all, since it’s the player who standard supervillain device that tem- dle their love lives as well as they do their decides what the PC will do, he’ll certainly porarily deprives the superhero of his heroic careers, so the threat of a neglect- know what he did and did not sanction as abilities. When coupled with an important ed wife DNPC asking for a divorce can be his PC’s actions. So, to make the player task that absolutely must be accom- as difficult to solve as an interstellar inva- fear that his character is truly suffering plished-such as saving a threatened sion. The effect of this sort of threat is from a loss of control, the GM should NPC—any player or hero becomes con- directly proportional to the care the player (temporarily) take away the player’s con- cerned (to say the least). The player knows has put into crafting the DNPC. Secret trol of the hero. At times, he can roll a few that the GM can’t permanently deprive his identities, weaknesses, and other dice behind the GM’s screen and then PC of hundreds of points worth of powers often-ignored disadvantages can all cause announce that the hero is performing a (not without giving him new ones, any- concern to both player and PC if threat- certain action, listening to no objections way), so being forced to solve a problem ened or exposed during an adventure. on the part of the player. without the benefit of his powers might be They represent things that the hero is Even when the player ostensibly con- seen as a true challenge rather than a specifically unable to affect and loom just trols the hero’s in-character actions, the frustration. as menacingly as a powerful supervillain. GM can take away some of the player’s A similar tactic to use on a superhero Instead of merely being powerless in the control of the game by rolling combat or PC is to change his powers without the face of a menace, what if the hero’s pow- skill-use dice for the player. (This could be consent of his player. What makes a ers actually made the problem worse? If cumbersome in games where Lovecraftian monstrosity more frightening the GM engineered events so that normal double-handfuls of dice are rolled to than a gigantic supervillain? Part of the actions on the part of the hero had unex- resolve a powerful attack, so just making difference is in the sort of extra powers pected consequences, the hero might attacks rolls and letting players roll the the monstrosity has: mind control, the become unsure of himself, unable to pre- damage is a compromise.) The GM should ability to cause unwanted changes to the dict which actions he should take in the still be scrupulously fair when it comes to character, and especially the possibility of future and what new spin the GM might making these rolls, but the frustration a driving the PC insane. A player would con- put on them. In the past, many comic player feels at being deprived of his sider such potential harm at the tentacles books have shown that the public (includ- dice-rolling abilities parallels what the of the monster to be in keeping with the ing the hero’s DNPCs) can be made aller- hero feels at losing control of his super- game and genre rules; thus, he must face gic to the presence of the superhero (as a powers. the real possibility that the GM will “muck natural reaction to his extraordinary body If the scenario doesn’t involve mind up” his carefully crafted PC if he doesn’t chemistry, as the result of a villain’s control or the like, the GM can deprive all handle the menace just right. And it’s that scheme, or because of exposure to such the players of their dice to make them feel fear of the legitimate powers of the GM super-staples as alien viruses and lingering uneasy-a preliminary “softening up” that makes such a monster more fear- extra-dimensional radiation to which the technique in preparation for another fea- some than a supervillain of the same hero himself is immune). In such a case, ture of the session designed to make the power level (but with different powers). the immediate solution to the problem continued on page 116

84 OCTOBER 1995

The other extreme: eight ways to give 0-level bad guys an edge over powerful PCs

by Peter C. Zelinski

Artwork by Dan Burr 1. Alignment Recurring villains don’t have to be high- role-playing muscles that often go level world-shakers with terrifying spells unused in the dungeon. This is not the villain’s alignment, but that and magical items. Some are soft and Such low-level villains also make a good of the heroes. If the party is all or primari- pampered urbanites who wouldn’t be a lesson for the PCs, demonstrating that ly good-aligned, then this alone may be match for a kobold, let alone a party of physical power isn’t everything. Often, just enough to keep a O-level villain alive- heroic adventurers. Just like our own one instance of a 0-level character manag- depending largely on the campaign’s lives, the lives of our PCs can include ing to disrupt their lives is enough to alignment philosophy. No matter how adversaries who would be useless in com- bring some much needed humility to severe the offense, it may violate a good bat, but who manage to land painful heroes who had begun to feel invincible character’s sense of fairness to fight a 0- blows nonetheless by striking with behind their magical swords and fireballs. level character, because it would effective- weapons more subtle than those found on Of course, the 0-level villain can’t often ly amount to slaughter. any equipment list. resort to magical swords and fireballs Even so, a O-level character may never In addition to whatever dark overlord himself. How, then, can the DM give such commit an offense a good character opposes the player characters from an opponent a fighting chance? would judge worthy of corporal punish- adventure to adventure, the DM should Eight suggestions follow. Though a few ment. Lacking serious combat ability, the also consider including at least one minor are mostly defensive (ways to protect the vil- O-level character often “attacks” by humili- villain who is closer to the PCs’ home lain from harm when he gets the PCs angry) ating the heroes, or by using his influence base. This villain, too, wants to destroy the others are potential sources of power to confiscate their wealth or fabricate one or more of the heroes, but for a much and influence the villain can use against the criminal charges against them. Unless the more personal reason. Jealousy could be characters directly. The DM is encouraged villain hires an assassin or gives the PCs’ his motive, or maybe he hopes to improve to combine these devices when creating his high-level enemies important information, his station in life, believing that destroying O-level villain. To ensure that the villain is he generally won’t endanger the heroes, the PCs will win him the favor of the dark more than just a “one-trick” NPC who may no matter how much he wishes he could. overlord himself. grow stale after only two or three appear- Therefore, the heroes won’t be justified in This “minor” villain can be a low-level ances, a minimum of two devices should be slaying him. Lucky villain! character, but a O-level villain is even bet- used. Because the devices don’t conflict with The heroes will have to find creative ter. To be effective, O-level characters must one another, it’s even possible to use all ways to keep the villain in check, if only to move the conflict beyond the realm of eight at once. The resulting villain would be free themselves up for serious adventur- attacks and hit points. In doing so, they formidable indeed-even if he does have ing (which they can’t do while stuck in jail force the players to flex noncombat, only three hit points! on false charges). When alignment pre- Evening the Odds, Part II:

DRAGON 87 vents the PCs from using force to stop the 4. Political Office 6. Wits villain, the scoundrel always gets a Instead of bribing government officials to Instead of relying on levels or hit dice, the reprieve, remaining alive and well to effect his will, the villain may be one of the villain may be an intellectual mastermind scheme against the heroes another day. officials himself. Because corrupt and who anticipates his enemies’ moves and highly placed NPCs tend to be wealthy, uses his limited resources creatively for there is likely to be overlap between this devastating effects. When given its due, 2. The Law In the same way that a sense of fairness device and “Wealth,” above. However, even genius-like money-can be a powerful can prevent good characters from slaying if the villain is not wealthy, his political weapon in itself. a 0-level villain, the law can likewise con- standing may give him a similar degree of Though playing a genius-level villain strain lawful characters. The mere threat influence. Whereas a wealthy villain can doesn’t require an 18 Intelligence, it does of legal action may stop neutral and chaot- hire an underling to do his bidding, for require the DM to consider each problem ic heroes, too. In many ways, the law is a example, an official can order him into as the villain would. Not powerful enough more effective protection for a careful vil- service or appeal to his sense of patrio- to defeat or destroy the PCs and unable to lain than the heroes’ alignment. tism, “city security,” or loyalty to the find anyone else to do the job, the villain Any organized settlement, even a chaotic crown. A very powerful 0-level opponent will search for a creative way to achieve one, will have laws, whether concrete and might even be the crown itself. the same end. varied or vague and few in number. The Alternatively, the villain may be neither For example, if the villain wants to trick consistency of enforcement varies with influential nor highly placed, but instead the PCs into destroying themselves, his line population density; in cities, the density entrusted with just enough authority to of analysis-as well as the DM’s—might makes dependable law enforcement a make life miserable for the heroes. The proceed as follows: What do the PCs want? necessity for any semblance of peaceful liv- villain may be a tax collector who uses an How can this desire be used to trick them ing. Anyone living in a city can expect the obscure “treasure tax” to confiscate a lib- into endangering themselves? What are all law’s protection, and this includes the vil- eral share of the heroes’ wealth, or he of the ways the PCs might discover my lain. The law may be just, or-in a corrupt may be a mid-level officer of the city treachery, and how can I foil each of these society-it may be skewed to favor one guard who is well within his authority to in advance? Most importantly, how can I group (that of the villain) over another interrogate or detain the “suspicious” PCs. conceal my own involvement or escape if (that of the PCs, particularly if they are out- Such characters should be adept at cov- the PCs pursue me? The villain’s sinister siders). To a lawful character, this won’t ering their own tracks to maintain a guise plan will emerge from answers to ques- matter. Rules are rules. of innocence and impartiality. If the heroes tions such as these, and he won’t act until Anyone who flouts the law-regardless stand up for themselves, they may find the all of his questions are answered. of alignment-will have to face the local law and the rest of the government turned Even if the villain is unable to attack the law enforcement, and this may be enough against them. The PCs’ awareness of this heroes through cunning and deceit, his to keep PCs in line. For example, say the possibility may be enough to keep the vil- intelligence alone may make him danger- villain hires an assassin who kills one of lain unharmed (see “The Law,” above). ous. If he is the smartest enemy the PCs the heroes. Good characters might feel have ever faced, he may be able to deduce a justified in avenging their comrade by 5. Infiltration particular weakness of the heroes. He slaying the villain, particularly if the assas- If the villain has the means or influence to might research their backgrounds or the sin were still alive and under contract. But employ or command others, the DM histories of their magical items, or he might what if the heroes have no hard evidence shouldn’t overlook the possibility that one win the trust of others who know the char- of the villain’s involvement? If they kill of the villain’s lackeys infiltrates the acters. As the sole possessor of such valu- him anyway, they would be wanted for heroes’ party. Though this trick is available able information, he can use it to bargain murder. Even if they could justify battling to any villain, it is often ignored by the with the heroes’ high-level enemies-per- the city police, could they be certain that dark overlords of the world, who instead haps even the dark overlord himself. they’d win such a fight? use scrying magic to gather information If such a deal is struck, the heroes will In the same example, what if the PCs do and high-hit-dice minions to strike at their find themselves with two new problems: a have proof? In an “enlightened” city, they enemies. For the 0-level villain lacking dark overlord who now knows much still would have to stay out of the affair, these resources, however, the infiltrator more about them, and a wily 0-level villain trusting the duly sanctioned authorities to can make an excellent substitute. who probably got something very interest- detain the villain and bring him to trial-all The infiltrator can be a spy looking for ing in trade.... of which affords the villain ample opportu- information on the heroes’ powers or nity to escape or bribe his way to acquittal. weaknesses. More dangerous, however, is 7. Magic the professional saboteur, who bides his Perhaps the villain has a powerful magical 3. Wealth time until the PCs are vulnerable, then item. He might have bargained for it with Whereas the first two devices were purely betrays them to make their problems one of the PCs’ enemies (including the defensive, money is both a defense and an much worse. The saboteur may barricade dark overlord), he might have found it for offense. In a fantasy world as much as in a door to trap the heroes in a dungeon, or sale, or he might have received it as a our own, money is perhaps the great he may pilfer an important magical item, trust of his office. In any case, the villain equalizer. Whatever a wealthy villain lacks leaving the PCs to discover the loss the has no doubt discovered the many possi- the ability to do, he can hire others to do next time the item is needed desperately. bilities of the item and uses it as a tool for him. This includes pressing body- The easiest way for the villain to place against the PCs. guards and mercenaries into his private an infiltrator among the PCs is to have Be warned, though, that the item must war against the PCs. him pose as a hireling and be employed not be combat-related, or at the very least In a society that is in any way corrupt, by the party. In this case, the infiltrator should have applications outside of com- the wealthy villain may also be something does his best to earn the trust of the PCs, bat. A 0-level villain brandishing a vorpal of a plutocrat, lining either government possibly appearing to endanger himself in sword simply means that the heroes are coffers or officials’ pockets to promote the the process. His goal is to win “special” about to acquire a vorpal sword. The same creation and enforcement of laws that are assignments from the heroes-tasks is true of defensive combat items, all of detrimental to the heroes. where he has only minimal supervision. which can defend for only so long. For Because it is such a versatile device, example, a cube of force will eventually wealth tends to be the weapon of choice run out charges, and the charm of the for DMs creating 0-level villains. continued on page 118

88 OCTOBER 1995

New Glyphs for the Underdark

by Wolfgang Baur

The release of the Night Below campaign What Are Savant Glyphs? record arcane magical lore: the omens expansion adds great depth to the existing and portents of the underground seas, the source material on the Underdark, the As the rulers and stewards of the aboleth divinations of entrails, or the results of great system of caverns and passages that cities, the savant aboleth have evolved a powerful scryings or enchantments sent serves as home to the drow, illithids, kuo- complex symbolic glyph system they use against the enemies of the aboleth. Over toans, svirfnebli—and savant aboleth, the for all written communication, tracking the course of long ages, this system itself new ruling class of the aboleth introduced mundane matters such as slaves captured, was used to manipulate, harness, and bind in Night Below. sacrifices offered, and goods harvested magical forces for defensive purposes. from the sea. The same glyphs are used to The aboleth’s system of enchanted sym-

90 OCTOBER 1995 bols is a large and highly-developed set of istics of a glyph of warding unless other- total. magical glyphs, much larger than the wise indicated in the glyph description. Glyph of Creeping Horror: This glyph signs, seals, and sigils used to ward tomes The glyphs must be touched to release induces paranoia, fear, and loathing in the and protect valuables in the surface their power, and they last until dis- victim, destroying one point of Intelligence world. These specialized protective glyphs charged. and Wisdom each day and creating feel- are called savant glyphs; those few sages of ings of goodwill toward the caster; as a the surface world who have been privi- Simple Glyphs result, the creature feels compelled to stay leged enough to see such glyphs have To cast the most basic savant glyphs, a near the caster (for safety from the name- determined that savant glyphs are, in fact, caster need only be a 5th-level priest with less terrors that the spells conjures up in closely related to glyphs of warding. access to the Guardian sphere. the victim’s mind) and to defend the cast- However, savant glyphs are a much more Alternatively, the caster may be a 7th-level er against all threats, both real and imag- complex and elaborate form of magic; wizard with access to the abjuration or ined. By the end of spell’s duration, only mastering it is a skill separate from nor- evocation schools or a 7th-level psionicist the caster seems trustworthy in the vic- mal spell-casting. with access to psychokinetic disciplines. tim’s eyes; the victim dies when either Among the dark waters of the aboleth Glyph of Binding: Unless a saving throw ability score reaches zero. Savant aboleth cities, the ability to form savant glyphs is vs. spells succeeds, this glyphsummons use this glyph to create disposable (but relatively common, and is a mark of status magical tentacles that wrap the victim completely loyal) bodyguards. and power over lesser aboleth. Any savant from head to toe, effectively paralyzing the Glyph of Enslavement: This glyph has all aboleth that functions as a 7th-level or victim for 1 hour per level of the caster. the effects of an aboleth’s domination abil- higher priest or wizard can create magical The victim has one chance to break free; a ity, but at a distance (effects are identical glyphs by psychokinetic force, one glyph successful Bend Bars/Lift Gates roll shat- to a domination spell). If the glyph is trig- per day. Casting time is two turns plus one ters the magical bonds and ends the bind- gered and the victim fails the saving turn per additional glyph element (see ing. However, regardless of armor or mag- throw, he falls under the caster’s control; below), so casting glyphs is not likely dur- ical protections, the bonds are large, slimy if the saving throw succeeds, there is no ing combat. A savant aboleth (or any other tentacles that are wound around the vic- effect. caster) can maintain no more than one tim’s flesh and attached by octopuslike Once a victim is dominated, the savant glyph-element per point of Intelligence at suckers; by breaking the bonds, the victim who created the glyph is immediately any given time. tears the suckers from his flesh. This aware of its new slave and its rough direc- Savant glyphs come in four categories: inflicts 1d4 hp damage/level of the caster tion and distance. The aboleth can imme- simple glyphs, complex glyphs, master on the victim. diately issue mental commands. Any tele- glyphs, and complex master glyphs. Simple Glyph of True Darkness: Physically, this pathic instruction which is clearly suicidal glyphs are identical to glyphs of warding; glyph manifests its effect just like a dark- allows the victims a fresh saving throw vs. only two new varieties are presented here. ness, 15(FM) radius spell-a globe of dark- spell without penalty. Complex glyphs are similar to glyphs of ness suddenly appears. However, the cast- Because savant aboleths are masters of warding, but they combine the effects of er can see normally within the area of enslavement, the saving throw for this two or three normal glyphs. For example, effect, and the glyph’s magic blocks infrav- particular glyph is at -2 when cast by a a complex glyph might inflict cold damage ision and all divination spells as well as savant (in addition to the usual -1 for and also cause paralysis. Master glyphs normal sight. being a master glyph); for all other races it each count as a three-element glyph for is normal. the purposes of the caster’s glyph limit, Complex Glyphs Vapor Glyph: The vapor glyph acts as a and each master glyph has a unique To cast complex glyphs, a surface player permanent potion of gaseous form; the effect, such as enfeeblement (per the ray of character must be a 7th-level priest (or a victim must make a saving throw vs. spells the same name), extension (which doubles 9th-level wizard or psionicist), with access or be transformed into a cloud of misty the range of an aboleth’s domination as described above. vapors. This cloud can suffer damage power), or law (which acts as a reversed Glyph of Deep Dreams: This glyph com- from magical weapons and any spells that prayer). Finally, the height of the aboleth’s bines the glyph of enfeeblement with a affect the air (a gust of wind inflicts dam- development of savant glyphs is the com- glyph of sleep (as per the sleep spell); the age equivalent to fireball). The spell can plex master glyph, which is discussed in victim cannot be awakened except by only be removed by dispel magic. greater detail below. physical damage, violent shaking, or Unlike most savant glyphs, the vapor extremely loud noise. This glyph is often glyph is reversible as the solid glyph. In Who can use glyphs? used to prepare sacrifices or to immobi- this form, the glyph turns a creature’s skin lize powerful, single opponents. to stone, often causing it to immediately Savant glyphs are created by focussed Glyph of Killing Darkness: This glyph sink into the unplumbed depths of an mental energy; they can be cast by a wide combines the glyph of true darkness with aboleth cavern. Unless the glyph is quickly range of creatures, including wizards, the effect of a glyph of cold (1d4 hp dam- removed, the victim drowns or (if a water- priests, and psionicists among the drow, age per level of the caster, save for half). If breather) is driven mad by its imprison- illithids, and kuo-toans. Not all surface triggered underwater, the resulting cold ment in its own body. creatures can cast all glyphs, however; for creates a block of ice five feet in diameter; Glyph of Watching: This glyph is used by example, any 5th-level priest can cast a if the victim’s saving throw fails, he is the savants to spy on their enemies; for simple glyph of fire, but certain more encased in ice. this reason, they are often cast at the out- powerful glyphs (such as those that drain skirts of kuo-toan settlements or drow energy levels or slay instantly) require Master Glyphs caverns. Only the aboleth savants know greater mastery to invoke. These caster To form master glyphs, a surface PC must the glyph’s true purpose is not death, but requirements are indicated in the text; be a 10th-level priest or a 12th-level wiz- infiltration. otherwise, treat all savant glyphs as 3rd- ard or psionicist. When a glyph of watching is triggered level spells or as 10 PSP disciplines (sci- Glyph of the Breath of Life: When acti- and the victim’s saving throw fails, the ences for master glyphs). vated, this glyph immediately devours life caster may see through the victim’s eyes at force from the creature touching it and a range of a number of milesequal to the New Glyphs transfers that energy to the caster. The caster’s level. The caster also hears what- effect removes 1d4 hp permanently from ever the victim hears. The victim is often All savant glyphs have the basic character- the victim and adds them to the caster’s relieved that no ill effect occurred, and

92 OCTOBER 1995 may assume that the glyph simply failed. get, then slowly flays its victim’s flesh from Finding Glyphs Once activated, the effect lasts for 1 hour his bones (1d4 hp damage/turn), resulting per level of the caster. in complete liquification of the victim over Savant glyphs are among the most closely- several hours. When the glyph is trig- held secrets of the savant aboleth, but they Complex Master Glyphs gered, a large swarm of predators often can be stolen, copied, and learned by Great savant-aboleth of exceptional mas- gathers nearby, drawn to the blood in the other races: a few illithid, drow, and kuo- tery (18 or higher Wisdom and water. The glyph is most likely a combina- toan wizard/priests have learned some of Intelligence, 10th-level or above as both tion of the glyph of binding with an the aboleth’s secrets and use this power priests and wizards) can create complex unknown master glyph. against their rivals. Player characters may master glyphs which add an extra element Oddly enough, the glyph of a thousand do so as well. Any PC who sees or experi- onto a master glyph (for example, a glyph tentacles is almost never used for warding ences the effect of a savant glyph may of enfeeblement which also does cold and protection. Its primary application is reproduce its effect by learning its make- damage or a glyph of watching that also religious, for it is used in almost all abo- up, researching its magical construction enslaves the victim); these complex master leth sacrifices to the Blood Queen, the as if it were a normal 3rd-level spell. Each glyphs still only count as three glyphs for dark goddess they all revere. Because of glyph seen or felt must be researched sep- the purpose of determining the limit, but the damage done to the victim, creatures arately. Psionicists must learn a single dis- they require a full hour to create. slain in this manner cannot be raised cipline (for simple and complex glyphs) or Surface casters have had little success from the dead, but must be resurrected. science (for master glyphs). Once the gen- in recreating complex master glyphs. It is eral skill is learned, the psionicist must believed that a 15th-level priest or a 20th- Removing Glyphs still learn each separate glyph (make an level wizard or psionicist is required to Intelligence check at -9 to master any form a complex master glyph; so far, all Savant glyphs of all kinds can be removed glyph the psionicist has encountered). In reports of success are unreliable. by a successful dispel magic cast against any case, no creature may form more Glyph of Devouring the Mind: Believed to the highest level rating for the savant abo- than a single glyph per day, no matter be an expansion of the glyph of the breath leth or other spellcaster who created what its level of skill or mastery. of life, this glyph slowly takes all knowl- them. Saving throws are permitted against The easier way to master the savant edge from the victim’s mind and passes it the effects of all these glyphs, but saving glyphs is to read the petroglyphs and hid- telepathically to the glyph’s caster; as a throws against the effects of a master den writing kept in the strangely phospho- result, all spells the victim has memorized glyph are made with a -1 penalty; against rescent libraries said to exist in the under- become accessible to the caster (or may complex master glyphs the penalty is -2. ground dome-cities of the aboleth them- be written into a spellbook). The victim Only one saving throw is permitted selves. Gaining that hoarded knowledge, loses one level per day until death occurs. against the whole battery of magical however, requires great skill, powerful Glyph of a Thousand Tentacles: This effects radiated by a complex glyph or a magic, and a successful expedition into glyph both paralyzes and constricts its tar- complex master glyph. the black waters of the Underdark

94 OCTOBER 1995 by Gregory W. Detwiler Artwork by John Dollar

From the private memoirs of Major we encountered in the very center of that we were two men short and had to make General (Ret.) Jared Pembroke-Smythe: damnable swamp country. I dared not do with nine men instead of 11. Not a reveal it to the world at large, or even my pleasant prospect, especially since the tall The Burmese War of 1885 was a ghastly superiors, for fear of speedy placement in marsh grass around us could hide any- show all around, God knows. The swamps an insane asylum. thing from a horde of swordsmen to a and fever, along with the crocodiles, I was only a subaltern then, leading a war elephant with swivel-mounted can- pythons, leopards, and tigers our troops squad of infantry on a routine patrol near nons on its back. encountered were trouble enough, even the banks of the Irrawaddy, in search of Still, my men were all veterans, and without the human dacoits that were our fleeing bandits. Our battalion had just Lance Corporal Tompkins, the only surviv- nominal enemy. But the most hellish stormed one of their stockades the day ing non-commissioned officer, had spent opposition our troops ever faced was what before, with heavy casualties. As a result, years chasing lesser bandit bands before

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the war broke out. “Know the swamps like We must have gone at least 100’ before Indeed, I hesitate to repeat this, but it the back‘o me ‘and, I do,” he said. I was we found the first object, barely glinting in seemed as though the creature actually glad someone did. the light of our torches. It was a short took several wounds, but healed them up We had encountered nothing on our curved sword, or dha, such as the local within moments. Then the thing was patrol, and were about to return to camp natives used. Part of it seemed to be upon us, actually hurling itself on the bay- when we heard a loud thrashing several stained with something that proved to be onets set to receive it. I got in one good hundred feet away from us. We took up dried blood, yet the odor it gave off was blow with my sabre before a lashing tail firing positions within a small grove of not familiar, not like that of a human stroke sent me reeling back. trees, anticipating an attack by one or being, or indeed, any ordinary animal. I landed hard, on my back, and by the more war elephants. But no attack came, As we advanced farther, we found more time I was standing again, the battle was nor were there any sounds that could def- sword blades, as well as spearheads, dag- over. The men screamed in agony as they initely be ascribed to an elephant. gers, and several badly corroded muskets. were slowly crushed or clawed to death. The noise coming from the tall grass There were even several spiked helmets The cries of two of them ceased abruptly sounded like a large animal thrashing such as Burmese troops wear, but no uni- when the monster sank its fangs into about, but it could just as easily have been forms or other clothing. Nor were there them. Tompkins was the last to die, trying a water buffalo or a rhinoceros. However, any bones or other remains of men or to use his torch to force the creature back we heard no sounds such as any of those animals, and we had yet to find any other far enough for him to squeeze past it. The animals commonly give voice to, or any clues as to just what sort of creature had beast simply snatched him up in its jaws other cries, for that matter. The noise entered this impossible cavern. and swallowed him whole, torch and all! finally died down, and after a hasty con- We must have traveled over 1,000 yards I staggered to my feet, shaken by the anni- sultation with Tompkins, I decided to down that single, sloping tunnel before we hilation of my entire command. My torch, investigate. heard the sound. At first it sounded like now lying on the cavern floor, was about You must understand that the swamp the distant chant of a group of tribesmen to go out. Taking advantage of its remain- country along the Irrawaddy was totally at one of their heathen rituals, but the ing light, I sheathed my sword, pointed without rock formations of any sort. There closer we got to the source, the less myself toward the exit, and ran for my life. was only water-saturated soil beneath our human it sounded. Indeed, the sound was If I had lost my footing even once, it would feet. How, then, can anyone explain what not made by a human voice but seemed to have been my-end, for I could hear that we found? Next to a quarter-acre of be a type of hissing that occurred in rhyth- ground in which the high grass was mic intervals like those of human chants. smashed flat there stood a tunnel or cav- As we made our way past more discard- ern of solid rock, its mouth gaping wide ed equipment, one of the privates acci- Naga: Serpentine Human like a cellar door 10’ across. dentally kicked a spiked helmet, sending it Degenerates In the muddy ground beside that cave clattering off into the darkness ahead of mouth lay a curious track, like that of an us. Almost immediately, the rhythmic hiss- Character Rolls Averages enormous serpent’s belly, yet with small ing stopped, with an abruptness that STR 4d6 + 12 25 footprints right beside them. These prints could only be described as sinister. CON 3d6 11 were not unlike the hands and feet of a We stood still in shocked silence, not SIZ 4d6+24 35 human being. It was as if a python had knowing whether to go on or retreat. INT 1d6+12 10 grown limbs with grotesquely elongated Then we heard the scraping sound of POW 6d6 22 hands and feet. I shuddered inwardly at claws on rock, and a rustling sound indi- DEX 3d6+4 13 the thought. cated that some heavy body was labori- With this mystery before us, there was, ously hitching its way up the tunnel in our Weapon Chance Damage of course, no thought of turning back. We direction. The tunnel was still wide Bite 70% 3d6 + poison, were able to find some branches and enough for the men in my squad to form equal to the lengths of grass dry enough to burn, and a double firing line-front rank kneeling, naga’s CON we fashioned them into makeshift torches. rear rank standing-so we took up our Claw 30% 2d6+1d6 Tompkins and I held them, of course, as positions in haste. This done, we waited Coils 60% 3d6+4 our privates had to keep both hands free anxiously, peering vainly at the darkness Tail 45% 3d6+3 to use their rifles. Due to the constant pos- beyond our little ring of torchlight. sibility of ambush in the tall grass, their When the thing finally appeared, it took Move: 8 bayonets were already fixed. Once the all our self-control to avoid bolting for the Hit Points: 23 torches were lit, we proceeded down the cavern mouth; would that we had. It was a Average Damage Bonus: +3d6 gently sloping tunnel that lay before us. writhing, twisting, coiling mass over 20’ in Armor: 3 points of scales, in addition to Inside, the rock construction of the tun- length, covered with rough gray scales. The the naga’s ability to regenerate 3 points nel was quite solid. Although it was sur- great head, larger than that of a horse, was of damage per round. rounded by a swamp, not so much as one mostly serpentine in shape, but the elon- Spells: Some nagas know 1d3 spells, drop of water dripped from the roof. There gated cranium in back was horribly like a particularly Contact Chthonian, Contact was moisture on the floor, but this was distorted human skull. As it came nearer, Flying Polyp, Contact Formless Spawn of obviously tracked in by whatever had we could see that it had hands and feet. Tsathogghua, Call Nyogtha, Contact entered a short time ago. There was a There were no limbs per se, just a pair of Tsathogghua, and Contact Yig. Most, wretched musky odor that we all recog- long-fingered hands up front and equally however, have mentally degenerated too nized as being similar to that of snakes, misshapen feet behind, all growing directly much to use conventional magic and are and this stench grew stronger the farther from that snakelike torso. The creature quite content with their formidable we progressed. regarded us with glittering yellow eyes for a physical abilities in combat. I was rather glad that I had drawn my moment, then gave voice to a hissing roar Sanity: It costs 1d10 Sanity points to see sword, rather than the revolver, for my that was only partially drowned out when I a naga (1d3 with a successful Sanity roll). free hand. Such a weapon would be more gave the command for a volley. This is because the clear degeneration useful if it came to fighting a writhing, Now, a Martini-Henry rifle fires a size- of the human form is so horrible. coiling serpent in the semidarkness of the able bullet of soft lead that is quite capa- Anyone who fails a Sanity roll around a cavern. Tompkins was not so lucky, but ble of tearing a man open, and we had naga is a prime candidate for ophiapho- then, he had already proven himself to be eight of them firing at once, but this thing bia (fear of snakes). a better shot than I. just seemed to shrug off the rounds.

DRAGON 99 ghastly rustling sound behind me all dur- Naga: Lesser Independent Race to the surface in search of food, and their ing my flight. At last I made it out, bending The nagas are the degenerate descendants rampages in Europe have given rise to leg- my head as I emerged to spare my eyes of a humanoid race, possibly akin to the ends of legless dragons such as the guivre. the worst of the tropical sunlight that serpent people, who live in underground They are not restricted to areas where greeted me so abruptly, and I ran for the caverns ranging from Great Britain to the caverns lead to the earth’s surface, for edge of the trampled space. American West, and who are variously another innate magic ability enables a On the very edge of the jungle, I referred to as “fairies” “the people of the naga to construct its own tunnel of stone stopped to catch my breath, drawing my dark,” and “the worms of the earth.” These to the surface whenever it wishes to hunt revolver as I did so. And as I rested, the hideous folk were once surface-dwellers, in an area where no connecting caverns thing loomed up out of the darkness, but they retreated underground after los- exist. framed in the very mouth of the cavern, ing a series of wars against more normal Depending on how long the naga wish- blinking in the harsh sunlight. I raised my humans (Indians in America and Picts in es to hunt, such tunnels stay in place for pistol, but instead of firing, I began to Britain). The stunted folk dwelt in the nar- anywhere from a single hour to a week. tremble. rowest caverns, the better to evade pur- If a party of investigators follows a naga Now that the thing was standing still in suit, and as the millennia went by, they down a tunnel thus created, and the beast broad daylight as its eyes adjusted to the evolved more and more in keeping with then dispels it (as it may well do to trap sun, I was able to study it in some detail. their chosen environment. the party), they will be stranded in the cav- The scales did not greatly resemble those Living the life of a serpent, these erns of the inner earth. They must either on pythons or other snakes, or on any of descendants of the original refugees find a surface-leading passage or wait for the many other reptiles I had seen in years developed scaly skin and fangs to resist a naga or other being to create a tunnel or of service in Asia and Australia. In fact, they the rigors of the environment and help other magical means of travel. Most likely, reminded me of nothing so much as the them catch prey. At first, they maintained however, they will simply die. scales I had seen on a type of opossum that a semblance of their old civilization lived in Australia. The implication, there- underground. Some still do, but as time Adventure Ideas fore, was that this great monster might not went by, more and more of them com- Despite its purely Asian name, the serpen- be a reptile, but rather a mammal. pletely reverted to a purely animal way of tine naga is found around world, and as My roving eyes discerned other details. life. such, can be a recurring menace for an The creature’s hands and feet obviously Shunned by their former kin, they com- investigating party that wishes to explore provided little or no aid to movement, peted with them for limited resources, the darkest caverns of the earth. Many though the hands were furnished with gradually developing adaptations that gave serpentine monsters of legend, such as great hooked claws for tearing prey. They them an advantage. Whereas their ances- the legless wyrms of Europe, the amphis- looked so damnably like distorted human tors and competitors were small, they baenae of ancient Greece, and the arkaroo extremities that I looked away from them. grew large. They eventually saw their of Australia may all be explained by the That was a mistake, for my attention limbs atrophy, with only the hands and presence of nagas. was now centered on the monster’s head. feet remaining. Growing narrower so as to As a candidate for a “monster on the Its eyes narrowed to mere yellow slits as it better fit in the slender tunnels, they took rampage,” a naga is better than most, as peered at me in the sunlight. It was all too the form of true serpents at last. Now they any investigators who pursue it down a plainly displaying an intelligent interest in inhabit cavern complexes the world over, tunnel of its own making may promptly me, precisely as a hostile human oppo- though they are generally known only by find themselves cut off from the surface nent might have done. When my gaze cen- their Asian name: nagas. and all human aid. This, in turn, can lead tered on the shape of its skull again, it no The size of the largest anaconda or to a fascinating adventure of cavern explo- longer seemed distorted; rather, its python, a naga is a formidable opponent ration, as the investigators try to reach the lengthening seemed to be the result of a in combat. It has powerful jaws with great surface before they run out of food, natural process. My blood turned cold as I curving fangs, from which drip a lethal ammunition, and other essentials. realized the truth: the monster’s ancestors poison. Though its feet are more or less If you like nagas but don’t want them to had once been men! useless, its hands have developed huge be star performers, you can throw them Whisperings from my subconscious hooked claws with which it can hold and at the party in a recurring role as lesser seemed to echo in my ears, half-forgotten tear prey. As a result of millennia of com- monsters. The investigators can constantly snippets of native lore I had overheard petition with its poisonous kin, it is now stumble upon them while exploring vari- since coming to Burma. The savages immune to all poisons. It can twine itself ous underground regions such as blue-lit- spoke in hushed tones of the naga, around an opponent and truly crush him ten K’n-Yan and black-litten N’Kai beneath half-man and half-serpent, a great being to death-not merely suffocating him-in it, a possible underground temple dedicat- of powerful magic. My heart sank as I an instant, and its tail is a lethal whip. ed to the likes of Nyogtha or Tsathogghua, realized how accurate the old legends had As a final defense, it has modified the or a passage leading to one of the last been, the legends my brother officers and race’s innate magic ability to give itself the strongholds of the flying polyps. I had laughed off with the arrogant folly of power to regenerate all battle damage at which only civilized man is capable. Far the rate of three points per round. This New Spell beyond fear for myself was a deeper ter- includes damage from fire as well as nor- Contact Naga: This spell must be cast at ror for the fate of my entire race. If man mal weapons. However, electricity, magic, the mouth of a cavern where one or more could fall so low from his high estate and acid all do normal damage, which nagas live. The artificial tunnels created by once, why may he not do so again, or sink must be healed at normal rates. the strange beings themselves are ideal (if even deeper in the future? Although nagas have kept their eyes— they are still standing when the spell is The gorged creature evidently decided no one knows why-they rely on other cast). Due to the race’s hatred of light, the that further pursuit of me would not be senses in darkness or underground. spell must be used on an overcast day or worth the trouble, and after regarding me Having evolved a regular telepathic sense (preferably) at night. One naga will come with what can only be described as con- after living so long in the dark, they can in response to the summons. The spell tempt, it gave a hissing wheeze and unerringly find prey under any condi- costs three magic points and 1d3 Sanity turned back into the darkness. tions. Darkness, fog, smoke, and even points to cast. Thoroughly demoralized, I staggered magical illusions are totally useless as pro- back to camp. I was no longer able to hold tection from a naga on the hunt. in my heart any emotion but bleakest Because they are larger than their despair for the fate of the human race. ancestors, nagas are more likely to travel

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Running Scared are much more frightening to players of powers. A helpful NPC mystic can point this genre than in most others. out that nonmystics sometimes develop Continued from page 84 Unfortunately, it takes more than a such powers when in a strong presence of players actually afraid of something. powerful villain with a death ray to fright- death. The strange nature of the premoni- Reversing the above scenario, how en superhero players. They know how dif- tion can be heightened with incidental would the hero react if he woke up one ficult it is to kill heroes and the rarity of events: cats, dogs, and police horses shy morning to discover that the world had such events in the comic book genre. So away from a doomed PC, people with forgotten him? If the effect centered on how does a GM credibly threaten a PC mystic senses seem to see his dead image just one person, even an NPC as impor- superhero with death? The key is in the flicker across his face, and so on. tant as the character’s spouse or boss, it difference between “I’m gonna kill you” The hero doesn’t actually have to die might be branded a villainous plot and and “You are going to die.” It’s easy for a for the premonition to scare the player countered by the tried-and-true method villain to make grandiose threats and just and the PC. But if the GM ever wants to of finding the scoundrel responsible and as easy for the heroes (and players) to dis- use such a threat credibly in the future, beating him up. But what if absolutely regard them. But a statement of the fact of letting a hero “off the hook” makes the everyone-his lover, his contacts, the the hero’s impending demise, especially next threat that much less impressive. On media, the person he thought was his one coming from a neutral source, has a the other hand, if the GM does carry sidekick, even villains-claimed never to different effect. It actually seems like a through with a death threat (killing one of have heard of the hero? Or if they all possibility, and that upsets the player. the PCs after a build-up and some intense swore that superheroes simply didn’t exist One possible way to give a player char- playing sessions), the players will have an (in which case the hero might contact his acter a believable death sentence is with a idea of what to expect (correctly or not) sidekick’s secret identity, who’d have no medical examination that follows bouts of the next time they sense the same sort of recollection of ever having been a super- intense pain whenever the hero uses his build-up taking place. They’ll tend to hero)? powers. Of course, the prognosis is termi- psych themselves out trying to figure out Amnesia this widespread could point to nal. The progression of the incurable sick- which PC is doomed and what might be a number of frightening possibilities: A vil- ness ravaging the hero’s body could be done to circumvent it, doing half of the lain could have placed mind-control linked directly to the use of his powers; GM’s work for him. Of course, frightening devices in orbit, the hero could have been thus, he can extend his life by restricting adventures must be an uncommon occur- transported to an alternate reality, or, their use (see “But Even With All My rence for them really to work, and the scariest of all, the hero could really be suf- Powers..,” above). The GM might then pre- death of a PC must be rare to avoid being fering from delusions and might end up sent scenarios that ask the hero to make seen as boring or unfair by the players. institutionalized if he doesn’t tone down full use of his abilities in a selfless sacrifice. A less personal (and thus, unfortunate- his “irrational” activities. The GM should A more immediate (and thus, more ly, less intense) way to bring death to a carefully play up the confusion between intensely emotional) method of convincing game is to kill NPC heroes. This is safe these different possibilities, leading the the player of his PC’s impending doom is to enough if it stops at the NPC level, but it hero to spend as much time desperately use a mystic premonition (from a seer, an can also become a threat to the player looking for another unaffected person to inexplicable time warp, or a portentous characters if the NPC hero’s death is only validate his memories as he does search- dream) to present an image of the dead or the start of a chain of violence leading to ing for a villain to punch out. dying hero. The vision doesn’t have to be the PCs. For example, a powerful villain The shift from normal to abnormal from a particularly reputable source to escapes from prison and promises to kill doesn’t have to be a sudden one. It could have an immediate impact, but if the everyone who ever crossed him, including start with a few close friends or partners source is reliable-a seer with a track the PCs, other superheroes, and a long list of the hero acting increasingly strange record or even a dream (players seem to of ordinary people: police, attorneys, over the course of a week or two, and as trust whatever comes out of their charac- judges, ex-girlfriends, and so on. The the level of aberrant behavior increases, ters’ head)—the horror is just that much threat becomes even more disturbing if so too does the number of people exhibit- more believable. the dead NPC hero was ostensibly more ing it. Absent-mindedness could give way Beyond the sheer shock value of having powerful than the PC who finds himself to forgetfulness that requires the unaffect- a hero see his own death, the GM can next in line. And if the dead hero was the ed hero in the center of it all to try to increase the suspense with proper pacing. PC’s idol or mentor, he was probably also make others remember, which could then The simplest timing trick is to have the quite important to the PC-more impor- advance into the full-fledged amnesia PC’s death premonition occur at the end tant than a generic NPC superhero creat- described above. In this scenario, the hero of one play session but delay the resolution ed solely to be bumped off during an should be unable to slow the progress of of the adventure until the next session (in adventure. the condition before it becomes nearly other words, “continued next issue!”). universal, leading to a desperate quest to Thus, the player spends time brooding A Bit of Bite find the cause of the amnesia before he about the implications of the vision before becomes the last remaining “sane” person he can actually do anything about it. Just as the occasional light-hearted come- on the planet. A more involved method requires tak- dy adventure can relieve the tension of a ing the premonitions from the innocuous relentlessly dark or serious superhero And Finally. . . Death to the obvious. Escalating premonitions campaign, injecting a little fear into the over the course of an adventure from lives of the players and characters in an While a true hero is always willing to lay “something’s funny” to “something’s otherwise carefree, four-color action down his life if necessary, the average wrong” to “something very bad is going to campaign can give it just enough bite to player is less willing to lay down the life of happen” to a full-fledged death vision can make it seem real, in a bigger-than-life his PC. This is especially true in super- work better than the one-shot premoni- sort of way. hero gaming; death is much more rare tion. The repetition builds tension and and potentially permanent in a game fea- prepares the player for an out-of-the-ordi- * indicates a product produced by a company other turing stun points and extra costs for nary encounter-one he might laugh off than TSR, Inc. lethal attack forms than in a typical fanta- in a more matter-of-fact presentation. sy campaign with pointy weapons aplenty To make the strangeness more appar- and resurrection magic almost as com- ent, let the victim have the vision even if mon. Therefore, threats to the life of a PC (or because) he has no mystic precognitive

116 OCTOBER 1995

Credit in the possession of characters or mon- person in town who can loan the PCs that sters of an appropriate power level, if only Continued from page 86 kind of money-take it or leave it. because intelligent monsters and NPCs Or perhaps one of the PCs inherits a debt ring of human influence will eventually be covet magic and see such items used by from a dead relative who was not so conser- broken. In both cases, the PCs will proba- “weak” characters to be easy pickings. The vative with his financial commitments. Debt bly decide to wait it out. 0-level villain may be able to keep one mag- inheritance may be the law of the land, or Instead, the magical item should allow ical item a secret, but more than that the character may follow a code that the villain to travel, acquire information, would surely attract a swarm of magic- includes responsibility to and for the family. or commit mischief in a way he never seekers. From there, the debt becomes much could before, with no danger of ever like any other law (see “The Law,” above). entering combat. A ring of invisibility is an 8. Credit For lawful PCs, the mere existence of the obvious possibility. Others may include: This device is saved for last because it is debt should be enough to commit them to eyes of the eagle, a hat of disguise, a helm potentially the most powerful of the eight. repaying it. However, if neutral or chaotic of telepathy, a helm of teleportation, a Here, one or more of the heroes is indebt- heroes feel justified in defaulting-partic- medallion of ESP, a mirror of mental ed to the villain, and the obligation itself— ularly if they feel taken advantage of--the prowess, a ring of x-ray vision, a robe of whether by law or honor-gives the villain villain may alert the local constabulary. blending, a rod of security, or oil of ethere- his power. Depending on the letter of the law, the alness. (Be extremely careful about giving With this device, the villain need never heroes may find themselves facing the villain a ring of multiple wishes.) break the law, expend his own resources, debtor’s prison or enforced servitude. The DM should feel free to improve the or place himself in jeopardy in order to They may even watch their prized posses- magical items to enhance their combat- endanger the PCs. Instead, they do it to sions confiscated as payment to the villain! avoidance value. The eyes of the eagle, for themselves, just to repay the debt. For If the villain truly hates the PCs, he will example, could have x-ray vision built in, example, if the heroes owe the villain a revel in being their creditor. As a result, the so the villain need never get close enough debt of service, he can send them on any heroes should be ready for him to pull des- to be spotted by the PCs. Alternatively, the impossible mission imaginable, including perate, underhanded maneuvers if they helm of teleportation might operate auto- one that may take years to complete. If ever seem likely to repay the debt in full. matically under certain conditions, whisk- they owe him money, on the other hand, For example, while on their way to deliver ing the villain to safety the instant any dan- they’ll have to go adventuring just to get the final payment, the heroes may find ger presents itself. the gold to pay him back-and they’d bet- themselves ambushed by a troop of armed Whatever the choice, however, the villain ter hurry, because the interest is piling up. men. The knaves may be bandits greedy for should have only one magical item. DMs who wish to use this device may be gold, but they’re more likely the villain’s Compensating for a lack of attacks and hit able to create a situation wherein the PCs hirelings, come to ensure that the debt isn’t dice with an arsenal of magical items place themselves in the villain’s debt. For cleared. At least, not until the PCs go on one strains credibility, in addition to cheapen- example, the local temple may charge an or two more life-threatening adventures for ing the items themselves. In every cam- exorbitant sum to cast raise dead on a fall- the villain. paign magical items should tend to end up en paladin, and there may be only one

118 OCTOBER 1995

DARK SUN® Revised Edition Campaign Setting by Bill Slavisek Explore new Athasian lands in this revised

and expanded boxed set for the DARK SUN cam- paign. The set includes a 128-page book detail- ing Athas and extending beyond the Tyr Region to include the Jagged Cliffs, the Last Sea, the Kreen Empire, and the Dead Land; 96 pages of new and revised rules and game mechanics; 32 NEW FOR NOVEMBER pages detailing a psionics system; adventures, maps, and more! $30.00 U.S./$39.50 CAN./£18.50 U.K. DUNGEON MASTER® Screen and Master Index TSR Product No.: 2438 An AD&D® fundamental reference ISBN: 0-7869-01624 This two-in-one reference gives DMs instant access to charts and tables and ties together all Dragons of Summer Flame the AD&D fundamental rulebooks. Also includ- A DRAGONLANCE® novel NEW FOR OCTOBER ed are cross-referenced listings for the Book of by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman Artifacts, Tome of Magic, and Legends & Lore. Is Rastlin dead? Is Ansalon safe? Find out when

PLANESCAPE™ Monstrous Compendium® An essential source of information for DMs! the showdown between good and evil begins. Appendix II $9.95 U.S./$11.95 CAN./£5.99 U.K. Dragons of Summer Flame introduces a new gen- A PLANESCAPE™ reference book TSR Product No.: 9504 eration of heroes and villains as the legendary by L. Richard Baker ISBN: 0-7869-03317 lance is passed on and new battles are waged. This 128-page accessory features descriptions of $22.95 U.S./$29.95 CAN./£12.99 U.K. more than 70 new monsters from the Outer Planes, Country Sites TSR Product No.: 8369 as well as previously out-of-print creature informa- An AD&D game accessory ISBN: 0-7869-01896 tion. A definite must for DMs and players alike! by John Nephew $18.00 U.S./$23.00 CAN./£10.99 U.K. At last there’s an accessory that details the Dark Knight of Karameikos TSR Product No.: 2613 fantasy countryside! Everything DMs want to A MYSTARA™ novel ISBN: 0-7869-0173X know about ruins, country manors, inns, and by Timothy Brown villages are contained within this 96-page acces- In a case of mistaken identity, the knight Elminster’s Ecologies Appendix, Volume 2: sory. Also included are adventure hooks, and Grygory of Karameikos is deemed an outlaw The High Moor and the Serpent Hills detailed plans for buildings and terrain. and cast into a dungeon where he meets a thief A FORGOTTEN REALMS® campaign accessory $12.95 U.S./$16.95 CAN./£7.99 U.K. named Flavius. Together the two work to defeat by Tim Beach TSR Product No.: 9482 the dreaded dark knight. The famed wizard Elminster takes us on an ISBN: 0-7869-01802 $4.95 U.S./$5.95 CAN./£4.99 U.K. incredible journey into the High Moor and the TSR Product No.: 2518 Serpent Hills. This 32-page booklet contains Pages from the Mages ISBN: 0-7869-03074 information on the societies, habitats, and A FORGOTTEN REALMS accessory ecologies of these regions, as well as encounter by Ed Greenwood & Tim Beach tables for each. This wizard’s tome contains a slew of wizard- Unless otherwise noted: $9.95 U.S./$11.95 CAN./£5.99 U.K. ly knowledge and some never-before-seen com- ® designates registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. TSR Product No.: 9490 plements and reprints of material from the ™ designates trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. ISBN: 0-7869-01713 back issues of DRAGON® Magazine. The 129-page ©1995 TSR, inc. All Rights Reserved. booklet has color illustrations and updated The Return of Randal Morn information to aid players and DMs alike. A FORGOTTEN REALMS adventure $15.00 U.S./$19.00 CAN./£9.99 U.K. by James Butler TSR Product No.: 9491 In the finale to the Dalelands trilogy, the PCs ISBN: 0-7869-01837 Coming next month . . . must rescue Randal Morn, do battle with evil The Nightmare Lands monsters, and somehow return Randal to his DRAGON® Magazine #223 homeland. A RAVENLOFT® campaign expansion This issue deals with Monsters and $6.95 U.S./$8.95 CAN./£4.50 U.K. by Shane Hensley includes:

TSR Product No.: 9488 The enigma known as the Nightmare Lands is l Gargoyles

ISBN: 0-7869-01705 brought to light in this boxed set. PCs face their l The Ecology of the Chitine worst fears as they fight surrealistic battles with Plus all our regular columns: “Sage The Titan of Twilight the minions of the Nightmare Lord. To escape, the Advice,” “Convention Calendar,” and A FORGOTTEN REALMS novel PCs must defeat the minions; only to be drawn “Forum,” plus “Floyd.” by Troy Denning back into the terror the next time they fall asleep! $3.95 U.S./$4.95 CAN./£l.95 U.K. In this, the third book in the Twilight Giants $20.00 U.S./$26.00 CAN./£11.99 U.K. TSR Product No. 8112-05 Trilogy, the secret of Twilight is revealed, and TSR Product No.: 1124 the importance of Princess Brianna becomes ISBN: 0-7869-01748 clear. Now the hero Tavis Burdun, the giant-kin Basil, and the thief Avner arc the only ones who can help Princess Brianna escape her captors. $4.99 U.S./$5.99 CAN./£4.99 U.K. TSR Product No.: 8554 ISBN: 0-7869-01721

120 OCTOBER 1995