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The Possibility Wars Havtak e Begu^^^ in

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Adventure with GM Screen

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RD 3 Box 2345 nesdale, PA 18431 June/July Torg & PBM Issue Issue

Publisher: Editor-in-Chief: Stewart Wieck RUNES 2 Assistant Editor: Slephan Wieck by Stewart Wieck; recapping all the reviews in WHITE Art Director: Richard Thomas WOLF Magazine to date. Cartographer: The Final Countdown 4 Cover Artist: Michael Weaver by Martin Wixted; a huge adventure for West End Games' Thanks to West End Games and Lion Rampant for providing material for new "Torg" written by a West End designer. this issue. PBM Corner 18 Printed in the United States of America. by Jim Townsend; Play-by-Mail for beginners -- how it works, what you do, and more. Advertiser Index PBM Game Reviews 20 by Stewart Wieck; reviews of six different PBM games - at least one of them is bound to suit your tastes. Adventure Simulations 27 Archetypes 27 Ark Royal Games 53 by Stephan Wieck; four new character types for use with Bard Games 69 FASA's fantasy/cyberpunk game. Blue Panther Enterprises 22 Capsule Reviews 32 Classified Information 18 & 33-40 by Stewart Wieck; brief looks in a new format at four new Cosmos Creations 27 products. Creative Keys 2 Belter Rules (insert) Cutting Edge Games 72 Troupe Style Role-Playing 42 Cyborg Games 67 by and Mark Rein-Hagen; here's a way to Discount Game Warehouse 51 enliven what may have become old hat. Empire 54 Silicon Dungeon 47 Emprise Game Systems 19 by Jim Trunzo; lengthy looks at several new science fiction FASA Corp back cover computer games. Flying Buffalo 24 Tabletop News 52 Gamescience 7 by Ken Cliffe; several science fiction miniatures are ex- Game Designers' Workshop 41 amined by Ken's careful eye. Game Systems Inc 43 Seigeshire 56 Graaf Simulations 19 by Scott Sigler; a shire is between a rock and a hard Hastur Hobbies 46 place — and you're trapped with them! HCS Games 23 Feature Review: Torg 65 Heathen Thorn 32 by Stewart Wieck; a look at what the author feels is THE K&C Enterprises 47 & 49 role-playing product of the year (decade?). Koplow Games 68 Cyberpunk Reviews 68 Lance and Laser Sample52 by Stephan file Wieck; the continuation of last issue's feature. Lion Rampant 63 Products from ICE and R. Talsorian are reviewed. Marquee Press 62 On the Hori/on 72 Mayfair Games 17 A quick look at what's coming next issue. Midnight Games 3 Other World Games 45 Paper Mayhem 53 WHITE WOLF Magazine (ISSN 0897-9391) is published bi-monthly by Paper Tiger 26 White Wolf Publishing. The mailing address for all items is: White Wolf Pegasus Productions 21 Publishing, 1298 Winter Place, Anniston, AL 36201. The phone number is Quest Games 46 (404)-832-9994. WHITE WOLF is distributed through subscription and dis- Omnigon Games 11 tribution services throughout the United States, Canada, France, England 58-61 and Germany. Overseas subscriptions are available. All subscriptions are Reality Simulations Inc 71 priced as follows: any U.S. address= S22, any Canadian address= $32, over- SageLore 62 seas via surface mail= S45, overseas via airmail™ $80. All rates are for Schubel and Son 42 twelve issues. Checks or money-orders should be made payable to White Shield Maiden 57 Wolf Publishing. Subscribers are given constant notification of the last 48 issue of their current subscription by the number following their name on TSR, Inc inside back cover the address label. Twenty-First Century Games 55 WHITE WOLF Magazine and White Wolf Publishing are both copyright Twin Engine Gaming 25 White Wolf Publishing. All material printed in these pages is the exclusive Vigard Simulations 14 property of White Wolf Publishing unless prior arrangments have been Waterford Pub.Ushing 70 made with the author/artist. None of the material may be reproduced in West End Games inside ftont cover whole or in part without prior written permission from the publisher. White Wolf Publishing 64 Third Class postage is paid at Carrollton, GA. Postmaster: Please send ad- Yellowseed Games 66 dress changes to White Wolf Publishing, 1298 Winter Place, Anniston, AL 36201. The mention of or reference to any companies or products in these pages is not a challenge to the trademarks or copyrights concerned. the pipelines once in a while, the designers at the company are bound to take note of that when sales figures come in and strive to do better in the future. Just to check our reviews date, 1 have gone through all of the issues of WHITE WOLF Magazine through issue #20 and averaged the ratings we have given products. Role-play- ing games/supplements averaged a rating of 3.29 for over 70 reviews. The ratings for about twenty play-by-mail games averaged 3.47. Computer games averaged 3.82 and miniature reviews averaged 3.75. I'm satisfied with the average for the role-playing products by Stewart Wieck since it's close to the middle-of-the-road rating of 3 (and here my argument of the preceding paragraph applies), but One of WHITE WOLF Magazine's main goals is to in- the PBM average concerns me a little bit. Even though the form you about the new products which many of the game values for computer games and miniatures are almost 4,1 ac- companies release. New games as well as supplements for cept that because we have fewer such reviews and I expect current games are covered (and PBM games, computer Jim Trunzo and Ken Cliffe to pick and choose a little bit games and miniatures). I certainly enjoy gaming as a hobby more to give you news about the better releases. and part of this enjoyment comes from playing new games. Back to the PBM rating. The fact that the value is high While I don't expect you to accept our reviews as gospel, I isn't my major concern. Since I have written almost all of hope that you at least consider what is said. An early peek at these reviews, I'm worried that my performance in the game the Reader Surveys which have been returned do far indi- has somehow affected my review of the game (see my cates that you do listen. "PBM Corner" in issue #18, p. 60 for my first recognition of However, in order for you to accept our reviews, you must this). Therefore, beginning with the reviews in this issue, I be confident that we are doing an honest job in our ap- am making an extra effort to remain impartial when review- praisal. People point out that we should be rating games so ing PBM games. I want you to trust these reviews too. that approximately equal numbers are found to be below average and above average. If this is true, then it immediate- Contributor Bylines ly follows that at least as many below average products are Ken Cliffe, is fortunately not coming to visit the WW staff in the South being released as above average products. I simply don't before GenCon this year. Last year he lookup so much space in the van think that this is true. Game companies know what's best that we had to ship boxes to Milwaukee in addition to packing them in the for them, and while a poor product is bound to slip through van. Mark Rein-Hagen, co-creator of , was very successful win- ning in his newest game, The Challenge, until a certain magazine editor Come Join The Quest... showed up to play and pounded him to bits. Scott Sigler, the author of Siegeshire, heads a design group he calls SampleKamikaz filee Productions. I wonder what this says about the quality of their work? Richard Thomas, the Art Director, is normally praised for the high quality of work he does (again, despite his advancing years), but of late he's been slowing down even more. He has "few" art assignments to complete, but he still takes "so much time." Jim Townsend, PBM Corner author, needs to learn the proper place for editorial comments (see Blood Pit, arena #2). Jim Trunzo, author of the Silicon Dungeon, is a school teacher. Which is better, Jim, machines or animals? Jonathan Tweet, co-creator of Ars Magica, is trying to gain practical ex- perience by taking part in our Capitalistic system as an investor. Michael Weaver, (BEWARE: this is a serious entry) the fine Georgian art- BattleLords is a 100% computer-moderated medieval game where eight to tv/elve players strive to be the first to find and retain three treasures, using cunning, ist who painted this issue's cover, is making an environmental statement diplomacy, military might and economic prowess. Each turn, players receive a seven-color map and a multi-page scouting report detailing their progress. Many with his piece. "It's like the whales," he said, pointing out that large crea- game maps are available for play, including Europe, Breat Britain, and Africa, as tures can become extinction as well. The direst aspect of this painting is the well as several fictional areas. Starting positions ready now! Team competitions and configurations available. baby dinosaur being used as lure. Cost is $4.00 per turn (no other fees). Rule books are $5.00. Set up package Stephan Wieck, the Assistant Editor, did fine work with his Shadowrun includesrulebookandfirstthreeturns, allforSIO.OO. Winners receive a BattleLords t-shirt and qualify for the Tournament of Champions. Send in your request Today! Archetypes, but within the last few months he's lost a kung-fu tournament and an arm-wrestling competition. Creative Kevj* Stewart Wiecfc, is the Editor and the one who writes these ridiculous, P.O. Box 7264 space-wasting comments. Fredericksburg, Virginia 22404 Martin Wixted, a fine designer at West End Games, was concerned be- (703) 898^347 cause his Torg adventure was 357 words over the limit I set. Hardly a con- I cern when the adventure's so good. Most excitiNQ ttjiNQ to hjappeN to PBM even! Wliat ttye Playeus Say— '"Q}is is ttye QaMe 1 fyave beeN waitiNQ teN yeaRS fOR soMeboby to Make! CJoob job!" "I aM bROppiNQ eveRy ottyeR QaMe I aM JN. "Cliey just boN't fyolb a caNble to tftjs!" "I Receiveb 20 paQes of Results! I caN't wait fOR tuRN two!" "Set Me up IN ttye Next five QaMes!" "O7is QaMe is QOJNQ to Make a lot of people staNb up aNb take Notice." 'Ctyis is tlie gaMiNQ expenieNce you slioulb Not Miss. FeatUKGS: ExtReMely betaileb qaMe systew coveRS cbaRacteR CReatioN, cbaRacteR abvaNce- MSNt, Maqic/Reliqious systeM iNclubes oveR 300 spells, tbousaNbs of special iteMS, siqfjtiNQ RepoRts, betaileb coMbat, poweRful ORbeRS to MaxiMize youR qaMiNq bollaR, fRee qawe News- letteR, fRee coMbats, caRRyiNq capacity, MONsteRs, RUJNS, uNbeRqRouNb cities, cloub castles, bozeNS of faNtasy Races, NOMabs, baRbaRiaNsSample, slaves file, betaileb ecoNOMics, MaRketplaces, INNS, Maqic quilbs, RaNqeR ORbeRS, kNiqUtboob ORbeRS, faiRs, touRNeMeNts, solbieR CReatioN, solbieR skills, bozeNS of supeRNatuRal types, siiMMONeb cReatuRes, aNb MUCH, MUCT}

^ Qaivie "Cype: FaNtasy AbveNtuRe ^ CoMplexity: MobeRate to HiQft, •^ TURN Costs: $3.50 tp $15.00 jfc TURN Results: FROM 5 to 100 paQes ^ "Cype of MooeRatioN: CoMputeRMObeRateb, SOMC QaMes h,ave optiONal special actioNS. iNitial PositioN OptioNS: RealM: A swall, abeguately befeNbeb towN witti a beceNt leabeR aNb five sutioRbiNaNte c^aRacteRs. 7: A Nice well befeNbeb castle, witb, a qoob leabeR aNb tb,ReesubORbiNatecb,aRacteRs. PaRty: A qoob leabeR witb five suboRbiNate cbaRacteRs. HGRO: A exceptioNal leabeR aNb a siNQle suboRbiNate cDaRacteR.

MIDNIQHTC QAMES Rules $15.00, OR ask fOR fRee // 130 E. MaiN, Suite 305 "iNtRObuctioN to LeQeNbs" t^ . ^MebfORb, OR 97501 t)ROC)7URe. Sample file The Final Countdown

States and United Kingdom obviously sible that they are suspects in the case. a Torg adventure for 4-8 made a secret pact - they lied about The player characters have been asked Storm Knights this to the rest of the world! to let the police know if they are plan- Skaven decided to announce this dis- ning to be out of the country for any covery to his superiors in Germany length of time. ®, ™, and© 1990 West End Games. (with whom he had reestablished con- The Stormers all knew Corporal All Rights Reserved tact), and manipulate this event Johnson through U.S. Major Ben- toward his personal bid for power jamin Flint, who is a good friend of at by Martin Wixted within the Nazi organization. But least one of them, and has been sta- first, in case things went sour, he had tioned in London for the past ten Soon after Opening Day, the sinister to figure out how it worked. His years. Discuss with the players which Council for Swift & Terrible Retribu- search for help turned up one Susil characters know him well, and which tion was formed in Nippon-Tech. Its Krensh, a well-paid NipponTech spy do not. Let them further decide what goal: let the Earthers help kill off the and Aysle sorcerer. they are going to do: some options are other High Lords in order to conquer With a talisman manufactured by to visit Major Flint, visit the scene of the planet. For one of their many NipponTech which she "just hap- the crime, or do some research. pened" to possess, they visited the mis- schemes, their spies located a US Visiting Major Flint Minuteman Missile stationed in the sile site. Skaven was crestfallen. The United Kingdom and found a sufficent- power of Aysle had worked quickly The Major lives on the third and ly power-hungry madman, and left a here and already transformed the mis- fourth floors of an apartment building trail to the missile site. They hope he sile into a tree, and the surrounding near the outskirts of Core Earth Lon- will use it to destroy the fantasy realm technology into other natural flora. don (an Earth/Dominant Zone). ofAysle, and they planted a spy to see With the aid of the talisman, Susil Knocking on the locked door receives that he does. managed to temporarily refocus the in- no answer. If the Stormers listen, they It is now three months after Opening stallation back to Core Earth technol- hear a muffled crash upstairs, and the Day... ogy. sound of a scuffle. They have arrived Investigating the underground site, scant minutes after Susil and a band of This is not an "official" adventure, Skaven found one key to the missile thugs she hired have dropped thus there is no feedback form to fill controlsSample, but the other is filemissing. in unexpectedly through a skylight on out to tell West End Games how well Without both he cannot launch the the second floor of the Major's your group did. missile. With the help of Susil, to duplex. (See the accompanying map.) whom he has not disclosed his whole Upon entering, there is a goblin on plan, (and who is also unaware of the the stairway, her head smashed in The Story So Far Council for Swift & Terrible Retribu- with a chair. Three others are keeping tion) he has discovered a list of nearby the Major trapped in a comer of his Skaven Von Part (born Skaven Americans working inside the British bedroom, one with a bow, two with Lucas) belongs to the New Reich, and government. He directed Susil to kid- clubs. Interrogating the Major is a is dedicated to the re-establishment of nap each one, torture them for infor- woman who looks like a gypsy of the Nazi Empire, "the most efficent mation leading to the location of the some kind. government the world has ever other key, and kill them. Four additional are in known." He was in England doing spy various strategic places around the work when the sky opened and the Episode 1. London apartment, and try to prevent the High Lords stepped through. He im- Storm Knights from approaching mediately lost contact with head- The adventure begins with the Storm Susil. When they spot the Stormers, quarters. one of them yells out, "Great! Combat Months later, he made an amazing Knights leaving Scotland Yard. They all knew of U.S. Corporal Michael pay!" and brandishes his club. discovery. On the East coast of Upon seeing the first player charac- England lies a small village named Johnson, who was found under the London Bridge yesterday morning. ter, Susil realizes that her time is up, Tilling. Just North of Tilling sits an and so is her patience. She screams: abandoned American Minuteman mis- After extensive questioning by the police, Sergeant Jones said that, al- "WHERE IS THE KEY TO POWER, sile silo. This discovery outraged an MAJOR BENJAMIN FLINT?" He already unbalanced mind: the United though they are currently questioning other more substantial leads, it is pos- simply shakes his head, and the