D RAGON Magazine SPECIAL ATTRACTION 8 The Witch Bill Muhlhausen Vol. XI, No. 5 From out of the past, a scary NPC updated and redesigned October 1986 Publisher OTHER FEATURES Mike Cook 22 Grave encounters — Nick Kopsinis and Patrick Goshtigian Creatures youll find in cemeteries and crypts Editor-in-Chief Kim Mohan 26 The elven cavalier — Chris Booth The special outlook of a special character Editorial staff Patrick Lucien Price 32 Many kinds of money — Davod S. Baker Roger Moore One mans cash is another mans trash Robin Jenkins 36 The ecology of the remorhaz — Kurt Martin and Ed Greenwood Editorial assistance If you cant stand the heat, get off its back Eileen Lucas Georgia Moore 4 0 Combined generation Robert Kelk All the character-creation information in one place Art, graphics, production Roger Raupp 4 4 Class struggles — Mark Kraatz Kim Lindau Another viewpoint of between-levels training Advertising 50 Its a hit but where? Alex Curylo Mary Parkinson How to battle monsters with varying armor classes Subscriptions 5 2 A Recipe for Espionage — Russell Droullard Pat Schulz Unleash your TOP SECRET® game creativity This issue’s contributing artists 62 Guilty as Charged — Thomas M. Kane David Martin The legal process in the TOP SECRET game Roger Raupp Marvel Bullpen 64 The Marvel®-Phile — Jeff Grubb Duane Loose Off to the moon with the Inhumans Larry Elmore David Trampier 72 The role of computers — Hartley and Pattie Lesser Richard Tomasic A long look at a long game Denton Elliott — Wizard’s Crown Joseph Pillsbury 78 Running Guns Margaret Weis and Kevin Stein Lawrence Raimonda Ground forces support vehicles for the BATTLETECH® game 84 High-tech hijinks — Randal S. Doering Integrating technology into an AD&D® game campaign DEPARTMENTS 3 Letters 92 Convention calendar 99 Dragonmirth 4 World Gamers Guide 94 Gamers Guide 101 Snarfquest 6 The forum 96 Wormy COVER Spirit of the Night is David Martins second cover painting for DRAGON Magazine, and one that we thought would set the mood for the Halloween season. In Davids words, No one understands the intent of a painting better than the artist himself, so heres his description of whats going on: In a shower of moonlight, a lone figure kneels in supplication to the image of a god worshiped long ago. Aroused, the ele- mental nightwind rises up, phoenix-like, from the ashes of the dead city. It carries the smells of the forest, invisible, yet potent as a prayer in the silence. 2 OCTOBER 1986 A word from the read thing Kim asked if Id like to write the Second Edition rob you. As a designer, I want to do it because editors column for this issue, since the game needs it. It is something that must the topic is one which has suddenly Dear Dragon, happen if the AD&D system is going to grow become rather dear to my heart. I am deeply concerned about the future of the and stay exciting and lively for everyone. The issue has certainly cost me AD&D game! What about those of us who have Zeb Cook some peace of mind and a lot of spent $100 plus to get where we are with the first edition. Will they mesh together? I mean, work time to resolve. will I be able to use the new DMs guide with Two days before the GEN CON® 19 the old players manual? Psionics & combat Convention, I received a letter from If not, what can a devout 1st editioner do? someone who had some interesting Will you have a way for us to trade our old Dear DRAGON: news to tell me. I hope you are books in for credit? Will you continue to publish Recently, I have become interested in psionics. sitting down while you are reading 1st edition books or supplements? But, in doing so, I became confused. This is this, he wrote. He then proceeded Gil Kuper because I found two conflicting viewpoints. The to tell me that he had gone to the Powhatan, Va. Sage Advice article in issue #78 says that the San Diego Comic-Con convention invisibility discipline cannot be used while For an answer to Gils letter, we went right to attacking. On the other hand, an article in issue and had told the staff there that he the source Dave (Zeb) Cook, who is the Pro- #105 gives me the opposite idea. Beginning with was I, Roger Moore, and had come ject Coordinator for the design and production the last sentence in the second column of page to the convention from TSR, Inc., to of the 2nd Edition of the AD&D game. Heres 20, the article states: It must be possible to use promote our products and gaming what Zeb had to say: a psionic discipline while making physical at- in general. tacks against an opponent; otherwise, a power The game convention staff did not The AD&D game has been around for a such as body weaponry would be fairly useless. check this persons identification; a number of years now, and in that time a lot has Can you explain? simple glance at a drivers license happened. A game like this doesnt stand still: it Mark Reinhart grows, changes, and improves. One of the Adkins, Tex. would have ended the problem. But biggest objectives of the 2nd Edition is to push I doubt that even I would have the sprawling mass of rules back into one cohe- The use of psionic disciplines may be treated thought to do that. If someone came sive shape. This will involve gathering some of as spell-casting, in that one cannot cast a spell up to me and introduced himself as the material that has appeared in other books, (or use a psionic discipline) and make a physical Fritz Mondale, I would probably be modules, and DRAGON® Magazine into one set attack unless stated or implied otherwise in inclined to believe him, particularly of books. At the same time, there are things we the rules. Thus, one may cast and use Mor- since I dont remember too well know or feel are broken. (My pet peeves include denkainens sword or Tensers transformation in what Fritz Mondale looks like. Be- bards, weapon speed factors, and encum- a physical attack, but one could not cast knock sides, as several people later con- brance.) These areas are going to receive close or maze and attack in the same round. scrutiny, and many of them are going to be The following disciplines could be used as part firmed, this person was very changed. of (or while making) an attack: body weaponry, charismatic, smooth, and glib. He However, there is no intention to change the expansion, reduction, and shape alteration. A sounded as if he knew what he was basics of the game! It will be the same game you discipline might obviously make attack impos- doing, and he knew a bit about TSR, know. Ideally, yes, you should be able to use a sible (suspend animation), while others are Inc. not much, but just enough. 1st Edition Players Handbook with a 2nd Edition assumed to require excessive concentration To make the story short, Roger Dungeon Masters Guide. It cannot be a perfect (animal telepathy, aura alteration, cell adjust- Moore was placed on a discussion match there are going to be changes but ment, clairaudience, clairvoyance, detection of panel, he fielded questions about we are not trying to force everyone to abandon good/evil/magic, domination, empathy, ESP, TSR, Inc.'s legal status and internal their old books. hypnosis, mass domination, molecular manipula- I know many players have made a sizable tion, molecular rearrangement, object reading, policies, he helped run a game tour- investment in the AD&D game and that we are precognition, sensitivity to psychic impressions, nament, and he probably signed a asking you to change your investment. We are telekinesis, telempathic projection, telepathy, few game books for those who came looking at ways of keeping your costs down. telepathic projection, and teleportationl or are to the convention. Everyone thought Central to the current plan is to keep the core themselves attack forms (molecular agitation it was really I. Pretty funny, right? of the game down to two books, one of players and possibly telekinesis). Not if you were fooled into think- information and one for the DM. Other books The status of some disciplines is in doubt ing that this guy was telling you the would be bought by you as you wanted them, (astral projection, body control, body equilib- truth, when he was lying to you all including monsters, extra detail on different rium, energy control, etherealness, invisibility, the while. Not if you wrote to us cultures and environments, and so forth. Sec- levitation, mind bar, mind over body, probability ondly, TSR is looking at ways to offer you a travel); Dungeon Masters should use their own asking for employment information special deal. Many things have been discussed discretion in such cases. As a rule of thumb, on his (my) recommendation. Not coupons, trade-ins, introductory prices, and DMs can refer to spell equivalents to determine if you were a convention staffer, more. No final decision has been made yet, but whether a discipline could be meshed with an realizing youd been had by some we know that something must be done in recog- attack. Thus, levitation could be used while guy who just wanted to get into the nition of our long-time supporters. making an attack, but invisibility could not be convention free. And especially not Our intention is to eventually replace all the unless one wishes to equate the discipline with if you were I and had no idea of current hardbacks by 2nd Edition versions, but more powerful spells like improved invisibility what damage this person had done this is a project that will take years.