SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS

Issue #156 That Time of Year Again Vol. XIV, No. 11 9 And we’re giving you our worst best April material. Really. April 1990 Not Necessarily the Monstrous Compendium — The readers 10 You sent them, and we’re printing them: the weirdest monsters in the Publisher universe! James M. Ward Razznarock! — John M. Maxstadt 23 Adventure! Excitement! Thrills! Cliches! Hype! And lots of them! Editor Roger E. Moore Yet Even More (Gods Forbid) Outrages From the Mages — John M. Maxstadt 27 Magical items that you’ve all been waiting for, maybe! Fiction editor Barbara G. Young OTHER FEATURES Assistant editor Dale A. Donovan The Game Wizards — James M. Ward 31 Computer games: threat, menace, or just a way of life? Art director Paul Hanchette Novel Ideas — J. Eric Severson 34 The latest word on the sagas of the Realms for 1990 and beyond. Production staff Kathleen C. MacDonald Can You Swim? Juggle? At the Same Time? — Vince Garcia 37 D&D® game skills: a new system, from acting to winemaking Subscriptions Confusing Sequel to a Story You Haven’t Read — fiction by Adam-Troy Janet L. Winters 42 Castro We won’t even try to explain this tale. Just read it! U.S. advertising The Marvel®-Phile — Dale A. Donovan Sheila Gailloreto Tammy Volp 48 An appropriate selection of villains for the April issue. U.K. correspondent Wrestling With Style — Janne Jarvinen and U.K. advertising 50 The Greeks knew about martial arts, too—and they weren’t picky about rules. Sue Lilley Official Ballot for the Origins Awards 1989 53 No joke! Use this ballot and vote for the best games of the year—now! Characterization Made Easy — Scott Bennie 60 So your character has a +10 battle axe. But what’s he really like? Through the Looking Glass — Zoe Bell Hurst 64 Shady secrets revealed! Give your miniatures real depth with a brushstroke. Role-playing Reviews — Ken Rolston 80 Walk down the streets of six magical cities of role-playing.

The Role of Computers — Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser 89 It’s a fight to the finish across Krynn and the North Atlantic. The Voyage of the Princess Ark — Bruce A. Heard 96 At a strange seaside castle, the voyage may abruptly end.

The Ecology of the Behir — Tony Jones 101 A particularly monstrous monster that has two deadly cousins. The Twilight Empire — Stephen D. Sullivan and John M. Hebert 110 A journey into a fantastic land begins in this issue.

D EPARTMENTS

5 Letters 58 TSR Previews 106 Dragonmirth 6 Editorial 68 Forum 108 Gamers Guide 55 Sage Advice 74 Convention Calendar COVER It’s springtime, and a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of cute beholders. I know mine always do. Daniel Horne is this issue’s cover artist, and we’ll let his painting speak for itself. Happy April!

4 APRIL 1990 DRAGON® Magazine (ISSN 0279-6848) is published monthly by TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 756 (201 Sheridan Springs Road), Lake Geneva WI 53147, United States of America The postal address for all materials from the United States and Canada except subscription orders is: DRAGON Magazine, P.O. Box 111 (201 Sheridan Springs Road), Lake Geneva WI 53147, USA.; telephone. (414) 248-3625. The postal address for all materials from Europe is DRAGON Magazine, TSR Ltd, 120 Church End, Cherry Hinton, Cambridge CB1 3LD, United Kingdom; telephone: (0223) 212517 (U.K.), 44-223- 212517 (international); telex: 818761, fax: (0223) 248066 (U.K. ), 44-223-248066 (international). What did you think of this issue? Do you have Our DM expressed all of our feelings in a Distribution: DRAGON Magazine is available from a question about an article or have an idea for a statement at the end of her poem: “This person game and hobby shops throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and through a limited new feature you’d like to see? In the United needs help!” number of other overseas outlets. Distribution to the book States and Canada, write to: Letters, DRAGON® A brisk walk around the block might not be a trade in the United States is by Random House, Inc., and Magazine, P.O. Box 111, Lake Geneva WI 53147, in Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd. Send bad idea for her, either. U.S.A. In Europe, write to: Letters, DRAGON orders to Random House, Inc., Order Entry Department, Westminster MD 21157, U.S.A.; telephone: (800) 638- Magazine, TSR Ltd., 120 Church End, Cherry Dear Dragon: 6460 toll-free except Alaska (call (800) 492-0782 toll-free Hinton, Cambridge CB1 3LD, United Kingdom. in Maryland). Newsstand distribution throughout the I have a friend who is sort of wacky and United Kingdom is by Seymour Press Ltd., 334 Brixton eccentric. For instance, while walking through Road, London SW9 7AG, United Kingdom; telephone: an orc community, he demanded we find an 01-733-4444. Odd & ends III Subscriptions: Subscription rates via second-class outhouse, and quick. Shouldn‘t there be a table mail are as follows: $30 in U.S. funds for 12 issues sent or something to see if a character needs to go to to an address in the U.S. or Canada; £16 for 12 issues The following letters were actually received by the washroom during battle? Couldn’t it cause a sent to an address within the United Kingdom; £24 for 12 the editors of DRAGON Magazine and, except for lack of concentration while casting spells? It issues sent to an address in Europe; $50 in U.S. funds minor editing, appear as they were written. for 12 issues sent by surface mail to any other address, turned out that my friend didn’t have to go to or $90 in U.S. funds for 12 issues sent airmail to any the washroom; he just wanted to see what a other address Payment in full must accompany all Dear Dragon: wand of fireballs would do to the inside of an subscription orders. In the U.S. and Canada, methods of Could you clarify something, please? Just who outhouse. payment include checks or money orders made payable is this Roger Moore guy that’s on every page of to TSR, Inc., or charges to valid Mastercard or VISA credit cards: send subscription orders with payments to’ every issue of DRAGON Magazine? Is it Roger While you and your friend are outside, say hi TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 72089, Chicago IL 60678, U.S.A. In Moore, a.k.a. James Bond? If so, what color to the rest of gang for us. the United Kingdom, methods of payment include boxer shorts does he wear? cheques and money orders made payable to TSR Ltd, or Dear Dragon: charges to a valid ACCESS or VISA credit card; send Sure. Me. No. subscription orders with payments to TSR Ltd, as per that I plan on getting a tattoo of a dragon, but no address above. Prices are subject to change without prior matter how hard I look, I can’t find the right notice. The issue of expiration of each subscription is Dear Dragon: one. I know you have a lot of artists do draw- printed on the mailing label of each subscriber’s copy of A recent letter you printed really caught my ings for you, and I was wondering if you could the magazine Changes of address for the delivery of eye. It was in the letters section of issue #144 subscription copies must be received at least SIX weeks possibly look to see if you have any drawings prior to the effective date of the change in order to assure (page 95) and said: “Want me to send you a lying around. uninterrupted delivery quick and easy system for picking up girls, using If you do happen to look, I’m basically looking Back issues: A limited quantity of back issues is available from either the TSR Mail Order Hobby Shop the 30-sided die?” Do you have a copy of this for a full dragon (wings, body, and all) that system, and would you please send me one if it (P.O. Box 756, Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.) or from could fit in a space of about 4½” × 3½”. TSR Ltd For a free copy of the current catalog that lists is available? available back issues, write to either of the above Trying to pick up girls has always been an Though we cannot send any art to you, we addresses. aspect of the game we like to play whenever have been making a lot of guesses about the Submissions: All material published in DRAGON location of this tattoo-to-be. Don't spoil it for us; Magazine becomes the exclusive property of the pub- our party is stopped in a town or city. This lisher unless special arrangements to the contrary are sideline helps everyone in the group relax after just let us keep guessing. made prior to publication DRAGON Magazine welcomes we have endured some heavy-duty gaming. unsolicited submissions of written material and artwork, However, our DM insists on using tables and Dear Dragon: however, no responsibility for such submissions can be assumed by the publisher in any event. Any submission charts for our every action. Since there is no I just love it when my players, companions, or accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope of other system for picking up girls, I think this anyone complains about sex in an AD&D cam- sufficient size will be returned If it cannot be published. would really help our game. Our DM tries to paign. I find a few points to argue, and all We strongly recommend that prospective authors write intermingle with other ideas which are sup- for our writers’ guidelines before sending an article to us. roll the dice and improvise, but that isn’t really In the United States and Canada, send a self-addressed, satisfactory to our very competitive characters. ported by most role-players. stamped envelope (9½” long preferred) to: Writers’ I have already been caught in too many bar- First, sex is [remainder of letter deleted by the Guidelines, c/o DRAGON Magazine, as per the above room fights over women, and if the system is editors]. address; include sufficient American postage or Interna- tional Reply Coupons with the return envelope. In good it may stop some bickering within our Outside! Right now! Europe, write to: Writers’ Guidelines, c/o DRAGON group. Magazine, TSR Ltd; include sufficient return postage or IRCs with your SASE. The AD&D® 1st Edition Dungeon Masters Dear Dragon: Advertising: For information on placing advertise- Guide has a useful harlot encounters table on I have found a question that has baffled me. ments in DRAGON Magazine, ask for our rate card. In the United States and Canada, contact: Advertising page 192. But trust us when we say that the What would happen if a werewolf called out for Coordinator, TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 756, 201 Sheridan DMG is probably the last thing you need right help, and the only wolves that heard him were Springs Road, Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A. In Europe, now. Go outside and get some fresh air. being ridden by orcs? I mean, would the wolves contact: Advertising Coordinators, TSR Ltd. come and help the werewolf if the orcs tried to DRAGON is a registered trademark of TSR, Inc. Registration applied for in the United Kingdom. All rights Dear Dragon: stop them? If they did come, would the were- to the contents of this publication are reserved, and During our last AD&D game, my group de- wolf attack the orcs? Would it be possible that nothing may be reproduced from it in whole or in part cided to try something different. The players the orcs would even attack the werewolf’s without first obtaining permission in writing from the publisher. played characters unusual for them. One of the adversary out of fear of the werewolf? If the ® designates registered trademarks owned by TSR, cleric/magic-user/fighters, Arteth, had never werewolf told the wolves to kill the orcs, would Inc. ™ designates trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. Most played a cleric or a magic-user before. In the they kill their masters, and if not, what would other product names are trademarks owned by the middle of the campaign, Arteth came up with a they do? companies publishing those products. Use of the name of any product without mention of trademark status should ditty expressing how she felt about that: We’re afraid that’s all the time we have for not be construed as a challenge to such status. ©1990 TSR, Inc All Rights Reserved. letters this month. Keep them coming! “A corpse is a corpse, of course, of course, Second-class postage paid at Lake Geneva, Wis , U.S.A., and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send “And a corpse cannot talk, of course, of course, address changes to DRAGON Magazine, TSR, Inc., P.O. “But I can talk to a corpse, of course, Box 111, Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A. USPS 318-790, “‘Cause I’ve got speak with dead!” ISSN 0279-6848.

DRAGON 5 Fear is Good

As a DM, I have a personal philosophy that says, pure and simple, that Fear is Good. Without a certain element of fear, players eat popcorn and read comics while their player characters yawn in the face of orcish armies and necromancer Arch- Mages. A small amount of fear is present when you wonder what sort of monster is waiting for you just around the next bend in the road, or what trap lies ahead in the musty stone corridors. Fear keeps a very desirable edge to the game. I became aware of the beneficial uses of fear shortly after I started to run role- playing games. I confess that I may have overdone it at first, but after a while, I got a fair grip on different ways to lure PCs into deathtraps and ambushes, then make (including Demogorgon) fled the battlefield engine blocks and peeled off the car roofs them sweat for a bit. I remember the in utter panic. All the rest of the deities like sardine-can tops. These were not sleepy and bored looks on the faces of one were pounded with atomic missiles, lasers, happy campers. (One of them was Jim group that had failed a surprise roll, and bombs, rockets, shells, bullets, force fields, Ward, too.) I had lots of fun. how those expressions changed when a and death rays. Thor bent the nose of one This game gives me a good, warm feel- beholder floated out from behind a rock Death Machine with Mjolnir but took a ing inside. Thank you, Sandy. and walloped the group at close range. nuke in return. If I had not used random Allen Varney (TSR’s AD&D® SPELL- Fear prevents complacency, the deadliest attacks, all of the gods would have died in JAMMER™ module SJA1 Wildspace): I enemy of any game campaign. 30 seconds, no sweat. It was wonderful. refuse to do this brand-new module a In this column, I would like to honor None of the PCs in any GAMMA WORLD terrible injustice and spoil it for you, but some of the game designers who have games we had thereafter ever stayed any DM who happens to read the “Story helped bring fear into role-playing game within sighting distance of a Death Ma- Background” section from pages 2-3 will adventures, making the DM’s table a better chine. However, I understand that Jim has instantly grasp that this could well be the place for all DMs everywhere. Bless you. run GAMMA WORLD campaigns in the Ultimate Adventure, the El Dorado of James M. Ward (TSR’s GAMMA past in which whole fleets of Death Ma- Player Characters’ Nightmares, the module WORLD® game): I was in a GAMMA chines would fly off into the wilderness that will make the most hardened and WORLD game that Jim Ward ran a few and be completely destroyed by mutant jaded Monty Haul character grow wool years ago. It scared me to death. Jim has a strains of crab grass. Properly run, a good and bleat in terror by Chapter 3. And habit of rolling huge numbers of dice of GAMMA WORLD game should cause Fear things only get worse from there. Not one damage at the snap of a laser, and his with a capital F in any pitiful, barbaric of the survivors of this adventure (if there campaign was full of amusing things such mutant who dares poke his head out of his are any) will ever look up at the night sky as Cthulhu-size lake monsters and death- cave. Thank you, Jim. and feel safe again, assuming there’s even ray satellites that diced up ground targets Sandy Petersen (Chaosium’s CALL OF a planet left to stand on. I read this mod- with impunity. But his most famous crea- CTHULHU® game): The CALL OF ule and fell in love. tion was the subtly named Death Machine, CTHULHU game is the only role-playing This module is what real fear is all a nice little military relic of the Social Wars game I know that can inspire utter, abso- about. Thank you, Allen. Wildspace— you of the game’s background. lute, bone-chilling fear in both players and make my heart race. What’s a Death Machine, some of you game master. I ran a simple adventure Final note: Those of you who enjoy may ask. Here’s a story: A few years ago, once in an apartment during a cold snap, instilling real fear into your AD&D cam- when I was in the Army, I told everyone in and when the water pipes popped and paigns should look for a certain boxed set my gaming group to each pick his or her creaked in the ceiling, everyone in the called Ravenloft this May, from designer favorite deity from the AD&D® game, and room (including me) felt his heart stop. Bruce Nesmith and editor Andria Hayday; prepare to role-play that deity in a special The use of deteriorating characters who it encompasses the superb Tracy Hickman scenario I had developed. The next hour slowly go mad as they confront the awful module, as well as many other wonderful was spent in feverish excitement as a large reality of an unbelievably hostile universe things. And look for a WORLD OF assortment of gods and supermonsters is perfect for setting this game’s tone. GREYHAWK® adventure scheduled to met on a deserted plain and awaited their When I run one of these games, I let the appear in January 1991. It’s the brainchild opponents. Suddenly a huge space-time players arm their characters with any- of David “Zeb” Cook, and the title says it warp opened up in front of the incredible thing they want—land mines, machine all. It’s called Vecna Lives. assembly . . . and out of the alien warp guns, grenades, napalm, whatever. It Think about it. And enjoy. came three brand-new, fully armed, fully never makes any difference. They’re all powered Death Machines on random doomed, and they know it. One group programming. parked its cars outside a haunted house Two gods died in the first 10 seconds of and sprayed it, inside and out, with combat, each taking over 700 hp of dam- machine-gun fire. When they came back age. A third god died before the minute- to their cars, they found that something long fight was over, and two other gods bad had come out and ripped out all of the

6 APRIL 1990

10 APRIL 1990 Monstrous Compendium?

We’ve seen a lot of weird monsters front flank; 3 = unshielded (or right) DIET: Carnivore here at DRAGON® Magazine. We’ve front flank; 4-8 = behind opponent; 9-12 INTELLIGENCE: Animal even published some of them, like = on top of opponent. If a blink mam- TREASURE: Wool (if you can get it) moth appears directly above its opponent, ALIGNMENT Neutral evil the giant vampire frog in issue #50, the victim is crushed for 6-36 hp damage. NO. APPEARING: 2-20 but some monsters we’ve received All of his equipment must save vs. crush- ARMOR CLASS: 7 were so weird that we’d read one of ing blow, and the victim must save vs. MOVEMENT: 15 them and think, “Jeez, nobody will wands to avoid being knocked uncon- HIT DICE: 1 + 1 ever want to see this thing!” Fat lot scious for 2-12 rounds. Only one blink THAC0: 19 we knew. There were giant evil mammoth will “drop in on” a victim at a NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 bite black squirrels in the Monster Man- time. Additionally, any victim so struck DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-8 must make a dexterity check on 4d6 to SPECIAL ATTACKS: Poisonous bite ual II, and there was the flumph and avoid being knocked down, thus giving the SPECIAL DEFENSES: Immune to fear, the cavalier, and in the SPELLJAM- blink mammoths a +2 to-hit bonus if the charm, and hold spells MER™ boxed set are giant-no, we victim fails to get initiative to stand up. MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard can’t say it. It’s too awful. (Hint: One The heavy tusks of these mammoths SIZE: S-M (3-4 ’ tall at shoulder) of them could store a 100-lb. sack of have 150% of the weight and value of MORALE: Fearless (19) Hartz Mountain Hamster Nummies elephants’ tusks, being worth 1d6 × 150 gp XP VALUE: 175 in each cheek.) each, or about 6 gp per pound. Getting the tusks, of course, is a problem. From some unknown source, these We’ve learned a bitter lesson. deadly sheep roam the verdant hillsides We’ve searched our monster files for where they live, ravaging anything in their every single weird monster that we Death Sheep paths. From a distance, they seem to be could find, and at no small personal Created by: M. W. Rodgers nothing more than wild, somewhat dirty cost to ourselves, we’ve converted sheep. Up close, however, the sheep can them into AD&D® 2nd Edition game CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Temperate hill be seen to have an evil nature. Their large FREQUENCY: Bather rare mouths are filled with long, sharp black statistics, just in case you happen to ORGANIZATION: Herd teeth that drip vile ichor. use them on your players. They’d ACTIVITY CYCLE: Day These sheep attack any living thing that love it. You bet. —The Editors

Blink Wooly Mammoth Created by: Sharon Jenkins

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Subarctic plains FREQUENCY: Very rare ORGANIZATION: Herd ACTIVITY CYCLE: Day DIET: Herbivore INTELLIGENCE: Semi- TREASURE: Tusks (good luck!) ALIGNMENT: Neutral NO. APPEARING: 1-12 ARMOR CLASS: 5 MOVEMENT: 12 HIT DICE: 15 THAC0: 5 NO. OF ATTACKS: 5 (2 tusks, 1 trunk con- striction, 2 forefeet) DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-16/2-16/2-12/2-12-12 SPECIAL ATTACKS: Blinking SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard SIZE: L (14’ tall at shoulder) MORALE: Elite (14) XP VALUE: 12,000

These otherwise normal mammoths blink in and out at random when attacked, using a limited form of teleportation as do blink dogs (see Monstrous Compendium, “Dogs”). They will blink on a roll of 5 or better on 1d12, with a range of up to 60’, and will reappear as per a 1d12 roll: 1 = in front of opponent; 2 = shield (or left)

DRAGON 11 Monstrous Compendium?

they can find, fearing nothing and fighting All maddened and surviving victims of ARMOR CLASS: 10 to the death. Because of their ferocious- the death sheep, except other sheep, live MOVEMENT: 9 (and can climb flawlessly) ness, the sheep make all attacks at +2 to only as many days as they have hit points. HIT DICE: 1-28 (3d10 -2) servings hit and damage. If a victim is bitten, he Therefore, only the death sheep are ever THAC0: Nil; see text must make a save vs. poison at +2 or found, and they do not attack one another. NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 smother become as mad as the sheep are in 1-10 Death sheep typically travel in flocks (woe DAMAGE/ATTACK: See text days. The victim’s teeth gradually turn to the unwary wolf!) and eat animal flesh, SPECIAL ATTACKS: Smothering black and become sharp and pointed, and be it fresh or rotten. Birds, reptiles, and all SPECIAL DEFENSES: Only harmed by finally the victim is totally consumed with other animals (except mammals) are im- snarfing (see text) insanity and berserkly attacks any living mune to the poisonous bite of the death MAGIC RESISTANCE: Immune to all spells thing that it senses, using only its teeth. sheep. It is speculated that the death sheep (see text) The only way to save an infected crea- are a product of some mage’s experiments SIZE: S (1-3’square, or 1-28 cubic feet) ture is to cast remove curse, cure disease, with rabies, and rumors hold that one MORALE: Fearless (20) until snarfed; then and neutralize poison spells upon it before particularly ambitious death sheep named Average (10) half of the 1-10 day cycle is complete. Any Basil (9 hp) is their leader. XP VALUE: 10 calories per serving of the above three spells cast singly only slows down the progress of the disease by The gello monster is a variant of the one day. Gello Monster gelatinous cube. These dreaded monsters Any creature consumed by the disease Created by: William S. Greenway came into being when a convention of cannot be tamed or controlled in any gelatin merchants, which had mistakenly fashion. Such creatures can be captured CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Subterranean been held in the Grotto of the Gelatinous and penned up, or perhaps tied up and FREQUENCY: Quite rare Cubes because the organizer thought it released later. A favorite battle tactic of ORGANIZATION: Solitary sounded appropriate, was ambushed by a one general was to capture several of ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any horde of gelatinous cubes. The cubes, of these sheep, place them in boxed carts, DIET: Omnivore course, devoured all that was there, in- and release them in the direction of his INTELLIGENCE: Non- cluding many of the gelatin mixes that the enemies. It worked well until one sheep TREASURE: Incidental merchants had on display. Once inside the turned around and looked back; then ALIGNMENT: Neutral, if squishy cubes, the gelatin mixes diffused through- things got a little sticky. NO. APPEARING: 1 out their bodies, reacting with the internal juices of the cubes and radically altered their physiology. The cubes, of course, acquired the fla- vor and coloring of the mixes they con- Man-Drake, Paper Dragon, and Pink Dragon sumed, and are now found in many colors and flavors, varying from red to puce, and from cherry to blackberry-orange. As a result of having acquired the coloring of the gelatin mixes, the silent-moving gello monsters cause victims to have a -1 on their surprise rolls (gello monsters are small, which helps, but they all smell very strongly of whatever flavor they happen to be). When attacking, a gello monster slithers up a character’s body and attempts to cover his breathing orifices, doing 2-8 hp smothering damage per round (no to-hit roll required). Once a meal is dead, a gello monster takes 2-8 days to eat it by means of weak digestive juice (also a result of the gelatin infusion). Defensively, gello monsters are well-nigh invulnerable. Blows from edged weapons only divide them evenly into smaller mon- sters, and blunt weapons bounce off them harmlessly, with a 35% chance of hitting the wielder on the rebound. Magical spells affect them, but only in a limited way. Heat- and cold-based spells make them either warmer or colder but do not harm them, and all other spells have similar results. For example, a magic missile at- tack would make one only quiver, and an ice storm would only serve as a decorative topping. The only way to defeat a gello monster is to snarf it —i.e., eat it as fast as possible.

12 APRIL 1990

Monstrous Compendium?

Snarfing attacks are made by rolling 4d6 ORGANIZATION: Grove lowest branches, which are equipped with vs. the snarfer’s constitution. If the roll is ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any seemingly normal but unusually hard and less than the constitution of the snarfer, DIET: Photosynthesis, with supplemental strong needles. There is no way to distin- then he has successfully snarfed one serv- “organic enrichment” of the soil in guish a killer spruce from a normal spruce ing of damage against the gello monster. If which it lives except to examine its needles carefully (at the roll is greater, the character is unable INTELLIGENCE: Non- which point it will attack you anyway). to snarf that round (but he can try later, as TREASURE: Incidental Young killer spruce behave in all ways like there’s always room for gello). If the roll ALIGNMENT: Neutral evil normal spruces until they reach full equals a snarfer’s constitution, he must NO. APPEARING: 1-4 treehood. All killer spruce show a marked rest for one round but may automatically ARMOR CLASS: 0 (trunk)/3 (branches) preference for elven victims. snarf on the following round. If a snarfer MOVEMENT: Nil If a killer spruce has been brought to eats at least two servings but then fails his HIT DICE: 8 zero or fewer hit points, it makes one final snarfing roll three times in a row, he may THAC0: 13 attempt to destroy its opponents by falling snarf no more and must excuse himself NO. OF ATTACKS: 6 branch strikes over onto them. Anyone hit by such an from combat. If the snarfer does not es- DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-12 per strike attack suffers 5-30 hp damage and must cape, he will be at the mercy of the gello SPECIAL ATTACKS: Dying blow, possible make a dexterity check on 1d20 or be monster. About one cubic foot of a gello poison trapped beneath the fallen spruce. A killer monster equals the amount a character SPECIAL DEFENSES: Camouflage, resistant spruce does not care about treasure, but may snarf in one round. to blunt weapons there might still be some valuables lying Huge versions of gello monsters are MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard under it, left there by past victims at the whispered of, so large that only giants SIZE: L (30’ tall) DM’s discretion. could snarf them. Little else is known. MORALE: Fearless (20), as it can’t run Some of these fierce conifers (15%) also away have a weak poison on their needles that XP VALUE: 5,000 (7,000 if poisonous) requires a character to save vs. poison at Killer Spruce +3. Anyone who fails the save falls into a Created by: Hans Persson A killer spruce is an ill-tempered tree comatose sleep for 1-4 turns and may be that can stand no other kinds of life near attacked at +4 to hit by the spruce. CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Subarctic forests it. It attacks all creatures passing under it Attacking a killer spruce with blunt FREQUENCY: Sorta rare by hitting downward and inward with its weapons does only one-quarter normal damage. A killer spruce is very susceptible to fire, and all such attacks are saved against at -4. Druids can only speculate Death Sheep, Pigeontoads, and Killer Spruce as to how killer spruce originated, and they dislike the time they spend rescuing adventurers from their clutches.

Man-Drake Created by: R. Derek Pattison

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Temperate wetlands FREQUENCY: Fairly rare ORGANIZATION: Solitary (bachelor) ACTIVITY CYCLE: Day DIET: Herbivore INTELLIGENCE: Low-Average TREASURE: 10% chance of V per hit die ALIGNMENT: Chaotic neutral NO. APPEARING: 1 ARMOR CLASS: 7 MOVEMENT: 12, Fly 12 (B), Swim 9 HIT DICE: 1-6 (as per druid of level 1-6) THAC0: As per druidic level NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 beak bite, or by weapon type in human form DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-2 or by weapon SPECIAL ATTACKS: Spells SPECIAL DEFENSES: Spells MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard SIZE: T (1' tall as duck) to M (5-6’ tall as human or elf) MORALE: Average (9) XP VALUE: 65 to 975 (max.)

A man-drake is a duck that has the magi- cal ability to periodically assume the form of a very charismatic and comely (but

14 APRIL 1990 Monstrous Compendium? stupid) human, elven, or half-elven male. went wrong, and the paper dragon’s pur- attack is the hurling of its most recently This power is inherited by all of the man- pose was altered. Instead of protecting eaten spell. When encountered, a paper drake’s male children (born or hatched), scrolls, it now considered them a food dragon has 1-4 magical scrolls in its lair who undergo their changes upon reaching source. By the time the wizard found this that it is saving for food. Generate each adulthood and for 1-4 days around each out, the dragon had gone—and left him scroll using Table 90 in the AD&D 2nd full moon thereafter. with an empty library. Edition Dungeon Master’s Guide (pages In manlike shape, all man-drakes are The paper dragon can now be found in 135-136), then generate one extra scroll to druids. To find the druidic level of a ran- scrolls, spell books, or almost any sort of represent the last meal that the paper dom man-drake, roll 1d6; their druidic magical writings. It derives nourishment dragon has eaten. Randomly generate one levels never improve or worsen. Spell from the magical inks used in such writ- spell from that eaten scroll, and that will selection is completely random. ings. Due to its two-dimensional appear- be the spell the paper dragon is able to Man-drakes constantly woo swanmays, ance and coloration, it has a 50% chance cast at the adventurers. If the scroll was a although the latter are appalled by them of being mistaken in low torchlight for protection scroll, the dragon can create and always ignore them. If not encoun- merely a drawing of a dragon. Closer that protective effect; if the scroll was tered while doing some over-chivalrous inspection or better lighting reveals its cursed, the dragon has no effective spell things in the presence of a swanmay, a true nature. attack. The paper dragon casts its spell or man-drake is usually sulking, alone except The paper dragon attacks by two meth- effect by appearing to burp in the direc- for his constant duck companions (1-6 ods. The first method is a physical attack tion of its victims. If hard pressed, a paper ducks, forget the stats). A man-drake with two claws, a bite, and a tail sting. The dragon may hurriedly gulp down part or wears no armor in manlike form, but he tail stinger injects poison that causes sleep all of a scroll; it is able to eat one spell can fight with simple weapons like a club for two turns. If a save vs. poison is made, from a scroll without disturbing other or staff. The man-drake is not to be con- the effect is drowsiness that also lasts for spells, and it can read magic to determine fused with a mandrake, which is some- two turns. While drowsy, the character which spell will be the most advantageous. thing completely different. cannot engage in any activity that requires The consumption of part or all of a scroll fast movement or dexterity (climbing, takes one round. picking locks, dodging missiles, etc.), and Paper dragons are good natured but Paper Dragon he suffers a -3 penalty on to-hit and destructive. How they manage to repro- Created by: Kay I. Lilley damage rolls (minimum of 1hp damage). duce is a complete mystery. If slain, a The paper dragon’s second mode of paper dragon may be unfolded like an CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any place with magi- cal scrolls, books, etc. FREQUENCY: Darn rare ORGANIZATION: Solitary ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any DIET: Any paper with magical writings INTELLIGENCE: Very-high TREASURE: T ALIGNMENT: Chaotic good NO. APPEARING: 1 ARMOR CLASS: 6 (2 in flight) MOVEMENT: 6, Fly 24 (B) HIT DICE: 2 +2 THAC0: 19 NO. OF ATTACKS: 4 (claw/claw/bite/tail sting) DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-2/1-2/1-4/1-3 SPECIAL ATTACKS: Poisonous sting, possi- ble spell use SPECIAL DEFENSES: Camouflage MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard SIZE: T (6” long) MORALE: Steady (12) XP VALUE: 650

Legend holds that this almost two- dimensional creature was created to re- semble, or possibly is, a true dragon. The wizard responsible for its creation was a bit eccentric (obviously) and had set out to make a guardian for his library of spells. After creating the paper dragon and find- ing out how well the creature worked, he channeled more magical energy into mak- ing it a living thing, able to exist anywhere and to breed, therefore causing a new race of dragons to come forth. But in the process of accomplishing this, something

DRAGON 15

Monstrous Compendium? origami figure; if the unfolder passes a ARMOR CLASS: 7 ards, and other swamp creatures, but dexterity check on 1d20 (to keep from MOVEMENT: 6, Fly 12 (D) pigeontoads eat whatever they can kill, tearing the paper) and if the paper dragon HIT DICE: 1 and a flock can kill quite a variety of was not damaged in any way by its cause THAC0: 19 things. of death, the dragon unfolds into a 1’- NO. OF ATTACKS: 3 (claw/claw/bite) These creatures have no treasures, at square sheet of paper upon which the DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1/1/1-4 least not so far as humans are concerned. contents of the last scroll it has eaten are SPECIAL ATTACKS: Automatic damage Lizard men, however, eat the jellylike mass written down. with grasp, possibly poisonous bite of eggs and have been known to domesti- A paper dragon appears to be a very SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil cate small flocks of the creatures, using small dragon made of some expensive MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard them as guards and to produce quantities parchment, upon which decorations ap- SIZE: S (2’long, 15 lbs.) of eggs for consumption. Adult pigeon- pear like handwriting or illustrations. MORALE: Steady (12), or Elite (14) in a toads do not seem to venture into the group of 10 + water except to mate; they lair in hollow XP VALUE: 35 (175 if poisonous) trees, bushes, or stumps. Pigeontoad Olive-green is the predominant color of Created by: John Hamilton These awkward, oviparous crossbreeds most pigeontoads, fading to a pale yellow are usually found only in swampy condi- underbelly. Their wings are gray with CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Temperate wetlands tions, although they sometimes dwell in some greenish tint. The beak and feet are and forests dark forests near pools of water. They black. Pigeontoads make a croaking sound FREQUENCY Mostly rare have also been found underground, but when alarmed, sounding not unlike nor- ORGANIZATION: Flock again only when they have easy access to mal toads. ACTIVITY CYCLE: Day water. They are more common in warm DIET: Carnivore climes but are found in less temperate INTELLIGENCE: Animal zones as well. Pigeontoads have toadlike Pink Dragon TREASURE: Nil (lizard men like their eggs, bodies with leathery wings and birdlike Created by: Jeanne McGuire though) talons. ALIGNMENT: Neutral A pigeontoad attacks a single opponent CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any NO. APPEARING: 2-12 with two grasping claws and a sharp- FREQUENCY: Really, really rare beaked bite. If both claws hit in the same ORGANIZATION: Family group round, the opponent has been grasped ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any and the claw damage is automatic until the DIET: Carnivore creature has been killed. Beak attacks are INTELLIGENCE: High at +2 to hit while an opponent is grasped, TREASURE: E About 15% of all pigeontoad flocks are ALIGNMENT: Chaotic neutral poisonous; poisonous and nonpoisonous NO. APPEARING: 1-4 flocks never mix. The poison is adminis- ARMOR CLASS: 2 tered by a successful bite and causes dam- MOVEMENT: 9, Fly 18 (B) age equal to that of the bite (so if the bite HIT DICE: 6-8 does 3 hp damage, the poison damage is THAC0: 15 (6 HD) or 13 (7-8 HD) likewise 3 hp). If the victim fails a save vs. NO. OF ATTACKS: 3 (claw/claw/bite) poison, he becomes weak, gradually losing DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-6/1-6/3-18 strength and constitution points as the SPECIAL ATTACKS: Breath weapon, possi- poison takes effect at the rate of one point ble spell use (each) per turn. Once both scores have SPECIAL DEFENSES: Possible spell use reached 1, the victim is too weak to move MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard and will die in 13-24 hours unless the SIZE: L (up to 36’ long) poison is neutralized. MORALE: Average (10) The female pigeontoad lays a clutch of XP VALUE: 650 to 2,000 10-100 eggs in the water every spring. At least 75% of these eggs are consumed by Pink dragons can be found almost any- natural predators. The young that hatch where, most frequently in some form of resemble tadpoles, with vestigial wings underground lair. Many hapless adventur- that serve as fins. Their size is about 3” at ers have been fatally fooled by the drag- hatching, and growth is gradual at first; on’s dopey appearance and delicate pink but by summer’s end, the tiny pigeontoads coloration. Pink dragons love to talk, but can fly short distances. By the end of fall, they are prone to eat those who do not they have reached normal size and either laugh at their jokes. join the flock or, if enough have survived, The breath weapon of the pink dragon is form a new flock and search for a new highly unusual. A special stomach serves nesting ground. The life span of these to mix fatty secretions with a fluid closely creatures is 3-5 years, resembling lye. The resulting goop pro- Pigeontoad flocks can be a menace to duces the breath weapon, a bubble cloud local communities, feeding indiscrimi- similar to that produced by a horn of nately on pets, herd animals, and humans. bubbles. This cloud is 60’ long, 50’ wide, The flock attacks en masse and does not and 20’ high, and it lasts 2-12 rounds. fear humans except in great numbers. Anyone trapped in this cloud is painfully Their normal diet consists of snakes, liz- blinded for 4-16 rounds due to soap in his

18 APRIL 1990 Monstrous Compendium? eyes, making magic virtually impossible to Instead, it attempts to slip under the one regardless of the slapper’s level, class, cast; this places a -6 penalty on all attack clothes and armor of its victim and to race, abilities, or attributes. Ticklers can- rolls, saving throws, and damage (1 hp tickle the character unmercifully. Victims not be slapped through any form of plate damage minimum), and negates dexterity are treated as AC 10 plus any dexterity armor. bonuses to armor class. Movement is adjustments and magical bonuses from Other methods of getting rid of these random as the affected person stumbles rings of protection and the like. However, creatures include stripping the clothing off around. A successful save vs. breath armor (magical or not) affords no protec- a victim, which results in the tickler going weapon indicates that the character closed tion against these creatures. to a new victim. Fire kills them instantly, his eyes before the soap affected them, in The victim’s laughter prevents him from doing appropriate damage to the victim. which case only the normal penalties for taking action of any sort and can also Water is the best method, rendering the fighting blind apply, without the distrac- double the chances of wandering monster tickler helpless and immobile for 2-5 tion caused by the pain of the soap in the encounters, because of the noise. Further- rounds, during which time they may be eyes. If the victim’s eyes are protected, as more, if the laughter is allowed to persist killed at leisure. by goggles, the obscuring effects alone are for more than six rounds, the victim must operative, giving only a -2 modifier to hit make a constitution check on 1d20 every for as long as the bubbles last. There is no subsequent round or suffer 1 hp damage. Tin Golem saving throw against the obscurement It is theorized that these creatures feed Created by: Scott Wile effect, as the cloud also affects infravision off the laughter generated by their at- and ultravision. When the bubble cloud is tacks. They will depart a dead or uncon- CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any in place, the dragon merely closes his scious victim or any victim otherwise FREQUENCY: Usually rare transparent protective third eyelids and, silenced, such as by a silence 15’ radius ORGANIZATION: None using a batlike sonar, attacks with his spell. ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any highly accurate claw/claw/bite routine. While in flight, ticklers are difficult to DIET: Pretty little, considering that it Those few pink dragons able to use see and to hit. Victims have a -6 penalty doesn’t eat magic (20%) gain one first-level mage spell on surprise, until the ticklers enter their INTELLIGENCE: Non- (as per illusionists), determined randomly, victim’s clothing. Undetected ticklers get a TREASURE: Nil for each stage of growth. If a spell is rolled +2 to hit. While in the victim’s clothing, ALIGNMENT: Neutral twice, the dragon is able to use that spell they may only be slapped at, and there is NO. APPEARING: 1 twice per day. Due to the somewhat silly only a 10% chance of hitting and killing ARMOR CLASS: 4 appearance of the pink dragon, it com- pletely lacks any sort of fear aura. Blink Wooly Mammoths, Tickler Unicows, and Were-Hare Created by: Erik Freske

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any FREQUENCY: Awfully rare ORGANIZATION: Flock ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any DIET: Feeds off laughter INTELLIGENCE: Non- TREASURE: Nil ALIGNMENT: Neutral NO. APPEARING: 3-12 ARMOR CLASS: -6 MOVEMENT: Fly 18 (A) HIT DICE: 1 hp THAC0: 20 (but see text) NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 tickle DAMAGE/ATTACK: Nil SPECIAL ATTACKS: Tickling SPECIAL DEFENSES: +4 to surprise if in flight MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard SIZE: T (2” long) MORALE: Average (10) XP VALUE: Be serious

This bizarre creature appears as a tiny ball of gray flesh from which projects a pair of featherlike white wings. It is under 2” long and can fly rapidly. It can be found anywhere, both above and below ground, except in the very hottest and coldest regions. The tickler does not attack for damage.

DRAGON 19 Monstrous Compendium?

MOVEMENT: 6 of the wizard override any others. center of its forehead that can strike for HIT DICE: 10 (45 hp) Tin golems can be struck by any 2-20 hp damage with a +2 bonus on to-hit THAC0: 11 weapon, but edged or pointed weapons rolls if the beast charges 30’ or more NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 weapon must save vs. crushing blow or else be before striking its opponent. Coloration is DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-12 bent or dulled ( -2 to hit and damage); usually white with black patches. SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil each magical “plus” gives the weapon a This creature saves as a 7th-level wizard, SPECIAL DEFENSES: Resistances and saving-throw bonus. In addition, all edged cannot be charmed or held by magic, and immunities to spells and weapons and pointed weapons do only half damage is unaffected by death spells. Its milk gives MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard to a tin golem. Crushing weapons do full any drinker a +2 bonus to constitution SIZE: M (6-7’ tall) damage unless they are made of wood or for 2-5 hours. MORALE: Fearless (20) bone, in which case they do half damage. Unicows (unicattle?) speak their own XI’ VALUE: 3,000 Tin golems are immune to cold- and fire- language, though their conversations are based attacks; electricity ricochets off rather narrowly restricted to discussions Construction of a tin golem requires a them, but acid does full damage. Gas and of grass quality. No one has any clue as to wizard and priest, each of at least 12th magic missiles do not affect them, nor how or why these creatures exist. Your level, employing wish, polymorph any does any spell that affects living things editors are not making any judgments, object, geas, resist fire, resist cold, and (e.g., hold, charm,, hypnotism, etc.). either. protection from normal missiles spells. Tin golems appear to be toylike carica- The cost of construction is 1,000 gp per hit tures of mankind, dressed in red coattails point and two months’ construction time. and with tall blue or black hats with Werelagomorph (Were-hare) The tin golem remains under the control matching high boots. Most have white Created by: Sharon Jenkins of its wizard creator. It obeys any simple baldrics with white pants tucked into their commands and remains motionless indefi- boots. All carry huge sabres. The outfit is CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Temperate climes, nitely until called forth. The wizard can considered to be traditional (its origin is underground optionally “program” it with a command unknown) and does not appear to affect FREQUENCY: Not rare enough word for use by others, but the commands the performance of the golem, which is ORGANIZATION: Herd, if that is the right also called a tin soldier. word for a bunch of rabbits ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any DIET: Herbivore (kills out of meanness) Unicow INTELLIGENCE: Low Created by: Sharon Jenkins TREASURE: Nil ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Temperate grasslands, NO. APPEARING: 1-8 Errers like Wisconsin ARMOR CLASS: 4 in hare form, 6 in were- FREQUENCY: Medium rare hare form We’ve caught a few editorial misteaks ORGANIZATION: Herd MOVEMENT: 24 in hare form, 12 in were- in our magazine recently (take out ACTIVITY CYCLE: Day hare form your red pens): DIET: Herbivore HIT DICE: 3 (24 hp in were-hare form, 3 In DRAGON® issue #152, page 70, INTELLIGENCE: Average hp in hare form) the computer-game clues for Hillsfar TREASURE: X THAC0: 17 are actually for Heroes of the Lance. ALIGNMENT Neutral NO. OF ATTACKS: 3 (claw/claw/nibble) or 1 For some reason, the editor placed NO. APPEARING: 1-10 (weapon) in were-hare form, nil in hare a “Jr.” on the end of author Craig ARMOR CLASS: 2 form Barrett’s name every time it was men- MOVEMENT: 12 DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1/1/1 -4 or by weapon tioned in issue #153. Craig is not a HIT DICE: 3 +2 type (were-hare form only) “junior.” Sorry, Craig. THAC0: 27 SPECIAL ATTACKS: Diseased bite (lycan- Readers checking out “Role-playing NO. OF ATTACKS: 3 (hoof/hoof/horn) thropy) Reviews” in issue #154 may have DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-4/1-4/1-10 SPECIAL DEFENSES: Struck only by silver noticed some strange wording on SPECIAL ATTACKS: Charge or magical weapons page 56. The second line from the SPECIAL DEFENSES: Immune to certain MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard bottom of the second column was spells SIZE: S (2 ’ long in hare form) to M (4½ ’ tall somehow repeated from earlier in the MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard in were-hare form) text. The complete sentence (more SIZE: L (5’ tall at shoulder) MORALE: Unsteady (5) properly edited) should have read: MORALE: Average (10) XP VALUE: 175 “The eclipse of national goverments XP VALUE: 420 by multinational corporations; the This creature appears as a hare but enhancement of human senses, reac- The unicow lives in grassy plains and changes to its were-form if attacked. In tions, memory, and processing by shuns contact with humans and human- were-form, it can attack with a one- cybernetic hardware and software; the oids. Like the unicorn, it can be tamed by handed weapon for normal damage. This adventures of netrunners and data- a maiden pure of heart, though she must creature has a mean streak a mile wide, pirates in the computer analogue be of neutral alignment and probably not and passes up no opportunity to prove universe of Cyberspace and the very bright. These “milkmaids” (or “cow- how awful it can be, though it is not par- Matrix-all will be familiar genre con- girls”) care for their unicows with great ticularly brave and so rarely carries out its ventions to readers of cyberpunk love and diligence right up to the day they plans. novels like Neuromancer and sell their unicows to the Elven Stockyards This creature can be hit by only silver or Hardwired.” for meatloaf. magical weapons, including Holy Hand Each unicow has one blue horn in the Grenades. 20 APRIL 1990

Prose by any other name would stink just as bad

by John M. Maxstadt

Many readers have complained that their way thither in their own time and in person might do. It can allow a huge DRAGON® Magazine should have more their own way. dragon to spend its entire life in a cavern adventures. The following represents your This, however, is not Arthur’s preferred with no entrances or exits more than 10’ editors’ attempt to remedy this situation. mode of operation. It wastes time on across. It can do anything. sticky old realism, and furthermore would The Designer’s Fiat has great power to “Razznarock!” is an imposture—that is, allow the characters to arrive reasonably create malign absurdities, but the most an adventure for four or more characters well prepared for the adventure. Arthur dread of all is the coercive beginning spell, in the AD&D® or D&D® game. The charac- wants them there post-haste and on his which can force any numbers and levels ters may be of any level and should repre- own terms, and that means casting the of reasonably intelligent player characters sent all the major classes. The Dungeon dreaded coercive beginning spell. to perform long and panoramically varied Master, on the other hand, should have no Arthur has many magical capabilities (he successions of perversely stupid and self- class at all. belongs to all character classes, especially destructive actions, with no saving throws thief), but coercive beginning is a unique and no room for argument. Like all arti- Dungeon Master’s tenth-level mage spell that can be cast only facts, however, it has its malevolent effect: Background by using that most baneful of artifacts, the Each use costs the wielder 1d4 points of An infamous sage and half-wit, Arthur Designer’s Fiat, a device with many sinis- credibility, and the coercive beginning O’deModule, having perfected his latest ter powers. It can enable ordinary mon- spell drains 25 credibility points at a shot. adventure, has decided that he wants your sters to survive for hundreds of years Arthur could see his credibility score group’s party of intrepid dungeon explor- with no food or water while waiting for a dropping well into the negative numbers ers to test its mettle. As luck would have certain party of adventurers to come this time, but he could not resist. “And if it, your players’ characters are strung out along. It can cause a greedy wizard to I’m going to eat my credibility whole to over all four corners of your game world scatter his treasure around a dungeon in produce this one coercive beginning,” he at the time, and none of them has the least dribs and drabs, guarded only by a corny declared, “I’m going to make it a lulu!” knowledge of or interest in any place riddle here, a flimsy trap there, and a called Razznarock. Under the circum- measly monster elsewhere, instead of Players’ Background stances, Arthur might have left you free to putting it all in a vault and guarding it The following players’ background drop a hint or two and let the PCs wend with all his combined resources as a sane should be read aloud to the players. The

DRAGON 23 names of the appropriate characters servants. Aside from the deplorable inci- acre area so that the druids will have a should be inserted wherever the brack- dent in which [fighter’s name] tries to nice open space to meet. At their next eted notes so indicate. sweep the floor with the witch’s broom of meeting, the druids try to decide exactly Before reading the player background to flying, the months pass uneventfully. How- how to execute your party. They are actu- the players, the Dungeon Master may ever, you begin to notice more and more ally on the verge of excusing you on the want to assemble a few useful props, such of the witch’s household effects showing grounds of invincible ignorance when as a baseball bat, a flak jacket, and one or up in your respective pockets. It seems [thief’s name] accidentally burns down the two large bodyguards. He may also want that none of you can resist taking things rest of the forest while trying to give a to place himself behind a few inches of that do not belong to you. “That’s it!” cries hotfoot to a passing treant. Fed up with plexiglas. He may also want to have his [mage’s name]. “We must be DUNGEON each and every one of you, the druids head examined. EXPLORERS!” turn you into stone (using a scroll that just Overjoyed with the sudden and com- happened to be laying around), stone You all wake out of a sound sleep, pick plete return of your memories, you rush shape you into a section of wall, and stuff up your weapons and magical items, and out of the witch’s cottage and fall directly you into the nearest dungeon. seek each other out in the middle of the into a sand pit (which has been placed in Not long thereafter, the renowned wiz- night to go on an adventure. It is not nec- the middle of a swamp by the Designer’s ard Nerdbird the Great, wishing to enter essary to put on your armor because you Fiat as an added touch of class at no extra said dungeon, casts stone to flesh on you were sleeping in it, being like all good charge). The pit immediately collapses, to facilitate getting you out of the way. You adventurers unable to face life without and you wake several hours later in an are all still alive, though rather altered in ringworm, chronic muscle cramps, and abandoned subterranean temple (or a coal shape and mixed together. Nerdbird is so gangrenous abrasions. In seeking each mine-it’s hard to tell which), up to your disgusted that he leaves you on the floor other out, you run into trouble immedi- knees in soap-suds. Every few minutes, without wasting a meteor swarm to clean ately, because none of you is at home. you hear a low and ominous sklurtch from you up. Eventually, [cleric’s name] casts augury deep underground. You know that you However, Nerdbird’s faithful companion and the rest of you find your way to him must move forward quickly or be bathed cleric, Argon Ironstomach, scrapes you off by following the smell. to death, a fate every true adventurer the floor and spends the following week Just as you have finished exchanging avoids like the worst plague. restoring you to your former selves. Un- pleasantries and have begun to wonder The very first room you come to ap- fortunately, he is unable to save any of what you think you are doing, a comet pears to be a dead end (nobody does any- your gear except your underwear, leaving streaks through the midnight sky and thing clever like checking for secret you nothing with which to pay him. So causes you to forget who you are. None of doors), but it contains a table laden with badly is he ticked off by this that he nails you has the good sense to check his gear flasks. Each flask is 1abeled “POTION,” and all of you with a quest and sends you for heraldic symbols or general indications there is one for each of you: Having forth, in your underwear, to perform of profession, but you keep your heads skipped school on the day that common some great task which is entirely beyond well enough to remember that help can sense was explained, you scarf the potions your abilities, but which he, personally, always be obtained in the most dangerous, without hesitation and fall instantly into a could accomplish blindfolded. godsforsaken location available. With that deep sleep. When you wake up, you are The details of your quest matter not at in mind, you immediately set off for the hanging by your earlobes from the tops of all, because you go no more than two nearest haunted swamp. 100’-tall pine trees, clad only in tutus and dozen steps before you are taken prisoner The shamblers and swamp-wraiths sense ballet slippers. by a band of fifteen kobolds. You do not the gravity of your mission and allow you A band of druids happens by, and they struggle or put up a fight, because that to pass unmolested. You stop at the cottage help you down from the trees. They give would make sense, and this is a coercive of an infamous witch and rap on her door you the spare robes they happen to be beginning spell, remember? The kobolds with a convenient thigh-bone. When she carrying (one for each of you) and nurse immediately draft you into their army, answers, [party leader’s name] says, your rough, dry skins back to health—it since they are under the influence of the “Please, mistress, seeing as you’re a total turns out that the potions you took in the same spell as you are—and besides, how stranger, could you please tell us who we temple/coal mine gave you terminal cases smart is a kobold? are and what it is we do for a living?” of psoriasis. The kobolds outfit you with weapons Several minutes later, when she can To show his appreciation, [fighter’s and armor that they have stolen from keep a straight face, the witch charms all name] cuts down all the trees and clears travelers (yes, armed and armored travlers of you and puts you to work as household away all the plants and animals in a two- who couldn’t take on a pack of kobolds—

24 APRIL 1990 go figure it). Amazingly enough, each suit you is wearing a plaid flannel shirt and remember even the least detail of Razzna- of armor fits one of you with no adjust- has a sprig of hayseed stuck in his teeth. rock and the adventure that he had in- ments, even though humans alone vary in You roll off the turnip wagon and wind tended to write, beyond what was men- height from 5’ to 7’. The kobolds force up face-to-face with the village wise man, tioned previously. you to rob and harass innocent passers-by, who is so exceedingly wise that he has Meanwhile, the Designer’s Fiat, over- and you spend several blissful weeks that nothing better to do than stand by the side heated through discharging too many way before it occurs to someone that you of the road answering questions all day. As crass stupidities and clogged with too could simply kill the kobolds to end your soon as he lays eyes on you, he reaches many logical impossibilities, exploded. It servitude; [thief’s name] objects that it is into his pockets and pulls out your armor, blew itself, Razznarock, your player char- more fun to rob and harass innocent protection devices, spell books, holy sym- acters, and—most unfortunately—Arthur passers-by, but you outvote him and bols, and one favorite weapon for each of himself directly to Kingdom Come. May he slaughter all of the kobolds except one. you. He wipes off the soap-suds (forgot the rest in peace—and may he soon be joined The last kobold begs for his life and soap-suds, did you?) and hands your equip- by every designer whose favorite power promises to show you where to find a big, ment over. phrase is “Because I said so!” and by every big treasure. You take him at his word, You thank him profusely, change your Dungeon Master whose standard cop-out showing yourselves to be the stuff from clothes (in public and in broad daylight, is “I can’t help it—that’s what it says in the which maple syrup is made. Whining and like any adventurer would), and ask him module.” pleading and trying not to laugh out loud, where you are. He informs you that you the kobold leads you to a deep, dark cave are on the Road of Everlasting Truth, and And Now, The Adventure and asks you to go in without him, explain. he points out which direction leads to Before his Designer’s Fiat exploded, ing that he is allergic to huge piles of gold wisdom. Naturally, you set out in the oppo- Arthur wrote out a first draft of his grand and magical items. Having left your brains site direction, and so arrive, in due course, adventure and mailed it and his coercive in your other suits, you buy this and walk at Razznarock, where you are fated to beginning to us at DRAGON Magazine. right in. You see a large, glowing, golden meet the berserk halfling forces of King Your editors read the accompanying ad- archway, and, mistaking it for a short- Grubb the Deplorable in a battle for con- venture and decided that it made no sense, order restaurant, you charge through. trol of the universe. so we fed it to the No-SENSE Ogre. When You feel yourselves falling through the PCs arrive at Razznarock, they wake black, empty space. The next thing you But Wait, There’s More! up and realize it was all a dream. There is know, you are sitting on top of a load of Arthur O’deModule, stripped of every no adventure to go with this background turnips in a wagon that is slowly making vestige of credibility and totally exhausted material. You can tell your players to its way down a dirt road. Your weapons from his efforts to create the ultimate breathe now. and armor are gone (again), but each of coercive beginning, struggled vainly to

Yet Even More [Gods Forbid] Outrages FromtheMages

Milking the Misbegotten Realms for all they’re worth

by John M. Maxstadt (again, with inadequate apologies to Ed Greenwood) Nimrod of Nump, whose ultimately disastrous experiences with spell invention were chronicled in “Still More Outrages From the Mages” (DRAGON® issue #144), was also widely famed—or cursed, as the case may be-as the inventor of many of the Misbegotten Realms most notorious magical items. Many of them still skulk in hoards and treasure vaults across the Realms, sniggering to themselves and waiting for the day when some excited adventurer says, “Lemme try this and see what it d—AAAAAGGGHHHH!!! GET IT OFF ME! AAAAAAAAA—[choke, gasp, cough, collapse].” For brevity’s sake, gold- piece and experience-point values are omitted, though you may roll 1d6 for each if you like.

Ring of Spell “Turning” This platinum ring, figured with a “T” rune, radiates a faint dweomer (extremely faint) but displays no other capabilities under ordinary circumstances. When a spell is cast at or on its wearer by a hostile spell-caster, however, the ring reveals its true power. In a clear voice, it says “Turn- ing. Tee-you-arr-enn-eye-enn-gee. Turning.” This ring was originally planned as one of a matched pair, but the wizard was not sure how many Rs there were in “storing.”

Ring of Hunan Influence This jade ring is decorated with Oriental characters, including Fu Manchu and Charlie Chan. It affects all food eaten by the wearer; there is no noticeable change in the taste, but one round after being eaten, the food begins to burn for 1d4 hp damage per round. Water only makes the burning worse ( + 1 hp damage for one round). Only eating 1d6 plates of rice will ease the pain. However, no matter how much food is consumed, the wearer still feels hungry an hour later.

Staff of Striking (Local 531) When this heavy oaken staff is swung at an opponent in combat, a large placard

DRAGON 27 pops out of the end, reading “ON STRIKE! Net of Sneering helm is used, a dim light flickers, briefly, PCs Unfair to Magical Items!” Thereafter, it This sturdy rope net is imbued with the in the bulb on top. will resist all attempts to wield it in com- power of speech. Mages have searched in bat, making hits impossible. If the owner vain for a way to imbue it with the power Liar of Building persists in trying to use it, it may animate of shutting up. As it is, it is impossible to This small harp is fashioned entirely and attack him, although the PC takes no get rid of the net once it is claimed, so it from solid brass. It radiates a dweomer, damage if he wears a scab of protection. remains with its owner and provides a but it can be strummed until the player’s The staff can be temporarily returned to running sarcastic commentary on all his fingers turn to hamburger and it will normal functioning by burning at least actions. (“Planning to open that door? never lay a single brick on a brick. How- three sticks of incense of mediation. These Good idea—let me know where to send the ever, it incessantly brags about the edifices latter items are described in full on page flowers. Say, that was a pretty impressive it constructed in the hands of other, more 126 of this issue. sword thrust, but I think you’d have done competent musicians (“Yeah, I’m the guy more damage with a giant Q-tip.”) No who put up the Empire Sta—the Emperor’s Candle of Convocation known form of attack can damage this net; Stables, yeah, that’s the ticket”). These large candles can be found in all all have been tried, and all have failed. sorts of garish colors. When one is lit, the Robe of Blending (Waring 3-speed) lighter and his entire party find them- Graffiti Bottle To all appearances, this is a perfectly selves instantly teleported to a high school This ornate brass bottle has a lead stop- ordinary robe. If the clasp is examined pep rally in an alternate plane of exist- per covered with special seals and sigils closely, however, it will be revealed to be a ence, where they remain stranded until that are better left untranslated in a family sliding switch with four setting (including the candle burns out or until they lead magazine. If the stopper is removed, four “off”). “Chop” does 2-20 hp damage to the their section to victory in the cheering air elementals armed with spray cans pop wearer, “mix” does 4-48, and “liquefy” competition. out and paint rude slogans and obscenities makes me sick just thinking about it. all over everything (and everyone) in the Rug of Mothering area. They cannot be ordered back into Robe of Useless Items Indistinguishable from a rug of smother- the bottle or restrained in any way except This robe appears to be a garment of no ing, this carpet forms an emotional attach- by a censor controlling air elementals (see great value-appearances can deceive, but ment to anyone who picks it up. following). not in this case. The wearer will notice Thereafter, it will always be found some- several odd-shaped patches on the gar- where about his person or his gear, worry Censor Controlling Air Elementals ment, primarily because they chafe in ing about how he eats, nagging him about If any book containing at least one four- uncomfortable, places. Detaching one of how he takes care of his clothes, and letter word (obscene or not) is burned in these patches causes it to actually become fussing when he goes out in the rain with- this thurible, a bald and bespectacled little one of the following items: out galoshes (which haven’t even been man is summoned. If a graffiti bottle has invented yet). This is all the more likely to been used, he will quickly scrub away all A bag containing 1,000 lead pieces; be embarrassing when one remembers those filthy words, then sit those four A one-inch length of rope; that the standard rug of smothering is naughty air elementals down and give One pair of high, hard boots, halfling size; generally used only by assassins. Even a them a good talking-to. A wooden ladder, 25’ long, with three remove curse spell will not get rid of this rungs; item, although such an act will prompt Hammer +3, Dwarf Thrower Half a pair of safety scissors; Soliloquy 3-B, the one that begins “So this When wielded by anyone but a dwarf, A string of electrical Christmas tree lights; is the thanks I get. . .” this acts as a normal war hammer. When- A rubber dagger and a glass shield ever a dwarf tries to wield this hammer in (matched set); combat, however, it picks him up and A book of exalted deeds, written entirely Omelet of the Planes hurls him bodily at his opponent, at + 3 to in Thieves’ Cant; This white styrofoam carton is embossed hit and for 1d12 + 3 hp damage (to the A pint of sovereign glue (undiluted with oil with the logo of a prominent airline. When dwarf—the opponent takes only 1-4 hp of slipperiness) in a tightly stoppered opened, it will always be found to contain damage); the range is 60’. If the dwarf unbreakable bottle; an old, cold, tough, and unappetizing misses his opponent, he (again the dwarf) A treasure map pinpointing the exact omelet and a wax-coated bag. If left alone, takes double the above damage; if his location of an immense hoard, relative the omelet will continue to become older, opponent has time to “set” or “ground” a to “the old oak tree,” “the big rock,” “the colder, tougher, and more unappetizing as weapon such as a spear or military fork— woodcutter’s shack,” and ”the bend in time goes by. If a character attempts to eat well, it’s not a pretty picture. Incidentally, the river” (extraneous details such as the omelet, he must save vs. putrefaction this hammer is an unusually handsome the name of the kingdom or the conti- or discover what the paper bag is used for. weapon, featuring the finest work of the nent are omitted); If the omelet is successfully eaten, it will elvish master smiths. A 25th-century death-ray gun, 100% accu- be replaced the next day with an identical rate within 300’ that kills anything it omelet. As is universal with airline food, Helm of Brilliance, 40 Watt hits (batteries not included); no matter how many omelets are eaten, This sturdy iron helmet is topped by a A letter from Ed McMahon, telling the PCs they never ever get any better. crystal bulb with a metal filament inside. they may already have won $20 million; Its magical powers can be used only by a A normal bo stick, jo stick, awl pike, fau- Medallion of EST warrior with an intelligence score of less chard, partisan, and mancatcher (in the Wearing this silver-plated medallion than six. The helm functions primarily history of the AD&D® game, has any enables a character to fully experience his when the DM gets fed up watching PCs PC ever willingly become proficient inner oneness, take responsibility for his with intelligence scores in the upper teens with any of these things?); and personal space, and pontificate at length to ignore the painfully obvious. For example, Half a bucket of fresh orcish beer, fellow party members about how they when the party has spent an hour and a must recontextualize adverse life events half trying unsuccessfully to damage a Once removed, a patch can never be (such as an- arrow in the eye) so as to monster that has made no attempt to fight replaced on the robe. When enough remove their negative energy. Coinciden- back, the wearer of the helm might sud- patches have been removed, the robe tally, it also lowers the wearer’s charisma denly be inspired to say, “D-uh, hey fellas, becomes very drafty, so it is wise to re- by six points, without affecting comeliness. maybe it’s ah illoozhun!” Whenever the serve the patches for emergencies.

28 APRIL 1990

30 APRIL 1990 Computers: a crime against humanity! by James M. Ward

Everyone has certain strengths and weaknesses. That’s true even at TSR, Inc. Mary Kirchoff, the head of the book de- partment, can organize anything and make it work. Jeff Grubb, a game de- signer, can keep all the characters in the DC and Marvel universes in his head and knows what each one is doing at any given minute. Bruce Nesmith, also a game de- signer at TSR, is a computer whiz and constantly amazes us with his abilities. I I have seen many of the outlines for pat my own back by saying that I have a future licensed AD&D products. I can tell wonderful imagination. But with the same you that amazing things are going to come hand I have to slap myself for being the out of the SSI warehouse. My only prob- worst when it comes to computers, as this lem is getting the time to playtest all of causes terrible problems when it comes to SSI’s material; TSR looks carefully at dealing with SSI on a regular basis. SSI is everything that goes into an AD&D com- the company that TSR has selected to puter game. Some of you will be pleased to make all of our licensed AD&D® and know that there will be two Nintendo D&D® computer games. So far, the follow- AD&D games out in the fall of this year. SSI has turned out some very fine ing licensed games have been released: One is based on the DL1 Dragons of De- games. Its non-TSR games Wizard’s Champions of Krynn (Commodore, IBM); spair module, and the other is based on Crown, Demon's Winter, and Battles of Curse of the Azure Bonds (Apple, Com- the Pool of Radiance computer game. Napoleon are great fun. SSI’s Sword of modore, IBM); In working with SSI, I have been playing Aragon has recently held my attention for Dragons of Flame (Amiga, Atari ST, IBM); more and more computer games. I have far too many hours; this game was so good Dungeon Masters Assistant, Vol. I (Apple, had to play all of SSI’s games, both the that I asked to have a similar game made Commodore, IBM); games licensed from TSR and those that into a GREYHAWK®-themed product to Dungeon Masters Assistant, Vol. II are not. I have also played computer come out next year. Among the games (Amiga, Apple, Commodore, IBM); games from other companies to make sure licensed from TSR, Pool of Radiance is a Heroes of the Lance (Amiga, Atari ST, our licensed games are competitive in the work of art that has won several impres- Commodore, IBM); marketplace. Now, I am not an expert in sive awards for SSI. I’ve played it several Hillsfar (Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore, the computer-game field, but I do know different times on different computer IBM); games, and there are some computer formats, and I enjoyed myself each time. Pool of Radiance (Apple, Commodore, simulations out there that I have greatly SSI has lately released Champions of IBM, Macintosh); and, enjoyed, and I thought I would mention Krynn, a must-have game for computer War of the Lance (Apple). them here. players. It’s fun, visually exciting, and

DRAGON 31 captures the color and flavor of the too much time playing is Sword of the wounds. Briefly, I thought about calling DRAGONLANCE® saga like nothing I have Samurai, by MicroProse. While attempting SSI and whining about how tough this ever seen before. There is nothing like to become the shogun of Japan, the player game was. Then I realized that it was also facing a horde of draconians and using the is greeted with wonderful pictures and TSR’s game. I went back to my computer, kender taunt against them to make a simple but interesting arcade action. created another wonderful party, and gamer feel good. MicroProse did a good job, and the game is vowed to make it really tough for giant Half the world knows I am an old fan of well worth anyone’s time. Another game centipedes in the future. FASA’s BATTLETECH® game. It was with a by MicroProse that I found really interest- good deal of pleasure that I picked up the ing is Pirates! Sailing around the ocean MechWarrior game for the IBM. Now, I looking for Spanish treasure ships is just Catalog! want to go on record as really enjoying the the thing to appeal to anyone after a long simulation. But true MechWarriors are day at work. Write for your free going to be a bit irritated at the things you Last night, I booted up the IBM and catalog of games can’t do in the computer game. What you started running a set of characters and gaming sup- can do is drive all sorts of great ‘Mechs. I through SSI’s Champions of Krynn game. I plies! In the United smiled with glee at the chance to get into had played it twice before, once on a Stated and Can- my personal favorite ’Mech, the Marauder. Commodore and once on an IBM. I wanted ada, Write to: TSR When I got the chance to commission an to make sure that SSI had put in all the Mail Order Hobby entire lance of Marauders, Activision had TSR game-mechanics points I felt were me hook, line, and sinker. The bottom line necessary. Shop, c/o TSR, is that if you ever enjoyed the BATTLE- I made two knights of Solamnia, a ken- Inc., P.O. Box 756, TECH game, you will enjoy this game. der cleric, an elven wizard, a human Lake Geneva WI Now, let me nitpick a bit. The com- fighter/wizard, and a dwarven cleric (a 53147, U.S.A. In puter’s handling of the enemy ’Mechs is party I believe is best suited to the game). Europe, write to: terrible; it is too easy to get behind them My band of brave heroes boldly went into TSR Mail Order and just blaze away. I kept looking around the hobgoblin-filled town of Jelek. It did Catalogue, TSR for water so that I could cool down my my heart good to use the kender’s taunt to Ltd, 120 Church ’Mech, but there wasn’t any. If you anger defeat my foes. I knew my team was pow- End, Cherry Hin- one of the Successor States with repeated erful, and with my knowledge of the ton, Cambridge attacks against it, it won’t hire your lance, workings of the game I expected not to be which isn’t consistent with the play of the defeated. Then I ran into a random CB1 3LB, United miniatures game or with the BATTLETECH encounter with rats and giant centipedes. Kingdom. Send for novels. Before I knew it, my kender and my dwarf it today! Another game I have been spending far were dead from poisoned centipede DRAGON 33 FORGOTTEN REALMS™ novels worth remembering

By J. Eric Severson

The year 1989 was, by far, the year of ample, Calimshan depicts the Middle East, the Icewind Dale Trilogy by R. A. Salva- the gods for the millions who read the Dales are like central Europe, and tore, the past catches up with Regis the FORGOTTEN REALM™ fantasy adventure Kara-Tur represents East Asia. halfling. Pasha Pook, thieves’ guildmaster novels from TSR, Inc. Ranging from the The response to the FORGOTTEN of Calimport, wants his charmed ruby Darkwell in the Moonshae Isles to the REALMS novels has been so tremendous pendant back, and his henchman-the avatars that sprang from Shadowdale, the that TSR plans to give readers more of assassin Entreri—finally brings the thief to gods rose and fell like the greatest of what they want in 1990. But how can we “justice.” Only Drizzt Do’Urden, Wulfgar, mortals in their quests for power. top the gods? By returning to the thrilling and Catti-brie know of their friend’s trou- Thanks to fantastic readership world- high fantasy for which we’re known. The bles. Drizzt believes his dark-elf heritage wide, TSR produced nine best-selling Realms are so large and diverse that they will hinder his party’s progress, so he novels, including six novels set in the naturally hold something for everyone, struggles with an enchanted mask that FORGOTTEN REALMS fantasy world: from intriguing mysteries set in a noble- hides his identity. Streams of Silver, Darkwell, Shadowdale, man’s castle, to a Cortez-like conquest of The companions must race the length of Tantras, Waterdeep, and Pool of Radiance an unknown continent, to sweeping bat- the Realms, battle pirates on the Sword According to Locus magazine, issue #349 tles between divergent cultures. With Coast, brave the deserts of Calimshan, and (February 1990), TSR is the number-two fantastic monsters, magic, and an unlim- fight monsters from other planes to save publisher of science fiction and fantasy in ited cast of characters, there is plenty still Regis in time. But then an unexpected Waldenbooks and Dalton’s stores, based on to be written and read. skirmisher joins the fight. trade paperback best-sellers—and our In addition to upcoming trilogies by In The Wyvern’s Spur, Book Two in the popularity is growing! Douglas Niles and R. A. Salvatore, a fantasy Finder’s Stone Trilogy and the sequel to What are the Forgotten Realms? This mystery by Kate Novak and Jeff Grubb, and Azure Bonds, the halfling bard Olive setting is an enormous, unique, and com- a new atlas of the Realms. TSR plans to Ruskettle must solve a mystery: Who stole plex fantasy world. In some respects, it follow up its exciting Avatar Trilogy with the noble Wyvernspur family’s most parallels the real world. The known the Empires Trilogy, an epic series linking prized heirloom, and why? Kate Novak Realms (covering 28.5 million square miles) the cultures of East and West. and Jeff Grubb provide the answer. are nearly eight times the size of the Here’s a preview of 1990’s FORGOTTEN Having just returned from Westgate and United States. The Realms are like a single REALMS novels: his encounter with the sellsword named continent containing all of North Africa, Alias, Giogi Wyvernspur is charged with Europe, and Asia; many of its cultural Fantastic adventures finding his clan’s lost curio. But even be- settings reflect regions on Earth For ex- ln The Halfling’s Gem, the conclusion to fore he can begin, his Uncle Drone dies,

34 APRIL 1990 Olive’s companion is murdered, and Olive land of Shou Lung. As powerful as they society, Drizzt finds himself faced with a herself is turned into a donkey! Eventually, are, Shou Lung’s armies seem to be no dilemma that apparently has no solution: with Olive’s help, Giogi discovers the truth match for the brutal tactics of the Tuigan Can he live in a world that cannot accept about the curio, but he must learn to cavalry. Shou Lung’s only hope lies with his dedication to honor? control it before his family falls to a myste- Batu Min Ho, a young general who is him- Exile, Book Two of the trilogy, follows rious force. An enchantress named Cat has self a third generation descendant of the adventures of Drizzt and his feline her eye on the young nobleman—but for Tuigan barbarians. companion, Guenhwyvar, as they search what purpose, only time will tell. In Book Three, Crusade, by James Low- for a new home. Exiled from Menzober- der, the khahan and his mighty barbarian ranzan, the city of the drow, Drizzt must The Maztica Trilogy army have turned their sights on the find acceptance with races normally at In a corner of the world far removed civilized western nations of the Forgotten war with his kind. And all the while, the from the known Forgotten Realms stands Realms. Only one man, King Azoun of hero must look back over his shoulder for the exotic continent of Maztica. It is here Cormyr, has the courage and strength to signs of deadly pursuit—for the dark elves that best-selling author Douglas Niles bring the western factions together and are not a forgiving race. opens a new series of historic high fan- forge a crusading army powerful enough tasy: The Maztica Trilogy, beginning with to challenge the Tuigan horsemen. To- The year beyond Ironhelm. In Book One of this trilogy, Erix gether with the dwarves of the Earthfast If 1989 was the year of the gods, then the slave girl learns of a great destiny laid Mountains, Azoun’s crusaders make their 1990 will be the year of exploration, ex- upon her by the gods themselves. At the stand against the rampaging horde. But pansion, and the search for truth. But same time, across the sea, a great mission Azoun had not reckoned that the price of 1991 holds even more for fantasy fans, of exploration embarks. The explorers, a saving the west might be as high as the life possibly including series on clerics, the legion of skilled mercenaries, sail west- of his own daughter. Harpers, and the SPELLJAMMER™ setting, ward to discover a land of primitive sav- a wonderful product with a new method agery mixed with high culture, of brutal, The Dark Elf Trilogy of traveling between the AD&D® game’s bloodthirsty gods and brilliant, colorful art R. A. Salvatore begins a new series called fantasy worlds. If you have a favorite treasures. Under the banner of their vigi- the Dark Elf Trilogy, which chronicles the character, class, race, or region of the lant god, Helm, the legion claims these early, underground life of the drow elf Realms that you would like to see in lands for itself. And only as Erix sees her Drizzt Do’Urden, hero of the Icewind Dale books—or if there is anything you do not land invaded by these strangers, when her Trilogy. Book One, Homeland, follows the want to see more of—we’d love to hear world itself starts to collapse, is her des- adventures of young Drizzt as he grows to from you. Write to: TSR, Inc., Books Divi- tiny revealed: maturity in the vile world of his dark kin. sion, P.O. Box 756, Lake Geneva WI 53147, Erix and Halloran the legionnaire flee Possessing a sense of honor beyond the U.S.A. from the waves of catastrophe sweeping scope offered him by his unprincipled Maztica in Book Two, Viperhand. The God of War feasts upon chaos while the des- perate lovers strive to escape from ene- mies on all sides. Finally, each is forced into a choice of historical proportions and deeply personal emotion. The gods them- selves awaken, and the destruction of the fabulously wealthy continent of Maztica looms on the horizon. Yet Erix bears with her a desperate secret, and with that secret comes the lone hope that Maztica can survive. The Empires Trilogy The epic saga of the Empires Trilogy details the battles of nations between the known western Realms and the lands of Kara-Tur. Each book stands alone as it provides a different perspective of events from three cultural viewpoints. Whether they know it or not, the main characters will change the course of history in the Realms. Horselords, by David Cook, is Book One in the series. It is into a group of mounted barbarians that Koja the lama is sent to learn more about the leader of the horde-the man called Yamun Khahan, a strong and cruel ruler who unites the once-fragmented clans of the Horse Plains. But Koja must also decide where his sym- pathies lie and what his own ambitions are, for the time has come for the horse- men to ride and conquer, and the fate of the Forgotten Realms hangs in the balance. Troy Denning, in his book, Dragonwall, tells of how the barbarian horsemen of the Tuigan horde breached the mighty Dragonwall and now threaten the Oriental

DRAGON 35

Can You Swim? Juggle? At the Same Time?

A different skills system for the D&D® game by Vince Garcia Illustrations by Jim Holloway and Larry Elmore

any new characters at the first opportu- if I role-play that individual as though he There are times in every D&D® nity after creation. This is a good idea, and possesses the same knowledge and experi- campaign when serious repercus- the design of a mythical past can be the ence of the magic-user, but we can justify basis for justifying the character’s love of his having a greater chance for excep- sions befall player characters if the adventure, as well as explaining the origin tional physical attributes. Few of us past DM doesn’t take for granted that of the character’s personal skills and the age of 30 are as robust or as quick as they can pursue certain courses of quirks. we were at 20. If we take a look back at In defining a history for the character, the magic-user, it’s not difficult to see that action. For instance, can all charac- several factors play a significant part in a dexterity or constitution of 18 doesn’t ters jump into a river and swim? shaping his past, including: mesh with the caricature, whether or not Many medieval sailors couldn’t! Is 1. Age and appearance. How do you the value was rolled. The refusal to apply envision your character? Does the carica- rational penalties accompanying the vision everyone able to scale a mountain? ture of a hobbling magic-user, ancient in of the character means the character is no I’ve done a bit of that—it’s not years but exuding arcane powers, come to longer played from a conceptual stand- easy! And what about handling a mind? How about the debonair fighter or point but rather is played from a technical horse in difficult terrain while thief, brimming with youthful zest and one, leaving true role-playing by the way daring? This is the essence of role-playing, side. Table 1 is offered as a guideline for being pursued? taking a vision from your mind and por- modifying ability scores according to the What follows are some ideas for traying it within the context of your favor- age of the character. Suggested limitations resolving the question of character ite game. While skills play an important in ability regarding nonclass skills are also part in the character’s rounding-out, we offered, based on the presumption that skills in D&D games, with a list of shouldn’t forget the very picture we have older characters will have had more time talents that may be chosen for a in mind of the character may limit some of to master those skills than their younger character with the approval of the his abilities. Take the example of the acquaintances. DM. This system is not necessarily magic-user mentioned earlier; he becomes 2. Character class. The chosen field of much more believable when I play him as the character affects how much prior compatible with the skills system though he has exceptional knowledge of experience he is entitled to as well as in the D&D Gazetteers. various monsters and magical effects, if I shaping those skills he knows. Fighter and also accept the consequences of having a thief classes allow more time to pick up character of advanced age, thus limiting various talents, while the technical magic- Character concept some of his physical attributes. user and cleric classes demand that most The concept the player has of his char- On the other side of the coin is a young of a character’s past will have been spent acter strongly affects which talents and thief who is filled with the enthusiasm and learning the basics of that profession. abilities the character receives. Some DMs recklessness that accompanies the tender The skills in this article should be picked have their players write up a history for age of 20. In this case, it is less believable with the primary class in mind. Riding II,

DRAGON 37 for example, which includes the ability to require a dice-roll check, and these have a underground structures for a dwarf). properly control a war horse in battle fixed cost. Further, if encountering an unsafe bridge situations, is reasonable for a mighty The class skills toward the end of this or structure within the proper environ- fighter. Does this extend to the magic- article are the only talents that may be ment, a roll against this skill allows the user? Probably not, as such a character purchased up to a 99% ability regardless character to note the danger. Someone would not likely have had the opportunity of any skill-level limitations normally appli- with this skill can also act as his own con- to learn this skill. Thus, the typical magic- cable, because the character is presumed struction expert when building a castle or user would instead possess Riding I, which from an early age to have shown a special other building, avoiding the cost of hiring grants elementary horsemanship abilities. interest in that class. It is not recom- such help (of course, if the roll is failed Class strictures need not be engraved in mended that the DM allow characters during the construction phase . . .). Cost: stone. If your character concept is along outside a given class to acquire that class’s 1% per 1. the lines of a magic-user from an Arabian skills. Armorcraft. Someone with this talent Nights setting, it becomes much more It should be kept in mind that these are can attempt the creation of either armor believable for him to have exceptional only suggestions and guidelines. While, for or weapons if he has access to a forge and riding skills (although he is probably no instance, Read & Write is listed as an the proper materials. It should be noted swimmer!). available skill, there is no reason why a that the finest plate mail requires the 3. Geographical home. Just as an Ara- DM cannot presume that any character assistance of an engraver for detail work. bian magic-user is unlikely to be a cham- with an average or better Intelligence Cost: 1% per 1. pion swimmer, so is an elf from the Great score can read and write without the need Barkeeping. The character in posses- Forest unlikely to have sailing skills. Once to spend skill points. In some cases, there sion of this skill is able to determine the again, careful thought and consideration might be conflicts between this system quality of alcoholic libations and fashion should determine what talents truly fit and the D&D rules. By the game’s rules, a mixed drinks. Successfully rolling this skill within the character’s past. character from any class can handle a war allows the character to note foreign 4. Social class. Finally, the status of the horse, a skill that in actuality is very spe- elements—such as poisons—in drinks. character’s family while he was growing cialized. The DM must decide whether to Cost: 4% per 1. up also has a bearing on what skills he allow all classes such privileges. Blacksmithing. A character with brings with him. Characters from poor Players may further research other Blacksmithing skill is able to forge such backgrounds would likely possess few abilities implied by these skills. For exam- things as horseshoes, nails, tools, hinges, skills in comparison to those from middle- ple, a furrier might know a bit about etc., and can effect repairs on metal goods. class upbringings, for most of their past short-term survival in the wilderness, and In concert with a carpenter, he can fash- lives would have been spent in learning a he can probably identify animal tracks ion wagons, coaches, etc. Cost: 3% per 1. family trade just to stay alive. Contempo- with great accuracy, though he might not Bowcraft. Those with this skill (fre- raries from upper-class families, on the be able to follow those tracks as well as a quently elves) can fashion bows and ar- other hand, would have been freed from hunter. rows at the rate of one bow or 50 arrows the necessity to work for a living, and thus With the DM’s permission, a player may may have learned a great number of skills invent his own skill for his character. If (however, these skills might be along the the skill is relatively innocuous, the cost lines of Falconry or Calligraphy rather should be correspondingly cheap, with the than more practical skills such as Track- cost increasing in proportion to the advan- ing, Climbing, etc.). tages gained by the character for possess- ing the skill. Basket Weaving, for example, Choosing skills would carry with it virtually no chance to Each character making use of this sys- unbalance the campaign and should there- tem receives a base allotment of skill fore be relatively inexpensive. Gunpowder points, along with the opportunity to roll Manufacturing, as an extreme example, for additional points. Base skill points for should carry with it a massive cost (and if the D&D game classes follow: the preparation roll should be missed . . .). Fighters: 70 + 4d20 Thieves: 60 + 3d20 Professional skills Clerics: 50 + 3d20 Acting. This skill is for those who at Magic-users: 40 + 3d20 one time or another have developed thes- Elves: 50 + 4d20 pian talents. Someone proficient in Acting Dwarves: 50 + 3d20 can, through the adoption of disguises and Halflings: 40 + 4d20 conversation, attempt to pass himself off Elves may select either fighter or magic- as someone other than who he really is. user skills. Dwarves and halflings may Difficult disguises, such as radical changes select from fighter skills. in age, require the character to have ac- Following is a list from which the player cess to a disguise kit, which weights 10 may choose his character’s skills, with DM lbs. and costs 56 gp. Should the skill roll approval, along with descriptions and be failed, suspicion is cast on the perform- costs. A cost of “2% per 1” indicates that ance. Cost: 2% per 3. for each skill point placed in the talent, the Animal Training. This allows the char- character receives 2% in that particular acter to teach tricks to normally tame or skill up to the level suggested by table A (if domestic animals, such as dogs, cats, or the skill is a nonclass skill). When the horses, which could be trained to respond character attempts to use the skill, percen- to whistled commands, etc. This skill can- tile dice are rolled, and a score equal to or not in itself domesticate a wild animal. The less than the degree of expertise reveals AD&D® game’s druid spell animal friend- success. Under some circumstances, the ship offers guidelines. Cost: 3% per 2. skill level is reduced by a fraction before a Architecture. This person has the skill check is made; in all such cases, talent to design and supervise the con- round any fractions up. Some skills do not struction of above-ground structures (or

38 APRIL 1990 per month. Under extreme circumstances, monster is involved, and if there is any Music. This skill allows a character to a functional bow or two arrows can be nonmagical chance of curing the ailment, be proficient in one of two instrument fashioned in only one day, but they would then the herbalist must roll against a value categories: stringed or wind. The charac- be very crude, each forcing a penalty of one-quarter of his skill level to cure it. If a ter is assumed to play all such instrument - 2 to hit and - 1 to damage (these penal- poison or disease is magical in nature, no types within his culture at his level of ties are cumulative if crude bows and mundane cure will be useful. The compo- proficiency. A particular instrument of his arrows are used together). Cost 1% per 1. nents necessary to make use of this skill choice within the field, however, is played Carpentry. An individual with Carpen- will take up about 100 gp of encumbrance at one level of proficiency higher. The try skill can work with wood to fashion to carry. Should the materials not be proficiency levels and their costs follow. shields, log cabins, furniture, etc. He can handy, they may be sought out and found Novice. The character has only mediocre also note the quality and safety of wooden if the DM allows, but unless a stricken skill in musicianship. No one takes particu- structures if a successful roll is made comrade is under the effects of a slow- lar notice of his performances. Cost: 20. against the skill. Carpenter’s tools typically acting poison or disease, the herbalist Intermediate. The character performs cost about 100 gp and weight around 50 generally has but three rounds to apply basic instrument-playing competently. lbs. (which includes a wooden storage first aid. While no eyebrows are raised at his talent, locker). Cost: 3% per 1. An herbalist may further effect minor few criticisms are leveled on his perform- Cartography. A character who knows cures of wounds by rolling against his ance. Cost: 40. mapmaking can draw maps of overland skill. In this event, he may cure 1-3 hp per Professional. People are impressed by terrain which, at the DMs discretion, may person per 24hour period if healing mate- the excellent performances of which this later be sold for amounts varying with the rials are possessed. musician is capable. Quality inns and perceived value of the information. The As this is a very powerful skill, the DM taverns always have an open door for cartographer can also read maps and lead may wish to limit its use to elves or to someone of this caliber, who easily takes a group to an indicated spot, assuming he clerics intending to later become druids. home 1 gp per night. Cost: 60. possesses an accurate map. If a map of a Cost: 1% per 2. Master. The character’s skill equals a particular area is needed, the DM may Jewelcraft. A character with this tal- bards. Private performances for nobles or allow a roll less than or equal to 10-20% of ent may roll against his skill to note the the wealthy are quite easily obtained. A the character’s total skill to indicate that value of jewelry and gems. He may also musician with this, talent would surely be he was able to locate such an item for a attempt to increase the value of uncut able to play instruments of magical power. DM-determined cost. A special skill can be gems. If he is successful, the value of the cost: 80. taken in Marine Cartography instead of gem increases by 1% for each point rolled Should a character desire to play but a Land Cartography, allowing the individual beneath the jeweler’s skill. For example, a single instrument, he need only pick the to read and create nautical charts. Note character with 60% in Jewelcraft tries to particular category of talent desired at this does not include any navigational skill. one-third the indicated cost. A similar Cost: 1% per 1. system to this one can be created for Cooking. This person enjoys fashioning someone who desires talent as a singer, culinary dishes of quality from even mun- painter, artist, sculptor, etc. dane food staples. He can further create Navigation. A character with this skill iron rations at a cost of 5 gp (five ration may navigate on either land or sea by units per day of work). As can a bar- using the sun and stars. If special naviga- keeper, a cook can roll against his skill to tion equipment is owned, at a cost of 250 detect such things as poison in food. Cost: gp, the skill is used at full proficiency. If 4% per 1. not, dead reckoning is used, at one-quarter Farming. A character with Farming normal effectiveness. Cost: 1% per 1. skill is able to evaluate soil quality for Sailing. A sailor is familiar with the plant growth, to identify the best methods operation of either river-, lake-, or ocean- of growing plants (particularly fruits, going ships or boats (player’s choice). If 30 vegetables, and spices), and to identify points are placed in this skill, it represents edible plants in the wild with a chance the ability of an experienced deck hand or equal to one-quarter the normal percent- minor officer; 60 points equals the experi- age in the skill. Cost: 3% per 1. ence of a ship’s master, giving full knowl- Furriery. A furrier is able to fashion edge of a ship’s operations and compon-, articles of dress from the fur of animals, ents. No Swimming skill is implied by later selling the items for a value normally being a sailor! Cost: 30 or 60. five times that of the pelt itself. The char- Tailoring. Someone with this skill can acter can also skin fur-bearing animals and fashion clothing of various sorts. Twenty preserve the pelts until back at his base. skill points allow the creation of simple Cost: 2% per 1. garments or robes, while 40 points repre- Herbalism. Someone with Herbalism sents a professional tailor or seamstress. A skill, who must almost certainly have come skill check is unnecessary for this skill. from a rural environment, can identify Cost: 20 or 40. edible fruits, plants, and fungi in the wild. Tanning/leatherworking. This skill He can also locate and gather natural allows the character to tan and prepare remedies to cure poisons or diseases, then improve the value of an uncut ruby cur- hides as well as fashion scabbards, back- use these materials to effect the cures. To rently valued at 100 gp. He rolls a 40 on packs, etc. No skill check is necessary. use this skill, the herbalist first rolls 1d100 1d100; as this is 20 points beneath his skill, Cost: 25 (40 points includes the ability to against his skill level to see if he possesses the gem increases in value by 20% to a make leather armor). the knowledge to deal with a particular final value of 120 gp. However, should the Trapping. A trapper can set and cam- form of toxin or disease. Then a roll is roll exceed the character’s skill, the gem is ouflage traps for normal creatures. This made against half his skill level to see if he devalued in the same ratio. On a roll of a skill also includes the knowledge of which actually neutralizes the particular agent natural 00, the gem has shattered, losing bait to use in order to capture a creature. (of course, this assumes healing materials 90% of its value. Jewelers’ tools cost about It is for the DM to determine whether are at hand). If poison or disease from a 500 gp. Cost: 1% per 2. such creatures are in the area and

DRAGON 39 whether the trap is successful (allow a 20- bered. Cost: 2% per 1. actually be aware of a certain monster’s 80% chance of success). Cost: 30. Falconry. This typically upper-class abilities that the character’s player is Winemaking. A person skilled in skill allows for the training and use of aware of, the DM can call for a roll against Winemaking can create wine from grapes, falcons in hunting, requiring about a year this skill. Success indicates that the charac- beer from hops, etc. He also notes the to fully train a bird. Similar skills can be ter may act upon the player’s knowledge. quality of the ingredients prior to buying created for taming normally wild animals. Under no circumstances does this mean them or having them planted from seed- Cost: 1% per 2. the player may reference a rule book lings. Cost: 25. Mathematics. This character can add, detailing a monster’s powers. It means subtract, multiply, divide, and perform only that the player may run his character General skills basic accounting. He is not likely to be as though the latter possessed the former’s Calligraphy. This skill allows the char- cheated in simple business transactions or knowledge of the creature in question. If acter to write in a flowing, attractive in the division of treasure. No skill check is the roll is made but the player doesn’t script. In the event this skill is used to necessary. Cost: 10. know what the monster is or does—tough. create a petition to a noble or educated Monster Trivia. A character with this Cost: 1% per 2. person, the writer’s charisma bonus is skill has picked up some knowledge of Read & Write. This skill allows a char- added to any reaction roll (if no charisma acter to read and write a specified lan- bonus is possessed, or if a penalty exists, a guage at a competent and efficient level. bonus of +1 still applies). Note that a Spell-casters may enter a campaign with character must also purchase or possess this skill without the need of purchasing it. the equivalent of a Read & Write skill to cost: 10. obtain Calligraphy. Cost: 3% per 1. Riding I. Anyone can ride a horse Climbing. A person with this skill can down a road. Handling the beast in diffi- move quickly and efficiently up a hillside, cult terrain or when the mount is panicky tree, etc. This is not to say a person with- is another thing entirely. This skill grants out this skill cannot climb a tree, but in a the above as well as the knowledge of how stressful situation in which the surface to care for and feed the mount. If circum- must be scaled quickly, someone without stances dictate that a skill check is needed, this skill takes longer to climb than he the DM may call for the roll of 1d6. On a might like. Note that relatively rough score of 1-5, the character has successfully surfaces (such as a tree with many controlled his mount. Cost: 10. branches or a rocky hillside) can be scaled Riding II. Horsemanship at this level at double the indicated percentage, while allows the character the benefits of Riding the base percentage refers to a difficult various monsters from friends or family I, as well as the ability to make use of surface or an attempt to climb a rough who were former adventurers. If the DM mounted warfare in all its forms. A char- surface in bulky armor or while encum- questions whether the character would acter with this skill gains a bonus of +1 to hit if engaging in melee combat while possible-though not mandatory-that mounted. Cost: 30. someone rats on the thief to the local Riding III. This skill grants the benefits authorities. Cost: 1% per 1. of Riding I and II, as well as the ability to break and domesticate wild horses. Cost: 50. Class skills—Clerics Swimming I. Characters with this skill Local Customs. A cleric with this skill can dogpaddle and tread water if not will be aware of the general racial and heavily encumbered or in rough seas cultural customs of an area he lives in, and (some call this “drownproofing”). Cost: 5. he knows how not to offend the popula- Swimming II. A character with this tion at large and bring disrepute upon his skill has the benefits of Swimming I, but order. Cost: 3% per 1. he may also swim confidently even in Religion & Worship. With this skill, rough seas. A skill check may be made on the cleric is aware of the various religions 1d6, as per Riding I, if the DM feels it is and practices of other peoples, possibly necessary. Cost: 20. aiding his party thereby. As an example, the group has come upon a seemingly Class skills—Fighters abandoned temple with a statue of a Detect Ambush. A fighter with this bearded Immortal. Making his roll, the skill has the experience and perception to cleric realizes this is the temple of Goth, a spot potential ambushes outdoors, thus Lawful deity whose worshipers frequent negating any chances for being surprised. his temples only at the summer solstice. Cost: 1% per 1. Cost: 2% per 1. Nature Survival. The character gains one of three types of Nature Survival Class skills—Magic-users skills: Arctic, Desert, and Forest. Rolling Magic Trivia. This skill allows the against the skill allows the character to character to develop a hint as to the con- forage enough food and water to last tents of a magical scroll, tome, or rune person for one day. If this is attempted on prior to using a read magic spell. The hint behalf of other characters, the skill per- is vague but still useful. Further, the char- centage is reduced by half for each addi- acter may make use of knowledge pos- tional person. For example, a fighter tries sessed by the player with respect to to gather enough food for himself and two magical effects encountered in the game, others. His 50% in this skill is thus re- in the same manner as is done for the duced twice, leaving him with a 13% Monster Trivia skill. Cost: 1% per 1. chance of success. Cost: 1% per 1. Tracking. A character with this skill Improving skills may track outdoors (or in caverns or The question may arise as to how a dungeons at half this regular skill). Cost: character’s skills may be improved once 3% per 2. his skill points have been spent in purchas- ing skills. Generally, I keep skill percent- ages at their initial levels, though another Class skills—Thieves DM might have the characters keep track Disguise. This is similar to the Acting of all skills that were successfully used skill, with the exception that the character during an adventure. At the adventure’s only looks the part; no extra talents to end—not merely at the completion of a deceive by virtue of acting a particular night’s play—allow the players to roll role are granted (see “Acting”). Cost: 1% against their skill percentages. If the roll per 1. exceeds the percentage in question, in- Evaluate Goods. This skill allows the crease it by one point. Of course, this thief to determine the normal retail value applies only to skills that were used out of of stolen goods (not including jewelry) as necessity, not to skills used merely for a long as the items in question are small chance at potential betterment. enough to fit in a sack or backpack. Fail- A properly worded wish will allow the ure of the roll indicates the thief is unsure player to roll a percentile dice increase in of the value. Cost: 2% per 1. a particular skill to the maximum of 99%. Fence Goods. This skill allows the thief No skills should have higher ratings than to locate a fence and dispose of his goods this, to allow for the chance (however for 10-50% of their retail value. An initial small) of failure. roll is made to locate the fence; then a Lastly, the DM may consider allowing second roll is made, and the difference players to apply experience points toward between that roll and the thief’s skill maxi- skill increases. For each 1,000 xp applied mum is added to a base of 10% up to a toward this goal (which naturally do not maximum of 50% of the normal value of count toward level advancement!), a skill the goods. As an example, a thief is selling may be increased by 1%. a 100-gp item to a fence. Rolling 10 points beneath his maximum skill of 60%, he applies that to the base selling figure of 10% finally selling the item for 20% of its retail value or 20 gp. If the second roll exceeds the thief’s skill, he receives the minimum figure of 10% of the goods’ value. If the initial roll is failed, it is

ike everybody else who ever lived, the first thing he noticed was himself: who he was, where he was, and what he Confusing was doing. He saw that he was a tall man, blond and muscular, with pene- trating blue eyes and an all-pervasive air of command. (What his eyes were supposed to be penetrating, what his air of command was Sequel to a supposed to be pervading, he didn’t know, but he sup- posed he’d be given a chance to figure it all out later.) He saw that he was wearing very little except for a loincloth and cape. And finally, he saw that he was standing on the Story You peak of an ancient ziggurat of futuristic design, that he was wielding a glowing magic sword, and that a motley band of human and inhuman warriors were camped around him, recovering from what must have been an epic battle. None of this made any sense to him. Haven’t From his stance, he was obviously a hero. That much didn’t need explaining. But he didn’t feel like a hero, or even much like a protagonist. He felt like an innocent bystander, or a surly palace guard, or the plebian in the Read crowd scene who shouts a warning to the king. He felt like the kind of person who flees in terror from a teething puppy. Just standing here, at the tip of this ziggurat, peer- ing over the remains of what he suddenly realized was the City of the Vile Wizard Gouvin, he felt not pride, exulta- tion, or existential weariness, but an incredible fear of heights. For just a moment he felt an urge to climb down the by Adam-Troy Castro rubble-strewn stairway to his right, melt into the desert, and find a tiny village where he could get a safe and unob- trusive job as a stable hand. But it was too late already, since two of his band were swiftly approaching him. The first, a stolid but unimaginative-looking warrior clad in shiny plate mail, said, “You seem pensive, my liege.” My liege? My god, he was a king too! He closed his eyes and tried very hard to resist the temptation to faint. The second visitor, a hunchback in robes, studied his expression and spoke in stage whispers to the first. “The. battle has changed him, Sir Green. He is troubled by these changes. Attend your men, and I will see how this calamity affects us.” “Very well,” Sir Green said. He looked meaningfully at the king. “Have a care, sire. Lava birds nest in out-of-the way places.” Then he intensified his meaningful look and stalked away with a combination of nobility and preten- tiousness. The hunchback peered at the sky. “You cannot fool me, my old friend. I sense it too. Aye, though we did foil his vile plans this day, the evil necromancer Gouvin yet lives and schemes anew.” The barbarian-king nodded, because that seemed to be expected of him. But he had never met this hunchback who claimed to be his old friend, and he had no memory of fighting a bad guy named Gouvin. Then the mists of time abruptly rolled back, and he felt himself being drawn, quite against his will, into a flash- Illustrations by Jim Holloway back. Gouvin. The man-fiend who, in dark ages lost to history, sold his soul to the arch-fiend Sethr’eb in return for the unholy power to enslave his fellow man. Gouvin.

DRAGON 43 Who ruled the world of Lenroc for endless eons until, as The hunchback was naturally horrified by this. “In foretold by prophecy, there rose a hero, Sabai of front of your troops, my old friend? This is not seemly!” Hharlann, who alone of all mankind was fearless enough “Oh n-no?” Sabai blubbered. “What’s not ‘seemly’ to wield the Godsword of J’dee. Though terrifying obsta- about it?” cles barred his way, Sabai raised a mighty army, fought “It’s a show of weakness . . .” Gouvin’s underlings in great battles at Chasepuur, “Like hell it is. It’s a show of sanity! Th-this place is N’r’hsss, and Suhni, and, in one final confrontation atop crazy!” Gouvin’s fiendish ziggurat, broke the evil wizard’s hold “Crazy? I don’t understand . . .” over his fellow man, seemingly forever. “Wizards,” Sabai choked. “Fiends. Constant warfare. Thinking of all this, Sabai felt a sudden stab of fear. But Barbarian mischief . . .” it wasn’t Gouvin he was scared of. Gouvin appeared to be “’Tis the world you were born into, sire.” a pretty standard sword-and-sorcery villain, menacing a “No it isn’t!” Sabai said. “I don’t know what kind of two-dimensional world populated by silly words masquer- world I was born into, but it was not like this. My world ading as place names. No. What scared him was remem- made sense. There was a coherency to it, a complexity of bering his previous adventures in such sketchy detail. He background, characterization, and motivation, that this knew that there had been battles at Chasepur, N’r’hsss, one sorely lacks. In my world, when a person talked to and Suhni but had no idea where those places were, or another person, he used simple phrases that human beings why they were chosen as battle sites. He knew he wielded could feel comfortable speaking in friendly conversation. the Godsword of J’dee but couldn’t begin to understand And flashbacks! My God! I haven’t been here more than what was so great about a glorified carving knife, or why five minutes, and already I’m sick of flashbacks! I swear, fearlessness was a prerequisite for wielding it. He knew if I never again hear my life story recited as part of an nothing except what was contained in three overwritten ordinary conversation in a clumsy attempt at exposition, sentences of exposition about a man-fiend who, in dark it’ll be too soon!” ages lost to history, sold his soul to etc. The hunchback digested this solemnly, then, as swiftly “How could it be?” he ventured hesitantly, asking only as lightning itself, placed his gnarled hand on Sabai’s because that seemed to be what was expected of him. forehead. Electricity flowed between his fingers. After a “How could, uh, what was his name again?” moment he withdrew his palm and stated, “You are not “Gouvin,” the hunchback supplied. Sabai, my friend.” “Yeah, right. Gouvin. How come, uh, he’s still around “Tell me something I don’t know.” if we killed him and everything?” “You are Charles McAndrews, an accountant who is The hunchback’s eyes narrowed. “Are you suffering supposed to have a bittersweet love affair with a neurotic from a concussion?” housewife in a college town in California.” “N-no, uh, I’m, uh, just wondering.” Sabai-McAndrews stared at him. “You’re right! Now The little man before him, whom Sabai abruptly real- that you mention it, that’s exactly who I am! But who . . . ized was wizened and grizzled, both at the same time, how. . . ?” sighed and said; “Do you not remember that last battle in “To understand your plight,” the hunchback rhapso- the center of the dark one’s catacombs? When Dugg the dized, unavoidably seguing into another lengthy spell of serpent of doom, writhing in his mighty death-throes, exposition, “you must view the infinite number of possi- brought down the ceiling and separated us from the flee- ble alternate universes as a collection of manuscripts sit- ing form of his master? When, with the ceiling collapsing ting in the slush pile of an unimaginable cosmic being around us, only your infallible sense of direction allowed known only as ‘The Editor.’ These universes are all sepa- us to escape with our very lives? Perhaps you were hit in rated from each other by ethereal, multi-dimensional the head with a brick, my friend.” barriers called ‘Manila Envelopes.’ They rarely interact. “N-no; I remember it now.” But he remembered only But, on certain rare occasions, the barriers are lost and the details the hunchback had spoken of and nothing else. the universes are accidently shuffled together. The protag- “I still sense something strange about you,” the hunch- onist of one world changes places with the protagonist of back said, his brow furrowing in puzzlement. “Always another, and the fates of a million subsidiary characters before, you carried with you the air of a man who knew are forever altered.” not the meaning of despair, among other words. Aye. The accountant-turned-barbarian king nodded in dazed Even when you and I were trapped in the fire swamps of astonishment. “So Sabai is loose in my story, having an Malor, blindfolded, with our arms tied behind our backs affair with a neurotic housewife?” and surrounded by ravenous Hell Hounds as the poison- “He might even be the neurotic housewife. Though I ous narcotic o’rio burned its way through our systems, hope not.” you did not lose faith. You fought on. Now, you seem like “I’d say not! Umm . . . how do you know all this, a different person. Quieter. More philosophical. More anyway?” easily terrified.” “I know all this,” the hunchback said, “because the Sabai began to stammer, godlike creators of these alternate universes— ‘authors,’ let “I’m not saying you’re a wimp, you understand. Just us call them—often use their own personalities as models that you no longer seem stubbornly fearless. Your iron will for subsidiary characters. Since I am such a character, I has softened . . .” have uncanny insight into the story values of this uni- Quite against his will, Sabai sat down and began crying. verse. I know, for example, that if I were writing a story

44 APRIL 1990 such as this, I would be growing very uncomfortable at “Y-yess,” Sabai-McAndrews said, caught up with the the length of time we’re spending trading background spectacular receding tush. “I mean . . . no! I’m not a information, since the readers would probably be growing wimp, you know! I want to stay here!” unbearably bored just about now. Therefore, the lovely The hunchback sighed. “Your instant infatuation with Alyssia, princess of Br’enorr, who swore her undying love the princess beclouds your reason. This is a world of con- to Sabai when he rescued her from the vile slave pits of stant danger, where a man needs razor-sharp reflexes and Master Pequah, will almost certainly make an entrance keen battle savvy to survive.” within the next five seconds to provide us with some gra- “I can pick that up. Just give me a little time.” tuitous sex.” “Time is a luxury that only sleeping lava birds can Sabai-McAndrews’ suddenly felt a soft, sensuous, very accumulate.” feminine hand on his shoulder. Without wanting to, he Sabai-McAndrews spent a few seconds digesting that. gazed sideways at it, noting with unwilling fascination “Look,” the hunchback said while the barbarian ac- that it was perfectly formed, with long red nails that awed countant was preoccupied. “I know how you feel. You him with their sculptured beauty. The woman attached to have nothing to look forward to in your own story except those hands slowly walked around to face him and awed a bittersweet, mutually destructive affair with an unful- him even more; creatures this radiant couldn’t possibly filled housewife. But you can’t stay here. You’ll die here, exist. As he stared in frank disbelief (and more than a and your failure to survive will give the forces of cosmic little terror), the sensuous lips beneath the sensuous eyes evil, as embodied by that ignoramus Gouvin, an advan- and the mane of fiery-red hair formed words in a voice tage our side will never recover from.” that made him gasp with its musical beauty. “Milord,” she “You just ended a sentence with a preposition,” Sabai breathed huskily, “it has been three hours since the defeat noted. of the evil one, and still you have not returned to your “It’s permitted here. We have lower standards.” royal bedchamber. Are you displeased with me?” “Well, I don’t care. I can light cosmic evil as well as Sabai-McAndrews could only stammer “Nuh-nuh-nuh- anybody!” nuh” in response. “This is going to be harder than I thought,” the hunch- The hunchback kicked him in the shins. Hard. back muttered. “Still, since we’ve engaged in this philo- “Uhhh, no,” the barbarian accountant suddenly sophical debate for several paragraphs now without any boomed, with patently phony joviality that turned more sex or violence to sweeten the package, and since the lady than a few heads around the camp. “I just, uh, have a few Alyssia has already made an appearance to provide the technicalities to take care of, before we, uh, uh, huh. Just sexual part of this wretched formula, it’s about time we king stuff, you know, uh, that, uh.” had an action scene.” “He’ll join you in a minute,” the hunchback translated. At that precise moment, the clouds in the sky spontane- “Very well,” the princess said coquettishly. “But I wax ously rearranged themselves to form a gigantic, albeit impatient. Would one kiss for the road be too much to fluffy, portrait of the vile necromancer Gouvin. Erupting ask?” thunder miraculously made sounds like a gigantic person “Well, uh, I . . .” yelling. As Sabai-McAndrews and the hunchback sud- “Do it,” the hunchback advised wearily. denly found themselves lifted a thousand feet into the air Sabai-McAndrews did it. But he almost passed out in by a gust of ill wind, while carrion-hunting lava birds the middle. The woman was like a vacuum cleaner intent ricochetted about the sky like so many pool balls, the on sucking the very air from his lungs. thunder screamed, “You thought you had defeated me, O “Nuh-Nub-Nub,” he remarked once it was all over. Barbarian King! Little do you know the terrors I have To his surprise, the princess was equally impressed. “I planned for thee in this, the second book of the trilogy! have never felt like this before,” she said. “There was a You’re really in hot water this time, and that’s the truth! gentleness there, a human depth of feeling, that I have Here’s a little preview of coming attractions!” never felt from you. It’s as if you’re a different person, A monstrous, shadowy figure began to emerge from the Sabai, brimming with vulnerability . . .” clouds—which was kind of funny, since the clouds still “He’s had his consciousness raised,” the hunchback looked like Gouvin, and the fiend was emerging from the said. “To the tent, woman! All of this will be explained cloud-Gouvin’s nostril. later—I hope.” “He’s sending a fiend after us!” shouted the hunchback Alyssia swiftly vanished, casting a wistful look over her over the din. “I will weave my magicks to protect the fantastic shoulder. armies below, but I cannot shield either of us! You’ve got The hunchback turned his attention back to his king. to light him yourself, with the Godsword!” “As you can see,” he said drily, “we have no time to lose. “The Godsword?” Your presence here in this manuscript is already causing “Right! The Godsword! The only weapon that can uncontrollable lapses of characterization in the lesser defeat this horror! Even you should be able to wield it, in members of the dramatis personae. We have to get you a situation this dire! Remove it from your scabbard, O back to your own slice-of-life before these changes become Impetuous One!” permanent and Sabai’s army, the only thing that stands “I can’t! I put it down when I was kissing the princess!” between our world and the forces of evil, becomes too The fiend approached, giggling in the mean, nasty way contaminated by the arty subtexts you brought with you that fiends have. It was a gigantic creature, thousands of to fight effectively.” times taller than either Sabai-McAndrews or, for that

DRAGON 45 matter, the futuristic ziggurat. Lightning flashed from its ual’s triumph over impossible odds. If you want a deus ex eyes, and fire burned in its hair. As it reached for the machina copout, you’re going to have to figure out how to hapless pair, filling the sky with its sheer mass, Sabai- arrange it yourself.” McAndrews winced in anticipation . . . but when he “I’ve figured that out, too. According to you, there’s opened his eyes, it was still reaching, still approaching, only one being stronger than either that fiend or Gouvin. not even near him yet. The being you told me about. The Editor.” “Is it an illusion?” asked Sabai-McAndrews hopefully. Mikhal licked his lips in contemplation. “Hmmm. Now “You wish!” said the hunchback. “No, in truth, the that you mention it, I might be able to summon him. You fiend is still about a hundred miles away. At this rate of do realize that he will not allow you to stay here.” flight, he won’t be near us for another twenty minutes “He will if he’s a bad editor. In any event, it’s worth a . . . but the tidal forces caused by his tremendous mass chance .” will rip us apart long before then. Only the Godsword can “Very well,” said Mikhal. He spread his arms wide and drive him away before he gets that close.” began chanting: “O Mighty Editor! Ye of the dreaded “That must be some sword.” blue pencil, paper clips, and rejection letters, save us from “It sure is. Too bad you left it on the ground when this plot development! Restore the mighty barbarian Sa- Gouvin levitated us.” bai to my world, and this poor tragicomic, psychologically The fiend swooped low over the adjoining kingdom, complex schlemiel to his! Adjust any typographical errors accidently grazing a small mountain range. The mountain he may have picked up along the way, and number the range was totally demolished. manifold events of his life in the correct page order! Be “Does your world have any tricks that may work in this just and merciful, and let all his future chapters be well- situation?” inquired the hunchback hopefully. written ones!” “I can read a French menu.” There was a powerful burst of lightning. “So can the fiend. You’ll have to do better than that.” A gigantic face wearing glowing bifocals stared down at Sabai-McAndrews began to feel himself being pulled in them. “What an interesting concept!” it muttered. “A the direction of the fiend. “I can have my lawyer draw up three-dimensional character in a cliched pulp-fiction situa- an injunction against him.” tion! Tell me, barbarian king (before I put you back in “Your lawyer is in another dimension, fool.” your self-addressed stamped envelope and hasten thy pas- “Right.” sage back to the untalented hack who created thee)—how “Any other ideas?” comest thou to be here?” “No.” “Somebody shuffled the manuscripts,” Sabai said. “Then,” the hunchback said, “we’re doomed.” “Must have been Gertrude,” the Editor muttered. “I “I guess so.” should have suspected her foul hand in all this a couple of “I’m only glad I won’t live to see the charnel house short stories back, when that sweaty barbarian showed up Gouvin will make of this world.” in President Lincoln’s theater box. But I thought it was “Me too.” just dadaist surrealism. Oh, well. I suppose thou wantest They were both quiet for a while. me to pencil out the fiend now.” “It’s you he’s after,” the hunchback said presently. “If you don’t mind.” “When he gets here, you won’t be worth the paper this is “Not at all. Though I hopest thou does not mind if I printed on.” also put thou back in the manuscript for which thou wert “Uh huh.” originally intended. No offense, but thou art not exactly “Makes accounting look rather interesting, doesn’t it?” Woolworth spinner rack material.” “In a way,” Sabai-McAndrews said thoughtfully. The “If you insisteth,” said Sabai, unable to avoid spitting fiend was now so close that its mass was pulling the armor during his attempt at Old English. off Sabai’s well-oiled body. “Uh . . . what’s your name Sabai felt himself flying through a universe of erasers again, wizard?” and blue-line pencils . . . “Mikhal, Son of Aaron.” “That’s a nice name.” He was standing on a rocky crag by the edge of a “My mother thought so. Is there a point to asking?” storm-tossed, tempestuous ocean. Savage lightning raced “Not really. But I do have an idea. This is just fiction, across the sky like strong words from a jealous god. The isn’t it? And not very well-written fiction, either.” jagged rocks far below looked damn inviting. He turned a “It’s absolute trash,” agreed Mikhal. “Why?” soulful eye toward the distant castle of Elsinore and pre- “Because one of the hallmarks of incredibly bad adven- pared to jump . . . ture fiction, along with the one-dimensional characters From far behind him an anguished feminine voice and the stale dialogue, is the deus ex machina rescue that screamed, “No, my darling! Don’t jump!” comes out of nowhere. I mean, let’s face it. This is just the He turned and saw passionate Laura Hobson, dressed first chapter of the second book of a trilogy. We can’t be in the sensuous white uniform of a romance-novel nurse, killed now, with so much of the story still left untold. desperately running toward him. Sooner or later, we’ll have to be rescued.” It struck him, quite suddenly, that the omnipotent being “A nice theory,” said Mikhal. “Unfortunately, the re- called The Editor had goofed again. curring theme of this particular opus is the heroic individ-

46 APRIL 1990 DRAGON 47 Well, hello again. Last month I extolled the abilities of two he- roes, Captain Britain and Roma, so I thought this month’s column would be a good opportunity to take a look at some of Cap’s villains—and in keeping with this month’s light tone, I hereby present to you the Crazy Gang! The Crazy Gang is a group of five professional (inept, but profes- sional) criminals who all resemble characters from the storybooks most of us read when we were young. They were created by an other-dimensional madman, James Jaspers, as part of his plan to take over his world, designated as Earth 238. (Note: This is also the home dimension of Linda McQuillan, a.k.a. Captain U.K.) The Jas- pers of Earth 238 possessed vast psionic powers and did succeed in dominating his home world. Jaspers was eventually defeated, though, and the Crazy Gang should have ceased to exist, as it was only a construct of Jaspers’

(obviously) deranged mind. But the gang was transported, through unknown means, to Marvel-Earth—more specifically, to England. Once the Gang arrived, it made several abortive efforts at crime, with the Jester acting as de facto leader of this motley crew. The “Orf wiv its ‘ead!” Jester took most of his criminal inspiration from the television, but TV didn’t translate into reality very well. With almost no imagination of their own, the Gang members’ criminal careers by Dale A. Donovan foundered (big surprise). That is, until the Jester put an advertise- ment in a London newspaper, announcing their need for a clever leader. Captain Britain’s foe, Slaymaster, answered their ad and master- minded a series of spectacular crimes, including robberies of the British Museum and the Royal Mint. As Slaymaster expected, this crime spree gained the attention of Captain Britain. Slaymaster and the Crazy Gang subsequently defeated Cap in battle, and Slaymas- ter delivered Cap to his employer, the Vixen. Having achieved his own end, Slaymaster dismissed the Gang from his employ. The Gang has since found a new employer: the assassin Arcade. Recently, Arcade sent the Gang to abduct Courtney Ross, an influ-

48 APRIL 1990 MARVEL ential British banker and an old flame of wielding its axe, and a dogged determina- Cap’s. Excalibur, the team of which Cap is tion in pursuing its intended target. now a member, came to Ross’s aid and did battle with the Gang and Arcade’s many contraptions. At one point in the battle, Tweedledope used a device, which he had apparently invented, that switched the psyches and personalities of the following pairs of combatants: Nightcrawler and the Jester; Cap and Tweedledope; and Meggan and the Knave. Phoenix destroyed the RED QUEEN™ Executioner’s robotic body but was pos- All but useless criminal sessed by its consciousness. Eventually, the mind exchanges were F PR(4) Health: 16 reversed, Phoenix broke free of the Execu- A PR(4) JESTER™ tioner’s possession, Ross was rescued, and S PR(4) Karma: 10 Arcade and the Gang were captured. As of Criminal acrobat (looks scary) E PR(4) this writing, the four surviving members R FB(2) Resources: Feeble of the Crazy Gang are in the custody of F EX(20) Health: 66 I PR(4) the British authorities. A RM(30) P PR(4) Popularity: 0 S TY(6) Karma: 20 E GD(10) POWERS: None. R PR(4) Resources: Feeble I TY(6) EQUIPMENT: The Red Queen usually P GD(10) Popularity: 0 carries a hybrid royal scepter/rolling pin that can inflict Typical damage, plus a POWERS: None. check for possible Stunning.

EQUIPMENT: The Jester normally carries SKILLS: Beyond wielding her “scepter” in no weapons on his person, although he is combat with Typical ability, the Red quite adept at using a sword in combat Queen’s only talent (?) lies in bellowing the (see Skills below). Gang’s battle cry, “Orf wiv its ‘ead!”

EXECUTIONER™ SKILLS: The Jester is by far the most Robot (destroyed) talented member of the group (that’s not saying much, really), in that he has Incred- F GD(10) Health: 54 ible skill in acrobatics, tumbling, juggling, A PR(4) and fencing. S GD(10) Karma: 34 E RM(30) R FB(2) Resources: Feeble I FB(2) P RM(30) Popularity: 0 TWEEDLEDOPE™ Note: At this time, the Executioner has no Savage criminal material body. What happened to its con- sciousness after Phoenix broke its hold on F PR(4) Health: 38 her is unknown. It is possible that the A PR(4) consciousness has ceased to exist, or that S GD(10) Karma: 10 it is searching for (or has found) another KNAVE™ E EX(20) body to possess. The Executioner may be Inept criminal R FB(2) Resources: Feeble working for its compatriots’ freedom even I PR(4) now (no, please). F GD(10) Health: 70 P PR(4) Popularity: 0 A GD(10) POWERS: The only true superpower that S RM(30) Karma: 18 POWERS: Tweedledope is a savant, an the Executioner had thus far displayed E EX(20) individual with otherwise-limited faculties, was the ability to possess another’s body R TY(6) Resources: Feeble but with one uncanny knack. In Tweedle- and control its actions. It did this at I TY(6) dope’s case, this knack is for inventing Amazing level. P TY(6) Popularity: 0 things. His Reason when inventing is Amazing. His surroundings help determine EQUIPMENT: The Executioner wielded a POWERS: Other than his exceptional the finished product’s level of technology. great axe in combat that did 15 points of strength, the Knave’s only other power is For example, when the Gang was holed up damage and attacked on the Edged Attacks his armor, which provides Good protection in an abandoned building, Tweedledope column. It was made of Excellent strength from physical attacks. took some wood, string, hubcaps, and a material. few rats, and constructed a functional rat- EQUIPMENT: None. powered chariot for himself. On another SKILLS: The only skills that the Execu- occasion, he apparently built the dimen- tioner possessed were Excellent skill SKILLS: The Knave knows Martial Arts A. Continued on page 73 DRAGON 49 Martial-arts styles from the ancient Greeks

by Janne Järvinen

Up they stood, huge Aias Telamonius, The martial-arts system used in this Boxing then Odysseus the calculating and re- article was originally presented in the Boxing is one of the most ancient forms sourceful man. Wearing their belts, the AD&D® Oriental Adventures tome. How- of unarmed combat. It was first institu- two men leaned toward each other in the ever, the Dungeoneer’s Survival Guide and tionalized as a sport in ancient Greece, and arena, and with oaken hands gripped one Wilderness Survival Guide, with their new it was later adopted by the Romans. The another’s elbows. . . . The bones in each nonweapon proficiency system that was Iliad describes boxing both lyrically and in man’s back creaked at the strain put on later incorporated into the 2nd Edition great detail, making it evident that boxers him by their corded thews, and sweat ran Player’s Handbook, make it possible for wore so-called fighting straps usually down in rills. Without pause they non-Oriental characters to learn martial made of ox hide. At first, the function of strove to win the tripod: neither could arts, too. If you want to introduce un- the rawhide straps was to protect the Odysseus throw his man and pin him, nor armed combat to your campaign, player boxer’s fists and, to some extent, to protect could Aias countered by Odysseus’ brawn. characters should be able to use both the opponent’s face. But in the passing of The Iliad, by Homer weapon and nonweapon proficiencies to time, the fighters wore straps made of translated by Robert Fitzgerald learn martial arts. Alternately, the initial harder leather to ensure that the oppo- proficiency would have to be a weapon nent’s skin would break more easily. Later In DRAGON® issue #122, Wayne Gold- proficiency, while both weapon and non- on, steel studs and rivets were added to smith and Dan Salas revealed that martial weapon proficiencies could be used to the straps until, during the reign of the arts are not the sole property of the Ori- gain special maneuvers. Likewise, the Roman emperor Nero, fighters wore brass ent. But many readers know that some special maneuvers of various styles in- knuckles and spiked “boxing gloves.” These sports practiced today are merely safer cluded herein (especially in the case of bloody fights often took place at the Colos- and relatively less violent forms of ancient pankration) are only suggestions, and the seum of Rome. One poet sarcastically styles of unarmed combat-or should I say, DM should feel free to change them or mentions a boxer who was so badly martial arts? even invent his own special maneuvers. beaten during a fight that his own dog

50 APRIL 1990 didn’t recognize him when he came home. (biting and eye gouging were usually for- above-waist holds, as described by the At its best, however, ancient boxing was bidden, though). Strikes below the belt poet Homer. Wrestling’s rules weren’t very a style of unarmed combat in which the and low-aimed kicks were common. strict. In The Iliad, Odysseus is said to boxer’s mental qualities were as critical as It was little wonder that a fight like this have kicked one opponent behind the his physical condition. Stories tell of box- often resulted in the death of one of the knee, knocking the man (Aias) backward; ers who won fights without giving or combatants. More often, however, the Odysseus then dropped on his chest. receiving a punch, yet left their opponents paidotrib (assuming there was one) called In the course of centuries, Greek wres- exhausted. Boxers are trained to have an end to the fight after one of the fight- tling was influenced by Egyptians and lightning-quick reflexes and are allowed ers was completely exhausted, seriously became even more loosely regulated. three attacks per melee round. injured, unconscious, or suffering unbear- Various strangleholds and finger, elbow, Otherwise, ancient boxers were trained able pain. The fights were so violent that and knee locks were introduced to the pretty much the same way as they are when pankration for boys was introduced style. Wrestlers wore leather caps to keep today. The Greeks had already noticed the to the 145th ancient Olympics in 200 B.C., their opponents from grabbing their hair importance of a sandbag in practice. the paidotribs didn’t let the weaker- or tearing off their ears. Illustrations in looking boys compete at all. Basically a Egyptian tombs indicate that the Egyptians Pankration (classical) hard style, freefight can include almost mastered over 70 different throws, holds, Pankration (Greek for “all powers”) was any maneuver. More often, however, a and locks; the Greeks must have mastered a combination of boxing and wrestling. In freefighter sought to learn maneuvers even more! 648 B.C., it was included in the list of from a wide variety of combative styles sports in the ancient Olympic games. The rather than concentrate on one particular Bibliography winner of each two-man fight was the one style, such as kicks. Of course, masters of Homer. The Iliad. Translated by Robert who first brought his opponent to the any style can compete in a freefight, too! Fitzgerald. New York: Doubleday & Co., ground. This could be accomplished by In its freestyle form, pankration was not a 1974. various punches or above-waist throws. sport but a deadly martial art. The matches were fought under the close supervision of a referee (called a paido- Wrestling trib). Strongly grounded stances were Wrestling is probably the most ancient learned. When the Hellenic culture fell of all sports. Although it requires a great into decay, classical pankration soon gave deal of strength, wrestling is basically a way to a wilder version of the sport. soft style as it aims in neutralizing, rather Out of Supplies? than destroying, the opponent. There are Pankration (freestyle) scores of wrestling styles, and this article Write for a free catalog from the Classical pankration is about as old a gives an overall view of only one of them. Mail Order Hobby Shop, c/o TSR, sport as boxing and wrestling are, but the Wrestling was very popular in ancient Inc., P.O. Box 756, Lake Geneva WI same cannot be said about its wilder coun- Greece. It was included in the ancient 53147 U.S.A. If you need special terpart, freestyle pankration (also known Olympics both as a sport by itself and as as freefight). While the rules of wrestling the culmination of the pentathlon event. supplies for your role-playing ad- and boxing were much more looser than Special halls, called palaistrons, were built ventures, the Mail Order Hobby they are nowadays, pankration allowed for wrestling practice. The philosopher Shop has them — from all parts of nearly any imaginable punch, kick, throw, Platon was a famous wrestler in his own the gaming universe! or hold that could harm the opponent time. In the beginning, wrestling involved

Table of Greek Martial-Arts Styles

Number Principal Special Name of attacks Damage AC attack maneuvers Weapons Boxing 3/1 1-8 7 Hand Strike 1 see below Move 1,6 Mental 2,5 Pankration, classical 2/1 1-6 7 Body or hand Strike 1 None Throw 3,4 Move 1,3 Pankration, freestyle 2/1 1-8 8 None Strike 1 None Kick 1,2 Throw 3 Lock 1,3 Move 2 Vital area 1,2 Wrestling 1/1 1-4 6 Body Lock 1,3,4 None Throw 3,4 Move 2,3 Vital area 1

Boxing notes Studded straps add + 1 hp to damage, and opponents have -1 to their saves when stunning or incapacitation is considered. Brass knuckles and spiked gloves add +2 hp to damage, and opponents save at -2 against stunning or incapacitating effects.

DRAGON 51 52 APRIL 1990 DRAGON 53 54 APRIL 1990 by Skip Williams

If you have any questions on the games DRAGONLANCE® Adventures book) produced by TSR, Inc., “Sage Advice” will be hurled from a catapult if they answer them. In the United States and were bound together and had their Canada, write to: Sage Advice, DRAGON® wings amputated? What would be Magazine, P.O. Box 111, Lake Geneva WI the range if they were launched 53147, U.S.A. In Europe, write to: Sage singly? Would the ranges for other Advice, DRAGON Magazine, TSR Ltd., 120 draconians be similar? Church End, Cherry Hinton, Cambridge CB1 3LD, United Kingdom. My character was recently poly- This month, “Sage Advice” considers morphed into a worm. Another AD&D® game queries that most readers character cut my character in half. If probably haven’t considered before, then the two halves were allowed to reconsiders some old advice. grow into two worms, would I have two characters if the polymorph

“Unusual stuff” party’s paladin graciously carried my gnome in a jury-rigged papoose- If a wizard cast an anti-magic shell type backpack. Could the paladin or spell on himself at the same time a my character engage in melee using beholder aimed its anti-magic ray at this arrangement? How much would him, which effect would prevail? a legless gnome weigh?

My 9th-level ranger was changed If a bastard sword +6, defender into a glass of water by a powerful was trampled by a triceratops, and mage using a wish spell. After kill- the roll on the item saving-throw ing the rest of the party, the mage table was a 1 on 1d20, would the drank my character. The DM said my item fail because the roll was a 1 or character is dead, but I say my char- would it make the save because it acter’s essence has mingled with the needs a 6 to save and its pluses mage’s. Who is right? make up the difference? If the sword did break, could it be remade Can a human be cleanly killed, with all its pluses? Would a wish enlarged, have permanency cast on completely restore the broken him,then be raised or animated sword? without the caster of the perma- nency losing a constitution point? The rules say a fireball detonates How about animating the corpse, spell was dispelled? Wouldn’t the at a point designated by the caster then enlarging it and making it two characters be identical and or when it strikes a solid object. permanent-would the caster of the friendly toward each other (not What is the chance of an archer hit- permanency spell lose a constitu- prone to kill each other as two ting the fireball with an arrow and tion point then? clones would)? causing it to detonate while in flight? How far can three bozak dracon- My deep gnome character lost ians (which are described in the both his legs on an adventure. The Can a ring of regeneration restore a female character’s maidenhood? Could this be done well enough to fool a unicorn?

Sheesh! What kind of games do you people play, anyhow? Do you really encounter these problems in play, or do you just sit around thinking of strange questions to send me? Here we go: Anti-anti-magic: The question is moot since both effects produce the same re- sults: the temporary suppression (not dispelling) of all magic. (Artifacts function, but any spell-like effects they produce are suppressed.) Both effects work normally, even in the area of overlap. Watery ranger: I have my doubts about the validity of the wish. Since it was used against a character directly, I’d treat it as a permanent polymorph any object

DRAGON 55 spell. Such a wish could be dispelled so your PC’s hit points), but it might very well falling 15’ onto a hard surface has a modi- long as the water-character stayed intact. survive being chopped in half if anyone fier of -2 ( - 1 for every 5’ beyond the Once the water is spilled, evaporated, or were persistent enough to actually do it. first 5’1; if a 3 were rolled as a save, the consumed, the character’s “essence” is Many DMs, however, would rule that the save would be successful (3 - 2 = 1, still scattered or destroyed, and only another polymorph spell could no longer be dis- good). Items that have a save of 0 are wish will restore the character. pelled once the change in personality took immune to the listed attack form; for Enlarged corpse: A corpse is place. If the magic on either or both halves example, liquids are immune to blows, an object. Use the rules for non- of the worm were dispelled, you’d have even if their containers are not. living objects when adjudicat- one or two halves of a dead character. A wish certainly could restore the sword ing the results of enlarge Each “new” worm still is only half a char- if all its pieces were present. Whether or or permanency spells. A acter, even if allowed to grow into a whole not the sword could simply be remade is zombie, however, is a worm. up to the DM. I suggest that most en- creature (even if it is Legless gnome: The character carry- chanted items be rendered nonmagical if biologically dead). In the ing the gnome is going to be encumbered, broken, though I can think of one or two AD&D® 1st Edition even if he can handle the weight, because classic fantasy stories in which broken rules, a mage who en- of the gnome’s bulk. This means he’ll suf- magical items were remade. If the item is larged a corpse and cast fer at least a - 1 penalty to his to-hit rolls very powerful (with a bonus of +4 or permanency on it would (see the 2nd Edition Player’s Handbook, better), it might be remade if it is simply have only a 5% chance to lose page 79); the penalty will be worse if the broken—not disintegrated or reduced to point of constitution (see the gnome weighs enough to reduce the carri- ash or slag—and if it rolls a second save of 1st Edition DMG, page 46), be- er’s movement. The DM might also add an 20. The item should get a bonus of +1 for cause he was working with an ob- initiative penalty equal to the combat every two magical bonuses the item has ject. The AD&D 2nd Edition game does penalty. The gnome could fight if his arms (artifacts receive a +4 bonus to their not make a distinction between permanent were free. I suggest a -4 penalty to his to- saves). If the item fails the second save, it effects on objects or creatures, but I think hit roll and a + 3 penalty to his initiative. no longer radiates magic; characters smart it’s safe to assume this is an oversight. In Human, elf, half-elf, and halfling anatomy enough to use detect magic will know an either game, the enlarged corpse could be generally follows the so-called Rule of attempt to repair the item is a waste of animated as a huge, 1-HD zombie. Catapulted draconians: Light cata- pults hurl rocks that weigh 8-10 lbs. Heavy catapults hurl rocks that weigh 20-25 lbs. Even a single draconian of any species placed on a catapult would overload the machine so much that the catapult wouldn’t fire at all. Trebuchets, however, have a much larger load capacity, hurling rocks that weigh about 500 lbs., which is probably about right for three draconians. Rocks, however, are a bit more aerody- namic than any three wingless draconians tied together, so a draconian-firing trebu- chet’s range should be halved, for a maxi- mum range of 240 yards and a minimum of 120 yards. A single draconian fired from a trebu- chet is grossly underweight as well as unaerodynamic, producing an effect akin to trying to hurl a slightly underinflated beach ball. Use-the scatter diagram on page 63 of the 2nd Edition DMG. Treat the point labeled “intended target” as the trebuchet; a roll of 1 indicates that the Nines: The head takes up 9% of the body’s time. If the save is successful, the repair draconian is hurled straight up into the air weight, each arm 9%, the chest 18%, the should be made using the best possible and lands right on the trebuchet (or on top abdomen 18%, and each leg 18%. The materials and a master craftsman of une- of its operators, at the DM’s option). Any missing 1% is ignored. Gnomes and qualed skill; finding either of these should other roll indicates that the draconian flies dwarves are stocky and carry less mass in be an adventure in itself. If the DM really wildly off in the given direction. Roll their limbs. The distribution of their weight wants to prolong the player’s agony, he 8d4 × 10 for the total distance in yards might be: head 9%; each arm 8%, chest can require the being who will repair the that the draconian “flies.” 21%, abdomen 21%, and each leg 16%. item to make a successful proficiency Wormy PC: Characters retain their hit Dinosaur vs. magical item: In either check and maybe even make a save vs. points and intellect when subjected to edition of the AD&D game, a roll of 1 spells to be successful. polymorphing, so your character should always fails a saving throw, weapons’ Shooting down a fireball: I repeated have been the worlds smartest and tough- bonuses notwithstanding. Someone is this question to one of my regular playing est worm, at least until he failed an intelli- bound to write to me and point out that groups and got in return five bemused gence check and assumed a worm’s the item saving-throw table in the 1st grins and the following straight-faced mentality (if a worm can be said to have a Edition DMG, page 80, lists the numbers 1 comment: “Gee, you’ll also need rules for mentality). Your character would be dead and 0 in several places. When an item has [shooting down fireballs with] magic mis- if chopped in half while still mentally a a saving throw of 1, a roll of 1 still fails; siles and things like that, too.” For the “person” If the character reverted to however, if the DM assigns a circumstan- record, hitting a fireball or similar missile worm mentality before being cut in half, it tial penalty, any adjusted roll of 1 or more with another missile, magical or not, is still would be one tough worm (having is a successful save. For example, a book about as likely as every creature on a

56 APRIL 1990 world taking a step at the same instant, all. Come on again! The rules say green slime is a monster with the ability to thereby creating cataclysmic vibrations that clerics have power over the destroy flesh, wood, and metal. A disease that shake the planet apart. That is, it’s undead, not some undead. is a malady caused by a pathogenic organ- possible in theory but gosh darn well near The only undead that are magically ism; a paladin’s immunity to disease does impossible in practice. created are skeletons and zombies, which not protect him or his equipment from a Regenerating maidenhood: Sorry, are created with the animate dead spell. green slime’s attack, its susceptibility to unicorns know their maidens too well to However, enchanted monsters are those cure disease spells notwithstanding. Simi- be fooled. Under certain circumstances, a brought into being with conjuration/ larly, a violet fungi’s flesh-destroying at- ring of regeneration can restore the— summoning spells, and animate dead is tack works on paladins, even though cure ahem—physical aspects of a lady’s maiden- necromantic. Ghouls are hedged out be- disease spells halt its effects. Furthermore, hood. A ring of regeneration can restore cause their descriptions in the 1st Edition paladins can get infected wounds (if your any damage or appendage loss if it occurs Monster Manual and 2nd Edition Mon- campaign considers them), as these are not while the ring is worn. For example, if a strous Compendium say they are. Still, the diseases per se; cure disease spells also character wearing a ring of regeneration DM could rule that the normal undead- remove such infections. loses a finger, the ring will eventually creation process (in which a being killed restore the finger. However, if the charac- by certain undead beings becomes an In issue #146, you discussed the ter loses the finger and then dons the ring, undead creature, too) is magical. Expand- enchant an item spell and said that a the finger isn’t regrown. In a similar vein, ing the list in this fashion logically would magical weapon’s bonus was not a a ring of regeneration can’t be passed include lycanthropes (which suffer from a spell effect. What about the en- from character to character to provide a quasi-magical curse), golems (which are chanted weapon spell? party with cheap healing. Damage that ritually created), creatures such as As described in the AD&D 1st Edition exists before the ring is put on is not re- owlbears and bulettes (commonly known game, the fourth-level spell enchanted stored. Note that a clerical regenerate spell to be magical crossbreeds), and gargoyles weapon did not produce a true “plus.” The can restore a lost limb at any time. In any (which have “magical natures”)—and the spell allowed the recipient weapon to case, maidenhood is a state of being. Once list goes on. It’s much better to draw the harm creatures hit only by magical weap- it is lost, it is lost forever, regeneration line early on. ons, but it did not bestow any bonuses notwithstanding. The rules don’t say that clerics have whatsoever. Consequently, I tread lightly power over all undead. Banshees were left around the subject in the column. The off the clerics vs. undead table in the new enchanted weapon spell, however, Re-Saging AD&D 1st Edition DMG because they does bestow a true bonus and is useful for couldn’t be turned in those rules (see the enchanting most weapons, as described in In DRAGON issue #148, you said 1st Edition Monster Manual, “Groaning the 2nd Edition PHB, page 157. elven chain mail negates a ranger’s Spirit”). Currently, banshees can be turned ability to fight two-handed without as “special” undead (see “Groaning Spirit,” In issue #149, you said that result penalty. Why is this? Armor made Monstrous Compendium, Volume 2). shifts actually change the color of from elven steel has one-half the results obtained on the GAMMA normal encumbrance value, accord- In issue #148, you said all warrior WORLD® game’s ACT. Doesn’t the ing to the 2nd Edition DMG. So elven characters are entitled to excep- rules supplement included with the chain mail weighs 20 lbs., or 5 lbs. tional strength scores, but a foot- game contradict this? less than studded leather, which is note on page 20 of the 2nd Edition It sure does. The rules supplement, page the “heaviest” armor a ranger can Player’s Handbook says halfling 2, is correct; the column was wrong. As wear and still avoid the penalty. fighters do not roll for exceptional one reader pointed out, changing an at- Chain mail armor isn’t all metal. Chain strength. tacks damage multiplier, but not the ACT mail is a shirt of metal links worn over a You are correct. Score one for footnotes color, allows for hits which do no damage padded garment; this is necessary to keep and for people who read them. but that still cause special effects. For the links from being driven into the wear- example, laser blasts might blind mutants er’s body when a blow strikes. The pad- In an earlier issue, you said a pala- with infravision. ding weighs about 10 lbs., giving elven din’s detect evil ability works just chain mail a weight of 25 lbs., the same as like a detect evil spell, and that it studded leather. Second, weight alone is could detect evil characters. Isn’t not the only factor. The armor’s thickness, there a section in the rules that says stiffness, weight distribution, and general detect evil spells don’t work on evil protective value also must be considered. characters? While elven chain mail weighs about as There sure is. Check out the 1st Edition much as studded leather, it is still DMG, page 60. Evil characters don’t al- “heavier.” Generally, any armor type whose ways radiate evil. Just for the record, I base armor class (before magical or dex- didn’t actually say that; one of my editors terity adjustments) is AC 6 or better is did [It was me.—Roger]. While my editors “heavier” than studded leather, even if it are fine people whose timely interventions actually weighs less than 25 lbs. due to have more than once caught my errors materials or enchantments, or both. before I embarrassed myself in print, the shoe was on the other foot this time. In issue #138, you said that protec- tion from evil effects do not keep Why does a paladin’s immunity to undead at bay, except for ghouls. disease protect him from attack by Come on! Since all undead are magi- green slime, violet fungi, and other cally created, they’re all enchanted plant monsters? monsters and all are thwarted by In my opinion, it doesn’t. My editor [me protection from evil. While we’re at again] assumed that since green slime can it, you also said that banshees turn be killed with a cure disease spell, paladins as specials, if they can be turned at must be immune to its effects. However,

DRAGON 57 NEW PRODUCTS FOR UNIVERSE™ must battle street gangs and super dix goes with the second Monstrous Compen- villains in New York City while trying to solve a dium binder, and it covers all the nasties that MARCH mystery at the same time. This is the first mod- have populated TSR’s oldest campaign setting. ule in the Gang Wars trilogy. Suggested Retail Price: $9.95/£6.50 FORGOTTEN REALMS™ Adventures Suggested Retail Price: $8.95/£5.50 Product No.: 2107 AD&D® hardcover rulebook Product No.: 6892 by Jeff Grubb and Ed Greenwood DDA1 Arena of Thyatis This is it—the first FORGOTTEN REALMS™ Best of DRAGON® Magazine Games D&D® module hardcover! This must-buy for all Realms gamers by Lots O’People by John Nephew provides new detail and new information on the You saw them first here in DRAGON® This first adventure to supplement the boxed heartlands of the Realms. Within its covers Magazine-and now six of the most popular set, Dawn of the Emperors, is the perfect intro- you’ll find more on the secret societies, more games ever published in these pages are to- ductory module for the novice D&D® game spells, more magic, and more on Specialty gether in this boxed set. Each game has been player. It’s party time in Thyatis City for the DM Priests. Don’t miss this one! revised and upgraded, featuring full-color game and the players who want to experiment with a Suggested Retail Price: $20.00/£11.95 boards and die-cut counters and cards. You’ll freer form of role-playing! Product No.: 2106 love this package of the best of the best! Suggested Retail Price: $5.95/£3.95 Suggested Retail Price: $18.00/£12.95 Product No.: 9284 DMGR1 The Campaign Sourcebook and + VAT Catacomb Guide Product No.: 1051 MLBA1 Mutating Mutants AD&D® reference supplement MARVEL SUPER HEROES™ module by Paul Jaquays and William W. ELIXIR™ game by Bruce Nesmith Connors TSR board game An introductory module designed for new- The first in a new series of reference supple- by TSR/Three Wishes comers to the MARVEL SUPER HEROES™ game, ments to the AD&D® 2nd Edition Dungeon Here ye! The kingdom’s wackiest wizards are MLBA1 takes place as New York is being rocked Master’s Guide, this supplement offers a wealth racing to brew the magical Elixir of Life-and by a series of unexplained thefts and acts of of information on world design, campaign you’re one of them! Anyone who drinks the destruction. City officials are mystified, and it’s layouts, mapmaking, and NPC characterization. Elixir can live forever, if he survives the quest to up to the PCs to solve this mystery and bring Also included are six generic dungeon maps for brew it! This game is for two to four players, the perpetrators to justice. those times when you need one in a hurry. ages eight and up. Suggested Retail Price: $5.95/£3.95 Suggested Retail Price: $15.00/£9.95 Suggested Retail Price: TBA Product No.: 6893 Product No.: 2112 Product No.: 1057 Horselords SJR1 Lost Ships The Empires Trilogy, Book One AD&D® SPELLJAMMER™ accessory by David Cook by Ed Greenwood NEW PRODUCTS FOR Between the kingdoms of the western Realms Lost Ships, the first accessory for the SPELL and the eastern lands of Kara-Tur lies a vast, JAMMER™ game setting is full of adventures APRIL unexplored domain. For centuries, the “civi- built around derelicts that contain many nasty lized” people of the Realms gave little notice to surprises-hibernating warriors, undead spell DMGR2 The Castle Guide the nomadic barbarians who roam these lands. casters, and previously unknown monsters. In AD&D® 2nd Edition reference But now a powerful leader has united the wild all cases, they are challenges to even the hardi- supplement horsemen into an army that threatens the entire est spacefaring souls. by Lots O’People world! Suggested Retail Price: $9.95/£6.50 The days of knights in shining armor and Suggested Retail Price: $4.95 Product No.: 9280 towering stone castles come alive in the second Product No.: 8478 volume of the DMGR series. This volume in- Otherlands cludes a castle-design system and an expansion FANTASY FOREST®game AD&D® DRAGONLANCE® accessory to the BATTLESYSTEM™ miniatures rules. TSR board game by Scott Haring Suggested Retail Price: $15.00/£9.95 The redesigned and improved version of this This accessory connects the Krynn continents Product No.: 2114 popular game for young gamers includes four of Ansalon and Taladas (the latter is described in vinyl figurines of characters seen on the Satur- the boxed set, Time of the Dragon). Strange FRA1 Storm Riders day morning DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® cartoon lands and stranger peoples inhabit the world of AD&D® FORGOTTEN REALMS™ module show: PRESTO THE MAGICIAN™, HANK THE Krynn; find out how they interact with by Troy Denning RANGER™, SHEILA THE THIEF™, and UNI THE Otherlands. Storm Riders is the first installment of the UNICORN.” Players of ages 4-8 will have fun as Suggested Retail Price: $9.95/£6.50 Empires Adventures trilogy set in the lands of they race to the Magic Castle to win the game! Product No.: 9278 The Horde, the upcoming boxed set (due in Suggested Retail Price: TBA August) that describes the lands between Kara- Product No.: 1059 WGA1 Falcon’s Revenge Tur and the rest of the Realms. In this adven- AD&D® GREYHAWK® module ture, the PCs must flee an army of Mongol-like by Anne and Richard Brown nomads and find themselves astray in the secre- Unless otherwise noted: In this, the first module of a new trilogy, the tive, wonderful land of Ra-Khati! ® and ™ denote trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. PCs get a taste of life in the fabled city of Suggested Retail Price: $8.95/£5.95 ©1990 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Greyhawk—but someone is brewing trouble! Product No.: 9281 MARVEL SUPER HEROES is a trademark of the Marvel Suggested Retail Price: $8.95/£5.95 Entertainment Group, Inc. All Marvel characters, names, and Product No.: 9279 AD&D® Monstrous Compendium, Volume the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of the Five Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. MLA1 After Midnight AD&D® 2nd Edition accessory ©l990 Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved MARVEL SUPER HEROES™ module by TSR Staff by Anthony Herring The biggest, baddest creatures of the WORLD Watch out—the bad guys are ganging up on OF GREYHAWK® setting make their debut in the good guys! The heroes of the MARVEL AD&D® 2nd Edition game format. This appen-

58 APRIL 1990

Characterization Made Easy A little personality goes a long way for all characters by Scott Bennie

“My character is 30th-level barbarian- “I mean, what’s his personality?” “Well, he has a pet dragon, Gogetem, cleric demigod with a sword of the cata- “Personality? Oh, alignment! He’s chaotic that has three heads, and it can eat Baha- clysm, plus sixteen other artifacts!” neutral. That way he can do anything he mut and Tiamat for breakfast. . . .” “Yeah, well, what is he like?” wants. If anyone tells him what to do—oh, “Well, he’s got a strength, constitution, man, can he ever cut him down! Heh, heh, The AD&D® and D&D® games involve dexterity, and charisma of 26, and he has heh.” the role-playing of character personalities more hit points than Odin!” “No, I meant personality.” that exist in a game world. However, there

60 APRIL 1990 are quite a few players who play these Crusader: This character is out to save ranger whose family was slaughtered by games as exercises in combat without the or reform the world. He has a mission in orcs is now becoming feared for her fanat- slightest idea of what a “role” is. While life that may far exceed his reach, but he icism in slaying all orcs and goblins she people are entitled to play these games in will strive for it though it may not benefit can hunt down). any ways that they see fit, I’ve found that him directly. A crusader may have associ- Servant: This character is in the service these games (and all other role-playing ated goals, such as saving damsels in dis- of either a person or an agency. Samurai, games, for that matter) are a lot more fun tress or slaying dragons. Rumors about clerics, paladins, and guild-member thieves when I role-play than when I am involved the existence of evil in one form or an- are good examples of these adventurers. in nothing but search-and-salvage or com- other will prod him into adventuring. Most He is either sworn to serve his master (as a bat sessions. paladins are good examples of crusaders. feudal knight is pledged to his king) or is Some people say that role-playing is not Hoarder: This character believes that the in his master’s direct service (e.g., a easy and that the use of role-playing love of money is the root of all fun. The prince’s bodyguard). He goes adventuring makes a game enjoyable only if you have hoarder wants to become as wealthy as because he has either received orders some background in drama. I do have a bit possible. He may spend money extrava- from his master or he has heard informa- of experience with drama (which might gantly, wanting to live a life of luxury, or tion that concerns his master (such as an prejudice my remarks), but I think that it he may make Scrooge look like a spend- assassination plot against one of his mas- is possible to role-play effectively without thrift. The hoarder is motivated by new ter’s allies). much acting experience. Besides, aren’t we sources of wealth; rumors of vast treasure Subsister: This character is not normally all natural actors inside? This article is caches send him off on new quests. an adventurer, and he probably lived a meant to give you ways to add depth to Dwarves are often played as hoarders, comfortable life until (often reluctantly) he your characters beyond the things nor- contributing their gains to clan or per- was forced into adventuring due to cir- mally found on character record sheets. sonal hoards. cumstances beyond his control. Perhaps The AD&D and D&D games assume that Paragon: This character views adventur- his family was outlawed, his village was characters come from a fantasy medieval ing as a personal challenge, putting him- destroyed in an orc invasion, or his sister background and get involved in adven- self in peril to test his abilities. A paragon was lured into a chaotic-evil order. Subsis- tures using that very setting. However, in wishes to improve one or more of his skills ters may either enjoy adventuring and both actual medieval times and in fantasy to absolute mastery (e.g., the best archer become full-time adventurers, or else try novels, not everyone became an adven- in the city of Botheringdale might wish to to settle back into a normal life as soon as turer. To leave the mundane life behind is become the best archer in the kingdom). possible (with frequent interruptions). to live a life of constant danger, to con- When a paragon learns about a possible Think of Bilbo Baggins in J. R. R. Tolkien’s front terrors that only the truly heroic or challenge to his abilities, be it a challenger The Hobbit, or nearly any monster- truly insane would think of facing. This at a tournament or a monster from which investigating character in Chaosium’s requires a special type of individual. Take no man has ever escaped, he will do his CALL OF CTHULHU® game. a look at your character and ask yourself: best to meet and master that challenge. A Superstar: The superstar has but a sin- Why is he an adventurer? Why did he character who has specialized with a gle goal in life—glory! He wants to become choose to risk his life seeking fortune and certain type of weapon (like a kensai from as famous as possible and actively seeks a adventure, instead of settling down and the AD&D Oriental Adventures tome) good reputation. He might even have hired being a farmer, a mason, or a blacksmith? could be considered a paragon, as could a bards to accompany him, although this character who develops a reputation as a tactic can backfire (as witnessed by Sir What kind are you? dragon-slayer. Robin in Monty Python and the Holy People become adventurers for any Power-seeker: This character seeks Grail). A superstar goes on an adventure number of different reasons. Here is a list power, be it political, military, spiritual, or when he hears about an opportunity to of possible adventurer types, along with economic. A power-seeker won’t necessar- earn glory. Many cavaliers and knights are relevant motivations and examples: ily try to get as many magical items as prone to this role. Adventurer: The character cannot live possible to squash potential opponents, Note that these motivations are not without excitement in his life. This charac- but he will usually go after positions of mutually exclusive. There is no reason ter craves the thrill that he can get only by power within the campaign’s social struc- why a character can’t be both a crusader putting his life on the line. Rumors of ture (e.g., a cleric would strive to become and a paragon; he simply has more than great danger and peril will urge him into the high priest of his religion, while an one goal. People are complex, and so are the unknown. Prince Valiant, from the ambitious yeoman would work toward a characters. popular comic series, is a good example of captaincy). A power-seeker might develop this sort of character (being under a curse a goal and work toward it, or else develop Past & future of lifelong restlessness and discontent with his skills and look for a goal. Adventures It has been said that to understand complacency). that offer possibilities of furthering one’s someone’s present state, you must under- Avenger: This character has a single goal will interest power-seekers (e.g., stand where he has come from and where goal: revenge. He wants to get back at rescuing a noble’s kidnapped daughter he is going to. Once you have established someone or something that has wronged might offer favors from the noble.) your character’s motivations, ask yourself him, settling an old score. Rumors about Psychopath: This character adventures what caused your character to have these the hated subject motivate this character for the sheer joy of killing and violence, attitudes. Why does your character act into adventure. Batman is a prime example usually just to prove to himself how tough like this? of this sort of adventurer, as is Conan in he is. This is not an alignment-specific One commonly neglected area that is the movie Conan the Barbarian. role; a lawful-good character might adven- absolutely essential to character role- Comrade: This character is an adven- ture for the joy of killing orcs, giants, and playing is a knowledge of that character’s turer because his friends are adventures. demons, getting no satisfaction from an background. Why is your character lawful He is a follower, not a leader, and is moti- adventure unless he has killed something. good or chaotic evil? Why is he an vated by friendship; he enjoys socializing It takes very little to motivate a psycho- avenger, a crusader, or a power-seeker? with adventurers. When his friends em- path; any victim will do (the easier to What forced him to go adventuring? bark on an adventure, he will follow. A destroy, the better). A psychopath is usu- Finding these answers is often more hero’s sidekick (such as Moonglum in the ally seriously disturbed and has probably difficult than you would think. But under- Elric series) is a good example of a com- suffered some severe trauma that is con- standing your character’s background is rade. NPC henchmen can be comrades. nected to the object of his hatred (e.g., a crucial in role-playing. Here is a checklist

DRAGON 61 of questions that, when answered, will Sobriety Calm temper Fears provide dramatic moments and enhance your character. Optimism Curiosity excellent chances to role-play. If a charac- Forgiveness Cheerfulness ter overcomes his fears, then he can claim 1. Background Patience Honesty that he’s really accomplished something. a. Where was your character born? Helpfulness Loyalty However, such weaknesses shouldn’t be b. Who raised him? used by the DM to terrorize the character c. What was happening in the region Name at least one other trait in which (or the player). when he was growing up? your character possesses a rating of 8 or Likewise, a character should have some d. Does he have any relatives? If so, how better. clear virtues. A character with no good did he get along with them? What are points is utterly unsympathetic; would you they doing now? 5. Miscellaneous sympathize with a petulant, greedy, cow- a. What well-known media figure from ardly fool? You might if the fool was in a 2. Motivation sports, movies, or politics most closely comedy, but that is not the stuff of heroic a. What are your character’s immediate resembles your character? fantasy. goals (i.e., what would he like to do in b. What would be his theme song? Even evil PCs need not be totally repre- the coming year)? c. If his friends were to write his epitaph, hensible. One of my characters, Morgor b. What are his long-term goals (i.e., what what would it be? the Maleficent (a lawful-evil fighter) was would he like to be doing 20 years from d. What would his job be in modern born in a town that he despised. His major now)? society? goals in life are to become a rich and c. What type of person would be his ideal powerful fighter, hire an army of merce- mate? A lot of these questions are trivial; cer- naries, raze the town, sow its fields with d. Who is his patron deity? Is he a devout tainly, not all of them are needed to under- salt so that nothing will grow there, then worshiper? stand your character (although they can hire an evil cleric to place a curse on its e. Is he a devout member of any nonreli- be fun to think about). Furthermore, a ground so no creature may dwell there. gious cause (i.e., is he a loyal servant of character’s background often relies on the He is arrogant, loves violence, and belittles a king or baron)? campaign background and can be heavily the people he is with, constantly insulting f. Is there any race, creed, alignment, influenced by the Dungeon Master. Some- them. Pretty rotten guy, huh? religion, or the like against which he is times, too, it takes a long time to get the Well, for all of his faults, Morgor has strongly prejudiced? feel of the character’s role. This list should earned the respect of those with whom he g. What is his greatest fear? be something to think about when you travels. He is very brave, sometimes facing h. What is the one task he absolutely design your character, not something that monsters single-handedly while the rest of refuses to do? must be filled out. However, if you have the group hides. He is honest, courteous been playing the character for a few years toward women, and despises torture and 3. Idiosyncrasies and you can’t really answer these ques- other acts of gratuitous brutality. He does a. What is your character’s motto or favor- tions, maybe you need to work on devel- not steal, nor does he try to take too great ite saying? oping his personality. a share of treasure. He might even be b. What is his favorite color? redeemable, if people weren’t too busy c. Describe what he would wear if money Adding those details checking his alignment and writing him Some character traits that are rarely were no object. off as a lost cause. d. What is his favorite food? His favorite developed are weaknesses and phobias. While most evil characters I’ve seen (and Most people have them. Considering the drink? a lot of chaotic-neutral characters, too) e. What is his favorite animal? horrors that are rampant in most fantasy tend to be an indistinguishable line of f. What habits of his friends annoy him worlds, shouldn’t each character have greedy, back-stabbing, disruptive morons, most? something that gnaws in his gut and Morgor has personality and strength. makes him break out in a cold sweat? Morgor starts a lot of personality clashes 4. Traits Perhaps a great fighter was tormented by when he enters a group, but such conflicts Rate these behaviors for your character kobolds when he was a boy; although he aren’t necessarily settled by swordplay or on a scale of 0 to 10 (0 means he has no could now slay a hundred of them, he still assassination. trace of this trait, behaving in a completely fears them. Such phobias are present in opposite manner; 10 means he has great fantasy and adventure literature and Escaping stereotypes amounts of this trait). movies. Conan, the greatest of all barbari- Another concern in role-playing involves Courtesy Valor ans, feared magic due to his superstitious the use of stereotyped roles. How many Self-sacrifice Generosity upbringing. Indiana Jones hated snakes. can you think of in 60 seconds? I thought of these: 1. All wizards are old men with long beards and robes. 2. All evil characters wear black. 3. All good characters wear white. 4. All half-orcs are ugly and nasty. 5. All giants are stupid. 6. All thieves are small and cowardly. 7. Evil characters are unredeemably awful. 8. Elves are flighty and carefree. 9. Major bridges are guarded by trolls, who ask for a toll. 10. Every dungeon has a chessboard trap. I’m certain you thought of others. Some of these represent traditional views of archetypes in the fantasy genre, but they

62 APRIL 1990 are so overused that they have become Dialects, accents, and so on are not the examining your character and finding new cliches. Why can’t one tribe of elves and a only mannerisms that you can give your ways of making him interesting, you can clan of dwarves be friends? Why can’t the character. Body language (e.g., flailing increase the amount of fun you have. supposedly bright evil wizard be con- arms, constant blinking), behavior pat- Besides, I’d like to walk into a game store vinced that his plan to conquer the world terns (e.g., flirting, drinking, insulting), and hear people talking about their char- is unfeasable? Why can’t a half-orc be and favorite sayings (e.g., “It’s clobbering acters, not their characters’ statistics. lawful good? (I once played lawful-good time!“) also add to the character—but don (Special thanks go to Jim Deak and half-orc, and it was a lot of fun, although let these define your character so rigidly Chuck Huber for their suggestions on he never understood why those dwarves that they become stereotypes, too. motivations, to Aaron Allston for his inspi- were so hostile to him.) The ultimate aim in role-playing, in rational article on Cinema and Justice, Inc. Some people find that most fantasy creating a character and playing it out, is in Adventurer’s Club #7, and to Scott games become boring and predictable in to have fun, of course. Sometimes, by Ruggels for his advice on dialects.) time. Perhaps this is because the players cannot break free of their stereotypes, so that everything in the game is old hat. Another sort of stereotype is created when a player runs the same type of char- acter over and over again-the same class, the same alignment, or the same race (or simply the same in all respects). Variety is the spice of life; if things get dull, try something new. It could be fun even if it seems uncomfortable at first. (Ignore the other players, who will look up and say, “But you only play neutral-good human clerics!”) One last note: Some players, particularly male adolescent players, are unwilling to play female characters. Some people have even walked out of tournaments when they were handed female characters to play. I’ve been in groups that have given me a hard time because of some of the weird characters I’ve played, but it is peculiar that they would let people play nonhuman creatures such as dwarves and elves, but not human females. Adding an accent One great thing about playing roles is that you get to be an offbeat actor. I enjoy using funny voices and accents when I play, and I am delighted when I get a chance to do something that adds to my character. It isn’t easy, however; it is help- ful to use models for your characteriza- tions. My Boston professor from our CALL OF CTHULHU game had a voice based on Charles Winchester from the TV show M*A *S*H. One of my superheroes, the Pacifier, has a very slow drawl out of a Clint Eastwood spaghetti western, while the villainous Skeletos has a voice based on J. R. Ewing of Dallas (one of my female supervillains has the voice and personality of Joan Collins’s Character on Dynasty). The mage Gilmathrix has an eloquent yet sinister voice based on British actor Clive Revell, who did Vector on the old TV fan- tasy series Wizards and Warriors. These accents can be brought over to AD&D and D&D games (and any others) quite easily. It is even possible to have a character based on Inspector Clouseau of the Pink Panther movies (I seem to recall a promi- nent DRAGON® Magazine editor who had a gnome thief with “an outrageous French accent”): You don’t have to study dialects for 10 years to, have this sort of fun. All you need is the courage to try something different.

DRAGON 63 When I first began painting miniature figures, I thought the only important con- siderations were to use nice colors and not to slop over the lines. Gradually, I realized fine miniatures needed something more for dramatic realism, and the missing element in my own compositions was perspective. Classical perspective consists of height, width, and depth or thickness. As three-dimensional sculptures, minia- tures already have these features present, but the painting should support and ex- ploit them for fullest effect. The way to accomplish this is through shading. Shading is the representation of light or shadow on the figure. Its purpose is to suggest the interplay of color, light, and texture that occurs in the real world. In figure painting, this means using the gra- dation of tones possible in a particular color, taken from the tone closest to white to the shade closest to black. The basic technique is simple: Paint a base color onto a particular area, then paint a darker tone of the base in the depressions and a Shading for detail lighter tone on the prominences. From this beginning, shading can become a compli- ©1990 by Zoe Bell Hurst cated series of steps; you can do whatever is necessary to make the figure attractive and interesting. Photographs by Kevin Terry

64 APRIL 1990 To illustrate the importance of shading, in clothing, engravings on a helmet, and Using a light base for most of the area, examine the figures in photograph A. The the hollows between the brow of the then bringing it down with the shadow, is female illusionist in the red robe was forehead and the eyelids are examples. In a good way to both control shadow and painted six years ago, the male ranger combination with the highlight, shadow retain the figure’s depth. The second three years ago, and the female magic-user creates the three-dimensional form of the snake’s detail is also helped by swipes of a in teal six months ago. All are examples of figure. The two most common mistakes I lighter gray for highlight to bring out the my best efforts at a particular point in make in handling it are to use base colors curves of the scales. This is most notice- time, but the magic-user in teal is superior which are too dark, thus losing the grada- able around the eye sockets. to the other two because of the quality of tion of good shading, or to not paint on This doesn’t mean you can never use a her shading. enough highlight. dark base color, but such a figure needs a I break shading down into three distinct In photograph B, I made both errors on strong highlight to balance the shadows elements: shadow, highlight, and defini- the green snake. I was trying to capture and bring out the details. In photograph C, tion. These are linked together, and if one the lush beauty of a jungle snake, but the the two Lovecraftian monsters have very or more of these features is ignored or base of forest green was simply too dark appropriate dark tones. Their highlights handled improperly, the finished minia- for the vibrancy I desired. I then com- seem electric against this background and ture suffers as a result., Learning to see pounded this mistake by not adding any somehow add to the repellent qualities of where shadow, highlight, and definition highlight. The only thing that allows the these creatures. At the same time, the are needed, and how to strike a balance viewer to see any of the body’s details is brilliance of the contrast makes them between them, are the skills to be culti- the reflective coat of gloss finish. There is otherworldly and fascinating, an impres- vated by the figure painter when at work great variety in the swirling pattern of the sion well in keeping with their milieu. This on shading. To develop an eye for shading scales and coils, but I failed to exploit its way of handling shadow is very effective, takes practice. To help you know what to potential. but I wouldn’t suggest it for all figures. It look for, this article discusses each of these My husband decided to give the other depends on whether or not their sculpture elements separately. snake the matte, almost dusty feeling of a can support such a strong design. desert snake. He wanted a dark base color, The shadows know but instead of putting on black and then Hitting the highlights Shadow is a definite area of shade cast trying to overcome it, he used dark gray Highlight occurs on the parts of a figure upon a surface by a body. intercepting the for most of the area and saved the black where reflected light is brightest, normally light. On-a figure, this is represented by for the shadows of the scales. Conse- the prominent areas. Some examples are the depressions sculpted into it. Wrinkles quently, no detail is sacrificed. the bridge of the nose, the place where

DRAGON 65 light reflects from the flat of a blade, and sessful adventurer, perhaps even a hero, coat, helmet, and axe, and there is no the billows of cloth in a robe. As the part as his equipment and jewelry seemed to black in his beard. Instead, the shadows of the painting that represents light, the suggest. Accordingly, I wanted him to look there are yellow-tan and the highlight is highlight is extremely important in estab- bright and clean. The shadows on him white. His pants have two highlights; the lishing both the mood and environment of have been strictly controlled, and every base highlight is violet on the creases of your figure. I wanted the dwarf in photo- thing has a careful clarity of tint. I used the pants, and pink is on the highest graph D to give the impression of a suc- enamel silver paint on the highlights of his points of his pants, such as the knees. The different textures of highlight also help make the dwarf look bright; some textures are matte, and some shiny. Since the shiny ones are around his head, this directs attention to his face, and the matte high- light of his beard further points to his expression. I also used a bright highlight on the pumpkinhead, but with a different goal in mind. The clothes of the pumpkinhead are highlighted with straight white in order to make the clothes seem worn and tattered. I did this both to affect the texture of the figure and to help the faded color scheme of his body support the bright orange of his head. The most important goal of highlight is to make the right point dominate the area. I wanted the ghost to seem ethereal as he materializes from the floor, but to have his upper torso seem real. His shroud is shad- owed with gray and watered black, and the highlights are pure white. However, the skull and hands are actually ivory. In combination with the sculpture, this heavier color pulls attention over the rest of the body. Definition defined Definition is the outline of a figure and its components, the net result of the part- nership between shadow and highlight. Definition makes the figure clear and distinct, and its quality determines the length of time it takes the viewer to com- prehend a figure’s subject matter. The camels pack in photograph E is a good example of this. Every parcel and bundle can be clearly seen. The “compleat adven- turer” next to it is not as successful with his definition because his packages blur into his body and each other. If you study him, you can pick out the details, but some of the humor is lost because of this lapse in the understanding. The definition on the camel takes full advantage of the shapes and detailing offered on the packages. Through use of color, surface-area texture, and shadow- ing, it turns the jumble of items into a unified artistic whole. One important detail is the play of lines indicating box slats or canvas wrinkles. These lines go at cross-purposes to each other and help define each bundle and its space on the camels back. The robe color of the adventurer is too close to the shade of the packages near his face and hands, so they tend to absorb one another’s impact. The same thing is true of his face and hands. They get lost in the general jumble, and thus his expression of discomfort is obscured. The texture of all the packages tend to be shiny, and this

66 APRIL 1990 also adds to the blurring. Stronger high- now, I would put an enamel metallic paint forehead and the eye sockets. light and variety in the finish would help on the highlights of the metal objects to The metal fixtures have only two colors, the definition separate the details for the bring them out, and everything on the black and silver. They are brilliant against viewer and allow faster comprehension of table with the lantern would be given the matte background of the doors, yet do the figure. more contrast. not overshadow the rest of it. The black is One important method in use on both kept strictly in line so it doesn’t obscure figures is blacklining, and it deserves some The whole effect the silver fixtures’ details. special attention. With blacklining, you Once you have the three elements of The doors themselves have a base of dull paint in a dark line where light would shadow, highlight, and definition on a brick red, a dark red shadow, and black- normally cause a shadow but where regu- figure, the way you blend them is also lining. There is a normal highlight of lar shading would be too faint—such as important for the end result of your shad- orange-red and a high highlight of salmon between fingers, around the links of a ing. In the real world, there are always pink to bring out the warped parts that chain, or underneath the brim of a hat. gradations in color, but not necessarily on have been carved onto the sculpture. This is invaluable in the defining of a figures. The two dogs in photograph I Incidentally, my favorite detail is the little figure, and it will pull together your over- illustrate this. The dog in the background rat on the backside of the door. This bit of all design. In photograph F are three simi- has no definition, and his shadow simply nervous life upon its static frame brings lar figures of dragonmen, but only the lies on top of the base color. You can see out the dreamy, brooding quality of the middle one has the benefit of this tech- his form, but it seems two dimensional figure. nique. On him, every detail is supported and harsh. The collar is too dominant Returning to photograph A, I’ll now and meshed together by the blacklining. because of its metallic reflection. The point out the flaws that inhibit the compo- Note its effectiveness on the wings and the other dog seems much more natural be- sition of the two figures. The female illu- recesses of the facial structure. This par- cause his three elements are subtly sionist in red has no shadow or definition. ticular dragonman looks more threatening blended together. The way to get this kind Her bright color scheme makes her attrac- and evil than the other two because the of gradation is by blending the tones to- tive, but it’s almost impossible to see any blacklining points up the spreading pat- gether in the areas where they touch of the subtle details such as her metal belt. tern of his wings, defines his muscles, and while the paint is still wet. The ranger needs more highlight. His focuses the attention of his expression. He Of course, this isn’t written in stone if somber clothes look a little too drab, and seems more alert and bigger than the you are trying for a particular effect. The it’s hard to make out their lines and the others, which helps the implied threat. ghoul has no blending whatsoever. The network of wrinkles, especially around his Blacklining does not have to be done shadows are mere lines of dark green, and chest. The design of his shield has almost with just black, of course. I also use dark the highlight is white blotted onto the light disappeared from sight, and it’s not just shades of the base color in an area if I green of the muscles. My husband wanted from the shadow cast by his sword. want to keep its hue clear. However, black to give the ghoul a stylized feel, similar to I’m happy with the magic-user because for the shadow looks more natural in that of traditional Japanese theatre her shading supports the figure’s perspec- places where two unrelated objects are makeup. It’s an interesting concept for a tive and contributes full clarity of detail. near each other, such as the sleeve of a fine sculpture, and I think the end result is Her highlight and shadow are well bal- figure’s shirt and his wrist. very successful. anced, and I especially like the lustrous I have already mentioned the use of Once you have the basics of shading, quality of her robe which is caused by the brilliant contrast in connection with the you can then start the fun of getting into highlight. Her definition is also good, al- Lovecraftian monsters, but it is also an fancy, complicated designs. The dungeon lowing the viewer to catch an impression effective tool of definition in other situa- door in photograph J has a twelve-step of her facial expression and of the mark- tions, such as on very small miniatures. In shading pattern, intended to exploit its ings around her hood and belt, despite the photograph G, the group of baby dragons marvelous detail to the fullest. For the complicated series of folds in the robe is a case in point. They are part of a set stones, there is a base of dark gray, a gray- which could hide these details. that includes their mother, a figure that black shadow for the areas just under- At this point in my development as a stands 5” high; the baby dragons are but neath the prominent features, and miniature-figure painter, I feel I’ve done ½” tall. The adult dragon is dark red, but blacklining for the deepest shadow. For the best I can with her. That’s the reason I chose orange-red for the babies in an highlight, there is a lighter shade of the for developing good shading—to attempt effort to emulate the “new” quality of base for the ordinary prominent areas, your finest painting with each and every babies and to make the structure of their and a high highlight of light gray for the figure. bodies intelligible to the viewer, especially highest points, such as the large skull’s in the overpowering presence of the mother. Even in the photograph, you can see their wings and claws and get an idea of their expressions. In fact, I wish now I had been more daring and painted an even brighter yellow-orange on the high points. Brilliant contrast also helps clarify detail. In photograph H, the table with the book is the more successful of the two because I used cleaner highlights. Pure white is on the skull and books, and the gemstone is royal blue highlighted with a swipe of pale blue. The flash of green is actually the tail of an iguana blocked by the skull. The other table isn’t bad; it just looks a little flat. With the exception of the loaf of bread, it’s easy to tell what everything is, but the items don’t look as clear as I’d like them to be. If I were painting both tables

DRAGON 67 “Forum” welcomes your comments and opinions advantages that it does. strange possibilities. For one thing, this castle on role-pla.ying games. In the United States and For example, the 3 hp bonus at 1st level gives was mobile and could attack other cities. They Canada, write to: Forum, DRAGON® Magazine, the cavalier 8.5 average hit points, far more soon learned that cities are too tough to attack P.O. Box 111, Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A. In than any class except the ranger, without the and almost lost their new castle. Europe, write to: Forum, DRAGON Magazine, ranger’s penalty of eight-sided dice thereafter. The third example was my own design. It was TSR Ltd, 120 Church End, Cherry Hinton, Normal fighters cannot function at negative hit a “standard” castle but had a magical enchant- Cambridge CB1 3LB, United Kingdom. We ask points or increase their abilities through train- ment placed on it that imbued the castle with that material submitted to “‘Forum” be either ing, even though their training in these areas intelligence. Once this was done, my character neatly written by hand or typed with a fresh should not be any worse than a cavalier’s. Why (a high-level chaotic-good mage) further en- ribbon and clean keys so we can read and were these abilities not granted to the fighters chanted it to have spell storage (not unlike the understand your comments. originally? Perhaps the game is not meant to ring) of 12 spells. Thereafter he stored seven have so many people running around with 18/00 fireball, two wall of stone, two dispel magic, and In response to the two pro-cavalier letters in strengths from “training.” Level advancement one succor spell therein. The succor spell sum- issue #152’s “Forum,” I observed that the cava- already simulates increased conditioning with moned my character back to the castle and was lier class disappeared from the AD&D® 2nd improving attack tables and saving throws. used only as a last resort tit’s a very expensive Edition rules for a very good reason: It was both Even if one still believes that the cavalier spell). The castle had infravision as well as unnecessary and overly powerful. should logically be superior to the fighter, there normal vision in case of night attackers. Daniel Stephans and Jeff Cliber cited “logical” is also the consideration of game balance. Un- The last example was the most expensive in justifications for the cavalier’s many special earthed Arcana saw the addition of powerful terms of magic. One of my friends suggested powers. I could give an equally logical refutation new classes that threaten to make the older putting a castle on another plane of existence. of each of their arguments, but that isn’t the ones obsolete. Why bother to play a lowly This required nothing less than the power of a point. The point is game balance. Compare the fighter when cavaliers are so much more pow- demigod character (a character beyond most cavalier to the traditional fighter, a time-tested erful? Some die-hard role-players might enjoy AD&D campaigns, but not the one he was in). and well-balanced class. What does the cavalier playing less-powerful characters, but the fact This made the castle almost completely invul- get that the fighter doesn’t? Better armor, high that another class can beat fighters at their own nerable to attack except by creatures with social status, more starting equipment, saving- game is a serious flaw in the rules. Weapon extradimensional traveling abilities. However, throw advantages, virtual immunity to many specialization is an attempt to make fighters these creatures could destroy the castle effort- common spells, more hit points, improved more competitive, but it does not go far enough, lessly, so his demigod character created a plane ability scores, bonuses on attack rolls, and extra and I would suggest that it is a move in the of existence that was just bigger than the castle attacks per round. There’s more, of course, but wrong direction. Monty Haul playing is already itself and a portal that was small enough that those are the main points. What does the cava- a problem without writing it into the rules. only human-size creatures could fit through. lier sacrifice for these overwhelming advan- Cavaliers should be different from fighters, Thus, this castle was safe as long as no human tages? He’s required to adhere to a code that is not better. They are chivalrous warriors trained size being with extradimensional abilities found pretty much the way many AD&D game fighter for mounted combat, not superheroes who can the portal. characters are played anyway (violent, arrogant, do anything. Thus, many of the abilities granted As one can see, the best defense from magic reckless, and suicidally stubborn). In practice, as them are unnecessary and illogical because they is, of course, better magic. Although these are the cavalier’s proponents have suggested by make the cavalier an extra-powerful fighter not classic castles that just sit on top of moun- their comments, most DMs won’t strictly en- instead of a separate class with its own unique tains, they still function as their classic counter- force this lone disadvantage. features. I applaud Mr. Howery’s attempts to parts for protection and defense. Also, these Why play a cavalier? The most obvious reason balance the cavalier’s abilities. castles provide great role-playing opportunities is to have a more powerful character, something Nicholas R. Howe and should not be considered useless. These players like. But how can a DM maintain any Princeton NJ castles were not without their flaws, however. kind of balance when one member of a PC party The ninja cave was attacked by an earth ele- is so much more powerful than the others? Not After reading about castles in issue #151, I mental and other underground creatures. The only does this unbalance play, it causes resent- wish to debate the incompatibility of medieval- cloud castle was attacked by dragons and other ment among the other players. style castles in the AD&D game setting. While flying creatures. My mage had problems argu- The other excuse for using the cavalier is the I’ll agree that authentic medieval-style castles ing with an intelligent castle. The demigod’s desire to play a noble knight. A TSR writer are no match for the sheer magical power of castle still had creatures that could attack whose name escapes me [David “Zeb” Cook, in thieves and mages, fantasy castles are a neces- through the portal without entering. But I hope issue #121, pages 12-13] defined cavaliers (and sary part of an AD&D game. Below are exam- these ideas help make your castles unique and barbarians) as fighters with attitude problems, ples of castles that are more suitable for an stronger than the originals. and I think that sums it up quite well. A charac- AD&D game assault. Timothy Sallume ter’s personality and behavior are role-playing The first example was suggested by a friend San Diego CA matters and should be left in the realm of role- of mine who played a high-level, lawful-evil playing. A separate class based merely on per- mage/ninja. His character required a headquar- The first thing I check out when I receive my sonalities is unjustified and unnecessary. ters that was well hidden, defendable, and DRAGON Magazine is “Forum.” In issue #151, Alan Clark easily accessible to him but not others. His idea the “Forum” letter by the anonymous person Herndon VA involved using several passwall spells through a pertaining to the relative uselessness of castles side of a mountain, then disintegrating the in the AD&D game sparked me to write my first After reading the criticism in issue #152 of inside of the mountain. When the passwalls letter. While I found the letter very interesting David Howery’s article, “The Corrected Cava- disappeared, he was left with a cave with no and with some merit, I also found many errors. lier,” I had to respond. It seems that most of the passageways connecting the inside from the Indeed, magic does offer a totally new system arguments in favor of the cavalier’s powers are outside. Teleportation without error or several of problems in the defense of a castle—so, too, based on the idea that cavaliers dedicate their passwall spells was the only way to enter or exit does it offer great defensive benefits. Of the lives to training for battle, and that this training his “castle,” assuming the spell-caster knew that benefits I will get to later. is the basis for their enhanced abilities. I would the castle was hidden in the mountain. First, a response to that 3rd-level mage trying like to point out that the fighter class, as the The second example was suggested by a to knock at your gate. The knock spell cannot name so aptly implies, is the only class that module. I was DMing an assault on a storm- accomplish such a feat. “It does not raise barred specializes solely in fighting, and it has none of giant castle. Like most storm-giant castles, this gates or similar impediments (such as a the cavalier’s extra abilities. The cavalier is a one was built on the top of a cloud. The assault portcullis)”—as stated in the AD&D 2nd Edition knight, trained in honor and horsemanship in was to prevent the spinning castle from crash- Player’s Handbook. Knock is useless against a addition to pure combat. It is hard to argue that ing into a human city. After correcting the castle. the cavalier should have even the same combat problem, the characters realized that they were What about those 3rd-level thieves trying to abilities as the fighter, let alone the massive the new owners of a cloud castle. This had some get into the castle under invisibility? Some

68 APRIL 1990 simple suggestions: Use some dogs or other alert dragons) that are extremely rare, but if the model, I present the fact that out of 59 of the animals who rely on sounds and smells as alarm besieging army employs such beasts, then it worlds leaders mentioned therein, only one is a triggers. A dozen bats befriended by a druid deserves the havoc they will cause. 16th-level cleric (Xargun, of the Caliphate of could easily detect invisible intruders by echolo- The use of a disintegrate spell not only opens Ekbir) and one other (Hazen, the Archleric of cation. If animal guards are rendered useless by up a mage to attack while he casts it, but the Veluna) is a 19th-level cleric. So if you can’t seem an invisibility to animals spell (assuming the less than 10’ square hole in the wall is hardly to keep earthquakes from ruining your castles, I thieves had a 10th level druid—of which there worth the time it takes a 12th-level mage to suggest a more balanced campaign world where aren’t many—cast the spell on them), they have memorize the spell. the elite are truly elite. 20 rounds to approach the castle, climb its The fifth-level passwall spell must be cast I hope I have not only proven simple castle walls, and infiltrate a “safe” part of the castle so within 90’ of the wall, causing a 5’-wide passage defenses do exist to overcome great obstacles as not to be found. This infiltration is possible— to open into the castle. A hole that size won’t be effectively and at no great cost, but more impor- even probable. But now the thieves have to find difficult to block or defend. tantly have disproved the suggestion that magic the correct rooms to raise portcullises or lower Charming an umber hulk is no easy feat, for renders castles useless. drawbridges. Such rooms will, of course, be not only are they rare, but one would have a Darrell C. Donald guarded around the clock, especially in times of 75% chance of breaking the charm monster Millersville MD war. When the guard room door opens, the 3rd- spell each week. Personally, I believe it would be level thieves might find themselves outmatched hard to communicate to a “friend” if merely I would like to present my ideas about the by a like number of 3rd-level fighters. Even if looking it in the eyes will cause confusion. The vulnerability of castles, which was discussed in the guards are dealt with and the thieves open umber hulk would become suspicious at the a letter in issue #151. I agree completely with the castle’s front door, then a precautionary lock least. I doubt the umber hulk would take kindly the writer’s statement that normal castles would switch could be thrown to disable the opening to the suggestion that it must tunnel under a not exist in a fantasy world. No sane player mechanism. In either case, the thieves are on a castle, for that seems life threatening; after all, would build a structure when the first random suicide mission, because an alert will go up and the castle is not attacking the mage. Killing a encounter could trash months of work. In order they won’t live to rejoice. In short, it would take few humans is just everyday food gathering, but for a castle to have value, it must be cheaper a large number of powerful thieves to cover infiltrating a castle is kind of stupid. In effect, I than the money spent on extra guards. A me- every possible angle of opening the gates. believe that charming an umber hulk is basically dium castle can cost well over 10,000 gp. You Then there is the point of flight over walls. impractical, for utilization of it is thwarted by can hire 30 light horsemen for 10 years for What sane 10th-level mage would hover within its own abilities and the restrictions of the spell. 10,800 gp. Since I am such a romantic, I just bow distance (flaunting his 30 hp) so he could Then there is the most destructive attack have to have castles in my campaigns, so I toss a spell? Protection from normal missiles mentioned, the earthquake spell. Your castle invented one way to increase the value of a spells would prove useful, but a well-used dispel must indeed stand before a formidable force for castle: Give it some magic resistance. magic spell can cause the mage to plummet to a 16th-level cleric with 18 wisdom to lead its Why magic resistance? Because many charac- the ground. And there are more directly damag- ranks. Welcome to the world of fantasy and ters or monsters using magic could destroy a ing spells that a floating mage will attract. The magic, where the whims of the most powerful normal castle. If a castle is vulnerable to fire, same goes for any flying creature. Whatever is people of the continent shape the outcome of magical fire increases this problem dramatically. in the air while attacking a castle might as well history. But let me assure you that there A mage capable of casting third-level spells can put a bulls-eye target on its head. There are a shouldn’t be many such characters. Using the cast fireball into a tower, injuring or killing the few truly awesome flying beasts (e.g., rocs and WORLD OF GREYHAWK® boxed set setting as a defenders and igniting the wooden roof beams.

DRAGON 69 A cleric can cast a fifth-level flame strike, al- riveted to iron doors with lead rivets, and the mountain range, then stepped through. though ninth-level clerics are rarer than fifth- door frames sat behind carefully placed tran- The giants, armed with giant-size chisels and level mages. Fire-breathing monsters are not too spate supporting walls that protected the hinges hammers, chipped off a 150’-square piece of the uncommon in most campaigns. and locks from spell damage. The doors were mountain. Meeting no resistance from the Even low-level attackers can impair castle set deep inside their entryways to protect from inhabitants of the world we were on, we waited defenders. A good old stinking cloud spell could battering rams, through the use of the murder until the gate reappeared, stepped through (the immobilize a catapult crew for quite a while. A holes placed above the doorways. giants carrying the mountain piece on their party with a cleric casting a silence 15’ radius The transpate still allows spells to work inside shoulders), and headed back to the Prime Mate- spell could surprise the guards at night. Many the castle. All of the magical defenses could be rial plane. Setting the rock down on a piece of monsters have special abilities that can over- used as well. Glyphs of warding, traps hidden land owned by one character, the giants set to whelm the low-level hirelings that guard the by illusion, magic mouths, and other protections work cutting the rock into two equal parts. The walls; for example, satyrs could charm the could add to the defense of the castle. These giants then carried one piece into the Ethereal guards at the gate into lowering the draw- spells would have to be placed more than 6” plane (via a gate made by our party’s magic- bridge. Low-level gangs like bandits occasionally from the walls, of course. Glyphs would have to user) and set it down in the same respective have leaders with magical items that could be placed on doors that had no transpate lining. position on the Ethereal plane as the first piece affect guards. What castle owner could sleep at With the use of this material, castles are a in the Prime Material plane. night knowing that a small group of bandits balanced part of the game. The castles are not Then by earning the help of the leaders of could destroy his expensive home? invulnerable, since they are susceptible to the various dwarven clans (with the use of a couple In campaigns I ran a long time ago, some of same forms of attack found in the Middle Ages. of charm person spells) our party was able to my characters attacked a castle—and it was an Sapping is a great danger with so many tunnel- assemble about 1,000 dwarven masons. The easy victory. I then invented a new material to ling races, but tunnels still take a long time for dwarves carved out an interior of a castle, prevent my parties from demolishing every most creatures to dig except purple worms. designed by my character (a thief), from the castle in my campaign. I decided that some Direct assault would require a large force, just piece of the mountain. The outer wall was relatively common stone had a natural magic like in the Middle Ages. Intrigue also would perfectly round, with a 144’ diameter, and resistance that increased per ton of weight. work. There are a lot of possibilities for role- perfectly smooth. It had a flat top that covered Large buildings like castles would then be playing in this setting. the entire structure. There were no windows impervious to most sorts of magical attacks. Any I remember when dragons used to be consid- and only a single door. spell whose area of effect includes such stone- ered pushovers by many players. DMs began to While the dwarves were busy creating the work could not pass through the stone. Even wise up and started being creative in role- castle, the party’s mage and elf were busy spells with concentrated effects like disintegra- playing their monsters. This is a similar situa- designing three new spells. The first was a spell tion would not pass, since the magic resistance tion. There are a lot of creative ways to include that created a special barrier that, when of any piece of stone takes on the resistance of castles in a fantasy campaign. All it takes is for crossed, teleported all nonmagical metallic items all pieces that are in contact with it. To allow for the DM to put himself in the shoes of the popu- and nonmagical damage-causing items (such as windows through which magic could pass, the lation of his universe. poison, acid, bows and arrows, etc.) to a special magic resistance is given a small radius of effect Will Hettchen chamber in the castle. The second spell also (which doesn’t increase with the volume of Ellicott City MD created a barrier, but this one teleported all stone) of 6”. magical objects, including spell books, to that I named this stone “transpate” and described In response to the letter in “Forum” (issue chamber. The third spell created a barrier that it as being similar to grayish slate. The stone #151) about the evolution of castles in a fantasy caused all spells memorized by a magic-using was fairly common in my campaign; it cost only world, I would like to share the story of a creature to be forgotten when the spell area 10% more to build with this stone than with certain campaign in which a party of adventur- was crossed. It also prevented any creature normal rubble fill. The stone weighed about 100 ers, one of whom was mine, was able to con- with innate spell abilities (e.g., a beholder) or pounds per cubic foot. A medium castle used struct a castle suitable for a fantasy world. This any creature not in its normal form (gaseous, over 1,000 tons of this stone. took place in the D&D® game setting. incorporeal, etc.) from passing. The spells do Castle doors, windows, and roofs were often Our party (averaging 31st level) was able to not affect the party members, and they were protected with transpate. Most windows were get the leader of the mountain giants to do us a placed in the doorway leading into the castle, slit windows to allow missile fire while offering favor. The leader gathered 70 of his strongest which was lined with lead (to prevent the cas- protection from spell-casters. A few windows in mountain giants together to go on an inter- tle’s anti-magic capabilities from affecting them). the castle were built with shutters lined with planar quest. We traveled to the far reaches of Directly behind these spells was placed a perma- transpate. These windows were large enough to the Astral plane and located a pentaspace (a nent dispel magic area. allow spells to be cast upon attacking forces. place where magic cannot exist). Our party’s Next we convinced a wizard, whose ultimate The roof could likewise be lined with transpate; magic-user figured that any material from this goal was to outlive all of his peers, that by magic the stone was carefully drilled with holes, then plane would be totally magic resistant. After jarring himself into a black pudding he could pegged to the roof. This process could be quite observing this plane for a while, we noticed that live forever. When he accomplished this task, expensive, costing 50 gp per 10’ square. A the pentaspacial side of the gateway shifted we told him that we would keep his body per- similar technique could be applied to all doors every three hours in a set pattern, We waited fectly preserved if he would work for us. He opening to the outside. The transpate was until the gate shifted into an area near a large agreed, and we instructed the dwarves to dig a moat, 30’ across and 12’ deep, all the way around the castle. We filled the moat with dead trees and animal carcasses until it was full. After we poured the black pudding into the moat, he ate and ate and ate, until he filled the moat to an 8’ depth. Then we constructed a bridge over the moat. The wizards body, along with the magic jar device (a small figurine) was placed inside a permanent force sphere. As an extra precaution, a ring of fire resistance was tossed in. To sum up: The anti-magic stone negates all magical attacks made against the castle. The piece of stone in the Ethereal plane prevents entrance into the castle through that plane. The design of the castle (being in one piece) gives it better protection against normal siege machin- ery (e.g., catapults). The smooth texture makes it hard for a thief to climb the walls, not to mention that the only way in is through the front door. The magical spells at the door pre- vent most dangers from entering the castle. The

70 APRIL 1990 intelligent black pudding in the moat serves as spells on the castle walls and gates? Simply put, the part about having a computer additional precaution as well as a waste-disposal All this is academic, as 99% of the armies, substitute for the DM is utter nonsense and will system. garrisons, and hordes in the land will have no never happen. The computer should not be So it is possible to create a castle fit for a. high-level adventurers. Castles will rarely be allowed to make rules or conclude battles of any fantasy world, if only you are creative. attacked by powerful magic and are still useful kind; in my, book, the human factor of the DM is James Regan III for defense. If there is a border to be guarded by far too important to throw out the window. Bayside NY against a wasteland full of orc hordes, a chain of A DM can alter the situation to best fit the castles will do nicely. circumstances where a computer cannot. Among the usual “Forum” letters in issue #151 However, since there is magic in AD&D I have, however, come up with a very benefi- about the joys of being evil and the merits of games, the question arises as to just when cial way to use the computer using an already AD&D vs. D&D games, there was a letter by adventurers would be involved in an assault on marketed software package. What I have done “No name given” that claims castles are useless a castle. It is likely that this will happen only is create the specific adventure module in the in a magical world. The letter does give some when a war is in a critical state, and one or two usual manner, map everything out, write out ideas on how powerful magic could overwhelm castles stand in the way of victory. For example, the text, and stock the dungeon, towns, and so a fortress. But I disagree with the idea that a castle blocking a mountain pass leading to the forth. Then I sit down at my computer, load a castles are obsolete in fantasy. enemy’s capital city must be removed. In cases software package that allows me to draw free First of all, “No Name” seems to assume that a like these, both sides are likely to concentrate style using EGA or VGA graphics, and I begin high-level mage will be with every army and high-level adventurers at the castle. The battles drawing out dungeon rooms, landscape scenes, horde. The AD&D rules state clearly that the involve tremendous destruction and loss of life. hallways, monsters, and such, all arranged in a vast majority of people in the worlds are zero- This type of scenario has great potential as an specific pattern that can be shown in the order level. Adventurers of any level are scarce, and adventure for PCs, but it should be rare. that the players need to see them. Thus my high-level ones are doubly so. There just aren’t We do not build castles today because artillery players have a 3-D scene of the current room enough powerful mages and clerics around to can destroy them, and artillery is found in most they are in, the monsters they are battling, or go blasting all the castles in the land, even if armies; it is relatively cheap and common. whatever. As for the game’s mapper, he’s tickled they were inclined to do so. Powerful magic can destroy castles, but it is pink; I no longer have to explain unusually Even having a mage along doesn’t guarantee very scarce. Magic is not easy to use and is not shaped rooms to him, as he merely looks up at the castle will fall. A mage who moves close commonly found, and is thus not a substitute the screen and quickly maps what he sees. enough to cast a spell will be open to missile for artillery. Castles still play the same role as in In many instances, I have created two dia- attacks from the castle walls—arrows, bolts, medieval times. grams of the same room, one with creatures ballista darts, etc. One hit before the spell is David Howery occupying it and one without. With the soft- cast, and the mage forgets it. Dillon MT ware on the market, running these drawings is And who says the high-level adventurers are child’s play. I store them in the desired sequence limited to being attackers? A high-level mage on I have read many an article and letter arguing and run each sequence as it is needed. I have the walls can demolish any assaulting troops. the use of computers as gaming aids, and found that any one dungeon can have as many High-level fighters with specialization and frankly I strongly disagree. The computer can as several dozen sequences, thus allowing for magical weapons can handle any conjured be a startling benefit to role-playing games, but choices of direction on the player’s part. monsters. How about permanent dispel magic not in the way everyone is thinking of! I do admit, however, that doing this efficiently

DRAGON 71 does require certain hardware. However, most EQUIPMENT: Tweedledope needs few people who own and operate computers already tools when he is inventing; he just invents have that hardware. I have found that a hard any tools he requires. drive is a must for enough memory to load several sequences of drawings and to cut wait- SKILLS: Beyond his savant ability, the ing time. To give you an idea of how effective this only skill he possesses is an Excellent (20) method is, to date I have about five 3½” disk- ability to bite in combat. Treat this as an ettes full of various drawings. I pluck out and attempted hold on the Grappling column. alter the drawings as needed, so that putting If successful, this attack does Excellent together a dungeon is merely a case of plugging damage until the hold is broken. in the right hall or the right room. I have en- closed my address at the end of this letter; Now, despite appearances, this bunch of anyone who wishes more information on this losers could be a viable (if stupid) villain system I have devised can drop me a line with a team if led by a intelligent being. This phone number enclosed, and I’ll be glad to give group stacks up well (believe it or not) a call and explain it in further detail. I would also be more than willing to supply anyone against a lone hero or a few lower- interested with the drawings I have created. powered heroes such as Daredevil, Black However, writers will have to furnish their own Panther, or Henry Pym, The Crazy Gang’s diskettes, naturally. weight of numbers and unique (I’ll say) R. L. Brown abilities make them an interesting—and 4682 Westpoint silly if played with the style these five Dearborn Heights MI 48125 deserve-addition to your campaign. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for “The Marvel-Phile,” mail The Marvel®-Phile them to: The Marvel-Phile, c/o DRAGON® Magazine, P.O. Box 111, Lake Geneva WI Continued from page 49 53147 U.S.A. sional portal/living being known as Wid- get. If Tweedledope has access to advanced Marvel, Marvel Super Heroes, and all Marvel characters, names, and likenesses are trademarks of Marvel Entertainment technology, look out—literally anything Group, Inc. Copyright 1990 Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. could happen! All rights resewed. BUILDER*, and SHADOWRUN* games, and many RPGA™ events. Other activities include workshops and panels, a miniatures-painting contest, a used-game auction, check-out games, and open gaming. Registration: $20 until the convention. Write to: LEPRECON, P.O. Box 26665, Temple AZ 85282; or call: (602) 968-7833. For gaming information, write to: Don Har- rington, 3505 E. Campbell #14, Phoenix AZ 85018; or call: (602) 952-1344, before 10 P.M. MST, please.

*indicates a product produced by a company other than TSR. SYDCON, April 13-16 ❖ Convention Calendar Policies Inc. Most product names are trademarks owned by the This convention will be held at Globe High companies publishing those products. The use of the name of School in Sydney, Australia. Events will include any product without mention of its trademark status should not AD&D® games; two RPGA™ Network events (for This column is a service to our readers be construed as a challenge to such status. worldwide. Anyone may place a free listing the GAMMA WORLD® and JAMES BOND 007* for a game convention here, but the follow- CONTRAPTION, April 6-8 games); and CALL OF CTHULHU*, PARANOIA*, ing guidelines must be observed. This convention will be held at the Troy Hilton RUNEQUEST*, TOON*, and freeform games. In order to ensure that all convention in Troy, Mich. The Guest of Honor is Barry B. Write to: Diane Leithhead, GPO Box 1560, listings contain accurate and timely infor- Longyear. Registration: $20 at the door. Dealers Sydney, NSW, AUSTRALIA 2001. mation, all material should be either typed are welcome! Write to: CONTRAPTION, P.O. Box double-spaced or printed legibly on stand- 2285, Ann Arbor MI 48106. CYBERCON ‘90, April 14 ard manuscript paper. The contents of The CSU Science Fiction and Fantasy club will each listing must be short and succinct. STELLARCON XV, April 6-8 hold this convention at the Lory Student Center The information given in the listing must This SF/fantasy/horror convention will be held of Colorado State University. Events include include the following, in this order: at the University of North Carolina at Greens- AD&D® 1st and 2nd Edition, CYBERPUNK*, 1. Convention title and dates held; boro. Featured are guest speakers, panels, CHAMPIONS*, CALL OF CTHULHU*, BATTLE- 2. Site and location; discussions, and writers’ workshops. Confirmed TECH*, and SHADOWRUN* games, with board 3. Guests of honor (if applicable); guests are Hal Clement, Dennis and Kristina and open games, a video room, and the winners 4. Special events offered; Etchison, Sam Grainger, Joe Lansdale, Frederik of this year’s Writers of the Future contest. 5. Registration fees or attendance re- Pohl, Richard and Janice Preston, and Allen Prizes will be awarded for the best costume, quirements; and, Wold. Other activities include a dealers’ room, GM, and players. Admission is free. Write to: 6. Address(es) and telephone number(s) art and costume contests, SCA, Japanimation, CYBERCON, Box 412 LSC, Ft. Collins CO 80523; where additional information and confirma- schlock theater, fan clubs, model displays, a or call: (303) 491-2436. tion can be obtained. cabaret, open gaming, and films. Registration: Convention flyers, newsletters, and other $10/day, or $25 for the weekend. Inquiries are AMIGOCON V, April 20-22 mass-mailed announcements will not be now being accepted for the dealers’ room, for This convention will be held at the Embassy considered for use in this column; we advertising in the convention program, and for Suites hotel in El Paso, Texas. The Guests of Honor are Poul and Karen Anderson, and the prefer to see a cover letter with the an- additional sponsors. Write to: STELLARCON XV, nouncement as well. No call-in listings are Science Fiction Fantasy Society, P.O. Box 4, Elliot artist Guest of Honor is David Cherry. Other accepted. Unless stated otherwise, all University Center, UNCG, Greensboro NC 27412. guests include Arlan Andrews, Gail Gerstner- dollar values given for U.S. and Canadian Miller, Robert E. Vardeman and many more. Registration: $12 until April 15, or $15 at the conventions are in U.S. currency. DEF-CON II, April 7-8 WARNING: We are not responsible for “The Year After” will be held at the Howard door. Write to: AMIGOCON, P.O. Box 3177, El incorrect information sent to us by conven- Johnson’s in Portage, Ind. Activities include Paso TX 79923; or call: (915) 593-1848. tion staff members. Please check your AD&D® 1st and 2nd Edition, CHILL*, TWI- BAMACON IV, April 20-22 convention listing carefully! Our wide LIGHT! 2000*, MARVEL SUPER HEROES’, Held at the Econo-Lodge in Tuscaloosa, Ala., circulation ensures that over a quarter of a CYBERPUNK* , GURPS * , PARANOIA *, BATTLE- this convention’s guests of honor include Dave million readers worldwide see each issue. TECH*, CAR WARS*, and BLOODBOWL* games, Arneson, Keith Parkinson, and Margaret Weis. Accurate information is your responsibility. with open gaming and miniatures-diorama Events include AD&D® team tournaments, Copy deadlines are the last Monday of contests. Prizes will be awarded. Registration: movies, a 24-hour computer room, workshops, each month, two months prior to the on- $6/day, or $11 for both days; at the door, it will panels, seminars, an art show, and a costume sale date of an issue. Thus, the copy dead- be $7/day, or $13 for both. Write to: Dave Ma- contest. Cash prizes will awarded for some line for the December issue is the last chin, 713 Juniper Road, Valpariaso IN 46383; or events. Other activities include a con suite, and Monday of October. Announcements for call: (219) 759-2530. AD&D®, BATTLETECH*, and MARVEL SUPER North American and Pacific conventions HEROES™ games. Registration: $20 until April 7, must be mailed to: Convention Calendar, MOUNTAINTOP ‘90, April 7-8 or $25 thereafter. Dealers are welcome! Write DRAGON® Magazine, P.O. Box 111, Lake The Gaming Club at Lehigh University will to: BAMACON IV, University of Alabama, Box Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A. Announcements host its second annual convention at the Univer- 6542, Tuscaloosa AL 35486; or call Britt at: (205) for Europe must be posted an additional sity Center on Lehigh’s campus in Bethlehem, 348-3127. month before the deadline to: Convention Pa. Several RPGA™ events are scheduled, along Calendar, DRAGON® Magazine, TSR with BATTLETECH*, GURPS*, AXIS AND AL GAME FAIRE ‘90, April 20-22 Limited, 120 Church End, Cherry Hinton, LIES*, and TALISMAN* games, and a miniatures The 11th-annual Faire will be held at the Cambridge CB1 3LB, United Kingdom. contest, a swap meet, vendors, and a fantasy Spokane Falls Community College in Spokane, If a convention listing must be changed artwork sale. Prizes will be awarded to tourna- Wash. Events include tournaments, micro- because the convention. has been can- ment and contest winners. Registration: $9/day, armor, historical miniatures, a video room, a celled, the dates have changed, or incor- or $15 for both days. Write to: Brett King, Box dealers’ area, RPGs, board and family games, a rect information has been printed, please 286, Lehigh University Bethlehem PA 18015; or used-game auction, and SCA talks and demon- contact us immediately. Most questions or call: (215) 758-1409. strations. Registration: $10 prepaid for the changes should be directed to the maga- weekend; at the door, $12 for the weekend, $5 zine editors at TSR, Inc., (414) 248-3625 LEPRECON XVI, April 13-15 for Friday or Sunday, or $6 for Saturday. Pro- (U.S.A.). Questions or changes concerning This art-oriented SF/fantasy convention will be ceeds will go to the Wishing Star Foundation. European conventions should be directed held at the Sheraton Phoenix in Phoenix, Ariz. Write to: Merlyn’s, N. 1 Browne, Spokane WA to TSR Limited, (0223) 212517 (U.K.). (phone 602-257-1525). Guests of honor are Rick 99201; or call: (509) 624-0957. Cook and Jim Fitzpatrick. Gaming events in- ❖ indicates an Australian convention. clude AD&D® (Monster Mash and more), JAXCON SOUTH ‘90, April 20-22 ❉ indicates a Canadian convention. BATTLETECH*, microarmor, WARHAMMER Jacksonville’s Cowford Dragoons are hosting ❁ indicates a European convention. FANTASY*, GURPS*, STAR WARS*, EMPIRE the South’s oldest full-service gaming convention

74 APRIL 1990 DRAGON 75 at Jacksonville Florida’s Civic Auditorium. Fea- SPRINGCON ‘90, April 21 open gaming, with RPGA™ tournaments, a games auction, and a miniatures contest, with tured are: RPGA™ AD&D® adventures, with This gaming convention will be held at the AD&D®, BATTLETECH*, WARHAMMER AD&D®, SNIPER™, CIVILIZATION*, GHOST- Knights of Columbus Hall in Lebanon, Pa., and is BUSTERS*, SEEKRIEG*, Napoleonics, BATTLE- sponsored by the Lebanon Area Gaming Associ- 40,000*, STAR WARS™, and CAR WARS* games Registration: $1 at the door. Write to: GAME- TECH*, CALL OF CTHULHU*, WRG*, ation. Events include AD&D®, CYBERPUNK*, ILLLUMINATI*, SPACE: 1889*, TRAVELLER*, and CHAMPIONS* games, with BATTLETECH*, CON II, c/o The Game Master, Bergen Mall, Paramus NJ 07652; or call: (201) 843-3308. ELEMENT MASTERS*, WARHAMMER*, ROBO- STAR FLEET BATTLES*, and AD&D® tourna- TECH*, STAR WARS*, and microarmor games. ments. The tournaments will offer cash prizes. There will also be computer and board gaming, GMs are welcome and will receive a discount. NASHCON ‘90, May 4-6 This second annual convention will be held at a swap meet/flea market, a dealers’ area, and Registration: $5 before the convention, or $7.50 movies. Write to: JAXCON SOUTH ‘90, P.O. Box at the door. Write to: Lebanon Area Gaming the Music City Rodeway Inn, Nashville, Tenn. Sponsored by the Historical Miniatures Gaming 4423, Jacksonville FL 32201. Assoc., 806 Cumberland St., Lebanon PA 17042, ATTN. Convention; or call: (717)272-8706. Society-Midsouth and Games Extraordinaire, this convention will feature miniatures tourna- OURCON II, April 20-22 ments, alternative gaming, a dealers’ room, and This year’s convention will be held on the CUBICON ‘90, April 21-22 campus of the University of North Carolina in The University of Michigan-Dearborn chapter an auction. Scheduled events include American Chapel Hill. There will be three RPGA™ AD&D® of the Science Fact, Fiction, and Fantasy club Civil War, Napoleonics, armor, naval, science- tournaments, as well as open gaming, board (SF3) will host this gaming convention in the fiction, and alternative-history scenarios. Regis- tration: $10 before April 4, $15 thereafter. Write games, miniatures, and CLAY-0-RAMA. Write to: Pagoda Room of the Student Center Building on to: Games Extraordinaire, 2713 Lebanon Pike, OURCON II, 605 Jonesberry Road, Box SS-7, the Henry Ford Community College Campus. Carrboro NC 27510. Events include D&D®, AD&D®, BATTLETECH*, Nashville TN 37214; or call: (800)777-GAME. STAR FLEET BATTLES*, PALLADIUM*, CAR WIZARD’S CHALLENGE VIII, May 4-6 ❉ UBCON ‘90, April 20-22 WARS*, STALKING THE NIGHT FANTASTIC*, This convention will be held at the Victoria UBCON ‘90 will be held on the the State Uni- CHAMPIONS*, and MACHO WOMEN WITH Inn in Regina, Saskatchewan. Tournaments versity of New York Buffalo, Amherst (North) GUNS* games, with CHAMPIONS*, BATTLE- include AD&D®, BATTLETECH*, STAR FLEET campus, and is sponsored by the UB Strategic TECH*, and STAR FLEET BATTLES* tourna- BATTLES*, SUPREMACY*, CAR WARS*, and and Role-Playing Assoc. Events include an ments. Registration: $5 for the weekend, or RISK* games, with board games, miniatures, AD&D® tournament, with many other strategy $3/day at the door. Write to: CUBICON, C/O SF3, demonstration games, movies, a games auction, and role-playing games. Other activities include 4901 Evergreen, ROC Building, Room 212, and a closing-night Medieval Feast. Registration: a movie room and an auction. Registration: $5, Dearborn MI 48128; or call: (313)593-5390. $5 for the weekend, plus varying tournament not including entry fees for cash-prize tourna- costs. Write to: Ken McGovern, c/o The Wizard’s ments. Write to: Martin Szinger, UB/SaRPA LITTLE WARS ‘90, April 27-29 Corner II, 2124B Broad St., Regina, Sask., CAN- Convention Director, 210 Curtis Pkwy., Buffalo The Historical Miniatures Gaming Society ADA S4P lY5; or call: (306) 757-8544. NY 14233; or call: (716) 833-4610. (HMGS) is proud to announce that this year’s convention will be held at the Zion Leisure UMF-CON ‘90, May 5-6 WERECON XII, April 20-22 Center in Zion, Ill. This is a miniatures-oriented This role-playing and war-gaming convention This year’s convention will be sponsored by convention with games spanning history and will be held at the Student Center of the Univer- the Detroit Gaming Center and the City of beyond. Registration: $6/day, or $8 for the sity of Maine at Farmington. Events include Detroit Recreation Dept., and will be held at the weekend, with a $2 discount for HMGS mem- miniatures, AD&D®, TOP SECRET®, DIPLO- Lighthouse Center in Detroit, Mich. The Guest bers. There will be event fees. Judges are wel- MACY*, and board games, with contests and a of Honor is Ramon Moore. Other guests include come. Write to: Robert Bigelow, c/o Friends’ murder-mystery game. Registration: $5/day, and Erick Wujcik and some of Detroit’s best game Hobby Shop, 1411 Washington St., Waukegan IL $2/game. Write to: Table Gaming Club, c/o masters. Events include a complete schedule of 60085; or call: (708) 336-0790. Student Life Office, Student Center, 5 South St., RPGs and tournaments (sorry, no dealers’ room). Farmington ME 04938. Registration: free, game fees from $1 to $4. NAME THAT CON III, April 27-29 Write to: Erick Wujcik, P.O. Box 1623, Detroit MI Sponsored by the St. Charles SF/Fantasy GAMESCAUCUS II, May 26-28 48231; or call: (313) 833-3016. Society, “III” will be held at the Holiday Inn St. Sponsored by TriGaming Associates, this Louis-Downtown. Guests of honor are George convention will be held at the Concord Hilton in Alec Effinger, Todd Hamilton, Wilson (Bob) Concord, Calif. This years’ guest of honor is Tucker, and Laura LeHew. Events include pro- Dave Arneson, co-creator of the D&D® game. gramming, a masquerade, filking, a play, work- Special events include world-wide DIPLOMACY* shops, an art show, a hucksters’ room, videos, and “Live” AWFUL GREEN THINGS* games, as and a charity auction. Registration is $20. Write well as AD&D®, D&D®, CHAMPIONS*, RUNE- to: NAME THAT CON III, P.O. Box 575, St. QUEST*, CALL OF CTHULHU*, UPFRONT*, Charles MO 63301; or call either Marie at: (314) AXIS AND ALLIES*, ENEMY IN SIGHT*, STAR What’s a SASE? 724-0808; or Cheryl at: (314) 946-9147; no collect FLEET BATTLES*, and other board and minia- calls, please. For hotel reservations, call: (314) tures games. Registration: $15 for the weekend A SASE is a self-addressed, stamped 421-4000 or (800) 465-4329. before May 11, or $20 at the door. Write to: envelope. If you send a submission Mike Wilson, P.O. Box 4867, Walnut Creek CA PLATTECON GAMMA, April 28-29 94596-0867. to DRAGON® Magazine and hope Sponsored by the Platteville Gaming Assoc., for a response, include a SASE with this convention will be held in the Student GAMEX ‘90, May 25-28 your letter, gaming article, short Center of the University of Wisconsin at Plat- This will be held at the Los Angeles Airport story, or artwork. Make sure the teville, Wis. The featured guest is Barbara Hyatt where all types of family, strategy and Young, editor of DUNGEON® Adventures. Events SASE is large enough (and has adventure board, role-playing, miniatures, and include an RPGA® AD&D® tournament, a game computer gaming will take place. Events include enough postage) to allow the return auction, a miniatures contest, and door prizes to flea markets, auctions, an exhibitor area, semi- of your material if necessary. Cana- be awarded between gaming sessions. There nars and demonstrations, and special guests. dians and residents of other coun- will also be a dealers’ area. Registration: $5 Write to: STRATEGICON, P.O. Box 8399, Long tries should enclose international preregistered, or $7 at the door. Write to: Beach CA; or call: (213) 420-3675. Platteville Gaming Assoc., Box 109, Platteville WI postal coupons, available at their lo- 53818; or to: Keith May, 155 N. Hickory, Plat- TWIN CON I, May 26-27 cal post offices. We are not respon- teville WI 53818. This gaming extravaganza will be held at the sible for unsolicited submissions; be Hilton in Bloomington/Minneapolis, Minn. sure to enclose that SASE. GAMECON II, May 4-5 Events include AD&D®, CALL OF CTHULHU*, The Game Master presents this convention at and WARHAMMER* tournaments, with open DRAGON is a trademark of TSR, Inc. the Village Mall Auditorium, Lower Level gaming, a gamers’ breakfast, and guests. The ©1990 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Bergen Mall, Paramus, N.J. Events include RPG guest of honor is Mark Acres. Write to: Louis and war-game tournaments, board games, and Mengsol, 3376 Upper 149th St. West, Rosemount

76 APRIL 1990 MN 55068; or call: (612) 423-7368. Include an SASE with any mail inquiries.

SPRING FANTASY REVEL, June 1-3 Held at the College of Lake County campus in Greyslake, Ill., this convention will feature several RPGA™ events including AD&D® Fea- ture, Masters, and Grand Masters games. Other activities include miniatures and strategy games, a movie room, an art show, a painting contest, demonstrations, panels, and a large dealers’ area. Guests include James Ward, Jean Rabe, Skip Williams, and Frank and Penny Mentzer. Registration: $10 for the weekend before May 15, or $12 at the door (ask about discounts). GMs and dealers are welcome! Write to: Keith Polster, 155 N. Milwaukee Ave., #101, Lake Villa IL 60046; or call Keith at: (708) 356-4472.

DEEPSOUTHCON XXVIII, June 7-10 “XXVIII” will be held at the Quality Inn-East Ridge in Chattanooga, Tenn. Scheduled guests include Bob Shaw, Raymond Feist, Darrell K. Sweet, Forest Ackerman, and Bryan Webb. Registration: $25. Write to: DEEPSOUTHCON, Box 23908, Chattanooga TN 37422; or call (404) 578-8461 (no collect calls, please).

GLATHRICON ‘90, June 8-10 Sponsored by the Evansville Gaming Guild, this 7th annual convention will be held in Evans- ville, Ind. Steve Jackson will be the guest of honor, Skip Williams will be the DM guest of honor, and Jean Rabe, the RPGA™ Network Coordinator, will represent the Network. The artist guest of honor will be Lucy Synk. RPGA™ tournaments include AD&D® Feature, Masters, Grandmasters and Joe Martin Benefit games, with GURPS*, MARVEL SUPER HEROES™ Fea- ture and Masters, JAMES BOND*, PARANOIA*, PARANOIA* Masters, CHILL*, DC HEROES*, CHAMPIONS*, and STAR TREK* games. Other activities include a dealers’ room, a large art show and print shop, an art auction, a masquer- ade, a miniatures-painting contest, seminars, and panels. Registration: $15 until April 15, or $20 thereafter. Write to: Evansville Gaming Guild, P.O. Box 15414, Evansville IN 47716; or call: (812) 477-9508.

ARTYCON II, June 9-10 This convention will held at the Community Activity Center, 3281 Sheridan Rd., Fort Sill OK. Events include AD&D®, CALL OF CTHULHU*, CHAMPIONS*, MARVEL SUPER HEROES™, ROLEMASTER*, SHADOWRUN*, STAR TREK*, and STAR WARS* games, with a miniatures- painting contest and Japanimation. Registration: $5 in advance, $7 at the door for both days, or $4 for one day. Write to: ARTYCON II, ITR Office, 1721 Gruber Rd., Ft. Sill OK 73503.

SAGA ‘90, June 9-11 ❖ This year, SAGA is moving to Globe High School in Sydney, Australia. Events include AD&D®, CALL OF CTHULHU*, and other role- playing, board, miniatures, and freeform games. Write to: SAGA, P.O. Box 71, Kingsway, NSW, AUSTRALIA 2208.

MADISON GAME DAY ‘90, June 10 This convention will be held at the Ramada Inn, 3841 E. Washington Ave., in Madison, Wis. Events include role-playing, historical, minia- tures, and board games. Registration: $5, no game fees. Judges are welcome. Write to: MADI- SON GAME DAY, c/o Nick Klapper, 1909 Heath Ave., Madison WI 53704; or call (608) 249-3264.

DRAGON 77 MICHICON GAMEFEST ‘90, June 22-24 ORIGINS/DRAGON CON ‘90, June28-July1 OMACON X, August 3-5 This convention will be held in the Southfield The 1990 National Gaming Exposition and This pro-space, gaming and comic convention Civic Center in Southfield, a suburb of Detroit, Trade Show will be held at the Atlanta Hilton will be held at the Holiday Inn Central in Mich. Events include 50 RPG, 60 board, and 60 and Towers, Atlanta, Ga. Guests of honor are Omaha, Neb., and is sponsored by Nebraskans miniatures games. Other activities include three Tom Clancy and Doug Niles, with more guests to for the Advancement of Space Development. used-games auctions, and open gaming. Regis- be announced. Role-playing, strategic, minia- Guests of honor include Rick Sternbach, John tration: $12 for the weekend, or $7/day prere- tures, and computer game tournaments will be Ford, Bjo Trimble, and Art Bozlee. Write to: gistered. Write to: Metro Detroit Gamers, Box held around the clock. Other activities include OMACON, P.O. Box 37851, Omaha NE 68137. 656, Wyandotte MI 48192; or call (days) Barry panels and workshops, game and consignment Jensen at: (313) 591-2300 ext. 325; or call (eve- auctions, a masquerade, an art show and print 1990 GEN CON® Game Fair, August 9-12 nings) Mike Bartnikowski at (313) 928-7744. shop, and video rooms! Write to: ORIGINS ‘90, Make your plans now to attend the biggest Box 47696, Atlanta GA 30362. and best game convention of them all, at the NEW ORLEANS SF/FANTASY FESTIVAL MECCA Convention Center, Milwaukee, Wis. June 15-17 ECONOMYCON III, July 6-8 We’ve pulled in over 10,000 people for two The “Festival” will be held at the Bayou Plaza, This convention wil be held at Alma School in years running! Write to: 1990 GEN CON® Game in New Orleans, La. The Guest of Honor is Mesa, Ariz. Events include AD&D®, BATTLE- Fair, P.O. Box 756, Lake Geneva WI 53147. Roger Zelazny, and the artist guest of honor is TECH*, BATTLE FOR MOSCOW*, CIVILIZA- Dell Harris. Other guests include George R. R. TION*, and SUPREMACY* games, with open BATTLETECH*: OPERATION GREEN Martin, George Alec Effinger, Greg Costikyan, gaming, Japanimation, World WarII micro- FLAG, August 11-12 Denny O’Neil, and many more. Other activities armor, and the LOST WORLDS* fantasy-book This mid-Atlantic regional BATTLETECH* include programming, an art show and auction, game. Write to: ECONOMYCON, 2740 S. Alma convention is the first official FASA-sanctioned a hospitality suite, a dance, a meet-the-guest School, Mesa AZ 85202. tournament to be held at the Central Penn party, movies and videos, a dealers’ room, and a Business School in Summerdale, Pa. Featured charity event for the Battered Womens’ Center will be a vigorous round-robin and four-person and the Chinchuba Institute. Registration: $15 ATLANTICON ‘90, July 13-15 This convention will be held at the Baltimore lance competitions. Open gaming will also be until April 1, $20 until June 1, or $25 at the available both days. Registration: $8-12, depend- door. No preregistration after June 1. Write to: Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel and the Baltimore Convention Center. Activities include gaming and ing on the date of registration. Attendance is NEW ORLEANS SF/FANTASY FESTIVAL, P.O. Box limited. Write to: M. Foner’s Games Only Empo- 791089, New Orleans LA 70179-1089. free game demonstrations, game auctions, a flea market, 24-hour open gaming areas, and discount rium, 200 Third St., New Cumberland PA 17070; or call: (717) 774-6676. ORGANIZED KAHN-FUSION II, June 16- 17 coupons for all preregistrants. Registration: $14 This gaming convention will be held at the for the weekend prepaid, or $18 at the door. One- Central Penn Business School in Summerdale, day passes will also be available at the door. Write ELTANNCON ‘90, August 18-19 Pa. Activities include a dealers’ area, a to: ATLANTICON, P.O. Box 15405, Baltimore MD This convention will be held at the Henderson miniatures-painting contest, videos, and over 60 21220; or call: (301) 574-5066. Convention Center in Henderson, Nevada. role-playing, war, miniatures, science-fiction, Events include AD&D®, STAR FLEET BATTLES*, BATTLETECH*, CAR WARS*, and CHAMPIONS* and other games. The guest of honor is Tom COSCON ’90, July 13-16 Wham. Registration: $4-6/day and $8-12 for Sponsored by the Circle of Swords, this gam- games. Registration: $10, which allows the both days, depending on the date of registra- ing convention will be held at Slippery Rock attendee to participate in all events on a first- come, first-served basis. Write to: ELTANNCON tion. Membership is limited. Write to: M. Foner’s University in Slippery Rock, Pa. Events include ‘90, 860 E. Twain #128, Dept. 456, Las Vegas NV Games Only Emporium, 200 Third St., New first-run RPGA™ tournaments and events, board 89109; or call: (702) 733-8626. Cumberland PA 17070; or call: (717) 774-6676. games, a dealers’ area, a flea market, and a miniatures-painting contest. On-site housing is POLYGON VIII, June 22-24 available. Registration: $10 until June 30, or $15 CAMALOT II, August 24-26 The Simulation and Adventure Gaming Assoc. thereafter. Write to: Circle of Swords, P.O. Box This will be held at the Sheraton Inn in Hunts- ville, Ala. Sponsored by the Huntsville Area of CalPoly is sponsoring “VIII.” Events include 2126, Butler PA 16003; or call Dave Schnur at: Gamers and Role-players (H.A.G.A.R), this con- stories and illustrations, movies, Liventures, (412) 283-1159. speakers, games, and a dealers’ area. Registra- vention’s events include a wide variety of RPGs tion: $15 by April 13, $18 by May 18, or $22 for DOVERCON VI, July 14-16 and war games, a video room, an art show, and weekend passes and $12 for one-day passes at It will be held this year at the University of a costume dance. Registration: $15 until July 10, the door (GMs have special prices). Write to: New Hampshire’s Memorial Union Building or $20 at the door. Write to: CAMALOT II, 4931 POLYCON VIII, c/o SAGA, Activities Planning (MUB) in Durham, NH. Activities include an B Cotton Row Apts., Huntsville AL 35810; or call Center, Box 168, San Luis Obispo CA 93401, and RPGA™ AD&D® tournament and many other Bryan Jones at: (205) 837-9036. ask about special room rates; or call Stacey gaming events, a film festival, and miniatures Fetters at: (805) 545-9858. and art competitions. Registration: $10 by May GATEWAY X, August 31-September 3 5, $15 at the door, or $10 for one day. Dealers This convention will be held at the Los WORLD DIPCON ‘90, June 22-24 and judges are welcome. Write to: DOVERCON Angeles Airport Hyatt Hotel. Events include all The 1990 International DIPLOMACY* Champi- VI, P.O. Box 753, Dover NH 03820. types of family, strategy, adventure, board, role- onships will be held at the University of North playing, miniatures, and computer gaming. Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C. The tournament Activities include flea markets, auctions, a will consist of four rounds of DIPLOMACY* CONJUNCTION, July 27-29 ❁ dealers’ area, seminars, demos, and special games, as well as a DIPLOMACY* team competi- UPDATE: This convention will take place at guests. Write to: STRATEGICON, P.O. Box 8399, tion and tournaments in CIVILIZATION*, New Hall College, Cambridge, England. The Long Beach CA 90808; or call: (213)420-3675. TITAN*, and RAILWAY RIVALS* games. The guest of honor will be Gregory Stafford. Events tournament winner will be named the 1990 include no game tournaments, but there will be International DIPLOMACY* Champion. Registra- panels, a masquerade, films, and a dealers’ area. tion: $20 with tournament housing for $15/night There will also be combat demonstrations, live- double or $30/night single. Write to: David action role-playing, PBMs, workshops, and a real How effective was your convention listing? If you are a convention organizer, please Hood, 15-F Estes Park, Carrboro NC 27510. ale bar. Membership is £ 12 for those over 18. write to the editors and let us know if our Write to: CONJUNCTION, 27 Terront Road, DEMICON II, June 23-25 London N15 3AA, UNITED KINGDOM; or call "Convention Calendar" served your needs. Your comments are always welcome. The Harford Adventure Society presents “II”, John Dallman at: 01-802-8723. to be held at the Holiday Inn-Aberdeen House, in Aberdeen, Md. Events include AD&D®, FAMILYCON I, August 3-5 BATTLETECH*, PARANOIA*, CHAMPIONS*, This family-oriented convention will be held at SHADOWRUN*, CAR WARS*, and WAR- the Holiday Inn in Timomium, Md. Activities HAMMER 40,000* games. Registration: $17.50 include a dealers’ room, hands-on science pro- before May 31, or $20 at the door. Write to: gramming, and SF and fantasy panels for all DEMICON II, c/o Harford Adventure Society, ages. Write to: FAMILYCON, 3309 Taney Rd., P.O. Box 1063, Aberdeen MD 21001. Baltimore MD 21215.

78 APRIL 1990

Back to the big city lights ©1990 by Ken Rolston

Here are the features I look for in a the players. (Pavis, LANKHMAR™: City of menus of urban interactions to stimulate high-quality urban fantasy role-playing Adventure) GMs’ imaginations and serve as examples game supplement. Following each feature Illustration: There should be appropri- of day-to-day FRPG urban life. Each are one or more classic FRPG supplements ate scenes of urban life in particular, encounter should concisely suggest one or that illustrate the virtues in question. (For scenes commonly encountered by PCs, like more scenario, narrative, or character those unfamiliar with these supplements, taverns and jail cells), typical architectural hooks, out of which might develop an see the bibliographical notes in the next features, and character-revealing portraits incidental role-playing encounter or a full- section.) of various NPCs. (Citybook I) scale scenario. Bland listings on random Cartography: The supplement should Diagrams: Floor plans of buildings for tables are seldom worthwhile. (Midkemia have detailed, realistic maps of local neigh- citizens of all vocations should be present, Cities, The Free City of Haven) borhoods, the entire city, and regions with on-map labels and concise, evocative Characters: Potential NPC informants, around the city. Maps should be colorful keys. Details should be relevant to role- patrons, and villains should be developed and exciting, rendered in a style sugges- play, not given merely to fill empty space. in relevant detail, including statistics, tive of the fantasy setting. They must GMs should be able to conduct scenarios tactics, and scenario hooks. Aimless char- serve as easy references for GM and play primarily by brief glances at the detailed acterization and space-fillers are right out. ers, clearly indicating important locations diagrams. One diagram should be worth a NPC walk-ons developing setting color and mentioned in the text. Titles and labels thousand words of descriptive text. atmosphere are nice touches. (Citybook I) should be keyed on the maps, except (Thieves’ World) Narrative threads: A city setting when it would give away information to Encounters: Encounters should be should include implied or explicit scenario

80 APRIL 1990 and campaign hooks in its background Midkemia Cities: Generic FRPG supple- del, are crude and unconvincing by com- materials. (Carse, Tulan of the Isles) ment for creating villages and towns, parison to the illustrations and floor plans Setting: A sense of the city’s time, designed and originally published by of buildings based on historical models. place, and culture can be derived from Midkemia Press, now published by Despite this, the conception, description, three main sources: Chaosium. and renderings of the buildings are excel- History —Deft and appropriate theft Carse and Tulan of the Isles: Generic lent, far better than I’ve seen elsewhere. from real life, especially in architecture, FRPG city settings, designed and originally Narrative threads and characterizations economics, government, law, and customs. published by Midkemia Press, now pub- are smoothly blended into the life and (Harn Cities, Midkemia Cities) lished by Chaosium (see DRAGON issue history of the city and its Tolkien context. Imagination —Original, nonhistorical #136 for reviews). Notable figures are concisely presented, fantasy elements, especially the smooth Harn Cities: Cities supplement for the often illustrated with one of Liz Danforth’s and logical integration of magic and gods Harn campaign world, by Columbia excellent character portraits, and linked to with historical elements. (Pavis) Games. the fantasy setting with one or two subtle Literature —Respectful, intelligent exploi- The Free City of Haven: City supplement plot hooks. In general, the focus is on the tation of fantasy cities in literature. for the now-defunct Thieves’ Guild system, lives and themes of the nobles and the (Lankhmar) published by Gamelords, Ltd. upper and upper-middle classes, and the Presentation: Writing, editing, devel- No single urban supplement is likely to tone is genteel and dignified in keeping opment, layout, and graphics should pay boast superior achievement in all the with the Tolkien sources, with little indica- special attention to the following elements: features I listed above. In fact, a supple- tion of the low-life taverns, criminal syndi- GM’s needs— For swift and easy refer- ment with notable strengths in several cates, and sordid action-adventure found ence before and during play, preserving features might be exceptional in spite of in most FRPG urban adventuring. the narrative flow as much as possible to serious defects in other areas. As we re- Minas Tirith is of most value to those make reading pleasant (encyclopedias are view the following examples of recent with heroic high-fantasy campaigns like well designed for reference but are no fun FRPG city materials, consider how they Tolkien’s setting. Of course, Minas Tirith’s for cover-to-cover reading). (Pavis) shape up according to the checklist above. success ultimately depends on its appeal to Player reference —For special in- Tolkien fans and collectors, and in this character reference materials for players. Minas Tirith regard, Staplehurst’s respectful and appro- (Pavis, Thieves’ World) MIDDLE-EARTH ROLE PLAYING™ and priate treatment of Tolkien is a great vir- Artifact value —For realistic or evocative ROLEMASTER™ supplement tue. Staplehurst’s Minas Tirith might not props and hand-outs. (Pavis) 160-page hardback book be what Tolkien would have envisioned— Mechanics support— For all the charac- Iron Crown Enterprises $18.00 possibly it is more than he could have ter stats and other mechanics you need, Design: Graham Staplehurst envisioned—but most important, it does with game-specific tactics for villains and not offend by contrast, and it ably sup- police. (Pavis,Citybook I) Graham Staplehurst is a writer with a ports the tone and style of Tolkien’s high Detailed location key —For maps and solid historical grounding and a good feel fantasy. diagrams keyed to concise but specific for Tolkienesque and medieval settings, The fold-out color map is colorful and descriptive text. (Harn Cities) and he’s the best of the free-lance writer- detailed, though not so suggestive of a Scenarios: Sample adventures and designers working with Iron Crown. His high-fantasy artifact as the excellent large- scenario hooks should illustrate and sup- ROBIN HOOD role-playing campaign from scale Tolkien map on the reverse of the port the unique role-playing styles of I.C.E. is highly recommended as a stand- city map. There are no small-scale neigh- urban adventuring. (Pavis) ard reference for medieval historical role- borhood maps, but such are more essen- playing, and for its fine encounters and tial in low-fantasy settings where the Urban classics adventures. In Minas Tirith, Staplehurst streets are an important element of ses- This collection of all-time-great urban has skillfully exploited both his historical sion play. In general, the quality of interior FRPG supplements could serve as a shop- and literary sources to produce a fantasy maps, diagrams, and illustration is quite ping list for students of the urban FRPG city setting with the necessary realistic good (with the exception of some of the environment, though one citation is out of and plausible foundations. He also has illustrations of monumental fantasy struc- print and available only from collectors maintained the coherent and dignified tures, which are only fair). However, the and specialists, while others may be ob- tone appropriate to his Tolkien sources. digitized or half-tone photos of historical scure and found only in the dusty corners The blend of history and fantasy is not buildings with Moorish-style decoration of old game stores. The list is not meant to quite seamless. Some of the notable build- seem a bit odd in this context, especially be exclusive; let me know if you think ings and associated social institutions he since the Moorish motifs are not inte- some other great urban FRPG work ought describes are apparently based on histori- grated into the illustrations elsewhere. to have been included here. Write to: Ken cal models—in particular the guilds-here The adventures are satisfactory but only Rolston, Box 28, Tabor NJ 07878, U.S.A. the detail and coherence is exceptional, modestly successful in exploiting the Pavis: Chaosium’s RUNEQUEST® Gloran- featuring floor diagrams in the style of greater virtues of the supplement. One of tha boxed supplement by Chaosium, out of serious history texts and persuasive expla- the four adventures, which takes place in print and hard to find. nations of the personalities and workings Wooden-Town, the outside-the-walls slum LANKHMAR™: City of Adventure: For of the guilds. Other buildings of a fantastic of Minas Tirith, exhibits a familiar low-life the AD&D® game, by TSR, Inc.; based on conception contrast sharply with this FRPG style out of keeping with the rest of Fritz Leiber’s Lankhmar of the Fafhrd and historical texture, like Myall’s Vitrine, a the supplement; Wooden-Town is scarcely Gray Mouser books (see DRAGON® issue building made of an 8’-diameter glass tube mentioned throughout the rest of the text. #136 for a review). wrapped around an iron framework sev- The other three adventures are more Citybook I: Award-winning generic FRPG eral stories high. The contrast between appropriate to the rest of the book, but supplement of the Catalyst series from the solidly historical and the exuberantly only one, an introduction to the city’s Flying Buffalo. fantastic is a bit jarring, though in many benign secret order of magicians, is linked Thieves’ World: Award-winning multisys- cases the fault lies in the illustration and to major themes or narrative elements tem FRPG supplement from Chaosium, diagrams more than with Staplehurst’s developed elsewhere in the book. This with design assistance from Midkemia text. In particular, the illustrations and lack of integration between the back- Press, based on the setting of the Thieves’ floor plans of the great buildings of ground materials and the adventures World anthologies and novels. Tolkien, like the White Tower of the Cita- makes me suspicious that Minas Tirith is

DRAGON 81 more a pleasant read and reference source eval Roman Christian chivalric culture than a setting for FRPG adventure. dominated by the Catholic Church and Evaluation: In reference to our check- Roman law. The historical model for this list above, Minas Tirith earns top honors collision of cultures is the period of the in sense of time, place, and culture, with Crusades in Palestine, and a very interest- strong conceptions for its historical, imagi- ing and alien campaign setting it is. native, and literary sources. In other The selection of two contrasting Moslem areas, it merits above-average scores with cultures—one narrow and fundamentalist, few objectionable flaws. Minas Tirith was and the other all-embracing and readable and appealing, and it goes on my cosmopolitan—is an inspired choice for long-term reference shelf for its treatment fantasy role-playing. Moslem cultures are, of guilds and other civic institutions. It is for most of us, alien and exotic, but their most useful for GMs with high-fantasy roles in current world affairs gives us a campaigns, and less useful for more com- dramatic context for them, and historical mon low-fantasy and action-adventure and literary treatments of medieval Mos- FRPG campaigns. Minas Tirith is available lem culture are readily accessible to the from Iron Crown Enterprises, Inc., Box dedicated reader. Moslem cultures appear 1605, Charlottesville VA 22902, U.S.A. to us as passionate in ideals and violence and as noble and romantic in narrative Tredroy and character as chivalric medieval Eu- GURPS® Fantasy supplement rope. Learning respect for and mastering 64-page paperback book the customs of an alien culture is one of Steve Jackson Games $7.95 the great challenges of fantasy role- Design: Alexander von Thorn playing, and the customs of Tredroy’s Moslem cultures are certainly alien to the Tredroy has few of the flashy graphic Dark Ages European cultures that provide features of the other supplements re- the basis of most FRPG campaigns. viewed here. In fact, it is distinctly weak in Alexander von Thorn does a wonderful its cartography. Perhaps for that reason, at job of processing and presenting the his- first glance I underestimated Tredroy. torical elements for role-playing adventure After a careful reading, however, I am in Tredroy. The text is lean, readable, and most impressed, and I highly recommend relevant, well structured for reading and it, despite its notable flaws. reference. The background text on the Its flaws are primarily in its graphics government, cultures, and customs of and in obscure references to the GURPS Tredroy are concrete, detailed, and con- campaign world of Yrth. The map of the cise, and the descriptions of buildings, city of Tredroy itself is schematic and institutions, and significant personalities in adequate, though uninspiring. There are the locations key are short but full of role- no neighborhood maps and (more seri- playing potential. The absence of neigh- ously) no map of the surrounding region. borhood maps and building floor plans is The history of the city makes numerous unfortunate, though I can see that many references to nations, cities, and geograph- readers will savor the characterization ical features that are not represented on and role-play without ever noticing the any map nor explained in the text. The absence of detailed tactical maps. book doesn’t explain that you must use the The design of Tredroy fortunately em- GURPS Fantasy game to track these refer- phasizes those elements important for ences to the GURPS fantasy campaign role-playing and avoids lavishing detail on world of Yrth, which is even more unfor- buildings, institutions, and personalities tunate since the GURPS Fantasy game is with little or no relevance to role-playing currently out of print, superseded by the adventure. The only guilds extensively GURPS Magic game and presumably to be developed are those which have the most replaced in the future by a GURPS Yrth significance for the role-playing campaign supplement. This is all the more adventurer—e.g., the Company of Mer- annoying since the city’s history is jammed chants (which hires guards), the Merce- into a cryptic timeline with a variety of naries’ Guild (a large and powerful unexplained references. But I do have a organization of adventurers), the Thieves’ copy of the GURPS Fantasy game, and Guild, the Assassins’ Guild, the College of after a bit of frustration I figured out what Arms (heraldry and aristocratic family was going on. And what was going on was records), and the Harpers’ Guild. These very interesting and unusual. guilds are intelligently and plausibly inte- The name “Tredroy” is a corruption of grated into the fantasy culture of the tres droits, French for “three laws.” Tre- town. In particular, the Mercenaries’ Guild droy is composed of three different cities has a category of guildsmen called “practi- separated from one another by a conflu- cals,” specialists in spying skills-a perfect ence of wide rivers. Combined in a loose classification for sophisticated characters confederation, each of the cities repre- who might otherwise be classified as sents a different fantasy-historical culture. “thieves” in other settings. Tredroy also North Tredroy is ruled by a tolerant, cos- credibly portrays the Thieves’ Guild as a mopolitan, chivalric Moslem society. West form of family crime syndicate tacitly Tredroy has a devout fundamentalist Mos- tolerated by a city that could never hope lem culture. East Tredroy is a sort of medi- to control crime through law enforce-

82 APRIL 1990 ment; at least the guild exercises some The character portraits are full of person- restraint over its members. ality. The scenes of everyday life in the Tredroy also offers a variety of interest- city, rendered in the style of the prints and ing themes to explore. For example, slav- drawings of Albrecht Dürer—the 15th- ery is legal in North and West Tredroy, but century German artist-are detailed and illegal in East Tredroy. Player characters evocative of the WARHAMMER FANTASY could become involved in the under- ROLEPLAY game’s late medieval setting. ground railway, or become bounty The maps and diagrams are appealing, hunters specializing in capturing escaped colorful, and realistic. The campaign set- slaves. The scenario included is nice, but it ting, based on a Holy Roman Empire trans- only peripherally exploits the Tredroy figured by sorcery and rampant Chaos urban adventuring setting—again trigger- cults and monstrosities, provides a distinc- ing my suspicions that Tredroy was devel- tive backdrop for standard wizards-and- oped more as a set-piece than a genuine heroes fantasy adventuring. adventuring setting. The presentation is In general, the design is solid enough. All up to the high standard of most GURPS the elements for a gritty, low-life fantasy supplements (with the above-mentioned campaign are present—details of religion, exception of the maps and references to law, and customs; impossibly remote Yrth history). It is well written, cleanly wealthy and influential personalities; all- edited, well organized for reference, effec- too-accessible sordid and criminal ele- tively uses sidebars as peripheral essays, ments; abundant criminal conspiracies; and provides the necessary mechanics for scheming power figures; and demented a broad cross-section of the character Chaos cultists. An earnest effort is made to types that might be encountered. The offer practical advice in running city ad- scenario is the only section of the book ventures for inexperienced GMs. In this explicitly prohibited from player reading— sense, Warhammer City is clearly more of an odd choice, since many of the elements a complete city adventuring kit, with of city intrigue would be revealed by staging tips, than are Tredroy or Minas reading the rest of the text. Tirith. The advice is occasionally shrewd Evaluation: Once past the flaws of the and substantial; however, sometimes it’s maps and ambiguous Yrth references, little more than vague cheerleading. Tredroy is a fine example of an FRPG However, there’s a nagging sense of urban setting. It reads well, offers interest- insubstantiality in portions of the text. The ing scenario opportunities, and presents framework is adequate, but the frequent exotic, alien, but accessible historical cul- shortage of character, place, and circum- tures as the backdrop for urban adven- stance is disturbing. The text is often ture. As a sample of what a GURPS Yrth flabby and expansive, with abundant FRPG campaign supplement might offer, it gratuitous exclamation points, and is is very promising. For general students of sometimes careless in the quality of moti- urban FRPG gaming, it is in pleasing and vation, narrative, setting, and tone. For stimulating model and reference. Tredroy example, the cute puns in the telling of the is available from Steve Jackson Games, Box history of Middenheim (e.g., “Tale of Artur 18957, Austin TX 78760, U.S.A. and the Holy Gale,” “Middenheim’s Rise, Fall, and Stumble,” and “The War of the Warhammer City Poses”) are inconsistent with the generally WARHAMMER™ FANTASY ROLEPLAY grim and monumental tone of the city supplement setting. Middenheim’s Chaos cults have 96-page hardback book with full-color suitably lurid, evil FRPG villains, but 14” × 22” map they’re short on personality and motiva- Games Workshop $22.95 tion. The link to the epic The Enemy Design: Carl Sargent Within campaign is distressingly clumsy in conception and motivation. Two fantasy Warhammer City is a supplement de- elements of Middenheim particularly scribing Middenheim, the City of the suited to hack-and-slash adventuring (a White Wolf, the second largest city in the precious commodity in FRPG city supple- vast Empire of the WARHAMMER FAN- ments)—the Skaven’s ratman culture and TASY ROLEPLAY campaign setting. In the Underworld dwarven tunnels beneath conception and graphics presentation, Middenheim—are only sketchily developed. Warhammer City is an exceptional setting I note in passing that Middenheim is the for heroic fantasy role-playing, but the setting of Carl Sargent’s impressive Power uneven and occasionally unsophisticated Behind the Throne adventure supplement, quality of design and written presentation the fourth in the epic The Enemy Within sometimes make it frustrating and disap- campaign series. Power Behind the pointing reading. To some degree, the less Throne is an exceptional example of the sophisticated presentation is appropriate diplomatic style of FRPG gaming (a style to its more cheap-and-cheerful FRPG tone, singularly suited for sophisticated urban but as often it seems a problem of weak adventuring) with complex plotting, im- design and editing. penetrable intrigues, and cleverly drawn As usual, Games Workshop‘s graphic NPC characterizations. The link between presentation is stunning, with lavish, well- the previous adventure in the series, rendered, and appropriate illustration. Death on the Reik, and Power Behind the

DRAGON 83 Throne, and the pretext for the PCs be- ground passages, and a map of the sur- coming involved in Middenheim’s webs of rounding region. intrigue are a bit thin, but as a companion The illustrations are much less finely volume to Power Behind the Throne, rendered than those in Warhammer City, Warhammer City is a valuable resource. but they are appropriate in tone and con- Evaluation: All the elements of an tent to the supplement, portraying scenes excellent urban adventure setting are of daily life in the city along the Flanaess. present in Warhammer City, but the exe- This set does not offer portraits of se- cution is at times disappointing. The lected NPCs, and the diagrams are crude graphics are singularly effective in convey and schematic, without details of furnish- ing the sense of time and place of a fan- ings or other features. The encounter tasy medieval city, and the characters, charts are lovably primitive, hearkening plots, themes, and institutions needed for back to the feel of the original D&D® urban role-playing are all provided, but game. These are perhaps the least distinc- irksome lapses in the quality of design, tive features of this set, but they are so writing, and editing diminish Warhammer familiar from generations of D&D and City’s appeal. Warhammer City is available AD&D supplements that it seems undigni- from Games Workshop, 3431 Benson Ave- fied to complain. nue, Baltimore MD 21227, U.S.A., or from It is in the area of characterization, Games Workshop Ltd., Chewton Street, narrative threads, and sense of place that Hilltop, Eastwood, Notts, NG16 3HY, United the city comes to life. A wide variety of Kingdom. NPCs and their fellowships and conspira- cies are fleshed out with mechanics, per- The City of Greyhawk sonalities, tactics, and a lovely confusion of AD&D game supplement loose narrative threads. The City of Two 96-page paperback books, four full- Greyhawk is an organism of systems color 22” × 34” maps, and 24 one-page within systems, with each system driven adventures on card stock, in box by its own motivations and personalities. TSR, Inc. $18.00 Potential allies, patrons, informants, and Design: Doug Niles, Carl Sargent, and Rik nemeses are available for any mix of char- Rose acters from 1st to 20th level. External politics are intertwined in the city’s inter- TSR’s AD&D game has three official nal affairs. Rival guilds compete for power campaign settings: the DRAGONLANCE® and influence, and dark conspiracies fes- saga setting based on the world of Krynn; ter beneath the streets, while less-weighty the WORLD OF GREYHAWK® setting, Gary adventures may arise from the lighter Gygax’s original campaign world; and the aspects of civilized personal and commer- FORGOTTEN REALM™ setting, Ed Green- cial rivalries. wood’s vast creation. The city of Water- The four scenarios included in one of deep is the urban showpiece of the the booklets develop themes and elements FORGOTTEN REALMS campaign; see City already presented in the city background, System below. The Free City of Greyhawk, and are simple, complete, appropriate, and Gem of the Flanaess, is the adventuring admirable examples of city FRPG adven- town that gives the WORLD OF turing. But the real treasures are the 23 GREYHAWK setting its name. The City of short adventures, each printed on the Greyhawk is the most pleasing and play- front and back of a single piece of card able of the city supplements reviewed stock, and the 24th sheet of card stock here; it scores high in most of the checklist which summarizes the monster stats for features, and it has that comfortable, these short adventures. Each of the adven- played-in feeling that warms the heart of tures develops at least some element of the experienced AD&D game DM. plot, character, or theme presented in the First, the maps combine the virtues of city background material. Some are easy reference, graphic detail, sense of dungeon crawls, some wilderness expedi- place, and pleasing appearance better than tions, some city adventures, and some any other city supplement I’ve seen. The diplomatic intrigues. The scenarios them- fold-out bird’s-eye-view of the town shows selves are priceless, many touched with its gypsy camp, halfling burrows, thatch- humor and irony, with interesting plot roofed huts, half-timbered buildings, twists; they challenge role-playing and shrub-lined boulevards, and monumental problem-solving. All are eminently practi- temples in such detail that you can tell if a cal and playable, and presented with rare thief could reach a given balcony by climb- charm and simplicity. A special favorite of ing a nearby tree, or where you might mine is the scenario entitled “The Born- steal a horse if you needed to make a fast Again Ogres of the Blinding Light,” a getaway. The bird’s-eye-view matches the clever, light piece with a half-ironic, half- diagrammatic, keyed location and street pathetic touch that I can’t wait to spring map, which cross-references with one of on my local gaming squad. the booklets to describe the major features And finally, what player familiar with of the city. (A summary table of the loca- the AD&D game’s spell names can remain tions for quick reference is absent, how- unmoved by the resonances of these ever, and sorely missed.) Also included are names from the Circle of Eight, a powerful large maps of the sewers and under- and influential local organization of wiz-

84 APRIL 1990 ards: Mordenkainen, Tenser, Bigby, Otto, more than 60 of those 340 pages to sce- Drawmij, Nystul, Rary, and Otiluke? One narios that develop those unifying ele- of the best things about The City of ments. On the other hand, both Water- Greyhawk is that it ably exploits all the deep and the North and City System com- venerable virtues of the AD&D game. This bined use only 96 pages (admittedly often is the campaign pack that TSR should have filled with very tiny type) to present a produced a decade ago, back when AD&D much larger city through numerous tables games were young and fresh. Now it is and charts, less skillfully focused back- perhaps a certain nostalgia I indulge in my ground material, and only five pages of enjoyment of The City of Greyhawk; this is scenarios. As such, the Waterdeep urban a package out of the golden age of the setting is more sprawling and less cohesive AD&D game, before I learned about real- than the Greyhawk setting, and is some- ism, epic scale, and complicated game what less persuasive as a theater for real systems. Oh, to be young, simple, naive, role-playing action. and playful again—that’s the yearning that Nonetheless, the sheer expanse of Water- The City of Greyhawk awakens in me. deep is impressive, and the 12 full-color Evaluation: The City of Greyhawk is a fold-out maps in City System are equally very good urban FRPG pack, but more impressive. Ten of these maps fit together than that, it’s really a complete campaign to depict a vast, undifferentiated maze of setting for the AD&D game, the best I’ve streets, alleys, and rooftops, with a sprin- seen—coherent, playable, well-developed, kling of over 200 numbered-keyed loca- and entertaining. I especially recommend tions. (Note the ironic use of “sprinkling” this pack to AD&D game GMs just gradu- in this context; in a town the size of Water- ating from dungeon delving into wilder- deep, 200 buildings is only a small portion ness and urban adventuring; The City of of the total number.) The floor diagrams Greyhawk is built on a more manageable shown on the maps for some of the more scale and offers more solid playability and notable locations are not given room-by real adventuring charm than either the room descriptions for contents, inhabit- DRAGONLANCE or FORGOTTEN REALMS ants, or significance; instead, they are campaign settings. Tredroy and Minas filled with schematic icons for tables, Tirith have many features to appeal to the fireplaces, beds, trunks, barrels (full of sophisticated FRPG gamer, but The City of what, I wonder), lumber, and other stand- Greyhawk, in addition to its appealing ard, nondescript features. These maps are features, feels like it would be fun to play big and colorful, all right, but not particu- as a GM or player. Of the six urban FRPG larly interesting, useful, or expressive of supplements reviewed here, this is the one the setting. Another of the big colorful that made me want to use it in gaming maps shows lots of undifferentiated floor rather than read and admire it. plans of Castle Waterdeep, with no indica- tion of what or who is in any of the little City System rooms and numberless tower landings. AD&D game supplement The remaining large map is a birds-eye One 32-page paperback book and 12 full- view of Waterdeep, similar to but less color 22” × 34” maps, in box effective than the Greyhawk version; the TSR, Inc. $15.00 Waterdeep birds-eye view hasn’t got very Design: Jeff Grubb and Ed Greenwood much personality and isn’t so readily cross-referenced to keyed locations. It’s impossible to do a proper review of Evaluation: The title City System is City System without also reviewing FR1 misleading. If you’re looking for guidance Waterdeep and the North (another 64-page and support in designing and developing AD&D FORGOTTEN REALMS supple- your own FRPG city settings, or for a ment), and that’s my biggest complaint stand-alone FRPG urban adventuring about this. This is not a system for design supplement, this is of no use to you. If you ing or presenting fantasy role-playing own and enjoyed Waterdeep and the cities, despite the misleading title. This is a North, you ought to have this set; it’s not boxed supplement to the earlier 64-page an inspirational model of game design, but city supplement—a supplement with a ton the maps are big and colorful, and might of lovely fold-out maps, a booklet with be useful for Waterdeep campaigning. If some useful essays (that would have been you’d like to run urban adventures in the more appropriately included in the earlier Forgotten Realms, and you must choose supplement), and a lot of charts and tables between the $7.95 Waterdeep and the of dubious utility. North and the $15.00 City System, by all I will not offer a review of Waterdeep means the former is the better deal, and and the North here, other than to say that all you really need; City System is only a it presents a FORGOTTEN REALMS city on big, colorful, and unnecessary secondary a vast scale—too vast a scale for my liking. accessory to Waterdeep and the North. The City of Greyhawk presents, in large type and in 340 pages, a much smaller city Cities of Mystery with numerous structures of character, AD&D game supplement plot, and theme that give Greyhawk a One 64-page paperback book, two full-color manageable unity as a campaign setting. 22” × 34” displays, and 33 full-color Moreover, The City of Greyhawk devotes card stock buildings.

DRAGON 85 TSR, Inc. $15.00 And what a pity, because the buildings ment, or for sharp-looking cardboard Design: Jean Rabe (buildings by Dennis and street layouts are remarkable. For buildings for your fantasy miniatures Kauth) those who love to dress up FRPG sessions battles, Cities of Mystery is a unique and with props and miniatures, these game superbly designed find. [See “Through the accessories would be priceless for a very Looking Glass,” DRAGON issue #152, for This AD&D FORGOTTEN REALMS sup- limited style of 3-D problem solving and another review of this product.] plement is in fact a system for designing tactical movement. How can they be used? FRPG urban adventure settings. However, Set up a street ambush of a group of low- Short and sweet it hasn’t any specific link to the level PCs by a gang of toughs with these The Stormrider: ARS MAGICA Jump FORGOTTEN REALMS campaign world buildings, street layouts, and painted Start Kit, by Mark ReinHagen and Jona- that I can see, other than as a marketing miniatures. Here the players can see that than Tweet. Lion Rampant, $7.95. Another feature, and the FRPG city-building system their characters are walking down the original and innovative design idea from presented is pedestrian and unenlighten- street past doors, windows, and alleys; Lion Rampant, this one-session scenario is ing. Nonetheless, Cities of Mystery does they know how high the roofs of nearby presented in a 16-page booklet and 24 possess a singular virtue—the beautiful buildings are, and whether a rooftop front-and-back half-page reference sheets and cleverly designed 25mm-scale, three- escape might be practical, or whether a that efficiently package all the information dimensional, full-color, glue-together build- mage on a roof could dramatically im- that a first-time ARS MAGICA game GM ings and full-color, fold-out street and prove their tactical options. Designing and players need to play the scenario. The building layouts included in the box. such an elaborate 3-D layout is time con- well-implemented staging hints and skilled The booklet is sensibly organized and suming, not to mention the hassle of as- storytelling mechanics provided make addresses the essential elements of FRPG sembling the buildings; the pace of 3-D reading this as instructive as watching a city design, but the tone and content role-playing is slow and not to everyone’s brilliant GM and players at work. Even seems unnecessarily juvenile and obvious taste, but the final product can be a mem- FRPG players who would never play the for most AD&D game players. The narra- orable night of gaming. And for folks who ARS MAGICA game should appreciate the tive introductions to the various sections play fantasy miniatures games like TSR’s unique presentation and shrewd practical are embarrassingly weak and barely rele- BATTLESYSTEM™ or GWs WARHAMMER wisdom represented in this pack. This is vant. It is possible that as a veteran gamer FANTASY BATTLE games, these buildings available from Lion Rampant, Box 621, and designer I can’t appreciate the value and layouts are great elements to dress up Northfield MN 55057, U.S.A. of the booklet’s pronouncements; admit- tabletop fantasy battles. tedly I can’t think of a basic and complete These are the best designed cut-and- Dreamchipper, by James D. Long. FASA treatment of FRPG city building better assemble buildings I’ve ever seen. The Corporation, $8.00. This SHADOWRUN™ than this one. WARHAMMER system’s Townscape card- game adventure is for the most part cyber- Sauter, City on the Sea-the example board buildings are lovely but a nightmare punk (except for the access to ork PCs and designed to illustrate the basic principles to cut out and assemble. The Viking village elf PCs with spells), but it’s good, gritty of city building—is unremarkable and not that comes with the D&D game’s GAZ7 cyberpunk, well organized and entertain- accompanied by even a vague map or The Northern Reaches is very nice and ing, with a solid action-adventure story diagram of the city, an indefensible omis- much easier to assemble than the Town- line. The adventure is broken down into sion. The scenarios included are appropri- scape buildings, but is nowhere as simple short, easy-to-present episodic set-pieces; ate to urban settings, but none of them and well conceived as the Cities of Mys- the story is fairly linear, but there’s exploit any of the essential elements of the tery material. The elements are die cut, so enough room for characterization and FRPG city design so laboriously explained you don’t have to labor with the scissors; divergent problem solving. The SHADOW- in the rest of the book. These scenarios do just separate the bits with a sharp knife. RUN game is one of the hottest role- employ the 3-D buildings and street lay- The buildings themselves boast several playing settings at present, and Dream- outs, but not in particularly intriguing or charming details—chimneys, dormers, chipper is a good example of how that appropriate ways; each scenario could overhanging eaves, and even little roof- setting can translate into dramatic action- probably be run better with detailed flat ridgeline stands for character miniatures adventure role-playing. This is available diagrams and maps than with the build- that must perch on peaked roofs. Assem- from FASA Corporation, Box 6930, Chicago ings and street layouts provided. bly is time consuming but simple, and the IL 60680, U.S.A. buildings can even be folded flat for stor- age. The directions for assembly are GURPS Riverworld game, by J. M. Ca- sparse but adequate; I only found one parula. Steve Jackson Games, $16.95. For glitch in production—the omission of slots old-time fans of the Riverworld novels, for chimneys in buildings 1 and 2 (cut this is a fun read just for the overview of your own before assembly). The street the Riverworld setting, the motivations of Need a Guide? and building layout maps are detailed, its creators, and the mechanics of its main- handsome, and quite useful themselves, tenance. But much to my surprise, I found Before you send your modules to even without the buildings, though I it an interesting and plausible setting for us, get a copy of our writers’ guide- wouldn’t buy the box just to get two fold- role-playing adventure, and the GURPS lines and make sure you’re on the out maps. game is the perfect system to support it. right track. Just send a self-ad- Evaluation: I can’t recommend the The access to PC and NPC personalities dressed, stamped envelope to: city-design system for any but the com- and cultures from all the historical periods Module Writers’ Guidelines, pleat tyro, and even then I’d rather recom- of Earth, the problem-solving challenges of mend the study of a good model of an adapting and improvising in the lower DRAGON® Magazine, P.O. Box FRPG city (like The City of Greyhawk) than technological level of Riverworld society, 111, Lake Geneva WI 53147 U.S.A. the Cities of Mystery booklet. And the the opportunities for empire-building in Get the best guide you can have be- overwhelming majority of AD&D game the style of Clemens and King John, and fore you start your journey as a players will enjoy only limited use of the the epic upriver quest to the Tower of the module designer. street and building layouts, and have no Ethicals—there’s some great stuff here for business whatsoever going to the trouble a role-playing campaign. This is available DRAGON is a Trademark of TSR, Inc. of assembling the buildings. However, for ©1990 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. from Steve Jackson Games, Box 18957, 3-D role-playing in a town or city environ- Austin TX 78760, U.S.A.

86 APRIL 1990 DRAGON 87

marvelous adventures we’ve been reading for the past few years. Caramon, Solamnic knights, Takhisis the Dark Queen—they are all all here in the best AD&D® com- puter adventure to date. A number of enhancements have been made to previous AD&D computer games from SSI. You’ll immediately notice that combat is much faster. Also, there is a “Yell” option for your kender to use during combat, so he can taunt the enemy. Foes can become so distraught by the kender’s insults that they focus upon the kender’s demise and neglect others in the party. This option saved our party a number of times. By placing the kender in the rear of the party and arming him with a hoopak (with which he became quite proficient as the game progressed), we ensured that the opposition would only run into our deadly front row of fighters and back row of spell-casters. In the early rounds of play, considering that most of the opposition is equal to the adventurers in strength, this slight advantage saved many an encounter from game-ending disaster! Champions of Krynn takes place in the environments of the DRAGONLANCE saga. You’ll be adventuring in and around Sanc- tion, Neraka, Jelek, Gargath, Kernen, and Throtl. If you are an avid reader of the DRAGONLANCE books, you’ll recognize that this area is composed of those territo ries overrun by the evil armies during the War of the Lance. You’ll start your adven- Before we delve into this month’s re- tems, such as the Sega Genesis and Atari ture in an outpost southeast of Throtl, and views, we have a comment regarding our Lynx, are certainly coming up to par with from that point on, it’s nonstop action. ratings for computer games. Please con- computer systems. If you have played any of SSI’s other sider the computer system on which each There is a world of difference between AD&D games, you’ll feel right at home rated game is played; all systems are not the systems on which games are played. with the player-computer interface. You equal in quality. In our opinion, a four-star Please bear these differences in mind can use the mouse or the keyboard; even game on a Commodore 64/128 doesn’t when reading our reviews. though our computer is equipped with equal a four-star game on a Commodore both, we like the keyboard and directional Amiga; the same holds true for an Apple II arrows for character commands. game and an Apple IIGS game. Going be- Reviews We stress that the party composition yond that, an Apple IIGS game doesn’t that you use should match one of the two equal a Macintosh game. A PC/MS-DOS suggested parties found in the Adventur- game in CGA mode doesn’t equal that er’s Journal that comes with the game. We Computer games ratings game in EGA mode, which doesn’t equal a played both sets and found the second, VGA game, and so on. So, when compar- listed as follows, offered more advantages X Not recommended ing games that we’ve rated, be certain that despite the slow character-level advance- * Poor the systems are of like quality. A three-star ment: one human knight, one Silvanesti elf ** Fair game on an Atari ST, for example, will cleric of Mishakal/fighter/White Robe *** Good probably have far better graphics and mage, one half-elf ranger/cleric of Majere, **** Excellent sound than a five-star game on an Atari 8- one Qualinesti elf cleric of Shinare/fighter/ ***** Superb bit computer. Nor is a regular Sega car- Red Robe mage, one kender cleric of Kiri- tridge carrying a five-star rating the same Jolith/thief, and one Qualinesti elf as a five-star Sega Genesis 16-bit game. Strategic Simulations, Inc. fighter/Red Robe mage. These folks’ And there are some systems, such as the 675 Almanor Avenue powers, especially the Heal Light Wounds highly portable and superbly designed Sunnyvale CA 94086 spells at the early levels, are all that sepa- Atari Lynx, that have no competitors to (408)737-6800 rate the successful adventuring party from date. Plus, it is unfair to compare video the rest. Other character combinations entertainment systems such as the Sega, Champions of Krynn ***** may be a bit more powerful initially, but in Nintendo, Turbographicxl6, Atari, and PC/MS-DOS version $49.95 the long haul they won’t possess the skills others to personal computer games. Per- Champions of Krynn is one of SSI’s needed to master this adventure. sonal computers usually pack more mem- DRAGONLANCE® role-playing epics, li- You can create your party from the ory and use faster processors than censed from TSR, Inc. It is worth purchas- following characters: hill dwarves, moun- video-game systems, meaning they can ing immediately at your local software tain dwarves, Silvanesti elves, Qualinesti manage more on-screen graphics and retailer. Being DRAGONLANCE saga enthu- elves, half-elves, kender, or humans. Char- sound variances. We must admit, however, siasts, we found that this fantasy role- acter classes include clerics, fighters, that some of the latest video-game sys- playing game brought new realism to the rangers, Solamnic knights, mages, and

90 APRIL 1990 thieves, with multiclass options for nonhu- These effects produce bonuses or penal- your party is up to strength before taking mans. Your characters must follow either ties on the saving throws cast by mages these critters on. You’ll also meet skele- good or neutral deities and be good or depending on the phases of the relevant tons, zombies, penanggalans (female vam- neutral themselves. Considering that you moon. Mages can also possess additional pires who are quite attractive during the really should have a least one knight in spells during the proper lunar phase, day, but at night—yeech!), ogres, trolls, your party, evil members would destroy The multiclass option. offers additional wights, and wraiths. You’ll never run into the game before it even started. skills for each character, though your a more unfriendly bunch of foes than in Solamnic knights have three orders: the characters’ level progression will be at far Champions of Krynn. Knights of the Crown, Knights of the Rose, slower rates. Our multiclassed characters Fortunately, there are some goodies and Knights of the Sword. A knight starts could not only cast mage or clerical spells, lying about that can assist you. These the game with plate mail armor, a shield, but could fight quite effectively as well. include magical wands, potions, scrolls, and a long sword, but very little money. As Had our characters not been multiclassed, plus enchanted armor and shields. For the a matter of fact, whenever your knight we doubt that we would have progressed knight in your group, rescuing the spirit gains money during the game, he’ll usually as far as we have in the game. of Sir Dargaard will result in a great new tithe it away when he enters a town. Your opposition is at times quite fierce. weapon and some appropriate armor! When your knight has gained enough Even the lowly centipede can kill, so don’t The available mage and clerical spells experience as a Knight of the Crown or as think that just because a single swipe of a are extremely effective. Just make certain a Knight of the Sword, he can petition to long sword slays the creature that it your spell-casters restore depleted spells become a Knight of the Rose, As the latter, shouldn’t be considered a worthy oppo- after vicious combats. Spells range in he’ll be able to cast clerical spells when he nent. When a swarm of rats and centi- strength from the first-level Bless to the reaches 6th level. pedes is attracted to your party in the fourth-level Cure Serious Wounds for Mages use powerful spells, but little early stages, we advise knocking off the clerics, and from the first-level Charm armor or weapons. As DRAGONLANCE centipedes first. Person to the fourth-level Minor Globe of saga readers know, Krynn has three On more dangerous assignments, you’ll Invulnerability for mages. Don’t try to moons, and their different cycles affect encounter nasties such as draconians, the learn everything; consider your quest and the magic of mages. Solinari, the white offspring of corrupted good dragon eggs. learn spells that will be effective in that moon, affects mages of the White Robes; Other beasties inhabiting your adventures environment. Lunitari, the red moon, affects mages of include a wide assortment of dragons, We caution you against attempting to the Red Robes; and the black moon, from the black to the skeletal variety, with complete the ogre’s compound quest until Nuitari, affects mages of the Black Robes. all colors and metals between. Be certain your group can successfully take on every

DRAGON 91 sort of draconian with magic and weap- In combat, always go for the enemy balance between NATO or Soviet forces (of onry. It’s all well and good to annihilate spell-casters first. Cast any spell that will which you can command either side). This most of the ogre opposition within the shut them up, hold them, or put them to is a true simulation with data reflecting manor house in the first rooms, but that sleep. Utilize your archers effectively, real-world equipment and weaponry. You last room is full of draconians! having everyone attack one enemy at a must meet each situation’s challenges When you wish to save your game, you time. This way you maximize the effect, knowing you are going up against “the real simply Encamp. You can Fix (heal) your and even a strong opponent will quickly thing.” You command ships and aircraft, entire party at once and then start memo- succumb to the damage it takes. select from over 100 different weapon rizing your magics immediately. We found You will receive messages every now and systems, and take responsibility for judg- that upon completion of most battles, it then referring you to the Adventurer’s ment calls. We haven’t felt so much “in was safe to Encamp. If you happen to Journal, where 88 journal entries and 57 command” since the release of GATO. Encamp in a hallway, don’t expect the tavern tales are found. Be certain to write The miniatures game on which the entire six to eight hours you’ll need for this information down. Few tales lead computer version is based was designed spell memorization to be free of wander- nowhere; most have some important fact by Larry Bond in 1980, and he has contrib- ing monsters. needed to help you complete a quest. uted a wealth of information to this offer- In the outposts, where the commandant Remember that your adventuring party ing. Everything from modern naval will give your assignments, you’ll also find is basically good. Do not succumb to temp- strategies for antisubmarine warfare to a vault for storing your money, a temple tation, and do not kill without need. Re- appropriate ship tactics’ are included in the where healing is available for cash, a bar member the knight’s oath: “My honor is game itself and in an extremely well- where you can listen for rumors, a hall my life.” And do buy this AD&D computer written user’s guide, which also contains where you can view your characters as game, which is SSI’s best yet! an appendix on superpower politics and well as get them trained to new levels (if maritime strategies in modern warfare. they have garnered enough experience), Read this appendix, the included Harpoon an inn which (as with the Encamp selec- Three-Sixty Tactical Guide by Larry Bond, and the tion) allows you to Fix and Memorize 2105 South Bascom Avenue booklet by the extraordinary author Tom spells for your adventurers, and an ar- Campbell CA 95008 Clancy that deals with Russian destroyers, mory where basic armor and weapons can (408) 879-9144 and you’ll be well on your way to holding be found. A word of advice—be certain to your own in these scenarios. Gordon buy bows and as many arrows as possible Harpoon ***** Walton and his crew of superb program- for your clerics, mages, and thieves. While PC/MS-DOS version $59.95 mers at Digital Illusions have created a your front rank of battlers takes the oppo- We have just spent several hours totally graphic masterpiece as well as a realistic sition head-on, you’d be surprised at how engrossed with this naval simulator. There simulation, ensuring the dedicated war effective your missile weapons can be are no preset battle algorithms that dictate gamer thousands of hours of true-to-life from the rear ranks. combat outcomes, and there is no play naval warfare. Harpoon will eventually be composed of version of this game. Now Mastertronic Sierra many different BattleSets. The first Battle- has successfully brought this game to the P.O. Box 485 Set, entitled GIUK (for the part of the computer in an admirable fashion. In fact, Coarsegold CA 93614 North Atlantic bordered by Greenland, the computer game is far better than the (209) 683-4468 Iceland, and the United Kingdom) deals board version. You don’t have to wait to mainly with scenarios in which Soviet and find at least one other friend to play the Manhunter 2: San Francisco NATO forces are engaged in battles from game with you; you can select as many as Macintosh IIx version $49.95 minor skirmishes all the way up to nuclear five computer opponents and have a war Manhunter 2 has been receiving rave exchanges. of your own. We played the EGA graphics reviews from many game magazines. The on-screen maps are fantastically mode, and the colors are stunning. The These reviews must be for versions other accurate and, once through the manual’s only drawback might be the small size of than the Macintosh, as Sierra has not tutorial, war gamers should have a feel for the world map upon which the game is ported the game very well to this system. Harpoon’s basic features. However, don’t played, but the computer manages each The screens are colorful but poorly feel that after playing the introductory turn nicely and you never have to wonder drawn. Curves are jagged, and if there are scenario once or twice that you know all about where your armies are located. You a number of animation sequences or other there is to learn. Harpoon requires hours can play either the British or American objects on-screen, your orb’s movement of dedicated gaming before you can even version of the game, including the extra slows down greatly. Also, there is no way start to hold your own against well-trained armies cards. Dice rolls are fair, and the to change the difficulty of the arcade enemy forces. fun is tremendous. If you are looking for sequences. The owner’s manual was not Harpoon is a credit to its programmers, one of the best board-game conversions, specifically written for the Macintosh the game designer, and to Three-Sixty for look at Risk. version, and the included command card releasing a simulation that is far more does not describe how one can alter the than a game-it’s war! difficulty level. For the novice adventurer, Capcom USA remaining at the default hard level for the Electronic Arts 3303 Scott Boulevard arcade sequences is distressing, to say the 1820 Gateway Drive Santa Clara CA 95054 least. Add to this the fact that the install San Mateo CA 94404 (408)727-0400 program as described in the owner’s man- (415) 571-7171 ual doesn’t work, and you have an overall Tiger Road **** disappointment for Mac gamers. Stick Populous: The Promised ***** Atari ST version $19.95 with the PC/MS-DOS version, and you’ll be Lands It may seem as though we’ve been ignor- far happier! Atari ST and Commodore Amiga ing games on the Atari ST of late. We try versions $14.95 to get our reviews out in good time, but Populous is a smashing game, one of the the Atari ST versions are usually produced News and new products best released late last year. Now Bullfrog later than versions for other computer Productions, which developed and pro- systems. In this case, we’re glad Capcom Absolute Entertainment (201-652-1227) grammed this hit, has released a data disk decided to produce an ST version of his has released David Crane’s first Nintendo that offers various new worlds for the game, because Tiger Road is a good arcade Entertainment System game, A Boy and main game. These worlds include the game, not just another entry into the now- His Blob. This is the only video game to be lands of the Wild West, the French Revolu- swamped‘ world of martial-arts games. honored with two awards by Video Games tion, Blockland, Silly World, and the Bit You’ve got all kinds of weapons with which & Computer Entertainment as well as Plains. If you enjoyed your Lego set, then to combat the warlord’s nasty assassins to honored by Games magazine. When the Blockland is for you; it’s fun to build up rescue the captive children. When you go Boy feeds his Blob different flavors of jelly worlds made of interlocking. blocks. The up against the rotten Ogres, it’s wise to beans, the friendly alien creature magi- Wild West and French Revolution lands keep an eye on their arm positions. Strike cally transforms into completely different were enormously enjoyable worlds within open a jar, and you can never tell what objects. Feed him a root beer jelly bean, which to play god. However, the Bit Plains might be of some assistance to you. The and you can rocket to Blobolonia, his were stretched a bit too far, and the land- graphics and sound are good, with non- home world, where an evil emperor is scape became confusing at some points. stop action from start to finish. Tiger Road forcing everyone to eat nothing but Over ail, this data disk is well worth the is a good addition to an Atari ST library. marshmallows and chocolate. Feed the price to further enhance your Populous Versions for the C64/128 and Commodore Blob a vanilla jelly bean, and he turns into activities. Amiga are also available. an umbrella that can be used either as a As an aside, we have also managed to connect our Atari ST and Commodore Amiga together with a null modem and have enjoyed rousing two-player, head-to- head campaigns. Kirk usually runs the Amiga, and Hartley is on the Atari ST. It’s really quite exciting to compete in this manner, not knowing what in the world your human enemy might do.

Virgin Mastertronic International 18001 Cowan Irvine CA 92714 (714)833-8710

Risk: The World Conquest Game ***** PC/MS-DOS version $39.99 We have always enjoyed the board-game

DRAGON 93 parachute or as a shield against falling Cloud Nebula. You’ll talk to and trade with being released for the Commodore Amiga objects. 29 unique alien species, explore over 500 for $69.95. Versions are planned for Apple Broderbund Software (415-492-3299) is new worlds, and solve mysteries. You and Atari ST computers. now publishing Centauri Alliance. The don’t have to have experienced Starflight MicroProse (301-771-1151), through its game’s author is none other than Michael to enjoy Starflight 2, and there is no cor- Medalist International entertainments, has Cranford of The Bard’s Tale and The Bard’s rect way to finish this grand space adven- announced Rick Dangerous. This is a fast- Tale II fame. The game’s initial release will ture. The price for PC/MS-DOS computers moving, challenging, yet light-hearted be for the Apple II computer for $49.95. is $49.95. action/adventure game for all ages. You As the game begins, the Centauri Alliance Strategic Simulations, Inc. (408-737-6814) control Rick as he battles hostile tribesman faces the threat of intergalactic conflict. has produced War of the Lance for the in an Amazon temple, dodges persistent The player is commissioned to lead a se- Apple II computer. Priced at $39.95, this assassins in an Egyptian pyramid, liberates cret expedition to deal with unknown strategic war game is based on TSR’s prisoners from a fortified castle, and de- forces that threaten to plunge the galaxy AD&D DRAGONLANCE saga. One or two stroys a Nazi missile base. It’s for PC/MS- into chaos. A task force must be created, players get to make alliances, conquer DOS computers at $39.95. and then it’s a race from planet to planet. nations, and destroy enemy troops to win Origin (603-644-3360) has released Ul- The game includes 3-D combat displays, a the War of the Lance. You can command tima VI: The False Prophet for PC/MS-DOS first-person point of view, an optional map either the Whitestone forces of good or computers. This sequel in the award- view, and realistic, smoothly scrolling the evil Highlord Dragonarmies. The full winning Ultima series initiates immediate backgrounds. campaign lasts for six game years (30 action when the Avatar is summoned back Capcom USA (408-727-0400) introduced turns). A version for the C64/128 will be to the realm of Britannia by Lord British to a variety of action-oriented video games released this year. stop a devastating attack by an evil race of for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Strategic Studies Group (P.O. Box 261, gargoyles. There is superbly crafted ani- including original and nonarcade games Drummoyne, 2047, Australia) has released mation and special effects with full sup- licensed through the Walt Disney Com- Panzer Battles for both the Apple II and port for 256-color VGA/MCGA graphics. pany. Capcom will also release its first PC/MS-DOS computers. This strategic war All game play is menu and icon controlled Game Boy title, as well as three new ar- game recreates six battles of the Russian and features a full-length musical sound- cade hits for PC/MS-DOS, C64/128, and Front using the company’s award-winning track supporting all major sound boards. Commodore Amiga computers. The first land-combat system. The price is $39.95. Virgin Mastertronic (714-833-8710) has new offering is Rescue Rangers, which Another release is Gold for the Americas, released Double Dragon II: The Revenge, highlights the antics of Walt Disney’s Chip released for PC/MS-DOS computers and the sequel to the original smash Double and Dale characters. Another Disney the Commodore Amiga. This game is a Dragon. This is a further adventure in the release is Adventures in the Magic King- recreation of the colonization and con- lives of heros Billy and Jimmy Lee. The dom, which features Mickey Mouse and quest of the New World from A.D. 1500 to game features several new weapons, more other popular Disney characters in an 1800. You play one of the four great baddies to fight against, and a new offen- action-adventure game set in the Disney- powers of the time—England, France, sive maneuver: the hurricane kick. The style theme park. Each of these games Spain, or Portugal—and you must carve game is shipping for the C64/128 at $29.99 costs $49.95. The first Game Boy title is out an empire. The price is $39.95. and for PC/MS-DOS computers at $39.99. Gargoyle’s Quest, which has incredible Media Technology Ltd. (301-926-8300) sound and graphics and will be released in has announced the release of Dragon’s the second quarter of this year. For the Lair: Escape from Singe’s Castle, in cooper- Clue corner microcomputer gamer, Ghouls and Ghosts, ation with Visionary Design Technologies. Wizardry V (Sir-Tech) Strider, and Black Tiger will be released. This is the latest in the continuing adven- When speaking to Yog (Level 6, beyond The price for each is $19.95 for PC/MS- tures of Dirk the Daring, with whom the quicksand), know that the mannequin DOS and Amiga versions, and $14.95 for millions of gamers have become familiar is the ice ferry. You must take the ice-ferry C64/128 versions. from his first appearance in Don Bluth’s and have the Ice Key to be able to get to Data East (408-286-7080) has introduced amazing and original Dragon’s Lair. In this Level 7, which is the level of the Triaxial Battle Chess for the Nintendo Entertain- sequel, Princess Daphne has been cap- Gate. On Level 7, you will need what the ment System. It combines the strategic tured by Singe the Dragon and spirited Duck of Sparks gave you as payment for challenges of traditional chess with 3-D away to the innermost recesses of the his lost property. Also on Level 7, beware graphics, for $44.95. Castle. As Dirk, you must save her from the shafts to Hades, as a pack of Nether Electronic Arts (415-571-7171) is ship- the Evil Shapeshifter who lurks deep and Greater Demons can rapidly wipe out ping Starflight 2: Trade Routes to the within the Castle’s catacombs. The game is even a powerful party. On Level 777, do not use Dumapic and Malor to return to the castle. Instead, try to find a stairway. It will lead directly to the castle, bypassing all levels between. On Level 777 is the Ghost’s Nest; it seems to be filled with the ghosts of thieves and program designers. To wake the Loon, you’ll need the Gold Key, the Skeleton Key, and the Pocket- watch. Once you have spoken to him, he will return your group to the castle. Once you start going through the Triaxial Gate (you’ll be carded at each door) you may not return to the castle until Sorn is dealt with. Two of the four cards (Queen of Hearts, King of Diamonds) are found on Level 6; the ice ferry will show you one location, and the other lies at the bottom of a very deep well. Stealing from the ghosts in the Ghost’s Nest can be quite

94 APRIL 1990 profitable. Also, bartering with them can bility and (K)limb down once more. You amulet lies in the underworld; carefully gain a few very useful items—but they’ll will see four dragons and a room filled following the path of Lord British’s expedi- steal from you if given the chance. One of with treasure. Have all but one of your tion (as described in the record included the most frustrating things about Wiz- characters go back up the ladder. Have the with the game) will find it. Lastly, the ardry V is that the thieves attacking your character that stays behind kill three of scepter lies in the fortress of the Shadow- party invariably grab items you need to the four dragons, open all of the chests, lords, in the mountains below the south- complete your quest. Rokdo slows this and get all of the treasure. Don’t worry ernmost tip of Lost Hope Bay. But don’t go down somewhat. Once through the Hall of about the chest traps; poison doesn’t work there until at least one Shadowlord is Mirrors avoid the first door, as it is strictly in a room, and acid damage can easily be destroyed—without using the crown. one-way. There is more than one door to healed with a few mani spells or one vas When (U)sed, the scepter destroys magical the Thieves Guild. mani spell. fields. Gregg Sharp If you kill only three of the four drag- The letters of the scrolls indicate what Buckeye AZ ons, get the treasure and go back up the spells to cast. The potions are not so easy. Ultima V (Origin) ladder. (K)limb down again and you’ll see Yellow is usually healing, red a poison When just starting out, sell all of your the treasure and the four dragons—and antidote, white an x-ray potion, green a weapons and armor. Buy two bows, one you suddenly realize that this trick is poison, and black invisibility. crossbow, the ammunition necessary for repeatable. In fact, at 111 XP gained per The words to open the dungeons are: each, and a horse. Position your horse on round, levels can be added very quickly to Despise—VILLIS; Destard—INOPIA; the left side of the dock by Britannia. Go to your character. In no time at all, you’ll Covetous—AVIDUS; Deceit—FALLAX; the right section and hold down the space have the cash to buy what you need, Hythloth—IGNAVUS; Wrong—MALUM; bar until the sun sets and then rises. namely food and reagents (up to 9,999 and and Shame—INFAMA. When the sun rises, you’ll have your 99 each, respectively). You’ll now have an Rick Davis choice of monsters. Ettins, trolls, and orcs easier time solving Ultima V. Fullerton CA are the best. Don’t bother with the skele- Three items from Lord British are very tons now, as they are far too hardy and helpful. The crown lies atop Blackthorne’s That’s all for this issue. A backlog of too numerous. Snakes, spiders, rats, bats, palace, east of Serpent’s Hold. But be pre- game hints will be offered in our next and insects aren’t worth the arrows you pared to lose at least one character perma- column, as well as a review of Accolade’s use to kill them, as they offer little XP and nently to get it. When (U)sed, it negates all latest action adventure, Day of the Viper. less treasure. magic of your opponents; this is a great Don’t forget, your hints keep thousands Wisps, dragons, and daemons tend to way to wipe out daemons, reapers, and alive! Mail your letters to: The Lessers, 179 spell certain death for at least one fledg- mages without trouble. I recommend Pebble Place, San Ramon CA 94583, U.S.A. ling member of your party. Avoid these getting the crown as soon as possible. The Until next time, game on! creatures! When a pirate comes near, let yourself be attacked by him, then com- mandeer his boat. Proceed to blow away the above-mentioned untouchables from the safety of the water. After you’ve gained a. significant amount of loot, go to Yew. Arm your whole party with Magic Axes. Do not search any of the boxes, beds, or dressers in the cities. If you do, and you take what you find, that’s considered stealing, and that’s a no-no. Now, go back to the horse-laden dock and complete a few more days of the horse-monster-space bar trick. When you again have a sizeable inventory and num- ber of gold pieces, go to the Buccaneer’s Den. To get there from the dock by Lord British’s castle, row east until you hear the disk drive access three times. After the third access, row south for two drive accesses. Peer into a gem, and you’ll see the isle where the Buccaneer’s Den is located. At the Buccaneer’s Den, sell your entire inventory but save your Boomer-axes. Now, buy as many Rings of Invisibility as you can, then find the Dungeon of Shame. That can be found northwest of Lord British’s castle (WoP: Infama). Find your way into the dungeon and go past the first room. Now, peer into the gem again. There are three passages going left; you want to go into the middle passage. You’ll come to a ladder that says DEEPER. (K)limb down four levels. Follow the one-way passage. (K)limb down once more. You should now see four caved-in passages, one on each side of you. Arm all of your characters with the Rings of Invisi-

DRAGON 95

by Bruce A. Heard This series chronicles the adventures of window, at the Princess’s stern. A small lage became a very serious situation. We an Alphatian explorer and his crew as bat was there, apparently terrified by my are fortunate to have survived. Indeed, they journey across the D&D® Known presence but too exhausted by its flight there were lights, but not from a village— World in their skyship. The information above the sea to flitter away. I pitied the they came from a large, gloomy castle herein may be used to expand D&D cam- poor thing and put it in a cage in my perched atop an incredible cliff overlook- paigns using the Gazetteer series. room. It will be yet another witness to my ing the Gulf of Mar. All seemed to be fine long journey. as we observed the fortress from our Andrumir 24, 1966: The journey position in the clouds, until I noticed that across the southern edge of the Cestian the princess was getting dangerously close Pass was quite an endeavor. The quasi- to the cliff, despite my orders to stand off. permanent storms that prevail in this Our strenuous attempts to pull away inex- region dropped so much rain on the plicably failed. It was then I detected a Princess’s deck that she almost alighted on powerful magical force that had locked the roaring sea—a fate that would have onto the Princess’s bow. Nothing could Andrumir 12, 1965: Our flight over destroyed her since she was built to fly, break that grip—neither my powers, nor the kingdom of Manakara was uneventful. not to float. The princess’s hulk is much those of Talasar, nor those of the dispel The high plateaus of Tulear eventually too light to withstand even normal sea wardens. passed, and we reached the northern navigation, much less a violent storm. As we slowly drifted down to the black border of Androkia, near the coast. We Fortunately, the crew performed splen- fortress, knights in armor could be seen then continued southwest over the sea to didly in bailing out the water. Any naviga- standing motionless in the rain and the avoid direct confrontation with the Andro- tion of these waters by a seagoing vessel wind. All of them bore the coat of arms of kians, xenophobes about whom we were would be excessively dangerous and thus the Heldannic Order. How such an insig- warned by King Mananjary himself. The should be avoided. nificant clerical order built a mighty for- decision was made more to please Lady Andrumir 26, 1965: We reached the tress so far from the Heldann Freeholds Abovombe than to avoid difficulties with continental coast after sundown. I would was at first inconceivable; later events the natives. (I neglected to mention that have ordered a southerly course if one of would explain all, as we learned. the lady has stayed aboard the Princess the crewmen had not discovered some As soon as the range permitted it, the Ark to join our voyage of discovery. Upon lights in the distance, perhaps a native battle started. The boltmen and their our return to Sundsvall, she will be King village. I’ve decided to investigate, using Cestian squires did their best. But when Mananjary’s ambassador. Lady Abovombe the clouds for cover. We shall see what we the Princess reached the main Heldannic has a refreshing personality, and the crew shall see. bastion, the heavily armored knights is becoming fond of her.) Andrumir 28, 1966: Our approach boarded the ship en masse and over- As night fell, I heard a noise against my toward what we thought be .a native vil- whelmed the crew. There was no alterna-

DRAGON 97 tive but to surrender in hopes of saving found a temple at the center of fortress. A out. A shrewd negotiator, that lady; I grant the ship. stairway spiraled down into the rock, her that. Eventually, she ordered the re- Of course, for a wizard of my status, leading to a crypt-a regular sort of crypt, lease of both ship and crew, in exchange being “captured” is a relative term. I had mind you, like the ones that invariably for which she and I went into the planes copiously prepared myself, then allowed contain someone’s grave. After blasting the next day and recovered the body of these knights to believe I was their pris- away a few creatures that did not expect the order’s Spiritual Patron. oner. I followed their commander, plan- my impromptu appearance, I read the I must admit that I had a very tough ning to learn the Order’s reasons for this inscriptions carved just about everywhere. time breaking away from the priestess. act of war against a ship of Her Imperial Crafty sculptors, these knights. Her intention, of course, was to never let Majesty. The Heldannic Knights have been on a me go—I was too dangerous, now—but As the commander of the Princess Ark, I quest for decades to find the mortal re- neither was my intention to stay. The was predictably and forcibly taken to the mains of their Spiritual Patron. One of priestess had what she wanted—the “holy fortress’s high priestess. Her welcome was their heroes had made it this far and had relic” —and my ship was free and far very cold. These knights knew about actually found the grave. The knights enough from the fortress to avoid being wizardry and had made all the right managed to create a permanent gate to pulled back. We left immediately; the moves to ensure I would not cast spells. I this place, then built their fortress above empire has no interest in the clerical mat- had a short conversation with the high the ancient crypt. So far, they had suc- ters of petty knighthoods. My personal priestess, which did not amount to much ceeded in keeping it secret, which leads interest in this whole episode lies now in since she had protected her thoughts me to believe they murdered the wizard discovering the nature of the force that against any sort of magical empathy. Soon hired to create the gate, as well as all pulled the Princess down—and this I am enough I tired of her charades, and I those who built the castle. This explains intent upon unveiling one day. It will have played my trump card. why they might desire the destruction of to wait for now. Years ago, when I dabbled in spell re- the Princess. Cyprimir 1, 1965: After returning to search, I stumbled upon an interesting It took some sophisticated magical doing the Princess, I ordered a new course, spell of delaying —a rather difficult spell, on my part to remove the corpse and take away from the fortress. These knights will but if used successfully it confers the it away into the planes, to a place of my probably be looking for us, but I care no ability to delay a number of spells until a knowledge alone. Just as I returned from more about them. We are now sailing certain condition occurs. It will not work my journey, knights poured into the crypt south over the coast. The land has become for more than an hour for me, but that and captured me again—this time for sure. an extremely rocky, uninviting region. was sufficient. A few blinks of my right Their anger was as palpable as the many Despite some rainfall, it seems the vegeta- eye and a casual sniff were all it took to sharp blades they laid at my throat. It tion is getting sparser. time stop this fine company. would have been over for me, but the high To be continued.. . . My, what an interesting discovery I then priestess arrived in time. made. A little invisibility here and a bit of And she knew what I had done. It took If you have already designed the areas teleport there, and before long I had some very careful discussing to sort things covered by the flight of the Princess Ark,

98 APRIL 1990 DRAGON 99 simply ignore the information given here upright lion; and for his full-face great spells are often cure light wounds and (the skyship simply went by, assuming that helm topped with the ominous upright hold person. these areas were already well known to lion to make him appear much taller Lower-level clerics of the order are the Alphatians). If you have any comments than he really is. These are heavy cav- students who reside at the various regarding this column or the D&D game’s alry knights with fully barded war- strongholds of the order, or else act as Known World as designed in the Gazet- horses. They normally travel and squires or men-at-arms during con- teers, please send your inquiries to: Bruce march to battle brandishing dozens of flicts. The Heldannic Order as a whole Heard, D&D Column, TSR, Inc., P.O. Box very large banners, standards, and is said to have up to 2,000 knights and 756, Lake Geneva WI 53147. We cannot pennants bearing the order’s coat of officers (Knights Banneret, Lieutenants, guarantee that all letters will get answers, arms. When a great cavalry charge is and Captains), and 5,000 students. but they will certainly have our attention. possible, Heldannic Knights are likely to Twelve High Priests (C12) under the Your input into the development of the use heavy cavalry lances. Otherwise, authority of the Great Knight of the D&D Known World is welcome. half of them use large shields and bas- Order (C25) rule the knighthood from tard swords, and the remainder use the Fortress of Freiburg in the Heldann two-handed swords. Freeholds. Heldannic Knights A Banner of Heldannic Knights (2-12 Countless other troops and armies men) typically casts protection from exist in the Heldann Freeholds. These The Heldannic Order is a grim broth- evil before combat. Their officer, the include barbarian hordes, town mili- erhood of warlike knights whose quest Knight Banneret, is likely to also cast a tias, and mercenaries opposed to the and devotion is the unification of the blight spell and remain at the center of Heldannic Order. barbarian freeholds north of the King- his troops. The officer’s two remaining dom of Vestland. The Heldannic Knights, most of them powerful in the magic of clerics, are brutal and blood- Heldannic Knights Table thirsty. They exterminated countless barbarian clans during the centuries of Knight Officer Heldannic terror. The knights are ex- Armor Class 3 (plate armor) 2 (field armor) tremely loyal to their order and are the Class and Level C2 C5 embodiment of the concept “rule by the Move 90’(30’) 90’(30’) strong.” They have no mercy for the Mounted 120’(40’) 120’(40’) weak. These enigmatic knights have no Attacks 1 sword or lance 1 weapon or spell known allies and have systematically Damage By weapon type By weapon or spell type rejected all diplomatic ties with either No. Appearing 1 Banner (2d6 + 6) 1 per Banner Save as C2 C5 Thyatis or Alphatia. Morale 11 11 A Heldannic Knight is recognizable Alignment chaotic Chaotic for his dark, dull-gray plate armor; for XP Value 30 425 his long white tabard with its black,

100 APRIL 1990 several days recovering from their glut- tony. Common behir hibernate during the winter and spend much of their time fattening up before its onset.4 Though massive and bulky creatures, behir are surprisingly quick and nimble, capable of overtaking human prey though not horses. They also climb remarkably well and dan move straight up the face of a mountainous cliff. When full grown, behir often measure as much as 40’ in length, though being reptilian they never stop growing. Enormous shed scales have been found that indicate some ancient specimens might be 60’ long. Although only dimly intelligent when compared to humans, behir have a terrible natural cunning and are quite adept at acquiring prey by simple means. They prefer to attack from ambush, and openly confront only small groups of creatures. A pair occasionally works in concert to obtain prey, one flushing prey into the waiting claws and jaws of the other, but this working together seems to be uninten- tionial, as behir are unsociable as a rule and will fight over a large kill. A behir can attack in numerous ways, are too fanciful to believe. I will assume An excerpt from the tome Creatures of most commonly by biting and, by rearing their natures are much like that of the the Wilderlands, by the sage and explorer up on the hindmost eight legs, clawing common behir until more is known. 2 Radamust: with the four foremost legs. The behir can The common behir is a violent, destruc- One of the most malevolent creatures I also wrap its upper body around a large tive creature that frequents mountainous have ever encountered is the behir. Having victim to crush it, a tactic that also allows and hilly terrain as well as open plains and nearly fallen victim to its depredations on it to make two to six talon attacks on the temperate forests. It never remains in one two separate occasions, I have endeavored victim (depending on the latter’s size) until area very long, even if prey is plentiful, to learn more about this wild and curious the victim dies or manages to break free. beast, which is occasionally mistaken for a and thus never accumulates much in the Having witnessed a mercifully brief battle way of spoils. Its den is usually a cave or wingless dragon by the uneducated. between an ogre and a behir, I can attest well-hidden thicket where it rests while it A behir is unmistakable to the learned, that even ogres find this a daunting task is not hunting. It never brings prey back once you have seen it. It is a twelve-legged and are unlikely to win such a struggle. to its lair, preferring for the lair to remain serpent, with each foot bearing three toes Less commonly, a behir will ram an oppo- that end in razor-sharp talons. These unnoticed by scavengers and thus unlikely nent with its forehead or trample it under- to draw attention to the behir there.3 talons are hooked like a raptor’s but are foot. Both of these attacks can be fatal to designed for slashing, not grasping, prey. Behir are active during the day, though smaller creatures, although they are fairly not exclusively, and they sleep during the The body is covered in bandlike scales easy to avoid.5 from light to dark blue in color with gray- moonlit hours. They prey on all creatures On account of their size, behir can swal- ish tints along the edges. The underside is smaller than they, particularly medium also light blue and composed of a vertical and larger mammals such as boars, though row of banded scales. The upper scales they will also attack humans, ogres, and are very hard and tough and, if treated elves. Being reptilian in nature, behir correctly, can be made into serviceable armor.¹ The head is long, and the narrow mouth is filled with many sharp teeth. Two backward-curving horns project from the rear of the skull, each black in color and 3-4’ in length. Upon beginning my investigation, I dis- covered there was more than one species, each with its own special abilities and wildly divergent habitats. However, thank- fully, these two other species are much rarer than the common (or lightning) behir, and are rarely encountered by anyone who is not an explorer or a savage, for they inhabit the fringes of the world: humid jungles, deserts, and volcanic plains. Because of their rarity, I was un- able to discover much beyond their habi- tats and have named them accordingly: desert behir and jungle behir. Numerous tales have been told of them, each giving various descriptions of these beasts. Most

DRAGON 101 102 APRIL 1990 low man-size or smaller creatures whole. interesting phenomena. encumbrance, such armor provides pro- The chance of this occurring is not very At this point I would also like to hypoth- tection equal to banded mail. Up to three large, but once swallowed, there is almost esize on the natures of the other species of man-size armors can be constructed from no chance of its prey escaping alive. The behir. Although unable to examine one a single slain behir. Some armorers or digestive juices are strong enough to cor- close at hand, I have heard stories that smiths pay 500-1,000 gp for a behir’s hide rode and dissolve metal in a few days, lead me to suspect each species has its in good condition. flesh in a considerably shorter time. Need- own ranged magical attack, probably 2. The other species of behir are detailed less to say, I have seen no one survive working on the same general principles as later. Both the desert behir and jungle being swallowed. However, the acid is not those of the common behir. From this and behir are like the common behir in most strong enough to dissolve gems or glass other aspects of its nature, I believe that respects, particularly in their destructive and these sometimes will be found inside behir are magical in nature and are the habits, general life cycles, etc. the stomach of a behir, the only treasure result of some ancient magical experiment 3. There is a 5% chance of encountering they will possess.6 of wizards or godlings—as so many beasts a behir in its lair. If an encounter is indi- Before I could continue my study of the we know seem to be. Perhaps time and cated, there is a 75% chance that the behir beast, I needed a dead one for dissection. further research will tell. is sleeping. Any undue noise, as well as Rather than risk life and limb in this pur- Behir grow steadily and are able to mate any attacks, will bring the behir instantly suit, I employed cunning that I thought by their tenth year, the point at which awake. even a behir would be proud of. Knowing they can be considered adults, Behir can 4. Because of their reptilian nature, from my studies that behir are not averse live as long as 50-60 years in the wild, but behir become extremely sluggish when to adding carrion to their diet, I poisoned few actually reach that age as most are temperatures fall below the freezing point, the body of a dead ox and left it for a killed by predators before then. Mating especially if the weather is cloudy. Thus, behir to find. However, the ploy was a takes place in early spring, with the pair cold-producing spells, such as cone of cold failure, for no matter what poison I used, choosing a secluded cave in which to live and ice storm, reduce a behir’s movement the behir walked away unscathed. Appar- during this time. The female lays 1-4 eggs, by half for 2-8 rounds. If the low tempera- ently the strength of its digestive juices blue-green in color and about 2’ in length. tures can somehow be maintained, the somehow destroyed the poison before it The eggs are leathery like a snake’s, and behir will go nearly dormant, seeking only could take effect. Poisoned missiles also they and are buried under a light layer of to defend itself from attack and escape the had no effect, and I was at a loss to explain sand or dirt. During the time it takes the cold by whatever means possible. why until I found that the behir has a eggs to hatch—three to four weeks, 5. It seems unlikely that a behir will thick layer of fat under its scales, like a normally—the female remains on guard at constrict prey that is only of human size. pig. This explains why poison from arrows the nest. The male forages for both.7 If confronted with a human-size opponent, never gets to its bloodstream. But parental attitudes do not last long, as it will bite (2-8 hp damage) and rear back The most dangerous aspect of a behir, the young are quickly driven from the lair however, is its ability to generate a bolt of after hatching and must fend for them- lightning, perhaps in the same manner as selves. Few survive to adulthood, as any a blue dragon. This bolt is roughly seven number of other monsters and foes—not yards long and is directed from its mouth. the least of them being adventurers—will Upon studying the remains of the behir I slay the young at any opportunity. It is finally managed to obtain, I have discov- possible to train behir if captured while ered a few clues to how this might be only months old. Such behir can be taught done, but nothing conclusive. A large to understand simple commands and even organ with an unusually high concentra- to speak a few words of Common, but tion of metals lies adjacent to the stomach. they are capricious and wicked by nature, This organ is connected by a system of respecting only power, and this loyalty nerve structures to another, smaller organ usually lasts from one meal to the next or in the back of the mouth. Again, the until a more powerful master comes smaller organ has a high concentration of along. Thus, ownership of a behir can be a metals. I hypothesize that an electrical double-edged sword. A behir that is much current is produced in the larger gland by larger than its owner is certain to strike some as yet unknown method, then stored out and become unmanageable.8 in the smaller gland until discharged. The The behir, surprisingly for its size, actu- behir seems to have complete control over ally does not upset its environment beyond this ability and is able to fire this bolt as its tendency to lay waste to civilized dwell- often as five or six times per hour. ings in search of two-legged prey. Granted, Perhaps to supply these organs, behir it is hated by all intelligent beings, which it ingest fairly large quantities of metal, in turn hates, but it eats relatively little. preferring copper and silver over all oth- However, being so well armored, so large, ers. Few items of metallic nature are and so well equipped with weapons as it is, found after a behir has slain a victim. one cannot imagine what possible good it Occasionally, a behir can be distracted by serves except to torment humanity. Cer- great amounts of copper or silver coins, tainly nature would not miss this beast, and allowing passage or not attacking, but only it may be that extinction at the hands of if the behir is well fed beforehand. The warriors and wizards will someday be the high metal content in the behir’s bodily fate of this species. Would that it were gone systems seems to have an added advantage tomorrow! in that they are themselves unaffected by electrical discharges in any form. Exactly Footnotes how the behir uses the metal it eats or 1. A trained armorer or smith can con- how it is involved in the generation of and struct armor from a behir’s hide. Such resistance to the lightning is unknown, but armor takes two to four weeks and 2,000 I plan to continue my research into this gp to construct. Equivalent to chain mail in

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to get four claw attacks (each doing 1-6 hp never be removed; there is a 50% chance or down by the DM depending on the damage). If it meets an ogre, hill giant, the behir will abandon its current master circumstances.) By its tenth year, a behir bull, or similar large animal, it will bite (2- for a new one if approached properly. will attempt to free itself and will become 8 hp damage) and simultaneously wrap its (This chance should be adjusted either up unmanageable in all respects. body around the victim (doing 2-5 hp damage from crushing and abrasion). On the following round, the behir gives a slight roll to its body to bring its “interior” talons to bear on the entrapped prey, and Behir, variant it can bite (2-8 hp damage) and attempt six separate strikes with those talons (each Desert Jungle strike doing 1-6 hp if it hits), though no CLIMATE/TERRAIN Dry, deserts Wet, rain forests damage from constriction will be done, as FREQUENCY Very rare Very rare the body will have pulled back far enough ORGANIZATION Solitary Solitary to allow the talon attacks. If fighting a ACTIVITY CYCLE Day Day dragon, a behir could even wrap itself DIET Carnivore Carnivore around the dragon an attempt to bring all INTELLIGENCE Low Low of its claws to bear, biting and constricting TREASURE Incidental Incidental as well, and perhaps using its electrical ALIGNMENT Neutral evil Neutral evil attack, too. The lightning strike is primar- NO. APPEARING 1-2 1-2 ily used against spell-casting adventurers, ARMOR CLASS 3 4 dragons, and other dangerous foes. MOVEMENT 15 15 A behir may also choose to butt an oppo- HIT DICE 10 14 nent (1-10 hp damage) or trample an oppo- THAC0 11 7 nent (4-16 hp damage). Both attacks are at NO. OF ATTACKS See below See below -2 to hit against man-size or small crea- DAMAGE/ATTACK See below See below tures, but if successful such attacks stun SPECIAL ATTACKS See below See below victims for 1-4 rounds, not allowing them SPECIAL DEFENSES Immune to poison Immune to poison to attack, defend, or escape. and heat and acid 6. It should be noted that the strength of MAGIC RESISTANCE Standard Standard the acid is necessary to dissolve the metal SIZE L (35’ long) L (45’ long) items the behir eats. For this reason, no MORALE Champion (15) Champion (15) items of metallic origin are found in a XP VALUE 8,000 12,000 behir’s stomach. Only gems and glass objects are safe from the corroding effect Desert Behir: These creatures are found in deserts as well as volcanic plains. of the acid. It takes a full day for the diges- Their platelike upper scales range in color from yellow to orange, while the belly tive acids to dissipate enough for safe scales are fiery red. When attacking, the desert behir has available all the physical removal of any gems or objects that might attacks of a normal behir. The desert behir's breath weapon, however, is a jet of be in the stomach. If the behir is cut open flame, 20’ long, that does 30 hp damage unless a successful saving throw vs. breath before then, anyone who touches the weapon is made, success indicating half damage is sustained. This jet can be used stomach liquids will take 1-4 hp damage once every 12 rounds. and, if a hand was used, be unable to Jungle behir: As the name implies, the jungle behir is found in tropical jungles grasp anything for 2-8 rounds from pain. and rain forests. The large scales that cover the upper half of the body are emerald 7. A behir grows according to the statis- green in color, while the scales covering the lower half are a lighter coppery green. tics in the Behir Growth Table. Rapid The jungle behir possess the same attack routines as the other behir types, but its growth takes place during the first five breath weapon is a jet of acid that does 20 hp damage unless a successful saving years of a behir’s life before it slows con- throw is made. Half damage is applicable if the save is made. The jet can be used siderably. Young behir must fend for them- once every eight rounds. selves while still quite young and, as noted by Radamust, few survive to adulthood. Those that do are extremely cunning and Behir Growth Table dangerous for beasts with simple minds. For the three to four weeks it takes for Age HD Size Damage the eggs to hatch, the female is always 0 year 3 6' long 1-4/1-2x4 found in the lair, and the male is never far 1 year 4 12' long 2-5/1-4x4 away. Although the male brings prey back 2-3 years 6 20' long 1-6/1-4X4 to the lair for the female, they meticu- 4-5 years 8 28’ long 2-8/1-6x4* lously clean the area of remains to avoid 6-10 years 9 34’ long 2-8/1-6x4** drawing the attention of any predators. 11-15 years 10 36' long 2-8/1-6x4*** Both male and female fight ferociously to 16-22 years 11 38' long 2-8/1-6X4 protect the eggs, gaining a +2 bonus to hit 23+ years 12 40' long 2-8/1-6X4 and damage when doing so. 8. Behir can be trained if caught within a * The behir gains its constriction attack during its fifth year (1-2 hp damage) as well year of their hatching. For this reason, as six claw attacks, regardless of the victim's size. young behir and behir eggs can be sold on * * The behir becomes an adult at age 10 and does 1-4 hp damage with its constric- the open market for 500-750 gp. Such tion attack. training takes about two months for a * * * At age 15, the behir gains its trampling and butting attacks. The behir also does skilled animal trainer, after which the 2-5 hp damage with its constriction attack. behir can understand and speak Common as well as a five-year-old child. However, its natural tendency toward treachery can

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