2

\ Classifieds
Mexieo: Atencion Ciudad de Mexico, Massachusetts: I am a 1S-year.old IBM. I am just starting out with role·
soy ellider de un grupo de jugado res player looking for a gaming group and playing games and would like pen pals,
del AD&Q® game y estamos en busea de DM in the Worcester area. I prefer the especially from overseas, to give me tips
mas miembros. Para mayor informacion AD&D game, but I also know the D&D on playing the games and advice on
escriban a: THE DRAGON KNIGHTS, game and Shadowrun. Please call 508- what to buy. My other interests include
Aljibe 103, Santa Ursula Xitla, CP 798-0535 or write: David Starobin, 11 drawing, photography, music, model
14420, MEXICO DF.O lIamen al 573-23- Hickory Drive, Worcester, MA 01609. cars and airplanes, soccer, football, and
88 con Sergio. weightlifting. All letters will be an-
Michigan: Fairly experienced game swered. Please write: Scot McNulty, 48
Scotland: I'm 24 years old and looking master seeks players. My group meets Bently Avenue, Malone, NY 12953,
for other garners in southwest Scotland. every other weekend. We play the
USA.
I play the AD&D game and the AD&D game and occasionally Call of
GAMMA WORL[)® game. Write: Bob Cthulhu. Please call Mike Seaton at General: Wanted by collector:
Brown. 45 Wilson Street, Ayr, Ayrshire, 313·285·5452, weekdays after 4 p.m. DUNGEON® Magazine 13, Netherworld
Scotland KA8 9LT or call 0292-282957. Don't hesitate; all ages acceptable. Continuum 11-2, Olympus 114,
POLYHEDRON'" Newszine II 31, and
South America: Are there any other Michigan: I'm a serious, 17-year-old
White Wolf 61. Write: Bill Jaffe, PO.
role players in Central or South Ameri· GMiplayer looking for garners in the
Box 2645, Fairfax, VA 22031. I also buy
ca? I play the AD&D game, Genesee County area. I'm interested in
collections.
GAMMA WORLD game, D&O® game, the AD&D 2nd Edition game, Battle-
BOOT HILL~ game, and CyberPunk. I'd tech, Shadowrun, D&D game, MARVEL General: I'm a 17.year-old male gamer
like to learn new games and meet Dew SUPER HEROES game, and Teenage seeking pen pals interested in the D&D
friends. Be hablo espano!. Please write: Mutant Ninja Turtles. I would like to game or AD&D game. I enjoy fantasy,
J. Cooper Cazedessus, Aptdo. No. 87· learn other games. Please contact: science fiction, reading and writing, and
4001, Rio Segundo-Alajuela, Costa Rica- David C. Kubanek Jr., 7502 W. Coldwa- computers. Also, I'm looking for garners
America Central. ter Rd., Flushing, MI 48433, 313·659- in the Ottawa, Ontario area who would
1217. like to form a group. Please write: Chris
Arizona: 'Ib arms! Heroes, to arms! The Marker, RR 11, Lombardy, Ontario,
evil horde is afield! Commsnders and Oklahoma: Looking for Network
Canada KOG 1LO.
units are needed now! Heroes of great action? Contact the Players' Guild of
might report to "RH:' at P.O. Box 1051, Central Oklahoma. We run sanctioned General: Wanted: The Triangle, a Star
Ehrenberg, AZ 85334. I'm running events at major conventions across the Trek role-playing game supplement.
campaigns with the BATI'LESYSTEM'" state, and we meet every Saturday for Contact: Dave Rickett, P.O. Box 73,
rules (you don't need a copy) on several games. In the Oklahoma City metro Waukesha, WI 53187-0073.
different worlds. Th arms! 1b arms! area call: Donald G. Dennis 405·751·
General: Wanted: The Indiana Jones
1795. In Shawnee call: Ronnie Jacobs
California: Looking for garners in the role-playing game. I am very desperate.
405-275-6148. Or write Players' Guild, Please contact: John Furmanski, RD 1
San Francisco Bay area. I'm a 17-year.
PO. Box 770396, Oklahoma City, OK Box 307A Acee Road, Whitesboro, NY
old GMlplayer. I enjoy the original
73177.
AD&D game, Oriental Adventures, 13492.
MERP, the STAR FRONTIERS'" game, Washington: I'm 22 years old and look·
General: Wanted: Out-oC.print adven·
Warhammer, Star Trek, Doctor Who, ing for other garners to start a club or to
tures for the AD&D game. Also looking
DC Heroes, MARVEL SUPER HEROES join an established club in Kitsap Coun· for copies of WG7 Castle Greyhawk
game, and Champions. I'd like someone ty. Contact: Pete Steinmetz, 1307 NW (TSR9222). Write: David Johannes,
to teach me Paranoia and Space 1889. Mirage Ln. IG-203, Silverdale, WA ERAU Box 8217, Prescott, AZ 86301.
Contact: Jeremiah Cook, 2016 San 98383; 206·692·5884.
Antonio, Alameda, CA 94509, 415-522· General: 'IWenty-year·old gamer seeks
Wisconsin: I'm a 15.year-old playerl
4214 (after 4 p.m.). pen pals. I am interested in the AD&D
GM looking for a gaming group in the game and Rolemaster. All letters will be
Maine: I'm a veteran playerlDM look- Delavan area. I play the AD&D game,
answered. Write: Brian Pot.ts, 5211·45th
ing for a group in t he South Paris area. Battletech, and Car Wars. I am willing
Close, Innisfail, Alberta, Canada TOM
I play many different games, including to learn others, especially Shadowrun
lAO.
both editions of the AD&D game, Hero and Call of Cthulhu. I'm also willing to
System games, Shadowrun, and Rune- hear from a pen pal or two. Write: Andy General: 'IWenty.one.year-old male
quest. I have played and GMed for Vance, 313 South 3rd Street, Delavan, gamer wishes to join a PBM game. I
years, but prefer playing. I am willing WI 53115, or call 414-728·6671 after 4 also buy, trade, sell comics, and sell
to start a new group. Contact: Russell p.m. weekdays. games for the Commodore 64 and Ami·
Carter, 516 Old County Rd., Bryant ga 500. Contact: Robert A. Thmaszewski
General: I am a 14-year.old from New Jr. PCS Box 3283, Edwards AFB, CA
Pond, ME 04219. York. I play adventure games such as 93524.5361,805.258·0957.
Wizardry and the Ultima series on my

p o L y H E D R o N
 3

Volume 12. Number 5

Issue 161. July 1991

SPECIAL FEATURE
10 With Great Power - by Steven Schend
If you're hero enough to take on a Doctor Doom or two, sign up for the action.
Latveria could be at stake.

FEATURES
About the Cover 7 The New Rogues Gallery - by John Patruno. Tony Newton. Chris Ryan.
and Rod Harrison
Do sentient ships dream? Perhaps These four AD&IJ'I game characters can add spice to any game-let them
they do. If so, they might see liven up yours.
visions like this unearthly scene by
Jeff Easley. 19 Back To Basics
The revised DUNGEONS & DRAGONSCD game should bring a throng of new
garners into role playing.
20 The Living City - by Lew and Terry Wright
The Sunfish and the Eldritch, Lightfoot, Findrol & Company World'!'lide
Import/Export are integral parts of Ravens Bluff's docks and will yield an
adventure or two.
22 I Blew Up The Car - by Chris Schon
At GEN CON- Game Fair, Chris is in charge of Network HQ. It's a trying
job, but it-and the days leading up to the convention-have their humorous
moments.
Publisher
Jack Beuttell
EDITORIAL
Editor
Jean Rahe 4 Notes From HO - by Skip Williams
The Newszine's associate editor looks at clubs and contests.
ASfJOCiate Editor
Skip Williams S Letters - trom the m~bers

Graphic Director
Paul Hanchette
DEPARTMENTS
Cartographer
Dave Conant 2 Classlfleds
18 Bookwyrms - by Doug Niles
Production Staff The Maztica Trilogy draws to a close with the release of the third book. But
Angelika Lokotz the adventures in this new area of the Forgotten Realms can go as far as your
Tracey Zamagne imagination.
Tim Beach
Charmaine Reynolds 25 The Living Galuy - by Roger E. Moore
Our space·faring columnist looks at more ways to use player character ships
in science fiction adventures.
28 Into the Dark - by Jim Lowder
This month's movie reviews are served up for Call ofCthulhu and H.P.
Lovecraft. fans.
31 ConventIon Announcements

P o L y H E o R o N
 ,// \')
/~\
4

--
Notes From HO
Letters, Winners, and the Game Fair
It's mid March as 1 write this, and re- from October, 1990 to March, 1991 and membership to keep new manuscripts
sponses to our call in issue 58 for com- was open to register ed Network dubs_ nowing steadily across Tim's desk.
mentary on the Newszine are just The champion recruiter was the Role
beginning to trickle in. We've printed Players Guild of Kansas City (MO), one
some of these in our Letters eolumn this of our newest dubs_ COnb>Tatulations, Meet Us at the Game Fair
issue. and we hope to receive many folks, you defeated many dubs which By the t ime you r ead this, the Net-
more responses. Don't forget your had longer histories and more members_ work's preparations for the GEN CONe
chance to let the staff know what you The first prize is a trophy and piece of Game Fair, the grandaddy of game
like and dislike about the New8zine. original Baton Lash artwork featuring conventions, should a lmost be complete.
If you think March is a tad early to be Wolff and Byrd, Counselors of t he Maca- lfyou're interested in assisting us with
working on an editorial that won't see bre, in action _In addition, the Role set up, tournament scoring, or judging,
print until July, you haven 't heard Players Guild of Kansas City receives a we'd like to hear from you, even at this
nuthin yet. Jean and I started editing one-year extension to its dub member- late date.
t his issue's contents two weeks ago, at ship. Second place honors went to Trav- We're eagerly looking forw ard to this
the end of February, We chose most of elers Unlimited of Feeding Hills, MA. year's game fair. We'll have a record
this issue's articles in a day-long meet- The Travelers also get a one-year mem- three doze n or so tournaments, plus
ing back in October, drawing on submis- bership extension, plus a selection of seminars. Among the highlights: The
sions t hat were as much as eight autographed product from TSR, tnc. AD&DI!I Game Open. Designed by
months old then. Think that's getting There was a tie for third place between award-winning tournament author 'lOrn
things ready in plenty of time? The The Circle of Swords (Butler, PA) and Prusa, this year's Open is a hair.raising
Newszine's budget, typesetting sched- the Guild of the Dragon Masters (Junc· space odyssey using the
ule, and printing schedule was in place tion City, CA). Both clubs get one-year SPELLJAMMER'" adventure setting_
even before that_ Why am I telling you membership extensions. You needn't know anything about the
this? Because we're in the midst of a SPELLJAMMER rules to play this
long visit from the missed deadline event, but you'll need plenty of wit and
monster, especially for convention an-
Serendipity spunk to win. This year 's Open is
nouncements and tournament requests. The HQ staff had no trouble awarding staffed by member Darryl Behling and
We're not kidding when we say we first prize for the membership drive, Damage, Inc., a Network club from
need six months advance notice for since member Alan Grimes, Role Play- West Allis, WI.
these things. Of course, it doesn't take ers Guild of Kansas City president, lfyou're arriving at the convention
us six months to process a convention happened to be in the office the day we early, don't miss our annual members'
announcement or tournament request, tallied the results. Alan, a third·year meeting at the Hyatt on Wednesday
but we do work many weeks in advance. medical student at the Univer sity of night, August 7th; we've moved to larg-
A lot of people are surprised by how Missouri·Kansas City, decided to spend er quarters after overflowing our room
far in advance we work, and they won- an entire week of his vacation here at last year. The agenda will include the
der out loud if it's really necessary. It is. HQ helping out. We promised to keep second _annual decathlon skit competi-
When planning Newszines, for example, him busy, and we did. Alan packed tion, where Network clubs strut their
we have to coordinate our editorial tournaments and gift certificates for stuff to impress the judges and enter-
efforts with work from artists, typeset- spring and summer conventions, wres· tain their fellow members_ Where else
ters, keyliners, printers, and the post tled with our overloaded fil ing system, can you find singing barbarians, rhym.
office. At each step we have to build in a and put in a few hours banging a set of ing dice, a nd characters who are smart·
little extra time to allow for delays-the AD&DI!I game tournament characters er than their players?
time adds up quickly. into shape. Here's a bushel of t hanks,
Producing the Newszine is our most Alan, for your double assist. Good Gaming,
important single task, and it gets an
appropriate share of our time. All the
other work we do must be scheduled to
A New Face
Skip
fit between our Newszine deadlines_
That's why it's vital that you respect
Alan's (tor)mentor during his stay at
HQ was Tim Beach, who arrived in
o
our deadlines. We're happy to serve the early March to become our new editori-
membership in any way we can, but we a.1 assistant. Tim's duties include help-
need your help. Please turn in your ing produce the Newszine, editing
convention announcements early. tournaments, and handling convention
mailings. Tim currently is engaged in
filing and cataloging all our myriad
Beginner's luck? tournament manuscripts. Of course, our
The fi nal results of our 1991 member- need for new tournament material is as
ship drive are in. The competition r an great as ever, so we're counting on the

p o L y H E D R o N
 rei \':
1/\1" I- 5
"",J/

Letters
The Newszine, Clubs, and a Thank You
tails. Ifany member can shed some light POLYHEDRON" N!lWSZlne (Ihe oflicial newsletler of
More Input I on this, we'd like to see your informa- TSR Inc:::s ROLE PLAYING GAME ASSOCIATION'"
NetwoI~) is putMished bi·monlhly by TSR. Inc. The
tion. mailing address to( all correspondence is: P.O. 60~
Months ago, t received only perfunctory Thanks for your input on what you 515. Lake Geneva. WI 53147 1eIephone: (414)248-
notice th at you h ad received an article like and don't like about the Newszine. 3625.
of mine. You did not say if you intended We'd like to get more responses from the
to publish the piece. Now I have an, membership. We make content changes POLYHEDRON Newszine is mailed flee to all
opportu nity to sell it, and I would hke RPGA'" Network members. US membeiship rates
based on what our readers want. are $15 per year (bulk mail delivery or1ly); Canadian
to withdraw the article. rates are $22: foreign rates are $25 per year (surlace
Issue 58 asked readers for comments Here's my response w Notes From HQ mail) Of $45 p&f year (ar md) All prices are subject
about the Newszine's conte nts. I don't in issue 58. 10 change """hoot noIio::e. CtIanges 01 acldress for
like: Wolff & Byrd. It's fun ny, but it's the deIO'I&fY 01 mem~lp mateflals must be re-
First, Ed Greenwood's Everwinking ceived at least 30 days poor 10 the etlective dele of
not about gaming and I think people Eye is the best part of the Newszin e. His the chant;te to ensure uJ'linterruPled delillllf)'.
seeing the magazine for the first time "low fantasy" approach and the level of POLYHEDRON Newszine wetcomes unsolicllod
would wonder if garners take an un· detail he provides neatly fits my cam- submissions 01 wrotten material and artworl<. thai are
healthy interest in the macabre. In to accompanied by our Standard DISClosure FO(m. No
paign style. I also admire h is obvious respooslbil,ty IOf soch riJbmissions ca.ll be assumed
tht Dark. Movie reviews aren't so useful knowledge or medieval life and t he way by the publlshef in any avenI. No submISSIOn WJI be
to garners, although I adm it "The Evil h e adds magical powers as a common, returned unless it 1$ also aooompanied by a sell·
Dead II" was a fantastic movie, espe- yet mysterious, part of society. Has this adr8S5ed. stamped envelope of StJlfrc:en1 SiZe.
cially for Call of Cthulhu fans. The Unless special arrangements to the cootrillY are
guy publish ed any novels? made prior to pubhcation. matetials roubrrulled 10 the
Everwinking Eye. I just don't like it. Second, I looked at the official club publisher lo r poblk:atlon In POLYHEDRO N
I really had fun with Rob Nicholls' list and was amazed to find that south- News:ooe are accepted ~ u pon the cordtJon
logic puzzle in The Living City. The ern California, one of the nation's most thai. the mater1818 may be e6ted and ~ In
Liuing Galaxy is particularly good (or POlYHEDRON Newszine Of used WI RPGA'" NOI-
populous areas, doesn't have one club. work sanctlOf'lod tournaments, c;onven\lOns and
ideas for SF gaming. Wes Nicholson's I'm also amazed at the lack of conven- events WIIhouI cost to the publIsher. TSR alld the
Gaming Down Under piqued my inter· tions in the Los Angeles area. I've seen RPGA NelwOfk shall make no other use o1tt1e mate-
est but left. me hungry for details about only one in the year and a half that I've rials unless TSR and the aVlhOr or artist enler inlo a
Ne:.v Zealand's parliamentary inquiry written agreement regarding such use.
been a Network member. Is there any- TSA graJ'ilS \0 prospocllVe authors a JlOJ).exdosive
inw gaming. thing you or your regional director can right 10 use copyrighted materials of TSR In thell suI>
do to get things moving? missIonS 10 TSR. An author. however. shaD have no
Pierre Savoie Third, many of the Newszine's fea- right 10 putMlsn Of to p&fm~ someone other than TSR
10 publish a submission that Includes any copynohl·
Thronto, Ontario tures seem to be written by the same ed matenals 01 TSR without first obl8.1ning the written
Canada people over a nd over, every issue. Sure- permi88Ion of TSA to do 10.
ly there are other members who have AI IefIor1 addfessed 10 the RPGA Natwork Of 10
We always need more Newszine submis- publishable mater ial to contribute. WI.
TSR. Inc:;.. be COf'IfIIdefed as subm\s&lOOl and
sions, euen if it lakes some time to - up Is that enough? I appreciate your call may be prll'ltaclln whole Of In part at the disCletlOn 01
tha edi\Of unless the sender speCIfICally fequests
to a few months-to respond to authors. for comments, after all, t he Newszine is oIherw.se ~ wr~ing_
We usually send out three or four for all members. U~ess otherwise stated. the opinions expressed
batches of author responses each year. in POLYHEDRON NewSline are thoee 01 the indivld-
We know it's hard to wait for a reply ual aulhOfs. and cIo noInacessarily ret~ the opin-
Dan Day ions 01 TSR. Inc .. the RPGA Natwo,k. or a$ slafl
after you'lle worked hard on an article, Rancho Cucamonga, CA S1811dard Olsclosure Forms. POLYHEDRON WIt-
but waiting comes with the writing terri- ;"9 Gu:delines. Tournament RGquesI Fotms. Mem-
tory. We'ue returned your article-we Well, Dan and Pierre, Ed has given us berm,!> Forms. Club Forms. and 0assi1ied Ad
hope you complete the sale. quite a large supply of Ever winking Eye Forms are ava.ta.bie lrom Ne\WOrk HO.
Generally, we don't care for work that material, and we'll probably publish aU ., designales reg'stered trademarks owned by TSR.
has been simultaneously submitted to of it. If the "pro" commentary continues I~
other publications. We usually have to be as thoughtful and detailed as ,. designates trademarks owned by TSR. Inc::.
three or four issues of the Newszine in yours, Dan., Everwinking Eye's future is Most 04her produCl names are uademafks owned
the pipeline at any given time (that's why assured. by the comparnes publishing those products. Use at
we've got to haue six months' notice for Yes, Ed Greenwood has written a nov- Ihe name 01 any proouct wittlout mention 01 trade·
Convention Announcements and Classi- el. Its title is Spellfire and you should be mark status should not be construed as a challenge
fieds), and there's a chance that a piece able to get a copy from your local book- to such status.
submitted to another publication would store. 01991 TSA. Inc. A. Righls Reserved.
be double published and create a legal As it happens, we have several mem-
mess. bers working very hard to get the Net-
We'd like to know more about what's work running full steam in California
going on in New Zealand, too. However.
Wes hasn.'t been. able to gather any de- Continued on the next page

p o L y H E o R o N
 6

and the rest of the West. Check the next conventions in these states, plea&e let Thank s for the u.pdate Gary.
letter for detai16. me know about them. I'd be happy to For those of you who missed the re-
Looking at the conunts pages for the contact them and offer the Network's gional director listing in issue 58, Gary's
most recent six issues, we see only two assistance. However, it's always better addreBB is 392 Hawaii Way, Plm!entia,
bylines repeated-if you don't count if individual members contact a conven· CA 92670. If you decide to write him,
columnists and staff members. That's tion and let the organizers know that pleaae go one better than proving a com-
not 80 bad. We do have several authors Network events would be appreciated. plete return address - include all. ad-
who keep us supplied with a steady These people have to please you to stay dressed retu.rn envelope or postcard with
stream of material, and since we look at in business, and they know it. postage.
quality first and name second, some Also. if you attend any of the conven-
authors are getting published more than tions I have listed and would like to Making a Difference
atlurs. However, our new monthly publi- volunteer some time behind the DM's
cation schedule should let us keep pub- screen please contact me. The hardest Dear members of the RPGA'" Network:
lishing good material from our ueteran part of coordinating events is finding
writers and ,tillleoue plenty of space for judges. We are just beginning to pull Please accept my sincere thanks for
talented newcomers. together a list of competent. dependable your generous gift of $400 to Children's
referees and we're always looking for Hospital of Wisconsin at the Winter
Greetings from the West Coast more. Further, when we finally get Fantasy convention.
started in a new area we have to start You can take great pride in knowing
building a whole new list; very few of your donation will fund patient care
When I first volunteered to coordinate our fine, Southern California judges services in our rehabilitation program,
Network activities out here I found would be inclined to drive all the way to which serves thousands of children each
there wasn't much to do. In fact, there Oregon. year. Your gift will make a difference in
wasn't anything to do. Since then, a few Next on my agenda is the topic of the lives of the youngsters we treat,
stalwart volunteers and I have orga- clubs. We on the west coast finally have whether they're struggling through
nized events in Arizona and both ends a new word--club. By the time you read extensive rehabilitation after life-
of California. We still are trying to this there will be three new clubs threatening accidents. or simply receiv-
contact conventions in Nevada, Oregon, formed with more following close be· ing developmental evaluations.
and Washington, but aren't having any hind. As I write this, the clubs haven't I'm excited that your advisory com-
success. been named, but they are located in mittee has also chosen Children's Hospi.
In Arizona, Dave Babbit has helped us Phoenix, AZ; Palmdale, CA; and Gar- tal as the beneficiary of proceeds from
make appearances at Lepricon (April) den Grove, CA. Other possible sites for your benefit event at GEN COW~ Game
and Coppercon (September). These two clubs in California are Burlingame, Fair. Based on the genuine interest in
cons are located in the Phoenix! Fullerton, Cerritos, and San Diego. the information I shared at Winter
Scottsdale area. In 1991, these two cons Nevada might soon have a club in Las Fantasy, and the wonderful grand prize,
will feature Network tournaments for Vegas. There already are three clubs it sounds to me like the benefit event is
the AD&oa game and five other game out here, but I can't get in touch with a can't miss proposition.
systems. them. These clubs are: The Far Flung Thank you again for your generous
In Southern California, Anthony Gamers of San Jose, CA; Guild of the support of our special hospitaL It is
Renauldo has helped make the Net- Dragon Masters of Junction City, CA; deeply appreciated.
work's presence felt at the long. and ITL Garners Guild of Milwaukie,
established Los Angeles Orecan OR. I think we need a few more clubs to Patrick V. Kessenich
(February), Gamex (May), and Gateway keep them on their toes. 1 also would be Special Events Coordinator
(September). We also have run events most interested in hearing from memo Children's Hospital of Wisconsin
this past June at Polycon in San Luis bers in Nevada and Washington con·
Obispo, and we hope to break new cerning clubs. The grand prize Patrick mentioned is a
ground at the San Diego Comicon this Finally, I understand that many mem- trip to European GEN CON game fair in
month. Since October, 1990, we have bers value their privacy and don't wish November, 1991. 7b qualify, you. must
been running Network events in Palm· to have their names and addresses enter two Network events: the AD&lP
dale (The Wizard's Workshop), the San given out. I respect personal privacy, so game Feature tournament and the
Fernando Valley (The Zone), Glendale if you contact me to locate other mem- AD&D game benefit elJf!nt. More details
(The Game Keeper), and Cerritos (Alpha bers I send a letter with your name and all. this contest are given all. ~he inside
Omega Games). These game stores run address to every member in the area front cover of this Newszin.e and in
one·or twCHiay mini conventions you want searched. This seems to be DRAGO~ Magazine 1167. You can get
throughout the year. Members can get working welL However, I currently have a copy of the DRAGON M08azine article
the stores' phone numbers and address- two requests that don't have return by sending a self-addressed, stamped
es out of the phone book. addresses. Both these letters also have envelope to Network HQ. We hope every
In Northern California. Chris unreadable signatures. Please print member who attends the game fair will
McGuigan has helped us make appear· your name and address somewhere on support the benefit event-it is for a good
ances at Dundracon (February), Games- any correspondence you send me. cause.
caucus (May) and Pacificon (September).
Asl mentioned earlier. I haven't had Gary Haynes
much luck in Nevada, Washington. and Regional Director
Oregon. If any member knows about Placentia, CA

p o L y H E D R o N
 7

The New Rogues Gallery

A Quartet Of Winners
by John Patruno,
Tony Newton, Chris Ryan,
and Rod Harrison
The RPGA'" Network's Australian
branch held a character design competi-
tion for the AD&fP 2nd Edition ga me.
Th e winners are presented here.

Dee Jay
4th uve{Male Human Bard
8TH: 11
INT: 14
WIS: 10
DEX: 15
CON: 8
CHA: 18
AC Normal: 7
AC Rear: 8
Hit Points: 20
Alignment: Neutral Good
Languages: Common Dee Jay is a tall, lanky man with earth- zak, a wizard of some renown. Muzak
brown skin and well groomed hair that was impressed by the young bard and
Age: 30
Height: 6' 2 ~ he puts in a long, single braid down his took him under his wing for months of
back. His big brown eyes are a perfect intensive training. During that time
Weight: 190
HairfEyes: BlackfBrown match to his brilliant friendly smile. Dee learned spells that could help get
Weapon Proficiencie8: Dagger, long Dee takes great pride in his appearance, his message across. Muzak also gave
sword, long bow and he always wears red padded leather Dee a ring of rhyming and a stone of
Nonweapon Proficiencies: Musical armor with a red leather head band. sampling to assist him in his work.
instrument (lute) (15), singing (18), His bard career began at the age of 18 There were many other things the
dancing (15), swimming (11), reading! when he found he could make a living proud wizard showed him, such as a
writing (15) roaming from town to town singing of type of tree bark that when rubbed
heroes bold and brave, and the beauty together had a hypnotic effect Muzak
Magic Items: Long sword +2, stone of of the world. After two years, Dee was called "rapping."
sampling·, ring of rhyming· approached by a party of adventurers Since leaving Muzak, Dee has had
Spells/day: 2 1 who had been listening to his ballads much more success in his roaming and
and asked if he would join them. He message spreading. People now listen to
Bard Skills
readily agreed, certain it would give Dee, and he has achieved an almost cult
CW ON pp RL him new material . It did, but much of it status among the youth of the areas he
75 40 25 10 was unattractive and unpoetic. During frequents . 'The fact that people started
Traveling Spell Book the group's adventures he saw the ugli. to listen to him, and his effect on young·
er side oflife: oppression, slavery, pover· sters, has worried more than one cor·
Level One ty, suffering. Four years of this was rupt official. Dee has spent more than a
Hypnotism Friends more than enough for Dee, who left the few nights in jail, and has been run out
Ju.mp Unseen Servant group to embark on a crusade close to of several towns. He has not been sue·
his heart. cessfully prosecuted and is still travel·
Level Two Since that day six years ago he has ing the countryside spreading his
Magic Mouth Scare done his best to use his songs to inform message.
W,b Wizard L«k people of the injustices in the world, and Dee will always accompany any party
to try and get them to change. Unfortu· of adventurers whose current task is the
.. New magic item, detailed at the end nately, he was not very successful. De- crushing of tyranny.
of this column spite his lute solos and songs, few
people really listened to his message.
While performing in a tavern in a
small rural town, Dee met Matus Mu·

p o L y H E o R o N
 8

Varin spilled a large jug of an alchemical country and maybe settle down with a
7th Level Male Half Eiven Jester (thiep mixture over (and into) himself. After local girl who he has been admiring.
wizard variant) this he discovered the brew somehow Though for all his wit and "finesse," he
lessened his amiction. Varin's parents has not yet had the courage to ask her
8TH: 15 subsequently force-fed their babe with out. His new friends are secretly plot.
INT: 18 the mixture, curing him of his ailment ting to rectify this.
WIS: 17 and affecting a few most unusual
DEX: 19 changes. Because the alchemical crea-
CON: 15
Maylin of Waving Grain
tion had some spell components in it, Male Human BardJThlep Wizard 5/6/9
CHA: 17 repeated imbibing of it granted Varin a
AC Normal: 3 ventriloquism ability at will. STH: 12
Initially quite shy, the intelligent and INT: 18
AC Rear: 3
Hit Points: 36 inquisitive little Varin, who spent much WIS: 7
of his time around the bazaars, encoun· DEX: 18
Alignment: Neutral Good
tered some rather unusual people. This CON: 11
Languages: Common, Elvish, Dwarv·
gave him a broad and colorful sense of CHA: 17
ish, Dryad, GDall, Gnome. Goblin. Half·
ling, Minotaur, Orcish, Bronze Dragon, humor. It is here he learned a few ques- ACNormal: 0
Cloud Dragon tionable skills, such as picking pockets AC Rear: 4
and climbing walls. Hit Points: 31
Age: 38 (appears 19) As he grew older, he became fasci - Alignment: Neutral Good
Height: 5' 6 ~ nated by magic and its sciences, and he Languages: Common, Elvish
Weight: 146 enrolled in a Magicians College, doing
HairlEyes: BlondIBlue rather well because the brew he had Age: 40
Weapon Proficiencies: Long sword, imbibed as a child and youth made him Height: 6' 1-
long bow. dagger very receptive to magic. During one Weight: 183
Nonweapon Proficiencies: Gaming class experiment involving fireballs, the Hair/Eyes: BlacklBrown
(17), tightrope walking (19) teacher miscast the spell and inciner· Weapon Proficiencies: Two·handed
Special Abilities: Immune to insanity, ated himself, scorched most of the stu- sword, long bow, battle axe, long sword,
ventriwquism at will dents, and set the building afire. By dagger, short sword, quarter starr, darts
chance, Varin was late for that class Nonweapon Proficiencies: Musical
Magic Items: Thme of Ethnic Humor, instrument (lute, nute, lyre) (17), blind-
magical paddleboard +4, extendable and escaped uninjured. Upon renection,
Varin laughed at this apparent good fighting, gaming (15), ventriloquis m
hand of enjoyment, bwwgun of wild (16), juggling (17), spellcraft (16),
emotions (all from DRAGONs Magazine fortune as he had originally intended to
be early and assist the teacher with t he reading/writing (Common and Elvish)
1134), robe of useful items, potion of (19), appraising (18), bowyerlfletcher
extra healing, decanter of endless wmer, experiment. Had he been there, he, too,
would have died and 90 came to the (17), dancing (18), herbalism (16)
robe afholding-
SpeUslday: 4 3 2 1 conclusion (while entertaining injured Magic Items: Bracers of defense AC 4,
friends) that life is short and he should dagger + 1, long bow +2, wand of min-
Jester rrhlef) Skills make the most of his. eral detection, ring of invisibility, potion
PP CW Catch Hurled Items After a few years, Varin graduated of growth, four potwns of healing, potion
50 87 87 from his college, intending til continue of extra ~ealing, potion of,sweet water,
his studies in more detail. However, a ll scroll WIth remove curse,Jump, web
Traveling Spe ll Books that new out the window when a High dispel magic, and tongues '
Level One Jester arrived in town. Varin was capti- Spells/day: 7 4 3 2 1
vated by this master of wit and wiz·
Hypnotism Friends ardry and thus became a jester's Thieving Skills
Sleep Charm Person apprentice. He passed all his exams PP OL FT MS HS DN CW RL
Animal Friendship Jump with flying colors in record time, then 30 55 75 65 60 60 70 85
Level Two struck out on his own to earn his own
way, advancing through the jester- Traveling Spell Book
Glitterdust Scare ranks. Level One
W,b Ray of Enfeeble- His main hobbies include listening to
ment the storytellers in the market, appreci- Affect Normal Fires Chill 7buch
ating good music, and nature watching Detect Magic Find Familiar
Level Three
in peaceful glens. Jump Read Magic
Hold Person Charm Monster Recently, Varin has been accepted by Charm Person Shield
Gust of Wind Slow a band of adventurers after a nasty Comprehend Lan-
• New magic item, detailed at the end incident at a foreign court; a badly guages Identify
misplaced joke nearly cost Varin his Feather Fall Magic Missile
of this column
head! He escaped and now travels the
Varin is lucky he is alive_ Born with a land with a collection of pets and his
disease which none in his village could new found friends in search of adven-
cure, the fortunate toddler accidentally ture. If(when) he gets back alive, he's
hoping to buy a modest house in the

p o L y H E D R o N
 9

Level Two missions from time to time. They be· paigns and wars with t he ne ighboring
came well known for their exploits in kingdom.
Continual Light ESP disrupting t he slave tr ade between By the time Diamen reached 25, he
W,b Wizard Lock various evil kingdoms in the realm. was ranked among the best swordsmen
Detect Evil Spectral Hand Maylin's current plans include the in the kingdom. He was tr a ined in
Knock Mirror Image complete overthrow of the slave trade, horsemanship, living off the land for
Level Three plus setting up a residence in the Wiz· great lengths of time, and navigating by
ard's Guild to study and construct some the stars.
Dispel Magic Fireball magic items. He will not be giving up When the king decided he wanted a
Lightning Bolt Vampiric Thuch adventuring, and he could be persuaded company of knights to be hie elite royal
Protection from to join another group of adventurers-if guard, Oiamen was the only choice for
Normal Missiles Thngue8 an offer is tempting enough. leader. The company was assembled a nd
Level Four In combat, Maylin prefers to use his t heir knightly training began. Soon
long bow and spells when possible as enough, the whole company was very
Polymorph Self Wizard Eye t his keeps him out of melee, something well skilled, and superbly equipped. The
Remove Curse Fire Charm he finds unsuitable and dangerous. first mission of the new knights was to
Level Five go into the royal forest a nd rid it of evil
Diamen elves. The knights rode into the forest
Teleport Telekine8is with their armor shining, their shields
7th Level Male Human Fighter (Knight)
Familiar, Minas, black cat: Int Average; gleaming, and their swords sharpened.
AL N; AC 7; MV 12; HD 2; hp 12; STR: 17 They reached the center of t he forest
THACO 19; IAT 3; Dmg 1.211.211.2; SA INT: 10 and an almost invisible force of elves
Rear claws 1·2 each. WIS: 9 decimated the group. Olamen managed
DEX: 18 to escape with his life (barely), without
Maylin'sjet black hair a nd piercing CON: 16 ever having the chance to strike a blow.
eyes, coupled with his rich, dark cloth· CHA: 16 In the face of this defeat, Diamen fled
ing give him an a lmost sinister appear- AC Normal: ·2 the kingdom in disgrace. He now lives
ance. AC Rear: 2 by what wits he hss, traveling from
Maylin started adventuring at a very Hit Points: 48 town to town , adventuring with any
young age, wanting to see more of t he Alignment: Lawful Neutr al party he considers worthwhile.
world. A bard stuck in Maylin's commu- Languages: Common
nity for the winter taught Maylin sev- New Magic Items
eral musical skills, putting the young Age: 30
human on the path toward his own Height: 6' 8" Ring of rhyming: This ring enables the
bardic career. Wanting to try out his Weight: 280 wearer to articulate his or her message
new abilities, he gathered a group of H a irlEyes: Blond/Green into rhyming couplets. This poetic
friends a nd began exploring the wilder· Weapon Proficiencies: Long sword, rhyming scheme tends to make the
ness many miles from his home. On one long bow, bastard sword, broad sword, me8S8ge more effective, as mor e people
jaunt they investigated a house ru· lance, cutlass will listen. The ring is useable three
mored to be haunted. It was indeed Nonweapon P roficie ncies: Cooking hours a day, in any combina tion of time
populated with undead creatures. The (10), hunting (8), fishing (8), survival increments.
house was purged of t he undead-after a (10), r iding, land·based (12)
fierce battle in which Maylin and a few Magic Items: Long sword + I, plate Stone of sampling: The stone a llows the
others were severely wounded. Since mail +1 owner to r ecord up to 50, 20-second
this time, Maylin has been caut ious pieces of speech or music. These "sam·
about any adventuring jobs involved As a young lad, Diamen worked with pies" can be recalled mentally by the
with undead. his mother in the palace kitchen. Every owner of the stone at any time with no
Maylin decided. to become a thief spar e moment, Oiamen a nd the other effort, and the samples will remain in
when he got booted out of the Bard's boys of the keep would sit and watch the stone until erased by the owner of
College for some practical joke. It seems the palace guards training in the court. the stone. The stone is green and
the Dean of the College did not like yard. smooth, and glows when replaying
sheep in h is bedroom. The Thieves' One day the guard commander came samples.
Guild was willing to accept him as a to Oiamen and told him the guard was
member while he kept a low profile to taking on another member and would Robe of holding: This magical robe
avoid the wrath of the Dean. Diamen like to fi ll the spot . Diamen looks like any other nor mal robe, but
But thievery-plus his bard skills- was then 16 years old, and already 6 ' with many pockets Od20 + 10). Each
were not enough. Maylin wa nted still tall and 180 pounds. He accepted imme· pocket has a permanent deeppockets
more power, more abilities. He sought diately. spell.
out a wizard and became an apprentice,
rising quickly through the ranks be·
After a few years of training Diamen o
became a very powerful a nd skilled
cause of his thirst for the arcane. fighter. He went on many adventures
~uring a ll these years Maylin stayed with the palace guard to different parts
in contact with his first adventuring ofthe country, fighting in many cam·
group, coaxing them out on various

p o l y H E o R o N
 10

With Great Power

The Doom Wars, Part "
Since Doom II uses deception and
by Steven E. Schend intimidation to keep his troops moti- Victor Von Doom. Doom addresses
vated. t here is a good chance his team your group: "All of you have joined
These short aduentures make up a "what will fragment , particularly if the truth me and my cause of your own wills,
if' campaign for the MARVEL SUPER about the two Dooms becomes known. and you have my word of honor that
HEROES'" game. Choracurs for use good will be done here - good for the
with the adventures were presented last people of Latveria.
Battles for latveria "It is time now to act. We separate
issue.
at this juncture. I shall continue on
The primary focus of the Doom Wars for my own, and we shall rendezvous in
Playing the Doom Wars Doom I and company is to covertly in· Transia in two days."
vade Latveria and restore the throne to
Each group of pregenerated characters Victor.
can be considered "heroes." As the cam- On the other hand, the main goal for Each PC receives a one·way plane ticket
paign opens, every player character is the Latverian Protectorate and Doom II to Transia and hotel reservations for a
certain he or she is doing good and is on is to keep "the imposter" and his allies one-night stay at a local inn. One PC
the right side. During play, the charac- from overrunning Latveria and stealing receives a map giving a location to meet
ters gain Karma normally. When any "the Master" from his people. Doom; written instructions with the
hero defeats a hero from t he other side Each scenario includes a list of NPCs map explain how a hidden base can be
he or she receives the normal Karma who can be u.sed. accessed sbould Doom fail to arrive at
award. Two setups are given with each sce· the appointed time-lO p.m. the day
Each Doom provides his heroes with nario, one for each team of heroes. Or- after the team's arrival in 'I'ransia.
resources; Doom I has Excellent reo ders for the PCs, the words of Doom I or Doom warns the team his counterpart
sources, and Doom II has Amazing. II, are boxed; the GM should read them may track the ticket purchases through
to the players, a llowing the characters one of his many aliases. " 00 not trust
Doom 1'8 Allies: to respond. Neither Doom a llows his anyone other than the manager of your
orders to be questioned. hotel, Karl Hammak; he knows of your
mission a nd will be helpful to our cause
Some heroes' reasons for joining Victor
Adventure Maps without revealing your mission or your
a re stronger than others, and it is possi·
powers."
ble that the players, or the GM (acting
as Doom 0 will have to make an effort On the inside mailer cover of this Setup Doom II:
to keep the team together. Newszine is a map of Castle Doom and
This takes place roughly one day after
Doom brooks no dissension from the Doomstadt for the final scenario. How-
Setup Doom I.
heroes. Above all, Doom never reveals ever, this hardly includes all the terrain
the whole plan to his underlings. the PCs will cover. The outdoors area
grid from the Advanced Set is useful for You and your companions are ner -
Doom II's Allies: most of the encounters; trees, rocks, and vous. Since you were found to be
other items of particular interest can be deserving of Doom's attentions, you
placed on t his map as the GM sees fit. have been encamped with others of
Kristoff is not known to the world at "special" status and trained to use
large as a nine-year-old. Those around GMs a lso can use the maps from MH-7
The Last Resort and MH-9 Gates of your developing powers. You four are
him think he is Victor Von Doom, and
What If. the first to complete the training.
Kristoff has been thoroughly brain- Each of you now wears a communica-
washed to believe this, too. All but a tions bracelet that puts you at the
select few Latverians believe this Doom Adventure One: Trouble in
Master's beck and call-a great hon-
to be the rightful leader and Doom I to Transia or. The Master's first message via the
be an imposter.
NPCs: Mary Jane Watson-Parker, Mo- bracelets summoned you \0 a n audio
His current plan to resist Victor, the
dred, Puppet Master, Silver Sable, ence in Castle Doom. You hear the
other Doom, is to round up mutants Spider-Man mechanical whirring of his armor as
deted<!d within Latveria's borders. The he enters the throne room and sig.
mutants are placed in a camp in the Setup Doom I:
nals all to rise.
I Latverian woods, where they are train-
"My most ioyal subjects, you have
ed to be warriors for Doom's causes. You are in Boston, secluded in an old been called together and trained for
Kristoff chooses the best four mutants brownstone on Beacon Street. Pub- this moment for the past many
as shock troops against Doom l. This licly, you are guests of a man named months, and you are now ready to
"Latverian Protectorate" receives its David Regal; actually you have been serve Latveria. May you be up to the
orders in formal audiences with Doom II summoned and sequestered here by task. We have discerned the location
and is expected to execute them with
perfection.

p o L y H E o R o N
 II

woman with silver hair, who coldly they land 100 miles from Wundagore
of the imposter, the false Doom who whispers "You've been upgraded to and must get to t he appointed place
seeks my throne, and we are told he first class, herr S ch warzer. You'll in one hour or they miss the confron-
has allies. You are to confront the soon stand trial for your war crimes:' tation.)
false Doom and his allies, but do not S ilver Sable (the woman) attempts to -Five minutes before the scheduled
destroy them. They will be made to lead him away, but the man is armed land~ng, the PCs' craft comes under
see the folly of defying Doom . with a loaded gun and he tries to attack by a smaU craft similar to
"I have tracked them by scanning resist. Actions now depend on the theirs. The PCs see the imposter Dr.
for the special isotope the imposter heroes and NPCs. Keep in mind that Doom at the controls, with unidenti-
uses to power his armor. He is cur- any blasts or gunfire could shatter a fied figures i the craft with him.
rently in flight and his trajectory window and depressurize the plane. The atta~"iil-Ctaft is identical to the
suggests a landing site in Transia, -A young girl at the back of the plane, PC cr a.ft>'e"icept::.tbat it a lso has a
near Wundagore Mountain. A special obviously nervous about the flight , machine gun (IN range and RM
transport awaits you in the court- consta ntly complains of headaches damage) mounted on its underside
yard. Its landing site has been pro- and body aches. The girl is a latent and pointing forward. Play this mini-
grammed, and a servobot is installed mutant, and GMs can have her scena rio out as above, in terms of
to pilot the craft. powers initially emerge during the evasive or attack maneuver s. All
"You should arrive there before the course of this 14-hour flight . Her figures aboard the attacking craft
imposter, and you can make your powers and the effects on other pas- are robots and do not leave the craft.
own plans from there. Be sure to sengers are left to the GM's discre· -The team has landed and is in hiding
disable any equipment the usurpers tion. at t he landing site in the woods. A
may use against Latveria, and any- -A small , bald man meets the PCs at man enters the clearing, floating
thing you cannot destroy, bring with the airport and asks to escort them to a long just above the ground. This is
you upon your return. Under no the hoteL He saya he is the owner of Modred. 9. sorcerer once again pos-
circumstances are you to capture t he best hotel in TYansia , with a sessed by Chthon, an evil power
these miscreants; I do not want them majestic view ofWundagore Moun- entombed within Wundagore. Within
spoiling our country's air with their tain. If they enter his van, it floods a minute, a small craft drops from
foul presence. Defeat them and hu- with Amazing intensity knock out the sky carrying the robot Doom I
miliate them , but do no more, lest gas; the vehicle is reinforced with and company. Modred seems annoyed
you risk my wrath." Vibranium Uncredible material and tries to blast it into oblivion. The
str ength) to deter any physical at· PCs can choose to int.ernlpt here,
The team is in costume, and is led to a tempts to escape. The PCs have otherwise Modred simply floats off
small ovoid craft. A panel opens on the fallen victim to the Puppet Master into the trees. ~J
craft's side, and the team finds four (Philip Masters), who once a ga in
The Action: If team Doom IT arrives at
chairs, a small locker of provisions, a works for Doom (11). He wants to
their la nding site early, they find that
computer link with Castle Doom, and reduce them to mindless slaves,
setting them to attack the country- they (a nd Kristoffi have been du ped into
the torso of a robot linked with the chasing a robot Doom. In fact, once the
craft's control panel. There is an auxil- side, terrorize the villagers, and robot craft la nds, it is on a timed de-
iary control panel. See Doom's 1bys for wreak havoc. Doom I can free the struct sequence. Thn rounds after it
the craft's statistics. This craft has a heroes from control, but the PCs and lands, the craft self-d1structs with In·
self·sealing port in the outer hull which Victor are discredited.
credible force dama ge to all within its
a llows passengers to exit without the The following distractions might be- area and Excellent damage to all within
craft losing air pressure. There are no devil tea m Doom IT: one area radius of the craft.
weapons on this craft. The team arrives, 'IWenty minutes after,the landing of
as scheduled, at a clearing in the Tran- -Two unidentified jets intercept the
the robot craft, Doom fli es overhead in a
sian woods at the foot of Wundagore. PCs' craft. The robot pilot rattles off one-man craft (see Doom's 'Ibys for sta-
identification and clearance codes, tistics). He proceeds east around the
Optional Encounters: For team but both jets begin firing. Use gener-
Doom I: ic Military Jet statistics from the mountain to another clearing five miles
away. Here, he meets his own team and
-There is a hijacking attempt on the Advanced Set Players' Book for the
attacking aircraft. (no missiles). The the major confrontat ion begins.
plane by terrorists. Team Doom I r eunites with ;pelr
-Photograph and autograph hounds robot asks the hero next to him. leader here. 'Tham Doom n. it not de-
swarm around the actors and ac- " Evasive or attack maneuvers?" and
layed by a ny other activity (such as
tresses of the soap opera Secret Hos- continues this quest ion until an-
fi ghting Modred), arrives here after
pitaL The one who draws the most swered. If the PCs choose evasive spotting Doom's second crait,and follow -
attention is the famous actress-model ma neuvers, the ship avoids the jets .
Otherwise, t he jets attack the PCs' ing it. The clearing is nearly a perfect
MJ Watson-Parker; her husband circle five areas in diameter. It is ringed
shumes nervously at her side. The craft six times, then break ofT. At· by dense pine trees. One smaU' road
troupe is traveling to Transia for a tack maneuvers keep t he craft close
to the jets, and allows the heroes to leads to a village 12 miles away.:There
location shoot of Secret Hospital. is hidden cave in the trees to the west;
-The person seated across the aisle from use the port in the craft to fly outside
only Doom I and the PC with the map
one hero is elderly and nervous; he is and defend t hemselves. In any case, can find it.
soon approached by a tall, slender the robot usesjt.s control to Dodge all
Doom I orders his team to attack to
incoming attacks. (If the PCs eject,

p o L y H E D R o N
 12

subdue the Doom IT team; he intends to become members of 'feam Doom 1 and bright fl ash of light comes from the
return the Latverian Protectorate to Kristoff must bring his additional mu· main wagon. The gypsies have ob·
Kristoff in disgrace or recruit them to tants into play. If they refuse, Victor tained a magical mirror, and its
his side. If team Doom II appears to be takes his team and leaves the robots on power has been tapped by Margali
winning, Doom takes an active hand; guard. If the cell bars stop the PCs, they Szardos, a powerful sorceress. She
otherwise, he stays out of combat. might have better luck with the solid knows of Doom's quest a nd offers to
If his heroes win, Doom I brings them rock walls (IN strength). The robots do use the mirror to teleport him to a
and any prisoners to the cave and reo not attack until somcone leaves the cell. base near Doomstadt. In exchange,
veals two mobile all·t errain transports
Karma: Normal combat and non-combat
she desires to sha re magical knowl-
and 8 security cell with iron bars.
Karma gains and losses should be edge with Doom, which he promises
The defeated Latverians are placed in awarded, plus specials: to give her when he reclaims Lstve-
the cell. The bars are of Amazing mate-
Choosing evasive maneuvers against ria's throne. It takes an hour to pre-
rial strength and the cell also drains
t he jets (Symkarians protecting t heir pare the rituals to activate the
energy; energy powers and technology.
air space, they spotted the craft visu- mirror's magic, during which time
based powers do not function within the a lly) + 10 any of the other encounters can take
cell. Doom offer s the other heroes a
Destruction of robots without confirma- place.
chance to join him and return Latveria
tion of artificial construction -10 -A few children a re noticed missing
to its normal sta te. The cave also con-
Confirming artificial construction be· early into the festivities. No one has
tains six warrior robots which Doom
fore destroying robots + 10 seen them for much of the afternoon,
sets on verbal command : " If any of and nightfall brings wolves with it.
these people leave that cell, eliminate The OM is free to decide what has
them." Adventure Two: Forest Foray happened to the children.
If team Doom n wins the fight in the NPCs: Margali Szardos, and the Wild -A squad of Doom II's guardbots has
clearing, Doom sets off buried charges Pack ferreted out the encampme nt. They
which fill the entire area with knock mindlessly destroy wagons, animals,
out gas of Monstrous Intensity for three Se tup Doom I: and gypsies. There are 12 guardbots,
rounds. If there are any opponents still Doom I takes the team t hrough the spread in a circle around the encamp-
standing, Doom physically tries to de- Transian wilderness and around the ment.
feat them, collects his allies, and es- Sym karian border to another cave just -One of the PCs (roll randomly) notices
capes to the cave. He commands the six inside Latveria where they abandon the a figure at the edge of the fireli ght.
robots to act as his vanguard, and he transport. The team continues on foot The person's eyes flash brightly, and
flees down a side tunnel with his allies for a few miles to a gypsy camp. Doom, the PC is strangely attracted to this
in one of the all-terrain transports. once he delivers an old gypsy greeting, gypsy. The gypsy motions to the PC ,
is welcomed with open arms. leading away from the fire. The PC
FoUow-up: must make a successful Psyche
Kristoff a nd Symkaria have concluded
Team Doom I If defeated: treaties which make the gypsies hunted FEAT against Remarkable intensity
outlaws within the two countries; Doom or follow the figure away under a
You are rescued by Doom and rushed I promises the gypsies a r eturn to their hypnotic spell. The gypsy is a vam-
into the cave to escape with an all- ancestral forests in La heria upon his pire who happened across the ca mp
terrain transport. Doom r is angry. return to power. From here, the team's and is stopping for a bite.
"Your defeat mocks me, and you will goals depend on which optional encount- Team Doom n spends its time working
be put to the test as to your worthi- ers the OM uses, and upon the actions through the forests and responding to
ness; do not fail me again or you of team Doom II. Doom's orders. The group can encounter
shall truly earn the wrath of Doom." Setup Team Doom II: numerous creatures a nd situations in
the nighttime forests:
Kristoff contacts the team via their
Karma: Normal combat and non-combat bracelets: "Scans indicate there is a -Near the Symkarian frontier, a squad
Karma gains a nd losses should be t remendous build·up of power three of soldiers erupts from the under·
awarded, plus specials: miles north of your current locations. brush and surrounds the PCs. They
Hero falls under the control of the The power you are looking for will be arc members of the Wild Pack, and a
Puppet Master - 5 magical in nature, so take caution. You few remain in the trees, watching
Avoiding Puppet Master 's tr ap alto- are to close on the location of this power, a ny fly ing cha racters.
gether + 10 held most likely in an item, a nd secure "Halt and ident ify yourselves!"
Team Doom II If defeated: it for Latveria and its Master." Doom barks one. If the PCs ide ntify them·
tells the PCs how to activate sma ll selves by codenames or their status
scanners in the bracelets; this allows as Latverian operatives, the leader
You awaken in a cell. The imposter relaxes. "Ah, we were wondering
Doom attempts to di ssuade your the PCs to track the power source.
loyalties to your mona rch and per- when you'd happen along. Sable hss
Optional Encounters: Tesm Doom I's been notified by Doom of your st a tus,
suade you to join his cause. trip to the camp is uneventful , but t he and she'd hoped we could recruit you
follow ing encounters might happen in our latest hunt. We're tracking
after they arrive: down a Nazi war crimina l, a form er
Role play Doom I's attempt to recruit
the characters. If they accept, they -The festivities get under way when a a lly ofthe Red Skull, and we've
pinpointed his trail along our bor-

p o L y H E D R o N
 13

ders. Doom promised your assista nce, The goats notice the Latverian Protec· low or Red result, the character notices
"i fthere were no other pressing torate, even if they attempt to remain a fla sh of light in a cave high in the
matters?' Well, can you aid us?" If concealed and quiet. And the goats mountains (team Doom I arriving via
they help, they find a young woman make enough noise to alert team Doom the magical mirror or otherwise). The
struggling to pull an elderly man I. Victor does not appear until two min· robot craft will not allow anyone to exit
from the smoking remains of a jeep utes have gone by, when he warns his until they are within the camp confines.
stuck firmly in a ditch. The man is allies to be ready for transport. Once there, the PCs are reunited with
Wilhelm Fruktaus, a former engi- The me mbers of team Doom I are ha rd other comrades of the Protectorate.
neer a nd weaponsmith for the Red to find in the crowd of gypsies. Each
Skull. The woman appeals to the individual remains indistinguishable Optional Encounters:
PCs, insisting that her father must until a team Doom II character who has
'learn Doom I might face the following
meet with Herr Doom about an ur- previously encountered him comes wit h-
distractions:
gent matter. in 3 areas.
-As t he PCs move slowly through the The gypsies defend only their wagons -The cave the team has entered is the
moonlit forest , they hear the frantic and their kind, assuming the PCs can Frankenstein Monster's home. If the
bleating of frightened sheep. As they protect themselves. Margali responds to creature is treated kindly, he may
approach, the cries of the sheep are any attacks with her confusion spell. help the team destroy the camp.
suddenly cut off, followed by crunch- Doom I remai ns hidden in t he wagon, - Doom I attacks the camp without the
ing and chewing sounds. When they anticipating the mirror's teleport field. PCs' help. As he approaches, Doom's
cross a small rise, they find a bowl- Anyone within the wagon when it actio voice booms out, amplified by his
like depression in the forest. In it, a vates is teleported with Doom to the armor and overriding the guardbots'
large cr eature ia huddled over a next scenario. programming. The camp's two Doom-
fallen sheep. It t urns and rears up on hots, however, are not 80 easily repro-
its hind legs; it is a man with lupine
Fonow-up: Karma awards are given grammed and call for the mutants to
nor mally, though ther e are special cir-
features, his clothes in tatters hang- attack; this causes the robots to can-
ing about him-a werewolf! cumstances. For Doom l's allies, 5 Kar· cel the inhibitor field and Doom is
rna are lost with each wagon destroyed,
engulfed in a pitched battle.
T he Action: The gypsy camp is 4 areas since these heroes are the gypsies' al·
.'!\velve villagers storm the camp gaU!
wide and 12 areas long. There are 13 lies. If they stay and help fix the wag-
ons (a day to fix two wagons), they while the PCs work t heir way down
wagons in the outer areas, the eastern- the mountain. They are armed with
most is Mar gali's, which is set perpen· regain 5 Karma for each wagon re-
r ifles, pitchforks, and scythes. They
dicular to the others to close off that end paired. The Protectorate gains 20 Kar- are simply looking to free their abo
of the camp. There is a large goat pen ma if they aid the Wild Pack, and ducted sons and daughters. The roo
filli ng the 2 central areas at the west likewise lose 20 Karma for aiding and
bots fire on them mercilessly.
end. There are five campfires with emp- abetting a fugitive from international
ty areas between them inside the camp. justice (even if it does help the Master). 'learn Doom II can faU into these option-
Doom I is in Marga!i's wagon, and his al exercises:
allies are scattered about the camp as Adventure Three: C losing the -One of the Doombots develops a flaw
t he players see fit (as the aftermath of Camps in its circuitry due to the unusual
t he optional encounters allows). If Doom
NPCs: Frankenstein's Monster. Her ald, energy in the fence. Its logic circuits
plans to utilize the magical mirror, it are nearly gone, and it mindlessly
will be r eady to t ransport him and his J j ox, Magneto, Razor
attacks the PCs as they attempt to
a llies - three min utes after t he Latver· Setup Team Doom I: land at the camp.
ian Protectorate arrives.
-One of the other mutants (most likely
For the Latverian Protectorate, read You find yourselves in a mountain Herald) has begun to speak against
the following: cave roughly seven miles west of the Master, proclaiming: " We're not
Castle Doom , overlooking a small, trainees or loyal guards of t he realm
Deep in the Latverian woods, a nd fenced camp in the forest. Doom - we're prisoners! The Master who
directly on top of t he power readings declares that this camp must be sits on Latveria's t hrone is t he im-
you've been tracking, you come destroyed, and t he mutants inside it poster! He is an addled nine-year-old
across a gypsy camp. There is some returned to their homes. He warns child with the Master's mind!" Such
kind of celebration going on. How· you to avoid coming too close to the talk, of course, invites action and
ever, the Master has decreed that fence; it projects a field which dis· discipline from the robots. The PCs
gypsies are no longer welcome in rupts mutant powers, and may im- must decide who to aid and who to
Latveria, so these fol k are defying pede other powers as well. fight here.
the law. The encllmpment is -The team is awakened by the sounds of
stretched along a partially wooded Setup Team Doom II: battle. Night has fallen, but lamps
clearing, its wagons in two rows make the courtyard br ight as day.
along the outside edges of the camp Doom II announces he is sending a craft Magneto, master of magnetism and
with cooking fi reR in between. Your to return t he char acters to the camp for self·proclaimed shepherd of mutants,
team is just outside the western edge further training. If a PC mentions is destroying t he robots. His back is
of the camp. 1'here is It set of goat watching t he mountains and the scen· to the PCs, and they spot a robot
pens bet ween you a.nd the gypRies. ery as t hey fly, have that character sneaking up behind him wit h a
make an Int uition FEAT roll; on a Yel- power inhibitor. If aided, Magneto

p o L y H E D R o N
 14

offers the PCs a chance to side with contains advanced equipment and moni- 'leam Doom II
him and become warriors for the tors to train the mutants to use their Defeat faulty Doombot +30
mutant cause world-wide. He does powers. The equipment and capabilities Save dissenter (Herald) + 10
not force anyone to his side. of this training facility match that of Help robots vs. dissenter -10
the X-Men's original Danger Room. All Attack dissenter -10
The Action: the machinery is of Incredible material Protect trainees from any attacks + 5
Camp Layout: The camp is 10 areas strength, and is controlled from a booth Join Doom I and allies vs. Kristoff + 10
square, surrounded by an inner, barbed- high along the northwest wall (reached
by a ladder). Whatever the outcome of any batties,
wire fence 20 feet high. There is an the camp likely will be destroyed by one
outer fence , 40 feet high 2 areas beyond There currently are nine mutants in
faction or a nother. Doom 1 escapes and
the inner fence . A band of fresh stumps, the camp: Jinx, Herald, and Razor are makes for a safehouse in Doomstadt.
2 areas wide, around the outer fence detailed in Part I. The remaining six
are trainees with only latent abilities. :.\ny allies are welcome to join him as he
marks the camp 8S a recent invasion plans a final assault on Kristoff.
into the forests. Each fence has an in- They have Excellent Endurance a nd
~ll of Doom II's allies should attempt
hibitor field that dampens all mutant Typical rankings in all other ability
a Reason feat. A green result (yellow for
abilities; these fields are undetectable scores (Health 38, Karma 18). Each
mutant wears a bracelet similar to the Combat) indicates that the character
and are twice as high 8S the fence that realizes Victor is the true Dr. Doom, and
generates them. ones the PCs wear, but these have been
that Kristoff is an imposter. The GM
There is a 50·foot tall guard tower at specially keyed to the camp's power might wish to allow automatic success if
each corner of the inner fence, situated generator. If any of the nine stray more
the members of team Doom 11 are
in the 2·area space between the fences. than 7 areas from the inner fence the NPCs. Doom forgives any assaults made
Each guard tower has three guardbots character automatically suffers Excel· against his person by the Protectorate,
on duty. There is a special energy gun lent damage each round. Each charac- " ... for it is no crime to have been duped
in each tower which neutralizes mutant ter's bracelet delivers an energy or by my doppelganger. You have served
powers for 2-20 turns in addit ion to radiation attack delivered directly to him well, as 1 should expect you to obey
Excellent energy damage. the character's neural system. me:' He easily r emoves the bracelets
The camp is dotted with six buildings, The. A ction: The confrontation can in· which the Protectorate and the camp
with a water tower and a power genera- clude or exclude all of the optiona l en· mutants wear, a nd gives them leave to
tor in the southwest corner. All the counters listed above. At the very least, choose their path.
buildings are of Excellent material team Doom I will attack the camp, Hteam Doom II does not join Victor
strength concrete, with the interior destroying the fences, robots, and build· they face almost certain death or cap-
walls lined with wood panelling and ture at ~he hands of Doom I and his
ings, and attempting to free the mu·
carpeting_ Water and power lines are tants. Team Doom II has a number of allies. They have very few options even
buried two feet under the compound's choices to make: if they ma nage to escape. If they return
packed earth confines. The buildings to Castie Doom, Kristoff-who is infuri·
are arranged with their doors leading 1. Attack Doom and his allies, arfd"'d
" e- ated by their failure-tries to kill or
into the central courtyard. The build- feat "the imposter and his lack!lYs!' imprison them. If they hide in Doom·
ings ring a courtyard that acts as a 2. Throw in with Doom I and allies to
stadt, they still must face Kristotrs
landing pad for flying craft, or an open confront KristotT. \ wrath when he discovers them. Hthey
air training ground for the mutants 3. Wait until freed by Doom and si~ply fl ee into the countryside, Kristoffproba-
here. return to their villages to take u~ bly will send wave after wave of killer
In the northwest corner of the com- their former lives again.
robots at them until they surrender or
pound, a 1 x 2 area building serves 88 Once the assault on the camp begins, are sla in. They cannot hide from Doom
the robot barracks and recharging sta- one Doombot contacts Castle Doom. The oil-- n, who can trace them through their
tion; eight guardbots are there recharg- castle sends a craft which arrives over bracelets. PCs must make a red
ing at any time unless the alarm is the camp in three minutes and releases Strength feat to remove a bracelet.
sounded (all robots are active while the 20 killer robots with orders to eliminate
alarm sounds). Centered on the western any living beings within the campi
end of the camp is a I -area-square build·
Adventure Four: Assault on
Doom II has tired of his agents' failures Doomstadt
ing for the two Doombots. One recharg. and has decided to canceLLbe.Protector-
es while the second tends to the ate project - permanently.
training, save during alarms when both NPCs: Boris, Josef(the Burgctmaster)
are active. FoUIlW-UP: Karma awards are stand· Setup~m I finds a safehouse for
A 1 x 2 area building centered on the ard (or combat a nd role-playing, though himself and his allies with Josef, his
eastern side of the camp houses the specific awards can be earned: loyal burgomaster. They are soon joined
mess hall and kitchen. Barracks are Team Doom I by Doom's faithful servant Boris. Doom
separated by gender, and each is 2 areas Recruit Frankenstein's Monster +20 explains that Kristoff had gone unbid-
square; the men's barracks are centered Destroy camp robots + highest ability den intQ" his laboratory and accidentally
on the southern edge of the camp, while score/each a ctiyate$t some machines which brain-
t he women's barracks are in the SQut h· Destroy camp + 10 washed him. "I must cure the boy of
east corner. Harm mutants in camp - 20 this madneSS soon, before more inno-
The training hall, a 3 x 4 area build· Defeat killer robots +75 each cents are harmed." With that, Doom
ing which stretches from the northeast 'leamwork with camp mutants + 201 takes off down hidden tunnels leading
corner along the northern perimeter, each character befriended

p o L y H E o R o N
 15

to the bowels of Castle Doom. Guardbot destroyed + 10 - Does any PC break with Doom and
Just as Doom leaves, cries come from Warrior Robot destroyed + 20 Latveria altogether, leaving with any
the streets "Help! The robots are loosed! Killer Robot destroyed +75 of the potential NPCs such as the FF
Keep to your homes!" Kristoff has re- Latverian rescued/saved + 5 each or Puppet Master?
leased more robots into Doomstadt, -If a PC abandons his a lliance with
hoping to flush out his opponents. Doom's Dayl Doom, how does Doom react to this
affront?
Optional Encounters: Setup: Doom I is in Castle Doom can· -Will Victor Von Doom honor the spirit
fronting Kristoff alone. If the PCs de· of his promises to all his allies in this
-Boris has contacted the Fantastic Four cide to storm the keep, they have to
independently, requesting their aid. struggle if he survives?
contend with 4·40 guardian robots, 5·50
He wants their help in preventing guardbots, 2·20 doombots, and 10·100
the needless deaths Kristotrs excess· soldiers. The soldiers have Typical abili·
Further Options
es are causing. The FF meets the ties except for Good endurance and
heroes in the Burgomaster's house Fighting (Health 32, Karma 18). They The Doom Wars offer many possibilities.
after Doom has departed. are armed with force pistols <Excellent Will the Avengers, newly reorganized
-The Wizard arrives in Latveria, itch· energy damage) or energized pole·arms by the United Nations, interfere with
ing for revenge against Doom for (Remarksble force damage + Good the Latverian civil war, especially when
insults traded during t he Acts of edged damage), or both. There are also it spills over into Transia and Symka·
Vengeance fiasco. He has collected automatic laser batteries: one in each of ria? Has one of the Dooms recruited the
another Frightful Four to combat the smaller towers, three in each of t he most ruthless of allies, bringing known
Doom, and he attempts to draw eastern towers, and five in both the supervillains into the fray? Could the
Doom out by destroying Doomstadt. central and southern towers, These trainer of Kristotrs mutant forces be
The Frightful Four consists of the batteries fire with Remarkable accuracy the 'Ierminator?
Wizard, the Trapster, Quicksand, and on any targets within 1 area, dealing What happens when both Dooms
Klaw. Incredible force damage. unleash some of their most terrifying
technologies upon each other? What if
The Action: The heroes are beset in Optional Encounters: Once within Kristoff uses the Power Cosmic Ener-
Doomstadt by a force of Doom II's ro- Doom's castle, it is up to the GM to map gizer, and manages to assimilate all
bots. The first wave consists of 2-20 and guide the players. Doom's technolo- that power?
guardbots, with a like wave of killer gy is everywhere, with deadly traps and No matter which adventures you play,
robots and a wave of guardian robots gadgets aplenty to keep intruders busy. your heroes (on either side) will emerge
following aLfive·minute intervals. PCs searching the castle can stumble with different views of an old foe.
There are 14 innocent people out on across any number of Doom's inven·
the streets at this time in the evening tions, including:
spread out a long the two streets closest -Robotized suits of armor.
NPCs and Innocent Bystanders
to Castle Doom. The robots emerge from -The Micro-projector, capable of sending
Castle Doom on its southwest side, and people to the Microverse and the Non-powered NPCslBystanders
move quickly to the attack. Common Micro-World of Queen Pearla.
people, but not the heroes, are safe from Farmers
- Liddleville, the tiny town of puppets.
attack if they move more than 1 area -Or. Doom's Time Machine F A S E R I P
north of Doomstadt, into the forest. .Power Cosmic Stealer and Energizer. PR TY GO EX PR TY TY
Follow-up: After the robot assault, -Zorba's Eye.beam weapon.
- A new Darkoth android, ready for new Gypsies
Doom's voice (nobody can tell which
Doom) is heard over loudspeakers. brain patterns. F A S E R I P
"Dear citizens, you have been done a -The inert body of the Super·Adaptoid, TY GO TY EX PR TY TY
great evil. My doppelganger was the stolen from Avengers Island during
one who released the mechanized as· the Acts of Vengeance. Terrorists
sault forces into our fair city in hopes of The trip through t he castle can open F A E R I
S P
destroying any faithful servants I had up numerous adventures. Could the PCs GO GO TY EX PR TY TY
there. Thanks to our Latverian protec· handle being sent to the Microverse? a n
tors, we have survived. The imposter is alternate past? Who might they find in Townsmen
still loose and must be dealt with harsh· the deepest recesses of Von Doom's
ly for these heinous acts! Return to your dungeons? Mysteries await .. .
F A S E R I P
homes in peace, though my keep may PR TY PR TY PR TY TY
erupt in battle against mine enemies. Fol)ow-up: Here are a few questions for
Keep your faith in your Master, for with the GM to answer after the smoke Doom I
Latveria's soul behind him, Doom shall clears: Victor Von Doom, high tech wonder
always triumph!" -Will either Doom allow the Latverian FASERJP
The PCs are given free lodging in Protectorate to operate within the RM EX RM IN AM IN AM
town and are revered by the populace country's borders as its official super· Health: 120 Karma: 140
for their aid. team?
- Do any heroes return to their families Powers:
Karma awards: Much of Doom's power is provided by
Each building damaged - 5 and the norma l life?

p o L y H E o R o N
 16

his armor. Health: 120 Karma: 140 energy or physical attacks

Body Arnwr (Equipment): Incredible
(40) Material strength ; Incredible (40)
Powers: Talents: Chronicler of Magic, Gypsy
Kristoff wears a suit of armor which is Lore, Mystic Background, Occult Lore
protection from physical and energy functionally identical to Victor's armor.
attacks. The only difference between the two
Electrical Attack (Equipment): Unearth· Werewolves
ly (100) electr ical shock to any in direct sets of armor is that Kristolrs armor is
primarily an exoskeleton built to house F A S E R I P
contact with Doom, Incredible (40) elec- his nine-year-old body and mimic the
trical shock to those in same area. RM EX RM IN TY AM GD
Force Bolts (Equipment): Gauntlets fire
size, movements, and voice of Dr. Doom. Health: 120 Karma: 66
bolts of force, up to Amazing (50) dam- There also are cosmetic changes in the
armor, such as exposed chain mail along Powers:
age with range of 10 areas. the thighs and arms as opposed to Doom Lycanthropy: All werewolves are vic-
Force Field (Equipment): Monstrous tims of a disease which causes a meta-
intensity Force Field against physica l I's full plate armor.
morphosis from a human to lupine form
and energy attacks; Doom cannot attack Talents: Kristoff also possesses all of when exposed to the light of a full
while the Force Field is operating. Victor's talents. moon. When in human form , a lycan-
Flight (Equipment): Armor's jetpack thrope's statistics range from Poor to
Since he partially assumed Victor Von
allows Excellent (20) Air Speed. Doom's memories, Kristoff believes he Good. The remaining powers listed are
Handgun (Equipment): Excellent (20) for the werewolf form only.
is the original Von Doom, trapped in a
force damage at a range of 2 areas. child's body (though his armored suit Claws: Good Material Strength claws
Life Support (EquipfTumt): SW'vivai of and teeth inflict up to Excellent Edged
Incredible (40) rank.
gives him an adult's appearance). Like
Victor, he is tremendously egotistical damage.
Magical Ability: Self.taught magic al-
and vain. Infravision: Werewolves see in the dark
lows Eldritch Bolts of up to Amazing Kristoff differs from Victor in his with Excellent ability.
(50) rank with a 5-area range. degree of self-control. Doom II is much Invulnerability: Werewolves have a n
Mind Transferral: Amazing (50) ability more impulsive, arrogant, and erratic Amazing resistance to all forms of phys.
to transfer minds between bodies upon ical attacks save those from silver weap-
than Doom I. He is a less mature Doom,
eye contact; target makes a Psyche more possessed of fire and action than ons.
FEAT to resist. the subtler, elder Doom. Doom U's nobil- Leaping: Werewolves can leap with
Talents: Engineering, Inventing, Mys· ity and honor are still to be trusted, but Excellent ability.
tic Background, Occult Lore, Robotics, impulsiveness and impatience boil to Tracking: Due to enhanced senses of
Weapon and Energy Systems t he surface much more quickly. hearing, smell, and sight, werewolves
can track living beings with Incredible
Dr. Victor Von Doom is a ruthless and ability.
dangerous egomaniac who disposes of Margali Szardos Vulnerability to Silver: Werewolves
any opposition he confronts. He easily Margaliofthe Winding Way, Master must make an Endurance FEAT with
blames others for his faults, and forever Practitioner of Faerie Magic
each hit by a silver weapon; a White
holds grudges about wrongs done to F A S E R I P result is considered a Kill.
him, whether real or imagined. Despite GD GD TY IN EX AM MN
his vanity and ego, he has a true sense Health: 26 Karma: 145 Wild Pack
of honor and nobility, and can be trusted Agents of Symkaria and Silver Sable
to keep his word. Powers:
Magic: All of MargaH's powers stem International
Dr. Doom has mellowed over the years
despite constant opposition to his from her mastery of Faerie Magic. F A S E R I P
schemes by the superhuman community Margali has the following spells, in EX EX TY EX GO GO GD
at large. His setbacks teach him pa- addition to any number of spells she has Health: 66 Karma: 30
tience, but his pride is not to be stilled. not exhibited or powers which cannot be
quantified: Talents: Each Wild Pack member ex-
Victor is a powerful warrior, a brilliant hibits at least 1-4 of the following tal·
scientist, and a strong ruler, but he is a -Alteration-change appearance at AM
ability e nts: Acrobatics, Demolitions,
flawed man, forever suppressing the Detective/Espionage, First Aid, Guns,
better aspects of his character. -Astral Projection-UN ability
-Confusion-MN intensity; the target Law EnforcemenUMil itary, Msrksman,
Victor attempts to r ecruit to his side Martial Arts A, B, and E
any Latverians who attack him. He must make a Psyche FEAT or be en-
wishes no ill to his people, least of a ll gulfed in a swirling void empty of all History: The Wild Pack is Silver Sa-
those whom his double has duped into but Margali's face and voice. ble's warrior force, trained to capture
service. He wishes to set them straight -CorVuration-teleporl items and people Nazi war criminals. Recently they have
so they can serve their true Master in to her location at UN range and ability spread operations to more mercenary
ousting the nine-year-old despot. -Dimensional Travel-UN ability goals, lending out their services to sup-
- Eldritch Bolts- AM force or energy port Symkaria's economy. They are
bolts from her eyes professional soldiers who prefer to re-
Dr. Doomll -Eldritch Beams-MN energy beams main behind the scenes, unnoticed until
Kristoff Von Doom, high tech wonder from her hands it is time t.o str ike.
F A S E RIP - Image Projection- AM ability
RM EX RM IN AM IN AM -Mystic Shield-MN protection against

p o L y H E o R o N
DARK SlJNTM Arena Character Sheet Character Name: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _-j
Player Name: _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ Membership Number: _ _ _ _ _ __ Race: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _--1
Age, ____________________---;
Addres s: ___________________________________________________
Class and Level: ------------1
Experience Points:

PSIONICS
STR: Age: Psionic Strength Points:
DEX: Height: Thieving Percentages
CON: Weight: PP OL Ff MS HS ON CW RL
!NT. Hair Color: Wild Talents:
WIS: Eye Color:
CHR:
Base Armor Class:
Front Armor Class:
Rear Armor Class: Spells Memorized
Hit Points: FOR PSIONICIST CLASS ONLY
Disciplines:
Proficiencies:

Sciences:

Devotions:
Nonweapon Proficiencies:

Mode s:

Magic Items

Equipment and Arm or:

Wealth
Creating A DARK SUNT'" Arena Character Equipment Use thi s space to 1ist more infonnation
The RPGATMNetwork is offering you a 8Dnk peak at
about y our char acter's psionic abil ities:
Normal Equipment (choose (our)
t he DARK SUWM campaign settieg t h.rough combat
actioa! Leather Backpack
Large S ac k
Small Wooden Chest
Creen Silk Cloves
Snakeskin Boots
Orange Sas h
Ability
I
PSP Co,t
Score Init/ Mnt
This activity will premier at the 1991 GEN CO N® Gilme
Fai r. If you arc not goi ng to the oldest and best gaming Large Belt P ouch Black Leather Belt
convention around .. don' t worry. Other conventloos Empty Wineskin Blue Vest
will be SPODSOring DARK SUN areoa combats. Small Tent Breeches or Ki lt
Blanket SandJes
To get In on the a re na floor of all t he fun, folln w t hese Candle Red Hat
easy Instroctlons. Then wnteh conve ntio n program Fli nt and S teel Obs idian Mirror
books fo r details Oil ho w to enter your character. One Flask of Oil Soap, 8 oz.
Torch Obsidia n Razor
Start At ThW Level Lantern Quill
Whetstone Ink, l oz.
Create a third-level AD&D® 2nd Edition Ga me H ou rglas s Pa per, 10 sheets
ch a racter .. fighter, wizard, thie r, cle ric, or droid then Rope, 50' Thieves ' Picks
add one Wild Tale nt as per page! 19·2 1 or ThcComplek Silver Bell Liza rd's Foot
Psiol1ic. Hondbook , Sig nal Whi s tle (bone) Songbird
OR, create a thi rd·le\'el psionicist, also per The Chal k Pet Rock
Complete Psiol1U:s llal1dbook . Briill e Pig
Flint Knife Bea ns, 25
You have 100 points to divide among your character's Poetry Book Flo ur, l Ib.
Strength, Intel ligence, Wisdom, Dexte ri ty, Constitution, Worry Stone Tortoise Shell
a nd Charisma. Do not wor ry about percentile points for
Strength bonuse8. Thnl will be hundled when you show Miscellaneous Magic (choose two)
u p at the are na. P otion of Diminu ti on
Potion of Extra-healing
Your character can be a human, h3If-elf, eU, dwa rf, or Potio n of H enling
hnlfling. Select WC3pon 3nd non·weapon proficiencies Potion of Invis ibility
from the Pla yer. Handbook . Yllu r chnracler may be of
Potion of G ro wth
nn y a lignment.
Potion of Rni nbow Hues
All third·level cha racters have maximum hit poi nts. Potion of Sweet Water
For example, a fi ghter htu 30 hit painu; a thief, 18 hit Potion of Wate r Breathing
paints: n cleric, 24 hit points; a wizard, 12 hit points; and Sli ppers of S pi der Cli mbing
a psionicist, 18 hit poi nts. Next, add Constitution Boots ofElv enkind
bonuses. You sta.rt out with the baac number of Bools of Speed
expe rience points fo r t hird level for your respcetive Br a cers of Brachiation
clas s . Ba g of Holdi ng (capacity: 250#, 30 cu. ft, )
Ha t of Disgui se
The Aren A. Atte nda nt will sup ply ar ms nnd armOT for W a nd of Wo nder (10 charges)
your characte r. Gloves of Mi s sile Snaring
Lenses of Subtitles
If you have questions, a sk the Arena Attendant Murlynd's Spoon
Ring of Swimming
 17

Doom's Toys The Combat Doombots have the fo l- -Remar kable(30) Intensity Force or
lowing statistics and abilities: Energy Blasters
This campaign supplement could go on FASERIP
for 10 more pages r egarding the tech- EX EX EX RM EX EX EX Miscellaneous Technology
nology available to the two Dooms. Health: 90 Karma: 60 Doom has spent the past 30 years de-
Details on items mentioned within the - Incredible(40) Material Strength signing and inventing hordes of new
campaign scenarios a re listed here. -Incredible(40) Body Armor technology. Only a smattering of this
Each Doom certainly can have more at -Amazing(50) Intensity Force Beams has been seen in comic books or in game
his disposal. -Monstrous(75) Force Field materiaL The following is a short list of
-Unearthly(100) Electrical Shock various gadgets which the PCs may
Transportation -Excellent fl ight from waist-mounted encounter when ins ide Castle Doom;
rockets perhaps Doom II might equip some of
All-Terrain Transports his robots with new technology to sur·
Guardbots: Guardbots are non-
Doom's transports are about the s ize of humanoid robots used to patrol Latve- prise the hapless heroes.
a regular van. They have six seats Bnd ria's borders or cont rol the populace. Encephalo Beams: Subconsciously pre-
a cargo area. Each has a built·in first They use wheels for mobility, granting vents attacks on Doom (FF 1246, 247)
aid station and computer. The trans- them lightning speed. These robots Micro-projector or shrinking gOi>: Sends
ports have six wheels, a nd are capable follow their programmed order s strictly (people to the Microverse (FF 116)
of land or sea movement. Their statis- and without thought. Power Cosmic Energizer: (FF 1258)
t ics are: The Guardbots have the following Power Cosmic Stealer: (FF 157-61)
Land transport mode: Control RM, Land statistics and abilities: Puppet Projection Technology: Places
Speed EX, Body RM. Protection RM. mi nds within tiny puppets and
SeoIUnckrwoter transport modes: Con- FASERIP
GO GO TY GO PR PR PR Liddleville) (FF 1236)
trol EX. Sea Speed IN, Under water Time Machine: (various FF issues)
Speed EX, Body RM, Protection RM Health: 36
-Typical(6) Materia l Strength Zorba's eye beam weapon: (FF 1200, 247)
The transports are sometimes equipped -Typical(6) Body Armor
with machine guns, and a lways have 1- The End?
4 force pistols (EX force damage, range
2 areas) in the cargo bay.
,...
- Excellent.(20) Intensity Force Blast-
-Entangling arms of Excellent Mate- I'd love to hear the results and comments
ria l Strength about your Doom Wars campaigns.
Flyers - Incredible(40) Intensity Knock Out Right now, my biggest critic is Uatu; the
Doom's flyers ride on magnetic waves, Gas big guy reads over my shoulder as I
ensuring silent and rapid flight. They - Lightning speed of six areas/round write. I don't mind so much, but he
are radar invisible, though they can be Killer robots: These humanoid robots points a lot, and his hand appearing
tracked by scanning specifically for were designed to be ultimate machines between me and my computer screen is
magnetic pulses along their trajectory. of destruction. They were only intended disconcerting. "Hey, {ella, just stick to
One man {lyer: Control RM, Air Speed to be used if Doom was no longer in watching, will ya?"
AM, Body EX, Protedion EX.
Four man flyer: Control: IN (robot pilotV
control of Latveria. Once released, they o
cannot be controlled by Castle Doom or
EX (character pilot), Air Speed RM, Doom himself.
Body GO, Protection EX. The killer robots have the following
statistics and abi lities:
Robots
FASERIP
Doom's robots vary in fo rm, fundion, EX EX AM MN FE FE FE
and effectiveness. There are three spe- Health: 165 Karma: 6
cific: types which the player characters -Amazing(50) Material Strength
may encounter in the campaign. Many -Amazi ng(50) Body Ar mor
of the robots in these scenar ios are
under independent control, not directly Warrior robots: These are the standard
operated by Doom II. guards and shock troops in Doom's arse·
naL They a re humanoid and large (8'
Doombots: Doombots are designed to act tall), built to intimidate the masses.
as proxies for Doom, e ither in negotia- They can speak and are able to receive
tions or in battles. When alone, the vocal commands from Doom.
Doombots each believe themselves to be The warrior robots have the following
Doom; their programming allows them statist ics and abil ities:
to act as Doom unless in the presence of
Doom or another Doombot. The Doom· FASERIP
bots the PCs e ncounter at the camp are EX GO GO EX PR PR PH
Combat Doombots, specifically pro- Health:60
grammed to fight, but not kill, the mu- -Good(10) Material Strength
tants in training sessions. -Good(lO) Body Armor

p o L y H E o R o N
 18

Bool(wyrms
History's Greatest Role-Playing Adventure
across the New World with its attenda nt of chances to fantasize the tale. The
by Doug Niles scourges of plague and slavery, it did main characters, E rixitl a nd Halloran,
eliminate the cults of sacrifice. have no histor ical basis. The magic of
Many tales come t o mind when onc Finally, a nyone who lives in North Mazt ica, including pluma (feather mag·
considers the roots of fantasy role play- America should be aware of the pro- ic) and h ishna (talon magic) are obvious·
ing: most people immediately think of found historical impact this tiny little ly fantastic. The presence of non·huma n
the epics of classical mythology, the campaign waged 500 years ago had on races (drow, elves, dwarves, a nd half-
stories of the Norse gods, the legends of western history. It shaped the future of lings) in Maztica also give a decidedly
King Arthur, and 80 on . While ma ny of not only Mexico, but all of the Americas fictional sla nt to the tales. The trilogy
these vaguely are based on historical a nd the emerging empires of Europe as also tells the story of how orcs, trolls,
events, t hey a ll are hea vily mythologi. well. and ogres were introduced into the
cal - 80 much so that they are regarded These eleme nts seemed tailor made continent.
as fab les a nd legends. for a fantasy role-playing interpreta- Perhaps the most dra matic departure
One epic tale, however, has its roots in t ion, and they have been squirming from history comes from the divergent
pure history. It depicts savage and around in my mind for years. The final endings of the two tales. Given the
bloodthirsty gods, is r eplete with horrid result has become the Maztica trilogy, conquistadors' missionary zeal there
r ituals, and has elements resembling set in the Forgotten Realms. Also, this was little chance Mexican culture, his-
magic and sorcery. month sees the release of the Maztica tory, or architecture would survive.
I write. of course, about the epic con- boxed set, a FORGOTTEN REALMS- Indeed these crusaders seemed to throw
quest of Mexic<l by Hernan Cortes and campaign accessory that details the the baby out with the bath water as
his small band of conquistadors. la nds introduced in the trilogy. they outlawed the native religions. One
("Small" is a relative term; Cortes' 400 I must emphasize that the ta le of t he Friar Landa, who is known for preserv-
men would make for a huge AD&D!' Maztica trilogy is fi ction - fantasy ing most of what we know about Mayan
game party, but one must not overlook fi ction with elements such as wizards, culture, destroyed a hundred times
the fact that he was attempting to con- spells, enchanted items, monsters, and what he preserved, claiming tha t it was
quer a land with some 13 million inhab- gods who take an active interest in the religiously inappropriate. I have always
itants.) goings-on in t he world itself. Do not found the historical ending to the ta le
This always has been a story that r ead these books expecting to learn the disappointing because the bad guys
fascinated me, As a youth, stories of the history of the Spanish Conquest. didn't get what was coming to them and
battles, the appalling sacrifice s, and the Anyone even remotely famili ar with too many good things were destroyed
splendors of lost Thnochtitlan piqued my the history, however, will notice that the when the native Mexican cultu re virtu·
interest and inflamed my sense of ad- Maztica story was inspired by rea l ally was exterminated. This is where
venture. The Aztec's golden treasures events. For example, some characters in the Maztica trilogy differed most signif·
and knightly orders, balanced against the novels (specifically: Captain- icantly from historical events.
the audacity a nd ruthlessness of t he General Cordell, his officer Alvarro, and At the story's close, Maztica is in flux .
conquistadors, was sure ly t he stuff of an the Revered Counsellor Naltecona) are Ma ny new things have been introduced,
epic tale. based on actual historical figures (re- and the wealth of treasure found there
The shocking effects of horses and spectively: Cortes, Captain Pedro de has attracted the attention of the rest of
gunpowder upon the Mexican warrior s Alvarado, and Moctezuma). Of t hese, the world. Monsters roam the land.
bear close resemblance to t he effects of Alvarro was the simplest-he's a villain, However, the Mazticans control much of
magic in a fantasy battle, at least when and most histories provide clear sugges· their own continent, and the cult of
it comes to morale. The waves of Aztec tions for his villainy. Cordell was a lot sacrifice has been driven underground.
warriors, with full war garb, feat hers, more challenging because he could be There are still some wild-eyed priests
and banners must have been a spectacle neither hero nor villain-at least not in running around, stone daggers in hand,
worthy of Cecil B. DeMille. the context in which I was viewing the seeking victims for their gory rituals,
As I grew older, the thor ny moral story. In AD&D®game terms, his align- but the cult no longer overshadows the
issues of the conquest began to fascinate ment comes out in the Lawful Neutral land. Invaders from t he Sword Coast
me. The conquistadors' motivations (Evil) category. Naltecona is the most still are present, but they have not yet
were open to question. Gr eed, lust for fascinating because he represents to me succeeded in subjugating Maztica and
power, and a primitive love of adventure a figure with the status of a classic enslaving its people. They might never
are prominen t. The empire they a nnihi· tragic hero. He is trapped between a succeed.
lated boast ed forms of art , literature, belief in a prophecy that told of a new As the trilogy closes, the forces of the
and science that had not emerged else- ruler arriving to take control of his new and the old, of enlightenment and
where on t he globe. lands and the natural urges of the war- darkness vie for control. With the re-
On t he other ha nd, the Aztecs prac- like leader ofa wa rlike nation. He is lease of the boxed set, Maztica's fate liE
ticed huma n sacrifice on a sca le that, to dismayed a nd indecisive; when he fi· with you, the players.
my knowledge, no other culture even naHy chooses to act it is too late. (
approached. As the conquest spread On the other ha nd, there were plenty

p o L y H E o R o N
 19

Back To Basics
Revitalizing The DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® Game

~~1

I I
The original DUNGEONS & several FORGOTTEN REALMS cam- 48 cards that teach var ious aspects of
DRAGONS<!I game, now up-to-date and paign setting novels. the game.
easy to understand, is revolutionizing "When t first took on the project:' "They are the heart of the game:'
role-playing by bringing new players Denning recalls, "I thought it was sim- explains Bruce Heard, D&O® Game
into gaming's fo ld. ply cleaning up the rules. I thought I Group Coordinator. "Each Dragon Card
could do it in a week or two. It wasn't teaches a concept. For example, there's
The game, released last spring, was a like it was going to be a big deal. Then a card on " Armor Class" covering near-
mammoth undertaking, says designer Lorraine Williams, TSR's president, ly everything a Dungeon Master needs
Troy Denning, who polished and im- said, "Oh no. What you want to do is to know about the subject-such as
proved it-without changing the rules. revolutionize role·playing-find a way types of armor characters can wear."
Denning will also author at least one to teach people how to role-play." The other side of the card is a solo ad-
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game ad- Troy researched how people learn venture for the DM that focuses heavily
venture which will be on the shelves before approaching the project. Editor on Armor Class.
next year. Tim Brown assisted hlm with the 64- "There's one on spells:' Heard added.
"The game is targeted for people who page rule book. Next. the game went to "And it has an adventure with
have wanted to play DUNGEONS & Jonatha Caspian, an editor with a mas- speUcasting." The adventure reinforces
DRAGONS games and have never had ter's degree in education; her goal was what the person learned in the rules
friends who knew how to play or who to make sure the instructions were clear section, boosting their overall compre·
never had the time to learn. It's for and could be easily understood by peo· hension of the game, he said.
adults and kids," said Denning, whose pie unfamiliar with role·playing games. Heard said while avid garners are
other credits include the AD&O® 2nd The boxed set, which retails for about
Edition game ugends & Lore tome and $20.00, also includes "Dragon Cards;' Continued on page 30

p o L y H E D R o N
 20

The Living City

Port Of Ravens Bluff
ated, and offenders will soon fInd them- to other merchan ts, however no more
by lew and Terry Wright selves looking fOf other employment. that 30% of the space is rented out at
This is true even for blood relatives. anyone time. Renters and their agents
The docks of Ravens Bluff team with Since E.L.F. & Co. lets each captain are provided with identification tags
adventure, excitement, and intrigue. r u n his own ship with very little inler- which allow them access to their prop·
There is 80 much for characters to do ference, the arrangements vary with erty in the well-secured facility.
around The Living City's port that an the personal biases of the captains. Security for the warehouse is also pro-
entire product will be released next There are at least 30 of this class of vided by E.L.F. from a private police force.
month focusing on the area- Port Of ship currently in operation. Four. The The City Watch also patrols the area.
Ravens Bluff, LC4. Sunfish, The AngeLica, The Zephyr, and E.L.F ma intains a couple of private
10 stir your interest, we proudly The Wh ite Thrn, primarily operate in homes and several rooms at various
present two port offerings. a nd around The Dragon Reach. inns for use by their ships' officers and
Some of the other ships are: The Ki- visiting dignitaries.
The Sunfish Rin, The Goodewind, The Ciou.drider
a nd The Erne. Ardenor Eldritch
The Sunfish is a th ree·masted bark 7th Level Male Elf Fighter
typical of the seagoing merchant cargo Eldritch, lightfoot,
ship used by E.L.F. & Co. to carry less Findrol & Co. STR: 13
bulky cargo long distances with good INT: 14
Worldwide ImportJExport W1S: 12
speed. The Sunfish is 150' long, not
including the bowsprit. S he is 28' DEX: 18
abeam, and 16 from keel to gunwales. Eldritch, Lightfoot, Findrol & Co. is the CON: 12
She has two cargo hatches, wit h two second largest trading company in Rav- eHA: 18
ship's boats on the aft hatch . ens Bluff. It was started near the docks
by Ardenor Eldritch about 60 years ago. AC Normal: 2
The Sunfish a nd her sister ships are AC Rear: 6
built more for speed than cargo capaci- Eldritch was an itinerant merchant
dealing mostly in exotic spices and Hit Points: 38
ty. They are more likely to carry pre- Alignment: Lawful Good
cious cargoes to a few dest inations than textiles. He had stopped at the natural
harbor many times for provisions for his Languages: Common, Elvish, Orcish,
be tra mp traders. Half1ing
The captain's and officers' quarters three ships and found the climate very
are astern, along with the galley. Crew agreeable. On one voyage, he decided to Age: 2S5
quarters are primarily in the forecastle stay and open a trading post, turning Height: S' 2 ~
(at the bow) and in unused portions of his ships over to his son to continue the Weight: 110
the cargo hold. Passenger space is al- family business. Hair/Eyes: SilverlBlue
most non-existent. I1islar Lightfoot was also a traveling Weapon Proficiencies: Long sword,
The Sunfish class barks have a mini· mer chant. However, his business was short bow, net, javelin, dagger (held),
mum crew requirement of 2S, with a caravans plying the overland trade dagger (thrown)
full compliment of 3S, as follows: rou tes. He met Eldritch during one of Nonweapon Proficiencies: Swimming
Captain, fIrat-mate, bo'sun, cook. his stopovers at Ravens Bluff, and found (13), navigation (12), rope use (18), rid·
ship'S boy, 20-30 able-bodied seamen. himself both liking the old elf a nd join. ing land·based (1S). reading/writing OS)
Arma ments vary with the preferences ing him as a business partner. That was
about SO year s ago. Magic Items: Ring of protection + 2,
of the capta ins. Usually, there are two {lying dagger + 2, folding boat, alchemy
ballistas and a small group of marines Business thrived, a nd t he two built up
a fl eet of more t han two dozen ships and jug, net of snaring, cloak of the manta
to protect the ships against pirates.
In the case of The Su.nfish. the cr ew is near ly SO wagons. Then, about 10 years '·Y
heavily related. For example, Captain ago, they met Orothan Findrol, another
traveling merchant with a specialty in Ardenor is usually pleasant , especially
Nimleth has his wife Jori as cook, his when bantering with customers. Occa-
son Arthax is bo'sun, another son a nd precious gems and wrought metals-and
yet a nother partner was added. sionally his temper will flare at incom-
daughter are seamen, and his youngest petent help or business setbacks, a nd
girl is ship's boy. His fIrst mate, Ests- t hen he can swear with t he best of the
ban, is a long time friend of Captain E.L.F!s Business & Properties old dockworkers.
Nimleth, and Estaban a lso has one son However, he prefers to win hard work
and one daughter in t he crew. E.L.F. & Co. owns one of the main ware- and loyalty by being ajust and equita-
Captain Nimleth thinks the interde- houses in the wharf district. They staff ble employer.
pendencies of the "extended family" of it with company employees, hiring His dress varies, depending on his
his crew boost morale and help the ship additional part-time workers when activity. For visits to the warehouse or
run more efficiently. No discord is toler- business increases. They also N!nt space his ships, he wears leather armor over

p o L y H E o R o N
 21

plain breeches, a simple tunic and wander around the loading areas, sword + 1, lupe ofCormac*
boots. For more formal situations, he checking on the condition of the ani· Thieving Abilities
prefers to show off custom tailored out- mals, how well a wagon is packed, and
fits made from his finer textiles (as a so on. Employees and customers alike PP OL FT MS HS DN CW RL
walking advertisement). He never tries soon learn that although Ilistar may 70 55 55 65 45 35 85 15
to hide his elven looks or his tan skin seem aloof, he is actually very alert,
that is oddly tinged with green. and he will not tolerate carelessness in * New magic item explaine d at the end
Ardenor's family has been seafaring his company. of t his column.
merchants for as far back as they can Like Ardenor, his dress varies to suit Orothan is a studious elf and tends to
trace their roots. It is believed that some the environment. When working on the prefer solitude. He has a large library of
aquatic elf blood was picked up several road or at the warehouse, he wears a set reference materials covering gems and
generations ago, which is the reason for of elven chain mail. For more formal precious metals, including legendary
the strangely hued skin and hair. situations, he wears his clerical r obes hoards and artifacts.
The mixed blood may also explain with the appropriate symbols of the He is an immaculate record keeper
their preference for ships, unusual for season. and does most of the company's account·
elves. In any case, Ardenor was born As a cleric of Sylvanus, TIistar loves
ing and other paperwork. He leaves
and raised aboard ship, and worked his animals, mammals especially, and will public relations to Arendor and labor
way up from cabin boy to first mate not trade in furs or other animal parts relations to llistar.
before getting a ship of his own. which required the killing of a mammal. His manner is sullen, unless he is
Along the way, he learned his skill at He watches over the company's live- drawn into talking about ancient and
arms from the mercenaries (marines) stock and is quick to correct any person legendary treasures; then he becomes
aboard his father's ships. In order to he thinks is mishandling an animal. very animated and enthusiastic.
conduct business, his father also insist- Although he is quick to criticize em· Orothan was born in the Vale of Lost
ed that Ardenor learn to speak, read, ployees, and has been known to fire Voices, near Essembra. His natural
and write the Common tongue. them if they could not or would not do talents kept him in trouble with the
He had voyaged in every major water- things his way, he is also kind hearted, tribal Elders, and he acquired a reputa·
way before deciding to settle down in and will just as quickly hire a person if t ion as a "black sheep:' He tended to
the Living City. he thinks they are down on their luck. get even for slights, rea l and imagined,
Before meeting Ardenor, I1istar trav- through his pranks and petty thievery.
lIistar lightfoot eled most of the Vast, plying his trade. Eventually, he left the tribe under
Male Elf Fighter/Cleric 5th/5th Since joining with Ardenor, he now clouded circumstances, and after many
makes only one or two trips a year, adventures made his way to Hillsfar.
8TH: 12 preferring to manage the warehouse There, a nd in the areas nearby, he built
INT: 14 and letting his Wagonmasters handle up his skills as a thief and established
WIS: 18 the caravans. his cover as a gem appraiser and trader.
DEX: 16 It was during this time that he man-
CON: 10 Qrothan Findrol aged to recover the Lupe of Cormac from
CHA: 16 Male Elf Fighter/Thief 5th/5th ancient Dwarvish ruins in the Dragon.
AC Normal: 1 spine Mountains.
STR: 12 One day, when things got too hot for
AC Rear: 3 INT: 12
Hit Points: 32 him in Hillsfar, he decided to "go
Alignment: Neutral Good WI8: 13 straight," using his wealth and cover to
Languages: Common, Elvish, Dwarv- DEX: 19 become a traveling merchant in gems
CON: 17 and precious metals.
ish, Gnoll CHA: 16 He wandered the area of the Sea of
Age: 192 AC NormaJ: 3 Fallen Stars for a number of years until
He ight: 5' 1" AC Rear: 8 finally meeting Arendor and llistar in
Weight: 105 Hit Points: 32 the Living City. The ir talents and needs
Hair/Eyes: SilverNiolet Alignment: Chaotic Good coincided, and he chose to settle down.
Weapon Proficiencies: Short sword, Languages: Common, Elvish However, he occasionally still takes
short bow, dagger (held), staff trips abroad.
Nonweapon Proficiencies: Animal Age: 134
handling (17), rope use (16), riding land· Height: 4' 10" New Magic Item
based (21), reading/writing (15) Weight: 95
Hair/Eyes: Gold/Green
Magic Items: Ring of protection +2, Weapon Proficiencies: Short sword, The Lupe of Cormac is a jeweler's eye-
necklace of prayer beads, short sword dagger (held), dagger (thrown), short glass which acts like a gem of true see-
+2, staff of lightning bolts bow, mace ing, but only for gem stones. Using it, a
Spells/day: 5 5 2 Nonweapon Proficieneies: Apprais- person with an appraising skill can
ing (12), rope use (19), riding land-based determine the exact quality and value
Ilistar is quiet and more reserved than (16), reading/writing (13), forgery (18) of a gem, plus the nature of any inher-
Ardenor, but he is a pleasant fellow. ent magic - including curses.
He seems to look at everything and
nothing at the same time. He likes to
Magic Items: Ring of protection + 2,
rope of climbing, dagger +2, short o
p o L y H E D R o N
22

I Blew Up The Car

The Memoirs of an HO Coordinator
ing blows. the stairs with wet hair and wearing
by Chris Schon I sit there silently, awaiting her com- what I assumed was the customary
mands. My only hope is that the spells' bathrobe ofgreeting for the region. I
I started the day much like any other durations run out before she can finish whispered a silent prayer of thanks that
day. I sat at my desk sJeepy-eyed, sip- me off. we had not arrived earlier. (I guessed
ping my fifth cup of coffee, completely "How would you like to be HQ Coordi- that he would have been wearing the
unaware of the ruthless attack on my nator this year at the game fair?" she not so customary rowel of greeting.) We
will which was about to be made. You asks commandingly. She casts command exchanged greetings and he led us up
see, I volunteered to help the RPGA'" word obey just to be sure. the staircase to Hotel Skip. At the top I
Network at GEN CONo!! Game Fair 88 "Yes, Jean:' I say blankly. No such was greeted by Hotel Skip's bellhop,
and 89, and because of that I was prone luck on the durations. Drat. Another Cyrano the cat. As ifsensing my aller·
to sudden outbursts around t he office poor gamer falls victim to the will of gies and general dislike of felines ,
and home of "Never again, this was my Jean Rabe. Cyrano began rubbing against my leg,
last year!" and "No, Jean. NO JEAN. We say our goodbyes, and as I hang up purring. I'm not sure if the cat actually
NOOOOOOOOO!" These regressions, of the phone I fall to the floor trembling thought I'd pet him, or if h e was just
course. prompt myriad concerned and from anguish and defeat. This occured trying to annoy me. Although our bell-
frightened looks from my co-workers several months before last year's con- hop was not willing to carry my bags,
and family members. I never bother to vention. I am not sure of the date exact- he was more than happy to shed on
explain their cause; t simply assure ly. I am not sure it ever really them to ensure that my m emories
people that the condition will pass by happened. I have a theory that the would last well beyond the duration of
mid June or so. It is all part of a process recollection of my saying, "Yes, Jean" my stay.
which I must go through in my efforts was subliminally planted in my brain As I set foot into the Hotel Skip lobby,
to sufficiently gather my will so as to and that the words never really left my that's the kitchen to you and me, I no-
resist Jean and her spells the next time lips. I probably will never know for ticed that some serious cleaning had
she calls looking for GEN CON Game been done. (From what I hear this is
Fair volunteers. It is a noble, yet futile, "'""
Editor's Note: Chris Schon also will something that does not happen very
endeavor. be the HQ Coordinator at this coming often.) I was impressed. We chatted for a
The phone rings. GEN CON Game Fair 91, August 8-11 while, then I bid my wife a fond fare-
"Brokerage Services, Chris speaking." at MECCA in Milwaukee, WI. He prob- well and sent her on her way back to
I am generally only surprised on a roll ably doesn't remember the time that Chicago. (She's not a gamer and was not
ofl on a d6. It's a L agreement was made, either. staying for the convention.)
A meek, yet pleasant, voice issues
forth from the receiver. "Hi. How are The Arrival Hotel Skip
you? This is Jean."
"Hi Jean, good to hear from ya. How
did Winter Fantasy go?" I reply, un- I began my responsibilities t he weekend At this point I had been here about half
aware of what was about to happen . before the game fair. My excitement an hour. Cyrano still had not left my
Definitely rolled a 1. Failed my Intel· mounted as my car approached the side; he was busy trying every means
ligence check, too. outskirts of Lake Geneva (my wife was possible to maneuver his way onto my
"It went well. Everyone had fun: ' she driving, so I was able to watch the scen- lap. Needless to say, he was failing
said while gathering her spell compo- ery). My excitement, I should add, was miserably.
nents. not a result of looking forward to the Then the time had come. I could not
"Great! What can I do for ya?" I upcoming fun and camaraderie of an- hold out any longer. J had to see for
asked. Natural 20 on my Wisdom check. other Game Fair. Rather, it was the myself-the question that has been on
Darn! anticipation of what was in store for me the minds of RPGA Network members
Are you going to GEN CON Game at my place of residence for the next few for years now had to be answered. I am
Fair 90?" she posed innocently. days. t, Chris Schon, had been bestowed sure the "Ugly Maid" has lost many a
She attacks, simultaneously casting the honor of being the first guest at the night's sleep wondering ifhis work was
charm person, hypnosis, and dispel world renown Hotel Skip since the year for naught in his valiant attempts to get
common sense. Of course, her sphere of of the " Ugly Maid" (Name withheld, rid of it. I casually strolled over to the
inability to utter the word "no" to her is RPGA Network membership 118958, washroom, desperately needing to know
up and runni ng. It has been determined see POLYHEDRON'" Newszine 31 for the answer. I opened the door. There it
that she can transmit its area of effect more details). As my wife pulled the car was, the Hotel Skip luxury bathtub. I
over telephone lines. into the driveway, and honked to an- cautiously walked toward it, peering
"Yes, Jean:' I reply blankly, failing all nounce our arrival, I was in awe of the over t he edge into its depths. Yes, there
four saving throws miserably. sight of Hotel Skip, an apartment above it was. I am pleased to report to the
"Oh good!" she squeals confidently. a double garage. Soon after I pulled the membership that the infamous iron-
She prepares to make the final subdu- keys from the ignition, Skip came down stain in tub has returned. Obviously it

p o L y H E D R o N
 23

is true that diamonds are not the only

things that are forever.
A few other fine features of the Hotel
Skip include: an all-night t~eater fea-
turing mid-20th Century DIck Tracy
movies, dining facilities specializing in
microwave popcorn and tea, and a
shower designed for midgets and wash-
ing below t he waist of anyone over
5' 2~.
Chris
tries
The Files
to say
Part of my responsibilities as HQ Coor-
dinator include handling the file cabi-
nets that go in Bruce Hall and contain
"NO!"
the Network tournaments and score
sheets. So, of course, I wanted to know
the files' conditions in advance of t he
convention, and Cyrano gave me t he
opening I needed. .
Skip finally noticed my contmuous
sneezing, wheezing, and shortness of
breath. He suggested we run over to
TSR, claiming he had some work to do ment of authority and a declaration of bage dump. The task kept them very
and I could investigate the tournament territory than anyth.i ng else. I closed busy. and away from stuffing envelopes
fil es. Although the thought of parting the last drawer. cast my protection from and doing other useful th ings.
company with the persistent little fur- everyone 15' radius upon them, and was That day, Jean offered to take the
ball, who was still trying to breach my other volunteers and lout to lunch at
defenses and gain access to my lap, satisfied.
the local Chinese hot spot. Our party
pained me so, I agreed immediately and included a friendly, and lucky for me,
enthusiastically, racing him to his car. Bear Drinking even-tempered fellow from Australia
When we entered the RPGA Network named Wes. Shortly after we were seat-
offices in TSR I made a bee-line for the In the morning I awoke. My lungs did ed and had looked at the menu, we
cabinets. As I reached them, Skip in· not. My throat was burning. 1 had a w~re a pproached by a young oriental
formed me that with the help of another coughing attack, and my eyes watered. girl asking to take our orders. She
volunteer, he had personally overseen Contrary to popular belief, I am not worked her way around the table busily
the creation of this year's filing system. always like that in the morning. I soon writing our requests without incident-
My heart raced, for I knew Skip waS realized the cause. I spotted the telltale that is until she reached Wes. Wes made
capable of creating some fantastic filing pile of fur on my blanket. Obviously his food. selection. However, when she
systems. As I began to open t he drawer, Cyrano had decided I would be a cozy asked him what he would like to drink,
Skip added the footnote that Jean had sleeping companion. Skip already had he appeared to be stumped. ~ opi n g ~
been in there just a few days earlier and been up, and was looking like he was expedite the process, the waitress said,
had changed. a few things around- he ready to go. So 1 leaped out of the bed, "We haaav bear:' Wes' face went white
didn't know what she had touched. showered (the lower half of my body, with confusion. Being in a country for-
My heart sank into my shoes. Jean a nyway), dressed, and we were on our eign to him, he was aparently unaware
cannot even spell filing system. Her way to TSR. In the Network offices t hat the waitress was saying "beer."
most effective, most widely-used system things were surprisingly serene for Poor Wes frantically searched around
consists of piles of stuff. Just piles. Any- being the Monday before GEN CON the table for support before he em-
one who has seen her office can verify Game Fair. Jean had things well in bearassed himself. No one appeared to
this; it is one big pile. You can lose a hand, and there was-to my dismay- notice his plight except for me. And I
mid-sized automobile in them. In fact, I very few t hings left to do for the conven· just sat there with a smile on ~y race,
heard a lost volunteer from GEN CON- tion. This of course meant that I would seeing a tremendous opportumty for
Game Fair 88 was not found until reo be spending the next two days busy humor at Wes' expense. Frustrated and
cently when the RPGA Network moved working on a barrage of tedious and confused, he finaly admitted that he
to a new area of t he building. (The story otherwise trivial tasks. In the absence was not from around here and had no
has not been confirmed, but it could of any real work (that I wanted to do), I idea what "bear" was. Skip, being the
have happened.) spied the usual contingent. of Region~1 dignitary of the group, quickly o~dered
Amazingly enough, my filing cabinets Director volunteers hungrily packagmg him a fam iliar Chinese bra nd. I Imme-
were in pretty good shape. Jean must every morsel ofTSR product that wasn't diatedly added that yes, t he various
have got distracted before she could do nailed down for distribution at their brands of panda were tasty, but that I
too much damage. I proceeded to make local conventions. They looked like a preferred grizzly myself. Wes simply
a few minor changes, more as a state- group of hungry bears ravaging a gar· held his head in defeat as the others

p o L y H E D R o N
24

joined in t.he barrage of bear jokes. The acter had to blow up this car. My char· the toaster oven has been retired, and
jokes soon subsided as the more polite acter placed seven pounds of plastic the table has been fuc:ed (Skip went to
members realized how upset Wes was explosives under the driver's seat, K·mart and bought a tablecloth).
getting. Not me, though, [couldn't bear rigged it with a remote control detona· Once we arrived at MECCA, I pulled
to pass up a n opportunity like this. tor, and waited for Skip's character to my usual disappearing act until after
Within moments my opening came give him a reason to set it off. That time the packed file cabinets were hauled
when the wait.ress brought him his soon came when my character was eject· into HQ in Bruce Hall. When I finatly
drink and a frosted mug. Wes ex- ed (for no real reason, I might add) from found my way there, Skip was standing
claimed. "Oh a frosted mug!" I ex- the car. On his way to his falling death, before the file drawers looking quite
plained to him the condition of the mug my character hit the button and blew perplexed. Apparently in t he scume of
was caused by condensation from the up the car. After the dust cleared, my loading, one of t he file cabinets (for
live bears they kept in the refrigerator. character was quite dismayed to find which there was no key) beca me locked.
Once again the entire table was ofT and that the car didn't have a scratch on it, Skip disappeared "to go looking for
running. Wes' persecution continued for Skip's character was int act, but the rest tools;' leaving me in a state of near·
the rest of the con- many other Net- of the party was disintigrated. Seven panic. However, using a screwdriver as
work members let in on t he story came pounds of plastique! Do you know how a chisel and a stapler as a hammer,
up with some heary good puns, too. At much that is? I had to complain, rant, myself and a few enthusiastic members
times it seemed as if Wes could bearly rave, and otherwise express my disap. managed to adapt and overcome the
stand to go on. But all and all. he was a proval to Wes, who was running the situation. Within minutes we managed
good sport about it, managing to bear game. He didn't budge. The conversa· to slam , kick, bash, and otherwise man·
the brunt of the a buse with dignity snd tion in the car with Skip on the way handle the locking mechanism until it
class-even when he received a special home pretty much a mounted to: was thoroughly broken, and the
award the Sunday of the convention-a "Did too! " drawers no longer could be locked.
stuffed bear in a glass mug. "Did notl" When Skip finally returned with some
"Did too! " tools, he found myself and the other
Explosives Expert Etc. vandals standing there looking victori·
I insist that car was blown up. And I ous with the file drawers open.
a m putting out a call to the membership After HQ was set up, we headed over
The night brought the annual visit to to help me on this one. I will not rest to the Wednesday n.ight RPGA'" Net-
J ean's house for dinner and games. Chef until Skip admits that my character work members meeting. The club skit
Jean was quite excited as she explained blew up the car. I believe that seven competition was t he highlight of the
how she had acquired a delicious recipe pounds of plastic explosives is enough to meeting. The ones I saw, and the stories
for a very special dish from Sylvia. My blow up a ny car-or building for that I heard about t he ones I missed, con·
stomach churned as recollections of matter. Please help me. I need your vinced me that I should definitely plan
concrete jello a nd the great macaroni support. We must band together and to attend the next one-you should, too.
massacre sprang to mind . Could my vanquish gaming atrocities such as this. Some of the performances included: the
digestive system take another one of The rest ofthe week was fa irly un· membership buying TSR with accumu·
J ean's well meant, but very lethal eventful. It was filled with the usual lated fun bucks, a murder, and a group
meals? Fortunately fo r myself and the trials and tribulations. I ended up be· of PCs revolting against their players
other volunteers, we were running late coming friends with Cyrano, although for arguing and being indecisive. Be-
at TSR that day, and Bruce cooked the completely against my will. Hmm, could yond all that, consensus has it that
Deering family secret recipe-sloppy he possibly not be Skip's cat at all, Wayne Straiton's a udition for the Rocky
joe's. merely Jean's familiar? Horror Picture Show was definitely the
After the feast, we decided to play test 1 was honored with an opportunity to lingerie highlight of the evening.
a Paranoia scena rio which Wes wrote be a charter me mber of t he Hotel Skip The convention itself we nt surprising'
a nd that is running at next month's Volunteer Fire Department on Thesday ly well. The air conditioning in Bruce
GEN CON Game Fair. I can't tell you when we were getting ready to make Hall actually worked, keeping it a com·
too much about it, because that would our next day's jaunt to MECCA. You fortable 12 degrees in HQ for the e ntire
give away the advent ure. However, it see, Skip's house caught fire. This hap· con. But hypothermia was not enough
provided the good·natured fru stration pened as we ran back to TSR to pick up to stop me and my army of volunteers
and insanity normally associated with a couple of forgotten documents. Upon (who do all the real work, Ijust take the
the game. Our characters received some our return a nd as we were getting out of credit). Thanks for all your help, guys. I
pretty standard stuff- laser pistols, t he csr, we noticed a stra nge beeping would especially like to tliank Mitzi,
rines, etc. All of us except Skip's charac· noise. Skip's face went white as he real· without whom I would not have been
ter, t hat is. He was given a car. A heavi· ized it was his smoke alarm. We dashed a ble to keep HQ running. Don't forget
ly armored recreational vehicle up the stairs and were greeted by a to write Skip about the car.
complete with front a nd rear laser can· cloud of smoke. Appare ntly Skip's toast· I hope to see you at this GEN CON®
nons. er oven had been turned on, and the Game Fs ir. I think I'm going to try
My character, a member of the Death heat started the kitchen table on fi re. I giving up resisting Jean . It's just too
Leopards (notorious for blowing up began pouring glasses of water on the hard on the system.
t hings) knew what had to be done. table (making a mess), while Skip found P.S. I blew up that car, Skip!
Skip's character learned how to use this
car to its fullest extent. His favorite
Cyrano. We carried the smouldering o
table out of the apartment and took a
feature being an ejector seat. My char· garden hose to it. My sources tell me

p o L y H E o R o N
 25

u[}u@ [1lJwlJUlJ~ @mDm~

Cruisers and Characters: The Spacecraft Player Character, Part 2
and a "couldn't care less" attitude? the player is allowed to run one " nor·
by Roger E. Moore Think of the spacecraft as a physical mal" character in addition to the star·
body, and decide how the ship PC treats ship. As an option to running a regular
In the last installment of this column, I itself and allows others to treat it. A adventurer, the player could control the
suggested game masters of science- litterbug engineer could find himself in ship's mascot, being some sort of semi·
fiction role-playing games try cam· a lot of trouble aboard a ship that de· intelligent creature t hat can provide
paigns in which one of the player cides to alter the local gravity or air support or amusement for the group.
characters is a robotic or cyborg space- quality in his cabin in retaliation! This latter possibility would give the
craft. It might be hard to grasp this idea player a double challenge to playa very
at first. How could anyone r ole-playa The Spacecraft Playe(, Role intelligent character (the sh ip) and a
spacecraft? Where would you begin? rather dumb one (the mascot). Try to
Think of it this way: Suppose one of give the mascot some talents useful the
the PCs is a normal character, a human Running a space<:r aft PC can be difficult rest of the group.
or alien spacecraft pilot who is free to at times for a player. Can a starship 4. GM-assistant option: In this final
walk around, manipulate objects, t a lk walk into a 10' x 10' room? Probably option, the ship's player a lso serves as
with people, and so on. But suppose this not, so it won't be able to follow the an assistant to the game master. When
PC is very paranoid and r efuses to leave other PCs everywhere they go. But not running his ship pc, the player
his spacecraft. Or suppose he is handi· consider t he following options to ease controls one or more of the GM's NPCs,
capped and is physically unable to leave t he player's burden in fitting into the characters that would usually be expect·
the ship. He could still move about the campaign: ed to help the party but would not show
ship, checking its systems a nd crewing 1. One-character option: The player up in every adventure. The player cou ld
the bridge. The pilot could also commu- has the spacecraft as his only character, also help run groups of NPCs during
nicate by radio with any crewmember to but the campaign is kept centered on mass combat, set up miniatures props,
offer comments and ideas, and he could adventure settings and scenarios in generate wandering monsters, and do
use the ship's resources and firepower to which the ship can playa vital part in anything else that the OM trusts to the
support the operations in which the resolving the mission, and can offer player. The player's role as a OM's as-
other PCs were involved. From here, it's help and advice in every gaming ses- sistant should be known to all other
a short step to seeing how a spacecraft sion. This option limits the campaign players.
PC would work out. quite a bit. The setting will obviously
A word should be said about the have to be in deep space, but the overall
campaign might include a military, Grouping The Group
spacecraft. PC's self image. Take a look
at some of the people you meet during mercantile, or exploratory theme. Since
the day. Some dress sloppily and don't the PCs arc almost always in space, the Spacecraft player characters can be
take good care of themselves; others are ship can usually take part in the goings- used in science-fiction gaming groups of
very athletic and well groomed. Some on. If the ship is sma ll enough, it might any size. A few suggestions for different
people are physically attractive, and even take part in planeta ry landings. group sizes follow:
some are not. Many people are plain 2. Avatar option: The use of are· 1. On~n-one: If you have only one
looking but have at least one distin- motely controlled robotic "avatar" for player, he or she can run the ship and
guishing physical characteristic (a mus· the spacecraft was discussed in issue 60. set off on adventures across space. The
cular build, red hair, odd clothing, a A roughly man·sized robot (of virtually ship could be crewed by NPCs con·
limp, etc.). any shape the OM and players decide trolled by the OM, or it might travel
When a player creates a spacecraft upon) could accompany the other PCs on with an assortment of directly con-
PC, he or she should consider how the missions into areas where t he space- trolled robots a nd unmanned (see this
spacecraft looks. Does the ship insist on craft could not go, so long as the ship column in issues 54 and 55) with which
having its outer hull kept in pristine maintained constant communication to accomplish its missions. The ship
condition, or has it let its hull become with the robot. The robot might be lim· becomes a free agent, able to choose
scarred, scorched, and covered with ited in its powers and abilities, but it wherever it goes and select which mis·
graffiti? Does t he ship insist on having should be useful to the "live" PCs. Per- sions it wants to perform . See the next
the crew or cleaning r obots pick up haps the robot is actually a small vehi · issue of POLYHEDRON'" Newszine for
every scrap of litter that hits its decks, cle like a truck or aU·terrain vehicle, in ideas on creating adventur es for space·
or does filth and grime coat the ship's which the other PCs can ride and store craft PCs.
interior? Does the ship save its money their belongings while exploring a new 2. Two-on-one: Two players are avail·
(no reason it can't have a bank account world. In any event, the sh ip player can able: One runs the ship, and the other
and its share of spoils like e veryone control both the spacecr aft and its robot, controls all of the crewmen. This works
else) and have its systems upgraded to so the OM should take steps to ensure best when a small adventurer-class ship
match state-or·the-art technology, with the combination is not SO powerful as to is used, 80 the crew's player isn't over·
helpful little widgets purchased on the overwhelm the other PCs in the game. whelmed with char acters. Three such
side, or does it have outdated equipment 8. Multiple character option: Here, PCs might be the limit for one player;

p o L y H E o R o N
 26

one probably would be better. This lat· munication missions to support their on t hem a re given in the Characters &
ter scenario duplicates the situation in 'Mechs. Their major faul t is that they Combat book, pages 88·90, and The
Anne McCaffrey's book, The Ship Who cannot leave solar systems on their World Book, page 41. Note the interest-
Sang, which was discussed in last is- own, but they can hikh rides with ing ways in which the mechanics of
sue's column. The GM will have to be J umpShips for specified fees. running DPs fit into the fram ework of
careful to select and tailor adventures A good adventurer--class DropShip the AD&oe game system, upon which
so t hat both pl ayers will be heavily would be one of the Leopard--class ships, the XXVc game is based.
involved; don 't let either player becom e which can hold a lance of 'Mechs (re· All is not lost. Look for the Techn.icol
bored a nd r estless with nothing to do! quiring four 'Mech pilots), two Aero· Compendium, a game supplement to be
3. Three or more players: This is Space Fighters (r equiring two pilots), released in August, which will describe
simply a normal gaming group in which and a crew of nine. A runway is reo DPs as player characters in t heir own
each player runs a single PC (the ship quired for landing this ship, but the GM computer worlds. It might be possible to
among t hem). The variations i.n the ship can arrange for scenar ios to have some design a DP tha t can operate a space·
player's role mentioned earlier can be sort of suitable landing site; Mech· craft used by the other PCs.
applied as t he GM and players like. Warriors wouldn't fi ght on a planet And there is always the possibility of
All this informa tion has been fine so where they couldn't land. The Unum· running a cyborg spacecraft:. If the
far, but it's been very general, too. Actu- class DropShip would also work well world of the 25th Century can genetical·
ally putting this information to work in here, with 14 crewmen, 12 'Mechs a nd ly engineer new r aces of humanity, it
an adventure requires a close look at pilots, and two AeroSpace Fighters a nd can a lso produce cyborgs and connect
t he games in which this sort of cam- pilots. (Best of all, the Union.--class Drop-. them to spaceships as pilots.
paign is possible. Ship can land a lmost a nywhere.) The Speaking of spacecraft, small to medi·
book DropShips and JumpShips offers urn cruisers and freighters seem to be
Game 8yGame other possibilities, many larger than about the right size for a spacecraft PC,
the above ships. most fitting within the adventurer·and
The Mech Warrior rule book notes on campaign--clsss categories. Players have
The following is an a lphabetical list of page 50 ("Robotics") that few robots in the chance to design their own ships
some major science fiction role-playing this game universe are capable of in de· and deck plans to fit their specific gam·
games in which you might be able to pendent thought; the technology to ing needs.
ru n spacecraft PCs. I've made an effort produce t hem has been lost due to war. GURPS Space game (Steve Jackson
to get aU of the appropriate information A computer.r u·n ship would be a rare Games): Pages 51·52 of the rule book
players and GMs would need to set up treasure, probably sought by many (the section describing computers) ap-.
such a character, with any other com- forces if word of its existence got out. parently allow for running sentient
ments that I could wrestle out of t hose Because there are few if any details on computers as PCs. The GURPS Space
who knew more about the games in- computers in this game, it might be game also has a flexibl e system for
volved than I did. (Special thanks go out easier to have the ship be a cyborg with designing spacecraft, and in theory you
to William Connors, Blake Mobley. and the Piloting/AeroSpace, Engineering, could design a ship of virtually any size,
J ean Rabe for their assistance.) ShipBoard Oper ations, AeroSpace Tac· with as complex a computer system as
BatUeTech game (FASA Corpor a- tics, and Gunnery/AeroSpace skills, a t you like. The GURPS Ultra· Tech book
tion): You wouldn't think that much least. New inborn abilities might be might provide even more ideas for
could he done with a spacecraft PC in granted to the PC (friends, foes, sixth smart·spacecraft gaming. With the
this game, centered as the game is u pon sense, unique spacecraft parts. etc.). The proper equipment, a computer or cyborg
t he use of BattieMech combat machines. assistance of other PCs or NPCs would PC can probably do as it pleases.
But it might be interesting to have a PC be required to run the ship, making for MegaTraveller game (GDW): In
spacecraft assisting with a planetary a tight crew and a proper atmosphere of addition to all t he material given in the
sssauit. the other PCs being 'Mech and working together. Specific capabilities Traveller game section that follows
AeroSpace Fighter pilots, Tech crew· of spacecraft in this game universe may (especially Book 8 Robots), referees
men, and Scouts. The books needed here be inferred from t he many notes on should pick up a copy of Digest Group
(aside from the BattleTech boxed set) are 'Mech capabilities, such as the section Publications' Starship Operator's Man·
the Mech Warrior rule book, the A ero- on 'Mech components, starting on page ual, Volume 1. An enormous amount of
Tech book, DropShips and JumpShips, 63 of the Meeh Warrior book. material is presented in that book on
and the BattleTeeh ManuaL· The Rules BUCK ROGERS~ XXVc" game the design a nd functions of a starship
of Warfare. (TSR, Inc.): Artificial intelligences are and its subsystems, mak~g it essential
JumpShips (the game's starships) are an integral part of the XXVc universe. reading for anyone with a spacecraft
monstrous in size, though t hey have few Sentient computer programs, called character. Even people using other
crew members (maximum of 30 on a "digital personalities:' are usually game syste ms would benefit from the
Monolith--class ship). They don't seem found living in the enormous crystalline wealth of data a nd ideas this book of·
very exciting for PC use as they don't computer complexes of the inhabited fers. The computer section on pages 23·
seem to have much to do in adventures. planets of the Solar System: Earth, 26 descr ibes intelligent syn aptic
DropShips, on the other ha nd, present Mars, Venus, Mercury, the Moon, etc. spacecraft computers, which sadly tend
lots of interesting possibilities because Intelligent computers can control la rge to go insane or ma ke ba d judgment calls
they can bring their 'Mechs right to the spacecraft , too. Note that there are no as they become more complex.
battlefield and possibly stay to defend starships in this game. However, in the Star Trek: The RPG (FASA Corpora·
them. DropShips are also able to per· XXVc boxed set, it says digital person· tion); As mentioned in last issue's
form orbital reconnaissance and com· alities (DPs) can only be NPCs; deta ils column, there is a precedent for putting

p o L y H E o R o N
 27

an intelligent computer aboard a major Tr-aveller game (GOW): Because this the example of the merchant ship Emis-
spacecraft in the Star Trek game, system was updated to become the sary). Supplement 9 Fighting Ships
though such devices are apparently MegaTravelier game a few years ago, offers lots of other ship types to choose
extremely rare in Captain Kirk's time you may have trouble finding the sup- from , though most are of the megacam-
(and subjed to awful difficulties). The plementa you'll need for creating a paign class and lack sufficient detail to
M-5 Multitronic computer was able to starship PC (but you probably know be used as PC ships. FASA Corporation
pilot the U .8.S. Enterprise, perform that already). If you are patient you once produced plans for a Traveller
scans, fire the ship's weapons, raise ita should able to acquire the basica. game passenger liner, the King Ri-
shields, and navigate-and it did ita job First, if you want to playa robot star- chard. which had a crew of 182 and
very well until it went crazy. One as- ship, you must get a copy of Book 8 room for 300 passengers. The booklet
sumes that thinking computers are Robots, which has so much useful infor- that came with the deck plans (Action
therefore very, very rare in this game mation you could probably steal a hun- Aboard.: Aduentures on the King Ri-
universe. Because of the humanistic dred ideas from it for developing chard) is rich with spacecraft.based
tone of the Star Trek world, it is un- computer or robot PCs for any science adventuring ideas.
likely a cyborg-run ship would be legal fiction system. Every aspect of robotic In all cases, custom-built computer
or appreciated, but it is possible. history, encountera, and design in the systems might not fit into standard
Another problem here is that a Star Travelkr game is covered, including a spscecraft types without the use of
Trek starship like the U.S.S. Enterprise ahort section on how you can run a Books 2' and 5, which cover starship
is a megacampaign-class ship, and as a robotic or computer PC. Details on com- construction in detail. Just juggle ship
PC it would easily overpower the useful- puter programs are well handled. statistics to get what you want.
ness of the regular PCs. The game's rule Th create your PC ship, you might also 2300 AD game (GDW): The back-
book, on page 96, notes in passing the need some of the books on various star· ground given for this game universe
central computer on a ship like the ships available in the game, such as would seem to rule out having intelli-
Enterprise is tied to library computer Book 2 Starships, Book 5 High Guard, gent computers for small spacecran, so
banks containing the sum total of Supplement 7 Traders and Gunboats, any PC spacecraft will have to be in the
knowledge of the Federation. The only and Adventure 6 Expedition to Zhodane, campaign class. One of the most
way for the ship PC to utilize this infor- which describes a small asteroid star- advanced computer systems in thia
mation is for the player to also be the ahip. The best adventurer-class ship size universe is Aristotle (a.k.a. " Ace"), the
game's GM-which defeats the attempt is 600 tons or less, with a crew aue of up main computer of the giant exploration
to make the ship a PC. The starship and to a dozen. Many Travelkr adventures, starship Bayem (from page 20 of the
the regular PCs operate on two entirely supplements, and magazine articles module of the same name). Aristotle is
different scales of reference, and there produced by GDW and a host of other basically a brilliant servant with a
are few ways for that gap to be comfort- companies detailed small starahips bland personality and no creative
ably bridged. suitable for such use. thought patterns- "certainly no substi-
Nonetheless, some ways have already Those who want a campaign-class tute for human companionship:' But
been noted in which a player could run starship should consider the 1,800-ton there is no reason that some event or
a supership in a game campaign, at Levia1han (from Adventure 4 Levia.- programming might push Aristotle into
least on a limited basis. Establishing than), a merchant starship with a crew true self awareness.
the ship's limitations and finding ways of 56. The adventure booklet offers lots For skilla and programming, Aristotle
to have ship and crew work together on of ship details and scenario ideas. Ad- is noted to have the equivalent of level
common goals must be done by the GM venture 1 The Kinunir; involves a 1,250. 3 in any skill appropriate to the run-
and all the players in the campaign. ton military st.arship piloted by an ning of the Boyern. The exact akil1s
Star Wars: The RPG (West End experimental intelligent computer that included must be decided by the referee
Games): This system allows for intelli- went insane and killed ita crew. Later and player; obviously, "Ace" will have
gent spacecraft. if you ignore the com· versions of that model could have been no level for skills like Melee, First Aid,
ment on page 82 of the main rule book built with more successful results, and or Computer, though it would have
that though a ship's computer could act such a ship might be suitable for a mili- accesa to lots of raw data.
as an autopilot, thus controlling the tary campaign. The Kinunir had a crew A campaign using the Bayern's crew
motions of ita ship, it would still not be of 45 and could carry 35 Marines. Mili· as PCs (the ship can carry up to 110
considered a Droid character. Read the tary campaigns might also consider people) might benefit from having some-
sections on Droids (psges 82-84) and using the mercenary cruiser Broad- one also role-play the computer as well.
starships (pages 54-Ei5), then start ex- sword (from Adventure 7 Broadsword), What would Aristotle make of the
perimenting. Adventurer-class starships which has a ship's crew of 17 and capac· Pleiades anomaly? What would the
are strongly recommended in this game ity for 31 soldiers. computer suggest in order to solve the
system, based as it is on individual For those who want a megacampaign- mystery? And how will the crew react to
personalities; the stock light freighter class ship as a PC, GDW's out-of-print having a machine run their ship?
and its Milknnium Falcon version, Azhanti High Lightning boxed set is
described on page 56 of the rule book, strongly recommended; it has lots of The next edition of The Living GaLaxy
are excellent. The comic-relief aspect of deck plans, two rule booklets, and ad· offers more thoughts on player charac-
Droids in this game can be played up to venturing ideas. Up to 620 people, in- ter apacecrafts, with a host of adventure
no end, and the possibilities of a smart- cluding crewmen, soldiers, and ideas.
alec, paranoid, overconfident, or coward-
ly atarship ahould fire the imagination
passengers, can be carried on some
ships of this class, though fewer are
a
of any GM. Have fun! required for nonmilitary versions (see

p o L y H E o R o N
28

"Run, you fools, run!"

As the film opens, we arrive in Even 50, Haller decides to expl ain the
by James Lowder Arkham with the hero, Stephen mythos away as witchcran..
Reinhart (played woodenly by Nick Nice try, I suppose, but Die, Monster,
The above quote, tak en from the Field Adams). He wants a ride to the Witley Die will make you yawn repeatedly,
Ma nual of the Theron Ma rks Society place outside of town, but the frightened especially when Karloff is off· screen.
(the mythical organization of Cthulhu villagers won't help him. But, wait. The
hunters), very accurately Bums up the townsfolk have odd accents, and it's not THE DUNWICH HORROR
proper way to face moat monsters from because they pronounce "car" like 1969,87 Minutes
Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos . The same "cah." That's because Haller set the American InternationallEmbassy
quote also applies to some film adapta- film in Arkham , England, not Massa- Director: Daniel H aller
tions of Lovecraft's work. chusetts. I suppose no one would have Starring: Dean Stockwell,
Over the years, Lovecraft's stories believed the manor house occupied by Sandra Dee, Ed Begley
have been an oft-visited mine for screen· t he Witleys was part of sixties America. ·1/2
plays. The television series Night Gal- Neit her wou ld it seem plausible that
kry presented two of his tales during its the house would be lit by candles. The You should rent this movie only if
run-" Pickman's Model" and "Cool same could be said for England, though, you're a die-hard, must see everything
Air." Roger Corman used The Case of so the change in locale needlessly costs vaguely Lovecraftian 80r t of person.
Charles Dexter Ward as the bas is for his the film much of the spirit of the origi- After "The Color Out of Space," Haller
1963 film , The Haunted Palace (the nal tale. thought he'd try filming one of Love-
movie was marketed as part of Cor- In any case, the villagers are afraid of craft's most popular tales. The resulting
man's Poe cycle). And Michael Weldon's the Witleys because one of their ances- eighty·odd minutes of cell uloid are
excellent Psychotronic Encyclopedia of tors was a loon and practiced witchcraft. almost certain to put you into a coma.
Film notes that the 1968 Boris Karloff Nahum WiUey (Boris Kariofi), the cur- Dean Stockwell mumbles his way
film The Crimson Cult is a pathetic rent, wheelchair-ridden head of the through the part of Wilbur Whately, s
version of ''The Dreams in the Witch- household, wants nothing to do with the mysterious young man who badly wants
House_" superstitious louts anyway. Our hero is to borrow Arkham Univer sity's copy of
trying to get to the house to visit his t he Necronomioon so he ca n summon
You can't get any better ••••• girl (Suzan Farmer), and he won't be Yog-Sothoth. As bubble-headed co-ed
••••
Entertaining and enjoyable
There are worse rlims
Wait for cable
A waste of good tape
..
•••
•
stopped by provincial feuds . He hikes to
the manor, which he finds surrounded
by a blast ed landscape of dying trees
and misty moors. Once at the Witley
Nancy, Sandra Dee acts bemused as she
fa lls for Wilbur, but the r omance can't
last. Wilbur wants to use her as a sacri-
fice. Only Professor Armitage, played
place, Reinhart discovers that some- with skill by Ed Begley, seems at all
DIE, MONSTER, DIE thing odd is happening. The lady of the believable in his part. Begley's no
1965,80 Minutes house is bed-ridden with some bizarre Karloff, however, so Haller 's film isn't
America n InternationallHBO illness, and a strange woman in bl ack is saved by his solid performance as the
Director: Daniel Haller haunting the moors. man trying to stop Wilbur from calling
Starring: Boris Karloff, The mystery surrounding Lady Wit. t he Elder Gods.
Nick Adams. Suzan Farmer ley's illness, the maid's disappeara nce, Like Die, Monster, Dif! before it, The
· · 112 and the death of another servant is com· Dunwich Horror contains Cthulhu my·
pelling for forty minutes or so. This is thos material bogged down in lots of
Karloff did a lot of work for American largely due to Karloff's good performance bogus witchcraft trappings. The scenes
International toward his career's end. All as Nahum. He convinces the audience at the Devil's Hopyard, where Wilbur
of the films traded off the star's good that the secret in the house's locked has Nancy writhing on the altar as he
reputation with hOITor fans, and many of rooms is SO terrifying that it's worth summons his dad, are particularly silly.
them- like The Terror and Ghost in the sitting through the tedious scenes be- A few things in the movje work, and
Invisible Bikini-are almost impossible to tween Nick Adams and Suzan Farmer. foremost among them is the depiction of
sit through. Die, Monster, Die actuaUy has Alas, it isn't. Wilbur's monstrous, thousand-tentacled
some things to recommend it, but mostly In the second half of Die, Monster, Die, brother. Haller, who was once an art
in the first half of the movie. it's clear that Haller has fallen asleep in director for American International, uses
Based on "The Color Out of Space," the director's chair. After setting up the color fliters and flashes of light to show
Die, Monster, Die is filled wit h the trap· mystery, he propels t he flIm to its eli· the creature, but also to hide its artificial-
pings of traditional Gothic hor ro r: max with u nbelievably cheap horror ity. This works surprisingly well. Sandra
creaking doors, suits of rusty armor, and movie cliches like skeletons in closets Dee's drug-induced visions (remember, it's
mist-covered moors. On the Cthulhu and bats swooping out of nowhere. The a sixties mm) aren't nearly as effective,
front, the story has strange, mutated Cthulhu mythos is referred to only especially since the scenes resemble noth-
people a nd a brief cameo by a tentacled tangentially in a book, Cult of the Outer ing so much as a Halloween party filmed
monster. Ones, that the hero stumbles across. through a lens smeared with Crisco.

p o L y H E D R o N
 29

THE UNNAMABLE film, remember the words of Theron Director: Stuart Gordon
1988,87 Minutes Marks quoted at the start of this column. Starring: Jeffrey Combs.
Yankee ClassicNidmark Entertainment Barbara Crampton, Ken Foree
Director: Jean·Paul Oullette RE-ANIMATOR ••••
Starring: Charles King, 1985, 86 Minutes
Mark Kinsey Stephanson. EmpireNestron Just when you thought it was safe to
Alexandra Durrell Director: Stuart Gordon uncover your eyes after Re-Animator,
112 Starring: Jeffrey Combs, director Stuart Gordon tosses another
Barbara Crampton, Bruce Abbott live grenade of a film at you. This one is
This is an excrutiatingly poor film. .. .. 112 based on another minor Lovecraft tale,
Vidmark should really have renamed it too, and is almost as gory and surpris·
"The Unwatchable" for video release; it "Herbert West has a very good head on ing as his previous outing.
comes pretty close to being just that. his shoulders-and another one in a Edward Pretorius is conducting an
Lovecraft's very short piece upon dish on his desk!" That box copy alone interesting experiment at 666 Benevo·
which this mess is based is a clever bit makes Re·Animator worth a look. The lent Street in Arkham; he has built a
about two people sitting in a graveyard, film is quite good, too. resonator that stimulates the pineal
discussing a local haunted house legend Based very, very loosely upon the gland and allows humans to see into a
and the nature of horror. Randolph minor Lovecraft story, "Herbert West: parallel dimension. The problem is, the
Carter, author of weird tales. posits t hat He.Animator:' this gem is an experi· things in that dimension can see back,
some things are just too horrible for ment in excess. Mad doctor·in·training too. The resonator also tends to do fun·
clear description. Words fail when Herbert West has discovered a serum ny things to your sex drive.
forced to describe creatures and ideas that brings the dead back to life. The reo After one of those "things" catches a
beyond man's limited reason. His adverT animated corpses aren't exactly happy glimpse of Pretorius, it makes a snack
sary, Joel Manton, scoffs at this, holding about returning to the mortal coil, but of his head, sending the doctor's assist·
that rational thought can resolve all that doesn't matter to Herbert. All he ant (Jeffrey Combs again) screaming
mysteries. Suffice it to say that, by the wants to do is conquer death. into the night. The local asylum locks
end of the short story, Manton has But things aren't so simple on the cut- poor Crawford up as a loonie and
changed his mind. ting edge of science, especially at the changes him with murder-though they
When you get right down to it, The Miskatonic University medical school. can't find his mentor's head. Enter
Unnamable comes closest of the films One of Herbert's professors, Dr. Hill, wonder girl psychologist Barbara
reviewed this month to using the entire· wants the re·animation formula so he can Crampton, who takes Crawford back to
ty of the story upon which it's based. claim it as his own. Killing the plagiarist the Pretorius house to recreate the
Oullette does show a scene with Carter (and subsequently bringing him back to experiment and prove him sane.
and Manton (along with a new charac· life) only makes matters worse. Big mistake.
ter, Howard Damon) in a graveyard, The conflict between Herbert West Like Re-Animator, this film plays fast
discussing a local legend. The short and Dr. Hill is resolved, but not before and loose with Lovecraft.
story runs short often pages, though, so headless corpses start wandering about, From Beyond's sexual content alone
he had to pad the story a lot to get a a bedraggled cat is killed and brought would make old H. P. spin in his moldy
feature· length movie. back to life a number of times, and the grave. And as in Gordon's earlier work,
What we end up with is a dumb yarn dean's clothesless daughter is strapped shock-tempered by a whopping dose of
about vacuous yuppie college kids dar· to a table and menaced by the living black humor-is the main goai.
ing each other to spend a night in the dead (that got your attention, didn't it?). As always, Jeffrey Combs is wonder·
haunted house. Worse, a couple of frat After each gruesome plot twist, you'll ful as Crawford, and Gordon.regular
boys take their dates to the house, too. find yourself saying, "OK, but they Barbara Crampton plays the repressed
For an hour, various people creep won't do anything more bizarre than psychologist with flair. Ken Foree of
around with candles, waiting to be that." You'll almost certainly be wrong Dawn of the Dead fame is a welcome
separated from their friends so they can every time. addition to the Gordon Troupe as an ex·
be graphically separated from vital Obviously, this film isn't for everyone. football star turned cop (who also serves
body parts by the monster. Though Re-Animator has its tongue as the film's voice of reason). 'lbgether
The acting is dreadful and the charac· planted firmly in its cheek, the violence the cast helps to make the sometimes
ters mostly unlikeable, so you'll find and gore is extreme, as is the rather, er, disjointed plot work. Even they can't
yourself cheering for the creature by the odd sexual content. Jeffrey Combs is prevent From Beyond from bogging
film's end-if you watch it all the way great as Herbert West. The use of light· down about an hour into the story, when
through. ing and sound is superb (even if the poor Crawford finally succumbs to the
The monster itself is well designed, soundtrack is a shameless rip·off of resonator's power and becomes a brain·
and when it stands still, it looks pretty Psycho). Sure, there are a few holes in munching monster. Even with this
good. Whenever the creature moves, the plot, but you won't catch them until serious flaw, the film is well worth the
however, it looks like someone in a ratty you view the film for the fourth time; few bucks it'll cost you to rent it.
rubber leotard. The fact that we ever the other three times, you'll be too Stuart Gordon is currenctiy finishing
see the monster completely defeats amazed to notice. up a version of "The Pit and the Pendu·
Lovecrafi's premise about the unnama· lum." I can hardly wait.
ble; if it has a specific, recognizable
form, it just isn't that scary.
FROM BEYOND
1986.85 Minutes
o
If you are ever tempted to rent this EmpireNestron

p o L y H E o R o N
30

Continued from page 19 It includes rules covered in the pre· element of the book on how to use im-
vious boxed-set editions of the Basic, mortals as player characters, but it's
likely to buy the new D&D'l' game set to Expert, and Masters, he said. "We not the focus:'
have a complete collection or to replace didn't change any of the rules. We fixed In addition, there will be adventures
their worn books, they are not the tar- the contradictory rules, and we provided for various level characters. "The cam·
geted consumers for the game. new rules that covered areas not previ- paign section in Immortals will be bro-
"The game is meant to be a good way ously handled-swimming rules, move- ken down into three blocks. There's a
to get new garners into role playing. It ment. Besides that, we're providing a saga for basic-level characters who can
should bring a large quantity of new lot of optional material, like a skill effect the immortals' war. There's a mid·
garners in," he said. system drawn from the Gazetteers. And level adventure. And there's a high-
Denning added, "Experienced garners there's an optional system for creating level adventure for rulera and kings if
won't get anything they don't already new character classes." people want to role.pla y that kind of
have, except for a very complete OM's The Cyclopedia, which Heard says he stuff. The sagas are spread out over
screen. However, the game will increase is very excited about, also includes a decades. It's a new, broad campaign. It
the number of players they can recruit," complete atlas of the known D&D game effects everything to the Hollow World.
Heard said unlike the original game, world and the Hollow World, with full· I can't reveal the outcome of the adven-
players and Dungeon Masters do not color map plates. tures. That's like revealing the end of a
need to read all the rules before starting "One of the objects of the Cyclopedia movie. But it will cause some changes
to play. By reading sections on "what is is to grab people from the boxed set and in the world:' Heard teased.
role-playing:' "what is a character;' and get them into this so they are playing 1b further support the D&oe game
going through several of the Dragon the full.fledged game." He added it line, Heard explained one D&D game
Cards, a new OM is ready to call in explains the differences between the "almanac" will be released each year.
some friends and host a gaming session, D&D game and the AD&~ game and The almanacs are 250-page paperback
he said, how to go from one game to the other. books that include gener al information
Troy said the Dragon Cards fit into a However, he said the Cyclopedia docs on the D&D game world, geographical
compartment in the game's three-panel not teach the D&D game; players need and astronomical topics, and events-all
OM screen. After a DM has familiarized the new boxed set for that. of which can be used by DMs in their
himself with all the Dragon Cards and "The Cyclopedia is for the serious campaigns.
knows the game, he or she now relies on gamer. It's not made for mom, dad, and Heard believes the new D&D game,
the rule book, the game's reference tool. the kids. It's hard-core role-playing. It's with all of its support products, will
The DM puts the cards away and can one atep from the AD&D game only make the game stronger and better
now use the screen's compartment for because it is a simpler product. The than before. "It's not like the AD&D
maps and adventure notes. AD&D game so far has been a lot more 2nd Edition game," he said. "We're not
The book contains the rules in detail, rules oriented. With the D&D game making umpteen versions of the game.
spells, monsters, and other aspects of we're trying to be faster and looser, with It's the same game. But I can't think of
the game. It covers handling characters fewer rules." anything that is as focused on teaching
up to fifth level, and concentrates on However, it also covers a few optional people how to role-play."
"dungeon" adventures_ rules the AD&D game has never ad- Cl
Denning said even the maps help to dressed. " It has rules for handling dif-
teach OMs and players the rules. "Each ferent things, such as how to figure out
time you go to a room, you learn a new how much it would cost to build armor
concept." Players can illustrate moving for a dragon or a griffon ... how to use
their characters about the dUngeon with unconventional monsters as PCs or as
full-color counters, he said, adding the steeds."
OM also has monster counters to repre- Heard, who has overseen the produc-
sent what the group comes up sgainst. tion of the line of D&D game Gazetteers
"We're putting together some new and Hollow World products, said the
adventures specifically aimed at the DUNGEON & DRAGONS- game had
new game. People a lso can use any of become too unwieldy because there
the basic modules out now, but they were too many source books and boxes.
might have a problem if they buy an old Through the years four boxed sets had
module with a wilderness setting. The been offered-Basic, Expert, Masters,
game has no mechanics for dealing with and Immortals. Now, a ll the players
the wilderness." need is the new Basic game, and the
Heard explained that future releases Cyclopedia if they want to take the
will cover taking characters up to high- game further, he said.
er levels and handle wilderness and Next year there is another D&D game
other adventures. boxed set planned, but garners will not
For example, Heard said, the O&D need it to keep playing, Heard empha-
game Cyclopedia, available in November, sized. "It will be sn Immortals boxed
will be a 3()().plus page hardbowtd-the set, called Wrath Of The Immortals. It
largest hardbound TSR has produced. will be 128 pages of campaign events,
"It's packed with information. We had to things that can happen, how to use
drop the type size w fit everything in:' immortals as NPCs. There will be an

p o L y H E o R o N
 31

QuinCon VI, July 12-14 Quincy, IL ing every type of gaming are being
The Rodeway Inn at 300 Gardener Ex- planned for this immense event. Net- During the convention, travel-
pressway in Quincy is the site for this work attractions include three dozen minded garners who are 18 or older
event. Featured activities include Net- tournaments, a host of game demonstra· can vie for a trip to European
work tournaments and a special memo- tions and seminars, a Wednesday·night GEN CON game fai r, which will be
rial t.ournament with all proceeds going members' meeting, Saturday breakfast held in England in November, 1991.
to the Hemophilia Fund. Admission and Garners Choice awards ceremony, a Contestants must enter the Net-
rates are $12 for the weekend or $5 a costume contest, and an art show. Other work's AD&D game Benefit tourna-
day. For information, please send a events include a huge auction and a ment fOT the Children's Hospital of
SASE to: QuinCon VI, 3632 Maine miniatures painting competition. For Wisconsin and the Network AD&D
Street, Quincy, IL 62301 or caU217-223- more information or preregistration game Feature tournament. All con·
8498 12 to 8 p.m. Mondays, Wednes- form s write: GEN CON Game Fair HQ, testants who win their sessions of the
days, and Fridays and say you want to P.O. Box 756, Lake Geneva, WI 53147. Benefit will compare their aggregate
know about QuinCon. scores from all three rounds of the
DrakCon 91, August 24-23 Aberdeen, Feature tournament. The qualifying
Dragon Con '91, July 12-14 Atlanta, Scotland Benefit winner with the highest
GA This game convention to aid famine aggregate Feature score wins the
Guests for this event include Piers An- relief will be held at t he Northern Col· trip.
thony, L. Sprague and Catherine de lege of Education. Events will be an· Other Network highlights include
Camp, and several other authors and nounced later, but the schedule will the annua l Network breakfast and
artists. More than 100 tournaments include a Network AD&D®game tour· Garners' Choice Awards ceremony on
include feature-and masters-level Net- nament and a miniatures painting Friday, August 9th .
work events, plus role playing, strate- contest. Registration for the weekend is
gic, miniature, and computer gaming £5, £3.5 for garners under 16. Single·day
activities, and a 24-hour open gaming registration fees are £3 and £2 respec·
area. Programming includes four tracks tively. Bed and breakfast accommoda-
of panels and demonstrations, a writer's tions are avail able through the
workshop, a costume contest with a convention for £13 a night. For more
$1,000 cash prize (please write for de- information contact: Sandy Douglas, 13
tails), an art show and print shop, a Springbank '!errace, Aberdeen, Scot-
video room, auctions, and more. Pre- land AB 1 2LS.
registration is $26 through June 15th.
For more information send a SASE t.o
Dragon Con, Box 47696, Atlanta, GA Network Blowout in the
30362 or call 404-925-2813. You can Works
purchase advance memberships by Long-time fans of the GEN CON
credit card by calling Ticketmaster at Game Fair know the RPGA'" Net-
404-249-6400. work takes special pride in the pro-
Cangames '91, August 2-5 Ottawa, gramming it presents there. This
Ontario, Canada year, however, the Network plans to
Spend an eventful weekend in Canada's outdo itself with a record 36 tourna-
capital. Canada's longest.running game ments and a horde of special events.
convention is being held this year at the The action begins Wednesday night,
Skyline Hotel in downtown Ottawa. August 7th, with the a nnual memo
Features include role playing games, bers' meeting. Once again, Network
board games, miniatures battles, an clubs will pull out all the stops in the
auction, and a dealers area. Pre- annual games decathlon skit compe-
registration for the weekend is $20.00, tition. Sit back and erijoy as each
$30.00 at the door. For information , club strains to present a skit that is
please write: Cangames 91, Box 3358, more entertaining and original than
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada KIP 6H8. the others. The Network staff antici-
pates even more outrageously funny
GEN CON® 24 Game Fair, August 8- shenanigans than last year, when
11 Milwaukee, WI members were treated to slapstick
The world's oldest and largest gaming comedy. bizarre costumes, and eccen-
convention once again will be held at tric dialogue.
the MECCA convention center. More
than 1,000 games and seminars cover-

p o L y H E D R o N
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(;a m t'li l)(o('a lhlo n s k it C'omp4"titi o n . a nd t ro m con ventio n o (H'nin, t o n lKIn o n F rid llY Jl nd
Saturd ay Au~.t 9th a nd 10 th .

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