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CONTCEKCS

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4 6 The Visitor — fiction by Llynne Moore

Even the mightiest of sorcerers has a secret terror.

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"Frog Prince" is the first DRAGON® Magazine cover painting by Carol Heyer, a
writer/illustrator from Thousand Oaks, Calif. "The Magician's wand is still smoking
after turning his opponent into a giant frog," Carol noted in her letter. "Magics
are
like that, yeah they are. . . ."

IfCCERS

What did you think of this issue? Do you have

new feature you'd like to see? In the United

States and Canada, write to: Letters, DRAGON®
Magazine, P.O. Box 110, Lake Geneva WI 53147,
U.S.A. In Europe, write to: Letters, DRAGON
Magazine, TSR UK Limited, The Mill, Rathmore
Road, Cambridge CB1 4AD, United Kingdom.

1. Will the entire system be dropped? If so,

what will replace it?

2. If it is dropped, what will happen to those

monsters that have certain innate psionic
powers (e.g., mind flayers, intellect devourers,
brain moles, demons, duergar, etc.)?

3. Wouldn't it be better to simply overhaul or

streamline the present system in the way the

Missing map

Dear Dragon:

Can you tell me where I can get the map that

will take me to the lair of the legendary undead
dragon, Dragotha?

Casey Beard
Natchitoshes LA

As noted in the description of Dragotha (in

“Lords & Legends,” DRAGON issue #134), men¬
tion of Dragotha’s lair was made only in passing
on a map of another dungeon complex, White
Plume Mountain (in the AD&D® module of the
same name). However, no other map or refer¬
ence to Dragotha appears anywhere in that or
other AD&D game materials. The location of the
monster’s lair is in hex K4-58 on the WORLD OF
GREYHAWK® setting maps from the boxed set.
That hex is north of the Howling Hills, on the
edge of the Cold Marshes. A DM interested in
having PCs meet this undead dragon should
design detailed maps as necessary

Ancient issues

Dear Dragon:

What happened to the ads for back issues of

DRAGON Magazine? The last one printed was in

Keith Martens
Charlotte MI

The Mail Order Hobby Shop’s catalog contains

all the latest information (including updated
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Psionics blasted

Dear Dragon:

I have three related questions concerning the

future of psionics and the second-edition AD&D
game system:

I'm sure that there are others like myself who

would like to get some answers to these ques¬
tions. The psionics system is one of the parts of
the AD&D game that I enjoy using. It is unique
to the system and shouldn't simply be discarded.
Any help you could give on this matter would
be greatly appreciated.

P.S. How about an anthology of articles that

deals with dragons only?

Thomas R. Phillips
Aberdeen ME

Jon Pickens, who is working with the AD&D

game revision, was consulted on your psionics
questions. He replies:

1. Yes, although “withdrawn for reworking” is

a more accurate description of the system’s fate.

a later date.

3. Yes, but revising other parts of the AD&D

game rules has priority

We usually schedule the June issue of

DRAGON Magazine for articles on dragons. We
are not publishing any further article antholo¬
gies in book form — though we might do it
again someday.

Merchant-dicing

Dear Dragon:

I have two questions regarding the merchant

character class in "Taking Care of Business"
(DRAGON issue #136). First, does a merchant
gain experience from treasure acquired in
dungeons or adventures? Second, when a PC
changes character classes to a merchant, does
he retain all hit points?

Chad Schafer
Charmichael CA

Yes, a merchant gains experience points from

treasure acquired while adventuring. Also, if
the merchant is being used as a PC class, all
former hit points of the character are retained
when the change to the merchant class is made.
New hit points are gained only when the PC’S
level as a merchant exceeds bis level in bis
former class; thus, a 5th-level magic-user who
becomes a merchant gains new hit points (1-6 of
them) only when he becomes a 6th-level mer¬
chant. Note that as the merchant class is struc¬
tured, multiclassed nonhuman characters may

humans may use it as a dual class; this was one

of the reasons that the merchant class was
recommended as an NPC class. If used as a PC
class, it would be best if only human merchants

The real world,

part II

IN DRAGON® issue #130,1 made

some editorial comments about the
real world and how it was a lot
stranger than the worlds of science-
fiction RPGs. A similar point might
be made that the real world is a lot
stranger than the worlds of fantasy
RPGs, too, though hard-core gamers
may cheerfully argue the point.
What about magic? What about
dragons? What about daring deeds
of heroism against all odds?

Well, you could make an analogy

between magic in fantasy worlds
and the power of technology in
today's world. Both accomplish a lot,
even if most of us are fuzzy about
the details of how either of them
work. Technology has also created
some interesting modern-day oppo¬
nents. Would your cavalier charge a
main battle tank or an armed com¬
bat helicopter? Yet unarmored sol¬
diers face both daily in our world;
just check the evening news. (This
latter point also takes care of the
"daring deeds" comparison as well.)

We can continue the comparison

by looking at a few other themes
commonly found in fantasy game
campaigns. As you read the follow¬
ing, think of similar events from
fantasy games in which you partici¬
pated—and compare them for a
moment.

Man vs. beast: With modem weap¬

onry, the slaying of virtually any
animal is absurdly (and perhaps
obscenely) easy. Still, some people
have used relatively primitive weap¬
ons and have come out on top. A
few years ago, a bowhunter was
surprised and mauled by an adult
bear in the wilderness. The
bowhunter repeatedly stabbed and
eventually killed the bear with a
single arrow; being a butcher by
trade, the bowhunter knew exactly
where to strike to do the most dam¬
age— the bear's neck. Elephants
themselves are often slain if shot
once in the ear.

"Falling damage": A Soviet pilot

jumped from his damaged aircraft in
January 1942 at 21,980' (a little over
four miles) and survived after hit¬
ting the edge of a snow-covered
ravine and sliding to the bottom. A
Yugoslavian airline stewardess sur¬
vived when her DC-9 blew up at
33,330’; she fell to the ground in the
Continued on page 49

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For years, I have read varying viewpoints on

how to improve the low-level magic-user to help
him survive and make him more fun to play. As
both a player and a DM, I find the worst part of
playing a low-level magic-user is the frustration.
He can't fight to save his life, the number of
spells he has is pitifully few, and other PCs are
as smart as he is. So, what does that leave us
with? A frustrated player.

When a player decides he wants to run a

magic-user in my games, one of the first things
he has to do is inform me of his magic-user's
area of magical specialization. This information
is kept strictly between the two of us, and it
becomes his option whether to tell any other
party members. The area of specialization can
be as simple as fire-based magic or as broad as
conjuration magic. I leave it up to the player to
decide, and I have yet had to deny an area to
maintain game balance.

Once his specialty is established, the magic-

user is allowed to choose his initial spells with
no random dice rolls at all. I believe if the
apprentice magic-user was specializing in an
area during training, he would have learned
specific spells in that area, not just any old spells
that came along. Likewise his teacher, who is

also a specialist, would tend to teach him spells

that fall within his area of specialization. The
number of spells the magic-user is initially
allowed to have does not change.

The number of spells a character can cast,

however, does change. A lst-level magic-user
who has specialized can cast two spells; at 2nd
level, three, etc.; overall, the magic-user gains
the ability to cast one additional spell. This
allows the character to participate more fully
should the party have to fight more than once,
but it does not give him an inordinate amount of
spells at any time in his career.

What does specialization give a character

besides one extra [first-level] spell? All spells
that are within the character's area of speciali¬
zation are cast as if the magic-user were one
level higher; likewise, he can cast specialization
spells from the next higher level at the rate of
one per day. This gives the magic-user slightly
more power, but not an extraordinary amount,
especially when we look at the negative side.

Spells cast which are not within the charac¬

ter's areas of specialization always have only
50% of normal effectiveness, rounded down
where appropriate. For example, a lOth-level
magic-user with specialization that included
fireball would be able to cast a fireball that did
lld6 hp damage and had a range of 21". If that
same magic-user's specialization did not cover
fireball, he would only be able to cast a 5d6-hp
fireball with a range of 10". In addition, it takes
twice as long to learn and memorize a spell that
is not within one's area of specialization.

Finally, magic-users are allowed to memorize

or cast only a certain number of spells that fall
outside their areas of specialization without
receiving added penalties. The number of spells
and severity of the penalties vary and are basi¬
cally subjective. The penalties exist because
these magic-users have specialized in a specific
area of magic, and working outside that area is

simply dangerous. They are dealing with forces

with which they are not entirely familiar, and
this could have an effect not only on the spell
but on the caster as well. Penalties I have used
range from having the spell fail or backlash on
its caster to complete loss of specialization and
all benefits. In the case of lost specialization, the
ability to cast other spells does not revert to
normal. Instead, it stays at the level it was when
specialization was lost. When the character
attains his next level, his abilities in these other
areas increases along normal lines but does not
automatically catch up.

Let's look again at the lOth-level magic-user

who did not have fireball in his area of speciali¬
zation. At 10th level, he could cast a 5d6-hp
fireball for 10". If he lost his specialization
powers, he would only be able to cast a 6d6-hp
fireball for 11" at 11th level.

As a DM, I have found this method works

very well, allowing the low-level magic-user to
participate more and keeping him from becom¬
ing frustrated. It also forces the players to
seriously consider their areas of specialization
from the start. What may benefit them at lower
levels may be a serious handicap at higher levels
if they're not careful. They have to do some
research into what they really want to accom¬
plish. The end result is a much more knowl¬
edgeable magic-user who is solidly aware of his
strengths and weaknesses right from the start.
Jeffrey C. Weber
Oak Harbor WA

Amid all the (exciting) chaos and radically

opposing views concerning the shortcomings
and supposed disabilities of low-level magic-
users, clerics have been lost in the shuffle (with
the wonderful exception of "Arcane Lore" in
issue #134). In our FORGOTTEN REALMS™
setting campaign, we felt that it would be more
realistic to have the average, everyday cleric be
endowed with unique and special abilities as per
the pantheon or deity to which the cleric is
loyal. We have found these additions to be
helpful, and they don't backfire at higher levels.
A few examples follow:

Clerics of Lathander (god of healing and

regrowth) automatically receive cure light
wounds and are + 2 to hit when opposing
clerics, worshipers, or followers of Myrkul (god
of death and decay).

Clerics of Bhaal (god of murder) can pray for

raise dead one level early. When attempting to
kill, murder, or assassinate anyone of any race

6 NOVEMBER 1988

or class, Bhaal clerics receive a maximum of +4

to hit depending on the vulnerability of the
victim (e.g., a sleeping target denotes a +4 to
hit, and an attack from behind generates a + 1).

Worshipers and clerics of Chauntea (goddess

of agriculture) receive speak with plants one
level early, and both clerics of Chauntea and
Lathander can expect full hospitality and aid
from each other.

Lastly, clerics of Tempus (god of battle) can

use edged weapons with the exception of
spears, javelins, arrows, and similiar weapons.
When using permitted edged weapons, Tern-
pus's clerics have a + 1 bonus to hit.

Hopefully, these suggestions will add some

color into the cleric class, no matter what set¬
ting, and help rejuvenate the real purpose of
that class.

Michael Drake
Pleasant Grove UT

I found Kenneth Arromdee's input into the

ongoing discussion of the abilities and shortcom¬
ings of the low-level magic-user (issue #135) to
be curious. He noted that the suggestions of
Larry Madden (issue #129) were "not really
practical," then went on to put forth a "simple
solution." His solution was to allow the magic-
user the ability to wear armor when he had
exhausted his spell-casting capability.

This approach, too, seems to be "not really

practical." The prospect of a magic-user (who is
most likely deficient in strength to begin with)
lugging around a suit of armor for occasional
use is at best unlikely. The thought of our
magic-user taking his turn in any particular
martial encounter to stop and don his armor is
truly absurd.

It seems to me that the spell-casters are well-

rounded characters as they now stand. In the
early levels, when the magic-user's party is
tackling relatively low-level problems, the mage
will do his bit against the enemy (be it a sleep
spell or whatever), then slip back to a defended
point and lay low while the brawny-armed
musclemen hack up the ores. Then, when
experience points are handed out, the magic-
user gains for the total attack. This is repaid at
higher levels when the strong-shoulders gain
experience points after the mage casts a spell
that acts as an extraordinary killing machine.

In my opinion, there are only two times when

a magic-user should be given any extra abilities.
The first is when the party is dealing with a
world in which a magic-user is as rare as a staff
of the magi. In this case, the magic-user would
have greater fighting abilities at all levels, but
his magical ability must suffer proportionally -
both because some of his time that would other¬
wise be spent enhancing magical technique
must be given for the conditioning of those
fighting abilities, and because other mages from
whom the up-and-coming magic-user could
learn are so few and far between. This decrease
would be noted by a lessening of effectiveness
of spells across the board (i.e., the hit-point
damage ability of the mage's spells would drop
proportionally to that mage's increased amount
of hit-point damage that he can inflict in normal
combat). The second situation would occur
when the party is dealing with a world in which
magic-users are a dime a dozen. In this case, the
magic-user's spells would be of increased effec¬
tiveness — but remember, what is given to the
PC must also be given to all NPCs.

Moving on, I find that I must reply to the

belief of Steve Allen (same issue) that the prime
use of RPGs is to be challenged, and that fun is
secondary. I agree with Mr. Allen that a good
challenge stimulates play and makes it more fun

— to a point. However, after having spent seven

hours in school trying to understand the
imbalances of trisomy inheritance and puzzling
through General Howe's motives in making a
frontal attack against Breeds Hill, my primary
aim in sitting down to a game is to enjoy myself,
not to be bogged down with endless and agoniz¬
ing puzzles, the answers to which are buried
deeper than the riddles of the ancient pyramids.
Also, an occasional adventure which is purely
"for the fun of it" is often just the thing to
rejuvenate a party — enabling it to attack those
earth-shaking quests for which gamers pine
with all the more vigor.

Finally, I contend that at the other end of the

scale of poor role-players is the player who is so
wrapped up in the seriousness of the game that
he forces it to be oppressive. Therefore, I sub¬
mit that the primary aim of RPGs is to have fun

- if it's not fun, why bother?

Scott A. Shepard
Castanea PA

I am writing to contest the assertions made by

Steve Allen in issue #135. In his letter, he states
that the primary objectives in RPGs should be to
think and solve problems, and that the pleasure
and fun will generate itself. Perhaps his players
enjoy that, but mine feel that fun is more impor¬
tant. As far as I recall, fun has been the prime
objective in playing any game. If Mr. Allen can
assert that solving problems will generate fun in
an RPG, perhaps he also feels that winning is
the most important thing in board games. When
I lose in games like that, I don't feel bad because
I'm still having fun.

I feel slightly insulted by Mr. Allen's statement

that players who play just to have fun cannot
determine standards of quality. There are good
players and bad players, yes, but my objection
lies in his definition of "good players." In my
mind, a player who has fun and makes things
more fun for other players (using humor, crazy
actions, or whatever) is a far superior player to
one who thinks over every move carefully,
solves puzzles, and achieves the adventure's
goal. The latter approach is as hollow as playing
a board game strictly to win and accepting no
other goals in the process.

My gaming group's all-time favorites are West

End Games' PARANOIA® and Steve Jackson
Games' TOON® games, and we're just starting to
play TSR's BULLWINKLE & ROCKY™ game.
These were certainly designed to be fun over
everything else, with freewheeling, fast-moving
mechanics. Granted, as Mr. Allen put it, they
have "silly dungeons — adventures with no
worthwhile goal," but they are much more
enjoyable for us than so-called "serious" games.
Fun is, after all, the ultimate point of RPGs.

Amod Lele
Kingston, Ontario

In response to Steve Allen's letter in issue

#135: However you go about it, RPGs will
always be nothing more than a source of fun.
Without getting too philosophical, it seems to
me that the overall goal in life is nothing more
than to maintain a level of happiness and satis¬
faction and to have as much fun as possible.
People can pretend that their reasons for living
are to strive for world peace, obtain religious
enlightenment, or whatever, but such lofty, well-
meaning aspirations are really just subdivisions
within the everyday quest for personal satisfac¬
tion. For instance, in seeking to help others, we
are really just helping ourselves. I think that if
everyone in the world would seek a fun and
happy life according to his own beliefs, the
world would be an honest, open-minded, ambi¬

tious place, even if it would be somewhat wild, I

play RPGs for fun, and I, like Mr. Allen, prefer a
somewhat more serious level of play, but I like
to mix it in with humor and stupid stuff because
I think that funny, knock-around gaming makes
the darker material that much more scary and
surprising when it finally rears its blackened
head. I like to watch the gamers go from hyster¬
ics to serious action, then to sad regret and back
to laughter again. I do what makes me the most
happy; so does Mr. Allen, and so does everyone
else. That is the way it should be in gaming,
because 500 years from now, who'll know the
difference?

David Moyle
North Olmsted OH

A good DM attracts many "drop-ins" who

want to join in the action immediately. When I
was a new DM, I expected far too much knowl¬
edge from everybody. My players were (and
are) mostly busy students and physicians who
wanted fun without having to study rule books
or fill out long forms. Now, I've learned to
provide a good selection of pregenerated, pre¬
equipped lst-level characters with a emphasis
on fighters, clerics, and thieves. (One fighter is a
good-aligned, nearly indestructible troll whose
claw/claw/bite damage starts at 1/1/1-4 and
increases with level.) These characters quickly
learn to swing their weapons, cast cure light
wounds, and check for traps without much
coaching. Other players are always protective
and helpful.

My job is harder when a newcomer wants to

be a magic-user, especially when everyone else
is shy about making suggestions. The familiars
of folklore — including Tennessee witch tales —
serve as advisors. Even a toad knows that sleep
is a great choice against goblins, whether or not
the new magic-user learned that dining train¬
ing. Once the player has gone on a few adven¬
tures, a toad queried about professional matters
will simply say, "Ribbit!" Of course, as David
Godwin ("Forum," issue #133) points out, such
levity is not acceptable in a rigorous campaign.
(Neither is the troll fighter.)

How else can we help the casual player who

wants to be a spell-caster? Anyone with a sense
of humor can devise a weak wand of wonder
variant. Ours has 100 effects, including a 2-hp
fireball, an attack mouse, a sheriff with a mock
subpoena, and a ranting cleric of the opponent's
alignment. This hardly affects game balance,
but it keeps the wielder involved. Players can
also have the newcomer keep watch in the rear
or operate a magical item (the wand of magic
detection is a good choice).

After a few sessions, everyone wants to roll

up his own character. In the meantime, how do
other DMs make newcomers welcome? More
generally, what are the ways that DMs make
sure everybody has a good time?

Ed Friedlander
Johnson City TN

"Laydeeeezz and genntellmennn ... In this

comer, wearing a gossamer bikini, bracers of
defense AC 2, gauntlets of ogre power and ring
of protection +3, weighing 104 lbs., dodging
with a 17 dex and an armor class of -4, at 8th
level with 75 hp, and armed with a horseman's
flail + 3; Eriana of Belargn!

"And in this corner, 40 in number, wearing

chain mail with an effective armor class of 5,
collectively weighing over four tons, each 5th
level with 32 hp, and each armed with scimi¬
tars: the Faceless NPCs!

"For this bout, two NPCs will face Eriana at

any time. As soon as one NPC dies, another

DRAGON 7

steps in to take his place. No critical hits or

fumbles are allowed, no weapon specialization
or even multiple attacks for high level will be
permitted. Anyone brought to zero hit points is
dead!"

Well, Eriana is not that well equipped, nor is

she all that superior to her foes on paper. But I'd
bet a bag of adamantium pieces that she will
win easily. (Play it out yourself, and see what
happens.) If the Faceless NPCs even come close
to winning, the dice really favored them.

Consider: At her level, using the variant "to

hit" system on page 74 of the DMG, Eriana
needs an 8 or better to hit an NPC's armor class.
With bonuses for the gauntlets and her weapon,
she hits on anything except a 1. The Faceless
NPCs need a 20 to hit her. Eriana does 2-5 ( + 9)
hp damage per hit (11-14 hp, the average being
12.5). We assume it will take three hits by her to
take down an NPC. The NPCs have no damage
bonuses and do 1-8 hp per hit, averaging 4.5 hp
damage. It would take a minimum of 10 hits and
a maximum of 75 to take Eriana down. If we
assume average damage, she can withstand 17
hits before dropping.

Eriana has to kill 40 NPCs, needing 120 hits

before they can get in 17 hits. With a 95%
chance of hitting, Eriana should swing 127 times
to finish the lot of them. Since her 3/2 attack
rate has been disallowed, she will need 127
rounds to do this. With a 5% chance of hitting, a
Faceless NPC needs 340 swings to get those 17
hits. With two Faceless NPCs going at once, it
will take 170 rounds for them to finish her off,
which is nearly an hour too late. Let her have 3/
2 attacks per round or specialization, and it
ends a lot sooner.

And again, none of her items are particularly

game-disruptive. No + 6 holy vorpal sunblades
here; she has a magical horseman's flail. The
bracers are the only items that were the best of
their type, and simply substituting them with
chain mail + 3 puts everything in the medium
range without changing anything.

In short, it's gotten to the point where guards

and troops are only there as window dressing. I
worked out an adventure that gave "normal"
fighters a chance against the typical party, but
the key element of that adventure can't be
copied over and over again. The only way to
give the Faceless NPCs a chance of being chal¬
lenging to players is to boost their level to about
five over the party's, which is unfair and a bit
ridiculous. Fighters of 9th level can get their
own castles and troops; why would 14th-level
fighters be doing menial guard work without
magical weapons or armor? The treasure they
guard couldn't pay their fees! It's worse to give
them magical items which end up in the hands
of the PCs.

Poison? It unbalances the game. I do 1 hp

damage to you, you blow your save, you die.
Perhaps insinuative poison should be rewritten:
Given no save, these poisons could do bonus
damage only and add to an assassin's chance of
killing his victim. The assumption here is that a
fatal dose can be administered by ingestion or
contact, but game balance decrees that a fatal
dosage can never be left by a blade that rips
through flesh. What does get through merely
causes damage. Faceless NPCs could then do
enough damage to make them a threat.

Another possibility, one that should not be

used in conjunction with the first, is to give
NPCs (and only NPCs) a morale bonus of +4 to
hit when they outnumber PCs. If used in the
example above, Eriana would be dead meat
against her 40 opponents unless she had special¬
ization and fought them two at a time. Even
then, she'd be hurting pretty badly, which is a

lot more realistic. This would not work too well

against low-level parties and might not go into
effect unless the NPCs were at least 3rd level.

I'm not just bouncing around solutions to

these problems as they cross my mind. I would
like to see what kind of ideas others might have
or have implemented already.
S. D. Anderson
Whittier CA

I think Mr. Friedlander (issue #134) missed a

few exciting possibilities while he was revising
the spell capabilities of dragons. Please allow me
to rectify some of the omissions:

Dancing lights: If this spell is cast by an

electricity-breathing dragon, the spheres of light
will be electrically charged and function as ball
lightning from a ring of shooting stars.

Fire charm: A fire-breathing dragon is a

sufficient fire source for this spell without
actually using its breath weapon, and all saving
throws are at an additional -4 as the sight is so
impressive.

Fire shield: If cast by a fire-breathing dragon

(hot version) or frost-breathing dragon (cold
version), attackers striking the dragon in melee
take triple damage instead of double.

Fly: This doubles a dragon's flight speed.

Jump: A dragon using this spell is entitled to

an extra attack in addition to its claw/claw/bite
routine, in which it leaps bodily upon as many
opponents as are in a 20' square area, attacking
at +4 to hit and doing damage up to one-half its
full hit points (thus, in the example, Razisiz II
might jump on the two fighters for an extra 5-
40 hp damage).

Melfs acid arrow: This spell continues to

produce acid for one round per hit die of the
dragon, if the dragon is acid-breathing.

Melfs minute meteors: If the caster is a fire¬

breathing dragon, this spell creates meteors
each of which inflicts damage equal to the sum
of the dragon's hit dice and age level. Dragons
never lose count of the number of missiles
remaining.

Monster summoning l/FI: As dragons are

naturally authoritative and masterful, this spell
always summons the maximum number of
monsters in the shortest possible time. All
monsters will be unusually large and strong,
having twice-normal hit points and at least + 1
on damage.

Push: This spell functions as if it were repul¬

sion with a one-round duration.

Scare: This spell has no saving throw when it

is cast by a dragon.

Stinking cloud: A gas-breathing dragon can

make this spell the equivalent of a cloudkill.

Unseen servant: This spell, when cast by a

dragon, actually summons an invisible stalker.

Seriously, though, I agree that dragons tend to

be woefully underpowered. I've seen an ancient
spell-using red dragon (Brazzemal, from the Hall
of the Fire Giant King [in GDQ 1-7 Queen of the
Spiders]) go under in a couple of rounds against
a party in which no one was over 10th level. But
it offends my sensibilities, and I suspect those of
a number of players, to revise the power of
individual spells wholesale for no reason other
that they are cast by dragons. Some of [Friedlan-
der's] suggested at-will powers are frightening;
had Razisiz II had a little more warning and the
use of the spell invisibility, uprated to be equiva¬
lent with improved invisibility as Mr. Friedlan¬
der suggests, then the thought of this dragon
flapping quietly along while silently and invisi¬
bly dispelling every spell the party casts from
his unlimited supply of vocalize and dispel
magic terrifies me. Without doubt, the fight
would have gone rather less well for the party

than even its woeful actual effort.

Several of the spell-effect changes are ridicu¬

lously powerful. Shield is horrendous; rather
than giving a modest AC 2 to AC 4 according to
the attack mode used against it, it improves
whatever armor class the dragon has by up to
12! Bear in mind a normal shield is frontal only
(exception: a staff of power can produce a
circular one). Has Mr. Friedlander considered
that all the magic-users in this campaign are
going to be queuing up to learn this one, even if
they have to take it as a higher-level spell? What
if liches get it, too — AC -18 or better for the
use of one first-level spell! Giving a dragon the
equivalent of shape change means it can now
use whatever breath weapon it likes over a
dozen shots a day; if a magic-user, ordinarily
lacking any sort of breath weapon at all, can
shape change to become a dragon with a breath
weapon, I am sure a dragon can! Polymorph
any object is a great "mayhem" spell, too — the
creative dragon could, for example, turn a lump
of stone into a short-lived but very peeved
umber hulk and absent itself from the chaos
that ensued (while hanging around to pick off
anyone who wandered away confused from the
scene). Haste improving armor class by yet
another four places is hard to justify; a dragon's
the size of a bus in the first place, and its armor
class is largely due to its tough hide. I'd be
tempted to argue that neither haste nor slow is
likely to alter the situation appreciably. And
allowing strength to give double damage! To a
human it can't possibly give more than + 3
damage (15 to 18/50, 18/20 to 18/00), so why it
should give Razisiz II an average bonus of + 22
hp on its bite attack escapes m e. Animal growth
does give double damage — but it is a higher-
level spell, the duration is much shorter, and it
works only on natural animals.

I don't see any reason why a dragon shouldn't

be made a good deal tougher. Its claw damage
tends to be pathetic — the equivalent of a wimp
with a long sword at best — and this should be
attended to. Uprating the bite damage for the
bigger dragons seems reasonable, too. Magic
resistance is a great idea, and giving a dragon
magic resistance equal to its hit points would
make it really tough. There's no reason in all
creation, though, why the dragon alone (with
the exception of certain deities) should have
magic resistance which not even a 25th-level
magic-user can blow down. Its spell ability could
improve — but by giving it more and better
spells, not by warping the ones it normally gets.
Changing the breath weapon so it's always a 30'
cone whatever it's composed of also makes
things a little too homogeneous for my tastes.

Incidentally, I hope a dragon of Mr. Friedlan-

der's is not going to be sitting on a hoard of
worthwhile size. If a party of five 13th-level
types can't deal with a dragon, the party that
can — presumably three or four levels higher —
is going to want reimbursing! And a final com¬
ment: Since when has a magic-user under the
influence of Tenser's transformation had the
option of running away?

Douglas Porter
Norwich, Norfolk, U.K.

8 NOVEMBER 1988

Experience a New Phantasy...

Attack! "llit: galactic tyrant Lussie hurls

' Hghtnifig bolts at you
but your magic blade
p rvspc mds with il blast
J of blue E ire ... and ytHir
team of adventurers is
1 about to join the battle!

■Welcome to the worlds of Phantasy Stan

Kcga’s newest adventure rule-playing
video game. Phantasy Star is full of
imps and treasures, magic and num-
stera. not t(5 mention dungetms and
| towets so real you
want to wipe the
slime from, your
bool*., and

recoil from dragon Fut!

l-lianLany Star features space travel Lo

eccccccc
c c c ««<

three worlds, a magicuin's

dream book ofspt-lk itS-
lori dungeons, and more
monsters tharyou can
ere mate with a laser gun!

And Phantasy Star also

includes a built-in memory so you can

save up to five separate adventures!

Phantasy SLar Li just one of eight

adventurer role-playing vidct t grilles
for the Segu vidc() game system.

Look for MIRAjC lit WARRK >SLV

and LORD ()F IH K SWl. )Rl) ”
coming soonl

Sega’s

Phantasy Star

isy

k xf\

The Next Wave

in Video Gaming.
w

©1988 by Jack A. Barker

A Gamer’s Guide to

All the heroes and villains you may ever need

Since the publication of the DC"

HEROES game in April 1985, Mayfair

Games has produced game statistics for an
amazing number of the heroes, villains,
and supporting characters who inhabit the
vast DC Universe. This index lists all of
those individuals who have had their
statistics printed. The index is divided into
three sections: heroes, villains, and their
supporting casts. Some characters have
appeared several times, and all such

occurrences are listed here. Some of the

modules and sourcebooks mentioned
herein have not yet been published, but all
should be out by the end of 1988. Be
warned, however — some changes may be
made in upcoming books between now
and publication. A product list and the
abbreviation for each product follow.

A Titan Nevermore! (Master Set).ATN

All That Glitters .ATG

Batman Sourcebook .BMS

Belle Reve Sourcebook .BRS

Blitzkrieg .BZG

Blood Feud! .BF

Character cards (Master Set). CC

City of Fear .CF

Countdown to Armageddon .CA

Don't Ask! .DA

Doomsday Program, The .DP

10 NOVEMBER 1988

Dream Machine, The .DM

Element of Danger, An .ED

Escort to Hell .EH

Eternity, Inc .El

Eire and Ice .FI

Four Horsemen ofApokolips .FHA

Gamemasters Manual (Master Set).GM

Green Lantern Corps Sourcebook . . . .GLC

Hardware Handbook .HH

H.I.V.E .HIVE

King of Crime .KC

King For All Time .KAT

Knight to Planet 3 .KP3

Legion of Super-Heroes Sourcebook,

Volume One .LSH1

Legion of Super-Heroes Sourcebook,

Volume Two .LSH2

Lights, Camera, Kobra! .LCK

Lines of Death .LD

Mad Rook's Gambit .MRG

Moonshot .MS

Night in Gotham .NG

Paims of Time .PT

Project Prometheus .PP

Rigged Results .RR

Siege .SG

Strangers in Paradise .SIP

Superman Sourcebook .SS

Watchmen: Who Watches the

Watchmen? .W1

Watchmen: Taking Out the Trash .W2

Wheel of Destruction .WD

When a Stranger Calls .WSC

All characters, names, renditions, associ¬

ated slogans and indicia listed in this index
are trademarks of DC Comics Inc., used
under license by Mayfair Games Inc. All
rights reserved.

Heroes?

Air Wave.GLC

Ambush Bug.DA, SS

Aquaiad.GM

Aquaman.CC, GM
Anon, Lord of Atlantis.MRG

Atom.GM

Batgirl.BMS

Batman.BMS, CC, GM, WD, WSC

Beast Boy.LSH1

Black Canary .GLC, GM, LD, WSC

Black Lightning.BMS, LCK

Blackhawk.BZG

Black Orchid.BRS

Blaze.MS

Blok.KAT, I SI II, LSI 12

Blue Beetle.WSC

Booster Gold.ATG, WSC

Bouncing Bov.LSH1, LSH2

Brainiac 5 . .KAT, LSHI, LSHZ, MRG, PT

Brainwave.El

Bronze Tiger.BRS

Broot.GLC

Captain Atom.WSC

Captain Metropolis.Wl, W2

Celebrand.LSHI

Celsius.MS

Chameleon Bov.KP3, LSHI, LSH2

Changeling ....CC, GM, MS

Chemical King.LSHI, LSH2, PT

Chief.MS

Chlorophyll Kid.LSHI

Color Kid.LSHI

Colossal Boy.LSHI, LSH2, MRG

Comedian”.Wl, W2

Comet Queen.LSHI

Controllers.GLC, LSHI

Cosmic Boy.KAT, LSHI, LSH2

Crystal Kid.LSHI

Cyborg.CC, GM

Dartalg.LSHI

Dawnstar.KP3, LSHI, LSH2

Demonia.GLC

Doctor Fate.WSC

Doctor Manhattan.Wl, W2

Dollar Bill.W2

Dream Girl.KAT, LSHI, LSH2

Duo Damsel.LSHI, LSH2

Duplicate Bov.LSHI, PT

Element Lad.”.LSHI, LSI 12, PT

Elongated Man.CC, CM

Elasti-Girl.MS

Elu.GLC

Elvo.LSHI

Evolvo Lad.LSHI

Felicity.GLC

Ferro Lad.LSHI, LSH2, PT

Fire Lad.LSHI

Firehawk.ED

Firestorm the Nuclear Man.CC, ED, GM

Flag, Colonel Rick.BRS

Flamebird.SS

Flash II (Barry Allen).CC, GLC, GM

Flash III (Wally West).CF, GM, RR

Fury.El

Gas Girl.LSHI, PT

Geo-Force.BMS, LCK

Goldstar.ATG

Green Arrow. CC, GLC, GM, LD

Green Lantern (Arisia).GLC

Green Lantern (Ch'p).

Green Lantern (Arkkis Chummuck) .

Green Lantern (Driq).

Green Lantern (Eddore).

Green Lantern (Guy Gardner).

Green Lantern (Ha( Jordan).

Green Lantern (K'ryssma).

Green Lantern (Kilowog).

Green Lantern (Medphyll).

Green Lantern (Mogo).

Green Lantern (Olapet).

Green Lantern (Salaak).

Green Lantern (Flodo Span).

Green Lantern (Stel).

Green Lantern (John Stewart).

Green Lantern (Abin Sur).

Green Lantern (Tomar-Re).

Green Lantern (Katma Tui).

Green Lantern (Charlie Vickers)

Green Lantern (Xax).

Green Man.

Guardians of the Universe.

Halo.
Hawkman.

Hawkwoman.

Hex, Jonah.

Hooded Justice.

Immorto.

Infectious Lass.

Invisible Kid I (Lyle Norg).

Invisible Kid II (Jacques Foccart) .

Jade.

Jericho.

Jonni DC the Continuity Cop

Kalista.

Karate Kid.

Karma.

Katana.

Kid Psycho .

Kole.

Krypto the Superdog.

l?lT P

ffi:

..GLC
.GLC
..GLC

.GLC

.WSC, GLC

.. .CC, GLC, GM

.GLC

.GLC

.GLC
.GLC

.GLC

.GLC

.GLC

.GLC

. . .CC, GLC, GM

.GLC

.GLC

.GLC

.GLC

.GLC

.GLC

.GLC

.BMS, LCK

.GLC

.RR

.CC, ED, CM, WD

.LSHI

.LSHI

. .LSHI, LSH2, PT
.LSHI, LSH2, PT

.LSHI

.LSHI, PT

... .LSHI, LSH2

.LSHI, LSH2, PT

Lightning Lad.

Lightning Lass.

Lodestone.

Looker.
Magnetic Kid (Pol Krinn)

Man-Bat.

Martian Manhunter....

Matter-Eater Lad.

Mento.

Metamorpho.

Mister Miracle.

Mon-El.

Mothman.

Negative Man.

Negative Woman.

Nemesis.

Night Girl.

Nighthound.

Nightshade.

Xighlwind.

Nightwing (Grayson)...

Nightwing (Van-Zee)...

Nimbus.GLC

.MS

.LCK

.LSHI, LSH2, MRG

.BMS

. . . .CC, CM, WSC

.KP3, LSHI, LSH2

.MS

.BMS, LCK

.WSC

.KAT, LSHI, LSH2

,W2
. .LSHI

Nite Owl pan Dreiberg).Wl, W2

Nite Owl (Hollis Mason).W2

Northwind.El

Nuklon.El

Obsidian.El

Ornitho. LSHI

Ozymandias.Wl, W2

People's Heroes.BRS

Phantom Gil.KP3, LSHI, LSH2

Phantom Stranger.DA, WSC

Polar Boy.LSHI, LSH2, PT

Porcupine Pete.LSHI

Power Bov.LSHI

Power Girl.SS

Primus.GLC

Privateer.BRS

Psyche. LSHI

Quantum Queen.LSHI

Quislet.KP3, LSHI, I SI 12

Raven.CC, GM

Red Tornado.SG

Robin.BMS, CC, GM, WD

Robotman.MS

Rocket Red #13.WSC

Rorschach.W1,W2

Ryandr.GLC

Saturn Girl.LSHI, LSH2

Sergeant Rock.BZG

Sensor Girl.KAT, LSHI, LSH2

Shadow Lad.LSHI

Shadow Lass.KAT, LSHI, LSH2

Silhouette.W2

Silk Spectre (Sally Jupiter).W2

Silk Spectre (Laurel Jane Juspeczyk).Wl, W2

Silver Scarab..'.El

Speedv.BRS, GLC, RR

Star Boy.KAT, LSHI, LSH2

Star-Spangled Kid.El

Starfire.AIN, CC, GM

Stone Bov.LSHI

Sun Boy.KP3, LSHI, I SI 12, MRG

Superbabv.SS

Superboy..LSH1,LSH2,SS

Supergirl.LSHI, LSH2, PT, SS

Superman (Earth-2).SS

Superman.CC, GM, SS

Superwoman.SS

Tellus.LSHI, LSH2, MRG, PT

Tempest.MS

Tigorr.GLC

Timber Wolf.LSHI, LSH2, PT

Tornado Twins.LSHI

Tvroc.LSHI, LSH2

Ultra Bov.KP3, LSHI, LSH2

Vartox ...SS

Vixen.BRS

White Witch.LSHI, I.SH2, MRG

Wildfire.LSHI, LSH2

Windfall.LCK

Wonder Girl.ATN,CC,CM

Wonder Woman (pie-crisis).CC, GM

Wonder Woman (post-Crisis).SIP

Zatanna.CC, GM

DRAGON 11
Chief Zoltauru;
Chill, Joe....
Chronos.

.LSH1 Blackout Boy

■ LSH1 Blackrock ...

... .SS Blockbuster.

. . .MS Bounty.

.LSH1 Brain..

. .MS Brainiac.

Kalki ... .7.

Karb-brak.,
Khunds
Killer Croc.
Killer Frost.
Killer Moth.

12 NOVEMBER 1988

Villains

Absorbancy Boy.

Amalgamax.

Amazo.

Animal-Vegetable-Mineral Man.

Apollo (30th Century).

Arsenal.

Atomic Skull.

Az-Rel.

Baron Tyrano.

Bizarro/.

Black Bison.

Black Hand.

Black Mace.
Black Manta.

Black Mask.

Blackbriar Thorn.

Blackout.

Coldsnap.

Colonel Future.

Command Kid.

Computo.

Copperhead.

Cosmic King.

Crazy Quilt.

Dagon the Avenger.

Dark Man.

Darkseid (20th Century) . . .

Darkseid (30th Century) . . .
Deadshot...

Deimos.

Deregon.

DeSaad .

Doctor Alchemy.

Doctor Light.

Doctor Phosphorus.

Doctor Polaris.

Doctor Psycho.

Doctor Regulus.

Doctor Tzin-tzin.

Doctor U'bx.

Dynamo Boy.

Emerald Empress.

Enemy Ace.
Enchantress.

Eris, goddess of Discord ..

Esper Lass .

Evil Star.

Faora Hu-UI.

Female Furies.

Femme Fatale.

Galactic Golem.

Galtry, Nicholas.

Garguax.

General Immortus.

General Zahl.

General Dru-Zod.

Ghast.

Gizmo.

Glorious Godfrey.

Golden Glider.

Goldface.

Golgoth.

Goodman, Dr. Sebastian ..

Gorilla Grodd.

Grimbor.

Hardhat.

Heatstroke.

Hector Hammond.

Hell, William.

H.I.V.E.

Holdur.

Houngan.
Immune.

Infinite Man.

Jackhammer.

Javelin.

Brimstone.

Brother Blood.

Bug-Eyed Bandit.

Calendar Man.

Calorie Queen.

Captain Boomerang..

Captain Cold.

Cat-Man.

Catwoman.

Chameleon Chief.

Chameleon Kid.

Lightning Lord.

Lord Satanis.

Luther, Alexei (Earth-2)..

Luther, Lex.

.CC, DA, GM, SS

Persuader.

.LSH1, PT
Size Kid .

.LSH1

Mad Hatter.

.BMS

Phantom Lad.

.LSH1

Slipknot.

.BRS, ED

Madame Rouge.

. MS

Pharoxx .

.LSH1

.GLC

Magnetic Kid.

.LSH1

Phobia.

.BF

Spider-Girl .

.LSH1

Magno Lad.

.LSH1

Pied Piper .

.KC

Spook .

.NG

MagP'e.

.LSH1

Pike, Fenton.

.LSH1
Star Sapphire.

.GLC

Major Disaster.

.GLC, WSC

Plasmus .

.BF

Starburst Bandits .

.LSH1

Mammoth .

.FI

Plastique.

.BRS

Starfinger.

.LSH1

Manhunters.

.BRS, GLC

Poison Ivy.

.BMS

Steamroller.

.GLC

.LSH1

Prankster .

.SS

Strange, Professor Hugo ....

.BMS

Mantis.

.GM

Predator.

.GLC
Stratos .

.ED

Mantis Morlo.

.LSH1, PT

Prophet .

.LSH1

.LSH1, MRG

Master Jailer.

.SS

Psi.

.BRS

Sun Emperor.

.LSH1

Matter Master.

.ED, KC

Psions.

.ATN

Sun-Eater.

.LSH1

Metallo.

.SS

Psycho Pirate.

.WSC

Syrene .

.SS

Micro Lad.

.LSH1

Pulsar Stargrave.

.LSH1, MRG
Tarik the Mute.

.LSH1

Mindboggler .

.BRS

Puzzler.

.SS

Tattooed Man .

.GLC

Mind Dancer.

.ATG

Quanto.

.LSH1

Terminator.

.ATN, CC, GM

Mirror Master.

.KC

Quicksand.

.LSH1, MRG

.CM, PT

Mist Master.

.LSH1

Has Al Ghul.

.BMS

Terra-Man .

.SS

Mister 104.

.BRS, MS

Radiation Rov .

.LSH1
Tharok .

.LSH1

Mister Element.

.F.D

Rath.

.WSC

Thespis.

.XG

.BMS

Reactron .

.MS

Thinker .

.BRS

Mister Morden .

.MS

Reaper.

.WSC

Thunderers.

.GLC

Mister Mxyzptlk.

.GM, SS

Resource Raiders.

.LSH1, MRG

Time Trapper.

.LSH1, KAT

.NG

Riddler.

.BMS, GM

Titania .
.LSH1

Molecule Master.

.LSH1

Rogarth .

.LSH1

.SS

Moloch.

.W1, W2

Ron-Karr .

.LSH1

Toyman.

.SS

Mongul .

.SS

.GLC

.CC, GM

Monsieur Mallah.

.BF, MS

Sadahuru .

.LSH1

Tupeng.

.NG

Mordru.

.LSH1

Saturn Queen .

.LSH1

Two-Face.

.BMS
Multiplex.

.BRS

Savage, Vandal.

.SS

Tvr.

.LSH1, KP3

Mtystelor.

.LSH1

Scarecrow.

.BMS

Ultra-Humanite.

.SS

Nadira.

.SS

Scoopshovel .

.GLC

Universo.

.LSH1, KAT

Nam-Ek .

.SS

Sden.

.LSH1, MRG

Va-Kox.

.SS

Nemesis Kid .

.LSH1, PT

Shadow Demons.

.GLC

Validus .
.LSH1

Neutrax .

.LSH1

Shadow Thief.

.KC

.LSH1

New Wave .

. RR

Shagrek .

.LSH1

Von Tepp, Colonel.

.BZG

Night-Slayer.

.BMS

Shakedown .

.RR

Warp.

.BF

Ol-Vir ..

.LSH1

Shark .

.GLC, GM, KC

Weaponers of Qward.

.GLC

Omega.

.LSH1

Shimmer.

.FI

Weasel.
.BRS

Omen.

.LSH1

Shockwave .

.ATG

Wild Huntsman.

.LSH1, MRG

Ontiir.

.LSH1

Shrapnel .

.MS

Wizard.

.SS

Organus.

.LSH1

Silver Deer.

.ED

Wolfingham, J. Wilbur.

. SS

.BRS, SG, SS

Silver Slasher.

.LSH1

Wotan .

.WSC

Pares, Benn.

.LSH1

Sinestro .

.CC, GLC, GM

Zamarons .
.GLC

Penguin .

.BMS, BRS, CC, GM

Sister Dread.

.BF

Zymyr.

.LSH1

Supporting Cast ■

Amazons.

Appa Ali Apsa.

Blanc-Dumont, Capt. Andre.

Brande, R.J.

Bullock, Harvey.Bl

Candy, Etta ...

Chan, Lt. Weng ("Chop-Chop").

Cheeks the Toy Wonder.

Clay, Dorine.

Cusimano, Gigi.L

Dasor, Chairman.

Davis, Dirk.

Davis, Capt. Richard.

Doremus, Eve.

Drozdowski, Capt. Stanislaus.

Dvrom, Lt.LS

Easy Company .

Edge, Morgan .

Erin, Shvaugn.

Friedriksen, Capt. Olaf.

Gordon, Commissioner Jame;

Greek Gods.

Gvm'll, Dr.

Hagga .

Hendricksen, Capt. Ritter ...

Hippolyte.

Itty.

Jace, Dr. Helga..

Jordan, Jack .

Jordan, Jim.

Jordan, Titus Thomas .

Kalmaku, Thomas ("Pieface")

Kane, Francis (Magneta). —

Kaoatelis, Prof. Julia .

Kent, Lois Lane (Earth-2)....

Kent, Jonathan.

Limbo, Kari.

Lombard, Steve.

Long, Terry.

Nocturna ..

Olsen, James (Earth-2)..

Olsen, Jimmy.

Pennyworth) Alfred....
Potter, Prof. Phineus ...

Proty II.

Relnic, Ambassador
Remarque, Julia.

Sirianni, Capt. Carlos "Chuck".

LOOKING FOR A
GAME CONVENTION?

If your gaming group is too small

or if you've just moved into the
neighborhood, finding friends
who are also gamers can be a
problem. However, your local
hobbies and games shop may
have a bulletin board where
gamers can advertise their groups
and meeting times. The hobby
store may also know of local game
conventions where you can meet
dozens of other gamers with the
same interests. The Convention
Calendar in this issue may also be
of help. Don't sit at home and
wish you knew more gamers. Go
out and find them today. /'i

DRAGON 13

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT,

AND CIRCULATION

Title of publication: DRAGON® Magazine

Date of filing: 30 September 1988

Publication no.: 0279-6848

No. of issues published annually: 12

Frequency of issue: Monthly

Annual subscription price: $30.00

Complete mailing address of known office of publication:

DRAGON® Magazine, P.O. Box 111, Lake Geneva Wl 53147

Complete mailing address of the headquarters of general business offices of the

publisher: TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 756, Lake Geneva Wl 53147

Publisher: Michael H. Cook, P.O. Box 756, Lake Geneva Wl 53147

Editor: Roger E. Moore, P.O. Box 111, Lake Geneva Wl 53147

Owner: TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 756, Lake Geneva Wl 53147

Known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or holding 1

percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other

securities: None

Average no. copies each

Actual no. copies of single

issue during preceding

issue published nearest

Extent and nature of circulation

12 months

to filing date

Total no. copies

100,270

104,187

Paid circulation

1. Sales through dealers and carriers

71,404

72,612

2. Mail subscription

24,464

25,119

Total paid circulation

95,868

97,731

Free distribution by any means

79
Total distribution

95,992

97,810

Copies not distributed

1. Office use, left over, etc.

3,953

6,377

2. Return from news agents

325

Total

100,270

104,187

1 certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete.

Michael H. Cook, Publisher

SUPREMACY

★★★★★

Here noli can lest sour tactical and strategic skills on the global
battlefield Airborne and amphibious assaults can be used
to suprise the enemy. However, your military' adventures are under
the constant threat of nuclear war. Laser Stars give you a high
tech edge against the bomb, if you have the money to build them.

War

ns alone. Your diplomacy skills v

tslead the enemy about your true inte
ies to join the fight.

There are rules for randomizing the start of the game, making each
play of the game unique. Once you have learned the rules, a
lot of skill and a touch of luck can make you a victorious Field
Marshall as you set out to conquer the world.

The key rules to the Raffle appear on the gaiiT

your mind free to think about your strategy.

board. This leaves

The World Conquest Game

Fought in the Nuclear Age

Expansion sets for Supremacy take the game to new levels of

challenge: The Field Marshall's Handbook (84 pages of questions
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Zones - Neutron Bombs and Killer Satellites - The Middle Powers
and more to follow.

Each Supremacy game contains the following high quality

components: mounted game board 20" x 30". deck of 65 full
color Resource cards, 370 plastic playing pieces representing
armies, navies and mushroom clouds, 260 bills of play money. 6
full color Supply Centers, rules and dice.

Supremacy is a game for two to six players. It is a game for peo¬

ple who would rather shape the world than be shaped by it.

” ...for an all-round pretzel munching good time while destroying

what's left of this battered planet. Supremacy wins hands down ...
Supremacy is an instant classic."

These high quality products are available at better hobby,

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If you are unable to locate our products, please write to us at:

Supremacy Games Inc., 2 Bloor St. W.. Suite 100, Box 299 E,
Toronto, Ontario. Canada M4W 3E2

14 NOVEMBER 1988

Lords & Legends

A miscellany of magic-users
This month’s “Lords & Legends” brings together a group of wilderness
explorers with more in common than their thirst for adventure — they are all
powerful magic-users as well.

Aylegard, Queen of the

Unicorns -

Female high elf

lOth-level magic-user/5th-level fighter

Created try: Dan Kretzer

ARMOR CLASS: 3 (elfin chain mail + 2)

MOVE: 12" (24" on unicorn steed)

HIT POINTS: 40

NO. OF ATTACKS: 2 with bow; 1 in melee

ATTACK BONUSES: + 1 to hit with bow
(long or short) and sword (long or
short) from elven skills; + 3 with magi¬
cal bow

DAMAGE/ATTACK: By weapon type ( + 1

for strength; + 3 for magical bow) or
nil (special effects with magical bow)
SPECIAL ABILITIES: Can communicate
with any unicorn, which will obey her
(unless her requests are absurd) and
will defend her to the death; uses spells
and magical weapons and devices;
standard elven abilities of infravision,
defection of secret/hidden doors, and
silent movement

MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard (but 90%

resistant to sleep and charm)
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic good
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
SPELLS: May use any first- to fourth-level
magic-user spell while she possesses
the Book of the Unicorns (see text);
however, she has been unable to locate
higher-level spells

S: 16 I: 19

D: 12 C: 12

AGE: 311
HT: 5'5"

HAIR: Pale blonde

W: 14

CH: 13 CO: 24

SIZE: M
WT: 120 lbs.
EYES: Green

POSSESSIONS: Crown, Book, and Bow of

the Unicorns

TREASURE: 5-50 sp, 10-100 gp, and five

gems (50, 100 (x2), 500, and 1,000 gp
values)

As a young child, Ayelgard traveled with

her father, a high-elven merchant, from
city to city. When her father took her on a
trek to the city of Oceanmoum, they
passed through the Chettish highlands, a

hilly region dotted with woods. There,

Ayelgard caught a glimpse of a unicorn
and ran after it to toy to pet the animal.
The unicorn ran off — and Ayelgard pur¬
sued it, overcome by its beauty.

Ayelgard followed the unicorn across

the hills and into a small grove of trees.
Forgetting completely about her father,
who was searching frantically for her, the
young elf quietly passed through the trees
to the center of the grove, where she
found the unicorn standing beside an
ancient stone altar on which was the
carved image of a unicorn. Beneath the
altar in the tall grass, Ayelgard saw what
appeared to be a glint of metal. She
cleared away the grass and found a golden
crown with a unicorn-shaped sapphire
embedded in it, a spell book, and a long
bow covered with magic runes.

Suddenly, there appeared an apparition

of an old man standing on the other side
of the altar. The spirit greeted Aylegard
and introduced himself as Malecinth, once
the King of the Unicorns. Malecinth
explained that it had been his job to pro¬
tect and lead the unicorns of the high¬
lands. The apparition told Ayelgard that
Malecinth had died long ago, leaving the
unicorns untended. Soon they began to
decline in number, being hunted and slain
for their horns. As the apparition began to
fade, the former King of the Unicorns told
Ayelgard that she had now inherited the
position he had left; she was the Queen of
the Unicorns. Before it disappeared com¬
pletely, the apparition explained that the
Crown, Book, and Bow of the Unicorns
were the only tools Ayelgard would need
to rule her new charges.

Since that day, Ayelgard has not reap¬

peared in civilized lands. Her father was
finally able to locate her, but she refused
to leave the forest and he was forced to go
on without her. Other elves from her
family have visited her from time to time
over the years. She has become a living

16 NOVEMBER 1988

ittusnmAi BiJDfVAJfel flmnwnenm

legend to inhabitants of the highlands

The Crown of the Unicorns gives

Ayelgard her power to communicate with
all unicorns; it is the reason they obey her.
The Crown cannot be taken from
Ayelgard's head unless she removes it
herself or is killed. The Bow of the Uni¬
corns performs normally as a long bow
+ 3 unless the archer (who must be of
chaotic-good alignment) commands other¬
wise. If Ayelgard chooses, an arrow shot
from the Bow becomes an arrow of slay¬
ing that affects anyone who has harmed
or slain a unicorn. She can also command
the arrows fired from the Bow to cause a
living target to fall asleep when hit (as per
the magic-user spell sleep, doing no dam¬
age) or to stop the target (as per the magic-
user spell hold person, again doing no
damage) for 20 rounds. The Bow itself
causes these effects to occur, and any
arrows fired from it are briefly enchanted
so that they possess the above powers.

The Book of the Unicorns explains the

powers of the items to the one chosen as
the ruler of the unicorns. It also serves as
a magic-user's spell book with all known
spells up to the fourth level of power. The
DM may add spells to this book or rule
that certain spells might not be known to
it, however.

Ayelgard herself is stunningly beautiful,

being rather tall and well muscled for an
elven female. Whenever PCs encounter
Ayelgard, she will probably be on a uni¬
corn mount unless she has been watching
them and wishes to approach the party on
foot. Ayelgard never leaves the highlands
unless she is on a desperate mission or is
leading the unicorns elsewhere for some
purpose. Only when characters stray too
far from the roads will they arouse
Ayelgard's attention. As a result, she will
probably stalk them in an attempt to learn
their purpose.

As Queen of the Unicorns, Ayelgard

leads her vassals as she sees fit. Her first
and foremost duty is to protect them. In so
doing, hunters are sometimes attacked
with her sleep arrows and her spells.
Ayelgard hopes that most hunters won't
come back, but if they do or if they kill a
unicorn, she attacks with intent to kill.

There are almost 50 unicorns now living

in the vast highlands. As a military force,
they can be very powerful. Ayelgard
decides if any plea for military help is
worthy of the unicorns' attention and
consults the unicorns themselves. When
the unicorns do gather for a certain pur¬
pose, it is always important and Ayelgard
is always there.

The Crown, Book, and Bow of the Uni¬

corns are all unique items, but they work
just as effectively in lands other than the
highlands. Whenever there is not a King
or Queen of the Unicorns, or whenever
one of the items is lost by the ruler, all the
items teleport back to the hidden altar.
Only a unicorn or a ruler of unicorns can
find this place. If there is no King or
Queen of the Unicorns, the unicorns look

for one who is pure of heart and has a

love of freedom. The unicorns then try to
lead that person to the altar.

Eelix-

Male gray elf

18th-level magic-user
Created by: Gene Bauer

ARMOR CLASS: 0 (dexterity bonus and

bracers of defense, AC 3)

MOVE: 12"

HIT POINTS: 50
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 in melee
ATTACK BONUSES: Nil, unless using magi¬
cal weapons

DAMAGE/ATTACK: By weapon type

SPECIAL ABILITIES: Uses spells and magi¬
cal weapons and devices; has gained
enhanced personal characteristics and
special powers from magical experi¬
mentation (see text); standard elven
abilities of infravision, detection of
secret/hidden doors, and silent
movement

MAGIC RESISTANCE: 25% (check 90%

resistance to sleep and charm after the
25% general magic resistance is
checked)

ALIGNMENT: Neutral
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
SPELLS: May use any first- to sixth-level
magic-user spell; thought to have only a
limited number of higher-level spells,
including all power word spells, phase
door, mind blank, symbol, and wish

S: 14 I: 22 W: 16

D: 17 C: 15 CH: 17 CO: 17

AGE: 259
HT: 5'

HAIR: Silver

SIZE: M
WT: 110 lbs.
EYES: Amber
POSSESSIONS: Mystic wand, ring of Eelix,
and armor of Eelix

TREASURE: 100-1,000 gp and 2-40 pp

Eelix the Wizard was bom Felix Furley

of Vendale Forest. He led a very idle exist¬
ence for the first part of his life. In his
early teenage years, he began to study
arcane books and tomes, but he wasn't
smart enough to learn to cast spells. Eelix
tried experiments and spells that always
failed. It was during this period that Eelix's
life changed for the better.

While experimenting with some potions

a friend of his recovered from a nearby
cavern system, Eelix's innate clumsiness
and absent-mindedness finally paid off.
Purely by accident, Eelix mixed three of
the potions together; this action dispersed
a cloud of gas throughout his laboratory
and rendered him unconscious. When he
awoke, Eelix was suddenly able to under¬
stand the subject of his studies. Thereaf¬
ter, he went on to become one of the
greatest spell-casters in his world. In spite
of this sudden acquisition of knowledge,
Eelix cannot seem to remember which

three potions he mixed to give him his

incredible intelligence.

Eelix delights in learning new things and

gladly repays anyone who teaches him
something he doesn't already know. Eelix
has used his tremendous mental talents to
bestow upon himself a 25% magic resist¬
ance, the ability to detect magic at will,
and the ability to shape change once per
day. Eelix spends most of his time creating
new magical items. Some of the items Eelix
has created include the following:

Mystic wand — This 6" glass wand

becomes the hilt of a sword of light when
a command word is spoken. The weapon
may be wielded by anyone and causes
ldlO hp damage. Another command word
shuts off the weapon.

Ring of Eelix — This magical ring

bestows a gain of two levels for spell¬
casting when worn by a magic-user; this
power lasts one hour and can be used
once per day.

Armor of Eelix — This magical ring

produces a suit of armor made of blue
light around its wearer upon command.
The armor is equivalent to chain mail but
is weightless. This item is usable by any
class for an unlimited duration (Eelix rare¬
ly uses it himself).

DRAGON 17

Note that there is only one of each of

these items presently in existence. Eelix
will gladly create a magical item for a PC,
but he requests a great duty to be per¬
formed in return.

Elayne Mystica _

Female human
19th-level magic-user
Created by: Niel Brandt

ARMOR CLASS: -2 (dexterity bonus and

bracers of defense, AC 2)

MOVE: 12"

HIT POINTS: 53
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 in melee
ATTACK BONUSES: Nil, unless using magi¬
cal weapons

DAMAGE/ATTACK: By weapon type (com¬

mon knife)

SPECIAL ABILITIES: Uses spells, psiomcs,

and magical weapons and devices
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
ALIGNMENT: Neutral good
PSIONIC ABILITY: 252
Attack/Defense Modes: All/FGIJ
Disciplines: Detection of magic, ESP,
object reading, mind bar, and probabil¬
ity travel

SPELLS: May use any first- to seventh-level

spell; is thought to know all spells pecu¬
liar to the WORLD OF GREYHAWK®
setting and possibly spells from other
worlds and planes; is fond of using
maze, power word blind, symbol, and
time stop against opponents

S: 12 I: 18

D: 18 C: 13

AGE: 243
HT: 5'3"

HAIR: White

W: 16

CH: 14 CO: 14

SIZE: M
WT: 110 lbs.
EYES: Pink

POSSESSIONS: Known to own a ring of

spell turning; likely owns numerous
other devices (the DM should use his
own judgment here)

TREASURE: 3-30 sp, 6-60 ep, 10-100 gp, 4-

40 pp, and four gems (100 (x 3) and
1,000 gp values)

Elayne was bom in the night-black tun¬

nels below the Crystalmist Mountains in
the WORLD OF GREYHAWK setting, a
member of a subterranean, albino human
culture. Bom the first child to a noble
family of this race, she was sent to a con¬
vent soon after birth so that a son would
inherit the family estate. After 16 cruel
years, she fled to the surface world to
search for a better life.

One week after wandering through the

wilderness, Elayne was near death. Fortu¬
nately, she was befriended by elves in the
Oytwood Forest; thereafter, she gravitated
naturally to their mystical ways. After
seven years with the elves, her psionic
powers manifested themselves, and she
was cast out of elven society. Elayne
adventured alone for several years under
the name Celene and eventually found
herself in the service of Cobb Darg, the
lord mayor of the Free City of Irongate.

While Elayne serves Cobb Darg faith¬

fully, she now spends much of her time
with others. She still retains membership
in a formal group of adventurers known
as the Company of the Iron Fist, but she is
now too powerful to work well with them.
Her main acquaintances these days are the
entities she meets in her transplanar trav¬
els. Tsolorandril, a hero-deity whose
sphere of power centers on wave motions,
is one of her major allies.

Elayne now resides in a quasi-dimen-

sional "pocket plane" constantly bathed in
twilight. No normal weapons may be
drawn in this plane without first making
their save vs. disintegration as a result of a
powerful dweomer placed on the plane by
the djinn-mage Tol-Kan-Zeeb. However,
this dweomer has the side effect of
increasing entropy within the realm; as a
result, magical effects often occur at ran¬
dom. For example, portals leading to other
quasi-dimensional planes often open, occa¬
sionally gating some of the pocket plane's
inhabitants elsewhere against their will.
Elayne's workshop in this plane has a
permanent escape portal to the Astral

plane in case this entropy should ever

cause planar collapse. Time flows very
slowly in this plane, resulting in a longer
lifespan for its inhabitants (thus account¬
ing for Elayne's extreme age).

Elayne's hair is white as snow and her

eyes are deep pink; she avoids direct sun¬
light as she sunburns rapidly and painful¬
ly. She often has magical symbols drawn
on her face and is always cloaked in a
flowing robe of deep color.

Shugar -

Male human
14th-level magic-user
Created by: Richard Lipman

ARMOR CLASS: 0 (dexterity bonus and

bracers of defense, AC 3)

MOVE: 12"

HIT POINTS: 55
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 in melee
ATTACK BONUSES: +2 with magical staff
(+8 if using 24 strength)
DAMAGE/ATTACK: By weapon type (staff
does ldlO +2 hp damage; + 12 if using
24 strength)

SPECIAL ABILITIES: Uses spells and magi¬

cal weapons and devices
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
ALIGNMENT: Neutral good
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
SPELLS: May use any first- to third-level
spell; knows most commonly known
fourth- and fifth-level spells; knows
disintegrate and possibly three other
sixth-level spells; rumored to know
teleport without error

S: 9 I: 19

D: 17 C: 15

AGE: 60
HT: 5'9"

HAIR: Gray-black

W: 15

CH: 15 CO: 16

SIZE : M
WT: 160 lbs.
EYES: Black

POSSESSIONS: Staff of might (acts as a

staff +2 hut does ldlO +2 hp damage;
it can also raise someone's strength to
24 for one turn twice per day); bracers
of defense, AC 3; ring of free action;
and the wand of Alakazam (67 charges),
which raises all spell effects cast while
holding the wand by four levels and
adds a -4 to all saving throws. The
wand can he recharged, but the meth¬
od for doing this is not known.
TREASURE: 1-10 op, 10-100 sp, 5-20 ep,
100-1,000 gp, 1-20 pp, and three gems
(100, 500, and 1,000 gp values)

Shugar is one of the mightiest wizards of

his homeland of Sard. There are those
who chose the paths of evil and its lure of
quicker and easier power, but Shugar took
the harder road of white magic. At a late
age, he became a master magic-user.

Shugar's adventuring career has

spanned 45 years. He was on band to
banish an evil demon lord, Gorion, whose
evil had spread over southern Sard, and

18 NOVEMBER 1988

he helped recover the Crown of Good

from the peril-filled crypt where it lay for
an eon. (He did not, however, slay the evil
demigod Zeton; that was just a rumor.)

In his adventuring life, there is much

that Shugar has experienced. Shugar's
most dangerous adventure was made with
a band of companions who were able to
penetrate the castle of a lich lord, Venes-
sar. Shugar's mission was to rescue Venes-
sar's captive, an elven princess named
Ariella. The lich wanted to force the elven
king, Exeter, to turn over a potent evil
sword to him. If the king did not do so,
Ariella would be sacrificed.

The party entered the corridors beneath

Venessar's castle, but all it took was one
conveniently placed trap to kill the entire
Party - except Shugar, that is. A blind
teleport saved the mage from similar
destruction. Alone in the twisting corri¬
dors of Venessar's castle, Shugar eventu¬
ally found the lich and the lich's captive. In
the heated battle that ensued, Shugar
triumphed over the lich by employing a
disintegrate spell. The elven princess was
then returned to King Exeter, and normal¬
cy was restored to the elven kingdom.

In honor of Shugar's brave exploits, the

elven king decided to have a banquet at
the next full moon. While preparations for
the feast were being made, Shugar and
Ariella spent a lot of time together. Ariella
was interested in Shugar's magical skills as

well as in his adventuring life. Shugar was

similarly fascinated by Ariella's experi¬
ences in politics. On the night of the ban¬
quet, King Exeter stated that he would
grant Shugar anything within his power as
a reward for saving the life of is beloved
daughter. Shugar asked for Ariella's hand;
when Ariella quickly consented to be
Shugar's bride, the King smiled and
agreed. One year later, Shugar and Ariella
were wed.

At present, Shugar has two healthy

children (both boys) who, although young,
show a strong aptitude in the mystic arts.
Shugar's problem now, however, is one of
time. At 60 years of age, Shugar has begun
to show his years; his wife, however,
appears as young as she did when Shugar
took her from Venessar's lair. Shugar has
lately gone on increasingly dangerous
adventures in a desperate attempt to find
a way to make himself younger. By some
sad quirk of fate, potions of longevity have
never worked on Shugar. He loves his wife
deeply and doesn't wish to leave her a
widow after such a short time (short as
elves measure it, anyway). £2

DRAGON 19

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Where Wizards Meet

One sorcerer is strong -

but a guild of them is mighty; indeed

From the Mageholm Catalogue, 36th

edition (Amanda Riddleweaver editor):

One wizards life is filled with labor and

loneliness, yet many wizards' lives may be
blessed with comfort and companionship.
So thought the founders of our Mages'
Guild long centuries past, and so think we
who gather at Mageholm today. But this
Guild has grown since its origins in Glen
Morris, and this guide is one of the results
- a brief summary of our governance and
history, that the Mages' Guilds members
and friends may better appreciate the
benefits the Guild brings to our lives.

Let it first be said that this Guild is not a

political body — at least, no more than it
must be. True, our delegate sits on the
Masterguild which shares the rule of
Menwyn with the Lord Margrave. True,
too, that the standards by which our Cir¬
cle of Examiners measures magical skill
are now recognized, if not always hon¬
ored, across the Five Kingdoms. Our
founders foresaw none of this, wishing
only a quiet gathering place for study,
conversation, and good ale. In this area we
differ from many guilds. Grimclave's Free
Arcanium has had much to say about the
governing of Genwold since the overthrow
of Genwold's ruling house and the estab¬
lishment of the Enclave; two of the Free
Arcanium's senior members now sit on
that council. And the Countess Barbara-
ap-Rowland, Trenwych's delegate to the
Council of the Five Kingdoms, attained her
seat after rising to leadership of the Mages
of Barglass, her home guild.
Yet from purely social beginnings, this
Guild has blossomed into a many-faceted
institution. More than 600 annual volumes
of The Quill Arcane have been published
to date, adding immeasurably to our
understanding of magic. Novices and
veteran mages alike learn specific
spellcraft techniques in Guild seminars.
City-bound members now have access to
spell materials found only in remote and
dangerous parts of the Five Kingdoms.

Our bastion of Mageholm itself, built when

the Guild moved from Glen Morris to

Menwyn, offers study and research facili¬

ties made less costly through Guild spon¬
sorship. And on the rare occasions when
the membership has combined its powers
against a common danger, the power of
that joining has answered the need.

These activities, however, are neither

carried on nor organized by chance. It has
required careful organization and leader¬
ship to reach the eminent position we
hold, which is how the five Circles now
active within the Mages' Guild came to
exist. Though we do not require all Guild
members to become part of a Circle — nor
prevent them from joining more than one
- the majority of our members do choose
to take on the responsibilities of Circle
affiliation. As a result, rarely has the Guild
needed a formal selection process to fill
the five general Circles, though each Circle
does elect an administrative council from
within its ranks. A sixth Circle, that of the
Circle of Seven (named for the number of
its members), governs the affairs of the
Guild as a whole. A brief description of
each of these Circles, with further infor¬
mation on our Guild, follows.

The Five Circles

The Circle of Examiners

Mages applying for Guild membership
and unaffiliated spell-casters seeking pro¬
fessional credentials are the province of
the Circle of Examiners. On the request of
the applicant, a board of three Examiners
convenes to review his or her training,
knowledge, and experience in order to
determine the level of mastery at which
the mage is professionally competent to
practice. The examination normally takes
three to four hours and involves both oral
questioning and actual demonstration,
though written tests are sometimes used
as well. Prospective members pay for the
testing only if they are eventually rejected;
outside subjects are charged 500 gp for
the service. Exceptions to this policy are
made for tests requested by city officials

as part of a legal inquiry or dispute; these

are charged to the government at a 20%
discount — but the authorities frequently
turn around and collect the full 500 gp
from the party that loses the case.

Following the examination, the Exam¬

iners review the subject's performance
and issue a certificate of proficiency. City
law considers these "licenses" valid for
two years from the date of issue, though
mages are not required to possess them in
order to practice their arts. For its part,
the Guild regards the results as permanent
until updated, and once tested, mages may
request reexaminations as often as every
six months at a reduced fee. Members pay
200 gp for retesting; nonmembers are
assessed 300 gp. It should be noted that
Examiners receive 150 gp for administer¬
ing initial reviews and 50 gp each for
subsequent tests. Surplus revenues go to
the Guild treasury.

Certification offers a practicing mage

three principle advantages. Under Men-
wyn's law (and that of many other jurisdic¬
tions), certification protects the mage from
legal reprisals involving services within his
documented ability to perform. While he
is not immune to legal action, certification
places additional burdens of proof on the
complaining party and limits the mage's
liability should he lose the case. At the
same time, a certified mage can quite
legitimately ask a higher price for his
services than one who lacks Guild docu¬
mentation, and many who deal with spell-
casters routinely ask to see their
Examiners' scrolls before entering into
business arrangements. Finally, the certifi¬
cate is often of value as a means of profes¬
sional introduction for a traveling mage,
particularly one seeking access to research
materials — though mere certification
does not carry the same weight as full
membership, in this regard.

Besides conducting boards of review, the

Circle of Examiners also has charge of
membership screening and of assessing
the relative power and difficulty of newly
researched spells. The former area, while

22 NOVEMBER 1988

l k - ,i 'iinn‘ii'rM.... - ... lS “.

.“**'*“*,"■".Ml(|||lto|uii

.. . if j

Mil

MAGEHOLM: Map Key

Basement level: storage, wine cellar, Mageholm archives, meeting room

Ground level: pub, reading room, Circle of Examiners
Level 2: Circle officers, Archamage, Legate, Magehall (council chamber, spell
room), guest rooms

Level 3: library, Archivists’ offices, scriptorium, The Quill Arcane

Level 4: classrooms, faculty offices

Level 5: Circle of Scholars research laboratories

Level 6: private and rental research laboratories

Level 7: member services (component supply; magical-item testing and indentifi-

cation; magical-item sales, service, and manufacture; professional referrals)
Level 8: apartments for Archimage, Legate, Chief and Assistant Archivists; guest
suite

1 Huiara - 5'

not insignificant, is not especially demand¬

ing; only about one in eight applicants for
membership is rejected, and in most cases
the decision is quite clearly based on bad
character. The latter duty is far less fre¬
quently invoked but of great importance,
as care must be taken to accurately mea¬
sure the potency of what is often highly
unfamiliar magic.

The nature of its responsibilities makes

the Circle of Examiners the most time-
consuming of the five where its members
are concerned. Most Examiners are full¬
time residents of Menwyn, and the majori¬
ty are of at least 9th-level proficiency,
though mages of as little as 4th-level profi¬
ciency are often accredited to perform
low-level and apprentice examinations. A
Guild member must have been affiliated
with the Guild for at least a year before
joining the Circle and must pass a special
examination before being authorized to
participate on boards of review. Examiner
status, however, carries sufficient prestige
that there is no shortage of candidates —
which is fortunate, as the demand for the
Circle's services is high.

The Circle of Scholars

The Circle of Scholars is the educational

arm of the Guild, functioning in many
ways like a small college of magic — which
in fact it closely resembles. The Scholars'
purview includes teaching and tutoring
(sometimes on an individual level, but
frequently in group seminars as well),
advanced magical research, and publica¬
tion of The Quill Arcane, the Guild's aca¬
demic journal. Two full levels of Mageholm
itself are assigned to the Circle's use, one
consisting of classrooms and office space,
and one containing the Guild's group-
directed research facilities. Both areas
receive almost constant use, as young
mages learn basic repertoires and more
skilled spell-casters begin to select and
train in specialized fields of magic. Too, it
is rare for the Circle of Scholars not to
have some unusual artifact or branch of
dweomercraft under study. Currently,
their investigations of the theories which
govern magical scrying promises break¬
throughs in the fashioning of crystal balls
and in the development of new scrying
tools. A past study of monsters with
vision-related attack capabilities enabled
the creation of devices to thwart such
gaze weapons. And the Circle now eagerly
awaits the return of an expedition which
may have found a highly unusual rod from
the trove of the eccentric mage, Quardian.
Some of its members hope that study of
the rod will confirm obscure tales of Quar-
dian's discoveries in the field of antimagi-
cal manipulation.

Admission to Guild-sponsored classes is a

privilege of membership, but many of the
teaching mages also admit tuition-paying
outsiders and most also assess fees to
cover materials. Private lessons held in
Mageholm between individual Guild mem¬
bers are another matter, with all monetary

24 NOVEMBER 1988

arrangements handled between teacher

and student. The Guild does charge a fee
in these cases for use of its classrooms —
typically 40 gp per hour for a private
chamber, though larger rooms may be had
by advance reservation for as much as 150
gp per hour. The student almost always
pays this fee; students in a group may
divide the cost among themselves.

A semidemocratic process usually deter¬

mines the direction of the Scholars' group
research, with Circle members submitting
proposed projects to a panel of reviewers
which offers the most promising to a vote
of the full Circle. Not all studies are so well
anticipated, though. Circumstances some¬
times divert the interest of special "task
forces" into unexpected areas, the case of
Quardian's rod being an example. The
Circle has also occasionally accepted com¬
missions from outside clients to undertake
large-scale research or unravel complex
magical puzzles. Chief of these clients is
Menwyn's Lord Margrave, though no less
than three of the Five Kingdoms have
asked for the Guild's aid over the centu¬
ries. (Reports of a powerful "ripple" in the
fabric of magic have recently arrived from
widely separated areas of the Five King¬
doms, and it is yet unclear whether the
Circle of Scholars will investigate the
matter on its own behalf or accept an
offer from Osdain's royal house to under¬
write the study.)

Like Examiners, most Scholars are vet¬

eran mages residing here in the city, and
many of them derive considerable wealth
from private and Guild-sponsored teach¬
ing. But money is hardly their only motiva¬
tion, as proven by the expense poured into
the annual publication of The Quid
Arcane. The Guild's journal of magical
scholarship draws manuscripts and mono¬
graphs from across the colonized lands,
brought by private couriers, merchant
caravans, message birds, and even telepor¬
tation. Perhaps strangest of all was the
arrival some years past of an article car¬
ried by a stone golem sent all the way
from eastern Trenwych. (The golem
remained in Mageholm's library until an
acceptance letter was placed in its hands.)
All submissions are reviewed by a board
of readers, which selects those to be pub¬
lished and sometimes corresponds with
authors in order to authenticate technical
points. Each annual issue must then be
hand-copied for distribution to over a
thousand subscribers throughout the Five
Kingdoms, not to mention local Guild
membership. The quantity of material
submitted often startles lay readers, who
expect mages to guard their secrets jeal¬
ously, but the prestige associated with
publication has overcome many scruples.

It is true, though, that as many wizards

decline to contribute as those who elect to
share their wisdom.

The Circle of Archivists

Once The Quill Arcane has been pub¬
lished, it and all other books and scrolls

A = Archivist, Archives
(A) = Archmage
C = Classroom
E = Examination room
G = Guest room
K = Kitchen
L = Laboratory
(L) = Legate
M = Magehall
m = meeting room
0 = Office

P = Parlor or dining room

R = Reading room
S = Supplies or storage
(S) = Study

T = Testing or identification room

W = Wine cellar

Map by Dave Sutherland

DRAGON 25

coining into the Guild's possession pass

into the hands of the Circle of Archivists,
which maintains the Guild's extensive
library of both magical and mundane
literature. In truth, the Archivists also
assist the Scholars in the production of
their journal once its contents have been
determined, since it is they who train and
supervise the small army of scribes and
copyists comprising the bulk of the Guild's
permanent staff.

Though the Archivists are in large part

librarians, they must be somewhat more
in order to fully-serve the Guild. Since
enchanted tomes form a large part of the
Guild's collection, the Archivists must be
intimately familiar with the many forms of
mystic runes and symbols — and the
means of preventing them from exploding
in a researcher's face. They must know all
manner of peculiar and ancient alphabets,
and the various languages of magic both
living and dead (including the script of
illusionists, who operate a rival guild
across the square from Mageholm). And
they must know not only the contents of
the Guild's library, but those of Menwyn's
other major archives and of collections
spanning the Five Kingdoms, in order to
direct students to what may often be the
single source of some especially obscure
document or bit of knowledge.

The demands of knowledge placed on

members of the Circle of Archivists may
explain why it is the smallest of the five
within the Guild, and these demands are
precisely the reasons why its leaders,
alone of all the Circles, draw full salaries.
While this might seem to give the Chief
Archivists certain undue advantages or

conflicts of interest in Guild governance,

in practice their time is too fully occupied
with archival matters for political compli¬
cations to arise. (Only once, in fact, has a
Chief Archivist simultaneously held the
title of Archmage, and that was during the
transfer of the Guild library following the
completion of Mageholm in C.Y. 169.)

This does not mean, however, that there

is no need for the junior members of the
Circle — far from it. The staff of lay
scribes is talented but cannot, of course,
copy magical documents, and the two
senior archivists cannot staff the library
by themselves. Indeed, mages who join the
Archivists' Circle often learn enough in
their periodic terms as cataloging aides to
upgrade their proficiency certificates
before the Circle of Examiners afterward.
There have also been cases where junior
archivists have discovered previously
overlooked clues in little-used volumes,
and followed them into dangerous adven¬
tures to recover powerful magical items or
important scholarly books. And it is
scarcely coincidence that, though they
may be less frequently used, the spell
books of Archivists are the most complete
of any in the Guild.

The Circle of Enchantment

Of all the work that goes on in Mage¬

holm, none is more central to a mage's life
than that of the Circle of Enchantment.
Members of this Circle are responsible for
a variety of services, including the acquisi¬
tion and stockpiling of spell components,
maintenance of a basic stock of potions
and other practical magical equipment,
and preparation of needed magical items
and other supplies to the order of the
Guild or its members. They also act as
custodians of the Guild's open laboratories,
where any Guild member may conduct
personal research or craft magical objects
on payment of lab fees (presently 200 gp/
week, excluding special materials and
expert hirelings).

The majority of Enchantment's mem¬

bers, unlike affiliates of other Circles, tend
not to reside permanently in Menwyn.
Rather, they are travelers and adventuring
mages who periodically pass through
Menwyn to turn over stocks of unusual
spell components and raw materials to the
Guild. Specific arrangements occasionally
differ, but in most cases the affiliate
receives 15% of the component's value and
may retain a small quantity for personal
use. The remainder is placed in the Circle's
stocks for sale to other mages (usually at
80% to 90% of retail), a system that pro¬
vides much of the capital needed to oper¬
ate other Guild activities. Where more
generous terms are offered, it is typically
because the affiliate has been sent to col¬
lect a particular substance at the request
of a Circle or senior Guildmember.

The making of potions, dweomered

scrolls, and the simpler sorts of wands and
rings serves a slightly different but related
purpose, being as much a training exercise

as a profit-making endeavor. Two other

factors also figure into the equation. Those
who manufacture such items for Guild
stocks are often given time and materials
to pursue their own projects, and they
have — particularly in the case of more
complex and powerful objects — kept the
knowledge of the techniques of their
crafting from deteriorating into obscurity.
Although Enchantment members are not
above refining and improving these princi¬
ples, their approach to their work differs
greatly from that of the Scholars and
reflects a different set of priorities.

Even the locally based members of the

Circle of Enchantment do not confine their
work to Mageholm exclusively. They must
often venture into the city beyond its walls
to meet with and commission alchemists,
potters, and other artisans to carry on the
more mundane aspects of maintaining the
Guild's laboratories, and they are often
called to advise the Guild on financial
matters due to their familiarity with
Menwyn's marketplaces and economy.
Despite the often mundane nature of its
work, the Circle of Enchantment rarely
lacks for members and is the largest of the
five most of the time. The mobility of its
membership, however, compensates for its
numbers, and it wields no more influence
than any other Circle in Guild affairs.

The Circle of Mageholm

Last of the five Circles, but certainly not

least important to many members, is the
Circle of Mageholm, whose chief function
is the operation of the Guild's club facili¬
ties — bluntly, to act as innkeepers and
taverners. In fact, a small permanent staff
actually operates the bar and kitchen
areas on Mageholm's ground floor, but
management and provisioning of the
Guild's private club are entrusted to the
care of a full Circle. Other duties of the
Circle of Mageholm include formal man¬
agement of the Guild's finances, maintain¬
ing its membership rolls, and serving as its
public liaison for most general purposes.

It might be thought that this Circle,

being so completely a bureaucratic body,
would find it difficult to attract members
sufficient to carry on its business. Such
has not generally been the case. The quiet

26 NOVEMBER 1988

routine of Mageholm's offices has proven

attractive to a former adventurer-wizards
now retired from that life. Younger mages
have found themselves drawn to the lead¬
ership opportunities created by our mem¬
bers' demands for the finest foods and
beverages. Several times each year, buyers
must be sent on extensive trips to acquire
new stocks of ale, wine and the like, which
must be brought back to Menwyn via
caravan. Still others have taken on diplo¬
matic posts of a sort, acting as Guild
spokesmen and negotiators in dealings
with other Guilds and governments across
the continent. In all these matters, a mem¬
ber's purely magical ability is less impor¬
tant than other skills, while many
assignments provide opportunities for
education and advancement.

The Circle of Seven

While the five general Circles conduct

the day-to-day affairs of the Guild, they
are much too preoccupied with their own
affairs to see to the governance of the
Guild as a whole. Such overall leadership
is the responsibility of the Circle of Seven,
which sets Guild policies, coordinates the
operations of the individual Circles, and is
the final arbiter of any disagreements or
disputes that arise within Mageholm.

The Circle of Seven is composed of one

delegate from the administrative council
of each Circle, plus two delegates elected
at large by the general membership (or as
much of it as can be polled within the two-
week period allotted for such a balloting).
Circle delegates typically serve for two-
year terms, while the at-large delegates
are elected to four-year terms staggered so
that one such delegate is up for election
every two years. There is no limit to the
number of terms an individual may hold
on the Circle of Seven, but few delegates
in Guild history have served for more than
eight years without interruption.

From within its ranks, the Circle of

Seven chooses one of its members to serve
as Archmage — a term separate from that
of the common name for a wizard who
has reached the 18th level (Arch-Mage).

The Archmage is the chief officer of the

Circle of Seven and master of the Guild. A
second member is chosen to be the Legate,
who represents the Guild on Menwyn's
Masterguild and thus plays a major role in
the city's governance. Historically, Arch¬
mages have tended to come from individ¬
ual Circle leadership, while Legates have
more often been elected at large. The
pattern doubtless stems in parts from the
Legate's need to spend much time on non-
Guild business, while an Archmage can
more easily balance commitments to a
specific Circle with his duties as guildmas-
ter. (It should be noted in discussing the
Circle of Seven that all of its members are
required to be of at least the 9th level of
mastery, and that the average level of
mastery is usually closer to eleventh.)
The work of the Circle of Seven is far
from dramatic, being almost exclusively

administrative in character, and requires

its members to remain in Menwyn almost
constantly during their tenures. Indeed,
apartments in Mageholm are provided to
the Archmage and the Legate as much out
of necessity as out of respect for the offic¬
es. Yet with the exception of the Legate,
members of the Circle rarely exercise
great political power. Rather, Archmages
guide the Guild in the directions of their
special magical interests, then only with
the agreement of the Circle of Seven. In
this respect, the Guild has remained com¬
mitted to the spirit of its founding, valuing
its comforts rather than serving as a
means to power.

Guild membership

Mages desiring to become members of

the Guild have several options before
them. Individuals merely visiting Menwyn
may, with proof of membership in a
Mages' Guild elsewhere, pay a fee of 250
gp for a one-year visiting membership
which carries the privileges of admittance
to Mageholm and the use of Guild facilities
at member's rates. This fee can be pro¬
rated to apply to a shorter period of time,
but is not normally extended for less than
a three-month period. It is also not renew¬
able for more than three years in any five-
year period and does not confer the right
to hold office in the Guild. Visiting mem¬
bers rarely affiliate with a Circle. If they
do, they may join only the Circles of
Scholars or Archivists. Identified by a
silver badge, these members are usually
interested chiefly in the Guilds research
facilities and library, or in establishing a
"base of operations'' while they are in
Menwyn.

Associate membership is available to

mages whose visits to Menwyn are more
regular or of longer duration — and,
again, who are members of other guilds.
The fee for associate membership is 500
gp per year (prorated in a few cases for
six-month periods) and confers all the
privileges of visiting membership plus full
rights to Circle affiliation and subscription
to The Quill Arcane. Associate members,
however, still may not hold Guild office,
and their status is subject to review at
three-year intervals. At such time, they
may either be readmitted with associate
standings or be asked to become full mem¬
bers (which may or may not affect their
status with their home guilds). Associates
wear electrum badges and are divided
among scholars who spend part of each
year in the city, political officials whose
business finds them frequently in
Menwyn, and adventuring mages who find
it necessary to retain Guild status in multi¬
ple locations. (On rare occasions, associate
membership has been extended to such
adventurers without requiring guild status
elsewhere, but this is quite unusual and
requires the approval of both the Circle of
Mageholm and the Circle of Seven.) Unlike
visiting members, associate member candi¬
dates much be tested by the Circle of

Examiners before being admitted.

Full membership in the Guild, which

carries all the privileges described in this
publication, carries a one-time initiation
fee of 1,000 gp and annual dues of 1,000
gp thereafter. Magical items or other valu¬
ables may be accepted in lieu of the initia¬
tion fee. The fee is sometimes waived in
return for service to the Guild; dues are
also waived for the Archmage while that
officer serves, and those of the Legate are
paid by the city government. Testing by
the Examiners is, of course, required, and
younger applicants often present letters of
recommendation from Guild members or
other respected mages. These letters,
though not required, are often most help
ful to prospective members and can be of
assistance to the Circle of Mageholm,
which is responsible for final decisions on
acceptance for all members. The badges of
full members are gold and are often
marked to show Circle affiliation and
rank. The sole exceptions are the mem¬
bers of the Circle of Seven, who wear
platinum badges; the Legate's and Arch¬
mage's badges are also set with gems.

It should be noted that the Guilds

badges are more than simple symbols of
membership. Members are expected to
wear badges at all times when they are
within Mageholm's walls and must present
them on request elsewhere, as being with¬
out the badge may be grounds for denial
of membership privileges. All membership
badges have been dweomered as a safe¬
guard against forgery and thus possess a
distinctive aura which can be read by
certain Guild devices and by mages with
Guild training in magic detection. In addi¬
tion, it is possible for the Guild to use the
badges as focus points for certain forms of
magical scrying and location, though this
is done only in dire circumstances since it
involves invasion of members' privacy.

The Guild combined

The Guilds membership badges are also

the key to its rarely-used power to inter¬
vene in crisis situations beyond the ability
of any single mage to control. In this, the
Guild is indebted to the research of Gareth
Miran, one of our founders, and to the

DRAGON 27

mysterious seer known only as the

Visioner. Their joint efforts, shortly after
the Guild's formation, led to the channel¬
ing spell, also applied to each membership
badge. Though similar in some ways to the
known clerical spell combine, channeling
is both far greater and somewhat more
versatile in scope. The spell's specific
formula has been kept highly secret since
its creation and is only accessible to an
Archmage with the unanimous concur¬
rence of the Circle of Seven. Its last use is
now over 400 years past, when Guild
intervention prevented the conquest of the
halfling-held Freehold of Rivermarch. At
least fifteen-score member mages are
known to have lent their strength to the
wall of wind which drove the invaders'
army back into the deserts east of the
Rivermarch region.

It should be emphasized that such

demands on Guild members are extremely
rare, and that for the most part members
are free to enjoy the facilities and privi¬
leges made available by their participation
in the Guild. Nowhere else in the Five
Kingdoms is the ale darker, the company
more hospitable, or the library better
organized than in our tower of Mageholm,
and little of magical importance occurs
anywhere on the continent that is not
eventually brought to our attention. More
than anything else, Mageholm is a place
where wizards meet, for purposes ranging
from social to scholarly, in a Guild
designed first and foremost with their
comfort in mind.

Gaming notes

The Mageholm Catalogue manuscript

provides one model for Dungeon Masters
wishing to create a guild of magic-users
for the benefit of player characters. Most
details needed to set up and operate a
similar guild are provided; some, notably
regarding the guild's fee schedule, have
been translated into statistics compatible
with AD&D® games. Additional points are
discussed in the notes which follow.

The cataloger writes of other possible

guild models, specifically noting guilds
with significant political interests. Another
potential guild type is that devoted chiefly
to supplying members with spell compo¬
nents and materials.

Political guilds will differ from the guild

described in this article in three principal
ways. Membership requirements will be
more stringent, and candidates could be
asked to obtain formal sponsorship from
active guild members. Their academic
facilities will usually be smaller (evidence
suggests this may not be true of the Free
Arcanium described by the cataloger), and
fees for research will normally be higher.
Finally, they will have a well-defined rela¬
tionship with the local or national govern¬
ment, but this relationship can vary
widely. Some, like the Free Arcanium, will
be closely connected with those in power,
while others may be actively opposed to
current political leaders, either openly or

Clearinghouse guilds will be far less

formally organized and will offer few if
any other services to members, who will
be minimally screened at best and who
will pay perhaps 500 gp annually for
active status. Beyond this, the guild will be
organized much as the cataloger's Circle of
Enchantment, being less a guild than a
restricted-access supply shop. Leaders of
these guilds will be very rich and could be
affiliated with a thieves' guild as well,
using the latter to obtain items not easily
duplicated.

Most guilds (except the clearinghouse

variety) would offer training and examina¬
tion for mages seeking to attain higher
levels, with fees varying according to the
size and location of the guild. The cata¬
loger's Mages' Guild is housed in Menwyn,
a large free city which hosts a standing
international council of delegates from
several nearby kingdoms. Guilds located in
smaller cities might not have the benefit of
a bustling trade economy and would
charge higher service fees to offset the
handicap. Some education may also be
available to tuition-paying outsiders as
noted by the cataloger; an average charge
would be 50 gp per hour of group instruc¬
tion, plus 100 gp per spell level for spells
copied into a student's books. This does
not count materials fees, which both mem¬
bers and non-members must pay, and it
assumes that a normal intelligence check
(Players Handbook, page 10) permits the
character to learn the spells being taught.
(In most cases, a student must pay tuition
before learning that a spell is beyond his
ability to learn due to the intelligence
factor.)

When a scholarly journal such as The

Quill Arcane is available, research on
questions within the journal's field may be
conducted much as if one was consulting a
sage. For every 50 volumes of the journal
available, there is a 10% chance of finding
useful information if one hour is spent
perusing each volume. (No guild can pro¬
duce more than one volume of such a
journal per year.) If an index exists or an
archivist offers aid, only half the time is
required — but an archivist must usually
be paid for his services.

The cataloger notes that mages and

illusionists maintain separate guilds, yet
implies Guild knowledge of the script used
by illusionists. Without more detailed
records, only a human dual-classed
illusionist/magic-user can explain access to
both sorts of spells. Such characters are
likely to be rare in the extreme and are
certainly one cause of the strong rivalry
implied between the two guilds.

With regard to the availability and cost

of purchasing spell components from the
guild, reference can be made to Michael
Dobson's "Living in a material world, 11
published in DRAGON® issue #81 and
reprinted in the Best of DRAGON Maga¬
zine Anthology, volume IV DMs may elect
to use Dobson's tables for determining the

availability of specific items; it is advised,

however, that there be no better than an
80% chance of any rare or very rare com¬
ponent being in stock. (Applying the table
to the Guild as described gives better than
100% chances for the rarest ninth-level
spell components to be in stock.) Prices for
potions and other basic magical items sold
will also be 80% to 90% of actual gold-
piece value, but those crafted to order will
cost the full value quoted in the DMG or
Unearthed Arcana. The cost of spell
research and expert hirelings conforms to
DMG rates, with lab fees applied against
the total.

Guilds with different primary aims may

have fewer (or more) classes of member¬
ship than those described, with fee scales
to match. Annual dues, however, will
rarely be lower than those quoted by the
cataloger and could be much higher in
areas where magical supplies and knowl¬
edge are relatively rare.

No details of the channeling spell are

given in the catalog and none are provided
here, in order to dissuade PCs from mak¬
ing use of this effect. The catalog does
state that invoking the (ninth-level) spell is
the exclusive right of the Archmage but
can only occur with full cooperation from
the entire Circle of Seven. Mages tied into
the effect through their badges must con¬
sciously focus their wills in order to aug¬
ment the casting's power but have no
control over the type of effect produced.

The scrying potential mentioned by the

cataloger is described in greater detail and
may be invoked by any member of the
Circle of Seven. The link formed by the
badge is similar to that of the component
of a succor spell or of a "base ball" (see
AC4 The Book of Marvelous Magic), but
does not confer teleporting ability. By use
of an enchanted mirror or specially
dweomered map in the Circle's spell room,
the location of a subject badge may be
plotted. The catalog, however, does not
indicate the effect's range and is vague as
to whether specific badges or merely
classes of badges can be identified. Clearly,
though, the technique is not used to bail
mages out of all dangerous situations. Q
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The following two magical works were
created by powerful magic-users for the
use of the same. As a result, there are
several points which the Dungeon Master
should consider before these spell books
are placed as treasure in a campaign.

The value of these books is, perhaps,

only exceeded by the potential power they
will give to PCs. Many of the spells in these
books are of high level, and the DM should
carefully consider the effect of allowing
the players to get their hands on these
spells before they obtain the books. It is
perfectly acceptable to omit one or more
of the spells that are supposed to be in a
book if deemed best for the campaign.

It should be obvious that many charac¬

ters will want to get their hands on these
books, as demonstrated by the history of
these tomes. But it is quite possible that a
PC's problems will only begin when he
acquires one of these books, for any use of
a unique spell will attract attention—
perhaps much more than the spell-caster
bargained for. Thus, the use of these vol¬
umes is not a free lunch.

As the spells detailed herein are unique,

not all details on their effects may be
available to the characters, even within
the books in which such spells are found.
There is no need for the DM to reveal
everything about a spell to the players—
let them find out themselves— the hard
Way, if necessary. That is where the fun is.

Finally, the history of each volume may

be adjusted to fit the nations, personalities,
and circumstances of a DM's particular
campaign world with little difficulty. Oth¬
erwise, the lands and personages
referred to may be assumed
to lie outside the usual
campaign area.

by Scott Waterhouse

Bazaar of the
Bizarre
Pages from the Arch-Mages

The Book of Black Circles

Appearance: The Booh of Black Circles is

a finely crafted book 2' high, V wide, and
4" thick. The cover is made of soft black
leather taken from the throat of a black
dragon and wrapped around a wooden
frame. The interior pages are fashioned
from the finest vellum and are bound to
the spine of the book with threads of
black silk. The cover of the book is blank
except for the inscription of five silver
circles in the upper half of the cover; four
are arranged in a square, with the fifth in
the center of the square thus formed. The
book's name is thought to refer to its crea¬
tors or its innate powers rather than to its
cover design.

History and description: Whether The

Book of Black Circles was designed as a
single work, of which copies have
appeared repeatedly over the history of
Tikkun Shalom in widely disparate loca¬
tions, or was designed as several works,
each with roughly the same power (which
seems more likely), is currently a matter
of some contention among the sages of
Shalom. Whatever the case, it is indisput¬
able that this tome and copies of it have
been found in the strongholds of many of
the organizations of evil magi found in
Shalom. This was particularly true of the
Black Circle (which is thought to have
created the work) after the Circle was
brought low following its attempted
takeover of Shalom hundreds of years ago.
Copies have also been discovered in the
redoubts of the Hand of Destiny and the
Htiaf. As these groups still wield consider¬
able power in Shalom, however, it is
uncertain where such information could
be accurately obtained, and it must there¬
fore be treated with some skepticism.

No copies of this book exist in any of the

various libraries of Shalom at present, nor
do any mages who do not belong to the
organizations mentioned above claim to
have access to such copies, with the sole
exception of the dark elf Arch-Mage,

Rathe. Information can be gleaned from

various sources, though Rathe is unwilling
to reveal any details concerning The Book
of Black Circles. What little is known
follows.

It is generally recognized that The Book

of Black Circles is used to train young
magic-users in the dark arts, especially
those who wish to join a cult or organiza¬
tion with evil intentions. It is apparent that
the book contains a few powerful and
unique spells used to test young mages
and to determine their worthiness to
advance through the ranks. It also con¬
tains a few less-powerful common spells
used to train young mages. (It should be
noted that the use of these spells, while
not intrinsically evil, is largely limited to
the holders of these books; however, there
are persistent if unfounded rumors that
several groups of good mages have used
similar spells to both locate and train their

adepts.) In addition to the spells it con- ^

tains. The Book of Black Circles details
the process of the advancement of
mages and the methods of their instruc- Tfc
tion in the dark arts, as well as showing ^
the proper construction of magic circles. 1

The only other information available on

The Book of Black Circles comes from a
page of parchment that the renowned
thief Vadour stole from the Arch-Mage
Rathe several decades ago, when the mage
was of considerably less power. The
parchment is now kept in the Library of
the Imperial University in Sestar. If this
manuscript is to be believed, then other
powers may also be attributed to Rathe's
book and perhaps others like it.

Game information: Each of the silver

circles inscribed on the cover of the book
triggers a continual darkness spell (at a
maximum of once per week per circle,
performed at the 18th level of spell use) if
touched by any being who is not lawful
evil. This spell is centered on the toucher,
who may escape the effects with a saving
throw vs. spells (in which case the spell
centers on the book). Any lawful-evil being
may see through this darkness with ease.

Several magical protections are also

attributed to the copy of the book in
Rathe's possession, which may be either
standard to such a book or unique to
Rathe's copy as the DM chooses. The pro¬
tections on the book may be designed by
the DM and should probably take the form
of at least one symbol — possibly several.

The specific types of symbols employed

are not revealed in the parchment stolen
from Rathe. Few if any copies of these
books have mundane protections such as
locks, traps, or the like.

The spells set down in The Book of Black

Circles are written in standard form and
may be found in an appendix at the end of
the book. They include block advancement
(unique spell), charm person, conquer self
(unique spell), discern (unique spell),
feeblemind, geas, and hold person. The
Book of Black Circles contains all the infor¬
mation on magical circles found in the
Dungeon Masters Guide and Unearthed

The three unique spells found in the

book are as follows:

Discern (Divination)

Level: 7 Components: V,S,M

Range: Touch CT: 1 turn

Duration: Perm. ST: None

AE: 1’

Explanation/Description: A magic-user
who casts a discern spell is provided (or
provides another) with the ability to deter¬
mine if a person has the potential to
become a powerful magic-user. Once cast,
the discern spell is permanent (though
subject to a dispel magic spell) and func¬
tions continuously, without concentration
by the recipient of the spell. The spell may
be cast by any magic-user of the necessary
level, though the recipient of the spell

must be a magic-user of at least 5th level;

the spell may also be applied to the spell-
caster. Discern is used primarily as a
recruiting device for various magical
orders and schools of every sort of align¬
ment and ethic.

Once cast, discern confers upon the

recipient the ability to magically determine
if a person has the potential to become a
powerful mage simply by being within 10'
of that person and interacting in a normal
fashion with the candidate for two rounds.
The recipient of the spell perceives the
potential for magic-use in a candidate as a
dim aura surrounding the subject. The
aura is invisible by any other means,
including true sight, true seeing, infra¬
vision, or other types of magical or normal
vision, and is so dim that it cannot be
perceived in bright light (such as direct
sunlight). The aura is of constant strength,
regardless of the potential of the candi¬
date. For game purposes, a human, elf, or
half-elf scanned by this spell registers
favorably if he has an intelligence of 14 or
greater and scores of 6 or better in all
other characteristics. A variation of this
spell may exist that is more selective and
detects only those who have the potential
to become great illusionists as well (thus
including gnomes among the races affect¬
ed, but detecting only those persons with
intelligence scores of 15 or better and
dexterity scores of 16 or better).

Even if a positive result is obtained, the

spell in no way guarantees that the person
will become a great mage (or even a mage
at all); it simply indicates ability based on
intelligence, aptitude, and the will to
achieve. The Book of Black Circles stresses
the fact that the spell is no more than a
prediction; even if a person has the ability,
he may opt not to become a mage, quit
before he reaches a high level, or die
before achieving greatness. The DM
should use his judgment regarding who is
highlighted by this spell's use.
The material component of the spell is a
gem of seeing or a similar magical device

DRAGON 31

(such as eyes of minute seeing) which

allows for a special type of vision. The
material component is consumed when
the spell is cast.

Block Advancement (Abjuration/ Charm)

Level: 8 Components: V,S,M

Range: Touch CT: 1 turn

Duration: Perm. ST: Neg.

AE: 1 person

Explanation/Description: When a block

advancement spell is successfully cast
upon an individual, it instantly strips him
of the ability to advance in levels of spell¬
casting ability until the recipient success¬
fully survives the ordeal induced by a
conquer self spell (q.v., as follows). The
spell affects only a single magic-user of no
less than 5th level, no greater than 15th
level, and of an alignment identical to the
caster. Block advancement cannot be
removed otherwise except by the use of a
wish spell.

The recipient of the spell is allowed a

saving throw vs. spells (which is forfeited
by a willing subject), and the spell does not
come into effect if the saving throw is
successful. Because the spell was designed
to stop the advancement of any magic-user
deemed not worthy of power until such
time as he proved himself worthy, the
original researcher of the spell (most likely
a member of the Black Circle) assumed
that the recipient would be willing to
receive the spell (the alternative was
death). However, if the spell is applied to
an unwilling subject and he makes a suc¬
cessful saving throw, he suffers damage in
hit points equal to twice the number of
levels possessed by the caster but is other¬
wise unaffected.

Once block advancement comes into

effect, the recipient cannot learn any new
spells (though he may record new spells in
his spell books) nor may he cast any spells
of a level above the highest level that he
was able to use before being blocked. He
may, however, gain more spells of the
levels he currently possesses. Thus, if cast
upon a 5th-level mage, block advancement
would prohibit the mage from casting
fourth-level spells until the spell was
removed (but would not stop him from
gaining additional third-level spells). A
block advancement spell does not prevent
a mage from gaining experience points
while it remains in effect, nor does it
prohibit the mage from gaining new weap¬
on and nonweapon proficiencies and
additional hit points when enough experi¬
ence is gained to advance in level.
Advancement in levels occurs as it normal¬
ly would. Thus, the net effect of the spell
is only to limit a mage to his current level
of spell-casting ability. Once the spell is
removed, the recipient immediately gains
all of the normal spell-casting abilities
appropriate to his level.

The material component of the spell is a

small jade statue of the recipient of the
spell, upon which a feeblemind spell has

been cast prior to the casting of the block

advancement spell. The statue is not con¬
sumed by the spell, but may only be used
for one person. Once the black advance¬
ment spell has been removed from the
recipient, the statue shatters.

Conquer Self (Abjuration/Alteration)

Level: 9 Components: V,S,M

Range: Touch CT: 1 round

Duration: 6 hours ST: See below

AE: 1 person

Explanation/Description: Upon the

completion of this spell, the recipient of a
block advancement spell begins a great
personal ordeal which either results in his
death or in the removal of the block
advancement spell and the gaining of an
experience-point bonus, if the mage is
deemed worthy by the power of the con¬
quer self spell. The spell is useless for any
other purpose. If cast upon an individual
not under the effects of a block advance¬
ment spell, conquer self vanishes from the
spell-caster's memory with no effect. Con¬
quer self must be cast by a mage of the
same alignment as the recipient.

Once cast, the recipient undergoes a six-

hour ordeal during which he is rendered
helpless by wrenching pains and powerful
hallucinatory visions — hence the recipi¬
ent is usually placed in a special area
where he is relatively safe from attack.
(Interestingly, The Book of Black Circles
reports that the visions experienced dur¬
ing the ordeal are occasionally prophetic
or based on actual events or areas that the
recipient may not have witnessed.) The
outcome of the ordeal is dependent upon
the actions of the recipient since he
received the block advancement spell.
Although the recipient is automatically
affected by this spell if he meets the pre¬
vious requirements, the final outcome of
the spell is dependent upon a successful
saving throw of 20. This saving throw roll
is modified by several conditions, most of
which are dependent on the actions and
performance of the recipient. No form of
magic affects this saving throw (including
items such as a luckstone), and all other
saving-throw modifiers from which the
mage would normally benefit are similarly
ineffective. The modifiers apply only from
the time of the application of the block
advancement spell. They are as follows:

Per 100,000 xp gained: +1

Perfect alignment performance: +3
Average alignment performance: +1
Poor alignment performance: -1
Every successful (major) quest performed
for organization: +4
Each point of intelligence above 12: +1
Average of scores obtained during level
advancements used for determining
training costs between levels (see DMG,
page 86): 1 = +2; 2 = +1; 3 = -1;

4 = -2

Evaluation of recipient by caster of con¬

quer self spell (mediated by DM), based

on recipient's ability, ambition, heroic

actions, etc.: -3 to +3

If the recipient successfully makes his

saving throw, he comes out of his trance
after six hours. At this time, he regains the
spell-casting ability appropriate to his
present level and gains a 10% experience-
point bonus for all experience earned
since block advancement was cast upon
him. If the recipient fails the saving throw,
he dies at the end of the six hours; he may
be raised or resurrected in the usual man¬
ner, though he will still suffer from the
effects of the block advancement spell.

The saving-throw roll is always failed if

the result of the roll is a 1, regardless of
modifiers to the roll. The material compo¬
nent of the spell is the jade statue which
was used when the block advancement
spell was originally applied to the recipi¬
ent; at the conclusion of the conquer self
spell, the statue shatters.

Laeyndar’s Book of
Metamorphoses

Appearance: The value of this enormous

compendium of lore is only enhanced by
the valuable materials from which it is
fashioned — and the monetary value of
the spells found within it is certainly huge.
The work is contained between two thin
slabs of deep-blue lapis lazuli (each 1/8"
thick) that are 2' tall and lVz wide. The
spine is also formed from lapis lazuli and
is bound to the covers by platinum hinges.
Ten sheets of thin mithral rest between
the covers but are not bound to the spine.
The lapis lazuli thus forms more of a fold¬
er for the mithral pages than actual book
covers. On the front cover is Laeyndar's
symbol, also the symbol of water in many
areas, engraved with a wizard mark.

History & and description: That this book

originally belonged to the mage Laeyndar,
titled "The Lame," is obvious, for its cover
bears a golden wizard mark in the form
which Laeyndar chose as his sign — that
of a wave, symbolizing the fluidity of
water and mutability of form. Laeyndar,
the lame mage from the famed waterfall
city of Escatlar, lived over 700 years ago.
Although born with a club foot and
hunchback, he did not let this deter him
from the life of magic-use. Laeyndar rose
to extreme power but was turned away
from the White Circle because of his
deformities. Thereafter, he became
obsessed with the study of transforma¬
tions of form. The Book of Metamorphoses
was evidently created many years later,
for it contains numerous spells of high
level which appear to be the result of his
researches into the subject of alterations
of form, including some spells even ena¬
bling mental transformation. Unfortu¬
nately, Laeyndar's obsession evidently
twisted his mind as well as his body, and
he apparently never utilized the marvel¬
ous results of his research to better his

32 NOVEMBER 1988

own appearance, as he originally intended.

After he was denied entry into the White
Circle, he vanished from sight. His sole
apprentice, Moytaire, recorded in his
diary that he always knew his master as
deformed.

Upon his death, Laeyndar passed the

book on to Moytaire, who learned of the
book's powerful curse shortly thereafter
but was tragically unable to avoid it. The
one time he appeared in public in later
years, Moytaire had already begun his
transformation into a crippled kuo-toa.
Moytaire was grief-stricken at his change,
and shortly before it was complete he
went into absolute isolation. At an
unknown later time, Moytaire died, and
the book remained in his lonely tomb for
many years as tomb robbers were appar¬
ently reluctant to chance entry into his
demesne on the off chance that the wizard
had become a lich (despite his neutral
stance) or had secretly warded his tomb.

That the tomb was eventually plundered

is evident, for some 330 years after the
beginning of Moytaire's isolation the book
was examined by the master of the mages'
college in Sestar, Illkeda, who also fell
under its curse but hid the book so that it
could not exercise its fell powers again.

The book's location once again remained

unknown for another 200 years until it
was uncovered and again worked its twist¬
ed magic, this time upon the mage-king of
the Kingdom of the Coral Throne. The fall
of the so-called Aqua Kingdom was the
result, as the mage-king, Plautes, betrayed
his subjects to their enemies, the kuo-toa.
The Book of Metamorphoses has not been
seen since, and certainly there is no
record of it transforming any other in the
interim. Thus, although its whereabouts
remain uncertain, the sage Needram
asserts that it remains in the ruined palace
of Plautes, untouched even after the
resumption of the Kingdom of the Coral
Throne from its present-day capitol.

Game information: The writings of Illke¬

da provide the only clues as to the con¬
tents of the book. Illkeda claims that the
book contains the following spells, one per
page, in standard form: change form
(unique spell), clone, enlarge, graft (unique
spell), massmorph, polymorph any object,
polymorph other, polymorph self, shape
change, and statue. The book's curse
affects any creature the first time it opens
the tome, causing the being to change
form into a kuo-toa with a club foot and a
hunched back, as per the change form
spell herein. A saving throw vs. poly¬
morph is allowed, however.

The two unique spells found in the book

are as follows:

Graft (Alteration)

Level: 6 Components: V,S,M

Range: Touch CT: 1 turn

Duration: Perm. ST: See below

AE: Recipient

Explanation/Description: When a spell-

caster invokes a graft spell, he may attach

an appendage of another creature in place
of a missing limb on the recipient's body,
who may be either the caster or another
being. The appendage must take place
of a lost limb—e.g., the caster cannot
place the arm of another creature onto a
body which had no such limb before, nor
add an extra arm in the middle of his
chest. Additionally, the limb to be grafted
must also perform roughly the same func¬
tion as the old one; consequently, a mage
may not attach a foot to an arm stump.

The appendage may be of any size, but the

recipient of the limb must be able to
manipulate it with his current strength. If
the limb is overly cumbersome or excep¬
tionally different from the original, the J
limb may inhibit movement or limit spell* t
casting ability. The appendage to be K
replaced may be anywhere on the body, U
i.e., arms, legs, feet, hands, or parts £
thereof, but it cannot be the head. The
replacement may also be of any form, thus
a demon's claws, a bear's forepaw, or
another human hand could take the place
of a lost hand, claw, or paw.

The appendage to be grafted must have

been alive within the hour before the spell
is cast, or the graft will not take. The
member to be grafted may be successfully
joined provided that the recipient of the
limb makes a successful system-shock roll
upon completion of the casting. A failed
roll indicates that the graft does not take,
and the limb withers and dies in one day.

If the graft does take, then the new

member will remain in place and function
normally. Furthermore, the recipient even
receives all the strength and dexterity
bonuses or penalties the limb had previ¬
ously. The grafted appendage also has all
the immunities and weaknesses, including
armor class and damage ability, that the
appendage had previously, so long as such
bonuses and penalties did not result from
special characteristics of the limb's original
body (thus, innate spell-casting abilities,
psionic ability, magic resistance, and
strength bonuses do not apply). For exam¬
ple, if a magic-user were to graft on the
hand of an arcanadaemon, his new hand
would be AC -2, would take only half
damage from cold, and would cause 1-4 hp
clawing damage. The hand would, how¬
ever, no longer be magic resistant (as is an
arcanadaemon's hand). If a magic-user
were to graft on the forefoot of a lizard,
though the mage may gain an improved
armor class for that hand, he would prob¬
ably not be able to cast spells due to the
low potential dexterity of a lizard's claw.
The hand of an ogre (the largest-size
humanlike being whose limbs may be so
used) would allow for a grasping strength
equal to an 18 (nonpercentile) strength;
however, the magic-user could not lift
weights at the same strength level as only
his hand has this ability, unless the magic-
user previously had an 18 strength.

The material components of the spell are

the appendage to be grafted and a mixture

made up of the blood of the being to

which the member originally belonged,
the blood of the caster, a potion of poly¬
morphing, a potion of extra-healing, and at
least 10,000 gp worth of powdered moon¬
stone. The components are consumed
(except for the appendage, of course)
when the spell is cast.

Change Form (Alteration)

Level: 8 Components: V,S,M

Range: Touch CT: 8 segments

Duration: Perm. ST: Neg.

AE: Recipient

Explanation/Description: When the

change form spell is evoked, the caster
begins a process which will eventually end
with the complete metamorphosis of the
recipient into an entirely new creature.

The change induced by the spell is total in

every respect and occurs regardless of the
size of the recipient and the size of the
creature chosen by the caster.

An initial saving throw vs. polymorph is

allowed to negate the effects of change
form, but if this is failed, only a wish can
stop the transformation. Furthermore, a
wish can only stop the process, not
reverse it, once the physical phase of the
transformation is complete. A second wish
can be used to reverse the process so that
the victim will return to normal at the
same rate as the initial change occurs. A
third wish speeds up the rate of "back¬
ward change" so that it takes but one day.
The ultimate form of the recipient is cho¬
sen by the caster but cannot have more hit
dice than the recipient presently possesses
and must be a native of the Prime Material
plane (thus demons, undead, devils, ele¬
mental creatiues, and other unique enti¬
ties are not possible choices).

Immediately after the spell is completed.

DRAGON 33

all characteristics of the target, including

ability scores, alignment, form, armor
class, hit dice, etc., move one place toward
those of the end creature; for every 10
days following the spell's casting, they
change one further position. Size is altered
at the rate of 1" and 10 lbs. of gain or loss
per day. For example, an 8th-level fighter
who began to change form into a pech
would immediately gain a natural armor
class of nine; 10 days later he gains AC 8;
20 days later he gains AC 7; and 40 days
after that, AC 3. During this time, the
fighter would have lost four of his hit dice,
become neutral good, and otherwise
assumed the appearance, size, form, and
general characteristics of an average pech.
The DM must arbitrate these changes as
he sees fit.

When all mundane statistics have con¬

formed to those of the new form, the
recipient loses all class abilities he pos¬
sessed previously. Thus, if we assume that
our fighter's change is complete on the
70th day, he then loses his fighting ability
and now attacks as a 4-HD monster. One
week after this phase of the transforma¬
tion is complete, the subject loses all pre¬
vious memories (except for rudimentary
facts about himself, such as his name,
place of birth, and so forth) and other
functions associated with his previous
form such as racial abilities. Instead, he
gains all the special abilities (such as magic

resistance, special attacks, special defens¬

es, etc.) of his new form, becoming in
every respect a member of his new race.
However, in some cases, even the change
form spell is not totally efficacious in this
respect, as memories and other mental
functions, such as intelligence and psio-
nics, may be retained in the being's new
form if the new form is basically the same
as the old form (e.g., humanoid to human¬
oid, avian to avian, etc.).

Once the metamorphosis is complete,

the recipient grows and ages normally, as
would any other member of his new race.
He is able to use all natural abilities of his
new form, such as flight and other special
movements, as if he were bom to them,
though he may not be able to speak the
language of his new form.

The material component of the spell is a

vial of acid, in which at least 5,000 gp
worth of powdered moonstone has been
dissolved during a full moon. The vial
must be broken upon the recipient within
one round of the completion of the spell.
The acid will cause no damage to the
recipient of the spell, unless he successful¬
ly makes his saving throw, in which case
he takes 2-8 hp damage. fi

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THE EUROPEAN RANGE

b™
©1988 by William A. Barton

Speaking

With the

Spirits

The following article allows Investigators in

Chaosium's CALL OF CTHULHU® role-playing game to
engage in the more "mundane'' occult practices allow¬
ing exploration of the unknown (and permiting the
Investigators to share in its dangers as well). This
article was originally a part of the Spiritualist section
of the Cthulhu by Gaslight boxed supplement; unfortu¬
nately, it had to be cut because of space limitations.
Although Keepers running 1890s campaigns will find
these guidelines of the most use in their games, pri¬
marily because of the growth of spiritualistic and
mediumistic practices during that time period, those
running CALL OF CTHULHU game campaigns set in
the 1920s or later should have few problems incorpo¬
rating these rules into their own games.

fv I e

Jfjj

Seances, possessions, and exorcisms in CALL OF CTHULHU® games

36 NOVEMBER 1988
Seances

For reasons of their own during the

course of an occult investigation. Investiga¬
tors might think it desirable to attempt a
seance, either by themselves or using the
services of a spirit medium. A successful
Occult or Knowledge roll indicates that an
Investigator at least knows of such a medi¬
um. Whether the medium in question is a
clever fraud or an actual medium with
true psychic powers is up to the Keeper,
who also determines an actual medium's
chance of success in summoning spirits for
the Investigators' purposes.

Should the Investigators themselves

attempt a seance without an NPC medium,
their chance of a successful summoning is
a percentage equal to the POW of the
character leading the seance and acting as
medium, or the average POW of all the
characters together (whichever is greater).
Participants, including the impromptu
medium, may increase their chance of
success in the seance by contributing
temporary Magic Points. Award a 1%
increase to their chance of success for
each Magic Point expended. However,
such a contribution of Magic Points leaves
characters more vulnerable to one of the
dangers of a seance — possession by a
malevolent spirit entity, should they actu¬
ally manage to contact one. (A successful
Occult roll by any Investigator reveals to
him the effects of Magic-Point expenditure
in a seance — both positive and negative.)

The chance for success in a seance is

reduced by half (after Magic-Point addi¬
tion) if the Investigators fail to set up the
seance with the proper trappings — a
dimly lit room, participants sitting around
a table in a circle holding hands, a mini¬
mum of conversation, etc. After all these
factors are taken into consideration, the
IdlOO roll must be made in secret by the
Keeper. If the roll is successful, the Investi¬
gators manage to contact a disembodied
spirit. To determine the exact nature of
the spirit contacted, the Keeper must
make a second secret roll, based on the
Luck score of the Investigator acting as
medium or leading the seance.

If this second roll is one-fifth or less of

the Investigator-medium's Luck, the Inves¬
tigators have contacted either the specific
spirit they were seeking or a benevolent
"spirit guide" who can direct them to
whom they desire, if no particular spirit
was specified at the beginning. A "regular"
success, between one-fifth and the Investi¬
gator' s full Luck score, calls up a neutral
spirit guide, who acts as the Investigator
wishes if he succeeds in a POW vs. POW
roll against the spirit to bind and control
it. Failure in the POW struggle indicates
that the spirit does not act as a guide for
the Investigators and either leaves or pulls
tricks on them — animating tables, knock¬
ing things off the wall, dematerializing
small objects — depending on how badly
this roll was missed.

If the Keeper's roll against the Investiga¬

tor's Luck fails, the characters have con¬

tacted a malevolent spirit (a daimon) who
attempts to possess the Investigator acting
as the medium (or the Investigator with
the lowest POW, if none of them were
actually leading the seance). The daimon
does this by matching its Magic Points vs.
those of the Investigator it attempts to
possess. If it fails in its possession attempt,
the evil spirit may simply try to deceive
the Investigators, leading them astray with
misinformation while pretending to be the
entity they seek. Alternately, the daimon
may play tricks on them. These tricks will
be similar to those of the neutral spirit —
though of a nastier, more harmful nature.
Before it leaves, the malevolent spirit
makes a final attempt to possess the Inves¬
tigator with the lowest Magic Points. If it
fails in this, the spirit leaves, its passing
marked by a blast of wind and an eerie
howling.

If the Luck roll in summoning a spirit is

a roll of 96-00, the Investigator/medium
either finds himself placed in telepathic
contact with a Cthulhoid entity — perhaps
even Great Cthulhu himself — or inadver¬
tently summons a Cthulhoid monster.

Either of these eventualities has dire

results. (The choice of deity contacted or
monster summoned is up to the Keeper;
the deity should, however,, be appropriate
to the situation or setting of the adventure
in which the seance is attempted.)

Possession

If an Investigator becomes possessed by

a malevolent spirit, he remains so until the
spirit decides to leave on its own or is
exorcised. A neutral or benevolent spirit
may possess a character in order to give
information by speaking to or through the
character, but does so only if invited to do
so. The benevolent spirit leaves as soon as
its task is finished or the Investigator asks
it to leave. The neutral spirit acts in like
manner unless the Investigator fails a
POW x 5 roll. If this happens, the Investi¬
gator must drive it out with a POW vs.
POW roll. Failing this, the spirit will have
to be exorcised; the Investigator then has
only one chance to drive it out himself.

A malevolent spirit, once in possession

of an Investigator, attempts to conceal its
presence as long as possible, making its
host's companions believe the Investigator
is quite normal. Even in cases when the
spirit allows the Investigator some free¬
dom, however, it is totally in control of
him. The Investigator may not even realize
it, but he soon finds himself compelled to
say and do things he doesn't wish to do.

He may attribute this to some other super¬

natural agency — a curse or mind-control
spell of some sort — or may actually real¬
ize that he is possessed (either if the play¬
er figures it out or the Investigator
succeeds in an Occult roll). Once the Inves¬
tigator determines he is actually pos¬
sessed, the spirit within him either takes
total control of him immediately — effec¬
tively making the Investigator a Keeper

character until the spirit leaves — or it

toys with him, taking total control only
when the Investigator tries to seek help or
tell someone of his plight. Of course, once
the spirit within him starts to manifest
itself, the Investigator's companions may
quickly figure out that he's possessed,
especially if the spirit is malevolent or
strikingly different in personality from the
Investigator.

Being possessed by a malevolent spirit

requires a SAN roll to avoid the loss of ld8
points of SAN; nonetheless, 1 point of SAN
is lost even if the roll is successful. An
Investigator need not roll until either he
realizes he is possessed or until the spirit
finally releases him if he has been under
its total control all along.

When a spirit of any persuasion is in

possession of a character (invited or other¬
wise), it can cause physical manifestations
through the character's body. It can
change the sound of his voice (so that a
female Investigator speaks with a male
voice, or vice versa); temporarily change
his facial features or body shape within
certain limits (a character cannot become
so distorted that he no longer resembles a
generally human shape); and cause ecto¬
plasm to exude from his body to form
ghostly shapes or images. Ectoplasm
appears as a white, milky substance that
glows in the dark. If touched, it feels cold,
perhaps even slimy, then suddenly snaps
back into the character's body, causing
him ld6 points of damage.

The evil spirit within can also cause a

possessed character to float in the air, spin
around, perform physically impossible
contortions of his body, and resist sleep,
hunger, pain, or injury without ill effect as
long as it is within him. It can also cause
wounds to open on his body and bleed,
then make them heal over as it wills. Nor¬
mally, only a malevolent spirit performs
acts harmful to the body it possesses or to
anyone else. Sometimes, however, a neu¬
tral spirit possessing a person, indulges in
the less-harmful acrobatics described
above.

It is possible for more than one spirit to

possess a single individual, though addi¬
tional spirits must either be invited in by
the spirit already inhabiting the body (or
the dominant one, if more than one are
already there), or win a POW vs. POW
attack against the current possessor of the
person. Multiple spirits cause the Investi¬
gator so possessed to appear to have multi¬
ple personalities, though only the most
powerful spirit is in actual control (except
when it allows the others to exert theirs,
from time to time).

Exorcism

Exorcising a spirit from a possessed

individual can be considered a spell, and
the ritual may be learned from any of a
number of Cthulhu Mythos and ordinary
occult books. It can also be performed by
any clergyman with a Theology/

Philosophy skill of at least 60%; others

DRAGON 37

must have a Theology skill of at least 80%

to be able to attempt an exorcism, unless
they've learned the ritual as a spell. A
qualified clergyman can also teach exor¬
cism to a layman, but the layman must
spend a total of 20 hours over a period of
no more than a week learning this ritual
from the clergyman. If fewer than 20
hours are spent within a week, the learn¬
ing period must start again. At the end of
the period, the clergyman must make a
successful roll on his Theology/Philosophy
skill, and the layman must make a success¬
ful Idea roll. If both succeed, the layman
knows enough to perform a single exor¬
cism, and gains a + 15% bonus to his
Theology/Philosophy skill.

To perform an exorcism requires at least

an hour's preparation on the part of the
exorcist— lighting candles, meditating,
praying, sprinkling holy water, or per¬
forming some similar ritual. The exact
procedure depends on the exorcist's par¬
ticular religion, as the ritual primarily
serves to build his own belief to the point
where he has full confidence in his ability
to cast out the evil spirit. A clergyman or a
character taught by one must indulge in
these theological trappings in order to
carry out his exorcism. A character who
has learned the process as a spell from a
book has more freedom (depending on the
text), but he still must spend an hour
preparing ("psyching himself up'').

Once the time of preparation is over, the

exorcist must then pit his POW against
that of the spirit or spirits; if there are
more than one, he must cast each out
individually. If he is successful, the spirit
must leave as he commands. If not, the
spirit remains and probably manifests
itself in some manner to mock or harm the
exorcist. If the first attempt at exorcism is
a failure, the exorcist may try again; he
must then spend an additional hour in
preparation above the first for each extra
attempt at exorcising the same spirit (e.g.,
the third attempt requires three horns
preparation).

There are various methods of increasing

the chance of casting out possessing spirits

that are available both to clergymen and

laymen. A character who is an actual
clergyman may add one-fifth of his
Theology/Philosophy to the percentage
chance on the Resistance Table (as deter¬
mined by matching his POW against that
of the possessing spirit) before rolling his
final chance for success. Thus, if the nor¬
mal chance for success is only 30%, but
the clergyman has a Theology/Philosophy
skill of 80%, the chance is increased by
16% to 46%.

Additionally, any exorcist, clergyman or

layman, can increase his chance of casting
out a spirit by invoking the name of the
deity he worships — even if it is a
Cthulhoid deity such as Azathoth,

Cthulhu, Nyarlathotep, Hastur, or Nodens

(though the great danger of this would be
in the possibility of actually summoning
one of these beings or its minions, which
would be worse than the spirit itself). This
invocation adds 1-20 additional percentage
points to the roll for success, depending
on the strength of the invoker's own belief
in that deity and (in the Cthulhu Mythos
only) on the relative strength of the deity
called. Thus, a clergyman who invokes the
name of his god in casting out a spirit (and
fully believes in the power of his deity)
could get up to an additional 20% added to
his chance of casting out the spirit.

Using the same example cited hereto¬

fore, the chance of success in the exorcism
is then raised to 66%. It is up to the Keep¬
er to determine the exact number of extra
points toward success that the invocation
of a deity adds. He should make his deci¬
sion based on the Investigator's past
actions and statements about his religious
beliefs, and thus determine the exorcist's
conviction in the power of the deity whose
name he has invoked. If there is any seri¬
ous question as to the Investigator's sincer¬
ity in invoking the name of a deity, the
Keeper may simply determine the addi¬
tional chance of success randomly by
rolling ld20.

In the case of extremely powerful dei¬

ties, the mere invocations of their names
and the command to leave the possessed
body may alone be enough to force the
possessing spirit to do so, even if the exor¬
cist is ignorant of the exorcism spell or
ritual. In such cases, no POW vs. POW roll
is necessary, but the chance of exorcising
the spirit is equal to only half the normal
percentage points that the deity's name
usually adds to the chance of success.

Thus, if the Keeper determines that invok¬

ing the name of Nodens normally adds
18% to the exorcist's chance of casting out
a possessing spirit, the total chance of a
character ignorant of the exorcism ritual
is only 9% with the invocation of the name
alone. Whether the exorcism succeeds or
not, there is the same chance on a second
roll that Nodens himself shows up (or
sends several nightgaunts) to show his
displeasure at the unauthorized use of his
name.

It might also be possible to cast out a

possessing spirit by convincing a more

powerful spirit to dislodge it in the same
manner as that of multiple spirits attempt¬
ing to possess a character. The danger in
this is that the new, stronger spirit, once it
has dislodged the other by defeating it in a
POW vs. POW roll, might decide to stay
and possess the individual itself. Because
of this. Investigators attempting such feats
should be as certain as possible that the
spirit they've called up to help them is a
benevolent (or, at worst, a neutral) spirit
and not a deceiving evil one.

Daimon and daimonion

In the CALL OF CTHULHU game, malev¬

olent spirits — as well as most neutral and
some seemingly benevolent ones — are
actually members of an extradimensional
race of beings, vaguely similar in nature to
the lloigor (see the CALL OF CTHULHU
game rule book). These entities are far
more ubiquitous, in fact, because they are
not tied to certain areas as are the lloigor.
They do tend to congregate by their own
choice in certain locations — old houses,
swamps, graveyards, etc.
These spirits are normally intangible and
invisible but are capable of manifesting
themselves on occasion as ugly, demonlike
beings. They are, in fact, more properly
known as daimon (pronounced DIE-moan)
or daimonion (die-MOAN-ee-on) — Greek
for devils or devil spirits. These are the
same words that were transliterated into
Latin as "daemon" and into English as
"demon!' In Hebrew, they are called dyb-
buka — disembodied spirits. They are the
possessing devils and demons of theology
and mythology. They have been known
throughout history, but they have been
too quickly explained away by modern,
"rational" science. Like the denizens of the
Cthulhu Mythos, the daimon exist just
beyond the human plane of reality. On the
other hand, unlike many Cthulhoid beings,
they are able to enter this dimension at
will, making them in some ways even
more dangerous than Cthulhu's cohorts.

Because they are invisible and intangible

in our world (and because no mortal has
ever visited their world and returned to
tell of it), daimon have no physical charac¬
teristics, per se, except DEX. They have
varying amounts of INT and POW, depend¬
ing on their nature. The smaller daimoni¬
on are rather stupid, easily outsmarted,
and of limited POW (human average). The
larger daimon, on the other hand, can be
wickedly intelligent, possessing great
amounts of POW — as much or more than
lloigor, though they are unable to drain
Magic Points from surrounding humans as
the lloigor can. When daimon or daimoni¬
on are in possession of a human (or an
animal, which is also possible), they may
add that individual's Magic-Point total to
their own to use as they wish, as long as
they continue to possess him.

Daimon and daimonion can cause teleki¬

netic effects similar to those of lloigor, as
explained in The Cthulhu Companion.

38 NOVEMBER 1988

There is, however, no variation in the

amount of Magic Points required to create
a point of telekinetic STR, based on loca¬
tion, as is true with the lloigor. Daimon
and daimonion always create one telekine¬
tic STR point for every Magic Point put
into the effect. They can also cause physi¬
cal damage to a character by "biting" him
psychically. They do this by first overcom¬
ing an Investigator in a Magic Point duel
(the points devoted to the duel are tempo¬
rarily expended). Then every additional
Magic Point put into an attack does ld6
physical bite damage to the target on a hit.
The chance of a successful hit equals the
daimon's DEX x 3.

Once a daimon or daimonion is in pos¬

session of an individual, it can change the
character's SIZ, APP or voice by expending
Magic Points (its own or the possessed
individual's) on a ratio of 1 Magic Point to
1 point of SIZ or APP changed. One Magic
Point is all that's necessary to change the
character's voice. The initial change of
features or voice lasts for one hour unless
the daimon allows them to return to nor¬
mal sooner. Thereafter, it costs only a
single Magic Point per hour to retain the
entire change. If the daimon decides to
change the character's features again
without allowing them first to revert to
their original appearance, it costs only half
the normal Magic Points to effect another
such change.

Daimon can also create ectoplasm from

a possessed character's body (one Magic
Point expended creating one SIZ point of
ectoplasm). To do this, the possessing spirit
must use the host's Magic Points rather
than its own. When ectoplasm has been
formed, the daimon may shape it at will.
Ectoplasm lasts for 10 minutes unless
renewed with more Magic Points — this
time either the host's or the daimon's own.
Once within a character's body, the dai¬
mon can cause it to levitate or move
around in any way it pleases; it only costs
1 Magic Point per 5 SIZ points of pos¬
sessed character for the daimon to do so.

When a daimon or daimonion has pos¬

sessed a character, it can take total control
of that character's thoughts, mind, actions,
and feelings at will. Once the initial posses¬
sion has occurred (described in the section
above), nothing else is required to hold
and control the person, either intermit¬
tently or full-time. The invading spirit has
full access to that individuals knowledge,
skills, and abilities, and it can cast any
spell that that person knows, whether the
daimon knew it prior to possessing him or
not. If more than one daimonion is in
possession of an individual, the one with
the greatest POW is the dominant one, and
the others are able to manifest themselves
only when it so allows them. Usually no
more than one daimon will be in posses¬
sion of a single person, but it may share
the individual with any number of daimo¬
nion over which it has command.

In spite of their seemingly immense

power, daimon and daimonion are limited

in their abilities to affect humans. Except

in cases of possession, daimon and daimo¬
nion cannot overtly affect mortals unless
one of the following conditions is met:

1. The spirits have been called up in a

seance.

2. The areas in which the spirits congre¬

gate are invaded or disturbed.

3. A person has invited the spirits into

his life. This invitation can be made, con¬
sciously or not, by engaging in moral
depravity, overindulging in drink or drugs,
living a cruel and evil life, or even by
delving too deeply into occult matters —
e.g., studying old grimoires or magical
texts, playing with ouija boards or similar
divining aids such as tarot cards, or allow¬
ing oneself to be hypnotized or mesmer¬
ized repeatedly (especially for such
purposes as discerning past lives, com¬
muning with higher powers, and so on).

On the surface, it appears that most

CALL OF CTHULHU game Investigators
fall into the category of having studied
magical texts (if they've read or seriously
examined any book of the Mythos). Oddly
enough, that is not the case. The exact
reason for this is not known; perhaps it is
because the more powerful beings of the
Mythos keep the daimon away from Inves¬
tigators pursuing such studies by the
beings' own insidious influence. Whatever
the reason, the mere reading of Mythos
books rarely opens one up for daimon
infestation or possession unless other
factors are involved.

Certain things that affect a person physi¬

cally also affect a spirit possessing that
person. For example, if a possessed indi¬
vidual is knocked unconscious, the daimon
is also unconscious and unable to act
unless it leaves the host's body. If it does
leave, it can repossess the body at will
until the character awakens. If it has failed
to repossess the individual before he has
awakened, the spirit must make another
Magic-Point struggle to regain possession.
Additionally, certain drugs that deaden
parts of the possessed character's brain
(where the spirit normally resides) inca¬
pacitate the spirit as well. In such a state,
the spirit may defend itself against being
exorcised but do nothing else. Naturally,
killing the individual hosting a daimon or
daimonion gets rid of the spirit once and
for all — but the deceased will hardly be
able to appreciate it.

Some daimon and daimonion also seem

to have aversions to certain holy items.
Holy water, crucifixes, and other religious
symbols occasionally seem to be proof
against possession by a daimon and may
even drive one away. Unfortunately, just
as many of these spirits seem to be
immune to such protections. It is up to the
Keeper whether or not such measures are
effective against any particular daimon.
Note that certain protections, such as
Elder Signs or Starstones of Mnar, that are
wards against Cthulhoid entities are just as
effective against daimon. As a result, their
employment is total proof

against possession by daimon or daimoni¬

on. Certain magical spells with nonphysi¬
cal effects prove effective against these
spiritual entities as well, though physical
attacks affect only the hosts they possess.

In the characteristics for daimon and

daimonion that follow, no scores have
been given for STR, CON, or SIZ because
of the nonmaterial nature of daimon and
daimonion. Should these characteristics
become necessary, as may occur in the
case of a physical manifestation of a "devil
spirit," the Keeper is advised to use the
same value as listed for POW or handle
the spirits as described below.

Daimon

(Greater Independent Race)

Characteristics
Average

INT

4d6+6

20

POW

5d6+6

23-24

DEX

3d6

10-11

Hit points

Special

Move

Special

Weapon

Attk%

Damage

Telekinetic

DEX x 3

Variable*

throw

Psychic bite

DEX x 3

ld6/MP**

Possession

MP vs. MP

Possession

Dematerialize
Special

Special

* Depends on SIZ of object used.

* * Also MP vs. MP damage.

Daimonion

(Lesser Independent Race)

Characteristics

Average

INT

1 - 3d6 3-11

POW

2d6 + 6 13

DEX

3d6 10-11

Hit points. Move, Weapon, Attk%, and

Damage are all a

s per the daimon.

Armor: In their natural, nonmaterial

states, daimon and daimonion cannot be
affected by any physical weapon. When
one or more inhabit a host body, the host
can be affected normally, but only the
death of the host affects the spirit and
then only to drive it away. Enchanted
weapons damage these spirits normally
but also damage their hosts.

Spells: A daimon or daimonion may

know a number of spells equal to its INT.

SAN: In their normal states, daimon and

daimonion are invisible; thus, no SAN loss
for Investigators is possible. Seeing the
various physical manifestations of one
(similar to those of a poltergeist) costs ld4
SAN points if a SAN roll is missed, or none
if the roll is successful. Being possessed by
one of these spirits costs ld8 SAN points
upon this realization if a SAN roll is
missed, or 1 point even if the roll is made.
A daimon or daimonion can temporarily

DRAGON 39

take on a physical form if it desires (such

an appearance is normally that of an
extremely hideous, demonic being, occa¬
sionally wreathed in fire and brimstone) if
it expends eight Magic Points, plus two
more for sounds and one for odor. Seeing
a daimon's physical manifestation costs up
to ld20 SAN points if a SAN roll is missed,
or ld6 points even if it is made, as the,
forms these spirits take are usually
extremely frightening (though the Keeper
may decide the entity takes on a less SAN-
blasting appearance for reasons of its
own). Should an Investigator manage to
see a daimon in its own, original dimen¬
sion, the maximum SAN loss should be
applied regardless of the SAN roll.

Hit points: If any magical spells that

cause hit-point loss are used against one of
these spirits, or if any attacks are made
against it with enchanted weapons, use
the daimon's or daimonion's POW for its
hit points. If the spirit loses all its POW to
damage, it has been destroyed. If a spirit's
Magic-Point total falls to zero, it also dis¬
perses (at least temporarily), losing its
possession of a host. If the host's Magic
Point or POW totals fall to zero, the host
dies, and the spirit is immediately cast
loose. There is a 50% chance that any such
magical anti-POW attacks against a pos¬
sessing daimon affects the possessed host
instead of the spirit. Enchanted weapons

harm both possessors and hosts.

Move: Daimon and daimonion are not

bound by our laws of physics; therefore,
they can teleport anywhere they wish
around our planet (but not beyond the
Earth, for reasons that are not totally
clear, unless they are in possession of a
character who himself leaves Earth). They
can also move through physical barriers as
though the barriers were not there.

Strong magnetic fields or force fields seem

to slow them down, perhaps due to the
nature of the dimension from which they
originate (which may in fact be why they
cannot leave this planet, with its strong
magnetic fields). Effectively, however,
these spirits are as swift as thoughts and
are nearly impossible to contain.

Dematerialize: Daimon and daimonion

appear to have the ability to dematerialize
objects of various sizes. In actuality, these
spirits do this by telekinetically seizing the
objects they wish to dematerialize, then
teleporting themselves and the objects to
other locations, where they can leave the
objects and return instantly. Several of the
entities can work together' to teleport any
object too big for only one of them. To
thus "dematerialize'' a living being in this
manner, a daimon must win a Magic-Point
struggle with its victim (unless the victim
is an individual the spirit possesses, in

which case no such struggle is required).

Detection: Unless a character possesses

psychic powers himself, the only way to
detect the presence of a daimon or daimo¬
nion, either within an area or while pos¬
sessing another character, is to succeed in
a roll of POW x 1% upon first entering
the area or encountering the possessed
individual. If the roll is successful, the
Investigator detects the presence of the
spirit as a foul odor (it "stinks" spiritually).
Unless the Investigator has detected such
spirits before and knows what the odor
indicates, he may then have to make an
Occult roll to realize what it is he's actually
detecting.

Conclusion

It should be kept in mind that, in the

course of a CALL OF CTHULHU game
campaign, it is quite possible that many of
the so-called higher spiritual powers wor¬
shiped by various occult and spiritualist
societies are actually very ancient,
extremely wise, and cruelly cunning dai¬
mon, deceiving their followers for their
own malevolent purposes. What purposes
lie behind such deceptions, if they come
up in play, are left to the Keeper's discre¬
tion and for the Investigators ability of
discovery as they navigate the dark waters
of the occult. □
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40 NOVEMBER 1988

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Oh ; look —
a harmless
statue!”

Nasty pew ways to

disguise and hide a golem
I t's an old pastime by now.

The player characters enter a

dungeon room, see something
that is obviously a golem, and
pull out their swords. Gamers
who have been playing for 10
years know the rules; they know
where most of the traps are and
they've probably killed most of
the monsters in the Monster
Manual II index. Well, with a little
cleverness, the DM can still out¬
smart them. Adventures would
take on a fascinating twist if
many golems were disguised or
camouflaged. I've listed some
possible suggestions to use for
keeping golems from looking like
golems. Most of these refer only
to stone golems, but some may be
used for other types. Note that if
the golem is supposed to be mis¬
taken for something else, it must
have a way of cleaning up old
victims. Victims are surprised by
disguised golems on a 1-4 on a
ld6 roll. More than one golem
may be used in each case, if the
DM is especially nasty.

1. The golem is completely recessed into

the wall, completely unnoticeable because
the golem's flat front matches the texture
of the wall.

2. The golem is recessed into the wall as

part of a bas-relief. It may complete a
scene (e.g., "You see a wall which depicts a
battle scene among men and devils. One
particularly large man killing devils seems
to dominate the picture.").
3. The golem is seated in a large stone
chair (like a statue) and wears a valuable
amulet, holds a staff, etc. If anyone touch¬
es the golem's possession, the golem is
activated. The held item may also work to
the golem's advantage in some way.

4. The golem is kneeling down with its

hands placed in such a way that one could
climb its hands like stairs. The golem's
eyes are gems. Activation of the golem
occurs when the gems are touched — or
else when some other set of circumstances
occurs that the PCs do not expect.

5. The golem is recessed in the floor and

activates when someone steps on it. The
entire front portion of the golem's body is
flat and smooth like the floor.

6. The golem is concealed under thou¬

sands of loose coins. Its activation occurs
when the coins are disturbed. After slay¬
ing the intruders, the golem covers itself
back up.

7. The golem is created without a head

and is laid on the ground. A phony golem
head lies beside it. Adventurers who are

not aware that decapitation cannot slay a

golem ( DMG, page 166) may think that the
golem has been destroyed. Of course, a
real decapitated iron golem whose head
still breathes poison gas is an interesting
idea; the body and head could work
together to destroy intruders from two
directions.

8. The golem is placed lying down,

recessed in a cave floor with its frontal
body covered with stalagmite- or rock¬
shaped formations.

9. The golem is covered with a thin

sheet of gold or silver to give it the appear¬
ance of a valuable statue.

10. A golem resembling a large cherub

stands in a dancing pose in the center of a
fountain.

11. Two golems stand on either side of a

doorway, resembling huge caryatid
columns (but much more dangerous).

12. The golem is placed among many

normal statues, all of which have Nystul's
magic aura cast upon them.

13. The golem resembles a wise old sage

studying a book (but the book might be an
integral part of the golem's arm). Dressing
up flesh golems can be amusing.

14. A flesh golem could be made to

resemble a humanoid being of a similar
size, such as a powerful gnoll, bugbear,
small ogre, and so forth. Aside from using
its fists (perhaps a large ogrillon is a good
disguise), the golem could also wear armor
and use simple protective devices.

15. A golem could have a special perch

over a room's entrance, from which it
jumps onto any characters passing under¬
neath. Damage varies but would be
extreme (10-60 hp for a stone golem, or
10-100 hp for an iron golem). The distance
fallen should not be too great to avoid
smashing the golem or having it bury its
feet in the ground.

16. The golem is hidden behind a secret

door. When characters pass through the
door, they step on a pressure plate; one
round later, the golem pursues them from
behind. This golem could have its feet
wrapped in a soft material that would
absorb the sound of its footsteps, or else
be enchanted to move silently.

17. The golem resembles an embar¬

rassed naked giant trying to cover itself
with its hands. If encountered in a silly
dungeon, this disguise might prove very
effective. Other silly but deadly appear¬
ances could include huge pink apes,
clowns, etc.

18. Imagine a huge room full of golems,

or else just one golem and a bunch of
statues, shaped as chess pieces. They
would attack when the adventurers
moved onto a certain position.

19. The golem is hidden underwater in a

river channel or a deep pool which fills up
the entire room. When a character passes
over it, the golem pulls him underwater
with one arm (only a roll to hit being
required) and attack with the other arm.
After that character is dead, the golem

moves on to another, not attacking anyone

but a character it grabs. Drowning rules
would apply. The water might also be
poisoned or contaminated in some man¬
ner. Flesh golems would decay and iron
golems would rust, so clay and stone
golems would work best.

20. Given the golem-in-the-pool

described above, the golem's head might
appear to be a flat stone pedestal which
characters could use as a stepping stone,
perhaps in the middle of the body of
water.

21. The golem's back is rectangular, flat,

and smooth. When the golem sits with its
back facing an oncoming party, it looks
like a large stone block — perhaps a door.

22. The golem waits underneath a secret

trapdoor in the floor. If the trapdoor
opens, the victim drops in with the golem.
Combined with one of these other ideas,
this could be a deadly combination attack.

23. The golem has permanent darkness

15' radius spell cast around it. The golem
might not suffer penalties to hit victims if
enchanted to detect prey in some manner
other than by sight.

24. The golem's body is pockmarked

with holes which contain soil in which
seeds were planted. The golem should
appear to be one large decorative plant
holder, green from head to toe with vines.
If carnivorous plants are used, watch out!

25. The golem might hold two huge

torches as if he were an elaborate sconce.
The torches might themselves be useable
as weapons.

26. The golem's midsection is hollow,

with many pockets and perches for birds
to roost. The golem should resemble some¬
thing cute, like a demented mage's idea of
a birdhouse.

27. The golem has a permanent invisibili¬

ty spell cast on it, so that it can attack
without being seen.

28. The golem has an animal-shaped

head and corresponding animal-like hands.
Clawed hands could do extra or unusual
sorts of damage, and an advanced golem
design might even bite.
29. Consider variations on the given
types of golems, like a stone golem that
can throw flesh to stone spells, or a dehy¬
drated flesh golem, such as the one in area
17 of "The Ruins of Andril," from
DRAGON® issue #81. What about a
halfling-size flesh golem with reduced
powers?

30. Cover the golem with an illusion that

makes it seem to be something else.

These examples should work well on

most everyone. If you're playing with
people who have read this article or who
were not tricked by these disguises, try to
think up new ways to fool them. No one
can be so careful as to check every square
foot of ground in front of him. If you
know anyone who is, put the golem on the
ceiling! Q

DRAGON 43
The hour of culmination is at hand.

You have spanned the known world and the uncharted

lands beyond to collect the sundry components of the
ritual: griffin feathers, a drake's scale, and a gem: the
eye of Quendalon. You have had to gamer secrets
from other wizards, both from enemies and from
others in your own covenant. On your journeys,
you have faced perils which could only be
defeated by the most powerful of
enchantments. And you have studied,
studied for years. You know that if
you have miscalculated, the
elemental you have formed
could devour you, but you
sense imminent success.

The mists take shape;

it's nearly here...

Ars Magica contains:

0 magic that captures the
feel and power of tales
and legends

0 innovative rules for per¬

sonality, character
creation and, of course,
magic

0 emphasis on role-playing:
rules for reputations and
self-confidence

0 a consistent and simple,

yet versatile and elegant
system for skills and
combat

0 an alluring and raucous

medieval setting

0 enigmatic faeries, relent¬

less undead, and pitiless
demons

0 troupe-style play

0 mighty wizards and their

detailed companions,
who have equal roles, if
not equal power, in the
story

Ars Magic A

The Art of Magic

In the UK Lion Ram P ant UK

order from: 21 Nicholas St, Whole Rd

YORK, Y01 3EQ

[ Ars Magica £14. Broken Covenant, Story-

supplement £5. Please add £1.70 to all orders.

Also available in
better game stores
- worldwide

Lion PO Box 621

Northfield, MN

Rampant 55057
In the U.S. use the above address,

Ars Magica $14.95, Broken Covenant $7.95,

please add $2 postage and handling to all orders
Allow 3 weeks for delivery.

avaris lifted his aching body from the

depths of an enormous chair, unwrap¬
ping himself from blankets of dark fur.
His bony fingers wound around the
cane of oaken wood at his side. Lean¬
ing on the cane heavily, he felt the
stiffness in his limbs that no cleric
o magic could hide from him. Even the
spells of some younger magician wouldn't help, had there
been any young magicians left to remember words he'd
long ago forgotten. The silver droplets of the moon's light
sparkled through the only open window in the room.
Spilling across the black stone floor, they gave Davaris the
impression of a dagger piercing through the heart of the
tower.

Running a hand over sparse, white hair, he looked out

into the night sky over York Village. At least it had been
York Village at one time. In the passing centuries its name
had changed. Now, New Something-or-other lay outside
the castle. Again he looked at the outline of moonlight.
"And so the gods remind me of my impending death." He
croaked out the words, an elvish lisp in his decaying voice.

Turning with a rustle of black robes, his stooped form

eclipsed the window briefly and stopped before an oaken
door. Short breaths rattled in his lungs and his every mus¬
cle ached. He sensed the spirits in the darkness, the
undead guardians of the keep. Many were gathered about
him: some perhaps craving his flesh and waiting for him
to surrender to death, and some perhaps looking at him
with pity, as they had once watched Nicairius with pity.
Nicairius, his teacher, the late revered master of the black¬
er arts. Davaris was the only Black Robe left alive, there¬
fore, the Castle of Bloodstone was rightfully his. But in
truth, the castle always had and always would belong to
the master, Nicairius. His soul was in every stone, his
blood in every fire that burned within the castle's walls.

His very life had been captured by this tower, where a

thousand years ago he was consumed into the chaos of a
most powerful magic spell. Of course, he had never since
returned or been found.

Davaris shook his head clear of the memories and

images still giving him nightmares today. Instead, he tried
to bring to mind a spell. It would carry him on the wings
of magic to any place he chose; he wanted merely to go
upstairs. In the last fifty years, the study around him had
become his whole world. To leave it he had to cast a spell
or walk, and he could no more walk a hundred stairs then
he could go ten paces in a straight line without difficulty.
As he huffed out a string of dry coughs, Davaris remem¬
bered the spell words and whisked himself away.

The Visitor

by Llynne Moore

Before him was a door, not at all unlike the one leading
out of his study. This door was on an enchanted landing,
however, and the landing extended over darkness. There
were many such landings, constructed to guard the cham¬
bers and their valuables beyond. The blackness below had
no end, none that he knew. If the fear of falling overtook
the mind, as it often did those who were unprepared, one
would stumble, and — Davaris opened the door, making
the hinges scream and stirring up a cloud of dust. He

coughed, then glided into the long-forgotten room. illustrations by Paul jaquavs

DRAGON 47

Shelves nestled in the shadows, filled with objects as

many as the twinkling stars outside, a coat of dust their
testament to existence. The wailing hinges had sent a
ripple of life through the air, and in the instant he entered,
the room burst with a display of magic. Each bottle, each
pendant, each nondescript piece was glowing with its own
light, longing to be touched. But Davaris, their user, their
creator, was intent on one object only.

Resting on a delicate silver stand, an orb of crystal held

his attention. It was an object he rarely dared to touch,
one that hungered for his soul. The rainbow lights shrank
back as he hobbled to the end of the room with an out¬
stretched, gnarled hand.

Even in the dim torchlight filtering from the doorway,

he could see the hairline cracks on the orb's surface, its
shattered center. Davaris had created the orb long ago,
and in its making the magic had gone awry, shattering its
heart, altering its originally simple purpose. Its use would
now drive a lesser mage insane ... or an old, senile one,
but Davaris chose to overlook that. Cradled in purple
satin and silver fingers, it was now an object that revealed
to his eyes, occasionally, the deepest enchantments.
Reaching his hand out farther, trying to still the minute
quivers of age and excitement, he felt the cool surface
beneath his fingertips.

There won't be much to see, Davaris reasoned, though

he could not explain the feeling in his bones that had
pulled him there. He thought to himself, deep magic now¬
adays meant an ogre swallowing a lucky penny.

Without uttering a sound, he concentrated and waited

in a long silence. Soon, an image began to form in the orb
as he felt the forces pulling at him. Another eye would
have been captured in confusion and driven mad; Davaris
was able this time to see and understand. His lips began
to tremble as he watched. He slowly shook his head from
side to side. However, his features sagged in acceptance of
an unavoidable truth. Uttering strange words that only his
heart might recognize, he turned away and left the crystal
ball as cold and lifeless as he had found it.

The magical forces inhabiting the room eagerly ques¬

tioned dark-robed Davaris. The things — the inanimate
things of the shelves — did not actually move or speak; he
felt their questions in his being. Then he heard the whis¬
pers of the spirit-guardians lick his pointed ears. In a
strained voice he spoke the answer given to him by the
spirits.

"A visitor comes.''

He left the room, dust clinging to his robes as they

brushed the floor. With all his strength, he pulled the door
shut and disappeared.

Davaris, the apprentice of Nicairius; Davaris, head of

the order of the dark arts; Davaris, master of the Castle of
Bloodstone in New Something-or-other, the last of the
ancient users of true magic — Davaris sat quietly and
alone in a huge, black throne. The high ceiling of the
great room stretched out before him, supported by black
pillars. Each pillar guarded an alcove, sentinels of the
many staircases spiraling away. A glow filled the room,
lighting from some unseen source.

The high-backed chair was cold and hard, stinging his

old bones. There were tiny lines of white running through

its black marble, and he began tracing over these with his
fingers. First following one path, then another, a different
finger on yet another. Many decades had passed since
he'd last sat there. Even in the days when hundreds
flocked to the castle, this entry hall was rarely used. And
there was one reason why.

The huge, magically sealed door opposite Davaris led

out into a deadly garden. Foliage and creatures of all types
— alive, dead, and undead — surrounded the castle, had
guarded its existence through every war, against every
intruder. Nothing living or dead passed the bewitched
grounds without a powerful charm, an even more power¬
ful will, and perhaps a god or two for luck. Yet, the crystal
had shown a visitor passing, a hideous monster that would
survive to face Davaris at the door.

He did not sigh, though the air seemed to project with

all its substance that he would. He did not, leaving the air
to wait expectantly. Tension almost burst stones from their
mortars as Davaris sat deciding his strategy. What would
he say? What spells could he remember? What magic
should he work?

Magic. Davaris rolled the word around in his mind.

How people had grown to detest the word he worshiped.
With piercing suddenness he recalled the last time he'd
walked the city streets. He was laughed at, asked to do
some card tricks. "Pull a silver piece out of my ear!"
Streetside performers did "magic" with scarves and half-
naked females. Whispering voices did not even murmur
with reverence, in the darkest dark of the latest late, when
magic was mentioned. Well, what did people know?
Humans, elves, dwarves, halflings ... it was the inter¬
breeding, Davaris decided. An elf wasn't an elf anymore,
nor an ogre an ogre. No wonder the world was a mess.

Davaris had more important things to think about. He

would protect the honor of the castle, its towers, even if it
meant his death. And his death would have been easier to
face, walking up the unwalked steps, ignoring around it
the most fearsome place on the face of any world. His
death could pound at the door, and he would gladly
answer it before he would face the creature. The monster
wouldn't let him die; it would inflict its horrible tortures.
Davaris knew well. It had come once before, a mere three
years ago. He stared intensely at the rune-etched door.

This time. . . This time, he vowed, he'd turn it away.

He ceased tracing the white lines and sat. He just sat,

arms extended over the armrests, body slouched against
the midnight black of velvet cushions. Unmoving, he
stared continually at the sturdy door. The one and only
heartbeat in the halls — his own — stilled and almost
forgotten. The walls let go of him, and his mind went
deep within himself. Still, he was acutely aware of every
nerve in his body, every rune and glyph on the door.

Suddenly, though there was no sound to stir him so,

every thin muscle went rigid, every aching tendon went
tight, and he straightened. The pillars, the alcoves, the
ceiling — all seemed to sway, startled by his movement.
Then the room seemed to lean, as Davaris leaned, expec¬
tantly. He became aware of his heartbeat again.

Reminders of just how weakly it beat ran crazily in his

head; he tried to push them aside and ran a hand over his
48 NOVEMBER 1988

balding scalp. The other hand, thick, purplish veins

almost bursting from the skin, held the oak cane tightly.

Within a few long seconds, heavy knocking echoed

through the chamber. Davaris had expected this, but he
started as if in pain when the loud sound broke the
silence. The light in the room continued to glow.

Open the door from here with magic, giving myself

time, giving myself room? he wondered. Leave the throne
and meet it standing? Open the door myself and surprise
it? He arose from his seat and went forward, leaning on
his cane.

He stopped halfway, as much from pain as from strate¬

gic consideration. No, he reasoned. I'll meet it at the
door. It may be harder to drive out once inside the door¬
way. The mage went on, seeming calm though his stom¬

ach quivered. He stopped and placed a hand on the knob.

The knocking came again. This time he did not flinch

but released the wards placed on the door and clenched
the doorknob tighter. Sweat trickled down from his pate,
dripped from his brow.

In one swift motion, he threw the door wide, ignoring

the throb and pain of the tissues in his body. Agony and
aversion washed over him all at once as a squat, green
hobgoblin leered up at him. No, not again! He felt his will
crumble, exhaustion creeping over him. The loathsome
creature waved a box-shaped talisman in his face.

"Buy some cookies, mister?" the young girl asked.

Davaris cringed. Voice shaking, he submitted to her

vivid temptations. "Ten boxes of vanilla," he moaned and
shelled out the gold pieces. Q

plane's tail section. Both of these

people suffered severe injuries, but
a crewman who jumped from a
burning RAF Lancaster bomber over
Germany in 1944 survived a fall of
18,000' - and walked away without
a single broken bone. His fall was
cushioned by a fir tree and snowy
ground.

Remarkable thieves: Fantasy foot¬

pads must compete with the man
who, in 1966, used an axe to cut the
mooring lines on a 10,638-ton ship
that was banned from leaving the
harbor at Wolfe's Cover, Quebec,
due to a wildcat strike on the water¬
front. The ship drifted until it met a
blacked-out tugboat that completed
its escape. Then, too, no dragon's
hoard ever matched the riches
gained from the robbery of the
Reichsbank by American and Ger¬
man personnel after the fall of the
Nazi government in 1945. According
to one source, the enterprising
thieves made off with the equivalent
of about $3,000,000,000.

Incredible combat odds: During

the American Civil war, a 19-year-
old Confederate captain and 43 men,
armed only with rifles and six small
cannon, drove off an entire Union
fleet that attempted to land an inva¬
sion force of 15,000 men. Richard
W. Dowling and his men sank one
gunboat, captured two others after
putting them out of action, and took
400 prisoners as well — without
losing a single man from their own
outfit.

Great physical strength: Even a

casual thumbing through a list of
world weight-lifting records is inter¬
esting in comparison with Conan-
like fantasy barbarians. For
example, Paul Anderson (the 1956

Olympic heavyweight champion)

was able to lift 6,270 lbs in a back
lift in 1957. He was also able to
bench press 627 lbs., squat lift 1,200
lbs., and dead lift 820 lbs. It is worth
noting that a 100-lb. chimpanzee
once made a two-handed dead lift of
600 lbs.

Heroism: While there are innu¬

merable instances of heroism in the
world today, the case of Raoul Wal¬
lenberg is worthy of mention. A
Swedish diplomat assigned to Buda¬
pest during World War II, Raoul
Wallenberg managed to save about
90,000 Hungarian Jews from depor¬
tation to concentration camps. He
escaped assassination by the Nazis
but was imprisoned by the Soviets
after the war; he apparently died in
a Moscow prison in 1947. (Virtue
must indeed be its own reward.)

Courage: Though it would be

difficult at best to put any sort of a
measurement on the limits of brav¬
ery, one possible nominee in this
category concerns the Yugoslavian

airline stewardess, Vesna Vulovic,

who was mentioned previously.
Surviving a six-mile fall after your
plane blows up is not in itself coura¬
geous, nor is spending over a year in
the hospital after having broken
almost every bone you have. Ms.
Vulovic simply went back to work
for her airline after her recovery —
and, though she was no longer
allowed to be a stewardess, she
continued to fly.

Which is stranger: reality or fanta¬

sy? I know which one I'd choose.

(Thanks to Sheila Goldsmith of the

editorial offices of the Guinness
Book of World Records for her
assistance in obtaining information
on some of the entries herein.)

DRAGON 49

by Richard Hernandez

The New,
Improved
Druid

Additional abilities for the sylvan sect

In the AD&D® game, the druid PC class

has not always been taken seriously. The
advent of the expanded druidic experience
table and improved powers in Uneartlwd
Arcana has helped dispel this attitude
among players. It is hoped that this article
will improve the class's standing still fur¬
ther, as this material expands the abilities
and skills of this class.

It is known that the druid may not use

metallic armor or shields; the only excep¬
tion to this rule is elven chain mail, as
elves have lived in peace and harmony
with nature for thousands of years — long
enough to be able to craft metal in such a
way as not to spoil the druid's special
magic. All other crafted metals for armor
negate the druid's innate and spell-using
abilities.

Only a limited number of high-level

druids live in every druidic region. In each
woodland keep dwell no more than nine
12th-level druids, each of which is the
leader of a body of 3-30 druids of 3rd to
8th level, and an entourage of underlings
of 1st and 2nd level. No more than three
13th-level Archdruids are found at each
druid keep. At 13th level, the druid gains
1-8 lOth-level druids. Only one 14th-level
Great Druid stays in any given druid keep,
and he attracts an additional 10-200 hit
dice of animals to do his bidding. These
animals can be replaced by others if slain.

Each druid keep is visited by an emis¬

sary of the 15th-level Grand Druid once
each year. This emissary is usually an
Archdruid who serves directly under the
Grand Druid. In this position, the emissary
examines the lands under the keep's pro¬
tection and receives a detailed annual
report from the keep's Great Druid. The
Archdruid emissary may also take action
against woodland offenders, wielding the
will of the Grand Druid.

Druidic abilities

In connection with the druid's worship

of nature, innate powers are gained at
higher levels. At 3rd level, a druid gains
the following abilities;

1. Ability to converse in the common

tongue of all neutrally aligned woodland
creatures.

2. Ability to identify plant types.

3. Ability to identify animal types.

4. Ability to identify pure water and to

locate pure water within 1 mile + 1 mile/
level of the druid above 3rd level.
5. Power to pass through overgrown
areas without loss of movement and with¬
out trace of passage.

6. Ability to brew poisons from natural

woodland materials. The druid also gains
the knowledge to create antidotes for his
poisons and gains an immunity to each
level of poison that he may brew, given a
familiar use of herbs and other compo¬
nents of the poisons.

At 5th level, the following powers are

gained:

1. Immunity to charm and sleep spells,

and similar magical effects from woodland
creatures.

2. Ability to shape change at will into

one chosen form of woodland creature. At
5th level, the druid may shape change into
one type of bird, reptile, or mammal asso¬
ciated with the wilderness; this creature
must be of the druids weight or less. The
druid hereafter gains the ability to choose
one new form every two levels, with the
ability to add 500 lbs. of mass to each new
form. For example, at 7th level, a druid
may have two shapes — one his weight or
less, the other up to approximately 700
lbs. Archdruids may use each form two
times a day instead of just once. At 14th
level, the Great Druid may assume an
additional (third) form of any woodland

creature once per day.

3. Ability to regain from 10-60% of all hit

points in damage sustained upon resump¬
tion of each animal form.

4. Empathy with plants.

Poisons

Druids have a special link with nature,

enabling them to identify plants by their
mystical and chemical properties. This
allows druids to brew natural poisons (see
Table 1). This art is well-guarded, and little
of it is known to nondruids. Druid poisons
and antidotes are made by using the herbs
and plants in common woodland sur¬
roundings. The formula for the time it
takes to brew the poisons is as follows:
24 - (druid's level) + [(poison level)/2] =
Number of hours required to brew one
vial of poison.

The druid may choose to make the poi¬

son fast-acting (immediate) or slow-acting
(up to six hours delay). The druid's player
must state this to his DM before brewing
begins. The brewing doesn't have to be
continuous work; it need only be equal to
the number of hours calculated by the
formula. For the sake of reference, one
vial of poison is enough to coat she arrow¬
heads, four shuriken, eight darts, twelve
needles, or one dagger or spear point. Two
vials will coat twice as many small weap¬
ons or one short-sword blade. Three vials
will coat a long-sword, scimitar, or broad¬
sword blade. Four will coat a bastard-
sword blade, and five will coat a
two-handed-sword blade. Each coating of
poison on a blade or weapon lasts for two
successful hits on a target. The maximum
coats allowable is five. When swallowed,
one vial equals one dose.

Damage from slow-acting druid poison is

taken as follows. Half the total poison
damage is initial (shock); the character
poisoned takes damage immediately.
Remaining damage occurs gradually, doing
the poison's minimum damage amount per
round. This damage is taken until the
accumulated damage equals the number
originally rolled on the damage dice. For
example, strength E poison that does 6d6
hp damage is used on an arrow. The user
rolls 26 hp damage. The victim takes
arrow damage plus 13 hp poison damage
the initial round. Unless the poison is
cured or slowed, the victim takes 6 hp
damage per round until death or until the
total damage rolled is reached.

If a saving throw is made against poison

of strength AA through J, the victim takes
half the rolled damage, accumulating
further damage at the normal rate. A
successful save vs. X or XX poison causes
the victim to take damage equal to half of
his original (fully healed and rested) hit
points. A save vs. sleep poison acts as a
slow spell for three rounds, but creatures
immune to sleep (such as undead) are not
affected.

Poison may be applied only to non-

magical iron or steel weapons, including
nonmagical alloys of metal that are iron-
based, well made, and have an advantage

50 NOVEMBER 1988

■i'j *'i> l ' Y ,1.'*

: , ^ ^ ■
:: ■ ■ • V-

Table 1

Druid Poison Chart

not associates with magic (i.e., weapons of

quality.) Silver will not hold poison beyond
a single use. The process for treating
metal with poison gives a dark discolor¬
ation to the blade; any character seeing
and recognizing this discoloration reacts
vehemently to the use of poison. Poison is
outlawed in most areas, and only thieves
and assassins use it regularly. Lawful-good
characters act with rage and may attack
the user or turn him in to authorities;
chaotic-evil characters may threaten the
PC if he doesn't share the poison.

Level of Poison Poison Poison

druid level type (maximi

3rd 0 AA 6 hp (Id

4th 1 A 12 hp (2d6, Id

5th 2 B 18 hp (2d8, 3d6

6th 3 C 24 hp (2dl0, 2d

7th 4 D 30 hp (3d

8th 5 E 36 hp (9d-,

9th 6 F 42 hp (4dl0, etc.)

10th 7 G 1 48 hp (4dl2, etc.)

11th 8 H 54 hp (5dl0, etc.)

12th 9 I 60 hp (10d6, etc.)

13th 10 J 66 hp (3d20, etc.)

14th 11 X ld6 hp/round until dead

15th-16th 2 11a Xa Same as X + 1 hp/die

17th-18th 3 lib Xb Same as X + 2 hp/die

19th-22nd 4 12 xx Instant death 5

23rd 6 13 Z Catatonic poison 7

1 Sleep poison is also made at this level. A successful saving throw

results in being slowed for 3 rounds; failure results in sleeping
for ldlO rounds.

2 Brewing time is halved; Is rolled on damage dice are rerolled.

3 Any Is or 2s rolled on damage dice are rerolled.

4 Any Is, 2s, or 3s rolled on damage dice are rerolled.

5 A successful saving throw results in a loss of one-half the victim'

full hit points.

6 Brewing time is quartered, and poison damage is doubled.

A successful saving throw results in paralysis for ld6 turns;

a failed saving throw

results in a catatonic state for ld6 days.

_- ilk

Antidotes

Antidotes are always ingested and come'^

in strengths AA through X. These anti¬
dotes deliver a set number of hit points of
poison protection per dose. Strength AA j
antidote neutralizes 3 hp poison damage, jJ/r
strength A neutralizes 6 hp, strength B TO j&
neutralizes 9 hp, strength C neutral-
izes 12 hp, and so forth, up to 33 hp
for strength J antidote. Strength G
antidote not only neutralizes sleep poison
but gives a +3 or saving throws vs. sleep-
based attacks for the next four turns.

The effects of sleep poison can also be

negated by drinking a type C or greater
antidote. Type X antidote acts as a
neutralize poison spell. Antidotes may act
before or after poisoning occurs.

Table 2
Druid Spell Levels

1st level

2nd level

3rd level

Endure heat/cold 1

Dust devil 1

Continual light 1

Magic stone 1

Detect life 1

Create food & water 1

Resist cold 1

Messenger 1

Flame walk 1

Affect normal fires 2

Resist fire 1

Meld into stone 1

Mount 2

Snake charm 1

Water walk 1

Find woodland

Preserve 2

Wind wall 2

familiar 3

Cloudburst 2

Animate dead animals 3

4th level

5th level

6th level

Giant insect 1
Air walk 1

Conjure animals 1

Lower water 1

Rainbow 1

Find the path 1

Spike stones 1

Lightning strike'

Part water 1

Raise dead animal Stone tell

Word of recall 1

Transmute water

to dust 2

7th Level

Wind walk 1

Heal 1

Aerial servant 2

Calm earth 3

1 Clerical spell 2 Magic-

-user spell 3

New spell

The strength of the antidote taken is

subtracted from the number rolled for
poison damage. If the resulting number is
zero or less, the victim suffers no ill
effects. The effects of an antidote last for
four rounds after consumption. For exam¬
ple, a victim is struck by a sword coated
with strength C poison, which does 5-30
hp damage; 15 hp damage is the result.

The victim is given a Type A antidote the

next round and ends up taking 5 hp actual
poison damage (10 hp were neutralized).
Two rounds later, the same victim is struck
again for 25 hp damage but ends up taking
only 15 hp as the antidote is still active.

This protection lasts for four rounds; any

damage taken before or after this period is
sustained in full.

Druids seldom use poisons outside their

forests (they could wind up in trouble
with any number of law agencies, assas¬
sins' or thieves' guilds, or even a high-level
alchemist or paladin). Druids never sell
these poisons to anyone other than other
druids. In dire need, a druid may find it
necessary to coat a blade with such a
substance in order to guarantee the sur¬
vival of the party, but he will be wary of
his use of this material.

New druidic spells

Table 2 shows some new spells that may

be added to the druid's repertoire at the
DM's discretion. Many of these spells are
variations of magic-user or clerical spells,
although a few of them are strictly for use
by druids and are given here.

Find Woodland Familiar (Conjuration/

Summoning)

Level: 1 Components: V,S,M

AE: As per range CT: 1-20 hrs.

Duration: Special ST: Negative

Range: 1-mile radius/level

Explanation/Description: This spell is

the same as the first-level magic-user spell,
find familiar, except with respect to spell
components. In the brazier, the druid
must add three leaves of mistletoe. Tables
3 and 4 should be used in determining the
result of the druid's summoning.

Animate Dead Animals (Necromantic)

Level: 3 Components: V,S,M

Range: Vi" CT: 1 round

Duration: Perm. ST: None

AE: Special

Explanation/Description: This spell

creates skeletons and zombies from the
bones or remains of dead animals. The
effect causes the remains to become ani¬
mated and to obey the commands of the
caster. Animated creatures of more than
1 HD lose 1 HD due to deterioration. Ani¬
mals of 1 HD or less merely lose half their
normal hit-point totals, with 1 hp as a
lower limit. This spell animates the crea¬
tures until they are destroyed or dispelled.
The druid is able to animate 2 HD of crea¬

tures per level obtained, cumulative. The

material component for this spell is a fine
powder made of earth from a forest floor,
mistletoe, and powdered bone sprinkled
into the air.

Lightning Strike (Evocation)

Level: 5 Components: V,S,M

Range: 4" + l‘‘/lvl. CT: 3 segments

Duration: Instant. ST: Vi

AE: Special

Explanation/Description: This spell is

the same as the third-level magic-user
spell, lightning bolt, except for the materi¬
al components: a piece of tree bark recent¬
ly struck by lightning, a handful of sand,
and three leaves of mistletoe.

Raise Dead Animals (Necromantic)

Reversible

Level: 5 Components: V,S,M

Range: Touch CT: 1 round

Duration: Perm. ST: None

AE: 1 animal

Explanation/Description: When a druid

casts a raise dead animal spell, he may
restore life to mammals without souls
(meaning all mammals except those that
assumed their mammal form by being
reincarnated). The druid may restore life
to mammals not more than one day dead
per level of the druid casting the spell
(e.g., a 9th-level druid could raise an ani¬
mal that had been dead for up to nine
days). The raised creature will have its full
hit points returned, has no need for rest,
and is not required to make a saving
throw. The reverse of this spell, s lay living
animals, allows the victim a saving throw;
if successful, damage sustained by the
victim is 3-17 hp. Druids never use this
spell to slay neutral animals and usually do
not use this spell's reverse except in life-
threatening circumstances. The material
component of this spell is an herbal paste
made of mistletoe, holly, tree sap, and a
drop of the druid's blood, which is rubbed
on the body of the spell's recipient. In the
case of the reversed spell, the druid rubs
the paste on his own hands.

Calm Earth (Alteration)

Level: 7 Components: V,S,M

Range: 12" + l"/lvl. CT: 3 segments

Duration: Perm. ST: None
AE: Sphere of radius = 12" + 1"/level

Explanation/Description: This spell

negates the seventh-level clerical spell
earthquake and instantaneously stops all
natural earthquakes, tremors, vulcanism,
and such within the area of effect. The
material component for this spell is a piece
of mistletoe within a lump of clay.

52 NOVEMBER 1988

Table 3

Druidic Familiars

Roll on ld20

Familiar

Sensory powers

1-4

Fox

60' night vision and superior hearing

5-6

Hawk

Highly superior distance vision

7-8

Raven

Excellent vision

9-10

Rabbit

40' night vision and superior sense of smell

11-12

Weasel

Superior hearing and sense of smell

13-14

Toad

Wide-angle vision

15-16

Wild cat

40' night vision and excellent hearing

17-18

Special (see Table 4)

19-20

No familiar in woodland area

Table 4

Special Druidic

Familiars

Roll on ld4
Familiar

Powers gained

Elven cat

Druid may move silently (50% chance); surprised only on a roll of 1 (on ldl2)

Pseudo-dragon

Night vision (60%) and infravision; + 10% to hide in natural terrain

Pixie

Invisibility once per day as spell; 25% magic resistance

Leprechaun

Invisibility once per day as spell; 30% magic resistance

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I Tease specify Apple (S34.95), Com 64 ($34.95), IBM (S39.95), Handbook of t

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TO PAST CUSTOMERS - Due to an accident, many of our orders were lost. If you
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DRAGON is a registered trademark owned by TSR, Inc.

DRAGON 53

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54 NOVEMBER 1988

Role-Playing in the Modern World

Beyond The Supernatural

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kimduihU
ibui nuke ihem uenque urnl riunxviblc-.

HJ T JiFiifrfrth rjiiiWJi-. . .

* T -Sea" mapii: fir u I'nnn-infWHry a-nrld.

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* A LLHapIrib role-play mR pum* — ii? |"'m L -

t SH.YS plus- 1I.IHJ tnr i>i m TtZ,'." Hid liamlbkiG. l-V psKr nl Mir Hutch cover
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Ninjas & Super spies

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And the Winner Is-

The ORIGINS™ Awards and the Gamers’ Choice Awards

Two sets of gaming-achievement awards

were given out at the 1988 GEN CON®/
ORIGINS™ Game Fair. One set, the
ORIGINS Awards, was given by the Acad¬
emy of Adventure Gaming Arts and
Design. These awards are presented annu¬
ally at the ORIGINS game convention for
outstanding achievement in many gaming
areas. The other set, the Gamers' Choice
Awards, was announced by the RPGA™
Network, which had polled gamers for
their favorites in a number of gaming
categories. This year's winners are listed
herein. Our thanks to Anne Jaffe and Jean
Rabe for this information.

ORIGINS™ Awards

Best Historical Figure Series, 1987:

Shogun Hard Guys: The New Samurai*

(Ral Partha Enterprises), sculpted by
Dennis Mize and Bob Charrette
Best Fantasy or Science Fiction Fig
ure Series, 1987: Julie Guthrie’s Fanta¬
sy Line* (Grenadier Models, Inc.),
sculpted by Julie Guthrie
Best Vehicular or Accessory Series,
1987: STAR TREK* Miniatures (FASA
Corporation), sculpted by Randy Hoffa
and Steve Apolloni
Best Miniatures Rules, 1987:
HARPOON* game (Game Designer's
Workshop), designed by Larry Bond
Best Role-Playing Rules, 1987: STAR
WARS*: The Roleplaying Game (West
End Games, Inc.), designed by Greg
Costikyan

Best Role-Playing Adventure, 1987:

Tournament of Dreams*, for the PEN-

DRAGON* game (Chaosium, Inc.),
designed by Sam Shirley, Les Brooks,
and Greg Stafford

Best Role-Playing Supplement, 1987:

STAR WARS Sourcebook* for STAR

WARS*: The Roleplaying Game (West
End Games, Inc.), designed by Curtis
Smith and Bill Slavicsek

Best Graphic Presentation of a Role-

Playing Game, Adventure or Sup¬
plement, 1987: Miskatonic University
Kit* for the CALL OF CTHULHU* game
(Chaosium, Inc.), graphic design by Lynn
Willis
Best Pre-20th Century Boardgame,
1987: SHOGUN* game (Milton Bradley
Company), designed by Mike Gray

Best Boardgame Covering the Peri¬

od 1900-1946 for 1987: SCORCHED
EARTH* game (Game Designer's Work¬
shop), designed by John Astell

Best Boardgame Covering the Peri¬

od 1947 to modern day for 1987:
TEAM YANKEE* game (Game Designer's
Workshop), designed by Marc Miller and
Frank Chadwick

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Boardgame, 1987: ARKHAM HOR¬
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design by Alec Jutsum and James
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puter Game, 1987: PIRATES!* (Micro-
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(Milton Bradley Company), designed by
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ARS MAGICA* game (Lion Rampant),

designed by Jonathan Tweet and Mark
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Game (tie): MEGATRAVELLER* game
(Game Designers' Workshop), designed
by Marc Miller; and STAR WARS*: The
Roleplaying Game (West End Games),
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Game: TOP SECRET/S.I.™ game (TSR,
Inc.) designed by Douglas Niles
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HEROES game (Mayfair Games, Inc.),
designed by Dan Greenberg
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Designers' Workshop), designed by John
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Workshop), designed by Frank Chadwick

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Fantasy Line* (Grenadier Models, Inc.),
sculpted by Julie Guthrie
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designed by Rick Loomis
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The use of the name of any product without mention
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56 NOVEMBER 1988

Welcome to j
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DRAGON 57
by Vince Garcia

Hand-to-Hand

while appearing to be a reasonable idea,

conflicts with the structure of at least one
class with a right to martial-arts abilities —
the shukenja, which may be played with a
3 dexterity. The following article offers a
few guidelines and observations to clarify
the subject of martial arts in an Oriental
AD&D game campaign.

Against the
Rules

Modifying the martial arts of Oriental

Adventures

The unarmed fighting guidelines in

AD&D® Oriental Adventures, while martial-
arts styles, leave a few gray areas open to
subjective interpretation. For example, the
kensai has the option of specializing in an
unarmed fighting style, yet the table provid¬
ed with the class description is based entire¬
ly on the premise that the character decides
on perfecting the use of a melee weapon. It
isn't clear if it is possible for a bushi to
choose an unarmed fighting style as a form
of weapon specialization, nor is it clear if a

character wanting to learn martial arts

shouldn't have to meet one or more ability
score minimums (one has a difficult time
imagining a martial artist with a dexterity of
3 gracefully executing a circle kick maneu-

Unfortunately, the lack of integration in

the martial-arts rules causes problems if an
attempt is made to clarify and elaborate on
some of these gray areas. Suggesting, for
instance, that a prospective martial artist
possess at least a 10 or 12 dexterity.

Who may learn martial arts?

The section in Oriental Adventures
entitled "Learning Martial Arts" (page 105)
appears to suggest that any character with
an open proficiency slot may acquire
martial-arts ability if he can find a master
to study under. Of all character classes,
only two have an inalienable right to mar¬
tial arts — the monk and shukenja, both of
whom begin at 1st level with martial-arts
abilities. The DM retains the final ruling
on whether game balance is best main¬
tained by allowing other classes to use
these skills, and one of the factors he
should consider when making this deter¬
mination is how well martial-arts skills fit
the character class in question.

Barbarians: Oriental barbarians are

granted a large selection of skills and
allowable proficiency slots to cover their
many useful abilities acquired while grow¬
ing up in a harsh and demanding environ¬
ment. Nowhere are martial arts mentioned
in the description of the class, and it is
reasonable to assume that the barbarian's
exposure to the subject during childhood
was minimal at best. Because of this, it is
likely the barbarian would have little
motivation to invest time in such a
demanding regimen of training in a field
so foreign to his background. Certainly
nothing exists to prevent him from making
the attempt, but the DM must decide
whether commitment to learning and
practicing martial arts is done to the detri¬
ment of the barbarian's other talents.

Bushi: The rules for weapon specializa¬

tion do not specifically leave the bushi
with the option of choosing an unarmed
fighting style as a specialty. But since
unarmed fighting styles are listed as weap¬
on proficiencies, it is possible to allow the
bushi to specialize in one instead of in a
melee or missile weapon. To do this, how¬
ever, requires some rule modifications, for
the listed benefits of weapon specialization
function adequately when applied to mis¬
sile or melee weapons but bear no practi¬
cal tie to unarmed fighting styles.

In developing guidelines to cover the

bushi, two facts listed in Oriental Adven¬
tures must be considered. First, the bushi
must study under a master in order to
learn martial arts. Second, the character's
specialty must be declared upon his initial
creation.
At the DM's discretion, the bushi may
have the privilege of entering the game
with an already chosen master, foregoing
the cumbersome process normally
entailed in finding such a tutor. To balance
this, the character should undergo a proc¬
ess of training prior to embarking upon

58 NOVEMBER 1988

the road of adventure, which would

reflect a childhood or adolescence during
which the bushi acquired the basics of his
chosen style from a relative or acquaint¬
ance functioning as the character's master.
In game terms, this could be done by
allowing a period of zero-level adventuring
not unlike that of the Unearthed Arcana's
cavalier. During this time, the bushi earns
his "free" master by working through
experience- and hit-point penalties as
shown in Table 1. At the beginning of this
period of zero-level adventuring, the bushi
receives three proficiency slots, two of
which must be expended to acquire the
basics of his style. Upon attaining 1st level,
the bushi receives his fourth proficiency
slot which can be used for the acquisition
of a special maneuver or martial-arts
weapon taught under the style. In addi¬
tion, if the bushi either then or at a later
time gains proficiency with a martial-arts
weapon, he will be entitled to a bonus of
+ 1 to hit and damage when employing it.
(This bonus does not apply to any addi¬
tional weapons in which the bushi later
gains proficiency, nor to weapons not used
in martial arts.)

Table 2 outlines other bonuses that could

be granted to the bushi. They include the
automatic acquisition of a special maneu¬
ver every six levels (which doesn't affect
his option of obtaining more through
expending proficiency slots) and a mental
and physical training maneuver of the
DM's choice every seven levels.

As a final note, the DM must consider

carefully whether to allow a bushi special¬
ized with a weapon to gain martial-arts
abilities at some later point. Weapon spe¬
cialization entails far more than merely
expending extra proficiency slots to gain a
bonus; the character is presumed to spend
quite a bit of time practicing with his
chosen weapon, sparring and developing a
confidence with it as he learns its various
nuances and the most effective means of
employing it. No less a dedication is
required to perfect any of the martial arts,
and it is reasonable to consider whether
the character may have the time to pursue
both weapon and martial-arts practice —
especially in the case of a bushi who
spends much of his time adventuring.

Kensai: The kensai who chooses an

unarmed fighting style as his forte brings
up the same question as the bushi regard¬
ing whether he should enter the game
with a previously chosen master. Unlike
the bushi, however, the kensai's character
description does not require him to be,
under the tutelage of an instructor to
begin play with martial-arts proficiency.
Thus, the kensai character need not
undergo a period of zero-level adventuring
for a bonus that isn't necessary. However,
the player and DM may favor zero-level
adventuring anyway, for certainly the
kensai requires supervised training to gain
any special maneuvers taught within his
particular style. Table 3 outlines an
experience-level modifier similar to the

1 Table 1

Alternate Bushi Experience and Hit

Dice

Experience

Experience

10-sided dice

for

points

level
accumulated hit

points

- 750-0

ld6*

1-1,500

ld4

1,501-3,000

3,001-6,000

6,001-14,000

14,001-30,000

30,001-60,000
6

60,001-120,000

120,001-240,000

240,001-480,000

480,001-710,000

10

8 + 2

710,001-1,000,000

11

8 + 4

1,000,001-1,250,000

12
8 + 6

250,000 points per level beyond 12.

* Constitution adjustments

are made at ze

iro level. None are made at 1st level. |

Table 2

Martial-Arts Specialist

Bonuses for

Bushi

Experience Additional martial

Additional martial

Special

1/3

0
-

1/3

1/3

1/3

+ 1

1/2

+1

1/2

+1

1/2

+ 2

-
9

1/2

+ 2

10

1/1

+ 2

11

1/1

+ 2

1/1

+ 3

13

1/1

+ 3

14

2/1

+ 3

C
Special bonus key

A. +1 to hit and damage with a single martial-a

Lrts weapon.

B. Gain special maneuver

within style.

C. Gain mental and physical training maneuver

of DM's choice.

1 Table 3

Alternate Kensai Experience and Hit Dice

Experience

Experience

10-sided dice

for

points

level

accumulated hit

points

- 1,500-0
0

ld6*

1-3,000

ld4

3,001-5,500

5,501-10,000

10,001-22,000

22,001-44,000

44,001-88,000

6
5

88,001-150,000

150,001-250,000

250,000-500,000

500,001-750,000

10

8 + 2

750,001-1,000,000

11

8 + 4

1,000,001-1,250,000

12

8 + 6

250,000 points per level beyond 12.

| * Constitution adjustments

are made at zc

;ro level. None are made at 1st level. |

DRAGON 59

bushi's in the event this method of acquir¬

ing a master is used.

Whether or not the kensai begins play at

zero or 1st level, he receives the basics of
his style without cost along with three
proficiency slots, one of which may be
expended for martial-arts purposes if the
kensai is determined to have a master.

(This does not include martial-arts weap¬

ons taught within the style, for the kensai
should realistically be able to self-train in
these weapons if he desires. Further, from
2nd level on, the kensai may expend up to
two slots per level in martial arts.) Other
slots may be expended for peaceful profi¬
ciencies, but it is suggested that until the
kensai has mastered all special maneuvers
and martial-arts weapons taught within
the style, he may not gain proficiency in
other weapons or martial-arts styles.

Table 4 outlines martial-arts bonuses for

a kensai perfecting an unarmed fighting
style. Some modifications have been made
between this table and the character
description as written, particularly regard¬
ing the levels at which certain kensai
abilities are normally gained. Other
bonuses granted the kensai include a
periodic bonus of +1 to hit and damage
with a martial-arts weapon of his choice
taught within his style; at the option of the
kensai, this bonus is cumulative and may
be taken more than once with a single
weapon. Further, the kensai periodically
gains special maneuvers, mental and phys¬
ical maneuvers, and a free weapon profi¬
ciency. (If the kensai has already gained
proficiency in all martial-arts weapons
taught within the style, this bonus is lost.)
When the character at last gains the abili¬
ty of whirlwind attack, he may make
either a hand-to-hand or melee weapon
attack on each enemy within 10 1 of him.
This does not mean a full hand-to-hand
attack sequence, but only a single hand-to-
hand attack per foe. In addition, should
the kensai use his ki power to cause maxi¬
mum damage during an attack, the bonus
will apply only to one attack, not to an
attack sequence — although the character
may expend multiple ki uses to cover his
full allotment of attacks during the round.

The kensai's armor class is equal to the

base of his style plus the indicated bonus
from the table. The formula offered for
other kensai does not apply.

Kensai not dedicated to perfecting a

martial-arts style may also, at the discre¬
tion of the DM, be prohibited from learn¬
ing martial arts as a bushi weapon
specialist. The kensai has even less time to
spend on other pursuits than a bushi; and
thus may not have time to learn an unarm¬
ed fighting style.

Monk: Fortunately, the monk is ade¬

quately dealt with in the Oriental Adven¬
tures rules. No major problems exist
within the class regarding martial arts.

Ninja: Unfortunately, the ninja is not as

well defined in the area of martial arts as
the monk. The first problem presented by
the class is that two passages in Oriental
Adventures contradict each other: "Ninja
with a dexterity score of 16 or higher gain
a bonus of 10% on earned experience"
(page 8), and "The ninja has no prime

requisite and so never gains the 10 per¬

cent bonus to earned experience" (page
19). This writer has the impression the
ninja is not entitled to the experience
bonus, although the class requires so
much experience to advance in level that I
allow ninja characters in my own game
the bonus. [The passage from page 8 is
incorrect, according to David "Zeb" Cook.]
Putting aside other arguments with the
class, such as whether it was a good idea
to make it a split-class rather than its own
separate class, one might wonder whether
the ninja should be able to use his ninja
proficiency slots on martial arts rather
than relying on the other half of his class
for this. The martial art of ninjutsu in our
own world certainly embodies various
unarmed fighting movements; while this
fact does not require translation to a ninja
character class placed in a particular DM's
fantasy world, the potential probably
should at least exist. Thus, the DM can
create a martial-arts style particular to the
ninja, such as the following (as per Orien¬
tal Adventures, page 101, Table 68):

Name: Ninjutsu
# of At.: 2/1
Damage: 1-6
AC: 8

Principal Attack: Hand

Special Maneuvers:

Lock 1, 3
Movement 1, 5
Throw 2
Vital area 3

Weapons: Nunchaku, Kusari-gama (the

Table 4

Alternate Bonuses

Experience

level

for Kensai

Initiative Armor class

bonus bonus

Additional

martial-arts

attacks

Additional

martial-arts

damage’

Special

bonus
0-1

0 1

0 1

1/3

3 2

1 1

1/3

% die

1 2

1/3

V 2 die

5 3

1 2

1/3

V 2 die

C
6

1 2

1/2

A,D,E

1 3

1/2

Vi die

8 4

2 3

1/2

1 die

2 3

1/2

1 die

10 5

2 4

1/1

1 die

C,H
11

2 4

1/1

1 die

A,D

12 6

2 4

1/1

1 die

Special bonus key

A. +1 to hit and damage with a single martial-arts weapon.

B. May meditate like

shukenja.

C. Gain special maneuver within style.

D. Gain mental and physical maneuver of DM's choice.

1 Using the type of damage die appropriate to the martial-ar

ts style.

E. Only surprised on

1 .

May strike creatures requiring +1 weapon to

hit.

F. Cause fear; use two

weapons.

May strike

creatures requiring +2 weapon to

hit.

G. Gain proficiency ir

martial-arts weapon.

May strike

creatures requiring +3 weapon to

hit.

H. Attract 1-6 pupils.

May strike creatures requiring +4 weapon to

hit.

I. Whirlwind attack.

May strike

creatures requiring +5 weapon to

hit.

60 NOVEMBER 1988
DM might allow ninja weapons to be
taught within the style for ninja)

Once the DM has created a style of

ninjutsu for a given clan (as different clans
would likely make use of different special
maneuvers), the character must locate a
ninja master to study under, receiving the
basics of the style after expending a profi¬
ciency slot. From that point, he advances
like anyone learning martial arts, but may
only allot proficiency slots from the ninja
class to improve his skill at ninjutsu.

Samurai: It seems odd that the samurai

class may be played with as little as a 3
dexterity. Other fighter classes like the
barbarian, bushi, and kensai must each
meet a minimum dexterity requirement,
but the samurai does not have this restric¬
tion. This brings up an earlier question as
to whether a prospective martial artist
should meet a dexterity minimum. I per¬
sonally feel that he should, and so would
not allow a samurai with less than a 12
dexterity to learn martial arts. But it is for
each individual DM to determine his own
guidelines in the matter. An argument —
albeit not a strong one — could be made
that the martial artist may actually rely
less on his dexterity and more on his ki for
fluid performance of movement, and in
this case could be the basis for allowing a
3 dexterity samurai to perform tae kwon
do, as his dexterity plays little part in the
scheme of things.

However the DM chooses to handle the

matter, the samurai — because of his
weapon-specialization requirements —
should not be allowed the option of begin¬
ning play with a martial-arts proficiency.
Instead, he should at some point after
entering the campaign search out and
locate a master to study under.

In contrast to the bushi weapon special¬

ist and the kensai, the samurai has an
intense training in his weapons from his
youth, and so he requires a less-constant
regimen of practice to maintain his
bonuses. Certainly, the samurai will spend
a significant portion of his time in practice
with katana and daikyu, but probably not
to the extent that training in the martial
arts is automatically prohibited. Of course,
the properly played samurai should be
more interested in improving his calligra¬
phy skill than his karate skill, but that is
the character's choice.

Finally, the samurai's damage bonus

should not apply to martial-arts attacks,
except at the DM's discretion.

Shukenja: Like the monk, the shukenja is

adequately handled. Given the shukenja's
monastic ties, it is reasonable to presume
the character has access to martial-arts
training at all times without the need to
actively hunt out a tutor. This should also
hold true for the monk and the sohei.

Solid: Unlike the shukenja, the sohei

does not automatically begin play with
martial-arts abilities. Yet because he is
similarly tied to a monastery, it is not
gratuitous for a DM to allow him to
expend a proficiency slot upon creation to

gain the basics of a style taught by his

superiors.

Wu jen: Each class in the AD&D game is

given various strengths and weaknesses to
keep it in balance with other classes.
Magic-users in particular have tradition¬
ally been singled out as having to rely
upon their arsenals of spells to survive —
which is one of the reasons they may not
use swords or wear armor. In the case of
the wu jen, though, not only is he granted
a potent and respectable selection of
spells, but he is given a hit-point bonus as
well as allowed the use of certain weapons
(such as a short sword and bow) which his
Western counterpart has always been
denied in the name of "game balance."
Further allowing the wu jen to acquire the
art of karate, for instance, essentially
grants a magic-user a three-attack round
at 1-6 hp damage per hit! If one adds the
special abilities of those nonhuman races
allowed to become wu jen, all these talents
in concert with one another may result in
a character so versatile that game balance
starts to suffer.

Almost certainly, any wu jen character

will, if possible, learn martial arts for a
back-up in the event he is forced into
melee. The wu jen begins at 1st level with
six proficiency slots, which is more than
most classes receive. He gains another
every other round. Why so many? The
answer is found on page 55: "[The calligra¬
phy proficiency] is needed to inscribe
magical scrolls. . . ." As the wu jen has no
write spell, he relies on his calligraphy
skill to perform essentially the same func¬
tion, as well as assisting in the creation of
magical scrolls. Clearly, a wu jen must
expend two of his six proficiency slots to
acquire calligraphy. If one wishes to give
the wu jen the benefit of assuming callig¬
raphy is automatically known, the charac¬
ter must still make a proficiency check (at
base 18 or higher) to inscribe a scroll —
and probably to transfer a spell from a
scroll to his equivalent of a spell book.
Thus, the wu jen has a good use for all his
proficiency slots apart from learning mar¬
tial arts or the use of extra weapons.

Given this, the wu jen character may not

be quite so anxious to put proficiency slots
into martial arts.

Lastly, the overall power of the adven¬

turing group's typical opponents can pro¬
vide an indicator of whether the wu jen
should be allowed to learn martial arts.
Some of the Oriental monsters are so
powerful that it behooves the wu jen to
take advantage of every possible benefit; if
these monsters regularly appear in the
campaign, game balance isn't necessarily
compromised by permitting the wu jen the
option of unarmed fighting. In the same
way, if every group of bandits the party
encounters are evil monks or masters of
kung fu, then the wu jen may as well be
allowed to pick up karate if he wants.

Yakuza: Nothing in the yakuza's charac¬

ter description reveals martial arts to be
natural to the class. Thus, he should not

be allowed to begin play with an already

chosen master or with martial-arts abili¬
ties, but may acquire them through the
normal process.

Learning martial arts

"Master is an honorary title, not a char¬

acter class. Students refer to their teacher
as master. Unarmed fighters who have
gained a reputation are respectfully called
master. A wanderer may enter a town,
proclaiming himself to be a master. The
title is not a measure of skill or level!"

No statement in Oriental Adventures

opens the door to more potential abuse
than that just quoted, from page 105. If a
master may theoretically know and impart
nothing more than the basic movements of
a style, what is the difference between
studying under an NPC master of little
ability and a kensai PC who volunteers to
instruct a wu jen PC in the art of jujutsu?
Immediately, this important aspect of the
game is removed from the control of the
DM and handed over to the players. The
long, involved process for the PC to locate
a master to study under is not only unnec¬
essary but ludicrous.

To retain control over the issue, the DM

must insist that a PC may receive instruc¬
tion in martial arts only from an NPC —
never from another PC. Some rationaliza¬
tion exists for this statement. The monas¬
tic classes of monk, shukenja, and sohei
would jealously guard the secrets of their
unarmed fighting styles from outsiders. A
bushi PC approaching a shukenja PC with
a request to learn tae kwon do should
receive a polite but firm refusal. Even in
the case of two adventurers from the
same monastery, the ultimate determina¬
tion of a student's right to learn a martial-
arts style or special maneuver should
come from a temple superior with author¬
ity over both characters; the choice would
not be the PCs' to make.

In the same way, a ninja would never

instruct an outsider in the art of ninjutsu,
nor would a yakuza reveal clan fighting
techniques to those not under the author¬
ity of his oyabun. The fanatical training
regimen of the kensai would be more than
a nonkensai could endure, and a samurai
might think it beneath his dignity to be
instructed by a PC who is a mere bushi.

All these justifications cannot cover

every circumstance, but they do offer
grounds for ruling martial arts can only be
learned from NPCs. In addition, they bring
up a point that the DM should consider: In
many cases, the greatest likelihood is that
the PC's tutor in the martial arts will come
from his governing superiors. Those class¬
es in which this is a virtual certainty are
the monk, ninja, samurai, shukenja, sohei,
and yakuza.

While the above suggestion is not

engraved in stone, in game terms it may
be the most practical way of handling the
matter. Other classes might well resort to
Continued on page 64

DRAGON 61

"Jetboots,

by Charles A. Vanelli An Uprated

movement

system for the

STAR FRONTIERS®
game

don’t fail me
now!"

Player (whose character; a space-station

security guard, has unexpectedly discov¬
ered an intruder in a storage area): "1 back
away, drawing my nightstick."

Referee: "Great, because the guy takes

off the moment he sees you. He's carrying
a box from the storeroom."

Player: "I chase after him! When I catch

up. I'll smack him with my nightstick! I
move at 30 meters per turn."

by Clyde 1

Good question. Unless the intruder

happens to slip on a convenient banana
peel or other unforeseen obstacle, the
poor security guard may never get his
man. Here we see evidence of a flaw in the
STAR FRONTIERS® game, in that all beings
of the same race run at the same rate of
speed. The problem, however, is not just
limited to running or walking; it also
applies to swimming, climbing, and just
about every other movement task that a
character might attempt.

In the STAR FRONTIERS game, all crea¬

tures are given a set of movement rates
which are dependent only upon the races
of the creatures involved. Thus, every
Human in the Frontier runs just as fast as
every other Human. The same can be said
for Yazirians, Dralasites, and every other
known race. Obviously, this just isn't the
case. Any decent member of an Olympic
track team could beat the socks off the
average person on Earth in a foot race, yet
the current movement system would not
allow this.

Since all characters are not created

equal in the STAR FRONTIERS game sys¬
tem, all speeds should not be equal. Speed
should be based upon the basic attribute
scores of a character and the character's
race. (Obviously, a Dralasite cannot run as
fast as a Vrusk.) This article describes a
diversified movement rate system in
which only the characters who are physi¬
cally alike have the same movement rates.
In addition, the "standardized" movement
rates, such as climbing, jumping, and the
rest, are also covered. The main advantage
of this system is that it allows each charac¬
ter to be different from his peers. As an
added bonus, the system is flexible, per¬
mitting a character to improve his speed
as he improves his physical fitness.

Movement Rate Multiplier (MRM)

This system requires that each character

have a new statistic defined: the Move¬
ment Rate Multiplier (MRM). The MRM is
simply a number from 1 to 10, indicating
how fast a character is — but only as
compared to other members of the same
race. High MRMs represent fast charac¬
ters, while low scores represent slow
characters. This score is used extensively
in generating the movement rates, so it is
recommended that this score be recorded
on each character sheet near the Initiative
Modifier score or the movement rates. To
create the MRM, simply take the average
of the character's Strength and Reaction
Speed scores, then divide by 10, rounding
all fractions down. This value is the MRM.

The Strength score is used in the MRM

because a character's speed and quickness
are based upon the strength of the mus¬
cles within that character's limbs. The
Reaction Speed score is used because, by
definition, it is a measure of a person's
quickness. Excessive body weight and
equipment encumbrance do not play a
part in the creation of the MRM because
of their difficulty to implement; game

masters wishing to use these attributes

must create their own modifiers for them.

To use the MRM, the player must find

his character's Base Movement Value for
the type of movement desired. The Base
Movement Values are listed in Table 1
herein and are found by cross indexing
the character's race with the type of move¬
ment needed, such as running or walking.
The player then multiplies the number
found by his character's MRM to find his
character's movement rate using that
particular type of movement. Even though
encumbrance has no effect on the MRM, it
still plays a role in reducing the movement
rates of an encumbered character by half

if the character is carrying over half his

Strength score in kilograms.

For example: Rufinkel, a Yazirian, has a

Strength score of 55 and a Reaction Speed
score of 60. His MRM would then be 5 (the
average of 55 and 60 is 57.5; dividing by
10 gives 5.75, rounded down to 5). Con¬
sulting Table 1, Rufinkel walks at the rate
of 12.5 meters per turn, runs at 37.5
meters per turn, and hikes at the rate of 5
kilometers per hour. In addition, the table
also gives Rufinkel's "standardized" move¬
ment rates. Rufi now climbs at the rate of
2 meters per turn, and he makes running
jumps up to 6 meters long and standing
jumps up to 3 meters.

Table la

Base Movement Values by Race

Race

Walking

Running

Hiking

Climbing

Crawling
Dralasite

1.250

5.000

0.750

0.375

0.500

Human

2.500

7.500

1.250

0.500

0.500

Humma*

2.000

7.000

1.200

0.300

0.200

Ifshnit*

1.000

3.750

0.500

0.250

0.250

Osakar*

5.000

12.000

2.000

0.400
0.600

Vrusk

3.750

8.750

1.500

0.375

0.250

Yazirian

2.500

7.500

1.000

0.500

0.500

Sathar * *

2.500

5.000

0.750

0.500

0.500

Table lb

Base Movement Values by Race

Race

Running

Standing

Running

Standing
leap

leap

vertical leap

vertical leap

Dralasite

1.000

0.375

0.375

0.250

Human

1.250

0.500

0.500

0.375

Humma*

10.000

5.000

1.500

1.000

Ifshnit *

0.750

0.250

0.375

0.250

Osakar *

1.200

0.500

0.400

0.300
Vrusk

1.250

0.625

0.375

0.250

Yazirian

1.250

0.500

0.500

0.375

Sathar * *

1.000

0.500

0.375

0.250

Table lc

Base Movement Values by Race

Swimming
per turn

Swimming
per hour

Dralasite

2.000

0.250

Human

2.500

0.250

Humma*
-

1.600

0.200

Osakar *

1.000

0.125

Ifshnit *

2.400

0.200

Vrusk

2.500

0.250

Yazirian

2.500

0.250

Sathar * *

2.500

0.375

* See SFAC3 Zebulon's Guide to Frontier Space for details on this

race.

* * Sathar a

e used as NPCs only. However, this information also i

applies to the Sathar-

related S'ses
su race (which may be used

s PCs), as described in DRAGON® issue #96.

DRAGON 63

Table 2

Average STR, RS,

and MRM Scores

Race

Average

Average

Average

strength

reaction speed

MRM

Dralasite

50

40

Human

45

45

Humma*
55

45

Ifshnit *

40

45

Osakar *

50

50

Vrusk

40

50

Yazirian

35

50

Sathar * *

45

40

* See SFAC3 Zebulon’s Guide to Frontier Space for details on this race

* * Sathar are used

s NPCs only. However, this information also applies to the

Sathar-related S'sessi

race (which may be used

as PCs), as described i
DRAGON

issue #96.

Movement types

Table 1 also gives new movement types

that are available to the characters. These
are more fully explained below, along with
the old movement types from the Alpha
Dawn expanded game rules to reduce
cross referencing between the book and
this article.

Walking: This is the rate at which a

character can walk, expressed in meters
per turn. This is also the rate at which a
character can climb a ladder or staircase.

Running: This is the rate at which a

character can rim, expressed in meters

Hiking: This is the rate at which a char¬

acter can walk (with appropriate rests)
over long periods of time, expressed in
kilometers per hour. (This is known as
"Per Hour" in the Alpha Dawn expanded
game rules.)

Climbing: This is the rate at which a

character can climb a rope, expressed in
meters per turn. A character can climb a
vertical surface at half this speed, provid¬
ed there are handholds and footholds.

Crawling: This is the rate at which a

character can crawl along the floor or
ground in a semiprone position, expressed
in meters per turn.

Running Leap: This is the distance in

meters that a character can leap horizon¬
tally, allowing a straight-line run for 15
meters before leaping.

Standing Leap: This is the distance in

meters that a character can leap horizon¬
tally from a standing start.

Running Vertical Leap: This is the height

in meters that a character can leap, allow¬
ing a straight-line run of at least 5 meters
before leaping. This height is measured
from the ground to the lowest point on
the character's body at the highest point of
the jump. The sum of this distance and the
character's height (with arm extended)
used when the character is attempting to
reach a high object.

Standing Vertical Leap: This is the height

in meters that a character can leap from a
standing start.

Flying: This is the rate at which a

winged character may fly, expressed in

meters per turn. Note the difference
between flying and gliding: Gliding is
merely coasting through the air on steady
wings, but flying is the act of physically
propelling oneself through the air by
flapping wings.

Swimming per turn: This is the rate at

which a character may swim, expressed in
meters per turn.

Long-Distance Swimming: This is the

rate at which a character may swim (with
brief floating rests) over long periods of
time, expressed in kilometers per hour.

Expanding Table 1

Expanding the table of Base Movement

Values for new races can be accomplished
in four easy steps. First, each new race
must have a table of average movement
rates defined for it; the creation of this
table is left to the designer of the race.
Second, the new race's average Strength
and Reaction Speed scores must be found,
using the method in the following section.
Third, using the average Strength and
Reaction Speed scores, the average MRM
is computed, as per the rules in this arti-

Continued from page 61

finding a master entirely apart from their

acquaintances or present superiors.

Once the master has been established,

the DM can then use the formula in Orien¬
tal Adventures for detailing what martial-
arts abilities the particular master is
familiar with. In the case of the monastic
classes (monks, shukenja, and sohei) and
the ninja and yakuza, even if the charac¬
ter's present master is limited in martial-
arts ability, it should not be difficult for
the character to locate a more experienced
master later — through the process
listed. £2

cle. Finally, new figures for Table 1 are

found simply by dividing the average
movement rates for the race by the aver¬
age MRM, rounding results to the third
decimal place. The results should be
recorded in the appropriate columns on
Table 1.

There may be some confusion as to what

a race's average ability scores are. Note
that when rolling on the Ability Score
Table in the Alpha Dawn expanded game
rules (page 4), the most commonly gener¬
ated base score will be a 45, simply
because the table assigns a 20% chance for
it to occur. No other base score has as
great a chance, though 45 is not the aver¬
age score. The average score is actually
the sum of 45 and the appropriate value
from the Ability Modifier Table (Alpha
Dawn expanded game rules, page 4). Thus,
for a Dralasite, the average Strength score
would be 50 (45 and a +5 modifier equals
50), while its average Reaction Speed score
would be 40 (45 and a - 5 modifier). This
gives Dralasites an average MRM of 4 (the
average of 50 and 40, divided by 10 and
rounded down). The average MRMs for
typical races are given in Table 2.

When the numbers in Table 1 are multi¬

plied by the average MRM score for a
race, the results are the regular movement
rates for the race in question. This system
works on the assumption that the rates
given in the Movement Table on page 19 of
the Alpha Dawn expanded game rules
were created with the average character
in mind. The average character's statistics
are the same as those of an average NPC,
as shown on the table in the Alpha Dawn
expanded game rules on page 59. £2

We Moved!

Well, actually, our mailing address

has changed slightly. The new
address is now: DRAGON® Maga¬
zine, P.O. Box 111, Lake Geneva
Wl 53147, U.S.A. See the differ¬
ence? Our street address for UPS
shipments is still: DRAGON Maga¬
zine, TSR, Inc., 201 Sheridan
Springs Road, Lake Geneva Wl
53147, U.S.A.

DRAGON is a trademark of TSR, Inc.

©1988 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

64 NOVEMBER 1988

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The Role-Playing Game

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Robotech II:
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VIDEO TAPE

DHA&OfJ 65

Sacje advice

by Skip Williams

If you have any questions on the games

produced by TSR, Inc., "Sage Advice" will
answer them. In the United States and
Canada, write to: Sage Advice, DRAGON®
Magazine, P.O. Box 111, Lake Geneva WI
53147, U.S.A. In Europe, write to: Sage
Advice, DRAGON Magazine, TSR UK Lim¬
ited, The Mill, Rathmore Road, Cambridge
CB1 4AD, United Kingdom.

Once again, we enter the realm of player

characters in the AD&D® game. These
questions are primarily organized accord¬
ing to the classes involved, not races; class
combinations are dealt with in their own
section. Additional commentary was pro¬
vided by David "Zeb" Cook and Jon Pick¬
ens, who are currently working on the
second-edition AD&D game rules, and by
Roger E. Moore.

Magic-users
Can a magic-user fill a higher-level
spell slot with a lower-level spell?
For instance, can a magic-user mem¬
orize fireball instead of a fourth- or
higher-level spell?

No. Spells can't be switched except

under certain special circumstances, such
as the use of a Rary's mnemonic enhancer
or Mordenkainen's lucubration spell.

Would a magic-user take damage

from his own fireball if the spell
were cast at zero range?

Absolutely yes! Note that a fireball has a

cubic volume in excess of 33,000 cubic
feet, enough to fill about 335' of 10' x 10'
corridor. A mage doesn't have to cast a
fireball at range zero in order to get
caught in the blast.

Are there any restrictions on

magic-users trading spells?

None except those imposed by the DM.

Some campaigns require mages to make
scrolls (or have them made) before a spell
can be safely transferred. Once the scroll
is made, the receiving magic-user rolls his
"chance to know," writes the spell into his
book, and the spell disappears from the
scroll. Any attempt to write the spell into
the book uses up the scroll even if the
"chance to know" roll fails. Note that a
write spell is not required as long as the
receiving magic-user has a "slot" of the
appropriate level available, and he has not
previously failed his "chance to know" for
the spell in question. Attempts to transfer
spells directly from book to book result in

the spells disappearance from the original

If a PC has an NPC mentor who supplies

higher-level spells as the PC advances in
level, the mentor might be upset to find
"bootleg" spells appearing in his appren¬
tice's spell book.

Fighters & rangers

Can a ranger wear plate mail or

plate armor?

Yes. A ranger may wear any armor.

How do rangers acquire magic-
user spells?

A ranger learns magic-user spells from a

magic-user, just as a lst-level magic-user
does. Start the ranger out with read mag¬
ic, plus three other spells from the table in
the DMG, page 39. The cost of the initial
spell book is assumed to be part of the
training cost for reaching 9th level. The
ranger must follow all the normal rules
for spell use (e.g., chance to know a spell
by intelligence, casting time, material
components, armor worn, etc.).

At what level do rangers cast their

spells?

The character's spell-casting level is

based upon the first level at which he can
cast spells. An 8th-level ranger, for exam¬
ple, casts his druidic spell at 1st level. A
9th-level ranger casts his magic-user spell
at 1st level, but he casts his druid spell at
2nd-level; at 10th level, a ranger casts his
druid spells at third level and his magic-
user spell at second level, and so on.

Do rangers receive bonus druidic

spells for high wisdom?

No, only clerics and druids get them.

Can high-level rangers use wands

or other magic-user items?

The ranger's ability to cast spells does

not empower the class with the ability to
use magic-user or druidical magic items,
unless such may be used by all classes.

Can a high-level ranger who has

all the Bigby’s hand/fist spells in his
books use all three functions of a
wand of force?

No. Only a member of the magic-user

class can use the wands third function
(and then only if he has at least one of the
Bigby's hand/fist spells in his book). Rang¬
ers, even though they can cast magic-user
spells, are not magic-users per se. Further¬
more, a ranger can have 2nd-level magic-
user spells at best (see the Players

Handbook, page 25), and thus cannot have

any of the Bigby's hand spells.
If a ranger can only own what he
can carry, how can he build a
stronghold?

You might also ask "If a ranger can only

own what he can carry, how can he own a
mount?" In fact, the restriction applies
only to personal items, treasure, weapons,
magic items, etc. The property restriction
is not intended to turn rangers into medi¬
eval bag ladies. It merely reflects the
class's nonmaterialistic outlook. A strong¬
hold is not strictly for a character's per¬
sonal use; it is a home for all the
character's hirelings, and also serves to
enforce the character's interests and pro¬
mote the fundamentals of the character's
alignment within the area that the strong¬
hold controls. As such, a stronghold is not
an item of personal property and falls
outside the restriction.

Are there additional adjustments

to surprise for an elven ranger?

No. However, the character does get the

best applicable surprise chance in any
given situation.

The article, “Arcana update, part

1” in DRAGON issue # 103 (page 13)
says that only single-classed fighters
and rangers can specialize with a
weapon. Does this mean that dual-
classed fighters and rangers cannot
specialize?

Unearthed Arcana did not specifically

restrict weapon specialization to single-
classed fighters and rangers, though the
update article (written by Kim Mohan,
with input from Gary Gygax, Frank Ment-
zer, and Jeff Grubb) did. If Unearthed
Arcana alone is used, then multiclassed
and dual-classed fighters and rangers can
indeed specialize with weapons. If the
update is followed, the opposite is true.
Another option for the DM is to rule that a
fighter or ranger who assumes a second
class loses the benefits of specialization,
but a character of another class can
become specialized if he assumes a fighter
class. Fighters and rangers get their spe¬
cialization bonuses from concentrating on
one weapon, which requires constant
practice. When a character assumes a
second class, he ignores his original class
completely while learning the new class. A
fighter who does this loses the benefits of
specialization, as he no longer devotes any
effort to the weapon of specialization. If
the character started play as any other
class, he could specialize in a weapon
when he began learning the fighter class,
and would not incur any penalty except
the possibility of low hit points (see the
Players Handbook, page 33).

The rules say that the option to

specialize in a weapon must be
made at 1st level. What about the
NPCs in my campaign that were

66 NOVEMBER 1988

around before the specialization

rules came out? My players aren’t
taking this sitting down, either.

A DM may allow already-created charac¬

ters to start weapon specialization retroac¬
tively when he first introduces the
specialization rule into his campaign.
Thereafter, the decision to specialize must
be made when a character begins play.

Can a weapon proficiency slot be

used to enable a fighter or other
class to make attacks with two
weapons at no penalty? Can a fight¬
er or ranger specialize in two-
weapon combat?

Using a proficiency slot for two-weapon

combat is up to the DM, but we do not
recommend it. If you decide to allow such
a proficiency, require a separate slot for
each combination to be used. For example,
a character who wishes to use a long
sword and dagger combination without
penalty would have to have at least three
proficiencies: long sword, dagger, and long
sword and dagger.

Weapon specialization allows a fighter or

ranger to excel in the use of one — and
only one — weapon. Thus, a character
cannot be specialized in two-weapon com¬
bat, as this is not a weapon per se. A char¬
acter may use a second weapon along with
his weapon of specialization, but he must
follow the rules on page 70 of the DMG.
Bonuses for specialization apply only to
the weapon of specialization, never to the
secondary weapon.

Can a character simply specialize

in “sword,” and so gain specializa¬
tion bonuses with all types of
swords?

No. A character specializes with a spe¬

cific type of weapon, not a general class of
weapon.

Can a fighter or ranger specialize

in more than one weapon if the
extra slots are available?

Fighters and rangers can specialize in

only one weapon, the number of available
proficiency slots notwithstanding.

Will “to hit” bonuses from

strength or weapon specialization
allow a character to hit monsters
that are hit only by silver, iron, or
magical weapons?

Nonmagical bonuses of any sort never

allow a character to harm a creature
which is harmed only by magical or spe¬
cial weapons.

Thieves & assassins

Why did Unearthed Arcana take

shields away from assassins?

Unearthed Arcana (page 13) is in error.

Assassins may use shields but not during
melee round in which the character is
engaged in the act of assassination.

Do assassins have to roll to hit

when attempting assassination?

This question sparked considerable

controversy among the sages. Gaming
groups should choose whichever of the
two following rulings is most appropriate
and desirable for the campaign and PCs:

1. Assassination is not a melee tactic; it

cannot be performed against a surprised
PC or NPC during a regular, played-out
battle. In order to perform an assassina¬
tion, an assassin PC must turn over an
exacting plan for the act to the DM, who
evaluates the plan and rolls the dice on the
Assassins' Table For Assassinations on page
75 of the DMG. No "to hit" roll is required;
the roll on the table merely condenses all
of the various die rolls together into one
package for fast results.

2. Assassination is a melee tactic but can

only be used against surprised opponents
and cannot be combined with back-
stabbing; a "to hit" roll is thus required
Players Handbook, page 29) unless the
victim is helpless (see the DMG, page 70).

If the attack hits, the DM rolls on the

assassination chart to see if the assassin
kills the victim outright. If the assassina¬
tion fails, the victim still suffers normal
weapon damage. Poison can be used with
an assassination attack.

Can thieves back-stab or assassins

assassinate with missile weapons?

Thieves cannot use missile weapons for

back-stabbing attacks, but assassins appar¬
ently can do so (going by a strict rules
interpretation), though this is not recom¬
mended.

If a thief using two weapons

makes a back attack, does he get his
“to hit” and damage modifiers for
both weapons?

The + 4 "to hit" and the damage multipli¬

er only apply to the first blow; the second
weapon gets the +2 "to hit" modifier for a
rear attack but no damage modifier. The
same holds true if the thief gets multiple
attacks due to surprise.

When a thief makes a back attack,

are any damage bonuses for
strength or a magical weapon also
multiplied?

No. The multiplier applies only to the

weapon's base damage; other damage
bonuses are applied after the multiplica-

Can a thief ever get more than

quintuple damage for back-stabs?

No. Quintuple damage is the limit.

Why are thieves restricted to short

bows? Why can’t they use long

There are two reasons for this: game

logic and game balance.
From the standpoint of game logic, a
long bow is simply too large. A thief carry¬
ing such a weapon would have difficulty

hiding or climbing. Therefore, the thief

learns to use other, more easily concealed
weapons. There are other logical consider¬
ations. A long bow requires more strength
than the average thief has. Rather than
writing a strength requirement for the
long bow (and every other weapon on the
list), we put a class restriction on it; only
fighters who normally have high strength
scores can use it.

From the standpoint of game balance,

only fighter-types have unlimited choices
of weapons. In order to make thieves less
effective than fighters in combat, they
have fewer weapons to use. Thieves are
not supposed to get into long-range fire-
fights with opponents; they're supposed to
be sneaky. This distinction between classes
is very important for several reasons. It
prevents a character with extremely good
stats from totally dominating the game,
since no character can do everything. It
also promotes teamwork and gives every¬
one a chance to have some fun, again
because no single character can do it all.

A similar line of logic applies to all the

other class distinctions. The AD&D game
simply would lose its appeal if clerics
could use edged weapons, if mages could
wear armor, or if fighters could pick locks.

The Players Handbook says that

elven characters can move so silent¬
ly that they can surprise opponents
66 2/3% of the time. Do I add this
amount to an elven thiefs move
silently percentage?

No; use the racial adjustment from the

table on page 28. The 66 2/3% refers only to
an increased ability to gain surprise (1-4
instead of 1-2 on ld6) and is dependent on
the prevailing conditions (see the Players
Handbook, page 16).

A 9th-level thief-acrobat has a dex¬

terity of 19 and wears no armor.
According to the Thief-Acrobat
Function Table (Unearthed Arcana,
page 24), a 9th-level thief-acrobat
can fall a distance of 10' and take no
damage. The modifications for dex¬
terity and no armor add 15' to the
falling distance. Is this 15' also add¬
ed to the 10' that the thief-acrobat
can fall and take no damage?

The bonus distances from any source

are added to the distance indicated on the
falling column on the Thief-Acrobat Func¬
tion Table; since the "automatic safe" fall¬
ing distance is inferred, not listed, it does
not increase with bonuses. The 9th-level
thief-acrobat in your example would take
no damage from falls up to 10'.

Which races can become thief-

acrobats?

All races that can become thieves can

become thief-acrobats.

Do thief-acrobats have to pay extra

training costs? How much does a
thief-acrobat’s initial training cost?

DRAGON 67

Acrobats pay normal training costs. A

starting thief-acrobat pays training costs
for gaining the 6th level (see the DMG,
page 86).

Will gauntlets of ogre power give a

thief-acrobat the bonuses for an 18
strength (as given in the table on
page 25 of Unearthed Arcana)?

Gauntlets of ogre power give an 18/00

strength to the chest and arms. Use the 18
strength score only for pole vaulting.

Can thief-acrobats use their eva¬

sion maneuvers against missile
attacks?

Yes, provided they have the initiative and

are aware of the attacks.

Multi- and dual-classed PCs

What multiclassed options are

open to thief-acrobats?

Thief-acrobats are treated as thieves for

determining what multiclass combinations
are available.

Can assassins opt to become thief-

acrobats as multi- or dual-classed
PCS?

No, they cannot. A subclass cannot be

combined with another subclass.

Are half-ores the only race that can

become cleric/thieves?

If you are using just the Players Hand¬

book, this is indeed the case. If you are
using Unearthed Arcana, the following
races can become cleric/thieves: gray
dwarves; dark, gray, high, valley, and
wood elves; deep and surface gnomes; all
types of halflings; and half-ores. Note that
an expanded table of allowable multi¬
classed options was published in issue
#103 of DRAGON Magazine, on page 49.

Are druid/illusionists possible in

the AD&D game? There are druid/
magic-users.

No. A subclass is not allowed in a multi¬

classed combination just because the main
class is. In the case of the illusionist class,
only the gnome races can be multiclassed
illusionists of any sort because these races
have a predisposition toward the illusionist
profession. Elves, who can be druid/magic-
users, can't become illusionists at all.

Which races can become magic-

user/ assassins?

Dark, gray, high, valley, and wood elves

may become magic-user/assassins.

I have a human 2nd-level fighter/

8th-level cleric (using the dual-
classed rules from the Players
Handbook). Can he use edged weap¬
ons? Is there any penalty for their
use?

the answers to these questions depend

on which class the character followed

first; it isn't apparent from the order in

which you list the levels. We'll guess that
the PC was a fighter first and a cleric
second. In this case, the character can use
edged weapons freely, since he is now a
higher level in his second class (see the
Players Handbook, page 33). There are no
penalties whatsoever for using edged
weapons. When using such weapons,
however, the character attacks as a 2nd-
level fighter, not an 8th-level cleric.

Can a multiclassed fighter/thief

use his specialization bonuses in a
back-stab attempt?

No. Only single-classed fighters may

specialize (see "Arcana update, part 1"
in DRAGON issue #103, page 113).

Can a multiclassed fighter/magic-

user wear full plate armor?

Yes, multiclassed magic-users (not dual-

classed) may wear the best armor allowed
by their classes. However, only elves may
wear armor and cast magic-user spells (see
the Players Handbook, page 33, top of
second column).

What multiclass options are open

to barbarians and cavaliers?

None, The barbarian subclass is open

only to humans, and humans are never
multiclassed characters. An elven or half-
elven cavalier (strictly speaking) cannot be
a multiclass character as such a combina¬
tion is never mentioned in the rules as a
possible combination; this also applies to
half-elven paladins. Human cavaliers and
paladins cannot be multiclassed, but in
theory could be dual-classed. However, a
dual-classed cavalier or paladin also seems
to run against the single-minded nature of
those classes. You might consider a restric¬
tion on dual-classed cavalier types that
only the cleric class can be adopted as the
other class.

What are the rules for single-

classed demi-humans adding a sec¬
ond class, or multiclassed
demi-humans adding another class?

There are none. Multiclassed demi-

humans must be multiclassed from the
start; they can't add more classes later.

When can my fighter/illusionist

use weapon specialization? Are
there any penalties for doing so?

Your fighter/illusionist might not be able

to use weapon specialization at all. If he is
a multiclassed fighter/illusionist (and there¬
fore a gnome, the only race in which this
combination is allowed) he is not single-
classed and cannot specialize.

If he is a dual-classed human he may

specialize only if he was an illusionist first.
If the character started play as an illusion¬
ist, he could specialize in a weapon when
he began learning the fighter class, and
would not incur any penalty except that
he would have an illusionist's hit points
(see the Players Handbook, page 33).

At what level do multiclassed

spell-casters cast their spells? I
assume that the levels are cumula¬
tive, so that a 7th-level fighter/7th-
level mage would cast his spells at
14th level.

A multiclassed character's levels are not

cumulative for any purpose. The fighter/
mage in your example casts magic-user
spells at 7th level. If the character were a
7th-level cleric/6th-level magic-user, he
would cast clerical spells at 7th level and
magic-user spells at 6th level.

Do multiclassed characters get all

of the proficiency slots of all of their
classes? If so, are they free to use
any of their slots for any of their

Multiclassed characters have proficiency

slots for all their classes. All these slots are
not lumped together, however; they
remain separated by class. A fighter/thief,
for example, who chooses to attack as a
fighter suffers the fighter nonproficiency
penalty if he uses a weapon with which he
is proficient only as a thief. Likewise, the
fighter/thief may only back-stab with a
weapon allowed to the thief class.

Is it possible for a human to add

more than one class using the dual¬
class rules?

Adding more than one class is not rec¬

ommended except for the occasional and
extremely rare NPC, but it can be done.

Oriental Adventures says that a

dual-classed character “always uses
the most advantageous combat and
saving throw tables of the two class¬
es without penalty” (page 28). Does
this mean that a high-level fighter
could make multiple attacks while
studying a second class?

Not before he surpasses his fighter level

in the second class, unless he forfeits all
experience for that adventure. Multiple
attacks are a function of the fighter class.

Miscellaneous

I think I have found an error in

the Players Handbook. It lists the
maximum dexterity for half-ores as
14, but the AD&D game errata pub¬
lished in DRAGON issue #35 lists the
maximum dexterity as 17.

You have indeed found a mistake in the

Players Handbook. Half-ores do have a
maximum dexterity of 17.

Do elves get their 66 2/3% surprise

ability when wearing elfin chain
mail?

No; elfin chain mail and all other metallic

armors negate the surprise ability. £2

68 NOVEMBER 1988

DAILY^^-PLANET"

GAMING SUPPLEMENT

November 4th, 1988

SECRET MISSION FILES OF TASK FORCE X™ REVEALED

Espionage comes to the DC™

HEROES RPG in two releases
this winter featuring Task Force
X, a.k.a. the Suicide Squad™.
The Belle Reve™ Sourcebook
is a complete reference work on
Belle Reve prison, the Squad ! s
secret headquarters and the
most sophisticated facility for
holding villains ever built.
Following the sourcebook is
Operation: Atlantis, a 32-page
adventure featuring the Suicide
Squad.

Released this month, The Belle

Reve Sourcebook is a complete
sourcebook on the Squad, con
taining histories, psychological
reports, and statistics for every
Squad member, from core
agents like Rick Flag, Jr.™,
Bronze Tiger™, and Night¬
shade™, to one-shot specialists
like Plastique™, the Privateer™,
and Slipknot™, to casualties
like Mindboggler™, Multiplex™,
and the Thinker™.

Inside Belle Reve, you’ll meet

the Squad’s Ground Crew, in¬
cluding Briscoe™, John Econ-
omos™, and Amanda Waller™.
You’ll tour their headquarters
and examine their specialized
equipment, including the high-
tech helicopter known as Sheba™.

To help get your Squad adven¬

tures off to a rip-roaring start,
next month’s release will be
Operation: Atlantis, a full-
length Task Force X adventure.
An Advance Team of Squad
members is called in to protect
a diplomatic mission to the
undersea city Poseidonis™.
While there, they uncover a plot
by the insidious Ocean Master™
to destroy the city. A Combat
Team is assembled and sent to
the Middle Realm™ in order to '
stop the Ocean Master before
the whole world is annihilated.

You won’t want to miss either

of these exciting modules. The
Belle Reve Sourcebook is on
sale now, and Operation:
Atlantis will be out soon.

THE JOKER™

Skills:

Artist (Actor): 5
Charisma: 10
Martial Artist: 8
Gadgetry: 11
Vehicles: 4
Weaponry. 4
Advantages:

Connections:

Arkham Asylum™ (High)

Underworld (High)
Batman™ (Low)
Drawbacks:

Catastrophic Irrational
Attraction to practical jokes.
Miscellaneous: Insanity.
-Equipment:

Acid Flower
[Acid: 8, Body: 2, R#: 2]
Range is 0 APs.

Electric Joy Buzzer

[Lightning: 9, BODY: 4, R#: 2]
Range is Touch
Joker Venom™ Ring
[Poison Touch: 8, BODY: 5,R#: 2]
The Joker can poison his vie
tims by scratching them with this
ring. When the Joker Venom kills,
it leaves its victim’s lips pulled
back in a twisted smile.

Motivation: Psychopath

Wealth: Varies

Job:

Former Comic, now Criminal

Race: Human
Background:

Recent finings about the man

now known as the Joker indicate
that he originally worked for the
Ace Chemical Company™, but
quit to become a stand-up come¬
dian. He could not find work as a
comic, and became increasingly
desperate for money to support
his pregnant wife. He somehow
came into contact with the Red
Hood Gang™ and agreed to help
them rob the chemical factory
where he had once worked.
Before the crime could take
place, however, the comedian’s
wife was electrocuted in a freak
domestic accident.

Under duress, he still accom¬

panied the gang on the robbery
dressed as the Red Hood™. The
break-in was interrupted by
police and the Batman. The other
two members of the Gang were
shot, and the would-be comedian
dove into a chemical waste tank
in an attempt to escape. He
managed to get free, but dis¬
covered that the chemicals had
turned his skin white, his lips
blood red, and his hair green. The
combined stress of the day’s
events finally caused his mind to

CHECKLIST:

□ HARDWARE HANDBOOK

This 96-page sourcebook is entirely

devoted to bringing you the high-
tech equipment used by heroes in
the DC Universe™ to help them in
their never-ending battle against
crime. Included are a host of Bat¬
man’s Bat-Gadgets™, Green
Arrow™’s amazing arsenal of trick
arrows, the Teen Titans’”’ heavy-
duty gear, and the futuristic gizmos
of the Legion of Super-Heroes™. It’s
a must for Gadget fans.

DC™ HEROES RPG

CONVENTION
CALENDAR

The following conventions will be

attended by members of our DC
HEROES staff. Come and visit at:
Quad Con ‘88
Noyember 4-6,1988
Rock Island, Illinois
Rock Con ‘88
November 6-6,1988
Rockford, Illinois
If your convention will be run¬
ning a DC Heroes RPG tourna¬
ment, please contact Mayfair
Games for prizes. If we’re notified
far enough in advance, we will list
your convention in the Daily
Planet Gaming Supplement.
Mayfair Games, Inc.
P.O. Box 48539
Niles, IL 60648

by Ed Greenwood

The Dragon’s
Bestiary

Rare beasts of the

FORGOTTEN REALMS ™ setting

LOCK LURKER

FREQUENCY: Rare
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 3
MOVE: 8"

HU DICE: 1+3
% IN LAIR: See below
TREASURE TYPE: Often found with large
hoards (e.g., A, H, O, or Z)

NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 bite or 1 sting

DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2 or 6-9
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Paralyzing venom in
sting

SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil

MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Low
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: S (V' body, sting up to 12")

PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

This tiny creature has been the bane of

many thieves and tomb-robbers, and it is
sometimes deliberately placed as a guard¬
ian against such. Appearing normally as an
inch-long, coinlike, coppery disc, a lock
lurker has two rows of tiny, retractable
legs on its underside, each of which ends
in a small suction cup. On one edge of the
coinlike body is a lightning-fast stinger
that sometimes reaches a length of 12".
When the lock lurker is at rest, this
stinger is concealed from sight, as it exists
on the Ethereal plane (where it can also
strike); it is only brought into existence in
the Prime Material plane to launch an
attack. When so materialized, the sting
looks like a scorpion's segmented tail,
curving upward from the disclike body of
the lurker. When using the stinger, it looks
as though the lurker will overbalance and

fall due to the size and length of the sting.

This action, however, is counterbalanced
by the heavy body of the creature.

The strike of this sting is terrifically

powerful, being able to pierce any armor
and stun opponents smaller than man-size
for 1-2 rounds. The stinger does 6-9 hp
damage per strike; it also injects a venom
that reacts with a victim's blood to para¬
lyze it in the round immediately following
a sting-strike. At this point, the victim is
slowed to half-normal movement rates and
attacks (as per the third-level magic-user
spell). As the victim's body reacts to the
venom, a saving throw vs. poison must be
made. Success means that the victim is
slowed for another round, then recovers.
Failure means that paralysis takes place
immediately, lasting 1-6 hours, and is then
followed by a round of slowed movement
prior to recovery. The complex venom of
the lurker reacts unpredictably with all
victims. Hence, a successful save vs. one
strike does not mean immunity to the
venom of a subsequent strike, nor does
paralysis from one strike mean paralysis
from all others.

A lurker eats by means of a tiny mouth

on its underside, an iris of razor-sharp
teeth that resembles the beak of an octo¬
pus. These teeth do 1 hp damage per
round to any opponent with which they
come in contact. The lurker can bite
through hide, hair, skin, or leather armor;
it cannot bite through metal, however. The
strike and bite of a lurker are utterly
silent unless metal is struck.

Lock lurkers are so named because they

are often employed as guardians of chests
and doors to strike unwary interlopers
through large keyholes. Assassins have
placed them under inkwells and other
items where victims are sure to come
within striking distance. Lock-lurker ven¬
om is valued by alchemists as an ingredi¬
ent in the spell ink of the slow spell and in
certain potions and magical processes. A
lock lurker injects only a small part of its
venom with each strike, and can so strike
40 or so times in any one-day period with¬
out its venom being exhausted. Venom and
ingested food are held in expandable body
sacks on the Ethereal plane, being trans¬
ferred by the lock lurker in a method not
yet fully understood.

Lock-lurker bodies are an essential

ingredient of oil of etherealness. As a
result, a well-preserved body will gamer 2
gp (6 gp if its sting is recovered, too, and
not left behind on the Ethereal plane).
Lock-lurker venom brings about 10 gp per
flask from those few alchemists who know
it for what it is: a clear, viscous fluid that
has a gummy texture and smells some¬
what like fresh crab or seaweed. Lock-
lurker egg sacks bring 25 gp or so on the
open market.

The stinger of a lock lurker can be

attacked on the Prime Material plane only
when it materializes there. On the Ethere¬
al plane, all of a lock linker can be
attacked, except when the stinger passes

A number of creatures found in every fantasy world are unique

to that world alone. Our files have revealed a few rare creatures that inhabit the
FORGOTTEN REALMS ™ setting and no other known world — all described by the creator
of the Realms himself, Ed Greenwood.

70 NOVEMBER 1988

into the Prime Material plane (which it can

always do, once per round, despite any
physical or magical restraints placed upon
it in either plane). Lock-lurker attacks and
venom have identical effects on the Ethe¬
real plane. Lock lurkers can see up to 6"
(with infravision) on either plane.

Lock lurkers are solitary creatures. They

wander slowly, pausing wherever they
find a good feeding location. Lock lurkers
can tolerate extremes of heat and cold,
including the conditions found in smoke¬
houses, ovens, and cold-room freezers.
Lock lurkers are hermaphroditic; when¬
ever two adult lock lurkers meet, they
mate and pass on. One to four months
after mating, each lock lurker lays an egg
sack of 10-120 tiny eggs, 60% of which are
fertile. These are left untended and hatch
in ld6 weeks. Typically, each egg sack
produces 6-18 survivors. The surviving
lurkers eat each other and unhatched eggs
until they are fully mobile, whereupon
they wander off in search of food. They
never again fight each other and become
mature within two years.

Lock lurkers are usually copper or

bronze in color but may be of a gold or
silver hue 25% of the time. Lock lurkers
are able to regenerate a lost or damaged
stinger, but this is a slow process.

LYBBARDE

FREQUENCY: Rare

NO. APPEARING: 70% ofl, 20% of 2, 10%

of 3-6

ARMOR CLASS: 5
MOVE: 14"

HIT DICE: 5
% IN LAIR: 15%

TREASURE TYPE: Nil

NO. OF ATTACKS: 2 claws and 1 bite
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-4/1-4/2-8
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Rear claws rake for
2-8/2-8

SPECIAL DEFENSES: Surprised only on a

1; see below

MAGIC RESISTANCE: See below

INTELLIGENCE: Low to average
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: L

PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

Celebrated by heralds for its courage

and fortitude, the lybbarde is one of the
most feared predators of the wastelands.
These giant cats resemble a cross between
a panther and a lioness. In battle, they are
utterly fearless and totally silent. Although
a lybbarde's intelligence is rarely greater
than that of most humans, the lybbarde is
always well aware of its own powers and
uses them with great cunning. Moreover,
its judgment is unaffected by pain — it is
never enraged, and never blinded or mad¬
dened by pain or circumstance.

Although it possesses standard magic

resistance, the lybbarde is immune to any
form of mental control or influence, as if it

MOVE: 11"

HIT DICE: 4 + 4 to 6 + 6
% IN LAIR: 20%

TREASURE TYPE: Nil, though often found

near metallic treasures such as coins
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 3-12
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Magnetism
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Magnetism
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Low
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: L (12-26’ long)

PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

The metalmaster is a large, sluglike

creature that eats only large, red-blooded
prey, such as livestock and humans. It
gains its name from its strange ability to
generate (or manipulate existing) magnetic
fields to alternately attract or repel metal.
This ability has a 90' effective radius
(increased to 150' if a metalmaster affects
a magnetic field of natural or magical
origin). Incredibly, all metals, even nonfer-
rous ones such as gold, are affected by a
metalmaster's magnetic manipulations.

A metalmaster can either attract or

repel metal from round to round. Attrac¬
tion draws unsecured metallic objects
toward the metalmaster. Small, secured
objects (up to 20 gp weight) are unaffected
unless the strap, flap, or other device
securing them fails to save vs. normal
blow. In such cases, the objects break free

FREQUENCY: Rare
NO. APPEARING: 1 (10% of 2)

ARMOR CLASS: 6

had a wisdom of 25, as per Legends &

Lore, page 7. A lybbarde fights to defend
itself, its mate and young, or its lair, to
gain food. It breaks off or avoids combat
when it judges its chances of success to be
too slim to be worth the danger.

A lybbarde can spring up to 30' horizon

tally and 20" vertically, and can fight for
hours without tiring. The lybbarde regen
erates 2 hp per day regardless of how
much rest it receives. Adult lybbardes
cannot be tamed, but young lybbardes (if
trained from birth) have a 40% chance to
be made into obedient, diligent guardians.

A lybbarde has a special and formidable

combat ability. Its long, prehensile, whip¬
like tail ends in a tuft of hair. Its touch
(successful "to hit" r<
creature, as per the
spell; a save vs. breath weapon at - 2
negates its effects. The effects of this slou
last for one round, during which the
barde can make double the number
normal attacks against that victim alone.
Only one creature per round can be
slowed.

This creature is thought to live up to

60 years. Naturalists report that
a lybbarde tail loses its s low
ability immediately after being
severed or after the lybbarde dies,
and that a lybbarde that loses its tail
regenerates a new one very slowly, regain¬
ing its ability to slow as much as one year
after losing its tail. Magic-users report that
lybbardes seem unaffected by haste or
slow spells cast upon them, or by the tails
of other lybbardes.

Lybbardes are usually solitary hunters,

although mated pairs may be encountered
20% of the time. Lybbardes seek out and
live with others of their rare breed, and
gather against strong foes in hunting
packs of up to half a dozen. If encoun¬
tered in their lairs, lybbardes have 14
young (HD 2, half damage on all attacks,
no slow power), who are ferociously
defended by their parents. Lybbarde lairs
never contain treasure because lybbardes
always eat outside their lairs (so as not to
draw attention to the location of their
abodes). Lybbarde young grow to full
power within a year, and thereafter may
establish a lair near that of their parents.

Lybbardes are huge, sleek cats of up to

7' body length (with tails up to an addi¬
tional 6' in length). Their coats are black to
dark brown on their heads, backs, and
flanks, with mottled tan and brown belly
and legs. The tail is always dark, and its
tuft is light tan in color. Lybbardes have
large, glowing green eyes and many teeth.
Savage tribes value and wear these teeth
in necklaces and bracelets.

METALMASTER

DRAGON 71

and are pulled toward the metalmaster at

a rate of 60' per round. Handheld weap¬
ons of this size or less are wielded at -6
to hit if within the metalmaster's "reach."

Large, unsecured metallic objects (up to

200 gp weight) are dragged at 30' per
round toward the metalmaster if they are
affected at all. Large, secured objects are
unaffected. Grasped or held metallic
objects (like weapons) are wielded at -4
to hit while being attracted, and charac¬
ters holding them must roll their strengths
or less on ld20 (consider 18/01-18/00 as
19) or have the object tom free. Magically
held or secured objects are never affected
by a metalmaster, and a wall of force or
similar means prevents metal objects from
being snatched away. A metalmaster's
power cannot be avoided by use of blink,
jump, or similar spells because the power
extends into the Ethereal plane. Teleport,
dimension door, and the like, however,
work as means of escape.

The repulsion ability deflects metallic

missiles (including arrows with metal
heads) so that they strike at -8 to hit.
Similarly, repulsed metallic weapons are
wielded at -4 to hit. Characters armored
in any metallic or metal-using armor must
make a strength check on ld20 every
round or be forced away 10'; a successful
check means the character can advance no
more than 10' and attack. Characters
wearing leather, cloth, or no armor can be
prevented from advancing or forced away
if they carry more than 10-gp weight of
metallic weapons or accoutrements (coins,
belt buckles, bracers and the like). This
occurs at the rate of 5' per round, if they
fail strength rolls on ld20 each round.

A metalmaster's power works on metal,

whether such metal is magical or not;
enchantments do not affect the aforemen¬
tioned saving throws. This power also
extends to affect traces of metal in rock or

metal, although small pieces ingested

accidentally cannot harm it.

The metalmaster is usually solitary, and

no small or young metalmasters have ever
been reported. Specimens have been
known to live for over a century (several
have been captured for use as guardians,
but these have not been trained or tamed,
and no known method of doing so exists).
A metalmaster sees with 90' infravision via
two eyes posted atop two eyestalks. Fur¬
thermore, it appears able to smell and
hear keenly, and it can sense the direction
and distance of fist-size or larger pieces of
metal within a 120' radius by using a
strange magnetic-related sense that does
not involve its eyes.

A metalmaster regenerates rapidly given

steady food; for instance, an eyestalk
might regenerate in a day or two, and lost
hit points are regained at a rate of 1 hp
per turn. This creature is also called the
"sword slug" and is referred to in songs by
the bard Mintiper. Metalmasters lair near
metal and favor narrow tunnels where
opponents cannot easily reach them.

SERPLAR

unrefined metallic ores. The attraction

and repulsion cause no damage to charac¬
ters themselves. Note, however, that wield¬
ed weapons may strike unintended
targets; anyone within 5' of a weapon's
wielder has a 20% chance of being
attacked with normal "to hit" rolls if the
metalmaster is missed.

Small, unsecured objects attracted by a

metalmaster never strike its body, instead
taking up orbits around it. Thus, in the 10'
around a metalmaster, there often exists a
whirling storm of metal akin to a blade
barrier (see the sixth-level clerical spell).
The cloud deals 4d6 hp damage to all
creatures within the area of effect (or 2d6
hp damage if a dexterity check on ld20
with +4 to the die roll is made) unless
such creatures are magically shielded. A
metalmaster often lurks near hoards of
metallic treasure (particularly coins),
which not only attracts prey but also
provides ready-made missiles. The
metalmaster is able to work its magnetism
at will and without rest.

A metalmaster can also mimic speech

and similar sounds made previously in its
presence (such as cries for help, fragments
of verbal spell-casting, shouted warnings,
and so forth). Nevertheless, the metal¬
master's low intelligence often causes
it to use the wrong sound for the
situation, which may lure by default
by causing great curiosity in intell¬
igent prey.

A metalmaster is large and leather¬

skinned, of sluglike or wormlike
form, and is dull purple to rust-red
in hue. Smoky gray or black speci¬
mens are sometimes encountered.

The metalmaster has a large maw

with sawlike teeth that does 3-12 hp
damage, and its jaws are strong
to bite through metal.

A metalmaster does not eat

created with Jenny Glicksohn

FREQUENCY Rare
NO. APPEARING: 1-4
ARMOR CLASS: 9
MOVE: 8”H14"

HIT DICE: 2+2 to 8+8

% IN LAIR: 40%

TREASURE TYPE: Nil

NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 4-16
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Envelopment
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Animal

72 NOVEMBER 1988

The serplar, also called the sponge worm

or "pink ghost," has no eyes or mouth.

Food and oxygen are sucked into its body

through countless tiny, hairlike tentacles.
These tentacles exude a highly corrosive
digestive acid which can consume any¬
thing short of metal or stone. Serplars are
usually found in chimneys, caverns, or
abandoned dwellings, where they feed
upon soot and charcoal, carrion, mosses
and fungi, and slimes (including green
slime, which does not harm it). A serplar
hunts by smell and by sensing vibrations.

It is immune to heat and cold. The ser-

plar's digestive acid is highly flammable,
however. As a result, flames do the crea¬
ture double damage.

A serplar's long, soft pink body can

flatten and flow about an obstacle or prey
in an amorphous mass. Air-breathing
creatures that are completely enveloped
suffocate in two rounds (three rounds, if a
save vs. poison is made) as the serplar's
body cuts off access to air, then sucks
oxygen from the creature. An enveloped
victim takes 9-16 hp damage from the
serplar's oxygen-draining attack each
round. Note that a completely armored
opponent suffers no damage from
oxygen-draining by a serplar,
which is still able to smother
the victim. A serplar is not able
to crush or constrict victims,
however.

r A Marine variety of the serplar is found

on the ocean floor in warm waters, feed-
L ing primarily upon polyps, plants, and

carrion. The marine serplar lives in circu¬

lar, coral-like tubes up to 40' long which it
creates with its mineral wastes. These
tubes grow up from the bottom like long
reeds and sway with water currents. They
are easily broken by the impact of rocks
and creatures, and they are rich in miner¬
als and ores of valuable metals. The
marine serplar is sometimes called the
"pink ghost/' as one will often leave its
tube behind to drift in the currents in
search of food. If a current is lacking or
too weak, or if the serplar senses nearby
prey and wishes to follow, it flits through
the water in the manner of a ray, flapping
the flattened edges of its body like wings.

A marine serplar cannot survive out of

water, but a dry-land specimen suffers no
damage if submerged, as long as it can
readily obtain oxygen from the water and
surrounding objects. Serplars grow larger
if food is plentiful and shrink if food is
scarce.

THYLACINE

FREQUENCY: Rare
NO. APPEARING: 1 (see below)
ARMOR CLASS: 5
MOVE: 14"

HIT DICE: 4 + 4
% IN LAIR: Nil
TREASURE TYPE: Nil
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-5/2-5/2-22

SPECIAL ATTACKS: Pounce; see below

SPECIAL DEFENSES: Surprised only on a 1
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard (but see
below)

INTELLIGENCE: Average
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE:!

PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

The thylacine, or jumping tiger, is a

fearless predator that inhabits rocky areas
and wooded country. Its favorite prey is
man. A solitary hunter, the thylacine likes
to leap upon opponents to bite and rend,
and it is intelligent enough to rend scrolls,
smash glass vessels, break wands, and
disable spell-casters and other obvious
dangers when attacking a group.
The thylacine is immune to charm, fear,
and other mind-controlling or influencing
magics, and it cannot be mentally sensed
or magically summoned. Because of this,
its brain and cranial fluids are highly
valued for use in the magical ink used in
setting down mind blank spells. The thyla¬
cine is by nature fearless and bold. Other¬
wise, it is as patient and intelligent as a
human, and is thus a hunter of dangerous
skill and cunning. It makes full use of
natural traps and concealment offered by
the land in which it hunts — a circular
region roughly 30 miles across.

A thylacine has keen infravision (range

of 11"), ultravision (range of 9"), and
regular vision in normal light. Its sense of
smell is also keen, and its hearing is equiv¬
alent to a human's (it can track with 80%
efficiency). Its coat is a smudgy, smoky-
gray hue, varying slightly in uneven patch¬
es, and its eyes are black. If standing
motionless in woods or among rocks, it is
well camouflaged and 70% likely to be
unnoticed to casual scrutiny. A thylacine
has no set lair but enjoys a number of
favored rest spots. High rock ledges or
small, concealed caverns are its first
choices; slightly less desirable are tangled
thickets around ruins. A thylacine is intel¬
ligent enough to conceal the remains of
prey and to drop coins or other items of
precious metal on trails where they might
serve as bait.

A thylacine can leap 20' upward and 50'

ahead (6.5' if a running start is possible),
attacking prey on a silent pounce. (It takes
only 1 hp damage per hit dice of falling
damage, no matter how far it falls.) In
jumping on its prey, the thylacine has a
+ 2 bonus to hit with its front claws if
attacking from surprise and rakes with its
rear claws if the front two claws catch
hold. Its bite (if the front two claws catch)
is at +4 to hit and does maximum damage
each round that it hits until the thylacine
is dislodged (bend barsAift gates strength
roll required). The front claws automati¬
cally do the minimum amount of damage
each on each round that they simply hold
on to its prey. Thylacines avoid attacking
large groups of intelligent-looking prey,
preferring to pick off solitary beings or

DRAGON 73
those in small, weak-looking groups.

One out of five thylacines can cast an

illusion (making it appear to be a human
or humanoid) upon itself once per day.

This simple illusion can be maintained

only for 1-3 rounds and is raised to escape
pursuit or to approach alert prey. This
ability (which gives the thylacine the nick¬
name of "mantiger") is a natural change
self ability usable by force of will, not as a
memorized spell. Because of this crude
spell-use, viewers gain a bonus of +2 to
saving throws against the illusion.

Thylacines seldom mate, doing so only

once every dozen years. At this time,
mature thylacine are driven by an instinc¬
tive urge to travel and congregate in iso¬
lated forests and arctic regions. There,
they form huge packs of 10-40 individuals
that stay together for months, hunting en
masse and howling loudly (thylacine are
otherwise silent and stealthy) as they do
so. Males then leave and females stay in
the pack until the birth of their young,
which occurs six months after mating.
Young remain with their mothers until
full-grown. Then, as the pack breaks up,
the young are left to find a hunting range
for themselves.

Thylacine have been known to live for

70 years, although most come to their
untimely (and often violent) ends long
before this. Thylacine fur is highly valued
in the making of camouflaged cloaks (1-3
gp per pelt), and a thylacine brain brings
25-50 gp in a large city market. £1

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(Paks for short), who flees an unwanted

marriage to become a soldier. This isn't
difficult in Paks's culture, as companies of
contract militia are fairly common; even
her sex is no great novelty to the recruit¬
ers. A period of adjustment is punctuated
by inevitable false charges of misconduct,
and mysteries and complications gradually
ensue, involving Paks's unusual reactions
to magic (a rarity in this time and place)
and an elusive renegade mercenary leader
known as the Honeycat.

Sheepfarmer's Daughter is (of course)

the first book in a trilogy, so Moon leaves
the usual lingering plot strands at the
volume's conclusion. But loose ends and
all, the novel is a gold mine of useful and
readily adaptable-military lore. The world
Moon portrays would make a thoroughly
viable if magic-poor campaign setting. On
a less ambitious scale, gamers could easily
transplant aspects of her mercenary
troops into their own worlds.
The problem with most war stories is
that they appeal to a fairly limited audi¬
ence. That audience will appreciate Sheep-
farmer's Daughter — but those who don't
usually enjoy war stories may also find the
book appealing. That's a rare phenome¬
non, and Elizabeth Moon gets high marks
for achieving it.

THE THREE-MINUTE UNIVERSE

Barbara Paul

Pocket 0-671-65816-6 $3.95

The problems with The Three-Minute

Universe have very little to do with the
fact that it's a Star Trek novel. They'd be
problems in any science-fiction adventure,
whether book or RPG scenario. Author
Barbara Paul, known chiefly for her mys¬
teries, frustrates readers to no end with
her scientific lapses in logic.

According to Paul, the U.S.S. Enterprise

can save the universe from a heat wave
that makes a supernova look like a stutter¬
ing Bic lighter — by capturing a "baryon
reverter," pointing it at the rip in space-
time, and spraying on the submolecular
equivalent of Krazy Glue. Reasonably, the
U.S.S. Enterprise can barely get within
spray range of the rip in space-time with¬
out being fried by the heat. Unreasonably,
it isn't worried about the spectacular
waves of hard radiation that surely extend
well beyond this heat perimeter. In short,
Paul's solution couldn't possibly work in
the conditions she describes.

That might not be a fatal flaw by itself;

Star Trek has always tended to skate over
technicalities in the interests of exploring
challenging themes. Paul's other plotline
has such ambitions, but it suffers from a
severe case of back-pedaling.

The Sackers, as Paul initially describes

them, are amoeboid aliens whose bodies
are physically repulsive to most Federation
members. It isn't just visual ugliness; a
Sacker's touch bums human skin, its voice
is painfully shrill, and humans aboard
Sacker spacecraft must live in refrigerated
quarters.

©1988 by John C. Bunnell

SHEEPFARMER’S DAUGHTER

Elizabeth Moon

Baen 0-671-65416-0 $3.95

Don't believe Judith Tarr when she says,

on the flyleaf of Sheepfarmer's Daughter,
that Elizabeth Moon's novel is a sort of
spiritual sequel to Tolkien's Lord of the
Rings. Though well meant, the compliment
misses its mark. Do believe her, though,
when she praises Moon for crafting a tale
of medieval mercenaries with a keenly
authentic atmosphere.

Yet while Moon's experiences in the U.S.

Marines (noted in a back-cover biography)
have clearly benefited her portrayal of

would-be soldier Paksenarrion's experi¬

ences, the result isn't quite the "gritty"
yam the blurb writer promises. Instead of
painting mercenary life in angry gray
green — like so much of today's Vietnam
literature and film — Moon adopts a
matter-of-fact, easygoing attitude well
suited to a world in which war is just
another profession. This isn't to say that
Moon minimizes the mercenary lifestyle's
inherent violence — the novel has plenty
of solid action. But she approaches that
violence with neither cynicism nor gloom,
and that's unusual in military fantasy.

Moon focuses squarely on Paksenarrion

The Role of
Books

Saving the universe,

saving the kingdom, and
saving the Appaloosa

76 NOVEMBER 1988

That's a solid SF premise: How might we

deal with a race with which we really
can't co-exist? Prejudice isn't the problem
because it's an emotional response, not a
physical one. But that's how Paul treats the
matter, and she must minimize the physi¬
cal imbalances to make her thematic argu¬
ment credible. The attempt only highlights
the inherent contradictions and fails to
address the emotional consequences of the
Sackers' solutions.

Paul doesn't do badly at portraying Star

Trek’s familiar characters; her dialogue for
Kirk may not ring true, but she knows
how he and his crew will act. Unfortu¬
nately, beloved characters aren't enough
to sustain belief in the dangers of The
Three-Minute Universe, and readers are
better off bypassing this Star Trek tale,
just as SF gamers are better off bypassing
poorly constructed RPG campaigns.

THE HEAVENLY HORSE FROM THE

OUTERMOST WEST

Mary Stanton

Baen 0-671-65410-1 $3.95

The horses I've known were mostly

working ranch animals, not the carefully
trained and bred equestrian competitors
featured in Mary Stanton's novel. I suspect
that explains why I disagree with the eight
big-name authors who believe (according
to the flyleaf) that The Heavenly Horse
from the Outermost West is the greatest
thing to hit fantasy since talking rabbits.
Watership Down made talking rabbits
respectable because author Richard
Adams gave rabbits a culture they might
have evolved for themselves. By contrast,
Mary Stanton's cosmology seems deriva¬
tive; it portrays horse civilization as
humans would create it, not as it might
naturally arise. Her horses are extremely
breed-conscious, and their supposedly
prehuman religion has invented barns to
house the evil Dark Horse. (Oddly enough,
humanity itself is generally seen as benign.)

The story Stanton tells is good enough

on its own terms, as various exceptional
horses complicate the routine lives of the
Bishop Farm herd. Shows, new foals, and
children's riding lessons take a back seat to
the mystery surrounding Duchess, the
visions of El Arat, and the mission of the
Dancer. The author has a good ear for
names, effectively matching rhythms of
personality to those of description. And
the plot flows clearly, if sometimes at
uneven speed, toward the requisite con¬
frontation that concludes the tale.
The premise, however, is ultimately one¬
dimensional. The quest to reestablish the
Appaloosa bloodline is an equestrian's
invention; cow ponies, draft horses, and
wild mavericks have little place in Stan¬
ton's narrative, and their omission makes
Heavenly Horse an incomplete portrait of
the equine kingdom.

Veteran gamers may recall FGU's BUN-

nies & BURROWS™ game (undoubtedly
inspired by Watership Down) in which

CHILD OF THE GROVE

Tanya Huff

DAW 0-88677-272-9 $3.50

Any entertainer who leaves her audi¬

ence wanting more of the same is usually
doing a very good job, and Tanya Huff
certainly leaves readers wanting to know
more about the characters who populate
Child of thy Grove Huff's case, however, is
unusual. One wants to know "What hap¬
pened in between?" rather than "What
happened next?"

The book's structure is very peculiar,

resembling nothing so much as a trilogy
with large chunks of the middle left out
Five chapters (plus one interlude) focus on

players took on rabbit identities. I can't

prove it, but I suspect that B&B game
players soon found that realistic talking
rabbits weren't terribly exciting to play,
while entertaining talking rabbits weren't
that different from elves and halflings. A
similar moral may apply to The Heavenly
Horse from the Outermost West. Structur¬
ally, the novel is a sound traditional fanta¬
sy, but that reliance on the classic mold
severely undercuts its ability to succeed as
a distinctively horsey tale.

WHEN H.A.R.L.I.E. WAS ONE:

RELEASE 2.0

David Gerrold

Bantam Spectra 0-553-26465-6 $3.95

The ground rides for this column say
that all of the material discussed here
should have some sort of connection to
gaming. I sometimes stretch that rule for
the sake of an especially good book, and I
originally thought I'd have to stretch con¬
siderably to justify including this book.
Then I reread the last chapter — and
realized that while I didn't need to stretch
at all, I couldn't possibly explain the con¬
nection without ruining the ending.

I could argue that computer gamers

should be interested in H.A.R.L.I.E., since
his language-handling software is probably
descended from the increasingly clever
parsers found in today's interactive fiction.
I could argue that TOP SECRET/S.I.™ game
players should be interested in potential
scenarios built around his potentially
disastrous abilities as an electronic hacker
— abilities that nearly get H.A.R.L.I.E. shut
down. Both observations are true, but
they barely touch the edges of Gerrold's
real story.

The novel is classic science fiction in that

it takes its plot from pure scientific extrap¬
olation. There are no three-eyed aliens, no
evil dictators (at least not in the usual
sense), and no doomsday weapons. Those
expecting lots of action and breakneck
chase scenes should look elsewhere, but
those who equate hard technical SF with
"boring" will be surprised. Gerrold can do
wonders with dialogue, and the long bouts
of snappy repartee carry a surprisingly
thought-provoking punch.

When H.A.R.L.I.E. Was One was original¬

ly published in 1972 to very good reviews
(and placed second that year for the pres¬
tigious Hugo award). The current edition
(dubbed "Release 2.0") thoroughly updates
H.A.R.L.I.E.'s outdated hardware while
retaining Gerrold's impressive exploration
of the nature of electronic intelligence. As
computer technology advances, the book
could very well become the predictive
science fiction that actually comes true.

That's both a frightening and a pro¬

foundly hopeful thought, because Ger¬
rold's H.A.R.L.I.E. has software so
dangerous we may not want to invent it —
and so important that we may have to
invent it anyway. Which brings matters
back to that ending I can't reveal.
DRAGON 77

young Prince Rael, heir to a kingdom

threatened by a powerful and subtle wiz¬
ard several countries over. Two chapters
take up the story four generations later, as
Princess Tayer rediscovers her family's
heritage. Only in the second interlude,
nearly halfway into the novel, does Tayer's
daughter Crystal (the title character)
assume center stage.

What Huff accomplishes with her cast in

the space she is given is significant. Each
of the three would-be lead players could
easily sustain a book alone, and each
comes from a different mold. Rael is a
quiet but driven youth with an intense
dislike for violence despite his skills as a
warrior. Tayer is capable of great devotion
but must discover the best direction to
focus her mind and heart. And Crystal,
chosen by prophecy as the world's last
wizard, must lead a lonely dual life that
does not promise a comforting future
along either path.

Child of the Grove shows a great deal of

care in construction for all its missing
elements. Some of the touches, such as the
outlook of the long-lived dwarf and cen¬
taur races, the substantial dryad lore, and
the use to which Huff puts dragons,
approach standards of development DMs
would do well to emulate in campaigns.

All of this is encouraging as far as her

future books are concerned, but the vir¬
tues of Tanya Huff's first fantasy can't
quite compensate for its uneven focus.
Buying the book is like buying a savings
bond; it may not bring immediate
rewards, but the talent it represents may
improve substantially as it matures.

THE NIGHTINGALE

Kara Dalkey

Ace 0-441-57973-6 $16.95

From a message intercepted on its way

toward the great city of Minneapolis:

A thousand thanks, honored storyteller,

for the gift of your writings concerning
the girl Uguisu, whose music charmed an
Emperor. The Nightingale was most pleas¬
ing to the eye and melodious to the ear,
and I am grateful to you and to your liter¬
ary patrons for bringing it to my humble
attention.

Your words transported me, honored

storyteller, to that world of elegance and
quiet magnificence which existed long
before the days of daimyos and samurai,
just a few short centuries after the turn of
a calendar not yet known to the Empire
that was Japan. Music and poetry rustled
like breezes through my hair, and my eyes
were captured by images of intricately
stitched clothing, gardens of impeccable
tranquility and wildness, and the misty
shades of those who would return to life
from the realms beyond.

I was lost for a time, honored storyteller,

in the sly plots of the powerful Fujiwara
clan to ascend the Imperial throne. I
strayed headlong into the troubles and
happinesses of Katte-san and Kuma, and

paused respectfully at the cleverness of

the poetess Shonasaki. And I was properly
awed by the grandeur and simplicity of
the Great Kami, Amaterasu, and her hum¬
ble avatar.

I may say with certainty honored story¬

teller, that I have been entertained. I quite
strongly suspect that, wherever he may
be, the Lord Buddha is smiling and shifting
the sands of karma in your favor. And as
for the matter of Heaven, there is no more
to say - for I shall read The Nightingale
not merely once more but many times,
whenever I wish to visit the utterly
entrancing world within its pages. . . .

Very little explanation need be added to

the reader's remarks, clearly made in
response to author Kara Dalkey's brief and
stylish prologue to her ingenious and
meticulously crafted novel. Like its prede¬
cessors in the Fairy Tales series (a collabo¬
ration between Ace Books and Armadillo
Press whose future is mysteriously and
regrettably uncertain as I write), The
Nightingale is a sophisticated new vision of
a well-remembered old story. For richness
of atmosphere. Orientally minded gamers
won't find any portrayal of early Imperial
Japan more satisfying than this one.

THE BLIND KNIGHT

Gail Van Asten

Ace 0-441-06727-1 $3.50

When is an Arthurian fantasy not an

Arthurian fantasy? Just when you'd think
all the possible changes had been wrought
on the Pendragon legend, Gail Van Asten
presents readers with a startling sequel to
the traditional tales of Camelot. Technical¬
ly speaking, Mallory Pendragon is Arthur's
brother, but his story takes place during
Henry Plantagenet's reign against a back¬
ground of petty baronial intrigues and
fading memories of chivalry's splendor.

In one stroke, that overcomes the great¬

est limiting factor facing Arthurian story¬
tellers. By springing forward in time to a
new generation of characters. Van Asten
wins the freedom to develop her own plot
and characters rather than devising yet
another variation on the familiar romantic
rivalry between Arthur and Lancelot. Yet
she maintains firm and convincing ties to
the Pendragon legend, as sustained
through the generations by the obscure
Lord Wilfred of Wodensweir (who has at
least two other very important identities,
neither of which is Merlin).

Wilfred's daughter, Rosamund, provides

the romantic interest in the tale. Van Asten
treads a tricky line with this character,
crossing modem tastes for strong female
characters with the need to give her story
a more traditional chivalric conclusion.
While Rosamund is a fierce and outspoken
heroine, she also becomes a loyal wife by
tale's end, and the blend is unevenly

That's a forgivable shortcoming, though,

in an adventure which is otherwise a
skillful and sensitive recreation of the old

knightly quests for honor and justice. The

Blind Knight also adds an additional ten¬
sion to the mixture, as the traditional
values of Arthur's day find themselves
tested in an England several generations
removed from their origins. Van Asten's
language manages to reflect both the
formality of the Arthurian element and
the rougher, more intrigue-laced tones of
Angevin nobility.

There is not quite enough vision in the

tale to make it more than a satisfying
afternoon's excursion into another age.

But Van Asten is a wise and observant

tourguide, and players of such role-playing
games as Chaosium's PENDRAGON game
should find the vacation worth taking.

Recurring roles

The flow of graphic novels is increasing,

and so is the variety. Elfquest: Volume I
(Donning, $5.95) is a reprint of the series
that more or less started the trend, but
reduced to a less bulky, less expensive
digest size. This one really did start out as
a comic book, but the level of detail and
color is impressive, and these have
become influential elves.

Gate of Ivrel: Fever Dreams (Donning,

$7.95) is second in a series of graphic
novels adapting a well-known C. J. Cher-
ryh book. Jane Fancher's art for this pro¬
ject is extremely striking — richly detailed,
deeply and deftly colored, and reproduced
in fine style. A classier, more intense
swashbuckler would be difficult to find.

Then again, the Thorgal series (Ink

Publishing, $6.95 each) has its own virtues.
These hardback volumes (distinctive in a
mostly paperbound field), translated from
European editions, win points for unusu¬
ally realistic cover art and straightfor¬
ward, smoothly paced stories that younger
readers will find easier to follow than the
convoluted plots of more "adult" graphics.
The Archers in particular is notable;
Thorgal's generally Norse background and
his encounters in connection with a dan¬
gerous archery contest are definitely
adaptable to game situations.

The good news in the Department of

Concluding Volumes is that The Mage-Born
Child (Bantam Spectra, $3.95) solidly con¬
cludes Jonathan Wylie's trilogy concerning
the Servants of Ark. This series is not a
ground-breaker by any means, but it has
lived up to its ambitions as a traditional
epic conflict while providing several
above-average variations on the theme.
The prophecies have been nicely struc¬
tured thoughout, and the final volume
ends on an unusual note.

Perihelion (Ace, $3.50) is less successful

as the formerly final volume in the "Isaac
Asimov's Robot City" series. Far too many
questions still remain about these novels —
they neither stand firmly on their own nor
fit comfortably into Asimov's own robot
universe. In particular. Perihelion doesn't
work well as a concluding volume; author
William Wu brings in too many new ele-

78 NOVEMBER 1988

merits and leaves too many old threads

hanging. (Blaming these problems on Wu
may be unfair; given the six extra books
recently tacked onto the concept, his
editors may have demanded loose ends.)
Unless forthcoming volumes improve
markedly, this series is no longer worth
following.

Meanwhile, much against my principles.

I'm finding C. J. Cherryh's Merovingen
Nights shared-world books more and more
enjoyable. The third of these. Troubled
Waters (DAW, $3.50), is less a short-story
collection than a mosaic novel, with Cher¬
ryh's meticulous editing tracing a compli¬
cated path through the various plots and
counterplots. Roberta Rogow's "Nessus'
Shirt" is short but engagingly nasty, and
Leslie Fish's tale of minstrel Rif and
guardsman Black Cal provides a rousing
climax. (I'm still waiting for the novel
about Rif.)

Esther Friesner continues to offer

unpredictable twists on fantasy conven¬
tions in two recent novels. Here Be
Demons (Ace, $2.95) cleverly brings the
business of collecting souls into the
present day, though it isn't always clear
just where Friesner wants to go with the
idea. It isn't her best work, but it's still an
interesting concept. Even stranger and
more unusual is Druid's Blood (Signet,
$3.50), set in a very weird alternate
England where magic works and the local
equivalent of Sherlock Holmes is an actor
who assumes the role after reading about
the fictional detective's exploits in the
Strand magazine. For sheer audacity,
nobody is likely to top this one for quite
awhile.

Charles de Lint's latest offering is rela¬

tively light by his usual standard, but Wolf
Moon (Signet, $3.50) is still a literate and
logical variation on the werewolf legend.
While his characterization of werefolk is
highly revisionist by AD&D® game stand¬
ards, there is still much to be learned from
Kern's adventures. (Note the unusual part
played by the bard in this tale.)

Finally, The Oathbound (DAW, $3.50)

gives Mercedes Lackey's readers a whole
book of stories featuring warrior Tarma
and sorceress Kethry, previously featured
in short stories and a taped cassette adven¬
ture. Their adventures are both enjoyable
and well thought out, but one odd matter
requires mention. The novel's copyright
page indicates that two chapters have
been previously published, a statement
which is technically only half correct and
potentially confusing. In fact, The
Oathbound marks the first publication of
the story "Keys," so that its appearance in
Marion Zimmer Bradley's Sword and Sor¬
ceress V (DAW, $3.95) shortly afterward
counts as a reprint. Bradley, unfortunately,
makes no mention of this situation in her
collection. That isn't necessarily surpris¬
ing, as it's probable that a rearranged
publishing schedule is to blame for the

mixup, but readers should be aware of the

overlap.

The role of readers

DRAGON® Magazine's editor frequently

tells me that response to this column is
highly favorable. This is gratifying (said
the columnist, massaging his ego) but not
as useful as it might be. Like other review¬
ers, I value feedback highly, the more
honest the better. Are there books out
there I've been unjustly ignoring? Have I
recommended a novel you absolutely
couldn't stand?

The answers to these and other ques¬

tions may now start piling up in my mail¬
box. I can't promise to write back, and I
can't promise to review everything that's
suggested to me, but I will definitely read
all the letters mailed to;

John C. Bunnell
3728 SE 39th Ave. #4
Portland OR 97202

Books for possible review may also be

directed to the above address, saving the
Exalted Editor and his minions the chore
of boxing them up and sending them to
me from Wisconsin. One final note: I work
with a three-month lead time (this Novem¬
ber column is being finished — late — at
the beginning of August), so keep this in
mind as you make suggestions. □ j

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by Dougal Demokopoliss
The Ecology of the

p_I _ i

A promise made is a promise kept — for 101 years

86 NOVEMBER 1988

From Curiosities of Other Worlds, vol¬

ume six, by Mage-Lord I. ]. Jijaks of the
Free City of Greyhawk:

We now come to spectators, which dwell

on the plane of Nirvana in either the
Dominion of Lendor 1 or in the land of the
modrons. The reader has no doubt read
the basic description of these striking
creatures in any one of the manuals and
tomes that catalog the beasts of this world
and others. Having performed the usual
research required before summoning and
interacting with these beholder-like
beings, I am able to share my knowledge
in hopes that it will prove to be of use to
the reader as well.

Spectators are adapted to equal amounts

of light and dark, heat and cold, and liquid
and solid terrain. (Nirvana is perfectly
balanced in all of these qualities.) Specta¬
tors have generous lifespans, and most of
these creatures live over 1,000 years.

Many of these spectators at any given time

are guarding objects throughout the Prime
Material plane, as they are often com¬
manded to do so by high-level magic-users.

Spectators are summoned by the casting

of a monster summoning V spell, accompa¬
nied by the sacrifice of at least three
beholder's eyes. During the sacrificial rite,
the beholder's eyes must first be annihi¬
lated - that is, the eyes must be ground
into a fine powder, then burned into a
black dust. This black dust is then soaked
in oil and placed in a special magic circle.
Next, the dust is set aflame. Finally, while
the eye dust is still burning, a small bag is
placed in the center of the magic circle
and monster summoning V is cast by the
magic-user. (The burning eye dust is used
as a material component instead of a can¬
dle.) The bag opens a small one-way gate
from Nirvana to the plane on which the
spell is cast.

Three segments later, there is a chance

that a spectator appears in the center of
the magic circle; for each beholder's eye so
sacrificed, there is a 10% chance that a
spectator is summoned (thus, a base
chance of 30% for three eyes). Three
segments after the spell has been cast, the
gate closes again. If summoned into a
properly created magic circle, the specta¬
tor awaits instructions from its summoner
(which invariably entail the guarding of
some item or location). Inside this magic
circle, the spectator is powerless to tele¬
port to Nirvana, leave the circle physically,
or use any other powers besides levitation.
If the circle has not been created properly
or if the circle is somehow broken before
the spectator promises to complete its job,
it teleports back to Nirvana. If the sum¬
moner gives the spectator a job besides
guardianship, the spectator merely states
it is unwilling to do so and teleports back
to Nirvana as soon as the magic circle is
broken. Even if the spectator is given a
task concerning guardianship, it will
instead teleport to Nirvana unless it actu¬
ally promises to fulfill its task.

Spectators dislike guarding for beings of

lesser races (i.e., the races of their human

or demi-human summoners), so they
always try to avoid such guardianship.
However, a spectator will not return to
Nirvana after it has made a promise to
anyone, because of its lawful-neutral align¬
ment; breaking a promise is considered
chaotic behavior. A spectator prides itself
on its guardianship and will refuse if a
summoner tries to force it to do a job
other than guarding. From the spectator's
viewpoint, it is not lawful for the summon¬
er to force the spectator to perform a job
other than guarding, as spectators should
be summoned only to guard.

Once the spectator takes its mission of

guardianship, the summoning magic-user
deliberately breaks the magic circle and
frees the spectator, allowing it to move
over to the treasure to be guarded. The
creature is free after 101 years to return
to Nirvana. A permanency spell has no
effect on the circle or the duration of the
spectator's guardianship.

As a guardian, a spectator's loyalty to its

summoner's commands is absolute; it will
guard the place or object for precisely 101
years. A spectator always knows when the
101 years of service have expired; this is
tracked by the spectator's internal clock,
actually a lobe on the spectator's brain
that perfectly measures time.

When a spectator is guarding the place

or objects to which it has been assigned, it
will allow no one to pass that place or
examine any objects it is guarding. At the
time the summoner assigns the task, he
can make exceptions to these rules, such
as allowing certain individuals to circum¬
vent these conditions. This rule applies
even to the summoner himself. If the
summoner breaks these rules himself, he
will be attacked by the spectator.

When a spectator attacks, it launches

spells from three of the four small eyes
perched on stalks over its globular body. It
also tries to keep out of melee range for as
long as possible by using its levitation
powers. A spectator will teleport to Nirva¬
na if all of its eyes have been blinded, but
if encountered in Nirvana itself and if all
of its eyes have been blinded, the specta¬
tor attacks with its toothy maw. 2

To a spectator, killing a creature for

reasons other than self-defense or duty is
viewed as a chaotic act. Under a specta¬
tor's sense of justice and law, all creatures
have the right to live, so long as they do
not interfere with the spectator's duties. If
a spectator accidentally kills a creature for
reasons other than self-defense, it usually
wills itself to die, directing its brain's pow¬
erful energies against itself.

Spectators have two social classes, upper

and lower. Lower-class spectators live in
otherwise uninhabited sections of Nirvana
in the Dominion of Lendor or in the
"modron disk," each residing alone in a
small, vertical cave which is dug out with
the spectator's mouth. Upper-class specta¬
tors are those who directly serve Lendor
or serve as guards for the modrons. These

spectators are more lawful and philosophi¬

cal than their lower-class counterparts
because they have usually been educated
by their masters to uphold their ideals. In
order to become a guard for the modrons,
a spectator must paralyze a modron rogue
unit (using one of its attack eyes) and turn
it over to the local pentadrone regimental
headquarters (the modrons' law enforc¬
ers). Lendor chooses only the most power¬
ful and intelligent spectators to serve him. 3

Unlike modrons, spectators are not

completely lawful neutral, although upper-
class spectators come very close to this
ideal. Lower-class spectators have slightly
lawful-good tendencies, while upper-class
spectators are more strictly lawful neutral.
Because of its personal honor, a spectator
will not attack a paralyzed or helpless
enemy unless the spectator was attacked
by trickery or by very cruel means.

Spectators have little personal ambition;

perhaps their only true goal in life is to
serve the forces of law as well as possible.
Since modrons are completely lawful
neutral, most spectators want to serve the
modrons. The greatest pleasures of a
spectator (and perhaps its only pleasures)
are to thwart chaos, especially modron
rogue units, and to guard and defend.

What little is known of the internal

anatomy of the spectator is presented here
as well. This information on its most
unique body organs was collected from
the works of several wizards and priests
who voyaged to Nirvana and took part in
the dissection (with permission) of a spec¬
tator slain by a rogue modron unit.

Levator magnus: The levator magnus is

a small, highly magical sphere in the cen¬
ter of the spectator's brain (which itself
lies at the center of the spectator's round
body). This organ gives the spectator its
ability to levitate in any direction at 100'
per minute. No magic negates this effect,
although physical forces resulting from
magic use (such as those created by a gust
of wind spell) hamper this activity. The
juices drained from this organ are some¬
times used as a component in the ink of a
scroll of flying or levitation.

Brain: The spectator's brain has the

power to generate a magical force using
psionic energy, though the spectator has
no true psionic powers as such. This magi¬
cal force is divided into two branches of
power: magical and antimagical. The magi¬
cal power travels through special nerves
to the monster's top four eyes, which
convert the power into spell-like effects.
The antimagical power is carried by
nerves directly to the creature's large eye,
causing any spell that strikes the eye to
reflect back to the caster. The juices
drained from the spectator's brain can be
used as a component in the ink of an anti¬
magic sM! scroll. (It is to my understand¬
ing that the higher sorts of modrons will
actually sell or barter the bodies of slain
spectators to those who would make use
of the corpses for their research, and even
some spectators will likewise bargain

DRAGON 87

away the bodies of their kind.)

Thought-energy enhancer: This organ

multiplies the psionic force generated in
the brain and relays it to the spectator's
eyes, providing their powers.

Stomach: Food and water created by a

spectator's first eye is usually directed
inward through a large passage leading
directly to the stomach, where it is digest¬
ed. If the spectator wishes, food can be
created by that eye to feed someone else.

Skin: The skin of a spectator is thick,

lumpy, rubbery, and grayish, with many
blood vessels protruding from its surface.
If a spectator is killed but not severely
damaged, the skin can be removed and
fashioned into a suit of armor by an expe¬
rienced armorer. The resultant suit is in all
respects the equal of leather armor and is
sufficient in size to be of use to a dwarf,
gnome, or the like.

Little else about these beings is known

to me. I am at a loss to know how they
reproduce, what they have in the way of
religion (though I suspect they worship
Primus or Lendor in their own fashions),
or even if they have a loose culture. I
never got around to discussing these mat¬
ters with the few spectators I had occasion
to meet. ,1 have even heard that a breed of
spectators lives in the sea, though this
report is surely based upon a mistaken
identification of an eye of the deep. Per¬
haps someone more learned than I can fill
in the details another day. . . .

Game information

When a spectator reaches 1,000 years of

age, its four eyes grow very large, and its
body becomes small and shriveled. After
three months in this state, the spectator
has only 3 + 3 HD; after six months, it has
only 2 + 2 HD, and its four eyes are twice
as large as they were originally. By this
time, the spectator must retire perma¬
nently to a cave it has dug, since it can no
longer levitate. Upper-class spectators
serving the modrons are thrown out of
the upper class at this age, but Lendor's
spectators are allowed to stay in his palace
until their deaths. In three more months,
the spectator's body is extremely small and
shriveled with 1+ 1 HD, and each of its
small eyes has developed four tiny eye-
stalks. Finally, when a spectator reaches
1,001 years of age, nothing is left of its
body. At this time, its four eyes fall off
their stalks to become 1 + 1 HD spectators.

These "newborn" spectators have the

power of the eye from which they came
plus levitation. They stay in the cave in
which they were bom for one year, gain¬
ing an extra eye power and 1 + 1 HD every
three months. The spectator with the
create food and water ability shares the
food it creates with the others. In the last
three months of the spectators' stay in the
birth cave, each gains the antimagical
power of the large eye. When the specta¬
tors are fully developed after one year,
they leave the cave to build lairs of their
own. Spectators under one year of age or
over 999 years of age are immune to the
monster summoning V spell.

SEARECHTER
(Marine spectator)

FREQUENCY: Very rare

NO. APPEARING: 1

ARMOR CLASS: Body 6, eyes -1,

eyestalks 8

MOVE: -/207/40" (B in water, E in air)

HIT DICE: 6 + 6
% IN LAIR: 35%

TREASURE TYPE: See below

NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 bite
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-2
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 50%

INTELLIGENCE: High to exceptional

ALIGNMENT: Lawful neutral
SIZE: L (5V2' diameter)

PSIONIC ABILITY: Special

Attack/Defense modes: Nil/nil

LEVEL/XP VALUE: VIJ/865 + 9 hp

Among a select few wizards (usually

those from coastal cities or who are mas¬
ters of summoning), there are rumors of a
race of marine spectators dedicated to
slaying eyes of the deep. In the WORLD

OF GREYHAWK® setting, these are the

elven and human wizards living on the
Spindrift Isles. The Suel god Lendor,
believed to be an Arch-Mage by many,
taught the inhabitants of the Spindrifts
how to summon spectators. Spectators
living in Lendor's stronghold heard these
rumors of their marine cousins and passed
them on to their summoners.

Although there is such a creature as the

marine spectator, it is cautious and actu¬
ally avoids eyes of the deep. These marine
spectators are also called sea spectators,
spectators of the sea, or (most commonly)
searechters. They dwell in the depths of
the ocean and are very rarely encoun¬
tered, and then are nearly always mis¬
taken for eyes of the deep.

If a wizard reseaches the means of sum¬

moning a searechter, he finds that one can
be summoned by the casting of monster
summoning VII spell, with three small eyes
from an eye of the deep employed in place
of three beholder's eyes. The wizard must
cause the searechter to appear underwa¬
ter or it will not be brought forth. Few
sorcerers has ever tried this summoning
because of the difficulties in obtaining the
proper material components.

Searechters have six small eyes on the

end of six eyestalks and one large central
eye which functions as does a spectator's
Each of its small eyes has a spell-like func¬
tion, explained as follows. Each power is
usable three times per day and functions

as if cast

by

an 8th-le

vel spell-caster.

Eye n

Spell

Airy

ater

Airbolt

(new spell)

Charm

monster

Fear (a

wand)

Water

breathing

6
Paralyzt

ition (as wand)

Infron

t of

each of

the searechter's eyes

is a thin.

clea

r shell that has a magical

equivalei

ice t

o + 3 n

letal. If the searechter

is killed.

this

"eye cn

/stal" can be removed

and fashi

ionei

into si

nail weapons such as

dart tips

and

dagger

blades of + 3 value.

Likewise, if a strap is somehow attached to

the large eye crystal, it can be used as a
+ 3 (and transparent) small shield. None¬
theless, it is difficult to cut and melt this
material in order to fashion it into weap¬
ons or defensive items. Finding a way to
do so is difficult and should be left to the
discretion of the DM.
Any attack made upon a searechter has
a 50% chance of hitting its body, a 25%
chance of hitting its large eye, and a 25%
chance of hitting one of the six small eyes
on top (with, in the latter case, an 80%
chance that the attack hits an eyestalk and
a 20% chance that it hits one of the small
eyes directly; which eye is hit is deter¬
mined at random). A successful hit upon
one of the small eyes blinds that eye and

88 NOVEMBER 1988

Airbolt (Alteration)

Level: 3 Components: V

Range: 1"/level CT: 3 segments

Duration: Instant. ST: None

AE: One target

Explanation/Description: By means
of this spell, a magic-user is able to
create a concentrated blast of air
roughly 3" in diameter. Using only
verbal components, this spell utilizes
the air around it and focuses it into a
powerful beam that may then be
directed by the spell-caster. Although
this spell works underwater (where
oxygen exists in a hydrogenated form),
it will not work in a vacuum. Airbolt
may be used as an offensive weapon, a
powerful version of gust of wind, or a
modified push spell. Because of the
spells concentrated beam, only one
creature or item may be targeted per
spell. Damage for this spell is ld6 per
level (or 2d6 per level underwater, due
to the greater ability to concentrate the
spell in this medium). A saving throw
vs. spells allows the one attacked to
take half damage. The spell-caster
blows a puff of air as this spell is cast.

With regard to the searechter, airbolt

has a range of 6" in water and 2" in
air, and it does 6-36 hp damage in
water and 3-18 hp damage in air. The
airbolt is not as potent in the air
because it diffuses, whereas the spell is
enhanced by the dense medium of
water. A saving throw vs. spells allows
the target creature to dodge a portion
of the spells blast. The bolt is guided by
sight, so a blinded searechter cannot
cast this spell.

ruins its power until it regenerates. Eye-

stalks take 5 hp damage before being
severed, but the eyestalk and the eye on
the end regrow within one day. The large
eye takes 5 hp damage until it is destroyed
and takes two days to regenerate.

A searechter never voluntarily goes out

of the water and only rarely enters waters
less than 15,000' in depth. For every
1,000' closer to the surface than 15,000',
the searechter takes 1 hp damage per
turn; above the surface of the water, it
takes 2 hp damage per round. This is a
result of the expansion of the searechter's
internal gases. These damage figures are
given in case the searechter is somehow
brought into shallow waters or to the
surface. In the water, searechters are very
agile; however, in the air they have less
movement control because of the damage
they take from being out of water and
because of their increased speed.

Searechters usually live in small sea

caves, but there is a 25% chance they will
live in different lairs. Roll the percentile
dice on the following table to determine
the lair of each:

Ruins or abandoned lairs could include a

ruined storm giant palace, morkoth lair.

IdlOO

Lair

01-75

Small sea cave

76-85

Sunken ship

86-90

Ruins or abandoned lair

91-96
Extensive cavern

97-99

Labyrinth of vortexes to or
from the plane of Elemental

Water

00

Vortex leading to the water-

filled caverns under Lendor's

stronghold on Nirvana

triton stronghold, sea dragon lair, aboleth

city, kraken lair, and many others. A vor¬
tex is a gateway leading to or from
another plane. If the vortex leads to the
plane of Elemental Water, there is a 50%
chance that water flows into it (creating a
whirlpool) and a 50% chance that water
rushes out of it, filling the worlds oceans.

If the vortex leads to Lendor's stronghold,

it will be full of water and without cur¬
rent; this is the gateway by which Lendor.
brought searechters to this world.

There is a 75% chance that a searechter

has some creatures enslaved by its charm
monster ability. The slaves are usually
humanoid in appearance, such as
sahuagin. Slaves hunt for and protect the
searechter. There are usually 2-12 hit dice
of slaves, but usually no one creature with
over 4 HD (2 HD is the average slave's
level). Searechters do not usually have
treasure except that of their slaves or the
treasure in the sunken ship or ruins they
may inhabit.

The coloration of a searechter is either

dark blue or black. Its body is similar in
appearance to an eye of the deep's, with
three eyestalks on each side of tire body
and two fins on its back like the wings of a
messenger monodrone.

Footnotes

1 See DRAGON® issue #86 for more

information on the Suel deity Lendor.

2 The spectator attacks with only a -2

on its "to hit" rolls because of its ability to
psionically sense intelligent opponents,
though the spectator does not have any
other psionic abilities. In this manner, the
spectator gains an accurate idea of where
its enemies are located. If the spectator is
attacking a creature with no brain, such as
a golem or a skeleton, it suffers the usual
-4 penalty on "to hit" rolls.

When a magic-user summons a specta¬

tor, the DM should roll percentile dice to
determine the class of spectator. A roll of
01-75 means a lower-class spectator
appears; a roll of 76-99 means an upper-
class spectator appears; and a result of 00
means the magic-user has summoned one
of Lendor's favorite spectators (which has
36 hp and high intelligence). In this latter
case, Lendor will eventually come to the
Prime Material plane, release the spectator
from its bondage, and return to Nirvana
with his elite spectator, without bothering
the summoner further. Q

There’s big
trouble now...

And it will only get

worse for everyone if
the hero doesn’t find
those gems he just
stole—now stolen
right from under his
nose!

Some thief!

Prince of Thieves
by Chris Martindale

For more adventure, try

these gamebooks.

Get your copy now at local

toy, book, or hobby stores.

Dragonspear

by Steve Perrin
ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS and the
TSR logo are trademarks owned by TSR. Inc.
®1988 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

DRAGON 89

by David “Zeb” Cook

The Game Wizards

Back from beyond: progress on the

second-edition AD&D® game

I am not a rules lawyer. I never want to

be a rules lawyer. You know the type —
the person who insists that every situation
that could ever come up in your game be
followed exactly by the rules; who won't
let your character try something just
because it's not in the rules and therefore
must not be allowed; who follows every
rule literally as it is written (no matter
what the result); who argues endlessly
about a minor point until fellow players
either give in or bop him over the head a
few times (I do that every once in a while)

- in short, a rules lawyer.

Fortunately, rules lawyers (perhaps we

should scientifically name them: rulius

magistarius) don't simply spring to life,
newly endowed with their hairsplitting
senses through some arcane genetic code.
No, we can safely say they are products of
their environment. Perhaps weaned on
games by fellow gamers, they develop a
desire to play games correctly, never inter¬
preting the rules differently from session
to session. This leads them to discover so-
called "fatal flaws in design" — gaps, con¬
tradictions, and unanswered areas in a
game that the designer never thought
worth detailing. From there, it's only a
small leap to extrapolating from the rules
to fill all those gaps, neat and tidy.

So, what's all this ranting got to do with

the second-edition AD&D game? In a word

— playtesting.

Now, before all the playtesters get me

wrong and proceed to line up and kill me
(though they still have to wait their turn
until the defenders of the cavalier and
barbarian classes are done), let me say in
great big letters: I LIKE MY PLAYTESTERS!
I am very thankful to have them. Without
their efforts, more than a few egregious
errors and ideas would have slipped
through the cracks of the second-edition
process. Yet wading through the moun¬
tains of 3 x 5 cards showing their com¬
ments is like spending the evening with a
distant aunt and uncle — the ones who
want to like you, but don't really know
you and would never let their son dress
that way even if they don't want to be

rude and say it (but sometimes do any¬

way). After several hours, you come out of
it feeling like you've strengthened your
moral fiber. After several months of play¬
testing comments, we'll come out with a
strengthened second edition — and a small
case of insanity.

Do I think the playtesters are rules law¬

yers? Certainly not. (Well, perhaps some
are — but not all.) I am sure that they
create and play entertaining, lively, and
exciting adventures. But that's not what
playtesting is all about.

Playtesting is the gaming equivalent of

passing the bar exam. If you make it,
you're in; if you fail, it's back to the books.
And one of the things taught in law school
is that it's the argument that counts, not
whether you're right or wrong. The
AD&D game's second-edition design draft
is, in some ways, my test to pass the gam¬
ing bar exam. As you may have guessed, it
hasn't been easy.

So, what has been going on to reduce

me to a state of raving madness? A mas¬
sive playtesting campaign, that's what. In
the months that have passed since anyone
last reported to you on the progress of the
second-edition project, quite a bit has
happened. I wrapped up most, but not all,
of the first design draft in January or
February of this year (its been so long that
I can't remember). I actually got a break
from this work and designed some wildly
different things - the BULLWINKLE &
ROCKY™ roleplaying party game and Com¬
mando, a TOP SECRET/S.I.™ game supple¬
ment. But even while I was sleeping, work
was being done on the second-edition
project.

Most of that work was done by Jon

Pickens. Jon's filled several roles on the
project. Fie handles a lot of the research
that needs to be done (yes, there is
research), coordinated the playtesting
groups, and acts as a staunch defender of
the conservative view of the AD&D game.
Now, as you may guess from previous
columns, I have always treated the AD&D
game rules as something less than rigid,
sacrosanct, and untouchable; it's in my

nature as a designer. Given complete free¬

dom, I would change a lot of things about
the second-edition game. Jon, in my opin¬
ion, is at the other extreme. He claims to
actually play AD&D games using all the
rules exactly as they are written. Conse¬
quently, he is my perfect foil — or, better
yet, my counterbalance. Every time I go
too far to the "Let's make this change
because it's great (i.e., my idea)" extreme,
Jon counters with the "Let's not change it
if it isn't broken" creed. He continually
brings me back to consider what this game
is all about and why people play it. This
doesn't mean that he is always right or
that I'm always forgetting why people like
AD&D games, but he is a useful balance to
make sure that all viewpoints in the
second-edition project are fairly heard.

As mentioned above, Jon ran the play¬

testing of the second-edition rules. This
doesn't mean he was out there running
playtesting games himself (Jon worked
hard, but not that hard), but he estab¬
lished and monitored our playtesting
groups. These groups had players just like
you, RPGA™ Network members who vol¬
unteered to take part in our work. All
told, Jon worked with about 20-30 groups.
Now, I don't know exact numbers, but if
each group had an average of six players,
that means about 100-200 players actually
did the playtesting. Furthermore, they did
the playtesting for eight months or more.
On top of that, we have 10 years of com¬
ments, suggestions, criticisms, letters,
DRAGON® Magazine articles, and two GEN
CON® game fairs (and several regional
conventions) that solicited your views.
Thus, you have the most thoroughly play-
tested and developed game done yet by
TSR, Inc. (I won't be so rash as to claim
that it's the most thoroughly playtested
and designed game in the industry, but I
think there are few games out there that
have received as much attention.)

From all these playtesting groups, Jon

has been collecting criticisms, comments,
and loopholes. Each one, no matter how
trivial or small, is noted on a 3 x 5 card
and sorted according to subject. Jon has

90 NOVEMBER 1988

collected thousands of these cards. From

some of the playtesters, he got longer
comments — letters, reports, and even
small books. These, too, he boiled down to
3x5 cards.

Our playtesting has now reached an

end. We are still some months away from
releasing the new books, but there are still
several stages left to go. That's where the
playtesters, Jon's 3x5 cards, and my
ranting all come together in a big crash.

We didn't do this playtesting just to look

important, and Jon didn't note each com¬
ment on a card just to pass the time. Each
card and comment has to be evaluated,
considered, and (when necessary) incorpo¬
rated into the manuscripts to get changes
and improvements into the second edition.
As the designer and developer, this last
part is what I've been doing.

At this year's GEN CON games fair, an

unknown playtester complained to my
boss that all of the playtesting of the sec¬
ond edition was being ignored. I don't
know what this person's reasoning was,
because I wasn't there (and I'm glad I
wasn't there; if I had been, the convention
might have had its first homicide). By that
time I had already spent an entire month
going through playtesting comments,
inputting changes and listening to what
our players were saying. Since then. I've
spent another two months doing the same
thing. Don't let anyone kid you — the
playtesters have been heard, and it has
made a difference.

Still, three months of going through 3 x

5 cards may not seem like enough to make
a person crazy. But remember, as I said
earlier, playtesting does something to
people. The playtesters are no longer just
looking at a game to see if they like it.

They have an important responsibility to

find all the little things that might be
wrong, noting what rules work and what
rules don't, and to tell us. If they didn't do
these things, they wouldn't be good play¬
testers. Fortunately, they are good playtes¬
ters. They are incredibly critical, picky,
and blunt, which is just what they should
be — but they are awfully hard on a poor
designer's ego.

Just what have our playtesters accom¬

plished? They noted, en masse, the error
that caused magic-users who made their
saving throws to still blow their spells
(with graphic descriptions of what this
could do to the game). They pointed out
the problems with trying to change the
monetary system to a more "medieval''
economy. They took apart and reassem¬
bled the game systems for running, over¬
land movement, sighting, swimming, and
climbing. They told us if I was making
things too complex — encumbrance was a
particular concern here. They located
contradictions in different parts of the text
— the height and age of elves, for instance,
tended to vary from section to section.
They requested more detail about things
like spell books, alignment, paladin
powers, and thief abilities. They argued

for retaining material we had decided to

cut (and some of it is going to come back
as a result). They pointed out awkward
wordings and repetitions, although fortu¬
nately that is the editor's task to fix, not

Am I always wrong? Are the playtesters

always right? Not every time. More than
once (more than twice, even), the playtes¬
ters don't agree. Some like level limits on
character races; some don't. Some want
the limits higher; some want the limits
lower; some don't want them at all. Some
groups think encumbrance and casting
times should be standard rules; others
agree with me and see them as optional.
There are those who want more complex¬
ity in combat with critical hits, hit loca¬
tions, and specific damage; others argue
that combat is already too complex and
should be made simpler. That's why I, the
designer, have to go through each com¬
ment. Choices still have to be made
between doing a certain thing one way
and doing it the another. Often the argu¬
ments for changing what I have already
written are good and strong. Sometimes
it's just a matter of personal taste. These
are the times when I have to make the
final decision.

And, every so often in going through the

cards, I find a little moral support and
praise — usually when I'm feeling at my
lowest ebb. I'll come across a card with
"Nice job" or "We like this" - and that
helps. It really does. O

Don’t A
Forget! S

»— ms

Send for the latest edition of the free

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DRAGON 93

Convention Calendar

Convention Calendar Policies

This column is a service to our readers

worldwide. Anyone may place a free listing
for a game convention here, but the fallow¬
ing guidelines must be observed.

In order to ensure that all convention

listings contain accurate and timely infor¬
mation, all material should be either typed
double-spaced or printed legibly on stand¬
ard manuscript paper. The contents of
each listing must be short, succinct, and
under 150 words long.

The information given in the listing must

include the following, in this order:

1. Convention title and dates held;

2. Site and location;

3. Guests of honor (if applicable);

4. Special events offered;

5. Registration fees or attendance

requirements; and,

6. Address(es) and telephone number(s)

where additional information and confirma¬
tion can be obtained.

Convention flyers, newsletters, and other

mass-mailed announcements will not be
considered for use in this column; we
prefer to see a cover letter with the
announcement as well. No call-in listings
are accepted. Unless stated otherwise, all
dollar values given for U.S. and Canadian
conventions are in U.S. currency.

WARNING: We are not responsible for

incorrect information sent to us by conven¬
tion staff members. Please check your
convention listing carefully! Our wide
circulation ensures that over a quarter of a
million readers worldwide see each issue.
Accurate information is your responsibility.

Copy deadlines are the last Monday of

each month, two months prior to the on-
sale date of an issue. Thus, the copy dead¬
line for the May 1989 issue is the last
Monday of March 1989. Announcements
for North American and Pacific conventions
must be mailed to: Convention Calendar,
DRAGON® Magazine, P.O. Box 110, Lake
Geneva Wl 53147, U.S.A. Announcements
for Europe must be posted an additional
month before the copy deadline to: Con¬
vention Calendar, DRAGON® Magazine,
TSR UK Limited, The Mill, Rathmore Road,
Cambridge CB1 4AD, United Kingdom.

If a convention listing must be changed

because the convention has been can¬
celled, the dates have changed, or incor¬
rect information has been printed, please
contact us immediately. Most questions or
changes should be directed to either Robin
Jenkins or Roger E. Moore at TSR, Inc.,
(414) 248-3625 (U.S.A.). Questions or
changes concerning European conventions
should be directed to Rik Rose at TSR UK
Limited, (0223) 212517 (U.K.).

❖ indicates an Australian convention.

94 NOVEMBER 1988

OMNICON 1988, November 4-6

Sponsored by the North Carolina State Univer¬

sity Science Fiction Society, this science-fiction,
fantasy, and gaming convention will be held on
the North Carolina State University campus in
Raleigh, N.C. Miniatures, role-playing, and board
games are featured, with two RPGA™ Network
AD&D® tournaments and a CHILL* tournament
(and possibly others). Science-fiction and fantasy
literature will also be featured. A door-prize
drawing will be held. Registration is $2 for one
day, or $5 for the weekend. Registration begins
at 5 p. m . Friday, and the con closes at 6 p. m . Sun¬
day. Write to: OMNICON 1988, c/o Andrew
Chilton or David Ridout, P.O. Box 98052, Raleigh
NC 27624; or call: (919) 847-6758.

QUAD-CON 88, November 4-6

The RiverBend Gamers Association will hold

this convention at the Sheraton Hotel, located at
17th Street and 3rd Avenue in Rock Island, Ill.
Room rates are at a special nightly rate of $44
for a single and $53 for a double (for reserva¬
tions, call: (800) 322-9803, or (800) 447-1297 if
calling from outside Illinois). There is over 3,300
square feet of space in the two gaming rooms
and about 2,080 square feet in the dealers'
room. Featured events include AD&D®, D&D®,
BATTLETECH*, CHAMPIONS*, RECON*,
MARVEL SUPER HEROES®, CALL OF
CTHULHU*, and other games, as well as a
miniatures-painting contest, microarmor events,
an ancients-to-future combat tournament, and a
costume contest and party (no weapons, please).
Prices are $8 for the weekend, if received by
October 1. Otherwise, costs are $10 at the door,
or $5 per day. Write to: RiverBend Gamers
Association, PO. Box 8421, Moline IL 61265.

METROMEET ‘88, November 5

The Gamer's Guild is sponsoring an all-day

gaming meet at the Fine Arts Building at Mont¬
gomery College — Rockville Campus, in Rock¬
ville, Md. Events include role-playing, board,
and miniatures gaming, which start at 10 a . m .
and conclude at midnight. Registration is $10 at
the door. Write to: METROMEET '88, c/o
Gamer's Guild, Suite 304, 90 West Montgomery
Avenue, Rockville MD 20850; or call: (301) 424-
2115.

ROCK-CON XV GAME FAIR, November 5-6

This gaming convention will be held at the

Wagon Wheel Resort in Rockton, Ill.; from 10
a.m. to midnight on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 pm.
on Sunday. Guests of honor will include E. Gary
Gygax, Jim Ward, Tom Wham, and Lou Zocchi.
Events will include an RPGA™ Network multi¬
round AD&D® game tournament, a large (40
booths) dealers' room, miniatures events and
contests, and the Fifth Annual Rock-Con Auc¬
tion, hosted by Rich Borg. In addition, door

prizes will be given away every hour. Admission

is $5 for one or both days; there are no game
fees. Send an SASE to: ROCK-CON XV GAME
FAIR, 14225 Hansberry Road, Rockton IL 61072.

SAN ANTONIO FANFAIR, November 5-6

Bulldog Productions presents this small, fun

comic-book, science-fiction, and film convention,
to be held at a hotel to be announced. More
than 60 dealers' tables, more than a dozen
guests of honor, a masquerade, 24-hour gaming
sessions, 24-hour video rooms, writers' work¬
shops, an open convention suite, and a huge
Saturday night party will be featured events.

The anticipated attendance for this convention

is 600. Tables are available for $50-60. Admis¬
sion fees are $4 for Saturday, $3 for Sunday,
and $5 for both days at the door only. Write to:
Bulldog Productions, P.O. Box 820488, Dallas TX
75382; or call: (214) 349-3367.

DALLASCON 88 WINTERFEST
November 11-13

The largest gaming convention in the South¬

west will be held at the Park Inn International
Hotel in Irving, Texas. All types of board, minia¬
tures, and role-playing game events will be
featured, including a WRG Ancients and
AD&D® game tournament. The convention also
features a dealers' room, auction, movies, and
open gaming. Write to: DALLASCON, P.O. Box
867623, Plano TX 75086.

SCI CON 10, November 11-13

Sponsored by the Hampton Roads Science

Fiction Association, this science-fiction and
fantasy convention will be held at the Holiday
Inn Executive Center in Virginia Beach, Va.

David Brin is guest of honor, David Mattingly is

artist guest of honor. Bud Webster is fan guest
of honor, and David Cherry is toastmaster. Kelly
Freas and other guests will be in attendance.
Panels, readings, video presentations, a costume
contest, gaming, an art show, and more will also
be featured. Memberships are $15 until Septem¬
ber 30 and $20 at the door. Huckster tables
(limit of two per customer and including one
membership each) are $60 each until September
30, and $75 thereafter (if still available). Send an
SASE to: SCI CON 10, Dept. FA, P.O. Box 9434,
Hampton VA 23670.

TULARE-CON 10, November 12

This science-fiction, comic-book, and gaming

convention will be held at the T.D.E.S. Hall in
Tulare, Calif. Guests of honor will include artists
Ron Lim, Chuck Austen, and Edward Luena.
Other guests of honor will include special-
effects designers John Goodwin and Scott Alex¬
ander. Activities will include movies, panels,
workshops, and costume, art, and gaming
contests. Admission is free. Write to: Bob Mey¬
ers, c/o Bobs Office Supplies and Stationers
(B.O.S.S.), 227 South K Street, Tulare CA 93274;
or call: (209) 686-2896.

CONCON: THE CONSTANT CONVENTION

November 13-14

This gaming convention is held the second

Saturday of each month at The Gamemaster in
Arlington, Mass. This November's CONCON will
be the first two-day event. Special features will
include the Northeast Regional BATTLETECH*
Championship and CONCON Cup, and the
BLOODBOWL* Championship. Other events
include WARHAMMER* Fantasy and 40,000
miniatures battles, historical miniatures events,
and role-playing games. Write to: The Gamemas¬
ter, 444 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington MA
02174; or call: (617) 641-1580.

NEBRASKACON, November 18-20

Nebraska's largest gaming convention will be

held at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, at
the Student Union Ballroom. Steve Jackson will
be the guest. For a free preregistration packet,
send an SASE to: HobbyTown, 6021 South 52nd
St. Ct., Lincoln NE 68516 (Att: Jim Lafler).

SILVERCON, November 18-20

This science-fiction, fantasy, and gaming

convention will feature RPGA™ AD&D® and
CHAMPIONS* tournaments (among others),
open gaming, panel discussions, art displays, a
benefit auction, a dealers' room, and more.
Dedicated to the memory of Manley Wade
Wellman, SILVERCON will donate its profits to
Mr. Wellman's widow to help defray her late
husband's medical bills. Various science-fiction
and fantasy authors and artists may appear,
with a special emphasis on North Carolina and
the South, and guests from the gaming and
comics industries are expected. This convention
will be held at the Great Smokies Hilton,
Asheville, N.C. Memberships for all three days
are $20 before November 11, and $25 at the
door. Write to: SILVERCON, P.O. Box 8342,
Asheville NC 28814.

XANADU, November 18-20

This annual convention will be held at the

Nashville Ramada Inn, across from the airport.
Jim Baen is guest of honor, and Wilson Tucker is
M.C. Programming includes a costume contest,
a dance, a 24-hour video room, and many pan¬
els. Several RPGA™ Network events are fea¬
tured; with other game tournaments sponsored
by a local games store. Registration for all three
days is $15 until November 1, or $20 afterward.
Write to: XANADU Convention, P.O. Box 23281,
Nashville TN 37202; or call: (615) 833-1345.

CONTEX VI, November 25-27

This science-fiction and fantasy convention,

sponsored by Friends of Fandom, will be held at
the Hyatt Regency West, 13210 Katy Freeway (at
Eldridge), Houston, Tex. Guest of honor will be
Joel Rosenberg, along with Cat Boxe Theatre,
Jean Elizabeth Martin, and Randy Farran.

Events include panels, merchants, clubs, fan¬

zines, art, workshops, media, filking, costumes,
auctions, contests, and open and tournament
gaming. Registration is $15 for three days until
September 30. Write to: Friends of Fandom, P.O.
Box 266996, Houston TX 77207-6996; or call:
(713) 475-8228. For hotel reservations, call the
Hyatt at: (713) 558-1234.

DALLAS FANTASY FAIR, November 25-27

Bulldog Productions presents this full-scale

comic-book, science-fiction, and film convention,
which will be held at the Marriott Park Central,
7750 LBJ at Coit, in Dallas, Texas. This event will
feature more than 140 dealers' tables, 100
guests of honor, an art show and auction, a
masquerade, 24-hour gaming sessions, 24-hour

Japanimation and video rooms, artists' and

writers' workshops, readings, a dance, an open
convention suite, and much more. The antici¬
pated attendance for this convention is 2,000.
Admission fees are $15 for all three days if paid
in advance or $20 at the door. Write to: Bulldog
Productions, P.O. Box 820488, Dallas TX 75382;
or call: (214) 349-3367.

MACQUARIECON ‘88, December 9-11 ❖

One of the largest role-playing conventions in

Australia will be held on the campus of Mac¬
quarie University, $ydney, Australia, with
AD&D®, CALL OF CTHULHU*, PARANOIA*,
WARHAMMER*, and other games. Prizes will be
awarded to winners. Registration is $12 (Austra¬
lian), with a $5 (Australian) discount for entries
received before November 1. There is also a $3
(Australian) fee per game. No entries accepted
after December 2. Write to: MACQUARIECON
'88, t/o MURPS, Box 83 Student Council, Mac¬
quarie University, Sydney, AUSTRALIA 2109.

EVECON 6, December 30-January 1

Now one of the largest science-fiction, fantasy,

and gaming conventions, EVECON 6 will be held
at the National Clarion Hotel in Crystal City, Va.
Feature will include our usual assortment of
jugglers, clowns, strolling minstrels, and vaude¬
ville acts — not to mention such things as writ¬
ers' workshops, a computer room, an art show,
open gaming, a costume contest, a light show, a
New Year's extravaganza, and much more.
Membership will be $15 (if postmarked before
December 1) and $20 at the door. One-day rates
for CastleCon will also be available. Write to:
FanTek, Box 128, Aberdeen MD 21001.

ICON XIII, January 20-22, 1989

Only slightly delayed, ICON XIII will meet at

the Rodeway Inn, at 1-80 and Highway 965, at
Coralville, Iowa. Author Joel Rosenberg and
artist Darlene Coltrain are guests of honor, and
Algis Budrys is the toastmaster. Other guests
include Joe and Gay Haldeman and Mickey
Zucker Reichert. Featured events include the
mans-Iowa Canal Company, a film festival, a
space-opera round-robin, an art show, a writers'
workshop, and more. Registration fees are $13
until September 1, $15 until January 1, and $18
at the door. For hotel information, call: (800)
228-2000 (toll-free) or (319) 354-7770, and tell
them you're with ICON. For con information,
write to: ICON XIII, P.O. Box 525, Iowa City IA
52244-0525.
MORE GAMERS?

You may think you'd have to tra¬

vel to another planet to find a
game convention. Finding friends
who are also gamers can be a
problem, too. Put your scoutsuit
away and turn to the Convention
Calendar in this magazine. There
may be a game convention closer
to your home than you'd think —
and conventions are a great place
to find friends who share your in¬
terests. Whether you like board-
games, role-playing games,
miniature wargames, or just
browsing around, a game conven¬
tion can be all you've hoped for.
Plan to attend one soon.

GET OUT OF
THE DARK.

The Consumer Information Catalog will

enlighten you with over 200 federal
consumer-oriented publications. Many are free
and all are helpful. Get your free copy by
writing-

Consumer Information Center

Dept., TD, Pueblo, Colorado 81009

COMING THIS CHRISTMAS!

Petersen’s Field Guide to Dreamlands Monsters

Descriptions of 26 fascinating creatures commonly encountered in

the Dreamlands, in the same format as our best-selling Field Guide
to Cthulhu Monsters ! Beautiful full-color illustrations, plus detailed '
color maps of both the Dreamlands and the Dreamlands Underworld.

Available at your local hobby or game store, or by mail from:

CHAOS1UM INC.

Box 6302, Albany CA 94706

TO CHARGE IT (M/C, VISA ONLY): [415] 547-7681

Owur?

DRAGON 95
by Ed Sollers

When the
Tanks Roll

P olitical instability is all too com¬

mon in today's world, and in
many countries the usual means
of changing regimes is not by
elections but by coups d'etat. In the period
1966-1986 alone, more than 50 successful
coups occurred, taking place in every
region of the globe. Coups thus pose an
obvious hazard to Orion Foundation
agents in the field. Knowledge of how,
when, and where a coup might occur
reduces that hazard considerably.

In its war against the Web, Orion some¬

times intervenes in an attempted coup if it
appears to be Web-controlled. However, it
is the policy of the Orion Foundation to
respect the sovereignty and independence
of all countries; Orion neither initiates
coups nor intervenes in coups that are not
known to be Web-controlled. When pre¬
paring for a nation's overthrow, the Web
either infiltrates the government elite (if
the Web has a strong business and finan¬
cial presence) or else disrupts the govern
ment (through terrorism, encouragement
of insurgency, propaganda, etc.).

A coup d'etat is the infiltration and sub¬

version of part of the armed forces or
security apparatus of a nation, using that
faction to overthrow the government. The
purpose of the coup is always political, but
its methods are politically neutral;
there have been left-wing as well
as right-wing coups.

Coups and revolutions in the TOP

SECRET/S.I.™ game

Not every country is vulnerable to a

coup. Unless the preconditions for success
exist, the plotters could not retain power
even if the coup succeeded. There are
three fundamental preconditions for a
successful coup:

1. The social and economic condition of

the country must be such that only a
limited number of people — the elite —
can participate in politics. Under such
conditions, political legitimacy is fragile.
The deprived masses will accept any
change in government, legal or otherwise,
knowing that their own lots will probably
not change. Much of the Third World
meets this criterion. In countries where
the masses can participate effectively in
politics, a strong sense of political legitima¬
cy among the masses, leading to wide¬
spread resistance, will probably defeat any
coup. Additionally, if a country has experi¬
enced an economic disruption or military
defeat (or both) such that the existing
government is totally discredited, a coup is
possible.

2. A country must be politically indepen¬

dent. If a stronger power is willing and
able to intervene against a coup, the coup
will fail (as happened recently in Grenada).
To succeed, the coup plotters must first
secure the cooperation of any strong
outside power that might oppose them.

The 1963 coup in South Vietnam that

ousted Diem (with tacit U.S. approval) is
an example of such a situation.

3. A country must have a center of

power that can be seized. In most coun¬
tries, this will be the capital city.

Coup plotters must neutralize, generally

by sabotage or the defensive use of force,
all forces and facilities they do not use
themselves. To this end, they must do
several things:

First, they must identify all forces that

could intervene in the capital while the
coup is in progress. In addition to military
units, such forces could include paramili¬
tary police, civilian militias (belonging to
labor unions, students, and political par¬
ties), and other armed groups. All such
forces must be dealt with, either by incor¬
porating them into the plot or by neutral¬
izing them through the use of infiltration,
sabotage, roadblocks, or defensive war¬
fare. In general, the more advanced tech¬
nology a unit uses (such as electronics or
aircraft), the easier it becomes to sabotage
the unit — but the deadlier the unit is if it
Second, they must identify the means of
communication that they will use after
they have established themselves in power.
This should be the means that the public
most closely associates with the govern¬
ment. In most Third World countries, this
will usually be the government radio sta¬
tion. All other communication facilities
(telephone, radio, television, etc.) must be
neutralized through sabotage.

Third, they must identify the persons

who must be detained or eliminated dur¬
ing the coup. This category includes the

head of the government (usually a presi¬

dent, general, or prime minister), defense
minister, armed forces chiefs, police minis¬
ter, and anyone else who controls an inter¬
vention force or could rally opposition to
the coup. Ceremonial heads of state need
not be arrested unless they can rally oppo¬
sition; if they can be manipulated, they
will be useful to the new regime.

Fourth, they must identify the buildings

and other physical facilities to be sabo¬
taged or seized. This includes the royal or
presidential palace, the capitol, communi¬
cation facilities, the homes or offices of the
people detained or eliminated, the air¬
ports, and any other locations as required.
Once they choose their areas of opera¬
tions, they must plan how to isolate them.
These areas should include all the build¬
ings and facilities to be sabotaged or
seized. All approaches to each area must
be sealed with roadblocks.

Finally, they must recruit the necessary

personnel to execute the coup. Two types
are needed: strike teams (to seize targets,
make arrests, man roadblocks, etc.) and
technicians (to conduct sabotage). The
initial approach to each recruit should be
made by a cut-out — an expendable partic¬
ipant — rather than one of the coup lead¬
ers. Typical criteria checked for when
approaching a recruit include his political
opinions (it helps if they match the coup's),
his career pattern (men who have been
promoted more slowly than their peers
are often ideal), his leadership potential
(his unit should follow him into the coup),
and other data, including religion, ethnic
background, and so forth, if appropriate
to the coup's goals.
The potential recruit should be told that
his own role will be limited and specific
(without going into the actual details of the
task), and he should be assured that most
of his unit has already joined the plot
(regardless of whether or not this is true).
All of this will make the recruit feel more
secure and lead to his easy acceptance of
the idea of a coup.

Coup plotters have two approaches in

recruiting units. They can either subvert
entire units, such as battalions, or they
can recruit fragments, such as platoons
and companies, from a number of units.
The first method provides greater security
prior to the coup, since the men know
each other and will be on the watch for
informers and infiltrators. The second
method minimizes the risk that someone
within the coup will usurp control from
the leaders, since the troops are unused to
working together and the officers are
usually of similar rank and are unwilling
to defer to one another. The second meth¬
od also has the advantage that, when the
coup is underway, the government cannot
be sure which units are still loyal to it.

Recruiting should not be attempted in

units organized by the government for
political reliability. These ultraloyal units
must be dealt with during the coup itself.
The Web assists coup plotters with recruit¬

ment (using bribery, blackmail, kidnap¬

ping, or entrapment to persuade the
recruit) and with security, by infiltrating
the security apparatus and assassinating
potential informers.

The active phase of the coup consists of

carrying out the five actions given earlier
in this article. In doing so, the following
tactics will be useful:

1. The starting time for the coup will be

the hour at which the insurgent forces
will be detected by loyalists, which is
largely a function of how conspicuous the
coup's action teams are and the distances
they must travel to reach their targets.

The first teams to go into action will be

the ones sent to arrest people, since only
these targets can escape. However, these
will be the smallest teams (probably no
more than a truckload each). A similar-size
team should be sent to each of the facili¬
ties the coup will sabotage rather than
seize (primarily communication facilities).
The largest teams, the ones that will seize
buildings and set up roadblocks, will be
the last to move. The teams in this last
group should receive any available heavy
weapons (such as armored vehicles), since
their real function is to intimidate the
loyalists rather than fight them.

2. If possible, units should move at night

to conceal their numbers and increase
confusion for loyalist forces.

3. Revolutionary forces should do a

minimum of actual fighting, both to
reduce the risk of coup forces accidentally
fighting each other and to keep the loyal¬
ists confused. With the leadership arrested
and the communications seized or sabo¬
taged, the orders issued to loyalists would
take an irregular form. Revolutionary
forces should claim that they, too, are
following orders and urge caution to their
comrades. Every hour of loyalist delay
works for the coup. Once the coup plot¬
ters have seized their targets and broad¬
cast their victory, loyalists will probably
give up. However, the ultraloyal forma¬
tions such regimes maintain will have to
be dealt with on the barricades, as the
likelihood of their surrender is low.

4. Large action teams (the ones that seize

buildings) should be broken up as soon as
their mission is accomplished; they should
then be sent to set up the roadblocks.
During a coup, all teams must be kept
busy; otherwise, they might overthrow
their own leaders.

The Web ensures the success of its

coups by using Web assassins to eliminate
the human targets of the coup. It also
encourages personnel in strike teams to
greater effort — at gunpoint. The Web also
freely provides hardware and support to
technicians, as well as a few heavy weap¬
ons, if greater firepower is needed to
intimidate loyalist troops. When the Web
is behind a coup, it assigns a Web Opera¬
tions Manager to direct events.

Once the coup has succeeded, it must

announce the fact to the nation as quickly
as possible. The first communique from
DRAGON 97

the new regime, in addition to denouncing

its predecessor, announces the security
restrictions that will be placed in effect. At
minimum, these will include a rigorous
curfew, a strong military and police pres¬
ence in the capital, and a ban on air traf¬
fic. Banks may be closed. Frequent identity
checks may be required, and news will be
censored or unavailable. Public gatherings
will be prohibited. All this makes life haz¬
ardous at best for Orion agents engaged
on missions in the area, but if the Web is
behind the coup, the situation becomes
even more dangerous as the Web and the
new regime hunt them down.

Ironically, in countries where Web-

controlled businesses have large holdings,
the new regime will (insincerely) denounce
the corporations, if the coup was domi¬
nated by the Web. Harsh criticism of
foreign-owned corporations is standard
after coups, especially in the Third World.

A coup is a particularly unpleasant sur¬

prise. The Orion Foundation tries to avoid
such surprises through a combination of
surveillance and intelligence-gathering of
other types. Direct action, where practical,
is also used; Orion fights Web-influenced
coups in countries at all levels. Sometimes
the Foundation must act indirectly, using
the resources of the corporations that
contribute to Orion. The following are
common Orion strategies:

1. The corporations affiliated with Orion

often make business decisions and invest¬

ments with the sole purpose of countering
Web influence in a country subject to
frequent coups.

2. Orion maintains a close watch for the

presence of high-level Web agents in coun¬
tries vulnerable to coups. Sometimes a
Web operation of great importance will be
handled by a Director or senior Opera¬
tions Manager in person. If Orion can spot
these people, it has an opportunity to
terminate or capture them.

3. The Foundation often conducts an

analysis of a country's officer corps similar
to that done by the Web as noted above.
Continuous surveillance is placed on sol¬
diers and officials believed vulnerable to
Web influence. If necessary, their homes
and offices are bugged so that their deal¬
ings with the Web can be recorded. Such
men are driven out of the conspiracy by
the threat of exposure.

4. Orion monitors military and govern¬

ment signal traffic; a sharp increase in the
amount of traffic may be a sign of an
impending coup.

5. Orion recruits reliable local citizens to

watch suspected coup targets, persons as
well as locations; these local agents nor¬
mally perform no other task. The resi¬
dences of such persons will be specified
by Orion and will be chosen to make their
task easier. If an analysis indicates that a
coup may be attempted shortly, these

people will be alerted to watch their tar¬

gets and report any suspicious activity.
Their Orion case officer will then broad¬
cast a warning to Orion agents. To main¬
tain security, the case officer will
represent himself to the locals as an agent
of their government. Instructions and
salaries will be passed to these people via
dead drops. If practical, they may be given
legitimate jobs in a local Orion company.
Each local surveillance personnel will be
issued a communicator similar to the SW1
that does not operate on the frequencies
routinely used by the government, to
minimize the risk of detection.

6. If necessary, an Orion agent will be

placed inside the security services of the
government, effectively becoming a dou¬
ble agent. This agent will then be able to
pass on to the local government Orion
analyses of the situation and any warnings
received. Infiltrating the security services
is, of course, a highly risky stratagem.

7. In extreme cases, Orion may send a

Titan Team to a country threatened by a
coup. The team's job will be to rescue or
prevent the capture of persons capable of
organizing effective resistance to the coup.
Although this is the most dangerous strata¬
gem of all, it has a good chance of success
because a Titan Team is far better trained
than average soldiers and because the
Titan Team may well outnumber the coup
action team sent to arrest the target. Oth¬
er possible missions for a Titan Team
include impersonating military or police
officers to rally loyalist units and using
clandestine communication facilities for
the same purpose. A Titan Team is autho¬
rized to act as it sees fit in such situations.
In general, a Titan Team will avoid any
confrontation with a building-seizure or
roadblock action team, as the latter will
probably have enough firepower to defeat
the Titan Team.

8. Finally, in all countries in which it

operates, Orion maintains several safe

houses. These can, of course, serve as
refuges for agents caught off guard by a
sudden coup. Q

Have You Resubscribed?

If you subscribe to DRAGON® Mag¬

azine, check the brown mailing
wrapper in which this issue arrived.
If the wrapper has a subscription
warning on it, send your mailing
label, a subscription card from this
issue, and a check or money order
to: DRAGON Magazine Subscrip¬
tions, TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 72089,
Chicago IL 60678.

DRAGON is a trademark of TSR, Inc.

©1988 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Index to Advertisers

AMAZING® Stories .21, insert card

American Heart Association .93

Armor.81

Bard Games .74

Britton Designs (Elysian Field) .54

Chaosium, Inc.95

DRAGON® Magazine.5, insert card

DUNGEON® Adventures.101, insert card

Game Designers' Workshop.104

Game Systems, Inc.57

Games Workshop US (Citadel Miniatures). 35, center insert

Gamestrade Monthly (Games World)* .44

Lion Rampant .. . 45

Magicware.53

Mayfair Games, Inc.69

Palladium Books . 20, 41, 55, 65, 99

POLYHEDRON™ Newszine .85, insert card

Prince August Ltd. (Mithril Miniatures)* .80

Ral Partha Enterprises, Inc.1,40

Rieder Design Ltd* .19

Shadow Graphics .• • 34

SSI, Inc.29

Supremacy Games, Inc.14

Tonka (Sega).9

TSR, Inc.inside front cover, 4, 49, 57, 74, 75,

79, 84, 89, 91, inside back cover, back cover

U.S. General Services Administration.91, 95

West End Games.82-83

* United Kingdom/Europe

NOVEMBER 1988
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A MtpiibiiMiri r-iii Hmwi I nil iiiinid mill T*.pe MiiIhiK S'-inji Tunic*.

Ii r.~ Amandin, ifKurai ■ r*. :ii kt hiK'Vm w 'm lias ns-iffcd ilir I'ann. Human¬
kind eh up, in suryisari Its- j ihrvad

A ikw hrscJ -al .'.viW.'Jiy nf lilii. msjijiii animals bur risen fn.Tn rk ir.k'

«r ik’J.iutSHin. Ti> Ik- Akfipine mrirrr-. ihe upcuKince irf ihe nuiUm
uiimnls is Ihe riiHilliiium of ihe "Druaen Ilia:'' fcueai. They heffeve rJt-

jnimilh IhlW leiliHied III live ssHli i.iii :|4 hnllirn. i 1 . I!-a■ iI (ire
m'pr'jr.lful
1.1k*v, i .in i1.x- is thruatuiinl hy mm dm hum 'J-'rul u-js emee InJ-ariJiu.

:l ln;* ljIL li'iiiM .L-K :-. the JWiurfM .0 ,Y.‘- r-ft'-WnsV.-ri AikI iky k- rlan-
r*ci|

AusIijIw a* yn hAIrnH^.™ -siT Ihtife empirr. Their plan is nnc ihn ha* nov-eir
riiihiJ Ihem yet: m “teed" kusualit with JeiJI ■ muam plum* dim mil irjp
uul douur ill l* enemy. Ilie irilm ul Ausuuliu, kinun ait I mdly»' jmnkil.
muni ujiiv iii emilhcil the Ins-jnkrv "r b«dmc tkir stives.

teenace mutant ninja turtles

TeenuRt Mutunt Slnju l-urth-s X. fHhtr htrutpi*«»vj|Miiii_ii-. ...

unJ a nritiiL-hh nr the Ninja Turtles.' eniiiiv hurt «nl T V «hnw The rule*
i. 'uNi; sim in s is ;*.: «"■: play any vyp: nl inuianl ininul wilh j vuiecv at
IHm'tr*. jhilxiHs and niiiii.il in> I'lu-- un :■ ptr$e limill sirlp, tilieiiina-s.
I he Sllljii L unksuid Ktll .Juijl I:-. III.. I s!- r lslr . Ilir IkkiL i - ,
SM.'lf

TMVT 'Viisenlu-rL-s pmlrids ’isc dilkrenr ndsemures ihu| mfl m u l siay

iturjincn unwml ihe e-rtlil tikluilfs (lit mfinvnrt - rx-jlh Trial 1 ." seeiuriu.
IdsW PIcjm' add SI CC for pasla^e.

1 AlS'L' LrllLdi- [a Ilir I’nitri-sr -i..-- i -.■-..■i HcM)V iv’V( ill -I iiulB ■
II lilt

Tn-rr.iHms. ami iln/ens iif ■.nkr aliens whieh have jppeireil m ihe JMIVT'
tvenk book Plus ral» inr spaee uml jerul Liimkn. inur ■heiium.-s am
iiWie -strip, tri.-ei.

TMNT Sotrvebmik: Aritr Ihe Ik-mb! "y .trti 1 .... am

werlJ derailcs oiler niKfcur bokLnusi Ukl wlnar mulunl animah irr lhr
ne^ slider irf" lile 1'lns sis Hdvunluiw mppr- and ssnrUl iSesrnpiKin. -Lierai
film 1 1 tfi.fri I'kasr add SI fii hr pffsii^e.

IMS J'SsMiLifHHik; Itnail HihlsI An After I he ltd mb Mini'll ■■

ItiktiaiM mayhem on ik hiy:hv,-i>s .it' (he JunereU ttesi C'nasi Vehirlr
ernnlKn rules. 2U nets umiiiul muiiiKirrs ami hair advmlurvs ramplru iliis
fuiLipe 44.5.1 PIibk uJd SI .IHI fur prakpc

Ihe kfilM’ll Ils-ISk-s I III j III IlL-d KIM : .JH.ihl: s. i ■ . i .-ah; any 1
i-.p. nl iiyth:
fix*, suffer .-liarai.-fcT. rnkiis, s^-ksTfs. alien--, maitial jns irkiiiers. super
■sjn,-... pjirtnies. niulvts. rauijir jr-J nv-re 1 IJnucs Lintimiied is silH trie
ihi! j.
yame ihalrivers ev«> jspifei Jif ihe ts'hns kkik Imu ‘ pi[K\. CsmpeLilile
h i* I MM $||,rt Pkufe mIiI .11.np ha pmage

Niilivt it Kupt-rcpde*. n r-amplrtv -«vs Mle-plus nit- rn r il-.ii is.. A.hiv>

wiih Menses 1 nliinUtd nnJ Mpjm Tnrihs. I'lay Miperspic- ■■ ■■ ■ - .1

Ks* Bii'irksk* and {jbemlie mspljnls-. Or pluy menul an mueters with
unuMial juMteis. Ini-lutle* W farms re nilnlul jr«. <«iw ui^iAiijio'^.,
ifiL-rei rJemnirs. t>hsMps jml rrmre Fleiie add II.fO ror p:i-.iwe.
t^irfflriJs ^m-rneif . . .

* ikss-r 211 iil-H mcilaiil iillliiml..

* Thr llrvnm rime fwrrvrvr

* IkM-llofotuueii Auslralu nuppvil anil derrribid.

■ The rstfceUns nt Hfci- I .. i tiiiiil-r^. tnit [ht-Jr lOMisLrnuh mlnloeis.

■ Plus advtnltrv-s In J?e r I 1 ™ «4rltfl-

A rernpumi'ii hunk Fee Aflir the Itnmh nml Run! FKips

■ IfcM Flense udkl SI.W fur puMARi.

t'riesr^li fe I'Til. I'.fei. l» 4 . IVH-. m:. l-ftti fer.ii hnhlb

Nliui n-."'S- + i. i ^prtnSrA |.>fe-ssk if Kcspi

f'jlJailliiiri Bxrr.ks 1

Dept. I>

592ft ] .mMi ji
D ulniiL. Ml 4K21H’

funs pIl'Il* IVtPl t'alntete

.Hr i ill site |inMu L r Ulld tui ■ i III i 111_> In ,-..i.. Ill- . ptulr . ilali -
-I ini

Fanlnvf. Mipvihcib. uik! h'kpw Ik I km eide-pkijinp. samr- sml suppfe-

menis. fknd seders- Em I'nlladinm Lfnnk> . 5H2h Lunin-. Ik-linlL. Ml

-H5139.

flii'HBES/! man,

PIS PUPE COULP USE 4 VACATION!

f-THINK HIS IIP OIL 0KAIN MAS J
BONE on WITHOUT 'IM /

WHY ms HC KEEP \

REPEATING-THOSE SAME
INOR.PS ? WHAT Po THEY
MEAN? IS HE ANGRY
AND PUTTING A CURSE
ON SOME WOMAN? )
WOW! HE SH6ULP
EE at A Conven¬
tion IN ATLANTA

K ~rdMO£R0U) f

r OAAY, I'M H£T£ \ '

Art/' /CAN HANPLE\
EVERYTHING...WHO
IS THAT OIL PUDE?

SNOW ON THE BEACH,

SHOW on THE beach,
SMOU) ON THE BEACH,

OH NO, HE WAS GOING TO TAKE

A FEW HAYS OFF, SO YESTERPAY,
HE WENT TO THE TAKE 60
SWtMM!NG,ANP> THERE WAS
SNOW ON THE BEACH. SUMMER
IS GONE... HE MSSEP IT AGAIN.

w\\

EXPERIENCE

T he greslest treasures. (W any

ftD&D* cir DSD*' game are
Found in DUNGEON'"
Adventures, Ihe only module
magazine of irts kind. Begin yoiK ,
quest today.

fill out and mail the subscription;

card In This issue.

It Itw ■rand K missing, wrile fc&„

Sut^ripliQIK
EKJ HGEON Adventures
F.Q Bow ft)

LaKa GanevaVifl S!fs47

Draqonmirch

bnrflot: MytsflOy

"tTS NOT TOO LATE. . . YOU DON'T HAVE TO EAT ME

fT'S SIMPLE . . . JUST SAY NOt “

Ring around The collar

Wait Yori!
Don't shoot!
It's a rare fang
dragon—

We'll have the

endangered
species people
all over us!!!

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKINAT?

Howling Wilderness

The chaos is onfy beginning....

World: War Ill's expo-clod nuclear winter never

materialized; instead, the exchange has- altered car
tain weather patterns. Howling Wikiem-ess is a
sourcebook describing America's impend¬
ing struggle with drought, famine,
and plague.

That civilization, whith has been

revitalizing, will hava new complica¬
tions as pestilence and marauders
overrun the lower 48 smses. Also includ¬
ed in Howling Wilderness is a template
city-maker, with geomorphic city map
blocks which can Lie easily and
quickly arranged to map any town
or village.

ISBN 1 - 55878 - 003 - 3 .

48 pages, $ 7 - 00 .

After the war , the Atlantic has become an in-

surpassabie barrier.

However, the City of Corpus Chfistt. a ic?j

^ngetes-clBES submarine obtained In the adventure
The Last Submarine, can make the journey easily.
Your mission is Id travel to Constanza, Romania.
Why? The government wqii't tell yoy, but it does ask
you 10 pick, up an 80 Cnl in Greece who will explain
it to you. You can bet it must ha important because
the government wouldn't send the last submarine
halfway around the world to pick up □ pizza. On the
way, you'll also have to find a few remaining DlA
agents in auoh places as Spain. Libya, S
and Sicily. Best of luck. Accompany
the sub's next voyagu Stress the sea
le aid in □ covert military operation in

ihe Balkans 1 Fart two of ThB Last

Submarine trilogy, complete With
new ship-to-ship combai rules, is
based on those presented in
Pirates of the Vistula

ISSN 1 55B78-Q05-X.

4 B pages. $ 7 . 00 .

By the way, if you haven't bean aubecribing to

Challenge, you've missed some great Twllrght: 3000
articles, such as additional city maker materials,
descriptions of the USSR and Canada in 2000 , and
plenty of new equipment and vehicles,

Ei 22

Available at your local hobby ^hiqp gr raci hem

SOW. Adrt SI lor handling For a Iras copy of
□ur laaa cmalpq .v.,:* re - C-DW. FQ Bax 10*6,
BloomingKn. 15. 6t70?-16-*6.

PO Box I
BLaomfngUm. IL6
Hauxin wsi .inv. n.j 1

Buck Rogers, the super hero of

cosmic combat, Masts off with an
all-new adventure boardgame from
TSR.

II is the 25th century. A fierce

wer of colonization! and conquest
has thrown Iho inner planets of our
solar system Into disarray.

Warships scream across me

blackness of space, cutting swathe
of destruction Irom Mercury lo the
Asteroid Bett.

In TSR’s ali-new boardgame, £-6

players battle planet by planet for
control of the 25th century. They
launch me nearly 4TO piece
galactic arsenal of battlers.

fighters, armed Iransporte, killer

satellites, and heavily armed
ground troopers commanded by
six of the inner-solar systems
greatest heroes and villai ns. f

You create and command the 1

space armadas and armies. Vou
make alliances ... and break
them. You fight the bathe to free or
enslave the inner planets.
Ask for this exciting new
boeidgame at your local toy, book
or hobby done.

IVatch for these books

coming this fait.

Watch for new Buck Rogers books,

games, and graphic novels ...
coming sconl

Buck Mtter&ii.

More than
ptesti c

playing pieces!

T@R, Ire. Iniroduces an all-new,

oxjciting fantasy game—The
DRAGON LAWCET Game. Based
on tine bestselling
DRAGONLANCE Saga, Ihis new
game can be played by two to six
players, ages 10 and up,

Taka to the skies On a dragon's

back and duel your enemies in 3-D
aerial combat as you strive lo enter
tfie torbidden tower. One-by-one
me weaker dragons faJL leaving
only the bravest to vie for control of
Ihe legendary dragonlance. Cap-
lure thu lance and return lo your
lair to win the game!

Ttie DRAGON LANCE Game has

two levels of play. The Basic Game
Is easy to learn and play; the
Advanced Game adds more strat¬
egy, variety, and complexity. Either
version provides hours of fun for
the whole family.

The DRAGON LANCE™ Game is now available at

your local toy, book, or hobby store.

HUUlQMdttiCE: uk -fft* T5FII

s x.rc*TT«rt« .7WTys3 by Tffl. |«*, TBP. 'IW *1 R flhB RflMHrfiii.