Issue #140Vol. XIII, No. 7

December 1988

PublisherMike Cook

EditorRoger E. Moore

Assistant editor Fiction editorRobin Jenkins Patrick L. Price

Editorial assistantsKim Walter Barbara G. Young

Art directorLori Svikel

Production staffPaul Hanchette Betty Elmore

Kim Janke Carolyn Vanderbilt

Subscriptions U.S. AdvertisingPat Schulz Sheila Gailloreto

U.K. correspondentGraeme Morris

U.K. advertisingDawn Carter Kris Starr

2 DECEMBER 1988

SPECIAL A TTRACTION

15 Keepers of the Faith:Justifying the ways of gods and men.

16 The Savant � Vince GarciaHis weapon of choice is the wisdom of the ages.

24 So Many Gods, So Little Time � Andrew C. GronoskyMix-and-match gods do not a pantheon make.

30 Fantasy Clerics and Clerical Fallacies � Gregory DetwilerFinding a cure for clerical shortcomings.

34 As the Cleric Turns � Robert StockdaleTurning the tables on turning undead.

OTHER FEATURES

38 Specialization (Cut Down to Size) � Len CarpenterStrategic arms limitations for the AD&D® game.

40 The Beastie Awards � Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk LesserFour out of five DRAGON Magazine readers prefer. . . .

44 Roll On! � Len CarpenterA better way of rolling the bones.

46 Flesh and Blood � fiction by Mary Frances Zambreno.What is the price of a father�s love?

52 The Game Wizards � Jim WardAn insider�s look at the 1989 TSR product schedule.

54 An Assortment of Knives � Edwin C. MasonHandheld weapons that get to the point.

56 The Dragon�s Bestiary � Ed GreenwoodCreatures of light and darkness: new monsters from the FORGOTTENREALMS� setting.

66 Through the Looking Glass � Robert BigelowMiniature strongholds, fantasy forests, and children of the gods.

74 The Role of Computers � Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk LesserEarning your wings: PC adventures for frequent fliers.

82 Role-playing Reviews � Jim BambraFoundations and empires: assessing the FORGOTTEN REALMS�supplements.

DE P A R T M E N T S

3 Letters 12 Sage Advice 90 Convention Calendar6 Forum 28 Index to Advertisers 94 Dragonmirth

10 TSR Previews 64 Gamers Guide 98 SnarfQuest

CO V E RFans should have no trouble recognizing the cover artist for this issue � Larry

Elmore, who reported that the giant's footprints were the most difficult part to paint. Indeed, the level of detail is extraordinary. Notice the pigs?

What did you think of this issue? Do you havea question about an article or have an idea for anew feature you�d like to see? In the UnitedStates and Canada, write to: Letters, DRAGON®Magazine, P.O. Box 110, Lake Geneva WI 53147,U.S.A. In Europe, write to: Letters, DRAGONMagazine, TSR UK Limited, The Mill, RathmoreRoad, Cambridge CB1 4AD, United Kingdom.

Errers R UsDear Dragon:

In issue #136, on page 19, the 13th line reads:�Manacles are medieval versions of manacles,made out of iron.� Shouldn�t the second �mana-cles� read �handcuffs?�

Aaron GoldblattFort Worth TX

Yes, the second �manacles� should have been“handcuffs” — but this was the 13th line onpage 18 of that issue.

Gone, but not...Dear Dragon:

I am not certain whether or not Little Warsmagazine is still being published; however, as aformer avid reader of it, I would like to inquireabout a couple of things.

First, do you still publish Little Wars or anyother magazine for military/fantasy miniaturesin which I could place a classified ad to pur-chase a hard-to-find line of fantasy figures?

Second, do you know if Heritage Models(based in Dallas, Tex.) exists in any form? If not,do you know the whereabouts of their minia-tures ranges if they have been bought out byanother company? I am very interested inacquiring Der Kriegspierers Fantastiques, whichI am afraid are no longer on the market. Anyhelp in this area would be most appreciated.

Jonathan R. CaseyVienna VA

Little Wars ceased publication in the spring of1979 and was merged with DRAGON Magazineat that time. For several years after the acquisi-tion of the assets of SPI, Inc., TSR, Inc. pub-lished STRATEGY & TACTICS® Magazine, butthat periodical was sold to World Wide War-games (3W), Inc. in 1987. S&T® Magazine cur-rently runs classified advertising; write to:STRATEGY & TACTICS Magazine, P.O. Box FCambria CA 93428, U.S.A.

Our best information on Heritage Models isthat it no longer exists, and we have no informa-tion on what became of the molds used for itsminiature figures.

Things to comeDear Dragon:

How about adding a small section in each

issue which states what will be in the next issue,or at least a few highlights?

Matt AmundsenMarietta GA

We don�t do this because there is always thechance we will have to change the magazine’scontents at the last minute. Changes in adver-tisement layouts, placement of articles usingcolor, and other glitches have unexpectedlyrearranged the contents more than once,though we do schedule themes for issues andexpect to regularly use certain features such asreviews. So, no “next issue” announcements.

Microzines?Dear Dragon:

I could easily spend $150-$200 in an attemptto gain all of the information printed in yourmagazine that would be useful to my gameplaying. Why don�t you edit out all of the adver-tising, reviews of books and games, etc., and art,then put the first 100 issues of your magazineon microfilm (or on a hard disk) and sell it tolibraries? You could include the fiction sepa-rately. This would more than compensate forwhat is missing from the Best of DRAGONMagazine anthologies.

David RomneyYakima WA

We’ll make a note of this idea, but we cannotpromise that you will actually see it in practice.

On a related topic, we have no further anthol-ogies of DRAGON Magazine material plannedfor the foreseeable future. In a reply to a letterin issue #133 (“Four questions”), we mentionedthat module anthologies taken from DRAGONMagazine and DUNGEON® Adventures weretentatively planned for release in 1989; unfortu-nately, these products were removed from theschedule. They might appear at a later time.

Okay to copyDear Dragon:

Often, I find myself in a situation in whichthere is a great article in DRAGON Magazinethat I want to put into my role-playing binderwithout butchering my magazine. Is it okay tophotocopy material for private use?

Damian BrunianyPittsburgh PA

Yes, you can photocopy anything you like (foryour personal use only) out of DRAGON Maga-zine. We onIy object if such copying is done forprofit — say, if you ran an advertisement sayingyou would sell photocopies of the DRAGONissue #1 you have in your gaming library for $5apiece. If you made a copy of an article to give afriend but made no profit from it, that’s fine,too.

A failure toimaginate

Not everyone likes everything thatappears in DRAGON® Magazine, asyou might well guess. Among thecritical letters we receive are thosethat protest material that doesn�texactly fit what you might think ofas a typical FRPG campaign, withelves, dwarves, unicorns, and apseudo-medieval human culturecrossed with The Lord of the Rings.For example, the special section onAfrican monsters that appeared inissue #122 produced several lettersasking why we bothered to run it. Asimilar reaction came from onewriter when we ran the newundead in issue #138 and fromanother writer when we ran theprehistoric mammals in #137. Wewere taken aback by the number ofletters from readers who didn�t likedruids, after we ran the section onthem in issue #119; one writer saiddruids simply didn�t fit within amedieval-style campaign.

Now, don�t get me wrong, becauseI rather like medieval-style cam-paigns, too. But variety is the spiceof life � even life in fantasy games� and without it, a long-runningcampaign can be described using thewords of a character from one ofMargaret Weis�s little-known fantasyclassics: �How borrrring.�

What we have here, to paraphrasefrom Cool Hand Luke, is a failure toimaginate. Given a little time and aperverse imagination, it is possibleto make up an entertaining shortadventure involving almost anymonster, magical item, or charactertype that falls out of the ordinary.Some AD&D® game players don�tuse Oriental Adventures, but what ifa group of shipwrecked Orientalmonsters or evil NPCs met yourcharacters face-to-face? A gamedesigner once mentioned his desireto write a humorous module inwhich the PCs find an island popu-lated only by monsters that no onelikes, such as the flumph from theFIEND FOLIO® tome. One of theAfrican monsters from issue #122could appear in a zoo, on an island,in a wizard�s laboratory, as a foreignNPC wizard�s pet, or as a specialwandering monster on a quest of itsown in any campaign. And the Man-ual of the Planes is rich with uniquesettings, each worth a visit.

More daring Dungeon Mastersmay wish to make broader changes

Continued on page 79

DRAGON 3

“Forum” welcomes your comments andopinions on role-playing games. In the Unit-ed States and Canada, write to: Forum,DRAGON® Magazine, P.O. Box 111, LakeGeneva WI 53147, U.S.A. In Europe, writeto: Forum, DRAGON Magazine, TSR UKLimited, The Mill, Rathmore Road, Cam-bridge CB1 4AD, United Kingdom. We askthat material submitted to “Forum” be eitherneatly written by hand or typed with a freshribbon and clean keys so we can read andunderstand your comments.

Finally, you�ve done something to beef updragons! [Special attraction on dragons inDRAGON issue #134.] I don�t know how manypeople have laughed at the game because they�tried the AD&D® game, went out and killed adragon, and it was boring." So few DungeonMasters have the skills necessary to make evena demon lord a challenge! In the group I DM,the players have told me that they would ratherface a dragon than a group of eight orcs justbecause the dragon is quicker about wipingthem out! The editorial about Tucker�s kobolds[DRAGON issue #127] really hit home as itreminded many of the players about my orcs.I�m not a killer DM, but I don�t believe orcs havesurvived this long because they are stupid, and Ialways give the monsters even breaks! Whatthose articles did was explain to everyone howto make dragons a bit more like their legendarycousins. The only problem is that merging thosechanges with those presented in the FORGOT-TEN REALMS setting boxed set makes for amean dragon!

In �Sage Advice� in issue #134, the question ofhouse rules was brought up. If there is onething I hate, it�s a player who challenges a houserule. The DM had a reason for making the rule,

and if players don�t like it, they can find anothergame. In my own world, elves cannot be clerics.The reason for this is that an elf can be almostany class, and it is usually advantageous to bean elf. Aside from the bow and short-swordadjustments, elves each have infravision and theability to find secret doors. Combined with anyclass, an elven character will dominate a game ifthe PC is played correctly. My house rules alsomake dwarves most powerful as clerics (I lovedthe dwarven cleric in issue #129) and humansmost powerful as fighters. I have corrected amajor imbalance in the game regarding elves,and I have given other races, notably humansand dwarves, a chance. If I had to make onerecommendation for the revised AD&D gamebooks, it would be to make the elves less power-ful and other races more powerful.

Dean WrightSecurity CO

Let�s settle once and for all the matter ofUnearthed Arcana�s weapon-specialization rules.Recent letters in �Forum� have claimed that thisis a good thing and that (heaven help us) itshould be extended to clerics as well.

Weapon specialization is grotesque and unbal-ancing. Let�s quote some figures here, a ratherelementary thing to do which no previouswriter has bothered to pester readers with.Consider our standard 1st-level fighter. He has17 strength (a fair average for a fighter) anduses a long sword. Now, how much damagedoes he do? That depends on the armor class ofan enemy, so what we do is calculate the aver-age damage per round against all enemies fromAC 9 to AC -2. This average comes out as 1.54hp/round in the old combat system. With weap-on specialization, it becomes 3.66 hp/round,fully 238% of the old figure. With double spe-cialization (perfectly reasonable for 1st-levelfighters; how many of them ever use more than

one sword and a bow anyway?), we get 5.43 hp/rd, a staggering 353% increase over the oldaverage. It is obvious from these figures � andthe numbers don�t change radically if one con-siders other weapon types and strength values� that the effect of specialization is absurdlyunbalancing to the game. Did anyone ever claimin the past that fighters should be able to dofour times the damage they were doing? If nosuch claim was made, why do we need a systemin which damage by fighters is virtually quadru-pled by double specialization?

Actually, the laughable rules on firing a cross-bow at point-blank range give new averagedamage figures which exceed by 600% the olddamage in certain cases, but these are so outra-geous that I cannot bring myself to detail them.

Weapon specialization must be written out ofthe AD&D® Second Edition game, together withother unbalancing elements which have pro-duced overpowered characters: Method Vcharacter generation (if you want this type ofcharacter, why don�t you save yourself the timeand just write down six straight 18s?);svirfneblin and their elemental conjurations;barbarians; and drow with their spell bonuses.All these are equivalents of the treasure-packedMonty Haul in the area of character abilities.

Finally, to deal with the people who havewritten in about the �pitiful mages� who at 1stlevel have but one spell (another variant on thechildish �gimme a real powerful character andgimme it now� mentality). Stop snivelling, useyour brains, and you might even try doingsomething really radical when that spell hasbeen used � like role-playing. A magic-user ishighly intelligent, and he should have plenty ofinput into tactical discussions, interpretingobservations, and anything else which calls forsome smarts.

Steve AllenLondon, U.K.

I am writing after reading Mr. Oppen�s excel-lent article detailing the Roman religions in issue#133. The piece was relevant and coherent, andI am well aware of the difficulty in representingan entire culture through a handful of figure-heads. I must, however, take exception to theentry under Saturn�s name, as I feel that hischaracter has been drastically misrepresented.

Saturn was primarily a Roman god, havinglittle or no following among the Greeks. How-ever, like all Roman gods, his origins came fromthe Greek myths, and in this respect he is identi-

DRAGON® Magazine (ISSN 0279-6848) is published monthly by TSR, Inc., PO. Box 756, Lake Geneva WI 53147, United States of Americ a. The postal address for all materials from the UnitedStates and Canada except subscription orders is: DRAGON Magazine, P.O. Box 111, Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.; telephone: (414) 248-3625. The postal address for all materials from Europeis: DRAGON Magazine, TSR UK Limited, The Mill, Rathmore Road, Cambridge CB1 4AD, United Kingdom; telephone: (0223) 212517; tele x: 618761; fax: (0223) 212517.

Distribution: DRAGON Magazine is available from games and hobby shops throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and through a limited number of other overseas outlets.Distribution to the book trade in the United States is by Random House, Inc., and in Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd. Sen d orders to: Random House, Inc., Order Entry Department,Westminster MD 21157, U.S.A.; telephone: (600) 636-6460 toll-free except Alaska (call (800) 492-0782 toll-free in Maryland). Ne wsstand distribution throughout the United Kingdom is by SeymourPress Ltd., 334 Brixton Road, London SW9 7AG, United Kingdom; telephone: 01-733-4444.

Subscriptions: Subscription rates via second-class mail are as follows: $30 in U.S. funds for 12 issues sent to an address in t he U.S. or Canada; £18 for 12 issues sent to an address within theUnited Kingdom; $50 in U.S. funds for 12 issues sent by surface mail to any other address; or $90 in U.S. funds for 12 issues s ent airmail to any other address. Payment in full must accompany allsubscription orders. In the U.S. and Canada, methods of payment include checks or money orders made payable to TSR, Inc., or ch arges to valid Mastercard or VISA credit cards; sendsubscription orders with payments to: TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 72089, Chicago IL 60878, U.S.A. In the United Kingdom, methods of pay ment include checks and money orders made payable to TSRUK Limited, or charges to a valid ACCESS credit card; send subscription orders with payments to TSR UK Limited, as per the abov e address. Prices are subject to change without prior notice.The issue of expiration of each subscription is printed on the mailing label of each subscriber’s copy of the magazine. Changes of address for the delivery of subscription copies must be receivedat least six weeks prior to the effective date of the change in order to assure uninterrupted delivery.

Back issues: A limited quantity of back issues is available from either the TSR Mail Order Hobby Shop (PO. Box 756, Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.) or TSR UK Limited. For a copy of thecurrent catalog that lists available back issues, write to either of the above addresses.

Submissions: All material published in DRAGON Magazine becomes the exclusive property of the publisher unless special arrangeme nts to the contrary are made prior to publication.DRAGON Magazine welcomes unsolicited submissions of written material and artwork; however, no responsibility for such submissio ns can be assumed by the publisher in any event. Anysubmission accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope of sufficient size will be returned if it cannot be published. We strongly recommend that prospective authors write for our writers’guidelines before sending an article to us. In the United States and Canada, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope (9½” long preferred) to: Writers’ Guidelines, c/o DRAGON Magazine, as perthe above address; include sufficient American postage or International Reply Coupons with the return envelope. In Europe, writ e to: Writers’ Guidelines, c/o DRAGON Magazine, TSR UKLimited; include sufficient return postage or IRCs with your SASE.

Advertising: For information on placing advertisements in DRAGON Magazine, ask for our rate card. In the United States and Cana da, contact: Advertising Coordinator, TSR, Inc., P.O. Box756, 201 Sheridan Springs Road, Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A. In Europe, contact: Advertising Coordinators, TSR UK Limited.

DRAGON is a registered trademark of TSR, Inc. Registration applied for in the United Kingdom. All rights to the contents of thi s publication are reserved, and nothing may be reproduced from itin whole or in part without first obtaining permission in writing from the publisher.

® designates registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. ™ designates trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. Most other product names are t rademarks owned by the companies publishing thoseproducts. Use of the name of any product without mention of trademark status should not be construed as a challenge to such sta tus.

©1988 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.Second-class postage paid at Lake Geneva, Wis., U.S.A., and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to TSR , Inc., PO. Box 111, Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A. USPS

318-790. ISSN 0279-6848.

6 DECEMBER 1988

he had demanded human sacrifices from among

fied with the titan Cronus (the father of Zeus).

his subjects; when these ceased to come, he

Cronus himself was the son of Uranus and Gaea,

cursed his land with drought, poverty, hatred,

Space and the Earth, and was throughly evil. He

and all other evils. The god inherited this legacy

was responsible for the birth of the Furies and

of kindness and absolute evil, and Saturn was

for castrating his own father; later, when

named the Lord of Misrule. The golden reign of

warned that he would be similarly overthrown

King Saturn was mentioned in the same manner

by his own children, he swallowed each one as

as we might today say, �Germany was united

it was born. Zeus� death was avoided by his

under Hitler." His wrathful punishment and self-

mother�s interference, and he went on to battle

obsession became trademarks of the otherwisepeaceful soul whose name the god inherited,

and defeat Cronus, releasing the swallowedOlympians and starting a new dynasty. Cronus(Saturn), therefore, had already been estab-lished as chaos incarnate.

Zeus was known as Jupiter in Roman mythol-ogy, and his father, Cronus, was translated intoSaturn, named after a human king whose rulewas known to have been fair and just. Saturnwas depicted as being a frail old man whoalways carried a sickle and who had connec-tions with the harvest, not with the sowing.(The plow has never been associated closelywith Saturn, but see below.) The sickle shouldbe his symbol, as it is today used by astrono-mers and astrologers in speaking about theplanet Saturn. Further, the ideas represented bySaturn are those of destruction, death, and (atleast) inertia and helplessness. The evil nature ofhis Greek cousin was carried through, and thechaos which was the base of his characterbecame even more fundamental, despite the[reputation of the] good king who only managedto slightly lessen Saturn�s reputation.

It is, therefore, understandable that somesources describe the god Saturn as being benignbecause of this king whose name was borrowed.In this context alone, Saturn was recognized asa god of sowing and of husbandry, and theearth was said to have produced abundantlyunder his control. Eventually, as Greek influ-ence became less important, Saturn took on thefull aspect of this king and was consideredbenevolent and wise, as the article depictedhim. The king had also been responsible for theabolishment of slavery in his kingdom and hadtaught agriculture to the Italians, but a darkshadow had loomed over his rule. Periodically,

and Saturn, both as god and mortal, implied afickle character rooted in chaos. As Cronus hadrepresented these traits to the Greeks, Saturndid to the Romans, ruling kindly and supportive-ly until he felt his personal importance wasdiminishing, then destroying everything aroundhim with all his power.

twice in a row at the most). As for a DM making

a predetermined number of days, he was

a bad judgment call, two DMs can have a little

expected (and forced) to cut his throat, commit-

conference if the dormant DM thinks �preju-

ting public suicide as a fee for impersonating

dices� are getting in the way of playing a fair

the god. Saturn�s worship, although tied to

game. A couple of bad things about this whole

gentler pastoral days through the legendary

idea is that one DM cannot have complete

king, was a decadent, cosmopolitan display of

control over the game; but sometimes it isbetter to have two different viewpoints as it

self-fulfillment, the pleasures of inflicting pain,and the making of noise and disruption.

gives more flavor to the world (watch out for

It is true that later cultures have carried

arguments � they ruin the flavor of the world).Another minus is that weaselly characters can

Saturn�s bad side to extremes compared to theRoman view. The Grim Reaper was derivedfrom the image of the man with the sickle. Inastrology, Saturn is known as a malefic influ-ence. But even in ancient times, there were [inSaturn] overtones of immortality, cruelty, anddebased chaos. Saturn was seen by the law-and-order society of the Romans as being unrestrict-ed by any laws or rules, living to the hilt his lifeof pleasure at others� expense.

In game terms, Saturn�s movement rateshould be changed to 12�, his hit points to 250,his symbol to the sickle, and most importantly,his alignment to chaotic neutral. It is even moreessential, however, that the DM develop a senseof what Saturn represented. Although Oppen�sarticle does an excellent job in describing oneside of Saturn�s personality, albeit from animmature development of his mythology, Saturnmust be visualized as a self-centered, ambiguousbeing who serves his followers happily � butalso a being who, if shown anything less thanobsession from his followers, lashes back in ire.

David CohenSt. Catharines, Ontario

I am writing about the article in issue #135,�When Game Masters Go Bad." Our group,which numbers nine, has found the perfectsolution to this problem: co-DMing. Not onlydoes this solve the problems of the party split-ting up, it also lets either DM run an adventureif the other is sick, so the group can still go onwith the campaign. It also solves the problem ofplayers not showing up for a game, as thesecondary DM can handle all the missing char-acters (this is not to be used often � once or

con one DM into something that the other DMdoesn�t like (thus causing a civil war). This styleof play is not for every group, and is not recom-mended for small groups.

Delmar WatkinsMuncie IN

Saturn�s position as a god was important to In issue #133�s editorial, comment is called forthe Romans as Jupiter�s father, and a festival on the future of role-playing games. In my(Saturnalia) was celebrated every year in opinion, role-playing games will probably moveDecember (winter showed the Lord of Misrule�s toward placing more emphasis on coherentconnections with destructive elemental forces). campaigns rather than anything else. This trendThese were seven days when all law was is already visible in TSR�s own decision to set upignored. Homicide, sexual indiscretions, bur- a campaign world for all AD&D game adven-glary, and assault ran rampant in the name of tures. The FORGOTTEN REALMS setting isSaturn as psychological release. This proved commendable, and I�m certainly looking for-effective, as the crimes committed were never ward to seeing modules that have a consistentas bad as one would expect, and the people felt campaign atmosphere.as though their anxieties had been truly I haven�t seen GURPS by Steve Jackson Games,released. A young man was named Saturn for but I think this trend will also be a feature ofthe festival, and he paraded around dressed in this role-playing game. I hope (rather thanroyal robes, and was encouraged to partake in believe) that role-playing games will lose theirimmoral festivities, especially orgies. Then, after poor images in the minds of much of the public.

Even a sustained public relations campaignwould be hard-pressed to convince those whonow think of us as demon worshipers, but thenevery population has its lunatic fringe.

I would now like to try to convince you thatspell points are not unbalancing if used in a welldeveloped campaign. It was said in �The GameWizards� column not too long ago that givingclerics a spell-point system would be unbalanc-ing because of limitless healing spells beingavailable at no reduction in the clerics capacityto cast other spells if necessary. This would betrue of a campaign where clerics had automaticaccess to all of the spells listed in the PlayersHandbook and Unearthed Arcana. In my belief,clerics should not be run that way.

First, a campaign�s gods should be well devel-oped with well-defined, it not distinct, spheresof influence. Based on these spheres, spells castby clerics of each god would be listed, andcasting spells outside of one�s sphere would beforbidden or incur point-cost penalties. Thesespell lists would include spells unique to the godand appropriate spells from other sources.

As an example, here are suggested first-levelspells available to clerics of Tempus (a war godfrom the FORGOTTEN REALMS setting):

Ceremony: witness Ceremony: rest eternalPurify food and drink ShieldCause wounds CommandSanctuary Cure light wounds

The two ceremonies have previously beendetailed, (Ceremony: witness as a new druidicspell in DRAGON Magazine #122), and they arereally the only apt ones for a cleric that I envi-sion as being a wandering warrior priest.

Shield is the first-level magic-user spell. Cause wounds would cause a light wound ona victim within a short range (10-20�). Damage isslight however so it�s really only an in extremisspell used when the cleric has lost his sword.(Weapon and armor restrictions should be basedon the god, not the class).

Cure light wounds is a feeble spell comparedto the first-level spells used by clerics of healergods, but it is better than nothing. It is the onlyhealing spell that any cleric of Tempus can use.

The others are all as the Players Handbookwould have them. This only gives a 1st-levelcleric of Tempus eight spells from which tochoose, but he would also be a good and capa-ble warrior ( +1 to hit, maybe) capable of usingany weapon without restriction and wearing thebest armor he could afford.

Magic-users are pitifully weak at 1st level, andspell points aren�t such a terrible imbalance ifthey are game mastered properly. Read therelevant section of the DMG and you�ll see whatI mean; magic-users virtually have to rob fellowmagicians in order to get more than the fourspells they start with in their spell books.

For magic-users especially, I suggest that spellpoints be gained in an arithmetical progression,maybe +3 per level gained. A 10th-level magic-user would have 30 spell points, less than thecurrent AD&D game equivalent, but he wouldhave spontaneous choice of spells.

If a magic-user were to use 75% of his spellpoints, he would become fatigued, if he usedevery mental resource, (100% expenditure),exhaustion would set in, (as per theDungeoneer�s Survival Guide). This rule wouldreflect the problems of Raistlin and other magic-users portrayed in the excellentDRAGONLANCE® books.

Michael NorrishWellington, New Zealand

8 DECEMBER 1988

NEW PRODUCTS FOR NOVEMBER

MU3 Gamer�s Handbook of the MarvelUniverse #3

MARVEL SUPER HEROES®1 gameaccessory

by David Martin, Chris Mortika, andScott Bennie

Not even the files of the Avengers�1 have asmany superheroes and supercriminals as thethird Gamer�s Handbook for the MARVELSUPER HEROES® game has. Everyone from Mto R is covered in this 256-page, loose-leaf vol-ume, each sheet punched for three-ring binders.Full-color illustrations and up-to-date informa-tion are found with every character!Suggested Retail Price: $13.95/£8.95 Product No.: 6883

GAZ9 The Minrothad GuildsD&D® Gazetteerby Deborah Christian and Kim EastlandWant to get rich without going into a

dungeon? Voyage to the islands of the Minro-thad Guilds, the merchant princes of the KnownWorld, in this 96-page Gazetteer. A full-colormerchant map and complete details on thisseafaring society are provided.Suggested Retail Price: $8.95/£5.95Product No.: 9236

Kara-Tur: The Eastern RealmsAD&D® FORGOTTEN REALMS�

accessoryby Jay Batista, Deborah Christian,

John Nephew, Mike Pondsmith, and RickSwan

East meets West as the major campaign landsof the FORGOTTEN REALMS� setting andOriental Adventures link in this boxed set. Fourfull-color maps and two 96-page booklets areincluded, with all you need to set up a majornew campaign system.Suggested Retail Price: $15.00/£9.95Product No.: 1032

The DRAGONLANCE® Saga: Book ThreeTSR® graphic novelScript by Roy Thomas; illustrated by

Tom YeatesThe DRAGONLANCE® saga returns! This 80-

page full-color graphic novel recounts theadventures of the Heroes of the Lance as theybattle forces that threaten to overwhelm Krynn.This book carries the heroes through the firstpart of Dragons of Winter Night.Suggested Retail Price: $9.95/£6.95Product No.: 8432

Azure BondsFORGOTTEN REALMS� novelby Kate Novak and Jeff GrubbAlias, a sword-wielder of the Realms, awakens

10 DECEMBER 1988

in a tavern with a mysterious tattoo on hersword arm. As the power and menace of theblue sigils grow, she gathers a strange assort-ment of allies and sets off in search of thosewho have bound her destiny.Suggested Retail Price: $3.95/£2.50Product No.: 8414

SNIPER!�: BUG HUNTER gameSNIPER!� game seriesby Steve WinterNo problem in alien relations is too gross,

slimy, and revolting that it cannot be solved byautomatic flechette fire and high-explosivegrenades � or so says Frontier Tactical Services.But then, this lesson was learned from thePredators � the aliens who live only to kill. JoinFRONTAC and meet the Enemy in the latestaddition to the outstanding SNIPER!� gameseries from TSR, Inc. This game is complete initself but may be linked with other games in theSNIPER!� game series, too.Suggested Retail Price: $12.95/£TBAProduct No.: 3026

NEW PRODUCTS FOR DECEMBER

FR6 Dreams of the Red WizardsAD&D® FORGOTTEN REALMS�

accessoryby Steve PerrinThe nation of Thay, along the eastern shores

of the Inner Sea, is ruled by the hated andfeared Red Wizards. Their legends, deeds,spells, and plans are all included in this 64-pageaccessory. The sourcebook even has adventuresin which player characters can meet the RedWizards � and good luck to the PCs!Suggested Retail Price: $7.95/£TBAProduct No.: 9235

DL16 The World of KrynnAD&D® DRAGONLANCE® supermoduleby Douglas Niles, Michael Gray, and

Harold JohnsonThis wide-reaching supermodule takes you

back to the world of Krynn in four challengingadventures. Many loose ends from theDRAGONLANCE® saga module series are tied upat last, yet this product also serves well as anintroduction to this campaign world and itsinhabitants.Suggested Retail Price: $8.95/£TBAProduct No.: 9237

TSAC6 Covert Operations Source Book,Volume 2

TOP SECRET/S.I.� game accessoryby John PradosThis is the second source book for the TOP

SECRET/S.I.� game detailing real-life espionagecases from the years 1945 on, including thePollard and Rainbow Warrior affairs. It alsoincludes profiles of the espionage agencies of 11

nations, including Israel, Britain, France, andSoviet bloc military intelligence organizations.Whether you like espionage role-playing gamesor just like espionage stories, this remarkablevolume will provide many hours of enjoyment.Suggested Retail Price: $8.95/£TBAProduct No.: 7632

MU3 Gamer�s Handbook of the MarvelUniverse #4

MARVEL SUPER HEROES®1 gameaccessory

by David Martin, Chris Mortika, andScott Bennie

This huge volume gives you all of the statisticson the superheroes and supercriminals from Sto Z in the MARVEL SUPER HEROES®1 game.This 256-page, loose-leaf accessory comes witheach sheet punched for three-ring binders. Full-color illustrations and up-to-date informationare found with every character!Suggested Retail Price: $13.95/(l)8.95Product No.: 6884

Unless otherwise noted® and ™ denote trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.©1988 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved

1 ©1988 Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. All Rights ReservedMARVEL, MARVEL UNIVERSE, MARVEL SUPER HEROES,and all Marvel characters, character names, and distinctivelikenesses are trademarks of Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc.

by Skip Williams

If you have any questions on the gamesproduced by TSR, Inc., �Sage Advice� willanswer them. In the United States andCanada, write to: Sage Advice, DRAGON®Magazine, P.O. Box 111, Lake Geneva WI53147, U.S.A. In Europe, write to: SageAdvice, DRAGON Magazine, TSR UK Lim-ited, The Mill, Rathmore Road, CambridgeCB1 4AD, United Kingdom.

This month, �Sage Advice� looks at theoriginal (second-edition) TOP SECRET®game and the TOP SECRET Companion.These questions do not cover the new TOPSECRET/S.I.� game. Page numbers in thisarticle refer to the 64-page TOP SECRETgame rule book, unless otherwise noted.

Original set rules

One of my players insists thatTemporary Losses are expressed aspercent reductions instead of sub-tractions, so a -20% penalty meansthe loss of 20% of the trait, not a 20-point reduction of the trait.

Your player is right. This rule applies toall personal trait reductions (see page 5).

How about some guidelines onhandling wounds in the field? It�sfine to assume that characters gethealed when on R&R, but what hap-pens when they have to fight theirway free before they can get to ahospital? What happens when acharacter receives first aid? Dowounds ever get infected?

How you handle this depends entirely onwhich rules you are using. In the second-edition game, the Administrator need notworry about what happens before thecharacter gets to a hospital, even whenusing the Optional Specific Injury Determi-nation rules on page 41. The woundedcharacter has to live with his injuries untilthey are treated. As one reader pointedout, however, it�s hard for wounded char-acters to remain inconspicuous. Note thatR&R and healing are possible even with-out hospital care; see page 17.

The TOP SECRET Companion introducesfirst aid on pages 71-72 of that book. TheAdministrator might wish to use infectedwounds as a complication (see the rulebook, page 44). The Administrator is onhis own when determining the effects ofinfections.

12 DECEMBER 1988

Is there a Willpower check madewhen poison is used, or does poisonautomatically take effect?

In general, Willpower does not alter theeffects of poisons; however, see thesleeping-gas rules on page 39.

If the rules on page 46 are used,how can a character ever be killedby poison?

Since Life Level is a secondary traitderived from Physical Strength and Will-power, any poison that reduces one orboth of these primary traits is potentiallylethal. While unwounded characters areunlikely to succumb to poisons, woundedcharacters are quite vulnerable (a charac-ter might not be able to handle his currentwounds at the lowered Life Level). When

a character�s Life Level is reduced to zeroby poison, the character is dead. TheAdministrator might assign particularlydeadly poisons (such as cyanide) a severemodifier to the trait-reduction roll.

When ether or sleep gas is used,what is the onset time and what ischecked to see if the character isaffected?

The onset time is immediate for gamepurposes. Ether is considered an anesthet-ic; treat this as sleeping gas, using therules on page 39.

What are the effects of variousgases, such as chlorine and nervegases (including onset times)?

This question is too broad to be fullyanswered here; Administrators will haveto decide the effects on a case-by-casebasis. In general, onset time is immediate,unless the gas is so dilute that charactersmust be exposed for several turns in orderto get one dose (see page 46). Once a dosehas accumulated, the effects are immedi-ate. Chlorine is an irritant poison thataffects Physical Strength, Willpower, andCoordination. Most nerve gases can beconsidered deliriants.

"Spy�s advice� in DRAGON® issue#91 said that certain military weap-ons are not available to agents anddo not fit into the TOP SECRETgame. I disagree; depending on thenature of the mission, agents mightvery well need military weapons.Please publish statistics for lightmachine guns, heavy mortars, andbazookas.

It has been said before, but I�ll say itagain: Military weapons have no place inthe TOP SECRET game. Any missionrequiring heavy weaponry will be assignedto regular or special army units, not toespionage agents. It is possible, however,that characters might come across some ofthese weapons in the hands of NPCs. Sev-eral types of machine guns and personalmissile launchers were described in �Nowthat�s firepower!� in DRAGON issue #102.A 40mm �generic� grenade launcher(which could substitute for a light mortar)appears in the Companion on pages 61-62.The 80mm missile launcher (Companion,pages 61-62) is similar to bazookas of theera after World War II, except that abazooka produces a backblast that inflicts10 points of damage on anyone standingimmediately behind the weapon when it isfired. The backblast will also set fire toflammable objects (paper, household fur-nishings, dry brush, etc.). If there is alarge, solid object 5� or less from the weap-on�s rear, the character firing the weaponwill also be caught in the backblast.

In hand-to-hand combat, the rulessay that the defender must use adefense from the attacker�s table.What happens when the attackeruses a table that the defender can�tuse due to insufficient knowledge?

The defender is free to use any defensefrom the attacker�s table, but the attackergets a +3 Injury Modifier (see page 28).

When using hand-to-hand combat,can the participants look at thecharts, or do they have to rememberthe available attacks and defenses?If they can look at the charts, what�sto keep the attacker from alwayschoosing the most potent attack andthe defender from choosing the bestdefense against that attack?

Yes, the players can look at the rule-bookcharts when their characters are in hand-to-hand combat. The rules assume, how-

ever, that each characters actions will bewritten down secretly, then revealedsimultaneously.

How is combat conducted if onecharacter is using projectile combatand another is using hand-to-handcombat?

The character firing the weapon has agreat advantage, as projectile combat ismuch faster than hand-to-hand combat.The exact sequence of actions is given inthe Companion on page 47.

How long does it take for a heli-copter to get airborne?

This depends on how heavily loaded thehelicopter is. If its load is light enough sothat it can hover, it can be airborne on thesecond turn after its engines are started. Ifit is heavily loaded, it can still take off, butit must taxi (to get extra or transitional liftfrom its rotors) just as a fixed-wing air-craft does; see page 11.

What would the effect be if softlead bullets were dipped in teflonand fired from a gun?

Probably none, for two reasons. One,coating something with teflon requiressome sophisticated industrial processes;one doesn�t simply dip an object into liquidteflon; Also, a teflon coating has to becured in an oven at about 700°F which isabout the melting point of pure lead, socoating "soft lead" with teflon is an unpre-dictable business at best. Two, teflon actsas a superlubricant when applied to bul-lets. This effectively reduces or eliminatesthe resistance offered by armor � particu-larly lightweight body armors � makingthem penetrable. Pure lead, however, willdistort on impact, due to its softness. Thisnegates any advantage the teflon mightprovide.

When using the forced entry rules(pages 34-35), would you roll a newdifficulty rating each time a charac-ter tries to force a door or window?

Generally, yes. The Administrator, how-ever, might assign a particularly stubbornor weak aperture a fixed rating.

When an agent is disguised, whatis the chance that another agent orNPC will notice the disguise?

Check the agent�s modified Deceptionscore (see page 38) whenever the agentmeets a new person or group of people. Ifthe check fails, the disguise is discovered.The Administrator might require a newDeception check (possibly at a penalty) ifthe agent is observed continuously � say,every six hours.

What is the chance of an NPC run-ning away when involved in a fight?

When in doubt, the Administratorshould check the NPC�s Courage trait,rolling that number or less on 1d100 tosee if his bravery holds out. If not, hepanics and may flee.

What superior AOK should a char-acter have to be good at forgingdocuments, passports, IDs, licenses,and similar paperwork?

The items you listed would requireknowledge in all of the following areas:Literature, Photography, Metallurgy, Arts& Crafts, Law, and Linguistics.

How much do false IDS, passports,or credentials cost?

Generally, the agency will provide theseitems if they are necessary for a mission.If not required for a mission, they are notavailable. On the black market, prices willvary depending on the document and itsDeception value. Cheap imitations withlow Deception values (10-20%) can bebought for $30 or less, sometimes legally(toy badges, for example). Well-executedfalse passports cost around $200. Medicaldegrees cost around $5,000. Black marketdocuments never have Deception valueshigher than 80%.

When using the Swordplay Table(page 29), does the defender have touse a sword?

No. Common sense, however, makes itclear that the defender must have somesturdy object with which to block andparry the attacker�s sword (martial artistsmight get by with pieces of cloth or theirlimbs). The Administrator might choose tomake unequipped characters use the no-defense column.

What is the chance for a trainderailment?

Under normal circumstances, none.Derailments occur when trains take sharpcurves at excessive speeds, strike solidobjects (other trains, semi-trucks, debris,or other obstacles on the tracks), crossdamaged tracks or track beds, applybrakes improperly, or travel on damagedwheels. The Administrator will have torule on derailments on a case-by-casebasis. Module TS005 Orient Express has anote on derailments in Table 3 on page 9.

The flamethrower described inDRAGON® issue #91 is missing somegame statistics. How about giving acomplete description?

Flamethrowers are covered in the Com-panion on pages 61-62.

Is there any way that a charactercan increase his AOKs or languageskill levels?

Yes; see Improvement of Character Abili-ties, page 18. Treat languages as specificAreas Of Knowledge (see page 19).

What is stopping power?A weapon�s stopping power is its ability

to incapacitate a living target withoutkilling it. Rules covering stopping powerare included in the Companion on pages41-42.

DRAGON 13

TOP SECRET® Companion

The Military Record rules on page5 of the Companion are confusing.In the example, a character rolls therank of major, gets four promotions,and winds up as a sergeant. Howcan a character he promoted downto a lower rank? Also, the examplemakes use of two terms, �rankrolled� and �rank attained.� Aren�tthese the same?

Rank rolled and rank attained are notthe same. Rank rolled is the highest rankthe character could have earned givensufficient service time. Rank attained isthe character�s rank when leaving theservice. All uneducated characters start atthe lowest rank � rank rolled not with-standing. Characters are promoted onceevery two years, so the character in theexample (who spent nine years in theservice) got four promotions and attainedthe rank of sergeant. Since the rankattained was eight ranks below the rankrolled, the character also received fourdecorations. Educated characters enterthe service as officers (see the Companion,page 6) and do not roll for rank.

What traits should be checkedwhen an agent attempts to create adiversion during a getaway?

The chance for a successful diversion isequal to the sum of the character�s Physi-cal Strength, Knowledge, Charm, Coordi-nation, Courage, and Evasion, divided bysix and rolled on 1d100.

Please make sense of the �Depar-ture Times� subsection on page 29of the Companion.

There is dropped copy in two places.The third sentence of the first paragraphshould read: �If the result is equal to orgreater than the time between trips, theagent has just missed the flight and mustwait the full time between trips as shownon the chart; then the roll represents thenumber of hours until the next tripdeparts." That is, add the interval betweentrips to the die roll in order to determinehow long it takes to get a flight. The firsttwo sentences of the second paragraphshould read: �The number of trips availa-ble in a single day can be calculated byadding the time until departure to the timebetween trips, up to a total of 24 hours. Ifthe time between trips exceeds 12 hours,there is only one trip available each day."That is, see how many times you can addthe time until departure to the die rollwithout exceeding 24; this is the number

14 DECEMBER 1988

of trips available per day.

What is the chance for a getaway ifan agent is detained at an airport?What is the result if the getaway issuccessful?

The chance for a getaway is equal to thecharacter�s Evasion trait. If the Evasion rollis successful, the character escapes thedetention, but the local police begin pursu-ing the character after 1-20 minutes (seethe rule book, page 16).

What are the ranges of airlinersused on medium- and short-haulnon-overseas flights?

These airliners usually have ranges of3,500 (medium range) or 1,500 (shortrange) miles.

What does water travel cost fortrips of over 250 miles? What is a�water mile�?

On trips of 251-750 miles, the cost is $.10per water mile. On trips 751-1,500 miles,the cost is $.08 per water mile. On tripsover 1,500 miles, the cost is $.05 per watermile. A water mile is the same as a regularmile but measured over water routes, notover land or through the air. The straight-line distance between two points is almostalways shorter than the water distance, asboats have to navigate along coastlines,around reefs, etc.

When using the Involuntary HitResponse rules, when do you checkTables 65 and 66 (Companion, page45)?

Whenever a character is hit, just repeatthe steps on page 44 of the Companionwith these two tables.

When taking an espionage course,what is the adjustment to the coursetime when the agent�s Knowledgescore is greater than 16 but lessthan 85?

There is no adjustment for a Knowledgescore of 17-84.

What are the AOK increases for theAssassination Bureau�s Silent Kill-ing course?

Medicine/Physiology, Military Science/Weaponry, and Psychology all gain 1-10points.

Isn�t a +10 range modifier a bitmuch for a sawed-off shotgun atshort range? These weapons aren�tthat accurate. Shouldn�t there be amodifier for point blank range?

A sawed-off shotgun�s RM at point-blankrange is +5. At short range, the modifieris -10 .

by Vince Garcia

The SavantA Q&A character for the AD&D® game

Background and purposeThe savant is either a cleric or magic-

user with a special dedication to scholarlypursuits. While not specifically a separatecharacter class, the savant may be takenas a special split-class available to magic-user or clerical classes and subclasses.

Clerical savants: Within the structure ofa large religious order are a unique few ofthe priesthood whose duty is to assist thechurch hierarchy in matters of decision-making through the knowledge possessedin their fields of expertise. On other occa-sions, these savants may function aschurch representatives, journeying todistant affiliated churches to deliver hier-archical pronouncements, perform exor-cisms, or stand at the forefront of conflictsaffecting others worshipping his deity.

A PC savant is likely to be been assignedto strive against some sort of threat to thewell-being of fellow worshipers, or forsome other DM-determined purpose (con-version potential, extra tithes, informationon a lost clerical artifact, etc.). This savantis thus most often introduced into a partyof adventurers through a cleric or paladinalready ingratiated with the group, whoserves the same deity or temple. It is possi-ble that the entire fellowship may in factbe sponsored by the savant�s parent order.

Magic-user savants: The magic-usersavant is not as restricted as his clericalcounterpart. In his case also, the key func-tion is to specialize in certain fields ofknowledge ranging from a practical expe-rience in fashioning potions or scrolls tothose of an encyclopedic nature. While hemay exist as part of a wizards� guild, ful-filling much the same function as a clericalsavant, the magic-user savant may alsobegin his career by serving an apprentice-ship under a guild sage or savant, andlater separate to undertake his own magi-cal studies while retaining an active inter-est in broadening his knowledge of theworld and its many arcane mysteries.

PrerequisitesSavants may be human, elven, or half-

elven, and may be of any alignment. They

16 DECEMBER 1988

may not be multiclassed (in effect, theyare). Minimum ability requirements arelisted as follows: dexterity 16, intelligence15, and wisdom 14. Savants receive a 10%bonus to experience if all three scoresexceed 15.

Armor and armsSavants are limited to the armor and

weaponry allowed to their primary class.They do not receive extra weapon/non-weapon proficiencies or penalties for theadded savant class. They also attack andmake saving throws as applicable to theprimary class.

Magical items allowedSavants may use those magical items

allowed to their primary class. They alsomay attempt the reading of all scroll types,based on their talent to read languages. Inaddition, they may read all books andlibrams, receiving experience point bene-fits as listed in Table 1 (in addition to thosenormally granted the primary class, ifapplicable). Note that a savant, by virtue ofhis class, avoids any detrimental effectsfrom the reading of these works normallyapplicable to a nonsavant.

Table 2 lists experience point totals,levels, and titles for the savant class. Whilecharacters gain no extra hit points fromthe savant class, they do not suffer hit-point penalties. Experience points, how-ever, must be divided equally between theclasses. Savants of both sorts are limited toa maximum experience level equal to thatpossible for the primary class.

Savants need not be trained by a higher-level savant to advance in level. The fundsand time used in level advancement, how-ever, are assumed to be spent on theacquisition of reference tomes and on spellresearch.

Savant skills and spells are listed in Table3. Additional spells not listed in any of theAD&D® game books are given in Table 4and explained in the text. All spells areprovided in addition to the spells acquiredfrom the savant�s primary class. Savantskills are also listed, along with areas of

Explanation of skillsRead languages: This skill allows the

savant to grasp a basic understanding of a text written in an unfamiliar language. Itshould be noted, however, that successful-ly rolling the skill does not confer a dis-cernment of the text equal to that oflinguistic fluency; rather, the savant com-prehends the overall meaning of the pas-sages � main verbs and nouns, forinstance. If the savant also possesses aspecialty category in linguistics, he is thenable to correctly decipher the manuscriptfollowing a period of reference work (1-4days, as a general rule). Note that this istrue only if the initial read languages rollwas successful and if the savant has accessto his (or someone else�s) library.

It is also through this skill that thesavant is able to decipher and read magi-cal scrolls from classes other than hisprimary one (akin to the thief�s skill). Hisbase chance of success is modified down-ward by 5% for each level of the spellinscribed on the scroll. If the roll is failed,normal repercussions result.

Legend lore: In no way is this skill asubstitute for detect magic or identify.This skill is limited to recognizable objectswith notable histories, or to legendarypeople or places. It indicates that thesavant is aware of the general history ofthe object. For example, a savant makeshis roll when examining a magical swordand realizes this sword belonged to Goththe Paladin, who disappeared 10 yearsearlier on a quest to recover the Mace ofCuthbert. According to legend (which isn�talways accurate), the sword was a holyblade of great power, and had specialpotency against dragons. In another exam-ple, the savant�s party has discovered anancient temple in a swamp. Examiningsome of the inscriptions and paraphernaliafound, the savant concludes that this wasonce an important temple abandonedwhen a ceremonial conjuration spell wentawry, releasing a great evil.

the savant�s specialized knowledge andexpertise.

Table 1Experience Gained from Magical Books

Magical bookBook of exalted deedsBook of vile darknessLibram of gainful conjurationLibram of ineffable damnationLibram of silver magic

Experience points gained:Proper Improper

alignment alignment4,000-16,000 1,000-4,0003,000-12,000 2,000-5,0004,000-24,000 2,000-12,0005,000-20,000 2,000-8,0006,000-36,000 4,000-16,000

Table 2Savant Experience

Experience Experience Level title:points level Cleric Magic-user0-2,500 1 Novice Student2,501-5,000 2 Delver Reader5,001-10,000 3 Seeker Searcher10,001-25,000 4 Expositor Tutor25,001-50,000 5 Minister Instructor50,001-80,000 6 Inquisitor Researcher80,001-115,000 7 Adviser Examiner115,001-155,000 8 Theologian Scholar155,001-205,000 9 Oracle Philosopher205,001-280,000 10 Savant Savant280,001-380,000 11 Savant Savant380,001-500,000 12 Savant Savant500,001-650,000 13 Master Savant Master Savant

200,000 experience points per level above 13th

Explanation of special abilitiesThe following special abilities are listed

by level in Table 3. These abilities areavailable to both types of savant and arelimited as described in each entry.

A. Beginning at 1st level, and every fourlevels thereafter, the savant gains fluencyin a language of his choice. Any human ordemihuman tongue is included in this(Egyptian, Dwarvish, etc.). If the savantseeks to learn a monster language, twolanguage proficiency slots must be used.

B. At 1st level, the savant possesses aspecialty category within his requiredmajor: theology and myth for clericalsavants, or legends and folklore for magic-user savants. The initial knowledge levelof these specialty categories is fixed at20%. Beginning at 2nd level, and everyother level thereafter, the savant mayincrease his knowledge level in this oranother specialty category by 10% (to99%, rather than 100%). At his option, thesavant may otherwise acquire anothersuch category within one of his majors.

C. At 1st level, the savant begins cam-paign play with a knowledge level of 30%in a single sage major (see Dungeon Mas-ters Guide, pages 31-33 for more details).For either type of savant, this sage majormust be humankind for humans, or demi-humankind for elves; half-elves may

18 DECEMBER 1988

choose either. Starting at 3rd level, andevery three levels thereafter, the savantmay increase his knowledge in this oranother sage major by 10% (to 99%).

D. Beginning at 6th level, and every sixlevels thereafter, the savant may choose anew sage major with a base knowledgelevel of 20%, or he may add 10% to hisknowledge of another major or specialtycategory of his choice (to 99%).

Savants, sages, and sage skillsAs mentioned earlier, one of the primary

functions of the savant is to act as a refer-ence specialist, offering the benefit of hisknowledge to his superiors as it relates inmatters of decision-making. This positiondiffers somewhat from that of a sage, whomay frequently work with the savant, forwhile the savant is a �walking encyclope-dia,� the sage often forsakes learning thearcane processes of magic to perfect hisknowledge in a few select areas. Thesavant therefore occupies a middle groundbetween spell-caster and sage, offering uphis acumen in relation to his particularspell-casting class. Thus, regardless oflevel, the savant rarely occupies a positionof ultimate control over any collectivebody apart from the savants or possiblythe sages. Diagrams 1 and 2 represent twopossible heirarchical positions held by the

savant within a church or wizards� order.It will be noted that sages are absent

from the clerical structure. In the majorityof cases, they are found only operating forand within a wizards� guild, with clericalsavants alone filling the roles of bothsavant and scribe. An example of this typeof situation takes place in the FORGOTTENREALMS� setting, wherein an organizedgroup of savants operates out of the cityof Ravens Bluff, hiring themselves out forthose in need of their talents.

The major fields of savant knowledgeand the specialty categories within themcan be quite varied. A listing and briefdescription of these follows. This list maybe added to or have entries deleted by theDM at his discretion.

HumankindThis subject includes general knowledge

of human culture and behavior.Art and music: This topic comprises a

general knowledge of human artwork andmusic. At the player�s discretion, thisspecialty field may be narrowed to knowl-edge of one particular group�s art andmusic (such as a certain nation, tribe, etc.).The narrowed skill would also include arudimentary ability to perform withinstruments common to the specific cul-ture (though certainly not even approach-ing the talent of a bard).

Biology: This includes a working knowl-edge of the human body. The savant pos-sesses the equivalent healing talents ofsomeone with a nonweapon proficiency inthat skill � excluding reversing the effectsof poison. A roll against the savant�sknowledge level in this field, of course, isnecessary to effect any healing on wound-ed characters.

Demography: This field provides a gen-eral knowledge of where assorted humanraces may be found.

History: This field provides a generalknowledge of human history.

Languages: This skill is indicative of atalent to reference and decipher writtenhuman languages. It is not a substitute forlanguage fluency.

Law and customs: This skill represents ageneral familiarity with human legal sys-tems and customs. As an option, this skillcould be narrowed to include detailedknowledge of this sort of information forone particular area or people.

Linguistics: This skill includes the talentto grasp the basics of the human spokenword. Once again, it does not substitutefor true linguistic fluency, but it doesallow the character to grasp a rudimenta-ry understanding of certain key wordsand phrases after two to eight hours ofcontact with a willing subject.

Legends and folklore: A character withthis skill has made a study of humankind�svarious myths and legends.

Theology and myth: This skill indicates ageneral study of humankind�s religionsand well-known myths surrounding majordeities. This skill further imparts a basic

understanding of various religious taboos.

Humanoids and giantkindThis field includes a general knowledge

of humanoid monsters (orcs, trolls, etc.)and true giants. For more information onthese subjects, see the skill listed under�Humankind.�

Biology: In addition to �Humankind� skillknowledge, this skill imparts a rangerlikeunderstanding of the vulnerable areas ofgiant-class humanoids, giving a damagebonus of +1 per savant level when mak-ing either physical or magical attacks (if aroll against the skill is successful).

DemographyHistoryLanguagesLaw and customsLegends and folklore

FaunaThis topic includes a general knowledge

of animals and some monsters. Thesecategories are listed below. Knowledge ofthese creatures includes details of relativestrengths and abilities, weaknesses, habi-tats, mating habits, gestation periods, andother related information similar to thegeneral, nonmechanical (i.e., hit points,armor classes, etc.) game data provided inthe �Ecology of. . .� articles.

Amphibians: This field includes amphibi-ous animals and monsters.

Arachnids: This topic covers all varietiesof spiders.

Avians: This category covers flying ani-mals and monsters, including naturallyairborne humanoids and demihumans.

Cephalopods and echinoderms: Cephalo-pods includes squid, octopi, and so forth;echinoderms includes starfish, seaurchins, etc.

Crustaceans and mollusks: Crustaceansincludes crabs, lobsters, and so forth;mollusks includes all varieties of shellfish.

Icthyoids: This category includes water-borne humanoids such as sahuagin, mer-men, and so forth.

Insects: This category includes allinsects, insectoids, and related creatures.

Mammals: This category includes allmammalian animals and monsters, but nothumanoids or demihumans.

Marsupials: This topic includes kanga-roos, wombats, and other pouchedcreatures.

Reptiles: In addition to nonmonster andmonster reptiles, this category includesreptilian humanoids, such as lizard men.

Supernatural and unusualThis field includes a general knowledge

of supernatural and occult phenomena.Astrology and numerology: This field

allows the savant to perform the equiva-lent of an augury spell. Note that the basesuccess figure is equal to the savant�s skill(unlike the spell).

Calligraphy: With this skill, the savant isgranted the abilities of a scribe, includingthe talent to fashion scrolls of any sort �

including those that cannot normally becast through either of his classes. To do so,research must first be made as if thesavant were a character of the properclass (equal in level to the savant) attempt-ing to independently create the particularspell. Note that the savant�s ability to laterread these scrolls is tied to his read lan-guages skill as outlined earlier. In no waydoes this successful research allow thesavant to actually cast the spell � it onlyallows him to write a scroll of it.

Cryptography: This skill allows thesavant to decipher runes and symbolssuch as those found upon a treasure ormerchant�s map.

Dweomercraft: With this skill, the savantmay note the magical properties of anitem. This discovery requires a period ofstudy and analysis of approximately one tofour weeks. If the roll is failed, the studytime is still spent. In this instance, thesavant may not attempt a second researchof the item.

Medicine: This skill includes the abilitiesof the biology skill but further allows thesavant the knowledge of how to curenonmagical diseases and poisons (DM�sdiscretion on whether the character mayhave access to the required materials).

Planes (Astral, Elemental, and Ethereal):This field of study grants the savant a

DRAGON 19

Table 3Savant Skills and Spells *

Level123456789

1011121314151617181920212223242526272829

Read Legendlanguages lore

30% 20%35% 20%35% 25%40% 25%40% 30%45% 30%45% 35%50% 35%50% 40%55% 40%55% 45%60% 45%60% 50%65% 50%65% 55%70% 55%70% 60%75% 60%75% 65%80% 65%80% 70%85% 70%85% 75%90% 75%90% 80%95% 80%95% 85%99% 85%99% 90%

Specialabilities * * 1

A 1B 1C 2B 2A 2

B, C, D 2� 2B 2

A, C 3B 3� 3

B, C, D 4A 4B 4C 4B 4A 4

B, C, D 44

B 4A, C 4

B 44

B, C, D 4A 5B 5C 5

B, D 5A, 5

Spells gained(level and number)2 3 4 5 6 7� � � � � �� � � � � �� � � � � �� � � � � �1 � � � � �1 � � � � �1 1 � � � �2 1 � � � �2 1 � � � �2 1 1 � � �2 2 1 � � �3 2 1 � � �3 2 1 1 � �3 2 2 1 � �3 2 2 1 � �3 2 2 2 1 �3 3 2 2 2 �3 3 3 2 2 14 3 3 3 2 24 4 3 3 3 24 4 4 3 3 34 4 4 4 3 34 4 4 4 4 34 4 4 4 4 45 4 4 4 4 45 5 5 4 4 45 5 5 5 4 45 5 5 5 5 45 5 5 5 5 5

* For spells in addition to those of primary class.* * See �Explanation of special abilities� section for descriptions of these specialabilities.

general knowledge of the conditions andinhabitants of the Outer planes.

Planes (Outer): This field of study grantsthe savant a general knowledge of theconditions and inhabitants of the outerplanes.

DemihumankindThis field includes a general knowledge

of demihumans (elves, dwarves, etc.). Formore information on these subjects, seethe skill listed under �Humankind.�

Art and musicBiologyDemographyHistoryLanguagesLaw and customsLegends and folkloreTheology and myth

Physical universeThis field of knowledge includes a gen-

eral understanding of the physical laws ofthe universe (magnetism, gravity, thermo-dynamics, etc.).

Alchemy: This skill represents the char-acter�s training in the secrets of alchemy

20 DECEMBER 1988

and the transmutation of materials. In apractical sense, the character may attemptto change materials from one form toanother in accordance with the followingguidelines:

1. Elements can be transmuted onefactor higher or lower on the PeriodicTable of Elements (see your handy dictio-nary). Thus, platinum or mercury could betransmuted to gold, but neither could beconverted to copper. At the DM�s option,the factors can be increased beyond one.

2. The amount of transmutable materialis equal to 1 lb./level.

3. The cost is 1 gp/lb.4. The time necessary equals 1 day/lb.Other transmutations may be possible

based on the DM�s discretion. Also includ-ed is the ability to fashion all sorts ofpotions, including those normally deniedthe primary class (healing for an illusion-ist, polymorph self for a cleric, and so on).

Astronomy: This skill includes a knowl-edge of the stars, allowing the savant toboth navigate and note the passage of timeif conditions allow a clear view of the sunor night sky.

Chemistry: The savant with this skill can

identify and create chemical materialssuch as acids, metallic poisons, smoke-puffgrenades, incendiary fluids, etc.

Geology and mineralogy: This skillgrants the savant the talent of identifyingand refining precious metals from crudeores. Further, the savant may be consid-ered familiar with underground condi-tions, and can note such things as gaspockets, unstable rock areas, etc.

Meteorology and climatology: This skillallows the savant to determine weatherconditions with full accuracy for the next24 hours, with partial accuracy for thenext 72 hours. A savant in possession ofthis skill who conjures forth an air elemen-tal by use of a spell may roll against hisknowledge level to bring the elementalinto willing submission without the needfor a periodic check for control loss.

Oceanography: A savant with this skillmay be familiar with the sea, as well aswith the general handling of ships andboats upon its surface (although not to theextent of a sailor). Also included in theskill is a working knowledge of shallow-water creatures and monsters. As with themeteorology and climatology skill, thesavant may check to bring a conjuredwater elemental under willing submission.

Topography and cartography: This skillallows the savant to read and create maps.Further, the savant may direct a party to aparticular point if he possesses an accu-rate map of the area.

FloraThis field includes a general knowledge

of plants and plantlike creatures.Flowers: This skill grants a general

knowledge of flowers, both normal andfantastic.

Fungi: The savant with this skill may beconsidered familiar with poisonous andnonpoisonous mushrooms and mushroomcreatures (myconids, shriekers, etc.).

Herbs: A character with this skill has apractical knowledge of various herbs andvegetables. In addition, the characterpossesses the equivalent of the healingnonweapon proficiency.

Note that only very general interroga-tives may be posed to a sage major. Moredetailed queries must be referred to anapplicable specialty field. As an example, asavant with a major in demihumans mightbe aware of the fact that halflings live inground burrows, but would not know theexact location of any without checking thespecial category of demography. As ageneral rule, then, if a query falls withinthe realm of a specialty category, a rollmust be made against that category for aprecise answer.

As has been mentioned, the specialcategories themselves tend to provide onlygeneral information on all subjects fallingwithin them. As an allowed option, thecategories may be narrowed to providespecific and detailed information on acertain group falling within the particular

category. Referring back to the example ofhalflings, a savant making a successfulcheck against his demography skill notesthat halflings may be found in the north ofthe province of Greenshire.

Assuming the skill has been narrowed tohalflings alone, the information notedwould be correspondingly more detailed,to the extent that the savant would knowthat halflings dwell just outside the townsof Webley and Greenville in the northernreaches of the province of Greenshire.

In the case of a true sage, the knowledgepossessed would from the start be farmore detailed. The sage would be consid-ered to have precise and exacting knowl-edge on all creatures or groups fallingwithin a known specialty category. Thus,to keep the skills of the two groups inbalance, the savant�s level of knowledge isgenerally less than that possessed by asage counterpart.

Savants and spellsAs relentless researchers of knowledge

and arcane mysteries, savants achieve anability to successfully research and castspells from classes other than their pri-mary one. The majority of these spells areinformational in nature, and each time thesavant gains an additional spell from thesavant spell table, the DM may consultwith the player and ascribe one from thefollowing lists. Other normal AD&D gamespells corresponding to those spells thatmay be cast by a savant may be obtainedthrough normal adventuring; these maybe written into the character�s spell bookand memorized at his leisure without theneed to roll for learning the spell. Natu-rally, the savant may research normal orspecial savant spells on his own time withadditional funding, in the same way amagic-user or cleric does.

All spells from the general list are identi-cal to the listed AD&D game spells withrespect to casting times, material compo-nents, spell functions, etc., with the excep-tion of detect evil or its reverse, whichsuccessfully functions against even low-level or level/hit dice creatures, and thelegend lore spell, which explains fully thedetails of a noteworthy object or place,including magical powers for items and ageneral history for people and places � inclear language.

Special savant spells

Detect Untruth (Divination, Reversible)Level: 1 Components: MRange: 3� CT: 1 segmentDuration: 3 rounds ST: None AE: 1 creatureExplanation/Description: When thesavant employs this spell, he is able to notean untruth spoken by a creature, includ-ing even a minor evasion of the truth. Thereverse of the spell allows the savant to lieor evade the truth without being discov-ered by any means. The material compo-nent is the forked tongue of a snake.

Table 4General Savant Spell List

Level Magic-user1 Comprehend languages

EraseIdentifyRead magicWrite

2 ESPKnow alignment

3 ClairaudienceClairvoyanceMaterialSecret pageTongues

4 Wizard eye5 Contact other plane

6 Legend lore

Cleric IllusionistDetect evil Detect illusionPenetrate disguise Detect invisibilityPortent Read illusionist magic

AuguryDetect charmDetect lifeFind trapsLocate object

Misdirection

Nondetection

DivinationTrue seeingFind the pathStone tell

True sight

7 Drawmij's instant summons VisionDuo-dimensionSymbolMordenkainen�s disjunction

Protection from Energy Drain(Abjuration)Level: 1 Components: V,S,MRange: Touch CT: 1 roundDuration: 1 turn ST: SpecialAE: 1 creatureExplanation/Description: This spellprotects the recipient from the effects ofundead energy drain, allowing a savingthrow vs. death magic to avoid losingexperience points through this means. Thematerial component is a vial of holy waterrubbed over the body.

Exorcism (Abjuration)Level: 2 Components: V,S,MRange: Special CT: SpecialDuration: Perm. ST: SpecialAE: 1 affected object or creatureExplanation/Description: A clericalsavant casts this spell to rid one object orarea of an evil spirit�s inhabitation. Thecasting time is equal to one turn per hitdie of the spirit, during which the caster isshielded by protection from evil 10' radi-us. The material components of the spellare a small silver bell, a book of prayers,and a blessed candle which must remainlit throughout the ceremony. Each turn ofcasting, the savant must roll 4d6 for a totalbelow his constitution, subtracting onefrom the roll for each three levels of hisexperience. Failure ends the spell, subject-ing the savant to possible attack from theenraged spirit. Another attempt may bemade 24 hours later.

At the spell�s completion, the targetcreature must save vs. spells or be forcedback to the realm of the dead. If the savingthrow is successful, the creature remainsin the general area but loses one-fourth of

Table 5Special Savant Spell List

Level Spell1 Detect untruth

Protection fromenergy drain

2 Exorcism*Know intent

3 Call spirit*See hidden. doorsHold undead*

4 Greater vision*Phase shift**Psychic impressionsTurn undead **

5 Bestow hit pointsLife steal

6 Recall spellTrue name

7 Spell drain

* Clerical savants only.* * Magic-user savants only.

its hit points. If subsequent exorcismsreduce the creature to zero hit points, it ispermanently driven from the area. Thosesubject to the spell include any singularundead possessing or haunting an individ-ual, object, hallway, room, etc. Note thatthis does not include intelligent undead inthe area of a specific lair (vampires, liches,death knights, etc). Upon completion ofthe spell, the savant snuffs out the candleand destroys it.

DRAGON 21

Know Intent (Divination)Level: 2 Components: V, SRange: 5� CT: 1 segmentDuration: 1 round ST: NoneAE: SpecialExplanation/Description: When thisspell is cast, the savant becomes aware ofthe intent of an encountered individual orgroup. Information revealed is along thelines of the following one-word descrip-tions: friendly, neutral, hostile, etc.

Call Spirit (Conjuration/Summoning)Level: 3 Components: V,MRange: 1� CT: 2 turnDuration: 1 rnd./lvl. ST: NoneAE: 1 dead human or demihumanExplanation/Description: This spellallows the savant to summon forth thespirit of a dead human or demihuman,which is bound to answer all questionsfully and truthfully. While the spell is ineffect, anyone who speaks (other than thesavant or the spirit) breaks the spell andcauses the spirit to return from whence itcame. The material components for thisspell includes an iron censer filled with 50gp of burning incense, as well as the skullof the deceased, which shatters at thecompletion of the spell (successful or not)and cannot be mended in any way.

See Hidden Doors (Divination)Level: 3 Components: V,MRange: 4� CT: 1 roundDuration: 1 round ST: NoneAE: 1 wall less than 50� longExplanation/Description: This spellallows the savant to note secret or con-cealed doors within the area of effect. Thematerial component is a polished glass lensthrough which the caster peers.

Hold Undead (Abjuration)Level: 3 Components: V,S,MRange: 1� /level CT: 2 segmentsDuration: 1 rnd./lvl. ST: Neg.AE: Up to 4 undead creaturesExplanation/Description: With thisspell, the clerical savant is able to holdcorporeal undead creatures � even thosenot normally affected by hold spells. If thecreature is attacked while under the influ-ence of the spell, the hold is broken (usethe Assassins� Table for Assassination onpage 75 of the DMG to determine if thecreature is slain outright). The materialcomponent is the cleric�s holy symbol.

Greater Vision (Divination)Level: 4 Components: V Range: 0 CT: 2 turn Duration: 1 round ST: Neg.AE: Savant onlyExplanation/Description: If the savantis presently striving against a threat to hischurch, he may attempt the casting of thisspell once. If the target fails a savingthrow vs. spells, the savant glimpses amomentary vision of his enemy � lich,demon, necromancer, paladin, etc. If the

22 DECEMBER 1988

target saves, it glimpses a vision of thesavant.

Phase Shift (Alteration)Level: 4 Components: V,S,MRange: 0 CT: 1 segmentST: None AE: Savant onlyDuration: Once to and from per 3 levels;max. 1 turnExplanation/Description: This spellallows the savant to instantaneously tele-port to and return from the Ethereal planewhen attacking (an action similar to thatemployed by the phase spider). The mate-rial component is a bit of phase spiderwebbing.

Psychic Impressions (Divination)Level: 4 Components: MRange: Touch CT: 1 roundDuration: 1 round ST: NoneAE: 1 objectExplanation/Description: If the savanthandles an object while using this spell, heis allowed to glimpse important happen-ings which befell its previous possessors.Thus, a savant examining a sword next toa skeleton may receive a vision of thefighter in his former life, and possiblywhat killed him.

Turn & dead (Abjuration)Level: 4 Components: V,S,MRange: 4� CT: 3 segmentsDuration: 1 rnd./lvl. ST: Neg.AE: 1 undead creature/levelExplanation/Description: This spellallows a magic-user savant to approximatea clerical turning by means of a spell. If anundead fails its saving throw, it departsfrom the area as though it has actuallybeen turned. This does not bring anundead into the service of an evil savant.The material component is a cleric�s holysymbol. (DMs may disregard this spell ifthey wish to maintain a separationbetween spell-casting classes.)

Bestow Hit Points (Alteration)Level: 5Range: Touch

Components: V,SCT: 1 round

Duration: Special ST: NoneAE: 1 creature Explanation/Description: With thisspell, the clerical savant may bestow up toone of his hit points per level on an intelli-gent creature. This has the effect ofrestoring lost damage or even increasingthe target�s hit points above his normalmaximum. The magically bestowed hitpoints last until they are removed bydamage or until the savant dispels theenchantment. For the spell�s duration, thesavant is without these hit points. In theevent the target is slain, the savant perma-nently loses the hit points bestowed �even if the target is subsequently raised orresurrected. Only one spell at a time maybe enacted upon a creature.

Life Steal (Necromantic)Level: 5 Components: V

Range: Touch CT: 1 segmentDuration: Special ST: Neg.AE: 1 creatureExplanation/Description: This spellallows the savant to leech up to 1 hit pointper level from a living (i.e., not undead)human or humanoid and bestow it uponhimself or another within a time limit ofthree rounds. The leeched hit points canincrease the recipient�s hit points beyondhis normal maximum, and last up to onehour. Any damage suffered is first sub-tracted from these additional hit points.

Recall Spell (Alteration)Level: 6 Components: VRange: 0 CT: SpecialDuration: Special ST: NoneAE: SpecialExplanation/Description: This spellallows the savant to recast any previouslycast savant spell. (Material componentsmust still be obtained if the spell requiresthem.) The casting time is equal to that ofthe spell in question plus one segment.

True Name (Divination)Level: 6 Components: V,S,MRange: 3� CT: 1 roundDuration: Perm. ST: SpecialAE: 1 creature or objectExplanation/Description: This spellallows the savant to discover the truename of a creature if it fails a savingthrow. It may also be used to discover thecommand word of a device (no savingthrow allowed). The material componentis a potion of ESP, which must be con-sumed by the caster.

Spell Drain (Alteration)Level: 7 Components: V,SRange: Touch CT: 1 segmentDuration: 1 hr./lvl.. ST: NoneAE: 1 spell-casting creatureExplanation/Description: Through theuse of this spell, the savant is able to drainand utilize the memory of a spell pos-sessed by a spell-using creature. Thesavant, if aware of the spells known by thetarget, may declare the spell which isdrained; otherwise, the most recentlymemorized of the target�s highest-levelspells is drained. The savant may notregain the seventh-level spell slot until thestolen spell is cast or the memory is lost.Material components are also necessary ifthe spell normally requires them.

As a final note, all savant spells, includ-ing those of a clerical nature, are stored ina spell book. This spell book may be con-sidered equal to that of a magic-user interms of weight and in terms of the num-ber of spells it may hold.

by Andrew C. Gronosky

So Many GodsSo Little Time

Designing unique clerics and pantheons

Most players of the D&D® or AD&D®games have had to address the question ofreligion in the game, whether they liked toor not. Few DMs relish the thought ofdealing with a complicated religious sys-tem, and players rarely want to botherwith living up to a gods demands, particu-larly if they aren�t playing clerics or pala-dins. Consequently, most PCs either avoidgods altogether by professing to atheismor fail to take the gods they worship seri-ously. This is too bad, because religion cangreatly enrich the game by providingdepth of character for PCs and NPCs alike.

As a rule, the religious system presentedin the AD&D game is oversimplified. Allclerics, whether they worship Bast orOdin, use the same spells, armor, andweapons. The personalities, motives, andrelationships of the gods are almostignored in the official rule books. In fact,the only difference between clerics ofdifferent gods is their alignments. Noprovision is made for organized priest-hoods, and if the gods are offended by theactions of a mortal, punishment is invari-ably the same (religion takes such a smallrole in many campaigns).

This weakness of the official rules isn�tdue to any fault of the game�s designers.When the AD&D game rules were writ-ten, most people played games consistingof a group of stereotypical charactersventuring into the depths of no-man's-landin search of ready cash. In this type ofcampaign, all the religious guidelines need-ed were a few practical rules about the PCand NPC clerics. Since the early gameformat emphasized action over role-playing, gamers didn�t really need detailedinformation about role-playing the wor-shiper of a certain god. In recent years,the AD&D game has taken on a broader24 DECEMBER 1988

scope, and many players want theirworlds to be as detailed and �realistic� aspossible. For these gamers, the officialreligious system has a number of faults.

Selecting a pantheonTo cultivate a workable, fairly complex,

and interesting religious system, the DMshould first select which gods are to beworshiped in the campaign area. Theculture of the people should be workedout in advance, because the gods need tofit in with the society that worships them.Also, the DM should be sure that the play-ers will be able to relate to the gods hechooses. There may be some difficulty inusing real mythological gods (particularlythe Greek and Roman ones) because ofthis. Most of our information about thesegods comes from plays written by Greekscholars, many of whom didn�t take theirgods too seriously. Furthermore, many ofthese plays are comedies, attributinghuman vices to the gods. Accordingly, wesnicker when our characters are expectedto pay homage to Aphrddite, and we seeZeus as a skinnier version of Archie Bun-ker. But religion should be a real force in acampaign. As a result, if players havetrouble taking the Olympians seriously,don�t use them.

When using another pantheon, like theFinnish or Egyptian, one encountersanother problem. Since these gods wereproduced by real people, they reflect thevalues of their respective societies. If theDM doesn�t know a whole lot about medi-eval Finland or ancient Egypt, he may beuncomfortable role-playing the gods ofthese pantheons. Players, too, will havedifficulty relating to a god whose namethey can�t even pronounce. If a DM reallywants to use a pantheon from history, he

should get his hands on a good handbookof mythology. From the myths, the person-alities of the gods may be extrapolated.The Legends & Lore book is more con-cerned with the physical capabilities of thegods, and neglects to cite examples frommythology. It is useful in comparing thepowers of the gods, and lists holy days,sacrifices, and the like, but it isn�t veryhelpful in selecting a pantheon or gettingfamiliar with the deities.

As an alternative to hunting throughlibraries in search of gods that don�t fit thecampaign world, the DM can create hisown pantheon. He can then be sure ofeffectively role-playing the gods, and caninform the players of the deities� powersand reputations. He can tell the playersexactly what he wants them to knowabout the deities. Each player may be tolda great deal of information about his owngod and some details concerning others,while other deities could remain a mys-tery. This allows the DM to introducesome mystery into the game, as playerscould be unsure of the motivations ofother gods (even those of their compan-ions). Actual alignments will almost cer-tainly remain unknown; even that of aplayer�s own god could remain a mystery!

PolytheismIn historical polytheistic societies, people

didn�t choose one god and worship him tothe exclusion of all others. Instead, theysimply prayed to one god more often thanany of the others. In Ancient Rome, forexample, soldiers spent a lot of time praying to war gods, farmers to gods of fertili-ty, and so on. People prayed to whateverdeities had influence over them at thetime. Thus, within the AD&D game cam-paign, a fisherman who prays to Poseidon

on a regular basis wouldn�t hesitate to askHermes for a hand while gambling.

Even clerics should pray to gods otherthan their patrons. It is for this reasonthat evil gods are tolerated and worshiped;although evil, they still have divinepowers. Just because someone worshipsan evil god doesn�t mean he is necessarilyevil. People selected gods more by theirspheres of control than by their align-ments and attitudes. Clerics would not bean exception to this. The alignment of acleric character is influenced primarily bythe god he worships, but there are just asmany personal factors as there are forother character classes. The cleric�s align-ment really depends on how he interpretsand follows his god�s will. As a historicalexample, the monks who conducted theSpanish Inquisition aren�t commonlythought of as being nice guys. Neverthe-less, they were respected (albeit feared)members of the Christian church.

Clerics whose alignments are differentfrom those of their gods may find them-selves forced to perform certain acts outof alignment. Provided that this act is inaccordance with the desires of the deity,they should not be penalized; indeed,differently aligned clerics may incur thewrath of their own gods if they fail tofulfill their demands. Clerics will never

question the actions or will of their owngods, as such behavior signifies a lack offaith. Thus, even a lawful-good clericwhose god demands human sacrifices willperform the ritual out of fear of his god ifnot love for him.

Because people often pray to other godswithin the same pantheon, there is seldomany friction between the priesthoods oftwo deities of the same culture. The godsthemselves may be locked in a deadlystruggle, but their human followers willdisplay nothing more than distrust andaversion. If there is any hostility in theworld due to religion, it is more likely thatthe conflict will be between religionsrather than individual gods.

MonotheismAnother rarely discussed alternative to

paganism is monotheism: the belief in onegod. Although it may seem odd at first,monotheism fits in well with the game. Infact, the cleric character class seems to beloosely based on Christianity. They wieldhammers and maces, as did the real fight-ing priests, because they were forbiddento shed blood. Many spells seem to bebased on the spiritual powers of biblicalsaints and similar figures. In fact, a closelook at some of the illustrations in the rulebooks will reveal clerics with crosses

emblazoned on their surcoats. Mono-theism, then, can�t be totally foreign to theAD&D game system.

There are several factors that make amonotheistic religion desirable in thecampaign. First, monotheists don�t have todeal with other deities in their own pan-theon, so they are less likely to be tolerantof other religions. Since there is only onegod, more people have alignments thatdiffer from that of their deity. This is astrue of clerics as other persons. Accord-ingly, there can be a lot more corruptionamong clergymen. There will also be anumber of semifaithful people who can�talways be trusted to live up to the god�sideals. With only one divine power, asingle god can place any restrictions what-soever on the populace. The theory ofdivine rule is a lot more convincing ifthere aren�t any other gods to contest thechoice of a king. The list goes on.

A monotheistic religion may or may notapproximate one from actual history.Judaism, Islam, and Christianity would allbe exciting aspects of any campaign world.Christianity fits in particularly well if it isorganized in such a way that it reflects theless-than-ideal moral environment of thepre-Reformation Catholic Church But theDM could easily come up with a plausiblemonotheistic religion that fits into his

DRAGON 25

world perfectly. Examples may be takenfrom literature as well. Druidism, asdescribed briefly on page 21 of the PlayersHandbook, could also be developed into aworthwhile game religion.

Rival religionsAfter selecting or creating the first pan-

theon in his world, the DM may wish tointroduce one or more other religions.Besides providing more variety for players�religions, religious conflicts are an excel-lent source of action for any game. Withthe introduction of rival religions, clericswhom the Players Handbook describe aswarrior priests have someone to waragainst. Paladins clash in bloody, gloriouscrusades. Martyrs, heretics, and saintsinspire people to violence and uprising.Perhaps one of the religions in the game isin some way oppressive, conquering unbe-lievers or banning witchcraft. Player char-acters can easily be swept up in religiousconflicts. Imagine a campaign world likeArthurian England, where the druids stillpractice their secret ways and the pagansslowly yield to the growth of Christianity.Each of these religions is in conflict withthe other, though not always open war-fare. Multiple religions help players fitmore easily into a variety of roles, andheroic characters may become great cru-saders, rallying the faithful to defend theirbeliefs, rather than participating in a shal-low, boring struggle against the cosmicforces of evil.

When selecting a second religion, theDM should exercise the same degree ofcaution. If a violent conflict is desired, thesecond religion should be sufficientlydifferent from the first to merit this. TheDM may wish for the second religion to bepurely evil (i.e., composed entirely of evilgods). It may be more rewarding for thesecond religion to be merely differentfrom the first, so the players aren�t surewho is right. Any religion will have lessrespect for another pantheon than foreven the most unpopular god in its own.Some religions may be aggressive, believ-ing that their divine duty is to conquerand destroy all heathens. Others may seeall foreign gods as evil spirits or devils.Most, however, will simply profess thatother religions are false, and place restric-tions on associating with such heathens.

Whenever religious warfare springs up,the DM must decide its cause. Was it thedirect will of one or more of the godsinvolved or a human action based on thegods word? This is important � not fromthe players� point of view but from theDM�s. To the players, a religious war is areligious war. It is important for the DM toknow if one or more gods are directlysupporting the armies, however, for pur-poses of spell-casting. If a god is support-ing his clerics in warfare, the enemytroops will be considered evil for suchspells as detect evil, and reversed spellsare more likely to be granted. If, however,

26 DECEMBER 1988

the war is the result of a human decision,such spells will only work on individualswith evil alignments. Most, if not all, con-flicts in the campaign should be of thelatter description. War gods always granteffective evil-related spells to be usedagainst the enemy, regardless of align-ment. Such spells, however, are only effec-tive against enemy soldiers and followersof enemy religions, and not against evil-aligned people.

Religious conflicts result in more thanopen warfare, however. Long-termhatreds are likely to be spawned, particu-larly if conquest is involved. The conquer-ors will despise and subjugate theconquered, who will in turn hate theiroppressors and plot revolution. Socialdivision is also possible if two religionscoexist in the same geographical area. Tocite another historical example, manytowns and villages in Germany during thelatter Middle Ages were either Catholic orProtestant, and no members of one reli-gion inhabited the town of another. Playercharacters unwittingly walking into atown populated by members of a differ-ent, hostile religion may find themselvesvery unwelcome despite their gold coins.

Purpose and other considerationsWhen creating his own pantheon, a DM

should first have a good idea of what thepeople who worship these gods are like.The gods of a culture will invariablyreflect the values of that culture. Thevalues of a culture are, in turn, dictated atleast partially by its environment.

Before detailing individual gods, the DMshould determine the underlying theme ofthe religion. Does it believe in a cosmicstruggle of some kind, like good vs. evil orman vs. nature, or does it preach harmo-ny, unity, and balance? Cultures comingfrom harsh environments are more likelyto have conflict as their religious theme.Religions with a theme of harmony arelikely to have an inordinate number ofneutral or lawful clerics, while those witha theme of opposition will have few ornone. Harmonious themes are foundmostly in Eastern religions in the realworld, although some tribal religions alsodisplay this theme.

After the underlying purpose of thepantheon has been determined, the DMmay determine the types of gods involved.Some mythologies, like the Greek panthe-on, involve abstract elemental deities.Other pantheons have natural spirits orabstract concepts as divinities. Again,hostile environments are more likely toproduce elemental gods. Such pantheonsneedn�t be as simple as four gods indynamic opposition; there could be manygods in control of one element, and someelements that have no gods. This will bedictated by the culture. Anything that isimportant to a society will result in manygods controlling it; otherwise, it will be theresponsibility of one particularly powerful

god. Thus, an island nation might havefour gods of the sea: one causes storms,another is in charge of fair winds and currents, another is god of marine ani-mals, and the last personifies the mys-teries of the depths. Elemental gods maybe somewhat abstract: there might begods of the sun, trees, love, or whatever.The DM may wish to experiment withdifferent alignments and spheres of con-trol, producing evil sun gods or good godsof death, or placing a single god in chargeof two conflicting spheres.

Abstract gods are those that personifyless tangible quantities: destruction, har-mony, or limitation. They are most likelyto be produced by more civilized, philo-sophical societies. These gods can be a lotof fun; not many cultures in the realworld worship abstract gods, so such apantheon is novel and intriguing. Theclosest historical examples to this conceptare Hinduism and some Oriental religions.Some abstract gods will be found in everyelemental pantheon, but it is very rare foran entire religion to have no elementalgods.

After determining the types of gods, theDM should come up with spheres of con-trol for each god and rank them accordingto their overall influence over people�slives. Those with the most influence arelikely to be the most powerful, unless theDM chooses to introduce an �overlordgod� with a somewhat less importantsphere of control. Remember that theculture of a people dictates the spheres oftheir important gods. For example, a land-locked nation in the mountains (like Switz-erland) would be unlikely to have animportant sea or water god, but one ofearth, mining, or perhaps weather wouldbe important. With abstract gods, itbecomes more difficult to determine theprimary gods. Whatever the culture valuesmost (i.e., honor, luck, dedication, knowl-edge, etc.) will dictate the most importantdivinity.

It is important for the DM to determinethe values of each of the gods as well asthose of the cultures that worship them.The alignment of the god will dependmainly on how the people see his sphere of control. Due to the historical unpopu-larity of death, gods of death have beenwidely considered to be evil. Likewise,fertility and nature have been widelyviewed as good, therefore most earth godsare good. However, the culture may havesome unique insights regarding theirenvironment. Death may be seen as anecessary part of the natural process, forexample. Likewise, the people may beaware that the sun is the source of life,but they may also be aware that they haveno control over it, and that it is prone tocausing droughts and the like. Each godwill have a general alignment dictated inthis fashion, but specifics are drawn morefrom mythology.

The specific personalities of each deity

are as much a matter of dumb luck asanything else, therefore the mannerismsof the gods should be determined by theDM according to his whim, keeping incontext with the general concept of thegod formed by the culture�s reactiontoward him. It might be a good idea toconstruct a code of behavior for the god,something like the code of chivalry inUnearthed Arcana or the code of honorfor bushido in Oriental Adventures. Thiswill not only show how the god would act,but will also provide guidelines for clerics.It helps to write a few myths because theysolidify the god�s personality and displayhis relationships with other gods. Mythsalso add flavor to the game, particularly ifone of the PCs is a bard.

Other optionsThere are some other options when

creating a religion that are often over-looked. One of these is the worship ofspirits or intangible divinities. Such reli-gions are practiced in the real world;examples are Japanese shintoism andAfrican animism. Ancestor worship alsofalls into this category. The main differ-ence between these religions and tradi-tional pantheons is that dozens or evenhundreds of lesser spirits compose themetaphysical environment (as opposed toa few powerful gods in most traditionalpantheons.) Each of these spirits shares its

sphere of control with many others, andclerics do not devote themselves to onespirit but rather to the whole religion.Most people don�t even know the names ofall the spirits in such religious systems.

Unique priesthoodsOnce the religions are all detailed and

placed throughout the campaign world,the DM may wish to differentiate betweenthe priesthoods of different gods. Previousarticles in DRAGON® Magazine have dis-cussed the possibilities of allowing alter-nate weapons and special abilities toclerics of certain gods at middle and upperlevels. DMs may take this a step further byaltering the weapons, armor, and spellspermitted to clerics according to theirdeities. The reason for this is that small,gradual changes do not reflect the greatdifferences between gods and religions.

This is where the Legends & Lore bookcomes in handy, if you�re using mythologi-cal gods. Whatever weapons the god uses,you can bet he�ll let his clerics use them,too. The DM must be careful not to allowinordinately powerful weapons (like thelong bow or lance). Some weapons arebetter than others. When selecting weap-ons for a god�s clerics, take speed factors,lengths, armor class adjustments, anddamage figures into account. Avoid permit-ting weapons that are much better than amace in any of these respects. If a really

good weapon (like the long sword) is per-mitted, it�s a good idea to reduce the rangeof available weapons from five to three orfour. Avoid missile weapons at all costs,unless it�s something small like a dart, orunless the cleric worships a, god of arch-ery. Be sure to select weapons that tie inwith the god�s personality. For example,war gods may permit clerics to use deadlyedged weapons, while a god of love orhealing would not be terribly big on weap-ons at all.

It�s all right to change the cleric�s permis-sible weapons as long as the change iscounterbalanced. For example, a DMmight want to give the clerics of a war godthe spear, short bow, battle axe, and broadsword as weapons. This renders the clericmuch more dangerous in combat, especial-ly against armored opponents. This choiceof weapons may be counterbalanced byrestricting the clerics of the god to chainmail armor or less, by making themadhere to a strict honor code (e.g., alwaysfight to the death), or by reducing the sizeof their spell lists appreciably.

Armor is another area that may bechanged. Gods that value movement mayforbid its use altogether, and most peace-ful gods will restrict armor to the lightertypes. War gods will naturally permitheavier armor types. Gods with goodarmor and weapon choices for their cler-ics should restrict their spell lists, how-

DRAGON 27

ever, and those gods who forbid the use ofpowerful weapons and good armor shouldoffer considerable spell-casting rewards.

Most gods will offer spells related totheir spheres of control and restrict theuse of spells that are contrary to it. Forexample, war gods will offer both offen-sive and curative spells, but won�t offerlocate object and speak with animals. Forevery level of forbidden spells, a level ofspells should be added to the lists, and viceversa. Spells may be written by the DM orborrowed from magic-user, druidic, orOriental spell lists. When doing so, the DMshould reevaluate the level of the spell asit is to be used by clerics.

Religion should take a major part in thefunctions of any campaign world. Not onlyis it a source of international conflict, butit also adds a greater depth of character toPCs and NPCs alike. Religious warfareprovides an alternative to hacking one�sway through hordes of humanoids thatspontaneously spring from the wilderness.With more than one religion in the world,humans become prejudiced against morethan half-orcs, and players are faced withformidable role-playing challenges whichnever require them to draw swords.

28 DECEMBER 1988

Index to Advertisers

AMAZING® Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101, insert cardArmory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62Bantam Books (Spectra) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Bard Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Britton Designs (Elysian Field). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88Computerdial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . inside back coverDoubleday Book & Music Clubs, Inc. (Science Fiction Book Club) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11DRAGON® Magazine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5, insert cardDUNGEON® Adventures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37, 50, insert cardFASA Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36Game Designers� Workshop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87Game Systems, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88Games Review Monthly* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71Games Workshop US (Citadel Miniatures) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . center insert, 89Gamescience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60Magicware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61Mayfair Games, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Northern Enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73Palladium Books. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63, 80, 91, 102Prince August Ltd. (Mithril Miniatures)* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43Ral Partha Enterprises, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . lRieder Design Ltd.* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28RPGA� Network (POLYHEDRON� Newszine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69, insert cardSupremacy Games, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27TSR, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . inside front cover, 4, 53, 81, 96,

97, 103, 104, back coverWest End Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 9

* United Kingdom/Europe

by Gregory Detwiler

Fantasy Clericsand

Clerical FallaciesAddressing the myth of clerical healing

There has been a lot of loose talk latelyabout how peasants in a fantasy worldwould be much better off than their real-life counterparts, due to the availability ofmagic; chiefly clerical healing magic.Except in the most magic-rich worlds, thiswill not be true for the common people,especially those in rural districts.

Given the great potential for receivingfatal injuries in the AD&D® game, it issurprising that little emphasis has beenplaced on the ability to heal. This healingability is one of the hallmarks of being acleric, and druids partake in it to a lesserextent. Even paladins and rangers get intothe act at very high levels. But healingspells are generally treated as just anotherkind of magic.

This lack of emphasis is illustrated inThe Best of DRAGON® Magazine Anthol-ogy, Volume II. In the first section is adescription of a new character class: thehealer. From the name, one would thinkthat this class concentrates on healingspells, perhaps to the exclusion of all else.This is wrong! Not only does the healeruse some nonhealing spells such as hasteand slow, but the class has no healingspells at all at first level! All it has is a hostof detect spells (detect magic, detect poi-son, etc.). The so-called healer cannot healanyone until he reaches third level, whenhe can use second-level spells of his class.A generalized cleric can do better thanthat at first level with cure light wounds,plus some specialized spells such asremove fear and bless. The idea of a heal-ing class is good, but this particular one isless than satisfactory.

30 DECEMBER 1988

Oriental Adventures offers the onlybright spot when it comes to an emphasison healing: the shukenja. Although he getshealing spells in the same slow manner asregular clerics, he has more reason to usethem in nonadventure situations. Everytime a shukenja uses a curative spell onsomeone not associated with the party, hegets 100 experience points per level of thespell he used. Although he does not getmore low-level curative spells, at least theshift in emphasis is refreshing.

Every cleric-type character in the gamesystem, no matter what emphasis is placedon healing, is limited by his ability to gaincurative spells. Here is where the healingpower of clerics is most nullified in all butthe most magic-rich worlds. Many of thesmall villages out in the country areunlikely to have a cleric; in areas withouta temple, of course, no one could train tobecome one. Not only that, but the over-whelming majority of clerics in any cam-paign world will be low-level. In manyworlds this means that keeping a clericaround would not be worth the bother topeasant farmers; there�s just too little goodhe can do. This is due to a combination ofmagical limitations and the needs of peas-ant farmers.

Level limitations

the time, but unless a peasant accidentallybelts a fellow reaper with his scythe atharvest time, it won�t be needed much inthe everyday life of a farming community.Peasants don�t get involved in battle much,and with their poor weaponry, lack oftraining, and low hit points (all peasantsdiscussed here are NPCs by definition),they would generally be killed if they did.The real killers of peasants in peacetimeare starvation, disease, and poison (due toboth tainted victuals and poisonous plantsand animals). This requires higher-levelspells, and hence higher-level clerics, toremedy. The situation is aggravated by thefact that there are no true curative spellsof the second level of power. With noantidotes or neutralize poison spells availa-ble, slow poison is rather ineffective as itonly delays the inevitable.

Thus, to peasant farmers, the first reallyuseful curative spell, cure disease, is athird-level spell, requiring at least a 5th-level cleric to cast it. So we can see thatany village of people living the same gen-eral life-style as that of ancient or medi-eval Earth will not find it worth theirwhile to maintain a cleric of less than 5thlevel. Actually, this is cutting things finerthan they should be, for there are timeswhen the ability to cast one cure diseasespell will not be enough.

The needs of a farming village are often As in the real world, plague can be aquite different from those of a party of devastating evil in a fantasy world. Ifadventurers. Leaving out the specialized villages are spread rather far apart, theircurative spells bless and remove fear, a isolation could prove to be an asset, as this1st-level cleric has only one true healing could limit the spread of a contagiousspell: cure light wounds. This spell is fine disease. Let one disease get a foothold,for adventurers who engage in combat all however, and a major disaster is at hand.

Depending on the disease (fantasy worlds,needless to say, are not limited to ourknown diseases), several people might beinfected before anyone actually shows anysymptoms. The more people have thedisease, the more cure disease spells arerequired. Remember, too, that the spell isnot called immunity from disease. Thegerms infecting the victim are destroyedby this spell, but there is nothing to keepone from catching it again. Quarantinehelps, but if symptoms are slow to appear,it might not be instituted until it is too late.There is really no way the cleric can tellpeople are ill until the symptoms appear.Not even the highest-level clerics can castenough detect disease spells to cover thepopulation of an entire village at one go,and previously covered people might catchthe disease from someone else while thecleric is praying for "refills." Needless tosay, the highest-level clerics all live inmajor cities or towns; they don�t hangaround dinky little villages out in theboondocks on the off chance that a plaguemight start. Even if they did, the highest-level cleric allowed in the AD&D gamecould only cast nine cure disease spells perday. Unless quarantine is used (and even ifit is, in some cases), the possibility of rein-fection by uncured victims is everpresent.

Neutralize poison is a fourth-level spell,requiring at least a 7th-level cleric to castit. Fortunately, mass poisonings are far less

LOOKING FORMORE GAMERS?

You may think you�d have to tra-vel to another planet to find agame convention. Finding friendswho are also gamers can be aproblem, too. Put your scoutsuitaway and turn to the ConventionCalendar in this magazine. Theremay be a game convention closerto your home than you�d think �and conventions are a great placeto find friends who share your in-terests. Whether you like board-games, role-playing games,miniature wargames, or justbrowsing around, a game conven-tion can be all you�ve hoped for.Plan to attend one soon.

32 DECEMBER 1988

frequent than plagues in peasant villages,but unpleasant incidents could still cropup if food is spoiled and if this fact is over-looked until it�s too late. In addition, thereis a family of fungi which infests grains.The most famous is ergot, but there areothers as well. These fungi do not harmpeople of themselves, but they secretepoisons (specifically, mycotoxins) whichdo. Since these fungi reproduce at a rapidrate, not noticing them in the village�sstock of grain creates the potential forpoisons spreading with the speed of aregular epidemic. With the victims beingpoisoned instead of infected by diseasegerms, cure disease is useless. These fungiwreaked havoc on farmers from ancienttimes to the 1940s, and they will do thesame in most fantasy worlds, especially inareas where there are no clerics of 7thlevel or higher.

As far as ordinary curative spells areconcerned, there are no others that wouldreally be useful. Heal requires a cleric ofat least 11th level (assuming he has a wis-dom of 17 or 18), and would generally be awaste when a lower-level spell could dojust as well. Cure serious wounds and curecritical wounds would be healing overkillfor zero-level characters. If a person withfrom 1-6 hit points reached the point ofneeding those spells, he would be dead.Restoration is generally useless for thesame reason; if the typical peasant mixed,it up with a wight or other energy-drainer,he would be killed outright and probablyturned into a monster himself. Zero-levelcharacters simply can�t reach the pointwhere they require the fancier healingspells, and there would be no one nearby,who could cast them anyway. Students ofthe �healing magic advantage� school statethat clerics could cast expensive healingspells on faithful followers even if theycan�t afford to pay. But they can�t cast thespells if they don�t know the spells, andthat�s all there is to it! If a character needsrestoration of a drained energy level andno cleric in the party can do it, the localclerics probably can�t either. That charac-ter will just have to wait until the partygets back to the big city.

Raising the dead With all the possibilities of death by

violence, poison, disease, etc., someone isinevitably going to die. Now we get to thebiggies: raise dead and resurrection. Theserequire clerics of 9th and 16th levels,respectively, and only clerics with a wis-dom of 18 can learn seventh-level spells.

This is a good time to discuss anotherproblem for villages that rely on theircleric for curative spells. A cleric whostays at home, as opposed to adventuring,is not going to rise in levels, and thus isnot going to be able to improve his abilityto help his parish (the shukenja could bean exception to this rule). As we haveseen, a cleric has to rise to at least 5thlevel to be of any practical use to a com-munity in the healing department. This

means going on adventures. In the case ofhigh-level clerics, anyone who dies whilethe cleric is gone will have to wait until hisreturn to be brought back to life. Andhere we have an interesting dilemma.

Raise dead is the lower-level spell, andhence the most common. Its effectiveness,however, is negated if the number of daysthe person has been dead exceeds thecleric�s level. Therefore, even the highest-level cleric (who probably wouldn�t hangaround a village) will only be able to useraise dead if the person has been deadroughly a month or less. If he�s been deadfor longer than that before the clericreturns from his quest, said cleric willhave to go on more and longer quests inorder to reach 16th level and gain theability to cast resurrection. Another prob-lem with raise dead is that the body mustbe intact. If it�s not the dead of winter, andthe village doesn�t have enough salt topreserve the body (they probably won�t),the dear departed will have to be buried �not only as an act of reverence, but also asan act of sanitation.

A village in a remote wooded area mightbe able to get healing help from a druid,but this class is less useful than clerics forthe purpose of healing. The druid doesn�teven get cure light wounds until 2nd level,when he can use clerical spells of the samelevel. This puts the druid neatly betweenthe regular cleric and the healer class. Thedruid also cannot bring back the dead.Reincarnation doesn�t help if the return ofa specific person is desired. A humanwidower who had a beautiful blonde wifemight not appreciate getting a half-orc inher place. If a high-level cleric isn�t handy,players won�t be able to bring back deadfriends unless they can get their hands ona wish. A rod of resurrection might work,but the players will still need a cleric, asonly a cleric can use the thing.

In summary, the advantages of clericalhealing, though vital for adventuringparties, are mostly impractical for smallvillages for two reasons. First, there won�tbe enough clerics of high enough level (atleast 5th) to go around. Second, the clericwill often be off adventuring in order toraise his level and thus increase the powerand number of spells he can cast. As aresult, he will often be absent when hispresence is most needed. Some campaignworlds may have powerful clerics behindevery bush, but in most worlds, specialistsare relatively scarce � especially special-ists in magic. This may seem cruel, but it isnevertheless a fact of life. Besides, therarity of magic in a village has one advan-tage for the purpose of the game: peasantswishing to escape the inevitability of dis-ease are a major source of NPC recruitsfor a party of adventurers who are willingto share their healing resources with theirhirelings. After all, why else would zero-level nobodies go on adventures that areoften lethal for even high-level, profession-al adventurers?

As theCleric TurnsRedefining undead turning for the cleric

Table 1

Old and New Ratings of Undead Turning

UndeadSkeletonZombieGhoulShadowWightHuecuvaGhastMonster zombieWraithCoffer corpsePenanggalanMummySon of KyussPaladin (L 1-2)SpectreApparitionJuju zombiePaladin (L 3-4)VampireVampire (cleric)Vampire (magic-user)Paladin (L 5-6)GhostPaladin (L 7-8)LichPaladin (L 9-10)SpecialPaladin (L 11 + )

Old NewLevel Level

I II I

III IIIV VVI VIIII IIIIV IVIII IIIVI VIII IIV V

VII VIIIV IV� VIIVII VIIVI VIIII III� VII

VIII VIIIIX IXX X

� IXVIII VIII

� XX X � Special� Special� �

by Robert Stockdale

When the Dungeon Masters Guide wasfirst published in 1979, its table entitled�Matrix for Clerics Affecting Undead� wascomprehensive in its coverage of allknown undead creatures and showed howthey were affected by clerics of variouslevels. However, in the seven years thathave passed since the DMG�s first printing,the AD&D® game has advanced considera-bly. The table, however, has not.

Three major deficiencies exist in thetable. First, undead of similiar strength orpower are not turned in the same manner.Levels did not appear in the AD&D gameuntil the publication of the FIEND FOLIO�tome. With its publication, the existingtable listing only the original MonsterManual creatures is no longer realistic (seeTable 1). Why should a zombie be moredifficult to turn than a skeleton, both ofwhich are Level I creatures? Why is aghast (Level IV) more difficult to turn thana wight (Level VI)? When you compoundthis with the haphazard way in which theundead types have been added, utterchaos exists (as if these undead were notchaotic enough). For instance, a Level IIcoffer corpse is as hard to turn as a LevelVI wraith, while a Level III juju zombie isonly slightly less difficult to turn than aLevel X magic-user vampire.

Second, characters are acquiring higherlevels in today�s games. The existing tablehalts progression of the clerical undead-turning ability at 14th level. Len Lakofka�sarticle in DRAGON® Magazine #80 unifiedthe DMG�s attack matrices and extendedthem to clerics of 19th level. As turningundead is an attack (and at upper levels, avery deadly one), a cleric�s ability to turnshould also progress up to the same levelas that of standard fighting ability.

Finally, the existing table�s treatment of acleric�s ability to affect paladins is inconsis-tent with its treatment of creatures thatfalls under the category �Special.� Classi-fied under that category are �evil crea-tures from the lower planes . . . from 1-2in number. (As a rule of thumb, any crea-ture with . . . 11 or more hit dice . . . willbe unaffected.)� Thus, it is inconsistent toallow paladins of higher than 11th level tobe affected by clerics, while creatures ofthe Lower planes with 11 HD are unaffect-ed. Also, the table allows an 8th-level cleric(or a 10th-level paladin) to turn a 20th-level paladin.

Knowing the shortcomings of the cur-rent matrix, the obvious solution is todevise a new matrix. This new matrix,shown in Table 2, allows for progression

34 DECEMBER 1988

Table 2

Matrix for Clerics Affecting Undead*

Level of Level of clericundead 1-2 3 4 - 5 6 7-8 9 10-11 1 2 1 3 - 1 4 1 5 1 6 - 1 7 1 8

I1 9 +

9 4 T T D D D* D* D * D* D* D*II

D*14 9 4 T T D D D* D* D* D* D*

IIID*

19 14 9 4 T T D D D* D* D* D* D*IV 20 19 14 9 4 T T D D D* D* D* D*V � 20 19 14 9 4 T T D D D* D* D*VI � � 20 19 14 9 4 T T D D D* D*VII � � � 20 19 14 9 4 T T D D D*VIII � � � � 20 19 14 9 4 T T D DIX � � � � � 20 19 14 9 4 T T DX � � � � � � 20 19 14 9 4 T

Special

T� � � � � � � 20 19 14 9 4 T

* Paladins turn undead (et al.) as a cleric two levels below their level.

Table 3

When Creatures are Affected

Undead LevelOld New

T# T D T# T DApparition VI 5Coffer corpse II 3

Ghast IV 2

Ghost VIII 7Ghoul III 1Huecuva III 1Juju zombie III 5

Lich X 8Monster zombie III 2M u m m y VII 4Paladin (L 1-2) VII* 4Paladin (L 3-4) VIII * 5Paladin (L 5-6) IX* 6Paladin (L 7-8) X* 7Paladin (L 9-10) Special* 8Paladin (L 11+ ) � 8Penanggalan V 3Shadow V 1

Skeleton I 1Son of Kyuss IV 4Special Special* 8Spectre VII 4

Vampire VIII 6Vampire (cleric) IX 6Vampire (magic-user) X 6Wight VI 1Wraith VI 3

Zombie I 1

1498�

57

14�

8141414����

96414�14���

794

* Level with respect to clerical turning.T# = Cleric is able to turn only given a roll of the dice.T = Cleric is able to automatically turn.D = Cleric is able to automatically destroy.

�

1414�

79��

14�������

1486������

9146

4117111

1016679

1012�

3 3

11

12679

10441

1269

15777

187

131315161819�

101049

191315161812124

159

1218101010�

1016161819���

13137

12�

161819�

15157

of clerical undead turning to continue upthrough 19th level (identical in the levelgroupings and upper limits to that in LenLakofka�s article), along with 11 groups ofundead (one for each of Level I to X andSpecial). Progression in the table is in 25%increments in increasing from one clericallevel grouping to the next, as well as in thedifficulty in turning successively higherlevels of undead. As was done on theoriginal matrix, a slight chance (1 in 20) isgiven for each level group in turning ahigher-level creature. For example, a 1st-level cleric has a 1-in-20 chance of turninga Level IV undead (such as a ghast). Table1 also shows the new grouping of undead,including paladins as derived from Table 2.

Table 3 contrasts the old and new matri-ces. Arranged in alphabetical order, thistable shows three differences for both theoriginal DMG matrix and the new matrix:the level at which it is first possible to turna creature given a roll of the dice (T#); thelevel at which a turn is automatic; and thelevel at which the creature is automati-cally destroyed (D). Several things areapparent from this table. First, paladins ofgreater than 11th level are no longeraffected by clerics, making their treatmentconsistent with that of creatures of theLower planes. Second, with the exceptionof liches, vampires (magic-users), �Special�characters, and level 7-10 paladins, it ispossible for high-level clerics to instantlydestroy any type of undead.

DRAGON 35

For some Dungeon Masters, the weaponspecialization rules introduced on page 18of Unearthed Arcana are troublesome.The melee advantage conferred to fightersand rangers who specialize in a weaponcan be quite powerful, as evinced byLenard Lakofka�s analysis in DRAGON®issue #104, page 28. A 1st-level fighterwith single specialization in the longsword has his offensive power dramatical-ly improved. A 4th-level fighter who gainsdouble specialization with a weapon is aserious threat to game balance in manycampaigns, dominating play over lesspowerful characters. For these reasons,Lenard Lakofka and others have suggestedrevising the existing rules to tone downthe efficacy of weapon specialization.

This article presents one such revisionof the official system, with a more gradualprogression of weapon specializationmodifiers for melee weapons provided.The idea of double and triple specializa-tion with a weapon is extended to includeall weapons, both melee and missile.

The advantages of single specializationin a melee weapon are altered for charac-ters of 1st through 3rd levels, as shown inTable 1. The +2 hp damage bonus isreduced to + 1, and the attack routine ischanged to four attacks every threerounds, for an extra melee attack everythird round. The official advantages ofsingle specialization are not gained until4th level.

Double specialization in a melee weaponis not possible until a fighter attains the7th level. Double specialization grants onlya +2 on �to hit� and damage rolls.

Characters may receive double andtriple specialization in missile weapons aswell � a change from the official rules.Double specialization cannot be achieveduntil 7th level, and triple specializationmust wait until 10th level, as with meleeweapons. Tables 2-4 give the bonuses forbows, crossbows, and all other hurled ormissile weapons. In each table, under therange columns, two numbers are given foreach level of specialization. The numberbefore the slash is the �to hit� bonus; thenumber after the slash is the damagebonus. The number of attacks for eachmissile weapon at a given experience levelis unchanged from the Weapon Specializa-tion Table for Fighters and Rangers inUnearthed Arcana, page 18, regardless ofdouble or triple specialization.

Rangers suffer an odd problem whenthey specialize in bows. Because eachranger must spend all three of his weaponproficiency slots in order to specialize in abow, he cannot be proficient in any meleeweapon until he attains 4th level. SomeDungeon Masters may feel this is an unfairpenalty to be imposed upon a bow-specialist ranger at the start of his adven-turing career. The DM might considerallowing the ranger to use one of his non-weapon proficiency slots as a fourth weap-on proficiency slot with which thebow-specialist can acquire one melee

Table 1Melee Weapon Specialization

SpecializationSingleSingle

DoubleTriple

Experience "To hit� Damage No. oflevel bonus bonus attacks

1-3 +1 +1 4/34-6 +1 +2 3/27-9 +2 +3 2/1

10-12 +3 +3 2/113+ +3 +3 5/2

Table 2Bow Weapon Specialization

Experience Point �To Hit�/Damage bonusesSpecialization level blank Short Medium Long

Single 1-6 +2/+2 +1/+1 0/0 0/0Double 7-9 +3/+2 +2/+1 +1/0 0/0Triple 10+ +3/+3 +2/+2 +1/+1 +1/0

Table 3Crossbow Weapon Specialization

Experience Point �To Hit�/Damage bonusesSpecialization level blank Short Medium Long

Single 1-6 +2/+2 +1/+1 +1/0 0/0Double 7-9 +3/+2 +2/+1 +1/0 +1/0Triple 10+ +3/+3 +2/+2 +1/+1 +1/0

weapon of proficiency.Some weapons, such as the spear, dag-

ger, and hand axe, can be considered bothmelee and missile weapons. Just because afighter is specialized in wielding a handaxe in melee does not mean he is alsohighly skilled in throwing that axe. Meleeand missile specialization in a single weap-on must be considered separately. The DMmight allow a PC to obtain both forms ofspecialization in a weapon. For example, afighter who has melee specialization in thespear at 1st level might take missile spe-cialization with his spear at 4th level byexpending a weapon proficiency slot. At7th level, the fighter takes double speciali-zation with the spear as a melee weapon,and at 10th level, he takes double speciali-zation as a missile weapon. The fightermay ultimately attain triple specializationwith the spear in melee and as a hurledweapon at 16th level.

By enforcing a more gradual progressionof weapon specialization advantages formelee weapons, the Dungeon Masterrestores fighters and rangers to a fairer,more balanced position in the game.

Table 4Other Hurled or Missile Weapon Specialization

SpecializationSingle

DoubleTriple

Experiencelevel

1-67-9

10+

�To Hit�/Damage bonuses

Short Medium Long+1/+2 +1/+2 +1/+2+2/+2 +2/+2 +2/+2+2/+3 +2/+3 +2/+3

Instead of being highly efficient hack-and-slash machines with a strong damagebonus and impressive attack routine,fighter and ranger weapon specialists aremore in balance, keeping them frombecoming the sole centers of attention in alow-level campaign.

By providing for double and triple spe-cialization with missile weapons, the DMencourages characters to be led awayfrom always choosing the trusty longsword as the only weapon for specializa-tion. A fighter who wishes to emulateWilliam Tell or Robin Hood can continue toimprove in his mastery of the crossbow orlong bow as he gains levels.

Weapon specialization need not be anoverly powerful ability of PC warriors thatforces the Dungeon Master to increase thenumber of monsters in every encounter torestore balance to the campaign. Speciali-zation can instead be a moderate advan-tage that allows PCs to pursue theirweapons of interest and to portray theheroic characters of interest to the play-ers, whether swordsmen or archers.

DRAGON 39

©1988 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser

The BeastieAwards

The year’s best entertainmentsoftware products

Might and Magic:You see a door. . . .

The Macintosh screen reveals the party, the current location in 3D, andoffers information as to the party’s status. Clicking on VIEW presents the

statistics for the selected character.

Might and Magic:The torchlit streets

of Sorpigal.

As we amiably wander down the halls of a town, the mouse cursor iconindicates the path of travel you’ve indicated you wish to take by movingthe Macintosh’s mouse in the desired direction...in this case, the mouse

is moved to the right as we want to go down that corridor...(FOOLS!)

Thousands of new softwareproducts are released eachyear. Perhaps 40-50% of theseproducts are recreational, rang-ing from adventure games tomicrocomputer-translated ver-sions of popular coin-operatedarcade games. With enhancedcomputer systems offeringmore colors, digitized sound,three-dimensional effects, andfaster play, computer entertain-ment products continue to dom-inate as the software purchaseof preference by most con-sumers. It is not uncommon fornew technology, state-of-the-artideas, and no-holds-barred pro-gramming to be used initially incomputer entertainmentproducts. Once software com-panies have proven their ideassuccessful in the gaming world,the ideas are moved to the pro-ductivity arena where they gra-ce word processors, data bases,and spread sheets.

We are proud to present ourfirst Beastie Awards to the soft-ware programs rated as best byDRAGON® Magazine readersand software columnists (that�sus). The award range is fromAugust 1987 through August1988. Next year�s awards willspan the July 1988 to July 1989period. Only one vote is allowedper reader. The Beastie Awardis presented to the softwaregame that receives the highestnumber of votes. The gamemust be offered in more thanone computer system format.Award recognition of other pro-grams is determined by thesoftware columnists.

40 DECEMBER 1988

The Beastie Award

Might and Magic (New World Computing/MEDIAGENIC)C64/128, Apple II, Apple Macintosh, andIBM micros and compatibles

Might and Magic received more votesthan any other software package, it alsoreceived more honorable mentions incombination with other software pro-grams on award ballots. Four times asmany votes were received for the Apple IIversion as for the IBM version, with asmall number of votes cast by C64/128users. Since the Macintosh version has justbeen released, there could be additionalvotes for the Macintosh format of thisgame in next year�s awards.

Might and Magic has accomplished a featfew other software fantasy-adventuregames can equal: the game has ported itsexciting environment to a variety of com-puter systems. Playing one computerversion over another in no way diminishesthe various adventures nor the game�splayability. All game formats have beenexpertly programmed to take advantage ofseveral computers� specific abilities. Addthe awesome, geographic scope of thegame and the number of hours playerswill become embroiled in its puzzles,battles, and quests, and you have an enor-mous dollar value. As a multiformat, mul-tienvironment fantasy-adventure game,Might and Magic is the readers� selectionas the first winner of the Beastie Award.

The Beastie runner-up

The Bard�s Tale (Interplay Productions/Electronic Arts)Apple II, C64/128, Commodore Amiga, andIBM micros and compatibles

Of note for The Bard�s Tale is that thevoting was overwhelmingly Apple II-based,with a low number of IBM micro-uservotes tallied. Also of interest is that votingfor The Bard�s Tale II was equally splitbetween Apple II and C64/128 users. TheBard�s Tale II is the sequel to the TheBard�s Tale; it ranks in third place for thepopular vote!

Specific system awards

The following system-specific productshave been awarded the Beastie for recog-nition of high entertainment value in theirindividual computer categories.

Atari STDungeon Master (FTL Games)

If Dungeon Master can duplicate itsplayability, graphics, sound, user-interface,and solid adventuring for other computersystems, this could easily be the BeastieAward winner next year.

Apple IIUltima V (Origin Systems)

This game is a real eye-opener, especiallywhen you consider the company entered a10-year old technological environment and

When an encounter occurs, a new window appears onscreenrequesting the player to make a decision as to how to handle

the usually hostile adversaries!

produced a fantasy role-playing game thatpossesses entertaining 8-bit animation,truly intriguing puzzles, and advancedcombat and spell systems.

Apple IIGSDream Zone (Baudville)

This game is a graphic treat that takesfull advantage of the Apple IIGS by usinginnovative puzzles.

Apple MacintoshQuarterstaff (Simulated EnvironmentSystems)

This is as true a role-playing environ-ment as any offering has been able tomanage. Multiplayer characters managetheir affairs as though ordered by adven-turers sitting about a table listening to theenvironment roll of the tongue of a gamemaster.

Commodore AmigaThe Bard�s Tale (Interplay Productions/Electronic Arts)

This is the first unique fantasy role-playing game introduced for the Amigathat was probably responsible for somesales of. the computer itself! Graphics,animation, and sound combine to offerone of the finest adventure environmentsever delivered.

IBM micros and compatiblesStar Command (Electronic Arts)

This is one of the most addicting games toyet appear for IBM micros and compatibles.Not only do you create a variety of interest-ing characters, but on-screen players arerequired to use their various talents toenable successful quests in space. Star Com-mand is not only one of the first PC-basedgames to offer support for Enhanced Graph-ics Adapters (EGA), but also to bundle both3½" and 5½" disk formats in the samepackage at no extra cost!

Might and Magic: Asurprise encounterwith hostileopponents.

Honorable mentionThe following products received high

vote counts from our readers.

Balance of Power (Mindscape)Maniac Mansion (Lucasfilm Games)Phantasie (Strategic Simulations, Inc.)Pirates! (MicroProse)Wizard�s Crown (Strategic Simulations,

Inc.)

Specific category awards

Best Arcade/Strategy GamesBlockbuster (Mindscape) C64/128Dark Castle and Beyond Dark Castle

(Silicon Beach Software) AppleMacintosh

Ebonstar (MicroIllusions) CommodoreAmiga

Oids (FTL Games) Atari STShanghai (MEDIAGENIC) Apple IIGSSoko-Ban (Spectrum HoloByte) IBM micros

and compatiblesWings of Fury (Broderbund Software)

Apple II

Best Driving/Racing SimulationsFerrari Formula One (Electronic Arts)

Commodore AmigaTest Drive (Accolade) all formats

Best Flight SimulatorsChuck Yeager�s Advanced Flight Trainer

(Electronic Arts) Apple Macintosh, IBMmicros and compatibles, Apple II, andC64/128

F/A-18 Interceptor (Electronic Arts)Commodore Amiga

F-15 Strike Eagle (MicroProse) Atari ST

Best Science Fiction GameStar Command (Strategic Simulations, Inc.)

IBM micros and compatibles

DRAGON 41

Maniac Mansion: Acomedy of terrors

from LucasfilmGames.

Ferrari Formula One:In the pits and on

the international racing circuit.

Strike Fleet:Gunboat diplomacyfor the Apple IIGS.

42 DECEMBER 1988

Best Software ConversionMight and Magic (New World Computing/

MEDIAGENIC) to MacintoshQuestron II (Strategic Simulations, Inc.) to

IBM micros and compatibles

Best Sports SimulationsEarl Weaver�s Baseball (Electronic Arts)

Commodore Amiga and IBM micros andcompatibles

The Games (Epyx) C64/128Winter Games (Epyx) Apple IIWorld Tour Golf (Electronic Arts) Apple

IIGS and C64/128

Best Military Strategy GamesDecisive Battles of the American Civil War,

Volume One (Strategic. Studies Group/Electronic Arts) Apple II

PT-109 (Spectrum HoloByte) AppleMacintosh

Strike Fleet (Lucasfilm Games) Apple IIGSThe Ancient Art of War at Sea

(Broderbund Software) IBM micros andcompatibles

The Universal Military Simulator(Rainbird/MEDIAGENIC) Atari ST

Most Unusual Game of the YearGone Fishin� (Electronic Arts) Atari ST

Games to Watch for 1989Bard�s Tale III (Electronic Arts)Wizardry IV: The Return of WerdnaWasteland (Origin Systems/Broderbund

Software)

Now is a good a time to keep track ofyour votes for next year�s awards. As youplay different games, write down theirgood and bad points. Then, when the callgoes out for ballots, you�ll be ready to mailin your important vote for the BeastieAwards. We thank everyone who voted forthe first awards.

by Len Carpenter

Roll On!

Among the many rule additions present-ed in Unearthed Arcana is a new methodfor rolling up human player characters.This new Method V on page 74 allows aplayer to first choose a desired characterclass and then roll from three to nine six-sided dice to generate each of the sevencharacter abilities. This new character-creation method could be expandedbeyond just the human characters oftraditional AD&D® games. Method V ofUnearthed Arcana could also be used forcreating single-classed demi-human char-acters with little or no modifications to thetable. The same system could even beapplied to generate the many possiblemulticlassed characters of the game, aswell as the new character classesdescribed in Oriental Adventures. The twotables listed hereafter provide such anexpansion of Method V to include thesemulticlassed and Oriental characters.

The table on page 74, although intendedfor human PCs, could easily work withsingle-classed demi-humans and half-orcs.The dice rolls given in the table arealready adequate for generating suchcharacters, although the DM could rear-range a few dice rolls here and there tosuit the needs or general characteristics ofcertain races.

For example, elven and half-elven cava-liers might instead roll nine dice for dex-terity and only seven dice for constitution,as these cavaliers would train to rely moreon agility and defensive speed in battlerather than on physical endurance. Elvenand half-elven fighters might roll 8d6 fordexterity and 7d6 for constitution formuch the same reason, and to help pro-vide these fighters with a better chance toattain the high dexterity scores needed tobecome skilled archers.

Halfling fighters might roll only 7d6 forstrength and 9d6 for dexterity, since half-ling warriors would strive to be agile andevasive in combat above all else. Also,halfling fighters usually favor the use ofmissile weapons to defeat foes rather thanengage in the sweat and muscle of meleecombat.

44 DECEMBER 1988

As other possible examples, dwarvenand gnomish characters of the thief classmight be limited to rolling no more thanfour dice for comeliness, and half-orcs ofany class should roll only three dice forthis attribute. The DM can easily makeother such changes in the table that aredeemed appropriate.

Now, on to multiclassed characters.Table 1 below gives the dice rolls that maybe made for all the �legal� multiclassededcombinations listed in the UnearthedArcana additions and corrections inDRAGON® Magazine #103 (page 49). Thechoices made on how many dice are to berolled for each ability of any character arebased on the prime requisites, abilityminimums, general racial characteristics,and estimates of the relative importance ofthe ability scores for each multiclassededcombination. Often, dice roll choices are amatter of personal opinion, especiallywhen trying to decide which prime requi-site of a multiclassed character receivesthe most dice. Other DMs may wish tomodify or rearrange these figures basedon their own opinions.

Where fighter/spell-caster multiclassedcharacters are concerned, priority is givento the intelligence, or wisdom score overstrength; having a high ability score inthese prime requisites helps multi-classmagic-users or clerics in the long-termadvancement of their spell-casting classes.Furthermore, by limiting fighter multi-classed characters to only seven or eightdice for strength, the single-classed fight-ers maintain a slight edge over thosemulticlassed fighters in spite of theirbroader range of capabilities.

Thief, assassin, and illusionist multi-classed characters usually get nine dice fordexterity, since a high dexterity score isvery important for the success of thesecharacters. A high dexterity also providesa vital armor-class bonus that is beneficialto any character in the game. The oneexception is the druid/thief, who rolls only8d6 for dexterity, as 9d6 is reserved forthe charisma score with a 15 minimum.

Some multiclassed characters may have

difficulties in meeting all the ability-scoreminimums if the multiclasseded combina-tion has a number of abilities with high orvery high minimums. Ranger multiclassedcharacters especially suffer from thisproblem. A ranger multiclassed charactermay often have to be satisfied with modi-fying a low roll upward just to meet anability score minimum, because the abilityminimums or prime requisite of the otherclass requires a high number of dice. Asexamples, the druid/ranger has a highcharisma minimum to meet and theranger/magic-user has intelligence as aclass prime requisite. But regardless ofother ability-score needs, a ranger multi-classed character still rolls 7d6 forstrength to give the character a decentaverage strength score. Intelligence, wis-dom, or constitution rolls may be reducedfor a ranger multiclassed character com-pared to the single-classed ranger, but thismay sometimes give the single-classedranger an advantage over these powerfulmulticlasseded combinations.

Overall, multiclassed characters areoften lacking in one or more importantability scores because these charactershave special prime requisites or abilitieswith high minimums that demand highnumbers of dice. This often places asingle-classed character at a slight advan-tage over a comparable multiclassed char-acter. Multiclassed fighters have fewerdice for strength and constitution thansingle-classed fighters. Multiclassed clericsand magic-users may suffer dice reduc-tions in strength, dexterity, or constitutioncompared to single-classed spell-casters. Inaddition, those characters with threeclasses have fewer dice to roll in a rangeof important abilities.

Table 2 gives the suggested dice rolls forthe new character classes of OrientalAdventures. The dice rolls are arranged tomeet class minimums or are set in relativeorder of importance for the characterclass. Although some of the classes ofOriental Adventures have close counter-parts in the traditional AD&D® game,these Oriental characters may have theirdice rolls ordered in a somewhat differentmanner than the Occidental characters.

Bushi roll only three dice for comelinesscompared to four dice for Occidentalfighters, because bushi are often low-borncharacters lacking in etiquette and cul-ture, and because they usually have adishevelled appearance since their suits ofarmor are often scavenged rather thanthoughtfully put together. Bushi roll 8d6for dexterity and 7d6 for constitutionsince so much reliance is placed on defen-sive speed and agility in Oriental combat.

Samurai roll more dice for strength thanintelligence, even though the intelligenceminimum is higher. Great strength is ulti-mately more important than genius for asamurai to become a mighty warrior.Rolling 8d6 for intelligence also givessamurai a slightly lower average intelli-

gence compared to wu jen sorcerers,which is only reasonable.

Samurai roll three dice for charisma andfour dice for comeliness, since samurai area cavalier subclass. The style, etiquette,and courtly manner of the samurai enablethem to make strong first impressions onothers, just as their chivalrous Westerncounterparts.

Sohei roll 9d6 for strength and only 8d6for wisdom because sohei are more war-rior than priest. Rolling only 8d6 also givesthe sohei an average wisdom score lessthan that of the holy shukenja class.

Wu jen sorcerers are, on the average,slightly stronger than Western magic-users, since their martial skills are notice-ably better than those of Occidentalmagic-users or illusionists. Because wu jenlive lives of isolation, they are less likelythan magic-users to develop skills of deal-ing with other persons (as reflected intheir lower-than-average charisma scores).

Ninja are a special class in the game, andare therefore treated separately. A ninjacharacter may be rolled up in one of twoways. The DM could require that theplayer must first choose the class that willbe the ninja�s cover � bushi, sohei, wu jen,or yakuza � and then roll up a characterthat also meets the ninja�s ability mini-mums. But even with this character gener-ation system, the player may have to rollup a number of characters before hefinally finds a set of ability rolls that alsosatisfies the ninja�s minimums.

If the DM so allows, a player may firstchoose which ninja split-class he wants toplay, then use the dice rolls of the particu-lar split-class given at the bottom of Table2. The dice rolls for these split-classes arearranged to best suit the ability minimumsof both the ninja and cover class. If a diceroll is less than the character�s ability-score minimum, the roll is adjustedupward to meet the ability minimum justas with any other character created usingMethod V.

Ninja/bushi are quite strong on the aver-age and have good intelligence, dexterity,and charisma scores. Ninja/sohei, on theaverage, also have good scores in theseabilities, but have wisdom scores that areusually less than that of the commonsohei. Ninja/wu jen naturally have thehighest average intelligence scores of allthe ninja split-classes. Ninja/yakuza arerolled up in the exact same way as ordi-nary yakuza, because the ability mini-mums of both characters are identical.

Oriental nonhumans pose a special prob-lem with this character generation meth-od, because they have some demandingracial minimums to meet as well as classminimums. The DM may handle this prob-lem in any of several ways. The DM coulduse the dice rolls in Table 2 to create non-human characters, and simply adjust thedice rolls upward to meet both racial andclass minimums. If the DM chooses toadhere to the rules of OrientalAdventures, he might instead not allow

Table 1Multiclassed Characters

Number of dice rolled for:Class Str Int Wis Dex Con Cha ComCleric/fighter 8 4 9 6 7 5 3Cleric/ranger 7 6 9 5 8 4 3Cleric/magic-user 5 9 8 7 6 4 3Cleric/illusionist 4 8 7 9 6 5 3Cleric/thief 6 4 8 9 7 5 3Cleric/assassin 6 5 8 9 7 4 3Druid/fighter 7 4 8 6 5 9 3Druid/ranger 7 5 8 4 6 9 3Druid/magic-user 4 8 7 6 5 9 3Druid/thief 6 4 7 8 5 9 3Fighter/magic-user 8 9 4 7 6 5 3Fighter/illusionist 7 8 4 9 6 5 3Fighter/thief 8 5 3 9 7 6 4Fighter/assassin 8 6 4 9 7 5 3Ranger/magic-user 7 9 6 5 8 4 3Magic-user/thief 6 8 4 9 7 5 3Magic-user/assassin 6 8 5 9 7 3 4Illusionist/thief 5 8 4 9 7 6 3Cleric/fighter/magic-user 7 9 8 6 5 4 3Cleric/fighter/thief 7 4 8 9 6 5 3Cleric/magic-user/thief 5 8 7 9 6 4 3Fighter/magic-user/thief 7 8 4 9 6 5 3

Table 2Oriental Adventures Characters

ClassBushiKensaiSamuraiShukenjaSoheiWu jenYakuzaNinja/bushiNinja/soheiNinja/wu jenNinja/yakuza

Number of dice rolled for:Str Int Wis Dex Con Cha Com

9 4 5 8 7 6 37 5 8 9 6 4 39 8 6 5 7 3 47 5 9 6 7 5 39 4 8 6 7 5 35 9 7 8 6 4 36 7 3 8 5 9 49 7 4 8 5 6 39 8 5 7 4 6 35 9 4 8 6 7 36 7 3 8 5 9 4

any character who hasn�t met the racialminimums fairly, or might restrict thecharacter to being a human or a nonhu-man of a different race.

The DM might opt to rearrange a few ofthe dice rolls of Table 2 to improve thechances for a nonhuman character tomeet the racial minimums fairly. Spirit folkcharacters could roll a greater number ofdice for charisma to help achieve the 14minimum, at the expense of other abilities.Of course, the DM might simply decidethis system is unsuitable for creating Ori-ental nonhuman characters.

The main reason for extending MethodV to include as many character classes andraces as possible is simply to save time. Inthose campaigns where the DM grants theplayers full freedom of choice of characterclass and race, this system provides a

quick way to roll up a desired charactertype. Instead of rolling the dice over andover again until a suitable set of abilityscores is finally found, the player choosesthe character class first, rolls seven sets ofdice, adjusts for minimums, and the char-acter is soon ready for play. This methodis especially useful where preparationtime is short, such as with quick pick-upgames, impromptu module adventures, orwhen a new player joins the campaign.

DRAGON 45

LESH AND B LOOD the battered wood-en sign read, hanging dead in the lateafternoon heat; under the once-ornateletters was a painted porkchop peeledand faded with age. There was a noiseon one side of the curtained doorway,a scuffle, and then the body of a lean

young woman flew headfirst out of the small butcher shopto land face down in the dusty street.

�And stay gone!� said the burly man in the blood-stained apron. �Next time I catch you snooping aroundmy place, I�ll make sausages out of your tripes!�

Jennet lay still for a moment, then rolled over and satup with a sigh. Buying Lord Onomai�s daughter backfrom the man who�d bought her as an infant in the Isleslave market was proving to be a difficult task: ButcherHapricot drove a hard bargain. No doubt the man smelleda profit. Unfortunately, he was perfectly within his rights;just because Onomai now had a use for the little girl he�dsold five years previous didn�t mean that he could haveher back for what he had paid. The trick was to makeHapricot want to sell, and at a fair price.

Well. Time to get the magic working.The old witch was waiting for her in the smelly hut just

outside the city gates. She looked up from her brazier asJennet entered.

�So, grand-dam,� Jennet said. �Have you consideredwhat I want?�

�It�s not a good thing you ask me to do, Jennet fromIberia,� the old woman said, her voice cracking with age.�To make a child ill � it�s wrong.�

�I don�t want her ill,� Jennet said patiently. �I wantyour spell to make her seem ill so that the butcher will lis-ten to reason. Can you do it?�

The witch stirred the brazier. Her eyes were brown,ringed with a darker color around the iris like all truewitches� eyes.

�If the temple discovers what I have done ���They�ll burn you and hang me,� Jennet interrupted.

�And if I tell them I saw you selling love philtres to theprostitutes in Three Moon Street, they�ll just burn you.Do as I ask, and you�ll get paid instead of burned. Comeon, old woman!�

The witch closed her eyes and sighed heavily. At last shesaid, �Do you have what I need?�

Jennet grimaced and felt around in her pockets for thehairbrush she�d lifted that afternoon from the small livingquarters behind the butcher shop. It was tangled with dark, curly hair, and Hapricot was bald.

�Will this do?��For a start. Sit down.�Jennet sat, watching uneasily as the witch teased a sin-

gle strand of hair free and delicately dropped it into thebrazier. The sudden cloud of smoke � too much from asingle hair, surely � made her cough.

�Hmm, so.� The witch was thoughtful. �Now tell me.��Tell you what?� Jennet asked, trying not to breathe.

She didn�t really like magic; it was chancy.�Tell me about the child.��I already did,� Jennet said, impatient now. �She�s

small and dark � you can tell that from the hair � and

Flesh andBlood

by Mary Frances Zambreno

Illustrations by Jean Elizabeth Martin

DRAGON 47

she�s thin all over. She�s got a high thin voice, and I thinkblue eyes � I didn�t really get close enough to be sure,but some light color.�

�What is her name?��Hapricot calls her Marga. I don�t think Onomai ever

bothered to name her.��Why does he want her back?�Jennet shrugged. �His wife�s dead and he�s childless.

Even a girl is better than no blood heir.��Surely, he can marry again.��And surely that wife can die too. I don�t think he

wants to take any more chances.� Not like the chance herown father had taken when he�d driven her out of her sun-drenched Iberian home � some men were more daringthan others about dying alone. �And Onomai�s rich. Itwill be a good enough life for the child.�

�Well.� The old woman leaned over the brazier, made aswift pass with one hand. �Marga, then. A pearl of greatprice to be desired by two fathers in Isle where girls areworthless. What says the butcher�s wife?�

�Nothing. She died two years after they bought thegirl.�

The brazier suddenly glowed with heat. Jennet startedback.

�What are you doing?� she asked suspiciously.�For plague, there must be fever.�Jennet swallowed, tried to look away, but couldn�t. The

witch intoned something alien and strange: air in the littlehut was thick with fumes, and foul.

�Pay me,� the witch said.Scowling, Jennet reached into her purse. �Here. Take

your money.�The silver disappeared, and the old woman began to

rock back and forth in the swirl of smoke. Her words werelouder now, harsh and heavy with meaning.

�Ban,� she said. �Ban-haga feor. Forleton, forhelan.Ban.�

The hair on Jennet�s neck prickled as the smoke co-alesced, solidified, took form: a child�s white face gazed ather from the air, a child sleeping with mouth half-open.

Why had she been thinking about her father just now?Maybe it was Hapricot and Onomai, both gambling as her father had gambled that he might have a daughterwho would be of some use to him. They didn�t sell girlbabies in Iberia, but they might just as well: her fatherhad given her to the servants to raise after her mother�sdeath, and disowned her the moment he realized what anunmarriageable liability she had become by publicly refus-ing the betrothal he had arranged for her. Funny now, toremember how scared and helpless she�d felt that day.

�Blod,� said the witch, achingly chill. �Blod, ban, an-deor brun. Gimma!�

The witch gasped and gave a great cry. Jennet half-roseat the eldritch sound, her mouth dry and her eyes frozento the child�s sleeping, smoky form. Eyes opened abovethe figure in the smoke, the witch�s eyes glowing withunnatural fire. Brown eyes ringed with black, staringthrough her as her father�s had that day, as if she weren�tthere. Into her, past her, beyond �

The witch flung back her head and keened to the hut:�Gimma!�

48 DECEMBER 1988

Flame like lightning streaked across the brazier fromthe old woman�s fingertips; Jennet put up an arm to shieldherself. The air burned.

�Blood,� the witch said then, softly. �It is a matter ofblood.�

Jennet gasped, �What are you doing?�The witch�s eyes filled the space between, the hut, the

night itself. The eyes owned her � possessed her. She wasdrowning in them.

It is a matter of blood, Iberian, the witch�s mind beatagainst her. Yours, mine, the child�s. I will not do this thing.

She could feel herself slipping away now, into somewarm, velvet darkness where she did not want to be. Feelherself slipping away from herself, into another�s will as shehad not been since she was seventeen and had apprenticedherself to a wandering gladiator. Since she was sixteen andhad left her father�s house for the last time with tearslocked inside her heart.

Jennet. Leave Isle. Leave the little girl, and me, and the butcher,and the lord. Jennet, child whose father did not love her, go andleave us in peace.

Her father hadn�t loved her. Yes, that was true, but whyshould he? Why should she care? It was the way thingswere. With a strangled cry, she lunged forward. A flailinghand caught the brazier by one leg and spilled its red-hotcontents all over the floor of the hut. The witch moaned,her concentration broken, and Jennet�s knife caught heragainst the throat.

�Get out of my mind, witch!� she hissed. �Whateveryou find there is mine, and none of your concern. Now areyou going to do as I ask, or do I cut your throat? You tookmy money, you do what I paid you for!�

Trembling the witch nodded. Jennet pulled back but notfar; her eyes were streaming from smoke and concealedfear, but they held steady on the old woman. The witch�seyes were on her knife.

�I didn�t lie,� she whispered. �I sought to send youaway, forgetful and unsatisfied, but I didn�t lie. Theremust be blood if I am to do this thing for you.�

So. Why did magic always have to hurt? Jennet turnedthe point of the knife and flicked it against her own palm.A drop of blood welled darkly in the uncertain light. Sheturned her hand palm-down over the pile of smolderingcoals half-spilled from the brazier�s mouth and shook thedrop loose. Fire hissed.

And went out, in a crash like thunder.A half-hour later, Jennet staggered back through the

empty city streets. Her head was throbbing, her mouthtasted like old washrags, and she�d barely made it backinside the walls before the gates closed for the night, butshe had what she needed. The smelly little bag around herneck contained ashes from the brazier, her own blood, andwhat was left of Marga�s hair � it should be enough.Time to finish the job, and fast. She�d had hangovers thathad felt better than this.

She paused on the street corner, looked up at the fullmoon.

I feared you, mercenary, the witch had said. I fear you. Weget so few women trained to fight in Isle. I was afraid of what youwould do if I told you no.

Well. The butcher ought to be somewhat harried by

now; best go see.He was harried, or at least he was awake late. There

was light streaming through the shuttered windows at thefront of the shop and around the back, too. Jennet wasstanding directly in front of the door and contemplatingknocking when it opened.

Hapricot had dressed hurriedly.�You!� he said in surprise. �What are you doing

here?��I�m on my way out of the city at first light,� she said

smoothly. �I thought I�d give you one last chance toreconsider taking advantage of Lord Onomai�s sentimen-tality. What he offers is more than a fair price for hisdaughter ��

The butcher went red. �I�ve no time to talk to younow. Marga is feverish. I�ve got to fetch the healer ��

�A fever in summer? Is there swelling?��Yes � no!� He looked frightened. �It�s just a little

fever. Children often ���There�s plague in the stews,� she said grimly, and that

part was true enough. It was where she had gotten theidea. �You go to a healer and you�ll lose business, shop,daughter, and all.�

Jennet watched him for a moment, puzzled: she had seenmen terrified into hysteria by plague before, but thebutcher had the reputation of a hard-headed businessman.He ought to have been suspicious, at least, but he hadn�teven counted the money. Brow wrinkled, she turned to thechild.

The little thing did seem to be suffering. It couldn�treally be plague, could it? Perhaps she should use theamulet she carried to break the spell. She touched thesmall face with one hand; Marga turned in response, hereyes opening in the candlelight. Jennet pulled the amuletoff over her head and bent to tie it around the child�sneck. Eyes stared up at her � blue eyes, with smokyrings. Witch�s eyes.

She gaped. The child was cool! The swelling was fad-ing, and the marks � but the spell couldn�t be brokenyet! What � how �

Filled with sudden fury, Jennet straightened.A witch. The child was a witch, and no spell would hold

her long. That was why Onomai wanted her back, notbecause his wife was dead and a girl was better than noheir, but because young witches were worth real money.He must have discovered something when his wife died �perhaps she�d had witchblood in her veins and never toldhim until then. Whatever, his daughter was now a valu-able commodity indeed.

�Papa?� said a small voice from the bed. The littlewitch sat up and rubbed her eyes. �Papa, is it morningyet? Why are the candles lit?�

He stared at her blindly. �It�s just a little fever.��There�s no cure for plague!� she told him sharply.

�You know that.��I can�t � Marga ���She�s only a child,� Jennet said. She eyed the man

curiously. �Too little to be of real use to you. Why did youbuy an infant anyway?�

�My woman � our babe died, and the milk was pain-ing her. The midwife said she couldn�t have another, and I� never mind. The little ones grow into good workers.� would become of the poor brat? Onomai would sell her

He turned back inside, and Jennet followed. overseas, unless � in Isle, magic lived in the shadows and

The child�s voice confused Jennet. She was so small tobe a witch, and a witch growing up in Isle? As out of placeas � as a girl who refused to marry in Iberia. What

The child was laid down on a cot in one corner. She wasflushed and twisting restlessly; the butcher gently pulledone of her arms free and lifted the small shift.

�Come, child, don�t fuss so. Let me look ��The red marks were there, and the swelling. Jennet

smiled sardonically as the man pulled away in suddenfear.

Hapricot turned a pale face to her.�She won�t live,� Jennet said.�What can I do?� he asked helplessly.Jennet pretended to consider; she gnawed her lip;

frowning.�I�m from Iberia. I�ve seen plague before, and lived: I

suppose I could take her to Lord Onomai. His price is goodno matter what condition the child is in, and he�s richenough not to mind temple displeasure if he hires a sorcer-er to heal her, I think.�

That was Hapricot�s cue to take heart, start bargaining,but the man just stood there. Well, it was a shock and aterror. Persuasively, she held out Onomai�s purse,wrapped the butcher�s hand around it. He took it fromher absently and set it down on a small table, and thattook care of that. Once he�d accepted money for the child,she wasn�t legally his anymore. Only �

�Wait here,� he said. �Stay with Marga.�Wait? What for? He moved slowly past her. By the time

he reached the front room, he had broken into a run.

the slums.

DRAGON 49

�Your papa�s gone, Marga,� Jennet said. �You�re goingto have a new papa now.�

The child�s eyes went wide. �Did papa go away likemama?�

�No, I ��There was a noise at the door. Jennet went for her

knife, but it wasn�t the Watch, it was only the butchercome back again with �

With the witch from just outside the city gates. Jennetstared in shock as the man ushered the old hag into theroom as formally as if she were a priestess-healer from thetemple heights.

�This way, good mother,� he was saying. �My daugh-ter�s in here. If your magics can heal as they say � I�vemoney put by, I�ll pay whatever it takes.�

Jennet met the old woman�s ringed eyes: eyes likeMarga�s.

�He came for me,� the witch said, lifting her head. �Ithought he might. I would have told you what I saw in thesmoke, in my mind�s eye, but I feared you wouldn�tbelieve. He is willing to risk temple displeasure, to bribethe guards at the gate � willing to risk exposure toplague, and all to save his daughter�s life. He loves her.�

He loves her. The words rang in Jennet�s ears. He lovesher. But that was ridiculous. She was a brat, not even hisown but a girl-child he�d bought in the slave market. Howcould he love her?

�Papa!� shrieked the little girl. �You came back!��Marga, you�re better! But ��The purse she had put into the butcher�s hand lay on

the table where he�d set it. That was her job done, by law;he wouldn�t be able to deny under the question thatmoney had passed between them. All she had to do waspoint to the purse, take the child to Onomai, and collecther fee for services rendered. Jennet thought of the man�sconfused look, his abstracted air when she�d wrapped hisfingers around the gold. None of that would matter if sheleft now, with the child. Least of all the love. She felt thewitch�s eyes on her, not demanding and engulfing, butsimply waiting.

Three adults and a child, in a crowded, candle-lit room.Smoked meats and sausages hung from the dark raftersalongside skins of stale blood used for seasoning. Jennetthought of Onomai�s rich house, of the soft-voiced, velvet--footed servants she�d grown up with, the great brasslamps that had lit her way into exile. She looked at thebutcher. His eyes were beginning to go white with under-standing and new alarm; he looked from the witch to Jen-net and hugged his daughter until she squirmed. Hisdaughter.

�Papa, you�re hurting me! Papa, what�s wrong? Why iseverybody here?�

Jennet reached for the purse on the table; she weighedit in her hand. Odd, she had had to come all the way toIsle to find that some fathers could love even daughters �to understand what that looked like, what it meant, andhow it hurt.

�Nothing�s wrong, Marga,� she said in a hard voice.�Your father just wanted to talk to this woman about yourapprenticeship.�

The butcher gulped, looked at the witch. �Her � her

apprenticeship? Then � then Marga � is � is ��The old woman nodded but said nothing. Hapricot

stared for a moment, then took a deep breath and turnedback to Jennet.

�Thank you,� he said humbly. �For many things. Ifyou hadn�t come, I wouldn�t have known about � aboutMarga needing special teaching until the temple markedher and took her. I know you serve Lord Onomai, but I�llpay whatever you want ��

�Don�t be silly, man, Onomai already has,� she toldhim briskly, and tucked the purse into her own tunic.Onomai had deceived her, after all; that made him fairgame. �And you�ll need all the money you have to leaveIsle. A witch can�t live well here; ask the old woman.You�ll have to go to Cilia or Bregal or someplace elsewhere magic is welcome. I suppose they need butchers inthose places too, and your guild would help.�

He smiled tentatively. �It would. Won�t � won�t LordOnomai try again?�

�I doubt it,� she said. �He can�t defy both the templeand the law, if he wishes to stay rich, and he has no legalrights in this case. Which he well knows, or he wouldn�thave hired me in the first place. Now don�t you and theold woman have some business to discuss?�

The butcher shook himself free; he bowed slightly andturned to the witch.

�Yes, and Marga must go back to sleep too. Why, it�salmost moonset! Good mother, if you�ll come with me ��

He walked by Jennet as if she weren�t there. The witchregarded her enigmatically for a moment.

�It wasn�t you,� she said. �All men are different.�Jennet pushed bleak memories of her father into the

back of her mind: her father hadn�t loved her, and she hadto live with that. She always had.

�It was me,� she said. �And it was him, and it was theway things were. And it doesn�t matter, really.�

The old woman shook her head and smiled.�You�re young,� she said. �You�ll learn � life is more

complicated than that. There is never any single reason,or simple right.�

Then she turned to follow her new employer.Jennet stared after her for a moment, then snorted.

Young, was she? Perhaps, and perhaps there was more tolearn than what she had this night, but she already knewenough to get out of town while the getting was good. Shehad enough money to travel fast for a while, and she�dneed to, once Onomai realized she�d cheated him. Thelaw would protect Hapricot, but not a foreign mercenaryfemale. Ah, well. She�d never cared much for Isle, any-way. It was almost as hot as Iberia.

Considerately, she braced the door closed as she left theshop. No sense encouraging early customers: Hapricothad enough to do. Overhead the butcher shop sign swayedslightly in the moonlit breeze: FLESH AND BLOOD, itread.

DRAGON 51

by James M. Ward

T h eGame Wizards

Sometimes this column (and I know youall are going to find this hard to believe) isa chore to write. The editor of this maga-zine is very generous with this space, andwe in the Creative Services Department ofTSR appreciate his allowing us to placematerial here for your inspection. Never-theless: it can be a bit taxing on one�sabilities to come up with something thatyou will like to read and the writer wantsto write. Fortunately for me, this is notone of those times. TSR is going to put outsome great products next year, and I wantto tell you about a few of them.

JanuaryTopping my list is the RED STORM

RISING� board game. It�s Tom Clancy�sstory about modern-day warfare in WestGermany, and it�s fun for both the full-timewar gamer and the simple-game enthusi-ast. Another good product appearing thismonth is the DRAGONLANCE® moduleDLE-1 In Search of Dragons. It�s the first ina trilogy about the dragons on Krynn. I�veread it and liked it a lot.

FebruaryThe FORGOTTEN REALMS� accessory,

Hall of Heroes is going to make a bigimpact on the role-playing market. Old-timers who remember the product RoguesGallery will see some of that style in thisproduct, which deals with the good, bad,and ugly characters of the FORGOTTENREALMS setting. TOP SECRET/S.I.� gamelovers should look for Web of Deceit thismonth. It�s the first of a trilogy of TOPSECRET/S.I. modules that takes charactersall over the world to fight Web plots.

MarchThe big news is the release of the

AD&D® 2nd Edition Player�s Handbook. Ithits the stands this month, and everyoneshould be pleased with the result. Anotherhit should be the Doug Niles book,Darkwell, which closes the Moonshaetrilogy.

52 DECEMBER 1988

AprilDarkness and Light, the first novel in the

DRAGONLANCE prequel trilogy, comes outthis month. The book covers the lives ofSturm and Kitiara in the five years beforethey went on their adventures in theDRAGONLANCE Chronicles trilogy.Another great product that I�ve been play-ing for a few years is Tom Wham�s GreatKhan Game. It�s a fast and fun politicalgame that TSR has set in the FORGOTTENREALMS setting.

MayMay is packed, and it�s impossible to pick

the best two items, so I�ll review several ofthem for you. First is the FORGOTTENREALMS calendar, which will be its usualvisual delight.

The AD&D 2nd Edition Dungeon Mas-ter�s Guide is going to be a must-have forall AD&D game players. You can count onAD&D 2nd Edition products in general tobe graphically more appealing, to be clear-er and easier to read, and to cover manyof the errors in the AD&D game that all ofyou have to sent to TSR.

One of my personal favorites is therevision of the DUNGEON!® board game.It�s going to come out bigger and betterthan ever, and will have much more mate-rial in it than any DUNGEON! game hasever had. In addition, the first book of thenew BUCK ROGERS� trilogy should be outthis month. If you like science fiction, youare sure to approve of this novel.

Also released this month is the newHigh-Rise game. It�s a real-estate gamewhere you build your own style of city.I�ve play-tested it several times now andcan�t get enough. I think it will be a big hitwith everyone.

JuneThis is another jam-packed month with

more than its fair share of great products.The AD&D 2nd Edition Monstrous Com-pendium #1 is a top-notch product, but it�sa bit difficult to explain. It�s a revision ofthe Monster Manuals, but it�s not a book.This product comes in a full-color, three-

ring binder. There will be about 130 mon-sters in the pack, and each will have itsown full-page spread. There will also beeight full-color divider sheets with thebinder. I�m sure all the new and old infor-mation will appeal to AD&D game playerseverywhere.

TSR will also present a new MARVELSUPER HEROES� boxed game set thismonth. The company has gotten a good bitof mail on the need for a product thatbetter explains the skills of game master-ing. This product is going to do just that.Set in New York, the boxed set providesuseful rules and adventures for both newand experienced referees.

Also appearing this month is an interest-ing product called Cities of Mystery. It�s afolio item set in the FORGOTTEN REALMSsetting, but it is an item with an intriguingtwist: There is a set of cut-out town build-ings included. Now all you have to do ismake a few simple cuts and folds, and youcan use the maps and buildings to bettervisualize your adventures. The best play-ers of the game know that miniaturesenhance role-playing, and when yourminiatures are moving along the streetsand buildings of this folio set, your gamingshould benefit greatly.

JulyThe GREYHAWK� City boxed set has

been a long time in coming, and now thatit�s finally happening, I can�t wait to get thefirst rough drafts to review. Now theoldest role-playing city can be shown invivid detail for everyone to enjoy. Theproduct includes maps of the city andunderground areas, a poster, some unusu-al single-sheet adventures, and two largebooklets detailing the city and all of itsmost interesting characters.

Also scheduled for release this month isthe DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® game boxedset Dawn of the Emperors. The boxed setdeals with Thyatis and Alphatia, two ofthe largest kingdoms in the D&D® gameworld. It seems that these cities are at warwith each other, and the PCs are throwninto the middle of the struggle. This is oneproduct that all D&D game players willhave to buy.

AugustThe AD&D 2nd Edition Monstrous Com-

pendium #2 comes out this month; it, too,has about 130 monsters. Although thisaccessory won�t come in a binder, it will befive-hole drilled for your convenience (andfor inclusion in the Monstrous Compendi-um binder). Like the first compendium, ithas eight full-color divider sheets, and themonsters will each get a full page of text.

The DRAGONLANCE trail map comesout in August. Trail maps are an interest-ing idea that TSR Acquisitions EditorBruce Heard came up with. What is a trailmap? It�s an inexpensive, full-color map ofsome well-traveled sections of a campaignworld (in this case Krynn). Players andDMs alike can carry this map around and

use it during play just like a characterwould use a map he has purchased foradventuring. There will be trail maps forall of the AD&D and D&D game campaignworlds. If the idea works out as well as Ithink it will, there will eventually be trailmaps for all of TSR�s role-playing products.

SeptemberThe big news this month (and for a long

time to come) is the arrival of the AD&D2nd Edition game boxed set, Spelljammer,which takes your fantasy warriors, wiz-ards, and clerics out into the magicalreaches of outer space. That�s right; Spell-jammer is outer-space fantasy fun.

The Art of the DUNGEONS &DRAGONS* Fantasy Game, Book II hits thestands this month. It�s filled with full-colorart taken from the AD&D game, game-book covers, and lots of other previouslyunpublished artwork.

OctoberThe DRAGONLANCE boxed set will

please all Krynn fans. This material dealswith the previously undescribed regions ofthe world of Krynn, regions where newdragons and peoples live. If you�ve everwondered what happens when you sail offthe map on present-day Krynn, you�ll haveyour question answered when playing thisproduct. MARVEL SUPER HEROES gameaccessory MU-5 also comes out this month.

It�s just like the four other highly popularMU books: full-color, five-hole drilled, andpacked with new and old MARVEL SUPERHEROES game characters.

NovemberI think the best product this month is

the AD&D® 2nd Edition BATTLESYSTEM�accessory softbound book. It has full-colorpictures of miniatures and miniaturebattles, it details more than the boxed setever did, and it�s rewritten by Doug Nilesin an easy-to-understand style that hits allthe best features of miniatures gaming.

Also appearing this month is the AD&Dgame Complete Fighter Manual. It�s aproduct that has been begging to be writ-ten for a long time. Although the AD&D 2nd Edition game rules completely coverhow to role-play a fighter character in theAD&D game world, this book goes intoglorious detail on this character that theAD&D 2nd Edition game rules didn�t havespace to handle.

DecemberThe final book in the DRAGONLANCE®

prequel trilogy is called Brothers Majere.This novel details what happened to Cara-man and Raistlin in the five years prior tothe DRAGONLANCE Chronicles trilogy.

Also to be released this month is theAD&D game Complete Thief Manual. It�s abook detailing much of the never-before-

told mysteries of thieves. Numerous thiev-ing concepts are covered, including specialthief equipment, new character sub-classes, and magical items designed for thepowerful members of the thieves guild togive them an edge against other characterclasses in battle and spell casting.

Well, those are some of the highlights ofthe year. I think everyone will agree thereare items here to please every role-player.Naturally, there are lots more that Ihaven�t listed but hope you will pick upwhen you find them at the better hobbyand book stores in your area.

We Moved!Well, actually, our mailing addresshas changed slightly. the newaddress is now: DRAGON® Maga-zine, P.O. Box 111, Lake GenevaWI 53147, U.S.A. See the differ-ence? Our street address for UPSshipments is still: DRAGON Maga-zine, TSR Inc., 201 Sheridansprings Road, Lake Geneva, WI53147, U.S.A.

DRAGON is a trademark of TSR, Inc.©1988 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

DRAGON 53

by Edwin C. Mason

AssortmentAn

of KnivesA few new twists on an old weapon

The common dagger is a wonderful weapon: it weighs apound; is 15� long; has a speed factor of two; does 1-4 hitpoints against small- and medium-sized creatures, and 1-3against larger threats; has reasonable adjustments againstmost armor classes; and can be flung to a range of 30�indoors and 30 yards outdoors. Rarely is there a fighter,thief, or magic-user who does not carry a dagger or aknife. Clerics often carry one or the other as a generaltool. Daggers and knives can be found in backpacks orboots, on belts, strapped to ankles, forearms, chests, andthighs (and concealed up a character�s nose, if the playercan talk the DM into it).

It seems strange, then, that while there are six swords inthe Players Handbook, two more in the Unearthed Arcana,and three more in the Oriental Adventures, there is onlythe dagger in the first book and the knife in the second.The parang (machete) in the third book is logically treatedas a sword, although it is usually defined as a knife. extends between the second and third

fingers. The character then punches with

All-purpose toolFirst of all, a dagger is not an adequate

tool. It was designed specifically for fight-ing, and that is the only thing it does well.It cannot efficiently split wood or shave itfor kindling, scrape skins, or cut bait. Amuch better choice for this is the standardknife. Modern hunters have used areduced bowie-pattern blade for much ofthis century, and this is a style often usedfor many sorts of �survival knives� availa-ble today. A reduced bowie and a varietyof similar knives can be easily lumpedtogether under the heading knife, andstandard AD&D® game statistics can beused to define them.

There are many accessories placed onmodern all-purpose knives, but thesereflect this century and are inappropriatefor the AD&D game setting. The onlyexception that the DM might allow is asaw blade on the back of a knife; saw-backed knives date from the 18th century.The only change that this feature makes isthe addition of a small sum (perhaps 2 gp)to the price; in addition, it allows the knifeto be as effective as a small axe in clearingbrush or gathering wood.

Concealable weaponsThe main problem with the standard

dagger is that it is a formidable weapon. Itis 15� long, 10" of which is blade. Theblade is 2½-3� broad at the haft, and thecrossguard is easily 6� across. Such aweapon is extremely difficult to hide,especially in boots and sleeves, whichseem to be the two most commonlyattempted locations.

A kidney dagger has a substantiallyreduced blade and a much more compacthilt (especially the kidney-shapedcrossguard). The blade is very sharp and isintended to cut through clothes, notarmor. This kind of dagger was oftencarried by ladies; it is a good choice as aspare knife for any serious adventurer.

The push knife is shaped like a capital T.

The crosspiece is grasped so that the blade

Table 1Knife Statistics

KnifeCinquedeaKidney daggerPush knife 4 gpBuckle knife 8 gpThrowing knifeThrowing knife (thrown)Saw-backed knife * � � � � �Folding knife*

Weightgp2055366

4 gp2 gp

* See �knife� in Unearthed Arcana.

Cost Damage Space Speedgp S-M L Length required factor

6 gp 1-6 1-4 15" 1' 33 gp 1-3 1-2 7" 1' 2

2-3 1-2 6" � 21-3 1-2 2" � 1

10 gp 1-2 1 10" 1' 210 gp 1-4 1-3 10" 1' z

��� � � � �

54 DECEMBER 1988

the hand holding the knife. Due to theunusual position of the blade, blows withthe push knife can be struck with consid-erable force.

There is a magical item detailed inUnearthed Arcana called the buckle knife.It is a small knife hidden in a belt buckle,and treated as a knife for damage. Smallpush knives have been hidden in this way;the sheath lies horizontally along theinside edge of the belt. Fortunately there isa provision allowing the knife to be drawnwithout the belt coming undone.

CinquedeaThe cinquedea is an enormous dagger,

no longer than the most common varietybut almost twice as broad. The namederives from the tradition that the blade isfive fingers broad at the haft. This weaponis recommended for magic-users. It cannotcompete with the short sword or weaponsof that type for a berth in a fighter�s arse-nal, but it can give a low-level magic-user abetter chance to survive being cornered ina dark alley by a couple of thieves after hisspells have run out. Although a magic-user

Table 2Knife Firing Rates and Ranges

KnifeCinquedeaKidney daggerThrowing knifeSaw-backed knife

Fire Rangesrate S M L

1 1 2 32 1 2 33 2 4 62 1 2 3

isn�t supposed to fight, sometimes it�sunavoidable. A quarterstaff helps in thesecases, but it takes more space to use and ismuch slower. Also, a quarterstaff is a hardweapon to overlook, whereas the cin-quedea can be carried far less conspicu-ously.

Table 3Adjustments vs. Armor Class

Knife 0Cinquedea - 4Kidney dagger - 6Push knife - 4Buckle knife - 5Throwing knife (hand) - 7Throwing knife (thrown) - 7

1- 4- 5- 4- 5- 7- 6

Adjustment vs. AC2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

- 3 - 2 - 1 - 1 0 0 +1 +1 +3- 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 0 0 +2 +1 +3- 3 - 2 - 1 0 0 +1 +2 +2 +4- 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 0 0 +1 +1 +3- 6 - 6 - 5 - 5 - 4 - 4 - 3 - 3 - 2- 5 - 3 - 2 - 1 +1 +1 +3 +1 +3

Special purpose knivesThe throwing knife is a most unusual

knife. The blade is 7 or 8� long, with a 2½or 3� hilt. It has neither guard nor pom-mel and, although 2� at its widest, it is lessthan one-eighth of an inch thick. It fliesfaster than other knives, doing damage outof proportion to its size, but it is a patheticweapon for melee, as it does little damage.Its compact size makes the throwing knifean excellent hidden weapon.

Another interesting item is the foldingknife (also known as the clasp knife orjackknife). It is a fairly large transitionfrom a normal knife, but not really hard toproduce once you know about it. It is alsorather inexpensive. The form didn�t existin l4th-century Europe, but there is notechnological reason it couldn�t have. TheDM may allow an additional blade in thejackknife, either a second knife blade or asaw. To keep within the medieval setting,the DM should allow no more than twoblades on any folding knife.

DRAGON 55

by Ed Greenwood

TheDragon's BestiaryMore rare beasts fromthe FORGOTTEN REALMS™ setting

56 DECEMBER 1988

Last month, we presented somestrange and frightening creatures uniqueto Elminister’s home lands — theFORGOTTEN REALMS™ fantasy setting.More of these creatures have found theirways out of our files — and are presentedhere by the creator of the Realms himself.

GLYPTAR

FREQUENCY: Very rareNO. APPEARING: 1-3 (1d6 -3, mm. of 1)ARMOR CLASS: 5MOVE: 9� by levitation (MC: A)HIT DICE: 1-4 hp (to shatter stone)% IN LAIR: NilTREASURE TYPE: See below (possible

magical weapon, or salvageable gem-stone fragments after death)

NO. OF ATTACKS: 1DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1 hit point (hurl self at

creature) or by animated weaponSPECIAL ATTACKS: NilSPECIAL DEFENSES: See belowMAGIC RESISTANCE: StandardINTELLIGENCE: VeryALIGNMENT: Lawful evilSIZE: SPSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

Glyptars are rare living gems that pos-sess strange powers (or so most menbelieve). A few sages and demihumansknow the truth. Glyptars are rock crystalsanimated by the spirits of male medusasknown as maedar (see �The Ecology of theMaedar in DRAGON® Magazine, #106).

When a maedar dies by choice (usuallybecause of the death of his mate) or withforewarning (such as in old age, with itsonset of weakness and disease), he mergeswith stone and remains within, givinghimself back to the rock. Some maedarspirits of great evil do not pass from thePrime Material plane but drift within thesolid rock, noncorporeal and powerless,until they enter certain stones � naturalcrystals, such as those formed by feldspar,quartz amethyst, and many other gem-stones. Crystals trap maedar spirits,

though they have no effect on the bodiesof living maedar. For some unknown rea-son, maedar spirits cannot leave crystalsafter entering. At length, they go insanedue to imprisonment, powerlessness, andfrustration.

If the rock in which this spirit is con-fined is subsequently shattered, the spiritis freed and passes from the Prime Materi-al plane, unnoticed and powerless to affectothers. If a stone containing a maedarspirit is freed from the rock by cataclysmor mining (and is not shattered), themaedar spirit can animate its crystal andanything inorganic attached to it, up to1,700 gp weight. (Note that skilled gem-cutting, facet-cutting, and polishing rarelycause a stone to shatter.) Thus, if the gemis fashioned into the eye of a statue, thestatue is animated as a stone golem.

Similarly, if a glyptar is set into the pom-mel of a sword, the sword can be ani-mated to strike as though wielded by theliving maedar. In this latter case, weapondamage is figured at + 2 (as living maedarstrength averages 18 with no percentile)and hits are calculated as though thesword were wielded by a 6th-level fighter,with + 1 to hit, again due to the saving-throw bonus. Note also that a glyptar�sstone to flesh power (see hereafter) allowsit to carefully sink a bladed weapon intostone (as in the legend of the sword in thestone).

Glyptars retain the powers of a livingmaedar. Thus, the glyptar and any inor-ganic attachment may pass through stoneat will at a normal movement rate (a phasedoor spell cannot harm a glyptar) andperform a stone to flesh attack by touchonce every three turns. Glyptars remainimmune to paralyzation and petrificationof all sorts. A glyptar in a crystal cannotbe trapped within a second crystal whilepassing through rock.

Glyptars cannot be mentally contacted,influenced by mind-affecting spells (includ-ing charm, hold, sleep, command, etc.) orpsionics, or controlled in any way. Theycooperate only as it pleases them andcannot communicate by telepathy. Gly-

ptars can, however, cause an attachedsword or bodkin to scratch out messages;they can also cause a connected statue towrite. These messages will be scrawledout in common, medusa, lawful-evil, orany other language (usually 1-2 in number)understood by the maeder.

Glyptars can be destroyed only by shat-tering them (and as they seldom carewhether or not this happens, will actfearlessly and recklessly as a result). Fromone to three glyptars may be found togeth-er in veins of rock. Glyptars freed fromthe surrounding rock, however, tend to besolitary. Glyptars can perceive up to 9� onthe Astral and Ethereal planes, and have9� infravision in all directions. A glyptar-animated weapon or an item wielded by abeing in a manner the glyptar disapprovesof will turn against the wielder.

MAGEBANE

FREQUENCY: RareNO. APPEARING: 1ARMOR CLASS: 5 (see below)MOVE: 13�HIT DICE: 2 + (see below)% IN LAIR: NilTREASURE TYPE: NilNO. OF ATTACKS: 1DAMAGE/ATTACK: 11-14 (10 + 1d4)SPECIAL ATTACKS: Tail (see below)SPECIAL DEFENSES: See belowMAGIC RESISTANCE: 75% (see below)INTELLIGENCE: Animal to lowALIGNMENT: NeutralSIZE: S (up to 3� long, wingspan to 5�)PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

A magebane is a mysterious creaturefound in ruins, tombs, subterranean plac-es, and wilderness caves in the PrimeMaterial plane. It is also found in Pande-monium and perhaps other planes as well.Magebanes are solitary creatures who areattracted by the use of magic nearby (theirmeans of sensing magic is presentlyunknown). Magebanes follow any spell-caster who thus attracts their attention,seeming to prefer magic-users over othertypes of dweomer-crafters. A magebaneshadows its chosen mage, flitting aboutnearby behind the chosen one.

The magebane is invisible (unless trueseeing or other means are employed toreveal invisible creatures) to all beingsexcept its chosen spell-caster. Thus, thosewho attack it suffer a -4 penalty to hituntil the magebane is made visible.

Furthermore, the magebane feeds uponspells cast by the chosen one. The effectsof this feeding depend on the magicalsource. Whenever the chosen spell-castercasts any spell (or cantrip); there is a 60%chance that the magebane robs the spell ofall (1-2 on 1d6) or part (3-6 on 1d6) of itsmagical energy. When a magebane drainsall of a spell�s energy, the spell is lost anddoes not take effect (as per a rod ofabsorption). When only part of a spells

energy is drained, the spell effect occursbut with lessened force, having one ormore of the modifications listed hereafter.The modifications to the spell are deter-mined by rolling 1d8 with the followingresults: 1-3 = modification 1; 4-6 = modi-fications 1 and 2; 7 = modifications 1, 2,and 3; and 8 = all four modifications.These modifications are listed below:

1. Spell has minimum duration.2. Spell does minimum damage.3. Targets of spell gain + 2 on their

saving throws.4. Spell affects a lesser area or volume

of matter.

At the DM�s option, spells of the highestlevels (7th, 8th, and 9th) may be largelyimmune to the feeding of a particularmagebane and thus, if not entirelydrained, will work at full efficacy.

Magebanes are silent and do not seek tounnecessarily reveal themselves to theirchosen spell-caster (as they, are most easilyseen and slain by that spell-caster). As aresult, their presence may be unknown tothe spell-caster or the latter�s party forsome time. A magebane is 100% resistantto any spells directed at it by its chosen,spell-caster and 75% resistant to the spellsof others. Note that harmless spells affect-ing an area, or spells enabling the spell-caster to more easily attack the magebanephysically, take effect unless randomlyeaten by the magebane. The magebane

cannot recognize a spell being cast norread the intentions of a spell-caster.

A magebane may switch its chosen spell-caster if it encounters a powerful alterna-tive to its present one; otherwise, the onlyway to get rid of one is by slaying it. Amagebane will seldom move from oneparty member to another. It seems to shunthe presence of former chosen ones.

A magebane never attacks its chosenone, taking instead an interest in thesafety of the spell-caster. In some cases,the magebane may actually swoop down(invisibly) to rake with its claws at anyonelaunching a physical attack upon its cho-sen one. This includes missile-fire attacks,but not spells (the effects of which themagebane seems unable to anticipate) orpsionics. In the latter case, a magebanecannot detect psionics, and in turn cannotbe psionically contacted or attacked.

A magebane will, however, defend itselfagainst attacks from its chosen spell-casteror other creatures by means of its claws.It may also attack with the sting of its tail,which delivers a jolt of magical energysimilar to that delivered by a magic missile(2-5 hp damage, no saving throw; a suc-cessful �to hit� roll required for tail tostrike and the sting to occur).

Like a rod of absorption, a magebaneuses its magical energy for growth andsustenance, gaining roughly 1 permanent

hp for every six spells fully drained andpowering its activities as a consequence.The magebane stores the rest of the magic

DRAGON 57

drawn from its chosen one to dispense viaits tail, which therefore has a limited num-ber of stings � usually a dozen or so andone dying burst. If slain, a magebaneexplodes in a burst of magical force, doing2d6 hp physical damage to all within1� and causing all spell-casters within 4�to save vs. spells at -2 or be blasted into astate of feeblemindedness (as by the fifth-level magic-user spell). Precise details ofhow a magebane absorbs and convertsmagical energy remain a mystery.

Magebanes are small, black, amorphouscreatures who have two cold blue eyes (9�infravision, seemingly keen normal vision),bat wings, and 10 or more long, blackclaws on their undersides. A magebane�sbody tapers into a needlelike tail. Mage-banes have no visible mouths, and theirmeans of reproduction and other biologi-cal activities are unknown. Mages reportthat magebanes are affected by poison.

QUEZZER

FREQUENCY: RareNO. APPEARING: 1-12ARMOR CLASS: 2MOVE: /30� (MC: A)//7"HIT DICE: 1 + 6% IN LAIR: NilTREASURE TYPE: NilNO. OF ATTACKS: 4DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-5/2-5/2-5/2-5 + pushSPECIAL ATTACKS: Spits acidSPECIAL DEFENSES: NilMAGIC RESISTANCE: See belowINTELLIGENCE: Low

ALIGNMENT: NeutralSIZE: S (2-4� long)PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

The quezzer, or �lightning beast,� is arare beast that hunts in swarms, preyingon birds and creatures of up to mammothsize. A quezzer swarm has no lair butwanders constantly in search of prey,resting atop rocky pinnacles or lying flaton open ground. A quezzer generates astrong natural levitation field, whichaccounts for its ability to fly. A quezzerattack consists of a slash from its razor-sharp body spines (1d4 + 1 hp damage) anda push (equivalent to the first-level magic-user spell). This latter action comes fromthe force of momentary contact with itsfield. Because of these fields, webs cannottouch a quezzer.

A quezzer moves with lightning speed,launching four slashing attacks per round.(A slow spell causes a quezzer to slow totwo attacks per round, drops it to a 15�move, and reduces its armor class to 4.) Inthis flurry of attacks, the quezzer flits allover the place, never crashing into itsfellows or surroundings (due to its field).Likewise, it never becomes dizzy or disori-ented by complex aerobatics executed atawesome speeds. A quezzer can back upin midair, but usually prefers to loop aboutrather than slowing down. Quezzers willattack large prey (such as bears, elk, androthe) by slashing them into immobility, orgoading and herding them into fatal falls.

Once the prey is killed, the quezzerfastens onto it with its suckerlike mouth,exuding tissue-dissolving acid and therebytaking in nutrients from the prey. Quez-

zers absorb blood in like manner, andalways seek to immobilize prey so theycan feed at leisure. If pressed, quezzerscan spit a glob of tissue-dissolving acid.This may be performed once per round inplace of a slashing attack, at 2� range witha �to hit� roll required, and does 1-3 hpdamage. Quezzers can spit acid a dozentimes a day. If a quezzer�s acid remains onthe flesh of a creature, it continues todissolve tissue for the three followingrounds, doing 1-2 hp damage per round. Amobile creature can readily wipe or shakethis acid off.

Quezzers are slate-gray in color, andlook like a shorter version of a walkingstick (insect). They are two to four feet inlength and have yellow-green eyes thatprovide 16� infravision, 20� vision, and16� ultravision. They can pass throughwater (such as waterfalls, heavy rain, andshallow pools) without harm, but avoiddeep water, as it dilutes their acid to inef-fectiveness and slows them to one attackper round, 7� movement rate, and AC 8.Quezzers hate stirges and always attackthem on sight.

Quezzer brains are an essential ingredi-ent in haste potions, and one of severalalternative ingredients for the ink used inwriting out that spell.

SCYTHETAIL

FREQUENCY: UncommonNO. APPEARING: 1-6 (1d10-4, min. of 1)ARMOR CLASS: 5 (tail: AC 3)MOVE: 13#HIT DICE: 2 + 2% IN LAIR: 40%TREASURE TYPE: J, K, L, M, N, Q possibleNO. OF ATTACKS: 2DAMAGE/ATTACK: See belowSPECIAL ATTACKS: Spell use, clawsSPECIAL DEFENSES: Protective barbsMAGIC RESISTANCE: StandardINTELLIGENCE: LowALIGNMENT: NeutralSIZE: M (body to 4�, tail to 7')PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

A lizardlike predator that inhabits rockyareas and cold wastes, the scythetail isactually a mammal. The scythetail eatsberries and rock lichens if it has to butprefers freshly killed meat. Scythetailshunt alone for the most part but bandtogether temporarily to attack formidableprey (such as caravans or herds of live-stock). Cunning and daring, they like to hitand run, attacking repeatedly withoutallowing a return attack. Scythetails willfollow armed prey tirelessly (for days, ifnecessary), awaiting an opportunity tostrike with advantage.

A scythetail gains its name from itsprincipal weapon: a bony, scythelike tailthat the creature wields as well as a manwields a scythe. With it, the scythetail canslash for 2d4 hp damage or stab for1d4 + 1 hp with the barbed end of its shaft

58 DECEMBER 1988

or with the point of the scythe blade.Scythetails attack with a slash 75% of thetime and with a stab 25% of the time. Ascythetail can also bite with its turtlelikejaws for 1d4 + 1 hp damage. If it lands atopor clambers atop a victim, the scythetailcan also rake with its four claws (for 1d4hp damage each).

Nevertheless, the scythetail rarelyapproaches prey so closely, preferringinstead to dart about, slashing with its tail,until its prey is killed or rendered helpless.The tail has an armor class of 3 and takes9 hp damage before it is broken or sev-ered. A scythetail can regenerate a lost tailslowly, at the rate of 1 hp per day of rest,until the 9 hp are restored (this occurs inaddition to any normal healing).

A scythetail has limited magical powers.Once per round, it can cause fleeing orescaping prey to trip (as the second-leveldruid spell) by utilizing something it hastouched previously (for example, a vine orbranch). This ability is used sparingly �thrice per day.

A scythetail�s gray, horny hide protects itwell. In addition, its body is adorned witha row of razor-sharp barbs which cangash unwary opponents for 1d4 hp dam-age. The scythetail�s bones are rich in iron(it always cracks the bones of its prey toeat the bone marrow), and are thus hardand durable. A scythetail�s tail will serve ahuman as a scythe weapon, although itcannot keep an edge sharp enough to cutgrass or crops satisfactorily.

The knotted muscle at the base of thetail is a prized delicacy, and scythetailrump roasts are welcome on any royaltable. The belly of a scythetail often con-tains coins and gems gained from civilizedprey, for a scythetail will eat anything thatfits in its maw. Scythetails are resistant topoison (+2 on all saving throws) and quickto learn the habits of prey. Scythetailswander afar in search of food, stayingbriefly in caverns, rock ledges, or largetrees. Scythetails seldom drag prey back toa lair, unless the lair is used for raisingtheir young.

In spite of this care, few scythetailyoung ever make it past the early stages(25% chance). Those scythetails that areraised from birth are cared for only by themother; the father disappears shortly aftermating. Scythetail young have 1 HD, dohalf damage on all attacks, and have poorcontrol of their trip ability (all potentialvictims save vs. spell at +3 to avoideffects).

XANTRAVAR

FREQUENCY: RareNO. APPEARING: 1-4ARMOR CLASS: 6MOVE: /16" (MC: A)//14�HIT DICE: 3 + 3% IN LAIR: NilTREASURE TYPE: NilNO. OF ATTACKS: 2

DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-4/1-4SPECIAL ATTACKS: Poison, blood drainSPECIAL DEFENSES: NilMAGIC RESISTANCE: See belowINTELLIGENCE: LowALIGNMENT NeutralSIZE: L (two 6-7� bulbs with variable

linking field)PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

The xantravar, or stinging horror, is asilent, deadly predator that inhabitsswamps, salt marshes, and remote sea-coasts with tidal caverns. In these loca-tions, the xantravar drifts about, preyingupon any living thing it can reach.

A xantravar�s body consists of two rub-bery teardrop-shaped balloons � great,tough bulbs ending in strong, cordedmuscles that can drive home the twohollow bone stingers at the base of eitherbulb. The bulbous bodies range fromwine-red to gray in color and are mottled.They are roughly the same size andappear identical in form. One ends in apoisonous stinger which is usable once perround up to four times per turn. There-after, the venom must be replenished � a

process requiring two turns.The venom of the xantravar paralyzes

prey of any size that fail to save vs. paraly-zation (a successful save negates theeffects). A blow from the stinger does 1d4hp damage. Even so, the merest scratchinjects venom into the flesh of a victim. Ifa creature saves against the venom of aparticular xantravar, however, the crea-ture is forever immune to the venom ofthat particular xantravar. Small or man-size creatures save at -3 to avoid theeffects of this virulent venom and areaffected for 1-3 turns. Larger creaturessave at -1 and are paralyzed for one turnminus one to two rounds (if affected). Axantravar is immune to its own toxins.

The other stinger, identical in appear-ance to the first, also strikes for 1d4 hpdamage. In this case, though, each blowsucks blood, sap, or nutrient fluid fromprey by strong suction, draining 1d6 + 3hp per round. Such nutrients are usedwith a xantravar�s energy to sustain andinvigorate it.

Above the stingers on either bulb of axantravar�s body are multiple eyes: eightset in a ring around each body stalk.

D R A G O N 5 9

These eyes have 9� infravision and normalsight that matches a humans. Infravisionis used most often in hunting, for a xan-travar prefers to hunt at night or in theconcealment of heavy fog.

Above its eyes, a xantravar has a circleof indentations encircling each body-stalk.These are iris valves that emit ventral jetsof gas from the creature�s interior. Thesejets are used for steering the xantravar.The gas created is hydrogen and is thushighly flammable. Any contact betweensuch a steering jet and an open flamecauses a 1� gout of flame to shoot out-ward from the xantravar in the directionof the jet. This jet deals 1-3 hp damage toany creature in its path, and the xantravaritself suffers 1-2 hp heat damage before itcloses off the jet.

Above these jets, in the large head ofeach bulb, are two flotation chambers ofhydrogen gas. The xantravar expels gasfrom these chambers to sink closer to theground; conversely, they take in air to rise.(This is facilitated by the skin of the xan-travar, which is high elastic.) This latterprocess is accomplished by the curiousglowing energy field that joins the twobulbs of a xantravar�s body. This field is ofvariable length. The two bulbs can be side-by-side and about 2� apart (the normalposition); when the creature is hunting orexploring, they can be up to 20� apart andvertically separated by up to 12�.

60 DECEMBER 1988

The energy field is constant and natural.It is not affected by dispel magic, willdisrupt beams, rays, and other fields offorce that contact it, and seems to beindestructible (save by slaying the crea-ture). The field smells of ozone as it sepa-rates hydrogen from surrounding air orwater, and is augmented by spells involv-ing heat, magical energy (such as magicmissile), and electrical energy (such aslightning bolt). Treat any hit-point damagefrom these as hit-point energy gained bythe field and by the xantravar. This extraenergy is used by a xantravar to healdamage to the rest of its body at a regen-eration rate of 1 hp per round if it hassuch an excess to draw on.

The bulbs of a xantravar�s body, how-ever, are harmed by heat, electrical, andmagical energy attacks. Otherwise, thecreature has �standard� magic resistance.Note that a single attack could harm axantravar�s body bulbs and strengthen itsfield simultaneously. Note also that in anyserious combat, a xantravar separates itsbody bulbs by up to 10' for self-protection.It is not known precisely where the brainof a xantravar is. It has a network ofnerves throughout each bulb, linked bythe field, and may have no vulnerablecenter of this network. Physical attacksthat disrupt a xantravar�s energy fieldscatter and spill energy from it. As aresult, they do normal damage.

A xantravar can be destroyed by anyattack (such as a flaming arrow) that punc-tures a flotation chamber and introducesan open flame into it. For this to be suc-cessful, the attack must occur in the sameround or in the following round (a xan-travar will have sealed off the leak by thethird round). This typically causes a vio-lent, 3-HD fireball of 20� radius, which killsthe xantravar and causes damage to anyone within the 20� radius. Heat or flameattacks (even a fireball) without a ruptureor penetration of a xantravar�s gas cham-ber will not cause such an explosion.

Xantravars are mysterious predatorsbelieved to hunt alone, but that coexistpeacefully with others of their kind indeep caverns or swamps during the day,when they avoid large, active creaturesand feed instead on plants or disabledprey. Xantravars seldom mate. When theydo, they join hollow stingers to produce athin-walled, floating balloon egg that driftsalone and untended on the breeze forweeks, absorbing hydrogen and nutrientsfrom the moisture in the air. At length, theballoon bursts to reveal a miniature xan-travar (1 + 1 HD, bulbs 2� in length, attacksat half damage) that fends for itself andgrows rapidly to adult size.

A game convention is the perfectplace to make new friends whoenjoy the same hobbies you do �whether you like boardgames,role-playing games, miniaturewargames, or just shoppingaround. If you�ve never attendeda game convention before, pleasecheck out the Convention Calen-dar feature in this issue for thegame convention nearest you.Take some of your own gamingfriends along, too � and make itan experience to remember.

DRAGON 61

64 DECEMBER 1988

©1988 by Robert Bigelow

Throughthe

LookingG l a s s

Miniature forestsand fortresses

Tom Meier�s Limited Edition Sorcerer and Wizard: Mages ofdifferent mettle.

Welcome to yet more advice and reviews in"Through the Looking Glass." The reviews in this columncome from miniatures submitted by companies andindividuals. In many cases, these samples (especially thoseof smaller companies) come with little information otherthan the company name, price, and stock number. Thesereviews, depend upon the honesty of a company submittingminiatures regarding the uniqueness of their product, thelegality of the product�s license, and the company�s right todistribute the product for public sale.

During the course of the GEN CON®/ORIGINS� 88 GameFair, I heard several accusations about the figures I wasabout to review. These comments ranged from charges ofblatant piracy to charges that products were made onexpired licences. In at least one case, the piracy charge wastrue, and in four out of five of the remaining instances, themanufacturers had lost their licenses to produce thefigures. In two of these latter cases, the license had beenrevoked after the figures had been submitted.Nevertheless, there was no attempt to contact me.

Let me take this opportunity to state my position on thistopic once again. I will not knowingly publish falseinformation in this column. Because of recent events, largeamounts of research may be required to verify factsregarding submissions to this column. As a result, I wouldrather skip a months review or have a short column thanpublish incorrect information. I apologize for problemsthat may have occurred thus far, and hope they will notoccur again. Now, on with this months column.

66 DECEMBER 1988

Getting startedWinter is a time when the gaming

urge is at its strongest. The snow, ice,and harsh, miserable weather cause usto stay in our warm homes and wagehot battles or campaigns. It also freesup time we would normally spendoutside, thus removing the last excusefor not launching a new facet of gam-ing interest: miniatures painting.

Painted armies and well-plannedexercises don�t just happen; they takeplanning and require the effective useof some basic tools and aids. Thismonths column deals with the materi-als used, space required, and knowl-edge needed to get you started.

The first thing you should do is estab-lish some goals for yourself. Thesegoals should include the type of unityou want to work with (an orc army, adragon colony, an adventure party,British Napoleonics, etc.) and a realisticschedule of when you wish to completethe project. The type of figures youchoose will determine the amount oftime, money, and work area needed. Ifyou�ve never painted miniaturesbefore, you�ll want to pick up somefigures for practice painting. It�s a goodidea to practice on the same type ofminiature you intend to use as yourfirst project.

The reason for setting project goals isto avoid burying yourself in unpaintedminiatures you may never need. Havingfallen prey to this problem in the past, Ican attest to the relative ease of buyingwithout a goal; I can also attest to howdiscouraging it is to look at an ever-growing pile of miniatures that needpainting. In addition, planning anddoing one group at a time reduces thecost of miniatures painting. By planningahead, you only need to pick up a fewcolors at a time instead of buying sev-eral different, expensive colors to painta wide variety of figures.

Tom Meier�s Limited Edition Male and Female Barbarian: Tom Meier�s Limited Edition Antipaladin and Paladin: ForcesLiving by the sword. of good and evil.

Money is an important considerationfor effectively painting miniatures.Often, you may find that you can�twork any further without a certaincolor and don�t have enough money toget it. Remember that you�ll need tools,so price and purchase those beforebuying the miniatures and paint.

Research what you are going to paint� if it�s a special unit or character, findout everything about it before youstart. Make sure you�re familiar withany bizarre colors that may be needed(or know how to make them if youcan�t buy them), and be aware of anyinsignia or additions that might changethe way you paint the figure. Planningahead will keep you from ruining afigure or having to redo it.

After you�ve finished the researchand are ready to start painting, estab-lish a work area. This is the mostimportant step outside of painting yourminiatures. Often, the work area con-tributes greatly to the quality of thepaint job. The things you need to lookfor in a work area are listed as follows:

Lighting: You need a clear area freeof shadows and colored light. Shadowsprevent you from seeing details, identi-fying paint hues, and effectively shad-ing the miniature. Colored lights causethe same problems, by starting you offwith the wrong color, thus requiringadjustments in shades and hues tomake up for the color cast by the light.

Accessibility: The area you pickshould be easy to get to, but difficult orimpossible for other people or pets toget to while you�re painting. There isnothing worse than a paw print orfingerprint on a figure that you�ve justpainted. Likewise, it is virtually impos-sible to get black paint off white fur.Avoid high-use areas such as diningrooms or kitchen tables. As a rule,dinnertime falls exactly at the time

Cleanliness: The work area should befree of dust, hair, lint, and moisture. Bypaying attention to these details, youcan avoid many of the little imperfec-tions which stick to wet paint, or leaveunsightly bumps or blurs.

Spaciousness: The work area shouldhave sufficient room in which to work,set up paints, arrange tools, and stillhave room for spreading out andassembling miniatures. Cramped areaslead to spills, marred paint jobs, andbroken figures.

Ventilation: Last and most important,the work area should have lots of venti-lation and should be far from stoves oropen flames. Many of the adhesivesused in constructing miniatures havetoxic fumes that can damage your lungsand sinuses if they are allowed to buildup. Similarly, these fumes mightexplode if exposed to flame. Oil-basedand petroleum-based paints (and evensome of the water-based paints) fall intothis dangerous category. Be safe ratherthan sorry: Have a window close byand open it slightly when painting. Ifthe fumes get strong, stop working andtake a breather. If possible, keep achemical-flame fire extinguisher nearbyin case of emergency.

That�s all for this month. Take thisopportunity to work on what I�ve cov-ered so far. Next month we�ll cover thetools needed to begin constructing andpainting your miniatures.

Miniatures reviews This months miniatures-reviewcolumn is not limited to metal figures;scenery and buildings are included inthis installment as well. All of theseminiatures will receive coverage fromnow on to help improve your battle-field games and to give strong combatobjectives, battle obstructions, andcover. This months column introducesthe new rating structure for figurewhen you can�t stop painting.

quality. As requested in your letters, Ihave adjusted my rating system to bemore in line with the other DRAGON®Magazine review columns. The starratings are listed in Table 1.

Table 1Miniatures Review Ratings

Rating Explanation* Poor; get this figure only if you

need it.* * Below average; the concept is

good, but there are problemswith this product.

* * * Average; the concept is goodand the problems are few.

* * * * Above average; the concept isgood. In all, this is a recom-mended product.

* * * * * Excellent; this product is guar-anteed to shine in your collec-tion.

Goldring Miniatures, Inc.11605 Goldring RoadUnit HArcadia CA 91006

TRAVELLER: 2300 MiniaturesStock No. 102302, French Legion * * * *

Goldring Miniatures is a small companywith big ideas. The company bills itself asa successor to Dark Horse Miniatures anduses the Dark Horse emblem in its packag-ing. Many readers will remember DarkHorse as the company that producedfavorites like Palladium�s TEENAGEMUTANT NINJA TURTLES� and ROBO-TECH� game figures.

The package submitted for review con-tains four figures representing membersof the French Legion. The figures are amix of action poses, with three males andone female. These figures are positioned

DRAGON 67

TAG industries� Children of Valhalla Series: The gods themselves.

as follows: one male marching, one maleadvancing with weapon ready, one malewith weapon at port arms, and one femalein a casual stance.

Equipment varies from figure to figure,as does weaponry. The female wears a flakvest and web belt, and carries what lookslike a laser weapon. One male wears ahelmet with optical enhancement devicesand heavy-duty body armor from thewaist up. The other males wear garrisoncaps (as does the female); one of thesemale figures carries a field pack as well.

All figures are crisply detailed from thetop of the garrison hat or helmet to themagnetic soles on their boots. Gun strapsappear almost as separate castings, withthe belts finely detailed and pronounced.The mold marks (areas where the moldsjoin to form the figure) are evident only onthe bases and on one hat. There is no flash(mold overflow) on any of the figures,meaning that little preparation is neededto ready these figures for painting.

I would be interested in seeing more ofthis line to determine whether this qualityis maintained throughout. I not only highlyrecommend these figures for GDW�sTRAVELLER: 2300� game, but suggesttheir use with Timeline�s MORROW PRO-JECT� and FGU�s AFTERMATH� games.These are tentatively priced at $5.00 each.

Woodland ScenicsP.O. Box 98Linn Creek MO 65052

Forest SceneryStock No. TK 28, Hardwood Forest * * *Stock Nos. TK 12, 14, and 17 * * * *

Woodland Scenics has long been knownto those in the hobby of model railroadingand is now becoming known to gamers aswell. This company makes a wide varietyof products, most of which are aids tomaking great scenery. These productsrange from tree kits to turf used in simu-lating ground covering. The productssubmitted for review came about because

68 DECEMBER 1988

of an urgent need for scenery at the GENCON/ORIGINS® 88 Game Fair.

Woodland Scenics� materials are easy touse. The tree kits come with three to fivelead trunks with highly detailed bark. Thekits also contain foliage materials for simu-lating leaves and vines. While there isquite a bit of flash on several of thetrunks, these casts can be easily trimmedand cleaned with a knife and file. Thefoliage and ground foam are easy tospread by hand. White glue may be usedas an adhesive.

Trees should be primed and painted torepresent the bark color desired. After thepaint dries, gently bend the trunk to theform you want. (The word �gently� isstressed here, as overbending of the softmetal leads to breakage.) After you�ve bentthe tree, apply the leaves as described inthe package instructions. Bases for thesefigures can be made out of standard mate-rials; in this case, we made the base out ofa shaped ceiling tile, which was used toform a small hill.

These products is highly recommendedfor anyone who wants quality trees forgaming scenarios or miniatures dioramas.They can be purchased through localhobby shops or by contacting WoodlandScenics directly. Prices vary from $1.79 to$18.00, depending on the product.

TAG Industries316 Main StreetCastalia OH 44824(419) 684-5238

Children Of Valhalla SeriesStock No. 5502, Norse Gods:Thor and Sif * * *Stock No. 5503, Norse Gods:Frey and Freya * * *

Mythological figures have long beenignored or reluctantly produced by minia-tures companies. Several companies haveissued one or two gods, goddesses, orattendants, and then gone on to otherfields. While there is no end of demons or

devils, there seems to be a severe shortageof high-powered good guys.

DMs who run campaigns in the northernreaches or players whose clerics worshipThor now have the opportunity to �fleshout� their deities by using these figures torepresent them. The Children of Valhallaseries presents all the major Norse godsand goddesses, along with most of theirallies, opponents, and followers.

The figure line submitted for reviewcontains all the major Norse gods andgoddesses. These figures are packed twoto a blister, with one god and one goddessto the pack. The miscellaneous remainingunmatched gods are packed with otherunmatched gods, most of which have noobvious connection to one another exceptin their cultural origins.

My first opinion upon seeing the figureswas that the wrong figures had somehowgotten into the packs. Upon studying andmeasuring the figures, the height scaledout to between seven and eight feet. Whilethe height was about right, none of thefigures looked quite right, and Thor�shammer was all wrong.

Actually, the only things wrong with thefigures were my observations. Many of usgrew up reading the Marvel Comics repre-sentation of Thor and the other Norsegods. Luckily, the sculptor of this line gotpast those comic-book representations.

The figures correspond closely with theNorse gods of mythology. As a result,Thor�s hammer is depicted as more of across than as a stone-headed war hammer.The pointed, winged helmets, the clothover chain armor, and the wooden, band-ed shields with which the figures areaccoutered truly inspire visions of theVikings who honored these gods.

The detail in these miniatures is the onlydrawback. Many of the clothes are thickerthan they need to be, and although thedetail is good enough to make them inter-esting, it is not good enough to make themcollectable.

These miniatures are strongly recom-mended for anyone playing the AD&D®game, the RUNEQUEST® Vikings game, orany other game in which the charactersare apt to run into Norse gods. Prices forthese miniatures are $2.50 per pack.

Greenfield Garrisons2914 InmanFerndale MI 48220

Medieval CastleSpecial Limited Edition Set * * * * *Stock No. 2436, Medieval Castle * * * *

When we think of medieval times, ourfirst vision is that of a knight and hisretainer, with a huge castle in the back-ground. Even in fantasy games, when wevisit cities we often see the king cloisteredwithin his castle. Castles are integral partsof gaming, but you rarely see them used inminiatures scenarios.

Enter the Greenfield Garrison MedievalCastle. This castle premiered at the GEN

CON/ORIGINS 88 Game Fair and was oneof the most often-discussed miniaturesshown. The castle measures 20� X 21� atits base, and consists of a massive gatestructure and large courtyard big enoughto house troops and royalty. Four largetowers are added to make this a truecastle; these include three walled sections

and four thinner, taller towers graftedonto each large tower. The detail is excel-lent; random block detail is molded intothe outer and inner walls, and randomflat-stone detail is built into the walkways,turret tops, and the top of the great hall.There are no outbuildings included withthe kit, but there is ample room for themin the large courtyard.

The castle is made of a lightweightepoxy foam that accepts any type of paint.Assembly is quick, although it does entailsome problems (the only thing I could findwrong with this product). Part of theproblem with this structure comes fromthe material used to make the castle.Although extremely strong, this materialcomes out slightly different every time apiece is cast. (This is due to the flexibilityof the molds and the great pressure usedin forming pieces.) As a result, the partsneed to be trimmed and worked to fitcorrectly, and may require some lightforming to fit these pieces tightly together.

The castle is scaled for 15mm figures,such as the Alliance Miniatures� figuresfeatured in �Through the Looking Glass� inDRAGON Magazine #136. There is morethan enough room to maneuver minia-tures, allowing the placement of hundredsof figures to defend the castle againstattackers. The castle could also be usedwith 25mm figures, although their largersizes cause the castle to look more like alarge fortified outpost.

This castle is highly recommended toanyone who games either with historicalor fantasy figures. The gaming crew atour hobby shop was greatly impressed bythis miniature; consequently, it will proba-bly be the main castle of choice in our

70 DECEMBER 1988

group. You will see more of this submis-sion in the battle section of upcomingreview columns. The price for this gem is$99.95, although it may go up to $135.00when the molds are replaced in Februaryof 1989. For further information, contactGreenfield Garrisons.

Games Workshop, U.K.Chewton StreetEastwood, NottinghamUnited Kingdom, NG 16 3HY

Games Workshop, U.S.1220 Key HighwayBaltimore MD 21230

Fortress Miniature Stock No. 86810, Mighty Fortress * *

Products that have great potential foruse in both historical and fantasy gamingare often introduced into the marketplace.These releases usually have something todo with either scenery or buildings, andare often the centerpieces of large-scalebattles. One of the most heralded struc-tures of this type is Games Workshop�sMighty Fortress. This castle/fortressreceived rave reviews in both WhiteDwarf and DRAGON Magazine advertise-ments. Many people looked forward tousing it with GW�s WARHAMMER� andWARHAMMER 40K� game products, andwell as with 25mm medieval figures.

The packaging of this product is intend-ed as practical protection against damage.The box the fortress comes in is designedto be a carrying case for moving the for-tress when it is not in use. The contents fitsnugly inside, allowing some room formovement in case you bump the box. Thishelps to prevent damage to the contents.

This product is comprised of six wallsections and four square towers made offour pieces each. The dimensions at thebase are 28� X 18�, and 7� high at thetowers. The six sections of wall, two ofwhich have built-in gates, allow you toplace the gate locations wherever you

desire. The doors for the interior, gatesand gate-frame sections, ladders, andtower trapdoors are all made of plastic.Because of this, they need to be removedfrom their molding sprues and trimmedbefore assembly. Once trimmed, theyassemble easily. It is at this point, however,that the first glitches in the kit appear.Most notably, there simply aren�t enoughdoors for the niches and entryways builtinto the walls. As a result, those areas thatdo not have doors look funny when com-pared with the door areas.

It is at this point that the fortress fails asa serious gaming article. The walls aremolded in an off-gray color which looselypasses as stone, and the walls areengraved to present the appearance ofassembled stone. The problem with this isthat virtually every stone has an injectionmark that looks like a round plate withfive bolt heads. This is fine for WAR-HAMMER 40K, but bolts do not exist inmedieval periods (at least not in this form).This alone would not normally be thatgreat of a problem; in most cases, thesemarks could be sanded off or covered up.Unfortunately, these marks cannot beremoved easily.

We encountered a major problem whenwe removed the marks � a problemwhich only became apparent when we setabout assembling one of the errant tow-ers. This product is made of compressedstyrofoam and is sealed with a hard outercoating to contain the small pieces. If youpierce the hard outer covering, the areabeneath crumbles into small round ballsthe size of pinheads. This is great if you�reinto battle damage, but not so great if youwant to keep the fortress for years of use.We found that a good repair method wasto fill the damaged area with white glue,allow it to harden, then paint over therepair. For all practical purposes, thewhite glue restores the outer shell.

If you purchase this fortress, we alsorecommend (in addition to keeping whiteglue handy) that you immediately apply atleast two coats of water-based paint andtwo coats of water-based sealer. This rein-forces the outer seal and should prolongthe life of the fortress. Do not use oil-based paints, or nonwater-based adhesivesor paints: they eat both the outer coatingand the styrofoam beneath.

The last major problem with this unit isavailability. Being a store owner myself, Iwas frustrated by the fact that my orderfor this product was cancelled due tounavailability, and that many orders at thedistributor level were unfilled. I contactedGames Workshop about the problem andwas given the following reply, which wasverified by other sources:

�The manufacturer that we contacted inEngland to make this piece was unable toproduce either the quality or the quantitythat we needed to fill our orders for thisproduct. With under a 50% fill rate onthose orders, we will probably have todiscontinue this item for the present and

AC, Sorcerer (with fire demon staff) * * * * *This figure (as well as the following one)

gives off a uniformly evil aura. While Irestudied the miniatures at my shop andwrote this review, many of our gamingclub members got their first look at thefigures. There wasn�t a single person wholooked at the figures and failed to say thispiece and the following one were evil.

The sorcerer is dressed in a vaguelyOriental fashion, with pointed boots and astaff that twists its way up into a demon�shead. The mongol hat and Fu Manchumustache contribute to the aura, but themost important feature of this figure is theface: It seems to glare at you from everyangle, and you can almost hear an incanta-tion ready to burst from its lips.

Greenfield Garrisons' Limited Edition Medieval Castle: A formidablefortress in miniature.

reissue an improved product when wefind a qualified manufacturer. We hope toreissue the item in 1989.�

When they reissue the item, I hope theyadd several of unbroken wall sections. Bydoing so, gamers will be able to place acouple of 25mm buildings inside the wallparameters and still have room for placingtroops. With little room inside and nobuildings, this product is less of a mightyfortress and more of a strong outpost. At$49.95, it is also a mighty investment.

In its present form, I cannot recommendthis item unless you have the time to putthe necessary work into bettering it. Theidea is good, however, and I look forwardto the castle�s reissue. If you have ques-tions or comments regarding this product,you can reach Games Workshop at eitherthe U.K. or U.S. offices listed at the open-ing of this review.

Thunderbolt Mountain MiniaturesP.O. Box 37024RoselawnCincinnati OH 45222-0024

Tom Meier, Limited-EditionMiniatures * * * * *

Stock Nos. AA-AF, Various CharactersI had to save the best of the figure

reviews for last. At the GEN CON/ORIGINSGame Fair, one of the senior people fromRal Partha presented me with six smallboxes marked AA-AF, and smiled as heasked me to review them. He admittedthat they weren�t Ral Partha products, butthought that everyone should have a lookat them. At the time, I was busy runningthe miniatures area and said that I wouldlook at them later. When I finally gotaround to doing so, I wished I�d done soearlier; it would have been nice to havepicked up a second set.

The set placed for review is part of anever-growing group of miniatures pro-duced by award-winning sculptor TomMeier. These six figures are sold by the setonly, and each set is numbered. There areonly 999 sets in the U.S., and it is not

72 DECEMBER 1988

known at this time if any are destined foroverseas markets. While it is difficult toreview these miniatures in any way otherthan figure by figure, some commentsmay be made about the group as a whole.Other curious points include the fact thatall the figures were cast separately, with-out their bases, then joined later, thusmaking them sharp and crisp at the shoelines � a point where many other minia-tures fail miserably.

Another common point is the hexagonalbases. As a rule, I don�t like hexagonalbases, and I�m not really sure I like these.But painting these miniatures as displaymodels or highlight pieces in a collectionwould work with these bases, which allowfor ground cover to be placed in a con-vincing manner. Aside from these similari-ties, these miniatures are distinctlydifferent in art and craft. A figure-by-figure review follows.

AA, Female Barbarian * * * *

This figure is perhaps the one weakpoint in an otherwise superb collection.The figure is well done and has goodmuscle and facial detail, especially in thesmall tiara in the figure�s hair. This figureis armed with a sword and shield(although I�m not sure the shield wouldraise her armor class significantly withwhat she�s wearing). This figure is defin-itely underdressed for cold weather, eventhough the costume is tastefully done. Ithink that it is probably this lack of bulkwhich makes this figure look out of placewith the others.

AB, Male Barbarian * * * * *

This highly muscled figure appears to becoiling back to deliver a blow with thehuge two-handed sword he carries. Theseverely displeased look on his face, thehollowed cheeks, and flowing hair exag-gerate the illusion of movement. There islittle apparel to get in the way of thisfigure. Overall, this is one of the betterminiatures in the set.

AF, Antipaladin (in demon armor) * * * * *Like the preceding figure, this figure

exudes an attitude of unrestricted evil.Clothed in demon armor, this antipaladinjust seems to be waiting patiently for youto attack him. His massive runesword isheld tightly between two hands, and theskull pommel begs for red eyes. The snarl-ing demon�s head almost taunts you to dosomething so it can later mock your feebleefforts. In spite of this great detail, younever see the antipaladin�s face; it hidesbehind a furred collar and skull clasp,visor tightly closed, exuding evil to thosewho challenge the antipaladin.

AD, Wizard (with soul staff) * * * * *Next in line is the wizard with the soul

staff, his face set in steady concentration,arm extended outward, and two fingersstiffly pointed as he casts a spell. His high-ly ornamented robe rustles in a undetect-able breeze, wrapping around his staff,which rises to form many faces. His beltand pouch are firmly drawn, and his capebillows in the wind.

AE, Paladin (in firebird armor) * * * * *Finally, the paladin in firebird armor

seems to be relaxing after a tough battle.He stands tensely, his great sword restingwith its tip against the ground, his mailedleft hand clenched tightly in a fist, hisbody straight and erect. At various points,his chain-mail jerkin pokes through thebreaks in his plate mail armor. Last butnot least is the crest on his helmet: a largefirebird. As you look closer, the illusiongoes to work. Is the firebird insignia reallya crest, or is it truly a firebird whosepurpose is to protect the paladin and helphim kindle a burning passion for truth?

These figures stand out far and abovethe others. The best recommendation Ican possibly give is in stating that I intendto pick up at least one more set. I honestlybelieve these figures will become collec-tors� items. Presently, this set lists for$18.00, and can be ordered through Thun-derbolt Mountain Miniatures.

The GEN CON/ORIGINS 88 Game Fair

The GEN CON/ORIGINS Game Fair was arousing success this year in the miniaturesand strategic board-games areas. Many ofyou who participated in the novice andtutorial games got to see a variety ofgames being run. For those of you whodidn�t get to go, we�ll give some quickhighlights of this, my favorite area of theconvention.

The majority of the miniatures eventstook place in West Hall in the MilwaukeeMECCA convention center. We had over 80tables or gaming areas in this hall, andwith the exception of Sunday and Thurs-day, it housed nonstop action from begin-ning to end.

Some of the major showcase eventsincluded the return of the Empire of thePetal Throne game, which consisted ofseveral minibattles and the siege of a wallover 23� in length. Thousands of 25mmfigures were positioned for combat on atable that spanned an area 8� wide. Youcould almost hear the clash of arms.

The Civil War was represented in sev-eral miniatures simulations during thisconvention. In addition, John Hill, thecreator of Game Designers Workshop�sJohnny Reb, ran both novice games and aJohnny Reb tournament. Scenery included15mm stone faces, roads, and fields pains-takingly done by hand. These were greatlyappreciated by all who played.

West Germany held its ground andthrew the Soviets back in The Fall of WestGermany II. Once again, this game drewboth novices and experienced players as itseesawed back and forth. It was the con-vention�s single longest game, startingwhen the doors opened on Thursday andending when they closed again late Sun-day afternoon.

Once again, Custer died, the Zulusroared, the Indians scalped, and the Brit-ish fought to a standstill as the HistoricalMiniatures Gaming Society put on a hugeselection of historical games representingseveral centuries. In two different cases,history teachers took notes to use in theclassroom. (Readers may indirectly benefitfrom the convention after all, even if theycouldn�t make it.)

This year also heralded the largest num-ber of computer-assisted games I�ve everseen. Many of you have computers athome, and some of you use them for formgeneration, character building, and worldplanning. The judges this year used com-puters for hit generations, record-keeping,and the elimination of many of time-consuming gaming obstacles. We sawcomputers used in TFG�s STAR FLEETBATTLES, WWII naval, modern naval,FASA�s BATTLETECH®, and TSR�s BATTLE-SYSTEM� games. This year was also thefirst year in which a large area was desig-nated specifically for computer gaming.Over 80 computers loaded with all sorts ofgames were provided.

Fantasy miniatures, whether GW�s

WARHAMMER or WARHAMMER 40K,BATTLESYSTEM, or Ral Partha�s CHAOSWARS� games, comprised about 25% ofthe games and miniatures events in ourhall. Fog was simulated in one game, andtwo other games were played blind (nei-ther side knew where the other was untilthey were encountered). At least two unitsof dwarves died in ambush in one game,but they took quite a few orcs with themin the process.

BATTLETECH games were big winnersin the growth area. This year brought inmore and better-painted 'mech units andfar fewer illustrated cardboard counters,With the increasingly large number of�mechs available from Ral Partha, thegames are also becoming more varied, asground and air vehicles hit the field.

Two BATTLETECH games come to mindimmediately. In one of them, the �mechswere fighting over a crashed ship. Theterrain was different, but what caught myeye was the �kitbashed� crashed space-ship. Kitbashing involves combining partsfrom several kits to make one new minia-ture. This method of making miniaturesthat are not available for purchase is whenused in historical gaming or model rail-roading. I would love to hear what wentinto making the spaceship.

The other BATTLETECH game consistedof a three-part scenario in which �mechsthat were damaged in the preceding sce-nario fought in that condition. Thosepreviously destroyed were gone forever.This must have provided some of theplayers with their first lessons in strategy,as many went full tilt into the first gameand consequently had no �mechs left forthe second. Although this sounds like anunreasonable set of rules, these playersdid play in the third part of the scenario,and were playing much better by thattime. All in all, the quality of miniaturesgaming and scenery was up this year.

I have really enjoyed the mail that hascome in so far, and have gotten some ideasfor future columns from your letters.Please continue to write. I�m trying torespond to letters as time becomes availa-ble. If you want to make comments orsuggestions, please send your letters to:

Robert Bigelow c/o Friends Hobby Shop1411 Washington StreetWaukegan IL 60085(312) 336-0790

I look forward to hearing from you.Until next time, enjoy.

DRAGON 73

LOOKING FOR AGAME CONVENTION?

If your gaming group is too smallor if you�ve just moved into theneighborhood, finding friendswho are also gamers can be aproblem. However, your localhobbies and games shop mayhave a bulletin board wheregamers can advertise their groupsand meeting times. The hobbystore may also know of local gameconventions where you can meetdozens of other gamers with thesame interests. The ConventionCalendar in this issue may also beof help. Don�t sit at home andwish you knew more gamers. Goout and find them today.

©1988 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser

TheRole ofComputers

Cleaning up after the CES product flood

There is an international trade exhibi-tion held twice annually called the Con-sumer Electronics Show (CES). Held inJanuary and late spring of each year, theshow spotlights products from a variety ofelectronics companies, ranging fromstereos and video equipment to musicdigitizers. Also making appearances at theCES are computer-software publishers,mostly in the entertainment-software

category. The products announced bypublishers at January�s CES are now mak-ing their way to retailers� shelves.

This means that there is a sudden surgeof new products to review. In this months�Role of Computers� column, we�ll try tooffer some insight regarding the freshestcrop of computer offerings, plus somecomments on packages we�ve postponedreviewing due to the press of business.

Electronic Arts1820 Gateway DriveSan Mateo CA 94404(415) 571-7171

F/A-18 Interceptor * * * *

Commodore Amiga version $49.95

Chuck Yeager�s AdvancedFlight Trainer * * * *

Apple Macintosh version $49.95What a quandary: two superb flight

simulators from the same company. In oneof our earlier columns we indicated that

Chuck Yeager’s Advanced Flight Simulatorwas a magnificent program worthy ofpurchase. The Macintosh version onlysubstantiates our feelings regarding thevalue of this offering. The Mac II versionof this program operates in full color. Thisflight simulator actually teaches you howto fly, thanks to a full, program-basedtutorial designed by General Yeager. Addin a variety of antique, current, and futur-istic experimental planes, and you have atruly exciting program. We managed to flythe SR-71 to 210,000 feet and were beyond

F/A-18 Interceptor: ASidewinder — when

you want to sendthe very best

the Earths atmosphere in space! Unfortu-nately, during our rather rapid descent,our wings left the plane and we crashed,much to the displeasure of the General.

As for F/A-18 Interceptor, this flightsimulator is without a doubt one of theeasiest to learn and most graphically pleas-ing of any such offering presently on themarket. When you consider that Electronic Arts also publishes Chuck Yeager’s FlightTraining simulation program, the onlygood flight simulators that Electronic Artsdoes not possess are JET by SubLOGICand the Microsoft Flight Simulator byMicrosoft Corporation.

F/A-18 Interceptor truly imparts to theplayer the feel of flying an advanced jetfighter. The setting for this simulation isthe San Francisco Bay area. Within thissetting, you select the Bay area runwayfrom which you wish to take off (includingthe aircraft carrier U.S.S. Enterprise inSan Francisco Bay). Training courses aregiven to familiarize the pilot with specificmaneuvers in preparation for combatmissions. A holographic, heads-up displayoffers a complete guide during flight, andadvanced weaponry systems assure atleast a fighting chance against incomingMIGs. One of the most difficult operationsis learning how to take-off and land on theU.S.S. Enterprise, but this is a criticaltalent. Without a successful landing on thecarrier, you won�t be allowed to move onto combat missions.

The only reason this flight simulator didnot get a five-star rating is due to the factthat some users could become frustratedover their inability to land on the carrier,thus eliminating the excitement of takingpart in combat missions. As the simulationincludes a variety of examinations forother types of flight (such as barrel rolls),perhaps passage of these difficult maneu-vers could enable the combat-missionscenarios. Otherwise, we recommend thatAmiga users purchase this simulator, orget both Chuck Yeager’s Advanced FlightTrainer and F/A-18. In either case, youwon�t be disappointed!

DataSoft19808 Nordhoff PlaceChatsworth CA 91311(818) 886-5922

Global Commander * * * *

Commodore 64/128 version $29.95Here�s a twist on the usual �win that

combat� scenario. Set in the future, thegoal of this game is for the player tobecome the successful Global Commanderby preventing conflict between the 16member countries of the U.N.N. Some ofthese countries are full-fledged bullies,while others are just plain wimps. Eachnation possesses technological capabilities,natural resources, and missile technology,all at varying levels. If you�re not balancingone nation�s missile stockpile againstanother�s, you�re reprimanding a U.N.N.

74 DECEMBER 1988

member from a starving nation for theassassination of the ambassador from anation with a surplus of food.

You also have laser-defense satellites thatcan be positioned to knock down missileattacks from one U.N.N. nation to another(but only if you guess correctly and placethem in an appropriate geostationaryorbit). There are also three �Big Bird�Reconnaissance Satellites that can detectmilitary activity, but again, these satellitesmust be precisely positioned to work toyour advantage.

Warnings come to you in the form ofmemos, as one nation requests ordemands something from another nation.You can also scan the different radio fre-quencies for coded messages; these servenot only as indicators of potential hot-spots but are also data sources markingcompatible countries. Compatible nationswon�t require your full attention, so thosein severe straits are able to receive the fullbenefit of your wisdom.

Global Command requires constantreview of national relationships and track-ing international relationships; this is donewith the aid of national icon pieces and aglobal map. Your ability to negate majorhot-spots before they explode determinesyour final success. Even the theme music,usually a deterrent to some strategygames, is quite enjoyable. For C64/128users, Global Command offers a challeng-ing game that doesn�t require hours ofstudy to master yet incorporates a varietyof different elements to ensure a differentapproach each time the game is played.

Mindscape, Inc.3444 Dundee RoadNorthbrook IL 60062(312) 480-7667

Road Runner * * *

Commodore 64/128 version $34.95The famous Warner Brothers cartoon

duo, the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote,are now starring in an action-arcade gamefor your C64/128 computer and the AtariST In this game, you direct the Road Run-ner, who has to complete various levels ofactivity while avoiding Wile E. Coyote andhis various weapons. Some of the weaponsseen on Saturday morning cartoon rerunsare present, and the devious devicesalways seem to have a will of their own(i.e., they work against Wile E. Coyote).

The object of of this game is for theRoad Runner to complete a level beforehis energy runs out; if he fails, the poorbird runs out of gas and cannot run fromhis persistent pursuer. At the successfulclose of each level, the Road Runnerobtains points for eating birdseed ordrinking lemonade, or by destroying WileE. Coyote. This is a good game with greatgraphics. The chases, however, tend to getboring after the game has been playedseveral times.

New World ComputingP.O. Box 2068Van Nuys CA 91404(818) 480-7667

Might and MagicMacintosh II version * * * * ½Macintosh Plus version * * * ½

Okay, Macintosh gamers; now there isno excuse for self-pity. Might and Magic isnow available for use on the Apple Macin-tosh. The Macintosh version is as fine agaming environment as are the Apple II,C64/128, and IBM micros and compatiblesversions. One often forgets that the Macin-tosh has a black-and-white display (withsome shades of gray), due to the fine reso-lution of the system itself. Instead of vaguecoloration depicting trees or mountains,the Mac version graphically defines eachseparate geographical locale. Furthermore,the onscreen three-dimensional effects indungeons and cities are amazing!

With the Macintosh version of this game,one also receives a simple user interfacefor game control. By positioning themouse cursor and clicking the mousebutton, a variety of information is dis-played: character statistics, spell-castingcommands, and attack modes. All of theenvironments presented in the game�searlier formats are included in the Macin-tosh version. The hints that apply to othersystem formats also apply to this version.

Why the difference in game ratings? Weinitially played this game on our Macin-tosh II, with which we have only startedworking. (Incidentally, if you�re looking fora spectacular computer system, the Macin-tosh II has just about every conceivabletechnological nicety.) The game ran with-out a single glitch, although the largerscreen of the Macintosh II isn�t utilized bythe game itself. When we ran it on theMacintosh Plus, however, we discovered afatal glitch which occurred after a victori-ous battle. We found that the on-screencursor would not move; the arrow iconsimply froze in place. We could stillmaneuver through the use of the cursor

keys on the keyboard, but when it cametime to choose a course of action by select-ing a dialogue box, we could not move thecursor into that box. This resulted inhaving to reboot the computer, losing all ofthe gains made since our last game-save.

We are also unhappy with this product�ssoftware copy protection. Granted, enter-tainment software copying has to be halt-ed, but this should not be at the expenseof the product�s fun and efficiency. NewWorld has selected the master-disk methodof copy protection for those who copy thegame to their hard disk or to another setof micro disks. This means that when youboot the game, you must insert the origi-nal program master into the disk drive inorder for the game to verify the program.We suppose this is as good a method asany, but what happens if you lose themaster program disk or forget where youstored it?

Despite these minor drawbacks, NewWorld Computing has managed to effect aperfect translation of their fantasy role-playing world to the Macintosh computer,and they are to be heartily congratulatedfor this fine endeavor. Operation on aMacintosh II and Macintosh SE occurredwithout a flaw. The price for both ver-sions of this game is $59.95.

SEGA of America, Inc.573 Forbes BoulevardSouth San Francisco CA 94080(800) USA-SEGA toll free

Penguin Land ** *

SEGA Master System version $49.90Penguin Land is one of the first strategic

games for a home video-game system. Itcontains an added bonus � a special RAMchip that allows the player to create 15 ofhis own mazes to save and come back tolater. Your character is a penguin; his goalis to successfully navigate through 50mazes and bring his eggs safely to the endof each game level.

Play begins with a detailed, animated

Chuck Yeager'sAdvanced FlightTrainer: fly theMacfriendly skies

DRAGON 75

Serve & volley:going to court with

the pros.

scene: your penguin rolls his egg along andthus begins his mission. You must avoidfeisty opponents and other obstacles, such ascondors, bears, crushers, and dead ends. Atthe same time, you must avoid droppingyour egg from heights that exceed itsshatter-resistance range. Your penguin cangnaw away at ice to get at tunnels below thesurface of the ice, or to part the waybetween him and danger. You must beware,however, of ice that cannot be crushed andof tunnels through which the egg can travel,but the penguin cannot. There are tubeslocated throughout the maze that allowaccess to the penguin or the egg; there arealso sparsely located blocks that the playercan use to squash the hungry bear. If a mazeis completed, the player is rewarded withsome quick animation, a bit of self-gratification, and entry to the next level. Anice touch is that of choosing a level onwhich you would like to start your mission;only the first 30 levels are available, though.The rest are mysteries.

Penguin Land is a nice relief from thearcade games released by video-gamemarketers. Still, it may only satisfy thehunger of strategic players. Many arcadeenthusiasts will not find as much pleasurein this game as they would find in otherentertainment cartridges, such as thosewherein killing less-than-lovable creaturesis the object of the game. SEGA has madean effort that puts the video-arcade mar-ket one step closer to the computers. Forthis effort, we applaud them.

Spectrum HoloByte2061 Challenger DriveAlameda CA 94501(415) 522-3584

PT-109 ****

Apple Macintosh version $49.95This torpedo-boat simulation has become

one of our favorite combat simulations. Infact, there is rarely a day that passes with-out one of us running a patrol. Players

76 DECEMBER 1988

learn the history of the craft, as somepatrol boats can be piloted only duringspecific stages of World War II. The feel ofactual command is realistically portedthrough to the Macintosh mouse. A realplus is the fact that the program is notcopy protected, meaning you can copynecessary files to your hard-disk drive.

To familiarize new players with theoperation of the boat, the game starts inthe practice-tactics mode. In this mode,players learn how to fire torpedoes, howto read radar on 32-, 8-, and 2-mile diame-ter displays, when to use the engine muf-fler for a quieter approach, how tooperate smoke screens, and how to findother weaponry (such as .50 calibermachine guns, rockets, and 20mm and40mm cannons). When you find yourselfopposing a sizable enemy force (say, twodestroyers, a cruiser, a submarine, andother enemy craft), the patrol boat�s navi-gability, radical turn mobility, and effectiveweaponry can make the craft anextremely efficient tool in the hands of theright captain.

Additional features include four difficul-ty levels, radio messages to your base foradditional air or ship support, automaticpilot, and assigned patrols. Not only canyou initiate individual patrols, but you canparticipate in entire campaigns. Be suc-cessful in your theater of operations, andyou will eventually become a member ofthe Top Skipper�s Roster. For our entryinto that august listing, over 30 hours ofpatrol work was required. With keyboardequivalents to the mouse commands, you�llfind a combination of mouse and keypresses are best suited to specific activities(such as combat). Soon, you�ll becomequite proficient at deciding how toapproach various enemy task forces in aneffective patrol run.

PT-109 was created by Digital Illusions,also known for its GATO (submarine) andORBITER (space shuttle) simulation games.They have continued their high-qualityprogramming, and are to be congratulatedfor another fine offering.

News and new products

Accolade550 South Winchester BoulevardSuite 200San Jose CA 95125(408) 985-1700

Accolade was one busy publishing com-pany at the CES, where they introducedseveral new software entertainments. Onesuch product is a scrolling, arcade-styleaction game entitled Jet Boys, which ispresently available for the C64/128. Theplayer takes the role of a jet-packed com-mando whose mission is to enter anenemy-controlled reactor room and deacti-vate the reactor. Enroute to this finaldestination, the player must survivenumerous waves of deadly galactic-terrorist attacks. This game is $14.95.

Accolade has also introduced four newsports-simulation games: Fast Break (bas-ketball), Serve & Volley (tennis), Rack �Em(billiards), and T.K.O. (boxing). Designedfor one or two players, these simulationswill soon be available for the C64/128($29.95), Apple IIGS ($44.95), and IBMmicros and compatibles ($39.951. BubbleGhost, a multilevel arcade game fromAccolade, has just been released for IBMmicros and compatibles, the Apple IIGS,the Commodore Amiga and C64/128, andthe Atari ST. The object of this game is toblow a bubble through 35 different roomsin a castle filled with obstacles and haz-ards without breaking it. There are obsta-cles to negotiate, and the ghost mustsucceed at his task before he runs out ofair. Pricing for this product ranges from$29.95 for the S-bit systems to $34.95 forthe 16-bit computers.

Addison-WesleyJacob WayReading MA 01867(617) 944-3700

If trying to escape the dreaded Nazgul isyour bent, then The Shadow of Mordor,the third Middle-earth software adventurereleased by Addison-Wesley, is for you.Like The Fellowship of the Ring, this newtext-adventure program is based on J.R.R.Tolkien�s highly popular and much-lovedfantasy trilogy, The Lord of the Rings. Thisgame is adapted from �Book IV� of TheTwo Towers. In The Shadow of Mordor,players must tame the stealthy Smeagol,outwit the Black Riders, and defeat themonstrous spider Shelob. The hardy hob-bit explorers must-descend treacherouscliffs, navigate deadly swamps, catch theirown food, solve the mysteries of windingunderground tunnels, and sneak throughthe evil city of the Nazgul. Their mission isto keep the Ring from the greedy clutchesof the Dark Lord Sauron. This adventureis available for the Apple II and IBMmicros ($39.95), and the C64/128 ($29.95).

Broderbund Software17 Paul DriveSan Rafael CA 94903-2101(415) 492-3200

Broderbund has recently released fivenew entertainment offerings. First, forAtari ST afficionados, there�s TyphoonThompson in Search for the Sea Child, anarcade-adventure authored by Dan Gorlin,whose Choplifter! game is already a soft-ware classic. Typhoon Thompson is adeluxe version of Airheart, a game previ-ously released for the Apple II computerfamily. The story line is reminiscent of anadventure movie: Typhoon Thompsonmust rescue the infant survivor of a space-cruiser crash on a remote planet. Thegame is priced at $34.95.

Also upcoming from Broderbund is theofficially licensed software version of StarWars, which is based on the popular coin-operated video game from the AtariGames Corporation. The player assumesthe role of Luke Skywalker as he pilots hisX-Wing fighter in an attack on theEmpire�s Death Star. The game will bereleased for the C64/128 ($39.95), and theAtari ST and Commodore Amiga ($29.95).

If you enjoy skiing, check out Broder-bund�s Downhill Challenge, an interactiveski-racing simulation that features realisticthree-dimensional animation. You can tryyour skill at downhill, slalom, and giantslalom skiing, or at ski jumping. You�ll alsofind separate runs for beginner, intermedi-ate, and advanced skiers. This game iscurrently available for IBM micros andcompatibles; the Apple IIGS, the Commo-dore Amiga, and the Atari ST ($29.95); andfor the C64/128 ($24.95).

Broderbund also has a new program forthe Macintosh, called Shufflepuck Cafe.This simulated air-hockey game takesplace in a seedy bar reminiscent of theStar Wars cantina. It pits the playeragainst nine different opponents. Thisgame is priced at $39.95.

Nintendo players will be glad to hearthat Broderbund is releasing four newNintendo Entertainment System programs.These include: Legacy of the Wizard, agame in which you must defeat an evildragon; The Battlefields of Napoleon, thefirst true war simulation for Nintendo;The Guardian Legend, in which you battleyour way into an alien world to destroyevil lifeforms; and Deadly Towers, inwhich young Prince Myer (your character)must destroy the King of the Devils� sevenmagical bell towers.

Electronic Arts1820 Gateway DriveSan Mateo CA 94404(415) 571-7171

Electronic Arts now has an affiliatedlicense agreement with the Strategic Stud-ies Group. Already, this agreement hasresulted in the debut of Rommel Battles

Rack 'Em: Appliedphysics andgeometry, right oncue.

for North Africa, a simulation game com-prised of eight crucial World War II battlesset in North Africa. Included with thegame is Warplan, a scenario-creation pro-gram, and Warpaint, a complete graphicseditor. This World War II simulation isavailable for Apple II and C64/128 com-puters ($39.95).

Epyx, Inc.600 Galveston DriveRedwood City CA 94063(415) 366-0606

There are so many new releases fromEpyx that we do not have room to list allof them in this month�s column. First, thecompany is expanding beyond softwareentertainments with the creation of a newdivision known as its Consumer Electron-ics Division. This new division will beresponsible for new audio and VCR-basedgames. In the former category, there isHead-On Baseball and Head-On Football �games that combine the strategy of callingyour own plays with play-by-playannouncements on audio-cassette tape.

In Head-On Baseball, each player selectshis team from the game�s 30 batter andpitcher cards. Once the teams are selectedand the batting order is determined, eachplayer sizes up the opposing pitcher andhits away. When a spectacular play occurs,players go to the audio tape to hear theoutcome of their strategy.

In Head-On Football, players act ascoaches, and select from 20 offensive and12 defensive formations. When either theoffense or defense makes a big play, play-ers turn on the tape to hear theannouncer call one of more than 200 play-by-play highlights. These audio games willcost from $19.95 to $29.95.

The VCR games include VCR Golf, Play,Action VCR Football, and VCR CaliforniaGames. VCR Golf offers eight of theworld�s most challenging golf courses.Players move the ball from the tee to thegreen by making their own shot selections.Players can choose a club card with a

predetermined distance, roll the dice, orgo to the video where the pro golfer mak-ing the shot may be none other than lastyear�s U.S. Open champion. Quadrantsegmenting, a new VCR innovation, splitsthe TV screen into four parts, thus ena-bling each player to watch the specificplay relating to his position on the course.The game includes the video cassette, golf-club cards, and game board.

Play Action VCR Football has the playerassume the role of coach. This game uses avideotape featuring highlights of morethan 200 NFL plays. When the calls dictatea big play, the videotape is turned on. Allplay outcomes are based on statisticalprobabilities derived from the combinationof offensive and defensive plays selected.

VCR California Games places the playerin a race from San Francisco to San Diego.In order to earn enough money to finishthe race, the player must enter a varietyof competitions: BMX biking, bodyboard-ing, skateboarding, sailboarding, and rollerskating � more than 200 events in all.

ICOM Simulations648 Wheeling RoadWheeling IL 60090(312) 520-4440

Having recently terminated its distribu-tion agreement with Mindscape, ICOMSimulations will now handle its ownproduct distribution and will be responsi-ble for its own marketing and sales. As amatter of fact, their director of productdevelopment called us recently to informus that we had left out a number of pro-gram formats in our review of Shadow-gate a few issues ago. To correct thatoversight, we offer the following completelisting of all of ICOM Simulations� latestgame offerings and their available formats:

Deja Vu: Apple Macintosh, CommodoreAmiga, C64/128, Atari ST, and IBM microsand compatibles;

Uninvited: Apple Macintosh, Commo-dore Amiga, Atari ST, Apple IIGS, and IBM

DRAGON 77

micros and compatibles;Shadowgate: Apple Macintosh, Commo-

dore Amiga, Atari ST, Apple IIGS, and IBMmicros and compatibles;

Deja Vu: Lost In Las Vegas: Apple Macin-tosh, Commodore Amiga, Atari ST, AppleIIGS, and IBM micros and micros.

Deja Vu: Lost in Las Vegas is the compa-ny�s latest game and, as of this date, hasnot yet been released.

Lucasfilm GamesP.O. Box 2009San Rafael CA 94912(415) 662-1966

This division of Lucasfilm Ltd. handlesits software entertainment products.Recently, this division has released ZakMcCracken and the Alien Mindbenders, acomedy/thriller for IBM micros and com-patibles ($44.95), and Apple II and C64/128computer systems ($34.95). The lead char-acter is a journalist named Zak McKrack-en, creator of sensational (but not alwaysaccurate) stories for the tabloid newspa-per, the National Inquisitor. He discoversthat worldwide stupidity is really an extra-terrestrial plot to reduce everyone�s IQ tosingle digits. With his three pals, Zakbegins a search to unplug the stupiditymachine. This game is suitable for bothnovice and experienced players.

Lucasfilm Games also plans to directlymarket a new Advanced Battle Disk forthe C64/128 and Apple II versions of theirPHM Pegasus battle-hydrofoil simulationgame. This new disk contains 10 newbattle scenarios (nine for the Apple ver-sion) that pit the lightning-fast NATOhydrofoils against terrorists and Eastern-bloc armadas. The price is $19.95.

Mindscape, Inc.3444 Dundee RoadNorthbrook IL 60062(312) 480-7667

Mindscape was also quite busy at theCES promoting their new science-fictiongames, Captain Blood, Colony, and Visionsof Aftermath: The Boomtown. CaptainBlood uses both fractal- and vector-graphictechniques, as the player searches thestars to destroy the pesky clones of thelead character. This game will be availablefor the Commodore Amiga and Atari ST($49.951, the Commodore 64/128 ($34.951,and IBM micros and compatibles ($39.95).

Colony is presently available for theMacintosh. In this game, the playerassumes the role of regional space marshalin a space-frontier colony that has beenoverrun by aliens. Using interactive playtechniques and 3D animation, this gamehas the players begin by investigating thedisappearance of the colony. An IBM microversion of this game will be releasedbefore year�s end.

Visions of Aftermath: The Boomtown is apost-nuclear war simulation that allowsplayers to recreate a world after the holo-

78 DECEMBER 1988

caust. Characters must learn to. survivethe disaster and rebuild civilization usingtheir wits, ambition, resourcefulness, andethics. Available for IBM micros and com-patibles, this game is priced at $39.95.

Mindscape has also signed a distributiondeal with SEGA to distribute Out Run,Space Harrier, After Burner, and Thun-derblades. Mindscape will soon be publish-ing a backlist of popular StrategicSimulation software titles, such as: Cartelsand Cutthroats, Combat Leader GalacticGladiators, and Queen of Hearts. Most ofthese programs will be available in C64/128, Atari 8-bit, and Apple II formats.

MicroIllusions17408 Chatsworth StreetGranada Hills CA 91344(818) 360-3715

Leading off the MicroIllusion news is thelicensing of Hanna-Barbera�s world-famouscartoon characters. This means you�ll soonbe seeing the Flintstones, the Jetsons,Scooby-Doo, and Johnny Quest on yourcomputer monitor. At the end of this year,these games will be released for the AppleMacintosh, the Commodore Amiga, theC64/128, and IBM micros and compatiblesin arcade- or adventure-style formats.

Microsoft Corporation16011 NE 36th WayBox 97017Redmond WA 98073-9717(206) 882-8080

This company rarely shows up in ourcolumn. Microsoft is most famous forcreating system software such as MS-DOSand Windows for IBM computers andcompatibles, and rarely has offerings inthe software entertainment field. Never-theless, they do distribute one of the bet-ter flight simulators for IBM micros andcompatibles. The company has nowreleased the first update of their MicrosoftFlight Simulator in several years. Thisgame was developed by the SubLOGICCorporation of Champaign, Ill. Version 3.0supports EGA and VGA resolution, adds aGates Lear Jet and a crop duster to thetypes of planes that can be flown, andutilizes a new 3D feature that providesmultiple windows with views from variousperspectives. Also added is a new learningmode featuring basic- and advanced-flighttraining, aerobatics, and navigationinstruction. The game works with a Her-cules Graphics Adapter, and costs $49.95.

Clue corner

Bards Tale II (Interplay Productions/Electronic Arts)

The dreamspell can be found on LevelOne of the Destiny Stone in a small alcoveinside a huge spinner room (the coordi-nates are N9, E18). You will need thearrows mentioned in the back of the

game�s rule book in order to solve the lastSnare Of Death. Finally, when you have allseven segments of the wand, go to theTemple of Narn.

Ben PierceWashingtonville, N.Y.

In my travels through this game, I foundsomething of interest that may help everyone: a way to recharge magical items.First, use the magical item until it is downto one last charge. Next, make your way toGarth�s Equipment Shoppe. Sell him theitem, then purchase it right back fromhim. Surprise: You now have a fullyrecharged magical item. This comes inhandy, especially with the Flame Horn.

Paul BelangerEasthampton, Mass.

Might and Magic (New WorldComputing/MEDIAGENIC)

In the Warrior�s Stronghold, �Glass thatglitters, rubies that glow, when I twinkle Icast a rainbow� can get you a crystal key.Plus, in order to enter White Wolf, findthe Merchant�s Pass. To rejuvenate your-self, find the hourglass in section D-l. Toavoid unnecessary damage, always cast aPsychic Protection and Levitate spell in theDungeon of Dusk. Trading with the Hermitin D-4 gets you two Pirate Treasure maps.

Christopher Brunner and Eric KeenWestlake, Ohio

A word of warning to all Might andMagic players: get your characters someScrolls of Fire for the Council of Strength.Also, take your time on the quest. By thetime I got to the stronghold (located at B-3,14-2), half of my party was at the 8th level.

Mark HeffernanBirmingham, Miss.

Ultima V (Origin Systems)To destroy the Shadowlords, you must

first know their names. These can belearned by going to one of the three cas-tles that represent the Principle that eachShadowlord opposes. Once there, ask theKing (or the person who runs the castle)about the Shadowlords. The person willusually tell you where to go and whom toask for additional information.

Once you have the name of a Shadow-lord, you must then get the Shard of theGem of Mondain from which that Shadowlord draws its power; it is located in theUnderworld. Once you have the name andthe shard, you can return to the castlethat the Shadowlord opposes. Go to theFlame of Love (for the Shadowlord ofHatred, for example) and yell the Shadow-lords name. The Shadowlord will appeartwo spaces away from you. Throw theshard into the flame (by using it), andattack the Shadowlord. You should castseveral Vas Flam (Large Fireball) spells atthe Shadowlord, or repeatedly attack it.You might have to use some Heal spells onyour characters, since the Shadowlord will

select one character and focus all of itsattacks on that individual. If you destroy aShadowlord, it is gone forever, and youcan then go after the next one.

When all of the Shadowlords aredestroyed, you can resume your searchfor the lost Lord British. Do this by firstlocating and obtaining the Crown, Scepter,and Amulet of Lord British. Next, enterthe dungeon named Shame. Go to thebottom level of the dungeon and enter theUnderworld. Search the area (using manyBlink spells and climbing mountains) untilyou find a large area of lava. Walk throughthe lava until you find a large area ofdarkness. Yell the world �Veramocor,� andyou should be able to enter the Dungeonof Doom. Once in that dungeon, you willhave to work your way down through the

puzzles and traps until you reach thebottom level. This is where Lord British isheld prisoner!

Jayson HoganSeattle, Wash.

That�s all for this month. Next issue,we�ll cover a few more products from theCES that were overlooked in this month�scolumn. Until next month, game on!

Most product names mentioned in this column aretrademarks owned or licensed by the companies thatproduce those products. Use of the name of anyproduct without mention of trademark status shouldnot be construed as a challenge to such status.

Computer-Games Conversions ChartComputer-Games Conversions Chart

Accolade (408) 985-1700APOLLO 18: Mission to the Moon to IBM micros and compatibles (with EGAsupport)

Activision (415) 329-0500The Last Ninja to IBM micros and compatibles, Apple IIGS and Apple II

Broderbund Software (425)492-3200The Ancient Art of War at Sea to Apple Macintosh and Apple II

Data East USA (408) 436-0900Speed Buggy to Atari ST

DataSoft/Electronic Arts (415) 571-7171Bismarck: The North Sea Chase to Atari 8-bitTomahawk to Apple IIGS

Electronic Arts (415) 571-7171Chuck Yeager�s Advanced Flight Simulator to Apple MacintoshSkyfox II to IBM micros and compatiblesWasteland to C64/128World Tour Golf to Commodore Amiga

Interstel/Electronic Arts (415) 571-7171Empire to the Commodore Amiga

MicroProse (301) 771-1151PIRATES! to Apple IIGS

Origin Systems (603) 644-3360Moebius to Apple Macintosh

Paragon/Electronic Arts (415) 571-7171Master Ninja: Shadow Warrior of Death to C64/128

Spectrum HoloByte (415) 522-3584Soko-Ban to Apple II

Strategic Studies Group/Electronic Arts (415) 571-7171Reach For The Stars to IBM micros and compatibles*

The Avalon Hill Game Company (301) 254-9200Under Fire! to IBM micros and compatibles Wooden Ships & Iron Men to IBMmicros and compatibles

* This package contains 3½� and 5¼� format, and supports CGA, EGA, MCGA, VGAand Hercules graphics modes.

Continued from page 3

in their campaigns using such new materi-al. A world in which the animal life islargely prehistoric would be an interestingsetting, and you could preserve nearly allof the trappings of a medieval culture aswell. Replacing rhinos with arsinotheresand elephants with deinotheres, using thearticle �Into the Age of Mammals� in issue#137, gives the world a special flavor thatmakes it stand out from others that mighthave been like it. Many DMs allow theirNPC orcs to gain levels, PC demi-humansto have unlimited level advancement, andso on � with more drastic results thanhaving funny-looking elephants.

More radical changes can be made in acampaign world with unique material andstill allow for entertaining play. The worldof Krynn from the DRAGONLANCE® sagais further removed from the medievalmold of the typical campaign, with theheavy presence of draconians, dragons,kender, gnome technologists, minotaurs,and unique magic-using classes and spells.At the extreme, one has Kara-Tur, theOriental land in which only the mechanicsof the AD&D game have been preserved,giving wholly new monsters, magicalitems, and character classes on top of anentirely non-Western culture. Both Krynnand Kara-Tur have strong followings, too.Being different is not being unpopular.

We still want to know what you think ofDRAGON Magazine�s articles, and we don�tbelieve that everyone who hates an articlelacks imagination. We enjoy presentingunique material for role-playing becauseimagination is what fantasy is all about.Unique material challenges one to think innew ways and to get a broader view onlife, even if we are just talking aboutgames. Sit down with a pencil and papersometime and jot down a few notes onhow to use a game item you first thoughtwas useless, whether you found it here orin a game manual. Be creative and seewhat happens. Your players may neverforgive you.

* Tower of Midnight Dreams, the D&D� Car-toon Show Book that revealed that Uni theUnicorn was female. No, seriously. The quote�son page 48.

DRAGON 79

©1988 by Jim Bambra

Role-playingReviews

Remembering theFORGOTTEN REALMS™ setting

After years of concentrating on adven-tures and ignoring the benefits of a coher-ent campaign setting for the D&D® andAD&D® games, TSR, Inc. is now turningout campaign settings at a phenomenalrate. While the D&D game Gazetteersrapidly detail the Known World of theD&D Expert Set, all is not quiet on theAD&D game front. Three FORGOTTENREALMS campaign accessories haveappeared, each dedicated to an area of thesetting touched upon only briefly in theboxed set. The three authors involvedhave each used a different style of presen-tation to paint a colorful picture of theareas in question. How well they succeedat creating a vibrant setting is the focus ofattention in this months column.

The FORGOTTEN REALMS setting wasoriginally conceived by Ed Greenwood ashis house campaign. When TSR was look-ing for a world in which to set the majori-ty of future AD&D game products, Ed

Greenwood�s name, long associated withTSR through his many articles printed inDRAGON® Magazine, came up. Here was aman who had designed a world and, moreimportantly, gamed in it regularly. Ed wasonly too happy to have his work pub-lished, and so the FORGOTTEN REALMScampaign setting arrived at TSR. There, itwas put through the creative and manu-facturing processes to finally emerge as aboxed campaign set.

In the DRAGON #129 �Role-playingReviews� column, Ken Rolston put theFORGOTTEN REALMS setting under themicroscope and mentioned the imminentarrival of the first campaign supplements.Those of you looking for more informationon the FORGOTTEN REALMS boxed setand the history of campaign worlds ingeneral should first check out Ken�sreview and then return here for thismonths look at the FORGOTTEN REALMScampaign supplements.

With the FORGOTTEN REALMS settingalready established as a large campaignworld, what�s the point of bringing outadditional supplements? Well, let�s face it:The FORGOTTEN REALMS setting is huge� much larger than the North Americancontinent (and that�s an awful lot of land).When you consider that the description ofa single city could easily fill a book of 64pages or more, there�s plenty of room forexpansion in developing parts of theFORGOTTEN REALMS. Plus, if you wantto cover a wide range of cultures, terraintypes, and climates, you can always addmore tracts of land to the edges of theoriginal maps.

What you end up with is an infinitelyexpandable campaign world in whichdevelopment can take place either in theform of more detailed descriptions ofestablished areas, or in the form of addingnew lands. The first three supplementsdeal with areas already covered in theboxed set. The lands of Kara-Tur, whichshould already be familiar to players ofOriental Adventures, will be the first of the

82 DECEMBER 1988

new lands to be added to the FORGOTTENREALMS campaign setting.

Assessing the settingsThe three supplements under review

this month are FR1 Waterdeep and theNorth, FR2 Moonshae, and FR3 Empires ofthe Sands. A quick read through the Cyclo-pedia of the Realms in the FORGOTTENREALMS boxed set provides the basicinformation on these three areas, butleaves many questions unanswered. Ittherefore falls to the supplements to bringthese lands to life while, at the same time,leaving DMs room to add their own imagi-native touches � those special bits whichtransform a campaign supplement into aseries of thrilling gaming sessions.

Ultimately, a good campaign supplementshould act as a springboard for theimagination. It should inspire DMs eitherto base their campaigns in the area underdiscussion or to use it as parts of theirown larger campaigns. How well a supple-ment does so is a measure of its utility.The most carefully developed and writtencampaign supplement is worthless if itdoes not inspire the DM. This means thatthe information must be presented in sucha fashion that it is readily accessible, easyto reference during play, and vibrant inscope. That�s not to say that each settingmust contain earth-shattering campaignthemes in which the world is in imminentdanger of being destroyed. These types ofspicy themes are more suited to campaignadventures, where the whole activity ofthe PCs can be geared toward preventingthe impending catastrophe.

Campaign supplements should lay downthe basis of life in the lands in question,showing how people and demihumans liveand interact with each other, and howthey deal with any indigenous monsterpopulations. The system of governmentand trade should be covered along withmajor population sites. But the supplementshould be more than just a recounting ofthe economic and political status of thearea. It should include descriptions of thevarious power groups which aid the estab-lished government and those that workagainst it. It should also provide DMs withlots of inspiration, allowing our ownadventures to be created from it. Thesecan take the form of urban adventures,wilderness or dungeon expeditions, orepic quests to right great wrongs.

As campaign packs must cater to a widevariety of adventuring tastes, they must beextremely flexible in their outlooks. TheDRAGONLANCE® module series is narrowin scope and firmly geared to the actionsof its main characters. While it provides asatisfying and exciting campaign, its nar-rowly defined scope makes it difficult forcharacters to adventure in the world ofKrynn outside of the action of the maincampaign. On the other hand, theFORGOTTEN REALMS setting is wide inscope, allowing a great variety of playerand DM choice, but often at the expense

of detailed settings. The D&D game Gazet-teers focus much more closely on subjectmatter, detailing dress, appearance, cus-toms, and politics in such a way that theyare ready to use with a minimum of efforton the behalf of the DM.

The FORGOTTEN REALMS setting sup-plements require DM input to bring themto life. The basic background of an area orcountry is given in the FORGOTTENREALMS Cyclopedia in the FORGOTTENREALMS boxed set; it supplies sufficientinformation to orient players. It is thepurpose of a supplement to provide DMswith extra information which may beconverted into background and, moreimportantly, into ideas for adventuresessions.

FR1 Waterdeep and the NorthAn AD&D game supplement64-page bookTSR, Inc. $7.95Design: Ed GreenwoodEditing: Karen S. MartinCover: Keith ParkinsonInterior art: Chris MillerHeraldic escutcheons: David E. MartinCartography: Frey Graphics and David

Sutherland

The City of Waterdeep is situated on theSword Coast, and with a population ofover 100,000, it weighs in as the mostimportant city in the north of theFORGOTTEN REALMS setting. As Water-deep is an integral part of Ed Greenwood�shouse campaign, it was only natural thatthis detailed city should form the first ofthe FORGOTTEN REALMS campaignsupplements.

Presentation: The pack consists of a64-page book, a large color map of the city,and a six-panel cover (which includes amap of the city�s sewers, selected buildingfloorplans, a schematic map of the CityWards of Waterdeep, and a smaller colormap of the city). The physical quality ofthis product is high, and color is used togood effect to show contour levels and seadepths. The 64-page booklet is primarilyconcerned with describing the city andgiving an idea of what life is like within itsboundaries. This is done in an evocativemanner which brings Waterdeep to lifeand makes it an ideal setting for urbanadventures.

The North: The sections describing thenorthern lands are presented less success-fully. Although the history of the North iscolorful, the descriptions of the varioussettlements are sketchy. The absence of awilderness map showing the relationshipof the various settlements to Waterdeepand to each other makes reading thissection difficult. Admittedly, some of theplaces can be found on the large-scale map(90 miles to the inch) in the FORGOTTENREALMS boxed set, but you�re left to guessat the location of most of them. The provi-sion of a detailed map of the North wouldhave placed all this in context and given it

more impact. As it stands, it contains somegood opportunities for adventure, anddiligent DMs can create their own map.Still, I cannot help feeling that a campaignsupplement should come with all the rele-vant maps. However, DRAGON Magazine#128 published a map of the immediatevicinity of Waterdeep. The annotated mapdepicts the areas around the city and theaccompanying text describes these places.While this goes someway to righting thesituation, large portions of the terraindescribed in FR1 still remain unmapped.

Waterdeep: While the section on theNorth is weak, the sections describing theCity of Waterdeep are very strong. You arefirst treated to a brief geographical over-view of the city, followed by its history.Waterdeep was founded by local tribeswho benefited from trading timber andfurs with southern merchants. The deepharbor of the settlement made it an idealplace for large ships to dock; in time, itgave the city its name. But, it wasn�t allpeaceful trading down at the harbor.These were violent times, and the fledg-ling settlement was overun by a savagehuman tribe. Learning from their prede-cessors, the newcomers set about buildingdefenses and fortifying their new homes.This was indeed fortunate, as tribes ofhumanoids were on the move and weresoon advancing on Waterdeep. For protec-tion, more human tribes converged on thesettlement, swelling its size and number ofdefenders. After savage battles againsttroll forces, Waterdeep emerged as a freecity ruled by War Lords.

The rule of the War Lords was not des-tined to last forever. Ahairon, a mightymage who had fought in the troll wars,overthrew the last of the War Lords andestablished a government based on wis-dom instead of armed might. The new

rulers of the city were Ahairon and agroup of Lords who were secretly selectedto govern. These Lords were alwaysmasked so no one would know their iden-tities, a situation which allowed them torule without fear of coercion or reprisal.The Lords governed Waterdeep for 200years until Aghairon, an ardent imbiber ofpotions of longevity, drank one too manyand the years caught up with him.

Aghairon�s death was followed by a briefperiod of anarchy, as powerful guildmas-ters stabbed, poisoned, and otherwisedisposed of each other in an attempt togain sole control of the city. This chaoswas not, however, to last long. Althoughmost of Aghairon�s fellow Lords had beenslain in the fighting, there were survivorswho took steps to reestablish the rule ofthe Lords.

Well, that�s all history, but the govern-ment of Waterdeep remains the same,with only one of the present 16 Lordsbeing known to the populace at large. Theremainder still hide their identities behindtheir masks. Rule by the Lords has beengood, for the city has prospered andgrown under their watchful eyes (as one

DRAGON 83

could well expect when the only knownLord is a Paladin).

As can be seen, Waterdeep has a richbackground which gives the city greatcharacter. The laws and customs of thecity are colorfully presented, as are thevarious guilds and factions of the city. LikeLankhmar (see �Role-playing Reviews� inDRAGON #136), Waterdeep concentrateson providing a feel for life in the city,rather than on detailed descriptions ofeach building. Anyone looking for a house-by-house guide to Waterdeep is going to bevery disappointed. Few of the city�s build-ings are listed, and of these, only a verysmall number are described in any greatdetail. DMs using Waterdeep are requiredto create their own floorplans when need-ed, and are expected to populate the build-ings with characters of their own devising.The sample floorplans provided on thecover are a great help here as they can beused to provide a building�s layout at amoment�s notice. Fortunately, tables areprovided which allow the DM to quicklydetermine the type of building accordingto the various areas of the city. The DMcan then smugly tell the players what theircharacters see.

What you get instead of detailed build-ing descriptions is a useful look at theworkings of the city, outline descriptionsof its various wards, and details on theservices available. The city�s guilds are setout in detail, and include such informationas where their headquarters are, theirlivery, how one becomes a member, andvarious interests and political connections.The section on the noble families is lessdetailed but can easily be expanded as theneed arises.

Waterdeep has an abundance of colorfulNPCs, all of whom can be used to interactwith a band of adventurers as adversaries,friends, or people just met during the dailyroutine of the city. The NPCs come in allmanners of levels and classes, giving DMsplenty of scope for using them in adven-tures. As some of them are also Lords OfWaterdeep, PCs may well find themselvesunwittingly rubbing shoulders with thecity�s elite.

Adventure ideas: To round off thepackage, seven adventure outlines areprovided which may be used by charac-ters of any level. As outlines, these requirea bit of work to bring them to life, butthey provide a good cross section of thetypes of adventure available within thecity.

Evaluation: With its emphasis onatmosphere and personalities, Waterdeepis a very strong city pack. It lacks anystreet encounter tables, which is a pity, asthis would have added even more to thecity�s feel and given PCs a better handle onlife in the city. (As an aside, DMs lookingfor inspiration in street encounters shouldcheck out Cities from Chaosium). As itstands, Waterdeep is a good urban locationin which to base adventures in theFORGOTTEN REALMS setting. DMs will

need to add to the provided information topersonalize the city and breath life into itsdaily routines, but the background isprovided and contains plenty of ideas justwaiting to be developed.

As a guide to the lands of the North,Waterdeep is less successful. However, theNorth holds plenty of opportunities foradventurers looking for action and excite-ment. The forthcoming FR5 The SavageFrontier by Paul Jaquays looks at the landsto the north of Waterdeep; let�s hope italso provides a map of this area.

FR2 MoonshaeAn AD&D game supplement64-page bookTSR, Inc.Design: Douglas NilesEditing: Mike BreaultCover: Tim HildebrandtInterior art: George BarrCartography: Dave S. LaForce

The setting for Darkwalker on Moon-shae (and the Moonshae trilogy as a whole)is revealed in this supplement by Moon-shae author Doug Niles. DMs and playersinterested in basing campaigns in andaround the Moonshaes now have thenecessary background to do so. The Moon-shaes are a group of islands to the west ofthe main continent of the FORGOTTENREALMS setting. They are home to theFfolk, a druidic people who worship theEarthmother, a neutrally aligned aspect ofChauntea, the neutral-good goddess ofagriculture.

The Ffolk reluctantly share the Moon-shaes with the Northmen, a strong, war-like race of raiders who hail from thelands north of Waterdeep. Conflicts fre-quently erupt between the two races asthe Northmen expand their holdings onthe Moonshaes at the expense of the Ffolk.But darker things are afoot than the strug-gles between these two people, for agreater evil is again stirring � Kazgoroththe Beast.

Presentation: Moonshde is a 64-pagebook with a large color insert with mapsof the Moonshae Isles printed on bothsides: one at 20 miles to the inch, the otherat 30 miles to the inch. Both maps containthe same amount of detail, the major dif-ference being that there�s less sea spacesurrounding the 20-miles-per-inch map.

The physical quality of this supplementis high, but not all available space has beenused to its best effect. The inside of thewrap-around cover is blank, which is apity, as it could have been used to providevillage or town maps, or even samplemonster lairs. Elsewhere, maps have beenused to good effect to illustrate the textand guide the reader through the Moon-shaes. Each island description is accompa-nied by a map reprinted in the booklet.While all of these maps are taken from theone on the mapsheet, it�s a great help tohave the internal maps for reference whilereading through the booklet.

$7.95

84 DECEMBER 1988

Maps have also been put to good use tographically depict the extent of Northmensettlements in the Moonshaes, and to showthe economies and trade routes of theIsles. Both of these maps make it very easyto see at a glance the present situation inthe Isles without having to read throughpages of text.

True confession time: Okay, I admitit: I�m mentioned in the credits as a suppli-er of ideas during the early stages of thisproject. Maybe this gives me an unduebias towards the contents, but it�s morethan just the background and people pre-sented in this supplement that makesMoonshae a very strong source pack.Doug has written about the Moonshaes inhis novels, a situation which means he isvery familiar with them as a place wherepeople live, work, and play.

Take this in-depth knowledge and placeit in the mouth of an outsider visiting theIsles, and you get not only very colorfuldescriptions, but a distinctive feel of whatthe Isles and their inhabitants are like.When that outsider is none other thanElminster, the famed sage of theFORGOTTEN REALMS setting, then wholebook makes for fun reading as well.

The Moonshaes: After a discussion ofcharacter races, classes, politics, conflicts,geography, and economics within theMoonshaes, we have a good idea of whatthe Isles are like. Here, Ffolk andNorthmen war against each other andsquabble with their own kind. Magic-usersare viewed with suspicion by both races,and clerics from elsewhere in theFORGOTTEN REALMS campaign worldattempt to spread their faiths in the faceof druidic opposition. Elves and dwarvesexist in isolated settlements, generallyavoiding humans and vigorously defendingtheir lands against human encroachments.Only the halflings mix freely with thehumans, living next to settlements of theFfolk and the Northmen.

The Moonshaes are also home tomarauding firbolgs, orcs, goblins, trolls,and other more dangerous monsters.Friendlier creatures can also be found:unicorns, faerie dragons, pixies, and cen-taurs. All of these creatures appear in thewandering-monster tables, which strikesme as a little strange. Moonshae isdesigned as an adventure setting for char-acters of any level, and yet we havebeholders and dragon turtles popping uphere and there to devastate low-leveladventurers. A more generic section onhow to create suitable wilderness encoun-ters for parties of varying levels wouldhave been much more useful and wouldhave added more flavor to the Isles. Thevarious types of creatures could also havebeen given more specific geographicallocations instead of indiscriminatelyspreading them throughout the Isles.

Supernatural beings: After physicaldescriptions of the lands and their inhabit-ants, we move on to the major supernatu-ral entities which exist in the countryside

and seas. The most important of these isthe Earthmother, who gives life and vitali-ty to the land. Her power is manifested inthe Moonwells, pools of water with themagical power to cure the wounds ofthose who strive to maintain the mysticbalance. These Moonwells are tended bydruids who can use them to charge orrestore charges in magical items. In theareas where the Northmen hold suprem-acy, the Moonwells have dried up orbecome stagnant, causing the Earth-mother�s power to weaken.

The Earthmother is served by her threechildren: Leviathan, a huge whale;Kamerynnm, a majestic unicorn; and thePack, a pack of dire wolves who roam theIsles. Each one of these children is immor-tal, and serves the will of the Earthmother.Arrayed against them are the forces of evilmanifested in the form of Kazgoroth theBeast, who seeks to disrupt the balanceand bring corruption to the Isles.Kazgoroth is aided by its magically createdBlood Warriors: undead soldiers who obeyits every command. Other deities andpowerful supernatural creatures play alesser part in the Moonshaes; their mainspheres of worship lying across the seas inthe FORGOTTEN REALMS proper. Theirclerics and followers only arrive in beMoonshaes as missionaries or as part oftrading or adventuring parties.

Elminster�s travels: With the basicbackground of the Moonshaes set out, it�stime to join Elminster in his tour of theMoonshaes. Here, the sage informs us ofthe people and places he has visited. Thestyle of presentation is similar to that usedin the FORGOTTEN REALMS campaignset: information is available from At aGlance (the kind of thing that can be easilydiscovered by looking at an area or byasking travelers), Elminster�s Notes (thesage�s account of his travels) and GameInformation (gaming facts and statistics).

It is in Elminster�s Notes that this pack ismost impressive. Here, the descriptionsbecome very absorbing and vibrant as wefollow Elminster on his travels. As well asproviding an insight into life in the Moon-shaes, we also get a good indication ofElminster�s personality and share with himin his discomforts and pleasures. We get tosee both the Ffolk and the Northmen asthey follow their own beliefs and comeinto conflict with each other. The Ffolk areorganized into a number of small king-doms, loosely connected under the controlof a High King, who is more a figureheadthan a temporal power. Primarily an agri-cultural society, the Ffolk stand in contrastto the more warlike Northmen who wouldrather raid the settlements of the Ffolk forfood than grow their own. Although theNorthmen do maintain their own agricul-tural settlements, raiding and trading aretheir preferred pursuits.

Rather than one race being seen throughthe eyes of another, therefore castingthem in a derogatory light, Elminster�sNotes let us see the races as people with

their own beliefs and fears. Even withinthe same race there are people who areuncouth and disgusting, and others whohave noble personalities.

Adventure ideas: The Moonshaeshave a number of opportunities for creat-ing epic campaigns within their confines.The Moonshae trilogy provides a largenumber of possible adventure ideas, and afew other brief adventure ideas are pro-vided in the source pack.

Evaluation: The style of presentationused in Moonshae is superior to the stylesused in the other FORGOTTEN REALMSsetting supplements reviewed this month.While not containing as much detailedinformation as FR1 Waterdeep and theNorth, Moonshae contains more evocativedescriptions and gives a good insight intolife in the Isles.

FR3 Empires of the SandsAD&D game supplement64-page bookTSR, Inc.Design: Scott Haring

$7.95

Editing: Karen S. MartinCover and interior art: Jeff EasleyCartography: Dave S. LaForce

Along the southern coast of the Sea ofSwords lie the countries of Amn, Tethyr,and Calimshan. Famous throughout theFORGOTTEN REALMS for warm climateand large areas of dry, inhospitable land,these regions are known as the Empires ofthe Sands. This is strange, for none of thethree countries is an empire in the formalsense, and only Calimshan has a desertworth mentioning. Still, the lands downhere are very arid and, to a northernerused to rolling grasslands, the sparcepatches of scrub and brush which dot thesouthern landscape could well appear tobe desert.

Presentation: Empires of the Sands isreally three source packs in one, with eachcountry being described in its own sepa-rate section. The booklet is 64-pages longand has the same high standard of produc-tion as the two other FORGOTTENREALMS setting supplements. Like FR2Moonshae, the inside of the folder coverhas been left blank; it too, could have beenused for some purpose.

Two large color maps depict the threecountries at a scale of 30 miles to the inch,making them compatible with other mapsin the series. The maps (at least in mycopy) have been printed in slightly differ-ent tones. When you put them together,the join is very obvious, which mars theiroverall visual appeal.

The layout follows a standard patternfor each of the three countries, providinginformation on such things as languages,social customs, history, government, reli-gions, money and commerce, cities, placesof interest, and various important or inter-esting NPC groups. The writing, whilelacking the flavor of FR2 Moonshae, isinformative, readable, and easy to refer-

ence during play.The large area covered in the supple-

ment has reduced the amount of detailcontained within it, with most citiesreceiving only a column of text on theaverage. While information is provided on each city, not all of the cities make forinteresting reading. Some descriptionsconsist of little more than noting whateach city is renowned for, its exports,population, government, and location. Allof this information could easily have beenpresented in the form of a table, therebymaking it more accessible and providingmore space for other aspects of the cam-paign area to be described.

The center of the booklet is taken upwith one blank character sheet, sevencharacter sheets filled in with the statsticsfor the Company of Eight (see Tethyrbelow), and reduced maps of the area.Most of this stuff looks like filler, perhapsan indication that this project wasn�t quitebig enough to fill its allocated page count.

Amn: The northernmost of the threecountries, Amn is a place where moneynot only talks, it rules. Everything in Amnis geared towards the acquisition ofmoney, and the conspicuous consumptionof the rich is evident everywhere.

Local speech patterns are full of refer-ences to money, even though the conversa-tion may deal with a topic that has noconnection with financial transactions.Take for instance the word outbid: "Sincethe innkeeper�s crossbow outbid theirbeer mugs, the brawlers quieted downreal fast." Or perhaps you�re trying toconvince somebody, maybe sell them onan idea: �I sold my wife we weren�t at thetavern."

For the past 22 years, Amn has beenruled by the mysterious Council of Six.Prior to that, the country was divided, itsmajor cities bandingmutual defense. The

together only forrest of the time they

struggled with each other over the mostprofitable trade routes and frequentlyengaged in trade wars. It was followingthe last trade war that the Council of Sixemerged as leaders of a united country.

The Council of Six is a mysterious body:no one knows who the members are,other than that they are members of themost powerful trade houses in Amn. Con-sequently, the council promotes free enter-prise, with the making of money takingprecedence over everything else. If youcan make money by almost any meansoutside of robbery and murder, thenyou�re respected. If not, well, nobody likesfailure in Amn. Yet, Amn is not as free as itmay first appear. Adventuring groups andmagic-users are actively discouraged fromplying their trades. Adventures may belicensed by the Council of Six, but magic-users on reaching fifth level must registerwith the government or leave Amn.

While Amn may be a merchant�s dream,it is far from an adventurer�s paradise. Notonly does the government intervene inadventurer�s actions, but Amn is also rela-

DRAGON 85

tively free from monsters (although it doeshave its areas of high adventure if youknow where to look).

Tethyr: Over the border from Amn inTethyr, things are very different. Hereanarchy rules. The former royal familyhas been wiped out, and the country isfractured into petty kingdoms, indepen-dent villages and towns, and bandit hold-ings. It�s a place where bold adventurerscan carve themselves a respectably sizedkingdom or fall to an assassin�s knife in thedead of night.

The Company of Eight is a group ofeight adventurers dedicated to maintain-ing (or more accurately promoting) peacein Tethyr. They defeat monsters, disposeof the worst tyrants, and generally act in agoodly fashion. Their statistics are provid-ed on the character sheets in the center ofthe book and are also reproduced in thetext, making it possible for them to beused as player characters. Nevertheless,little real background information is pro-vided. Be prepared to fill a lot of this in foryourself, as some of these characters are12th level plus, and should be very wellestablished with a deep knowledge of thearea, its inhabitants, and rulers.

Calimshan: As the only country in thissupplement with a real desert (and theclosest thing to an emperor in its Pasha),Calimshan could very well be an Empire ofthe Sands. The Calim desert covers a siz-able area of the country, and dominatesmuch of Calimshan�s life and outlook as aresult. The lands bordering it are onlyslightly more fertile.

In Calimshan, wealth is of the utmostimportance. But this is not wealth forwealth�s sake, as in Amn. Here, wealth issought after so that the seeker can lead alife of leisure. Not many attain this goal,but most Calimshanites aspire towards it.Gadgets and magical items are commonlyfound in Calimshan, where they are wide-ly used as labor-saving devices. Anythingthat reduces manual labor and drudgery,no matter by how trivial an amount, ishighly prized.

Magic-users are held in high esteem,being the providers of the much-sought-after magical gizmos. Many magic-usersare also teachers. Anyone with the moneyand the free time hires a magic-user toteach him a few simple spells and cantrips.(When things get tough in Amn, you knowwhere to go.)

In theory, Calimshan is ruled by thePasha in Calimport. In practice, each citygoverns itself, with the Pasha being unableto carry out any major actions without thepermission of at least some of the cities�viziers. A constant flow of messengersrides out from Calimport carrying mes-sages to the viziers requesting their opin-ions on various matters of state.

Calimshan offers much in the way ofadventure. Its magic-users have accidentlyor intentionally summoned and released asubstantial number of other-planar beings.After a good time running amok through

86 DECEMBER 1988

their summoners� homes and villages,those planar beings who are unable toundertake the return trip home on theirown gravitate toward the Calim Desert,which they find greatly to their liking. Ifyou�re after less-exotic monsters, then theForest of Mir is the place to go, as it holdsits fair share of evil humanoids.

Evaluation: Empires of the Sands has amuch wider focus than the two otherFORGOTTEN REALMS campaign supple-ments, and yet it still manages to conveythe atmosphere of each country in a satis-fying manner. However, DMs are requiredto put in a fair amount of work to bringthese countries to life. With three coun-tries to choose from, though, it�s reallyonly necessary to develop one of them forcampaign play. With its lack of centralizedgovernment, Tethyr makes an ideal settingfor power hungry adventurers. Calimshanis a good place for magical research, andAmn is the kind of area that most adven-turing groups will find very unhealthy.

Short and sweetGURPS Bestiary, by Steffan O�Sullivan.

Steve Jackson Games Inc., $14.95. Lookingfor an animal to throw at your GURPSadventurers? Then look no further. TheGURPS Bestiary contains over 200 crea-tures to populate the various worlds of theGURPS universe. Classifying creatures byterrain type, the GURPS Bestiary dealsprimarily with animals: normal (for Earthanyway), legendary beasts, and other-world creatures. As a generic guide, thissupplement doesn�t contain any humanoidmonsters and has only a few exotic beasts(these types of creatures are far better leftto the various GURPS campaign supple-ments where they can be placed in theright context and developed as part of thesetting�s background).

As well as animal descriptions, theGURPS Bestiary contains GM commen-taries on handling animal encounters,hunting and trapping, animals as compan-ions, and how to create your own animals.The art is fairly poor � about the samestandard as that in the Monster Manual —so don�t expect to be thrilled by the illus-trations. The GURPS Bestiary has much tooffer GURPS GMs, but it is of limited useto anyone looking for new critters to addto his favorite game system.

TWILIGHT: 2000 Small Arms Guide, byFrank Frey and Loren K. Wiseman. GDW,$7.00. This 56-page booklet contains awide range of small arms for use withTWILIGHT: 2000. In this book you�ll findthe statistics for automatic pistols, revolv-ers, submachine guns, assault rifles, battlerifles, sniper rifles, sporting rifles, shot-guns, automatic rifles, and machine guns.No matter what part of the world yourcharacter, finds himself in at the end ofWorld War III, the Small Arms Guide islikely to have something for him. Thisbooklet will be helpful to all TWILIGHT:2000 players and GMs.

James Clavell�s Tai-Pan, by Ian Bailey andAlbie Fiore. FASA, $16.00. Based on JamesClavell�s best-selling novel, Tai-Pan, thisboard game for two to four players is setin the 1840s, a time when the gloriousBritish Empire was making a fortuneruining the health and economy of China.Each player controls a clipper ship; theseare used to buy opium in India, so it canbe shipped to China and sold to the Chi-nese. While the clippers race each otheron the high seas, small cargo boats(lorchas) sail up and down the Chinesecoast selling opium and buying tea, spices,and silks. Once a clipper reaches Cantonand unloads its cargo, it can load up withother goods, and head back to England.

The rules for this game are simple andelegant, taking into account such things asclipper movement, market fluctuations,and a wide range of events. The gamemoves rapidly, and the use of Fate Cardsallows players to better their own posi-tions or worsen those of other players. Tai-

Pan is a fun, family game that makes for agood evenings entertainment.

Land of Ninja commentGreg Stafford of Chaosium Inc. has

recently made the obervation that, con-trary to my review of Land of Ninja inDRAGON® issue #134, �unarmed combat ispart of the basic RUNEQUEST® gamecovered in the players� rules, so that nospecial section needed to be added to theLand of Ninja supplement." Well, all I cansay is that depends on your point of view.

My comment said �Notably, there are norules for unarmed combat. This is strangeas one of the attractions of the Orient isthe widespread practice of unarmed com-bat techniques. There�s definitely room forexpansion here." This comment still stands.I did not mean to imply that the RUNE-QUEST game lacks any unarmed combatrules, but rather that they had notreceived any special attention in Land ofNinja. Similarly, Land of Ninja does notinclude the RUNEQUEST game�s weapon-combat rules, but it adds to them withrules for arrow cutting, fast-draw abilities,kenjutsu, two-sword techniques, and rulesfor using ki powers in combat.

The unarmed combat rules of the stand-ard RUNEQUEST game work well, butthey are designed to handle straightfor-ward kicks, punches, and grapplingattempts. The Martial Arts skill, as given inthe standard RUNEQUEST game rules,allows a character to cause double damagewith a natural weapon � feet, hands, orhead. What Land of Ninja doesn�t do iselaborate this skill or the unarmed combatrules any further. It also doesn�t differenti-ate between western and Orientalunarmed-combat techniques.

For example, Land of Ninja could easilyhave added throws and immobilizationtechniques based on judo, jujitsu, or otherstyles, where skill takes precedence overstrength or dexterity, and where adefender can turn an enemy�s attack into a

throw or an immobilization. It could haveadded different methods of attack basedon karate, kung fu, tai chi, etc., such asflying kicks and roundhouse kicks. Rulesfor breaking falls and standing up quicklyif thrown, and ki rules for unarmedattacks would allow impressive attackssimilar to those that are possible with therules for using a rice flail or a jo stick.

Rules similar to these would have madeOriental characters different from theirwestern counterparts, and may have add-ed an extra depth to Land of Ninja. As itstands, unarmed combat receives no newcoverage. I would have liked to see some.

Short and sweet, part 2[Because of space limitations, the follow-

ing reviews by Ken Rolston were droppedfrom issue #138�s �Role-playing Reviews."]

Vampires, by Gali Sanchez and MichaelWilliams. Pacesetter, $10.00. Pacesetter�sCHILL� game supplements occasionallyequalled or exceeded the style and rich-ness of the finest Chaosium CALL OFCTHULHU® supplements. This excellentbook describes vampires from mythic

settings, including the classic Dracula ofBram Stoker�s novel and the vampirelikebeings from Caribbean voodoo, the Indiansubcontinent, colonial New England of theSalem witch trials; and various other cul-tures. The graphic presentation is top-.*

notch. The centerpiece of each treatmentis a fragment written in the style of theculture, purporting to be a firsthandaccount of the being discussed. The writ-ing is exceptional, particularly in the first-hand accounts. I highly recommend thissupplement. [Note: No reliable address forobtaining Pacesetter products now exists,and the TSR Mail Order Hobby Shop nolonger carries these products.]

Creature Feature, by Marc Acres. Pace-setter, $10.00. Published after Pacesetterbegan its slide into obscurity, this supple-ment lacks the graphic quality or refinedpresentation of the finer CHILL supple-ments. However, it does have an oddlyredeeming appeal in that it offers vam-pires, mummies, ghosts, and werewolvesas PC classes, and invites the PCs to prey on helpless human victims and crusadingfearless-monster-stomping busybodies.The tone is straightforward ghoulishhumor, and the replay value negligible. Asa result, Creature Feature will not be ofuse to most GMs, but students of the hob-by may find it interesting for a brief diver-sion or as a curiosity. [Again, availability ofthis product is a problem.]

ARS MAGICA game, by Jonathan Tweetand Mark Rein�Hagen. Lion Rampant,$14.95. This is a distinctive, original, andintriguing treatment of magic for fantasy

88 DECEMBER 1988

role-playing games. Here, the focus is onmagic-users; other character types existonly in supporting roles as consultants andbodyguards. The setting is medievalEurope for the most part, with the addi-tion of a small, exclusive society ofscholars and technologists skilled in themagical arts. The ARS MAGICA game isearnest, colorful, and meticulous in itsdevelopment of a magic system with aplausible, coherent rationale. Its attemptsto integrate this magic into a historicalcontext are persuasive, and the gamemaster notes and staging tips are wonder-fully perceptive. This is the most interest-ing and original fantasy role-playingsystem and setting I�ve seen in a long time.Does it work? Only time and user experi-mentation will tell. The ARS MAGICAgame can be obtained by writing to: LionRampant, Box 621, Northfield MN 55057.

The Hunter Planet Executive Pack, byDavid Bruggeman. Hunter Planet, priceunknown. Due to an unfortunate bureau-cratic error (technically known as �brib-ery�), the Federation of Planets has�accidentally� declared the inhabitants ofthe planet known to its natives as �Dirt�(an unfortunate translation of �Earth�) tobe unintelligent and thereby suitable forbig-game hunting. Alien file clerks andpostal employees from throughout thegalaxy are eager to go on safari and bag afine specimen of the species Homo sapi-ens. There has been a bit of a snag, how-ever; it seems that the unintelligentinhabitants are quite vicious and unexpect-edly handy with primitive tools (like bayo-nets and Uzis). Oddly, reports of thisunfortunate situation have not beenallowed to reach the proper authorities, sosafaris continue without warning orrestraint.

You get to role-play a hapless intergalac-tic tourist on safari, set loose on the planetDirt. Most of your gear is useless. Shortlyafter landing, you are assaulted on allfronts by the hostile environment andfierce natives. Role-playing a yokel alienvisiting Earth is heaps of fun. The rulesare simple and flippant, the campaignbackground and adventures are served upwith abundant wit and good cheer, andthe playing style is reminiscent of WestEnd Games� PARANOIA� game, whereinthe PCs have lots of fun being slaughteredand otherwise abused by a relentlesslyenthusiastic game master. HUNTER PLAN-ET: The All Australian Role Playing Game,is an exotic commodity, alas, and may betough to locate. With a little luck, you maybe able to obtain The Hunter Planet Execu-tive Pack by writing to: Hunter Planet, 15Second Avenue, Box Hill North, 3129,Victoria, Australia. Good luck finding it �and g�day, mate.

Convention Calendar Policies

This column is a service to our readersworldwide. Anyone may place a free listingfor a game convention here, but the follow-ing guidelines must be observed.

In order to ensure that all conventionlistings contain accurate and timely infor-mation, all material should be either typeddouble-spaced or printed legibly onstandard manuscript paper. The contentsof each listing must be short, succinct, andunder 150 words long.

The information given in the listing mustinclude 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 othermass-mailed announcements will not beconsidered for use in this column; weprefer to see a cover letter with theannouncement as well. No call-in listingsare accepted. Unless stated otherwise, alldollar values given for U.S. and Canadianconventions are in U.S. currency.

WARNING: We are not responsible forincorrect information sent to us by conven-tion staff members. Please check yourconvention listing carefully! Our widecirculation ensures that over a quarter of amillion readers worldwide see each issue.Accurate information is your responsibility.

Copy deadlines are the last Monday ofeach month, two months prior to the on-sale date of an issue. Thus, the copy dead-line for the May 1989 issue is the lastMonday of March 1989. Announcementsfor North American and Pacific conventionsmust be mailed to: Convention Calendar,DRAGON® Magazine, P.O. Box 110, LakeGeneva WI 53147, U.S.A. Announcementsfor Europe must be posted an additionalmonth 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 changedbecause the convention has been can-celled, the dates have changed, or incor-rect information has been printed, pleasecontact us immediately. Most questions orchanges should be directed to either RobinJenkins or Roger E. Moore at TSR, Inc.,(414) 248-3625 (U.S.A.). Questions orchanges concerning European conventionsshould be directed to Rik Rose at TSR UKLimited, (0223) 212517 (U.K.).

❖ indicates an Australian convention.

* indicates a product produced by a company other than TSR,Inc. Most product names are trademarks owned by thecompanies publishing those products. The use of the name ofany product without mention of its trademark status should notbe construed as a challenge to such status.

MACQUARIECON '88, December 9-11 ❖

One of the largest role-playing conventions inAustralia will be held on the campus of Mac-quarie University, Sydney, Australia, withAD&D®, CALL OF CTHULHU*, PARANOIA*,WARHAMMER*, and other games. Prizes will beawarded to winners. Registration is $12 (Austra-lian). There is also a $3 (Australian) fee pergame. No entries accepted after December 2.Write to: MACQUARIECON '88, c/o MURPS, Box83 Student Council, Macquarie University,Sydney, AUSTRALIA 2109.

EVECON 6, December 30-January 1Now one of the largest science-fiction fantasy,

and gaming conventions, EVECON 6 will be heldat the National Clarion Hotel in Crystal City, Va.Features will include our usual assortment ofjugglers, 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, aNew Year�s extravaganza, and much more.Membership will be $15 (if postmarked beforeDecember 1) and $20 at the door. One-day ratesfor CastleCon will also be available. Write to:FanTek, Box 128, Aberdeen MD 21001.

PROJECT . . . GENESIS IV, January 15This protoriginal fantasy-gaming convention

will be held at Chiminello�s Hall, 2221 N. Weberin Fresno, Ca. Featured tournament and open-play events include BATTLETECH*, STAR FLEETBATTLES*, STAR WARS*, TOON*, and AD&D®games, among others. Also scheduled is com-puter gaming, along with Japanese films, aminiatures contest, a swap meet, and muchmore. Preregistration for this one-day event is$3 if paid before January 1; after that, all regis-trations are $5. Dealers� tables are $20 for an 8�table; call or write for more information onavailability. Swap meet tables are $5 for a wholetable and $3.50 for half. Table space is requiredfor this event. Project GENESIS IV is in needof judges for a number of events; those accept-ed receive a refund on their registration fees.Write to: PATCO, c/o Phillip S. Pittz, 5415 EastWashington, Fresno CA 93727. Please make allchecks payable to Phillip S. Pittz.

ICON XIII, January 20-22Only slightly delayed, ICON XIII will meet at

the Rodeway Inn, at I-80 and Highway 965, atCoralville, Iowa. Author Joel Rosenberg andartist Darlene Coltrain are guests of honor, andAlgis Budrys is the toastmaster. Other guestsinclude Joe and Gay Haldeman and MickeyZucker Reichert. Featured events include theTrans-Iowa Canal Company, a film festival, aspace-opera round-robin, an art show, a writers�workshop, and more. Registration fees are $15until January 1, and $18 at the door. For hotelinformation, call: (800) 228-2000 (toll-free) or

(319) 354-7770, and tell them you�re with ICON.For con information write to: ICON XIII, PO.Box 525, Iowa City IA 52244-0525.

JACKSONVILLE SKIRMISHES 89February 3-5

SKIRIMISHES challenges you to conquer theriver city at our second-annual JACKSONVILLESKIRMISHES, which will be held at the Jackson-ville Hotel, 565 South Main Street Jacksonville,Fla. Events will include AD&D®, TRAVELLER*,STAR FLEET BATTLES*, CAR WARS*, BATTLE-TECH*, INTERCEPTER*, and SEEKRIEG* games,board gaming, a KILLER* tournament, dealers,an art show and auction, a miniatures-paintingcontest, demonstrations by the SCA, and otherrole-playing and gaming events. Reservationsmay be made through the hotel by calling: (904)398-8800. Room rates are $49 for single to quadoccupancy. Registration for the weekend is $18at the door. Preregistration is $12 if mailedbefore January 22. Write to: SKIRMISHES, P.O.Box 2097, Winter Haven FL 33883; or call: (813)293-7983 or (904) 246-1325.

REDCON 89, February 3-5 ❉

The Royal Military College of Canada will holdits annual International War Gaming Conventionin Yeo Hall on the campus grounds in Kingston,Ontario. Special guest for this event is LarryBond of the war-games club of USMA, WestPoint, Scheduled events include HARPOON*,BATTLETECH*, microarmor miniatures, Napole-onics, CENTURION*, and AD&D® game tourna-ments, plus plenty of open gaming. Retailvendors and game-company representatives willdemonstrate and sell their wares. Registration is$5 (Canadian) in advance and $7 (Canadian) atthe door for the entire conference. Send anSASE to: RMC Combat Simulations Group, c/oOCdt Derek Buxton 4 Sqn., Royal MilitaryCollege of Canada, Kingston, Ontario, CANADA,K7K 5LO; or call (613) 541-6277, between 7 and10 PM weeknights. Preregistration must becompleted before January 1.

WARCON '89, February 3-5Texas�s oldest gaming convention will be held

at Texas A&M University in College Station, Tex.The featured events will be include an RPGA�Network AD&D® game and CHAMPIONS OpenTeam tournaments. Other events include avariety of board games, miniatures events, role-playing tournaments, a dealers� room, and 24-hour gaming. Registration is $8 before theconvention and $11 at the door. Write to: MSCNOVA, Texas A&M University, College StationTX 77844; or call (409) 845-1515.

ORCCON 12, February 10-13STRATEGICON will sponsor this convention,

which is to be held at the Los Angeles AirportHyatt Hotel. All types of family, strategic, andadventure board, role-playing, miniatures, andcomputer gaming will be offered at this conven-tion, as well as flea markets, an exhibitors�room, auctions, seminars, demonstrations, andspecial guests. Write to: STRATEGICON, 5374

90 DECEMBER 1988

Village Road, Long Beach CA 90808; or callDiverse Talents at: (213) 420-3675.

DUNDRACON XIII, February 17-20DUNDRACON is back at the Oakland Airport

Hyatt, 455 Hegenberger Road, Oakland, Calif.(Mention the convention name to get the special$65 room rate for single through quad occupan-cy.) This year�s convention offers numerousrole-playing games, with over 120 events in avariety of fantasy, modern, and science-fictionsystems. Also included are seminars, boardgames, miniatures events, a huge dealers� roomand a flea market, a figure-painting contest, SCAdemonstrations and armor displays, and lots ofopen gaming space. Preregistration for theweekend is $20 to February 1, or $25 at thedoor. One-day registrations may be purchased atthe door for $10. Write to: DUNDRACON, 386Alcatraz Avenue, Oakland CA 96418; or callDorothy Heydt, (415) 524-8321.

FAL*CON �89, February 17-19This fantasy and science-fiction convention

will be held at the Howard Johnson�s Conven-tion Center in Meridian, Miss. Big-name guestsand many panels are featured, as well as tour-naments for AD&D®, TALISMAN*, KINGS &THINGS*, COSMIC ENCOUNTER*, CAR WARS*,KINGMAKER*, and STAR FLEET BATTLES*games. An art show, art auction, indoor poolparty, masquerade and dance, SCA demonstra-tions, Civil War re-enactment, hospitality suite,and dealers� room are offered. Admission feesfor the weekend are $15 until December 31,and $20 thereafter. Daily admission is $10. Sendan SASE to: FAL*CON �89, P.O. Box 492, Meridi-an MS 39302; or call: (601) 693-0384.

GENGHIS CON X, February 17-20Attend a special birthday party with GENGHIS

CON X as it celebrates its tenth anniversary atthe Ramada Inn, Westminster, Colo. This eventis sponsored by the Denver Gamers Association.Gaming of all kinds will be offered, along withan official RPGA� Network AD&D® game tour-nament and a games auction. Miniatures eventswill be staged by the Colorado Military Histo-rians. Registration is $14 for the weekend untilJanuary 31, or $17 thereafter. Write to: DenverGamers Association, P.O. Box 11369, Denver CO80211; or phone (303) 433-3849.

OMACON 8.5 � GAME FEST, February 18This convention will be held at the Holiday

Inn Central, 72nd and Grover in Omaha, Nebr.,from 8 A.M. to midnight. Gaming events will beoffered in fantasy, historical, and science-fictiongenres, with prizes awarded in several catego-ries. Other features include a dealers� room andOMACON 9 preregistration discounts. Admis-sion is $5. Write to: OMACON 8.5 � GAMEFEST, c/o Star Realm, 7305 South 85th Street,Omaha NE 68128.

CALCON IV, March 10-12This gaming convention will be held at the

Sandman Inn in Calgary, Alberta. Events willfeature a large variety of games, including anAD&D® game tournament, miniatures contests,guest speakers, and much more. Send an SASEto: CALCON IV, P.O. Box 204, Station M. Calgary,Alberta, CANADA, T2P 2H6.

COAST CON XII, March 17-19MARCH FANTASY REVELMarch 31 -April 2

Guest of honor is Joel Rosenberg, author ofGuardians of the Flame. Other guests include:Steven Sechi, designer of Talislanta and Atlantis;PD. Breeding-Black, artist for Talislanta; andJohn Levene, who plays Sgt. Benton on Dr. Who.Scheduled events include an RPGA� Networktournament, video rooms, a meet-the-guestsparty, a costume contest, filk singing, a charityauction, an art exhibit and auction, and a largedealers� room. Registration is $15 until January1, and $20 thereafter. Write to: COAST CON,Inc., P.O. Box 1423, Biloxi MS 39533.

OWLCON X, March 17-19Rice University�s WARP and RSFAFA will hold

this gaming convention at Rice University.Registration will take place in Sewall Hall. Tour-naments will be held for RUNEQUEST*, PARA-NOIA*, CAR WARS*, TRAVELLER*,DIPLOMACY*, ILLUMINATI*, CIVILIZATION*,BATTLETECH*, STAR FLEET BATTLES*,ADVANCED SQUAD LEADER*, and AD&D®games. Open gaming and other tournamentswill also be held, with prizes awarded in someof these events. Admission fees are $10 forthree days, if received before March 3; other-wise, fees are $12 at the door. One day passesare available; they are $4 for Friday or Sunday,and $5 for Saturday. To preregister, send acheck for admission made payable to RSFAFA.Information may be obtained by writing to:OWLCON Preregistration, P.O. Box 1892, Hous-ton TX 77251.

ABBYTHON 7, March 18-19The Abbyville Community Center in

Abbyville, Kans., becomes a Guild Hall onceagain as the Abbython Adventure Guild hosts itsseventh-annual 24-hour role-playing gamesmarathon. New members are welcome to attendthis event. Best players will be awarded prizesfor their efforts. Admission to the Guild is $5 ifpaid prior to February 18, $6 thereafter, and $7at the door. To receive a flyer and map, send anSASE to: ABBYTHON, P.O. Box 96, Abbyville KS67510.

GAMES 89, March 24-27This major Australian games convention will

offer role-playing, war, computer, and othergame events on a massive scale. Nongamingevents include: a formal dinner Saturday night(followed by other social events, such as cocktailparties, Easter egg hunts, etc.), show bags, films,lectures, and much more. Convention fees are$16 for the weekend or $5 per day. Write to:GAMES 89, P.O. Box 242, Lilydale, Victoria, 3140,Australia; or call: (03) 726-7525.

UMF-CON, March 25-26This role-playing and war-gaming convention

will be held at the Student Center of the Univer-sity of Maine at Farmington, in Farmington,Maine. World War II miniatures, AD&D®, TOPSECRET/SI.�, BATTLESYSTEM�, DIPLOMACY*,and CHAMPIONS* games will be featured, alongwith live mysteries and several board games.There will, also be contests for miniatures paint-ing, art, and so forth. Admission is $5, with a $2charge per game. Send an SASE to: Table Gam-ing Club, c/o Student Life Office, Student Center,5 South Street, Farmington ME 04928.

This science-fiction and fantasy convention Come to the fourth-annual MARCH FANTASYwill be held at the Gulf Coast Coliseum Conven-tion Center in Biloxi, Miss., with accommoda-

REVEL at the Harborside Holiday Inn in

tions at the Howard Johnson�s (call (601)Kenosha, Wis. Activities will include a war-

388-6310 or (800) 654-2000 for reservations).gaming area, a silent, used-game auction, adealers� area, and several role-playing events.

92 DECEMBER 1988

Featured RPGA� Network events include anAD&D® game Grand Masters, AD&D® gameMasters, AD&D® game Feature, TOP SECRET/S.I.� game Feature, and MARVEL SUPERHEROES® game Feature tournaments. Otheractivities include workshops, a gamers� banquet(please make reservations early), and an RPGA�Network members� meeting. Special guestsinclude Harold Johnson, Jean Rabe, and SkipWilliams. Fees are $8 a day or $16 for the week-end, if paid before February 1. Thereafter, feesincrease to $10 a day or $20 for the weekend.RPGA� Network members receive a $2 discounton registration. Write to: Keith Polster, 2432Park Avenue, Apt. 6, West Bend WI 53095; orcall: (414) 338-8498. Gamers may also contact:Janice Ours, P.O. Box 840, Silver Lake WI 53170;or call her at: (414) 889-8346.

TECHNICON 6, March 31- April 2Sponsored by the Virginia Tech Science-Fiction

and Fantasy Club (VTSFFC), this sixth-annualscience-fiction, fantasy, and gaming conventionwill be held in the Donaldson Brown Center onthe Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Va.Guest of honor is John M. Ford, author of theStar Trek books How Much for Just the Planetand Final Reflection, and the PARANOIA* gamemodule Yellow Clearance Black Box Blues. JohnM. Ford is the winner of the 1984 World Fanta-sy Award and the Charles Roberts award forbest role-playing module. Fan guest of honor isChip Livingston. Convention activities includethree 24-hour video rooms, three tracks ofcontinuous gaming, a dealers� room, panels, theTECHNICON play, computer gaming, a masquer-ade, science-fiction Jeopardy, a dance, parties,and much more. Preregistration is $12 forstudents and $15 for others, if paid in advance.Otherwise, fees are $15 for students and $18 forothers paying at the door. Write to: TECHNI-CON, PO. Box 256, Blacksburg VA 24063-0256.

CONNCON, April 1-2Held at the Quality Inn in Danbury, Conn., this

convention features role-playing, board-gaming,and miniatures events. An RPGA� Networktournament will be held; it is open to all players.In addition, an RPGA� Network tournament willbe held for members only. A benefit event willbe held; proceeds will go to the American HeartAssociation. Preregistration is $10 for the week-end, if paid in advance. Registration paid at thedoor is $15. Write to: Hobby Center, 366 MainStreet, Danbury CT 06810.

GAME FAIRE �88, April 7-9The tenth-annual GAME FAIRE convention will

be held at the Spokane Falls Community Collegein Spokane, Wash. Events will run from Fridaynight through Sunday afternoon. These eventsinclude game tournaments, microarmor andhistorical miniatures, a video room, dealers�tables, role-playing games, board games, familygames, and a games auction. There will also be ademonstration by the local SCA. Registration forGAME FAIR �89 is $10 prepaid or $12 at thedoor. One-day memberships are available at $5for Friday or Sunday only, $6 for Saturday only.All profits received from this event go to theWishing Star Foundation, a local charity dedi-cated to helping children. Write to: Merlyn�s, W201 Riverside, Spokane WA 99201; or call: (509)624-0957.

AMIGOCON 4, April 21-23This science-fiction, fantasy, and gaming

convention will be held at the Holiday InnSunland Park in El Paso, Tex. Melinda Snodgrassis author guest of honor, and Frank Kelly Freas

is artist guest of honor. Other guests includeWalter Jon Williams, Rick and Pati Cook, Jenni-fer Robertson, Mel White, and George AlecEffinger. Advance membership is $10 if paidbefore December 31. Thereafter, membershipfees are $12. Registrations purchased at thedoor are $15 for all three days and $7.50 forone day. Write to: AMIGOCON 4, PO. Box 3177,El Paso TX 79923.

ONCE UPON A CON, April 28-30The International Fantasy Gaming Society will

sponsor its first-ever gaming convention inDenver, Colo. Guests of honor will include LarryNiven and David L. Arneson. Write to: ONCEUPON A CON, P.O. Box 16436, Colorado SpringsCO 80935; or call: Cass Marshall, ConventionCommittee Chairperson, at (303) 499-2812.

MISCON 4, May 5-7Science fiction, fantasy, and gaming will be the

subjects of this convention, which is scheduledto be held at the Holiday Inn, 200 South PatteeStreet in Missoula, Mont. Room rates are $32.50per night for single occupancy. Call (406) 721-8550 to make reservations. Vonda McIntyre isauthor guest of honor; Dan Reeder is artistguest of honor; Glen (Scruffy) Hammer is fanguest of honor; and Ray Beauvais is gamingguest of honor. Events will include an art show,a masquerade party, original Japanimation,dances, SCA events, gaming, videos, writers�workshops, a computer room, an art gallery, adealers� room, panels, and an auction. Member-ship rates are $12 until December 31; $16 untilApril 15; and $20 at the door. One-day member-ships will be available for $12 at the door. Chil-dren under six years of age get in free withtheir parents; children 6-12 years of age get infor half price. Dealers� tables (6� x 2�) may bepurchased for $40 (membership included).Write to: MISCON, Box 9363, Missoula MT59807; or call: (406) 549-1435.

LITTLE WARS �89, May 26-28LITTLE WARS, one of the premier war-

gaming conventions, will be held in the BoneConvention Center on the Illinois State Univer-sity campus in Normal, Ill. All major miniatureslines will be represented, mostly by the manu-facturers. There will be over 100 open games,plus a Nation Team Ancients Championshipsponsored by NASAMW. We are also pleased tohost the National Pike and Shot Championship.This convention will be hosted by HMGS-Midwest and its affiliate, the Central Illinois.Tabletop Warriors. Admission is $6 per day or$8 for the weekend. HMGS members receive a$2 discount off the admission price. Write to:LITTLE WARS, c/o Todd Fisher, 6010 NorthMarmora, Chicago IL 60646.

V-CON 17, May 26-28V-CON, Vancouver�s annual science-fiction

convention, will be held at the University ofBritish Columbia campus in Vancouver, B.C. Thetheme of this year�s convention is �Humor andSatire in Science Fiction.� Guests of honorinclude Spider Robinson, Robert Sheckley, andBob Shaw. Events will include panel discussions,an art show, videos, gaming, a writer�s work-shop, a costume bacchanal and dance, a dealers�room, and �guerrilla� theater. Membership forthe weekend is $16 ($14 U.S.) until November30; $18 ($16 U.S.) until March 31; and $24 ($20U.S.) at the door. One-day memberships will beavailable at the door at a cost of $10 for Fridayor Sunday, and $15 for Saturday. Room rates atTotem Residence will be $26 (Canadian) for asingle and $40 (Canadian) for a double. Write to:

V-CON 17, P.O. Box 48478, Bentall Centre, Van-couver, B.C., CANADA, V7X 1A2.

MOB-CON �89, June 9-11Mobile�s convention for comic books and

science-fiction and fantasy gaming will be heldat the Days Inn Hotel at Airport Boulevard andInterstate 65 in Mobile, Ala. Guest artists areDave Dorman and Lurene Haines. Featuresinclude a dealers� room, movies, a D&D® gametournament, a TALISMAN* tournament, agames auction, and other events. Preregistrationis $12.50 until June 1; thereafter, it is $15. One-day memberships may be purchased at the doorfor $6. Write to: MOBI-CON, P.O. Box 161257,Mobile AL 36616; or call: (205) 661-4060.

L.A. ORIGINS �89, June 29-July 2STRATEGICON, the people who brought you

L.A. Origins �86, will sponsor this convention,which is to be held at the Los Angeles AirportHilton Hotel. All types of family, strategic, andadventure board, role-playing, miniatures, andcomputer gaming will be offered at this conven-tion, as well as flea markets, an exhibitors�room, auctions, seminars, demonstrations, andspecial guests. Write to: STRATEGICON, 5374Village Road, Long Beach CA 90808; or callDiverse Talents at: (213) 420-3675.

DOVERCON V, July 8-9This year, DOVERCON will be held at the

University of New Hampshire�s Memorial UnionBuilding (MUB) in Durham, N.H. Featuresinclude an RPGA� Network AD&D® gametournament and many other events. A filmfestival will be sponsored, along with miniaturesand art competitions. Fees for early registrationare $10, and must be received by May 1. Regis-tration at the door is $15 for both days, or $10for one day. Each event costs $2. Vendor andgame-master inquiries are welcome. Write to:Information, DOVERCON V P.O. Box 753, DoverNH 03820.

GATEWAY �89, September 1-4STRATEGICON will sponsor this convention at

the Los Angeles Airport Hyatt Hotel. All types offamily, strategic, and adventure board, role-playing, miniatures, and computer gaming willbe offered, as well as flea markets, an exhibi-tors� room, auctions, seminars, demonstrations,and special guests. Write to: STRATEGICON,5374 Village Road, Long Beach CA 90808; or callDiverse Talents at: (213) 420-3675.

DRAGON 93

94 DECEMBER 1988

DRAGON 95

98 DECEMBER 1988

DRAGON 99

100 DECEMBER 1988