Issue #154Vol. XIV, No. 9February 1990

PublisherJames M. Ward

EditorRoger E. Moore

Fiction editorBarbara G. Young

Assistant editorDale A. Donovan

Art directorPaul Hanchette

Production staffKathleen C. MacDonald

Gaye O�Keefe Angelika Lokotz

SubscriptionsJanet L. Winters

U.S. advertisingSheila Gailloreto Tammy Volp

U.K. correspondentand U.K. advertising

Sue Lilley

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SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS

The Art of Making War:How you win can be more important than winning itself.

Warrior Kings and Empire Builders � Eileen LucasThose at the top of the political mountain should watch their footing (andtheir allies).

The Making of a Paladin � Eric OppenPaladins are made, not born, and the best are made over a lifetime.

All in the Family � Thomas M. KaneHeraldry adds a lot more to your campaign than fancy shields.

For King and Country � Dan SalasYou�re in the army now, and it�s a whole new game campaign!

How to Win Wars and Influence People � Thomas XI. KaneKnowing when not to fight is just as important as knowing when youshould.

OTHER FEATURES

The Game Wizards � James M. WardA look at the Angry Mother Syndrome and how it affects the games wemake.

Role-playing Reviews � Ken RolstonWhat do Victorian Martians, cyberpunk elves, and mind-flayer spaceraiders have in common?

Raistlin and the Knight of Solamnia � fiction by Margaret Weisand �Racy HickmanThe knight�s pride was not all he had left, but it alone would kill him�and many others as well.

The Role of Computers � Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk LesserOne of Titan�s cities has disappeared, and a stranded astronaut is the onlyone who can find it.

Novel Ideas � Will LarsonMeet three new books and their authors in our most �novel� column!

The Voyage of the Princess Ark � Bruce A. HeardThe flying ship finds an abandoned civilization�and the reasons for itsdestruction.

�Who Was That Masked Android?� � Marcus L. RowlandIf you think a pair of glasses will protect your super hero�s identity, guessagain!

DEPARTMENTS

5 Letters6 Sage Advice8 Editorial

COVER

10 Forum 98 TSR Previews84 Convention Calendar 102 Gamers Guide96 Dragonmirth

Bob Eggleton�s cover painting for this issue shows that one of the Four Horsemenhas traded his horse for a dragon��The War Dragon,� in fact, is the name of theportrait. Death seems to like his rather intriguing mount. Obviously, he will be able totravel much farther and much more rapidly now on his errands. One still hopes thathe will be forced someday to acquire a riding snail.

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 111, Lake Geneva WI 53147,U.S.A. In Europe, write to: Letters, DRAGONMagazine, TSR Ltd., 120 Church End, CherryHinton, Cambridge CB1 3LD, United Kingdom.

On mudslingingDear Dragon:

I usually find your periodical enlightening,and I read the letters to the editor and “Forum”first. But after I read Michael Henits’s letter inissue # 151’s “Forum,” my copy almost went inthe garbage. I feel that that letter had no placein a periodical that is supposed to promoteRPGs. When the RPG community should betrying to improve its image, we allow a minorityto determine how the public views us. Howmany parents have read Michael’s letter andkept their children from playing? How manynew players have read that letter and decidedto quit playing?

I realize that you (the editor), in keeping withthe ideal of a free press, do not want to resortto censorship of the letters to “Forum.” But doesMichael’s letter really belong in your magazine?In issue #113, page 6, you specifically state: “Wewon’t print letters that, in our opinion, don’tmake sense or are abusive, insulting, or overlysarcastic in tone.” Does not Michael’s letter fallinto this area? If not, what does it take to beunacceptable for printing?

I believe that it is not only the editor’s respon-sibility but also the writer’s responsibility topresent an idea without regressing to mudsling-ing and name-calling.

Mike1 J. WaltersMason City IA

Selecting letters for �Forum� is an interestingtask. I run most of the letters that I get thatseem suitable for �Forum� though 1 do not runthem all. I discard letters that are boring, redun-dant, or incomprehensible (either badly writtenor just really off the wall�and some of thelatter I�II run anyway for fun). Second-guessingthe readers� interests is always tricky; but that�swhat I�m paid for.

If a letter contains some comments that mightbe personally insulting to a particular individ-ual, then I either edit out the comments ordiscard the letter, whichever is rnore worthdoing. I generally like to keep a polite magazine�but I also like an interesting magazine, onethat catches the readers� attention.

That�s where the letter from Michael Henits,Eric M. Paulson, and Gregory H. Graham camein. Yes, the comment about the personalities andhabits of AD&D® game players was insulting,though it wasn�t directed at anyone in particu-lar. But the rest of the letter expressed someopinions that seemed fairly important to me,and after some thought I decided to let even thenuisance comments stand. I recall thinking

something on the order of: �This ought to getthe readers all stirred up!� Judging from themail, I was correct in that assumption.

I would venture to say that not a single parentor gamer ditched role-playing in his or herhouse because of that letter. I don�t agree witheverything I get for �Forum,� but I feel that all ofthe letters we have run in that column havemade positive contributions to the gaming field(even the letters on whether or not magesshould wear armor, or whether dragons oradventurers are rnore powerful). If nothing else,they show that gamers still love gaming.

At any rate, I don�t make a habit out of run-ning letters that call the players of a certaingame �weenies.� But I do look for material thatexpresses valid points and problems in gaming:game snobbery, public misperceptions of gam-ing, campaign balancing, better ways of playingand refereeing games, etc. And as I said before,1 look for material that I feel will make themagazine more interesting to read. I�m like akender (as perhaps we all are) in that I hatebeing bored. It never hurts to occasionallythrow a salamander into the woodpile.

No contestDear Dragon:

The thing that we’ve been waiting for here atHQ is a contest, such as designing a scenario,writing a tournament, even designing a game.Nobody’s asking for 50% of your stock, a$10,000,000 cash prize, or a partnership withTSR. We’re just looking for a challenge. Theprize should promote gaming overall, such as apaid trip to a major gaming convention, someproducts, or maybe even a a lifetime subscrip-tion to DRAGON Magazine or DUNGEON®Adventures. RPGA™ Network single-person orclub memberships would also bring submissionsand subscriptions pouring in.

Alex Iwanow, PresidentPolyhedron Challengers

East Brunswick NJ

When asked why DUNGEON Adventures hasnever run a module-design contest, editorBarbara Young replied that in a sense, subrnit-ting modules to the magazine was in itself acontest. If your module �wins� by being ac-cepted, you receive a check from TSR, Inc., andtens of thousands of gamers across the worldwill read and use your adventure. Why didDUNGEON Adventures need a contest?

The same is true for DRAGON Magazine,though our �contest� is concerned with writingthe best articles and creating the best artworkpossible. If you �win,� your material is paid forand becomes known in gaming circles the worldover. (Well, we don�t pay for �Forurn� and �Let-ters� pieces, but you still get the fame.)

True, getting a one-of-a-kind prize is a nicething. But you can�t have very many winnersthat way. Getting printed in this magazine is achallenge in itself�and one in which you, Alex,have succeeded.

DRAGON® Magazine (ISSN 0279-6848) is publishedmonthly by TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 756 (201 SheridanSprings Road), Lake Geneva WI 53147, United States ofAmerica. The postal address for all materials from theUnited States and Canada except subscription orders is:DRAGON Magazine, P.O. Box 111 (201 Sheridan SpringsRoad), Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.; telephone: (414)248-3625. The postal address for all materials fromEurope is: DRAGON Magazine, TSR Ltd, 120 ChurchEnd, Cherry Hinton, Cambridge CB1 3LD. UnitedKingdom; telephone: (0223) 212517 (U.K.), 44-223-212517 (international); telex: 818761; fax: (0223) 248066(U.K.), 44-223-248066 (international).

Distribution: DRAGON Magazine is available fromgame and hobby shops throughout the United States,Canada, the United Kingdom, and through a limitednumber of other overseas outlets. Distribution to the booktrade in the United States is by Random House, Inc., andin Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd. Sendorders to: Random House, Inc., Order Entry Department,Westminster MD 21157, U.S.A.; telephone: (800) 638-6460 toll-free except Alaska (call (800) 492-0782 toll-freein Maryland). Newsstand distribution throughout theUnited Kingdom is by Seymour Press Ltd., 334 BrixtonRoad, London SW9 7AG, United Kingdom; telephone:01-733-4444.

Subscriptions: Subscription rates via second-classmail are as follows: $30 in U.S. funds for 12 issues sentto an address in the U.S. or Canada; £16 for 12 issuessent to an address within the United Kingdom; £24 for 12issues sent to an address in Europe; $50 in U.S. fundsfor 12 issues sent by surface mail to any other address;or $90 in U.S. funds for 12 issues sent airmail to anyother address. Payment in full must accompany allsubscription orders. In the U.S. and Canada, methods ofpayment include checks or money orders made payableto TSR, Inc., or charges to valid MasterCard or VISAcredit cards; send subscription orders with payments to:TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 72089, Chicago IL 60678, U.S.A. Inthe United Kingdom, methods of payment includecheques and money orders made payable to TSR Ltd, orcharges to a valid ACCESS or VISA credit card; sendsubscription orders with payments to TSR Ltd, as per thataddress above. Prices are subject to change without priornotice. The issue of expiration of each subscription isprinted on the mailing label of each subscriber’s copy ofthe magazine. Changes of address for the delivery ofsubscription copies must be received at least six weeksprior to the effective date of the change in order to assureuninterrupted delivery.

Back issues: A limited quantity of back issues isavailable from either the TSR Mail Order Hobby Shop(P.O. Box 756, Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.) or fromTSR Ltd. For a free copy of the current catalog that listsavailable back issues, write to either of the aboveaddresses.

Submissions: All material published in DRAGONMagazine becomes the exclusive property of the pub-lisher unless special arrangements to the contrary aremade prior to publication. DRAGON Magazine welcomesunsolicited submissions of written material and artwork;however, no responsibility for such submissions can beassumed by the publisher in any event. Any submissionaccompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope ofsufficient size will be returned if it cannot be published.We strongly recommend that prospective authors writefor 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 per the aboveaddress; include sufficient American postage or Interna-tional Reply Coupons with the return envelope. InEurope, write to: Writers’ Guidelines, c/o DRAGONMagazine, TSR Ltd; include sufficient return postage orIRCs with your SASE.

Advertising: For information on placing advertise-ments in DRAGON Magazine, ask for our rate card. Inthe United States and Canada, contact: AdvertisingCoordinator, TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 756, 201 SheridanSprings Road, Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A. In Europe,contact: Advertising Coordinators, TSR Ltd.

DRAGON is a registered trademark of TSR, Inc.Registration applied for in the United Kingdom. All rightsto the contents of this publication are reserved, andnothing may be reproduced from it in whole or in partwithout first obtaining permission in writing from thepublisher.

® designates registered trademarks owned by TSR,Inc. ™ designates trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. Mostother product names are trademarks owned by thecompanies publishing those products. Use of the name ofany product without mention of trademark status shouldnot be construed as a challenge to such status.

©1990 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.Second-class postage paid at Lake Geneva, Wis.,

U.S.A., and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Sendaddress changes to DRAGON Magazine, TSR, Inc.. P.O.Box 111, Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A. USPS 318-790,ISSN 0279-6848.

D R A G O N 5

by Skip WilliamsIf you have any questions on the games

produced 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 Ltd., 120Church End, Cherry Hinton, CambridgeCB1 3LD, United Kingdom.

The spells and abilities of magic-usersand illusionists in the AD&D® 1st Editiongame are explored this month. All refer-ences to the Dungeon Masters Guide andPlayers Handbook in this article are to the1st Edition versions of those volumes. Inall cases, the information in the AD&D2nd Edition volumes takes precedencewhere there is a contradiction betweenthose rules and this column.

Spells

Will a creature under a fear effectreturn attacks made upon it?

A creature affected by fear ignores anyattacks made upon it unless it is cornered

and cannot flee. The creature fights at nopenalty, although it might still drop itemsit carries (see the PHB, page 76). If thecreature is in flight, attacks upon it aremade against its rear armor class (nodexterity or shield bonuses).

Can a lightning bolt spell be castvertically or at right angles to thecaster, or must it be cast in line withthe caster?

A lightning bolt spell must be cast sothat the bolt is in line with the caster andhis target. The bolt may be cast in anydirection, including straight up, as spacepermits.

How do you handle the effects of astinking cloud spell? How can anycreature move out of the cloud if itis rendered helpless?

A successful save vs. poison indicatesthat the creature moves out of the cloudimmediately and is helpless for a fullround afterward. A failed save indicatesthat the creature is helpless for 2-5 roundsbefore leaving the cloud, remaining help-

less for one round after it emerges.

Can a creature�s throat or mouthbe sealed with a hold portal or wiz-ard lock spell?

No. A closure to be sealed by a holdportal or wizard lock spell must be ofwood, metal, or stone.

Does the caster of a dispel magicspell have to check to see if his ownspells are dispelled? Will a minor globe of invulnerability prevent adispel magic spell from working?

A dispel magic spell automatically workson the caster�s own spells; a die roll isrequired to determine its success on allother magics. The two globe of invulnera-bility spells can be dispelled; note also thatthey are visible. If any globe of invulnera-bility is dispelled, then all other magicaleffects in the dispel magic spell�s area ofeffect are subject to its effects. If a globeof invulnerability is not dispelled, it pro-tects all magic effects within its area ofeffect. There are some spells that cannot

6 FEBRUARY 1990

be dispelled; anti-magic shell and wall offorce are two examples.

I don�t understand what the areaof the first-level illusionist spellphantasmal force should he.

The base area for a phantasmal forcespell is four (scale) square inches, meaning10� × 40� (400 square feet) or any set ofdimensions not exceeding 400 square feet.The area increases by one (scale) squareinch (100 square feet) per level.

What is the area of a cone of coldspell?

The cone is ½� wide at its origin, 2�wide at its terminus, and ½� long perlevel of the caster. As noted in the pre-vious question, these are scale inches,such that 1� = 10�. Thus, the cone is 5�wide at its origin, 20� wide at its terminus,and 5� long per level of its caster.

Can unseen servants fly? How fastdo they move?

Unseen servants may move in all threedimensions at a rate of 12�) subject to thespell�s 3� radius. Thus a servant can movealong with its caster at normal walkingspeeds.

Can a spell-caster still cast spells ifhe is polymorphed or reincarnated?

Yes, probably. Polymorph self allowsspell-casting if the new form has prehen-sile digits and is capable of speech. Note,however, that all equipment carried poly-morphs with the caster, so spell compo-nents won�t always be available. If apolymorph other spell was used, the vic-tim might �lose� his components as above,and he will lose all memories and abilitiesif he assumes the mentality of his newform. What happens when a character isreincarnated is up to the DM. Generally,the character can still use his professionalskills if his new form will physically allowit, although further advancement is notalways possible.

When a Mordenkainen�s disjunc-tion spell is cast, how do you deter-mine the effects on magical items? Will an anti-magic shell or wall offorce keep the effects of the disjunc-tion out? What if only part of aspell�s area of effect overlaps thearea of the disjunction?

Items in the possession of the spell-caster are immune to the spell�s effects.Items in the possession of other creaturesgain their possessors� saving throws vs.spells, with all adjustments. Items that areby themselves can be disjoined using thedispel magic spell�s system (comparing thecaster�s level vs. the level at which themagical item was created). Potions andscrolls are treated as if created by 8th-level magic-users; permanent magicalitems are treated as if created by 12th-level magic-users.

If any portion of a spell�s area of effectoverlaps the area of the disjunction, theentire spell is disjoined. A wall of force canbe so disjoined, and it will have no effecton the disjunction spell. Treat the chancefor disjoining an anti-magic shell as thatfor an artifact, but with no chance forattracting the attention of a powerfulbeing (see Unearthed Arcana, page 65). Ifan anti-magic shell is unaffected, it pro-tects all magic within its area; if the anti-magic shell is disjoined, all magical spells,effects, and items within the area of thedisjunction are subject to its effects.

How do you determine the effectof a sleep spell on a group of mixedcreature types?

This is up to the DM. He may rule thatweaker creatures are affected first, or hemay allow the caster to choose whetherthe more powerful creatures or theweaker creatures are affected first. Hemay also rule that creatures closest to thecenter of the spell�s area of effect areaffected first. The DM can choose any ofthese methods as long as he uses the samemethod all of the time.

If weaker creatures are affected first,the DM should roll to see how many ofthem are put to sleep and apply the ef-fects. If all of the weaker creatures wereput to sleep by the spell, and if the num-ber of potential victims rolled was greaterthan the number actually affected, the DMmay then take half of that difference(dropping fractions) and apply that to thenext most powerful group of victims. Forexample, a magic-user faces a group of six1�1-HD creatures, two 1-HD creatures,and one 3-HD creature. The DM rolls 4d4and gets a 10. The six 1�1-HD creaturesfall asleep, leaving a difference of 4. Halfof 4 is two, so the two 1-HD creatures fallasleep, leaving the 3-HD creature unaf-fected., In another example, the magic-userfaces four 1-HD creatures and one 4 + 1-HD creature. The DM rolls 2d4 and gets a5. Four 1-HD creatures fall asleep; thedifference is 1, but nothing remains after1 is reduced by half and all fractions aredropped. Even if the result of the 2d4 rollhad been an 8, the 4 + 1-HD creaturewould not be affected (8 - 4 = 4, ½ x 4 = 2,but no monsters were present in the 2 + 1to 3-HD category). The PC should not haveeverything his own way!

How does an anti-magic shellwork? Does it destroy any spellwith which it comes in contact? Canthe caster cast spells through theanti-magic shell?

An anti-magic shell negates all magicwithin its area of effect. The caster�s spells(which originate within the shell) are alsonegated, although they may remain afterthe shell�s duration expires if their owndurations are long enough. Note also thatthe shell causes magical items within itsarea of effect to cease functioning. In anycase, the shell does not function like a

dispel magic spell. Magical items are notdestroyed by the shell; they merely ceaseto function while within it. If their dura-tion permits, magical effects will still func-tion when they are taken away from theshell or when the shell�s duration expires.For example, a continual light spell castupon a rock will be negated only as longas that rock is within the shell; the contin-ual light spell functions normally after-ward. If part of a magical effect�s areaextends into the shell, only the portionwithin the shell is negated; the effectfunctions normally outside the shell. How-ever, if a spell with an instantaneous dura-tion is cast so that its center is within theradius of the shell, the spell is completelynegated. For example, if a fireball werecast so that it would detonate inside ananti-magic shell, there would be no effect. If a fireball were cast so that it woulddetonate outside the shell, however, onlythe portion of the fireball crossing into theshell would be negated.

Will a haste spell double the move-ment rate of a character with a flyspell or broom of flying? Will it dou-ble the movement rate of a charac-ter who is under the effect of apotion of speed?

Haste spells do not increase the move-ment rate of a fly spell or of a conveyance,such as a broom or carpet of flying. Hastewill double the speed of other creature-affecting magics such as a potion of speedor boots of speed. Two or more hastespells are not cumulative. Remember thathaste and potions of speed cause magicalaging.

Isn�t the seventh-level illusionistspell weird overpowered? A spellthat is capable of producing Hadesor Hastur is a bit unfair.

It is unlikely that Hades or Hastur will beconjured by a weird spell, as deities of thispower are almost never the personalnemeses of mere mortals. (Of course, ifthe spell were cast at a deity-class crea-ture, it might produce such opponents.) Ifthe spell is cast against an orc, it�s likely toproduce a hobgoblin or a gnoll at most. Itis up to the DM to adjudicate any use ofthis spell reasonably and fairly (see Un-earthed Arcana, page 71).

Is there a chance that a magic mis-sile will miss its target?

No; a magic missile always hit its targetunless it is protected by certain magics (ashield spell or a brooch of shielding, toname a few).

Will a stoneskin spell protect acreature from the hailstones pro-duced by an ice storm spell?

An ice storm will affect a creature pro-tected by a stoneskin spell. Although thehailstones are projectiles of sorts, they area magical attack just as are magic missiles.

Continued on page 94

D R A G O N 7

A few weeks ago, Zeb Cook wanderedinto my office and told me that the BerlinWall was coming down. I had been to bothWest and East Berlin in 1979 while I wasin the Army, and I was staggered by thenews. The world was miraculously made abetter and brighter place�or so I certainlyhoped.

Shortly after that, I had a slightlytwisted thought: This was probably badnews for all of the post-holocaust, nukes &mutants RPGs on the market. The rise ofdemocracy and freedom across EasternEurope makes it unlikely that we�ll seethose white mushrooms rise over ourhome towns in the near future. And thatdoes take some of the thrill out of playingWorld War III games. I had to admit thathand-to-hand combat with a four-armedalligator over a box of stale Puppie Yum-mies in the radioactive sewers of NewYork now seemed a little less believable.

In his editorial in GDW�s Challenge Mag-azine, issue #41, Timothy Brown correctlypointed out that �a peaceful world is aboring world�from a role-playing point ofview.� I would personally never want to bewithin a light-year of a real nuclear ex-change, but the idea has lots of entertain-ment value. Conflict and adventure arekey elements in any role-playing scenario,and few modern-era events can dish outconflict and adventure like a nuclear war.Many gaming companies saw that andplayed up on it.

Looking back, it is interesting to see asort of progression in the overall themespresented by post-holocaust role-playinggames. We had TSR�s GAMMA WORLD®game, which presented the aftermath as afun (if deadly) sort of world full of mu-tants, robots, savages, and oddball bits ofhigh technology. Steve Jackson Games�CAR WARS® system and other post-nukesurvivalist games dropped a lot of the less�realistic� elements and made the world alittle more grim (though still exciting).Then came GDW�s TWILIGHT: 2000�game, which washed away the sugar andgave you a black portrait of everythinggone completely to hell. Away went thecheerful hacking and slashing as barbari-ans looted the Death Machine�s lair. Nowyou had overheated machine guns, starv-ing and screaming survivors, and cities fullof burning bodies. It was World War III�the real thing, this time. I remember apeculiar sense of loss as I thumbedthrough one of the TWILIGHT: 2000 book-lets and read the litany of nuclear targetsacross America. Atomic war was after-ward a lot less amusing for me as a gam-ing idea.

8 FEBRUARY 1990

Bye-bye, WWIII

The themes of the post-holocaust gamesprobably reflected the changes in publicopinion on nuclear war. Not many peopleever really cared for the idea, but thelonger we all lived with the Bomb, the lessenthusiasm we had for it. Movies like TheDay After and Testament certainly showedthat. And now it seems that the collapse ofthe old order in Europe has given thosenightmares a final kick in the head (again,so we hope).

This certainly does not deal a death blowto modern-era role-playing, of course.Espionage games are quite intact, as real-life spying is a busier business than ever.The future is not wholly secure, as thecyberpunk games so easily show. Thereare lots of believable bad things left tocome for our gaming enjoyment.

But if we must say good-bye to the ThirdWorld War in our games, let�s at leastpause for a moment and remember whatthose games taught us, if they taught usanything: A real atomic war would give usconflict and adventure to last all our lives.

But our lives would be very short, and wewouldn�t much enjoy them.

Here�s to all future worlds of role-playing. May they all be filled with dangerand excitement�and may they never seethe light of reality.

Last note: Ah, you�re wondering whymy editorial is here instead of on page 5 asusual. The post office has asked us tomove the magazine�s �fine print� (thatcolumn you were accustomed to seeing onthe first page of �Forum�) to the front ofthe magazine. We have happily complied�and this is the result. I hope you�ll havethe patience to look for my editorial in thefuture, even if it moves around a bit.

The Game WizardsAngry Mothers From Heck (and what we do about them)

Avoiding the Angry Mother Syndrome issomething that I talk about quite often atTSR, Inc. Simply put, if a topic will angerthe normally calm, caring mother of agamer, we aren�t interested in addressingthat topic in any of our game products.Yes, I know that our company sells adven-tures full of swordsmen slashing their waythrough armies, with foul, smelly mon-sters waiting everywhere to crunch andeat player characters of every description.But I also know that there are clear differ-ences between fighting for its own sakeand fighting for a good cause. The �goodcause� part is largely what role-playing isand should be all about.

I would like for all of you to think backon the best times you ever had in role-playing. Every gamer should have at leastone adventure that really stands out in hismind. You remember when you finished abig quest, did almost everything right, andthe treasure was in your character�s armsand sparkling in your mind�s eye. In al-most all of these cases there was an honor-able, public-spirited, or life-saving goal atstake. That goal is the essence of what TSRwants to foster in its role-playingproducts. Sure, each product should belots of fun to play and involve high adven-ture, but each product also has to havecertain elements that any gamer�s motherin this or any other universe would smileat. These qualities must be present in eachgamer�s role-playing to foster the �rightstuff.�

Here is a case to illustrate this point.Ever since the Monster Manual came outin 1977, TSR has gotten a letter or two ofcomplaint each week. All too often, suchletters were from people who objected tothe mention of demons and devils in thatgame book. One letter each week since thelate 1970s adds up to a lot of letters, and Ithought a lot about those angry moms.When the AD&D® 2nd Edition rules cameout, I had the designers and editors deleteall mention of demons and devils. Thegame still has lots of tough monsters, butwe now have a few more pleased moms aswell. I know there are many of you outthere who are saying to yourselves, �Well,I am going to use demons and devils in mygame no matter what TSR does!� That�sfine with us. Free choice is one of thepositive aspects of role-playing.

Avoiding the Angry Mother Syndromehas become a good, basic guideline for allof the designers and editors at TSR, Inc.But this concept also sets up a whole series

by James M. Ward

of other guidelines to which all of TSR�sproducts must adhere in one way or an-other. We�ll cover them briefly here so thatyou can see where we are coming fromwhen we design our products.

TSR prides itself on the quality of thecovers and interior art presented in everyproduct. The male and female figuresshown are heroic and good looking, andwould get either G or PG movie ratings.Our artwork serves to promote the imageof high adventure in our games, but itdoesn�t deal in blood and gore. That isn�tthe image we want to project. A paintingof a hero about to hew at a monster withhis shining broad sword is just as effective(if not more sol as a painting showing the

monster�s guts being splattered messilyabout the room.

Another consideration is the level ofviolence that goes on during an adventure.Fighting the forces of evil often involvescombating monsters and evil humans. Butcombat itself should be secondary to thegoals of the adventure. Role-playing isbased on the use of imagination; if you candefeat a monster without a fight, you are abetter player than if you wade in and fightthe monster with your sword and shield.Using your wits is much more rewardingthan using muscles alone.

Rewards in a role-playing game take

several forms. Your peers, the other play-ers in the game, will always appreciateactions that help their characters. Trickinga monster or getting safely past a danger-ous obstacle is one of the highest forms ofrole-playing and well thought of by ail. Inlong campaigns, the materials to fight evilcost a lot of money. When you have foundand saved enough gold pieces, you canpurchase supplies to fight monsters�and,eventually, you might have enough tobuild your own castle or tower.

Adventure is the concept that keeps ourfans coming back to TSR�s modules, timeafter time. What exactly are those charac-ters doing in those dark dungeons andmagical forests? Gamers usually start outwith the same pattern to their adventur-ing: They want to hack some monstersand get some treasure. The more treasurethat gamers get, the more they enjoy thegame. But anyone with any intelligence atall (and 99.9% of all role-players have agreat deal of intelligence, which is whythey enjoy role-playing) finds that hackingand slashing becomes boring very quickly.

TSR has produced its share of hack-and-slash dungeons, but since the late 1970smuch more time has been spent on the�saving the princess� idea. �Saving theprincess� takes on many forms (in mostcases it doesn�t even involve a princess),but the concept is almost always the same.Each module creates a situation in whichthe PCs have a goal worthy of their tal-ents. TSR�s products have used hundredsof goals of this sort, such as actually savinga princess, curing silver dragons of aterrible disease, and protecting smalltowns from raiding giants. Those who playin these modules like heroic goals. Theylike the challenge of doing somethingtough; they like to receive rewards forhelping others out; and they like to feelgood about their characters after thesePCs accomplish something useful.

If anything is accomplished by this arti-cle, I would like for all readers to be ableto point to it as a policy statement of TSR,Inc. This company is interested in present-ing material that promotes all of the quali-ties that parents want their children tohave as those children grow up.

The bottom line for TSR�s role-playingproducts is that we believe that role-playing has many positive effects on therole-players themselves. Those benefitsare put into our games on purpose. Wecare about our products and want as fewangry moms as possible.

DRAGON 9

“Forum” welcomes your comments and opinionson role-playing games. In the United States andCanada, write to: Forum, DRAGON® Magazine,P.O. Box 111, Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A. InEurope, write to: Forum, DRAGON Magazine,TSR Ltd, 120 Church End, Cherry Hinton,Cambridge CB1 3LB, 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.

By now, several letters have appeared in�Forum� on village clerics and their usefulness(or lack of it). I also have a few points on thesubject that I would like to make, and this seemsto be the right time.

The cleric has, up to now, been the in-between class of the AD&D® game: the armoredspell-caster. Though he learns and casts spells,his armor and weapons are the same as thosefighters use (the fighter has only a better selec-tion). There are no nonmagical weapons that acleric could use that a fighter could not.

This shouldn�t be the case. Ideally, the cleric isan agent of a Power who delegates certainearthly tasks to the cleric and grants himpowers with which to perform those tasks.Unlike the mage, the cleric does not chargehimself with power to perform certain tasks; heasks his patron Power to perform them instead.He is like a king�s reeve, doing things in theking�s name. His spell level is more an indicatorof how often the Power will grant his wishes.

There are three things that a DM might try tomake the cleric more realistic:

1. Allow the cleric to choose his spells at thetime of casting. I have seen this variation usedwith mages to good effect, without affectinggame balance. This variation would go far tomake the priest a separate brand of spell-caster.This also makes more sense for the cleric, as heis asking for something to be done by thePower. The Power (DM) can then decidewhether or not to allow the spell. It makes sensethat the Power might not want to have thecleric use his spells to the Power�s detriment.Under the old system, the Power just hands outspells. If a cleric violates alignment, his punish-ment comes after the fact. This way, the Powercan prevent undesirable actions.

2. Give out special abilities for hierarchicalrank as well as level. Druids have always hadthis option, receiving abilities at certain levels. Isuggest that abilities be given out as a clericadvances within his church�s hierarchy as well.This is to counteract the accusation that thevillage priest would be of no use to the village.Despite his level, the priest would have a smallparish of his own and would therefore have ahigher rank than the wandering adventurer.Giving the priest the ability to, say, heal a be-liever of 1-8 hp damage, once per day, wouldmake him more realistic and useful to his par-ish. The patriarch of a temple would have theability to end a plague as well. None of theseabilities would be available to the PC until hedecides to settle down and stop adventuring.

3. I�ve always had this thing about clericalscrolls. If you were Bast, would you want a spellyou gave to your high priest 100 years ago(which he then transferred to a scroll) to be

10 FEBRUARY 1990

used on your worshipers by a priest of Set? Idon�t believe Powers would allow their spells tobe stored for use by any cleric who comesalong. That includes miscellaneous magic, rods,and staves as well.

To replace them, I would provide the clericwith favors. For example, the cleric could havea dream in which her Power would appear andsay, �I am well pleased with you, my daughter!Receive this gift of my favor.� Thereafter, thecleric�s own staff acts as a rod of resurrection orwhatever item the DM chooses. If the staff isstolen, it becomes an ordinary stick again, whilethe next staff the cleric picks up acts as theoriginal one did. This could be used for anycurrent clerical item. There would be a setnumber of uses per item, and incorrect use ofthe item would result in a loss of all its power.

James R. CollierGeorgetown, Ontario

I�m writing this letter in response to theseveral letters in issue #151 concerning theD&D® and AD&D systems. I have been involvedwith D&D games for nine years (eight as a DM),and also with AD&D games for three years. Ofthe two, I am partial to the D&D system. As waspointed out, it was using �imagination roles�long before the AD&D 2nd Edition game.

Most of my opinion on the subject was said inthe three or four letters printed, but there are afew things that need mentioning. As Mr.D�Amico said, the D&D game does have fewerspells, a smaller monster selection, and fewerclasses than the AD&D game. That is all true,but it can be easily alleviated. Having experiencein both systems, I found that using informationand rules from one in the other was not onlyeasy but was also a good way to throw in theoccasional plot twist needed to add that elementof surprise. There are a lot of things that can�tbe converted simply because of the alwayspresent balance of power. To handle the mon-ster problem, I simply bought a Monster Man-ual, and with a little time had increased theamount of monsters�not that it was neededafter I had gotten all of the D&D rules. With theclasses, as with just about everything else, Iused the basis of what all RPGs are made of:imagination. With a little time, imagination, andan idea of what would unbalance a campaign,you easily convert any AD&D rule into a simpli-fied D&D �guideline.�

All in all, I must say that I enjoy playing bothsystems) no matter how they are run. No matterwhat the rules are, it is still the imagination ofthe players that make these games appealing.

Charles BinghamHazelton ID

Recently I ran an adventure at a fairly largegaming convention. It was a fairly straightfor-ward AD&D scenario that involved six charac-ters of a variety of classes. In one portion of theadventure, the party was ambushed in an alleyby a band of thugs and assassins. The party wasmaking fairly good headway through the throngof villains when the evil band�s leader�a mage�descended upon the characters while using alevitation spell. The party�s mage had a cast astinking cloud down the alley�s only visibleentrance. This was a good bit of strategy on the

part of the player running the mage. He notonly cut off the only escape route for the attack-ers in the alley, but he also closed off the possi-bility of more attackers entering the fray, for atleast a little while. Good job, mage!

As said, the evil band�s leader saw the cloudcoming and �floated� over the cloud, comingdown into the melee below. He chose as hisinitial target the good party�s mage. He cast amagic missile spell, causing the mage to loseabout half of his hit points. After this, a fighterin the party threw a hand axe at the evil spell-caster. I role-played it so that the evil mageseemed to turn his attention to the fighter as hebegan to cast another spell. In the next round,initiatives were rolled and at the appropriatesegment I told the mage PC that he had been hitby another string of magic missiles for 15 hpdamage. �Where did these come from?� theplayer of the mage yelled. I said, �From thehovering mage who is now laughing with an evilsmirk on his face.� The player protested myplaying of this situation, as his mage was at -2hp and therefore unconscious, as per my stand-ing rules for the event. He claimed that it wassilly that the mage was looking at one targetduring the time he was casting a spell, thenturned and let loose the string of missiles atanother target�namely him!

Was this silly of me? I say no. Was it a dirtytrick? Certainly! Remember, I was playing anevil NPC, probably the most horrifying andpotentially dangerous threat in an AD&D game.If played properly, the evil NPC or monster issupposed to pull dirty tricks and do dirty deeds.This is the meat and potatoes of an evil NPC,and I am sure that if the player himself hadthought to pull a similar stunt on the banditsand thugs he was facing, he would have (as wasthe case with his stinking cloud) and would havebeen proud of himself.

The point I am trying to get across is thatplayers should not be so ready to chew out theDM if he role-plays evil NPCs or monsters well. Idid not break any game rules. I simply used themost damaging and dangerous tool available toany and all DMs: strategy. This is the sameweapon that players can and should use eachtime there is an encounter in a scenario.

I could not believe how dishearted and angrymy tactic made the player who played the magePC. He was ready to walk out of the game, I amsure. And yes, I fully accept that I (playing theevil mage) did a very nasty thing indeed byseeing to it that the target got what I wanted togive to him�a good dose of damage and pain!

Players, beware! We DMs have every right tobe nasty and relentless when we play evil NPCsor creatures. If we didn�t do so, you would befacing mindless hoards of easy targets, andwhile this may be great for attaining experiencepoints, it does little to enhance the actual role-playing experience for all concerned.

Let me close by saying that the player whoran the mage saved the day toward the end ofthe adventure. He was a spirited player whowas willing to try to see my way of DMing, andwhile he did not agree with many of my rulings,he did help the event be fun and challenging formyself and the other players as well.

Michael GriffithWind Gap PA

I would like to comment on Toby Myers�statement in issue #151 on true-neutral charac-ters and the letters of various people on chaotic-evil characters. The nine alignments are thereto be chosen; if one particular class doesn�t fit

Continued on page 28

Warrior Kings andEmpire Builders

Borrow from history to support your kingdom

As soon as a player character acquireshenchmen, he becomes, to some degree, aruler�that is, he is responsible for subor-dinates. As the PC continues to climb inlevel and gain control over more subordi-nates, he can acquire titles such as Sir,Lord, and Commander. But what happenswhen the PC reaches a really high leveland becomes responsible for a fief, do-main, province, or kingdom? This articlemakes suggestions for dealing with thosePCs who have reached rulership statusand wish to continue their careers.

There are as many kinds of rulers asthere are rulers, and there are almost asmany forms of government) A ruler maybe a king, an emperor, a military dictator,or a member of a ruling triumvirate. Hispower might be absolute or shared withsome other governing body.

Many rulers in role-playing games willcome from the ranks of the fighter class.Throughout the development of civiliza-tion until modern times, emperors andkings were often warriors before theybecame rulers, and many continued tolead troops into battle long after theyattained power. For individuals who wishto play rulers, this means that prowess asa military leader will be an importantcharacteristic.

Julius CaesarJulius Caesar was such a ruler. Although

his rise to power began in the realm ofpolitics, he realized the value of militarystrength and a show of force. In 60 B.C., hejoined with Pompey and Crassus, twoother Roman leaders, and together theyformed a government known as the FirstTriumvirate. In conjunction with the Sen-ate, these three men controlled the affairswithin the growing boundaries of Romanterritory.

This form of government presents somevery interesting possibilities in a role-playing campaign. Where there are threeor more powerful characters, they mightconsider forming such a triumvirate orshared-power government, perhaps divid-ing territory among themselves for ease ofgoverning. As in the case mentioned, allthree rulers might be military leaders, butyou could also have a situation in whichone might be the chief magician in the

12 FEBRUARY 1990

©1990 by Eileen Lucas

land, one the head of the main religiousorganization, and one from a militarybackground. As they might discover, thissort of government can only be successfulwhen the parties involved work in har-mony. The chances of three ambitiouspersonalities remaining in harmony forvery long are probably slim. The intrigueand conspiracy that is likely to developmight not make for domestic peace butshould set the stage for interesting role-playing.

Continuing to follow the career of JuliusCaesar, we see that he was a shrewd ma-nipulator of people and events, character-istics that would be beneficial to a rulingPC. Caesar was too ambitious to be satis-fied with being a member of a trio ofrulers for very long. Once he�d decided tobecome the most powerful man in Rome,he left that city for nine years, leading histroops into almost constant battle. Thanksto his military genius and the discipline ofhis troops, he achieved almost constantsuccess. When in Rome itself, he oftenstationed his troops nearby�a not-so-subtle reminder of the power that hewielded. When out conquering territory�for the glory of Rome,� he made sure thathe was also accumulating glory for Caesar.

All during his political career, Caesarremained a warrior ruler. He was veryinterested in the mechanics of war andwas ruthless in the execution of his plans.His trademark on the battlefield was abrilliant red cloak; PCs may enjoy creating,distinctive symbols of their own, if they donot fear attacks by their enemies.

While conquering Egypt, Caesar metCleopatra. The Egyptian princess was onlyabout 20 when they met; by some ac-counts she was very beautiful, by othersmerely very charming but skilled at usingwhat looks she had to her advantage. Fora player who wants to role-play a femaleruler, she makes an interesting model�every bit a match for a Caesar-type ruler.Cleopatra had at least one of her Egyptianhusbands killed for being in the way ofher political ambitions. Both Caesar andCleopatra claimed to be descendants ofgods (he Venus and she Isis), which couldtie in nicely with .a campaign.

After the deaths of the other two mem-bers of the Triumvirate, Caesar was the

undisputed leader of Rome. He conqueredGaul, Egypt, and much of North Africaduring his rise to power, and the Senateconferred upon him more titles than anyother Roman had ever held. With all hismilitary victories and the wealth thataccompanied them, Caesar was treatedeven better than a king and was practi-cally deified. And he was as arrogant andauthoritarian as one might expect underthe circumstances. In The Horizon Book ofAncient Rome, Robert Payne noted thatCaesar could select his own army com-manders, create his own colonies, extendthe republic�s frontiers when it suited hispurposes, and use the treasures of con-quered peoples for his own ends. Giventhe Gallic levies that he meant to raise, heknew that soon he would have morepower, treasure, and soldiers than anyRoman before him.

But life is tough at the top, and the PCruler will have his share of problems.Caesar suffered from bouts of illness thatsome now suspect might have been epilep-tic attacks. Such human frailties make aPC ruler a well-rounded and more lifelikecharacter. Also, as Caesar�s power contin-ued to grow seemingly without bounds,friends and enemies alike began to plot hisdeath. NPCs run by the game master (or even other PCs!) might be involved in suchscheming. Any PC ruler ought to keepcareful watch on the appropriate omens�and above all, beware the Ides of March.

CharlemagneAnother example of a warrior ruler is

Charlemagne, king of the Franks, whoruled some 800 years after the death ofCaesar. Like Caesar, his ability to leadtroops into battle was fundamental to hisrise to power. Although he had on his sidethe fact that his father had been king,there were also other rulers in the terri-tory he came to govern, and his militarystrength was a major factor in his becom-ing in effect a �king of kings.� He contin-ued to make his presence felt on thebattlefield throughout his lifetime.

In A.D. 768, the 26-year-old Charles (laterknown as Charles the Great, or Charle-magne) was anointed successor to hisfather, King Pepin. He was raised bodilyup on a shield by several of his subjects,

symbolizing that he would be expected tolead his people into battle. Throughout hisreign, Charlemagne liked to think of him-self as �protector� of the Franks. It isnoted by Mary R. Price and MargaretHowell, in A Portrait of Europe, A.D. 300-1300, that Charlemagne made war almostcontinually during the 46 years he ruled.It is known that he ordered and often ledno fewer than 60 military expeditions.

But not all of Charlemagne�s time wasspent in battle. He was a good swimmerand chose for his main castle a site nearhot springs, so that he could enjoy a swimas often as possible. He was also very fondof the hunt and frequently organized largehunting parties. PC rulers who have suchhobbies will make more interesting char-acters, providing DMs with ideas for spe-cial encounters and adventures for them.

Charlemagne traveled frequentlythroughout his realm to see that his orderswere executed and his subjects were loyal.Although a ruler has representatives tohelp him with this, it is said that wherethe hand of the master cannot be felt,affairs do not go well. PC rulers shouldbear this in mind, and DMs should takeruler visibility into consideration whendetermining the atmosphere of the land.

The most successful historical rulersunderstood the importance of morale andmajesty. Personal dignity and outwardtrappings that create the appearance ofinvulnerability are a great help to a ruler.Charlemagne carried a beautiful gold-hilted sword and scabbard into battlewhich, like Caesar�s red cloak, inspired thetroops around him. Like the throne of thebiblical Solomon, Charlemagne�s thronerested at the top of a short flight of stairs,adding to the aura of imperialism. How-ever, he dressed much like a commoner;giving the impression of accessibility.Striking such a balance might be a goodthing for a PC ruler to attempt; thoughhe�ll want to command the respect of hissubjects, he�ll also need their help.

Allies and foesWhether those who surround the PC

ruler are PCs or NPCs, they will haveimportant roles to play. While the kingmay have the final word on most deci-sions, if he�s smart he�ll exercise thatpower tactfully. He needs generals, advi-sors, and other allies, and his life will bemuch easier if he allows them to partici-pate in meaningful ways.

Some of the people who deal with aruler are rulers themselves�either lesser,greater, or equal in status. At the begin-ning of his political career, Caesar had todeal with fellow Romans Crassus andPompey as equals. Later, when he wasundisputed ruler, he dealt with rulers ofother lands (such as Cleopatra) as equals.For Charlemagne, heads of noble familiesin Frankland were lesser rulers withwhom he had contact, while the head ofthe Roman Empire in Constantinople wasa fellow ruler, and the Pope, as head of the

Christian Church, was also seen as beingof equal status.

The Pope was a very important personin the life of Charlemagne. Whatever thereligion of your campaign, its leaders canbecome critical to the ruler�s success.Some kings might want to bind churchand state by making themselves head ofboth. Others may need to deal more re-

ties. Caesar claimed to be a descendant ofa god, and Charlemagne believed himselfto be God-sponsored. Either way, if youare the ruler, it helps to have the churchon your side. Of course, the local churchleader might also be another PC!

Another important person with whomthe king must deal is the head of the gov-ernment bureaucracy. This person will

spectfully with powerful priests and dei- relieve the ruler of having to make some

DRAGON 13

of the decisions regarding the day-to-dayrunning of the court and the realm. Thisperson�s job is so important, in fact, thatthe king must beware that this individualdoesn�t become so powerful as to actuallybecome the de facto ruler. Charlemagne�sfamily came to power in this way. Usingthe position of mayor of the palace, hisfamily gradually usurped the king�s powerand finally declared that they should havethe title of king since they were doing thejob. An ambitious and shrewd PC in thisposition can be both an asset and a liabilityto the king.

Then, of course, there will be othermilitary men in the king�s entourage.Whether this takes the form of a generalin charge of all the king�s army, or severallords who command their own forces, theking must depend on these individuals tobring troops to the battlefield in time ofneed. Again, in the hands of good role-players, these PCs could be either friendsor foes of the ruler.

And there will be important men ofmagic as well. Caesar relied heavily on thewords of soothsayers, consulting thembefore battles and on other importantoccasions. Even Charlemagne studied themagic of the Franks and the Saxons.

Other NPCs or roles for part-time ornew players might include members of thenobility, abbots and clerics, philosophersand sages, and foreign dignitaries. A bardmight be fun to have around, too, singingand telling tales of the warrior king�s ex-ploits. Such characters can start out insupporting roles, gradually becomingmore important as their players wish.

Wars rarely endWinning a war is one thing. Warrior

kings will soon find that keeping whatthey�ve won is another. King Pepin, Charle-magne�s father, learned that it can be verydifficult to subjugate formerly indepen-dent peoples. Each spring, Pepin�s armymarched into Aquitaine in what is nowsouthwestern France, burning, pillaging,wreaking havoc, and soundly defeatingthe Aquitanians in battle. But the leader ofthe rebel forces, Duke Waifar, managed toescape year after year, hiding out untilPepin�s army pulled out and went homefor the winter. Then, in the spring, hewould reunite his forces, and Pepin wouldhave to come and put down the rebellionagain. This went on until Pepin managedto have the duke assassinated. Without theduke, Pepin�s son was able to see that theAquitanians remained subjugated�whichwas a good thing, because Charlemagne�smain problems lay to the northeast. It wasthe Saxons of what is now Germany whodidn�t want to bow to his rule. Charle-magne was ruthless and thorough in hisdetermination to keep Saxony under histhumb, very nearly wiping out the Saxonswith his policy of �convert or die.�Whether fighting a border war or invad-ing a neighboring territory, the warrior

king must consider the natural advantagesthat lie on the side of his enemy. The in-vaded peoples will be fighting to save theirfreedom and their homeland, which maybe a unifying force for otherwise diversivefactions. Homeland armies can be moreeasily supplied than those of the invader,and they can be adept at guerilla fightingor �hit and run� tactics.

On the other hand, a powerful warriormay have such advantages as great num-bers of troops at his disposal and greaterresources of money and arms. And not allconquered peoples refuse to be subju-gated. In some areas, especially amongrural peasantry, the average person won�tcare who rules him as long as he is basi-cally left alone. Charlemagne made it apolicy to keep out of the local affairs ofannexed lands as much as possible (except,of course, in places like Saxony, wherethere was a great deal of hostility towardhim). In this way, he hoped to create an�overlord� relationship, otherwise preserv-ing the status quo.

Colonization was promoted by bothCaesar and Charlemagne as a way to keepacquired lands under control. Troops were

Keeping busyAs warrior kings and empire builders,

PC rulers will be busy characters. Besideswaging war against foreign enemies, theymight have to put down rebellions withintheir realms. Perhaps there will be a slaveuprising in the capitol, or local citizensmay revolt after seeing their countrydrained by warfare (if victories don�toutnumber defeats). Other kings mightinvade a PC�s land, forcing him to takedefensive action. Like Richard the Lion-Hearted of England, the PC ruler mightdecide to set out on a crusade or quest.What kinds of problems will he face whenhe returns? And when he�s not busy fight-ing, there will be many domestic concernsand administrative duties for the PC rulerto resolve as well. He may find it neces-sary to attend festivals and deal with suchlocal problems as urban overcrowding,ineffective farming practices, or localgovernment reform. How involved theplayers get in these sorts of details willdepend upon the type of campaign.

The warrior king should be good atother things besides fighting. Caesar was askilled orator and writer, keeping clear

often given parcels of land in conqueredterritory, and other individuals were en-couraged to establish homesteads in newlyannexed lands to build a base of loyal

and concise notes of his travels throughforeign lands. Charlemagne was an avidhunter, a concerned family man, and apromoter of education. The more detailedthe character, the more fun the role willsubjects there.

be to play.Though a rulership campaign may be

centered on one particular PC, there isroom for many more to join the game.Whether fellow players are other rulersor subordinates of the warrior king, thereshould be plenty to keep everyone busyand entertained.

Bibliography

Payne, Pierre Stephen Robert. The Hori-zon Book of Ancient Rome. N.Y: Ameri-can Heritage Publishing Co., 1966.

Price, Mary R., and Margaret Howell. APortrait of Europe, A.D. 300-1300.London: University Press, 1972.

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D R A G O N 1 5

16 FEBRUARY 1990

The Making of a PaladinBeing good is not easy�nor is it enough

Paladins are a favorite character class inAD&D® games, and some players preferplaying paladins to any other kind of char-acter. However, many players and DMsalike take little time to figure out whatmakes paladins tick. Too often, paladinsare played as though they were ordinaryfighters with a few special powers�butthey�re not. Paladins are the product ofyears of training and education, with afanatical purpose in life equalled only bycertain priests.

Gaming groups may use the paladin ofthe 1st Edition Players Handbook, thepaladin-cavalier of Unearthed Arcana, orthe revised paladin of the 2nd EditionPlayer�s Handbook. It may be assumed thatlawful-good religions with heavily aristo-cratic congregations produce paladin-cavaliers as detailed in Unearthed Arcana.Other religions with less aristocratic pre-tentions, or those based in areas wherecavaliers and the feudal system are notknown, have their paladins-to-be trainedby ordinary fighters, producing paladinsas detailed in either of the other twosources, All of these characters may beconsidered true paladins, though thepaladin-cavalier has a much harder time intraining and should therefore be rarerthan the �common� paladin.

Getting startedIn areas having lawful-good religions

that produce paladins, the children of thecongregations are constantly observed andevaluated by the clerics in charge of thelocal temples. This scrutiny serves severalpurposes, one of which is to identify po-tential candidates for paladin training. Thequalities sought are strength, bodily vigor,intelligence, curiosity, an adventuresomespirit, and unforced, natural piety. Thechildren themselves are often (though notalways) unaware of this constant evalua-tion. Some of the tasks children are set inthese temples are designed to give theclergy a clear idea of the potential of the children performing them.

The children selected as potential pala-dins are usually 10-13 years old. Theirparents are asked to allow those childrento learn to serve their religion in a specialcapacity. To realize this opportunity, thechildren will be given training at a church-run facility, at no expense to the parents.Since selection for this sort of training isan honor, the parents do not usually ob-ject. In fact, if the child�s services areneeded at home, the church will often pay

by Eric Oppen

the parents the equivalent of any moneythe child could bring in. The prospect ofgetting a new paladin for the faith is easilyworth reimbursing the parents for themoney the child could have earned.

Along with the candidates for clericaltraining, the paladin trainees are broughtto special schools, often set away frommajor cities but in safe territory. Theseschools are usually held in monasteries orcastles owned by the religious order thatwill be training them, with the schoolgoverned by retired paladins or clerics.Here, the future paladins and clerics studyholy writings, learn relevant lessons fromhistory, memorize the doctrine and organi-zational structure of their church, andexercise hard. The regime is austere, withhalf the day devoted to exercises and theother half to study. Prayer, of course,punctuates the day and night alike.

At age 15, the courses of the futurepaladins and clerics diverge. The proto-paladins are introduced to weapons train-ing and must devote a great share of theirtime in mastering the weapons preferredby their church�s paladins. Proto-clericsconcentrate on the basics of spell-casting;their own weapons classes are of lessimportance than the paladins�.

Weapons training for paladins does nottake up all of the students� time. Classes inschoolroom subjects now build heavily ontopics of use to future foes of Evil. Low-level undead such as skeletons and zom-bies are created and introduced, to showthe future paladins the strengths andweaknesses of such monsters, as well as toaccustom the students to the sight ofcorpses and skeletons staggering aboutunder their own power. (The creation ofsuch undead for learning purposes is oneof the few times that lawful-good clericsmay justify such actions. The clerics needto get permission from their deities first,and they should also have the permissionof those whose bodies are to be made intosuch undead, using speak with deadspells.) Intensive study goes to the life-styles and habits of the various evil hu-manoids, as well as what is known of theevil religions that have dealings in thearea. The whole subject of Evil is dissectedthoroughly, with particular attention tothe weak points in the existing evil coali-tions and any other knowledge that mighthelp a paladin defeat them.

During and after his training, thepaladin-to-be must pass certain tests.These tests offer temptations to break the

rules of the church, to show cowardice,and to cooperate with evil. If the tests arefailed, the candidate is rarely given a sec-ond chance, often being sent away to beno more than an ordinary fighter or cava-lier. If the tests are passed, the paladintakes vows of fidelity and allegiance to hischurch and its teachings, swears eternalenmity toward evil, and affirms that hewill protect those who cannot protectthemselves. Oath-taking is a solemn cere-mony, often lasting several days. Once theceremony is over, the new paladins areready to assume their duties.

Swords of the churchWhat many players forget about pala-

dins is that they are representatives oftheir churches and religions just as clericsare. Clerics are usually trained in weaponsthat are not as effective as swords or polearms, while paladins are able to use almostany sort of weapon. If fighting clerics area church�s shield, paladins are its sword.

After years of intensive training, manypaladins yearn to do more than merelystand guard against evil. These paladinstake the offensive to keep evil forces offbalance and unable to attack in turn.Aggressive paladins go adventuring forlong periods of time, and the church usu-ally takes the attitude that their elite fight-ers are improving their skills and dealingwith their foes at the same time. The lossof a paladin is never good news to achurch, but since most such religionsbelieve that dying for the faith ensures ablissful afterlife, the loss is not entirelybad news.

Since a paladin is a walking reminder ofhis religion, he must obey its tenets strictlyand do penance for any deviation. Hischurch, as outlined by the DM, demandsmuch of him, even in his personal life.

Some time ago, there was a minor con-troversy about whether and whom pala-dins could marry. The answers varyaccording to the teachings of the churchesinvolved, but since most of them do nothave the taboos of medieval Christianity,generalizations from the legends ofCharlemagne�s court should not apply.Some lawful-good religions that worshipfertility deities, particularly those operat-ing in areas where humans are threatenedby sheer numbers of evil enemies, mightnot only allow marriage but require it.Others, for the sake of ensuring that their

Continued on page 93

DRAGON 17

All in the FamilyHeraldry, politics, and feudalism in fantasy campaigns

by Thomas M. Kane

The busy pillagers could pick and choose,After the battle, what they best could use;And so befell that in a heap they found,Pierced through with many a bloody,

grievous wound,Two young knights lying together side by

side. . . .Not fully quick nor fully dead they wereBut by their coats of arms and by their

gearThe heralds readily could tell withalThat they were of the Theban blood royal,And that they of two sisters had been

born.Out of the heap the spoilers had them tornAnd carried gently to the tent.

Geoffrey Chaucer, �The Knight�s Tale�

Those two Thebans faced many moredangers in Chaucer�s tale, but for themoment they were saved by their her-aldry. In a feudal world, family achieve-

ments are far more than colorful symbols.A coat of arms indicates the bearer�s entirelegal identity: rights, honor, and power.The complex rivalries of chivalry anddescendency created a cadre of scholarswho dominated all contests of prestige ordiplomacy. These were the heralds, andthey can profoundly influence thecareer�and indeed the life�of a fantasyadventurer.

The heraldic establishmentMost nobles appoint experts in heraldry

to serve them as officers of arms. Anofficer usually inherits his position fromhis father, but a ruler may appoint anyonehe chooses to this station. The officer ofarms serves as an envoy, an expert onheraldic matters, a propagandist, a com-munications officer, and a counter ofcorpses after a battle. He can be identifiedby his decorated smock, which is called a

tabard.The king or queen of a realm chooses

the most brilliant and loyal officers ofarms from the land to form a college ofheralds. This bureaucracy wields incredi-ble power in a feudal world. Any com-moner who aspires to nobility must applyfor a grant of arms from the college ofheralds; in this way, the college appoints aland�s government. Furthermore, when-ever two nobles merge their estates, theymust join their coats of arms, too, and thecollege of heralds regulates all such altera-tions. The college can thus indirectly vetoa noble�s military alliances�and evenmarriages.

A typical college would include threekings of arms, who are served by a bodyof six heralds and four assistants calledpursuivants. These ranks are assigned byseniority and last until the herald resigns,dies, or angers the crown. Most colleges ofheralds own a fortress, where they defendtheir genealogical records and documents.When the college of heralds deliberates acase, the kings of arms can overrule her-alds, and they outrank pursuivants. Thecollege of heralds usually follows direc-tions from the king or queen of the coun-try. In matters of little political weight, thecollege will usually approve any legitimaterequest. If the DM does not know how thecollege will decide a case, have the charac-ter who wants something from the courtroll against his heraldic law proficiency(described later in this article). Characterswithout this proficiency cannot influencethe college to do anything unusual. Thissystem may be modified for PCs whomake exceptionally convincing speeches,and any character may hire a counselorwith more knowledge of heraldic law toargue before the college.

It may be interesting to let PCs becomeofficers of arms or members of the collegeof heralds. These ranks make interestingrewards for successful quests. They con-fer great prestige, but do not require full-time work and have no effect on gamebalance. Better yet, DMs will find manychances to plunge PC-heralds into deviousintrigues, as nobles vie for honors and tryto disgrace their foes.

Heraldic proficienciesMost of a herald�s abilities involve legal

powers and simple skills, not complextraining. Rather than treating heralds as aseparate NPC class, one can list the arts of

18 FEBRUARY 1990

20 FEBRUARY 1990

heraldry as nonweapon proficiencies; ifthe DM permits, PCs may study them. NPCheralds may be zero-level craftsmen, asdescribed in the Dungeoneer�s SurvivalGuide, page 24, or members of a characterclass. Hiring an NPC herald costs 200 gpper month. The primary heraldic skills arenoted in Table 1, and they require oneproficiency slot each. These skills havetheir own uses, and some must be used todesign or alter a coat of arms.

Blazoning: A blazon is a formula describ-ing exactly what a certain heraldic devicelooks like. Characters with this proficiencycan reconstruct a coat of arms from itswritten description or encode an image inblazon form. This skill must be used toperform several other heraldic arts.

Boasting: Heralds use this seeming sim-ple skill to proclaim their lords ancestryand triumphs. By making a successfulboast, a herald can improve the morale ofone unit of troops by 5% (one point under1st or 2nd Edition BATTLESYSTEM� min-iature rules). A boast can also impressother nobles in diplomatic missions. Whena herald successfully boasts for his liege,give the noble a + 10% on reaction rolls.One cannot use boasting without a historyproficiency that applies to the noble whois the subject of the boast. A person whostudies both boasting and family historycan boast effectively for himself.

Differencing: Since there may be thou-sands of shields in use in a campaignworld, distinguishing between them re-quires great skill. To understand differenc-ing, a character needs the blazonproficiency; records of arms are kept inthis written code, and characters needaccess to the college of heralds library touse this proficiency properly. Without alibrary, penalize differencing checks by anadditional modifier of +3. A successfuldifferencing check lets a character identifya given achievement and its bearer. Once adifferencing check has succeeded on aninsignia, the herald can always recognizethat particular insignia.

Draftsmanship: This skill is used tophysically draw the coat of arms. It ismost useful when combined with a blazon-ing proficiency, since the character canthen create a perfect achievement fromwritten records. Without blazoning, thedraftsman must work from a perfect copyof the achievement and is penalized by a+2 modifier on the dice roll. Draftsman-ship requires a set of paints and brushes,as well as the shield or other materials tobe emblazoned. If the color �or� (gold) is tobe used, a jeweler must be employed toapply gold leaf.

History: This proficiency allows a char-acter to understand the genealogy andgreat deeds of a certain noble family. Aseparate proficiency slot must be used foreach family studied, although this skillapplies even to very distant relatives of thesame house. History can be used as aminor, nonmagical form of legend lore,

which is useful only for researching ances-tors of the appropriate family. The charac-ter must make a successful roll to learnaccurate information, modified by + 1 forevery 100 years old or 100 miles distantthe subject of research is.

Heraldic law: A character uses this profi-ciency to understand the nuances of cus-tom and law that govern heraldry.Heraldic law not only controls heraldrybut also regulates jousts and lethal duels.Whenever a character requests a specialfavor from the college of heralds or issummoned before a court of chivalry, theheraldic law skill becomes vital. Charac-ters who do not have it may hire NPClawyers to argue for them.

Revelations: Coats of arms reveal a myr-iad of details about their owners, and thisskill lets a character learn them. A charac-ter who makes a successful revelationscheck can learn about any of the followingfeatures of an arms-bearer: alliances,marriages, conditions of birth (rank offamily and order of birth), disgraces, mag-nitude of political authority (offices held,size of lands, etc.), and triumphs. Thisincludes any major exploits of the arms-bearer or his ancestors. For game pur-poses, it lets heralds roughly determine acharacter�s experience level.

Signaling: Heralds play a vital role inwar. A shouting army commander cannotbe heard on a battlefield, so orders mustbe broadcast to the units with flags,

drums, and shrill horns. A herald with thisproficiency can communicate over a dis-tance of one mile, or as far away as ban-ners can be seen, whichever is greater.The Wilderness Survival Guide has rulesfor range of visibility on pages 72-75.Obviously, big banners can be seen fromfar away, so many kings regulate the sizeof their vassals� standards to hinder rebel-lion. In the BATTLESYSTEM rules, it iseasiest to simply assume that signalingalways works, unless there is some inter-ference such as an imposter herald or badweather. However, when an army is beingraised in the campaign world, each bri-gade commander or army commandermust find someone with the signalingproficiency. Signaling might also be usefulduring any standard adventure.

The heraldic privilegeTo receive a coat of arms, a character

must either be born into nobility or per-form a special service for. the crown. If thesocial status table from page 82 of Un-earthed Arcana is used, all members of theupper classes automatically own anachievement, and the middle to upper-middle classes have a 30% chance of own-ing arms. Any zero-level cavalier from theAD&D 1st Edition game who lacks a coatof arms will certainly apply for one. With-out arms, the warrior might gain a cava-lier�s fighting skills, but he can neverdemand a knight�s hospitality or training

DRAGON 21

to raise ability scores. and carries the father�s shield. BastardsAll legitimate children receive their may inherit their fathers� arms if they

father�s arms. Parents must pass their prove paternity. Otherwise, an illegitimatearms on, even to disinherited children, child is either denied any noble rank at alland all heirs are forced to display either or is allowed to design a completely newtheir father�s shield or none at all. The coat of arms. The college of heralds de-only alteration children may make is a cides what armory that offspring maymark of cadence that lets them be recog- wear.nized in battle. After an arms-bearer dies, There is no harm in letting playershis eldest son abolishes all differencing whose characters inherit arms decide

what their shields looks like, but the DMmay design any features that might affectthe game. PCs might have ancestral dis-honors to overcome or reputations tomaintain. One could run an interestingcampaign in which all the PCs are childrenof the same noble family. This gives them alegitimate reason to adventure together, aswell as network of friends and enemies. Italso motivates PCs to follow certain char-acter classes. The heirs, the elder children,will strive for military glory, while youn-ger PCs may seek power in magic or theclergy.

Designing the achievementAny commoner who aspires to the noble

classes must apply to the college of heraldsfor a grant of arms. Then the aspirantmust perform some heroic service for thecrown to become worthy of heraldry.When the character finally becomes anarms-bearer, he will have to create theshield. Designing a new coat of arms re-quires the help of experts with proficien-cies in blazoning, heraldic law, revelations,and differencing. One of the participantsmust have studied the history of the arms-bearer�s family, and since few people studycommoner�s ancestors, the new noblehouse may have to train its own heralds. Adraftsmanship proficiency is needed todraw the arms.

One of the heralds overseeing the newshield must roll against his heraldic lawproficiency, and if this check fails, theshield will be flawed in one of two ways.There is a 70% chance that the shield willmerely be poorly designed, resulting inconfusion and ridicule whenever it isexamined by someone with a proficiencyin differencing, revelations, heraldic law,or blazoning. A 30% chance exists that anillegal shield insults some other person. Atthe DM�s option, this can result in a bloodfeud or dispute of arms (as follows).

A differencing check must also be madefor the new coat of arms. If it fails, thenew achievement duplicates another fami-ly�s emblem. Subtract the number ofpoints by which the check failed from 20.This number, multiplied by 10, equals thenumber of miles away that the bearer ofidentical arms lives. For example, a PCcavalier creates a new coat of arms, andhis herald, who has an intelligence of 10,rolls a 13, modified to 15. Fifty miles away,an NPC cavalier carries an identicalachievement. If this PC travels 50 miles, hemay meet this �double� and be accused ofcopying arms.

A coat of arms can be altered to rewardor punish the arms-bearer. A king canhonor a truly glorious act by having thecollege of heralds design an augmentationfor the hero. This is an extra symbol thatthe heroic arms-bearer may incorporateinto his coat of arms. No one may revoke agrant of arms altogether, but the collegecan condemn arms-bearers to carry �re-batements� over their insignia. A rebated

22 FEBRUARY 1990

shield is a disgrace, and any characterwho carries one will be jeered away frommost civilized tournaments and castles.After four generations, the heir to rebatedarms may petition the college of heralds torevoke this punishment. The offenses thatwarrant these rebatements include:

General dishonor: delve. This is a tinysquare with concave sides that representsa shovelful of dirt, thrown at the dishon-ored person.

Desertion from battle: reversed inescut-cheon. This looks like a tiny upside-downshield.

Deliberately lying to a commander: awavy line, colored chestnut (tenne).

Killing a prisoner: a downward arc,called point champion.

Failing to fulfill an oath: a diagonal linefrom the shields center to one side.

Licentiousness: a tall, thin rectangle(gusset) on the dexter (right side).

Drunkenness: a tall, thin rectangle (gus-set) on the sinister (left side).

Characters can never voluntarily altertheir shields except for the following rea-sons. Whenever two estates are joined, forreasons of marriage or military alliance,the two owners must marshall theirshields and display sections of each other�sarmory. The husband might simply adoptone charge from his wife�s shield, in aprocedure called composing, or the twomight use dimidiation and cut their shields

in half diagonally, then join the two (nomatter how odd they look together). Chil-dren do not marshall their arms to reflectactions of their parents. While the parentsare alive, all children bear their father�soriginal, unmarshalled shield. Once afather dies, his heirs quarter their shieldsand display their father�s arms in onecorner, with their mother�s in another. Acoat of arms is allowed to have more thanfour �quarters.� Since both the father andmother have probably quartered theirarmory too, official coats-of-arms oftenaccumulate hundreds of individual shieldsover the generations, although warriorsusually bear only the most glorious selec-tion of their literal shield, the one that iscarried into battle. Marshalling requires acharter from the college of heralds and allthe proficiency rolls needed to create anew shield. After a war, the victor mayadopt sections from the vanquished lord�sarms as trophies. This also requires per-mission and proficiency checks.

Disputes of armsConflicts arise when two coats-of-arms

look alike or seem to cast aspersions oneach other. When two arms-bearers dis-agree, they can either fight a duel or sub-mit the case to a court of chivalry. Mostnobles sponsor such a court to preventtheir knights from killing each other andbecause they collect any fines the court

imposes. A court of chivalry consists ofthree judges: a marshall, a constable, andan officer of arms. Courts of chivalry notonly decide questions of heraldry but mayjudge any other disputes of honor.

When the court of chivalry makes adecision, the DM should decide if one sideis clearly wrong or if an argument can bemade either way. When an argument ispossible, have the two debaters rollagainst their proficiencies in heraldic lawuntil at least one fails. No character canimpress such a court without this profi-ciency. Of course, characters may hiremore knowledgeable heralds to act aslawyers. If a PC takes part in a dispute andthe player makes an exceptionally logicalspeech, the DM may opt to give him somesort of bonus. The first debater to fail aroll loses the case and is forced to alter hiscoat of arms. It is quite possible for bothparties to lose and have to change! A courtof chivalry could also be corrupt, whichmight lead to an interesting adventure.

Characters who lose cases before thecourt of chivalry must pay fines or beimprisoned until someone pays for theirrelease. The exact amount depends on thedishonor of the infraction. A fee for acci-dentally duplicating some distant noble�sshield might be only 100 gp. However, thecourt might demand 10,000 gold coinsfrom a common-born forger who wore afake coat of arms as a disguise. The collegeof heralds may overturn any decision of acourt of chivalry.

The heraldic fieldDMs and players may use as much or as

little detail as they want when simulatingcoats of arms. A few common terms andheraldic devices have been listed here forthose who want to know what theirachievements look like. You might alsoconsult Lewis Pulsipher�s article, �Under-standing Armory,� in DRAGON® issue #53.The primary design of a coat of arms isemblazoned on a shield, but an entire coatof arms often includes drawings of hel-mets, wreaths, crests, surcoats, scrollswith mottoes, animal supporters, andother decorations. Only nobles carrycoats-of-arms on their shields. Their eliteretainers have blank shields, but they dowear badges with their lord�s crest anddress in a livery of certain trademarkcolors.

Heraldic symbols have some relationshipto the family that they represent, epito-mizing virtues that the household cher-ishes or great deeds its members haveperformed. Some meanings seem obvious,but others are less so. Dolphins implyspeed, diligence, and compassion; boarsindicate aloof independence. Pentagramsindicate wizardry; constellations implythat the house is the subject of a certainprophecy; an acorn indicates the godThor; a crown with radiating spikes, likethe one on the Statue of Liberty, meanscontact with elves; and a red oriflamme

24 FEBRUARY 1990

(banner) proclaims that the gods them-selves have aided that noble house. Plantseach have some significance. Trees signifyfruitfulness and fertility; the fir impliesroyalty; cypress and pine indicate death;and oaks express military virtue and forti-tude. Grapes and vines represent joy;roses express youth and beauty; violetsand pansies both mean piety or charity;and sunflowers indicate virtuous behavior.

Arms-bearers indicate their social rankwith the image of a crown. Mere knightsemploy a circlet with three pearls above it;patricians use a coronet between twopearls; and members of the baronial classemploy crowns amid larger numbers ofpearls, the number depending on theirpower. A naval crown, of three ships in acircle with masts between them, indicatesservice on the ocean, and gryphons indi-cate observant vigilance. Only the royalfamily may use lions in its armory. Certainblazons are intended as puns or jokes. Aknight named Sir Cox might bear a roosteron his shield, and a lord who tended todrunkenness might have a bottle in hisachievement.

Heraldic termsPlayers who are truly interested in her-

aldry should consult the books listed in thebibliography, where they will find count-less examples of shields along with thecomplete laws governing inheritance,

marshalling, and cadence. To visualizethese symbols, you will need to under-stand heraldic directions. These termsassume that one wears the shield on theleft arm; under those circumstances, dex-ter is right, and sinister is left. To an en-emy facing a shield, or to an artistdrawing it, these directions are reversed.The shield�s center is called �fess,� its bot-tom is �base,� and its top is �chief.� Thus, aheraldic shield can be divided into nineparts, with three vertical coordinates andthree horizontal ones.

Heralds also use a complex system ofcoloring summarized in Table 2. Tincturemay never rest on tincture, nor metal onmetal, nor fur on fur. Furs are alwaysdrawn in patterns over another color. Vairlooks like a field of tiny bells, and ermineappears to be a series of tiny arrowheads,with three dots forming a triangle overeach one. Vair can be used in �T� shapes,and this is called �crutch.�

Exotic heraldryThe Oriental Adventures book lists her-

aldry as a court proficiency. This oneentry replaces all the heraldic proficien-cies listed in this article except for signal-ing and draftsmanship, since heraldry isone of the few arts that involve moreintricacy and courtesy in the west thanthe Orient. Oriental blazons were roundand worn on clothing, not shields. AnOriental coat of arms appears once on the

back of a jacket, on each sleeve, and twiceon the chest. Historical Oriental heraldry,which is called mons, was practiced onlyin Japan. DMs who base their Orientaladventures in Kara-Tur might rule thatonly Kozakura and Wa recognize heraldry.The other Oriental nations would considerit meaningless and slightly barbaric.

Like gajin, Orientals receive the right todisplay heraldry for distinguished service,and counterfeiting arms is a severe crime.However, there is no Oriental equivalentof the college of heralds, and arms are aslikely to indicate civilian work as militaryprowess. Samurai had no monopoly onmons. Instead, a noble warrior expressedhis status with his kabuto (helmet), andthese sculpted headpieces often becamequite bizarre. Powerful daimyos decoratedtheir helms with great collections ofstatues, masks, and false rabbit ears. Thislast symbol indicated longevity, due to theOriental belief that the dark maria on themoon depict a rabbit compounding elixirsof immortality.

Orientals often used extremely abstractsymbols, but their insignia usually hadsome meaning. During the period whenChristianity was illegal in Japan, Christianarms-bearers developed many ways tohide crosses in their mons. If religiousconflict is important in an Oriental cam-paign, players may consult the Legends &Lore book for symbols to disguise.

DRAGON 25

26 FEBRUARY 1990

Table 1Heraldic Proficiencies Table

ProficiencyBlazoningBoastingDifferencingDraftsmanshipHistoryHeraldic lawRevelationsSignaling

AbilityIntelligenceCharismaIntelligenceDexterityIntelligenceIntelligenceIntelligenceWisdom

Dice modifier+ 1+ 3+ 2

00

- 10

- 2

Another form of heraldry was practicedby amirs in ancient Islam. The Saracensdid not have a heraldic system like that inEurope or Japan, but they did employfamily symbols. These could be boundedby almost any shape, including circles,octagons, squares, diamonds, and ovals.Almost all of these symbols were quiteexplicit in their meaning: a scribe mightdisplay a pen box, while the royal cup-bearer might carry the picture of a drink-ing glass. When two achievements had tobe distinguished, each family would addnew devices to their symbol. In a fantasyworld, the DM might create any numberof variant heraldic systems for differentcultures. This can create interesting cul-tural clashes. What will gajin cavaliersthink of samurai who wear bunny ears?

BibliographyFranklyn, Julian. Heraldry, Cranbury, N.J.:

A. S. Barnes and Company, 1968.Franklyn, Julian. Shield and Crest. Balti-

more, Md.: Genealogical PublishingCompany, 1967.

Uden Grant. A Dictionary of Chivalry. NewYork, N.Y.: Thomas Y. Cromwell Com-pany, 1968.

Table 2Heraldic Coloring

TincturesAzureGulesPurpureSableSanguineTenneVert

MetalsArgentOr

FursErmineVair

blueredpurpleblackmulberrychestnutgreen

silvergold

whitelight blue

ForumContinued from page 10

into someone�s role-playing style, no rule says hehas to use it. We use both the true-neutral andchaotic-evil alignments in our campaign, al-though our campaign is admittedly ratherunique. Our DM composes her own adventuresin the DRAGONLANCE® world. Our charactersare five kender. [Oh, my God.]

My character is a true-neutral cleric of Gilean.We interpret the true-neutral alignment to meanthat a true-neutral character can take a broadview; thus, if one side won a battle, the charac-ter would try to see that the other side wins thenext battle. He also might try to balance his ownlife out, acting either good or evil, chaotic orlawful at different times. Instead of seeming tobe of no alignment, a true-neutral characterunderstands and supports all alignments. It�sstill a hard alignment to play, and it isn�t foreverybody.

Our chaotic-evil character is actually only halfkender. Her father was a crazed dark-elf mage,and she is also a mage. She doesn�t betray herfriends because they are just that: friends. She�sout for herself, but one of her main goals is tohave fun. She doesn�t leave when the going getsrough because she doesn�t fear anything. Weoccasionally have problems when one of ourother characters borrows spell componentsfrom the mage, but for us it is one of the joys ofrole-playing.

Amy M. TraubShaker Heights OH

It is interesting to look at the change that hasoccurred within the gaming community as awhole. I am a very active game master for acomics/game shop in my area and thus have awide perspective on the types of role-playinggames that are being purchased and by whomthey are being played. I can remember my firstencounter with the role-playing game, about sixyears ago. Two neighbors initiated me to theAD&D system, teaching the rudiments of thegame to me and encouraging me to explore.Almost immediately I purchased the D&D BasicSet and immersed myself in the books. I smile asI remember my attempts to DM my first game,a flurry of dice and monsters. We didn�t playanything close to the real game, but it wasexhilarating fun. As my small group and I grewup, our tastes evolved and changed, we cameinto the realms of AD&D games. For a long timeI refused to play anything else, but when the

game seemed exhausted of possibilities, some-one introduced me to the STAR FRONTIERS®game.

From that point onward, I was afflicted with ahunger for new games. I tried everything thatfell into my 10 greedy fingers. At one point (andless than two years ago!) I was juggling five full-fledged campaigns in five different games. NowI have settled into a much easier playing style:two campaigns in two systems at a time. I haverun games at conventions and have garneredmore than my share of compliments.

I must say that no longer am I witness to long-running campaigns with intense characterdevelopment. In the last few years, I have seenthe decline of �role-playing� and the rise of �roleassumption.� Rather than being confined to myregular groups, I have seen this �role assump-tion� in a multitude of weekly meetings andthrough correspondence, I have been told ofgroups across the country that have fallen intothis rut.

�Role assumption� is akin to surface acting.Though the two get the job done, they aremutations of the original art. I watch peoplewho assume roles without playing them, andinvariably I find the player talking in a deep,funny voice and portraying the worst stereo-type of race and class. For example, I can countfour irascible dwarves, two haughty and aloofelves, and a mischievous halfling in one fantasysetting I run. It is not to say that my players donot portray their characters well, but not one ofthem is different from any other. It can getridiculous when all the dwarves lose theirtemper at the same thing and in perfectunison�ridiculous and quite unbelievable. Torole-play is to create a unique personality froma framework and to bring that personality tolife. To �role assume� is to touch upon a stockpersonality and to dance around any real feelingthat the character may have.

The question has been raised by others: Whyis role assumption becoming common? Is itbecause players land game masters) have lostsight of the purpose that they started with? Oris it that the care that a good group puts intothe game has been replaced with greed for thereward? I say that neither holds true, but bothhave something to do with the answer. I believethat role assumption is first and foremost a signof the times. As we, the gamers, grow older andcome into new and larger responsibilities, thetime we have available to delve into the worldsof our imagination becomes scarce. With thelack of time to play comes the lack of opportu-nity to develop a character. Those who wish toplay as close to, the times of old as possible try

to juggle the task of role-playing with the num-ber of hours allotted to the game. It is notentirely wrong to say that the purpose has beenobscured (not necessarily lost) in a flurry ofactivity. The game master must create a well-structured plot with proper mechanics andatmosphere. The players must keep track ofwhere their PCs are and where the PCs aregoing, but these are basics and most of us knowthem. It is when the time needed to play is lessthan the time available that these tasks becomechores and not pleasurable. Invariably, stressed-out players become anxious for the finalencounter to the point that they no longer enjoythe journey along the way. In these circum-stances, can one be blamed for foregoing thedevelopment of his character when the prospectof not meeting again until everyone�s schedulecoincides looms at the end of the session?

I think that the solution to the problem lies inthe group�s desire to play. If the players andgame master truly want to see a rich campaigndevelop and prosper, then they will make thepoint of making time to play. I suppose thatthere is no great harm in role assumption, yetwhen I reflect on my attempts to DM my firstgame�well, as Mr. McCartney says, how I longfor yesterday.

Jim O�Brien.Leominster MA

While trying to select some nonweapon profi-ciencies for my PCs and NPCs, I hit upon an ideafor the attainment of additional nonweaponproficiencies. Allow a character an additionalproficiency slot if he spends a percentage�say25%�of his next level�s experience-point rangetoward that slot.

For example, a 3rd-level fighter with 6,000 xpdesires an additional proficiency slot for anonweapon proficiency (NWP). The experience-point range for a 4th-level fighter is 8,000 to18,000; 18,000 - 8,000 gives a 10,000-pointrange, and 25% of 10,000 is 2,500. So if this 3rd-level fighter gains 4,000 xp on an adventure, hecan allocate 2,500 xp for his NWP and 1,500 xptoward his next level (so he now has 7,500 xp).The 3rd-level fighter would still remain a 3rd-level fighter, just short of 4th level. He would,however, have an additional NWP slot.

The DM may want to limit the number ofNWPs attainable through this method. I wouldsuggest the limit be a maximum of one �bonus�NWP slot per level attained. Some may want torequire 20%, 33%, 50%, or more of the currentor the next level�s experience points in order togain an additional NWP.

This approach allows for greater flexibility incharacter cultivation. What do you think?Refinements are welcome.

H. K. McCoySeattle WA

28 FEBRUARY 1990

DRAGON 29

For King and CountryA call to arms�and a new sort of campaign

From the top of the wooden tower,Lieutenant Thoran Ormgar could barelysee the rest of the camp through thesmoke and the night�s dark shroud. Whathe did see was not cheerful: burning tents,fallen soldiers, and dark wet stains on thesnowy ground. As he watched, many tall,grim shapes began to appear at the edgesof the darkness in the battlefield below.

�You see them?� Thoran said withoutturning to face the four men who sur-rounded the catapult next to him.

�Aye, sir,� answered the sergeant there.�Loose!� Thoran barked. The sergeant

raised his hand, an artilleryman yankedback the lever, and the weapon�s 8�-longarm swung up. The small boulder flew outof sight toward the humanoid shapesbelow. After a moment, there were muf-fled cries of pain. Two of those shapes nolonger stood. Thoran grinned.

Even before the missile hit, the artillerycrew began to crank down the wheel thatdrew the catapult�s arm. As they did this,their sergeant moved to stand besideThoran. Both men scanned the shapes thatstill moved in the camp below.

�How long before we can expect rein-forcements?� the sergeant asked, using adeep, steady voice so as not to soundafraid.

�Soon,� Thoran said flatly�but not soonenough, he thought. This border fort istoo deep in the wilderness, and if I hadn�tprotested its construction, I might nothave been assigned to command it. How-ever, he maintained a hard, stern expres-sion. He glanced toward a nearby tower,where a huge fire blazed at the top, andsaid, �The signal will reach the SecondBrigade in two hours. By then the wholeborder will be on alert.�

The sergeant�s voice raised in pitchslightly, revealing his true concern. �Whatabout us?� Thoran sighed, considering how to an-swer. At last he said, �I�ve fought ogresbefore. They�re a fierce bunch, but notindestructible. Loose!�

Instinctively, the sergeant raised hishand toward his crew, and another boul-der sailed into the darkness. More cries,another gap opened. This time the lieuten-ant did not grin.

�Thirty infantry in the tower,� Thoransaid, �and twenty ogres in the camp. That�sa fair siege.�

�I�d rather fight it out,� the sergeant saidin a grim voice.

Thoran turned, his eyes gleaming as he

by Dan Salas

touched the hilt of his long sword. �Good. Ihate sieges. You might just get your pro-motion when this is all done.�

The sergeant grunted, as if amused.�And you?�

�A field medal . . . or a funeral with fullhonors.�

�Then we�ve saved the border.��Yes.� Thoran drew his razor-sharp blade

from its sheath and studied the silveryedge. Then he turned a hard gaze on thesergeant. �Now let�s save ourselves.�

�Aye, sir.�As the sergeant went back to his crew

and ordered another shot, Thoran lookeddown on the camp again. His brow waswet and his heart beat faster than hewould have liked�signs of tension beforea battle. He knew that such signs woulddisappear in the fury of combat. Then hepushed away such time-wasting thoughtsand began to form an attack plan. Hishand clutched the grip of the sword sohard that the knuckles turned white, buthe never noticed it.

In the medieval world of the AD&D®game, armies are a vital ingredient to anysuccessful nation. Borders must bewatched, cities must be patrolled, banditsmust be conquered, and invaders must berepelled. Even lawful-good governmentsneed troops to deal with enemies, whooften gather in large numbers that cannotbe stopped by anything less than a large,organized band of warriors.

In history, fighting became a full-timeprofession when there was a division oflabor among the members of society.Farmers grew food, merchants traded andtransported goods, and soldiers foughtbattles. This article explains the lifestylesof these professional soldiers, and pro-vides tips for Dungeon Masters on han-dling player characters who enlist.

For the purposes of this article, theword �army� describes a sizable organiza-tion of fighters sworn to serve a particulargovernment, with a strict hierarchy ofleaders and common soldiers. It does notmean a large, unorganized band of war-riors such as a barbarian horde, nor doesit mean the knightly orders followed bycavaliers. The best example of such anarmy is that of ancient Rome, on whichmuch of this article is based. DMs may, ofcourse, develop their own army structuresand rules, but they should consider theseguidelines carefully.

Recruitment and trainingVolunteers for military service are inter-

viewed at a military headquarters or of-fice, one of which is usually found atevery major city in a kingdom. An officerquestions each recruit to determine hisalignment, and the chance of acceptance is100% unless the volunteer is obviously nota fighter or cavalier; clerics and monks areaccepted only 25% of the time, druids andmagic-users (including illusionists) only10%, and thieves only 5% of the time. Ofcourse, the volunteer may disguise himselfor attempt to pass a 4d6 charisma check tofool the interviewer. Note that clerics,magic-users, and illusionists may be hiredto help the army, but not as part of theregular troops.

After the interview, the recruit ischecked by a doctor (or 20% chance by acleric) to see that he is physically fit. Therecruit must meet the minimum abilityrequirements of the fighter class (strength9, constitution 7) and have no obviousdiseases or physical handicaps.

After acceptance into the military, eachrecruit swears on oath that he will be loyalto his superiors and the governmentwhich he serves, and will be honest andbrave at all times. After a short ceremonywhich includes a prayer to a war god(Mars, Anhur, Hachiman, or whomever),the recruit signs his name to a legal docu-ment indicating the date, the place ofenlistment, and the length of enlistment(typically five, 10, or 25 years). The recruitis also given a permanent mark on theupper arm, either by tattooing or brand-ing, which displays the man�s name, dateof enlistment, and the insignia of the armyor kingdom he is to serve.

Next, the recruits are transported to amilitary base or training camp. There,each new soldier is assigned to a type oftroops such as one of the following: arch-ery, artillery, cavalry, heavy cavalry, heavyinfantry, light infantry, mounted archery,navy, etc. Some nations may use all ofthese types of troops, while most use onlya handful of them, as influenced by theterrain.

For example, a government in heavilywooded lands will support an army oflight infantry and cavalry, with only lim-ited missile use. Hills and mountains favorlight infantry, while plains and desertsfavor fast, light cavalry, preferably withlong bows. Naturally, any nation borderingon a large body of water will support

DRAGON 31

warships, especially if hostile neighborsare across those waters.

As an option, the Dungeon Master mayallow a recruit to volunteer for a certaintype of troops. At this point, the recruit�squalifications are important. For example,a youth who has spent most of his life atsea will usually be allowed into the navy.

A volunteer for cavalry must pass a testof horsemanship by riding a speedinghorse, wielding a weapon from the saddle,and dodging obstacles; only one ridingproficiency check must be passed, thoughthe recruit only gets two tries. A volunteerfor heavy cavalry must have the minimumability scores of 12 strength and 11 consti-tution, and he must pass the horseman-ship test.

To volunteer for archery, a recruit musthit a man-size target at long range. Thetarget has an effective armor class of 3,and the recruit gets only three shots. Toenter a mounted archery unit, a volunteermust pass both the horsemanship and thearchery tests.

Anyone who volunteers for artilleryduty will not be allowed to enter an artil-lery unit, because artillerists are oftenconsidered to be laborers more than fight-ers. To volunteer for such duty may be asign of fear of combat.

After the decision for the unit type ismade, the recruits are put through severalweeks of basic training, which includes

long marches, weapon training, ridingpractice (for cavalry units), and drills onbattlefield tactics.

The soldiers receive proficiencies asnecessary, such as horsemanship, artilleryweapon use, and hand-held weapon use.Note that cavalry units tend to use spearsor lances for charging and scimitars forslashing, while infantry units tend to usespears for throwing, swords, and some-times pikes. The new recruits receive theminimum proficiencies necessary foroperation in their units. If no proficiencyslots are available, then the next slots thatwould normally be available during class-level increases are used up.

At the end of training, the soldiers re-ceive 500 xp (not applicable to field experi-ence points�fxp�described later) and thebonuses of + 1 strength (or + 10% forfighters with 18 strength) and + 1 consti-tution. These ability increases cannotexceed racial maximums. Then the sol-diers are given armor and weapons suitedto their unit, and sent into the world toperform their duties.

A soldier�s dutiesAfter training, the new soldiers are

assigned to duties according to the needsof their kingdom. Use either Table 1A, 1B,or 1C; Table 1A is for a kingdom with noserious military conflicts, Table 1B is for akingdom with minor conflicts (i.e., limitedwarfare, skirmishes, small border wars,etc.), and Table 1C is for a kingdom in-volved in a full-scale war.

These tables have the following cumula-tive modifiers:

- 30% for characters in their first yearof service;

+ 1% per previous year of service;+ 5% per field medal (explained later);+ 10% per previous successful special

32 FEBRUARY 1990

mission.Check each soldier�s assignment at the

beginning of each new year of service orwhen his last assignment ends. Also checkagain if the kingdom�s situation (no war-fare, minor warfare, or major warfare)changes, such as if a border skirmishturns into a major conflict with anotherkingdom, or if a major war ends in peace.

For the sake of the game, the DM shouldmake only one assignment check for all ofthe PCs. This keeps the PCs together as agroup so they can still play the game to-gether, and it also makes the DM�s jobeasier. However, each modifier listed isthen taken as an average; for example,three PCs with two previous years ofservice each receive a +2% bonus, not+ 6%. Also, one field medal in a group offive PCs causes a + 1% bonus (from 5divided by 5), not + 5%.

The assignments are designed to gener-alize the tasks ahead, and they ignore suchmenial duties as kitchen duty, latrinecleaning, weapons oiling, and armorscrubbing. Each assignment is explainedbelow.

Campaigning: This duty means service ina unit involved in open warfare. The PCsare individuals in a massive group whichmarches, camps, and combats the enemyon the battlefield. The D&D® CompanionSet�s War Machine or the BATTLESYS-TEM� miniatures rules may be needed.However, the DM can simply use his ownwisdom to determine the outcome of abattle by considering the strengths andweaknesses of each army, the abilities ofthe commanders and troops, morale,tactics, surprise, and other factors. If thislast system is used, then the PCs will beinvolved in round-by-round melee combatwhile the rest of the battle rages aroundthem, its events chosen by the DungeonMaster.

Construction: The PCs are assigned tohelp build or repair forts, castles, citywalls, stone-paved roads, bridges, or what-ever else is needed by the kingdom. Theirgroup is equipped and treated like regularsoldiers, though combat is rare. Engineersand officers oversee all operations.

Construction assignments last for sixmonths in kingdoms with no warfare, orone month for kingdoms in minor war-fare. At the end of each half-year of con-struction duty, each PC has a 10% ofgaining a bonus of + 1 strength (or + 10%for those with 18 strength) and a 10%chance of gaining a + 1 constitution, toracial maximums.

Garrison duty: Reserved as a reward forexperienced troops, this assignment indi-cates guard duty at a fort or castle. Whenthe military base stands beside a city ortown, then the garrison troops also patrolthese places, acting as police forces. Garri-son soldiers do a lot of training, guarding,and patrolling. They might see occasionalsmall-scale combat (such as skirmisheswith bandits, brawling civilians, and wan-dering monsters), but they see major con-flicts only when under siege.

Patrolling: This duty involves travelingwithin the kingdom and dealing withtrouble wherever needed. Patrols maycamp in the field or at a military base, butthey do not usually stay in any one areafor more than one week unless they areneeded. Light cavalry and mountedarchers are the most common troopsassigned to this duty. Patrols may be assmall as 20-50 soldiers in areas where noreal trouble is expected, or up to 500soldiers in areas where small-scale battlesare likely. Raiding: This duty involves lightning-fast

attacks to gather food, loot, or prisoners.Only light infantry and mounted archersare assigned to this duty (all others rerollfor assignment): Average troop size is 50horsemen, and these soldiers base them-selves in the protection of a military fort or campaigning army. Scouts gather infor-mation about the target and its defensesbefore each raid, so that raiding troopsneed only get to the target, overcome itsdefenses, gather what is wanted, and

return home before enemy troops catchthem.

Raiding assignments last for one month,during which time 2d4 +2 attacks aremade. Afterward, the characters reroll fortheir assignment,

Scouting: Troops who scout will patroloutside of the kingdom�s borders, in en-emy territory and in wilderness lands.Scouts are equipped and mounted as areraiders, though scouts travel in fewernumbers for the sake of speed. The pur-pose of a scouting mission is to gatherinformation on wandering monsters,enemy activities, and other dangers, thenreturn home. Scouts are expected to fightonly in self-defense. Characters assignedto scouting troops are also part of a largemilitary group, either one campaigning orin garrison duty.

Special missions: For proven veteransonly, this assignment may take from a fewdays to many months to complete. Themain purpose of each mission is to benefitthe kingdom, its people, and its army, notto indulge the soldiers in destruction andtreasure hunts. Rules may be nonexistent(�anything goes�) or many, depending onthe mission�s goals and its complexity.

Military organizationA civilized army is organized into groups

of specific sizes, commanded by officers.PCs should be placed in the same groupbut will still be under the orders of an

NPC officer, usually a harsh, battle-hardened sergeant at first. PCs may learnto hate their sergeant, but they should alsorespect him, especially when he smashes aPC�s nose with one punch (and they dis-cover his strength bonuses), and when hiscombat experience leads them out of atight situation (such as an ambush by orcs,or an enemy maneuver that leaves themsurrounded on the battlefield).

A large army contains at least one ofeach of the following groups: a squad (10soldiers), a half-century (five squads, or 50soldiers), a century (10 squads or 100soldiers), a brigade (five centuries, or 500soldiers), and a legion (10 brigades, or5,000 soldiers).

Types of officers are listed on Table 2.Fighter class levels are listed for each typeof officer. The officers� rank in the 1stEdition (1985) BATTLESYSTEM supple-ment, page 8, is listed in the fourthcolumn. Lastly, the group commanded byeach officer is listed, as well as the compo-sition of each group.

In addition to soldiers, every brigademaintains a group of tradesmen who areexempt from the menial duties of thesoldiers. These tradesmen include engi-neers, blacksmiths, armorers, weapon-smiths, leatherworkers, bowyers, andfletchers. Medics with healing proficiencyare also needed, and spell-casters (clerics,magic-users, and illusionists) are a rare butwell-appreciated addition to any army.

Rangers may be temporarily hired asscouts. Finally, minstrels (and, very rarely,a bard) may be included for inspiringsongs and moral support.

The life of a medieval soldier can besummed up in two ways: life on themarch, and life at the fort.

Life on the marchThis description refers to troops who

are continuously moving, especially armieson campaign who send out scouting par-ties and sometimes raiders. Such troopsregularly march by daylight and makecamp at night.

The marches cover an amount ofground determined on page 58 of the 1stEdition Dungeon Masters Guide, pages122-125 in the 2nd Edition Dungeon Mas-ter�s Guide, or page 120 in the 2nd EditionPlayer�s Handbook. Use the movement rateof the slowest members of the group, sothat if light cavalry is traveling with heavyinfantry, then the infantry determines themovement rate. Troops on the marchcarry at least an average burden, sinceeach man must carry his own armor,weapons, supplies, and building equip-ment for the night�s camp.

Marching troops travel in defensiveformations, usually in a column no morethan 20 men wide, to conceal their num-bers. Scouts watch for danger far aheadand to the sides. Cavalry and archersusually lead the column as well as guard

34 FEBRUARY 1990

its rear. At the center of the column arethe infantrymen, the tradesmen, and themules that carry extra supplies (includingone tent per squad) and pull the siegeengines. The highest-ranking officersremain toward the front of the columnand are mounted on horses, camels, orwhatever is appropriate. Also at the frontare drummers and trumpeters who relaymessages from the upper officers to otherofficers throughout the column.

A forced march increases the efficiencyof the march but wearies the troops. Aforced march increases the distance trav-eled in one day by 50%, or allows an armyto move its normal distance in five hoursrather than the normal eight hours. Foreach day of a forced march, NPC footsoldiers suffer a penalty of -2 to hit anddamage. The maximum number of forcedmarches allowable in a row is four, whenthe NPC foot soldiers are at -8 to hit anddamage. At that time, they begin to col-lapse from exhaustion and suffer low

morale, while the cavalry�s mounts willalso be exhausted. Foot soldiers raise theirattack modifiers back to normal by +2 foreach day of a normal march, or by 100%for one whole day of rest.

A forced march affects walking PCssimilarly, though a PC may make a consti-tution check each day to avoid the combatpenalties. These ability checks are made at+ 3 per previous check, and the PC recov-ers in the same way as the other footsoldiers.

At the end of the day�s march, the sol-diers spend a couple of hours building acamp. Normally, half of them work whilethe others stand guard. The ancient Ro-mans first dug a square trench that sur-rounded the entire camp. They piled thedirt into a rampart beside the trench, thenbuilt a stockade of logs (when wood wasabundant) or merely set sharp stakes intothe top of the earth wall. Other variationswere possible, though simplicity and speedof construction were desired, especially in

hostile territory. After the outer wall wascompleted, the Romans set up their tents,tended to the animals, ate, and rested.

At least 20% of the troops should standguard while the rest sleep. In the morning,the soldiers break down the camp andprepare for the next day�s march, leavingonly the trench, the soil rampart, andunwanted garbage behind them.

Combat may be rare, occasional, orfrequent, depending on the circumstancesand the DM�s judgment. Certainly, wander-ing monsters, bandits, and enemy soldierswill occupy most of the campaigning ar-my�s fighting experiences.

Life at the fortThis description applies to troops in

garrison duty, those doing construction,and those who patrol, raid, or scout froma military base. Life for these troops cen-ters around the fort or castle, though theyneed not spend most of their time withinits walls.

36 FEBRUARY 1990

Menial duties occupy much of the timespent inside the fort. Soldiers clean theirequipment, cook, wash floors, shovelmanure from the stables, and groom theanimals. Those assigned to constructionduty may work on repairing the fort�swooden or stone structures, or may workon projects outside the fort. Also, soldiersstand guard on the walls and at importantdoors (e.g., the main gates, officers� quar-ters, the armory, the granary, etc.).

If there is a town or city next to the fort,the troops might patrol these civilian ar-eas, stop crimes, and detain offenders.Thus the city guard and watchmen mightbe soldiers stationed in a nearby fortress.The government also uses soldiers asbodyguards for important officials andnobles, as riot police, and as guards forcity gates, granaries, law courts, and othersuch places.

Off-duty soldiers spend a lot of timegambling, possibly playing the gamesdescribed on pages 215-216 of the 1stEdition DMG. If the fort is next to a townor city, then soldiers will be found at tav-erns, brothels, bath houses, gamblingdens, and other businesses designed todrain the silver pieces from their pockets.Brawls involving soldiers are not appreci-ated by the officers in command of thosesoldiers, nor by the businesses themselves.

Off-duty PCs can get into town and cityadventures which have nothing to do withtheir military life. However, illegal activi-ties will draw serious penalties from thePCs� officers.

The troops also train each day. Theymarch in circles around the fort andthrough the surrounding countryside,then practice battlefield drills and hand-to-hand combat.

The most exciting form of training,however, is the war game, which is heldonce a month or more. In the war game,the commanding officer of the garrisondivides his troops into equal forces andpits them against each other on a battle-field. Clubs take the place of arrows,spears, and swords, and casualties arenoted by the red paint left by these clubs.These small-scale battles are taken veryseriously by the soldiers, since normalexperience points and field experiencepoints (detailed later) are gained from wargames as if from real battles.

Who�s in charge?During battles and other events, the

personalities of the officers have seriouseffects on how well the army operates.This section deals with the leadershipability of the senior officer who is in com-mand of the PCs� group. The DM shouldsecretly record the personalities of theleaders of both sides of the conflict, andlet the PCs draw their own conclusions.

Wisdom is a very important aspect ofleadership. For the commander in ques-tion, roll 4d6 and drop the lowest roll. Hiswisdom score is also modified (but not

beyond racial limits) as follows: + 1 forcaptains, + 2 for colonels, and + 3 forgenerals.

The officer may have one or two leader-ship weaknesses, as determined by Table 4.The 1d8 roll is modified by the NPC�swisdom-based magical-attack adjustment.Each weakness is then determined by Table5, whose results are explained below.

Cowardice means too much care forone�s own life, leading to a hesitancy to actoffensively and take advantage of opportu-nities. It can cause more waiting and re-treats than should be expected.

Compassion means caring too much forthe lives of others, with similar results asfrom cowardice. The commander may actfoolishly to rescue hostages or save civil-ians, or may refuse to engage in battle forfear of �unnecessary loss of lives.�

A quick temper is a tendency to reactviolently and irrationally toward anythingthat causes anger. The officer may launchan attack because of the enemy�s insults ortheir offensive acts.

Recklessness indicates a tendency to actcourageously but without thinking. Thecommander may launch an attack at thefirst sight of the enemy, not consideringthat other troops might be hiding to attackhim. A reckless commander tends to for-get one or two important factors (weather,terrain, troop strength, tactics, etc.) in hisimpatience to attack.

Pride indicates the officer is too awareof his own self-image, and he acts irratio-nally when that image is threatened. Hispattern of behavior is similar to that of aquick-tempered man. Insults and humilia-tion tend to draw him to attack, even athis own disadvantage. He may also refuseto retreat or call for reinforcements whensuch things are necessary.

Table 6 determines the severity of eachweakness, with a saving throw noted.Each time the NPC commander faces asituation that would appeal to his weak-ness, he must pass the saving throw or acton that weakness.

The DM can hint at the commander�sweaknesses off the battlefield but shouldnot make the hints too obvious. For exam-

ple, severe punishments for minor rule-breaking may indicate a quick-temperedofficer, while no punishments may indi-cate cowardice or compassion. Also, toomany forced marches may show the com-mander to be reckless (�They�ll be all right.Don�t worry about it!�) or overly proud(�They�re my boys. They can take it.�).

If the commander�s actions have disas-trous results, and if his weakness is theobvious reason, then he may face seriouspunishments, especially demotion or dan-gerous assignments. Then the PCs get anew leader whose secret weaknesses (ifany) will be revealed to them only at theworst times.Field experience points

When a character�s position in an army isconsidered, only experience points gainedin service to that army should be consid-ered. These points are called field experi-ence points, and they are recordedseparately from normal experience pointsthat count toward class-level advancement.

Experience points for slain opponentsand monsters may count toward both fieldexperience points and normal experiencepoints, but only if those points weregained in service to the army. For exam-ple, if a PC kills a maximum-hit-point frostgiant that is attacking his lords castle, thenthe PC adds 3,426 points to his field expe-rience points, and 3,426 points to his nor-mal experience points. However, if thesame character gains 850 experiencepoints in a tavern brawl, then he addsthose points to his normal experiencepoints but not his field experience points.

Field experience points count towardmilitary rank, which will be detailed later.

Rules and punishmentsFrom the start of his career, every sol-

dier is made aware of the rules of themilitary. Crimes are obvious and need nolengthy explanations: theft, duelling in alethal manner, sleeping on guard duty,lying, murder, corruption, disobedience,cowardice, treason, desertion, and con-spiracy are some examples. In general,anything that harms the army, its system,its government, or the people of that gov-

DRAGON 37

ernment is considered illegal. Sometimes a trial is used if the offender

might be innocent. However, only majorcrimes require this, and lesser offenses(such as sleeping on guard duty) need onlythe word of the offender�s superior officerto be taken as truth.

The severity of each crime should influ-ence the severity of the punishments. Notethat officers receive harsher punishmentsbecause they are expected to provideexamples to their men, and bad examplesare not appreciated. However, officers areexempt from certain punishments if suchpunishments reduce the respect given tothe officers by the troops; an unrespectedleader is a useless leader.

Some of the punishments follow, inorder of severity. Also, each punishmentinflicted is accompanied by a loss of fieldexperience points but not normal classexperience points.

Unpleasant duties (25 fxp lost per week).The offender is ordered to perform tasksusually reserved for new recruits, such aslatrine cleaning, kitchen service, and horsemanure shoveling, for 1-8 weeks. Officersare excluded from such duties.

Pay loss (150 fxp lost). The offenderforfeits 1-3 months pay. This is the mostcommon penalty given to officers, since itdoes not cause them to be humiliated infront of their men.

Flogging (500 fxp lost). The offender istied to a post and whipped by his immedi-ate superior. Typical numbers of lashesare five, 10, or 20, causing a total of 2-5 hpdamage. After flogging, the victim mustpass a constitution check (at +2 per fivelashes received) or be weak (half strengthand dexterity scores) for 24 hours. Offi-cers are exempt from flogging.

Gantlet of clubs (100 or 500 fxp lost).Sentenced only by violent or harsh offi-cers, the gantlet is a narrow lane lined by10 soldiers on either sides. The offender(who wears no armor) must run throughthe lane while each soldier swings a clubat him. Successful hits inflict 1-6 hp dam-age. If the victim is knocked unconscious,he loses 500 fxp, and a medic moves in tokeep him alive. If the victim passesthrough the gantlet without falling, he

only loses 100 fxp because he gains re-spect from the soldiers and officers. Offi-cers are exempt from this punishment.

Dragging (100 or 500 fxp lost). A ruthlesspunishment, dragging requires that theoffender be tied to the saddle of a horseand must run behind it for three hours.The victim must make three constitutionchecks, one for each hour, at +2 per pre-vious check. Failure means that he isdragged along the ground, taking 1-4 hpdamage per hour of dragging. Three suc-cessful ability checks indicates that theoffender remains running after threehours, and he loses only 100 fxp instead of500. Afterward, the offender is weak (halfstrength and dexterity scores) for 24 hours.If the offender breaks the rope or attacksthe horseman, he is flogged (or worse).Officers are exempt from dragging.

Unpleasant/Dangerous assignments(1,000 fxp lost). The victim of this punish-ment is usually either a common soldierwho has proven himself to be incurablytroublesome, or an officer who has greatlyangered his superiors. Typical penaltyassignments are garrison duty in a rebel-lious town, border duty near a wildernessfull of hostile barbarians, scouting in anarea overflowing with orcs, and patrollinga mosquito-infested swamp or sun-scorched desert. The assignments aremeant to punish the offender, not kill him.

Demotion (variable fxp loss). This pen-alty is reserved for an officer who hasproven himself too corrupt or incompe-tent to perform his duties at his presentlevel of responsibility. Demotion must beapproved by at least three officers whohave higher rank than the one to be pun-ished, so that the whims of a rival officerdo not ruin another soldier�s career. Thedemoted officer drops up to three levels inrank, depending on the severity of theoffense, and loses enough field experiencepoints to put him at the minimum amountneeded for that rank (see Table 3).

Execution. This punishment is usuallygiven to those guilty of murder, conspir-acy, desertion, or treason. The death maybe slow or fast, depending on the typicalalignment of the country. Hangings andbeheadings are the most common forms of

38 FEBRUARY 1990

execution, while more elaborate and cruelmethods are less common. If the offenderescapes, then he loses all field experiencepoints for that kingdom and becomes awanted outlaw.

RewardsThe first awards given to a soldiers is his

monthly pay, as determined on page 29 ofthe 1st Edition DMG or page 108 of the2nd Edition DMG. New recruits receivefour months� pay at the start, then getpaid at the end of each month of service.Pay advances and loans are not given.

Officers receive better pay. A sergeantgets 10 times the amount paid to thetroops he commands, while a lieutenantand a captain get 100 gp per level. A colo-nel or a general receives 600 gp permonth, plus 50 gp per level above 6th.

Field medals are awarded for courageand victory in battle. These medals comein many forms, but most resemble jewelry.Examples of field medals are listed below,along with field experience-point awards.

�A silver medallion to be worn aboutthe neck, given to a soldier who risks hisown life to save another�s (250 fxp).

�A small silver dagger to be strapped tothe upper arm, given to a soldier who kills10 opponents in one day (250 fxp).

�A silver cross to be hung on the breastarmor, given to a soldier who kills anofficer of the opposing army (300 fxp).

�A gold medallion to be hung on thebreast armor, given to an officer who winsa field battle against 1:2 odds or worse, orwho resists a siege at 1:5 odds or worse(1,000 fxp for sergeants, 5,000 for lieuten-ants, 20,000 for captains, 100,000 forcolonels, and 200,000 for generals).

�A silver star for the chest, given to anofficer who destroys a large force of ban-dits, stops a large riot, or ends a largepeasant rebellion; a good-aligned govern-ment will require that the officer alsoavoided a slaughter of civilians (500 fxpfor sergeants, 2,500 for lieutenants, 10,000for captains, 50,000 for colonels, and100,000 for generals).

�A gold disc (with sword insignia) to behung about the neck, given to each mem-ber of a scouting party who fought coura-geously to return to his army group andreport information that helped to avert amilitary defeat (500 fxp).

�A gold star to be pinned to the breastarmor, given to a soldier who performedexceedingly well during a special mission,at great risk to his own life (1,000 fxp).

Another type of award is a favorableassignment, such as raiding duty (forviolent or adventurous soldiers) or garri-son duty in a wealthy city.

Loot taken in raids and conquests shouldbe transported immediately to the royaltreasury, and any soldier (especially anofficer) who steals from this loot riskssevere punishments. Note that spies andinformers are usually present to reportsuch thefts.

However, looting has its rewards in field

experience points, and the points are

For example, if a lieutenant destroys anevil temple and delivers 5,000 gp to hisking from the temple, then he receives 750

divided as follows: The leader of the group

fxp, his captain receives 500 fxp, his five

that conducted the raid takes 15% of the

sergeants receive 1,250 fxp (or 250 each),and the 50 soldiers with him receive 2,500

total experience points to be awarded, his

fxp (or 50 each).Retirement is the final reward of serv-

immediate superior officer takes 10%, any

ice. At the end of his term of service, thesoldier receives an amount of gold equal to

lesser officers involved divide up another

one year�s pay for each five years of serv-ice completed. The retired soldier may

25%, and the common soldiers split the

also buy his armor and weapons from thearmy at - 2% the normal price per year of

remaining 50%.

service. If he leaves the army then reen-lists, his position will have been filled andhe will have to wait for an opening toapply for a position at his old rank; hischance of success is determined as with asoldier seeking promotion (detailed later)but with a +20% bonus. Another benefitof retirement may be citizenship in thekingdom that the soldier served.

PromotionsPromotion serves to elevate soldiers into

higher levels of command, in order to fillnew positions or to replace those wholeave old positions (either by death, demo-tion, injury, retirement, etc.). It may helpthe DM to know how many officers are inthe army, and this number can be foundby dividing the entire number of soldiersby the number commanded by each typeof officer (as shown on Table 2). For exam-ple, the City of Rel Astra in the WORLDOF GREYHAWK® setting can raise around9,500 troops, including levies and militiabut not navy; therefore, its full army hastwo generals, 19 colonels, 95 captains, 190lieutenants, and 950 sergeants.

As a rule, any organized army shouldhave at least one general and two colonels,though these officers may have to com-mand less than their maximum number of

soldiers because of the army�s size.Table 3 lists the officer ranks, minimum

field experience points necessary for thoseranks, and the percent chance that there

Once an opening exists, the soldier must

will be an opening for that position. Note

apply for promotion to his superior offi-cer. The chance of success is 0%, with the

that kingdoms are rated as being involved

following modifiers:

in no warfare, minor warfare, or majorwarfare.

+ 1% per intelligence, wisdom, andcharisma point;

+ 5% per silver field medal;+ 10% per gold field medal;+ 10% per previous attempt to reach the

same rank;- 25% if intelligence score is below 10;- 25% if wisdom score is below 10;- 25% if charisma score is below 10; and- 20% for would-be sergeants, colonels,

and generals (because of the number ofapplicants).

After promotion, the officer might re-main at his present assignment or betransferred to a new assignment (DM�soption). However, it is likely that the offi-cer�s superiors may want to test his abili-ties by giving him a dangerous assignment,such as campaigning, scouting, or raiding.

Note that if an officer loses the minimumfield experience points for his rank, hedoes not drop in rank unless he is offi-cially demoted.

A high-born character may attempt toenter the military as an officer rather thana common soldier. A character of theupper middle class may enter as a lieuten-ant, a character of the lower upper classmay enter as a captain, a character of themiddle upper class may enter as a colonel,and a character of the upper upper classmay enter as a general. There must be anopening in the rank sought, at which timethe character applies to a high-rankingmilitary officer for acceptance. To beaccepted, the character needs a letter ofrecommendation by his father (if the fa-ther holds the same rank the characterseeks, in the same army) or by an officerone rank higher. The base chance of ac-

40 FEBRUARY 1990

ceptance is 0%, with the following cumula-tive modifiers:

+ 1% per intelligence and wisdom point;+ 2% per fighter or cavalier level;+ 15% if father is in lower-upper class;+ 30% if father is in middle-upper class;+ 50% if father is in upper-upper class;- 30% if the character has no living

parents; and- 20% if the character�s parents are

unmarried.Also add or subtract the character�s

charisma reaction adjustments to thechance of acceptance. If the attempt fails,the character can only enter the army as acommon soldier. If the attempt succeeds,the character must still go through basictraining and take assignments like the restof the soldiers, but receives enough fieldexperience points (not normal experiencepoints) to put him at the minimum amountrequired for the rank he receives.

W h y e n l i s t ? The Dungeon Master may have trouble

convincing the players to enlist their char-acters in an army, especially if they are ofmedium or high levels and have a lot ofmagical items and treasure to lose. How-ever, there are several methods to enticePCs to enlist. It should be rememberedthat the PCs will be more enthused andcooperative if they enlist by their ownwill, rather than being forced into militaryservice. Also, lower-level PCs are easier toconvince. Try the following suggestions:

1. If the PCs desire power, glory, andmilitary strength, then the DM shouldpoint out that a career in an organizedarmy can offer all of these things.

2. The DM�s campaign setting could beplunged into warfare, the land overrun byarmies, scouting parties, and militarypatrols. The PCs might witness a majorbattle or two, be chased by a column ofheavy cavalry, or threatened by 50 arrowshitting the ground in front of them; soonthey may begin to feel helpless against thebrigades they encounter. The DM shouldlet them know that joining one army maybe better than running from all of them.

3. The PCs could have a hostile encoun-ter with a patrol or scouting party, prefer-ably one in which the PCs start thetrouble. The wrath of an entire armycomes down on them, and they becomefugitives hunted by a seemingly endlesssupply of professional warriors. The an-swer? Join an opposing army and add afew thousand companions to the fight! 4. The DM could mention that a PC cangain great military strength to conqueranother kingdom or overthrow the gov-ernment by moving up through the army�sranks.

5. To enter a hostile land whose bordersare heavily guarded, the PCs can join anarmy that plans to invade that land. Notethat this might have been Frodo Baggins�sonly option if he hadn�t known of Mor-dor�s secret entrance. Another version of

this method is for the adventure�s villain tocommand a great army, and the PCs mayneed to join the army that plans to attackthe villain, unless the PCs want to standalone against 1,500 heavy cavalry and3,000 light infantry!

6. In Oriental Adventures lands (espe-cially Wa and Kozakura), bushi PCs may

Table 1AMilitary Duties: No Warfare

1d100(plus modifiers) Duty

up to 10 construction11-40 patrolling41-60 scouting61-70 raiding71-100 garrison duty101+ special mission

Table 1BMilitary Duties: Minor Warfare

1d100(plus modifiers) Duty

up to 50 campaigning51-70 patrolling71-80 scouting81-85 raiding86-90 construction

91-100 garrison duty101+ special mission

Table 1CMilitary Duties: Major Warfare

1d100(plus modifiers) Duty

up to 65 campaigning66-80 patrolling81-85 scouting

86-100 garrison duty101+ special mission

join a daimyo�s army to prove their worthi-ness on the battlefield and achieve samu-rai status (note that such ah achievementincludes a bonus of + 10 honor points). InWa, where weapons are restricted toprofessional soldiers, the army also pro-vides freedom to use a variety of weapons.

Military adventures Service in a medieval army may seem

restricting, but there are many opportuni-ties for adventures. Some suggestions arelisted below, categorized by assignment.

Campaign: The PCs� group is ordered tocapture a castle. After a fierce battle, thePCs and their squad attack the sorcerer�stower, during which they encounter magi-cal traps, monsters, and a mid-level magic-user and his henchmen. In otheradventures, the PCs� squad may be or-dered to chase after an enemy squad thatis shadowing the army, capture intelligentmonsters in their lairs for questioning, orclear a dungeon of monsters and hostilecharacters.

Construction: Adventures during build-ing projects are rare but not impossible.The PCs may dig into a lair of monsters orfall into a cavern complex full of them.Wandering monsters, hostile natives, orenemy soldiers might show up at theconstruction sight of a border fort. Also,the PCs may get trouble from the pris-oners (such as criminals, evil spell-casters,or caged monsters) of the building theyare repairing.

Garrison duty: Guarding an importantplace is dangerous when sword-wieldingor spell-casting NPCs are determined toget past the guards. If the garrison troopsalso patrol a town or city, then there maybe powerful criminals (especially a thieves�guild) to challenge. The most action, how-ever, occurs if an enemy army surrounds

the garrison and attempts to pound itsway into the castle.

Patrolling: Many encounters are possiblein the countryside, such as those withwandering monsters, bandits, and adven-turers. The patrol might find a villagewhich needs protection from hostileforces, or may need to rescue a damselfrom an orc-infested cave. Any threat thatappears suddenly within a kingdom�sborders may first be discovered by a pa-trol, and there may be no time to call forreinforcements.

Raiding: Attacks on villages and caravansoutside the kingdom provide obvious

Continued on page 95

Table 4Officers: Number of Weaknesses

1d8 Weaknesses1 two2-4 o n e5-8 none

Table 5Officers: Types of Weaknesses

1d20 Weakness1-4 cowardice5-8 compassion

9-12 quick temper13-14 recklessness15-20 pride

Table 6Officers: Level of Weaknesses

1d20 saving1d6 Level throw1-3 slight 16+4-5 moderate 12+

6 extreme 6+

Table 2 Military Officers

Fighter BATTLESYSTEM� Command Number ofOfficer level supplement rank * g r o u p soldiersSergeant 1 � squad 10Lieutenant 2-4 unit commander

unit commander half-century 50

Captain 5-6 century 100Colonel 7-8 brigade commander brigade 500General 9+ army commander legion 5,000+

* The 2nd Edition (1989) BATTLESYSTEM rules uses a different system of command, detailed on pages 58-59 of that booklet.

Table 3Chances For Promotion

R e q u i r e d N o Minor MajorRank field xp warfare warfare warfareSergeant 500 80%/month 50%/week 95%/weekLieutenant 2,000 40%/month 30%/week 60%/weekCaptain 18,000 20%/month 30%/month 20%/weekColonel 70,000 10%/month 20%/month 30%/monthGeneral 250,000 10%/year 5%/month 15%/month

DRAGON 41

How to Win Wars andInfluence People

Lead your miniatures armies to fame and victory

To His Most Potent Ruler, King Beogard,from General Seros, Captain of the Host:

The war has begun, oh King. Hornsblare throughout the streets, and strongmen flock to the rolling drums. Yourproud vassals strut in their suits of steel,and eager peasants trail behind and cheer.This is what you dreamed of when youvowed to fight until the last goblin of theCrushing Foot tribe lay slain. Today weshare in a pageant of iron and glory, fol-lowed by a feast. Tomorrow you will seenone of it. Your troops will trudge, andthose long files will ooze into the black-ened fields, their members thinking ofnothing but rest and food. Your tactics, notthese celebrations, will bring victory ordefeat. Now you must lead your land tovictory in battle�and back to peace again.

The essence of military strategy is toattack enemies in their weakest spots,when they are least prepared, using asmuch force as possible. One wins wars byavoiding fair fights. It is not merely luckthat gives one side advantages in terrain,weather, or stronger troops. The muster-ing, supplying, budgeting, indoctrinating,and marching that come before a battlerequire as much skill as combat itself, andthey can give a clever strategist the victorybefore any blows have been struck.

With the introduction of the BATTLE-SYSTEM� supplement in 1985, and itsrerelease for the AD&D® 2nd Editiongame in 1989, both players and DMs cannow fight organized fantasy battles. ThePCs should use all of their skills in fight-ing, and DMs should account for the ef- fects of prebattle strategy. Since theBATTLESYSTEM rules contain only scantinformation on logistics and recruiting,this article presents variant rules as wellas strategic advice useful in many fantasyrole-playing games.

Unless otherwise noted, all references tothe BATTLESYSTEM rules in this articleare for the 1st Edition version; footnoteshave been added for 2nd Edition rulescomments. References to other AD&D 1stand 2nd Edition rule books are included.

PreparationsYour strategy must reflect the troops

by Thomas M. Kane

you can muster, the equipment they canbuy, and the countryside where they willfight. Some feudal rulers depended onheavy cavalry, since a king�s noble vassalswould never wield cowardly bows ordishonor themselves by fighting on foot.Only yeomen will serve as archers ortrained infantry, and these free, land-owning farmers barely exist on most ma-nors. A noble cannot conscript his serfs; ifpeasants are taken from their farms, theywill not be able to grow food, and both thelord and his army will starve. The oppositeis true when defending the homeland; the entire population can fight in a militia and(if near their homes) can tend their fields.

If PCs insist on conscripting peasants,the DM can simulate the resulting eco-

Victory can never come fastenough for the winner, and de-feat can never be delayed longenough to satisfy the loser.

Carl von Clausewitz, On War

nomic collapse by raising all prices. Figureout what percentage of the working popu-lation has been drafted, multiply it by aroll of 1d4, then add 100 to obtain thepercent amount of inflation caused. Thus,if half the peasantry is taken and the DMrolls a 2, all prices double ((50 × 2)+ 100= 200). The DM may choose to omit thedie roll and select a result. Overpopulatedcities can spare a large percentage of theirpeople, while tiny wilderness coloniesneed everyone they have. The DM shouldalso note that peasant troops will have thevery lowest morale ratings and combatabilities. This effectively simulates medi-eval conditions in which infantry wouldseldom face mounted knights, and inwhich civilians were often unaffected byfighting.

In more populated lands where merce-naries are common, you can design anarmy of your choosing. It is also possibleto recruit auxiliary troops from neutralfiefdoms. However; an army composed offoreigners is unwieldy. This has beenknown since ancient times, when Ma-chiavelli wrote, �[Mercenaries and auxilia-ries are] disunited, ambitious, without

discipline, faithless, bold among friends,cowardly among enemies; they have nofear of God, and keep no faith with men.. . . In peace, you are despoiled by them,and in war, by the enemy.� Clever DMs willrole-play mercenaries this way, havingthem demand higher pay at the least con-venient times (such as during battles).

The DM should decide exactly whattroops can be found in any given adven-ture. In a typical feudal world, roughly 5%of the population belongs to the nobleclass, and only young noblemen performhonorable military service. The middleclass makes up another 5% of the popula-tion, but its skilled craftsmen and mer-chants will probably be indispensable forsupplying an army (as detailed elsewhere)and cannot be wasted as soldiers. You mayconsult the article, �Armies From theGround Up,� in DRAGON® issue #125, formore information on raising troops.

Natural dangersThe harsher the landscape and weather,

the simpler your maneuvers must be.While troops struggle to survive the ele-ments, they cannot fight the enemy. Arm-ies simply must avoid hazardous terrain.One brave adventurer might risk a 10%chance of illness, but can a commander let10% of his soldiers fall ill? When you mustfight in dangerous terrain, strive to restyour troops and force the enemy to takeany risks. The defender usually has agreat advantage in rough landscapes,because he can wait in safety while theinvader must labor through the wildernessto attack. Defenders can also use impass-able terrain as extra guards that protectareas without troops.

DMs can use the BATTLESYSTEM rulesfor magic (rule 14.0) to convert effectsfrom the Dungeoneer�s Survival Guide andWilderness Survival Guide into BATTLE-SYSTEM terms. Ability checks and othersuch rolls can be treated like savingthrows vs. spells, where one save is madefor each figure.¹ To speed the rolling ofdice, use the optional BATTLESYSTEM rule14.3 that states �have one less than thesaving throw number of figures fail auto-matically for each multiple of 20 figures.�For example, if each figure must roll an 8

DRAGON 43

or higher on 1d20 to save, and 20 figures have both Monster Manuals, the FIEND chance to win by surviving for longer thanare affected, then 7 (8�1) figures fail. This FOLIO® tome, and the Monstrous Compen- their foe can afford to fight.averaging rule can be adapted to rolls on diums from which to choose special Most of an army�s expenses can be foundother dice. For example, in a mass ability troops, as well as all the different supple- in the AD&D rules. Rates of pay for mer-check (assuming that the average soldier mental monsters and character classes cenaries appear on page 30 of the 1sthas ability scores of 12), eight out of every that exist. Elven archers in dark woods, Edition DMG or page 108 of the 2nd Edi-20 figures fail the roll. This figure is de- lizard men in swamps, airborne hippo- tion DMG). Armor and weapon prices arerived by subtracting the number of results griffs, treeborne kech, insect swarms, and given in either edition of the Player�sthat indicate success from the total num- treant-controlled forests are only samples Handbook and in Unearthed Arcana. No-ber of possible rolls (20 - 12 = 8). of what you could use. ble knights have their own weapons and

Remember that disease kills more sol-diers than enemies ever will. Do not tireyour soldiers; find them clean shelters tosleep in, not filthy camps. The DM maycalculate the percent chance of a charac-

SupplyCrushing military budgets are no recent

phenomena. In 300 B.C., military strategistSun Tzu said, �In operations of war, when

armor, but the commander must buyequipment for other troops. Furthermore,new weapons will constantly be needed.Casualties recovered after a lost battle

(BATTLESYSTEM rule 16.1²) have alwayster becoming sick or infested with para-sites, using the rules on pages 13-14 of the1st Edition Dungeon Masters Guide. Thisequals the percent of soldiers afflicted.When a PC has a 3% chance of contractinga disease, three out of every hundredsoldiers get it. In a camp, without magicalaid, 15% of all sick warriors die, and therest recover after one month. During amarch, all diseased soldiers either die orabandon the army.

When terrain paralyzes normal armies,elite forces become nearly invincible. Theycan pounce, then escape into the wilder-ness with impunity. AD&D game players

The best strategy is to be verystrong.

Carl von Clausewitz, On War

one thousand fast four-horse chariots, onethousand heavy chariots, and one thou-sand mail-clad soldiers are deployed . . .the cost will amount to one thousandpieces of gold a day.� This money is spenton weapons, pay, and�most desperatelyimportant of all�food. A war will drainexcess money from PCs very quickly.However, the DM should consider the sizeof NPC budgets, too, and give the PCs a

been stripped, and 10% of all other troopslose their equipment each month. A PC�sarmy may forage weapons from defeatedenemies, but this will seldom provideenough arms of the right type. The 1stEdition DMG, pages 29-30, and the 2ndEdition PHB, page 65, show how fast newweapons can be made. Remember that anarmy also needs blacksmiths and armorersfor routine maintenance, and these char-acters won�t be available for making newweapons (see pages 29-30 of the 1st Edi-tion DMG). The DM may decide how manyartisans can be found in a given area.Katherine Kerr�s article, �An Army Travels

44 FEBRUARY 1990

On Its Stomach� (DRAGON issue #94), hasinvaluable information on logistics.

The obvious objective in logistic strategyis to spend as little as possible while mak-ing war expensive for the enemy. Cap-tured supplies are doubly precious, forthey both sustain your army and helpdeplete the enemy. Traditionally, victims ofinvasion try to outlast their enemies inprolonged campaigns, but there is noreason why attackers cannot win bythreatening their victims into bankruptingitself. Guerilla insurgents often succeedsimply because it is so expensive to de-stroy them. Every general soon sees whyMachiavelli measured the strength of hisenemies by the amount of provisions theyhad stored, not the size of their armies.

MarchesEven after your army is built, your plots

are laid, and your supplies purchased, theenemy may still be far away. Your armymust travel, and marches are chaoticaffairs in which stragglers die and disci-plined troops drift into slogging mobs. The1st Edition DMG shows the movementpenalties for huge armies on page 29; seealso the 2nd Edition PHB, page 120, andthe 2nd Edition DMG, pages 122-125. Sincethe entire army marches so slowly, youshould divide it into small parties and haveeach one travel separately from the oth-ers. The art of planning a march lies incoordinating the times when each groupwill use each road so that they all arrive atthe battle simultaneously.

When you reach the battleground, it willtake hours to organize marchers intoorderly brigades. Fortunately, the enemywill be at least as disorganized as you are.Until Frederick the Great developed thecadence step, marching armies were nomore than mobs. Normally, scouts wouldreport approaching enemies long before the battle, and both sides would stop toorganize themselves. If a marching armyblunders up to an organized enemy, itmust rally each figure separately, usingBATTLESYSTEM rules 6.0-6.4; units thatcontain unrallied figures must fight inmob formation (rule 2.10)3. If a com-mander attempts to travel with units inbattle formation, the army can move onlyhalf its usual number of miles per day. Insuch noncombat treks, troops will sustaintheir formations for one turn per disci-pline point. Afterward, the army muststop to rally each figure or else assumemob formation.

Since marching armies need so muchtime to organize themselves, you canalways refuse battle. A primitive com-mander never needs to suffer casualties ifhe is willing to surrender territory, unlessthe attacker completely surrounds hisentire army. Therefore, never fight unlessyou like the terrain. Defenders shouldseek out rough ground, and attackersshould try to bypass them. Choosing abattlefield is like an auction in which eachside tries to outbid the other in paying

space and time for tactical advantage. Youcan defend any fortification you choosewhen the enemy is rash enough to attackyou in it. Or, if the foe is timid, you canprolong the pursuit until your enemy hasabandoned everything worth defending.This tactic works best in tabletop gameswith lots of space and great variation interrain.

StrategyEven if you win every fight, you will lose

the war if the enemy can afford its lossesmore easily than you. For example, in theAmerican Civil War, General Grant usuallysuffered more casualties than General Lee,but he could replace soldiers and theConfederates could not. This is the differ-ence between strategy and tactics. Strat-egy is deciding, in general terms, what willdefeat the enemy; tactics is doing it. Only

When campaigning, be as un-fathomable as the clouds, movelike a thunderbolt. . . . Be seenin the east, and attack from thewest. Make a noise in the northand strike from the south.

Sun Tzu, The Art of War

strategy can bring victory, but only tacticscan make strategy succeed. No singleformula will apply to every plan, but thetypical requirements of strategy can besummed up these principles of war.

Select an objective: You cannot have acoherent strategy unless you know whatyou plan to accomplish. Small objectivesshould lead to greater ones, so that everyskirmish propels you toward victory.There are two common objectives forminor battles: to destroy enemy forces,and to acquire territory. In an entire war,the objective will be the capture of yourfoe�s economic and political resources. Ifan enemy depends on the wealth of acapital city, seize it. When one leadermasterminds the enemy force, then cap-ture, disable, or kill him. The DM shouldremember this principle, too, and know what effects various victories might have.

Will the foe�s army be able to fight after itloses its leader? Can the enemy continuewithout his capital city?

Sun Tzu, the Oriental strategist, listed auseful series of priorities for attack. Inorder of importance, they are:

1. Enemy plans. Pin down units that areessential to the foe�s strategy, and captureground over which enemies must travel. SunTzu said that to �win one hundred battles isnot the acme of skill. To win a battle withoutfighting is the pinnacle of skill.�

2. Hostile alliances. Create dissensionand mistrust, and make the war so costlyfor your foe�s allies that they desert.Whenever possible, separate enemy unitsfrom each other.

3. Enemy troops. If you cannot disablethe enemy army, you will have to destroyit. Direct combat wastes lives and equip-ment, but it is often unavoidable.

4. Enemy cities and fortresses. Siegesrequire enormous expenditures of re-sources, time, and soldiers. Attack strongplaces only when you have no alternative.

Fight offensively: You cannot let yourenemy decide how the battle is to befought, nor can you trust foes to defeatthemselves. Take action and resolve thebattle as rapidly as possible. The longerthe battle takes, the more things can gowrong. In the course of an entire militarycampaign, fighting is so expensive that a�ruler must end the war quickly to avoidruin. Many generals misunderstand theprinciple of the offensive. It does not meanthat one should recklessly attack, becauseentrenched defenders have a great tacticaladvantage. What this principle means isthat one should not be content to let abattle drag on; you must constantly pressfor victory. When enemies retreat, pursuethem.

Concentrate your forces: You cannever have too many troops at the decisivepoint, even if you have to weaken yourselfin other places becoming strong. If you tryto fight everywhere, you will not be able towin anywhere. Keep your forces togetherand concentrate them on one objective.

Be mobile: Fast troops can easily fulfillthe other principles of war. Always main-

D R A G O N 4 7

tain routes where you can advance, with-draw or bring in reinforcements, andnever burden troops with excessive armor,Strike with many units, not one mammothone. This way, you can distribute yourforces between battles in exactly the pro-portion you desire. Try to give your armya convex shape with internal lines of com-munication, so that the distance acrossyour army is shorter than the distancearound it. This way, your troops can shut-tle from one front to another faster thanthe enemy can surround them. Friendlysoldiers can go straight, while foes musttravel around your whole formation.

Use an economy of force: Rare is thefight when you can choose only one objec-tive, so you must use as much force aspossible against your primary objective,and as little as possible against the others.Deploy every unit that you have. All re-serves should eventually be used.

Cooperate: Your forces must fight onthe same side. Have your commandersunderstand each others� plans, and bal-ance each unit�s weaknesses with theirstrengths. For example, pikemen can keepcavalry away while archers fire. Horse-men can sweep behind the foe to cut offits retreat while infantry advances. If youhave several players each playing a com-mander, they must all agree on one plan,instead of each pursuing a separate one.

Be secure: Never assume that a plan isso effective that it cannot fail. You should

48 FEBRUARY 1990

always begin a battle with reserves andescape routes. Make sure that your armycan keep enemies from going around itand attacking its rear.

Surprise: There is no limit to the victo-ries you can win with surprise, because(by definition) a surprise involves someattack that the enemy is unprepared tocounter. Two sorts of surprise exist: strate-gic surprise, and tactical surprise. Strate-gic surprise consists of following anunexpected plan, moving to places that theenemy did not think to defend, and attack-ing foes that are preoccupied. A tacticalsurprise is an actual ambush. You achievethis effect by hiding soldiers in thick brushor using certain magical spells either tomake things invisible or to disguise themas unremarkable objects.

Use simple plans: Every time an armyattacks, it might lose vital units. Whenevertroops march, enemies can block them.The fewer stages a plan contains, themore likely it is to succeed. Often it is bestto wait until the battle has begun to for-mulate your strategy. After a few engage-ments, you will see where you are strongand where the enemy is weak, and whatsort of thrust could bring victory.

Use intelligence (the information-gathering sort): Your best plans will fail ifyou misjudge your enemy, but a clever spycan undo the strongest foe. Miniaturesgames, like the B,ATTLESYSTEM rules,present extremely realistic, intelligenceproblems; enemy commanders can seeeach others� figures and make rough esti-mates about their strength, but the actualdetails appear only on hidden unit rosters.DMs can create role-playing adventuresfor PC spies, in which they learn secretdata about the enemy. This informationcould be details of enemy units, secretambush plans, or battle strategies that theDM will follow. You can also use manyprobing techniques to scout during thebattle itself. Wizards, skirmishers, and fastcavalry make the best scouts. Use magicalattacks to gauge morale, and use swiftraids followed by retreat to reveal allother combat statistics. Of course, whenthe enemy is much stronger than yourscouts, be sure to have archers or othersupport troops nearby to hinder pursuit.

Orders of battleWhen your armies actually meet, you

must array your troops for the fight. Yourbattle line should be jagged so that whenenemies approach it they can quickly besurrounded. Make sure that differentunits can support each other and that allsoldiers can move either forward or back.Place archers near the center of your linewhere they can fire on as much of thebattlefield as possible. Strong cavalry alsobelongs near the middle of your army,while weak horsemen should go on eitherflank or in the rear. This way, the strongerunits are closest to any important fights,while the lighter cavalry remains free toscout or fight in flanking skirmishes.

Never start all your troops on the frontline. You need reserves to counter unfore-seen attacks and to deliver a series offresh attacks against vital objectives.

In some battles you may have severalunits of nearly useless troops. You mightwant to place slow, weak forces at thefront where they can absorb the firstattack. Once you see where the blows arefalling, you can concentrate your strongtroops against the most dangerous enemy.If you employ this policy, be sure that youdo not place the strong warriors directlybehind sacrificial units, because if fleeingtroops pass through braver units, they canincite the stronger ones to rout, too (seeBATTLESYSTEM rule 7.154). You can alsouse weak troops to build an oblique orderof battle, in which your army forms adiagonal line; poor troops are deep infriendly territory, and stronger warriorsare advanced far ahead of the others. Thestrong side pushes the enemy back andsqueezes it against the weaker units.

Each type of unit has its own uses andshould be deployed so as to take advan-tage of them. Cavalry favors sweepingmaneuvers in flat terrain. It can scout farahead of infantry, screen attacks, orcharge through enemy positions. Missiletroops are most likely to win a battle inimpassable terrain where they can forcethe enemy to plod through their fire.Swamps, rows of obstacles, and what theBATTLESYSTEM rules call �rough� terrain5

let missiles wreak their worst harm, sincethese landscapes not only slow the enemybut force it into open formation, encourag-ing routs. Archers can also devastate unitsplodding uphill toward them. Long-rangemissile duels can become slow, so youshould have other troops ready to pulver-

War is like unto fire, those whocannot put aside weapons arethemselves consumed by them.

Wang, 300 B.C., commenting onSun Tzu’s The Art Of War

ize the enemy after your archers haveweakened it. Otherwise, the foe may de-velop a counterattack. Infantry can onlyattack adjacent enemies and usually has aslow movement rate. Use foot soldiers indefense and to doggedly fight nearbyenemies. Since cavalry usually causesmuch more damage than infantry, foot-men should always be defended with pikes, missile weapons, or rough terrain.

OffenseThe goal of offensive maneuvers is to

surround the enemy. When you strikefrom many sides at once, you can severthe foe�s lines of retreat and reinforcementwhile concentrating your strength on thevictim. The most common way to encirclea foe is the single envelopment, in whichyou attack the enemy�s front, then snakeuncommitted units around the battle tofall on the foe�s side. When you have more

DRAGON 49

troops than the foe, you can attempt adouble envelopment and send armsaround both enemy flanks. Exotic troopscan surround the foe in even more imagi-native ways. You can use magic to teleportbehind the enemy or have griffon-mounted knights attack from the sky.

Another way to envelop the enemy iswith a turning maneuver. This involvesforming your troops into a line, thenswinging them in a circle by advancingone side and withdrawing the other. Whilefoes pursue retreating units, your linewraps around them. The danger in aturning maneuver is that your troops willbecome separated. For this reason, at-tempt it only when you have superiornumbers. You can also surround an enemywith the defensive-offensive maneuver.Here, you form a line and wait for theenemy to attack. As the foe charges, youwithdraw the line�s center and let your foeadvance deep into friendly territory. Thenyour retreat ends, and both of your flanksenvelop the attacker. This maneuver risksboth territory and soldiers but can com-pletely trap an enemy.

Instead of surrounding the enemy line,you could break through it. Infiltrators,shock troops, or magical blasts mightdisrupt the foe�s formation. Once you havepenetrated an enemy line, your soldierscan pour through the gap, divide the en-emy force into several parts, and envelopeach one. This tactic works well when theenemy has spread too few troops over a

50 FEBRUARY 1990

large area. Units in open or skirmish for-mation can be routed easily, opening holesfor a breakthrough.

When you have no alternative but afrontal attack, build two small groups of�shock units� and drive back the enemy�ssides. Then the enemy will have to retreathis entire line�sacrificing any units thatcannot escape�or allow his center tobulge out. You can besiege this bulge anddestroy it. If the enemy tries this tacticagainst your line, you must quickly sendcountershock troops to defend yourself. Acommander in BATTLESYSTEM rules has agreat advantage in choosing shock troopsthat real generals lack, because high-levelcharacters in AD&D games are farstronger than inexperienced ones. Onecan design a unit of 10th-level fighters andknow that it is roughly 10 times as strongas a normal force of its size.

Psychological warfareEven the most stunning victories seldom

destroy more than 30% of the enemy host.Battles are lost when soldiers panic andflee. Therefore, concentrate terrifyingattacks on troops known to have lowmorale. The BATTLESYSTEM rules onpage 7 (tables 4 and 5)6 show situationsthat make units rout, and you can studythese lists to learn ways of scaring the foe.For example, you can mix powerful physi-cal attacks with magical ones, so thatwhen the victim loses half its figures, itmust check morale twice. Once units do

When a cat guards the rat hole,ten thousand rats cannot comeout. When a tiger guards theford, ten thousand deer cannotcross.

Wang, 300 B.C., commenting onSun Tzu’s The Art Of War

flee, you can prevent rallies by sendingfast cavalry to chase them and maintainbase-to-base contact (BATTLESYSTEM rule6.17). Routing units hurt their allies farmore than some enemies do. If routers canbe herded past their side�s skirmish troops(or better yet, through a regular unit), achain reaction can develop, sending wholearmies into flight.

Always use the 1st Edition DMG moralemodifiers on pages 36-37 if they are al-lowed. Obviously, the situation modifiersare revamped in the BATTLESYSTEMrules, but all other rules remain the same.You can roughly convert the 1st EditionDMG scores to the 1st Edition BATTLE-SYSTEM morale system by dividing per-centages by five (note, though, that moraleis given with 2nd Edition Monstrous Com-pendium statistics). Rumors and propa-ganda can also raise an army�s spirits orshatter them. To determine if troops be-lieve what they are told, make a moralecheck. A successful roll means they be-lieve their commanders, while failure

indicates that they listen to the enemy.Thus, the same system applies when thePCs indoctrinate their own army as whenthey whisper to the foe.

Propaganda can modify morale by 1-3points (5-15%). As a DM, choose the exactvalue by deciding how much the messagewould affect you. Personal exhortationsfrom Thor will impress troops more thana rumor about pay raises. Propagandashould capture the spirit of existing ru-mors and sayings, because intellectualarguments based on pure logic seldomconvince mass armies (or anyone else).When indoctrinating your own troops,keep their thoughts on hatred, comrade-ship, and potential loot. Enemy troopsseldom change sides completely, but theycan tire of hardship and be persuaded thattheir incompetent generals no longerdeserve any loyalty.

At the DM�s option, certain events canact as propaganda. For example, if the PCsscorn existing codes of chivalry, their owntroops may be less loyal, while the foe willbe encouraged. Many an army has de-serted because of bad news from home orhas been spurred on to heroism by re-ports of enemy atrocities.

The morale of leaders is as important asthat of troops. A clever actor can oftenaccomplish things no strategist ever could,because if you look strong where you areweak, and weak where you are strong, theenemy�s strategy will be the opposite ofwhat it should be, You can often provokerash action by a sudden attack. When youretreat meekly, the enemy will usuallyrelax its defenses as its leaders becomeoverconfident. Illusion spells can simulatealmost any degree of strength or weaknessyou desire. If you look helpless where youare mighty, the foe may ruin itself in hope-less attacks; when you make a devastatingattack, the enemy may become too dispir-ited to resist, even though it could. Butbeware! If your defenses are pure bluffand the enemy realizes it, you will beannihilated.

Terrain, weather, etc.One uses the elements to complicate

battle. Defenders should take positionsdirectly behind rough terrain, so thatenemies have to march through the badterritory to reach them. Forests and otherdifficult landscapes insure that the attack-ers arrive in open formation, and theyprevent cavalry charges. High ground isvery easy to defend, and it lets units onhilltops fire missiles over allies ahead ofthem without using indirect fire (the WSGhas complete rules for visibility on pages72-75, as does the 2nd Edition PHB, pages117-118). For these reasons, attackersshould capture or avoid hills. One canoften lure foes from the protection ofrough terrain by exposing weak units asbait. Once enemies have abandoned theirpositions to attack, they must cross therough ground themselves to return.

Infiltrations and ambushes can win

entire wars. Hide your troops wheneverpossible and be wary of areas you cannotsurvey. The best way to defend a wooded,concealed area is to place troops in frontof it to keep enemies out. Then, if yourdefenders are attacked, they can retreatinto cover.

Exploit rough ground by controllingdefiles. The term �defile� indicates anyconstricted area, including bridges, can-yons, underground tunnels, city streets,mountain passes, roads through forests,and any other features that squeeze largeforces into thin columns. In a defile, onlythe few troops in front can fight. Thismakes small units almost as powerful asbig ones, because the only advantage anumerous force has in a defile is its largereserve. Avoid attacking defiles; instead,try to surround them and fire missiles infrom all sides. Constricted areas makeheroes and elite troops invaluable, becausethese warriors take up little room but canfight far more effectively than ordinarysoldiers. The DSG has rules for extremedefiles on page 34.

Every defender loves rivers. They forcethe attacker to seep across tiny bridges, orbuild boats and risk being devastated bymissile fire as they row. However, riversprevent counterattacks as efficiently asattacks. If you wish to engage the enemy,let half of the foes cross the river, thenattack them while the other half is stillcrossing. Once the whole enemy force hascrossed, a river has no value except toblock retreat. Attackers should try todestroy river defenders with missile fireor else bypass them. Once attackers havecrossed a river, the defender must avoidbeing outmaneuvered and driven into thewater.

Weather affects a battle only when oneside depends on inordinately fast move-ment or missile fire. Try to accomodateweather in your plans while forcing ene-mies to fight when their favorite tacticsare hampered. Darkness and fog allowstartling raids. However, the attacker is aslikely to be surprised as the defender, sonight attacks work best when the enemysuffers disarray or panic. You can also usedarkness to escape a stronger foe whenonly great daring can save you.

DefenseIf you have an effective defense, the

enemy will certainly try to go around it.You can use this fact to goad foes throughdangerous terrain or into the range ofmissile fire. If your defense is bypassed,you have four options: splitting yourforces to defend the new area as well;attacking the foe�s flank; blocking supplylines; and bypassing the bypasser to makea swift counterattack. Splitting your de-fenders lacks imagination and weakensyou everywhere, but it also carries fewerrisks than the other tactics. Blocking sup-ply lines can only work if the invadersmust march for many days. The two sortsof counterattacks are glorious when they

succeed but leave you undefended.Sooner or later, your troops will face a

retreat. Use cavalry to protect fleeing orrouting units, so that the latter will remainunmolested and can be rallied. When youretreat, move back slowly, doing morefighting than running, and use your re-serves to reinforce withdrawing troops,deterring pursuit. In a single battle, thebest hope for withdrawing units is to leadpursuers into traps or strategically unim-portant areas. In a complete war, you canoften win simply by delaying the attackeruntil its money and food have been spent.

enemy will never give in. When you plan awar, the strategy must be designed to make it easier for the enemy to concede whatever you want than to fight. There-fore, avoid enraging the enemy, since inthe end you must reach a compromise.

Only the DM can decide what will makethe party�s enemies surrender, or whatterms they will give defeated PCs. AntoineJomini listed six reasons to fight a war: todefend or claim certain rights; to protectmercantile interests; to maintain the bal-ance of power; to propagate beliefs; toacquire territory; to gratify a mania forglory. Clausewitz expressed this more

Guerilla warfareWhen you employ guerillas or adventur-

ing parties, or when winter disbands yourarmies, you will have to use insurgentwarfare. Guerilla bands depend on mobil-ity, concealment, and rough terrain. Theyfight only when they have some over-whelming advantage, and they concen-trate on supplies and isolated units, never

There has never been a state

concisely in his aphorism, �War is but thecontinuation of policy by other means.�BATTLESYSTEM game clashes cannot bedivorced from the complete AD&D cam-paign, and unless the PCs can negotiate alasting peace, they (and their players) maybe worn down by unending wars. Thissearch for peace is one of the primaryways in which role-playing military adven-tures differs from ordinary war games.Those brave enough to fight wars must be

which profited from protracted wise enough to end them.war.

Sun Tzu, The Art of War Footnotes[Kim Mohan, who edited the 2nd Edition

giving the enemy a chance to rest. Since BATTLESYSTEM rule book, contributed aguerilla units cannot afford casualties, number of notes on this article that maythey should disperse and run whenever be of interest to those using these newthe enemy stands to fight them. A tiny rules. His comments are paraphrased asband cannot defeat an army. Guerillas follows.]must cooperate with friendly armies or 1. The 2nd Edition BATTLESYSTEMinspire the people to rise up in masses. As rules do not provide for saving throws oran insurgent, woo such allies constantly similar mechanics. The new game is de-but do not let them infiltrate your leader- signed to be played without a DM (thoughship. An elite nucleus of guerilla leaders a DM may arbitrate various problems in anot only keeps traitors from learning too game, such as losses due to disease, starva-much, it inspires the people to greater tion, routing, etc.). The new rules aredeeds. designed for playing out scenarios that doAfter you�ve won not last for extended periods of time,

In a small battle, a general may leap lasting at most a day or two of game time.from one objective to a greater one, ex- Long-lasting battles would make more usetracting as much victory as possible from of many of the rules in this article, how-each fight. However, wars have to end. ever, as long as the players are willing toYour army can only defeat other armies, invest the time and materials to play them.not peoples or ideas. You can never afford 2. The 2nd Edition BATTLESYSTEMan army as big as a whole population, and. rules do not allow for casualty recovery asif the price of surrender is death, the Cont inued on page 95

DRAGON 51

Fantasy: Conan. Beautiful heroines inchain mail bikinis. Old guys wearingpointy caps and moon-covered robes,carrying staffs and tossing fireballs. Orcs.Little guys stuffing themselves with chowand smoking pipeweed.

Science fiction: Ray guns. Space suits.Bug-eyed monsters. Asteroid bases andprimitive planets with dinosaurs. Big oldspaceships with coruscating energy shieldsflashing through the spectrum as theyoverload from powerful beam-weaponattacks. Galaxy-spanning empires full ofsmugglers, space pirates, plucky rebels,and sinister Imperial cruisers.

Everyone knows you�ll never find spaceships and galactic empires in fantasy ad-ventures, right? And everyone knowsyou�ll never find wizards and hobbits inscience fiction, right?

A distinguishing feature of action-adventure genre fiction and role-playinggames is the universal acceptance of cer-tain conventional features of plot, charac-ter, setting, and theme. Westerns havesaloons, six-guns, and show-downs onMain Street, Fantasy narratives have oldwizards, mighty-thewed barbarians,green-skinned bad guys with long tusks,and magical jewelry. The science-fiction

genre really has a variety of self-definedsub-genres, each of which has its ownconventions (e.g., space opera, time-traveland alternate history, and the cyberpunknear-future dystopias).

Normally, everybody cheerfully andunconsciously honors the conventions ofthe various genres, avoiding the introduc-tion of features from one genre into an-other. Why? The concise, oversimplifiedanswer is that it�s what folk are mostcomfortable with. I mean, Gandalf with anAK-47 just doesn�t feel right.

But now and then someone playful andirresponsible decides to stir together little

DRAGON 53

bits from different genres. Most of thetime such experiments attract little atten-tion. They may be briefly diverting andamusing, but after the novelty wears off,the audience wants to get back to themeat-and-potatoes of solid genre stuff.

But occasionally such cross-genre experi-ments are welcomed and accepted byfiction and role-playing audiences. Suchsuccess is usually dependent on two condi-tions: a sluggish, jaded market weary ofconventional products and eager for nov-elty; and distinctive, exceptional qualitiesin the cross-genre products themselves.

A couple of years ago, Games Workshophad a big hit with its cross-genre science-fantasy universe of the WARHAMMER�40,000 game. GW handed automatic weap-ons and rocket launchers to some orks,stuck pointy-eared elves in fancy spacesuits, let daemons suck the souls fromsome guys in power armor, and was on itsway to a very solid commercial success.The WARHAMMER 40,000 system was nota role-playing game, but it did appeal to asubstantial portion of the science-fictionand fantasy audience, and it suggestedthat other similar experiments might bewelcomed by a role-playing audience.

Here we review three recent experi-ments in cross-genre role-playing gamesystems and campaign universes. I foundeach of them exciting and original, inspir-ing me with personal fantasies of theadventures and campaigns I�d love to runin these settings. And coming at a timewhen most current products of the estab-lished genres seem a little stale and pre-dictable, I wholeheartedly recommendthem to role-players looking for new andoffbeat mechanics and adventure ideas.

SPACE: 1889� game216-page hardbound bookGame Designers� WorkshopDesign: Frank Chadwick

$30.00

The SPACE: 1889 game is set in a near-past alternate history of Earth. Europeansare taking up the white man�s burden inAfrica and Asia in the settings of ZuluDawn and Stanley and Livingston, andEngland�s Victorian economic and militaryempire extends to the far-flung outposts ofFlashman, �The Man Who Would Be King,�and �The Jewel in the Crown.� But to thishistorical era we add the science-fantasyconventions of Tom Swift and Jules Verne.In this 1870, Thomas Edison demonstratedthe basic principles of space flight throughthe ether, and in this 1889, aircraft andspace travel are no more exotic than zep-pelins and arctic explorations. There areextensive colonies on Mars and Venus, andlimited exploration and exploitation ofMercury and the moon.

Campaign setting: The conceptualiza-tion and visualization of this alternatehistory is the most endearing feature ofthe SPACE: 1889 game. The space voyagingether flyers are steel-gray rivets-and-platessteam gunboats of the air, and the Martian

54 FEBRUARY 1990

cloudships are the nimble, graceful aerialsailboats of an ancient noble culture ineclipse. The mile-wide canals and soaringspires of the ancient Martians are dwarfedby the encroaching deserts of a dyingplanet. The Canal Martian culture is aproud and tragic vestige of a former highcivilization. The savage and barbaric Mar-tians of the remote plateaus guard thegreat treasure of Mars�the remarkableliftwood trees which counteract the pull ofgravity. Rare minerals in the soil and theexotic climate of the plateau produce boththe unique properties of liftwood and theHigh Martians� lifting glands which permitthem to soar like birds. And just as Mars isolder than Earth, and represents a techno-logical future past its prime, Venus is aworld of Earths youth, a lush, primevaltropical jungle inhabited by dinosaurs andlizardmen.

The text and graphics treatments of thisalternate history are evocative and effec-tive. The maps of the active and aban-doned canals of Mars feature Latinateplace names appropriate to the tone ofancient cultures. The explanations anddiagrams of the canals are simple andmatter-of-fact, but on a grand scale. Thethree major Martian cultures of the civi-lized Canal Martians, the barbaric HillMartians, and the savage High Martiansare simply but distinctly contrasted, eachpresenting its own opportunities for vari-ous styles of role-playing adventures. Thehistorical summaries of the colonization ofMars and Venus are admirably concise,coherent, and suggestive, unlike all-too-many fantasy supplements which mistakea sprawling flood of detail for an effectiveintroduction to an imaginary history. Thegame is a pleasure to skim and read, atribute to the GDW�s lean and carefulwriting, editing, graphic design, andpresentation.

Mechanics: Attributes and skills arerated from 1 to 6, indicating the numberof six-sided dice one throws when attempt-ing a task. The more difficult the task, thehigher the score that must be rolled tosucceed (for example, an easy task has atarget score of 4, a formidable task a tar-get score of 16, an impossible task a targetscore of 20). This is the basic event resolu-tion system.

Another more elaborate system is usedfor combat, in which the attacker attemptsto roll equal to or below his 1-6 skill ratingon at least one of one or more six-sideddice. In melee, the number of six-sidersrolled is determined by the type ofweapon (for example, a knife rolls 5d6,while an axe rolls 2d6). Melee weaponsvary in their reach, potential to wound,and difficulty to block. In missile combat,the attacker rolls six-siders equal to thenumber of shots or missiles he has fired.In both melee and missile combat, a targetgets a saving throw to avoid injury, withmodifiers for various circumstances, suchas when blocking in melee or when be-hind cover in missile combat. Characters

may also dodge, increasing an attacker�starget score by one.

The basic event resolution system basedon the rated abilities and skills is fast andsimple, similar to West End Games� STARWARS® system but with the addition of aconcept called �cascade skills,� in whichpossession of one skill within a group ofskills implies a significant but reducedrating in the other skills of the group (acharacter with a rating of 2 in rifle marks-manship is also rated at 1 in pistols andbows, rather than rated at 0 because hedoesn�t have those specific skills).

The combat system is somewhat morecomplicated�a bit more involved than inTSR�s AD&D® game, but less so than inSteve Jackson Games� GURPS® system�butits features are quite suitable for its owndramatic and gaming purposes. The scaleof combat (two yards per tiny graph papersquare) doesn�t encourage tedious atten-tion to tactical maneuver, and the pace andflow of combat has a nice feel. Most PCswill collapse unconscious long before theymight die from wounds, therefore facilitat-ing script rescues. The menu of tacticaloptions is adequate to a full expression ofthe setting�s� dramatic style; a British offi-cer can hold off a slew of savages withpistol and sabre. Provision is made forcarnage with machine guns, grapeshot,and shrapnel, but I�m sure those wouldnormally be reserved for villainous NPCs.Combat with critters is handled nicely,with fearsome beasts distinctly more vul-nerable and likely to run when wounded,but still dangerous in encounters, andprovided with 12 dramatically correctattack forms like fangs, claws, and tenta-cles. Even with its various features andcomplications, melee and missile combatshouldn�t take a GM long to master.

The SPACE: 1889 game includes sixpages of rules covering most of the fea-tures of its tactical airship system, the SKYGALLEONS OF MARS board game (soldseparately). It is possible, but silly, to makeyour own maps and counters to use theserules, but this section is an effective intro-duction to the board game itself. Boardingactions between airships would be won-derful set pieces for role-playing combats,with a handful of riflemen led by a �Britishofficer (sabre and revolver in hand) repel-ling hordes of barbaric boarders.

Rules for player-character invention ofJules Verne- and Tom Swift-style Victorianhigh-tech marvels are also provided. Theframework here is solid, though as withany open-ended invitation to player inge-nuity, a dignified restraint on the part ofplayers and GM is necessary to avoidabuses.

GM staging: The SPACE: 1889 gameprovides the GM with a full kit. The treat-ment of stock NPCs is fine and flavorful.The introductory adventure, a trip toLuna, is compact, complete, and simple inoutline, but open to problem solving,combat, and posturing for a variety of PCroles. The flavor of the basic narrative and

the creature, alien, and villain encountersare perfectly suited to the SPACE: 1889milieu, and the blessed economy of NPCstats and mechanics detail provided isquite promising to GMs who love to impro-vise adventures off the cuff or with aminimum of preparation.

Evaluation: This game is a wonderfulcampaign setting for action-adventurerole-playing. On one hand there is anabundance of unexplored wilderness withaliens, natural hazards, and ancient civili-zations to loot. On the other hand thereare inscrutable aliens to analyze, barbaricaliens to bash, and plenty of venal, sly, andsinister humans to scheme with or againstaccording to the shining or tarnishedideals of the PCs. The tone of the materialsand presentation is clear and concise,sharp and appropriate. Anglophilia isrampant and affectionate, paying tributeto a romantic image of the Victorian Brit-ish culture�at times exploitative, merce-nary, and racist, but loyal to Britain and itsgenteel aspirations, and at least moredignified and honorable than the otherEuropean nations competing for domina-tion of the inner Solar System. The me-chanics are relatively simple andfast-paced, not too difficult to master, anddetailed enough to suit the dramatic re-quirements of the setting. Best of all is theimaginative access to the history of the

Victorian Age, and the abundant adventur-ing potential of the canals and deserts ofMars and the steaming jungles of Venus.For me, the SPACE: 1889 game was purepleasure. It comes with my unreservedrecommendation. I suspect the setting willnot be to everyone�s taste, but for thosewho find its central concepts intriguing,I�m sure they�ll find the execution quitesatisfactory.

SHADOWRUN� game216-page hardbound bookFASA Corporation $28.00Design: Bob Charrette, Paul Hume, and

Tom Dowd

The SHADOWRUN campaign setting is acyberpunkish 21st century minus thespaceflight and plus a major, uncyber-punkish twist�the Awakening of Magic,the appearance of dragons in skies, andthe spontaneous manifestation of previ-ously unexpressed genetic traits, produc-ing new exotic species of humans knownas elves, dwarves, orks, and trolls. Theeclipse of national governments bymultinational corporations, the enhance-ment of human senses, reactions, memory,and processing by cybernetic hardwarefast-paced, not too difficult to master, andanalogue universe of Cyberspace and the

56 FEBRUARY 1990

Matrix will be familiar genre conventionsto readers of cyberpunk novels like Neuro-mancer and Hardwired. Cyberpunk itselfis a relatively young and vigorous sub-genre of science-fiction role-playing, bestrepresented by the award-winning CYBER-PUNK game by R. Talsorian Games (seeDRAGON® issue #149, �Role-Playing Re-views�). But SHADOWRUN cheerfully raidsbeyond the boundaries of cyberpunkgenre into the trappings of fantasy role-playing.

Campaign setting: The SHADOWRUNcampaign background material is muchless detailed and developed than that ofthe SPACE: 1889 game. The broad outlinesare there, and the elements and themesare more than sufficient to stir the GM�screative juices, but GMs looking for cam-paign material are going to have to waitfor the supplements.

The borrowings from the fantasy role-playing genre come in three areas: charac-ter races, monsters, and magic. Each ofthese is given a distinctive twist to suit it tothe cyberpunk setting.

The metahuman races�elf, dwarf, ork,and troll�are as significant for the nu-ances they lend to character roles as forthe game benefits they enjoy. Orks andtrolls are lovably dumb and durable, andelves are quick and charming; I suspectthe greatest virtues of the metahumanraces are the convenient handles theyprovide for role-playing characterization.But for those folks looking for game bene-fits, the real place to look is in wired re-flexes, skillwires, dermal plating, and theother exotic combat biotech for sale in the21st century.

The fantasy monsters (or �awakenedbeings�) are only introduced in outline inthe SHADOWRUN game book, but beingslike ghouls, nagas, shapeshifters, vam-pires, and great dragons have real poten-tial for strong cannon fodder, archvillain,and inscrutable alien ally roles in adven-tures and campaigns. For example, theintelligence and spell-casting ability ofnagas may qualify the species as sentient,according to a suit pending before theUnited Nations; the suit also calls for sanc-tions against nations and corporations thatemploy nagas, on the grounds of involun-tary servitude. And the Great DragonDunkelzahn, an affable monstrosity thathas kindly granted interviews with mediarepresentatives, now resides in a formerCanadian national park, which it adminis-ters as a sort of medieval theme park.

The most admirable fantasy feature ofthis game is its rich, full-featured, andimaginative implementation of role-playingmagic. On the down side, it is exception-ally dice- and modifier-happy, and is con-ceptually and mechanically hard for a newGM to master for smooth, confident ad-venture design and session management.On the up side, it covers a broader rangeof narrative and mythic magics with dra-matically appropriate mechanics than I�veseen in any other role-playing game.

DRAGON 57

This is a most impressive treatment offantasy magic. There are actually twobasic systems, one for the ShamanisticTradition, drawing power from nature andemotion, the other for the Hermetic Tradi-tion, the familiar spell, ritual, and incanta-tion magics of fantasy role-playing. Thenarrative trappings of both systems areatmospheric and persuasive.

Though the mechanics offer a somewhatbewildering array of details and features,the basic concepts are relatively simple.Particularly noteworthy are the systemsfor astral combat, ritual castings, andremote sendings. Spell offense and defenseare well-served; plausible magical duelsbetween sorcerers might work with thissystem, as they manifestly do not in otherfantasy systems, with the possible excep-tion of the complex and cumbersomesystem used by Hero Games� FANTASYHERO game. A sorcerer can even fight thepersonified presence of a spell; that is, asorcerer can, in a way, grapple in meleewith a spell when in astral space. There isa risk of failure and a risk of personalexhaustion, and even injury and deathwhen pushing one�s spell-casting abilitiesto the limit. The list of spells is relativelyshort, but the range of spell effects isnonetheless surprisingly broad and com-prehensive. I�m a long-time student of thevarious expressions of magic in role-

playing games, and the SHADOWRUNsystem offers most of the features I lookfor, and then some.

Mechanics: The SHADOWRUN gamesystems are sprawling, inelegant, incoher-ent, original, intuitive, and dramaticallyappropriate. On one hand, I admire theflavor and imagination of the varioussystems; on the other hand, I would notlook forward to mastering them for thepresentation of a SHADOWRUN adven-ture. Fortunately, the rules presentation isfairly clear. Terms are well-defined, exam-ples are used constantly to reinforce andillustrate game principles and flavor, andeach element of the mechanics has its ownsatisfyingly intuitive appeal. However, theoverall bulk of detail and systems is con-fusing; it�s certainly not the sort of thingyou run after a single read-through.

The basic concept involves a successtest�rolling a number of six-siders equalto the PC�s rating in a skill or attribute.The idea is to get a score on one or moreof those six-siders equal to or better than atarget number, which could be anythingfrom a 2 for a simple task to a 10 or morefor an impossible task. How do you get anumber greater than six on a six-sided die,you ask? Well, when you roll a six, you rollthat die again and add it to the six; if youroll another six, you keep rolling until youstop rolling sixes, then you add the total.

Further, if you achieve your target num-ber on only one of the handful of six-siders you roll, you have just barelysucceeded. The more successes youachieve (e.g., the more six-siders rolled forscores equal to or greater than the targetnumber), the higher your level of success,which may be interpreted in a number ofways according to circumstances.

Even further, many success tests areresisted; that is, the prospective victimgets to roll his dice to reduce the attacker�slevel of success. Even further than that,PCs have various dice pools (e.g., defensepool, dodge pool, magic pool), discretion-ary dice they can add once per turn tovarious dice tosses. And I haven�t evenbegun to list all the modifier tables and themyriad specific target numbers associatedwith various tasks. There�s going to be alot of dice bouncing and cross-referencingin the old town tonight, fellows.

What about SHADOWRUN game com-bat? Well, I�m not quite sure. First, therules aren�t quite explicit about whetherNPCs get to use dice pools like the PCs do.If they do, combats will last longer, andweedy PCs are going to take more heat.Further, when wired combatants are in-volved, nonwired folk should just crawlunder a desk and wait until the smokeclears. Unenhanced folk haven�t got muchof a chance against the cyber-charged

58 FEBRUARY 1990

fighter types. Even further, it seems thatwhen formidable wired-types come upagainst one another, combats will belonger and inconclusive, since wired folkswith dice pools have some serious abilityto avoid damage. On the other hand, withthe deadly weaponry of the 21st century,lightweight combat types caught in acrossfire are goners.

A lot is going to depend on the GM�sshrewd assessment of the balance be-tween PC and NPC abilities�somethingthat will come only through game sessionexperience, since this game�s unfamiliarsystems don�t provide intuitive handles forgame balance like the linear curves of1d20 or 1d100 resolution systems or thebell curve of the GURPS game�s 3d6 sys-tem. The SHADOWRUN game does have amechanically and philosophically flexibleattitude toward PC death. Until a GM getsa sense of the flow and balance of combat,he may need to rely on readily availablebiotechnology and flexible scripting tokeep the PCs alive for the next session.

I�m very ambivalent about SHADOWRUNmechanics. Although the setting and nar-rative trappings of the game are intrigu-ing, I find the profusion of unfamiliarmechanics and the number and variety offeatures they attempt to represent dis-couraging. And yet, each of the individualsystem elements is appealing and intui-tively satisfying; I suspect that with a littlemore patience and the cooperative interestof a group of like-minded gamers, gettingused to the game wouldn�t be a gloomyprospect.

PCs and NPCs: Here is one of the greatstrengths of the SHADOWRUN game. ThePC archetypes are a group of ready-to-runPCs along the lines of the PC templatesprovided in the STAR WARS game. A quickreview of these archetypes is a perfectintroduction to the tone and flavor of thecampaign. The characters are sharply andcunningly characterized with excellentcolor illustrations, brief introductorymonologues, and lists skills, cyberware,contacts, and gear that effectively suggestthe roles these characters would play inan adventure. The game also offers twomethods of custom-designing PCs�one afast-and-dirty modification of existingarchetypes, the other a more systematicbuild-from-scratch procedure.

The inclusion of contacts as an essentialpart of a PC�s resources is a crucial featurefor a cyberpunk role-playing setting. Incyberpunk literature and gaming, whomyou know may often count for more thanyour wits or your gun. In fact, the addi-tion of contacts to a PC�s resources is agood idea for any science-fiction or fan-tasy role-playing game with an urbansetting; an important element of problem-solving in such a campaign is knowing towhom you go for information or help, andhow to persuade that person to cooperate.The SHADOWRUN Contacts chapter is amodel of effective presentation of poten-tial NPC allies, informants, and opponents.

The short monologues, colorful quotes(e.g., the Dwarven Technician: �Now ain�tthat sweet! Them furriners sure like tomake their circuits small�; or the CompanyMan: �You�re being an annoyance to some-body important, chummer. I�ve been askedto resolve the matter�), and gritty illustra-tions provide a solid cast of characteractors to ornament the setting and stimu-late the charming PC-NPC dialogues onesavors in the best role-playing sessions.

The Matrix: The game�s treatment ofcyberspace is simple and dramatic, withlots of tasty detail and gaming potential.Unfortunately, Matrix-running is properlya solo activity rather than a team-of-characters procedure, and I�m concernedabout the prospect of other players sittingaround twiddling their thumbs while onenetrunner works his own form of magic inthe cybernet. Still, this is more an adven-ture design and management problem forthe GM than a game design flaw.

Introductory adventure: The intro-ductory adventure is no more than a com-bat encounter�a free-for-all shoot-out in aconvenience store; it�s like an AnimalHouse food fight with automatic weapons.The humorous tone of the explicit systemsfor explosive spraying of foodstuffs struckby shotgun blasts is a bit too lightheartedand zany when one considers the impliedexplosive spraying of body fluids whencitizens are struck by shotgun blasts. Thisdeparture from the gritty, realistic, ironic,but never zany tone of the rest of thebook is jarring, and the adventure exploitsneither the distinctive cyberpunk featuresnor fantasy trappings of the rest of theSHADOWRUN game; as such, it is a poorshowcase for the game�s considerablevirtues.

Presentation: This is one of thosebooks that grabs you as soon as you crackthe cover. The illustrations and colorplates do an excellent job of conveying thetone and texture of the SHADOWRUNuniverse at a glance, and the Archetypesand Contacts chapters, with their sharplycharacterized depictions, snappy dialogtags, and simple skills and trappings lists, are effective imaginative entries into thesettings. The examples throughout illus-trating systems and rules are flavorful anddramatic. The rules presentation is cleanand unambiguous, despite the bulk andvariety of unfamiliar concepts introduced.

Evaluation: The SHADOWRUN cam-paign setting is an adorable and surpris-ingly coherent amalgam of cyberpunk,sorcerers and shamans, and teeth-chattering automatic weapons fire. The PCroles are meaty and offbeat, with interest-ing interplays between elements from thecyberpunk and fantasy genre traditions.The systems�well, they�re clever and ascute as puppies, but there sure are a lot ofthem, and plenty of detailed modifiers andcircumstances to consider, and folks surehave a lot of dice to roll and choices to,make during a single game turn. Thepresentation is first-class�flashy and

expressive, but clean, explicit, and read-able. The themes and adventure opportu-nities will appeal to cyberpunk fans, andsome elements (like the Matrix system andthe NPC contacts) will be valuable supple-ments to current cyberpunk campaigns.The SHADOWRUN game is impressive,exciting, and entertaining; I�ll be lookingforward to campaign and adventure sup-plements with considerable enthusiasm.

SPELLJAMMER� supplementSupplement for the AD&D® gameBoxed set with two 96-page softbound

books, four full-color 22x34 map/displays, 20 color card-stock referencedisplays, four colorful card-stock cut-out counter sheets

TSR, Inc. $18.00Design: Jeff Grubb

The color cover of the Concordance ofArcane Space, one of the two 96-pagebooks included in the boxed SPELL-JAMMER package, is the perfect visualprecis of the epic themes of the SPELL-JAMMER role-playing universe. In thebackground are the blackness of the void,pinpoint stars, and the vast concentricswirl of a spiral galaxy. In the middlebackground floats one of the sailing shipsof SPELLJAMMER space�a combination ofa Greek war galley, Jules Verne�s Nautilus,and a mammoth exotic tropical fish. In theforeground stands a swashbuckling, eye-patched fantasy pirate with a green-and-

DRAGON 59

gold treasure chest on one shoulder. At hisfeet lies a wounded mind flayer (one ofthose lovely octopus-mouthed guys withthe bulging braincases), peering regret-fully at his nautiloid-shaped gold watchdangling from the point of the star bucca-neer�s sword (see illustration below),

Elves, dwarves, and wizards loot andpillage the sea lanes of the stars. Hugeasteroids, dwarven star-citadels, and ti-tanic fantasy starships, conveniently hon-eycombed with passages and teeming withboojum horrors and sinister slavers sailthrough space. Starship-to-starship fleetactions see 250�-long squid ships bombard,ram, grapple, and board the chambered-nautiloid cruisers of the illithid races. Nowyou can sail from solar system to solarsystem along the great currents of phlogis-ton C�mon, lads! Buckle on your breast-plate, grab your wand of shooting stars,and let�s go plunder the plenum!

Campaign setting: The basis of inter-planetary travel is the spelljammer helm(�helm� as in rudder, not armored helmet).Just take any spell-caster (wizard orpriest), sit him on a spelljammer helm, andyou can zip around from planet to planetlike Buck Rogers. A mysterious race calledthe Arcane, the sole manufacturer anddistributor of spelljammer helms, is in nohurry to open retail outlets on every back-water planet in the universe, which is whythe PCs in your campaign have neverheard of spelljamming before now.

The PCs in your campaign also don�tknow anything about outer space. Thereare two kinds of outer space, you see. Oneis �wildspace,� which is a little bit like theouter space you science-fiction fans knowabout�that is, a vacuum with a bunch ofplanets, asteroids, and stars zoomingaround in circles. The physics of wild-space is a bit different than you mightexpect. For example, gravity comes in onlytwo sizes�none and normal (e.g., Earthgravity). It also is �an accommodatingforce in that its directions seems to be�that which is most convenient.�� Forplanet-sized bodies, gravity is directedtoward the center of the object. For fairlybig objects (about 25� long) like spacecrattand enormous creatures, gravity is di-rected toward a flat plane runningthrough the object�s long axis�that is,parallel to the deck of a space galleon, soPCs can stand on the decks and swaggerand shoot arrows and board other spacegalleons and stuff. (Incidentally, they couldequally well stand on the bottom of thespace craft, which they don�t, for practicalreasons well explained in the text.)

The second kind of outer space is the�phlogiston,� which is a big ocean of aunique element that is neither air, fire,water, or earth. Zillions of vast crystalspheres float around in the phlogiston likebubbles in Perrier water. The phlogistonocean has big currents, just like a realocean that greatly facilitate swift spelljam-

ming voyages between crystal spheres.Within these crystal spheres are the vari-ous regions of wildspace, including thevarious semi-normal solar systems you�dexpect in outer space, but also lots of not-normal-at-all solar systems with a planet atthe center, or with square or trapezoidalplanets, or with planets that move insquare or triangular orbits, and so on.Each crystal sphere is a solid, ceramic-likeshell with a radius about twice as large asthe radius of the orbit of the outermostcelestial body in the system (yes, a ceramicsphere with twice the radius of the orbitof Pluto). Something as vast and weird andmagical as crystal spheres could only havebeen created by gods, and only they knowwhy, and they�re not telling.

Role-playing mechanics: There areall kinds of interesting details aboutbreathing in space, temperatures in space,magic-use in space, combat in zero gravity,and the catastrophic effects of fire in theflammable medium of phlogiston. Thephysics is cheap-and-cheerful, tailor-madefor swashbuckling AD&D fantasy action,with original and simple concepts that arealso enormously flexible, with an appeal-ing internal fantasy logic. The systems fordesigning starships and for celestial navi-gation are simple and playable. The visualdisplays representing planetary systemsfor design and space travel are particu-larly practical and clever; these large fold-out maps with counters make it possible tographically depict the orbits of a system�splanets and to track the movement ofstarships among those planets.Board-game mechanics: The boxed

set includes mechanics, counters, shipdisplays, and a map display for tacticalengagements among spelljamming craft.The mechanics are explicitly designed tosupplement role-playing, not as a stand-alone board game, and as such are suit-ably simple and informal. Maneuvering isgrossly simplified, as it should be, thoughthe fairly detailed rules for fleeing off thedisplay and for pursuit of vessels leaving

the display is a shrewd feature. Long-range combat is permitted with ballistas,catapults, bombards, and jettisons, anarray of small antipersonnel catapults. (No,you are not permitted to ask any interest-ing questions about how catapult trajecto-ries work in the zany SPELLJAMMERgravity.) Close combat (i.e., combat withother vessels in the same hex) includes theuse of spells and bows, crossbows, andother personal missile weapons. Alsoincluded in close combat are provisionsfor ramming, grappling, and boarding.The critical-hit system for damage to star-ships is colorful and decisive. A very sim-ple and gross mass-combat system issuggested for resolution of boardingactions, but I suspect that GM staging is awiser scheme for handling such engage-ments The starship mechanics, display,and counters will comfortably handlesmall engagements, particularly long-rangeshoot-outs and evasion and pursuit situa-

60 FEBRUARY 1990

tions, but there�s just no way to quicklyand cleanly handle boarding actions at thisscale. And it is a gesture of the purestoptimism to include the huge elven Ar-mada and the asteroid-sized dwarvenCitadel in the counter mix.

The niftiest bits of the tactical engage-ment systems are the 8½� × 11� card-stock displays for 11 types of spelljammerships. On one side of each display is alovely color illustration of one of thestandard classes of spelljammer starship�the Neogi Deathspider, the Oriental Dra-gonship, the mind flayers� Nautiloid, theelven Man-o-War, the Hammership, andthe Squidship�with a reference summaryof tactical combat features. On the reverseof the display are deck plans with mapkeys for the ship�ideal for role-playingadventures.

Adventures in space: The adventureand campaign potential for SPELL-JAMMER games can only be measured intons. The design includes all the elementsneeded to support a galaxy-sized multi-verse fantasy campaign. Most of the oldfavorite good-guy races are represented.The elves are the largest political andmilitary presence in space; they�ve justcompleted a remarkably successful exter-mination of interstellar orcs and goblinsthroughout the known universe. Dwarveslumber around in huge spacefaring aste-roids, honeycombed with tunnels, andtheir abandoned fortresses are just thething to find full of loot and bloodthirstysessile grogs. The lizard man race gradu-ates to a tarnished first-class status oflovably savage and uncouth barbarism,and they are available as PCs. Tinkergnomes (the obsessively gadget-happygnomes of the DRAGONLANCE® campaignsetting) provide the cosmic comic relief,with starship technology reminiscent ofthe �Completely Safe and Reliable� R&DDepartment in West End Games� PARA-NOIA� system.

The bad guys are swell, too. Two oldfavorites, the beholder and the mindflayer, win starring roles as intergalacticmenaces, and a new race, the neogi,makes its appearance. The neogi are anasty slaver race with the physical appear-ance of a cross between a wolf spider anda moray eel. Each neogi individual isguarded by his personal umber hulk slave.The mind flayers are evil, brain-suckinghorrors who have polished up their socialskills sufficiently to present a dubiouslyneutral facade to trading partners as theysecretly scheme toward the day when allintelligent races will be their vassals andbrain-food. The beholders, with theirabundant magical powers, are perhaps themost formidable warrior race of the uni-verse, but fortunately they are too busyslaughtering one another to present a bigthreat to other spacefaring races.

The SPELLJAMMER set also includesnew interstellar races, some of which mayserve as alien encounters and potentialallies, like the dracon (a centauroid race

62 FEBRUARY 1990

with a dragon-headed humanoid torsografted to a mini-brontosaurus body andlegs) and the giff (humanoid hippopotamusmercenaries with an enthusiasm for gun-powder weapons). New creatures includekindori (space whales), krajen (giant space-faring squid), and radiant dragons (aproud and intelligent race of really bigdragon-snakes hundreds of feet long).

The SPELLJAMMER set provides excel-lent practical advice and GM staging de-vices for introducing standard AD&Dcharacters to spelljamming and for devel-oping adventures and campaigns exploit-ing the set�s role-playing features. The listof religious, military, political, and eco-nomic organizations with special interestsin space provides the GM with a menu ofnarrative elements to weave into a cam-paign, and provides PCs with familiarsocial institutions to help define theirpersonal roles and with potential re-sources and conflicts for role-playingdiplomacy. The spacefaring races withtheir cultural objectives and obsessionsfurnish the epic themes required for asatisfying large-scale campaign.

The SPELLJAMMER set is suitable forseveral basic models of role-playing adven-turing. One is the classic look-for-loot andbash-monsters while doing-more-or-less-good-deeds model. There are plenty ofopportunities for this sort of action�abandoned and derelict spelljammer ships,dwarven citadels, asteroid bases, and soforth�and plenty of good guys and badguys to encounter. Trading and piracy aregood central economic structures foradventure, with lots of wilderness travelencounters and guaranteed potential fordiplomacy and combat with other races.Mercenary service provides employmentfor combat-skilled PCs who want to seethe universe and kill a subset of it fordecent wages. Diplomacy and intrigue areexcellent possibilities in the well-developedstewpot of racial and political conflicts.And for those in search of the unknown,the SPELLJAMMER universe is an open-ended invitation to exploration, with innu-merable alien worlds to visit.

The planetary systems containing thethree official TSR AD&D campaign worldsettings (Krynn of the DRAGONLANCE®saga, Tori1 of the FORGOTTEN REALMS�setting, and Oerth of the WORLD OFGREYHAWK® setting) are described, withcharts of relative planetary distances andtravel times, and reports on the majorcelestial bodies in each system. Thesetreatments are clear models and inspira-tions for a GM who wishes to design hisown planetary systems. Greyspace (thesystem of Oerth) is geocentric, with Oerthat the center of the system and with thesun and other planets orbiting Oerth.Greyspace also boasts some of the mostexotic celestial body types, such as elon-gated, flat, and irregular worlds, as well asasteroid belts and cluster formations.

The set also contains color fold-out mapsof the Spelljammer, a colossal manta-ray-

shaped starship a quarter-mile long and ahalf-mile from wing tip to wing tip, andthe Rock of Bral, an asteroid merchant andpirate port. The Spelljammer starship is anenigmatic legendary artifact of the space-ways; who knows what might be found inthe castles and passages of this mysteriousFlying Dutchman? (This is a do-it-yourselfenigma, GM.) Since many adventurers andsages have visited this ship, seeking itssecrets, at the very least one can loot thebodies of those who died testing its de-fenses. The Rock of Bral is designed as asuitable jumping-off site and homeworldfor beginning SPELLJAMMER adventur-ers. Apart from the map and some noteson historical background and variousdistricts, the Rock of Bral is also a GM do-it-yourself project, but the scale, themes,and personalities suggested are a solidstarting point for the ambitious GM.

Evaluation: The SPACE: 1889 andSHADOWRUN games are original andexciting, but they are likely to appeal tomore experienced, sophisticated role-players. Both require mastery of unfamil-iar game systems; historical and near-future settings make more demands ongame systems and coherent campaigndesign; and neither springs from a foun-tain of action-adventure genre literature.

But the SPELLJAMMER set is part of theAD&D game. Few new mechanics need tobe mastered, and they�re based on ever-so-familiar AD&D system conventions. TheSPELLJAMMER universe is just as tolerantof bizarre and blithely illogical campaignsettings as most AD&D universes havealways been. And, though the adventuresettings, bogus technology, physics, andsome of the monsters and races are unfa-miliar, at the heart of the set are the ever-so-familiar leading characters of thefantasy role-playing genre�fighters,magic-users, clerics, thieves, halflings,elves, dwarfs, and so on. In fact, in theintroductory stages of a SPELLJAMMERcampaign, the GM needn�t even master allthe SPELLJAMMER mechanics until thePCs manage to get hold of their own star-ship with spelljamming technology.

The SPELLJAMMER set is a perfectevolution of the big, flexible, open-ended,and fun-loving elements of AD&D role-playing adventure. There�s loads of actionand loot, mystery and intrigue here forPCs, and a universe full of fantasticworlds, starships, and aliens to be popu-lated by the fevered dreams of fiendishGMs. Just look at the floor plans of thevarious starships and the implications ofasteroids honeycombed with tunnels andfilled with mysterious artifacts and alienmonsters, and you�ll see the perfect ration-ale for Dungeons in Space. The tone, ob-jectives, and spirit are just right for itsaudience and purpose. The presentation iscolorful and wonderfully imaginative�onelook at the starship illustrations on theship display cards, and I was ready to play.The rules and game concepts are simple,open-ended, and unpretentious, in keeping

with the best traditions of AD&D role-playing, and remarkably comprehensivewithout intimidating in volume and detail.And the box is heavy and filled with neat,pretty stuff.

The SPELLJAMMER set is a gloriouslysilly idea executed with spirit andimagination. It makes me want to dust offmy ancient AD&D PCs and spend a coupleyears before the mast, treading the deckswith my trusty companions, sailing theether oceans in search of high adventureand a couple armloads of plus-one swords.

Oh. I almost forgot. There�s this reallyneat space-drive called a furnace. Guesswhat it burns for fuel? Magical items! Andmagical artifacts! Finally, a practical usefor the rod of seven parts and the talismanof pure good I�ve been carrying around allthese years! Couldn�t you just die?

Short and sweet

Lofty Squib greet you in the name of uni-versal buddy-buddiness, irrespectful of

Scavenger Hunt, by Brad Freeman. WestEnd Games, $10.00. This adventure sup-plement for West End Games� STAR WARSsystem is a masterpiece of GM staging. Thetwo featured alien races are competingcultures specializing in the scavenging andartistic appreciation of space garbage.Particularly endearing are the Squib,lovably characterized in charming mono-logue read-alouds throughout the adven-ture: �So, dealers of abridged decks, we of

differences in stations, no less.� Both theSquib and the Ugor as noble contendersfor the refuse of the stars are light-spiritedand amusing, a virtue in its own right, butthe clever and elaborate presentation ofthe language and culture of these aliens isa reminder of the lamentably weak char-acterization of alien and monstrous racesin the bulk of science-fiction and fantasyrole-playing. Scavenger Hunt is by far thebest STAR WARS supplement I�ve seen andis highly recommended.

PC1 Tall Tales of the Wee Folk, by JohnNephew. TSR, Inc., $9.99. This well-written and imaginative D&D® supple-ment provides rules for playing brownies,centaurs, dryads, fauns, hsaio, lepre-chauns, pixies, pookas, sidhe, treants,wood imps, and woodrakes as PCs. Thetreatments of these beings as PCs areremarkably faithful to the tone and dignityof their fairy sources, and the adventuresfeaturing these character types are origi-nal and satisfying. This supplement ishighly recommended for D&D and AD&Dgame players and may be a pleasant sur-prise for any sophisticated role-playersinterested in the traditions and legends offairie.

Hardwired, by Walter John Williams. R.Talsorian Games, Inc., $12.00. This source-book for R. Talsorian�s CYBERPUNK systemis written by the author of the cyberpunk

novel of the same name. The sourcebookis a treatment of the novel�s setting and istrue to the novel�s tone and style. Theadventures exploit themes, characters,multinational archvillains, and narrativethreads from the novel, all to very goodeffect. A compelling and expressive evoca-tion of a cyberpunk campaign setting,Hardwired is good reading, and the adven-tures are first class.

64 FEBRUARY 1990

t was a chill night for spring, un-doubtedly the reason there were somany people in the inn. The innwasn�t accustomed to such crowds. Infact, it wasn�t accustomed to anycrowds, for the inn was new, so newthat it still smelled of fresh-hewn wood

and paint instead of stale ale and yesterday�s stew. Called�Three Sheets,� after a popular drinking song of the time,the inn was located in�. But where it was located doesn�tmatter. The inn was destroyed five years later in theDragon Wars.

But it would be some time yet before the Queen ofDarkness plunged the world into what she hoped would beeternal night. Already, however, in these years just priorto the war, her evil shadow was spreading. Goblins hadalways been a problem in this realm, but suddenly whathad been small bands of raiders who struck isolated farmshad grown into armies attacking villages.

�What�s His Lordship offering?� queried a mage cladin red robes who occupied a booth�the one nearest thefire and the most comfortable in the crowded inn�alone.No one thought of joining him. Though the mage wassickly in appearance, with a hacking cough that nearlybent him double, those who had served with him in pre-vious campaigns whispered that he was quick to anger andquicker with his spells.

�Standard rate�two pieces of steel a week and abounty on goblin ears. I signed us up.� The man respond-ing was a large, burly warrior who sat down opposite hisquestioner. Shedding his plain, undecorated cloak in theheat of the room, the warrior revealed hard-muscled armsthe size of tree trunks and a chest like a bull�s. He un-buckled from around his waist a swordbelt, laying on thetable near at hand a sword with every appearance of hav-ing been well and skillfully used.

�When do we get our pay?��After we drive out the goblins. He�ll make us earn it

first.��Of course,� said the mage, �and he won�t be out any

cash to those who die. What took you so long?��The town is packed! Every mercenary on this side of

Ansalon is here, not to mention horse traders, camp fol-lowers, swordmakers, and every kender not currentlybehind bars. We�ll be lucky to find a place in a field tospread our blankets this night.�

�Hullo, Caramon!� called out a leather-armor-cladman, coming over to the table and clapping the warrioron the back. �Mind if I share your booth?� he asked,starting to sit down. �It�s standing room only in thisplace. This your twin I�ve heard so much about? Intro-duce us.�

The mage lifted his head and fixed his gaze upon thestranger.

Golden eyes with pupils the shape of an hour-glass glit-tered in the shadows of the red hood. The light in the innglinted off golden skin. Near at hand stood a woodenstaff�obviously and ominously magical�topped by amultifaceted crystal clutched in a dragon�s claw. Gulping,the man rose quickly to his feet and, with a hasty farewellto Caramon, took his ale to a distant corner of the com-mon room.

Raistlinand theKnight ofSolamnia

by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

Illustrations by Larry Elmore

DRAGON 65

�He looked at me as if he saw me on my deathbed!�muttered the man to more congenial companions.

�It�s going to be a cold night tonight, Raist,� said thewarrior to his brother in a low voice when the two werealone. �It smells like snow in the air. You shouldn�t sleepoutside.�

�And where would you have me sleep, Caramon?�asked the mage in a soft, sneering voice. �In a hole in the

pouches containing �the possessions of everyone who hadbeen unfortunate to cross his path hung from his belt.

�You�re answerable for him, then,� said the proprietorgrimly, marching the kender across the room, one handgripping the slight shoulders firmly. There was a wildscramble as men stuffed their purses inside their shirts,down their pants, or wherever else they thought theirvaluables might be safe from a kender�s light and nimble

ground, like a rabbit, for that is all we can aff�.� He fingers.broke off in a fit of coughing that left him breathless. �Hey! Our water!� Caramon made a grab for the inn-

His twin gazed at him anxiously. Pulling a coin from a keeper but got a handful of kender instead.shabby purse he wore at his belt, Caramon held it up. �Earwig Lockpicker,� said the kender, holding out his�We have this, Raist. You could sleep here tonight and the hand politely. �Friend of Tasslehoff Burrfoot�s. We met atnext night.� the Inn of the Last Home. I couldn�t stay long. There was

�And what would we do for food in the interim, my that misunderstanding over the horse. I told them I didn�tbrother? We won�t get paid for a fortnight, at least.� steal it. I can�t think how it came to follow me.�

Caramon lowered his voice and, leaning across the �Maybe because you were holding firmly onto thetable, grasped hold of his brother�s arm to draw him near. reins?� suggested Caramon.�I could snare us something, if need be.� �Do you think so? Because I�Ouch!�

�You�d be the one to end up in a snare, you fool!� The �Drop it!� said Raistlin, his thin hand closing tightlymage jerked away from his brother�s touch. �The lord�s over the kender�s wrist.men are all over the woods, hunting for poachers with �Oh,� said Earwig meekly, releasing the pouch that hadonly slightly less enthusiasm then they�re hunting for gob- been lying on the table and was now making its way intolins. No, we�ll return to camp tonight. Don�t fuss over the kender�s pocket. �Is that yours?�me. You know how I hate it, I�ll be fine. I�ve slept in The mage cast a piercing, infuriated glare at hisworse places.� brother, who flushed and shrugged uncomfortably. �I�ll

Raistlin began to cough again, the spasms shaking his get that water for you, Raist. Right now. Uh, Inn-frail body until it seemed he must split apart. Pulling out a keeper!�cloth, he pressed it over his mouth. Those who glanced �Well, look over there!� said the kender, squirmingover in concern saw that, when the mage withdrew the around in his seat to face the front door as it closed behindcloth, it was covered with blood. a small group of travelers. �I followed those people into

�Fix me my drink!� he ordered Caramon, his lips town. You can�t imagine,� he said in an indignant whisperforming the words for he had momentarily lost the power that carried clearly across the room, �how rude that manof speech. Collapsing in a corner, he closed his eyes and is! He should have thanked me for finding his dagger,concentrated on drawing breath. Those near could hear instead of��the air whistle in his lungs. �Greetings, sir. Greetings, my lady.� The proprietor

Caramon, peered through the crowd, attempting to findthe barmaid, and shouted for boiling water. Raistlin slid a

bobbed and bowed officiously. The heavily cloaked manand woman were, to all appearances, well dressed. �You�ll

pouch across the table toward his brother, who picked it be wanting a room, no doubt, and then dinner. There�sup and carefully measured out some of its contents into a hay in the stable for your horses.�mug. The inn�s proprietor himself came bustling overwith the hot water in a steaming kettle. He was just about

�We�ll be wanting nothing,� said the man in a harshvoice. He was carrying a young boy in his arms and, as he

to pour when a sudden shouting rose up around the door. spoke, he eased the child to the floor, then flexed his arms�Hey, there! Get out you little vermin! No kender al- as though they ached. �Nothing except a seat by your

lowed!� cried several of the guests. fire. We wouldn�t have come in except that my lady-wife�Kender!� Kettle in hand, the proprietor ran off in a is not feeling well.�

p a n i c . �Not well?� The innkeeper, backing up, held out a dish�Hey!� shouted Caramon after the flurried innkeeper cloth in front of him as a sort of shield and eyed them

in exasperation, �you forgot our water!� askance. �Not the plague?��But I tell you I have friends here!� A shrill voice rose �No, no!� said the woman in a low, cultivated voice.

up from the doorway. �Where? Why,��there was a mo- �I am not ill. I am just tired. and chilled to the bone, thatment�s pause� �there! Hi, Caramon! Remember me?� is all.� Reaching out her hand, she drew her son near.

�Name of the Abyss!� muttered Caramon, hunching �We have walked a great distance.�up his big shoulders and ducking his head. �Walked!� muttered the innkeeper, not liking the sound

A short figure, about the height and stature of a twelve- of that. He looked more closely at the family�s dress.year old human, with the face of a man of twenty and the Several of the men standing around the fire moved towide-eyed innocent expression of a babe of three, was one side., Others hurried to draw up a bench, and thepointing gleefully at the booth of the warrior and hisbrother. The figure was clad in a bright green tunic and

overworked barmaid, ignoring her waiting customers, puther arm around the woman and helped her to a seat. The

orange stripped hose. A long tassle of hair was twisted woman sank down limply.round his head and hung down his back. Numerous �You�re white as a ghost, milady,� said the barmaid.

66 FEBRUARY 1990

�Let me bring you a posset of honey and brandywine.��No,� said the man, moving to stand by his wife, the

child clinging closely to his father. �We have no money topay for it.�

�Tut, tut. Talk of money later,� said the barmaidbriskly. �Call it my treat.�

�We�ll not take charity!� The man�s voice rose to aangry shout.

The boy shrank close to his mother, who glanced at herhusband, then lowered her eyes. �Thank you for yourkind offer,� she said to the barmaid, �but I need nothing.I�m feeling much better already.�

The proprietor, stalking his guests, noted that by fire-light their clothes were not nearly so fine as they had firstseemed. The man�s cloak was frayed at the hem and travelworn and stained with mud. The woman�s dress was cleanand neat but many times mended. The boy, who appearedto be about five or six, was clad in shirt and trousers thathad obviously once been his father�s, cut down to fit hissmall, thin frame. The proprietor was about to hintbroadly that only those who spent money in his inn had aright to his fire when he was distracted by a scream frominside the kitchen.

�Where�s that kender?� the innkeeper cried in alarm.�Right here!� shouted Earwig eagerly, raising his hand

and waving. �Do you want me?�The proprietor cast him a baleful glance, then fled.�Humpf,� said Caramon in an undertone, his eyes on

the woman. She had shoved the hood of her cloak backwith a weary hand, revealing a pale, thin face once beauti-ful, now anxious and worn with care and fatigue. Herarm stole around her son, who was gazing up at her inconcern, and she hugged the boy close. �I wonder whenthe last time was those two had anything to eat,� Caramonmuttered.

�I can ask them,� offered Earwig helpfully. �Hey, lady,when�Ulp!�

Caramon clamped his hand over the kender�s mouth.�It�s no concern of yours, my brother,� snapped Raist-

lin irritably. �Get that imbecile innkeeper back here withthe hot water!� He began to cough again.

Caramon released the wriggling kender (who had actu-ally been silent for as long as three minutes on account ofhaving no breath left with which to talk) and heaved hisgreat bulk to his feet, peering over the heads of the crowd for the proprietor. Smoke was rolling out from under thekitchen door.

�I think he�s going to be a while, Raist,� said Caramonsolemnly. �I�ll get the barmaid.�

He tried to catch the barmaid�s eye, but she was hover-ing over the woman.

�I�ll go and fix you a nice cup of tarbean tea; milady.No. It�s all right. There�s no charge for tarbean tea in thisinn. Is there?� she said, flashing a threatening look at theother customers.

�No. No charge. None,� chorused the men in response.The cloaked and booted man frowned, but swallowed

whatever words he might have wanted to say.�Hey, over here!� Caramon shouted, but the barmaid

was still standing in front of the woman, twisting herapron in her hands.

�Milady,� she began hesitantly, in a low voice, �I�vebeen speaking to cook. We�re that busy tonight, we�reshorthanded. It would be a gift of charity, milady, if youcould help us out. It�d be worth a night�s lodging and ameal.�

The woman cast a swift and pleading glance up at herhusband.

�Uh, oh,� muttered Caramon and eased himself backinto his seat.

Her husband�s face was livid. �No wife of a Knight ofSolamnia will work in an inn! We�ll all three starve and goto our graves first!�

All talking and bantering and laughter ceased in theinn, the silence falling gradually as word circulated. Alleyes went to the man. Hot blood flooded to his cheeks. Hehad obviously not meant to reveal such a thing abouthimself. His hand went to his smooth-shaven upper lipand it seemed to those watching that they could almost seethe long, flowing mustaches that marked a Knight of So-lamnia. It was not unusual that he had shaved them off.For long centuries the Order had stood for justice and lawon Krynn. Now the knights were hated and reviled,blamed for bringing down the wrath of the gods. Whatcalamity had forced this knight and his family to flee theirhomeland without money and barely the clothes on theirbacks? The crowd didn�t know and most of them didn�tcare. The proprietor now wasn�t the only one who wantedthe knight and his family gone.

�Come along, Aileen,� said the knight gruffly. He puthis hand on his wife�s shoulder. �We�ll not stay in thisplace. Not when they cater to the likes of that!� His nar-rowed eyes went to Raistlin, to the red robes that pro-claimed him a wizard and the magical staff that stood byhis side. The knight turned stiffly to the barmaid. �I un-derstand the lord of this realm seeks men to fight the gob-lins. If you could tell me where to find him��

�He�s seeking fighters,� sang out a man in a far cornerof the common room. �Not pretty boys dressed up infancy iron suits.�

�Ho, you�re wrong, Nathan,� called out another. �Ihear His Lordship�s lookin� for someone to lead aregiment� a regiment of gully dwarves!�

There was appreciative laughter. The knight chokedwith fury, his hand went to the hilt of his sword. His wifelaid a gentle hand restrainingly on his arm. �No, Ga-wain,� she murmured, starting to rise to her feet. �Wewill go. Come.�

�Stay put, milady. And as for you . . .� The barmaidglared at the boisterous crowd. �Shut your mouths orthat�ll be the last cold beer I draw for anyone in this inntonight.�

Quelled by this awful threat, the men quieted. Puttingher arm around the woman, the barmaid looked up at the

knight. �You�ll find His Lordship in the sheriffs hall,about a mile down the street. Go tend to your business,Sir Knight, and let your lady-wife and the boy rest.There�s a lot of rough men there,� she added, seeing theknight about to refuse. �It�s no fit place for your child.�

The proprietor came hurrying up. He would have likeddearly to throw all three out of his inn, but he could seethat the crowd was siding with his barmaid in favor of the

DRAGON 67

woman. Having just put out a grease fire in the kitchen,the last thing he needed was a riot.

�Go, Sir Knight, will you, please?� pleaded the inn-keeper in a low voice. �We�ll take good care of your lady.�

The knight seemingly had no choice. Gnawing his lip,he gave an ungracious assent. �Galeth, watch over yourmother. And speak no word to anyone.� Glancing mean-ingfully at the mage, the knight drew his cloak around hisshoulders, cast his hood over his face, and stalked out ofthe inn.

�His Lordship�ll have nothing to do with a Knight ofSolamnia,� prophesied Caramon. �Half the army wouldquit if he hired him. What did he look at you like that for,Raist? You didn�t say anything.�

�The knights have no love for magic. It�s somethingthey can neither control nor understand. And now, mybrother, the hot water! Or are you going to watch me diehere in this wretched inn?�

�Oh, uh, sure, Raist.� Caramon stood up and begansearching the crowd for the barmaid.

�I�ll go!� Earwig leaped to his feet and skipped out ofreach to disappear into the crowd.

Talk and laughter resumed. The proprietor was arguingover the tab with two of his patrons. The barmaid haddisappeared back into the kitchen. The knight�s wife,overcome by weariness, lay down upon the bench. Theboy stood protectively near her, his hand on her arm. Buthis gaze strayed to the red-robed magic-user.

Raistlin cast a swift glance at his brother. Seeing Cara-mon preoccupied in attempting to capture the barmaid�sattention, the mage made a slight, beckoning gesture withhis hand.

Nothing appears as sweet as fruit we are forbidden toeat. The boy�s eyes widened. He looked around to see ifthe mage meant someone else, then looked back at Raist-lin, who repeated the gesture. The boy tugged gently athis mother�s sleeve.

�Here, now. Let your ma sleep,� scolded the barmaid,hustling past, a tray of mugs in her hands. �Be good for afew moments, and when I come back I�ll bring you atreat.� She vanished into the crowd.

�Hey, there! Barmaid!� Caramon was waving his armsand bellowing like a bull.

Raistlin cast him an irritated glance, then turned backto the boy.

Slowly, drawn by irresistible curiosity and fascination,the child left his mother�s side and crept over to stand nearthe mage.

�Can you really do magic?� he asked, round eyed withwonder.

�Here, there!� Caramon, seeing the kid apparentlybothering his brother, tried to shoo him away. �Go onback to your ma.�

�Caramon, shut up,� said Raistlin softly. He turned hisgolden-eyed gaze on the boy. �Is your name Galeth?�

�Yes, sir. I was named after my grandfather. He was a knight. I�m going to be a knight, too.�

Caramon grinned at his brother. �Reminds you ofSturm, doesn�t he? These knights, they�re all daft,� headded, making the mistake that most adults make in think-ing that children, because they are small, have no feelings.

68 FEBRUARY 1990

The boy flared up like dry tinder cast in the fire. �Myfather�s not daft! He�s a great man!� Galeth flushed, real-izing perhaps that his father hadn�t seemed all that great.�It�s just that he�s worried about my mother. He and Ican do without food, we�re men. But my mother. . .� Hislower lip began to tremble, his eyes filled with tears.

�Galeth,� said Raistlin, casting Caramon a glance thatsent the big man back to shouting for the barmaid,�Would you like to see some magic?�

The boy, too awed to speak, nodded.�Then bring me your mother�s purse.��Her purse is empty, sir,� said the boy. Even though

young, he was old enough to understand that this was ashameful thing, and his cheeks flushed.

�Bring it to me,� said Raistlin in his soft, whisperingvoice.

Galeth stood a moment, undecided, torn between whathe knew he should be doing and what he longed to do.Temptation proved too strong for six years. Turning, heran back to his mother and gently, without disturbing herrest, slipped her purse from the pocket of her gown. Hebrought it back and handed it to Raistlin, who took it inhis long-lingered, delicate hands and studied it carefully.It was a small leather bag embroidered with goldenthread, such as fine ladies use to carry their jewels. If thisone had ever had jewels in it, they had long since beensold to buy food and clothing.

The mage turned the purse inside-out and shook it. Itwas lined with silk and was, as the boy said, pitifullyempty. Then, shrugging, Raistlin handed it back to theboy. Galeth accepted it hesitantly. Where was the magic?He began to droop a little in disappointment.

�And so you are going to be a knight like your father,�said Raistlin.

�Yes!� The boy blinked back his tears.�Since when, then, does a future knight tell a lie?��I didn�t lie, sir!� Galeth flushed, �That�s a wicked

thing!��But you said the purse was empty. Look inside.�Startled, the boy opened the leather bag. Whistling in

astonishment, he pulled out a coin; then gazed at Raistlinin delight.

�Go put the purse back, quietly now,� said the mage.�And not a word to anyone about where the coin camefrom, or the spell will be broken!�

�Yes, sir!� said Galeth solemnly. Scurrying back, heslipped �his mother�s purse into her pocket with a stealthyskill that would have made a kender proud. Squattingdown next to his mother on the floor, he began to chew ona piece of candied ginger the barmaid tossed to him, paus-ing every now and then to share a conspiratorial grin withthe mage.

�That�s all well and good,� grunted Caramon, leaningon �the table, �but what do we do now for food for the nextweek?�

�Something will turn up,� said Raistlin calmly. Raisinghis frail hand, he made a weak gesture and the barmaidhurried to his side.

The soft glow of twilight darkened to night. The innbecame even more crowded, hot, and noisy. The knight�s

wife slept through the turmoil, her exhaustion so apparentthat many looked upon her with pitying eyes and mut-tered that she deserved a better fate. The boy fell asleep,too, curled up on the floor at his mother�s feet. He neverstirred when Caramon lifted him in his strong arms andtucked him near his mother. Earwig returned and satdown next to Caramon. Flushed and happy, he emptiedout his bulging pouches onto the table and began to hap-pily sort their contents, keeping up a nonstop, one-sidedconversation at the same time.

After two hours, Sir Gawain returned. Each man in theinn who saw him enter nudged a neighbor into silence sothat all were quiet and watching him attentively as hestepped into the common room.

�Where�s my son?� he demanded, staring arounddarkly.

�Right here, safe and warm and sound asleep,� an-swered the barmaid, pointing out the slumbering child.�We haven�t made off with him, if that�s what you�rethinking.�

The knight had grace enough to look ashamed. �I�msorry,� Gawain said gruffly, �and I thank you for yourkindness.�

�Knight or barmaid, death takes us all alike. At leastwe can help one another through life. I�ll wake your lady.�

�No,� said Gawain and put out his hand to stop her.�Let her sleep. I want to ask you��he turned to the pro-prietor � �if she and my son can stay the night. I willhave money to pay you in the morning,� he added stiffly.

�You will?� The proprietor stared at him suspiciously.�His Lordship hired you?�

�No,� answered the knight. �It seems he has all thefighters he needs to handle the goblins.�

An audible sigh whispered through the room. �Toldyou so,� said Caramon to his brother.

�Shut up, you fool!� Raistlin returned sharply. �I�minterested to know where he�s planning to find money thisnight.�

�His Lordship says that there is a woodland not farfrom here, and in that woodland is a fortress that is of nouse to him or to anyone because there is a curse laid uponit. Only��

�A cursed fortress? Where? What kind of curse?� de-manded an excited Earwig, scrambling up onto the tableto get a better view.�

�The Maiden�s Curse,� called out several in answer.�The fortress is called Death�s Keep. No one who hasentered it has ever returned.�

�Death�s Keep!� breathed the kender, misty-eyed withrapture. �What a wonderful-sounding place!�

�A true Knight of Solamnia may enter and return.According to His Lordship, it takes a true knight to lift thecurse. I plan to go there and, with the help of Paladine,perform this deed.�

�I�ll come wi�� Earwig was offering magnanimously,when Caramon yanked the kender�s feet out from under-neath him, sending the green-clad figure sprawling face-first on the floor.

�His Lordship has promised to reward me well,� con-cluded Gawain, ignoring the crash and the kender�s wailof protest.

�Uh, huh,� sneered the proprietor, �And who�s goingto pay your family�s bill if you don�t return, Sir TrueKnight? You�re not the first of your kind to go up there,and I�ve never seen a one come back!�

Nods and low voices in the crowd affirmed this.�His Lordship has promised to provide for them if I

fail,� answered Gawain in a calm and steady voice.�His Lordship? Oh, that�s quite all right then,� said the

proprietor, happy once more. �And my best wishes toyou, Sir Knight. I�ll personally escort the lady and yourboy�a fine child, if I may say so�to their room.�

�Wait just a minute,� said the barmaid, ducking be-neath the proprietor�s elbow and coming to stand in frontof the knight. �Where�s the mage who�ll be going withyou to Death�s Keep?�

�No mage accompanies me,� answered Gawain, frown-ing. �Now, if there is nothing further you want of me, Imust leave.� He looked down at his sleeping wife and,with a gentle hand, reached out to touch her hair. Fearingit would waken her, however, he drew back. �Good-bye,Aileen. I hope you can understand.� Turning swiftly, hestarted to leave, but the proprietor grabbed his elbow.

�No mage! But didn�t His Lordship tell you? It takes aknight and a mage to lift the Maiden�s Curse! For it wasbecause of a knight and a mage that the curse was placedon the keep.�

�And a kender!� Earwig shouted, scrambling to hisfeet. �I�m positive I heard that it takes a knight and amage and a kender!�

�His Lordship mentioned some legend about a knightand a mage,� said Gawain scornfully. �But a true knightwith faith in his god needs the help of no other being onKrynn.�

Freeing himself of the proprietor�s plucking hand, theknight started toward the door.

�Are you truly so eager to throw away your life, SirKnight?� The sibilant whisper cut through the hubbub inthe inn, bringing with it a deathlike silence. �Do you trulybelieve that your wife and son will be better off when youare dead?�

The knight stopped. His shoulders stiffened, his bodytrembled. He did not turn, but glanced back at the mageover his shoulder. �His Lordship promised. They willhave food and a roof over their heads. I can buy themthat, at least.�

�And so, with a cry of �My Honor is My Life� you rushoff to certain defeat when, by bending that proud neckand allowing me to accompany you, you have a chance toachieve victory. How typical of you all,� said Raistlin withan unpleasant smile. �No wonder your Order has falleninto ruin.�

Gawain�s face flushed in anger at this insult. His handwent to his sword. Caramon, growling, reached for hisown sword.

�Put away your weapons,� snapped Raistlin. �You area young man, Sir Knight. Fortune has not been kind toyou. It is obvious that you value your life, but, beingdesperate, you know no other way to escape your misfor-tune with honor.� His lip twisted as he said the last word.�I have offered to help. Will you kill me for that?�

Gawain�s hand tightened around the sword�s hilt.

DRAGON 69

�Is it true that a knight and a mage are needed to liftthe curse?� he asked of those in the inn. (�And a ken-der!� piped up a shrill voice indignantly.)

�Oh, yes. Truly,� averred everyone around him.�Have there been any who have tried it?�At this the men in the inn glanced at each other and

then looked at the ceiling or the floor or the walls or staredinto their mugs.

�A few,� said someone.�How few?� asked Caramon, seeing that his brother

was in earnest about accompanying the knight.�Twenty, thirty maybe.��Twenty or thirty! And none of them ever came back?

Did you hear that, Raist? Twenty or thirty and none ofthem ever came back!� Caramon said emphatically.

�I heard.� Using his staff to support him, Raistlin rosefrom the booth.

�So did I!� said Earwig, dancing with excitement.�And we�re still going, aren�t we,� Caramon said

gloomily, buckling his swordbelt around his waist. �Someof us, that is. Not you, Nosepicker.�

�Nosepicker!� Hearing this foul corruption of a namelong honored among kender, Earwig was momentarilyparalyzed with shock and forgot to dodge Caramon�s largehand. Catching hold of the kender by the long ponytail,the big warrior skillfully tied him by the hair to one of theinn�s support posts.

�Why is it you�re doing this, mage?� asked Gawainsuspiciously as Raistlin walked slowly across the room.

�Yeah, Raist, why is it we�re doing this?� Caramonshot out of the corner of his mouth.

�For the money, of course,� said Raistlin coolly. �Whatother reason would there be?�

The crowd in the inn was on its feet, clamoring in ex-citement, calling out directions and advice and layingwagers on whether the adventurers would return. Earwig,tied fast, screamed and pleaded and begged and nearlyyanked his hair out by the roots trying to free himself.

�The name�s Lockpicker!� he shrieked indignantly.It was only the barmaid who saw Raistlin�s frail hand

very gently ruffle the sleeping child�s hair in passing.

Half the patrons of the inn accompanied them down anold, disused path to the fringes of a thick forest. Here,beneath ancient trees that seemed ill-disposed to have,their rest disturbed, the crowd bid them good fortune.

�Do you need torches?� one of the men shouted.�No,� answered Raistlin. �Shiruk,� he said softly, and

the crystal ball on top of his staff burst into bright, beam-ing light.

The crowd gasped in appreciative awe. The knightglanced at the glowing staff askance.

�I will take a torch. I will not walk in any light that has,darkness as its source.�

The crowd bid them farewell, then turned back to theinn to await the outcome. Odds were running high infavor of Death�s Keep living up to its name. The wagerseemed such a sure. thing; in fact, that Raistlin had somedifficulty in persuading Caramon not to bet against them-selves.

70 FEBRUARY 1990

Torch in hand, the knight started down the path. Raist-lin and his brother walked some paces behind, for theyoung knight walked so swiftly that the frail mage couldnot keep up.

�So much,� said Raistlin, leaning on his staff, �for thecourtesy of the knights.�Gawain instantly halted and waited, stony-faced, forthem to catch up.

�Not only courtesy but just plain good sense to keeptogether in a forest as dark and gloomy as this one,� statedCaramon, �Did you hear something?�

The three listened, holding their breaths. Tree leavesrustled, a twig snapped. Knight and warrior put hand toweapon. Raistlin slid his hand inside his pouch, graspinga handful of sand and calling to mind words of a sleepspell.

�Here I am!� cried a shrill voice cheerfully. A small,green and orange figure burst into the light. �Sorry I�mlate,� said Earwig. �My hair got caught in the booth.� Heexhibited half of what had once been a long tassle. �I hadto cut myself loose!�

�With my dagger!� said Caramon, snatching it away.�Is that one yours? Isn�t that odd. I could have sworn I

had one just like it!�Sir Gawain came to a halt, scowling. �It is bad enough

I must travel in the company of a magic-user���I know,� said Earwig, nodding sympathetically. �We�ll

just have to make the best of it, won�t we?��Ah, let the little fellow come along,� said Caramon,

feeling remorseful when he looked at what had once beenthe kender�s jaunty top-knot. �He might come in handy ifwe�re attacked.�

Gawain hesitated, but it was obvious that the only wayto get rid of the kender would be to slice him in two, andthough the Oath and the Measure didn�t specifically ban aknight from murdering kender, it didn�t exactly encourageit, either.

�Attack!� he snorted. �We are in no danger� �theknight resumed his pace, Earwig skipping along besidehim� �until we reach the keep. At least so His Lordshiptold me.�

�And what else did His Lordship tell you?� Raistlinasked, coughing.

Gawain glared at him dourly, obviously wondering ofwhat use this sickly mage would be to him.

�He told me the tale of the Maiden�s Curse. A longtime ago, before the Cataclysm, a wizard of the redrobes �such as yourself�stole away a young woman fromher father�s castle and carried her to this keep. A knight,the young woman�s betrothed, discovered the abductionand followed after to rescue. her. He caught up with themage and his victim in the keep in this forest.

�The wizard, furious at having his evil plans thwarted,called upon the Queen of Darkness to destroy the knight.The knight, in his turn, called for Paladine to come to hisaid. The forces unleashed in the ensuing battle were sopowerful that they not only destroyed the wizard and theknight, but they have, even after death, continued to dragothers into their conflict.�

�And you wouldn�t let me make that bet!� said Cara-mon reproachfully to his brother.

Raistlin did not appear to hear him. He was, seemingly,lost in thought.

�Well,� said Gawain abruptly, �and what do you thinkof that tale?�

�I think that, like most legends, it has outgrown thetruth,� answered Raistlin. �A wizard of the red robes, forexample, would not call upon the Queen of Darkness foraid. That is something only wizards of the black robesmay do.�

�It seems to me,� said Gawain grimly, �that your kinddabbles in darkness no matter what color robes theywear�the fox cloaking himself in sheep�s wool, so thesaying goes.�

�Yeah,� retorted Caramon angrily. �And I�ve heard afew sayings myself about your kind, Sir Kettle-head. Onegoes��

�That will do, my brother,� remonstrated Raistlin, histhin fingers closing firmly over Caramon�s arm. �Saveyour breath for what lies ahead.�

The group continued on in a silence that was tense andsmoldering.

�What happened to the maiden?� Earwig asked sud-denly. All three started, having forgotten, in their preoccu-pation, the kender�s presence.

�What?� growled Gawain.�The maiden. What happened to her? After all, it�s

called the Maiden�s Curse.��Yes, it is,� said Raistlin. �An interesting point.��Is it?� Earwig jumped up and down gleefully, scatter-

ing the contents of his pouches across the path and nearlytripping Caramon. �I came up with an interesting point!�

�I don�t see why it�s called the Maiden�s Curse, exceptthat she was the innocent victim,� answered the knight asan afterthought.

�Ah,� said Earwig with a gusty sigh. �An innocentvictim. I know what that feels like!�

The three continued on their way. The walking waseasy, the path through the forest was smooth and straight.Too smooth and too straight, according to Caramon, whomaintained that it seemed bound and determined to de-liver them to their doom as swiftly as possible. Severalhours after midnight, they arrived at the fortress known as,Death�s Keep.

Its stone facade glimmered grayish white in the lambentlight of the stars and a pale, thin silver moon. Massiveand stalwart, the keep had been designed for function, notbeauty. It was square, with a tower at each corner for thelookouts. A wall connecting the towers surrounded astructure whose main purpose had probably been to housetroops. Large wooden doors, banded with steel, permittedentrance and egress.

But no soldiers had come here in a long, long time. Thebattlements were crumbling and in some places had com-pletely fallen down. The walls were split by giganticcracks, perhaps caused by the Cataclysm, perhaps by thesupposed magical battle that had been fought within. Oneof the towers had collapsed in upon itself, as had the roofof the central building, for they could see the skeletal out-

line of broken beams showing up black against the myriadglistening stars.

�The keep is deserted,� said Caramon, staring at it indisgust. �There�s no one here, magical or otherwise. I�msurprised those jokers back at the inn didn�t send us outhere with a bag and tell us to stand in the middle of thepath yelling, �here, snipe!� �

�That will be the task I set for you, my bumblingbrother!� Raistlin began to cough, but stifled the sound inhis sleeve. �Death�s Keep is not deserted! I hear voicesplainly�or I could if you would silence yours!�

�I, too, hear someone calling out!� said Gawain, awed.�A knight of my Order is trapped in there, and he shoutsfor help!� The knight, sword in hand, bolted forward.�I�m coming!� he shouted.

�Me, too!� cried Earwig, leaping in a circle aroundRaistlin. �I hear voices! I�m positive I hear voices! Whatare they saying to you? Do you want to know what they�resaying to me.? �Another round of ale!� That�s what I hearthem calling out.�

�Wait!� Raistlin reached to grasp the knight, but Ga-wain was running swiftly toward huge double woodendoors. Once this gate would have been closed, locked fastagainst any foe. Now it stood ominously open. �He�s animbecile! Go after him, Caramon! Don�t let him do any-thing until I get there!�

�Another round of ale?� Caramon gazed blankly at hisbrother.

�You blithering dunderhead!� Raistlin hissed throughclenched teeth. He pointed a trembling finger at the keep.�I hear a voice calling to me, and I recognize it as comingfrom one of my own kind! It is the voice of a mage! Ithink I am beginning to understand what is going on. Goafter him, Caramon! Knock him down, sit on him if thatis all you can do to hold him, but you must prevent Ga-wain from offering his sword to the knight!�

�Knight? What? Oh, all right, Raist! I�m going. Noneed to look at me like that. C�mon, Nosepicker.�

Earwig�s topknot bobbed indignantly. �That�s Lock�.Oh, never mind! Hey, wait up!�

Caramon, followed by the jubilant kender, dashed offafter the knight, but he was late in starting and Gawainhad already rushed headlong into the keep. Reaching thewooden doors, Caramon hesitated before entering andcast an uneasy glance back at his brother.

Raistlin, leaning on his staff, was walking as fast as hecould, coughing with nearly every step until it seemed hemust drop. Still, he kept going, and he even managed tolift his staff and angrily gesture with it to Caramon, com-manding him to enter the keep without delay.

Earwig had already darted inside. Discovering he wasalone, he turned around and dashed back. �Aren�t youcoming? It�s wonderfully dark and spooky in here. And you know what ?� The kender sighed in ecstasy. �I reallyam beginning to hear voices! They want me to come andhelp them fight! Just think of that! Can I borrow yourdagger?�

�No!� Caramon snarled. He could hear the voices now.�My cause is just! All know that wizards are foul crea-

tures, spawned of darkness. For the pride and honor ofour Order of the Sword, join with me!�

DRAGON 71

�My cause is just! All know the knights hide behindtheir armor, using their might to bully and threaten thoseweaker than themselves. For the pride and honor of ourOrder of the Red Robes, join with me!�

Caramon was beginning to get the uncomfortable feel-ing that the keep wasn�t as deserted as he�d first thought.Reluctantly, wishing his brother were at his side, he en-tered the keep. The big warrior wasn�t afraid of anythingin this world that was made of flesh and blood. Theseeerie voices had a cold, hollow sound that unnerved him.It was as if they were shouting to him from the bottom ofa grave.

He and the kender entered a long passage leading fromthe outer wall to the inner hall. The corridor was adornedwith various defensive mechanisms for dealing with aninvading enemy. He could see starlight through arrow slitslining the cracked stone walls. Bereft of his brother�slighted staff and the knight�s torch, Caramon was forcedto grope his way through the darkness, following the flick-ering flame shining ahead of him, and he nearly bashedhis head on an iron portcullis that had been partially low-ered from the ceiling.

�Which side do you want to be on?� Earwig askedeagerly, tugging at Caramon�s hand to drag him forward.�I think I�d like to be a knight, but then I�ve wanted to bea mage, too. I don�t suppose your brother would let me

borrow his staff���Hush!� ordered Caramon harshly, his voice cracking

in his dry throat.The corridor was coming to an end. He could see, be-

yond him, that it opened into a great, wide hall. Sir Ga-wain was standing right in front of him, holding the torchhigh and shouting out words in a language the big warriordidn�t understand but guessed to be Solamnic.

The clamoring of the voices was louder. Caramon feltthem tugging him in both directions. But another voice, avoice within him, was stronger. This voice was his broth-er�s, a voice he loved and trusted, and he rememberedwhat it had said.

You must prevent Gawain from offering his sword to the knight!�Stay here,� he told Earwig firmly, placing his hand on

the kender�s shoulder. �You promise?��I promise,� said Earwig, impressed by Caramon�s pale

and solemn face.�Good.� Turning, Caramon continued down the corridor.�What�s happening?� Earwig writhed with frustration.

�I can�t see a thing from here. But I promised. I know.!He didn�t mean me to say here, in this one spot. He justmeant me to stay here�in the keep!� Happily, the kendercrept forward, Caramon�s dagger (which he had appropri-ated) in his hand.

�Oh, my!� breathed Earwig, coming up behind the bigwarrior. �Caramon, can you see what I see?�

Caramon could. On one side of the hall, their bodiesencased in shining armor, their hands grasping swords,stood a troop of knights. On the other side stood an armyof wizards, their robes fluttering around them as if stirredby a hot wind. The knights and the wizards had turnedtheir faces toward �the strangers who had entered, andCaramon saw in horror that each one of them was a rot-ting corpse.

72 FEBRUARY 1990

A knight materialized in front of his troops. Thisknight, too, was dead. The marks of his numerouswounds could be seen plainly on his body. Fear swept overCaramon, and he shrank back against the wall, but theknight paid no attention either to him or the transfixedkender standing by his side. The fixed and staring eyes ofthe corpse looked straight at Gawain.

�Fellow knight, I call upon you, by the Oath and theMeasure, to come to my aid against my enemy.�

The dead knight gestured and there appeared, standingsome distance from him, a wizard clad in red robes thatwere torn and stained black with blood. The wizard, too,was dead and had, it seemed from his wounds, died mosthorribly.

Earwig started forward. �I�ll fight on your side if you�llteach me how to cast spells!�

Caramon, caught hold of the kender by the scruff of hisneck, lifted him off his feet, and tossed him backward.Slamming into the wall, the kender slid down to the floorwhere he spent an entertaining few moments attemptingto breathe. Caramon reached out a shaking hand towardthe right.

�Gawain, let�s get out of��The knight thrust Caramon�s hand aside and, kneeling

on one knee, started to lay his sword at the knight�s feet.�I will come to your aid, Sir Knight!�

�Caramon, stop him!� The hissing whisper slid overstone and through shadow. �Stop him or we ourselves aredoomed!�

�No!� said the dead knight, his fiery eyes seeming tosee Caramon for the first time. �Join my fight! Or areyou a coward?�

�Coward!� Caramon glowered. �No man dares call me���Listen to me, my brother!� Raistlin commanded.

�For my sake, if for no other, or I will be lost, too!�Caramon cast a fearful look at the dead wizard, saw the

mage�s empty eyes fixed on Raistlin. The dead knight wasleaning down to lift Gawain�s sword. Lurching forward onstiff legs, Caramon kicked the weapon with his foot andsent it spinning across the stone floor.

The dead knight howled in rage. Gawain, furious,jumped up, and Caramon, with a desperate lunge, man-aged to grab hold of the knight by the shoulders. Gawainwhirled around and struck at him with his bare hands.The legion of dead knights clattered their swords againsttheir shields, the wizards raised their hollow voices in acheer that grew louder when Raistlin entered the room.

�What an interesting experience,� said Earwig, feelingto see if any ribs were cracked. Finding himself in onepiece, he rose to his feet and looked to see what was goingon. �My goodness, someone�s lost a sword. I�ll just gopick it up.�

�Wizard of the Red Robes!� The dead were shoutingat Raistlin. �Join us in our fight!�

Caramon caught a glimpse of his brother�s face fromthe corner of his eye. Tense and excited, Raistlin wasstaring at the wizards, a fierce, eager light in his goldeneyes.

�Raist! No!� Caramon lost his hold on Gawain.The knight clouted him on the jaw, sending the big

warrior to the floor, and bounded after the sword, only to

find Earwig clutching it tightly, a look of radiant joy on hisface that began to fade as the knight approached.

�Oh, no,� said the kender firmly, clutching the sword tohis bosom. �Finders keepers. You obviously didn�t wantthis anymore.�

�Raist! Don�t listen to them!� Caramon staggered tohis feet. Too late, he thought. His brother was walkingtoward the dead wizard, who was extending a bony handtoward the glowing staff.

The chill fingers were nearly touching it when Raistlinsuddenly turned the staff horizontal and held it out beforehim. The crystal�s light flared, the dead wizard sprangback from the frail barrier as though it had scalded him.

�I will not join your fight, for it is an eternal fight!�Raistlin raised his voice above the clamoring. �And onethat can never be won.�

At this, the dead ceased their calling. A brooding si-lence descended in the hall. Gawain ceased to threaten thekender and turned around. Earwig, suddenly losing inter-est in the sword, let it fall to the floor and hopped forwardto see what was going on. Caramon rubbed his aching jawand watched warily, ready to leap to his brother�s defense.

Raistlin, leaning on his staff whose crystal seemed toshine more brightly in the chill darkness, walked forwarduntil he stood in the center of the hall. He looked first atthe knight�the rotting, decaying face beneath a batteredhelm, a bony hand clutching a rusting sword. The youngmage turned his golden-eyed gaze to the wizard�redrobes, torn and slashed by sword thrusts, covering a bodythat had for centuries been denied the peace of death.

Then Raistlin, lifting his head, stared up into the dark-ness. �I would talk with the maiden,� he called.

The figure of a young woman materialized out of thenight and came to stand before the mage. She was fair-haired and pretty, with an oval face, rich brown hair, andblue eyes that were bright and spirited. So lovely was she,and so warm and seemingly alive, that it took some mo-ments before Caramon realized she was long-since dead.

�You are the one who called down the curse, are younot?� asked Raistlin.

�Yes,� the maiden answered in a voice cold as the endof the world. �Which side do you choose, mage? Herestands pride�� she gestured toward the knight��andhere stands pride�� she gestured toward the mage.�Which will you choose? Not that it much matters.�

�I fight for neither,� said Raistlin. �I do not choose pride. I choose,� he paused, then said gently, �I chooselove.�

Darkness crashed down upon them with the weight andforce of an avalanche, quenching even the magical light ofthe staff.

�Wow!� came the awed voice of the kender.Caramon blinked and peered around, trying to see

through the blackness that was thick and impenetrable assolid stone.

�Raistlin?� he called, panicked.�I am here, my brother. Hush. Keep silent.�Feeling a hand grasp his shoulder, Caramon reached

out and touched a warm human arm..�Gawain?� he whispered.

�Yes,� said the knight in strained tones. �What is hap-pening? I don�t trust that mage! He�ll get us killed.�

�So far it seems to me he�s done a good job of keepingus alive,� said Caramon grimly. �Look!�

�Shirak,� said Raistlin and the crystal�s light beamedbrightly. Standing in front of Raistlin, illuminated by hisstaff, was the young woman.

�You have broken the curse, young mage,� said thespirit. �Is there anything you would ask of me before I goto my long-awaited rest?�

�Tell us your story,� said Raistlin. �According to thelegend, the mage carried you off by force.�

�Of course, that is what they have said, who neverbothered to seek the truth!� said the spirit scornfully.�And their words were fuel to the fire of my curse. Thetruth is that the mage and I loved each other. My father, aKnight of Solamnia, forbade me to marry a wizard. Hebetrothed me to another knight, one whom I did not love.The mage and I ran off together. I left of my own free willto be with the man I loved. The knight followed us and wefled to this place, knowing that it had long been aban-doned. The mage and I could have escaped, but he saidthat, for his honor, he must turn and fight. For his honor,�she repeated bitterly. Her blue eyes stared into theshadows of the hall as though she could see what had tran-spired there so long before. �Within these walls, he chal-lenged the knight to battle and they fought�one with hissword, the other with his magic. They fought, for theirhonor!

�And I came to realize as I watched, helpless to preventtheir quarrel, that neither loved me nearly so much aseach loved his own misbegotten pride.

�When they were dead, I stood over their bodies andprayed to the gods that all men bound up in their ownpride should come here and be held enthralled. Then I leftthis place and went forth into the world. I found a manwho loved me truly enough to live for me, not die for me.I was blessed with a rich, full life, surrounded by love.After my death, my spirit returned to this place and hasbeen here since, waiting for one who loved enough toignore the voices��her gaze went to Caramon��and forone wise enough to break the spell.

�And now, young mage, you have freed them and youhave freed me. I will go to my rest at the side of one whohas waited patiently for me throughout the years. But firstI would ask one thing of you. How was it that you sawand understood the truth?�

�I could say that, I had a shining example before myeyes,� said Raistlin, with a sidelong glance at the knight.Sir Gawain flushed and bowed his head. The mage, smil-ing slightly, added, �But it would be more truthful to saythat it was mostly due to the curiosity of a kender.�

�Me!� gasped Earwig, struck by this revelation.�That�s me he�s talking about! I did it! I lifted the curse! Itold you it had to be a knight, a mage, and a kender!�

The young woman�s image began to fade.�Farewell,� said Raistlin. �May your rest be undis-

turbed.��Fare you well, young mage. I leave you with a warn-

ing. Very nearly you succumbed. Your wits and your will

DRAGON 73

74 FEBRUARY 1990

saved you. But unless you change, I foresee a time whenthis doom you have now avoided will drag you down atlast.�

The blue eyes closed, and were seen no more.�Don�t go!� wailed Earwig, rushing forward and grab-

bing at the empty air with his hands. �I�ve got so manyquestions! Have you been to the Abyss? What�s it likebeing dead? Oh, please . . .�

Caramon came forward cautiously, his eyes on the placewhere the spirit had been, fearful that she might suddenlyburst back to life. His big hand rested on his brother�sshoulder.

�Raist,� he said worriedly, �what did she mean by thatlast?�

�How should I know?� Raistlin snapped, pulling him-self free of his brother�s touch. He began to cough vio-lently. �Go find wood to build a fire! Can�t you see I�mfreezing to death!�

�Sure, Raist,� said Caramon gently. �C�mon and help,Earmite.�

�Earwig,� said the kender automatically, trudging afterthe big warrior. �Wait until Cousin Tas hears about this!Not even Uncle Trapspringer�the most famous kender ofall time�ever ended a curse!�

Gawain remained standing in silence until Caramonand the kender had left the keep. Then, slowly, sword inhand, he approached the mage.

�I owe you my life,� he said grudgingly, awkwardly.�By the Oath and the Measure, I owe you my allegiance.�

He held the sword�hilt first�out to the mage. �Whatwould you have me do?�

Raistlin drew a shuddering breath. He glanced at thesword and his thin lips twisted. �What would I have youdo? Break your Oath. Burn your Measure. As the maidensaid, live for those you love. A time of darkness is comingto the world, Sir Knight, and love could well be the onlything that will save us.�

The knight�s lips tightened, his face flushed. Raistlin stared at him, unmoving, and the expression on Gawain�sface altered from anger to one of thoughtful consideration.

�Oh, and Sir Knight,� added Raistlin coolly, �don�tforget to give us our share of the reward.�

Gawain unbuckled his sword belt and removed it fromaround his waist. �Take it all,� he said, tossing sword andbelt at the mage�s feet. �I�ve found something of fargreater value.� Bowing stiffly, he turned and walked fromthe keep.

The red moon rose in the sky. Its eerie glow filteredthrough the crumbling walls of the ancient fortress, light-ing the path. The mage remained standing in the emptyhall. He could still feel, soft and silky beneath his fingers,the child�s hair.

�Yes, Sir Knight, you have,� said Raistlin. He stood amoment, thinking of the spirit�s words. Then, shrugging,he tightened his grip on the magical staff. �Dulak,� hesaid, and the light went out, leaving him to stand in dark-ness lit only by the rays of the red moon.

DRAGON 75

Reviews

©1990 by Hartley,Patricia, and Kirk Lesser

A city�s in trouble � but first you have to find it

Computer-game ratings

X Not recommended* Poor** Fair*** Good**** Excellent***** Superb

Infocom(distributed by Mediagenic)3885 Bohannon DriveMenlo Park CA 94025(415) 329-0800

Mines of Titan * * * * *

PC/MS-DOS version $44.95It is our humble opinion that one of the

better game-development companiesaround is Westwood Associates. It hasmanaged to not only produce extremelyhigh-quality game conversions to PC/MS-DOS machines but also to create original,action-filled, and well-programmed role-playing games. Mines of Titan is just sucha game. Westwood created this extremelyenjoyable science-fiction role-playing ad-venture game in association with Infocom.

Not only are the graphics very pleasing(another trait of Westwood influences), butthe player interface is easy to learn. Allaction is menu-driven, and hierarchicalmenu structures lead gamers easily fromone screen of commands to another. Allcommands are input through the use ofthe numeric keys on your PC/MS-DOScomputer�s keyboard. The screen displayoffers as much information as possibleduring play, and your characters are han-dled individually, allowing you to takeadvantage of each character�s strengthsand minimize weaknesses.

It is the 22nd century on Saturn�s moon,Titan. Your party of characters must findout why no one can contact the city ofProscenium. This is accomplished by in-vestigating each city on Titan as well asthe satellite�s surface � although the lattercannot be done until you purchase pres-surized suits to protect you from the hos-tile environment.

Titan is controlled by Paramount Miningand is truly a �last frontier.� It�s advisableto take all propaganda spouted by Para-mount with a grain of salt. The mining ofa compressed hydrocarbon unique toTitan, called SOL-R-GARD, is the sole pur-pose of those who dwell on Titan. Thismaterial absorbs the intense radiation ofsolar flares, which it reemits as plain light.SOL-R-GARD is found in veins beneath thesatellite�s surface, which is fortunate asthe mines also protect the miners from thenasty creatures that inhabit the surface ofTitan: Crushers, Dust Worms, Sand Lions,Scorads, Thrashers, and Urchins. All wantthe nutrients and water content of human

76 FEBRUARY 1990

bodies and immediately sense a humanpresence on Titan�s surface.

The adventure starts in a bar in the cityof Primus. Primus was the first city con-structed on Titan and is considered (byParamount) to be 100% secure. The gameincludes detailed maps of all Titan�s cities,as well as four mine maps. Follow themcarefully when venturing forth and fill inmissing details as you traverse the corri-dors and hallways of each city and mine.

You become Tom Jetland (you can re-name this character). Having jettisoned acargo load in space, you�ve now lost yourship and are stranded on Titan. You des-perately need to earn money. One methodis to become a bounty hunter. Another isto find out why the city of Proscenium�scomlinks have gone down. Figure out thelatter, and a handsome reward is yours, Inthe meantime, you�ve got to figure out away to sustain your life, and that meanstaking on odd jobs that pop up.

You are initially assigned certain statis-tics (Might, Agility, Stamina, Wisdom,Education, and Charisma) and possesscertain skills. Our first character wasskilled in administration, blade combat,cudgel combat, handgun combat, and wasstreetwise. He was also assigned an ageand a number of credits. Fortunately, a .22pistol and a flak jacket were also part ofhis initial accouterments.

Each attribute is displayed on the char-acter screen as a percentage on a horizon-tal bar chart. You can easily determinegeneral percentages by looking at thefilled bar in the assigned box. Startingskills are never much more than 10%. Asyou can guess, this means your charac-ter(s) must somehow improve skill ratingsduring the adventures.

You�ll need help. When the game starts,you are in a lounge, and your first under-taking should be to recruit someone whocan complement your skills with someunique ones of his own. We suggest thatthe first person you hire be a Marineskilled in things like automatic weaponry,so you can at least hold your own duringencounters with thugs, beggars, razor-backs, and their friends. Make certainyour first hireling also possesses enoughcredits to equip himself with a flak jacketand a weapon.

As you increase your weaponry skills,you can use more powerful weapons. Forexample, we finally acquired a rifle forour character. He started out firing atarget rifle and was quite successful indowning low-class nasties in Primus. Aftera couple of training sessions, he moved upto a sport rifle and become even moredeadly in combat.

When taking on adversaries, your com-puter screen asks if you wish tacticalcombat (in which you determine eachmove of your characters and how they areto use their weapons). You can also allowthe computer to automatically run the combat for you. At first, let the computerrun the show so you can see what�s

DRAGON 77

needed.Develop your characters slowly. Make

certain their personal training and theirweapons acquisition and training areforemost in your plans. Don�t hire toomany additional characters right away, asyou won�t have the cash to supply themwith the necessary armor or weapons.You�ll also attract greater crowds of adver-saries. And keep in mind that your firstquest is to recover an item on the surfaceof Titan; its location is known only to thenomads of the planet. These strange,humanoid individuals do not look favor-ably on humans, but sometimes they canbe persuaded not to interfere with opera-tions. The only way you�re going to get tothe surface is if you upgrade everyone�sarmor to a vac suit, the minimum protec-tion that will allow you on the surface. Butvac suits cost upward of 800 credits. Multi-ply that by the maximum possible numberof characters in your party (six), and youcan see you�re going to need lots of moneyto equip everyone for your first ventureoutside.

If and when you do see the surface ofTitan, rest assured you�ll attract a lot ofattention from the native beasties. Theyare quite hardy and require heavy weap-onry for quick annihilation. That, alongwith the low skills nearly everyone pos-sesses, means that only a fool will jump tothe surface in hopes of retrieving the4,000-credit reward for location of the lostitem. Not only will he not be able to re-trieve the item (mining skill will beneeded), but the odds are the surfacedenizens will have you for dinner.

As you continue to build your charactersto a point where you feel confident intheir capabilities and credit levels, it wouldbe good to hire additional characters. Anybar, lounge, or restaurant is a good placeto seek candidates. You�ll find folks fromthese careers: Army, Marines, Police,Underground, Mining, Medical, Scientists,and Merchants. Each time you spot a likelycandidate, you can view his statistics tomake certain they fit with others in yourparty. If you don�t believe your currentcandidate is a fit, you can interview some-one else. All candidates offer brief histo-ries of their pasts, and all characters carrycredits that can ultimately be of assistanceto your party. Unfortunately, you cannotsimply hire a character for his credits;you�ll try to transfer the credits and betold that the person doesn�t know you wellenough yet! By the time he does know youwell enough (usually after a few fights),you�ll be reluctant to simply take thatperson�s money and dump him at a barsomewhere.

Another great program asset is a com-puter network system that enables you tolog on and read your mail, view classifieds,or (when your hacking skills have im-proved) view information meant for otherfolk. Fantastic clues are hidden in thecomputer network, so improve your pro-

78 FEBRUARY 1990

gramming skill as soon as possible or hiresomeone with a good computer skill.

Two tips: First, sooner or later you�regoing to enter the university and find outthat it has been attacked and a specimenbottle has been stolen. You�ll note pinkfootprints on the ground. The university islocated in the northern sector of Primus.During your wanderings around Primus,eventually you�ll find yourself in the south-west sector of the city. If you�re near amine-shaft entrance, you�ll note once againpink footprints leading north. Follow thosefootprints, and you�re going to comeacross the culprit, for which a reward isoffered. May we suggest that you notattempt to apprehend the culprit(s) untilyour characters are quite healthy andpossess powerful weapons. Otherwise,your surprise arrest will lead to yourimmediate death! Those responsible forthe theft are far above thug level. Second,should you hire someone with gamblingskills�gamble, gamble, gamble! Kirk man-aged to win $6,000 on his second attemptat slots! That was more than enough to notonly immediately train his novice group ofadventurers in their primary skills but toalso equip them with more powerfulweapons!

Mines of Titan is a great Infocom game,an example of how a company�s tried andtrue text adventures have expanded toinclude well-conceived graphic and anima-tion elements. With a smooth user inter-face, this adventure will require manyhours of a gamer�s time to complete. Minesof Titan is one of those few games thatoffers a high performance per dollar-valueratio. With onscreen mapping, the abilityto save the game at any time you wish inany of five save-game slots, superb charac-ter creation, and multiple quests, this is asure success story for Infocom. We hopethat the company will decide to increasethe number of formats for this game toinclude all of the major computer systems.Now we�ve got to return to Titan�after 46hours of play, we�ve yet to complete ourthird quest!

Dynamix, Inc.P.O. Box 11806Eugene OR 97440-9988(503) 687-8690

David Wolf: Secret Agent * * *

Amazing graphics and animation cannotsave this newest release from Dynamixfrom receiving a mediocre rating. Thegamer becomes David Wolf, a secret agentwho has to stop a criminal organizationcalled Viper from using a stealth fighter todeliver a nuclear bomb to Washington,D.C. Players watch digitized graphics ofactors unfold the James Bond-type story.Excellent animation and 3-D graphicsenhance this cinematic game. The only

problem is that the majority of the game iswatching actors speak and go about their,business. Players cannot select or influ-

ence the actors� dialogue, nor can they

select actions for the hero to try and com-plete. There are only six areas within thegame where the player actually gets to usethe keyboard or joystick.

Instructions in the game explain whateach key command accomplishes. Thegraphics and animation are, again, fabu-lous. Unfortunately, the game�s challengescan be overcome by selecting the easiestlevel of play. That way, a player can movepast the dangers and see the finale.

The action scenes find the player flyinga hang glider while shooting down enemygliders, or racing on a highway whiledueling with helicopters and cars withmissiles, machine guns, and oil slicks.Another scene has the player trying toland on an enemy parachutist; in the nextscene, the player has to land on top of amoving truck. The last action sequencefinds the player flying a stealth fighterwhile shooting down jets with missiles andavoiding enemy attacks. The sequencesprovide for some fun, but then the moviecontinues and the user becomes inactiveonce again.

A VCR interface can be called up any-time by the player to set options such asthe difficulty of the action sequences, thetext speed at which the actors speak, andthe detail of images on the screen. Theinterface also allows the players to skipright to the action by selecting an arcadescene from the interface, but doing thismeans that the player cannot see theactual film ending.

The minimal number of action scenesare quite a drawback. A mediocre score ispossible only because of the advanceddigitized graphics used in this �movie.� Weset the game�s difficulty level at mediumand were able to complete the entire gamein just a couple of hours. Dynamix hastried something new by using actual ac-tors digitized into a game. They should,however, have put more thought into theactual game concept rather than trying tomake a movie. We have learned that fu-ture interactive releases do involve theplayer in far more action sequences.

MicroProse180 Lakefront DriveHunt Valley MD 21030(301) 771-1151

M1 Tank Platoon * * * * *

PC/MS-DOS version $69.95This is, without doubt, the finest tank

combat simulator ever created. Micro-Prose is to be highly commended for itsresearch and programming efforts inbringing the most realistic tank simulatorto any computer. Not only do you controlfour M1 tanks but all of the support unitsas well, such as mortar platoons, jet sup-,port, helicopter scouts, and infantry unitsNothing has been left out; MicroProseeven includes a keyboard template toassist you in finding the correct com-mands for your tanks as a platoon or asindividual units.

DRAGON 79

There are two comprehensive tutorialsthat can teach you the basics of tank war-fare in 1 to 1½ hours. You�ll learn how tofire the different weapons systems oneach tank, what the tank crew can accom-plish, and how to set your tanks for besteffect. On the gunnery range, you encoun-ter a variety of static enemy units. You�llsoon learn how powerful and maneuver-able your tanks are, but don�t become tooconfident. With both keyboard and joy-stick commands, you�ll have to learnquickly how to move from various com-mand screens to control all of the action.

When you graduate from the static andpreliminary tutorial, you�ll also find outthat the enemy is as maneuverable andpowerful as you are. You must think ofdeployment issues for your support per-sonnel as well as your tanks. The key tosuccess is to read the extremely interest-ing Technology and Tactics section of the200-page operation manual. You�ll learnabout modern weaponry, tank design, andall-important tank tactics (e.g., if you fireHEAT rounds just over the crest of a hillwhere you�re certain the enemy has posi-tioned units, you can ensure knockoutblows�if you�re correct in your assump-tions). Hiding behind wrecks is also a tacticworth employing. Just don�t forget you�renot the Lone Ranger�you�ve got an entireteam to think about and plan operationsfor, from defense to offense. You�ll learnhow to attack an enemy�s flank or concen-trate an attack on its weakest link.Through the Map Board, where the entirebattlefield can be seen and maneuvers arecoordinated, you�ll learn how to line upyour forces to present the most efficientattacking force. You�ll also learn how todefend your positions.

A complete glossary of tank specifica-tions is included with M1 Tank Platoon.This is an extremely exciting and highlyeducational tank simulation for anyonewho enjoys strategic games. We won ourfirst battle by remembering the rules ofengagement and by following the experi-ences learned in the simulation�s tutorials.We ended up with a 99% efficiency ratingand were able to promote four individualsand award two decorations to deservingpersonnel within our platoon. When youdecorate an individual, his efficiency rat-ing increases, making him an even morevaluable member of the platoon.

With full 256-color support for VGA andMCGA graphics, and 16-color support forEGA and Tandy 16-color, M1 Tank Platoonalso supports both Hercules and CGAgraphics. We were impressed with theEGA 3-D graphics and can only imaginehow fantastic this offering must be whenrunning in VGA mode. With the variety ofbattle options available in the 16,000-acrebattlefield, you�ll never run out of sce-narios. M1 Tank Platoon is a must for PC/MS-DOS gamers who enjoy either combatsimulations or challenging environmentswhere winning is based upon intelligentstrategies.

80 FEBRUARY 1990

Interstel CorporationP.O. Box 57825Webster TX 77598(713) 486-4163

Star Fleet II: KrellanCommander * * * *

PC/MS-DOS version $59.95This science-fiction adventure has every-

thing that makes for good space excite-ment�piloting, 10 types of starships,strategy, planetary invasions, ship-to-shipand fleet combat, a wide variety of mis-sions, all manner of planetary targets, andseven difficulty levels and ranks. Star FleetII is the sequel to Star Fleet I with quite atwist. This time, instead of becoming anAlliance pilot, you are a Krellan antagonistwith the task of defeating the Alliance.Play is somewhat slow, however (espe-cially when moving through the program�smenu hierarchy), probably because thisprogram is crunching too much data.

Another problem surfaced after 16hours of play. After we had initiated a city-by-city bombardment of Star System 22A(named �WQJFU�), we returned to themain bridge to access our communicationsto demand the planet�s surrender�and theprogram crashed! All of our data and hardwork in meeting the orders from HQ wentthrough the proverbial computing blackhole. There was no way to recover fromthe crash as Star Fleet II - could not find adata file it needed to either report oringest the results of the planetary bom-bardment. We tried every key pressknown to the user�s manual, to mankind,and to our PC. Nothing worked, so weshut down the computer. So, when theprogram tells you to alter your CON-FIG.SYS file to read buffers = 10 and files= 10, do it! Save yourself the misery weplaced ourselves in. Once we had changedthe CONFIG.SYS file to the correct file andbuffer size, Star Fleet II played perfectly.

Some of the menu selections also seemsomewhat unnatural in their manners ofaccess. The hierarchies just don�t quiteseem to fit, and the move from an plane-tary view back to a system or navigationview is extraordinarily slow. However, theamount of data being bandied about bythe CPU and the onscreen graphics isenormous, so some speed is going to belost unless you are running a new 80386machine.

The amount of detail available to you isawe-inspiring. There is just not enoughtime in this short review to mention all ofthe capabilities you have as a Krellan pilot.Just be prepared for an enormous amountof navigation and action as you attempt tocomplete your missions within the or-dered amount of time. So, get your surge

suppressors on, boot up your IBM orclone, and get those Krellan craft out oftheir bays. It�s time to go and conquer

worlds and systems�and have fun whiledoing it!

News and new productsActivision (415-329-0800) has released

several new products. The first new offer-ing is called Tongue of the FatMan. Mondu-the-Fat is the undefeated champion andhost of the Fight Palace, where the mostruthless lifeforms in the galaxy are pittedagainst each other to match their individ-ual skills and tortuous weapons for greatsums of money. You select one of the alienlife forms to control, then it�s off to Dr.Cadaver�s Body Shop to purchase a varietyof biotechnical weapons. Gambling betsare made with the WageMaker, a space-agebookie who sets the odds and has theinside scoop on each opponent. If playerssurvive the outrageous characters in thefight, then they must take on the ultimatefoe, Mondu-the-Fat. The game has beenreleased for PC/MS-DOS computers for$39.95.

Ghostbusters II has also been releasedfor PC/MS-DOS computers by Activision.Composed of four disks, this title capturesthe most popular scenes from the moviethat grossed more than $100 million lastsummer. You take control of each of theGhostbusters as they take on ghoul-dueling jobs to earn money to get themback in business. The price is $44.95.

Atari Corporation (408-745-2000) hasreleased three new coin-op hits for theAtari 7800 system. First comes Com-mando, in which you are a crack-shotcommando with the fate of the world inyour hands. Battling impossible odds, youmust make your way to a fortress, negat-ing heavy fire and rebel forces. The priceis $29.95. The second release for the 7800is Double Dragon, from Activision. TheBlack Warriors have kidnapped Marian,your girlfriend. Your twin brother joinsyou as you take the enemy head-on. Forone or two players, this game is priced at$29.99. The third 7800 release, Rampage,is also from Activision. You become one ofseveral monsters (George the Ape, Ralphthe Wolf, or Lizzie the Lizard) and try todestroy cities, crunch concrete, trashtrollies, or snack on soldiers. For one ortwo players, this game is $29.99.

Broderbund Software (415-492-3178) hasreleased If It Moves, Shoot It! an arcade/action game with dazzling graphics. Forthe PC/MS-DOS and Commodore Amigacomputers, the price is $29.95. This futur-istic game pits the player against waves ofbomb-spitting alien spaceships attacking ina bewildering array of patterns. Theplayer must careen wildly through theskies while attempting to blast the alienships into oblivion. At various times duringthe game, the player can exchange weap-ons to gain extra firepower or a strategicadvantage over the incoming aliens.

Electronic Arts (415-571-7171) has re-leased Sands of Fire, a World War II tanksimulation for the Apple Macintosh thatrecreates small-unit tank warfare in theNorth African desert. You can fight battlesas either a British or American com-mander in any of six different theaters,

DRAGON 81

with each battle drawn from actual con-frontations fought during the North Afri-can campaign. There are as many as 48actual battle scenarios. The price is $49.95.

Also from Electronic Arts is StrategicStudies Group�s Decisive Battles of theAmerican Civil War, Volume Three: Wil-derness to Nashville. Released initially forPC/MS-DOS computers, this offeringpresents six battles from the final periodof the Civil War. The battles of Wilderness,Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, Atlanta, Frank-lin, and Nashville are recreated in authen-tic detail and flavor. You face all of theproblems that confronted commanders ofthose times. The price is $39.95.

Mastertronic (714-833-8710) is now,shipping Obliterator for PC/MS-DOS ma-chines. The game, originally designed byPsygnosis, is an action-adventure gamewherein the player takes on the role ofDrak, last of the Obliterators. Drak is agenetically enhanced fighting machine,bio-engineered for otherwise impossiblemissions. You are called upon to single-handedly save the Federation from a gi-gantic alien spacecraft that has alreadydestroyed the entire Federation fleet. Theprice is $39.99.

Mastertronic is also shipping three newbudget titles. They include: Demon�s Tomb($14.99), a text/graphic adventure gamewith a powerful word parser; Vegas Ca-sino 2 ($9.99), a gambling duo containingCraps and American Roulette; and Time toDie ($14.99), a text/graphic mystery adven-ture game. These budget games are re-leased for PC/MS-DOS and C64/128computers.

MicroIllusions (818-360-3715) has intro-duced Dr. Plummet:s House of Flux, agravity game wherein the object is toprogress through the levels by rescuingyour comrades stranded in a surrealisticworld of twisted physics and psychedelicgraphics. There are 28 very differentlevels. The game is for Commodore Amigagamers. Also from MicroIllusions for theCommodore Amiga is The Jetsons: GeorgeJetson and the Legend of Robotopia. Thisis an interactive adventure that holds trueto the look and feel of the original cartoonseries. Digitized sound effects are in-cluded, and the story revolves aroundGeorge Jetson�s comical attempts to savehis job. A third MicroIllusion offering isJonny Quest and the Splinter of Heaven,the first episode of a three game mini-series. Though the trilogy will comprise anexciting, involved, mystery/adventure,each package is designed as a separategame. The first adventure takes JonnyQuest and the entire Quest team to thejungles of Guatemala. There they mustinvestigate the mysterious disappearanceof several Mayan artifacts. and discoverthere is more to this than simple thievery.

Origin (603-644-3360) has releasedKnights of Legend for Apple II gamers.This is a fantasy role-playing game with acomprehensive combat system. Players aresurrounded by a meticulously crafted82 FEBRUARY 1990

world of strategy, action, and emotionwhere one can aim every blow, feel everywound, and where fatigue can be as lethalas a sword blow. You are on a journeythrough a medieval world of intriguingquests. There are over 30 towns and ham-lets to explore while meeting hundreds ofpersonalities. You can create as many assix companions to join your party, and youcan customize their weapons and armor.You�ll undertake 24 different quests andface a variety of terrifying foes. The priceis $49.95.

Sierra (209-683-4468) has combined role-playing and adventure to produce Hero�sQuest: So You Want To Be A Hero. Set amidthe thin air of Alpine peaks and lushmeadows, the game begins in the mythicalvillage of Spielburg, where after finishinga correspondence course in �How to be aHero� you try to win the title of Hero byvanquishing a band of brigands. Combat isin the first-person view, and you can be-come either a thief, a fighter, or a magi-cian. The game supports all graphics cardsas well as the Ad Lib, IBM, IMF, CMS, CasioMT540/CT-460, Casio CSM-1, and YamahaFB-01 synthesizers.

Strategic Simulations (408-737-6800) hasreleased Dragons of Flame, the secondAD&D® action game set in the TSR®DRAGONLANCE® game world. Lead theeight Companions of the Lance on anaction-filled quest through the wildernessof the Elven Mosaic where they gain valu-able allies: the mysterious elves ofQualinesti. The Companions must also allywith NPCs such as nomads and refugeetownsfolk, then sneak through the cavesof Sla-Mori and into the fortress of PaxTharkas. Inside the fortress, the Compan-ions must recover the sword Wyrmslayerand free the slaves held there by the evildragons and draconians. For PC/MS-DOScomputers, the price is $39.95. Versionsfor the C64/128, Commodore Amiga, andAtari ST are expected.

Clue corner

Might and Magic II (New World Comp.)[This writer missed his sorcerers with

level-nine spells when he transferred hisMight and Magic I characters to Mightand Magic II. Here�s how he solved thisproblem.]

1. Your party must include at least onesorcerer with spell 3-4, and a robber; fillthe remaining roster positions with rolled-up sorcerers. Be sure that two of yourmembers have Mountaineering skills,which they can learn in Middlegate.

2. To complete this quest, you must freethe good wizard Yekop (Pokey) and the evilwizard Wbmug (Gumby), then meet the

Jurors of Mt. Farview for your reward.While in castles, take no chances. Runfrom all encounters, except for the IronWizards at the end of the doors. Whenyou go through doors, go to the next wallof doors and select the next door in thepattern. If your best sorcerer goes down

or gets low on hit points, go back toMiddlegate and start over. You will stillhave to pay to learn the better spells ineach city at the Mages guild. Remember, ifyou rest you must fly home because youwill lose your �walk on water� spell.

3. Before leaving Middlegate, enter thetemple and pay to be blessed. Exit Middle-gate, go north one, turn east across Ferry,and follow the road to the first south(right) turn. Go south five, east five, southone, and eat bark (this raises your spellpoints to 200 and your level to 9). Retraceyour steps to Middlegate and take theportals to Atlantium. Check in at the inn.Exit town and walk west six to the Isle ofthe Ancients and enter the good castle(mountain) from the north.

4. At the good castle, enter through thefirst door and follow the hallway southand west to the door marked �SorcerersOnly,� then go in. Select the doors in thisorder: 2, 2, 4, 6, 6, 12. Go right one,through that door. Follow the hallwaysthrough two more doors, then select doorsA, D, F, and I; go left one through the doorand fight the Iron Wizards. Follow thewall right, go around the corner to thedoor that reads �Deaths Door Way,� andenter. Follow the wall left and answer �64.�Follow the wall right and answer �32.�Return to the middle change and receive amessage. Retrace your steps out or run atyour first encounter to get back to thestairs. Exit the castle, follow the narrowstrip of island through the Neutral Zone tothe evil castle, and go in.

5. At the evil castle, as in the good castle,follow the hallway north and east to thedoor and enter. Select doors 1, 3, 1, 3, 9,11. Go right and through the door. Followthe hallway to door A, C, G, I, then leftthrough the door to the Iron Wizardencounter. Follow the wall right to thedoor marked �Despair� and go in. Go leftto the question and answer �23,� right toanother question and answer �46.� Returnto the middle chamber and receive themessage. Retrace your steps out or runfrom the first encounter. Exit the castleand cast Fly 3,2 to Middlegate, if neces-sary, or fly to meet the Jurors at D,2.

6. When you arrive in D,2 at the Jurorsof Mt. Farview, you are at 4,4. Go eastthree and south four, and receive themessages. Check to insure that you receiveyour 5,000,000 experience points and thatthe plus sign appears after your name.

Bruce MenardSandpoint ID

Phantasie I (SSI)As you know, there are nine rings that

must be found. Here are their locations:two in the Temple of the Dosnebian Cler-ics; one in Phantasia�s Armoyr, three in J.R. Trolkin�s Castle, and three in Bleeb�sDungeon. In order to win this adventure,you�ve got to slay the Dark Lord and ob-tain the Divine Spell.

No name given

Star Command (Electronic Arts)Concerning your ship: Start off with an

escort scout with hypervelocity rockets.Then SAVE your money and eventuallybuy a salamander class corvette. Equip theSalamander with a point defence turret,surface effect stasis shields, inertialessdrives, four high-speed emission trackerswith 12 reloads, two 500 KT nuclear mis-siles with six reloads, and 650 points ofarmor. This uses up all of the weight theship can possess, but it works quite well.

Alan TeskePrinceton NJ

Ultima IV (Origin)To find the Shepard, enter Magincia and

go south before the bridge. To obtain pow-erful magic wands and magic bows, gosouth of Lock Lake or east of Trinsic toBuccaneer�s Den. The Shrine of Humility isroughly south of Moonglow but is guardedby hordes of Daemons�lots of gold, butlots of blood, too! To get the balloon, X-itthe Depths. At one of the Guild Shops, askfor �D� for a sextant; you�ll need it. For easyNightshade, go to the Shrine of Sacrifice.

Neil ReicherArlington Heights IL

Lastly, we made a cut-and-paste error in�The Beastie Knows Best,� in DRAGON®issue #151. We should have awarded theBest Sports Simulation for the Macintoshto Mean 18, published and distributed byAccolade. We had mistakenly indicatedthat the award was given to Jack Nick-laus�s Greatest 18 Holes of ChampionshipGolf As Accolade does not produce aMacintosh version�at least, not yet�wegoofed!

Please don�t forget to send in your hintsand tips. Mail them to us at 179 PebblePlace, San Ramon CA 94583. Remember,the game you save may be your own! Untilnext month, game on!

Label Your Letter!

If you decide to write to us atDRAGON® Magazine, please labelthe outside of your envelope toshow what your letter contains —be it a letter to the editor, “Forum”submission, gaming article, shortstory, artwork, cartoons, or sub-scription problem. This ensuresthat the letter or package you sendhas a better chance of getting to theright person. Our address is:DRAGON Magazine, P.O. Box 111,Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.

DRAGON is a trademark of TSR, Inc.©1989 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

D R A G O N 8 3

8 4 F E B R U A R Y 1 9 9 0

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 on stand-ard manuscript paper. The contents ofeach 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 re-

quirements; 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 the an-nouncement as well. No call-in listings areaccepted. 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 December issue is the lastMonday of October. Announcements forNorth American and Pacific conventionsmust be mailed to: Convention Calendar,DRAGON® Magazine, P.O. Box 111, LakeGeneva WI 53147, U.S.A. Announcementsfor Europe must be posted an additionalmonth before the deadline to: ConventionCalendar, DRAGON® Magazine, TSRLimited, 120 Church End, Cherry Hinton,Cambridge CB1 3LB, 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 the maga-zine editors at TSR, Inc., (414) 248-3625(U.S.A.). Questions or changes concerningEuropean conventions should be directedto TSR Limited, (0223) 212517 (U.K.).

indicates a Canadian convention.indicates a European 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.

PUERTO RICO AT LAST, February 8-10The first convention in the Caribbean will be

held at the University of Puerto Rico StudentCenter. Events include AD&D® tournaments andsingle-round events, with STAR FRONTIERS®,CAR WARS*, MARVEL SUPER HEROES�,GAMMA WORLD®, TOP SECRET/S.I.�, STARTREK*, D&D®, GURPS Roman Gladiators*, DCHEROES*, and miniatures games. Other eventsinclude an art contest, a miniatures exhibit, anauction, and a dice-rolling competition. Allgames will be played in Spanish! Registration:$5. Write to: P.O. Box 22276, UPR Station, RioPiedras PR 00931.

CONTINUITY 1990, February 9-11This convention will be held at the Parliament

House at 20th St., and 4th Avenue South, Bir-mingham, Ala. (formerly the Holiday Inn�Medical Center). The guests of honor will beRobert R. McCammon and Jennifer Roberson.Other guests include Buck and Juanita Coulsonand Bill Bryer, as well as guest artists LarryElmore, Doug Chaffee, Ruth Thompson, andCraig Brasfield. Events include an art show, ashort fiction contest, miniatures contests, a suitewith gaming, a masquerade, a video room, adance, and Southern hospitality! Registration is$20. Write to: CONTINUITY �90, c/o P.O. Box55302, Birmingham AL 35255-0302.

JACKSONVILLE SKIRMISHES �90February 9-11

SKIRMISHES presents this role-playing andwar gaming convention at the JacksonvilleMotel on the Riverwalk, 565 South Main Street,in Jacksonville, Fla. Room rates are $52 for oneto four persons. Events will include AD&D®game features, along with TRAVELLER*, STARFLEET BATTLES*, CAR WARS*, and SEEKRIEG*games. Other events will include board gaming,a KILLER* tournament, dealers, a miniatures-painting contest, demonstrations by the SCA,and many other role-playing and historicalevents. Hotel reservations may be made bycalling: (904) 398-8800. Registration is $18 forthe entire weekend. Send your registration feeto receive a program booklet. Write to: SKIR-MISHES, P.O. Box 2097, Winter Haven FL 33883;or call: (813) 293-7983.

BIG CON �90, February 10This charity convention, organized by the

Grand Edinburgh Adventuring Society in aid ofBarnardos and local Edinburgh charities, will beheld at the Mandela Centre, Bristo Square,Edinburgh. Events include RPGs, competitiongames, an auction, a computer section with a19-player dungeon, live-action role-playing, andreenactment demonstrations. Registration:Donations accepted at the door. Write to: BIGCON �90, c/o Angus G. Rae, 27/5 Sciennes, Edin-burgh EH9 1NH SCOTLAND.

DUNDRACON XIV, February 16-18This convention will be held at the Oakland

Airport Hyatt, 455 Hegenberger Road, OaklandCA 94621 (mention our name for special rates).Events include over 120 sponsored games in avariety of formats�fantasy, modern, and sci-ence fiction. Plus seminars, board games, minia-tures, a huge dealers� room, a flea market, aminiatures contest, SCA demonstrations andarmor displays, and a lot of open gaming space.Registration is $25 until Feb. 1; $30 at the doorfor the whole convention, or $15 for one day.Write to: DUNDRACON, 386 Alcatraz Avenue,Oakland CA 94618.

GENGHIS CON XI; February 16-18Staged by the Denver Gamers Assoc., this

con�s activities include board games, role-playing, computer games, miniatures, auctions,and a miniatures-painting competition. Eventsinclude AD&D®, VICTORY IN THE PACIFIC*,CIVILIZATION*, KINGMAKER*, ADVANCEDSQUAD LEADER*, BATTLETECH*, JOHNNYREB*, Napoleonics, COMBINED ARMS*, EM-PIRE*, and PARANOIA* games, with RPGA�tournaments, and the nationally known PUF-FING BILLY* tournament, a railroad gamecompetition. Registration is $20 for the week-end. Write to: Denver Gamers� Assoc., P.O. Box11369, Denver CO 80211; or call: (303) 433-3849.

ORCCON �90, February 16-19This convention, held at the Los Angeles

Hilton, will feature family, strategy and adven-ture board, role-playing, miniatures, and com-puter games: Don�t miss the bargains at the fleamarkets, auctions, and exhibitor areas, or theseminars, demonstrations, and special guests.Write to: STRATEGICON, P.O. Box 8399, LongBeach CA 90808; or call: (213) 420-3675.

NOT-A-CON, TOO, February 23-25�Too� is the second of its kind to be held by

the Clemson University Adventurers� Guild.There will be a two-round AD&D® 2nd Editiontournament, a two-round CHAMPIONS* tourna-ment, and a STAR WARS* tournament, withopen gaming and (we hope) an organized fan-tasy art show. Costumes are encouraged. Formore information, write to: Adventurers� Guild,Box 7979, Clemson University, Clemson SC29632; or call John Jay Jacobs or Mark Stofegaat: (803) 654-2103.

ROUNDCON V, February 23-25The Round Table Gaming Society will hold

this convention at the Tremont Motor Inn inColumbia, S.C. Events include multiple-roundAD&D®, CHAMPIONS*, and CIVILIZATION*tournaments, with single-event RPGs of allkinds, miniatures events, a dealers� room, avideo room, a miniatures-painting contest,board games, and rooms for open gaming.Registration: $10 if postmarked before Feb. 15;$12 at the door. Dealers welcome! Write to: TheRound Table Gaming Society, University ofSouth Carolina, P.O. Box 80018, Columbia SC29225; or call: Trella Cherry at (803) 554-3557.

TOTAL CONFUSION, February 23-25This convention will be held at the Sheraton

Worcester Hotel and Conference Center inWorcester, Mass. Events include AD&D®,GURPS*, BATTLETECH*, DIPLOMACY*, andCAR WARS* games. Multiple and single roundRPGA� AD&D® tournaments will also be run.Guests include R. A. Salvatore, Verne Wether-holt, Jay Tummelson, and Steve Glimpse. Writeto: TOTAL CONFUSION, P.O. Box 1463, Worces-ter MA 01607.

TOURNAMENT IN STONE �90February 23-25

King Daniel O�Neill I presents the third in aseries of theme tournaments held at the Univer-sity of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. Eventsinclude a two-day AD&D® 2nd Edition gamewith an organizational meeting and kick-offparty Friday night. Prizes will be awarded tothe winning tournament party. Other eventsinclude game demos, including TALISMAN* andDUNGEONQUEST* games. Admission: $8 at thedoor; tickets are limited! Write to: UAPGC, Box46, SUB, University of Alberta, Edmonton,Alberta, CANADA T6G 2E1.

CHIMERACON VI, March 2-4After a year�s absence, CHIMERACON returns

to the University of North Carolina�s CarolinaUnion. Among the many guests are Paul B.Thompson and Tonya R. Carter. Gaming guest ofhonor is Rob Bell. An expanded gaming area willbe open all weekend, along with Japanimationfilms/videos, an art show, comics, dealers, acomputer room, the Outer Limits Cantina,panels and demonstrations, writers� workshops,and a costume contest. Special lodging rates areavailable. Registration is $9 for one day, $12 fortwo days, or $15 for the entire weekend. Prere-gistration is $12 for the weekend. Write to:CHIMERACON VI, 625 Hinton James, UNC-CH,Chapel Hill NC 27514; or call: (919) 933-4703.

LEHICON II, March 2-4The Lehigh Valley Gamers Assoc., will sponsor

this convention at the Sheraton in Easton, Pa.Special room rates are available by mentioningthe sponsors (children under 17 stay at theSheraton for free when accompanied by anadult): A wide variety of RPGs, war games, andboard games are planned, including AD&D®(including RPGA�), D&D®, CAR WARS*, STARFLEET BATTLES*, TRAVELLER*, BATTLE-TECH*, CALL OF CTHULHU*, CHAMPIONS*,and HARPOON* games. Many of the events willbe tournaments with prizes for top players.Preregistration is $15 for the weekend, or $10per day. Registration at the door is $20 for theweekend, or $12 per day. Daniel Horne is ourscheduled guest of honor. All who attend will beeligible for door prizes. Write to: LEHICON II,P.O. Box 1864, Bethlehem PA 18016-1864.

WOLFCON III, March 2-4WOLFCON is back for its third year in Arcadia

University�s Beveridge Arts Centre. Some of theparticipants are: the Fantasy Field Trip Society,the Dr. Who Society Prydonian Academy, theMonty Python Appreciation Society, and TheStranger the Better club. There will also be twomovie rooms, work-shops, lectures and opengaming, along with movie, short story, costumeand art competitions. Preregistration: $10Canadian until March 1, $12 Canadian at thedoor. Write to: WOLFCON, Wolfville, N.S., CAN-ADA B0P 1X0; or call: (902) 542-7133.

CALCON V, March 9-11Calgary, Alberta�s largest gaming convention

will be held at the Sandman Inn. Tournamentsinclude AD&D®, BATTLETECH*, GANGSTERHEAD-TO-HEAD*, TUNNELS AND TROLLS*,PARANOIA*, TOON*, DIPLOMACY*, STARFLEET BATTLES*, CAR WARS*, SYSTEM 7*,and SPACE: 1889* games. Special events includean auction, videos, a miniatures contest, artists,computer gaming, and playtesting. Demonstra-tions and the guest of honor are yet to be an-nounced. Registration for the weekend is $8

ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS and theTSR logo are trademarks owned by and usedunder license from TSR, Inc. © 1989 TSR, Inc. AllRights Reserved.

DRAGON 85

ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS and theTSR logo are trademarks owned by and usedunder license from TSR, Inc. © 1989 TSR, Inc. AllRights Reserved.

86 F E B R U A R Y 1 9 9 0

until Feb. 28, $12 at the door. Games costs varyfrom $2 to $5. Write to: CALCON V, Box 22206,Gulf Canada Square RPO, 401 Ninth Avenue SW,Calgary, Alberta, CANADA T2P-4J6; or call PaulSpenard at: (403) 276-9926.

OWLCON XI, March 9-11Rice University�s WARP and RSFAFA will hold

this convention at Rice University. Tournamentswill be held for RUNEQUEST*, PARANOIA*,CALL OF CTHULHU*, TRAVELLER*, DIPLO-MACY*, ILLUMINATI*, CIVILIZATION*,BATTLETECH*, STAR FLEET BATTLES*, ASL*,WORLD IN FLAMES*, and AD&D® games. Opengaming and other tournaments are also availa-ble. Prizes will be awarded for some tourna-ments. Registration will be held in Sewall Hall.Preregistration fees are $10 for a three-daypass. Registration at the door will be $12 for athree-day pass; $4 for Friday or Sunday, and $5for Saturday. Write to: RSFAFA, OWLCON Pre-Registration, P.O. Box 1892, Houston TX 77251.

DARK ICE: MINICON �90, March 9-12The University of Alaska�Anchorage Gaming

Society will be holding its seventh semiannualconvention in the Lucy Cuddy Center on theUAA campus. Events include a vast assortment ofRPGs and board games, including an AD&D® 2ndEdition tournament, with GAMMA WORLD®,CAR WARS*, BATTLETECH*, WARHAMMER40,000*, WARHAMMER FANTASY BATTLE*,TALISMAN*, DIPLOMACY*, and RISK* games.Other activities include a science-fiction andfantasy contest, a miniatures painting contest,two other contests, and open gaming. Registra-tion: $10 for three days; $12 for three days or $5for one day at the door. Write to: DARK ICE:MINICON �90, P.O. Box 92897, Anchorage AK99509-2897; or call: (907) 248-0414.

SCRYCON �90, March 10Sponsored by the Seekers of the Crystal

Monolith Gaming Club, this eighth annual one-day tournament will be held at OakwoodSchool, 515 South Road, Poughkeepsie NYThere will be AD&D® and other games, a minia-tures contest, and a flea market. Preregistrationis $6, or $8 at the door. Write to: SCRYCON �90,P.O. Box 896, Pleasant Valley NY 12569. Space islimited, so please preregister!

NEW ENGLAND REGIONAL BATTLETECH*CHAMPIONSHIPS, March 10-l1

NOTE: This convention (previously listed asthe NORTH AMERICAN BATTLETECH* CHAM-PIONSHIPS) is a two-day event devoted solely toBATTLETECH* gaming. It will be held at theGamemaster, 212 Massachusetts Avenue,Arlington MA 02174. Prizes donated by FASACorporation will be given to the top four Mech-Warriors. Open gaming will be available Fridaynight, March 9, for early arrivals. Call the Game-master at: (617) 641-1580.

CONTEST VII, March 16-18Sponsored by the Tactical Simulation Society,

CONTEST VII will be held at the Holiday InnHolidome, 8181 E. Skelley Drive, Tulsa OK.Events will include 3-D D&D® games, a nonsanc-tioned IFGS Bar Game*, AD&D® 1st and 2ndEdition tournaments, and CHAMPIONS*, CALLOF CTHULHU*, SPACE 1889*, SKY GALLEONSOF MARS*, STAR FLEET BATTLES*, RISK*,RUNEQUEST*, Napoleonics, WARHAMMER40,000*, WARHAMMER FANTASY*, CYBER-PUNK*; and TEENAGERS FROM OUTER SPACE*games, with a dealers� room, a computer room,a miniatures contest, a games auction, and opengaming. Registration is $8 until March 1, or $10

at the door. Send a SASE to: TSS/CONTEST VII,P.O. Box 4726, Tulsa OK 74159.

THE FIFTH BRITISH PBM CONMarch 17

This showcase for the postal game hobby hasmoved to a much larger venue, the Old Horticul-tural Hall in Vincent Square, London SW1. Theexpanded event list includes trade stands anddemonstrations, competition and participationRPGs, war games, computer games, modem andboard games, and live-action role-playing. Theguest of honor will be Joe Dever. Registration:advance tickets are £2 from the the British PBMAssoc., £3 at the door. Write to: British PBMAssoc., 55 Eden Rd., London, UNITED KING-DOM E17 9JX; or call: 01-521-5814.

GUILD FEST �90, March 17-18This convention will be held at the State

University of New York at Binghamton. Eventsinclude CYBERPUNK*, SPELLJAMMER�, CARWARS* or GURPS AUTODUEL*, PARANOIA*,and AD&D® games. A video room is also likely.Game masters are welcome! Registration: $3 perday or $5 for both days in advance; $4 per dayor $7 for both at the door. Write to: Gamers�Guild, Box 2000, c/o SUNY-Binghamton,Binghamton NY 13901.

ONEONTACON �90, March 23-25The Gamers� Guild of the State University

College at Oneonta, N.Y., with funding from theStudent Association, will host its first conven-tion at the Hunt Student Union of the OneontaState campus. Events will include SHADOW-RUN*, MEGATRAVELLER*, CHAMPIONS*,AD&D®, STAR TREK*, and other RPGs, wargames, and miniatures games. Other activitiesinclude a dealers� area, a figure painting contest,and open gaming. Write to: Gamers� Guild, c/oStudent Assoc., State University College,Oneonta NY 13820.

UNIVERSICON IV, March 24Brandeis University�s fourth annual charity

convention, sponsored by the Brandeis SF andComic Book Club, has been moved to the newlyconstructed Hassenfield Conference Center onthe Brandeis campus in Waltham, Mass. Guestsinclude George Takei, Mike Gold, and others.Events include tables for AD&D®, DC HEROES*,PARANOIA*, CAR WARS*, and TOON* games.Other activities include a movie room, a cos-tume contest, a dealers� room and auction,panels, and the charity auction, with newgames, original art, and more. This year�s pro-ceeds will be donated to Greenpeace. Registra-

tion: $6 at the door. Write to: Jeff Zitomer, MB1430, P.O. Box 9110, Waltham MA 02254-9110;or call: (617) 736-7192.

ABBYTHON 8, March 24-25The Community Center in Abbyville, Kans.,

once again becomes the Guild Hall for theAbbython Adventure Guilds eighth annual 24-hour RPG marathon. New members are wel-come, and the best players will be awardedprizes for their efforts. Admission is $7. Writeto: ABBYTHON, Box 96, Abbyville KS 67510.

EGYPTIAN CAMPAIGN �90, March 24-25This convention will be held at the Student

Center of Southern Illinois University at Carbon-dale. A wide variety of events are offered,including an RPGA� AD&D® tournament,miniatures judging, and a games auction. Prere-gistration is $8 for both days; one- and two-daypasses are $5 and $10 at the door. Send a SASEto: S.I.U. Strategic Games Society, Office of

Student Development, Southern Illinois Univer-sity, Carbondale IL 62901-4425; or call: John P.Hults at (618) 457-8846.

GRYPHCON �90, March 24-25The University of Guelph Games Club will

host this convention at the University Center, Uof G, Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Events includeAD&D® team tournament and individual compe-tition, single round events, and numerous RPGs,board games, and chess. Other activities includean amateur art show, a miniatures competition,movies, and a game auction. Registration: $7 perday or $12 for the weekend by March 1; $10per day or $18 for the weekend at the door. (Allfees are in Canadian funds.) Write to: GRY-PHCON �90, Box 63-0631, University of Guelph,Guelph, Ontario, CANADA N1G 2W1; or call theGames Club at: (519) 824-4120.

KETTERING GAME CONVENTIONMarch 24-25

This convention will be held at the Rose E.Miller Recreation Center in Kettering, Ohio.Events include extensive board gaming, FRPGs,miniatures, a dealers� area, and a game auction.Admission is 50 cents per day for those 12 andunder, $2 per day for those 13 and over, or $3for both days. Write to: Bob Von Gruenigen,2013 Gay Drive, Kettering OH 45420.

NOVA XV, March 24-25This science-fiction and gaming convention

will be held at the Oakland Center Building ofOakland University, Rochester, Mich. Guestsinclude Lawrence Watt-Evans, Dave Ivy, andTom Dow. Events include D&D®, CHAMPIONS*,GURPS*, STALKING THE NIGHT FANTASTIC*,BATTLETECH*, SHADOWRUN*, CYBERPUNK*,and CAR WARS* games. Other features includea vast hucksters� room, Japanimation, an artshow, a masquerade ball, SCA demonstrations,and numerous panels. Registration at the doorfor a weekend pass is $4.50, and a one-dayticket is $2.50. Write to: NOVA XV, c/o RichardTucholka, 235 W. Fairmont, Pontiac MI 48055.

COASTCON XIII, March 30-April 1This convention will be held at the Mississippi

Gulf Coast Coliseum and Convention Center inBiloxi, Miss. Guests include Joe W. Lansdale,Sandy Peterson, Robert Petitt, Walter Irwin,George Alec Effinger, Gregory Nicholl, andSidney Williams. Events include gaming, adance, an art show, an auction, filksinging, adealers� room, movies, a costume contest, a live-action RPG, and a charity auction. Registrationis $15 until Feb. 1; or $20 at the door. Write to:COASTCON XIII, P.O. Box 1423, Biloxi MS 39533.

I-CON IX, March 30-April 1The East Coast�s largest convention of sci-fi,

fantasy, and science fact will be held on thecampus of the State University of New York atStony Brook on Long Island. Scheduled guestsare Steve Jackson, Alan Dean Foster, RobertBloch, C. J. Cherryh, David Kyle, Timothy Zahn,Patricia McKillip, Sam Moskowitz and manymore. Events include an art show, print shop,dealers� room, two movie tracks, a writers�workshop, gaming, Japanimation, comics, mediaguests, science and tech speakers, artists, au-thors and editors, two video rooms, film pre-views, and slide shows! Registration: $18 untilMarch 15, or $20 at the door. One-day passesare available at the door. Send a SASE to: I-CONIX, P.O. Box 550, New York NY 11790.

PENTECON �90, March 30-April 1The Cornell Strategic Simulations Society is

sponsoring the 2nd annual PENTECON to beheld at the Cornell campus in Ithaca, N.Y. Eventsinclude TITAN*, DIPLOMACY*, CAR WARS*,and AD&D® games, as well as many other RPGsand war games; a dealers� room, open gaming,and bridge are also offered. Preregistration is$8. Write to: Cornell Strategic SimulationsSociety, c/o Peace Studies Program, 180 UrisHall, Cornell University, Ithaca NY 14853.

CONNCON �90, March 31-April 1This will be held at the Ramada Inn in Dan-

bury, Conn. The guest of honor is Jean Rabe,RPGA� Network Coordinator. Events includenumerous RPGs, board games, miniaturesbattles, RPGA� Masters and Grandmasters levelevents, a three-round tournament, a �membersonly� event, a benefit event, and more. Otheractivities include seminars on gaming, gamemastering, a miniatures painting contest, acostume contest, and more. Registration: $15,which includes three free games. Write to:,CONNCON, P.O. Box 444, Sherman CT 06784.

COOKEVILLE COMIC AND GAME CON IMarch 31-April 1

This convention will be held at the TennesseeNational Guard Armory in Cookeville, Tenn.Events will include AD&D®, CHAMPIONS*,STAR TREK*, DC HEROES*, and other games.Prizes will be awarded. Vendors are welcome!Registration: $6. Write to: Eric Webb, c/o Big D�sComics and Games, 323 N. Washington Ave.,Cookeville TN 38570; or call: (615) 528-6070.

CONTRAPTION, April 6-8This convention will be held at the Troy Hilton

in Troy, Mich. The guest of honor is Barry B.Longyear. Registration is $15 until Feb. 28, or$20 after that and at the door. Dealers arewelcome! Write to: CONTRAPTION, P.O. Box2285, Ann Arbor MI 48106.

STELLARCON XV, April 6-8This sci-fi/fantasy/horror convention will be

held at the University of North Carolina atGreensboro. Featured are guest speakers, pan-els, discussions, and writers� workshops. Con-firmed guests are Hal Clement, Dennis andKristina Etchison, Sam Grainger, Joe Lansdale,Frederik Pohl, Richard and Janice Preston, andAllen Wold and others. Other activities include adealers� room, art and costume contests, SCA,Japanimation, schlock theater, fan, clubs, modeldisplays, a cabaret, open gaming, and films.Registration $10 per day, or $25 for the week-end. Inquiries are now being accepted for thedealers� room, advertising in the conventionprogram, and for additional sponsors. Write to:STELLARCON XV, Science Fiction Fantasy Soci-ety, P.O. Box 4, Elliot University Center, UNCG,Greensboro NC 27412.

DEF-CON II, April 7-8�The Year After� will be held at the Howard

Johnson�s in Portage, Ind. Activities includeAD&D® 1st and 2nd Edition, CHILL*, TWI-LIGHT! 2000*, MARVEL SUPER HEROES�,CYBERPUNK*, GURPS*, PARANOIA*, BATTLE-TECH*, CAR WARS*, and BLOODBOWL* games,with open gaming and miniatures and dioramacontests. Prizes will be awarded. Registration is$6 per day, or $11 for both days; at the door, itwill be $7 for one day and $13 for both. Writeto: Dave Machin 713 Juniper Road, ValpariasoIN 46383; or call: (219) 759-2530. ADVANCED DUNGEONS&DRAGONS and the

TSR logo are trademarks owned by and usedunder license from TSR, Inc. © 1989 TSR, Inc. AllRights Reserved.

DRAGON 87

A new columnfrom TSR�s

�other� departmentby Will Larson

Greetings, and congratulations at beingamong the very first readers of �NovelIdeas,� a spanking-new bimonthly columnin DRAGON® Magazine. Written by theTSR Book Department�s editors (who are,after all, the only ones in possession ofsuch nuggets of wisdom), this column willfeature the latest news of what�s brewingin the TSR book world, highlighting ad-vance information on upcoming titles.

The big news in the Book Departmentthese days, which has manager MaryKirchoff all atwitter and editors Jim Low-der, Eric Severson, and yours truly walk-ing tall, is the revelation in the February1989 issue of Locus Magazine that TSRnow ranks second in sales of science-fiction and fantasy books only to giantBallantine. Considering the mastodonianproportions of some of the New Yorkpublishers included in the comparison,this announcement has our four-person,shirt-sleeve staff smiling broadly indeed.

While a good many of you are doubtlessfamiliar with our best-sellingDRAGONLANCE® and FORGOTTENREALMS� novels, there is another cate-gory of novels that many of you may nothave discovered yet: TSR� Books. With theexception of the GREYHAWK® titles, TSRBooks have no tie-in with any of our gameproducts. (This is not to say this may nothappen at some future time, however;we�ve already published several that wethink would make dandy games.) Rather,TSR Books represent the very best titleswe can find in the areas of adult sciencefiction, fantasy, mystery, and horror. Allare action-packed adventures in the finest

88 FEBRUARY 1990

tradition of TSR products you have cometo know. This issue�s �Novel Ideas� fea-

afternoon when one is down for a nap andthe other is settled in front of �Sesame

tures three highly promising TSR Books Street,� she said. �The trouble is, �Sesamedue out in 1990. Street� just doesn�t last long enough.�

Dark HorseFebruary�s release, by first-time novelist

Mary Herbert, is Dark Horse. This richlylayered fantasy is set in the unspecifiedpast, in a society peopled by small tribalunits with firmly established customs andtaboos. Gabria, theyoung heroine, isorphaned when herentire tribe is mas-sacred by a rivaltribe. Disguised asa young man, shewins acceptanceinto a neighboringtribe and sets outto gain revenge.

Author Herbertcites science fiction,fantasy, and mys-

Mary Herbert

teries as her favorite book categories; DickFrancis, Anne McCaffrey, Piers Anthony, J.R. R. Tolkien, and C. S. Lewis are herfavorite authors. She got her own start inwriting when she won first prize in a high-school writing contest in Troy, Ohio. Whilein college, she studied at the Center forMedieval and Renaissance Studies at Ox-ford, England, where she says she did�nothing but write the whole time. It wasincredible. I�d love to go back!�

Now at home in Conyers, Georgia, Marytries to find time to write between chasingafter two young children, whose back-ground demands punctuated our tele-phone interview. �I try to write in the

Of Dark Horse, she recalls: �I wrote thefirst draft of that book six years ago. Itwas the first full-length novel I ever tried.It started out as a short story, and I can�tremember now exactly what the shortstory was going to be about, but it keptgrowing and growing until finally it be-came a full-length novel. It has been re-written three times now, so it is truly acase of perseverance. I tried to make it asbelievable as possible. It�s a combination ofa lot of different cultures that I like � thetribes of the high steppes of Russia andthe Irish clans. Actually, in a geographicalsense, I relied heavily on parts of Wyo-ming, which are true steppes. A lot of thisis based on Wyoming, since I�ve neverbeen to Russia.�

WarspriteWarsprite, a science-fiction novel featur-

ing two robots, one peaceful and sexy, theother evil and . . . well, evil, makes itsappearance inApril. The tworobots, who aresworn enemies, areimmediately sepa-rated upon theirarrival on Earth.While the evil robotfeeds his power,Delta, the peacefulone, must convincehumans of both herharmlessness andthe danger pre-

sented by her android brother. Eventually,the conflict is resolved in a tense show-down in radiation-filled caves beneath theLos Alamos nuclear testing grounds.

The mastermind behind these goings-onproves to be Jefferson P. Swycaffer, a fifth-generation Californian. This 32-year-oldmathematics student at San Diego StateUniversity is also a collector of skulls,comic books, toy firearms, and role-playing games. �As a matter of fact,� quipsJeff, �DRAGON Magazine was where Imade my first professional sale. I�ve gottenalong well with them for eleven yearsnow. And I live in an apartment that hasn�tgot any view, since I�ve put up so manybookshelves, they�ve blocked off all thewindows.�

Of his other written works, Jeff states,�I�ve written fifteen books�mostly science.fiction or fantasy, but one of them was aphilosophical �mainstream� novel�andpublished seven. Warsprite will be myeighth book to see professional print. Mylibrary runs to about 3,400 books, most ofwhich I�ve read, and many of which I�veread twice. I like reading books a secondtime. I�ve read Tolkien�s The Lord of theRings eight times, and I catch somethingnew there every time.�

Jeff notes that Poul Anderson and JackVance have had a huge influence on hiswork. �I also like Cordwainer Smith�sscience fantasy very much. John T. Sladekand Alexei Panshin are both very witty,and Thomas Burnett Swann is a verypoetic writer. My favorite book in all theworld is The Farthest Shore, by Ursula K.LeGuin.�

Swycaffer�s views on science fictionversus fantasy: �That varies from day today and from year to year. I try to changemy reading habits fairly often, and I like tolearn about new genres. I recently discov-ered the series of race-horse thriller nov-els by Dick Francis, and I spent a yeardevouring them: wonderful stuff! I preferstories with some real philosophical meat,with a puzzle that the reader can at leastgive some thought to. Ursula LeGuin andPoul Anderson are among the best in thisregard. You come away from their bookswith a lot to think about.�

Robin Bailey

When asked if he had a �message,� Jeffreplied, �Well, my motto is �I Approve,Without Reserve,� which is just to say that Ithink the worlds a pretty nifty place. Butmy message would probably be somethingsoppy and humanist, that the world is fullof interesting riddles, and that we allought to spend more time trying to learnabout it�

NightwatchIn June 1990, Nightwatch; the eighth

title in the GREYHAWK series, will appearon store shelves. Author Robin Baileyrecalls the genesis of this exciting novel:

�I was not familiar with the GREYHAWKbooks when the people at TSR called meup and asked if I wanted to do one. I writefor the Thieves� World series, and theyhad seen the work that I had done there,and they thoughtthat what I wasdoing was compati-ble with the visionthey had forGreyhawk. Any-time I do a projectfor another com-pany, I always liketo take a look at theproject and seewhat other writershave done and thenmake sure that what I do stands apartfrom what�s gone before. It�s kind of anego thing, I guess. The other GREYHAWKbooks sort of ranged around the worldthat Greyhawk is set in, and we decidedthat we wanted to do this one completelyin the city of Greyhawk itself and reallyconcentrate on the city. Then I needed toknow what kinds of characters I couldfind to put there, and I thought, �Well, Ineed an adventurous character becausethat�s what I like to write.�

�At the same time, I had recently readUmberto Ecco�s The Name of the Rose,which had a monk who sort of plays theSherlock Holmes detective roll, and notbeing above stealing a good idea, I decidedI could have some kind of a mystery, mov-ing back to the idea of blending genres,blending fantasy and horror. So I settledon the idea that the captain of the NightWatch would be the person most likely tohave to solve any kind of a mystery thatcame up.

�I like to write at night. A lot of peoplehave noticed that everything that happensin my books always seems to happen atnight, so it just had to be the captain of theNight Watch. Then there had to be theelement of magic involved, and so I knewthat the crimes were going to have toinvolve magic. The book really fell to-gether pretty clearly after that. I knewwho my character was going to be, I knewwhere all the action was going to takeplace, and I knew that the murders weregoing to involve magic, all of which are thepreludes to the invasion of the city by thetraditional enemies of Greyhawk, theHorned Society.�

Robin got his start in writing at a tenderage. His first short story, a science-fictionpiece, was published when he was 17 andin high school. During the next severalyears, he honed his skills in collegecreative-writing classes and sometimestried his professors� patience because ofhis insistence on pursuing science fictionto the exclusion of other forms of writing.

In 1983 came his first published novel,Frost, a heroic fantasy, followed in rapidsuccession by two sequels, Skullgate (1984)and Bloodsongs (1985). This last year hasseen the publication of Enchanter (Avon,1988) and Lake of Fire (Bantam, 1989).Future offerings, besides Nightwatch,include an as yet untitled novel from Avonand the Brothers of the Dragon trilogyfrom New American Library.

A confirmed sports buff (he refers tohimself as �kind of a jock�), Robin listssoccer, volleyball, bicycling, and travel asoutside interests�when he has the time topursue them. His traveling is often workrelated for research, but he enjoys squeez-ing in time to attend conventions. On suchoccasions, he says he�s thrilled with �meet-ing the readers and the people who areinvolved with science fiction and fantasythese days. I�ve met a lot of really nicepeople, and I really enjoy that part of it.�

When questioned about what he is mostproud of, Robin replies, �When peoplewrite me notes, and I find that somethingthat I have written or that one of mycharacters has done has touched them insome way, maybe affected them, too. I getreally personally wound up in my charac-ters. I used to refer to it as the Strasbergschool of writing, because I sort of try tolive out what they do, I guess. It�s nice toget letters from readers and find out thatsomething I have written has affectedthem in a positive way.

�I�m grateful for being able to do what Ido right now. You�ll find the real me in thebooks that I write and in my music.�

Be sure to watch this space in twomonths for a discussion of what�s new inFORGOTTEN REALMS books for 1990.

DRAGON 89

Part 2: Into the mountains, to meet with . . . doom

This series chronicles the adventures ofan Alphatian explorer and his crew asthey journey across the D&D® KnownWorld in their skyship. The informationherein may be used to expand D&D cam-paigns using the Gazetteer series.

Vertmir 7, 1965: After Cape Eriadna,the coast runs directly to the south. An- lother land lies to the east; the pattern inthe clouds is quite clear about it. So far, itseems the old Nithian map is quite accu-rate. After pondering our course, I de-cided to head due east. Heavy cloudspersisting in the south warned of violentweather; I feared the Princess Ark wouldhardly be able to climb above them. Theeastern coast is no more than a few hun-dred miles away.

Vertmir 17, 1965: After reaching thewestern coastline at dawn, I decided tofollow the coast to the north rather thanpenetrate this unknown land. The terrainis similar to the Jungle Coast, and so far nosign of population has been seen. By eve-ning, we reached the northern end of theIsle of Cestia, which I named Cape Andor.Our choice is either to veer toward the isleto the northeast, or to follow the otherside of Cestia, due south. Tonight I willconsult the Auguries and make a decision.Which is the most interesting course? Vertmir 18, 1965: At midnight, Talasar

traced the circle around the mizzenmast,then inscribed the eight runes. The crewwas silent, perfect in observing the ritual.The drummers, in trances, slowly beat thepace as the ship pivoted on its center, fromstarboard to port. The moon appeared lateand low on the horizon. At the pointwhere the shadow of the mast intersectedwith a rune, Talasar lifted his hand. Thedrummers and the ship stopped. It wasthe rune of Ice and Sun. So be it: Today werested, but tomorrow we shall sail awayfrom the coast to the northeast. So spokethe Immortal Razud.

Tslamir 8, 1965: Wise is the Immortal

by Bruce A. Heard

Razud! His path has lead us to a strangeisland, which we discovered after follow-ing the coast for a few days. This island isa large one by our standards (and proba-bly bigger than what the Thyatians calltheir �Known World�). To the west lies theBellissarian Sea; to the east is an oceanunknown to us. We named this place theIsle of Oceania.

To the south of Oceania is a smallerisland, 200 miles long. This rocky forma-tion is the realm of sea birds and largelizards; its rocks are almost completelycovered with their droppings. The birdsfeed on the fish, the lizards consume thebirds� eggs and remains, and fish feast onthe sludge washed from the rocks into thesea by the storms. I shall name this placeEverfeed.

A few forests grow along the rarebeaches of Oceania, but for the most partits mountains form jagged cliffs that dropstraight into the sea. The reefs and shoalsaround Oceania would be deadly to seafar-ing vessels. The mountains rise over20,000� in height. We discovered the aban-doned ruins of two towns built on ledgesabove the sea. Their architecture is un-known, and time has washed away anyinscriptions or paintings. Judging fromseveral imposing buildings, this must oncehave been an advanced culture. No cluewas found to tell us what may have hap-pened to the �Oceanians.�

In the morning, we�ll explore a narrowmountain pass that opens over a small bayon the south side of the island. Throughthe pass flows a river that forms a highcataract plunging straight into the bay.

Tslamir 11, 1965: After days of trialand error, we are closer now to the centerof the mountains. Many passes branchedoff the one from which we started, someforming a maze of jagged rooks and dizzy-ing gorges, others ending in treacherous,impassable walls. Maneuvering out ofthese dead ends proved considerably moredifficult than I had expected. The PrincessArk is a large ship and cannot climb above10,000�. Several passes nearly reached thatlimit, one of them causing the ship toscrape her keel. The weather is muchcooler here than near the coast. At sun-down, we found another ruined town, thisone quite huge and with a once-mighty

citadel. Still no clue was at hand as to thefate of the Oceanians. We anchored offseveral promontories to prevent the Prin-cess Ark from swaying into the cliffs onthe wind. Clouds formed around us, muf-fling every sound. Now for our sleep.

Tslamir 16, 1965: By the blessings ofthe Immortals, we yet live! The crew isexhausted from a difficult day. Visibilitytoday was reduced to less than 30��amere fraction of the Princess Ark�s length.Late during the night of the 15th, SecondClass Petty Officer Nadonosor reportedthat the watch was missing, along with alaunch. The deck watch was young Tarias,the midshipman sent along with us by theHouse of Arrogansa for his education inthe science of sky navigation. I immedi-ately ordered Xerdon and his men to fol-low me to the ruins. If Tarias died, then somight I.

We found the launch on one of the oldbastions, where Tarias�s footprints ledtoward the citadel. The place was ghastlyat night. Murmurs and whispers could beheard everywhere, but never could wefind their source. Tracking the boy tooktime and skill on the part of Xerdon. Atlast, when it seemed we would never findthe boy in this maze of collapsed houses,we reached an open-air temple. There,chained to an altar in the center, lay Ta-rias, staring blankly into the sky. Ourmidshipman was someone�s sacrifice!

Yet we could see that he still lived�andwe could see his unhuman captors, whosent the chill of fear through me. A ring oftranslucent beings knelt around the altar!

Instantly, Xerdon ordered his boltmen toblast the ghosts away. Screams of un-earthly terror and pain shook the templeas the undead wisps were scattered likepaper ash. Forward boltman Ramissur was the first to reach the midshipman, and hehad nearly removed the rusty shackleswhen a swarm of shadowy apparitionsswirled around him. The boltman wasclearly dying! Fortunately, I could cast amagical light to relieve him. As expected,the shadows reeled back in terror fromthe illumination. We moved in and thoughtour battle over.

But as we rushed forward in themoment of our triumph, we discovereda terrifying presence that had remained

DRAGON 91

unseen. A huge, pitch-black dragon em-erged from the dark, looming over thealtar. Xerdon�s men froze as it advanced,and I am afraid that I did the same.

But the dragon stayed its attach. To ourastonishment, it said in perfect Alphatian,�You are trespassing on lands which oughtto remain the domain of my kin and of thedead. You who are called Haldemar�youhave a choice: take back the boy, or saveyour warrior. Make your derision now,and you may return to your ship un-harmed. I shall keep the soul of he whoremains.�

I had no certainty that the wyrm wouldbe true to its word, nor that it would notcome after us again. Yet I could see a mul-titude of ghostly shapes and unspeakableabominations coming up the streets of theruined city. We had run out of time. Imade my choice. I had to save Tarias ofArrogansa; his family is a terrible enemy.With deep regrets, I pointed to the boy. AsI did, Xerdon turned to me with flames ofanger in his eyes. I fear I have lost a friendas well as a superior boltman. As we hur-ried away with the limp form of Tarias inour arms, the wyrm�s thundering laughterechoed in the ruins.

We reached the ship with no furtherincident. Suspecting more trouble fromthe monster, I ordered watches withtorches to the prow, then cast off. Veryslowly, guided by the words of the

watches, the Princess Ark veered awayfrom the ruins and moved down into thedarkness of the gorge.

That wiley wyrm! It did not lie, for it letus reach out ship in safety�but it prom-ised nothing more! The expected attachcame swiftly Three lesser dragons wereseen on the approach, and they swoopedupon us three times. Each time, theirteeth, claws, and wings ripped a whole sailto shreds. Each time, Xerdon�s boltmenbraved the danger in defense of our ship,while the bosun exhorted his sailors toman the riggings at all costs. We could notafford to lose our sails here!

It was Talasar who saved the night. Helater revealed that he sensed the nature ofthese dragons, which were clearly not ofthis world. Our priest of Razud had closedhis eyes to better sense the presence ofthe wyrms. Then he cast his magic, andone of them, somewhere in the darkness,roared in pain and agony. It fell like arock, and the sound of its hones crashinginto the jagged ridges below echoedthrough the gorge. An insane, monstrousshriek rose from the citadel�and thePrincess Ark lurched forward as if struckby a storm.

We do not know if the ship moved onher own or if she was lifted and thrustaway by some enormous force. In anyevent, the sudden movement was enoughto outdistance the wyrms, though only by

great luck did we avoid smashing into therocks. We flew all night, and by this morn-ing�s dawn we had reached the cataract atthe bay. The deck was a scene of uttercarnage. The crew had suffered manywounds, though no deaths. However, themountain passes are marked in our chartroom. Someday I shall return, for if thereare such powerful dragons, great trea-sures and magic must lie beyond. Alas, thefate of the Oceanians is now clear.

To be continued. . . .

If you have already designed the areascovered by the flight of the Princess Ark,simply ignore the information given here(the skyship simply went by, assuming thatthese areas were already well known tothe Alphatians). If you have any commentsregarding this column or the D&D game�sKnown World as designed in the Gazet-teers, please send your inquiries to BruceHeard, D&D (Column, TSR, Inc., P.O. Box756, Lake Geneva WI 53147. We cannotguarantee that all letters will get answers,but they, will certainly have our attention.Your input into the development of theD&D Known World is welcome.

See Ship Flight inboxed area on

next page!

92 FEBRUARY 1990

Ship Flight (Reversible)

Spell Level: 7 (Clerics only)Range: 100-yard radius per level (see

text)Duration: Until dispelled or until desti-

nation is reached.Effect: Guides to a destination or reveals

the best course among several.

Alphatian clerics developed this spellprimarily for use with their skyships.When the spell is cast, the caster mustname a specific destination (which heneed not have visited before) or direction(if the caster is merely exploring andwants to see the most interesting andunusual sights).

When cast, this spell ensures that allskyships within its range (including asingle skyship or a whole fleet of them,and even including all aerial mounts andflying devices) will reach that destinationor follow that course, barring completedisaster. (If a fleet is separated, the indi-vidual ships will arrive at the destinationnonetheless.) The spell will functionregardless of any helmsman�s interven-tion. This spell can conveniently take thecourse deemed the safest, the shortest,the most scenic, etc., as requested by thecaster and as set by the Immortals. (Ofcourse, what an Immortal considers�safe� or �scenic� could prove dangerousanyway).

Passengers on an enspelled ship whoare unwilling to reach its destinationmust Save vs. Spells to recognize theship�s true course. To break the spell, apassenger must either successfully cast adispel magic spell against the ship flightspell on the ship, or destroy that shipcompletely. The remaining alternative isto simply leave the ship.

This spell requires the drawing of amagical circle with eight runes around

the ship�s mizzenmast after nightfall. Ifthe sky is overcast, drummers must beused with the spell to ensure its success.The ship rotates around its central axiswhile the caster specifies the conditionsof the spell, as previously described. Themoon, planets, or stars will create ashadow of the mast, which slowlycrosses over the runes. When theshadow reaches the proper rune, thelatter flashes briefly and the circle disap-pears. The rune indicates the directionthe ship should take. Only a detect magicspell reveals the presence of a ship flightspell.

The reversed form of this spell, blockship flight, must be cast at the highestpoint of a given location (a tower, a tree,a mountain peak, etc). It prevents a sky-ship or equivalent airgoing vessel, suchas a flying carpet or a mounted creature,from ever discovering the locationguarded by the spell�unless a ship flightspell had already been cast on an incom-ing vessel. For example, a block shipflight spell cast on a town�s church stee-ple could be set to prevent any skyshipfrom locating that town. However, thatspell would not prevent a skyship fromlocating the province in which the townlay, nor could it distract a skyship whoseship flight spell has been cast two daysbefore and was guiding the ship andcrew to that very town. This reversedform of the spell will cause an unguidedvisitor to fly by and totally fail to recog-nize either the value or the nature ofwhat lies below (the landscape isn�t invis-ible�it is simply uninteresting!). Blockship flight does not affect visitors on footor on the sea, as long they remain off askyship or its equivalent. The reversedspell is frequently used to conceal secretoutposts, wizards� towers, and the like.

PaladinContinued from page 17

paladins are as undistracted as possible,might forbid marriage to paladins onactive service, but permit it upon retire-ment. Still others might forbid marriage topaladins entirely. The DM will have tomake the decision in each case, based onthe situation in the campaign world andthe deity followed by a particular paladin

A paladin might also choose his friendsbased on alignment, as dictated by thechurch. Some religions, such as that of St.Cuthbert in the WORLD OF GREYHAWK®fantasy setting, stress the lawful aspect oflawful-good beliefs. A paladin of such afaith would be friendlier to lawful-neutralbeings than chaotic-good beings. Otherreligions might take the opposite tack,believing that association with good beingsis more critical.

No retirementDespite the dangerous nature of their

duties, and their own training that makesthem almost suicidally indifferent to peril,some paladins do survive to old age. Theirchurches are proud to honor them, buttheir lives of action and adventure makesitting in retirement almost pure torment.Almost any paladin who attains retirementage unmaimed begs for something usefulto do.

Some of the luckier paladins amassenough wealth to purchase or build smallstrongholds, which are devoted to thecauses of their churches in all possibleways. When a paladin builds a new strong-hold, it will be in an area where it willeither be a useful outpost against theenemies of humanity, or be used as aschool for paladins and clerics.

With or without a stronghold, manyelderly paladins wish to ensure that theupcoming generation of future paladinswill be the best one possible. They mayjoin the faculty at a paladins� school, pass-ing on their skills and knowledge to theyoung. They might also make trips tochurches and villages in the area to judgeand evaluate youth. On these trips, theyare often joined by their retired colleagueswhose injuries prevent them. taking amore active role in church affairs,. Asthese elderly, famous warriors watch thechildren at play with a critical eye, thecircle is completed�and the next genera-tion of paladins is selected.

[Recent articles on paladins include: �APlethora of Paladins,� in DRAGON® issue#106; �The Code of Chivalry� and �Glory,Danger, and Wounds� in issue #125,��Good� Does Not Mean �Boring,�� in issue#148. ��It�s Not Easy Being Good,� in theBest of DRAGON Magazine anthology,volume III, is also about paladins.]

DRAGON 93

SageContinued from page 7

An ice storm or other attack that damagesthe protected creature does not end thestoneskin spell, as the dweomer lasts untilit foils a physical attack (see UnearthedArcana page 57).

How can damage to a simulacrumbe repaired? Will cure wounds,raise dead, or resurrection spellswork? If a simulacrum is slain, doesit return to a pile of snow?

The various cure wounds spells will notwork on a simulacrum; raise dead andresurrection will not work either, as thesimulacrum was never alive. Whether ornot a slain simulacrum crumbles into apile of snow when killed is up to the DM�we recommend yes. Damage to a simula-crum might be repairable if the DM allowsit. We suggest a new seventh-level spell forthis purpose (or a recasting of the simula-crum spell strictly for purposes of repair)or perhaps a magical tome. The costs ofrepair should be from 300 to 500 gp perhit point in any case.

Can a magic-user use magic jar totransfer his own essence into asimulacrum?

Yes, but only after the simulacrum hasbeen given a vital force with a resurrec-tion spell. The attempt at magic jar is thenresolved normally.

Can a magic-user complete onlythe somatic component of a spell,leave the material component be-hind, then trigger the spell withmagic mouth?

No. All the components of any spell mustbe completed together; withholding orinterrupting any of them ruins the spell.And, magic mouth cannot be used to castany spell�not even a purely verbal one.

Can two different spell-casterscharm the same creature, or will thetwo spells cancel each other out?

There is no limit to the number of timesthat a creature can be charmed. If multi-ple charms are cast upon the same crea-ture, each caster will be able to influencethe subject. The DM will have to decidewhat the creature will do in the face ofconflicting instructions. It�s likely that thecharmed creature, being �best friends�with both casters, will try to reconcile anyarguments between them.

Can the recipient of the second-..level magic-user spell invisibilitysee himself? Does an object droppedby the recipient become visible?Does an object picked up by therecipient become invisible? The book says that any attack will endthe invisibility; does this include the

94 FEBRUARY 1990

casting of any spell or just attacks p e l l s ?

The recipient of an invisibility spell isinvisible even to himself. Any equipmentcarried by a creature at the time the spellis cast becomes invisible with the creature.If the creature puts an item down, theitem becomes visible, but if an invisiblecreature picks up a visible object, theobject stays visible. Nondamaging spellswill not make the recipient visible, but anyaction intended to harm another creaturewill.

Is there a limit to the altitude at-tainable with a levitate spell?

The only limit is the spell�s duration and20�/round movement rate (or 10�/round ifcast on another creature). Smart playerswill make sure that their PCs leave enoughunused duration to get safely back to theground.

General questions

How many spells does a 1st-levelmagic-user have in his book? TheDMG (page 39) says four, while thePHB (page 10) sets a minimum andmaximum according to intelligence.When does the magic-user addspells to his book?

For a beginning character, ignore theminimum number of spells on IntelligenceTable II in the PHB (page 10). A 1st-levelmagic-user has a book of four spells, asper the DMG, page 39. He does not roll his�chance to know� for these spells.

As the magic-user gains levels, he gainsnew spells as part of his training. It is bestto simply give the magic-user a new spellfor his book each time he gains the abilityto cast an additional spell. For example, a1st-level magic-user can cast one first-levelspell. When the magic-user reaches 2ndlevel, he can cast two first-level spells, andhe gains an additional first-level spell forhis book. His intelligence still determinesthe maximum number of spells of eachlevel he can have in his book, and hischance of successfully writing any givenspell into his book.

The DM should select the new spell, andthe magic-user must successfully make his�chance to know� roll in order to gain it. Ifthe roll fails, the DM should assign an-other spell. To allow magic-user PCs moreoptions when choosing spells, you mightgive each such PC an extra 2nd, 3rd, 4th,or 5th-level spell when the magic-user firstgains the ability to cast it (this will occur at3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level, respectively).

The magic-user can also try to add spellsto his book when he finds them on scrollsor in captured spell books. The magic-userrolls his �chance to know� and, if success-ful, may add the spell to his book. Thespell disappears from the scroll or bookwhen the magic-user adds it to his book.

If, during the course of play, the magic-user has tried every spell of a given level

but has fewer spells of that level than theminimum for his intelligence score, he cango back and try to learn one or morespells a second time.

For more information, see �Spelling ItOut,� in DRAGON issue #147.

Do spells end when their castersare killed?

This is up to the DM. There are twoschools of thought here. One holds that aspell is a discrete, independent event in-volving a fixed amount of magical energy.Once the event begins, it runs like clock-work; only anti-magic in some form (dispelmagic, anti-magic shell, etc.) will keep itfrom running its full course. The otherschool holds that the caster must be aliveto act as a channel for the energy the spellrequires. No matter which school youfollow, there will be some exceptions. Forexample, any spell requiring concentrationfrom the caster will end if the caster dies.Spells that are permanent will remainafter the caster dies.

Many AD&D game spells requirethe caster to touch the recipient.Once the spell is cast, how long doesthe caster have to deliver it? Is therea limit on how many touch attemptsthe caster can make?

Some campaigns allow a caster to hold aspell �on hands� indefinitely, provided thatthe caster does not attempt to cast anotherspell. The spell �on hands� is dischargedwhen the caster next touches someone orsomething. Some DMs rule that the spellremains only as long as the caster concen-trates on touching a recipient�the spell islost if the caster abandons the touch at-tempt for any reason.

Page 40 of the DMG refers to �vari-ous chances for spell malfunction.�What are these chances, and wherecan they be found?

There is no spell malfunction table, butthe AD&D 1st Edition game is liberallypeppered with spell malfunction chances.Saving throws can partially or completelynegate a spell, low wisdom scores canaffect clerical spell-casting, casting a spellfrom a scroll is not a sure thing if thecaster�s knowledge is incomplete, andmagic resistance can play havoc withspells. Page 40 refers to these miscellane-ous rules.

How often can a character go tosleep and then regain his spells?Does a character who goes to sleepretain any uncast spells?

A spell-caster can go to sleep at any time(after the proper study or prayer) andregain his spells, even if it isn�t �bedtime.�We suppose that insomnia could strike acharacter who sleeps too often, but this isup to the DM. Sleeping does not cause aspell-caster to forget his spells.

King and CountryContinued from page 41targets, opponents, and goals for the PCs.However, there may be complicationsunknown to the raiders, such as a secre-tive wizard living in the village or an extracentury of soldiers guarding the caravan.Wandering monsters and enemy patrolsmay also be encountered.

Scouting: Soldiers assigned to gatherinformation outside their kingdom�s bor-ders usually search for enemy troops, butthey can encounter almost anything. Longrange scouting missions are uncommon,though any scouting party is often manyhours� ride from friendly troops. As longas one member of the party gets back tomake his report, the mission is at least apartial success.

Special mission: This assignment is morelike a typical AD&D adventure than theothers, and includes such things as long-range scouting jobs, bounty hunts, assassi-nations, rescues, artifact recoveries, caveand dungeon explorations, and sabotage.All of the PCs� adventuring skills will betested, though the main goal of the mis-sion will already be known to them.

How to Win WarsContinued from page 51

they do not address the larger scope oflong-lasting conflicts.

3. Rallying is conducted unit by unit, notfigure by figure, in the new rules. Mobformation is not a part of the new rules;units can now move at no penalty (exceptfor terrain restrictions) if they are in regu-lar formation, and they get a movementbonus for assuming column formationwhen moving across clear terrain or alonga road.

4. See pages 33-34 of the 2nd EditionBATTLESYSTEM rules for notes on �chain-reaction� routing.

5. �Rough/rocky� terrain is the term inthe 2nd Edition BATTLESYSTEM rules(page 35).

6. See chapter 3 of the 2nd EditionBATTLESYSTEM rules for notes on mo-rale, as well as the notes on routing citedin footnote 4.

7. See page 18, �Rally Checks,� in the 2ndEdition BATTLESYSTEM rules.

BibliographyDunningan, James F. The Complete War-

games Handbook. New York: WilliamMorrow and Company, 1980.

Eccles, Henry E. Military Concepts andPhilosophy New Brunswick, N.J.:Rutgers University Press, 1965.

Ikle, Fred Charles. Every War Must End.New York: Columbia University Press,1971.

Farago, Ladislas. German PsychologicalWarfare. New York: Arno Press, 1972.

Leckie, Robert. Warfare. New York:Harper and Row, 1970.

Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince. Trans-lated by Luigi Ricci. New AmericanLibrary. New York: Oxford UniversityPress, 1952.*

Mao Zedong. On Guerilla Warfare. Trans-lated by Samuel B. Griffith. GardenCity, N.Y.: Anchor Press, 1978.

Morgenthau, Hans J. Politics Among Na-tions. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1948.

Oman, C. W. C. The Art of War in theMiddle Ages. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell Uni-versity Press, 1953.

Osanka, Franklin M., ed. Modern GuerillaWarfare. New York: Free Press of Glen-

coe, 1962.Sun Tzu. The Art Of War Translated by

Samuel B. Griffith. New York: OxfordUniversity Press, 1963.*

von Clausewitz, Carl. On War Translatedby Michael Howard and Peter Paret.Princeton, N.J.: Princeton UniversityPress, 1976.*

* These books were written by real-worldgenerals in ancient cultures; their notesmight be very applicable to fantasy-gameminiatures battles.

DRAGON 95

NEW PRODUCTS FORJANUARY

SJA1 WildspaceAD&D® 2nd Edition SPELLJAMMER�

moduleby Allen VarneyIt�s another typical day in a typical village

filled with typical townspeople�until an enor-mous ship�s anchor falls out of the sky. Whenthe anchor�s owner slides down the anchorrope, he relays an urgent message of impendingdoom to the world, unless you go with him intospace to stop the menace. Wildspace is the firstSPELLJAMMER� module for all AD&D®campaigns!Suggested Retail Price: $8.95/£5.95Product No.: 9273

AD&D® Monstrous Compendium, VolumeFour

AD&D® 2nd Edition accessoryby Rick SwanMillions have purchased the books and mod-

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WGA12 Vale of the MageAD&D® 2nd Edition GREYHAWK®

moduleby Jean RabeThe Vale of the Mage is an area shrouded in

mystery, believed to hold the keys to strangeand legendary powers. Armies of enchantedmonsters are now pouring from the vale,wreaking havoc and spreading terror on thenearby towns and villages. The player charac-ters must venture deep into the vale to find thesource of the disturbance. This adventure is formid- to high-level PCs.Suggested Retail Price: $8.95/£5.95Product No.: 9270

The Halfling�s GemFORGOTTEN REALMS� novel, the Ice-

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Dark HorseTSR� Booksby Mary H. HerbertAfter her clan is massacred, a young woman

98 FEBRUARY 1990

assumes her brother�s identity and joins a neigh-boring clan as a warrior�all to exact revengeupon the chieftain who ordered her familykilled. But the chieftain, Lord Medb, has resur-rected the forbidden art of sorcery and plans todestroy all who oppose him. With the help of anintelligent magical horse, the young warrior-woman goes against tradition and the law tolearn sorcery herself, in the hope of thwartingMedb�s plans of conquest.Suggested Retail Price: $3.95Product No.: 8211

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Unless otherwise noted:® and ™ denote trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.©1990 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

AGENT 13™ & ©1990 Flint Dille and David Marconi. All RightsReserved.

BUCK ROGERS is a trademark used under license from TheDille Family Trust. ©1990 The Dille Family Trust. All RightsReserved.

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.

�Who Was That Masked Android?�

How to keep a super hero�s identity a real secret!

Super heroes with secret identities areoften extraordinarily careless. Flimsycovers that wouldn�t last five minutes inthe real world are expected to stand up tothe scrutiny of hostile and friendly intelli-gence agencies, the media, police, friends,relatives, co-workers, employers, andother heroes�no matter what.

We all know that the world isn�t likethat. The technology of identification ishighly developed and uses dozens of fo-rensic and investigative techniques. It�svirtually impossible to do anything with-out leaving evidence: fingerprints, photo-graphs, saliva, skin particles, hair, blood,etc. And these aren�t the only ways weaffect our surroundings. Modern societyruns on records, and anyone who seemsto behave abnormally risks attracting theattention of tax agencies, the police, and avariety of other authorities. It�s difficultenough for anyone to drop out of sight inour own world, but in a super-poweredworld, most agencies could call on thehelp of their own super-agents with arange of unusual talents that could easilytrack down almost any hero or villain. Addthe scrutiny of the press to these factors,and it seems unlikely that a real-worldsuper hero could stay hidden for long.

Having said this, it should be remem-bered that comic-book heroes are usuallyable to survive such scrutiny even if theirdisguises are nothing more than changesin hair styles or the wearing (or removal)of glasses or tiny masks.

It�s sometimes difficult to understandwhy super heroes bother with secretidentities, which often seem more troublethan they�re worth. But the main reasonfor their use is to give heroes (and villains)a private life that isn�t continually inter-rupted by the press and assassinationattempts. For the Advanced MARVELSUPER HEROES� game, activities in one�ssecret identity are important in restoringand maintaining Karma; this becomesalmost impossible if the character can�tmaintain a normal private life.

This article presents a rating system fora new ability score, Secrecy, intended foruse as a rough guide to the security ofheroes and villains. Check if there is anymajor change at the end of each adven-ture; if the final rating falls below Typical,the hero may be due for some problems.

100 FEBRUARY 1990

by Marcus L. Rowland

All aspects of the rating system areheavily biased toward heroes; only themost careless will suddenly learn that TheDaily Bugle has published their secretidentities, or find hit men waiting in theirapartments after a hard day of crimefight-ing. This system has been tailored forcompatibility with the Advanced MARVELSUPER HEROES game, but it can easily beadapted to any other game.

To calculate the Secrecy rating, the heromust be assessed for each of the followingfactors: Disguise, Precautions, Confidants,Profile (Secret), Profile (Super), Conceal-ment, and Karma. When all factors areassessed, add the points for each factorand divide by seven to get the final Se-crecy rating.

Some of the heroes and villains men-tioned below do not currently maintainsecret identities; Secrecy ratings insteadreflect an earlier period of the character�scareer or a potential rating. A few exam-ples have been left blank, where no char-acter seemed to fit the circumstancesdescribed. For the purposes of this article,anything said about the secret identities ofheroes also applies to villains.

DisguiseDoes the hero wear gloves, a mask, or

any other disguise? Does the characterchange shape or size? These factors canmake identification easy or almost impos-sible. The ratings suggested below areonly guidelines and should be modified forunusual cases. Under most circumstance,a disguise should never be better thanMonstrous in effect.

Feeble: A total lack of care about secrecyis shown, apart from a clothing change.(Northstar)

Poor: Flimsy precautions are taken, suchas wearing a domino mask. (Shadowcat)

Typical: A cowl mask and gloves, possi-bly with a costume that covers the arms,are worn. (Daredevil)

Good: The costume covers the hero�sentire body. (Spider-Man)

Excellent: The hero�s costume incorpo-rates padding or armor that alters hisbody shape, or the hero has powers thatcause minor changes in his physical form.(Iron Man, She-Hulk)

Remarkable: The hero�s costume orpowers cause substantial changes in his

physical form. (Colossus)Incredible: The hero�s costume or

powers substantially alter his size andform. (Hulk, Thing)

Amazing: The hero�s costume or powerscause radical physical transformations.(Human Torch when �flamed on�)

Monstrous: The hero has an unusual orextremely thorough disguise, involving atotal physical change, different body, etc.(Thor/Donald Blake)

Acting talents: If the character isskilled as an actor or similar performer,and he uses the skill to enhance his dis-guise, this may cause a shift of 1-3columns on his rating, as follows:

Occasional amateur actor/performer:+1CS

Professional performer (but not an ac-tor): +2 CS

Professional actor: + 3 CSThis assumes that the character auto-

matically uses his skill to change his voiceand posture as a super hero.

PrecautionsDoes the character try to avoid any

connection between his secret and superidentity, or are the two closely associatedby common friends and interests? Forexample, Peter Parker has an uncannyknack of finding Spider-Man in action;how long will it be before someone putstwo and two together? Under most cir-cumstances, this rating should not exceedIncredible.

Feeble: An obvious public relationshipbetween a hero�s secret and super identi-ties exists; people know of the dual iden-tity but lack evidence to prove it. (Kingpin)

Poor: Many obvious links exist betweena hero�s secret and super identities.(Spider-Man)

Typical: Evidence of a link between thetwo identities exists, such as a similarity ofresources and skills. (Iron Man)

Good: No obvious links exist between thetwo identities, but some unusual associa-tions could be found by investigation.(Daredevil)

Excellent: No links exist between the twoidentities, apart from living in same city orarea. (Thor/Donald Blake)

Remarkable: The hero�s super identity ismainly active in another city or country.(Nightcrawler)

Incredible: The hero�s super identity ismainly active on other planets or in otherdimensions. (Doctor Strange)

ConfidantsDoes anyone know the hero�s secret

identity? Even the most reliable friendmight be unable to resist dropping a fewhints, or might be tortured or brain-washed to reveal the information. Thiscategory also includes any enemies whomight know an identity but have not yetbroadcast it.

Feeble: The hero�s secret identity isknown to at least one major enemy ormany civilians. (Daredevil)

Poor: The secret identity is known tofriends, relatives, or government agencies.(Shadowcat, Black Widow)

Typical: The secret identity is known toseveral civilians. (Iron Man)

Good: The secret identity is known toone trustworthy civilian or 2-5 heroes.(Scarlet Witch)

Excellent: The secret identity is knownto one other hero. (Spider-Man)

Remarkable: The hero is a loner, and hissecret identity is never revealed to any-one. (Punisher)

Incredible: Because of amnesia or multi-ple personality, the hero�s secret identitydoes not know of his super identity.

Amazing: The hero�s powers are mani-fested in a way that leaves no evidence ofheroic involvement, or the hero is notaware of his use of his powers. (�Licorice�Calhoun)

Profile (Secret)Is the secret identity a newsworthy

figure or a total nonentity? Newsworthyfigures are more likely to be noticed if

they make revealing slips, and they areoften under the surveillance of police,intelligence agencies, criminals, newsreporters, etc.

Feeble: The hero�s secret identity is aglobal figure (the head of a major state, amember of royalty, a religious leader, apop star, etc.). Everyone in the worldknows of this person. (Victor Von Doom)

Poor: The secret identity is a nationalfigure (American senator, head of a minorstate, business tycoon, TV star, nobleman)known to many people in one country, buthe is not globally famous. (Mariko Yashida,T�Challa)

Typical: The secret identity is regionallyfamous (a well-known journalist on a citypaper, a prominent local industrialist,mayor, etc.) or is known to a few hundredthousand people by name (e.g., an author),but is not a major national or internationalfigure. (Anthony Stark, Peter Parker)

Good: About 500-5000 people know ofthe secret identity by face, name, or repu-tation. He may be a lawyer, doctor,teacher, director, etc. (Dr. Donald Blake)

Excellent: About 50-500 people know ofthe secret identity, who may be a clerk,security guard, retired person, etc.

Remarkable: About 5-50 people knowthe name of the secret identity, who maybe a technician who only meets a fewclients, an unpublished author, a nightwatchman, etc. (Clint Barton)

Incredible: The secret identity is knownto 1-5 others, such as a spouse or relatives.(Rachel Summers)

Amazing: No one knows the character�s secret identity. The character could beunmasked on nationwide TV and wouldn�tbe recognized by anyone. (Red Skull,Scourge)

Profile (Super)Is the super-character well known or a

total nonentity? Prominent heroes aremore likely to be monitored by intelligenceagencies, the police, and supervillains.This rating is often related to the hero�sPopularity, but there should not be a di-rect relationship. A hero dropping from 50to 0 in Popularity because of a particularlystupid mistake would become more fa-mous, not less!

Feeble: Everyone in the world knows ofthis character. If a hero, the character isfollowed by a fan club and besieged bygroupies. Both heroes and villains arealways under observation by the policeand intelligence agencies. In the case ofvillains, any appearance is always thesignal for major countermeasures bymilitary and intelligence forces. (CaptainAmerica, Galactus, Doctor Doom).

Poor: Famous on an international ornational level, this character is usuallymonitored by intelligence agencies andforeign spies; (Red Skull, Thor)

Typical: The character is famous, proba-bly one of the top half-dozen heroes orvillains in the country, and he is frequentlypursued by the press, spies, etc. (Mr.Fantastic)

Good: The character is moderately well-known, with a reputation that probablyextends to several cities. He receives rou-tine attention from police and intelligenceagencies. (Black Knight)

Excellent: Though not the premier heroor villain of a city, the character tries hard.He is occasionally pursued by the press,but his activities are rarely the main con-cern of any national or internationalagency. (Mockingbird, Spider-Man)

DRAGON 101

Remarkable: One of the crowd, thecharacter is probably only remembered as�one of those super guys.� The averageman in the street is unlikely to be able tolist his powers. (Shaman)

Incredible: A second-string hero orvillain, this character is someone well divorced from routine public attention.Typically, he seen in action only againstother super-characters without mucheffect on the public. (Kraven)

Amazing: One or two people probablyknow of this character; most don�t andwouldn�t care if they did. The character isignored by the press and other agencies.( M o r l o c k s )

Monstrous: Who? No one has ever heardof this character, who may be brand newor have little effect on the general public.

(�Licorice� Calhoun)

Concealment How many of this hero�s last few mis-

sions have involved no slips or mistakesthreatening his identity (e.g., rippedmasks, fingerprints embedded in girders,etc.)? Since the status of characterschanges constantly in the comics, thereare no examples in this section.

Feeble: There have been major mistakesin several recent missions, and friends (orenemies) suspect the hero�s secret�and

have evidence to back up their ideas.Poor: There has been one recent major

slip, or a series of minor slips that couldlead a reasonably competent investigatorto suspect the truth.

Typical: There have been a few minorslips, but nothing would immediately leadan investigator to the truth.

Good: One or two very minor slips havebeen made.

Excellent: No slips have been made (ap-plies to most brand-new characters).

K a r m aIf a hero has Karma, he tends to be

lucky. The fates are on his side, the Forceis with him, and coincidences and acci-dents are resolved in his favor. If he lacksKarma, he won�t be saved by lucky acci-dents, and someone with the CIA or KGBmight decide to start looking at those oldfiles on him and analyzing them for clues.If enemies know his secret identity, Karmamay bring about a situation that preventsthem revealing the information.

Effects of SecrecyFeeble: The police, intelligence agencies,

and other organizations probably know ofboth of the hero�s identities. This informa-tion can be learned by any competentresearcher. Gossip columnists may bewaiting for a slack day to reveal the infor-mation if it hasn�t already been released,and the truth is definitely known to

S.H.I.E.L.D., the CIA, the FBI, the KGB, andother major intelligence forces.

Poor: The connection between the iden-tities could be learned if a major intelli-gence agency made a real effort, or ifsuper-powers and detective techniqueswere used. The connection is definitelyknown to S.H.I.E.L.D. and is probablyknown to other major agencies.

Typical: The identity connection is well-concealed unless a real slip is made. Thetruth is probably known to S.H.I.E.L.D.but not to other agencies.

Good: The identity connection is unlikelyto be known to anyone, apart from anyconfidants that may exist.

Excellent or better: The separation ofsecret and super identities is totally se-cure, barring disaster.

Judges are advised to avoid publicizingsecret identities unnecessarily, even if thePCs are extremely careless. Any factorthat might reduce the effect of mistakesshould be taken into account. Rememberthat it is rare for a hero�s alias to be re-vealed in the comics. Unless it is essentialto the plot, most super hero RPGs shouldreflect this philosophy.

Marvel, Marvel Super Heroes, and all Marvelcharacters, names, and likenesses are trade-marks of Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc.Copyright 1990 Marvel Entertainment Group,Inc. All Rights Reserved.