May 1981

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Vol. V, No. 11

Welcome to issue #49 of DRAGONmagazine. Those of you who do notnormally read that tall skinny box to theright of this column should do so at thistime, as there have been some changesin the structure of the magazine staffsince last issue.

It is difficult to not sound like I ambeating my own drum as I say that I amnow publisher, but such is the case. Iwould like to take this opportunity to ex-press my thanks to E. Gary Gygax, Pres-ident of TSR Hobbies, Inc., and theBoard of Directors for their confidencein me with this promotion. Also on thepromotion list is former Assistant EditorKim Mohan, who now becomes Editor-in-Chief. In actuality, Kim has been per-forming all the functions normally asso-crated with the title of editor for somemonths now, and it is only fitting that henow receive the title to go with the has-sles. Congratulations, Kim! (Thank you,Jake. Same to you.).

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As DRAGON magazine continues togrow (each issue is now read by morethan 150,000 people), we become moreable to bring you what we hope is thehighest quality gaming magazine on themarket. Part of the philosophy of DragonPublishing is to consider each publica-tion as a whole, with respect to quality,from the paper to the printing to the writ-ing itself to the artwork. Also, we try toprovide a publication that is both enjoy-able and informative as whole.

We hope we are fulfilling these philos-ophies this month with an effort of con-siderable expense and effort in present-ing the work and words of Tim Hilde-brandt. One of the true attractions of fan-tasy gaming is, indeed, the appeal ofquality fantasy artwork. Much of fantasygaming has been inspired by fantasy li-terature, classic heroic tales, and the ac-companying illustrations. “A picture isworth a thousand words” has never beenmore true than when applied to fantasyart. Players of any fantasy adventuregame should be able to draw up an in-credible scenario from this month’s cover.

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Speaking of fantasy literature, I’ve gotto get in a quick plug for an exceptionallyfine publication you may not be aware

exists: Fantasy Newsletter. Publishedmonthly by Paul and Susan Allen, P.O.Box 170A, Rochester, N.Y. 14601, thismagazine is a must for anyone wishingto keep up on the plethora of fantasy andscience fiction titles on the market to-day. In addition to reviews of everythingnew, Fantasy Newsletter contains regu-lar columns by Karl Edward Wagner,Fritz Leiber, Mike Ashley, and BillWarren, interviews with noted authors,outstanding artwork and drawings, anda host of other regular and semi-regularfeatures of interest to readers. It is avail-able for $15/year second class mail or$22/year first class to the U.S. andCanada.

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I may have been somewhat overoptim-istic in last month’s Rumbles when I an-nounced the release of the upcomingBest of the Dragon, Vol. II as sometime inthe first of May. We’re working on it(material has been selected — it’ll be al-most exclusively D&D®/AD&D™ gameoriented), but it may take a little whilelonger to physically produce than antic-ipated — we’ve only got 18 hands, youknow. We’re looking at the last of May orfirst of June now.

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Hidden in last month’s April issue inthe “Dragon Mumbles” column of theApril Fool section was our April FoolContest. First to respond to our instruc-tions to drop us a post card (other thanthe mysterious anonymous phone callerwho said “consider a card dropped” andhung up) was John Sheley, Jr. of TerreHaute, Ind. John’s card states: “Yourbackwards paragraph in TD 48½ waswell hidden, but almost immediately ap-parent to my eagle eye and quick wit.Since all of my friends tell me I am a greatbig fool, I feel I am eminently qualifiedfor the April Fool Award.” Congratula-tions, John. You’re the fool.

Vol. V, No. 11 May 1981

Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . Jake JaquetEditor-in-Chief . . . . . . Kim MohanEditorial staff . . . . . . . Bryce Knorr

Marilyn MaysSales & Circ . . . . Debbie Chiusano

Corey KoebernickOffice staff . . . . . . . Cherie Knull

Jean LonzeRoger Raupp

Contributing editors . . . Roger MooreEd Greenwood

This issue’s contributing artists:Tim Hildebrandt Jeff DeeJeff Lanners Kenneth RahmanRoger Raupp Dave TrampierBrad Parker J. D. Webster

DRAGON magazine is published monthly byDragon Publishing, a division of TSR Hobbies,Inc. The mailing address of Dragon Publishingis P.O. Box 110, Lake Geneva WI 53147: tele-phone (414) 248-8044.

DRAGON magazine is available at hundredsof hobby stores and bookstores throughout theUnited States and Canada, and through a limit-ed number of overseas outlets. The magazinecan be purchased directly from Dragon Publish-ing by subscription. Rates are as follows, with allpayments to be made in advance: $24 for 12issues sent to a U.S. or Canadian address; $50U.S. for 12 issues sent via surface mail or $95 for12 issues sent via air mail to any other country.

A limited quantity of certain back issues ofDRAGON magazine can be purchased directlyfrom the publisher by sending the cover priceplus $1 postage and handling for each issueordered. Payment must accompany all orders.

The issue of expiration for each subscriptionis printed on the mail ing label for each sub-scriber’s copy of the magazine. Changes of ad-dress for the delivery of subscriptions must bereceived at least 30 days prior to the effectivedate of the change in order to insure uninter-rupted delivery

All material published in DRAGON magazinebecomes the exclusive property of the publisherupon publication, unless special arrangementsto the contrary are made prior to publication.

DRAGON magazine welcomes unsolicited sub-missions of written material and artwork; how-ever, no responsibility for such submissions canbe assumed by the publisher in any event. Anysubmission which is accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope of sufficient sizewill be returned to the contributor if it cannot bepublished.

DRAGON™ is a trademark for Dragon Publish-ing’s monthly adventure playing aid. All rightson the contents of this publication are reserved,and nothing may be reproduced from it in wholeor in part without prior permission in writ ingfrom the publisher. Copyright 1981 by TSRHobbies, Inc. USPS 318-790. ISSN 0279-6848.

Second class postage paid at Lake Geneva,Wis., and at additional mailing offices.

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May 1981

elcome to issue #49 of DRAGON magazine,the most conventional and unconventionalcollection of articles and artwork we’ve everput between two covers. And just what doesthat mean? Read on, and it will all be clear in

just a little while.The unconventional part is this issue’s special inclusion,

which doesn’t have anything directly to do with playing a gamebut has everything to do with the world of fantasy. The offeringis titled “A Hildebrandt Brother” and is the result of interviewsand photo sessions conducted by staff member Bryce Knorr atthe home of Tim Hildebrandt, who, as they say on the talkshows, needs no introduction. For an insight into Tim the per-son, read the interview. For some sights of the paintings whichhave taken him to the pinnacle of professional success, checkout this month’s cover — done especially for DRAGON maga-zine — and the selection of other paintings reproduced alongwith the interview. We are very, very proud of these pages, andwe hope it shows.

To find the conventional part of #49, turn two pages after thisone to the start of a special feature section on the related sub-jects of tournaments and conventions. The nine pages of text inthis section include Allen Barwick’s plea for fairness and consis-tency in the judging of role-playing tournaments; Philip Meyers’unfavorable assessment of the structure of last year’s AD&D™Open Tournament, accompanied by a response from FrankMentzer of TSR Hobbies; preview stories on the Gen Con® Eastand Gen Con® XIV Conventions; information about two otherspecial events of interest to gamers; plus the most extensivelisting of upcoming conventions that we could assemble beforegoing to press. Elsewhere in the magazine you’ll find pre-registration brochures for Gen Con East and Gen Con XIV — atotal of 22 more pages of very conventional stuff.

Does that mean there wasn’t room for all the “regular” things

you’re used to finding inside DRAGON magazine? Not hardly.For starters, we’ve finally taken steps to satisfy all you honorablereaders who’ve been asking for information on the Samurainon-player character. An updated and lengthened version of thecharacter class, which made its debut in the pages of DRAGONmagazine nearly five years ago, should make you very happy.For those of you who prefer a more detailed version of theAlchemist NPC, Len Lakofka offers just such a character inLeomund’s Tiny Hut.

Also inside are many other special articles to help embellishan adventure or an entire campaign, including: Karl Horak’sdescription of how to construct a three-dimensional world onpaper, complete with a pattern you can use to build a 20-sided“sphere” with a hex-grid pattern already printed on its surface;lists of names, provided by author Glenn Rahman, which can beused to christen characters in a historically accurate fashion;Jon Mattson’s system for converting AD&D monsters into crea-tures compatible with a Chivalry & Sorcery game; Paul Cra-baugh’s suggestions for expanding the scope of the Dragon-Quest rules, and Gary Snyder’s guidelines for how to use theWish and Limited Wish spells — both as a “giver” and a “getter.”Following that article is a bit of “wishful writing” on the part ofcontributing editor Roger Moore which we hope you’ll enjoy aswell. Roger is also the responsible party for this issue’s edition ofGiants in the Earth.

Our other contributing editor, Ed Greenwood, is representedby an essay in Up on a Soapbox, describing how a DM canindoctrinate new players to a role-playing game without tellingthem any more than they absolutely need to know.

Administrators and agents involved in a TOP SECRET™ mis-sion can now choose from a wider assortment of ammunitionthan offered in the official rule book, thanks to the latest install-ment of The Rasmussen Files. Other regular columns we couldpack into these pages include Simulation Corner, where JohnPrados examines the issue of being a free-lance game designer;another bit of background for DIVINE RIGHT™ players by gamedesigner Glenn Rahman in Minarian Legends; another SquadLeader scenario from Bryan Beecher; a pair of new dungeon-adventure timekeeping computer programs in The Electric Eyeby Mark Herro; and another two pages of miniature-figure re-views by Bill Fawcett in Figuratively Speaking.

All in all, you have 120 pages of reading in store for you . . . andonly a month until we’ll do it all over again. — KM

SPECIAL ATTRACTIONA Hildebrandt Brother — Tim talks about his art, his life,

and the creation of fantasy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

OTHER FEATURESTournament/convention section:

In the interest of fairness... — Judgements on judges. . . 6The Slave Pits revisited — AD&D™ Open suggestions . . 8

Mentzer’s reply: It isn’t that easy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Conventions galore — A big schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Game Con attendees hear their heroes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Gen Con keeps on growing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Gen Con East fills Origins “hole” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Painting contest has nine ways to win . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Game design made . . . easy? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Samurai: An honorable NPC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Getting a world into shape — Polyhedrals with paper . . . . . . 28Historical names make for better games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Monster mixing: AD&D creatures adapted for C&S . . . . . . . . 34Best wishes — Principles for proper wishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62Wishing makes it so — Fiction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65Travel & threads for DragonQuest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68What’s New? — This comic strip, for one thing . . . . . . . . . . . 90

REGULAR OFFERINGSOut on a Limb — Letters from readers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4The Rasmussen Files — TOP SECRET™ ammunition . . . . . . 22Giants in the Earth — Holger Carlsen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Hugi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Ellide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Dragon’s BestiaryNogra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Leomund’s Tiny Hut — The Alchemist NPC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56Simulation Corner — To free-lance or not? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69Squad Leader scenario — The fall of Budapest . . . . . . . . . . . 70Minarian Legends — The Eaters of Wisdom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72The Electric Eye — More timekeeping programs . . . . . . . . . . 76Up on a Soapbox — Keeping players in the dark . . . . . . . . . . 79Figuratively Speaking — Miniatures in review . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82Dragon’s Augury

The Hammer of Thor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84Assault on Leningrad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85World Campaigns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85Wohrom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Dragon Mirth — Cartoons to campaign by . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88Wormy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91Finieous Fingers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

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Vol. V, No. 11

‘A few complaints’Dear Editor:

I’ve been involved in the D&D® game forabout a year now, and it always bugged methat there was no provision for archers in thecombat system or the character classes. Soyou can imagine my enthusiasm when I sawthe Leomund’s Tiny Hut article in #45. How-ever, I have a few complaints about parts ofthat article which I wish to air, in the order oftheir appearance in the article.

First — “Magic-Users must learn to throw adagger. First to fifth-level M-Us are -5 to hitwith a dagger, whether they like it or not,whenever they try to throw it.” Not only do Inot like this, but I will not accept it. If a persondecides to become a Magic-User, he will beaware, or informed, of his/her limitations as toweaponry. An MU will, therefore, learn tothrow a dagger, darts, use a staff, all whilelearning to be a MU. The only excuse for sucha subtraction is poor Dexterity, 11 or less forexample, and then it should be a subtractionof one for each point below that minimumlevel.

Second — “Kobolds, goblins, dwarves,gnomes and halflings cannot become arch-ers.” In the last chapter of the third book of theLord of the Rings trilogy, there are no lessthan three incidents where the effectivenessof hobbit archers is demonstrated. Also, referto the AD&D Monster Manual, p. 50, underhalflings, under special attacks, note “+3 withbow or sling.”

Third — “It is very rare for an archer to use ashort bow or any type of crossbow. Archersgain no bonuses to hit or damage from thoselatter missile weapons.” According to my in-formation, the crossbow was invented BE-FORE the longbow! It was a portable arbalest(a siege weapon used to hurl stones or spearsover castle walls). The Chinese invented a5-shot repeating version of the crossbow, tothe detriment of the Huns. A crossbow is asaccurate as a rifle at distances of up to 500yards, and more effective than a rifle at thatdistance, due to the blades on the head (of thebolt). Crossbows were used to smash throughthe armor used at the time. Only the thickestof shields could deflect a bolt, and no bodyarmor could stop a direct hit.

An archer could be trained to use a cross-bow in far less time than a longbow, but once(one was) learned it was all but impossible tolearn the other. An archer should specifywhich bow he is using, and receive a subtrac-tion on his “to hit” number if he tries to use theother. If the crossbow is specified, state what

kind it is. Some could be cocked by hand;these will have a range equal to that of thebest longbow, a touch more accuracy, andhalf the rate of fire as for a crossbow thatcannot be cocked by hand. Others werecocked by a windlass (a rope-and-pulley ar-rangement). These can reach out to 500 yardswith good accuracy, but you’ll only get oneshot off every three rounds. At close range,such a weapon is useless.

As for the statement made about the shortbow, refer to my statement concerning hob-bits (what else would they use?).

The balance of the article was interestingand informative. I have already earmarkedone of my future characters as an archer.(Please note that all of my rebuttal refers tonormal weapons used by persons with normalstrength. Obviously an archer with 18/00Strength could get off one shot per roundeven with the most powerful of crossbows,because he could cock it by hand.)

William G. WelshDetroit, Mich.

This is by no means the first letter of thisgeneral type that we have received, and itsurely won’t be the last. Generally, our re-sponse to William’s arguments is the same ason other previous occasions when we’ve dealtwith a “Here’s what’s wrong with this article”letter: First and foremost, we do NOT dealwith the “facts” of the situation — for in-stance, whether or not William’s descriptionsof the crossbow are factual and historicallyaccurate. This is not the place to stage a con-frontation over crossbows, because the “right-ness” or “wrongness” of information like thisis secondary to the main issue, which is this:

None of the ideas presented in articles inDRAGON magazine are official rule changesor additions, unless the article specificallysays so (and there haven’t been very many ofthose). The people who write articles that wepublish aren’t trying to get everyone to playthe way they do, and we certainly don’t holdthat opinion ourselves. As is the case withmany of the game rules themselves, the arti-cles in DRAGON magazine are suggestions,ideas and alternatives. Any DM or player whocan make use of part of the information in anarticle but wants to delete or alter other thingsin the same article is entirely free to do so.Whether a particular rule or an entire cam-paign is “authentic,” playable, or even desira-ble is a decision that can only be made by themembers of the playing group or the DM, notby what we decide to publish in the pages ofDRAGON magazine.

In the case of a Leomund’s Tiny Hut article,

the above statements apply to a greater de-gree than for other types of articles. The ideasexpressed in Len Lakofka’s column are entire-ly his own, and are almost all, if not all, basedon the campaigns which he has conductedover the past several years. The way Len La-kofka does something is not necessarily theway William Welsh, or anyone else, has to doit. Len takes special pains to point this out inthe text of his columns, emphasizing in oneform or another the fact that his columns areunofficial, and any reader, player or DM is freeto alter or eliminate any sections of an articlewhich do not suit him or her.

One minor point that has been made beforebut bears repeating has to do with William’ssecond objection. Regardless of how anyonefeels about whether halflings can be archersor not, it is a fact that no direct connection isintended or should be inferred between thehalfling character as depicted in the D&D andAD&D rules and the hobbit character as por-trayed in Tolkien’s books. It is no secret thatthe halfling race is, at least in superficial ways,modeled rather closely after the hobbit. Butthis alone is not enough to draw a firm parallelbetween the two character types. The rulesfor the D&D and AD&D game systems drewsome of their inspiration from the Ring tril-ogy, as well as from dozens of other works offantasy and historical literature. Again, anyparticular DM or group of players can chooseto develop a campaign which is as faithful toTolkien’s world as they can make it. However,it is inappropriate to demand or suggest thatthe rules for AD&D be “bent” to accommo-date this world view. Any group which playsAD&D strictly by the books will not be able tostage a Tolkien-type campaign. Any groupwhich chooses to change some of the officialrules is free to do so, as long as the changesare agreeable to those in the group. Butchanged rules aren’t rules, and Middle Earthis not a D&D universe. — KM

Plea to paintersDear Editor:

I am in the process of writing a bookdevoted to the painting of miniature figuresfor fantasy, adventure and military games. Thisdetailed, step-by-step instruction manual willcover all of the techniques and materials usedin painting miniature figures. Hopefully, it willbenefit both the novice and master miniaturepainter, in addition to broadening the interest

(Turn to page 86)

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May 1981

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Vol. V, No. 11

In the interest

of fairness...by Dr. Allen Barwick

Personally burnedThree weeks before this article was

written, at the end of the final round of atournament at Origins, the DM announc-ed that the winner was a player who hadnot said a word during the tournament.The DM explained that this person wasthe best role player. Unbeknownst to therest of us, the winner had been writingthe DM notes to explain his actions;those actions were — NONE! Was theDM’s decision a quality judgment?

ObjectivesThis article strives: 1. to give examples

of good and bad judging in fantasy roleplaying tournaments, 2. to explain whybad judging can occur, 3. to offer someguidelines for judging, and 4. to explainhow to use these guidelines.

ExamplesAt Origins ’80, Katy Partridge’s thief

died (-1 hit points) while only 30 minutesinto Castle Morncrest. We got her bodyback to life by binding her wounds andby using a Cure Light Wounds spell.Katy went on to do an excellent role-playing job and to play with exceptionalintelligence. The DM, George Johnson,justly awarded her the first place for ourgroup. Katy was later awarded secondplace in the overall standings of all thegroups.

In many other tournaments, dying in atournament round is like a knockdown inboxing — the player loses the round. Inelimination round events, the player isusually out of the tournament once thecharacter is killed.

Sharon Midgett related the tragic tour-nament story of how she told the lostcaller what to do, the incompetent Magewhat spells to throw, and the confusedCleric what to do to heal others. At thesame time, Sharon fought bravely, foundseveral traps the party could avoid, andsuggested the best weapons for thegroup to use against exotic monsters.Yet when the time came to select thewinner, she was passed over for a silent,“dumb-blonde type” woman.

Penny Petticord, at the Spring ’80 W.Va. U-Con II, happily chose as the bestplayer in her tournament an elf who hadsolved more puzzles than all the othermembers of the group put together, yetwho sacrificed himself in the final roundagainst the foe called “Death,” so thatthe rest of his party might survive.

Tim (Ollie) Cahoon at GenCon XII se-lected as the best player a Mage whoalways had the knack for coming up withthe right spell at the right time. Unfortu-nately, this same Mage didn’t even knowwhat a Magic Missile was and had beencoached all through the tournament bythe minor Mage. Ollie was honestenough, though, that when he heard thetruth in a debriefing with the players laterthat evening, he changed his mind andinvited the secondary Mage to the finalround also.

Enough! We’ve all seen the best playerpassed over, but we’ve never questioned“god’s” judgment. Thus, the unfair acthas stood. Only through an extraordi-nary DM are the ablest players some-times recognized.

How bad judging occursWhy does such bad judging occur?

The reasons are many. Often the DM hasno standards by which he can determinethe best player. At other times the stand-ards are too vague: “Choose the bestplayer.” Occasionally the standards aretoo arbitrary: “The one with the most hitpoints at the end.” Well, if nobody in theparty takes damage, then a certain Fight-er who starts out with the most hit pointswill win.

Fantasy role-playing was meant to befun, and playing in a tournament can bethe height of that fun. Enjoyment is pos-sible without winning, but watching themost qualified person be continuallypassed over and the “boob” get firstprize is a real damper. However, if thegroup does not know the rules by whichthey are being judged, they cannot playthe “judging” game. How often does thissituation of rule-ignorance occur? Un-fortunately, even in the third AD&D Mas-ters Tournament one of the rules for

6

winning was kept secret from the play-ers. Still, this is but one rule, and not allthe rules, as sometimes happens.

Judging GuidelinesWhat would help a DM, then, to deter-

mine the winner?First, the question must be answered:

What is meant by the winner — the bestteam or the best player?

If several rounds are to be played andthe best teams move on to the nextround, then the best teams are deter-mined by a lot of advance work amongall the DM’s. The DM’s have to agreebeforehand on how many points theteam receives for doing each of thefollowing:

1. Achieve the final objective or comeclosest to it.

2. Accomplish as many of the minorobjectives as possible.

3. Role play their characters.4. Take the least damage.5. Have the fewest team members die.6. Use up as little as possible their non-

rechargeable magical weapons.7. Make the best map.8. Accomplish the objective(s) in as

short a time as possible.9. Disrupt the enemies’ way of life as

much as possible.10. Think before fight.11. Fight before desert.12. Make personal sacrifices so that

the team may go on.13. Sidetracked as little as possible.14. Cooperate mutually before argue.15. Take initiative before indecisive-

ness.16. Find artifacts and magical items

and identify them as to their proper use.17. Collect treasure.18. Act wise before stupid or rash.19. Rescue any prisoners of a similar

alignment.20. Solve puzzles.21. Quash rumors and establish facts.22. Gather intelligence and interrogate.23. Use native and special inherent

abilities.24. Prudently select equipment, spells,

and weapons to take with them on themission.

May 1981

25. Use magical and clerical spells, asopposed to hoarding the spells whentheir use would have helped.

26. Be honest, as opposed to cheatingon such things as die rolls, current hitpoints, spells used up, position of char-acter relative to environment, using onlyknowledge available to that character,and following the rules set down at thebeginning.

27. Bypass traps.28. Kill monsters.29. Enlist aid: convert possible mon-

sters.30. Were undetected by monsters.31. Avert fighting via reasoning.32. Check rooms.33. Avoid disaster.34. Are not captured.35. Act before being passive.36. Do not argue with the DM.

The best player is determined by useof most of the above list (properly modi-fied), plus the following:

1. Works in harmony with the group.2. Provides good suggestions.3. Organizes.4. Follows and leads.5. Lets others in the party contribute.6. Accomplishes individual goals.7. Uses good combat strategy.8. Is polite to the other players and to

the DM.

How to use the guidelinesNot all the above guidelines need be

used, but if a copy could be made avail-able to all the DM’s and the players of thejudging guidelines and special “house”rules that are being used, play would beimmensely enhanced.

Complicated numerical formulas arenot desirable due to the short time spanin which a tournament is over and play-ers have to rush to another tournament.If prerolled characters are used, thecharacters should be numbered, and theplayers required to sit in a semicircle innumerical order in the seat determinedby the number of their character. TheDM should pass a piece of paper aroundfor a seating chart, and have everyoneprint their name beside the number oftheir character. This sheet can be pre-pared beforehand and have on it, at asingle glance, such useful items as eachcharacter’s occupation, hit points, andspells.

Prerolled characters in tournamentplay are highly desirable, because theycan be pretty well filled out beforehandby the DM, thus saving a lot of planningand preparation time by the players.Having the players put up one of theirown characters as a “hostage” in ex-change for the prerolled character makesthe players pay a little more attention tothe game. A typical penalty for bad playwould be no experience gained or death

to their own character (followed by au-tomatic resurrection with a correspond-ing drop in constitution.) A good rewardmight be anything from a tenth of a levelin experience points to moving up awhole level.

The DM should have the players makeoccasional “saving throws;” observe thethrows, but ignore the results. This tacticwill keep the players more awake. Also,occasionally asking the players wheretheir characters are (the use of minia-tures helps) keeps them alert.

Each player should speak for him orherself when performing a function, i.e.,the Fighter should not tell the Thief thecorrect procedure to use to check fortraps. How can a Fighter know the de-tails of another’s life study? Such out-of-role suggestions should be penalizedeach time, and the player should bemade aware of the penalty on the firstoffense. For each good suggestion thatproperly falls within the realm of eachplayer’s environment and expertise, theplayer should get a plus. For each pat-ently foolish suggestion or stupid action,the player should get a minus. For eachintelligent action, the player should get aplus. These points can be recorded si-lently on the seating chart from behindthe judge’s screen.

if there are 12 people in a party andonly one of them kills a monster, then heshould get 12 “plusses” minus one, or 11points. If 7 people in the party swing onthe monster (whether or not they actual-ly hit it) and the monster eventually dies,then they each get 12 minus 7, or 5points. If 11 help kill the monster, theneach of those 11 would receive 1 tour-nament point. In this latter case, if the12th person said she was standing onrear guard to prevent a surprise rear at-tack while the other fought the monster,then she would receive a point for anintelligent action.

When a person dies, their point totalfreezes at that point. Such a personmight still win the tournament.

As a doublecheck, the judge may haveeach person during the tournament make— perhaps on a preprinted sheet withproper headings — lists of each: 1. smartthing they think they did or said, 2. mons-ter they helped kill, and 3. objective theyhelped accomplish. The total number ofall the items on the lists should tally wellwith the judge’s own point total for eachplayer.

Next, have each person write his nameand seating number at the top of hissheet. Under his name should be writtenthe words “second place” and “thirdplace,” and each person should vote fortwo other people for these two places.The DM should tally up the votes for se-cond and third place, counting all se-cond-place votes as two and all third-place votes as one. For anyone who does

7

not follow instructions in voting for se-cond place, subtract two votes from histotal, and for any irregularities in thirdplace, subtract one vote. One of thehighest vote totalers should be the per-son who has the most points on the DM’sscore pad, or bias is indicated some-where.

The players’ lists, their ballots, and theDM’s score pad are for the DM’s eyesonly! Any or all of these methods may beused to determine the winner in theoverwhelming majority of FRP tourna-ments.

The above techniques are advisoryguides only, for occasionally a playerwill disqualify himself from being thewinner. Any of the following acts shouldeliminate a player from winning a tourna-ment:

1. Cheats on the dice rolls.2. Peeks in the book.3. Tries to do everything and will not

share the responsibility (acts as caller,rolls the reaction die, searches all thechests, bodies, and walls, binds all thewounds, decides all the spells to bethrown, does all the mapping, takes allthe treasure, attempts to do all the listen-ing and opening of all the doors, etc).

4. Continues to argue with the DM af-ter the DM has listened to appeals andthe DM has made a FINAL ruling.

5. is physically or verbally abusive toanyone in the game.

6. Lies to the DM.7. Peeks at notes or written informa-

tion given by the DM to any of the otherplayers.

8. Peeks behind the DM’s screen at theDM’s materials.

9. Reveals information to someonewith whom the DM said he could notshare it.

10. Offends or insults the DM by eitherlanguage or actions that the DM has pre-viously ruled are unfit, whether in roleplaying or in reality.

11. Acts in a manner so outrageouslystupid that the entire party is endan-gered; for example, while in a party oflawful first-level characters, he rushesfrom his party and attacks a large, sleep-ing dragon that could have been avoided.

12. Extreme violations of alignment,such as a Paladin’s torturing his prison-ers or lying to his followers in order tosend them to a certain death.

The players should be warned aheadof time about the actions that would dis-qualify them from winning!!

All of the above lists and suggestionsare guidelines only. Hopefully, enoughDMs will follow guidelines such as thesethat there will be a concrete basis forchoosing the winners of most tourna-ments on something other than a guy’sgood muscle tone or a gal’s pretty hair.

Vol. V, No. 11

The Slave Pits revisitedSuggestions for ‘saving’ the AD&D™ Open

by Philip Meyers

As Dave Cook suggested in SurvivalTips for the Slave Pits, DRAGON #43, theAD&D™ Open Tournament at the GEN-CON® XIII convention was indeed a testof endurance for judges and playersalike. This I can verify from personal ex-perience. The question is whether itshould have been such an ordeal. Asconventions and role-playing tourna-ments grow in popularity across thecountry, it becomes necessary to deter-mine what makes a good tournament.Judges must ponder this question whendesigning their tournaments and the sce-narios to be used therein; players mustconsider it in deciding whether enrollingin a test of endurance is worthwhile.

I do not wish here to criticize the SlavePits scenarios that were used in thetournament. On the whole I felt the twoscenarios I played in were well designedand represented a vast improvement overthe previous year’s efforts. They werewell balanced between combat and prob-lem-solving, and it was possible to finishthem if one’s team played optimally well.The adventure was not of such a highlevel that most entrants had problemsmanaging numerous spells and magicitems, a dire problem in the previous ye-ar’s tournament. Let’s face it, your aver-age AD&D Open entrant does not havethe ability to play an 11th-level characterwell.

The problem with the AD&D Open liesnot in its scenarios but in its structure.On the most general level, this problemcan be thought of as an imbalance be-tween three goals that the tournamentstrives to attain. First, it seems clear thatone goal of a tournament like the AD&DOpen is to let in ail those who wish toplay and not have to turn anyone away.To achieve this goal, the sponsors of theAD&D Open have expanded the tour-nament to accommodate over 800 play-ers, and even so the rising popularity ofthe event forced them to turn away la-tecomers. A second goal is to ensurethat all persons who are in the tourna-ment have a good time even if they don’twin. A third goal is that the best playersin the tournament be in fact the oneswho advance to the semi-finals and fi-nals. The problem with the AD&D Openis, in essence, that overemphasis on thefirst goal has led to a failure to achievethe second and third goals.

In designing a tournament for over 800participants, the sponsors of the tour-nament required entrants to band to-gether in teams of nine players each.Dave Cook noted in his article that suc-cessful teams typically had a strong,decisive caller whom the others general-ly obeyed. That this is true I have nodoubt; recall the old saying about agroup with too many chiefs and notenough Indians.

The problems with such an arrange-ment are several. If the strong, decisivecaller is to be effective, his or her team-mates must refrain from participating toa large extent. But if each player con-tributes freely, the result is that severalpersons are talking at once most of thetime, no one person takes control, andalmost everything the party does mustbe decided by “putting it to a vote” orsome rough equivalent thereof. This stateof affairs can be painful in the extreme:bickering over trivial matters becomesthe standard way of proceeding.

This “chaotic” sort of situation typical-ly results when a team is made up ofpersons who are strangers to each other,or where half the team knows each otherand the rest are strangers. it takes onlyone strong-willed, stupid stranger to ruina team’s chances of success, even whena bloc of 3 or 4 friends opposes that per-son. Given a team size of nine, my expe-rience has been that one or two playerson a team of strangers will be the sortwho ruin their team’s chances to ad-vance and spoil the fun as well by stub-bornly proposing courses of action thatthe majority rightly refuses to follow.The answer to this problem is to enterthe tournament with eight trusted friends.

However, though a team of nine friendsmight do well, some members of thatteam who would like to have more voicein the team’s affairs are necessarily de-nied the chance to speak as often as theywould like to. This arises from the sheerdynamics of a nine-person team; to win,a team must be efficient, and it is impos-sible to be efficient when everyone on alarge team speaks up whenever theywant to. The AD&D Open would be a lotmore fun if team size were reduced.

Several beneficial effects would flowfrom this. First, there would be less needfor a dictatorial caller on a small team.The caller’s teammates could participatemore without destroying the team’s effi-ciency. Second, there would be fewer

8

chaotic teams made up of 50% or morestrangers, since it is easier to get a groupof 5 friends together than it is a group of9. This in turn would reduce the numberof teams eliminated under unpleasantcircumstances due to the misbehavior ofone or two miscreants. Reducing teamsize would also serve the third goal men-tioned above, that of allowing the bestplayers to rise to the top. Under the pres-ent system, a group of 3 or 4 friends whoare excellent players have little chanceof beating a group of nine friends thatcontains but one excellent player. indi-vidually, all the members of the smallergroup might be better players than any-one on the larger team, but they none-theless lose. Thus, it does not follow thatthe people who make it to the finals ofthe AD&D Open are necessarily the bestplayers in the tournament. Success in arole-playing tournament where the teamsare large depends more on group dy-namics than it does on the merits of ateam’s members.

No one has conducted a statisticalstudy to determine the optimum teamsize for role-playing tournaments. To mymind, 2 is clearly too few, and 9 is clearlytoo many. it may be that teams of 4, 5 or 6players are equally optimal, at least undernon-tournament circumstances. For now,let us choose 5 as our best guess — weknow at least that 5 is better than 9 for thepurposes discussed above. Reducingteam size to 5 in the context of the AD&DOpen without increasing the number ofjudges and rooms available would, how-ever, cut the number of people who getto play in the tournament by nearly half.This seems too drastic a reduction inlight of the increasing popularity of thisevent.

One could argue that it is better for all400 people in a tournament to have agood time than it is for 700 out of 800people to have a bad time. If we nonethe-less decide that maximum participationis the most important aspect of an opentournament, not to mention the effect ofdecreased participation on conventionrevenues, we must seek a compromisethat will not reduce the basic number ofparticipants.

The following is one such compro-mise. Let us assume that we wish tostage a tournament for 800 players, andthat a maximum of 40 judges and 30rooms for play are available over a 4-day(Continued on page 10)

May 1981

Mentzer’s reply: It isn’t that easyDear Mr. Meyers:

You are quite right. The problems in-voked with teams of 9 players are indeednumerous and contrary to cooperationand good AD&D™ games. And you havenicely summarized the three main goalsof any good tournament. However, thereare a few problems with your proposedsystem.

As a Dungeon Master myself, I feelthat a mere hour is shy of the timeneeded to properly evaluate 5 or 6 play-ers. Why lapse back into 10 players forthe 3rd round? And why give each playeronly a 28½% chance of making it to thefinal from the 3rd round (selecting 8teams out of 28)? How do we keep the700 players who go “second” (after send-ing out the first 100 players) from illegal-ly gaining information on the scenarioused? Where do we find the dozens oftop-quality scenarios for tournamentuse? And above all, how do we find,evaluate, and instruct the Dungeon Mas-ters needed in the quantity — and quali-ty! — so vital to the whole operation? DMevaluations must be a part of the first fewtournaments; the team slighted becauseof a misinterpretation of a minor ruleshould not be wrongly dropped from thecompetition.

Dungeon Masters, scenarios, and or-ganization are the critical aspects of thelarge AD&D Tournaments. Each aspectis equally important; a well-written sce-nario, in which all the vagaries are ex-plained and a minimum of “judgmentcalls” are necessary, can make or breakan otherwise well run, well planned tourna-ment.

Any system used must depend on theDungeon Master and a scoring system toselect the best players from any givengroup. The only effective rating systemfrom a single DM, considering the widedifferences in styles, temperament, andknowledge of rules (which directly af-fects speed of play), is one in which theDM compares the players he or she ac-tually observed. Therefore, the DMsshould select the best players in theirown groups, without using a broad pointscale to pick the “best players” (oftennot) in a huge mass.

If each DM picks the best half, regard-less of teams, the best players usuallyprogress to following rounds. Thus, 800players in the first round would drop to400, 200, and 100 in successive rounds,with the best players (not the best teams)shining through. The last round of 100players, divided into teams of 5 or 6 each,would all be in the final. In OfficialRPGA™ tournaments, prizes would beawarded to the top 20%, or four teams of

5 players in this example. Of course, thetop team will receive better prizes. Thetop player might be a member of thewinning team, but each DM in the finalround would select and justify thechoice of best player in the group, usinga points-plus-comments format.

One system under consideration in-volves a new scenario called BATTLEROYAL. In it, two teams of up to 8 play-ers each compete against each other, inone large room, working towards a com-mon goal. This system, using AD&Drules entirely, is a detailed “blow-up” of asingle encounter in an adventure.Through this format, players individuallyplot their actions and reactions to thechanging situation, and display theirown ideas, initiative, and knowledge ofthe AD&D system. BATTLE ROYAL isvery economical in terms of space andtime, as one DM runs a game for up to 16players in one room. This aspect is rapid-ly becoming a vital concern of the organ-izers of tournaments and conventions,due to the ever-increasing popularity ofDUNGEONS & DRAGONS® games.

The RPGA tournaments will strive toprovide the best and fairest scenariosand scoring systems for large numbers

of participants. Compromises will haveto be made; although it would be nice tokeep playing “normal” AD&D games intournaments, this is rapidly approachingimpossibility on the scale expected. Restassured that final rounds, however, willalways be “normal” AD&D adventures.But bear with us; we’ve sincerely got theinterests of the gamers at heart, andhope to achieve these difficult goals,given time.

A final word: If YOU (yes, you out therereading this!) are interested in being aDungeon Master at GEN CON® EastAD&D™ tournament (July 23-26 in Cher-ry Hill, New Jersey) or at the GEN CON®

convention itself (August 13-16 at UW-Parkside, Wisconsin), please writeto us! We’ll send you a questionnaire tofill out (sort of a take-home AD&D test)that you’re on your honor to completewithout help (though you may use thebooks). We’ll select many new OfficialDungeon Masters this year, and if youperform well, we’ll show our apprecia-tion with valuable gifts and recognition.Please write to: RPGA™ Gamemasters,P.O. Box 509, Lake Geneva WI 53147.

Frank MentzerRPGA Coordinator

9

AD&D Open(From page 8)period. This approximates the situationof the last AD&D Open Tournament. Theopening round of our hypothetical tour-nament is to be played over a two-dayperiod by teams of five, 400 persons toplay each day. Each team plays througha mini-scenario one hour in length, mostlikely a short sequence of rooms ofdifficulty.

Start-up time is to be handled special-ly. One hundred participants and twentyjudges meet together in a large room.Teams of five are formed and each isassigned a judge. Then a single judgeacts as lecturer and explains the scena-rio to all 100 players at once. The indi-vidual judges then hand out charactersheets, and the teams have 15 minutes toassign roles and plan their strategy. Atthe end of this time the teams are takento separate rooms and the action begins.The process is repeated 4 times duringthe day, such that each of the 20 judgeshandles 4 groups. If 30 judges are avail-able for the first day it would be desirableto cover 600 entrants on the first day,leaving only 200 to be handled in thismanner on the second day.

If this can be done, the second daybegins with 20 judges handling the re-maining 200 entrants. By noon of thatday, the first round is then over. Theteams are then divided by score intothree groups. The top 20 teams are al-lowed to proceed directly to the semi-finals, skipping the second round. Thenext 80 teams in rank of score move on tothe second round, to be described be-low. The bottom 60 teams are eliminatedfrom the tournament. In effect, this meansthat 500 of the 800 entrants get to ad-vance; a team can be worse than averageand still advance. Only the dregs areeliminated after only one hour of play.

The second round resembles the stateof affairs in the Slave Pits tournament.The teams of 5 are consolidated or re-formed into teams of 10 (hardly worsethan 9), and each team plays in a 4-hourscenario. Half of the teams play on theafternoon of the second day, 20 judgeshandling 20 teams. The remainder playon the morning of the third day; againonly 20 judges are required. After thesecond round, the 40 individual bestplayers are selected from the 40 teamsthat participated, not necessarily oneplayer from each team. These individu-als are then allowed to form themselvesinto “wild card” teams of five playerseach for the next round. None of thesecond-round teams can advance as agroup.

In an alternative method, the top fourteams from the second round could ad-vance to the semi-finals, there to divideinto 8 teams of five, as explained below.

This might solve the possible problem oflack of motivation to cooperate as a teamthat might otherwise be present. Indi-vidual winners would then become al-ternates to the semi-finals.

In the semi-finals, which commenceon the afternoon of the third day, theremaining 140 participants are dividedinto 28 teams of five each, including the20 top teams from the first round, andeight “wild card” teams from the secondround. Alternates are chosen from a poolof 40 individual runners-up from the se-cond round. The 28 teams play a 4-hourscenario, from which 8 teams emerge asfinalists. The finals are then conductedas a four-hour scenario on the fourthday.

This system, though more complexthan the present one, requires not manymore judges or total hours of playingtime than the present one. It allows mostparticipants to play in at least 2 rounds,at least 5 hours of playing time. With theexception of 8 judges on the third day, itdoes not require any of the 40 judges tospend more than 4 hours per day con-ducting the adventures. Individual meritis more highly rewarded under this sys-tem; a good player who comes alone tothe convention will, teamed with 4 stran-gers, have a fair chance of being able toadvance to the second round. From therethe plucky adventurer advances to thesemi-finals as an individual winner or analternate. The individual player of merithas at least a decent chance to advanceunder this system. Under the presentsystem, such a player, or small group ofplayers, will more than likely be saddledwith an idiotic teammate or two and thusbe doomed to defeat. Above all, eve-ryone who plays gets at least one chanceto enjoy the calm, happy atmosphere ofthe 5-person team.

This compromise system serves thegoals of tournament planning better thanthe structure of the present AD&D Open.indeed, the very word “tournament” issomething of a sham when applied to theAD&D Open, since in a tournament thewinners are (all) supposed to be the best,the cream of the role-playing crop. I donot wish to insult the persons who wonthe tournament; no doubt their skill atthe game is great. They can think ofthemselves as the best “team” in thetournament, but with teams of nine thatis not saying a great deal.

Some alterations need to be made inthe AD&D Open to minimize the role ofgroup dynamics and luck and maximizethe role of individual skill and enjoy-ment, within the physical limitations pre-sent. Only then will the AD&D Open trulybe a tournament. The basic principlesdiscussed here extend to events at otherconventions as well. If you go to a con-vention to play in such an event, be waryof events where the teams are large un-

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Vol. V, No. 11

less you have enough friends to fill thespaces. You want to play on a team ofadventurers, not a Senate subcommittee.

It remains to be seen what the effect ofthe new TSR™ Role Playing Game Asso-ciation™ Membership will be on this si-tuation. Among its other functions andservices, an RPGA™ membership enti-tles the holder to play in the RPGAAD&D Tournament, open to membersonly, that will allow members to competefor points in an international rating sys-tem. This is very impressive soundingindeed. Since this tournament will pre-sumably be held at the GenCon®con-vention, one wonders whether or not itwill entirely displace the AD&D Open ormerely supplement it. If the latter werethe case, the RPGA tournament mightprovide an easy solution to the problemsdiscussed earlier. It could go into thebusiness of providing the small-teamtournament, while the AD&D Open couldcontinue in its present form, providingquestionable opportunities for massesof players who are not serious about thegame.

There is reason to hope that RPGAtournaments will be better than tourna-ments like the AD&D Open. The presentinternational rating system, which hasappeared in DRAGON magazine fromtime to time, is on an invitational basis.This allows tournament sponsors to keepthe teams down to 3 members each, andeven keep individual records of eachplayer’s actions so that individual rank-ings could be generated at the end. Itwould seem to follow that RPGA tour-naments will have to be run like this, orelse it will be difficult or impossible forthem to generate a meaningful rankingsystem. Of course, they may mean togenerate a meaningless ranking systemmuch like the one used in the AD&D Op-en; the winners on the teams of ninewould all receive a certain number ofranking points. This would be a rank sys-tem indeed, suffering from all the defectsdiscussed previously.

However, since the RPGA is the brain-child of TSR, and since several TSR em-ployees have played in the InvitationalMasters Tournaments, it is to be hopedthat these persons will remember thepleasant experiences they had in thosetournaments and wish to pass such aboon on to others. If however, the RPGAtournaments are to but newly labeledAD&D Opens, I would recommendagainst participating unless you can tol-erate the present system.

Greg A. Baker:Please contact

Mirel.

Vol. V, No. 11

Conventions galore coming up soon!MIGS ’81, May 31 — The Military Interests and Games Societywill hold its second annual convention at the Waterloo RegionalPolice Association Recreational Centre, RR 2, Cambridge, On-tario, Canada. For further information regarding this free day ofwargaming, contact Les Scanlan, president of MIGS, 473 UpperWentworth, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

PHRINGECON #2, June, 5-7 — A science-fiction convention tobe held at the Ramada Inn East, Phoenix, Ariz. Numerous guestsare scheduled to appear, including James Doohan (“Scotty” ofStar Trek) and author Theodore Sturgeon. Also featured will bemovies, dealers, a costume contest, Tunnels & Trolls tourna-ment and many other events. Registration fee for all three daysis $15 until June 1, $20 at the door, or $10 for single-day admis-sion. Contact PhringeCon 2, P.O. Box 128, Tempe AZ 85281.

MASS MINI-CON, June 26-28 — A fantasy wargame conventionfeaturing D&D events, RuneQuest, Dune and other role-playingand board games, to be held at King Philip North, Norfolk, Mass.Registration fee is $5 before May 15, $8 thereafter for all threedays, or $3 for a single day. DMs and GMs admitted free. A144-player AD&D open tournament will be 75% pre-registered($1 fee), with the remaining spots to be filled at the time of theconvention. For more information, contact Gordon Sterling, 50Fruit St., Norfolk MA 02056, phone (617) 528-2336.

DALCON ’81, June 5-7 — A gaming convention featuring tour-naments in Traveller, Squad Leader/Cross of Iron, Stellar Con-quest, Kingmaker, Diplomacy, Ogre/GEV, Dungeon!™, Star FleetBattles, plus ancients and Napoleonic miniatures. Plus: TheFantasy Trip tournament offering $150 prize to first-place team,and an AD&D™ tournament offering an expense-paid trip to theGENCON® XIV convention to the winning team. The event alsoincludes a dealer area, seminars, computer gaming, and otherattractions. More information is available from DALCON ’81,Richland College, 12800 Abrams Road, Dallas TX 75243.

GAMECON I, June 26-28 — A role-playing and wargamingevent sponsored by Game Alliance, 481 Ferry St., Salem OR97301, to be held at Chemeketa Community College in Salem.Scheduled tournaments include D&D, Shooting Stars, Tra-veler, Rail Baron, Third Reich, Fire & Steel (Napoleonics), Bu-shido, Space Opera, Ace of Aces, Empire of The Petal Throne, InThe Labyrinth, RuneQuest, Diplomacy, plus miniatures battles.Special offerings: Atari video games on 80” screen, film screen-ings, O.C.F. chess tournament, business/dealer area. Registra-tion fee is $6 per person for all three days, $3 per single day. Fordetails, contact Game Alliance by mail or at (503) 370-8982.

PACIFIC ORIGINS, July 3-5 — A new version of an establishedevent, being held on the west coast for the first time, PacificOrigins is designed to take the place of the event formerlyknown as PacifiCon. It will be held at the Dunfey Hotel in SanMateo, Calif., the same site as last year’s PacifiCon convention.One of the largest events of the gaming convention season,Pacific Origins will feature tournaments and contests offeringthousands of dollars in prizes to the winners. Fantasy andscience-fiction games include D&D, Traveller, Tunnels & Trollsand RuneQuest, plus another running of the live Fantasy Tripdungeon, a popular event at PacifiCon ’80. In the field of minia-tures events, the headline attraction will be the National An-cients Championship. Other miniatures events offered will cov-er all periods and scales, featuring tournament competition aswell as learning workshops. Also on the agenda is a wide rangeof boardgaming events, totaling more than 50 different tourna-ments. As with most major events of this type, there will benumerous seminars and workshops featuring well-known game

designers from many different companies. Other scheduled ac-tivities include continuous Diplomacy tournaments, free mo-vies, a miniature-figure painting contest, demonstrations by theSociety for Creative Anachronism, a game auction and a fleamarket. For more information and registration details, contactpublicity co-chairmen Gabriel Cadena and David Hinkley atPacific Origins, P.O. Box 5548, San Jose CA 95150.

1981 INTERNATIONAL PLASTIC MODELER SOCIETY NA-TIONAL CONVENTION, July 9-12 — This event, especially forbuilders and enthusiasts of plastic scale models, will be held inNew York City at the Sheraton Centre, 52nd Street and 7thAvenue. Several tours are offered for attendees, including a lookat the Fairchild-Republic plant and a tour of the JFK Interna-tional Airport facilities. Celebrities scheduled to attend andspeak to the gathering include Julie Cobb, lead bombardier of“12 O’Clock High” fame, and Col. Francis Gabreski, America’stop-scoring living ace. One of the highlights is a contest expect-ed to attract more than 1,000 entries from many of the mostaccomplished modelists in the country. Contest entrants mustbe IPMS members; those who are not can join at the conventionprior to entering one or more exhibits in the contest. Admissioncharges for visitors to the show are $5 per day for adults, $2 forchildren ages 12-18, with children under 12 admitted free. Com-plete convention registration information, including fees, entryforms and contest rules can be obtained by sending a stamped,self-addressed envelope to Ed Cameron, treasurer of the LongIsland Scale Model Society, at 29 Mathew St., South Farming-dale NY 11735.

ARCHON 5, July 10-12 — A science-fiction/fantasy conventionto be held at the Chase Park Plaza, 212 North Kingshighway, St.Louis MC 63108. Guest of Honor will be famous fantasy writerTanith Lee. Other guests include George Alec Effinger, JoeHaldeman, Wilson “Bob” Tucker, and several other well-knownSF and fantasy authors. There will be an art show and auction, amasquerade contest, panel discussions, film screenings, agame room, a video room, and an area for dealers and huck-sters. Membership cost is $7 per person until June 15, $12thereafter. Rooms are available at the convention site; rates andother information can be obtained by calling the Chase ParkPlaza at (314) 361-2500. More information about the conventionis available from Archon 5, P.O. Box 15852, Overland MO 63114.

MINNESOTA CAMPAIGN V, July 11-12 — To be held at theEarle Brown Continuing Education Center on the St. Paul cam-pus of the University of Minnesota. Guests of honor will be Prof.M.A.R. Barker and Dave Arneson. Registration costs: $5 for bothdays if pre-registration request is postmarked by June 30; $8 atthe door for both days, or $5 for at-the-door admission onSunday (July 12) only. Lunch on Saturday and dinner on bothdays are available for $4 apiece. More information can be ob-tained from Jeff Berry, 343 E. 19th St., Minneapolis MN 55404.

CWA-CON ’81, July 16-19 — The largest gaming convention inthe Chicago area, sponsored by the Chicago Wargamers Asso-ciation. To be held at the Northlake Hotel, 401 W. Lake St.,Northlake IL 60164. More than 200 tournaments and othergame-related events are scheduled, plus two auctions, specialseminars, and the CWA Retailers Association exhibit area. Ad-mission costs: $9 for those who pre-register to attend the entireconvention; $12 at the door for a full weekend pass (3% days, or$6 at the door for one-day admission. A limited number of roomsare available at the convention site, priced at $26 per night for asingle, $30 for a double and $50 for a quadruple room. Informa-tion about lodging at other sites is available in the pre-

(Schedule continues on page 14)

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May 1981

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registration flyer. The flyer and other facts can be obtained bysending a stamped, self-addressed envelope to CWA-Con ’81,P.O. Box 10397, Ft. Dearborn Station, Chicago IL 60610.

ODYSSEY ’81, July 17-19 — Sponsored by the University of NewHampshire Simulations Games Club, to be held at the universityin Durham, N.H. Miniatures, boardgame, and role-playingevents scheduled, and a dealer room will be on the site. Dormi-tory accommodations available. For more information, contactUNH Simulations Games Club, Memorial Union Building, UNH,Durham NH 03824.

GEN CON® EAST CONVENTION &TRADE SHOW, July 23-28— Sponsored by the Eastern Gaming Association (the groupwhich staged Origins ’80) in cooperation with TSR Hobbies, Inc.This major gaming gathering will be held at the Cherry Hill Inn, aprofessional convention center located in Cherry Hill, N.J. Forfurther information, see the article and official brochure in thisissue of DRAGON magazine and/or write to Gen Con East, P.O.Box 139, Middletown NJ 07748.

MAINECON, July 31-Aug. 2 — More than 100 game eventsscheduled, including military miniatures, D&D, other fantasyrole-playing games, boardgame tournaments and specialevents. Sponsored by the Maine War Gaming Association, to beheld at the Eastland Hotel in Portland, Maine. Pre-registrationfee is $8 for convention admission, plus $2 per event entered.Registration at the door is $3 per day plus $2 per event. Fordetails, contact John Wheeler, MaineCon director, 102 Front St.,Bath ME 04530, phone (207) 443-3711.

5TH ANNUAL BANGOR AREA WARGAMERS CONVENTION,Aug. 8-9 — To be held in the Student Union on the University ofMaine campus in Orono, Maine. Registration is $3 in advance or$5 at the door. Dormitory lodging is available on campus for$9.50, payable in advance only. More information is availablefrom Edward F. Stevens, Jr., 83 N. Main St., Rockland ME 04841,phone (207) 594-2642.

GEN CON® XIV GAME CONVENTION, Aug. 13-16 — The na-tion’s oldest regular gaming convention, to be held for the fourthstraight year at the University of Wisconsin—Parkside near Ra-cine and Kenosha, Wis. The event is sponsored by TSR Hobbies,Inc., with the Parkside Association of Wargamers (PAW) actingas official hosts at the tournament site. For more information,see the article and official brochure in this issue of DRAGONmagazine and/or write to Gen Con XIV, P.O. Box 756, LakeGeneva WI 53147.

MASSCON ’81, Aug. 22-23 — This event, the third annual, will beheld at the University of Massachusetts Campus Center in Am-herst, Mass. It is organized by the University of MassachusettsStrategy Games Club. Overnight lodging is available at theconvention site at a cost of about $20. For more information,contact MassCon director Dennis Wang, 11 Dickinson St., Am-herst MA 01002.

GLASC VI (Greater Los Angeles Simulation Convention), Sept.4-7 — To be located at the Student Union of California StateUniversity in Northridge, Calif. Tournaments, seminars, auc-tions, free gaming, and a dealer area are among the plannedofferings. Pre-registration cost is $6, admission fee at the door is$8. Details are available from GLASC secretary L. Daniel, 20550Wyandotte St., Canoga Park CA 91306.

DunDraClone, Sept. 4-7 — A rescheduled and revised version ofDunDraCon VI, originally scheduled to be held last February,which had to be canceled because of a lack of a large enoughfacility to house the event. DunDraClone offers all the normalattractions: tournaments, miniatures contests, films, seminars,

demonstrations, a large dealer area, and round-the-clock opengaming. The site is the Oakland Airport Hyatt; rooms are availa-ble at that location for $46 single, $56 double per night. Three-day convention memberships can be purchased for $12 if theorder is postmarked on or before June 15 (make checks payableto DunDraCon); the cost is $15 thereafter and at the door.One-day admissions will be available at the door only. Furtherdetails are obtainable by writing to DunDraCon, Inc., 386 Alca-traz Ave., Oakland CA 94618.

BABEL CONFERENCE ’81, Sept. 25-27 — The third running ofthis Star Trek/science fiction/fantasy convention will take placeat the Holiday Inn East, 3333 28th St. SE, Grand Rapids Ml49506. Tentative plans include an art show, a marathon filmfestival, and several seminars and panel discussions. Personswishing to participate in or help organize such events shouldindicate their desire when first corresponding with BabelConofficials. Registration costs are $15 for a three-day membership,$6 for a one-day membership, and $8 for a supporting member-,ship. Those who want to register by mail should send threestamped, self-addressed envelopes with the registration fee, forthe return mailing of progress reports which will be supplied toregistrants over the summer. To register or request more infor-mation, write to Steve Harrison, BabelCon ’81, 1355 Cornell SE,Grand Rapids Ml 49506.

CONTRADICTION, Nov. 20-22 — A science-fiction conventionto be held at the Buffalo Marriott Inn, Amherst, N.Y. Registrationfee is $8 until Oct. 31. For more information, contact LindaMichaels, 27 Argosy St., Amherst NY 14226.

GameCon attendees geta chance to hear heroes

Well-known and popular game designers, publishers andother personalities don’t normally attend conventions of rela-tively small size and stature. But the organizers of GameConOne have come up with a way for convention-goers to commun-icate with some of these people even though the “big names”won’t actually be there.

The solution is GAMESPEAK, a direct telephone hook-upbetween the convention site at Chemeteka Community Collegein Salem, Ore., and several popular personalities from aroundthe country. The system will allow question-and-answer dia-logues similar to the format of a radio talk show, and will begeared to the interests and preferences of the convention partic-ipants as much as possible. Persons with suggestions are en-couraged to contact GameCon officials to voice their opinionsand preferences.

Phone connections will be established between 9 a.m. Satur-day, June 27, and 3 p.m. Sunday, June 28. Some adjustmentscan be made in the telephone schedule to accommodate majortournaments at the convention or other time conflicts. Again,suggestions from those who plan to attend are solicited so thatconvention officials can prepare contingency plans to insurethe best possible results.

GAMESPEAK is designed solely for the benefit of individualsattending the convention. No commercial use of the system willbe allowed without the consent of all the guest speakers and theconvention committee.

Any person with suggestions or questions concerningGAMESPEAK should contact GameCon One, c/o Game Al-liance of Salem, 481 Ferry St., Salem OR 97301, phone (503)370-8982.

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May 1981

Gen Con keeps on growingIt’s logical to assume that at some

point in its history, the Gen Con® GameConvention and Trade Show will not getany larger. Fortunately for gamers andthe people who manufacture the gamesthey play, that point hasn’t been reachedyet.

The 14th annual Gen Con gathering,to be held on Aug. 13-16, is larger in sizeand scope than any of its predecessors.It is several planes of existence removedfrom Gen Con I, ’way back in 1968, whichattracted fewer attendees than many oftoday’s so-called “small” conventions.But Gen Con, no matter how large it hasgrown, has remained an event orientedtoward the game hobby enthusiast.

For proof of this claim, one need lookno further than the Gen Con XIV pre-registration brochure printed elsewherein this magazine. There are about 170separate events for which convention-goers can sign up in advance, ranging allthe way from the largest AD&D™ Tour-nament in the world to gaming competi-tions for as few as four players. By con-trast, the pre-registration brochure forlast year’s convention listed about 100events.

According to Gen Con XIV Coordina-tor Skip Williams, there will be from 1½ to2 times more items on the final list oftournaments, special events, and “thingsto do” when all plans are completed. Thepre-registration brochure includes onlythose events which are known to behighly popular (requiring a first-come,first-served signup system) or thoseevents which could be organized soonenough to be included as part of theschedule by the time the brochure wasdue to be printed.

The convention will be held for thefourth straight year at the campus of theUniversity of Wisconsin-Parkside, locat-ed between Racine and Kenosha, Wis.The size and configuration of Parkside’smodern facility makes it possible formost convention attractions to be con-tained under one roof-which can be anattraction in itself, since conventioneerscan get from one event to another with-out worrying about being caught in asummer downpour.

Events of significance which have ac-tually been planned, or which are beingworked on in hopes of being able to in-clude them, are outlined below. The or-ganizers stress that many aspects of theconvention are still tentative — so tenta-tive that they can’t even be mentionedyet. However, this much is for sure:l This year’s special guest will be re-

nowned fantasy artist Boris Vallejo, whowill make personal appearances and mayalso stage a display of original paintings.He and E. Gary Gygax, creator of theAD&D game system, will serve as judgesfor one of two miniatures painting con-tests at Gen Con, the 1st ADVANCEDDUNGEONS & DRAGONS™ PaintingCompetition (not to be confused withthe 1st Gen Con Open Painting Compe-tition, which is described in a separatearticle).l Gygax will make other appearan-

ces, such as being the central figure orone of the participants in one or moreseminars concerning the D&D® and AD&D™games, and at the traditional Strategist’sClub Banquet, where awards are givento the games and game designers votedas the best during the past year.l The exhibit area has been improved

and moved. There will be space for morethan 100 booths in the new exhibitor lo-cation in the campus Physical EducationBuilding, to the south of the main com-plex where most other convention activi-ties will take place. The new, larger ex-hibit area means that large game com-panies will be able to reserve more spaceto display their wares, and many moresmaller companies will be able to exhibitthan ever before.l Convention organizers promise a

new emphasis on gaming with minia-tures, with 20 separate miniatures eventstentatively scheduled for Saturday alone.Much of the miniatures competitions willbe held in the Wyllie Library-LearningCenter, which used to be the location ofthe exhibit area.l An increase in the number of semin-

ars, panel discussions and general-infor-mation events is planned, with a greatervariety of subject matter and audienceappeal. One of the main attractions onceagain will be a miniatures painting se-minar conducted by Duke Seifried, whodemonstrates the quick and classy wayto turn out a batch of finished figuresquickly. Other game designers and de-velopers will be scheduled for similarseminars and/or demonstrations; theroster of personalities who took part insuch events last year includes (amongothers) Jim Dunnigan, David Ritchie,Edward Simbalist, Wes Ives, Eric Gold-berg, Jack Radey, Mark Simmons andMarc Miller.

Other information on convention e-vents and procedures is contained in theGen Con XIV pre-registration brochure.Further specific details on the event willbe released as they become known.

Gen Con East fills Origins ‘hole’The Eastern Gaming Association found

out how to run a major game conventionby organizing and staging Origins ’80.TSR Hobbies, Inc., has years of expe-rience in putting on events of this type.Now, both groups are collaborating toproduce the Gen Con® East Conventionand Trade Show — the first time an eventin the Gen Con family has been offeredon the east coast.

Thousands of convention registrants,personalities from the game/hobby in-dustry, and exhibitors will congregate atthe Cherry Hill Inn, Cherry Hill, N.J., onJuly 23-26 for four days of competition,contemplation and education. In someways, Gen Con East is designed to takethe place of Origins, previously an east-

coast convention which has now takenup residence on the other side of theUnited States. The event schedule con-tains a relatively large number of tour-naments and other attractions for enthu-siasts of “traditional,” non-fantasy games,particularly military simulation boardgames. In other ways, a “Gen Con” at-mosphere will prevail: There are a greatnumber of fantasy role-playing tourna-ments and other fantasy-related activi-ties scheduled, and E. Gary Gygax, pres-ident of TSR Hobbies, will be the guest ofhonor at a special dinner scheduled forSaturday night, July 25, which convention-goers may register to attend.

The Cherry Hill Inn is a top-quality,professional hotel/convention facility

15

which, in essence, will be “comman-deered” by Gen Con East officials andattendees for the duration.

Although virtually all convention-re-lated events will take place under oneroof, no activity or area will be over-crowded. The space set aside for the ex-hibit area contains some 8,500 squarefeet; another 800-square-foot room hasbeen reserved for computer-game ex-hibitors or other types of exhibitors whorequire special set-up areas. The open-gaming area covers some 6,000 squarefeet and will be open around the clock.

More detailed information on Gen ConEast and procedures for pre-registeringcan be found in the convention brochureprinted elsewhere in this magazine.

Painting contest has nineThe Great Gen Con® Miniatures Op-

en, a competition for persons who paintand display miniature figures, will bestaged for the first time at the Gen ConXIV convention and trade show Aug.13-16.

Nine different categories will be of-fered for those wishing to enter. Sepa-rate judging will be conducted in each ofthree main classes: military figures, fan-tasy/science fiction figures, and “largerthan life” figures, 54mm scale or greater.

An outline of the general rules and thespecific requirements for entrance ineach category are printed below, alongwith other general information whichhas been decided upon. Further detailswill be made available as soon as possi-ble after the appropriate decisions aremade. Anyone desiring clarification ofthe information which follows shouldcontact contest director Kim Eastland,1801 11th Ave., Apt. 3, Moline IL 61265,and enclose a self-addressed, stampedenvelope if a reply is desired.

CLASS A — HISTORICAL FIGURES(Entry composed of historically rec-

ognizable military soldiers, vehicles,ships, etc.)

Category A-1 — — Scale: 15mm or Mi-croscale (either). Base size: maximum 2ft. square, 1 ft. height. Type: historicaldiorama. Number of figures: no maxi-mum or minimum requirements. Exam-ples: Napoleonic cavalry, flotilla, a he-licopter attack group.

Category A-2 — — Scale: 20mm to 30mm.Base size: maximum 2 ft. square, 1 ft.height. Type: historical unit (a militarilydefinable and recognizable organiza-tion). Number of figures: minimum 5,maximum 25. Example: Civil War Unionartillery unit.

CLASS B— SF/FANTASY FIGURES(Entry composed of figures, vehicles,

etc., which depict a futuristic or fantasygenre.)

Category B-1 — — Scale: 15mm or Mi-croscale (either). Base size: maximum 2ft. square, 1 ft. height. Type: science fic-tion or fantasy diorama. Number of fig-ures: no maximum or minimum require-ments. Examples: galactic troopers inaction, star fleets, adventurer fighting amonster.

Category B-2 — — Scale: 20mm to30mm. Base size: maximum 2 ft. square,1 ft. height. Type: science fiction or fan-tasy unit (a loosely recognizable band ofcharacters). Number of figures: mini-mum 5, maximum 25. Examples: squadof orcs, party of adventurers.

Category B-3 — — Scale: 30mm orsmaller. Base size: maximum 14 in.

square, 14 in. height. Type: monster(non-human figure). Number of figures:Only one figure per entry (may be dis-played in a setting). Examples: dragons,demons, alien creatures, robots (mustbe legitimate miniatures and not con-structs).

Category B-4 — — Scale: 30mm orsmaller. Base size: maximum 1 ft.square, 1 ft. height. Type: small scenario(depicting a fantasy or science-fictionscene). Number of figures: maximum of8. Examples: futuristic battle scene, one-on-one combat, looting a treasurehoard.

Category B-5 — — Scale: 30mm orsmaller. Base size: minimum 13 in.square, 13 in. height; maximum 3 ft.square, 3 ft. height. Type: large scenario.Number of figures: minimum of 26 fig-ures must be employed. Examples: hugebattle scene, section of dungeon.

CLASS C — “LARGER THAN LIFE”(Entry composed of one or more fig-

ures of 54mm scale or larger depictingany time period, real or imaginary.)

Category C-1 — — Base size: maxi-mum 9 in. square. Type: single figure(one only) mounted on base.

Category C-2 — — Base size: maxi-mum 14 in. square. Type: scene (2-6 fig-ures in a single scene or grouping).

Vol. V, No. 11

ways to winGENERAL RULES

The “number of figures” requirementdoes not include weapons, furniture orother objects that might be scatteredabout.

All figures must be metal miniatures.No other type will be allowed. Settings,bases, backgrounds, etc., may be of anymaterial (preferably sturdy), but onlymetal ships, vehicles or figures will beallowed.

Each entry may be entered in only onecategory.

All entries must be submitted at leastone hour prior to the time of judging.Schedules for judging will be announcedat a later date.

No entry may be entered simultane-ously in any other painting competitionwhich may be conducted at Gen ConXIV.

All entries must be mounted as a unit;that is, attached as a whole to a singlebase, both for the purposes of congruityand security. If the entrant does not wantto fasten figures permanently to a board,they should at least be affixed with atemporary adhesive such as Elmer’s glue.

There is no fee for entering any cate-gory or class, or more than one, if theentrant so desires. However, each en-trant must complete an identificationcard and a waiver upon registering anentry.

Game design made...easy?Millions of people around the world

play and enjoy simulation games. Buthow those games are designed remains,for the most part, a mystery.

In an attempt to correct this state ofaffairs and raise the level of quality ofgame designs in general, Randall C.Reed & Associates will stage two inten-sive seminars in game design as pre-ludes to two of this summer’s largestgaming conventions.

The Simulation Game Design Work-shop and Seminar will be held on June30 and July 1-2 in San Mateo, Calif., justprior to the start of the Pacific Originsconvention in that city over the July 4weekend. The other session will takeplace on July 21-23 in Cherry Hill, N.J.,preceding the Gen Con® East conven-tion and trade show which will take placeover the weekend that follows thosedates. The registration for both sessionswill be strictly limited to avoid over-crowding and provide the best possibleatmosphere for learning. The tuition feefor either session is $175 if paid beforeJune 1 and $195 if paid after that date. Aregistration form and other specific in-formation can be obtained by writing to

16

Randall C. Reed & Associates, 6108 Jen-nings Road, Orlando FL 32808, or byphoning (305) 298-7995.

Randy Reed, former Vice President forResearch and Design for the Avalon HillGame Company, has been working as afree-lance simulation game designer forsome time. In addition, he currentlyholds the position of simulations consul-tant to the U.S. Marine Corps. He is thedeveloper of such games as PanzerLeader and Tobruk, and the designer of(among others) Starship Troopers andThe Longest Day, all of which are pub-lished by Avalon Hill.

“I had been moaning about the qualityof design work in this industry for a lot ofyears,” says Reed, “when someone muchwiser than me pointed out the fact that Icouldn’t expect someone to meet highstandards of design competency if, infact, there were no standards of designcompetency.”

The tuition fee is refundable (less a$50 charge) up to 10 working days be-fore the start of the seminar in question.After that, cancellations will be noted butthe person who withdraws a registrationcannot be given a refund.

May 1981

17

Vol. V, No. 11

(Editor’s note: In response to numerous requests from read-ers for information about Samurai warriors for use in an AD&D™or D&D® game, presented below is just such an article. Theauthor is Anthony Salva, who holds a first-degree black belt inHapkido, a Korean martial art. He describes his interpretation ofthe Samurai as “an attempt to realistically portray the art ofHapkido. All the techniques are as valid as possible.”

An earlier interpretation of the Samurai, created by MikeChilders and Jeff Key, appeared in issue #3 of DRAGON™ mag-azine (October 1976). Mr. Salva’s article differs from the earlierone in many major aspects, and is not designed as an expansionor extension of the original article. It is possible that readers withaccess to the earlier article may find ways to combine certainaspects of each description.

In accordance with this magazine’s policy, the Samurai is

presented as a non-player character — a personality which theDM may use to provide players with variety and new challenges,but not one which the players themselves should be able toassume as a player character. Allowing one or more players touse Samurai characters could seriously unbalance an adven-ture or an entire campaign if precautionary measures are nottaken to prevent such unbalancing.)

by Anthony SalvaThe Samurai Warrior class is a subclass of the Fighter class.

Characters use the combat and saving-throw tables for Fight-ers. Minimum scores of 15 Strength, 17 Dexterity and 15 Intelli-gence must be possessed for a character to be a Samurai. A 10%bonus to earned experience is gained by a Samurai with 18Dexterity and 17 or 18 Strength.

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May 1981

A Samurai may be one of the following races: gnome, halfling,elf, half-elf or human. A gnome, halfling or elf without an 18Dexterity and 17 Strength is limited to the 9th level of exper-ience. Other Samurai may progress as far as 12th level, thehighest level a Samurai can attain.

A Samurai may not use any armor at all, because the properexercise of his art requires the ability to move quickly andeffortlessly. A character’s base armor class improves as he ad-vances in levels; an otherwise unprotected Samurai has an ar-mor class of 9 at first level, and it improves by one with every fourlevels of advancement beyond first level. Even magical armor isprohibited to a Samurai; aside from this, all magic items usableby Fighters can be employed by Samurai. A Samurai may userings and cloaks of protection, Displacer Cloaks, Bracers ofDefense, or any similar item which provides the effect of wear-ing armor without hindering movement.

Normal weapons usable by a samurai include the two-handedsword, the short sword, the bow and the staff. A Samurai offourth level or higher will have an opportunity to obtain andpossess his personal weapons, all of which are held sacred byhim. The weapons of honor — Katana, Wakizashi and Nuncha-kos — are described further under section “C” of Special Abili-ties and Techniques (below).

SAMURAI EXPERIENCE TABLEExperience Experience 6-sided Level Title

Points Level Dice forAccumulated

Hit Points0-3,000 1 2 White belt

3,001-6,000 2 3 Yellow belt6,001-15,000 3 4 Blue belt

15,001-30,000 4 5 Brown belt30,001-55,000 5 6 Samurai (Black belt,

1st Dan)55,001-110,000 6 7 Master Samurai

(Black, 2nd Dan)110,001-250,000 7 8 Ninja (Black, 3rd Dan)250,001-450,000 8 9 Hatamoto (Black,

4th Dan)450,001-900,000 9 10 Daimyo (Black,

5th Dan)900,001-1,400,000 10 11 Tai-Pan (Black,

6th Dan)1,400,001-2,000,000 11 12 Taiko (Black, 7th Dan)

2,000,001+ 12 13 Shogun (Black belt,red sash)

ExperienceLevel

123 9 2-8 1-6 1 B4 C567 8 2-12 1-10 3/2 F89

101112

SAMURAI ABILITIES TABLEArmor Damage/Attack: Attacks SpecialClass Side Kick Chop per Round Abilities

andTechniques

9 1-8 1-4 19 2-8 1-6 1 A

9 1-10 1-6 19 18 1-12 2-8 1 D8 2-12 1-10 1 E

8 2-12 1-10 3/28 3/2 G7 3-12 2-12 3/2 H7 2-16 3-12 3/2 I7 4-16 2-16 3/2 J7 3-18 4-16 3/2 K

Special Abilities and TechniquesA) Jump Front Kick: This is a leaping heel kick to the oppo-

nent’s chest or head. The leap can be as great as the height ofthe Samurai attempting the kick, in either a vertical or horizontal

direction; thus, a Samurai who is 6 feet tall can employ a jumpfront kick against a foe who presents a target no higher than 6feet above the surface the Samurai is standing on and no furtherthan 6 feet away. This kick may only be employed once everytwo melee rounds, and may not immediately precede or follow aside kick. A jump front kick attack is attempted at -3 to theSamurai’s “to hit” roll, and if a hit is scored the kick does 2-12points of damage.

B) Judo Throw: This attack may be used against any charac-ter or creature attempting to overbear or grapple with the Samu-rai, as long as the opponent’s height does not exceed threetimes the Samurai’s height. This also applies to any creaturewhich might jump on the Samurai from above, as long as the foeis not smaller than half of the Samurai’s height. The judo throwcan be performed at any time, if the proper “to hit” roll is made,when such an action is deemed appropriate or necessary. It isdone by grabbing the opponent’s upper torso, planting one footin the lower torso, then falling back and kicking upward with thatfoot, tossing the opponent backward over the Samurai’s head.The throw does an automatic 2 points of damage to any oppo-nent except another Samurai, who would have the ability to rollthrough the fall and resume a standing position without beinginjured. Any other opponent will need one round to regain astanding position, and during that round the Samurai will attackat +2 “to hit” on each attack he makes.

C) Ceremony of Fealty; The Weapons of Honor: Upon attain-ing fourth level, a Samurai will receive his personal Weapons ofHonor from his liege lord. This presentation is part of the Ce-remony of Fealty, which occurs when a Samurai is summonedby the Shogun of his alignment to become the vassal of thatleader. In return for taking the vows of fealty, the Samurai re-ceives his personal Katana, Wakizashi and Nunchakos.

The Katana (long two-handed sword) and Wakizashi (shortsword) are both made of intricately engraved handles attachedto slightly curved blades and are encased in wooden scabbards.The Nunchakos are two extremely hard and durable staves ofwood, each 14 inches long, attached to each other at the ends bya five-inch length of rope; this device is so difficult to manipulatethat no Samurai of less than fourth level will be able to use theweapon.

All Weapons of Honor are usable by all Samurai who are ableto employ such weapons; for instance, a Samurai of third level orlower who acquires a Katana or Wakizashi (from a dead warrior)will be able to use the weapons at the damage figures outlinedon the table below. However, non-Samurai characters who ac-quire one of the Weapons of Honor will find that the Katanaperforms as a normal long sword and the Wakizashi causesdamage as a normal short sword when used by those charac-ters. Except in very rare instances, only a Samurai charactermay use the Nunchakos with any success whatsoever.

The Weapons of HonorLength Width Weight Speed Damage vs. Opp.

Katana 5’ 2” 80 gp 5 1-12 1-203’ 1½ 50 gp 5 1-10 3-18

Wakizashi 2’ 1” 30 gp 2 2-8 1-121’ 1” 20 gp 2 1-8 1-10

Nunchakos 14” 1” 10 gp 2 1-8 1-12

Note: The smaller versions of the Katana and Wakizashi aredesigned for use by Samurai who are 4½ feet in height orshorter.

D) Sweep (Knockdown) and Double Chop: At fifth level, aSamurai acquires the ability to perform these two combat ma-neuvers. The Sweep is performed by stepping to one side of theopponent, grabbing his upper torso and knocking his feet outfrom under him with the Samurai’s front foot. The knockdowndoes 1 point of damage (if “to hit” roll is made), and because theopponent must take the next melee round to stand up, theSamurai will strike at +2 “to hit” in that round, just as with a JudoThrow. The Samurai receives +1 “to hit” the first time a Sweep is

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Vol. V, No. 11

attempted against a particular opponent, and -2 “to hit” for eachsubsequent Sweep attempt against the same opponent. In orderfor the Samurai to use this technique, the opponent must bebipedal and not more than twice as tall as the Samurai. If anotherSamurai is the intended victim of a Sweep, the opponent mayattempt to counter the move and reverse it, at -3 on the “to hit”roll for such an attempt.

The Double Chop is a variation of the chop attack in which thesame arm makes a continuous “figure 8” motion, striking theopponent in the same location twice in rapid succession. If anormal “to hit” roll is made as for a normal chop, then damage isrolled separately for each blow. This attack cannot be used intwo successive melee rounds.

E) Crescent Kick/Side Kick Combination: The Crescent Kick(a circular kick that strikes with the inside part of the foot) isdirected toward the opponent’s weapon hand. If it hits, theweapon is knocked out of the opponent’s hand, and the Samuraifollows with an immediate, automatic Side Kick (no “to hit” rollis required) as part of the same attack. The Crescent Kick isperformed at -2 “to hit” and does an automatic 1 point of damageif it hits. Damage for the Side Kick is determined separately,according to the Samurai’s experience level. The Crescent Kick-/Side Kick Combination cannot be used in the round before orafter another form of kicking attack is employed.

F) Back Roundhouse Kick: This is a spinning back kick thatstrikes with the heel of the foot anywhere on the opponent’sbody. It is done at -3 “to hit” and does 3-18 points of damage if asuccessful hit is scored. Like other kicking attacks, it may not beperformed in two successive rounds and cannot be used incombination with other kicking attacks immediately precedingit or following it.

G) Illusionist Spell Ability: Beginning at 8th level, a Samuraigains the ability to learn Illusionist spells. This ability increasesby level, so that a 12th-level Shogun has the same number ofspells usable as a 5th-level Illusionist.

H) “360” & Downward Kick: The “360” is a knockdown tech-nique that is accomplished by grasping the opponent’s handand spinning oneself in a tight circle, twisting the opponent’swrist and making him fall to the ground. The Downward Kick isthen directed toward the downed opponent’s head or torso. The“360” is attempted at -3 “to hit” and does 1-6 points of damage ifsuccessfully performed, with a 30% chance of breaking theopponent’s wrist if the “to hit” roll succeeds. If the “360” suc-ceeds in forcing the opponent to the ground, the Downward

Kick is attempted at +3 “to hit” and does the damage of a SideKick if it succeeds. As with other attack forms involving aknockdown, the Samurai can attack at +2 “to hit” in the roundimmediately following the knockdown, except against anotherSamurai.

I) The Slaying Hand: This power is usable once per month by aSamurai of 10th level or higher, and may not be employedagainst these types of characters and creatures: all undead, allcreatures who can be hit only by magical weapons, all creaturesor characters with more than twice the number of hit dice as theSamurai, or any other Samurai of 10th level or higher.

When successfully applied, the power induces vibrations inthe opponent’s body as soon as the Samurai touches his foe.The vibrations will cause death, either instantaneously or aslong as a month after the touching, depending on the frequencyof the vibration (which is under the control of the Samurai).

The use of the power requires the Samurai to remain absolute-ly still and in total concentration for three rounds, after whichthe touching of the intended victim (by making a “to hit” rollwhen the victim is within touching range) must be accomplishedwithin two rounds. If the Samurai’s concentration is brokenduring the three rounds of preparation (treat as if the characterwere casting a spell) or if the Samurai fails to touch a victimwithin two rounds after preparing the attack, the power is dissi-pated and cannot be attempted again for a month,

J) Flying Side Kick: This attack is essentially identical to thenormal Side Kick, except that movement space is required, andthe damage potential is greater because of the momentumcaused by the leap. To perform a Flying Side Kick, the Samuraimust be positioned at least five feet away from the target, and nofurther away than 2½ times the Samurai’s height. The kick isattempted at -3 “to hit” and does 1-20 points of damage ifsuccessful. It may not be employed in two successive rounds.

K) Psionic Ability: A Samurai who ascends to the rank ofShogun has a base 25% chance to gain 30 points of psionicability (roll for attack/defense modes and strength as per Play-ers Handbook). If a character who already possesses psionicsachieves 12th level, the 30 points may be added to the alreadyexisting number.

The Samurai philosophySamurai have a strong sense of honor and dignity. If a Samu-

rai is humiliated or dishonored in any way (such as being boundand gagged or having his weapons stolen), he is compelled toseek immediate and absolute revenge, according to Bushido,“The Way of the Warrior.” In order for a Samurai’s honor to berestored, he must either obliterate his foe or die in the attempt. Ifhe fails to defeat and destroy his foe, the Samurai is furtherdishonored and must, according to Bushido, immediatelycommit seppuku, or ritual suicide.

The procedure for seppuku consists of grasping the Wakiza-shi in the left hand (if a Samurai’s personal short sword isunavailable for this purpose, a normal dagger or short swordmay be used — but this further increases the Samurai’s dis-honor), thrusting it into the lower abdomen and cutting up-wards, then stabbing into the right side of the stomach andslicing to the left side, and finishing by slitting the throat.

This is the only honorable way for a Samurai to die, other thandeath in battle (which could also be dishonorable, depending onthe circumstances). A warrior of third level or lower is able to beresurrected, no matter what the cause or circumstances of hisdeath; however, if a Samurai of fourth level or higher has died adishonorable death, he is considered to have broken his vow toBushido and cannot automatically be resurrected. If a deadSamurai’s comrades and constituents feel there is no clear-cutway to determine whether his death was honorable or not, theymay appeal to the Samurai’s liege lord (the Shogun of the samealignment as the Samurai) for a judgement. There is a basechance of 5% per point of Charisma of the dead Samurai that theliege lord will grant the constituents an audience. If their plea isheard, there is a base chance of 5% per each experience level

20

May 1981

above third of the dead Samurai that the constituents’ appealwill be granted by the lord, and the Samurai will be able to beresurrected. Both of these chances for success should be modi-fied at the DM’s discretion, depending on the circumstances.

Bushido also demands that once a Samurai’s Katana or Waki-zashi blade is unsheathed, it should not be returned to its scab-bard unbloodied. The warrior’s code also forbids the use ofpoison as a cowardly and dishonorable act.

Because a Samurai of third level or below has not yet taken hisvows to abide by Bushido, he is not bound to uphold the code.He may be resurrected regardless of the circumstances of hisdeath, but his actions in life and the way of his death will have abearing on how well he is received by his superiors when he iscalled to take his vows at fourth level.

A Samurai may belong to one of five specific alignments: trueneutral, lawful neutral, neutral good, chaotic neutral or neutralevil. Each of these alignments denotes a particular organizationwithin the Samurai class. There may be only five Shoguns at onetime, one for each alignment type, but there can be an unlimitednumber of Samurai of each alignment at any lower level.

When a Taiko (11th-level) acquires enough experience pointsto advance to 12th level (Shogun), the conflict must be resolvedby a duel to the death between the characters, or by one or theother committing seppuku. In organizations of certain align-ments, it is possible that the Shogun will be required to commitseppuku as soon as an heir acquires enough experience pointsto replace him. If a Taiko is compelled to have combat with areigning Shogun, he must either comply or immediately commitseppuku.

A new Shogun will automatically acquire all the material pos-sessions of the former Shogun. The vassals of the former Sho-gun are not obligated to the new Shogun in any way, but mostwill swear fealty to him rather than become ronin (a Samuraiwho has no liege lord).

With the Shogunate goes the ultimate responsibility for fulfil-

ling the purpose of that organization: the domination of all otherSamurai organizations (alignments), by force if necessary. TheShogun who is the head of the superior organization earns theright to wear the purple sash as Emperor of all Samurai for theduration of his reign and his alignment’s supremacy.

Thieving abilities and combatA Samurai’s training enables him to block attacks by non-

edged projectile weapons by making a successful save vs. petri-fication. Because of his tumbling and gymnastic abilities, aSamurai is able to fall a distance of five feet per each twoexperience levels without sustaining damage. The ability beginsat second level, increases to 10 feet at 4th level, 15 feet at 6thlevel, 20 feet at 8th level, 25 feet at 10th level and 30 feet at 12thlevel.

A Samurai relies on stealth much like a Thief does, and pos-sesses the Thief abilities to Hide in Shadows and Move Silently,with the same chance of success as a Thief of equivalent level.Beginning at fourth level, a Samurai gains the ability to ReadLanguages like a Thief because of his studies in ancient cus-toms and archaic knowledge. Again, the chance for successincreases by level just as it does for a Thief.

Besides being able to attack with a weapon, a Samurai canemploy two basic means of weaponless attack, the side kick andthe chop. Damage caused by these attack forms increases as aSamurai gains higher levels, as outlined in the Samurai Abilitiesand Techniques table.

Using a side kick is a strenuous activity which can only beattempted once in two successive melee rounds; thus, this at-tack form can only be used in combination with a weapon attackor another weaponless attack, such as a chop or one of thespecial techniques.

A Samurai is able to dive and roll over any obstruction which isnot taller than three-fourths of his height or longer than 2½ timeshis height.

21

Vol. V, No. 11

The Files

DANGER: Thisdocument is loaded!

by Merle M. Rasmussen

SECURITY CLEARANCE LEVEL: Four in all bureausBEGIN MESSAGE:TO: Operatives and participants of the TOP SECRET™ game,

especially level 4 and above.BY AUTHORITY OF: Merle M. Rasmussen, Director of Admin-

istrations.PURPOSE: To introduce agents to new specialized types of

bullets and their effects, to define and illustrate the term “stop-ping power,” and to expand the effectiveness of shotgunsthrough the utilization of modifiers.

MESSAGE: The following rulings are authorized but are notyet official TOP SECRET tenets. Incorporating all of the follow-ing rules will enhance realism at the expense of spontaneity.Administrator discretion is advised.

There are now 13 types of bullets available for general andspecialized use. Standard (S) ammunition is inexpensive, in-tended for use against live targets and light objects, contains alead alloy core, and is jacketed with a sleeve of cupro-nickel orgilding metal. Other solid metals and ice may be used instead oflead alloy and will perform almost identically.

Armor-piercing (AP) bullets are designed to penetrate steelplates of light armored vehicles. Inside the long, slim, flat-tipped metal jacket is a hardened steel or tungsten carbide core.AP bullets often pass through living targets without causingextensive damage due to their streamlined penetrating design.

Dumdum (DD) bullets may have a soft, hollow, or notchednose. They may have a partially split jacket or a jacket with thetip cut off. All of these variants cause the bullet to mushroom(50% of the time) on impact with a live target, tearing a largewound through the victim. Standard (S) ammunition of caliber.30 or less is often designed to tumble through the air to pro-duce a similar effect. (+2 injury modifier).

Gyrojet (G) ammunition is self-propelled much like a minia-ture rocket. They hiss instead of bang and have 1/10 the kick ofa .45 caliber pistol (+10 to shooter’s chance to hit). At 100 feetthe projectile travels twice as fast as a .45. Gyrojet pistols arelight, insubstantial, and often made of two aluminum castings.

Duplex (DP) ammo contains two projectiles per cartridge.This is supposed to increase hit probability, but the smallerprojectiles each cause less damage than standard ammunition.A .30 caliber duplex cartridge fired at a target 100 yards awaywill place one projectile inside a 5-inch-radius circle and theother within a 40-inch-radius circle 50-75% of the time. Whenfiring duplex ammunition, subtract 10 from the chance to hit forone projectile and subtract 75 from the other projectile to hit.Anyone standing beside the intended target has a 50% chanceof being hit by accident by each duplex projectile missing itsintended target. The small projectiles may tumble as they passthrough the air (+2 injury modifiers).

Flechette (F) ammunition contains a small metal dart with

Merle Rasmussen, The Administratortailfins to keep it on target and prevent it from tumbling (+10 toshooter’s chance to hit). The bullet’s casing falls away afterbeing fired and the dart continues to its target. On living targets,the wound is often superficial and nonpenetrating.

Microjet (M) ammo is actually a self-powered flechette.Thanks to its increased velocity and tailfins these propelledmetal darts are more accurate than gyrojets but harm livingtargets only slightly more often than flechettes (+20 to shooter’schance to hit).

Incendiary (I) bullets are specialized projectiles which pro-duce intensely hot flame upon impact. A mixture of bariumnitrate and magnesium is ignited by the heat generated onstriking the target and will burn for less than a second. Incen-diary bullets are intended for use against fuel tanks, ammuni-tion stores, and inside vehicles, where starting a fire is the maingoal. Their major drawback is that minor cover or a pane ofglass will stop them from striking their intended target.

Armor Piercing Incendiary (API) bullets are expensive butcombine the best traits of AP and I bullets. They are very usefulagainst vehicles, are not stopped by minor cover, and tend tostop more often inside living targets than AP bullets do.

High Explosive (HE) and High Explosive Incendiary (HEI)bullets usually only come in larger calibers. The bullet core isfilled with the explosive or incendiary material. This can beignited by the frictional heat of striking the target or by a smallcap or detonator fitted into the nose of the projectile. Like theincendiary bullets, their minor drawback is that minor cover or a

22

May 1981

pane of glass will stop them from striking their intended target.Tracer (T) bullets contain a red light-producing mixture

based on a strontium salt with magnesium. These chemicals areignited by propellant gases on firing and trace the arc of theprojectile both night and day. This allows gunners to observeand correct their aim. Because the tracer composition is lessdense than standard or AP bullets, the flight paths are not thesame. Tracers are usually mixed in a ration of one to four or oneto six. The second and third shots following a tracer bullet havea +10 and +5 to hit, respectively.

Blank (B) or dummy (not to be confused with Dumdum)bullets are made of fragile, usually non-lethal material whichbreaks into fragments after being fired. Sometimes the bullet isreplaced by a paper wad. Blanks are used in training to simulatecombat and to safely practice loading.

With I, API, HE and HEI bullets the following effects occur:They detonate on hard surfaces, so the chance of a ricochet isnil. Against a living target there is low penetration causing supershocking power. Shots in the chest cavity are extremely lethaland generally do not exit. They will not detonate when droppedor stepped on. Except for the API, they are generally stopped byglass or minor cover but destroy that cover when they strike.

AMMUNITION COSTS (dollars per 50-round box; each boxweighs one to six pounds depending on caliber):

AP

Ammunition

1

Type

1

Caliber

2

.001-.100 .101-.200 .201-.300 .301-.400 .401-.500 .501-.600

3 4S 1 1 1 1 1 1

5DD 2 2 2 2 3 4

G 5 5 5 6 7 8DP 2 2 2 2 2 2F 3 3 3 4 5 6

M 4 4 4 5 6 7I 163 103 73 58 50 46

API 164 104 75 61 54 51HE 165 105 75 60 53 50HEI 164 104 74 59 5 2 48T 2 2 2 2 2 2B 2 2 2 2 2 2

OPTIONAL SPECIFIC INJURY DETERMINATIONLocation Injury Points ModificationHead/neck +3Chest +2Abdomen +1Arm 0Hand -1Leg 0Foot -1

PISTOL, RIFLE, AND SUBMACHINE GUNAMMUNITION INJURY MODIFIERS

(Notes: Magnum ammunition adds +2 damage; tumblingbullets, such as the .223 caliber from the M-16, add +2 todamage.)AmmoType

G ll

Caliber.001-.100 .101-.200 .201-.300* .301-.400** .401-.500 .501-.600

S -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3A P

- 1 0 +1 +3 +4D P °

-1

(-2) +2

0

(-1) +2

+1

(0) +2

+1

+2

+1

(+1) +2

+2DD ★

(+2) +2

0

(+3) +2

+1 +2 +3 +4 +5

F l (-2) (-1) (0) (+1) (+2) (+3)M † (-2) -1 (-1) (0) +1 (+1) +2 (+2) +3 (+3) +4II +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6

23

Vol. V, No. 11

API 0 +2 +4 +5 +6 +8HE +1 +3 +5 +7 +9 +11HEI +2 +5 +8 +11 +14 +17T -2 - 1 0 + 1 +2 +3B ‡ (-2) (-1) (0) (+1) (+2) (+3)

( ) = Treat as one half (1/2) standard (S) ammunition injury,then include modifier.

* = Includes 5.56mm and 7.62mm ammunition.** = Includes 9mm short and 9mm standard (Parabellum)

ammunition.l = Gyrojet and flechette ammunition adds +10 to shooter’s

chance to hit target,† = Microjet ammunition adds +20 to shooter’s chance to hit

target.★ = In actuality, Dumdum ammunition only expands 50% of

the time within live targets. Roll percentile dice; 1-50 use DDmodifier, 51-100 use S modifier.

° = Duplex ammo that hits adds +2 tumbling bullet injurymodifier. One projectile is -10 chance to hit and the other is -75.

‡ = Injury at point-blank range only.

STOPPING POWERStopping power is the ability of certain types of ammunition

or weapons to cause an opponent to cease offensive action bymeans of incapacitation. It is not always desirable to kill anopponent, but rather to stop an opponent from fighting back. Ifthe “stopping power” option is going to be used during a TOPSECRET mission, play as follows:

At the start of the game determine each character’s TraumaticShock Resistance. When a character is hit, determine the injurylocation, type of wound, and injury points from the wound asusual. Optional Specific Injury Determination Modifiers frompage 45 of the rule book may be used as well as a special ammoand buckshot modifiers from this article.

If the character dies of injuries, play continues as usual. If thecharacter is still alive, stopping power rules come into play.

If the character is not hit in the head/neck, chest, or abdomen,refer to Temporary Losses on page 46 and then the InvoluntaryHit Response charts in this article. If the character is hit in thehead/neck, chest, or abdomen, refer to Temporary Losses.

If the character’s wound is not a puncture, fracture, or internaldamage refer to the Involuntary Hit Response charts. If thecharacter’s type of wound is a puncture, fracture, or internaldamage refer to the Projectile or Shotgun Stopping PowerChart depending on what weapon they were shot with. Add theappropriate Stopping Power Modifiers and roll percentile diceto determine if the character is incapacitated. If the character isnot incapacitated, refer to the Involuntary Hit Response charts.If the character is incapacitated, he/she cannot fight back. Referto the Incapacitation Chart and roll percentile dice to determinehow the character is incapacitated. If the character does not gointo shock, suffer infernal hemorrhaging, experience difficultyin breathing, have broken ribs, or become paralyzed, he/she canfight back after referring to the appropriate Involuntary Hit Re-sponse charts,

If the character does go into shock refer to the TraumaticShock Susceptibility chart and then refer to the Involuntary HitResponse charts if he/she survives the shock.

If the character does have internal hemorrhaging refer to theHemorrhage Chart. IF he/she survives the hemorrhaging, thenrefer to the Involuntary Hit Response charts.

If the character does have difficulty breathing refer to theDifficulty Breathing chart. If he/she survives, refer to the Invo-luntary Wit Response charts.

If the character does have fractured ribs, movement beyondcrawling will cause W type damage. Refer to the Involuntary HitResponse charts before attempting to fight back.

If the character does experience paralysis, the character can-not move his/her body from the point of injury down. Refer tothe Involuntary Hit Response charts before attempting to fightback.

Type of PROJECTILE STOPPING POWERAmmunition Caliber

.001-.100 .101-.200 .201-.300 .301-.400 .401-.500 .501-.600S -70% -30% 10% 50% 90% 50%AP -110% -70% -30% 10% 50% 10%DD -20% 0% 20% 40% 60% 40%G -60% -20% 20% 60% 100% 60%DP -35% -15% 5% 25% 45% 25%F -55% -35% -15% 5% 25% 5%M -45% -25% -5% 15% 35% 55%I -10% 10% 30% 50% 76% 50%API -120% -60% 0% 60% 120% 60%HE -30% 10% 50% 90% 130% 90%HEI -40% 20% 80% 140% 200% 140%T - 3 5 % -15% 5% 25% 45% 25%B* -190% -150% -110% -70% -30% -70%

* - Values at point-blank range only.

STOPPING POWER MODIFIERSEach point of gun’s accuracy* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +1%Tumbling Bullet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +20%Magnum Ammunition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +20%$175 Bulletproof Vest (chest, upper-back) . . . -20%$250 Bulletproof Vest (chest, back,

abdomen) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -20%$75 Bulletproof Helmet (head/neck) . . . . . . . -25%Weakling Fitness Rating of Target . . . . . . . . . +20%Average Fitness Rating of Target . . . . . . . . . . . . 0%Strong Fitness Rating of Target . . . . . . . . . . . . -20%Super Fitness Rating of Target . . . . . . . . . . . -40%

* — Use the Accuracy Rating of a weapon to modify theProjectile Stopping Power Percentage chance. Pistols rangefrom 1-6 (+1-6%), Carbines 20 (+20%), Rifles 22-26 (+22-26%)SMG 10-13 (+10-13%), Assault Rifles 14-16 (+14-16%), Shot-guns 24 (+24%) and Sawed-off Shotguns 4-23 (+4-23%).

INCAPACITATION CHARTRoll percentile dice for each of these incapacities.Chance of Traumatic Shock: roll on Traumatic Shock Sus-

ceptibility Chart.Chance of Internal Hemorrhaging: Chest = 40%, Abdomen =

20%, Head = 7%. If hemorrhaging, go to Hemorrhage Chart.Chance of Difficulty Breathing: Chest = 30%, Head = 5%. If so,

go to Difficulty Breathing Chart.Chance of Broken Ribs: Chest = 70%, Abdomen = 15%. If so,

movement beyond crawling will cause W type damage (1-4points).

Chance of Paralysis: Chest = 20%, Abdomen = 15%, Head =5%. If so, subject cannot move body from point of injury down,due to spinal cord damage.

TRAUMATIC SHOCKTraumatic Shock Resistance (TSR) is a value used to deter-

mine whether an agent will go into shock when exposed tosudden physical injury or is subject to prolonged psychologicaldamage. An agent’s Traumatic Shock Resistance value is equalto the total of Courage plus Willpower divided by two.

TRAUMATIC SHOCK SUSCEPTIBILITYAgent’s TSR

Type of Wound 0-25 26-100 101-200 201+Abrasion 30% 15% 0% -15%Incision 45% 30% 15% 0%Laceration 60% 45% 30% 15%Puncture 75% 60% 45% 30%Fracture 90% 75% 60% 45%Internal Damage 105% 90% 75% 60%

The number derived from the chart (perhaps modified by theconditions listed below) represents the percentage chance thatthe agent will go into shock. Roll percentile dice and compare. Ifthe agent is in shock the modified percentage chance number isalso the total in minutes the agent will remain in shock.

24

May 1981

Shock Modifiers

Previously wounded: (cumulative)Abrasion +50%Incision +10%Laceration +15%Puncture +20%Fracture +25%internal Damage +30%

Victim Depressed: (cumulative)1 Dose Alcohol +1 - 10%1 Dose Anesthetic +1 - 10%1 Dose Sleeping Gas +1 - 10%1 Dose Truth Serum +1 - 100%1 Dose Depressant Poison +1 - 100%

Persons in shock experience the five P’s: prostration, pallor,perspiration, pulselessness, and pulmonary deficiency. Theyare often incoherent or confused.

HEMORRHAGE CHARTRoll percentile dice 3 times for chance of unconsciousness,

shock, and stopped bleeding.Type of wound Damage Chance Chance Chance

points of uncon- of shock ofper min- sciousness per stopped

ute of per minute bleed-bleeding minute ing per

minuteAbrasion 0 0 0 60%Incision 0 0 0 50%Laceration 1 1% 1% 40%Puncture 1 2% 2% 30%Fracture 2 5% 5% 20%Internal Damage 2 10% 10% 10%Internal Hemorrhage* +2 +20% +10% 0%

*Internal hemorrhaging can usually only be stopped surgi-

cally. Damage points are cumulative (2, 4, 6, etc.) per minute, asare the chances of unconsciousness and shock, for internalhemorrhaging.

Hemorrhage ModifiersCharacter in shock = -1 damage point, +10% unconscious-

ness, +10% stopped bleeding.Each wound being treated by character or other = -1 damage

point, -10% chance unconsciousness, -5% chance shock, +10%chance stopped bleeding.

Character in water or moving = +1 damage point, +1% chanceunconsciousness, +1% chance shock, -10% chance stoppedb l e e d i n g .

If unconsciousness or shock occurs, before bleeding stops,bleeding will continue. Refer to Unconsciousness Chart onpage 38 of the rule book or Traumatic Shock SusceptibilityChart (above).

DIFFICULTY BREATHING CHARTRoll percentile dice twice for chance of unconsciousness and

shock.Type of wound Damage Chance Chance Chance

points of uncon- of shock of col-per sciousness per lapsing

minute of per minute if movingdifficulty minute perbreathing minute

afteruncon-

sciousnessAbrasion 0 0 0 0Incision 0 0 0 1%Laceration 0 1% 0 2%Puncture 1 2% 1% 5%Fracture 1 5% 2% 10%internal Damage 2 10% 5% 25%

25

Difficulty Breathing ModifiersCharacters in Shock = -1 damage point, -1% chance uncon-

sciousness.Character being given artificial respiration = -1 damage point,

-10% chance unconsciousness, -5% chance shock.Character crawling = +1% chance unconsciousness, +1%

chance shock, +1% chance collapse.Character walking or wading = +5% chance unconscious-

ness, +5% chance shock, +5% chance collapse.Character running or swimming = +10% chance uncons-

ciousness, +10% chance shock, +10% chance collapse.If unconsciousness or shock occurs, difficulty in breathing

continues. Refer to Unconsciousness Chart on page 38 orTraumatic Shock Susceptibility chart.

INVOLUNTARY HIT RESPONSE CHARTRoll percentile dice once for each section of columns. Modifi-

ers to the die roll may be applied if applicable. Possible modifi-ers are coded by letter following each section of columns, with akey at the end of the chart. Positions relocated depend on thepath of the projectile. Character automatically performs actionwithout hesitation because it is involuntary.

Locationcharacter

hitHead/NeckChestAbdomenArmHandLegFoot

Modifiers: A, C.

Characterwill not

be moved01-7301-4301-4601-7901-9401-5501-91

Character Characterwill be will be

moved 1 pace moved 2 paces74-91 92-10044-81 82-10047-82 83-10080-93 94-10095-98 99-10056-85 86-10092-97 98-100

Locationcharacter

hit

Characterwill remain

standing

Head/Neck 01-46Chest 01Abdomen 01Arm 01-58Hand 01-88Leg 01-10Foot 01-82

Modifiers: A, C.

Characterwill be

knocked toknees or

sitting47-8202-6202-6459-8689-9611-7083-94

Characterwill be

knocked toto ground

prone83-10063-10065-10087-10097-10071-10095-100

Location Character Character Character Character Charactercharacter will not will be pivoted pivoted 135° pivoted 180°

hit be pivoted pivoted 45° 90°Head/Neck 01-60Chest 01-09Abdomen 01-09Arm 01-70Hand 01-90Leg 01-30Foot 01-90

Modifiers: A, C.

61-7610-4610-4671-8291-9431-5891-94

77-8847-7347-7383-9195-9759-7995-97

89-96 97-10074-91 92-10074-91 92-10092-97 98-10098-99 10080-93 94-10098-99 100

L o c a t i o ncharacter

h i tHead/NeckChestAbdomenHolding Arm/HandOther Arm/HandLegFoot

Character willclutch what

he/she is holding*01-5001-5001-5001-2501-7501-5001-50

Character willdrop what

he/she is holding51-10051-10051-10026-10076-10051-10051-100

*50% chance of pulling trigger.Modifiers: A, B, C, D.

Location Character will Attempt tocharacter ignore wound look at

h i t wound wound

Head/Neck 01-49 50Chest 01-34 35-56Abdomen 01-34 35-56Arm 01-34 35-56Hand 01-34 35-56Leg 01-52 53-68Foot 01-67 68-78

Modifiers: B.

Location Character will Character Character Charactercharacter remain silent will gasp will speak will shout

hitHead/Neck 01-46 47-73 74-91 92-100Chest 01 02-43 44-81. 82-100Abdomen 01 02-46 47-82 83-100Arm 01-58 59-79 80-93 94-100Hand 01-88 89-94 95-98 99-100Leg 01-10 11-55 56-85 86-100Foot 01-82 83-91 92-97 98-100

Modifiers: B.Key to Modifiers

A = Add Projectile or Shotgun Stopping Power percentage todie roll.

B = Subtract character’s Traumatic Shock Response valuefrom die roll.

C = Subtract character’s Physical Strength trait value.D = Subtract character’s Coordination trait value.Bleeding is always an Involuntary Hit Response. Refer to

Hemorrhage Chart.Modified numbers over 100 are equal to 100, results less than

01 are treated as 01. .

Attempt tolook at

and coverwound

5157-7857-7857-7857-7869-8479-89

Attempt tocover

52-10079-10079-10079-10079-10085-10090-100

SHOTGUNSShotguns are notorious for their stopping power at short

range. In addition, except for slugs, they fire multiple projec-tiles. Use the following Multiple Shotgun Projectiles and Shot-gun Stopping power Charts to determine if a living target isincapacitated when hit by a shotgun blast. Use the Sawed-OffShotgun Ammunition Damage and Slug and Buckshot Ammu-nition Damage charts to determine specific injuries.

Multiple Shotgun Projectiles ChartTo determine how many hits a human target receives from a

shotgun blast, find the appropriate row for the type of shotgunchoke. Cross index the type of shotgun with the range and rollpercentile dice to determine the number of hits,. At point-blankrange with a shotgun set at full choke there is a 40% chance ofbeing hit once. Determine an injury location for each hit. It ispossible to be hit in the same location more than once.

Full 1 1 - 5 0 1 - 7 5Choke 2 7 6 - 1 0 0

34 - -

Moderate 1Choke 2

3 -4

Improved 1Cylinder

No. of Point-blank Short Short - LongHits (0-3 ft.) (4-50 ft.) medium (150-300 ft.)

1 - 4 0(51-150 ft.)

1 - 1 0 04 1 - 7 0 5 1 - 8 5 -7 1 - 9 0 8 6 - 1 0 0 - -

9 1 - 1 0 0 -1 - 3 0 1 - 4 0 1 - 6 0 1 - 1 0 0

3 1 - 6 0 4 1 - 8 0 6 1 - 1 0 0 -6 1 - 8 0 8 1 - 1 0 0 -

8 1 - 1 0 0 - - -1 - 2 5 1 - 3 0 1 - 4 5 1 - 9 0

2 2 6 - 5 0 3 1 - 6 0 4 6 - 9 0 9 1 - 1 0 03 5 1 - 7 5 6 1 - 9 0 9 1 - 1 0 0 -4 7 6 - 1 0 0 9 1 - 1 0 - -1 1 - 6 5 1 - 7 5 - -

6 6 - 9 0 7 6 - 1 0 0 - -

9 1 - 1 0 0 -

SawedOff 2

3 - -4 - - - -

Vol. V, No. 11

26

May 1981

SHOTGUN STOPPING POWER CHARTThis chart should be used with the Stopping Power Modifiers to determine if a human target is incapacitated for each hit

indicated on the Multiple Shotgun Projectiles Chart.GAUGE FULL CHOKE MODIFIED CHOKE IMPROVED CYLINDER SAWED OFF

Slug or Buckshot No. Slug or Buckshot No. Slug or Buckshot No. Slug or Buckshot No.Slug-000 0 0 - 0 1 - 2 3 - 4 Slug-000 00-0 1 - 2 3 - 4 Slug-000 0 0 - 0 1 - 2 3 - 4 Slug-000 0 0 - 0 1 - 2 3 - 4

10 120 110 100 90 110 100 90 80 100 90 80 70 90 80 70 6012 110 100 90 80 100 90 80 70 90 80 70 60 80 70 60 5016 100 90 80 70 90 80 70 60 80 70 60 50 70 60 50 4020 90 80 70 60 80 70 60 50 70 60 50 40 60 50 40 3028 80 70 60 50 70 60 50 40 60 50 40 30 50 40 30 20

.410 70 60 50 40 60 50 40 30 50 40 30 20 40 30 20 10

GAUGE FULL CHOKE MODIFIED CHOKE IMPROVED CYLINDER SAWED OFFBirdshot Size Birdshot Size

1 - 2 3 - 4 5 - 6 7 - 8 1 - 2 3 - 4 5 - 6 7 - 8 1 - 2 3 - 4 5 - 6 7 - 8 1 - 2 3 - 4 5 - 6 7 - 810 50 40 30 20 40 30 20 1012 40 30 20 10 30 20 10 016 30 20 10 0 20 10 0 -1020 20 10 0 -10 10 0 -10 -2028 10 0 -10 -20 0 -10 -20 -30

.410 0 -10 -20 -30 -10 -20 -30 -40

Birdshot Size Birdshot Size

30 20 10 0 20 10 0 -1020 10 0 -10 10 0 -10 -2010 0 -10 -20 0 -10 -20 -300 -10 -20 -30 -10 -20 -30 -40

-10 -20 -30 -40 -20 -30 -40 -50-20 -30 -40 -50 -30 -40 -50 -60

Sawed Off Shotgun Ammunition Damage ChartSlug or Buckshot No.

Gauge Slug-000 00-0 1 - 2 3 - 4 1 - 2 3 - 4 5 - 6 7 - 8Birdshot Size in some cases (0% or less %) no damage occurs. Occasionally

10 +6 +5 +4 +3 +2 +1 0 -112 +5 +4 +3 +2 +1 0 -1 -2

the projectile is so powerful (101% or greater) that fragments ofthe vest or helmets harm the wearer rather than help. Rarely, the

16 +5 +4 +3 +2 +1 0 -1 vest or helmet are useless and the projectile does normal dam--220 +4 +3 +2 +1 0 -1 -2 age (100%). Remember to always round damage up to the-328 +4 +3 +2 +1 0 -1 -3

.410 +3 +2 +1 0 -1 - 2 -3 -4nearest half point. (Yes, you can have a half point of damage.)

When using special bullets against vehicles, use the followingmodifiers on the die roll.

Slug and Buckshot Ammunition Damage Chart(Note: Magnum ammunition adds +2 to damage.)

GAUGE FULL CHOKE MODIFIED CHOKE IMPROVED CYLINDERSlug or Buckshot No. Slug or Buckshot No. Slug or Buckshot No.

Slug-000 00-0 1-2 3-4 Slug-000 00-0 1-2 3-4 Slug-000 00-0 1-2 3-410 +15 +14 +13 +12 +11 +10 +9 +8 +7 +6 +5 +412 +14 +13 +12 +11 +10 +9 +8 +7 +6 +5 +4 +316 +12 +11 +10 +9 +8 +7 +6 +5 +6 +5 +4 +320 +11 +10 +9 +8 +7 +6 +5 +4 +5 + 4+ 3+228 +9 +8 +7 +6 +6 +5 +4 +3 +5 +4 +3 +2

.410 +6 +5 +4 +3 +5 +4 +3 +2 +4 +3 +2 +1

Special Bullet Use Against Vehicles ModifiersS

APDDG

DPFM

0+10-20+10-30-10

0

I +10API +20HE +20HEI +30

T 0B -70

Current U.S. Buckshot LoadingsBuck No. 4 3 2 1 0 00 000

Diameter (in.) .24 .25 .27 .30 .32 .33 .36Commercially loaded buckshot is available in these cartridge

combinations:Gauge Length Buck no. Total pellets

10 3½” 4 5412 2¾” 4 2712 2¾” mag. 4 3412 2¾” 1 1612 2¾” mag. 1 2012 2¾” 0 1212 2¾” 00 912 2¾” mag. 00 12

Gauge Length Buck no. Total pellets12 2¾” 000 812 3” mag. 4 4112 3” mag. 1 2412 3” mag. 00 1512 3” mag. 000 1016 2¾” 1 1220 2¾” 3 2020 3” mag. 2 18

Magnum ammunition in the .41 or .44 caliber is not satisfac-tory for combat use. It is so powerful that it has great stoppingpower but is difficult to control in fast, multishot action. Themuzzle flash is so bright and the blast is so loud. that one shotwill alert everyone in the area as to your location. In poor lightthe flash will be easy to see. (The same goes for tracers.)Because of the lack of control due to the power of magnumammunition, multiple targets with smaller arms may have theadvantage.

Weapons using magnum or tracer ammunition should havetheir hit determination modified, in the Hit Determination Chartunder Miscellaneous, add the following modifiers.

Second consecutive shot by one character using magnumammunition = -5.

Each additional consecutive shot by one character usingmagnum ammunition = -5 per shot (cumulative).

Second consecutive shot by one character following a tracer= +10.

Third consecutive shot by one character following a tracer =+5.

Bulletproof vests and helmets affect the amount of damage

Information on special types of shotgun ammunition is stillneeded. Besides pellet, slug, and non-lethal beanbag types,there are probably many others. Grenades and canisterslaunched from shotguns tend to be in the realm of military andpara-military weaponry, not espionage. However, the agentmay encounter these devices in the line of duty and familiarity

the wearer receives by the percentage indicated on the Projec- with them may prove beneficial.tile or Shotgun Stopping Power charts. in most cases the dam- STOPage is less (1%-99%) than what the wearer would have received. END MESSAGE

27

Vol. V, No. 11

by Karl Horak

The many and varied worlds of the D&D® and AD&D™ uni-verses typically have one feature in common: They are flat. Infact, they are a good deal flatter than a well-educated medievalwould have conceived ours. Not unreasonably, players maptheir diverse journeys through this landscape on two-di-mensional paper, making no allowance for curvature. One canexcuse the matter easily enough by claiming the world is so vastthat curvature is not apparent unless many thousands of milesare traversed, or that the referee’s maps represent polyconicprojections of a spherical planet.

There are alternatives, however. The intrepid designer will notbalk at creating a spherical world, but there is no real need forthe world to be literally spherical in shape. Polyhedral solids caneffectively simulate spheres and are easier than spheres totranslate into a hexagonal pattern for mapping purposes.

A cylinder is the simplest three-dimensional world, and most“conventional” D&D worlds can quickly be adapted to this form.Merely design a flat, rectangular world with opposing edges inregister. Such a structure can be infinite in surface area, or finiteand capped with circular areas of an appropriate diameter. Thereferee should keep an eye on the change of seasons based onthe inclination of the axis, orbital eccentricity, orbits of multiplesuns, and other factors.

Cylinders can exhibit unique complications. Inverted (hol-low) cylinders create a Pellucidar-like effect, and small onescould easily be space colonies.

One can design flat worlds with both pairs of opposing edgesin register. Such a system is two different cylinders simultane-ously. A party that ventures “off” the south edge reappears at acorresponding point on the north edge, while those who wanderacross the east limit reappear in the west, It is as if the world-cylinder were alternately glued together along different sides.Players can circumnavigate any of these systems and becomedisoriented unless they chance upon some feature that revealsthe pattern.

Any polygonal world can be converted so that its edges are inexact registration. Hexagonal worlds can then be “glued to-gether” in three parts. One can further distort matters by ran-domly connecting any two of the six sides as characters pass theboundary of one edge.

Other patterns such as octagonal, triangular, and even irregu-lar polygons are adaptable to this sort of trick. To complicatethings one step more, use a randomization scheme that is notequally probable for all edges. For those who don’t wish to betied down to three dimensions, be sure to include edges thatconnect with other worlds, planes of existence, or time periods.

The inventive reader has no doubt already seen the logicalcontinuation of this kind of world-building. Instead of capping acylinder with circles, use hexagons. The hex-grid fits better onthis type of prism, The next most obvious shape might be a cube,but a better approximation of a sphere is the regular icosahe-dron. This 20-sided structure made up of equilateral triangles isfamiliar to all D&D players and DMs as the shape of a 20-sideddie.

A two-dimensional pattern that may be drawn on a hex-gridand then cut, folded and glued to form an icosahedron with agrid already on it is shown in the accompanying illustration.When placing terrain on this pattern, be sure that sides adjacentto each other in the finished three-dimensional structure areproperly in register.

Do not create coastlines, rivers, mountain ranges, and otherfeatures which end abruptly without reason. When the pattern inthe illustration is reproduced and assembled, there are 20 faces,

12 vertices and 30 edges. Note that five edges join at the northpole and another five at the south pole. These are termed “polaredges” for convenience in discussing their unusual properties.

The hex-pattern fits all faces and most edges without diffi-culty, but matters are more complicated when one examines thehex-grid at the vertices and polar edges.

First, observe that vertices are formed at the junction of fivetriangular faces and are actually pentagons. Vertices are trickybecause of their unusual pattern of directions. Compare astandard hex on any face with a vertex other than a pole. Thetypical hex has edges that face northeast, east, southeast,southwest, west and northwest. A vertex in the southern hemi-sphere lacks sides that “point” southeast and southwest but hastrue south. A northern-hemisphere vertex lacks the directions ofnortheast and northwest but has north as a hex-side. Any partythat ventures to the precise north or south pole will becomedisoriented due to the absence of all directions except south ornorth, respectively. The unfortunate members of such a partywill have five choices of the same compass heading.

Directions are a bit muddled at the hexes lying on polar edges.In the north the directions of the hex-sides are north, east,southeast, south, southwest and west. Hex-side directions inthe southern hemisphere are north, northeast, east, south, westand northwest.

Any party that travels around one or more vertices will expe-rience distance distortion due to curvature of the world. Theeffect is graphically caused by crossing a polar edge and is mostdramatic when the party concerned treads near a pole and thenreturns by an equatorial route. As long as a group of adventurerstravels on the full hexes of the pattern illustrated on the oppositepage, there is no difficulty. But when one of the, “gaps” iscrossed, terrain is no longer mappable in two dimensions.

The referee, as always, has the option to make things simpleor complex. A continent can be laid out so that it conforms to theflat pattern, with polar edges located at sea or in forbiddingterrain. Players will have little difficulty.

On the other hand, land masses can be centered on polaredges and roads designed to lead the unwary astray. Rivers,lakes, shorelines, mountain passes, and other natural means ofpassage can repeatedly cross polar edges, compounding thedisorientation.

A small-diameter world will puzzle players who unwittinglycircumnavigate it no matter how they proceed. Large-diameterworlds require considerable time and effort to circle, but theycause a greater distortion when characters attempt to force theterrain onto a flat map.

Since a typical hex has six cardinal points, most players willcall their direction of travel in terms of northeast, east,southeast, southwest, west and northwest. If they happen to beon an edge or vertex where the direction called does not exist asa hex-side, the referee should randomly select one of the twodirections that bracket the one specified but not available. Polesrequire randomization of five directions, unless the party isusing some landmark, like a range of mountains on the horizon,to orient itself. Some enterprising characters have managed todevise clever means of celestial navigation. Moderately high-level spells will also aid in orientation if properly employed.

Needless to say, any polyhedron can be used as the basis of aworld, especially those with triangular, square, or hexagonalfaces. Regular tetrahedra (four-sided dice) and octahedra(eight-sided dice) make fine world models. Moons, asteroidsand planetoids can be built using irregular polyhedra, limitedonly by the imagination of the designer. To the dedicated Dun-geon Master, even polyhedral Klein’s Bottles are possible.

The pattern for a small icosahedron which is reproduced with

28

May 1981

this article is suitable for small, temporary worlds. It can bedrawn on a single 8½x10 or 8½x11-inch sheet of hex-gridpaper. The 20-sided figure which results when the edgesare joined has a circumference of 40 hexes, a diameter ofalmost 13, and an area of 642 hexes.

Every face of the icosahedron is an equilateral tri-angle. If larger triangles are used, a great amount ofdetail can be contained on the hex-grid world. Withequilateral triangles having sides of 36 hexes (9inches) in length, an icosahedron can be con-structed which has a circumference of 180hexes and an area of 13,662 hexes, the equi-valent of 6½ sheets of hex-grid paper.

And you don’t have to stop there. Mak-ing a new triangle out of four 9-inch onesand constructing an icosahedron outof 20 of those will yield a world with asurface area equal to nearly 26 hex-sheets. As with many other aspectsof a D&D or AD&D campaign, thesky’s the limit.

The design shown here canbe cut, folded and glued to form a

20-sided solid with a hex-gridprinted on its surface. The pattern

should be copied from this page orredrawn on a sheet of hex paper, and

should be glued to a second sheet ofrelatively stiff paper or cardboard so that

the final product will not be too flimsy. Thesolid black lines describe the outline which

should be cut out. The thinner black lines in-side the pattern should also be cut apart. The

flaps which will be glued together are created byfolding the sheet along the dotted lines in the direc-

tion away from the hex-grid surface. Other fold linesare indicated inside the pattern. All such lines should

be scored and folded as necessary to bring opposingtabs in contact with each other. When all the tabs are

glued together, the final figure will be identical in shape toa 20-sided die; having a die handy during assembly will help

clear up any confusion about how to join the surfaces.

GIANTSIN THE EARTH

Vol. V, No. 11

Poul Anderson’sHolger Carlsen

14th-level PaladinALIGNMENT: Lawful GoodHIT POINTS: 131ARMOR CLASS: 1NO. OF ATTACKS: 2DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-8 (+5)HIT BONUS: +2MOVE: 9” (18” mounted)PSIONIC ABILITY: NilSTRENGTH: 18/93INTELLIGENCE: 14WISDOM: 15DEXTERITY: 17CONSTITUTION: 18/34CHARISMA: 17

Holger Carlsen was a mechanical engi-neer in the United States prior to theoutbreak of World War II; when Denmarkfell to the Nazis, he returned to his homecountry and joined the underground.During a daring guerrilla operation,Holger was struck on the head by abullet, knocking him unconscious. Whenhe came to, he found himself in a landvery much like a typical AD&D™ country,complete with gnomes, trolls, elves,witches, and the like. He also found him-self in possession of armor, medievalweapons, and a large horse.

Holger strongly suspects that he ac-tually belongs to this faerie world andsomehow had been transferred to themodern Earth by magical means, withhis memory of the faerie world repressedby spells. He has heard that if he can finda sword named Cortana and grasp it, histrue memory will be returned.

Holger Carlsen presents an unusualfigure in this magical world. He func-tions in all ways as an AD&D Paladin, yetisn’t quite sure how he is able to use hisspecial powers. He also isn’t quite sureof what exactly is going on in this faerieuniverse, and so acts frequently in anun-Paladinlike sort of way: i.e., tellingoff-color jokes and songs, associatingwith chaotic and even evil beings, andapproaching people in a naive fashion.

Much of this behavior might be due tothe spells ensnaring his memory andobscuring his common sense. Neverthe-less, he still has a good heart and will dohis utmost to help the poor and down-

trodden, and be a friend to all. Now andthen, bits and pieces of his true memorycome back to him, but they only confusehim more as to what his purpose is inbeing here.

Holger wears a normal suit of chain-mail and uses a shield with three heartsand three lions worked upon the face.His horse is a great black Paladin’s war-horse named Papillon (“Butterfly”) withmaximum hit points (45). He stands 6’4”tall and is heavily muscled. In combat heuses a broadsword, heavy lance, anddagger, all made of cold iron. He has aHoly Symbol in the shape of a cross. Theonly language he can understand iscommon (and, at the Dungeon Master’soption, the lawful good tongue). He isyellow-haired and has blue eyes.

What Holger Carlsen does not know isthat he has been brought to the AD&Duniverse by Morgan Le Fay (see theDEITIES & DEMIGODS™ cyclopedia).His purpose, knowable by him when hegrasps the +5 Holy Avenger longswordCortana, is to destroy the forces of chaosand evil massing somewhere in the faer-ie universe. Upon completion of thistask, he will disappear, returned to themodern Earth and World War II. MorganLe Fay will try to convert him to chaoticevil alignment in the meantime.

Rather than being able to use anyclerical spells appropriate to his level,Holger is able to use a Holy Word spellonce a week, though he will (for reasonsunknown even to him) be loath to usethis except in the most extreme cir-cumstances.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Three Hearts AndThree Lions (paperback, BerkeleyBooks) by Poul Anderson.

Written by Roger E. Moore

Poul Anderson’s

Hugi5th-level gnome FighterALIGNMENT: Neutral (good)HIT POINTS: 41ARMOR CLASS: 8NO. OF ATTACKS: 1DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-4 (+1)HIT BONUS: +1MOVE: 6”PSIONIC ABILITY: NilSTRENGTH: 17INTELLIGENCE: 12WISDOM: 14CONSTITUTION: 16DEXTERITY: 14CHARISMA: 13

Hugi is a typical gnome in many ways,as far as his appearance and attitudesare concerned. He has earth-brown skin

30

May 1981

and snow-white hair and beard; his noseis large and sensitive to odors that mostdemi-humans or humans cannot detect.Hugi prefers earth-toned clothing, usu-ally leather, and goes barefoot when hecan. He stands 2’10” in height; his size isa sensitive point with him, and he canpick up an automatic dislike for anyone

T. J. Morgan’s

Ellide6th-level FighterALIGNMENT: NeutralHIT POINTS: 51ARMOR CLASS: -2NO. OF ATTACKS: 1DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-8 (+3)HIT BONUS: +3MOVE: 15”PSIONIC ABILITY: NilSTRENGTH: 14INTELLIGENCE: 13WISDOM: 15DEXTERITY: 18CONSTITUTION: 14CHARISMA: 13

There was a small village in a polar orsubpolar area some time ago that wasattacked and plundered one day by bar-barians. Having won handily against theill-trained and lightly armored villagers,the barbarians began dividing up thespoils of their conquest, both the trea-sure and the non-combatant women.

One of their captives was a youngwoman named Ellide, who was treatedas a sort of outcast by her own peoplebecause of her lack of beauty. The bar-barian chief gave Ellide over to his menfor their amusement. After being bat-tered and abused, Ellide managed to es-cape the drunken warriors and fled outinto the snowy wilderness around thevillage. After running for a long distance,exhausted and nearly dead from expo-sure to the subzero temperatures, shecollapsed in a snowbank and mumbledout a prayer to her goddess, the Spirit ofthe White Waste. Ellide’s village hadonce worshipped the goddess but hadturned away from her in recent years,until only Ellide had maintained a strongfaith in the deity. Her prayer was heard;the goddess, in the form of a great whitepolar bear, saved her from death andgave her some gifts for her faithfulness.Ellide was given a longsword with ablade of ice (treat as a +3 Frostbrandsword), a set of brilliant mail armor (+3)and a set of white breeches, tunic andboots. Her clothes give her the same pro-tection as a Ring of Warmth when worntogether.

Thus armed and protected, Ellide re-turned to her village and sought out thebarbarian chief. She slew him in singlecombat, and led his revenge-mindedwarriors on a wild chase into the snowy

who is tactless enough to remind him ofhis short stature. Despite his size, Hugi issurprisingly strong, and he is quiteknowledgeable about woods-lore.

Hugi enjoys telling somewhat exag-gerated tales about his amatory prowesswith the lady gnomes of his home forest,and will repeat endless variations of

wastes, where she called on her goddessand brought about their doom. She thenset out alone across the snows, to act asthe personal agent of her deity.

Ellide appears to be an unusuallyyoung woman, probably in her late teensor early twenties, with pure white hairand large grey eyes. Though she mightbe rather plain-looking under other cir-cumstances, her bearing and unusualdress tend to give her a stronger charis-ma rating. She always travels alone onmissions usually known only to herselfand her deity. She is neutral in actionstoward most people she meets, main-taining a definite distance from all be-ings in her relationships. She tends todislike men, and hates barbarians. If shecatches any male committing an offenseagainst a woman, she will either attackimmediately or draw him into a trap,whereafter she can call upon the powersof her deity for vengeance (usuallybringing about multiple Ice Storm at-tacks).

Since Ellide is probably one of the lastfew people in the world who worshipsthe Spirit of the White Waste, she can callfor divine intervention and get it with80% certainty. Treat her deity as a LesserGoddess, having full control over spellsinvolving cold, weather, and nature. El-lide can surprise parties (due to her si-lence and camouflaging dress) on 1-5 ona d6, in snowy places.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: “Woman of the WhiteWaste” (in Amazons!, paperback, DAWBooks, edited by Jessica Amanda Sal-monson) by T. J. Morgan.

Written by Roger E. Moore

these stories to any listeners if given halfa chance. Though he is not particularlyintelligent, he is fairly wise to human mo-tives as well as those of other creatures.

His humor, possibly tainted by pastexperience with larger humanoid be-ings, is very often on the morbid side,and he may be prone to laugh at or re-gard lightly the sufferings of the “biggerfolk.” Initially he may be gruff and touchywith humans, but he softens and be-comes more friendly if treated with re-spect and good will. His speech has astrong Old English flavor to it.

Hugi’s courage is perhaps the mostoutstanding thing about him. Though heis not averse to going on an adventurefor a reward of some gold and a lot ofgood beer or mead, he does possess ageneral desire to do good. He is loath toabandon traveling companions on anadventure until the quest is completed,regardless of the possible hazards thatmay be faced on the way. If his friendsare in danger, Hugi will do whatever hecan to help, and may even take on for-midable opponents like trolls if neces-sary, though not without some help. Hisusual weapon on adventures is a singledagger.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Three Hearts andThree Lions (paperback, BerkeleyBooks) by Poul Anderson.

Written by Roger E. Moore

31

Vol. V, No. 11

BY G. Arthur Rahman

In a previous issue of DRAGON magazine, Mark Whisler (#34,p. 27) discussed the problem of bland, inappropriate names inrote-playing fantasy. His solution was a name generating tableproducing excellent and evocative last names. Unfortunately,while names like Horsa Claw Weaver or Euin Hawkwood stir theimagination, an uninspired choice of first names can render aWilbur Stormblade or a Leroy Sure Shadow. This is to say thateven the best surname is diminished by a character’s unwiselychosen given name.

For this reason, listed below are several score names from thechronicles and sagas of Dark Age peoples. The selection isconfined to those European groups who come out of the dark-ness after the fall of Classical civilization. Undoubtedly, thisperiod best reflects the spirit of the D&D and AD&D games, atime when races are young and civilization has not quite dis-pelled the belief in old gods and monsters of the nightfall.

Anglo-SaxonsGermanic people, the Anglo-Saxons settled in England at the

end of Roman rule. Although neglected by historians, theyexcelled both in war and the civilized arts.

Males Females1 Arwold 1 Aebba2 Bede 2 Aelflaid3 Beornwine 3 Asthelberg4 Caedmon 4 Aethelthryth5 Cerdic 5 Baldhild6 Ecgric 6 Bebba7 Egbert 7 Begu8 Gefmund 8 Cwenburg9 Hangist 9 Cyneburh

10 Hewald 10 Cynwise11 Horsa 11 Eafe12 Ingwold 12 Eanflaed13 Luidhard 13 Fara14 Nothelm 14 Frigyth15 Octa 15 Hilda16 Osric 16 Hildelith17 Raedwald 17 Osthryth18 Swaefred 18 Ricula19 Tunberht 19 Saethryth20 Wuffa 20 Verca

ByzantinesSurvivors of the Roman Empire, the Byzantines were a mixed

people of Greek, Slavic and Asian stock. Practical and conser-vative, the Byzantines maintained the most civilized state inEurope in the face of invading Bulgars, Arabs and Turks.

Males Females1 Adralestos 1 Agnes2 Adrian 2 Anastasia3 Akronion 3 Anna4 Alexius 4 Comito5 Andronicus 5 Eudocia6 Bardas 6 Euphemia7 Constantius 7 Helena8 Demetrius 8 Irene9 Eustratius 9 Joannina

10 Euthymius 10 Justina11 Heraclius 11 Lupicina12 Joannaces 12 Martina13 Justin 13 Passara14 Leontius 14 Sittas15 Nicephorus 15 Sophia16 Nicetas 16 Thecla

17 Phocas 17 Theodora18 Synesios 18 Theophano19 Theodorus 19 Vigilantia20 Theophilus 20 Zoe

IrishFighters, poets and mystics, the Irish have a way of making

one believe that there is something of magic in their often con-quered, but never subdued, island home. The Irish respect fortheir own pagan past preserved many early traditions lost bysuch peoples as the Germans and the Slavs.

Females1 Ailinn2 Aine3 Aynia4 Badb5 Becuma6 Brigit7 Cliodna8 Deirdre9 Emer

10 Etain11 Ethnea12 Fand13 Fiona14 Grainne15 Lethrenn16 Liban17 Luchair18 Medhbh19 Niamh20 Oenghus

Males1 Ailill2 Began3 Brendan4 Bresal5 Cerbhall6 Colum7 Conchobhar8 Culann9 Cynyr

10 Diarmaid11 Donnan12 Eoghan13 Erim14 Ferghus15 Gwiawn16 Mae len17 Medr18 Morfran19 Senan20 Uchdryd

KievansLong before there was a Russian Empire, there was Kiev — a

little-remembered civilization beyond medieval Europe. TheKievan was a forester and a farmer, toughened by unendingconflict with the wild horsemen of the steppes.

Males Females1 Ainalov 1 Alga2 Andrei 2 Annushka3 Basil 3 Dobrodeia4 Boris 4 Evfimia5 Dimitri 5 Eufrosinia6 Iaropolk 6 Evpraksia7 Ilarion 7 Ianka8 Iuri 8 Iaroslavna9 Leszek 9 Irina

10 Mstislav 10 Lanka11 Oleg 11 Lybed12 Roman 12 Maluska13 Sviatogor 13 Marfa14 Sviatopolk 14 Natalia15 Sviatoslav 15 Peredslava16 Vasiliev 16 Rogneda17 Vasilko 17 Stefanida18 Vladimir 18 Tamara19 Volodar 19 Xenia20 Vsevolod 20 Yuliania

LombardsThe last of the Germanic-speaking invaders of Europe, the

Lombards struggled long with Byzantium for control of Italy.They were finally overthrown by Charlemagne, but Lombardystill evokes their memory.

Males Females1 Agelmund 1 Alpsuinda

32

May 1981

2 Aldoin 2 Aurona 12 Malulf 12 Leuba3 Alichis 3 Austrigusa 13 Marovech 13 Macatrude4 Claffo 4 Brunihilde 14 Pharamond 14 Markovefa5 Cleph 5 Flutsuinda 15 Rikulf 15 Meroflede6 Euin 6 Frea 16 Sigibert 16 Radegund7 Giselpert 7 Gambara 17 Syrivald 17 Regonthe8 Gisulf 8 Gundiperga 18 Theodebert 18 Theodohilda9 Gudeoc 9 Guntrut 19 Thorismund 19 Ultrogotha

10 Hilmaegis 10 Ranicuinda 20 Trudulf 20 Veneranda11 Hildeoc 11 Ratperga12 Ibo r 12 Rodelinda Vikings13 Lamissio 13 Rosemund The sea rovers of the Scandinavian north need no introduc-14 Rodolf 14 Rumestruda tion. Pirates and colonizers, worshipers of Odin and Thor, the15 Rodonus 15 Salinga Vikings made the world their prey and drove themselves like a16 Rothari 16 Theuderata dagger into the histories of a dozen other European nations.17 Waccho 17 Walderada Males Females18 Walcari 18 W igilinda 1 Bjarni 1 Addrun19 Wechtari 19 Winiperga20 Zabsn 2 0 Wisegarda

Merovingians 5Frankish invaders, established as a ruling class in Roman

Gaul, the Merovingians were turbulent individualists whosequarrels made the early history of France colorful and violent.

Males Females1 Ansovald 1 Audovera

2 Bertefred 2 Austrechild3 Chilperic 3 Basina4 Chlodobert 4 Berthegund5 Dagobert 5 Chlodosind6 Dragolen 6 Clotild7 Eberulf 7 Fredegund8 Guntram 8 Galswinth9 lngomer 9 Guntheuc10 Leudast 10 Ingoberg11 Lothar 11 Ingund

2 Bjorn3 Cnut4 Egil5 Gunnar6 Grifir7 Hamdir8 Horik9 Ivar

1 0 Ka l f11 Ligni1 2 Magnus13 Ragnar14 Sigurd15 Skuli16 Swein17 Thorfinn18 Thorvald19 Tostig20 Yngvar

234

6789

1011121314151617181920

AsaAsfridAslaugBekkhildBorghildBrynhildFredegandGlaumvorGrimhildGudrunHjordisKaraKostberaLjodSieglindeSignySigrunSwanhildThyri

Vol. V, No. 11

Monstermixing

AD&D creaturesadapted to a

C&S campaign

34

May 1981

by Jon Mattson

There are few players of the excellent medieval/fantasy role-playing game Chivalry & Sorcery who have not, at one time oranother, tried to adapt monsters from D&D (specifically the AD&DMonster Manual) into their C&S campaigns. However, they soondiscover, either by trial and error or by reading the C&S Sourcebook,that this is not as easy as it first appears.

Indeed, since there is no set formula for converting D&D mon-sters to C&S, one must work out each monster bit by bit, based uponlogic, common sense, and the information given in the Sourcebook. Ihave done just that with various monsters from the Monster Manual,and their individual attributes are listed below in much the same styleas was given for Umber Hulks in the Sourcebook. Note, however,that I have included little or no physical description of each monster(except where I deemed necessary to fit it into C&S) since it wouldtake up far too much room. Besides, most readers interested in thiswill have their own copies of the Monster Manual or original D&Danyway, and such descriptions would be repetitious.

There is one thing I would like to make clear, however, beforecontinuing with the monsters. By writing this article, I do not mean toinfer that I think monsters should constantly be adapted from D&D (orany other game, for that matter) to C&S. I tend to agree with Mr.Simbalist’s views on monsters in C&S campaigns (in the Source-book) — quality does not depend completely on quantity (and, no, I’mnot degrading D&D because it has a lot of creatures — indeed, it isstill my favorite role-playing game — but D&D and C&S are twodifferent games).

On the other hand, though C&S had enough monsters for amiddle-ages, European-type environment, it soon became apparentthat it does not have quite enough for an entire campaign world (oreven large continent) such as can now be created with the expan-

sions. For example, more than half of the monsters in C&S (exclud-ing the animals, giant or otherwise, given in the back of the book) arehumanoid-type creatures such as Trolls, Ogres, Goblins, Giants,and, in a vague sense, Undead. There are not many animal-like,basically non-intelligent creatures (other than, as I’ve said, the actualanimals listed, and these are not true “monsters” in the fantasysense) which would, in a fantasy world, be the most common innature. Thus, I have concentrated on this type of creature more thanany other. Also, I believe that each monster, regardless of howfantastic, should have a definite place in nature; otherwise, even inreal life, such a creature would not last long in the natural order ofthings.

Taking all of this into consideration, I have tried to adapt onlymonsters which do fit into the scheme of things, ones which, for onereason or another, have a definite place in nature. For example,Anhkhegs may, at first glance, seem a trifle unimportant. However, ifone is to have Umber Hulks in his or her own campaign (as listed inthe Sourcebook), such creatures must feed on something other thanhapless adventurers. It just so happens that Umber Hulks and theirilk consider Anhkhegs to be a prize source of food. Indeed, ifAnhkhegs did not exist, it is highly probable that neither would UmberHulks (adventurers do not make large or common meals . . .).

Following this logic, I have listed the monsters in their variousclasses, according to (as usual in zoology and biology) how theyobtain nourishment. This is to provide an idea of where exactly eachcreature fits in nature. In some classes (those which lack a very largenumber of creatures; parasites, for example), I have added monstersof my own creation, complete with descriptions and attributes in D&Dand C&S style. After the monsters, I have also included some exam-ple food chains in the typical fantasy world, but these will be ex-plained more fully in their appropriate section.

Now, on to the monsters. . . . .l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l

New Combat Matrix — Naturally Armed Monsters

Several monsters given in this article use weapons which werenot previously listed in the combat charts of C&S, namely tentacles.The new combat additions for tentacles are listed below.

Type Weapon Blows** WDF 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

MST 2 Small 4 ½ 45 4035 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0Tentacles 10 5 5 0 0 0 0 00 0 0

MMT 6 Medium 3 1½* 45 40 40 3 535 30 25 20 15 10 5Tentacles 15 10 10 5 5 5 0 0 0 0 0

MLT 10 Large 3 3 * 5 0 45 40 40 3 530 25 25 20 15 10Tentacles 25 20 20 15 15 15 10 10 5 5 5

MGT 16 Giant 2 4½* 55 50 45 454 0 40 35 35 30 25 20Tentacles 3 5 30 30 25 25 2 0 15 15 10 10 10

*—Bash possible: MMT 6: L* Weapon BashMLT 10: LH Weapon Bash plus 5%MGT 16: H Weapon Bash plus 10%

**—This is for creatures with four to six tentacles—increases innumber of tentacles will increase “blows” proportionately. Note thatthis can, like all other weapons’ “blows,” be affected by the dexterityand mobility of the user, too.

Tentacles can also grab and constrict whenever a critical hit isrolled and/or whenever 15% or more below the maximum needed tohit is rolled. This chance is increased by 1% for every armor class thetarget is (i.e. increased by 5% with an A.C. 5 target, etc.), but onlywhen it is armor which is worn, not natural armor. This simulates thefact that the victim can’t dodge the grab as easily in armor, and heavyarmor makes the target bulkier and easier to grab (an easier target tohit, as it were). Constriction damage is as follows:

Type WDF All damage is reduced by 1 pointMST 2

31* per armor class of target.

MMT 6MLT 10 5MGT 16 7½

*—Note that MST 2 tentacles, due to their small size, cannotconstrict around a victim unless they hit a thin part of the body (arm,neck, etc.). The Critical Hit Table on page 58 of C&S can be used todetermine where the victim is hit.

Note that all damage caused by constriction is in addition to anyother extra damage caused by a critical hit. Constriction damage isautomatic every melee turn after the victim is first caught until heescapes from the grip or the creature is killed. The chance of escap-ing is as follows:

MST 2—50%; MMT 6—40%; MLT 10—25%; MGT 16—10%.This chance is increased by 5% per point of strength the victim

has above 12, and decreased by 5% per point of strength below 9.Others can, of course, help the victim escape (unless they are caughttoo) in which case the chance of escaping is increased by 2% perpoint of strength the helper(s) has (have).

THE MONSTERSPredators

DISPLACER BEASTS (Felis Adparerus Distarus)Body Size Wt. %Dodge %Parry %Hit Blows Natural Weapons A.C.

60 8 275 —20% —15% +20% + 3 4 x WDF MMT6 Tent. 4*—10% +10% + 1 2 x WDF MMC 3 Claws**

*—The molecular vibrations of this creature cause it to appear tobe three feet from its actual position. Because of this, subtract 10%from all attacks against it (i.e. from the number needed to hit it),including targeting. It gets a 10% bonus to all saving throws involvingattacks which are basically physical in nature.

**—It seldom uses its claws—figure a 10% chance per meleeturn.

Note: This creature’s tentacles are never used for constriction.Experience: 2750IQ/Wis.: 2-5/1-4Hearing: CatsMove: 60/240Targeting: As Per Griffons (minus 10%)Environment: Outdoors or Subterranean, more often the former.

35

Vol. V, No. 11

ScavengersCARRION CRAWLER (Scutigera Tentarus)Body Size Wt. %Dodge %Parry %Hit Blows Natural Weapons A.C.

4 5 9 ' 450 Nil - 5 % +5% + 2 MST 2 Tentacles* 6/2***— These tentacles do no "body point" damage; however, they

do paralyze an opponent if he is hit by one: 80% chance, minus 2%per constitution point over 10.

**— The armor class of the head is 6, the body is 2.Experience: 1000IQ/Wis.: 0.0Hearing: Lower UndeadMove: 70/160Targeting: ManticoreEnvironment: Subterranean

SHAMBLING MOUND (Fungus Animatus)Note: This creature is actually omnivorous, eating both plants

and animals— I have listed it here to save space and because thereare so few herbivores and omnivores.Body Size Wt. %Dodge %Parry %Hit BIows Natural Weapons A.C.100 8’ 750 Nil - 1 5 % — — 3x WDF MGC 10 10

claws*

*— If both of the creature’s attacks are successful in one meleeturn, the victim is entangled and will suffocate in 2-8 melee turnsunless the monster is killed.

Experience: 3000IQ/Wis.: 3-6/1-4Hearing: L. UndeadMove: 40/120Targeting: ChimeraEnvironment: Swamps, marshes, and wet subterranean areas.Special Notes: This creature is immune to fire, takes only half

damage from normal weapons or “cold,” takes little or no damagefrom crushing, and is actually strengthened by electricity (add 2-7body points). It is fully affected by all spells which affect plants.

CATOBLEPAS (Phacochoerus-choeropsis Horridus)Body Size Wt. %Dodge %Parry %Hit Blows Natural Weapons A.C.

90 6’ 5000 Nil Nil +10% — Tail club: 3 x WDF 2talI Hvy. Club 4 L* (non-

fighters)Experience: 5000IQ/Wis.: 2-4/1-3Hearing: AnimalsMove: 30/80Targeting: ManticoresEnvironment: Swamps and marshes.Special Notes: Tail has a 60% chance of stunning anyone if hits

(minus 5% per helmet class) regardless of critical hits.This creature’s gaze causes instant death if the victim meets it

(25% chance per melee turn if the head is raised). Otherwise, treat itsgaze as a spell in that it must be targeted to be effective (the creaturecounts as level 10 for this purpose). Fortunately it has only a 25%chance per melee turn of raising its head high enough to use thegaze (due to the weakness of its neck), plus 15% if both parties arerelatively still. This chance is decreased to only 10% if one or both ofthe parties are moving relatively fast. Note that targeting a spellagainst the creature increases the chance of meeting its gaze by25%.

OTYUGHS (Genus Otyughus)Type Body Size Wt. %Dodge A.C. Experience MoveOtyugh (O. Minor) 80 3’ (6’d.) 375 Nil 6 1750 50/80Neo-Otyugh (O. Major) 100 4’ (8’d.) 575 Nil 8 2500 50/80

Type %Parry %Hit Blows Natural Weapons Targeting IQ/Wis.Otyugh N i l — — 2 x WDF MMB 2 Fangs Centaur 5-10/1-6

-10% +10% — 4 x WDF MMT 6 TentaclesNeo-Otyugh — — — 1 x WDF MMB 2 Fangs* Hydra 9-12/2-8

- 1 5 % + 1 5 % — 3 x WDF MLT 10 Tentacles

Hearing: Lower UndeadEnvironment: Piles of dung and other rubbish*— Bite causes disease (typhus) 90% of the time (disease resis-

tance applicable).

SAPROPHYTES (Genus Fungus)Type Body Size Wt. A.C. Experience MoveViolet Fungus (F. Violacea) 35 5’ 120 2 600 10

Green Slime (F. Contagius) 25 Var. Var. 0 200 Nil

Brown Mold (F. Frigidus) N.A. Var. Var. 0 50 Nil

Yellow Mold (F. Ochra) N.A. Var. Var. 0 50 Nil

Shrieker (F. Sonus) 35 4½ 80 2 200 10

N.A.— Not applicable.Var.— Variable

Type Natural Weapons Range Targeting Killed Only ByViolet Fungus 1-4 Branches* 2 Goblins AnythingGreen Slime Slime** 0 *** Cold, Heat, Cure DiseaseBrown Mold Heat Absorption**** 5 *** ColdYellow Mold Enzymes— 5 points 0 *** Fire

Spores***** 5Shrieker Sound Attracts Monsters N.A. Goblins Anything

*— Branches rot flesh 70% of the time and hit as MMT 6 tentaclesexcept for damage and range. Rotting can be cured with Cure Diseasespell.

**— Turns flesh to green slime unless scraped off (quickly),burned, frozen, or destroyed with Cure Disease.

***— Targeting is 90/90/90 for all categories.****— Each creature in range loses 1-8 body points per melee turn

for every ten degrees of body heat over fifty-five it usually has.***** — Spores shoot out in a 10’x10’x10’ cloud if the mold is

hit— any creature in the cloud dies 80% of the time (minus 2% perconstitution point over twelve) and can only be saved if Cure Diseaseand Resurrection are used on the body within twenty-four hours.For AlI Types:

Hearing: As per Lower Undead, except for Green Slime which isas per Cat Race and Brown Mold which is as per Higher Undead.These creatures do not actually hear sounds— they must detect thevibrations through walls, doors, floors, etc. (though Green Slime is sosensitive to vibrations that it can detect them through the air much thesame way as hearing).

IQ: 0Wis.: 0%Dodge: Nil%Parry: Nil%Hit: Nil (no bonus)

36

May 1981

AMOEBOIDS (Genus Amoeba)Type Body Size Wt. A.C. ExperienceBlack Pudding (A. gigantea) 110 8'd. 650 3 3000Gelatinous Cube (A. gelata kubos) 6 0 1 0 " c u b e 9 0 0 2 2 0 0 0Gray Ooze (A. viscidus?) 40 Var.** 225 1 1500Ochre Jelly (A. gelata ochra) 8 0 V a r . * * * 3 0 0 1 2250Slithering Tracker* (A. gelata prosequius?) 45 2½' long 35 3 1750

*— This creature might well be called a predator, but it is listedhere due to its form.

**— Variable— usually about eight to ten feet long, two to threefeet wide, and six to eight inches thick.

***— Variable— usually about six to eight feet long, three to fivefeet wide, and fourteen to twenty-four inches thick.Type Natural Weapons* Range Unaffected byBlack Pudding Acid— 15 points damage 1 Fear, sleep, cold, electricity

& Regular hits.Gelatinous Cube Acid— 5 points plus 0 Electricity, fear, hold, sleep,

paralyzation** paralysis, & shape change.Gray Ooze Acid— 10 points 1 Heat, cold, spells other than

electricity Ochre Jelly Acid— 8 points 1 Fear, sleep, electrifySlithering Tracker Paralyzation** 0 Sleep

*— All hit as MGT 16 tentacles but with range and damage asindicated.

**— As per Carrion Crawlers (see above).Type Targeting Move Hearing IQ/Wis.Black Pudding Centaur 60/80 L. Undead** 0/0Gelatinous Cube Centaur* 60/100 Nil 0/0Gray Ooze Pegasus 10/20 Nil 1***/0Ochre Jelly Chimera 20/30 Nil 0/0Slithering Tracker Great Horse* 60/160 L. Undead** 8-11***/1-4

*— Minus 5% due to transparency of creature.**— Can “hear” only by detecting vibrations through walls doors,

floors, etc.

***— No languages spoken regardless of IQ. These creatures donot have true intelligence, rather they have instinct which is devel-oped almost to a point of intelligence.

For All Types:Dodge: Nil%Parry: Nil

%Hit: Standard Environment:Blows: 1 Subterranean

Parasites

MIND THORNS (Kaktos Parasitus)Body Size Wt. %Dodge %Parry %Hit Blows Natural Weapons

8 6"-16" 2-4 N i l N i l +10% + 1 - 3 Thorns—hit as Dagger

Experience: 100IQ/Wis.: 1-10/1-8Hearing: Lower UndeadTargeting: Inanimate ObjectMove: Nil

1 L (infantry) but withno body point damage.

Environment: Forests & moist subterranean areas

D&D ATTRIBUTES:FREQUENCY: RareNO. APPEARING: 2-8

DAMAGE/ATTACK: SpecialSPECIAL ATTACKS: See below

ARMOR CLASS: 8 SPECIAL DEFENSES: NilMOVE: Nil MAGIC RESISTANCE: StandardHIT DICE: 1% IN LAIR: Nil

INTELLGENCE: Low to Average

TREASURE TYPE: NilALIGNMENT: Neutral (evil tendencies)SlZE: S

NO. OF ATTACKS: 2-5 PSIONIC ABILITY: NilATTACK/DEFENSE MODES: Nil

These cactus-like plants are found primarily in forest areas,though they are not unknown in wet, subterranean places. Thoughtheir outer appearance is that of a cactus, the resemblance endsthere, for these creatures do not have the ability to withstanddroughts and hot conditions like their distant relatives. They existprimarily on water and need very little sunlight (indeed, they avoidareas of intense sunlight because of the heat there). This water theystore inside themselves for future use and to keep their somewhatsensitive inner tissues from drying out. Because of this, they avoidheat and are extremely fearful of fire (which evaporates the waterkeeping them alive, making them comatose and very susceptible toburning). Cold, on the other hand, has little effect unless it is veryextreme— this freezes the water inside them, causing them to go into

suspended animation and take some damage (50% of the usualamount for cold spells and such).

This creature appears harmless enough at first glance; however,it has several defenses other than the sharpness of its prickles orthorns. These small thorns can be thrown by the plant with a strong,thin stream of water ejected from the small holes beneath the thorns.These thorns contain a part of the creature’s “entity,” as well as astrong, sedative-like substance which puts the victim into a trance.This makes him susceptible to control by the Mind Thorns throughthe tiny prickles in the victim. The Mind Thorns then take over thevictim unless he makes his saving throw as described for Commandspells, the plant counting as proficiency grade 4 (or a saving throwvs. spells in D&D).

It will then make the victim do one of two things: If it is of the moreintelligent sort (average IQ) it will make the victim go and get it eithermore beings (to be controlled by the plant) or a lot of water, or it willsimply kill the victim, making him stay peacefully there while the plantabsorbs all moisture from his body (40% chance). If it is of the lessintelligent sort (below average IQ) it will simply kill the victim asdescribed above. Note that the victim is allowed another savingthrow if the plant tries to kill him, and if he makes it, all control isreleased. Fortunately, these thorns have a shooting range of onlyabout three feet, and a control range of about two miles (anyonepassing beyond this is out of the plant’s control). Note that certaincreatures (undead, demons, devils, and creatures with magic resis-tance of 35% or more) are immune to the effects of the thorns. Thisalso applies to creatures with targeting percentages of 35 or lessunder “Natural MKU” in C&S.

Description: As explained above, Mind Thorns look much like tanor olive-green cacti, with thorns or prickles in clumps of two to five allaround it. Around these are small, round mirror-like spots which arethought to be optical organs. During the summer or late spring,flowers blossom on them which are purple-black or deep red. If thethorns are removed, these plants make excellent eating, tastingrather like watermelon and supplying a person with water for one tothree days (after that, any remaining liquid will evaporate).

37

PURPLE WORMS (Lumbricus Violacea)Body Size Wt %Dodge %Parry %Hit Blows Natural Weapons A.C.160 45’ 10,000 Nil Nil +10% — 4 x MGB 10 Bite* 4

Nil — — 5 x MLS 6 Sting**

Experience: 5000IQ/Wis.: 0.0Hearing: Lower UndeadMove: 60/100Targeting: As per Large Animal plus 10%Environment: Subterranean*—Swallows victim if critical hit is indicated.**—Sting has poison: 60% chance of death minus 1% per point of

constitution above 12, plus 1% per point below 9.

STIRGE (Eutoxeres Insecta)Body Size Wt. %Dodge %Parry %Hit Blows Natural Weapons A.C.

8 8” 2-4 –35% Nil +35% — 3 x WDF Dagger 1 L 1

Experience: 50IQ/Wis.: 1/1Hearing: AnimalsTargeting: Sm. AnimalsMove: 10/240Environment: Very dark, tangled forests or subterranean.

GIANT TICKS (Ixodes Gigantea)Body Size Wt. %Dodge %Parry %Hit Blows Natural Weapons A.C.

15 3 ’ 50 Nil Nil +10% –1 As per stirges, above, 6

plus disease.Experience: 100IQ/Wis.: 0.0Hearing: Lower UndeadMove: 30/60Targeting: As per small animals plus 15%Environment: Forests, occasionally caves or caverns.

with blood drain of 1-4

points/melee turn to

maximum of 12 points.

Vol. V, No. 11

38

May 1981

BLINK DOGS (Lycaon Teleportarus)Body Size Wt. %Dodge %Parry %Hit Blows Natural Weapons A.C.

3 5 3 ’ 150 –25% — +15%* +2 4 x WDF MMB 2 Fangs 2

tall

*—With additional 25% bonus if appearing behind victim when“blinking.” Note “blink” abilities as listed in the AD&D MonsterManual.

Experience: 1200IQ/Wis. 9-12/5-10Hearing: DogsMove: 60/240Targeting: BasiliskEnvironment: Forests, Plains, & other such outdoor areas—very

rarely in dungeons.

LEUCROTTA (Cervus-Taxidea Horridus)Body Size Wt. %Dodge %Party %Hit Blows Natural Weapons A.C.

7 5 6 ’ 650 –15% — +16% — 5xWDF MMB 2 Bite 4

tall4 x WDF MLK 8 Hoofs

when retreating

Experience: 2500IQ/Wis.: 9-12/3-8Hearing: DogsMove: 60/240Targeting: HippogriffEnvironment: Deserted and desolate placesSpecial Abilities: Able to imitate any voice.

Anhkhegs (Mantis ex agro horridus)Age (½d10) Body Size Wt %Parry* %Hit Blows Natural Weapons1 Hatchling 25 5’ 120 – 5 % +15% +2 3 x WDF MMB 2 Mandibles

2 Young 45 8’ 250 –5% +15% +1 2 x WDF MLB 2 Man.**

3 Adult 60 12’ 375 –10% +10% +1 2 x WDF MGB 5 Man.**

4 Old 75 18’ 550 –15% +10% — 3 x WDF MGB 8 Man.

5 Very Old 80 20’ 650 –15% +10% — 4 x WDF MGB 10 Man.

*—All parrying is done with the claws, not the mandibles. Theyare not otherwise used in combat.

**—No bash possibleNote: For their mandibles I have changed the range of the vari-

ous types (i.e. Giant Mandibles are usually MGB 10, not MGB 5 asfor Adult Anhkhegs). For all other purposes, count all “MGB” wea-pons as MGB 10 mandibles.

Age %Dodge Armor class Experience IQ/Wis. Targeting1 Hatchling –10% 4 (2) 200 0 / 0 Sm. Animal

2 Young –5% 5 (3) 400 0/0 Lg. Animal

3 Adult — 6 (4) 800 1/0 Chimera

4 Old — 7 (5) 1500 2/1 Chimera

5 Very Old — 7 (6) 2200 3/2 Chimera

Note on Armor Class: The first number is the class of most of thebody, the second number (in brackets) is the class of the underside.

For All Types:Move: 60/120Environment: Subterranean

Hearing: Leg. Beasts (with antennae)Digging: As per Umber Hulks

llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

Herbivores

LEMEX (Lemurus Sapien?)Body Size Wt. %Dodge %Parry %Hit Blows Natural Weapons A.C.

10 2½’ 2 5 –30% –10% +10% +1 6 x WDF MSC 1 Claws 1

Experience: 100IQ/Wis.: 7-14/2-12Hearing: Dog raceMove: 30/60*Targeting: Small AnimalsEnvironment: Jungles and dense forests*—Move in trees: 80/150.

D&D Attributes:FREQUENCY: Very Rare DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-4NO. APPEARING: 3-12 SPECIAL ATTACKS: NilARMOR CLASS: 7* SPECIAL DEFENSES: Gaze (see below)MOVE: 6”/15” in trees MAGIC RESISTANCE: StandardHIT DICE: 1 + 1 INTELLIGENCE: Low to Very% IN LAIR: Nil ALIGNMENT: Neutral to Lawful GoodTREASURE TYPE: Q** SIZE: S (about 2½’ tall)NO. OF ATTACKS: 2 PSIONIC ABILITY: NilATTACK/DEFENSE MODES: Nil

*—Add plus 2 to defense (i.e. A.C. –5) when in trees and movingquickly.

**—Carried as tribal treasures.

Lemex, also commonly known as Gaze Holders, usually roamthe treetops of tropical jungle areas, though it is rumored that some(perhaps a sub-species) live in dense forests of slightly cooler areas.They resemble lemurs (indeed, they are of that genus), though theirextremely large eyes give them an almost tarsier-like appearance.

The eyes of a Lemex have several special powers, includinginfravision (up to 60’) and the ability to see invisible and out-of-phasecreatures and objects (only as vague, shadowy forms, however—there is no real detail). They can recognize many illusions for whatthey are, so add four to their saving rolls versus them. In addition, anycreature meeting a Lemex’s gaze will be held there, fascinated, forone to eight melee turns unless it successfully makes a saving throwversus spells (made at –2 the first time a Lemex is seen, normally

from then on). If the tranced individual(s) is (are) jolted sharply (asfrom a slap or a wound) or the Lemex moves, the victim will snap outof it in half of a melee turn (no combat that turn). There is a 50%chance of meeting a Lemex’s gaze on the first encounter, 35% afterthat (for even when a person realizes the Lemex’s ability he will betempted to look at the creature). This is, of course, rolled every turn. Ifthe Lemex is retreating (which is most of the time-see below), itcannot, of course, use its gaze. Note that any Lemex staring into amirror will itself be held for one to three melee turns, being onlypartially immune to the effect of its own gaze (though it will not usuallybe affected by the gaze of another Lemex).

As the eyes would indicate, these creatures are basically noctur-nal (though they may come out during the day in dark forests). Thus,a bright light will blind them for 1-4 turns and in this state they willalways flee. Generally, they stay near the tops of trees (though theydrop a bit lower during the day so that they can stay in the dark), forthey are actually shy herbivores and will avoid contact with other life ifat all possible (the gaze is used only in defense). If they are attacked,they will do one of four things (listed in order of priority):

1. Attempt to flee into the trees;2. Use their eyes to hold a person;3. Attempt to bargain with a person (they are intelligent); or4. Defend themselves with their long, raking claws (used for

climbing and tearing branches off trees to eat the leaves).

These creatures will never, themselves, attack another creature.Lemex are reasonably intelligent creatures and form small com-

munities (usually family units or tribes). They will occasionally be-friend the few people who can approach them, and it is not unknownfor a sorcerer or, more commonly, an illusionist to keep a Lemex as apet/companion, or even a familiar. They speak their own tongue andcan quickly learn bits of the common tongue.

Description: As mentioned previously, these creatures lookrather like lemurs (especially the indri type), with long, bushy tails,vaguely ape-like bodies, and teddy-bear heads (though their eyesand ears are slightly enlarged compared to a normal lemur). Their furis usually light brown to brown-black in color, with darker paws and ablack muzzle. Their huge eyes are usually amber in color.

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Vol. V, No. 11

ROT GRUB (Tenebrio Puterus)Body Size Wt. %Dodge %Parry %Hit Blows Natural Weapons A.C.

1 1½” — — — — — MSB 0 Bite—burrows 0

into body*

Experience: 0IQ/Wis.: 0/0Hearing: Lower Undead (minus 5%)Move: 1Targeting: Small Animals (minus 10%)Environment: Rotting material*—These creatures will burrow to their host’s heart in 1-3 turns

and kill him. To kill them when they are burrowing one must immedi-ately apply flame to the wound (1-6 points of damage per application)or use Cure Disease.

FOOD CHAINS

One of the things I found rather interesting (and original in fantasygaming as far as I know) in the “designing monsters” section of theC&S Sourcebook was the paragraph on page 31 about monsterpredation, that is, assigning predators to the various monsters. As itis explained, each monster has at least one creature which preysupon it, just as it preys upon something itself (be it plant or animal). Inthis way, the balance of nature (and your campaign) is maintained.

One of the best ways of assigning predators to monsters in yourcampaign is to make a food chain. A food chain, for those of you whowant a dictionary definition, is “a sequence of organisms in a com-munity in which each feeds on the member below it” (no, it’s not agroup of restaurants). Thus, an example food chain might look likethis:

Grass Rabbit Fox

Below I have given some examples of food chains in a typicalfantasy campaign. Of course, many more can be made up (indeed,

should be made up in a campaign which takes up an area larger thana dungeon)—this is the mere tip of the proverbial iceberg.

Regular arrows indicate a more or less common diet; brokenarrows indicate that such predation occurs but is rare or indirect.Arrows go from prey to predator.

By following these charts, we see, for example, that (in the firsttable) many creatures live directly or indirectly on Mind Thorns(though possibly not as a regular diet), but Mind Thorns also “prey”upon most types of creatures at one time or another.

Note that this system certainly doesn’t have to be used if themonsters in this article are used in your C&S (and D&D) campaigns,but it is highly advisable for both games. No doubt, there will be somereferees who will consider making food chains for their campaigns tobe too much of a bother, and they might just as well throw this systemout the window. But I think most referees will find this to be just thething they need to help strengthen the natural balance of theircampaign and make it that much more realistic regardless of the factthat it takes place in a fantasy world.

Illustrations for this article were reproduced from the AD&D™ MonsterManual. Used by permission of TSR Hobbies, Inc. All rights reserved.

40

May 1981

Life — at least,Tim Hildebrandt’s visionof life — unwinds at an unrelenting24 frames a second.

His mind’s hostage images flash one after another atthe speed of a movie projector in the darkened Detroit theaters of hisyouth.

Stories and photosby Bryce Knorr

People, literally millions of them by now, knowonly the individual frozen scenes he created withhis twin brother Greg: their interpretation ofJ.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord Of The Rings. But thosecalendar paintings, 40 in all, are just a small,though significant, three-year chunk of Tim Hil-debrandt’s life. Painting, capturing those singularmoments, is not even his true love.

And, his pursuit of the fantastic extends farbeyond Middle Earth, across deep voids of child-hood memories so intense they become . . . real . . .wizards and witches, dragons and dwarves, space-ships and aliens, entire cultures living and dead,civilizations lost and conquered.

So, his mind seems to keep unwinding at 24frames a second speed, the images and ideasflowing until they seem ready to explode out of thecramped confines of the studio in his rural NewJersey home.

“Wow, so many pictures,” he says with a charac-teristic childlike sense of wonder. “My mind,sometimes, it’s hard to go to sleep at night.”

The twins still worked largely together follow-ing their last Tolkien calendar in 1978, producingthe illustrated novel Urshurak and, recently, a cal-endar based on the Atlantis mythos for 1982.Those efforts completed, they agreed to devotemore time to separate projects, a shift begun adecade ago, but interrupted by the phenomenalsuccess of the Tolkien project.

One result of this renewed direction for Tim isthis month’s cover of DRAGON magazine; otherprojects are under way or under consideration.Where they will lead him — that plot is unscripted;only his need to grow and change, to channel hisenergy into new ventures, only this is certain.

(Story continues on page 44.)

41

Vol. V, No. 11

A card to Rita— 1973

“It’s like Disney. He nevermade movies for childrenand I don’t paint children’sillustrations, I paint what I’mmoved by. So I guess I’m achild at heart.

The

Witch

of

Willaby

Woods

— 1970

“Actually, I wanted to painta picture of a tree, and be-fore I knew it, the tree had alittle window in if. One thingled to another and I put achimney on it . . . Finally I hadto decide who was going tolive here, should it be ananimal or what, and I cameup with a dwarf . . . I did startout just to make a land-scape painting, but it wasn’tenough for me. I had to takeit one step beyond, to someother reality.”— Spring 1968

42

May 1981

“That was painted with noidea in mind, I just startedpainting a picture of a cas-tle.”

1974

“I got into a castle stage,and I just wanted to paint allpictures of castles, weirdcastles, grotesque things.”— 1974

“I saw a setting cominghome one day in my car. It’sactually about two milesfrom my house. If was anearly evening light, and Istuck this figure of the maninfo the painting, flying thekite. Then I came up withthis character, Mr. Whimsical,living all by himself outside,close to nature. This onewas also painted early spring-time, before the buds cameout.”— 1968

43

Vol. V, No. 11

A talk with Tim Hildebrandt is a multi-media experience. He does not just speakabout his work, his life, he presents it,swirling phrases and exclamations ac-companied by an unending series ofgestures and facial contortions, inflec-tions and accents, pantomimes and skits.He talks, not like a writer bounded bymere words — no, he talks like his medi-um is images and sounds. And it is.

It is no coincidence that despite hissuccess as a painter, he dreams of filmand animation — the Disney classics, themasterpieces of impressionist directorSerge Eisenstein, the special-effects-fil led science-fiction adventures ofGeorge Pal.

Their presence of this influence is evi-dent everywhere in his blue Victorianhouse, an hour from New York City in“George Washington slept here” NewJersey. A History Of American AnimatedCartoons waits in the bathroom; proudlytacked to a bookcase in his studio is a1979 letter from the late George Palhimself. While eagerly leafing through abook to find a Disney illustration, Hilde-brandt recalls the handful of films madeby Eisenstein, noting the Russian tele-graphed his congratulations to Disneyafter seeing Fantasia for the first time.

He calls the cramped, narrow third-floor studio “my room.” Works of the il-lustrators who have heavily influencedhim, particularly N.C. Wyeth, are stackedin shelves over a table where tubes ofacrylics are lined up. In one corner sits aphonograph flanked by a stack of rec-ords and cardboard jackets — he oftenpaints to the loud crashings of moviethemes and classical scores. On thewalls are several paintings: “Mowdra,”an impressionistic piece from Urshurak,“Flagface,” a surrealistic slice of blackhumor published in The Art Of TheBrothers Hildebrandt.

And everywhere are pencil sketcheson crinkly, translucent tracing film:stacked on a table, floating on the floor,taped to walls.

Someday these images may evolveinto part of a finished work. For now,they are seeds.

“This thing here,” he says, sweepingan arm at a wasp-like creature capturedin pencil on a wall, “is a living machine.You can live inside it. There’s no ma-chine parts; you communicate to it byyour will and it goes in that direction, andI can see walking down passagewayswith veins on the ceiling, you can seefroth, you can see glowing, and an ori-fice opens up or something like that, it’snot a hatch door, I don’t know...” he turnsaway, “... I have to get into the design ofit, but anyway, I’m trying to do some-thing with it, a story, I don’t know what I’lldo with it.”

Underneath the “Mowdra” painting isanother pencil sketch, this one of giant

mushrooms; next to it is a surreal sketchof a floating violin.

“This here is a scene I’ve always want-ed to do,” he says, his attention divertedto a stack of sketches on a small table,which he rummages through, “an elvenfortress, giant trees — actually, it’s a liv-ing fort, with Pegasus flying away fromsomething like that. But I don’t know, I’mjust going to keep drawing all thesethings.”

“... I’d really like to one of these days sitdown and do a bunch of paintings thatjust ... come into my head, oriented to-wards swords and sorcery or fantasy, Ireally don’t know what. My brother didthat with all his dreams. I never got intothat, mainly because he was doing that.”

Despite the almost obsession-levelenergy he brings to his work, he says hedoesn’t fear being consumed by his ef-fort to make fantasy real.

“It’s not like dope — that’ll burn youout,” he says, again waving a long, thinarm sprouted from his long, thin body. “Ithink this is healthy, if anything. Onething leads to another thing leads toanother thing and you start growing andgrowing. Things keep expanding, andthe more I do myself, the more I see thatthere is to learn.”

“I look at a picture I did five monthsago and say, ‘Naw, I don’t like that, Ishould have done this to it,’ so the nexttime I’ll do that to a painting and improveit. That’s the thing.”

“It’s easy to fall into a pattern or a form-ula. I think a lot of artists or illustratorsdo, and that’s what kills you.”

“You’ve done this one thing and it be-comes a stamp,” he continues, smackinga taut fist into an open hand, “like anassembly line: You’ve painted a thing inthe same lighting situation, with basical-ly the same composition, the same typesof figures, even the same colors.”

Hildebrandt admits falling himself intoruts, but each time he has managed tochange, to evolve, keeping his life andhis work unwinding. Sometimes thechanges come by conscious decision,sometimes by accident, and sometimesa new direction is forced by some out-side influences.

In the case of turning to more workwithout his brother, Tim says, “Nothingwas happening to do it to us, so we kindof mutually agreed.”

“It kinda evolved. We’ve been workingon it, actually for the last ten years. He’sdoing his paintings, I’m doing my paint-ings — we discussed it ten years ago.”

Even during the days of “The BrothersHildebrandt,” Greg and Tim continuallychanged, shifting careers more thanonce, altering their styles dramatically,in what Tim terms rebirths and resurrec-tions. Thus, he can see working less withGreg as a natural progression, even if itis one that may alarm their fans.

44

As for the course of the future, the nextyear or so are pretty well mapped out: Acalendar, this one by himself, illustratinga cookbook and a book on Merlin writtenby his wife Rita, a book cover here andthere, a science-fiction movie partiallybeing fi lmed in his house, perhapsanother novel with Greg, and ongoingdiscussions with studios about a filmversion of Urshurak, which originallywas planned as a movie.

“I’ve been working with my brothersince I was, let’s see, we’re 42 now, sincewe were kids, one year old, and it’s timeto do other things. I’ll still be workingwith him ... but I’m 42, you figure, well,it’s time to try something different.”

“... It isn’t as though I’ve never doneanything ... he’s done pictures of histhing and I’ve done pictures of my thingthroughout the years, but I want to domore of it now and so does he. It’s thatsimple. That’s not to say we’re not goingto work together, we very probably will,but more and more on our own things.”

“It’s a whole new trip, though, for me,’cause it’s like, I don’t know, it’s like, thefeeling is one of being a kid again ...”

Whatever the medium, Hildebrandt hasoften tapped the imagery of his youth inhis work, so it is hardly unusual that histalk often turns to his childhood. Besidesthe close bond with his twin, he grew upin a household with an appreciation forthe fantastic. His father was an ar-chaeology buff whose dabbling extendedto the lost continent of Atlantis. Hismother was a fan of Edgar Rice Bur-roughs who passed along her apprecia-tion for the works of Wyeth, Johnny(Raggedy Ann) Gruelle, Robin Hood andCamelot.

One of his first memories is of hismother taking her sons to the back yardflower garden and “telling me to look forall the elves and fairies. And I could seethem, you know — I mean, it was to thatpoint.”

“Then I started getting into science fic-tion around 1949, 1950. It was all GeorgePal’s movies — Destination Moon, WhenWorlds Collide, Conquest of Space, TheTime Machine — you know, all those.”

With supplies provided by their father,an auto company executive, they builttheir own War Of The Worlds set — andcaptured its destruction with an 8mmhome movie camera.

But Disney — Disney was the big in-fluence, and one of the earliest. “I wasborn in 1939, two years after Snow Whitecame out — I pinpoint my life accordingto when Disney films came out. I knowexactly what I was doing when Disney’sAlice in Wonderland came out, I knowhow old I was, I can even smell the day,that’s how freaked out I was on Disney.”

May 1981

“One thing leads to another thing leads to another thing andyou start growing and growing. Things keep expanding, and themore I do myself, the more I see that there is to learn.”

“I’ve been on my way to Disney eversince I was four years old,” he says,when he saw his first Disney film,Pinocchio.

“I remember that because I was hidingout under the seat. I was terrified, but Iloved it, and that’s the bad-news thingthat’s happened to so-called children’sfantasy is that they’ve eliminated all thatdrama. They make them too cutesy.(Now) Psychologists and teachers aresaying it’s good to scare kids like thatand I say, ‘Yeah!’ I loved it, every bit of it.”

“... I even remember the theater, it hada big star, it was in Detroit, it was war-time, World War II, because there werenewsreels with fighter planes, I don’tknow, B-52s buzzing overhead, and eventhat scared me, and then Pinocchio cameon and ... I remember the blue fairy andthe monster, that’s the things that reallystick. My first impressions I get from it tothis day, the blue fairy — Whew! What acorker! All it is is a drawing, it’s hard tobelieve the reality of the thing.”

Armed with the 8mm movie camera,Tim and Greg taught themselves anima-tion by filming Snow White off the screenand then analyzing it, frame by frame.

“We weren’t hung up on Mickey Mouse,though I like Mickey Mouse. We weremore interested in the realistic figures— Snow White, the Queen — we wentafter the hardest thing to do.”

After high school, a short stint in thepeacetime army, and six months of artschool, the Hildebrandts confronted thereality of animation at an animation stu-dio in Detroit. Four years taught them a

lot — and it was enough.“I knew that I certainly wasn’t going to

do it all, because there are 700 artists atDisney,” Tim says. “And I knew that. Butfinally working in the animation studioand finding we were only going to bedoing one thing and that one thing only— we were just going to be too com-partmentalized, doing backgrounds, ordesigning the characters, or working inthe story department or any number ofspaces, and that would be it, we wouldnever get out of it.”

So, instead of west to Disney (a trip hefinally made a few years ago attemptingto sell Urshurak), the brothers went eastto New York City, to make documentaryfilms for Bishop Fulton Sheen.

“How the bridge between animationand drawing went into documentaryfilms to this day I don’t know. We used totravel around the world — South Ameri-ca, Africa — and film poverty conditions,come back and make contrasts betweenour way of life and their way of life. It wasall this really heavy social commentary,really heavy, I mean really heavy.”

“And that’s all I did for eight years,” hesays, with a tone in his voice as if he stillcannot believe it.

Though he describes himself as apolit-ical today, the experience — and thepeak of domestic outrage against theVietnam war — “radicalized” Tim.

“My social consciousness, awarenessof the poor of the world, started to take inpoor children being napalmed and Istarted getting into the whole scene.Then I finally started going with priests

45

like Daniel Berrigan, reading ThomasMerton and his beautiful anti-war state-ments and I really got into it and here Iwas working for this religious organiza-tion that was really to the right, cast al-most in concrete, you know, and it wasjust hopeless to budge them.”

Before a trip to Ghana, he returned topainting for the first time in many years,completing enough watercolor samples(some of which are reprinted on pages42-43) for a portfolio, which he droppedoff at a publisher. It turned out to be awise and timely decision.

“I came back (from Africa) with thisfilm, all these interviews, all this turmoil,and edited it into a half-hour film. Theytook one look at it and fired me and Gregon the spot. In 25 minutes we were out.”

Hildebrandt now calls the experiencea “reincarnation.” Finally, he and Gregwere painting again, and painting for aliving. And painting. And painting.

Even if they hadn’t had their naturalintensity, both had married and had fam-ilies to feed, not to mention house pay-ments to keep up. Tim and his wife Ritamoved to their New Jersey home, wherethey live today in peaceful, if busy, sur-roundings in a house filled with the fruitsof both of their labors. Tim’s art isstacked about the home, most of it un-framed except for a few pieces — includ-ing some of those original watercolorsamples — that hang in the dining andliving rooms. On a rack in another roomhang elaborate medieval costumescreated by Rita, which are worn by mod-els for Tim’s paintings.

(Continued on page 48)

Vol. V, No. 11

Tell a fantasy artist to draw adragon and ... well, give those instructionsto Tim Hildebrandt and the result is the cover of thisissue of DRAGON magazine.

Publisher Jake Jaquet gave Hildebrandt virtually free rein in creating the piece ofartwork, suggesting only that something involving the magazine’s namesake would be appropriate.

Tim described the next step thusly:“Okay, what can I do with a dragon? A dragon in a cave? A dragon flying? A dragon sleeping? I wanted to

paint a picture of a castle, so I combined the two, a dragon attacking a castle.”That sounds simple enough, but of course there are a few more steps between the idea and the finished

product — and, about a week of work.Hildebrandt normally follows the same procedures, first de-

veloping a thumbnail sketch, detailing the basic composition ofthe work. For this month’s cover, he tried working from severaldifferent angles, settling on one looking up at the beast to makeit as dominant in the scene as possible. The flow of the paintingis toward the upper right hand corner, classical composition.

When painting humanoid figures, Hildebrandt makes exten-sive use of models dressed in costumes designed by his wifeRita. Since finding dragons to pose at reasonable rates is diffi-cult, for this painting he made a model out of clay, which was seton a castle he built for his son. Though he used to take 35mmphotographs of his models, he says Polaroids are sufficient,since the technique is used as an aid with specific difficult itemslike the folds in clothing and musculature, rather than withoverall composition or color.

When Tim is working on a large project, like a calendar, allmodeling is done before any final sketches or paintings areattempted, perhaps taking several weekends to complete. Henever uses professional models, instead relying upon family andfriends. He and Greg often pose for each other, using theirrubbery faces to simulate a variety of characters, human andnot-so-human. Amateur models, he says, are more natural.“Professional models always wind up being real slick, too per-fect in some ways. And besides, I can’t ever find the people I like.I look among my friends — I have them all categorized: ‘Yeah,Greg will make a good dwarf’ (not my brother, this is anotherGreg) or ‘Doug will make a good elf.’ Even though Greg is notshort — he’s six foot — but his facial characteristics are kind ofdwarf-like.”

“They look fakey if you don’t copy off of something,” he says.Stacked and piled and shelved in a bookcase in the hallwayoutside his studio are row after row of yellow National Geogra-phic magazines, one of the sources Hildebrandt used to consult.

“They’ve got jungles in the moonlight and morning light andafternoon light, jungles in mist, anything you want — water,seascapes, clouds ... I used those very heavily 10 years ago. Mostof the time now, most of it’s out of my head, I fake it, I don’t useany references. It’s out of my head. I’d rather do it that way — I’vedone it so many times already, or at least something close to it.”

“But what I do need to take off from is shapes and figures,there’s just too much going on to fake it, at least for me. I knowFrazetta doesn’t and I know N.C. Wyeth back in the 20s and 30sdidn’t, but I need models, I can’t fake everything.”

Then comes his final sketch, done to the same proportions asthe final painting. The pencil work is then transferred to hispainting board — masonite coated with gesso that is sanded —using carbon paper he makes by mixing graphite and alcohol.

Unlike many artists, Hildebrandt no longer makes preliminarycolor sketches, but mixes his acrylic paints directly before paint-ing. This he credits to his years of experience, and is just oneway the professional streamlines the painting process. Another

Tim and Rita strike a regal pose, modeling her designs ...

... While a different type of model gets a close inspection.

46

May 1981

trick he’s developed is mixing colors on aluminum foil. At theend of the day the foil can be folded over and stored, savinghours of time remixing paints the next morning.

In all, Hildebrandt used 16 different colors in the painting,ranging across the spectrum. One color he didn’t use wasbrown, a shade the brothers threw away after their work on theStar Wars poster in 1977. Until then, their work was subdued,and most colors were “greyed down” or “muddied” — made lessintense than they are straight out of the tube.

“We got the Star Wars poster and the directives we were givenby the studio was that they wanted very bright, clear colors —spacey, clean, intense colors.”

To create the black depths of space on the poster, they usedstraight, undiluted purple, which was so deep and intense, hesays, “It forced us to make all the other colors go really intense,to hold up to this very strong black. That was the beginning of itand I loved it. Pffft. I threw away brown paint.”

The intense colors are noticeable in Hildebrandt’s dragon,although the foreground was painted in somewhat subduedcolors to reflect the night setting and the realities of painting.

“You have to use the color properly,” he says. “You can’t go offand indiscriminately say, ‘Yeah, I’m going to make everythingbright’ and it looks atrocious.”

Several changes were made in the painting once he started.His first color mix for the sky was too green, what he terms aminor mistake which was corrected by painting over thebackground.

There are several differences between his sketch and thecompleted painting: The clouds were eliminated in the finishedversion and some barely noticeable alterations were made in thecastle, involving emphasis, rather than dramatic structural orcolor changes. However, Hildebrandt says the dragon requiredwhat for him is a major revision. In the pencil sketch, skin hangsdown along the left belly; the painting has a groove, instead.

“It’s just feel. I painted it first like that (the sketch) and didn’tlike the way it looked, so I painted it out and painted it back. Butusually when I draw a detailed drawing, that’s it. I don’t divergefrom that very often ... When I make the pencil sketch, that’susually gospel.”

Despite the changes, he says the DRAGON cover was a fairlysimple piece. Unlike many of his works, there is little back-ground, and there is just one figure, rather than a host of char-acters, to create.

This month’s cover has several elements that make it charac-teristic of Hildebrandt’s work. First, unlike many of the Tolkienpaintings, the DRAGON cover uses broad brush strokes. Ratherthan the tiny brushes used to create a realistic, almost photo-graphic look that characterizes much of the “Brothers Hilde-brandt” work, Tim used a half-inch-wide brush to paint parts ofthis month’s cover. “It depends on the subject,” he says. “Some-thing like this here, I can’t see that picture being really finelypainted. ‘A dragon attacking a castle’ — I just don’t get thatfeeling.”

Although he has painted often in the realistic style, Tim saysthat technique is more characteristic of his brother’s work.

“At least in the past,” he says, “I think Greg has a tendency togo real noodly, tickly, like Andrew Wyeth — every blade of grasspainted in, every hair. And I have a tendency to go a little looser,broader ... more impressionistic.”

“That’s what I like about N.C. Wyeth (Andrew’s father, a 20th-century painter and illustrator). I think he combines — oh, Mi-chelangelo and the impressionists. That’s a crazy combination,but he does. His figure work is a la Michelangelo, his colors areof the impressionists — Monet — purples, greens, golds — I likethat.”

Also impressionistic is Hildebrandt’s lighting. In contrast withthe cool backlighting of the moon are the intense flames of the

dragon’s breath. “I purposely set about when I do a picture to doas many set-ups as I can, you know, whereas a lot of artists lighttheir figures exactly the same, no matter if he’s in a jungle or on aplanet or underneath the water — the lighting’s always thesame.”

He cites a scene from Disney’s Snow White, where thedwarves, carrying a candle, enter her room. Huge shadowsburst across the scene, creating a drama so intense it makes thescreen come alive.

“That’s all I am — these shadows. They open the door and thelight breaks into the room and everything is hit by this light— that’s all I am — and it’s all coming from this candle, it’sincredible. It isn’t just flat lighting; it’s really real ... What is apicture, but light?”

“I haven’t seen anybody recently that I admire as far as thatgoes. I think the best was N.C. Wyeth .... illustrations from Trea-sure Island, Mysterious Island, Gulliver’s Travels, or you nameit. The light is bee-you-tee-full. It’s right — it’s as it should be.”

Tim’s appreciation for lighting led to what he says is one of themost frustrating experiences he’s faced as a painter. Althoughknown for their ability to do quality work on deadline (theyalternated painting on the Star Wars poster to work round theclock and finish the piece in 36 hours), the centerpiece for the1978 Tolkien calendar — “Going Off To Grey Havens” — took amonth to complete.

“It was the lighting that got us,” he recalls, “because we hadthis moonlight coming from the back and then torchlight, andjust trying to balance them, the cool and the warm, how strongto make this cool light, how strong to make this warm light, andwe just kept painting it over and over and over and over, and itjust wasn’t coming. We got ourselves into kind of a pit. Itshouldn’t have taken that long, it should have really only takenabout a week and a half ... that’s really the last problem I had witha painting. How that picture ended up being so incredibly diffi-cult, I’ll never know.”

On those infrequent occasions when a painting won’t come,Tim says, “I get physical about it. I take the board and THROW itacross the room, and (Rita) hears it crashing against the wall,and I just storm out of here and SLAM the door and walk downthe stairs and, ‘I QUIT!’ And I have to stay that way until the nextmorning, because once that happens to me, I’m wiped out. So, Ijust pick it up the next day .... but that hasn’t happened in a longtime.”

Hildebrandt does not paint in natural light (he balances coolneon light with a 300-watt spot in his New Jersey studio), butlimits his painting to daylight hours. Pencil sketching, however,can go on until midnight, he says, “which is really late for me.”

“The morning to me psychologically is much better,” he says.“I don’t know, I’m wide awake, well rested, you know, I feel likegetting up there and doing it, whereas the later the day gets, justhaving to deal with color is just too much for me. It’s got nothingto do with physical, it’s really psychological.”

“I don’t commit myself to that much work. It’s just that I got somuch energy and that’s it. It takes a lot out of me to paint thesethings — it really does. Concentration. It doesn’t look like it ...but it’s intense, you know. I’m not straining but I am intenseabout it. After I get done painting I feel like I’ve run around theblock 15 times.”

“... drawing, coming up with the ideas, you get wound up. Thisphysically makes me need to lay down, lay down in front of thetelevision.”

“And I tell you, if it ain’t coming right, whew ... it’s impossible. Imean, nobody can appreciate that but an artist painting. Want-ing to do something with a painting, knowing that it isn’t at allwhat you’re after, knowing how good it should be and it notappearing that way. Then, it’s a really good feeling once youfinally do hit it.”

47

On a recent early spring day, Rita waslaboring in the large, well furnished kit-chen she and Tim remodeled, testing arecipe for her cookbook, which will des-cribe foods with a fantasy flair: trollbread, for example.

Presented with a platter of turkeydrumsticks baked with vegetables, Timpicked up the carving knives and said,“What are we supposed to do, fight?”

Although he still puts in long hours ofdrawing and painting — he and Greg justfinished an intense four months of workon their 1982 calendar — gone are thehurried trips in and out of New York Citythree times a week, to pick up and dropoff assignments for “clients.” Now, thework he does is usually for himself. Ifnot, the success earned with the Tolkiencalendars allows Tim the freedom to il-lustrate books he wants to do, ratherthan assignments he has to do.

“I did a buncha textbooks first, then Istarted doing children’s books for West-ern Publishing. I did one of these fra-grance books, the little scratch-and-smell things, so there was years of that,”he says through a mouthful of food,“years of really being busy. One year mybrother and I counted the illustrations.‘Let’s count the illustrations we did thisyear.’ One thousand. Now that ranged— not these kinds,” he says, pointing to alarge Tolkien original, “but pen and ink,black and white, little tiny doodles thisbig to half-page illustrations.”

“I mean, there are only 365 days in theyear. Of course, there were two of us, butwe were really grinding those things out.And working for everybody. Reader’sDigest, all the major publishers, recordalbums, RCA Victor, you know, doingeverything, advertising jobs...”

“... Did you ever hear what Boris Valle-jo used to do? Refrigerator drawings.Can you imagine? Look what he doesnow. Refrigerators. It’s crazy.”

But, for an artist who hadn’t drawn foryears, even the opportunity to turn outcommercial topics as mundane as catfood and dog food boxes provided Timwith “a crash course in drawing.”

“I had tons of work to do and it wasgood experience for me. 15-hour, 16-hour days of nothing but drawing, paint-ing, and you just get it under your belt.”

“... And then finally I was going nuts,you know, it was like, okaaaaay, enoughis enough! You learn how to draw, youlearn how to paint, there’s no challenge,just going out and getting work and it’sunimaginative, and I said, ‘Where arethose days of the hang-up on fantasy,Pinocchio and all that? Where has itgone to? What am I doing with it?”

“... At one point I was ready to chuck itall, quit. I mean, that’s actually the feel-ing we had.

“It was really frustration to the point of‘I would rather go out and’ — I don’t want

to demean it — ‘dig ditches.’ It’s at leastphysical, honest work. This stuff, it wasjust so unimaginative, so dead.”

During this period, the early 70s, thebrothers began painting separately tofulfill their own creative needs. Finally, inalmost Hollywoodesque fashion, theirbreak came when they got a long-dreamed-of chance to illustrate Tolkien.

Tim was first introduced to MiddleEarth when he was still making churchdocumentaries.

“Some woman in the office at the timesaid, ‘Why don’t you read this book, Tim,you’ll like it,’ and she stuck this paper-back out and I said, ‘Hmmmm, The Hob-bit, what’s that?’ I thought it somehowwas a rabbit or something, because itsounds like a rabbit, a rabbit with a hab-bit, I don’t know — I started getting intoall of these ‘What is a hobbit’ things, andshe said, ‘Read it,’ and I did, and I liked itvery much, needless to say.”

He and Rita read The Lord Of TheRings out loud to each other five yearsbefore Tim found a copy of the 1975 Tol-kien calendar under the Christmas tree.

On the back was a notice solicitingqueries for the 1976 version of thecalendar.

So, one rainy winter day the brotherspacked up their samples in plastic gar-bage bags — the works were too big to fitinto a normal-sized portfolio — and wentinto New York, where they called Ballan-tine Books, publisher of the calendar.

Several hours and several renditionsof “the art director’s not in” later, theywere ready to head home, but decided tomake one last call. This time they suc-ceeded, and after invading the art direc-tor’s office came away with an assign-ment to do the cover for Smith of Woot-ton Major and Farmer Giles of Ham.

“We came back with that in a couple ofdays, real fast, and they loved it, so theysaid, ‘What about the calendar? Whatcan you show us?’ and we said, ‘Oh,we’ve got millions of drawings that areLord Of The Rings.’ We really didn’t haveany.”

After a week-long stint of intensivedrawing, several preliminary paintings,and finally approval from the Tolkienestate, they got the assignment.

Rita laughs as Tim relates the story,and with good reason. She put that cal-endar under the tree in 1974, after notic-ing the query for artists.

Rita, who bears not a little resem-blance to Disney’s Snow White charac-ter, is not just the 1981 version of themissing Hildebrandt brother. Besidesdesigning costumes for his work (theymet in the church choir while she was ona Glamour magazine scholarship to theFashion Institute), she has acted as herhusband’s agent for the past four years.And Tim says he’s always bounced ideasoff her for his paintings and fantasy.

48

Vol. V, No. 11

“I don’t consider myself an artist be-cause I don’t paint,” says Rita, a trans-planted Texan. “God knows I couldn’t dothat, but I am artistic and I understandthe problems of somebody that is artistic... so we can talk the same language.”

“It’s never a competitive thing, I mean,I don’t do what he does, so it’s not like I’mtrying to compete with my husband. Wework in conjunction with each other ...and we do that whether we’re paintingthe house or wallpapering, or whateverwe do.”

Hildebrandt says his wife is “ten timesbetter” than any of the professionalagents who have represented him. Sheexplains her success this way: “I havethe good fairy to look after me.”

Besides their other projects, the cou-ple gives presentations at schools. Dur-ing one recent outing locally, featuringRita’s costumes, Tim’s paintings, and an“alien” head from a science-fiction mo-vie being filmed at their home, they men-tioned their involvement with DragonPublishing, noting their 14-year-old sonCharles is a committed D&D® enthusiast.

“Suddenly, we were inundated withDUNGEONS & DRAGONS people,” saysRita, “and of course we told them aboutCharles and his club, and the phonenumbers just went out, all these ‘Oh,please have him call me.’”

“These kids were bringing up all thesebooks you put out (the AD&D volumesfrom TSR Hobbies) and we had to auto-graph them,” adds Tim. “‘Why am I sign-ing the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS man-ual?’” he says, then shifts his voice toplay the role of the student, “‘Well, I don’tcare, sign it.’”

Says Rita: “They had us signing every-thing, we were signing everything. I said,‘You know, I haven’t done a thing,’ andthey said ‘Sign it, sign it.’”

Of course, most of the questions stilldeal with Star Wars (the brothers paintedthe movie poster) and Tolkien.

“I always have to clear up that I hadnothing to do with the movie,” he says.“‘It’s not my movie, it’s George Lucas’movie, da da da da, da da da da. I just didthe poster., And they ask a lot of techni-cal stuff, ‘How did you get interested in it,how did you get into illustrating, whatkind of education did you have, how longwere you drawing, how old were youwhen you started drawing?’ these kindsof things.”

Usually, he’ll be asked why they drew aTolkien character they way they did —and he admits some would be done dif-ferently if redrawn today.

“I would make Treebeard altogetherdifferent,” he says. “Some girl, as a mat-ter of fact, the other day at the school, alittle sheepishly said, ‘I didn’t see him likethat, I see Treebeard with roots for hishands and all these roots,” he says,gnarling his arms and hands and legs,

May 1981

“How many times do you want to paint Frodo? You gonna do 10pictures of Frodo or something like that? Once the character wasestablished, you kept painting the character over and over.”

imitating the new Treebeard. “She wasright, we just made him look like a tall,skinny guy with a long beard. So, yeah,there are a lot of things I would do differ-ently, definitely, but I don’t want to dothem again.”

“How many times do you want to paintFrodo?” he says. “You gonna do 10 pic-tures of Frodo or something like that?Once the character was established, youkept painting the same character, overand over.”

The Hildebrandts have been approach-ed to do other Tolkien calendars, andhave firmly declined. While illustratingTolkien’s characters fulfilled a dream,three years was enough, Tim says.

The “success” earned by the Tolkiencalendars appears to have had little ef-fect on Hildebrandt and his lifestyle. Heand his family live a relatively normal life,and Tim says he is basically a home-body. He quit smoking three years ago,drinks little, and maintains an avid inter-est in nutrition and health.

“When you’re right in the middle ofsomething, you don’t even think — so itsells a million. There’s no comparison. Imean, you have these people, theseagents, always telling you, ‘Do you knowno calendar ever sold this much?’ ‘Yeahhh— no, I didn’t know that.’ What does it doto me? I still take out the garbage. I stillwatch ‘The Hulk’ on television. I stillhang wallpaper. And so on and so on.”

“This kind of scene isn’t Hollywood,where you have parties and all that stuff,anyway,” he says, dismissing it with a

sweep of his arm. “I’m a person that likesto get out into the country and the fur-ther I can live in the country, the better Ilike it. I think underneath it all, I’m a her-mit. I’m like Frazetta, I want to be a her-mit.”

The calendars, however, establishedthe brothers as virtual household names,and secured them an enviable measureof f inancial independence. “ I a in ’ twealthy, I ain’t close to it. I still have toworry about bills — well, I don’t have toworry, but I still have to pay them off. Istill have to work, but it’s what I want todo.”

Artistic freedom was probably thegreatest single result of the successes.And, after illustrating the works of othersfor years, they finally had an opportunityto tackle a project entirely from their ownimaginations. The result, after more thantwo years of work: Urshurak.

On the surface, Urshurak resemblesThe Lord Of The Rings: wizards, dwarves,elves, a quest that pits good vs. the ulti-mate evil, the Death Lord of Torgon. Butthe Hildebrandts’ work differs in bothstyle and substance. The book format isreally only an intermediate step: Urshur-ak was conceived as a movie; the bookwas written in hopes of selling it to astudio. So, the book reads as a series ofvisual images that were created by Timand Greg before the words were laiddown by a Detroit friend, Jerry Nichols.

49

The first image that came into theirheads was a man running, which is howthe book starts.

“We did literally 800 or 900 storyboards, and they were very elaborate,with Magic Marker, very finely drawn,and there was not one word, it was allaction, it was all visual, flowing.”

Although the paperback briefly madethe best-seller list, the twins were disap-pointed with the small reproduction sizeof their paintings (Tim calls the large cal-endar format “the best vehicle for an ar-tist to work in”). If the pictures were toosmall, their ideas were too big. One wellknown producer estimated the script aswritten would cost $145 million to film— a scene Tim acts out, playing both theroles of the fat, cigar-chomping produc-er and his whiny supplicant of an assist-ant. (They have since scaled down theproject to about 10 characters and onlyone major conflict.)

The Hildebrandts share with Tolkien astrong Catholic background, whichimbued them with strong, distinct im-ages of good and evil. Though he has nocurrent religious affiliation and says,“Let’s stay away from the word politics,because I’m apolitical,” he adds, “I havea strong religious background. Verygraphic Roman Catholic, the use of ar-changels and all that stuff .... and addedto that strong religious background isvery heavily good and evil, right andwrong.”

Similarities aside, the Hildebrandts’world feels more American — more like

Vol. V, NO. 11

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May 1981

The making of a movie: Before the filming of scenesfor “The Deadly Spawn,” fake blood is squirted on theadult-size monster (left), while producer Ted Bohus(photo above) readies a dummy used as the victim ofan attack by baby versions of the unearthly beasts.

Still, he says there are limits to sexualmaterial he‘s willing to present. In Ur-shurak the only love scene concludesnot with nudity, biology or anatomy, butwith a dissolve into the sky and treesabove — the same technique used by

“And Tolkien has had a tendency, inmy estimation, to put women way up ona pedestal. All the women in his storywere very remote — goddesses.”

American and Egyptian, Babylonian, soyou get a story that kinda took in allthose sorts of cultures.

cultural things, I like all different types ofcultures, I don’t just like Germanic,Nordic-type looking costumes or art. Ilove African, Indian, Chinese and South

“We love Tolkien,” he says, choosinghis words carefully, “(and) I’m not sayinghe was old-fashioned, but he certainlyoverlooked — he was very Nordic, it (thetrilogy) didn’t have any other races. I like

Burroughs than Tolkien. Tim and Greghave also updated Tolkien’s rather limit-ed views in several areas. Urshurak in-cludes positive roles for both womenand blacks, and — a dramatic departurefrom Tolkien — includes a romantic an-gle, if not graphic sexual encounters.

Hollywood before the advent of “X”ratings.

These themes are not exactly easy for

51

“I have a tendency to agree with Lesterdel Rey that in fantasy there is no sex, noexplicit sex,” he says. “It’s too, it’s too ...ordinary. And that starts to get into thereal religious side or spiritual thing Iguess I was raised in. I’m not saying sexis bad, I’m not saying it isn’t, but every-body does it. Everybody knows what it is.Everybody. You understand what I’m try-ing to say? Now I know a lot of peopleargue with that, and a lot of people’sideas of fantasy are — as soon as you saythe word ‘fantasy’ — ‘ah, SEX!’ Thatjumps into everybody’s mind, all of asudden it’s dirty. As soon as you say fan-tasy — ‘Ah, you’re fantasizing!’ Every-body’s sort of got that notion of fantasy.Not me. I’ve got romantic, incredibletrees and vistas — that’s fantasy — raysof light shining through the woods.That’s not to say sex doesn’t enter into it,but it’s not the center. I guess Frazetta,that’s it, that’s the center of his, and alsowith Boris, and I say, it’s only one part ofit, one part, an equal part to all theseother parts.”

“The only message I would have in apainting is beauty — is that a message?Love of nature. I find these things veryhard to articulate. I paint what I like, Imean, I like nature.”

Hildebrandt to verbalize, though theyare identifiable in a large work like Ur-shurak. In individual paintings, however,only broad messages are made.

Words do enter heavily into his crea-tive process, however. One painting mayresult from countless hours of discus-

Most of the artists he knows paint fromthe gut, rather than from the head. “Dar-rell Sweet, he doesn’t talk too much, Bo-ris — Boris, he doesn’t talk a thing aboutit. I think that if I could articulate it intowords, I wouldn’t be a painter.”

He laughs at his inability to describe it,then continues. “Someone might askme, ‘Well, then why don’t you paint nor-mal landscapes?’ I don’t know. I startedto do that one time and ended up paint-ing a dwarf skipping over a bridge any-way. I just can’t help myself. I started topaint a tree, a nice tree, a stone bridgewith a little river going (under) it, and itended up being a tree with a little houseand this dwarf.” (see picture, page 42)

sions, as he creates the fantasy back-ground where a piece is set. A good fan-tasy must be real enough to be believa-ble, he notes.

Amazons appear in Urshurak, he says,because “we wanted to draw pictures ofAmazons, so we said, ‘Okay, let’s putAmazons in there.’”

“‘Let’s see, where could the Amazonsbe?’

“‘Well, should they be in the jungle?’”“‘Nooo — let’s make them live in the

water.’”“‘Where?’”“‘Ah, down in the south, you know, the

tropical, so we put an island — ’”“‘Yeah, yeah — a volcanic island? Vol-

cania — Disney’s 20,000 Leagues UnderThe Sea — that kind of island?’”

“‘All right, they got a base inside here— any technical ... ?’”

“‘Well, let’s make them a little moreadvanced ...’ and so you start adding toit, as the days are going by, and finallyyou get it down to where you have got avolcanic island where all these conesformed out of this giant crystal thatcrashed into the ocean, and a volcaniceruption churned up all these cones andimbedded in the middle of this lake is agiant crystal from outer space and theseAmazons — this happened a millionyears ago — and these Amazons are ac-tually born out of this crystal and thewater, and you start getting into that —this is where their whole life now stems,out of this crystal, and coming out of themiddle of this island is where they gettheir regenerative powers, where theyrecharge themselves, where they alsorecharge the engines on their boats. Soyou start getting into that culture and,‘Hey, this is wild, we can make a wholestory out of this alone!’”

And you’re 12 years old again?“... And you’re 12 years old again

— exactly.”For Urshurak the Amazons were just

one of the cultures invented, along withthe history of an entire continent span-ning 1,000 years. Then, all the details ofthe book’s plot had to be finalized andchecked:

“In the story, the dwarves had to be in acertain place at a certain time. The gar-goyles were coming down and pursuinghere. We had to figure out how manydays it would take 10 gargoyles gallop-ing in armor to reach the wizard’s house.We had charts, real charts, hundreds ofcharts — how long it would take gar-goyles, as opposed to how long it wouldtake dwarves on foot, we had to figure itout so their paths would cross and theywould get there in the right amount oftime, and they were getting there toofast, we had to figure a way to slow themup, l i t t le plot devices to s low thegargoyles.”

Even in a 400-page book, few of these

details see print, but are necessary tomake a believable story.

“I don’t like slipshod stuff, and it ulti-mately shows up, it shows up in a cheapproduct. An unbelievable product as faras fantasy goes. If all those things don’tmesh, don’t come together, it feels fake,and in reality it is fake.

“I’ve always felt that way about oldmovies, a lot of those knight films, thoseadventure movies were like that, theyjust weren’t believable. They got theretoo soon, or ... you know. I think it paysoff. All you have to do is sit there for a fewdays and chart these things out, that’s allyou gotta do.”

Sometimes, however, unanticipatedevents can alter the course of the story.The brothers had completed the storyfor Urshurak and its paintings, castingtheir young hero in white, and Torgon ina black cape with an iron mask. Thenthey saw Star Wars. George Lucas hadused the same imagery. Aliwon, their he-ro, kept his white outfit, but the Hilde-brandts let Darth Vader have the mask.

While the Hildebrandt household is apeaceful one during the week, on Satur-days and Sundays recently it has beenbathed in gore.

“Last weekend we killed their neigh-bor,” says one of the crew memberswork ing on The Deadly Spawn, ascience-fiction film the family is involvedwith.

They didn’t really kill the neighbor, ofcourse. The spawn — slimy creaturesbrought to earth from outer space on ameteor — are just special effects, like theblood on the floor.

“Spawn” is not another Star Wars. Itsbudget isn’t even in six figures, let alonea million or 20 million dollars. Instead, allthe actors, crew and special-effects per-sonnel are working weekends to com-plete the film, without pay, each getting apercentage of the production. Besidesthe family’s artistic and financial invest-ments in the venture, the Hildebrandts’son Charles is an actor in the film, play-ing the role of a science-fiction moviebuff who eventually finds a way to defeatthe dreaded spawn.

Tim and Rita met Ted Bohus, the pro-ducer for the independent production, ata science-fiction convention. Their in-volvement in the production has evolved:Tim helped the special effects creatorbuild the monsters, and he’ll paint back-ground scenes for special effects creat-ed in the studio. On this Sunday after-noon he’s dribbling rubber cement overa three-headed adult spawn just as thecamera begins rolling, to simulate spawndrool.

“Can you imagine having this happen-ing to your house every weekend?” asks

52

Vol. V, No. 11

one of the actors. “I’ve never worked withanyone who’s as easy to get along withas Tim.”

Indeed. Despite his hermit tendencies,Hildebrandt has few of the ego problemsoften associated with artists.

Admitting that “most artists wouldrather crawl into a hole,” he says he en-joys working with others — be it hisbrother, his wife, or the “Spawn” crew.

“I guess that comes from being a twin.I’ve always had to. I’ve always workedwith my brother, and so it’s always agive-and-take situation. It’s not thatthing where you hog it all to yourself. Ilike working with other people, theirideas. I’m not protective of ideas, I’m notjealous. If somebody’s got a better idea,fine.”

The lack of jealousy extends to otherartists, such as Boris, a good friend, andDarrell Sweet, who lives nearby, whomthe Hildebrandt brothers met when allwere doing work for Ballantine.

“There’s no competition among us,between any of us, because each guy isdoing his own thing,” Tim says. “So,there’s no trying to guard each other’swork or cutting a guy out of a job, ’causeeach guy has quite clearly definedareas.”

Not all of those with whom Hildebrandtmust deal, however, share his gentle na-ture and generous work habits. Recent-ly, for example, he and Greg did anothermovie poster, this one for a $25-millionextravaganza on Greek mythology. Theexperience was less than a satisfyingone, and the memory of it produces oneof his rare moments of bitterness oranger. The brothers drew one poster,then another, then another ... Finally, hesays, they were told to “Give us StarWars.”

“I hated doing it,” he says, sitting in thepaling afternoon light of his studio. “Youknow why? Because when that postercomes out, everybody that sees that isgoing to say, they’re going to blame it onmy brother and me, and say, ‘Look, Timand Greg couldn’t come up with any-thing better.’ Well, the hell with them, wecame up with a lot better ones, but theydidn’t want them, they wanted the StarWars poster, and we’re just going off,shaking our heads, saying these peopleare crazy.”

A note of dissatisfaction also entershis voice when he recalls the “BrothersHildebrandt” label.

“They locked us up,” he says, with onewave of an arm, then another. “They —out there. ‘The Brothers Hildebrandt’ —that was the handle they came up with atBallantine ... I never went around signinganything ‘The Brothers Hildebrandt.’ Itsounds a little pompous to me, but it’s

May 1981

catchy, yeah, ‘The Brothers Grimm,’ Ican see what they did. But the Hilde-brandt brothers is good enough for me.”

“... And then the twin thing on top of it!My God. We appeared in some books ontwins — there’s a picture of me and Gregpainting on the same picture at the sametime, looking back and smiling.” He givesa mock smile toward an imaginary pho-tographer, and continues. Their workhabits were synchronized, but a numberof myths exist about them, he says.

“There’s all these things where hestarts at one side of the painting and Istart at this side and we meet in the mid-dle ... Some kid wrote in and said, ‘Is ittrue?’ Absolutely not! I have no ideawhere that one started. You can’t — howcan you? Envision us, starting a paintingover here and here and one guy’s paint-ing and painting and painting — andwhat if he angles off? It doesn’t make anysense. You don’t paint a picture likethat.”

Contending with such hype may bethe price of success, along with handlingresentment from those who dismiss anyfinancially successful artist as having“sold out.” After he has made a living atpainting for more than a decade, Hilde-brandt finds this an argument with whichhe cannot agree.

“You mean you have to starve up in a

garret like Van Gogh, or else it’s notworth anything?” he says. “Well, lookit, Idon’t take that hogwash from anybody.Did Rembrandt make money at what hedid? Did Michelangelo? Did da Vinci?They all did. They all made money atwhat they did, right? They were commis-sioned works.”

“The Sistine ceiling was a commis-sioned work — he was actually commis-sioned, ‘Go fill up that space.’ So it hap-pened to be a ceiling rather than an illus-tration board or a magazine cover. Butit’s still the same thing. So who’s sayingit? Probably a frustrated artist whocouldn’t make it, I’m quite sure.”

“It’s an endless debate — ‘What is fineart?’ Okay, let’s face it, a cat-food box iscommercial art, okay? Cat food, that’scommercial art. I’m not going to startsaying that’s fine art.”

“But this,” he says, pointing to thismonth’s DRAGON cover, “you didn’t tellme what to do. They didn’t tell me whatto do on Urshurak. Even when I illustrat-ed The Lord Of The Rings, nobody toldme what to paint. I painted what I wantedto paint. I painted what I was moved by.Is that fine art? Is that commercial art?You name it. I’m not going to. I’ll just saywhat I did and what I felt ...”

“It’s all the same thing. It’s in the worldof the imagination.”

“I never went around signing anything ‘The Brothers Hil-debrandt.’ It sounds a little pompous to me ... the Hildebrandtbrothers is good enough for me.”

53

NograFREQUENCY: RareNUMBER APPEARING: 2-3 or 4-24ARMOR CLASS: 5MOVE: 6”HIT DICE: 2% IN LAIR: 70%TREASURE TYPE: DNO. OF ATTACKS: 1DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-4SPECIAL ATTACKS: See belowSPECIAL DEFENSES: See belowMAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard

(see below)INTELLIGENCE: LowALIGNMENT: NeutralSIZE: S (1’ high at shoulder)PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

Attack Defense Modes: Nil

The Nogra is a small creature withlong, sharp claws which somewhat re-sembles a hairless lynx. However, thetrue physical nature of the Nogra willnever be apparent when the animals areencountered. A live Nogra continuallysecretes a substance from its body whichabsorbs all visible light in the immediatearea, causing the creature to appear as aDarkness spell. The absorption of lightextends into the infrared and ultravioletparts of the spectrum, rendering infravi-sion and ultravision useless for purposesof seeing the creature’s actual form.

The animals can use their claws incombat, and also employ them to climbalong walls and ceilings. Their eyes arenot functional, since they can’t see outof the curtain of darkness that surroundsthem. However, this lack of sight is morethan compensated for by the Nogra’sexcellent senses of smell and hearing.

The light-absorbing substance whichthe Nogra’s body secretes also acts as acontact poison to any other species. Anycharacter or creature which comes intocontact with the Nogra (i.e., if the Nograscores a hit) must make a saving throwvs. poison or be blinded 2-8 rounds later.This save vs. poison may be attempted ineach round after the poisoning takesplace, up until the round when blindnessis determined to set in, and only needs tobe made once within the pre-blindnessperiod of 2-8 rounds to neutralize theeffects of that particular poison strike. Aseparate save is required for each poisonstrike inflicted on a particular victim,whether the hits come from the sameNogra or different animals. If a victim isblinded, sight may only be restored bythe use of a Cure Blindness, LimitedWish, Wish or Alter Reality spell. Thereis no known antidote for Nogra poison.

Vol. V, No. 11

Created by Loren Kruse

If encountered outside their lair (2-3 innumber), Nogra are 70% likely to behunting, and in this case will be secludedin a position from which to ambush theirprey. When hunting, Nogra will attack atthe first opportunity and will always sur-prise their prey unless their presencecan be detected beforehand. If not hunt-ing, Nogra are not aggressive.

If encountered in their lair, the Nograwill be in a pack of 4-24 in number andwill always attack immediately as soonas the lair is disturbed. There is an 80%chance that an encountered lair will con-tain the “pack leader,” its largest andmost powerful member (2+2 hit dice, 2attacks per round).

from the bright light, it will suffer -4 “tohit” in combat for as long as the light

Because they normally exist in a worldof darkness, Nogra are extremely sensi-tive to light. The presence of a brightlight (the equivalent of daylight or aContinual Light spell) will drive the Nograaway from the light source 70% of thetime, if the animals are outside their lair.In their lair, Nogra will never retreat fromthe light, but will instead stand andattack. If the animal does not retreat

remains. A Light spell affects Nogra inthe same way, except that the chance ofretreating is 50% and the penalty “to hit”is -2.

A Light spell cast at a Nogra will beabsorbed (if the creature misses its sav-ing throw) and have no apparent effect,but the energy of the spell will do 1-4points of damage to the creature. Con-tinual Light has the same properties,except that it can cause 2-8 points ofdamage if absorbed.

Light and Continual Light spells whichare cast directly at a Nogra and notabsorbed will simply dissipate. If eithertype of spell is cast in proximity toNogra, with the intention of illuminatingthe area, the Nogra must be checked tosee if they retreat as per the procedureabove.

colored and looks somewhat like that ofa shark.

The true appearance of a Nogra canonly be ascertained when the animal iskilled. When it dies, the light-absorbingsecretion stops, and the darkness aroundthe animal fades away in 1-3 rounds. Thecontact poison is rendered harmlessupon death. The hide of a Nogra is dark-

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Vol. V, No. 11

The alchemist is an obscure sub-class of magic-user. He/sheis always a non-player character, as the rules here will indicate.The class is detailed because information on the alchemist is ofvalue when he/she is encountered in a town or hired by a playercharacter as a henchman. It is helpful if the DM knows what analchemist can and cannot do.

His profession encompasses some of the common trades,and thus tradesmen, when encountered, might have minorknowledge of alchemy. These trades are those of potter, glassblower, brewer and distiller as defined within the text. Brewersand distillers need not learn magic, of the type used byalchemists, to ply their trades.

An alchemist must have the following minimum or maximumscores: strength at least 9, intelligence at least 10, wisdom atleast 6, dexterity at least 9, constitution at least 14 and charismaless than 16. Humans, elves and half-elves may be alchemists.Only humans can become masters and grandmasters. Analchemist may never be a multi-classed character.

Experience is gained by alchemists only from plying theirtrade and never from adventuring. Experience is given as fol-

lows, in case you wish to advance a non-player novice through afew ranks to be more useful to the party as a henchman.

For each piece of pottery used in the trade, 3xp (this awardcannot be given beyond 3rd level).

For each major glass instrument blown/crafted, 6xp (thisaward cannot be given beyond 5th level).

For each potion identified by the “10% test,” 7xp (this awardcannot be given beyond 7th level).

For each potion made correctly, 10% of the potion’s xp value.If no xp value is given, then award 20 points. This award is givenfor every properly made potion.

For each poison made correctly, 5xp for a mild poison, 15xpfor a toxic poison, 25xp for a lethal poison and 40xp for adestructive poison. This award is not given to Masters andGrandmasters.

For each mixture analysis done correctly, 45xp.For each spell learned, 7xp per level of the spell.Alchemists must have specific intelligence levels to obtain

higher magic spells as well as for the more complex potions. Ifthe alchemist is not smart enough, he/she will never be able to

ALCHEMISTS ABILITIESSee text for an explanation of each listing. All percentages give the chance of success.

Level of Craft accuracy Potion Identification via:alchemist Pottery Glass “10% Analysis Analysis

test” of a of a of an Manufacture Poisons: Potions:known known unknown Mild Toxic Lethal Destruc-potion potion potion

Difficulty valuetive first second third fourth

1 93% — — — — — — — — — — — —2 94% 70% — — — — — — — — — —3 95% 75% 60% — — — — — — — — ——

—

— ———

4 96% 80% 65% — — — — — — 15% — —5 97% 85% 70% — — — — — — 25% 2 0% 15% 10%6 98% 90% 75% — —7 99% 95% 80%

48% 35% 29% 23%— — 65% 48% 36% 27% 71% 50% 43% 36%

8 100% 100% 85% 85% 60% 81% 64% 52% 43% 94% 65% 57% 49%9 100% 100% 90% 91% 70% 97% 80% 68% 59% 100% 80% 71% 62%

10 100% 100% 95% 97% 80% 100% 96% 84% 75% 100% 95% 85% 75%11 100% 100% 100% 100% 90% 100% 100% 96% 91% 100% 100% 99% 88%

Potions listed by difficultyThis list tells what potions can be made by prescriptions

Third Difficulty Fourth Difficulty

written in Alchemese. Alchemists who do not have the properIntelligence 14+ Intelligence 16+ESP

intelligence cannot make potions of greater difficulty than theirDragon Control

intelligence will allow. Substances are also in the list.Extra Healing HeroismFlying Human Control

First Difficulty Second Difficulty Gaseous Form InvulnerabilityIntelligence 10+ Intelligence 12+ Invisibility Oil of EtherealnessAnimal Control Clairaudience Longevity Super-HeroismClimbing Clairvoyance Philter of Treasure FindingDelusion Diminution Persuasiveness Ghost/Vampire/Levitation Fire Resistance Plant Control Spectre ControlSweet Water Healing Polymorph Self Keoghtom’sSkeleton/Zombie Control Oil of Slipperiness Wight/Wraith/Shadow OintmentWater Breathing Philter of Love Control Nolzur’s MarvelousDust of Appearance Poison Dust of Disappearance

Speed Dust of SneezingPigments

Ghoul/Ghast Control & Choking

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May 1981

cast higher-level spells or make the most complex potions.Alchemists must have an intelligence of 12 for 3rd-level spellsand second-difficulty potions; intelligence of 14 for 4th-levelspells and third-difficulty potions; intelligence of 16 for 5th-level spells and fourth-difficulty potions.

The alchemist writes “prescriptions” in a special language.His/her spells, if any, also are written in “Alchemese.” Thus, amagic-user cannot use an alchemist’s spell book without bothRead Magic and Comprehend Languages. Once an individualspell is understood the magic-user would not have to resort tousing those two spells again to read that particular spell.

In like manner, an alchemist must have Read Magic and Writeto transcribe a spell from a magic-user’s book to his book.He/she can never learn the spell directly from the magic-user’sbook and transcribe it later. It must be translated and thenwritten down. Copying a spell without Write is possible but thechance of error is 10% per level of the spell and the time requiredis one week per spell level. An error in the spell will ruin it 80% ofthe time but the other 20% it will cause it to backfire. Clerics andIllusionists cannot understand Alchemese, but neither can analchemist read their scrolls or books.

Alchemists can begin to make potions at 4th level, but thechance of misconcoction at that level is quite high. Somepotions, as mentioned earlier, are beyond the intelligence ofsome alchemists and thus are doomed to failure. Even a 5th-level alchemist with the proper intelligence may attempt afourth-difficulty potion, but his chance of success is rathersmall.

Alchemists may not wear magic armor of any type, includingBracers of Defense, but items that are of Protection (cloaks andrings) may be used. Alchemists rarely use weapons but theymay learn the use of two, the dagger (never thrown) and thedart. Those two weapons may be magical. Alchemists cannotemploy rods or staves and only wands of Detection and MagicMissile can be used. Even with Read Magic, scrolls are uselessto alchemists.

The alchemist may own the following items from the mis-cellaneous magic list in the DMG: Alchemy jug (a Master canobtain two types of liquid per day from the jug), Bag of Trans-muting, Bag of Holding, Beaker of Plentiful Potions, Brooch ofShielding, Crystal Ball, Decanter of Endless Water, Dust ofAppearance, Dust of Disappearance, Dust of Sneezing andChoking, Flask of Curses, Helm of Comprehending Languagesand Reading Magic, Helm of Telepathy, Keoghtom’s Ointment,Manual of Bodily Health, Mirror of Mental Prowess, Nolzur’sMarvelous Pigments, Periapt of Health, Periapt of Proof AgainstPoison, Scarab of Protection, Stone of Good Luck, Stone ofWeight, and the Iron Flask of Tuerny the Merciless.

If forced into combat, Alchemists fight as Magic-users. Theymake saving throws as a M-U, at minus 2 on all forms except vs.spells.

Certain aspects of alchemists’ spells, such as range, durationand area of effect, will vary according to the alchemist’s “level ofmagic,” which is not necessarily the same as level of experience.The “level of magic” at which an alchemist can cast a spell isdetermined by the alchemist’s hit dice; for instance, a Scholar isa 7th-level alchemist in terms of experience, but he/she has 4+6hit dice, so his/her magic will be cast at 4th level. Alchemists donot progress in level or spell-casting ability beyond Grandmas-ter, which is the 11th level of experience and has a “magic level”of 7.

Multiple Grandmasters can exist, but rarely in the same vicin-ity. If two Grandmasters are in the same town, one might well tryto do in the other.

All alchemists will be lawful in alignment, and 80% of them willbe lawful neutral with 10% lawful evil and 10% lawful good. It ispossible for low-level alchemists to observe other alignments,but they all will have changed to lawfulness by the time theyreach 6th level (Identifier).

ALCHEMISTS TABLELevel Title 4-sided Experience Spells learn- Special

dice for points able by level noteshit points 1 2 3 4 5

andmagic level

1 Potter 1 0-1000 - - - - - A2 Glassblower 1+2 1001-3200 - - - - -3 Apprentice 2+2 3201-6000 1 - - - -

BC

4 Brewer 2+4 6001-10000 2 - - - - D5 Alember 2+6 10001-18500 3 - - - - E6 Identifier 3+6 18501-30000 4 1 - - - F7 Scholar 4+6 30001-50000 4 2 1 - - G8 Graduate 4+8 50001-75000 4 3 2 - - H9 Alchemist 5+8 75001-110000 4 3 3 1 - I

10 Master 6+8 110001-200000 4 4 3 2 111 Grandmaster 7+8 200001+ 4 4 4 2 2

Explanation of Special notesAt the first through ninth levels of experience, an alchemist

acquires certain special abilities and characteristics for rising toeach new level. Abilities and characteristics acquired at lowerlevels always apply at higher levels as well, unless supersededby a higher-level ability. (For example, the description underSpecial note “A” says “A Potter has no knowledge of alchemywhatsoever.” Obviously, this characteristic does not apply to aalchemist of sufficiently high level, although a high-levelalchemist would certainly retain the knowledge and skill ofPotter.)

A. A Potter can do little more than craft pottery used by thealchemist to heat, stir, grind and store items. He learns how totend for the hearth. Each pot must be made from scratch. Thisprocess will take at least 48 hours. The percentage chancegiven in the abilities chart is for a successful crafting. Failuremeans the pot will be useless. A Potter has no knowledge ofalchemy whatsoever. Pottery sells for from 1-100SP per unit,depending on the item.

B. A Glassblower makes beakers, flasks and other glass itemsused in the laboratory. His craft will take from 3-8 hours perpiece. The chart measures his/her chance of success by level;note that Graduates (8th level) and higher always craft potteryand glassware successfully. Glass items sell for 6-600SP peritem. The amount of pottery and glass needed for any experi-ment will be determined by the DM. Alchemists often have anumber of novices working for them so that they do not have tomake pots and glassware themselves. Both Potters and Glass-blowers might go on in those trades and never take up furtheralchemist studies.

C. An Apprentice begins to learn magic of a minor sort. Eachis taught Read Magic and can learn various other spells asoutlined herein. Apprentices are taught trial-and-error potionidentification, commonly called the “10% test.” A list of potionsso tested must be kept for each Apprentice as he/she pro-gresses in rank. Only potions that are fully understood throughprior testing can be examined and identified by this 10% imbib-ing. The Apprentice learns to study the reaction of the liquid andnot to look for taste, smell, or color, since since potions withidentical effects may be totally unlike in taste or color if made bydifferent alchemists. Obviously, identical potions made by thesame alchemist will have identical taste, smell, color, etc.

Potions never tested before will be unknown to the Appren-tice but will add to his/her knowledge. A Grandmaster alwaysknows a similar potion by the “10% test” if he/she has imbibedone before. Apprentices charge 40GP for this service, and 10GPmay be added per level of the alchemist for this test due to thebetter accuracy achieved at higher levels.

Spells other than Read Magic must be learned just as a magic-user learns a spell. Remember that alchemist spells are writtenin Alchemese and must be in that form to be memorized/learned. The charge for casting a spell, if appropriate, is given inthe spell list.

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D. A Brewer learns ways of preparing various compounds byboiling and mixing ingredients. He/she must be told what tomix, or the results are 85% likely to fail. Potions of the firstdifficulty can be attempted in this way, but failure will result in apotion that has the opposite result. Animal Control will causethe animal to feel blind rage. Climbing will cause the figure to bepushed away from the surface being climbed. Delusion willcause the imbiber to become more alert and thoughtful, butthen he/she will give in to almost any suggestion. Levitation willcause the figure to plunge as if he/she weighed twice as much,thus damage will be double and saving throws for items will beat -1. Sweet Water will pollute the sample even more and turn itinto a mild poison (2d4 damage). Skeleton/Zombie Control willcause those monsters to attack the imbiber, foregoing all othervictims. Any cleric within 20 feet of the imbiber will be unable toturn or destroy the monsters. Water Breathing will cause thefigure to gag and cough and speed the rate of drowning by100%. Dust of Appearance will fail so that invisible objects willnot be revealed. However, all adverse results of making such apotion will initially not be evident, causing the Brewer or imbiberto believe the potion is correct. A defect in an improperly pre-pared potion is detectable by the 10% test or by regular analysis,but at -30% to the normal chance for proper identification.

Brewers can make various chemical compounds but neverany item that requires crystallization or distillation (i.e., potionsof materials of the second or higher level of difficulty). Brewersare 75% likely to know how to brew beer, ale and/or malt liquors.They often prepare these liquids for extra money if their masterwill allow such “nonsense.”

E. An Alember is a student of distillations of various types. Heis allowed to perform various steps in potion manufacture butalways under direct supervision. He is taught the first elementsin the alchemist’s written language, Alchemese. Unless Com-prehend Languages is available, another figure cannot read analchemist’s prescription on how to make a potion. At 11th level,magic-users can learn this language so that they no longer needan alchemist to make a potion. Alembers can attempt a potion oftheir own but such a potion, even if Comprehend Languages isavailable, might fail.

Those percentages are given in the alchemist abilities chart.However, failure will produce specific results. Roll percentiledice and consult the following table to determine success orpossible after-effects of a potion that fails.

Result

SuccessComplete failureExplosion

(6d4 damage)Half efficacyOpposite effectMild poison

(5d4 damage)Toxic poison

(5d6 damage)Lethal poison

(Death unlessa save is made;4d6 damage inany case)

Alchemistsonly

1-2526-4546-50

51-60 59-6461-70 65-7971-90 80-90

91-96 91-96

97-00

A non-alchemist or amagic-user under 11th

level usingComprehend Languages

1-1516-5051-58

Modifiers to percentile dice roll: For alchemists of 6th level(Identifier) or higher, subtract 23 for each level higher than 5th.For non-alchemists or magic-users under 11th level, subtract 2for each level higher than 1st. Note that the subtraction for a10th-level or 11th-level alchemist is always greater than 100;hence, all potions manufactured by them are successful. Allmodified results of less than 01 are treated as 01.

97-00

Examples: A Scholar (7th level) reads a potion prescriptionbased on his knowledge of Alchemese. He is allowed to subtracttwo times 23 from any dice roll. If he rolls 86, he subtracts 46 for aresult of 40 (complete failure). A fighter of 8th level with a Helmof Comprehend Languages and Read Magic would be allowed asubtraction of 7 (levels over 1st) x 2, or 14, from his/her dice rollin trying to make a potion. Such a fighter would still have to havean intelligence sufficient to make the potion (i.e. depending onthe degree of difficulty of the potion), so that a fighter of intelli-gence 11 could not make a potion of the second difficulty evenwith the helm. Note that an 8th-level magic-user would have justas much chance as an 8th-level fighter. Only at 11th level domagic-users gain real alchemist abilities. The conversion tablefor magic-users to alchemists is given below:

Magic-user level Equivalent alchemist level11 - 12 813 - 14 915 - 16 10

17+ 11+Thus, in any attempt to perform any function of an alchemist,

a 14th-level magic-user is equal to a 9th-level alchemist. It mustbe noted that a magic-user of 11th or higher level gains no extraspells by learning alchemy. If he/she wishes to learn and thenmemorize a spell written in Alchemese it is at the level inalchemist terms regardless of what level spell it might be for themagic-user.

Example: A Wizard (12th level) wishes to learn the spell MagicMissile written in Alchemese. It is a 5th-level alchemist spell andmust be learned at the Wizard’s 5th level even if he/she knows itat first level as a magic-user. Further, the Wizard will only obtainthe results with it that an alchemist would obtain, i.e. four MagicMissiles. That would be true even if the Wizard were 20th level!Thus, magic-users use the equivalent alchemist level whenlearning such spells. An alchemist’s highest effective level forthe purpose of range, duration, etc. is 7th.

F. The Identifier begins to learn second-level alchemistspells. Identify Potion is always taught first and the student mayconsider his/her intelligence as being two full points higher forthe learning percentage on this important spell. The Identifierlearns no new skills.

G. The Scholar is given the knowledge of third-level alchem-ist spells as well as the knowledge to make poisons. He/she canmake poisons in four stages: mild, toxic, lethal and destructive.His/her chance of success is measured in detail as follows:Type of Damage Inflicted:Poison Failed Success- Saving Manufacture result:

Save ful Save throw Success Failure Halfmodifier efficacy

Ingested typesMild (“A”) 5d4 2d4 +2 1 - 65 66 - 88 89 - 00Toxic (“B”) 5d6 3d4 +1 1 - 48 49 - 84 85 - 00Toxic (“C”) 5d8 5d4 0 1 - 40 41 - 84 85 - 00Lethal (“D”) Death 4d6 0 1 - 36 37 - 75 76 - 00Destructive Death 5d6 -1 1 - 27 28 - 68 69 - 00

(“E”)Insinuative types“A” 4d4 0 +1 1 - 70 71 - 90 91 - 00“B” 4d6 0 0 1 - 55 56 - 92 93 - 00"C" 4d10 0 -1 1 - 37 38 - 84 85 - 00“D” Death 0 0 1 - 27 28 - 78 79 - 00

Half-efficacy poisons do the same damage as if there were asuccessful saving throw versus poison on a full-strength ingest-ed poison. If the saving throw versus a half-efficacy poison ismade, there is no damage whatsoever. Half-efficacy insinuativepoisons do 2d4, 2d6, 2d10, and 2d12 respectively if the savingthrow versus poison fails. If the saving throw is made there is nodamage. These poison types conform, roughly, to the list givenon page 20 of the DMG.

Modifiers to Manufacture result dice roll: Subtract 16 from theroll for each level of the alchemist above 7th level. Subtract only

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8 from the die roll for each level of a magic-user above 11th leveland limit the subtraction to 40. Magic-users just do not makepoisons as well as alchemists do. In fact, you might wish toforbid magic-users from making poisons altogether. The cost ofthe various poisons is given in the DMG, page 20.

H. Graduates learn analysis techniques of potion identifica-tion so that imbibing is not necessary. 10% of the potion isconsumed in the analysis. Without the text of the prescription inthe Graduate’s book, he/she is 40% likely to misidentify thepotion. With the prescription, the chance for misidentification isonly 15%. Any analysis has a 10% chance to produce an explo-sion. Check for this chance before determining if the analysiswas a success or not. The chance is reduced by 2% per levelabove 8th so a Grandmaster is only 4% likely to have his labexplode. The explosion so produced will deal out 4d4 points ofdamage. The charge for such an analysis is 150GP.

I. Alchemists of 9th level learn what will occur if two potionsare mixed. They can, by chemical analysis, predict with 70%accuracy the result of a potion mixture. This accuracy is 80% fora Master and 90% for a Grandmaster. Use the chart on page 119of the DMG. If the accuracy percent is diced then tell the playerthe proper result. If it is not, re-roll and tell the player the newresult. The cost of the miscibility analysis is 450GP. This analy-sis actually requires mixing about 5% of the two potions andthus the actual result does occur, but at a substantial reduction.Explosion will deal out 1d8 of damage. Explosion might alsooccur due to the analysis itself. This is 20% likely for an Alchem-ist, 15% for a Master and 10% for a Grandmaster. Explosion dueto the analysis will yield 4d6 points of damage.

If two alchemists prepare identical potions, they will mix inthe same way only if the prescriptions are identical. Thus, aHealing potion could be mixed with a potion of Gaseous Formand an explosion might result. However, if either of the twopotions were made from a different prescription a new resultwould be obtained if they were mixed.

Giving formulas for each and every potion would be a wasteof time. Some suggested key ingredients are given in the DMG(pages 116 & 117). Others can be substituted. A prescription forany particular potion will tell the key ingredient. Substitution ofthe key ingredient should reduce the chance of success by 10%for a first-difficulty potion, 16% for a second-difficulty potion,23% for a third-difficulty potion and 40% for a fourth-difficultypotion.

Some items might be bought by alchemists when obtained bya party. The items can be traded for potions or for a reducedprice in buying/making/testing a potion. Alchemists, since theyat-e such poor fighters and since they have so few useful combatspells, will rarely ‘go on an adventure, even if some importantraw material might be obtained. Alchemist henchmen, of anylevel, will go on a trip only if there is ample protection and theydo not have to go into danger themselves. Alchemist henchmenwill give their bosses a slight discount on the cost of any potionthey make. After all, he/she is providing room and board andperhaps even raw materials. Alchemists, Masters and Grand-masters like to hire from 3-10 helpers/novices to help in the lab.They would like their mentors to pay for these hirelings. Al-chemists, Masters and Grandmasters who have set up shop in atown will have hirelings, including guards of various types. Thisoverhead will mean that potion prices, as well as testing prices,will be as much as 40 to 100% more than the listed prices.

ALCHEMIST SPELLSEach spell is identical to the appropriate magic-user, clerical

or druidic spell — but remember to use the hit dice of thealchemist for equivalent level when figuring range, duration,area of effect, etc. Magic-users of 11th level and above use theequivalent dice of the alchemist to determine these variablesand not their own level! Alterations in an existing spell aremarked with an asterisk (*) and noted following the lists. A newspell unique to alchemists, but usable by magic-users, is

marked with a number sign (#). Given also in some cases is acost (to the customer) to cast the spell.

First LevelComprehend Languages (45GP)Detect Magic (150GP)Erase (80GP)Identify Minerals # (125GP)Mending * (40% of item value)Produce FlamePurify Water (100GP)Stir #Wizard Glue # (225GP per effective level)Write * (200GP/spell level)

Second LevelAffect Normal Fires (10GP)Create WaterEnlargeFaerie FireIdentify Potion # (80GP)Identify Plants # (50GP)Preserve # (150GP)ShatterShrinkUnseen Servant

Third LevelFreeze Metal * (50GP)Heat Metal * (50GP)Identify Poison # (75GP)Leomund’s Trap (125GP)Magic Mouth (145GP)Slow Poison (200GP/effective level)Tenser’s Floating DiskWizard Lock (200GP)

Fourth LevelExtension IFind Familiar *Fools GoldFind Plants # (125GP)Glyph of Warding (shock or explosion)KnockLevitateNeutralize Poison (1000GP)PyrotechnicsStone Shape (400GP)

Fifth LevelBurning HandsDispel Magic (700GP)Explosive RunesGlyph of Warding (paralyzation or blindness)Magic Missile (4)Locate Object (300GP)Polymorph OtherPolymorph SelfTelekinesisTransmute Rock to Ore # (150GP plus 10% of ore value)

Spell notesFirst level

Identify Minerals: Via this spell the alchemist can determine ifan outcropping contains a specific mineral he/she is seeking.The mineral must be named prior to spell casting. Minerals canbe complex or simple. The spell will take 1 round to cast, it willlast for 1 turn per effective level of the alchemist, and will coveran area of ten feet by ten feet to a depth of sixty feet. Man-madestructures as well as any plant or plant byproducts will foil the

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detection. Once a metal is smelted it cannot be detected, sincethe spell only locates minerals in their natural state.

Mending will only work on pottery and glass; otherwise it isidentical to the magic-user spell. A piece broken into a numberof pieces (not fragmented to shards or dust) can be put backtogether.

Stir is a simple spell that employs any natural stick or rod as astirring device so that the alchemist can do something else.Stirring can be set to any pace and for any duration up to 1 hourper effective level of the alchemist. Casting time is one round asthe alchemist physically duplicates the speed and tempo of thestirring stroke with the stick or rod. The stirring will then con-tinue without him/her. He can command the stirring to stop andbegin again as long as the duration permits.

Wizard Glue is the creation of a bond that will hold onerelatively flat substance to another: a picture to a wall, a mirrorto a door, a rug to the floor, a light fixture to a ceiling, etc. Theglue is quite strong but it can only support 20 pounds pereffective level of the alchemist. Brittle items, like a mirror, wouldbreak if they were forced from the wall when held by WizardGlue. The material component is honey, which must be appliedto both surfaces before they are joined. It takes only one seg-ment to cast the spell. Body weight converts to support weight ita living thing is held in/by the glue. Dispel Magic will unglue theitem. The area to be closed/held cannot exceed 20 square feetper level of the alchemist. Doors can be glued shut, as well aschests, etc. But once the bond is broken the glue no longeradheres. Strength in excess of 10 can break a 20-pound bond,12 or better can break one of 40 pounds, 14 can break one of 60pounds, 16 can break one of 80 pounds, 17 can break one of 100pounds, 18 can break one of 120 pounds and 18 (51) or better isneeded to break one of 140 pounds. Bonds stronger than 140pounds cannot be created.

Write can be used to copy texts written in Alchemese. It canalso be used to translate magic-user text to Alchemese if used inconjunction with Read Magic. It can not be used to write a spellin the magic-user language.

Second levelIdentify Potion is a spell that uses 10% of the potion in ques-

tion as the material component. The potion does not have to beimbibed but it must at least be touched (bare skin in the liquidsample). It increases the accuracy of the “10% test” by 15% pereffective level of the alchemist. Unknown potions cannot beidentified except by the analysis method also described herein.This spell adds 7% per effective level of the alchemist to thattest. Finally, the spell adds 3% to the mixture test also describedherein. The duration would be that of the appropriate test withcasting time equalling duration.

ldentify Plants gives the alchemist the powers of a 3rd-leveldruid. The casting time is 1 round, duration 1 turn per effectivelevel, range up to 120 feet, area of effect a 60-foot diametercircle. The material component is the leaf of any tree.

Preserve is a spell cast upon a finished potion to insure that itwill remain unchanged and to protect it from exposure to nor-mal air. Potions have a 20% chance, or higher, to deterioratewhen exposed to the air. Time sometimes will destroy a potion’sefficacy. Spell duration is until the liquid is mixed or imbibed.Casting time is 1 round. One Preserve spell can effect only onepotion. The spell is also used to preserve ingredients so thatthey will not deteriorate, like eye of basilisk, horn of ki-rin, trollblood, etc.

Third levelFreeze and Heat Metal are like the druidic spell but both are

used in making potions and do not have a good application tocombat situations. Range is touch. Duration is 1 hour per effec-tive level with maximum freezing/heating occurring at the mid-point of the spell duration. The amount of metal affected is only10 pounds (100 GP weight) per level of the alchemist. There is no

60

saving throw. Thus, it can be used in combat, but the targetwould have plenty of time to remove his/her armor. The spellcan have some uses as a trap if time is on the side of the caster.

Identify Poison merely tells if a specific sample is poison orhas been poisoned. It is infallible in that regard, but the strengthof the poison is not determined. Range is 100 feet, area of effectis 20 cubic feet of material. Casting time is 8 segments.

Fourth levelFind Familiar produces a different set of possible familiars

from the magic-user spell. Other variables of the spell are thesame, however. Roll d20:

1-4 Black cat5-8 Hoot owl9-11 Crow

12-16 Garter snake17 Special18-20 None available this year

Special familiars depend on the alchemist’s alignment: lawfulgood, a brownie or a blink dog; lawful neutral, pseudodragon;lawful evil, imp.

An alchemist’s familiar does not add to his/her hit points orlevel. It can gain information the same way a magic-user’sfamiliar can, and the alchemist has a telepathic link to it for thesake of communication. An alchemist with a familiar may add5% to all of his/her chances to perform any task whatsoever. Ifthe familiar is killed, the alchemist will be minus 5% on all tasksuntil a new familiar is gained.

Find Plants allows the alchemist to find a living plant any-where within one mile per effective level if he/she has a sampleof any part of that plant. Direction will be pointed out withouterror for a period of one hour per effective level.

Fifth levelTransmute Rock to Ore will turn any ore-bearing rock into the

pure ore in any form the alchemist desires, “form” beingpowder, solid, etc. and not implying the final shape of the ore.The spell takes one hour to cast, and interrupting the casting willnegate the spell completely. A magnitude of one ton of rock canbe reduced to the ore within it via this spell. Worked rock will notbe affected.

May 1981

61

Vol. V, No. 11

by Gary Snyder

The Wish and Limited Wish spells arean important part of the ADVANCEDDUNGEONS & DRAGONS™ game, andsooner or later every player and Dun-geon Master will be confronted with thequestion of how to make a Wish or howto fulfill one.

The Players Handbook describes thesespells in the vaguest of terms — a neces-sary condition, because any attempt todefine the Wish concept naturally in-volves limiting the scope and power ofthe Wish to the characteristics describedby the definition.

It is up to individual DMs and playersto define and interpret the Wish and Li-mited Wish in such a way that the use ofthose spells in a campaign does not havean unfair or inappropriate effect on play.The ten General Principles of Wishes,presented and explained in the textwhich follows, represent one possibleway of establishing “ground rules” forthe use of Wish spells which can be usedto the benefit of DM and players alike.

The General Principles below do notnarrow the power and scope of a Wish tothe point where a DM can quote a Gen-eral Principle as a self-explanatory resultof a Wish. The intent of the Principles isto encompass broad concepts which arerelatively easy to apply in any specificcase which might arise. The stricture setdown by a certain Principle may help todetermine whether a Wish has any effectat all in a certain situation, or, if it iseffective, what degree of success is at-tained by the wisher in achieving the de-sired end by the desired means. Usually,a Principle will be no help at all in deter-mining exactly how a Wish ought to beworded or exactly how it ought to befulfilled.

The Principles are meant to apply toWish and Limited Wish spells, wishesacquired from rings, scrolls, swords, rel-ics and artifacts, and wishes obtainedfrom efreet and noble djinn. They do not(necessarily) pertain to “wishes” grant-ed by devils, demons or gods, which areactually forms of Divine (or demoniac ordiabolic) Intervention.

Wishes vs. Divine InterventionA Wish or Limited Wish is simply a

magic spell of a specific level which canbe used as a general-purpose method toachieve some desired result. Any Wish is

The General Principles of WishesI: Wishes are 9th-level magic spells and are limited in

power accordingly; Limited Wishes are 7th-level spellswhich are even more limited.

II: Wishes cannot change what has already happened,but they can be used to alter or negate the result of someprior happening.

III: Wishes cannot directly affect that which will happen,except in the sense that everything that will happen is adirect result of what is and has been happening.

IV: Wishes are bound by the laws under which theythemselves are brought about and used.

V: Wishes have no authority and no power over the ab-stract, the insubstantial, or the non-concrete.

VI: Wishes will always act in the simplest manner possi-ble while abiding by the wording of the Wish itself.

VII: Wishes are general-purpose spells, and as such maybe used voluntarily in a number of ways, with varyingchances for success.

VIII: Wishes will rarely achieve more than one end, andnever more than two.

IX: Wishes will fulfill, to the limits of their power, not onlythe desired end but the means by which that end is broughtabout.

X: Wishes are impartial, objective and consistent.

limited in power and bound by the lawsof the universe in which it is employed.

By contrast, Divine Intervention is anaction of a deity or god, just as diabolicand demoniac interventions are actionsof devils and demons respectively. Whilethese three types of beings are alsobound by laws which govern their envi-ronments, their power in their own realmsand in those realms not specially desig-nated as belonging to another similar be-ing is nearly unlimited. An act of inter-vention can actually change that whichhas already occurred, or can directly anddefinitively alter the course of futureevents — things which a Wish cannotaccomplish.

The General Principles of Wishes arenot designed to apply to intervention bya deity, demon or devil. The granting offavors by such beings cannot be gov-erned by any general rules, since eachinstance of intervention may producedrastically different results depending

upon the preference or the inclination ofthe deity at that certain time.

THE GENERAL PRINCIPLESOF WISHES

IWISHES ARE 9TH-LEVEL MAGIC

SPELLS AND ARE LIMITED IN POWERACCORDINGLY; LIMITED WISHESARE 7TH-LEVEL SPELLS WHICH AREEVEN MORE LIMITED.

There is no such thing in the AD&D™rules as a 10th-level spell, or any form ofmagical energy which is more potentthan a 9th-level spell. If a Wish was un-limited in power, it would be theoretical-ly possible for it to have the energy of a10th-level spell — but then the Wish spellitself would have to be considered a10th-level spell, and that is a contradic-tion. Using the same reasoning, a Limit-ed Wish is limited in scope and power towhat can be accomplished with the

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May 1981

energy of a 7th-level spell. In addition tothese general limitations, there are spe-cific instances cited in the AD&D ruleswhere the use of a Wish is impossible orineffective.

WISHES CANNOT CHANGE WHATHAS ALREADY HAPPENED, BUT THEYCAN BE USED TO ALTER OR NEGATET H E R E S U L T O F S O M E P R I O RHAPPENING.

If, for example, someone has been dis-integrated, nothing short of divine inter-vention can change that fact: he hasbeen disintegrated. The result of this oc-currence, however, can be nullified by aWish which causes the body of the victimto be reintegrated (see Principle VIII).

WISHES CANNOT DIRECTLY AF-FECT THAT WHICH WILL HAPPEN,EXCEPT IN THE SENSE THAT EVERY-THING THAT WILL HAPPEN IS A DI-RECT RESULT OF WHAT IS AND HASBEEN HAPPENING.

A Wish has no real power to affect any-thing except at the precise moment it isuttered (see Principle II). Therefore, aWish for a specific occurrence or situa-tion to come about in the future — butnot at the time the Wish is actually made— would have the effect of placing thewisher in circumstances at the presenttime that would most possibly bringabout the desired end after the passageof the intervening time, but would notand could not constitute a guaranteethat the desired event will happen.

IVWISHES ARE BOUND BY THE LAWS

UNDER WHICH THEY THEMSELVESARE BROUGHT ABOUT AND USED.

In most AD&D universes, this will meanthat a Wish cannot make something outof nothing or vice versa. For the creationof food, water, soft goods and other suchitems, raw materials (carbon, oxygen,hydrogen, nitrogen) are usually availa-ble in abundance. However, the creationof a certain amount of iron, copper, gold,platinum, or other valuable materials ismuch more difficult because of the rela-tive scarcity of such items. In any event,the creation of a quantity of materialwhich is greater in mass than the spell-caster or wisher will be considered muchmore complex and energy-draining thanthe alternative of teleporting the wisherto the desired substance or vice versa(see Principle VI). For purposes of thisdetermination, all magical items and allliving beings (with the exception of thecharacter using the Wish) are consider-ed to be of infinite mass; that is, the crea-tion of such items by a Wish is essentiallyimpossible, since the energy of a Wish isnot also infinite.

II

III

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Vol. V, No. 11

VWISHES HAVE NO AUTHORITY AND

NO POWER OVER THE ABSTRACT,THE INSUBSTANTIAL, OR THE NON-CONCRETE.

In particular, a Wish cannot grant ow-nership, titles, or other stations whichrequire an authority to confer them uponsomeone else. Nor can they removesuch titles and privileges, either from thewisher or others. If a Wish deals whollyor primarily with abstract, intangibleconsiderations, there can be no certain-ty that the Wish will achieve the desiredend; at best, the Wish will put the wisherinto circumstances which have the great-est possibility of achieving that end (seePrinciple III).

VIWISHES WILL ALWAYS ACT IN THE

SIMPLEST MANNER POSSIBLE WHILEABIDING BY THE WORDING OF THEWISH ITSELF.

If a desired end may be accomplishedwith a lower-level spell than the wisherhad in mind, for instance, and the meansto achieve that end was not fully speci-fied in the Wish, then the lower-levelspell will be used. In general, the moremass or energy involved in the fulfill-ment of a Wish, the more complex theundertaking will be. “Creation” (see Prin-ciple IV) of a substance or material ismore difficult than molecular rearran-gement which might accomplish thesame purpose. Molecular rearrangementis more difficult than destruction, des-truction is more difficult than the tele-portation of something, and teleporta-tion is more difficult than simple en-lightenment or knowledge given to thewisher.

VIIWISHES ARE GENERAL-PURPOSE

SPELLS, AND AS SUCH MAY BE USEDVOLUNTARILY IN A NUMBER OFWAYS, WITH VARYING CHANCES FORSUCCESS.

To employ this principle properly, it isnecessary to determine at what level ofpower the magic operates to cause thefulfillment of a particular wish. If the me-thod involves the magic of a known spell,the level of the magic is easily deter-mined from the rules; new spells or othertypes of magic will have to be comparedto existing spells and magic by the DMbefore determining the level of magic in-volved. Chances for success (completefulfillment of the wish) depend upon thetype of Wish (magic-user or clerical) andthe level of magic involved, according tothe following chart:

Spell Full Wish Limited WishLevel M-U Cleric M-U Cleric1-4 100% 100% 100% 100%5 100% 100% 100% 75%6 100% 90% 80% 50%

7 100% 75% 50% --89

90%75%

-- -- ---- -- --

Often, but not always, when a spelllevel lower than the Wish itself is used toachieve the desired end, the manifesta-tion of the magic will be similar to thespell in question but in an improved form(for instance, teleportation with nochance for error) because of the extrapower of the Wish spell itself above andbeyond the energy needed to make thewish come true. Spells which are “im-proved” in this manner are generallythose of levels where the chance for suc-cess is 100%.

VIIIWISHES RARELY WILL ACHIEVE

MORE THAN ONE END, AND NEVERMORE THAN TWO.

All spells are formulated to achieve aspecific purpose, whether it be to neu-tralize poison in some creature, charm ahostile group of opponents, or restorelife in an individual. It is not beyond thepower of a Wish to reintegrate a charac-ter and even restore life to his body (con-stitution check applicable); even thoughthose are two distinctly separate acts,they both contribute to the fulfill-ment of a specific purpose. In contrast, itwould not be possible for a single Wishto teleport a group of characters out ofthe middle of a melee to a place of safety,accompanied by all the opponents’ trea-sure (which, at the time of the Wish, isstill in the possession of the opponents).

In any case except the most simplyworded wishes, the DM will have toweigh the Wish in terms of how manyends it is designed to achieve. For ex-ample, how many dead characters can aWish bring back to life all at once? Theanswer varies: If the deaths were all dueto a single incident such as a cave-in, orif they all occurred within the same shortperiod of time during melee, a Wishwould probably be permitted to save allthe victims, since only the effect of oneshort span of time is being altered, and inthat respect only one end is beingachieved. On the other hand, if half of agroup of characters died in a cave-in andthe other half in a run-in with an umberhulk, only one group of victims would beable, to be brought back to life with asingle Wish — altering one occurrence,not two, and achieving only one end in-stead of two distinctly different pur-poses.

IXWISHES WILL FULFILL, TO THE LIM-

ITS OF THEIR POWER, NOT ONLY THEDESIRED END BUT THE MEANS BYWHICH THAT END IS BROUGHTABOUT.

The wording of this Principle impliesthat a Wish spell has reasoning power of

its own which enables it to make a“choice” between various methods ofachieving a desired end, and perhapseven distort or depart from the wordingof the wish. This is NOT so!

A good example of the improper dis-tortion of a Wish is the character whowishes for a demon to serve him as aslave — and gets sent to the Abyss topick one out. Some DMs consider this afair interpretation, claiming that it doesnot violate the wording of the wish. Whilethis may be technically true (dependingupon the actual wording), such action isin violation of the nature of a Wish.

It has been pointed out in earlier Prin-ciples that a Wish may be fulfilled in oneof several different ways. In all cases, theWish will be fulfilled in such a way thatthe end result is achieved as desired, andin the manner which it could reasonablybe expected to be achieved. One of thebiggest advantages of a Wish is its flexi-bility, but this is only an advantage aslong as the DM and the players all usecommon sense and fairness in the word-ing and fulfillment of a desire.

XWISHES ARE IMPARTIAL, OBJEC-

TIVE AND CONSISTENT.If a Wish works in a certain way in a

certain situation, it should always workin the same manner in identical situa-tions in the future — as long as the set ofcircumstances directly involved in theWish is the same.

Sometimes it may be a matter of inter-pretation whether the conditions for aWish are identical to the conditions thatexisted at a previous time when an earli-er Wish was used. In any event, if thegeneral conditions are the same and theWish is worded identically to or general-ly the same as a previous Wish, themeans of achieving an end and that enditself must be generally the same as theywere for the first Wish.

If a DM is properly consistent in thisfashion, it may become possible forplayers to “predict” the effects or theoutcome of making a certain Wish at acertain time. Players should be permit-ted to have this knowledge and to be ableto trust in it once they have figured outthis “law of nature.” Players should alsobe aware that the nature of a Wish makesit impossible to predict any outcomewith certainty. The word “consistency”in the Principle stated above appliesmore to the approach and the motives ofthe DM (who grants the wish) than itdoes to the actual result of the Wish.

In no case should the DM’s personalfeelings for a player or a character haveany influence on whether a Wish isgranted or how it is put into effect. Pettyemotions are neither impartial, objectivenor consistent, and have no place in theimplementation of a Wish or in any otheraspect of an AD&D adventure.

64

May 1981

by Roger E. Moore

“I wish that our party was immediatelyand safely teleported home to SilverMountain Castle, with all our equipmentand treasure.”

With these words, we found ourselves

ed, but as one we cried victory to theoaken rafters and the heavens above. Wehad conquered!

“And now for the experience points,”said Mark, the game master for the night.

We hastily pulled sheets of scratchpaper from our character folders andbegan jotting down the numbers Mark

spent in dividing up the loot, and wecame away with new swords, axes, ma-ces, wands, armor, and gold and gems. Itwas the best treasure we’d ever won, andwe’d worked for it the entire evening. Ithad been close, but we’d played hardand well, without regard to time. I fin-ished the last few notes on my High Pri-

suddenly transported from the gray stone called out to us. After calculating our est character and glanced at my watch. Itreasure vault of the dead demon prince new experience totals, we found my was stunned to see that it was nearlyto the high, friendly halls of our citadel, High Priest, Fritz’s Wizard, Cindy’s Figh- 11:45; it felt like such a short time sincethe stains of battle on our faces and ter and Al’s Paladin had each gained a we’d started. Time really does fly whenweapons and a wealth of riches at our new level, and everyone else was close you’re having fun, I remember thinking.feet. We were all battered and exhaust- to doing the same. Another half hour was To cap off the evening, Carol and Bill

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went into the kitchen and came backwith some bottles of wine they saidthey’d been saving for “special events”like this one. They passed out glasses toall of us (even to Al, who never drank)and filled them up with the bright liquid.

“A toast!” commanded Mark, and hestood up from behind his paper-cluttereddesk. Everyone put their notebooks andpencils and dice aside and stood, too.We arranged ourselves in an oval withMark at one end and Al, the party leader,at the other.

“To the ones who dare and win,” saidMark simply. The glasses rang togetherbetween us, and we drank. The winekindled a warm feeling inside me, and itgrew as I became aware of the bond thatour fantasies had built between us.

In our everyday lives we were just or-dinary people. I worked in a church li-brary, Fritz was a physics student, Caroland Bill were into real estate, Rhondataught botany at a high school, Mark wasa scout troop leader, Cindy was doingpolitical campaign work and Al was in.law school. We had good lives, but we’dsometimes tell each other we wished wehad something more. There was an ele-ment missing in the daily schedules wesetup, and it was the sense that we wereaccomplishing something. I think we allfound what we were missing when werode our steeds out into the lands of role-playing and dreams. We were proud ofbeing alive, and proud of what we did. Itkept us going through the rest of theweek.

When we finished the toast we satdown again and began to talk about theadventure that evening, the adventureswe’d shared on weekends before, andanything else we could think of. Therewere laughter and smiles, the wine flow-ed more freely, and we had long andridiculous discussions on whether therewere any witches alive today, what theLoch Ness monster was, UFO’s, faithhealers, and magic in general. It wasabout then that Bill went into the bed-room and came out with his collection ofmagic rings.

His great-grandmother had owned therings, he said, sitting down with a darkwooden box in his lap that had a thinlayer of dust on top. She was reputed tohave been a witch in the AppalachianMountains in the late 1800’s, and sheclaimed to have had the power to stopmachinery with a glance and cause mento do her bidding. Most of us smiled atthat, but Carol went back to the bed-room and found a photo album that had apicture of Bill’s great-grandmother. Itwas an old brown-and-white shot, fadedand brittle, that showed an old womanstanding beside a backwoods cabinporch. She held a cane in her left handbut didn’t appear to be leaning on it. Ihad a feeling that she must have been a

pretty spry old lady in her later years; herface was lined and worn but even theaged photo revealed lively, dark eyesand a half-smile on her lips.

The rings had been her pride and joy.Bill opened the box after cleaning off theoutside, and the sight drew a chorus of“oohs” from us all. Light flashed fromrings of gold and silver, adorned withelaborate carvings and set with dia-monds, rubies, and topaz. Though theylooked somewhat baroque and the stoneswere not particularly large, they werevery impressive. Rhonda reached for aring with two emeralds in it, lookingquestioningly at Bill. He invited us topick them out and have closer looks, andsoon we each had a ring and were tryingthem on. A game began, sparked byFritz, in which we tried to guess whatmagical properties our rings had. Thewine was taking effect, and we shriekedwith laughter at the antics that went on.

I remember with fuzzy clarity standingby Mark’s desk, looking at the ring I hadchosen to wear. Unlike the other rings,mine was a plain gold band with someillegible script on the inside. I tried un-successfully to read the inscription inthe faint light, and I decided the writingwas in some language other than Eng-lish. Otherwise, the band was a simplething, but it fit my hand comfortably andI was happy with it. On impulse I held myhand aloft, fist clenched and ring high,and said, “I hereby summon forth fromthis device an elemental of water!”

Everyone turned to look at me, andMark cracked, “We’d be better off with abeer elemental.” The gang doubled overat that one. I didn’t laugh, though, beinginterested in the way the ring seemed toshine when the light wasn’t on it. Anoth-er thought occurred to me, and unseenby the group (who was watching Markact like a beer elemental) I tried some-thing else. I raised my fist again and said,quietly and mostly to myself, “I wish thatour wineglasses were full again.” It wasthe only other thing I could imagine thering would do; if it was a wish ring, thenwe’d at least get something useful fromit.

Behind me the conversation had turn-ed back to the Loch Ness monster when Iheard Carol’s voice ring out, “I told you Ididn’t want any more wine.” Her voicehad a touch of peevishness to it and wassharper than usual. I turned around andsaw her giving Bill a direct and some-what angry look. She held a full wine-glass. I checked around the room andsaw that everyone else had a full wine-glass, too; Al stared at his as if he wasn’tsure it was really there.

It hit me about then, the coincidencedid, and I laughed aloud with glee. Therehad been some tension in the air beforethen, as everyone was afraid Carol andBill might be getting ready to have a

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Vol. V. No. 11

fight. The tension evaporated and noweveryone watched me as if they thoughtI’d lost my marbles. I didn’t care. Fatehad just dealt me a perfect joke and ittook a while to calm down and explainwhat had happened. There was morelaughter then (with just a touch of relief).Al, however, wasn’t laughing. He staredat his glass as if it held a live rattlesnake,and sat it down on the table in front ofhim. He didn’t drink anything more therest of the night.

“Ben,” he said, eyeing the brimmingwineglass. “I saw my glass fill up withwine out of nowhere. I know it wasempty, too, because I’d just finished itoff.”

Everyone (including me) ridiculed himfor a few minutes. Then Rhonda reachedover for her glass, paused, and announ-ced that she remembered it had onlybeen half full when she’d last seen it. Atthat point we took an informal poll andfound no one else but Carol had noticedanything unusual about their glasses.After some talk, we decided to give thering a second try. I took it off while wedebated on what kind of thing we couldwish for. With our experience in fantasygaming in using rings of wishes, andknowing how screwed up the wish couldbecome if it was interpreted literally orthe meaning was distorted somehow, wewere highly reluctant at first to wish any-thing upon ourselves personally. Wewere still being affected by the drinks,though, and our imaginations wereaflame with the possibility of actuallydiscovering something new (even if weweren’t sure what it was we were uncov-ering). After a half hour of debate, Rhon-da pushed through a motion that weshould make a wish about the weather.

Cindy pulled the curtains apart in theliving room where we sat, and we lookedout into the night. Everything appearedrather unreal and insubstantial in thedarkness; even the porch light and thesmall streetlight at the end of the drive-way seemed to be part of another world,stark and alien. The air was quiet andstill, much as you might expect at 2:00 ona weekend morning. Carol opened thewindows and we heard the bleat of a carhorn down the block, a dog barking sev-eral houses away, a cricket chirpingunder the windowsill.

The ring was given to Mark because hehad the most experience at being a gamereferee (when he wasn’t a Ranger) andhe knew the most about misinterpretingwishes. We crowded around the win-dows and whispered nervously to oneanother. Mark and Al (who was the leastdrunk of us all) wrote down the wish on apiece of notebook paper and passed itaround for each of us to read and okay.There were clauses, simply stated, pro-tecting us from any “backlash” or unin-tended results. Briefly, the wish was for

May 1981

there to be rain in our neighborhood to-night. Several people went outside andreported that there were some scatteredclouds overhead, but nothing to indicatethe weather predictions of no rain werewrong. Mark announced that the wishwas ready, and we watched as he readthe wish for real. When he finished he putthe paper down (removing the ring aswell) and joined us at the windows.

Nothing seemed any different rightaway. After a couple of minutes we be-gan to fidget, and Rhonda giggled ner-vously when she said she hoped her carwindows were rolled up. Bill and Carolwent back into the kitchen for more wineand the rest of us were chatting and mov-ing back to our seats when Fritz jerkedaway from the windows and shouted,“Hey, quiet! Listen!”

There was dead silence except forsome noises from the kitchen. “What’sup?” asked Al.

Fritz held his head against the edge ofthe open window as if listening for some-thing. “I heard thunder,” he said quietly.

He raised his head to look out the win-dow — and suddenly light flooded intothe room — brilliant, electric light thatwas there and gone in a moment. I felt aterror in that moment that I’d neverthought it possible to feel. Almost atonce there was a boom as thunder crack-led and roared around us. I dropped mydrink, and so did Cindy and Mark. Carolshrieked briefly from the kitchen.

There came the sound of dropletsstriking the leaves of the tree outside,and we rushed to the windows as oneperson. Rain reflected in the lights of theporch and driveway lamp, and it grew inintensity until it was a deep, drummingroar on the roof and walls, a real summercloudburst. Rain, sheets of blinding, dri-ving rain.

We went mad. Mark screamed in a vo-ice that rose above the sound of stormand group alike, “It’s a real wish ring! Awish ring!” We screamed and shoutedwith him. Tears rolled down my face. Myhands shook and my skin seemed toburn as if aflame. Everyone raved andhugged one another, in triumph and infear. I felt like I was about to take off for anew world.

Outside, the lightning flashed again,and the thunder rolled.

* * *

We talked together for most of the restof the night. The storm passed about4:00, and it was about then that we madethe final decision on disposition of thering.

Tradition dictated that without excep-tion rings of wishes had but three wishesin them. We had apparently used two ofthem, though we had no idea if any hadbeen used before. We wanted to decide

what to do with the last wish, and pagesand pages of notes were written to thisend. All ideas were rejected but one.

It was Al, I think, who came up with theidea that we finally used. He got up andspoke passionately for several minutesabout our fantasy game, how he feltabout it, and how he felt about the realworld. He wanted our game to becomereality. We thought about our own lives,how we lived as real people and how welived as our fantasy characters. I imagin-ed a world of dragons and magic, knightsand damsels, warlords, witches, kingsand queens. We drank a little more wine,talked it over, wrote up the wish andmade it. It took an hour to work it all outand I can’t remember how it was phrased.It was a grand wish, though. We asked tobecome our player characters, our ownpersonal fantasy images of ourselves.The real world had become less dear tous than that world of imagination we tra-veled, in which we did deeds that madereality pale in comparison. We weremore alive in our dreams than now, andour dreams were what we wanted.

After it was done we sat up in the livingroom and waited. Seconds, minutes, andfinally hours passed. By the time the sunwas about to come up, we had drifted offto sleep, exhausted from the strain andstress.

We awoke sometime just before noon.Everything was just the same.

* * *

“A strange dream, if that was what itwas,” said Al. He leaned on the window-sill and looked out at the trees stirring inthe wind. The sun was bright and high,and the warmth of summer was carriedpast him into the room to the rest of us.

“It might have been from the exhaus-tion. We strained ourselves last eveningand we could have imagined the wholething.” I took another small sip from mywineglass, but only a small one. My headthrobbed from our overindulgence of thenight before and I didn’t plan to courtanother hangover.

Fritz snorted at my statement. “All ofus had the same dream, if a dream it was.Eight people rarely share the same twistsof imagination.” Carol, Bill, and Marknodded in agreement. Cindy and Rhon-da looked skeptical but didn’t add any-thing to the talk.

“Dream or not, it’s past time we wereup,” finished Al, turning away from thewindow. “We’d best be on our way down-stairs.” He reached down and picked uphis sword and scabbard and fastened itto his belt. The women stood and arrang-ed their gowns, and the sun flashed inthe gems sewn along the hems and col-lars, sending rays of rainbow light acrossthe room. Mark led the way out throughthe arched stone doorway, retrieving his

67

bow from behind the oaken door as heleft. Everyone filed out in silence untilonly Al and I were left. I suspected hisreasons for waiting back would concernme, and I wasn’t wrong.

He was a bit slow in getting to thepoint, but it came. “I, uh, seem to have,uh, overindulged in drink, Father Ben,and I, uh, feel I may ..... need to do peni-tence for it. Paladins aren’t supposed toget, uh, drunk...” His voice trailed off as Iwaved my hand in dismissal.

“Yesterday you slew a Demon Prince.The pressure was tremendous on us all,and we were in sore need of release. Ireally don’t recall that you drank all thatmuch, anyway. I don’t feel major peni-tence would be justified, but a prayer ortwo might stir your soul for the better.” Iclapped him on the back and smiled. Heglanced up briefly and began to smile,too.

As we turned to go he grunted andheld up his hand. The light from the win-dow in the tower where we stood gleam-ed off a plain gold ring on his right hand,and he stared at it without recognitionfor a few moments. Then he removed thering and offered it to me.

“Here you go, Father. My wish ring. Weused the last one yesterday to teleportout of the demon’s lair.” The band drop-ped into my upturned palm, and Alwalked out to follow the rest.

I rolled the ring around in my fingersas I walked over to the window ledge. Itlooked like the same one I’d seen in mydream last night, and I felt the deja vurise and pass as I tried to read the letter-ing on the inside. I could not, of course.Magical runes cannot be read by any butwizards, like Fritz. I thought of Fritz andhis musty gray robes, and imagined himstalking toward his laboratory in thedungeon below the castle. My mind wan-dered, and I imagined the rest of thegroup: Cindy would be on her way to herweapons room, Carol would check in atthe Thieves’ Guild and then join Bill towatch him practice casting new illusionspells, Mark would do some scouting inthe forests for new game (Rangers al-ways have the wanderlust), and Rhondawould return to the woods as well, asDruids are wont to do. Al and I would godown to the village and work at theChurch for the rest of the day, preparingfor the services of thanksgiving on themorrow. We would scatter, as we alwaysdid after every adventure, but every weekwe would join each other again and goout into the world on a new quest. It wasour lifeblood, to dare the unknown, andwe never refused it.

With one last glance at the ring, Iflipped it out of the window, and saw itglimmer and fall toward the moat below.We would have no further use for anempty wish ring. Then I turned and wentdown to find Al.

Vol. V, No. 11

Travel & threads for DragonQuestby Paul Montgomery Crabaugh

It is very easy to work up enthusiasm for SPI’s DragonQuest.Although by no means the most complete fantasy role-playinggame available, it is probably the best in its $10 price range.Combined with the usual SPI-quality rules, it is excellent, andpromises to become more so as supplements become available.

However, until the supplements are actually written, playersand referees will find a need to fill in some of the gaps — likeoverhand movement. The other aspects of an adventuring lifeare covered, including the chance of encounters, the effects ofexhaustion, and the need for supplies. The speed the characterscan travel at is left open, which, as you may have guessed, is thesubject of this article.

First, the assumptions. Scale is assumed to be 10 miles to thehex. Movement is defined in terms of number of hours requiredto cross a hex. The players have the choice of moving at a givenrate of excercise (See Case 82.9 in the rules), and are either onmounted on horses. If on horses, the players sufferfatigue loss at one level less than they are moving at a givenhorses suffer full effects); for example, if a party pushes forwardat a Hard pace, the characters become fatigued at the Mediumrate, while their mounts suffer the Hard rate. Sea movement isnot covered —that's another subject.

Two types of terrain exist: features which fill a hex com-pletely, and those which follow the hexsides. Hex-filling fea-tures are: Clear Terrain (including Field and Plain), Woods, Haz-ardous Terrain (Cavern, Crypt, Rough, Ruin and Waste), Moun-tain, Volcano, and Marsh.

Movement TableTerrain Light Med. Hard Stren. Lost**Clear 4 / 2 3/1½ 2/1 1/½ 10Woods 5 / 4 4/3 3/2 2/1 8Hazardous 6/4 5 / 3 4 / 2 3/1 9Mountain (1) 10+1/p 8+1/p 6+1/p 4+1/10+1 5Volcano (2) 12+1/p 10+1/p 8+1/p 6+1/14+1 6Marsh 5/5 4/4 3 / 3 2 / 2 7Stream (3) +½/+1 +½/+1 +½/+1 +½/+1 n aRiver (3) +1/+2 +1/+2 +1/+2 +1/+2 n aSlope* (3) +2/+2 +2/+2 +2/+2 +2/+2 n a

Explanations(1)— Visible in adjacent hex (normally, to map a hex, a party

must actually move into it).(2) — Visible 2 hexes away.(3) — Hex-side feature; all others are hex-filling.* — Cast is for movement up the slope only, and is in hours,

not dice; an exception to the usual rule for hex-side features.**— In each hex, roll this number or greater to become lost;

subtract one for each level of Ranger skill for that terrain type(but an unmodified 10 is always lost). When a party is lost, throwa 6-sided die to determine which adjacent hex it will move into,paying double the usual entry cost.

p— Prohibitedna— Not applicable.f/m— Hours to cross, foot/mountedf+x/m+y — Foot crosses in f+(x dice) hours, mounted in

m+(y dice) hours.+x/+y— Additional penalty to cross hex-side: x dice hours for

foot, y dice for mounted; however, see * above.

'Minimum clothing'One of the reasons for my fascination with DragonQuest is

that the combat system provides encouragement forswords and sorcery heroes in the classic style. In most systems,

68

armor is almost exclusively a benefit, so that characters walk (ortrundle) into battle surrounded by their very own Sherman tank.This can be lethal in DQ, where armor cuts agility down twice:once for being armor and once for being encumbering. Youmay end up almost invulnerable — but with your action pointsreduced to where you can only get in one blow to your oppo-nent’s three or more.

Going without armor carries its own hazards, but at least it isplausible to follow the lead of underclothed heroes such asConan, John Carter, Red Sonya and Rifkind.

However, some shopping for the latest styles quickly revealsthat the DQ shopping list caters to fairly ordinary street clothes— not tuxedos and formal gowns, but moderately heavy cloth-ing that can, under the proper circumstances, cost an actionpoint or two that might be needed someday.

Therefore, herewith is provided a list of “minimum clothing”:items of apparel sufficient to avoid violations of any indecent-exposure laws, but much lighter than regular clothing (and,incidentally, more in line with most of the 25mm miniaturefigures available).

Harness: made of leather, worn by either sex, weighs 2pounds, costs 8 SP; equivalent to a weapon belt. Favored byJohn Carter and (in a metallic version) Red Sonya.

Ribbons: female option only; a collection of barely adequatesilk ribbons and such; weighs 1 pound, costs 1 SP. Worn byElinore of Montagar.

Body Stocking: either sex, one pound, 4 SP. Worn by Rifkindof the Asheera, Oscar Gordon and the Empress of TwentyUniverses.

Loincloth: male option only, one pound 1 CF. Worn by Tarzanof the Apes, Conan of Cimmeria and others.

May 1981

To be free-lanceor not to be?

When veteran game designer RandyReed left the Avalon Hill Game Companyin late 1979 his last word was a pressrelease in which Randy foresaw that thedecade of the 1980’s would be that of thefree-lance game designer, much as theprevious history of the hobby has beenthat of the designer employed full timeby a publisher. The 1980’s have still hard-ly begun, but there has yet been no dis-cussion at all of this question of free-lance versus permanent employmentraised by Randy. Given the aspirationsof many hobbyists to design a game pro-fessionally and get it into print, it may beuseful to lay out a perspective on someof the advantages of each type of work inthe game field.

Randy is certainly correct in his im-pression of the past record of gaming— for a long time it has been the provinceof publishing houses employing perma-nent design staffs. Randy’s own outfit,Avalon Will, was the only one to dependsignificantly upon contributions fromfree-lancers. For the other major pub-lishing houses, such as Simulations Pub-lications and Game Designers’ Work-shop, picking up free-lance designs wasthe exception rather than the rule. Thiswas also true of some of the smaller pub-lishers like Battleline (since taken overby Heritage and then Avalon Hill), butnot of the minor publishers as a group.The typical pattern among minors, how-ever, was that the first one or two titleswould be executed as a labor of love bythose who had started the company.

This pattern began to change in thelater 1970’s, which perhaps accounts forRandy Reed’s expectations for the 80’s.Companies like Simulations Publicationsbegan to find it more difficult, underconstant pressure to produce more titles,to maintain the flow of innovative ideasthrough sole reliance upon in-house de-sign staffs. At the same time there ap-peared smaller companies like Ya-quinto and Chaosium, which attemptedto emulate the SPI formula of very manynew game titles annually. Under theseconditions, and especially with the newformula of the “minigame” with smallmap and few counters designed for acheap retail price, it became impossibleto do without substantial input from free-

lancers. But marketing strategies areephemeral, as are many of the smallgame publishers, and the “minigame”format may already be on the way out. Itis not apparent, on this basis, that the80’s will be the era of the great free-lancedesigners.

None of this means that new andskilled free-lance designers can’t be-come established just as others have al-ready become established. As long asgaming continues there will always be aplace for the innovative designer, or forthe person in the right place at the righttime with a completed game prototype.

A good example from the 70’s is Con-necticut designer Joe Angiolillo, whooriginally made his mark as a skilledgame player in the Avalon HilI A.R.E.A.ratings and at convention tournaments.Joe parlayed this recognition into anagreement by SPI to evaluate a Civil Wardesign he had thought up, and eventual-ly ended up working part time for SPI, forwhom he designed some of the “Blueand Gray” quads as well as the “mons-ter” game Objective Moscow. Joe hassince gone on to form his own company,Gameshop, to sell books and games andto produce some highly innovative de-signs of its own.

ly a starting designer, to command thebest royalty rates from publishers. Thebest chances are with the small publish-ers but then, as in Perry Moore’s case,the designer is dependent on the con-tinued financial health of the companywith which he deals. Moreover, it is im-possible to build royalties from free-lance designs into a real income unlessthe free-lancer can accumulate a rangeof his own designs in print. Building thebase is difficult and inevitably consumesquite a lot of time, and it is complicatedby the relatively short “shelf life” ofgames. Often one game can be out ofprint before the next design by that per-son is released. There is only one solu-tion for this problem: the designer’s workhas to be so good that the game stays inprint and hobbyists remain interested init.

A more current example is that of Cali-fornia designer Perry Moore. For a longtime Perry tried to get SPI to purchase avariety of designs that he thought up onthe Russian Front and other topics, butwith indifferent success. Things beganto break for him in 1979 when he gotBritish publisher Keith Poulter of Simu-lation Games interested in his designcalled Assault on Leningrad. Since thenPerry says he has sold games to severalpublishers and has brought out some“game kits” on Viet Nam subjects on hisown. Perry Moore’s experience also illustratessome of the pitfalls of free-lance design,however. One of the publishers to whomhe sold, Phoenix Games of Rockville,Maryland, folded after its first release,Streets of Stalingrad, and before any ofPerry’s designs for them could reachprint.

In addition, the free-lance designer isdependent upon the marketing whims ofhis publishers. Between 1978 and 1980,for example, Heritage Models decided tosell off its game component (Battleline),while TSR Hobbies, Inc., made movestoward creating a line of historical simu-lation games and then dropped the sub-ject. A designer who had sold to either ofthese publishing houses during that per-iod would have been left high and dry bythe marketing change.

Although the free-lance designer facesthese difficulties, the news is not all bad— the free-lancer has certain significantadvantages as well. Most important isthat he has a natural advantage in pro-ducing good game designs, since thefree-lancer works on only the games thathe wants to work on. Dedication to thetopic of a game is a vital element in mus-tering the attention to detail necessary tomake a good game design. Further, thefree-lancer can work on his design aslong as he needs to in order to get every-thing just right.

As a cautionary note, it is useful toreview some of the problems of free-lance designers. First, it is extremely dif-ficult for a free-lance designer, especial-

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Another advantage in terms of the bus-iness of game design is that the free-lancer is not committed to any particularpublishing house. He is free to take hisproduct wherever he thinks he can getthe best deal, or alternatively, to whom-ever he thinks can do the best produc-tion job with the game. In addition, bystanding outside the companies the free-

Vol. V, No. 11

lancer cannot be affected by manage-ment policies or internal politics withinthe publishing houses. He is free tospeak out on the issues and at the timeshe may think it appropriate. This is adistinctive position within the gameindustry.

In comparison, the permanently em-ployed staffer in the research and devel-opment (R&D) department of a gamepublisher has a different set of advan-tages than the free-lancer. The mostnotable is that the R&D staffer has asteady source of income, a job to occupyhimself while he develops game skills orother interests that lie outside the hobby.The connection with a game publisher isan important source of recognition forthe aspiring designer — it is much easierto achieve recognition as an R&D stafferfor, say, TSR, or AH, or SPI, than as afree-lance designer. In addition, con-stant work on the R&D staff of a publish-er, and exposure to the ideas of otherR&D people, is an important source oftraining in game design. For many years,as a matter of fact, it was the practice atSPI to promote relatively inexperienced(in design) playtesters to the R&D staffand then train them there. Further, theR&D staffer has a constant outlet for hiswork, which is published by his ownhouse, unlike the free-lancer who mustface the question of where to try sellingeach new game design.

Like the free-lancer, however, the per-manent R&D staffer faces his share ofdifficulties. Most important is that hecannot always work on the projects that

he wants to. Moreover, unlike the free-lancer, the R&D staffer often faces adeadline for the game design to go intoproduction. Ready or not, the game mustmeet its release date.

Also, the R&D staffer typically cannotfocus himself wholly on the design ofnew game systems; not only may thepublisher want a game based upon aspecific previous game system, but thestaffer must often develop game designsby other authors rather than creating hisown. Thus he is often less able to exer-cise his creativity than the free-lancer,who may start from scratch in each in-stance. Development work is not onlythe responsibility of publishers’ R&Dstaffs — every game must be thoroughlytested before it is ever offered to a pub-lisher — but the publisher’s main busi-ness is to ensure that every new game isin fact well developed before it movesalong to the stage of production.

Lesser problems also confront the per-manent employee of a game publisherthat are the result of his working for sucha company. Such a staffer is subject tomanagement policies of his company. Acouple of years ago, for instance, therewas an issue on the SPI R&D staff aboutwhether staffers should be able to look atgames produced by other companies.SPI’s system of time allocation did notprovide for this, and staffers were con-cerned that they were being isolatedfrom ideas innovated elsewhere. Cur-rently there is a similar issue at AvalonHill over whether staffers should be al-lowed to review games that are pub-

lished by other publishers. What a staffercan and cannot do may bother him but isa condition of employment so long as heremains with the publisher.

There are advantages and disadvan-tages to both free-lancing and perma-nent employment in game design. Eachaspiring designer must make up his ownmind on the question. This writer hasbeen and prefers being a free-lance de-signer, but this choice cannot work foreveryone. A good method for gettinginto free-lance game design today wouldbe to work for some time for an estab-lished publisher in order to develop andimprove design skills and build up atrack record of good game designs. Thisensures that, when a designer does makethe decision to go free-lance, publisherswill seriously consider the game designshe submits for publication. This is al-ready an advantage over the unknownfree-lancer who walks in off the streetwith a game, no matter how good it maybe. Randy Reed’s career is a good exam-ple of how this can be done successfully.

Of course, the other major possibilityfor a new designer who does not want toput in time in a publishing house and isnot accepted off the bat as a free-lanceris to form his own game company, butthis entails a whole other set of problemson the publishing and distribution sideof gaming. It is a significantly greaterrisk than going the route of either R&D orfree-lance employment. It is hoped thatthese comments will be of some use tothose persons considering trying to gettheir game designs into print. Good luck!

by Bryan Beecher city. The forces trapped were named the IX SS Mountain Corps,and were ordered to hold the city at all costs. On January 17, the

BUDAPEST, January 17, 1945: On December 12, 1944, theIV SS Panzer Corps opened a passage so the entrapped forcescould have escaped, had Hitler not forbade it. This scenario

Russian high command ordered that Budapest was to be assumes Hitler had wanted to withdraw the besieged forces.encircled and crushed. The 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts werein excellent position to cut off the city. German counterattacks VICTORY CONDITIONSdelayed the encirclement of the city until the 26th, with four The Russians must eliminate the SS squads and crews thatGerman divisions and one Hungarian division trapped in the start on board 1 while maintaining 10 squads (AFV’s with func-

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tioning armament count as 2 squads each) on boards 3 and 4.The German wins by preventing the Russian victory conditionsfrom occurring.

BOARD CONFIGURATION

SPECIAL RULES1. Snow rules are in effect.2. The Russian player receives random Sturmovik support.3. Game length: 8 turns.4. German sets up first; Russian moves first.

GERMAN FORCESBudapest Garrison, besieged elements of the IX SS Mountain

Corps, set up on any whole or half hex of board 1.2 76L AT 6 ATM 12 6 - 5 - 81 88L LAT 2 PSK 6 2 - 4 - 81 37L AA (16) 4 LGM 1 10 - 2 (SS)2 37L AA (8) 2 HGM 2 9 - 1 (SS)1 Flamethrower 2 Demo C. 2 8 - 0 (SS)

1 7 - 0 (SS)Armored relief force, elements of the IV SS Panzer Corps,

enter on the-west edge of board 2 on turn 3.4 Panthers (PzKw VG)2 Jagdpanthers (Jagd Pz V)2 King Tigers (PzKw VIB)3 Hetzers (Jagd Pz 38 (t))1 10 - 2 armor leader (SS)

RUSSIAN FORCESElements of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, enter on turn 1 on the

east edge of board(s) 1 and/or 3.6 T-34/76C 2 MMG 12 6 - 2 - 82 ATM 2 HMG (.50 cal.) 16 4 - 4 - 7

2 9 - 1Elements of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, enter on turn 1 on the

south edge of board 4.5 T-34/85 1 10 - 2 8 LMG2 SU-100 3 8 - 0 2 MMG1 10-3 armor leader 6 6 - 2 - 8 2 ATM

3 0 4 - 4 - 7

AFTERMATHBecause Hitler hadn’t allowed the IX SS to evacuate Buda-

pest, the city finally fell on February 14 with troops and citizensstarving.

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Vol. V, No. 11

The Eatersof Wisdom

by Glenn Rahman

During the late period of the Lloroi civ-ilization, men regarded two temples asholy above all others — the Spires to theSun and the Temple of Kings. The firstwas the seat of the national god of theLloroi Empire; the second was consider-ed older and held in equal reverence byall nations, free and subjugated. Many aLloroi emperor visited the Temple ofKings’ sacred precincts to beg wisdomof the oracle. The boldest even aspiredto the magic gifts which had been gather-ed by heroes of the past and dedicated tothe safekeeping of the gods of destiny.

The great Cataclysm eventually laidlow the Lloroi cult of the sun god, but notso the Temple of Kings. It survived be-cause the gods of destiny survived. Fromamong the children of the priests, thelocal mountaineers and homeless wan-derers, the sacred order of the Templealways found enough acolytes to per-petuate itself through the chaotic yearsof the early post-Cataclysm.

Of all the mystic orders of Minaria,none has a mystery more impenetrableto the outsider than does the Temple ofKings. Many myths regarding the Templehave entered popular folklore, but nei-ther god nor priest has ever raised hisvoice to confirm or deny the specula-tions of others.

Through all the upheavals of man andnature, the gods stood as an aegis overthe timeless pagoda. The priests are saidto have maintained a marvelous libraryfrom pre-Cataclysmic times. Alas, it haslittle if any direct benefits for the world atlarge; its scrolls are intended for the edi-fication of the Temple order alone. Noteven the most royal foreign visitor is

and the Invisible Schoolof Thaumaturgy

permitted to gaze upon the eldritch calli-graphy.

Yet, despite their privileges, the priestsare by no means believed to live a life ofluxury. The holy men subsist on simplefare — honey, meal and goat’s milk —provided by the tenants of the Templeproperty. These plain folk receive in re-turn the blessings of the priests and en-joy the eternal peace of the mountainenclave, but do not share in the secretsof the sacred order. In fact, claims theElven prince Cwenn in his travelog HighPilgrimage, the mountain folk are not ma-terially improved in any way for theirproximity to the Temple, although theroyal traveler speaks glowingly of theirpristine character and kind hospitality.

No army has ever ravaged the homesof the tenants nor the ancient Templeitself. This is a true miracle, for the frostynorthlands are a breeding ground forwild marauders — both human and Gob-lin. Terrible legends are told of the super-

natural dooms that have befallen thosewho have borne arms of violence acrossthe sacred grounds.

Isolated, the Temple passed centuriesin remote meditation. Finally, accordingto Snagod, the Goblin mythographer,the gods of destiny revealed to the Hier-ophant Singing Dream that change wasnigh in Minaria; it was the will of the godsthat the priests of the Temple be apprais-ed of these events.

From this revelation Singing Dreamtook inspiration to divide the priesthoodinto two orders. The first, the Order ofthe Contemplators, would tend to theirmeditations as the Temple priests haddone since time immemorial. The otherorder, that of the Walkers, instructed itsmembers to go forth into the world tolearn the ways, thoughts and deeds of allthe sentient races that populated Minaria.

Succeeding generations sent manyWalkers from the Temple of Kings to thedistant hills, coasts and valleys. Suchpriests and priestesses were bound bytheir order’s laws not to interfere with thefree working of destiny amid any of theforeign folk they visited. The cowledWalkers, passing like wraiths throughbarbarian camp and fledgling village,became the objects of awe and supersti-tion. Many sagas of early times containreference to the strange visitors. ManyWalkers’ insatiable appetite for know-ledge of the migrations, the leaders, thearts, the crafts and magic practices offoreign peoples led them to be knownamong outsiders as ‘the Eaters of Wis-dom.’

Occasionally, the fear the Walkers raisedcaused them to be attacked. A few mem-bers of the order were killed this way, but

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by elements of the Walkers. The attitude the rules of their order were in fact Lere-of these few made the administering dargs. These heretics were dealt with byconclave of high priests suspicious of the sternest measures short of death andthe whole order. Some insisted that the torture — these latter punishments be-order be abolished, but the gods gave no ing the province of the gods alone.sign that this solution would please them. During the Grand Mastership of Crys-Instead, the conclave laid down harsher tal Soul, Walkers came hurrying to thepenalties for misdeeds, and ruled that Fane of Walkers with reports of strange,henceforth a Contemplator would be alien creatures thronging through theGrand Master of the Order of Walkers. lands of Mivior. These ‘abominations ofFurthermore, Walkers were no longer to the land and the horrors of the air’ werebe permitted into the Temple of Kings working such unimaginable evil thatimmediately after a tour of duty in the many of the Walkers were compelled byouter world. A fane was established on conscience to do the unthinkable andthe shores of the lake where Joyous beg their Grand Master to invoke strongHand had died — as a reminder of the magic against the deadly tide. Grandgods’ power. After walking among cor- Master Crystal Soul responded indig-

it was usually the brigands who suffered.The rules of the order did not prevent aWalker from defending himself, and var-ious martial powers were attributed toWalkers. One Walker, Shining Beacon,who appears as a character in the Khuz-dite epic The Sugiyameid, is creditedwith ‘the Shout that Maddens’, ‘the Punchthat Disembowels’ and ‘the Finger thatPetrifies.’

The Contemplators meditated uponall the information which the Walkerscommunicated to the Temple of Kings.In this way the two orders long cooper-ated in harmony. But gradually, overseveral generations, there developedcertain disagreements between the Con-templators and the Walkers. The mostconservative and introspective acolytestended to become members of the Con-templator Order; the more restless andimaginative preferred to wander over theface of Minaria as Walkers. The leader-ship of the Temple remained within theorder of the Contemplators, as its res-ponsibility tended to tie a priest to theTemple grounds. Meanwhile, the Walk-ers, seeing the ills of an ignorant world,were increasingly tempted to intervenein secular affairs for good purpose andwere frustrated by the laws which for-bade it.

Occasionally at first, but more fre-quently later, Walkers were discoveredto have violated their vows. For example,Silver Morn, a Watcher of the eighth cen-tury who dared to impart moral teachingto the rude tribesmen of Zehr-hu-Pon,was excommunicated. Worse infractionsfollowed as when Noble Hope cursed thebarbarian chief Ramaharto — a cruelharrier of both barbarous and civilizedlands. Finding Ramaharto triumphant ina new atrocity, Noble Hope spat magical-ly into the cruel one’s face. Immediatelythe barbarian shrunk and disappearedinto his massive clothing. Noble Hopeparted the furs and removed a pulinginfant from them. This he handed over toRamaharto’s mother, charging her torear the child to be wiser and more justthan she did the first time.

These and similar infractions wereduly dealt with via penance, excommun-ication and like measures. A far worsescandal wracked the Temple orders whenJoyous Hand, a high-ranking Walker,removed a number of magical scrollsfrom the library and distributed them tocertain high-minded outsiders. His hopewas that the power of magic would helpvirtue triumph in the secular world, buthis act was a violation of all his order’slaws. Legend says that the gods them-selves took a hand in Joyous Hand’spunishment, sending demons to tormenthim until he threw himself into a vast laketo drown.

The Contemplators were unanimousin denunciation of Joyous Hand’s deed,but he was spoken of with some respect

An illustration from the book High Pilgrimage by Prince Cwenn. Itdepicts the legend of the heretic Joyous Hand, whom the Con-templators believe was driven to his death by demons.rupting influence, a Walker was requiredto pass a year of meditation in the Faneof the Walkers before returning to theTemple of Kings. And lest the GrandMaster himself suffer from corrupting in-fluences, a new Contemplator was ap-pointed to the office every year.

To the Contemplators these reformswere only vital precautions; to the Walk-ers as a whole it was a rebuke to theirhonor. Joyous Hand the Heretic becamea symbol of free thinking among a secretgroup of Walkers called the Leredargs(‘Lered’ being the secular name of Joy-ous Hand). The Leredargs believed thatthe gods of destiny inspired select indi-viduals to intervene directly in worldlyaffairs for the cause of virtue and civiliza-tion — in essence, believing that theywere part of a divine plan. Many of thelater Walkers discovered to have broken

nantly and sent the names of the protes-tors to the Temple of Kings. With theirnames went Crystal Soul’s recommen-dation for their excommunication.

Before many weeks had passed, therefugees of Hothior descended upon thefane, vainly appealing for aid for theirstricken country. Crystal Soul repliedonly: “Let the gods’ will be done!” andextended only the meanest of hospitalityto the refugees. He denied them all pro-visions and other assistance which mightin any way be interpreted as interferingwith the divine plan for the world.

Meanwhile, the Walkers studied theadvance of the abominations anxiously.They had followed the River Flood Waternorth and were now perilously close tothe Walkers’ fane. Crystal Soul permittedno defensive action, not even when thefirst monsters entered the adjacent lake

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A bookplate in the library of the Invisible School of Thaumaturgy,featuring a drawing of the Temple of Kings.itself. According to the historian Wiyot inhis The Rise of the Kahuraru Awari,Crystal Soul stubbornly maintain-ed that the gods would never permit thedestruction of their fane, even whilescaled arms pulled down its towers andalien tentacles crushed the life out of theGrand Master himself.

The surviving Walkers fled into thewilderness, where they were joined bymany excommunicated Leredargs. Afterthe disaster, the Walkers were more thanready to convert to the heretical Lere-darg views and elected one of them, Go-wannuraw, as the new Grand Master.Gowannuraw’s first official act was torenounce all affiliation with the Templeof Kings and reorganize the Walkers asan independent entity, which he calledKahuraru Awari (Sword of Fate).

Gowannuraw directed the repair of theFane of the Walkers, now called theSchool of Thaumaturgy, protecting itwith a spell of invisibility. The Schoolbecame a haven for refugees, as thepowerful spells of the wizards withinkept the abominations in check.

The Kahuraru Awari (still called theEaters of Wisdom by the common peo-ple) established a library in rivalry withthe one in the Temple of Kings and sentout the call for students of the higherwisdoms. From its earliest days theSchool never lacked for pupils nor richendowments. One of the first young mento be educated by the Eaters of Wisdomwas Teredon, destined to found a newsocial order among the Vidarna tribes-men.

During the succeeding centuries, manyof Minaria’s most eminent statesmen,magicians, philosophers and generalswould owe their education to the Eatersof Wisdom. Even students with little in-terest in the finer delicacies of educationwould seek the martial training that onlythe Eaters could provide.

Although thought of as wizards andlectors, the Eaters of Wisdom retainedsome of their original priestly proclivi-ties. Nonetheless, the Kahuraru Awarihad discarded much of the old Templetheology. They no longer believed in adestiny guided by intelligent gods. Ra-

ther, they envisioned a type of neutrallife-energy that could be set to eithergood or evil purpose. It was the life workof the Eaters of Wisdom to utilize thesesupernatural forces for good ends.

The most promising students of theSchool were offered the opportunity toalter their curriculum to include magicalconjuration. The rigors that the initiateshad to undergo to achieve entry into theHigher Mysteries are hinted at by theElven general Droncain, who capturedthe Invisible School of Thaumaturgyduring Boewenn’s War. He writes: “Un-der the School we found strange mec-hanical contrivances constructed by thepriests in the subterranean crypts andcaverns where the nocturnal initiatorrites were celebrated. These machinesindicated the severe tests of moral andphysical courage undergone by the can-didates. After passing through these tor-turous ways, the neophytes who sur-vived the ordeals were ushered into thechamber of the immortal life-energy, anoble and awe-inspiring vault illuminat-ed by unearthly lights.’

As the doctrine of the Kahuraru Awarievolved, the wizards were continuallyconfronted by the specter of war. Whilewar was considered the most grievousmanifestation of negative life-energy,the Eaters of Wisdom dared not be indif-ferent to the conflicts that regularly dis-turbed the peace of Minaria. It appearedto the wizards that war invariably led tothe triumph of the most negative andleast civilized elements. To help redressthe balance, the Kahuraru Awari initiateda tradition of magical research into mil-itary science.

During the eleventh century the Eatersdeveloped the Reflector and the En-chanted Castle. The latter, an incrediblefortress designed by the sorcerer-ar-chitect Pirakaw, was kept in a neighbor-ing dimension when not in use. Whenneeded, the spells of the military magi-cians could summon it as a place ofrefuge.

As a consequence of these astonish-ing discoveries, the environs of the Invis-ible School drew many spies. The Eatersof Wisdom have not been known to doworse than admonish and expel the tres-passers, but in the year 1044 a series ofdisappearances in the nearby forestmade the area a place to be shunned.The incidents gave rise to the legend ofthe Mist Monsters, grisly creatures thatlay concealed in the white mists of theWell of Lered (as the Kahuraru Awaricalled the adjacent lake). The Muetarianhistorian Amlas theorized that the con-stant use of spells in the vicinity had let inthe old abominations through the por-tals of time. Cynics guessed instead thatthe Eaters themselves were waylayingand murdering wayfarers.

Gradually the Eaters of Wisdom evolv-ed into an effective fighting force. They

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unveiled the Magic Bridge in 1101 whenfleeing the Muetarian army across theYando swamps; in 1209 they baffled theConodras tribesmen during the siege ofAgada by King Mesilim. But perhapstheir most memorable military achieve-ment was the Battle of Warlock’s Hill,when a horde of Gakstetter Goblins laidsiege to the Gap Castle in 1288, threaten-ing to break out across all of southernImmer.

The Kahuraru Awari masters of mil-itary science and their advanced stu-dents arrived upon a hillock overlookingthe siege. Breaking their mystic para-phernalia out of their wagon, the wizardssummoned the Enchanted Castle fromits misty dimension. Once safely enscon-ced, they evoked the destruction of theWhirling Vortex against the Goblins.

The magical attacks so infuriated thewild Goblins that their warchiefs couldnot control them. Instead of continuingtheir assaults upon the fatigued defend-ers of the Gap Castle, the Goblins turnedtheir fury against the Enchanted Castle.The leader of the wizards, Carthon, es-pecially distinguished himself in thefighting. School records read: “A Goblin,seeing the carnage that Carthon wasmaking of his comrades, rushed at him— ready to die if only he could kill him— and decapitated the hero with an ironbroadsword. At that same moment,another wizard burned the brute throughwith a bolt of energy, stretching himdead alongside his victim. ... Meanwhile,the Kahuraru Awari, both masters andstudents, manfully defended the ram-parts, breaking bones and severingnerves with their lightning-like kicks andblows. When the Goblins could make noheadway against men who fought withbare hands, they withdrew, demoral-ized.”

Day by day the carnage was repeated,but the determined Goblins could notwin the magic-wrought towers. At length,the royal army arrived from Castle Altarr,sending the Goblins scattering. Beforethey reached their own country, theyhad lost many more comrades to the wi-zards’ Reflector.

“The Reflector,” from the ar-senal of the Eaters of Wisdom.

After exploits such as this, the Eatersof Wisdom became much-sought-afterallies. Rich bribes and flattering tributeswere paid to the succeeding Grand Mas-ters, until critics could rightfully chargethat sometimes the Eaters acted morefrom greed than from virtue.

One monarch who respected the Eat-

ers’ power but could not win them intohis faction was the fanatical Elven HighPrince Boewenn. Accordingly, he madethe Invisible School the target of his bestgeneral, Droncain, providing him withmagics sufficient to undo the School’sprotective spell. The Eaters, who hadgrown proud and complacent, were tak-en utterly by surprise. Some escapedthrough underground ways, but manywere captured and returned to Ider Bolis.Most of these perished under torture asBoewenn sought to wring their secretsout of them, but in dying they placed aterrible curse on Elfland. The curseseemed to be borne out as the warturned against Boewenn and foreignarmies captured Ider Bolis.

In the aftermath of war, the Eaters ofWisdom repaired the damaged schooland replaced their depleted numbers.Their defeat led to a critical analysis ofthe faults that had caused it and the nextfew Grand Masters worked tirelessly topurify the order’s moral outlook. Nolonger would gold or secular concernsaffect the judgment of the Eaters of Wis-dom regarding when they would go towar or for whose cause they would fight.

Today, fair-minded observers have noreason to cast aspersions at the Kahura-ru Awari; they are faithfully and cour-ageously performing the role they havechosen for themselves — that of theswordwielders of Fate.

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Vol. V, No. 11

by Mark Herro 7 IF HH > 24 OR TM > 59 THEN 1

Tick... tock... tick... tock. This month’s topic is... time. Actu-9 PRINT: PRINT "PRESS ONE OF THE FOLLOWING FOR TIME

KEEPING..."ally, this month’s column comes about from the response fromthe “Time Keeper” program in DRAGON #41. With the help of

11 INPUT "S = (1 SEGMENT), R = (1 ROUND), T = (1 TURN)": A1$13 IF A1$ = "S" OR A1$ = "R" OR A1$ = "T" THEN 15 ELSE 13

Don Wells, Jim Holtz, and Dr. James Weisenbach, The Electric 15 T1 = 0: T2 = 0: T3 = 0Eye presents “Sons of Time Keeper.” 17 IF A1$ = "S" THEN T1 = 6 ELSE 21

19 SC = SC + T1: IF SC = 60 THEN SC = 0: TM = TM + 1Time Keeper II 21 IF A1$ = "R" THEN T2 = 1 ELSE 25

The second version of the Time Keeper computer program is 23 MI = MI + T2listed below. The program is largely unchanged from its original 25 IF A1$ = "T" THEN T3 = 10: TM = TM + T3version, with the exception of the time input section. Instead of 27 IF (TM + MI) > = 60 THEN TM = TM - 60: HH = HH + 1the time incrementing only by the turn, this new version accepts 29 IF HH > 23 THEN HH = 0turns, segments, and rounds. 33

Conversion from the original version to the new version of thePRINT: PRINT "TIME IN ADVENTURE ";HH;":";(TM + MI);".";SC: PRINT

program begins with the deletion of all statements through line 35 IF (TM + MI) > 29 AND (TM+MI) < 40 THEN Y = Y + 140. As you can see from the listing here, the new version just 37 IF (TM + MI) > 0 AND (TM + MI) < 10 THEN Y = Y + 1barely fits in, using line numbers sequenced by twos. If you 39 IF (TM + MI) > 10 AND (TM + MI) < 30 THEN Y = 0have a line renumbering program, you may want to resequence 41 IF (TM + MI) > 39 THEN Y = 0the line numbers to accommodate further revisions. 43 IF Y = 1 THEN 50 ELSE 11

Lines 1 through 7 introduce the program and ask for a starting 50 M = RND(6): IF M < 6 THEN 11time for the program’s “clock.” Remember to put a comma 60between the hours and minutes as you type this in. Lines 9

PRINT: INPUT "LEVEL BELOW SURFACE";L: RESTORE: P =RND(12)

through 29 ask for the increment of time desired (by segment, 70 PRINT: ON L GOTO 1000, 2000, 3000round, or turn) and update the “clock.” Note than an INKEY$ or 80GET$ (depending on computer) could be substituted for the

Q = RND(12): FOR I = 1 TO Q: READ M$,N,T,H,A,C,D,S:NEXT I

INPUT in line 11. After printing the updated clock in line 33, the 90program checks to see if it’s time to “roll” for a wandering

B = RND(N)*T100 PRINT M$: PRINT "NUMBER APPEARING:";B

monster (lines 35 to 43). From there the program merges into its 110original version. Thanks to Jim Holz, of Millington, Tenn., for

PRINT "HIT POINTS:";: FOR I = 1 TO B: PRINT RND(H) + A;:NEXT I: PRINT

this updated version. 120 PRINT "ARMOR CLASS:";CSeveral other comments on “Time Keeper” were submitted by 130 PRINT "MAX. HIT DAMAGE:";D

Don Welts of Southfield, Mich. Don said, in part, that line 160 140 IF S = 0 THEN 9doesn’t produce the right kind of random number distribution. 150 PRINT "INTELLIGENT MONSTER REACTION:";Sure enough, I made a boo-boo. Line 160 of “Time Keeper II” 160 R = RND(6)*2corrects the bug (it was originally R=RND(12)). 170 IF R = 2 THEN PRINT "ATTACKS IMMEDIATELY!": GOTO 9

Don also wrote “I found it interesting that (you) do not use the 180 IF R < 6 THEN PRINT "HOSTILE REACTION": GOTO 9uncertain reaction. (Your) monsters are quick judges of charac- 190 IF R < 9 THEN PRINT "UNCERTAIN": GOTO 9ter!” I pondered this myself as I was writing the original versionof “Time Keeper.” The Basic D&D® manual says “Uncertain, roll

200 IF R < 12 THEN PRINT "FRIENDLY": GOTO 9

again” (emphasis added). But the Dungeon Masters Guide just210 IF R = 12 THEN PRlNT "VOLUNTEERS HELP": GOTO 9220 END

says “Uncertain.” This new version of the program reflects the 1000 IF P < 9 THEN 80DMG view. It is, of course, up to the individual on which to use. 1010For the record, my monsters are quick judges of character. The

IF P = 12 THEN FOR I = 1 TO 192: READ A$: NEXT I:GOTO 80

players I’m currently DMing for (all beginners) find it easier to 1020 FOR I = 1 TO 96: READ A$: NEXT I: GOTO 80play that way. As they become more experienced players, I may 2000 IF P < 4 THEN 80change things a bit. 2010 IF P < 10 THEN FOR I = 1 TO 96: READ A$: NEXT I:

GOTO 80

1 CLS: PRINT "WANDERING MONSTER (LEV. 1-3) / TIME2020 FOR I = 1 TO 192: READ A$: NEXT I: GOTO 803000 IF P = 1 THEN 86

KEEPING PROGRAM" 3010 IF P < 5 THEN FOR I = 1 TO 96: READ A$: NEXT I: GOTO 803 PRINT: PRINT "ENTER TIME OF DAY FOR ADVENTURE 3020 FOR I = 1 TO 192: READ A$: NEXT I: GOTO 80

BASED ON 24 HOUR CLOCK" 4100 DATA KOBOLD,4,3,4,0,7,4,1,SEER,2,1,8,0,9,8,15 PRINT: INPUT "ENTER AS HOUR (1-24), MINUTES (1-59) - USE

COMMA": HH, TM4110 DATA ORC,5,1,8,0,7,6,1,SKELETON,6,1,4,0,8,6,04120 DATA GIANT RAT,4,3,4,0,7,4,0,ZOMBIE,4,1,8,0,8,8,0

76

Keeping time with TIDr. James Weisenbach of Shelton, Wash., approached the

time-keeping problem from a different angle with a differenttype of computer. The program described below was written torun on a Texas Instruments TI-58 programmable calculator.

Using the "programmer-defined" keys at the top of the calcu-lator keyboard, the DM has the option of incrementing the"clock" by 6 seconds, 1 minute, 10 minutes, or 1 day. Theupdated time is then displayed, and the program waits for a newentry.

The clock display is in the format DDHHMMSS (days, hours,minutes, seconds) so it will appear much the same as a typicaldigital clock. The program keys used are A=10 minutes; B=1minute; C=6 seconds and D=1 day. Each time one of those keysis depressed, the clock will advance that amount of time.

The listing follows, in abbreviated key-stroke notation:

�RCL 10

STO 2Op 23

STO 0 Lbl B�Op 21 RCL 3

Lbl D� xRCL 1 RCL 13INV +x > = t RCL 2C' =� xRCL 10STO 1Op 22

Lbl C� =RCL 12

RCL 13+RCL 1

xx=t RCL 13RCL 2 +INV RCL 0x > = t =B'

Lbl A10SUM 1GTO E�

Lbl B1SUM 1GTO E'

Lbl C6SUM 0GTO E'

Lbl D1SUM 3

Lbl E'RCL 10x=tRCL 0INVx > = t �D�

R/SGTO E�

RCL 12

Registers used: R0 = seconds; R1 = minutes; R2 = hours; R3 =days; R10 = 60; R11 = 1; R12 = 24; R13 = 100.

Basically, each of the units of time (registers 0-3) are“bumped” by the functions (A-D) with roll-ever and reset whenthe respective limit registers (10-12) have been exceeded. Whenthis occurs, the next higher level of time is incremented by the“Op” instruction. The time registers are then merged by additionand multiplication, and the final total is displayed when theroutine is halted.

77

Vol. V, No. 11

78

May 1981

UP ON AS O A P B O X

Players don’t need to know all the rulesby Ed Greenwood

Anyone who has undertaken the taskof introducing non-gamers to the AD&D™or D&D® games (in a high school orcommunity program, for example) hasendured the “fun” of explaining totallyforeign concepts (saving throw, align-ment, armor class, levels — four kinds!,ongoing adventure vs. “the object of thegame is to win by...”) to completely mys-tified beginners. Conversely, almosteveryone who now plays either gamehas fond memories of those earliest,

most exciting adventures where you did-n’t really understand what was going on,but it was fascinating...

So why not leave the players in thedark? (I’m assuming here that the readeris a thoughtful, prepared, infallible, im-passionately fair DM — as, of course, allDungeon Masters are.) Why clutter playwith the game mechanics, when theplay’s the thing? This approach freesmuch more time for actual play, andavoids a lot of needless confusion. As afirst-aid instructor of mine once said, “Akiss is the best greeting: KISS — Keep ItSimple, Stupid.”

The question arises: How can one play

a game without knowing the rules? Theanswer, as D&D players know, is role-play. As a player, state what you (thecharacter) are trying to do, and the refe-ree (who knows the rules) will tell youwhat is actually happening. This ap-proach, used by a careful referee, worksadmirably. It is by no means a new idea.

In 1876, Colonel von Verdy du Vernois,a prominent German military instruc-tor, advocated the simplification of exist-ing wargames used in training Germanofficers. This simplification consisted, ingeneral terms, of removing dice andmost of the rules from the game andreplacing them with an umpire (a battle-

79

Vol. V, No. 11

The players must learn the truth themselves andthink ‘on their feet’ while they fight, as true adven-turers must to survive and achieve success.

and either way, it’s worth 25,000 gp tous... let Hopeless the Henchman therehave it. Either his experience’ll go up4,000, or he’ll be killed, in which casethat’s one less way we have to split thetreasure.” This problem of players whoknow too much ruins the fun of play likenothing else can, and extends even to“ignorant barbarians” (as characters)who can quote chapter and verse fromthe Monster Manual (or worse, the Dun-geon Masters Guide!). It is more than a“realism” problem; it is a problem ofgame balance. These “expert” playersnot only gain an unfair advantage overmonsters as well as less experiencedplayers, but also yawn their way throughencounters that should be mysterious,and therefore both dangerous and excit-ing.

experienced officer). As Stephen B. Pat- more reclusive races such as dwarves,rick puts it in The History of Wargaming gnomes, and sprites will be readily rec-(Wargame Design, New York, Simula- ognizable to human characters who havetions Publications Incorporated, 1977). never seen such creatures before, throughp. 4: “In effect, then, the umpire would legends and “fairy tales.”make up the rules and apply them as he Much of this latter sort of informationwent along, and the players would have is of course incorrect; there are oftenthe freedom to attempt things that might many wild and contradictory tales andof might not be allowed by the umpire... beliefs concerning such legendary crea-the players were separated and given tures (two “real life” examples: the vam-only the information they could legiti- pire and the dragon). The players mustmately possess.” This game was termed learn the truth themselves, listening atten-“free” Kriegspiel (German for “war tively as the DM graphically describesgame”), in contrast to the traditional combat effects and think “on their feet”“hard rules” wargame (“rigid” Kriegspiel).Criticism of arbitrariness and problemsof complexity resulted in an eventualcombination of the two types of games,in which the referee used charts andtables as an aid in play. This was dubbed

while they fight, as true adventurers The DM’s usual solution to the mons-must to survive and achieve success. ter (and magic item) “blahs” is to invent

Since each player has only one char-acter, he or she knows nothing of thebackground of other characters exceptfrom observation and as they trade (or

new ones. Good new ideas, however,don’t grow on trees, and the best sour-ces (such as this magazine) are oftenperused by the players also.

“semi-free” Kriegspiel. volunteer) information, and knows initial- Players with Magic-user characters“Free” Kriegspiel sounds something ly nothing of the specialized abilities of can keep actual spell books, writing

like the D&D game, and “semi-free” other character classes. (This may lead down whatever information the DM givesKriegspiel sounds somewhat similar to to, for example, a quite proper fear and them (obtained as a result of their dis-the AD&D game, but the approach is distrust of magic on the part of fighters!) coveries or research). Mages can actuallydifferent. If we apply this approach to Inevitably players will learn something trade information to get more. Fittingly,those games, play is as follows: of the rules as play progresses (for much of their time and effort will actually

Players know only that information instance, the number of times the DM be spent in research, locating reliablewhich is possessed by their character as tells a player his or her character must sources of magical information, piecinga result of upbringing, observation of seek out a new tutor to further advance together clues, and experimenting. Theysurroundings, and adventuring. The DMprovides this, initially in the form of a

the character’s skills will tell the player will know many spells only through leg-the level of the character), and this

booklet or sheaf of written information information should by no means be jeal-ends or by seeing the effects, and can

— information carefully tailored to reflectchoose to follow up on those in which

ously guarded. Perhaps players could they are interested. The DM can giveeach character’s background and nativeintelligence and wisdom. Such informa-

be individually introduced to the me- them a spell right out of the Playerschanics of the game one concept at a

tion, as in “real life,” is often incorrect, time, each time their characters achieveHandbook, twist it a bit for campaignpurposes, or delete it altogether without

oversimplified, or biased. Experiencethen takes on a real meaning for the

a higher experience level. This gradual anyone feeling cheated.process, by the way, should produce As a hidden advantage, the heavy pre-

player character, as acquired know- some good DMs — players who have paratory workload for the DM will tendledge (hopefully) leads to better perfor- been through it all “rising from the ranks” to lead to starting scenarios resembling.mance. and know what to avoid as a referee.

Players know their characters’ abili-this: “Characters are youngest sons oflocal smith, farmer, lord, priest, etc. in a

ties only approximately (“Well,” saithThere are drawbacks to this system.

the DM, “you’re fairly good-looking, ifDMs must do a lot of preparation; all theindividual character information must

small rural valley, who are setting forthto make their fortune.” This keeps things

not sexy... you inspire confidence, peo-ple look to you...”), and this includes hit

be written out in advance. Players are at the outset on a scale that everyonedeprived of some of the fun of planning can handle. It provides the characters

points (“You bleed easily”) and damage which a full knowledge of character abil- with relevant secondary skills, and allowstaken in combat (“You’re pretty badly ities, weapon damage, and so on would the DM to let them get their feet wet withhurt... it’s painful — you feet weak and allow them, and some of the fun of rol-sick, and it’ll hamper your fighting”).

relatively weak opponents — local ban-ling dice to hit a monster ... but the ad- dits and the like. TSR Hobbies, Inc., has

Players know nothing of charts and vantages of such a system (for novices, prepared an excellent “rural village”tables, and have (at first) only a vague at least) outweigh the disadvantages. module, T1, The Village of Hommlet.idea of the effectiveness of one weapon These advantages are as follows: Magic This is an admirable model for the DM.over another in a given situation. Bat- retains its mystery. None of this “A +1 This approach is advanced for DMstling monsters truly becomes a danger-ous business when their characteristics

sword? (yawn) Put it in the bag, Fredolf.” starting new campaigns, and for argu-Or worse, the lost uncertainty of: “A ment’s sake. Doubtless it will be of use in

are unknown and it is a trial-and-error censer, eh? Well, it either controls air the latter manner; hopefully it will be asaffair (“You can’t seem to hit this thing elementals or summons hostile ones, useful in the former.with your blades ... it’s turning towardsyou...”). This is not to say that everymonster will be an unknown horror whose Battling monsters truly becomes a dangerousweakness the party must find immed-iately, or perish. Many monsters (e.g. the

business when their characteristics are unknowngoblin races) will be familiar, and even and it is a trial-and-error affair.

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May 1981

81

Vol. V, No. 11

Figuratively Speaking is a regular feature of DRAGON magazine de-signed to illustrate and review miniature figures, particularly new re-leases. In most cases, each photograph of a figure or group of figures isaccompanied by numerical ratings in four categories, as well as a shortpassage including more information or opinions. The evaluations arethose of the reviewer, Bill Fawcett, and do not necessarily reflect theopinion of DRAGON magazine.

The rating scale ranges from 1, defined as totally unacceptable, to 10,which is reserved for truly exceptional products. Ratings are given ineach of four categories, which are defined as follows:

Proportion (Prop) is a judgement of how well the body parts, weapon-ry, and other features of a figure conform with scale and in terms ofrelative size to the other features of the figure.

Detail (Det) defines the degree to which detailing was attempted (inthe judgement of the reviewer) and the success or lack thereof in achiev-ing crisp, clear detailing in the sculpting and casting of the piece. Ingeneral, the greater the amount of well sculpted detail, the higher therating.

Animation (Anim) is a relatively subjective (compared to Proportionand Detail) evaluation of how strongly a figure conveys movement,emotion, or any other appropriate qualities which make it more lifelike inappearance, both before and after it has been properly painted.

Technical quality (Tech) concerns the actual production of the figurein question, especially with regard to the fit of the molds, the presence orabsence of flash, and the other physical aspects related to the casting ofthe figure that can contribute to or detract from its appearance. Al-though this is relatively the easiest rating to make on a quantitativebasis, it can also be the most misleading to a prospective purchaser ofthe particular figure. Technical quality can vary greatly from one castingto another of the same figure, and the reviewer’s rating is necessarilybased on only one sample of the figure. Ultimately, this evaluation isbest made by the prospective buyer, who would have an opportunity toexamine the specific figure before making the purchase.

MARTIAN METALS DragonslayersMagic-users (two different) $1.50

SUPERIOR MODELS Wizards and LizardsMagicians (four different) #WL06 $4.00

GandalfProp: 6 Det: 9Anim: 6 Tech: 7His staff, though a bit thick for

the size and scale of the figure, isexpertly inscribed with the likenessof a face.

Evil WizardProp: 6 Det: 8Anim: 8 Tech: 7Over the wizard’s shoulder

and curled down his back is asmall dragon. Careful paint-ing will bring out a very ang-ry facial expression.

Elven Magic User and BrazierProp: 6 Det: 7Anim: 6 Tech: 7A great degree of deeply etched detail is an aid in painting

this figure. The swirls of smoke and flame emanating from thebrazier are sculpted in minute detail.

Good WizardProp: 7 Det: 7Anim: 6 Tech: 7(The other figure in

the pack is Merlin, pic-tured in this column inDRAGON #47.)

Lizard MageProp: 7 Det: 5Anim: 7 Tech: 7This figure does a good job of

portraying the lizard magic-userand his problems. The handsare short and stubby, and thefeatures lend an air of intenseconcentration.

Reviews by Bill FawcettPhotography byKathy O’Donnell

82

May 1981

GRENADIER MODELS25mm Official ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS™ figure line

Female fighters (four pictured) Female thief

The designers, sculptors and craftsmen at Grenadier Modelswere given the high honor — and the great responsibility — ofproducing an extensive line of figures designed for use especial-ly with the ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game sys-tem. Judging by the first figures received by the reviewer, Gren-adier has lived up to the high expectations placed on that com-pany by the folks from TSR Hobbies, Inc.

The figure line was authorized by TSR Hobbies, and execu-tives and other consultants from the game company had a directhand in the conception and design of each of the individualpieces. The result is a group of miniatures which conform asclosely as possible to the official AD&D rules, making it possiblefor AD&D™ players and DMs to achieve a level of authenticity

and realism through the use of figures which has not beenattainable previously.

Ten different figures are packaged in each boxed set. Roughlya dozen different sets are currently available, with more in prep-aration. Because of the number of different figures involved inthe line as a whole, ratings of each individual figure will not begiven, either with this initial photo presentation or with anypieces from the line which are reviewed in subsequent columns.Suffice it to say that the figures are of universally high quality;otherwise, they wouldn’t have their “official AD&D” status. Thatdesignation speaks as well for their quality as any set of ratings.

The character figures, some of which are pictured here, are allportrayed in the sort of costuming and weaponry which is per-mitted to them according to the AD&D rules. The large variety ofcharacter-class types and weaponry will make it possible forvirtually any player to use a figure that “fits” the character it issupposed to portray. Another benefit of the close cooperationbetween TSR Hobbies and Grenadier is brought out in themonster figures, which conform strictly to the illustrations andsize descriptions given in the Monster Manual. This will enableplayers to calculate with great precision such things as move-ment and the number of characters and/or monsters who canattack at one time during an encounter.Specialists (half-orc, monk, bard, druid)

Hirelings Male fighters Hirelings

Heritage Models and participating game/hobby stores across thenation are sponsoring two contests, a painting competition and a tour-nament pitting armies of figures competing under the Knights & Magickrules. Gift certificates will be awarded to the winners, and each entrantwill receive a limited-edition figure from the Knights & Magick series.

Another contest is being staged by Grenadier Models, although itmore closely resembles a lottery. Starting with set #2009, The Wizard’sRoom, a small number of gold-plated wizard figures are being placed atrandom in Grenadier’s boxed sets. The prize packages also contain agift certificate good for free figure sets or discounts on any sets in theofficial AD&D line.

83

All manufacturers of miniature figures and accessories de-signed for use in game-playing are encouraged to contributematerial for Figuratively Speaking. Essentially, all a contributingmanufacturer needs to supply are samples of the figures them-selves, plus any information which might be of interest to readersconcerning those figures. Any manufacturer who is interested insubmitting review material can receive complete information andspecifications by contacting Figuratively Speaking, c/o DRAG-ON PUBLISHING, P.O. Box 110, Lake Geneva, Wis., 53147.

Vol. V, No. 11

Hammer of Thor: Almost too heavy

by Bill Fawcett

THE HAMMER OF THOR ought to be agood, if not a great, game. It is basedupon one of the most complex and color-ful mythologies ever developed.Further, there is no question that the de-velopers of The Hammer of Thor knewthe background well. The game alsooffers an unusual and appealing basicstructure, in which players gather theirforces by movements on the game boardin preparation for Ragnarok, the finalbattle which decides the outcome.

But the game isn’t half as much fun toplay as it should be. Part of the problemties with the quality and quantity of thecomponents. The most awesome aspectof the game is the multitude of cardswhich identify the possible characterswhich can be recruited. The game isdescribed on the first page of the rulebook as “for any number of players from1 to 362.” Aside from the character cards(of which, presumably, there are 362),there are Fate cards, Forged Item cards,Magic Item cards, Prediction cards,Shapechange cards, Rune cards ... a to-tat of more than 600 cards!

Having all the mythological figuresnamed on cards would be fantastic, if theaverage player knew who even half of thecards actually represented. As it stands,all the character-type cards have namesand nearly 20 values for use in the game,but most contain no background infor-mation on the characters they repre-sent.

The board, printed on coated stockwhich is thinner than that used for thecards, opens out to 17” x 22”. Even at thissize, the playing surface is terriblycrowded. It depicts dozens of placeswhere a player might go to recruit, and alimited number of half-inch-square, die-cut counters are provided to governmovement and mark locations on theboard. Sometimes the distance betweenone location and the adjacent one issmaller than the width of the counter.Because of this and other problems, theboard quickly becomes cramped andverges on being unplayable when four ormore players are involved.

The printing quality of the board andthe cards leaves something to be de-sired. Different colored inks are used fardifferent types of cards, but sometimesthe variation in color between two typesis so slight that the cards can easily findtheir way into the wrong stack duringsorting and shuffling. The text is

screened on the cards, and the printingon some cards is muddied to the extentthat sections of small-size type are hardto decipher.

Most of the locations depicted on theboard are identified by name, with theinformation printed in a rectangle; otherrectangles of type contain specific in-structions to be followed upon reachinga certain location. The overall effect is toclutter and obscure the actual movementpaths, leaving the impression that theboard is used more as a means for identi-fying the locations rather than sim-ply as a means to portray them in theirrespective positions. A more satisfactorysolution would have been to numbereach important location, keeping theboard relatively free of excess wording,and provide a number-name key in therule book for players who need to knowwhere they are at a given time.

The rules are fairly complete, quitecomplex, and generally readable. There’sa lot happening on every turn, whichwill require players to pay close attentionand refer often to the rule book for thefirst few playings. The level of complex-ity is fairly high, but not overwhelming.It’s not a game far people who are justgetting into gaming, but most exper-ienced players will pick up the proce-dures fairly rapidly. The rule book coulduse an index to make it easier to locate aspecific subject.

From a design standpoint, the gamehas a lot of promise. There are a dozengood ideas packed into the rules: Forinstance, players who are killed can berescued from Helheim and returned toplay. This helps to provide a balanceagainst a combat system which is verydeadly. Players can meet each other and

interact in one of several different wayswhile moving around the board using anoriginal and well thought-out negotia-tion system. Some fascinating magicitems, based of course on Norse myth-ology, are available to be had. The char-acteristics of these items are very wellexplained, and some of them may beadaptable for use in a D&D® or AD&D™adventure.

The game itself, however, is almostoverwhelmed by all of the “chrome” builtinto the rules. The individual parts andconcepts are good, but the framework ofthe game doesn’t always lend itself to theeasy application of all the details. Inmany ways, the game is more interestingto read than to play — and consideringthe number of cards, there is a lot ofreading material to be had here.

The Hammer of Thor deals with a my-thology that is extremely interesting and(so far) little used in gaming. The re-search that went into the development isobvious from the sheer quantity andrange of ideas covered. If you are deeplyinterested, or even casually interested,in Norse mythology, you’ll appreciateand enjoy the game, despite its technicaldrawbacks. If you’re looking for a fast-moving, multi-player game, this mightnot be a good choice; it takes quite a bitof effort on the players’ parts to get thegame “off the ground” and rollingsmoothly.

The game was released by Gameshopunder that company’s label before itchanged its name recently to Nova GameDesigns. It carries a retail price of about$18 and is available from hobby shopsand game stores, or from the manufac-turer, 46 Dougherty St., Manchester CT06040.

84

May 1981

Assault on Leningrad:Once more into the breach

by John Prados

Design/Development: Perry Moore/AndyBagley

Components: 130 back-printed counters,one 22” x 28” four color map; 16-page rulesfolder.

Publisher: Simulation Games (U.K.) — avail-able in issue #14 of The Wargamer.

Of all Russian Front topics that have beenmodeled in wargaming, the struggle for Lenin-grad in the Army Group North sector hasseemed to be hardest to capture with any de-gree of flavor or excitement. Years ago theJagdpanther effort called Siege of Leningradoffered a good range of Army Group Northscenarios but lacked any feeling for the cityfight that would have occurred. In 1980, SPIproduced a minigame view of Leningradwhich unfortunately was hopelessly unbal-anced. Now, Britain’s Simulation Games bringsus a new view of Leningrad. Consistent withthe rapidly increasing quality level of this pub-lisher’s magazine, The Wargamer, which maysoon rival S&T (SPI’s magazine), Assault onLeningrad features high-quality productionand is very playable. Here too, however, thedesign fails to realize its full potential.

Assault on Leningrad features a Panzer-gruppe Guderian system (pioneered by SPI)with some interesting twists. In this game,during combat, the attacker is the first to takecasualties or retreat in each battle, thus pro-viding an advantage to a defender in fortifiedpositions or in the city of Leningrad. Lenin-grad itself is one of the most interesting fea-tures of the game, being represented by aseparate inset map to which the playerstransfer their pieces when the time comes tofight for the city. The inset map is printed fromwhat appears to be an actual aerial photo.

Both sides have armor, motorized troopsand airpower available. Units are divided intoquality classes (A, B, C) which affect theZones of Control they can exert, as well asprovide die-roll shifts during combat. Therules are straightforward, although perhaps alittle over-detailed in places for a game at thislevel of complexity. In any case, action is fastand furious, and the authors state that thegame was designed to “go to the wire” with noearly decisions.

Assault on Leningrad is subject to its shareof problems, however. One is the Supply rule,under which German supply is provided byCorps headquarters. Although at first glancethis appears to be a nice feature of the game,experience shows the opposite to be true. TheHQs are not motorized unless their corps is,but only one corps is considered motorized(41st), despite the fact that two others (39thand 56th) also consist primarily of mobile un-its. This critically restricts German mobilityduring the second “mechanized” movementphase of the player-turn, since units that out-run their HQs by more than six hexes takeattrition losses. Moreover, there is no provi-sion for organizing Supply to units whose HQhas been eliminated in battle: Under the rules,such units would automatically wear downuntil destroyed. Further, late-entering rein-

forcements belonging to a corps which hadbeen successful in a long advance could verywell be destroyed by supply attrition beforeever arriving at the front within range of theirHQ.

Equally perplexing in this World War IIgame, during which period armor was a sig-nificant “force multiplier,” is the lack of anyrules for armor superiority or given regiment-level representation of the mobile units, fordivision integrity a la PGG. Armor offers nospecial advantages. Among other things, thismeans that it is actually preferable to takearmor losses in combat rather than infantrylosses, because losses from the motorizedregiments leave more combat factors on themapboard and equal Victory Point losses.Rather than explaining this curious proce-dure, the designer’s notes tell us only whatprojects the authors are up to next. This re-viewer would rather have had an explanation.Indeed, in a game which was under designand development for two years, the oversightis a glaring one.

None of these constitute irremediable er-rors. Players of Assault on Leningrad canadopt their own solutions to the problems.Fortunately, the game is playable enough andinteresting enough that players may not mindhaving to do this work themselves or having toget their opponents to agree to such provi-sions. But the work should not be necessary,since these features should have been caughtat the design level, and not at that of the con-sumer. In short, Assault on Leningrad exhi-bits considerable potential that is not realizedin the design. It seems quite strange that allthese Leningrad games, not just the latest oneby any means, fall short of “real” simulationsof Army Group North. Is Leningrad perhapscast in lead?

World CampaignsA play-by-mail gameProduced by: World Cam-

paigns, P.O., Box 338, DoverNH 03820

by Bill Fawcett

World Campaigns is a strategic-level simu-lation of possible future competition betweenthe remaining nations of the world after a bio-nuclear holocaust. Unlike many games set inthis situation, this one avoids the trap of plac-ing too much emphasis on the side effects ofthe war. Actually, all this does is to take outthe major nations as factors and leave theglobe open to the imperial ambitions of 35 oftoday’s less powerful nations. The nationsvary from tiny Ecuador to populous India.Each nation is run by a different player whoacts as the absolute leader of the country.

Each nation is given a potential value and acurrent production value in Oil, Minerals, andUranium. The Oil and Minerals are needed to

produce Light and Heavy Industrial Points,which also vary in number between the na-tions. These manufacturing points are need-ed to build and maintain an army and airforce, expand food production, and supply atleast a minimum of consumer goods. Failingto give enough necessities to your people canknock you out as fast as being conquered.

A large variety of WW II period equipmentcan be purchased for your armed forces im-mediately, and the investment of manufactur-ing points in production and development willbuy a country the right to produce more so-phisticated and powerful equipment. Eventu-ally, a player is able to improve the level of hisElectronics technology and buy even moredeadly weapons (including nuclear) andother goodies. By this time the original 35players have often been pared down to per-haps a dozen, and the competition becomeseven more intense.

Diplomacy plays a great part in these games.In most cases, two nations allied together areable to conquer a third — that is, unless thethird player has two other allies and the threeof them are planning the reverse. A list ofaddresses for the players in your game is in-cluded with your first turn. Most players aresoon swamped with letters, deals, and eventhreats. One player even tried, unsuccess-fully, to blackmail another who was double-crossing an ally. A side effect of this is that aplayer gets an opportunity to write to andinteract with gamers from all over the nationand perhaps foreign countries.

The 80-page rule book is clearly writtenwith many examples. There is an extensive listof the types and values (offense and defense)of a large variety of units, ships, aircraft, andmissiles. A small atlas is even included foreasy reference. A sample turn, which a newplayer will find invaluable, is given at the endof the booklet along with a blank set of sheetsfor submitting your turns on. These are amaz-ingly simple to complete, and permission isgiven by the publisher to copy them.

The initial cost to enter a game is $8, andeach turn costs an additional $5. Over a yearof six-week turns this will add up to $48, if yousurvive that long. Response time on turns isnormally less than two weeks and oftenquicker. The addition of a new computer sys-tem promises to reduce this even more. A newgame opens up every six to eight weeks, andas an indication of the high interest level thisgame has, many of the original game’s play-ers are now in two or even three currentgames simultaneously.

It will take you a few hours to do the paper-work for your country on each turn. Actually,the writing and computation takes less timethan that, but you will find yourself sitting andpondering over the dozens of important deci-sions each turn requires. The judge actuallyhandles the tactical level of combat. The ar-mies are sent into battle with strategic orders,and then a day-by-day combat is conductedby the judges to determine the victor and thelosses to each side. Each combatant involvedreceives a detailed daily listing of what oc-curred, how any losses were taken, and whatcaused them.

The combat resolution system seems to berather complicated and is definitely sophisti-cated, but it’s fair. In speaking with nearly adozen players from several different games ofWorld Campaigns, I heard not one complaintof unfair judging. Another nice note is that thejudge, Tim, who does this job full time, is

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accessible to the players. He has shown him-self to be very good about answering lettersquickly and handling questions of all sorts.Tim is even willing, if prodded, to explain therationale for some of the relative strengths ofunits, although he is very careful to maintainthe secrecy of his actual computations so thatplayers have to play each other and not ma-nipulate the quirks in the system.

If there is a serious drawback to the game, itis that Tim is a perfectionist and will some-times tinker with the types of units or relativecosts of gaining technology. So far this hasseemed to add balance, but it could be disrup-tive if any more major changes are made.Some of the minor changes he has made arethe result of the feedback Tim has gotten fromplayers in earlier games.

This game will interest players who like todeal with a multitude of details and experi-ment with an element of risk. It will give outwhat you put into it, and is open-endedenough to allow for a great deal of latitude inyour actions. The cost is significant, but youdo receive a good deal of material and enter-tainment (if you like worrying about beinginvaded) for your money.

Wohrom:Fun for a

kingly sumProduced by: International

Team GamesRetail price: $49.95

by Kevin Thompson

Wohrom, the great king of Rajatai, has beendead for many a dark century. The time is nowripe for a new king to be crowned. This two-player game simulates the struggle betweentwo clans, each intent on having one of itsown knights crowned king. Such a knightmust possess Wohrom’s ancient crown andscepter and have the love of a princess beforehe may be coronated atop Wohrom’s Tomb.

The game uses many Arthurian situations.There are damsels in distress, Black Knights,honorable duels, capture and flight, magicaltalismans and a “Holy Grail” quest for Woh-rom’s lost treasures. Each player begins thegame with eight knights and eight retinue(army) units. The knights have varying com-bat and diplomatic values and are thus equip-ped for various functions. They must defeatthe Beings (dragons, ghosts, witches, spirits,sorrels, wizards and werewolves) that guardthe precious treasures and talismans andmust duel with Black Knights for the releaseof princesses.

If necessary, the knights can get extra armyunits by enlisting the aid of Villagers (at therisk of stumbling into a killer “Dead Town”) orthe many different “Wild Peoples” (often get-ting captured in the process). These armiesmay just make the difference in the inevitablefinal battle at Wohrom’s Tomb.

All types of combat are covered. Army-vs.-Army and Knight-vs.-Being combats arehandled on separate combat tables on theCombat Results Card, each allowing for mid-battle reversals and counterattacks. Knight-vs.-Knight and Knight-vs.-Black Knight duelsare completely different. Each player has four

Dueling Cards, illustrated with axe, lance (hal-berd), shield and sword. He plays them one ata time, trying to outguess his opponent. Suc-cess is determined by a dueling chart on thecharacter sheets and is reminiscent of thechildhood game “Paper Wraps Stone.” It isabstract, but the pictures avoid any languageproblems, and that is a blessing. In all forms ofcombat there are modifications for knightvalue, talismans, treasures, princesses in love,subjugated (subdued) Beings and terrain.

Physically, the game is beautiful. The 27” x38” multicolored mapboard is mounted andpuzzle-cut into five pieces (an IT hallmark). Itis so large that movement seems sluggish incomparison, particularly off-road. The pack-aging is likewise impressive; the artwork andtexture are outstanding! The game sets up infifteen minutes and can be played in 2—4hours.

WOHROM’S one severe drawback is itsrulebook. It is translated from the original Ital-

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ian into French, German and English. Thesetranslations are better than those of earlierInternational Team games, but still tend to bemuddy, ambiguous and fragmentary. Know-ledge of the Italian language might be veryhelpful, but for the non-speaker it is oftennecessary to compare the texts of the variouslanguages to arrive at a fair interpretation.This is especially true of the Combat ResultsTables, which are labeled with the initials ofItalian words. It takes a little detective work tofind that the Army Combat Table is the TCE(Tabella Combattimenti Eserciti). I can sym-pathize with the problems caused by the lan-guage barrier, but for a price tag of $49.95 Ithink we deserve better.

I enjoy WOHROM, and I highly recommendit as a group purchase by a gaming club(where there is a good turnover of players),but as a privately owned game I do not think itis worth the fifty dollars we must pay in theU.S.A. except as, possibly, an investment.

(From page 4)in miniature hobbies within the general pub-lic and among other model hobbyists whohave not yet ventured into this area.

This book would not be complete withoutincorporating the vast knowledge of thosewho are the recognized masters, and thosewho deserve recognition but do not exhibittheir works. Even a neophyte may have somefresh, innovative ideas to offer which willbenefit everyone.

I am asking all miniature artists, regardlessof status, to help create what I hope willbecome the basic work in this area, a book forthe novice who aspires to excellence, and atechnical reference for those who have achiev-ed it.

I know many readers of DRAGON maga-zine will want to participate in this excitingproject. The book will provide a forum forthose at every level to exchange ideas, improvetheir work and the work of others, add to theexcitement of adventure and fantasy games,and, perhaps of greater significance, encour-age new interest in this fascinating endeavor.

I have developed a questionnaire for minia-ture artists who wish to participate. It pro-vides some guidance in covering all of thevarious aspects of painting miniatures. Read-ers may obtain a copy directly from me. Clubscan get a supply of questionnaires from me ormay publish the questionnaire in their journalor newsletter.

Submissions on painting miniatures arewelcome in any other form as well (articles,photos, original monographs, etc.). Everycontributor will receive full credit in the book;all organizations who participate will be listedin an appendix along with information ontheir activities and membership data.

I sincerely hope you will support this ven-

ture, and I welcome participation from all ofyour readers.

Alan L. AbramskyNo. 5 Muirfield Court

Roanoke, TX 76262

‘Rut of excellence’Dear Editor:

Do, Do, DO continue the trend that started in#42, and before. If DRAGON magazine is fal-ling in a rut, it is a rut full of excellence.

In #45, Mr. Amory (Out on a Limb) statesthe worst is happening, with TD becoming“childish and ad-oriented.” It would seem thatMr. Amory has not read any of the older issuesof TD. I pulled #29 off the shelf, and com-pared. The latest DRAGON magazines comeout ahead.

The “trend” that #42 is the “start” of actuallybegan a while back. The issues in the area of#8-#11 are (to me) aimed at the hard-coregamer. The later issues were (to me, again)aimed at the casual gamer, the kind most pre-dominant among AD&D players. This meansthat the language of articles became Englishagain, and did not rely upon vast knowledgeof gaming on the reader’s part. If this is “gear-ing to 9-year-olds,” then I am glad of it, for itmade me a loyal reader. Still, I’m only 14,therefore a victim of all the “hype.”

Messrs. Jaquet and Mohan have said it be-fore (and maybe someone will believe it, nowthat a customer says it): Dragon Publishing isa business. As a business, it is necessary thatit bring in money. Thus, some advertisingm u s t b e p e r m i t t e d . A t t r a c t i n g n e wcustomers is a must, and highlighting the

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main features on the cover helps potentialbuyers discover what TD is all about. It is notthe mark of a second-rate magazine. Inci-dentally, it also tells the dedicated buyer/-reader/subscriber that the article he/she hasbeen waiting for has been printed.

“The Mansion of Mad Professor Ludlow”has to be one of the funniest modules I’ve everseen. It allows the player to experience thethrills of exploring a haunted house. Whocares if there is no experience or treasure tobe had?! It’s fun: That is enough.

DRAGON magazine is the best gamingmagazine around, and is constantly improv-ing. And I’m behind it all the way.

Joe ScarafoneSan Diego, Calif.

NPC overdose?Dear editor:

I’ve been buying your magazine for a whilenow, and subscribing was one of the bestthings I ever did. The quality of your maga-zine is very high and I have yet to be dis-pleased, except (there is always an excep-tion) I feel that in the past couple of issues(#39 and #43 specifically) there has beenentirely too much room devoted to NPCs. Irealize that Anti-Paladins and Witches will beused as NPCs by many people, and that ifyou’re going to use them that the rules shouldbe usable, fair and complete. But I happen toagree with Mr. Gygax (Out on a Limb, issue#41) that Anti-Paladins are as useful as a thirdleg. As noted above, my main complaint isspace. Why couldn’t these articles have beenput out in 2 parts? The Anti-Paladin (accord-ing to my calculations) was about 5 1/5 pageslong, which really isn’t long, but consideringit’s devoted to a single NPC, that’s long. Now,the Witch article. I have it counted at 9 pages.I really feel that is way too much space todevote to a single NPC. Again, why not runthe article in two parts?

I have really appreciated your modulesrecently and especially was surprised to findthe Traveller module (Why? I don’t know) inDragon. I enjoyed it a lot and am working onfitting it in somewhere.

It may be beating a dead horse, but I’d liketo get in my two cents’ worth about characterinflation. I chose a Fighter to represent me inmy friend’s world. Well, before I reached 2ndlevel I was the ruler of a country and was

setting out to conquer new lands in my highlymagical warships. Even though I wasn’t toofamiliar with the rules at this time, I still feltthis wasn’t the way it was supposed to be —considering that I could still meet my makerafter suffering just one decent blow from asword.

One bit of advice: Books and stories aregreat to base an adventure on, but DMsshould not expect to be able to follow the plotline verbatim.

As far as Runequest is concerned, I’d reallylike to add it to the log of games I know,except I can’t find anyone willing to teach it tome. (I usually don’t like to buy a game untilI’ve played it at least once; the exception wasTraveller.)

Terrance MikrutJacksonville, N.C.

Perhaps the best way to respond to Terry’scriticisms about the NPC articles is to con-sider the alternatives he proposes or seems topropose. Why don’t we publish articles ofsuch length in two parts? Primarily for thebenefit of the thousands of people who areinterested in such things, so they aren’t givenhalf of what they want and need and then toldto wait another month for the rest of it. And,so those thousands of people won’t thinkwe’re trying to pull a fast one by forcing themto buy two issues just to get all of a singlearticle. Those are the alternative complaints,which we avoid by publishing articles all atonce, even though this sometimes meansusing a relatively big chunk of space within asingle issue.

It seems as though Terry wouldn’t mind theappearance of “useless” (to him) NPCs as

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long as the articles could be condensed sothey occupied fewer pages. This alternative ispractically impossible in certain cases wherethe scope and potential of the subject matternecessarily carries an article beyond “nor-mal” size. We considered the Anti-Paladinand the Witch to be two such cases — sub-jects that deserved to be covered in greatdetail and examined from as many sides aspossible. — Kim

Top SecretDear Editor:

My commendations on your issue #39, andin particular “The Missile Mission.” I was, tosay the least, impressed. My ‘Bananaland’campaign benefited from its inclusion, andthe “double blind” concept of play was morethan intriguing. It was relatively simple tomaneuver two groups of players into raidingthe warehouse, located in Bananopolis, andwhen I informed them of their plight, the reac-tions were beautiful to behold!

I would at this point like to publicly beratemy fellow administrators. I work in a gamesstore, and I know Top Secret sells. Therefore,you people out there are playing, and enjoy-ing it. So why don’t you get off your unmen-tionables and make submissions to Dragon?(Editor’s note: The author of this letter sub-mitted a TS manuscript to us in the sameenvelope the letter came in.) They can’t pub-lish what they don’t receive, you know!

Reginald LeeToronto, Canada

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Finieous Fingers & friends in:There’s good news, Governor, and there’s...

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