Issue #190Vol. XVII, No. 9February 1993

PublisherJames M. Ward

EditorRoger E. Moore

9

10

16Associate editorDale A. Donovan

Fiction editorBarbara G. Young

Editorial assistantWolfgang H. Baur

Art directorLarry W. Smith

Production staffGaye O�Keefe Tracey Zamagne

Dawn K. Murin

SubscriptionsJanet L. Winters

U.S. advertisingCindy Rick

U.K. correspondentand U.K. advertising

Wendy Mottaz

In Poseidon�s LairThere�s another world to see�as close as the nearestshore.

SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS

Monsters of the Deep � Gregory W. DetwilerHalf the danger in adventuring in the ocean involvesthe unfriendly inhabitants . . .

Deep Beneath the Waves � Bryan K. BernsteinAnd the other half of the danger lies in theenvironment itself.

REVIEWS55 The Role of Computers � Hartley, Kirk, and Patricia

LesserThe art of warfare�computer warfare, that is.

66 Role-playing Reviews � Rick SwanFrom one game system, many genres: Steve JacksonGames� GURPS® system.

112 Through the Looking Glass � Robert BigelowIn space, there�s only one race of real Aliens!

FEATURES26 The Ecology of the Actaeon � Aidan Doyle

Another good reason to be nice to Mother Nature.

33 Divide and Conquer � William J. WhiteNever split the party-but if you do, here�s how to do itright.

DRAGON® Magazine (ISSN 0279-6848) is publishedmonthly by TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 756 (201 SheridanSprings Road), Lake Geneva WI 53147, United Statesof America. The postal address for all materials fromthe United States of America and Canada exceptsubscription orders is: DRAGON® Magazine, PO. Box111, (201 Sheridan Springs Road), Lake Geneva WI53147, U.S.A.; telephone (414) 248-3625; fax (414)248-0389. The postal address for all materials fromEurope is: DRAGON Magazine, TSR Ltd., 120 ChurchEnd, Cherry Hinton, Cambridge CB1 3LB, UnitedKingdom; telephone: (0223) 212517 (U.K.), 44-223-212517 (international); telex: 818761; fax (0223)248066 (U.K.), 44-223-248066 (international).

Distribution: DRAGON Magazine is available fromgame and hobby shops throughout the United States,Canada, the United Kingdom, and through a limitednumber of other overseas outlets. Distribution to thebook trade in the United States is by Random House,Inc., and in Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd.Distribution to the book trade in the United Kingdom isby TSR Ltd. Send orders to: Random House, Inc.,Order Entry Department, Westminster MD 21157,U.S.A.; telephone: (800) 733-3000. Newsstand distribu-

tion throughout the United Kingdom is by ComagMagazine Marketing, Tavistock Road, West Drayton,Middlesex UB7 7QE, United Kingdom; telephone:0895-444055.

Subscriptions: Subscription rates by second-classmail are as follows: $30 in U.S. funds for 12 issuessent to an address in the U.S.; $36 in U.S. funds for 12issues sent to an address in Canada; £21 for 12 issuessent to an address within the United Kingdom; £30 for12 issues sent to an address in Europe; $50 in U.S.funds for 12 issues sent by surface mail to any otheraddress, or $90 in U.S. funds for 12 issues sent airmail to any other address. Payment in full must accom-pany all payment include checks or money ordersmade payable to TSR, Inc., or charges to validMastercard or VISA credit cards; send subscriptionorders with payments to: TSR, Inc., PO. Box 5695,Boston MA 02206, U.S.A. In the United Kingdom,methods of payment include cheques or money ordersmade payable to TSR Ltd., or charges to a validACCESS or VISA credit card; send subscription orderswith payments to TSR Ltd., as per that address above.Prices are subject to change without prior notice. Theissue of expiration of each subscription is printed on

2 FEBRUARY 1993

41

47

7281

The Known World Grimoire � Bruce A. HeardBack to basics: more on the economics of the D&D® gameworld.

The MARVEL®-Phile � Steven E. SchendWhaddya know? A MARVEL SUPER HEROES� �SageAdvice� column.

Novel Ideas � TSR Books DepartmentOn the horizon-shelves of great reading from TSR!

The Game Wizards � Ed GreenwoodA guided tour of Waterdeep with your (untrustworthy)host, Volo.

849096

Sounds of Wonder & Delight � Jeff GrubbWhat music is played during those long Arabian nights?

Unique Unicorns � Michael John Wybo IIA stableful of all-new species for every land and clime.

Too Bizarre to be Magical � Matthew Michael PatrickSchuttThe portrait that ruled a nation, and other psionic devices.

DEPARTMENTS

COVERAh, there's nothing like an oceancruise to help an adventurer relax.Kevin Ward, our cover artist, haspainted an encounter between asailing ship and one particularlyinteresting (as in dangerous) specimenof aquatic fauna.

4 Letters 76 Sage Advice6 Editorial 102 Dragonmirth

30 Convention Calendar 104 Twilight Empire50 TSR Previews 108 Gamers Guide62 Forum

the mailing label of each subscriber’s copy of themagazine. Changes of address for the delivery ofsubscription copies must be received at least sixweeks prior to the effective date of the change in orderto assure uninterrupted delivery.

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

Submissions: All material published in DRAGONMagazine becomes the exclusive property of thepublisher, unless special arrangements to the contraryare made prior to publication. DRAGON Magazinewelcomes unsolicited submissions of written materialand artwork; however, no responsibility for such sub-missions can be assumed by the publisher in anyevent. Any submission accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope of sufficient size will bereturned if it cannot be published. We strongly recom-mend that prospective authors write for our writers’guidelines before sending an article to us. In theUnited States and Canada, send a self-addressed,

stamped envelope (9½” long preferred) to Writers’Guidelines, c/o DRAGON Magazine, as per the aboveaddress, include sufficient American postage orlnternational Reply Coupons with the return envelopeIn Europe, write to. Writers’ Guidelines, c/o DRAGONMagazine, TSR Ltd; include sufficient return postageor IRCs with your SASE.

Advertising: For information on placing advertise-ments in DRAGON Magazine, ask for our rate card Allads are subject to approval by TSR, Inc. TSR reservesthe right to reject any ad for any reason In the UnitedStates and Canada, contact Advertising Coordinator,TSR, Inc., PO Box 756, 201 Sheridan Springs Road,Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A In Europe, contactAdvertising Coordinators, TSR Ltd.

Advertisers and/or agencies of advertisers agree tohold TSR, Inc. harmless from and against any loss orexpense from any alleged wrongdoing that may ariseout of the publication of such advertisements. TSR,Inc. has the right to reject or cancel any advertisingcontract for which the advertiser and/or agency ofadvertiser fails to comply with the business ethics setforth in such contract.

DRAGON is a registered trademark of TSR, Inc.

Registration applied for in the United Kingdom. Allrights to the contents of this publication are reserved,and nothing may be reproduced from it in whole or inpart without first obtaining permission in writing fromthe publisher. Material published in DRAGON Maga-zine does not necessarily reflect the opinions of TSR,Inc. Therefore, TSR will not be held accountable foropinions or mis-information contained in such material.

®designates registered trademarks owned by TSR,Inc. ™ designates trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. Mostother product names are trademarks owned by thecompanies publishing those products. Use of the nameof any product without mention of trademark statusshould not be construed as a challenge to such status.

© 1993 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. All TSR char-acters, character names, and the distinctive likenessesthereof are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.

Second-class postage paid at Lake Geneva, Wis.,U.S.A., and additional mailing offices. Postmaster:Send address changes to DRAGON Magazine, TSR,Inc., P.O. Box 111, Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.USPS 318-790. ISSN 1062-2101.

DRAGON 3

What did you think of this issue? Do you havea question about an article or have an idea for anew feature you�d like to see? In the UnitedStates and Canada, write to: Letters, DRAGON®Magazine, P.O. Box 111, Lake Geneva WI 53147,U.S.A. In Europe, write to: Letters, DRAGONMagazine, TSR Ltd., 120 Church End, CherryHinton, Cambridge CB1 3LB, United Kingdom.

About YamaraDear Dragon,

About Yamara: What are the three hoodedbeings who seek the Headpiece of Frinn? Whatare the effects of wearing the headpiece (otherthan godhood and the three-wish aftereffect)?What race is Ogrek? If flesh to plush were anAD&D® 2nd Edition game spell, what levelwould it be? When Ralph lost his godhood, whydid he not gain three wishes from the head-piece? Last question: How long does it take todon and remove the headpiece?

P.S. Which DRAGON issue contained the firstYamara strip?

Chillos Smith, Jr.Dawsonville GA

Rather than attempt to answer these weightyquestions ourselves, your editors went straightto the source: Barbara Manui and Chris Adams.Their reply follows:

The three hooded beings are emissaries of thegreat wizard-couturier FriNn and are them-selves known as the FriNn. He and they comefrom an extradimensional space which they likeand will leave only under burden of greatnecessity. They are so fond of this place thatthey have named it FriNn.

Since the Headpiece of FriNn was designed fortaste and simplicity, its only effect is godhead.You know, godhead: the ability to fast-forwardlocal weather patterns, never lose anotherargument, be invited to exclusive parties whereyou hobnob with other deities, and win AD&Dgames. The Headpiece and its wearer are invul-nerable to all attacks except flesh to plush (seelater), for which there is no save. Taking theHeadpiece off and putting it on are considerednormal actions (one round each), but it must beworn for the godhead to come on-line, and eachtime it must be placed upon the wearer byanother sentient being.

Ralph faked godhead. That�s why he had tograb Fea�s wand.

The three wishes were sent as a present toYamara by the grateful FriNn. The wishes arenot an automatic side effect of wearing theHeadpiece.

By the numbers, Ogrek is one-eighth ogre,one-eighth elf, one-eighth human, one-quarterorc, and one-quarter pixie. We did some quickaddition, came up an eighth short, and madesome inquiries. Mr. Undisciplined�s press secre-tary is withholding comment at this time.

As for the spell:

Fea's Flesh to PlushLevel: 5Range: 30'Duration: Perm.Area of Effect: One creature

Comp. : V,S,MCT:2

ST: Neg.

A version of the item spell that appeals totoddlers, this spell transforms average, live,free-willed people and monsters into small dolls.Each such doll resembles the former being inmost respects and gives off no magical aurawhatsoever. The plush stuffing of the doll ap-peals to family pets with an urge to gnaw andworry. The reverse of the spell restores a hap-less victim to whatever state the doll was left in(no system-shock roll required). The reversedspell also turns plushy things (e.g., carpets,dolls, tapes tries, upholstery) into fleshy things(e.g., hormad tissue, shoggoths, the Blob).

The original Yamara characters appeared in aone-panel comic in DRAGON issue #132, page 87(it will be five years old this April). The four-panel strip itself started two issues later; in issue#134, page 99. We�re still having fun with it.Thanks for being intrigued by the minutiae.

Barbara & Chris

Thendar�FOUND!Dear Dragon,

Surely Brian Wilson is not the only personsuffering from memory loss. I have been play-ing DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® games for onlyfive years, but even I knew what a thendar isand where to find it. In DRAGON issue #101,you published your third �Creature Catalog.�Within it, you will find the thendar, as well asthe drawing of a knight and vines that youplaced right beneath his letter [in the letterscolumn of issue #188].

�The Innersole�No address given

The mysterious Innersole was not the onlyperson who found the thendar, much to youreditor�s embarrassment and the amusement ofmany readers. The thendar do indeed lurk inDRAGON issue #101, page 54; they are a race oftall, humanlike, Astral Plane dwellers withnumerous magical powers, created by DouglasLent (the distinctive artwork was by RogerRaupp). With a little work, this would make anvery interesting character race for the AD&D®game; several readers noted they had alreadyadded this race to their campaigns. Other read-ers recognized the pilfer vine illustration from87 issues ago as well.

Our thanks for finding the thendar go out to:Elaine Wiedeman (Santa Ana, Calif.), NathanielGilbert (Takoma Park, Md.), Peter DeCraene,Tim Lauchnor (East Greenville, Pa.), Barry Smith(Post Falls, Idaho), Donald Miller (Provo, Utah),John Tomkins (Kenosha, Wis.), David Wall (Sun-derland, Mass.), Carlisle Harper (Mount Olive,N.C.), Eric Larson (Livonia, Mich.), SamuelPeebles (Baton Rouge, La.), Cal Rea (Kansas City,MO.), Russell Kopp (Buffalo, N.Y.), James Yates

(Owensboro, Ky.), Michael De Lucia (Camillus,N.Y.), Shawn Dickensheets (Portland, Oreg.), B.Glenn (San Jose, Calif.), David Howery (Moun-tain Home, Idaho), and Tony Quirk (San Diego,Calif.). Your letters arrived earliest in the floodtide of replies this letter generated.

Several readers took the time to point out thatwe were overdue for another DRAGON Maga-zine index. See the next letter for details. DavidHowery took the time to point out that thendarwear stupid hats. Thanks.

Index-NEEDED!Dear Readers,

We have received many requests for an up-dated DRAGON Magazine index, but your edi-tors just have not had the time to make one up.However, we are quite interested in finding outif any readers have already made up such adatabase, one that we would be able to use inour normal editing work and possibly publish ata later date. We would like to purchase all rightsto such an index and are busy drafting guide-lines for its format, contents, deadlines, etc. Wecan only work with material in an IBM-compatible format, and would prefer to receivethe final index on diskette with hard copy. Themore accurate, complete, and detailed theindex, the better we�ll like it.

If you have such an index and wish to contactus about it, please send a long, stamped, self-addressed envelope to: Index, DRAGON Maga-zine, P.O. Box 111, Lake Geneva WI 53147,U.S.A. Do not send your index at this time; aquery letter with the SASE, giving brief detailson your index, would be appreciated.

We (and over 200,000 other readers) arewaiting to hear from you!

Get it straightDear Dragon,

Just to keep the record straight, I�d like topoint out that in issue #185, John C. Bunnellerroneously attributed my name and short-storytitle to another story�s plot in his review of theDragons over England fiction anthology. I don�tmind receiving an unfavorable review now andagain (okay, you got me�I weep over everyone), but I do like to be blamed for my ownwork, not someone else�s.

Lester SmithTSR, Inc.

4 FEBRUARY 1993

The best adventures I never ran

All game masters like to brag about thebest adventures they ever ran, and I�m noexception. After writing last month's edito-rial on creating great adventures, how-ever, I sat back and thought about all thosegreat adventures that I�d always meant torun but never did. Surely everyone hasthis problem. What can you do with allthose marvelous unused ideas you get fortormenting player characters?

You do what any other GM would dowith them: You tell all your gaming friendsabout them, and maybe one day someoneelse will use your ideas and torment lots ofother gamers with them. (Perhaps theywill even torment your characters withthem! That sounds fair to me.)

The ideas I�ve had for wild-and-woolyrole-playing scenarios have come from allsorts of sources. Some of the adventuresI�ve run were sparked by letting myimagination go while listening to hard-rockmusic at high volume on earphones (be-ware of inner-ear damage if you do thisfrequently). I found AC/DC, Black Sabbath,and the like to be especially helpful. Once Ivisualized an especially awful scene I

wanted to reenact, I�d write down all thedetails and find ways to build an adven-ture around that scene. I�d then connectthe episode to other equally dangeroushappenings, until I had a series of high-

action events like an Indiana Jones film.My main goal was to prevent player bore-dom, and my methods generally worked(maybe I just choose to forget the timesthey didn�t, but I do recall some greatadventures).

The following are some of the cinematic-style adventures for different role-playinggames that I never got to run. You are freeto steal these ideas and use them in yourown campaigns to horrify your own play-ers. Just be warned that your players maywish to horrify you someday, too.

�In the AD&D® game, I planned to havepart of the current fantasy world invadedfrom space or alternate worlds by high-tech beings who set up prison camps andenslave the population (high-tech scrofrom the SPELLJAMMER® setting wouldwork fine). Two of the action scenes I

envisioned involved a commando attackagainst a military train carrying prisonersof war, pitting swords and spells againstmachine guns, then an assault against adeath camp to free the elves within. I hadread about an uprising of Soviet Armypersonnel in a Nazi POW camp duringWorld War II (and had seen somethingsimilar on a TV movie), and I once saw ashort film of a military train ride througha jungle during the Vietnam war. The

6 FEBRUARY 1993

campaign idea grew from there.�The PCs in my GAMMA WORLD®

campaigns feared nothing more thanDeath Machines (see DRAGON® issue#156, page 6, for commentary). Afterwatching the scene in Superman: TheMovie in which Superman chases down alow-flying cruise missile, I came up withan encounter over a badlands region be-tween the PCs and a Death Machine. Theheroes are trying to track down an un-known force that has destroyed severalsmall communities in their domain. Theybecome the hunted, however, as the xeno-phobic robot tracks the PCs at long range,flying low to avoid radar detection until itis within missile and blaster range. TheDeath Machine then runs down the PCs asthey would try to hug the terrain andescape among the towering buttes, mesas,and eroded hills. The PCs won�t be able toeven see the Death Machine except as adot on their radar scopes�a nice touch ofsuspense there. Part of this idea camefrom watching the movie Duel, starringDennis Weaver. If you saw it, you knowwhat I mean.

�During a short campaign using WestEnd Games�s GHOSTBUSTERS* rules, Iconsidered a scenario in which the localGhostbusters, while minding their ownbusiness, are attacked as they drive theirvan back from a late-night mission. Theirattackers are undead motorcyclists andrace-car drivers, driving weird machinespowered by black magic. The undeadattempt to climb onto the van and get atthe Ghostbusters by smashing windows,opening doors, punching through metalwalls, etc. Being dead already, the skeletalkillers are fearless and wild in their assault(the Ghostbusters might be a differentmatter, of course). Steve Jackson Games�sCAR WARS* rules and The Road Warriorare, of course, the wells from which thisbucket of horrors is drawn.

�I also thought about a GHOSTBUSTERScampaign in which the heroes get hold ofan old bomber or similar large aircraft,then use it against an invasion of undeadbeings from the sea who have resurfaceda number of old shipwrecks. This �D-Dayof the Dead� was to be fought entirely atnight or under a preternatural thunder-storm. The old war movies of torpedo anddive bombers in action against carriers inthe Pacific 50 years ago are the drivingforce behind this scenario. I could havealso used the great war movie ThirtySeconds Over Tokyo as inspiration. In thiscase, the Ghostbusters fly into an alternate

universe to make a preemptive strikeagainst hostile paranormal forces prepar-ing to attack Earth, with their bomberbeing chased by undead pilots in archaicaircraft and fired upon by necromancers�spells.

�Of course, Chaosium�s CALL OFCTHULHU* game got its share of atten-tion. In one scenario, I envisioned theinvestigators riding a passenger trainthrough the Rockies on their way to awestern city when flying bogeymen comealong seeking vengeance for a past gooddeed committed by the heroes (perhapsthe bogeymen are sent by an angryCthulhu-worshiper). The monsters first killthe engine�s crew, then leave the locomo-tive�s throttle open and send the train on athundering ride downhill toward a city�strain station, something like the events atthe end of Silver Streak. Some of the bo-geymen may even stick around to fight theheroes as the latter try to take control ofthe train again, climbing on the outside ofthe cars to reach the locomotive. Maybethere could even be a few ghouls on thetrain just for fun.

�Even worse was my version of whathappened to the U.S.S. Cyclops, a U.S.Navy collier that vanished (allegedly inthe Bermuda Triangle) in the early years ofthis century. The investigators start outprobing the disappearance of the crew ofthe Marie Celeste, a small sailing ship that

in real life ran aground in New Englandwith no crew aboard it. While out sailingin their own ship, the investigators man-age to get themselves dropped into analternate universe, where they encounterthe Cyclops and a sea of trouble. Borrow-ing details liberally from the CthulhuMythos stories of the Deep Ones and from�The Haunted Jarvee,� a tale by Britishhorror writer William Hope Hodgson, Iimagined the Cyclops adrift on an oily,poisonous sea in a pitch-black pocketuniverse, where purple lightning flashesthrough clouds miles overhead. There theship served as a breeder ship for DeepOnes, commanded by a madman once heldin the brig of the Cyclops during its lastvoyage. The end of the adventure wouldinclude a massive gun battle with the DeepOnes as the latter swarm over the deck ofthe Cyclops, claws and teeth reaching forthe heroes, who are trying to get to theirown ship and escape before the pocketuniverse collapses as a result of the he-roes� undoing of the magic that broughtthe pocket world into being (whew!).

�The TOP SECRET/S.I.� game suggestedlots of great modern-day adventures,especially after I read The Curve of Bind-ing Energy, a frightening book by JohnMcPhee about the spread of nuclear tech-nology and its connections to terrorism.Suppose the agents uncover a plot by aterrorist group to drop a homemade atom-

ic bomb on Chicago from a renovatedWorld War II bomber. What if they areable to infiltrate the group at the lastmoment, then must battle hand-to-handagainst terrorists aboard the aircraft as itflies at treetop level over the Chicagosuburbs and superhighways while beingfired upon by jets and helicopters fromthe Illinois State Police and NationalGuard? What if the bomb suddenly armsitself during the melee and starts tickingaway? Wouldn�t that be grand? I thoughtso, too.

That�s enough of that. If you�ve got somegreat ideas you�ve never run, tell yourfriends about them. And if you listen toenough good ideas, you�ll develop somegreat adventures of your own�adventuresthat you will run!

* indicates a product produced by a company otherthan TSR, Inc. Most product names are trademarksowned by the companies publishing those products.The use of the name of any product without mentionof its trademark status should not be construed as achallenge to such status

DRAGON 7

Adding �real� sea serpents to your campaignby Gregory W. Detwiler

Sea serpents are a common part of mar-itime lore, and most people relegate themto myth and legend. However, some scien-tists have studied the reports in detail, find-ing many cases around the world wherethe reports agree on all the details. TheFrance-Belgian zoologist Bernard Heuvel-mans, current president of the ISC (Inter-national Society of Cryptozoology), is themost noted of these. By studying the mostreliable sea serpent reports, he has deter-mined that there are at least seven differenttypes of sea serpent in the ocean today,with two more possible species that are notas well reported or described.

Aside from Heuvelmans� creatures,other scientists like Ted Holiday have the-orized sea monsters of their own. Thisarticle describes these �real� sea serpents,and either names creatures already listedin the MC3 FORGOTTEN REALMS®Appendix to the Monstrous Compendiumsthat could be these serpents (some withmodified statistics) or gives them entirelynew statistics.

The big nineThese are the creatures Heuvelmans

describes in his massive volume In theWake of the Sea Serpents. The averagelength for all sea serpents is on the orderof 60�-100�, although larger specimens arecertainly possible. Heuvelmans points outthat the wake a swimming creature leavesbehind it may be mistaken for part of itsbody (hence the title of his book), result-ing in exaggerated lengths given by wit-nesses. He also pointed out, however, thatanimals can grow to very great size whenbuoyed up by water, and that the serpen-tine form most of the creatures in thisarticle have distributes weight veryevenly. Thus, a serpentine creature 250�long (one of the largest sizes reported)would weigh no more than a bulky bluewhale 113� long (the record for thisspecies). As a final note of caution, noneof the air-breathing animals describedbelow spouts like a modern whale. Theystick only their head or part of it abovethe surface to breathe, making a mockeryof skeptics� claims that they would beseen more often.

Super eel: This is just what it soundslike: an enormous eel. There may bemore than one species, as some haveblunt heads, some pointed; some are red-dish, some are blue or blackish-brown ontop and white underneath, while still oth-ers are speckled (the speckled ones seemconfined to the Mediterranean). Mostseem built on the order of a greatlyenlarged conger or moray eel. They are alldifferent from the other �sea serpents�

Artwork by Alan Pollack

Heuvelmans describes due to the fact thatwe know they exist.

In 1930, the Danish oceanographer andbiologist Dr. Anton Bruun was conductinga marine survey in the South Atlantic; onewhich included trawling the depths to seewhat lived down there. Among the speci-mens he brought back up was an elver (aneel larvae) six feet long. Normal elvers areonly a few inches long at most, yet theycan grow into 6� eels. Extrapolating fromthis, Dr. Bruun calculated that this elvermight grow into an eel anywhere from108-180� in length! A more conservativeapproach, assuming a slower growth rate,still suggests an eel 50� in length. To topthis off, he brought the eel larvae up inthe exact vicinity of one of the mostfamous sea serpent sightings of all time:that of the S.S. Daedalus in 1848. Thedrawings and descriptions of this creatureare far more like an eel than anythingelse: an interesting coincidence, at thevery least. The last I heard, Bruun�s speci-men was still preserved in alcohol at theCharlottenlund Marine Biological Labora-tory, on the very outskirts of Copenhagen.

For AD&D® game purposes, the super-eel should be treated as a giant eel, butone 50, 108, or 180� in length. Its swim-ming speed should be reduced to 8 and 7for the last two versions, while the HD forthe three specimens would be boosted to9, 13, and 18, respectively. THAC0 for themis 11, 7, and 5. XP value is 975, 3,000, and10,000 for the largest! Damage/Attack is4-16, 3-18, and 5-20, while AC and all otherstats are �the same.

Super otter: This is a primitive aquaticmammal, probably closely related towhatever carnivorous mammal firstreturned to life in the sea. It may also be areal sea serpent that does not exist anymore; the last definite sighting was in1848, so it may have been driven intoextinction, possibly through competitionwith the Long-necked (see below). It has aflat, elongated head, small eyes, a slender-neck of medium length, and a long tailthat ends in a point. Its spine is so flexiblethat it can form six or seven bends visiblewhen the animal is on the surface. It haswebbed feet with definite toes, making itthe least specialized of sea serpents. It hasno fins or other appendages on its back;its skin is rough or wrinkled, a light orgrayish brown in color. It lives only in Arc-tic (generally Scandinavian) waters, andHeuvelmans makes the point that meltingice makes polar waters the least salty inthe world, making it easier for a land ani-mal to adapt itself to life in the sea.Remember, this is where the polar bearlives.

Super otter

CLIMATE/TERRAIN:FREQUENCY:ORGANIZATION:ACTIVITY CYCLE:DIET:INTELLIGENCE:TREASURE:ALIGNMENT:NO. APPEARING:ARMOR CLASS:MOVEMENT:HIT DICE:THAC0:NO. OF ATTACKS:DAMAGE/ATTACK:SPECIAL ATTACKS:SPECIAL DEFENSES:MAGIC RESISTANCE:SIZE:MORALE:XP VALUE:

Arctic watersVery rareSolitaryAnyCarnivoreAnimalNilNeutral1-24SW 1212911-10NilNilNilG (65'-100')Average (10)2,000

Many-humped: This long, serpentinecreature is thought to be a form of primi-tive whale. Its head is oval-shaped, blunt,and flat on top, with a broad snout thatmakes it look like a hornless ox. Its neck isslender and of medium length, and asmall triangular fin has sometimes beenseen on the shoulders. Its most distinctivefeature, however, is the row of regularhumps all along the back. The many-humped serpent has a pair of flippers upfront, while its tail is double-lobed likeother whales�. Its skin is generally smooth,though sometimes rough. The top is darkbrown to black in hue, while the lowerportion is pure white. This coloration isfavored as camouflage by sea creaturesthat hang around the continental shelf,and sure enough, that is where thereports of the Many-humped come from.Sometimes this sea serpent also has awhite stripe or two on the side of theneck.

It has been suggested that the famedhumps are hydrostatic organs, or sacs ofskin that can be inflated with air at will.They can serve both as a reserve supply ofair for long dives, and�as they are righton the spine�to provide stability for thecreature when it swims on the surface. Itcan hit a top speed of 35-40 knots. Nearlyall reports come from the eastern coast ofNorth America, with a particular empha-sis on New England. It generally stays inwarm water, which in northern areasmeans the Gulf Stream, but does ventureinto the cooler waters during the sum-mer. It has the same average length notedfor sea serpents in general, but may reacha maximum of 115�. It can do 2-12 pointsof damage with its bite, does not attackwith its tail, and has a swimming speed of

DRAGON 11

30, but otherwise has the same stats as thecommon whale (12 HD).

Many-finned: This is another primitivewhale, one whose back is protected by anarmor of bony plates, giving it a faintresemblance to a lobster. The armoredback has a saw-toothed crest along thespine, and it also has up to a dozen pro-jections to either side, like the side spikesof an ankylosaur. The animal is so bur-dened with armor that it must roll on oneside to turn. When it rolls, the projectionsare visible, and mistaken for fins. Thearmor gives the creature�s back AC 3.

The head is rounded, rather like a calf,with small but prominent eyes placedhigh on the head (like a hippo). The Many-finned serpent�s mouth is wide, with itsnostrils clearly visible to the muzzle�sfront and surrounded by hairs. It has ashort, slender neck. There are flippers tothe front, and it has a flattened, three-lobed tail that is only slightly spread andthat increases the resemblance to a lob-ster. Its skin is smooth, like tanned

12 FEBRUARY 1993

leather, colored brown with dirty yellowpatches that can give it a general impres-sion of being greenish gray. It is generallyreported in shallow coraline or rockywaters, and creatures that live there usu-ally have this speckled coloration.

The Many-finned can reach to a hun-dred feet long, but generally does not getover 70�. It lives in tropical waters all overthe world, with the most famous series ofsightings made by the French Navy inAlong Bay off the Vietnamese coast. Thismay be the reason why French scientistsare, as a group, less skeptical about seaserpents than their counterparts in othercountries. It has the same attack as theMany-humped, has a swimming speed of12, and otherwise has the stats of thecommon whale.

has been suggested that these �hairs� arereally respiratory organs in the form of fil-aments, absorbing air from the water andenabling the beast to remain underlonger. (Some frogs are known to havethis arrangement.) The Merhorse�s headis horselike, but also quite wide, giving it adiamond-shaped (and snakelike) appear-ance when viewed directly from the front.Its forward-facing eyes are huge, demon-strating that it hunts in the darker depthsof the sea. The eyes are black, though theymay seem red or green when light strikesthem directly. The mouth is wide, edgedwith thick, light-colored lips, and sur-rounded by bristles. The face is very hairy,possibly giving the thing a moustache.

Merhorse: This creature is built like aslender-bodied plesiosaur, but appears tobe a form of enormous sea lion. It gets itsname from an impressive horselike maneof reddish hair on its neck. Since mostaquatic mammals have almost no hair, it

The medium to long neck supports themane. Some observers report a jaggedcrest on the back, but this is probably justtufts of hair sticking together. The Mer-horse has a pair of front flippers, withrear flippers that have either joinedtogether in a vertical plane to form a falsetail, or have disappeared entirely andbeen replaced by a two-lobed tail with a

jagged rear edge. It has smooth, shiny skinlike a sea lion, which may be covered withshort fur. The whole animal, aside fromthe mane, is uniformly dark brown, steelgray, or black. Merhorses reported inwarm water are a mahogany color. Itapparently lives on large fish and squid, astales from such disparate locations asScandinavia and the South Pacific tell ofenmity between sea serpents and squids.Except for the Indian Ocean and the polarregions, it has been reported all over the

Merhorse

CLIMATE/TERRAIN:

FREQUENCY:ORGANIZATION:ACTIVITY CYCLE:DIET:INTELLIGENCE:TREASURE:ALIGNMENT:NO. APPEARING:ARMOR CLASS:MOVEMENT:HIT DICE:THAC0:NO. OF ATTACKS:DAMAGE/ATTACK:SPECIAL ATTACKS:SPECIAL DEFENSES:MAGIC RESISTANCE:SIZE:MORALE:XP VALUE:

Subarctic totropical watersRareSolitaryAnyCarnivoreAnimalNilNeutral1-25Sw 3014714-16NilNilNilG (60�-100�)Steady (12)4,000

Long-necked: This creature is about thesize of the Merhorse, and some peoplemistakenly assume they are different sexesof the same species. However, the differ-ences are too great for that. For example,aside from a few whiskers on the muzzleand a hairy crest making a short ridgealong the spine, no hairs are visible on theLong-necked sea serpent. Its neck is alsofar more slender than that of the Mer-horse, and is quite long. Though it maylook like a plesiosaur, it, too, is a giant formof sea lion. Its eyes are too small to be seenunless the observer is very close, and a pairof short hornlike tubes project from thetop of the head. These are probably breath-ing tubes, erectable at will, enabling thecreature to take air while remaining virtu-ally invisible at the surface. If extendedwhile below the surface, these tubes let theLong-necked exhale under water withoutblinding itself with the stream of bubbles.

The Long-necked has a very smallround head, with a tapering muzzle like aseal�s, often compared to the head of ahorse, giraffe, or camel. Its neck is cylin-drical and is flexible enough to bend in anydirection or to stick out of the water per-pendicularly. As mentioned before, it hasno mane, but a fold in its skin behind thehead seems to form a sort of collar. It has a

thick, fat body with visible rolls of fat thatcan form from 1-3 humps as the animalbends its body while swimming. It has fourseallike flippers, and its tail is either nonex-istent or a mere stump. The skin lookssmooth when wet, but rough and wrinkledwhen dry or when viewed up close. Col-oration on top is dark brown, with gray,black, or whitish mottling; the underside isa much lighter, dirty yellow hue.

The Long-necked is just as fast as theMerhorse, and, except for the fact that itsbite only does 1-8 points of damage, itsstats are the same. It has been reported inall but the coldest waters, and it seems toprefer cool waters in summer and thetropics in winter.

Marine saurian: Of the seven sea ser-pents Heuvelmans describes, the Marinesaurian is the only one that is definitely areptile. Generally, it looks like a giant croc-odile about 60� long, with either flippersinstead of legs or legs with webbed feet.The eyes are prominent, and, in somecases, its tail may end in a fishlike fin. Itsgrayish or reddish brown skin lookssmooth, but scales still remain in someplaces, forming rings around the bodyand creating a slight dorsal crest. It isfound all over the tropics, and prefers theopen sea to the coast.

Given the varying descriptions, morethan one species of animal could be in-volved here. Those with flippers couldwell be mosasaurs (detailed in MC3)though they could just as easily be plesio-saurs (short-necked plesiosaurs, such asthe Kronosaurus from Australian waters)that should have the same general stats.The web-footed crocs could be survivingThalattosuchians, or sea crocodiles fromthe Mesozoic Era. They would differ fromthe standard giant crocodile in the follow-ing ways: NO. APPEARING: 1-2; no landmovement, SW 18; HD 14; THAC0 7; #ATT:1 (bite); DAMAGE/ATTACK: 7-28; SPECIALATTACKS: Swallow whole; SIZE G (60�); XPVALUE: 8,000.

Father-of-all-the-turtles: Named aftera similar creature from Sumatran leg-ends, this is basically a giant sea turtle 60�long and 40� wide. It has a mouth so widethat it splits the head in two when it opens(one report claims the inside of the mouthis a brilliant red color), large eyes, and ashell whose front slopes up and backwardin front, then slants down toward the rear.The scales on the front are hardly notice-able, while those to the rear of the shellare so large they have been compared toroofing shingles. Sometimes fleshy fila-ments are reported hanging around themouth. There are only a few reports ofthis beast, the last in 1960. Oddly for a rep-tile, it is found in cold temperate areas.However, really large reptiles lose heatmore slowly than their smaller fellows,and the Leatherback turtle does travel farto the north.

If it exists, the Father-of-all-the-turtles is

probably an enlarged descendant of theCretaceous sea turtle Archelon. Stats arethose from the MC3, with the followingexceptions: 16 HD; THAC0 5; DAMAGE/ATTACK 2-20; SIZE G (60� long by 40' wide);XP VALUE 8,000.

Yellow belly: This poorly described andinfrequently encountered creature isshaped like a tadpole up to 100� long, with ahuge flat head that imperceptibly mergesinto its flat body. Its tail is extremely longand tapering. The Yellow belly is a very strik-ing shade of yellow in color, with a blackstripe all along its spine and black trans-verse bands on its sides. It has only beenreported in tropical waters. Because itsdescription is so vague, there is, as yet, noway to make even an educated guess aboutwhat kind of animal it is (if it exists at all).Use the statistics of common whales withmaximum hit dice, doing damage only witha bite that does 3d4x5 points of damage.

Great orm: In July 1966, an oddly-shaped prehistoric worm was described tothe scientific community. Tullimonstreumgregarium was only a few inches long (aschool of them, possibly young ones, hadbeen buried in a cloud of sediment andpreserved that way), but it looked for allthe world like a miniature plesiosaur. Ithad a small but distinct head (unusual forworms), a slender, swanlike neck, a tor-pedo-shaped body with a pair of paddle-like flippers up front, and a tail that lookslike an ace of spades. In an amazing exam-ple of convergent evolution, this wormfrom the Carboniferous period came tolook like a plesiosaur, and undoubtedlylived like one. In his book, The Great Ormof Loch Ness, F. W. Holiday stated his opin-ion that Nessie and sea serpents in generalare giant forms of Tullimonstreum.

Holiday gives a number of good reasonsfor his theory. The loch has been checkedby sonar a number of times, sometimesshowing creatures, sometimes not. If thecreatures in the loch were lying, wormlike,on the bottom, the sonar would not distin-guish them as separate objects. Also, anaquatic worm would mainly breathethrough gills, so it would not have to sur-face for air, explaining why more sightingsare not made. In his second book on thissubject, The Dragon and the Disc, he men-tions a case from the past where an �orm�came ashore, got itself wedged in a creviceor something, and died. The awed localsreported that it �melted away� without leav-ing any traces behind. Since worms aresoft-bodied, shell-less invertebrates, theywould leave no bones or other remainsbehind once their flesh had rotted away.

Another bit of evidence is the fact thatclose views of Nessie instill far more revul-sion in people than would seem to be war-ranted by a good look at a plesiosaur,long-necked seal, etc. One witness actuallydescribed the body as �wormy; creepy. Theentire body had movement all over it all

DRAGON 13

the time.� Echoing these sentiments was awoman who actually took two photographsof a similar beast in a different loch. Shesaid she would not like to see the animalagain because she did not like the way itmoved when it swam. The two photosshowed a head that merged imperceptiblyinto the neck (no eyes or other featureswere visible), and a body that changedshape as it swam. Another witness said the�obscene� thing reminded him of a giantstomach with a long, writhing gutattached. Charming! In an early sightingafter the Loch Ness fracas began, a Mr. andMrs. Spicer saw the thing flop across aroad and plunge into the loch. They saidthat more than anything else, it looked likea giant slug. There are many descriptionsof these lake monsters leaving trails ofslime behind them when they come out onland. Whatever game system you use, don�tbe surprised if your NPC hirelings, col-leagues, or whatever take to their heels atthe first sight of the thing.

Use the Elasmosaurus stats from MC3with the following modifications: ACTIVITYCYCLE Any; HD 20; THAC0 5; DAMAGE/ATTACK 3-30; SPECIAL DEFENSES Poison-ous secretions from its warty flesh (save vs.poison at -1 if you touch it with bare flesh,or die); SIZE G (100�); XP Value 14,000.

Monsters in campaignsThese creatures are intended as addi-

tional monsters for the AD&D game, sonaturally this article uses AD&D gameterms, However, since these creatures arereported to be alive today, they can beused in any historical or modern cam-paign, such as the TOP SECRET S.I.�game, the CALL OF CTHULHU* game, theDARK CONSPIRACY* game, or any super-hero game. Lake monsters (which,depending on which expert you believe,are either Tullimonstreums or giant sealions like the Long-necked) are found inScotland, Ireland, Sweden, the USSR, theUSA, Canada, Italy, Japan, Australia,Malaysia, Argentina, and in some portionsof tropical Africa, thus giving globe-trottingPCs plenty of opportunities to encounterthem. True sea serpents, of course, can beencountered anywhere on the high seas.

Although they aren�t sea serpents, spermwhales are their competitors and possiblytheir predators. They should be given anew nonmagical attack form, based ontheir unusual way of catching prey. I neverstopped to wonder how a boxlike spermwhale could catch a torpedo-shaped, jet-propelled squid, until I actually read abouthow whales catch their prey�they usepowerful, focused sounds waves to stuntheir victims. This works because soundwaves have a much greater impact under-water than in the open air.

In game terms, this sonic blast has arange of 100� in a beam 10� wide. Any livingcreature hit by this sound beam (gener-ated by the whale�s sonar apparatus) must

14 FEBRUARY 1993

save vs. wands. The fate of those who failis determined by their size: Creatures ofSize L and smaller are killed while largercreatures are stunned for one round.Most fish and squid found in sperm whalestomachs are relatively small; the epic bat-tles with giant squid occur when a whalefinds one that it can stun long enough tocatch up to, but that is too big to be killedoutright by the sonic attack. Giving spermwhales this ability adds 1,000 XP to theirstandard value.

In game terms, most of the creaturesdescribed here are just modified AD&Dmonsters. However, remember that evensuperficial changes in a monster�s lookscan make it seem brand new in the play-ers� eyes. In the case of the mammalian seaserpents, for instance, the only superficialdifference between them and plesiosaursis a little bit of hair and a body that bendsvertically instead of horizontally; the last isa reminder of the days when the firstmammals had to abandon the reptiliansprawl in favor of a gait that enabled themto more efficiently slip into the smallestcracks to escape dinosaurs and otherpredators, making mammals the only ver-tebrates that move up-and-down instead ofside-to-side. Look at the illustrations andthink of how they�ll appear to the PCs. Thegame stats might be basically the same, butyou�re the only one who knows that.

The best part about this collection of

creatures is that they are all living today,or at least are said to be living today. Thus,they are more plausible monsters formodern games than dragons, dinosaurs,etc. Unless your gaming world assumesthe entire ocean has been poisoned, youcan even have them on Earth in futuristicgames, including post-holocaust ones likethe GAMMA WORLD® game. A steady dietof them can be tiresome, but for the occa-sional unusual scenario, they can be justwhat the GM ordered. Needless to say,anything that makes games more interest-ing is highly desirable, indeed.

ReferenceIn the Wake of the Sea Serpents, by

Bernard Heuvelmans; American edition,Hill and Wang, 1968; original French edi-tion, Librarie Plon, 1965. This massive vol-ume (over 600 pages) is the definitive workon the subject. Extensive lists of sightings,maps showing distribution by species-this book has it all.

There Are Giants in the Sea, by MichaelBright; Robson Books, Ltd., 1989. Bright ismore skeptical about the more exoticcreatures Heuvelmans theorizes about.The main value of this book is the fact thatit includes modern sea serpent sightingsfrom the time after the publication of Inthe Wake of the Sea Serpents, including a

Continued on page 24

In memoriam:Bryan K. Bernstein

Less than a month after completing September 1991. Both were 22 years old Scholarship Fund, 600 Jennifer Drive,this article for DRAGON® Magazine, and graduates of Cornell University; they Auburn AL 36830.Bryan Bernstein and his wife, Laura, had graduate fellowships at UCLA. I remember you, Bryan, and was verywere murdered while en route to the Donations may be made to the Cruz sorry to see you go.University of California-Los Angeles, in Bernstein Youth for Understanding �Roger E. Moore

Fantasy adventures on the ocean floorby Bryan K. Bernstein

Artwork by Dave Plunkett

Far from the sunlit shore and milesbeneath the ceaseless waves lies anotherworld waiting to be explored. It is a worlddarker than any dungeon, filled withbeasts that are as exotic, beautiful, andterrible as any that walk on earth. Thisworld is also a repository of boundlesswealth. On the ocean floor lie the wrecksof countless ships that never returned toshore, their cargoes virtually frozen intime. The sea itself contains more dis-solved gold, silver, and platinum than allthe dwarves will ever carve from theirfrigid mountains.

The deep waters, with all of their shad-owy and mystic splendors, are ready to beexplored. The marine environment is idealfor fantastic adventuring. While this articledirects itself toward the AD&D® game, theinformation should prove useful to anycampaign.

Some basic factsA common misconception is that the

ocean contains life in only the first fewhundred feet and that below this arecubic miles of aquatic desert. In truth,even the deepest spot on Earth, the Mari-ana Trench, over 37,000� below sea level, isknown to support life. While the number,size, and diversity of organisms found in agiven volume of water does diminish withdepth, no spot beneath the ocean surfaceis barren of life. At depths of a mile, crea-tures as large as the legendary giant squid(and the great sperm whale that feedsupon it) may be found.

In addition to its array of life, the seaaccommodates vast topographic diversityIt houses abyssal plains covering millionsof square miles, chains of volcanic moun-tains that circle the globe (some of themtaller than Mt. Everest), submarine chan-nels vaster than the Grand Canyon,trenches over six miles deep, cliffs thatrise thousands of feet above the surround-ing terrain, and great valleys. Featuresunique to the ocean are coral reefs, ring-shaped islands formed of coral calledatolls, and guyots�mountains whosepeaks have been flattened by wave actionand subsequently submerged. The seaeven boasts its own rivers, called currents,filled with water that is either colder orhotter than its surrounding environment.While most currents flow on the surface,some (like the Cromwell Current) travel atdepths greater than a mile and a half and

move a thousand times as much water asthe Mississippi River. Surely, here is a set-ting worthy of heroic adventure.

The ocean generally can be divided intothree zones, based on depth and topogra-phy. The first zone is that of the shallowwaters covering the continental shelves.This region extends to about 600� in depthand is the genesis of almost all food in theocean. Even near inhospitable shores, lifeabounds in this zone. In a campaignworld, sea elves will be found here, as wellas sahuagin, ixitxachitl, aquatic ogres andhobgoblins, mermen, tritons, andlocathah. In tropical regions, coral reefssupport a fantastic diversity of life: angelfish, sea anemones, urchins, rays, clownfish, starfish, sand dollars, brittle stars,cephalopods, shrimp, eels, and seasnakes, to name only a few. Almost allmarine animals described in the MonsterManuals and Monstrous Compendiumscome from this zone. Because of the com-paratively greater attention this zone hasreceived in other fantasy writings, theremainder of this article will concentrate.on deeper waters.

The second oceanic zone is that of thecontinental slope, which extends in depthabout 600�-4,000�. While the slope mayappear quite steep on most maps andglobes, this is misleading, as it is a functionof the large scale involved. In reality, theslope starts out at about 6° and graduallysteepens to a maximum of 12°. Here life isstill quite abundant, and the sounds andcalls of many animals can be heard.1

Despite its abundance, however, life on thecontinental slope-with the exception of afew marketable species of fish�is rela-tively unknown to most surface inhabi-tants.

The third and last oceanic zone is thatof the abyss, ranging in depth from about4,000� all the way to the bottom of theocean�s deepest trench.2 The ocean bot-tom in this zone is sometimes referred toas the abyssal plains, but this name isimprecise as it does not suggest the topo-graphic diversity already mentioned. Theconditions of this environment almostnever change. Whether beneath the equa-tor or the poles, the temperature con-stantly hovers around the freezing point.Although it is forever lost in shade, thewater of the abyss is actually quite clear,as most falling organic material has beenconsumed or dissolved in the ocean�supper reaches. For this same reason (the

lack of debris), the deep ocean floor isgenerally free of the muck found at thebottom of lakes and ponds.

In general, the ocean floor away fromthe continental shelf is covered by eithera red clay, formed from iron-rich vol-canic deposits, or by various �oozes� com-posed of the undissolvable casings andshells of sea creatures. The compositionof oozes varies according to depth, but allshould be able to support the weight ofcharacters. Covering the oozes and clay atvarious spots on the ocean floor areremains of some animals that are almostindestructible, such as the teeth of sharksand the ear bones of whales.

Additionally, as time passes, various met-als precipitate out of the water and formnodules on the ocean floor. On Earth, theseare composed principally of manganese,nickel, cobalt, and copper. In fantasy cam-paigns, where gold may be more prevalentand there exist fantastic metals such asadamantite and mithral, different concen-trations might be encountered. The size ofa nodule varies from that of a golf ball to aslarge as a watermelon; at the center ofeach will be found a bit of debris to whichthe metal has clung and developed in lay-ers like an onion. Deposits may cover sev-eral million square miles, having takenages to accumulate. Values for such nod-ules depend on their size and content (howmuch would a football-sized block of goldbe worth in your campaign?)

The fauna of the abyss is like that ofnowhere else on Earth. Encounters oftenwill begin with the characters seeing dis-tant glowing forms that may resembleunderwater will-o-(the)-wisps. The light isbioluminescent�that is to say, it is pro-duced naturally by various animals. Typi-cally, it is a signal given off by small fish toalert possible mates of their whereabouts,but many predators also emit light as akind of lure. For example, the eye of thedeep, from the Monster Manual I, is partic-ularly fond of using its illusion abilities inthis way.

In addition to emitting light, the crea-tures of the deep have evolved in manyways to adjust to their environment. Asmeals tend to be few and far between,many undersea beasts are capable ofswallowing more than their own bodyweight in prey. Also, because of thescarcity of food, most such animals arerelatively small, under 1' long. Theyshould not be to display a wicked array of

DRAGON 17

teeth. In the real world, some undersea seeps into the fissure, is heated to verycreatures are sensitive to the faint electri- high temperatures (200°-300°C), andcal aura that surrounds all life; they usethis ability to home in on prey. In fantasy

rushes out with great force. The output of

campaigns, others may sense magical ora hot smoker may reach a million gallons

psychic radiation. A few are suspension-of water per minute. The second variety,

feeders and are very adept at filteringcalled a �cold seep,� is much more sedate.In this form, the vent consists of a heated

what little food falls to them. flow of smooth or pillow-shaped lava. TheWithout doubt, the most spectacular of

the deep dwellers are those found nearhydrothermal vents, springs of hot watercaused by the proximity of magma. Ventscome in two basic forms. The �hotsmoker� variety is found near fissuresadjacent to protrusions of magma. Water

surface area of such a flow is muchgreater than that of a hot smoker, so thetemperature of the surrounding water iselevated only a few degrees.

In either case, the water from a vent istypically rich in dissolved minerals, muchof which precipitate out of the water and

Effects of pressurized gases on divers�

Depth Symptoms Game effects0-99� No adverse reactions Nil100-149� Inability to think clearly -2 Int, -2 Wis*150-199� Dizziness -2 Int, -2 Wis, -2 Dex**200-249� Inability to communicate -2 Int, -2 Wis, -2 Dex**

or perform simple tasks250-300� Helplessness Int, Wis, Dex reduced to 3300� Death Save vs. death***

* No ability is lowered below 3.** Effects are cumulative.*** -2 penalty is applied to save for each additional 100�.

form deposits on the ocean floor. Variousbacteria are able to process minerals sus-pended in the water to form fooddigestible by other animals. This process,chemosynthesis, plays a role in the ventecosystem analogous to that of photosyn-thesis in the sunlit world. Many of theorganisms in this environment seem to bedistorted reflections of beasts inhabitingshallower waters. The overabundance offood allows such mundane animals asclams and worms to grow to gigantic pro-portions. Other creatures, having evolvedin an environment like none other onEarth, are totally unrecognizable.

In general, hydrothermal vents form inareas that are actively volcanic, typically indeep water near the edge of a continent oramid chains of underwater volcanoes. Infantasy worlds, vents might also be foundnear gates to the elemental plane of Fire.Whatever their origin, vents tend to betemporary in nature. A typical vent areacools off in 10-60 years, while new onesform with similar frequency.

Having been introduced to the underseaworld themselves, Dungeon Masters canencourage their players to explore theocean. The following may serve as introduc-tory plots for possible adventures:

1. The characters hear rumors about asunken treasure ship or lost artifact, thengo in search of it.

2. In order to be rid of a cursed artifact,the characters must throw it into anunderwater volcano or into a bottomlesstrench.

3. An important person, perhaps aplayer character, has been captured bythe sahuagin and brought to one of theircities. The heroes attempt a rescue.

4. One or more monsters has beenattacking coastal villages. The heroes arehired to destroy all marauders.

5. A group of humans or demihumansis interested in exploiting the mineralwealth of the ocean bottom. They hire thecharacters to either bring deep-sea nod-ules to the surface, or scout an area andclear it of monsters so that the group canbegin mining operations.

6. A strange object, possibly created bythe deep-sea octopi (see later), washes upon shore. The characters investigate� itssource.

Whatever the motive, charactersbrought underwater will find it a mysticalplace. The DM will probably wish to cen-ter most adventures around a coral reefor hydrothermal vent, as these environ-ments possess the greatest diversity of life.

When the characters do decide toembark on a deep-sea quest, they willencounter four principal difficulties. Inorder, these are: pressure, air, warmth,and light.

Pressure: Increasing pressure comes tobear on an object the further it descends.For every 33� of depth, the pressure exertedon an object increases by about one atmos-

18 FEBRUARY 1993

of light are at hand, vision may be ham-pered. Light refracts at a different anglein water than it does in air. Without amask to trap air, or lenses to correct forthe distortion, characters will find theirvision to be very blurry. They cannot dis-tinguish Tiny creatures at distancesgreater than one foot, Small creaturesfurther than 10�, Medium creatures fur-ther than 20�, Large creatures furtherthan 30�, Huge creatures further than 40�,or Gigantic creatures further than 50�away. Additionally, they suffer a -2 modi-fier to their attack rolls in hand-to-handcombat and a -4 modifier when usingdistance weapons. Opponents receive a+2 to all saving throws vs. spells cast bysuch a handicapped adventurer. Thesemodifiers are in addition to any others forunderwater combat. Finally, characterswithout corrective lenses or a mask can-not read underwater, and they performall detailed work involving hand-eye coor-dination, such as picking locks, at a 75%penalty.

phere�in other words, the pressureexerted on an object at 330� is 10 times thatat sea level. Because the lungs and airspaces in the skull, stomach, and intestinesare subject to compression (and decom-pression), this depth represents theabsolute maximum pressure that most ter-restrial creatures, including humans, canwithstand.

Amphibious mammals and birds, suchas seals and penguins, may easily diveabout twice this far as they have evolvedspecial adaptations to the greater pres-sure. Mammals that live exclusively in thewater may dive as deep as 1,000� or more;the sperm whale has the almost uniqueability among air breathers to descendover 5,000�. Water breathers, as they donot have to worry about their lungs beingcrushed, have a slightly greater range ofmotion than the typical amphibious mam-mal. Nevertheless, as most contain gasbladders that help them to float, they aregenerally limited to a depth range of nomore than 1,000� (i.e., they can eitherascend or descend up to 500� above orbelow their ideal depth).3

Too rapid or great a descent subjects acreature to excessive changes in pres-sures and may lead to �nitrogen narcosis�(see later). Too quick an ascent leads to apainful and life-threatening conditioncalled decompression sickness, or �thebends.� Very slow descents (or ascents)

allow gas from the surrounding water toflow safely into or out of an organism�sbloodstream, enabling it to equalize inter-nal and external pressure, but such slowchanges in depth are not often feasible.4

Air: The second principal obstacle to beovercome in making deep dives is that ofair. While a few characters may be of racesthat possess gills, this cannot be consid-ered common. Moreover, the effects ofpressure on certain gases can cause seri-ous problems for the unwary diver. Atdepths greater than 100�, nitrogenbecomes intoxicating, a condition knownas nitrogen narcosis, and oxygen must betaken in diminishing quantities or itbecomes toxic (see Effects of pressurizedgases on divers table).

Warmth: The third obstacle to be over-come is that of warmth. Water absorbsbody heat about 25 times faster than air. Atemperature that might be uncomfortablywarm in air could be uncomfortably coldin water. For example, a resting diver chillsin 1-2 hours when the water temperatureis 75-85°F (25°C). People have died in anhour�s time in 40°F (50°C) water, and depthsgreater than 1,000� are rarely this comfort-able. Characters who do not take properprecautions to stay warm will suffer.5

Light: The fourth obstacle is that oflight. Light does not penetrate water suffi-ciently for human vision at depths ofmore than 200�.6 Even if artificial sources

Goggles and masks can be purchasedfrom an expert glassblower for 100 and300 gp, respectively, and take a week tomanufacture. It should be noted that gog-gles are useless below 33� because theweight of the surrounding watersqueezes the air next to the eyes until thegoggles become too uncomfortable towear. Masks can be used down to 660�, as

DRAGON 19

the character can equalize the air pres-sure in the mask to that of the surround-ing environment by exhaling through hisnose. Of course, if a character is magicallybreathing water, this tactic is of no use aswater will fill the mask and obscurevision. Eyeglasses and contact lenses thatcorrect for water distortion do not havethe depth limitations of goggles and masksbecause they do not rely on air spaces tocorrect for vision distortion. However,such eyewear can be crafted only by themost skilled artisans. The cost is 1,000 gpfor glasses and 5,000 gp for contacts, andthey each require at least three weeks tofashion. Use of any of the above-men-tioned items quintuples underwatervision, light permitting, and negates any ofthe aforementioned penalties.

Fortunately, with a bit of ingenuity, allof the obstacles to underwater adventur-ing can be overcome with relative ease.The following magical items could proveuseful: apparatus of Kwalish; boots of thenorth; winged boots (user may swim atMV 9); cloak of the manta ray; cube offorce; cube of frost resistance; decanterof endless water (provides rocketlikelocomotion); gem of brightness; gem ofseeing (may correct underwater vision);gauntlets of swimming and climbing; helmof underwater action; necklace of adapta-tion; net of snaring; oil of elemental(water) invulnerability; oil of slipperiness(may negate effects of pressure); pearl ofthe sirines; potion of water breathing;potion of flying (imbiber may swim at MV9); ring of elemental (water) command;ring of free action; ring of swimming; ringof warmth; ring of water breathing; scrollof protection frorn water; trident of fishcommand; wand of illumination; wand ofpolymorphing.

Characters may also create or findexotic magical items. While the effects ofany given item are subject to interpreta-tion, kind DMs may rule that magicalitems that allow characters to breathewater also negate the harmful effects ofpressure, as the water fills all air spacesin the body.

In addition to magical items, there arevarious spells, psionic powers, and shape-changing abilities that could prove useful.One note of caution should be given as tothe effects of the last ability. The fact thata character has been polymorphed into awater-breathing animal does not neces-sarily provide protection from eitherpressure or cold. The results depend onthe species of animal chosen.

Finally, characters might use a combi-nation of magic and technology to allowthem to explore the ocean depths. Kryn-nish gnomes, for example, might be ableto devise a submersible, perhaps withwalls of adamantite able to resist tremen-dous pressure. Of course, considering thereputation of these gnomes, it would takea brave adventurer to test such a device.

20 FEBRUARY 1993

Deep encountersOnce the characters are properly

equipped, all that is left is for them tobegin exploring. The following is a list ofsome of the creatures they may encounteron the ocean floor. All are at least looselybased on actual animals. MC11, the sec-ond FORGOTTEN REALMS® appendix tothe Monstrous Compendium, includesanother deep-sea usable monster: thegolden ammonite.

Octopus, deep-dwelling

CLIMATE/TERRAIN:

FREQUENCY:ORGANIZATION:ACTIVITY CYCLE:DIET:INTELLIGENCE:TREASURE:ALIGNMENT:NO. APPEARING:ARMOR CLASS:MOVEMENT:HIT DICE:THAC0:NO. OF ATTACKS:DAMAGE/ATTACK:

SPECIAL ATTACKS:SPECIAL DEFENSES:MAGIC RESISTANCE:SIZE:MORALE:XP VALUE:

Deep ocean/Hydrothermal ventsVery rareColonyAnyCarnivoreAverage (8-10)See textNeutral (good)10-4073/Sw 12l - l197 o r 41-2(x6)/1-3 or1-6(x3)/1-3See textSee textNil MAverage (8)75

The deep-dwelling octopus is a distantcousin of the common octopus, averaging8� in diameter and weighing about 65 lbs.Its skin has a bioluminescent pigment thatit manipulates with great facility. Thus, inthe absolute darkness of the ocean�sdepths, it appears as a floating; shiftingarrangement of greenish lights. Undersunlike illumination, it can be seen thatthe deep-dweller has a whiter skin andlarger body sac than its shallow-dwellingrelative. Its illuminating pigment aside, adeep-dwelling octopus possesses no abilityto camouflage itself. It lives for an averageof 30-35 years.

Combat: Peaceful by nature, the deep-dwelling octopus has little combat experi-ence, aside from battling the occasionalpredatory fish. Nevertheless, when threat-ened, it can be a cunning and tenaciousfighter. When entering combat, a deep-dweller normally anchors itself with two ofits tentacles and attacks with the other six.Each tentacle can inflict 1d2 hp damagewith a blow. All six may be directed againsta single opponent, or the attacks may bedistributed among up to three adversaries.A deep-dweller may also bite with its pow-erful beak for 1d3 hp damage.

The tentacles of a deep-dweller aretough and can hold with surprisingstrength. Opponents less than 4� tall

struck by a tentacle must save vs. para-lyzation or be grasped. Grasped creaturesautomatically suffer 1d2 hp constrictiondamage per attached tentacle on eachsubsequent round. Moreover, if a creaturehas been grasped by two or more tenta-cles, the deep-dweller receives a +2bonus on all succeeding attack rolls madewith its beak. A victim may attempt to freeitself by rolling his Strength or less on 2d8;success indicates that a tentacle has beenremoved (a separate check being madefor each tentacle). Regardless of whetheror not attempt is successful, a creaturetrying to remove a tentacle may performno other actions.

Grasped creatures may also be freed bysevering the tentacles that hold them.Each tentacle takes 2 hp damage to sever,and this amount is not subtracted fromthe creature�s total hit points. Graspedcreatures may attack but do so at a -2penalty; they may not cast spells. Severedtentacles regrow in 1d6 months.

In general, deep-dwellers have littlecontact with hostile groups, having drivenout rival predators long ago. Most residein a state of semi-innocence and possessno weapons. The few colonies that havebeen recently attacked always have specialdefenses. Against larger opponents, forexample, they have been known to employsmall spears of bone. These weapons do1d6 hp damage, require two tentacleseach to employ, and cannot be thrown.

Deep-dwellers may also attempt to sur-prise foes. A common ploy is for theoctopi to approach their victims fromabove, having �turned off� their lumines-cence. In such cases characters take a -2penalty to their surprise rolls.

Although not cowardly by nature, deep-dwellers do not hesitate to break off com-bat if it begins to go against them. (Anexception to this is a female protectingher young.) Typically, they emit a burst ofglowing ink (sepia), turn off their ownluminescence, and flee the area. At shortrange, the cloud obscures vision; at longrange, it may be mistaken for an actualdeep-dwelling octopus. Furthermore, thecloud of ink is naturally cohesive. Charac-ters or objects caught in the cloud (allwithin a 10� sphere must save vs. breathweapon at -2 to avoid) continue to glowfor 4d4 hours; the effect is similar to afaerie fire spell.

Habitat/Society: Deep-dwelling octopiare found on the ocean floor at depthsgreater than 9,000� and in the vicinity ofhydrothermal vents. As vents are transientby nature, octopoid communities are fre-quently on the move.

Deep-dwellers communicate with eachother by a combination of clicking noisesproduced by their beaks and by alteringthe pattern of lights on their bodies. Thismakes communication with other racessomewhat difficult. A tongues spell grantscomprehension to a character, but it doesnot allow him to speak unless he can also

assume the form of an octopoid andreproduce its bioluminescence.

naturally curious. Should they be intro-

Deep-dwellers have neither beenduced to either phenomenon, it could

exposed to magic nor have developed theaffect their culture radically.

concept of religion. Thus, they have noEcolom: Deep-dwelling octopi have

mages or priests. The octopi are, however,established an agrarian society. Near thehottest land most nutrient-rich) part of a

Tube worm, giant

CLIMATE/TERRAIN:

FREQUENCY:ORGANIZATION:ACTIVITY CYCLE:DIET:INTELLIGENCE:TREASURE:ALIGNMENT:NO. APPEARING:ARMOR CLASS:MOVEMENT:HIT DICE:THAC0:NO. OF ATTACKS:DAMAGE/ATTACK:SPECIAL ATTACKS:SPECIAL DEFENSES:MAGIC RESISTANCE:SIZE:MORALE:XP VALUE:

CommonDeep ocean/Hydrothermal ventsRareColonyAnySuspension feederNon- (0)NilNeutral20-2002/7Nil1+1Nil0NilNilAlertNilM (6� long)Unrel iable (4 )35

CarnivorousDeep ocean/Hydrothermal ventsVery rareClumpAnyCarnivoreAnimal (1)See textNeutral2-82/7Nil2+21912-8Surprise, poisonNilNilM (6� long)Steady (11)120

vent, they raise giant tube worms andclams. The clams and worms providefood and, when the shells are cleaned out,shelter. Farther from a vent, the octopoidstend fields of shrimp and mussels. Someoctopoid communities are known to raisecrabs and lobsters as well.

Deep-dwellers do not have a concept ofmoney as such, but individuals may pos-sess treasure. Pearls are often strung toform necklaces or bracelets, then sprayedwith ink so as to glow. Octopoids are finesculptors whose work would certainly beconsidered unique if brought to the sur-face. Additionally, the area surrounding thehydrothermal vent is typically rich in pre-cious metals, though these would requireexcavation. Finally, many wizards wouldpay dearly for a bottle of deep-dwellingoctopus ink, as it can be used to preparemagical glyphs and scrolls.

Tube worm, giantGiant tube worms are a fairly common

sight near hydrothermal vents. The mun-dane variety consist of pacific suspensionfeeders, measuring about 6� high and 2� indiameter. They possess an extremelydurable outer casing of a dark yellow col-oration. Their bodies are of a pale yellow.The heads are topped with flowery appen-dages and are extended while feeding.

Carnivorous tube worms, also knownas blood worms, closely resemble theirpeaceful relatives but are thankfully morerare. Their heads lack the floweryappendages of the common variety;instead, they are adorned with widemouths containing an extremely wickedset of sharp teeth.

Combat: The common giant tubeworm has no form of attack. As its body iscomparatively vulnerable (AC 7), it relieson its shell to provide it with protection(AC 2). The worm can sense pressurecaused by either sound or movement andis thus very difficult to surprise (+2 bonusto avoid surprise). Should it feel threat-ened by the approach of another creature,which is almost always the case, the wormwithdraws inside its tube. A valve (AC 2)seals the tube from the top, and the ani-mal is then well protected from attack.

Carnivorous giant tube worms are usu-ally encountered hidden among the morecommon variety and are 90% indistin-guishable from the latter. They typically liein wait for a suitable meal to pass by, thenstrike out with speed and ferocity (+2 tosurprise roll). The body of a worm isextremely flexible and can extend to 3� inall directions from the top of its tube. Car-nivorous tube worms are unpleasant fight-ers: In addition to their nasty teeth, theysecrete a weak poison through their saliva(save vs. poison at +2 or lose 2 points ofDexterity for 1d6 turns from burning anditching). They are not, however, overlybrave, and if they lose more than 50% oftheir hit points they retreat to the compar-

22 FEBRUARY 1993

ative safety of their tubes.Habitat/Society: Giant tube worms are

found exclusively in the vicinity ofhydrothermal vents. Generally, the hotterthe water (and therefore the more nutri-ent rich), the more worms are found.Both types of worms are exclusively sexu-ally reproductive. The young, numberingseveral thousand, are emitted from a geni-tal valve found near the head on thefemale. While neither type of worm col-lects treasure, some items may (rarely) befound near the base of the carnivorousvariety.

Ecology: The common giant tubeworm lives in a symbiotic relationshipwith chemosynthetic bacteria. The bacte-ria are found in the guts of the worm andconvert mineral particles into food. Theworms serve as a source of food for manycreatures, and their hollowed-out tubesare often used as lairs. Most creatures notnative to hydrothermal vents find theworm�s meat inedible because of its highsulfur content.

Carnivorous giant tube worms eatalmost anything they can grab and areconsidered a great nuisance by deep-dwelling octopi.

Clam, giant

CLIMATE/TERRAIN:

FREQUENCY:ORGANIZATION:ACTIVITY CYCLE:DIET: SuspensionINTELLIGENCE:TREASURE:ALIGNMENT:NO. APPEARING:ARMOR CLASS:MOVEMENT:

5+515

HIT DICE:THAC0:NO. OF ATTACKS:DAMAGE/ATTACK:SPECIAL ATTACKS:SPECIAL DEFENSES:MAGIC RESISTANCE:SIZE:MORALE:XP VALUE:

12-12CrushingSee textNilMAverage (8)430

Deep ocean/Hydrothermal ventsRareColonyAnyfeederNon-See textNeutral20-800/71�

Giant clams are huge, mostly immobilebivalves. An average specimen measures 6�high and over 3� wide. The shell is verti-cally symmetrical, chalk white in color,and several inches thick.

Combat: Giant clams do not attack perse; rather, they possess an instinctivedefense mechanism that can be danger-ous to the unwary. Lining the lips of thebivalve are numerous, hairlike cilia thatare extremely sensitive to pressure. Whentouched, they cause the clam to slam shutwith great speed and force. Anythingstruck by the two shell halves (make a nor-mal attack roll) takes 2-12 hp crushing

damage. Moreover, a character must makea Dexterity check or have a limb trapped.Trapped characters take 2 hp damage perround until they are successfully freed. Acharacter may attempt to get free by mak-ing a successful bend bars/lift gates check;if this is done, no other action can betaken that round. Up to four other peoplemay attempt to help free a trapped charac-ter. For each additional person helping,add that person�s bend bars/lift gates rollto the trapped character�s chance to winfree. The chance of opening a clam is dou-bled if a person uses a spear, sword, orsimilar item to gain leverage.

Alternatively, a character may be freedby killing the clam. This is, however, noeasy task. The exterior of the clam is sothick and hard (AC 0) that piercingweapons do but 1 hp damage, plus anyStrength and magical modifiers. Slashingweapons do half damage, while bluntweapons do full damage. The interior ofthe clam is relatively vulnerable (AC 7) butcan be attacked only by missile weaponsor weapons over 4� long, and then only ifthe clam is at least partially open. Notethat a clam held open because it is grip-ping someone�s limb is considered to bepartially open. If a campaign uses thealternative critical-hit or called-shot rules,a character may sever the muscles thatbind the clam shut without killing it.8

Habitat/Society: Giant clams are typi-cally found in the vicinity of hydrothermalvents, although they may very rarely beencountered in other parts of the ocean.Now and then, treasure items can be foundon or near a giant clam, having been left byan unfortunate trespasser.

Giant clams reproduce sexually. Thefemale lays hundreds of thousands of eggsinto the water where they are fertilized bythe male�s sperm. The fry hatch in 3-4

weeks, moving about slowly (MV 1) bymeans of undulating cilia.

Ecology: Giant clams are suspensionfeeders. Those growing aroundhydrothermal vents live in a symbioticrelationship with bacteria that convertsuspended mineral particles into food.Those living in other areas feed on sus-pended organic matter. Giant clams, bothas fry and in their mature state, are asource of food for many of the sea�s crea-tures. Deep-dwelling octopi have beenknown to use their shells as lairs.

Giant oyster: A relative of the giantclam, the giant oyster has a grayish color, amore elongated shape, and a more unevenexterior, but otherwise conforms to theprevious statistics. Additionally, there is a5% chance that a giant oyster contains agiant pearl. The value of these pearls ismost commonly about 1,000 gp each, butexceptionally large, flawless specimens areworth more than 10,000 gp.

Dragon fish9

Dragon fish are very large eel-like crea-tures that sport a massive array of teethand exhibit a cunning intelligence. In thecase of the saber-toothed, the teeth are sooverwhelming that the animal cannotclose its mouth. They were named by fish-ermen who noted their resemblance tothe Oriental dragons. While dragon fishare not actually kin to dragons, being truefish and not reptiles, they are fearsomepredators nonetheless.

All dragon fish are able to distend theirjaws and rearrange internal organs insuch a way as to swallow meals as large asthe animals themselves. The common andsaber-toothed varieties have no formal lan-guage, but if a speak with animals spell isused they can be made to comprehend

Dragon fish9

CLIMATE/TERRAIN:

FREQUENCY:ORGANIZATION:ACTIVITY CYCLE:DIET:INTELLIGENCE:

TREASURE:ALIGNMENT:NO. APPEARING:ARMOR CLASS:MOVEMENT:HIT DICE:THAC0:NO. OF ATTACKS:DAMAGE/ATTACK:SPECIAL ATTACKS:SPECIAL DEFENSES:MAGIC RESISTANCE:SIZE:MORALE:XP VALUE:

GiantDeep ocean/AnyRareSolitaryAnyCarnivoreLow(5-70BNeutral (evil)13Sw 1861513-18Swallow wholeSee textNilL (10� long)Elite (13)650

Saber-toothedDeep ocean/AnyVery rareSolitaryAnyCarnivoreSemi-(2-4)Bx2Neutral13SW 18

14

4-24 2-12Nil JoltSee text See textNil NilL (12� long) L (8� long)Champion (15) Steady (11)975 750

ElectricDeep ocean/AnyVery rareFamilyAnyC a r n i v o r eLow to Average(7-9)B,HNeutral (evil)2-83SW 24515

DRAGON 23

ideas of varying complexity. The electricdragon fish, a more intelligent and there-fore more dangerous adversary, travels infamily groups that communicate by acombination of clicking noises and byvarying their discharge or electric current.

Combat: Dragon fish, often referred toas devil fish by tritons, are constantly onthe prowl for a meal. They track prey at adistance, up to one-half mile, by smell andsensing their movement in water. Atshorter ranges, they home in on the prey�selectrical aura. Because of the acuity oftheir senses, dragon fish get a +2 bonuson surprise rolls.

The common and electric varieties ofdragon fish stealthily approach a victimbefore attacking. After engaging in com-bat, both types are known to �play� withtheir food before devouring it, much as acat plays with a mouse. The commondragon fish attempts to bite and maim itsprey, then apparently let it go, only later tofollow the trail of blood and finish the job.When it is actually ready to consume itsvictim, it attempts to swallow it whole,which it does on a successful attack roll of18 or better. The electric variety enjoysstunning its victims with repeated electricjolts. A dragon fish emits a jolt of electric-ity in a 30� radius around itself. Creatureswithin 10� of the dragon fish take 3-24 hpdamage; those 11�-20� away take 2-12 hp;and those 20�-30� away take 1-8 hp. If a sav-ing throw vs. breath weapon is made, onlyhalf damage is taken. Additionally, crea-tures struck by a dragon fish�s electricalattack must make a saving throw vs. para-lyzation or be stunned for 1d4 rounds, los-ing all Dexterity bonuses for armor classand making all attacks and saving throwsat -2. Electric dragon fish can dischargethree jolts per day and are themselvesimmune to electric attacks.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Saber-toothed dragon fish, being some-what less intelligent than their brethren,rarely employ stealth in their attacks. Theyalso fall short of the wanton viciousness oftheir counterparts, being motivated moreexclusively by hunger. Although larger thanthe common dragon fish, the saber-toothed variety lacks the ability to swallowprey whole because of its protruding teeth.Rather, it uses its scissorlike fangs to shredits victims, then suck down the remains.

Habitat/Society: Dragon fish generallymake their lairs in the holds of sunkenships or in caverns near the ocean floor.All types have a special fondness for met-als, perhaps because metals conduct elec-tricity well, and they collect large hoards.Refined metals, such as coins and armor,are preferred to raw ore or nodules.

Mating takes place once every thirdyear, with the young being born live 6-8weeks after conception. Male commonand saber-toothed dragon fish leave thefemale shortly after mating is concluded,but the male of the electric variety stayswith the female to form family groups. Inall species, the young rarely leave the nest

24 FEBRUARY 1993

until they have achieved full size, afterabout one year.

Ecology: Dragon fish range for hun-dreds of miles in search of food. Theyhave been known to attack deep-dwellingoctopus communities, and the later con-sider them a grave threat.

Footnotes1. Most marine animals rely primarily

on sound, as sound travels well in waterwhereas light does not. Several creaturesuse echolocation as a means of guidanceand thus constantly emit noise (shallow-dwelling bottlenose dolphins are a goodexample).

2. In some fantasy worlds, the oceanmay not even have a definitive bottom, butmight instead connect directly to the ele-mental plane of Water.

3. An interesting exception to this rule isthe race of tritons, which (although theyprefer warm, coastal waters and appear topossess lungs) have the ability to travel toany depth.

4. To safely ascend or descend, a char-acter should travel up or down no fasterthan 60� per minute. Additionally, a char-acter must pause for 10 minutes afterevery 100� of depth change to give his bodytime to equalize pressure. Failure to abideby these safety restrictions has one of twoeffects. A character that ascends tooquickly must make a saving throw vs. par-alyzation. Failure indicates that the char-acter has contracted the bends, taking2d12 hp damage and suffering the effectsof a symbol of pain. If a characterdescends too quickly, he must make a sav-ing throw vs. paralyzation or take 1d6 hpdamage and lose hearing in one ear,determined randomly. Note that these sta-tistics are for game purposes only!

5. Jeppesen, Sport Diver Manual, (Den-ver, Colorado: Jeppesen Sanderson, Inc.,1975) pages 1-27.

6. Pages 55-57 in the 1st EditionDungeon Master�s Guide and page 79 inthe 2nd Edition DMG have useful informa-tion regarding vision, light, spell use andcombat in underwater adventuring. Thestatistics listed in this paper are based onactual observation and should be compat-ible with existing rules.

7. Jeppesen, Sport Diver Manual,pages 2-42.

8. The critical-hit and called-shot ruleswere suggested by Rick Silva.

9. The dragon fish and saber-tootheddragon fish, based on real animals havingthe same names, should not be confusedwith the dragonfish (written as one word)from the FIEND FOLIO® tome.

BibliographyClemens, Elizabeth. Waves, Tides and

Currents. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.,1967.

Cousteau, Jacques. The Ocean World of

Jacques Cousteau: Oasis Space, Vol. 1. NewYork: The Danbury Press, 1975.

�Hydrothermal Vent Animals: Distribu-tion and Biology.� Science Magazine, Vol.229, 23 August 1985, page 713-717.

Jeppesen, Sport Diver Manual. Denver,Colorado: Jeppesen Sanderson, Inc., 1975.

May, Julian, The Land Beneath the Sea.New York: Holiday House of New York,1971.

McDaniel, Neil G. �Arms and the Man:Twenty Years in the Grip of the GiantPacific Octopus.� Oceans, (April 1989),pages 39-45.

Michelson, David Reuben et al. TheOceans in Tomorrow�s World. New York:Julian Messner, 1972.

Pierce, Q.L. Tidal Waves and OtherOcean Wonder. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.:RGA Publishing Group, Inc., 1989.

Monsters of the DeepContinued from page 14

1985 sighting in San Francisco Bay (that�sright, the bay). This book also describesthe sperm whale�s sonic attack.

The Great Orm of Loch Ness, TheDragon and the Disc, by F. W. Holiday; W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1969 and1974. In these two books, Holiday gives anexcellent defense of the theory that long-necked lake monsters (and at least somesea serpents) are giant worms, enlargedforms of Tullimonstreum.

In Search of Lake Monsters, by PeterCostello; Berkley Medallion Books, 1975.Peter Costello gives a comprehensive list-ing of the freshwater lakes across theworld that contain monsters. He supportsHeuvelmans� theory that the long-neckedlake monsters are of the Long-Neckedvariety of sea lion. There may be a mon-ster in your neighborhood!

Alien Animals, by Janet and Colin Bord;Stackpole Books, 1981. In this book, theBords argue that all mystery animals(including Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster,�phantom panthers,� etc.) are the productsof paranormal phenomena. I�ve includedit because it has some good photos (atleast as good as such photos ever seem toget) of lake monsters. Be sure to check outthe ones on pages 24-25 and 29 in particu-lar; the pictures on page 29 are mentionedin the discussion of the Great Orm.

* indicates a product produced by a company otherthan TSR, Inc. Most product names are trademarksowned by the companies publishing those products.The use of the name of any product without mention ofits trademark status should not be construed as achallenge to such status.

Don�t cross antlers with one in his forest

There were six of them. Too many forme to handle alone. I paused as they drewnearer. They were heavily armed. Islipped back into the foliage. There wasno doubt about it: they were headingtoward the Tree of Saldis. I considered myoptions. I could summon the help of somemore of my woodland friends, but the bat-tle would be costly, and if possible shouldbe avoided. I had sent Grubble, a bear, togreet the party, hoping that the priestamong them would try to communicatewith it. However, the black-robed mage inthe group had merely laughed and disin-tegrated Grubble.

I could not allow them to reach the tree.The Tree of Saldis had been planted overfive hundred years ago, when the greatelven ruler Saldis dedicated it to the wood-land folk of Achelos Woods. Since then sev-eral adventuring parties had tried to hackdown the tree, for its wood was valuable.Its wood was ideally suited for the manu-facture of potent magical staves. Then Irecalled some of my mentor�s tales, talesabout a hero who had saved Saldis froman ambush and then led Saldis to plant thetree. This hero of the woodland folk was acreature named Seridus�an actaeon.

I knew actaeons were solitary creatures(except for their animal companions), butSeridus had not been heard of in manyyears. I had heard that actaeons live for800 years, as long-lived as the elves. Hop-

by A idan Doy leArtwork by David O. Miller

ing that Seridus was still alive, I set out forthe old growth where Seridus wasrumored to live, a section of the forest I donot tend.

I approached the ancient grove slowly. Icould sense an aura of peace and tran-quility as I entered the grove and gazed atmy surroundings. In the shade of a partic-ularly tall tree was a patch of mushroomsand fungi. I later discovered that Seriduswas a vegetarian and this the food he cul-tivated for himself. He told me that hismetabolism was slow compared tohumans and that he needed little food tosustain himself.

Continuing my scouting, I saw that acrystal clear stream ran through the grove,springing from a cluster of stones andforming a small waterfall over a rockyshelf. I felt a mystic presence issuing fromthe waterfall, not unlike the presence I feltwhile meditating. Obviously, this was theplace of Seridus� power and served as atemple to the power that had appointedhim. Indeed, we were both appointed ascaretakers of the forest, by the samepower.1

I speak of Seridus as though he weremale, for this is how he refers to himself.In fact, actaeons are asexual and cannotreproduce; they are the result of a trans-formation rather than a birth. A druidleads an elk to a place of tranquility andnatural beauty, where the animal is

bathed in the power and radiance ofnature and becomes a fully grown, intelli-gent actaeon. When an actaeon dies(either violently or of old age) another elkis summoned to replace him.

�Seridus,� I called, hesitantly.I heard a rustling sound and turned. A

fearsome, towering creature had steppedout from the woods, at least nine feet tall.It was roughly humanoid but was coveredin a thick, brown fur. What startled memost were the great antlers set atop thecreature�s head. I took an involuntary stepbackward.

I paused and saw that although thecreature clutched a long bone spear in itshand, its face was reassuring. The gleamof wisdom twinkled behind the dark eyes.

The creature opened its mouth andspoke in a deep, measured voice. �Wel-come, Dathrin Silverthrush.�2

I managed a bow. �Greetings, Seridus.You know of me, then?�

Seridus moved gracefully into the groveand with a thrust planted the spear in theground. �I know everyone and everythingwithin this forest. The animals speakhighly of Dathrin, their druid.�

I colored slightly at the compliment.�Thank you, Seridus. I guess you knowwhy I have come here, then.�

�You seek help to stop the bandof marauders.�

I nodded. �Unless something is done,

DRAGON 27

they will reach the Tree of Saldis. Thereare too many of them for me to tightalone. From the way they bear themselvesand the equipment they carry, they areexperienced adventurers. If I called on thehelp of my woodland friends, many ofthem would die driving away this scourge.The marauders have already killedGrubble.�

Seridus paused for a moment, thenseized his spear, wrenching it out of theground. He thrust it into the sky and letout a booming roar. �Let all know thatSeridus, actaeon of Achelos Woods, acts todefend his forest. Let those who seek toharm the forest flee, or face my wrath.�

I watched as the burly warrior and thepriest made their way down to the stream.The warrior stood guard as the priestknelt and filled waterskins.

Seridus emerged from the bushes andstood, spear poised. Behind him, a grizzlybear named Burgin shuffled slowly for-ward. I had only recently met Burgin, buthe was Grubble�s cousin and wanted toavenge Grubble�s death. Seridus pointedthe spear at the adventurers. �Who areyou to attempt to violate Achelos Woods?�he demanded.�

The warrior stood momentarily sur-prised, then brought his sword to guardposition. The priest dropped the water-skins and stood up.

Seridus glared at them. �Answer me, or

face my wrath.�The priest sneered and began an incan-

tation. The warrior bellowed a battle cry.He moved forward, ready to slash atSeridus. Seridus moved just as swiftly,hurling the spear. It struck the warrior inthe shoulder and sent him crashing back-ward, his armor rent and a gaping woundin his shoulder.

The priest finished his spell and sixwolves appeared before him. Laughing, hepointed at Seridus. �Tear it to pieces.�

The wolves bounded forward, butstopped when they neared Seridus. Theypaused, then sat on their haunches andwhined. I later learned from Seridus thatan actaeon�s position of respect andpower is so great in the woods that nonormal forest animal will attack or harmhim in any way. So long as an actaeon�sallies are in his presence, forest animalswill spare them as well. Magically sum-moned, controlled, or charmed animalscompelled to attack an actaeon are con-fused and unsure what to do. However, anactaeon does not have the power to turnanimals against their controller, and theanimals will still obey other commandsfrom their controller.

Seridus reached down to pet one of the

The priest hissed with anger. �Kill it,� hecommanded. Beside him, the warriorgrunted with pain as he ripped the spearfrom his shoulder.

wolves. He reached into a quiver slungover his back and pulled out two spears,hefting one of them in each hand.

The priest began casting another spell,and the warrior staggered to his feet. Imurmured a phrase and silencedescended on the area, drowning out thepriest�s spell. The priest hefted his mace,and he and the warrior moved forward toattack Seridus. The actaeon hurled bothspears. The first struck the warrior on theside of the head, knocking him to theground, dazed. The next struck the priestin the chest, rupturing his armor andknocking him to the ground.

Seridus produced two more spears fromhis quiver and moved forward purpose-fully, just as the fighter staggered to his feetand swung his sword, striking Seridus inthe chest. Seridus roared in pain andstabbed at the warrior with his spear. Thepriest had scrambled to his feet, but beforehe could take action, Burgin was uponhim, grasping him in a bear hug.

The priest had battered Burgin with his

The warrior was faring poorly againstSeridus, and a blow from a spear left himclutching a deep wound in his chest.Seridus moved closer and jabbed with hisspear. The warrior raised his sword andtried to fend off the blow, but Seridusbutted him with his antlers, momentarilystunning the warrior. He then slew thewarrior with a thrust of his spear.

28 FEBRUARY 1993

mace and managed to free himself fromthe bear�s deadly embrace. He staggeredfrom the clearing, intent on escape. How-ever, Seridus was quicker. Like a wolfbringing down a deer, he caught up to thepriest and drove his spear deep into hisback. The priest staggered and collapsedon the ground. Seridus paused, thenraised the spear above his victim anddrove it deep into the priest�s exposedthroat. I turned away, sickened by theblood. At the priest�s death, the wolvesfaded away.

I was glad that I was not the one facingSeridus, for I have learned that actaeonsare ruthless opponents. The concept ofmercy is foreign to them�they fight untilthe threat to their forest is vanquished. Ifan opponent surrenders, an actaeon willquickly weigh the situation. If the actaeonhas any doubts about the creature�s sin-cere desire to leave the forest or to repairthe damage he has caused, then theactaeon will slay the creature.

Moving swiftly, Seridus slung the bodyof the warrior over his shoulders. Burgin,who was badly wounded, shuffled for-ward and dragged away the dead priest.Even wounded and burdened with theweight of the warrior, Seridus still movedgracefully through the woods and left littleevidence of his movements behind him.�

I remained in hiding and watched fromshelter as the other four adventurersarrived. The two thieves in the party kneltand examined the bloodstains on the for-est floor. The silver-bearded fighter sur-veyed the woods, uneasily. The mageglanced at the blood, and then, noticingthe unnatural silence of the area, movedaway. He cast a spell, dispelling thesilence.

One of the thieves, a thin, wiry manstood up. �Something dragged one ofthem into the woods. I don�t know whathappened to the other. Judging by theamount of blood, I�d say they wouldn�t beworth bothering about.�

The mage nodded. �Can you tell whatdid this?�

The thief shrugged his shoulders.�Judging by the tracks, I�d say it was abear.�

Seridus sprang out of the woods, spearsgrasped in his hands. �Who are you toattempt to violate Achelos Woods?� heagain demanded.

The adventurers reacted swiftly, themage beginning a spell, the fighter andone of the thieves surging forward withblades ready. The other thief balanced athrowing knife in his hand and aimed atSeridus.

Seridus roared, pouring a cloud ofgreen mist from his mouth. The mistenveloped the adventurers, and I couldhear startled cries of surprise from withinthe cloud. In a few moments the mistcleared, and four squirrels stood on theforest floor instead of the adventurers.Seridus had told me that he could breathe

this magical mist only once a day, and sosaved it for use against larger groups,breathing on individuals if they wereextremely powerful.

The squirrels were sniffing the groundin bewilderment, wondering how theyhad come to this place.5 Seridus movedforward and stared intently at the squir-rels. He picked up one and placed it onhis shoulder. He turned to the remainingthree. �Begone from this place, my littlefriends.� Obediently, the squirrelsdeparted.

I emerged from the woods and movedtoward Seridus. �Why did you take thatsquirrel?� I pointed to the squirrel onSeridus� shoulder.

�For this one, the transformation is onlytemporary. In a day, he will revert to hisnormal form. I do not want him to remainin the forest. I will take him from thewoods and leave him in a distant place.�6

�And the others?� I asked. ��Are theirtransformations permanent?�

Seridus nodded, then fixed his gaze onme. �Thank you for your help, Dathrin.We will meet again in the future, I amsure.� With that, Seridus turned and van-ished into the forest.

FootnotesThe game statistics and description of

the actaeon are found in the DUNGEONS& DRAGONS® Rules Cyclopedia on page156. They are also found in the older D&DMasters Set Master DM�s Book on page 24.

1. Depending upon a DM�s campaign,this can be a specific Immortal, a mothergoddess (for example, Demeter fromGreek mythology), an elven Immortal, oreven the �spirit of the forest.�

2. Actaeons can speak Common, Elf andDryad fluently. In addition, they have thepermanent ability to speak with animal (asthe second level cleric spell). This appliesto all normal forest creatures.

3. Depending on the nature of theiropponents, actaeons often use their sur-prise to question their opponents� motivesand to demand that they leave the woods.

4. If the optional general skills are used,then a character with the tracking skill has his proficiency halved (roundingdown) when searching for an actaeon�stracks. For example, a character with a 14intelligence must roll 7 or under to spotthe tracks. If found, the tracks will proba-bly cause confusion, because they resem-ble the tracks of an elk with two hoovesinstead of four.

5. The polymorph effect of the breathweapon is identical (except for duration ifthe saving throw is passed) to the fourth-level mage spell, polymorph other. Thepolymorphed creature loses its memory ofits former life and acts and thinks like thecreature it resembles.

Does your computerever byte back?

To learn more about the hottest fantasyand science-fiction computer games,turn to “The Role of Computers” in thisissue!

6. An actaeon can sense which transfor-mations are permanent.

A guide to actaeonsAt the most basic level, actaeons can be

used as exotic druids. They can be used tocurb the destruction of a forest by ram-paging PCs.

Actaeons have a lot of role-playingpotential if used in other ways. They cancontact the PCs for help. An actaeon mayface a particularly fierce foe and may needsome assistance, or an actaeon mayrequire something that is not normallyfound in a forest.

Actaeons can be used as long-termNPCs, especially in woodland campaigns.If any characters establish themselves aslords of a forest dominion, then anactaeon can be one of the NPCs whoinhabits the land. The character couldhave an interesting time dealing with dis-putes between the characters� peasantfamilies (some of whom are professionalhunters and trappers) and an actaeonwho forbids this loss of animal life.

Historical backgroundThis information is included for read-

ers who are interested in the origin of thecreature, the actaeon. A human namedActaeon appears in Greek mythology.When out hunting, he was unfortunateenough to stumble upon Artemis, the god-dess of the hunt, while she was bathing.For this, she turned him into a stag andhis own hounds killed him.

A creature similar to the actaeon can befound in Celtic mythology. Herne theHunter, a protector of woodland crea-tures, is an actaeon or woodland god. TheBBC television series, �Robin of Sher-wood,� featured Herne the Hunter and is aguide to how an actaeon can be played. Inthe show, Herne takes a background roleand lets Robin Hood be his agent in pro-tecting Sherwood Forest.

DRAGON 29

Convention Calendar Policies

This column is a service to our readersworldwide. Anyone may place a free listingfor a game convention here, but the follow-ing guidelines must be observed.

In order to ensure that all convention list-ings contain accurate and timely informa-tion, all material should be either typeddouble-spaced or printed legibly on stan-dard manuscript paper. The contents ofeach listing must be short and succinct.

The information given in the listing mustinclude the following, in this order:

1. Convention title and dates held;2. Site and location;3. Guests of honor (if applicable);4. Special events offered;5. Registration fees or attendance

requirements; and,6. Address and telephone number(s)

where additional information and confirma-tion can be obtained.

Convention flyers, newsletters, and othermass-mailed announcements will not beconsidered for use in this column; we preferto see a cover letter with the announcementas well. No call-in listings are accepted.Unless stated otherwise, all dollar valuesgiven for U.S. and Canadian conventionsare in U.S. currency.

WARNING: We are not responsible forincorrect information sent to us by conventionstaff members. Please check your conven-tion listing carefully! Our wide circulationensures that over a quarter of a million read-ers worldwide see each issue. Accurate infor-mation is your responsibility.

Copy deadlines are the last Monday ofeach month, two months prior to the on-saledate of an issue. Thus, the copy deadline forthe December issue is the last Monday ofOctober. Announcements for North Ameri-can and Pacific conventions must be mailedto: Convention Calendar, DRAGON® Maga-zine, P.O. Box 111, Lake Geneva WI 53147,U.S.A. Announcements for Europe must beposted an additional month before the dead-line to: Convention Calendar, DRAGONMagazine, TSR Limited, 120 Church End,Cherry Hinton, Cambridge CB1 3LB, UnitedKingdom.

If a convention listing must be changedbecause the convention has been canceled,the dates have changed, or incorrect infor-mation has been printed, please contact usimmediately. Most questions or changesshould be directed to the magazine editorsat TSR, Inc.: (414) 248-3625 (U.S.A.).Questions or changes concerning Europeanconventions should be directed to TSRLimited: (0223) 212517 (U.K.).

❖ indicates an Australian convention.❉ indicates a Canadian convention.❇ indicates a European convention.

30 FEBRUARY 1993

*indicates a product produced by a company other thanTSR, Inc. Most product names are trademarks owned by thecompanies publishing those products. The use of the name ofany product without mention of its trademark status should notbe construed as a challenge to such status.

DUNDRACON XVII, Feb. 12-15 CAThis convention will be held at the San

Ramon Marriott in San Ramon, Calif. Eventsinclude over 120 game events, seminars, adealers� room, a painting contest, computergaming, and a flea market. Registration:$30/weekend or $15/day at the door. Write to:DUNDRACON, 1125 Nielson St., Albany CA94706.

GENGHIS CON XIV, Feb. 12-14 COThis convention will be held at the Marriott

Southeast in Denver, Colo. Activities includegaming, RPGA� Network tournaments, auc-tions, a figure-painting contest, and miniaturesevents. Registration: $15/weekend. Write to:Denver Gamers Assoc., P.O. Box 440058, AuroraCO 80044; or call: (303) 665-7062.

ORCCON 16, Feb. 12-15 CAThis convention will be held at the Los Ange-

les Airport Hyatt. Events include all types offamily, strategy, board, role-playing, miniatures,and computer gaming, with flea markets, anauction, a dealers� area, seminars, demos, andspecial guests. Write to: STRATEGICON, P.O.Box 3849, Torrance CA 90510-3849; or call: (213)326-9440.

SHEVACON �93, Feb. 19-21 VAThis convention will be held at the Ingleside

Red Carpet Inn in Staunton, Va. Events includerole-playing, miniatures, and historical games,with parties, videos, filking, workshops, panels,a costume contest, a dance, an art show, and anauction. The guest of honor is Allen Wold. Reg-istration: $25; children: $10. Write to: SusanShiflett, 15 E. Johnson St., Staunton VA 24401;or call: (703) 885-5530.

ARGACON �93, Feb 20 MIThis convention will be held in the Adrian

Tobias room on the campus of Adrian Collegein Adrian, Mich. Events include role-playinggames. Other activities include strategy games,play testing, dealers, and contests. Registration:$5. Write to: ARGA, Adrian College, Adrian MI49221; or call: Scott at: (517) 264-3707.

HURRICON �93, Feb. 26-28 FLThis convention will be held at the Okaloosa

Island Holiday Inn in Fort Walton Beach, Fla.Guests include George Alec Effinger, MargaretWeis, Douglas Niles, David Dorman, and LarryElmore. Activities include game tournaments,an art show, video rooms, lectures, panels, filk-ing, open gaming, an auction, a dance, a USAFSpace Command demo, and a �Winterfest� for�Beauty and the Beast� TV fans. Registration:$30 at the door. Write to: Bards Tales Book-shop, 109D Race Track Rd., Ft. Walton Beach FL32547; or call: (904) 862-7323.

JAXCON �93, Feb. 26-28 FLThis convention will be held at the Radisson

Inn at the Jacksonville International Airport inJacksonville, Fla. Events include all types ofgames, a miniatures-painting contest, a flea mar-ket, a dealers� area, a snack bar, and door prizes.Registration: $18/weekend. Single-day rates vary.Write to: JAXCON, P.O. Box 4423, Jacksonville FL32201; or call: (904) 778-1730.

NOT-A-CON V, Feb. 26-28 SCThis convention will be held at Daniel Hall on

the campus of Clemson University in Clemson,S.C. Events include role-playing and miniaturesgames, with miniatures contests and gaming.Registration: $3 preregistered; $5 at the door.Write to: Larry Fountain, 807 College Av., Apt.11, Clemson SC 29631; or call: (803)654-8902.

TOTAL CONFUSION VII, Feb. 26-28This convention will be held at the Best West-

ern Plaza hotel in Marlborough, Mass. Eventsinclude role-playing, board, and miniaturesgames, with RPGA� Network events, a minia-tures-painting contest, and a costume competi-tion. Registration: $23/weekend or $9/daypreregistered; $10/day at the door. Club rates areavailable. Write to: TOTAL CONFUSION, P.O. Box1463, Worcester MA 01607; or call: (508)987-1530.

B-CON �93, Feb.27-28 ILThis convention will be held at Bradley Univer-

sity in Peoria, Ill. Events include role-playing,board, and miniatures games, with game demos,prizes, dealers, miniatures, speakers, and artists.Registration: $3/day or $5/weekend preregis-tered; $5/day or $7/weekend at the door. Write to:B-CON Registration, c/o The Medieval CollegeSoc., Bradley Univ., 425 Sisson Hall, Peoria IL61625.

CON OF THE NORTH �93, Feb. 27-28 MNThis convention will be held at the Landmark

Center in St. Paul, Minn. Events include fantasy,war, miniatures, and adventure games, with anRPGA� Network tournament. Registration:$15/weekend or $10/day. Write to: CON OF THENORTH, P.O. Box 18096, Minneapolis MN 55418.

CONTENTION �93, Feb. 27 MDThis convention will be held at Anne Arundel

Community College in Arnold, Md. The specialguest is author Robert Frezza. Activities includerole-playing, board, and miniatures games.GMs are welcome. Registration: $8 at the door.Event fees average $2 per event. Write to: CON-TENTION �93, c/o John Appel, 456 Old Quarter-field Rd. Apt. D-5, Glen Burnie MD 21061.

MINIATURES-PAINTING CONTEST &GAME DAY �93, Feb. 27 IN

This convention will be held at MetalcraftMiniatures and More in Elwood, Ind. Activitiesinclude role-playing and war games. There is noentry fee. Fifteen categories of miniatures will bejudged; get the list before entering. Write to: Met-alcraft Miniatures and More, 926 N. 9th St.,Elwood IN 46036.

BAMACON 7, March 18-21 ALThis convention will be held at the Bryant

Conference Center and Sheraton Capstone Innin Tuscaloosa, Ala. Guests include JonathanFrakes, Hal Clement, and Brom. Activitiesinclude over 30 gaming tournaments withprizes, an art show, a masquerade, a computerroom, and a movie room. Registration: $35.Write to: BAMACON 7, P.O. Box 6542, Univ. ofAlabama, Tuscaloosa AL 35486-6542; or call:(205) 758-4577.

CALCON 8, March 19-21 ❉This convention will be held at the Marlbor-

ough Inn in Calgary, Alberta. Events includerole-playing, war, miniatures, and boardgames, with a comic-book convention, com-puter gaming, an auction, and dealers. Regis-tration: $10 until March 1; $15 at the door.Visitor and day passes are available. Write to:CALCON 8, Box 22206, 401-9 Av. SW, Calgary,Alberta, CANADA T2P 4J6; or call Paul at:(403) 281-1574.

GAMEFEST �93, March 19-21 ILThis convention will be held at Friend�s

Hobby Shop in Waukegan, Ill. Events includeminiatures, role-playing, and board games.Write to: Friend�s Hobby, 1411 Washington,Waukegan IL 60085; or call: (708) 336-0790.

VILLECON �93, March 19-21. MOThis convention will be held at the NorthwestMissouri State Univ. Conference Center inMaryville, Mo. Events include many RPGA�Network role-playing events, plus board games,dealers, and contests. Registration: $7 pre-registered; $10 at the door. Write to: Brad Mon-ger, 517 W. 7th St., Maryville MO 64448; or call:1816) 582-8174.

SIMCON XV, March 25-28 NYThis convention will be held at the University

of Rochester�s River campus in Rochester, N.Y.Events include board, miniatures, and com-puter games, with a movie room, a dealers�room, and a miniatures-painting contest. Writeto: SIMCON, CPU #277146, Univ. of Rochester,Rochester NY 14627-7146; or call: (716)275-6186.

ADVENTURERS� INN VI, March 26-28 CAThis convention will be held in the Angels

Camp at the Calaveras Fairgrounds. Activitiesinclude role-playing and strategy games, a cos-tume contest, a movie room, medieval food,and dealers. Registration: $20 until Feb. 28; $25thereafter and at the door. Write to: ADVEN-TURERS� INN, P.O. Box 391, Mokelumne Hill CA95245; or call: (209)286-1545.

CONNCON �93, March 26-28 CTThis convention will be held at the Danbury

Hilton & Towers in Danbury, Conn. Eventsinclude role-playing, board, and war games,with RPGA� Network-sanctioned events. JeanRabe is our guest of honor. Other activitiesinclude miniatures, board and war games, abanquet, and dealers. Judges are welcome. Forpreregistration fee information, write to: CON-NCON, P.O. Box 444, Sherman CT 06784-0444.

It's a small worldafter all

COWBOY CON �93, March 26-28 OKThis convention will be held at the Student

Union on the OSU campus in Stillwater, Okla.Guests include Mark Simmons and Roger Allen.Activities include gaming, a dealers� room, amasquerade, and filking. Registration: $8 prereg-istered; $10 at the door. Write to: Cowboy Cam-paigners Club, c/o COWBOY CON, StudentUnion 040, Box 110, Stillwater OK 74078.

What are the latest releases in minia-ture figures and scenery? What rulesare best for tabletop war games? Turnto “Through the looking Glass” in thisissue and see!

ONEONTACON �93, March 26-28 NYThis convention will be held at the Hunt

Union, on the SUNY College campus inOneonta, N.Y. Events include role-playing andminiatures games, with a dealers� area. Regis-tration costs vary, but students receive a mini-mum $1 discount. Preregistration is advised.Write to: Gamers� Guild, c/o Student Activities,State University College, Oneonta NY 13820.

KNIGHT MARCH I, March 27-28 ❉This convention will be held at the Pine Ridge

Room of the Northumberland Mall in Cobourg,Ontario. Events include role-playing, board,and miniatures games, plus many RPGA� Net-work-sanctioned events, miniatures and artcompetitions, workshops, a silent auction, andspeakers including Ed Greenwood andLawrence Simms. Registration: $8/day or$12/weekend (Canadian). Write to: KNIGHTMARCH, 12 King St. E., Cobourg, Ontario,CANADA K9A 1K7; or call: (416) 372-4245, (705)741-6079, or (613)234-9437.

SF3SIG OPEN GAMING �93, March 27-28 ILThis convention will be held at Rockford Col-

lege in Rockford, Ill. Events include open gam-ing and Ten Backwards. Registration: $2/day.Write to: SF3SIG, College Box 237, RockfordCollege, 5050 E. State St., Rockford IL 61108.

MAGNUM OPUS CON 8, April 1-4 SCThis convention will be held at the Hyatt

Regency in Greenville, S.C. Guests includeRowena, Ben Bova, C.J. Cherryh, Robert Asprin,and David Weber. Activities include gaming, acostume contest, panels, seminars, anime,videos, dances, and a hospitality suite. Registra-tion: $40 at the door. Send an SASE with $.52postage to: MOC-8, P.O. Box 6585, Athens GA30604; or call: (706)549-1533.

COASTCON XVI, April 2-4 MSThis convention will be held at the Gulf Coast

Coliseum/Convention Center in Biloxi, Miss.Guests include Timothy Zahn, Michael Stack-pole, Lawrence Watt-Evans, and Andrew Offutt.Activities include a dealers� room, 24-hourvideo rooms, a dance, a costume contest, acharity auction, and gaming. Registration: $20before March 1st; $25 at the door. Write to:COASTCON XVI, P.O. Box 1423, Biloxi MS 38533.

PENTECON V, April 2-4 NYThis convention will be held at the campus of

Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. Events includerole-playing games, war games, board games,and miniatures games. Other activities includedealers and RPGA� Network events. Registra-tion: $7 preregistered; $10 at the door. GMs arewelcome and will receive discount if preregis-tered. Write to: PENTECON V, c/o CSSS, 29White Hall, Cornell Univ., Ithaca NY 14853; orcall Krisplease.

at: (607) 253-0650. No collect calls,

SPRING OFFENSIVE IV, April 2-4 ILThis convention will be held at Illinois Cen-

tral College in East Peoria, Ill. Events includerole-playing, miniatures, and board games.Registration: $3/day or $5/weekend. Events feesare $1 each. Write to: SPRING OFFENSIVE, TheGame Room, 116 Walnut, Washington IL (no zipcode given); or call: (309)444-4640.

$12/weekend (Little Wars passes are $3). Sendan SASE to: Keith Polster, Box 27, Theresa WI53091.

TECHNICON 10, April 10-12 VAThis convention will be held at the Donaldson

Brown Center in Blacksburg, Va. Guests includeScott Quirk. Activities include gaming, an artshow and auction, panels, videos, anime, and adance. Registration: $22 preregistered; $24 at thedoor. Student rate is $20. Write to: TECHNICON10, c/o VTSFFC, P.O. Box 256, Blacksburg VA24063-0256; or call: (703)952-0572.

Important: To ensure that your conventionlisting makes it into our files, enclose a self-addressed stamped postcard with your firstconvention notice; we will return the card toshow that your notice was received. You mightalso send a second notice one week aftermailing the first. Mail your listing as early aspossible, and always keep us informed of anychanges. Please avoid sending conventionnotices by fax, as this method has not provedto be reliable.

HYPOTHETICON �93, April 3 CTThis convention will be held Student Union at

the Storrs branch of the University of Conn.Events include gaming, movies, panels, and adealers� room. Registration: $4 preregistered;$6 at the door. Write to: Vivian Norwood,UConn, Shippee Hall, Room 519, Storm CT06269; or call: (203) 427-5085.

SPRING FANTASY REVEL, April 8-10 ILThis convention will be held at the Woodfield

Hilton in Arlington Heights, Ill. Events includenumerous RPGA� Network events. Other activ-ities include the Little Wars Wargaming Week-end, running concurrently. Registration:

DRAGON 31

How to set up (and survive) a split-party adventureby William J. White

Artwork by Jim Holloway

�Never split the party!�advised the wizened sagesternly, poling a gnarled fingerat the youthful adventurers hehad taken in tutelage. �You arestronger together than apart�if I had some sticks I couldshow you. Besides, when sepa-rated, you make more workfor the Dungeon Master.�

The callow youths shiveredat the mention of the cruel,cold-hearted deity�s name.They would follow their men-tor�s advice.

Keeping a party of adventurers togetheris usually a good idea, especially at lowerlevels of experience. It makes sense forthe characters. They can overcometougher challenges, and they can protecteach other when wounded or otherwiseincapacitated. Staying together providesplenty of opportunity for role-playingbetween members of the group. It makessense for the referee as well. She can pre-pare a single storyline and be fairly confi-dent she has options for all contingencies.Splitting the party does mean morework-both creatively, in terms of adven-ture ideas the DM needs to come up with,and logistically, in terms of maps, monster

statistics, and NPC motivations.However, split-party adventures can

have terrific advantages for a campaign.The DM can tailor adventures to show-case individual PC�s abilities and respondto each player�s interests. Each characteris the �star� of his own adventure, whichmeans each player will feel more involvedand more in control of his character�sdestiny. Finally, and perhaps most impor-tant, split-party adventures add drama toa campaign. One of the most tension-filled chapters in J. R. R. Tolkien�s is �TheBreaking of the Fellowship,� when theNine Walkers split into three smaller par-ties. A similar plot device incorporated

DRAGON 33

into an AD&D® campaign can turn a stan-dard adventure into the epic saga of aband of scattered heroes struggling asoutnumbered individuals against desper-ate odds and dire villains.

Breaking up is hard to do�I�ve had it up to here with you sorry

excuses for heroes!� shouted Bork theBarbarian. �Your mincing civilized wayssicken me. I�m headed for the Wild Lands,where men are still men! And don�t try tofollow me, either.�

�Go ahead, you oafish lout. I say we seekour fortunes in the Dread City of Doom-cliff. Who�s with me?�

�Not me. I had a vision of a pure whitestallion racing through the Demon Desert.I must go and capture my new war horse.You go ahead. I�ll catch up.�

As the above dialogue implies, some-times player inclinations may take theirPCs in different directions. After adventur-ing and advancing as part of a group, it isonly natural for a character to developambitions, obligations, or desires that hiscompanions do not share. Some PCs maysimply want to prove their independence,while others may envision their charac-ters as lone wolves who habitually travelsolo.

Since the breaking of these fellowshipsis voluntary, the problem for the referee isgetting the party back together, which willbe addressed later. However, creatingadventures may be a bit easier, as thecharacter will usually have some idea ofwhat he is trying to accomplish by hisdeparture, and the DM need only respondto these ambitions.

A referee can exert some control overthis type of split by doing a little �pre-emp-tive preparation.� After noting the kinds ofadventures that appeal to each of his play-ers, the referee designs a one- or two-pageadventure outline (with sketch maps andthe bare minimum monster or NPC stats)targeted toward each character. By listen-ing to rumors in a tavern, picking upvague hints from a musty old tome, orhearing the intriguing song of a bard inthe market square, the character�s inter-est will be piqued, and he will investigatewithout to much prodding by the DM.Details can be added with little effort, andmodified as needed. This type of plan canameliorate to some degree the tendencyof characters to venture to far-off landsthe DM has barely had time to name,much less describe in any detail.

A simple but effective technique to useon a PC who has decided to strike out onher own without any particular goal inmind is to have her stumble upon amap�newly-made or ancient�markedwith some tantalizing location like �TheLair of the Glass Spider� (or perhaps justthe proverbial X). No character can resistmaking a beeline for the destination indi-

34 FEBRUARY 1993

cated on the map, no matter what direwarnings are written in the margins. Thistactic is also good to use with PCs whohave been abandoned by the rest of theirparty.

The center cannot holdThe two adventurers looked around at

the remnants of their shattered camp.Luke the Bold removed his helmet andran a hand through his sweat-dampenedhair.

�What a day!� he said despairingly.�First, Sheena the Witch gets ensorcelledby the Dark Prince, then Falstave the Furi-ous is captured by Lord Agony�s minions,and now Isaac of the Valley has disap-peared from camp while we were outlooking for Jonas the Wanderer, who ranoff this morning after being bitten by thatstrange wolf.�

�I know,� replied his lone remainingcomrade, prodding the body of a goblinhe had slain while it was looting the camp.�I was there.�

If the devious DM decides that his play-ers need a good shaking up or a change ofpace, the characters may be separatedthrough no fault or desires of their own!

Why would a DM want to create a split-party situation? The reasons are numer-ous and depend on the needs of thecampaign. The referee may want to breakup the party for dramatic effect, or tochallenge characters who are so effectiveas a team that it is difficult to design anadventure that presents them with signifi-cant obstacles. Splitting this kind of partycan excite even the most jaded dungeon-crawler.

A third way to split the party is as a con-sequence of the characters� actions. If aparty is set upon by bandits and some ofthe PCs flee, leaving the rest to be cap-tured, the DM should let the cards fall asthey may. Three PCs may be held captive,to be ransomed, or sold into slavery, whiletwo others are lost in the woods withoutfood or supplies. The adventures revolvearound one group�s escape attempts andthe other�s struggle for survival.

The most worthwhile reason for split-ting the party is to shine the limelight oncharacters who are normally overshad-owed by their more aggressive peers.Nearly every campaign has someone whofits this category. If given a chance tostand on his own two feet, a player whonormally stays in the background candevelop his PC into a more interesting andmemorable persona.

A caveat: While it is important to tailorindividual adventures to the players�tastes, it is equally important to make theadventures of approximately equal conse-quence. That is, one group shouldn�t besaving the known universe while a secondis hunting for a little boy�s lost dog. Theplayers of an adventure that pales in sig-

nificance compared to the next group�swill feel slighted. (If it turns out, however,that the lost dog is actually a prince of theAnimal Realms exiled from his homeplane, and is the only creature capable oftracking the Extradimensional Bad Guysto their lair, then there can be no causefor complaint.)

When a party is split, for whatever rea-son, the referee must deal with the prob-lem of preparing two or more distinctstorylines, as well as that of keeping allplayers, both active and passive, inter-ested, occupied, and entertained.

Exit, stage leftNo matter how clever or intricate the

plotlines a DM creates, his work will bewasted if the game session itself is disorga-nized and unevenly paced. When a partysplits, it is vitally important that the referee�stage-manage� so that each playerreceives his fair share of attention whenhe is �active� and remains interested whenhe is �passive.� In stage-managing a splitparty the referee�s major concern is whatto do with the players whose adventuresare not being resolved at present�thepassive players.

Most referees will not want to run sepa-rate gaming sessions. Instead, they willadvance the plot of each story a littlebefore passing to the next character orsmall group.

Passive players should be allowed towatch the active players. In many scenar-ios, passive players can control NPCactions in combat or negotiation. A playercan role-play the dying messenger whobegs with his final gasping breath for theactive PC to deliver a message. Otherentertaining roles are the bothersome taxcollector or the absent-minded sage fromwhom the active player is wheedling infor-mation. Most players love a chance toshow off their role-playing skills. Addition-ally, passive players can be henchmen,hirelings, servants, or allies that the activeplayer has encountered in his travels.

Generally, the roles given to passiveplayers fall into one of two categories: theone-shot encounter, and the recurringNPC.

The term �one-shot� refers to both com-bat and parley encounters. In either case,the passive player receives a sheet of paperwith his NPCs� statistics and instructionsregarding tactics, motivations, and goals.The referee must explain precisely what heexpects the player to accomplish, as well aswhat liberties are allowed. For example, intelling a player to act out the role of thedying messenger, the instructions could be�Ham it up all you want, but don�t diebefore Darkling swears to carry the mes-sage.�

Letting passive players control mon-sters in combat can be fun, especially ifthe monster is especially interesting. Thisis a player�s chance to act out all those evil

impulses. However, strict limitationsshould be placed on the kinds of tacticsthe passive player can use. This minimizesthe potential for drastic upsets in the ref-eree�s game plan. As insurance, the ref-eree should maintain control of a majorbad guy who can influence events accord-ing to that plan�the �Aw gee, boss. Whycan�t we kill them now?� scenario.

It is best not to give control of the pri-mary nemesis of the active player to a pas-sive player, as this may cause tensionbetween players and takes away from thereferee�s ability to control the action.

The referee can also allow passive play-ers to control some of the active players�companions, sidekicks, or henchman.These subsidiary characters� motivationsshould also be carefully spelled out. Mostplayers will cheerfully play along if calledupon to take the part of a bumblingapprentice, a wizard�s familiar, a knight�soafish squire, a ranger�s pet wolf, or athief�s urchin lookout. Alternatively, thereferee can devise a character and givehim to a passive player with orders to �tagalong,� whether the active player wantshim to or not. Some ideas for this type ofcharacter include the 1st-level, would-beadventurer looking for a mentor; a mis-chievous sprite or leprechaun who hastaken a shine to the PC; or a beautiful butspoiled princess who wants to run awayfrom the palace in the company of ahandsome stranger. The principle toapply in assigning these companions is

If some players are not participating thecurrent adventure, the referee shouldensure any activity not relevant to theactive player takes place away from thegaming table. This includes passive playerplanning as well as conversation about lastnight�s ball game. An appreciative audi-ence, on the other hand, can enhance theactive player�s enjoyment.

that they should complement the activeplayer without upstaging him.

The individual DM is the best judge ofwhether his players will enjoy �helpingout,� watching, or going elsewhere to planstrategy. The rule of thumb, however, is�include, include, include.�

A word on neophytesThe split-party adventure is perhaps the

best way to introduce inexperienced play-ers to the campaign. The AD&D 1st Edi-tion game�s Dungeon Master Guide (page111) is worth quoting in this regard:�...[S]et up a special area for 1st level ofexperience play. . . a couple of experi-enced players can act the part of somemercenary men-at-arms, as well as theroles of various tradesmen . . . but allactions, reactions, and decision makingwill be left strictly up to the neophyte . . . .�

Eventually, according to the old DMG,the neophyte player will have the experi-ence necessary to join up with the �oldguard� on their adventures. However, if a

promising newcomer lags behind in expe-rience levels, he can still participate in the�mainstream� campaign through one ofthe techniques suggested above. This isperhaps the best of both worlds.

Hints for the DM�Keep track of time and space. It�sKeep track of time and space. It�s

important to keep the PC groups on paral-important to keep the PC groups on paral-lel tracks, so that when the time comes tolel tracks, so that when the time comes tomeet up again, no huge discrepanciesmeet up again, no huge discrepanciesexist. A little fudging with travel times canexist. A little fudging with travel times canhelp accomplish this.help accomplish this.

Try to switch from one group to anotherTry to switch from one group to anotherwhen play reaches a stable point�the PCsare traveling, or are trying to make a deci-are traveling, or are trying to make a deci-sion, or have found a room for the night.sion, or have found a room for the night.You could also switch at cliffhangerYou could also switch at cliffhangerpoints�right before the player makes asaving throw, for instance�but this may betoo much of a strain on the nervous systemtoo much of a strain on the nervous systemfor some players. It�s usually best to leave afor some players. It�s usually best to leave aplayer when he can plan a course of actionplayer when he can plan a course of actionor perform character maintenance, suchor perform character maintenance, suchas purchasing routine supplies.as purchasing routine supplies.

Try to switch between groups severalTry to switch between groups severaltimes during each gaming session. Thistimes during each gaming session. Thisavoids the �You mean I�m done for theavoids the �You mean I�m done for thenight?� syndrome, which tends to leaveplayers feeling short-changed.players feeling short-changed.

At the end of each session, give a quickAt the end of each session, give a quickrundown of where each PC is in locationrundown of where each PC is in locationand time. Use a large-scale campaign mapand time. Use a large-scale campaign mapif possible. While the PCs might not knowif possible. While the PCs might not knowthis information under normal circum-

DRAGON 35

stances, it gives the players some focusand reminds them that they are all partici-pating in the same campaign.

Finally, in terms of stage-management,the concept of �blue booking� asdescribed by Aaron Allston in his Strike-force supplement to ICE�s CHAMPIONS*game must be mentioned. The refereewrites a description of the PC�s currentsurroundings in a small notebook. Imme-diately below, the player writes what hischaracter says and does. The refereedetermines the results of these actionsand writes them in the book for the playerto read, and so on. This works best in situ-ations where little combat is involved�mysteries, intrigue, and romance.

Meanwhile. . .In creating adventures for split parties,

two things must be kept in mind: thedesires of the players and the abilities oftheir characters. A thief will want to pullthe heist of the century, and a paladin willseek to fight evil creatures, but other PCambitions may vary. Sometimes, a charac-ter�s reason for venturing off alone ismerely to travel (�I want to see the Edge ofthe World.�). In that case, it�s up to the ref-eree to create adventures that interest theplayer and suit the capabilities of thecharacter.

Certain types of adventures work wellwith lone characters, or with groups oftwo or three adventurers. Some of these

36 FEBRUARY 1993

adventures include:The quest� This is the archetypical

adventure, a quest for a single characterthat involves little extra thought on theDM�s part. The Quest for the Holy Grail isa good example, as are the labors of Her-cules. The single-hero quest should befilled with riddles and tests of character,not heavily combat oriented.

The contest� The character is involvedin a test of arms, wits, or skills with anNPC of about equal abilities. Think of thelegend of John Henry OF Thor in the hallof Utgard-Loki from Norse mythology.

The mystery� This includes but is notlimited to the traditional murder mysteryinvestigation (e.g., Agatha Christie). Anyunusual circumstance or event whosecause must be determined by a characterusing his wits and his skills can be a mys-tery. A priest enters a haunted house, athief tracks down the villain attempting toframe him, or a wizard researches a spellby finding hints and clues in the pages ofbooks from widely scattered libraries. Thestories of Lord D�Arcy, by Randall Garrett,are good examples of the traditional mys-tery in a fantasy setting.

In command� The character is a leaderof some armed force. He can be a merce-nary captain or the skipper of a privateer,with letters of marque from the queen.Adventures can lead into miniatures bat-tles or can be steered toward politicalintrigue. Raids, pitched battles, mutinies,and coups d�etat are all possible. The

adventures of Conan and Elric of Melni-bone include examples of this adventure.

Capture and escape� The character hasbeen taken prisoner and rests behindbars until he can escape and take hisrevenge on his captors. Alone, hunted,and weaponless, he must find a way torecover his possessions and find safety.The archetypical example of this adven-ture is The Count of Monte Cristo, byAlexander Dumas.

The vendetta� The character is involvedin a blood feud with an NPC, each seekingthe other�s death or imprisonment. Thereshould be some factor that prevents themfrom walking up to each other and hack-ing away�the command of a sovereign,the fact that one has knowledge the otherneeds, or simply that some greater neces-sity exists (�We�ve got to put our differ-ences aside, Mordan, if we want to beatthese invading orcs.�).

The bounty hunt� The character is abounty hunter attempting to track down awanted man. He can be working on hisown after seeing a wanted poster, or hecan be hired by the local authorities basedon his reputation. The action may takeplace in an urban environment or occuras a cross-country chase. A character mayenjoy this enough to want to bounty hunton a regular basis. The DM should pre-pare a �most wanted� list and possiblysome rival bounty hunters.

Alternatively, the character is pursuedby a bounty hunter. He may have broken a

law or insulted a wealthy man�s wife. Per-haps it�s just a case of mistaken identity.He must not only defeat or escape thehunter, but also resolve the problem thatput the bounty hunter on his tail.

The spy� The character must stealthilyinfiltrate an enemy area in order to gaininformation, steal a valuable item, or kid-nap someone. This type of adventure isexcellent for a thief tired of being over-shadowed by high-powered fighters andmages.

It takes a thief� This is another goodadventure for the rogue striking out onhis own. The character is hired or other-wise cajoled into tracking down a crimi-nal who has been preying on a richmerchant or powerful lord. Usually, butnot always, the reward includes a pardonfor past crimes; failure is punished byturning the thief over to the law.

Many other categories exist. A rangerinfiltrates a bandit camp to recover a valu-able heirloom. A wizard seeks a wise oldhermit to tell him some Ultimate Secret ofLife. Political intrigue and romance canform the basis of many more adventures.What makes a split-party adventure reallysatisfying, for referees and players alike, isshaping the adventure so that it tiestogether what the characters have beendoing individually.

Weaving the webPlayer-characters, as many DMs are

aware, like to feel that there is some grandscheme they can affect by their actions. Itmakes them feel important. The DM canheighten the characters� sense of accom-plishment by leading them along separatepaths to the same conclusion. This isoften more satisfying than a scenario inwhich a unified party overcomes a seriesof obstacles in a linear fashion. Also, theplayers will think their referee is a genius,which is no small thing.

To accomplish this, the DM should firstlet the characters resolve the situationsthat caused them to separate. Then, grad-ually, he should hook the characters withclues that something isn�t right-portentsof war, perhaps, or strange happenings inthe hinterlands. When the charactersinvestigate (if not at first, then later whenthe danger becomes acute), their adven-tures will bring them closer in time andspace until two or more groups meet,compare notes, and decide on a com-bined plan of action. Eventually, all thePCs come together at the one place atwhich they can stop the menace. The bestsort of challenge to get characters backtogether is some epic villainy: The mindflayers plan to extinguish the sun, or aninvasion of extradimensional monsterswant our women. Even if the charactersfail to stop the plan before it hatches, theycan still attempt to set things as thescheme unfolds. The epic quality of suchan adventure appeals to most players. If

their referee does it right, they�ll be tellingtheir grandchildren about it.

R e u n i o nThe referee will eventually want to get

the PCs back together in order to run anadventure that requires their combinedefforts. There are several ways to do this:

What are you doing here?� A chancemeeting is the easiest but perhaps theleast satisfying way. The PCs are in thesame town or traveling along the sameroad when one spots the other, and thetwo reminisce about old times.

Ill met in London-town� The charactersare reunited as they are about to sepa-rately engage in the same enterprise. Per-haps they are both attempting to breakinto the tower of the evil necromancerGulgos, or are vying for the position ofroyal musketeer. Both PCs should be ableto accomplish their objectives withoutdirect competition that could stand in theway of renewing their friendship.

So we meet again� The characters areon opposite sides of some quarrel andmeet during a confrontation between thetwo sides. They may be soldiers of warringfactions, or one PC an outlaw trapped bythe other, a bounty hunter. The refereemust be able to provide some means oferasing the conflict between the two�afaction surrenders or is defeated, a royal

pardon is issued�in the event that thecharacters are not able to figure one outfor themselves.

There you are, at last� A PC adventuringsolo discovers the only thing that can helphim achieve his goal is a magical item heknows is in the possession of another PC.He must track down the other characterand convince him to aid in the quest. Natu-rally, the other PC may be reluctant. Hecan perhaps be persuaded to help, but hewill certainly not let the item out of his pos-session. The first PC will owe the other abig favor.

We don�t like your kind around here�The character is traveling through a landpopulated by extremely xenophobicnatives. They run him out of town andgenerally make his life miserable until heheads in the general direction of the othercharacters.

I�ll get you out of this� A characterreceives word that a former companion isin big trouble�imprisoned, ensorcelled,or about to be hanged. He is sufficientlyloyal to rush to his friend�s aid.

Other interesting, if slightly more com-plicated, plot devices can be used. Sup-pose a character has made his way to theForbidden City and sneaked into the KaiLin Temple. He plans to search the Bookof Changes for a riddle that holds a clue tothe location of a lost artifact. When hemakes it to the library, he sees a hooded

DRAGON 37

monk bent over the very volume he needs.The monk is actually another PC in dis-guise, with similar intent. If a fight ensues,a few rounds of combat may pass beforethe two characters recognize each other.If the first PC waits for the monk to leaveand then reads the book, both charactersmay meet at the location specified by theriddle. Or perhaps the false monk is dis-covered and runs back to the library,where the two meet and are forced tofight their way out together. Either way,some drama has been introduced and thePCs� reunion will be memorable.

BoundariesThere are a few things the DM can do to

make sure the party split lasts only as longas she wants it to. The first, and mostimportant, is to fulfill whatever desire thecharacter wants to accomplish by leavingthe party. Whether it is a specific goal orjust wanderlust, the referee must accom-modate the need and then turn the charac-ter back toward wanting or needingcompanions to aid him.

It is helpful if there is a specific geo-graphic focus where the PCs return timeafter time; in other words, a place theycan call home. This could be the strong-hold of a high-level PC, the castle of afriendly lord, or even a roadside tavernwhere the company is good and the ale is

cheap.If stronger methods are necessary, the

DM can impose some obligation on thePCs that will bring them to the same placeat the same time. Their religion mayrequire a pilgrimage to some holy shrine,or a lame bard makes them promise toreturn in a year�s time to relate theiradventures (to be immortalized in song).The PCs could be pressed into service tostop an orc invasion, and meet on thebattlefield (surrounded by the enemy, ofcourse).

The simple trick of getting a party backtogether is to impose a common objective,goal, or destination. Once the PCs areheaded for the planned rendezvous, thereferee can adjust their rates of speed byputting obstacles (wandering monsters ornatural events) in the way of some. At therendezvous, the PCs should face somechallenge requiring all their combinedskills.

Putting the pieces together Give us the word!A split-party campaign can be a great

deal of fun for the players and their DM,despite�or perhaps because of�theincreased complexity.

If a referee can pull off the split whilegiving all characters a feeling that they areimportant to the campaign, he will haveprovided his players with a great feeling-

What do you think of this magazine?What do you like best or want to seechanged most? What do you want tosee next? Turn to “Letters” and seewhat others think, then write to us, too!

that their characters live in a world of lim-itless options, where they can go any-where and do anything. If the charactersbelieve this, they will happily reunite,knowing that an adventure always liesover the next hill or down that windingroad.

* indicates a product produced by a company otherthan TSR, Inc. Most product names are trademarksowned by the companies publishing those products.The use of the name of any product without mention ofits trademark status should not be construed as achallenge to such status.

38 FEBRUARY 1993

Letters & more economicsby Bruce Heard

This regular feature offers suggestions on the D&D® game, itsworlds and its products, occasional articles, or “first glance” reviewsof D&D game products. Readers are welcome to send questions,suggestions, or criticisms on the game or on the material publishedhere. We can’t promise all letters will be answered in this column,but they all will get our attention.

LettersTwo points of interest in the Thunder

Rift accessory are marked on the pull-outmaps but are never mentioned in thesourcebook itself. Will the �Dark Pit� andthe �Monolith� (both near the Bone Hills)be detailed in later products, or they areleft to be designed by individual DMs?

They were left to be designed by theDungeon Master, although we may perhapssee a version developed in DRAGON® Maga-

zine some day�likewise with the missingmembers of the Quadrial. Feel free to sub-mit your version after you get the maga-zine�s writer�s guidelines.

The Rules Cyclopedia is a great piece ofwork! In fact, it�s too good. While it con-tains everything a DM could want (exclud-ing the Gazetteer information), it containsmaterial that should not be available toplayers. Is there any chance of producing

an abridged version for players withoutChapters 10-18?

No. The idea behind the Cyclopedia wasto offer at the best price possible all therules previously contained in four or fiverulebooks, plus a decent monster mix anda �starter� campaign. The handy Cyclope-dia also offers a more affordable and lessbulky option to the $80.00 initial packneeded for the AD&D® game (a Player�sHandbook, Dungeon Master�s Guide, MC1Monstrous Compendium and a boxedcampaign set). Granted, you get a heck of alot more with the AD&D game option, andit is generally more complete in its treat-ment of comparable topics, but not every-one wants to shell out that much to run acomplete game the first time. We alsofound out that most players own all therules for their respective games anyway, sooffering the whole thing didn�t seem to pre-sent a major problem.

While I realize that the new D&D gameboxed accessories are aimed at beginnerplayers, that is no excuse for their poorquality.1 The only artwork worth looking atis on the box covers, and some of that istotally inappropriate. Tiamat/Takhisis (onThe Dragon�s Den cover) is not a D&Dmonster, and any player worth his saltknows the difference between a goblinand a githyanki (see The Goblin�s Laircover).2 Although the adventures are shortand simple, that is to be expected from anintroductory module.3 However, why notset the adventures in the Known Worldrather than create a new Thunder Riftcampaign setting?4 I also have a problemwith the maps; I find it hard to believe thateven beginning players want to have thewhole dungeon laid out before their eyes.It would be better to include a blank gridsheet that the DM could use to draw themaps as the adventure progresses.5 A finalcomplaint concerns the exorbitant pack-aging and pricing of these boxed sets. Whysuch a big box? Why such a high price? Ifyou want to justify the pricing and thepackaging, dump the cardboard cutoutsand include plastic figures.6

I took the liberty of indexing the letter tomore easily refer to its vital parts.

1. The components in the boxed sets arecertainly not of poor quality in my opinion.

2. There seems to be a lack of apprecia-tion for the half a dozen black and whiteillustrations�it�s a question of personaltaste. The remainder of the art�the colorpieces on the covers; the semi-gloss, high-grade poster mapsheets; the 70+ card-board standups; the game tiles�is quitenice. Whether the cover art is inappropri-ate is beside the point, since these prod-ucts are targeted at beginners�peoplewho, by definition, do not know anythingabout the D&D game (�gith-what?�). Theboxed accessories are simply not intendedfor experienced gamers.

3) Thanks, we hoped so too!4) First, the D&D rules in the game box

D R A G O N 4 1

do not handle wilderness settings at all,much less campaign worlds. The introduc-tory D&D game deals exclusively withdungeon-crawling. Second, in order to playin the Known World, a gamer has to own acopy of the Rules Cyclopedia where thatworld is described. Beginners, by defini-tion, would obviously not have the Cyclope-dia. That�s why there is Thunder Rift. Trustus; we�ve had our share of confused phonecalls from mothers who accidentally pur-chased the kids a copy of some AD&Dcampaign set, and who hadn�t the foggiestidea what to do with the stuff.

5) Blank grids are visually boring. We�redealing with first-time gamers, youngerplayers for whom the visual element is cru-cial, people who know neither how thegame is played nor how to visualize whathappens during an encounter, and appren-tice DMs struggling with the game�s flow.Don�t make them draft the dungeon on topof everything else! That�s why we havethree very exciting mapsheets in each set.Of course, experienced gamers may laughat that. But the game still remains toughwhen all present, including the DM, arecomplete rookies trying to find their way.

6) Exorbitant? At $16.95, we�re not break-ing anyone�s budget. Go ahead, find aproduct from traditional hobby game com-panies offering as much as what the �Lairs�sets do, at anywhere near $16.95! Oh sure,we could include plastic, but that woulddrive the price higher. The packaging wasdesigned to sell the product in the intendedmarket of younger, first-time gamers whodo not frequent hobby game stores.

The point of the �Lairs� boxed sets is thatthey are fun to play and quite easy to getinto. Don�t assume that all new playerslearn the game from someone who already,knows it. Many people are isolated or don�teven understand the basic concept andworkings of a role-playing game. The D&Dboxed game is not targeted at establishedgamers wanting to check out the D&Dgame, or those who are already membersof gaming clubs or exposed to hobby gam-ing in general. We have many people outthere who expect to find a four-page rulebook, like in a mass-market board game,when they open their first RPG box. Any-thing more than 16-pages of literaturequickly becomes a daunting prospect forthem!

Once these new players reach the limitsof the introductory game (provided theydon�t get discouraged and give up in theprocess), it will soon be time for them to goon with the Challenger Series or the AD&Dgame. Giving new people an accessibleentry to RPG gaming is in the wholehobby�s best interest. That�s why the-intro-ductory D&D game and its supplementsare designed the way they are. So, please,don�t compare them with sophisticatedhobby games. They just don�t fit in thesame category.

In �The Voyage of the Princess Ark in

DRAGON issue #177, a new society wasintroduced. I found that it is very similarin appearance to The Adventures ofAstérix, a European comic book series byRené Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. Manyof the character names end in �ix� andhave double-meanings, such as the bardVoxpopulix, which means �voice of thepeople.� In the Astérix books, the bardCacofonix also has a poor talent insinging. Another similarity is that of theprominence of druids in both scenarios.Was Mr. Heard at all influenced by theAstérix stories?

Yes, by Toutatis! I was raised reading theAstérix books in Europe. My goal was tocreate a society of druids loosely inspired bycontinental Celts, but that would havereached the medieval era. Of course, somethings never change, and the folks ofRobrenn still fear nothing, except perhapsthat the sky will fall on their heads!

I cannot find a complete map-key any-where. The one in the Rules Cyclopedia,for example, does not state that the redskull-and-crossbones are. Most of othermaps have keys for only what is on them.Can you print a key in your column?

Probably not. Most of our readers arealready familiar with the hex symbols usedin the D&D game. No doubt, more newones will follow as we develop new prod-ucts. They are rather obvious for the mostpart, except for a few like the red skull-and-crossbones. This symbol comes from TheElves of Alfheim gazetteer and indicatesbad magic points (cursed or hauntedareas). The white tree symbols stand forgood magic points (enchanted areas). Graytrees on a green background in Aljheimindicate giant oak trees. In GAZ12, TheGolden Khan of Ethengar, the dark greengrassland hexes mark the location ofchoice grazing lands, the shaded greenspots signal poor grazing land, and thegray hexes indicate a plain of ash.

I enjoy �The Princess Ark� series, and Ithink the blend of characters and cam-paign narrative is just about right. I�m abit disappointed that three of the pastissues contained only letter columns. Thequestions and answers are interesting, butI hope the absence of other informationdoesn�t mean you�re running out of ideas.I�m assuming you�re either too busy orare rethinking its direction in light ofWrath of the Immortals.

Well, it�s a little of all that. I hope the let-ter column covers a need for answers andattention. The reason why the adventureseries went on hiatus has more to do withdevelopment of the upcoming Princess Arkboxed set, with which the monthly featurewould have interfered, than the upheavalsof Wrath of the Immortals. I am indeedpretty busy, and as I explained in an earlierissue, my contributions to DRAGON Maga-zine remain purely on a free-lance basis.As far as running out of ideas? Well, there�s

still some steam left in this guy (or at least Ihope so!)

I read in DRAGON issue #187 that TSRwidened its margins on products so that itcould produce items less expensively(while still charging the same price). Iwonder how wise the move really was,since it raises credibility/integrity issues?

TSR tries to keep the price you pay forits products from rising with the cost ofinflation. There�s also a problem withprinting material in small type that�s hardto read and looks overwhelming to thosegamers interested in getting started. Doyou really need 10 megabytes worth of datato play a module? If you�d rather pay morefor a heavier word count, let us know. Youcan send your comments on the topic toour Marketing Dept.

Economics III�Working it outWell, yes, here�s more on economics.

Last month we looked at population andthe food factor. There are more issues,like population growth, the creation ofnew villages, deforestation, etc.

Population growthEvery year, a dominion�s population

should grow, barring disasters like wars,plagues, or natural catastrophes. Add upthe present population for each of theland categories in the dominion (wilder-ness, borderland, rural, suburban, andurban). Then figure out the growth statis-tics for each type of area, based on theConfidence Level of the dominion (see theRules Cyclopedia, page 141):

Growth Per Year3 5 0 + 349-150 149-

Category Level Level LevelWilderness +5% +10% +15%Borderland +16% +8% -Rural

& Village +18% +6% -6%Towns

& Suburbs +12% +3% -6%Cities +5% +l% -3%

Growth figures above include routinepopulation migrations as well as births. Allis fine when the population grows. Whenthe population falls, entire families headfor other dominions or nations, seeking abetter life. The oddity here is that fewerpeople are likely to settle in wildernessareas when settled lands are prosperous.Likewise, when things go bad, more peopleare likely to run away into the wildernessand lay low!

Example: In the two-hex oasis men-tioned in the previous issue, we had 350people (300 farmers and 50 soldiers in afort). Since this is borderland, the popula-tion here could grow 8% in a year.Although soldiers are technically consid-ered �urban,� military strength simplydoesn�t �grow� (sorry, army regulations donot allow fraternization with the natives)

42 FEBRUARY 1993

unless you are dealing with a barbarian ora tribal setting instead of a professionalmilitary unit. Only the farmers wouldshow a population growth in the oasis—

Catastrophes: The percentages listedin the growth chart can be modified to

24 extra people. This includes children

represent upheavals. For example, in thecase of a plague or epidemic, subtract 3d6from nonurban growth percentages on

and outsiders (newcomers) in the oasis.

the chart (-6d6 for urban). In the case ofwidespread invasions, subtract 6d6 fromnonurban growth percentages (-3d6 forurban), etc.

For an earthquake or volcanic eruption,roll 1d4. A roll of 1 indicates one hex isaffected. A roll of 2 affects the source hexand the six surrounding hexes. On a rollof 3, add the next 12 hexes, and on a rollof 4, add the next 18 hexes (in concentriccircles spreading out from the volcano orthe epicenter of the earthquake). On a rollof 1, the earthquake/eruption destroys2d6 + 1% of the population. On a roll of 2,the outside ring suffers a 2d6 + 1% loss, theepicenter/volcano hex 4d6+2%. On a 3,the outside ring suffers a 2d6+1% loss, thecenter ring 4d6+2%, and the epicenter/volcano hex 8d6+3%. On a 4, the epi-center/volcano hex suffers a 16d6+4% loss(etc). On an 8d6+3% effect scale, nonmagi-cal stone and wood structure suffer 50%damage. On a 16d6+4% effect scale, allnonmagical structures are destroyed, etc.See the next section of this article for pop-ulation movements.

Great catastrophes should have nomore than a 1% chance to occur per year.Feel free to modify percentages as dic-tated by historical events and commonsense.

Migrations: After years of populationgrowth, what used to be wildernessbecomes borderland, what was known asborderland becomes rural, etc. Remem-ber, some areas cannot grow beyond bor-derland levels (desert, badlands,mountains). Excess population packs upand moves out to other areas of thedominion (better lands, villages, etc.). Inthis case, the affected terrain remains atits maximum population ceiling. Theexcess population spreads out into threegroups (rounded down). The first thirdmixes with rural population. The secondthird mixes with urban population. Thelast third leaves the dominion or the king-dom. Average out these numbers, drop-ping fractions.

Whenever events such as migrationsdue to overpopulation, calamities, orresettlement (see next entry) affect a lim-ited area, it is best to average out the num-bers over the whole population of theaffected terrain type. Separate populationaccounting for the same type of terrain isto be avoided, for simplicity’s sake. Forexample, if an earthquake wipes out mostof the population in a hex of farmland (200people die), it would be best to reduce the

44 FEBRUARY 1993

dominion’s total farmland population by200 rather than that single hex. Assumethat within weeks or months, the popula-

Resettlement: It is possible to pay peo-

tion spreads out to fill the vacuum. But if a

ple to settle wilderness areas, above andbeyond normal population growth. A 5-gp

particular village is hit by catastrophe, it

grant per person should be enough to getsome people to move. If the dominion isprosperous, a 10-gp grant would be better,

stays that way!

since the inhabitants are less likely to seeka harder life. The cost includes towncriers announcing the offer, and theprovosts registering and paying the newsettlers.

Roll 1d20 once for each population cat-egory targeted with the resettlement offer(a town, a group of villages, a rural or bor-derland area, etc.). The result is the per-centage of the targeted people who acceptthe grant and move out. But beware: if themajority of settlers are urban people,10-100% (roll 1d10x10) of them may per-ish, give up, or otherwise disappearwithin a year of resettlement (sorry, norefund!). If the majority of the settlers aresuburban, roll 1d8x10 instead. Roll1d6x10 if the settlers are from a ruralarea, 1d4x10 if they are borderlanders.

New villagesCreation: Part of the agricultural popula-

tion may create new villages. Roll 2d20; theresult is the percentage of the total newgrowth among the agricultural populationthat wants to create new villages. Alwaysround down the number of people movingto new villages. If it is at least 50, a new vil-lage is created. If more, the newly createdvillages should have no more than 200 peo-ple each. Finally, cross off the new villagersfrom the present agricultural populationtotal and add them to the urban populationtotal.

Placement: Place the new village(s) inborderland or rural areas, preferably onsolid, flat terrain near a river (especially ata river junction); by a sea or lake shore(especially in a natural cove or near anestuary); along roads (especially cross-roads), near a fortification (castle, fort,keep), or at a bridge. In a warlike setting, ahigher elevation facilitating the village’sdefense may be desirable. A forest in anadjacent hex might also be helpful, sincethe wood could be used to build the vil-lage’s houses. Target first those sites bene-fitting from several of these features.

Limits: In order to avoid an excessivenumber of villages after years of growth, itmay be a good idea to limit the total num-ber of villages to one per 5,000 agriculturalpeople, or 1d6+2 new villages per year,whichever occurs first. Large kingdomscan grow out of control very quickly other-wise. The unhappy would-be villagers inexcess of those limits will have to stayhome until next year.

Example: The oasis mentioned earliershould be part of a larger dominion. Let’sassume the total growth of the dominion’sfarming population that year to be 250people. You rolled a 20 on 2d20, meaning20% of these farmers—50 people in all—seek to create a new village. Pick an areain the dominion where you want a village,following the placement guidelines above.

As the dominion ruler, your PC mayhelp in the construction of the new villageby lending or donating gold for a mill or achapel dedicated to the PC’s immortalpatron. Perhaps a small guard housewould keep the desert raiders away. Thevillagers will thank your PC for such gen-erosity and name the village in the domin-ion lord’s honor.

DeforestationCause & effect: Woods are both an

obstacle and a boon to the development ofrural areas. Trees take up valuable landon which farmers could grow crops, butthey provide essential construction mater-ial and a fuel source to heat the villagers’homes and feed the blacksmith’s furnace.The result: Woods get cut down as localpopulation grows.

In general, forest population simplydoes not grow beyond borderland level.The excess population moves to otherparts of the dominion (as explained under“Migrations” earlier in this article). Mean-while, the forest is gradually cut down tomake way for civilization. The edges of thewoods are deforested first, and thedestruction continues inward.

Method: Your PC, as the dominion’sruler, has two choices:l Divide the total population of all the

dominion’s forested areas by 150.The result, rounded down, gives thenumber of heavy forest hexes that arereduced to light forest, or

l Divide the total by 400. The result,rounded down, gives the number of lightforest hexes that are completely defor-ested.Changing the status of a forest, or

removing it entirely, alters the limits onthe number of people who can dwell inthat area.

Logging sites: The hexes that should bedeforested first are (in order of preference)those wooded hexes: 1) closest to urbanareas, 2) closest to rivers, 3) to road andtrails, and 4) to farmland (unforested plains)or to easily accessible regions. If there is analternative, wooded hills should be the lastto be deforested.

Risks & limits: As the ruler of a domin-ion, your PC has a duty to protect thedominion’s subjects. Deforestation is adangerous task. Monsters and forest ban-dits could decimate the population. Druidsmay not see this population encroachmentwith a kind eye, nor do then condone log-ging. If the forest population is mostlyelves, no logging should take place at all.

There is also the question of Royal HuntingGrounds that by decree remain free ofinhabitants and logging. These forests canbecome very tempting to poor peasantsand poachers. Once all the forests of adominion are gone, it is necessary toimport wood for construction and heating.

MiningMineral resources could already exist in

a hex at the time all the details of thedominion are first created. For the sake ofatmosphere, we can assume that miningis more likely in mountain areas thanelsewhere:

Terrain type Chance for mineMountain 1%Hills &broken lands 0.5%Flat terrain� 0.1%Bogs, swamps unminable

1 Includes badlands, deserts, clearterrain, etc.

Procedure: Add up the number ofhexes for each type of terrain in thedominion. Multiply these results by thelisted percentages. The result is the chancethat a mine is already being operated ineach of the given terrain types.

Example: A dominion has 120 moun-tain hexes, 40 hill hexes, and 20 hexes ofclear terrain. With a total of 120%, there isautomatically one mine in the mountains,plus a 20% chance for another. There is a20% chance for a mine in the hills, and a2% chance for a mine in the plains.

Placement: There is no easy way ofactually placing a mine on a map. If ran-domness is desired, find the approximatecenter of the largest stretch of the desiredterrain type in the dominion. First, roll1d6. The result indicates a direction(1-North, 2-Northeast, etc., moving clock-wise). Then pick a die that comes close tothe average number of hexes separatingthe center hex from the edge of the ter-rain type. The second die�s result -1 indi-cates the mine�s distance in hexes awayfrom the center hex. If the second dieindicate a spot outside the given terraintype, place the mine in the closest hex ofthe appropriate terrain type. A mine hexcannot contain a city or a large town.

Size & income: Once a mine is identi-fied and placed, roll percentile dice twiceand check below for the mine�s natureand size:

Result(%) Nature Income1

01-21 Depleted none(abandoned)

22-38 Salt Mine 50 gp/month39-53 Alabaster, 75 gp/month

marble54-66 Iron mine 100 gp/month67-76 Ornamental 150 gp/month

stones

77-8586-9293-9798-99

Copper mine 200 gp/monthSilver mine 300 gp/monthGold mine 400 gp/monthPrecious 500 gp/month

stones00 Two mines!2 n/a

R e s u l t income(%) Size modifier

01-50 Small None51-80 Average x281-95 Large x396-00 Major x4

1 In a feudal system, the local ruleroften owns the mine. The figures listed inthis column refer to net profits, after sup-ply and operational cost. The figures donot include the upkeep of armed forces.

2 Roll again twice on this column, ignor-ing results of 00.

Effects: For a mine to be fully opera-tional, some miners must work in thequarries, and others must transport theore and run the mine. These people willneed to draw food supplies from neigh-boring areas, because they do not gener-ate any of their own food, and miningwipes out farming in its hex. For moresimplicity, assume the income from themine also includes all tax income fromthat hex.

Depleting an active mine: Roll per-centile dice each year. On a roll of 1-10,the mine is empty and abandoned (it maybecome a lair for monsters, humanoids,or bandits). On a roll of 11-20, the minedrops one category in size (a small mine isdepleted). On a roll of 00, a new oredeposit is found; the mine should beupgraded to the next larger size. However,if this result is rolled for a major mine, acatastrophic collapse takes place; noincome is generated for the next 1d12months.

When a mine is depleted, roll percentiledice again, The result indicates the per-centage of the population in that hex thatleaves the dominion altogether. Thosewho remain become part of the nearbyfarming population. If a village exists in amining hex and its population falls below50, it becomes a ghost town (it is aban-doned and possibly becomes haunted or amonster lair). The remaining villagersbecome part of the local agricultural pop-ulation

New mines: Professionals can be hiredto search for mineral deposits. Use thesalary rates given in �The Voyage of thePrincess Ark,� episode #34, plus a rewardof 500 gp per reported deposit. Any NPCwith a skill in geology can prospect formineral deposits.

A prospector can search one eight-milehex per week. As time passes, write downwhich terrain types were searched, andtheir locations. The controlling PC cancheck for the presence of mineraldeposits at any time. The DM then makes

a secret skill check for each terrain typethat has been searched. Add up the num-ber of searched hexes for those terraintypes for which the skill check was suc-cessful. The DM then rolls separately foreach terrain type as shown in the�Method� entry earlier. The prospectormust make it back to the PC�s headquar-ters before the DM can reveal the natureand location of the mine to the player. If askill check fails, the prospector does notfind any deposit in that terrain type.

If the prospector is a dwarf, add a .5%chance per searched hex to the chance amine will be found (hills or mountainsonly). For example, if a dwarf searches 20mountain hexes and succeeds in his skillcheck for that terrain type, he has a 30%chance (1.5%×20 mountain hexes) of locat-ing a mineral deposit (instead of a 20%chance).

The DM should check secretly once permonth (1d10% chancel to see if theprospector (and his armed escort, if any)run into trouble from monsters, bandits,disease, or accidents. When a deposit isdiscovered, a prospector may be temptedto exploit the discovery himself withouttelling his PC boss, especially if notescorted by guards loyal to the PC. Thechance of a prospector turning rogue are6% for silver deposits, 12% for gold, and24% for precious stones. (Add to the totalanother 12% chance for dwarven prospec-tors.) If an escort is present, halve thesechances (the escort may be bribed tobetray the PC!)

Once a deposit is discovered, the PCshould invest 4d6×100 gp to begin exploit-ing it. The DM should wait until the end ofthe first month�s exploitation beforerevealing the actual size of the deposit andgenerating regular income. If the depositis depleted at the end of the month, betterluck next time!

DRAGON 45

How many licksdoes it take to getto the center of a

Sentinel?

Well, things have been quite hectic forthe past few months with MARVEL SUPERHEROES� (MSH) game line and I�ve beenin quite a stew over what to do for the�MARVEL®-Phile.� As usual, day-to-daywork keeps after us here at TSR and,despite our best intentions, sometimes thethings that get set aside for later attentionare letters from gamers. This matter ispunctuated by Dale dropping off two orthree letters a week, Dale might make agood Willie Lumpkin (though he can�twiggle his ears) and he�and your let-ters�set me on this month�s column.

Yes, after months of waiting, many letterwriters will get answers to questionsabout the game I�ll address a number ofquestions that we continually get here,and offer some helpful hints for Judgesand players alike before future, questionsarise. Ready? Let�s go!

QuestionsI have just read about {insert favorite

character�s name here}, and I want youto send me her game statistics.

For the past year or two, Dale and I havetried to keep up with the vast numbers ofnew characters coming out from MarvelComics and to present them in thesepages. We also do appreciate letters askingus to present certain characters in thismagazine. These help us decide whichcharacters are best suited for publication.Had it not been for letters to the magazine,I�d never have done Darkhawk, Cerise,and Kylun.

Many people write in asking for a hugenumber of characters from related orunrelated titles (�every character who wasever an X-Man�) and specifically requestthat these characters� stats be sent to themat their addresses. As much as we�d like tooblige, we cannot provide such services

DRAGON 47

due to the sheer volume of requests, andthe simple fact we have full-time jobs toperform here. Also, many of the charactersrequested are also published in othersources; many heroes and villains appearannually in the MARVEL UNIVERSE®Updates, and repeating them in DRAGON®Magazine would be redundant. Also, thereare many characters, especially those withan �X-� affiliation that are purposefully leftmysterious; exciting they may be, but with-out enough information, we can�t present acharacter for the game.

Please continue to send letters suggest-ing characters for the column, but don�task us to send you character stats. Theymay be more �official� to players if weconstruct them, but the MSH game isdesigned to allow any Judge to do thesame for any character (see �Charactermodelling� at the end of this article formore information).

I�ve heard about an old productcalled The Ultimate Powers Book. Howcan I get it, and when are you going todo another one?

The Ultimate Powers Book has been outof print for over three years, and there areno plans to revise or reprint it. The book�spurpose was to catalog every power everseen in comic books; its character-cre-ation tables also created much more pow-erful characters than those generated bythe Basic or Advanced rules. It is not avail-able from TSR, Inc., and must be soughtout through collectors� markets.

Can you send me a catalog of olderMSH game products?

Some of the older MSH products areavailable through the TSR�s Mail OrderHobby Shop. Send your requests to:

The TSR Mail Order Hobby ShopP.O. Box 756Lake Geneva WI 53147(414)248-3625 or (800)558-5977

Are absorbed powers permanent, ordo they have a time limit that they staywith the absorber? Also, can a charac-ter absorb an unlimited number ofpowers/talents?

Absorbed powers are not permanentunless the player specifically chooses thatLimitation for the character (Rogue hasthis Limitation based on the amount ofcontact with whomever she absorbspower from.). In general, absorbed pow-ers last for one-tenth of the Power Absorp-tion rank+ 1d10 rounds per round ofcontact. For example, a character has thepower at Excellent (20) rank; he can main-tain absorbed powers for 2 + 1d10 roundsafter touching a character for one round.

48 FEBRUARY 1993

Characters can absorb only one powerat a time, or two if a Limitation is added tothe power. The characters can add to theirability to absorb powers by Power Stuntsand hypothetically can absorb as manypowers as they have Power Stunts andLimitations. Most heroes (or villains) withthis power temporarily absorb five powersat most before the Limitations become toodebilitating. Rogue�s power is extremelypowerful but limited too: She absorbs all avictim�s powers, but she also must absorbtheir memories and risk gaining them per-manently. If your character wants unlim-ited Power Absorption, be prepared for thecharacter to face stiff limits.

If Wolverine�s claws are Class 1000material strength, why does he need aStrength FEAT to slice up a Sentinel?

A character with Claws uses his ownStrength to wield this power; though theClaws� power rank refers to the materialstrength of the claws, the damage done toany material is dependant on the charac-ter�s Strength. Wolverine�s adamantiumclaws of Class 1000 material can pierceClass 1000 and lesser materials if Wolviemakes a Strength FEAT roll (the roll is tosee if Wolverine slices through it, using hisStrength to widen the hole his claws make);however, Wolverine can only inflict 20points of damage due to his Strength inusing his claws to attack directly (ratherthan merely making a hole). The powerrank determines which materials he canaffect.

However, Power Stunts can be devel-oped for claws. If a character makes a RedStrength FEAT, he successfully uses hisclaws to slash away whatever material heattacks, whether a wall or piece of armor.Many protected targets have very thickarmor that can be cut by claws but cannotbe penetrated to do damage; this PowerStunt allows the clawed character tobreak down defenses (but only to nonliv-ing materials).

Where does comparative Endurancefit in with Martial Arts A?

Martial Arts A is a generic grouping offighting styles similar to aikido, in whichone character uses another�s Strengthagainst him. In a superheroic setting, it isoften possible to face an opponent whocan lift up to 200 times what your charac-ter can. Martial Arts A simply gives yourcharacter a chance to fight and Stun anopponent regardless of physical superior-ity. Remember that an enhancedEndurance usually prevents a strongcharacter from being slammed orstunned; that character can be beaten bya trained Martial Artist, regardless of

Strength or Endurance. The Black Widowcould, under certain conditions, use Mar-tial Arts A and her foe�s own strength toflip and Stun She-Hulk, despite the differ-ence in their ability levels.

How can people like assassins gainKarma? If Karma is a reflection of ahero�s status compared to the idealhero, what if a hero doesn�t care abouthis status? The Punisher and Wolver-ine certainly have no compunctionsagainst killing. I realize that this isagainst the heroic nature of the game,but these people do kill. How is thishandled within the game?

This has always been a sticky question to address, given the rise in vengeful, vio-lent heroes in both the comics and othermedia. The answers are direct interpreta-tions of the game rules on these matters.Keep in mind that any Judge can changethese stipulations to suit the type of gamethey play; TSR and the MSH game willalways rule against killer heroes.

Assassins in the MSH game are, by defini-tion, villains; their crimes bring them asmuch Karma as heroes get for stopping thesame crimes. However, villains lose only 30Karma for killing people. The Karmagained for committing a violent crime (suchas murder) is negated by the 30-point loss,and they gain zero Karma for their actions,Assassins, therefore, must gain their Karmaat tasks other than killing. Characters likethe Red Skull lose Karma by the ton forkilling underlings, but they gain Karma inmany other evil ways and these killings pro-mote fear (and negative Popularity).

If a hero doesn�t care about his status asan ideal hero, he just doesn�t have theKarma to spend like other heroes. Heroeswho kill (Wolverine, Punisher, DevilSlayer) gain Karma normally with manyactions, but lose it all immediately uponkilling. Since they don�t uphold the strictideals of the heroic tradition to protectlife, they don�t get the bonuses to excel attheir heroic duties (Karma points). Thelack of Karma also prevents new PowerStunts from being developed or newequipment from being procured; whenwas the last time you saw Wolverine or thePunisher perform something totally newand unexpected?

This guy you�re fighting is aboutto shoot you with a gun. Do you geta chance to dodge even though it�shis turn?

A character can only do this if she hasnot yet acted and sacrifices her intendedaction to Dodge or Evade the attack. If thecharacter has already acted, the attackhappens as planned. This is not too unre-

alistic given that each round is a total ofabout six seconds; there�s a lot happeningand characters can be caught dead torights if they focus on the wrong thing.

When I am the Judge of an MSH game,I tend to give both the heroes and the vil-lains more of a break. Regardless of theirother actions, I always allow a characterunder fire to make an Agility FEAT; theFEAT is checked as a Dodge maneuverbut only gains half the benefits if success-ful (i.e., a Green FEAT gives a -1CS penaltyto the foe�s attack; a Yellow FEAT, -2CS; aRed FEAT, -3CS). Characters who areunder attack by hidden foes (invisible,behind them, snipers, etc.) use an Intu-ition FEAT in these same situations. Keepin mind that this is my own house rule,not an official MSH game rule. If theJudge and the players wish to use it,enjoy!

Can Wolverine cut through Thor�shammer with a red FEAT? Can Thorbreak Wolverine�s adamantium boneswith his hammer?

Wolverine might be able to scratch orscore Mjolnir (Thor�s hammer), but hecouldn�t cut through it; simply put, Thor�shammer is much more than just metal,The uru metal is Class 1000 but Odin�senchantments and the special forges ofthe Asgardian dwarves strengthened Mjol-nir so it is a Class 3000 item. Wolverinecan scratch Mjolnir, but the resultingbacklash of energy would do serious dam-age both to him and Thor. Logan�sadamantium skeleton is as strong as regu-lar adamantium, but Thor�s hammer,when coupled with his Strength, canbreak one of Wolverine�s bones with a RedFEAT.

Multiple Targets under the SingleRoll option reduces attacks by -4CS.How can Spidey, Daredevil, Punisher,etc., fight all those thugs in the samearea without invoking the catchallexcuse of spending a lot of Karma?

Simply put, these characters are �thebest they are at what they do� and theirstatistics are high enough to allow someof these maneuvers almost automatically.With Spider-Man�s Fighting score of RM(30) reduced by -4CS to PR (4, he can stillhit a whole group of thugs with a roll of 56or greater without spending any Karma atall. Daredevil�s IN (40) Agility, with thepenalty, allows him a Multiple Target hitwith his billy club with a roll of 51 or bet-ter. With minimal Karma expenditures,any hero with above-average statistics hasa good chance of successfully attackingwhole groups of closely packed foes.

Continued on page 52

Power roster

FightingRank

FBPRTYGDEXRMIN

AMM NUN

AgilityRank

FBPRTYGD

EXRMIN

AM

M NUN

StrengthRank

FBPRTYGDEXRMIN

AMMNUN

EnduranceRank

FBPRTYGDEXRMIN

AMM NUN

ReasonRank

FBPRTYGDEXRM

DescriptionNo training or ability

Normal human abilityNatural ability; minimal training

Some formal trainingRegular, formal training

Superior talentSuperior talent with trainingMaximum human potential

Superhuman potentialSuperhuman with intensive training

DescriptionPhysically limited

Clumsy, inaccurateNormal human reactions

Some training

Intensive trainingOlympic athlete

Olympic gymnastSuperhuman ability

Superior superhuman abilityInstant reactions, rarely misses

DescriptionPress up to 50 lbs.

Press up to 100 lbs.Press up to 200 lbs.Press up to 400 lbs.

Press up to 800 lbs., maximum human cap.Press up to 2000 lbs.Press up to 10 tonsPress up to 50 tonsPress up to 80 tons

Press up to 100 tons

DescriptionReduced or impaired abilityMinimal ability or exercise

Occasional exerciseModerate exerciseRegular exercise

Intensive exerciseEnhanced abilities

Enhanced abilities and trainingSuperhuman fortitude

Never tires

DescriptionCouch potato; uneducatedPrimary school education

Secondary school educationBachelor�s degree equivalentMaster�s degree equivalent

Doctorate equivalent

ExamplesChildren, elderly

Professor XDoctor OctopusPolice, HawkeyeArmy, Cyclops

Spider-ManNick Fury

Captain AmericaAsgard�s warriors

Thor, Hercules

ExamplesDisabled

Children, elderlyMr. Fantastic

Invisible WomanColossus

Cyclops, MockingbirdHawkeye

Captain AmericaSpider-Man,Nightcrawler

Silver Surfer, MephistoCelestials, Odin

ExamplesChildren, elderlyNormal humansInvisible Woman

DaredevilCaptain America

Dr. Doom, DarkhawkSpider-Man

Rogue, VisionThing, She-Hulk

Hulk, Thor

ExamplesElderly, disabled

ChildrenNormal humans

Black KnightDaredevil

Captain AmericaSpider-Man

She-HulkThing

Hulk, Thor

ExamplesAjax, Drax

JubileeCannonball, Firestar

Captain AmericaSpider-ManShadowcat

DRAGON 49

NEW PRODUCTS FOR FEBRUARY

ALQ2 Assassin MountainAD&D® game AL-QADIM� sourceboxby Wolfgang BaurThis sourcebox introduces the Everlasting,

the deadliest holy-slayer organization inZakhara. The Everlasting destroy the mighty ofthe Burning World from deep shadows. Charac-ters must assault the slayers� mountain fortressin order to save the Caliph of Liham from theEverlasting�s lethal blades. Included are a 32-page sourcebook, a 64-page booklet containingthree adventures, a full-color map, fourMonstrous Compendium� pages, and six cardslavishly illustrated by Karl Waller.$18.00 U.S./$21.50 CAN./£10.99 U.K.TSR Product No.: 9431

NEW PRODUCTS FOR MARCH

RR6 Van Richten�s Guide to the LichAD&D® game RAVBNLOFT® accessoryby Erik HaddockDr. Van Richten leads the way into the lairs,

and the minds, of the most perilous of undead:the lich. Van Richten�s inexhaustible knowledgeof the dangers of the Domains of Dread pro-vides 96 information-packed pages on theworld of these undead wizards. Liches arecomplex, cunningly intelligent, and utterly dan-gerous adversaries. This book gives PCs aneeded edge in combatting these vile fiends.$10.95 U.S./$13.50 CAN./£6.99 U.K.TSR Product No.: 9412

Ruins of Myth DrannorAD&D® game FORGOTTEN REALMS®

accessoryby Ed GreenwoodMyth Drannor, in all its treacherous glory,

lies exposed and awaits exploration by bravePCs. The ruins of this elven city have long beenhinted at in FORGOTTEN REALMS® products,Now all those hidden secrets are revealed. Thisboxed set, in the tradition of The Ruins ofUndermountain set, detail an incredible �super-dungeon� that includes 128-page and 32-pagebooklets, and four full-color poster maps.$20.00 U.S./$24.00 CAN./£11.99 U.K.TSR Product No.: 1084

PHBR9 The Complete Book of Gnomes &Halflings

AD&D® game accessoryby Doug NilesThe �little people� of the AD&D® game have

always had a tremendous following, and this128-page book is for everyone who enjoys play-ing them. The ways of gnome and halfling soci-ety and culture are detailed, as is more game-related information. All this leads to morerounded, fully developed PC halflings andgnomes.$15.00 U.S./$l8.00 CAN./£9.99 U.K.TSR Product No.: 2134

50 FEBRUARY 1993

DSE1 Dragon�s CrownAD&D® game DARK SUN� moduleby TSR staffThe first epic adventure for the DARK SUN�

campaign setting, this package features fivebooklets two maps, and six card sheets in aslipcase folder. Someone, or something, hasseized control of psionics of Athas. The powersof the sorcerer-kings are waning rapidly. A tideof evil is rushing across the sands and must bestopped-something only your PCs can do!$24.95 U.S/$29.95 CAN./£15.99 U.K.TSR Product No.: 2416

GWA1 Treasures of the AncientsGAMMA WORLD® accessoryby Dale �Slade� HensonRediscover what the world lost 300 years

after civilization destroyed itself. To those livingon Gamma Terra, the people who lived beforethe apocalypse are known only as the Ancients.This 96-page book is full of their artifacts, theirsecrets, their powers, and their knowledge. Getyour hands on this tome of the most highlysought-after artifacts in the GAMMA WORLD®game.$10.95 U.S./$13.50 CAN./£6.99 U.K.TSR Product No.: 7517

DLC2 DRAGONLAVCE® Classics, Vol. 2AD&D® game DRAGONLANCE® accessoryby TSR staffThis 128-page book recaptures four of the

best-selling DRAGONLANCE® modules�DL6through DL9. This module series is true tostory of the DRAGONLANCE® Chronicles,detailing the adventures of the Companions ofthe Lance. Pick up these rare gaming treasuresin a new format.$15.00 U.S./$18.00 CAN./£9.99 U.K.TSR Product No.: 9394

GA1 The Murky DeepAD&D® game moduleby Norm RitchieIn this 32-page underwater adventure, an

ancient mystery resurfaces when the prelate ofa powerful monastery disappears without atrace. Brave adventurers must reopen a cursedcabinet and follow the clues they find to theancient, lost city of Mylduscor.$6.95 U.S./$8.50 CAN./£4.50 U.K.TSR Product No.: 9422

Fantasy Collector Cards, 1993 Series:Part One

AD&D® game accessoryby TSR staffFor 1993, the collector�s cards have been

given a new numbering system, making it eas-ier to identify rare cards. Some of the cardshave a special red border, denoting them asparticularly rare and valuable. This year�s cardseries also includes foil, sticker, and even aprism card. None of these special rare cardswill be reprinted in the factory set, so them get

while you can!$1.00 U.S./$1.25 CAN./£0.80 U.K. incl. VATTSR Product No.: 1093

The Knight of NewtsD&D® game moduleby Dale �Slade� HensonThis 16-page module allows four to six PCs

to go on a thrilling, yet chilling exploration ofthe Black Swamps�with or without the help ofthe Dungeon Master. Also in this package,newts are introduced as foes in the D&D®game, and guidelines for adventuring under-water are provided.$6.95 U.S./$8.50 CAN./£4.50 U.K.TSR Product No.: 9434

Tapestry of Dark SoulsRAVBNLOFT� novelby Elaine BergstromThis book tells the story of the Gathering

Cloth, a shimmering web in which some of thedarkest evils of the RAVENLOFT� domains aretrapped. Jonathan the son of the most powerfulbeing imprisoned in the Cloth, must find a wayto destroy it before he is forever bound to thedarkness.$4.95 U.S./$5.95 CAN./£3.99 U.K.TSR Product No.: 8060

The Druid QueenThe Druidhome trilogy, Book Threeby Douglas NilesAt long last, the four kingdoms of the Moon-

shaes enjoy an era of peace. But, King Tristan isthreatened by an evil he cannot see. Little doeshe realize a sinister presence is at work withinhis own family. At stake are the fate of theMoonshae Isles and the unity of the Ffolk.$4.95 U.S./$5.95 CAN./£3.99 U.K.TSR Product No.: 8496

Warlords of JupiterInvaders of Charon trilogy, Book Threeby William H. Keith, Jr.The Charon forces launch a massive inva-

sion, scattering RAM�s Jupiter fleet and carry-ing off hundreds of human captives to theeternal night of Pluto�s moon. RAM and NE0must form an alliance to ensure human sur-vival while Vince Pirelli enlists the aid of thestrangest gene-tailored intelligences of theSolar System.$3.95 U.S./$4.95 CAN./£2.99 U.K.TSR Product No.: 3585

Unless otherwise noted:® designates registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.� designates trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.©1993 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Power roster (cont.)

IN

A M

M NUN

Genius�Level 1 (one focus);can understand alien tech.

Genius�Level 2 (Multifocus);can create leading-edge tech.

Alien genius; improve & modify alien tech.Knows all human & alien tech.

IntuitionRankFBPRTY3DEXRMIN

DescriptionImpaired or limited ability

�Slow on the uptake�Normal human levels

Above-average intuitionFine attention to details

Detective background/skillsStrong empathic sense; �gut feeling�

AMM NU N

In tune with surroundings; strong hunchesSuperhuman senses

In touch with the universe

PsycheRankFBPRTYGDEX

RM

IN Great strength of will; well-trained/focused

AMMNU N

DescriptionEasily dominate&programmedYoung, untrained, will-impaired

Normal human willpowerResist ordinary mesmerism

Some experience with mind control/mystic forces

Trained to resist will-control

Tony Stark, Professor X

Doctor Doom, Mr.FantasticMephistoWatcher

Indomitable willpowerIntensive training & experience with mental powers

A mind closed to external forces

ExamplesDrax

Ajax, SunspotQuasar

ShadowcatNick Fury

CyclopsCaptain America,

Dr. DoomAgamemnon, Prof. X

DaredevilWatcher

ResourcesRankFBPRTYGDEXRMINAMMN

UN

PopularityRankFBPRTYGDEXRMIN

MNUN

DescriptionUnemployed, fixed income

Freelancers, studentsSalaried employment

Professional, middle classSmall business, Avengers� payLarge business, upper class

Small corporation, millionaireLarge corporation, small countryBillionaire, multinational corps.

Major country, megacorporation

DescriptionReclusive, little known

Known to law enforcementKnown to local populace

Liked by law enforcementKnown to mass media

Liked by general publicLiked by mass media

Household nameWorldwide fame and acclaim

Living Legend

ExamplesDreadnoughts

MegganHawkeyeDaredevil

Black Widow,Nightcrawler

Cyclops, Hulk,Mr. FantasticSpider-Man,WolverineDr. Doom

Loki, Prof, X,Doctor Strange

ExamplesAunt May

Spider-ManBetty BannerDr. Strange

Captain AmericaProf. X, TSR Inc.Fantastic FourDoctor DoomGreat Britain,

Roxxon, SHIELDUSA

ExamplesArchangelBansheeCyclops

DaredevilBeast

Spider-ManCaptain Britain

HerculesThor

Captain America

52 FEBRUARY 1993

Continued from page 49

I like to play the MSH game verymuch; the only problem is that I don�twant to be a superhero or a mutant ora robot or anything like that. I justwant to be a cop in Los Angeles. Mybest friend is the GM, and he said it�sawfully hard to find villains for me tofight and beat. What would be yoursuggestion as to what villains mycharacter could fight?

What a refreshing letter! I enjoy playingsuperheroes and running high- and low-powered games, but this campaign wouldbe a challenge as well as an education. Agame with normal human heroes couldbe a chance to show players what dangersa police officer might face every day in thereal world (let alone the dangers of beinga cop in the MARVEL UNIVERSE).

Since the MSH game�s inception, a trendhas developed with more and more nor-mal humans and vigilantes popping up tofight crime (like Nomad, Punisher, Mock-ingbird, Silver Sable, etc.). Use a numberof their foes if you�re running a normalhumans� level campaign; suggestionsinclude a number of old classic low-levelvillains: Eel, Hammerhead, Fu Manchu,Yellow Claw, Trapster, the Enforcers, theVulturions or the Vulture, or Stilt-Man, Ifyou�re looking for a bit more of a chal-lenge, use low- to medium-range villainslike Constrictor, Killer Shrike, Tombstone,Sidewinder, or the Shocker.

Other options to boost the playability ofnormal human characters is to keep themas police, but assign them as specialS.W.A.T. teams equipped with technologyto deal with superhumans. New York�sCODE BLUE team (from the Thor comicbook) is a great example of normalhumans in tough situations. (CODE BLUEis detailed in MU8) One other option is toenlist normal humans as SHIELD agents;the technology and the skills involved inbeing a member of this elite espionagegroup should train you in fighting super-human menaces.

Judges interested in this type of cam-paign may wish to adapt the rules slightly,allowing for normal human-level charac-ters into the game with additional talentsand contacts. Remember that characterssuch as the Falcon, the Black Cat, BlackWidow, Captain America, or the BlackKnight are all normal humans with only afew added bits of technology. Street-levelnormal humans make for great role-play-ing experiences in a superheroic setting;all they need is to sacrifice technology andpowers for more skills. Give it a try!

Character modellingTo save you time writing letters request-

ing this or that character, here�s a revisionfrom the MSH Advanced Set rules onadapting Marvel characters from thecomics to the game.

The MARVEL UNIVERSE is constantlychanging its old characters and addingnew characters, so how can Judges andplayers keep up with the changes for theirgames? The �MARVEL-Phile� providesnew character statistics for the game, butnot every character is covered. There�s asimple solution�create the desired char-acter�s statistics yourself!

To create new character�s statistics, aplayer must work with the Judge todecide the character�s abilities. Collect asmany appearances as possible of thatcharacter and compile a list of his abilitiesand skills. Next, compare the new charac-ter to previously established characters.The Power Roster with this article is aguideline to gauge a new character�s abili-ties against those of other characters aswell as provide basic rules of measure-ment for each primary ability rank.

The creation of a modeled character issimilar to generating a new character,

except that the precise abilities are cho-sen by the player instead of rolling ran-domly. Restrictions on powers, types ofpowers, and contacts are ignored whenmodeling. The advantage of the MSH sys-

To model primary abilities, check the

tem is that the abilities are not strict num-

Power Roster for each ability and pick thehero�s abilities in comparison with his

bers but number ranges to cover a wider

abilities in the comics. If the characterisn�t as smart as Reed Richards, then that

field and to prevent hours of arguing over

character�s Reason should be less thanAmazing rank, Ignore powers when gaug-

minutiae like Thor�s exact strength.

ing these abilities�a character whoseskin is impervious to bullets might stillhave a low Endurance.

the primary abilities, Resources start atTypical if no information is available, oth-erwise the Power Roster has equivalentranks listed, Popularity has an initial rankof 5 and is altered by character origins(Mutants and characters of �Other Ori-gins� have Popularity penalties) andactions. Finally, find the base powers and

Secondary abilities are easily generatedas well, Health and Karma are the sums of

talents of the new character and modifythem accordingly to fit your campaign.Again, compare the character againstother characters and the various applica-ble tables (Movement table, Range table,

One final note: If a new character hasmore than two Unearthly or greater abili-

etc.) to find appropriate power and talent

ties or powers, this is a character that is

ranks. Contacts are found in terms of who

far too powerful for most Earth-based

the character knows in his comic book

MSH game campaigns. If the Judgeprefers not to use the character, choose a

appearances.

less cosmic character.

The MARVEL-Phile’s Marvel characters and thedistinctive names and likenesses thereof are trade-marks of Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc, and areused with permission. Copyright ©1993 Marvel Enter-tainment Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

D R A G O N 5 3

H.E.L.P.Derek Bruff of Lexington, SC., writes, �I

was playing Champions of Krynn by SSI,and while in Kernen in the final stages ofthe game, Pellinore (my 102-hp Knight ofthe Rose) got hit by a Confusion spell castby an aurak draconian. The first round hekilled two sivaks with his dragonlance(while wearing a girdle of giant strength).The second round, he attacked my dwarf,knocking off a third of his hit points. Afterthat, he chopped 20 points off my kender

ing him with spells. Dispel Magic failed,then Charm Person worked. With Pelli-nore charmed, I ended combat and saved,thinking I was safe. In the next combat,however, I found my knight on the oppos-ing side. I Charmed him again anddefeated the enemy. It seemed I had a per-manently evil party member. On two sub-sequent combats, Pellinore was an enemyand, as of right now, I am set to take onMyrtani�s Dragon Master. I�ve tried twiceand have been decimated both times.

C o m p u t e r g a m e s � r a t i n g s

Not recommendedPoorFair

GoodExcellent

Superb

Now, I have beaten the game once beforeand Pellinore�s party is a death machine,but I don�t know what to do about myknight. Remove Curse didn�t help. DisplayFunction showed no evil tendencies ormagical effects whatsoever. The problemis I had no backup saved, so I�m stuck. Ieven tried removing him and adding himback�that didn�t help, either. Why doesthis game do this? And why does it say inthe Adventurer�s Journal that rangers getmultiple attacks at 8th level when theycannot attain 8th level in this adventure?Why does it say in the level charts in theback of the book that knights can reach8th level when in the game they can�t?Also in the Adventurer�s Journal, what areall those entries about Sir Era, the vam-pire, gulley dwarves, and a piece of theorb? Are they just to throw off those whoread too much? Are all SSI games this

and the rest of my party began bombard- problematic? I am thinking about getting

D R A G O N 5 5

Explore 15th-century Germany

KnightLineMoving news finds Interplay Produc-

tions, the publisher of such great gamesas Battle Chess, packing its bags for newdigs at 17922 Fitch Avenue, Irvine CA92714. Call the company at: (714) 553-6655;fax: (714) 252-2820.

Darklands(MicroProse)

X** *************

Curse of the Azure Bonds, but now I�m nottoo sure. Help!�

Brad Aufderheide, of White Plains, N.Y.,has the following request: �I have solvedseveral of the Beholder Special Quests inEye of the Beholder, but I need help withthe rest. On level 7, the hint from the cluebook states, �Find the three that hold thekey.� I believe that the hint may refer to thethree skeletal lords found in the north-eastcorner, but I couldn�t discover the answer.Also, what are the clues to the specialquest on level 12, and what is it?�

Timothy Walsh of Milton, Mass., mailedthe following H.E.L.P. request to us. �InNeuromancer, I have Coptalk 2, Cryptol-ogy 1, Comlink 6.0, Sequencer 1.0, Scout1.0, and BattleTech 2.0 on my startingdeck. I have been over to Hosaka once anduploaded 6.0 to them. I feel sure that Icould figure something out, but first Ineed a lot of money with which to buy aOno-Sendai Cyberspace VII, all skills andupgrades. Do you have any tips for mon-eymaking? It surely would be appreci-ated.�

A few issues ago we discussed (with the

Ultima V in the same issue, I suggestshooting the corners of the room.�

Todd Mullholland of Michigan writes inresponse to Jake Haney�s request withLeather Goddesses of Phobos in issue#183. �You give your flashlight to thesalesman, who will, in turn, give you atree remover machine (that you use onthe unTangling ointment-remember thedude with an angle for a daughter?). Tobuy an exit, you must first get the coinfrom the visaphone booth near the scien-tist�s house. Then, if you can get to the.North Pole without having your brainfried (which, I believe, is done by usingthe raft in the secret catacombs), there area group of penguins. If you give the coin tothem for their retirement fund, you willget the exact change you need to buy theexit. As far as Thorbast goes, if you attackhim enough times, you will eventually dis-arm him. Do not attack him again�instead, get his sword, and give it to him.He will realize that you are a good guy andthat evil never wins, and he will impalehimself. For the frog, you don�t need thecotton balls, you need the clothespin from

gain as much fame as possible. All com-mands are entered by using your mouse-or keyboard-controlled cursor to click onyour orders. No matter which menu ispresented, you can always Escape back tothe previous menu, a nice user-consider-ate feature.

It does take some time to learn DL,especially how to create suitable charac-ters. You actually live their lives for them,from birth to death, and as you play you�llsee why certain attributes are absolutelycritical for a character�s survival. You mayalso save your game at any time. However.you cannot recall saved games withoutexiting to DOS and then restarting yourgame, a necessity we did not enjoy, despitethe fact that DL is one of the fastest-boot-ing games when you bypass the openinganimation sequences.

The animation in the game is featuredstrictly for outdoor adventuring (an over-head map with a single character depict-ing your party) and battle (all charactersand opposition are seen, and controlled,individually). The animation is not extraor-dinary, but it does its job of identifying

unsure if the effort is worth the risk,Matthew Appleyard of Ontario, Canada,indicates that �when you are done, goback to the room. You will find a smallroom with the following items in it: 31,200cp, 9,000 sp, 6000 ep, 3,525 gp, 712 gp, 39gems, 17 pieces of jewelry, two maces +1,three magic-user scrolls, a dagger +1, twomorning stars +l, a long sword +2, along sword +1, and splint mail armor+2.�

help of several readers) the best way todefeat the Mulmaster Corps in Cursethe Azure Bonds through the use of theDust of Disappearance. For those who are

characters and helping gamers fight effec-tively. Other artwork consists of backdropsfor descriptive text that define your cur-rent locale. You may also select to sup-press the graphics, which is a wise idea forthose playing DL on slower machines. Thebackdrop graphics, although marvelouslyrendered with an ethereal quality to them,do little to define what town or city you areEach backdrop for a specific locale(marketplace, crafts street, etc.) is identicalfor every center of habitation.Other problems are present as well.

In response to Sean Larson�s questionon Spellcasting 101, Bob Fagen of Floris-sant, Mo., indicates �he needs to revisit theheadmaster�s room (in Ernie�s frat house)and cast DISPAR on the surfboard. Takethe surfboard to the dock and put it onthe water. Set it to the coordinates of theIsle of Lost Souls (the one that looks like afoot) and push the button. From here, youleave the university and begin your jour-ney across the sea.�

Wesley Lin, of Phoenix, Ariz., writes: �Iam writing in regard to the letter writtenby Inoo Labion and Charles Rose inDRAGON@ issue #183 about Dragon Wars.Namtar is in the Depths of Nisir. CastSoften Stone on a wall, walk away fromthe cavern until you bump into anotherwall, and cast Soften Stone again. You willbe able to find Mystalvision in the sun-filled place, as well as Namtar past alocked door. The rock on the FaerieBridge in the Magan Underworld holds astairway leading up to Nisir, but I thinkthat this is caused by a glitch in my pro-gram. The rock�s importance becomesfairly clear after you kill Namtar. The rustyaxes are good weapons. Also, try movingthe statue of Irkalla under Lansk. Regard-ing Fred Wisdom�s letter concerning

56 FEBRUARY 1993

Outdoors, you�re beset by repeat randomencounters that sometimes make little

the sultan�s house. You use that on yournose, the lip balm on your lips, and closeyour eyes; then you cover your ears withyour hands.�

Reviews

Darklands ****

MicroProse, PC/MS-DOS 12MHz or fastercomputers

Darklands (DL) is a multicharacteradventure that takes place in 15th-centuryGermany. DL is replete with all manner ofquests (minor and major), encounters,and city and hamlet life. It truly affordsthe gamer the feel of adventuring on adaily basis. You will not soon complete DL,and this fantasy role-playing game (FRPG)offers high dollar-to-adventure ratio. Yes,DL may cost a little more than otheradventures, but we believe you�ll be soengrossed in its environment that youmay actually regret leaving to eat dinner.

Fifteenth-century Germany is not a gen-tle place in which to live. There areknights and castles, but there are alsoextremely unsafe roads, areas wheredespots rule, alchemy, dragons, witches,and religious fanaticism. Your object is to

sense. After the fifth attack by wild boarsand three encounters with a rude noblewho demands a toll for using his road, itcan become somewhat maddening. By thetime you�ve run into the same set of pil-grims requesting your aid over and overagain you�d just as soon they�d settle insomewhere and leave you alone!

Options are presented to you on-screen.Depending upon your choice, various sub-options might then be available. For exam-ple, each city has a main street, plus otherareas you can visit, at the main city optionscreen. You might decide to go and visitthe �tall spires� of nearby churches. Thisdelivers you into a new graphic depicting acathedral and new options ranging fromvisiting a major cathedral, a church hous-ing monks, or a university (better have acharacter ready to speak Latin).

You may generate your own charactersor use the adventuring party already cre-ated for you in the game. If you generateyour own, you must enter a name andnickname for your character. Creation ofcharacters requires you to decide whatenvironment the character grows up in:nobility, commoner, and others. As youpass your cursor over the options, you�llnote changes in the assignment of EPs

and skills in the right screen window. Ifyou wish your first character to be astrong fighter, we recommend you watchfor the highest EP assignment to Strength.If Alchemy is to be the character�s role,watch for the highest initial EP assign-ment to Intelligence. When you havedecided on the environment for yourcharacter�s childhood, training is initiatedand your character turns 15 years of age.Now you must select your character�scourse of training, from that of a bandit orhunter to one of high nobility. You decidewhere the EPs for the next live years oftraining are to be spent�from specificweaponry such as edged or flail weaponsto the character�s woodwise or stealthcapabilities. You continue to train yourcharacter, five years at a time. Rememberthat age affects his attributes.

One serious problem we continued torun into was the fact that money is noteasy to earn or win. If any one area of cod-ing should be readdressed, it is this par-ticular environment. Without additionalfunds or the ability to earn larger sums ofmoney, your characters are doomed to alife in the slums trying to eke out a livingdefeating bandits and robbers.

Battle can find you designating individ-ual targets for your adventurers. Makecertain those who carry missile weaponstarget their foes at the start of theencounter. You can even have severelywounded adventurers move away fromthe battle while those who are morehealthy continue the fray. Of course,there�s no guarantee the opposition won�tpursue your wounded characters, but youcan keep pursuers hopping by movingfrom place to place while your strongerfighters finish off the enemy and thencome to the wounded characters� rescue.

The manual is extremely well-writtenand should be of interest to all DL gamers.Copy protection consists of an occasionalcall for a reference to one of the alchemi-cal graphics in the manual itself. In all thetime we�ve been playing DL, we�ve beenasked only three times to input this infor-mation.

DL is a great adventure and is certainlyone of the best multicharacter FRPGswe�ve had the delight to play. With well-drawn graphics, multiple quests, goodcharacter generation, and flexibility inplay, the game�s detail is phenomenal.MicroProse is going to publish a cluebook soon to help all out in getting furtherinto the adventures.

Stick with DL for a winning experience.MicroProse has intimated that additional�modules� might be released for DL char-acters, a rumor we heartily endorse andrequest the company to pursue with vigor.DL is definitely a must buy for PC/MS-DOSgamers. We would also like to see thisFRPG converted to Macintosh computersas well.

Darklands (MicroProse)

Ancient Art of War in the Air, The * * *MicroProse, PC/MS-DOS computers

After the successful Ancient Art of Warand Ancient Art of War at Sea, the creativeminds at Evryware have continued theirsuccessful tradition with their latest simu-lation, Ancient Art of War in the Air (AAWI).In this installment, you play either theBritish or German forces in World War I,making aerial assaults against militarygeniuses like Lord Kitchener, FerdinandFoch, Kaiser Wilhelm II, Helmut von Spike,or even the great Chinese militarist, SunTzu. Simple to learn, this simulationrequires strategic thinking in order to win.Unlike previous games, however, you alsoneed a quick trigger finger as well.

The game is easy to control and view.From an overhead perspective, you cansee the enemy�s and your own airfields,cities, villages, capital, factories, and sup-ply depots. Also visible is the front wherethe ground forces clash. During thecourse of the game, these two armiesmove the actual front. The direction andthe distance the front is moved dependsupon how well the two opposing armiesare supplied, the terrain, and if any planeshave bombed sections of the front.

Armies are supplied through supplydepots, cities, and villages. Factories makeplanes and bombers. The capital is amorale landmark�if it is destroyed, thearmy is demoralized so much that itsurrenders.

By moving your marker over an airfield,a magnifying glass appears. By clicking onthe airfield, you see the current fighter andbomber pilots who are ready to fly, thecondition and damage of their planes, andthe medals the pilots have won. An experi-enced pilot possesses more medals. Youbuild a squad from your corps of pilots,

then select the speed, altitude, formation,and mission. The higher altitude ensuresyour squad of avoiding mountains. Theyalso get a jump on enemy squads in dog-fights. However, your pilots also tire outfaster, their planes consume more fuel,and bombs drift farther off-target when fly-ing above the clouds.

Three different formations are offen-sive, defensive, and cautious. Each has itsown advantages and disadvantages. Forexample, flying offensively makes youaggressive, perhaps allowing you to catchthe enemy by surprise, but it places youwith a higher percentage of being sur-prised yourself. Missions include enemyinterception, target bombing, or flying to adesignated locale. You create your flightpath by moving the on-screen pointer toyour destination(s), then click your mousecursor. A gauge at the top of the screenshows you how much fuel remains inyour tank.

During the course of the game, youreceive notices about dogfights andbombing runs. You can choose to let thecomputer deal with these elements, butyour personal involvement improves suchactions. This is where the arcade elementarises. The dogfight sequence is from aside-view perspective. You can control theheight and direction of your aircraft usingeither a joy stick or the computer keypad.The problem we had with the controlswas that instead of pilot controls, you hadto point in the direction the plane was totravel. The side perspective also tooksome time to get accustomed to, and wasreminiscent of a public domain gamecalled Sopwith or Dogfight for the Apple IIback in the early 1980s.

In addition to maneuvering your planeand firing at the enemy, you must watch

DRAGON 57

your damage gauge and gun temperature.If the damage bar fills with color (indicat-ing your plane is receiving damage), youraircraft is doomed. Raising the tempera-ture of your gun causes it not to fire until itcools off. This gets hectic when six enemyplanes and two bombers fill the screen,making it difficult to keep track of individ-ual aircraft.

The bombing portion of this game isless thrilling. You are shown a reconnais-sance photo of the area to be bombed.Circles denote the targets to be destroyed.Also revealed are anti-aircraft batteries.You have an overhead view from the bom-bardier�s position as you fly over the targetarea. You take over bomber�s controls anddrop bombs. If an anti-aircraft gun comesinto view, it fires at you, possibly causingdamage.

We liked AAWIA. It has a different feelthan other WWI simulations. However,detracting from the fun were the arcadesequences, as noted above. If you likecombination strategy/arcade games, thenthis one could be your cup of tea.

Goblins *****

Amtel Vision (distributed by Sierra),PC/MS-DOS computers

Someone has made a voodoo doll of theking and is causing his regal personage togo insane. Who do you call to help? Wouldyou call the mighty knight, the powerfulsorcerer, or the weak goblins? Unforto-nately, the solution falls to three pint-sizedcreatures who must solve this riddle.

These three goblins need each other�shelp: Hooter only can cast spells; Dwayneonly can pick up objects and use them,and Bobo has a mean right hook. By utiliz-ing these goblins� talents, you can solvemore than 20 screens of logical puzzles.Your mouse controls the goblins� move-ment, picking up and dropping objects,and employing their individual actions.

If the energy bar at the bottom of thescreen becomes depleted, the game ends.You lose energy whenever one of the gob-lins is hurt, gets scared, or uses the wrongobject at the wrong time. Finishing ascreen rewards you with a password thatcan be used later to start at the next levelwithout having to trudge through com-pleted levels.

The graphics and soundtrack areextremely humorous. The puzzles arechallenging, enough so you won�t solvethe game in a single day. This means youget a game with many hours of entertain-ment value. As an added bonus, Goblinsonly requires a couple megabytes of mass-storage space, making it an excellent,space-efficient game. If you enjoy a goodbrain teaser or need a good laugh, Goblinsis for you.

Plan Nine From Outer Space **

Konami Software, PC/MS-DOS computersBela Lugosi, star of the worst film of all

time� Plan Nine From Outer Space �died

Goblins (Amtel Vision / Sierra)

during the filming of this picture. He wasreplaced with another actor who had tocover his face during the rest of the shoot-ing. In this adventure, which takes place33 years after the film was completed, thedouble has taken off with six reels of thismovie. It is your job to find the hiddenreels, splice them together, and make surethat all of the original scenes are intact.

Plan Nine is an adventure game thatattempts to bring in elements of themovie�s bad storyline. The action takesplace on a main-adventure window thatcovers most of the screen. In the lowerright corner are commands that you useto complete this game. Any inventory youretrieve is listed to the right of the mainscreen, while text about the things you dois revealed in the bottom left corner. Mov-ing the mouse over the adventure screenallows you to use the commands in con-junction with any of the active objects orpeople. Talking with people requires youto simply select dialogue choices.

Once the reels are located, it is yourtask to check the film, which includesactual digitized footage from the originalmovie. You must make certain Bela Logosiis in all of the scenes and that nothing elsehas been done to the film.

Plan Nine did not draw us in like otheradventure games. It seemed as though wewere merely on a treasure hunt to pick upitems and solve puzzles. The charactersseemed one-dimensional and the soundwas annoying, even becoming stuckmonotonously at one point during thegame. There was little animation. Theadventure system that was used remindedus of some older ICOM simulation gameslike Deja Vu and Uninvited, but the gameitself lacks suspense or intrigue. Oneother problem with Plan Nine is there isno way to quit the game. The only way toget return to DOS is to turn off the com-

Goblins (Amtel Vision / Sierra)

puter, which we thought was absurd.If Plan Nine has a good point, it is that it

would probably work as an introductionto adventure gaming for beginning play-ers. The commands are not complex andthe puzzles are not too difficult. There aremany other better adventure games avail-able for both new or experienced gamers.

ShinobiSega, Sega Game Gear systemAlisa DragoonSega, Sega Genesis system

****

*****

Every so often, we find a few goodgames that require a quick trigger fingerinstead of a mental challenge. Two greatgames that satisfy the need for fastreflexes are Shinobi and Alisa Dragoon.

Shinobi for the Sega Game Gear pos-sesses some of the best graphics andsound around for that machine. You con-trol Joe Musashi, a ninja, who must res-cue his fellow martial artists. The actionuses a side view perspective and is, attimes, intense. Your ninja can jump andwield his sword. He can also use ninjamagic to destroy the opposition. Whenyou reach the end of one of the four lev-els, you must face a boss that has to bedefeated. Only then is a ninja rescued.Escaped ninja can then be utilized. Dur-ing any level after that, you can select that

58 FEBRUARY 1993

and magic. For example, one ninja canwalk on water while other ninja can climbupside down. It is a fun game for taking abreak from mapping mazes.

In Alisa Dragoon, you play a womanwho must destroy a cocoon before the evilthat lies within it awakens. Thankfully,Alisa has thunder magic that destroys theenemies she faces. The neat part aboutthis magic is you only need to face thedirection of the enemy. By pressing thebutton, the magic automatically attacks allthe enemies, which surprisingly looks likethe auto-fire in Thexder (both games werecreated by Game Arts). A gauge at the topof the screen shows her magic power. Ifyou don�t use the magic for a while, thegauge flashes�attack now and the thun-der magic damages all of the enemies onthe screen.

Alisa can also summon four differentcreatures for aid in the game. Each crea-ture has a different power that helpsdestroy enemies. These animals can besummoned or switched at almost anytime. However, Alisa and her creaturescan be injured, but both can be healed aswell as powered up.

Alisa Dragoon is a good action gamewith smooth animation and sound. Thegame is different enough to hold one�sattention. The summoning of the crea-tures is a definite plus. This is a perfectgame for those times when logic puzzleshave you stuck and you want to releasethat frustration with some solid arcadeaction.

SpellCraft: Aspects of Valor * * * *ASCII Software, PC/MS-DOS computers

Tired of playing computer games whereall you need to cast a spell is to select theright name? ASCII Software has released aproduct where half the fun is making thespells necessary to win.

You play a character who is snatchedfrom of our world into another realm by awizard who needs you to save bothworlds. Wizards from the realms of air,earth, water, fire, ether, and mind havefound a pathway from their world intoour Earth. They want to open this gatewayso they can conquer our world. One wiz-ard, however, noticed that such actionwould cause the destruction of bothworlds. He has now abducted you inorder to save both domains.

In the new realm, you must learn vari-ous magics and use them effectively�forwhen you enter a wizards realm, youmust be ready to deal not only with vari-ous creatures and hazards but spell-totingenemy wizards as well.

You must select an elemental college tobind with yourself. There are variousadvantages and disadvantages to being adisciple of earth, water, air, or fire. Someof these colleges have spells that other col-leges cannot use. Each of these elementshas an antagonism element that, when

visiting that plane, will cause your castspells to have a weaker effect, or won�twork at all.

Creating a spell first requires an aspectingredient. These are objects that arecommonplace in our world and are usedto create spells in your own Elementalcollege. Added to the aspect are controlingredients that consist of candles, jewels,powders, or stones. These ingredientsinfluence the spell.

Once you know the initial number ofingredients in a spell, you can modify it byadding more of these items. For example,adding more candles increases the spell�sattack ability, damage done, and duration.However, by adding more of these ingredi-ents, you reduce other abilities of thespell, and you might end up with a spellbackfire that could prove fatal.

Finally, your spell in-the-makingrequires a magic word that binds the spelltogether into a form that can be used. Youbegin with a magic word for your owncollege as well as one other word fromanother college. As you gain experienceyou learn other magic words that havegreater potency. The higher potencywords make your spell perform betterwithout having to add more control ingre-dients.

To get these aspects, control ingredi-ents, formulas, and magic words, youneed to find them or buy them. Theseingredients can be found in chests on thedomains through which you travel. Otherscan be purchased by traveling to variousplaces on the planet and talking with thecitizens. Your allies can also provide youwith information about creating a newspell and sell you components. They canalso buy items from you so that you willhave enough money to buy other, neededingredients.

When traveling to a domain, you have atop-down perspective of yourself and thesurrounding area. The game is played inreal time, and enemies and spells flyaround you. Casting a spell requires thatyou initially select the type of magic:attack, defense, terrain modifier, personal,transformation, or conjuration. Then, byclicking the icon of the spell, you will bepresented with the different modificationsof the magic you wish to cast.

Casting spells and taking damage low-ers your health. You are able to find spellsto heal yourself. As you become moreexperienced, you also increase your lifecapability.

Should you meet an untimely demise, itdoesn�t mean the game is over. Your men-tor is able to resurrect you a few times,but eventually you might fall into Death�sdomain. Here, none of your spell worksand the only way to escape is to find theexit. While visiting this vile place, you canfind ingredients not offered in otherdomains. You can also pick up items foryour allies, for which you�ll paid.

SpellCraft is an intriguing action and

role-playing game. If the action gets toofast, you can slow down the game speed.Still, we had more than one occasionwhere we battled enemy creatures butwere defeated because we simply couldn�tfind the right spell in time. At other times,it was difficult to successfully face anenemy wizard�s volley of spells.

Overall, we had fun creating our spellsand watching them come to fruition. Adetailed tutorial is included with thegame, which certainly helps the beginnerand experienced gamer alike. The story isquite different and exciting, and the ani-mation and sound are quite good. Wewould like to see the game�s spells andcreatures possess more animation orcolor, but other than those wishes, Spell-Craft is an adventure game that will cer-tainly bring out the magician in you.

Clue corner

Bane of the Cosmic Forge1. Bards have relatively good access to

armor and weapons and can use severalspecial items. Alchemists can�t besilenced, so you might give one considera-tion. Blinding Flash is a wonderful spell!Valkyries are virtually identical to Lords.Faeries get an AC bonus that makes themideal mage-types, but they are severelyrestricted in armor and weapons. Whengenerating your characters, never acceptfewer than 12 bonus points.

2. I had to learn the hard way aboutputting items in the character�s off hand.Don�t put a handy healing potion there,because you�ll eventually throw it use-lessly at a monster. Shields make goodsense for your fighters until about the fifthlevel; then go to two weapons. Two-handed weapons are almost never asgood as two separate weapons.

3. There are two types of books in thegame: magical ones, and those that holdinformation. To read a book, go to theReview screen and Use it. The instructionstell you this, but they don�t tell you that ifyou try to Use a spell book in combat, itwill simply act like a one-shot scroll. Usingthe book from the Review screen lets youLearn that spell. By the way, the book ofRamm�s poem is actually a set of instruc-tions, and the Ring�s Diary can�t be deci-phered until the end of the game.

4. As the rules imply, don�t kill theNPCs: It�s never necessary and it cancause major problems later on.

5. Early on, start using the Assay optionand the Identify spell (from the Reviewscreen) on everything that you find. Youhave to use Identify just to determine therelative merits of the different weapons,and there are a lot of magical items in thisgame. When you cast an Identify spell, youmay get something like �SPECIAL �$�@� or�CURSE *&!a.�This is all that the spellwill tell you; you have to learn the rest byexperimentation.

DRAGON 59

6. Don�t take the number of graphsheets enclosed with the game to be a clueas to how much mapping you will do. Thecastle is just the start of the game, andunlike the earlier Wizardry games, noteverything has to exactly fit into pre-dictable grids. The Detect Secret spell isgreat to use as much as you can, but evenat full power, it isn�t totally reliable. On mysystem, at least, there was a visible differ-ence between normal walls and those hid-ing secrets.

7. Don�t worry about the Pirate�s Denearly in the game. You�ll find it a long timebefore you�ll have the ability to get into it.

8. There is no significant use for theAlchemy Lab. Just blow it up.

9. To get the idol of Mau-Mu-Mu,remember the opening to Raiders of theLost Ark.

10. Say �No� and �Yes� to the AmazuluQueen, then give her a small trinket. Thiswill get you on her good side.

11. When you find ashes, see that theyare all given to the person who is askingfor them. This will be very rewarding.

12. Don�t waste the Red Mushroomswhen they are given to you�youabsolutely must have one later on.

13. The Faerie Queen knows how to talkto Delphi. Ask her.

Michael BookerMinnesota

Bard�s Tale II1. In the Practice Dungeon, go to the

long series of 1×1 rooms next to the stairsup to the first level and run back and forththrough them. This provides enoughexperience points and magical items tocatapult your characters up to 13+ levels.

2. Once you have your Magician andConjurer up to 13th level, switch the Con-jurer to a Sorcerer and the Magician to aSorcerer. Work them both up to 13th levelin those classes, then change them both toWizards. Once they have 13th level in that,change the one who started out as a Con-jurer to a Magician and the one whostarted as a Magician to a Conjurer. Atthose levels, the dungeons will give youenough XP to bring them up to 13th levelin a shot. Then switch them both to Arch-mage. They will be become the most pow-erful characters in you party.

3. In the Temple of Darkness� Tombs,watch out for the room where everythingis dark and there are traps everywhere.There are poison, pit, and other nastytraps in that room. If you explore it, do sowith care and a Sorcerer Sight spell aswell as a Cat Eyes spell.

4. Cast a Phase Door spell on the northsection of the west wall in the 3x3 squareentrance room of the Temple of Dark-ness�s Tombs. Then explore those areas,

Derek RichardsonBellaire TX

Dragon Strike (Commodore 64 version)To use magical objects you collected

60 FEBRUARY 1993

during the quests in the �free-for-all�mode, you must first of all load the lastmission with the objects you wish to use.Once in that mission, use Disk Options toload �Free for All.� You then have all yourobjects from the Quest game. Also, use hitand run tactics if you�re having troublewith a battle. Don�t stay in melee!

Savage Frontier and Azure Bonds(Commodore 64 version)

These characters are interchangeable.To do this, simply save characters fromeither game to disk, then boot the targetgame and add the character to the gamewith all of the objects and memorizedspells in tact. Savage Frontier has up to 5thlevel spell capability, so you will lose noneof your higher level spells from Bonds.

Rick SandmannBellmore NY

Ultima VII: The Black Gate (Origin)1. Your equipment in Lord British�s cas-

tle is on the top floor in the northwest cor-ner. Lord British also will offer his Orb ofthe Moons. Accept the offer.

2. Joining the fellowship is vital to yourquest. You may open the sealed chest, butyou will receive a verbal warning. WhenBatlin sends you to Destard, it isn�t neces-sary to find the chest (it�s empty, exceptfor two fellowship medals). All you have todo is walk in, then go back to Batlin andtell him of the �monsters you saw.�

3. Janna in Cove makes a nice additionto your party. Don�t overuse her healingabilities, though.

4. Poison can usually be cured by usingthe linear spell �weather� to make it rain.

5. The magic carpet that Rudyom ofCove talks about is easy to find. Go north toBritain to the dungeon of Despise. Thereare two entrances. The carpet is by thewestern entrance at 8N, 29W.

6. A sextant is a good investment. Ifsomeone in your party has a sextant and isoutdoors, crosshairs will appear showingthe party�s location when you Use thecloth map. This is helpful, especially if youdecide to use the failing moongates.

7. The generators must be destroyed inthis order: tetrahedron, sphere, cube. Youmust enter the generators alone. To exitthe generators, complete the puzzle orproblem, then double-click on the prism.Don�t forget to pick up the prism that isteleported out of the generator with you.

8. Do not go into the tetrahedron gener-ator without a glass sword in hand, or itwill be very difficult to win the fight. Also,don�t bother with invisibility�the crea-ture sees you anyway. Entering the gener-ator in combat mode is not a bad idea,either.

9. The answers to the sphere generatoris red, blue, blue, red.

10. Caddellite can be found inAmbrosia, which is hidden behind thecompass on the map. To gain access to thehydra�s chamber, cast telekinesis on the

small button on the north wall of thehydra�s chamber. In order to see the but-ton, get very close to your monitor. Thehydra dies quickly in combat.

11. Zorn in Minoc will make the caddel-lite helmets for you, but you must haveenough caddellite to make a helmet forevery member of your party. As caddelliteis heavy, and you are the only one whoenters the cube generator, one chunk ofcaddellite is necessary. Ask everyone toleave your party before you talk to Zorn.Then, ask them to join after Zorn hasmade the equipment.

12. The cube generator is the most dift-cult part of the game. Save the game andheal yourself before you enter. Ignorewhat the Guardian says because he is try-ing to mislead you. Magic spells can�t becast inside the cube, so healing potionswork well.

13. The emps are due east of Iolo�shouse (it�s a long walk, so don�t give up.)

14. Venom can be used to temporarilyincrease attributes!

15. Train with De Snel, who does exten-sive combat training, before you mentionthe dagger you found at the murder site inMinoc. He responds by attacking, butdon�t worry; he dies quickly in combat.

16. The stone harpy in Martingo ofSpektran�s back room is another goodopportunity to get a glass sword. His bodyyields a key that opens the storage roombehind the pedestal. This is where theEthereal ring can be found.

17. The five items required to enterPenumbra�s house are a hammer, a goldring, a lockpick, a spindle of thread, andsome other form of gold (either a nuggetor a bar).

18. Be careful about allowing partymembers to carry and use missileweapons. They tend to shoot fellow partymembers in the back. As for the commentin the manual that enchanted missilesdon�t miss, don�t believe it.

19. When all else fails, follow the trail ofElizabeth and Abraham.

20. Use the mallets on those who foundthem in order to find the pirate treasure.They will provide the coordinates to anisland in the southern part of the realm.Be cautious of the caltrops (the party andthe Guardian don�t respond well to theirbeing moved) and the ghost.

Allen ReavesIngleside TX

Hints and tips as well as answers togamers� queries are needed. Please writeto: The Role of Computers, 521 CzernyStreet, Tracy CA 95376. We look forward toreading your letters, postcards, faxes, andwhatever. Until next month, game on!

�Forum� welcomes your comments and opin-ions on role-playing games. In the United Statesand Canada, write to: Forum, DRAGON® Maga-zine, P.O. Box 111, Lake Geneva WI 53147 U.S.A.In Europe, write to: Forum, DRAGON Magazine,TSR Ltd, 120 Church End, Cherry Hinton,Cambridge CB1 3LB, United Kingdom. We askthat material submitted to �Forum� be eitherneatly written by hand or typed with a freshribbon and clean keys so we can read, under-stand, and input your comments. We will printthe complete address of a contributor if thewriter requests it.

I�ve been reading your magazine for sometime on an irregular basis. What I especially likeare the numerous hints for DMs (although Ipersonally prefer �GM� for �game master,� as Ido not play the AD&D® game). Issue #184featured many of these GM�s hints, so I reallyliked it a lot. �The Referee�s Code of Honor� and�Audible Glamour�Not Clamor� were two ofthe best articles I�ve ever read on the subject.

Those hints are the reason for this letter, as Ido miss something in them. I�ve been running acampaign using FASA�s SHADOWRUN* game forjust over half a year, and it came to an end just amonth ago. Since then, I�ve handed over theGM�s role to other players. I�ve done this twotimes now, and both experiences were quitedisturbing. That�s the question that not only Ibut all the other players had as well: What canyou do as a player if the GM isn�t doing a goodjob? What if you have the feeling that you arebeing used just for the GM�s fun? What if theGM seems unfair to you? What if you do notenjoy his �sense of humor� (which involvescausing as many PC fatalities as possible)?

I�ve been thinking about this for days now,but I just cannot find a usable solution. I know agroup of players that agreed to let one of thembe something like a �supervisor� who couldoverrule the GM, but I don�t believe this is agood resolution, especially if the character ofthe supervisor is involved.

Another problem that occurred during someof our evenings involved new players. How doyou show someone who has never played a RPGbefore just how it works?

I�d really like to know what your suggestionsare, although I think I found an answer to thesecond problem just a few weeks ago. It cameduring one long evening when we startedplaying before the other players arrived. TheGM played out every detail about how mySHADOWRUN character awoke in the morningafter drinking a bit too much. The shower didn�twork, there was nothing left to eat in thekitchen, and so on. It was an unusual experi-ence, but I noticed that the gaming atmospherewas better than ever before! Because I person-ally think the atmosphere of the game is highlyimportant, I am trying this method of introduc-ing a new player. Just grab the newbie and play

62 FEBRUARY 1993

an hour or two with him alone, before the otherplayers arrive. Don�t try to achieve any goals;just present the game world to him in the bestway you can!

Thomas VogtHamburg, GERMANY

The first rule in presenting a case is to be accu-rate. A great-sounding argument that can be easilydemolished does the cause no good at all.

I certainly support the efforts of GAMA ingetting exemptions for lead gaming figuresunder the Toxic Substances Control Act beforeCongress. However, there are many statementsin Robert Bigelow�s �Through the Looking Glass�column in issue #183 of DRAGON Magazinethat, if used, will cause more harm than good.

Our hobby has not been �targeted by environ-mentalists because they feel our activities arefrivolous and that we are a weak-spirited groupthat will go down without active opposition.�Most environmentalists, like most of the popula-tion as a whole, don�t even know we gamersexist. Many environmentalists, including thiswriter, are both environmentalists and gamers.Cut out the ad hominem�it does no good.

Environmentalists are concerned becausepeople are sick and even dying because lead hasnot been used responsibly. It is put into toysthat little children put in their mouths. It is usedwithout control in manufacturing so that wholeneighborhoods are endangered by the greed ofa few. That is where the environmentalistsenter the picture.

Bigelow�s comment running from page 112 to113 that slag is usable fill is the most irresponsi-ble thing of all. This is precisely the problem. Isuggest you go to West Dallas, Tex., whereentire neighborhoods must be dug up becausethe soil is too contaminated by lead that gotthere from the atmosphere. The slag fills arealready off-limits to human occupation. Thedamage to the ground water has not even beenmeasured.

Go to the area around Ennis, Tex., where theyare in a proper uproar because this contaminatedsoil is being shipped in open trucks across a water-supply lake to a toxic dump! Lead is cumulative.The body does not excrete it easily. Small dosagestaken over a long time are as bad as a high dosageat one time. Of course lead is a natural product. Sois arsenic. Both are elements. In fact, unlike lead,arsenic is a required trace mineral in the diet, butthey are still both poisons. Don�t ingest either ofthem in metallic form.

Bigelow is right that lead fumes can be con-tained. All parts of the process of producinguseful things from lead can be controlled sothey are safe for people to be around. This isthe whole point of the amendment and ourgreatest argument in exempting game figuresthat will be covered by paint, kept out of themouths of little children, and easily recycledwhen no longer needed. All these things can be

made safe if certain individuals currently get-ting rich from the suffering of the many willjust control their greed and buy these safe-guards instead of passing the cost on to the restof us who are in poor health. Since these indi-viduals show no sign of doing so, the govern-ment must exercise its just power and protectits citizens.

The main principle in getting this governmen-tal action to do what it should and not inadver-tently hurt innocent parties through badlywritten laws is to lobby for good laws. This canonly be done by using sound arguments and notengaging in name-calling or assertions contraryto the facts.

Paul Cardwell, Jr.Bonham TX

This letter is regarding a trend I have seen inmy own AD&D game sessions. I don�t knowwhether the trend is appearing in any othercampaigns, but I suspect it is. The trend: theinsidious proliferation of the SSI computer-gameversion of AD&D rules in the regular game.

For those of you who are not familiar withStrategic Simulations, Incorporated, it is themaker of a number of popular computer gamesthat incorporate the standard AD&D rules andworlds. First of all, let me say that I highlyrecommend these SSI games as computergames; for the most part, the games adherestrictly to AD&D rules, they have a great deal ofthe feeling of the real McCoy, the graphics andplayability are excellent, and DRAGON Maga-zine recommends them in its computer-gamecolumn.

My players also enjoy these games, but theyunfortunately have begun incorporating the rulesthe computer games use into their own campaigns,as we each take turns DMing our own campaigns.I have no objection to how they use the rules intheir game, but I feel I am under attack, and thisletter is my chance to fire back.

There are many rules variations that all theSSI games use that I myself use in my campaign.Among these: the optional rule of �hovering atdeath�s door,� called the �Dying� state in SSIgames, that the PC enters when he has between-1 and -9 hp; and the absence of spell compo-nents from spell-casting. The first was a gamedesigner�s choice; he probably felt that thegames would be too hard if this state did notexist. The second was one of game logistics�thegame would have been much more unwieldy ifthe characters had to purchase, carry around,and use spell components (these are the samereasons I neglect to use spell components).

The SSI games allow many things that I wouldnot. One of the primary complaints I have isthat, when PCs hover at death's door, theyshould rest in bed for at least a week unlesshealed automatically. In the SSI games, a charac-ter need rest only 24 hours before he�s back onhis feet again. Also, any character can bandageany other character, no matter how muchdistance is between them on the battlefield. Thisis patent nonsense; in my game, I allow only acharacter that can actually reach a dying char-acter to bandage the latter, and only if thebandaging character has the Healing proficiencyand can work undistracted for a full round. Myplayers expect their characters to be treated thesame way as SSI characters, so they question mewhen I tell them that a favorite character isgoing to be out of the game a while after abrush with death, or that a burly, clumsy fight-er can�t do an acceptable job of patching up adying mage.

Another bone of contention is the way poisonsand spells that affect poisons work. In the SSI

games, a character that dies of poisoning actu-ally dies, but apparently this death is of thetemporary variety, because another charactercan subsequently cast neutralize poison on himat any time and the victim�s back on his feet andready to go 15 rounds with a hydra. He doesn�teven lose a Constitution point! I�m not surewhether the game designers intended the spellto work this way, but my players insist that thisis the way it should work. They want me tochange the way I use poison!

These and other minor rules variations may notunbalance the game individually, and they may noteven unbalance the game taken all together. Butthey are not my own rules, and I don�t want toallow players to bully me into rules changes. WhatI want to know is, should I capitulate and allow my

A third dispute between myself and my play-ers is whether a wizard should automatically

players to play the game by SSI rules, or should I

receive a new spell upon reaching (and trainingfor) a new level. I say he should not, for several

stick to my guns? Is anybody else out there experi-

reasons. One, the trainer may not have hisspellbook with him when he is training the

encing what I am?

character. Two, even if he has his spellbook, hemay wish to keep his spells to himself. Three,

Cory Dodt

even if he is willing to allow the PC wizard toscribe a few of the spells, he is certainly not

Orinda CA

going to perform this service for free! Four, thereal reason I don�t give out new spells everylevel is that my campaign is already unbalancedby having too many spellbooks in the hands ofNPCs who meet their ends at the hands of thePCs. My players say the wizard should be al-lowed to gain a new spell every level for onereason: The SSI games do it that way.

Ms. Whaling states in her letter in issue #179that she has difficulties in getting other femalesinterested in playing RPGs. I have some sugges-tions as to how to gain their interest.

When I introduce RPGs to novices, I first loanthem one or two solo adventure books likeTSR�s ENDLESS QUEST® books. This gives thema small taste of what RPGs are like. I also makeuse of Ed Greenwood�s article, �Players don�tneed to know all the rules,� from �Up on aSoapbox� in issue #49 (reprinted in the Best ofDRAGON Magazine anthology, Vol. V, as �Keep�em guessing�). This makes playing less dauntingfor novices, because they don�t have to learn alot of rules or take a lot of time creating acharacter.

This brings me to a second letter I am re-sponding to. In a past issue (#68, page 3), I reada letter complaining about the use of pages inissue #66 for articles on Thieves� Cant and theOld Dwarvish language. The letter�s authorstates that he believes the pages were wastedbecause no one would speak the languagesduring a game. First of all, I have been knownto use Thieves� Cant to discuss the secret plansof PC thieves, but there is no need for thelanguages to be spoken. When combined withthe Thorass script (for Thieves� Cant) or theDethek runes (for Old Dwarvish), these lan-guages make excellent labels for maps found byPCs. Both the Thorass and Dethek alphabets canbe found in the Cyclopedia of the Realms, in theFORGOTTEN REALMS® boxed set. I came upwith this idea as I read Jeff Bourdon�s letter in#179 (page 5), while sorting out my back issueswith the help of one of my players (she hadmentioned the Old Dwarvish article).

I feel that reading a dwarven map using OldDwarvish and Dethek runes seems more realis-

tic and makes more sense than if English wereused. My point is that one can always find a usefor something if one is willing to think andimagine just a little bit.

I would be interested in hearing from gamerswho use my suggestions, so I know how theyworked. More information on any of my sugges-tions can be gained or shared by writing to meand specifying what you are interested in.Please print my full address for the use ofanyone interested. Thank you.

P.S. Yes, I know this letter is late compared tothe publication date of the letters mentioned,but that is what comes from living in a smalltown in rural West Virginia.

William D. Sharpe IIIElk Route, Box 13-A

Marlinton WV 24954

I enjoyed very much Mr. Detwiler�s article,�More Magic for Beginners:" in issue #181. As a

For serious magical stuff, I tend to use one-

DM, I have always preferred not to give too-powerful magical items to the PCs. It�s nice to

shot items, like potions. Wands with a limited

have items with a lot of flash but little power. Amask of underground conditions is a flashy

number of charges and a low-level spell effect

name for something you put on your eyes todim the sunlight. Other small items can also be

are also very useful. A wand of armor can be

magical. With the right players, you will enjoythis stuff very much.

very useful for a starting wizard. A wand ofcantrips can be used to great�or at leastamusing�effect. Instead of giving a magicalweapon with a permanent bonus, you can give asword of bladethirst (as per the FORGOTTENREALMS Adventures second-level spell of thisname) with a limited number of charges.

On the whole, I find that Mr. Detwiler�s itemsare more imaginative than mine; when I�m theDM again (I�m currently a player), I might usethem. I do have some thoughts to share aboutthese items. First, weightless weapons shouldhave their own proficiency slot, in my opinion,as using such a weapon feels completely differ-ent than using one with some weight. On theother hand, a proficient character might be ableto wield them faster than normal weapons andwith no attack penalty for low strength.

Another interesting idea and adventure hookcomes from hilts of conjuring. Where do thesehilts conjure their blades from? Think about thefighter whose, sword blade disappears in themiddle of the fight, only to reappear a day laterafter he has lost his earlier fight. Maybe the fighterwith the hilt of conjuring takes the blade of hisenemy�s sword, or of one of his fellow partymembers. Or maybe an ornamental blade of greatvalue is taken, and the PC party is hired to find thethief. There�s no end to the possibilities.

Eyal TelerJerusalem, ISRAEL

I am writing this letter to expand a little onthe topic of �Magic & Technology Meet at Last�(issue #183). The article was concerned with anAD&D/GAMMA WORLD® game crossover anddescribed that option in great detail. But thereare other extremely interesting ways to makemagic and technology meet. Imagine the presenttime: 1993, America. While investigating a seriesof murders, a cop finds out that a werewolf iscommitting all the bloodshed. With nobodybelieving him, he sets out with a revolver full ofsilver bullets to hunt the beast alone . . . untilone very misty night when he spots the beastand pursues it until he reaches a small village,like one in Ireland in the 18th century. Of

course, the mists were not ordinary mists butthe Mists of Ravenloft. The nature of the Demi-plane of Dread makes it possible to introducePCs from just about any time period��standard� fantasy game, 20th century, or evenpost-nuclear-war. Actually many of theRAVENLOFT® campaigns Domains are of a moreadvanced time than �standard� AD&.D gameworlds. In RA1 Feast of Goblyns, a farmer usesa blunderbuss, a weapon that even the mostadvanced Lantanese gunsmith does not evendream of. The time periods of the variousDomains reach from Ancient Egypt in Har�akirto the time of industrialization in the domain ofYosas (see RR4 Islands of Terror). Thus, with atime range from 3000 B.C. to A.D. 1900, the PCs,themselves from just about anyplace, can en-counter practically any period of human history.

The most interesting thing is the introduction of20th-century persons, and with almost no effortthe DM can fit those PCs smoothly into theRAVENLOFT campaign �world.� Any modernequipment should be taken from the GAMMAWORLD rule book and modified to fit the AD&Dgame (after all, this is not a crossover of gamesystems but an interesting gizmo for aRAVENLOFT (i.e., AD&D) game). Ranges of weap-ons in the GAMMA WORLD game should bemultiplied by three to find the range in feet in-stead of meters. Also remember that, in the AD&Dsystem, a gunpowder weapon is especially lethal,as any die that scores maximum damage adds anadditional die of damage (the only exception to thatrule involves weapons that are not aimed, such asa shotgun with buckshot). Area-effect weaponsshould inflict an extra die of damage vs. creaturesof L (large) or greater size.

I really encourage DMs running a RAVENLOFTcampaign to try out a 20th century PC or NPC. It�sfun and contributes to the sinister mood of thegame if a PC can fire his last silver bullet on thebig furry thing charging him.

Alexander DenglerDarmstadt, GERMANY

Since I am new to role-playing, I don�t knowanything about Craig Hardie�s letter in issue#166, but after reading the recent responses toit, I know I can relate to this. I am 16 years old,the DM for two games and player in two othergames. I was introduced to role-playing last yearby my cousin. The two campaigns I run areboth for the D&D® game. Because I don�t have ajob, I usually can�t afford any of the Gazetteers,so I turned to making my own world. My cousinlet me have access to his library, and I foundseveral tidbits I used for �quick� DMing.

In the Dungeoneer�s Survival Guide, there wasa thing in the back on how to make quick,random dungeons by having squares or hexeswith dungeon corridors; you could rearrangethem to make a quick dungeon when you didn�thave one ready. I had an idea to use this foroverland travel as well. All I had to do wascreate a hometown. When the characters want-ed to leave, I juggled a dozen 10 mile by 10 milesquares to come up with the terrain. As formaps, I just used the players�. They didn�t knowabout anything that wasn�t on their maps, sowhy should I? I was pretty good at improvising.Eventually, I created a �skeleton� of the areathat had the major cities and other obstacles.After reading some of my cousin�s campaignsettings (he has almost everything for theGREYHAWK®, DRAGONLANCE®, FORGOTTENREALMS, and now DARK SUN� settings), Idecided to adapt some of that material to myown world, just for expansion. This puzzle-typemapping method can be used for anything, likea city, a castle, and even neighborhoods my PCs

DRAGON 63

want to visit. Currently I�m working on randomjigsaw cultures.

Also, in the Catacomb Guide, it says that youcan create characters by having their basestatistics and rolling up names and basic varia-tions. Why not do this for cities? Countries?Adventures? The possibilities are endless. This isa real time saver, too, because I spend about $2(photocopies and cardstock) in material and onlyfive hours a week on my campaign.

I also mentioned that I play in two games. Thisis interesting, because my cousin, who createdhis own world, is the DM for one group, and Imust say that his campaign is bizarre. He hasbeen a DM for 10 years (he�s 25), and I considerhim a master from whom I learn, like novicewizards learn from greater wizards. In theother game I play in, the DM bought theDRAGONLANCE campaign set. I�ll admit, whilethat game is fun, it does tire quickly since I haveread almost every DRAGONLANCE book thereis. The DM does buy most of the new upgrades,and that keeps some flavor, but I still think mycousin�s campaign is better because there isalways uncertainty.

Matthew LyonSan Luis Obispo CA

Because we use music in my gaming group, Ihave better memories of past gaming sessions.During these adventures, we all felt more in-volved in the game, as the music we picked wasthrilling during combat, dark and evil when wewere exploring forgotten corridors underforsaken cities, etc. The most difficult part forthe DM is not to match his descriptions and thebackground music, but to simply find goodbackground music. I mainly use motion-picture

soundtracks, for thrilling people is their mostbasic function. Classical music is my secondsource, but there is much to explore.

Here is the music I use and when I use it (in(C)ombat, (D)escriptions, or (H)orror situations):The Name of the Rose (H), Conan the Barbarian(C,D), Conan the Destroyer (C,D), Willow (C,D),Dune (C,D), Star Wars trilogy (C,D), Aliens (C,H),Batman (C,D), Alexandre Nevsky (C,D), The FinalConflict (H), Raiders of the Lost Ark (D,H), andRobocop (C). Music composed by Williams,Horner, Goldsmith, or Poledouris is usuallygood, so don�t hesitate to try it. In classicalmusic, only one or two themes might be usefulin a whole work but they are usually quitegood: �Siegfried�s Funeral Music� (from Twilightof Gods, by Wagner), �Sturmisch Bewegt� (fromSymphony no. 1 in D Major by G. Mahler),�From Bohemia�s Woods and Fields� (from MyFatherland, by B. Smetana), Carmina Burana (byC. Orff), �Swan Theme� (from Swan Lake byTchaikovsky), �Overture to Acts no. 1, 2, and 3�(from Siegfried, by Wagner). If you find otherbackground music, I would be pleased to knowwhat you found. If you improved your game inother ways, I would also be very interested.Please, print my full address.

Julien Hermitte2, rue Edgar Quinet

92120 Montrouge, FRANCE

After reading �Forum� in issue #184, I feelcompelled to write. The comments of MauriceSprague and Brad Allison on psionics caught myattention. In response, I have the followingobservations:

First, a 2nd-level psionicist cannot use theDisintegrate ability, as a 2nd-level psionicist only

knows one science. Disintegrate requires aprevious science: Telekinesis. A psionicist wouldhave to be at least 3rd level to utilize Disinte-grate. Further, the greater wolfwere had twochances of not being affected by the psionicist.With a power score of Wisdom -4, a psionicistwith a Wisdom of 18 would have a 30% chanceof failure. The greater wolfwere with a savingthrow vs. death magic of 8 has a 60% chance ofnot being affected by the psionicist! Also, a 3rd-level psionicist can have a maximum of only 58PSPs. He might Disintegrate one foe, but whatabout the foe�s accomplices? With only 18 PSPsleft, let�s hope nothing else attacks.

Second, this same psionicist would have to be5th level to accomplish the Invincible Foes feat.As Psychokinesis is obviously his primary disci-pline, he has to be 5th level to pick up theMindlink science in his secondary discipline.Even then, the shadow dragon would have hadtwo chances to not be affected. When initialcontact was made at Wisdom -7, the psionicist(Wisdom 18) would have had a 45% chance offailure. In the second round, the psionicist had a25% chance of failure (Wisdom -3). Let�s hopethe psionicist wasn�t reduced to 1st or 2nd levelby the shadow dragon�s breath weapon in thefirst round!

Third, a 9th-level psionicist using ControlBody (not Body Control) could certainly get apaladin to kill the latter�s friends, just as a 9th-level mage could cast domination on the samepaladin for the same result. But let�s look atwhat the psionicist went through to compel thepaladin to do this. To make his power score(Constitution -2) vs. a paladin�s minimumstrength of 12, a psionicist with a Constitutionof 18 has only a 20% chance to succeed�hemust roll a 13, 14, 15 or 16! If the psionicist hasa lower Constitution (minimum of 11), hischances go down 5% for every point below 18.Also, the paladin could have warned his friendsof the impending attack, so they could preparethemselves for it. Finally, as killing one�s friendswould be an evil act, the paladin would lose hispaladin status until he could atone. A DM couldrule that the nature of this self-destructive actwould make the paladin to struggle harder,causing the psionicist to make his power scoreeach round.

With the rules in the Complete Psionics Hand-book, I feel that the psionicist class is wellbalanced. For every action the psionicist at-tempts, there is a chance of failure by virtue ofthe power score. He has the same chances offailure that a mage has due to melee attacks andother disruptive activities. The final solution isfor the other PCs to learn to deal with psioni-cists. Remember the adage �Know thy enemy,�but also remember �Knowledge is power.�Dealing with high-level magic-users is a learningprocess for PCs, as is dealing with psionicists ofany level!

One last note: The DM is the final arbiter ofall actions. If, as DM, you find that the psionicistis becoming too powerful, change the powerscores; this increases the chance of failure andis relatively easy to do.

John M. FairfieldFt. Polk LA

* indicates a product produced by a company otherthan TSR, inc. Most product names are trademarksowned by the companies publishing those products.The use of the name of any product without mentionof its trademark status should not be construed as achallenge to such status.

64 FEBRUARY 1993

Exploring the worldsof the GURPS* game

©1993 by Rick Swan

Steve Jackson Games� GURPS* system�that�s the Generic Universal Role-PlayingSystem to the unenlightened�settles intothe 1990s as the undisputed champion ofmultigenre RPGs, and rightfully so. Flexi-ble character-creation rules and elegantgame mechanics make it adaptable to animpressive range of settings. At home inouter space, ancient Rome, or a hauntedhouse, the GURPS system has yet to meeta genre it couldn�t handle, and there�s a

66 FEBRUARY 1993

Role-playing games� ratings

X Not recommended* Poor, but may be useful** Fair*** Good**** Excellent***** The best

large library of supplements to prove it.Not everyone, of course, is a GURPS fan,

and much as Steve Jackson Games (SJG)would hope otherwise, there are probablyquite a few role-players who�ll never getaround to giving it a try. Rut even if you�reamong those who aren�t in the market fora multigenre RPG�and admittedly, theGURPS system takes some effort tomaster�you might consider checking outthe supplements. Most of them burst withideas that can be adapted to other gameswithout too much fuss.

GURPS supplements owe much of theirappeal to the sheer volume of informationthey contain; with enticing detail crammedinto nearly every page and margin. Thebooks are models of organization andpresentation, and are among the industry�s

best. Thanks to the consistently high quali-ty of the writing, they�re a pleasure toread, Jackson requires his editors to be asfamiliar with the English language as theyare with role-playing rules. That makeshim almost an anomaly among game pub-lishers, many of whom view correct grammar and syntax as expendable nuisances,

That�s not to say GURPS products areperfect. Their spartan production valuespale before the flashy graphics routinelyused by FASA and Mayfair Games. There�snothing in a GURPS book comparable toTSR�s poster-sized color maps or Chaosium�selaborate CALL OF CTHULHU* game hand-outs. Illustrations tend to have little in com-mon with the text they accompany otherthan their appearance on the same page. Intheir eagerness to cover all the basses, GURPSdesigners often go for the kitchen sink,throwing in everything they can think ofand leaving it up to the hapless referee toseparate the useful from the trivial.

Still, when GURPS supplements aregood, they�re very good indeed, and theindustrious Jacksonites have generatedtheir share of classics, GURPS Japan andGURPS Special Ops exemplify state-of-the-art worldbooks at their fact-based beet,while the superb GURPS Riverworld andGURPS Wild Cards demonstrate that li-tensed properties can amount to morethan cynical exploitations of familiar titles.GURPS Space remains the hobby�s pre-miere science-fiction overview, GURPSTime Travel, which we�ll be examining atlength in a month or two, looks to be thedefinitive treatment of a topic that�s frus-trated game designers for years.

No game has generated as many first-rate supplements covering such a broadrange of topics, and the diversity of theGURPS line remains its strongest asset.The supplements are worth a look fromany role-player who�s had his fill of Tolkienretreads, non-horrifying horror games, ortired science-fiction RPGs whose onlypoints of reference seem to be old StarTrek episodes. Where to start? Here aresome suggestions.

GURPS The Prisoner* * * * *96-page softcover bookSteve Jackson Games $13Design: David LadymanAdditional material: Stephen BeemanEditing: Steve JacksonIllustrations: John RobinsonCover: ITC Entertainment, Inc.

GURPS Callahan�s Crosstime Saloon** * * ½

128-page softcover bookSteve Jackson Games $17Design: Chris W. McCubbinAdditional material: Spider Robinson,

Steve Jackson, and Christian WagnerEditing: Jeff Koke and Steve JacksonIllustrations: Donna Barr, Guy Burcham,

Dan Frazier, and Rick HarrisCover: James Warhola

The GURPS game has a knack for goingwhere no game has gone before, fillingniches that don�t appear to need fillinguntil Jackson�s crew gets a hold of them.Both The Prisoner and Callahan�s Crossti-me Saloon are cases in point, the formerbaaed on a fondly-remembered but ratherempty-headed TV show from the late1960s, the latter derived from a pleasantbut forgettable series of fantasy stories bySpider Robinson. If I�d have been in chargeof acquiring properties for SJG, I wouldn�thave looked twice at either one. But nowthat I�ve read their GURPS-izations, bothstrike me as inspired choices,

The Prisoner in particular is an unex-pected surprise, mainly because the TVseries didn�t give designer Dave Ladymanmuch substance to work with. The origi-nal premise involved a British secret agentwho was abducted by unknown captorsand dispatched to a bizarre communitycalled the Village, where residents wereknown by numbers instead of names andnobody was allowed to leave, Throughoutthe show�s 17 episodes, the agent strug-gled to figure out where he was, whosnatched him, and what his captors want-ed. Neither the agent nor the viewers everreceived clear answers to these questions,and these contrived mysteries accountedfor moat of the show�s alleged charm.

I say �alleged� because I was never con-vinced that the mysteries were part of somegrand scheme, but resulted instead fromlousy plotting and make-it-up-as-you-goscripts. By distancing himself from thesource material (�For our purposes, [theunanswered questions] allow you to devisethe Village of your own choice, unconstrain-ed by what has to be.�), Ladyman manages toferret out the best concepts, sweep away thedebris, and patch it all together with his ownimaginative touches.

The book is roughly divided into twosections, one discussing the specifics of thecampaign world, the other featuring stag-ing tips for referees. Ladyman begins bytaking us on a tour of the Village, intro-ducing us to No. 2, the shadowy figurewhose identity changes from adventure toadventure, and the Village Voice, an enig-matic female who�s heard over the Village�sloudspeakers but never seen in person(Ladyman suggests that the referee prere-cord the Voices's ominous messages andplay them at appropriate momenta duringan adventure).

Village protocol is covered in detail. Theaccepted form of greeting, for instance,consists of a cheery �Be seeing you!� ac-companied by a thumb and index fingercircling the eye, Everyone wears a badgedisplaying his identification number, Hid-den cameras monitor citizens� activities,Violations of the ever-changing ordinancesresult in punishments ranging from ostra-cism to death by Rover, an immense whiteball that prowls the streets looking forsociopaths to envelope and suffocate. Atwo-page map, lavish by GURPS standards,pinpoints the Palace of Fun, the Chess

Lawn, and other creepy landmarks.Recognizing referees may have a hard

time finding their way in a setting thisbizarre, Ladyman spends much of thebook discussing techniques for fostering asurreal atmosphere, He shows how tobuild suspense by introducing clues thatsuggest solutions to the players� questions,all the while holding the real answers justout of reach. To keep the players off-balance, Ladyman suggests pepperingthem with disturbing encounters, such asa clock that runs backwards or an invita-tion from an addled villager to take animaginary ride on the Stone Boat. AnAdventure Design Flow Chart explainshow to generate plots with sensible moti-vations, complications, and climaxes.

The Prisoner won�t be everybody�s ideaof a good time, what with its near-powerless player-characters, absence ofaction, and unsolvable mysteries. On occa-sion, Ladyman�s writing becomes ag-gravatingly vague, as if he�s not quite surewhat�s going on either. (I also wish he�dhave lightened up on the exclamationmarks. It doesn�t take much to get himexcited! No kidding!) That said, The Pris-oner provides all the raw material a crea-tive referee needs to put together acampaign rife with psychological terror,sort of like the PARANOIA* game withoutthe laughs, If Steve Jackson snags thelicense for Twin Peaks, I hope Ladymangets to GURPS-ize it.

Callahan�s Crosstime Saloon isn�t quite ascompelling as The Prisoner, but in partthat�s because we�re on more familiarterritory. Callahan�s is one of those out-of- the-way stopovers that serves as a water-ing hole for all variety of transientoddballs and, not incidentally, a conven-ient staging area for fantasy adventures.It�s a cliche, to be sure, but Robinsonfreshens it with a dash of science fictionand some subtle satire, Callahan, the pro-prietor, has been sent from the future toensure that humans will evolve along theirpredetermined paths and make way forthe Harmoniana, a race of benevolentaliens of which Callahan is a member.Between comforting lost souls and han-dling the occasional drunk, Callahan andhis cohorts must deal with the mandatesof the Time Police, the alternative realitiesof the Mirror Dimension, and the forbod-ing schemes of the Cockroaches, a nastyrace of insectoid spacefarers.

It�s all good fun, and designer ChrisMcCubbin does an admirable job of cap-turing the stories� gentle tone, In broadterms, he describes the utopian world ofHarmonium as a place where �nobody�shungry, nobody�s angry,� leaving the spe-cifics up to the referee. (�It's might be aplanet, or a Dyson sphere or ringworld, orsomething even stranger.�) Harmoniumtime travel is revealed as a specializedpsionic talent, where users can movebetween eras pretty much at will. The�Strange Folks and Odd Gizmos� chapterdetails Callahan�s cast of characters and

DRAGON 67

exotic inventions in an entertaining fash-ion. Game statistics take a back seat to anengaging narrative, much of it taken di-rectly from the original stories.

Campaigning, unfortunately, receives theshort shrift. Though McCubbin offers anumber of ideas for creating Callahanadventures, few are adequately developed.He points out the potential for humorousrole-playing, but doesn�t really tell us howto pull it off. Mounting an all-Harmoniumcampaign, the book�s most intriguing sce-nario, is dismissed in a couple of para-graphs in a sidebar.

Evaluation: It�s not necessary to haveseen the TV series or to have read theRobinson stories to make sense of thesesourcebooks, since the designers do such athorough job of summarizing the keyideas. Of the two, The Prisoner makes asmoother transition to other RPGs, as ithas the fewest ties to the GURPS system.But it�s a demanding setting, requiring anexperienced referee to handle the unusualplay style, as well as mature players whoprefer cerebral challenges to physicalconflict.

Callahan�s Crosstime Saloon is less de-manding, but it�s also less suitable for longadventures. It works best as a framingdevice or an interlude in a conventionalfantasy or science-fiction campaign, pro-viding the players can tolerate a littlewhimsy. There are a fair number of newrules, among them guidelines for psi-blocking powers and intoxication effects,but not enough to discourage determinedreferees from adapting the book to a dif-ferent game system.

GURPS Middle Ages 1 * ***128-page softcover bookSteve Jackson Games $17Design: Graeme Davis and Michael HurstEditing: Steve JacksonIllustrations: Ruth Thompson, Carl Ander-

son, Thomas Baxa, Angela Bostick, DanCarroll, Evan Dorkin, Rick Lowry, andRob Prior

Cover: Rowena

GURPS Camelot * ***128-page softcover bookSteve Jackson Games $17Design: Peggy U,V, Schroeck and Robert

M. SchroeckAdditional material: Aaron Allston, J.

David George, Loyd Blankenship, SteveJackson, Chris W. McCubbin, SteffanO�Sullivan, and Daniel U. Thibault

Editing: Loyd Blankenship and SteveJackson

Illustrations: Ruth Thompson, KeithBerdak, Carl Anderson, and LarryMcDougal

Cover: John Zeleznik

68 FEBRUARY 1993

GURPS Old West* * * * * ½128-page softcover bookSteve Jackson Games $17Design: Ann Dupuis, Liz Tornabene,

Robert E. Smith, and Lynda ManningSchwartz

Additional material: Mike HurstEditing: Steve Jackson and Loyd

BlankenshipIllustrations: Topper Helmers and Carl

AndersonCover: David Patrick Menahan

Historical worldbooks are ideal for ref-erees who don�t have access to a goodlibrary or for those too lazy to go to one.Otherwise, they�re rarely worth buyingjust for the scraps of role-playing rulesplugged into what can amount to dull-as-dishwater summaries from the Encyclope-dia Britannica.

SJG�s solution has been to encourage hisdesigners to give more or less equal atten-tion to fact, legend, and Hollywood. Ref-erees may pick and choose what they likeand ignore the rest, resulting in textbook-accurate campaigns or homegrown hy-brids of reality and B-movies.

Graeme Davis used this technique togood effect in GURPS Vikings (reviewed inDRAGON® issue #181) and returns to itagain in GURPS Middle Ages 1. With co-author Michael Hurst, Davis covers En-glish history from the Dark Ages to theRenaissance (presumably, future volumeswill cover other countries during the sameperiod). In no-nonsense prose, the design.ers address such topics as the develop-ment of Saxon law, the influence of theCeltic church, and the ramifications of theHundred Years� War. A chapter on spell-casting provides simple but workable rulesfor rune magic and Hellenistic charms (amedieval sorcery technique derived fromEgyptian practitioners). The �MedievalBestiary� compiles background notes andGURPS statistics for faerie hounds, ban-shees, and other mythological creaturesrelevant to the era.

Though the fantasy elements are well-chosen, the straight history makes for themost provocative reading. The medieval-law section lists five variants of the Trialby Ordeal, the last resort for determininga defendant�s guilt or innocence in theSaxon justice system. The trial variantsrange from the benign Corsned Ordeal,where the accused eats a prayer waferand hopes he doesn�t choke, to the brutalHot Iron Ordeal, which may require thedefendant to walk barefoot over nine red-hot plowshares. We�re also told about thesignificance of the Albigensian Crusade,the symptoms of the Black Plague, anddifferences between the arsenals of Nor-man Knights and Saxon Fyrdmen. Alongthe way, the designers lay to rest the myththat medieval clerics were prohibited fromusing edged weapons. Though Bishop Odoof Bayeaux was reportedly forbidden fromdrawing blood in the Battle of Hastings,most priests and monks had no such re-

strictions except when fighting on conse-crated ground. (AD&D® game players withcleric characters might want to annoytheir Dungeon Masters with this historicaltidbit.)

But despite the meticulous research, thebook�s lack of focus often makes for atough ride. In most cases, the material isassigned to neat, discrete compartments.History goes over here, fantasy stays overthere, and rarely do the designers makean effort to show how the two comple-ment each other. The perfunctory cam-paigning chapter provides broadsuggestions for designing adventures butfew usable specifics. Though the bookpresents a river of information, it�s up tothe referee to sift the gold from the silt.

GURPS Camelot, a study of King Arthurand the Knights of the Round Table, sharesthe same strengths and weaknesses asGURPS Middle Ages. Again, the designersdraw on legend, history, and movies (inparticular, the Camelot musical), andagain, the attention to detail is impressive.A scholarly examination of Arthurian loreincludes capsule biographies of Arthur�spredecessors, an analysis of the politicalenvironment, and a blueprint of a typicalNorman castle. A chapter titled �The His-torical Arthur� discusses the real-life basisof the legends, along with such minutia as5th-century fashions and earthwork for-tress construction. Role-playing receivesmore attention here than in Middle Ages-the book opens with a strong chapter oncharacter creation�making Camelot aspertinent to players as to referees. Thereare also interesting rules for staging jousts,simulating siege warfare, and creatingherbal concoctions that produce magicaleffects.

But how does it all fit together? Thedesigners don�t give many hints as to whatthey consider important in an Arthuriancampaign. The book is loaded with en-grossing facts, but it often reads like aterm paper instead of a collection of neatideas the designers couldn�t wait to sharewith their fellow gamers. The �Cast ofThousands� chapter, which squanders tenpages on a list of hundreds of minor char-acters from Arthurian literature, should�vebeen used for game-mastering advice orbetter yet, a fully-developed adventure.

There are few such problems in GURPSOld West, a masterful blend of fact andfantasy covering the 19th-century Ameri-can frontier. What makes Old West anexceptional sourcebook�and one of themost satisfying entries in the GURPS line-is the care taken by the designers to shapetheir material to the needs of role-playersrather than regurgitating every stray factthey could find in the library. Before Icracked the book, I made a list of encount-ers I�d theoretically like to stage in a west-ern campaign, such as trick shooting,keelboat riding, scalping raids, show-downs, and buffalo hunts. Old West in-cludes every one of them.

Like most fact-based GURPS books, Old

West contains its share of pure history, butthe emphasis here is on drama over dryfacts. Wherever reality contradicts JohnWayne movies, the designers aren�t afraidto goose the truth a bit, and they encour-age referees to do the same. Quoting thenewspaper editor from The Man WhoShot Liberty Valance, they advise, �If thefacts conflict with the legend, print thelegend.�

The book abounds with inviting activi-ties for PCs to pursue, along with soundadvice for staging memorable encounters.We�re told how to free a steamboat stuckon a sandbar (wedge posts under thefront, then set the paddles at full speed)and how many cowboys are needed for adrive team (one man per 100 head ofcattle). Want to hunt for gold? Expect tospend 10 hours a day pawing through 50pans of dirt. Want to rob a train? The�Transportation� chapter provides com-plete instructions, from liberating thegoods (be sure to take care of the express-man first) to making a getaway (try ahorseback leap from the stock car).

In contrast to the rather loutish por-trayal of cowboys, Old West treats Indiansas relatively dignified sophisticates whowere doing fine until white men camealong. In other words Native Americanculture is handled with reasonable accu-racy (and I know whereof I speak, as myfather-in-law is a member of the Blackfootnation). However, the designers aren�tquite so reverent towards Indian religion,using it as the basis for an offbeat magicsystem, replete with vision quests, guard-ian spirits, and enchanted medicine bun-dles. Though the approach is a bitpatronizing�Native Americans undoubt-edly found the white man�s religion just asquaint�it�s nonetheless clever and fun.

Because of the volume of new rules,mainly applying to gun play and spell-casting, Old West presumes a basic under-standing of the GURPS system. That�s aminus for fans of other RPGs who�ll haveto work extra hard to adapt it. And onceagain, there are nowhere near enoughdeveloped scenarios to get a campaign offthe ground. Ditch the bibliography andgive us some adventures!

Evaluation: GURPS Middle Ages 1 andCamelot present good overviews of theirrespective eras, but skimp on staging notesand the details of day-to-day existence thatmight help players bring their charactersto life. But both work well as generalreference books, particularly for refereeswho don�t mind doing some homework.

Where Middle Ages and Camelot tend tobe passionless, GURPS Old West is down-right playful. The combination of diligentresearch and imaginative embellishmentsmakes for an unbeatable package�one thatplayers and referees alike ought to relish.After reading from start to finish, I washungry for more. And that�s about the bestrecommendation a sourcebook can get.

GURPS Terradyne* * * * ½128-page softcover bookSteve Jackson Games $17Design: Russell Brown and Mark WaltzEditing: Creede LambardIllustrations: Ruth Thompson, Michael

Barrett, Angela Bostick, Steve Cromp-ton, C. Bradford Gorby, Denis Loubet,Rick Lowry, Michael Surbrook, andJohn Waltrip

Cover: Alan Gutierrez

GURPS Space Atlas 4* * * * * ½128-page softcover bookSteve Jackson Games $17Design: David L. Pulver and Stephen

DedmanEditing: Jeff KokeIllustrations: Darrell Midgette, C. Bradford

Gorby, Denis Loubet, Ruth Thompson,Terry Tidwell, and John D. Waltrip

Cover: Alan Gutierrez

Concentrating on licensed titles, histori-cal sourcebooks, and genre overviews(including the admirable GURPS Horrorreviewed in DRAGON issue #186), SJGhasn�t done much with original designs.GURPS Terradyne, then, comes as a wel-come change-of-pace. It�s a neatly executedscience-fiction setting, designed by twoguys who are obviously comfortable withthe nuances of science (and no wonder�Russ Brown works as a software engineer,

while Mark Waltz makes his living as asystems analyst).

Terradyne is the name of a corporateentity that arose in the early 21st centuryas a holding company for aerospace andresearch firms. As the United States andother superpowers collapsed under theirown weight, Terradyne picked up thepieces and quietly expanded. By the 22ndcentury, where the book begins, Terra-dyne had become an all-encompassingmonolith and the solar system�s dominantforce, cornering the market on crucialtechnologies. While the newly-formedUnited Peoples of Earth (UPOE) struggledwith environmental disasters and similarcrises, Terradyne turned to the heavens,embarking on a series of ambitious pro-jects including the colonization of theMoon and Mars. UPOE became increas-ingly nervous about Terradyne�s growinginfluence. Terradyne wanted them to mindtheir own business. To teach UPOE a les-son, Terradyne engineered a worldwideeconomic collapse, making it crystal clearwho was really running the show.

Things settled down after that, but onlya little. GURPS Terradyne explores thecontinuing tension between UPOE and theTerradyne dynasty, outlining the corporatefactions, security forces, and various inde-pendent alliances engaged in deadly powerstruggles. Earth�s citizens, still reelingfrom the economic disaster of the pre-

DRAGON 69

vious century, face a gloomy future ofdiminishing resources, decreasing privacy,and oppressive overcrowding (the popula-tion is 11 billion and counting).

A section on the Earth�s environmentgrimly describes the effects of ozone de-pletion and the greenhouse effect (hugechunks of Antarctica�s Ronne ice shelfhave been breaking away since the early2040s). Chapters devoted to the Moon andMars describe the pitfalls of settling inhostile environments. For example, a lunarcolonist out for a Sunday stroll risks expo-sure to 1,000-plus rads of radiation perhour during a solar flare; Earthboundhumans might get 0.2 rads in an entireyear. On Mars, settlers contend withoxygen-rich soil that explodes into fireballswhen doused with water. (Have I got asurprise for the first PC who uses a Mar-tian sandlot for a restroom!)

Brown and Waltz are most at home withthe setting�s economic and scientific de-tails. They explain convincingly how UPOEmanipulates the global economy thoughthe World Economic Reserve, and how themoon has achieved economic stability byexporting its oxygen reserves. On thescientific front, the �Space Travel andTechnology� chapter weighs the pros andcons of various chemical fuels, and liststhe specs for the Victoria Class ExplorationStation, the Orbital Transfer Vehicle, andother common spacecraft.

The designers are on less solid groundwhen discussing sociology and the arts.There�s not much about what daily life islike for a typical citizen or how he relatesto his world. For instance, it�s said that thecolonies are subject to the laws and regu-lations of UPOE, but nowhere do we re-ceive satisfactory documentation ofexactly what all those laws entail. Else-where, it says that ” . . . religious groupshave seen their followings increase dra-matically over the past century . . . � butwe�re not told why. The culture of the22nd century is pretty much ignored,aside from some arguable predictionsabout the entertainment industry, (Musicrecorded and mixed by computers? That�salready happening. Virtual Reality? That�llprobably seem as antique as a puppetshow in the 22nd century.)

However, I doubt if these lapses willbother Terradyne�s target audience toomuch. Fans of hard SF should find morethan enough cold data to keep them inter-ested. And even in the absence of useablecampaign advice, ambitious referees willfind a surplus of promising adventureideas scattered throughout the text.

Should your space cadets tire of Terra-dyne�s corporate machinations, there�s stillplenty of the cosmos left to explore, asevidenced by GURPS Space Atlas 4. Thislatest and most elaborate volume in theSpace Atlas series catalogs close to 50planets in the chaotic Phoenix and Sagasectors, located on the fringes of civilizedspace. Each planetary record includes twoseparate sections. The first, intended for

Hunting for your nextgame convention?

70 FEBRUARY 1993

the referee, features a fluff-free descrip-tion of the planet�s history, current status,and key personalities, along with severalbrief adventure seeds. The second, whichmay be photocopied and given to theplayers, presents the basic informationnormally available to space travelers fromdatabases or other accessible sources. Thissection includes facts and figures aboutthe planet�s atmosphere, mineral resourc-es, technology levels, and weather pat-terns, as well as a nicely-renderedprojection map showing terrain types andvarious points of interest.

Though designers David Pulver andStephen Dedman take their universeseriously�there are no SPELLJAMMER®game pyramid suns or flat planets here�they still manage to include a remarkablevariety of settings and more than a fewfanciful touches. Covenant, a theocraticfinancial center in the Saga sector, attractstourists by the shipload to gawk at itsGothic cathedrals. The water-coveredCornwall is home to a bizarre species ofsea dragons who communicate with oneanother via dragonsong sonar. A race ofparahuman �floaters� populate the hollowcore of Starhome, a gravity-free planetoid.A rundown of three new alien races andsome helpful tables round out this excel-lent effort,

Evaluation: By emphasizing technologyover space opera, Terradyne�s sober tonecompares favorably to GDW�s MEGA-TRAVELLER* game and other hardscience-fiction RPGs. Though the dystopi-an outlook may strike some as overlyfamiliar�how many times have we beenwarned about grasping corporations?�thethoughtful presentation results in a com-pelling study of greed gone amuck. Andit�s user-friendly to boot; except for a fewpages devoted to character design, therearen�t many new rules to navigate.

Likewise, Space Atlas 4 keeps GURPS-speak to a minimum, making it an invalu-able reference not only for GURPS Spaceenthusiasts, but for seience-fiction gamersof all persuasions. The encyclopedic for-mat is nothing new, but the quality ofwriting, effective graphics, and diversityof the entries distinguishes Space Atlas 4from its run-of-the-mill competition.

Short and sweetMagic Encyclopedia, Volume One, by

Connie Rae Henson and Dale �Sladey� Hen-son, TSR Inc., $10. Here�s a product that�slong overdue, an index of virtually everymagical item from virtually every TSRrulebook, accessory, and magazine. It�squite a collection, with something like5,500 gizmos spread out over the twovolumes in the series. The book alphabet-izes the items into general categories,listing their experience point values, costs,and original appearances (also included isa complete list of TSR�s role-playingproducts published since 1974, whichitself may be worth the price of admissionto hardcore collectors). At a glance, we

can find that a levitation bench will set usback 6,000 gold pieces, or that we�ll need acopy of FOR2 Drow of the Underdark toinvestigate the workings of the driftdisk.Since no descriptions are provided forindividual items, the Magic Encyclopedia isless useful to new players than to old-timers who have access to a sizeable TSRlibrary. Only the marketing departmentknows why it was necessary to publishthis in two volumes�like anybody�s justgoing to want the stuff from A-G.

Inquisitor, edited and published by TimDuPertuis. Single copy, $3; four-issuesubscription, $10. This quarterly fanzinedevoted to Game Workshop�s WAR-HAMMER 40,000* game features a cornu-copia of scenarios, statistics, and modellinghints made to order for anyone who can�tget enough about Dreadnoughts and Ter-minator Squads. Highlights include a Q&Acolumn that tackles such puzzlers aswhether ectoplasmic mist can be movedby telekinesis (it can�t), and several pagesof photocopiable stat charts for new units.With a clean layout and plenty of crispblack-and-white photos, the productionvalues are impressively high. Best of all,the editorial approach focuses squarely onthe nuts and bolts of the game system,avoiding the lame fan fiction and longwinded analyses that drag down so manydo-it-yourself publications. (For informa-tion, write: P.O. Box 14485, Santa Rosa CA95402-14485.)

Rick Swan has worked as a rock musi-cian, suicide intervention counselor, andnewspaper publisher. He now writes full-time. Contact him at: 2620 30th Street, DesMoines IA 50310.

* indicates a product produced by a company otherthan TSR, Inc. Most product names are trademarksowned by the companies publishing those products.The use of the name of any product without mentionof its trademark status should not be construed as achallenge to such status.

If you're looking for a good time gam-ing, turn to this issue’s “ConventionCalendar” for current information onwhere the fun is.

Space battles, mysteries, fantasy adven- FORGOTTEN REALMS® novels mighty axe cleaved the Moonshaes. Thetures, chilling tales of horror, and mon- You�re just in time to pick up Realms of Druid Queen, the breathtaking conclusionsters at the movies�there�s something to Valor, the first anthology set in the to Douglas Niles�s Druidhome Trilogyappeal to everyone�s taste in TSR, Inc.�s1993 assortment of books.

FORGOTTEN REALMS world, making itsway into bookstores this month. Thiscollection, edited by veteran Realms au-thor James Lowder, contains stories bysome of the shared world�s most popularauthors�including R.A. Salvatore,Douglas Niles, Troy Denning, Ed Green-wood and others. This book will let you

introduces Grond Peaksmasher, legendaryhero of the dwarves and firbolgs. In aheartstopping blend of murder, intrigue,and dark magic climaxed by a battle ofepic proportions, Niles brings to a closethis much-anticipated sequel series to hispopular Moonshae Trilogy.

Crypt of the Shadowking, by Mark An-catch up on the latest exploits of your thony, the sixth book in the Harpers Se-favorite characters as well as meet some ries, will be available in April. Each of the

you may have missed. stand-alone Harpers novels deals with theNext month, Realms fans can secret society�s attempts to maintain the

discover the demigod whose delicate balance of power in the Realms.At first, Caledan Caldorien wants no partof the assignment planned for him byHarper Mari Al�maren. When he finds thatan old enemy, Ravendas, is the mysteriousCity Lord of Iriaebor though, he changeshis mind. Caledan soon finds that thereare far more compelling reasons to pre-vent the return of the Shadowking.

New York Times best-selling author R. A.Salvatore contributes three novels thisyear. The Fallen Fortress, coming in June,is book four in the Cleric Quintet. YoungCadderly is charged with leading theforces of Carradoon and Shilmista Forest

72 FEBRUARY 1993

against the fiends of Castle Trinity, thestronghold of his nemesis. Instead, he setsoff with a select force of his own to con-duct a smaller campaign, using his increas-ingly powerful priestly magic. Neither thejourney nor the battle go as easily asplanned, and Cadderly must come toterms with his friends� expectations andwith a past he�d almost rather forget.

TSR hopes to make this another banneryear for Salvatore with a hardcover sequelto last year�s blockbuster, The Legacy. Theauthor�s latest dark-elf book, StarlessNight, will debut in October.

The noble dark elf Drizzt Do�Urdensteels himself for a return to the broodingUnderdark, to find his friends in thegnome city of Blingdenstone and travel onto Menzoberranzan, the city of drow. Hisscimitars slash at monsters too evil for thesunlit world, while his inner self wrestleswith the emotions that assault him whenhe looks once more on his dreaded home-land. All the while Drizzt must fend offthe weight of guilt he carries for a dearfriend lost to him forever.

Concurrent with the release of StarlessNight, The Legacy appears in paperback,complete with a new chapter not includedin last year�s hardcover edition.

When the Avatars came to Toril in theAvatar Trilogy, the Realms were changedfor all time. James Lowder, author ofCrusade, Knight of the Black Rose, andThe Ring of Winter, continues the story ofthe heroes who became gods in his newnovel, Prince of Lies. Cyric, God of theDead, searches in vain for the soul ofKelemvor Lyonsbane, the friend and allyhe murdered to become a god. Yet theother gods are wary of Cyric�s ambitionsand forge a secret alliance against him.Prince of Lies is due to hit the shelves inAugust.

In November, a new book in the tradi-tion of Pool of Radiance and Pools of Dark-ness will arrive at bookstores. In Pool ofTwilight, by James M. Ward and Anne K.Brown, chaos and death once again stalkPhlan. The city guardians send Kern, theyoung son of Shal and Tarl, on an urgentquest to recover the hammer of Tyr, lostin the Dragonsbane Mountains. YoungKern must unite and lead a group of dis-parate, sometimes squabbling companionswith magical abilities. What the herodoesn�t know is that one of these compan-ions is an invincible wicked wizardess andthat, once retrieved, the hammer of Tyrwill unlock the worst evil of all.

David �Zeb� Cook transports us to thefar north of the Forgotten Realms in Sol-diers of Ice, the seventh entry in the Harp-ers Series. In this bitterly cold, inhospit-able land, the Great Glacier forces tribesof savage gnolls to flee from its relentlessadvance. The gnolls then enter the hiddenvalleys of the fiercely independentgnomes. The resulting conflict summonsHarper Martine of Sembia to do her bestto keep peace between the warringparties.

DRAGONLANCE® novelsThe DRAGONLANCE saga, TSR�s most

famous and venerable fantasy epic, hasalways pitted courageous heroes againsthorrific villains. The well-received Meet-ings Sextet depicted the early lives andexploits of the Heroes of the Lance. In anew six-volume series, the saga turns tothe villains.

April brings you the story of DragonHighlord Verminaard: Before the Mask,written by DRAGONLANCE saga veteransMichael and Teri Williams. The novel tellsof Verminaard�s inauspicious beginnings�born in a druidess� cave during a bleaksnowstorm. Unwanted and unloved, Ver-minaard discovers a strange soulmate towhom the fates have tied him. He alsodiscovers a luring Voice tempting himtoward evil. As he slowly falls to thattemptation, Verminaard receives a deadlymace named Nightbringer and the powerof Takhisis, Queen of Darkness.

The second novel of the Villains Series,The Black Wing, details the story of Khi-santh, the black dragon who dwells at XakTsaroth, whose ruins lie amid murkyswampland. The first appearances of thispowerful wyrm, in the best-selling Chroni-cles and Legends books, raised manyquestions as to her origin and relation tothe Dark Queen. Author Mary Kirchoffwill answer those questions for readers inSeptember with The Black Wing.

Coming in December is Emperor ofAnsalon, by Douglas Niles. Ariakus, su-preme commander of the Dark Queen�sdragonarmies, rises to power throughnoble villainy. His hunger for conquest isbacked by the twisted dream of establish-ing an empire of law and beauty-an em-pire clutched in his totalitarian fist. TheDragonqueen senses his hunger and feedsit, turning his ambition toward her owndark ends.

Also this year, Dan Parkinson brings usthe long-awaited history of the dwarves ofKrynn in The Dwarven Nations Trilogy.The Covenant of the Forge, available thismonth, details the fall of the dwarvenstronghold of Thorin, attacked by vengefulhumans. The Hylar dwarves journey westto the Kharolis Mountains in search of anew home, but instead find themselvesembroiled in many conflicts.

Hammer and Axe, available in July, andThe Swordsheath Scroll, to be released inJanuary of 1994, continue the story of thedwarves as they delve the stronghold ofThorbardin and seek an elusive peace withboth their dwarven brethren and theother races of Krynn.

For years, DRAGONLANCE fans havebeen calling for the rerelease of Leavesfrom the Inn of the Last Home, a one-of-a-kind DRAGONLANCE sourcebook forgamers and fiction fans alike. The book isfinally making its way into stores again inNovember.

DARK SUN� novelsGet ready for the final two volumes of

Troy Denning�s popular Prism Pentad! Thisseries tells of the heroes of Athas, world ofthe dark sun, where only the strongestand bravest can stand against the might ofpower-mad sorcerer-kings and rampagingdragons.

In The Obsidian Oracle, the ambitiousTithian, new lord of the city of Tyr, fol-lows his dream of becoming a sorcerer-king and travels into the desert wastelandssearching for immortality. The noblemanAgis of Asticles, determined to bringTithian to trial on a charge of slave-taking,follows the king in his search for an arti-fact that may allow the new ruler toachieve his dream. A lonely giant, a tareksea captain, and a blind jozhal join Agis inhis dangerous journey across the Sea ofSilt. Look for this exciting volume in June.

In September, learn the fate of Athas inthe pentad�s powerful conclusion, TheCerulean Storm. Tithian, at last madeaware of the true responsibility of being aking, enlists the aid of his former slaves�Rikus, Neeva, and Sadira�as he embarkson a desperate mission to save the desolateworld from complete destruction. On theirjourney, old hatreds and passions prove asdangerous as the enchanted fleets andterrible dust storms that batter the tinycaravan.

As the Prism Pentad draws to a close,readers can turn their focus toward a newepic trilogy: The Tribe of One, by SimonHawke, author of the best-selling Wizardand Time Wars series. The first book ofthe new series, The Outcast, is due out inDecember.

The story follows the elfling Sorak andhis tigone cub on a quest for their origins,a quest that leads them from the RingingMountains to the Sea of Silt. Sorak�s blood-line combines the grace of elves with thesavagery of Athasian halflings. Also, hispsionic acuity, product of a past even hedoes not know, provides him magnificentand unusual powers.

RAVENLOFT� novelsBest-selling author Elaine Bergstrom

weaves a terror-filled tale in Tapestry ofDark Souls, fifth in an open-ended set offantasy-horror books dealing with themasters and monsters of this Gothic set-ting. Her story of a cloth of magic anddiabolic design will be available nextmonth; on the heels of Daughter of theNight, the latest in her successful vampireseries.

The Gathering Cloth is a shimmeringweb that traps some of the darkest evils inRavenloft. It is up to Jonathan, son of themost powerful being in the tapestry, tofind a way to destroy the cloth before theevil breaks his will and binds him to thedarkness forever.

Return to the Dark Domains in July withCarnival of Fear, the sixth book in theseries. J. Robert King, whom readers willrecall as the author of last year�s Heart of

DRAGON 73

Midnight, tells of a circus in-the evil landof l�Morai.

A murder has occurred along the side-show boardwalk of Carnival l�Morai. Threeof the performers begin to track down thekiller, but their investigation leads to moremurders and the discovery of a greatconspiracy that underlies it all. Beforethey can bring the killer to justice, though,they themselves become marked fordeath.

The first RAVENLOFT hardcover comesout just before Halloween. I, Strahd is thefirst-person account of this vampire�s lifeand unlife, written by P. N. Elrod, authorof Bloodlist and the five other books of theVampire Files. I, Strahd begins with theconquest of Barovia by the warrior lordStrahd Von Zarovich, and tells of the near-ly four centuries of unlife that led him tobecome the vampire lord of Ravenloft.

XXVc� novelsThe thrilling conclusion to The Invaders

of Charon Trilogy is Warlords of Jupiter,by William H. Keith, Jr., who also wrotebook two, Nomads of the Sky. Set in theexciting world of the 25th century, War-lords of Jupiter will be available in March.

Seeking the origin of an apparently alienartifact, Vince Pirelli and his team journeyto Amalthea, innermost of the humancolonies circling Jupiter. From there, Vinceand the terrine Kaiten must travel to aliving city adrift in the Jovian clouds andinhabited by winged giants known asStormriders. Meanwhile, Jovanna Traskand the tinker Galen encounter the ad-vance scouts of a strange invasion thatforces enemies to become allies andthreatens humanity with extinction!

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS�b o o k s

Last year, TSR launched its newest lineof novels for its oldest line of games. TheTainted Sword, first book in The Penhali-gon Trilogy, by D. J. Heinrich, is the firstD&D novel ever. This volume tells thestory of Flinn the Fallen, a dishonoredknight inspired by his young squire Jo-hauna Menhir to regain his glory and slaythe dragon Verdilith.

The Dragon�s Tomb, due out in April,picks up the story of Johauna as shestrives to complete Flinn�s mission ofvengeance against the dreaded Verdilith.The Great Green has his own plans forrevenge, centering around the swordWyrmblight. While behind the scenes, theevil mage Teryl Auroch pulls the strings ofthe dragon�and Johauna�to lead Mystarato its doom.

The final book in the trilogy, The Fall ofMagic, launches Jo and her companionsinto an epic clash between Mystara andinvaders from a world of darkness. TerylAuroch�s plans for the destruction of theland of Penhaligon reach fruition, andonly Johauna, her dwarven comrade Brad-doc, and a mysterious, majestic warriorstand in his way. This climactic tale will

74 FEBRUARY 1993

reach bookstores in October.

SPELLJAMMER® novelsThe Broken Sphere, due out in May, is

book five in the Cloakmaster Cycle. Au-thor Nigel Findley also wrote Into the Void,book two of the series. In this new tale,Teldin Moore�s magic amulet allows him to�see� through the eyes of the great shipSpelljammer, across the wilds of space.Following clues from an ancient gnomishlibrary and his own visions, he traces themighty craft through the crystal spheres.Teldin employs his magical cloak�s powersand discovers his quarry�s home, but hiscloak continues to draw enemies, often inthe guise of friends. He must fight to sur-vive long enough to face the danger await-ing him at the point of the Spelljammer�sorigin�the Broken Sphere.

In September, Russ T. Howard brings usthe cataclysmic conclusion to theCloakmaster Cycle. Teldin has gone from�dirtkicker� to spacefarer, from muleskin-ner to captain in an elven Imperial Fleet,from outcast to intergalactic danger mag-net. Now, in The Ultimate Helm, Teldindiscovers the great ship Spelljammer itself,He battles to control the living ship amidthe myriad plots of its inhabitants. Politicalintrigue mixes with colossal magical forcesfor an explosive ending to the CloakmasterCycle.

T S R ® B o o k sTSR Books kicks off its 1993 lineup with

a surefire winner, Valorian, available thismonth. Valorian is best-selling authorMary H. Herbert�s prequel to her popularDark Horse and Lightning�s Daughter.

More than four hundred years prior tothe time of Gabria and Athlone, the Clanare an oppressed people, struggling fortheir very survival under the yoke of theTarnish Empire and its cruel provincialgovernor, the heartless General Tyrranis.Only one man, blessed but also cursed bythe gods, can hope to lead the Clan out ofthe Darkhorn Mountains to a new life onthe bounteous Ramtharin Plains. Hero,warrior, and magic-wielder, that man wasto become the legend called Valorian.

Naked Came the Sasquatch, by JohnBoston, provides both a change of sceneand a change of pace in May. Set inmodern-day California, this TSR Booksrelease is a humor/horror story. Readerswill become enchanted with the book�sunusual love quadrangle, involving a Big-foot (who likes drive-in movies), a were-wolf (who can get very hungry), anewspaper editor (who thinks monstersmake for some great headlines), and athrice-divorced reporter, who has un-knowingly been destined since birth to bethe bride of a beast.

In August look for Book of Stones, theconcluding volume to L. Dean James�swell-received trilogy, which also includesSorcerer�s Stone and Kingslayer.

Davi Darynson, the young duke of Gos-ney, desires nothing more in the world

than to attain the powers of magic . . .until the lovely Sandaal D�Lekan arrives atCastlekeep to serve as lady-in-waiting toQueen Jessmyn. But Sandaal has come toserve other, darker purposes, and theduke soon is forced to choose between hislove for the lady and the life of his king.Desperate, he turns for help to the mysticBook of Stones, which offers power andcounsel to some�and death to others.

The fantasy romance Greenfire, byLouise Titchener, is the final TSR Book ofthe year. At her first testing at the sacredpool of her ancestors, the beautiful youngwater goddess Reawen learns she muststeal back the green stone that confirmsher mystical power. She sets off to trickBrone, the ruthless golden-haired rulerwho stole the sacred stone.

Greenfire is filled with action, intrigue,and a mesmerizing battle of wits betweena young woman who isn�t quite humanand a king who must rise above his hu-manity to save his kingdom from hermagic. Titchener�s style resembles that ofMarion Zimmer Bradley and MercedesLackey, and this book is sure to find aneager audience in December.

Top 10 reasons to read TSR®books in 1993:

10. Look for some of your favoriteestablished authors, such as ElaineBergstrom, P. N. Elrod, and SimonHawke, as they venture into TSR fanta-sy worlds for the first time.

9. What a bargain! The average priceof a mass-market sized paperback fromTSR is still less than five dollars.

8. L. Dean James and Mary H. Herbertreturn to the fantasy worlds they madepopular in their earlier TSR novels.

7. Read the climaxes to some of yourfavorite series, such as the DruidhomeTrilogy (FORGOTTEN REALMS novels),the Penhaligon Trilogy (DUNGEONS &DRAGONS books), the Prism Pentad(DARK SUN novels), the Invaders ofCharon Trilogy (XXVc books), and theCloakmaster Cycle (SPELLJAMMERnovels).

6. Your voice has been heard! TheDRAGONLANCE book Leaves from theInn of the Last Home is being reissueddue to popular demand.

5. You can get all the excitement of atrilogy in one volume with the extra-length Prince of Lies, which also fea-tures a color map.

4. Dive into some great new series,including the Villains Series and theDwarven Nations Trilogy (part of theDRAGONLANCE saga), and The Tribe ofOne Trilogy (DARK SUN books).

3. Find out what happens when Big-foot goes to too many drive-in movies.

2. The dark elf Drizzt Do�Urdenreturns in a new hardcover adventure.

1. Dragons, magic, and heroic questshave never looked so good!

If you have any questions on the gamesproduced by TSR, Inc., “Sage Advice” willanswer them. In the United States andCanada, write to: Sage Advice, DRAGON®Magazine, P.O. Box 111, Lake Geneva WI53147, U.S.A. In Europe, write to: SageAdvice, DRAGON Magazine, TSR Ltd., 120Church End, Cherry Hinton, CambridgeCB1 3LB, United Kingdom.

This month, our sage continues to focuson questions about some of TSR’s newerproducts.

Where the heck is Zalchara, theLand of Fate?

Zakhara can be anywhere the DungeonMaster decides to put it. There is no placefor Zakhara on Athas, the world of theDARK SUN™ setting, On Toril, the world ofthe FORGOTTEN REALMS® setting,Zakhara is located south of the Great Seaand west of the southern portions of Kara-Tur. Zakhara has no official location onTSR, Inc.’s other published worlds.

The AL-QADIM� Arabian Adven-tures book says that all races can besha�irs, even dwarves and halflings.What is the level limit for halflings?

I suggest level 10, just like dwarves. Ialso recommend that you also give halflingsha’irs a 20% chance for ability failure,like dwarves have (see Arabian Adven-tures, page 43).

What does a ring of wizardry dofor a sha�ir? How about a pearl ofpower? Would a potion of speed orWallac�s potion of speed casting(1992 Collector card #272) reducethe time needed for a sha�ir�s gen tofind a spell? If not, what sort of itemwould?

A ring of wizardry does nothing for a

76 FEBRUARY 1993

by Skip Williams

sha’ir, as they cannot understand the ring’sworkings, nor use its power. A ring ofwizardry doubles the number of spells awizard can prepare each day, and sha’irsdo not prepare spells daily. They send outtheir gens to look for spells as needed.Even if a sha’ir could understand how touse a ring of wizardry, the sha’ir’s gen stillwould only bring him one spell at a timeand would not depart to search for a newone until the current spell was cast or hadexpired (see Arabian Adventures, pages98-99).

A pearl of power might work for asha’ir, but I recommend against it. Theitem description implies that a pearl’sfunction is based upon a wizard’s dailyspell preparation, insofar as the pearl onlycan recall a spell that was part of thewizards most recent preparation. On theother hand, one could argue that a pearlof power can recall any spell (of the appro-priate level) that the user has memorizedon a given day. The case can be made thata sha’ir has “memorized” a spell when hisgen delivers it, In this case, the pearl canrecall a spell only if the sha’ir has taken“delivery” of a spell of the pearl’s levelduring the day that the pearl is used. Forexample, a sha’ir who owns a pearl ofpower keyed to second-level spells couldnot use it on a given day until his gen hadsuccessfully found and delivered a second.level spell.

Wallac’s potion of speed casting cannotshorten the time a gen requires to locate aspell. I suppose a wish could reduce thetime to whatever the minimum would befor the type of spell being sought. Forexample, a sha’ir could wish that his genwould bring back a “native” sixth-levelspell in seven rounds. Any attempt tobreak the minimum-time requirementusing a wish should not only fail, butshould immediately result in extra-planar

attention for the sha’ir as explained under“The Perils of Priest Spells,” on page 99-even if the gen is not seeking a priest spell.Stern DMs might roll for extra-planarattention whenever a wish is used tospeed spell delivery.

Note that a sha’ir can benefit from Wal-lacks potion of speed casting. Once thesha’ir’s gen has delivered a spell, the sha’irmust follow all the normal rules for spell-casting, including casting time, which canbe reduced by Wallac’s potion of speedcasting.

As “Sage Advice” has pointed out before,potions of speed, haste spells, and similarother magics never shorten a spell’s cast-ing time.

Please explain the use of segmentsin the DARK SUN setting. The wall ofash spell in the Dragon Kings bookuses them. In a previous �Sage Ad-vice� column, you said the currentAD&D® game does not use segments,What gives?

The AD&D 2nd edition game does notuse segments, and the reference to themin the wall of ash psionic enchantmentdescription (Dragon Kings, page 112) is anerror. The spell’s creator probably wasthinking in terms of the original AD&Dgame, where a melee round was brokendown into 10 segments.

Spending a full round in contact with awall of ash causes 10d10 hp; getting awayfrom the stuff in less than a full roundreduces the damage. The easiest way tokeep track of this damage is to use thestandard initiative system from the cur-rent game. For example, Prythony the mulgladiator loses a wrestling match with anopposing half-giant and gets pinned in awall of ash. If the half-giant’s attack cameon an initiative number of “7,” Prythonyprobably will spend the rest of the round

in the ash, and will suffer 3d10 points ofdamage, one die on each remaining initia-tive number (8, 9, and 10). If Prythonyrolls free during the next round aftergetting an adjusted initiative of “4,” he’llsuffer another 4d10 points of damage.Undoubtedly, things are going to be a lotmore complex than this if wall of ashactually get used in play. However, the DMis going to have to be prepared to dealwith such things as they arise—that’s oneconsequence of running a campaignwhere characters have access to magic aspowerful as wall of ash.

Issue #185 of DRAGON® Magazineincluded a Monstrous Compendiumsheet for a DARK SUN setting crea-ture called the baazrag. The sheetdescribes a shy, weak creature thatcan be kept as a pet or to catch ver-min. In contrast, the novel The Ver-dant Passage presents the baazragas a gladiatorial beast that is �400pounds of fur and muscle.� Can youset things straight?

My researches into this question yieldedtwo possible answers. One, the baazrag(pronounced BAAZ-rag) is indeed a pint-sized, timid creature, while the baazrag(pronounced baas-RAG) is a much rarer,ferocious giant, An inexplicable linguisticquirk gave both creatures similar names,(Hey! Don’t look at me like that, that’s

what someone in the know told me!) Two,a normal baazrag is small and generallyinoffensive, but some institution or indi-vidual who breeds and trains domesticatedbaazrags managed to, at least once, pro-duce a 400-pound mutant specimen withthe nasty disposition that’s particularlywell suited for ripping gladiators toshreds.

The Tales of the Lance boxed setsays tinker gnomes get one non-weapon proficiency slot for everytwo levels and one weapon profi-ciency slot every 10 levels. However,the DRAGONLANCE® MonstrousCompendium says they get oneweapon proficiency and three non-weapon proficiencies every twolevels. Which is correct?

With the arrival of Tales of the Lance,tinker gnomes get fewer proficienciesoverall and fewer weapon proficiencies(see World Book of Ansalon, page 94). TheMonstrous Compendium and the earlierDRAGONLANCE Adventures hardback arenot necessarily wrong, but the newerboxed set has changed the rules to maketinkers a lot less warlike and generally lesscompetent.

How much damage does the ken-der sashik do? Page 73 of the WorldBook of Ansalon lists the damage as

1d8 + 1/1d10 + 1, but the Tales of theLance DM�s screen lists the damage1d6 + 1/1d4 + 1. Also, what do thevarious �weapon type� codes on theDM�s screen mean? They don�tmatch the types listed on weaponstable in the Player�s Handbook.

The damage listed for the sashik in theDM’s screen is correct. The listing on page73 is a typo.

The weapons table on the DM’s screendoes use the same weapon types as thePH; they’re just formatted differently fromthe listings as they are presented on pages68 and 69 of the PH. For example, thesashik is listed as type SB; this indicatesthat the weapon can do both Slashingdamage (because it can be fitted withhooks) and Bludgeoning damage. In the PHformat, this would be listed as type S/B.

I�m having some difficulty under-standing what spells and powersthe gods of Krynn grant theirpriests: Mishakals entry nameseight spheres of spells that shegrants plus the spells prayer andremove/bestow curse. What do thesetwo �plus� spells mean? How andwhen are the �powers per level�granted? One of the powers Kiri-Jolith grants is a +1 bonus to at-tacks on evil creatures; is thisgranted once a day or as many times

as the cleric wishes?The �plus� spells in each deity�s list are

spells the deity grants to his clerics eventhough they are not included among thespells covered by the deity�s spheres. Forexample, Mishakal grants prayer from theCombat sphere and remove/bestow cursefrom the Protection sphere even thoughshe does not grant other spells from thesetwo spheres. �Plus� spells must be prayedfor and memorized just like any otherclerical spell.

The �powers per level� appear aftereach deity�s name. Nonspell-like powers,such as bonuses to saving throws or attackrolls, are continuous and function when-ever they are applicable. For example apriest of Kiri-Jolith always gets a +1 bo-nus to attacks vs. evil creatures.

Spell-like powers are granted once a day.These powers function just like the spellsthey are named after except that the clericneed not pray or meditate to get them�they are automatically granted each day.Each power�s casting time is the same asthe spell. If an effect�s range, duration, etc.varies with the caster�s level, use thepriest�s actual level to adjudicate the effect.For example, if a 10th-level priest of Ma-jere uses the granted power silence 15�radius, the effect lasts 20 rounds. Unfortu-nately, this information is incomplete;what is missing are the numbers thatindicate what level a priest has to reach tobe granted the power. Here are the com-plete �powers per level� entries, courtesyof two Tales of the Lance designers,Harold Johnson and John Terra:

Paladine: 2) know alignment, 5) flamestrike. TU: turn.

Mishakal: 2) animal friendship, bless/curse, endure cold/heat, resist fire/cold; 5)chant, silence 15� radius; 7) stone shape,water walk; 9) holy word; TU: turn.

Majere: Once a day, a priest of Majerecan cast his medallion of faith on theground, where it becomes a giant hornetthat will defend the priest; 5) giant insect;7) repel insects, insect plague; 9) creepingdoom; TU: nil.

Kiri-Jolith: All priests of Kiri-Jolith re-ceive a +1 on attacks against all evil oppo-nents; 1) detect snares and pits; 2) findtraps, heat/chill metal; 4) magical vest-ment; 6) cloak of bravery; 8) quest; 9)heroes� feast; TU: turn.

Habbakuk: 3) create food and water; 5)commune with nature 7) heroes� feast,speak with animals, forbiddance, conjureanimal. TU: nil.

Branchala: All clerics of Branchala gain +2on any artistic proficiency; 1) detect snaresand pits; 2) slow poison; 3) create food andwater, neutralize poison; 8) quest; 9) aerialservant, heroes� feast; TU: nil,

Solinari: All clerics of Solinari gain a +2bonus against any magical attack; TU: nil.

Takhisis: 2) detect good, spiritual ham-mer; 4) create food and water; 5) flamestrike; 9) unholy word; TU: command.

Sargonnas: All priests of Sargonnas get a+2 to saving throws, attack rolls, and

78 FEBRUARY 1993

morale when they are on a mission ofvengeance; 6) protection from fire; 9)animate object; TU: turn.

Morgion: 5) create food and water; TU:command.

Chemosh: All priests of Chemosh gain a+2 on their undead command attempts,They also can recognize all forms of un-dead on sight; 9) animate object; TU:command.

Zeboim: TU: command.Hiddukel: TU: command.Nuitari: All priests of Nuitari gain a +2

bonus against any magical attack; TU: nil.Gilean: All priests of Gilean gain a bonus

of +1 on any nonweapon proficiencycheck, they also receive one bonus non-weapon proficiency per level of experi-ence; 1) speak with animals; 3) messenger;TU: turn.

Sirrion: All priests of Sirrion gain abonus of +1 per die of damage for fire-based spells; 2) +1 to saves vs. fire; 4)fireball; 6) flame strike; TU: nil.

Reorx: All priests of Reorx gain a +2 onany nonweapon craft proficiency; TU:turn creatures of darkness and shadow.

Chislev: TU: nil.Zivilyn: TU: turn.Shinare: All priests of Shinare get +1 XP

per 10 stl of treasure earned/acquired; 3)locate/obscure object; TU: nil.

Lunitari: All clerics of Lunitari gain a +2bonus against any magical attack; TU: nil.

The number immediately preceding thename of a spell-like power indicates thelevel at which to power is first granted tothe priest. If there is no number proceed-ing the power, any priest of the deity canuse it. All granted powers are cumulative.For example, a 6th-level priest of Paladinecan use know alignment and flame strikeonce a day and can turn undead as a 6th-level cleric.

What creatures can priests ofReorx turn with their ability to turn�creatures of darkness andshadow�? Why do priests of the evildeity, Sargonnas, gain the ability toturn undead? Isn�t this a misprint?

Priests of Reorx can turn any creaturewith the ability to drain ability scores orlife energy, whether they are undead ornot. For example, a priest of Reorx has nopower over undead such as skeletons orghosts because they have no drainingability (the ghost�s aging attack is not adraining attack). However, priests of Reorxcan turn undead such as wights orshadows because these undead can drainlife energy or ability scores. Likewise,priests of Reorx can turn non-undeadcreatures such as fetch, which have adraining attack. Priests of Reorx use table61 from the PH (page 103) to resolve turn-ing attempts, If a creature is not listed onthe table, use the line from the table thatshows the creature�s hit dice.

Priests of Sargonnas do turn undead.Since the ability to turn undead allowspriests and clerics to blast many types of

undead to dust, the Tales of the Lancedesigners felt that this would be an appro-priate ability for priests of Sargonnas,Krynn�s deity of fiery destruction.

The dates given for the delving ofKal-Thax on page 59 of the WorldBook of Ansalon contradict thedates given on page 5, in the �Riverof Time� section. Which are correct?

The �River of Time� dates, 3100-2900 PC,are the correct ones.

According to the note on page 86of Tales of the Lance, a sword knightof Solamnia gets spells by meditat-ing half-an-hour for each level ofspell, but can meditate for spellsonly six hours a day. At that rate, nosword knight above 11th level canget a full complement of spells inone day. Is this a mistake? Whatspheres can sword knights use?

There�s no mistake. Actually, it takeseven longer for a high-level sword knightto gain a full complement of spells thanyou think. Check out the text on swordknights on page 85. Not only can a swordknight meditate for spells only six hours aday, he can only meditate for spells oneday a week. Sword knights can have largereserves of spells if they need them, butthey are not priests and do not have easyaccess to spells.

Sword knights are granted spells fromthe same spheres as priests of Kiri-Jolith(see page 86), but they do not get thepriests� granted powers.

On page 116 of DRAGON issue#174, there is a photo of a displacer-beast miniature with four legs. Now,the cover of the Monstrous Compen-dium Volume One shows a displacerbeast with six legs. However, theartwork in the displacer beast entryin the same volume shows the crea-ture with four legs, while the text inthe entry says a displacer beast hassix legs. Well, which is it�four legsor six?

The DM has final say on this matter, notthat it really makes any difference;�displacer beasts can get around on fourlegs at least as well as they can on six.Nevertheless, the text in the MonstrousCompendium is the official and definitiveauthority on this matter, so displacerbeasts officially have six legs, not four. Isuspect that the both the artist who didthe Monstrous Compendium cover paint-ing and the designer who wrote the textlooked at the displacer beast illustration inthe original Monster Manual that showedthe creature with six legs. The interiorartist for the Monstrous Compendiumprobably didn�t read the text before finish-ing the art, and the figure sculptor proba-bly worked from the interior illustrationand presumably didn�t read the texteither.

Since the FORGOTTEN REALMS® settingfirst appeared in the pages of this maga-zine (long before it was unleashed in printas a full-blown campaign world), readershave been asking for details of Waterdeep,the fabled City of Splendors. We�ve tried tocomply but have been hampered by twothings: First, it�s a big place, with a lot oflives, deeds, and details to be covered; andsecond, Elminster likes less-crowded lo-cales.

�When I walk, I occasionally like to see atree or a blade of grass,� he said with someasperity, when I questioned him about it.�Oh, I drank at many a Waterdhaviantavern in my younger days�four hundredwinters back and more�but it was asmaller, wilder, happier place then I try toavoid it these days�how d�ye think ye�dfeel, if every laughing lass ye rememberhas been bones and dust long years past,and all the places ye liked gone?�

Point taken; we all miss places that havechanged since we were young, swallowedup in the endless rush of progress Ithought for a bit, then asked Elminster ifhe�d recommend anyone else as a guide toWaterdeep. He fixed me with a cold eyeand said Khelben, Laeral, Mirt, andDurnan were all too busy for such foolish-ness, and he�d trust none else as guides tothe Waterdeep of today.

I remembered something he�d said aboutVolo (back when Jeff Grubb was assem-

bling the bits and pieces of Realmslore forthe FORGOTTEN REALMS® Adventuressourcebook), then asked if the far-traveledVolo could be persuaded to be my guide.Elminster snorted, and said I�d have trou-ble stopping him, not persuading him, butI should not trust a word that came out ofhis mouth or pen. Summoning all my basecunning (and the aid of home cooking), Isuggested Elminster contact Volo�andafter the traveler handed us a manuscript,El would provide corrections behind hisback, so to speak.

Surprisingly, the Old Mage agreed, andthe result is Volo�s Guide to Waterdeep(TSR Product #9379). When he read themany parchment rolls Volo gave him,Elminster told me not to throw away thesourcebook we�d compiled together (FR1Waterdeep and the North) quite yet�andadded that Volo was a �young fop, who�llhave to be lucky indeed to see sufficientseasons to gather enough wits to becomean old fool.� He did arrange for me to meetwith Volo, however.

When I told Volo what the Old Mage hadsaid about him, he merely inclined hishead, raised a glass of sparkling Waterdha-vian blue wine, stared into it thoughtfully,and said, �He sounds like my mother. Iwonder if they�re related?�

I saw what Elminster meant about Volobeing foolish and foppish, but he alsopossesses a keen eye and an endless en-

thusiasm for seeing new places and things.I asked him to tell folk why they shouldbuy his guidebook. Here, twisted intounderstandable English, is the result. Thewords that follow are Volo�s, more or less.

Volothamp Geddarm at your service,gentlefolk. Well met, and fair the weather.I�ve been places and seen things, and myguide will tell you all the first-time traveler needs to know about Waterdeep. Oh,there�s plenty I had to leave out, and it�dtake me 10 years more to learn even halfof what the City of Splendors has to offer.I�ve learned some very interesting thingssince I finished the guide, too�but moreabout them later. Hmm, excellent wine,this�just one of the little-known thingsthat awaits in Waterdeep.

I suppose I should sell some books. Well,want to know how the Three Pearls Nightclub got its name? What it feels like, todance in the Moon Sphere? What tavernsin Waterdeep to stay out of�unless youwant to get into a fight or dabble in shadybusiness? You�ll find it all in my guide,along with a whisper or two about wherethe halflings hang out, where the folk arehandsomest, which inns are the mostexpensive�and which are the best.

My handy numerical system rates innsby the bed and taverns by the tankard�and awards daggers to alleyways accord-ing to how dangerous they are. Shops andother, less-wholesome establishments andlocal sights are extensively covered, too,though rating systems would not be ap-propriate, given the differing tastes oftravelers A differing number of coins nextthe each entry indicates the relative ex-pense of availing oneself of its goods orservices.

I tell you something of Waterdeep�s mostfamous hauntings, too, and where cursesor monsters are most likely to lurk Wantto know how Jester�s Court and SighingMaiden�s Walk got their names? Whereyou can rent a luxurious villa that mostWaterdhavians have never seen, secludedand yet mere steps away from the bustlingheart of the city? Want to know whichnoble houses give the best parties (that anoutsider can get invited to, or arrive unin-vited at�and expect to leave alive)? It�s allin my guide and, as they say much more.

I spent some time in Waterdeep after Ifinished the guide, preparing for my nextproject (more on that later), and learnedsome of the daily delights of the city. Don�tmiss the hot cheese-and-bacon tarts servedevery morning by Mother Jatha (hershop�s in Dock Ward, on Shrimp Alley justacross from the mouth of Pressbow Lane)!A copper each, and a greasy but heavenlymeal to start the day. If you wait until it�sdaylight, you won�t have to shove for aplace in line among the dockworkers. Rutdon�t tarry too long�by highsun, they�reall gone, and she then bakes only thesweet tarts Waterdeep is famous for (theones my friend, Aurora, sells in her WholeRealms Catalog� highly recommended, by

DRAGON 81

the way).I�ve also found skewers of smoked flat-

fish and eel sold from street braziers inDock Ward to be delicious (two copperseach). The vendor at the corner of Wharfand Spices Streets makes particularlygenerous ones.

One morning when I was up in SeaWard visiting temples, I found a new shophad just opened on the northeast cornerof Westwall Street and Grimwald�s Way:Velatha�s Delights. Velatha is a short, elvenwoman with white hair that sweeps theground behind her as she walks, and(though her dresses make it hard to besure) I think she has a white tail and amane of hair down her back, too! What-ever her ancestry, she makes griddle-cakesdripping with butter and laden withcream, as well as cold rolls to be carriedaway and eaten later: cylindrical pastriesstuffed with chopped nuts and berries.I�ve enjoyed many cups of hot mulled ciderthere (two coppers each) with my cakes(one silver for a heaping plate, and all theextra servings you want, with free cinna-mon rolls on the sideboard). The cold rollsare a copper each�a bit pricey, but theykeep their tart flavor after a day riding inone�s hip pouch in the city streets, andthat�s worth a little extra.

Please don�t get the idea that all I�vethought about is my gullet these past fewrides. No, I�m preparing for a journey that

may be long and dangerous indeed. Yes, I�lltell you all about it later. I�ve found a hid-den place of great interest to adventurers,called the Silent Shield. Well, actually, afriend of mine showed it to me, becauseI�d never have found it by myself (becauseof her profession, I can identify this friendonly as �Lady Rogue�). It�s in North Ward,on the south side of Horn Street, fourbuildings east of its meeting with TowerMarch.

The Silent Shield is named for its secre-cy. It offers secure, private storage ofitems or folk who are trying to hide, in-cluding adventurers or their diseased,sick, wounded, or dead companions.(Corpses are kept on ice. The others aretended carefully by the proprietors.) Theydon�t offer shelter to obviously monstrousbeings (�We don�t do mind flayers�drow,maybe,� one of the owners told me), but alot of human adventurers owe their livesto this establishment.

Two sisters, Sambryn and AnsilvraWynkwinter, run the Silent Shield and rulea staff of grizzled ex-adventurers of vari-ous races, classes, and ages. The sistersare in turn watched over and advised by afamily ghost: the spirit of their great-grandfather, Feldrin Wynkwinter. Feldrin(a warrior and adventurer in life, I�m told)spies on clients and those who approachthe Shield, and has been known to attackwould-be thieves. He�s especially fond of

appearing suddenly in front of intrudersclimbing onto the roof, to startle them intofalling to the street below!

The Shield also procures gear for adven-turers who want to stay hidden, and cansharpen swords and repair armor withgreat speed (usually within the day for thelatter, and within the hour for the former).Prices are high and must be paid up front.Expect a day�meals and drink included�without any errands to cost 10 gp for ahealthy, hiding adventurer, and 20 gp forone who must be tended. There are extracharges for errands or services, and fordealing with contagious or dangerousclients. Service is quick and unfailinglydiscreet.

There�s another thing I�d better tell youabout the Shield: It�s home to some sort ofbeing-a monster, or undead, or a curse,or magical being (I haven�t been able tofind out its origin) called the FloatingHelm. The Helm is just that: an old, heavyhelm that can fly, of the sort worn byhuman knights twice as tall and four timesas wide and heavy as me. It drifts about,quite empty, roaming the rooms and ex-tensive cellars of the Shield (and thestreets nearby at night, as well as thesewer connections to the Shield cellars atall times of night or day), and it is a formi-dable opponent. It bangs against metalthings to sound alarms, can ram intruders,and has the ability to telekinese metalobjects near it, using these as missilesagainst intruders. Watch your step.

Umm, the wine�s about gone, and I�vetalked enough. Ah, I promised to tell youof my next project, that long and danger-ous journey I spoke of. Well, I plan towrite another guide, and accordingly I�llsoon be leaving on a tour of the SwordCoast North, where good inns may becrucial to survival, not merely sources ofcomfort to the weary traveler. Everlund,Silverymoon, Neverwinter�grand placesall, I�ve been told. See you there!

Campaign notesThe Floating Helm: INT 16; AL LN;

AC 2; MV Fl 14 (A); HD 4 + 12; hp 44;THAC0 17; #AT 2 (ram); Dmg 1d4 + 1 × 2;SA telekinese metal: 20� spherical range,can�t tear free held objects, but can slowMV by 2 for armored beings, cause metalor largely metal weapons to be wielded at-1 on attack rolls, and can hurl oneweapon for their normal damage perround, in addition to the Helm�s own ram-ming attacks (small metal tools and objectsdo 1d4 missile damage, and larger ones do1d6 or 1d8, up to an upper lifting limit ofchair-sized or man-sized metal assemblies);SD magic missiles and all lightning attacksheal the Helm by their usual damage,rather than harming it, and the Helm has90� infravision; MR 76% (0% against magicmissiles and electrical magic); SZ S(human-sized helm); ML 20; XP 3,000.

82 FEBRUARY 1993

Musical and magical instruments for the AL-QADIM� setting

by Jeff Grubb

Artwork by Steve Beck

We were in the garden, exchanging talesin the shadow of the large storm bell. Ihad just said, �And the rawun played uponher qanun as she spun the story�� when

I had to confess that there might be, butthey were unknown to me.

�Ah,� said my companion, �then listenand be made wise in this matter,� and

my companion interrupted. proceeded to tell me this which I now tell�It is interesting,� said my companion,

�that your bards always use the qanun.Are there no other instruments in theLand of Fate?�

you, both of historical instruments of theMiddle East, and those unique to the Landof Fate.

Stringed instrumentsThe Zakharan equivalent of the guitar or

lute is the buzuq, an instrument withmetallic strings and a long fretted neck.The buzuq is found throughout the south-ern Land of Fate, and with the �ud and theqanun is the instrument of choice of wan-dering bards.

The jawzah is a spike-fiddle with fourstrings, played with a bow made of horse-hair. The soundbox of the jawzah is ahollowed coconut, and as such the instru-ment is most common among sailors of theGolden Gulf and their ports of call.

The rababah is the string instrument ofchoice of the al-Badia, the desert tribes-men. The instrument consists of a rectan-gular frame covered with horse or goathide. From this soundbox rises a thinneck, upon which a single string is at-tached to a moveable post. The post ismoved as the string is played with a horse-hair bow. The resulting music is the melo-dious, continuous drone familiar toArabian music.

The qanun is the zither of the Land ofFate, a trapezoidal box with 24 to 36courses, each course consisting of threewound strings made of gut, or for themost valuable types, magically strength-ened silk. These strings are not strummed;the performer uses a set of hooked ringsworn on each thumb and index finger topluck the strings. The qanun is a large,fairly portable instrument and is used inthe bazaars and suqs throughout the Landof Fate.

The santur is a hammer dulcimer, simi-lar in appearance to the qanun. However,the santur uses single strings made of

84 FEBRUARY 1993

metal instead of triple-stringed courses,and is played with metal hammers asopposed to being plucked. The santur ismost popular within the Pearl Cities, andfor that reason, if no other, its use isfrowned upon within the Pantheon Lands.

The �ud is found throughout the BurningWorld, characterized by its pear-shapedbody and thick, fretless neck. The com-mon �ud has five doubled strings, thoughthose found along the Free Cities have asixth string located above the normal five.

It is played with a pick made of horn orthe shaft of an eagle or roc feather. The�ud is similar to the guitar, and as such, is afavorite among wandering bards. Thosemade in the land of the Crowded Sea havetheir bodies fashioned from the shells ofgreat turtles, but in general they are madeof hard wood giving the instrument ahearty timbre. The �ud is sometimes calledamir al-tarab or �the prince of enchant-ment� for its rich tone.

Wind instrumentsThe nafir is a long metal trumpet, used

primarily along the northern coast and theFree Cities as a signalling device. Themamluks of Qudra make extensive use ofthis device for sending orders into thefield. It is less common in the south.

The mijayrah is a simple reed recorder,easily crafted and used by both townsmenand the al-Badia of the desert. It has alimited range but a breathy, ornate tone.The performer often hums while playingthe nafir.

The mitbiq is a double-clarinet consistingof two reed tubes, each fitted with asmaller tube slit along its length to vibrateand produce the tone. The mitbiq isplayed using circular breathing to producea continuous tone.

The mizwid is the Zakharan equivalentof the bagpipe, a double-reeded clarinetattached to a large hide bag. Its namemeans �food pouch,� and it may havedescended from this common item. Themizwid produces a continuous, droningsound against which the main melody isplayed on the holes of the flute-like tube.

The nay is an arabian flute made ofdried and shellacked reed and other thin,tough grasses. The performer blowsacross the opening, while finger-holesalong the length provide a range of twooctaves. The nay produces a breathy,expressive tone and is called in the majorcities amir al-harab, �the prince of the wildwastes.� In reality, it is almost totally aninstrument used by the city-dwelling al-Hadhar, though its ghostly, windlike sounddoes create the feeling of the open desert.

Percussion instrumentsThe darbukkah is a vase-shaped drum,

wider at the top and base, usually two-feethigh. The performer sits or kneels beforethe drum to use it, but there are greatdarbukkah used in the Ruined Kingdomsand the Isle of the Elephant which are upto 4� tall and either used by standing

drummers or mounted on the side ofelephants in the fashion of elephantdrums. Darbukkah are usually carved ofhard wood such as mahogany, intricatelyfashioned by master craftsmen, and thedrums� heads are made of the tanned skinsof jungle creatures.

Elephant drums are even larger dar-bukkah, up to 6� high, which are mountedin pairs on the sides of elephants (or occa-sionally camels) and struck with largemallets. Used with large military units, theelephant drums are best known for theiruse in the parades of the Mad Caliph ofthe Isle of the Elephant.

On a smaller scale, the jahlah is a claypot played with both hands, or filled withsmall stones and used as rattle. The jahlahis used by fishermen and pearl divers inthe southeastern Land of Fate, as it madewith easily obtained materials.

The naqqarah is a small drum worn atthe side, held by a thong running over theshoulder. It is made of fired clay with ahide head, and played with sticks. Thenaqqarah is used by messengers and criersof small businesses.

The qaraqib are a set of metal clackersused by dancers in the same manner ascastanets. Two sets are worn on eachhand. A scurrilous rumor says that somefellowships of holy slayers can communi-cate information to their minions by therhythms of these clackers. Whether it istrue or not is unknown, but their use isforbidden within the Pantheon cities.

The qas�ah baladi are large kettle-drumsmade of fired and glazed clay and coveredwith resilient hides, and in some casesmetal hammered to its ultimate thinness.They are used in the north by the mam-

luks of the Free Cities, and occasionally inlarger cities such as Hiyal and Huzuz tofanfare important announcements. Theyare not portable.

The riqq is the familiar tambourineadorned with metal plates, sajat (q.v.), orbells to accentuate its use. The riqq isoften used by dancers to set their owntempos. A smaller version, know as thedaff is used by the tribesmen of the Fur-rowed Mountains.

The sajat are a set of finger-tambourinesused by dancers to accentuate their move-ments. A dancer using a larger ensembleas accompaniment will use the sajat orriqq to set the tempo.

Storm bells and storm gongs are thelargest instruments in the Land of Fate.They are large metal cylinders or platesthat are struck with great force by cloth-bound slabs of wood. The smallest can becarried in a cart drawn by a team of oxen;the largest are permanent fixtures. Stormbells are used as fanfares to gather peoplefor pronouncements in the larger cities,but their true purpose is in the settledoases of the desert. The sound of the bellscarries for miles, even in high winds, andcan be used for guidance by travelerscaught in desert sandstorms. Similar bellsand gongs have been positioned alongdangerous reefs, to be rung to warn sail-ors of their peril.

The tabl is a small double-sided drumused throughout the Land of Fate and isplayed with cloth-covered sticks or withbare hands. Each side is covered withhorsehide or goatskin, but the hides ofmore exotic beasts are sometimes used.Among the pearl fishermen of the PearlCities these drums are called mirwas.

DRAGON 85

Large double-sided drums are known astabl baladi.

How instruments are usedThe traditional rawun or storyteller

favors those instruments that allow her tokeep her mouth free to import words ofwisdom and stirring tales to the masses.For this reason, the stringed instrumentssuch as the buzuq, the qanun, and the �udare preferred by wandering bards. Amongthose that come from the desert tribes, therababah is the most common instrumentof choice.

More prosperous (and more settled)storytellers may gather together an or-chestra as back-up to their tales. Thisgroup is known as a takht, meaning �plat-form,� referring to the raised level theplayers are seated upon. Usually the �ud,the qanun, the riqq, the nay, and a spikerababah are used in these groups.

Dancers and acrobatic performers pre-fer percussion instruments, and favor thesajat, riqq, or the qaraqib (usually playedby the dancer). For more successfuldancers, a wind instrument such as thenay would be used, but in these cases thedancer would still set the rhythm usingpercussion instruments.

Lastly, there is much music in the Landof Fate that relies on no instrumentationbeyond the human voice and hands. Cho-ral chanting is common throughout thearea and is particularly popular in thePantheon Cities. Song and intricate hand-clapping can be found throughout theHigh Desert and enjoys a popular follow-ing even in the larger cities.

Music is considered a worthy professionthroughout the Land of Fate, and musi-cians are often members of a professional

guild, or tawa�if, in their native cities. Notethat not all musicians are bards and viceversa, either in the Land of Fate or in thebarbarian lands beyond it. In older times,male musicians often played for maleaudiences, and female musicians for wom-en in the harim, but with the passage oftime these lines have blurred. Indeed, thefourth Grand Caliph filled his harim withwomen judged on the beauty of theirvoices as well as their courtly manners,and this gathering of enslaved singers,known throughout the land as the Qaynat,is legendary as to its beauty, neverachieved since.

My companion finished the tale there inthe garden in the shadow of the stormbell, and I was made wise in the nature ofthe music of the Burning World ofZakhara. �But surely,� I said, �were thereall these wondrous instruments, theremust be magical variants of them.�

My companion nodded in agreement,and said, �Most wondrous magic there isin the Land of Fate. Listen again and bemade wise, for these are the instrumentsof the jann.�

Instruments of the jannThe instruments of the jann are a collec-

tion of wondrous items that are said tohave been crafted by the various genies ofthe Inner Planes to commemorate theascension of the jann chieftain of the HighDesert. With each new jann chief, each ofthe genie peoples sets its craftsmen towork to produce a full takht of magicalinstruments��ud, nay, rababah, qanun,and riqq. The genies (or their mortalagents) attempt great quests to gather theneeded materials for the instruments.

This takht is performed for the chiefs

ascension by the finest mortal musicians,recruited (voluntarily or not) fromthroughout the Land of Fate. The musicperformed is said to be so wondrous thatthe mortals who perform it and hear it arerendered deaf for the next 10 years fortheir troubles (saving throw vs. spellsapplicable). The genies reward those whoperform with great treasures�gems andjewelry worth 10-60,000 gp value, andleave them in the desert to find their ownway home. The instruments are kept bythe ruling amir of the High Desert until hisdeath. Then the instruments are scatteredto the four winds, as custom demands.Though the amirs of the jann rule longerthan their mortal counterparts, they havebeen ruling their people longer, and it isestimated that there are 20-40 sets of theseinstruments scattered throughout theLand of Fate.

The nay of the djinn: The nay providedby the djinn of the plane of elemental Airlooks like any other reed flute. However,the reeds are metallic, the perfect speci-mens of a gold-bearing plant that onlysurvives in the terrible mountains of theYak-Men. Many brave djinn (and manymore of their mortal agents) lost their livesrecovering these wondrous metallicplants, called golden wands in the vernac-ular.

The nay of the djinn allows the player tocast an enthrall spell, as the second-levelpriest spell of the same name. Duration isas long as the nay is played, but the spellends when the player stops or is interrupt-ed. The nay may be used in this manneronce per day, twice per day if the user is abard (rawun kit or otherwise).

A bard also may use the nay to �whistleup the wind�: to summon an air elementalof 8 HD, as the fifth-level spell conjureelemental, once per week. The elementalis under the control of the user for as longas the nay is played, but if the music isinterrupted, the elemental will return toits home plane and not attack its formercontroller.

The riqq of the efreet: The riqq of theefreet is a tambourine of unbreakablesteel. Its cymbals are made of crushedcoins from the ruined empires of Nog andKadar, and its surface is wrapped with thehide of a white camel. These are forged inthe heart of a volcano to produce thereddish riqq, and terrible runes are paint-ed in the inside the tambourine�s head.

The riqq of the efreet allows the playerto cast hold person, as the second-levelpriest spell, by flashing the runes on theinside of the tambourine at the target(s).This may be done once per day, twice perday if it is used by a bard.

A bard also may use the riqq to �fan theflames�: to summon a fire elemental of8 HD, as above, once per week. The ele-mental is under the control of the user foras long as the riqq is played, and if themusic stopped or interrupted, the elemen-tal will return to the plane of elementalFire and not attack its former controller. A

large amount of fire (such as bonfire) isrequired to use this ability.

The �ud of the marids: The �ud of themarids is solid white, its hardwood surfac-es covered with thin, ornate carvings ofpearl. The soundbox itself is made of asingle great pearl, harvested from thelargest clam in the deepest part of theCrowded Sea. The marids do not risk theirown lives in these endeavors, but insteadavail themselves of lesser beings to recov-er the pearls.

The �ud of the marids allows the bard tocast a powerful charm person spell, as thefirst-level wizard spell, with a -4 penaltyon all saving throws against the spell. Thisspell may be cast once per day, twice perday if the �ud is used by a bard.

A bard, regardless of kit or origin, mayuse the �ud to �raise the waters�: to sum-mon a water elemental of 8 HD, as above,once per week. A suitable amount of wa-ter, such as a river or lake, must be availa-ble to use this ability. The elemental isunder total control of the �ud player, and ifthe �ud player stops, the elemental willreturn to its native plane without harmingthe bard.

The rababah of the dao: The rababah ofthe dao is constructed of the finest materi-als. Its bow is made of the hair of thefastest horse in the High Desert, and thecircular soundbox is made of the skull of agreat roc.

The rababah of the dao allows its user tocast an entangle spell, as the first-levelpriest spell of the same name. This oper-ates against any target on sand or soft soilas opposed to those near grass and vines,but the effects of the spell are the same.This spell may be cast once per day, twiceper day if the rababah is used by a bard.

A bard also may use the rababah of thedao to �shift the earth�: to call into beingan earth elemental of 8 HD, as above, onceper week. The elemental is under the fullcontrol of rababah player, such that if themusician stops or is interrupted, the ele-mental will return to its native plane with-out attacking the bard.

LOOKING FORMORE GAMERS?

The qanun of the spirits: The qanun ismade of the finest mahogany broughtfrom the Isle of the Elephant. Its stringsare said to be made of solidified light,though others, report they are made ofspun gold, hardened and tightened to thebreaking point. Its picks are carved from asingle emerald gem.

The qanun of the spirits is the mostpowerful of the five instruments of thejann. When the qanun is played, the play-er has the effect of the fire truth, the first-level wizard spell. Instead of fire, the truthof the speaker�s words is determined bythe sweetness of the instrument�s tone.Untrue statements create sour notes. Thespell may be used once per day, twice ifthe player is a bard.

A bard also may use the qanun to �callthe ancestors�: to speak with dead as thethird-level priest spell, and to animate

dead (as the second-level priest spell), bothas if the bard were a 20th- level priest.Each of these abilities may be performedonce per week, and the qanun is neededonly to cast the spell-like abilities, not tomaintain control or contact.

The takht of the jann: Each of the instru-ments of the jann is mildly powerful in itsown right, but brought together into asingle orchestra, they prove to be an ex-tremely powerful magical combination. Ifa takht of bards (rawun or otherwise) allwield the instruments of the jann underthe direction of a single sha�ir, the takhtmay summon into this plane an army ofgenies. There will be four units of genies,one of each of the four elemental genieraces, and each under the command of anoble genie of the proper race�marid,dao, efreet, and djinn. Each unit will con-sist of one hundred members of the re-spective race. It takes an hour for all thetroops to arrive and assemble, and if any-thing interrupts the summoning players,the spell fails and those that have arrivedwill not be under any control (and likelywill be irritated at the sha�ir as well).

If the summoning is successful, thesegenies will be under the command of thesha�ir directing the takht, and will remainso for an hour and a day (25 hours). Dur-ing this time they will build, move, andattack at the whim of this sha�ir. They willeven fight other genies if so instructed by

Pronunciation guideAmir al-Harab ah-MEER al hah-

RAHBAmir al-Tarab ah-MEER al tah-

RAHBBuzuq buh-ZOOQDaff DAHFDarbukkah dar-BOOK-kahJahlah jah-LAHJawzah jauh-ZAHMijayrah mih-JAY-rahMirwas MEER-wazMitbiq miht-BEEQMizwid mihz-WEEDNafir nah-FEERNaqqarah nah-KAR-rahNay NAYQanun qah-NOONQaraqib kah-rah-KEEBQas�ah Baladi KAH-sah bah-LAH-

deeQaynat KAY-nahtRababah rah-BAH-bahRawun rah-OONRiqq REEKSajat sah-JAHTSantur SAHN-toorTabl Baladi TAB-leh bah-LAH-

deeTabl TAB-lehTakht TAH-ktTawa�if tah-WAH-EEF�Ud OOD

the sha�ir. After their time of servitudeends, they will return to their own plane,and will not harm or act against that par-ticular sha�ir for the next 101 years.

This is an incredible amount of power toplace at the disposal of a single individual,and a complete set of instruments is onlyheld in the hands of the living Amir of theHigh Desert. There are stories that a fullset has also been collected and is in thehands of the Grand Caliph, but this isunsubstantiated. The genies are veryaware of the potential of mortals whoacquire a full set, and as such, all genieservitors (including gen and the like) arecontinually on the lookout for individualsattempting to assemble a full collection ofthe instruments. Clever fakes, mysteriousrobberies, and even disappearances ofcollectors have been reported in legendand tales of those attempting to recreatethe takht of the jann.

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

88 FEBRUARY 1993

A dozen new horned species from the world over

One way to increase the number andrange of new creatures in a fantasy cam-paign world without having to invententirely new (and sometimes unbelievable)monsters is to develop new versions of anexisting monster, giving each one powersnot shared by similar species. In this arti-cle, unicorns�among the most popular ofall fantasy creatures�are so expanded forthe AD&D® game.

The AD&D Monstrous Compendiumentry for the unicorn should be consultedbriefly before reading through this materi-al, to see how the basic creature wasdeveloped here into 12 new strains. Aunicorn, as most gamers know, appears tobe a white horse with cloven hooves, asingle ivory-colored horn (2�-3� long) grow-ing from its forehead, and, on males, awhite beard. For our purpose, the �regular� unicorn is here called a sylvan uni-corn. All unicorns, including thosedescribed here unless otherwise noted,have the following attributes:

A unicorn can sense enemies at a 240-yard range, moving so silently that foestake a -6 penalty to be surprised. It cankick with its front hooves and thrust withits horn once per round, or it can chargeinto battle using its horn as a lance. Tomake this charge, there must be at least30� of distance between the unicorn andits opponent. Opponents struck by a charging unicorn suffer 3-36 hp damagefrom impaling. The horn always gains a+2 bonus to hit, regardless of how it isused. Unicorns may not attack with theirfront hooves in the round they charge.

Once each day, a unicorn can cast alimited teleport spell that will take it andany rider it has up to 360 yards away inan instant. Unicorns cannot be magicallycharmed or held. They are immune todeath spells and make all their savingthrows against spells and spell-like powersas if they were wizards of the 11th level.Unicorns are immune to poison.

AlicornAn alicorn is exactly like a sylvan uni-

corn, but with a gnarled and twisted horn.Combat: Alicorns can use three charm

person spells per day. These spells are castat the 11th level. Those failing to maketheir saving throws will fight to the deathto protect the alicorn from harm. Alicornscan walk on air as if it were solid, runningthrough the air or galloping a few inchesabove bodies of water.

Habitat/Society: Alicorns are identicalin habitat and society to sylvan unicorns.This may account for the fact that the twoare often mistakenly classed as being ofthe same race.

Ecology: Alicorns are on good termswith and respect the territories of sylvanunicorns, cunnequines, and faerie uni-corns. The alicorn is otherwise identical inecology to the sylvan unicorn.

Bay unicornBay unicorns are chestnut-colored, with

glowing red eyes.Combat: Bay unicorns (called �pyro-

corns� by some sages) can use the follow-ing spells each once per day: burninghands (from horn), heat metal, pyrotech-nics, produce flame, fireball, produce fire.These spells are cast at the 11th level, withspell effects generally emanating from thehorn. Bay unicorns are immune to theeffects of fire, heat, and smoke, eithermagical or mundane.

Habitat/Society: Bay unicorns mateonce per year, then go their separateways. The young are protected by theirmother until they are six months old, thenare left to fend for themselves.

Bay unicorns make their homes in un-derground labyrinths, caverns, dungeoncomplexes, mines, and volcanic tunnelpassages that do not go deeper than a fewhundred feet. They feed upon the fungiand small creatures that can be found inunderground areas. They mark the wallsof their subterranean territory in the sameway that sylvan unicorns mark trees intheir forests. Rangers may be confused tofind a unicorn�s mark deep beneath theearth, but they will be even more sur-prised to find that the unicorn in questionis both evil and omnivorous. Pyrocornscan be ridden by exceptionally evil femaleswho have an affinity for fire magic or whoworship a god of fire.

Ecology: The horn of a bay unicorncan be used to create potions of firebreath. They ferociously attack any tres-passers they find in their domains, yetthey will not descend into the depths,

Black unicornBlack unicorns are glossy jet creatures

with completely black eyes. They aresometimes called nightmares, causingconfusion with the outer-planes monster(see MC 8, the Outer Planes appendix ofthe Monstrous Compendium).

Combat: Because of the magical natureof black unicorns, they can see perfectlyout to 300� in the absence of all light, evenin the area of effect of a darkness spell.Black unicorns cannot well stand any lightand thus have a -1 to saving throwsagainst effects that blind or dazzle theeyes. They suffer a -4 to all attack rolls indaylight, being effectively blinded.

Black unicorns continually radiate asilence, 15� radius effect. They can castdarkness, 15� radius and invisibility spellson themselves, three times each per day.Black unicorns can teleport in a mannersimilar to sylvan and other unicorns, butthey can only do so in the dark (e.g., onmoonless nights or in deep shadows, inunlit rooms, or in darkness spells).

The horn of a black unicorn is poison-ous; anyone struck by it must make asaving throw vs. poison or be paralyzed.

The paralysis lasts for three days; if thepoison is not neutralized by the third day,the victim dies of heart failure.

Habitat/Society: Black unicorns haveloose family habits similar to the pyro-corns�. They do not mark out any particu-lar territory but continually wander fromplace to place (often invisibly) causinghavoc. They may be ridden by exception-ally evil fighters or thieves of either sex.

Ecology: These monsters are extremelyevil and have sharp canine teeth. They arecarnivorous creatures who prefer to eattheir meat while it is still alive. A blackunicorn�s horn can be used to brew ex-tremely virulent poisons that kill theirimbibers within one round if a savingthrow vs. poison is failed or cause paraly-sis for 1-3 hours if the save is successful.

Brown unicornBrown unicorns are unicorns with light

brown body hair and dark-brown tails,horns, and eyes.

Combat: Brown unicorns communicatewith each other mentally. They have magi-cal (nonpsionic) telepathy (applicable onlyto all other brown unicorns within range)and ESP (which reaches all other beings,one person per round) out to a 60' radius;both powers operate continuously. Theycan cast a special sleep spell three timesper day; this spell is exactly like the wiz-ard spell but it affects at least one creatureregardless of level. The spell works nor-mally against creatures of 4+4 HD or less,but creatures of higher levels are alloweda saving throw vs. spells to avoid being putto sleep. Brown unicorns are never sur-prised, thanks to their mental talents,unless they are attacked at long range bymissile fire.

Habitat/Society: Brown unicorns(�roanicorns,� as some call them) have aherd mentality. Each herd has one stallionand several mares. Stallions mark out theirterritories by placing a �mental barrier�along the borders of their territories. Thisbeacon alerts other brown unicorns orpsionically sensitive creatures that havecrossed into the brown unicorn�s de-mesnes, but does not hinder them. Brownunicorns sometimes bury themselves insand on especially hot desert days. Theycan be ridden by maidens of any humanor demihuman race who are pure ofheart.

Ecology: These gentle creatures areherbivores that live on desert flowers,cacti, and sparse desert grasses. They cango for up to four days without food orwater.

A brown unicorn�s horn can be used tomanufacture a special sleeping potion. Anycharacter who drinks this potion is placedinto suspended animation that is perma-nent until dispelled. A successful savingthrow vs. poison negates this effect.

DRAGON 91

CunnequineA cunnequine is similar to a sylvan uni-

corn except that it is more silvery in colorthan white.

Combat: A cunnequine has all theabilities of a sylvan unicorn, though it hasone other attack form. Once per day, thecunnequine can affect one creature as ifhe had donned a helm of opposite align-ment. The victim must be touched by thecunnequine�s horn without damage, and itis allowed a saving throw vs. spells at +2to avoid this effect.

A cunnequine can also affect undeadand conjured creatures as if it were apriest of 11th level turning undead. A turneffect causes conjured creatures to bedismissed to their home plane.

Habitat/Society: Cunnequines areidentical in habitat and society to sylvanunicorns, except that they are more lawfulin nature. Cunnequines are thus morelikely to attack hunters and predators whoharm living things native to the cunne-quine�s territory.

Ecology: Cunnequines are identical inecology to sylvan unicorns.

Faerie unicornFaerie unicorns have a green tint to

their white fur and horns, and all havebright green eyes. They are smaller thanother unicorns (3-4� tall).

Combat: Faerie unicorns or faeriesteeds are seldom seen. This is becausethey can blend into their backgrounds in amanner similar to a chameleon. They cando this at will, with results identical to acreature wearing a cloak of elvenkind.They share a sylvan unicorn�s ability tomove silently in natural terrain. Once perday, a faerie unicorn can cast the follow-ing spells: charm person or mammal, andanimal summoning I, II, and III (four spellstotal).

Habitat/Society: Faerie unicorns aresimilar in habitat and society to sylvanunicorns. Their neutral nature causesthem to shun outside contact; it is veryunlikely that a faerie steed will attackhunters or predators in its territory. How-ever, wanton or senseless destruction ofthe flora and fauna in a faerie steedsdemesnes will raise its ire. Alternately, actsof courage in defense of the same landsoften wins the faerie steed�s gratitude.

Faerie steeds can be ridden by halflings,gnomes, elves, or other faerie denizens ofeither sex who prove themselves worthy.

Ecology: Faerie unicorns are identicalin ecology to sylvan unicorns. Once every100 years or so, a faerie steed will shed itshorn to grow a new one. The horn re-grows in 3-12 days. The discarded hornsare prized by elves, because the horns canbe crushed to produce the dye used in themanufacture of cloaks of elvenkind.

Gray unicornGray unicorns are light gray unicorns

with a gray horn and gray eyes.Combat: Gray unicorns have taken

92 FEBRUARY 1993

neutrality to an art form. They emit a fieldfrom their bodies that reflects the exactamount of damage done to them in physi-cal combat back upon their enemies. Be-cause their enemies must be in physicalcontact with the gray unicorns to receivethis backlash, the gray unicorns are onlyrarely attacked by carnivores, who learnto leave them alone after one attack;smarter beings use missile fire, but theymight still be attacked if the gray unicornsteleport and charge them. Gray unicornswill usually not retaliate unless they areattacked more than once by the samebeing or are pursued by missile fire.

Habitat/Society: Gray unicorns (some-times called �graycorns�) are usually foundin herds, each consisting of one stallionand several mares. Gray unicorns can beridden only by strictly neutral, passivedruidic females, either humans or demi-humans.

Ecology: Gray unicorns live on thegrasslands in subtropical climates. Theirhorns can be carved and enchanted toproduce rings of spell turning or can beused in the creation of potions of invulner-ability.

Palomino unicornPalomino unicorns have white to creamy

yellow hair. Their eyes are usually gray tobrown in color.

Combat: Palomino unicorns (occasional-ly called �criocorns�) can use the followingspells each once per day: ice storm, coneof cold, chill metal. These spells are cast atthe 11th level of effect. These spell effectsgenerally emanate from the unicorn�shorn. Criocorns are immune to the effectsof cold and exposure, either magical andmundane.

Habitat/Society: Palomino unicornsmate for life, though a few solitary wan-derers may be seen. They are found inarctic environments, giving opponents a-6 penalty to their rolls to be surprised inthat environment due to coloration (thisdrops to -2 in other settings, as palominounicorns will be so unused to non-snowyterrain). Criocorns may be ridden by ex-ceptionally evil females who have an affin-ity for cold magic or who worship a god ofcold.

Ecology: Palominos live off anythingthey can find or kill. They do not marktheir territory, but will kill any who tres-pass. A palomino�s horn can be used tocreate the ink necessary to produce scrollsof protection from cold.

Pinto unicornPinto unicorns are unicorns with patch-

es of differently colored hair distributedrandomly upon their hides. They usuallyhave doe-brown eyes, but some havegreen and some have yellow.

Combat: Pinto unicorns (sometimescalled �chromacorns�) are each able toproject a prismatic spray from the hornsup to five times per day. This spell is castas an 11th-level wizard. Pintos are also

able to cast an advanced illusion threetimes per day, also at the 11th level ofability; such illusions are usually used toreveal hunters or humanoids by showingwhat appears to be the pinto unicorngrazing nearby�a ruse to draw missileand spell fire.

Habitat/Society: Pinto unicorns live ongrasslands in temperate climates. Theymate for life and are thus encountered inpairs or families. Pintos do not mark outterritories but rather share large expansesof grasslands with other pinto families.They continually wander these grazinglands so that no one area becomes overgrazed. Pintos may be ridden by those ofeither sex who posses a pure heart.

Ecology: Pintos are much like sylvanunicorns, fighting with monsters thatravage their lands. A pinto�s horn can beused to create potions of rainbow hues.

Sea unicornSea unicorns have three forms. The first

form is that of a small whale with a longunicorn�s horn, the second is that of a seahorse with the same horn, and the third isthat of a unicorn with a blue-white colora-tion. In all three forms, the unicorn�s eyesare deep blue. It takes one round for it tochange shape, during which time it cannotattack; all shape-changing must be donewhile submerged in water.

Combat: Aside from being able toswitch between its three forms at will, asea unicorn or narwal can breathe waterin any form. The last form allows theunicorn to breathe air. Narwhals can con-trol weather (as per the cleric spell) onceper day at the 11th level of ability. The lastform can also walk on water at will atnormal ground speed.

Habitat/Society: Sea unicorns can befound in any body of water larger than alarge lake. They are very ordered crea-tures who carefully cultivate kelp beds tograze on. They generally stay out of con-flicts. Narwhals mate for life and havevery carefully mapped-out territories.Narwhals can be ridden by sea-elven maid-ens of pure heart.

Ecology: Narwhals feed on the kelpbeds that they carefully cultivate. A nar-wal�s horn can be used to brew potions ofwater breathing.

UnisusUnisi are unicorns with pegasi wings,

the result of crossbreeding between thetwo species. A single such creature iscalled a unisus.

Combat: Unisi attack in a manner simi-lar to unicorns. In a dive, a unisus doesdamage in a manner similar to a unicorn�scharge, but it needs only 15� of space tolaunch the charge, as it relies on its fallingmomentum for the impact and can alsopropel itself forward with its wings ifrunning. In such a dive, it can also use itshooves to attack at the same time. Allthese attacks are at +2 on the attack rollabove all other bonuses (including the +2

New Unicorns: AD&D® Game Statistics

CLIMATE:TERRAIN:FREQUENCY:ORGANIZATION:ACTIVITY CYCLE:DIET:INTELLIGENCE:TREASURE:ALIGNMENT:NO. APPEARING:ARMOR CLASS:MOVEMENT:HIT DICE:THAC0:NO. OF ATTACKS:DAMAGE/ATTACK:SPECIAL ATTACKS:SPECIAL DEFENSES:MAGIC RESISTANCE:SIZE:MORALE:XP VALUE:

CLIMATE:TERRAIN:FREQUENCY:ORGANIZATION:ACTIVITY CYCLE:DIET:INTELLIGENCE:TREASURE:ALIGNMENT:NO. APPEARING:ARMOR CLASS:MOVEMENT:HIT DICE:THAC0:NO. OF ATTACKS:DAMAGE/ATTACK:SPECIAL ATTACKS:SPECIAL DEFENSES:MAGIC RESISTANCE:SIZE:MORALE:XP VALUE:

AlicornTemperateWoodlandsRareFamilyDayHerbiv.AverageXCG1-62244 + 4173l-6/1-6/1-10See textSee text20%LElite2,000

GraySubtropicalGrasslandsRareHerdDayHerbiv.AverageNilN1-102183 + 4173l-6/1-6/1-10See textSee text10%LElite1,400

BayAnySubterraneanRareSolitaryAnyOmniv.LowUNE11186 + 4153l-6/1-6/1-12See textSee textNil

Steady2,000

PalominoArcticTundraVery rareFamilyDayOmniv.LowWLE1-412 45 + 41531-8/1-8/1-10See textSee textNilLElite1,400

BlackAnyAnyRareSolitaryNightCarniv.AverageNilCE12246 + 41531-8/1-8/2-16See textSee text3 0 %LChampion6,000

PintoTemperateGrasslandsRareFamilyDayHerbiv.AverageXNG2-52244 + 41 73l-6/1-6/1-12See textSee text20%LElite2,000

BrownTropicalDesertRareHerdDayHerbiv.VeryNilN1-103183 + 41731-4/1-4/1-8See textSee textNilLElite650

CunnequineTemperateWoodlandsRareFamily

DayHerbiv.AverageXLG1-62244 + 41731-6/1-6/1-12See textSee text20%LElite1,400

Sea UnisusTemperate TemperateOceans MountainsVery rare Very rareFamily HerdAny DayHerbiv. Herbiv.Very AverageNil NilLN CG1-6 1-104 324, Sw 36 24, Fl 48 (B)3 + 4 4 + 417 173 or 1 31-6/1-6/1-12 or 2-16 1-6/1-6/1-12See text See textSee text See textNil NilL LSteady Steady650 1,400

FaerieTemperateWoodlandsVery rareFamilyDayHerbiv.AverageX × 2N1-62304 + 41731-6/1-6/1-12See textSee text20%LChampion2,000

ZebracornTropicalSavannahVery rareHerdDayHerbiv.AverageNilN1-102244 + 41731-6/1-6/1-12See textSee textNilLElite975

for the horn), and the hoof attacks dodouble damage.

Habitat/Society: Unisi are identical inhabitat and society to pegasi (see the Mon-strous Compendium). Unisi may be riddenby maidens of any race who are pure atheart.

Ecology: Unisi are identical in ecologyto pegasi. A unisi�s horn can be used tobrew potions of flying.

Z e b r a c o r nZebracorns are tropical unicorns with

the black striping of zebras, though theyare sleeker and not as stocky. They usuallyhave doe-brown eyes.

94 FEBRUARY 1993

Combat: A zebracorn can cast a colorspray from its horns three times per day.It can also polymorph itself into any crea-ture three times a day at will; this poweris treated as if it were a polymorph selfspell cast at the 11th-level of ability.

Habitat/Society: Zebracorns live inequatorial savannahs. Each herd generallycontains one stallion and several mares.Being nomadic, they roam the savannah sothat no one area becomes overgrazed. Azebracorn can be ridden by any beingwho proves itself friendly, though they candetect evil by touch and will immediatelyattack evil beings. They are unpredictableand willful (some say pig-headed).

Ecology: Zebracorns eat the coarse drygrass of the savannah. They generally stayout of fights that don�t concern them, butone never knows what a zebracorn willdo. The horn of a zebracorn can be usedto brew potions of polymorph self. Whenin polymorphed form, a zebracorn gener-ally takes the form of a muscular, hairless,black human with a warrior�s bearing.Though the human-zebracorn carries noweapons, he or she can easily use anyweapon it has ever seen a human use.

96 FEBRUARY 1993

The metapsionic science Empower,found on pages 93-94 of The CompletePsionics Handbook, opened up a wholenew can of worms concerning treasuretroves. In addition to magical items andholy relics, a Dungeon Master can nowintroduce psionic devices to unsuspectingplayer characters if psionics are used inthe campaign. Naturally, a psionicist mayuse Empower on any personal devices, butin the course of adventuring that charac-ter may find psionic devices not of his ownmaking.

The DM should treat these devices muchlike magical artifacts. Thus, psionic devicesare rarely encountered, and each isunique. A device should be placed in acampaign only after careful considerationby the DM of all its consequences. Thougha device might not have a special purposeto fulfill, it does have a personality andshould be role-played by the DM almost asa true member of the party. Psionic de-vices are not something a PC puts in abackpack, then forgets about until anapplication of its power is required.

Note that alignment contradictions canalso cause problems. In these cases, psi-onic devices behave like intelligent magicalweapons (see the Dungeon Master�s Guide,�Weapons Versus Characters,� page 188).

Can a psionic device be used only bypsionicists? What about wild talents? Un-

fortunately, the description of Empower israther vague on this point. I would saythat since a device has its own source ofPSPs, anyone can attempt to use one, butalignment and personality scores woulddictate if a PC could control it.

The following are a few devices to senda campaign off into bizarre newdirections.

Devan�s Force of Nature PSPs: 44Alignment: LG Intelligence: 16Discipline: Psychokinesis Ego: 11

Lore: Histories tell of a noble, pure-hearted wizard of vast power whose en-tire vocation in life was to ensure thesafety and improve the quality of life in hishome village. The wizard was namedDevan and the village Houmfort. Reputed-ly, Devan could divert the course of rivers,summon or calm winds, shove aside entirehillsides, and cause fire to behave in anyfashion suitable to his whim. The extent ofhis powers is debatable, but it is agreedthat his magical talents were generallymanipulations of elemental matter.

However, the man known as Devanfooled both the histories and the citizensof Houmfort. Devan was not a mage; hecouldn�t have cast a spell to save his ownlife. His powers were actually psionic innature. Like most villages of that time,Houmfort feared and reviled psionics andwould not accept its use, even if usedbeneficially. Thus, Devan created a small(but necessary) deceit; assuming the roleof a wizard. Most of Houmfort�s popula-tion was half-educated and wouldn't knowthe difference anyway, but Devan still hadquite a time putting up a mage�s front-mouthing incantations, making outrageousgestures, and involving arcane materialswhenever he invoked a psychic discipline.It was easier for him to carry wands,staves, and other devices to create theillusion of magical prowess, since theseitems usually required only a single com-

mand word to operate.Keeping that in mind, Devan soon

learned the metapsionic discipline Em-power. With this he could create all sortsof psionic devices with which to improvehis guise as a wizard (not to mention helphis role as sole defender of Houmfort). Hismost famous and powerful device was theForce of Nature, a staff with which Devancould control the very elements.

Description: The Force of Nature isactually a staff of thunder & lightning,which anyone can use. It is stout quarter-staff of exceptionally well-carved bronze-wood, bound with iron set with silverrivets. Devan painted many weird symbolson it in bright blue paint to make it appearmore mystical.

In addition to its magical powers, thisstaff has the following psionic disciplines:Animate Stone, Control Flames, ControlWater, Control Wind, and Telekinesis.Control Water gives the user the ability toanimate water. This power behaves exact-ly as Control Fire, except the water crea-ture can survive for as long as PSPs arespent to maintain it. The only damage thecreature can inflict is possible suffocationby engulfment (rules for drowning arefound in the Player�s Handbook, page 122,�Holding Your Breath�). A character canescape engulfment by making a successfulStrength check on 1d20 at a -4 penalty.Animate Stone works exactly like AnimateObject, but only stone and earth will beaffected (no ability modifier applies).

Personality: Being both lawful and good,it would seem that the Force of Naturewould get along well with its possessor,but this isn�t likely to be the case. The staffwishes to remain in one area, preferably avillage or small town, in order to defend itfrom bandits, destructive weather, super-natural denizens, and other hazards. Itwon�t see the point in traipsing about in anunknown wilderness or dungeon need-

DRAGON 97

lessly looking for trouble. If owned by anadventurer, it complains bitterly everytime it is taken beyond the limits of civili-zation, away from its true calling. In addi-tion, the Force will not appreciate the useof its magical powers. The staff has nocontrol over these magical abilities andconsiders them the �dark side� of its per-sonality. Overuse of the magic abilitiesresults in the staff halting the use of itspsionic powers.

Fleshcrawler PSPs: 60Alignment: CN Intelligence: 12Discipline: Psychometabolism Ego: 15

Lore: Who knows? If asked, the thingwill claim to be an artifact from the netherrealms of the Nine Hells, the favorite pieceof jewelry of an alien godling, and anextradimensional creature bent on worlddomination-all in the same breath! If thepossessor gets too curious about the ob-ject�s history, he probably won�t want tokeep it.

Description: The Fleshcrawler is a small,multicolored stone, though the color de-sign is varied, bizarre, and nauseating.Anyone who touches the stone has theoverwhelming urge to swallow it, butunless the individual is chaotic neutral, hewill find that urge repulsive and will re-sist. Chaotic-neutral people still have achoice as to whether they will swallow it,but they are able to do so. Those who doswallow the stone are granted the use ofits psionic powers, which include Ectoplas-mic Form, Expansion, Life Draining, Meta-morphosis, Reduction, and Shadow-form.

Personality: This object is obsessed withchange. The universe, it believes, is inconstant flux, changing from one form tothe next with no regard to the laws thatphilosophers would attribute it. The objectfulfills its desire to inflict change throughthe flesh of its possessor, using its psionicpowers. The owner (imbiber, actually) ofthe Fleshcrawler may demand the objecttransform her into shapes useful to thecurrent circumstances, but only if theowner allows the device a certain creativefreedom, such as experimenting with newbodies and such. Otherwise, the possessormay lose control of her own body.

Ynilgeira�s Instrument of Pain andMisery PSPs: 64Alignment: CE Intelligence: 13Discipline: Metapsionics Ego: 16

Lore: Actually, Ynilgeira (OON-eel-geye-rah) is not the psionicist who created thisdevice, but rather is the name of a wildand ruthless barbarian warlord, Legendssay that Ynilgeira was born of the simulta-neous mating of a goat, bear, rooster, andhuman. Then, to intensify his alreadycrazed personality, the warlord was pos-sessed by the vengeful spirits of his ances-tors, numbering into the thousands.Civilization trembled at the very name ofYnilgeira, as the barbarian made it hislife�s vocation to spread fear, loathing, andmisery among the cities of �pretty ones�

98 FEBRUARY 1993

All bad things must come to an end,however, and Ynilgeira was slain whilecombating a force of paladins. To insurethat civilized folk would still suffer fromthe malevolent spirit of Ynilgeira, his tribalwitch-priestess (actually a psionicist) tookthe heart from Ynilgeira�s body and, aftera ritual of several days, summoned forththe spirit of the deceased warlord, placedit within the mummified organ, and im-bued it with immortality.

Description: The Instrument of Pain andMisery is a fist-sized lump of human cardi-ac muscle tissue, not even recognizable asa heart until its powers are used. When-ever Psychic Drain or Cannibalize areused, the muscle of the Instrument swellswith blood and begins to rhythmically beatas it gains psionic strength. The greaterthe number of PSPs it absorbs, the greaterthe amount of blood that oozes from theheart.

The Instrument has the followingpowers: Aura Alteration, Cannibalize,Psychic Clone, Psychic Drain, PsychicSurgery, and Ultrablast. Note that theCannibalize power is usable only by theInstrument itself; in fact, it drains Consti-tution from its possessor to convert intoPSPs. The Instrument attempts this only inextremis and usually requires that theobject win a personality conflict with itspossessor.

Psychic Drain and Psychic Surgery alsowork differently for the Instrument. Todrain a victim, the object needs only tospend the initial cost, then win a personali-ty conflict with that victim. Sleeping vic-tims can be drained automatically (no needfor personality conflict). Psychic Surgery isalways used to harm a subject by instigat-ing phobias, aversions, idiocy, comas,seizures, and so on. Again, a successfulpersonality conflict is needed to use thispower.

Ultrablast can only be used after theInstrument has gained extra PSPs eitherthrough Psychic Drain or Cannibalize. Ifthis power is used to successfully andpermanently negate the psionic powers ofa victim, then the Instrument gains thosepowers for 2d4 months! After this period,the powers revert to their original owner.

Personality: Obviously, the device doesnot contain the soul of Ynilgeira, but it stillhas the same purpose: to perpetrate chaosand mayhem. Its actions are always de-structive or deceitful, and are usuallyaimed at causing problems within a city.Its favorite tactic is to �find� itself in thepossession of someone of high social stand-ing, such as a cardinal, duke, judge, oreven a charismatic demagogue. Then, justas the individual addresses the congrega-tion or audience, the Instrument begins todrain the will and endurance of membersof the audience, like some psychic vam-pire. After the object has assumed enoughPSPs, it will unleash its powers upon thecongregation, one at a time, causing fears,hatreds, or obsessions to surface. Thosewith no applicable dislikes or fancies are

subjected to a fit of catatonia. These emo-tions reach the point of insanity. Soon,these people go out into the city again,causing havoc and grief because of theirnew-found maladies.

Malgovich�s Portrait PSPs: 80Alignment: LE Intelligence: 15Discipline: Telepathy Ego: 20

Lore: Baron Vlidmaro Malgovich was abrutish, vain, and ruthless despot whoruled his tiny country through fear, force,and not a little psychic manipulation, forthe Baron was a master psionicist. AsMalgovich began to grow old, he decidedto create a legacy, a piece of himself thatwould live on to carry the family name.Not trusting his worthless sons to retaineven his small kingdom, the baron createda psionic device with which to aid (i.e.,manipulate) his descendants in ruling hiskingdom. The kingdom fell anyway, butthe device still exists, floating from onepolitical realm to the next, hatching plotsand puppeteering those in power to vener-ate the memory of its creator.

Description: Malgovich, being the con-ceited devil that he was, chose to useEmpower on a painting of himself. Theportrait is a masterful rendering in oils ofthe baron�s handsome visage. It has a vastarmy of telepathic powers, includingMindlink, Probe, Attraction, Contact,Empathy, ESP False Sensory Input, PhobiaAmplification, and Telempathic Projection.

Personality: Like Ynilgeira�s Instrument,the portrait uses its talents to cause mis-chief in civilized places, but it is muchmore subtle in its manipulations. Theportrait likes to use Attraction on anypowerful political figures that it discovers,which usually results in the politicianbuying, stealing, or otherwise acquiringthe painting. Over the next few days, thedevice uses its telepathy to investigate thepsyche of its owner. When it feels ready,the portrait uses False Sensory Input andother powers to produce hallucinations inthe mind of the politician. The personafflicted with these illusions may see themas omens, warnings, prophecies, or what-ever, but they invariably affect the mannerin which the politician rules. In this way,the portrait affects the courses of nationsand has immense fun doing so.

Mana-ken PSPs: 68Alignment: NE Intelligence: 15Discipline: Telepathy Ego: 17

Lore: Constructed by a monstrouslypowerful telepath many centuries ago, theMana-ken has passed through historydiscreetly, ignoring the meanderings ofcivilization to concentrate on those individ-uals holding true power: wizards. TheMana-ken is invariably found in the pos-session of a wicked sorcerer.

Description: The mana-ken appears as aragged, torn-up children�s doll. This littletoy, however, has enough psychic powerand discontent to cause the strongest-willed paladin to perform savage and

irresponsible acts. The doll�s powers re-semble voodoo. The possessor of the dollmanipulates it physically, which causes avictim to act in a like manner. Also, stab-bing the doll with needles can cause avictim great pain. In order for a victim tobe contacted, a personal item or a lock ofhair of the victim must be placed in thedolls stuffing.

The Mana-ken�s powers are Domination,Inflict Pain, Mindlink, Post-Hypnotic Sug-gestion, Sight Link, Sound Link, andSwitch Personality. Switch Personality canbe used to switch a victim�s body with thepossessor or with the doll itself. (Giving apsionic device its own body to play with isscary indeed!)

Personality: Of the evil psionic devicesdescribed here, the Mana-ken is the onemost likely to work with its possessor,though that owner may not realize that heis being manipulated even as he dominatesother beings. The Mana-ken�s favoritepractice is to dominate the minds of drag-ons, fiends, and other powerful creatures(although parties of adventurers are fun,tool. Wizards find this a viable option tocharm person and demand spells. Whenthe wizard�s uses of the doll grow too self-serving (and they invariably do), the Mana-ken lets any previously dominated beastiesvent their rage on the hapless spell-caster.

Tawnwater PSPs: 60Alignment: CG Intelligence: 12Discipline: Psychometabolism Ego: 15

Lore: A psionically endowed princessgave her suitor, a valiant ranger, a livingfalcon as an engagement gift. Not only wasthe animal incredibly smart and well-trained, it was also empowered with psi-onics, allowing its owner to run faster, liftheavy objects, and heal from wounds at afaster pace, not to mention giving him allthe abilities of a falcon. Centuries later, theranger is long since dead and buried, butthe falcon is still alive and well, havingbeen granted immortality as a side effectof its psychometabolic powers. The crea-ture�s name is Tawnwater.

Description: Tawnwater, though hun-dreds of years old, appears as a spry,young falcon of a golden hue: AC 6; MV Fl33 (B); HD 1; hp 5; #AT 3; Dmg 1-2/1-2/1;THAC0 19; AL NG. Tawnwater�s owner hasaccess to the following powers: AdrenalineControl, Animal Affinity, Body Control,Cell Adjustment, Enhanced Strength,Heightened Senses, and Mind Over Body.Regardless of the possessor�s aura,Tawnwater�s Animal Affinity will alwaysgrant the abilities of a falcon.

Personality: Tawnwater is an easygoing,free-spirited psionic device, more alivethan any other device noted here. It trav-els about, unrestricted by such needs assleep, food, water, rest, or even air. Al-though thrilled at being exempted fromthe mundane life of a normal falcon,Tawnwater still requires companionship,and so intermittently seeks out one lady orgentleman who will give it the appropriate

Read all about it!

100 FEBRUARY 1993

amount of affection. The person chosen isusually a wanderer or adventurer, asTawnwater does not like to settle in onearea. When that person does finally per-ish, Tawnwater will be seen at the funeralfor a brief, grieving moment, then it willfly away into the blue, off to seek newexperiences, new sights and pleasures.

Pennison�s Light of Truth PSPs: 52Alignment: N Intelligence: 13Discipline: Clairsentient Ego: 13

Lore: Pennison was a psionicist obsessedwith the concept of reality. He felt thathumans and other races had created toomany social systems to live by, when thosesystems prevented a person from experi-encing life. Governments, religions, guilds,and other social machines don�t exist,according to the edicts of Pennison; theyare illusions that have fooled entire popu-lations into believing in them. This holdstrue for all systems of social behavior. Inhis quest to �shatter the social guises ofthe Demihumanities,� this psionicist-philosopher created the Shining Light ofTruth.

Description: The Shining Light is a palm-sized lens crafted from a huge, flawlessdiamond, cut by the sharp edge of Penni-son�s willpower. The device�s powers comeinto play whenever a person looksthrough the lens at a creature, object, orarea. Those powers are Aura Sight, KnowDirection, Know Location, Poison Sense,Radial Navigation, and Spirit Sense. Notethat Aura Sight also allows the ShiningLight to detect the alignment of psionicdevices and intelligent magic weapons,also gaining a rough estimate of power(slight, moderate, high, or massive).

Personality: It�s tough to play neutrals,even as NPCs. With the Shining Light, itmight be easier because it is an unemo-tional object, but the DM must still takecare that the object shows no favoritismtoward chaos, law, good, or evil. Thedevice does not have to be used by a trueneutral, but its possessor should show astrong desire, if not an obsession, with�getting to the heart of the matter.�

Slumbering Ferry of al-Cogia PSPs: 8Alignment: NG Intelligence: 11Discipline: Psychoportation Ego: 2

Lore: Millenia ago, in a presently extinctArabian-like land, there lived a rulernamed al-Cogia Bisnigar Raschid. Althoughthis ruler already had more than a dozenwives, he fell in love with Dhalaja, thedaughter of a merchant-prince, whowould not allow his only child to marry al-Cogia because of the merchant�s racialprejudice. Raschid, a psionicist, crafted apsionic device that would allow Dhalaja tovisit the good al-Cogia in her dreams, nomatter where her travels in the merchantcaravan might take her.

Description: The Slumbering Ferry is anincense bowl crafted of the precious mix-ture of silver, gold, platinum, and mercury.Whenever incense is burned in the bowl

and a person falls asleep while breathingthe sweet fumes, the device�s sole power,Dream Travel, is triggered. This specialteleportation has no maximum range, butthe effect is only temporary. After a num-ber of hours equal to half the possessor�sWisdom score, the user fades away, re-turning to the location of the bowl.

Personality: Although the SlumberingFerry is the least powerful of the devicesdescribed here, it is also one of the mostintriguing. Its ego is not well-developed,but it will never allow its one power to beused for sinister or selfish purposes. Thepower score receives a +4 bonus when-ever the device is used to visit a loved one.

The Arbiter PSPs:80Alignment: LN Intelligence: 15Discipline: Psychokinesis Ego: 20

Lore: Just as Pennison was insanely infatu-ated with the neutrality of reality, the crea-tor of the Arbiter has an unhealthyobsession with law and order. Created onlymonths ago, the Arbiter is still in possessionof its creator, a 12th-level psionicist namedMynwer Tarrontoch.

Description: The Arbiter is a black silkrobe of finest quality. Anyone who wears itis imbued with a vast array of psychokineticpowers: Ballistic Attack, Control Body, Deto-nate, Disintegrate, Inertial Barrier, Levitation,Project Force, and Telekinesis.

Personality: The Arbiter is still too newto have developed any definable personali-ty of its own, so still relies on Mynwer�sfor its patterns of behavior. Mynwer is arelentless enforcer of the letter of the lawin whatever realm he inhabits. He willreact with an explosive lecture and possi-bly even violence if he witnesses any lawbeing broken, whether it be the mostuniversal more or the most insignificanttort.

What new tales from TSR are comingto a bookstore near you? See “NovelIdeas” in this issue for the latest wordon adventure.

102 FEBRUARY 1993

DRAGON 103

104 FEBRUARY 1993

D R A G O N 1 0 5

106 FEBRUARY 1993

DRAGON 107

108 FEBRUARY 1993

DRAGON 109

110 FEBRUARY 1993

©1993 by Robert BigelowPhotos by Mike Bethke

Aliens and demons areThis month, we have a full house of 23-mm circular base has a rough, molded

miniatures. I want to thank Sam White for surface resembling earth and grass. Thehis work on the Gate Crasher miniature creature�s claws extend over the forwardkit, Chris Osburn for the Ultimate ATV, edge of the base, while his back pin clawsand Tina Druce-Hoffman for the Amazon extend over the rear edge. The kit comesAttack Chariots. Now, on to our reviews. in two parts, the body and the arms.

Reviews

Fortress FiguresP.O. Box 66Jonesboro IN 46938

XL12 Infestor ****The Infestor is a 25mm lead figure that

stands about 54 mm from top to bottomand is about 10 mm wide at the chest. The

a-knocking at your door

The body is of a biped that looks like across between the Alien and an armoredlizard. The figure has three-toed feet and

Miniatures� product ratings

***************

PoorBelow average

AverageAbove average

Excellent

is cast walking forward. It has the ribbedbelly of a dragon, and its upper body iscovered in overlapping plates. The armassembly fits into a groove on the back.The webbed hands have four fingers eachand are well detailed on top but less so onthe palms. The arm-body joint needs slightfilling, as there is a discernable gap. Thehead looks like a slug�s, with a neck. Thehead is also ridged and plated, giving anopen-mouthed hiss.

The figure has great potential in a num-ber of modern-type combat and super-hero role-playing games, or as a surpriseguest with your own statistics for theD&D® or AD&D® games. The detail is fairand could be much sharper, but at $2each, the figure is reasonably priced.

XL21 Brain Worm ****The Brain Worm is a monster scaled in 25

mm and made of lead. It stands 27.5 mmhigh and rests on a smooth, circular base. Itconsists of a human brain, without left andright lobes; optic nerves and eyes are visible,and there is a separation under the eyes infront that could be a mouth. The medullaoblongata is not readily visible. A long net-work of nerves drops to the ground. Thewhorls on the brain are obvious.

This model reminds me of certain 1950ssci-fi flicks featuring rebellious brains. Themodel is good, but it should have deeperdetail. This figure can be used in a num-ber of genres. The price is a little high at$2 each.

Black Dragon Pewter2700 Range Rd.North Bellmore NY 11710

Beware of Dragon ****This miniature is a free-scale piece cast

in pewter. The figure, a baby dragon, hasno separate base and rests on its coiled tailfor support. Measuring 45 mm high, it sitsbehind a warning sign as if enforcing themessage. The dragon rests its head on thetop of the sign pole with its hands on thesign. It has small, smooth wings heldstraight out from its body.

112 FEBRUARY 1993

The facial expression is that of a puppylooking for a petting. The dragon wears acollar around its neck. Two red jewelsserve as eyes, and a multifaceted ball sitsat its feet.

This is a cute model that would servewell as a Valentine�s Day gift. Its few flawsinclude some filled or machined detail thatis now obscured. I liked the letters on thesign. This figure is recommended at $15each.

The Alchemist *****The Alchemist is a one-piece, 54-mm

pewter casting. The figure stands on athick base molded to represent the floor ofa stone building. Rising from the floor isan ornately embossed pedestal with asquare stone base, on which rests a pillarwith arcane symbols and a band of roundstones and a collar. This is topped by astone plate or brazier that has alchemicalsymbols on the side and top, with a mixingtrough in the center. In this circle lies alump of goldlike material that is obviouslythe result of an experiment (the lump isactually a piece of iron pyrite).

The alchemist is dressed in long robes,open at the waist to show the plain innerlining. The dress robe is full length with-out a hood, featuring billowing sleeves,pleats, and hems engraved with arcanesymbols. The robe is cinched by a ropebelt supporting an embossed bag and acurved dagger. The alchemist is tall andthin, with narrow shoulders and out-stretched arms. The right hand has abracelet; the left hand tightly clasps abeaker, with the wrist wrapped in bands.The figure�s head is capped by a conicalhat with a braided band and a crescentmoon pin over a jewel.

The alchemist�s face is exuberant, al-though looking slightly tired. A ragged,stringy beard drops to his waist, wispsflying off in all directions. There is nopupil detail to the eyes, which look a littledead.

This piece is highly recommended at its$35 price tag as a present or as an additionto any collection.

Thunderbolt MountainMiniatures656 East McMillanCincinnati OH 45206-1991

Thunderbolt MountainMiniatures70 Harcourt St.Newark, NottinghamUNITED KINGDOM NG 241 R4

1024 Gate Crasher * * * * * (with work)Demon-summoning is one of the �basic�

skills held by many high-level mages inRPGs. This 25-mm scale, six-piece dioramakit depicts just such a summoning andsome of the potential hazards involved inbending these creatures to your will.

The base is a circle just over 5 cm indiameter. Half the floor represents a sum-moning circle, while the other half repre-sents the remains of a stone floor. Thepentagram/circle has each of its majorpoints outlined with deeply engraved lines.The outer rim of the circle has a numberof well-done runes, and the words �DecosCon Demonicum� are clearly visible insmall print after a careful painting andwash. A pair of books sits in the circle.The stone floor is molded as if it werebeing shattered as the second major piece,a demon, erupts from the floor.

The demon measures 20 mm across itschest and 45 mm from the floor to thetops of its wings. Muscle detail is goodwith some sharp angles on the arms,chest, and head to depict its nonhumanlineage. The demon is twisting slightly andits mouth, full of sharp teeth, is open in ascream. Pointed ears are pressed againstthe mostly folded, leathery wings. Youcan�t be quite sure whether things aregoing the demon�s way or not.

The wizard, reading from a book heldfirmly in a serpentine book holder, standsin the protected circle. The book is excel-lently engraved with words on its pages.The wizard�s summoning brazier is heldby a creature that looks like a cross be-tween a bat, a hawk, and a snake. Thebrazier has individual coils molded on itthat will require careful painting. Thecreature looks like it could be alive, but itcould also be just a holder. It stands about15 mm tall. The last accessory piece is thelong ornate cape that fastens at the wiz-ard�s collar and swirls out behind him as ifcaught in the wind.

The wizard is tall, measuring 28 mm tohis slightly wrinkled eyes. Besides hiscape, he is dressed in a jacket with billow-

DRAGON 113

wears a long robe that stretches fromneck to ankle and extends to the palms ofhis hands. The robe is cinched by a wide,ornate sash. A simple necklace hangsaround his neck. A stern face with a braid-ed beard and a moustache gazes at therising demon; his eyebrows are knit inconcentration. His right hand clasps ahook, his left hand poised in the midst of aspell. His head is capped by a conical hatwith an elaborate band and a star orna-ment.

You must do a little work on this minia-ture. The base edge must be cleaned offlash and mold marks. and the book and

marks. The cape requires some heavycleaning and mold-mark removal, and itdoesn�t quite fit onto the figure, leaving asmall gap at the collar. Be careful whencleaning so as not to destroy the runes.The demon had flash on its ears and wingtips, and mold marks on its arms, but itcleaned up easily and quickly. The wizardhas light flash on the side, as does thestand and the bird. All are easily fixed

I highly recommend this kit for its detailand story content. For the amount of timeand effort it took to produce this kit, the$9.95 price is very reasonable. This isdefinitely a take-your-time model.

Lance and Laser Model, Inc.P.O. Box 14491Columbus OH 43214

C-005 Turtles * * * *

The CRITTER COMMANDOS* game hasbeen out for years, and this Turtles packexpands the races available for miniaturescombat. These four figures are scaled to25 mm and made of lead. All the Figuresare one-piece castings, showing a turtletrader and its snapping-turtle bodyguards.

The turtle trader is armed with a pistol-grip pump shotgun in its right hand and atwo-edged sword in its left. The turtlewears cloth sashes over its shell, gloves onits hands, a campaign hat complete withfolded left brim and medallion, boots, anda jet pack. The shell design is simple.There was no major flash on this piece,and no mold-line interference. The turtleis snarling, and its facial details and teethare fair

The two lightly armed bodyguards aresnapping turtles, each carrying a pistol-grip shotgun and two bandoleers of am-munition slung over their shoulders(individual rounds are visible). These tur-tles have no extra clothing, and the jetpacks on their backs are held on by theammo belts. There was no flash, and themold lines are well hidden. Both rest onround, undetailed bases.

The last turtle is encased in a battlesuit(maybe it�s a cyborg turtle). No part of theturtle shows except its shell, which is thatof a snapping turtle. The turtle is in anaggressive stance, poised to launch thefour guns or missile units on its hack. Alljoints are hinged and plated, some slightlyexaggerated for effect. The turtle has asteel-trap jaw and bulbous eye lenses.Even the feet and tail are armored andjointed. There was some light flash aroundthe legs and bottom shell, but it was easilyremoved.

This pack could be used for a number ofgames besides the CRITTER COMMANDOSsetting, such as Palladium�s TEENAGEMUTANT NINJA TURTLES* or RIFTS*games. They could even be Chaos troopsfor Games Workshop�s WARHAMMER40,000* system. This pack is recom-mended if you play any of these games,and it is not badly priced at $6 per pack.

TORG 016 Corporate Ninja * * * *The Corporate Ninja works well in any

�techno-enhanced� games. This lead figureis scaled to 25 mm and stands on a rough-ly finished oval base. The figure is bent atthe knees, as if dodging to the side. Hewears high-topped soft boots with fulllacing, and the typical outfit of a ninja:loose-fitting pants ballooning over theboots, a loose shirt with hood, and a facecovering that leaves the area from thenose up open. The ninja has an opticaldevice on his right eye for sighting, proba-bly to enhance the use of the silenced

114 FEBRUARY 1993

pistol in his right hand. His weapons alsoinclude a throwing star in his left hand, aset of throwing knives on a belt, and aninja sword wrapped on his back. Fir: isequipped with a storage pack, shoulderholster; and a pattern on his hands andarms that could be light armor or a cyberweave.

The detail is a bit on the shallow side,and there was loss of detail just fromhandling. I firmly recommend this figurefor West End (Games�s TORG* system,FASA�s SHADOWRUN* game, or R. Talsor-ian�s CYBERPUNK 2020* rules. The price is$1.50 each.

Mithril Miniatures, Ltd.Macroom, Co. CorkIRELAND

Ed Wimhle/Prince AugustMiniatures USAThe Byrne Building, Lincoln & Morgan

StreetsPhoenixville PA 19460

M251 The Ancient Folk: UndeadW a rr ior * * * *

This figure is a two-piece, 25-mm leadcasting that comes already primed. Itstands on a rectangular base with slopededges and a pebbled, rough top. The faceconsists of only a skull with a thatch oflong hair blowing in the wind. The death�sgrin includes well-done teeth and is high-lighted by a tall collar on the rotting cape.The underarmor padding and garment arevisible and show numerous rips, tears, andslashes. The hands are covered by leathergloves. The right hand holds a two-handedsword while the left hand grasps a scab-hard. Rusty, torn, and sliced chain mailcompletes its outer protection; belts holdthe remains together The legs are coveredby tattered pants.

This figure is well done and could heused as a leader for a number of differentundead units. There was light flash on thesword, and the nub needed to be short-ened for the arm to fit into the socket. Youmust remove a small amount of primer forthe glue to stick and must carefully findthe right position for the sword. It�s a goodfigure, but having to reprime the figurebecause of its arm negates any time savedfrom its being preprimed. The price is ahit high at $2.25 per figure.

M253 The Ancient Folk: SwampStar * * * ½

The Swamp Star is a one-piece castingwith a base identical to that of the UndeadWarrior. The figure is supposed to repre-sent an evil undead that lures its victimsinto the swamp by carrying a lantern andwalkmg ahead of a party to make it thinkthere is civilization ahead.

The figure is dressed in long flowingrobes from shoulders to feet and has alarge pointed hood. Skeletal feet protrudefrom under the robe, while skeletal arms

and hands extend from the bell-shapedsleeves. The left hand holds a lantern withshade, supports, and knobbed handleclearly visible. A skeletal face with emptyeye sockets and a leer across its jaws com-pletes this figure and points to the evilinherent in this kind of creature.

This figure could be used in other games(including TSR�s AD&D® RAVENLOFT®setting) as a spectral visitor or a guide foran undead army. Its cost is $2.25 each.

Ral Partha Enterprises5983 Carthage Ct.Cincinnati OH 45212-l197

Ral Partha Enterprisesc/o Miniflgs1/5 Graham Rd., SouthamptonUNITED KINGDOM S02 OAX

10-600 The Ultimate ATV * * * * *TSR�s GAMMA WORLD® game has un-

dergone a number of changes through theyears. One of the earlier rule-book covers

DRAGON 115

had an illustration by artist Keith Parkin-son that was later used on a GEN CON®game fair booklet cover and inspired thisminiature. The figure is a 54-mm scalemodel consisting of 21 parts made of �fine�pewter. The model represents an earlyhunter robot on a genetically altered andmechanically amplified cat.

The robot is just over 65 mm tall andrides slouched in the saddle. The legs andfeet are a collection of front-armoredplates supplemented by ribbed conduits.Joints are shown as plates with hydraulicassists and shock absorbers. The bottom

half of the robot is molded onto the catbody. The top half of the body is a sepa-rate piece and, on our model, ends in awaist that is smaller than the connectionto the bottom half. This looks wrong, butwe called Ral Partha to make sure that itwasn�t a problem and were assured that itwas as it should be. The rib cage has ar-mored plates with a number of sensorarrays and a rough finish in the back; thefront has still more sensors and overlap-ping corrugated plate designed to be flexi-ble. The arms are hexagonal bars withjoints and flexible joints at elbows, shoul-

ders, and hands. The right hand guidesthe controls, while the left supports aconversion rifle with electronic sights. Thehead has a pair of pointed �ears,� a sensoreye like that of the Cylons from �BattlestarGalactica,� and a voice box with a hoseleading to a power core. There was someeasily removed flash, and the peg joiningthe body sections has to be trimmed some,but the robot is still very well done.

The cat is an excellent model with theexception of some flash between the frontlegs. It measures just over 130 mm andresembles a fisher or large wolverine. Thefur detail is excellent. The head is encasedin a mechanical device from the top of theupper jaw back, and there is some expo-sure into what would be the brain pan.The head has a number of mechanicaldevices including eyes, a pair of blasters,and a mechanical brain. The teeth arenicely done. The feet are covered by bion-ic �gloves� with metallic claws that can beused for climbing or attacking. A numberof cables snake across the back from thehead to controls and tanks located behindthe saddle. The saddle is braced by a widebelt running under the beast. The rearand tail of the animal are protected byoverlapping plates with a spinal hump.The power source, fuel cells, sensors, andplug-ins are all behind the saddle. There isa huge amount of detail that should keepyou busy painting for quite a while.

The base is a well-detailed collection oftwo windswept rocks with myriad cracksand crevices. This completes a piece thatcould be a showcase model. Because thispiece is pewter, some people may choosenot to paint this miniature. This piece isdetailed enough that you can do this, butpainting brings out a number of detailsthat could easily be overlooked. This is notsuitable as a playing piece unless you are aglutton for punishment. The claw holes onthe feet are very small and shallow, and itis hard to move the model without loosen-ing them. We left them out, and the modelstill looked good. This is highly recom-mended even with the faults. The cost,mostly because of the pewter, is $30 each.

Heartbreaker MiniaturesP.O. Box 105Folsome PA 19033

GamecraftA16 Gardeners RowBusiness Center, Ltd., LiverpoolUNITED KINGDOM L3 6TJ

218 Zombies ****Zombies are a necessary part of any

undead army, and this set is as nasty asI�ve ever seen. The figures are scaled for28 mm and are made of a low-lead com-pound. The figures feature slotted 20-mmsquare bases that are high and beveled,being compatible with the combat standsin Milton Bradley�s BATTLEMASTERS* andGW�s WARHAMMER FANTASY BATTLES*

116 FEBRUARY 1993

games. The three figures vary in theirdecomposition, so we�ll go from worst caseto the newly dead.

The worst case is dressed in rotten andtattered pants held only by a ragged belt.Its left leg is skeletal with bones visible butnot well defined. The right leg has holes inrotting, wrinkled skin that expose muscles,tendons, and worm holes. The upper torsohas ribs showing on the left and entrailsfalling out. The right arm has some flashon the bottom and a well-done pectoralmuscle showing through. The left arm isskeletal, with the hand clenched in a fist,while the right arm shows three stages ofdecay with a bracer holding the wristflesh together. Muscle detail is good, and arelatively intact right hand clutches a hugebattle axe. The back is totally skeletal, as isthe head, mouth open in fury. The eye pitsare not quite as deep as they should be;you may want to drill them out a little.This figure came with a badly twisted basethat had to be carefully straightened.

The second figure looks like it was oncea farmer or peasant conscript. Its pantshave rotted away to hip height. The legshave a number of holes where rot hasstarted, and both feet have bone showing.The upper torso is partially covered by arotted, tattered shirt and has a loss ofdefinition to the muscles that sometimescomes with death. Both arms show skinpeeling and underlying muscles. The lefthand holds a scythe, and the right is balledinto a fist. The figure has a full head ofhair and eyebrows, but the skin is pulledback and pinched in the rictus of death.Rot is beginning to show even in the eyesockets. The only mold line blends in withthe rot.

The last figure looks like one of therecently dead. It wears decaying pants andripped boots. The upper torso is coveredby chain mail with a crumbling surcoatand chest armor. The arms are covered byrotting cloth. The right hand holds anicked sword while its left hand supportsa wooden shield. Its face is contorted intoa sort of sneer with parts showing thebeginnings of rot. All of its hair is still onbut should be painted with flat paint, thenrepainted with clear flat.

These figures are mostly well done,although I wish the bone detail were bet-ter. These figures are well worth it fortheir �gross� value. The price is $4.95 perpack.

Leading Edge GamesP.O. Box 70669Pasadena CA 91117

LE 20300 Alien Warriors Set #1 * * * *The Alien Warriors set is produced to

support both the ALIENS* adventuregame and ALIENS* role-playing game byLeading Edge. The role-playing gameallows you to reproduce the movies orcreate new adventures. This set contains18 pieces that form six Alien warriors. The

figures are made of lead and scaled slight-ly larger than 27 mm, given their descrip-tion in the RPG. Most of the web sprayersdo not fit on the bodies correctly andrequire some filling; they give the appear-ance of being spare pieces when firstviewed in the box, so don�t throw anythingout. Each head attaches to the body by apeg, but the body had a depression ratherthan a hole for the peg. The head is 18mm long and fits over the rigid bony ca-price. Jagged teeth and the tongue arevisible in the mouth. The paralyzer injec-tor and sac are very visible on the long tail

that wraps around each body. The sixfigures are posed differently, fromhunched down to jumping up.

My set was missing a spinner but had anextra head that could be used as a Marinetrophy. These figures could also be usedfor TSR�s SNIPER® BUGHUNTER game orother SF games. The price seems high at$17.95 for six figures, unless you remem-ber that you get a figure case, too.

20303 Queen�s Lair * * * * ½

The Alien queen was a fearsome crea-ture in the movies and is also fearsome in

DRAGON 117

miniature form. The miniature consists ofeight pieces. The body is over 160 mmlong from nose to spiked tail, and stands75 mm at its highest point. The head andcrest together are nearly 70 mm. Thebody has an external skeleton that has analmost undead look to it, except for thecentral torso and chest. The back has arow of square spines, and cleaning theflash from between the spine pieces andtops took time. The legs have a hard outershell and external veins, with feet thatlook like the queen wears high heels. Thelegs fit well after the center pegs weretrimmed to fit. The hand and arm assem-bly fit well, although the molded arms inthe chest are rather fragile. The sidespikes require trimming and filling whenadded to the body. The huge head, with itsvery visible rows of teeth, requires sup-port while the adhesive is drying; it fitwell after minor trimming.

The set also includes two eggs, one openwith the facehugger missing and oneclosed. The two facehuggers on largebases, in two different positions, are thelast pieces in the set and match the moviephotos closely.

Combined with the warriors set, this isan impressive group to unleash on any sci-fi group or ALIENS game player. If you�regoing to use the set, I recommend pickingup a package of weapons for the warriors.

118 FEBRUARY 1993

The queen set is recommended, especiallyat $19.95, which also includes a figurecase.

RAFM Co. Inc.20 Park Hill Rd. EastCambridge, OntarioCANADA N1R 1P2

3714 Cave Giant on Hunt * * * * ½

The Cave Giant is a one-piece 25-mmlead casting. The figure, measuring justover 55 mm high and 23 mm across theshoulders, is of a male humanoid stridingforward. There is a slight mold line on theright leg that required minimal but carefulcleaning. The skin over his whole body iscovered by blemishes that look like smallrocky outcroppings. Muscle detail looksblocky, almost as if cut from the stone helives around. He wears nothing but aloincloth held up by a belt that also sup-ports a large purse. Around his neck is anecklace made from the skulls of differentanimals, with a human skull in the front.His chest appears to be muscular but alsoflabby. A high spiral crest rises from hisback and ends at the collarbone. His armsare blocky and support a huge stone axetied to a tree trunk by thick leatherthongs. A slain deer hangs in back fromhis belt.

The most nonhuman part of this figureis the head, which is totally bald except fora long fringe of hair. His eyes look buggedout. He has a long sharp nose, ridgedcheeks, and uneven teeth. He gives theimpression of being part insect (whichmakes sense if he can see in the dark ofhis environment).

This extremely interesting figure couldreally ruin a dungeon-crawling party�s day.It is recommended even with the lightflash between the arms and the body.Each figure costs $5.

Grenadier Models Inc.P.O. Box 305Springfield PA 19064

Grenadier Models UK Ltd.19 Babage Rd.Deeside, Clwyd, WalesUNITED KINGDOM CH5 2QB

5302 Amazon Attack Chariots ****½The Amazon Attack Chariots set con-

tains two chariots, each consisting of ninedifferent pieces. The chariots could beused for either 25 mm or 28 mm, as thefigures check in at 26 mm to the eyeballs.The tigers are mounted on long, thin basesthat probably should be wider. The char-iots have no bases, and I recommend thatyou make some.

The draft animals consist of two sets ofcats, one pair each of sabre-tooth andnormal tigers. The cats are well done, withshallow surface detail for fur, and stand 16mm tall and 57 mm long. The mouth is

wide open in a snarl on all tigers, with thelong teeth of the sabre-tooth visible. Theregular tigers are charging while thesabre-tooths are in a fast trot. All wearharnesses, and the chariot attachmentpoints are high on their backs between theshoulder blades.

The chariots consist of five pieces each.They are 63 mm long and 48 mm wide,and have excellent wood grain detail onthe decks. The wheels and sides appear tobe metal with wood.

There are two crew members per char-iot. The drivers wear heavy boots withpointed tips, heavy pants with wrinkles,and a belt from which hang a short swordand a wide pouch. The drivers wear tank-top shirts with high necklines and heavygloves; their whips are really too thick.The fighters wear low boots and kneeprotectors, and small shields. Their legs,midriffs, and arms are all bare. Each has abikini-style bottom held up by a belt with ashield front, and a chain-mail top withshoulder protectors. The left hand holds around shield; in the right is a serrated-edge sword.

I highly recommend this set for anyoneputting together an Amazon army, or justas an interesting piece. You could evenspend some time removing the top pieceand camouflaging the straps to get fourtigers out of it. The price for the set is$14.95.

That�s it for this month. If you want tobuy a product pictured in this column,bring this magazine with you to your localhobby store. If the store does not stock theminiature and is unwilling to order it,contact the manufacturing company. Com-panies often have a list of stores carryingtheir products or can let you know how topurchase their items directly or from amail-order hobby shop.

If you wish to speak with me, my tele-phone number is: (708) 336-0790. It isoften easier for me to answer your ques-tions by phone rather than by letter. Myhours are MWThF 2-10 P.M. or S&S 10A.M.- 5 P.M. CST. You can also write to meat: Friend�s Hobby Shop, 1411 WashingtonSt., Waukegan IL 60085.

* indicates a product produced by a company otherthan TSR, Inc. Most product names are trademarksowned by the companies publishing those products.The use of the name of any product without mentionof its trademark status should not be construed as achallenge to such status.

What’s your opinion?

What is the future direction of role-playing games? What problems do youhave with your role-playing campaign?Turn to this issue’s “Forum” and seewhat others think—then tell us whatyou think!