D R A G O N

Magazine

Vol. XI, No. 5October 1986

PublisherMike Cook

Editor-in-ChiefKim Mohan

Editorial staffPatrick Lucien Price

Roger MooreRobin Jenkins

Editorial assistanceEileen Lucas

Georgia Moore

Art, graphics, productionRoger Raupp

Kim Lindau

AdvertisingMary Parkinson

SubscriptionsPat Schulz

This issue’s contributing artistsDavid MartinRoger Raupp

Marvel BullpenDuane LooseLarry Elmore

David TrampierRichard Tomasic

Denton ElliottJoseph Pillsbury

Lawrence Raimonda

SPECIAL ATTRACTION8 The Witch � Bill Muhlhausen

From out of the past, a scary NPC updated and redesigned

OTHER FEATURES22 Grave encounters — Nick Kopsinis and Patrick Goshtigian

Creatures you�ll find in cemeteries and crypts

26 The elven cavalier — Chris BoothThe special outlook of a special character

32 Many kinds of money — Davod S. BakerOne man�s cash is another man�s trash

36 The ecology of the remorhaz — Kurt Martin and Ed GreenwoodIf you can�t stand the heat, get off its back

4 0 Combined generation � Robert KelkAll the character-creation information in one place

4 4 Class struggles — Mark KraatzAnother viewpoint of between-levels training

5 0 It�s a hit � but where? � Alex CuryloHow to battle monsters with varying armor classes

5 2 A Recipe for Espionage — Russell DroullardUnleash your TOP SECRET® game creativity

62 Guilty as Charged — Thomas M. KaneThe legal process in the TOP SECRET game

64 The Marvel®-Phile — Jeff GrubbOff to the moon with the Inhumans�

72 The role of computers — Hartley and Pattie LesserA long look at a long game — Wizard’s Crown

78 Running Guns � Margaret Weis and Kevin SteinGround forces support vehicles for the BATTLETECH® game

8 4 High-tech hijinks — Randal S. DoeringIntegrating technology into an AD&D® game campaign

DEPARTMENTS3 Letters 92 Convention calendar 99 Dragonmirth4 World Gamers Guide 94 Gamers� Guide 101 Snarfquest6 The forum 96 Wormy

COVER�Spirit of the Night� is David Martin�s second cover painting for DRAGON Magazine,and one that we thought would set the mood for the Halloween season. In David�swords, �No one understands the intent of a painting better than the artist himself,�so here�s his description of what�s going on: �In a shower of moonlight, a lone figurekneels in supplication to the image of a god worshiped long ago. Aroused, the ele-mental nightwind rises up, phoenix-like, from the ashes of the dead city. It carriesthe smells of the forest, invisible, yet potent as a prayer in the silence.�

2 OCTOBER 1986

Second Ed i t i onDear Dragon,

I am deeply concerned about the future of theAD&D game! What about those of us who havespent $100 plus to get where we are with thefirst edition. Will they mesh together? I mean,will I be able to use the new DM�s guide withthe old player�s manual?

If not, what can a devout 1st editioner do?Will you have a way for us to trade our oldbooks in for credit? Will you continue to publish1st edition books or supplements?

Gil KuperPowhatan, Va.

For an answer to Gil�s letter, we went right tothe source � Dave (Zeb) Cook, who is the Pro-ject Coordinator for the design and productionof the 2nd Edition of the AD&D game. Here�swhat Zeb had to say:

The AD&D game has been around for anumber of years now, and in that time a lot hashappened. A game like this doesn�t stand still: itgrows, changes, and improves. One of thebiggest objectives of the 2nd Edition is to pushthe sprawling mass of rules back into one cohe-sive shape. This will involve gathering some ofthe material that has appeared in other books,modules, and DRAGON® Magazine into one setof books. At the same time, there are things weknow or feel are broken. (My pet peeves includebards, weapon speed factors, and encum-brance.) These areas are going to receive closescrutiny, and many of them are going to bechanged.

However, there is no intention to change thebasics of the game! It will be the same game youknow. Ideally, yes, you should be able to use a1st Edition Players Handbook with a 2nd EditionDungeon Masters Guide. It cannot be a perfectmatch � there are going to be changes � butwe are not trying to force everyone to abandontheir old books.

I know many players have made a sizableinvestment in the AD&D game and that we areasking you to change your investment. We arelooking at ways of keeping your costs down.Central to the current plan is to keep the coreof the game down to two books, one of player�sinformation and one for the DM. Other bookswould be bought by you as you wanted them,including monsters, extra detail on differentcultures and environments, and so forth. Sec-ondly, TSR is looking at ways to offer you aspecial deal. Many things have been discussed �coupons, trade-ins, introductory prices, andmore. No final decision has been made yet, butwe know that something must be done in recog-nition of our long-time supporters.

Our intention is to eventually replace all thecurrent hardbacks by 2nd Edition versions, butthis is a project that will take years. Some yearsfrom now there will be new editions of Un-earthed Arcana, Oriental Adventures, and more,but it is going to take time! The book you justbought yesterday or the one you buy tomorrowwill not be immediately out of date.

The 2nd Edition is in no way an attempt to

rob you. As a designer, I want to do it becausethe game needs it. It is something that musthappen if the AD&D system is going to growand stay exciting and lively for everyone.

Zeb Cook

P s i o n i c s & c o m b a tDear DRAGON:

Recently, I have become interested in psionics.But, in doing so, I became confused. This isbecause I found two conflicting viewpoints. The�Sage Advice� article in issue #78 says that theinvisibility discipline cannot be used whileattacking. On the other hand, an article in issue#105 gives me the opposite idea. Beginning withthe last sentence in the second column of page20, the article states: �It must be possible to usea psionic discipline while making physical at-tacks against an opponent; otherwise, a powersuch as body weaponry would be fairly useless.�Can you explain?

Mark ReinhartAdkins, Tex.

The use of psionic disciplines may be treatedas spell-casting, in that one cannot cast a spell(or use a psionic discipline) and make a physicalattack � unless stated or implied otherwise inthe rules. Thus, one may cast and use Mor-denkainen�s sword or Tenser�s transformation ina physical attack, but one could not cast knockor maze and attack in the same round.

The following disciplines could be used as partof (or while making) an attack: body weaponry,expansion, reduction, and shape alteration. Adiscipline might obviously make attack impos-sible (suspend animation), while others areassumed to require excessive concentration(animal telepathy, aura alteration, cell adjust-ment, clairaudience, clairvoyance, detection ofgood/evil/magic, domination, empathy, ESP,hypnosis, mass domination, molecular manipula-tion, molecular rearrangement, object reading,precognition, sensitivity to psychic impressions,telekinesis, telempathic projection, telepathy,telepathic projection, and teleportationl or arethemselves attack forms (molecular agitationand possibly telekinesis).

The status of some disciplines is in doubt(astral projection, body control, body equilib-rium, energy control, etherealness, invisibility,levitation, mind bar, mind over body, probabilitytravel); Dungeon Masters should use their owndiscretion in such cases. As a rule of thumb,DMs can refer to spell equivalents to determinewhether a discipline could be meshed with anattack. Thus, levitation could be used whilemaking an attack, but invisibility could not be �unless one wishes to equate the discipline withmore powerful spells like improved invisibility(a deadly combination indeed). It is suggestedthat powers that have long durations and littleeffect on physical combat be permitted for usewith combat (such as mind bar), but those thataffect combat in some manner by altering thedamage one takes from an opponent be disal-lowed (body control and energy control). � RM

A word f r om�the read thing�

Kim asked if I�d like to write theeditor�s column for this issue, sincethe topic is one which has suddenlybecome rather dear to my heart.The issue has certainly cost mesome peace of mind and a lot ofwork time to resolve.

Two days before the GEN CON® 19Convention, I received a letter fromsomeone who had some interestingnews to tell me. �I hope you aresitting down while you are readingthis,� he wrote. He then proceededto tell me that he had gone to theSan Diego Comic-Con conventionand had told the staff there that hewas I, Roger Moore, and had cometo the convention from TSR, Inc., topromote our products and gamingin general.

The game convention staff did notcheck this person�s identification; asimple glance at a driver�s licensewould have ended the problem. ButI doubt that even I would havethought to do that. If someone cameup to me and introduced himself asFritz Mondale, I would probably beinclined to believe him, particularlysince I don�t remember too wellwhat Fritz Mondale looks like. Be-sides, as several people later con-firmed, this person was verycharismatic, smooth, and glib. Hesounded as if he knew what he wasdoing, and he knew a bit about TSR,Inc. � not much, but just enough.

To make the story short, �RogerMoore� was placed on a discussionpanel, he fielded questions aboutTSR, Inc.'s legal status and internalpolicies, he helped run a game tour-nament, and he probably signed afew game books for those who cameto the convention. Everyone thoughtit was really I. Pretty funny, right?

Not if you were fooled into think-ing that this guy was telling you thetruth, when he was lying to you allthe while. Not if you wrote to usasking for employment informationon his (�my�) recommendation. Notif you were a convention staffer,realizing you�d been had by someguy who just wanted to get into theconvention free. And especially notif you were I and had no idea ofwhat damage this person had doneto your reputation, small as it mayhave been. (I�m not the actor RogerMoore, but I do try!) Some peoplelike me, and that�s nice; some people

(Turn to page 91)

DRAGON 3

The World Gamers GuideIf you live outside the continental SF = STAR FRONTIERS® game; ST =

United States and Canada, you can be STAR TREK®: The Role-Playing Game;included in the World Gamers Guide by MSH = MARVEL SUPER HEROES™sending your name and full address, game; TS = TOP SECRET® game; T =plus your gaming preferences, to World TRAVELLER® game; RQ = RUNE-Gamers Guide, DRAGON® Magazine, QUEST game; VV = VILLAINS &P.O. Box 110, Lake Geneva WI 53147. VIGILANTES™.

Abbreviations in parentheses after aname indicate games in which thatperson is especially interested: AD =AD&D® game; DD = D&D® game; CC= CALL OF CTHULHU® game; GW =GAMMA WORLD® game;

The World Gamers Guide is intendedfor the benefit of gamers who liveoutside the continental United Statesand Canada, in areas where nearbygamers are small in number or nonex-istent, as a way for them to contact

Grant I. Fraser (AD,DD,GW)11 Dallow PlaceHenderson Auckland 8New Zealand

Ho Chung Hsi (DD,AD,SF)2 Arbuthnot Rd.,1st floor, front block,Central DistrictHong Kong

Dragons Domain (AD,SF,GW)56 Woodstock StreetGuildford 2161N.S.W. Australia

P. J. Juster (AD,DD,T)30/5 Arbel St.P.O. Box 326Karmiel, Israel 20101

Craig Robinson (DD,AD,GW)P.O. Box 320Atherton 4883Queensland, Australia

L. W. Hansen (AD,DD)B.S. Ingemannsvej 2, Vaer. 746400 SonderborgDenmark

Tina de Jesus (AD)30 Mangyan RoadLa Vista, DilimanQuezon CityPhilippines

Jeff JohnsonSPDC Ext. NordB.P. 31Maroual'Extreme-NordCameroun

Peter S. MagnussonAnkarvagen 7181 43 Lidingo

Gasparini Marco (AD,DD)Via Galleria No. 246028 Suzzara (MN)Italy

(AD)

Darren Marsland (DD,T)P.O. Box 14173Green Point8051 Cape TownRepublic of South Africa

Ng Chi Ho (DD,MSH)Flat F. 12/FOn Lok Garden Mansion47 Yuet Wah StreetKwun Tong, KowloonHong Kong

Jeremy Phillips (AD,T,GW)2 Bryan Ave.Kilkenny 5009South AustraliaAustralia

Winfried Eller (AD,CC,DQ)Silbegasse 436901 WilhelmsfeldWest Germany

Venezuelan Role-Playing Society(AD,VV,T)Avenida Francisco de MirandaEdificio Galipan, ChacaoCaracas 1060Venezuela

Matthew Strickler (AD,DD,TS)Impasse de Mon Idee 31226 ThonexSwitzerland

Bianca Jung (DD,AD,SF)Neuer Kamp 133101 NienhagenWest Germany

Martin WinstrandPerstorsv. 1S-310 70 TorupSweden

David Baker (AD,DD)55-457 Moana St.Laie HI 96762

other game-players who would beinterested in corresponding about theactivities that they enjoy. Unfortunately,we cannot extend this service to per-sons who live in remote areas of theU.S. or Canada, or to U.S. militarypersonnel with APO or FPO addresses.Each eligible name and address that wereceive will be published in three con-secutive issues of DRAGON® Magazine;to be listed for more than three issues,you must send in another postcard orletter.

Jason Cashill (DD,AD,RQ)P.O. Box 10962c/o ARAMCODhahran, Saudi Arabia

Edwin Berkhout (AD,DD,GW)Adm. Tromp st 203333 TH ZwyndrechtSouth HollandNetherlands

Rafael Oliveira (DD,AD,TS)Rua Duque Estrada 46/1001Ga'veaRio de Janeiro — RJCEP 22451 Brazil

David Johnston (AD)Chiba-KenIchikawa-ShiYawata 6-31-4Satsuki-So 2F #5T 272 Japan

Dan Mayshar (DD,AD,SF)31 Even Sh’muelRamot 02Jerusalem, Israel

Daniel Folatelli (DD,AD)Casilla de Correo 1816600 MercedesProvincia Buenos AiresArgentina

DRAGON® Magazine (ISSN 0279-6848) is published monthly by TSR, Inc. The mailing address for all material except subscription orders is DRAGON Magazine, P.O. Box110, Lake Geneva WI 53147; the business telephone number is (414) 248-3625. DRAGON Magazine is available at hobby stores and bookstores throughout the UnitedStates and Canada, and through a limited number of overseas outlets. Subscription rates via second-class mail are as follows: $30 in U.S. funds for 1 year (12 issues) sentto an address in the U.S. or Canada, $55 for 12 issues sent by surface mail to any other address, and $95 for 12 issues sent airmail to any other address. Payment in fullmust accompany all subscription orders. Methods of payment include checks or money orders made payable to TSR, Inc., or charges to valid MasterCard or VISA creditcards. Send subscription orders with payments to: TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 72089, Chicago IL 60690. A limited quantity of back issues are available from the TSR mail orderdepartment, P.O. Box 756, Lake Geneva WI 53147. For a copy of the current catalog listing available back issues, write to the mail order department at the above address.The issue of expiration of each subscription is printed on the mailing label for each subscriber’s copy of the magazine. Changes of address for the delivery of subscriptioncopies must be received at least six weeks prior to the effective date of the change in order to assure uninterrupted delivery. All material published in DRAGON Magazinebecomes the exclusive property of the publisher, unless special arrangements to the contrary are made prior to publication. DRAGON Magazine welcomes unsolicitedsubmissions of written material and artwork; however, no responsibility for such submissions can be assumed by the publisher in any event. Any submission accompaniedby a self-addressed, stamped envelope of sufficient size will be returned if it cannot be published.

DRAGON is a registered trademark for the monthly adventure role-playing aid published by TSR, Inc. All rights to the contents of this publication are reserved, andnothing may be reproduced from it in whole or in part without first obtaining permission in writing from the publisher. Copyright ©1986 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

AD&D, D&D, GAMMA WORLD, TOP SECRET, and STAR FRONTIERS are registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. GEN CON is a service mark owned by TSR, Inc.All Marvel characters and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of the Marvel Comics Group. MARVEL SUPER HEROES, MARVEL SUPER VILLAINS, and theINHUMANS are trademarks of the Marvel Comics Group. Copyright ©1986 Marvel Comics Group, a division of Cadence Industries Corporation. All Rights Reserved.BATTLETECH is a trademark of FASA Corporation, registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Copyright ©1986 FASA Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Second-class postage paid at Lake Geneva, Wis., and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 110, Lake Geneva WI 53147.USPS 318-790, ISSN 0279-6848.

4 OCTOBER 1986

DRAGON 5

Margaret Foy�s letter in The Forum section ofthe August 1986 issue of DRAGON® Magazineadvocating sensitivity to the feelings of thosewho adhere to real-world religions that happento have been adapted into the AD&D® gamesystem was both insightful and challenging.Attempts to describe so as to quantify anyone�sdeity can be seen as insensitive, for such quanti-fying is contradictory to a belief in the transcen-dence of such a god � where ineffability is aninherent characteristic of transcendence. Andbuilding into a game the thought that one�s godcould be attacked by any source of �other�power could render the very act of playing thegame contrary to one�s religion. For example, asa Christian cleric (a Roman Catholic priest), Iwould find the suggestion that any creaturecould attack the Holy Spirit to be a conceptbordering on blasphemy; so I deeply appreciateMs. Foy�s observation that parallel feelings couldarise among the adherents of other religions.

However, Ms. Foy�s derivative that �the hon-estly held beliefs of minority religions shouldnot be trivialized in the pursuit of entertainment�is not so easy to accept or to apply to the AD&Dgame structure. For not only have religion(s)and even specific credal beliefs been satirizedand parodied in centuries of literature � andnow decades of film � with only arguable harmto their causes, but even ridicule of religion hasled to its spread throughout history. (You justcan�t keep a good thing down.) Moreover, con-trary to Ms. Foy�s assertion, it is not only minor-ity religions that have been introduced intoAD&D, but Islam, Judaism, and Christianity aswell. Though no pantheon has been describedbecause of the belief in one and only one su-preme being who is infinite and therefore non-quantifiable, other supernatural beingspertaining to these religions have been intro-duced into game play: St. Cuthbert, for example,and the whole ranks of devas which really areangels and archangels. Furthermore, the entireclerical character class system is reminiscent ofJudeo-Christian structures and practices. Isuspect some Christians and Jews find thataspect of the game offensive, but I personallyhave encountered no such criticism.

Therefore, though I agree wholeheartedlywith Ms. Foy�s call for sensitivity, I suggest anapproach different than that of avoiding allhistorical religions. One need only refrain fromattempting to describe (and thus delimit) theSupreme Being in any religion, but allow angelsand saints to interact with characters � ashistory itself indicates has happened. Far frombeing insulting, the imagined interaction withthe holy and revered beings could transcend thegame and become spiritually uplifting as well asentertaining.

Fr. Patrick J. DolanDanville, Ky.

I play a female cleric/magic-user who is (in thewords of one of the DMs) �really both andneither.� There is a long story behind her, but letit suffice to say that her home is the Home ofMagic. This is the name for the origin of allmagic, good or evil. Because of her home, my

6 OCTOBER 1986

character has a strange talent (well, actuallythree, but only one of concern here) that ac-counts for that �slight advantage� of constitutionwhich women seem to have over men.

This talent is a permanent cure wounds. This�blessing� does, however, have one catch � mycharacter takes the wound onto herself, thencures herself (Star Trek fans may be remindedof Gem from the episode entitled �The Empath�)� a process which often takes hours to con-clude. Rather uncomfortable situations occurwhen she is the only cleric in a group of about30 people who seem to enjoy receiving mortalwounds (as has been the case for almost oneyear now). No imbalance in the game occurs, asall other players possess great skill in theirchosen fields, and we are neither under- norovermatched.

My sister, who is the only girl in the group, isa fighter, and her �slight advantage� in constitu-tion is also considered. When she gets wounded,and is left unhealed by a cleric, she has a ten-dency to heal slightly faster than the men.

Now then, before I change subjects, a fewwords about the campaign I play in are in order.First of all, it is run after school, one day aweek, on the school premises, by two maleteachers. Because of the recent controversyconcerning the D&D® and AD&D® games, andthe fact that this is a school-sponsored event, wedo not follow most of the D&D or AD&D rules.We also try to avoid calling �our little game�D&D or AD&D, although it is basically one orthe other (I�m not entirely sure which). Further-more, we do not use any rules concerninglevels, experience points, exact numbers of hitpoints, specific amounts of money, or even dice(2d10 are all that are used), but all charactersare of an equally high level (thus my phrase�possess great skill�).

Aside from all this, I quite agree with DarcyStratton�s letter in issue #112 of DRAGON �even though a female�s constitution is accountedfor in the campaign in which I play.

Personally, I cannot see why some people areloathe to say that females are equal to (if notsuperior to) males in the non-human races. The�realism� argument certainly cannot be used inthis regard. After all, when was the last timeyou saw a real elf, halfling, or other such demi-human? And just because most fantasy writersassume male non-humans are superior to theirfemale counterparts doesn�t mean you have toassume likewise. Aren�t role-players supposed touse their imaginations a bit in these games? Itsure doesn�t take much to say a certain race ismale-dominant. (This doesn�t mean that no racecan be male-dominant, of course.)

Anyway, there is a precedent for strongwomen, even in the human race: the Amazonsof Ancient Greece, for example. These womencertainly weren�t taught to sit around the houseall day and do needlework! And as for thosethat did, they had to have a good constitution,and perhaps strength, too. If they didn�t, theywould never survive giving birth to their firstchild. Thus, the trait of good consititution waspassed on from mother to daughter.

Anyhow, I hope all of this has proven one

point or another. I also hope that Darcy can getthe problems with her female charactersstraightened out, and doesn�t decide to stopplaying the D&D or AD&D game because of thiscontroversy.

Jeannie WhitedRockville, Md.

Upon reading Matt Bandy�s article, �Armor,Piece by Piece� in issue #112, I was movedenough to express my violent disagreement withwhat I thought was a concept horribly incon-gruous to the AD&D® game system. I don�tmean any disrespect to Mr. Bandy, but I feel heis not comprehending one of the most basicprecepts of combat in the AD&D game (andalas, the one most frequently misunderstood).

The introduction of a �hit location� table tothe AD&D game defeats the entire concept ofthe hit point system. A hit point is not equal to Xcubic inches of flesh; a hit point is a manifesta-tion of both physical and metaphysical powersof skill, guts, luck, and divine help. A five pointaxe hit to an 80 hp fighter would come nowherenear touching his heroic hide; rather, it wouldbe simply a near miss or a few hairs off hisherculean arm, or even just a bit of his endur-ance worn down.

To install a �hit location� table assumes thatthe character is actually struck by the blow,which is very often not the case at all. Onlythose last ten hit points or so equate to substan-tial injuries sustained by the character. Even inthe case of those last few lethal blows, to rolltheir location denies the DM creative interpreta-tion, such as �you are skewered through theshoulder,� or �your long sword severs his headcleanly,� and other such pleasantries. As a DM, Idelight in such gory creativity, as only the looseAD&D system allows. That, I think, is the great-est triumph of the AD&D combat rules: the factthat the dice decide the outcome, but thebreathtaking cut and thrust is left to your ownimagination.

Joseph MaccarroneBrooklyn, N.Y.

I was surprised by what I read in �Dawn of aNew Age� (issue #112). First of all, I am ex-tremely glad about the reduction of sciencefiction articles.

However, the new typeface is honestly themost disgusting, unreadable one I have everencountered. In an informal survey of threepeople (which, I realize, isn�t many) all prefer-red the typeface used before issue #73 toBaskerville and Zapf. Almost equally annoying isyour method of putting the title of an articlewithin a box of gray or black. I would like to seeunique and individual �title printings.� For all it�sworth (which probably isn�t much), I wouldsuggest the use of Michelangelo for display type;both are designed by Hermann Zapf. Perhapsyou could give examples of a few typefaces onthe next readership survey, and let the readerschoose which they like best.

At the bottom of page 8, Mr. Mohan statesthat you aren�t going to be as careful in makingsure that the information in your articles iscorrect, because the survey indicated that thereaders were bored with �realism� articles.Don�t let me tell you how to interpret yoursurveys, but it seems to me that no one woulddesire an unrealistic article. Maybe that soundsa bit extreme. What I mean is that I think thesurvey responses showed that the readers didnot desire articles that dealt solely with realisticfacts, not that they wanted the articles to be lessrealistic.

(Turn to page 95)

by Bill Muhlhausen

The witch has long been a popular non-player character in the D&D® and AD&D®games, and long-time readers of DRAGON®Magazine may recall numerous incarna-tions of this character class and its powersover the years. The most recently pub-lished version of the witch appeared inDRAGON issue #43, in November 1980. BillMuhlhausen’s article was revised andedited by Kim Mohan and Tom Moldvay;this version has been further expandedand revised by Roger E. Moore, and editedby Karen Martin, Robin Jenkins, and (onceagain) Kim Mohan.

It must be noted that the witch is a verypowerful spell-caster. It could conceivablybe used as a player character on an exper-imental basis, but it works best as an NPCused to challenge parties of adventurerson a long-term basis. The class has beendeliberately given extraordinary spell-casting powers, in terms of numbers ofspells available and the power of individ-ual spells; player-character witches mayprove to be overwhelming, but NPCwitches are thus. better able to challengelarge groups of adventurers. The decid-edly evil nature of the witch (as a rule) isalso a point against its use as a player-character class.

We hope you enjoy it. Happy Halloween!— The editors.

The witch is a special type of powerfulspell-caster. Though similar to the magic-user, it is not a magic-user subclass, muchin the same way that the cavalier is similarto (but not a subclass of) the fighter. Thewitch has talents and powers normallyassociated with other spell-casting classes,as well as its own unique abilities.

Based upon the witch of fairy tale, myth,and fantasy, the class includes a number ofdistinctive abilities. Witches use herbs forhealing and magic, somewhat in the man-ner of druids (to which witches are dis-tantly related). Witches combine cleric andmagic-user forms of magic, since they areessentially worshipers of forbidden reli-gions (generally evil in nature, but not

Revised and expanded NPC class

always so). They specialize in spells involv-ing nature, the changing seasons, andsympathetic magic (i.e., magic based uponthe similarities between a spell-castingritual and the spell’s effect), and they arealso very knowledgeable aboutenchantment/charm spells involving hu-mans and humanoids. The manipulationand control of other beings is one of thehallmarks of witch magic—a necessarystep on the way to achieving greater andgreater power. Evil witches often special-ize in curses and destructive spells.

Witches gain new spells by performingritual sacrifice and prayer to deities—usually demon princes, archdevils, or thecurrent oinodaemon. If the deity ispleased, it sends a servant being to teachthe witch a new spell appropriate to herlevel and ability. Because the witch mustlearn the new spell as a magic-user does,her chance to know each listed spell andher minimum and maximum number ofspells per level are taken from Table II onpage 10 of the Player's Handbook. Witchesalways gain the spells read magic andwrite, not having to check for knowingthese spells as they start in their class.Witches may use the latter two spells tolearn the spells used by other spell-castingclasses, so long as the spells learned areduplicated in the list of spells allowed towitches, and so long as the witch is of alevel appropriate to the spell. For instance,a 4th-level witch who has found a scrollwith the 2nd-level cleric spell find trapsmay attempt to learn the spell directlyfrom the scroll, copying it down (in herown magical language) for future use. Allwitches keep and use spell books, fromwhich they relearn their spells as domagic-users (see page 40, “Recovery ofspells,” in the DMG, and pages 79-80 inUnearthed Arcana).

If a Dungeon Master desires a witchwith more variety, the restrictions onwhich spells may be learned by witchesmay be loosened. Spells that summonbeings from the lower planes and bindthem to certain tasks are not likely to betaught to a witch by her deity’s servants(whether they are evil or good), but noth-ing should stop the witch from looking up

such arcane knowledge on her own. Inde-pendent witches who did not join a HighSecret Order (see below) are the ones mostlikely to make use of such spells — so longas the witches do not use them to attemptto bind their own deity. Other spells, par-ticularly those from Unearthed Arcana,may be added as well (see the generalnotes on spells below).

There are two orders of witches. LowOrder Witches may progress to 16th level,and High Secret Order Witches may ad-vance to 22nd level. Witches may be ofany alignment, though evil witches are therule; good and neutral witches are almostunknown. The prime requisites for awitch are intelligence and wisdom, each ofwhich must be 13 or higher. Only humans,elves (any sub-race from Unearthed Ar-cana), and half-elves can he witches; fur-thermore, only humans and dark elves(drow) can be members of a High SecretOrder. Other elves and all half-elves arelimited to no higher than 11th level aswitches, but no male witch of any race canrise higher than 9th level. No witch maybe multiclassed or double-classed, due tothe difficulties involved in learning andmaintaining one’s magical powers. Noearned bonus to experience is gained forexceptional ability scores.

Most witches are female, since this classattracts a disproportionate number offemale humans, elves, and half-elves to itspractice. This situation is encouraged bythe large number of evil male beings rul-ing the Lower Planes, most of whom de-sire mortal consorts, and by female deities(of any alignment) governing magic, whofind worshipers among women in oppres-sive, male-dominated societies. Malewitches are sometimes called warlocks,though this term invites confusion withthe level title for 8th-level magic-users.Conversely, many female magic-users areimproperly called witches. As a genericterm for a single witch, the pronoun “she”is used in this text.

Witches have 4-sided hit dice and re-ceive 1 hit die for each level of experienceup to and including 11th level. Thereafter,they each receive one additional hit pointfor each level of experience — 11+1 for

12th level, 11+2 for 13th level, and so on.Witches receive constitution bonuses as domagic-users, and they save either asmagic-users or as clerics, on whichevercolumn is better against a given effect.Weapon proficiencies, allowable weapontypes, attack tables used, and attacks perround are all as per magic-users. Theymay wear no armor whatsoever, save formagical protections such as rings, bracers,cloaks, etc., and witches cannot useshields. They may use any magical itemthat magic-users are able to employ. Oilmay be used as a weapon (though it rarelyis), and poison is freely used by evilwitches

Witches with above-average intelligencereceive bonus spells, similar to the proce-dure for a cleric with above-average wis-dom:

Intelligence Spell bonus13 One first-level spell14 One first-level spell15 One first-level spell16 One second-level spell17 One third-level spell18 One fourth-level spell19+ One fifth-level spell

The spell bonuses are cumulative; e.g., awitch with a 15 intelligence receives threeadditional 1st-level spells. A witch musthave an intelligence of 16 to cast 8th-levelspells.

Witches start out in the world with avariable amount of money, dependingupon how well they are liked by theirdeities. Multiply a witch’s charisma scoreby 10 and add a variable amount from 2-20 to find the number of gold pieces givento a 1st-level witch through a servant ofher deity. Thereafter, witches tend toaccumulate numerous useful magicaltreasures. NPC witches have an amount ofmagical treasure equal in gold-piece valueto their level multiplied by five, expressedin terms of thousands of gold pieces. Forexample, a 2nd-level NPC witch wouldhave about 10,000 gp worth of magicalequipment — perhaps a single ring ofmammal control, potions of invisibility anddiminution, an eversmoking bottle, and a

D R A G O N 9

rug of smothering (used as a trap). Thecash reserve for an NPC witch is roughlyequal to her amount of experience pointsexpressed as gold pieces, though �cash�may actually be in the form of mundaneitems such as glassware, spell components,wall hangings, furniture, and so forth.Each NPC witch�s lair should be tailored bythe DM to fit the campaign circumstancesas seen fit. These guidelines do not applyto PC witches (if they are permitted).

Followers, hirelings, andapprentices

Because of their close working relation-ship with their deities, witches regardthemselves as superior to all other classesof characters. Witches tolerate no masterssave their deities or higher-level witches,and they insist upon governing all under-lings with absolute authority, regardless ofalignment. Witches who have becomeconsorts of their deities are especiallydangerous and intolerant of all rivals.Anyone who attempts to control or giveorders to a witch invites disaster.

When a witch reaches 9th level, she canattract 5-50 zero-level followers of theappropriate alignment if she establishes aplace of worship. Since witches usuallyworship forbidden gods, such a place ofworship must be kept secret, and it mustalso be cleared of wandering monsters.The followers try to remain hidden fromthe outside world except under extremecircumstances. A witch may also obtainthe services of hirelings in the normalmanner and is allowed to consult withsages if she desires.

A witch may have as many as threeapprentices in training at one time. Allapprentices are, of course, witches them-selves and cannot be of a level higher thanone-fourth of the witch�s experience level.Thus, a 4th-level witch can have 1-3 1st-level apprentices and cannot have a 2nd-level apprentice until reaching 8th levelherself (fractions are rounded down).

Apprentices can acquire experiencepoints through normal means, and canalso receive the benefit of up to one-half of the witch�s own acquired experiencepoints. The awarding of a witch�s experi-ence points to her apprentice(s) can onlytake place when the points gained wouldnot raise the apprentice(s) to a level morethan one-fourth the level of the witchherself.

For example: A 7th-level witch with60,000 experience points has a 1st-levelapprentice with 2,300 experience points,and the witch performs an action thatawards her 500 experience points. Theapprentice would be entitled to half, or250, of those points (if the witch desired toaward the points to the apprentice), exceptthat such an addition would raise theapprentice to second level, and the witchcannot have a 2nd-level apprentice untilshe reaches 8th level. Thus, the apprenticecan be awarded a maximum of 200 pointsbecause she must remain at 1st level; from

10 OCTOBER 1986

that point onward, the apprentice won�tbe able to record any more experiencepoints gained until her teacher advancesto 8th level.

High Secret OrdersEach major deity worshiped by witches

maintains a formal organization of themost powerful witches in a certain area.This organization is usually known as aHigh Secret Order. High Secret Ordersmay have members scattered over anentire world or across a small country, asthe situation permits; orders that havebeen decimated by magical wars or whichare just starting out may be highly local-ized. High Secret Orders serving differentdeities and causes have been known toattack one another in dreadful battlesinvolving attacks by extraplanar creaturesand the use of awful spells, though �surprisingly � such orders are rarelywarlike. Even members of diametricallyopposed orders prefer to oppose eachother in more subtle manners, weavingcomplex plots and spreading their influ-ence against one another in generations-long dances of rivalry and power. Kings,high priests, archmages, arid dragons maybe drawn into these conflicts, serving aspawns in a greater game.

Upon attaining 10th level, a witch mustdecide whether to apply for membershipin a High Secret Order. This applicationmay be made only by witches with at least16 intelligence and 16 wisdom. The witchmust also possess at least one of the fol-lowing objects: any magical crystal ball,any magical (non-cursed) broom, a mirrorof mental prowess, a mirror of life trap-ping, or one of these objects, depending onalignment: libram of silver magic if good,libram of gainful conjuration if neutral, orlibram of ineffable damnation if evil. Un-less accepted into the High Secret Order, awitch may not progress beyond 16th level.A witch who joins a High Secret Ordermay progress to the 22nd level of experi-ence.

Witches who join a High Secret Orderare bound to even greater servitude totheir deities than before and take on addi-tional responsibilities to carry out theirdeities� wills. Witches who choose not tojoin such an order at 10th level cannotlater decide to join, but they gain morepersonal freedom and have a less compli-cated relationship with their deities. Such�independent� witches are not well re-garded by other witches, even those oftheir own alignment and religion, andHigh Secret Orders rarely go out of theirway to assist these �ungrateful renegades.�

High Secret Order witches, in addition tothe spells acquired normally, receive oneadditional High Secret Order spell for eachlevel they have gained while in the HighSecret Order. For example, a 10th-levelwitch receives one High Secret Orderspell; at 15th level, she receives six HighSecret Order spells; finally, at 22nd level,she receives 13 High Secret Order spells.

There is only one Queen of Witches andone Princess of Witches for each HighSecret Order. A princess who acquiresenough experience points to becomequeen when there is a reigning queenmust either remain at princess level (gain-ing no additional powers or abilities) orplot against the current queen in an at-tempt to overthrow her.

Witches� special abilitiesA witch is taught certain special abilities

by her deity and her deity�s otherworldlyservants as she progresses in level. Theseabilities, noted on the Witches Table attheir appropriate levels, are explainedbelow. Note that spell-like powers are inaddition to spells already known by thewitch.

Brew poisons and narcotics (3rdlevel): An evil witch can brew one dose ofeither a poison or a narcotic each day,providing she has the necessary ingredi-ents. The mixtures cannot be used to coatweapons and must be ingested by theintended victims. A witch learns how tobrew Type A ingestive poison at 3rd level(see pages 20-21 of the DMG). She learnshow to brew an additional type of inges-tive poison for every two levels she pro-gresses beyond third level. Thus, at 11thlevel, a witch can brew Type E poison.Saving throws are applicable.

A narcotic has the effect of a sleep spellon a victim with 8 hp or less if the savingthrow is failed. A victim with 9-16 hp isreduced to half dexterity and half normalmovement for 12 turns; a victim with 17-24 hp loses one-third dexterity and one-third movement rate for the same 12-turnduration; a victim with 25 + hp loses one-sixth dexterity and movement for theduration of the narcotic�s effect. A success-ful saving throw halves the effect andduration of a narcotic. Only humans,demi-humans, and humanoids are af-fected.

Brew truth drug (4th): A witch maybrew one dose of truth drug per week. Avictim who ingests a dose of the drug andfails a save vs. poison falls into a stuporand is forced to answer 1-4 questionstruthfully. The truth drug can only affectan individual of an equal or lower experi-ence level (or equal or fewer hit dice) thanthe witch who brewed the potion. Thestupor (which reduces movement andstrength by half) lasts 2-12 turns. A dose oftruth drug is potent for only one day afterbeing made. Only humans, demi-humans,and humanoids are affected.

Brew love potion (5th): The witchcan brew one special form of philter oflove per week. The potion has all theeffects of the usual potion, save that thevictim is affected only by the witch, thevictim gains a -4 to save against beingcharmed by the witch, and the charmingeffects last for 8+2-8 turns. This potion

has a chance of affecting a victim of thesame level (or with equivalent hit dice) asthe witch who brewed the potion. Thus, a9th-level witch could brew a potion toaffect a fighter of 9th level or lower, butnot a 10th-level fighter. Enamoring effectslast until dispelled. Victims who save vs.spells are not affected. Only humans,demi-humans, and humanoids are af-fected.

Manufacture potions and scrolls(6th): At this level, a witch may make anypotions listed in the Players Handbook orin Unearthed Arcana, without the help ofan alchemist. An alchemist can cut com-pounding and infusing times by 50%. Inaddition, scrolls may be penned by thewitch for later use, as per the rules in theDMG (pages 116-118).

Candle magic (7th): A witch maymanufacture one candle per month, aprocess that requires no interruptions (orelse the candle is ruined). For each threedays spent in making a candle, the candleburns for one turn, up to a maximum of 9turns (for a candle which took 27 days tomake). The magic of a candle takes effectwhen the candle is either snuffed out orburned down to nothing at the end of itsduration, At 7th level, a witch may makered candles; the ability to make othercolors of candles is gained as the witchrises in level. A candle must be burned inthe presence of the intended victim

(where appropriate) in order to work, and turn of burning, with all such questionsthe victim must not be farther than 10� being answered truthfully.away throughout the entire burning time. Yellow candle (13th level): One turn of

Saving throws may be attempted, where telepathy (the witch is able to read a vic-applicable, for the effects of all candles tim�s mind and communicate with him) isexcept red candles. Any candle that does gained for each turn of burning. All lan-not burn continuously for at least one guages are understood for the duration ofturn has no effect. A candle that is extin- the effect, and falsehoods and evasions areguished midway through a turn is treated known as such.as though it had not burned at all during Gold candle (15th level): This cures 1-6that turn, but that turn is counted against hp damage on any being able to be af-the maximum amount of time a certain fected by a cure light wounds spell, on thecandle may be burned. Thus, if a candle being nearest the candle when the latter iswith a maximum life of five turns is extin- extinguished, for each turn of burning. Ifguished midway through its third turn of the witch puts out the candle, she herselfburning, its effects are as though it had is cured.only burned for two turns (not two and a Black candle (18th level): One curse canfraction), but if it is re-ignited later, it has be placed on a victim for each turn ofonly two, turns of burning left before it burning, up to a maximum of six turns ofgoes out automatically.

Red candle: The victim is affected as ifburning and six curses. The curses areweakness (strength reduced to 3), feeble-

by a philter of love, with a duration of one mindedness (intelligence reduced to 3),day (24 hours) for each turn of burning. clumsiness (dexterity reduced to 3), fool-No saving throw is allowed, and the po- ishness (wisdom reduced to 3), uglinesstion�s effects cannot be dispelled except by (charisma reduced to 3), and exhaustiona limited wish, alter reality, or wish spell. (constitution reduced to 3). Saving throws

Blue candle (9th level): One turn of pro- vs. spells can be attempted for each cursetection from evil/good; 10� radius (as per and, if successful, negate that particularthe magic-user spell) is gained for each curse only. Casting wish or remove curseturn of burning. This power has double (the latter by a cleric of at least 9th level)effects against good beings if used by an removes one curse for each casting of thatevil witch, or against evil beings if used by spell. Each curse lasts indefinitely untila good witch. dispelled.

Purple candle (11th level): This acts as atruth drug, as noted above, allowing two Use all-magical scrolls (9th): Druid,questions to be asked of a victim for each magic-user, and illusionist scrolls can be

WITCHES EXPERIENCE TABLE

4-sideddice for

Experience Experience accum.points level hit points Spells usable by level Level title

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 HSO0-2,500 1 1 1 - - — - - - - -

2,501-5,000 2 2 2 - - - - - - - -5,001-10,000 3 3 2 1 - - - - - - -

10,001-20,000 4 4 3 2 - - - - - - -

MediumSoothsayerSpiritualistSybil

Special abilitygained

NoneNoneBrew poisons and narcoticsBrew truth drug

20,001-35,00035,001-50,000

50,001-75,00075,001-100,000

100,001-200,000200,001-350,000350,001-600,000600,001-900,000

(300,000 xpper level for

each additionalbeyond 12th) 16 11+5

5 56 6

7 78 89 9

10 1011 1112 11+113 11+214 11+315 11+4

17 11+618 11+719 11+820 11+921 11+1022 11+11

4 2 1 - - - - - - - Siren Brew love potion4 3 2 - - - - - - Conjuress Manufacture potions and

scrolls5 3 2 1 - - - - - Mystic Candle magic5 4 3 2 - - - - - Seeress None5 5 3 2 1 - - - - Enchantress Use all magical scrolls5 5 4 3 1 - - - l Sorceress Acquire familiar6 5 4 3 2 - - - l Witch None6 6 5 3 2 1 - - 1 Topaz Witch Manufacture magical items6 6 6 4 3 1 - - 2 Sapphire Witch Brew flying ointment6 6 6 5 3 2 1 - 2 Ruby Witch None6 6 6 6 4 3 1 - 2 Emerald Witch Manufacture control doll6 6 6 6 5 3 2 1 3 Diamond Witch Manufacture permanent

magical items6 6 6 6 5 4 3 2 3 Witch Mother Fascination6 6 6 6 6 4 3 3 3 Priestess None6 6 6 6 6 5 4 4 4 High Priestess None7 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 4 Eternal Priestess Longevity7 7 7 7 6 6 6 6 4 Princess of Witches Limited wish7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 5 Queen of Witches Shape change

12 OCTOBER 1986

read and used with a 10% chance of spellfailure. Cleric scrolls can be read by awitch, but only those spells usable by bothclerics and witches may be employed (witha 20% chance of failure).

Acquire familiar (10th): This poweris similar to a magic-user�s 1st-level findfamiliar spell, except that there is nochance of not acquiring a familiar.Witches� familiars are quite powerful. Thefamiliar adds its hit points to the witch�s,but, if the familiar dies the witch onlyloses the hit points the familiar originallyadded � not double the number. Familiarsas tough as a witch�s are difficult to locate;if her familiar dies, a witch must waitfrom 3-18 years to acquire another. Famil-iars are usually given bizarre names bytheir mistresses, such as puns (Mephisto-Fleas), nonsense words (Sybybala), ana-grams of other famous names (Yaabagab),and so on.

The specific animal types used as famil-iars by witches are the same as used byregular magic-users. However, a witch�sfamiliar is capable of human speech, hashigh intelligence and considerable clever-ness, and is AC 5 with 2 HD. Such famil-iars may not appear noticeably differentfrom others of their kind, however. Awitch�s familiar adds + 1 to its �to hit� anddamage rolls. Possession of a familiargifts the witch with the abilities given by apearl of power (of a type randomly deter-mined for each familiar), because thefamiliar�s own mind can store spells andtelepathically assist the witch. A telepathiclink bonds both witch and familiar withina 12� radius. Special familiars may beacquired, as per the magic-user spell, andsuch always have the maximum numberof hit points.

Manufacture magical items (12th):At this level, a witch may manufacturemagical items that do not have permanentnatures (such as wands and rechargeableitems, as well as one-shot devices).

Brew flying ointment (13th): Thewitch may brew enough ointment perweek for one human-sized individual to fly(as per the fly spell, only at 48� speed).The flying duration is 1-4 hours plus anumber of turns equal to the witch�s level.The ointment must be smeared over therecipient�s unclothed body to work.Witches using this ointment have maneu-verability class A.

Manufacture control doll (15th):Once per week, a witch can make one clayor wax doll which she can use to controlone character or monster. Dolls are madeto fit general categories, e.g. a man, awoman, a troll, a dragon. For the doll tofunction as desired, a part of the specifictarget (a nail clipping, a lock of hair, a bitof outer skin or scales, etc.) must be madepart of the doll. Once the specific materialis added, the doll acquires a focus. The

doll must now be shown to the intendedvictim. If the victim fails to save vs. spells,the victim is charmed (as per a monster�scharm spell, in the DMG, page 65). Thecharm lasts as long as the doll is intact andin the witch�s possession. If the witch losesthe doll, or if the doll is destroyed or dam-aged, the spell is broken.

the item to be enchanted and invokes herdeity to properly enspell the item. Thechance for success is 70%, plus a percent-age amount equal to the witch�s charisma.If an item fails to be permanently en-chanted, it must be destroyed and a newattempt must be made later.

Manufacture permanent magicalitems (16th): The witch may now create

Fascination (17th): The power offascination may be used once per day. Awitch merely has to concentrate to exer-

items that do not require recharging. This cise the power. Any individual who merelyprocess is performed in a month-long looks at the witch and fails to save vs.ceremony during which the witch takes spells faithfully serves the witch as long as

DRAGON 13

the fascination lasts (a number of turnsequal to the level of the witch). Servicewhile fascinated is nearly absolute, stop-ping just short of following suicidal orders. General notes on spellsThis power is unrelated to the 2nd-level Duplication: Certain spells are duplicatesillusionist spell fascinate. of existing magic-user, cleric, druid, or

illusionist spells. These spells are noted asLongevity (20th): From this point such below by the presence of a letter-

onward, the witch ages at only one-tenth number symbol, designating the class andthe normal rate for her racial type, except spell level which the witch spell dupli-for magical effects (which increase or cates. Thus, the witch spell clairvoyancedecrease the witch�s biological age as (MU-3) is in all ways the same as the third-usual; see below). level magic-user spell of the same name

(except for differences noted elsewhere).Limited wish (21st): A limited wish is Certain minor alterations in the spells

identical to the 7th-level magic-user spell casting or effects are noted as well, if anyof the same name. It may be used once per exist. All duplicated spells that are revers-month, though the witch will age one year- ible in their original form are also revers-per use. This effect occurs despite the ible as witch spells, unless statedwitch�s longevity, as noted above. otherwise (see, for example, darkness and

light).Shape change (22nd): This power is Holy symbols: Witches do not use holy

usable once per day for no longer than or unholy symbols in their spell-castingtwo turns each time. Otherwise, this rituals. Any good-aligned character whopower is identical to the 9th-level magic- displays a holy symbol in an attempt touser spell of the same name. ward off an evil witch�s spell gains a +2

bonus on ail saving throws against thewitch�s magic; however, no other actionsmay be attempted by that person. Further-more, good-aligned clerics who display aholy symbol to ward off an evil witch�sspell gain a basic magic resistance to thatwitch�s magic of 5% per level of the cleric,in addition to a +4 bonus on all savesagainst her magic. Thus, a 5th-level goodcleric gains a 25% magic resistance againstany spell cast at him by an evil witch.Neutral or evil beings who confront a goodor neutral witch gain no such saving gra-ces. This power was granted to good cler-ics to offset the might of evil witches.

Alignment restrictions: Several witchspells are described as only usable bywitches of certain alignments. In manyother cases, the use of a spell may becontraindicated by the nature of the spellas regards the alignment of the spellcaster. DMs who choose to make the witcha non-player character in their campaignshould use great discretion in the selectionand use of certain spells by a witch of aparticular alignment.

WITCHES SPELL LIST

123456789

1011121314151617181920

First level* Second levelChange se l f BlessCharm man I Charm man IIControl vapor Detect invisibilityCure wounds ESPDarkness Find trapsD e t e c t e v i l Hold personDetect illusion Hold portalDetect poison IdentifyF a e r i e f i r e KnockFind familiar Locate objectGive wounds Magic mouthLight Nature callMagic disk PacifyMending P i tMinor quest Purify food & drinkRead languages PyrotechnicsReflected image Seduction IISeduction I Speak with animalsSleep Speak with plantsUnseen servant Speak in tongues

Third level Fourth levelCalm Charm monsterClairvoyance Control fluidComfort Cure/cause serious woundsContinual light Glyph of wardingCure disease Hallucinatory terrainDissipate vapor InfravisionFireball LevitateInvisibility Mirror image Lightning bolt Neutralize poisonMystic rope Plant growthPhantasmal force Polymorph otherPhantom light Polymorph selfPlant entrapment Seduction IVProt. from normal missiles ShockRemove curse StrengthSeduction III Wall of water

The first-level spells listed here do not include read magic and write, which are automatically gained by all witches.

Fifth level Sixth level Seventh level Eighth level1 Animal growth Animate dead Astral projection Charm man III2 Anti-magic shell Cancel life level Call spirit Clone3 Charm animal Evaporate fluids Control lycanthrope D e a t h 4 Immunity Haste Control undead Dispel enchantment5 Insect plague Leomund�s secret chest Find the path Mass polymorph6 Monster summoning I Lower water Fire storm Reincarnation7 Oracle Seduction VI Geas R u s t i n g t o u c h8 Produce flame Telekinesis Legend lore S e d u c t i o n V I I I9 Seduction V True sight Love Summon devil

10 Slow Vision crystal Seduction VII Temporary resurrection11 Spirit Wards of defense Stone to flesh W a s t i n g 12 Teleport Worship Wall of ice Y o u t h13 Transmute rock to mud14 Weakness15 Water breathing16 Wizard eye

14 OCTOBER 1986

Material components: All spells thatduplicate existing spells have verbal, mate-rial, and somatic components as requiredby the pre-existing spell. All other spellsrequire both verbal and somatic compo-nents, with material components left tothe discretion of the DM employing thewitch as an NPC. It would be permissibleto require no material component for suchspells, and it would certainly also be per-missible to assign particular material com-ponents to some or all of such spells.Herbs, roots, bones, and other plant andanimal material are often used, sometimespurely for effect.

Casting time: The casting time for anywitch spell duplicating an existing spell isthe same as for the existing spell. Thecasting time for any other witch spell is anumber of segments equal to the level ofthat spell. Casting time for any High SecretOrder spell, including spells from thePlayers Handbook, is 9 segments, exceptfor banish, which has a casting time of 5segments.

Cantrips: Witches may learn any can-trips normally learned by magic-users, andsuch cantrips are often used in normalmagical rituals and work. However,witches are granted immunity to all can-trips (as a means of preserving their dignity).

New spells: As noted earlier, theDungeon Master may give an NPC witchspells other than those listed here. How-ever, this should be carefully done to avoidhaving the witch turn into a powerhouseand to avoid breaking down the witch�sdistinctive repertoire of spells and abilities.There would be no need for a witch tohave or use the 5th-level cleric spell magicfont, for example, and other spells mightbe of little use or interest to a particularwitch. The DM should construct a witch�sspells to reflect her personality and inter-ests, perhaps playing upon several majorthemes. One witch might be concernedwith summoning and binding minor evil

High Secret Order spells1 B a n i s h 2 Circle of blindness3 Combine4 Control weather5 Disintegrate flesh6 Earthquake7 Guards and wards8 Intensify9 Maze

10 Paralyzing pit11 Prismatic sphere12 Prismatic spray13 Reflection14 Seek15 Solidify air16 Transport via plants17 Vaporize18 Volcanic circle19 Weight concentration20 Wind walk

D R A G O N 1 5

helpers; another might want to gain con-trol over the inhabitants and treasures ofa particular forest. The spells selected forsuch witches should be generally directedtoward attaining such goals.

Male victims: If a spell notes that it iseffective against men, the terms �man�and �men� should be read as genericterms, referring to all male humans, demi-humans, and humanoids.

tion 10 rounds. This magical missile is +3to hit if cast by a witch of level l-16 and+4 to hit if cast by a witch of level 17 orhigher. The disk may be thrown aroundcorners if the caster is in plain view of thecorner and has just seen an opponent goin that direction, but the missile is only+1 to hit when thrown around a corner.The disk damages opponents requiringmagical weapons to be hit. It may bethrown once each round for up to 10

rounds, scoring 1 hp damage for eachsuccessful hit, or it may be thrown onceonly for a fixed amount of damage (if ithits). If thrown once, damage caused is 4

First level hp for levels 7-9, 8 hp for levels 10-12, 10Change self � I-1 hp for levels 13-16, and 12 hp for levels 17Charm man I � A witch must have a and higher. The caster may specify sub-

charisma score of at least 11 to cast this dual damage only, as per the procedurespell. The spell affects up to 5-8 men of for subdual outlined for dragons in the3rd level or lower in a 16� radius from the Monster Manual. The spell is usable oncewitch, and has a duration of 2-5 turns. It per day.affects victims the same as a charm person Mending � MU-1spell. If there is a leader with a group of Minor quest � Range 2�, duration 6men, he may dispel the charm if his cha- hours, area of effect 5� diameter sphere.risma plus a roll of 1d8 is six, points or The spell affects up to 12 experience levelsmore higher than the witch�s charisma. If worth of humanoid opponents, or up tothe spell is not dispelled by a leader, each six levels (6 HD) of monsters, with lowest-man within the area of effect must at- level opponents in a group affected first.tempt a save vs. spells. A successful savenegates the effect of the spell for that man

The caster must be able to verbally com-municate with her opponents for the spell

only. If there are more men within range to work. By using this spell, the witch canthan the maximum number who can be send her attackers away from her on anaffected, the spell is directed against the imaginary errand for themselves, such aslower-level men first. The spell won�t going to town for supplies or going to awork on any man who has taken damage nearby river to get water. If the intendedfrom any other action of the same witch victim or victims fail a saving throw, theyduring the current encounter. are compelled to attempt the errand,

Control vapor � Range is 10� times the provided that it poses no direct threat tolevel of the witch, area of effect is a 3� their safety or well-being. There is a 20%diameter sphere. A quantity of gas or chance, plus 1% per level of the caster,vapor may be controlled and moved about, that the quested being or beings forgetwith a maximum movement of 6� per about the witch after the spell has wornround. The spell-caster may move while off or after the quest is completed, which-controlling the gases, but may not begin ever comes first.casting another spell while the control is Read languages � As per the 1st-levelbeing maintained. The duration of the magic-user spell comprehend languages,spell is 1 turn or until dispelled. except that only written communications

Cure wounds � Usable only by witches may be understood.of good or neutral alignment. By touching Reflected image � Range 4�, duration 1one character or creature, the witch can day per level of the caster or until dis-heal from 1-6 hp damage. Neutral witches pelled, area of effect up to 2� by 2�. Thiscannot use cure wounds and give woundson the same day. See the spell cure light

spell enables a witch to form picture onany reflecting surface, depictmg a single

wounds (C-1) for further details. scene that she has in mind.Darkness � I-1 (only neutral and evil Seduction I � Range 6�, duration 2

witches may cast this spell) turns or until dispelled, area of effect oneDetect evil � C-1 man. This spell causes the affected man toDetect illusion � I-1 cast aside all weapons, armor, and clothingDetect poison � D-1 in an attempt to seduce the witch, leavingFaerie fire � D-1 the victim virtually defenseless againstFind familiar � MU-1 attacks from the witch or any other char-Give wounds � Usable only by witches acter or creature. Immediately after the

of evil or neutral alignment. By touching spell wears off or is dispelled, the victimone character or creature, the witch can can retrieve one of his dropped weaponscause from 1-6 hp damage. Neutral on a roll of 11 or more on 1d20. If the rollwitches cannot use give wounds more is 16 or more, the victim may also retrievethan once per day. See cure wounds a shield or helmet. Rolls may be repeatedabove. each round until successful, as long as the

Light � C-1 (only witches of good align- victim stays within grasping range of thement may use this spell) weapon or other object to be recovered.

Magic disk � Range 2�, maximum dura- The saving throw for this spell is com-

16 OCTOBER 1986

puted by adding the seduction spell level(1 through 8) to the charisma score of thewitch and subtracting the wisdom score ofthe intended victim. The resulting numberis used as a modifier (plus or minus) to aroll of 1d20. The adjusted die roll must beequal to or greater than a certain number,depending on the class of the intendedvictim, for the save to be successful. Bar-barians need a 15 to save, fighters andrangers need a 13 to save, thieves andassassins 12, cavaliers and paladins 10,magic-users and illusionists 9, and clerics,druids, and monks need 8 to save.

Sleep � MU-1; the spell affects from 2-16creatures of 1 HD (or of 1st level), 2-12creatures of 1+1 to 2 HD (or 2nd level), 1-6 creatures of 2+1 to 3 HD (or 3rd level)and 0-1 creatures of 3+1 to 4 HD (or 4thlevel). Each group is rolled for separately,making it possible for the spell to affect upto 35 creatures at one time.

Unseen servant � MU-1

Second levelBless � C-1 (only good and neutral

witches may cast this spell)Charm man II � Same as charm man I,

except that duration is 5-10 (1d6 +4) turnsand number of men affected is 7-12(1d6 + 6) of 4th level or lower.

Detect invisibility � MU-2ESP � MU-2 (victim must be touched to

be affected)Find traps � C-2Hold person � C-2Hold portal � MU-1Identify � MU-1Knock � MU-2Locate object � MU-2Magic mouth � MU-2Nature call � Range 12� radius around

witch. The spell summons from 1-10 smallbirds or mammals (up to the size of asquirrel or hawk) or one creature as largeas an eagle or a wolf. The spell allowscommunication with the summoned crea-tures, enabling the caster to give the crea-tures one of two orders. The summonedcreatures can be made to rush at an oppo-nent and fake an attack, causing confusionin monsters of animal intelligence or lowerand causing more intelligent opponents toattack at -2 to hit for a duration of 1turn. The summoned creatures cannot beforced to rush at a character or creaturefrom which they would normally flee.Summoned creatures can also be made toact as messengers, carrying any objecttheir size permits them to carry for up tothree days.

Pacify � Range 6�, duration 4 turns + 1turn per level of caster; area of effect 1�by 1� by 2�. The spell affects from 1-8creatures of 6 or fewer hit dice, causingthose who fail a saving throw to ceasecombat and either leave the scene or liedown on the spot to rest (50% chance ofeach). Pacified characters or creatureswon�t harm the witch or her party as longas the pacified creatures are not harmed.

2 turns, area of effect 2� by 2�. Treebranches, grasses, shrubs, and the like,within the area of effect, grab at andattempt to hold motionless all living andundead creatures with their reach, andmay attempt to disarm or strangle anintended victim if the witch orders theattempt. If a victim fails to save against the

haustion, and need not eat or rest for the third of its original total. Normal weaponsduration of the spell. The spell does not have no effect on the rope, but magicalnegate normal damage taken, but it does weapons can cut through the rope in twonegate the effects of a wand of fear, rounds. The rope suffers no damage fromdrums of panic, any similar magic item, or such blows, but simply becomes two sepa-a sleep spell. Recipients receive a + 1 to all rate pieces of rope, each piece retainingsaving throws for the duration of the spell. the proper proportion of the rope�s cur-

Continual light � C-3 rent number of hit points. Any captiveCure disease � C-3 with strength of 18 or higher has a chanceDissipate vapor � Range 1" per level of of freeing itself in each round after be-

the caster, duration 2 turns, area of effect coming ensnared, but must save at -2 in5� by 5� by 5�. This spell disperses any the round after becoming freed in ordergaseous substance. Creatures with intelli- to avoid immediately being tied up again.gence (such as an air elemental) are enti- The percentage chance for a victim to freetled to a saving throw VS. spells. The itself is 5% for a captive of 18 strength,movement rate of the dissipating gas is 6�. 10% for strength 18/01 to 18/50, 15% for

Fireball � MU-3 (only an evil or neutral 18/51 to 18/75, 20% for 18/76 to 18/90,witch may cast this spell, and only one 30% for 18/91 to 18/99, 40% for 18/00,fireball may be cast in a day) 50% for strength 19, 55% for 20, 65% for

Invisibility � MU-2 21, 75% for 22, 85% for 23 and 95% forLightning bolt � MU-3 (only evil and strength 24. A victim may make an at-

neutral witches may cast this spell, and tempt to free itself once per round.only one lightning bolt may be cast in a Dragons or dragon-sized creatures have aday. constant 80% chance per round to free

Mystic rope � Range 10�, duration 2 themselves from the rope, but the percent-turns +5 rounds for each level of the age drops to 40% if the dragon is ensnaredcaster above 6th level, or until the rope is about the head, so as to render its breathdestroyed or dispelled. The spell creates a weapon useless. Dragons may attempt nomagical rope in the witch�s hand or on the offensive action while trying to break anground in front of any creature designated ensnarement about the mouth.by the witch who is within range. The Phantasmal force � MU-3rope can be of any length desired up to Phantom light� A mobile faerie fire100�. It unerringly carries out the witch�s that either follows behind the witch andorders to move about, attach itself to any her party or leads the way, at a distance ofsolid object so that characters can pull on up to 12�. Identical in all other respects toit, use it to climb or descend a surface, or the regular spell.ensnare up to six small, three man-sized, Plant entrapment - Range 5�, duration

A pacified creature is allowed anothersaving throw each time that creature isattacked while under the influence of thespell. The spell does not affect undead.

Pit � Range 6�, area of effect 4�. Thespell creates a 20�-deep, 20�-wide pit any-where within the area of effect. The spellmay only be used in an outdoor environ-ment, and cannot be employed inside astructure or enclosure, or underground. Ifused as an offensive measure, intendedvictims are permitted a saving throw. Asuccessful save made by a stationary oppo-nent means the caster misjudged the tar-get�s position or distance from the caster,and the pit is formed at a location 20�away from the intended victim or victims.A successful save made by an intendedvictim who is in motion means that thetarget has a 70% chance of avoiding thepit during the next round. A victim whofalls into the pit takes 2d6 hp damage ifstationary before the fall, or 3d6 hp dam-age if moving before the fall. The spellremains in effect until six creatures havefallen into the pit, or until it is dispelled.

Purify food & drink � C-1 (only goodwitches may cast this spell)

Pyrotechnics � MU-2Seduction II � Same as seduction I,

except for determination of saving throw.Speak with animals � D-1Speak with plants � D-4Speak in tongues � Duration 2 turns + 1

turn per level of caster. The spell enables awitch to understand the language of anyintelligent entity and communicate withthat entity in that language. No saving or one giant-sized creature. In order tothrow is allowed. Only one language may ensnare second and subsequent oppo-be understood and spoken for each cast- nents, the rope must first successfullying of the spell, but it is possible to cast ensnare the creature upon whom thethe spell again (while the first casting is ensnarement is currently being attempted.still in effect) and understand up to three The rope can attack only one potentiallanguages at once (with three separate victim at a time. Any part of the rope notcastings). being used to tie up a character can move

Third levelCalm � Area of effect 7� radius from

caster, duration 6 turns. Number of char-acters or creatures affected is unlimitedwithin the area of effect. All insects, ani-mals, humanoid types, and monsters of 5HD or less lose their will to fight, even ifcurrently engaged in combat to the death.Saving throws are made at -2. The magicresistance of any intended victim is low-ered by 15% from its normal magic resist-ance for purposes of determining whetherthis spell is successfully cast. Every attackon a calmed being entitles that being toanother saving throw at +3. Members ofthe witch�s party are unaffected by thespell unless one or more of them is attack-ing the witch. The caster has no controlover beings who are calmed after the spellhas taken effect.

Clairvoyance � MU-3Comfort � Range 2�, duration 36 turns,

number of creatures affected up to 10.Recipients of the benefit of this spell feelno pain, heat, cold, hunger, thirst, or ex-

18 OCTOBER 1986

at a rate of 9� and drags an already en- spell, there is still a chance for the victimsnared creature around in an attempt to to free itself manually from the grasp oftie up other victims. The rope is consid- the plants, with the possibility of successered to have a strength of 19. Saving dependent on the size and strength of thethrows are allowed to any creature in plant life doing the entrapping.danger of being tied up, but a new saving Protection from normal missiles � MU-3throw must be made at the start of every Remove curse � C-3round in which the danger still exists. Seduction III � Same as seduction I,Saving throws in the third and subsequent except for determination of saving throw.rounds are made at +2. Any creaturebeing chased by the rope is -1 to hitother opponents in that round. Actual

Fourth levelCharm monster � MU-4

ensnarement, once a saving throw isfailed, takes one full round, after whichthe victim is rendered helpless until andunless the rope can be cut or untied bythe victim, or destroyed by an attack formwhich damages it. The rope has 1 hp foreach 4� of length, and has a saving thrownumber of 12 against all attack formswhich can harm it. The rope can be de-stroyed by dispel magic or disintegrate if itfails its save. The breath weapon of adragon, strong acid, and magical fire orlightning cause damage to the rope, and itis destroyed and immediately disappears ifits hit points are reduced to less than one-

Control fluid � A witch may control anamount of liquid equal to six cubic feet foreach level of experience of the witch. Fora maximum duration of three turns, theliquid may be made to move at the witch�sdirections at the rate of 3� per round. Thewitch may herself move about while thisspell is in effect, but she may not begin tocast another spell until this spell ends or isdispelled.

Cure/cause serious wounds � Generallythe same as the 4th-level cleric spell cureserious wounds (reversible). Only witchesof good or neutral alignment can cure, andthe spell restores 3-13 (2d6 + 1) hp dam-

age. Only witches of evil or neutral align-ment can cause, and the spell administers2-12 (2d6) hp damage.

Glyph of warding- C-3Hallucinatory terrain - MU-4Infravision - MU-3Levitate - MU-2Mirror image - MU-2Neutralize poison - C-4Plant growth - MU-4Polymorph other - MU-4Polymorph self - Generally the same as

the 4th-level magic-user spell of the samename, except that the witch may only usethe claw and bite attacks of the creaturewhose form is assumed, and not any spe-cial attacks.

Seduction IV - Same as seduction I,except for determination of saving throw.

Shock - Area of effect 6� radius ofwitch, duration 1 round. The casting ofthis spell creates a blast of electrical en-ergy emanating in all directions from thewitch, doing 4-32 hp damage to each char-acter or creature within the 6� radius.The spell affects friends and enemies alike.A successful saving throw cuts damage inhalf.

Strength - MU-2Wall of water - Range 3�, duration 6

turns, area of effect up to 4� wide, 4�high, 1� thick. The casting of this spellcreates a magical barrier of water that isimpervious to normal fire, but not to afireball or other magically created flame.Creatures of flame take 5-30 hp damagewhen passing through it. The wall�s swirl-ing currents block missile fire, includingmagic missile and magic disk. Any living orundead thing with less than 5 HD cannotpass through the wall. Creatures with 5 +HD can pass through but take 3-18 hpdamage in doing so. A creature that canpass through it needs two rounds to do so,unless the creature has strength of 18/51or greater, in which case it moves throughat its normal movement rate. The wallcannot be used to create a water elemen-tal. The wall must have one of its sidesresting on the ground or floor. The spell-caster may pass through the wall un-harmed and may fill up to five waterflasks from it without harm. Any waterstored in this manner loses all its magicalproperties. When the spell ends or isdispelled, the water does not disappearbut instead becomes normal water andflows out along the surface it is contacting.

Fifth levelAnimal growth - D-5Anti-magic shell - MU-6Charm animal - Generally the same as

the 2nd-level druid spell charm person ormammal, except that the spell affects onlynon-humanoid animals.

Immunity - Duration 18 turns for eachexperience level of the caster. The charac-ter or creature touched by the witch afterthe casting of the spell is immune to dis-eases and poisons for the duration of thespell.

Insect plague - C-5 (fractions do not count). This spell enablesMonster summoning I - MU-3 the witch to make any transparent orOracle - Generally the same as the 5th- reflecting object into a crystal ball for one

level cleric spell commune, except that the viewing. A crystal ball created in thisspell can be used only once per week. manner does not count as one of the re-

Produce flame - Generally the same as quired items for a witch desiring admis-the 2nd-level druid spell of the same name, sion to the High Secret Order. See the spellexcept that the flame does not have to magic mirror (MU-4) for other relevantoriginate from the caster�s hand and may details.be created anywhere within a 3� radius of Wards of defense - Duration 5 seg-the witch. ments per experience level of the caster.

Seduction V - Same as seduction I, The spell creates a stationary force field ofexcept for determination of saving throw. a 2� radius around the witch, shielding

Slow - MU-3 her from all magical or physical attacksSpirit - Duration 4 + 1-8 turns, range for the duration of the spell or until it is

touch. The spell allows the witch or any dispelled. The witch may cast spells ofone character or creature she touches to level 3 and lower from inside the field,have a noncorporeal body that can pass and may fire missiles from within theinto and through objects. The recipient of field. The witch may move about withinthe spell becomes transparent, but the the field, but if she moves up to or beyondoutline of its body can be seen. Only lat- the 2� radius from her original position,eral movement is allowed, at a rate of 12� the spell is dispelled.per round, Normal weapons and missiles Worship - Range 12�, duration 3 turnshave no effect on a creature in spirit form, per level of the caster or until dispelled.magic weapons do half damage, and offen- The spell affects one intelligent (semi-sive spells are only 30% effective (15% if a intelligent or higher) creature, regardlesssave is made). Combat is possible with of hit dice. Characters or creatures withother noncorporeal forms such as magic resistance are entitled to a savingshadows, spectres, ghosts and wraiths, as throw as usual, and have their magicwell as elementals of the medium through resistance reduced by a factor of 90% forwhich the recipient is passing. The recipi- purposes of determining whether the spellent of the spell may cast no spell higher takes effect. Characters or creatures with-than level 2 against opponents not in spirit out magic resistance save at -2. Theform which cannot do full damage to the effect of the spell is to put the entity into arecipient. trance from which it cannot be revived

Teleport - MU-5 until the spell expires or is dispelled. TheTransmute rock to mud - MU-5 victim obeys simple commands from theWeakness - Duration 1 turn per experi- witch and, if the victim has spell-casting

ence level of the caster, range touch, area capability, may cheerfully cast one spellof effect one individual. The spell cuts the from its repertoire (of the witch�s choice)victim�s strength in half (fractions rounded on behalf of the witch.up) for the duration of the spell or untildispelled. A strength of 18/01 or greater is Seventh levelreduced to 10. Astral projection - As per the 7th-level

Water breathing - MU-3 cleric spell astral spell.Wizard eye - MU-4 Call spirit - Range 2� from corpse con-

taining spirit to be called. No saving throwSixth level allowed. The spell must be cast at night,

Animate dead - C-3 and the name of the deceased must beCancel life level - Duration one month; known to the witch before casting. One

all saving throws made at -5. The witch round after casting, the spirit of the de-must make a successful roll to hit the ceased character or creature is summonedvictim�s armor class for the spell to work. to the witch. She may then ask the spiritWitches of level 20 and higher are allowed four questions of any sort, and the spirit isa duration of one year. The effect of the compelled to answer truthfully if thespell is to drain a life-energy level, identi- answer is known to it or can be obtainedcal to the effect of a wight, for the dura- by it. Before any questions are asked, thetion of the spell. No further experience spirit must be told whether it is supposedmay be gained by the victim until this spell to search the spirit world for the an-is lifted. Only a wish can undo this spellprior to the end of its duration.

swer(s) or to rely entirely on its ownknowledge. There is a base chance of 50%

Evaporate fluids - Same as dissipate that the spirit knows the answer to anyvapor, except that the spell is effective question(s) asked of it. This chance isagainst liquids instead of gases or vapors. adjusted upward by 20% if a search of the

Haste - MU-3 spirit world is called for. However, aLeomund�s secret chest - MU-5 search of the spirit world takes from 5Lower water - C-4 rounds up to one day, depending on theTelekinesis - MU-5 difficulty or complexity of the question,True sight - 1-6 (only witches of good per question. If a spirit does not know and

alignment may cast this spell) is unable to discover the answer to a ques-Vision crystal - Duration 1 turn for tion, it informs the caster of that fact. The

each 7 levels of experience of the caster spell lasts until dispelled or until the caster

DRAGON 19

has received four responses from thespirit.

Control lycanthrope � Range 12� radiusof the caster, duration permanent or untildispelled. No saving throw allowed. Anyand all lycanthropes within range areaffected, and won�t automatically attackthe caster. However, for each day or partof a day the spell remains in effect, thereis a 5% chance (cumulative) of the affectedcreature(s) breaking the spell and attack-ing the witch. (Roll separately for eachcreature.)

Control undead � Same as control lycan-thrope, except that the spell affects anyand ail undead creatures within range.

Find the path � C-6Fire storm � D-7Geas � MU-6Legend lore � MU-6Love � Range touch, duration perma-

nent or until dispelled. The spell is usableonly by witches of good or neutral align-ment. The spell acts as a permanent phil-ter of love if the intended target fails itssaving throw. The spell can only be re-moved by a limited wish or a wish. Onlyone target can be affected for each castingof the spell.

Seduction VII- Same as seduction I,except for determination of saving throw.

Stone to flesh � MU-6Wall of ice� MU-4

Eighth levelCharm man III � Same as charm man I,

except that the spell affects 9-16 (d8 +8)men of 5th level or lower.

Clone � MU-8Death � Range 12", duration 1 round,

area of effect 4" by 4". This spell instantlydestroys from 2-16 creatures (undead

extraplanar beings excluded) within thearea of effect, as long as the intendedvictims have 7 or fewer hit dice. Or, onecreature of more than 7 HD can be killed.

accordingly, with two small-sized crea-tures equivalent to one man-sized crea-ture, and two or three man-sizedcreatures equivalent to one large-sized

No saving throw is allowed in either case. creature.The effects of this spell can be negated if a Reincarnation � MU-6successful dispel magic has been cast Rusting touch � Duration 1 turn or untilearlier in the same round, or by a dispel dispelled, range touch. The spell affects allenchantment spell cast by another witch ferrous metals as if they had been touched(see below). by a rust monster, and can affect as many

Dispel enchantment � Range 12� for items as the witch can touch within thecreatures, touch for magic items. This duration of the spell. Magical items madeincantation either creates a circular field of metal get a save at -4; otherwise, noof anti-magical force that permanent dis- saving throw allowed.pels any sort of spell which is currently in Seduction VIII � Same as seduction I,effect within range of the dispel enchant- except for determination of saving throw.ment spell, or it renders useless any single Summon daemon/demon/devil � Usablemagic item which is touched by the caster. only by witches of evil alignment. TheNo saving throw is allowed for the items, spell is generally the same as the 5th-levelthough artifacts and relics are not af-fected. Magic is dispelled at the level of the

magic-user spell conjure elemental, exceptthat the conjured creature vanishes with-

witch�s magic use. Duration of the spell is out attacking should the witch�s concentra-5 rounds/level for dispelling spells, or tion be disturbed. Archdevils and the liketurn/level for neutralizing magic items. cannot be conjured, and any intelligent

Mass polymorph� Range 12", area of creature that is conjured and performs aeffect 6� by 6� by 6�. Caster may poly- service for the witch may claim a servicemorph up to 10 man-sized creatures, as from her at any future time. Protectionper the polymorph other spell. Saving from evil must be cast by a cleric orthrow is made at -3 for each creature, magic-user in the witch�s party or the-4 if only one or two creatures are in- witch herself must burn a blue candletended to be affected. In addition, anycharacter or creature which makes a

before the spell can be cast. No savingthrow is allowed to the summoned being.

successful system shock roll has no chance This spell brings whatever sort of creatureof being polymorphed. Up to three differ- the witch desires, be it a Type V demon orent types of creatures may be among the a styx devil, but there is a percentagecreatures which are changed into; forexample, in a group of at least three tar-

chance equal to the summoned being�s hitdice that the spell fails.

gets, the witch could turn one or more of Temporary resurrection � Duration twothem into a cat, one or more into a dog,and one or more into a mouse. Creatureslarger or smaller than man-size cause themaximum number affected to be altered

days per experience level of the caster,range 6", only one character or creaturecan be affected on each casting. The spellcauses the affected character or creature

to be brought back to life with all personalpowers previously possessed. No saving

Disintegrate flesh � Range 5�, area of

throw allowed. The spell is reversible,effect 4" by 4� by 4�. The spell enables a

with temporary death causing the affectedwitch to completely disintegrate all living

creature to be rendered lifeless for thematerial and beings within the specifiedarea of effect. Only beings with a magic

duration. A saving throw is allowed for resistance gain any form of saving throwthe reverse of the spell. Only witches ofevil or neutral alignment may cast tempo-

against this attack. Nonliving materialpossessions and objects are not affected by

rary death. Note that material goods this spell, but dead organic matter (bodies,owned by the character returned to lifeare not restored by this spell's powers.

bones, etc.) is also consumed.Earthquake � C-7

Wasting � Duration 1 turn or 2 touches, Guards and wards � MU-6whatever comes first. The spell causesany character or creature which is

Intensify � Range 15" (outdoors only),duration 1 turn, area of effect ½ mile

touched to immediately age 10-100 years. square. This spell multiplies the power ofIntelligent creatures (low intelligence or one currently existing natural phenome-higher) are allowed a saving throw. non: A light breeze would become a

Youth � Duration 2 rounds, usable once hurricane-strength wind, the sound ofper day. Affects one character or creatureper casting of the spell. Anyone or any-

rustling leaves would become a deafeningtumult, a sprinkle of rain would become a

thing touched becomes 10 years youngerfor the duration of the spell.

flash flood. Dispel magic has no effect onthis spell.

Maze � MU-8Paralyzing pit � Range 8�. The spell,

High Secret Order spellsBanish � Range 24", area of effect 2� by

4" by 4�. The effect of this spell is to send tion or in subsequent rounds, automati-any character or creature (including an-other witch) or an inanimate object that each round after the fall, a victim musthas been animated straight to a random make a saving throw vs. spells or be para-Lower Plane in a random location. The lyzed. The paralyzation feature of the pitspell affects one creature or thing only, lasts for six rounds after the formation ofbut is infallible and operates regardless ofany attempts to dispel or counteract it. tinues to inflict 2-12 hp damage to anyoneEven creatures the witch cannot actually or anything that falls into it later. When

ing her well-being in a direct way, as longas that creature or thing lies within thespell�s area of effect.

Circle of blindness � Range 7�, area of

detect may be banished if one is threat&-

when cast outdoors, causes the immediateformation of a pit 2" by 2" by 2". Victimsfalling into the pit, either upon its forma-

cally take 2-12 hp damage from the fall. In

the pit, but the pit is permanent and con-

the spell is cast in a dungeon or inside anyother type of enclosure, no pit is formed;instead, a paralyzation field 1" thick and2� wide, to the maximum possible height,is formed. The field lasts for 12 rounds.Victims are allowed a saving throw at +1,and if a save is failed the victim is para-lyzed for 2 rounds. Victims are entitled toa new saving throw every second roundthey are in the field, but must make a

effect 3� radius of impact point, duration3 turns. No saving throw is allowed. Allwitches are immune to the effects of thisspell. Within the area of effect, the spellneutralizes normal vision and hearing andnegates the effects of the following spells: successful save in two consecutive roundsESP, detect invisibility, detect magic, detectevil/good, locate object, seek, clairvoyance,

to avoid being paralyzed all over again.

infravision, and wizard eye. The spell alsoThe spell-caster may enter the pit or the

renders useless any magic item that offersfield without being adversely affected.

any sort of detection ability. The circle isPrismatic sphere � MU-9

immobile, and victims may blunder out ofPrismatic spray � I-7Reflection

the area of effect. The only other ways to� Duration 2 turns, area of

effect immediate area around spell caster.counteract the effects of the spell before itwears off are wishes of any sort, the witch

This spell creates a shimmering cloud

spell dispel enchantment as by the inten-around the witch, causing any magical

tional premature dispelling of the spell byattack used against her to be turned

the caster.against the attacker. Attacks with normal

Combineweapons have no effect and are not re-

� This spell allows the casterto combine the casting of two or more

flected. The spell won�t reflect the effects

spells, not to exceed a total of seven spellof a banish spell or any detection spell.

levels. Range, duration, and area of effectBanish still works, and divination spells

of the combination spell are determinedsimply have no effect.

according to the smallest or shortest suchSeek � By casting this spell, a witch

figures for the spells involved. The twoimmediately gains the ability to determine

spells so joined must have been memo-the location of any single item, place, or

rized by the witch prior to their casting,creature and visualize all major aspects of

and the combine spell may be cast up to aits immediate surroundings (within 5�).

full turn prior to the casting of the twoShe is able to tell in what part of a worldor area the thing being sought exists; the

Control weather � D-7closer she actually is to the thing beingsought, the more definite her general idea

of its location. The spell may be used by awitch for her own benefit, or she may beinduced to cast it on behalf of anothercharacter or creature, as long as thatindividual is of the same specific alignmentas the witch. When the spell is performedon behalf of someone else, the witch mustbe provided with an extremely detaileddescription of the item being sought. Aspayment for her service, the witch canrequire a magic item in the individual�spossession (50% chance) or a sum of10,000-40,000 gp.

Solidify air � Range 3�, area of effect 2�by 2� by 2�. By casting this spell, thewitch can cause the atmosphere withinthe area of effect to solidify. The solidify-ing process takes five rounds, after whichany creature(s) within the area of effectare trapped and unable to move. Theatmosphere forms into a rocklike sub-stance which is solid and hard, but porousenough to allow trapped creatures tobreathe. The substance is not affected by

dispel magic or any other similar spell.Furthermore, the witch may command thesolidified air toe become nonporous, smoth-ering those within it in a single round, orshe may command the solidified air toturn to fog, releasing the trapped charac-ters but temporarily blinding them. At anytime, the witch may communicate freelywith those trapped inside the block of airby speech. No saving throw is givenagainst this spell, which has a permanentduration until dispelled by command ofthe witch.

Transport via plants � D-7Vaporize � Range 3�, duration 10

rounds, area of effect 4� wide by 2� deepby 2� high. Any rock, mineral matter, ormetal in the affected area is turned into athick fog that can be blown away. Dispelmagic has no effect on this spell. Magicalitems must save against disintegration toavoid being destroyed.

Volcanic circle � Range 8�, duration 3rounds. The spell creates a circular patchof cohesive lava 1" wide by ¼� deepwhich radiates outward from the point oforigin at the rate of 3� per round. Crea-tures touched by the lava immediatelytake 8-80 hp damage from the moltenrock. The spell-caster is unharmed by thisspell. Ground that has already been passedover by the circle is safe to walk on after afull turn. Dispel magic has no effect onthis spell.

Weight concentration/dilution � Range10�, duration 6 turns, area of effect up to10 creatures or objects. The spell enablesthe witch to triple a target�s weight, mak-ing it move more slowly, become unable tofly, etc. Weight dilution, the reverse of thespell, causes a target�s weight to be re-duced to one-tenth of its normal amount,meaning that strong winds could blowaway men, wagons, or other normallyheavy objects. Targets are allowed savingthrows. Dispel magic has no effect on thisspell.

Wind walk� C-7

by Nick Kopsinisand

Patrick Goshtigian

The graveyard � the name sends chillsup the spine of any who consider visitingit, day or night. Many stories are toldaround a village or town about who orwhat is buried there, powerful heroes andtreasure to fit them; however, the talesalso contain stories of lights floating mys-

Second, evil-enchanted burial groundsare limited to known evil-enchanted ceme-teries, tombs, and crypts. These areas aregreatly known and feared for their evilpresence.

In either type of graveyard there is achance for a random encounter. In anygraveyard, there will be two types ofcreatures found: undead, whose presenceis expected, and living creatures, whoseoccupations involve traveling near orthrough graveyards, or whose habitatsmight include the graveyard and its sur-rounding area. Typical graveyards arecommonly frequented by men, and arethus good hunting grounds for hungrycreatures. Also, these graveyards makegreat homes for unpleasant scavengerssince carrion abound here. As for thehaunting of these places, that�s only a

TYPICAL GRAVEYARD TYPICAL GRAVEYARD TYPICAL GRAVEYARDDusk Midnight Dawn

Phase of moonCreature New Half FullAdherer 01 01 01Bat¹ 02-11 02-11 02-11Boggart 12 12 -Choke *creeper 13-15 13-15 12-14Demihuman² 16-34 16-36 15-36Galltrit 35-37 37-39 37-39Gargoyle 38-41 40-43 40-42Ghast 42-44 44-45 43Ghoul 45-48 46-49 44-45Hangman tree* 49-51 50-52 46-48Leucrotta 52 53 49Lycanthrope³ - 54-58 50-57Lycanthrope,

human form* * 53-57 59 -Men4 58-81 60-84 58-84Moon dog 82 - -Mummy 83-84 85-86 85-86Rat 85-89 87-90 87-90Rot grub* 90-91 91-92 91-92Spider5 92-95 93-96 93-96Wight 96 - -Zombie 97-00 97-00 97-00

Phase of moonCreature New Half FullAdherer 01-02 01-02 01-02Bat¹ 03-16 03-16 03-16Boggart 17-19 17-18 17Choke creeper* 20-22 19-22 18-20Demihuman² 23-26 23-26 21-27Galltrit 27-30 27-30 28-31Gargoyle 31-35 31-35 32-35Ghast 36-41 36-40 36-38Ghoul 42-49 41-47 39-43Hangman tree* 50-52 48-51 44-49Leucrotta 53-54 52-53 50-51Lycanthrope³ 55-59 54-63 52-65Lycanthrope,

human form** 60 - -Men4 61-65 64-71 66-75Moon dog 66-68 72 76Mummy 69-71 73-75 77-79Rat 72-78 76-81 80-84Rot grub* 79-80 82-83 85-86Spider5 81-86 84-89 87-92Wight 87-93 90-94 93-95Will-o-wisp 94-96 95-96 96Zombie 97-00 97-00 97-00

CreatureAdhererBat¹BoggartChoke creeper *Demihuman²GalltritGargoyleGhastGhoulHangman tree*LeucrottaLycanthrope³Lycanthrope,

human form* *Men4

Moon dogMummyRatRot grub*Spider5

WightZombie

Phase of moonNew Half Full

01 01 0102-10 02-10 02-10

11 11 1112-14 12-14 12-1415-31 15-32 15-3432-34 33-35 35-3735-38 36-39 38-4039-41 40-41 4142-46 42-45 42-4347-50 46-49 44-48

51 50 4952 51-52 50-53

53-56 53-58 54-6057-76 59-80 61-84

77 - -78-79 81-82 85-8680-84 83-86 87-9085-86 87-88 91-9287-90 89-92 93-9691-96 93-96 -97-00 97-00 97-00

* - These creatures will have little orno movement.

** - Refer to lycanthrope subtable fortype of lycanthrope in human form.

* - These creatures will have little or* - These creatures will have little or no movement.

no movement. ** - Refer to lycanthrope subtable for* * - Refer to lycanthrope subtable for type of lycanthrope in human form.

type of lycanthrope in human form. (Numbers refer to subtables)

22 OCTOBER 1986

teriously around a certain grave or ofghastly figures prowling over the grounds.

A graveyard is an area near cities,towns, and villages that lends itself toadventure. By definition, a graveyard is aburial place for the deceased, but this isvery vague. For technical purposes, theterm �graveyard� has been given twoseparate identities:

First, typical burial grounds include thetown cemetery, rundown ghost towns,ancient ruins, former battlefields, hauntedforests, and other possibly haunted areas.The words �possibly haunted� are whatdistinguish these burial grounds from theother classification.

�possibility.� In evil-enchanted graveyards,the degree of evil is known and acceptedas fact. The evil nature of these placesprovides an excellent shelter for their evilinhabitants. The nature of the graveyard�ssurroundings tends to be evil; therefore,summoning evil creatures would be mucheasier from this base point.

Both sets of tables are divided into threesubtables: dusk, midnight, and dawn.These tables are used to reflect the hourof day, and more importantly, the amountof sunlight present at the particular hour.

The greatest factor involving light atnight is the moon. The amount of lightpresent during a full moon differs sogreatly from that of a new or half moonthat included on each chart are the threerepresentative phases of the moon: half,full, and new. The cycle used here is basedon a 28-day rotation; consider three nightsbefore and after the phase night to be

TYPICAL GRAVEYARDSubtables

Note: Creature subtables are not depen-dent upon moon phase.

1 - Bat subtableDice Creature encountered01-13 Doombat14-48 Giant bat49-60 Mobat61-00 Ordinary bat

2 - Demihuman subtableDice Creature encountered01-40 Dwarf41-70 Elf71-85 Gnome86-00 Halfling

3 - Lycanthrope subtableDice Creature encountered01-05 Foxwoman06-26 Werebear27-35 Wereboar36-50 Wererat51-60 Weretiger61-00 Werewolf

4 � Men subtableDice Creature encountered01-15 Caretakers16-30 Clerics33-35 Drunks36-50 Grave robbers51-60 Guards61-65 Magic-users66-75 Mourners76-85 Pilgrims86-00 Pranksters

5 - Spider subtableDice Creature encountered01-25 Giant spider26-55 Huge spider56-90 Large spider91-00 Phase spider

included in that phase period. The use ofthe moon�s phases is logically justified bythe fact that under a full moon certainlight-fearing creatures (such as vampires,wights, and ghosts) would refrain fromventuring under it, while some creatures(men, lycanthropes, demihumans)wouldn�t travel without such a light sourceavailable. The differences between eachmoon phase represent the light�s effect onthe creatures� percentage of appearance.

To use the tables in this article, distin-guish what type of graveyard is applicable,find the table whose time is the closest tothe actual game time, and cross-index theroll with the closest moon phase as ex-plained previously.

EVIL-ENCHANTED GRAVEYARDDusk

CreaturePhase of moon

New Half FullAdherer 01-02 01-02 01-02Apparition 03 - -Bat¹ 04-09 03-08 03-08Boggart 10 09 -Choke creeper* 11-12 10-11 09-10Coffer corpse 13 12 -Daemon2 14 13 -Death knight 15 14 -Demihuman³ 16-28 15-29 11-27Demodand4 29 30 -Demon5 30 31 -Devil6 31 32 -Galltrit 32 33 28Gargoyle 33-35 34-36 29-30Ghast 36-39 37-40 31-33Ghoul 40-45 41-46 34-37Hangman tree* 46-47 47-48 38-41Haunt 48 49 42Hellcat 49 50 43Huecuva 50-51 51 44Leucrotta 52-53 52-53 45-46Lycanthrope7 - 54-57 47-56Lycanthrope,

human form* * 54-56 58 -Men8 57-74 59-76 57-79Moon dog 75 77 -Mummy 76-77 78-79 80-81Penanggalan 78 - -Phantom 79 80 82Poltergeist 80 81 83Rat 81-83 82-84 84-86Revenant 84 85 87Rot grub* 85 86 88Shade 86-88 87-90 89-91Shadow demon 89 - -Son of Kyuss 90 91 92Spider9 91-93 92-94 93-95Vampire 94 95 -Wight 95 - -Zombie 96-98 96-98 96-98Zombie, juju 99 99 99Zombie, monster 00 00 00

* - These creatures will have little orno movement.

** - Refer to lycanthrope subtable fortype of lycanthrope in human form.

Practical use of these tables can easilyenhance any gaming campaign whichincludes outdoor adventures, since thesetables specialize in areas not thoroughlycovered in the DMG. Be prepared; don�t letyour players catch you six feet under!

EVIL-ENCHANTED GRAVEYARDMidnight

Phase of moonCreature NewAdherer 01-02Annis 03Apparition 04-05Bat1 06-09Boggart 10-11Choke creeper * 12-13Coffer corpse 14-15Daemon2 16Death knight 17Demihuman3 18Demodand4 19Demon5 20Devil6 21Galltrit 22-23Gargoyle 24-27Ghast 28-32Ghost 33-35Ghoul 36-42Groaning spirit 43Hangman tree * 44-45Haunt 46Hellcat 47Huecuva 48-49Leucrotta 50-51Lich 52Lycanthrope7 53Night hag 54Nightmare* * 55Men6 56Moon dog 57-59Mummy 60-62Penanggalan 63-64Phantom 65Poltergeist 66Rat 67-70Revenant 71Rot grub* 72Shade 73Shadow 74-75Shadow demon 76-77Son of Kyuss 78Spectre 79-80Spider9 81-84Vampire 85-86Vargouille 87Wight 88-90Will-o-wisp 91Wraith 92-95Zombie 96-98Zombie, juju 99Zombie, monster 00

Half01-02

0304-0506-10

1112-1314-15

1617

18-20212223

24-2526-2930-33

3435-40

-41-43 38-40

44 4145 42

46-47 43-4448-49 45-46

-50-52

5354

55-5960-6162-6465-66

6768

69-727374

75-7778798081

82-8586-87

8889-90

9293-9596-98

9900

Full01-02

-03

04-08-

09-1011-12

1314

15-19202122

23-2425-2728-31

-32-37

-

-47-57

5859

60-6667-6869-7172-73

7475

76-798081

82-83848586-

87-9091-92

-93-94

-95

96-989900

* � These creatures will have little orno movement.

** � This creature will have a rider (apowerful demon, devil, or night hag) 85%of the time.

(Numbers refer to subtables)

DRAGON 23

EVIL-ENCHANTED GRAVEYARDDawn

Phase of moonCreature NewAdherer 01-02Apparition 03Bat¹ 04-08Boggart 09Choke creeper * 10-11Coffer corpse 12Daemonz 13Death knight 14Demihuman³ 15-26Demodand4 27Demon5 28Devil6 29Galltrit 30

Half Full01-02 01-02

-03-06

0708-09

101112

13-2526272829

-03-06

-07-08

09 --

10-25---26

GargoyleGhastGhostGhoulHangman tree*HauntHellcatHuecuva LeucrottaLycanthrope7

Lycanthrope,human form * *

Men8

Moon dogMummyPenanggalanPhantomPoltergeist

31-33 30-32 27-2934-36 33-35 30-31

37 - -38-42 36-40 32-3543-45 41-44 36-41

46 45 4247 46 43

48-49 47-48 44-4550-51 49-50 46-4752-53 51-53 48-52

54 54-57 53-5955-68 58-73 60-77

69 74 -70-71 75-76 78-79

72 - -73 77 8074 78 81

RatRevenantRot grub*Shade ShadowShadow demonSon of KyussSpectreSpider9

WightWraithZombieZombie, jujuZombie, monster

75-77 79-81 82-8478 82 8579 83 86

80-82 84-86 87-8883-84 87-88 89-90

85 - -86 89 9187 - -

88-90 90-92 92-9491-92 93-94 9593-95 95 -96-98 96-98 96-98

99 99 9900 00 00

* � These creatures will have little orno movement.

** � Refer to lycanthrope subtable fortype of lycanthrope in human form.

EVIL-ENCHANTED GRAVEYARDSubtables

Note: Creature subtables are not depen-dent upon moon phase.

1 - Bat subtableDice Creature encountered01-13 Doombat14-48 Giant bat49-60 Mobat61-00 Ordinary bat

2 - Daemon subtableDice Creature encountered01-17 Greater daemon18-35 Lesser daemon36-70 Mezzodaemon71-00 Nycadaemon

3� Demihuman subtableDice Creature encountered01-04 Dwarf41-70 El f71-85 Gnome86-00 Halfling

4 - Demodand subtableDice Creature encountered01-45 Farastu demodand46-75 Kelubar demodand76-00 Shator demodand

5� Demon subtableDice Creature encountered01-02 Demon lord03-27 Major demon28-74 Minor demon75-80 Demon prince81-00 Semi-demon

6 - Devil subtableDice Creature encountered01-02 Archdevil03-05 Duke06-30 Greater devil31-65 Least devil66-97 Lesser devil98-00 Devil prince/princess

7� Lycanthrope subtableDice * Creature encountered01-05 Foxwoman06-26 Werebear27-35 Wereboar36-50 Wererat51-60 Weretiger61-00 Werewolf

8 - Men subtableDice Creature encountered01-10 Caretakers11-30 Clerics31-35 Drunks36-60 Grave robbers61-65 Guards66-75 Magic-users76-80 Mourners81-85 Pilgrims86-00 Pranksters

9 - Spider subtableDice Creature encountered01-25 Giant spider26-55 Huge spider56-90 Large spider91-00 Phase spider

If you’re interested in contributing anarticle to DRAGON® Magazine, thefirst thing you need is a copy of ourguidelines for writers. Send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to“Writer’s guidelines,” c/o DRAGONMagazine, P.O. Box 110, LakeGeneva WI 53147; and we’ll sendyou back a sheet with all the basicinformation you need to make sureyour manuscript has the best possi-ble chance of being accepted.

24 OCTOBER 1986

by Chris Booth

Elves, whether scorned, misinterpretedor eulogized, are a standard component inthe AD&D® game multiverse and as suchdeserve a fuller description of how theirculture works. One of the major facets ofthe elven culture is how they perform intheir interpretation of each of the pre-scribed character classes. The elf�s out-look, although alien, can generally bereduced to feelings of liberality and frater-nity, and these traits characterize nearlyall aspects of their behavior. In the case inhand, the elven cavalier performs a paral-lel of the prescribed class functions, whileretaining those traits and characteriza-tions that are quintessentially elven. Theclass should differ when applied to elvessimply because it is performed by a com-pletely different race; if you like, the classhas altered in the translation.

Ability scoresElven cavaliers require minimum ability

scores of 10 intelligence, 10 wisdom, 15strength, 15 constitution, and 16 dexterity.A 16 dexterity is required (in contrast tothe human minimum of 15) due to theclass�s greater reliance on missile weaponsand because a dexterity score of 16 is theelven equivalent of the human�s 15 due tothe + 1 racial ability modifier. Failure tomeet these standards at any time duringthe character�s career reduces the individ-uals status to that of a respected fighter.

ExperienceThe elf cavaliers, unlike their human

counterparts, always begin at one of the 0class levels; -1500 or -500 experiencepoints, dependent on their initial socialstatus. Upper class individuals start at -500 XP and all others that gain sponsor-ship start at -1500 XP The elven cavalierstarts at below first level because of anelf�s need to be impressed by the actions ofany individual to gain their respect; verylittle such respect is conferred by generalbackground or the deeds performed byforebearers. The cavalier elf is employedin elven society primarily to lead, andwithout the deference derived from therespect of his fellows this role would beimpossible. This period at the start of acharacter�s life is the most important forthose trying to gain the class of cavalier.During this time his abilities, toughnessand spiritual mettle are rigorously tested.Failure at any segment of this trial disal-lows the character from further trainingas a cavalier. Normally failure at this initia-tion means that the character is given afree choice of other classes to enter andhe retains those hit points gained fromtheir play at zero level.

26 OCTOBER 1986

WeaponryAt the start (zero level) the elf cavalier is

taught to use the short bow and gainsbonuses to hit and damage for this as thefirst weapon of choice, as detailed below.The bow is �selected� to start because theindividual is expected to support thegreater cavaliers with missile fire until heis experienced in handling combat situa-tions and thereby derives some of therespect necessary for his promotion as acavalier. On attaining the first level ofexperience, the cavalier is awarded hislong sword, and it is this weapon whichmarks him as a trained warrior.

It is the long sword which is the primeweapon of choice, and the elf gains bo-nuses to hit and damage for it in place ofthose gained for the lance. Because elvestypically reside in woodlands, lances andhorses are not normally employed at thestart, but can be mastered in the laterlevels. As is the case for humans, someweapons are preferred over others butthey differ in type to those listed in theoriginal class description. These weaponsin order of preference are:

Short bow (first weapon of choice)Long sword (prime weapon of choice)Dagger or knifeShort swordSpear or ranseurJavelin

As a note of explanation, the bow islisted as the first weapon of preferencebecause it is the first weapon played. Atincreasing levels the weapon is less com-monly used, being primarily reserved forattack preparation, whereby extremelytough or numerous opponents might besoftened up, as an �opening gambit.� Com-monly, the middle-level elven cavalieremploys his bow only to instruct the char-acters of lesser level and as a �tracer� shot(the arrow is tied with a brightly coloredribbon or a piece of burning cloth) toguide the arrows of his lesser-rankedfellows.

It is possible for an elven cavalier to firea bow when mounted, but the followingrestrictions are applied in almost all cases:

1. Normal rate of fire is halved (i.e. 2arrows/round becomes 1/round, 3 arrows/round becomes 3 arrows/2 rounds, etc.).

2. Maximum movement rate is reducedby 25% for the duration.

3. Maneuverability is reduced by 25% orby one class for aerial mounts.

The bow is not judged a dishonorableweapon; in fact, most have the attitudethat it is the best way to fight, because it ispossible to discourage an opponent fromattacking with archery (thereby preserv-ing life), whereas when closing to hand-to-hand combat, death is usually the onlyoutcome � either the opponent�s or thecharacters.

The long sword is the weapon of choicefor the elven cavalier, and it is most com-

monly with this weapon that the individ-ual chooses to express his or her fightingpotential. The long sword defines every-thing about the class�s attitudes; simplicity,flexibility, quickness and formidability. Thecharacter normally possesses one longsword at all times and is bereft of thisweapon onIy in the rarest and strangest ofcircumstances.

The dagger or knife is ranked third inthe list of preference because one of theseis normally selected as a secondaryweapon for two-handed fighting. Cavalierswho can effectively wield a weapon ineither hand are highly respected, not onlybecause of the high manual dexterityrequired, but also because of the attitudethat opponents needing to be killed shouldbe dispatched quickly. The knife is in-cluded as a preferred weapon because itcan easily be concealed and is relativelyeasy to obtain or manufacture as a contin-gency. Elves are generally very secretive,and any creature which lives most of itslife in the wilderness would find greatdifficulty in surviving hundreds of yearswithout at least a few contingencies.

The short sword is listed in the fourthrank because of its association with un-trained, weak and/or undisciplined �fight-ers,� and is usually selected as a secondchoice, or alternative main combatweapon, after the long sword.

Spears and ranseurs are selected withequal preference because of the type ofrole the cavalier character envisions forhimself. If the character feels that a far-wandering life would be desirable andbest suited to his personality, then thespear would normally be selected, notonly because of its general high utility andflexibility, but also because it can double asa light lance (at no penalty) when thecharacter is mounted. If, however, thecharacter tends to insularity and closesupport of the elf band and its allies, ashort ranseur would normally be selected.This weapon still offers the possibility ofgreater damage versus large creatures (ifgrounded) and allows the individual theoption of disarming and offering surren-der to an opponent instead of the usual�kill or be killed� combat scenario. Thistactic is acceptable to elven cavaliers be-cause they respect their opponent (and itsright to life), they realize their opponent�sweakness of judgement (in some cases) inwanting to combat to the death against thecharacter cavalier, and because of thecavalier�s predilection toward strategy. Allplans rely on information, and usually agreater amount of information is to begained from a vying of tongues ratherthan swords.

The javelin is included here as preferredbecause it can be used without penalty bythe cavalier when they are mounted,allowing the character full rate of fire,movement allowance, and maneuverabil-

ity. The relatively common occurrence ofspecially enchanted javelins, compared toother missile weapons, plays a part also inthis choice of weapon and it is pressed togood service, at higher levels, in aerialcombat.

As weapons of choice the cavalier gainsthe following bonuses to hit at each levelof advancement:

First level + 1 to hit when using ashort bow

Second level + 1 to hit with the longsword

Fourth level + 1 to hit with knife ordagger or any of theother preferred weapons

Sixth level + 1 to hit with any otherpreferred weapon

+2 to hit with short bowand long sword

Eighth level +2 to hit with dagger orknife or any other pre-erred weapon selectedat fourth level

Tenth level +2 to hit with the otherpreferred weapon se-lected at sixth level

Twelfth level +3 to hit with short bowand long sword

From a comparison between elven andhuman �to hit� bonuses, it can be seen thatthe elf increases in ability to hit at aslightly quicker rate than its human peer.This is caused by the elf�s attitude as anartist. Humans tend to view combat as ascience, in which each action is performedwithin a close tolerance of error, whereasthe elf views the contest as an artform inwhich each action is reasoned and as nearto perfect as possible.

As in the case for humans, elven cava-liers fight as if four levels higher withweapons of choice in regard to the num-ber of attacks mounted per melee round.At 3rd level, for example, the character isallowed three attacks per two rounds withthe long sword, at 9th level two attacksper round may be made, and starting at16th level three attacks per round arepossible. In a similar manner the cavaliergains + 1 damage with the long sword andshort bow for every three levels abovefirst that the character has attained; forexample, + 1 damage at 4th level, + 2damage at 7th, + 3 damage at 10th, and soforth.

Weapons restrictionsThere are no hard and fast rules regard-

ing which weapons the elven cavalier maynot employ. There are, however, a numberof weapons whose use are excludedthrough social mores. These are:

All forms of crossbowHammerSpiked buckler

DRAGON 27

Garrote These denote some great feat of successfulMorning star strategy or planning that has been ac-Club knowledged by a respected noble or high-Pick level cavalier.Whip Dress/armor design: Specific styles ofMost polearms armor and surcoats, indeed specific ar-

morers are exclusively used by �orders,�Rank bands, families and sects and these distinc-

Due to their generally non-elitist view- tive styles usually indicate allegiance topoint, elves do not assign titles to each and those particular groupings.every level of ability. This situation is in no Bejewelment: At the simplest level, givesway extraordinary, however; most individ- some indication of the character�s leveluals are ranked as merely greater or lesser and/or current wealth.fusing the name level as a datum), with General adornment: The character�sperhaps some mention given to the deeds, ornamentation lends most to identifyingaccomplishments or place of origin of the that particular individual and usually thecharacter concerned. cavalier carries several such distinguishing

adornments. Additional embellishmentsRiding ability can be used to allow his or her peers to

Starting at 3rd level, the elven cavalier classify fat the least) standing, service,gains the ability to keep and employ vari- outlook, and origins. The highly adornedous types of mounts. These skills are ac- cavaliers, it should be noted, lose theirquired in the following order. ability of full invisibility in vegetation for

the duration of this display. To overcomeLevel Skill gained this problem, they sometimes employ

3rd Ride and handle horses enveloping cloaks or magic to mask their4th Ride and handle unicorns glamor, Alternatively, they may simply

(females only) decide to forego disguise, to divert their5th Speed bonus (as per UA opponent�s attention or for any other

5th-level cavalier) reason which the individual views as bene-7th Ride and handle giant ficial to the cause.

eagles (specially bred The arrow: The arrow is the signaturemounts) of most elven cavaliers, and consequently

8th Ride and handle pegasi most are finely worked and characteristi-10th Ride and handle griffons cally styled to ease identification. In addi-

and/or hippogriffs tion to the character�s normal arrows, he12th Ride and handle dragons might possess a number of other flights

that have been gained through merit. Thetype of arrow awarded a cavalier range

Armor and identification from �normal� magically enchanted shafts,The elven cavalier is marked by his which are usually given in return for

armor � which is not the plate, plate mail service, to the highly prized crystal flights,or other heavy armor usually worn by this known as hellic arrows, which areclass. Elves, in most situations, prefer awarded for specific acts of heroism orarmor of a lighter and more flexible sort, achievement, A hellic arrow is usuallyfor instance leather, studded, ring, scale or composed of a highly decorated or finelychain mail, preferably of elven manufac- crafted shaft, tipped with a speciallyture and (of even greater preference) in worked gemstone head and flighted withsome way enchanted or enhanced. The the same shade of feather as the head.lowly cavaliers, therefore, wear no partic- These special arrows are normally en-ular armor to mark their station but the chanted at varying strengths and themajority of those of higher rank sport number of different types of arrow pro-elven mail (enchanted as per UA page 104, duced is restricted only by the limit of theif at all possible) and elaborately worked, elves� craft. Examples of the differentbejeweled, or englamored. These specially types of hellic arrows found, and thedesigned suits are both the mark of an cause of their award, are as follows:elven cavalier�s status and the means of hisidentification. Some shield design is notuncommon, but most of the informationnormally found on an escutcheon can be�read� from subtle variations of color,form or embellishment. Indeed, in somecases, the initiated eye can glean a greater

Ruby Head: Victoriously lead a band ofelves against warring enemies (+ 2 �Heart-seeker�).

Opal Head: Good achievement, normallydeemed impossible f + 3 �Whiteleaf�).

Sapphire Head: Peace pact with a power-ful race or tribe (Arrow of Slaying).

volume of information from the elvencavalier�s appearance alone than from that

Moonstone Head: Extended or excep-tional service to a deity f + 3 �Whisperer�).

contained within the close parameters ofthe simple shield face borne by his humancounterpart.

Examples of the signs and marks foundin a typical elven cavalier�s armor anddress are:

Wings painted or worked on the heels:

28 OCTOBER 1986

These powerful prizes are almost neverwillingly used by their owners for fear oftheir destruction or loss. A notable excep-tion to this rule is the sapphire pact-maker�s shaft, which the cavalier is honorbound to use on the leader of the otherrace or tribe if the pact is broken.

Common class abilitiesThe unaltered abilities common to the

translated cavalier class are:Parrying: includes elven bonus to hit

with long/shortsword.Ability score increase: strength, dexter-

ity & constitution.Training: after attaining fifth level it is

unnecessary to specifically train for eachsucceeding level increase.

Fear immunity: including protectionfrom fear 1� radius if aligned to good.

90% resistance to mental attacks: +2 vsillusion.

Conscious on negative hit points: gainedat first level.

Rest-healing hit point bonus: for charac-ters possessing a good alignment; 1d4 hp/week.

Class attitudesCavaliers, as described in Unearthed

Arcana, are required to be honorable,brave, outstanding in personal deeds, andcommitted to serve some deity, noble,order or special cause. The followingdescribes how these class functions arerevised when applied to the cavalier ofelven extraction.

Honor: Elves can be honorable, for in-stance possessing a high reputation, gloryand good respect in the eyes of othermembers of the character�s race. Elvesdeviate from humans where honor isconcerned because they will honor andrespect all individuals, not just those ofpowerful or noble mien.

Bravery: This is also a common trait, butin this case it is more reasoned. Even actsthat appear brave usually have an under-lying tactical and strategic advantageapparent to the individual involved. Nofoolhardy heroics are expected of theelven cavalier; in fact, application of goodfighting sense and prudence (allied topositive action) are the class requisites inall combative situations. These requisitesdo not impair the character�s requirementto be outstanding in personal deeds, in-deed when it comes to a fight he or sheshould be the paragon of all those en-gaged. For example, the cavalier shouldideally be the first to engage, the mosteffective individual in the combat, and thelast to disengage, wherever this is practi-cable.

Service: The elven cavalier differs mostgreatly from the human where service isconcerned, due to his rejection of servicefor service�s sake and blind obedience torule. Elves will certainly serve the require-ments of their band and its leaders, butwill serve no cause to the complete neglectof these duties. Rather, they try to dividetheir loyalty and most times succeed inserving all of their interests. The type ofservice a cavalier elf will bear, in additionto that rendered to his clan, is to a �loosecause�: for instance, to serve the cause ofthe general defense of the elven nation.Service to deities is acceptable, and the

Defense is the greatest testContest is gloryMake enemies and allies solely of those

most worthyMisdeeds are measured in livesDefeat to all who contestDissolution before dishonor

clerics of such deities are respected fortheir wisdom and example. A cleric�s ad-vice is usually followed unless it is consid-ered unreasonable by the individualconcerned.

There are no orders or organizations ofthe classical (human) type in the elvenculture, but there are good reasons whythe surface elves (like their subterraneanrelatives, the drow) should form them-selves into societies and loose organiza-tions for individuals of like interests. Theelven cavalier is principally allied to suchorganizations and responds to their spe-cific interests, so long as this does notcompromise his requirement to maintainthe general weal.

All cavaliers must attempt to conform tosome form of chivalry, and again theseideals alter in the elven application.

The Elven Chivalric CodeNoble service cheerfully renderedDefense of any charge unto deathCourage and enterprise in the cause of

worthy goalRespect for allRespect from others when deservedDisdain for those who serve woeMilitary prowess exercised to good causeCourtesy to allArchery is the finest point of honorSingle combat is the flowering of

chivalry

To elaborate on these precepts of chiv-alry:

Defense of any charge until death: Thisrule applies only for as long as the chargestill lives. If, for instance, the charge iskilled, in spite of its defense by the cava-lier, this is the point at which the servicewould end. No grand gestures, impossibleheroics, or blind vengeance is called for bythe elf, but the error would be noted andaction taken to stop a recurrence of such asituation in the future.

Courage and enterprise in the cause ofworthy goal: Courage and enterprise isideally displayed in the service of any goalthat the character feels is beneficial eitherto his band or to any other grouping thatthe cavalier may be allied to. If, however,the elf has not been convinced of thebenefit of the goal, or believes that it isonly marginally wealful, or even thinksthat some other goal is of greater worth,then no honor is lost if the individualdoesn�t employ courage or enterprise inorder to achieve it.

Respect for all: The cavalier character is

obliged to respect all creatures, but thisrespect may take a number of forms. Thisrespect ranges from granting honor torespecting the subject only as anotherliving creature. Each individual is viewedin a biased manner, but this is a positivebias due to the elf�s ability to empathizewith most types of creatures. Simply put,the cavalier sees both the good and illqualities in a creature but will in mostcases ignore the bad and respect it for thegood, not forgetting also their right to lifeas an individual.

Respect from others when deserved:Contrary to the above, the cavalier elfshould feel that regardless of his strengthsor abilities, respect should only be recipro-cated for good or worthy acts � not forthat which the character is only capableof.

Disdain for those who serve woe: Ifthere is one type for which the good cava-lier elf feels the minimum of respect, it isfor those who are the creatures of woe.Evil, in all of its forms, is not empathizedby the character and contact or coopera-tion with such is avoided where possible.This tenet does not restrict the individualcavalier from discoursing with evil crea-tures, but wherever such contact occursthe cavalier should have some benefit togood provisioned as the result. Althoughmost evil entities are disdained, there are aselect few that elven cavaliers are particu-larly biased against. These creatures, inorder of greatest to least disapproval, are:the drow and evil elf cavaliers (equally),evil human cavaliers and their ilk, thosewho set themselves against elves (and theirhabitat), and all other creatures whoknowingly serve woe.

Military prowess exercised to goodcause: The cavalier elf could easily bedescribed as a martial juggernaut; a formi-dable opponent, highly gifted with skillsand reserves. It is important, therefore,that these skills are not squandered orflaunted for the sake of existence alone.This way leads to selfish and individualis-tic tendencies, and thence to evil. Thecavalier is taught that a skill unknown isone of double worth, and hence does notmake open and extensive play of his arts.Rather, he tends to concentrate such activ-ity in those situations where it is expedientto fight and where this will serve ultimategood.

Archery is the finest point of honor:Elves, perhaps because of their differentmake-up, view honor differently thanhumans do, and inherent in this code ofhonor is the use of the bow. No true elfwould describe deities such as CorellonLarethian or Solonor Thelandira as dishon-orable because they employ bows. Theaversion among human cavaliers for mis-sile weapons is institutionalized, but isbased on the reasoning that weapons thatdeliver damage without endangering thewielder are craven and hence dishonor-able. Indeed, when the human cavalier isconfronted by archers in a typical battle

30 OCTOBER 1986

situation, loses his mount, and is pepperedwith armor piercing arrows to boot, it iseasy to understand why such attitudespersist.

A �simple� elf would explain that thebow is the weapon of the elves; that allwho attempt to threaten or attack hiskindred should expect to feel its sting. Infact, it dishonors their opponent if theyselect any other than their best weaponwith which to combat these enemies. Ifpressed, an elf might even go on to saythat human cavaliers are probably moredishonorable in the use of the lance,which is almost guaranteed to kill an oppo-nent and at such a range as to almostnegate any chance for the opponent toreturn this compliment before expiring.The cavalier elf, however, is more mindfulof fairness and the fact that archery mightbe construed as dishonorable by theiropponent in certain situations, and hencewill not employ the bow except in thefollowing circumstances:

Imbalance: the opponents outnumber orgreatly exceed the toughness of the cava-lier�s party, or the opponents are grosslyweaker and/or fewer in number. Thecavalier can use the bow in the lattersituation in order to discourage or repri-mand the targets and if they are particu-larly weak. In such cases, the elvencavalier might not even bother to useheads on the arrows (see preferredweapon: bow above).

Similarly armed: Their opponents aresimilarly armed with missile weapons (e.g.,crossbows, slings, javelins or bows).

Lack of fairness: the enemy employsdishonorable tactics, for instance, poison,fire or demons or utilizes overwhelminglystrong magic, for instance, artifacts orrelics.

No other recourse: this category encom-passes situations where the cavalier canonly hit the opponent using the bow; forexample, if a magical weapon is needed tohit and the cavalier has only magical ar-rows, or if an impassable ravine dividesthe combatants and the opponent is ableto attack over this divide.

Defense is the greatest test: Defense isviewed as the greatest test because of thevariety of threats, both open and covert,posed by the forces which intend ill to thesilvan men. Not only must a great array ofdangers be countered, but also this mustbe achieved with little or no loss. This ispartly due to the fact that any elven bandcannot regenerate its numbers, except atthe slowest of rates, and partly because ofthe overbearingly strong forces that mightneed to be combatted. In such instances,the cavalier is put in a position of toughresponsibility and is beholden to produceor implement the strategies to ensuremutual survival.

The knightly virtuesThe knightly virtues of Liberality, Honor,

Good Faith, Glory, Unselfishness, Pride,Courtesy, Bravery are essentially un-

changed in the case of the knight-errantelves. The cavalier class, it can be seen, isaltered to a large degree when applied toelves or half-elves raised in the elven soci-ety. These changes, however, deal mainlywith the presentation, equipment, andtactics employed by such individuals. Theclass function to protect and promote thecharacter�s society still holds true.

As presented, the class is a powerfulvariant of the original cavalier, but it isimportant to bear in mind certain inherentdrawbacks to this class with regards to itsuse by a player character. The foremostconsideration for play of the cavalier elf ishis or her context and role in the cam-paign. The character class is a product ofelven society, and it is this culture inwhich the character will almost exclu-sively be encountered. To realisticallyallow a player-character elven cavalier, theDM should first establish a working �elf-centric� campaign milieu (as opposed tothe humanocentric setting most commonlyused) and give the character both placeand function in its midst. Admittedly,there are some numbers of cavaliers who,for a variety of reasons, decide to �wan-der,� but these eccentrics simply tend totravel the ways between one elven com-munity and another, and usually take longsojourns at both. Taking all of this intoaccount, an elven cavalier should have avery good and specific reason to undergoany form of adventure.

DRAGON 31

It was a dark and stormy night. Rainrattled the wooden shingles of the tavern,while inside two companions dividedtreasure. They had just returned from araid on an orc lair, and the attack hadbeen a pushover.

When the spoils of their adventureswere separated and the drinking hornswere emptied, short goodbyes were ex-changed, and the two companions parted.Each of them lugged equal shares of cop-per, silver, electrum, gold, and platinumcoins. Both of them reached their far-offhomelands and immediately spent most ofthe treasure re-equipping themselves forfuture battles.

Sound familiar?For some reason, wherever you go in

the AD&D® game universe, you alwaysrun into the same money. You can pick up100 gp in the elemental planes and spendit in the Abyss. You can rob the king ofBolerium and use the newly acquiredfunds to pay off debts in the city-state ofAssisa.

David Godwin�s article in DRAGON®issue #80, �How Many Coins in a Coffer?�states that a typical coin weighs 1.6ounces, has a diameter of 1½ inches, athickness of 0.1 inch, and a volume of 0.177 cubic inches. This is all fine, exceptthat many people assume that �typical�means �always.� Not all coins are exactlylike this, and one might even venture tosay that few should be. The article is good(and I highly recommend it), but it as-sumes that all, or at least most of the coins

32 OCTOBER 1986

in the Prime Material plane are made outof copper, silver, electrum, gold, and plati-num.

To many people, this may sound reason-able, but to me it sounds quite odd. In thereal world, as in any fantasy world, moneyis the stuff of life. Through the use ofmoney, temples are built, wars are fought,and kings are assassinated. There is al-ways something � a seal, or a specialdesign, or even just a signature � that setsactual money apart from just �plain� gold(of course, it also helps to foil counter-feiters). Money may be alike in manyways, but not all money is the same.

From one country or civilization toanother, money is different. There are,though, three basic aspects of money that,while helping to distinguish differentsystems, link the systems into a moreuniform and therefore easier view ofworld economics.

Rate of exchange is the first propertythat makes it possible to compare coins ofdifferent types to one another. The easiestway to use this property is to set an �ex-change number,� either a whole numberor a fraction, which relates the most oftenused coin, or dominant form of currency,to the �gold standard� gold piece. Usingthis method, prices, treasures, and trans-actions may be handled by changing thevalues to gold and then back again. Forexample, if a golden �oompah� had anexchange number of ½, then to buy ahorse worth 25 gold pieces you wouldhave to pay 50 oompahs. If a character

picked a pocket and discovered a pursewith 15 gold pieces worth of oompahs,you would just multiply the gold value bythe reciprocal (reverse) of the money-number fraction, which is 2 (2/1), and getyour amount in oompahs: 30. This maysound difficult, but once you use the sys-tem once or twice, its simplicity is beauti-ful.

The second aspect, actual value, is theliteral worth of a coin type, with relationto the gold standard system. In otherwords, this is the answer to the question,�What would it be worth if it weren�t acoin?� If the aforementioned oompahswere actually gold-dipped lead, then theiractual value would be radically differentfrom their relational value.

The third, and most immediately evi-dent, property of money is its physicalcharacteristics. Dimensions, color, shape,and materials all relate to this category.When seeing an American penny and acomparable Canadian cent, you can easilysee that they are different. Physical differ-ences, even minute ones, are the mostbasic means of telling one system fromanother.

Money can be made out of almost any-thing tangible. The American Indians wholived on the western Pacific coast carvedintricate patterns on seashells and ar-ranged them in strings to make beautifuldesigns, while the same was done by somewoodland Indians with porcupine quills.These strings were called �wampum� andserved as money in and out of the tribe.Some plains and woodland Indians, need-ing to trade with the white man, madeblankets and other crafts especially forbuying things with. Food, horses, andsupplies were purchased using these artic-les, until the Indians started dealing withAmerican money.

This brings us to the subject of supplyand demand. On certain islands in theSouth Pacific, cows, pigs, and other live-stock were used in buying goods. WhenCaptain Cook landed in Hawaii, the island-ers paid him a price of twelve pigs for afew nails. To the captain, the price wasoutrageous, almost silly. Back where hecame from, nails were relatively cheap.However, in the islands there was no oreof any kind to be found, so metals wereextremely scarce. The unusual, hard sub-stance brought by this strange white manwas, even though ordinary to the captain,precious to the islanders. This same typeof situation might be commonplace in afantasy world where widespread knowl-edge of civilizations outside the immediatecommunity is virtually nonexistent.

When we look at the modern world, wecan see that individual countries haveindividual money systems. The dollar, yen,ruble, and peso are all from differentcountries and all have different worths,exchange rates and physical forms, al-though neighboring countries such as theUnited States and Canada sometimes havesimilar money systems in order to make

money compatible and therefore make camar. The salt blocks were then consid- renting space should usually be solved bytrade between the two countries easier. ered official coins and were distributed everybody�s favorite man � the money

In my campaign, the wood elves in the throughout the country.When the rich �salt barons� got tired of

changer.northern forests have come up with a The Dungeon Masters Guide (on pagebeautiful solution to the �money problem.� carrying individual blocks around, they 90) says that towns do not encourageSmall leaves are ceremoniously gathered came up with a great idea: they proposed using foreign currency. The passage sug-and sent to the holy mint, where the that the government change the formula gests a 5% deduction from funds changedleaves are dipped into molten silver that of the wax case slightly so that the salt for the service and taxes. This should be ahas been blessed by a priest of the high blocks would adhere to each other. The rock-bottom minimum, the majority ofcircle of clerics. The silver clings, and as government experimented with it, and it changers taking at least double that. Mostthe metal disintegrates the leaves, it takes worked. Eight blocks, stuck together so people think of moneychangers as greedythe form of the leaf it has just burned. The that their seals faced outward, became the shylock-types who charge outrageous feesmoney is distributed to local parishes of basic unit of money in Horcamar. Rich and steal funds from the unsuspecting butthe church, and is used to buy things for men had �purses� � actually small, goat- that need not always be true. A moneythe clerics, therefore entering the �coins� drawn carts � to haul their money changer may have any type of personality)into the flow of money traffic. For clarity around. Those of the middle or lower but each must make a living at what hein money changing and purchasing items, classes did without purses because they does by taking a service charge out of theeach silver �laure� is worth three silver had so little money they could carry the money he changes. This charge wouldpieces. individual blocks in their pockets. relate to how easy it is to return the

The halfling city-state called Hjree has a However, the rich began to complain, as money to its respective country, and howmoney system based on small rings con- rich people often do, about the bulkiness much money has been changed.sisting of a gold and silver alloy � a syn- of the salt brick. A millionaire had to have Of course, moneychangers will definitelythesized electrum. The rings are each a whole storehouse in which to keep his refuse to change counterfeit currency.worth five silver pieces, and are strung on or her bricks. For millionaires, this wasn�t Though most money is designed withleather thongs. Each thong contains one really that much trouble, but they still difficult patterns, intricate carvings andhundred rings, and in this way they keep compained. Also, to make matters worse, elaborate seals, in order to prevent copy-track of their money. someone was beginning to counterfeit the, ing currency, �funny money� seems to

In the dwarven kingdoms on the south- brick, therefore decreasing the value of crop up quite often. Obviously, the moreern tip of my main continent, pale green the true, government-made bricks. The difficult a piece of coinage is to make, thejade pieces are shaped into round balls �new and improved� salt brick was becom- more difficult it is to duplicate. One mustworth two gold pieces each. These coins ing quite a problem. take this into account when designingare worth much more than they would be So the government started a brand new money systems.as gemstones, simply because, as in our system of money called �brick papers.� The If the three basic qualities of money areown world, they are considered more original idea of the papers was to allow considered, only the bare bones of thevaluable because they are money. the citizens to deposit their bricks in one system need be filled out and the rest will

One money system that is especially of the national storehouses and in returnimaginative is the one used in the kingdom,

just come naturally. Below is a list of theget a receipt. The receipt was refundable factors to think about as you create a

of Horcamar. Hundreds of years ago, amigrating pack of dark-skinned humans

at any time and was not intended to be system.used as currency, but after a few months

shipwrecked on the treacherous reefsringing the island they called Horcamar.They immediately discovered three of thefive oases on the wide desert island, andsettled down. Because it was extremelyhot on the island, it became necessary topreserve food so it did not go bad. Afterunsuccessful tries at boiling salt out of thesea, it was discovered that a large salt

it was. The government made the mistake What racial preferences are involved?of not putting the name of the depositer What materials are available?on the slip, therefore allowing anybody to What material(s) are considered valuableredeem it. by the culture?

At first, the government tried to stop the What material(s) are considered sacreduse of the papers as money by not accept- or holy by the culture?ing them in government establishments, What will be the value of the currency?but they later realized what a great idea it What will the culture call the money?really was. Thus, the first paper money What will the money look like? (dimen-

deposit lay very near the main oasis. Later, was created. sions, color, shape and size)they found that the deposit was actually a The royal mint began urging citizens to What types of money sytems do neigh-vein of salt �ore,� and two others were deposit all salt funds in the storehouses, boring countries use?found. Salt became the base of trade for and issued a brand new salt note. The What will be the rate of exchange withthe new island kingdom. paper �brick� note was worth the same as neighboring countries?

As maritime trade increased, money became an issue. Since there was verylittle metal on the island, it was decidedthat salt would be the medium used. Itwas decreed that a special salt blockwould become the national coin, and thatit would be used not only in local trade,but in trade with other countries as well.

A royal mint was built, and hundreds ofcartloads of raw salt were brought fromthe mines. Special care was taken to refinethe salt until it was snowy white and pure.It was then sprinkled lightly with mineralwater and mixed until it was doughy. Thesalt mixture was then shaped into blockshalf an inch square and set to dry. Afterthe blocks had hardened, they were en-cased in a thin layer of special wax andstamped with the seal of the king of Hor-

34 OCTOBER 1986

the eight-block salt brick, and even bore apicture of the now outdated brick, alongwith the elaborate seal of Horcamar whichwas stamped onto the note, thereforemaking it legal. Small notes, called blocks,were issued in order to allow smallersums. Each block bill was half the size of abrick, but worth one-eighth of one. Largernotes were issued, and the system gradu-ally became as complex as many of theones we have in the real world today.

Not all money systems will or should beas detailed and lengthy as this, but theyshould at least show some imaginativethinking on the part of the Dungeon Mas-ter. (But then, DMs are naturally creative,aren�t they?) Each new city or country thata party visits ought to be a new experi-ence. Problems with buying supplies and

Of course these are just guidelines toeither get you started or to help you bemore creative with your money systems.As you can see, in a fantasy world, eventhe creation of money can demand creativ-ity. The local moneychangers should berather important figures in an adventur-er�s dealings with society, and a DungeonMaster can use them to relieve a party of abit of excess cash, if the need arises. Sonext time you need a little flavor for thefriendly neighborhood ogre�s treasurehole, mix coins and currency of differenttypes and let the party handle the problemfrom there. They might even have totravel to the coins� respective �home coun-tries� in order to spend or change them,and that could be an adventure in itself!

by Kurt Martinand Ed Greenwood

An account from the lore-book entitled�Journeys and Trials of Rekansor; Ex-plorer, Scout, and Leader of Men�:

. . . Thus began the hardest segment ofthe journey back to our civilized lands in

36 OCTOBER 1986

the east. Our clothing was barely adequateagainst the increasing chill, and we werereduced painfully in both numbers andsupplies. Each day the true test of winterdrew nearer, and even as we first began tostruggle up the steep escarpments thatannounced the Krylen Peaks, the cold oftheir icy reaches stretched down to greetus with bitter blasts. The twelve of us yet

remaining trudged on, weary to the soulof adventure, desiring only the end of theroad and safety.

Arriving at the foot of Al-Kindor, thewesternmost and mightiest of these moun-tains, I found a possible route for mygroup. Pressed by Time himself, we beganto follow this sketchy path that picked itsway through the fallen boulders at themountain�s base.

This way seemed to lead as we hoped:around the mountain on its southernmostside. With Al-Kindor at our backs, wecould traverse the range at this narrowpoint in as little as two days. We pushedonward, climbing between the jumbledrocks in an endless, stumbling dance. Onlythe quick passing of this obstacle, this kingof mountains, would put us within reachof the plains of home before all hopeended with the coming of winter. Each ofus knew secretly that we would not sur-vive even one true snowfall.

Curious as ever, I wondered at the im-proving sureness of the path as it wan-dered neatly among the rocks. With thefirst fluffy pockets of snow collectingunder a new fall, the path remained solidand clear, yet no tracks were visible in theold snow to reveal the users of such a finemountain course. The snow stiffened itsassault, clutching at sword and arrow aswell as hunched shoulders and hoodedheads.

Above us loomed Al-Kindor, halfshrouded in cloud. His jagged peaks toreat the clouds, ripping the snow from them.Already the upper reaches were turningdistinctly white. The sky hung over us, adismal grey, like the snow-dusted stoneour boots scuffed over. For a moment, thesun poked a crimson ray out over thefrozen tundra as it sank at our backs,setting the falling flakes on fire, turningwhite puffs into red drops of blood. Ishivered at this grim omen.

We pushed on, intent on covering moreground before nightfall, hastily shufflingpast a dark gap in the rocks � an apertureour inner selves warned us to avoid. Littledid we know, it was a door where theremorhaz, the owner of the path, lay interrible wait. Cunningly, the creaturepaused at our arrival, waiting for its bodyto warm from the stillness of its huntingvigil; waiting until all but the last of our

party had struggled past before attackingwith a birdlike shriek that chilled myblood more than the previous hours offrost had.

I turned to see a huge creature, lookingmuch like a massive centipede, snapping atmy men with enormous, fanged jaws. Itswhite, icy eyes glared down on us as thesmall, membranous wings on the sides ofits head flapped to lift its jaws high foranother strike. The remorhaz�s thick neckarched, and the long, curving black hornson its head were silhouetted against thegrim sky as it screamed another challenge.Now I saw clearly the folly of followingsuch an easy path.

The beast�s heavily scaled body was aman�s height across and gleamed a coldblue, stretching away for several longstrides before winding into the gap in therocks. Along its back, a wide streak ofbright red stood out, steaming from thecreature�s heat. Dozens of short, chitinouslegs supported the low-slung bulk as itagain snapped forward, its hard talonsclattering on the stone.

Three of my party already lay silent inthe gathering snow, torn by the beast�sfour horrible fangs. As my comradesthrew back their hoods and heavy cloaks,snatching at weapons and shields, Iquickly drew my bow and an arrow, andbounded to a rock at the path�s edge.Pulling myself onto the frigid stone, Ireadied for a shot as Benol, my finestscout, dropped to the snow, her bodyhewn almost in two by a strike from themonster�s jaws. Even as she fell, and myfirst arrow glanced harmlessly off thebeast�s armorlike skin, my group startedforming a battle line, their weapons seek-ing the creature�s weaker points.

Kelor thrust himself directly in front ofthe creature, his wide bastard swordglowing dully in the fading light. Theremorhaz screeched as if in answer to hischallenge and drew its head up to twicethe height of a man. Kelor jumped for-ward, his sword swung back, ready for amassive blow. Then, despite the impact oftwo arrows, the beast shot forward blind-ingly fast, and Kelor disappeared into thesnapping jaws. His sword, clattering nois-ily on the rocks, was the only evidence ofwhere he had once stood.

We fought on instead of trying to flee;doubtless the creature could outrun us,tired as we were. Thoughts cluttered mymind as I searched desperately for a shardof hope. I could see Farvus, alone off tomy left, hard at work with his spell magic.I whispered a silent prayer for his successas I returned to my bow-work; my red-feathered arrows were beginning to accu-mulate in the creature�s soft underbelly. Inspite of these wounds, and several rentsfrom swords, the remorhaz seemed pre-pared to fight us to the last.

From amidst the rocks into which thelong creature�s body coiled, I saw thesmall, florentine form of Kartha emerge,his eyes intent on the monster�s swinginghead. I watched him, distracted from myattack, as he slunk alongside the kickinglegs, staying clear of the red streak on thecreature�s back where the falling snowsizzled and steamed.

Kartha moved closer, perilously close tothe thrusting, coiling neck, before pausingto stretch, raising his weapons high in theair. He plunged them into the steamingprotrusions with an angry shout. Theremorhaz heaved forward with a shriek ofpain, throwing the overextended Karthaoff balance. He glanced off the beast�sback, let out a shrill scream, and felllimply to the snow. Curls of smoke rosefrom his still form. I paused in shock as

the remorhaz snapped out again, obliviousto the knife and sword as they melted,then dripped into the snow.

Glancing frantically back to see whatFarvus was doing, I was further shockedto see his obvious frustration. Already hehad turned to shield and mace and wasadvancing toward the creature, which wasnow faced with only five standing oppo-nents. I dropped from the rock and drewmy sword to strike the remorhaz face toface. It was terrifying work. In a few shortmoments, my vision began to blur fromthe effort of slashing at the monster anddesperately trying to avoid its fatal bite. Islipped and lunged in the damp snow, mytired legs heavy as logs. I managed to cutthe thing twice, though my sword washeavy even in both hands. Its wings flap-ping, the beast snapped at me, its breathoverpowering, its cries daunting.

Helt screamed as a fang tore into her.The remorhaz tossed her aside in a heap.But in the moment it took to do so, Farvusand I attacked with desperate strength,hitting the exposed neck, my sword bitingdeep into the softer underside of the mon-ster�s head.

Hacked and hewn, the snapping headfinally dropped into the snow. Only threeof us remained to see the creature�s finalmoments � and we took no great pleasurein its demise. As we stood about the re-morhaz for a long, silent minute, the cruelwind tore at our skin. Despair was in ourhearts; the battle was won, but at toogreat a cost. Puffs of snow stood on thefaces of our fallen friends. Distant weretheir homes and ours. Anguished, it struckme as likely that we would travel no greatdistance beyond that point � not with thebulk of the company silenced foreveraround us. Slowly we turned from thescene of battle, and looked again to theeast. . . .

Notes1. A remorhaz has a segmented body,

like other worms, plus a winged neck andhead. Each segment (a polar worm willhave one such segment per hit die it pos-sesses) consists of a central �core,� or bodycavity, where the digestive organs arelocated, surrounded by a network of ter-rifically strong muscles linked by cordednerves, and the whole sheathed by theworm�s rock-hard external insulation andarmor. Each segment is supported by apair of flexible legs covered in similarsegmented armor, each leg ending in afoot consisting of a large suction pad (de-void of nerves, so that a remorhaz cannotfeel pain through its feet) and two iron-hard �toe-talons.� These talons serve topropel the remorhaz across the mostslippery ice � the �blue ice� at the heart ofglaciers where the creatures prefer to lair.In conditions where a remorhaz�s feetbegin to slip, it will automatically drive itstalons into the surface underfoot. It can-not penetrate hard rock, but can readily

find and cling to fissures and cracks inrock, or penetrate softer rocks (such assandstone), ice, frozen mud, and the like.Fallen prey and items so impaled by atalon will suffer damage as follows: Crea-tures suffer 4-9 (1d6 + 3) hit points ofdamage, and all items (such as armor)must save versus crushing blow or bedamaged beyond usability. Magic itemswill of course gain bonuses to any suchsaving throws in accordance with theirmagical plusses; but note that all sorts ofitems may suffer penalties on savingthrows due to the brittleness that extremecold causes in many materials.

A remorhaz does not gain or lose heatthrough its feet or body armor unless thebody armor has been broken (before aninsulating scab of internal protective fluidsforms), except through its back protru-sions. Given steady food, a remorhaz willregenerate a completely lost pair of legs intwenty days or so; lesser damage couldwell be healed in half the time. A re-morhaz can slither at half movement rate� but not climb bare ice walls � if all ofits legs are gone; if more than half of itslegs are gone, it will move at 9� perround. Liquid mud or deep sand (whichwill not be encountered by a remorhaz inits normal habitat) will slow movement to6�; unfrozen water is avoided by a re-morhaz in the polar regions as it cools theworm�s body with dangerous rapidity. Aremorhaz can swim at the rate of 9� perround.

2. The wings of a remorhaz aid in stabil-ity while rearing and lunging (and rarely,while slipping or falling), and in regulatingbody heat (see notes below), but cannot liftthe entire body of the worm; a remorhazcannot fly. The remorhaz can only raise itshead and neck with the aid of these wings.The wings must beat continuously inorder to do this and are highly susceptibleto attack. The attacker must hit versus AC-2 to strike them, since they are small,fast-moving, and often out of reach. Areafire spells such as fireball will also affectthe wings, with each wing taking as manypoints of damage as the creature has hitdice before becoming useless. The loss ofone or both wings will cause the remorhazto attack at - 3 to hit, since it will nolonger be able to rear up and snap at itsopponent. The remorhaz will, however,still be able to move and maneuver, andthis state will inadvertently prevent at-tacks to its soft underside.

Damage done by the remorhaz�s fourfangs and sharp-edged jaws is determinedby the size of the creature, with 13 and 14HD specimens having the ability to swal-low man-sized or smaller prey whole on aroll of 20. However, halflings and othersmall demi-humans, and creatures ofsimilar size may be swallowed in thismanner by a remorhaz as small as 11 HD;elves and small humans can likewise beswallowed whole by a 12 HD remorhaz.On any roil of 20, check the size of the

DRAGON 37

remorhaz to see if it is capable of swallow-ing the creature it has bitten. Even if thetarget is not swallowed, it takes full bitedamage from that attack.

A remorhaz of 7 or 8 HD bites for 4-24points of damage; 9 to 12 HD creatures do5-30 points; and 13 to 14 HD creatures do6-36 points. When raised up to strike, aremorhaz is 9 inches tall for every hit dieit has. Thus, a 14 HD remorhaz would be10 feet, 6 inches tall at the head and couldattack a character standing on a second-story balcony. The remorhaz can strikeout an equal distance horizontally.

3. The area of the remorhaz most vul-nerable to physical attack is its eyes,which are actually two great, white, globu-lar clusters of lenses, all working together,and all milky-white because they havenatural filters to correct for snow glare.These natural filters allow the remorhazto see reflections and movements withgreat clarity � and in gloom or at nightwith 9� ultravision (in full darkness, orwhen confused, a remorhaz uses the 7�infravision of its tiny eyes). Each com-pound eye has more than a thousand tinyeyes within it � thus, an attack to the eyesis not likely to blind a remorhaz; up to adozen or more strikes on each eye wouldbe necessary to accomplish that. A re-morhaz regenerates its eyes only slowly(each tiny eye would take about 30 turnsto heal, and only one at a time will bereplaced by the worm�s body).

Because of these insectlike eyes, re-morhaz (the plural form is the same as thesingular) have excellent peripheral vision.In combat, they are equally likely to strikeat any creature in an arc of 180 degrees infront of them, with preference given tothose striking the most recent, most dam-aging blows against it. The target of theremorhaz�s attack will be at -2 to hit forthe round after their attack, due to theoverpowering stench of the creature�ssuperheated breath (normal if they maketheir save vs. breath weapon). Remorhazdo not deliberately claw or trample prey,nor do they ever strike at them with their�tails� or nether body segments. In com-bat, they may �pin� opponents with theirweight and bite at them, but prefer to rearup (aided by their wings) and lunge at allprey, biting with speed enough to knockdown many aerial opponents, and withreach enough to strike from a rearingposition at opponents up to half the re-morhaz�s own length away (on the groundor in the air).

The majority of the remorhaz�s body isheavily insulated with armor that rendersit proof against any harm from scrapingagainst or over ice. The most flexible partsof the armor (and hence, the softest) arethe underside regions of each segment,which must have softness and flexibility toaid traction over uneven ice � hence, thelower armor class. The intermediate ar-mor class rating of a remorhaz reflects therelative vulnerability of its mouth and

38 OCTOBER 1986

eyes, despite the mobility of the head as atarget. Man-sized opponents of a re-morhaz will find that while the creature�sunderside is softer than the rest of itsbody, only two attackers can strike at thisarea, with one standing on each side of theraised head. Other opponents standingdirectly in front of the remorhaz (two atmost) can strike at the AC 2 head. Allother attacks are versus AC 0.

4. Remorhaz have three life states: dor-mant, cold, and heated. Since remorhazcan �burn up� the energy provided by alarge meal (such as two horses) in just afew hours of tunneling, moving, or fight-ing, they spend much of their time ineither a dormant or cold state � dormantbeing a very sluggish, economical condi-tion, and cold being active without heatingthe back protrusions. Remorhaz are al-ways eager to eat, since they are active inproportion to how much they consume.Because of their metabolism, polar wormsmake ambush their primary huntingmode, and only occasionally travel insearch of prey. A remorhaz will lay in waitalong a well-travelled road in a �cold�state. When prey is sighted, the remorhazheats its back protrusions, then attacks.Remorhaz lie dormant through periodswhen prey is scarce, spending at least oneday in five dormant in any case. Dormantperiods are always spent in the lair.

When excited (by easy prey when it ishungry) or angered by prey that eludes it,seems formidable, challenges it, or causesit pain, a remorhaz will cause its backprotrusions � the blunt �horns� or projec-tions, two of which rise at angles from theridged top or back of each of its bodysegments and form two rows of craggybumps � to become extremely hot, con-ducting the worm�s internal digestive heatby means of internally produced andcirculated fluids. This chemical, which isknown as thrym, is released from its twostomachs, and pumped at great pressureinto its insulated back horns. A remorhazwill then lunge at opponents and rollslightly to one side, seeking to crush orpin, and then burn with its horns. Contactwith the cherry-red remorhaz horns does10d10 points of damage to all creaturesnot impervious to (or protected against)heat damage; cooler, darker horns do only5d10 points of damage. (A roll of 1-2 on1d6 determines a hit with the darker,cooler horns.) Protection is provided byany item such as a ring of fire resistance� not just a normal item, such as armor ora pair of gloves, Damage to protectedareas will still occur, though at a rate of1/10 regular damage: 1d10 points for regu-lar horns, 1d5 points for cooler horns.Non-magical metal weapons melt whentouching cherry-red remorhaz horns; theygain a saving throw (vs. magical fire)against cooler horns. Magical metal weap-ons gain a saving throw vs. acid (with theirmagical bonuses, if any) against cherry-redremorhaz horns, and a saving throw vs.

magical fire at + 5 (disregard magicalbonuses) against the cooler horns; othermagic items save vs. acid or magical fire -whichever is worse � against cherry-redremorhaz horns, and must make a savingthrow of only half as much to escapedamage from the cooler horns. Most crea-tures will feel the heat when they arewithin ten feet of the protrusions; thesemay also steam when wet. The remorhazwill usually heat its back to aid in tunnel-ing through ice and snow, and will alwaysdo so in battle.

A remorhaz heats up its back in burstsof energy, for in doing so it is sacrificingits body heat to its chilly surroundings �and could freeze to death if it gives up toomuch heat. Normally, a remorhaz thatdecides to heat warms up for 2 rounds(during which time it has cooler horns, asabove), fights for up to 6 additional roundsof cherry-red heat (less if it wins its fight,for it will shut down as soon as possible),and then follows with a further 2 roundsof cooling. A remorhaz of 10 HD or lesscan usually manage only one such burstevery 36 hours (unless it can eat at will toprovide more fuel; a nesting female re-morhaz surrounded by already slain mealsat hand is one example); a remorhaz of 11to 14 HD can usually manage 10 rounds offull heat, typically in two bursts of 6 and 4rounds each. If the air is damp, concealingplumes of fog will begin to form aroundthe remorhaz as the cold air comes intocontact with its back horns. The averageremorhaz must take in one size M meal (ofwarm-blooded prey) every 36 hours tokeep its heat at the required level, other-wise it risks the chance of freezing todeath.

If a remorhaz gets too hot (usually onlywhen removed from its normal environ-ment), its surroundings reaching 60 de-grees Fahrenheit or more, it will begin tofan itself with its wings, passing air overits back horns to carry the heat they radi-ate away. The remorhaz will grow sluggish(operating at half movement), but will nototherwise suffer harm from the excessheat. When it becomes cool again, theremorhaz will recover rapidly (in 1 or 2rounds) to full movement and activity.

5. As a snakelike carnivore, the re-morhaz requires special digestive proc-esses to aid in breaking down the hugehunks of meat it swallows. Two tiny stom-ach glands produce and contain fluids thatmix to make the liquid called thrym,which is then circulated through the crea-ture�s back protrusions and/or stomach.Digestion is achieved with both the heatand acidity of thrym. Since the liquid isextremely hot and caustic, there havebeen no known cases of even swallowedmagical items surviving immersion inthrym, although it might be possible forartifacts and relics to do so. Molten metalsand other indigestible materials are imme-diately excreted through a flap at thebottom of the beast�s stomach. Wood and

leather are easily dissolved, if not useful tothe remorhaz itself.

Obviously, anyone unfortunate enoughto be swallowed by a remorhaz would bekilled instantly by the tremendous -heat ofthe creature�s body. Even major protectionsuch as a ring of fire resistance wouldonly allow a person to survive 1 or 2rounds inside a remorhaz. DMs must befirm on this count, since killing the crea-ture in the round after it swallows some-one, then cutting the creature open torescue the victim would still require thatperson to withstand at least 2 rounds ofthe phenomenal, acidic heat.

The remorhaz�s thrym is the reason forits high magic resistance. This substancehas a high anti-magic value, whether actu-ally heating the creature or not; thus, theremorhaz�s magic resistance remains thesame regardless of the creature�s stateuntil it dies (see below). Note that all spells

-cast at a remorhaz must overcome this75% magic resistance, then the remorhaz�ssaving throws (if applicable); fire is savedagainst at +4, heat does no damage (beingeither absorbed to the benefit of the re-morhaz, or lost), cold is saved against at- 3, and electrical-based attacks are savedagainst at par.

6. A polar worm�s lair will usually con-sist of a number of large, smoothlyrounded tunnels in ice and snow or rock,gradually descending to a bigger, centralroom. Tunnels in ice or snow will be veryslippery, since the passing of the creature�shot back will repeatedly melt the snow,but leave it to quickly refreeze. With itsnumerous hard feet, the remorhaz movesat full speed on sheer ice (if it is a levelsurface) and has no problems in its ownlair and tunnel complex. Remorhaz usuallymove with their heads down, their wingsinactive, looking something like a walkingsnake. As a result of this position, re-morhaz cannot snap out with their usualdexterity, and are thus somewhat vulnera-ble in small tunnels.

The central room of the remorhaz lair isgenerally about twice the width andlength of the remorhaz that inhabits it,and has several entrances and exits. Thenesting lair of a mated pair will be aboutdouble this size, and may have ice stalacti-tes hanging from the ceiling as a result.

Remorhaz have no use for treasure aswe know it; any treasure found will con-sist of belongings left behind by devouredprey � either scattered about the icywastes or on the floor of the remorhaz�slair. Such treasure rarely consists of armsor armor, since these are usually de-stroyed or lost in combat, and will neverbe anything that cannot survive the ex-treme cold or inadvertent pummeling bythe remorhaz. A remorhaz will take preyinto its lair only when it is threatened by astorm or by other predators, if its meal isthreatened by other, smaller predators toonimble or too numerous for the polarworm to slay, or if it is a male feeding a

nesting female or a female hunting with its to hatch (25% are infertile) or are dam-young. aged, destroyed, or go missing (due to

7. Remorhaz mate only in glacial tunnelspredators, shifting glacial ice, and so on),he will remain patiently through one egg-

and icy caverns, although they range all laying after another until one or two liveover cold regions when hunting, often young are born. Polar worm eggs arewandering far from their lairs; if they valuable because the remorhaz makeremained in a small area, food there excellent guards. However, even thosewould soon be exhausted. If food is scarce,remorhaz sometimes come down off thehigh glaciers into the tundra or even tothe edge of muskeg regions to hunt. Withthe exception of mates, and mothers andtheir young, remorhaz hunt and lair alone;when food is plentiful, remorhaz of differ-ent sexes will instinctively wander out oftheir own normal ranges (each remorhazhas an informal, shifting circular territoryof approximately 60 miles across) and seekone another out, establishing a nesting lairafter they meet. They signal their pres-ence at such rutting times by great,mournful roars, sounding at times likegreat wolves, and repeatedly rear up andflap their vestigial wings to attract notice.Remorhaz seldom fight among themselvesover territory, mates, or prey.

raised from the egg can never recognizemore than one or two masters, and willattack anyone if they are hungry enough.

8. The fascinating body of the remorhazwill always reveal many useful items tothe industrious. The largest specimens willyield two curving black horns the lengthof a man�s body. These are easily hollowedout and have thus become scimitar scab-bards and even unusual drinking mugs.

The four sharp fangs make excellent dag-gers and knives, being almost a foot inlength. The 28 legs are tubular in shapeand very hard. They have been made intoeverything from canes and cups to blow-guns, usually after they have been boiledto cook the succulent meat inside (a veryrare delicacy indeed). The tough unde-rskin of the beast makes excellent leather,while the scaly sections of the body makefor good bucklers (they are not big enoughfor full-sized shields). The vestigial wingsof the remorhaz are useful mostly forornamentation, but become brittle andwill eventually crumble if not immediatelypreserved.

In the largest remorhaz, the specialstomach glands hold as much as a quart ofthe liquids that compose thrym. Unfortu-nately, few have succeeded in removingthis substance from the creature withoutit losing its value. Though thrym requiresthe remorhaz�s particular physiology tomaintain its power, a mixture of the twochemicals after the creature�s death willcreate a weak acidic reaction (as illus-trated in the DMG, p. 64) � a potency thatlasts for up to one day following the re-morhaz�s death. After this point, the indi-vidual liquids have a minor value toalchemists, who use the circulatory fluidsas ingredients in the spell inks of all mag-ics concerned with heat (produce flame,heat metal, burning hands, and so on), andin magics concerned with neutralizingpoisons � for the fluids seem to conferupon the living remorhaz an immunity topoison. This fluid is also useful in themanufacture of potions, such as potions offire resistance, and in the making of itemssuch as rings of fire resistance and ringsof warmth. Prices vary according to thescarcity of worms and differing strengthsof the desires of alchemists, but are typi-cal1y 5-10 gp per flask of each remorhazfluid.

The cell retinae and internal fluid of theremorhaz�s compound eyes are useful inthe creation of eyes of the eagle, and inthe making of special inks used to setdown such spells as infravision. An intactremorhaz eye will bring 1-10 gp; fluid andremnants, up to 1 gp per flask.

DRAGON 39

Remorhaz females are generally largerthan males (there are no 14 HD males), butthey are otherwise identical in powers andappearance. A mated pair will stay to-gether only until the eggs have hatched.During this time, the female will produceone or two grey-blue eggs 60 to 90 daysafter a nesting lair is created. Mating sea-son for the remorhaz takes place in thefall of the coming year, with all pairs sepa-rating before that time. Any adult re-

morhaz has a 25% chance of having amate during this season.

Remorhaz eggs must be kept warm (60degrees Fahrenheit or more) or they willnot hatch; any egg that is allowed to coolto the surrounding, freezing temperaturesand remain that cold for more than a turnwill never hatch a living young. For thisreason, the female remorhaz coils aboutthe eggs to keep them warm until theyhatch (three or four months later). Duringthis gestation period, the developingyoung change from helpless, soft wormsto miniature remorhaz, and eat their wayaround the thick nutrient walls of theirown eggs to freedom. The young stay inthe nesting lair for approximately fourmonths after hatching, growing in thistime from 1 HD at birth to 7 HD at the endof that period. Immature remorhaz willonly fight to defend themselves, biting for2d6 points of damage, fighting as 2 HD lessand attacking last in a round. The youngseldom leave the lair, and will be size S athatching, M at 2-3 HD, and L from 4 HDon. From birth, the newborn remorhazhas all the powers of the adult.

Shortly after their birth, young re-morhaz are driven forth from the lair bythe mother to fend for themselves, accom-panying her for only a half-dozen or sodaily hunts before being driven off. Anadult male will leave his mate as soon asthe young are born � but if the eggs fail

by Robert Kelk average strength is much lower than that of the males, femaledwarves can�t mine as much metal or pound a blacksmith�s anvil

inin

The character-creation rules in the A&D® game are spread outmany places. Players must now check up to five different placestwo different books (pages 9-15 and 20-30 of the Players Hand-

book and pages 6, 10-11, and 14-23 of Unearthed Arcana) to deter-mine the minimum and maximum ability scores and ability scoremodifiers for a European-type campaign character. How mucheasier it would be to have all of the information in one place, theway it is on pages 11 and 14 of Oriental Adventures. Such a collec-tion of figures would also make it easier to see how the races andclasses compare to each of the others. With these two benefits inmind, I have put together the five tables in this article.

Obviously, putting all of these charts in one place helps theplayer, so that he doesn�t have to look up facts in two books. Thisspeeds up the process of creating a PC and lets players and DMsget to the fun part (namely, playing the game).

The listing of the minimum and maximum scores in this mannerreveals three interesting facts about the various races. The first,concerning maximum strength, comes from Table I. If maximumstrengths are listed in the order 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 18/50, 18/75,18/90, 18/99, and 18/00, we see a four-place separation of maxi-mum strength scores between males and females of all but threeraces. The exceptions are dwarves (with a five-place separation),halflings (with a three-place separation), and half-orcs (with a two-place separation). The larger separation in top strengths ofdwarves explains the dwarves� devotion to their mates beforetheir lifework. (This was mentioned in �The Dwarven Point ofView,� reprinted in Best of DRAGON® Magazine Vol. 3.) Since their

Table I: STRENGTHMale Female

Race Minimum maximum maximum ModifierDwarf 8 18/99 17Wild Elf 5 18/75 16 +2Wood Elf 4 18/75 1 6 +1Other Elf 3 18/75 16Gnome 6 18/50 15Half-Elf 3 18/90 17Halfling 6 17 14 - 1Half-Orc 6 18/99 18/75 +1Human 3 18/00 18/50

Characters who are not members of the fighter or cavalierclasses or their subclasses cannot have extraordinary strength.

40 OCTOBER 1986

as long. Nobody likes to promote unrest in his or her marriage, sodwarves give up their lifework when they get married. Thesmaller separation in top strengths of halflings helps supportfeelings of equality between the sexes that the deities of the half-lings seem to promote. (See �The Gods of the Halflings� in Appen-dix S of Unearthed Arcana.) The extremely small separation in topstrengths of half-orcs explains the widespread male orc and half-orc practice of killing infant females mentioned in �The Half-Orc

Table II: INTELLIGENCE, WISDOM, AND DEXTERITY

Intelligence Wisdom DexterityRace Min Max Mod Min Max Min Max ModDwarf 3 18 3 18 3 17Gray Elf 9 19 +1 3 18 7 19 +1Wood Elf 7 17 - 1 3 18 7 19 +1Other Elf 8 18 3 18 7 19 +1Gnome 7 18 3 18 3 18Half -Elf 4 18 3 18 6 18Hal fling 6 18 3 17 8 18 +1Half-Orc 3 17 3 14 3 17

Humans have a 3 minimum, 18 maximum, and no modifierfor each ability. No race has a modifier to its wisdom ability.

Table III: CONSTITUTION, CHARISMA, AND COMELINESS

Constitution Charisma ComelinessRace Min Max Mod Min Max Mod ModifierDwarf 12 19 +1 3 16 - 1 - 1Gray/High Elf 6 18 - 1 8 18 +2Valley/Wild Elf 6 18 - 1 8 18Male Dark Elf 6 18 - 1 8 18 - 1Wood/FemaleDark Elf 6 18 - 1 8 18 +1

Gnome 8 18 3 18 - 1Half-Elf 6 18 3 18 +1Halfling 10 19 3 18Half-Orc 13 19 +1 3 12 - 2 - 3

Humans have a 3 minimum, 18 maximum, and no modifierfor each ability. No race has a minimum or maximum comeli-ness. Charisma and comeliness maximums and modifiers applyonly to races other than that of the character.

DRAGON 41

Point of View� in Best of DRAGON Vol. 3. No male bully likes a girlas strong as he is.

Another point brought up is the rarity of certain characterclasses. Magic-users have been called the rarest of all classes, butthis isn�t borne out by the numbers, namely those in Table V.

Table IV: COMELINESS MODIFIERS

Comeliness Comeliness ComelinessCha Mod Cha Mod Cha Mod

Below 3 - 8 6-8 - 1 16-17 + 23 - 5 9-12 0 18 + 3

4-5 - 3 13-15 + 1 Above 18 + 5

Table V: MINIMUM ABILITY SCORES BY CLASS

Class S I W D C ChCAVALIER 15 10 10 15 15 6

Paladin 15 10 13 15 15 17CLERIC 6 6 9 3 6 6

Druid 6 6 12 6 6 15FIGHTER 9 3 6 6 7 6

Barbarian 15 6 6 14 15 6Ranger 13 13 14 6 14 6

MAGIC-USER 3 9 6 6 6 6Illusionist 6 15 6 16 3 6

THIEF 6 6 3 9 6 6Acrobat 15 6 6 16 6 6Assassin 12 11 6 12 6 3

No character class has a minimum comeliness requirement.The maximum score for each ability is 18 for all classes exceptfor the barbarian, which has a maximum 16 wisdom.

Magic-users need to have a high intelligence, but cavaliers, pala-dins, rangers, illusionists, and assassins must have a higher intelli-gence. All other abilities of the magic-user need be only average orlower, while the other mentioned classes have to have higher-than-average minimums in at least one other ability. How can this beexplained? Perhaps the popular statement should not be �Magic-users are very rare� but rather �Magic-users appear to be veryrare.� Cavaliers and paladins are probably the rarest of all classes.However, they are very visible. Most cavaliers and paladins are inpositions of authority or come from the always-watched upperclass, or both. Rangers are reclusive to the point that many if notmost city dwellers are not aware of their existence. Assassins areoften seen as thieves or fighters, since their actions are a mixtureof both classes. This leaves the illusionists, who are sometimesseen as specialized magic-users. Illusionists are very rare, or atleast people do not often see them. Fighters are very visible intaverns, people usually come into contact with a cleric or twowhen they are at a temple, and thieves are a part of daily city life,but magic-users don�t come into contact with the public as much.This makes typical people think that magic-users are the rarest ofall classes. Adventurers know differently, seeing magic-users as alarge fraction of the adventuring population.

The third point shown by the tables is related to wisdom. TableII shows that half-orcs are the least wise of all the demihumans.This is borne out by the actions of their parent orcs, who waragainst each other for living space instead of banding together totake it from other races. The table also shows that halflings areslightly less wise than humans and the other demihuman races.This is shown by their desire for security (mentioned in �TheHalfling Point of View� in Best of DRAGON Vol. 3), manifested bytheir inclination to live near other races.

Possibly all of these points were supposed to be built into theAD&D game. Possibly they slipped in by accident. Either way, theyare part of what makes the game what it is.

42 OCTOBER 1986

by Mark Kraatz

The current system for training in theAD&D® game is an expensive one. Charac-ters have to train before each new level atprices which are sometimes more than thecharacters can afford to pay, especially atlow levels. An alternative to this systemwas presented in an article by DavidReeder in issue #97 of DRAGON® Maga-zine. Although this article made trainingsomewhat more affordable, the costs thatsome character classes had to pay at lowlevels were still quite high. Consider forexample, a druid who gains a new spelllevel at the second level of experience and

again at third level. According to Mr. Reed-er�s system, training is required for bothof these levels at the costs listed in theDMG. If the druid needs to train twoweeks for �each of these levels, this wouldmean a total cost of 9,000 gp to advance tothird level, This is a little much to ask of a2nd-level character.

A character should only have to train fora new level when he gains somethingtangible from doing so. An additional hitdie, or improvement on an attack or sav-ing throw table, is not something forwhich training should be required. Suchbenefits should be attributed to the experi-ence that a character has to obtain to gainthe level in the first place. On the otherhand, there are some things for whichtraining definitely is required. It wouldn�tmake sense for a character to learn howto use a new weapon just by adventuring.Surely this is something which must belearned through some form of training.

A solution to these two problem areas isa new training system, described in thisarticle. The need for training is not basedon the level of a character, but rather onthe abilities which the character gainsupon going up a level. Improvement in acharacter�s existing statistics is achievedwithout the need for training. However,such things as the gaining of a newweapon proficiency or a new spell level dorequire training. The cost of trainingdepends on what ability is being learned.These costs have been designed to make

44 OCTOBER 1986

training affordable at all levels, especially are gained until such a period has passed.the low ones. Since training is needed to Note that this time does not include anygain abilities and not levels, characters time spent training and should be spent inhave more freedom to choose when to pursuit of worthwhile adventure. This onetrain. This is because a new level can to four weeks of �required� adventuringusually be gained (with no new abilities) time is simply a guideline and can be ex-without the need for immediate training. tended to any reasonable number of

Many of the benefits that are gained weeks by the DM, should he feel that theupon going up a level are granted without character concerned is not actively seek-needing to train for them. This is based on ing adventure. Unworthy pursuits, such asthe theory that much of what a character sitting in an inn for a few weeks, are notgains can be attributed to actually using the stuff of which heroic tales are made!and practicing his abilities in the world at Once a character has gone up a level, helarge. After surviving a few sword fights, may then train, if need be, for any newit is reasonable to assume that a character abilities.has become a better fighter, so his abilityto hit an opponent should improve. Like-wise, after picking a few pockets, it is Training guidelinesreasonable that a thief�s chance of doing so Training is needed in order for a charac-again should improve. Such benefits as ter to gain the ability to use a new weaponadditional hit dice, new attack and saving- or to cast spells of a new level. In somethrow numbers, and the ability to memo- cases, training is also required beforerize additional spells of a level already certain special abilities can be gained asknown are gained in this manner. The well. For a detailed list of those specialonly things for which it is necessary to abilities which require training, refer totrain for are the gaining of a new weapon the class-by-class enumeration at the endproficiency, a new spell level, and certain of this article.special abilities. In order for a character to train for any

new ability, it is necessary to find ateacher. As a general rule of thumb, this

Rating a character�s performance must be someone who can already per-When a character is eligible to gain a form the ability that is to be gained. For

level, the DM must rate the character�s example, if a magic-user wishes to learnperformance for the level on a scale of 1 how to cast 3rd-level spells, he can onlyto 4. This number is arrived at in the same learn this from another who can alreadymanner as detailed on page 86 of the cast magic-user spells of 3rd level. Typi-Dungeon Masters Guide. This value is cally, a teacher can always be someone ofcalled the experience rating. In order to the same class as the character, whoseproperly evaluate a character�s perform- level is at least equal to what the characterance, the DM should do a rough rating is trying to attain.after each session. Then, when the charac- The time required for any training, be itter is eligible to gain a level, the DM can for a new weapon, spell level or specialassign an experience rating for the charac- ability, is always one to four weeks. Theter�s overall performance at a certain level actual time that is required for training isbased on these numbers. dependent on the experience ratings that

If the character has played at his cur- the character in question has received.rent level for a number of game weeks This amount should be calculated as thegreater than or equal to his experience average of all experience ratings receivedrating, then he may gain the �automatic�benefits of additional hit dice, new attack

since last training for a similar ability. Forexample, the training time required for a

numbers, and so forth. However, if this is fighter to learn a new weapon at seventhnot the case then none of these benefits level is based on the average of his experi-

ence ratings received since he last trainedfor a new weapon at fourth level.

The costs listed in the following tablesmay initially strike the reader as beingrather high. This is actually not the case,as can be seen by breaking down thecosts. The weekly cost listed for the train-ing of any ability can be broken into twoparts, each representing half. The firstpart represents the fee required by theteacher. Since higher-level teachers arerequired for abilities which must betrained for at higher levels, this cost mustincrease at a suitable rate. The secondpart represents the costs of materialsneeded as well as any sacrifices and/ordonations that are also required. Sinceabilities gained at higher levels are gener-ally more powerful, this cost must likewiseincrease.

Training costs, then, do not always haveto be exactly the values shown on thesepages. If one is able to self-train for anability, then the training will only be halfthe usual cost, since there is no teacherwho has to be paid. Further, depending onthe circumstances surrounding the train-ing, a teacher may decide to increase hisfee, or may decide to waive it altogether(thus halving the usual cost).

New weapon proficiencyTo train for a new weapon proficiency, a

teacher must be found. This must besomeone who is already proficient in theweapon that is to be learned and whosebase �to hit� number (not including magic,strength, dexterity or other modifiers) isequal to or less than the student�s. As anexample, a 7th-level fighter who is profi-cient with the long sword can teach an-other fighter who has just gained 7th level.However, if this same fighter was to betaught by a thief, the thief would have tobe at least 13th level.

Training to use a new weapon will takeone to four weeks as described previously.The cost of such training is listed in theWeapon Proficiency Table below. Thesecosts are a weekly rate, based on eachadditional weapon learned. These are onlysuggested costs and may vary dependingon circumstances.

Weapon Proficiency TableWeapon Cost/WeekInitial weapon(s) . . . . . . . 500 gp eachFirst additional weapon . 500 gPSecond. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,000 gpThird . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,000 gpFourth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,000 gpFifth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,000 gpSixth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15,000 gpS e v e n t h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30,000 gpEighth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50,000 gp

Any additional weapons beyond theeighth may be learned at the cost of50,000 gp per week.

Since a character normally starts out hiscareer as an adventurer who is proficient

in one or more weapons, it is not neces-sary to pay the 500 gp per week initialweapon cost. This value is listed for thosecharacters who decide to study for anadditional class later on in their adventur-ing careers. For example, an aspiring bardwho starts out as a fighter and thenswitches to the thief class must pay 500 gpper week for the initial weapons that hewishes to learn as a thief.

If a character neglects to learn a newweapon once he is able to, it will have noeffect on further play. He can wait anylength of time before training for themissed proficiency, and additional profi-ciencies and levels may be gained at nopenalty.

Weapon specializationAs described in Unearthed Arcana,

fighters and rangers can choose to doublespecialize in a weapon which they havechosen for weapon specialization at firstlevel. This double specialization can belearned from another fighter or rangerwho is at least three levels higher than thestudent and has weapon specialization inthe weapon that is to be learned. It is notnecessary for the teaching fighter to havedouble specialization in the weapon con-cerned. If this is the case, however, thenhe need only be of the level that the char-acter is attempting to attain.

The cost for such training is twice whatthe normal cost would be for learning aweapon proficiency at the same level. Forexample, if a 4th-level fighter chooses todouble specialize in the long sword, whichhe chose under weapon specialization at1st level, then this could be learned fromanother fighter or ranger who is at least7th level. The teacher would need to haveweapon specialization in the weapon con-cerned, and would charge 1,000 gp perweek.

Cavaliers and paladins gain certain bo-nuses with their weapons of choice asoutlined in Unearthed Arcana. Unlikeweapon specialization, however, they do

not need to receive any special training forthis ability.

New spell levelFot a character to train for a new spell

level, a teacher must be found. This mustbe someone who can cast spells of theclass and level that are to be gained. Cler-ics must receive their training from an-other cleric of the same alignment.

Training for a new spell level will takeone to four weeks as described previously.The weekly cost of such training is givenin the New Spell Level Table below. Notethat these are only suggested costs andmay vary depending on circumstances.

New Spell Level TableSpells Cost/Week1st level . . . . . . 500 gp2nd level . . . . . 500 gp3rd level. . . . . . 1,000 gp4th level. . . . . . 2,000 gp5th level. . . . . . 4,000 gp6th level. . . . . . 8,000 gp7th level. . . . . . 15,000 gp8th level. . . . . . 30,000 gp9th level. . . . . . 50,000 gp

The cost for learning 1st-level spells isnormally not used unless the characterlearns to cast spells later on in his adven-turing career. For example, when a pala-din reaches 9th level, he gains the abilityto cast cleric spells. The training for thiswould cost the paladin 500-2,000 gp de-pending on the number of weeks that arerequired. He could get this training fromany lawful good cleric or from anotherpaladin who can already cast cleric spells.

If a character neglects to learn a newspell level, he cannot gain any more expe-rience levels until the new spell level islearned. If a magic-user or illusionist spelllevel is gained, at least one spell of thenew level must be inscribed into the stu-dent�s spell books, as this is the actual spelltaught during training. The teacher mustalso be able to cast this spell.

Special abilitiesAs some character classes Progress in

levels, they gain certain special abilities. Afew examples of this are a druids ability tochange shape, which is gained at 7th level,and a thief�s ability to read languages,which is gained at 4th level. Some of theseabilities are gained without the need fortraining, while others must be trained for.

Special abilities which do not requiretraining generally fall into two categories:those that are not very powerful, andthose that are considered to be �innate�abilities of the class in question. An exam-ple of innate abilities are all of the specialabilities gained by a monk player charac-ter. Special abilities that do not requiretraining are gained at the same time thatadditional hit dice and new saving-throwand attack numbers are gained.

Special abilities that do require training

can be trained for in much the same man-ner as a newly gained weapon proficiencyor spell level. Special abilities that requiretraining can never be self-taught. Thus, toreceive training, a teacher must be found.Exactly who can teach special abilities isoutlined in the class-by-class enumerationsection, detailed later. Generally, a specialability can always be learned from anotherof the same class who is of a level equal toor greater than the level that is to betrained for.

The training costs for special abilitiesapproximate those listed for weapon profi-ciencies and spell levels. The most inex-pensive training costs 500 gp per weekand the most expensive is 30,000 gp perweek. The cost assigned to such training isdependent on how powerful the specialability is and who (i.e., what level) has toteach it.

DRAGON 45

TRAINING COST TABLE

Gained ability by . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Weekly training cost. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .character class 500 15,000 30,000 50,000

CavalierAdditional weapon

PaladinAdditional weaponTurn undeadNew spell level

FighterAdditional weapon

1,3

133

9,11

1,4Ranger

Additional weaponNew druid spell levelNew M-U spell Level

BarbarianAdditional weapon

ClericAdditional weaponNew spell level

DruidAdditional weaponNew spell levelIdentify plants,

animals, pure water& pass without trace

Woodland languagesShape change & immune

to woodland charmHierophant training

Magic-userAdditional weaponNew spell levelCreate scrolls & potionsCreate magic items

IllusionistAdditional weaponNew spell levelCreate magic items

ThiefAdditional weaponRead languagesDecipher magic scrolls

Thief-acrobatAdditional weaponThief-acrobat trainingDecipher magic scrolls

AssassinAdditional weaponRead languagesDecipher magic scrolls

MonkAdditional weapon

BardAdditional weaponNew spell levelAdditional language

1,48,129,13

1,3

1,51,3

1,61,2

33 +

1,71,3

1,71,3

1,5

1,5

1,3

1,51,44 +

1,000 2,000

5 7

5 7

13 15

7 10

7 1016

5 7

9 135 7

11 163 6

7

13 195 77

12

13 195 8

10

9 134

10

9 136

10

9 136

12

5 7

9 137 10

4,000 8,000

9 11 13 15 17+

9 11 13 15 17+

13 16 19 22 25+

13 16 19 22 25+

9 11

2111

11

13 15 17

179

2516

29 3 3 +

219 12

17

259

37 43 49+14 16 18

2510

3714

49+

17

17

3112

3112

21

21

25 33+

25

43

29

29 33+

9

1713

11

21

13 17+

25

15

29 33+

The entries on this table represent the level(s) at which a character becomes eligible to acquire a skill that can only belearned by training. The column in which a particular level number appears indicates the cost, in gold pieces per week oftraining, for the character to acquire the skill.

46 OCTOBER 1988

If a character neglects to train for aspecial ability once he is able to, it willhave no effect on further play. He can waitany length of time before training for themissed special ability. Additional specialabilities and levels may be gained at nopenalty. The two exceptions to this are thetraining that a druid must undergo tobecome a Hierophant of the Cabal, and thetraining that a thief must undergo to be-come a thief-acrobat. In these two cases,the character must undertake trainingbefore progression in either of theseclasses is possible.

Self-training

spells. Thieves, thief-acrobats, assassins,

After a character reaches a certain level,he may be able to train himself at half of

and bards can never train themselves. A

the usual cost. Only weapon proficiencies,

character cannot train himself in order to

double weapon specialization, and newlygained spell levels can be self-trained.

gain special abilities (exception: Druids can

Cavaliers, paladins, fighters, rangers,barbarians, and monks can self-train for aweapon proficiency (and double weapon

self-train to become Hierophant druids).

specialization for fighters and rangers)after they have learned four additionalweapons. Clerics, druids, magic-users, andillusionists can self-train for a new spelllevel after learning how to cast 5th-level

The levels after which a character cantrain himself are:

Cavalier . . . . 9Paladin . . . . . 9Fighter . . . . . 13Ranger . . . . . 13Barbarian . . . 9Cleric . . . . . . 9Druid . . . . . . 9Magic-user . . 9Illusionist . . . 10Monk . . . . . . 9

Magic-users and illusionists who trainthemselves do not automatically gain aspell of the new level. In order to train forthe new spell level, at least one spell ofthat level must be available to study from,be it on a scroll or other medium.

Class-by-class enumeration

himself for a new proficiency after reach-

The following section outlines the train-ing requirements for each character class.This is followed by the Training Cost Table,

ing ninth level at half of the normal cost. A

which shows the levels at which training isrequired, and the associated costs of such

cavalier does not need to train in order to

training.

improve his �to hit� bonuses with his

A cavalier needs to train before gaininga new weapon proficiency. He can train

weapons of choice, nor does he need to

train to improve his horsemanship. Hedoes need to train to improve his attacksper melee round with a thrusting or strik-ing weapon.

A paladin needs to train before gaining anew weapon proficiency and before beingable to turn undead. He can train himselffor a new proficiency after reaching 9thlevel at half of the normal cost. The abilityto turn undead must be learned from alawful good cleric or another paladin whoalready has this ability. A paladin must betrained before being able to cast clericspells and for each new spell level gained.This must be learned from a cleric or fromanother paladin who is able to cast clericspells. A paladin does not need to train inorder to improve the �to hit� bonuses withhis weapons of choice, nor does he need totrain to improve his horsemanship. Train-ing is not required for a paladin to be ableto call his warhorse. A paladin does notneed to train to improve his attacks permelee round with a thrusting or strikingweapon.

A fighter needs to train before gaining anew weapon proficiency or before doublespecializing in his chosen weapon. He cantrain himself in either of these areas afterreaching 13th level at half of the normalcost. A fighter does not need to train inorder to improve his attacks per meleeround with a thrusting or strikingweapon.

DRAGON 47

A ranger needs to train before gaining anew weapon proficiency or before double new spell level or before gaining a newspecializing in his chosen weapon. He can weapon proficiency. He can train himselftrain himself in either of these areas after for a new spell level after reaching 9threaching 13th level at half of the normal level at half of the normal cost. A druidcost. A ranger must be trained before needs to train in order to identify plants,being able to cast druid or magic-user animals or pure water, or to learn how tospells and for each new spell level gained. pass through overgrown areas withoutThis must be learned from a druid or leaving a trace. Training is also requiredmagic-user, or from another ranger who is before a druid can change shape or be-able to cast these spells. He does not need come immune to woodland charm. Each ofto train to improve his tracking ability. these must be learned from another druidThe ability to use non-written magic items who has these abilities. A druid needs towhich pertain to clairaudience, clairvoy- train for each of the woodland languagesance, ESP, or telepathy requires no train- that he is able to learn. Each language caning. A ranger does not need to train in be learned from someone who can speakorder to improve his attacks per melee the language to be learned as well as around with a thrusting or striking language that the druid already under-weapon. stands.

A barbarian needs to train before gain-ing a new weapon proficiency. He cantrain himself for a new proficiency afterreaching 9th level at half of the normalcost. All of the barbarian�s special abilitiesand immunities can be gained without theneed for training.

A cleric needs to train before gaining anew spell level, or before gaining a newweapon proficiency. He can train himselffor a new spell level after reaching 9thlevel at half of the normal cost. A clericdoes not need to train in order to improvehis ability to turn undead.

If a druid manages to become the GrandDruid and decides to step down and be-come a Hierophant of the Cabal, then hemust undergo some initial training. He canalways train himself at half of the usualcost. Further, he must continue to trainbefore gaining any new weapon proficien-cies. The special abilities that a Hierophantdruid gains require new special training.

A magic-user needs to train before gain-ing a new spell level, or before gaining anew weapon proficiency. He can trainhimself for a new spell level after reaching9th level at half of the normal cost. Train-

A druid needs to train before gaining a

OCTOBER 198848

ing is also required before the magic-usercan create scrolls and potions; this mustbe learned from another magic-user whoalready has this ability. The ability to cre-ate magic items must be learned fromanother magic-user or from an illusionistwho already has this ability.

An illusionist needs to train before gain-ing a new spell level or gaining a newweapon proficiency. He can train himselffor a new spell level after reaching 11thlevel at half of the normal cost. Training isalso required before an illusionist cancreate magic items. This must be learnedfrom another illusionist or a magic-userwho already has this ability.

A thief needs to train before gaining anew weapon proficiency. He also needs totrain before he can read languages ordecipher scrolls. The ability to read lan-guages must be learned from another thiefor assassin who already has this ability.The ability to decipher scrolls must belearned from another thief, thief-acrobat,or assassin who already has this ability. Athief does not need to train in order toimprove his thieving abilities.

When a thief initially decides to becomea thief-acrobat, he must undergo someinitial training. This must be learned fromanother thief-acrobat. A thief-acrobatneeds to train before gaining a newweapon proficiency. He also needs to trainbefore he can decipher scrolls. This abilitymust be learned from another thief-acrobat, thief, or assassin who already hasthis ability.

An assassin needs to train before gaininga new weapon proficiency. He also needsto train before he can read languages ordecipher scrolls. An assassin does not needto train in order to better his thievingskills or assassination ability. The ability toread languages must be learned fromanother assassin or thief who already hasthis ability. The ability to decipher scrollsmust be learned from another assassin,thief, or thief-acrobat who already has thisability.

A monk needs to train before gaining anew weapon proficiency. He can trainhimself in this area after reaching 9thlevel at half of the normal cost. A monkdoes not need to train before gaining anyof his special abilities (those lettered Athrough K in the Players Handbook), nordoes he need to train to improve his abilityto control a fall, or to improve his thievingability.

A bard needs to train before gaining anew weapon proficiency, including thoselearned at first level. He also needs to trainbefore gaining a new spell level (including

the level gained when he initially becomesa bard). This must be learned from an-other bard, a druid, or a ranger who isable to cast druid spells. A bard must trainfor each of the additional languages thathe is able to learn. Each language can belearned from anyone who can speak thelanguage as well as a language that thebard already understands.

by Alex Curylo

Obnoxious Player (with sword of sharpness): �I did it! I rolled a 20! I cut off Asmo-deus� head!�

Harassed DM (upset at this disruption ofhis climatic encounter): �Uh, no, not hishead.�

OP: �Oh yeah? How do you figure that?�HDM: �Well, your sword only severs the

extremity it hits.�OP: �So where did I hit it?�

Obnoxious Player (having just loosed anarrow of demon slaying at an irate Type Vdemon): �A 15, did I hit? Huh? Huh? Did I?�

Harrassed DM: �Uh, well, it depends ifyou hit it on the tail or not. Differentarmor classes.�

OP: �So where did I hit it?�

The highly stylized combat rules of theAD&D® game work fine, as long as no onecares where they hit their opponents.Unfortunately for game integration, thereare some situations where hit locationbecomes important. These fall into threemain areas:

1. When an attack has a specific effecton body parts. Examples include normalweapons like whips and saps, magic weap-ons such as swords of sharpness andstaves of withering, and the attacks ofslicer beetles, tarrasques and other mon-sters. An integrated hit location systemwould introduce consistency and aid theDM.

2. When the target�s AC varies. TheAD&D game system abounds with mon-sters having varying armor classes ontheir bodies. In most cases, no provision ismade for determination of which armorclass to use for a specific attack. The hit-location system in this article will alsoeliminate any confusion arising from thisin play.

3. When the target�s body parts haveindividual hit points. The various versions

50 OCTOBER 1986

of hydrae are an obvious example. Othersare the flail snail, grell, giant octopus, andkraken.

T h e s y s t e m The first point to be considered in con-

structing a consistent hit-location system ishow to handle the desire of combatants toaim at a vital portion of their opponent�sanatomy (i.e., hit the neck instead of thetall with a sword of sharpness) or gain thebenefit of a worse armor class (i.e., hit abulette in its AC 6 undercrest area insteadof its AC -2 body). A simple way to dothis is to classify targets according to thepercentage of available striking surfacethey represent (a function of size andaccessibility) and add a standard negativemodifier to the �to hit� roll. For maximumsimplicity, there are only four classifica-tions:

ClassificationEasy targetMedium targetHard targetForget it! target

�To hit�modifier

- 2- 4- 8

- 1 2

Note that anyone of medium to low level

Medium target: a target from 25-50% of

is going to have a very difficult time hit-ting the harder targets!

striking area that is unprotected, such as a

Easy target: a target that represents 50%or more of striking area and is not particu-

particular head of a chimera (when attack-

larly protected, such as the upper body ofa salamander or the heads of a hydra (not

ing from the front); or an easy target that

a specific head; that counts as a Mediumtarget, due to the difficulty of picking it

is hard to get at, such as the body of a lion

out from the rest).

when the beast is facing you.Hard target: a target from 10-25% of

striking area and not otherwise protected,

such as the main eye of a beholder; or aMedium target that is protected, such asthe head of a typical biped (who will de-fend against head attacks with the utmostdetermination).

Forget it! target: anything harder to hitthan a hard target, such as a beholder�ssmall eyes.

The second point is how to determinewhere an attack hits if the attacker doesnot aim. This can be dealt with simply bymaking tables for all the various monstersthat have varying armor classes, weightedby relative percentage of body area anddesirability as a target. These tables can befound in the Appendix. DMs intimidatedby the look of all those tables should re-member that under most circumstancesthey will not be used, since only fairlyinfrequently does hit location matter, andwhen it does players usually want to de-clare an aimed attack.

ExtensionsThis simple and consistent system can

also be used to extend the AD&D game

This also gives the DM opportunities for

system, as well as account for presentdiscrepancies.

unique treasures; imagine a party that

For instance, page 82 of the DMG states(under �Zero Hit Points�) that �if any crea-

comes upon an ogre whose treasure in-

ture reaches a state of -6 or greaternegative hit points, this could indicate

cludes heaps of rusted armor. One breast-

scarring or loss of some member, if you so

plate, though, detects as magical; and

choose.� This can be accommodated easilywithin the hit location system. The loca-

when an identify spell is cast, "ACME ARMOR

tion is rolled for the attack that broughthit points below zero. At -6 and down-

OF ETHEREALNESS" can be seen written on it.

wards, scars form, which will (if visible)

The breastplate provides + 5 protection to

reduce comeliness by 1 point per hit pointbelow -5 reached. This is permanentscarring, which nothing short of limitedwish will remove.

Furthermore, reaching - 7 when hitlocation is an arm or leg results in the totalloss of that hand or foot; -9 indicates lossof the whole appendage, and consequentneed for a regenerate spell. Note that ifthe character then dies and is raised,destroyed body parts are still missing.

Another example is to give a charactermore flexibility in armoring himself. Haveyou ever tried to create a Greek hoplite(infantryman) for an AD&D campaign? Abronze helmet, leather jerkin and bronzegreaves just don�t fit into any given armorclass! Using this hit location system, theattacker simply rolls on the chart to findout whether he hits AC4 (bronze plate:head, legs), AC8 (leather vest: body) orAC10 (arms). If our hoplite had a shield,each of these would be decreased by one,and his shield arm would have AC4 pro-tection (bronze-faced shield).

the wearer�s torso � and once they locateall the rest of the suit (which can be madethe focus of a long string of adventures),the full powers are gained.

That just about covers everything � buta note should be made about using thissystem for critical hits. Players will nodoubt claim that since they can aim at aspecific hit location, they should be able totarget an oppenent�s eyes, jugular vein,etc. This is not possible in the AD&Dcombat system, and any redesign includ-ing critical hits would probably shortenthe average character�s lifespan considera-bly. Therefore, the note is: Don�t do it.

APPENDIX

Hit-location tablesSome may perceive apparent discrepan-

cies in these tables at first glance; forinstance, on the �Lions & Dinosaurs� table,an unaimed front attack has only a 35%chance of hitting the head, which is obvi-ously not an accurate portrayal of randomchance. The reason for this is that I triedto simulate the actual places a trainedfighter would hit, even when not con-sciously aiming; and since the armor classof the head of these lions and dinosaurs islower than the body, he would attempt tohit the more vulnerable areas. Of course,feel free to change anything you don�tagree with.

Several monsters (hydrae, beholders,squid, tentamorts, bloodthorns, etc.) havelarge numbers of small appendages. Dueto the variable number of such append-ages, no numeric references have beenplaced on these tables; roll another die todetermine which particular appendagewas hit.

Table Used for1

2

3

45

67

89

1011121314151617181920

Humanoids, salamanders, Type Vdemons, yuan tiLions (also including dragonnesand sea lions) and dinosaurs(monoclonius, pentaceratops,stegosaurus, styracosaurus, tri-ceratops)Insects (carrion crawler, stego-centipede, termiteBeholder, spectactorBloodthorn, choke creeper, hangman�s treeChimera, gorgimeraGiant octopus, giant squid, kra-kenHydrae, thessalhydraTentamort, whipweedAchaieraiAnhkhegBuletteFlail snailFlumphForester�s baneFroghemothGrellRemorhazTurtles, sea and snappingWolf-in-sheep�s-clothing

1. Humanoids (front attack given) 9. Tentamort, whipweed1d20 Hit location 1d20 Hit location1-3 Head 1-7 Stalk A4-3 R. arm 8-14 Stalk B6-7 L. arm 15-20 Body

8-14 Torso15-17 R. leg18-20 L. leg

2. Lions and Dinosaurs1d20 Hit location Hit location

(front) (side)1-7 Head B o d y

8-12 R. forequarter Forequarter13-17 L. forequarter Hindquarter18-20 Body Head

3. Insects (note: a stegocentipede�sunderside is AC6)

1d20 Hit location Hit location(front) (side)

1-11 Head Body (back)1-16 Head Body (underside)17-20 Body (back) Head

4. Beholder, spectatorHit location 1d20 1d20

(Beholder) (Spectator)Body 1-15 1-14Central eye 16-17 15-16Eyestalks 18-19 17-20Small eyes 20

12. Bulette1d20 Hit location1-17 Body18-19 Crest

20 Eye

13. Flail snail (body counts as aForget It! target)

1d20 Hit location1-18 Tentacles (divide by 6 and round

up to find which)19-20 Body

5. Plants (no penalty for targeting a vinewrapped around the attacker)

1d20 Hit location1-11 Vines

12-15 Vines (if more than 8),otherwise trunk

16-20 Trunk

14. Flumph1d20 Hit location1-13 Top

14-20 Underside

15. Forester�s bane1d20 Hit location1-12 Leaves13-17 Stalks18-20 Central plant

6. Chimera, gorgimera 16. Froghemoth1d20 Hit location Hit location 1d20 Hit location

(front) (side) 1-12 Tentacles (divide by 4 and round1-4 Right head Hindquarter up to find which)5-8 Center head Wings 13-18 Body9 - 1 2 Left head Body 19-20 Tongue

13-15 R. forequarter Near head16-18 L. forequarter Forequarter19-20 Body Center head

7. Giant octopus, giant squid,kraken ( - 2 penalty for targetinga certain tentacle; no penalty fortargeting tentacles in general)

1d20 Hit location Hit location(front) (side)

1-10 Tentacles Tentacles11-16 Tentacles Body17-20 Head Head

8. Hydrae, thessalhydra1d20 Hit location Hit location

(front) (side)1-12 Heads Body

13-16 Heads Heads17-20 Body Heads

10. Achaierai1d20 Hit location1-16 Leg (divide by 4 and round up to

find out which)17-20 Body

11. Anhkheg1d20 Hit location1-14 Body15-20 Underside

17. Grell1d20 Hit location1-15 Tentacles (divide by 1% and

round up to find which)16-20 Body

18. Remorhaz1d20

(front) (side)Head Body

Underside UndersideBody Head

Hit location Hit location

1-1213-1718-20

19. Turtles, sea and snapping1d20 Hit location - - -1-15 Shell

16-20 Head/flippers

20. Wolf-in-sheep's-clothing1d20 Hit location

1-7 Roots (no. rolled is no. hit)8-17 Stump18-20 Eyestalks

DRAGON 51

Droullard

Espionage. The word conjures images ofdeadly weapons, beautiful women, andsecret documents worth killing for. It�s aworld of fast sports cars, miniature bugshidden in hotel rooms, and exclusiveEuropean casinos. Here, agents meetmysterious contacts in back alleys,deactivate sensors to investigate an officebuilding, and gamble away fortuneswithout a second thought. But dangerlurks everywhere; that complimentarybottle of champagne may be poisoned, aknock on one�s hotel door isn�t alwaysroom service, and a turn of a car�s ignitioncan always trigger a car bomb. Yet, asgreat as the dangers may be, the rewardsof wealth are often worth the risks. In theworld of espionage, agents play fast andlive even faster.

With these notions in mind, creating anexciting mission for agents seems an easytask. By simply mixing any of theseespionage ingredients with a foreignlocation, high-quality, action-adventuremissions should be like churning out

52 OCTOBER 1988

automobiles off an assembly line. So let�slook at a TOP SECRET® game adventureyou administrated or role-played lastweek. Five agents, armed to the teeth withmachine guns and grenades, took out 18guards to recover secret documents in anabandoned warehouse. Or there was afull-scale assault, with 30 well-equippedmen under the agents� command, at aSoviet base deep in Siberia. Perhaps themission called for rescuing six Americanhostages from a commercial airplane, inwhich agents laid waste to a dozenterrorists in and around the plane itself.

Somewhere, something was lost. Anassault on an enemy�s base, in whichagents blow away armed guards left andright, sounds more an operation for themilitary than for highly paid and speciallytrained agents. These mercenary missionsinvolve little thought for both theAdministrator and the agents. Perhaps thisis why they persevere as the mostcommon structure for missions. A simplemap of a camp installation or awarehouse, littered with armed men andsecurity cameras, is the typical territoryfor a mercenary assault. Follow through

with a lack of puzzles, contacts, and actualspying, and you have a vintage mercenarymission: dry, simple, and unoriginal.

The TOP SECRET game, and all otherspy-type role-playing games, are meant toput players in the world of espionageformulated by spy novels, movies, andtelevision shows. Missions should haveagents tailing individuals, bugging offices,and performing other clandestineactivities, not making military maneuverslike an elite task force. The excitement ofa car chase, risking death in a violent gunfight, escorting beautiful women to dinnerparties � these are the elements ofespionage. Players should experience theworld of secret agents and flirt withdanger in every mission. Because this isrole-playing, the player�s mind, not thecharacter�s gun, should be the determiningfactor in a successful mission.

Although creating missions that equalany James Bond movie script requires adegree of time and thought, such missionsare not impossible to create. By followingcertain espionage guidelines and a mixtureof cloak �n dagger ingredients, you candesign missions so challenging that evenJim Phelps might not accept them.

Each and every espionage missionshould contain three strong elements:characters, plots, and places. Agents showonly passive enjoyment when there are noNPC contacts to bribe or follow,reluctantly take missions that seem tooincredible or impossible in format, and arequickly dulled if they must frequentsimple, non-exciting locations. TheAdministrator is challenged to createunique environments, expeditiousadventures, and mysterious NPCs for eachand every mission, but the reward ofwatching enthusiastic players role-playyour mission well is well worth the effort.

CharactersNon-player characters are the love of

most Administrators, because throughNPCs the Administrators can have a littlerole-playing fun in their adventure, too.NPCs fill missions with life; it is nearlyimpossible to create an exciting adventurewithout human contact. Wherever agentstravel, they should encounter NPCs: good,bad, and neutral.

Non-player characters that are walkingcliches of their occupation often fit wellinto adventures. A short, plump old manwith a balding scalp and red apron, filledwith sagely advice, always makes a goodbartender. A taxi driver with a New Yorkaccent asking �Where to, mac?� or a cockywaitress smacking gum between �What�llit be?� adds a touch of humor and�fictional realism� to the game. But keepthese individuals to a minimum; too manydisrupt the mission and make the gameless believable.

Those non-player persons important tothe mission should be carefullyconstructed. Certain traits of theirpersonality, style, and interests should be

recorded adjacent to their ability scores;all are equally important. You can progressagents further into a mission by havingthem follow up on certain personalities ofthe NPC. Agents can investigate localhangouts of that NPC or take advantage ofan NPC�s secret bad habits throughblackmail or threats. If an NPC must befollowed around, let him be predictable inhis normal activities. This creates realismin that NPC and reassures that the agentsare doing the proper actions.

As an example, let�s create a wealthy,American businessman who is exportinglarge quantities of stolen firearms intoSouth America. The agents must tail andsurvey him to discover how the shipmentsare leaving the U.S. This businessmanshould live and play rich. We�ll make himneutral in politics and ever hungry formore money. He has faith in himself andhis hired men, and he enjoys a goodopponent in chess, fencing, and poker.Accustomed to getting what he wants, hehas a bad habit of killing those who step inhis way.

With such a well-crafted NPC, theAdministrator can design a variety ofscenarios to pull the players into themission. The agents could role-playwealthy businessmen who are intrudinginto his business with their own firearmexports, or the agents can challenge himto a �death-to-the-loser� game of poker. Ifyou don�t want an undercover scenario,the agents can explore various warehousesaround Florida and have them investigatetheir contents, thus leading them to thebusinessman. Or, because this Americanloves the challenge of a sport, you canarrange the agents� capture for a �game.� Ifthe agents win, they live; otherwise . . .

Adding to espionage games even furtherare recurring NPCs. If agents survive onemission to adventure into the next, whyshouldn�t NPCs? Non-played persons canrecur as groups (like SPECTRE or TAROTin the James Bond saga) or as individuals.These NPCs create an extra dimension toany espionage campaign as the survivingvillains live on to confront the agents oncea g a i n .

Recurring individuals and groups alsohelp create goals for the agents. A hit manwho guns down an agent will be a targetfor the surviving agents for many missionsto come. Or, during the course of multiplemissions, the agents continue to uncoverthe name of a man who is mastermindinga huge smuggling operation. Soon agentswill hunger to confront this person andwill strive to make contact. In bothinstances, you have motivated yourplayers � the ultimate goal anAdministrator can attain.

Motivated agents act differently thanthose who are simply paid for a job; theyare much more cautious and think moreoften. Such agents are careful, whenfollowing any luckily garnered lead, not tobe spotted or identified. Plans are laid,extra precautions taken, and superior

risks dared. Motivated players push theircharacters to do almost anything; nothingstands in the way of a player who wantsto investigate. Missions also become easierto create when agents are motivated,because their unresolved desires becomethe basis for future adventures.

A friend of mine was the first to initiaterecurring NPCs in our group. He createdmy favorite NPC, known only by his codename Task Master. Task Master was theleader of a world-wide group known asD.T.A., an organization created to thwartall �good� agents and their agencies. Hedrove a heavily armored, black Porsche911, complete with thick, tinted windowsand bullet-proof tires. Task Master, alwaysone step ahead of our agents, proved to bea quick, elusive man, incredibly smart andvery powerful.

I have created one permanent NPC and acouple of minor recurring characters formy campaign. I consider Isaac Fosterpermanent because he will never die.Foster is my agency administrator, pickingup agents in his sophisticated jet, theEagle, and then transporting them to theirdestination. Inside the Eagle, Foster briefsthe agents, provides any specialequipment, and makes payments forsuccessful missions. Foster and his planemake it simple for me to gather the agentsin one spot and transport them to their jobsite without the hassle of cumbersomecommercial flights. I have also createdCassandra Lansford, code-named Grey Foxto the agents. A seductive blonde and ahired assassin, Cassandra often meddles inthe agents� affairs by stealing equipmentor killing contacts. She leaves her callingcard, a silver medallion of a running fox,with her dead targets.

Try to create an air of mystery aroundsignificant NPCs. First, let their name beknown. Then allow rumors to be heard,followed by a quick sighting or a meetingwith the individual. Create reasons(whether it be murdered friends or simplycuriosity) to motivate agents in stopping orterminating that NPC. When you havecreated motivation in your players againstan NPC, you have mastered the characteringredient of an espionage adventure.

PlacesWhen the first seeds of an adventure

start to grow, there is a tendency to locatethe mission in some famous and distinctivelocation. What agent could resist sailingacross the crystal-blue waters of Bermudawhile operating undercover as a seller ofsecret U.S. documents? Who would turndown the chance of investigating a clue inthe ancient streets of Cairo, against abackdrop of the pyramids on the dustyhorizon? Certainly, such beautiful placesadd color and mystery to each adventure,as they do in so many espionage movies �but they can, in fact, damage awell-designed mission.

When a foreign country is chosen as thewhole or part of a mission, the

Administrator must be careful to takeadvantage of that location. Only by beingaware of that country�s terrain, laws, andother political and physical attributes canyour mission escape the pitfall of existingin name only. What good is an Italianadventure if not one Roman ruin, Italianrestaurant, or Renaissance cathedral isever visited? You may fly your agents toItaly, but until the country�s flavor is builtup, the players will never really feel thatthey are in a foreign land.

To take advantage of a mission�s localemeans to incorporate its peoples, lands,and buildings. A section of a missioninvolving agents trekking through a hugeforest in Japan will not work becausethere are no huge forests in Japan. If theplot demands a forest setting, base themission in Oregon or Washington state,where agents will find mountainouswilderness to explore. To make better useof the Japanese location, change the forestinto a beautiful rock garden, filled withrock streams, colorful bushes, and littlered pagodas.

Occasionally, a mission ruins its locationby a poor design in plot. As an example,the agents are told to buy a roll of Sovietmicrofilm from a certain man in Hawaii.Agents envision sun-drenched beaches,bikini-clad women, bronzed men, andyacht sailing. Instead, the mission takesplace solely in a large office building andpenthouse in Honolulu. So why pickHawaii? Why not New York, Chicago, orLos Angeles? The location served no realpurpose for the mission; the next time theagents visit Hawaii on a job, theirenthusiasm will be lost. Adventures set inHawaii should maximize the islands� primescenic spots like golden beaches, Edenlikevalleys, and bountiful luaus. If the missioncannot integrate important aspects of itssetting, then change the location and savethe good stuff for another time.

There are certain tools theAdministrator can use to find real andimaginative settings, First and foremost isthe imagination. You are an endless well ofideas, and any places you find interestingor fitting for the mission should be used.Don�t turn down having the agents dine atthe Emerald Point, the restaurant perchedatop the Seattle Space Needle, becauseyou�ve never been there. Even if one ofthe players has eaten there, proceed withyour design and description anyway. Aslong as you stay away from the impossible(unlikely building constructions orgeographical locations, such as a desert inCanada), any setting you create will work,regardless of whether it is real or not.

The other tools at the Administrator�sdisposal are the atlases, magazines, andtravel brochures found in any home,public library, or travel agency. If youwant a mountain setting in the Himalayas,find Nepal in an atlas and determine itscities, population, and terrain. Try tolocate pictures of your setting inencyclopedias and magazines; certain

DRAGON 53

photos will trigger a full adventure settingin your mind. Travel brochures are also acornucopia of ideas, as they deal with thehighlights of a region � precisely what theagents need. Restaurants, hotels, places tovisit, roads, climate, and maps are just afew of the items a travel pamphlet cangive to your adventure. But do be careful:In an imaginative mind, a travel brochurewill often trigger so many wild missionideas that the continued existence of theagents may finally be checked.

Those of you lucky enough to havetraveled parts of the world should takefull advantage of your experiences. Afriend of mine visited West Germany for amonth and followed with a TOP SECRETgame mission based throughout thatcountry. He was able to describe thoselittle details most Administrators leave out,such as their clean subways and thefriendly Bierhalle atmosphere, so that wefelt as if we were really there. Whenpossible, try to base an adventure or twoon past trips or experiences youremember. If you visited a U.S. MarineCorps base for an air show, design anadventure to start off at such a base.Maybe you�ll want the agents to follow acontact through a museum you visited lastweekend or partake in the excitement of ahorse race you experienced duringvacation. Wherever you�ve gone, yourmemory will serve as the backdrop formany colorful missions.

PlotsThe plot is the backbone of any mission.

You can circulate interesting NPCs aroundexotic locations all woven with actionscenes, but it will all fall through without astrong plot. Some premise with anultimate goal must be made whendesigning a mission. Agents need a clearlydefined task when they start: recoverthese diamonds, rescue this man, stop thisgroup, etc. Open-ended tasks, such asfollow this man, or discover whoassassinated this European diplomat, oftenleave agents in the air. They completetheir task, but become confused andfrustrated when they are not allowed tostop the greater plots going on aroundthem. A combination of tasks is often thebest, such as: find this man, and if he hasthese papers, steal them; or, follow thiscouple at this resort and search theirroom, arresting them if you find thismicrofilm.

The best way to start a plot is to decideupon a goal: assassination? confiscation?investigation? a combination? Next, createyour �Administrator�s Information,� theorigins of the plot. This information is thebehind-the-scenes material that the agentsmay or may not uncover during thecourse of the mission. Starting plots rangefrom unfinished business, in which ablunder brings the agents into the mission,to steady business, in which agents arebrought into the action by leakedinformation or other �normal� channels.

54 OCTOBER 1986

An insane military officer�s attempt todestroy the world (a la General Jack T.Ripper of Doctor Strangelove) is anextreme example of unfinished business,as is a terrorist�s attempt to stealplutonium or hijack an oil tanker. Finishedbusiness requires that the agents halt thatwhich has already been started, such asending a steady leak of Pentagoninformation or a pattern of embassyrobberies.

Here is an example of AdministratorInformation: For nearly a year now, acomputer company in northern Californiahas been funding a research farm in theRocky Mountains. Technicians at thisagrarian center are developing a small butpoisonous spore that thrives in coolweather. The company�s president isplanning to extort money from certaincountries by threatening them with thesespores. But when a local town near thissecret farm is accidentally exposed tosome spores, killing two people in ahorrible manner, the agency investigatesby sending the agents in. This scenario isan example of unfinished business.Because of a mistake, the agents are ableto investigate the farm and later thecomputer company, to stop this wildscheme before it is too late.

An exciting plot involves manyingredients at different levels of difficultyand intensity. One plot can emphasizestealthily tailing individuals, while anotheruses quick thinking and daring feats. Ifyou design one mission to be purelyundercover, design another that involvesagents slipping around a corporatecomplex late at night. Variety and detailare what makes a plot exciting to play.

RecipeNow that the necessary ingredients of an

espionage adventure have been defined,there must be a way to mix and combinethem to achieve an exciting mission.Before you can start creating NPCs andexotic locations, a basic plot or premisemust be designed first. This framework isthe backbone of your mission; thestronger and more exciting it is, the moreexciting your mission plays through.

The first step in creating a plot is abrainstorming technique that I call�potpourri.� Here is a chance to delve intoyour creative mind and pull forthimaginative ideas and thoughts that will bethe building blocks for your mission. Startby listing on paper thoughts or ideas thatare somewhat related to espionage. Scubadiving, a secret casino, office bugging, asophisticated Soviet submarine, or aroof-top fist fight are all typical ideas.

Let your mind run wild. List your ideason paper as they come to you. It doesn�tmatter whether you use them all or not; infact, don�t try to use but a few. The ideabehind potpourri is to brainstorm, tothrow out thoughts for later analysis.

Once you have made a list of ideas,examine them carefully. Choose those that

you find the most exciting throughrole-playing or those that fit together best.Then spin a mission around these ideas. Ifone thought you chose was microfilm, theagents could be paid to try and find it, orsell it, in a ritzy hotel or on a privateplane. Should they need a bug or a tap ona phone? Will they fly to Europe orparachute into El Salvador? One espionageidea can be the basis of many missions.

With potpourri, too many cooks spoilthe broth � or, in this case, the mission.Look for quality, not quantity. A missionplays much easier if agents need to tailonly one car, fight three plannedgunfights, and bribe only one person. Toomany passwords, car chases, underwaterattacks, and buggings of everyone in ahotel lobby will make a mission disastrous.Create a balance of brains and muscle, ofthinking and fighting. Too much at eitherend can dull a mission very quickly.

Of all the entertainment mediums,television is the master of such balances.Watch any action-adventure series andyou will soon notice a formula. First, theepisode�s plot starts, often without anymajor characters present. Someone isplanning a robbery or escape, but heblunders, leaving a clue behind or talkingto one too many persons. The maincharacters latch onto this blunder andinvestigate. Next follows the lo-minutetalk/5-minute action formula. Once theepisode has started, each 15-minute markis accented by a car chase or gun fight.Between these action scenes, thecharacters get to talk, drive around, andinvestigate their clues. The last 15-minutemark is the climax, often being an unusualor spectacular action scene.

Keeping this ratio of talking and actingin mind, work the plot into basics. Createa well-defined task for the agents toachieve, such as investigating a researchcenter or exposing a plan. Then allow thecharacters to gather a lead or two to starttheir mission. If the agents must find amissing spy pilot who ejected from hiscrashing plane, have them listen to theflight recorder or talk to a flight controllerwho witnessed the plane leaving radar.The stronger the mission plays in theopening scene, the better the wholeadventure plays.

Once you have a basis for agents to starton, create the rest of the adventure.Pretend you are playing the mission; whatwould you do next? Build the plot basedon your reactions and intuitions. Chancesare the agents will follow in yourfootsteps, so throw some loops in the plot.Where you might think to stop searchingafter only one bug is found in a hotelroom, have a second or third bug plantedelsewhere. If it seems logical that theneeded diamonds are in a wall safe,replace them with fake diamonds and hidethe real ones in a desk. Shift the reliabilityof contacts, make the friendly appear badand vice versa. As you move the plot, varyits settings. One moment, a shooting in a

parking garage � the next, dining in afancy restaurant. View the mission as amovie, changing the locations as often asnecessary, placing NPCs, puzzles, gunfights, and other �espionage stuff� whereyou see fit. But remember the goal: Agentsare trying to complete their task, and themission should always have a way ofattaining that goal.

Agents can be led through a mission in avariety of ways, depending on what themission calls for. If the agents areundercover, their assumed roles probablyrequire much traveling, whether to afancy dinner party or to a pheasant huntto talk with a retired tycoon. For �overt�agents, moving from place to place withthe help of clues is a standard plotprocedure. If the agents discover a letterin a dead man�s coat, they will check outthe note�s address for more clues. Shouldthey find an important name there, theagents will certainly check out that name,too. But there are other ways of carryingagents through a mission. Informationgained from a tapped radio transmitter ora series of clues from a dead man�ssuitcase are some examples. If the agentsmust investigate how a high-securitycomplex is leaking information, have amole from the complex meet the agents ina darkened alley to provide certain infor-mation on people and places. He willbecome the �clue closet� as agents followthrough with his leads. To create extraexcitement, make the agents leary of themole, no one knowing which side he is on.

A mission that takes place solely in onesetting presents an extra challenge to theAdministrator. This location, whether acommercial plane, beach-side hotel, orsailing yacht, must be given far more carein design and description than an averagedesign. The players are going to spendtheir whole game session here, so make itas believable and as lifelike as possible.

More common than the solitary locationin adventures is the changing scene.Agents first visit a museum, then a seafoodrestaurant, followed by a gunfight on agolf course, and ending in an opera house.This technique creates diversity andrandomness to your missions. If the scenesare intelligently arranged and nothaphazardly connected, then your missionflows with the diversity and uniquenessevery adventure needs.

Sometimes a carefully though t-outmission can stagnate and drift intoboredom. When agents sit around a lobbyfor many hours waiting for a contact whonever arrives or tail an individual formany days, players grow restless. Suddenaction should be inserted here. A shotfrom a passing van (perhaps intended foran agent) hits a nearby bystander, or atruck runs the agents� car off the road.The elevator carrying the agents stopsbetween floors, or a character finds a pitviper upon opening his suitcase. As long asthese sudden actions have a purpose inthe plot and are not just unconnected

events, they can speed up the action justwhen the players are least expecting it.

Once you have worked out a rough plot,smooth out the scenario into specifics. Youknow that the agents must follow someoneat a dog show, but what will happenthere? Will a dog bite one of thecharacters? Will a kind old lady with apoodle mistake one agent for a judge,drawing attention to him? Write yourmission out mentally, changing or alteringanything you see fit, before pencil touchespaper. By creating a �mental movie� ofyour adventure, you can easily playtestthe plot and develop a smooth-flowingmission. You can quickly edit or adjustincidents to better flow with the otherscenes and pre-develop your descriptions.By the time you start to sketch out acouple of maps and write out your notes,the mission, from start to finish, should betotally thought out.

The end of your mission should have anaction-packed climax. Like anyaction-adventure movie or television show,the climax brings the plot to a definiteend. A mini-assault on a base or a daringstunt like a prison escape finishes off amission on a high note of action. The taskhas been fulfilled, the enemies are dead(unless one fled to return in latermissions), and the agents are satisfied thatthey completed the mission with success.Now it is time to collect their

well-deserved pay and time for you tostart a new adventure.

Espionage guidelinesWhen you start to formulate your ideas

for a mission, follow these guidelines for apolished effect. Over my years as beingboth a player and Administrator, I havefound that by following certain guidelines,your mission and actual playing run moresmoothly. Play around with theseguidelines until you find them exactlysuited to you and your audiences� taste.

Maps and descriptions. Maps arenothing more than schematicrepresentations of an area, be it abuilding, valley, or country. By presentinga top-view perspective, maps clearlyindicate the one element difficult todetermine in real life: distance. It is nearlyimpossible to judge how many yards spanbetween a car in the foreground and aperson somewhere in the near distance,especially if objects hide or distort theview. But a top view, oblivious tovanishing points or obstacles on theground, gives an accurate representationof distance and lines of sight for agents.

Looking over a typical role-playing game,this distance element is used only twice: incombat (for movement rates and targetdistance) and in general descriptions �which we�ll cover first. Hopefully, yourmissions have more of the latter than

D R A G O N 5 5

former; gun play should occur only threeor four times each mission. Descriptionsare the �filler� in adventures, the mostcommon element in the game. Whetherwith short, clipped phrases or long,structured sentences, the flavor of thesetting must be created in the players�minds. Only when players really feel theyare there will they begin to realisticallyrole-play their characters.

The world around us isthree-dimensional, not two-dimensional asmaps often suggest. By staring at a flatsheet of paper, the Administrator isolateshis mind in a flat world. With overuse of adiagram of a Mississippi riverboat, forexample, the whole nostalgic atmospherequickly turns a lively vessel into an empty,lifeless ship. The Administrator can be sodetermined to follow his map, checkingnumbered encounters, room sizes, roomnotes, and furniture placement, that noatmosphere is created, only repetitivedescriptions that flow right in � and out� of the players� ears. The brass lanternsthat prick the darkened halls with pointsof yellow light and the polished woodendecks that shine between whitewashedwalls are forgotten. Forgotten, too, are theriver�s misty air, the constant groaning ofthe paddle wheel, and the aroma ofcooking fish. Rather than projecting anantique riverboat image into the players�minds, the Administrator sits idle with apicture in his mind and wonders whyeveryone else is growing bored.

Simply put, maps used exclusively fordescriptions are more dangerous thanhelpful. They hinder the Administrator bylimiting his imagination. MostAdministrators fail to use unique settingssuch as the Las Vegas Strip or an outdoorshopping plaza because they�re toodifficult to reproduce on a map. Those fewsettings that are sketched into maps, suchas a hotel lobby or a public park, end uphaving no atmosphere whatsoever.Administrators simply reiterate thehollowness of the map into speechthrough lackluster and listlessdescriptions. Only by phasing out mapsand pre-thinking the area descriptions canAdministrators escape this rut to bringexcitement and vividness into the game.

As you formulate the adventure, picturein your mind the settings the agents will dbe visiting. Pull these images from real life,movies, or magazine pictures. Flip througha travel brochure for luxurious hotels, aNational Geographic for breath-takingoutdoor scenes, or a home designmagazine for wealthy mansions. Takemental notes the next time you visit anairport or train depot. Recall the beauty ofnature while mountain hiking or sailing ona lake. The mind is the best artist; youremember settings far better than any setdown on paper if you simply allowyourself time to capture the scenefirst-hand.

As you write your notes, jot down a. fewkey descriptions for your locations. �Dark

56 OCTOBER 1988

and smoky, with greasy localsapprehensive about strangers,� says muchabout a roadside bar, as does �a fadedgreen mobile home in weedy grass, withbroken junk leaning against its aluminumwalls� for a trailer-park home. These notesshould trigger your initial ideas about thatsetting. With a few minutes of dialogue,the players should be seeing the samemental scene as you.

Be careful of this infamous pitfall:mapping for the agents. Never draw out alocation for the agents to see. Thisinstantly destroys the role-playingexcitement of the game and turns themission into some sort of board game.Except for those rare settings that are sofantastic that a few drawings on paper areessential, maps drawn on paper shouldnever replace detailed verbal descriptions.

The other aspect of role-playing thatuses maps is combat. Here, a map isalmost required; for an effective gunfight,the placement of everything andeverybody must be known at each instant.As your adventure develops, take notes onplanned gunfights so detailed maps can bedrawn later. A city dock would show thewarehouses, rail tracks, cranes, drums,trucks, and other such equipment. A hotelcourtyard must have the pool, tables,chairs, and outside bar. Remember,however, that though combat maps showplacements and distances, they should notreplace the descriptions of theAdministrator.

A map is a sort of security blanket forAdministrators, and throwing that blanketaway is difficult. If maps are a commonsight in your campaign, don�t suddenlyeliminate them; everyone, especiallyyourself, will go into shock. Instead, phasethem out slowly over many adventures.Predetermine verbal descriptions to beused instead of bland maps. Set a verbalmood that no diagram can capture. Whenyou find that region where descriptivemaps don�t exist and combat maps areused for only location relationships, yourmissions will come alive with vibrant andcolorful verbal descriptions.

Know your audienceWhen you start to design an adventure,

keep in mind the players who will berole-playing it. Create your missions to suittheir likes and interests while tailoringencounters to challenge their mind andmuscle. If your audience enjoys tacklingmissions by going undercover with stingoperations, design missions that requiresuch manipulative techniques. Thinkingagents should receive more clues, traps,and puzzles; aggressive agents more gunfights, car chases, and daring feats.

The key word here is customize. Don�twaste your time making adventures thatyou know the players won�t enjoy playing.Certainly, new avenues of adventure makethe game fresh and different, but stick tothe tried and proven elements thatentertain everyone. A mission balanced

with undercover surveillance, gunfights,clues, and dangerous stunts, all of whichinterest various players, is sure to make anenjoyable evening of role-playing.

GadgetsSunglasses that double as 5X binoculars;

a beer can that acts as a grenade; amissile-launching pen; toothpaste thatburns like a fuse � these are someexamples of the technological magic ofespionage. Just how would James Bondescape from his nemeses without thoseseemingly ordinary trinkets from Q?

When you decide to give agentsspecialized equipment, make sure thatthey give it back. Some agents quicklyaccumulate treasure troves of thesegadgets, soon making no job too difficultfor them. If agents claim to have lost suchequipment or simply refuse to return it,you (as the Administrator) can fight back.Deduct twice the gadgets� worth from theagents� base pay or, if you are reallyangered, send an agency thief to steal backthe items. Agents will think twice beforekeeping agency equipment again.

Limit the abilities of these tools, too. Stayaway from jet-propelled shoes andspaceship cars. The more incredible yourtoys are, the less believable your game is.Try to make the gadget out of somethingcommon, like a radio, VCR cassette, book,or calculator. This makes the tool morepractical and less obvious for NPCs tonotice. A customs inspector would passover a transistor radio but would certainlyask for an explanation of something thatlooked like a miniature computer in afoam-padded box.

As mundane as the gadget shouldappear, the level of complexity required tooperate the gadget should require nothingless than simple, step-by-step instructions.A certain pattern of manipulating theobject (such as inputting a code number ina calculator or flipping the locks of asuitcase in a certain sequence) should berequired to activate the gadget. Thereason is twofold. First, it keeps averagepeople from accidentally activating thetool, a bonus enjoyed by the agents.Second (as a bonus for the Administrator),think of the surprise when the agentsforget the steps for activating a tool insome life-threatening situation!

Gadgets serve one basic purpose: Theyhelp agents during their investigations.They can drop oil to hamper pursuers incars or spy into office rooms from acrossthe street. If you create a dead end in amission, when there are no more clues orwhen agents are trapped somewhere, youshould have already given them somegadget with which to escape. Items suchas acid in a ring to escape from a jail cellor infrared goggles to spot a runningfigure in the night carry the adventure onwhen it seems to have ended. Never makesuch equipment wonder tools; thethinking and skill of playing should comefrom players, not their equipment.

Specialized tools should only enhancetheir abilities, never replace them.

Words into actionNow that the ingredients of an exciting

espionage adventure have been explained,put them to a test. By following theoutlines laid above, we can design amission filled with enough action andsuspense to challenge any highly paid,specially trained agent.

The audience for this mission is assumedto be average in interests: They enjoy acouple of gunfights, people to contact,original locations, and mind-probingpuzzles. They�re mature enough tounderstand NPC emotions and role-playtheir characters realistically. Both abilitiesand equipment are standard for third-levelagents.

Before a plot can be created, we throw apotpourri of ideas around. Here is atypical list of ideas:

1. A contact who uses carrier pigeons totransfer information.

2. A secret casino in an exclusive NewYork hotel.

3. White-water rafting trip.4. Microfilm containing plans for an Air

Force communications satellite.5. An NPC who owns a black bear.6. Rusty, smelly fishing trawler in San

Francisco bay.7. Mountain climbing.8. Western rodeo.9. A chase on horseback.10. An underground railroad for

fugitive spies.Quite a diverse and unconnected list,

just as it is supposed to be. Now pick twoor three ideas that conjure images in yourmind. Imagine the agents meeting theseNPCs or doing these actions. Then decidewhy they�re doing what they�re doing. Ifnecessary, list more ideas � or, if youwere inspired by your first idea, run withthat.

The contrast between the New Yorkcasino and white-water rafting compelsme to choose these ideas as the two primelocations for a mission. Now comes thedifficult part: how to realistically connectthem in a plot! The secret New York casinowill be a drop point for Eastern blockagents in the U.S., while the rafting tripwill be incorporated later.

The agents� adventure begins in thecasino, but they need a reason to startthere and a lead. Here, I begin myAdministrator Information. A Soviet agent,working undercover as a top N.Y. policedetective (and chief of a task force toprotect a visiting Arab diplomat) arrives atthe casino to drop information on theArab�s planned assassination. But, in theparking garage, he is attacked by amugger and slain, his microficheinformation stolen with his wallet. Thenext day, the agency is notified by theN.Y.P.D. that a street mugger was foundwith a role of microfiche that told of anArab ambassador�s visit to New York. The

58 OCTOBER 1986

mission requires that the agents find outhow this punk got such secret informationand investigate that lead.

Here is a situation in which somethinggoes wrong (the Soviet agent is killed) andthe agents latch onto it to start theirmission. Agents learn that the muggerkilled an off-duty police officer (though hisreal occupation as a spy won�t bediscovered for quite some time).Investigating agents find the slain officerwas unmarried, and a search of his housereveals nothing (except a big bankaccount). Soon thereafter, the police,finding the officer�s body in a dumpster,notify the agents, who in turn discover thenearby casino. The agents wait to visit theclub when it opens that night,

The casino is an exclusive club, and theagents need to find a back way in (possiblybribing a cook for passage). Inside,wealthy couples mingle, talk, drink, andgamble. While the club is illegal, itsurvives through hefty bribes to the chiefof police. It becomes apparent toobservant �agents that certain doors areguarded, and some dark-suited menwandering the area carry pistols beneaththeir jackets. The action is slow here, andthe Administrator should eventually getthe agents to sit down for a dinner.

Now a quick action scene is put in tospeed up the action. As the agents begineating, a man in a disheveled tuxedo fallsonto their table clutching his throat (he issuffocating from a poisonous injection). Hegasps and stares at the agents with dyingeyes. One of the characters recognizes theman as an operative in their department.The dying man pushes a matchbook intothis character�s hand and falls to the floor.Immediately, four men in business suitsrush over and carry him away, apologizingfor this interruption (it is obvious that thedead man ran from these people).

By this time, the agents should realizethat this casino is more than just a casino.If the agents check on the dead operative,the agency returns with a report that hewas investigating a possible Sovietinformation drop point believed to be inthe casino. The Administrator shouldknow that the operative had discoveredthe assassination plan on the Arab onlyhours before his demise. He was captured,but managed to steal a matchbook fromthe hotel where the assassin was staying,from a desk behind the guarded doors. Hescribbled the room number inside thematchbook cover in hopes of giving it toan ally. Later, he was injected with poisonand managed to break free, running intothe dining lounge. It was by coincidencethat he saw the agents and reached thembefore he died.

The matchbook is from a Manhattanhotel; inside is a penciled room number.The indicated room is rented by anassassin commissioned to kill the Arab. Heis waiting for further instructions byphone from the hotel lobby. When theagents knock on his door, the assassin

becomes overly cautious and climbs to theroof by way of the balcony and waits, Galilrifle in hand. He is a crack shot with his.22, and the gunfight that ensues on theroof top should prove to be dangerous. Hehas no clues, making the mission appear tostall in a dead end � but, in the parkinggarage, another gunfight occurs. Thecasino has sent a few men to follow theagents because of last night�s occurrence;when finished, they were to report to theassassin. They would have called the hitman, told him where to pick up a specialletter, and left immediately. Imagine theirsurprise when they found the agentsdriving to the same place! In theirMercedes is the typed letter for theassassin, explaining that the spy-cop waskilled but to proceed with the hit. Whenthe Arab is killed, continues the letter, goto a certain resort in Colorado for thepayment (directions follow).

So far, the adventure has followed agood pace of thinking and action. TheAdministrator can have some fun in thecasino by playing on the agents�unauthorized entry by having themstopped by a guard. The action quicklypicks up with the dead operative and hismysterious clue, and the agents mustcontinue without any hint of what thewhole picture is. There is a false dead endafter the assassin is killed, which assuredlyaggravates the players and has themre-think their steps, but the casino�s hitmen provide the next clue. Not muchmakes sense to the agents yet, but theirarrival in Colorado will explain much.

The directions lead to a mountainvacation lodge set near a roaring river.The agents are told by their Administratorthat on a few occasions, known Sovietagents have visited here. The letterindicates that �Mr. X� is to be met in suite14. Mr. X mistakenly assumes that one ofthe agents is the hired assassin when he isvisited. The agents �will get his second halfof the money,� says Mr. X, but he mustwait until the casino gives him thego-ahead. It should be obvious by now thatthe Soviets were planning to assassinatethe Arab. But, when Mr. X is notified thatthe assassin was killed and the plot isdiscovered, he runs (with some guards) tothe nearby docks and paddles down theriver.

The chase is on! The agents pursue Mr.X and his men down the white-water river,trading a few shots between them. TheAdministrator is now challenged to createexcitement with verbal descriptions. Hemust describe the cold water splashinginto the raft, the steep, foaming rapidsthey fall through, and those menacing,toothlike rocks. A helicopter soon fliesover and drops a ladder to Mr. X and hiscohorts (he called for help with a smallradio in the raft), but the agents mightmanage to shoot the helicopter down. Theriver then enters a rift between tall cliffs,and soon the sounds of a thunderouswaterfall are heard.

Mr. X has one plan left. He throws arope around� a thin foot bridge that spansnearly 20� above the edge of the waterfall,and he hangs on, staying just yards fromthe crest of the fall. Keeping his feetlooped around the raft�s rope siding, therest of his men fire back at the quicklyapproaching agents. The agents, in turn,must think. fast. Can they plow into Mr. X�sraft and grab onto the rope? If they miss,there will be no second chance. TheAdministrator, keeping the adrenalin high,describes the scene. Dice are rolled,actions made, and the agents� raft smashesinto Mr. X. The agents grab the villain,everyone vying for the wet, slippery rope.More dice are rolled, and if the playersfight hard enough, Mr. X falls over thewaterfall and the agents climb up tosafety. The mission is a success � youhope!

Off-the-wall adventuresThere comes a time when even grand

missions, filled with their ominouscharacters, secret gadgets, and hair-raisingstunts, become a little hackneyed andboring. At this point, a new type ofmission is needed, an adventure thatdoesn�t start with a briefing and end witha payment. By the time you�re ready tostray off the path of conformity, yourplayers should have agents who are richand strong enough to supply themselvesand risk not being paid for one or twojobs.

Invitations are popular adventurediversions. The agents are given a writtenrequest to join a rich eccentric for anevening of fun. The host can be a known,but heretofore unseen, gangster of theunderworld or someone who has norecords whatsoever. Accepting theinvitation, the agents find out the �fun� isa hunt in which the agents must survivethe night in his estate grounds while thehost hunts them down (with extra menand fancy tracking equipment, of course).Or, the host threatens the agents intodoing an incredibly dangerous mission forhim (though there may be some greatreward afterwards). Most every invitationis from some wealthy person who wishesto challenge the agents in some extremechallenge. They may be tested to locate anuclear bomb in some city before itdetonates or survive in a Roman-typearena, complete with lions and leopards,swords and armor.

Tests can also come from the agency tocheck on the agents� abilities. One sort oftest could be disguised as a normalmission, except that agents must report every fact and plan to their Administrator.The Administrator then warns other NPCsand foils the agents� well-conceived plans.Ambushes against the agents are set up,NPCs begin to say things they shouldknow nothing about, and nothing theagents do seems to work out as planned �all to test how the agents react to such an

60 OCTOBER 1986

incredible sequence of events. Anothertest, also set up by the agency, isessentially a life-sized shooting range.Agents are placed in a mock set-up of anamusement park, a shopping mall, or abattlefield where they must �survive.�Given laser guns and machines that beepwhen they are �shot,� agents must act withas much caution as if the harmlesslow-power lasers shot real bullets.

Escapes also provide interestingsituations for the characters. Put them ona runaway train with a collection of oddpeople, one of whom is a serial killer, andwatch the tension and excitement flow.Or, stick the agents in a commercial planehijacked to Cuba. The agents must eithercombat the hijackers and risk the lives ofcrew members, or else play dumb. If theescape adventure results when a realmission is started, the escape then takesprecedent over the mission. If thishappens, you may or may not wish to payagents for their time and troubles. Becauseagents are almost always more dangerousthan average citizens (because of theirtraining and weapons), devise escapeswhen the characters are weaponless. Theagents will cringe at their defenselessnessand will have to rely on other resources,such as their survival skills and logicalthinking.

Even simple twists in the plot canchallenge the players. After muchinvestigating, the agents fully equip andprepare themselves for a desert assault ona secret base. But their plane is sabotaged,and they must parachute into a mountainforest. Forced to evade ruthless attackerswithout the rope and grapnels they surelyneed, the agents are going to find greatchallenges in surviving their environment.

After making 10 or 20 missions, you mayfeel a little winded. Creating so manydifferent plots, settings, and people takessomeone with great ingenuity and muchfree time. To save yourself someheadaches and add a new aspect to yourgame, connect your adventures with plots,characters, and settings. Here are someexamples: The agents find a little city inGermany that is the nerve center forespionage activity in Europe. Wheneveragents visit here, they gather enoughinformation to start some sort of mission.If the city is detailed enough, agents willfind new excitement with every visit, thussaving the Administrator from designingcompletely new settings in everyadventure.

Another example would be the creationof some vast mission, too good to editdown into one evening�s play. Subdividethe mega-mission into two, three, or fourparts. Make each part its own mission butobviously part of a larger whole. The nextstep from here would be the creation of agroup of NPCs who concoct some crazyscheme such as a master plan to control ordestroy the world. Make their plan long,slow, dangerous, and involved. Yourfuture adventures will involve the agents

first encountering the group and theirplan, then gathering clues, and finally anassault so that player characters can foilthe group�s ultimate goal of worldconquest. However you connect themissions, the result is the same.Recurring NPCs and ongoing plots givemotivation and incentive to the players asthey strive to finish the long chain ofevents.

Perhaps the most difficult adventure anAdministrator can create is theundercover mission in which agents notonly assume new roles but enter intoanother way of life. For example, onemission I created had the agents play amotorcycle gang that needed to joinanother gang. With their leather anddenim suits and chrome motorcycles, theagents played their tough characters,passed a dangerous initiation test, andfinally joined gang activities. Anotherexample might find the agents enteringinto a secret mercenary guild that trainsyoung recruits for a violent overthrow ofthe U.S. government. The difficulty inthese adventures is the lack of realgunfights; the agents are interacting withtheir enemies, not shooting them. TheAdministrator may devise target orsurvival tests, or plan a fistfight with arival NPC, but most of the action is inplaying the assumed part and finding timeto investigate the surroundings. In theseundercover missions, descriptions and thedevelopment of NPCs� personalities holdthe mission together.

Mixing science fiction, aliens, fantasy, orother role-playing elements is acceptableonly if the players agree to it. Someplayers don�t like lycanthropy in theirenemies during a full moon; others thinkthe variation is enjoyable and challenging.If fantasy elements are used, keep them toa minimum. If you flood your campaignwith healing potions and laser guns, youquickly lose the espionage flavor of thegame and are cursed with invulnerableagents who can stand up to anything.

Above all, never forget that role-playinggames are played for fun. Createadventures that your group will enjoy, notsolely adventures that you enjoy. Don�tbecome so bogged down in rules andstatistics that you lose the flow of thegame; what you say goes. Enjoymentstems from playing in an imaginary world,not trying to figure out the best way toalter real life into charts and die rolls.Keep the game off paper; limit maps andrule consulting, and introduce moreplayer interaction with NPCs andchallenging situations. Throughwell-planned adventures that take agentsfrom place to place, meeting differentpeople, and uncovering secretinformation, the players find far moreenjoyment than any mercenary missioncan deliver. Don�t let your players down;make your next adventure tailor-made tothem, and serve it with plenty ofespionage ingredients.

DRAGON 61

by Thomas M. Kane simple and would apply to any nation's deciding what clues agents might have leftlegal system or military court-martial, but behind on an �illegal� mission. The cov-an extra note of character interaction erup rules in the TOP SECRET Companion

� . . . The, prosecution rests.� would be added. Although this method is (pages 22-23) are also useful. Aside fromHerman idly watched a reporter draw- designed for criminal trials, the same this, common sense may be applied. If an

ing his caricature. It was unflattering, He process could be applied to civil suits. agent performed an assassination in pub-scowled; his thoughts strayed away from There are several variables to consider lic, eyewitnesses may be available. When athe courtroom to that August night three in a trial. The present rules cover only the police investigation turns up the weapon,months ago. The mole had been buying defendant�s Charm which, indeed, is im- it will be used in court. The forensic labo-drinks for the house, probably with Rus- portant. But the skill of the lawyers, evi- ratories of most major cities can performsian money. Herman remembered the dence of guilt, and prejudice of the miracles with the most minute bits oflonely hallway, the mole�s fearful look magistrate are also important. To simulate criminal evidence. In any case, the gameback, the impersonal finality of the muf- these, each factor in a trial can be assigned need not be delayed to put a trial in order.fled shot, the red exit sign in the smoky a Trial Value. The Trial Values are added Unclear documentation of the crime hastavern air. together, and the defendant�s Charm is a Trial Value of 50. Partial fingerprints,

Then it all fell apart. That blaring rock then subtracted from the damaging total verbal descriptions, and personal effectsmusic should have drowned out anything, score. The result is the percentage chance of a defendant found in the crime locationbut someone had heard. When he reached. that the defendant is found guilty. This is are good examples of weaker evidence. Athe end of the hall, he found the exit door basically the same check as used before; it witness who was not present during thewas locked. Locked! The police came merely adds more role-playing, Agents and crime has a Trial Value of 50. Completeentirely too quickly. . . . their counsel may alter the trial values by documentation has a Trial Value of 100.

Herman shook his head. The witnesses falsifying evidence or denying incriminat- Fingerprints, photographs, confessions,had all been drunk and couldn�t positively ing facts. A defendant may fool the court and �paper trails� of official records areidentify him. Besides, there was no motive. into believing false information. Undesir- influential. If the defendant was arrestedNobody knew about mission 0068. Herman able evidence may be eliminated by a at the scene of the crime, a Trial Value ofhad felt pretty safe. But then came the successful Con or Fascinate roll. Details 100 also applies .If a weapon (or otherballistics men with charts of muzzle veloci- for these functions are given in the TOP instrument) used in the crime was foundties and bullet locations. Finally, the bar- SECRET game rules. and belongs to the defendant, it adds 100tender � somehow, he�d seen the gun to the trial value. If the defendant iswhen Herman had gone up for a drink. E v i d e n c e wounded or marked by the crime, it is

It was the end of the line. He could only When a defendant is obviously guilty, treated as complete documentation.pray that no one discovered his link with the Trial Value of all evidence (before Most jurors find eyewitnesses quitethe Agency. His superiors were angry Charm is subtracted) should be at least persuasive. Each eyewitness has a Trialnow, but they would never forgive that. 200. Most bits of definite evidence may be Value of 100. The testimony of an involvedLife imprisonment was a better alternative assigned 5 Trial Value of 100, so two such person (such as a victim or accomplice)� and perhaps death was better, too. pieces of testimony will convict most de- has a Trial Value of 120. If a police or

fendants. Less convincing evidence is other investigation has a bearing on theassigned a Trial Value of 50. The Trial case, its records will be subpoenaed 60%

According to the TOP SECRET® game Value of a given fact is subtracted from of the time, producing evidence with arules, trials are resolved with two dice the chance of conviction if it helps to Trial Value of 10-100 points. If the defend-rolls. One is made against the defendant�s prove the defendant�s innocence Some ant is actually guilty, the points are addedCharm, to determine guilt; if this fails; the common pieces of evidence are described to the chance of conviction; otherwise,agent is sentenced to 1-100 years in below. When evidence not covered here is they are subtracted. When a motive orprison. This system seems too fast and introduced, the Administrator may use the reasonable alibi can be established, it has aarbitrary. Trials should be role-played, not following to decide on Trial Values for the Trial Value of 100. If the guilty party hasglossed over. Agents who are good at new material. failed to successfully cover up the crimebuilding a case for their actions should Determining what evidence is used in (as per the TOP SECRET Companion),have an advantage. It is quite easy to mod- the trial is not difficult. The mission com- evidence is available having a Trial Valueify the two rolls, adding more features of a plications tables (page 44 in the TOP of 50.real trial. The new system would still be SECRET game book) are very helpful in Although it is officially unimportant, the

62 OCTOBER 1986

personal opinion of the magistrate or juryhas a great effect on a trial�s outcome.When a defendant has previously beenconvicted of similar offenses, the TrialValue is raised 50 points. Witnesses with aCharm score above 100 have double-normal Trial Values. Furthermore, if acrime was extremely brutal, the chance ofconviction is raised by 25 points. In dicta-torial nations or those under martial law

HTH combat and improvised weapons; fora 76-93, the agent is mistreated by guards,possibly losing life levels; on a 94-99, anunrelated prisoner escapes, resulting in acrackdown; on a 00, there is a prison riot.The Administrator may flesh out theseevents as desired.

It need not always be the player charac-ters on trial. Law-enforcement agencies

agents in a traditional manner, excellentscenarios can be based around the trialprocess. When enemy spies are revealedin public, a trial is unavoidable. Further-more, jail may be an excellent way todispose of minor opponents �or those whoare no longer useful. The trials of politicalfigures, secret agents, or people whoknow sensitive information could affect

(possibly during wartime conditions orsuch as the-F.B.I. and D.E.A. attempt to

during widespread civil wars or rioting),bring all enemies to court. Although true

the outcome of a mission. Whether agents

espionage organizations seldom try enemyare defending or prosecuting, trials can be

the guilt of the defendant is often assumedan interesting part of a game.

�especially if the defendant belongs to adisliked minority group; add 100 to anyconviction chance under such a harsh Sentencing Tablegovernment. Local prejudices may alsoaffect Trial Values, Conviction Misdemeanors Felonies

The abilities of the lawyers are quite Chance 1-2 3-8 9-10 1-2 3-6 7-9 10important to a case. Divide a lawyer�s Law 1-25 A A A B C C DAOK by five. The result is the number of 26-50 A A A C C D Epoints that he or she may alter the Trial 51-75 A A B C D E EValue. Naturally, the prosecutor will at- 76-100 A B B D D E Ftempt to raise the Trial Value and the 101+ B B C D E E Fdefense attorney will try to lower it. Alawyer usually charges $100 per hour of A �$1-1000 finetestimony, and $l000-10,000 for intense B �$100-10,000 fine or 1-100 weeks community worklegal research. Defendants who represent C �$100-10,000 fine and 1-100 months in jail/community workthemselves are penalized 25 points Trial D� 1-10 years in prisonValue; these self-lawyers alter a Trial Value E � 1-100 years in prisononly 1 point for every 10 points of Law F - Life in prison without parole. In the third world, Eastern Europe, and some parts ofAOK. In many countries, the court hires a the United States, this may mean a death sentence (see page 47, TOP SECRET game rules,lawyer for those unable to pay. methods of extermination). Firing squads and hanging are the most common death senten-

ces worldwide. In the United States, electrocution, gas, and poison injections usually re-Punishment place these methods.

Not every crime should receive a sen-tence of 1-100 years. The nature of thecrime and the surety of guilt modify thepenalty. The punishment for a convictedcharacter may be determined by cross-indexing the percentage chance of convic-tion with the severity of the crime. TheAdministrator should classify each offenseas a misdemeanor or felony. Misdemean-ors are minor, generally victimless, crimes.Typical misdemeanors would be trafficcrimes or possession of minor contraband.Secret agents are much more likely tocommit felonies, such as assault, theft, andespionage. The exact severity may bedetermined with a roll of d10 but, in somecases, the Administrator may wish toassign a precise severity rather than ran-domly roll it. A brutal murder has a sever-ity of 10, while a parking violation is nomore than 2. At the Administrator�s op-tion, certain third-world nations mayreplace jail terms with flogging, amputa-tion, or other penalties.

The players of imprisoned agents usuallywish to start a new agent rather than waitfor the sentence to be served. However, attimes it is fun to play out a scenario withimprisoned agents. Possibly another pris-oner knows secret information, or anattempt is made to help the agent escape.If this is the case, the Administrator mayroll percentile dice once per month forcomplications. On a roll of 01-50, nothingunusual happens; on a 51-75, the agent isattacked by 1-10 fellow prisoners using

The Marvel®-PhileTo the Moon!

by Jeff Grubb

the are the MARVRL VILLAINS are the ©1986

Group, Industries MEDUSA�

64 OCTOBER 1986

Best-Laid Plans of Mice and Men Depart-ment: Three issues back, I penned a de-scription of the new Advanced Set of theMARVEL SUPER HEROES® game for inclu-sion in this column, which editor RogerMoore dropped for lack of space. Then Ipromptly went on vacation for two weekswithout leaving a column behind, leavingthe question hanging for another 30 days.Now, finally, the missing text may be re-vealed � the explanation behind theAdvanced method of character presenta-tion (better late than never, but betternever late).

At first glance, there is not a lot of dif-ference between the characteristics of theOriginal Set and those of the AdvancedSet. This is intentional. In the past fewyears, the Humble(?) Writer has defined apack of the most prominent figures in theMarvel Universe®. With new figures ap-pearing all the time, old ones changing andgrowing, and more input becoming availa-ble on existing characters, I have enoughto keep me and a lot of others busy forsome time. One thing I did not wish to dowas to start all over again and retailoreveryone we�ve done so far for a newsystem. Your Original Set characters willwork in Advanced Set, and your Advanced

characters (in general) will work in yourbasic game.

The Basic Abilities are the same as be-fore, only presented in a tighter fashionand noting in all cases the initial powerrank number. In the Advanced game,advancement and development of thecharacter is more defined and rapid, andthe power rank number reflects thatdefinition.

The Secondary Abilities are similar.Health and Karma are the summation ofthe physical (FASE) and mental power (RIP)rank numbers. Popularity is a numbervalue to reflect the popularity of the char-acter in the Marvel Universe at the time ofthis writing. Resources has a rank andrank number used in Resource FEATS topurchase items.

Powers and Talents are as before. Inaddition, Powers may have Power Stuntslisted in their section. A Power Stunt ismade when a hero uses a listed power in anew and interesting fashion, such as whenMagneto� uses his magnetic manipulationabilities to control weather to a limiteddegree. Rarely seen Power Stunts, such aswhen Angel� uses the backwash of hiswings to blast a band of Morlocks�, arenot listed and are left to be developed by

the players of these characters.A new addition is Contacts. These are

people the hero can trust and depend onfor aid, equipment, and money. Contactsare always friendly to the hero. For exam-ple, Captain America® does not need to berich if he can call up his friend Nick Fury�to borrow a S.H.I.E.L.D.� jet-copter.

That, in a nutshell, is the sum total ofobvious differences in the new format.The Advanced Set adds a LOT more in theway of character generation, new combat,and HQ construction, but that does notaffect the purpose of this column � toexpand the list of heroes and villains foruse in the MARVEL SUPER HEROES game.

Now, to tie up another loose end. I�vebeen promising this particular column toRoger for over a year now; it ties in withthe �lunar� series of articles run in the oldARES� Section two years ago. Since Uatuthe Watcher� is touched on in theAdvanced Set (along some other earlylunar visitors � Red Ghost� and theFantastic Four®), we�ll delve into themoon�s other �natives� who only recentlyarrived there � introducing, for the firsttime anywhere, the. Uncanny Inhumans�!

BOLT�Blackgar BoltagonMonarch of the Inhumans

F EX (20) Health: 130A IN (40)S RM (30) Karma: 60E IN (40)R EX (20) Resources: MN (75)I EX (20)P EX (20) Popularity: 15 (95

among Inhumans)

KNOWN POWERS:

Particle Manipulation: Black Bolt�s super-human powers derive from his ability toharness, control, and manipulate ambientelectron particles. This ability originates inthe speech center of Black Bolt�s brain (seelimitations below). The manipulation is atthe Unearthly rank. Black Bolt has usedthis manipulation ability in a number ofdiscrete Power Stunts, including:l Enhancing his own strength to the

Monstrous level (this has no effect onHealth, and Black Bolt may engage in noother manipulative abilities while doingso);

l Channeling all energy into a �MasterBlow,� which inflicts Unearthly damagebut leaves Black Bolt unable to use anymanipulative abilities for 1-10 roundsafterwards;

l Firing bolts of electron force of up toMonstrous damage and range;

l Projecting a force field up to one area insize, of Monstrous rank protection

against physical and energy attacks;l Solidifying particles to form solid ob-

jects of up to Monstrous materialstrength (these constructs have a dura-tion of only 1-10 rounds, and Black Boltwill not be able to use his manipulativepowers for 1-10 rounds afterwards);

l Detecting electromagnetic signals withMonstrous ability;

l Using ECMs (Electronic Counter-Mea-sures) with Monstrous ability and range;and,

l Flying at Monstrous speeds (450 mph,or 30 areas in a single round in clearspace, 9 areas per round in areas filledwith buildings).

LIMITATION: Black Bolt�s energy powersare tied to his brain�s speech center andhis vocal chords. This has unpleasant sideeffects in that his merest whisper has theeffect of a Shift Y force attack on every-thing within 10 areas, speaking conversa-tionally results in a Shift Z attack within20 areas, and screaming causes a Class1000 force attack affecting everythingwithin a 50-area radius centered on BlackBolt. A player running Black Bolt maytherefore not communicate with otherplayers (which would have disastrousresults in a city), but may indicate actionsnormally to the Judge (which should nottrigger this limitation, unless those actionsinvolve verbal communication from Blackbolt). See the notes under Medusa� ,below.

TALENTS: Black Bolt has the LeadershipTalent.

CONTACTS: Black Bolt is the ruler of theInhumans of Attilan�, presently located inthe Blue Area of the Moon. He is a stead-fast ally of the Fantastic Four as well, andhas often turned to them for help.

BACKGROUND: Blackagar Boltagon isthe son of two of Attilan�s top geneticists,Agon and Rynda, and was subjected toTerrigen Mists as an embryo (mostInhumans are exposed to the gas as chil-dren, or do not take the mist until theyreach the age of majority � 31). The muta-genic chemicals of the gas gave Blackagarpowers far beyond the norm of mostInhumans, but with those powers camehis uncontrollable sonic scream. Kept insoundproof isolation to protect the com-munity, Black Bolt was taught to controlhis powers, and joined Attilan society onlywhen he was 19.

Upon earning his freedom, Black Boltdiscovered his brother Maximus� wasbetraying his race to the alien Kree� . Instopping the Kree with his sonic powers,Black Bolt caused a Kree ship to crash intoAttilan�s parliament building, killing hisparents. His voice�s powers affected hisbrother Maximus as well. Despite silentprotests, Black Bolt accepted leadership ofthe Inhumans.

During Black Bolt�s rule, Attilan has beenmoved twice, finally being relocated onthe Moon. Black Bolt has led his people innumerous battles against the Kree, hismad younger brother, and other foes.After a traditionally lengthy period ofbetrothal, Black Bolt married MedusalithAmaquelin�, better known as Medusa.

DRAGON 65

MEDUSA�Medusalith AmaquelinQueen of Attilan

F RM (30) Health: 110A RM (30)S EX (20) Karma: 70E RM (30)R GD (10) Resources: EX (20)I RM (30)P RM (30) Popularity 15 (90 among

Inhumans)

KNOWN POWERS:

Manipulative Hair: Medusa has the abilityto psychokincically manipulate thestrands of her hair. This hair is farstronger than normal hair and is treatedas Incredible material strength. Using herhair, Medusa may perform the followingFEATS:l Manipulate objects at a distance of up to

12� with Incredible Agility;l Lift objects with Remarkable Strength;l Bind opponents (with Remarkable

Strength) as a grappling attack;l Strike out as a whip for Excellent dam-

age, up to 12� away;l Rotate as a fan to generate winds of

Excellent intensity; and,l Climb surfaces with sufficient hand-

holds at a rate of 2 areas/round.

TALENTS: Medusa has Martial Arts C,

which applies to her use of her hair aswell as standard combat. She communi-cates with Black Bolt by means of a specialsign language the two of them have devel-oped. (In game terms, this means the BlackBolt may communicate with other charac-ters if Medusa is present, at a delay of oneround.)

CONTACTS: Medusa is Queen of theInhumans of Attilan. She is a former mem-ber in good standing of the Fantastic Four,and a former member, not in good stand-ing, of the Frightful Four� (this is a formerContact that no longer applies to currentcampaigns).

BACKGROUND: Medusalith Amaquelin isthe daughter of Inhuman nutritionistsQuelin and Amber, and is second cousin toBlack Bolt; therefore, she was consideredone of the Royal Family before her mar-riage to him. Medusa�s parents elected toexpose her to Terrigen Mist while she wasstill an infant, with the resulting alterationto her hair and addition of mental abilitiesto control it. When young, she beganvisiting the young Black Bolt in his confine-ment, and it was at this time the two de-veloped their special sign language.Following his release into Attilan societyand his rise to the throne, Medusa servedas Royal Interpreter.

When Maximus overthrew Black Bolt inAttilan�s first civil war in millenia, Medusafled the city but lost her memory in an air

crash. Her super-human powers werenoted by the criminal known as theWizard�, who recruited �Madam Medusa�with Sandman� and Paste-Pot Pete� (laterknown as Trapster�) to form the FrightfulFour. As a member of the Frightful Four,Medusa fought the Fantastic Four on anumber of occasions. Finally, Black Boltfound Medusa and restored her memory,and she left her criminal companions.

Since that time, Medusa has servedalongside her liege, save for two occasions:once when filling in for the Invisible Girl�in the Fantastic Four, and once whenkidnapped by the criminal Enclave�. Sherecently wed Black Bolt, and the couple isexpecting a child at this writing.

MAXIMUS�Real name unrevealed

F GD (10) Health: 70A GD (10)S EX (20) Karma: 80E RM (30)R IN (40) Resources: IN (40)I GD (10)P RM (30) Popularity: -20

KNOWN POWERS:

Mental Domination: Maximus possessesthe ability to override the thought proc-esses of other minds around him. The

BLACK BOLT�

66 OCTOBER 1986

MAXIMUS� CRYSTALTM

level of this ability has varied over theyears and is presently set at the Incrediblerank. Maximus has used his power in thefollowing FEATS:l Numbing the minds of others to his

presence, allowing him to be �invisible�to organic minds (range of one area);

l Inflicting amnesia on one target (mustget a red result);

l Commanding all minds in a single area(this may only be a simple command,and only one command may be made ata time);

l Commanding a single mind in this fash-ion, up to one area away; and,

l Switching consciousnesses (as in theTransferral power).The duration of most of these effects are

for as long as Maximus concentrates onthem. The effects of the amnesia are forl-10 days after the effect, and may beremoved by sudden trauma or familiarsurroundings.

CONTACTS: Maximus has often soughtout support from others, including thealien Kree and the human criminal scien-tists known as the Enclave.

TALENTS: Maximus is a genius, with skillin genetics, physics, and engineering. Hehas created a number of devices and be-ings, including:l The three energy beings known as the

Trikon�, from the Alpha Primitive�slaves of the Inhumans;

l An �Atmo-Gun� designed to wipe hu-manity off the face of the Earth (it didnot work), now modified to surroundAttilan with a Shift X force field;

l Hypno-potions and a hypno-gun thatdeaden the will of targets by up to fourranks reduction in Psyche (Psychesdropped below Feeble cause the victimto be subject to verbal control withoutuse of mental domination powers);

l An Android (Omega�) powered by thecollective guilt felt by the Inhumans fortheir Alpha Primitive slaves; and,

l Meteoroid launchers on the Moon(aided by the Enclave) to be used toblackmail Earth.

BACK GROUND: Maximus is the youngerbrother of Black Bolt and was exposed toTerrigen Mists as an infant. The mist hadno visible effect, but gifted Maximus withpowers of mental domination. Jealous ofhis brother, Maximus conspired with thealien Kree to deliver the Inhumans intotheir hands. In stopping the Kree ship,Black Bolt used, his quasi-sonic powers,inadvertently slaying his parents anddriving Maximus insane, suppressing hismental abilities.

In the time since Black Bolt became rulerof Attilan, Maximus has usurped thepower of the throne no less than fivetimes, ruling from several years to only afew days each time. Maximus has soughtallies among Inhumans, human, and aliencriminals in order to carry out his plan. He

is driven by a desire to rule the Inhumans,a hatred of his brother, and a frustratedlove for Medusa, his brother�s wife. He iscurrently in solitary confinement in Atti-lan, planning his sixth attempt to take thethrone away from his elder brother.

CRYSTAL�Crystalia Amaquelin Maximoff

F GD (10) Health: 60A EX (20)S GD (10) Karma: 26E EX (20)R GD (10) Resources: EX (20)I GD (10)P TY (6) Popularity: 15 (80

among Inhuman)

KNOWN POWERS:

Elemental Control: Crystal can mentallycontrol the four classical �elements� (fire,water, earth, and air) by manipulating themolecules of those �elements.� She doesthis with Monstrous power-rank abilityand can maintain a particular effect for upto an hour before mental fatigue forcesher to stop. Crystal has used her power togenerate a number of Power Stunts, in-cluding:l Generating fire within five areas, of

Excellent intensity;l Dousing fires within five areas with

Remarkable ability;

GORGON� KARNAK� TRITON�

DRAGON 67

● Maintaining Remarkable weather con-trol, being able to generate rain, fog,and heat at the Remarkable level;

● Moving up to one area of water up to20� deep one area per turn, up to sixareas away;

● Moving earth with Monstrous ability,creating earthquakes of Monstrousintensity, setting up Tremors of up toAmazing intensity, and causing theground to shatter, firing stones as mis-sile weapons for Incredible damage upto 10 areas away;

● Generating winds of up to Remarkableintensity; and,

● Generating a firestorm of up to six areasacross and Amazing damage.

LIMITATION: All Inhumans are to somedegree vulnerable to air pollution, Crystalmore so than most. To make mattersworse, she has built up an immunity to thedrug that allowed Inhumans to journeyinto the polluted world. When on Earth,Crystal must make a daily EnduranceFEAT for the effects of pollution � greenfor the first week, yellow for the second,and red for all succeeding weeks. Thisassumes the medication is used; otherwise,red FEATS are required. For every failedFEAT, Crystal�s physical abilities aredropped by one rank. Should any abilitydrop beneath Feeble, she will collapse.Exposure to pure air allows her to regainlost Endurance ranks at normal time (thisincludes the air within the Blue Area ofthe Moon).

TALENTS: Crystal�s ability with First Aidhas been noted in her attempts to nursesick heroes back to health.

CONTACTS: Crystal is a member of theRoyal Family of the Inhumans, and aformer member of the Fantastic Four. Sheis not, at this writing, on good terms withher husband Quicksilver� nor with herhusbands family (Scarlet Witch�, Vision�,a n d M a g n e t o ) .

BACKGROUND: Crystal is the youngersister of Medusa, and was exposed toTerrigen Mists when a child. She went intoexile with the rest of the Royal Familywhen Maximus first took over Attilan andjoined her kinsmen in searching for themissing Medusa, finally finding her withthe Fantastic Four. In that reunion, Crystalmet Johnny Storm�, the Human Torch�,and began a romantic relationship withthe young hero.

Crystal served as a member of the FFwhen Sue Richards� left the team to givebirth to Franklin, but was forced to returnto Attilan when she was found to sufferfrom the polluted urban air. It was enroute to her home that Crystal encoun-tered the wounded mutant known asQuicksilver and brought him back to Atti-lan. The mutant and Inhuman fell in love,and Crystal broke off her relationship

68 OCTOBER 1986

with Storm, eventually marrying Quicksil-ver.

With the Inhumans� move to the moon,Crystal gave birth to Luna�, a child withno apparent mutant or Inhuman traits.Despite the birth of their child, Quicksilverand Crystal�s marriage began to deterio-rate, completely disintegrating whenCrystal had a love affair with �a humanwho was a neighbor of the Vision andScarlet Witch. Once the affair was ex-posed, Quicksilver�s mind went over theedge, and he is seeking revenge against allof those that he feels have wronged him.Crystal is recovering on the Moon fromprolonged exposure to Earthly pollutantsat this writing.

GORGON�Real name unrevealed

F RM (30) Health: 120A GD (10)S RM (30) Karma: 26E AM (50)R TY (6) Resources: EX (20)I GD (10)P GD (10) Popularity: 6 (80 among

Inhumans)

KNOWN POWERS:

Mutated legs and feet: Gorgon�s super-human powers involve the Terrigen-pro-duced mutation of his lower body.Gorgon�s legs are heavily muscled, andinstead of feet the Inhuman has hooves.His legs are further mutated so that hemay generate an intense pulse of kineticenergy. This pulse must be consciouslywilled, and takes place the round after it iscalled upon. The pulse must be used onceit is invoked (there may be cases in whichGorgon�s strike takes place after the timeat which it would do the most good). Theeffects of this mutation in game terms areas follows:l Gorgon is treated as if he has Monstrous

Endurance for purposes of slams, stuns,or being knocked off his feet in combat.

l Gorgon has a specialized form of bodyarmor when falls are concerned. IfGorgon lands on his feet � the usualcase unless restrained, as he has a lowcenter of gravity � treat Gorgon ashaving Amazing body armor. Thosecarried by Gorgon in such a fall aresimilarly protected.

l Gorgon�s strength is Amazing whenusing his kinetic pulse generation, ei-ther against a material strength (such asa door) or as a shockwave attack (with arange of two areas. Note that no dam-age is inflicted by a shockwave attack,though stun and slam effects still takeeffect.

TALENTS: Despite his burley appearance,Gorgon is the Royal Administrator ofAttilan. His Reason is Good in dealing withall bureaucracies.

CONTACTS: Gorgon is a member of theRoyal Family of Attilan, in addition tobeing that city�s administrator.

BACKGROUND: Gorgon, as was commonin the present generation of the RoyalFamily, was exposed to Terrigen Mists atan early age, giving him his present ap-pearance and powers. He was forced toflee Attilan when Maximus plunged theInhumans into civil war, a war thatclaimed the lives of both Gorgon�s parents.With the rest of the Inhuman Royal Familyin exile, he sought out Medusa, and, oncereunited, returned to Attilan with the FFand restored his cousin Black Bolt to thethrone. Gorgon is sometimes impulsive,strong-willed, and bull-headed, but is oneof Black Bolt�s most valuable and trustedadvisors.

KARNAK�Real name unrevealed

F AM (50) Health: 130A EX (20)S RM (30) Karma: 60E RM (30)R GD (10) Resources: EX (20)I RM (30)P EX (20) Popularity: 9 (80 among

Inhumans)

KNOWN POWERS:

Body Control: Karnak has conditioned hisalready superior physical form to its ulti-mate Inhuman levels. He has voluntarycontrol over the involuntary bodily sys-tems, and can regulate his heartbeat,breathing, and rate of bleeding with In-credible ability. He gains a + 1 CS in allEndurance FEATS involving poisons andknock-out gases, and heals at a rate of oneEndurance rank higher than normal.Finally, Karnak�s hands and feet are toughenough to allow him to rend up toAmazing material strengths.

Detect Weakness: Through mental disci-pline, Karnak can trace the stress points instructures and weak points in the anatomyof living beings. This gives him the follow-ing powers:l Karnak may affect materials of up to

Unearthly material strength, providedhe makes a successful Psyche FEAT rolland studies the area for at least oneround. Any attacks on such material areresolved on the Unearthly column.

l Karnak may stun and slam opponents ofgreater Endurance than his Strength,and may ignore the effects of the BodyArmor, if a similar Psyche FEAT is made.

TALENTS: Karnak has Martial Arts A, B,C, D, and E. He may enter a Trance state,and he lists his occupation as philosopher,being extremely knowledgeable in fightingtechniques.

CONTACTS: Karnak is a member of the KNOWN POWERS: Water-Breathing Harness: This deviceRoyal Family of the Inhumans. allows Triton to breath in air with no ill

Underwater adaptations: Triton has a effects, by pumping condensed moistureBACKGROUND: Of the Inhumans listed number of adaptations that aid in his over his gills. This device has Good mate-here, Karnak is the only one who has not underwater life, including: rial strength.been exposed to the Terrigen Mists. He is l Water breathing (Triton can breaththe brother of Triton, and after seeing the water indefinitely, but see the limitation TALENTS: Triton is a master of underwa-effects of the mist on his brother, Karnak�s below); ter combat, and suffers no negative shiftsparents decided to raise their second son l Swimming (Triton can maintain a maxi- from fighting underwater.without benefit of the mist. mum speed of 40 mph � Typical speed,

As a result, Karnak has endeavored to 3 areas/round � without checking for CONTACTS: Triton is a member of theraise his own abilities through study, medi- exhaustion); Royal Family of Attilan.tation, and practice. He has often worried l Good-intensity Resistance to Cold, allow-about his ability to carry his share of the ing him to withstand the ocean depths; BACKGROUND: Triton is the elderweight around the other Inhumans, de- and, brother of Karnak, and was exposed to thespite his incredible powers. Karnak is l Unlimited vision underwater. Terrigen Mists at an early age. Due to hisoften found in the company of his cousin limitations, he was employed as a scoutGorgon. LIMITATION: Triton must have water to when Attilan was still located in the Atlan-

breathe. Out of water and without his tic Ocean, but is more restricted now thatbreathing harness, Triton can only stand the Inhuman�s city is located on the Moon15 rounds before making an Endurance (there are waterways in the Blue Area ofFEAT to remain conscious. Each round

TRITON™the Moon built by the Kree). Triton has

afterwards, the Inhuman must make an-Real name unrevealed

often had adventures outside the Royalother FEAT to remain conscious. Circum- Family, owing to his radically differentstances determine the intensity of this r e q u i r e m e n t s .

F GD (10) Health: 110 FEAT; being trapped under sun lampsA RM (30)S RM (30) Karma: 30

would be a Red FEAT, walking in a foggyevening a Green FEAT, and having normal Final notes

E IN (40) condition a Yellow FEAT In addition, Tri- As noted in Crystal�s entry, InhumansR GD (10) Resources: EX (20) ton loses a point of Health for every round are more vulnerable to disease and itsI GD (10) he spends out of water. This damage is effects than ordinary humans. All FEATSP GD (10) Popularity: 6 (80 among healed upon re-entering water or restor- made by Inhuman characters against

Inhumans) ing his harness. disease are at -2 CS for resolving effects.

likenesses the 1986

70 OCTOBER 1986

The role of computers

Wizard�s Crown puts everyone to the testby Hartleyand Pattie Lesser

count, and focuses upon, character devel-

For nearly two months, we have beentotally inolved in a single computer adven-ture role-playing program that is, without

opment. Without the player managing the

doubt, one of the most exciting and involv-ing games we�ve yet experienced. The

onscreen characters and aiding them in

name of this offering? Wizard�s Crown,from Strategic Simulations, written by

the development of their skills and attrib-

Paul Murray and Keith Brors.

utes, neither the adventure, nor the char-

Why such high praise for Wizard�sCrown? Because this game takes into ac-

acters, will last too long. No othercomputer role-playing game that we�reaware of requires the player to become soinvolved with the maturation of his or hercharacters.

There is far more game play than firstmeets the eye. A player must first manageeach character�s attributes and skills ap-propriately during the game. As in mostFRP environments, experience is earnedfor accomplishing certain goals within thegame�s structure. These experience pointsare then used to increase capabilities,talents, and personal attributes. But this isno solo adventure; you can�t have just onesuperhero leading a rag-tag bunch ofminor adventurers. Each character mustbe developed in unison with other mem-bers of the entire group. Every increase inskills must compliment the skills of theothers. Your band of eight adventurersmust become a cohesive, effective unit.

tory of all learning � past, present, andfuture.

Unfortunately, one among the Fellow-ship, a Wizard named Tarmon, Wizard ofThunder, thought it best that he keep theCrown after his period of wearing hadwaned. He refused to surrender theCrown to the Fellowship, and civil warthus tore Arghan asunder. Most of thegreat city was lain to waste and ruin.Tarmon fled into the ruins. He hid theCrown beyond the Gates of Arghan andsecreted himself in his laboratories, pro-tected by magics, passwords, and other

The scenario is simple, yet elegant � thesuccessful conclusion of the scenario isalso elegant, but not so simple. The adven-ture begins in the land of Arghan, which,500 years ago, was ruled by the Fellow-ship of Wizards. Their rule was just, andthe citizens of Arghan were quite contentunder their wise leadership. Each wizardwould, in turn, wear the Crown of theEmperor for a specific period of time,dictated by the movement of the constella-

you press the number �2� key. pray (P) for blessings, start an attempt tobide using the begin sneaking (S) com-mand - great for getting a high-dexteritythief armed with a magic weapon behindenemy lines to kill their rotten magic-usersand sorcerers � and dodge and zigzag (Z),which makes your character far moredifficult to hit. If the enemy is still somedistance away, those characters armedwith crossbows and bows can use theWhat Target (W) command to select atarget prior to firing their quarrels orarrows. This not only increases the oddsof a hit when that character fires on thenext turn, but also increases the damagesustained by such a hit. The help (H) com-

tion Atarius. The Crown itself was a trea-sure far beyond calculable worth. Thecrown bestowed wisdom upon its wearer,as the regal headpiece was not only asymbol of authority, but also the reposi-

72 OCTOBER 1986

be needed to give you a fighting chance atthe Crown�s recovery. Combat is an inte-gral part of Wizard�s Crown, and may beconducted by the player via the computer.Tactical combat is where you becomeresponsible for each character�s moveonscreen against his or her opponents.Full graphic displays present the combatin every stage should the tactical versionbe selected, both outdoors or in the build-

You start in the City of Arghan. Move-

slithering sundries. And to you and your

ment is accomplished via the eight numberkeys as shown in the lower right corner of

brave adventurers is bestowed the (dubi-

the screen shot below. You move in thedirection of the number key location. For

ous?) honor of recovering the Crown to

example, if you want to move northeast

return it to Kaitar, the wizard appointedby The Fellowship to bear final responsi-bility for the treasure. Without the Crown,evil will continue in its path of havoc. Toreturn sanity to Arghan, to become thechampions of a true and just cause, youagree to win back the Crown, and so theadventure begins.

ing you are currently searching.Your attack selections as to mode of

combat, weapon to be used, spell to becast, prayer to be uttered, use of stealth,and so on, are selected via an easy-to-use,onscreen menu.

Most commands are self-explanatory. Adefensive attack (command D) is simplyone where your character doesn�t go outfor a kill � he or she leaves something inreserve that decreases the odds of theopponent then striking with a deadlyblow. Inspecting a character (command I)allows you to look at all aspects of thatadventurer�s status during combat, includ-ing the number of hits taken and the char-acter�s current health status. The Guardcommand (G) puts that character at theready; when an opponent comes into thecharacter�s front-facing squares, he or shestrikes immediately, regardless of oppo-nent dexterity. Attacking to kill (A) is anall-out assault, with what some might callreckless abandon, on an enemy character.Unfortunately, this also leaves your char-acter wide open for a return attack andincreases the odds of an opponent beingable to hit you. For those desperate timeswhen little else can work other than anearly-suicidal assault, this command isquite handy. Other options: Characters can

mand shows a brief display of what eachcommand means.

If the computer is selected to managethe battle, it takes into account everydetail of each character�s strength andcapabilities, and measures such against theenemies� statistics, rolls the die, and, basedupon the die roll, decides who is victoriousin combat. The tactical combats can occa-sionally take as long as a half hour to

After battle, you�ll find your charactersare automatically encamped. Now your

complete, depending upon the complex-ities of the combatants, terrain, and otherfactors. When the computer runs thebattle, the time is reduced to one or twominutes, again depending upon a varietyof battle factors.

priests must heal character injuries and, ifthey have built up enough Karma and ifthey have a high enough Prayer level, caneven raise the dead. Those with First Aidskills and bandages can also be pressedinto service to aid those who have beenotherwise sliced, mashed, or mangled bythe enemy. From this camp, those withSearch and high evaluation skills, such asyour Sorcerer, should search the bodies ofthe defeated enemy. All manner of money,plus weapons, magic weapons, magicarmor, vials, bottles, and scrolls (most withsome form of magic capability), preciousgems, gold-encased weapons whose mone-tary value far exceeds their combat value,shields, and lots more, will be found onthe bodies. These items can be taken byany member of the group, but they shouldbe examined first to reveal any hiddencapabilities. Money can also be moved toone character or another, as long as thecharacter receiving the goods has less than10 items in his or her possession. Thesegoodies found after battle can be sold atthe marketplace to increase a character�scash balance, with the best recovereditems retained to enhance any of the ad-venturers� attributes or skills. A charactercannot carry more than 250 coins, andonly one weapon, one armor type, andone shield can be readied at any one time.The most important part of any encamp-ment is telling the minstrels of your deeds!After every combat, every encampment,select (T) to save your game. Those whodon�t heed this advice are bound to end upfrustrated, drooling, babbling nincom-poops. This game takes an enormousamount of time to play � play whichcannot be completed in one or 100 sittings.You�ll find your characters have died athousand times over, and if you haven�tsaved the last success to disk, then you�vegot to start from scratch! Save your gameafter every sitting!

The only exception to that rule is whenyou are exploring one of the �dungeons.�You cannot save the game until you exitfrom the building, (M)ake camp, and then

(T)ell the Minstrel of your deeds. So, mostdungeons will require you to enter, accom-plish some feat, then exit to save the game.Don�t try to complete a dungeon all atonce: it�ll kill you!

There is certainly more than combat tointrigue players. Adventurers must alsoexplore such edifices as the Thieves� Guild(in Arghan), the Old Thieves� Guild withinthe ruins (two levels), the Mansion (three

levels), and the Palace (six levels) in orderto solve the game�s mission. These build-ings are actual above-ground dungeons,with each level going up instead of down.The higher your adventurers climb, themore difficult the task becomes. A varietyof treasures are hidden at every level,some within plain sight, other crucialtreasures not so easily found.

Your party not only explores the City ofArghan, but also the Ruins of Arghan,which await your adventurers beyond thegates. Be forewarned that during thehours of darkness, the influence of evilincreases. This means that the number ofencounters requiring combat will substan-tially increase! Several maps constitute theRuins. As your character�s reach the edgeof their current map, the program loads inthe succeeding map, depending of courseupon your party�s direction of movement.Each party move scrolls the map in therequested direction, so that the player isconstantly aware of the adventurers� loca-tion and surroundings. We found it com-pletely unnecessary to draw our ownmaps, either for the outdoor or indooradventuring. This does not mean youshouldn�t be taking notes. There are fartoo many clues dispersed through thegame � too many equipment trades andsales that must be concluded - for one toneglect their trusty notebook.

The characters can search any area theywish for a number of events, ranging fromthe aforementioned encounters to findingstores that sell needed accessories (such ascrowbars and rope), to talking with NPCswho occasionally impart crucial hints thatshould be noted. One of any player�s firstencounters involves the rescue of a girlfrom a band of muggers. Should theplayer succeed in eliminating her attack-ers, she�ll inform the character of thelocation of her home. The wise group willfind some way to locate her home, whereher father will offer a sharp-edged gift forthe aid in securing his daughter�s safety.

An old man in the city park is constantlyoffering advice to those that take the timeto listen. Many of the taverns can also begreat �hearing grounds� as well as thecity�s marketplace. Other puzzles includelearning passwords and wardwords, find-ing keys, putting together a Golem Staff,and finding and reading scrolls written inancient tongues. By the way, the Mayor ofArghan rewards those who clean up hiscity!

As you can readily see, there is a great deal of activity within the world of Wiz-ard�s Crown. But before any of this activitycan be experienced, there are game me-chanics that must be completed. You dohave to copy the program disk. We re-viewed the Apple II version of Wizard�sCrown, which comes as a double-sideddisk. Both sides must be copied before youare allowed to play the game. The originalprogram disk is still required to load theadventure. The opening menu informs theplayer as to what should be done next.

For those starting Wizard�s Crown asnovice adventurers, and who have hadlittle experience playing CARPS before, wehighly recommend that you play at theeasiest level, which would be selection �5�from the first menu choice.

A super feature of Wizard�s Crown is thefact that you can reset the dungeons. Ifyou Save your games in progress (whichyou will hear over and over again in thisarticle), the fact that your adventurerssuccumb to hostiles in a dungeon shouldnot cause you apoplexy. You can use theUtilities to reset the dungeon to its originalstate, meaning all of the treasure andmonsters have been recalled into action.Restart your game by booting the gamedisk. Your characters will begin play fromthe last position you saved the game at,and you can once again have them re-enter the edifice � this time bearing inmind the reasons for your character�sdemise the first time through. You shouldbe able to avoid the same traps, the samemistakes, and complete this search, earn-ing experience and gold as you do so.

After completing the necessary mechan-ics of starting the game, which includesinserting the disk copies into their desig-nated drives, the actual game begins. You�llfind yourself at the Inn in the City ofArghan. This is, without doubt, the mostimportant building in the game � and theone you�re bound to become most familiar

DRAGON 73

with. First-time adventurers will find eightpreconstructed characters awaiting them.These characters possess the necessarycharacteristics to familiarize players withsuch matters. However, one should createtheir own characters as soon as they be-come comfortable in doing so.

In order to best define the Inn�s func-tions, we�ve taken the liberty of showingour adventurers as they appear in themenu.

CURRENT PARTY MEMBERS 10/0 DAWNID NAME STATUS

A) MURDRENB) LORD HARTC) MARD) LAWTENDERE) BOPPOF) SIR KURKG) FOOTSOREH) AESSOPP

HIREDHIREDHIREDHIREDHIREDHIREDHIREDHIRED

(D) DELAY:2YOU ARE AT THE INN(G)REET NEW ADVENTURERS(T)ELL THE MINSTRELS OF YOUR DEEDS(R)EST THE ADVENTURERS(C)HECK CHARACTER(I)MPROVE CHARACTER(H)AVE A CHARACTER QUIT THE PARTY(V)IEW THE ITEMS STORED AT THE INN(O)UTFIT A CHARACTER(M)OVE MONEY AROUNDE(X)IT THE INN

The first menu selection allows you tocreate your own characters. This abilitycan only be initiated after you delete theeight pre-composed characters from thegame. (Another reason for copying thedisk: the original information is alwaysavailable to you.) Use menu selection six,(H), to delete the eight characters, and youcan now begin the process of your owncharacter creation.

You must initially decide how your char-acters� attributes will be distributed,which is managed through the use of amenu of the base character attributes.Each character starts with a base score of5 in Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence,and the player is given another 25 pointsto spend on increasing those attributes aswell as the character�s Life and Experiencescores. The assignment of additionalpoints to any of the attributes really de-pends upon the type of character youneed, as certain professions require a

74 OCTOBER 1988

specific number of intelligence points. Forexample, to become a Sorcerer, an intelli- gence of 11 is the minimum requirement.That means you would have to add at least6 points to the base Intelligence score of 5,leaving you only 19 points left for distribu-tion to the other attributes. Other intelli-gence requirments include: Priest - 7,Fighter - 5, Ranger - 3, Thief - 3. Youcan create a multi-profession character,such as a Priest/Ranger/Thief combinationfor an intelligence purchase of 13. Use ofthe �less-than� key decreases points fromthe selected attribute; the �more-than� keyadds points to the attribute. So, if youwant your first character to be a Ranger,and you want an extremely high Strengthrating, two points could be deducted fromthe base Intelligence score, giving you 27points for distribution.

We recommend that you assign eachattribute at least 10 points in all attributes.That requires spending 15 of the 25points. Life points are purchased at a ratioof 5:1, so for every one point you spend,an additional five points are added to thatattribute. Life basically is what keeps yourcharacter going; should Life fall to zero,your hero will fall as well.

Experience points are purchased at a 4:1ratio, giving your character an additionalfour experience points for every attributepoint assigned. Experience points are thenspent on specific skills, which we willcover next.

We have found that characters with aminimum life value of 35 seem to be ableto hang on, expecially as life becomes lessand less a critical issue, as defensive spells,magic armor, and defensive jewelry arefound throughout the game. Those charac-ters unable to pack heavy-duty armor(because they are not strong enough towield such protection) should have ahigher life value than warriors packingplate mail � especially if they are aboutbusiness that will put them in the centerof hostile attention. For example, a thiefmay be sent into a small room or a narrowhallway to lockpick a door. When success-fully opened, this gateway could suddenlybe the thoroughfare for a horde ofscreaming goblins (pity the poor fellowwho opened that portal). Since a thief�sstrength usually limits him to lighter ar-mor, the higher the life value originallyassigned to that attribute, the more hitsthe character will be able to sustain prior

to assistance from the fighting profession-als.

Strength is quite important if you wishsome of your characters to not only wieldheavy-duty weapons, but also be able towear Chain, Scale, or Plate armor. Dexter-ity is also a skill that is quite appropriatefor those who will be your main combat-ants, as well as those with thieving skills.The higher the character�s dexterity, thefaster he or she will be able to react to agiven situation. It�s terrible to be involvedin combat and have the enemy able toconstantly hit you first!

OK; now you�ve not only named yourfirst character, but you�ve also assigned allof the attribute points. The number ofpoints assigned to Intelligence will deter-mine character profession. Those profes-sions available for the intelligence rangeyou�ve selected are displayed onscreen.You select the profession that you wish thecharacter to possess.

The skills that particular profession canpossess are now revealed to you. Thoseexperience points you�ve been saving nowcome into play, as they are assigned todiffering skills. It�s very important to keepin mind at this juncture what kind ofweapon and armor your character mightbe able to wear (selected in the nextscreen). For example, due to limitedstrength, your character may not be ableto possess a weapon that requires astrength of greater than 10. This will limitthe type of weapon that character maycarry. Even though all weapon types areavailable for characters with a Strength ofgreater than 6, many of these dangerousweapons won�t pack the punch needed forthis great adventure. Let�s take a look atthe standard weapon offerings for Wiz-ard�s, Crown. And don�t think, not even fora moment, that these are all of the offen-sive and defensive items available in thisgame. An old saying of �finders, keepers�is especially true as you explore the Wiz-ard�s Crown environs.

Let�s take a thief, for example, who has astrength of 12. This thief should require aweapon that will only occupy one hand,perhaps utilizing the other for lockpicksor a shield. Either a long bow or a lightcrossbow pack a damage range of 10 and11, respectively, which is a wallop yourenemies must respect. But the thief re-quires that free hand � especially whenabout to lockpick a mysterious door. Obvi-ously, adding points to bow or crossbowskills would not make much sense, sincethe character won�t initially be carryingsuch weaponry. The thief could use abroadsword, which packs a damage ratingof 9, or perhaps a battle axe would bemore to your liking. In these cases, pointsshould be added to either the Sword orAxe skills, or to both!

A character may also possess more thanone profession. Ranger/Priest/Thieves,requiring an expenditure of 13 personalattribute points, are a marvelous asset toany adventure group, as such a character

can then manage differing skills inherentin each profession. Take, for example, thefollowing examples of our characters.(Note that these skill scores requirednearly 150 days of game time to build tothis level.)

STR: 10 SERIOUS INJURY: 0 COPPER: 0

DEX: 13INT: 11

I N J U R Y : 0CURRENT LIFE: 35 SILVER: 0

ELECTRUM: 0LIFE:35 CURRENT EXP: 81 GOLD: 0

ITEM NAME: READIED SIZE

+5 BRIGANTINE+2 CROWNVERY FINE FLAIL+3 BOTTLESCROLLFINE SHORT SWORDJADEDARK DAGGER+3 SHIELD+1 BOTTLE

YESYESNONONONONOYESYESNO

LRGSMLSMLSMLSMLMEDSMLSMLMEDSML

(R)EADY, TRANSFER AND EVALUATE ITEMS(T)RADE COINS, (N)EXT PAGE, OR E(X)IT

AESSOPP (* screen 2 *)

CLOSE COMBAT 180SCAN 18SWIMMING 110ALCHEMY 135READ ANCIENT 126EVALUATE MAGIC 150CAST SPELL 232MAXIMUM POWER 245EXPERIENCE 81CURRENT POWER 180

STR: 10 SERIOUS INJURY:0 COPPER: 0DEX: 10 INJURY 0 SILVER: 0INT: 11 CURRENT LIFE: 35 ELECTRUM: 0LIFE: 35 CURRENT EXP: 21 GOLD 0

ITEM NAME: READIED SIZE

GOLEM STAFF N O M E D+3BOTTLE N O SMLSCROLL N O SMLTORCH N O SML+5 CLAYMORE YES M E D+1 CLOAK YES SML+4 BRIGANTINE YES LARGE

(R)EADY, TRANSFER AND EVALUATE ITEMS(T)RADE COINS, (N)EXT PAGE, OR E(X)IT

MAR (* screen 2*)

CLOSE COMBAT 177SWORD 238AXE 16SPEAR 13MACE 112FLAIL 11BOW 20CROSSBOW 20SHIELD 200AWARENESS 31SCAN 31SWIMMING 113FIRST AID 25TREAT POISON 133TREAT DISEASE 139TURN UNDEAD 183LUCK 126KARMA 250EXPERIENCE 21CURRENT KARMA 158PRAYER LEVEL 8

Aessopp (top left) is our party�s Sorcerer.As he is going to be responsible for theinitial examinations of booty during thelooting phase after combat, he should bequite capable in the evaluation of magicitems. So, points should be given to Evalu-ate Magic. However, his spell-casting capa-bilities might well save many a neck frombidding a fond adieu to an attached head.Therefore, he should be able to Cast Spellsand have a lot of Maximum Power availa-ble to cast those spells.

Note that Aessopp is packing an awe-some amount of Cast Spell and MaximumPower points, since 250 points is the maxi-mum number of points you can award toany skill. His initial points went directly tohis spell-casting skills. Since Aessopp is notadept with weapons, we have also givenhim a high Close Combat rating, enablinghim to use the Dark Dagger to full effec-tiveness when a hostile character or crea-ture moves toward him. The Dark Dagger,by the way, has not only the normalpowers of Thrust damage, but also cutsaway at an opponents life force.

Mar (bottom left), a combination Fighter/Priest, needs high scores for his chosenweaponry (in this case, Sword for his two-handed + 5 Claymore) and also in healinginjured areas. These were the two areashis initial points were distributed amongst.Note Mar�s current high score of 238 forSword (out of a possible 250) and themaximum score for Karma, which consti-tutes the power he has for healing andraising the dead. As you can see, his Cur-rent Karma seems to be down a bit instrength � the doubtless result of numer-ous encounters. Mar is able to both fightand heal, and is thus a resourceful andvalued member of his party.

Once you�ve assigned all of the experi-ence points to attributes, selected theprofession(s) for each character, chosenappropriate weaponry, all that�s left beforestarting your quest is to assign an on-screen to each character. This icon ispicked from a display of numerous icons,and one should be selected for each char-acter that best represents his or her mainweapon ability. That way, you�ll always beable to tell who�s who when searchingindoors or fighting outdoors. You may nowexit (X) the Inn and proceed with thegame.

Without giving too much away, thefollowing hints will certainly be of someuse to those who adventure into the Wiz-ard�s Crown world:

Tactical combat should find your adven-turers as extremely close friends.

Build up each character�s main weaponto its maximum power (accomplishedthrough the garnishment of coins).

Look for booty that goes beyond normalcapabilities. A sword with a Reveal Enemyspell that is never used up is a fantasticfind!

Those involved in leading the group andexamining the booty should build up theirTrack and Search skills as soon as possible.

Increase the Dexterity of all characters.Look for a Dwarven Buckler � and do

your best to keep it!Gozaroth needs a favor done.

Your goal is the Palace, far south in theRuins of Arghan. You will have no easytime reaching this dungeon.

There is certainly far more to Wizard�sCrown than has been presented in thesepages. Learning how to fight, how tosearch, what party configurations arebest, which skills are most important �these are all a part of the total environ-ment presented by this CARP You�ll findyourself involved and fascinated forhours. Wizard�s Crown provides enormousvalue for little cost. We think very highlyof Wizard�s Crown and recommend thisoffering as one that truly presents a mostpositive view of fantasy role-playing asplayed on a computer system. For compu-terphiles and FRP gamers alike, Wizard�sCrown is a must for your game softwarelibrary.

Wizard�s Crown is for the Apple II com-puter family, the Commodore C-64 com-puter, the Atari XL computer series, andwill soon be released for the Atari STcomputer. The price for these versions is$39.95. You may also contact StrategicSimulations at 1046 North RengstorffAvenue, Mountain View CA 94043. Theirtelephone number is (415)964-1353.

What�s out thereOur new product and news information

for this issue runs the gamut fromproducts being re-released for additionalsystems to information on brand-newreleases. As in our past columns, the pro-grams are listed by title.

In our first column, we mentioned therelease of Alter Ego (Activision, Inc.,Mountain View, Calif.), the role-playinggame where you live your life in any man-ner you wish. Now Alter Ego is available inboth the original male and new femaleversion for the Commodore 64, IBM mi-cros, and the Macintosh computer, inaddition to the Apple II version. This gameis highly recommended.

Alternate Reality � The City (Datasoft,Chatsworth, Calif.) was released late lastyear, but only came to our attention re-cently. This is a fine fantasy role-playinggame, that is designed to be modular. TheCity is the first module, with The Dungeon(to be released at Christmas), The Arena,The Palace, The Wilderness, Revelation,and Destiny all planned as sequels. TheCity will be the base of operations for allfuture episodes. The City will also bereleased in versions for the Commodore128, Macintosh, IBM micros, PCjr., Amiga,and Atari ST computers. It is already

DRAGON 75

available for the Apple II, Commodore 64,and Atari XL series computers.

Archon and Skyfox (Electronic Arts, SanMateo, Calif.) have been released in Macin-tosh computer formats. The first offeringis a strategy game that involves wizards,dragons, and trolls as playing pieces, aswell as arcade-style battles. The secondgame is a combat flight simulator thatmerges life-like combat flying and arcadeaction on your computer screen.

Breakers is a new science-fiction game(Broderbund Software, San Rafael, Calif.)where you live in the futuristic world ofthe planet Borg, trying to break up a ringof smugglers, free folks from slavery, andrestore order to the cosmos (no smallorder!). This is a text adventure availablefor the Apple II series, IBM micros, theCommodore 64/128, and the Atari ST TheCommodore version is $39.95; all othersare $44.95.

Essex and Brimstone are also from Bro-derbund Software, and have been releasedin Atari ST formats, joining the Mac, AppleII, C 64/128, and Atari XL versions. Bothare interactive text adventures �the firsttaking you to outer space to thwart aninvasion of the Sirius sector, and the sec-ond takes you to Arthurian times to aid SirGawain of the Round Table in his attemptto escape from the netherworld. Pricing is$44.95.

Hacker II: The Doomsday Papers (Activi-sion, Inc., Mountain View, Calif.) is a strat-egy adventure sequel to the smashsoftware hit of 1985, Hacker. You areprovided with no game rules and only afew clues. You must prevent a plot todestroy the United States. This game hasbeen released for Commodore 641128 andApple II ($39.951, and for the IBM micro,Tandy 1000, Amiga, Macintosh, and AtariST (all $49.95).

The Movie Monster Game (Epyx, INC.,Sunnyvale, Calif.) stars Godzilla, and al-lows the player to become one of severalrampaging monsters in a strategy andarcade game to conquer various interna-tional cities. This is a game that is a greatdeal of fun to play! At present, this soft-ware has been released for the Commo-dore 641128, Apple II, and IBM micros.

Lords of Conquest (Electronic Arts, SanMateo, Calif.) is a strategy game derivedfrom an old boardgame called Border-lands. You choose your home territories,then try to protect them as you conquerthe world. This software has been re-leased for the Commodore 64/128 andAtari XL series at a price of $32.95.

Phantasie (Strategic Simulations, Moun-tain View, Calif.) has been converted to theAtari ST computer. This is a multiple char-acter role-playing adventure that was

76 OCTOBER 1986

chosen by Family Computing in 1985 toreceive one of that publication�s Critic�sChoice Awards. Additionally, Phantasie isnow available for the Macintosh computer.Pricing is $39.95.

Spell of Destruction (Mindscape, Inc.,Northbrook, Ill.) has been released forCommodore computer owners and fea-tures 3-D graphics, 70 challenging loca-tions, and a great musical score. Thisadventure game carries a price of $29.95.

Sword of Kadash (Polarware/PenguinSoftware, Geneva, Ill.) has converted thisreal-time animated fantasy role-playinggame for Atari ST computer players. Thisoffering has over 200 rooms and passagesto explore and is quite challenging. Pricingis only $17.95. Polarware has also loweredthe pricing on all of its games to less than$20, with some older games available forless than $10. These are high-quality rec-reational games (both adventure and ar-cade), that are one of the best buys incomputer software today.

Temple of Apshai Trilogy and Rogue(Epyx, Inc., Sunnyvale, Calif.) have beenreleased in both Commodore, Amiga, andAtari ST formats. These are classic adven-ture games that have been further en-hanced due to enhanced computergraphics, sound, and screen displays. Bothprograms are well-worth your interest.

The Pawn (Firebird Licensees, Ramsey,N.J.) is an illustrated text adventure forthe Atari ST, whose �painted� scenes willleave you in awe. A sophisticated languageparser and an intriguing plot are ex-tremely appealing to all gamers. Versionsfor the Mac, Amiga, IBM micros, and Com-modore 641128 are currently being devel-oped. The price is $44.95.

Transylvania and The Crimson Crown(Polarware/Penguin Software, Geneva, Ill.)are graphic text adventures that havebeen converted for play on IBM micros.Using Polarware�s Comprehend languagesystem, both offerings start and finish thesaga of Vampyr � hopefully at yourhands. The price on each game is $34.95.

Uninvited (Mindworks, Inc., Northbrook,Ill.) is a graphic adventure for the Mac andCommodore 64/128, that leads you in ahunt for your lost brother in a hauntedmansion. Death stalks your every move inthis intriguing offering, which is priced at$49.95. Also from Mindscape is a newprogram entitled Comics Works, for theMacintosh, that allows you to create com-ics, storyboards, greeting cards, and news-letters easily, by incorporating text andgraphics at will. The price is $79.95.

Wilderness: A Survival Adventure (Elec-tric Transit, Thousand Oaks, Calif.) is anaward-winning, true-to-life simulation ofoutdoor survival. This program is now

available for IBM micros and their compat-ibles for $50.

Our product watch includes new offer-ings called Cinema Ware, which will bedistributed by Mindscape. These productsare actually interactive movies, packedwith 1.2 megabytes of graphics coding,and will run on 16-bit machines, such asthe Macintosh, Atari ST, and Amiga Com-puters. The production company, MasterDesign Software, is run by president BobJacob, who has assembled a top-notchteam to design, write, and program theseofferings. Each CinemaWare game consistsof over 100 K of professionally composedmusic and over 1000 sprites. The com-puter manages the actual camera-workthat the player views onscreen, such aszooms, pans, and close-ups. The player hasthe feel of being at the cinema while inter-acting with the script. Each is a role-playing game based on a motion picturetheme, where the player assumes thepersona of the onscreen character. Cine-maWare will include:

Defender of the Crown (Amiga), a RobinHood adventure with over 30 animatedscreens. In the jousting scene, for exam-ple, there are seven different screens thatcould be viewed while jousting. The com-puter �roles the dice� and determineswhat screens will be seen by the player(there could be three screens, including 3-D view, overhead view, etc.) By changingthe scenes to be viewed during play, aplayer could participate in the adventure ahundred times and not have a duplicategame.

King of Chicago, for the Macintosh, is aperfect offering for the Mac, as it emulatesa black-and-white film of the thirties.Here, claymation techniques were used,with characters posed in 16 differentstances, and digitized into the Macintosh.A complete 3-D universe has been created,in which the claymation characters movewith true dimensional ratios.

Other interactive movies include SDI, aUSSR vs. USA movie for the Atari ST com-puter, and planned for a March 1987 re-lease is a program entitled Star Rush,authorized by Jerry Pournelle and BruceWebster. This latter offering is a StarWars-type scenario for the Amiga com-puter. Graphics and artwork for theseofferings have been completed by theartists like Peter Green, the posterist forthe movie Cocoon and 300 other films.

Please keep those letters and cards com-ing in; we truly appreciate your responseand comments to this column. We hope tocontinue to provide you with the mostreliable information on recreational offer-ings exemplifying the finest in true,computer-aided, adventure role-playingand related environments. We hope wehave managed to at least whet your adven-turesome appetites.

by Margaret Weis and Kevin Stein©1986 FASA Corporation

It had taken a direct appeal to King Jeverid to free up much ofthe equipment the Lancers needed, including eight battered butserviceable hovercraft weapons carriers, five-man machines likethose Grayson had seen in Sarghad. Three of them mounted autocannons, and one a combat laser. Two . . . carried short-rangeSkorpiad anti-armor missiles, while the rest carried anti-personnel heavy machine guns. This small armada was no matchfor the entire enemy �Mech force. With luck though, they mightknock out one or more of the light �Mechs in open battle.

Decision at Thunder Riftby William H. Keith, Jr.

Accusations have been made against battlefield historians ofthe Succession Wars that they ignore or gloss over the roleplayed by ground forces support units in favor of the more glam-orous escapades of the MechWarrior.

�According to these jokers, a Marauder nailing a Marauder ishistory,� grumbles Anjin Smith, Liao sergeant and proud operatorof a Hetzer Wheeled Assault Gun. �A Hetzer nailing a Marauderis an accident.�

But there have been many occasions when the ground forcesproved to be the decisive factor in battles. To quote KatrinaSteiner, �Winning commanders are those who recognize theunique abilities of the support units and who make astute andcreative use of them on the battlefield.� This article examinesthree representative ground-forces vehicles.

[Vehicle and component weights are expressed in metric tons (1metric ton = 1,000 kilograms). - Editor]

Type: Hetzer Wheeled Assault Gun

TonsMovement Type: WheeledTonnage: 40Cruise Speed: 4Flank Speed: 6Engine: 10

Rating 140Type I.C.E.

Control: Robotic Option 2Lift Equipment:Power Amplifier:Heat Sinks: 0Internal Structure: 4Turret:

Armor:LocationFrontLt./Rt. SideBackTurret

78 OCTOBER 1986

96Points3022/22220

6

Weapons and Ammo:TypeAC/20Ammo (AC) 20

FacingFrontFront

Tons144

Mass: 40 tonsMovement Type: WheeledPower Plant: SitiCide 140 I.C.E.Cruising Speed: 43.2 kphMaximum Speed: 64.8 kphArmor: Star Slab 6Armament: One Crusher SH CannonManufacturer: Quikscell CompanyCommunications System: Johnston Q-BandRobotic System: Furbish RobocheckTargeting and Tracking System: Scantrex DualTac

Overview:The Hetzer Wheeled Assault Gun is primarily used to provide

cheap fire support to troops on planets of limited military signifi-cance. Because the mechanical systems of the Hetzer are ex-tremely simple to operate, it has become standard practice toinstall robotic remote-control units in the Hetzer, using it as anunmanned scout vehicle.

Capabilities:The Hetzer is generally used only in a support role. It is never

found operating alone unless it is a robotic scout. The CrusherSuper Heavy Cannon gives the Hetzer enormous fire power po-tential, but its lack of a turret and other, more diversified, weap-onry makes it a nightmare machine for crewmen who arecompelled by either fate or a deranged commander to take oneinto a non-defensive combat situation.

The Hetzer is a wheeled vehicle. This has the advantage ofkeeping its cost down (the whole concept behind the Hetzer), butit restricts the vehicle to moving only over terrain that is eithernaturally flat or has been flattened. These manmade �Hetzerpaths� are a dead giveaway that Hetzers are operating in thearea.

Most people will do anything to avoid being forced into thecramped crew compartment of a Hetzer. If the vehicle catchesfire, those caught inside are doomed. Certain sadistic sergeantshave been known to use duty in the �Rolling Coffin� as a means ofpunishing poor performance.

Battle History:The only known battle fought by Hetzers in a nonsupport role

occurred on Exit, in Liao space. It was, of course, an accident.Two commanders, bored with tedious patrol duty on a planetwell behind the front lines, challenged each other to a war gameusing the only vehicles they currently had at hand � robotic-controlled Hetzers � for the playing pieces. The robotic-controlled Hetzers were reprogrammed to handle simulatedbattlefield conditions. Since the programmers had so much timeon their hands, some of the programs designed were, in fact,quite unique.

On the day of the mock battle, a Marik advance scout force -not noted for its luck � dropped on planet to see what, if anytroop concentrations had been left there. Here was a real, livetarget! Overjoyed, the Liao commanders gleefully sent the Het-zers into action. The reprogrammed Hetzers almost completelydestroyed the smaller but better-armed Marik forces. Marikcommanders are still pondering the last message of their scoutforce, warning of a planet crawling with berserk Hetzers.

The Hetzer commanders were promoted and are currently incharge of reprogramming other Hetzers for the use of Liaonobles.

Control:Lift Equipment:Power Amplifier:Heat Sinks:Internal Structure:Turret:

Armor:LocationFrontLt./Rt. SideBack

Variants: Turret

Although the cannon is a preferred weapon, Hetzers have beenknown to carry long- or short-range missile packs, or even lasersand flamers. These, however, are rare modifications.

Some forces use Hetzers equipped with advanced scouting anddetection equipment, but the high cost of such equipment gener-ally prohibits its use to better-armed and more mobile units.

Weapons and Ammo:TypeSRM 6SRM 6Ammo (SRM) 30

Notable Armor Units and Crews:Anjin Smith, a Liao sergeant, is the only member of a Hetzer

crew never to have requested transfer to a different vehicle unit.Operating in a Hetzer he reprogrammed himself, Smith has beenthrough more than fifteen engagements, with fifteen �kills� ofassorted larger vehicles to his credit � among them a Marauder

Type: Harrasser Missile Platform

Movement Type:Tonnage:Cruise Speed:Flank Speed:Engine:

RatingType

Hover

1015

120I.C.E.

12.5

02.5.6

32 2Points76/676

Facing TonsTurret 3Turret 3Body 2

Mass: 25 TonsMovement Type: HoverPower Plant: GM Classic II I.C.E.Cruising Speed: 108.0 kphMaximum Speed: 162.0 kphArmor: 2 Star SlabArmament: Two Sureshot Mk. VI Short Range Missile PacksManufacturer: Foxcell Products, Inc.Communications System: ZaiBan X-1000Targeting and Tracking System: TacTex Fixer

Tons Overview:

25

8

The Harrasser Missile Platform is used in support of infantrythat is moving into enemy-held territory. The Harrasser�s highspeed keeps it out of harm�s way.

Most of the original Harrassers were built on civilian worlds in2996, designed to defend against either invading troops or lighter�Mechs bold enough to move into a city. This vehicle�s high speedand easy maneuverability made it instantly popular with its oper-

Hetzer Wheeled Assault Gun

Harrasser MissilePlatform

ators. Before long, the Harrasser was one of the most popularprivately-owned military vehicles on the market.

Not only does the Harrasser require a skilled and daring driver,but the vehicle itself is a pure joy to operate. It is no wonder,then, that Harrasser drivers take pride in their machine, spend-ing long hours tinkering with it. Harrassers are lovingly kept inperfect condition. Many have been passed down from generationto generation and are today worth more than five times theirnormal C-bill cost.

sizes. A lesser-used option is to replace the missiles with flamersor communications-detection gear. These are generally used onlyfor very specialized missions.

Capabilities:The Harrasser�s armament is designed for quick infighting. Its

two SureShot Mk. VI Short Range Missile Packs give the Harras-ser a good chance of disabling a vehicle much bigger than itself.In general, however, it cannot win a sustained fight because of itslight armor.

The Harrasser�s best defence is its amazing speed. When mov-ing full out, it is difficult for even �Mechs to land a hit on anevading Harrasser.

Notable Armor Units and Crews:Marklin �Chevy� Chevalier is the owner of one of an original

Harrasser, one of the first ever to come off the assembly line. It isrumored that he won it in a card game, having staked his familyestate for a chance to acquire the coveted vehicle. Chevy has kepthis Harrasser, known as �Aces and Eights,� in perfect condition,both, for fighting and to exhibit in the Harrasser shows held atvarious times and places throughout the star systems. Here,proud Harrasser owners come together to admire each other�smachines, learn new variations, and swap war stories. Chevy iscommander of the 17th Support Unit stationed on Shroedinger.He is also president of the �57 Club, a group of Harrasser collec-tors stationed on the planet.

Battle History:One of the first and greatest Harrasser victories occurred on

Quentin, a planet where many Harrassers were built. In 3000, anadvance group from an unknown Kurita Jump Ship invaded theplanet during a border skirmish that had gotten out of hand.Catching the forces of House Davion garrisoned on Quentin com-pletely by surprise, the Kurita troops quickly disabled or cap-tured most of the defending armor units. The few �Mechs thathad been stationed on Quentin had been recently transferred toguard the border, leaving behind only a couple of light �Mechlances and one medium lance. Kurita forces crushed these with-out difficulty.

The Kurita forces had just settled down to relish their triumphwhen they were suddenly attacked out of nowhere. The 3rd and5th Infantry Support Companies of House Davion had been outon maneuvers in a remote area of the planet. Using their Harras-sers, the 3rd and 5th ISC launched a series of hit-and-run guerillaraids. Their precision strikes so devastated the invaders that theKurita troops surrendered within one week.

Variants:

Type: Schrek PPC CarrierTons

Movement Type: TrackTonnage: 80Cruise Speed: 3Flank Speed: 5Engine: 17.5

Rating 240Type Fusion

Control: 4Lift Equipment:Power Amplifier:Heat Sinks: 30 20Internal Structure: 8Turret: 2.1

Armor: 112 7Location PointsFront 27L t . / R t . S i d e 20/20Back 20Turret 25

Weapons and Ammo:Many variations have become popular with Harrasser operators

over the years, since part of the joy of owning one of these vehi-cles is �souping it up.� Replacing the two missile packs with one * T y p e Facing TonsFarFire-10 Long Range Missile System and 24 loads of ammuni- PPC Turret 7tion is one of the most popular modifications. Another popular PPC Turret 7variation replaces the missile pacs with laser weapons of various PPC Turret 7

80 OCTOBER 1986

Schrek PPC Carrier

Mass: 80 TonsMovement Type: TrackPower Plant: Pitban Fusion 240Cruising Speed: 32.4 kphMaximum Speed: 54.0 kphArmor: ArcShield VIIArmament: Three HellStar PPCsManufacturer: Aldis IndustriesCommunications System: Olmstead 3000Targeting and Tracking System: Omicron IX

Overview:For many years, the Demolisher heavy tank was one of the

most feared vehicles on the battlefield. Unfortunately, it wasfeared as much by its own crew as it was by the enemy. TheDemolisher�s main guns had the side effect of generating suchextreme amounts of heat that the crew had to wear speciallydesigned coolant suits when operating it. If the Demolisher be-came involved in a sustained firefight, even the crew�s coolantsuits would give out. If they didn�t die from the heat, the crew-men were so weakened they could no longer fire and instantlybecame sitting ducks.

Ten years and hundreds of coolant suits later, Aldis Industriesannounced the release of a vehicle of a size and fire power com-parable to the Demolisher, but without the heat problems. Thisvehicle was the Schrek PPC carrier.

Capabilities:The Schrek�s main function on the battlefield is to act as long-

range heavy fire support to vehicles and �Mechs. The three Hell-Star PPCs allow the Schrek to engage and destroy practically any�Mech in combat. A light �Mech may be able to close with theSchrek, but one hit from the PPCs will usually disable or kill the�Mech. By the time heavier �Mechs lumber near enough to engagea Schrek, the Schrek�s PPCs may have already inflicted severedamage on them. Medium-sized �Mechs are most dangerous to aSchrek, since these �Mechs combine both good speed and strongfire power capabilities.

The Schrek�s angled, sloped armor and low profile make it adifficult target to spot and destroy. It is, therefore, particularlygood for taking fire from hidden gun emplacements. TheSchrek�s two treads allow it to move easily over soft terrain.

The Schrek lacks close-range attack capability. The PPCs havedifficulty concentrating a particle stream at ranges under 90meters, so a Schrek generally attempts to avoid direct engage-ments with an enemy.

Battle History:Though understandably reluctant to release any information

concerning his homeworld, the alleged interstellar pirate Redjak

Ryan has allowed this story to be made public. According toRyan, he and his troops were away from their homeworld ofButte Hold in an attempt to �purchase several pieces of agricul-tural equipment necessary to the peaceful, agrarian pursuits ofour people.� Some unknown invader, hearing that the main forcesof Ryan�s army were off-world, took advantage of the opportunityto raid several of Butte Holds outposts.

After stealing large quantities of supplies and equipment, theinvaders set up camp outside one of Ryan�s major strongholds,obviously preparing a full-out assault. Fortunately, Ryan�s com-manders had the presence of mind to investigate certain largecrates marked �Tractor� that Ryan had brought back from his last�farm equipment purchasing expedition.� No one was more sur-prised than Ryan upon learning that the five �Tractors� were fiveSchreks.

�I can�t imagine how such a mix-up occurred,� Ryan commentedlater. �I suppose we�ll have to return them sometime!

The invader�s force consisted of light and medium �Mechs, andalso included several aerospace fighters. Its initial plan was tocompletely overwhelm and overrun the strongholds defenders.Within thirty minutes, however, the five �Tractors� had reducedthe enemy to scrap metal.

Variants:Very few variants of the Schrek have come into use. Occasion-

ally, troops mount external machine guns or small lasers on them,but this is rare.

Notable Armor Units and Crews:A private in the heavy armor unit of Halsten�s Brigade, Fre-

derick �Sniper� Jones earned his nickname by his skill in makingincredible shots. On at least three occasions when his Shreck hasbeen battling overwhelming �Mech forces, Jones has picked out acommander and made a kill with a PPC shot to the head.

In summation, we quote Hanse Davion, speaking at the awardceremonies held in honor of the 3rd and 5th ISC. In his speech,Davion commented, �I have sometimes heard �Mech pilots sneerat those who act in a ground-support capacity. I have noticed thatit is often these very pilots who end up fighting alone againstuneven odds, having been abandoned by those who might havebeen able to save them. I can only say that these unprofessionalimbeciles richly deserved their fate. I know more than one �Mech-Warrior who owes his life to his ground support. The smart onesnever forget it.�

82 OCTOBER 1986

Randal S. Doering

The technology of science fiction andthe magic of fantasy often meet and min-gle in modern literature, and when themixture is blended well the result is moreaction and excitement for the reader thaneither science fiction or fantasy wouldhave offered by itself.

Can this same mixture be created in theenvironment of a role-playing game �specifically the AD&D® game? Yes, it can.Mixing modern or futuristic technologyinto the magic-dominated AD&D multi-verse is certainly possible, but the Dun-geon Master should not take such a stepwithout a lot of careful considerationbeforehand. This article offers guidelinesto the DM who wants to try mixing ma-chine guns and magic missiles, in theinterest of achieving a good blend inwhich the whole is truly greater than thesum of its parts.

The most important guideline, whichunderlies any other advice on the subject,is this: The DM must maintain controlover the campaign and the technologicalitems incorporated in it. Certain controlsshould be pre-established, based on com-mon sense and the DM�s concept of gamebalance. Much as with powerful magicitems, objects of sophisticated technologycan ruin an otherwise well-made campaignif they are misused or overused. But whenkept in their proper place, they can add aspecial zest to the campaign and enhancethe adventuring experience for everyoneinvolved.

The question of durationControl starts with the DM�s decisions on

what sorts of technological items will beadded to his campaign world, and this isdetermined largely by the intended dura-tion of the items. Will the items be tempo-rary, as are those in TSR Module S3,Expedition to the Barrier Peaks, or willthey be a permanent part of the cam-paign? This distinction will be of vitalimport, for the methods of awarding andcontrolling the technological items will bevastly different for each case. Temporaryitems can be comparatively potent, sincethey are not supposed to last for morethan one or two adventures. Permanentitems should be much less powerful; suchan item will have a long-lasting impact on

84 OCTOBER 1986

the campaign, but should not be the piv-otal factor in the campaign�s evolution.

Scenarios that offer technological itemsas a temporary reward give the DM anexcellent opportunity to spice up the cam-paign by throwing in a curiosity or two.Items along this line should be usable onlyonce or twice, for they are meant only asdiversions and not as mainstay items.Good examples here are grenades or simi-lar weapons, containers of medicines, andoddities (such as food pills that supply afull day�s nourishment). None of theseitems (a single grenade, a dose of medi-cine, a single pill) will last for more thanone use, and the party�s supply of anytemporary item should be gone within afew adventures at most.

As a good rule of thumb, all of the tech-nological weaponry a party could find in atemporary-item scenario should not beable to inflict more dice (d6) of damagethan three times the party�s total numberof levels. (For multiclassed characters,average their levels and round to thenearest whole number.) Using this rule, aparty of six 5th-level characters (30 levelstotal) should find technological weaponrythat can do no more than 90 dice of dam-age before being used up. This is not asmuch as it might seem; for instance, awand of fire discovered with an averageamount of power remaining (90 charges)and then used to simulate 45 fireball spellswill inflict 270 dice of damage beforebeing exhausted � and it need not be usedup, since the wand can be recharged.

Example: The DM has decided that theparty mentioned above has no urgentneeds, and elects to give them a chance atobtaining 90 dice worth of technologicalweaponry. In the upcoming adventure, hehas placed 30 fragmentation grenades (hehas decided that each causes 2d6 damage),a .44 caliber pistol with 20 bullets (eachdoing 1d10 damage), and a laser rifle withsufficient power to fire two more times(each shot doing 5d6 damage).

The damage die used can vary some-what, but should be kept to a d6 as muchas possible so that the items in questioncan be compared to various damagingspells. In this way, the DM can be confi-dent of maintaining a good game balance;it gives him something with which he cancompare his technological weapons. The.44 pistol above does heavy damage in

terms of the die type used, but there areonly 20 bullets. If you only give out de-vices that use a d10 or d12 to determinedamage, then the number of damage diceallowed to the party should be halved.

Of course, not all temporary technologi-cal items are weapons. When placingnondamaging objects or devices, treatthem as you would minor magical items.These miscellaneous devices should not betoo powerful and should be discoveredonly in moderate numbers.

Another rule of thumb goes like this:The number of miscellaneous temporaryitems able to be discovered should beequal to no more than one-third of thetotal number of party levels. Thus, if ourparty of six 5th-level characters stumbledinto a hoard of technological items, theywould find at most ten minor, miscellane-ous items and 90 dice worth of damagingweaponry.

Most miscellaneous items found shouldduplicate the effects of minor magic itemsor spells of no higher than 3rd level. Forexample, medicines should heal 4-10points of damage (as a potion of healing)or possibly allow water breathing (as thepotion or as the 3rd-level magic-user spellof the same name). A suit might be foundthat contains chemicals to keep the wearerwarm in sub-zero temperatures (once);this suit can be compared to the lst-levelcleric spell resist cold and is perfectlyallowable, using this guideline. Thesesuggestions and a bit of thought can keepminor, temporary technological items wellunder control.

Permanent itemsWhen the DM decides to make technol-

ogy a permanent part of his campaign, heis asking for many hours of labor. Manyquestions that did not need to be an-swered for the temporary-item scenarionow must be examined in depth. Thequestion of origins must be dealt with:Where did these items come from? Cananyone use them (especially the weapons)?How does a DM deal with the relativelypotent miscellaneous items that mightbecome part of a long-lasting campaign?

The origin of technology. If technologicalitems are introduced to the campaign for atemporary diversion, then their sourcewill be of little consequence to play. The

items were perhaps lost by an interdimen-sional traveler or could have belonged toan ancient race. Spread a bit of oil oftimelessness on an item made of super-materials, and who can say how long itwould last? For temporary technologicalitems, the DM can make up nearly anyexplanation he likes. For a long-rangecampaign inclusion, however, some rea-sonable explanation as to the origin andpurpose of these items must be made.

In this author�s campaign world of Cry-soberyl, technological items of many sortsare a permanent part of the campaign.They are very rare and extremely expen-sive (when they can be bought at all), butcan be found by the lucky and the perse-vering. These items come from a dyingcity some 6,000 miles out to sea. The peo-ple of this city are more than a little de-praved and often come to the mainlandfor a bit of �sport� (i.e., tearing up a fewlocal villages and departing before effec-tive resistance can be mustered). Over theyears, some of these invaders have beendealt with by the natives, and their itemstossed with their remains into the nearestdeep hole. Once in a while, some luckyadventurer stumbles upon the items again.

An alternate scenario: A member of thetroubled technological folk steals a smallflier, loads it up, and flees to the continent.The flier crashes into the jungle for heroesto find later. Over the centuries, quite afew of these items have been scatteredacross the land, so the characters havesome familiarity with them, and they canexpect to find more. They do not knowwhere these items come from (the nativessay from over the sea, but who trusts astupid barbarian?), but the DM knows, andthe door is open for further adventures.

Perhaps variations on these scenarioswould work for other DMs. The abovereasoning has proven very effective in myworld because the use of technologicalitems was planned for when the worldwas designed. If the DM considering theorigin of technological items in his cam-paign has already designed his entireworld, it may not initially have room forsuch a city � but this presents little obsta-cle to the inventive DM.

If you can�t change the surface geogra-phy to account for a place that containstechnological items, then go beneath thesurface. For instance, it could be thatthese items come from deep inside theplanet, and the subterranean races thatmade them have finally all but slaughteredone another. The survivors are fleeingupward, only to meet drow elves, kuo-toa,and other vicious under-dwellers. Thevery few who survive that set of encoun-ters reach the surface, only to die whenexposed to sunlight. But now, suddenly,technological items are turning up. Insmall quantities, yes � but with a bit oftraveling, one might collect quite a few ofthem. Some must have fallen into thehands of the drow or the tentacles of themind flayers. Perhaps some members of

the original race are still around, trying toregather their items.

Class restrictions. In a scenario involvingtemporary technological items, the ques-tion of which character classes can usethem is not terribly important. The itemsfound are not lasting and thus would notbe around long enough to create a game-balance disturbance. But when such itemsare made part of the campaign, the ques-tion becomes important. Obviously theentire party cannot be equipped withrifles and grenades, nor could all of thecharacters use any miscellaneous item.

Miscellaneous technological devicesshould be usable by most classes, just asare the various potions and miscellaneousmagical items. Common sense has to bethe guiding factor here. For instance, acleric might not use or sanction the use ofhealing drugs. A detect magic spell willshow such an item to be non-magical;therefore, the gods had no hand in itsmaking (unlike a potion of healing). A thiefmight not use any items that fit over thehands, and would probably not wear orcarry any large, bulky items, for this couldaffect the performance of his dexterity-related skills.

Technological weapons are anothermatter entirely, and a moment�s reflectionwill show that the fighter class alone issuited to their use. After all, the fighter isbasically a person who is skilled in weap-ons use. Since fighters gain no primaryabilities other than their skill at arms, theyare well suited to taking on a new set ofweaponry. The addition of technologicalweapons to a campaign gives the fighter aspecial ability of his own. In a game wherespecialty classes have increasing roles, thisrestriction on who can use technologicalweapons will help keep fighters a distinc-tive class.

Being eligible to use a weapon andknowing how to use it are not the samething. No fighter will be able to find a rifle,pick it up, and start firing right away(especially if the rifle isn�t loaded to beginwith). For temporary items that just popup in the middle of an adventure, and formost permanent items that are to be afixture in the campaign, the would-be usermust first figure out how the weapon oritem works. A system for figuring out thefunction of an unknown artifact is given inthe GAMMA WORLD® game rules, andanother one is provided in issue #100 ofDRAGON® Magazine. The DM can devisehis own system, using either of these as amodel; understanding how a technologicalitem works shouldn�t be impossible, butneither should it be automatic. Even aftera weapon is figured out, the fighter�s non-proficiency penalty should apply when hetries to use it.

For permanent items in a campaignenvironment, some of this discovery proc-ess may not be necessary. If a fighter oranother member of the party has seen orheard of a certain weapon, then the dis-

covery process might be shortened orsimplified for that weapon. Experiencealso counts for something; if a fighter haslearned that pulling the trigger will oper-ate a revolver, then he�ll recognize a trig-ger the next time he sees one, andprobably will have little trouble figuringout how to work other weapons withsimilar-looking triggers.

For devices that the DM feels the charac-ter would not know how to operate aheadof time, the only way to discover the item�sfunction is by trial and error. Sages, leg-end lore, and similar persons and spellsmay help but should never reveal all thereis to know about a new technologicalweapon.

Technological weapons in the campaign.When technological weaponry is added tothe campaign on a permanent basis, theformula given earlier (designed for usewith temporary items) no longer serves asan effective means to control such devices.Since the technological weapons will befound right along with magical weapons inmany cases, there can no longer be aslarge a number of them. The old formulaof �party levels times three� needs to bechanged, reducing the multiplier 3 to 2.This will reflect the fact that the items arenot temporary; they can be supplementedlater.

When a number of magical weapons areto be located in a treasure hoard, the 2 inthe equation should be reduced to a 1, orno technological weaponry should begiven away at all. If this seems harsh,remember that characters will havechances later to add to their technologicalweapons hoard. And, after all, the AD&Dgame is based on magic, not technology.Technological weaponry should neverbecome numerous enough to replacemagic weaponry!

When adding technological weapons toan AD&D game, the DM needs to remem-ber that all technological weapons have aweakness � they need ammunition. Thisammunition can come in two forms, de-pending upon the sort of weapon used.For ballistic weapons such as are used intoday�s world (pistols, rifles, etc.), theammunition comes in the form of bullets.With advanced (powered) weaponry, am-munition comes as power cells. Descrip-tions of the two ammunition types aregiven later. For now they are mentioned asa prelude to the upcoming charts.

For information and examples pertainingto modern ballistic weapons, the DM isreferred to issue #57 of DRAGON Maga-zine. Therein can be found an article,written by Ed Greenwood, entitled �Mod-ern Monsters� (reprinted in the Best ofDRAGON Vol. V anthology). The mosttechnical aspects of modern weapons arediscussed therein. Portions of that articlewere reproduced in DRAGON Magazineissue #100, in the �City Beyond the Gate�module written by Robert Schroeck.There is no need for this article to reiter-

DRAGON 85

ate the work already done by others, so noexamples of modern ballistic weapons areincluded here.

The two tables on this page describeadvanced weaponry (purely of the au-thor�s own invention) in AD&D gameterms. The first table includes examples ofpowered missile weapons, and the secondtable powered melee weapons. Additionalexamples of powered technological itemsgiven in AD&D terms may be found in theAD&D module S3, Expedition to the Bar-rier Peaks.

The weapons described on Table I existonly for purposes of this article and areexamples only. They share features, how-ever, that all advanced technological mis-sile weapons should have. They arelightweight, nonreproducible in a medievalsociety, and very damaging. Until a DMhas a chance to experiment with suchitems in a campaign, he should keep thefire rate down to one shot per round.Later the fire rate could be doubled (orhalved) if this proves necessary. Finally,the user of one of these items does notneed to make a �to hit� roll to strike atarget. However, the target has a chance tomake a saving throw vs. paralyzation toavoid the damage. This saving throw ismade at a bonus of +2 if the weapon isused at medium range, or +5 if the targetis at long range. Other benefits may alsoapply, such as a bonus for the wielder�slack of proficiency, a bonus for the targetbeing protected by cover, and perhaps (atthe DM�s discretion) a bonus for the tar-get�s dexterity if the weapon is used atmedium or long range. (Maybe there�stime to get out of the way, maybe not. . . .)

The melee weapons described on TableII are, again, examples only for this article.The forcesword looks like a sword hiltuntil the power is turned on, at whichtime a forcefield approximately the size ofa longsword blade appears. A powermaceis a rod of mithril. When activated, itsprouts a 6-inch-diameter sphere of crack-ling energy which causes burn damage totarget creatures. Most terrible of all is theelectroflail, a flail made of mithril andcharged with electricity. The slightesttouch of this device delivers a severe elec-trical shock.

All powered melee weapons share char-acteristics similar to powered missileweapons. They are lighter and a bit fasterthan their archaic cousins, but require justas much space to use. Damage is increasedin all cases, but not enough to upset thegame balance.

Powered melee weapons need only hitAC 10 to do damage, discounting armor,but adding dexterity and magical bonuses

for the target as applicable. Note thatcreatures of magic (i.e., demons) are enti-tled to full armor class when being hitwith a weapon of this sort. These weaponsmay or may not harm creatures requiringmagic to hit; this is up to individual DMs.

More examples of powered melee weap-ons may be found in the GAMMA WORLD

86 OCTOBER 1986

Table I: Powered missile weaponsweight Fire Charges Range

Weapon type (gp) Damage * rate per shot S M LSonic pistol 70 3-18 1 1 8 16 24Sonic rifle 90 4-24 1 2 10 20 30Hand atomizer 80 2-20 1 2 5 10 15Heavy atomizer 150 5-30 1 4 7 14 21

* � Damage does not vary by target size because the missile is an energy bolt, muchlike a spell effect.

Table II: Powered melee weaponsWeight Charges Weapon Space Speed

Weapon type (gp) Damage * per rd. length * * req. (ft.) factorForcesword 35 2-16 1 ½/3½ 3 4Powermace 60 2-12 2 2/2½ 4 6Electroflail 80 5-10 4 4/4 6 6

* � As with powered missile weapons, the damage for these devices does not varywith target size.

** � Weapon length is given in feet, before and after the weapon is turned on.

and TRAVELLER® games, although thesewill need work before they can be addedto an AD&D game.

Miscellaneous technological devices. Sofar this article has concentrated mainly onweapons, damage, and other mattersrelated to combat. Many technologicalitems, however, can be of a miscellaneousand helpful nature. Nearly any magicaleffect can come into being. Exampleswould be a pair of powerful binocularsthat are the equivalent of eyes of theeagle, mirrored sunglasses that reflectgaze attacks as a gaze reflection spell, anda suit of special cloth that prevents dam-age done by thrusting weapons. All ofthese items are very useful and could beused by nearly everyone. But they bringtheir own distinctive problems to the gamecampaign.

Controlling miscellaneous technologicalitems is trickier than controlling techno-logical weapons. There is no simple con-version of damage dice, and each item isdifferent from the others. In this case,there are two helpful hints to aid the DMin keeping miscellaneous technologicaldevices under control. One is for the DMto figure out experience point values forthe items (see the next section for an ex-planation of how to do this) and award thetechnological devices as if they were magi-cal items. The other is to compare the itemto a spell it emulates (if possible). Thetechnological items should be comparableto spells of a level that party spell-casterscan throw. If the party cleric can throw5th-level spells, then a machine that raisesdead (as the 5th-level cleric spell of thesame name) would not be too potent forthe party to have. Even if the cleric wereonly 8th level, this machine would not betoo powerful to allow the party to find it� so long as it only worked once,

Generally speaking, permanent techno-logical items that approximate spell effectsshould not be given out until party spell-

casters can do them one better. A machinelike the one mentioned above that worksrepeatedly will be rarer and more valu-able, and should not be found until theparty is at least 16th level (when the clericcould top its effects with a resurrectionspell). This brings the item to a subservi-ent position in the party, where it is stillvaluable, but will not dominate the party�sspecial equipment list. After all, if thesame 8th-level cleric found such a ma-chine, he would probably quit adventuringand raise dead for a living. This is cer-tainly not much of a challenge!

Finally, remember that exceptionallypowerful miscellaneous technologicaldevices will doubtless require constantattention, rare materials, or vast amountsof power to make them work. Once wordof such items circulates, thieves may try tosteal them, nobles may try to buy or takethem, etc. This situation is handled exactlyas a DM would handle characters withpotent magical items � make sure theitems are not abused! In the end, suchpotent technological items should breakdown, run out of power, or otherwise fail.Items like the raise dead machine couldprove fatal to a campaign if used too often,for they would make even death an easilysolved problem.

Experience point awardsFrom the problems of technological

items origins and users, and the differentuses of technological items, we go on toaddress the awarding of experience pointsfor these items. This section has threecategories. The first concerns technologi-cal weaponry, the second ammunition, andthe third miscellaneous technologicalitems.

Technological weaponry breaks downinto powered melee weapons and twokinds of missile weapons: ballistic andpowered. Powered melee weapons shouldbe designed to resemble archaic-typeweaponry, so that their users have some

basis to relate to them. Weapons such as ages will increase, as well as their ranges. lows one to breathe water, much as athis are then worth as many experience For powered missile rifles, the DM needs water breathing potion. The mask will lastpoints as a + 1 (magical) archaic weapon of to calculate base xp value (such as 800 xp forever (so long as it has power, anyway),the sort they resemble. This relatively low for a sonic rifle) by damage, then double but the potion only lasts a few hours. Thevalue for experience points reflects the this value (because the weapon is a rifle potion is worth 400 xp, so the mask isinferiority of the technological weapons, version of a pistol). Thus, the sonic rifle is worth 800 xp. In the second case, a neck-in the respect that they require power worth 1600 xp. This makes rifles worth lace of adaptation is compared to a dispos-cells to operate. An example of this is the much more experience than pistols and able mask that filters out one dose ofpowermace mentioned earlier, which should force the DM to make powered poisonous gas. The necklace is worth 1000compares to a magical mace + 1. The mace rifles more rare than any other sort of xp and is a permanent item. Since the+1 is worth 350 xp, so the powermace is technological weapon, which is as it mask will only work once, it is worth only

also worth this experience point value. should be. one quarter as much experience as theThe forcesword compares to a sword + 1 Powered missile weapons that can kill or necklace, or 250 xp. This system will prob-and is worth 400 xp, and so on. If a pow- disintegrate their targets with one shot are ably take care of most miscellaneous tech-ered melee weapon has a special ability worth a flat 3000 xp in pistol form, 10,000 nological devices.that compares to a magical function, the xp as a rifle. Needless to say, these items The DM should always try to use theitem should be worth half as many experi- should be virtually nonexistent and should above method of awarding experience. Itence points as that item. Thus, if the for- use many charges per shot (half of a keeps new items compared to existingcesword has the ability to sever limbs on a power cell, for instance). items and provides the simplest, mostnatural roll of 20, it can be compared to a Ammunition is also awarded an experi- direct experience point conversions. Some-sword of sharpness. The experience point ence point value. Bullets are worth 25 xp times, however, this method may notvalue for a sword of sharpness is 7000 xp, per die of damage they cause. This means work. There may be times when the tech-so the forcesword (which is dependent that a bullet causing 1d6 damage is worth nological item resembles a spell effectupon power cells) is worth 3500 xp. just as much experience as a bullet doing more closely than a magic item. These

For technological missile weapons, expe- 1d10 damage, just as a magical crossbow items are awarded experience by the levelrience awarded depends on the basic sort bolt + 1 is worth the same experience as a of the spell they emulate.of weapon, i.e., ballistic or powered. Ballis- magical arrow +1. Power cells are worth An item which resembles a spell istic weapons that can be made by local 20 xp per charge, so a fully charged power worth 150 xp per level of the spell it re-metalsmiths are no different from com- cell with twenty charges is worth 400 xp. sembles. This makes a technological drugmon bows and crossbows and are worth Such low values for experience enable the which allows its user to run for manyno experience points. If such a weapon DM to keep the party well supplied with hours without tiring worth 150 xp, for itcannot be bought and must be found, such items. duplicates the effects of the 1st-levelhowever, it should be worth experience to Miscellaneous technological items are magic-user spell run. Items that resembleits user. The exact experience point award the most difficult to classify, due to the multiple spell effects are worth the experi-should be 500 xp for all ballistic pistols vast variety of such items which can oc- ence points of the highest spell level emu-and 100 xp for ballistic rifles (including cur. These items can be divided into three lated and half that of each of the othershotguns). This compares ballistic weapons groups: miscellaneous technological de- spell effects.to a magical bow + 1, which they resemble vices that resemble magical items, those For example, a technological item thatin function. The caliber of the ballistic that resemble spell effects, and the devices allows weather control might also allowitem in question is no more important that are so unusual that they are like no the user to create lightning (as a call light-than the sort of bow; it is the weapon class sort of magic and must stand alone. The ning spell), gusts of wind, precipitation,which counts here, not individual weap- methods for awarding experience for cloudbursts, and zephyrs. The base experi-ons. Rifle-type ballistics are always worth these, different sorts of items are de- ence for the machine is 900 xp, for thetwice the experience points as pistols, for scribed in detail below. 6th-level magic-user spell control weatherobvious reasons. Many miscellaneous technological de- is the highest level spell that the machine

Grenades and other explosive (ballistic) vices will resemble some sort of already- emulates. The other spell effects aremissiles are worth 100 xp per die of dam- existing magical item. If this is the case, worth a total of 900 additional experienceage they cause. This low value reflects the the technological item can be awarded points (three 3rd-level spells, a 2nd-leveltemporary nature of such items and al- experience points as if it were the magical spell, and a 1st-level spell equal 12 spelllows the DM to give out many, of these item, and the situation is easily resolved. levels, times 150 xp per spell level, divideddevices. Using this method, a pair of powerful by two because these spell effects are

Since powered missile weapons will be binoculars is worth the same experience secondary to the primary control weathermore individualistic than ballistic weap- value as eyes of the eagle, or 3500 xp. A function), so the entire machine is worthonry (a laser is nothing like a sonicgun, dose of medicine which cures 2d6 damage 1800 xp. As a rule of thumb, the spell listand so forth), these items must be assigned is like a potion of healing (200 xp), and so used to determine spell level should be theindividual experience point values. An forth. magic-user list first, for this list containsitem of this sort should be categorized by In many cases, however, the two items most spells of general nature. From herethe type of damage it does, i.e., stunning, will be alike but will not have the same the Dungeon Master can go to other spellelemental damage (heat, cold, electricity, duration, In this case, the technological lists as necessary.)etc.), disintegration, etc. The less the dam- item in question must suffer a reduction These values are modified as above forage done by a technological weapon, the in, or be granted more experience value. comparing permanent and temporaryless experience it is worth. A stunning For a technological item which is perma- items. Thus, if the weather machine men-item will not harm victims at all, so it nent and which emulates a magical item of tioned above was a permanent item (as itstarts the list at a flat 250 xp for a stun temporary nature, the technological item�s would probably be), it is worth 3600 xp.pistol, twice that for a stun rifle (500 xp). awarded xp are double those of the magi- This is not much experience for such aWeapons which do elemental damage are cal item in question. When the technologi- potent item, but then it will need manyworth 200 xp per die of damage they cal item is temporary but the magic item power cells and possibly other expensivecause. Thus, a sonic pistol which causes to which it is compared is permanent, the material components to continue operat-3d6 damage per shot is worth 600 xp. technological item is worth only one- ing. This method of awarding experience

The rifle versions of powered missile quarter of the xp value of the magic item. should take care of all save a very few ofweapons are different than the rifle ver- For example, take the first case. Com- the technological items which do not fitsions of ballistic weapons, for their dam- pare a technological facemask which al- the guidelines given above.

88 OCTOBER 1986

tion. They are nonreproducible in anymedieval society and must be found. Theaverage power cell should be about the

like this is strictly up to each DM, based thieves to steal the item, and may lead to aupon the relative power of the item. Com-

size of a watch battery and should containlot of excitement. Technological items are about twenty charges. Any less than this,

pare the item to magic items or spells it just like magical items in the respect that and the fighter will be changing cells tooeven remotely resembles and work from experience gained is for keeping or selling often! The problem is solved by leapingthere, using the suggestions given above. the item � never both! from swords and crossbows, straight intoThe example for this section is a suit ofballistic cloth which prevents damage The case for technology

high technology.This same principle applies to other

done by thrusting weapons. This suit is technological weapons in the campaign.slightly akin to a stoneskin spell (4th-level

This article has so far discussed onlymodern or futuristic weaponry. No men- Grenades are converted to plastic explo-

magic-user spell) or a periapt of wound tion has been made of weapons such as sives, and plastic explosive bullets replaceclosure, but is not as potent as either. The the blunderbuss or the musket, nor will all traditional bullets. The chain of eventsspell effect would make the item worth this article go on to discuss such. There which could have led to a low-technology1200 xp (150 xp per spell level × 4th-level are two reasons for this. DRAGON Maga- civilization into an advanced one is nowspell × 2 because the spell is temporary zine has already published several excel- broken. Characters still have the newand the suit is permanent), while the lent articles on more primitive (or early, if weapons and the DM does not have tomagic item would make it worth 1000 xp.

One solution here could be to averagepreferred): technological weaponry. The worry about characters reproducing am-best examples of these are �Firearms� by munition. The characters still have to

these two values, to end up at 1100 xp. Ed Greenwood (issue #60) and �A Second depend upon the DM for resupply, soThis value should then be halved, because Volley,� by the same author, in issue #70. control stays with the DM.the item is nowhere near as potent as These articles deal very completely with Advanced weaponry is even easier toeither the spell or the magic item in ques- the beginning of ballistic weaponry, so no control. Such devices would have thou-tion. The suit ends up being worth 550 xp. repeat performance is necessary. sands of parts, nearly all beyond the ar-There are, of course, other solutions here, Also, it is this author�s opinion that such chaic craftsman�s ability to reproduce.and it is up to each DM to find them. This weaponry does not belong in the AD&D They would be made of high-tech materi-process is a time-consuming bother, so it is game. Once a world is given the secret of, als and could not operate if parts wereheartily recommended that the DM not gunpowder, it can be argued that technol- replaced with baser substances. Theseput in too many items of this sort. ogy will follow the course it did on Earth.

[See, however, �All about Krynn�s gnomes,�Selling technological items in issue #103. � Editor] From crude ballis-

The selling of technological items is tics such as are noted above, the humangoing to be much easier for characters race has developed a plethora of powerful

�than the buying of� such, just as with magic ballistic (and nuclear) weapons. Allowingitems. The value of a technological item is early ballistics in a campaign world makesdependent upon its durability. If the item way for advancement down the chrono-is temporary, it is worth three times its logical road, Technological weapons in anexperience point value in gold pieces. AD&D campaign world should thereforeItems which need ammunition, power, or be constructed so that the inhabitants ofother assistance before they will work are that world cannot reproduce their vitalworth five times their xp value in gold. components.Technological items of a permanent, non- While the smiths of an AD&D worldassisted nature are worth as much gold as would probably be able to reproduce aeight times their experience point value. modern ballistic weapon (if in slightlyThis system will not work in every case, poorer quality), the ammunition would bebut it is a good general guideline to start another matter. However, given time andwith. It allows for the quick sale of most the aid of a magic-user friend, a clevertechnological items.

Buying technological items is strictly upalchemist could probably solve that prob-lem also. Here, then, is the weak link. The

to the DM, if it can be done at all. Ballistic problem is not the weapon (even a ma-weapons which can be made by local chine gun is nothing except a fancy club,craftsmen should sell for about 40-80 gp. without its bullets) but the ammunition. In

The item which does not fit either of in small communities, it will take the re-these categories will be unusual indeed. sources of a city to handle larger techno-Assigning experience points for an item logical items. This allows opportunity for

devices also take power cells � morenonreproducible items. They remain, tothe characters, a form of alien magicwhich must be supplied by the DM.

Miscellaneous technological items arehandled in the exact same way. If the DMwants to give away a coffee grinder, heneeds to make it fully automatic, withforcefields to crush the contents. Theaverage miscellaneous technological itemshould be beyond all comprehension in itsworkings, so long as it is usable by thosewho find it. Using advanced technologicaldevices is just one more way for the DM to�stay on top of things� and stave off trou-ble before it begins.

Undoubtedly, many DMs are alreadythinking about combining magical andtechnological items to create �magitek�items. Unless the DM has much experi-ence, this is not recommended. Upon thisauthor�s world of Crysoberyl such experi-ments were tried, and nearly all of theresultant items were simply too powerful.Technological items, as outlined above andin the referenced articles, are potentenough to stand on their own. The addi-tion of magical abilities to already-potenttechnological items generally creates anitem which upsets the balance of thegame.

its modern-day form, ammunition is de-rived from natural ingredients which areeasily reproducible in a well-stocked alche-mist�s laboratory.

The solution here is to upgrade the vitalcomponent, the ammunition, to such apoint that it cannot be reproduced in amedieval society. For the modern-typebullet, this could be accomplished byreplacing the cartridge with a wad ofplastic explosives. These explosives areshaped like a brass cartridge and areentirely consumed in the firing of thebullet. This leaves no residue for a busy-body alchemist to study, and the explo-sives are so advanced that an alchemistcould not even break them down to study,much less reproduce them. In poweredweaponry, power cells are the ammuni-

This makes them expensive but not un-reachable to low-level parties. As withmagical items, technological items whichcan normally only be found should have tobe traded for (using other technologicalitems, magical items, etc.) or bought atprices which are grossly unreasonable (10-20 times their experience value in gold).Special circumstances may mitigate this.As with buying magical items, this entireprocess is a field where the DM is prettymuch on his own. Skill at handling situa-tions like this comes only with experience,and no further explanation can be given inthis article.

Finally, it is important to remember thatto buy or sell technological items, theremust be a seller and a buyer handy! Whilesome minor items could be bought or sold

90 OCTOBER 1986

For more experienced DMs, there is onesmall sort of magical-technological blend-ing which could be allowed. Magic-usersof high enough level to enchant an item(12th level and over) could create bulletsor recharge (but not create) power cells.For bullets, this calls for the wizard tohave dummy bullets made of fine materi-als, worth a minimum of 100 gp per bullet.He then uses the enchant an item spell. If

Magitek

the spell takes effect, the wizard finishesthe process with a magic missile spell. Onebullet per level of the caster may be thusenchanted, with one enchant an item spell.If the initial saving throw for the bulletsfails, the entire lot is ruined, and themagic-user must start over with a newbatch of bullets.

For power cells, the wizard again usesthe enchant an item spell. If this takeseffect, the process is finished with a shock-ing grasp spell, one such spell per powercell recharged. The wizard may rechargeup to two charges per level of experiencehe has, i.e., a 15th-level magic-user mayrecharge up to thirty charges. The num-ber of power cells recharged does notmatter, so long as the total number ofcharges restored to all involved powercells is no greater than two per level of thespell caster. Material components for thisspell cost 100 gp per charge restored.

No other use of �magitek� items shouldever be allowed. Powered devices whichneed no power cells would certainly behandy, but they defeat the purpose oftechnology in the AD&D game as a sec-ondary diversion. If the DM wants techno-logical items to replace magical items inhis world, he is playing the wrong game;try the GAMMA WORLD or TRAVELLERgames! The items created by the magic-user in the above examples have no �tohit� bonuses or damage bonuses. Theymerely allow the continued use of techno-logical items which have otherwise runout of ammunition. They are a minorcompromise between two opposite forcesin the AD&D universe, and should be allthe �magitek� a DM needs.

Hints for game balanceWhen all is said and done, everything

which has been suggested in this article isonly a set of guidelines. By using suchguidelines, the DM can avoid many of themistakes and pitfalls that this author metwhen adding technology to his own gameworld. In this final section are three rulesto further aid the DM. They deal withareas which have been studiously avoidedthus far, so that their import could benoted by their position at the end of thisarticle. These problems areas are auto-matic weapons (machine guns), the use ofbombs and other devastating weapons,and magic versus technology.

1. Control automatic weapons. Techno-logical weapons, whether ballistic or pow-ered, are quite powerful. When the DMdecides to add automatic weapons, thingscan get out of hand in a hurry. Characterscan begin to hoard bullets and power cellsfor that �burst of glory� that will wipe outa DM�s best creations and ruin an entireadventure. The best way to avoid this problem is not to allow any automaticweapons at all. If, however, a DM desiresto add such devices, here is all the help this author can offer.

Generally speaking, automatic powered

weapons are impractical. Charge usagewill run the weapon out of ammo before itcan be used to create much more than onequick spray, and such use would probablyslag the weapon�s circuitry. The individualDM may add such an item perhaps onceor twice, for special missions or such, butcontinued use of automatic poweredweapons is strongly discouraged.

Automatic ballistic weapons are mucheasier to handle. If the ammunition is keptto small caliber (such as 5 mm), the bulletscan be given poor armor penetrationbonuses. In addition, automatic fire affectsa 90-degree arc in front of the firer and isnonselective; like an area-effect spell,friend or foe alike may be hit. Since theweapon�s user cannot really control eachbullet�s flight, �to hit� rolls for all bulletsare at -2 on this roll. Automatic weaponsfire no more than 20 bullets at a burst(that is, per melee round) and should have10%-40% misses before �to hit� rolls evenbegin (bullets are removed from play,unless the firer shot into a crowd). Once acharacter uses a magazine or two of hard-won ammunition with penalties like these,automatic weapons use should be drasti-cally cut down. Such weapons can neverbe produced by the inhabitants of a medie-val society and must always be found.

Ammunition must be found specificallyfor these weapons. Again, automatic weap-ons are not recommended except forspecial missions in which large numbers ofweak creatures would be met. Ammuni-tion for the weapon would be next toimpossible to get after such a mission.

2. No bombs. Grenades should be all ofthe heavy artillery a party needs, as far astechnological area-affect weapons go. Iffragmentation grenades doing 2d6 damagedo not seem potent enough to a DM, hecan always add his own grenades whichdo more damage. Maximum damage for agrenade should be 5d6, maximum area of

effect a 20-foot radius. This is the equiva-lent of a 5th-level magic-user using a fire-ball spell. This rule also encompasses suchdevices as artillery, which are also notneeded. Weapons on this scale promotetoo much power-playing and make suchactivities as seiges and the like too easy.For special scenarios, the DM may havecharacters activate a bomb which blowsup an entire keep or some such, but de-vices on this scale should never be ownedby player characters.

3. Magic always wins. The AD&D gameworld is a magical one, and in such aworld that power should be ultimate.When like amounts of magic and technol-ogy clash on equal terms, the magic willalways win. Period. This keeps the gamefocus where it should be and delegatestechnology to the secondary status itshould have in the game.

Last wordsUsing technology in an AD&D game can

give it energy and kindle new excitement,but the DM must be sure that he is incommand of this new element at all times.With few established rules to follow, theDM experimenting with technology has toknow what he wants the technology toaccomplish, how powerful it is in relationto the magic of his world, and what can bedone with it. In this article, the DM hasbeen given some suggestions and refer-ences to help him find other helpful artic-les, but this alone is not enough. He mustnow sit down and work out his own tech-nological system. Extensive playtestingwith NPCs will show the DM the strengthsand weaknesses of various strategies, sothat the technology introduced willstrengthen, not damage, his campaign.With the above guidelines in mind, the DMnow has a whole new path to explore onhis way to forging a campaign which willlast a lifetime.

The real thing(From page 3)don�t, and that�s okay, too � but I wantpeople to like me or hate me based on theREAL ME, not some con artist.

Why did this person write and tell mehe�d done this? I suspect he enjoyed crow-ing about the trick he�d pulled off. He evenasked if he could get a job with TSR, Inc.,and he enclosed his address and phonenumber but not his real name. He wasquite pleased and amused by the wholeaffair.

Sad to say, I was not amused, and nei-ther was our legal department, which iseyeing this case with some interest. I spenta lot of time on the phone, calling peoplethat the impostor mentioned in his letter,clearing up all the problems that the im-postor generated.

who designed the CALL OF CTHULHU®game, once discovered that a woman hadsigned autographs in a nearby bookstore,claiming to be �the� Sandy Peterson. �The�Sandy Peterson is a guy, but the lady ap-parently didn�t let that stop her.

Life is complicated enough withouthaving someone run around making iteven more complicated for you. On theother hand, if you feel that impersonating people is a harmless pastime, I would bemore than pleased to have you write to meand send me your name, address, phonenumber, and your VISA, MasterCard, andAmerican Express numbers (remember toinclude expiration dates). I�d like to go to aconvention in your honor sometime.

I also found that this sort of imperson-ation is not uncommon. Sandy Peterson,

DRAGON 91

CHICAGO MODEL AND HOBBYSHOW, Oct. 9-12

Sponsored by the Radio Control HobbyTrade Association, this game, model, andhobby show will provide a variety ofproduct sales and demonstrations. Thissecond annual event will be held at theO�Hare Expo Center. For further informa-tion, contact: Susan P. Lind, toll free, at(800)323-5155 (in Illinois and Canada, call(312)299-3131).

U-CON 4, Oct. 10-12Hosted by the Conflict Simulation Associ-

ation, this convention will be staged at theCoffman Union, Minneapolis Campus, atthe University of Minnesota in Minneapo-lis. Admission fees are $5 until Sept. 30,and $7.50 at the door. For details, contact:Conflict Simulation Association, U-Con 4,University of Minnesota, 235 CoffmanUnion, 300 Washington Ave., MinneapolisMN 55455.

NIANTICON, Oct. 11-12This gaming convention will be held at

the Howard Johnson�s in Niantic, Conn.Role-playing games, boardgames, andminiatures games will be featured, anddealers� displays will be available. Registra-tion fees are $3 a day and $5 for the week-end, if paid before Oct. 7; $4 a day and $7for the weekend at the door. For moredetails, send a SASE to: NIANTICON, c/oRobbins, 20 Red Oak Rd., Groton CT06340.

ADVACON, Oct. 12This gaming convention will be held at

the Polish Falcon Hall in Depew, N.Y. Fan-tasy and science fiction role-playinggames, board games, and miniatures tour-naments will be among the featuredevents. Preregistration fees are $3, and$3.50 at the door. For details, contact: TheAdvacon Fellowship, 101 Floss Ave., Buf-falo NY 14211.

CONTACT �86, Oct. 17-19This science fiction and gaming extrava-

ganza will be held at the Ramada Inn inEvansville, Ind. Guests include David R.Palmer, Stanley Schmidt, Frank Mentzer,and Penny Petticord. Other events willinclude RPGA� tournaments, a miniaturescontest, and an art show. Registration feesare $12 until Oct. 1, and $15 thereafter.For further information, contact: RCSFA,PO. Box 3894, Evansville IN 47737.

RUDICON �86, Oct. 17-19This gaming convention will take place

92 OCTOBER 1986

on the RIT campus in Rochester, N.Y. Fea-tured at this convention will be a varietyof events, including wargames, role-playing games, a dealers� room, movies,and tournaments. Registration is $7, and$5 for students with ID. For more details,write to: The Rochester Wargamers Asso-ciation and Guild, c/o Student Directorate,One Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester NY14623, ATTN: William Trainor.

This science fiction convention will beheld at the Sheraton Beach Inn in VirginiaBeach, Va. Guests will include C.J. Cher-ryh, Mike Kaluta, Marty Gear, Allen Wold,Kelly and Polly Freas, Colleen Doran, CurtHarpold, and Kay Reynolds. Sponsoredevents will include panels, movies, videos,open gaming, an art show, a costumecontest, and much more. The cost of amembership is $18. Dealers� tables are $50(including one membership). For furtherinformation; contact: SCI-CON 8, P.O. Box9434, Hampton VA 23670.

FALL CON 3, Oct. 25NEW ENGLAND REGION CONVEN-TION, Nov. 8-9

This one-day convention will take place This gaming convention, which is spon-at the Athenia Room in the Greencroft sored by the Newburyport WargamersCenter, 500 S. Main St., in Elkhart, Ind. Association, will be held at the D.A.V. hallFeatured events include an RPGA� tourna- on Route 1 in Newburyport, Mass. Events,ment, a WWI naval miniatures battle which include historical miniatures, fan-(1:2400 scale), a Civil War naval miniatures tasy role-playing, and other games, will bebattle (1:2400 or 1:1200 scale), and much sponsored from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Satur-more. Registration is $5, and is payable at day, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.the door. For more information, send a For membership information and furtherSASE to: Brigade Gaming Group, P.O. Box details, contact: Newburyport Wargamers252, Elkhart IN 46515, or call (219) 294- Association, Public Relations Office, 887019. Purchase St., Newburyport MA 01950.

OCTOBER FANTASY II, Oct. 25-26This second annual gaming event will

take place at the downtown Ramada Inn inMilwaukee, Wis. Featured tournamentswill be a three-round RPGA� AD&D®tourney, a two-round AD&D masters�tourney, a two-round CHILL� tourney, andmany other events. Guests of honor in-clude Frank Mentzer and Penny Petticord.Friday evening will feature the secondannual Halloween party, complete with araw liver toss. Pre-registration is $8 forthe convention, $8 per couple for theparty, and $10 each at the door. For moreinformation on the convention or on judg-ing, send a SASE to: Keith Polster, 1812Morgan Drive, Apt. #6, West Bend WI53095, or call (414) 338-8498.

TRICON, Nov. 8-9This comics/gaming convention will be

held at the Dunfey Hotel in San Mateo,Calif. Guests include Howard Chaykin andPaul Gulacey. Featured activities will in-clude role-playing games, wargames, andboardgames; contests and a dealers� roomwill also be offered. Pre-registration is $12,and $2 for each tournament. For moredetails, contact: Tricon, 1311 El CaminoReal, #196, Millbrae CA 94030.

CONQUEST V, Nov. 15-16

NECRONOMICON �86, Oct. 31-Nov. 2Sponsored by the Stonehill Science Fic-

tion Association, this convention will fea-ture Piers Anthony and Frederik Pohl asguests of honor. Events will include a fancabaret, a costume contest, a vampirepageant, and an art show. Preregistrationis $10 until Oct. 1. For more information,write to: Stonehill S.F. Association, P.O. Box2076, Riverview FL 33569, or call J. DavidBennett at (813)973-0038.

This gaming convention will be held atMichigan State University at the MSUStudent Union, in East Lansing, Mich.Events will include role-playing games,miniatures events, a miniatures paintingcontest, an auction, a dealers� room, andmore. For more information, write to:ConQuest V, 2300 N. Grand River Ave.,Lansing MI 48906.

CAROLINA MODEL AND HOBBYEXPO, Nov. 29-30

The Expo will be staged at The Merchan-dise Mart in Charlotte, N.C. Special guestswill include Tom DeSalco and Ron Frenz.Gaming tables are available for open gam-ing; gamers are invited to bring along theirfavorite games and meet a few opponents.Events will include demonstrations ofhistorical miniatures wargaming, a comicscollectors� show, model plane, ship, car,and train displays, and numerous war-games. Daily admission for this conventionis $2.50 for adults, and $1 for children age

DRAGONCON III, Nov. 1-2This convention will be held at the Qual-

ity Inn in Orlando, Fla. Prizes will beawarded to tournament winners inAD&D®, Traveller®, Starfleet Battles, Killer,Civilization, Diplomacy®, and Risk® compe-

titions. Films, open gaming, a dealers�room, and a costume contest will also beavailable. Registration is $12. For moredetails, call: (305) 352-6778.

SCI-CON 8, Nov. 7-9

6 through 12. For more details, write to:Carolina Hobby Expo, 3452 Odell SchoolRoad, Concord NC 28025.

MANATEE FANTASY FAIR �86, Nov.2 9 - 3 0

This comic book, fantasy, and sciencefiction convention will be held at theManatee Civic Center, which is located atthe intersection of U.S. Hwy. 41 and theManatee River in Bradenton, Fla. Doorsopen to the public at 10 a.m. each day.Admission to this event is $3 a day, or $5for both days. Dealers can rent displaytables for the weekend for $40 for thefirst table, and $35 for each table thereaf-ter. For further information, contact: TheTime Machine, 3320 Manatee Avenue, W.,Bradenton FL 33505, or call Henry Rainesat (813) 748-4879.

TROPICON V, Dec. 5-7The South Florida Science Fiction Society

will host this weekend event at the Ho-ward Johnson�s Ocean Resort in DeerfieldBeach, Fla. Gardner Dozois will be theguest of honor. Events will include panels,movies, a costume contest, a banquet, anart show, trivia, and gaming. Registrationis $10 until Oct. 31, and $15 thereafter.For further details, contact: SFSFS Secre-tary, P.O. Box 70143, Ft. Lauderdale FL33307.

EVECON 4, Jan. 2-4This fourth annual national convention,

which is sponsored by FanTek, will be heldat the Stouffers Concourse Hotel in CrystalCity, Va. Featured events will include alltypes of games, Cinemascope movies,music, an art show and sale, a Merchants�Bazaar, and a host of other activities. Pre-registration is $15 until Dec. 10, and $20the day of the event. For further informa-tion, send a SASE to: EveCon 4, c/o BruceEvry, Box 128, Aberdeen MD 21001, or call(301) 422-1235.

UNIVERSE 87, Jan. 2-4This convention will be held at the Air-

port Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, Calif.Over 180 game tournaments will be fea-tured in a variety of role-playing games,wargames, and family games. Other activi-ties will include a full program of sciencefiction and fantasy events, plus exhibi-tions, seminars, and movies. Admission is$16.50 until Dec. 13, and $20 thereafter.For more details, contact: UNIVERSE 87,Dept. D, P.O. Box 2577, Anaheim CA92804.

HAVOC III, Jan. 17-18Battlegroup Boston will sponsor this

third annual convention, which is beingheld at the Central Middle School, 55School St., in Waltham, Mass. Plannedevents include SFB, Space Marines, Mod-ern Micro Armor, WWI Naval, BritishColonial, and a variety of other simula-tions. To receive information, send nameand address to: HAVOC III, P.O. Box 70,

Alston MA 02134, or call (617) 354-6229(days) or (617) 893-3677.

WARCON 87, Feb. 6-8WARCON 87 will be held at the Texas

A&M University. Events will include role-playing camps, boardgames, a miniaturescontest, guest speakers, and a schedule ofmovies. Interested persons are invited tocontact: WARCON 87, c/o MSC NOVA,Texas A&M University, College Station TX77841, or call (409) 845-1515.

SIMCON IX, March 20-22This convention will once again be held

at the University of Rochester�s RiverCampus, Events will include role-playingtournaments, Star Fleet Battles, miniaturesevents, demonstrations, movies, and adealers� room. There will also be a cos-tume party. Registration fees are $7 beforeMarch 5, 1987, and $10 at the door. Formore information, write to: SimCon IX,P.O. Box 29142, River Station, RochesterNY 14627.

MAGNUM OPUS CON 2, March 27-29This fantasy and science fiction conven-

tion, which is sponsored by the MiddleGeorgia Society for Fantasy and ScienceFiction, will be held at the Columbus IronWorks and Convention Center in Colum-bus, Ga. Events will include a gamingtournament, a miniatures painting work-shop and contest, movies, masquerades,open gaming, an art show and auction,and a variety of other activities. For moreinformation, contact: MGC(SF)2x, 4315 PioNono Ave., Macon GA 31206.

COASTCON X, March 28-30This science fiction and gaming conven-

tion will take place at the Gulf Coast Con-vention Center in Biloxi, Miss. Events willinclude movies, gaming, tournaments, anart show and art auction, a costume party,and a scavenger hunt. Registration is $10until Aug. 30, $12.50 until Nov. 30, $15until Jan. 1, 1987, and $20 at the door. Formore details, write Coastcon, Box 1423,Biloxi MS 39533,

AGGIECON 18, April 2-5This science fiction and fantasy conven-

tion will be held in the Memorial StudentCenter at Texas A&M University. Ben Bovawill be the Guest of Honor. Events willinclude gaming, panels, readings, movies,dances, an art show and auction, a dealers�room, a masquerade, and much more. Fullconvention rates are $10 through Mar. 1,and $13 thereafter. For more information,write: Aggiecon 18, Box J-1, MemorialStudent Center, College Station TX 77844,or call (409) 845-1515.

KEYCON �87, May 15-17This science fiction and fantasy conven-

tion will be held at the Delta Winnipeg at288 Portage Avenue in Winnipeg, Mani-toba, Canada. Guests of honor will beKeith Laumer, Ken Macklin, and Mike

Glicksohn. Events will include filk-singing,videos, and ice cream social, an art show,an auction, a dealers� room, gaming, par-ties, and much more. Membership ratesare $16 until Oct. 31; $18 until April 26,1987; and $24 at the door. For more infor-mation, write to: Keycon �87, P.O. Box3178, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, R3C4E6.

MISCON II, May 15-17This science fiction, fantasy, gaming

convention will be held at the Quality Innin Missoula, Mont. Guests of honor will beSteve Jackson, Bob Eggleton, Mike andBeth Finkbiner, and Marion Zimmer Brad-ley. Events will include an RPGA� Networktournament, other role-playing games andboard games, videos, a masquerade, adance, an art show, panels, and a writers�workshop. Registration is $12 until Decem-ber 31; $15 until April 15, 1987; and $18thereafter. For further details, contact:Miscon II, c/o WMSFC, P.O. Box 9363,Missoula MT 59807.

NEO-VENTION VI, June 5-7This gaming convention will be held at

the Student Union of Kent State Universityin Kent, Ohio. Sponsored events will in-clude RPGA� events, miniatures displaysand gaming, an art show, and numerousother attractions. For more information,send a SASE to: NEO-GS, P.O. Box 412,Cuyahoga Falls OH 44222-0412.

GuidelinesIf you�re interested in contributing anarticle to DRAGON® Magazine, thefirst thing you need is a copy of ourguidelines for writers. Send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to�Writer�s guidelines,� c/o DRAGONM a g a z i n e , P . O . B o x 1 1 0 , L a k eGeneva WI 53147; and we�ll sendyou back a sheet with all the basicinformation you need to make sureyour manuscript has the best possi-ble chance of being accepted.

Label your letterThe address of DRAGON® Magazineis P.O. Box 110, Lake Geneva WI53147, and that’s all you need tomake sure your letter gets here. Butyou can help us serve you morequickly by adding a line at the top ofthe address to tell us what depart-ment should receive your letter orpackage. Call it a “manuscript sub-mission,” “cartoon submission,”“query letter,” or any other shortphrase that tells us what’s inside, andit’ll get exactly where it’s supposedto go.

DRAGON 93

94 OCTOBER 1986

rule about attacks with two weapons. As statedon p. 70: �Characters normally using a singleweapon may choose to use one in each hand.The second weapon must be either a dagger ora hand axe. The use of a second weapon causesthe character to attack with his or her primaryweapon at -2 and the second weapon at - 4.� Itfurther states that: �The secondary weapondoes not act as a shield or parrying device inany event.� This is what I disagree with.

From my expereinces of fighting in the SCA, I

FORUM(From page 6)

On page 31, Mr. Mohan wrote of recapturingthe flavor and outlook that the magazine hadthree or four years ago. I can�t speak for theentire readership, but the articles I enjoy arethe ones that give me knowledge or ideas that Ican incorporate into my campaign.

On thing I forgot to mention before: the graypaper would be put to better use by using foronly the science fiction and superhero articles,making them more easily identifiable.

Mark NemethRidgecrest, Calif.

I�ve been an avid AD&D player for a little overthree years now, and a fan of DRAGON forabout two. I am also a member of the Societyfor Creative Anachronism (SCA), which gives methe proper perspective for AD&D. Over the pastthree years, I have never had a reason fordisputing Mr. Gygax�s rules and guidelines forthe game, until now.

I was reading through the DMG and found the

have found that a fighter using sword andshield is at a distinct disadvantage against some-one with two weapons. A fighter can use twoweapons without any penalty to himself, andcan easily defend or parry either weapon. Manyfighters in the SCA use two swords, axes, dag-gers, or maces in any combination. Some fight-ers are so good, they can attack with bothweapons at the same time. Also, there arespecial weapons, called parrying daggers, whichare used for the express purpose of parryingand tangling up the opponents weapon. I don�tknow where Mr. Gygax got his ideas for thisrule, but, as I have found, he is very wrong.

Andy ParrisGray, Tenn.

Index to advertisersName of firm or product Page(s)Adventure Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31Armory, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104,

inside back coverChaosium, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5DBE, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Doubleday SF Book Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11DRAGON® Magazine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59DUNGEON� Adventures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61Fantasy Games Unlimited . . . . . . . . .30,31,98Fantasy-Wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89FASA Corp.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17Game Designers' Workshop . . . . . . . . . .25,81Game Systems Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24Gamers' Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94-95Games Workshop U.S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41,

inside front cover

Name of firm or product Page(s)Iron Crown Enterprises, Inc. . . . . . . . . . .1,

back coverMayfair Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87Milton Bradley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Palladium Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29,57,77R. Talsorian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55Ral Partha Enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35Salem House Publishers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70Steve Jackson Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43Supremacy Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63Task Force Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49Tharla Enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33TSR, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42,69,71,83TU-E Games . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .47

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