CONTENTSIssue #138

Vol. XIII, No. 5October 1988

PublisherMike Cook

EditorRoger E. Moore

Assistant editor Fiction editorRobin Jenkins Patrick L. Price

Editorial assistantsKim Walter Barbara G. Young

Art directorLori Svikel

Product ion staffBetty Elmore

Kim Janke Carolyn Vanderbilt

Subscr ipt ions U.S. Advert is ingPat Schulz Shelia Meehan

U.K. correspondentsGraeme Morris Rik Rose

U.K. advertisingDawn Carter Kris Starr

SPECIAL ATTRACTION

15 Dreadful Tidings:Nothing is so bad at Halloween that it couldn�t be much, much worse.

16 The Black Book and the Hunters � Craig SchaeferThose who annoy the Old Ones should keep a careful watch behind them.

22 The Ungrateful Dead � Tom MoldvayBeautiful ghouls and titanic zombies: new undead for your AD&D® games.

38 Methods to Your Madness � Ed FriedlanderA new insanity system that lets a little lunacy go a long way.

44 The End of the World � Eileen LucasGot an ailing fantasy campaign? Cure it � with the Black Death.

OTHER FEATURES

8 Through the Looking Glass � Jeanne McGuireBring the dead to life with just a touch of your paintbrush.

52 Putting Fire into Firepower � Martin LandauerLasers in TOP SECRET® games; or, �What�s this red button do?�

56 Between Thunder & Lightning � fiction by Nancy Varian BerberickWar�s purpose is to take life; to renew it is another kind of struggle.

70 The Role of Computers � Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk LesserIf the space pirates aren�t tough enough, you can try the rainbow dragons.

78 Role-playing Reviews � Ken RolstonFour role-playing games and supplements for those who take horrorseriously.

90 The Game Wizards � Scott HaringSifting through the Empires Of the Sands.

DEPARTMENTS

3 Letters 51 Index to Advertisers 92 Convention Calendar6 Forum 76 Gamers� Guide 96 Dragonmirth

12 Sage Advice 84 TSR Previews 98 SnarfQuest

COVER

Our �Halloween Greetings� cover is the first DRAGON® Magazine cover fromJeff Easley, whose work should be familiar to any longtime gamers. It is also thefirst cover acquisition made by Lori Svikel, our new art director. Jeff admits thathe collects antique Halloween items; he certainly has a feel for the topic.

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

Next index?Dear Dragon:

Will you ever consider a separate index ofpast reviews of books and games? When do youexpect a follow-up index to your Ultimate Arti-cle Index?

Matthew PritchardHouston TX

We used to index the items that werereviewed in DRAGON Magazine, but discontin-ued that practice as time went on (and thenumber of things to index grew longer). Timewill tell whether we index the titles of reviewedbooks and games.

We are considering several options for pub-lishing another index for DRAGON Magazine.We could either create a yearly index, to bepublished each December, or a cumulative indexthat would either appear every so often in theJune anniversary issue (as has been donebefore), as a separate booklet, or in a futureBest of DRAGON Magazine anthology. Designingsuch an index, however, would be a difficult andtime-cosuming task, and we’re not sure howsoon we’ll be able to get to it. We will make aneffort to have an index created and publishedby the end of 1989 — but we cannot make anypromises!

Souvenirs

The GEN CON®/ORIGINS™ 1988Game Fair is safely over. Your maga-zine staff members acquired a num-ber of items from the convention fortheir services:

An ORIGINS Special Award forOutstanding Achievement (1987) forDRAGON® Magazine;

A dozen new colorful buttons,including “Veni, Vidi, VISA” (“I came,I saw, I went shopping”), “Oh, no,not another learning experience!”and the rather appropriate “100,000lemmings can't be wrong!”;

Copies of the now-infamousWOOF MEOW role-playing game ofcats and dogs gone bad (with magicsystem — I am not making this up)and the lurid MACHO WOMENWITH GUNS role-playing game of . . .well . . . ahem;

The keys to the display booth,which I had to return on an emer-gency drive back to MECCA onWednesday night (sorry, Mike);

Converted new SPACE: 1889™ gameT-shirts from the Game Designer'sWorkshop booth (thanks, Marc);

A chance to see the 22,986,375playing pieces inside each of thehumongous BUCK ROGERS™ andDRAGONLANCE™ boardgames thatsold so well at the booth;

A friendly wave from Margaret“Darksword” Weis, who also toldvisitors that the editor of this maga-zine was the one who threw thepaper airplanes in the Hyatt andthus brought down the wrath of thehotel staff on the otherwise harm-less game-industry party on Fridaynight (a completely untrue assertion;really, it wasn't me);

Several bags full of wonderfulmunchies from the Ambrosia choco-late works (just a couple of blocksfrom MECCA), where the air was sothick with chocolate you could hard-ly breathe;

Fond memories of the goodresponse we got from our seminars(thanks to all panel members and tothose in the audience); and

The usual end-of-convention coldsand exhaustion that debilitated thestaff (as well as the rest of TSR, Inc.)for a week afterward.

It was worth it. Now, of course,there's next year. . . .

More errersDear Dragon:

I am writing to point out two mistakes I foundwhile reading DRAGON issue #136. The firstmistake I found was in the article �A Room forthe Knight,� in Table 1, Inn Prices. According tothis table, a four-star inn costs 5 gp to stay therefor one night, yet it only costs 15 sp to staythere one night and get a meal. The secondmistake I found was in the �Long Arm of theLaw.� The very first sentence in the articlestarts, �DRAGON issue #155 printed many thief-orientated articles . . .� But this was printed inthe new issue, #136. DRAGON issue #155 is notdue out for another year and a half. Would youplease clear up these two mistakes?

Jeff DarbyLawrence KS

The first line under “Lodging” in Table 1 from“A Room for the Knight” should have read “1night without meal.” The second line shouldhave read “1 night with meal.” The weekly andmonthly lodging prices reflect discounts offered

for prolonged visits, with meals. All prices are,of course, subject to change as the DM desires,and are offered only as guidelines.

The reference to issue #155 should have beento issue #115, the November 1986 issue.

Some last wordsDear Dragon:

After reading your article �The Last Word� inissue #129 and Cliff Frazier�s sequel to thatarticle in #134, I thought of other suggestions toinclude in the sequel�s sequel. These are:

�It�s probably just another gas spore.��Who�s the chick with the spiders?��No, you go on without me.��Without Mjolnir, I�ll bet you�re a real wimp.��What�s that up ahead?��C�mon guys, let�s show him who�s boss.��Why is it so dark in here?��He�s probably only first level.��I�ll try to talk to it.��It�s just another illusion.��I think it�s dead.��Let�s split up.��I�ll walk up to the dragon invisibly.��Why is that man performing sign language?��Don�t be so paranoid.�

Daniel WatsonPlattsburgh NY

And some more...Dear Dragon:

With respect to �The Last Word,� I have comeup with a few myself:

�The dragon�s asleep!��How much damage do I take?��They won�t kill us if we surrender.��I�m opening the chest.��Those stairs sure look slippery.��What does green slime taste like?��Hey, look � archers!��Spikes in the bottom of a chest � how

weird!��I�ll dive in with full plate on.��How many are there?��I�ll snap the staff!��That�s no mage!��Did you ever see so many teeth?��It says �healing� on the label.��I�ll turn the 43 vampires!��Neat! A cave entrance that looks like a

mouth!��I�m going to open the door, push the third

book to the left on the bottom shelf, enter thesecret room, open the chest, take out the 3,142gold pieces, put on the ring of animal control inthe false bottom, and control the snake I findunder the box. Pretty good guess, huh?�

Darrell AndersonElma NY

DRAGON 3

FORUM

“Forum” welcomes your comments andopinions on role-playing games. In the Unit-ed States and Canada, write to: Forum,DRAGON® Magazine, P.O. Box 110, LakeGeneva WI 53147, U.S.A. In Europe, writeto: Forum, DRAGON Magazine, TSR UKLimited, The Mill, Rathmore Road, Cam-bridge CB1 4AD, United Kingdom. We askthat material submitted to “Forum” be eitherneatly written by hand or typed with a freshribbon and clean keys so we can read andunderstand your comments.

This letter is a little late because I have juststarted to use David Dennis�s article on poweredarmor for STAR FRONTIERS® games in issue#129. My complaint concerns the armoredcombat resolution system, in which quite a bitof math is involved. When the combat starts,this system slows the fast-paced action of thegame to a stop. I have revised the step-by-stepcombat system by eliminating step 2 in thearticle. The system I now use is this:

1. Roll to hit to see if the armored combatantis hit.

2. Check to see if each weapon penetrated thearmor.

3. Roll 2d10 and add the weapon�s number ofdice damage that it causes. Record this sum.

4. Check on table 3A herein for each weapon,find its combat number, and subtract thisamount from the sum in step 3.

5. Check the result on table 7 to see whatdamage has occurred.

6. Roll for damage, with the wearer takingone-half (or one-quarter, if a powerscreeneffective against that weapon type is used).

I have added one new table to the ones in thearticle, in which all the protection percentageshave already been divided by five and multi-

plied by two for fast combat resolution.

Table 3APowered Armor Protection

WeapontypeLaserSonicElectrostunnerBulletNeedlerRecoilless rifleGyrojetFrag. grenadeRocket launcherAxe, knife, etc.Electric swordSpear or swordShock glovesStunstickGuided missileFlamethrowerCannonHowitzerBombMineECM rifle

Combatnumber

2024�28�16221814�2634283412361268

2016

Finally, I decided that each suit is approxi-mately .5 meters taller than the individual forwhich it was designed. Also, each empty suit ofpowered armor weighs approximately fivetimes as much as the wearer.

Brian EstesGalatia IL

Over the years, several people have expresseda desire to create an experience-point systemfor thieves (see issue #135, page 43). Building ona previously suggested idea in an article fromthis magazine, I propose assigning a level of

difficulty (as per the experience-point chart inthe DMG, page 35) to the building to be looted.For every 10� a building has, assign 1 HD,rounded to the lowest number.

Once the basic value is established, treat everyguard or trap as one special ability. If you feelthe guard or trap is especially tough, treat it asan exceptional ability. Proximity to strong sup-port (e.g., the sheriffs office) or special con-struction (e.g., a greased tower wall) could alsobe treated as a special or exceptional ability. Forevery three secret receptacles for treasures(e.g., a hidden safe), add one more special abili-ty, rounded to the lowest number. Then add theexperience given for any treasure gained,adjusting for difficulty.

Using this system, a moneylender�s 10�-highshop with four guards, three hidden treasurereceptacles, a pit trap, and 500 gp in treasurewould be worth 534 xp to a pair of 1st-levelthieves escaping with the loot.

This system can also be converted to dungeonuse, treating every 10� of depth as height.

Joseph GoldlustCaldwell NJ

As a player of the sport of paintball, I wasdismayed to see the editor state in the editorialof issue #134 that he could understand howpaintball games might be considered harmful.For your information, paintball has one of thebest safety records of any popular sport. On theother hand, if you are viewing it in the samelight as the antigun freaks who claim that play-ing with �guns� leads to violent behavior, thenyou are being just as ridiculous as those whoclaim that role-playing games lead to Satanism.

Also, with regard to the review of OrientalRPGs in the same issue, I am sick and tired ofseeing ninjas portrayed as nothing more thanevil, cutthroat assassins. In truth, they wereforced to turn to stealth and assassination astheir only means of defense against the vastlysuperior numbers of samurai who frequentlyraided their villages. Now, will someone pleasegive the ninja the respect they deserve? Andstop treating the samurai as such great andhonorable guys. By today�s standards, most ofthem were scum.

Mark CraneEdwardsville IL

DRAGON® Magazine (ISSN 0279-6848) is published monthly by TSR, Inc., PO. Box 756, Lake Geneva WI 53147, United States of America. The postal address for all materials from the UnitedStates and Canada except subscription orders is: DRAGON Magazine, PO. Box 110, Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.; telephone: (414) 248-3625. The postal address for all materials from Europe-is: DRAGON Magazine, TSR UK Limited, The Mill, Rathmore Road, Cambridge CB1 4AD, United Kingdom; telephone: (0223) 212517; telex: 818761; fax: (0223) 212517.

Distribution: DRAGON Magazine is available from games and hobby shops throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and through a limited number of other overseas outlets.Distribution to the book trade in the United States is by Random House, Inc., and in Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd. Send orders to: Random House, Inc., Order Entry Department,Westminster MD 21157, U.S.A.; telephone: (800) 638-6460 toll-free except Alaska (call (800) 492-0782 toll-free in Maryland). Newsstand distribution throughout the United Kingdom is by SeymourPress Ltd., 334 Brixton Road, London SW9 7AG, United Kingdom: telephone: 01-733-4444.

Subscriptions: Subscription rates via second-class mail are as follows: $30 in U.S. funds for 12 issues sent to an address in the U.S. Or Canada; (I)16 for 12 issues sent to an address within theUnited Kingdom; $50 in U.S. funds for 12 issues sent by surface mail to any other address; or $90 in U.S. funds for 12 issues sent airmail to any other address. Payment in full must accompany allsubscription orders. In the U.S. and Canada, methods of payment include checks or money orders made payable to TSR, Inc., or charges to valid Mastercard or VISA credit cards; sendsubscription orders with payments to: TSR, Inc., PO. Box 72089, Chicago IL 60678, U.S.A. In the United Kingdom, methods of payment include checks and money orders made payable to TSRUK Limited, or charges to a valid ACCESS credit card; send subscription orders with payments to TSR UK Limited, as per the above address. Prices are subject to change without prior notice.The issue of expiration of each subscription is printed on the mailing label of each subscriber’s copy of the magazine. Changes of address for the delivery of subscription copies must be receivedat least six weeks prior to the effective date of the change in order to assure uninterrupted delivery.

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

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

Advertising: For information on placing advertisements in DRAGON Magazine, ask for our rate card. In the United States and Canada, contact: Sheila Meehan, Advertising Coordinator, TSR,Inc., PO. Box 756, 201 Sheridan Springs Road, Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A. In Europe, contact: Dawn Carter or Kris Starr, Advertising Coordinators, TSR UK Limited.

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

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

©1988 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.Second-class postage paid at Lake Geneva, Wis., U.S.A., and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to TSR, Inc., PO. Box 110, Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A. USPS

318-790, ISSN 0279-6646.

6 OCTOBER 1988

I�ve a few comments on Eric Oppen�s articleon Roman gods (issue #133). The first is simple.While it�s true that the Celtic gods worshiped bydruids are not a part of the Roman pantheon,it�s also true that many Celts lived within theempire, at least after Julius Caesar annexedGaul. Rome had a policy of not interfering withreligions that didn�t cause trouble, and druidicshrines would be located anywhere in the

empire where Celts lived.The other point is a bit more detailed. In his

description of the goddess Eris, Eric Oppencorrectly assigns her the alignment of chaoticneutral. He then has her put a number of rulesupon her worshipers that would be moreappropriate for a lawful-good goddess.

Eris is Chaos personified. While being chaoticcan be interpreted as being an individual, it canalso be meant as being chaotic (random), and agoddess of discord is more likely to have thelatter version of the alignment than the former.But even if the former is used, I have a hardtime envisioning her taking great efforts topunish her clerics who deal with demons.

The essence of chaotic neutrality is that indi-vidualism is a great thing, and good and evil areminor things in comparison. While I could seesuch a deity harboring a hatred of devils,modrons, devas, planetars, and solars, I can�tsee her think any worse of a chaotic-evil beinglike a demon than, �He�s a little mean, but whatthe hey � if we were exactly alike, we�d beboring� (unless that demon had foolishly man-aged to offend her, in which case a specificdemon would swiftly be annihilated).

S. D. AndersonWhittier CA

I think RPGs are entering a �settling down�period. The future stress will not be on newgame systems, but rather on strengtheningcurrent systems. For the first time in the RPGs�history, the number of new players will taperoff (due to shifts of taste in the public). Estab-lished players will age as a population and willalso have greater levels of disposable income.Thus, I think the future will hold an expandedmarket for supplements designed to comple-ment an existing game. The market has beensaturated with campaign settings, most of whichare more or less mutually exclusive. (Who hastime to adventure across both Krynn and Oerth,not to mention the Forgotten Realms?) As play-ers become comfortable with one setting, theyare less apt to purchase others. If they do, it isprobably more for ideas than anything else.Thus, the most successful game companies ofthe future will cater to the generic campaign,selling products any DM can use in any cam-paign (e.g., TSR�s REF3 The Book of Lairs). Ofcourse, the second-edition AD&D game is likelyto spark new interest in RPGs and bring inmany new players. Yet, I see an overall trendtoward serving the established player.

While major efforts should probably be in thedirection of satisfying this established clientele,new players should still be sought. This can beaccomplished by maintaining a high visibility(more conventions, charity events, and � mostimportantly � press coverage). Direct confron-tation with Bible Belt groups should be avoided.Just keep producing fine products and let themscream. Any press is good press. Total parentalapproval could destroy the new player marketas much as anything; the D&D game shouldkeep its rebellious edge. On the other hand, amarketing campaign aimed at the older playercould help in making the D&D game an �accept-able� pastime for �adults.� Another market that

needs to be targeted is the female consumer. Ifthe D&D game can establish itself with womenof all ages, its future is secured.

While I have only mentioned the D&D gameby name, other RPGs certainly will be a majorpart of the future market. Yet in the public�smind, RPGs and the D&D game are synony-mous. Something should be done to correct this;the emergence of �Party Games� might be anavenue to open new RPG markets.

Overall, I feel the main emphasis should be onestablished players. Flexible, multisystemproducts of high quality are the way to go.

Jeffrey M. CareyChicago IL

Today, I decided to peruse through a stack ofDRAGON Magazines to read some �Forum�letters. Lately, the big thing has been magic-users. When Mr. Gygax wrote the game, heknew that the magic-user at 1st level was laugh-ably weak, and he tells us so in the PlayersHandbook. But if anyone were to bother to lookat the future of the class, he would notice thatafter a while it takes surprisingly few experi-ence points to rise in levels. As soon as themagic-user hits a high-enough level, a third-levelfireball or lightning bolt will outshine the party�swarriors. Besides, when it comes to weapons, amagician only carries a weapon to defendhimself, so why not have only one weapon?

Just because a magic-user can�t fry Orcus�sbrains out at 1st level is no reason to condemnthe class. I believe another �Forum� writersupports me when I say that the magician is,because of his greater age (as per the DMG) andall of his studying, the most learned of any ofthe other characters, and will usually have thehighest intelligence. Surely he will be the best attrying to deal with zealous arresting officers,trying to discover if the party�s contact is lying,or debating whether a known assassin shouldjoin the party. A magic-user must also have afairly high dexterity, so he might be the best athelping the thief pick a lock or something alongthose lines.

A. Patrick ConneryBurlington ND

This letter concerns what I feel is a tendencyof the AD&D game to favor good-aligned playercharacters over evil ones. To begin with, itseems that most people hold it to be true thatonly a few people enjoy evil PCs over good ones.It seems to be the opposite to me because all myfriends who play AD&D games play evil charac-ters; so do I. But we have to put up with allsorts of restrictions. Cavaliers who turn evilbecome hated by their own kind and lose someof their special abilities. Evil clerics must use thereversed forms of their curative spells, and theyencounter all sorts of problems because thisstyle tends to be weaker than the standard�good� style. And why can�t PCs play evil pala-dins? Doesn�t Orcus need a strong champion asmuch as Tyr? The only evil PC class, the assas-sin, will not exist in the revised rules. Andmodules that contain adventures for evil charac-ters do not exist. After you change a module toaccomodate evil characters, it barely resemblesthe product that you bought.

Legends & Lore (page 2) states �evil power isonly represented as a foe for the forces of goodto strive against and to crush.� Why must this beso? I do not want the game to become biased infavor of evil, but I think that in the revised rulessomething should be done to make evil charac-ters more compatible. Keep the assassin, and

Continued on page 86

DRAGON 7

by Jeanne McGuire

Throughthe

LookingGlass

After and before: A skeletal guardain in its finished state and with flat whiteprimer alone. Photos by Roger E. Moore.

Put a little death in your painting

The intrepid band of adventurers pressed on into the depths of the long-lost tomb of Khemon-Pha.

heroes realized that several of the skeletons lying in state were moving � and were armed.

shattered bones of their undead assailants lay scattered about the crypt. Dess, a mage of great renown,

we have fought strange foes,� he reported. �See � the chests of these skeletons

limbs have no joints. Only with powerful magic could they have been made to move at all!�

Huh? What�s this with solid skeletons?Skeletons are supposed to be skeletal,right? Aren�t yours? Mine are � now.

Both as a game master and miniaturespainter, I have always had a special fasci-nation with the undead. Skeletons havelong been a personal favorite. Dozens ofthem prowl my dungeons and workbench.(On special occasions, I line them up infront of the TV and show them videotapesof the great Ray Harryhausen animatedskeletons.) Over the years, I have come upwith a simple and sure-fire technique forquick and easy paintings of properly skele-tal skeletons, and variations on it to dealwith liches, zombies, ghosts, ghouls, andother horrors.

Most people, especially beginning paint-ers, paint a skeleton in a sequence of stepsresembling the following: trim the obviousflash (little bits of metal from imperfec-tions in the mold) from the figure; paint itwhite; paint little black lines to indicategaps between the bones; then, sic it oninnocent adventurers.

The problem with this technique is thatit tends to produce rather coarse-lookingresults. Even with a 5/0 brush, it is diffi-cult to paint even, regular lines betweenthe bones, especially ribs. At least, I can�t

8 OCTOBER 1988

do it; even trying gives me eyestrain andcramped hands, and filling in the gapswith a wash gives only dirty bones. Thetechnique described in this article worksfor me, shaky hands and all, and givesprofessional-looking results as well. Ittakes a bit more preparation than themethod given earlier, but the actual workis easier. I can paint six or eight of the littlefellows in under an hour.

Tools of the tradeYou will need the following materials

and tools, most of which you probablyalready use for miniatures painting andthe rest of which are readily available:

Hobby knife (X-acto #l or similar);Several small files;Large file or medium sandpaper;White glue;Pieces of wood for temporary bases;Primer (optional);Black spray paint (Testor�s flat black

enamel works well);Clear flat finish (optional);Paints (preferably acrylic): light tan,

ivory, white, and black;Old battered brush, cut short for dry-

brushing;

Small brush (about size 0);Very small brush (3/0), or a technical

pen, about size 00;Paper towels or old rags, andWater or solvent, as appropriate, for

thinning paint and cleaning brushes.

Art supply stores are the best places tofind brushes; they tend to have a muchwider selection and better prices thanhobby shops. White synthetic fiber brush-es are good, but they may be hard to find.Acrylic paints, unlike the solvent-basedpaints, cannot be dissolved and smearedby freshly applied layers of color oncethey have dried. Armory and Polly S acryl-ics work well.

Skeletons, bone by boneTo paint skeletons, first select suitable

miniature figures. Some, such as the oldGrenadier �Wizzards & Warriors� line, aretoo flat and crudely carved for this tech-nique to work well. Most recent releasesare adequate, and many of the recentfigures from Grenadier and Ral Partha aresuperb. Look for deep sculpting andraised, clearly defined bones. The hands,feet, and rib cages are the usual trouble

Three custom-designed spearmen from the Bad Bones Legion, meeting an The techniques described in this article apply to all skeletons — even to thoseenemy's charge. Miniature designs and painting by David C. Sutherland III. from Central America and the Orient.

spots. I prefer to buy new releases as soon moment and will certainly not wear as be applied two ways. First, drybrush it on,as possible, as the molds used to cast them well as their properly dried brethren. I in slightly less amounts than the tan. Thiswear out. After many thousands of figures generally spray a batch of figures before Ihave been produced, this wear produces

serves to indicate which areas should bego to bed, glue them to temporary bases painted. Then, with the 0 and 3/0 brushes,

more mold flash and dulled details. for easier handling when I get up (that�s carefully paint each bone. Since you areSecond, each figure must be prepared what the bits of wood and the white glue only working on the raised areas and have

for painting. This entails a bit of work are for), and paint them after I get home the drybrushing to guide you, this is quickwith a knife and files to clean off the flash, from work or after lunch on weekends. In and easy. The backbone, for instance, canmold lines, and other imperfections. It is between, I have time to touch up the be done as a series of dots. Be careful toessential that this be done as thoroughly specks where the spray did not cover, keep the paint out of the black regions.as possible, as the painting technique such as behind shields, under arms, etc. A Remember, it�s always easier to put a littledescribed herein enhances any raised black wash can sometimes help here. more paint on than to take it off again.area, intended or not. Be especially thor- Much of the subsequent paint on each After the ivory comes white. Like theough about the ribs; mold lines often run skeleton is applied by drybrushing, which tan, this is drybrushed on. However, it isup the sides of the rib cage, and it pays to is one of the most important methods ofkeep a small knife-edge needle file just to

applied lightly, as a highlight. The onlyproducing highlighting and special effects. place you might need to actually paint it

clean these up. Depending on your normal You will need an old and fairly wide brush on is the back of the skull. Do not overdoprocedures, you may also want to chemi- that you do not care about damaging. the white; the primary color of the skele-tally clean the figures. If not, a quick wash Drybrushing shreds brushes, so it is a ton is ivory, with tan shadows and whitewith hot, soapy water will remove many good way to use those old brushes you highlights.of the sorts of grunge which prevent paint have lying around waiting to be thrown You will probably need to do a fewfrom sticking properly. Be sure to rinse away. Dip the brush in paint and wipe touch-ups here and there, especiallythe soap off thoroughly, and only handle most of the paint off on a rag or paper around the skull�s face. This is where athe figure by the base after cleaning. The towel. Dab, wipe, or scrub the brush fine-point Rapidograph or other tech penuse of primer is optional. Whether you use across the figure, depending on the comes in handy. It is easier to control thanit or not depends on personal taste and the amount of paint on the brush, the texture a brush and, while I have not tested it onsticking abilities of the black spray paint of the surface, and the coverage desired. oil-based paints, its permanent ink holdsyou have. I myself use Floquil gray spray The only way to get a feel for proper nicely to acrylics. A fine brush and aprimer, which should be let dry for 24 drybrushing is to practice. steady hand can fake it quite nicely, too.hours. The first color to be applied by dry Finally, you can paint armor, equipment,

When the figures are ready to paint, the brushing is the light tan. You should applyfirst little trick of this painting technique

and whatever shreds of clothing are stillthe tan fairly heavily, but be careful not to hanging on each skeleton. Paint colors for

comes into play. Lay all of the figures flat get it into the grooves between the bones. these details were not included in theon several sheets of newspaper and spray This is the foundation of the entire tech- materials list, because they vary depend-paint them black. When they are dry, turn nique: It is much easier to paint something ing on what the particular figures you arethem over and do the same to the other that protrudes than to dodge two protru- painting happen to carry and wear. Armorsides. Be thorough, but avoid overdoing it. sions and paint the depression between is best done with heavily drybrushed darkThe skeletons will eventually have four them. By such simple tricks are greatlayers of color (five if you used primer), so

silver, followed by a very light highlight ofundead made. The tan, if applied in a normal silver in a few spots. Weapons

care must be taken not to make any too properly thin coat, will be fuzzy at the should be painted dark silver, sometimesthick, to avoid chipping when they are edges and allow some black to show highlighted with drybrushed silver orhandled. through. That�s fine; the tan is only impor-

Let the black paint dry overnight. It paysplatinum. A little rust paint goes a long

tant along the edges of the bones, where it way � don�t overdo it. Dark bronze fol-to be paranoid about the coat of paint at portrays the bone curving into the dark lowed by bronze or gold handles mostthe bottom of any painting job. If it does interior of the skeletal body. gold-colored things. Remember that goldnot dry properly, your figures could go The second color used is ivory, the pri- does not tarnish; it does, however, gethorribly bald at some inopportune mary color for these skeletons. This will dirty, and it has shadows like anything.

DRAGON 9

else. For leather, heavily drybrush orlightly paint dark brown, with a very lighthighlighting of a lighter brown. WhenPolly S did official AD&DTM paints, it had acolor called �Otyugh Brown� that wasperfect for leather surfaces. This sametechnique works very nicely for paintingwooden parts on shields. The hafts ofweapons such as axes and pole armsshould be slightly lighter in color thanother woods. The bases of undead figurescan be painted charcoal gray.

The matter of shreds of clothing onskeletons brings us to a category ofundead figures which I call the robedundead, as these figures are generallyrather well clothed. Robed undead includeliches, zombies, and various other horrors.Their skins, where applicable, are fairlyeasy to paint. If you can�t get properlyrotten-looking greenish-gray paint, it iseasy to mix it yourself. The cloth areas areanother matter entirely.

Look at an old piece of cloth. The coloris dull, often worn in places. All of thecolors look dusty and vaguely alike insome hard-to-define way. If the cloth hasbeen attacked by mold, these effects aremore pronounced.

To paint such old, worn, rotting clothing,start with a color quite a bit darker thanthe intended result, followed up by theprimary color of the clothing, then by alighter shade for highlights. One of the

neat things about this is that the naturallyirregular finish left by drybrushing isperfect for simulating cloth! Shades of tannicely simulate a sort of unbleached mus-lin color, but dull red and dark green alsowork well. Ghosts and other wispy undeadshould use the same tan-ivory-whitesequence of painting as skeleton bones.

Try out these techniques on your nextundead. You will be amazed by how wellthey look when you start by painting themblack. Incidentally, this dark-priming tech-nique works well on other sorts of figuresas well. It is nice for giving a dark tone tojust about anything. Among the figures Ihave used it on are an antipaladin, a broth-er and sister team of thieves, a small reddragon, two bandits, and some drow.

DRAGON 11

SAGE ADVICE

by Skip Williams What happens when an undead

If you have any questions on the gamesproduced by TSR, Inc., �Sage Advice� willanswer them. In the United States andCanada, write to: Sage Advice, DRAGON®Magazine, PO. Box 110, Lake Geneva WI53147, U.S.A. In Europe, write to: SageAdvice, DRAGON Magazine, TSR UK Lim-ited, The Mill, Rathmore Road, CambridgeCB1 4AD, United Kingdom.

This month, �Sage Advice� returns to thetopic of monsters in the AD&D® game, lastcovered in issue #131.

Undead

Undead, as a general class of mon-sters, are immune to sleep, charm,and hold spells. Does this immunityalso extend to web spells?

In general, no. Any creature with acorporeal body can be ensnared by a webunless it possesses some special form ofprotection, such as a ring of free action.Of course, incorporeal undead such aswraiths, spectres, groaning spirits, ghosts,and vampires in gaseous form are immuneto webs.

Can normal persons speak withundead?

Unintelligent undead do not converse;they simply attack living things. The morepowerful, intelligent, corporeal undeadsuch as vampires and liches do speak.Whether or not other undead speak is upto the DM. In general, undead are malevo-lent beings who hate life and are notprone to talk. However, having an undeadmonster speak for dramatic effect is per-fectly acceptable.

Which creatures can becomeundead? Is it possible to have vam-piric purple worms or spectraltrolls? Or is undead status limited tohumans and demi-humans? If so,what happens to other creatureswho are slain by �undead-creating�undead?

Some DMs rule that only humansbecome undead, but it is more common toinclude all the PC races and their NPCsubraces. Animals and monsters neverbecome undead unless their remains aremagically animated as skeletons or zom-bies. Such creatures simply die when slainby undead.

12 OCTOBER 1988

with a link to the Negative Materialplane is plane shifted to an outerplane? Would this sever the link?

Plane shift has no special effect onundead. If the spell succeeds, that portionof the undead that was formerly on thePrime Material is shifted to the destinationplane; the link to the Negative Materialremains intact. It is quite possible that theresidents of the destination plane willresent having an undead monster dumpedinto their midst.

Can psionically aware creaturesattack intelligent undead withattack mode A, assuming that theymeet the requirements for usingthis attack on nonpsionic beings?Can intelligent undead be domi-nated? I assume the undead immu-nity to charm prevents this.

There is no reason why any undead thatis capable of independent thought shouldnot be subject to psionic attack, includingdomination (this is not charm, per se).Mindless undead, such as skeletons, areimmune to psionic attacks. Individual DMsmight choose to rule that all undead areimmune to psionic attacks unless theythemselves use psionics.

Can undead be psionic, assumingthat the creature in question waspsionic in life?

Only those undead which can retaincharacter abilities, such as vampires andliches, can retain psionic abilities in theirundead states.

Are wights, wraiths, mummies,vampires, and spectres affected bymagic missiles, lightning, and magi-cal fire?

See the individual monster descriptionsfor each creature�s immunities; note thatall undead are immune to charms, holds,paralyzation, sleep, and poison. Any attackwhich is not prohibited is allowable.

How does a skeleton see? Whatabout other creatures that don�thave eyes?

One can assume that the magic thatanimates a skeleton also grants it 60� infra-vision. Other eyeless creatures don�t see atall; they navigate by touch, smell, or hear-ing. Such creatures are never fooled byinvisibility spells.

Will a paladin�s protection fromevil keep ghouls at bay?

Yes, but ghouls are the only undeadcreatures so affected. The paladin (orspell-caster) can voluntarily break thecircle in order to melee the ghoul, but thisallows the ghoul to return the attack,though at the appropriate penalty (see thespell�s description on page 44 of the Play-ers Handbook).

The Monster Manual says thatspectres are totally powerless insunlight. What does this mean ingame terms?

A spectre cannot drain levels or inflictdamage when exposed to natural sunlightor its magical equivalent, such as lightproduced by a sun blade (continual light,although quite bright, is not equal to fulldaylight). Spectres will flee from sunlightwhenever they encounter it, and willnever enter it willingly. Spectres regaintheir powers immediately upon leavingdirect sunlight.

Can a cleric turn a banshee?According to the rules, no. Individual

DMs might allow them to be turned asspecial monsters, however.

What is a lesser vampire?A lesser vampire is created when a

vampire drains a victim of life energy, andthe victim (now a normal vampire, thoughpossibly with extra abilities carried overfrom life) remains under the vampire�scontrol; see the Monster Manual, page 99.

Can a vampire drain energy levelsafter a stake has been driventhrough its heart? If it can, will sim-ply touching its body cause theenergy drain?

A stake through the heart totally inca-pacitates a vampire. It cannot move,attack, or use its special abilities; it is notdestroyed, however, until additional stepsare taken (see the Monster Manual, page99). All touch-delivered attacks, includingan undead�s energy drain, require a suc-cessful melee hit from the creature deliv-ering the attack. Simply touching an activevampire will not cause energy loss.

AD&D game module GDQ1-7Queen of the Spiders (pages 70-71)speaks of a vampire striking away aholy symbol and suffering 2-12 hpdamage. The Monster Manual, on theother hand, says that holy symbolsdo not harm vampires. Pleaseresolve this contradiction.

No contradiction exists. The line in theMonster Manual is meant to convey thatholy symbols have no effect when usedagainst vampires as weapons. Any lawful-good holy symbol, however, is an effectivebarrier against a vampire. The ratherunusual vampire in the module chose to

force its way through the barrier insteadof bypassing it as most vampires do (seethe Monster Manual, page 99). The dam-age is the consequence of the vampire�sunusual action, not a character's. Note alsothat if a character tries to use a holy sym-bol as a weapon, it ceases to function as abarrier; the vampire can return the attackwithout penalty. This is similar to whathappens when a paladin voluntarilybreaks his protection from evil in order tomelee an extraplanar creature.

Miscellaneous monsters

How do spells affect nilbogs? Arethere limits on nilbogism � such asrange, save, or limits on total hitdice or levels affected?

�Harmful� magic gives nilbogs hit pointson a one-for-one basis. Death magic dou-bles a nilbog�s current hit points. Curativespells harm nilbogs. Spells which cause nodamage work normally on nilbogs. Anycreature that can see or affect a nilbog issubject to nilbogism�s peculiar effects (if ittries to do anything to the nilbog). Nilbo-gism has no range, level, or hit dice limits,or saving throw.

I can�t find the statistics for theamphisbaena.

This monster is listed on page 88 of theMonster Manual, under the heading�Snake, Giant.�

Can a character get lycanthropyfrom a lycanthrope�s claws?

No, only from the bite. When charactersfight lycanthropes, it�s best to keep sepa-rate track of the claw and bite damageeach character suffers.

My character was recently over-whelmed by a horde of small scorpi-ons that swarmed out of a barrel. Ilater discovered that these tinymonsters have 2 + 2 HD, threeattacks each, and move as fast as anarmored man. Isn�t that a bit muchfor normal arachnids?

For normal arachnids, yes. But a 2 + 2HD scorpion is not a normal creature. Thiscreature is listed in the Monster Manual IIas small, which means it�s smaller than anormal human � but easily 3-4� long. (Seethe introductory sections of the monstertomes for explanations of all the termsused in monster descriptions.) A horde ofthem could not fit in a barrel; your DMmade a mistake. A swarm of biting orstinging insects or arachnids inflicts 1-2 hpper round at most. If they have poison,one save per round will suffice.

How many hit dice does a hugepatch of green slime have?

A 2-HD patch of green slime is about 3�in diameter, or about seven square feet,enough to fill a typical doorway. Largerpatches have one additional hit die pereach additional three square feet.

Extraplanar monsters

My DM recently ruled that my par-ty�s cleric could not plane shift atype V demon because the spellrequires a touch and the demon isimmune to normal weapons. Thecleric�s hand, my DM said, is not amagical weapon.

Your DM is wrong. While a character�shand is not a magical weapon, immunityto normal weapons does not confer immu-nity to touch-delivered spells. While atouch-delivered spell does require a suc-cessful melee hit, it is not a melee attackper se. Some DMs allow a spell-caster tokeep a touch-delivered spell �on hand�until he touches something; thus, if thefirst attempt to touch the target misses, hecan try again. Holding a spell on handrequires minor concentration which canbe broken voluntarily or by an attack thatdamages the spell-caster. As long as thespell is on hand, it will be dischargedwhenever the caster�s hands touch any-thing or anyone. The demon in your exam-ple is entitled to its magic-resistance rolleven if the touch succeeds.

Both the succubus and the alu-demon have the ability to shapechange into humanoid creatures ofroughly their own sizes. Is this atrue shape change ability, in that

these monsters actually gain theabilities of their new forms? Also,how great a change in size isallowed?

These creatures� shape change abilitiesare not the same as the ninth-level magic-user spell; they are similar to the morelimited druidic ability. The ability is onlyuseful for disguise and deception, to con-ceal these creatures� demonic natures.These demons are limited to the forms ofcreatures that are identified as �persons�on page 45 of the Players Handbook andsimilar creatures from the FIEND FOLIO®tome and Monster Manual II. The disguiseis complete, however, and the demonreceives all of the racial abilities of thenew form. For example, a succubus shapechanged into a dwarf would be able tospot unsafe stonework, determine depth,etc. Remember that character levels arenot a racial characteristic. I suggest limit-ing the change in size to 25% of the origi-nal creature�s actual height and weight.

Can a character pay a noble timeelemental to move him to a timewhen an adversary was only 1stlevel, so he can be easily killed?Where is the plane of Time?

It might be possible for player charac-ters to convince a time elemental to movethem in time. Time elementals are merely

Continued on page 77

DRAGON 13

by Craig Schaefer

The Black Bookand

the HuntersNew items for Chaosium�s CALL OF CTHULHU® game

Before his untimely death in 1934, therenowned professor and occultist, HowardBrimley, had consulted nearly every tomerelevant to the Cthulhu Mythos in hissearch for a way to destroy the Elder Godsonce and for all. Although he never foundthe solution to his quest, he compiledmany notes dealing with nearly everyfacet of the mythos. Presented here is aportion of his recently rediscovered manu-scripts � a fragment dealing with one ofthe lesser-known works of the mythos,The Black Book of Shub-Niggurath. It ishoped that this information will be of useto investigators everywhere.

MS: #02025 book catalogDT: 10/29/1925RE: The Black Book of Shub-Niggurath

I acquired The Black Book two yearsago, purely by chance. Since then, I feel Ihave sufficiently analyzed it to give aproper description of its contents.

As every serious student of the occultknows, the deity Shub-Niggurath is a god-dess concerned with fertility. The BlackBook clarifies this, as it seems to be somekind of prayer book for her earthlypriests. Not only is it full of prayers to thismonstrous goddess, it also contains materi-al relevant to Nyarlathotep. It is yetunknown what kind of connection the twogods have, or if there is any true connec-tion between them at all.

The Black Book is a hardbound tomewith a flat black cover; its dimensions are8� x 11� x 1½�. The copy I found iswritten in archaic Latin, comprising 368pages and no illustrations of any sort.Nevertheless, this version of The BlackBook has evidence of a color drawing onthe very first page. When I received thevolume, however, the page had been torn

16 OCTOBER 1988

out, leaving only the very edge of thepicture. It remains to be seen what thepicture was and what importance it had.

The first page past the torn sheet holds apopular prayer to Shub-Niggurath. It reads(when translated):

�O friend and companion of night,thou who rejoices in the baying of dogsand spilt blood, who wanderest in themidst of shades among the tombs, wholongest for blood and bringest terrorto mortals, Gorgo, Mormo, thousand-faced moon, look favorably on oursacrifices!�

The Black Book is filled with doggerelsuch as this, as well as several sets ofinstruction for ceremonies to Shub-Niggurath. While the spell Call Shub-Niggurath is well known to manymagicians and practicers of the dark arts,the adaption in The Black Book is unusualin that it summons Shub-Niggurath, placesher in a form of stasis, and forces her toanswer any questions the caster of thespell asks. The spell is apparently used toforce the goddess to appear at importantcult ceremonies.

The book holds several other spells aswell, only two of which are unusual. Oneof the magical formulas is for the creationof a Knife of Power, a potent weapon usedmost often by cult priests to slay sacri-fices. According to The Black Book, theKnife (note that I am judging by extrapola-tion; I have not taken the time to createone of my own) stores the power of thoseslain with it. On command, a bolt ofenergy powered by the souls within theblade spring forth from the dagger�s tip.The bolt itself is a very powerful weaponwith apparently enough energy to blast ahole through a sheet of metal.

The other unusual spell is used to sum-mon a creature not previously describedin the other books of occult lore I haveperused. Called the Hunter of Shub-Niggurath, this entity appears to belong toa powerful servitor race, not unlike theDark Young of Shub-Niggurath. Recently, Iset about to conjure and study one ofthose servitors, and I was able to learnsomething about it.

The Hunters of Shub-Niggurath arefortunately seldom encountered. Unliketheir �brothers,� the Dark Young, theHunters are never called to preside overcult ceremonies or to perform similarfunctions. They are called into service andcontrolled only by high priests or by Shub-Niggurath herself.

The Hunters are called from their homeworld for one purpose only � to hunt.When summoned and given the descrip-tion of a victim, a Hunter tracks down thetarget and will not stop until either it orthe target is dead. The Hunter has a spe-cial sense which allows it to home in on aperson when provided with something theperson has recently touched (such as a nailclipping or a lock of hair).

The Hunter that I conjured was about 8�tall; it stood on two legs and walked erect.The Hunter was massive and vaguelyhumanoid in appearance, being covered infilthy brownish-gray fur. Its head wasmerged with its torso so that it had noneck whatsoever and no true face, exceptfor its yellow, pupilless eyes and a mass oftentacles between and below them. Itshands were humanlike, except for themerging of two fingers and the presenceof webbing between the other digits.Short, ironlike talons projected from eachfinger. Despite its bloated appearance, theHunter seemed quite agile and restless,and paced back and forth on its rootlikefeet, its facial tentacles writhing and curl-

ing like serpents. In certain ways, it resem-

The Hunter did not speak except ingrunts and low squeals (perhaps its native

bled one of the Star-Spawn of Cthulhu,

language), though it is capable of a crudecommunication through a rough form of

though it lacked wings.

empathy, which transmits the Hunter�sintentions and emotions to nearby beings.Apparently, Hunters are unable to controlthis ability; thus, they project their mentalconditions (such as they are) constantly.From the one Hunter I summoned, Ireceived very powerful feelings of impa-tience and anticipation; it doubtlessdesired to go on a hunt.

The Hunters� point of origin is as yetunknown. They could be from an entirelydifferent dimension, or they could be thespawn from a nearby planet in our ownsolar system.

All in all, The Black Book of Shub-Niggurath is quite valuable, especially todevotees of that deity. Otherwise, its valuedepends on the individual investigator.Probably the best use of this tome is tostudy the spell knowledge it contains,though I have faithful copied the summon-ing riyal for Shub-Niggurath; if indeedthis creature is summoned in a helplesscondition, more the better to destroy it ina relatively safe fashion. One can onlyhope for the best. . . .

Game notesFor Keepers who wish to use The Black

Book, the Hunters of Shub-Niggurath, andany of the new spells in this article, thefollowing statistics are included.

The Black Book of Shub-Niggurath gives5% Cthulhu Mythos knowledge, with aspell multiplier of 2. The Black Book maybe found in several different languages,most commonly English or Spanish. TheSAN loss for reading The Black Book is1d6. Since this book is fairly low-powered(in terms of knowledge gained), it may beone of the first Mythos works the adven-

18 OCTOBER 1988

Spells are gained from The Black Book in

turers find. Consequently, nearly every

the following order:1. Summon Dark Young of Shub-

powerful priest of Shub-Niggurath pos-

Niggurath2. Bind Dark Young of Shub-Niggurath

sesses a copy.

3. Call Shub-Niggurath4. Bind Shub-Niggurath (new spell)5. Contact Nyarlathotep6. Enchant Power Knife (new spell)7. Summon Hunter of Shub-Niggurath

(new spell)8. Voorish SignThe majority of these spells are

described in the CALL OF CTHULHU gamerule book. The three new spells follow:

Bind Shub-Niggurath: This powerfulspell summons Shub-Niggurath, whoappears at the caster�s location in a formof stasis from which she cannot escapeuntil the caster frees her, she makes a rollof 10 or less on 1dl00 (made every min-ute), or she is attacked. In the case ofbeing allowed to leave, there is a 20%chance Shub-Niggurath will kill the casterbefore she goes. In any other case, Shub-Niggurath automatically attacks anyone insight before disappearing. This spell iscommonly used by cultists to bring Shub-Niggurath to preside over certain specialceremonies. Her displeasure is hopefullyeased by placing many sacrificial victimsaround her summoning point.

This spell has another use, however �one that is of potential interest to wizards.When Shub-Niggurath is held in stasis, thecaster may ask any questions of the deity.Under the influence of the spell, Shub-Niggurath is compelled to answer them(unfortunately for the caster, she is underno obligation to answer truthfully). Also,every question asked adds 5% to Shub-Niggurath�s chance of escape (calculatedevery minute). Of course, when freed, thedeity will not hesitate in slaying the mage,even to the extent of sending a DarkYoung or a Hunter if her prey escapes.Only the most powerful or foolish wizardsuse this spell for this purpose.

This spell costs three permanent POWpoints to cast, with another POW lostupon the word to release Shub-Niggurathfrom her prison. The spell requires specialcandles, a pentagram, and several otherceremonial items that cost at least $200 toprocure.

Enchant Power Knife: This is one of theEnchant Item spells described in the CALLOF CTHULHU game rule book, pages 76-77. To create a Power Knife requires asilver knife worth no less than $350, asacrifice to Shub-Niggurath of at least 10SIZ worth of victims, the permanent lossof 3 POW, and a sanity loss of 1d10. Ittakes two days to cast this spell, and theresult is a very formidable weapon.

When the Power Knife is completed andis used to kill a being while a prayer toShub-Niggurath is spoken, the daggerliterally absorbs the POW that the victim

had at the time of its death. That, how-ever, is just half of the special power of theknife. Upon command, a beam of energy isemitted from the tip of the knife, automat-ically hitting the chosen target. Beforefiring, though, the user must specify howmany POW points he is expending. ThePOW used in the attack is gone from theknife forever, having changed into energyto fuel the beam. The effective length ofthe energy beam is 10 meters per point ofPOW used.

Next, the victim matches his POWagainst the POW used in the beam�s attack.If the beam is overcome by the victim�sPOW, the attack has no effect and thePOW used by the knife is wasted. On theother hand, if the victim is overcome, hemust roll the result of his CON x 3 orlower on 1d100. If the victim succeeds, hetakes 1dl0 damage from the beam. If hefails the roll, he is instantly blasted toashes. Because of this weapon�s evilnature, it is seldom used by investigatorsbut can often be found in the hands of ahigh priest of Shub-Niggurath. The knife isonly usable by its creator.

Summon Hunter of Shub-Niggurath: Thisspell is identical to the other Summonspells, and it requires an idol of eitherShub-Niggurath or a Hunter to work. Asdescribed in the text given earlier, thisspell summons a single Hunter.

Hunter of Shub-Niggurath(Greater Servitor Race)

Description: A full description of thiscreature is provided in the manuscriptsupplied by Howard Brimley, given earlierin this article.

Notes: A Hunter, as stated earlier, is onlysummoned to hunt down beings who havesomehow offended Shub-Niggurath or herrepresentatives. It has a sense that allowsit to home in on its target. Once its missionis complete, it disintegrates automatically.

CharacteristicsSTRCONSIZINTPOWDEXHit pointsMove

5D6 + 205D6 + 10

5D62D61D64D6

Average3 7 - 3 82 7 - 2 81 7 - 1 8

73 - 5143 010

Weapon Attk% DamageClaw (2) 60 2d6Facial tentacles 90 5d6

Armor: A Hunter has thick hide worth 4points.Spells: A Hunter has no spells, but it hasthe homing ability described previously.Skills: Sneak 95%, Hide 55%, Climb 80%,Swim 50%.SAN: Seeing a Hunter of Shub-Niggurathcosts 1d10 points of SAN. A successfulSAN roll still costs 1d6 points of SAN.

by Tom Moldvay

TheUngrateful

DeadExpanding the ranks of the ghastly host

The term �undead� was popularized byBram Stoker in his novel, Dracula. He usedit as a synonym for �vampire,� but heimplied that there might be other kinds ofundead besides the minions of the Count.Vampires in general (and Dracula in partic-ular) have proved a continual source ofinspiration for the horror genre [see�Hearts of Darkness,� from DRAGON®issue #126, for more on this topic]. In theproliferation of horror movies, the word�undead� came to be used for a variety ofmonsters, most of which had some con-nection with vampires.

Undead monsters are an essential partof the AD&D® game. For example, theability of clerics to turn the undead is oneof the prime functions of that class.Undead are frequently encountered inadventures and fit well into nearly anyplot, because their motivations are simpleand easy to understand � they hate theliving and seek to destroy all life.

Indeed, the undead are the archetypesof monsters. They are evil and deadly,with frightening powers. Their hatredsare unreasoning; their attacks are guaran-teed. Characters facing the undead havebut two choices: fight or run.

The term �undead� literally means �notdead,� with the implication that such crea-tures are also �not living.� Undead thushave the semblance of life in that theyhave bodies but are not truly alive. Toprovide high-level clerics with foes, theconcept of �undeath� has been expandedin the AD&D game to include ghostlikecreatures from other planes of existence,but even the ghost can semi-materialize toattack by touch.

Of the more than 350 monsters in theMonster Manual I and among the other

22 OCTOBER 1988

creatures described in later books, thereappear a number of �classical� undead,archetypes that form the basis of theentire category of undead monsters. Clas-sical undead have three things in common:1) By all rights, such creatures should bedead; 2) Most such creatures have somesort of physical form; and 3) Most suchcreatures are hopelessly evil and attackliving beings on sight.

This article will examine three of theseclassical undead in detail: skeletons, zom-bies, and ghouls. In particular, this articlewill look at the background of each kindof undead, the function of each undeadtype in game terms, possible variations onthe basic monster listings, and suggestionsfor adventure subplots.

The background section of each listingwill try to answer questions like: Whatinspired the idea for this monster? Arethere traditional myths dealing with thiskind of undead? Does the monster appearoften in books or movies?

If the Dungeon Master understands thegame function of any particular monster,he or she can use the creature to maxi-mum effect. It also becomes easier to alterthe monster slightly for its surprise valueor design a new creature that serves asimilar function. Variety keeps the playersguessing; an element of uncertainty keepsan adventure interesting.

While an entire adventure based on theundead might be too heavily slantedtoward the cleric character class, a sub-plot dealing with the undead fits well intoany adventure. (Perhaps the undead haunta small cemetery or roam a deserted castletower near the main adventure area.)Subplots should be kept reasonably small,dealing with a half-dozen encounters at

most. The best subplots would be adven-tures in miniature, each having a logic allits own. Good subplots have their ownbeginnings and ends, with crises that mustbe resolved.

Skeletons

The skeleton listing is not based ontraditional lore and was invented for thegame. Skeletons are, however, universalsymbols of death and the dead. Skeletoncostumes are traditional for Halloween,the night when the dead return to join theliving. The Grim Reaper is often depictedas a giant skeleton wielding a scythe. Themajor arcana card of Death in the tarotdeck often shows a skeleton. Skeletonsthat move defy the laws of nature. Theyare a logical choice when making up aclass of undead.

In the AD&D game, skeletons are magi-cally animated by clerics or magic-users.More often than not, the spell-caster isevil, since disturbing the dead is not some-thing encouraged by the forces of good orneutrality. The corpse used for the ani-mate dead spell has been buried for solong that only bones remain (or perhapsall flesh is destroyed in the process ofanimation, leaving only bones). Skeletonsare the weakest of the undead. In gameterms, their function is to try to swamplow-level characters by sheer numbers.

A traditional monster from Englishfolklore similar to skeletons is BloodyBones. The monster�s full name isRawhead-and-Bloody-Bones, and it is some-times referred to as Old Bloody Bones orTommy Rawhead. Samuel Johnson, in hisl7th-century dictionary, defined the crea-ture as �the name of a spectre, mentionedto fright children.� (Here, spectre is, ofcourse, used generically, and bears norelationship to the AD&D game monsterof the same name.)

In Folklore Society County Publications(of England), Ruth Tongue quotes twoinformants who described Bloody Bones asliving in dark shadowy places such as indeep cupboards, inside closets, or underthe stairs. Those who are heroic enough topeep through a crack might get a glimpseof the dreadful crouching creature, withblood running down its face, seated wait-ing on a pile of bones that once belongedto children who told lies or said badwords. However, if you spied upon themonster, it knew about it and got youanyway.

Most creatures classed as �nurserybogies� are based on earlier legendarytales of monsters. In Lancashire and York-shire, Rawhead-and-Bloody-Bones is a kindof evil spirit haunting old marl pits andsimilar places. In Cornwall, Old BloodyBones lives in abandoned mines, especiallythose near the sites of ancient battles.Bloody Bones lies waiting to grab victimswho pass nearby, dragging the unwarydown into deep forbidding lairs.

BLOODY BONES

FREQUENCY: Very rareNO. APPEARING: 1 (30% chance of 2-12)ARMOR CLASS: 7MOVE: 12�HIT DICE: 3% IN LAIR: 50%TREASURE TYPE: 40% chance each of J-N

(B in lair if more than 1)NO. OF ATTACKS: 1DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-10SPECIAL ATTACKS: FearSPECIAL DEFENSES: NilMAGIC RESISTANCE: StandardlNTELLIGENCE: LowALIGNMENT: Neutral evilSIZE: MPSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

Bloody bones are the undead, animatedcorpses of evil criminals cursed to con-tinue their horrid trade long after theyshould have died. They look like bloodyskeletons with a few shreds of flesh hang-ing on the bones. In fact, they resemblecorpses left hanging on gibbets (a tradi-tional punishment for criminals).

Bloody bones lair in hidden caves ordeep concealed pits. They venture forthonly to kill and rob victims. At the sight ofa bloody bones, a character must make asaving throw vs. spells or else suffer the

effects of a fear spell.For the effects of damage vs. a bloody

bones, treat the creature as if it were askeleton (i.e., one-half damage from sharpweapons, etc.). The chance of a clericturning a bloody bones is the same as thecleric�s chance to turn a shadow.

SPECIAL ATTACKS: See belowSPECIAL DEFENSES: NilMAGIC RESISTANCE: StandardINTELLIGENCE: Non-ALIGNMENT: NeutralSIZE: MPSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

In films such as Jason and the Argonautsand the various Sinbad movies, model-animator Ray Harryhausen created somespectacular special effects. One such spe-cial effect was that of skeletal warriorswielding swords and carrying shields. RayHarryhausen�s skeletons are fast and nim-ble, appearing to be more formidableopponents than the skeletons in the AD&Dgame. This has inspired a variant monster:the skleros. Skleros is Greek for dry andhard, and is a root for the word �skeleton.�

SKLEROS

FREQUENCY: RareNO. APPEARING: 3-24ARMOR CLASS: 5 (6 without shield)MOVE: 12�HIT DICE: 1 + 1% IN LAIR: NilTREASURE TYPE: NilNO OF ATTACKS: 1DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-8

Skleros are skeletons made from thecorpses of highly trained warriors (fight-ers of 4th level or better) that still magi-cally retain some of their past fightingskills. Their better armor class is due notonly to the shields they carry but to theirheightened dexterity (equal to 15). Theyusually fight with long swords. Becausethey �remember� many of their old fight-ing habits, skleros attack as if they had 2hit dice; they would thus have a THAC0(score to hit AC 0) of 16. Clerics have thesame chances to turn skleros as theywould zombies. While skleros have notreasure of their own, they often act astreasure guards.

A classic Walt Disney cartoon featureddancing skeletons, and animated skeletonsoften appear in cartoon features. Suchskeletons not only dance but trade heads,fall into piles of bones, and reform intoskeletons again. The skeleton variationherein called dry bones is inspired by theantics of cartoon skeletons. The name �drybones� comes from the song of the samename (�The leg bone�s connected to the hipbone,� etc.).

Bloody Bones

DRY BONES

FREQUENCY: RareNO. APPEARING: 2-20ARMOR CLASS: 7MOVE: 12�HIT DICE: 4; see below% IN LAIR: NilTREASURE TYPE: NilNO. OF ATTACKS: 1DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-6SPECIAL ATTACKS: NilSPECIAL DEFENSES: See belowMAGIC RESISTANCE: StandardINTELLIGENCE: Non-ALIGNMENT: NeutralSIZE: MPSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

Dry bones are the same as skeletonswith one important difference. They canonly be destroyed when all their bones arepulverized or otherwise completelydestroyed. Each dry bones has 4 HD (with32 hp) but attacks as a 1-HD creature Adry bones taking a total of 8 or more hpdamage collapses into a pile of bones.After one round, the bones re-form into askeleton and attack again. The processcontinues until the dry bones has taken atotal of 32 or more hp damage in combat,at which point the dry bones falls apartforever.

Dry bones often masquerade as mere

DRAGON 23

piles of old bones, being able to dismem-ber themselves at will until they aredestroyed. Clerics have the same chancesto turn dry bones as they would zombies.While dry bones have no treasure them-selves, they often act as treasure guards.

Skeletons could be used as the undeadrepositories for enchanted magical items.The actual threat from such skeletonswould come from the items carried, not somuch the skeletons themselves. One sim-ple but effective example of this is to givea skeleton a pair of enchanted gems foreyes. These gems would normally glowwith magical light. As a general class, suchskeletons could be referred to as �gemeyes.� The actual creature names, how-ever, would depend on the type of gemused for eyes (hence ruby eyes, diamondeyes, etc.).

GEM EYES

FREQUENCY: Very rareNO. APPEARING: 1-12ARMOR CLASS: 7MOVE: 12�HIT DICE: 4 + 2% IN LAIR: NilTREASURE TYPE: SpecialNO. OF ATTACKS: 1DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-6SPECIAL ATTACKS: SpellsSPECIAL DEFENSES: NilMAGIC RESISTANCE: StandardINTELLIGENCE: LowALIGNMENT: Neutral evilSIZE: MPSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

Gem eyes are special undead creaturescreated by powerful magic-users. Eachskeleton has a pair of glowing gems foreyes, and each pair of gems holds onemagical spell. The power of the eyes islinked to the �unlife� of the creature.Hence, the magical power leaves the gemswhen the skeleton is reduced to zero orless hit points.

The magic-users who create gem eyestake special care to make the skeletal lifeforce stronger than normal (hence the4 + 2 hit dice). The magic-user must be atleast 11th level. Instead of animating 11skeletons with an animate dead spell, themagic-user animates one gem-eyes skele-ton with more hit dice. Theoretically, anymagical spell could be put into the eyes(using enchant an item or permanency),but two factors limit the gems� magicalpower. The spells used in the gems arenormally fourth level or lower; and spellstied to the �natural� power of the gemtypes are easier to make permanent.

When designing varieties of gem eyes,the DM may wish to refer to pages 26-27of the Dungeon Masters Guide (�ReputedMagical Properties of Gems�). The follow-ing eight varieties of gem eyes are based

24 OCTOBER 1988

on a traditional system of magical symbol-ism that ties various stones to the so-called�Seven Magical Planets� (cf. Occult Philoso-phy or Magic by Henry Cornelius Agrippa,originally published in 1510).

Ruby eyes have the burning eyes spell,which is essentially the same as the first-level magic-user spell burning hands(except the flames radiate from the gemeyes instead of the hands). Treat the spellas if cast by a 9th-level magic-user (henceit does 9 hp damage). This power is usablethree times per day.

Sapphire eyes grant luck to their anima-tor, if within 60� of such a magic-user. Allsaving throws and �to hit� rolls made bythe spell-caster gain a +2 bonus. Thispower has no set limit on duration, thoughit ends if the gem eyes is destroyed.

Diamond eyes have the power to doubletheir movements and attacks, the same asthe third-level magic-user spell haste,three times per day.

Amethyst eyes have the power to castillusions, as per the third-level magic-userspell phantasmal force. Two such illusionsmay be cast per day.

Opal eyes can appear to duplicate them-selves, as per the second-level magic-userspell mirror image. This spell may be castthree times per day.

Pearl eyes cause opponents to fall asleep,as per the first-level magic-user spell sleep,up to three times per day.

Obsidian eyes radiate darkness, as perthe second-level magic-user spell darkness15� radius. This power may be used threetimes per day.

Emerald eyes weaken opponents, as perthe second-level magic-user spell ray ofenfeeblement, by touch. This power maybe used three times per day.

The magic of the gemstone eyes is sopowerful that it temporarily endows theseskeletons with limited intelligence (enoughto cast the spells effectively). The treasureof gem eyes lies in the value of their eyesthemselves; each gem is worth 1,000 gp.Gem eyes can be turned by clerics as if thecreatures were ghasts. Any gem eyesturned away take their gems with them, ofcourse.

If designing a unique variety of gemeyes, the DM should be careful whichspells are put into the eyes. Since it takesat least a 9th-level magic-user to animatethe dead, and an 11th-level magic-user toanimate gem eyes, certain spells such asfireball or lightning bolt are simply toopowerful for low-level adventures.

Electricity is a basic and primal force. Itis easy to picture electricity as the powerused to animate the dead (it worked forthe cinematic Dr. Frankenstein). A classicbiology experiment uses electricity tomake a dead frog�s leg twitch. If electricityis the force powering a type of skeleton,then combat can be unusual. Anyonehitting the monster with a metallic weap-on, such as a sword, will both cause dam-

age and take damage at the same time.The safest way to strike the �shock bones�would be with a weapon having a wooden spoonhandle, such as an axe or spear.

S H O C K B O N E S

FREQUENCY: Very rareNO APPEARING: 3-18ARMOR CLASS: 7MOVE: 12�HIT DICE:1% IN LAIR: NilTREASURE TYPE: NilNO OF ATTACKS: 1DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-12SPECIAL ATTACKS: ElectricitySPECIAL DEFENSES: ElectricityMAGIC RESISTANCE: StandardINTELLIGENCE: Non-ALIGNMENT: Neutral evilSIZE: MPSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

Shock bones are skeletons animated byboth magic and electricity. Their attacksdo damage from electrical shock. Anyonehitting a shock bones with a metallicweapon that conducts electricity automati-cally takes 2-12 hp damage. Clerics havethe same chances to turn shock bones asthey do zombies. While shock bones haveno treasure themselves, they often act astreasure guards.

A shock bones might also be created byan alchemist or sage in a sort of Dr.Frankenstein-type experiment. Such amonster would not truly be undead, andthough it would conform to the abovestatistics, it could not be turned by clerics.

A variation of a monster listing is oneclose enough to some other listing that itwas probably inspired by the latter. Anaffnity is a listing that has some similar-ties to another listing, usually either in thevisual description of the monster or someconnection in traditional folklore. (Whenlisting a monster name from one of thethree books, (MM1) stands for MonsterManual I, (FF) stands for the FIENDFOLIO® tome, and (MM2) stands for Mon-ster Manual II.)

Undead variations of skeletons includethe huecuva (FF) and animal skeleton(MM2). A skeleton variation that is a nor-mal monster is the crypt thing (FF).

Monsters with an affinity for skeletonsinclude the bone devil (MM1), eye of fearand flame (FF), babau demon (MM2), andthe galley beggar, an unusual ghost foundmostly in the north of England. It was firstmentioned in Reginald Scot�s book: TheDiscoverie of Witchcraft (1584). A galleybeggar is a very thin spirit, often lookinglike a skeleton. Its main purpose seems tobe to terrify anyone it encounters; in fact,the first part of its name, �galley,� means tofrighten or scare. Galley beggars have thesame game statistics as do phantoms (Mon-

Galley Beggar

ster Manual II, page 100).Ruth Tongue, in Folklore Society County

Publications (vol. VIII), reports a headlessgalley beggar that used to toboggan on ahurdle down the hill between Over andNether Stowey, his head tucked firmlyunder his skeleton arm and shrieking withlaughter. It was only on dark nights thathe rode, but a strange light surroundedhim, and he would slide, yelling withlaughter, right down into the streetbetween the two villages.

The galley beggar is a ghost in the tradi-tional sense and bears no relation to theghost of the AD&D game. The DM can usea galley beggar in an adventure to makethe skeleton guards of a treasure moreeffective (since only those characters whomade their saving throws against fearcould confront the skeletons).

Galley beggars favor strange, almostzany antics. Their senses of humor areboth macabre and frightening. Includingthem is an easy way to add an unusualelement to any adventure.

Zombies

Zombies are dead bodies brought backto a semblance of life by magic. They arelittle more than walking corpses. Zombies

are based on traditional voodoo myths,especially those from the island of Haiti.Voodooism is a strange combination ofAfrican and Roman Catholic beliefs, with abit of American Indian lore and Europeanoccult practices thrown in. Voodoo isbased on certain African religions whosepractitioners believe they can temporarilybe possessed by their various gods andgoddesses. Voodoo has strong connectionsto sorcery, witchcraft, and magic.

A voodoo worshiper believes that thespirit of a god cannot take over his bodyunless his soul is first displaced. The soulis believed to consist of two spirits: thegros-bon-ange (big good angel) and the ti-bon-ange (little good angel). The ti-bon-ange is like a person�s conscience. Thegros-bon-ange is his essential soul, every-thing that makes him a unique individual.

Without the gros-bon-ange, the ti-bon-ange and the body lose contact. The gros-bon-ange is displaced during possessionand also leaves the body after death. Greatcare is taken to provide the disembodiedsoul with a safe alternative dwelling place.The soul is recalled by the hungan, thevoodoo priest, during a special ceremonyand placed in a sacred jar. It then becomesan ancestral spirit that will advise andprotect the hungan�s family.

Zombies are created by bokors, evil

voodoo sorcerers. A bokor gains control ofthe gros-bon-ange of a dying person bysucking out the soul magically, trapping itin a magic vessel, or substituting the soulof an insect or small animal for the humansoul. At midnight on the day of burial, thebokor goes with his assistants to the grave,opens it, and calls the victim�s name.Because the bokor holds his soul, the deadperson must lift his head and answer. Ashe does so, the bokor passes the bottlecontaining the gros-bon-ange under thevictim�s nose for a single brief instant. Thedead person is then reanimated. Dragginghim from the tomb, the bokor chains thedead person�s wrists and beats him aboutthe head to revive him further. Then hecarefully closes the tomb so no one willnotice it has been disturbed.

Led by the bokor and his assistants, thevictim is first taken past his own home. Itis believed that this trip will insure thatthe victim never again recognizes hishome or tries to return there. Finally, thecorpse is taken to the bokor�s house or avoodoo temple, and there is given a secretdrug. The drug may be an extract of poi-sonous plants like datura or belladonna,used by slaves in colonial times to kill theirmasters. The zombie is then a corpse-slave, held in thrall to the bokor.

The zombie walks with a distinctiveshambling gait. It has an extremely lowintelligence and can only follow the sim-plest orders, and it keeps its eyes down-cast. If it talks at all, it will babblegibberish in a nasal voice. Usually, thezombie does not answer if spoken to andis bereft of the usual marks of sanity.

One of the most sensational �true� zom-bie tales was related by Constant Polyniceto William Seabrook, as recounted in hisbook, The Magic Island. The spring of1918 was a big cane season for Hasco, theHaitian-American Sugar Company. Thefactory, which owned various plantations,offered a bonus for new workers.

One morning an old black headman, TiJoseph of Colombier, appeared leading aband of raggedly dressed people whoshuffled along behind him, staring dumblylike people walking in a daze. As Josephlined them up for registration, they allstared, vacant-eyed like cattle, and madeno reply when asked to give their names

Joseph said they were ignorant peoplefrom the slopes of Morne-au-Diable, aroadless mountain district near the Domin-ican border, and that they did not under-stand the Creole dialect of the plains. Theywere frightened, he said, by the din andsmoke of the great factory, but under hisdirection they would work hard in thefields. The farther they were sent fromthe factory, from the bustle of the railroadyards where most of the workers congre-gated, the better it would be.

Ti Joseph�s workers were assigned todistant fields beyond the crossroads, andthey camped there, keeping to themselves.In the evening, when each village group ofworkers gathered around one big common

DRAGON 25

pot of food, Joseph�s group always hadtwo pots, one for him and his wife Croy-ance, the other for the workers. The foodmade for the workers was tasteless andunseasoned � for, as Ti Joseph knew,zombies must never be permitted to tastesalt or meat. Salt is generally believed tobe the best ingredient to restore a zom-bie�s memories, but it must be ingested.

One Sunday morning, Joseph left forPort-au-Prince as usual, with his pocketsfull of money. It was lonely in the fieldswith just zombies for company, and Croy-ance was filled with pity for the poorcreatures. �Perhaps it will cheer them alittle to see the happy crowds and proces-sions at Croix de Bouquet,� she thought.Since all the Morne-au-Diable people hadgone back to the mountains to celebrate.Fete Dieu at home, no one was likely torecognize a dead relative�s face among thezombies.

When noontime came and Croyance sateating savory dried herring and biscuitswith a cup of wine, she pitied the zombieseven more. They did not seem to be hav-ing any fun. Every day they worked faith-fully in the cane fields and brought Josephmoney, but the zombies got nothing. Thena woman passed by crying, �Tablettes!Tablettes pistaches! T'ois pour dix cobs!�Tablettes are a sort of candy with the sizeand shape of cookies, made with browncane sugar. Sometimes they have pistaches(peanuts in Haiti) or have coriander seed.Croyance thought, �These tablettes are notsalted or seasoned; they are sweet and cando no harm to the zombies just this once.�

But the baker of the tablettes had saltedthe pistache nuts before stirring them intothe dough. As the zombies tasted the salt,they knew that they were dead and madea dreadful outcry. Arising, they turnedtheir faces toward the mountain where laytheir own homes. No one dared stop them,and they shuffled out of town and soondisappeared down the path toward themountain. When these walking dead drewnear their own village on the slopes ofMorne-au-Diable, the people of the villagerecognized among them fathers, brothers,wives, and daughters whom they hadburied months before. Most of the vil-lagers realized the truth � that these werezombies who had been dragged from theirgraves. But others hoped that a blessedmiracle had taken place and rushed for-ward to greet the returned loved ones.

But the zombies shuffled through themarketplace, recognizing no one. As theyturned left up the path leading to thegraveyard, a woman whose daughter wasin the procession of the dead threw her-self screaming in front of the girl, clingingto the girl�s shuffling feet and begging herdaughter to stay. But the grave-cold feet ofher daughter and the other dead trampedover her, and the zombies continuedonward.

As the zombies neared the graveyard,they began to shuffle faster and thenrushed among the graves. Each went to its

26 OCTOBER 1988

own empty grave and began clawing atthe stones and earth to enter it again. Butas their cold hands touched the earth oftheir own graves, the zombies fell and laythere, now rotting carrion.

That night, the people of the village,after restoring the bodies to their graves,sent a messenger on muleback down themountain. He returned the next day withthe name of Ti Joseph and a stolen shirtwhich had been worn next to Ti Joseph�sskin. From the shirt, the villagers made adeadly ouanga fetish to gain their revenge.Just in case the ouanga was slow to work,they also set an ambush for the man. Soonafterward, Joseph was found on a lonelypath. His head had been hacked off with amachete.

The most feared consequence of releas-ing a zombie from bondage is that thezombie will seek revenge before returningto the grave. The revenge could be merelyphysical, in that the zombie tracks downthe bokor to kill him. The bokor could runor hide, but the zombie is tireless and willeventually find him. The zombie couldeven attack the bokor magically, turningthe sorcerer�s own magic against him.

Unlike most superstitions, zombie talescontinue to be current. The late dictatorof Haiti, Dr. Francois Duvalier, had a pri-vate army that was dubbed the tontonsmacoute, after the name of a kind of trav-eling voodoo magician. Many Haitiansbelieved that some of the soldiers wereactually zombies under the control of�Papa Doc� Duvalier.

Lesser Colossus

Zombies are unnatural creatures tobegin with. One simple variation of thelisting is a zombie that must be literallychopped apart before it stops attacking.Even then, it can be a nuisance. Dismem-bered hands will grab victims; severedheads will bite. Such zombies might betermed �walking dead.� Walking dead aresuperzombies, more difficult to stop thannormal ones because they are both strong-er and hardier.

WALKING DEAD

FREQUENCY: Very rareNO. APPEARING: 2-12ARMOR CLASS: 8MOVE: 6�HIT DICE: 6% IN LAIR: NilTREASURE TYPE: NilNO OF ATTACKS. 1DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-12SPECIAL ATTACKS: NilSPECIAL DEFENSES: NilMAGIC RESISTANCE: See belowINTELLIGENCE: Non-ALIGNMENT: Neutral evilSIZE: MPSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

Walking dead are undead animatedcorpses that keep attacking until com-pletely destroyed. Like zombies, they areimmune to sleep, charm, hold, and cold-based spells. Their six hit dice represent

their extreme tenacity. As the walkingdead take damage, however, they becomeless effective (as they start losing vitalparts of their bodies). For every 9 hp dam-age a walking dead takes (9 hp being theequivalent of losing 2 HD), it gains a �2 tohit and does �2 hp damage (minimumdamage is zero hit points). Clerics have thesame chances to turn walking dead as theydo wights.

LESSER COLOSSUS GREATER COLOSSUS

A classic modern horror picture withzombielike monsters is George Romero�sNight of the Living Dead (which is part ofa trilogy that includes Dawn of the Deadand Day of the Dead). In these movies, theman-eating zombies that stalk the nightcan only be killed by a shot or blow to thehead.

This idea actually makes more logicalsense in the AD&D game than it does inthe movies. The life-force magically ani-mating the corpse might be mysticallycontained in only one part of the body(something like a magic jar spell). Thezombie would be invulnerable to allattacks except those against the area hold-ing the animating force.

HUNGRY DEAD

FREQUENCY: RareNO. APPEARING: 2-20ARMOR CLASS: 8MOVE: 6�HIT DICE: 2% IN LAIR: NilTREASURE TYPE: NilNO. OF ATTACKS: 1DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-6SPECIAL ATTACKS: NilSPECIAL DEFENSES: See belowMAGIC RESISTANCE: See belowINTELLIGENCE: Non-ALIGNMENT: Neutral evilSIZE: MPSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

The hungry dead are undead corpsesthat return from the grave to feed off theliving. Like zombies, they fight untildestroyed or turned away, and areimmune to sleep, charm, hold, and cold-based spells.

The return of the hungry dead is usuallytriggered by an evil magic-user or cleric.The animating force is always concen-trated in one single area of the body.Except in that area, the hungry dead areimmune to physical attack. The area ofconcentration is usually the head but atthe DM�s discretion could be any part ofthe body (heart, stomach, etc.).

Hungry dead look exactly like zombies.At first, however, �to hit� rolls of a natural19 or 20 are needed to affect them (simu-lating an attack to one particular area ofthe body). After the first attack accidental-ly succeeds, the characters will realize theproblem and try to aim for the vulnerablearea; thus, all natural rolls of 15-20 will

FREQUENCY: Very rareNO. APPEARING: 1-2ARMOR CLASS: 8MOVE: 12”HIT DICE: 11 (50 hp)% IN LAIR: NilTREASURE TYPE: NilNO. OF ATTACKS 1DAMAGE/ATTACK: 3-18SPECIAL ATTACKS: N i lSPECIAL DEFENSES: N i lMAGIC RESISTANCE: S t a n d a r dINTELLIGENCE: Non-ALIGNMENT: Neutral evilSIZE: L ( 1 1 � t a l l )PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

V e r y r a r e18

18"33 (150 hp)

N i lN i l

110-60

N i lN i l

S t a n d a r dN o n -

N e u t r a l e v i lL ( 3 3 � t a l l )

Nil

now hit the vital area.Note that hungry dead do less damage

per attack than zombies. Furthermore,such is their unnatural hunger that once avictim is slain, 2-5 hungry dead will stopattacking to feed on the slain victim. Hun-gry dead will not eat other undead, onlyfresh slain corpses.

Clerics have the same chances to turnhungry dead as they do ghouls.

In a story entitled �The Colossus ofYlourgne� by Clark Ashton Smith, the evilNathaire created a terrifying giant undeadcreature. �The Colossus of Ylourgne� wasfirst published in the magazine WeirdTales (June, 1934) and has since beenpublished in hardback and paperback aspart of the collection of stories entitledGenius Loci and Other Tales.

Nathaire was a powerful alchemist,astrologer, and necromancer. Workingwith his 10 students, he robbed a grave-yard of all its corpses. In a kind of magicalassembly-line, the corpses were strippedof all clothing, then the flesh and boneswere separated into separate vats andrendered down to a pliable mass. All thebones were then reshaped and rehar-dened to form a huge skeleton. Finally, theskeleton was once again fleshed out. Theseparate ingredients were thus used tocreate a giant zombie. Along similar lines,the lesser and greater colossus herein maybe added to the AD&D game.

A colossus is essentially a giant zombiemagically made from many corpses. Alesser colossus is about 11� tall (betweenthe size of a hill giant and a stone giant). Agreater colossus is an amazing 33� tall(larger than the largest titan). Either onecan rip up a whole tree to use as a club,doing double-normal damage. Otherwise,colossi use only their massive fists.

Colossi have the same invulnerabilities tomagic and cold as do normal zombies, andthey always lose initiative from their slow-ness. Holy water does 2-8 hp damage to

them. A cleric has the same chance to turna lesser colossus as he would a mummy.The greater colossus is in the �special�category regarding turning it away by acleric.

Note that the actual Colossus ofYlourgne and many other monsters andcharacters created by Clark Ashton Smithappear in the section on Averoigne, whichis part of the D&D module X2 CastleAmber (Chateau d�Amberville). While mostsections of that module were completelymade-up, the Averoigne section was basedon the Averoigne stories of Clark AshtonSmith and was written with the expresspermission of the Clark Ashton Smithestate.

A skeletal version of this monster, thebone colossus, appears in the AD&D mod-ule GDQ 1-7 Queen of the Spiders, page111. This colossus even regenerates itswounds!

Le Grand Zombi means �the great zom-bie.� Le Grand Zombi would be a kind ofking of the zombies. Unlike normal zom-bies, Le Grand Zombi would be intelligentand could even cast spells. It has beenspeculated that Le Grand Zombi is actuallya kind of lich, the spirit of an extremelypowerful magic-user/cleric who special-ized in necromancy (magic dealing withthe dead).

LE GRAND ZOMBI

FREQUENCY: UniqueNO. APPEARING: 1ARMOR CLASS: -3MOVE: 9�HIT DICE: 13 (65 hp)% IN LAIR: 25%TREASURE TYPE: ENO. OF ATTACKS: 2DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-20SPECIAL ATTACKS: SpellsSPECIAL DEFENSES: +1 or better weapon

DRAGON 27

to hitMAGIC RESISTANCE: 25%INTELLIGENCE: Supra-geniusALIGNMENT: Neutral evilSIZE: MPSIONIC ABILITY: 200

Attack/Defense Modes: All/all

Le Grand Zombi looks like the worstmoldering zombie. It is able to control allskeletons and zombies (and all theirundead variants), being a sort of lord ofthe undead. Le Grand Zombi�s main attackform is its ability to cast spells as if a 22nd-level magic-user/cleric. Instead of choosing84 different spells, it is easier for the DMto consider Le Grand Zombi to have anyfirst-through sixth-level magic-user orclerical spell it needs. Higher-level spellsfor Le Grand Zombi follow:

Seventh-level Seventh-levelclerical magic-userDestruction Mass invisibilityUnholy word Phase doorWither Power word, stun

Eighth-level Ninth-levelmagic-user magic-userMind blank ImprisonmentPower word, blind Energy drainTrap the soul Power word, kill

In addition, Le Grand Zombi has all themonster summoning spells (I-VII). Thespells will only summon variants of skele-tons and zombies as shown below:

Spell SummonsI 2-16 skeletonsII 2-12 zombies, skleros, or shock

bonesIIIIVVVIVII

2-8 dry bones or hungry dead1-6 bloody bonesl-4 walking dead1-4 gem eyes1-2 lesser colossi

If Le Grand Zombi attacks physically, itdoes 1-20 hp damage, but it prefers to usespells. Le Grand Zombi can only be hit bymagical weapons, has 25% magic resist-ance, 200 psionic ability points, and allpsionic attack and defense modes. LeGrand Zombi is in the �special� class for acleric�s chance to turn it away.

Undead variations of zombies includethe coffer corpse (FF), son of Kyuss (FF),juju zombie (MM2), and monster zombie(MM2). A normal monster variation of thezombie is the yellow musk zombie (FF).

Ghouls

The word �ghoul� comes from the Ara-bic word ghul, used to refer to a kind ofdemon of the wilderness. Ghul itself isderived from ghala, which means �toseize.� In Oriental folklore, a ghoul is anevil spirit that robs graves and feeds on

28 OCTOBER 1988

the flesh of the dead. It is thought to be aninferior order of the jinn (jinnee or geniein the singular, djinni in the AD&D game).The jinn is a race of a vrariety of differentbeings created out of black smokeless fire.The usual dwelling places of jinn areruined houses, water cisterns, rivers,wells, crossroads, and marketplaces. Iblisis the father of the jinn and their chief.

Ghouls inhabit lonely places, not onlygraveyards but also deserts and isolatedmountains. In many ways, ghouls are thepersonifications of the terrors of thewasteland. Ghouls also personify the hor-ror of starvation and forced cannibalism.In their true forms, ghouls are usuallyhideous and loathesome, with fangs andtalons. Sometimes one may have only oneeye or a set of wings growing out of itsback. But ghouls generally share thepowers of jinns, which not only includeinvisibility but also shapeshifting. Ghoulscan thus take on the semblance of humanbeings and quite often do so.

Theoretically, a ghoul could be of eithersex. Perhaps because of the strong patriar-chal nature of Islam, in most tales theghoul is a female. Sometimes the ghoulappears as a beautiful woman; at othertimes, it appears more like its true form �half-woman and half-fiend. In femaleform, the ghoul can even bear children. Itis often represented as luring travelers outof the way to lonely and remote ruins,where it falls upon them suddenly anddevours them, greedily sucking the warmblood from their veins and sharing theflesh with its children.

There are several tales of ghouls in TheThousand and One Nights, the classiccollection of Arabic and Persian folktales(sometimes also titled The Arabian Nights).Two such tales are �The Story of thePrince and the Ghoul� and �The Story ofSidi Nouman.� But the legends do notbelong only to the remote past. Mathias deGiraldo recounts a story he was told in histravels about a more recent ghoul (Histoirecureuse et pittoresque . . . etc., publishedin 1846).

About the beginning of the 15th century,in a pleasant suburb of Bagdad, lived anelderly merchant and his only son. Havingamassed a considerable fortune, the mer-chant naturally wanted grandchildren,and he decided to arrange a match withthe daughter of an old friend. Unfortu-nately, the lady was far from comely. Uponbeing shown her portrait, the son, Abdul-Hassan, asked for a delay that he mightconsider the proposed union.

One evening, Abdul-Hassan was ram-bling alone by moonlight through thecountryside near his father�s house. Whilecontemplating the impending marriage, heheard a voice of enchanting sweetnesssinging love lyrics with great skill andtenderness to the accompaniment of alute. Following the music, he came to asmall but elegant house. Unable to containhimself, Abdul-Hassan leapt over a gardenwall and managed to hide in the garden.

From his vantage point, he saw a maidenof extraordinary beauty seated on thebalcony above him. For most of the nighthe watched and listened, fascinated by herenchanting voice and dazzling charms.

On the following morning, Abdul-Hassanproceeded to make inquiries concerningthe lady. Eventually, he learned that shewas the only daughter of an eminentphilosopher. Though the father�s learningwas profound, he had little wealth andcould afford only the poorest dowry forhis child. The lady, who was a paragoninstructed in every art and science, wasthus unmarried.

All thoughts of the prearranged mar-riage fled from Abdul-Hassan�s mind.Instead, he told his father what had hap-pened and begged that he might choosehis own wife. The doting merchant foundit impossible to deny his son�s request. Thenext day, he visited the house of the phi-losopher and made formal arrangementsfor the marriage.

After a brief courtship, the marriagewas celebrated with much splendor. Sev-eral weeks passed in a state of extremehappiness � yet Abdul-Hassan noted thathis wife Nadilla would never partake of anevening meal. She excused herself byexplaining that she had become used tothe frugal and severe diet forced upon herwhen she was growing up.

One night, however, after a few weekshad passed, Abdul-Hassan awoke from adeep sleep to find that he was alone in thebed. At first he took no heed, but he grewanxious as the hours passed. His bride didnot return to bed until shortly beforedawn. On the following night, he onlypretended to sleep and carefully watchedhis wife instead. After she believed him tobe soundly asleep, she quietly got out ofbed, threw on a long dark cloak, andsilently slipped away. Abdul-Hassan hur-riedly dressed and followed her. To hissurprise, she soon left the main streets ofthe town and made her way to a remotecemetery reported to be haunted.

Tracking Nadilla carefully, he saw thatshe entered a large vault. With the utmostcaution, he ventured to steal a glanceinside. The vault was dimly lit by threefunerary lamps, and to his horror, hebeheld his young and beautiful wife seatedwith a party of hideous ghouls, about topartake of a loathsome feast. One of thesemonsters brought in a corpse which hadbeen buried that day; the corpse wasquickly torn to pieces by the company,which devoured the reeking gobbets withevery evidence of satisfaction amusingthemselves meanwhile with mutualembraces and the drone of a mockingdirge.

Fearing to be caught by the ghouls,Abdul-Hassan fled back to his house as fastas he could. When his wife returned, heappeared to be soundly asleep. Through-out the whole of the next day, he gave nosign of what he had discovered. In theevening, as Nadilla was excusing herself

from joining him at supper, he insistedthat she stay and eat; she steadfastlydeclined. At last, filled with anger anddisgust, Abdul-Hassan cried out, �So thenyou prefer to keep your appetite for yoursupper with the ghouls!�

Nadilla turned pale; her eyes blazed, andshe shook with fury. But she gave him noreply and retired to bed in silence. How-ever, about midnight, when she thoughtthat her husband was fast asleep, sheexclaimed, �Now, wretch, receive thepunishment for thy curiosity!� At the sametime, she set her knee firmly on his chest,seized him by the throat, with her sharpnail tore open a vein and greedily began todrink his blood.

Abdul-Hassan managed to slip frombeneath her. Springing to his feet, hestruck her with a sharp knife with whichhe had been careful to arm himself. Nadil-la fell down, mortally wounded, at the sideof the bed. Abdul-Hassan called for help,and the wound in his throat was dressed.On the following day, the remains of hiswife were duly interred.

However, three nights afterward,although the doors were locked, Nadillaappeared at exactly twelve o�clock in herhusband�s room. She attacked him withsuperhuman strength and ferocity, tearingat his throat. His dagger proved uselessnow, and his one chance for safety lay inspeedy flight. Somehow managing toescape, he gathered a group of armedfriends. Together they tracked Nadilla tothe tomb where she was now living.Despite her strength and fury, the menmanaged to overcome the ghoul.

A great pyre of dry wood was built, withfrankincense, aloes, and costly spicesadded. The corpse, writhing and foamingat the mouth, was placed on the pyre andreduced to ashes, which were collectedand scattered on the Tigris River to becarried away and dispersed amid thewaves of the Persian Sea.

Since so many ghouls are female inArabic folklore, I have used ghulah, thefeminine form of ghul, to refer to Orientalghouls.

GHULA

FREQUENCY: RareNO. APPEARING: 2-20ARMOR CLASS: 5MOVE: 12�HIT DICE: 5% IN LAIR: 25%TREASURE TYPE: ENO. OF ATTACKS: 1DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-12SPECIAL ATTACKS: SpellsSPECIAL DEFENSES: NilMAGIC RESISTANCE: StandardINTELLIGENCE: VeryALIGNMENT: Chaotic evilSIZE: MPSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

Ghulah are Oriental ghouls (especially ofArabic-Persian tradition). They usuallyappear as either beautiful women or hid-eous half-woman, half-monster creatures.Ghulah are evil kinfolk to djinn. Theycannot be affected by sleep, charm, orhold spells. They have the power to castthe magical spells of invisibility and poly-morph self. Clerics have the same chancesto turn ghulah as they would ghasts.

While the roots for ghouls lie in Orientalmythology, the popular concept of theghoul in fantasy literature and gaming hasbeen strongly influenced by the writer H.P. Lovecraft. Lovecraft�s ghouls are not evilspirits but a terrifying race of quasihumans who live in vast mazes of under-ground tunnels. The tunnel systems are,more often than not, under or near ceme-teries and crypts. Ghouls only leave theirtunnels in search of prey; usually theyfeast on corpses, but they are not abovepreying on the living.

Ghouls may once have been human, buttheir unspeakable practices have warpedeven their physical features. Other hor-rors live underground, mostly aberrantinhuman races that worship the Old Ones � Lovecraft�s bizarre alien gods. At sometime in the past, the ghouls mated withsome of these underground otherworldlyraces. The physical appearance of ghoulsis both frightening and disgusting. Anencounter with a ghoul can be enough toshatter the sanity of a normal person.

Inspired by H. P. Lovecraft, a number ofwriters have written horror stories withrelated backgrounds. These stories aregenerally grouped together to form the�Cthulhu Mythos� (so named because ofthe demon-god Cthulhu invented by H.P.Lovecraft). Most of the stories were writ-ten by friends and correspondents of H.P.Lovecraft in the 1930s, but recent writershave made their own contributions to theCthulhu Mythos. The classic ghoul storyby H.P. Lovecraft is �Pickman�s Model,�which can be found in the short-storycollection entitled The Dunwich Horrorand Other Tales. Ghouls, or the hints ofghouls, appear in other Lovecraft storiessuch as �The Rats in the Walls� (TheDunwich Horror and Other Tales) and�The Hound� (Dagon and Other MacabreTales). The ghoul race and the hero of�Pickman�s Model,� Richard Upton Pick-man, are also featured in the H.P. Love-craft novel The Dream Quest of UnknownKadath. Other ghoul stories of the CthulhuMythos include �The Grinning Ghoul� byRobert Bloch (Mysteries of the Worm), �ItWill Come to You� by Frank Belknap Long(The Dark Beasts), and �The Ghoul� byClark Ashton Smith (Other Dimensions).Recent writers have continued the tradi-tion of the ghoul in fiction with storiessuch as �Quietly Now� by Charles Grant,�Disturb Not My Slumbering Fair� byChelsea Quinn Yarbro (both collected inNecropolis), and �Problem Child� by BrianLumley (in Vampires, Werewolves, and

Other Monsters).The AD&D game monster ghast is essen-

tially a variation of a ghoul, derived fromthe word �ghastly� which comes from theAnglo-Saxon gastlic, literally meaning�ghostly.� The word �ghastly� suggests thehorror aroused by the sight or suggestionof death (a good choice for a root wordwhen inventing a type of undead). Ghastsare tougher and have more powers thanghouls yet are so like ghouls as to be com-pletely indistinguishable from them(except for their smell).

In the AD&D game, the ghoul marks achange in the game function of theundead. Skeletons and zombies threatencharacters by sheer numbers. Withghouls, the emphasis begins to shift to theterrifying powers of the undead. Ghoulsroam in packs, and their numbers can stillbe deadly. But their paralyzing touch iseven more deadly and introduces an ele-ment of extreme randomness into combat.A string of lucky hits by the ghouls coup-led with unlucky saving throws by thecharacters can suddenly decimate a party.

Ghouls have affinities both to zombiesand vampires. It would be as easy to clas-sify the hungry dead mentioned earlier asa ghoul instead of as a zombie; in somemyths, ghouls return from the dead anddrink blood besides eating flesh.

A type of ghoul found in Haiti is thebaka. A baka is similar to a zombie withseveral important differences. The corpsewhich forms a baka belonged to a memberof a secret magical society that practicesritual cannibalism. The cannibalism isbelieved to give the eaters magical powersand is a form of necromancy.

While a baka has to be animated like azombie, the baka is no mindless slave. Inthe realms of death, the dead person hasmerged with certain evil spirits and nowhas their powers. This supernatural mon-ster can bring luck, power, or wealth to itsmaster. But the baka must be treated inthe proper manner (which includes asteady diet of fresh corpses), or the ownerwill be destroyed by uncontrollable magi-cal energy. In fact, the baka is often quitewilling to return from the grave to con-tinue the horrid practices of its life.

BAKA

FREQUENCY: Very rareNO. APPEARING: 2-16ARMOR CLASS: 6MOVE: 12�HIT DICE: 3% IN LAIR: 10%TREASURE TYPE: CNO. OF ATTACKS: 1DAMAGE/ATTACKS: 1-8SPECIAL ATTACKS: SpellsSPECIAL DEFENSES: See belowMAGIC RESISTANCE: StandardINTELLIGENCE: AverageALIGNMENT: Chaotic evilSIZE: MPSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

DRAGON 29

Baka are the animated undead corpsesof members of a secret cannibalistic socie-ty. They have gained some demonic magi-cal powers and have the clerical spellscommand and hold person. Baka can influ-ence the luck of their enemies. Anyonefighting a baka has a -1 to hit, to dodamage, and to all saving throws for theduration of the combat.

Baka are essentially a variety of ghoul,and clerics have the same chances to turnthem as they do ghouls. Like ghouls, bakaare immune to sleep and charm spells.

In Greek legends, the gelloudes are akind of female demon that steals and thendevours young children. The prototypefor the gelloudes was the maiden Gellowhose ghost, according to the ancientpoetess Sappho, returned after heruntimely death and was said by the peopleof the isle of Lesbos to have caused theearly deaths of children. By the 10th cen-tury A.D., Gello had become a demon of theGreek Orthodox Church. Her variousminions were the gelloudes.

Just as a ghoul is the personification ofthe wilderness and the fear of cannibal-ism, the gelloudes are the personificationof the fear of infant mortality. In cultureswithout modern medical techniques,infant mortality can result in a 20% deathrate. With one out of five children beingborn dead or dying soon after birth, it isnot surprising that the cause was attrib-uted to demons.

In Greek folklore, gelloudes have 12½secret names. The names (transliteratedfrom the Greek) are: 1) Guloy � a form ofGello; 2) Mora � a kind of lamia; 3) Budzoy� a sucker of blood; 4) Marmaroy ��heart of stone�; 5) Petasis � �fly like abird�; 6) Pelagia � �swim like a fish�; 7)Bordona � �swoop like a hawk�; 8) Aple-toy � �insatiable�; 9) Khamodrakaina ��lurk like a snake�; 10) Anabardalaia ��soar like a hawk�; 11) Psychanaspastria ��snatcher of souls�; 12) Paidopniktria ��strangler of children�; and 12½) Strigla �a kind of stirge.

Gelloudes are related to lamias, stirges,type V demons, and succubi (all fromMM1). While their prime purpose is toprey upon children, they are not limited tothat function and are likely to attack any-one when the man-eating urge becomestoo great.

GELLOUDES

FREQUENCY: Very rareNO. APPEARING: 1-6ARMOR CLASS: 7MOVE: 6�/18�//12"HIT DICE: 5% IN LAIR: 5%TREASURE TYPE: 1NO. OF ATTACKS: 4DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-4/1-4/1-6/1-6SPECIAL ATTACKS: Energy drainSPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil

30 OCTOBER 1988

MAGIC RESISTANCE: 50%INTELLIGENCE: AverageALIGNMENT. Chaotic evilSIZE: L (7� tall)PSIONIC ABILITY: 100

Attack/Defense Modes: E/F/G

A gelloudes is a kind of demon, with thelower body of a giant serpent and theupper body of a woman. The serpent bodyhas a pair of scaley legs with webbedtalons. The woman�s hands end in claws;she has vampirelike canines. A gelloudeshas dragonlike wings that aid both flyingand swimming.

Gelloudes attack with hand claws (1-6 hpdamage each) and foot talons (1-8 hp dam-age each). If any attack succeeds, thevictim is pulled close to the demon but isnot held. On the next round, if it gains theinitiative, the gelloudes can bite its victim(roll to hit at +2) and drain an energylevel every round thereafter unless thevictim breaks free of its bite, requiring anopen doors strength roll. If the roll is notmade, the victim can be struck on follow-ing rounds at +2 to hit with claws andtalons (and automatically by the bite) untilhe breaks free. The victim gains no savingthrow against the energy drain. As thevictim loses energy levels, he seems togrow younger. When the victim has nolevels or hit dice left, he dies.

This reverse aging is something of anillusion and is not necessarily permanent.If the victim dies from the attack, then thecorpse will be that of a young child. If thevictim can be freed before death fromenergy draining, he will immediatelyreturn to his normal age (the life-level lossis permanent).

As minor demons, the gelloudes rank inthe �special� category when being turnedby clerics.

One aspect of the topic of ghouls dealswith creatures from the Negative Materialplane that exist in spirit form. They seekto possess the material bodies of theirvictims and force them into ghoulish prac-tices. The case of Constance Armande isrelated in Elliot O�Donnell�s book Were-wolves. It is supposed to have taken placein the French province of Brittany aroundthe turn of the century.

A young girl named ConstanceArmande, much against the wishes of herfamily, took up spiritualism. At theseances, she evidently came into contactwith earth-bound spirits of the lowest sort� murderers, lunatics, and worse. Theyattached themselves to her psyche andfollowed her back to her home, wherethey began systematically tormenting her.They rapped on walls and played similarpoltergeist tricks. They invaded herdreams, causing her such frighteningnightmares that she quickly feared sleepand would often wake up screaming. Shetold her parents that the evil spirits weretrying to prevent her from waking, tokeep her with them.

A spiritualist told her that her dreamswere not dreams at all but projections.Constance had, at the seances, acquiredthe power of astral projection, but she hadno control over the power and was beingforced to project into areas controlled byevil entities. This projection was uncon-scious and usually happened during sleep.

A medical expert was consulted. Hisadvice was that Constance immerse her-self in recreation, seeing her symptoms asa kind of nervous breakdown. The girlwent to the seaside for a vacation andattended all sorts of balls, concerts, andplays. But the annoyances and bad dreamscontinued.

Constance was a beautiful girl and hadcountless admirers. Eventually she becameengaged to Alphonse Mabane, the only sonof a wealthy widow. Shortly before theday of the wedding, Madame Mabane diedof a stroke. Every one, especially Con-stance, was overwhelmed with grief. Prep-arations were made for an impressivefuneral.

On the afternoon of the day before thefuneral, Constance was struck with aviolent headache. She went to her room tolie down in order to get rid of the pain.Two hours later, Madame Armande heardstrange footsteps coming out of Con-stance�s room and bounding down thestairs. Madame Armande ran to see whomight be there and was astonished to seeConstance � but a Constance she hardlyrecognized. Her daughter�s eyes shonewith beastlike ferocity, and a grim, savageexpression distorted her face. She passedright by her mother without even noticingthe woman. Her walk was a light, stealthytread, utterly unlike her usual walk.

Madame Armande was too startled tostop Constance or even talk to the girl,who was gone before her mother couldrecover. Madame Armande told her hus-band what had happened, and he tried tofind his daughter, but no one in the villagehad seen her.

About an hour before bedtime, therecame a violent ringing at the front doorbell. It was Alphonse Mabane, and helooked pale and ghastly.

�Have you found her?� Monsieur andMadame Armande cried, catching hold ofhim and dragging him into the hall.

Alphonse nodded. �Let me sit down amoment first,� he gasped. �It will give metime to collect my senses. My nerves areall to pieces!� He then proceeded to tell ahorrifying story.

�When I heard that Constance was miss-ing, I wanted to join the search for her. Iwas in my bedroom putting on my over-coat when my valet Jacques entered. Hisface was white as a sheet. He begged meto go with him upstairs, to the roomwhere my mother was laid out ready forthe funeral. We stopped outside the door.�Listen,� he whispered, �do you hear that?�

�From inside the room came a curiousnoise like munching � a steady gnaw,gnaw, gnaw. We armed ourselves with

walking sticks and lights. Then, throwingopen the door, we rushed into the room.

�The lid of the coffin was off, the corpsewas lying huddled up on the floor, andcrouching over it was Constance. ForGod�s sake, don�t ask me to describe more� the sounds we heard explain every-thing. When Constance saw us, she emit-ted a series of savage snarls, sprang at oneof the maids, scratched her in the face,and before we could stop her, flew down-stairs and out into the street. As soon asour shocked senses had sufficiently recov-ered, we started off in pursuit but havenot been able to find a trace of her.�

At the conclusion of Monsieur Mabane�sstory, the search was continued. Thepolice were summoned, and a general hueand cry raised, with the result that Con-stance was eventually found in a cemeterydigging frantically at a newly made grave.Brought to bay in the chase that ensued,Constance plunged into a river, was sweptaway by the current, and drowned.

A spirit-ghoul is a type of ghoul which isactually some poor unfortunate victimpossessed by an evil entity. The entitywarps the physical appearance of theperson so that the individual looks like aghoul. The possession attempt is a longdrawn-out process and has no bearing incombat (i.e., the spirit cannot take oversome other body during melee).

SPIRIT-GHOUL

FREQUENCY: Very rareNO. APPEARING: 1-6ARMOR CLASS: 5MOVE: 12�HIT DICE: 3% IN LAIR: 15%TREASURE TYPE: B, Q, TNO. OF ATTACKS: 3DAMAGE/ATTACK: 3SPECIAL ATTACKS: ParalyzationSPECIAL DEFENSES: See belowMAGIC RESISTANCE: 20%INTELLIGENCE: AverageALIGNMENT Chaotic evilSIZE: MPSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

A spirit-ghoul is the end result of ahuman victim�s possession by unknowndemonic entities. Once so possessed, thevictim becomes immune to sleep andcharm spells, and has paralyzation powerslike normal ghouls. Such spirit-ghouls lookjust like normal ghouls, and the two canoften be found together in a pack. Exor-cism will work against a spirit-ghoul. Adetailed examination by a high-level clericwill reveal the possession. Thus, unlikenormal ghouls, a spirit-ghoul is not neces-sarily doomed to be a ghoul forever. Infact, if a spirit-ghoul is knocked uncon-scious but not killed, it can be bound sothat the demon can later be exorcised. Acharacter killed by a spirit-ghoul does notrisk becoming a ghoul. Clerics can turn

Spirit-Ghoul

these spirit-ghouls as they can normalghouls.

A monster related to ghouls is BlackAnnis. Her legend is part of the basis forthe AD&D game monster annis (MM2).Black Annis is a man-eating hag with ablue face and iron claws. She is supposedto live in a cave in the Dane Hills in Leices-tershire England. There was a great oak atthe mouth of the cave in which she wassaid to hide; she would leap out frombehind the oak to catch and devour trav-elers. The cave, which was called BlackAnnis� Bower Close, was supposed to havebeen dug out of the rock by her own nails.

On Easter Monday, it was the customfrom early times to hold a drag-hunt fromAnnis� Bower to the Mayor of Leicester�shouse. A drag-hunt is an overland hunt inwhich the hounds follow the scent of adead animal that has been dragged overthe ground to make a trail. The baitdragged was a dead cat drenched in ani-seed. The bait was symbolically important;aniseed is associated with the second partof Black Annis�s name. Black Annis wasalso associated with a monstrous cat, akind of pet or familiar. The drag-huntcustom died out at the end of the 18thcentury.

Ruth Tongue, in her Forgotten Folk-Tales

of the English Counties, reproduced a taleabout Black Annis the hag, as told by anevacuee from Leicester in December 1941.The description seems to show that thetradition of Black Annis was still alive aslate as World War II. The hag was said tobe �ever so tall and had a blue face andhad long white teeth.� The hag ate peopleand only went out when it was dark.When Black Annis ground her teeth, peo-ple could hear her in time to bolt theirdoors. They kept well away from thewindows, too, in case she reached insideand grabbed for villagers (which was whyLeicestershine�s cottages lacked a lot of bigwindows). When Black Annis howled,people could hear her five miles away.Even the poor folk who lived in huts fas-tened skins across the windows and putwitch-herbs above them to keep BlackAnnis away.

Black Annis personifies the spirit ofdeath and fears of the wilderness. It seemslikely that she was once a goddess-figurethat had to be ritually propitiated. Perhapsshe was the dark side of Anu (Dana), aCeltic mother goddess. If so, it shows thestaying power of memories of horror. Thegood aspects of the mother goddess (fertili-ty, rebirth, and the cycle of the seasons)have been forgotten, and only the evilaspects remain.

DRAGON 31

Black Annis is a man-eating hag with a for the whole winter.blue face and iron claws. Her cat is a giant In Canadian Indian myths, Wendigo wascat, larger than a sabre-tooth tiger, having a terrifying creature of the wilderness.blue-black fur. While sunlight does neither Part god and part monster, the giant Wen-Black Annis nor her cat any real harm, digo roamed in search of human flesh.both of them prefer darkness and are The Indians believed that anyone who sawnormally encountered at night or in deep Wendigo and lived had been forevercaverns. marked by him and was bound to turn to

Black Annis has the following spells: cannibalism. Even thinking about him ordarkness 15� radius, detect magic, dispel saying his name aloud was dangerous.magic, clairaudience, clairvoyance, dig, Hence, Wendigo was often referred to byconfusion, and animate dead. Her cat has epithets such as �the cold one� orthree attacks (claw/claw/bite); Black Annis �windwalker.�

FREQUENCY:NO. APPEARING:ARMOR CLASS:MOVE:HIT DICE:% IN LAIR:TREASURE TYPE:NO. OF ATTACKS: DAMAGE/ATTACK:SPECIAL ATTACKS:SPECIAL DEFENSES:MAGIC RESISTANCE:INTELLIGENCE:ALIGNMENT:SIZE:PSIONIC ABILITY:

B L A C K A N N I S

Unique14

15�11

50%I,X

2-12Spells

Ni150%

ExceptionalNeutral evilL (10' tall)

Nil

HER CAT

Unique16

18�9

50%Nil3

2-8/2-8/2-16NilNil

25%Average

Neutral evilL

Nil

has only one, which could be either aphysical attack or a spell. Black Annis issometimes encountered alone, but her catwill be encountered only if the hag is alsopresent.

Because of her close association withdeath, Black Annis could be considered anundead spirit seeking living victims. If so,she would be in the �special� categoryregarding turning. But Black Annis doesnot have to be a type of undead � shecould merely be an evil spirit haunting thenight. The final choice whether or not tomake her undead is left strictly to the DM.

If ghouls personify the fear of the wil-derness and Black Annis personifies thefear of death, Wendigo personifies the fearof cannibalism. The origin of Wendigocomes from the Indian tribes of Canada.The Canadian wilderness can be a terrify-ing place in the winter for people whohave only a subsistence economy. Livingby hunting is always a chancy life. Thereare times of plenty, but there are alsotimes when game is scarce. During leantimes, food can be gathered from the wild.During the winter, however, food is oftenunavailable. In the past, when there werefew good methods of preserving food,there was the very real possibility thatfood would run out before spring. Theproblem was increased by the naturaltension of people cooped up together

Anthropologists refer to the extremefear of cannibalism, coupled with a kind of�cabin-fever,� as Wendigo psychosis. Theyhypothesize that the fear itself, if it grewtoo great, might trigger a psychotic hallu-cination of Wendigo.

Indian myths of Wendigo were carriedover into more modern Canadian folklore,though the single entity now becamenumerous creatures, half phantom andhalf beast, who live in the forests and preyon human beings, particularly children.These wendigos might be people whoentered into a pact with certain evil spiritsthat lurk in the forest and help thesepeople kill their victims. Perhaps thesewendigos were humans gazed upon themythical being Wendigo, as in the Indianmyths.

The legend of this creature has beenimmortalized in Algernon Blackwood�sshort story �The Wendigo,� first publishedin 1907. Versions of Wendigo have workedtheir way into some of the stories of theCthulhu Mythos; in fact, the Old Onenamed Ithaqua, the Wind Walker, is essen-tially a reworking of the Wendigo legendsto fit into the mythos.

Like Black Annis, Wendigo is on theborderline between the undead and otherkinds of monsters. Even if the DM choosesto consider Wendigo as undead, the mon-ster would be too powerful to turn, so thechoice makes little practical difference.

WENDIGO

FREQUENCY: UniqueNO. APPEARING: 1ARMOR CLASS: -5MOVE: 24�HIT DICE: 30 (135 hp)% IN LAIR: NilTREASURE TYPE: NilNO. OF ATTACKS: 2DAMAGE/ATTACK: 3-30SPECIAL ATTACKS: See belowSPECIAL DEFENSES: See belowMAGIC RESISTANCE: 75%INTELLIGENCE: Supra-geniusALIGNMENT: Chaotic evilSIZE: L (15' tall)PSIONIC ABILITY: 250

Attack/Defense Modes: All/all

Wendigo sometimes appears as a giantspectral being, part human and part ani-mal, but his appearance varies becauseWendigo is so chaotic that his body con-stantly changes. Everyone who sees Wen-digo sees him differently, since Wendigo�sform reflects a person�s deepest fears.

In addition to his physical attacks, Wen-digo can summon 2-24 ghouls, 1-6 ghasts,and 1-3 wind walkers, one group each perday. Wendigo can use this summoningpower once per turn until, after threeturns, he has summoned each kind ofmonster.

Anyone looking at Wendigo must savevs. spells or be affected by fear. If the savefails, the person must make a secondsaving throw against death magic. If thissecond save also fails, then the individualbecomes a servant of Wendigo and will beunder his complete control. The controlcan only be broken by reducing Wendigoto zero or less hit points, slaying him.

In Greek folklore, the callicantzari arehideous, man-eating monsters that some-times take on human form. They aredescribed differently in different regionsof Greece, but in general there are twomain types of them: small and large.

The small callicantzari are not man-eaters, and are less hideous to look at andless numerous than the larger variety. Infact, the small callicantzari are closer innature to the European faerie races thanto any kind of undead.

The larger callicantzari are maliciousand deadly. Their size varies from human-size to twice the height of a cottage. Usu-ally, they are about 6-8� tall.

Callicantzari have dead-black skin. Mostof them are covered with a coat of shaggyblack hair, but a bald variety is sometimesmentioned. Their heads are huge, out ofall proportion to the rest of their bodies.Their faces are dark black, and their eyesglare redly. They have the ears of goats orasses. From their huge mouths, blood-redtongues loll out, flanked by ferocious-looking tusks. Their bodies are generallylean and tall, but some are shorter andthick-set.

32 OCTOBER 1988

Callicantzari have the arms and hands ofmonkeys. Their nails are as long again astheir fingers, and are curled like thetalons of a vulture. Some have the legs of agoat or an ass, some have one human legand one bestial one, and some have humanlegs with the foot so distorted that the toescome out where the heel should be.Hence, it is not surprising that these mon-sters are often lame, but even so, they areswift of foot and terrible in strength. Theyrun with a peculiar shambling gait which,while appearing awkward, still allowsthem to run quickly.

Sometimes a callicantzaros (the singularform of callicantzari) appears to be a nor-mal human; sometimes a callicantzarosappears in completely animal shape. Ingeneral, the callicantzari are neither whol-ly human nor wholly bestial but a blend ofthe two. It is possible that, in ancienttimes, �callicantzari� was a general term todescribe animal-human combinations.Creatures like the centaurs, satyrs, andsileni (like satyrs, but part ass) were spe-cific kinds of callicantzari. If so, the gener-ic meaning has long been lost, andcallicantzari has evolved into a term todescribe specific monsters.

From dawn to sunset, the callicantzarihide in dark and dank places � in caves orbeneath mills � feeding on the loathsomefood there (snakes, snails, insects, etc.).But at night, they issue forth and runwildly to and fro, rending and crushingthose who cross their paths. Destruction,waste, greed, and lust mark their courses.

Despite their uncouth shapes, the mon-sters delight in dancing. Sometimes aperson can trick them into dancing allnight. But people must beware, for thecallicantzari delight in the taste of humanflesh.

Fortunately, the callicantzari are stupid,gullible, and extremely quarrelsome. Theyhave little discipline or sense of planning,which adds an interesting aspect of role-playing to an adventure as the PCs try tofigure out ways to trick these monsters. Asmart, alert person usually has no difficul-ty getting the better of them, as the follow-ing story from the island of Scyros shows(related in Modern Greek Folklore andAncient Greek Religion, by John CuthbertLawson):

A man of Scyros was returning homefrom a mill late at night, driving his mulebefore him laden with two sacks of meal.When he had gone about halfway, he sawbefore him some callicantzari in his path.Realizing his danger, he at once got uponhis mule and laid himself flat between thetwo sacks and covered himself up with arug, so as to look like another sack ofmeal. Soon the callicantzari were about hismule, and he held his breath and heardone say, �Here is a pack on this side and apack on that side, and the top-load in themiddle, hut where is the man?�

So the callicantzari ran back to the millthinking that the man had loitered behind.But they could not find him and came

Wendigo

back after the mule, looked again, andsaid, �Here is a pack on this side and apack on that side, and the top-load in themiddle, but where is the man?�

So they ran on in front, fearing that hehad hastened on home before his mule.But when they could not find him, theyreturned again, then went back a secondtime toward the mill. This went on manytimes.

The mule needed no one to guide it; ithad traveled the path many times. Whilethe callicantzari were running to and fro,the mule steadily trudged home. When thebeast stopped at the door of the man�shome, the callicantzari were close behind.The man called to his wife, and sheopened the door and he entered safely.

When the callicantzari saw how he hadtricked them, they knocked at the door ingreat anger. The woman, fearing that themonsters would break in by force, prom-ised to let them in on the condition thatthey first count the holes in her sieve. Tothis they agreed, and she let the sievedown to them by a cord from an upperwindow. Straightaway, the monstersbegan to count the holes, and they count-ed round and round the outermost circleof holes in the sieve and so never got tothe middle. Frustrated with the lengthycounting process, they only counted moreand more hurriedly as a result.

Meanwhile, dawn was breaking. Soonthe neighbors saw the callicantzari, andthey hurried off to the priests and toldthem. The priests immediately set out withcensers and sprinkling vessels in theirhands to chase the callicantzari. The mon-sters fled right through town, spreadinghavoc in their path as they were hotlypursued by the priests. At last, when theywere clear of the town, one callicantzarosbegan to lag behind, and by a great effortthe foremost priest ran up to him andstruck him on a hind foot with a sprin-kling vessel. At once the foot fell off. Thecallicantzaros replaced it as best he could,but he got it on backward. Thus cameabout the phrase �callicantzaros foot,� todescribe their peculiar kind of lameness.

Callicantzari are on the borderlandbetween the undead and other monsters.While the final choice of whether or not tomake them undead is up to the DM, I haveclassed them as undead because, in leg-ends, they operate only at night, can bescared away by unarmed clerics, takedamage from holy water, are man-eaters,and traditionally appear only at the 12days of Christmas � a time, like Hallow-een, when the harriers between the deadand the living are weak.

Callicantzari are a kind of undead mix-ture of animal and human traits. Theyhave black skin and shaggy hair, oversized

DRAGON 33

Callicantzaros heads with goat ears, and red eyes. Theirfeet are either animal feet or distorted sothat the heels are where the toes shouldbe. Callicantzari are big, stupid, maliciousman-eaters that roam at night seekingprey. Daylight does not actually hurt them,but they will avoid it if at all possible.

The traditional leader of the callicantzariis the Great Callicantzaros. He has thepower of confusion (as per the magic-userspell, usable three times per day); anyonewho fails the saving throw against it willbe influenced toward mindless destruc-tion, greed, and lust as long as the GreatCallicantzaros is within sight. Clerics andcavaliers of good alignment, includingpaladins, are immune to the confusion.Any other character of good alignmentgets a +2 on the saving throw.

The callicantzari are hopelessly stupidand easily tricked. They often work atcross-purposes since they are incapable oforganized action. The Great Callicant-zaros, by himself, acts in an intelligentmanner. But even he cannot exert enoughinfluence to alter the stupid behavior ofhis fellow callicantzari.

Clerics can turn callicantzari with thesame chances as they have against wights.The Great Callicantzaros cannot be turn-ed, but he will flee if the majority of thecallicantzari flee. Holy water causes 2-8 hpdamage per vial against callicantzari.

34 OCTOBER 1988

GREATCALLICANTZARI CALLICANTZAROS

FREQUENCY:NO APPEARING:ARMOR CLASS:MOVE:HIT DICE:% IN LAIR:TREASURE TYPE:NO. OF ATTACKS:DAMAGE/ATTACK:SPECIAL ATTACKS:SPECIAL DEFENSES:MAGIC RESISTANCE:INTELLIGENCE:ALIGNMENT:SIZE:PSIONIC ABILITY:

Rare2-20

515�

61 0 %

D1

2 - 1 2

NilNil

StandardL o w

Neutral evilL (6-8� tall)

Nil

Very rare1

- 118�

18 (90 hp)1 0 %

I1

6-36See below

NilStandard

VeryNeutral evilL (10�tall)

Nil

Undead variations of ghouls include theghast (MMl) and sheet ghoul (FF). Ghoulvariations which are not undead includethe psrudoghoul (MM2) and thepseudoghast (MM2).

Monsters that would have an affinity toghouls Include the carnivorous ape (MM1),

centaur (MM1), satyr (MM1), djinni (MM1),werewolf (MMl), minotaur (MM1), ogre(MMl), troglodyte (MM1), troll (MM1),succubus (MM1), type V demon (MMl),windwalker (MMl), yeti (MMl), annis(MM2), and kech (MM2).

by Ed Friedlander

New ways drive fantasy characters insane

As a medical pathologist, I must oftenconsider how mental changes in patientsmay have resulted from disease. In a simi-lar way, this article reviews the role ofinsanity (actually, mental illness) in theAD&,D® game, showing how it can be anappropriate part of an adventure gameand offering some practical ways to makeit playable.

Fantasy lunacy...Mental illness is a fairly common occur-

rence in fantasy fiction. It appears inGreek myths and in the epics of chivalry,including the Arthurian cycles, Ariosto’s“Orlando Furioso,” and Spenser’s “The

38 OCTOBER 1988

Faerie Queene.” Mary Shelley’s Franken-stein describes the emotional torment ofthe original flesh golem. Stephen Donald-son, the son of a physician, incorporatedpsychiatry’s insights into his contemporaryadult fantasies, The Chronicles of ThomasCovenant the Unbeliever.

Many things make AD&D game charac-ters go crazy. The indigo layers of prismat-ic spheres, walls, and sprays causeinsanity unless saving throws vs. wandsare successful. Seeing a magic-user’s sym-bol of insanity causes insanity (confusionin the Players Handbook), and so doestasting an elixir of madness or beingattacked with a scarab of insanity. Mixing

types of magical eye-cusps or breathingthe spores of myconids will cause acutepsychosis. Very aberrant behaviors resultfrom using certain magical items liketridents of yearning, chimes of hunger, oreggs of desire. Gary Gygax suggests thatcharacters stranded for millennia on theAstral plane might become insane (see“The Astral Plane,” in DRAGON® issue #67,page 29).

Depending on the campaign, insanitycould have other causes. Slight variationsof the symbol of insanity spell might pro-duce different symptoms. Other magic-users may have researched new versionsof power word, eyebite or truename spells

that cause insanity. The clerical heal spellcures most mental illnesses, so one use ofits reverse (harm) might be to cause them.Certain bestow curse, cause disease, andglyph applications by imaginative clericsmight cause brief mental illnesses. Illusion-ists probably have spells to cause halluci-nations and delusions. (An illusionist usinga valuable moonstone in the chromatic orbspell might cause lunacy.) The gaze ofStephen Inniss�s durocib familiar causesinsanity (DRAGON issue #86, page 21). Somight the bite or gaze attacks of certainhordlings, demodands, slaadi, etc. Roguemodrons may be insane, and Ssendamcalls himself �Lord of the Insane, whateverthat means. Clerics of Azathoth aredescribed as insane in the first edition ofthe DEITIES & DEMIGODS� cyclopedia.The planes of Limbo may have manyinsane inhabitants.

Nearly any creature in the AD&D gamecan be affected by insanity. Kuo-toans areespecially vulnerable, and magical frustra-tions can drive even elementals and aerialservants crazy. However, creatures withminds altogether unlike ours (creaturesfrom the Positive and Negative Materialplanes, quasi-elementals, evil fungi, etc.)might be immune to insanity, and unintelli-gent creatures probably cannot go insane.Devas, most hierarch modrons, and theundead might never be affected. Very highintelligence, wisdom, or charisma scoresmight protect against some causes ofinsanity. Serten�s spell immunity couldoffer some safety, and a mind blank spellmight provide immunity to certain formsof acquired mental illness.

...meets realityElaborate rules explain the effects of

mental illness; twenty types are listed onpages 83-84 of the Dungeon MastersGuide, with the warning that the catego-ries are not clinically correct. Yet insanityrarely appears in modules or gamingarticles (the last DRAGON Magazine articleon the subject was in issue #18), and Ihave not personally seen this illness usedin any campaign. Why?

In our world, mental illness probablycauses more unhappiness than evenarthritis, heart disease, or cancer. Alcohol-ism (dipsomania in the DMG) causes havocin one out of every three homes. Schizo-phrenia (known by numerous names inthe DMG, including dementia praecox,schizoid, hebephrenia, catatonia, halluci-natory insanity, delusional insanity, andparanoia) affects millions of people whoalso lack adequate care. Schizophreniaitself is confused in the DMG with multiplepersonality, a different disorder which wenow know to occur in victims of childabuse. Mental retardation (feebleminded-ness) affects many millions and has terri-ble effects on families. In our complexworld, both adults and children are at riskfor depression (melancholia) and suicide(suicidal mania). Mania, either alone or aspart of a manic-depressive cyclic disorder,

cripples perhaps one adult in every twohundred. Even relatively minor problemslike compulsive stealing (kleptomania), fearof public places (agoraphobia, surprisinglyomitted from the DMG), and eating distur-bances are major handicaps. And fewwould argue that pathological lying, sado-masochism, homicidal mania, or suicidalmania (see also the magic-user spellLeomund�s lamentable belabourment) areparticularly fun to role-play.

The DMG is a monumental work, andthe AD&D game has brought enjoymentinto the lives of many people. But realmental illness affects too many real peopleand should not be a part of any game.Insanity is very important in the CALL OFCTHULHU® game from Chaosium, Inc.,but its creators selected kinds of insanitydescribed in H.P. Lovecraft�s fantasies, notthose from medical psychiatry or pop

diseases. The elements of the DMG�s listseldom reappear elsewhere (for example,basidirond psychosis does not resembleany of them).

The new systemWhen mental illness strikes a character,

it should take a form drawn from heroicfiction, rather than one that may havetouched the life of a player. Most fictionalinsanity involves the acquisition of singlefixed ideas and the behaviors that result;insanity caused by magic should always beof this type. If insanity is to be used in agame, the simple options given in Table 1are recommended. My experience sug-gests that players find these easy andenjoyable to role-play. Roll 1d12 for ran-domly distributed results; otherwise,select an appropriate result.

Exactly what the victim thinks about willpsychology. The same thinking probablyled the originators of the AD&D game toavoid clinical descriptions of physical

be determined by what was happening atthe time the insanity was acquired. Noamount of arguing will restore an

Table 1Random Insanity Table (roll 1d12)

1. Alter ego: The victim manifests asecond personality, having the samealignment but otherwise as radicallyopposite to his normal personality ascan be. The second personality willremain in control until the insanity iscured.

2. Creature complex: The victim hasthe delusion of being a creature ofan NPC race, usually a monster. Hisbehavior will generally conform tothe class of creature, though thevictim will always be able to speak,move, and fight normally.

3. Exaggerated fear: The victim isabnormally fearful of some creatureor situation, and he will flee orcower whenever confronted by it.The victim will also ask about thiscreature or situation in any conver-sation.

4. Exaggerated hatred: The victimconceives a loathing for some typeof creature (not a character race orclass) and will attack that creaturewithout any reason or restraint. Thevictim raises the topic of that crea-ture�s existence in any conversation.

5. Exaggerated liking: The victim con-ceives a strong affection for somekind of creature. He speaks of thiscreature whenever possible.

6. Exaggerated suspicions: The victimsuspects everyone of secretly beingan enemy. He expresses his suspi-cions openly.

7. Extreme suggestibility: The victim isvery easily influenced by others andgets no saving throw vs. any charm,command, or suggestion spell. Evennonmagical suggestions require acheck vs. wisdom on 1d20 or the

victim immediately obeys all butself-destructive commands.

8. Fantasy role: The victim thinks hehas become some famous personagefrom myth or legend. The personageis not always powerful but is usuallyknown to all local PCs as a �myth.�

9. Monty Haul syndrome: The victim isdeluded that he is an unbelievablypowerful character. Depending onthe flavor of the campaign, thevictim might be the Emperor ofAtlantis, 5,217th-level fighter-magic-user-thief, the ki-rin queen, or thelike. Gods and religious leadersmight be inappropriate choices.

10. Quixotism: The victim believescommon objects to be wonders fromheroic fantasy; a cheap inn is apalace, a washbowl is a magicalhelmet, windmills are evil cloudgiants, etc. The victim will actaccordingly with great enthusiasm.

11. Visual hallucinations: The victimsees enemies that are not there. Thishappens in any combat situation orwhenever a saving throw or abilitycheck is required.

12. DM�s choice: The DM chooses fromthe above list or invents a type offixation appropriate to the situation.The victim may openly and casuallycommit minor antisocial acts (local-ized arson or petty thievery),develop a peculiar craving (hanggliding, eating shrieker, owning anotyugh), or show an odd interest(alchemy for a fighter, archery for acleric, dwarven history for a woodelf, etc.) Some groups enjoy rhymingor punning manias. Sexual aberra-tions are never appropriate choices.

DRAGON 39

insane person�s insight. However, severalbasic rules set limits on the abnormalbehavior. Insane characters can speak,move, and fight normally. They will notleave the party � even a victim of exagger-ated suspicions who has been forciblyrestrained will not desert his comrades. Inno case will alignment behavior or reli-gious faith be compromised, though lawfultypes may feel the need for an atonementwhen they recover.

Recognizing that another creature isinsane may be easy or difficult, dependingon the campaign and the DM�s judgment.In our world, some psychotics are quiteconvincing. Detect disease or ESP spellsmay help, and so might defect balance orpsionic empathy or telepathy, Once acharacter is recognized as insane, hereceives an automatic -50% on mostreaction dice, and no one will place anyconfidence in such victims, especiallythose with creature complex or MontyHaul syndrome. Needless to say, good-aligned party members should never allowan insane comrade to be humiliated,injured, or abandoned � perhaps anadventure in itself.

4. The dwarf starts making side trips toexterminate underdark rats, and soonbuys larger and more dangerous weapon-ry with which to exterminate all rats eve-rywhere.

5. The dwarf starts catching and tamingrats. He shows his new pets to every stran-ger and starts a huge rat collection,

6. The dwarf starts accusing everyoneelse of conspiring with �those rats� tosubvert everything decent and good.

7. The dwarf become uncharacteristical-ly cooperative and tractable, and oftenobeys even the most stupid suggestions,such as �Go soak your head.�

8. The dwarf starts introducing himselfas the Pied Piper of Hamelin and offeringhis services. He buys a flute, which heplays (badly) while dancing (badly) when-ever he meets rats.

9. The dwarf starts introducing himselfas �Lord Rodent Ratslayer, King of theMultiverse, Boss of the Underdark.� Hegives orders to other PCs and literallylaughs in the face of terrifying dangerwith absurd self-confidence.

10. The dwarf, whenever he becomesexcited, attacks rocks and stalagmites,calling them �the giant rat Bubonus and itsfilthy minions.�

11. The dwarf sees rats that aren�t there.This happens during any hostile encoun-ter, as well as when he stumbles, getstired, and so forth. He attacks the �rats� inpreference to any other opponents.

12. The DM has a choice and will takeinto consideration both the character ofthe dwarf and the personality of the play-er (�I must find . . . a shrubbery!� ).

The insanity table is referred to in the

DMG�s section on psionic blast effects onnonpsionic creatures (page 78). Theserules are cumbersome, and the attackresults for a creature of a given intelli-gence and wisdom are too predictable. It isespecially easy to kill creatures of animalintelligence; characters with wisdom andintelligence sums in the 30-33 range aretypically feebleminded by the first psionicblast and killed by the second. These rulesare fun-spoilers.

The following is a new way to determinethe results of psionic blasts on nonpsionicbeings. For each such attack, roll 1d20 andadd the result (plus bonuses) to the vic-tim�s intelligence. The sum determines theresult on Table 2 of this article.

Insanity caused by a psionic blast strikesas soon as a current combat situationends. Cavaliers and paladins, who arerelatively immune to certain mentalattacks, are allowed to retain 90% immu-nity to such insanity. Monks from thePlayers Handbook gain the bonuses giventhem on page 31 of that text. DMs mayalso want to add other DMG modifiers.

One advantage to this system is the easeto which it can be adapted on a charactersheet. Thus, for a human fighter withintelligence 6, the following applies:

Roll Result15+ No effect13-14 Temporary insanity11-12 Permanent insanity9-10 Rage7-8 Attack nearest creature5-6 Panic3-4 Stun2 or less Coma

Using this system in practice, supposethe PCs are mind-blasted twice by hiddenmind flayers, then attacked by wererats.The forms of insanity listed in Table 1herein might affect a male dwarven fight-er in the following ways:

1. The dwarf announces that he is anelven magic-user princess. He shaves hisbeard, looks for elven clothing for females,and blames his (constant) spell failures onmagic resistance, magnetic forces, hostiledwarves, or whatever.

2. The dwarf announces he is a giant rat.He travels on all fours and occasionallysqueaks. He tells everyone he meets aboutbeing a rat, then asks them for cheese.

3. The dwarf is suddenly terrified of allrats. He climbs on an elf�s shoulders indungeons to be safe. He tactlessly inquiresabout rats when seeking night lodgings. Ifany real rats appear, he flees screaming.

40 OCTOBER 1988

Table 2Effects of Psionic Blasts on Nonpsionic Beings

Sum2 1 +19-2017-1815-16

ResultNo effectTemporary insanity (lasting one day per point of attack strength)Permanent insanityRage (attacks own party if no opponents are available; lasts one roundper point of attack strength)

13-14 Attacks nearest creature with weapon or spell (lasts one round perpoint of attack strength)

11-129-10

Panic (runs away; lasts one round per point of attack strength)Stun (no attacks, -4 to AC and saving throws; lasts one round perpoint of attack strength)

7-8 Coma (but clearly alive; lasts one day per point of attack strength)6 or less Dead (automatically at -10 hp)

Bonuses+ 4

+ 2+1 to +4- 1 t o - 3- 2- 4OthersImmune

Dwarf, gnome, halfling, or dragon; Serten’s spell immunity magic-userspellElf or clericHigh wisdom (15-18) bonusLow wisdom (7-3) penaltySurprisedKuo-toanDM�s judgment; see DMG, page 78, �Saving Throw Dice Adjustments�Charmed or insane characters; characters already affected by mindblast; nonpsionic devas, modrons, and undead; all golems; mind blankmagic-user spell, amulet of life protection

Whether or not psionics are retained inthe rules revision, psionic blasts shouldremain as the mind-flayer and su-monster’s distinctive attacks. Dependingon the campaign, a psionic blast of anystrength might affect a nonpsionic being,and the number of such attacks deliveredper round or surprise segment could belimited to one.Curing insanity

Clerics give good counsel and — betteryet — they heal. A shukenja’s calm curestemporary insanity and might quiet allcrazy people for a while. Cure diseasesmight help in some campaigns. Heal is theusual remedy for most forms of insanityand could probably reverse the effects of apsionic blast. The DMG (page 42) says thatheal will not cure serious mental disordersnot related to spells or inflicted by injuryto the brain; however, restoration curesany and all forms of insanity (DMG, page43), and a shukenja might cast restorespirit for similar results.

Using restoration to cure insanity wouldage a cleric three years. An alternative issuggested by the D&D game rules, whichspecify that casting restoration to restorea drained level temporarily drains thecaster of one level, without unnaturalaging. Instead of being aged, the clericcuring a particularly virulent mental ill-ness might briefly acquire the patient’sinsanity.

Insanity caused by casting contact otherplane should be very hard to cure, so that

magic-users will not rely on helpful clericsevery time they cast this spell. Restorationshould be required, and the cleric’s illnessshould last for a number of days equal tothe distance to the plane contacted. Thecleric could adjust his fee accordingly.

The spell cure insanity exists in variousunofficial forms in many game campaigns.Different DMs may place it at differentspell levels and may require various mate-rial components, etc., depending on theinnate curative powers of the spell. Itspowers may overlap with exorcism in theAD&D game and with dispel evil in theD&D game.

Cure Insanity (Necromantic) ReversibleLevel: 4 Components: V,SRange: Touch CT: 1 roundDuration: Perm. ST: NoneAE: Creature touchedExplanation/Description: This spellimmediately curses insanity due to mostcauses. The spell must be administeredwhile the patient is exhibiting insanesymptoms. It can also heal one consciousvictim of the effects of psionic blasts,hallucination-causing spores, or a confu-sion spell. It will calm a river spirit-folkcharacter (from Oriental Adventures)during flood time. The spell will not cureinsanity brought about by casting a con-tact other plane spell, nor will it controlbehaviors caused by lycanthropy. Thereverse, cause insanity, requires a touch,and a saving throw vs. spells (with wisdom

bonuses) is allowed. Victims roll on theRandom Insanity Table herein, or the DMselects an appropriately bizarre response.

Certain lawful-good clerics might gaincure insanity as a second-level spell.Druids are devoted to preserving thebalance (both natural and mental), andthey gain the spell at third level. Devas cancast it once daily, and other great minionsof good can use it even more often. Thespell may damage or dispel certain crea-tures of Limbo, as the DM decides. Somechaotic clerics, such as those dedicated toAzathoth or Ssendam, gain cause insanityas a second-level spell. Tribal spell-casterscan gain the spell normally in either form.

Referees can invent other magical itemsrelated to insanity. Certain cursed bookscan cause it in any reader; beneficialbooks can describe methods of detectingand curing it. A charge from a staff ofcuring might help a crazy person, and acure insanity potion would be worth 300xp and 500 gp. Scrolls of protection frominsanity might require slaad blood fortheir manufacture. Perhaps the party willfind a couch of counseling on which thereclining victim can ventilate his deepestemotions and thus be cured.

Mental illness in the AD&D game shouldbe very different from its form in ourworld, both in symptoms and curability. Toenjoy playing nutty characters, the mad-ness must fit the environment.

by Eileen Lucas

The Endof the World

Of plagues, player characters,and campaign worlds

Maybe you have an old, tired fantasygame campaign that�s going nowhere, onethat you and your players are really sickof and seems to be beyond hope. But youhate the thought of trashing it altogether,after all the work you�ve put into establish-ing cities, terrains, weather, etc. What canyou do?

Well, perhaps a plague can help.In a fantasy campaign, a raging epidemic

(a disease which descends suddenly upona community, burns itself out, and goesaway) or pandemic (the worldwide occur-rence of such a disease) can eliminateunwanted NPCs en masse. Political, eco-nomic, and social systems can be totallyrestructured. Countless new adventureswith interesting twists for PCs can beintroduced. Then, too, the physical aspectsof the campaign that you like will remainunharmed, and your favorite NPCs can bemiraculously saved � with your interven-tion, of course.

Historical precedent can guide you.Throughout history, civilization has beenbeset by numerous outbreaks of plaguesof varying intensities. One of the worst ofall plagues occurred during the MiddleAges, the time frame in which mostAD&D® game campaigns are set. Knowntoday as the Black Death, this plague ragedacross Europe, Asia, and the Middle Eastbetween 1346 and 1351, wiping outapproximately one-third of the populationof those regions (modern estimates rangebetween one-quarter and one-half � high-er in some limited areas). The purpose ofthis article is to give you, the DM, somehistorical information about the BlackDeath and to provide some ideas on howsuch an event might be incorporated intoyour campaign.

44 OCTOBER 1988

The mechanics of plagueFor the purposes of this article, the term

�plague� refers to the bubonic plague andits variants. Commonly known to medievalman as the �great pestilence,� the plaguewas often made up of several relateddiseases � bubonic, pneumonic, and septi-cemic plagues � each differing in theseverity and speed with which they spreadand killed. These different diseases werelinked by a common origin (the bacilluscarried by rats and fleas). As a result, thetype of plague in any given area changedfrom one sort to another in a confusingfashion, sometimes changing with theseasons. At times, only one type wouldinfect an area, while all three might bepresent simultaneously in other regions.Generally, the plague worked its havoc in3-6 months and dissipated, but in someplaces, particularly in regions with highpopulation densities, it seemed to disap-pear, only to flare up again in a month orso (often after winter) and hang on foranother year.

As a general rule, symptoms of theplague appeared rapidly. Chills, high fever,restlessness, a staggering walk, and mentalconfusion were followed by prostration,delirium, shock, and coma. The differenttypes of plague produced further anddiffering symptoms, but all were charac-terized by their contagious and fatalnatures.

Bubonic plague was the first type ofplague to appear. It was characterized bybuboes (swellings of lymph nodes) behindthe ear, in the armpit, and in the groin.These swellings often grew to the sizes ofeggs or apples and were very painful; theywere followed by black or red spots likebruises appearing anywhere on the body,

as a result of hemorrhaging under theskin. There was a 33% chance that theswellings would discharge and heal, lead-ing to the patient�s recovery. Otherwise,the afflicted died within six days.

Somewhere along the way, bubonicplague often developed into pneumonicplague, which was much more contagiousbecause it was spread by the breath of thecarrier. Its primary characteristics werethe spitting of blood (from severe lunginfection) and a painful death thatoccurred within two days. The coughingup of blood became equated with almostcertain death. In both types of plague, anextremely foul odor was given off by thebody of the victim and everything whichissued from it (breath, sweat, blood, etc.).Understandably, depression and despairwere common among such victims, some-times leading to the point of madness.

Occasionally, the most potent form ofplague, septicemic plague, appeared simul-taneously. This variation involved a mas-sive infection of the bloodstream and oftenkilled too quickly for symptoms to berelevant; the victim would be fine oneminute, then rapidly exhibit one symptomof plague and die within hours. Buboeshad no time to form. �Geoffrey the Bakerwrote of people who went peacefully tobed and were dead the next morning,while Simon of Covino described priests ordoctors who were seized by the plaguewhilst administering spiritual aid, and,often by a single touch or a single breathof the plague-stricken, perished evenbefore the sick person they had come toassist.�¹ Fortunately, this type was lessfrequent than the rest.

To determine whether or not a charactercontracts the plague, consult the diseaserules and tables listed on pages 13-14 ofthe Dungeon Masters Guide. Use the tableentitled �Chance of Contracting Disease�on page 13 to determine this chance. Usethe table entitled �Adjustments to Occur-rence and Severity Die Rolls� on page 14as a modification to the chance of con-tracting the plague, based on constitutionand other factors.

Each PC has a chance of being immuneto the plague bacillus; if his constitutionscore or less is rolled on 1dl00, the PC isimmune to the plague. If it is determinedthat a character has contracted the plague,consult Table 1 in this article to determinewhat type of plague the character catches.Then consult Table 2 to determine theresulting effects and survival chances. Ifthe DM so desires, characters may begiven an additional fighting (or losing)chance against the plague by applying themodifications listed in the �Adjustments toOccurrence and Severity Die Rolls� tableon page 14 of the DMG. In this case, thefigures listed there are applied to the dieroll prior to consulting the �Chance ofsurvival� column in Table 2 herein. Table 3is provided as a suggested encounter tablefor use in cities stricken by plague; thistable may be used or altered at the DM�s

Table 1Type of Plague Contracted

1d8 Plague type1-4 Bubonic plague5-7 Pneumonic plague8 Septicemic plague

discretion, depending on campaign cir-cumstances.

All rolls for plague type and survivalshould be made in secret. Whether or nota PC is doomed to die from the plague, theDM should roll the appropriate dice as ifthe character were to die from the maladyanyway, thus determining the time untilthe infection reaches its worst point. Dur-ing that time, the DM applies the appropri-ate penalties to the PC as given in Table 2.PCs who survive the plague recover fromthe penalties in time, but they heal at theusual rates (magic may help). Lost abilitypoints are recovered at the rate of onepoint every two days.

The causes of plagueOf course, the people of the Middle Ages

didn�t know that there were three differ-ent types of plague. All they knew wasthat people were dying by the thousandsall around them because of some horriblesickness. They also didn�t know the truthabout what caused this dreadful sickness,what caused it to spread, or what cured it.They did have some ideas about thesethings � most of which were wrong andsome of which were as destructive as theplague itself.

The actual culprits of the plague wererats and fleas. The rat was the carrier ofthe plague-causing bacillus (Yersiniapestis). The plague was passed from ratsto the fleas that bit them; the fleas thenpassed the plague along to humans bybiting them as well. The number of ratsand fleas in a given area correlated highlywith the number of plague deaths. Withboth rats and fleas in plentiful supply inthe 14th century, the bacillus had plentyof carriers.

The plague had actually been endemic(i.e., confined to certain local areas) inmany parts of the world for centuriesbefore a number of factors combined toprovoke the disaster that was the BlackDeath. The 11th and 12th centuries inEurope had been a time of relative pros-perity and economic growth. During thattime, the population of Europe grew at arate that exceeded agricultural produc-tion. With the latter half of the 13th centu-ry and the opening of the 14th century,the tides began to turn and things beganto get rough for those already living atsubsistence levels. �In the great populationcenters, from which the peasantry couldor would not move, the end of the thir-teenth century was a period of acute

46 OCTOBER 1988

crisis. Distracted by wars, weakened bymalnutrition, exhausted by his struggle towin a living from his inadequate portion ofever less fertile land, the medieval peasantwas ready to succumb even before theblow had fallen.�² Add to this problem thepeculiarities of climate (intense cold andsevere rainfall) and a series of disastrousharvests, and you had a set of conditionsthat were ripe intellectually, emotionally,and physically for a plague of monstrousproportions to strike.

At least some of these conditions shouldbe present in a fantasy game campaignbefore a full-scale plague is introduced.Whether the DM sticks with the historicalcauses of plague in his campaign (i.e., ratsand fleas) or creates a unique cause of hisown (such as a curse or other magic-related cause), some clues as to theplague�s origins should be prepared forinquisitive PCs. Much of the informationshould be confusing and misleading, muchas it was in medieval times.

Some of the causes of the plague sug-gested by contemporaries of the BlackDeath included the belief that somethingfoul in the air was drifting across theworld (possibly fumes released frombelow the ground by earthquakes), thatGod was destroying mankind for man-kind�s sins, and that various groups werepoisoning wells and food sources. In manyinstances, these theories were combinedand twisted together. Thus, while God orthe movements of the planets might havecaused the plague to germinate, humanagents were accused of contributing to itsspread.

Plague and societyIf you�ve ever read The Mask of the Red

Death by Edgar Allan Poe, you have someidea of the panic inspired by this terrifyingdisease. The wealthy and powerful arelikely to stop at nothing to insure theirown safety, even to the point of murder. InA Distant Mirror, Barbara Richman tells ofa manor lord who found out that plaguehad broken out in the nearby village. Inorder to keep the disease from spreadingto his manor, he had the entire villageburned.

People have a tendency to look for some-one to blame whenever anything goeswrong, and the Middle Ages were nodifferent. During the Black Death, Jewswere often accused of poisoning wells andwere terribly persecuted as a result; old,single women were often labeled as witch-es, blamed for the disaster, and slain. Anyminor and unpopular fantasy cult orgroup would be a likely target for suchaccusations. For example, picture a villagein which dwarves are disliked. Into thisvillage rides a group of adventurers, oneof whom is a dwarf. Several days later, theinnkeeper�s wife comes down with theplague. Who�s the most likely suspect forits cause? Our dear dwarf may have to getout of town, and fast.

Given the pressures of disaster, localprejudices are likely to become exagger-ated. Additionally, superstition and preju-dice are not functions of rational minds;therefore, the conclusions drawn as aresult are only rarely entirely logical.Worse yet, in a fantasy campaign there arefantastic beings and spell-casters aroundthat can cause disease or otherwise tor-ment humanity. Imagine how many insanewizards and evil high priests there are inthe average fantasy campaign (not to men-tion demons and the like). If an innocentmagic-user produces a cloud of foul-smelling smoke prior to a plague outbreak,he would be instantly suspected of bring-ing on the disease.

One must keep in mind the magnitude ofthe Black Death to understand the effectsof fear and panic on the people of the 14thcentury. In one London neighborhoodduring a two-month period in 1349, some200 people were buried in one particularcemetery every day. Multiply that by thenumber of neighborhoods, the number ofcounties, and the number of countries,and you begin to see why people becameso irrational. They literally believed theworld was ending.

Introducing the plagueWhere did the Black Death really begin?

Historians seem to agree that it startedsomewhere in Central Asia and wasspread by invaders and merchants into theeastern Mediterranean region, then even-tually into Europe.

The story of the siege of Caffa (Kaffa) inthe 1340s is illustrative of one possibilityof how the plague traveled to Europe. Thetown of Caffa on the Black Sea was underattack by Tartars when bubonic plaguebroke out among the Italians taking refugethere. There were stories of the bodies ofplague victims being catapulted over thewalls by both sides to spread the infection,with the result leading to so many deathson both sides that the siege had to belifted. The Tartars dispersed, carrying theplague to Russia, India, and China, whileItalian traders escaped by ship to Genoa,bringing the plague to Europe with them.It is said that plague deaths began the dayafter the traders� ships dropped anchor inGenoa.

There are many ways to introduce theplague into a fantasy campaign. For exam-ple, a ship may sail into a major seaportwith disease-carrying rodents on board.Infected sailors on shore leave, rodentsscurrying to land even quicker than thesailors, and goods (with infected fleassnuggled up inside) that are delivered tolocal shops are three subsequent ways theplague then arrives. For more dramaticeffect, a mysterious ship might arrive inthe harbor � the captain dead at thewheel, the sailors slumped over their oars,and only the rats left alive. In the confinedquarters of a ship at sea, plague couldeasily have such an effect (there were

actual cases of such �ghost ships� roamingthe seas or running aground with allaboard dead). If no seaport exists, an over-land caravan or travelers on foot or horse-back can do the trick easily enough.Finally, if you don�t want your campaignworld to be decimated by plague but wantyour PCs to experience one, you mighthave them travel, knowingly or unknow-ingly, to a land already stricken with thedisease.

Plague years are a bad time to wage war,as the transportation of troops and sup-plies provides a great method of transport-ing the disease. Some historians believethat Scotland might have escaped theplague except that the Scots decided toattack England while that country suf-fered from the plague. Upon the return ofthe soldiers to Scotland, the plague wasintroduced to this previously untaintedcountry. Movement of troops betweenEngland and France in the Hundred YearsWar also contributed to the spread of thedisease, to the extent that there were longperiods during which the plague causedthe war to be put on hold.

However the plague arrives, tie it in withother circumstantial events (such as earth-quakes, unseasonable weather, changes inpolitical leadership, the arrival of newreligious groups, etc.) and you�ll create aconfused hodge-podge of possible causeswhich simulate the historical circumstanc-es behind the real plague. Attempts torelate the plague to other events in anarea were common, and superstition tend-ed to muddle things up even worse. Forexample, if a new ruler comes to power(particularly if by force) and the plaguebreaks out, some opposing group maysuggest that the gods are not in favor ofthe new leader, and thus call for his execu-tion. Or, if an earthquake is followed by anoutbreak of plague, the panic-stricken folkof a community may fear that the end ofthe world is near, and this belief could giverise to all kinds of strange activities.

One of the most eccentric groups inexistence during the Black Death was thatof the flagellants. Believing that the end ofthe world was coming, these men and

And no bells tolled, and nobody wept no matter what his lossbecause almost everyone expected death. . . . And people saidand believed, �This is the end of the world.�

A chronicler of Sienawriting of the Black Death

women sought to divert the attention ofGod from the sinful ways of the world byacts of public penance. They would walkin long processions (often lasting for amonth at a time) from town to town,chanting and praying. �Dressed in cowledwhite robes with red crosses on theirchests, the Flagellants did not shave,bathe, or change clothing while involvedin a procession. When they would come toa town, they would form circles and beatupon their backs with scourges, rejoicingand singing as they did so. Some womenhad cloths ready to catch the blood andsmear it on their faces, saying it wasmiraculous blood.�³ After such a perform-ance, the flagellants would move on toanother town and repeat the scenario.Sometimes their processions got out ofhand, and they were given to even wilderacts than those that they protested.

Prevention and treatmentConsider the following poem:

Ring a ring of roses,A pocket full of posies,Achoo, Achoo,All fall down.

As the forerunner of what is now achant in a simple children�s game we call�Ring Around the Rosie,� this seeminglyinnocent rhyme speaks of the hopeless-ness of trying to stave off the plague.Despite precautions like placing a ring ofrose petals around oneself or carryingpockets full of flowers, simply beingsneezed upon by another person couldoften lead to death.

The best prevention against the plaguewas isolation. If the PCs in a plague-infested area can totally isolate them-

selves, they can reduce their risks of infec-tion. But remember that anyone or any-thing with which they come in contactmight harbor rats or fleas and is thus apotential plague-carrier.

Failing complete isolation, high constitutionscores might provide some kind of protec-tion against the disease (perhaps +1 or +2to saving throws). Like many diseases,plague was most devastating to the malnour-ished and sickly, which was one of the rea-sons the poor suffered a high mortality rate(although no class or social group was com-pletely immune). Of course, magical devicespreventing illness would also be of help.

Just as there was no real knowledge ofwhat caused the plague, the ability to treatit was limited. Physical as well as spiritualattempts to deal with the sickness wereoften made, generally with little effect.Worse yet, attempts at treatment werehampered by the victim�s foul smell andthe sight of buboes and sores. Comelinessand charisma scores would definitely fall(perhaps by as much as -3 to -6 points)to reflect this. The symptoms of the dis-ease were often so awful as to inspiredisgust rather than pity.

Although medical understanding of thecauses of infection was lacking during theBlack Death, it was obvious to any observ-er that going near those who were sicktended to increase the chances that youwould get sick, too. Even the clothes andpersonal possessions of the afflicted werefeared; people believed that by touchingthe sick or dead, one could catch thedread disease. Actually, there was sometruth in this, because any infected fleashanging around the victim might just jumpon and bite anyone else who came closeenough. Thus the sick were often left

Table 2Effects of Different Types of Plague

Name (major symptoms)Bubonic (buboes with black or red bruises)Pneumonic (spitting of blood)Septicemic (vomiting and rapid disability)

Chance of survival (onset of death)33% (death in 3-6 days)

25% (death in 8-48 hours)20% (death in 3-12 turns)

PenaltiesClass 1Class 2Class 3

Class 1 penalty: -10% of normal hit-point total (down to 90% of normal total) and -1 point from strength, constitution, and dexterity(down to scores of 3 each) per six hours.

Class 2 penalty: -10% of normal hit-point total (down to 90% of normal total) and(down to scores of 3 each) per hour.

-1 point from strength, constitution, and dexterity

Class 3 penalty: -10% of normal hit-point total (down to 90% of normal total) and -1 point from strength, constitution, and dexterity(down to scores of 3 each) per five rounds.

Survival chances and the times until the onset of death have been altered somewhat for use within game campaigns and may not matchreal-world values for the same.

DRAGON 47

alone to suffer, and even family membersdeserted their kin because of fear, super-stition, and the survival instinct. Many alocal priest fled to avoid risking his ownhealth by caring for others. If the charac-ters come upon a community already inthe throes of plague, it is very possiblethat the local clerics will have fled, as wellas many others who formerly served asleaders of the community.

On the other hand, there were manystories of kind souls who did minister tothose in need. �In Italy, some members ofthe clergy took a part in the fight againstthe plague. Especially the friars made avaluable contribution to the work of thehealth authorities, often braving condi-tions of unspeakable horror and nearlyalways at the risk of their own lives.�4

Records are scarce, however, becausemost of those who helped also died. Butthen, there was often the general impres-sion that everyone was going to die any-way. Characters of good alignment in theAD&D game should feel some motivationto help the sufferers of plague, though thepractical means by which others could behelped may be few indeed.

And yet this belief that all will die canalso bring out the worst in people. �Ifwe�re all going to die, we might as wellhave fun� was a common school ofthought. Thus, plenty of thieves and ban-dits could be found robbing the bodies anduninhabited homes of the deceased. Inaddition, strange hedonistic cults wereformed by groups of people who followedthe �party till the plague gets you� line ofreasoning.

Every statement involving the cause ofthe plague produced a multitude of reac-tions from people. For example, it wascommonly believed that Gods displeasurewith man had something to do with theplague. One typical reaction among NPCsin a fantasy campaign would be a turningaway from the gods believed to have aban-doned them (as happened on Krynn in theDRAGONLANCE® novels after the Cata-clysm). On the other hand, some may bemoved to try everything in their power to

turn the displeasure of the powers that beinto a more favorable attitude by prayerand good works. Those who are savedmay attribute it to their gods� favors andbecome even more devoted in worship.The DM must determine which directionhis populace is likely to go (and there maynot be a consensus) based on the role ofreligion and religious leaders in his world.

In an AD&.D game world, magic is verylikely to come into play in relation to theplague. The use of magic in treating theplague would generally take on the formof prayers or incantations (or combina-tions of the two), with the possible use ofmagical items. Both clerics and magic-users come heavily into play here, as reli-gion and pure magic are closelyintertwined in matters of disease. Thebelief that some god or demon is responsi-ble for this terrible occurrence usuallyleads to the belief that these otherworldlybeings might be influenced to bring relief.

An example of a mystical practice of theera in question might be as follows: Writea special prayer with some specific sub-stance (perhaps blood or ink made froman herb with healing properties) on theinside of a cup, then fill the cup withwater. After the inscription has dissolved,the water should be drunk or bathed in.Another remedy might read as follows:Take one pinch of bayberries that havebeen dried in the sun for a day and beatento a powder. Mix with ale or wine, anddrink. Then sweat a goodly amount, andfollow with a long sleep. Whether suchcures actually work is up to the DM todecide; in a magical world, everyone willsooner or later attempt to use magicalmeans to save themselves.

Other �cures� abounded. Intentionalvomiting as a purge was often recom-mended. Whole, peeled onions were alsolaid on the floor around the bed (or evenin the bed) of a sick person, in order tosoak up the evil humors. Tubs of butter-milk might do the same; if the milk cur-dled, it was a good sign that the milk hadabsorbed some of the �plague stuff.�Repeating holy names with praises over

Table 3Random Urban Encounters During a Plague

When a random encounter in a plague-stricken urban area is called for, consult thistable instead of the normal encounter tables 50% of the time. All infected beingsincrease the risk of infection among PCs by 10% if approached within 5�. The gamestatistics for these encounters should be constructed by the DM, as appropriate to theurban area in question.

48 OCTOBER 1988

and over was also believed to help. Andcarrying the remains of a holy person orsome holy object couldn�t hurt, either.

Sapphires and rubies were believed tobe of particular use in warding off theplague. These could be worn on rings orpendants, or placed in a cup from whichwater would be drunk. Flowers and herbswere thought to be helpful in warding offthe disease, and if nothing else, theyhelped to cover the foul stench of thesickness. Streets would often be strewnwith fragrant herbs before any kind ofprocession would be allowed to pass. TheDM should exercise imagination in provid-ing creative preventions and treatmentsfor the plague.

AftermathThere were a multitude of changes after

the Black Death, some a direct result ofthe disaster and others being more sec-ondary in nature. Underpopulation wasthe first and most obvious result. As timewent on, most of the political, social, eco-nomic, religious, and cultural systemswere challenged and changed.

Depopulation itself was a complex situa-tion. There were fewer people around towork the fields, so many crops were leftto rot, and fewer fields were planted insubsequent years. But there were fewerpeople to feed, too, so starvation was notusually a problem, except where therewere people with no access to food due tothe breakdown in markets and transporta-tion. As a result of this labor shortage,free men could demand higher wages; itwas also easier for serfs to slip away fromfeudal bonds and become free men. Thelandlord�s position became more difficultto manage (for those landlords who sur-vived), and legislation to keep this moreindependent low and middle class in linecontributed to later agitation by peasantryfor even more freedom. Such a situationcould be replicated in a game setting,leading to the downfall of autocracies.

Because the plague took on differentforms at different times and places (some-times being more virulent than at others),the mortality rates varied from place toplace. It is entirely possible for a largetown in your campaign world to be heavi-ly visited, a small village to be entirelydepopulated (between death and flight),and an isolated hamlet to be totallyuntouched. Groups living in close quarters(such as in monasteries, ships, and sol-diers� barracks) are in great danger ofbeing completely wiped out unless precau-tions are taken. During the Black Death,up to two-thirds of the population ofmajor cities (with populations of 10,000 to100,000) would perish; some small townswere abandoned and overgrown.

As Boccaccio, a survivor of the BlackDeath, wrote in The Decameron, the con-fusion of the plague years continued in theaftermath: �Various fears and superstitionsarose among the survivors, almost all ofwhich tended toward one end � to flee

1d20 Encounter1-2 Soothsayer of prophet of doom3 - 5 Death cart hauling bodies of the dead6-8 Town guard looking for disease carriers9-10 Beggar (1) or bandit (1-4)

11-14 Dead body (50% likely to have no possessions of any value)15-17 Raving sick man or woman

18-20 Pack of rats

from the sick and whatever had belongedto them. Gathering in those houses whereno one had been ill, they shut themselvesin. They ate moderately, avoiding luxuri-ousness, with music and whatever simpledelights they could have . . . allowing noone to speak to them, and avoiding newsof either death or sickness. . . . Others,arriving at a contrary conclusion, held thatplenty of drinking and enjoyment, singingand free living, and gratification of theappetite in every possible way, was thebest course.�5

Although the landowner�s positionbecame more challenging in terms offinding hired hands, there was suddenlymuch more land available. PCs may findlarge ownerless estates ripe for the taking.After the Black Death, there were manynewly orphaned or widowed female land-owners looking for a strong male to takethe place of the deceased head of thehouse.

Another complication of life in a post-plague world involves the depletion oflivestock and other animals. �In the coun-tryside peasants dropped dead on theroads, in the fields, in their houses. Survi-vors in growing helplessness fell intoapathy, leaving ripe wheat uncut andlivestock untended. Oxen and asses, sheepand goats, pigs and chickens ran wild, andthey too. . . succumbed to the pest. . . . Inremote Dalmatia bolder wolves descendedupon a plague-stricken city and attackedhuman survivors. For want of herdsmen,cattle strayed from place to place and diedin hedgerows and ditches.�6 Generallytame animals may go wild, and wild ani-mals may become emboldened by massivedepopulation.

But rather than causing things tochange, a plague is more likely to acceler-ate and exaggerate changes already in theworks. Keep this in mind when picking upthe pieces of your campaign after theplague has worked its worst. These trendswill tend to be reinforced by other minorrecurrences of plague in the future (per-haps every 4d6 years or so).

Exactly what kinds of changes take placedepend upon the circumstances of yourown campaign. Are you tired of a particu-lar ruling family? Perhaps a war of succes-sion might follow the plague as a result ofthe demise of many of the most likelycandidates. If the local temple was havinga hard time getting people to worship andfinancially support its particular god, thesituation might be made better if the cler-ics were helpful during the disaster (orworse, if they were not). Perhaps one ofthe PC clerics helped a town during theplague; afterward, he might be asked tostay and set up a new shrine or temple.

The role of PCs in this postplague worlddepends on what they did during theplague. Did they survive because they hidout? Perhaps now they�ll want to exploreand conquer depopulated areas. Merce-naries will certainly be needed to fill thedepleted ranks of local armies. Clerics

Poor and rich went together; there was no other way ofburials . . . for coffins were not to be had for the prodigiousnumbers that fell in such a calamity as this.

A Journal of the Plague Year, Daniel Defoe

might rise to the tops of their ordersbecause of vacancies above them.

On the other hand, the PCs may findthemselves hunted down for crimes com-mitted during the disaster. Perhaps theywill be blamed and hounded from place toplace. Much depends on the direction theDM wishes to see his campaign take.

Finally, remember that although the BlackDeath was one of the worst outbreaks ofplague in the history of civilization, yourcampaign world need not be subjected to anoutbreak of such horrific proportions. Manymilder occurrences preceded and followedthe Black Death; your characters can facevarying degrees of this experience as suitsyour needs. You can have just a smallplague, if you�d like.

Footnotes¹ Philip Ziegler, The Black Death, (New

York: The John Day Co., 1969), page 19.² Ibid., page 30.3 Robert S. Gottfried, The Black Death, (New

York: The Free Press, 1983), page 69.4 Carlo M. Cipolla, Faith, Reason, and the

Plague in Seventeenth Century Tuscany,(Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press,1979), page 1.

5 Gottfried, The Black Death, page 78.6 Barbara Tuchman, A Distant Mirror, (New

York Alfred A. Knopf, 1978), page 98.

BibliographyBarrett, W.P. and the Shakespeare Assoc.

Present Remedies Against the Plague.Oxfordshire, England: Oxford UniversityPress, 1933.

Cipolla, Carlo M. Faith, Reason, and thePlague in Seventeenth Century Tuscany.Trans. by Muriel Kittel. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cor-nell University Press, 1979.

Dols, Michael W. The Black Death in theMiddle East. Princeton, N.J.: PrincetonUniversity Press, 1977.

Gottfried, Robert S. The Black Death.New York: The Free Press, 1983.

Tuchman, Barbara. A Distant Mirror.New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1978.

Ziegler, Philip. The Black Death. NewYork: The John Day Co., 1969.

DRAGON 49

Index to Advertisers

AMAZING® Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101, insert cardAmerican Heart Association. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35, 41Armory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43Bantam Books (Spectra) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85 Bard Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49Britton Designs (Elysian Field) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54DC Comics, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34Donning Company (Starblaze) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Doubleday Book & Music Clubs, Inc. (Science Fiction Book Club) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-21DRAGON® Magazine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5, insert cardDUNGEON® Adventures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69, insert cardGame Designers' Workshop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89, 104Game Systems, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86Games Workshop US (Citadel Miniatures) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88, center insertGEN CON® '89 Game Fair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67-68Magicware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Mayfair Games, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65Palladium Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19, 50, 55, 66, 95POLYHEDRON™ Newszine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37, insert cardPrince August Ltd.(Mithril Miniatures)* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42Ral Partha Enterprises, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1Shadow Graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35Tropus, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18TSR, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .inside front cover, 4, 7, 14, 36, 41, 54

64, 75, 87, 91, 103, inside back cover, back coverTwenty-First Century Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51U.S. General Services Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51West End Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Wotan Games * . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102

* United Kingdom

by Martin Landauer

PuttingFire into

FirepowerLaser weapons in the original

TOP SECRET® game

In 1960, a light source strong enough tomelt metal was developed by Dr. TheodoreMaiman. This form of light energy, thelaser, has now revolutionized many facetsof industry, medicine, and communication.Its military applications have been muchtheorized � and recently realized, tested,and adopted in many fields of warfare.Lasers have shot down Sidewinder mis-siles and are used in missile guidancesystems and telescopic sights. PresidentReagan�s plan for the Strategic DefenseInitiative has heightened research intolaser-light weaponry; undoubtedly, theSoviet Union has an equal interest in thesubject. Documentation on the existenceof personal laser weapons is not availableat present, but possession of such weap-ons would certainly be treated confiden-tially by any government.

For TOP SECRET® game purposes, it isassumed that laser weapons are extremelyrare and are found only as prototypes.Nonmilitary lasers are commonly found inmajor hospitals, universities, and certainfactories, where they are kept under tightsecurity. Lasers should never be issued orsold to agents, nor should they be includedin adventures for inexperienced agents.Instead, adventures involving lasers shouldrequire their recovery, theft, sabotage, ortransportation. Lasers should be treated asobject targets, not as special equipment,though desperate agents may use thembriefly as weapons.

Lasers: how they workA laser beam is formed by exciting

atoms within a glass tube until they giveoff radiation in the form of short bursts oflight energy called photons. The atoms canbe supplied by a variety of substances,including gases, crystals, and color-dyedliquids. In most cases, gas is used in porta-ble laser weapons because of its ability toproduce great surges of power.

In a gas laser, a stimulator made of twoelectrodes excites the atoms with electricaldischarges. Once excited, these atomscreate millions of photons ricochetingaround inside the laser tube and stimulat-ing other atoms in like fashion, until thephotons pass through a small hole at oneend of the tube in a uniformly straight ray.All this activity takes place in a few nano-seconds. At the firing end of the glass tubeis often found an item called a Q-switch,which acts as a shutter to delay the laserburst. The longer the Q-switch remainsshut, the more energy is built up withinthe tube, so that the beam is more power-ful when released. There is an 80% chancethat a nonmilitary laser has a lock builtinto its mechanism to prevent unwanteduse; all military lasers have locks.

Five different kinds of frames mayhouse a laser apparatus. Only certain sizesof laser tubes can be fitted into eachframe, and frame type also affects eachlaser�s Projectile Weapons Value, WeaponSpeed, and other characteristics. The fivedifferent frame designs and corresponding.

52 OCTOBER 1988

Table 1Portable Laser Design Statistics

Laser typeType 1Type 2Type 3Type 4Type 5

Maximumtube radius

½ �1"1¼"1�½ �

Maximumtube length

12"8"9"7"6"

PWV PBR SR MR LR WS HWV Weight80 0 - 1 0 - 4 0 - 9 0 S 13 9 lbs.60 +5 - 5 - 7 0 - 1 2 0 BA 11 8 lbs.65 0 - 5 - 6 0 - 1 0 0 S 15 10½ lbs.45 0 - 2 0 - 8 5 -140 S 12 9 lbs.35 0 - 3 0 - 1 1 0 - 1 8 0 F 4 2½ lbs.

statistics are listed in Table 1. Of all of thelaser housings listed, only type 5 is con-cealable; it can be held as a pistol anddecreases the bearer�s Deception by -8(provided the power pack is concealed orunattached). The weight includes both theframe and the laser apparatus.

Power sourcesThe main bugbear in developing a laser

is the question of a power source forexciting the atoms. While fixed lasers candraw their power from wall sockets orlarger sources, portable types need to beconnected to portable power packs, as thelarge amount of electricity needed to firethem cannot be stored inside a laser�sapparatus. Aspiring laser-users must real-ize that using a laser weapon involvescarrying a power pack the size of a smallvideo recorder, which may encumber theuser. This power pack may be housedwithin a rucksack or attache case.

The capacity of a laser�s power pack maynot exceed 20 charges. The base weight ofthe pack is 10 lbs., and the fuel cells gener-ally weigh an additional ½ lb. per charge.It is possible for an advanced laser tocarry a 1-lb. magazine containing enoughfuel cells for four charges. Power packsmay be recharged from batteries, wallsockets, or any other more powerfulsource of electricity at a rate of 10 min-utes per charge. A charge is used up eachtime a laser is activated, regardless ofwhether or not the Q-switch is open.

Laser applicationsOne advantage that laser weapons have

over conventional weapons is the ability todrill through many kinds of materials. Tosee if a laser beam passes through a mate-rial, first find the normal damage resultfrom Table 2 (which determines laserdamage by strength) and Table 3 (whichlists the gases which may be used in porta-ble lasers). As some gases generate moreenergy than others, each gas has a factorlisted in Table 3 which is multiplied by theresult on Table 2 to produce a final dam-age result. From this final damage result,subtract the strength of the material thebeam is to penetrate, as shown on Table 4.If the damage result is greater than zero,the laser beam has passed through thematerial. The Administrator must now

Table 2Laser Strength/Damage Determination

Table size Damage by delay of blast (in seconds)(cubic inches) 0 2 4 6 8

1-3 1 3 4 5 64-8 2 5 6 7 89-14 4 7 8 9 10

15-19 7 9 9 10 1020-24 9 10 10 11 1125-30 10 11 11 11 1131-36 11 11 11 11 1237-44 11 11 11 12 12

check Table 4 to see whether or not thematerial ignites. (The Administratorshould only estimate the chances of targetignition because of the great number ofvariables such as beam heat, combustionrates, laser strengths, etc.) The reduceddamage result is used if the laser hitsanother obstacle or person after passingthrough the material. The strength of thematerial may be modified as the Adminis-trator sees fit. As a rule, mirrors reflectlaser beams if the laser-strength value isless than nine. Smoke obscures laserbeams and water scatters them, eachreducing a beam�s power by one point ofdamage per 1� of smoke or water. Laserbeams travel ad infinitum otherwise.

Injuries caused by laser-fire result inconcentrated, intense third-degree burns,affecting only a small area of the body.The amount of damage a person receiveswhen hit by a laser is determined by thetube�s volume, the time the Q-switch hasremained shut before firing, and the typeof gas used to give off photons. First, thetube�s volume (in cubic inches) is calcu-lated using the formula: V=1 r² (thetube�s length times pi times the tube�sradius squared). Length and radius areexpressed in inches. The volume is thencross-referenced on Table 2 with the num-ber of seconds to which the Q-switch is setto delay the laser burst. A Q-switch cannotbe shut for more than eight seconds with-out risking a malfunction (see Table 5).

For example: An agent armed with astolen, experimental, 26-cubic-inch argon

Table 3Laser Gas Factor

MultiplicationGas factorCarbon dioxide 1.0Dd: YAG* 0.8Oxygen or argon 0.5Helium, neon, or krypton 0.33

* Neodymium:yttrium-aluminum garnet

laser fires at an enemy agent through a1� -thick wooden partition after keepingthe Q-switch shut for four seconds. Thelaser is kept inside a type 3 frame (PWV65) and, after taking into account theagent�s Offense and other modifiers, thehit determination is set at 62%. TheAdministrator rolls a 39 (a hit) and checksTable 2 to find the laser�s strength. Next,he multiplies this result (11) by the 0.5value argon has on Table 3 to get a total of6 (rounded to the nearest even number).The wooden partition absorbs 3 points ofthe laser�s strength before the beam hitsthe target, which in turn receives theremaining 3 points of damage. Laserbeams add +20 to rolls on the Bullet UseAgainst Vehicles Table in the TOP SECRETgame�s rule book, page 38.

DRAGON 53

Damage to the laserA laser or power pack may be damaged

if either device is submerged, droppedfrom a height of more than 5�, overheated,hit by gunfire (the Hit Weapons Table inthe TOP SECRET game�s rule book, page25, need not be consulted), has its Q-switch shut off for more than eight sec-onds, or receives any other kind of roughtreatment the Administrator considersharmful. Should any of these events occurpercentile dice are rolled on Table 5 tofind the result. If the result is �damaged,�the device affected is rendered inopera-tive. There is, however, a 25% chance ofrepair if there is access to a well-stockedlaboratory and a technician with AOKscores of 100+ in electrical engineering

Table 4Strength and Inflammability of Materials

MaterialMetalPlasticGlass

FabricWood

Brick or plasterMost liquids

Thickness½ �1�¼�¼�1�1�2�

* Depends on nature of substance.

Strength4-201-9¼-4¼-8½-73-180-2

Ignition chance *0-10%

0-100%0-20%5-90%5-90%0-75%

0-100%

Table 5Laser Malfunction

Malfunction result

Event Chance of malfunction Damaged Short-circuit ExplosionSubmerged 10% per second underwater 01-60 61-98 99-00Overheated * 40% per 50°C (122°F) per minute 01-55 56-80 81-00Hit by gunfire* 85% 01-70 71-80 81-00Overdue laser blast * * 50% per second after 8 seconds 01-60 61-90 91-00Dropped 25% per foot dropped over 5� 01-90 91-95 96-00

* Add 30 to roll when checking damage severity if laser uses oxygen.* * Q-switch kept closed for too long.

and physics. A �short circuit� result meansboth the laser and power pack aredestroyed. The chances of repair remainthe same, though separate rolls are madefor each piece of equipment. If the resultis �explode,� then both the power pack andlaser weapon are damaged beyond repair,and anyone within 10� of both items suf-fers 2d10 points of damage. As oxygen is ahighly inflammable gas, lasers using ithave a +30 modifier when checking forthe severity of damage on Table 5.

ConclusionThe Administrator should avoid making

lasers too common, portable, or powerful.For instance, a laser weapon found inmodule TS001 Operation: Sprechenhalte-stelle might work (given experiencedagents), but one used in TS004 Operation:Fastpass or TS005 Operation: OrientExpress will probably cause problemsfrom the start. It is also wise to rememberthat except for its use in reading bar codesin stores and other handy applications,

laser technology hasn�t grown as quicklyas the microchip�s has in the past fewdecades. As a result, when designing ascenario, do not set the stage in a quixoticway. If you are prepared to design andplay with realism and good judgment, youcan expect to have an innovative andexciting game.

54 OCTOBER 1988

DRAGON 55

he boy limped into Erich�s battlefieldencampment at the end of the longest,hottest day of summer. His long, thinface was white beneath a griming ofsweat and dirt, his grey eyes wide andwounded. He could not have seenmore than nine years. Even for that

number he was small. The smell of smoke followed himlike a ghost from one of the burned farmsteads along thesouthern bend of the Rill. Erich had torched one of thosesteads; the invader Vorgund had fired the others.

Kin-reft and wandering, I thought, some farmer�sorphaned son. He could as easily have found himself inVorgund�s camp as in ours. I had seen so many of his likein the twenty years I�d fought beside the old lord and thefive I�d been with his son Erich. They stagger wherevertheir legs will carry them. Some stay � the women ascamp followers, the men to join the fight in search ofvengeance. Others pass through a camp as though it didnot exist, bound for some place to rest or to die. These arethe ragged phantoms of the day before yesterday whenthere was no war.

This lad, likely all that was left of some farmer�s bid forimmortality, was one of those silent ghosts. As he passedme, he stumbled a little over nothing but his own exhaus-tion. I caught his arm and steadied him.

He did not bother to free himself from my grip, butstaggered on as though I had not touched him. His vacantrefugee-stare was unbroken.

It is a thing peculiar to war that one battle will fill awarrior�s heart with the blazing anthems of glory; anotherwill leave him empty as thunder�s echo. This day onlyhollow echoes dwelt in my heart. Bone tired I was, withthe roar of battle still bellowing inside my skull, screamingin my axe-weary arms. I wanted a fire and a full skin ofwine, and I did not have it in me to treat with a heart-ruined refugee.

The ghosts in his eyes were cold, frightening reflectionsof the ones that haunted me. His kin were torn from him.I would have none.

The skalds tell that in ancient times there were amongthe dwarfish race kings and necromancers who trespassedinto the realms of immortality. For that transgression thegods decreed that our generations be numbered and ourbirthright of immortality taken from us. For five genera-tions whose lives spanned a count of years three times thatof a human, our race awaited the arrival of those theynamed Laestan, the Last.

I am among the Laestan. We watch our fathers die andknow that there will be no younglings to provide shelterfor their spirits.

I turned away from the stumbling-lad. I had not theheart for being haunted by ghosts stirred to cold life by aboy with empty grey eyes.

Erich had hunted Vorgund�s war band through all thatlong, golden day. It seemed to matter little to him that avillage and several outlying farms were razed in the hunt.He wanted Vorgund�s head. In pursuit of that head heharried Vorgund�s band until he drove them at last to theforests near the northern arm of the Rill. After a battle as

BetweenLightning& Thunderby Nancy Varian Berberick

For Doug Clarkwith Garroc�s appreciation and mine

Illustrations by Stephen E. FabianDRAGON 57

bloody and ferocious as any I have known, Vorgund,beaten, his back to the dark wood, abandoned the fieldand fled with his men into the forest.

He styled himself a son of the unthroned Witch-Kings,did Vorgund. So completely did he and his tattered bandvanish that some among Erich�s army wondered. For mypart, I have never considered Vorgund a witch, only asharp-witted warrior whose tenacity and daring wereunderstandable in one who fights for what he considers hishomeland.

My young lord could have dismissed the talk of Witch-Kings, though not gracefully, had that murmuring notbeen coupled with a whispered mention of the wood impssaid to haunt the shadowed forest. Superstitious mutter-ings can unman a war band as easily as ignominiousdefeat. For all his youth, Erich knew this well. For speak-ing of witches and wood imps he had one man flogged,two demoted in rank.

Of those two, one was Oraf, called the Cruel by soldierswhose death-hardened hearts did not often recognize cru-elty.

Like a wounded bear, Oraf stalked the smoky dusk. Hissmall dark eyes smoldered with hatred. Those who did notfear the black-haired, barrel-chested warrior did not feelcalled upon to discuss the matter of his demotion. Whofeared him moved quickly aside. One did not move quick-ly enough. That was when I, newly returned from settingguard watches, knew that the little refugee was with usstill.

Crouched before Oraf's fire, the lad looked up when thebig warrior�s black shadow cut across him. His grey eyeshad regained some life, though they were not yet a boy�seyes. They cleared a little at the sight of Oraf. The boycaught up a wineskin from the ground and held it up tothe warrior.

It would be easy to say the boy made a wrong move.The truth of the matter is that he could not have made aright one. Oraf snatched the wineskin and struck the boyin the side of the head with almost the same motion.

Though he fell hard, though he must have seen the verystars of night dancing before his eyes, the lad made no cry.He got his legs under him and scrambled to his feet. Rub-bing the side of his head with a grubby hand, he edgedback into the light of Oraf's fire.

One-eyed Dyfed, my fire mate, shook his head andwondered if the lad were dull-witted.

�Likely not,� I said, �and if he�s war-stunned, hisinstincts are still running good. He�s found the strongestman in camp to align himself with.�

Dyfed took a long pull on his own wineskin and wipedthe back of his hand across his mouth. �Why would he dothat?�

�Why not? Look at the boy: clearly he�s a refugee.Orphaned likely. None stands more alone than an orphan.In his place I would do the same thing. When you runwith the biggest wolf, none of the lesser wolves will hurtyou.�

�But he still has to fear the biggest wolf.�I shrugged. �It�s a price the boy is likely willing to pay.

And not such a great one at that. We�re all wolves to him.Me, I�d rather have one to watch and know the rest of the

OCTOBER 1988

pack is kept at bay.�None stands more alone than an orphan.For all my studied indifference, my own words found

an empty place in me to echo, and those echoes were darkand painful.

Once I was a skald. I abandoned my craft early andtrained my voice to battle cries, my hand to the axe�shelve. I would rather have listened to the anthems of warthan sing the birthless, empty songs of a dwarfish skald. Iclosed my eyes to the skald leygr, the storyteller�s light.Before I did I crafted the saddest of the sad songs, and likethe memory of a hill-flute�s mournful sigh, it was with mealways.

Of our treasure we are reft,King and crofter alike,Stoneman, smith, warrior, skald,We are beggared.

As prayers to vanished gods:Our proud histories are echoes,Tales told to no one,Songs sung over empty cradles.

The light of Oraf's fire shimmered like bright tears inthe little refugee�s eyes, gilding the edge of the darkeningbruise that stained his face. I turned away, who was toowell used to turning away from pain and that which illu-minated it.

This was not the first time I had occasion to notice thatmen are absurdly prodigal of their children. Small claimsthey are on immortality, but they are claims that the godswill honor nonetheless.

I, who could make no bid for immortality, took the winefrom Dyfed and settled down to a determined retreat fromthose empty echoes, from the boy, and from my own pain.

I had no time to retreat farther than a swallow. Stravarsummoned me in Erich�s name. �And quickly, if you will,Garroc.� The old captain�s smile was wry. �He is sorelyout of temper.�

Dyfed laughed and told Stravar that he brought nofresh news. Erich�s temper had been short, dark, and foulsince we set up camp. I, pleased to leave behind my con-templations of emptiness, tossed Dyfed the wineskin andfollowed Stravar through the hot, purpling twilight.

The light of candles and oil lamps burnished Erich�syellow hair to gold, made his face seem sculpted of blackshadows. He looked up, raked me with his hawk�s eyes,and nodded greeting. He was young then, my lord, hav-ing seen only twenty summers. In those days he wonderedif he were equal to keeping the lands his father had brokenhimself to win.

In the matter of age it might be supposed that my owndwarfish kin would not have reckoned me much olderthan he for all that I had walked through sixty years.Sometimes a young man�s understanding bridged thedistance between Erich and me; other times he remem-bered that his lifetime was but a small part of my own.

This night he made me his contemporary. He jerked hischin at the far wall of the tent where the shadows of hisadvisors ran tall and dark up the canvas. �Old women,those,� he growled. �Stay, they say, wait. If they had their

way, this army would wait here by the river untilVorgund�s stripling sons are old enough to take up thefight.�

�And you, my lord?��I will take the fight to Vorgund.��Into the forest?� I had the feeling that I�d be getting

little sleep this night.My feeling was true. Erich wanted scouts to find

Vorgund�s camp, and he wanted me to captain them.Dyfed, he chose, my thin and lanky fire mate. A woodcut-ter�s son turned soldier, his hand was fell and deadly inbattle, his head cool.

�And take Oraf,� he said, �I want to end this talk ofold Witch-Kings and wood imps. Let him see Vorgund�sband for what they are, men who drink the same ale hedoes,� He smiled sourly. �And who lose it the same wayhe does. That will stop the witch-talk fast enough. As forthe wood imps� � he lifted his shoulders in a carelessshrug � �I doubt you�ll find those.�

I would like to have told him that I did not expect to beable to report one way or another, legend having investedthose creatures with invisibility. But, having an interest inretaining both my rank and my skin, I did not think itwise to relate youngling�s tales now. I said that I did notanticipate trouble with wood imps.

�Find Vorgund�s encampment, Garroc, and bring meback the best map you can of the paths to it. Leavetonight. You know what I need.�

I did: the clearest path to the enemy, then the mostlogical path of attack, and then the least likely. Erich waslike his father in this; he would see all around the battle-ground well before his men set their feet on it.

He had no more orders, I no questions. I left him tocollect Oraf and Dyfed.

We were not three who met beyond the light of thearmy�s campfires, but four. Oraf had his little refugee intow. When I questioned him, he assured me that the lad,having been raised on a farm nearby, would know thepaths of this forest better than any of us.

I eyed the little waif sharply. �Is it so, boy?�The lad nodded.�What do they call you?�He shrugged as though it did not matter what he was

called. Among men one�s name is given only when trusthas been earned. The boy�s silence in the matter was elo-quent. I wondered if Oraf had the boy�s name.

I glanced up at the big warrior, and the sullen, hardlook of him gave me my answer. Oraf might be the lad�sproof against lesser marauders, but he was not anyone theboy trusted. This one would pay the price for protection,but he was giving nothing he was not obliged to give.

And Oraf was amply paid. It is the way of a bully tokeep near him those who are more frightened than he sothat he may measure his courage against their fear. Fromthe look of the new bruises on the boy�s face, I knew thatOraf had been taking the slim measure of his own couragefrequently. I�d never liked Oraf before this. That mislikingwas turning to disgust.

I cocked my head at the boy. �Are you weaponed?�He shook his head.

I unsheathed my dagger and handed it to him. �Canyou use this?�

The boy jerked his wrist so deftly, so swiftly, that I hard-ly knew he�d moved. My dagger quivered in the dryground between Dyfed�s feet. There is a look in a man�seyes when a blade hits the target he choses for it. The lookcannot be feigned. It graced the boy�s fog-colored eyesthen.

Oraf hissed an oath, but Dyfed only laughed andretrieved the dagger. He handed the weapon to the boyand cuffed him lightly.

�He can use it, Garroc.�He could indeed. �Boy, tell me where they�d be most

likely to camp.�He dropped to his haunches, the moon�s light over his

shoulder, and smoothed out the hard dirt. The map hesketched showed Erich�s encampment, the Rill racingswiftly to our left, and a broad hollow. The river curvedaround to the north and wound behind the hollow. Hestabbed a dirty finger at the hollow and looked up at me.

�How far?�He did not speak to me, but to Oraf, hulking and dark

over his shoulder. �You could get there before moonset,�he whispered.

I studied the boy�s sketch again. When I looked up, itwas to see the lad studying me as closely. I saw my imagereflected in those grey eyes as clearly as though I werelooking into a still pool. Something else I saw, and whatmoved in me then frightened me. It is bad enough to livewith an old and unhealing wound. To find it freshly bleed-ing in this boy�s soul caught me hard between fear andpity. Like wind moaning around a cairn came, unbidden,my song.

Vacant the halls of our hearts:Cold and cold the armsWhich hold no fair child.

I wanted to get away from the boy. Or catch him to meand soothe away the grief. The one would have been stu-pid, the other rebuffed. I scowled. �What, boy?�

He looked away as though he had not heard me.Oraf's huge hand caught the lad hard in the back of the

head and knocked him flat. �Speak when you�re told,� hesnarled. He moved to follow his blow with a kick.

Lean, tall Dyfed moved before I could. He blockedOraf's kick and stiff-armed him away from the boy.�Leave off,� he growled. Anger gleamed in his one blueeye like moonlight on ice. He had not moved for the boy�ssake, but from his own well-known scorn for Oraf.

�Both of you leave off,� I snapped. Dyfed steppedaway. Oraf, his big fists balled, turned on me. He wasrigid with fury. My axe came to hand before I could think.

�I�ll take you off at the knees, Oraf,� I warned coldly.His eyes tracked the silver run of moonlight along theaxe�s blade. Though he towered over me by half, Orafhad long ago learned that my axe could well defend me.The pace he stepped back was distance enough and admis-sion that he wanted no quarrel with me now.

I pulled the lad to his feet and never minded that hewent cool and stiff beneath my hand. �Back to your map,boy.�

He dropped again to his heels on the path. Dyfed stood

DRAGON 59

over him; Oraf did not move. As I leaned on my ground-ed axe, a cloud slipped in front of the moon. The nightdeepened and was growing quickly older.

I questioned the boy about the hollow; he answeredsilently, only speaking when a gesture would not do. Stillhe satisfied me that he knew the forest. According to him,there was no other place but the hollow where Vorgundcould rest his war band. The woods were too thick hereand thicker beyond the river.

�Well enough,� I said at last. I had formed a simpleplan of movement. As Erich had, I, too, learned warfarefrom the old lord who had no patience for any but themost direct and unembroidered schemes.

�Dyfed, you angle north and east.� I barely pausedbefore I went on, and in that moment I took my first steptoward a decision I could not then have imagined. �TakeOraf. The boy and I will move north and west. If you findthe hollow empty, cross it and meet us at the river. If youfind it occupied, skirt it like ghosts and mark well everyrock and path. Join us when you see us.�

Dyfed nodded. His thin mouth was a hard, grim line.We were going now in search of enemies. �The gods�grace, Garroc,� he said.

I told him not to give away what he might need himself,and watched him and big Oraf slip beneath the wood�sdark eaves. Oraf would have taken the rear had Dyfed notgestured him forward. If Dyfed did not like all that blackanger at his back, I could not blame him.

The little refugee looked suddenly lost, abandonedagain. Surely, I thought in amazement, he cannot count itany but a grace that he can walk for a while withoutOraf's hard fist hovering like a threatening storm over hishead!

His grey eyes widened as though they would followOraf until he�d vanished into the forest�s gloom. Indeed,had I released the lad, he would have loped after Oraf likea pup after his master.

He was alone with one of the lesser wolves. I saw by hisskittish movements that he did not know what this lesserwolf might do. He was prepared to bolt. With a gentlenessthat surprised me, I took the lad�s shoulder and turnedhim west. �Lead or follow, boy?�

Without a word he moved out in front. If I�d had anydoubt that the boy knew the forest, it vanished then. Noone moves in complete silence through the wood. Still thatlad passed over the age�s dead leaves and brought only thefaintest whisper of protest. None could have discerned theboy�s footfalls over the shrill and scream of the nightinsects. Clearly, a skilled hunter had taught the lad hiswoodcraft.

Though I could not see it for the screening brush andtrees, I heard the Rill running on my left for all our jour-ney. The wind, a faint sigh of air, moved from the south. Iknew we were traveling north when I felt its hot breath onmy neck.

The boy led me true, finding thin deer trails, skirtingthe boggy ground near the unseen river�s banks wheneverhe could. I set in memory all his turns and the look ofeach game trail we followed. He was tracking to the hol-low because he knew Oraf would be there.

From time to time he would stop, lifting his head as a

60 OCTOBER 1988

hound will when scenting the way. Never once did he lookback at me. It was as though he did not care that I fol-lowed. During one of those pauses he turned, and themoon�s clear light fell across his face. Oraf's bruisesstained his pale skin like dark shadows.

Oraf had a dog once, a yellow mongrel bitch. Slat-sided, with one blue eye and one brown, that ragged-tailed, crooked-eared beast worshiped a deity, and thegod�s name was Oraf. When he thought to, Oraf fed thebitch from the scraps of his meals. He did not bother togift her with a name. In the dark watches of an icy winternight the bitch gave birth to a litter of pups. After twonights their whimpering outside the barracks annoyedOraf. He drowned, them, one by one, in the Rill. Whenthe bitch, frantic to save her young, put herself betweenhim and the remaining pups, her deity, Oraf, called theCruel, cut her throat and left her to die on the river�sbanks.

I thought of that mongrel bitch then, and shivered inthe hot night. I was haunted by the memory of the hill-flute and by the boy�s pain.

As smoke on the wind:Our bold histories fade,Graces conferred upon no one,Songs whispered over empty cradles.

Fading the light of our souls:Empty and empty the eyesWhich see no youngling�s smile.

Still certain that I cherished my emptiness, for I hadlong ago judged it better than being filled with pain, Ipretended that I did not hear or remember my song. Ifollowed the lad until the trees began to thin, until thegame trails he tracked took an abrupt turn to the east. Allunlooked-for we stood in a narrow clearing.

Only several strides wide, the clear ground ran in alarge circle to the north and south and was bordered bytall, thick-boled oaks. Rock oaks, my people call thesegiants. Seen in a flood of moonlight such as washed thisclearing, their uneven grey bark gives them the seemingof being hewn from stone. Now the moon slanted her thinlight directly across their rough trunks. They looked like astockade, those ancient trees. Or a barricade. The boypointed silently to the oaks.

I had the sudden thought that the trees had not grownup in that perfect circle by nature�s whim. We failingFirstborn are a superstitious race. While we may smile atfirelight tales of wood imps, we scent omens on the windand read fates in the play of starlight on a boulder�s crag-gy shoulders. I thought of Witch-Kings and my bloodchilled. Witch-kings who set no guard but ward them-selves with magic.

�The hollow,� I whispered, my throat suddenly tightand dry, �beyond those oaks?�

He nodded once, and I cursed my absurd fears lowunder my breath. I was becoming as foolish as Oraf. TheWitch-Kings had long been run to ground. Years before,Erich�s father and his kind had burned the last of thosemagic-users. The smoke of that great burning had hungstinking in the air for weeks. Though canny Vorgundmight style himself a son of those long dead kings, he was

not.Yet I could not imagine that he would camp, even in

this hidden and secure place, without posting guards out-side this tree-formed stockade. �There is no war bandhere,� I said flatly.

The boy dodged a little, then held deer-still waiting formy anger to fall upon him, a blow or a kick. I took him bythe shoulder, not to strike, though I was angry. The angerwas partly for my own credulous acceptance of Vorgund�sfear-screen, partly because the boy was so calmly certainthat I would pay him for his error in Oraf's coin or worse.

�Boy, I am not going to hit you.�He didn�t believe me, but strained back from me, eyes

narrow, face as stiff as a dead man�s. Once more I sawfear in his eyes. Once more I wanted to hold him, to shel-ter him from his grief and terror. I did not, though Ishould have. Aye, I should have. Instead, turning asideyet again from a pain that too closely mirrored my own, Ireleased him.

�Be easy, lad,� I said gruffly, �you made a good guess.But good guesses do not always bring the right answers.�

He swallowed, a hard gulp, and raised his head. Thatlittle chin had a stubborn set to it, the first I�d seen allnight. Almost I applauded his hard-jawed defiance.

�They have to be there,� he said, his voice so low Ibarely heard his words. �There is no place else for themto be.�

I shook my head. �There are no guards.�I saw him consider it. For that moment his expression

was free of fear. I had been granted a look at somethingthat might never be seen again: the boy�s guard was whol-ly down. Beneath his grime and bruises he was a likelylooking lad.

Having thought, his wariness returned. He gave me aquick, gauging look then darted through the moon�s clearlight to the oaks. So close were those trees that he had tolean, either hand on a trunk, to peer into the hollow. Helooked for a long time, the moon�s sharp light argentacross his shoulders, white in his black hair. He gesturedme forward.

The hollow was deep and very broad, a giant�s chalice.On all sides it sloped steeply down for nearly fifteen yards.It�s floor leveled in a grassy sward. The moon�s light, clearas water here on the hollow�s lip, was strangely milky inthe green bowl. Behind me I heard the chirrup of insects.From the hollow I heard nothing.

Figures I made out, still and silent. Vorgund�s standard,the crowned eagle rampant, fluttered lazily in the warmsouthern breeze. Other than that pennon, nothing moved.Every man of them seemed to be sleeping. Had Vorgundgrown so careless in this secret place that he set no watch?I steadfastly refused to consider Witch-Kings.

Beside me, though, the boy trembled beneath the coldbreath of fear. His small hand touched mine on my axe�shelve. Despite the heat of the night, his fingers were likeice. �The light,� he whispered, �something is wrong withthe light!�

�The moon�s angle,� I muttered, �and her light has tofall through leafed branches.�

The harsh chak! chak! of a golden brown wheatearchopped through the night: Dyfed�s signal. I returned the

sign, and he, a lean, dark phantom, tow-hair gilded byclear moonlight, slipped from behind a broad oak to thewest. Oraf, bear large, followed.

Here is one, I thought bitterly, who will happily believein Witch-Kings. From where I stood I saw the gleamingwhites of the big warrior�s eyes. Though he was a longmoment about it, the boy moved to Oraf's side.

Dyfed nudged me. �Is Vorgund such a witling that heposts no guard?�

I did not think so; I have never thought Vorgund inwant of wits.

�Witch,� Oraf whispered. Almost the word was a sigh.�It�s none of that,� I growled.�What, then?� the big man challenged. His right hand

was full of his sword, his broad face sheened with sweat.�An odd moon�s light and a warlord too secure in his

hiding.�Oraf said nothing; Dyfed grunted. �A ghost could drift

in there and find the right of it.� His sky-colored eye glit-tered sharply. �Or a ghost-footed scout.�

�Aye, though you�ll not go alone.�He shook his head. �Yes, alone. None moves quieter in

the wood than I do. You know it, Garroc. Wait up here forme; I�ll not be long about it.� He saw my doubt andquirked a good-humored smile. �I�ve a fine regard for myown skin, friend dwarf, never fear.�

He did not boast of his skill who was known for it. Too,I knew that my thought was his own: Erich would be wellpleased if we brought back not only knowledge ofVorgund�s hiding place but the count and condition of hiswarriors. I let him go.

The moon�s strange light veiled Dyfed the moment hestepped beyond the sentinel oaks. We saw him vaguely,like a fok weard, a fog ghost, drifting down the side of thehollow.

Beside me Oraf whispered an oath to a god I did notknow. The little lad whimpered, and I looked around.Oraf gripped his shoulder hard enough for me to see thewhitening of his knuckles in the moon�s light. I did notspeak, but prised the man�s digging fingers from the boy�sflesh. Oraf snarled like a wolf whose prey has beensnatched from its jaws. I didn�t care, but turned back tothe hollow, searching the moon-fog for Dyfed.

Ghost-footed, he�d said, and ghost-footed he was.Through the thick, covering fog I saw him pause to loosehis sword. He cocked his head to listen, moved to seeeverything the fog did not shroud. Almost I could hearhim thinking: that is the wind and not one of Vorgund�smen creeping through the thinly ranked saplings; that is aboulder, not a sentry. Satisfied, he went on.

I was not satisfied: something was not right. It took mea moment to realize that while the trees striped the groundwith their thin shadows and boulders crouched in darkpools, Dyfed moved shadowless through the strange, thicklight.

With half the distance to the floor of the bowl yet to becovered, he vanished.

A shadow's hiding him, I thought. I waited for as longas I could hold my breath, straining to see through themilky moon-fog. Dyfed did not reappear.

I sounded the wheatear�s call once, then again. My one-

DRAGON 61

62

eyed friend did not respond. I took the risk and called lowfor him. The southern breeze, as though listening for hisreply, fell still. Then I heard his voice, high and oddlybright.

�Garroc! Come down! The hollow is empty!�Relief ran through me, followed by a sudden crawling

fear. Either my eyes lied, or Dyfed did. The hollow was nomore empty now than it had been before Dyfed steppedinto the moon-fog. Men still lay prone upon the ground.Though the breeze had fallen dead on the lip of the hol-low, down below Vorgund�s standard still moved sleepily.Beside me Oraf voiced another oath.

The rustle of an approach from below was loud in thehot, still night, threaded through with the bright, silversong of crickets and sounding like panthers in the brush.The skin on the back of my neck prickled. I thought ofWitch-Kings. I should have been thinking of wood imps.

�Garroc, there�s no need to hang back now.� Dyfed�swas the voice of a man who has found bounty where heexpected to find enemies. Though he must have stoodonly a reach away, I could not see him clearly for the mist.

Dyfed reached out of the moon-fog, and they were nofleshed fingers which pierced that grey veil, but the death-pared bones of a skeleton. Mist clung to those bones, andthe moon�s pale light gleamed along the moisture like anevil silver chasing.

When that fell hand touched Orafs wrist, the big war-rior�s scream, high and piercing, tore the dark fabric ofthe night, lightning rending black storm clouds.

He moved swiftly, did Oraf the Cruel. He jerked hardand freed himself from that hideous grip. The boy,instincts afire, grasped Orafs arm with both hands andclung. Did Oraf see the boy as an obstacle to flight or assomething to be cast between him and Death�s hand? Idon�t know; likely, he did not know either. He howledagain and threw the boy off.

Shaking as though his very bones rattled with terror, hiseyes huge and dark, the boy reached for Oraf again. Thebig man whipped around and kicked the lad hard in thestomach. I felt the pain of that kick in my own belly. And,stunned, I felt the abandoned child�s aching, cold empti-ness as though it were my own heart despairing.

Fury overrode sense. I spun on Oraf when I shouldhave leaped for the boy. My axe, a flash of steel and silverin the night, caught Oraf full in the side. His ribs splin-tered beneath the blade. A scarlet cowl of blood dimmedthe axe�s flash.

The boy�s scream smothered Oraf's, and I, my axebloody, my heart roaring like thunder, spun again to seethat skeletal hand, like some huge, unclean spider, grip-ping the lad�s shoulder and pulling, pulling.

I struck at that bony wrist � Dyfed�s! My blade turnedon it as though it were iron. Fire lanced through my arms,my wrists ached with the pain of that blow. I struck again,and my axe fell from nerveless hands. The thing that hadbeen Dyfed dragged the boy to the very lip of the hollow.

�No!� I roared. The lad was rigid with terror andincapable of either scream or whimper.

I grabbed the boy�s hands in my own two and hauled. Imight as well have pitted myself against Death�s own grip.Dyfed�s strength was not mortal. Fury and horror tore

OCTOBER 1988

through me: I was losing the boy!Lights, globes of fire the size of my fist, red, blue, and

green, swirled before my eyes. Skimming the nightbetween me and the boy, they spun and rounded asthough in some patterned dance. I saw his face, white andset, through their rainbow play. A voice, light and soft,whispered ghost-words in my ear. The words werematched by an image, shadowy as a dream half-remembered: something that was not Dyfed reached forthe boy.

I will call him back, release his hands.When I did not surrender my grip, blue flame skittered

between our bridge of hands. The lick and sear of light-ning raced through my bones and muscles. Instinct freedthe lad�s hands where will would not. Before I could raisemy burned hands to my mouth the pain cooled and van-ished as though it had not been.

The blue fire-sphere separated from it�s companions,moved through the air with effortless grace, and tumbledalong the length of the skeletal arm until it lay up againstthe moon-fog.

Free the child, the light�s voice murmured. In my mind,behind my real sight, a hand edged with blue fire lifted incommand. You have violated the Sacred Hollow and you are ours.Within the Hollow there is death-life, outside it you are bones anddust. But the boy makes no choice to enter. Free him! Ta�alyn WoodImp, speaks.

Wood imps! Not invisible, as legend claimed, but trans-parent as flame. Cold sweat traced icy paths down theridges of my ribs.

Dyfed�s bone-fingered hand fell away. Rising like awolfs howl, his desolate cry spun up to that pitiless lady,the moon. For a breathless moment I saw one-eyed Dyfedas no more than a cold moon-mist. Then that, too, wasgone, and a sleeping figure lay at the edge of Vorgund�sencampment where none had been before.

Half in the moon-fog, the boy did not move.Ta�alyn�s disembodied voice softened. You are free, young

human.The boy�s shoulders slumped, tears the color of spider�s

webs traced glittering paths along his cheeks. Ta�alynmoved closer to the lad.

When the boy did not move, Ta�alyn�s light waveredand dimmed as though the wood imp sighed with pity.Here is not your place, young human. See the lands where youbelong.

As the boy must have, I saw the sun, full and warm,lying across golden fields; moonlight graced a river withan argent filigree. A boy ran across the field to chase thewind; in a hunter�s camp beside the river he slept in thearms of a tall, grey-eyed man. I knew, without under-standing how I came by this knowledge, that the grey-eyed man was the boy�s father.

Go back now. To the blood-warmed.Incredibly, the boy shook his head. It was the heartsore

gesture of one who abandons the field of battle. Ta�alyndrifted between the boy and me. Plainly, he had not con-sidered that a �blood-warmed� would ever seek otherthan life.

There is only death-life below, young human. Only continuing,continuing, never ending. It is the fate decreed for the violators of

the Sacred Hollow.It might be that blue-lighted Ta�alyn could read the

boy�s heart. Surely, he spoke to me before the boy evermade another gesture. Heart-reft this young one is. Father-killer he names you, Firstborn. Ta�alyn flared, bright blue.Black shadows scurried across me and death-still Oraf.

Father killer! The epithet drew blood from an old andfamiliar wound: heart�s blood. I saw little difference, then,between the fatherless and the childless. The cold, hollowpain was the same, and it cast me, shivering andbereaved, into dark, dark places filled with lightlesshearths and broken circles.

That image was not created by Ta�alyn. I�d lived with ittoo long not to know it for my own. From it had come thesaddest of the sad songs.

As the frost kissed mountain rose:Our brave histories wither,Love given to no one,Songs wept over empty cradles.

And I�d lived with it long enough to know that I darednot stay in that empty place. I dragged myself, hurt andshaking, back to the forest and the moonlight.

Ta�alyn had addressed me as Firstborn. As the gods�failing but still loved first child I answered. �I did not killthe boy�s father. I killed this one.� I spat upon Oraf�scorpse. �He earned the axe.�

So the gods set you to judge, did they?I might have been damned for my arrogance; I did not

think of that then. �I do not ask the gods� permission eachtime I lift my axe.�

Again Ta�alyn flared, the blue deepened. Ah, then theyask you to kill for them when they see the need?

A handspan from me the boy sobbed and bowed hishead.

Behind my sight were black, yawning pits, crackedvessels, and things once living, now dead. To my left andright, the green and red globes, Ta�alyn�s companions,dimmed their lights and left the clearing in pity or disgust.

You must call him, Firstborn, or I shall. And if I do, he willlive, not as a blood-warmed, but as my kind.

I call him? How could I, who so many times beforeshould have called him to me and did not? Where would Ifind the strength? I pitied him, but I could not, even now,look too deeply into those desolate grey eyes for fear ofseeing my own emptiness.

Oraf's bruises showed purple and black along his thinarms, on his white face. Ta�alyn drifted closer to the boy.

I did not move with thought, but with the same instinctthat would impel me to pull a child from the path of arunaway horse. Still, my attempt was a weak one. �Boy,�I whispered, �I did not kill your father.�

He did not look up, but back behind him to the moon-fog as though it was enough that someone there wantedhim. Blue Ta�alyn hung between the boy and me.

�Who was your father, boy? Is he dead? Is he war-killed?�

That did something to his stony silence. A whimperleaked through it like water past a cracking dam.

�War killed? By Erich�s men, or Vorgund�s?�Ta�alyn paled again, I saw the boy clearly now. �Boy,

look at me.�

He did, his eyes flinching, tear-drowned. �You killedhim,� he whispered.

I did not understand, and would not had Ta�alyn notgiven me the picture of the boy�s feeling. It was I the boysaw in his head: a yellow-haired, thick-bearded dwarfleaning on a deadly, blood-sheathed war axe. Behind mestood Oraf, Dyfed, hawk-eyed Erich, and countless othernameless, weaponed soldiers. He saw a farmstead burn-ing, his tall, grey-eyed father hacked and bleeding in thedust.

I heard cold whispers from my own empty, aching plac-es: the ghosts of dead cradle-songs. �No, lad,� I groaned,shivering in the icy wind of our bereavement, �don�t lookat that again.�

But, seeing it, the boy could not turn away. The woodimp blazed and then paled again. He pitied me, I think,as much as he did the boy.

�Let it go, boy!� I dropped my next words like bitterstones into the boy�s silence. �Your father is dead. And . . .I grieve with you.�

He lifted his head, saw Ta�alyn, and smiled a little. Hewas choosing.

Oh youngling, I thought, what would be better? Eterni-ty among the wood imps or your life�s span among men?And who had given the lad any reason to choose for life?None. Not Oraf, not I. My heart felt like hard stoneagainst my ribs. And well it might: I had spent most ofmy life making certain that, soon or late, it would becomestone.

In that moment the boy seemed as transparent asTa�alyn drifting between us. He appeared emptied of thehard, real life of men, of his kind, ready to be filled for agod�s eternity with the light of the wood imp. If I turnedaside now, he would choose Ta�alyn. And if I let him do

DRAGON 63

that, no amount of wishing would make my own heartanything but stone upon which were graven the words Ihad made.

Of our fading kind we stand last,King and crofter alike,Stoneman, smith, warrior, skald.We are childless.

�Youngling!� My cry sounded to me as desolate asfated Dyfed�s. And I do not know yet for whom I pleaded,the boy or myself.

He stiffened, then looked up at me slowly.I went down on my heels, held my hands out to him,

my arms wide and empty as any prospect I had of siring ason. �Youngling, come to me.�

He hung there for a long moment. I offered him noanswer, nothing but the chance to live with loss and pain.It is not much to choose for. I felt like one who offers apoor and shabby gift.

As though he did not agree, Ta�alyn�s light filled theclearing.

The boy shuddered. Staggering like one drunk, hestepped and then stepped again. I dared not move, butwatched him stepping and stepping, away from eternity.

�Youngling,� I whispered.He turned those grey eyes on me, and they shone like

beacons.�Garroc?�He�d never spoken my name before now. I trembled to

hear it echoing in the empty halls of my heart. �Aye,youngling. Come to me now.�

He staggered a little, reaching for me the way a blindman reaches for a wall. His hands clutched my arms andhe sobbed once. I felt the ache in him, the sharp-fangedgnawing pain of his loneliness. Kin-reft, I thought, andwho should know better about that reaving than onewhose race, twilit now and failing, will not increase?

Ta�alyn�s light, blue and cool, burst like a fireball overus then vanished. Flash blind, the boy flung his armsaround my neck and finally wept, a raging storm whoseviolence might have shaken his soul from his body had Inot held him.

And, holding him, my own stone heart at last softened.

I would not turn aside again. My arms, too long empty ofa child�s warmth, were full. The hollow places inside meknew light and the grace of a son.

He would never forget his tall, grey-eyed father. But heburrowed his face into my shoulder and tangled a smallhand in my beard as though to tell me that, if I wished to,I might stand in his father�s stead.

I wished to and the boy knew it. He felt my own weep-ing.

When I could speak again, I asked him his name.�Hinthan,� he whispered, wiping a hand that was yet

dirty across his face. �It means �hunter.� I am named formy � for my father.�

I gently erased the dirty trails of his tears with boththumbs and kissed him, who had never kissed a son beforenow. Then I lifted the boy, snatched up between a woodimp�s lightning and war�s thunder, and carried him backto Erich�s camp.

The lord received the word of Oraf's death and Dyfed�sin stony silence. When he did speak, it was not to regretthe loss of two men. Erich was not one to dwell upon thatwhich he could not change. He nodded to the boy asleepon my shoulder. �What of him?�

�Like me,� I said simply, �he survived.�Erich dismissed me with a flicker of his sharp blue eyes.

I knew him well enough to know that fire burned behindthose cold eyes. He had been cheated of Vorgund�s head,a prize for which he had waged battles across half his hold-ing to win.

I took the dismissal gratefully.That night the boy Hinthan slept curled against me, his

head on my shoulder, his small hand tangled again in mybeard. As I listened to him breathe, I came to understandthat I had unmade a shadow and the saddest of the sadsongs.

It remained to be discovered whether I might ever crafta new song. Then I did not think I would. Still, in themost fleeting of my dreams, dim yet and hesitant asthough it were not certain of its welcome, shone the skaldleygr, the storyteller�s light. One day, it promised, one daythere will be another song.

64 OCTOBER 1988

D R A G O N 6 5

©1988 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser

The Roleof Computers

There are no rules stipulating that role-playing games must take place in fantasysettings. Although the majority of comput-erized RPGs place characters in dungeonsor wilderness and have them use spells orswords, such games have also expanded tothe far reaches of space. Several of theflight, submarine, and ship simulationsalso require a player to take on an unfa-miliar role to achieve success.

Every role-playing game focuses onstrategic gamesmanship, regardless of its

fantastic or historical background. Grant-ed, there is no magic involved in WorldWar II simulations or science-fiction spaceoperas. However, some of the weaponryincorporated into science-fiction gamesoperates like sorcery. One such role-playing space scenario is Star Commandfrom Strategic Simulations, Inc. The gam-ing environment is as rich in detail andfull of adventure as any fantasy game. Onour one-to-five star rating system, this oneis almost at the top.

Strategic Simulations, Inc.1046 North Rengstorff AvenueMountain View CA 94043-1716(415) 964-1353

Star Command * * * * ½IBM micros/compatibles version $49.94

Star Command possesses all the ele-ments that make for fine gaming in anyrole-playing environment. You build eightcharacters, each with a specific trainingskill. Training skills are usually allotted tospecific classes of characters. Astro Gun-ner skill is open only to Pilots and Espers;

Chemical Weaponry only to Soldiers;Heavy Arms only to Marines and Soldiers;Scouting/Recon only to Marines; etc. Someskills, like Light Arms and Medical, areopen to all classes.

Character creation assigns numericalvalues to specific attributes, as is commonwith most role-playing games. In StarCommand, these attributes are Strength,Speed, Accuracy, Courage, Willpower,Esper, and Intelligence. The range ofpoints is from 30 to 70 in each attribute,generated randomly by the computer. Theplayer decides when the total point assign-

70 OCTOBER 1988

ment is to his liking for a specific charac-ter. Character training starts at the Acad-emy. Depending upon how well eachcharacter completes his studies, his rank isincreased, which leads to better pay (from1,500 credits for a Private to 45,000credits for a Grand Admiral), which leadsto a greater total of earned team credits,which can be used to buy better ships andequipment for the missions.

Star Command assigns all missions. Thesuccessful completion of an assignmentnot only earns credits but also allowsadditional training for personnel. On theirway to each mission, characters canexplore planets in search of valuable ele-ments, which can be stored in the ship�scargo hold for sale upon return to Star-base. If an insect warrior ship or piratesare met and defeated, additional creditscan be earned in excess of the missioncredits. Players can also board intact ene-my ships and fight their foes man-to-man.This has the advantage of allowing a player to commandeer the enemy ship andtow it back as salvage for even morecredits (and promotions in rank).

We have played Star Command steadilyfor nearly a month and have neither runout of missions nor become bored. Most ofour personnel began their lives as Corpo-rals, with one lucky character goingthrough Officer�s School and starting as aSergeant. Most of our characters are nowat least Second Lieutenants, with one aMajor and another a Brigadier. We havealso performed three ship upgrades, start-ing with the Hornet-class Scoutship andmoving up to a Fire-Drake-class Corvette.Upgrading your ship increases your ves-sels armor, power, defense bonuses, maxi-mum movement per round, fuel, and thenumber of dropships carried (the smallsurvey craft flown from your starship to aplanet�s surface for scientific or assignedinvestigations).

Initially, all combat will be ship vs. ship,so make certain your craft is equippedwith Hypervelocity Rockets in all positions,even to the extent of not purchasingarmor or weapons for the crew. Whenyou finally start earning money, be certainthat the minimum armor you buy for eachcrew member is the Infantry Exo Armor.Even with puny hand weapons or lightweaponry, the armor could save a lot oflives before a mission is completed.

An excellent starting crew consists oftwo Pilots, three Marines, two Soldiers,and an Esper. When selecting their skills atthe start of your game, allocate points toLight Arms skills. Don�t worry aboutHeavy Weaponry and Heavy Arms skillsuntil you can afford to buy more sophisti-cated weapons. Be certain that one of yourMarines trains in Scouting/Recon, as thistalent will be used throughout the entiregame. Another Soldier or Marine experi-enced in Explosives and a Marine or Sol-dier experienced in Chemical Weapons willalso be helpful. These weapons are usuallyinexpensive (compared to other weaponry)

Star Command:Pirate Troopers are

bad news early in thegame.

and are most effective in hand-to-handcombat situations.

One of the most economical ships in thegame is the Hornet class, equipped with atleast one Hypervelocity weapon. This willleave your crew with enough money topurchase some good shields and defensivearmor for the ship. Lastly, the Castro Gun-ner skill is critical to success; make certainthat the Copilot and the Esper characterspossess at least Level 2 skill in this area tomake better use of your ship�s weaponryand survive the early missions.

Star Command requires a CGA or EGAcard for play. A variety of screens offermenus for many activities, such as shiprefueling, selling and buying equipment,star navigation, starship and personalcombat, and the investigation of planetsand individual locations (such as the bar).These screens are handled with littlecomplication. The only boring aspect ofthe game is an unchanging animatedsequence used each time you fly a drop-ship to a planet for an assignment or forscouting activities. However, the finalmission (to uncover the insectoid aliens�plans for invasion) is one that�ll leave yougasping for air as you duel with their mainbattleships.

The Bard's Tale III:Rainbow dragons arenot pleasant.

The Bard's Tale III:Automapping isextremely handy indungeons.

Questron II * * * *

IBM micros/compatibles version $44.95Here is one remedy for those of you

who own IBM microcomputers or compat-ibles and complain that IBM game selec-tions are limited in number. Many IBMgame conversions are simply ports from agraphically rich operating system to eithermonochrome or CGA video-display modeon the IBM (which is not a good choice forrich graphics). Thank heavens forWestwood Associates, a company that hasbeen writing some of SSI�s recent gameconversions for the IBM system.Westwood Associates has managed toconvert Questron II and, at the same time,enable players to run the game in eitherEGA or VGA graphics modes. When play-ing one of these converted games, theplayer is asked (after the main menu selec-tion) which graphics environment hewishes to use. With the EGA/VGA selec-tion, the rich graphics provided rival thatof any computer system (except perhapsthose of the Commodore Amiga or AtariST computers). If other vendors wouldfind companies to convert their games aswell as Westwood Associates has done forSSI, the current popularity of IBM gamingwould encourage a flood of new games forPC users!

Questron II continues the adventurefrom Questron and requires that you keepthe Evil Book of Magic from being created.The dungeons are presented in three-dimensional form, and automappingensures that you will have a pretty goodidea of where you are located within theirdank confines. If you confront a creature,you�ll see it on-screen in full color. In ouropinion, the Westwood Associates conver-

sion of Questron II should become a mem-ber of any IBM gamer�s library!

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

The Bard's Tale III: Thief of Fate ***Commodore 64/128 version $39.95

Highly touted and long awaited, TheBard's Tale III fantasy role-playing gamefrom Interplay Productions is now availa-ble. This third scenario finds that village ofmystery, Skara Brae, left in rums by thecrazed machinations of the Mad God Tar-jan Do you remember Garth�s EquipmentShop? Well, it�s gone, as well as some otherlocales that were so important in TheBard's Me I and II.

The mission in this third scenario is tohalt this evildoer�s revenge on the SixCities of the plains. The Review Board isstill in its original location, and some partsof the city are still familiar. It helps tomaintain a sharp eye for a building locatedextremely close to the now-charcoalentrance of Skara Brae. This particularedifice contains certain important itemsthat can help all members of your adven-

turing party.This fantasy role-playing game has more

than 84 dungeon levels and seven dimen-sions. The mission is no easy task for eventhe most experienced questers. There are(thankfully) some new and powerful spellswith which to counter over 500 creatures.Of even better news is the fact that nowyou can save your game in progress at anytime (a much-needed improvement). Auto-mapping has also been added, whichreveals exactly where the party is in anydungeon as well as the party�s location in acity. This feature is activated with a pressof the ? key. The walls and doors of under-ground corridors and tunnels are revealedon-screen. You can also use your com-puter�s cursor keys to move the map inany direction to check the known areas.

There are now 13 character classes,including the new Geomancor andChronomancer types. A Geomancer isbasically a fighter who now prefers a lifeof magical prowess. In order to gain thisability, however, some special talents arelost, such as multiple attacks and, if thecharacter was a Bard, the Bard�s songskills. A Monk loses his armor-classbonuses and multiple-hit capability, whilea Hunter loses his critical-hit ability. Never-

DRAGON 71

Power at Sea:The view from the

bridge.

theless, such characters can still use theirarmor and weapons (including any magicalones) as Geomancers. A Chronomancerbecomes a highly trained and potent travelagent for the party, with the power to castdimensional teleportation spells. However,he sacrifices all other spells he knewbefore changing to this class. A charactercannot become a Chronomancer until hehas learned all of the spells of three mageclasses. Note: This game cannot be wonwithout a Chronomancer!

You initiate your quest from the RefugeeCamp, where you can build a party fromscratch or by transferring characters fromThe Bard�s Tale I or II, Ultima III or IV, orWizardry I, II, or III adventure-game sys-tems. Thankfully, we had some potent folkfrom our copy of The Bard's Tale I andbrought them into play with great effect.Not once were we defeated in battle inover 48 solid hours of play! (This didbecome somewhat boring, however.)

What did defeat us, and in the endcaused us to give The Bard�s Tale III a lessthan perfect score, are the continuousbattle conditions in the game. This was apurely personal preference based on ourbelief that a fantasy game should possessmuch more than combat scenarios tocreate an effective environment for gam-ing There is no other recourse in TheBard's Tale III but to engage in one of thefollowing acts:

Attack Foes (those within 10� of thegroup);

Defend, Party Attack (take on one ofyour own adventurers, in case he hasbecome a rotten apple in the group),

Cast a Spell (which requires a four-letterspell code);

Use an Item (such as missiles or a magi-cal Item like the Dayblade);

Bard Song (allowing you to play one ofeight such songs, such as the new Rhymeof Duotime), and

Hide in Shadow (used in the dark recess-es of city streets or at night)

Every selection is based on an action

72 OCTOBER 1988

resulting from being attacked. There is nochance to talk your foes out of attackingor bribe them to leave you alone. Addition-ally, it seems as though every time youturn around in the dungeons, some foulcreature is at your heels. Pity the poorcharacters that start this game with littleor no experience at all! Our 13th- and14th-level warriors and magic-users wereconstantly besieged by creatures, especial-ly in subterranean locales. Just whenyou�re trying to figure out an importanttrap, determine where a spinner has pro-pelled you on the map, or produce light inperpetual darkness, the nasties pounce onyou. After more than 40 hours of play,The Bard's Tale III wasn�t fun anymore! Nomatter how hard we worked on puzzlesolving and treasure hunting (the meatieraspects of the game), along came the rot-ters to spoil the fun.

Constant destruction and killing are notwhat fantasy role-playing games shouldperpetuate. Certainly combat is crucial,but your table-top adventures include allsorts of activities, such as learning ways toavoid certain combat, to communicatewith various races, to proceed downdungeon corridors as a team while search-ing for treasure, and to maintain one�sown alignment. Other computer-basedfantasy role-playing games also offer avariety of options, such as Ultima V(described in DRAGON® issue #137). So,despite the fact that The Bard�s Tale III hasan updated plot and more spells and char-acter classes, and even with materialrewards offered as payment for slaughter,the fighting leaves players tired of theentire event.

If you particularly enjoy combativeenvironments, then The Bard's Tale III isfor you. If not, seek a world more reflec-tive of true fantasy role-playing games �one where brawn and brain are requiredfor success. Perhaps we are too familiarwith this game series, having played theongoing Bard�s Tale series for months.(Does familiarity breed contempt?)

Accolade, Inc.550 South Winchester; Suite 200San Jose CA 95128(408) 296-8400

Power At Sea ** *

Commodore 64/128 version $29.95Accolade is coming on strong! This game

company was once relatively unknown,offering few classy products and next tonothing in the way of promotional cam-paigns. It has certainly turned its futureabout with recent releases. Power At Seais a simulation of the Battle of Leyte Gulf,in which the Japanese make their move tocapture the Pacific during World War II. InC64/128 format, the graphics and soundenhance play. Commanding a battleship,an aircraft carrier, and a troop ship, younot only launch naval gun barrages againstenemy cave emplacements but also directassault forces to capture beachheads inenemy-held territory. The only fault withthe game lies in its repetitiveness; afteryou�ve shelled five, or more islands, thescenes get tiresome. In addition, there isreally no way to control the landings withyour own strategies. Other than that,Accolade continues to impress us with itssimulation software.

Activision, Inc.3885 Bohannon DriveMenlo Park CA 94025(415) 329-0800

Shanghai * * * * *

Commodore Amiga version $39.95As a computerized version of mah-longg,

Shanghai is a success. This version is sogood that several friends and neighbors,after seeing the game in play on our com-puters, rushed out to purchase it forthemselves. As a result, this evaluatronencapsulates the feelings of numerousother players, some of whom felt that itwas the finest strategy game they�d everplayed. It requires a great deal of thought,superb memory, and concentration. Afteryou win a game, the tiles reveal the three-dimensional blinking eye of a dragonbehind the game screen. Programmed byBrody Lockhart (who we feel is one of thepremier programmers in the field), anyversion of Shanghai is worth the purchasefor hours of strategic entertainment.

The Avalon Hill Game Company4.517 Harford RoadBaltimore MD 21214(301) 254-9200

Wooden Ships & Iron Men **

Commodore 64/128 version $35Based on the popular board game of the

same name, this offering would have mademore of an impact if MicroProse had notreleased Pirates! As it is, Wooden Ships &Iron Men has many problems: extremelylimited graphics, ineffective sounds, and acombat phase that reveals nothing of thefinal outcome until the computer declaresa winner. As a result, Wooden Ships &

Iron Men is a poor substitute for Pirates!In our opinion, this offering would havebeen best left as a board game and noteven brought to the computer unless thegraphics could have been updated to theminimum acceptable technological levelsin use today. On a C64/128, we�ve seengraphics that were truly amazing for an 8-bit machine. The Avalon Hill Game Compa-ny may know a lot about board games, butfew of their computer games have comeup to par. Leave this one alone!

News and new products

Cinemaware, Inc.4165 Thousand Oaks DriveWestlake Village CA 91362(805) 495-6515

Previously distributed by Mindscape,Cinemaware is out on its own (with a newaddress) and should be quite successful inits ventures. For example, they now offerThe Three Stooges, a unique and hilariousgame for the Commodore Amiga, C64/128,and IBM micros and compatibles, in whichthe famous trio rescues a retirementhome. Cinemaware also plans a fall releaseof The Lords of the Rising Sun, the firstreal-time historical environment dealingwith the Japanese Civil War of the 12thcentury. Historically accurate, this wargame lets you command entire armies inreal time. Encounters can be negotiated,and individual troops ordered into action.There are five interactive arcade scenarioswithin the game. If you get too good, theopposing generals send out ninjas to doaway with you! As is the case with SSI,Cinemaware is most considerate of theIBM micro consumer. Included in eachpackage is a 5¼� and 3½� disk format,with graphics modes covering CGA andEGA. There�s no need to send in a couponfor another disk format. Defender of theCrown is also now available for the AppleIIGS, as is the company�s controversial andprovocative King of Chicago adventure�movie.� All in all, Cinemaware is destinedto be one of the leading entertainmentsoftware producers for a variety of com-puter systems.

Data East USA, Inc.470 Needles DriveSan Jose CA 95112(408) 286-7074

Popular motion pictures have alwaysbeen great grist for the software devel-oper�s mill. For example, not only is Wil-low being developed into a softwareadventure (see the entry under Mindscapeelsewhere in this column), but Platoon isalso being written into a software simula-tion by Data East. As in the movie, Platoondoes not have a winner. The user parallelsthe movie experience through varioussteps. The goal is to keep a platoon of fivemen alive through various missions, andkeep their sanity and morale intact as

well. With these objectives, you mustreturn the platoon safely to base. Thissimulation is for the IBM PC and clones,Atari ST, and C64/128 computers. Pricesfor these versions are $39.95, $44.95, and$29.95, respectively.

Two new programs have also beenreleased with distribution arrangedthrough Electronic Arts. The first is Cos-mic Relief, a multi-level, animated actionadventure. Your goal is to halt an asteroidthat is heading toward Earth. The onlyman who can stop the impending doom isProfessor Renegade � and you�ve got tofind him! You select one of five famousadventurers to find the professor, take ona wide range of strange adversaries, andcollect equally strange items needed foryour trek. This program has been releasedfor the Atari ST ($34.95), CommodoreAmiga ($34.95), and C64/128 ($24.95). Thesecond offering is Napoleon in Russia �Borodino 1812, which recreates the battlethat was the turning point of Napoleon�sfortunes. You can practice with shortskirmishes or fight the entire three-daybattle, in command of infantry, cavalry,and artillery divisions. The game is availa-ble for Atari 8-bit computers and the C64/128 ($24.95). Both of these games werereleased in IBM and Apple II formats thissummer.

Epyx, Inc.600 Galveston DriveP.O. Box 8020Redwood City CA 94063(415) 366-0606

Two interesting games that we recentlyannounced in this column have nowshipped. The first is 4 x 4, an off-roadracing game that lets you race a four-wheel drive vehicle to victory across sand,mud, mountains, and ice. You can custom-ize your truck to suit whatever specialneeds will be required for your particularracing event. The second offering, TheGames, includes seven Olympic events thatwere presented in Calgary, Alberta. Down-hill skiing, slalom, luge, figure skating, skijumping, cross-country skiing, and oval-track speed skating are offered. As manyas eight players can be involved in thiscomputer-based competition. Opening,closing, and awards ceremonies are alldepicted using the actual Calgary pageant-ry. Both of these games are for the C64/128 computer.

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

Willow, the fantasy film from GeorgeLucas and Ron Howard, is now an enter-taining computer adventure from Mind-scape. Willow follows the exploits of anunlikely hero in a battle that takes himfrom his peaceful village into a world filledwith giant Daikinis, brownies, and fairies.

This game closely follows the film�s story-line, and players join the screen stars on ajourney racing through dungeons, travers-ing dark woods, blasting through icecaves, and battling fierce Nockmaar sol-diers who threaten their quest. Players arefree to take on different roles along theway until their pursuit of the villainousminions of Bavmorda meets with victory.Supporting both EGA and CGA boards,Willow is for IBM micros and compatiblesat $39.95.

PBI Software, Inc.1163 Triton DriveFoster City CA 94404(415) 349-8765

Two new entertainment offerings havebeen released by PBI. The first, GalacticConquest, is a futuristic version of thecompany�s Strategic Conquest strategy andtactics game. This multiplayer, space-basedgame has the player attempting to controlthe entire universe by expanding hispower base to produce more forces toconquer other planets (and eventuallyentire solar systems). This offering is forthe Apple IIGS. The second new game isAlien Mind, a space arcade adventure thathas nine different levels and requiresplayers to neutralize hundreds of adver-saries to regain control of an experimentalresearch space station. This game is alsofor the Apple IIGS.

Spectrum HoloByteA division of SPHERE2061 Challenger DriveAlameda CA 94501(415) 522-3584

The first torpedo boat simulation hasbeen released for the Macintosh. EntitledPT-109, this program was written by thefolks at Digital Illusions. It is a masterfulfollow-up to their earlier GATO submarinesimulation. The software puts the playerat the helm of the PT-109, the most famousPT boat of World War II. There are severalSouth Pacific theaters of action, includingthe Solomon Islands. There are also 45missions (both day and night), four 90°bridge views, a binocular view, detailedmaps and damage reports, realistic enemyships and planes, control panels andgauges, variable wave action on missions,a save-game option, a practice-tacticsmode, flares and smoke screens, and life-like explosions and sound effects. Thegame is $49.95, with versions for IBMmicros and compatibles and the Apple IIGScoming soon.

Strategic Simulations, Inc.Though SSI is working away on its

AD&D� computer games, the companyhasn�t neglected other new products orthe conversion of popular programs for avariety of systems. The latest offeringfrom SSI�s entertainment stable is StellarCrusade, initially released in Atari ST

DRAGON 73

formats. Two groups have embarked on awild race to control a vital star cluster.Though small in size, this star clusterpossesses some valuable planets thateither the player or his opponent willwant. Ownership requires might, andmight requires starships. You design yourown starships in a variety of models rang-ing from scouts to battlecruisers, allassigned to their own task forces. Sevenseparate scenarios are included with thisspace-action delight.

SSI (like Cinemaware, Inc.) is one of thefew companies thoughtful enough toinclude both 5¼� and 3½� format disksfor their IBM games. Congratulations foryour consideration of the consumer!

The first official AD&D computer game,Pool of Radiance, was released in August.This is a fantasy role-playing game that,according to SSI, has one of the mostchallenging multiple-character environ-ments ever offered to computer gamers.Pool of Radiance combines state-of-the-artthree-dimensional and overhead graphics,and allows the player to select eitherdetailed tactical combat or computer con-trolled combat. Release in C64/128 formattook place in August; IBM micros andcompatibles and the Apple II versionscome this fall. Additional formats arecurrently being evaluated.

The second AD&D® game is SSI�s firstaction game entitled Heroes of the Lance.This joystick-controlled, single-playergame is set in TSR�s DRAGONLANCE®game world. The player controls the eightHeroes of the Lance characters. This gamewas released this summer in formats forthe C64/128, Atari ST, IBM micros andcompatibles, and the Commodore Amiga.Other system formats are currently beingevaluated.

The third AD&D computer game offer-ing will be The Dungeon Masters Assistant�Volume 1, Encounters. This is the firstAD&D game-utility program designed fortraditional AD&D game play. The programincludes over 1,300 pregenerated mon-sters and characters, as well as more than1,000 separate encounters. This utility willbe released for the Apple II family, C64/128 machines, and IBM micros and com-patibles this fall.

Another AD&D game forthcomingincludes an interactive, movie-style train-ing ground based on TSR�s FORGOTTENREALMS� setting. The levels and experi-ence earned in the training city of Hillsfarwill be transferable into other AD&Dcomputer games. This offering will bereleased this winter for the C64/128 andIBM micros and compatibles, with othersystem conversions to be chosen later.SSI�s AD&D games will present a widerange of fantasy role-playing environ-ments for many seasons to come!

Additional new SSI games include aNapoleonic construction set, a B-17 WorldWar II role-playing game, and a new WorldWar II game set in both the Pacific andEuropean theaters. The company�s Ques-

74 OCTOBER 1988

tron II has also been released in formatsfor the Apple II, Apple IIGS, Atari ST, andCommodore Amiga (see the review else-where in this column). As a final note, allSSI games are now distributed by Elec-tronic Arts.

Clue corner

Autoduel (Origin Systems)First, if you are in the middle of a no-

win situation, such as being stuck on anopen road with no power in your car�spower plant, or perhaps under attack byfour laser-using cars, simply hit Quit andreboot the game. You�ll find yourself andyour car at the truck stop. Second, if yousell a car at the salvage yard, offer to sellthe entire car. Don�t sell your own vehicle;select the option to sell your weapons.Only sell a weapon or two and then offerto sell your car again. Once in a greatwhile, you might get an exceptional offer.Third, remember �San Antonio Rose.� Last,buy a clone and leave the place where youpurchased it, making certain that you�renot in Boston or New York. If you get shotor killed, allow your Health to go belowzero. Instead of going to a negative num-ber, your health will go up to 99! If you goto the Gold Cross after this has occurredand ask to be healed, they tell you thatyou are as fit as a fiddle. Play on, and don�tforget: You still have your clone!

AnonymousIllinois

Bard�s Tale I (Interplay)Here are a few hints for players who are

assembling a new group:1. Often, if different classes tip the bar-

tender the same amount of gold, he�ll offerdifferent information.

2. First-level Monks without weaponsinflict the most damage.

3. El Cid of ATEAM (the preassembledgroup on the character disk) possesses anextremely useful Firehorn.

4. Poison Needle is the only trap you�llfind on wine cellar chests.

5. Don�t use any warriors in your party.Warriors have no special abilities. A pala-din, monk, or hunter is preferable to awarrior.

Vivek SharmaNo address

Faery Tale Adventure (MicroIllusions)1. Seek the dragon�s lair in the moun-

tains.2. Use the shell to call a trusty friend.3. Get the golden lasso, but beware the

witch�s vision.4. Kindness can be earned for a price set

by the golden goose.5. Get the goose with the golden rope.6. Beware the �pits� in the field on the

way to the witch�s castle.7. An idol guards the tomb.8. Find the wand as soon as possible.9. Magic abounds in the tomb.

Craig �Thor� PirrallScwenksville, Penn.

Might and Magic (New WorldComputing)

Accept Percella�s offer at Section A2-0,15to find a King�s Pass. Here is the order forsilver messages: F, E, D, B, A, C. Once theyare in this order, read them from top tobottom. The order for the gold messages is8, 5, 3, 9, 1, 4, 6, 2, 7; you read them thesame as the silver ones. Finally, remembereach section and dungeon is based on a 15x 15 grid.

David MethvenNorman, Okla.

The dungeon in the Hawkseye Hills is agiant magical square that happens to bethe famous one created by the Germanwoodcarver, Dürer. The numbers markedby asterisks in the following chart are thenumbers you enter on the keyboard:

16 3* 2* 135* 10 11 8*9* 6* 7* 124* 15 1*

Also, search for the prisoner insideDoom�s innards.

Daniel MyersFairfield, Conn.

My tips deal with Erliquin�s town trea-sure. Create a first-level party in Sorpigal(it works best with two clerics and noarcher). Get to Erliquin without dying.Then, send your characters out in twos tofind the treasure (located, among otherplaces, in the training grounds). Steal thetreasure. One of your two characters willprobably be killed by the traps, so this canonly be done six times. Try to get back tothe inn. When confronted by the guards,run. Eventually, you�ll make it. Give thetreasure to a member of your regularparty, and the guards won�t stop you.Repeat this process until all of the tempo-rary characters have been killed by thetraps. This affords your regular party withabout 3,600 gold and some 60 gems.

Grant ReaberSeattle, Wash.

Wizard�s Crown (SSI)1. When confronting Wardpact Demons

and White Rabbits, ask for Quick Combat;it works much better.

2. Increase a fighter�s scan and put himout front, as fighters are better able toprotect themselves in the open.

3. Keep anything you find that says�Reinforcing.�

R u s s M i t c h e l l Newport, R.I.

The response to the Beasties Awardsselection process is definitely improving.Keep those cards and letters coming inand vote for your favorite software enter-tainment of this year. Send your votes to:

Hartley and Patricia Lesser179 Pebble PlaceSan Ramon CA 94583

Thanks in advance for your response!Until next month, game on!

Computer-Games Conversion Chart

Accolade (408) 296-8400Test Drive to Apple II family

Activision (415) 329-0800Maniac Mansion to IBM micros and compatibles (can access VGA,EGA, CGA, MCGA,

and Hercules graphics boards)

IntelliCreations, Inc. (Datasoft) (818) 886-5922Tomahawk to Apple IIGS

Electronic Arts (415) 571-7171Alternate Reality: The City to Commodore Amiga and IBM microsand compatibles

(IBM version can access EGA and CGA graphics boards)Lords of Conquest to Atari ST

Epyx, Inc. (415) 366-0606Street Sports Baseball to IBM micros and compatibles (can accessCGA graphics

boards only)

Street Sports Soccer to C64/128Street Sports Basketball to Apple II and IBM micros and compati-bles (IBM version

can access CGA and Hercules graphics boards)Destroyer to Apple IIGSSpiderbot to IBM micros and compatibles (can access CGA graph-ics boards only)Deathsword to Apple II series and Atari STArctic Antics (Spy vs. Spy) to Atari 8-bit computers

Paragon Software (412) 838-1166Alien Fires to IBM micros and compatiblesMaster Ninja to C64/128Twilight�s Ransom to Atari ST, Commodore Amiga, Macintosh, andC64/128

Strategic Simulations, Inc. (415) 964-1353B-24 to Atari STGettysburg: The turning Point to Commodore AmigaQuestron II to IBM micros and compatiblesShiloh: Grant�s Trial West to Commodore Amiga and Atari STSons of Liberty to IBM micros and compatiblesWargame Construction Set to IBM micros and compatibles

DRAGON 75

76 OCTOBER 1988

Continued from page 13creatures which exist outside the normalflow of time, however. They do not havedetailed knowledge of the entire continu-um; thus, the time elemental is able tomove a character to a location of a charac-ter�s choosing by a considerable amount �say 1,000 years or so, with a wide marginfor error. Furthermore, once a time ele-mental moves a character, there is noguarantee that it will be there to move himback. The plane of Time is a demi-plane, atimeless void located somewhere (or per-haps somewhen) within the Ethereal plane(see Manuel of the Planes, page 21).

Can barghests be turned by cler-ics? Does holy water harm them?

Does a protection from evil keepthem from attacking? Exactly howlarge are barghests, and what aretheir armor classes? How do youdetermine their damage bonuses?

Barghests of 8 + 8 HD or less may beturned as specials, but barghests of 9 + 9HD or more cannot be turned. Holy waterinflicts standard (1d6 + 1 hp) damage onbarghests. Protection from evil does notkeep barghests from attacking, but thisspell does not prevent attacks from anyother creatures. Protection from evil andprotection from evil 10� radius keep extra-planar and summoned creatures fromphysically touching the protected crea-tures, and gives them armor-class andsaving-throw bonuses. The attacking crea-

tures may still make ranged attacks, andcan use weapons against the protectedcreatures. Barghests are extraplanar crea-tures. A barghest�s armor class and dam-age bonus depends on its hit dice: 6 + 6 HD= AC 2, Dmg 2d4+6; 7+7HD = AC 1,Dmg 2d4 + 7; etc. Barghests are man-sizedat 8 + 8 HD and below, and large at 9 + 9HD and above.

DRAGON 77

©1988 by Ken Rolston

Role-playingReviews

Fear and loathing onthe horror campaign trail

The grim horror game master says,�There are no heroes in the horror genre.There are only the dead victims � and thesurviving victims.�

The lighthearted horror game mastersays, �Hey, lighten up, man. We�re here forsome fun. You think anybody takes thatsupernatural stuff seriously? Halloween?Nightmare on Elm Street? Night of theLiving Dead? Come on. That�s hilarious.�

Horror role-playing features two mutu-ally antagonistic styles: one that takeshorror with deadly seriousness and theother that gently pokes fun at it. For dis-cussion, we�ll refer to these two styles asgrim horror and lighthearted horror.

Lighthearted horrorThe best-known role-playing game of

this style is West End Games� GHOSTBUS-TERS� game. The important features oflighthearted horror are:

1. The player characters are tougherthan their opponents, regardless of theapparent awesome powers of the mon-sters, as evidenced by the inevitable tri-umph of the good guys.

2. The characters are not going to die.They will suffer no greater physical orpsychological torment than the typicalD&D® game character reduced to his lasthit points. If the PCs are terrified, it iscartoon terror; they hoot and gibber fran-tically, but we don�t expect our stalwartsto suffer any long-term psychologicaltrauma.

3. The treatments of magic, the super-natural, and incarnate evil are light, ironic,and straightforwardly implausible. Neitherthe campaign narratives, settings, northemes need to be particularly coherent intone or logic, because no one is supposedto take them seriously to start with. Someexamples of this style in film might include

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankensteinand The Abominable Dr. Phibes (as well asthe aforementioned Ghostbusters).Though this style is valid within its ownrules and objectives, I hesitate to refer to itas �horror� role-playing. When elements ofthis style are found in role-playing gamesattempting to support grim horror themes,they may compromise the delicate atmos-phere and tone necessary for horror.

Grim horrorThe best known role-playing game of

this style is Chaosium�s CALL OFCTHULHU® game (herein referred to asCOC). The important features of grimhorror are:

1. The monsters are much tougher thanthe player characters. If there are charac-ters of �heroic� stature in this style, theyare generally the monsters. Not evenConan stands a chance against GreatCthulhu.

2. The characters are very likely to losetheir lives � or at least their minds �when they confront their supernaturalopponents. This isn�t just spook-bashing. InCOC, the body count of PCs often outnum-bers the body count of monsters.

3. Magic, the supernatural, and incar-nate evil must be coherent, plausible, andemotionally compelling. The player neednot actually believe in magic, the supernat-ural, or incarnate evil in a rational sense.At some emotional level, however, theplayer must participate (through his char-acter) in a world where horror is veryreal, where the ironic, scoffing skepticismof the rational man is the greatest ally ofthe indomitable evil that lurks in everyshadow, or just across the tissue-thinboundaries between our world and theBeyond.

Heroism vs. horrorThe standard model of role-playing,

D&D-game-style fantasy, generally exhibitsfeatures close to those of lightheartedhorror. D&D game PCs typically slaughterlots and lots of opponents (called �mon-sters,� even when sporting only one-halfhit dice) in early and middle stages of theiradventures. In the end, they often con-front a great and dark power, but it isalmost assumed that there is at least achance (and generally a substantial one)for the characters to overcome this greatopponent. Further, though character deathis possible, resurrection magic and thedemands of heroic narrative generallyassure most characters of making it to thelast reel. Finally, though some of the finestcampaigns offer coherent, carefully devel-oped elements of magic, the supernatural,and evil, many fine campaigns offer onlymarginally coherent and plausible magicalelements.

It�s understandable that role-playinggame designers instinctively build horrorrole-playing games on these establishedelements of fantasy role-playing games.

78 OCTOBER 1988

Unfortunately, since these elements are indirect conflict with the demands of aneffective horror campaign, a designer mayweaken the horror elements of his gameas he strengthens the conventional role-playing elements.

The �big two� horror gamesUntil the publication of Steve Jackson

Games� GURPS Horror and Palladium�sBEYOND THE SUPERNATURALTM game,Pacesetter�s CHILL� game and COC werethe only two significant choices for horrorFRP campaigns. The CHILL game, aproduct of the now-moribund Pacesetter,Inc., was a slick, professionally designed,and well-supported game using Paceset-ter�s simple role-playing system. Some ofits supplements were exceptional (espe-cially Vampires and Creature Feature,both out of print). It even provided thenecessary narrative trappings for coopera-tive PC adventuring, including an organi-zation called S.A.V.E (Societas Albae ViaeEternitata � the Eternal Society of theWhite Way), to which all PCs belong, andwhich is dedicated to protecting an igno-rant and uncaring world from the malig-nant entities of nearby dimensions. Thegame�s system, presentation, campaignsetting, and adventures were admirablydesigned and executed. However, with thefailure of Pacesetter itself, there�s littleprospect for further support for Paceset-ter game systems and little incentive to agame master looking for a horror RPG touse the CHILL game.

No one ever praised COC for its elegantsystem design. For example, the first edi-tion detailed systems for delivering andreceiving damage in melee and from fire-arms, but neglected to discuss the mechan-ics of healing. Oddly, it never occurred tome that this was a fault; I just assumed thegame master was never supposed to leaveany survivors. From all the evidence,nobody else has been all that concernedabout weaknesses in the COC game systemdesign, either.

COC is one of role-playing�s acknowl-edged classics. Its various supplementsover the years have maintained an excep-tional level of quality; several, includingShadows of Yog-Sothoth and Masks ofNyarlathotep, deserve considerationamong the greatest pinnacles of the fanta-sy role-playing game design. So whatmakes COC so great?

1. Narrative campaign background:Lovecraft�s Cthulhu Mythos offers a cornu-copia of original horrifying monsters ofunimaginable malignancy and provides allthe trappings of origins, motivations, andpersonalities necessary to bring thesecreatures to life. There are also thenumerous established conventions of theLovecraft universe � Miskatonic Univer-sity in Arkham, the Necronomicon and DeVermiis Mysteriis, the Elder Sign, andcharmingly inbred families like the Whate-leys � for designers and game masters to

exploit in weaving the narrative threadsthat bind together a coherent role-playingcampaign.

2. Tone and atmosphere: Regardless ofLovecraft�s faults as a writer, he was adedicated technician of tone and atmos-phere. Remaining true to Lovecraft�s origi-nal writing, COC and its supplements arepresented with a dry, matter-of-fact intel-lectualism, in the voice of the well-educated, skeptical academic whosteadfastly cleaves to the tools of reasonwhen confronted with unimaginable hor-ror. Lovecraft�s formal, elevated diction,with its lovely sesquipedalian vocabulary(�What�s rugose, squamous, and taller thanthe Chrysler Building?�), is the trademarkof the COC style. There are no cheaplaughs here; the tone is dry and grimlystraightforward. The narrators have nodoubts about the reality of the horrorsthey have faced, and we take the narra-tors seriously because they are intelligent,well-spoken, and fiercely rational. Abbottand Costello Meet Shub-Niggurath? Notlikely. Sherlock Holmes, with his keenweapons of pure reason, is more suited tothis style of horror.

3. Detective role-playing: COC hasbecome the preferred setting for detectiverole-playing for several reasons. First, nopure detective RPG has achieved muchsuccess. Some years ago, TSR�s GANGBUS-TERS� game produced some first-classdetective adventures, and Fantasy GamesUnlimited�s DAREDEVILS� game providedseveral hard-boiled detective scenarios,but neither system is well-known today.Second, COC�s high-toned, intellectual styleis well-suited to careful, deliberateproblem-solving. Third, conventionalmonster whacking, the staple of conflictand action for most RPGs, is almost uselessin COC. The PCs are almost certain to getpulped, soul-sucked, or driven loony in adirect confrontation with even the moremodest shambling horrors. Therefore,session time is more likely to be spent inpuzzling over enigmas than in shoot-�em-ups. Fourth, the essence of Cthulhu hor-ror is mystery. What is going on here?Where did all these creatures come from?What do they want? Indeed, most of theantagonists are secret cultists or haplessvictims in thrall who may not even knowthey serve Cthulhu�s will. Often, the Inves-tigator�s only hope is to identify thesemysterious servants and thwart theirnefarious plots before the Gates to theHyper-Geometrical Horrorlands areopened, ushering the practically invulnera-ble Elder Gods into our universe.

4. Elegant props for adventures: In COC,Chaosium, Inc. and its company of tal-ented free-lance designers have pioneeredand elaborated the use of simulated printartifacts as sources of clues and back-ground information in player handouts.Hand-written notes, newspaper clippings,fragments from ancient manuscripts,business cards scrawled with crypticmessages � all are prepared to visually

support the atmosphere of the adventureand setting. They also provide importantclues and information that the players canexamine in character and speculate on thesignificance of each.

Tone and settingEach of the products reviewed below �

the GURPS Horror game, the BEYONDTHE SUPERNATURAL game (herein calledBTS), Cthulhu Now, and S. Petersen�s FieldGuide to Cthulhu Monsters � is a usefuland satisfying supplement for game mas-ters running horror campaigns. However,the least successful features of the GURPSHorror game are the consequences of alight, ironic, or wavering tone in the pre-sentation and the lack of a substantial,dramatically compelling setting for horrorrole-playing. BTS sustains an effective toneand setting for 95% of the book, thendissipates it carelessly in the last few pageswith game master notes and adventurescompletely unsuited for the establishedtone and narrative setting. Cthulhu Noweffectively exploits the classic tone andnarrative setting of Lovecraft�s CthulhuMythos. So substantial are COC�s tone andsetting that Petersen�s Guide can even flirtwith subtle humor without weakening itspresentation.

GURPS® Horror gameA GURPS® role-playing supplement96-page bookSteve Jackson Games $9.95Design: Scott HaringEditing and design: David Ladyman,

J. David George, and Steve JacksonCover: Michael Whelan

The GURPS Horror game is intended tosupport supernatural role-playing for avariety of settings and role-playing styles.It achieves this goal effectively (for themost part), but it lacks the persuasivecharm of a game like COC, which has arich campaign background and a narrow-er focus of tone and atmosphere.

Systems: The greatest strengths of theGURPS Horror game are the GURPS gamesystems and rules presentation. TheGURPS game is a flexible and coherenttactical role-playing combat system � funto game, not hideously complex, andadapted for use in numerous action-adventure genres. Steve Jackson Games�design teams provide plenty of concreteexamples, discussion, and guidelines toclarify applications of the abstract rules.The GURPS Horror game presents appro-priate magic spells, skills, and psionics,permitting players to design charactersadmirably suited for confronting thesupernatural. The concept of buildingdisadvantages into characters offerscharming role-playing hooks as well asadditional points for character building.Certain details, particularly the sideeffects, drawbacks, and limitations associ-ated with psionics, provide a sound foun-dation for character development.

DRAGON 79

These flexible, generic role-playingmechanics are necessary for a horrorsupplement that intends to support a widerange of horror settings and narratives,but they fail to provide a focus for themotivations and personalities of the playercharacters. This is good if the game mas-ter wants to run a variety of settings andnarratives in his campaign, or if he wantsto build his own distinctive horror cam-paign setting from scratch, but it�s bad ifthe game master wants to provide animmediate sense of character and motiva-tion for his players.

Campaign settings: �The Worlds ofHorror� section describes three possiblesettings for a horror campaign: VictorianEngland, the Roaring Twenties, and thepresent. Given for each is a brief historicaland social overview, a chart for typicaljobs and salaries, a chart for costs of vari-ous services and equipment, and a time-line. A revision of the basic GURPS game�sjobs, pay rules, and provisions for modernweapons is included. The sidebars areentertaining and informative, with colorfultreatments of bribery, Prohibition, thetommy gun, and modern legal procedures.One particularly nice bit is a collection ofVictorian fictional and historical personali-ties (for example, Aleister Crowley, CountDracula, Holmes, and Moriarity), withbrief biographies and game statistics. Thismaterial is well done and evokes the flavorof the individual settings. On the otherhand, focusing on one of these settingsrather than surveying all three might haveyielded a more distinctive, serviceablecampaign background.

The practical advice in the campaigningsection is thoughtful and insightful, withdiscussions of one-shot vs. extended cam-paigns, various approaches to presentingthe supernatural foes, and techniques formaking horror scary. The annotations inthe excellent suggested viewing and read-ing sections reveal a sharp psychologicalsensitivity to the thematic roots and con-ventions of horror. But, sensitive as thedesigners are to horror�s basic elements,they seem to falter in the translation ofthese elements for horror role-playing,particularly when compared with themore effective treatment available in COC.

For example, the GURPS Horror gameidentifies two basic types of PC: Just PlainFolks and Fearless Monster Stompers. JustPlain Folks are correctly identified as lesssuitable for campaign role-playing. Whywould sensible folk, once having surviveda horrifying adventure, ever go lookingfor more horror to mess around with? Forcampaign play, Fearless Monster Stompersare recommended � essentially FRPG PCparties (Indiana Jones fighters and Dr.Strange magic users) hunting otherworldlyorcs in a 19th or 20th century setting.Such characters are workable in a super-natural campaign, but the analysis over-looks the basic COC character type � JustPlain Folks Who Are Anything But FearlessAnd Were Voted Most Likely To Get

80 OCTOBER 1988

Stomped By Monsters But Are Neverthe-less Compelled By Circumstances To Con-front Overwhelming Horror Anyway.Fearless Monster Stomping sounds toomuch like FRPG hack-and-slash in tone.

COC succeeds in creating a PC role inwhich Just Plain Folks are essentiallytrapped in a long-term campaign � asubtle trick but most effective for main-taining the properly oppressive and terri-fying atmosphere of a horror campaign.Further, the Cabal, the GURPS Horrorgame�s attempt at proposing an interna-tional conspiracy of supernatural villainsas campaign antagonists, is a �loosely knitgroup of occult beings like vampires,mages, and lycanthropes� � a sort oftrade association for Eldritch Horrors. Inthese weak spots of the �Campaigning�section, and in similar places in the �Hor-ror Bestiary� and �The Worlds of Horror�sections, the necessary elements of a hor-ror campaign are clearly recognized andappreciated, but the substance and pre-sentation are not always persuasive.

Creatures: In the �Horror Bestiary,� thelack of a coherent tone or campaign set-ting is most disappointing for horror role-playing. This section is similar to anencyclopedia of horror monsters, withwell-developed examples of mechanics foreach of the various types of horror crea-tures � aliens, creatures from the deep,demons, dead guys, vampires, ghosts,werewolves, cultists, mad scientists, psy-cho killers, and so on.

As a survey of the kinds of creaturesfound in Hollywood horror films, it isquite effective. But there are no originalcreatures here to stimulate theimagination, nor are any of the creaturestreated in enough depth to develop thesubtle shadings of mystery and horror.Presumably, game masters can provide allthe detail and atmosphere on their ownfrom their reading and viewing of classicsof supernatural and horror � fair enough,but here this supplement is only adequate,not exciting.

The weakness of the lighthearted, ironi-cal tone used here is clearest when the�Horror Bestiary� describes Cthulhoidmonsters (which are referred to as�Things Man Was Not Meant to Know�).These rules, guidelines, and the campaignexample, �The Lord Beneath the Ice,� readlike an unremarkable parody of a Cthulhuadventure outline. To be fair, the weaknessof tone is only relative. When judged by itsown purposes and style, the designers�approach here is perfectly appropriate �good reading and a plausible application ofthe GURPS Horror system. It is only bycontrast to COC supplements and to BTSthat this material seems so weak.

Sample scenario: The final test of anRPG system and campaign presentationlies in the adventure scenario. The adven-ture here, �The Haunting of LangleyManor,� is based on a clever plot, is wellstructured, and has ample staging tips. Butby contrast with the literary and film

horror classics listed on the precedingpages, the narrative, characters, tone, andsetting of this scenario aren�t particularlymemorable. Furthermore, the presenta-tion is somewhat awkward and confusing.

The introduction of the PCs to the sce-nario is anything but elegant. A PCreceives a phone call from a strangeroffering $1,000 for aid with a supernaturalmatter � a ploy appropriate to theGHOSTBUSTERS game, perhaps (�Who yagonna call?�), but setting the tone forhorror is critical, and this is not a particu-larly inspiring opening gambit. Sure, thiskind of machinery works in getting anadventure rolling, but it isn�t much of amodel for an ambitious GM.

The presentation of mystery role-playingadventures is a most difficult task for agame designer. In this scenario, the design-ers do not begin with a summary of thenarrative or a discussion of organizing andstaging the sequence of events. Instead,the GM learns what�s going on as he readsthrough the adventure. This has the virtueof giving the GM a taste of the perplexityhis players may have as they puzzlethrough the mystery.

On the other hand, I found the scenariodifficult to scan for basic elements. I hadto read carefully through the wholeadventure to figure out what was going onand had to backtrack from time to time topuzzle out the motivations and roles ofsome of the characters. Matters are fur-ther complicated by placing much of theessential information in sidebars, therebygiving no clear indication of the sequencein which that material is to be read. Thisalso implies that the sidebars aren�t essen-tial to understanding the adventure, whenthey really are. In general, I admire theuse of sidebars for marginal notes, extend-ed examples, and game-mastering tips.However, in presenting this scenario, thetechnique is not used effectively.

Evaluation: Judged on its own objec-tives, the GURPS Horror game is verysuccessful. It provides effective systemsmechanics and ample narrative and stag-ing mechanics for horror role-playingcampaigns in a variety of occult settingsand for a wide range of role-playing styles,from lightly satirical to earnestly heroic.Considering the wide range of subjects,settings, and tones covered in this supple-ment, the treatments are remarkablycomprehensive and effective. The onlyreal design weakness is in the samplescenario, which is serviceable but unex-ceptional and not clearly presented. How-ever, when compared to the industrystandard, COC, the GURPS Horror gamelacks a coherence of tone and presenta-tion, and it lacks a persuasive horror set-ting like that of the Cthulhu Mythos.

The GURPS system works better thanCOC�s basic role-playing system for tacticalrole-playing, and those already playingGURPS games will find the GURPS Horrorgame�s mechanics useful. For a heroicsupernatural campaign similar in tone to

most fantasy role-playing campaigns (withthe PCs as fearless crusaders against eviloccult horrors), this supplement is a suit-able system. For more subtle, sophisticatedhorror, as that represented by COC, it isless suitable. For confirmed COC fans, onlythe concise treatments of historical cam-paign settings are of much interest.

BEYOND THE SUPERNATURAL�game

A horror/supernatural role-playing game255-page bookPalladium Books $19.95Design: Randy McCall, Kevin Siembieda,

and Erick WujcikEditing: Alex Marciniszyn and Florence

SiembiedaCover: Richard Corben

BTS has three distinctive virtues:1. Its systems are similar to common

AD&D® and D&D game variants; as aresult, those familiar with D&D-game-stylesystems can understand and adapt BTSwith little difficulty.

2. Player character roles and rationalesare well designed for the cooperativeparty model of role-playing � the modelmost familiar to fantasy role-players.

3. The occult and supernatural elementsin the campaign background and settingare well developed and well written. Theunderlying rationale for supernaturalevents in the modern world is at leastsuperficially plausible and is supported bymany of the trappings of historical andlegendary supernatural lore. The writingsof the fictitious occult scholar, VictorLazlo, and the straightforward, unsmirk-ing tone of the rules and campaign presen-tation maintain the atmosphere necessaryfor an effective horror campaign. How-ever, the game-master notes and samplescenarios do nothing to support thesevirtues, and are peculiarly inappropriateto the systems, PCs, and campaign back-ground established in the rest of BTS. Thisflaw compromises what might otherwisehave been a solid role-playing package.

Systems: BTS, like Palladium Books�other RPGs, is based on conventions famil-iar to all D&D game role-players: attrib-utes, hit points, experience points, leveladvancements, and so forth. These sys-tems also incorporate many of the refine-ments commonly found in D&D gamevariants � percentile skills, more elabo-rate combat and magic systems, and aprofusion of charts and tables for nice bitsof chrome and special effects � as well asa few distinctive developments of D&Dgame concepts. (Palladium�s treatment ofalignment is particularly noteworthy.)

Criticisms of D&D-game-style systemsare fashionable and appropriate. In mostinstances, these systems are sloppy andincoherent, especially by comparison tolater game systems like Chaosium�s RUNE-QUEST® and the GURPS games. However,these games work, as is amply attested toby their popularity. In fact, I think it is the

very sloppiness and incoherence of thesesystems that make them so popular; theyinvite game masters to tinker endlesslywith them.

BTS does a good job of creating charac-ter classes for occult role-playing. Theclasses � such as Arcanist, Latent Psychic,Natural/Genius, Parapsychologist, PhysicalPsychic, Psi Mechanic, Psychic Sensitive,and Ordinary People � are coherent andwell motivated, represent a broad selec-tion of characters commonly encounteredin occult fiction and film, and provide anappropriate selection of talents and skills.Most PCs have some psychic power � agood idea, in that it gives the playerssomething with which to play, provides acommon bond that cuts across the other-wise contrasting PC roles, and sets the PCsoff from the mundane masses who haveno such intimate communication with theBeyond.

The character roles are cleverly andpersuasively conceived. Take, for example,the Nega-Psychic. Ironically, his psychicpower manifests itself in his adamantdisbelief of supernatural phenomena. It isbecause he disbelieves and has suchstrong psychic talent that supernaturalevents have less effect on him. This classneatly provides a role for PCs who openlyridicule belief in the Other World, whilestill providing them with the magical tal-ents that make role-playing fun.

BTS also provides the other mechanicsnecessary for horror and occult campaign-ing. Creatures have a �horror rating,� andcharacters who fail to save vs. horror loseinitiative and their first attack. There is asystem for psychic dueling, using spellpoints and various attack modes, withcharacters making saves vs. psionic attacksto avoid injury or domination. The treat-ment of insanity has a realistic texture.The psychological effects, like alcoholismand drug addiction, are often more plausi-ble than those found in COC.

Campaign setting: When it comes topsychic abilities, magical rituals, places ofpower, eldritch evils, and all that goodsupernatural stuff, BTS is at its best. Thesetting is contemporary. The treatment isearnest, consistent in tone, and takes thesupernatural seriously � at least in termsof theme, setting, and narrative rigging fora horror campaign.

A good fantasy campaign frameworkneeds a plausible rationale for the exist-ence of magic and the supernatural. Thisisn�t so difficult in medieval fantasy set-tings, where we moderns assume that abelief in magic, the divine, and demonicpowers is common. However, in a modern19th- or 20th-century setting, it�s tough topersuasively assert the existence of vastpowers and mysterious beings unknownto recognized historical or scientificauthority. COC�s Lovecraftian universesucceeds with a number of clever end-runs around history and science. Forexample, Lovecraft often invokes the goodold science-fictional alien from somewhere

else � be it Aldebaran or Dimension X �with a history and science beyond ourmortal ken. Another charming trick is hissuggestion that only madmen can perceivethe totally insane elements of the magicalworld; thus, only the various loonyscholars and artists of the Cthulhu Mythosschool can qualify as authorities on thehistory and nature of the unseen world.

BTS goes further than Lovecraft, in afashion quite useful for a horror cam-paign, by providing a fairly coherentrationale for the existence of magicalphenomena. This scheme is admirablydevised, providing references to ancientChinese geomancy and neolithic megalithsthat are full of pseudoscientific gobbledy-gook and psychobabble. It also providesinformative discussions of ley lines, elec-tromagnetism, geopsychic energy, the riseand fall of power according to alignmentsof celestial bodies, and so forth. The so-called Places of Power are often located atmultiple junctions of ley lines, weak pointsin the extracosmic continuum, crossroadsof reality, nexus points where extradimen-sional boojums can enter our universethrough summonings, or through tempo-rary cross-rips of epic proportions.

In all, this campaign framework pro-vides excellent narrative and mechanicaltools for horror/supernatural scenariodesign. The multiplicity of dimensions justnext door are conveniently accessiblethrough man-made and natural rips in thefabric of space-time. This provides the GMwith a rationale for introducing almostany creatures or beings of myth orimagination into his campaign. The triads� large areas of interdimensional instabili-ty similar to the Bermuda Triangle � areperfect places for supernatural adven-tures. The game mechanics based on thisrationale are appealing. For example,characters receive bonuses to magic pointswhen situated along ley lines, with greaterbonuses at junctions of ley lines, and withquite spectacular bonuses when celestialbodies are properly aligned at equinoxes,solstices, and eclipses.

Presented as excerpts from the writingsof the fictional psychic researcher VictorLazlo, this supernatural background mate-rial is pretty convincing � good enoughfor fantasy role-playing at least. Not evenCOC gives a GM such powerful campaigntools. Lovecraft�s literary universe is cer-tainly rich in psychology and texture, andit has plenty of supernatural trappings andconventional settings, but it is hardlycoherent. As a result, COC doesn�t reallyattempt to analyze or fabricate a logicalsubtext for a role-playing campaign. InBTS, the subtext is explicit and well suitedfor scenario and campaign design.

Creatures: Compared with GURPSHorror, a large proportion of the creaturesin BTS are fairly original or unusual. TheTectonic Entity, for example, is a beingthat creates its body out of materials athand � old newspapers, garbage, toys,dirt and rocks, skeletal remains, and so on.

DRAGON 81

The text treatments are detailed and color-ful. In general, this is quite good stuff.However, only the more powerful beingsare integrated with the campaign frame-work established in the previous chapter.In addition, the visual presentation here isunimposing, with illustrations reminiscentof the early days of the D&D game.

Gamemaster�s section: Up to thispoint, BTS is quite satisfactory � at times,even remarkably clever, equalling or sur-passing its competition in horror/supernatural role-playing. Hereafter, thetone and execution shifts abruptly. Thevirtues of the preceding materials areabandoned, and the text strikes out in acompletely different direction.

With a disconcerting lurch, we are pro-pelled out of atmospheric, grim supernatu-ral role-playing into the realm of theGrade C Hollywood horror-thriller flick.The accent shifts from plausible campaignbackgrounds and nightmarish monsters tohaving good-natured, campy fun with theludicrous conventions of popular horrorfilms. I�m not suggesting that this type ofrole-playing won�t work � but it is clearlymore appropriate to the tone of a gamelike the GHOSTBUSTERS game, and it hasnothing to do with the game we�ve beenreading about for the last 192 pages.

Worse yet, these game-master tips arenothing special (even on their own terms).We get a couple of pages of common-senseGM tips on presenting RPG horror ses-sions, with a rather sad group of tables toaid in constructing scenarios. For instance,step one: roll for source of the paranormalphenomena (Egyptian, Polynesian, Aztec,etc.); step two: roll for location (RemoteWilderness, Rural Farmland, Small Town,Prosperous Urban Condominium andShopping Area, etc.). As an example, atable for possible sites for a small townscenario is provided; roll for Empty Field,Feed Store, Five and Dime, Diner, etc. Thisis neither a particularly insightful presen-tation on horror campaign design nor aninspiring guide to creating scary � orfunny � supernatural scenarios.

Sample scenarios: There are foursample adventures. The first two, �Teeny-Bopper Terror or The Tomb of the Perpet-ually Cool Adolescents� and �TheRandolph Family Mansion,� exploit none ofthe virtues of character design, mechanics,and campaign design of BTS. The tone ofthese adventures is more appropriate tothe GHOSTBUSTERS or R. Talsorian�sTEENAGERS FROM OUTER SPACE�games. The third scenario, �Window onthe World,� is a very nice, atmosphericintroductory campaign session, althoughthe villains seem more appropriate tosuperhero role-playing than to horrorrole-playing. The fourth scenario, �CityRuins,� matches the strengths of BTS �but it is only two pages in length and ishardly developed enough to use.

Evaluation: In BTS, the systems andcharacter development are well suited forhorror role-playing. If you like D&D-game-

82 OCTOBER 1988

tyle role-playing, the systems, themes,tone, and session feel are likely to befamiliar and satisfying. The campaignbackground � in its treatment of magicand otherworldly powers, doors to otherdimensions, and supernatural beings � isa first-class example of role-playing narra-tive and setting design. These virtues arestrong recommendations for purchasingBTS. The game-master notes and adven-tures, however, are a disappointment andare out of character with the rest of thetext. Nonetheless, on the basis of the cam-paign materials alone, this is a very valu-able resource for horror/supernaturalrole-playing game masters. In some ways,it even outshines its competitor, COC.

Cthulhu NowA CALL OF CTHULHU® game supplement154-page book (with 26 pages of play aids)Chaosium, Inc. $17.95Design: William Barton, Keith Herber,

Sandy Petersen, Michael Szymanski, G.W. Thomas, William W. Workman, andLynn Willis

Cover: Tom Sullivan

I have already sung the praises of COCsupplements. Cthulhu Now does not disap-point. Cthulhu Now presents supplemen-tary systems and notes for modern-dayCthulhu adventuring and offers four good-to-excellent Lovecraftian adventures incontemporary settings.

System and campaign-backgroundsupplements: First, we are given a briefrationale for modern science and scholar-ship�s continued ignorance of archaeologi-cal evidence and occult eventsdemonstrating the existence of the ancientbeings and cultures of the CthulhuMythos. This rationale is totally uncon-vincing and, thankfully, totally unneces-sary. We have already accepted theCthulhu Mythos in spite of its shabbydocumentary trappings and will continueto accept it for the purposes of gamingbecause it�s so delightfully lurid and evil.

Next, we get a brief update of Investiga-tor skills, income, savings, and taxes. Thisis handy but probably not essential. GMscan probably figure most of this out ontheir own.

Next comes the good stuff � in particu-lar, new equipment. This includes modernfirearms, bullet-proof vests, and nuclearweapons, complete with statistics andrules for their use. Also included is anoptional system for wound hit locations,with specific treatments of the peculiarmorphologies of the Cthulhoid menagerie.I eagerly devoured the rules for firingbursts from AK-47s and Uzis to see if Icould now dispatch shantaks and shog-goths with cool, Fearless Monster Stomp-ing efficiency. Well, these modernweapons look like they�ll be a lot of fun,and they will undoubtedly be tough oncrazed cultists, but we�re no closer togoing toe-to-toe with Nameless Horrorsthan were our predecessors from the

Roaring Twenties.The decision not to include statistics and

mechanics for flame throwers, anti-tankguns, and Stinger missiles assures COC�scontinued design emphasis on ratiocina-tion (not firepower) to combat the preter-natural peril. Nonetheless, it�s the thoughtthat counts; I appreciate access to thelatest in military hardware for my charac-ters� futile gestures in a modern setting.Nuclear weapons? Sorry; Cthulhu justreforms 15 minutes later � only now he�sradioactive, too. Thought you�d like toknow.

The notes on early 20th century andmodern forensic pathology (medical crimi-nology) are fascinating reading and a realhelp to GMs trying to add realistic touchesto scenarios. I appreciate the little medicaltidbits concerning stiffs � e.g., �Insects ofone kind or another are always presentwithin 24 hours, as long as the outsidetemperature is above 40° F. The bodybegins putrescence in three to five days.�This is handy stuff to know, especiallywith the high mortality rate in COC.

The adventures: The first adventure,�The City in the Sea,� exploits modern,high-tech diving gear and minisubs in anexploration of the Atlantis theme. Thenarrative structure is adequate but a bitheavy-handed and linear by COC stand-ards. There�s plenty of background, set-ting, and personality detail, but it isn�tparticularly essential to the developmentof the scenario. The challenges faced bythe PCs are interesting, and the Atlantissetting is lean but properly Lovecraftian.Its development of the Cthulhu Mythos isadequate but unexceptional. This weakestof the four scenario offerings is nonethe-less respectable; it is quite suitable for anevening�s entertainment.

�Dreams Dark and Deadly,� the secondscenario, is an excellent example of mys-tery role-playing in a horror context.There�s an elegant abundance of evidenceand detail: newspaper clippings, letters,other player handouts, lots of background,plenty of red herrings with just enoughsubstance to make them seem significant,all sorts of misleading appearances andcircumstances, and subtle and clever cluesto the real puzzles behind the events. Allof this detail is integral to the adventurewithout being tied to a narrow chronologyor sequence of preordained events. It alsoprovides some glitzy pseudotechnical/pseudopsychological trappings andmechanics for elements of the CthulhuMythos � a nice modern touch.

�Dreams Dark and Deadly� has the ador-ably epic scale of the finest Cthulhu adven-tures. As usual, if the PCs don�t figure outthe mystery and strike unerringly at thetiny vulnerabilities thereby revealed, theEarth is going to hell in a handbasket. As amodel of mystery scenario design, and aclassic horror/supernatural scenario, thisis my pick of the lot.

The third adventure, �The Killer Out ofSpace,� is also very good. Something goes

wrong with a space shuttle, which crashesin a wheat field in Kansas. The setting,plot, characters, presentation, and hand-outs are nicely done. There are especiallyfine touches with NPC small talk and char-acterization bits. I wasn�t happy with afew details of narrative machinery. Forone, PC entry into the scenario as present-ed in the text depends too heavily oncoincidence. The simultaneous conjunctionof the central event, the appearance ofimportant NPCs, the investigators, and apeculiarly useful plot resource � all in onelocation � strains credulity and is a weak-ness in an otherwise substantial mysteryplot and setting. There is also one cheesymajor plot detail where Investigators areunfairly tricked into mistaking coinciden-tal phenomena for causally linked events.Despite these sleazy but essentially good-natured plot tricks, the scenario is absorb-ing and entertaining.

�The Evil Stars,� the final adventure,follows the theme of satanic-style heavy-metal rock stars and their fellow-travelerbiker buddies on the road to the UltimatePower Trip. The plot scale is impressive,and the Cthulhoid feel is right, though itstruck me as a touch more direct in itstreatment of graphic violence than weexpect from Lovecraftian horror of thegenteel Twenties (which, given the moderncontext, is perhaps as it should be). Thescenario is clearly presented, and NPCs,evil plot, and essential game master rig-ging are well developed. There is even ahandy, self-destructing NPC informantprovided to guide dense or unlucky Inves-tigators through the details of the mystery.When the PCs are at a point where thenarrative thread to the climax is obvious,the NPC informant is convenientlyremoved so the PCs must rely on theirown wits in the final confrontation.

The plot is open-ended, having a varietyof potential conclusions, and the GM is leftto improvise most of the details of thedramatic resolution � a disappointingweakness, since a detailed development ofone of the possible endings could havebeen a guide and inspiration withoutrailroading both plot and PCs toward asingle conclusion. Of the four adventures,this has the most exclusively moderntheme, and has the setting farthest fromthe standard COC character roles of schol-arly or scientific Investigators. Perhapsthese are the reasons why I�m not com-pletely comfortable with �The Evil Stars,�though I recognize in it all the necessaryelements of a first-class Cthulhu scenario.

Evaluation: Cthulhu Now is going tomake Cthulhu fans happy. The rules andbackground essays for contemporary COCrole-playing are interesting and adequate,although misguided tactical gamers hopingfor more muscle vs. Eldritch Horrors arebarking up the wrong tree. The adven-tures are either quite good or very, verygood, and the presentation and develop-ment of scenario materials, player and GMbackground, and handout props and clues

are up to Chaosium�s highest standards.

S. Petersen�s Field Guide to CthulhuMonsters: A Field Observer�s Hand-book of Preternatural Entities

A CALL OF CTHULHU® game supplement64-page bookChaosium, Inc. $15.95Concept and text: Sandy PetersenCover, interior paintings, and illustrations:

Tom SullivanProject editing, development, and produc-

tion: Lynn Willis

Oh, sure, this is a useful game reference,being a handy illustrated guide to the best-known denizens of the hypergeometricalrealms of the premier fantasy horrorgame, but the ultimate recommendationfor this supplement is that it is pretty andcharming, and that it manages to takeitself fairly seriously while maintaining anatmosphere of fun.

The entities: Twenty-seven of Love-craft�s greatest hits are showcased herewith brief notes and commentary. Theseare accompanied by a full-page color ren-dering of each creature�s comely features,a comparative size chart (no surprises;humans are rather dinky compared tomost Eldritch Horrors), and informativelittle diagrams revealing the more intimatedetails of internal organs, methods ofreproduction, feeding apparatus, anddistinctive behavior patterns of the crea-ture in question. These are very flatteringportraits, you may be sure. From Azathothto Yog-Sothoth, you can learn much morethan you want to know about these little-known neighbors from the dimensionsnext door. The nicest details are theincomplete, passing references to ThingsBetter Not Mentioned, and the simple,enigmatic diagrams of incidental interest,with delicately understated commentaries.For example, consider this entry on theBrain Storage Container, a sample of tech-nology associated with the Fungi fromYoggoth:

�The ultimate purpose of this cylinder isunclear. It contained a living humanbrain when discovered in northernCanada. Note the three plug-ins aroundthe center grill.�

The text presentation is a perfect exam-ple of Chaosium�s masterful control oftone and diction. Petersen�s Guide soundslike a matter-of-fact metabiology text inthe academic style, full of gobbledygook,cited authorities, tentative conclusions,and slyly humorous observations � justthe kind of barely detectable jokes sopopular with scholarly types. Consider, forexample, an excerpt discussing the Houndof Tindalos:

�Frankly, the Hound of Tindalos isbeyond normal human comprehensionand evaluation. Though it appears so, aHound is not an organic creature. It is a

manifestation of the principle of percep-tive being known to humans as �foulness.�Foulness is a hyper-geometrical organiza-tional axis shared by many of the entitiesdescribed in this handbook; as a concept,foulness is uncomfortably difficult tosummarize, because as humans weidentify states of being as definitionalelements rather than as polyclusters.

But, following Isinwyll (1987), we arenot the poorer in merely nominating theHound as a singularity of loathsomenessand terrifying hunger, considering whathumanity would be like if our under-standing of the Hound was more precise,more empathetic!�

Uh-huh. What an elegant way to say thatsomething nasty does exist that doesn�texist, and that the sort-of-existent creatureis just too nasty for us nice humans toimagine.

Also highly recommended are the biblio-graphical listings in the back of the book.You may have trouble scaring up articleslike �Ghoul Reproduction in the Northeast-ern United States,� (Proceedings of theInternational Metaphysics Society 42:41-59) or �A Telestitial Network? Asymmetri-cal Hilbert Spaces Detected,� (AstrographyNews, October 17, 1988, 11-14), at thelocal library, but tossing a few of thesereferences into your campaign scenarioswill give your players plenty to thinkabout.

The portraits: Well, the color portraitsare real, uh . . . nice. See for yourself.Personally, I found the obvious texture ofthe canvas a bit distracting, but aside fromthat little quibble, the things are very ickyindeed. I like the diagrams and compara-tive height charts even better; their under-stated simplicity seems more in keepingwith the academic tone of the book.

A �Scientific Key� is also present; thischart helps you quickly identify and distin-guish one hyperdimensional species fromanother. I�m sure it will prove quite usefulto hypernaturalists squabbling overwhether they have, in fact, just observed aStar Vampire or Flying Polyp.

Evaluation: This is delicious. Buy sev-eral for your best friends and hope thatsome day the gaming hobby will produceworks of equal charm to describe mon-strous species for other fantasy andscience-fiction role-playing settings.

DRAGON 8 3

NEW PRODUCTS FOR SEPTEMBER

GREYHAWK® AdventuresAD&D® hardcover rulebookby James M. WardYou asked for it, and you�ve got it: The com-

plete sourcebook on the classic WORLD OFGREYHAWK® fantasy setting! All-new informa-tion is presented in this 128-page hardboundbook, designed to be compatible with both thefirst- and second-edition AD&D® games. Roamthe lands from the Wild Coast to the Sea ofDust, and learn the secrets of this setting.Suggested Retail Price: $15.00/£9.95Product No.: 2023

GAZ8 The Five ShiresD&D® Gazetteerby Ed GreenwoodHalflings: They�re short, and that�s all most

people know about them. But in the D&D®game�s Known World, some of them cast spells,kill monsters, gain riches, and have powers andskills shared by no one else. And then there�sthat artifact that they found the other day . . .Read all about it in this 96-page Gazetteer by theauthor of the FORGOTTEN REALMS� setting.Suggested Retail Price: $8.95/£5.95

Product No.: 9232

FR5 The Savage FrontierAD&D® FORGOTTEN REALMS�

accessoryby Paul JaquaysNorth of the lands of the High Moors, beyond

the snug gates of Waterdeep, lies the SavageFrontier. This region is ripe for conquest, loot-ing, and taming � but only the best need try.This 64-page campaign setting provides all youneed to get your PCs into the outdoors.Suggested Retail Price: $7.95/£4.95Product No.: 9233

City SystemAD&D® FORGOTTEN REALMS�

accessoryby Ed Greenwood and Jeff GrubbYou want a fantasy city? We�ve got a fantasy

city. You want a BIG fantasy city? Here�s onethat�s so big it has to be printed on 12 poster-size maps, including an aerial view of the wholeplace and a 3-D view of the city�s main castle! Atlast: Waterdeep, the greatest metropolis in theFORGOTTEN REALMSTM setting, is here for thetaking! The 32-page campaign booklet is usablewith any AD&D® game urban setting.Suggested Retail Price: $12.00/£7.95Product No.: 1040

TSAC2 AGENT 13� SourcebookTOP SECRET/S.I.� game accessoryby Ray WinningerWith one World War just past and a second on

the horizon, the world of the 1930s is a hardand dangerous one � and you have it all in this96-page sourcebook for the TOP SECRET/S.I.�game. Meet gangsters, G-men, and hard-boiled

84 OCTOBER 1988

detectives in this campaign accessory, with all-new rules on settings, weapons, and vehicles.Suggested Retail Price: $8.95/£5.95Product No.: 7625

TSAC5 Commando TOP SECRET/S.I.� game accessoryby David �Zeb� CookReady to fast rope into a hot LZ? Got the itch

to play with plastique? Interested in STANOgear? This accessory provides 96 pages of hardinformation for every TOP SECRET/S.I.� gamecampaign set in the modern world, for specialmissions to challenge every spy.Suggested Retail Price: $8.95/£5.95Product No.: 7631

StormbladeDRAGONLANCE® Saga Heroes novelby Nancy Varian Berberick A sword is forged by a dwarven smith in the

days before the War of the Lance: the greatStormblade, a Kingsword that can unite thedwarves of Thorbardin. But the sword has beenstolen! As the refugees from the mines of PaxTharkas plead for their aid, the dwarves huntfor Stormblade and fall into civil war over whoshould wield the weapon!Suggested Retail Price: $3.95/£2.50Product No.: 8324

GLITCH!/The Hard SellDOUBLE AGENT� novelsby David �Zeb� Cook/Richard MerwinIn GLITCH!, agent Sebastian Cord discovers

that the WEB has found a way to infiltrate andcontrol computer systems across the world. InThe Hard Sell, an international arms dealercomes to the Fortune Agency to find out why aclient has refused to pay him � for a hugeshipment of weapons!Suggested Retail Price: $3.95/£2.50Product No.: 8286

Prince of ThievesAD&D® Adventure Gamebook #18by Chris MartindaleYou are the Prince of Thieves, and something

you�ve stolen has set soldiers, demons, andothers thieves on your trail. You have no ideawhy � but if you want to say alive, you�re goingto have to find out fast!Suggested Retail Price: $2.95/£1.95Product No.: 8968

St. John the Pursuer:Vampire in Moscow

TSR� Books novelby Richard HenrickAn ancient sarcophagus is unearthed in the

Soviet Ukraine. Shortly thereafter, a murdererstalks the streets of Moscow, leaving bodiesdrained of blood in its wake. The governmentdenies that a monster from beyond has beenawakened � but who will stop it?Suggested Retail Price: $3.95/not in U.K.Product No.: 8201

NEW PRODUCTS FOR OCTOBER

AD&D® Dungeon Master�s Design KitAD&D® game accessoryby Harold JohnsonNo matter how good you are as a Dungeon

Master, this will make you even better! TheAD&D® Dungeon Master�s Design Kit takes youthrough every phase of adventure design,providing you with advice and basic DM�s aids.You also get blank design forms, new monsterand dungeon graphics, and guidelines for creat-ing modules in three 32-page books.Suggested Retail Price: $8.95/£6.95Product No.: 9234

MU2 Gamer�s Handbook of the MarvelUniverse #2

MARVEL SUPER HEROES®¹ gameaccessory

by David Martin, Chris Mortika, andScott Bennie

Run out of super heroes and super villains foryour Marvel Universe®¹ campaign? Here are thebest of the best (and the worst of them, too), inthis second of four Gamer�s Handbooks for theMARVEL SUPER HEROES®¹ game. Everyonefrom E to M is covered in this 256-page, loose- leaf volume, each sheet punched for three-ringbinders. Full-color illustrations and up-to-dateinformation are found with every character!Suggested Retail Price: $13.95/£8.95Product No.: 6881

DRAGONLANCE® LegendsTrade paperback collector�s editionby Margaret Weis and Tracy HickmanThe three novels of the best-selling

DRAGONLANCE® Legends trilogy (Time of theTwins, War of the Twins, and Test of the Twins)are now reproduced in their entirety in this928-page paperbound volume.Suggested Retail Price: $9.95/£5.95Product No.: 8327

The Midnight AvengerAGENT 13� graphic novelby Flint DilleIn the 1930s, only one man stands between

freedom and the evil Brotherhood�s plans forworld domination � Agent 13, the MidnightAvenger! This 64-page, full-color graphic novelcaptures the best of the pulp thrillers in a slicklyscripted, superbly illustrated tale of intrigue.Suggested Retail Price: $7.95/£TBAProduct No.: 8431

Bimbos of the Death SunTSRTM Books novelby Sharyn McCrumbMurder most foul � at a fantasy/science-

fiction convention! Reprinted by populardemand, TSR presents the winner of the 1988Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Original Paper-back Mystery, presented by the Mystery Writersof America. Read the most unique murdermystery ever written, in which a game masterturns detective to solve a quirky crime!Suggested Retail Price: $3.95/£1.95Product No.: 8721

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

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

² AGENT 13 ™ and ©1988 Flint Dille and David Marconi. AllRights Reserved.

F O R U MMany gamers may have noticed the fold-up

figures and buildings becoming more popular inTSR products. I would like to give some helpful

Continued from page 7allow evil paladins and cavaliers. Come up withsome evil adventures. The core rules havealways allowed characters to choose evil as theiralignments; perhaps the game should stoptrying to prohibit and scorn the use of suchcharacters, and do more to enhance the possibil-ities such characters have.

Sean JumpCorbin KY

hints to those gamers who like using these aids,in order to expand their uses of these 3-Dprops.

Besides the metal and plastic miniatures onthe market, which are rather expensive, acces-sories for model railroads work well. HO scale isslightly smaller than 25mm, but most modelsand other accessories in this scale are compati-ble enough for all but perfectionists. Dioramabuilders have combined the landscaping materi-als for HO scale with 25mm-scale miniatures for

decades.Several large book companies publish cut-and-

assemble books with buildings in HO scale � inparticular, Dover Publications (31 East SecondStreet, Mineola NY 11501). Some of these booksare set in periods corresponding to those popu-lar for RPGs. Two examples follow:

Gillon, Edmund V., Jr. Cut and Assemble aWestern Frontier Town. (23736-2, $3.95), forTSR�s BOOT HILL® game; and

Smith, A. G. Cut and Assemble Main Street.(24473-3, $4.50), for TSR�s GANGBUSTERS�game.

For gamers who want improvements on thefold-ups in the modules, here are a few tips:

1. Most buildings will not have a base; thissaves paper, and the bottom does not showanyway. If the walls do not already have abrace, most will have space on the paperbetween parts for a narrow, rectangular brac-ing strip to be added at the base of the wall.When scored and folded under, the overlap atthe corners will strengthen the corners andmake them more square (see figures 1, 2, and3). It is easiest to do this after all other assem-blies are complete (attaching the roof and anyprotruding or inserted spaces on a wall, etc.).

2. If the fold-up is not already printed oncardboard or heavy stock, those pieces requir-ing additional strength should be glued to thincardboard. Be sure the glue is dry before youcut, score, or fold these pieces.

3. Most glues will work, but Elmer�s whiteglue is probably best; it is reasonably cheap,perfect for porous surfaces, and sets quickly.Don�t rush your assembly if you want yourbuilding to stay together. Clothespins help if youdon�t want sticky fingers from holding piecestogether until they set. Above all, don�t usemore glue than you need! You will make a messof yourself, your building, and your workspace.

4. Last of all, even if you become bored with amodule, keep the props! They can be used forother adventures, and props that are not toounusual or unique can be used for nearly anygenre of RPG. Use extra fold-up people fromother games or modules for those numerous butunimportant NPCs that no one would bothermaking a fold-up for, such as a mob, a force ofsoldiers, or pedestrians on the street.

Tim EmrickWhitestown IN

I have read many letters in �Forum� complain-ing that low-level magic-users are too weak anddie too often. I agree. Magic-users start withvery few hit points, one spell, and no armor orpowerful weapons. I have a few suggestionswhich might help.

1. Start magic-users with 1-6 hp instead of 1-4.It will help them survive that difficult 1st level.

2. In my campaign, I let magic-users refer tothe Player�s Handbook, Monster Manual, andMonster Manual II any time during the game.My reasoning is that magic-users are the mostintelligent of characters. Also, you might con-sider starting magic-users with an additionallanguage for the same reason.

3. Allow magic-users to wear leather armoruntil attaining 4th level. It will give them thatextra edge to help them survive.

4. Lastly, start magic-users with three or fourscrolls of second- or third-level spells. It solvesthe �only one spell a day� problem withoutstrengthening spell abilities at high levels.

Eric BurnsWest Buxton ME

by Scott Haring

The GameWizards

Empires of the Sands strikes back

One of the things I looked forward towhen I joined the TSR staff last fall wasmy chance to be in the �TSR Profiles�section of DRAGON® Magazine. Of course,this feature was discontinued shortly afterI got here. When I asked what otheropportunities for magazine fame wereavailable, everyone suggested I write a�Game Wizards� column. All I needed wasa subject � and it wasn�t hard to come upwith one.

I want to talk about my first big projectat TSR: Empires of the Sands, a source-book for the FORGOTTEN REALMS�setting. In that product, we invited ques-tions and comments from the players.We�ve received quite a few responses �thank you! � and this is a good place todeal with some of your questions.

The map problemThe first thing to clear up is a problem

with the pull-out map. As many of youwith the product already know, one sideof the map has a glaring error. One of thetransparencies used to make the map wasreversed during printing, so the coastlines,rivers, and lakes are all reversed. After thesourcebook came back from the printer, Ispotted that something was wrong withthe map almost immediately (that�s alwaysthe way it works, by the way � a mistakeyou didn�t see every time you checked theproduct before it went to the printer leapsoff the page at you the moment it comesback), but it took three of us to finallyfigure out the exact problem.

Those of you who wrote us to complainabout the map also wanted to know howwe were going to fix it. Here�s what�s goingto happen: When Empires of the Sands isreprinted, the map will be corrected. Atthat time, we will have the printer run afew thousand extra copies of the newmap, and we will send them to anyonewho sends us a self-addressed, stampedenvelope. An announcement will be madein this magazine when the map becomesavailable. We are sorry about the mix-upand hope this will take care of it.

90 OCTOBER 1988

A look at AmnAnother problem: Thayze Selemchant,

the merchant who brought Amn out of itscivil war and heads up the Council of Six,is noted as having a strength of 18/56.Since he�s a magic-user by profession, thisis not possible according to the rules. I seeThayze as a physically imposing manwhose real power stems from his politicalposition and his force of will; he also hap-pens to know some spells. DMs who wantto keep their campaigns letter-perfectneed to reduce his strength to 18; on theother hand, I think his unique strengthmakes him a more interesting character.Besides, he doesn�t gain very much fromhis strength, so any DMs who want tokeep it at 18/56 are welcome to do so.

Someone asked how the Council of Six,which closely regulates magic-users inAmn, treats visiting mages. I suppose thatany wizard attached to a visiting traderwould be given an exemption from thelaw, with the trader held responsible foranything the wizard does. If a wizardspent more than six months of any year inAmn, he or she would become subject toAmn law regarding magic-users in general.

Some letter-writers took exception to thepresence of an electrum mine outside thetown of Keczulla, pointing out that elec-trum is an alloy not found in nature.Ignoring the obvious arguments aboutwhat constitutes �natural� and whatdoesn�t in a fantasy world, we can say thatthe electrum found in this mine is a resultof mixing closely intertwined gold andsilver deposits under geologic pressureover thousands of years. The result �electrum!

Other writers took exception to mygiving Chardath Spulzeer of SpulzeerCastle an unholy avenger sword. The�unholy avenger� name implies that thissword is an evil twin of a holy avengersword; if that were true, the sword couldonly be used fully by an antipaladin, acharacter class that does not exist in theofficial rules. All this is true, but I havealways believed that NPCs are not bound

by the rules as player characters are,especially when the rules get in the way ofa good story or an interesting characteri-zation. By calling Spulzeer�s sword anunholy avenger I wanted to quickly iden-tify the swords abilities, not its limitations.For the record, Spulzeer�s sword is a one-of-a-kind sword with all the properties of aholy avenger, except that it does +10 hpdamage to lawful-good beings. This swordonly works in the hands of someone com-pletely, totally, inhumanly evil. How evil?Being evil enough to awaken a 3lst-levellich and murder your entire family at thislich�s request seems evil enough for me.

I also received a few questions about thecharacter Deepshadow, head of theThieves� Guild in Athkatla in Amn. Thoughlisted as a 5th-level thief/12th-level assas-sin, Deepshadow is not a dual-classedcharacter. Many of you have pointed outin your letters that such a dual class is notallowed by the rules. Deepshadow is acharacter with two classes. As a young,wily adventurer, Deepshadow (who didnot go by that name then) was content tobe a thief. But he became dissatisfied withthe way the guild was being run, and hegot involved with guild politics. He quicklyrealized, however, that he could advancefarther and faster in the hierarchy of theguild if he were an assassin, so he changedclasses. Politically, it was a great decision;his background as a thief made him apopular choice of the rank and file of theguild, and his skills as an assassin came inhandy when dealing with troublesomerivals. Today, Deepshadow has a stronggrip on the Athkatla Thieves� Guild, andthat doesn�t seem likely to change soon.

On to CalimshanIn the description of monsters appearing

in Calimshan, I accidentally included themarid, which is a creature inhabiting theElemental Plane of Water. This was a mis-take; delete the marid from the list.

Another letter writer thought my popu-lation figures for the cities of Calimshanwere too high. Calimport is listed with ayear-round population of over two million.By comparison, the northern metropolis ofWaterdeep barely breaks half a million inthe busy season. I don�t think this is tooout of line � I see Calimport as a sort ofMexico City of the Forgotten Realms: hugeand sprawling with a vast population, butmost of its people are the forgotten poor.The wealth and power of Calimport isconcentrated in a small upper class, soCalimport, while still a major city, does notwield the economic clout a city of its sizeotherwise might.

By the way, the population of Suldol-phor, southeast of Calimshan and occasion-ally claimed by them, was left out of thesourcebook. It is 210,000.

Zanassu, the Demon Lord of the SpiderSwamp in Calimshan, can return to theswamp 10 years after being physicallydestroyed. One letter writer asked if thisrequired the aid of an evil sorcerer on this

plane, and if so, how powerful should thatsorcerer be. I consulted with our experton extradimensionality, Jeff Grubb, design-er of the Manual of the Planes supplementfor the AD&D® game. He said that in thecase of a demon lord like Zanassu, it ismost likely that he has taught a chant tohis many followers in the swamp?Thischant has no power when used by oneperson or even a small group, but whenenough followers gather in one place andconcentrate on returning Zanassu to thePrime Material Plane, the chant will do so.How many followers are required? Oh, sayabout 10,000.

On the eastern borders of Tethyr andCalimshan are some small mountain rang-es that are not named on the maps. Geo-logically, they are extensions of theSnowflake Mountain range, and manypeople call them the Snowflake Mountains.Residents of the smaller villages in andnear these mountains, however, have theirown names for them. The mountains onthe eastern border of Calimshan are local-ly known as the Embooli Mountains,named after a famous local ruler dead forover 300 years. In Tethyr, the two moun-tainous areas to the east are known as theEastland and Small Eastland Mountains.

Other questionsAt the bottom of each filled-out Charac-

ter Record Sheet, the encumbrance of

each member of the Company of Eight ispreceded by a mark that looks like a squig-gly equal sign . Some letter writersdidn�t recognize it as the mathematicalsymbol for �approximately equal to.� Sinceeach character carries some of his equip-ment on his horse and some in his pack,switching back and forth depending onthe situation, we can only guess at hisencumbrance on a record sheet. Duringplay, of course, each player is expected toknow his character�s encumbrance moreprecisely.

Another letter asked about the drowelves in the Forest of Mir. These drow dolive underground, like drow everywhere,and have an extensive underground civili-zation. But they also spend a good deal oftime above ground, which is unusual fortheir kind. Like drow elsewhere, thesedark elves are also worshipers of Lolth.

Yet another letter writer had some ques-tions about the climate of the three landsin the Empires of the Sands. Amn islocated (roughly) between 30° and 40°north latitude; Tethyr is between 22° and30° north; and Calimshan is between 140

and 22° north. The average annual rainfallis 25� in Amn, 20� in Tethyr, and only 8�in Calimshan. If you want to use theweather system published in the Wilder-ness Survival Guide, consider Amn to betemperate, and Tethyr and Calimshan tobe subtropical.

And lastly, a number of would-beauthors have asked permission to useparts of the Empires of the Sands as thesettings for stories and modules submittedto DRAGON Magazine and DUNGEON®Adventures. Please be my guest! I amalways eager to see what other peopleenvision for particular places, characters,and countries in the Empires.

Thanks again for all the feedback andcomments. I don�t always have time toanswer the mail I get on the various pro-jects I work on, but I do read it all. Youropinions are important to us and help usmake better games.

DRAGON 91

Convention Calendar Policies

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

In order to ensure that all conventionlistings contain accurate and timely infor-mation, all material should be either typeddouble-spaced or printed legibly on stand-ard manuscript paper. The contents ofeach listing must be short, succinct, andunder 150 words long.

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

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

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

where additional information and confirma-tion can be obtained.

Convention flyers, newsletters, and othermass-mailed announcements will not beconsidered for use in this column; weprefer to see a cover letter with theannouncement as well. No call-in listingsare accepted. Unless stated otherwise, alldollar values given for U.S. and Canadianconventions are in U.S. currency.

WARNING: We are not responsible forincorrect information sent to us by conven-tion staff members. Please check yourconvention listing carefully! Our widecirculation ensures that over a quarter of amillion readers worldwide see each issue.Accurate information is your responsibility.

Copy deadlines are the last Monday ofeach month, two months prior to-the on-sale date of an issue. Thus, the copy dead-line for the December 1988 issue is the lastMonday of October 1988. Announcementsfor North American and Pacific conventionsmust be mailed to: Convention Calendar,DRAGON® Magazine, PO. Box 110, LakeGeneva WI 53147, U.S.A. Announcementsfor Europe must be posted an additionalmonth before the copy deadline to: Con-vention Calendar, DRAGON® Magazine,TSR UK Limited, The Mill, Rathmore Road,Cambridge CB1 4AD, United Kingdom.

If a convention listing must be changedbecause the convention has been can-celled, the dates have changed, or incor-rect information has been printed, pleasecontact us immediately. Most questions orchanges should be directed to either RobinJenkins or Roger E. Moore at TSR, Inc.,(414) 248-3625 (U.S.A.). Questions orchanges concerning European conventionsshould be directed to Rik Rose at TSR UKLimited, (0223) 212517 (U.K.).

* indicates an Alaskan convention.

92 OCTOBER 1988

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

SUNCOAST SKIRMISHES �88September 30-October 2

SKIRMISHES presents the eighth-annualproduction of this popular gaming extravagan-za. This event will take place at the Holiday Inn-Ashley Plaza, 111 West Fortune Street in Tampa,Fla. Room rates are $50 for single or doubleoccupancy. Events include AD&D®, TRAVEL-LER*, STAR FLEET BATTLE*, and CAR WARS*game events, along with Napoleonics, Seakrieg,and board gaming events, a KILLER* tourna-ment, a dealers� room, SCA demonstrations, andmany other role-playing and historical events.Hotel reservations may be made by calling: (813)223-1351. Registration fees are $18 for theweekend. Send your registration fees to receivethe program booklet. Write to: SKIRMISHES,PO. Box 2097, Winter Haven FL 33883; or call:(813) 393-2146 or (813) 293-7983.

U-CON 6, September 30-October 2This adventure-gaming convention will be

held at the Coffman Memorial Union at theUniversity of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn.Author and game designer John M. Ford willappear, and various AD&D® science-fiction,miniatures, and historical board games will befeatured. Registration is $5 by September 1, $6afterward, and $7.50 at the door. Write to: U-CON 6, 700 Washington Avenue SE #1, Minneap-olis MN 55414.

JUST-A-CON, October 1-2This broad-scope gaming convention will

feature AD&D® and TRAVELLER: 2300* tourna-ments, a miniatures contest run by the Char-lotte Scale Modelers, lectures, entertainment, ahost of role-playing and war games, a dealers�room, and more. Sponsored by the CommuterInformation and Assistance department of theUniversity of North Carolina-Charlotte, thisevent will be held at the Cone Center on theUNCC campus. Send an SASE to: JUST-A-CON I,6335-l Countryside Drive, Charlotte NC 28213.

TOLEDO GAMING CONVENTION VIOctober 1-2

This sixth-annual event will be held at theUniversity of Toledo, Scott Park Campus, Toledo,Ohio. This convention will feature a variety ofevents, including tournament and demonstra-tion games (role-playing, board, and miniatures),a miniatures-painting contest and clinics, gameseminars, computer clubs and dealers, and agame auction (scheduled for both Saturday andSunday). There will also be a special competitionfor high-school game clubs, encompassing manytypes of games. Over 125 games and eventshave been scheduled thus far. Send an SASE to:Mind Games, 3001 N. Reynolds Road, Toledo OH43615; or call: (419)531-5540 Monday throughFriday, between 4 and 8 PM.

ARIZONA CON GAMES I, October 7-9This game convention will be held in Tucson

at the Plaza International Hotel. The featuredguest is Tom Mulkey, designer for GDW�s TWI-LIGHT: 2000* game series. Over 15 tournamentsare offered with first-place trophies. A fee of$20 covers the Friday night social, tournamentson Saturday and Sunday, 24-hour gaming (infantasy, miniatures, and war games), seminars,and admission to the dealers� room. Preregistra-tion at the above amount continues until Sep-tember 25 (the packet includes �dealer dollars�).Admission is otherwise $25 at the door, or: $5for the Friday night social, $13 for Saturday,and $12 for Sunday. Write to: Arizona ConGames I, PO. Box 40998, Tucson AZ 85717; orcall: (602) 747-4263.

COUNCIL OF FIVE NATIONS 14October 7-9

This role-playing, board-gaming, and minia-tures convention will be held at the Center CityConvention Center in Schenectady, N.Y. Theconvention will have at least two AD&D® gametournaments (one sponsored by the RPGA�Network), as well as a number of other AD&D®game events. There will also be TOP SECRET®,RUNEQUEST* , BATTLETECH* , STAR FLEETBATTLES *, DIPLOMACY*, and many othergame events. In addition, this convention willfeature an auction, a miniatures-painting con-test, and costume contest. Gaming areas will beopen 24 hours a day, and will include some all-night events. Registration is $10 for the week-end, if paid before September 22. At-the-doorregistration is $15 for the weekend, or $4 forFriday and $7 each for Saturday and Sunday.Event fees range from free to $3 for each. Writeto: COUNCIL OF FIVE NATIONS, c/o The Studioof Bridge & Games, 1639 Eastern Parkway,Schenectady NY 12309.

DRAGON CON �88, October 7-9This convention will be held at the Pierremont

Plaza Hotel in Atlanta, Ga. Guests of honorinclude Alan Dean Foster, Fred Saberhagen,Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman, Gary Gygax, andLarry Elmore. Registration is $25 in advance, or$30 at the door. Add $1.25 per gaming tourna-ment entry. Write to: DRAGON CON �88, P.O.Box 47696, Atlanta GA 30362; or call: (800)456-1162 toll-free.

ROVACON 13, October 7-9This convention will be held at the Salem Civic

Center in Salem, Va. (Roanoke Valley). Gamingevents this year will occupy one half of thecoliseum floor, with side rooms available forworkshops and panels on gaming. Julian May isthe guest of honor; she will be joined by Chris-topher Stasheff, Hal Clement, Judith Tarr, SusanShwartz, Richard Pini, Kelly Freas, Bob Eggle-ton, Jean Elizabeth Martin, Lisa Cantrell, Rebec-ca Ore, and Allen Woldour. Film festivals, anawards banquet, a costume party, and hundredsof dealers� tables will also be offered. GamingCoordinator Harry Shiflett is still looking forpeople to help with game mastering; interested

individuals should write to him at: PO. Box2672, Staunton VA 24401. For con information,write to: ROVACON, PO. Box 117, Salem VA24153; or call: (703) 389-9400 after 5 P.M.

DUPAGE GAME CON, October 8This gaming convention will be held once

again in the SRC Building at the College ofDuPage on 22nd Street and Lambert Road inGlen Ellyn, Ill. Planned festivities include role-playing, board, and miniatures game events,including AD&D®, DIPLOMACY*, CIVILIZA-TION*, BATTLETECH*, and Napfoleonics gameevents. Other events include a dealers� area, asilent auction, and many prizes awarded inseveral events. Admission is $5 for the day;events cost $2 each, with the winner(s) of eachevent receiving (in the form of prizes) the bulkof the ticket revenue collected for the event.Send an SASE to: DUPAGE GAME CON, 6636West 23rd Street, Basement Apt., Berwyn IL60402; or call: (312) 749-1597.

FRONTIER WAR V, October 8-9The Dungeon Masters Association will present

this two-day event at the Miller Park Pavilion inBloomington, Ill. Featured events will includerole-playing, board, and miniatures games, aswell as a dealers� area and open-gaming space.Registration fees are $3 per day, or $5 for theweekend. Write to: Dungeon Masters Associa-tion, R.R. 2, Box 12, Danvers IL 61732.

NOVAG IV, October 8-10Sponsored by the Northern Virginia Adven-

ture Gamers (NOVAG), this fourth-annual adven-ture gaming convention will be held at theHoliday Inn � Washington-Dulles in Sterling, Va.The convention will include all aspects of adven-ture gaming, from historical board and minia-tures games to science-fiction and fantasyrole-playing games. Vendors and game present-ers are invited. Write to: NOVAG, c/o WargamersHobby Shop, 101 E. Holly Avenue, Suite 16,Sterling VA 22170; or call: (703) 450-6738.

SETCON I, October 8-9Sponsored by the RPGA� Network and

SETGA, this gaming convention will be held atthe Kingwood Middle School in Kingwood,Texas. Preregistration fees are $8 for both days;$5 per day at the door. Write to: Chris Liao,3502 Oak Gardens Drive, Kingwood TX 77339.

CHICAGO MODEL & HOBBY SHOWOctober 13-16

Sponsored by the Radio Control Hobby TradeAssociation, this fourth-annual event will beheld at the O�Hare Expo Center in Rosemont, Ill.The convention has expanded by over 10,000square feet this year in order to accommodateexhibitor demand. Over 2,000 retailers anddistributors attended last year�s show. Write to:CHICAGO MODEL & HOBBY SHOW, 2400 EastDevon Avenue, Suite 205, Des Plaines IL 60019-9353; or call: (800) 323-5155 (in Illinois, call:(312) 299-3131).

RUDICON 4, October 14-16Sponsored by the Rochester Wargamer�s

Association and Guild, this gaming conventionwill be held on the campus of the RochesterInstitute of Technology in Rochester, N.Y. Eventswill include role-playing, wargaming, and minia-tures features, as well as a dealers� room andmore. For preregistration or dealers� packets,send an SASE to: RUDICON 4, c/o Student Direc-torate, One Lomb Memorial Drive, RochesterNY 14623.

CON*STELLATION VII, October 21-23Sponsored by the North Alabama Science

Fiction Association, this science-fiction, fantasy,and gaming convention will be held at theHuntsville Hilton in Huntsville, Ala. John Varleywill be the guest of honor, and Todd Hamiltonwill be the artist guest of honor. Features willinclude a dealers� room, art show, video room,open gaming, masquerade, SF and fantasy filmand video contest, and a con suite. Registrationis $15 until September 6 and $20 thereafter.Write to: CON*STELLATION VII, c/o NorthAlabama Science Fiction Association, PO. Box4857, Huntsville AL 35815-4857.

NECRONOMICON �88, October 21-23This science-fiction and fantasy convention

will be held at the Ashley Plaza Holiday Inn inTampa, Fla. Guests of honor are Alan DeanFoster and Timothy Zahn. Other guests includeRichard Lee Byers, Richard Louis Newman,Joseph Green, Mary Hanson-Roberts, Ken andBeth Mitchroney, Ray Aldridge, Ginger Curry,George M. Ewing, and John Brudy. The fanguest of honor will be chosen by a randomdrawing from all interested members registeredby 6 P.M. Friday. The winner will have his mem-bership refunded, receive a banquet ticket, havehis hotel room paid for Friday and Saturday,and be allowed to judge the masquerade con-test. Featured events include author and artistpanels, an art show and auction, a Friday nightfan cabaret, a full-contact trivia game, a specialSuperman* trivia contest, role-playing games,filksinging, author readings, a Saturday nightmasquerade, an Official Vampire Pageant, and acharity auction (scheduled for Sunday after-noon). Membership is $10 for three days if paidbefore September 15 and $15 thereafter. One-day memberships are sold at the door at $6 perday. Dealers' tables are $35 plus membershipcosts for those staffing them. Hotel rates are $48for one to four persons. Write to: NECRONOMI-CON �88, PO. Box 2076, Riverview FL 33569; orcall: (813) 677-6347.

OCTOBERFEST GAMING 1988October 21-23

Detroit�s yearly Halloween role-playing gamesconvention will once again be sponsored by theDetroit Gaming Center and the City of DetroitRecreation Department. The location is theLighthouse Recreation Center on RiversideDrive in Detroit, Mich. Kevin Siembieda (ROBO-TECH*, PALLADIUM RPG*, MECHANOIDS*,HEROES UNLIMITED*, and BEYOND THESUPERNATURAL* games) and Erick Wujcik(TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES*, RevisedRECON*, and NINJAS AND SUPERSPIES*games) are guests of honor. Events include:AD&,D®, TRAVELLER*, and other role-playinggames; seminars; and a role-playing costumecontest. Admission for this convention is free.Tournaments are $2 to $4, with winners receiv-ing gift certificates from local stores. Write to:Erick Wujcik, PO. Box 1623, Detroit MI 48231;or call: (313) 833-3016.

SYNDICON II, October 21-23A gaming feast will be served up at the Holi-

day Inn in Glen Ellyn, Ill. Guest of honor is TSR,Inc�s Jon Pickens, who is involved with thecreation of the second-edition AD&D® game.RPGA� Network tournaments will includeAD&D® game Feature, Masters, and extraevents. Many other games will be available suchas DC* HEROES, BATTLETECH*, ILLUMINATI*,CAR WARS*, and more! Fees are $9 until Sep-tember 15, $12 thereafter, and $15 at the door.Write to: WCSFA/SYNDICON, PO. Box A3981,

Chicago IL 60690; or call: (312) 462-7954.

UNICON II, October 21-23To be held at the University of Alaska Anchor-

age, UNICON II will offer a variety of board androle-playing games, including the DIPLOMACY*,RISK*, TALISMAN*, CAR WARS*, and GAMMAWORLD® games, as well as an AD&D® gametournament. Some games will be set up foryounger gamers, and a miniatures paintingcontest will be offered. Other activities includethe running of the entire Star Trek movie series,open gaming, a dealers� room, a medieval fight-ing demonstration by the SCA, and demonstra-tions by various armed forces. Preregistration is$8. Daily admission is $5, or $12 for all threedays at the door. Write to: UAA Gaming Society,c/o Union of Students, 3211 Providence Drive,Anchorage AK 99508; or call Greg Gibbs at:(907) 786-4925.

�VILLE-CON �88, October 21-23This gaming extravaganza will be held on the

campus of Northwest Missouri State Universityin Maryville, MO. Special guests will include JeanRabe, RPGA� Network Coordinator; Rick Reid,Fluffy Quest author; and Skip Williams,DRAGON® Magazine�s �Sage Advice� columnist.There will be RPGA� Network sanctionedAD&D® game, MARVEL SUPER HEROES® game,GAMMA WORLD® game, PARANOIA*, andTEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES* tourna-ments. Other games include DC HEROES*,ROLEMASTER*, WARHAMMER*, TALISMAN*,CYBORG COMMANDO*, and TOP SECRET/S.I.�games. Also featured will be a dealers� room,several war games, and a number of computergames. Some of the finest game masters in theMidwest will be in attendance. Cost for theweekend is $5. Low-cost housing is available,and preregistration is encouraged. Write to: TimBeach, Union Office, NWMSU, Maryville MO64468; or call: (816) 562-1217.

MAINESIL, October 28-30The Maine Society for Interactive Literature

will hold this convention at the Hampton Inn inSouth Portland, Maine. Featured events willinclude your choice of three live role-playinggames, each of which will be run by experi-enced game masters. These are semireal time,semireal space games (not board games) con-ducted over the entire weekend. Costumes andparticipatory play are encouraged for theseevents. Awards will be given at the closingceremonies for best costumes and best charac-terizations. Registration for the convention andone game is $25. Room rates are $46 a night,which includes breakfast. Become your charac-ter for a weekend! Contact: Heidi Nilsen, 596Dutton Hill Road, Gray ME 04039 (telephone(207) 657-4072); or Kevin and Susan Barrett, 540Mammoth Road, Londonderry NH 03053 (tele-phone (603) 432-5905).

OCTOBER FANTASY IV, October 28-30Enjoy a haunting weekend in Milwaukee,

Wis., at a gaming convention which will featureseveral RPGA� Network tournaments, includinga three-round AD&D® game Feature, two-roundAD&D® Masters, two-round CHILL*, and two-round TOP SECRET/S.I.� games. In addition,other role-playing games, strategy board games,war games, movies, a silent used-game auction,a dealers� area, and the fourth-annual raw livertoss will be held. Ghost of Honor for the week-end is Harold Johnson, director of TSR, Inc.�sConsumer Services Division. Preregistration feesare $7 a day or $12 for the weekend untilOctober 1 ($8 and $15 thereafter). RPGA�

DRAGON 93

Network members get a $2 discount. For moreinformation, contact: Keith Polster, 1812 WestMorgan Drive, Apt 6, West Bend WI 53905; orcall: (414) 338-8498.

WAR GAMERS WEEKEND, October 28-30This convention will be hosted by The Toy

Soldier, located in Newburyport, Mass. Theconvention itself will be held at the DisabledAmerican Veterans Hall (DAV), Route 1, inNewburyport, Mass. Events will include fantasyrole-playing, historical miniatures, and boardgames and demonstrations. Registration for theweekend is $10, and most events are an addi-tional $2. Write to: Chris Parker, c/o The ToySoldier, PO. Box 148, Newburyport MA 01950;or call: (617) 462-8241.

UMF-CON, October 29-30This role-playing and wargaming convention

will be held at the Student Center of the Univer-sity of Maine at Farmington in Farmington,Maine. Expect miniatures, AD&D®, TOPSECRET®, DIPLOMACY*, and board games,along with a costume contest (in honor of Hal-loween), miniatures-painting contest, murdermystery, and �Kare Bear Krunch II.� UMF-CON istwice as big this year, but the admission fee hasnot changed. Registration costs are still $5, and$2 per game. Send an SASE to: Table GamingClub, c/o Student Life Office, Student Center, 5South Street, Farmington ME 04938.

OMNICON 1988, November 4-6Sponsored by the North Carolina State Univer-

sity Science Fiction Society, this science-fiction,fantasy, and gaming convention will be held onthe North Carolina State University campus inRaleigh, N.C. Miniatures, role-playing, and boardgames are featured, with two RPGA� NetworkAD&D® tournaments and a CHILL* tournament(and possibly others). Science-fiction and fantasyliterature will also be featured. A door-prizedrawing will be held. Registration is $2 for oneday, or $5 for the weekend. Registration beginsat 5 P.M. Friday, and the con closes at 6 P.M. Sun-day. Write to: OMNICON 1988, c/o AndrewChilton or David Ridout, PO. Box 98052, RaleighNC 27624; or call: (919) 847-6758.

QUAD CON 88, November 4-6The RiverBend Gamers Association will hold

this convention at the Sheraton Hotel, located at17th Street and 3rd Avenue in Rock Island, Ill.Room rates are at a special nightly rate of $44for a single and $53 for a double (for reserva-tions, call: (800) 322-9803, or (800) 447-1297 ifcalling from outside Illinois). There is over 3,300square feet of space in the two gaming roomsand about 2,080 square feet in the dealers�room. Featured events include AD&D®, D&D®,BATTLETECH*, CHAMPIONS*, RECON*,MARVEL SUPER HEROES®, CALL OFCTHULHU*, and other games, as well as aminiatures-painting contest, microarmor events,an ancients-to-future combat tournament, and acostume contest and party (no weapons, please).Prices are $8 for the weekend, if received byOctober 1. Otherwise, costs are $10 at the door,or $5 per day. Write to: RiverBend GamersAssociation, PO. Box 8421, Moline IL 61265.

ROCK-CON XV GAME FAIR, November 5-6This gaming convention will be held at the

Wagon Wheel Resort in Rockton, Ill., from 10A.M. to midnight on Saturday and 10 A.M. to 5 P.M.

on Sunday. Guests of honor will include E. GaryGygax, Jim Ward, Tom Wham, and Lou Zocchi.Events will include an RPGA� Network multi-round AD&D® game tournament, a large (40

94 OCTOBER 1988

booths) dealers� room, miniatures events andcontests, and the Fifth Annual Rock-Con Auc-tion, hosted by Rich Borg. In addition, doorprizes will be given away every hour. Admissionis $5 for one or both days; there are no gamefees. Send an SASE to: ROCK-CON XV GAMEFAIR, 14225 Hansberry Road, Rockton IL 61072.

SAN ANTONIO FANFAIR, November 5-6Bulldog Productions presents this small, fun

comic-book, science-fiction, and film convention,to be held at a hotel to be announced. Morethan 60 dealers� tables, more than a dozenguests of honor, a masquerade, 24-hour gamingsessions, 24-hour video rooms, writers� work-shops, an open convention suite, and a hugeSaturday night party will be featured events.The anticipated attendance for this conventionis 600. Tables are available for $50-60. Admis-sion fees are $4 for Saturday, $3 for Sunday,and $5 for both days at the door only. Write to:Bulldog Productions, PO. Box 820488, Dallas TX75382; or call: (214) 349-3367.

DALLASCON 88 WINTERFESTNovember 11-13

The largest gaming convention in the South-west will be held at the Park Inn InternationalHotel in Irving, Texas. All types of board, minia-tures, and role-playing game events will befeatured, including a WRG Ancients andAD&D® game tournament. The convention alsofeatures a dealers� room, auction, movies, andopen gaming. Write to: DALLASCON, PO. Box867623, Piano TX 75086.

SCI CON 10, November 11-13Sponsored by the Hampton Roads Science

Fiction Association, this science-fiction andfantasy convention will be held at the HolidayInn Executive Center in Virginia Beach, Va.David Brin is guest of honor, David Mattingly isartist guest of honor, Bud Webster is fan guestof honor, and David Cherry is toastmaster. KellyFreas and other guests will be in attendance.Panels, readings, video presentations, a costumecontest, gaming, an art show, and more will alsobe featured. Memberships are $15 until Septem-ber 30 and $20 at the door. Huckster tables(limit of two per customer and including onemembership each) are $60 each until September30, and $75 thereafter (if still available). Send anSASE to: SCI CON 10, Dept. FA, PO. Box 9434,Hampton VA 23670.

TULARE-CON 10, November 12,This science-fiction, comic-book, and gaming

convention will be held at the T.D.E.S. Hall inTulare, Calif. Guests of honor will include artistsRon Lim, Chuck Austen, and Edward Luena.Other guests of honor will include special-effects designers John Goodwin and Scott Alex-ander. Activities will include movies, panels,workshops, and costume, art, and gamingcontests. Admission is free. For information,contact: Bob Meyers, c/o Bob�s Office Suppliesand Stationers (B.O.S.S.), 227 South K Street,Tulare CA 93274; or call: (209) 686-2896.

CONCON: THE CONSTANT CONVENTIONNovember 13-14

This gaming convention is held the secondSaturday of each month at The Gamemaster inArlington, Mass. This November�s CONCON willbe the first two-day event. Special features willinclude the Northeast Regional BATTLETECH*Championship and CONCON Cup, and theBLOODBOWL* Championship. Other eventsinclude WARHAMMER* Fantasy and 40,000miniatures battles, historical miniatures events,

and role-playing games. Write to: The Gamemas-ter, 444 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington MA02174; or call: (617) 641-1580.

SILVERCON, November 18-20This science-fiction, fantasy, and gaming

convention will feature RPGA� AD&D® andCHAMPIONS* tournaments (among others),open gaming, panel discussions, art displays, abenefit auction, a dealers� room, and more.Dedicated to the memory of Manley WadeWellman, SILVERCON will donate its profits toMr. Wellman�s widow to help defray her latehusband�s medical bills. Various science-fictionand fantasy authors and artists may appear,with a special emphasis on North Carolina andthe South, and guests from the gaming andcomics industries are expected. This conventionwill be held at the Great Smokies Hilton,Asheville, N.C. Memberships for all three daysare $20 before November 11, and $25 at thedoor. Write to: SILVERCON, P.O. Box 8342,Asheville NC 28814.

XANADU, November 18-20This annual convention will be held at the

Nashville Ramada Inn, across from the airport.Jim Baen is guest of honor, and Wilson Tucker isM.C. Programming includes a costume contest,a dance, a 24-hour video room, and many pan-els. Several RPGA� Network events are fea-tured, with other game tournaments sponsoredby a local games store. Registration for all threedays is $15 until November 1, or $20 afterward.Write to: XANADU Convention, PO. Box 23281,Nashville TN 37202; or call: (615) 833-1345.

CONTEX VI, November 25-27This science-fiction and fantasy convention,

sponsored by Friends of Fandom, will be held atthe Hyatt Regency West, 13210 Katy Freeway (atEldridge), Houston, Tex. Guest of honor will beJoel Rosenberg, along with Cat Boxe Theatre,Jean Elizabeth Martin, and Randy Farran.Events include panels, merchants, clubs, fan-zines, art, workshops, media, filking, costumes,auctions, contests, and open and tournamentgaming. Registration is $15 for three days untilSeptember 30. Write to: Friends of Fandom, PO.Box 266996, Houston TX 77207-6996; or call:(713) 475-8228. For hotel reservations, call theHyatt at: (713) 558-1234.

DALLAS FANTASY FAIR, November 25-27Bulldog Productions presents this full-scale

comic-book, science-fiction, and film convention,which will be held at the Marriott Park Central,7750 LBJ at Coit, in Dallas, Texas. This event willfeature more than 140 dealers� tables, 100guests of honor, an art show and auction, amasquerade, 24-hour gaming sessions, 24-hourJapanimation and video rooms, artists� andwriters� workshops, readings, a dance, an openconvention suite, and much more. The antici-pated attendance for this convention is 2,000.Admission fees are $15 for all three days if paidin advance or $20 at the door. Write to: BulldogProductions, PO. Box 820488, Dallas TX 75382;or call: (214) 349-3367.

6 OCTOBER 1988by Joseph Pillsbury

DRAGON 97

98 OCTOBER 1988

DRAGON 99

100 OCTOBER 1988