Issue #194Vol. XVIII, No. 1

June 1993

PublisherJames M. Ward

EditorRoger E. Moore

Associate editorDale A. Donovan

Fiction editorBarbara G. Young

Editorial assistantWolfgang H. Baur

Art directorLarry W. Smith

Production staffGaye O�Keefe Tim Coumbe

SubscriptionsJanet L. Winters

U.S. advertisingCindy Rick

U.K. correspondentand U.K. advertising

Wendy Mottaz

Printed in the U.S.A.

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SPECIAL ATTRACTIONSNothing gets your attention like a dragonOur annual tribute to our namesake-but with three new twists.

Dragon Dogfights! � Anne BrownBattle it out with these aerial AD&D® rules for dragon miniatures.

The Dragon Project: Dexter & Cornelius � Loyd BlankenshipA (not very) ferocious dragon and a (not very) heroic ally for theGURPS FANTASY* game.

The Dragon Project: D.R.A.G.O.N-bot ver. 3.1 � Ed StarkHell on wheels . . . not! A Troubleshooter�s nightmare for thePARANOIA* game.

FEATURESThe Known World Grimoire � Bruce A. HeardWhy did my flying castle crash? The Day of Dread and other D&D®game queries answered.

Breaking Them In � Neil McGarryTurn your group�s novice gamers into old hands with these easysuggestions.

Get Ready, Get Set, Go! � Tom McLaughlinHit the gaming heights at the 1993 GEN CON® Game Fair!

The Official Ballot for the 1991 & 1992 ORIGINS* AwardsTwo years in one�vote now for the best games in existence!

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

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

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

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Gamma Terra Revisited � Kim EastlandNew GAMMA WORLD® game mutations that�ll frighten everyPure Strain Human.

Campaign Journal: Slave Hunters and Silt SailorsL. Richard Baker IIIThe DARK SUN® vvorld�s darkest array of character kits.

The Game Wizards #1 � Lester SmithIn outer space, all you�ll do is scream: meet TSR�sBUGHUNTERS� game.

Bazaar of the Bizarre � Spike Y. Jones�What�s a Tenser�s tantalus, and why is it following me around?�

The Game Wizards #2 � Bruce NesmithStart the next generation of gamers�give them the DRAGONSTRIKE game.

With a Bond of Magic � Gregory W. DetwilerLightning and fire, ice and ash, pain and fear, all built rightinto your sword blade.

Novel Ideas � Will LarsonAre two DRAGONLANCE® saga writers better than one? Ourinterviewer finds out.

REVIEWSRole-playing Reviews � Rick SwanMegatons & mass extinction: science-fiction board gamesthat put the pow in power.

The Role of Computers � Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk LesserBeneath the Planet of the Hostile Amazons, and other role-playing challenges.

Through the Looking Glass � Robert BigelowA dwarf without a flamethrower is like a day withoutsunshine.

DEPARTMENTS4 Letters 53 Sage Advice6 Editorial 102 Dragonmirth

22 Convention Calendar 104 Twilight Empire31 TSR Previews 108 Gamers Guide

each subscription is printed on the mailing label ofeach subscriber’s copy of the magazine. Changes ofaddress for the delivery of subscription copies must bereceived at least six weeks prior to the effective date ofthe change in order to assure uninterrupted delivery.

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Submissions: All material published in DRAGONMagazine becomes the exclusive property of the pub-lisher, unless special arrangements to the contrary aremade prior to publication. DRAGON Magazine wel-comes unsolicited submissions of written material andartwork; however, no responsibility for such submis-sions can be assumed by the publisher in any event.Any submission accompanied by a self-addressed,stamped envelope of sufficient size will be returned if itcannot be published. We strongly recommend thatprospective authors write for our writers’ guidelinesbefore sending an article to us. In the United Statesand Canada, send a self-addressed, stamped enve-

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COVER

Nothing is so terrible that a hugered dragon can�t make it just a hell ofa lot worse. Eric Gooch catches acrimson wyrm reveling in dark tri-umph in this month�s striking coverpainting.

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

® designates registered trademarks owned by TSR.Inc. ™ designates trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.Most other product names are trademarks owned bythe companies publishing those products. Use of thename of any product without mention of trademarkstatus should not be construed as a challenge tosuch status.

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

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

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

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

DRAGON is a registered trademark of TSR, Inc.

D R A G O N 3

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

African fanDear Dragon,

Finally, an African-like continent has beenadded to the AD&D® gaming world. I com-pletely agree with David Howery when he saysthat it has been ignored. But I was wondering:Are there any books, games, or anythingremotely relating to Africa or African heroes?Please print my address.

Bruce Jackson17004 Belton, Apt. 249

Detroit MI 48228

We had a similar letter from a reader in issue#176, and our response listed a number ofAfrican-inspired game materials. (We may havearticles in the future on this topic, too.) A num-ber of books are now in print that describeAfrican heroes, history, or myths and legends indetail; check any local bookstore or library If nobooks are on the shelves about African tales,check a copy of Books in Print (the subject indexpart) for titles, then order them. If anyone hasother specific ideas on African materials, pleasewrite to Bruce Jackson and let him know.

Uriah Heep & TSRDear Dragon,

Is it true that when the D&D® game wasbeing developed in the early �70s the name wastaken from a Uriah Heep album that was popu-lar at the time?

My friends and I have a bet going on this,Inquiring minds want to know.

Warren MitchellWoodinville WA

Uh . . . urn . . . well, you�ve managed to catchthe editors off guard with this one. We don�tknow anything about this, though we doubtUriah Heep had anything to do with the namingof the D&D game. Your bet isn�t going to beresolved anytime soon! (Which Uriah Heepalbum are you thinking of, by the way?)

Multiclassed gamersDear Roger E. Moore,

I�m actually from Istanbul, but three yearsago I moved to Vienna in order to study elec-

tronics in the University of Vienna. I ended upstudying aikido five times a week and runningeight AD&D 2nd Edition campaigns on week-ends (actually, six of them were in Istanbul dur-ing winter and summer breaks) in theFORGOTTEN REALMS®, DRAGONLANCE®,DARK SUN�, and SPELLJAMMER® campaigns.

My questions to you are: Are there more ofour kind of multiclassed hobby gamer/aiki-doists? If so, where are they? (I saw that youare practicing aikido in the forward to theDRAGONLANCE Tales II Trilogy.) And how do Iget my AD&D game short stories (in English, ofcourse) published?

Thank you for your attention.Hasan ColakogluVienna, AUSTRIA

You�ve been busy! Though I�ve regretfully hadto leave off aikido practice to get my writingdone, there are actually quite a number ofmulticlassed aikidoist/gamers running around.In my dojo in Milwaukee, there were one or twoothers who played role-playing games. BarbaraYoung, our fiction editor and also the editor ofDUNGEON® Adventures, is currently TSR�saikido expert, and she�s met a number of gamerswho also enjoy martial arts. Dale Donovan prac-ticed aikido for a time, and Wolfgang Baur prac-ticed tae kwon do. Several other TSR editors,designers, writers, and others are into differentmarital arts; Bruce Nesmith (a designer) and Ger-ald Brom (an artist) know tae kwon do, for exam-ple, and Bruce Nesmith and DARK SUN novelauthor Troy Denning enjoy kyuki-do. Now that Ithink of it, the only martial art I haven�t heard of agamer trying was sumo. (NOTE: Anyone whowrites to us claiming to be a sumotori/gamer hadbetter include a photo to prove it. Maybe weshould have a contest. nah.)

You can get our guidelines (which nowinclude information on articles, fiction, artwork,and cartoon submissions, all in one) by sendinga stamped, self-addressed envelope (long-type,please) to: Writers� Guidelines, DRAGON Maga-zine, P.O. Box 111, Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.

Tarding crads!Dear Dragon,

I have several TSR trading cards with incon-gruent data on the backs. What is the rarity andvalue of such cards?

Steven T. VoigtPittsburg PA

That�s hard to say, as you didn�t mentionwhich cards they were. I asked TSR�s current�trading card tsar� (Thomas Reid) about this,since he pointed out a few flawed cards in his�Game Wizards� column in our last issue. He isextremely interested in hearing from readerswho have �peculiar� cards�ones that are eithermisprinted or have information or pictures that

appear incorrect. If we get enough responses,we�ll print some of the anomalies here. Writedirectly to: Thomas Reid�Trading Card Tsar,TSR, Inc., P.O. 756, Lake Geneva WI 53147,U.S.A., and tell him we sent you.

A review reviewedDear Dragon,

I would like to thank Rick Swan for his glow-ing review of the GURPS Old West* game(DRAGON issue #190). Liz Tornabene and I hada lot of fun writing this book, and we�re gladsome of our enthusiasm shows through. (Liz isespecially proud of the transportation chapter,which Mr. Swan enjoyed reading as much asLiz enjoyed writing.) I was also pleased that Mr.Swan thought I handled Native American cul-ture �with reasonable accuracy.� That�s exactlywhat I was aiming at when I wrote the Indianschapter.

However, I must take exception to Mr.Swan�s statements that I was not �quite so rev-erent towards Indian religion,� or that the sec-tion on Indian magic took a �patronizing�approach And I certainly do not considerNative American beliefs�of either the 19th or20th centuries��quaint,� as Mr. Swan implies

In writing the rules for Indian magic, Idecided to go on the assumption that magic inthe GURPS Old West game would work just asNative Americans, and especially medicine men,of the time period believed it would. Of course, Iwas hampered by the fact that I had to baseinformation on sources local libraries could

my

provide. (Although I have Native Americanblood in my ancestry, I have had little exposureto modern Native American culture ) I was alsohampered by the lack of space; there simplyweren�t enough pages in the book to addressNative American culture in any but the mostsuperficial way�and that included religiousbeliefs.

I chose to base the Indian magic section onPlains Indians� beliefs for a number of reasons:There was more information available on Siouxreligion than on any other Native Americanbelief system (although Navajo chantways camein a close second); the Plains Indians are thosemost often thought of when gamers think of theOld West; and Sioux religion seemed to lenditself to easy translation into GURPS gamemechanics. In adapting my knowledge of 19th-century Native American magic rituals toGURPS magic rules, I tried to maintain at thevery least, the �flavor� of Sioux religion. I alsotried to maintain as much accuracy as possible,although game mechanics can never truly sim-ulate real life.

Perhaps what Mr. Swan objects to is that Ipresented Native American beliefs in gameterms at all. In most role-playing games withrule systems covering magic and spell-casting,

Continued on page 7

4 JUNE 1993

Free, proud, and 17

One of the less entertaining things abouthaving a car radio with a �scan� feature isthat you often listen, albeit briefly, to lotsof radio stations you would never nor-mally allow yourself to hear (countrymusic, classical music, talk radio, etc.).About a month ago, on my way to workbefore the sun was even up, I punched�scan� and soon found myself listening toa warning being issued by a Christian fun-damentalist radio station in Milwaukee.The warning was against a Walt Disneymovie, Beauty and the Beast.

Before I go any further, I want to para-phrase a much more famous person andsay that I will defend to my death the Con-stitutional right of that radio station to giveair play to such views. I say this despite

fact that some of those views, such as theone I�m about to relate, might come acrossto some people as being a little on thelunatic side (as I am sure my editorial willcome across to the people who have thoselunatic views, but I can live with that).

The meat of the message to radio listen-ers was that parents should have nothingto do with Beauty and the Beast, despite itsbeauty and grandeur and warmth andmoral lessons, because the movie con-tains, right at its very start, an episode ofblack magic�namely, the transformationof a heartless prince into a beast by a sor-ceress�s spell. That�s lycanthropy, the sta-tion said, and that�s evil, so don�t buy thevideo and expose your kids to it.

It�s obvious that the people issuing the

warning believe fully in the existence ofblack magic and lycanthropy, which doesmake me wonder if they also lock theircloset doors every night to keep out theboogeyman. (I can already guess whatthey must think of fantasy role-playinggames like ours.) Anyway, since these peo-ple believe in black magic, they want peo-ple to stay away from it, which is goodadvice for anyone under the age of threebut might sound agonizingly ignorant toeveryone else.

Obviously, some people in this country(and elsewhere) are very much afraid offantasy, in whatever form it takes. Anti-fantasy attacks are not limited to argu-ments against Beauty and the Beast, ofcourse. The same kind of reasoning that

equates a Walt Disney film with blackmagic reappears in arguments against theDUNGEONS & DRAGONS® game, such asthe one offered by a lawyer who tried toget nominated for the office of Virginiastate attorney general in 1985: �Theessence of D&D is violence. It teachesSatan-worship, spell-casting, witchcraft,murder, rape, suicide, and assassinationalong the way.� (He lost the nomination.)*

Other fantasy materials have been underattack in this century, particularly fantasyand science-fiction novels and stories.Alice�s Adventures in Wonderland, A Clock-work Orange, The Martian Chronicles, TheLathe of Heaven, Oscar Wilde�s The HappyPrince and Other Stories, 1984, Slaughter-house-Five, Tarzan of the Apes, Brave NewWorld, Flowers for Algernon, StephenKing�s The Shining, John Gardner�s Gren-del, and The Wizard of Oz, among others,have run into trouble in this countrybecause of their content. (Some peoplefelt, incredibly, that 1984 promoted com-munism; bad language snarled a numberof others, Tarzan and Jane were living insin, and The Happy Prince was challengedbecause it was �distressing and morbid��well, jeez!)

However, some fundamentalist groupshave challenged fantasy books on thebasis that they are supposed to be occultand connected with satanism or witch-craft�that�s what snagged The Wizard ofOz, if you can believe that. The revoltingbut amusing �Dark Dungeons� pamphletpublished by Chick Publications, which Idescribed in the editorial for DRAGON®issue #182, urges the reader at one pointto burn all �occult books� that he or sheowns; a footnote clarifies this to include�C. S. Lewis and Tolkien, both of whichcan be found in occult bookstores.� I evenhave a clipping from the February 27,1992 issue of the News Messenger, a news-paper published in Marshall, Texas, inwhich one of TSR�s old FANTASY FOREST�multiple-plot paperbacks is accused ofusing �mind control� tactics on youngreaders. The argument put forth by thoseopposing the book is that reading this�pick-a-path� book will lead to satan wor-ship and cult activities. There are parts ofthis article that I want very much to laughat, but it�s hard to laugh because youknow these people are very, very seriousabout their accusations.

As annoying and stupid-sounding asanti-fantasy attacks can be, they aremerely the tip of the Titanic�s iceberg. TheAmerican Library Association�s Office forIntellectual Freedom keeps tabs onattempts to ban or restrict public accessto any books, and many public librarieshave materials from the ALA on censor-ship and book-banning that you mightfind shocking. Among the other booksthat have come under attack in this coun-try are some that you might even be read-ing right now. They include: The AmericanHeritage Dictionary, The Merriam- Webster

Collegiate Dictionary, Catch-22, Lord of theFlies, Oliver Twist, Jaws, Gone With theWind, The Adventures of HuckleberryFinn, A Farewell to Arms, The Merchant ofVenice, Soul on Ice, Deenie, Native Son,Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, To Kill aMockingbird, Ulysses, Grapes of Wrath, AllQuiet on the Western Front, Serpico,Elmer Gantry, The Bell Jar, The Sun AlsoRises, Catcher in the Rye, Death of a Sales-man, The Color Purple, Where the Side-walk Ends, and The Lorax � by Dr. Seuss!

The people who really burn me up,though, are the ones who have tried toban The Diary of Anne Frank. It�s beentried several times. People who think thatThe Wizard of Oz promotes witchcraft arelaughably foolish; they merely wish tosmack your hands with a ruler so youwon�t daydream. But I have difficultyimagining the bottomless abyss of moraland spiritual depravity to which someonehas sunk who is trying to ban AnneFranks story. These people would put outyour eyes, blinding you to their bigotry,then lead you by the trusting hand intothe inferno. You will hear the echoes ofGestapo jackboots in every word theyutter, the most accursed of the cursed, thelowest of the low.

I�ve taken a break to calm down, so wecan continue.

If the idea of boycotting Beauty and theBeast because it promotes lycanthropy

often offer to teach us something, thoughthe lesson may be very unpleasant. EvenMein Kampf is valuable in some sense, as itshows the highly disturbed mental work-ings of a major historical figure andthrows light on the origins of World War IIand the Holocaust. You can flip through itand get a feel for how something as hor-rific as the events in Anne Franks diarycould have possibly occurred�and whywe should never allow that to happen toanyone else ever again.

Drop by your local library to ask aboutthe ALA�s materials on banned books andintellectual freedom. Check out theBanned Books Week displays at locallibraries every September. Look up bookslike Dave Marsh�s 50 Ways to Fight Censor-ship (it�s fairly radical but still ratherentertaining). Keep an open mind andopen eyes and ears.

And if you want something good towatch on TV, get a copy of Beauty and theBeast at the video store and watch it with aspecial friend or loved one. It�s the best.

DRAGON Magazine celebrates its seven-teenth birthday this month. In keepingwith the rebellious spirit of that age, wepresent this editorial. We�re free, proud,and 17. Enjoy.

sounds vaguely moronic to you (and Iwould be lying if I said it didn�t to me),then I have some suggestions.

First, the next time you hear that a par-ticular book has been banned from a locallibrary or a new movie is being boycotted,think about exercising your First Amend-ment rights to read the book or see themovie. (Use your discretion, of course.)You can judge the content of those pre-sentations for yourself, and you�ll have amore informed opinion. Granted, afterexamining the material you may comeaway with the idea that it is perfectlyawful, but at least now you know for sure.No one made up your mind for you. (Ionce watched a very controversial movieon home video and came away with theidea that it should have been bannedbecause it was so booooring.)

Second, if you think the reasons to banthe item are stupid at best, feel free to tellother people what you think and why. Inthis country�at least so far�free speech isyour right. (People who want to ban contro-versial materials will already be speakingtheir minds, so you�ll be in good companythere.) Talk to friends, write to the localnewspaper, make your thoughts known.

Third, even if you think a particularbook, movie, or game is so bad thatsatanists would run screaming from it, feelfree to criticize it to your heart�s content�but don�t push to ban it. We have the free-dom to listen and read and make our ownchoices. Controversial books and movies

* Material quoted from the ChristianBroadcasting Network pamphlet,Dungeons & Dragons: Adventure orAbomination?, page 4.

LettersContinued from page 4

designers can concentrate on what works in thegame (so far as playability and game balance areconcerned) without worrying about offendinganyone by getting it �wrong.� After all, few peo-ple in the world today believe in magic as it�sportrayed in most fantasy novels and games(e.g., powerful wizards casting lightning boltsand summoning fiends from the outer planes).But traditional Native American beliefs recog-nize the supernatural, and that human beingscan gain some measure of influence over fateand the spirits through certain rituals. If I inad-vertently offended some people by quantifyingthose beliefs in game terms, I apologize.

Ann DupuisRandolph MA

We contacted Rick Swan, who supplied uswith this answer:

�Actually, it doesn�t matter to me whetherdesigners draw inspiration from Native Ameri-can religion or the phone book. I merely pointout that when you attempt to translate the real-life beliefs of real-life practitioners, you walk afine line. And I still like Ann�s book�a lot.�

D R A G O N 7

Artwork by John Stanko

Use your dragon miniatures for an aerial duel

by Anne BrownThere�s a little event that takes place in inspired by the mention of the GEN CON

Milwaukee, Wis., every August known as game fair (even in a whisper) is panic.the GEN CON® Game Fair. It inspires a Seminars? What seminars? Demos? I�mplethora of emotions�excitement, demonstrating which game this year?nervousness, financial anxiety, and antici- Every year, around December, we arepation of great fun and lack of sleep. But assigned to run demos for the variousfor us TSR folks, the primary emotion AD&D® game worlds. (A person learns

quickly not to be out sick on the day thatwe sign up for game demos.) About July,we learn exactly what nifty visual aids willbe provided for our demos. Then it�s timeto scramble and get a demo game puttogether.

D R A G O N 1 1

Last year was no different. Demo sign-up day was indeed in December, andsigh � I was sick that day. (Had I known itwas planning day, I�d have hobbled towork under almost any condition.) So myfirst taste of panic came the followingMonday (�What? We signed up for demoslast Friday? What�s left? Oh, noooooo . . .�).

It wasn�t nearly as bad as I thought. TheDRAGONLANCE® game demo was stillavailable, and my buddy Rob King was stillavailable as a demo partner. Since Robhad edited the Tales of the Lance boxedset and I had proofread large hunks of it,what could be more perfect? We scribbledour names onto the list, chattering awayabout bringing Lord Soth back for a visit.

We blissfully forgot about our demountil about July. I had stacks of pregener-ated convention characters in my files, soall we needed was a quick adventure,right? Wrong.

The fateful day arrived when welearned what our demo table would looklike. �You�re getting a giant floating citadeland ten painted dragon miniatures, with adrop-cloth of an overhead view of farmfields and whatnot,� we were cheerfullytold. �Just run some aerial dragon battles.It�ll be great!�

Rob and I moped our way back to ourcubicles. No Lord Soth. No kender notknowing when to run in terror. Nogrouchy dwarves.

Reality set in. �There�s no such thing as3-D aerial combat in the AD&D game,� wemoaned. (At least nothing that we knewof�neither of us are big miniaturesgamers!) We called upon my husband,Rick, a veteran miniatures gamer, andupon Jim Ward, an old war dog, for rules.�Nope,� came the answers. �Not unlessyou want to play only one turn in an hour.Just make something up!�

Panic turned to desperation. I bribedJim Ward with lunch one day (not a cheapproposition) to help me sketch out therules. We roughed them out, then Roband I took our red pens out. (If there�s onething we can do, it�s edit.) We threw awaythe rules for facing, threw away breathimmunities, and standardized the scoresfor all 10 dragons. In a real stroke ofgenius, we decided to tie a colored ribbonto each dragon to indicate its range ofmovement. Then we subjected a few co-workers to our game and made a fewmore modifications.

After scrounging for a thousand dice,dry-erase markers, and plastic covers forthe character sheets, we were readybefore the opening bell of the game fair.

Karen Boomgarden was scheduled torun the first few hours of the demos. Aftermy early-morning seminars, I descendedbreathlessly on the TSR demo area.�How�s it going?� I asked with trepidation.Karen pooh-poohed. �Great! After the firstturn, they�re running it themselves!� Weexchanged gummi-bears as I watched in

12 JUNE 1993

wonder. Ten gamers crowded around thetable, rolling dice like crazy. All I couldthink was, �It works! Rob, you have to seethis!�

We ended up with a hit on our hands.People even hung around to play morethan one round. Karen was able to runthe game even though she lost her voiceon the second day of the convention. Evensome of the most die-hard miniaturesgamers (including my husband) thought itwas pretty cool.

So that�s what this article is about: run-ning your own 3-D aerial dragon combatswith our little game rules. Use it whenyou�re bored with role-playing, or whenyou just feel like some hack �n� slash com-bat. Two to 10 people can play, and themore the merrier. A game with ten peo-ple, each playing one dragon, takes justabout an hour. You should know the rulesafter the first turn.

What you needFor our demo, we had 10 dragon minia-

tures�one gold, silver, bronze, brass,copper, red, green, blue, black, and white.Each dragon was mounted on a four-inch-square base.

Our playing surface was a felt clothprinted with an overhead view of farmfields, woods, rivers, and the like. Yoursurface can be as fancy or simple as youwant�it doesn�t matter to the play of thegame. You can play it on the living roomrug or a kitchen table if that�s most conve-nient. Determine the boundaries of yourplaying surface�any size or shape is fine,but don�t exceed six feet in any direction.

Each player will need one each of thefollowing dice: d4, d8, d10, d20.

Each dragon figure needs a corre-sponding character sheet. Each playerneeds a method to keep track of hit pointsand breath-weapon uses on the sheet. Forthe game fair, we placed each charactersheet in a plastic sleeve and used dry-erase pens to mark on the plastic. Thesheets wiped off easily after each game.You can do it this way, or you may wish tomake multiple copies of the sheets so youcan mark on them, erase the marks, andthrow them away as they wear out. Orsimply track the hit-point damage onscrap paper.

For measuring devices, we bought col-ored ribbons corresponding to each colorof dragon. A ribbon was tied to eachdragon�s right front foot and then cut tothe dragon�s movement rate in inches (18inches, in this case). This eliminatedmessing around with rulers. It also simu-lated a dragon�s maneuverability�sincedragons in our game can fly whereverthey want, it doesn�t make sense to limittheir movement to straight lines. But ifyou don�t feel like messing with ribbonsor string, by all means use rulers or tapemeasures.

If you wish to use ribbons (ordinary

string will work just as well), buy one yardof ribbon for each dragon. First, tie oneend to the dragon�s foot, or attach it to thebase. Next, measure out 9� of ribbon awayfrom the dragon�s foot. Tie a knot at the 9�mark. This represents the range of thedragon�s breath weapon. Finally, measureout 18� from the dragon�s foot and tieanother knot. Cut off the excess. The knotat the end will keep the ribbon from fray-ing. A drop of white glue or super glue onthe end knots will also improve theirdurability.

By the way, don�t cut an 18� length ofribbon first, then tie the knots. You�ll losethe length that�s twisted up in the knots.

Set-upDecide whether you want to play every-

dragon-for-itself or in teams. For our game,the evil dragons defended their citadel, andeach evil dragon began the game with itsbase touching the citadel. The good drag-ons started with their bases touching theedge of the gaming table and tried to defeatthe citadel�s guardian dragons.

Draw your battle lines and agree uponyour starting positions. We didn�t allowanyone to start off the board, but yourgroup could decide to allow it.

Combat sheetsIncluded in this article is a dragon char-

acter sheet we used at the 1992 GEN CONgame fair. To make this game as easy aspossible, we gave all the dragons the samestatistics, Essentially, everyone got thesame character sheet�we just changedthe dragon�s color, name, and objective. Ifyou�d like a more complicated game, seethe advanced rules.

The basic gameOnce you�ve chosen teams or individual

play and established starting positions forall dragons, decide on victory conditions.For our demo, the first team to have allfive members eliminated was the loser.

Follow the Sequence of Play on thecharacter sheets, as follows:

Initiative: A d10 is rolled for everydragon figure (even if a player controlsmore than one dragon). The lowest num-ber goes first. Ties are considered to besimultaneous actions, If your groupprefers, ties can be resolved with anotherdie roll.

Movement: Dragons always move first,then attack. A dragon can move a total of18�, curving or looping as desired. Move-ment in 3-D can be simulated (�I�m goingto fly over this other dragon�) withoutpenalty. A dragon can face any direction atthe end of its movement.

When a dragon is reduced to half its hitpoints, its movement is reduced by half.

Attack: At the end of a dragon�s move-ment, the player declares its mode ofattack: breath weapon, melee, or defend.

Breath weapon: A dragon�s breath

ObjectiveDefend Citadel by destroying the Metallic Dragons.

Age Category: Adult (156 years old)Hit Points: 148Attack Roll: 6 Damage: 1d4x10Breath Weapon: Fire Range: 9 inches

Damage: 1d8x10 Save: half damageSaving Throw: 6

Set UpChromatic dragons begin circling the Citadel.Metallic dragons are placed with their bases

touching the outer edge of the board.

Sequence of Play1. Roll initiative (1d10).2. Lowest number goes first. Dragon

moves, then attacks.

MovementEach dragon has a ribbon tied to its foot.The dragon may move anywhere within the

reach of the ribbon (18 inches).The dragon may face in any direction.A dragon at half its hit points moves half speed.

AttacksPlayer declares one attack form: breath weapon,

melee, or defend.An attack ends a dragon�s move.

Breath Weapon (may be used 3 times duringthe game�mark each use in the box provided)

A. Automatically hits one creature in range (9inches).

B. Attacker rolls damage (1d8x10).C. Defender rolls saving throw (1d20). If

defender rolls 6 or greater, defender suffersonly half damage.

MeleeA. Attacker rolls 1d20 once; a roll of 6 or

greater is a successful hit.B. Attacker rolls damage (1d4x10).C. Dragons in melee must break off their

attacks at the end of the round; in the nextround, they must move at least 4 inches.

DefendIf a dragon is not in attack range when it

finishes its move, it may defend. This allowsthe dragon to save its attack for use againstan attacker. The defensive attack occursafter the enemy has rolled its attack.

Breath Weapon Roster

Hit Point Roster

14 JUNE 1993

16 JUNE 1993

weapon automatically hits one creaturewithin 9�. Even if several dragons areclose together, only one is affected.

The attacking dragon rolls damage(1d8×10), with the victim is allowed a sav-ing throw for half damage. A roll of 6 orgreater on 1d20 indicates a successfulsave.

Breath weapons can be used threetimes during the game. Each use must bemarked in the box provided.

Melee: A dragon can physically attackany one dragon in range (bases or figurestouching). Although dragons typicallyattack with a claw/claw/bite routine, weused one attack roll (1d20�success on 6or better) and one damage roll (1d4×10) tokeep the game moving quickly.

Defend: This option is used most at thebeginning of the game. Because of startingpositions on the gaming table, a dragonmay use its move but not be in range toattack any foes. Later in the turn, anotherdragon may move into range and attackthat dragon. The defend option ensuresthat each dragon is allowed an attack inthe round if any targets move into rangeduring that turn. The defend can be eithera breath weapon or melee attack and isrolled after an attacker�s rolls.

That�s it! You know everything you needto play the basic game. Now, for those ofyou who like lots of options and number-crunching, try the advanced rules thatfollow.

Advanced rulesOkay, you�ve mastered the basic rules

for dragon dogfighting, and now you�dlike more flavor, realism, and strategy. Alist of optional, advanced rules is givenhere. Pick and choose among them forthe degree of complexity your groupdesires.

Individualizing dragons: This optionlets each player roll up some or all of adragon�s statistics. For this, you�ll need theMonstrous Compendium entries for theappropriate dragons.

Age category: Decide whether all thedragons in the game will fall into the sameage category. If so, choose a category ran-domly or by vote. If not, roll 1d10 for eachdragon and assign age categories appro-priately. However, since this could possi-bly pit a hatchling against a great wyrm,you may wish to choose a span of four agecategories (for example, Very Old throughGreat Wyrm) and roll 1d4 to determineeach dragon�s age.

Hit points: Use the base hit dice listedfor each type of dragon, modified by thehit-die modifier for age category. Forexample, an adult black dragon wouldhave 14 hit dice (12+2). Roll hit pointsaccordingly (14d8).

Attack roll (or THAC0): If you wish tocalculate individual THAC0s, you alsoneed to find the armor class for eachdragon. Use the base THAC0 given for the

dragon type plus the combat modifier forage to determine the dragon�s THAC0. Anadult black dragon has THAC0 3. To deter-mine armor class, use the dragon�s baseAC modified by the hit die modifier forage category. Our black dragon�s armorclass is -1.

Damage: Use the damage listed in theMonstrous Compendium entry, modifiedby the combat modifier for age. Our blackdragon�s damage is 1d6+6/1d6+6/3d6+6.

Breath weapon: Use damage as listed indragon entry. Range can be standardizedfor all the dragons in your game, or canbe adjusted by dragon type. Saving throwsfor half damage are still allowed.

Saving throw: Determine a dragon�s sav-ing throw based on its hit dice for a war-rior of the same level. Our black dragonhas 14 hit dice, so her saving throw versusbreath weapon is 5.

Movement: Allow dragons the choiceof moving or attacking first, rather thanrequiring movement to happen first.

Melee options: Allow a dragon to splitits claws and bite attacks between oppo-nents as long as the attacker�s base or fig-ure is touching the base or figure of all itsintended targets. The dragon then rolls itsthree attacks separately.

Immunities: Add appropriate immuni-ties to the different dragon types. Forexample, our black dragon is immune toacid attacks.

Hit locations: Divide a dragon�s hitpoints among its body head, left wing,and right wing. For example, 40% of adragon�s hit points go to body, 30% tohead, and 15% to each wing. In this man-ner, the dragon�s flight may be crippled(halve the dragon�s current flight speed)when a wing loses all its hit points; thedragon may be unable to make biteattacks when its head loses all its hitpoints; or the dragon may be unable tomake its clawing attacks if its body losesall its hit points. Other options and penal-ties can be invented to increased varietyand fun.

Spells: If you wish, allow dragons someor all of their spells or spell-like abilities asdetailed in their Monstrous Compendiumentries. Allow area-effect spells to affectmore than one opponent (or teammate)engaged in melee combat. Track the drag-ons� spells on an extra sheet of paper or onthe back of the dragon�s character sheet.

Riders: Now it gets complicated! Rollup a character to serve as a dragon�srider. This is most likely a wizard, cleric,or even a lich, but almost any character ispossible. You�ll need to track the charac-ter�s hit points, attacks, THAC0, and spellabilities, and rules for falling off a dragonare in order, too.

The sky�s the limit (okay, bad pun) withthis simple system for dragon dogfights,so dust off those dragon figurines and getstarted. May the best wyrm win!

An unlikely duo for Steve JacksonGames� GURPS* system

We continue with our special�miniseries,� which presents originaldragons and dragonlike creatures forpopular non-TSR role-playing games.Issue #192 presented DraconisCybernnetica for West End Games�s TORG*system. This installment offers two new(and very different) dragons. . . .

GURPS* stands for the Generic UniversalRolePlaying System, an eight-year-old role-playing game from Steve Jackson Games, inAustin, Tex. The GURPS game is a point-based system: Each character is designed byspending points on attributes, advantages,and skills, and gaining points for disadvan-tages and quirks. The GURPS system coversalmost every genre imaginable�fantasy, sci-ence fiction, super-hero, cyberpunk, andmore�with one basic rule system. Formore information, write to: Steve JacksonGames, at P.O. Box 18957, Austin TX 78760.

18 JUNE 1993

The sun vanished as a dark form eclipsedthe orb. With a distant rush of wings andwind, and a yellow gout of flame as brightas the afternoon sun, the beast loopedaround for another pass. A shiveringcrowd of villagers huddled in the church,the only stone building in the small town,and peered through the cloudy glass win-dows at the pirouetting wyrm.

�What are you going to do?� shrieked awoman whose three small children clungto her legs. �You�re the mayor! Do some-thing!�

The portly object of her attention�andthe attention of everyone else in thecrowded building�squirmeduncomfortably. By virtue of owningthe town�s only mill, he had rununopposed for mayor for manyyears. But he had certainly neverplanned on dragon-slaying as partof his duties.

The mayor opened his mouth toadmit defeat, but he was spared from

baby dragon was not going to eat himalive, Cornelius did his best to comfort thelizard. As the little beast began to trustCornelius, the possibilities of the situationgradually dawned on the human and ascheme was born. Destroying villages waswasteful and dangerous�and was sure toattract every dragon-hunter in the realm.But it would be much harder for a knightto get worked up about a dragon that didnothing more than fly about, wouldn�t it?

Cornelius spent the next two years livingin the cave with the dragonling, makingoccasional forays into town for supplieshe purchased with the dwindling stack ofcoinage Dexter�s mother had accumu-lated. He played upon Dexter�s instinctivelust for treasure to assure cooperation inthe plan. Finally, slightly over six months

ago, the pair embarked upon theircurrent reign of terror.

Campaign role

further humiliation.�Look!� shouted a peasant. �Someone�s

coming up the road!�The glass distorted the image a bit, but

someone was obviously approaching onhorseback. Who else could it be but ahero? Riding fearlessly up the village�s onlyroad, ignoring the wheeling dragonabove�surely this would be a braveknight, with thick armor, a stout shield, anda terrible sword that would defeat the evillizard. The townsfolk were spared! Hoperose in all their hearts as the lone figuredismounted and strode toward the door-way to the sanctuary.

Hope was quickly replaced by confusion asthe door opened and the townspeople sawtheir assumed deliverer He was a shortman, no taller than a teenage boy, with athin, pinched face and a callow complexionthat spoke of many hours in a tavern and fewin the field. His hair was oily and slickedback, and he had a thin, wispy mustache thatseemed to grow into his mouth. Silenceruled as the people awaited his first words.

�Nice village you got here,� the manbegan casually. He carefully pulled a well-used toothpick from the greasy depths ofhis hair, then smiled. �Wouldn�t want any-thing to happen to it.�

vinced that they are doomed. During thistime, Cornelius helps himself to the con-tents of any abandoned houses.

Then Cornelius arrives to �save the day.�Typically, saving the day involves a pay-ment of anywhere from $500 to $2,500 (orthe same number of gold pieces), plus anysmall, valuable items that Cornelius mighthave discovered in his looting. Corneliusthen warns the citizens that, should theybe too helpful when their lord inquiresinto the affair, Dexter might be forced toreturn. In fact, the townspeople might bebest served to just forget that this littleincident ever happened.

So far, Dexter and Cornelius havebeen extremely successful in their opera-tions. They must hit only one or two vil-lages per month to live quite comfortably.Needless to say, this level of activitycouldn�t remain hushed forever. Eventhough no crops or towns have beendestroyed, the sudden shortage of coinagein certain villages is sure to make tax col-lection more difficult than usual.

Dexter and Cornelius are an unlikelypair of con artists who roam the landextorting money and trade goods fromsmall villages. Cornelius, a human, typi-cally scouts out a town disguised as awandering priest or beggar, ensuring thatthere aren�t any warriors around whomight be inclined to interfere with theirblackmailing plans. Once convinced thecoast is clear, he sends in Dexter, adragon, to put on a show for the haplessvillage. After Dexter makes a few passesover the town square, with occasionalflame bursts and a great deal of bellowingand roaring, the townspeople are con-

Background

Once he became convinced that the

Cornelius was a rather unsuccessfulsneak thief, pickpocket, and aspiring black-mailer when he stumbled into his fortu-itous meeting with Dexter. He wasattempting to trail a merchant caravanthrough a mountain pass when he becamelost. After wandering for almost two days,he was attracted by the sounds of combat.Not one to run toward a fight, Corneliuscautiously approached. He arrived in timeto see the untimely death of two great fight-ers�a heavily armed and armored humanknight and a great reddish dragon. Thedragon was slain by the two-handed swordthrust through her throat, but not beforeone last blast of flame parboiled the knightin her armor. Never one to miss an oppor-tunity to make a quick and easy score, Cor-nelius waited to make sure that both weredead, then approached the dragon�s cave.He had no sooner peered inside than hewas bowled over by a horse-sized, new-born dragon with wild, frightened eyes. Hefelt a frantic touch at his mind as he lockedeyes with the hatchling, and the clearsound of a voice (mentally translated intohuman speech) saying, �Mommy?�

The GM could allow the adventurers tohear rumors of a great dragon that is lay-ing waste to villages to the north. Perhapsthe PCs would be contacted by the localnobility to investigate the mysterious part-nership fleecing coinage from the baron�sserfs, or the party might even be passingthrough a village when Dexter andCornelius pay a visit.

DexterST: 20 Move/Dodge: 6.5/6DX: 11 PD/DR: 2/2IQ: 11 Damage: 1d+1 cut claws/

1d breathHT: 15/22 Reach: R,C,1

Continued on page 22

Size: 6 hexes Weight: 730 lbs.Dexter, although he looks terrifying to

the average farmer or peasant, is actuallya fairly small, young dragon. He is approx-imately the size of an elephant (not includ-ing his tail) and would not be a threat tomost experienced parties in a straight bat-tle. However, he has Cornelius to makesure no straight battles are necessary.Dexter completely trusts his deceitfulmentor. He believes that Cornelius has hisbest interests at heart, and he won�t listento anyone claiming otherwise. While hedoesn�t particularly want to destroy vil-lages or harm anyone, Dexter isn�t againstsuch activities, either. Dexter is very suspi-cious of anyone other than Cornelius. Heusually attempts to flee a confrontationwith more than one person. If forced tofight, however, he goes for the kill.

D R A G O N 1 9

Attention, PARANOIA* Troubleshooters�Meet D.R.A.G.O.N.-bot ver. 3.1!

PARANOIA*, Second Edition: The Role-playing Game of a Darkly HumorousFuture is West End Games�s look at role-playing games in general, and the science-fiction genre in particular. The game is setin a future foreseen by Sartre, Orwell, andHuxley, but interpreted by Marx � Grou-cho Marx. Slapstick, cyanide, and laserweapons are all rolled into one extremelyparanoid environment.

Everyone lives in a giant domed citycalled Alpha Complex, which is ruled byThe (never �a�) Computer. The Computeris Your Friend. The Computer wants youto be happy. You will be happy, Citizen�even if it kills you. To ensure your happi-ness, Your Friend The Computer hasrecruited you to eliminate any potential . . .problems that may arise in Alpha Com-plex. Doesn�t this make you happy to helpout Your Friend? It had better, or youmight become one of those potentialproblems.

So, you are a Troubleshooter. You aregiven a laser pistol and all kinds of neat(and definitely dangerous) toys by TheComputer to help you shoot trouble. Whatkind of trouble? Oh, standard stuff�com-mies, Mutants, Traitors, that kind of thing.

20 JUNE 1993

Are you a Commie, Mutant, or Traitor?Probably�but we wouldn�t want to annoyThe Computer with that sort of bother-some knowledge, now would we? Ofcourse not.

Instead, let�s take a look at The Com-puter�s newest Troubleshooting device:

The D.R.A.G.O.N.-bot ver. 3.1The latest development from The Com-

puter�s most loyal Research and DesignService Group, the D.R.A.G.O.N.-bot ver.3.1 has been added to the many anddiverse military resources available toTroubleshooters all over Alpha Complex.The D.R.A.G.O.N.-bot ver. 3.1 is the great-est advance in technology produced forTroubleshooters in the war against unreg-istered mutation since the now-legendaryMutaGenetic Handshake and SolicitousGreeting (�Hi! How are you? How�s theclone-family? By the way, are you amutant?� RIIIP! �Yow! Guess you are!Super-strong one, too!�).

The D.R.A.G.O.N.-bot ver. 3.11 was origi-nally designed as an infiltration device tobe used by Troubleshooters in themutant-dominated simplex known only asthe Dungeon. No one knows when the

traitorous simplex came into being, but ithas long been a temporary refuge forthose terrible, ungrateful mutants whorefuse to either register their mutations orsubmit to Summary Execution. Instead,they flee like cowards into the lower levelsof Alpha Complex�even below the FoodVats�to hide in the dark, mutating stillfurther and waiting for loyal Trouble- shooters, whom the mutants tend to eat. Itis not known whether these even moretraitorous mutations (only one per cus-tomer, please) are caused by the eating ofTroubleshooters or the consumption ofFood Vat run-off, which leaks downthrough treasonously unplugged holes inthe floor. (There are those that say theholes in the floor were caused by the run-off eating through the floor, but those whosay that are promptly shown the error oftheir ways by being consigned to thosevery Food Vats. The run-off coats thewalls, ceilings, and floor of the Dungeonwith grayish ooze and greenish slime.)Extensive tests are currently being per-formed by R&D, under The Computer�sdirection, to determine the truth of thesetwo hypotheses; volunteers are beingaccepted at any Production, Logistics, andCommissary cafeteria (for Food Vat Test-ing) or at the Armed Forces �PanickedInfrared� Target Range (for Clone Con-sumption Preparation).

DescriptionThe ultimate melding of stealth and fire-

power, the D.R.A.G.O.N.-bot ver. 3.1 hasbeen designed to carry its TroubleshooterTeam deep into Dungeon territory, fightoff mutant attacks, and get out againundamaged�either piloted by the origi-nal Team or, more likely, their clonebrothers and sisters (Troubleshooters justaren�t as durable as The Computer�s prizecreation). It is heavily armored, bothabove and below. There are no hollows,not even right over its left breast. Honest.

The D.R.A.G.O.N.-bot ver. 3.1 is exactlyfive meters long and three meters high atits extreme points. It is covered witharmored plate and has been paintedappropriately; appropriate colors not onlycorrespond to the colors of the highestclearance level allowed inside eachD.R.A.G.O.N.-bot ver. 3.1, but also to theappearance of the known mutant crea-tures inhabiting the area of the Dungeonsimplex that the device is designed toemulate). A Red-clearance D.R.A.G.O.N.-bot ver. 3.1 is, naturally, the least well-armored and armed�since large, red,mutant creatures are obviously the loweston the power end of the mutant scale.Then there is the ultrapowerful Violetclearance D.R.A.G.O.N.-bot ver. 3.1,designed to seek out and destroy violetmutant reptiles, should any ever show upin the Dungeon.

Regardless of coloration, eachD.R.A.G.O.N.-bot ver. 3.1 has a common

basic design. All are made to house a Trou-bleshooter Team of four. Usually, the fourTroubleshooters assigned are chosen fromthe best and brightest clones the ArmedForces, R&D, Internal Security, and PowerServices have to offer (it is well known thatTechnical Services, HPD&MC, Production,Logistics and Commissary, and CentralProcessing Unit have their own infiltrationdevice currently on The Computer-boarddesign table, but it isn�t finished yet). TheArmed Forces clone sits in the front of theD.R.A.G.O.N.-bot ver. 3.1 and operates boththe steering and frontal weaponry of thedevice, usually a flamethrower. Next is thePower Services clone, who is in charge ofmotivating the D.R.A.G.O.N.-bot ver. 3.1 byusing its unique �stealth drive.� This driveis so quiet that no mutant would ever hearthe camouflaged device approaching(hearing the device at all is, of course, trea-sonous, as The Computer has carefullypointed out).

The third clone is the R&D Trou-bleshooter, in charge of routine mainte-nance and secondary surveillance. TheR&D clone is also in charge of communi-cations�both with the Team�s briefingofficer (through Uplink�see later) and theoutside world. To aid the Troubleshooterin her chore, PLC has graciously providedtwo megaphones (not just phones, mega-phones), labelled respectively Uplink andDownlink. It is important that the Trou-bleshooter not mix up these two devices,as PLC has assured The Computer thiswould cause confusion and disaster.Finally, the IntSec agent is in charge ofprimary surveillance (of the Team, ofcourse) and has the important job of Tail-Wagging, Demonstrating Lifelike Neuro-logical Gratification, which has come tobe known as �twiddling.� The IntSec agentalso has a small hole in the rear of thedevice that the clone can use for eitherviewing the outside area or waste dis-posal. Naturally, the Troubleshooter Teamis equipped with Disposable And Munch-able Savory Edible Lunches(D.A.M.S.E.L.s for their long daycycle�sjourney into nightcycle (the Dungeon isnotorious for being badly lit).

To the outside observer (who should beexecuted, obviously being a mutant fromthe treasonous simplex), the D.R.A.G.O.N.-bot ver. 3.1 looks like a long, reptiliancreature with a large, mobile, noddinghead; a scaled body that is brightlycolored to show up against the dank inte-rior of the Dungeon; and a long, waggingtail (which had better be wagging�thatIntSec agent was bought and paid for, youknow!). The head-nodding gives the unit alifelike appearance, and the Armed Forcesclone provides realistic sound effects;however, the nodding head gets in the wayof the flamethrower occasionally (detailswill follow). The shape used for theD.R.A.G.O.N.-bot ver. 3.1 was gleaned fromOld Reckoning pictures and texts by the

D R A G O N 2 1

late, lamented, Infrared clone, Just ShootMe-NOW-6.

The statistics for the basic, Red-clear-ance D.R.A.G.O.N.-bot ver. 3.1 are givenhere. They can be modified for higherclearance versions. (There is a treasonousrumor of one Ultraviolet D.R.A.G.O.N.-botver. 3.1 that leads the elite unit, thoughlower-level clones seem to confuse �Ultra-violet� with something called �Platinum.�)

The D.R.A.G.O.N.-bot ver. 3.1Mutant Powers by Internal TroubleshootersNo secret-society affiliations (at least,there�d better not be!)S20 E18 A2 D11 M2 C15 MA2

Armor: All (5)

Using the D.R.A.G.O.N.-bot ver.3 .1

The D.R.A.G.O.N.-bot ver. 3.1 is an infil-tration and attack device designed by TheComputer for use in the Dungeon sim-plex. It was not intended for use outside ofthe Dungeon, but it has already beenemployed in Transtube Clearance, FoodRiot Stoppage, and Cutting Ahead in Linespecial operations. It is an impressivepiece of equipment, even though itdoesn�t steer well (obviously the fault ofthe Armed Forces clone in charge of dri-ving�is The Computer to blame becausethe useless clone can�t see through a littlesmoke and flame?) or keep up a continu-ous rate of speed (thanks to those lazyPower Services clones). And there isabsolutely no truth to the rumor that thehead of the D.R.A.G.O.N.-bot ver. 3.1 bobsrandomly, sometimes (5% chance pershot) causing the flamethrower�s auto-matic blast to shoot back into the interior.The flamethrower can be tired by theArmed Services clone on command, but itfires once every 10 minutes anyway, nomatter what anyone else does.

So, go but and explore the Dungeon inperfect safety�at least until D.R.A.G.O.N.-bot ver. 4.0 comes out!

1In case you haven�t noticed, it is treaso-nous to call the D.R.A.G.O.N.-bot ver. 3.1by anything other than its full name.Rumors�which are treasonous�statethat this is because versions prior to 3.1were less than successful. While no onebelieves this reflects badly on R&D orThe Computer�just as no one thinksCone Rifle Penetration and Blast RadiusSurvey Research is something they�dreally, really like to do�these past fail-ures are still something of a sore diodein The Digital Dictator�s side.

2These two attributes, as well as the skillsof the D.R.A.G.O.N.-bot ver. 3.1, aredependent on the clones inside. Chutz-pah is derived from the impressiveappearance of the device, but can behigher if the R&D clone (the one doingthe communicating) has a higher rating.

Keep in mind that the Agility statistic isfor the overall movement of the device,and the Dexterity stat is the maximumallowable inside the D.R.A.G.O.N.-botver. 3.1; it should also be used as themaximum stat for firing the front-mounted flamethrower (Damage col-umn: 15; Type: F; Range: threemeters�with mouth open and head up;see following for more details).

* indicates a treasonous product produced by acompany other than TSR, Inc. Most treasonousproduct names are trademarks owned by thecompanies publishing those treasonous products.The use of the name of any treasonous productwithout mention of its trademark status should notbe construed as a challenge to such status. Carryon, Citizen.

GURPS DragonContinued from page 19

CorneliusST: 9 IQ: 13DX: 12 HT: 10Dodge: 7 Thrust: 1d-2Parry: 8 (w/knife), 7 (w/sword)Block: n/a Swing: 1d-1Speed: 5.5 Move: 5

Advantages: VoiceDisadvantages: Wealth (Struggling), -1

Reputation (Thief and Blackmailer),Cowardice, Greed

Quirks: Any five of the GM�s choiceSkills: Broadsword-11; Carousing-12;

Climbing-12; Disguise-13; Fast-Talk-16;First Aid-13; Knife Throwing-13; Knife-12; Lockpicking-13 Performance-14;Pickpocket-12; Riding (Horse)-10; Shad-owing-12; Stealth-13; Streetwise-14;Swimming-11

Equipment: Broadsword (1d cut, 1d-1cr.), large knife (1d-3 cut, 1d-2 imp.),three throwing knives (1d-2 imp.), lightleather armor (PD 2/DR 2), waterskin,simple first aid kit (+ 1 to skill), personalbasics, one-person tent, blanket, largepouch, large backpack, light ridinghorse, one week�s food, lantern, $1,500(in bags on horse), $150 (in pouch)

Total Points: 50

Cornelius is completely ruthless con-cerning Dexter. He uses the young dragonto further his own fortune and has fullintention of abandoning his charge oncehe has accumulated a suitable fortune.After a drink or two, he doesn�t hesitate todescribe his plans to anyone who seemsto offer a sympathetic�or impressed�ear. If Dexter ever overhears Corneliustalking while he�s in his cups, it will prob-ably engender a radical change in theirrelationship.

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

22 JUNE 1993

Convention Calendar Policies

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

In order to ensure that all conventionlistings contain accurate and timelyinformation, all material should be eithertyped double-spaced or printed legibly onstandard manuscript paper. The contents ofeach listing must be short and succinct.

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

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

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

where additional information andconfirmation can be obtained.

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

WARNING: We are not responsible forincorrect information sent to us byconvention staff members. Please checkyour convention 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 copydeadline for the December issue is the lastMonday of October. Announcements forNorth American and Pacific conventionsmust be mailed to: Convention Calendar,DRAGON® Magazine, P.O. Box 111, LakeGeneva WI 53147, U.S.A. Announcementsfor Europe must be posted an additionalmonth before the deadline to: ConventionCalendar, DRAGON® Magazine, TSRLimited, 120 Church End, Cherry Hinton,Cambridge CB1 3LB, United Kingdom.

If a convention listing must be changedbecause the convention has been canceled,the dates have changed, or incorrectinformation has been printed, pleasecontact us immediately. Most questions orchanges should be directed to the magazineeditors at TSR, Inc.: (414) 248-3625 (US.A.).Questions or changes concerning Europeanconventions should be directed to TSRLimited: (0223) 212517 (U.K.).

★ indicates an Australian convention.❄ indicates a Canadian convention.❂ indicates a European convention.

* indicates a product produced by a company other than TSR,Inc. Most product names are trademarks owned by the compa-nies publishing those products. The use of the name of anyproduct without mention of its trademark status should not beconstrued as a challenge to such status.

CONQUEST I, June 11-13 MDThis convention will be held at the Ramada

Inn in Hagerstown, Md. Guests includeJonathan Frid, Eric Menyuk, John AnthonyBlake, and Sandy Petersen. Activities include anart room, dealers, workshops, a charity auc-tion, and a video room. Send an SASE to: CON-QUEST I, P.O. Box 1007, Hagerstown MD21741-1007; or call: (301) 733-4649.

HEROES �93, June 11-13 NCThis convention will be held at the Charlotte

International Trade Center in Charlotte, N.C.Guests include Mark Bagley, Dick Giordano,George Perez, and Dave Sim. Activities includecontests, art seminars, workshops, andexhibits. Registration: $25/weekend or $10/day.Write to: HEROES �93, P.O. Box 9181, CharlotteNC 28299; or call: (704) 394-8404.

SAN DIEGO GAME CON IX, June 11-12 CAThis convention will be held at the Howard

Johnson-Harborview hotel in San Diego, Calif.Events include strategic, board, role-playing,and card games. Write to: SDGC, 4409 MissionAve., #J208, Oceanside CA 92057; or call:(619) 599-9619.

BOGGLECON �93, June 12 PAThis convention, originally scheduled for

March 13 but postponed due to heavy snow,will be held at the Wind Gap Fire Hall in WindGap, Penn. Events include RPGA� Networkevents and other role-playing games plus wargames. Other activities include a painted minia-tures contest, a games raffle, and a dealers�area. Registration: $10 at the door. Game feesare usually $1. Send an SASE to: Michael Grif-fith, 118 S. Broadway, Wind Gap PA 18091; orcall: (215) 863-5178.

CAPITALCON IX, June 12-13 ILThis convention will be held at the Prairie

Capital Convention Center in Springfield, Ill.Events include role-playing, miniatures, war,and board games. Other activities include anauction, a flea market, and a figure-paintingcontest. Registration: $10 at the door. Write to:John Holtz, 400 E. Jefferson St. #508, Spring-field IL 62701; or call: (217) 753-2656.

RECONN �93, June 12-13 CTThis convention will be held at the Holiday

Inn in Norwalk, Conn. Events include role-play-ing, miniatures, war, and board games. Otheractivities include a movie room and a dealers�area. Write to: Jim Wiley, Gaming Guild, 100Hoyt St. #2C, Stamford CT 06905; or call: (203)969-2396.

SARASOTA-MANATEE FANTASY FAIRJune 13 FL

This convention will be held at the Sarasota,Fla., Holiday Inn. Guests include Michael

White. Activities include gaming, dealers, trad-ing cards, anime, and door prizes. Registration:$3 at the door. Write to: The Time Machine,5748 14th St. W., Bradenton FL 34207; or call:(813) 758-3684.

ATLANTICON �93, June 18-20 MDThis convention will be held at the Baltimore

Convention Center in Baltimore, Md. Guestsinclude numerous gaming personalities. Activi-ties include role-playing, miniatures, and boardgames, plus a dealers� area. Registration: $20preregistered; $30 at the door. Write to: ADFInc., P.O. Box 91, Beltsville MD 20704; or call:(301) 345-1858.

CONTINUUM �93, June 18-20 MOThis convention will be held at the Holiday

Inn Convention Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo.Guests include Mark Lenard and Robin Curtis.Activities include gaming, a dealers� room, anart show and auction, a masquerade, a cos-tume contest, a video room, and a charity auc-tion. Registration: $40/weekend. Single-dayrates are available. Send an SASE to: CONTIN-UUM �93, 1617 Lyndhurst, Cape Girardeau MO63701; or call: (314) 334-4386.

G.A.M.CON �93, June 18-20 ILThis convention will be held at the Day�s Inn

in Quincy, Ill. Events include role-playing,board, and miniatures games. Other activitiesinclude a dealers� area. Write to: Andy Bowen, 7Whispering Oaks, Quincy IL 62301; or call: (217)228-2556.

GLATHRICON �93, June 18-20 INThis convention will be held at the Executive

Inn in Evansville, Ind. Events include AD&D®,MARVEL SUPER HEROES�, SHADOWRUN*, andCHILL* games. Other activities include an artshow and auction a masquerade, panels, deal-ers, and a charity event for the American Can-cer Society. Registration: $20. Write to:GLATHRICON, c/o Evansville Gaming Guild,P.O. Box 15414, Evansville IN 47716; or call:(812) 477-9508.

HEXACON III, June 18-20This convention will be held at the

AZ

Camelview Resort in Scottsdale, Ariz. Eventsinclude role-playing, board, and miniaturesgaming. Other activities include a miniatures-painting contest, a game auction, dealers,anime, panels, guests, and computer gaming.Registration: $10 preregistered; $15 at the door.Write to: HEXACON, P.O. Box 62613, Phoenix AZ85082; or call: (602) 497-9554.

MICHICON �93, June 18-20 MIThis convention will be held at the Southfield

Civic Center in Southfield, Mich. Events includeboard, role-playing, and miniatures games.Other activities include a dealers� room. Regis-tration: $16/weekend or $9/day preregistered;$18/weekend or $10/day at the door. Write to:Metro Detroit Gamers, M-93 Pre-reg., P.O. Box656, Wyandotte MI 48192.

NEW ORLEANS SF & FANTASY FESTIVALJune 18-20 LA

This convention will be held at the Clarionhotel in New Orleans, La. Guests includeRobert Silverberg, Walter Jon Williams, GeorgeAlec Effinger, and Aaron Allston. Activitiesinclude 24-hour open gaming. Write to: NOSF31993, P.O. Box 791089, New Orleans LA 70179-1089; or call: (504) 837-0125.

2 4 J U N E 1 9 9 3

2 6 J U N E 1 9 9 3

RIVERCON �93, June 18-20 OHThis convention will be held at the campus of

the University of Cincinnati, College of AppliedScience in Cincinnati, Ohio. Events includerole-playing, miniatures, computer, and boardgames. Other activities include a dealers� area,open gaming, and door prizes. Registration:$15. Write to: RPS RIVERCON, Univ. of Cincin-nati, College of Applied Science, 2220 VictoryPkwy., Cincinnati OH 45206; or call:(513) 232-6213.

ST. JOSEPH VALLEY GAMERS� CON �93June 18-19 IN

This convention will be held at the IUSB cam-pus in South Bend, Ind. Events include role-playing, board, and historical and fantasyminiatures games. Other activities include deal-ers, demos, a flea market, raffles, contests, anddoor prizes. Send an SASE to: St. Joseph ValleyGamers, 121 W. Colfax, South Bend IN 46601.

WYVERCON �93, June 18-20 WAThis convention will be held at the Skagit Val-

ley Fairgrounds in Mount Vernon, Wash. Eventsinclude a wide variety of role-playing and boardgames. Other activities include a miniatures-painting contest, videos, door prizes and a deal-ers� room. Registration: $20. Daily rates areavailable. Write to: WYVERCON, P.O. Box 2325,Mount Vernon WA 98273; or call Larianne orTodd: (206) 428-5900.

VEGASCON III, June 26-27 NVThis gaming/SF/comics convention will be

held at the Sahara hotel in Las Vegas, Nev.Activities include RPG tournaments, videos,panels, auctions, dealers, and 24-hour opengaming. Registration: $20. Write to: VEGASCON,1149 E. Desert Inn Rd. #9039, Las Vegas NV89109; or call: (702) 658-0667.

ORIGINS �93, July 1-4 TXThis convention will be held at the Tarrant

County Convention Center in Ft. Worth, Texas.Events include hundreds of gaming events,numerous seminars by industry notables, ahuge game auction, and over 200 exhibitorbooths. Write to: GEMCO, P.O. Box 609,Randallstown MD 21133.

ALOHA CON �93, July 3-4 HIThis convention will be held at the AIEA High

School on Oahu. Events include historicaldemonstration, an �artist alley,� costume andminiatures-painting contests, a charity raffle,an auction, and miniatures, board, and role-playing games including RPGA� Networkevents. Registration: $3/day or $5/weekend.Write to: Just For Fun, 4510 Salt Lake Blvd., Ste.B8, Honolulu HI 96819.

NAMELESS CON �93, July 3This convention will be held at the Victoria

Hall, Sheepcote Rd., Harrow, Middlesex, Eng-land. Events include many role-playing gamesincluding RPGA� Network events. Registration:£4. Write to: Darrell Impey, c/o 104 DorchesterWaye, Hayes, Middlesex, UB4 OHY, UNITEDKINGDOM.

ARCANACON XI, July 8-11This convention will be held at Collingwood

College in Melbourne. Activities include a widevariety of role-playing game events. Write to:ARCANACON, P.O. Box 125, Parkville 3052, AUS-TRALIA; or call Fraser at: (03) 380 5016.

IV-KHAN, July 9-10 COThis convention will be held at the Holiday

Inn North in Colorado Springs, Colo. Guest ofhonor is John Stith. Activities include gaming,movies, a dealers� room, a miniatures-paintingcontest, an art show, and an author�s banquet.Registration: $15 until July 4; $20 thereafter.There are $1 game fees. Write to: MiniaturesWargaming Guild, 695 S. 8th St. #55, ColoradoSprings CO 80905; or call Perry at: (719) 630-8332.

DOVERCON IX, July 10-11 NHThis convention will be held at the University

of New Hampshire�s Memorial Union Buildingin Durham, N.H. Guests include BarbaraYoung, editor of DUNGEON® Adventures. Activi-ties include RPGA� Network events and otherrole-playing, board, and war games, plus semi-nars, art, costume, and miniatures-paintingcontests, and a dealers� room. Registration: $15preregistered; $20 at the door. Single-day rateswill be available at the door. Write to: DOVER-CON, P.O. Box 753, Dover NH 03820.

FARCON �93, July 16-18 ARThis convention will be held at the Fayet-

teville, Ark., Hilton hotel. Activities include tour-nament and open gaming, an art show andauction, a costume contest, a 24-hour videoroom, dealers, and door prizes. Registration:$10/weekend preregistered; $15/weekend at thedoor (single-day passes are also available).Write to: FARCON, P.O. Box 2022 Station One, U.of A., Fayetteville AR 72701; or call Jesse at: (501)521-1000, ext. 482.

KINGCON �93, July 16-18This SF/fantasy/gaming convention will be

held at the Delta Brunswick hotel in Saint John,N.B. Events include gaming, a costume contest,an art show and auction, and seminars on writ-ing, virtual reality, computer gaming, andhaunted houses. Registration: $20 (Canadian)until July 1; $25 (Canadian) thereafter. Write to:KINGCON, MPO Box 1212, Saint John, N.B.,CANADA E2L 4G7; or call: (902) 542-1798.

GRAND GAME CON �93, July 17 MIThis convention will be held at American

Legion Post #179 in Grand Rapids, Mich.Events include board, war, and role-playinggames. Registration: $5 preregistered; $7 at thedoor. Write to: Will Holden, 1023 CaliforniaN.W., Grand Rapids MI 49504; or call: (616) 454-0112.

STAFFCON �93, July 18This convention will be held on the Stafford-

shire University campus-Stafford. Guestsinclude Terry Pratchett. Activities include role-playing and on-line games, plus merchants.Prizes will be awarded to competition winners.Registration: £25 including meals, £2 admissionfee at the door. Write to: Chris Grice, c/o S.U.Office, Staffordshire Univ., Beaconside, Stafford,ST18 0AD, ENGLAND; or call: (0785) 211738.

IMPACT 3, July 23-25 NEThis convention will be held at the Holiday

Inn Old Mill in Omaha, Neb. Guests includeLarry Niven, Marion Zimmer Bradley, and LucySynk. Activities include RPGA� Network events,role-playing, miniatures, and board games, anart show and auction, videos, seminars, a mas-querade, and dealers. Registration: $25. Writeto: IMPACT 3, P.O. Box 4486, Omaha NE 68104-9998; or call Rahlyns at: (402) 345-9362.

OPERATION: GREEN FLAG �93July 24-25 PA

This BATTLETECH*-only convention will beheld at the Embers in Carlisle, Pa. Eventsinclude single and lance competitions, a minia-tures-painting contest, gaming, and dealers.Registration costs vary. Write to: M. Foner�sGames Only Emporium, 200 3rd St., New Cum-berland PA 17070; or call: (717) 774-6676.

GAMEFEST �93 II, July 30-Aug. 1 ILThis convention will be held at Friends�

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

WINDSOR GAMEFEST XI, July 30-Aug. 1This convention will be held at the University

of Windsor in Windsor, Ontario. Guests includeRichard Tucholka. Activities include board androle-playing games, prizes, special events, con-tests and movies. Registration: $7/day or$12/weekend preregistered; $8/day or$15/weekend at the door. Write to: SandwichPostal Station, P.O. Box 7463 Windsor, Ontario,CANADA.

CANGAMES �93, July 30-Aug. 2This convention will be held at the Citadel

Inn in Ottawa, Ontario. Events include role-playing, miniatures, and board games. Otheractivities include an auction, dealers, movies,and 24-hour gaming. Write to: CANGAMES, P.O.Box 3358, Station D, Ottawa, Ontario, CANADAK1P 6H8.

GAMEFEST XIV, Aug. 4-8 CA

San Diego, Calif. Events include role-playing,board, and miniatures games. Other activities

This convention will be held in Old Towne in

include figure-painting contests and trivia. Reg-istration: $20 before July 31; $30 at the door.Write to: GAMEFEST XIV 3954 Harney St., SanDiego CA 92110.

AVALONCON �93, Aug. 5-8 MDThis convention will be held at the Hunt Val-

ley Inn in Baltimore, Md. All activities areAvalon Hill and Victory Games board games,with single and team events, demos, and spe-cial events for junior players. Write to: DonGreenwood, c/o The Avalon Hill Game Co., 4517Hartford Rd., Baltimore MD 21214; or call: (301)254-9200.

CUBICON �93, Aug. 6-8 MIThis convention will be held at the Recre-

ations and Organizations Center on the Univer-sity of Michigan-Dearborn campus. Eventsinclude role-playing and board games. Regis-tration: $4/day or $7/weekend. GMs are wel-come. Write to: CUBICON �93, c/o SF3, Room210 ROC, 4901 Evergreen, Dearborn MI 48128;or call: (313) 593-5390.

KINGCON �93, Aug. 6-8 OHThis convention will be held on the Univer-

sity of Dayton campus. Events include role-playing, board, and miniatures games.Registration: $10 preregistered; $15 at the door.Write to: KINGCON, P.O. Box 71, Dayton OH45401; or call: (513) 223-8973.

SUMMER GAMES �93, Aug. 7

in Kenhorst, Pa. Events include many role-play-

PA

ing game events. Registration: $7. Write to:SUMMER GAMES, c/o Nathaniel Lee Fischer,

This convention will be held at the Fire Hall

516 March St., Shillington PA 19607; or callNathaniel at: (215) 775-1548.

CAMELOT V, Aug. 13-15 ALThis convention will be held at the Tom Bevill

Center on the University of Alabama-Huntsvillecampus. Guests include David �Zeb� Cook andTroy Denning. Activities include RPG events,dealers, videos, and open gaming. Registration:$20 preregistered; $25 at the door. Write to:SAGA, P.O. Box 14242, Huntsville AL 35815-0242;or call: (205) 461-8827.

GOLD CON II, Aug. 14 NJThis convention will be held at the American

Legion Post in Clark, N.J. Events include role-playing, miniatures, board, and RPGA� Net-work events. Other activities include aminiatures-painting contest. Registration: $8before July 31; $10 at the door. There are noevent fees. Write to: AU Gamers, P.O. Box 81,Whippany NJ 07981; or call: (201) 402-9239.

1993 GEN CON® Game FairAug. 19-22 WI

For more information on the world�s greatestgame fair, turn to page 48!

BUBONICON 25, Aug. 20-22 NMThis convention will be held at the Howard

Johnson Lodge in Albuquerque, N.M. Guestsinclude Kevin J. Anderson and Robert C. Cor-nett. Activities include gaming, panels, signings,movies, a masquerade, an art show, an auction,hucksters, and filking. Registration: $21 beforeJuly 31; $24 at the door. Write to: NMSF Confer-ence, P.O. Box 37257, Albuquerque NM 87176;or call: (505) 266-8905. No collect calls, please.

Important: To ensure that your conven-tion listing makes it into our files, enclose aself-addressed stamped postcard with yourfirst convention notice; we will return thecard to show that your notice was received.You might also send a second notice oneweek after mailing the first. Mail your listingas early as possible, and always keep usinformed of any changes. Please avoid send-ing convention notices by fax, as thismethod has not proved to be reliable.

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

28 JUNE 1993

NEW PRODUCTS FOR JUNE NEW PRODUCTS FOR JULY

For Faerie, Queen, and Country gameThe AMAZING ENGINE� systemby David �Zeb� CookThe first in a brand-new game line, this pack-

age contains the 32-page core rulebook and the128-page campaign book of the For Faerie,Queen, and Country world. The rulebook givesall the game system�s basic rules, and the cam-paign book details the Victorian England wherepixies boggarts, red caps, and hobs lurk in thestreets of London, not in the depths of supersti-tion. Plus, the concept of a player core allowsplayers to apply earned experience points toany of their characters, no matter which worldthey were created for.$24.95 U.S./$29.95 CAN./£14.99 U.K.TSR Product No.: 2705

MCC1 Monstrous ManualAD&D® game accessoryby TSR staffThis 384-page hardbound tome collects all

the most popular AD&D® game monsters andcreatures in one place Included are virtuallyall the monsters from MC1 and MC2, plusmany creatures from the FORGOTTENREALMS®, DRAGONLANCE®, and WORLD OFGREYHAWK® Monstrous Compendium appen-dices, Some of the creatures have been revisedto eliminate errors and typos, and each crea-ture�s entry also includes all-new, full-color art.$24.95 U.S./$29.95 CAN./£14.99 U.K.TSR Product No.: 2140

BUGHUNTERS� gameThe AMAZING ENGINE� systemby Lester SmithThe second world for the AMAZING ENGINE�

system) this 128-page SF setting of theBUGHUNTERS� adventure world also comespackaged with a copy of the 32-page core rule-book. In the BUGHUNTERS� setting, the playercharacters are Interstellar Marines who protectthe frontiers of space from all varieties of unbe-lievable alien menaces. The player core conceptallows the players to transfer experience earnedin the For Faerie, Queen, and Country setting tobetter their BUGHUNTERS� game characters, orvice-versa. Get in on the ground floor of this excit-ing, innovative new facet of role-playing gameswith the AMAZING ENGINE� game system.$24.95 U.S./$29.95 CAN./£14.99 U.K.TSR Product No.: 2706

FORGOTTEN REALMS® Campaign SettingAD&D® game revised boxed setby Jeff Grubb and Ed GreenwoodSince the debut of the FORGOTTEN

REALMS® setting in 1987, godly interventions, aMongol invasion and the discovery of new con-tinents and cultures have changed the face ofToril. This new edition of the FORGOTTENREALMS® boxed set pulls together everythingthat has happened and will act as the �hub� forall future Realms material. This boxed setincludes three 96-page books, four postermaps, and 16 MC pages.$29.95 U.S./$38.50 CAN./£17.99 U.K.TSR Product No.: 1085

City of Delights

The CreatedAD&D® game RAVENLOFT® moduleby TSR staffA bizarre puppet master pulls the strings in

this introductory adventure for low-level playercharacters. A mad puppeteer has moved to asmall village. By day, he runs a toyshop wherehe sells his creations. By night, however, he cre-ates horrific, living puppets to spread his evil.$6.95 U.S./$8.50 CAN./£4.50 U.K.TSR Product No.: 9414

AD&D® game AL-QADIM� game accessoryby Tim BeachThe mightiest city in the Land of Fate comes

to life in this full-sized boxed set Medina Al-Huzuz, the City of Delights, is the �Baghdad� ofthe Land of Fate. Detailed here are all the won-ders of the city from the daily lives of the com-mon merchants to the exalted intrigues of theGrand Caliph and his court, harem, and viziersThis set includes two 96-page books, eight MCpages, and two poster maps�including theGrand Caliph�s sprawling palace.$20.00 U.S./$24.00 CAN./£11.99 U.K.TSR Product No.: 1091

The Jungles of ChultAD&D® game FORGOTTEN REALMS®accessoryby James Lowder and Jean RabeThis 64-page book leaves your campaign�s PCs

shipwrecked and washed ashore on the coast ofChult. The characters must travel through a landforgotten by time, learn the secrets to survivingthere, and return home. Will the PCs reach theirdestination when tribes of natives and ferociousdinosaurs stand in their way?$9.95 U.S./$11.95 CAN./£5.99 U.K.TSR Product No.: 9389

CGR2 The Complete Gladiator�s HandbookAD&D® game DARK SUN® accessoryby Colin McCombEverything players want to know about gladi-

ators�their lives, techniques, and weapons�isrevealed in this 128-page book This volumecontains new kits, equipment, and never-before-published details on gladiators, thegreatest warriors on the face of Athas$15.00 U.S./$18.00 CAN./£9.99 U.K.TSR Product No.: 2419

RM2 Web of IllusionsAD&D® game RAVENLOFT® moduleby Eric Haddock

Come to the land of Sri Raji, where theancient rakshasa, the evil masters of illusionand shapeshifting, await you. This 64-pageadventure features a perilous journey throughthe deadly domain inspired by East India,where savage tigers and lost temples abound inthe steamy jungles.$9.95 U.S./$11.95 CAN./£5.99 U.K.TSR Product No.: 9415

Cardmaster Adventure Design DeckAD&D® game boxed accessoryby Rich BorgThis attractively designed set makes setting

up challenging adventures for group or soloplay as easy as shuffling cards. These cardsbreak down the often complex task of designingan adventure into simple techniques. This setincludes over 200 full-color and black-and-white cards.$18.00 U.S./$21.50 CAN./£12.99 U.K.incl. VATTSR Product No.: 1090

In the Phantom�s WakeD&D® game moduleby Dale �Wade� HensonIn this 16-page adventure, four to six player

characters have found a strange, magical astro-labe rumored to have come from a hauntedplace. They accidentally trigger its power andfind themselves transported aboard a magical,haunted skyship.$6.95 U.S./$8.50 CAN./£4.50 U.K.TSR Product No.: 9436

Carnival of FearRAVENLOFT� novelby J. Robert KingA murder has occurred along the sideshow

boardwalk of the Carnival l�Morai. Three of thecarnival performers decide to track down thekiller. Their investigation leads to more mur-ders and the discovery of an evil conspiracy.Soon, they too are marked for death.$4.95 U.S./$5.95 CAN./£3.99 U.K.TSR Product No.: 8061

Hammer and AxeDwarven Nations trilogy, Volume Twoby Dan ParkinsonThe humans of Ergoth threaten Thorbardin,

but the intense differences between the dwarvenclans result in warring cultures. The hill dwarvesleave their homeland and become a renegadeclan, dwelling aboveground. They soon becomethe most energetic and forward-looking of theclans, but they still cannot avoid the politicalintrigue that threatens to tear them apart.$4.95 U.S./$5.95 CAN./£3.99 U.K.TSR Product No.: 8350

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

D R A G O N 3 1

©1993 by Rick Swan

Role-playing games� ratings

X Not recommended* Poor, but may be useful** Fair*** Good**** Excellent****** The best

Feeling powerless?Recharge yourself with these science-fiction games

Friday was a miserable day. My catthrew up all over the carpet in my office,my accountant called to tell me I owed$700 in extra taxes, and my computer atethe first draft of this column. To top it alloff, I discovered my wife had taped overthe first four episodes of Deep Space Ninethat I�d been waiting two months to see.

For relief, I turned to the stack of sci-ence-fiction games I�d been saving for justsuch an occasion. I spent the weekendstomping pip-squeaks with giant robots,blowing away mutants with torc grenades,and scorching the Earth with nuclear mis-siles. By Sunday night, I was manipulatingthe environment to engineer the extinc-tion of entire species.

By Monday morning, I felt much better.

BATTLETECH* third-editiongame *****Boxed game with one 56-page rulebook,

one 16-page record sheet booklet, two22�×17� map sheets, 14 plastic minia-tures, two six-sided dice

FASA Corporation $25Design: Jordan K. Weisman, L. Ross Bab-

cock, and Sam LewisDevelopment: Michael NystulEditing: Donna Ippolito and Sharon

Turner MulvihillArt director: Jeff LaubensteinCover: Alan Guitierrez and Jim Nelson

Perhaps the most durable science-fic-tion game of the last decade, FASA�sBATTLETECH* game is one of those why-didn�t-I-think-of-that concepts that keepsgame designers awake at night, gnashingtheir teeth and slapping their foreheads.And no wonder. The basic idea�gargan-tuan robots, operated by human pilots,meet on bleak terrain to bash each others�mechanical brains out�could�ve beendreamed up by an imaginative 10-year-old. But what might have been justanother clever premise became a gamingmilestone, thanks to brilliant mechanics,flawless execution, and nearly a decade ofrefinement. Appallingly addictive, thisgame is no mere diversion but a hobbyunto itself.

While the previous version was a classact (reviewed in DRAGON® issue #131),the third edition (here called�BATTLETECH Three�) stands as thedefinitive treatment, a handsome upgradeworth the purchase price even for ownersof the old editions. The package includes apair of attractive color maps, a pack ofrecord sheets (clutter-free and a joy touse), and�best of all�2� plastic minia-tures of Thunderbolt, Battlemaster, and adozen other BattleMech war machines.Meticulously detailed right down to Rifle-

man�s detachable autocannons andLocust�s pincer feet, I half-expected themto march off the table and take over thehouse.

I�ve heard skeptics grumble that theBATTLETECH system is less than user-friendly, what with its emphasis on war-gaming concepts and endless expansionsets. BATTLETECH Three clears the decksand starts from scratch, presenting thefundamentals in clear, simple language.The lavishly illustrated rulebook leadsnewcomers through a series of four�Training Exercise� scenarios that intro-duce the rules in bite-size chunks. Playerschoose their BattleMechs, locate the cor-responding record sheets, then deploy theplastic figures on the map sheet asdirected by the scenario. A turn beginswith the players determining Initiative byrolling 2d6. The player who loses the Ini-tiative roll moves first. The record sheetsindicate movement allowances for each�Mech type; the Locust can spend 8 pointsto walk or 12 points to run, while the Grif-fin can spend 5 points to walk, 8 points torun, or 5 points to leap like a kangaroo.Extra points may be spent to navigate hos-tile terrain or change facing.

Following movement, the �Mechs attack,utilizing a devastating battery of weaponsattached to various parts of their exoskele-tons. The relatively benign Locust comesequipped with a chest-mounted laserbeam and two machine guns where itsarms ought to be. The Crusader, whichlooks like a cross between an offensivelineman and a jackhammer, sports missilelaunchers in its legs, plus a half-dozenadditional weapons sprouting all over itsarmored shell. Each weapon has distancelimits and to-hit numbers for short,medium, and long ranges. A machine gun,for instance, has a short range of one hexand a long range of three hexes. To makea successful machine-gun assault at shortrange, the attacker must roll a 4 or better;at long range, he must roll at least an 8.The to-hit number may be modified bymovement (+2 if either the attacker ordefender was running) and terrain (+1 iflight woodland conceals the target).

If an attack hits, the attacker rolls on theHit Location Table to determine whichpart of the defender was damaged. Thedefender notes damage by filling in theappropriate number of dots on the armordiagram of his record sheet. If a success-ful machine gun attack inflicted twopoints of damage on the left arm of aLocust, the defending player fills in two ofthe four dots on the left arm. If all the dotsof a particular area have been filled,excess damage may be transferred toother areas of the �Mech, as indicated by

the Damage Transfer Diagram (excessdamage to the left arm is transferred tothe left torso). When no more damage canbe transferred, the affected location is dis-abled; all weapons in that area becomeinert. If a leg was eliminated, the �Mech isimmobilized. �Mechs continue movingand attacking until one �Mech bites thedust or a fixed number turns have passed.Whoever does the most damage wins.

By the third training scenario, a Mech-Warrior (the BattleMech pilot) has learnedto twist his �Mech�s torso to improve itsaim and maneuver a fallen �Mech back toits feet. MechWarriors must also contendwith heat build-up, which can cause a�Mech to shut down if not closely moni-tored. Virtually every action creates heat;walking generates one heat point per turn,while firing an autocannon can generate asmany as seven. Though a �Mech�s heatsinks absorb some of these points, theexcess must be noted on the record sheet�sHeat Scale by marking off the appropriatenumber of boxes As the Heat Scale rises,the �Mech suffers a variety of adverseaffects. At 5 on the scale, the �Mech loses amovement point. At 14, it shuts downunless the player rolls a 4 or better. At 23,the �Mech suffers an ammunition explo-sion�which zaps the pilot with two pointsof electrical feedback damage�unless theplayer rolls at least a 6.

In the final scenario, the player mustroll for a critical hit whenever his �Mechsuffers internal damage. A roll of 8 ormore refers the player to the Critical HitTable on his record sheet, with subse-quent rolls indicating the specific types ofdamage. Critical hits range from a dis-abled leg actuator to a blown-off head,which instantly kills the MechWarriorinside. The advanced rules encourageMechs to supplement their weaponattacks with physical assaults, such aspunches, pushes, and kicks. My favoritetactic is to beat an enemy �Mech over thehead with its own detached arm.

Most combat games tend to bog downin a morass of modifiers and tables longbefore the players make their waythrough the advanced rules�but not thisone. Because of the bare-bone mechanicsand logical presentation, BATTLETECHgame players can concentrate on studyingthe game map instead of the rulebook,Most attacks boil down to pair of dicethrows, and attentive players should havethe relevant tables memorized after onetrip through the training scenarios.

Any quibbles? Just a few. If an attackhas an equal chance of hitting two differ-ent sides of a �Mech, the defender gets topick which side take the damage.Wouldn�t it make more sense to resolve

D R A G O N 3 3

this randomly? I find it hard to swallowthat machines this sophisticated can�t tar-get specific areas for their attacks; whycan�t a skilled pilot aim for the head orarm rather than leaving it up to a HitLocation Table? And the maps may befunctional, but they�re dull. How come thebacks of the maps have blank hexesinstead of terrain?

Evaluation: As if terrific rules, anevocative concept, and a stunning packageweren�t enough, the BATTLETECH gameboasts one of the hobby�s richest settings.Hundreds of years in the future, a once-united Star League has splintered into fiveSuccessor States engaged in a violentstruggle for control of the cosmos. Agroup of elite warriors handles much ofthe front-line combat, waging war in theirBattleMechs throughout the Inner Sphere.FASA has explored the ramifications of theSuccession Wars in a staggering numberof supplements, novels, and expansionsets, with no end in sight.

Where do you go next? After you�vemastered the BATTLETECH game, I rec-ommend moving on to the MECHWAR-RIOR second-edition game (reviewed inDRAGON issue #183) for its extensive role-playing rules. Then take a look at theTechnical Readout series, which featuresdescriptions and statistics for dozens of�Mech variants; Technical Readout: 3055(FASA, $15) has some especially nastyones. The deluxe Solaris VII box (reviewedin DRAGON issue #185) contains a tanta-lizing assortment of new maps, combatrules, and personalities. I also suggest youmake plenty of copies of the BATTLETECHrecord sheets. You�ll be playing this a longtime.

GAMMA KNIGHTS game ***½

Boxed game with one 16-page rulebook,one 32-page sourcebook, one double-sided 32�×21� map sheet, one sheet ofreference tables, 24 die-cut playingpieces, 24 plastic stands, 208 cardboardcounters, four 10-sided dice

TSR, Inc. $20Design: Steve Winter and Slade HensonEditing: Steve WinterIllustrations: Mark NelsonCover: Fred Fields

With the possible exception of theBULLWINKLE AND ROCKY� game(reviewed in DRAGON issue #144), theGAMMA WORLD® game remains TSR�smost eccentric design. Apocalyptic role-playing for the deranged, the GAMMAWORLD game takes place in a war-rav-aged future populated by giant rabbits,friendly robots, and talking plants. Playersassume the roles of mutant grasshoppersand sentient fungi, with a few ordinaryhumans tossed in for good measure.Though great fun for the open-minded,this game may be a bit too weird for those

demanding at least the pretense of sciencein their science fiction.

Hard-liners, then, should welcome theGAMMA KNIGHTS supplement, a more orless straightforward tactical military gamethat nudges the GAMMA WORLD gameback in the direction of reality. GammaKnights�no relation to the hateful Knightsof Genetic Purity from the GAMMAWORLD rulebook�comprise an order offree-lance warriors outfitted in elaboratepower suits left over from the wars of cen-turies past. Nobody seems to get along, soeven casual encounters tend to erupt intoviolence. Hence the game�s simplepremise: Opponents duel to the death onbarren landscapes in sort of a pint-sizeversion of a BATTLETECH campaign.

The GAMMA KNIGHTS game, however,opts for more sophisticated and compli-cated game mechanics than in theBATTLETECH game. As in the latter game,players begin by locating the playingpieces (cardboard counters with plasticbases) representing their units, thengather their record sheets and deploy thepieces on the map as indicated by thescenario. But the resemblance toBATTLETECH games pretty much endsthere. Before starting play, players havethe option of drawing up to four systemsmarkers from a cup, which grant randombonuses and penalties to the Knights�equipment. The Heavy Armor marker, forinstance, allows the Knight to ignore thefirst hit made against his power suit, whilethe Fragile Weapon marker increases thefirst hit made against a weapon by 1. Thesystem markers set the tone of the game,which emphasizes unexpected complica-tions and a parade of variables.

Players move and attack by expendingAction Points (APs). Each Knight has afixed number of APs depending on hisarmor type�e.g., Assault Armor provides8 APs, while Powered Plate Armor sup-plies only 4. The first player, determinedby the scenario instead of an initiative roll,decides whether his Knights operate inAttack Mode or Movement Mode duringthe current turn. Attack Mode Knightsbegin the turn with an Initial Fire Phase,making as many attacks as their AP totalsallow (each weapon attack costs 2 APs, asensor attack costs 1). Units that don�tmake an initial attack are considered to bein the Movement Mode.

In the Movement Phase, which followsthe Initial Attack Phase, Movement ModeKnights can expend as many APs as theylike to move; it costs 1 AP to enter an openhex, 2 APs to enter a building. SomeKnights also can fly, expending 1 AP perhex when airborne. Attack Mode Knightsmay move only a single hex during theMovement Phase. During the TerminalFire Phase, Movement Mode Knights canmake a single attack; Attack Mode Knightssit tight. The turn ends with the RecoveryPhase, where the first player repairs dam-

aged equipment, revives stunned units,and regenerates force fields. The secondplayer then repeats all four steps, and theturn ends. A player wins by meeting thescenario�s victory conditions, which usu-ally require him to eliminate the other side.

Unsurprisingly, most of the rulebook isdevoted to combat. The basics are simpleenough�you merely compare the com-batants� strength ratings and cross-indexthe result on the Attack Table�but find-ing those strength ratings in the first placerequires some serious calculator time.The attacker�s strength, for instance,equals the sum of the primary sensorvalue, secondary sensor value, weaponstrength, and a 2d10 roll (1d10, if attackingin the Terminal Fire Phase). Totalling thedefender�s force field rating, armor num-ber, and terrain value gives the defensivestrength. Other factors include range, lineof sight, and attack type (saturation, pin-point, or close). Special cases requireadditional rules: A unit subjected to pin-point or saturation fire has his attackstrength reduced by two, rolling doublesgives the attacker an extra attack die,sensor locks can be lost four differentways . . . you get the idea. Players drawmarkers from a cup to determine if suc-cessful attacks hit weapons, systems, orarmor sections, and whether they sufferlight or heavy damage.

Though there are a lot of numbers tojuggle, the sheer variety of variables keepscombat encounters unpredictable andfresh. Weapons range from high-tech gad-getry (such as the black ray pistol, whichcan vaporize an enemy in a single shot) toa delightfully anachronistic arsenalstraight out of the Middle Ages�picture arobotic desperado with a heavy crossbowin one hand and a whip in the other. Overa dozen armor options are available,along with 16 pages of instructions fordesigning original models. The six scenar-ios, including a challenging solitaireshowdown with the Iron Society, areimaginatively staged and well balanced.

The GAMMA KNIGHTS game suffersfrom a few lapses in logic, none of themgame-breakers but puzzling all the same.A Knight spends 1 AP to enter an openhex, regardless of whether he�s on theground or airborne; he must be runninglike an antelope or flying in slow motion.Air and ground movement can�t be com-bined in the same turn, even thoughthere�s ample time to do both (one turnrepresents a full minute). For no apparentreason other than dramatic effect, oppo-nents instantly regain their allotment ofAPs when they begin close combat,regardless of how many points were spentmoving into the contested hex. And therules encourage lengthy, sometimes inter-minable, combat encounters; I�d suggestspeeding things up by suspending the rulethat allows force fields to regenerateautomatically.

D R A G O N 3 5

Evaluation: Familiarity with theGAMMA WORLD game isn�t required forplaying a GAMMA KNIGHTS session. Infact, the latter works better as a stand-alone game than as a role-playing supple-ment. (How often do Knights pop up in atypical campaign, anyway? And what arethe other characters supposed to do whilethe Knights spend an hour or so whackingeach other?) On its own terms, theGAMMA KNIGHTS set succeeds as a newapproach to tactical combat, combiningtraditional mechanics with some appeal-ing quirks. While I miss the whimsicaltouches that make the GAMMA WORLDgame so much fun, there�s plenty of roomfor expansion. Fightin� fungi, anyone?

ORBIT WAR* game **½

Boxed game with one 12-page rulebook,one �Quick Start� rules sheet, one22�×17� mounted map, 390 counters,ziplock bag, two six-sided dice

Steve Jackson Games $25Design: Wallace WangDevelopment: Steve JacksonCounter graphics: J. David GeorgeCover: Alan Gutierrez

Steve Jackson first launched the ORBITWARS game back in 1983, including it as abonus in issue #66 of Space Gamer maga-zine. That version featured componentsyou could store in a business envelope,including a cheesy paper map and dinkylittle cardboard counters that�if memoryserves�had to be cut apart from the sub-scription card. Now it�s back, this time asa classy boxed set with upscale produc-tion values and a price to match.

While the package has improved, thegame itself hasn�t changed much. Set inthe year 2020, two players representingthe United States and the Asian-PolishUnion vie for control of Earth�s skyways byengaging in satellite warfare, vaguely simi-lar to what Ronald Reagan had in mindwith his Strategic Defense Initiative (hewas kidding, wasn�t he?). Each side spendsa fixed number of points on orbital rock-ets, space stations, and other self-poweredhardware, then loads them up with minesand nuclear warheads. Once in orbit, theyproceed to blast each other to oblivion.Satellites may also spew nukes at MotherEarth, leveling cities and incinerating anunsuspecting populace. Whoever does themost damage earns the most VictoryPoints and wins the game.

The action takes place on a hex map ofouter space, designed as a series of 10concentric �orbit lines� encircling a sin-gle-hex Earth. Orbiting units may movetwice in a turn, once automatically andonce voluntarily. Automatic movementrepresents the inherent motion of orbit-ing objects, requiring all units to move afixed number of hexes along their orbitlines. The closer the orbit line is to Earth,

the more the satellite moves; satellites on the ORBIT WAR game lacks personality.the outermost line move one hex per It�s intellectually engaging but not particu-three turns, while those on the innermost larly memorable, like something Mr.line move four hexes every turn. Voluntary Spock might use to amuse the kids on amovement represents a satellite�s ability to slow day on the U.S.S. Enterprise. What-move under its own power, indicated by ever this game�s pleasures, they don�tthe movement allowance on its counter. come cheap. The ORBIT WARS game wasSatellites may move in any direction and a steal at $3.00 (the 1983 price, completemay position themselves on different orbit with a magazine), but at $25.00 you mightlines to bring them closer to enemy units. want to stick to crossword puzzles.

After both sides finish moving, opposingunits attempt to blow each other up. Nor-mal combat occurs between enemy satel-lites occupying the same hex. Units arealso subject to attacks from space mines(orbiting booby-traps affecting multipletargets) and nuclear missiles (fired at tar-gets two hexes away). To resolve combat,the attacker subtracts his unit�s strengthfrom that of the defender, then cross-indexes the result with a die-roll on theCombat Results Table. If the roll is highenough, the enemy unit disintegrates.Successful attacks against the Earth resultin Victory Points rather than disintegra-tion. (For visual appeal, we piled little cot-ton balls on the Earth hex to indicate themounting carnage.)

TYRANNO EX* game ****Boxed game with one six-page rulebook,

one 22�×16� mounted map, 32 playingcards, four cardboard screens, 160counters, six six-sided dice

The Avalon Hill Game CompanyDesign: Karl-Heinz SchmielDevelopment: Don GreenwoodCard and marker art: Dave DobyskiCover and map: Charlie Jarboe

$35

The ORBIT WAR game would�ve beenjust another fly-�em-and-fry-�em boardgame if not for its inventive options. With17 different units to choose from, playerscan experiment with an endless variety offleets. Space Marines can spill from anELR (Earth-Launched Rocket) to assaultenemy satellites, supported by mine-lay-ing shuttlecraft and orbital weapon plat-forms. Suicide satellites, detonated at theowner�s discretion, can blow enemy spacestations into the next galaxy. The advancedgame includes rules for targeting nuclearattacks on industrial sites, inflicting dam-age on satellites instead of destroyingthem outright, and repairing inoperativeequipment.

We here at the testing center usuallyarrive at a consensus without too muchdissent. Not so with the TYRANNO EXgame, Avalon Hill�s oddball board gameabout evolution and environmental sur-vival. After one play, I was jumping up anddown, screaming, �Five stars! A master-piece!� Everyone else thought I was nuts.�Good, not great,� they said. �Two stars,maybe three.� Subsequent plays didn�taffect their opinion, despite my remindingthem that I�m always right.

However, while the rules are clever,they�re often a pain to execute. Adjustingthe positions of all the orbiting satellitesgets awfully tedious awfully fast, especiallyin the advanced scenarios where dozensof counters may be on the board at thesame time. Bland counter graphics makesit hard to distinguish one unit fromanother. There�s far too much bookkeep-ing for a premise this humble, as playersmust keep track of their missile launch-ings, mine deployment, and reinforce-ment allocations on paper. Commonsense also takes a few lumps. If an explod-ing mine can pick and choose which unitsin its hex are affected, why can�t anexploding suicide satellite? How come youhave to pay for satellites, but rockets andnuclear warheads are free? And howcome all of this takes place in two-dimen-sional space?

We all agreed that the TYRANNO EXgame was one of the most original designswe�d seen in a long time. Each playerreceives a stack of Animal Cards (repre-senting the Stegosaurus, Iguanadon, orone of 26 other prehistoric creatures, witha colorful illustration on one side and ahistorical description on the other), adozen Element Disks (depicting Fish,Water, Trees, and other environmentalfactors), and a Primeval World Track (arow of boxes on the game board symbol-izing evolutionary advancement). A turnbegins with the players selecting Animalsfrom their respective decks and placingthem in the first box of their PrimevalWorld Tracks (PWTs). Players thenattempt to manipulate the environment byplacing Element Disks face-down in theEvolution Boxes adjacent to the PWTs.Using an ingenious system driven bybluffs, strategic positioning, and blindluck, players displace old Elements withnew ones, competing to create environ-ments favorable to their own Animals.After three to five rounds of Element dis-placement, the phase ends, with a particu-lar Element dominating in each Track.

Evaluation: I enjoyed the challenge ofthis game, but I had a hard time workingup much enthusiasm after the first coupleof plays. Despite the interesting premise,

Every Animal has three Elementsrequired for survival, indicated on itscard; the Stegosaurus, for example,requires Brush, Sun, and Water. Duringthe Element Displacement phase, if aplayer instigates a change that results inall three of an Animal�s Elements domi-

36 JUNE 1993

nating in the Evolution Boxes, the Ani-mal�s strength increases by one. For theStegosaurus, this means that Brush mustdominate in one of the Evolution Boxes,Sun in another, and Water in a third. Theowning player indicates the increasedstrength by placing a marker on theStegosaurus�s card. At the end of the Ele-ment displacement phase, any Animal thatdoesn�t have at least one of its Elementsdominating a PWT immediately becomesextinct and vanishes from the board.

Surviving Animals are subject to preda-tor attacks in the Battle phase. The aggres-sor attacks with a number of dice equal tothe number of disks in the EvolutionBoxes corresponding to the Element sym-bols on its card (e.g., if there are threeSuns and two Waters in the boxes, theStegosaurus attacks with five dice). Thedefender�s dice are determined the sameway. Every die roll less than or equal tothe Animal�s strength counts as a hit.Whichever Animal scores the most hitswins the round. If an Animal wins twoconsecutive rounds, the opponentbecomes extinct. If an Animal wins twoout of three rounds, the loser receives aSuppressed marker. A Suppressed Animalremains alive but has its strengthreduced.

At the end of the Battle phase, Animalsadvance one box on their PWTs. Playersthen tally victory points; the further alongthe PWT, the more points an Animalearns. The game continues until all of theAnimal Cards have been depleted. Who-ever has the most victory points wins.

I loved it, despite a few awkward rules.Combat involves an endless amount ofdie-rolling; even the example in the rule-book requires 48(!) dice to resolve. A victo-rious Animal receives a strength bonusonly if it begins combat with fewerstrength points than its opponent, aclumsy restriction to keep powerful Ani-mals from taking over. Though it�s possi-ble to mount a game with two or threeplayers, you need four to get the full effect.And forget about solitaire.

My playtesters, on the other hand,objected to the approach as a whole. TheTYRANNO EX game, they said, addressedevolution only obliquely, treating it as asuperficial abstraction�and a dull one atthat. While the PWTs portray a dense jun-gle, a volcanic wasteland, and two otherdistinct landscapes, the different terrainshave no effect whatsoever on play. TheAnimals are so colorless they might aswell have been called X, Y, and Z. All Ani-mals begin with the same strength andappear at random, without any considera-tion given to the era in which they actuallybelonged. Any Animal can attack anotherwithout regard to its terrain, appetite, ordisposition. Animals don�t evolve in anymeaningful sense; they just get a littlestronger as they march off the side of theboard. Though the playtesters gave the

38 JUNE 1993

TYRANNO EX game a reluctant thumbsup, it impressed them mainly as a collec-tion of missed opportunities. They�ve got apoint, but. . .

Evaluation: . . . I still think they�rewrong. Truly original board games are sofew and far between that the debut of agood one is cause for celebration. TheTYRANNO EX game is a virtuoso perfor-mance, an ingenious take on an under-used topic, rendered with insight andelegance. Easy to learn but impossible tomaster, it may not be everyone�s idea of anacceptable simulation or even a goodtime. However, from where I�m sitting, itlooks to be an early contender for the bestnew board game of the year.

Short and sweetMinion Nation, by Lester Smith. GDW,

Inc., $4.50. The trouble with using cardsand tables to generate random encountersis that sooner or later you run out of sur-prises. The Minion Nation expansion kitrejuvenates the MINION HUNTER* boardgame (reviewed in DRAGON issue #188)with a bonanza of variants. Two pages oftables, replacing the original game�sEncounter Chart, generate hostile minionsfrom the Interstices, Plaguelands, andMechaniaca. Sixteen additional equipmentcards supply hunters with horses, vam-piric swords, and chameleon suits. A Ran-dom Plot Table, featuring 100 differententries, replaces the Plot Deck, which any-one who�s played the game more thantwice should be ready to retire. Despite thequality of the package, it�s no bargain. Thebooklet is a skimpy eight pages�one ofthem a title page, another a useless glos-sary�and you�ve got to cut the cards apartyourself (it must be the work of a minionin the marketing department).

RIFTS* Sourcebook Two: TheMechanoids, by Kevin Siembieda. Palla-dium Books, $12. Meet the bad guys whowon�t stay dead. This race of alien killersoriginally reared their steely heads in thenow-defunct MECHANOID INVASION*game, Palladiums� first and worst RPG.They rose again in 1985�s MECHANOIDS*game, which designer Siembieda dis-misses as �a so-so rework� (he�s too mod-est�I�d rank it among the most inventivescience-fiction RPGs of the decade). Nowthe Mechanoids have clawed their wayout of the cosmic junkyard, as nasty asever, in this stylish supplement for theRIFTS* game. How nasty are they? Notonly do they hate you and me, they hateanything that even looks like us. Siem-bieda opens with a compelling overviewof Mechanoid history, then packs the restof book with statistics and playing notesfor the Multi-Brain Combat Vehicle, theTunnel Crawler, and the rest of theMechanoid armada. Siembieda misfires,though, when he suggests thatMechanoids can be used as player charac-

ters; these things were born to be bad. Asgood as it is, RIFTS Mechanoids merelyscratches the surface of the vastMechanoid universe, which Siembiedapromises will be explored in the forth-coming MECHANOID SPACE* game. Ican�t wait�my containment chamber�stwitching already.

Rick Swan has worked as a rock musician,suicide-intervention counselor, and news-paper publisher. He now writes full-time.You can contact him at: 2620 30th Street,Des Moines IA 50310. A self-addressedstamped envelope increases the chance ofa response.

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

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

The Day of Dread, green-slimeeaters, and other news

by Bruce A. HeardThis regular feature offers answers to letters on the D&D® game, its

worlds and products, occasional articles, or �first glance� reviews of D&Dgame products. The reader is welcome to send questions, suggestions, orcriticism on the game or on the material published here. We can�tpromise all letters will be answered in this column, but they all will getour attention.

LettersThe adventure presented in Wrath of the

Immortals calls for a day without anymagic at all. Although it seemed like agreat idea, it causes a number of prob-lems in my campaign (magically rejuve-nated characters dying of sudden old age,the Flying City of Serraine or the FloatingIslands of Ar crashing, etc). Did you reallymean �no magic at all�?

As far as drama was concerned, the idea

worked well, but for a long-lasting cam-paign, the effects should be limited to pre-vent campaign-busting problems. A fullexplanation of the Day of Dread appears inAC1011 Poor Wizard�s Almanac, with sug-gestions on how to manage its repercus-sions. Here is a summary of what�s alreadywritten in AC1011�s present draft:

Essentially, all mortal-level spells andspell-like effects fail. This includes spellscast from magical items (rings, scrolls,

wands, etc.) and natural spell effects inher-ent to certain monsters (see below). TheDay of Dread does not affect artifacts,Immortals, or anti-magic at all. The magi-cal blackout is limited to the prime planeand the Mystara planetary system only.

Other permanent magical items mayretain their effects during the Day of Dread(magical swords and armor and rings ofprotection, for example). Roll 1d4 for eachmagical item, and compare the score withthe guidelines for damaged items on page145 of the Rules Cyclopedia. �Damaged�items cease to function during the Day ofDread, from midnight at the site of GlantriCity to the following midnight (watch fortime differences east and west of that posi-tion; Thyatis runs a little under one hourlater than Glantri).

Here�s an example: The owner of asword of flying +3 should roll to see if theitem retains its +3 magic. Regardless ofthe score, this sword will not allow itsowner to fly during the Day of Dread.

The Day of Dread�s effect on potions israther nasty. Their contents automaticallybecome inert during that day, and if the dieroll calls for a ��damaged� result, the potionis permanently spoiled. Poison is notaffected.

Here�s a rule of thumb for determiningwhich innate magical abilities monsterscan retain. The ability still works if it is apermanent effect affecting only the mon-ster itself (e.g., immunities to nonmagicalweapons, a beholder�s ability to levitate).The ability does not work if the monstercan use that ability only a certain numberof times a day (e.g., lycanthropic or meta-morphic transformations, breathweapons), or if its ability normally affectssomething or someone else than the mon-ster (e.g., a beholder�s eye-stalk rays, aharpy�s charm-song, an undead�s level-draining). Shape-changers would remainstuck in whatever form they adopted priorto the Day of Dread.

Magically aged people come in two sorts,and each is affected differently. There arethose who were permanently rejuvenated(and thus are unaffected by the day withoutmagic} and those whose apparent agesdepend on continuous magical effects (andthus would succumb to a total magicalblackout). The former is the most commonsort of magical aging. Likewise, majorenchantments affecting the campaignworld should remain mostly unaffected.For example, Floating Ar or Serraine mightonly lose altitude or become immobilized.Major magical objects that do not threatena campaign�s balance (like skyships, gar-gantoids, and other magical �sponges�)could almost automatically be neutralized,considering the vast number of differentenchantments they required during theircreation.

Remember, this event was created morefor campaign drama than rules-lawyering.

D R A G O N 4 1

No rules will replace a DM�s best judg-ment, so feel free to adjust the severity orthe game mechanics of the Day of Dread inyour campaign.

There was an Alphatian-controlled landcalled Minaea in the Dawn of the Emper-ors boxed set. Does any information existabout Minaea?

Very little. Minaeans were referred to aspirates many years ago in module M2Vengeance of Alphaks. Minaea never fellunder Alphatian domination. It marks thefar-eastern limit of Alphatia�s power andinfluence, prior to the latter�s disappear-ance from the surface world (see the Wrathof the Immortals boxed set). It is virtuallyunknown to typical Known World peoplebecause it is so remote. The only �civilized�people who would really know about theMinaeans are Bellissarians, especiallythose at the heavily fortified town of Spear-point. The latter view Minaeans as blood-thirsty pirates. Based upon the location ofthe races in Mystara described in theHOLLOW WORLD® boxed set, Minaeanswould have to be descendants of the fierceJennites (horse-riders derived from real-world ancient Scythians). The presentMinaeans could also be derived fromConan�s mysterious Pictish warriors, givensome additional seafaring experience.

Within a few years following the disappear-ance of mainland Alphatia from the KnownWorld (AC 1012 or later), Minaean raidsinto southeastern Bellissaria, if not majorinvasions, would be likely.

Is there a complete chart of weaponmastery for the weapons described in theHOLLOW WORLD accessory, Kingdom ofNithia?

Yes, as well as some errata. It was pub-lished in DRAGON® issue #182, in the�Princess Ark� column.

Benekander, as a 1st-level Immortal, has300 PP. The rules also state on page 72 ofBook One that newly created immortals gettheir very first manifestation form for free,directly from their sponsor. Since

This is a question about Wrath of theImmortals. Page 71 of Book Two says thatcharacters on the path to Immortalityreceive a +5 bonus to their arrival andpetition modifiers if they seek Benekan-der�s sponsorship. However, it costs 100PP for an immortal to create a manifesta-tion (which 1st-level Benekander cannotafford). Is there a fix?

Benekander didn�t have a sponsor, assumethat he automatically got his manifestationform (as described on page 17 of BookOne) when he attained Immortality.

42 JUNE 1993

Shouldn�t green slimes rule places likeforests, since only fire or extreme cold canharm them?

Ever heard of green-slime-guzzlers? Nei-ther have I, but sure enough, mothernature certainly has some kind of obscurepredator for anything swimming, creeping,or crawling on Mystara. Care to submit agrimoire of low-life predators, anyone?(And no, you can�t use a green-slime-guzzler as a wizard�s familiar�it loves earwax).

If a monster with a charm ability dies,are the victims of its charm automaticallyfreed from its effects?

Nothing in the rules states that the effectceases when the caster dies. The victim stillgets to roll saving throws as described onpage 45 of the Rules Cyclopedia.

They were first published in DRAGONissue #163, in my column. They will bepublished again in the upcoming �PrincessArk� boxed set, Champions of Mystara(due out in October 1993).

What is a Night Dragon? Are there anygame statistics for them?

Will all of the �Princess Ark� episodes bepublished in Champions of Mystara?

Because of space limitation, the first 15episodes will be summarized. All of theother episodes appear in full, up to part 35.Also included will be a more detaileddescription of Sind, the Great Waste, andthe Serpent Peninsula; two maps displayingthese regions in the usual hex format; acomplete description of the Princess Arkand its crew, along with two maps of theship�s main decks (in 25-mm scale); andnew rules on building skyships, along withcards providing various skyship examples(Heldannic Warbirds, gnomish blimps,etc.).

After reading issue #190, I just had towrite. The complaint by the individualregarding the D&D game boxes was defi-nitely unjustified. I�ve been involved withD&D and AD&D® games since the late�70s, and I found these products to be per-fect for teaching new players.

This past Christmas, I bought theDRAGON QUEST� game for my family,hoping they would like it and join one ofmy hobbies. Needless to say, they did, andwe bought all four of the D&D boxedgames. The cardboard stand-ups andgame tiles add the realism I missed whenall the monsters looked like dice.

Thanks for the vote of confidence!

44 JUNE 1993

Incorporating novice players into your campaign

by Neil McGarry

Artwork by Tom Dow

ovice role-playing game players canbe a trial to the most knowledgeableand experienced gaming groups.There is so much for them to learn,

and the older players often do not want towait for them to learn it. How do you, asthe DM, bridge the gap?

The key lies in making the training ofthe new RPG player the job of the entiregroup, not just the DM. This spreads outthe responsibility and speeds up the awk-ward period of adjustment the group goesthrough when taking on a new member.Here are a few tips to help you, the DM,help your new players get adjusted.

1. Set aside some time to work withthe new player alone. Start the newplayer off by having her roll up her charac-ter�s statistics, then let her choose a class.This will be one of the biggest decisionsearly on, so be prepared to give goodadvice. Try to remain impartial, however,or else she may wind up choosing the classshe thinks you want her to use, rather thanrelying on her own preferences.

Once that is out of the way, you can gether familiar with armor class, hit points,saving throws, and the other mechanics ofrole-playing, so she will at least knowwhat you mean when you say, �Make asaving throw versus poison.� Ironically, I

find that most new players have more of aproblem in identifying the type of dicethey need to roll than in why they need toroll them (where else do you ever use 12-sided dice?). Keep this in mind as you andyour veteran players are throwing aroundterms like �d20� or �d12.�

When the player begins to choose thespecifics of her character (spells for wiz-ards, weapon proficiencies for fighters,etc.), try to maintain a �hands-off�approach. Answer her questions, butdon�t create the character for her. Whencomplicated rules arise, such as the fight-ing styles in PHBR1 The Complete Fighter�sHandbook, don�t try to explain everythingat once. Unless your new player is a whiz,this will confuse and aggravate her. Goslowly and give her time to understandthe more complex rules. In extreme caseswhere a difficult choice must be made,recommend specifics that you know shewill be happy with, and be willing to lether change these retroactively as shegains experience. The other players mayhowl when you let her change one profi-ciency to another, but they should be will-ing to compromise to accommodate thenew player (and if not, then a few goodDM growls should suffice to convincethem). Finally, be prepared to stop game-play when the new player runs into a

problem; this slows down play at first butshould happen less often as time goes byand the novice gains confidence.

Beware of the novice who nods toomuch, because it probably means that shedoesn�t understand what�s going on but isafraid to slow down the game to ask for anexplanation. Take the time to explain any-thing she doesn�t understand, and makecertain she knows that you are willing toanswer any questions.

Most importantly, be sure that thenovice turns first to you, the DM, foradvice on specific rules. The other playersmay be well-intentioned in their efforts toadvise her, but as we all know, many play-ers have their own versions of the rules(�Oh, sure, you can bring a war elephantinto a dungeon!�). This requires the DMhave a working knowledge of the rulesherself, a necessary prerequisite for anygood referee.

2. Emphasize preparedness. The newplayer must be willing to spend the timeand effort to learn the rules, or else yourbest efforts will be wasted. Of course, hecannot be expected to become a rulesexpert after just a few sessions, but heshould have a willingness to read the rule-books on his own. Again, if you let himlean on you too much at first, you�ll wind

DRAGON 45

up playing his character for him. To helphim out, write or type out a summary ofthe most important rules needed duringplay, such as calculating THAC0, initiative,etc., that he can keep within easy reachand refer to as needed. This will savecountless minutes of frantic flippingthrough the Player�s Handbook for a tableor chart. One idea that works particularlywell is drawing up an attack matrix (seethe AD&D® 1st Edition game�s DungeonMaster�s Guide, pages 74-75), according tohis character�s chance to hit. THAC0 canbe a difficult concept to master, and thiswill ease him into calculating his chanceof success for himself. Another usefuladdition to the summary is on page 93 ofthe AD&D 2nd Edition game�s PH, entitled�What You Can Do in One Round.� I findthat one of the most frequently askedquestions of new players is �Well, whatcan I do?� so this information should givethem a head-start on the answer.

If the player is using a spell-caster(something that is not recommended formost novice players), photocopy or typeout the spell listings on pages 126-128 ofthe PH and highlight those his characterhas access to. This comes in especiallyhandy for priest characters, whose majorand minor access to various spheres iscertain to confuse a new player. Allow the

player to use these aids freely, whilestressing that they exist to supplement therules, not substitute for them. Gettingfamiliar with the rules themselvesrequires a little time away from the gam-ing table, but as all experienced playersknow, it�s worth the effort. If the player islagging on his �homework,� a word to thewise should be sufficient to motivate him.The best advice a DM can give a newplayer is �Know your character.� Learnwhat he can do, and what he can�t.

3. Assign another player to be aguide for the novice. Ask for volunteersor assign someone you trust to lendresponsible guidance. Your players maynot be inclined to do this, so simplyremind them that breaking in the newplayer is everyone�s job, not just the DM�s.If that doesn�t work, try a small bribe tosweeten the pot (extra experience points,for example, depending on the guide�sperformance). If all else fails, the threat ofa vampire or two can be a marvelousincentive to perform such a service.

Once the �guide� has been chosen, tellthe novice that she would do well to fol-low the example of her new guide duringplay. Emphasize, however, the importanceof innovation; in other words, see that thenovice isn�t blindly parroting the experi-

enced player. Warn the other players thatwhile outside suggestions to the noviceare welcome, you will not allow her to beverbally bombarded (�Cast a spell!� �No,throw a flask of oil!� �Don�t do that! Helpmy character!�), a tactic virtually guaran-teed to discourage new players from everreturning to the gaming table. Ideally, thenovice should rely more heavily on herguide at first, then less so as she gainsknowledge and confidence. This expeditesplay, keeps your players happy, and makesyour job as DM a little easier.

These suggestions may not fit all gam-ing groups; some DMs may prefer a�hands-on� approach to training, whileothers may leave it entirely to the noviceto sink or swim. However it is done, theaddition of a new player should not be atrial for the DM, but an experience sharedby the whole group. If it�s done properly, itcan result in a sharp new player, atougher party of PCs, and a more enjoy-able game for all involved.

46 JUNE 1993

Mr. Sulu, virtual reality, and Marvelat the 1993 GEN CON® Game Fair

by Tom McLaughlin

In just two months, convention plan-ners at TSR will give the world�s biggestgame fair the green light. If you haven�tmade plans to come to the 1993 GENCON® Game Fair, get going. It�s one showyou don�t want to miss!

Highlighting this year�s Game Fair aretons of brand new events, including cut-ting-edge virtual reality games fromDream Park Corporation and VirtualWorld Entertainment. Another first is Sci-

ence Fiction Saturday, with special StarTrek events and guest of honor GeorgeTakei. And, for all of you comic-book fans,we�re unleashing our first-ever MarvelComics Mini-Con!

Held August 19-22 at the MECCA Centerin Milwaukee, this huge event (sponsoredby TSR, Inc.) features four days of gamingin almost a dozen categories. It boastsmore than 1,000 computer, video, arcade,virtual reality, multiplayer network, mili-

tary, strategy, board, role-playing, andminiatures games.

The list of author and artist celebritiesis huge, too. You can meet: R. A. Salvatore,Robh Ruppel, Frank Kelly-Freas, JeffEasley, Larry Bond, Tracy Hickman Mar-garet Weis, Brom, Ed Greenwood, FredFields, Doug Niles, Frank Chadwick, GregFarshtey, and many others!

In last month�s DRAGON® Magazine, wedescribed the convention�s role-playing,

miniatures, and strategy game events.Here�s the low-down on more activities.

Arcade and virtual-reality gamesGet wired! The new virtual reality

games from Dream Park Corporation andVirtual World Entertainment are just atiny part of over 100 high-tech networkedcomputer, video, and arcade games com-ing to Milwaukee. What can you do?

� Climb into a BATTLETECH* cockpitfor the �MechWarrior fight of your life;

� Experience Larry Niven�s Ringworldin Virtual Ringworld;

� Try new computer games likeRevenge of the Patriarch and the MythosEngine, and test your skill in the VirtualParlor;

� Compete in the hottest computer andvideo games, including MidiMaze, Lem-mings, Ultima, Risk, Batman Returns,Black Crypt, M.U.L.E., Sonic, Falcon, andothers; and

� Try some old favorite arcade games,such as Tetris, Joust, Rampage, DoubleDragon, Xybots, Tempest, Space Harrier,Quix, Centipede, I-Robot, Phoenix, andBlack Tiger.

Meet George �Sulu� TakeiAnother convention first is the August

21 Science Fiction Saturday, with specialStar Trek events and guest George Takei.The star who played Mr. Sulu in over 70TV episodes and six movies in the amaz-ing Star Trek series will meet fans, giveseminars, and sign autographs all daylong.

Science Fiction Saturday featuresdozens of celebrities and events like:

� Star Trek novel authors GeneDeWeese and Leah Rewolinski;

� A Star Trek costume contest�judgedby George Takei;

� STAR FLEET BATTLES*, STAR TREK:THE ROLE-PLAYING GAME*, STAR FLEETMISSIONS*, TRAVELLER*, STAR WARS*,and Star Trek Trivia gametournaments;

� A fantastic Hollywood-style Star Fleetmodel display;

� TSR�s brand-new BUCK ROGERS� andAMAZING ENGINE� games;

� Movie hits like Star Trek II, FantasticPlanet, and 20 Million Miles to Earth; and

� The $1 million science-fiction andfantasy art show and memorabilia exhibithall.

Marvel artist & comics, tooThe world�s biggest comic-book com-

pany, Marvel, is coming to the Game Fair.And the hottest comic magazine in thecountry, Wizard, is right behind them.This is the first time we�re unveiling acomic track at the game fair. This two-daymini-con, August 20-21, is packed withevents like these:

� Meet and get a free autographedposter from Steve Lightle, Marvel�s top

Avengers artist;� Check out the reels from the ani-

mated X-Men Adventures series;� Meet the pros and get free copies of

the newest Wizard magazine;� See the newest and hottest comic pro-

jects from Les Dorscheid, Jeff Butler, JohnStatema, Mike Machlan, Tony Harris,Doug Gregory, and a dozen other artists;

� Bring your art portfolio and talk to thepros at great seminars like �Breaking intothe Business�;

� Get a behind-the-scenes look at howyour favorite comics are made;

� Score tons of great freebies like lim-ited edition trading cards and comics;

� Play dozens of adventures in theCHAMPIONS*, MARVEL SUPER HEROES�,DC HEROES*, VILLAINS &VIGILANTES*,JUDGE DREDD*, and TEENAGE MUTANTNINJA TURTLES* games; and

� Meet surprise costumed super-heroes�and villains!

And play games!The 1993 GEN CON Game Fair will fea-

ture hundreds of game tournaments andis giving away over $10,000 in prizes. Thebiggest tournaments are the Avalon HillClassics Open, RPGA� Network events,MidiMaze, MONOPOLY*, and the BAT-TLETECH Miniatures Open tournaments.And don�t miss the Puffing Billy, GamesMagazine Triathalon, Mythos Virtual Real-ity Shootout, and Rubout tournaments, orthe 13th Annual Miniatures PaintingCompetition.

The convention also has its famous artshow; an expanded strategy board-gametrack with special guest Rich Berg; and aline-up of incredible historical, science-fiction, and fantasy miniatures and board-game events.

The 1993 GEN CON Game Fair is themulti-media game event of the year! Grabyour friends and come see it all; there�ssomething for everyone. Daily fees are just$5 for spectators and $10 for players.

RegistrationTo register, send your name and

address before June 1st to: RegistrationDept., 1993 GEN CON Game Fair, P.O. Box756, Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A. AfterJune 1, 1993, call Sandy Kinney at: (414)248-3625, ext. 424.

® designates registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.™ designates trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.©1993 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

MARVEL SUPER HEROES, THE AVENGERS, and THEX-MEN are trademarks of Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc.Copyright ©1993 Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. All RightsReserved.

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

By Skip Williams

If you have any questions on the gamesproduced by TSR, Inc., �Sage Advice� willanswer them. In the United States andCanada, write to: Sage Advice, DRAGON®Magazine, P.O. Box 111, Lake Geneva WI53147, U.S.A. In Europe, write to: SageAdvice, DRAGON Magazine, TSR Ltd., 120Church End, Cherry Hinton, CambridgeCB1 3LB, United Kingdom. We are nolonger able to make personal replies;please send no SASEs with your questions(SASEs are being returned with writer�sguidelines for the magazine).

This month, �Sage Advice� looks at a pot-pourri of topics, all straight out of themailbag. This particular batch of letterscontained a lot of questions about the var-ious settings for the AD&D® game, so thisparticular column has a theme in spite ofitself. We start with the case of the missingmaps. . . .

Hey, what happened to the maps inthe AD&D GREYHAWK® Adventuresmodule, WGR3 Rary the Traitor? Aren�ta few of them missing?

Yes�maps 10, 11, and 12, which depictsections of Rary�s fortress, are missing. I�llskip the whole sordid story of how theycame to be that way and direct you to themissing maps, which are presented in thisvery column for your erudition and use.

Do thief abilities such as hide inshadows and move silently work onundead in the D&D® game?

Generally, yes. This also is the case inboth editions of the AD&D game, too.

Unless the monster description statesotherwise, undead have no special abilityto detect creatures that are invisible, hid-den, silent, or otherwise concealed. Notethat undead have infravision, which candetect creatures hiding in shadows ifthere is no infrared (heat) source creating�infravisional shadows� in the area.

I have encountered campaigns thatassume undead creatures can somehowsense living creatures. The reasoning goessomething like this: Undead have no func-tioning sense organs�their eyes, ears,etc.�have rotted away. Since they candetect neither light nor sound, their�senses� operate in some arcane mannerthat makes invisibility or silence irrele-vant. This house rule can add a newdimension to undead, even to lowly crea-tures such as skeletons and zombies;however, the published rules assume thatundead somehow really do see, hear, etc.If you decide to adopt an undead �senselife� rule, increase each undead monster�sexperience value to reflect this specialability to see invisible creatures. Also,you�ll need to decide on a number ofother parameters for the ability, such asits range and what, if anything, blocks ordisrupts it.

Could a wizard on Athas make a liv-ing just selling walls of iron for scrap?

DRAGON 53

How many ceramic pieces would awall of iron be worth? Could the ironbe used for weapons, armor, andtools? If the wizard kept a piece of awall of iron, could she use it as thematerial components for more spells?Would this also be true for wall ofstone or wall of ice?

Iron is worth one gold piece (100ceramic pieces) per pound in DARK SUN®campaigns (see Dune Trader, page 72). Awall of iron contains a minimum of 12,403lbs. of iron (about 25 cubic feet at 490pounds per cubic foot). However, in DARKSUN campaigns, a wall of iron spell has aduration of one turn per caster level (seethe DARK SUN rule book, page 93). A wiz-ard might be able to sell a few chunks ofiron as a scam, but the practice will catchup with her if she tries it too often.

While the material in a wall of iron func-tions as normal iron in most respects,there is no reason why a Dungeon Masterhas to assume it can be worked as regularmetal can. For example, the DM might

decide that iron from a wall of iron con-tains certain impurities that cause it toform useless lumps of slag if heated andworked, and that it simply flakes apart ifworked cold. Note also that, regardless ofits duration, metal from a wall of ironradiates magic and can be dispelled. Evenif it could be used to manufacture items,those items can be destroyed by dispelmagic effects.

Having material components for spells isan optional rule. I don�t know any DMwho uses this rule and also lets his playersget around it by using magically createdmaterial components�this is a questionof game balance. From the standpoint ofgame logic, the dweomer that maintainsthe wall of iron or other magically createdmaterial either interferes with the spell-casting process or unravels during theprocess. First, attempts to cast spells usinga magically created object as a materialcomponent are disrupted. Second, themagically created material componentceases to be and it just isn�t available to

54 JUNE 1993

complete the spell. In either case. theattempted spell fails. Some exceptionsexist. Generally, items brought into beingby a wish work fine as material compo-nents, at least if the component is not rareor valuable; and a Zagyg�s spell compo-nent case (from Unearthed Arcana) alwaysproduces usable material components.

How would the Veiled Alliance inter-act with advanced beings such as drag-ons, elementals, and avangions?

The same way everybody else does: withgreat circumspection. This would take theform of admiration and civility in the caseof elementals and avangions, and fear andloathing in the case of dragons. Sinceavangions are high-level preservers, it�s apretty good bet that they work prettyclosely with any local branch of the VeiledAlliance�in fact, they probably are for-mer members of one Veiled Alliance oranother.

Dragon Kings says that avangionsattract followers. Where are the chartsfor this?

There aren�t any. The appearance of anavangion is a momentous event in anycampaign, and its affect on the game hasto be carefully considered, then playedout. The first thing the DM has to do isidentify the most notable and powerfulgood-aligned NPCs in the game; suchcharacters are certain to make overturesto an avangion when they learn that sucha creature exists. Likewise, most neutraland good folk who meet an adventuringavangion are going to take a liking to thecharacter (unless the player controlling itis a complete idiot). This is what the rulesare referring to when they mention allies.

Do avangions eat and sleep?This is up to the DM. Judging from my

conversations with Tim Brown, DragonKings author, advanced beings obey all therules for spellcasting (see �Sage Advice,�issue #189), which means they must sleepto regain spells. Otherwise, the DM is freeto assume that avangions never rest. Sincethe rules say that an avangion�s mouthbegins to disappear as its form evolves, itwould be reasonable to assume that avan-gions of 25th level or higher either don�teat at all or eat unusual materials, such asthe silver linings of clouds, moonlightreflected off cactus spines, or the like. Per-haps only fully transformed avangions arecompletely self-contained. Lower-levelavangions who still have basically humanforms probably have to eat, but this, too, isup to the DM.

Can avangions of level 26 and up usethe Prolific Forestation and ProlificVegetation psionic enchantments?These spells not only require the useof hands (to carve a staff), but alsorequire the caster to walk, not run, fly,or levitate. Since high-level avangions

must fly only, they would have a hardtime meeting this requirement.

Yes, avangions can use these spells. Nev-ertheless, the caster must walk. Whileavangions of 26th level and above cannotwalk in their natural forms, nothing pre-vents them from using spells or psionicsto change into something that can walk. Asimple polymorph self spell or Metamor-phosis psionic power are only two exam-ples of things that can do the trick. Notethat the avangion can stop and renew aspell if he needs to, so long as the ProlificForestation or Prolific Vegetation spell isnot interrupted for more than a fullround.

The Player�s Handbook states thatelves routinely live up to 1,200 years.Given this, I cannot fathom why elvessuffer a -1 Constitution penalty. Therules do say that elves are not as�sturdy� as humans, but this is illogi-cal. If anything, elves should get a +1bonus to Constitution due to their har-diness and longevity.

Longevity is not necessarily synonymouswith hardiness. A parrot lives a lot longerthan a horse, but horses have much betterConstitution scores than parrots do. Still,play balance in your campaign probablywon�t suffer if you fiddle with demihumanracial modifiers a bit. If you want to giveelves a Constitution bonus, just eliminatethe Dexterity bonus and assign a penaltyto some other ability score; elves in yourcampaign might have lower Wisdomscores since their long years tend to makethem a bit frivolous and impulsive.

The notes about grey elves on page17 of The Complete Book of Elves saysthat only the Conjuration, Enchant-ment, and Greater Divination schoolsof magic are open to elven mages.However, the chapter on the magic ofthe elves in the same book contradictsthis by including an Alteration spell,camouflage. Where did this rule comefrom? I can�t find anything like it inany of the other books.

The passage on page 17 is erroneous. Itrefers to Table 22, Wizard SpecialistRequirements, in the PH (page 31). Itshould read: �Because the only wizardspecialties available to elves are Divinerand Enchanter, grey elves usually do notbecome specialist wizards.�

Elven mages (nonspecialized wizards)can use any kind of spell, just as mages ofany other race can. Note that page 17mentions Conjuration, but Conjurersmust be human or half-elven. Note alsothat elves also can become wild mages,but The Complete Book of Elves authorColin McComb suggests that this special-ization, too, is rare among grey elves.

Since plants take in carbon dioxideand give off oxygen, what effect dothey have on spelljammers? Since

elven ships are made from livingplants, do their air envelopes lastindefinitely?

Individual plants produce only minusculeamounts of oxygen, They also actually con-sume some oxygen when metabolizing thesugars they manufacture during photosyn-thesis. Healthy plants also require lots ofwater, soil, and 12-18 hours of sunlight eachday. Note that some darkness also is essen-tial for healthy plants. These limitationsmake them impractical for spelljammers.The only reason plants can help maintainplanetary atmospheres is because theyvastly outnumber the animals.

The various �live� elven ships do not pro-duce enough oxygen to affect their ownair envelopes�though I suppose aderelict wild ship that is badly overgrownmight have a fresh envelope when found.Elves can produce breathable atmos-

pheres from old armada-style ships (seeLorebook of the Void, page 56), but onlywhen several of these large ships arelinked together in a large ring and allowedto grow into a solid, immobile mass.

Can a riddlemaster (a kit from TheComplete Bard�s Handbook) use hisprobable path ability to choose a spe-cific card from a deck of many things?

No. The probable path ability dependsupon clues that the riddlemaster cancomprehend and analyze. A deck of manythings provides no such clues.

D R A G O N 5 5

Back to the wars in fantasy land

KnightlineSierra has signed ex-police chief Daryl

Gates, L.A.P.D., to author the company�snext Police Quest installment. Gatesstated, �I want to give computer users theopportunity to see what it�s like to be acop in L.A. I want to show the day-to-daypressures officers face and provide anaccurate picture of the dangers and diffi-culties they encounter in trying to solve acrime.�

This returns you to the GAME/CREATIONscreen. When you get here, press the leftmouse button and the game starts. If youpress the right mouse button, you�reswitched to the CREATION option. Pressthe left mouse button, and the CREATIONprocess is activated. If you have any addi-tional problems, you can contact UBISoft�s technical support hotline at (415)332-5011.

UBI Soft, the publisher of Koshan Con-spiracy, has told us that some gamershave a problem running the PC/MS-DOSversions of that game. When the gamestarts, the screen with GAME and CRE-ATION pops up. In a few seconds, thegame defaults to the opening credits or, insome instance, to the first screen of thegame. If the game defaults to the credits,you can leave that screen by holding down

One of our favorite on-line services inaddition to The Sierra Network is AmericaOnline (AOL). If you are a Macintosh

Computer games� ratings

X***************the left mouse button for a few seconds.

Not recommendedPoorFair

GoodExcellent

Superb

Rex Nebularand theCosmic GenderBender(MicroProse)

gamer, we recommend you head for thatservice�s game forum and downloadDarkwood 1.2. It�s in a compressed filethat will de-archive when you log off. Thisextremely simple game lets you select acharacter and get involved in arena com-bat. A variety of creatures are offered foryou to fight, each worth a reward in goldpieces. The tougher your opponent, themore gold you can win. To improve yourchances in the arena, use your gold to buybetter weapons and armor; you canobtain healing at the local inn. Save yourgame after each successful combat andlearn the individual strengths and weak-nesses of the hostiles you�ll face. It takesabout three minutes to learn how to play,but you�ll be surprised at the entertain-ment value this small game offers. Theauthor of the game, Robert Chancellor,requests a $10 shareware fee if you enjoythe game. For such a small price, Dark-

D R A G O N 5 7

wood is definitely worth the approximately40-minute download (at 2400 baud).

H.E.L.P.�In Knights of Legend, by Origin, how do

you solve Lieutenant Trimrose�s problemof his missing heirloom? [Also,] inresponse to Dale Ketcherside�s query inyour column in issue #189: First, you mayfind the Shard of Cowardice in the under-world that can be accessed through theDungeon Hythloth. Make certain to bringgems and �Blink� spells. You�ll also want toget the �Mystic Arms and Armor� locatedthere. Second, the jewels Sir Simon refersto are the Crown Jewels of Lord British:the Sceptre, the Crown, and the Amulet.There are only three items, not four.��Andrew Webb, Columbia, Mo.

�I have a Deathspider ship with an 11th-level mage as captain, and am infamous inreputation. I wish to improve the reputa-tion and also figure out a way to have Mel-car the Wise, a wizard and my helmsman,remember spells�he always forgetsthem. This is very irritating when engagedin boarding combat. Any help with eitherof these issues would be appreciated.��Paul Rosin, Houston, Tex.

�I am in need of help or a hint for Poolsof Darkness, from SSI. I am presently inMoander�s Heart and have literally clearedout the entire Heart about 20 times. I amalmost at the 22nd level. Here is theclincher: I have already mixed thepotions, as stated by the Watcher. Butevery time I enter the left ventricle to con-front Tanetai, the Scepter of Bane isgrabbed, the walls contract, and I�mthrown into another section of the Heart.Is there a way to confront Tanetai withoutbeing hurled away?� �Sydney Arcand,Quebec

Anthony Caniano of Massapequa Park,N.Y., comes to the assistance of BradAufderheide, whose H.E.L.P. request forSSI�s Eye of the Beholder was published inissue #190. �The special quest of level 7 iscompleted this way: Find the room inwhich there are five portals. On the southwall are three niches. Remove all of theitems from these niches. In the eastern-most niche, place the stone medallion. Inthe center niche, place the stone dagger.In the westernmost niche, place the stonenecklace. Notice that the stone imple-ments you placed correspond to the por-tals in the north wall.

�The special quest of level 12 is quite dif-ficult Make your way to the door ofXanathar�s chamber. Cast Invisibility 10�Radius, and read the Wand of Silvias.Enter, and Xanathar attacks. Use the Wandof Silvias to force Xanathar back and pre-vent him from destroying you. Force himback into his chamber east, then south,past the traps that your invisibility pre-vents from activating, into a small room.In the southern end of this room is a spikepit. Force Xanathar into this pit using the

58 JUNE 1993

Rex Nebular and the Cosmic Gender Bender (MicroProse)

wand.�Anthony also has a question regarding

Eye of the Beholder: �Can anyone tell mehow to complete the special quests for lev-els 8, 10, and 11? They are the only ones Icannot discover, despite my best efforts.�

Christopher Carter of Brooklyn, N.Y.,also answered Brad�s plea. His hints arebasically the same as Anthony�s, but headds that the special wand you need tocomplete level 12 is the wand given to youby the dwarves on level 5 as a reward forbringing them the dwarven healingpotion. He also recommends you saveyour game after you become invisible andtackle Xanathar the Beholder. As far aslevel 7 is concerned, when you place thestone items in the niches, scrolls appear.Clues are received by reading the scrolls.

Derek Bruff posed a question in ourcolumn in issue #190 regarding SSI�sChampions of Krynn Confusion spell bug.D. Millheim of Tallevast, Fla., writes,�When a character has a Confusion spellcast on him, that character temporarilybecomes an NPC, run by the computer.When Derek saved his game, the charac-ter was still an NPC. Once the game issaved, the bug prevented the computerfrom recognizing the Confused characteras a player character again. If he hadallowed the Confusion spell to wear offbefore saving his game, Pellinore wouldn�tbe in such a bind. To the best of myknowledge, the bug is permanent. Derekwill most likely need to create a new char-acter to replace Pellinore.�

However, Ned Martell of Delta, B.C.,believes he has a solution to this problem.He writes, �What Derek should do is dur-ing the next combat (possibly a randomencounter, if there are any left) is to castHold Person, Stinking Cloud, or other sim-ilar magic on Pellinore to render him�helpless,� then attack him with one of hisother characters until he is reduced to

zero hit points. When combat is over, hiscleric can heal him with healing spells,and during the next combat, Pellinoreshould be on the correct side again. As aside note, the extra references in theAdventurer�s Journal to which Derekrefers (Sir Era, gully dwarves, etc.) are redherrings. I would encourage Derek to pur-chase Curse of the Azure Bonds, since Ithink he will find it more challenging andmore difficult than the DRAGONLANCE®game series.�

Reviews

Conquered Kingdoms ****

Quantum Quality Productions, PC/MS-DOSThis is a must-buy for all fantasy strate-

gist gamers. With a many scenarios, awide variety of military units, and theneed to increase production during play,Conquered Kingdoms (CK) is a great gamethat begs for continued play. Hundreds ofhours of play are built into this game, andyour time is well spent as you move fromscenario to scenario, learning how to takeadvantage of each unit�s strengths andweaknesses. CK�s graphics, sound effects,and soundtrack are not as crisp as othergames like it, but you�ll soon be absorbedin the geographical conquests presented.

Selecting either the basic or advancedplay mode, you command human andfantasy units and seize territory. You gainpoints for occupying towns, acquiring cas-tles, and defeating enemy units. You mustalso locate and use resources such ascoal, gold, and lumber. Withoutresources, you can�t build additionalunits, and without castle acquisition, youcan�t obtain replacement units. The firstthing you must do is locate a castle, thentry to occupy it immediately! Resourcesabound and are designated with icons. Onsome maps, strategic points are acquired

Rex Nebular and the Cosmic Gender Bender(MicroProse)

should you conquer a specific location.Once you decide where to start your

first scenario, you purchase troops byspending points. These troops range fromthe powerful knight units to your mostexotic unit, the spy. The latter can movequickly and can�t be observed by enemyunits unless they�re in the same squarehe�s in. We found the spy perfect foracquiring new towns, resources, andassassinations! Some of the fantasy unitsinclude gargoyles, which can fly over any-thing (great for acquiring uninhabitedcastles), wizards, and dragons. Wizardscan bombard enemy units with fireballs,while a dragon can bombard castles andenemy troops (it also has a high hit-pointattribute, making it hard to defeat).

How you combine your units and usethem against the enemy is the key to suc-cess. For example, if you�re confronted byseveral units of enemy cavalry, you shouldbring your lancers forward, as they canruin a cavalry unit quickly. You must pro-tect your wizards and those units bestsuited for dragon defense. You also canbuild ships, which are great for transport-ing archer units across water. However,even the water isn�t a safe place, as crea-tures called rogs love the water and attackunits there.

Once you acquire resources, you�llspend time in the resources screen,where you designate what units will bebuilt based upon your stored materials.You highlight the unit you wish to build,then left-click your mouse button (you cancancel your selection with a right buttonclick). Units can be built by spendingeither gold alone or a combination ofgold, coal, and wood. You can always findthe number of resource units you cur-rently possess by viewing the informationat the top of the screen. At the bottom of

the screen, you�re informed as to thenumber of resource units you are receiv-ing each turn. This helps in planning tobuild the more costly units, such as drag-ons and wizards at 20 points each.

If you�d like to take on an opposing kingin a tournament, you can select the Casca-tia mode of play. The object is to capture60% of the counties on the map. Specialsquares contain free resources, such asgold or a wizard or dragon. Since you canrandomly select provinces, games arenever repeated!

Another great feature of CK is modemplay. One computer becomes the con-troller, then the game is on. The F1 keysends messages between players. A specialmodem-save-game toggle temporarilysaves your current game when the con-troller�s turn arrives; this prevents annoy-ance when a connection might be lost dueto line noise and the like.

CK is a highly enjoyable strategy offer-ing. With additional features such asmodem play, the less-than-perfect graph-ics are quite forgivable. Learning thecapabilities of your units and forgingtoward world domination is a great dealof fun. This game rates highly on our dol-lar-to-play ratio, as the number of differ-ent scenarios and the randomnessavailability allow you to play hour afterhour without repetition. We think youshould take a look at this offering at yourlocal retailer�we�re betting it finds aplace in your software library. We wouldalso like to see CK offered for the Macin-tosh and Amiga.

Lure of the TemptressKonami, PC/MS-DOS

****

Get set to take on Selena, an enchan-tress who has seized the once-peacefulland of Turnvale. Using what the companycalls �Virtual Theatre,� Konami�s graphic-fantasy game is top-notch. The interfaceuses a simple click-and-point directionalcommand. When your character, Dier-mot, moves to an area you�ve clicked on, aclock icon appears when the reposition-ing is completed. When you see a movieicon on-screen, an animation sequence isabout to take place (such as a door open-ing). The animation is quite smooth, andthe sound effects are really good.

You�re never obligated to run yourmouse cursor to the top of the screen toreveal hidden command menus, exceptfor those that deal with game operationslike saving or loading games. If you clickthe right button on your mouse anywhereon-screen away from characters orobjects, you receive a general action pop-up menu with commands such as Look,Status, Examine, or Drink. You can set upsome combination commands as well,such as ordering others to complete a setof actions, all through the pop-up menustructures and your two mouse buttons.For example, you could tell a companion

to go somewhere and complete an action,then return to your location. If you wishto look at something, your on-screen cur-sor turns into a crosshair that you placeover the item you wish to examine. Exitsfrom the screen are located by movingyour cursor around; when it turns into asolid arrow pointing in a direction, that isan exit. All of the command structures areeasy to learn and become instinctive asyou progress through the game.

Conversations with others are indicatedby moving your cursor over an individual.When the crosshair appears, press theright button (the left button would bringup the Examine menu); a talk menu thenappears. When an NPC is engaged in con-versation, a word balloon appears abovehis head, and the text of that conversationis presented in a window as though typedin. To continue the conversation, youmove your cursor over the character�sname at the top of the dialog window andpress either button. You�ll be given achoice of questions or statements at thetop of the screen, from which you selectwhat you wish to say to the NPC. Thenpress your left button. Unfortunately,although you�ve already highlighted thetext you wish to say, it appears as thoughtypewritten in a dialog box above your on-screen character�s head. This slows downthe interaction and is repetitive�there�sreally no need for this.

Combat is a treat, though it does take afew encounters to learn how best to attackand defend. Three icons must be watchedfor: an Advance or Retreat arrow, and theAxe. These represent attack and defensepositions. To attack, you press the mousebutton nearest to the target. To defend,you press the button the farthest from theenemy.

Don�t expect NPCs you�ve seen in spe-cific locations to be there later! Timemoves on, and so do NPCs. Some goodideas to keep in mind during play include:You can Bribe others (if you have cash);peeking through objects is quite informa-tive; and talk to everyone you encounter.

One other problem we noted revolvedaround a funny fellow we rescued formthe dungeon. When not assigned a task orallowed to follow us from one screen toanother, he wandered about aimlessly.Additionally, this fellow blocked Diermot�smovement through a narrow passageway.There was no immediate way for you tomove past him. You must order the NPCout of your way by having him do some-thing, which seems a little absurd as the�friend� must know that he�s blockingyour progress. We also found a bottleearly in the game that was quite useful;two scenes later, the bottle was suddenlybroken glass, with no indication of howthat happened!

We feel Konami has published a goodgraphic adventure, despite a few problemareas. The story is interesting, the puzzles

DRAGON 59

are not overly difficult, and the interface iseasy to learn. Lure of the Temptress easilyfits into our software library as one ofthose adventures we�d play again.

RealmsVirgin Games, PC/MS-DOS

***½

It�s quite exciting to face off against anenemy as intent of ridding the world ofyour presence as you are his. This game ismuch like Castles and Conquered King-doms, but this time it�s not a questionmerely of combat and who can out-thinkthe other�you�ve also got to keep yourpopulace happy. A discontent citizenrycoughs up few taxes, and without the cashto spur your economy, you can�t buy grainto feed your citizens, you can�t train cav-alry or armies, and you can�t equip yourtroops well enough to ensure their suc-cess in battle.

The graphic interface in this gamerequires some getting used to. It�s notsimply point-and-click; you�ve got to movethe various screens by interacting with onscreen icons, some of them not necessar-ily self-explanatory.

There are eight realms within whichyou can adventure, each populated by var-ious races. For example, the Three King-doms finds orcs, dwarves, and elves all inthe race for supremacy. The Great Dividefinds barbarians, orcs, dwarves, and elvesin an area where an inland sea dividestwo continents. Other scenarios containVikings and amazons as well.

The first screen you encounter is withinyour fortress. From this point, you controlthe action around the known world. Mark-ers, like stick pins, are stuck into a reliefmap of the world. Yellow markers indicateyour cities, red markers enemy cities, andblue markers friendly cities. The largestmarker is the capital. All realms have atleast one city and a capital. Taxes flowfrom your cities to your capital. Should atax route be broken by an enemy unit,you�ll have to figure out another way forthat money to get to the capital. You canselect alternate routes, but they are notusually the best routes, so it takes moretime for the cash to get to the capital.

You adjust the tax rate from inside yourfortress. A scale shows if you have enoughcash to pay your armies. Simultaneously,you want to decide how best to grow yourcities (definitely consider building stonewalls when you have the money to do so).And don�t forget to buy grain! Without it,your citizens starve, their health declines,they become despondent and vulnerableto other ideas, and that�s not good for you!

When you view the Playfield, time starts.You can focus in on individual army unitsto determine overall strengths. There isalso a crystal ball in this screen. If itsparkles, a message is awaiting to be read.Should crossed swords appear in it, it�stime for battle. Simply click on the crystalball and you enter the Battle Screen.

60 JUNE 1993

The Summoning (SSI)

On the Battle Screen, your army and theenemy army march onto the field. Yourheaviest troops are in the center of yourformation, the lighter troops on the flanks.Note where the high ground is; you mayhave to march away from an enemy unitsimply to seize the high ground, but atroop of heavily armed warriors withspears in a defensive position could prob-ably hold out against a larger but lighterforce of enemy warriors or cavalry fromsuch a location. By taking advantage ofterrain features, we managed to cutenemy forces nearly in half with a smallerarmy, and thereby lifted a siege of ourcapital on more than one occasion.

Flags in either corner of the screenreveal the morale of the armies engagedin combat. The lower the flag, the lowerthe morale. Units that break because oflow morale sometimes cause otherswithin their army to rout as well. Youcommand your various armies by clickingon the unit flag, then clicking on the iconthat represents the command you wishfollowed. You can change formationsfrom wedge (best for attacking) to square(best for defense). Or, you may rotate unitsin any direction you wish. For your mis-sile-equipped armies, you select the unityou wish to fire, then select the fire mis-sile icon, then select the enemy unit youwish struck by your fire. You can alsoretreat, if necessary. The best way to fightenemy units is to break up their forma-tions; draw out units one at a time and tryto avoid direct, frontal assaults. If youhave bowmen, use them right away. Onceenemy units start approaching, there�s lit-tle time for missile melee.

One lesson we learned early was toensure that all of our core cities (thoseyou first start with) were consolidatedwith plenty of armies and great citizenmorale. When playing against more thanone opponent, we really enjoyed havingthem fight one another over territory andweakening themselves before we initiatedour own conquests.

Realms is a highly enjoyable, real-time,strategic fantasy game. Once you�vebecome comfortable with the interface,you should be prepared for hours of fun.Certainly, Realms should be one of thegames you investigate at your softwareretailer to become part of your library.

Rex Nebular and the Cosmic GenderBender *****

MicroProse, PC/MS-DOSMicroProse has successfully combined

the humor of the The Hitchhiker�s Guideto the Galaxy, the lusty good times ofLeather Goddesses of Phobos, and thegraphics and high adventure value ofMonkey Island into one of the best graphicadventure games on the market: Rex Neb-ular and the Cosmic Gender Bender.

As Rex, you�ve been given the task offinding a vase for an eccentric trillionaire.The problem lies with that the planetwhere the vase was last seen has disap-peared. When Rex finally finds the invisi-ble planet, he runs into the natives�whohappen to be female and not too happythat an outsider has found their planet.Rex�s ship is blown up, and he is strandedon the surface of the cloaked world. It�syour task to successfully guide Rex off theplanet with the vase, perhaps even negoti-

ating with the hostile beauties who inhabitthe planet.

The game uses a command structuresimilar to LucasArts adventure games.Actions are accomplished by selecting acommand for Rex from a list at the bot-tom of the screen, then selecting theobject, person, or inventory item to com-plete the process. The commands Look,Take, Push, Open, Pull, Put, Talk, Give,Close, and Throw are present. When anitem is picked up, you are shown theobject (if you have enough memory withinyour computer, the object revolves inthree dimensions!), and a list of specialcommands are shown that can be usedfor that object only. For example, by hav-ing Rex pick up a pair of binoculars, thetwo new commands of Look At and Disas-semble appear in the command set.

The animation and backgrounds areextraordinary, taking advantage of roto-scoping techniques. The music and soundare absolutely fabulous, as is the speech inthe introduction (for those who haveSoundblaster cards). Even the introduc-tion itself is good, setting up the game�sbackground in a highly entertaining man-ner. The only problem we ran into withthe game is the amount of space it con-sumes, both in RAM and hard disk space.The game consumed 20+ megabytes onour hard drive, and even with 4 MB ofRAM, we still had to turn off a special fea-tore or two. It is recommended on thegame box that the game be played on atleast a 30386 machine at 20 MHz, and wewholeheartedly agree. For those who canmeet these hardware demands, Rex Nebu-lar is a fun and challenging game withthree different, difficulty levels.

The Summoning (SSI)

Rex Nebular has both �nice� and�naughty� capabilities. The �naughty� set-ting includes nudity and many double-entendres. You have the ability to switchthe content of the game from �naughty� to�nice� when curious, young eyes arewatching the game. One setting allows youto keep the game fixed at �nice� until apassword is typed in to unlock the�naughty� feature.

In our opinion, the Rex Nebular team atMicroProse deserves a round of applausefor this great adult offering. We eagerlyawait future adventure games from thiscompany.

The SummoningSSI, PC/MS-DOS

*****

labyrinth. Only through your experienceand numerous saved games will you beable to master the Shadow Weaver.

At first, the interface may leave yousomewhat confused. You observe a three-dimensional overhead map occupyingapproximately two-thirds of your screen.Below the overhead screen is the top one-third of the character screen. It showsyour portrait, a sword that fills with red asyou suffer hits, your encumbrance, yourspell point status, your right- and left-hand action icons, and the spells you cur-rently have memorized. To see theremaining portion of the characterscreen, you need to drag this window upand over the overhead view screen. Nowyou can easily view your inventory: a full-body view of what armor you are wearingand what weapons you have equipped,rating statistics for everything from magicto attributes, and at the bottom a statusblock that reveals your current experiencepoints and a disk icon for saving and load-ing saved games. Once you get the hang ofusing this screen, it doesn�t interfere withgame play.

The Summoning is great entertainment You can easily equip your hero with theand adventure rolled into a huge labyrinth character screen at its lowest positioncontrolled by the Shadow Weaver. With simply by picking up an item and deposit-more than 40 levels of action, with many ing it on your character portrait. WhenNPCs, creatures, weapons, magical items, you retrieve something, either from thepits, and teleporters, The Summoning pro- three-quarter perspective view screen orvides the gamer one of the highest dollar- from your inventory, your cursor turnsto-play ratios we�ve experienced. In The into an image of that item. If your charac-Summoning, your hero is not treated very ter had an item in his right hand, the cur-well within the corridors and subter- sor becomes that item and you canranean passages that abound in the deposit it in your inventory or throw it

62 JUNE 1993

away. However, some actions require thescreen be brought up immediately. Let�ssay you�re in combat (which you�ll beinvolved in quite a bit) and your falchionbreaks. Unless there happens to beanother weapon lying on the ground thatyou can grab and use, you�ve got to pullup the screen and switch items from yourinventory to the right or left hand of yourcharacter�s body presentation. While youdo this, you�re taking hits! It�s called real-time adventuring, and it works very well.

Magic is impressive. Hand movementsare required to cast spells. The higheryour experience with the various magicskills, the more hand movements becomeavailable to you. This is the one time dur-ing the game�when you are channeling aspell�that game play halts, thank good-ness! When you enter the spell memoriza-tion screen, you select from an assort-ment of hand positions to cast your spell.Multiple spells can be created; however,overtax yourself and you might find your-self losing a spell. Keep an eye on yourspell points indicator. Multiple spells aredesignated by a small number within theappropriate spell icon area.

There are four types of spells: wizardry,sorcery, enchantment, and healing. Youdetermine at the opening of the gamewhich area you wish to specialize in, aswell as which weapon skill is your baseskill. Rowena of the Council will supplyyou with all of the background informa-tion you require regarding the ShadowWeaver and the threat he presents. Thereare also rune stones within the labyrinth.Different stones offer unique magicks: Forexample, Perth randomly increments amagic skill by one level, Dagaz casts aSpell of Slaying, and Hagalaz casts a Spell-fire spell. There are 24 different RuneStones (good luck finding all of them).

Once you�re in the labyrinth, you�re onyour own except for whatever informationyou can retrieve from Magic Mouths,NPCs, and other documents. You�ve got along way to go before success can beclaimed. We found a combination ofmouse and numeric keypad use was thebest way to maneuver through the game.We used the numeric keypad for charac-ter movement, as far more precise posi-tioning is available this way. When you�reconfronted by pits, surrounded by crea-tures that are pounding you with sharpweapons, or trying to avoid rolling ballsthat tend to leave you a little less than youwere before you met them, you want tomake certain your character is correctlyaligned to counter the opposition. Amouse click simply doesn�t offer the pre-cise control needed. However, the mouseis best used for all other game require-ments, such as inventory switching,selecting options from the various sub-menus, and for dragging the characterscreen up and down.

You can always tell how well (or how

badly) your character is doing by viewinghis hit point and spell point status. Thefoes that run amok throughout thelabyrinth are varied and quite combative.Thankfully, you can save the game at anytime you wish, so you can always be pre-pared to recall your last activity shouldyour current one end in your demise.There is automapping through the use ofan object called a palimpsest. Plus, TheSummoning offers a feature we wish otherfantasy role-playing games would offer:You can print the layout of the level yourcharacter is currently exploring! You canalso print the text of the many NPC inter-actions your character experiences.

The Summoning is top-notch stuff andwill provide gamers with hundreds ofhours of adventuring. There isn�t roomthis month to discuss some of its finerpoints. We do expect to offer some hintsand tips in future columns. Although thegraphics and animation are not �photore-alistic� (the latest buzzword), they arestandard for VGA screen visuals. We havenot yet completed our adventure and areloathe to leave The Summoning to startother game reviews�that�s how much weenjoyed this adventure. You absolutelymust consider The Summoning as a more-than-worthwhile addition to your soft-ware library!

Clue corner

Dark Queen of Krynn (SSI)With this trick, you can create a knight

that has 255 hp. First, use Modify mode onthe knight that you wish to give higher hitpoints. If his/her Constitution is 15 orhigher, lower it to 14 or less. Now, lowerhis/her hit points until the character has 0hp. All you do now is subtract one more hitpoint, and the character now has 255 hp.

Adam Di CarloHomewood IL

Pirates of Realmspace (SSI)1. To get the crew under your control,

use the quick option in boarding combatand click on the crew icons. This way,they actually help instead of get in the way.

2. After using the above trick, some-times the computer automaticallyswitches the crew over to short bowsinstead of keeping their cutlasses. Sincethey have such limited ammunition forthe bows, this can be a major pain. Topass this option up, move the crew next tothe enemy you wish to attack and switchthem to computer control. When youwant to move them to a new position, takecontrol as in #1 above and move them tothe new spot.

3. In ship-to-ship combat, a good way tohit the enemy ship without being hit your-self is to find the right speed that keepsthe enemy ship about two or three mil-limeters from the edge of the radar

screen. Have the enemy ship centered inthe main view screen, and pound themwith your weapons. If you are runningaway and want to hit them, use the samemaneuver.

Paul RosinHouston TX

Curse of the Azure Bonds (SSI)1. In the Tilverton sewers, you may

come across a room tilled with a dozenotyughs and a half-dozen neo-otyughs. Ifyou win, you gain about 30,000 xp andgain four gems plus a piece of jewelry.The gems are cheap (25 to 50 gp value),but the jewelry is worth 3,000 gp.

2. When adventuring, drop all coins.Don�t worry, you can always clone magi-cal items like Bracers of Defense (AC 4),which are worth 9,000 gp. Rings of Wiz-ardry are worth 25,000 gp!

3. When fighting the �Bits of Moander,�lightning and fire attacks are useless, butcold does affect them. Also, the spellCharm Monster works, too.

4. When entering Yulash, ask permis-sion to get in. When you�re in the waitingroom and the Zhentil spies run by, fightthem. When you chat with the Comman-der, parlay �nice.� He will order his men toleave you alone. Also, when you encounterdirty-looking people, use the Flee option;trying to parlay with them gets you into afight.

5. This is for Yulash and the drow cavesoutside Hap: When moving around, turnoff the Search option to reduce the num-ber of encounters.

6. Don�t underestimate the usefulnessof the magical item, Dart of the Hornet�sNest. It is particularly useful against anydrow elf or monster with magic resis-tance.

7. If you are in Hap, fight with the drowpatrols before entering the barn. If youwish to avoid them, do not allow Akabar tojoin your party; he always stirs up trouble.

8. If you are going to let an NPC joinyour party, make sure you have extra mag-ical armor and weapons to give the NPC.If you don�t give NPCs these items, theyare pretty much useless except as cannon-fodder.

9. After defeating Dracandros, get outquick. There are still salamanders anddark elves about in the courtyard.

10. When entering Zhentil Keep, don�topen doors that have no writing abovethem. If you do, all you�ll gain is a battleand a mark against your record.

Matthew AppleyardColdwater, Ontario

Write and tell us what you want to seereviewed. Your hints and tips for fellowgamers are tremendously important. Mailthem to: Clue Corner, c/o The Lessers, 521Czerny Street, Tracy CA 95376. Until nextmonth, game on!

©1993 Dream Quest Games, Ltd.

DRAGON 63

Create even more bizarre GAMMA WORLD® game mutantswith these new mutations

Now that TSR has unleashed theGAMMA WORLD® 4th Edition game on thegaming public, players once again canenjoy that marvelous class of characterabilities: mutations. Oh, sure, there arepure strain humans and robots onGamma Terra, but the vast majority ofGAMMA WORLD game players like to playmutated humans, animals, and evenplants. Why? Because the combination ofmutations generated for a GAMMAWORLD player character is unique toeach individual. Characters do not usuallybelong to �races,� so no other characterhas that singular mix of mutations, skills,and now�in the 4th Edition game�char-acter classes.

Creating new mutations is also one ofthe big kicks for GAMMA WORLD gamemasters. It is always enjoyable to see aplayer�s eyes go wide when she rolls amutation she has never heard of or hearshow a previously known mutation is nowslightly different.

This article is an expansion of the Physi-cal Mutations table on page 18 of theGAMMA WORLD rulebook and incorpo-rates new and altered physical mutations.Some mutations have been expanded toinclude more options within their originaldefinitions, while others are completelynew. By perusing this list of new powers, aGM may learn how to combine existingmutations and devise new ones to suit hisown particular campaign. GMs shouldfeel free to reassign the percentages listedhere if any of the mutations are inappro-priate for the campaign.

lands of Gamma Terra.

In any case, there is more variety in thisnew list due to the additions and redefini-tions, which ultimately means moremutants roaming the strange and savage

by Kim EastlandArtwork by Tom Baxa

Mutation descriptions

Anti-NecrobiosisPhysical; Automatic, no MP

The mutant undergoes necrobiosis, thenatural death of tissues caused by wear oraging, at an incredibly slow rate. Thecharacter ages so slowly that his naturallifespan is 500+1d100 years. The mutantwith this power is not immortal; she canbe killed in an accident or combat. Agingeffects of any kind�natural, mutational,magical, or by device�age the characteronly 20% of the normal effect. Further-more, this mutation allows the characteran additional +3 bonus on any Healthrolls vs. disease, poisons, or radiation.

Darkness CreationPhysical; Activated, MP 4d6-L

The mutant�s body can absorb light, witha radius of 5 + (MP modifier) meters. Theeffect lasts for 1d10+(MP modifier) rounds.This darkness blocks all illumination intothe area up to an intensity equal to that of aglow cube. All other brighter lights, such asfloodlights, arc lamps, the Photogenerationmutation, etc., have their intensities andtheir ranges halved. A PC mutant cannotsee in his own area of darkness, but it isrumored that some creatures with thismutation can see in it as if it were daylight.Lowlight amplification mutations anddevices do not work in a Darkness Creationarea, though infravision and ultravision dowork. Once activated, this darkness existsuntil either the mutant switches it off orthe duration ends, even if the character isunconscious or dead.

DefectsPhysical; Varied

Most of the physical defects have been

gathered under this heading in the mastertable. Roll 1d12 and consult the subtableto see which defect the character has.Remember, no PC can have more thanone physical defect. Most of these defectscan be found in the rulebook, but thePhased Out and Uncontrollable PowerWave defects are new and explained here.

Phased Out (Physical; GM Activated,MP 4d6-L): The GM rolls this defective ver-sion of the new Phasing mutation onceper day. First, roll a hi/low die and 1d12.This will determine what hour of the day,starting at midnight, the defect will occur.Second, the GM rolls to activate the defect;a +2 modifier is allowed if the characteris involved in stressful activity, such ascombat. Third, the GM rolls 1d10 + 10 forthe number of rounds the defectivemutant will be Phased Out.

Uncontrollable Power Wave (Physi-cal; GM Activated, MP 4d6-L): The GM rollsthis defective version of the new PowerWave mutation once per day. When thecharacter is created, the GM must consultthe Power Wave mutation for range, dam-age, and so on, then roll on the revisedHands of Power mutation subtable to seewhat kind of power is emitted. Next, herolls a hi/low die and 1d12 to find at whathour of the day, starting at midnight, thedefect occurs. Finally, at the appointedtime, the GM rolls to activate the defect; a+2 modifier is allowed if the character isinvolved in stressful activity, such as com-bat. The Uncontrollable Power Wavemutation causes tremors within theplayer character that he can feel, occur-ring 1d4+2 rounds before the actualexplosion of energy.

Since this is an extremely difficult defectfor the character to play with, the GM maywish to grant the player character an

DRAGON 65

additional �saving throw� when the defectactivates. Whenever the character startstrembling, the player can be allowed aMS + IN modifier roll to keep the explo-sion from occurring�a willpowerattempt made by the character to containhis explosive nature.

FlightPhysical; varied

The mutant can fly by a specific meansthat is rolled on the Flight subtable using1d6. When maneuvering while flying, theMP Score is used instead of the DXAttribute. Details on each new type offlight follow (some have been changedfrom the rulebook):

Gas Bags (Plant; Activated, MP 4d6-L):See the rulebook, page 32.

Wings (Automatic, MP 4d6-L): See therulebook, page 47.

Air Sail (Automatic, MP 4d6-L): See therulebook, pages 26-27.

Whirling (Activated, MP 4d6-L): Thecharacter can spin his body and whirl hisarms at great speeds. While doing this, hecan fly or hover in place like a helicopter.He has a flying speed of 10 + (MP modi-fier). A spinning character can maneuverin the air as well as one with wings, but hedoes tire more quickly and so can onlywhirl for a number of minutes equal tothis MP score. Once on the ground, hecannot fly for at least an hour.

While whirling, he has a +1 bonus tohis AC, and no one with less than a PS of40 and a DX of 30 can grasp or wrestlehim. While whirling, themutant can still make

and +1 damage bonus. However, a spin-ning character can perform no otheraction except this attack or flying. He can-not dive or perform mental mutationsunless he has the Dual Brain mutation,

Energy Release [Activated, MP 4d6-L):The mutant can focus and expel a certaintype of energy about herself; whendirected below and behind her, thisenergy propels her through the air. Thetype of energy is up to the character whenshe is created. Heat, sonics, gravitic waves,and magnetic pulses are the most com-mon types. The energy surrounding heralso grants her a +2 AC bonus. The airspeed for this type of flight mode is20 + (MP modifier), but never slower thanhalf of that. This energy release is so pow-erful that a -2 modifier is applied for thepurpose of maneuvering. A character canfly this way for 1d6 +2 + (MP modifier)rounds before she must land. She neednot rest, but she must build up the energyagain for three hours.

The mutant can do little else than flywhen this mutation is activated, but shecan use this flight to attack. She does thisby flying into the target, using her body asa powerful ram. This causes (2+MP modi-fier) × 1d6 bludgeon damage to the target,with damage to the flyer equaling 2 + (MPmodifier). The mutant can control or emitthis energy in no other way.

Note: If the mutant has one of thepower attack mutations and it is the sametype as the energy release mutation sheuses to fly, she is allowed this powerattack while flying.

Gas GenerationUse the Gas Generation mutation in the

rulebook on page 33, but roll 1d10 on theappropriate subtable on the Revised Phys-ical Mutation List. The first six types of gasare described in the rulebook; the othersare detailed here.

Partial Nerve Damage: Treat as theDiminished Sense: Touch defect while thegas lasts.

Extreme Irritation: Treat as the DoubledPain defect while the gas lasts.

Molecular Agitation: Treat as Pyrokine-sis to everyone in the area, building updamage per round as per the mutation.

Molecular Insulation: Treat as Cryokine-sis to everyone in the area, building updamage per round as per the mutation.

Hands of PowerThis expands and slightly revises the

existing mutation, given in the rulebookon page 33. The mutation�s description isthe same, but roll 1d12 on the expandedsubtable to determine the type of energyreleased. Energy types are detailed here:

Zapping Hands: Bolts of electricity.Hot Hands: Microwave heat.Laser Hands: Short-range laser beams;

player�s choice of what kind.Gamma Hands: Deteriorating radiation

causing 3d6 damage only; no other checksneed be made.

Cold Hands: Shimmering waves of arc-tic cold; can even freeze liquids.

Weed-Whacker Hands: Defoliatingwaves of sonics that damage only plantlife.

Blaster Hands: White flash and a bang,an unarmed attack as aphysical combat action,with a +2 THAC

66 JUNE 1993

just like the blaster weapons.Disrupter Dukes: Accelerated charged

particles fired; damage is increased to3d8+ (MP modifier).

Gravitic Pulse Paws: No damage, buthalves target�s movement rate and num-bers of actions performed by increasingthe gravity around it.

Fluctuating Fists: Hands emit alternat-ing heat waves and cold blasts, damaginglike Hot and Cold Hands to living targets,but causing double damage to materialssusceptible to expansion and contraction:concrete, metal, plastics, etc.

Stun Mitts: A magnetic pulse that doesno damage but acts as a stun ray pistol.

Alternating Emissions: Roll 1d10 on thischart each time the mutation is used tosee what energy is emitted (Stun Mittscannot be generated with this form of themutation).

Improved VisionPhysical; Automatic, No MP

This mutation entry simply combinessimilar, existing mutations.

InsomnusPhysical; Permanent, No MP

The mutant has little or no need forsleep. Roll 1d6 and consult the table belowto see what sleep the mutant may require:

1d6 Sleep needs01-03 Mutant needs four hours of sleep

every 24 hours04-05 Mutant needs two hours of sleep

every 24 hours06 Mutant needs no sleep at all

Material TransformationPhysical; Activated, MP 4d6-L

The mutant is able to touch a certaintype of material and transform it intoanother material. The area affected is theitem touched, plus any amount of the samematerial connected to it within a l-meterradius. If dealing with a large area like awall, the depth of the material transformedis 30 cm (about a foot). The materialsaffected are established upon the creationof the character and never change. Anexample of this mutation is the hoop�s abil-ity to transform metal into rubber. Thetransformation is permanent until some-one with the reverse Material Transforma-tion power changes it back. The mutant

1d10001020304-05060708-11

010203040506070809101112

MutationAnti-Life LeechAnti-Necrobiosis (N)Bodily Control*Carapace*Chameleon Power*Darkness Creation* (N)Defects (C)

Achilles Heel (D)Allergy (D)Attraction Odor (D)Chemical Susceptibility (D)Diminished Sense (D)Doubled Pain (D)Energy Sensitivity (D)Fadeout (D)Nocturnal (D)Photodependent (D)Phased Out* (D,N)

1213-14151617-18

01

Uncontrollable Power Wave(D,N)

Density Control (Self)*Dual BrainEnergy Absorption*Energy Metamorphosis*Flight*

Gas Bags*02-03 Wings*04 Air Sail*05 Whirling (N)06 Energy Release (N)

19 Gas Generation*01 Stench02 Blinding03 Poison, Debilitative04 Hallucinogenic05 Paralytic

Revised Physical Mutation List

06 Burning07 Partial Nerve Damage (N)08 Extreme Irritation (N)09 Molecular Agitation (N)10 Molecular Insulation (N)

20-21 Hands of Power*01 Zapping02 Hot03 Laser04 Gamma05 Cold (N)06 Defoliating (N)

must roll 1d12 to determine what materialis affected and 1d6 to determine whatmaterial results. Any duplication, such aswood into wood, must be rerolled.

Material touched (roll 1d12)1. Duralloy2. Leather3. Plastic4. Stone or rock5. Wood6. Synthetics (e.g., nylon)7. Rubber8. Bone9. Cloth10. Glass11. Pottery or ceramics

07 Blaster (N)0808 Disruption (N)Disruption (N)0909 Gravity Pulse (N)1010 Fluctuating (N)Fluctuating (N)1111 Stun (N)Stun (N)12 Alternating Emissions (N)Alternating Emissions (N)

2222 Heightened BalanceHeightened Balance23-2623-26 Heightened Physical AttributeHeightened Physical Attribute2 72 7 Heightened PrecisionHeightened Precision28-29 Heightened SenseHeightened Sense3030 Heightened Speed*Heightened Speed*31-3231-32 ImmunityImmunity33-3433-34 Improved Vision (C)Improved Vision (C)

01-0201-02 Infravision*Infravision*03-04 Night Vision*Night Vision*05-06 Ultravision*Ultravision*

35 Insomnus (N)Insomnus (N)3636 Kinetic Absorption*Kinetic Absorption*3737 Material Transformation* (N)38-39 Multiple LimbsMultiple Limbs40-69 New Body Parts (C)7070 Phasing* (N)71 Photogeneration*Photogeneration*7272 Plasma Spheres* (N)Plasma Spheres* (N)7373 Poison*Poison*74 Power Touch* (N)7575 Power Wave* (N)Power Wave* (N)76-7776-77 Regeneration*Regeneration*7878 Shapechange*Shapechange*7979 Shapechange Into Object* (N)8080 Silence Field* (N)Silence Field* (N)81-8381-83 Size ChangeSize Change84-85 SonarSonar86 Sonic Blast*Sonic Blast*8 78 7 Sonic Roar* (N)Sonic Roar* (N)8888 Sound ImitationSound Imitation89-9189-91 Transfusion*92 Vocal ImitationVocal Imitation93-9493-94 Zip Healing* (N)95-9695-96 New GM-created mutationNew GM-created mutation97-99 Roll two mutations, rerollingRoll two mutations, rerolling

this resultthis result00 Player chooses one mutationPlayer chooses one mutation

* Mutation has a power score; roll 4d6-L* Mutation has a power score; roll 4d6-L(C) The new mutation selection com-(C) The new mutation selection com-

bines previously separated mutationsbines previously separated mutationsunder one headingunder one heading

(D) Defect(N) New or altered mutation

D R A G O N 6 7

metal)12. Metal (roll a hi/low die for soft or hard

Resultant material (roll 1d6)1. Fleshlike, organic, living substance2. Rubber3. Wood4. Leaflike fiber5. Glass6. Metal (roll a high/low die for soft or

hard metal)

New Body PartsPhysical; Automatic, No MP

This mutation is similar to that found inthe rulebook on page 39, but combines allthe unusual body parts under this head-ing. These include such standards as Pho-tosynthetic Skin, Gills, Horns and Antlers,Poor Dual Brain (D), Poor Respiration (D),Quills or Spines, Skeletal Enhancement,and so on, along with any new ones theGM wishes to add. Once this selection isrolled, the player has a 10% chance for adefective new or altered body part. Other-wise, he should select a beneficial muta-tion, with the GM�s guidance.

PhasingPhysical; Activated, MP 4d6-L

Once per day, the mutant can vibratethe molecules of her body (and all itemsshe is wearing and carrying) so that shemoves �out of phase� with the worldaround her. This does not affect the statusof anyone else, but it allows the mutant totravel through any substance except aforce field at a movement rate of 3. Whilephased, the character still requires nor-

mal light to see but appears to others as aghostlike form not easily recognizable.She cannot affect nonphased creatures inany way, nor can they affect her withoutbeing Phased themselves. Phased charac-ters can react to each other normally, as ifon the same plane of existence.

The duration of this mutation is20 + (MP modifier) rounds. The charactercan phase back into real time/space eitherthrough her own desire or because themutation�s duration has lapsed normally.If a mutant, for any reason, suddenlyPhases back to her normal state while anobject intersects her body in any way, shesuffers terrible damage equal to half hernormal available hit points (not her cur-rent total, but her normal maximum) ifless than half her body intersects theobject. If more than half of her body isinterrupted by solid matter, instant deathresults. In either case, she loses whateverbody parts were molecularly bonded withother materials.

Plasma SpheresPhysical; Activated, MP 4d6-L

By activating this mutation, the charac-ter can create a sphere of invisible, stable,low-grade plasma by merely touching asurface. The sphere is 1 cm in diameterand can be seen by only the mutant pro-ducing it and anyone with Ultravision orthe proper detection equipment (which isextremely rare). The sphere remainswherever the mutant creates it, whetheron a path, an item, in a doorway, etc. Ifanyone else touches the sphere, itexplodes immediately in a 2-meter radiusfor 1d8+ (MP modifier) damage. A forcefield touching the sphere will not detonateit, so it is possible for someone with aworking force field to step on a sphereand not detonate it. This mutation gener-ates an unusual plasma energy that is notincluded in the standard Energy Absorp-tion, Reflection, or Conversion mutations.The mutant can create 4+ (MP modifier)

spheres per day. Untouched spheres fadeaway after 1+ (MP modifier) hours.

Power TouchPhysical; Activated, MP 4d6-L

This mutation is similar to Hands ofPower, and the type of energy emitted isrolled on the table under that mutation.This mutation differs from the latter,though, in that: a) the mutant must touchhis target to cause damage (make a suc-cessful Unarmed Combat attack if target isunwilling); b) the damage is 1d6+ (MPmodifier); c) the mutant can store 10 + (MPmodifier) blasts; and, d) one blast is regen-erated every hour.

Power WavesPhysical; Activated, MP 4d6-L

The mutant has the power to emit spe-cial energies from his body, somewhatlike the Hands of Power mutation. How-ever, the blast affects a 15-meter-radiusarea from the user, plus 1 meter per MPmodifier. The damage is still 3d6 + (MPmodifier), but it radiates out in wavesfrom the mutant for 2 + (MP modifier)continuous rounds, even if he moves orperforms other actions. Once started, itstops only if the mutant loses conscious-ness or dies. The mutant is completelyimmune to the effects of this power, no

matter what the source. Once the wavesstop, two hours are required to regener-ate another blast. Roll on the expandedHands of Power mutation subtable for thetype of energy emitted.

68 JUNE 1993

greatly increased healing is an attempt tomake the game more playable inextremely tough situations. Other muta-tions, such as Transfusion, may also bealtered like this.)

Shapechange Into ObjectPhysical; Activated, MP 4d6-L

The mutant can assume the shape of anyitem or nonsentient geographic feature(such as a normal tree, a boulder, etc.) thatshe has touched for at least two consecu-tive turns. A Difficulty rating modifier maybe assigned by the GM based on how differ-ent the size and shape is from the being�soriginal form. This change allows themutant to duplicate any of the natural phys-ical abilities of the assumed form, such as asword�s edge and, thus, its damage, butdoes not duplicate the inner mechanical orenergy workings, or magical or mutationalabilities, such as a laser beam (though shecould look like a laser pistol), an internalcombustion engine�s ability to burn gaso-line and run, etc. It takes one torn to trans-form. Unlike the other Shapechangemutation, all the being�s gear or clothing

Silence FieldPhysical; Activated, MP 4d6-L

The mutant can generate a field ofsilence around himself that extends in aglobe with a radius of 2 + (MP modifier)meters. Once activated, the field lasts for10+ (MP modifier) rounds, whether or notthe mutant loses consciousness. Themutant can store enough energy to create1+ (MP modifier) silence fields. It takes fourhours to regenerate a field. The field com-pletely negates all sound within it, includ-ing sonic attacks. Anyone in this fieldduring a sonic attack is also exempt fromits damage. The player characters cannottalk with anyone within the field, as nosound can be heard at all, including pleasof help beyond the party�s line of sight. Asilence field grants the user a +4 to anyStealth or Surprise roll he must make.

transform with her, as long as she is notheavily encumbered.

While changed, the character retainsher mental mutations and awareness (IN,MS, a Perception of 4, and her own per-sonality), but is immobile (the mutant can-not transform into any device ascomplicated as any type of functionalvehicle). It is up to the GM to determinewhat physical mutations she keeps, if any,when the mutant changes.

The duration of this mutation is muchshorter than the normal Shapechangemutation, being (5+ (MP modifier)) x 10rounds.

Sonic RadarPhysical; Activated, 4d6-L

This mutation is similar to the SonicBlast mutation, with two important excep-tions: a) it is not a projected sonic beam,but an area-effect attack with a radius of10+ (MP modifier) meters; and, b) themutant can use this attack once every10-(MP modifier) rounds.

Zip HealingPhysical; Activated, 4d6-L

This mutation differs from Total Heal-ing, so it has been moved to the physicalmutation list. This mutation reflects thebody�s recuperative powers, not a men-tal attempt to override pain or talk thebody into something. (The faster,

Replace the first paragraph of the TotalHealing mutation, found in the rulebookon page 47, with: �The character can com-pletely heal himself of all his lost hit pointsonce per 24-hour period. He can do thisup to (MP modifier)-1 times per week, butnever less than once per week. It takes4-(MP modifier) rounds for all these hitpoints to return, but always at least oneround. The GM can figure out what per-cent of the lost hit points return every tornif necessary. The healing mutant may donothing more than stand or lie downwhile he heals. He must consume threetimes the normal food and water rationseach day that he uses this mutation.�

The second paragraph of the Total Heal-ing mutation stands unaltered except forthe last sentence, which should read,�One attempt can be made at the end ofevery round of healing, if the healingmutant has uninterrupted concentration.�

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

Character kits in a DARK SUN� Campaign

The world of Athas is tilled with dan-gers and perils unknown in the otherworlds of the AD&D® game. Evil sorcerer-kings, ambitious templars, fierce thri-kreen, and deadly new monsters such asthe silt horror or the braxat all set theDARK SUN world apart from the tradi-tional fantasy campaign. While theuniqueness of the setting makes for anoutstanding campaign, it also makes itvery hard for a Dungeon Master to usematerial from sources like the various�complete character handbooks� in hisown DARK SUN campaign.

by L. Richard Baker IIIArtwork by Brom

The character kits introduced in thePHBR series are archetypes built aroundthe literary and historical examples ofheroic adventurers. Unfortunately, aDARK SUN campaign can�t draw on verymuch of this material. Swashbucklers?Cavaliers? Pacifists? Many of the bestcharacter kits of the AD&D game do notwork in a DARK SUN setting. Obviously, itis going to take a little tinkering with someof the tried and true player-charactertypes to come up with a set of stereotypesthat belong in an Athasian setting.

Using existing kits

Let�s begin by taking a look at some ofthe kits of the AD&D game. While a num-ber have to be dropped entirely, we canadapt several of the player-character typesto a DARK SUN campaign without toomuch trouble. Note that items likerequired equipment, weapon selection, ornonweapon proficiencies may have to betailored to a DARK SUN setting.

DRAGON 71

Warrior kitsAmazonBarbarian (human, dwarf, or elf herds-

men of the Tablelands)Beast-rider (crodlus, kanks, pterrans,

or inixes)Myrmidon

Wizard kitsAmazon sorceressMilitant wizardMystic (preservers only)Patrician

Savage (halflings and thri-kreen)Wilderness warrior (elves or thri-

kreen)

Priest kitsAmazon priestessBarbarian priest (no templars)Nobleman priest (no druids)

Thief kitsAssassinBanditBeggarBounty hunterCutpurseFencescoutSpy

Bard kitsBladeCharlatanHeraldJongleur

New DARK SUN� kitsThe following section describes several

character kits unique to the DARK SUNgame world. Two kits for each charactergroup�warrior, wizard, priest, rogue(thief and bard), and psionicist�are pre-sented. If you do not want a kit in yourcampaign, delete it.

All kits are presented in the followingformat:

Description: This paragraph presentsa thumbnail sketch of the character�s gen-eral appearance, manner, and back-ground. It includes any requirementsnecessary for a character to take the kit.

Role: The character�s place in his soci-ety is discussed in this paragraph. There isa world of difference between the role of asycophant bard and a slave warriorfighter.

Secondary skills are omitted from thekit descriptions. The DARK SUN campaignworld relies on the use of nonweaponproficiencies to describe a character�s tal-ents and skills.

Weapon proficiencies: Some kitsrequire the character to use specificweapons that are associated with his origin.

Nonweapon proficiencies: Eachcharacter kit includes a few bonus non-weapon proficiencies that the charactergains without expending nonweapon pro-ficiency slots. In addition, a few recom-

72 JUNE 1993

mended proficiencies are included.Equipment: Any special requirements

for character equipment are listed here.These are generally not hard-and-fastrestrictions, but a player who insists onusing equipment specifically barred by hischaracter�s kit is not doing a good job ofrole-playing and may need to considerabandoning the kit.

Special benefits: Most kits enjoy aspecial benefit or two. These may be reac-tion bonuses, special rights in the charac-ter�s society, or attack or defense bonuses.

Special hindrances: Most kits alsosuffer from a special disadvantage of somekind. The character may be a hunted out-law or may have a reaction penalty withcertain kinds of people.

Wealth options: A few kits have specialrules regarding their beginning wealthand the amount of treasure they canretain.

Warrior kits

Slave warriorDescription: The majority of the noble

and merchant houses of Athas field aforce of armed guards to protect theirproperties and caravans. A number ofthese are free mercenaries, but almost allof these forces include fanatical slave war-riors�people born into slavery and raisedfrom a very early age to be loyal body-guards and enforcers. Player-characterslave warriors may either be free of theirpatron houses or may elect to retain someties with the houses they were born tofight for.

The slave warrior is one of the mosthighly skilled fighters on Athas. Fromearly childhood, he has survived a brutalregime of exercise, training, and indoctri-nation designed to make him into a mind-less killing machine who would sacrificehis own life for the sake of his owners.Almost all slave warriors are visiblybranded or tattooed with the emblem oftheir owning houses. They are the onlyslaves who are ever armed outside thearena.

Fighters and gladiators may take theslave warrior kit. Rangers require a lessurban background to learn their survivalskills. Muls, dwarves, and half-giants areideal for this kit; thri-kreen and halflingsare very difficult to indoctrinate and arerarely used in this way. In addition to allother requirements, a slave warrior musthave a minimum Strength and Constitu-tion of 13.

Role: The first decision the player of aslave warrior must make is whether ornot the PC is still owned by his patron.Enslaved characters represent the elite ofAthas�s slaves; they are well fed, receivegood quarters, and are equipped with thefinest gear money can buy. A PC slavewarrior who is enslaved is assumed to goadventuring on the orders of his patronand may be recalled at any time for

assignment to different duties.Free slave warriors may have simply

escaped or have won their freedomthrough some great act of courage. Ofcourse, escaped characters must alwayswatch for templars or slave hunters.Freed characters may occasionally bemistaken for escapees and attacked aswell. In either case, the free slave warriorno longer has the resources and wealth ofa noble or merchant house to aid him.

Weapon proficiencies: Required:choice of spear, crossbow, or pole arm,and also a specialization in an unarmedcombat style (not required for gladiatorcharacters.) The slave warrior receives abonus proficiency slot which may be usedto specialize in any melee weapon.

Nonweapon proficiencies: Bonus:Endurance, Heraldry. Recommended:Animal Handling, Animal Training, Blind-fighting, Gaming, Land-based Riding,Reading Lips.

Equipment: A slave warrior receivesone set of any nonmetallic armor and anonmetallic melee weapon of his choicefor free. In addition, enslaved charactersare completely equipped (including sup-plies and a mount, if appropriate) by theirpatron houses at no cost to the charac-ters. There is a 5% chance per level that acharacter�s patron house supplies himwith a metallic weapon of his choice.

Special benefits: Slave warriors arewell-known as powerful, single-mindedfighters. They gain a +3 reaction bonus withany civilized NPC they encounter, since fewpeople wish to fight a slave warrior.

Enslaved slave warriors gain a bonus of+1 to attack rolls, +1 to damage, and a +1bonus on saving throws when fighting inthe direct defense of their patrons. Freecharacters lose this benefit.

Special hindrances: Enslaved charac-ters are not their own masters and mustobey the orders of their owners. PC slavewarriors are assumed to have earned agreat deal of trust and responsibility, butare still required to spend one-third oftheir time on guard over some activity oftheir patrons. Characters who desire anextended reprieve from this requirementmust demonstrate to their patron that theadventure will bring some tangiblereward to the house. The DM should playthis to great effect�after all, what�s theuse of training an elite bodyguard if youjust let him wander off into the desert allthe time?

Free characters have lived as slaves alltheir lives and suffer a -3 reaction penaltyin dealing with non-slave civilized charac-ters. Escaped characters are suspiciousand paranoid, and legitimately free char-acters still carry the social stigma of aslave�s birth.

Wealth options: Enslaved charactersbegin with only 1d4 × 10 cp, while freecharacters begin with the normal 5d4 × 30cp. Enslaved characters must return 90%of any treasure to their patrons, including

any gems, jewelry, or magical items. How-ever, the patrons may often reward suchcharacters for their loyalty.

RaiderDescription: The deserts of Athas are

home to countless raiding tribes, desper-ate bands of cutthroats and criminals whotake what they can from those weakerthan themselves. The raider is a hard,cruel character who is the ultimate sur-vivalist. He depends on no one but him-self, takes what he needs, and guardswhat little wealth he gains with his life.

Raiding tribes are of all sizes anddescriptions. Some are bands of escapedslaves who know no other way to survive.Some are peasants and villagers whosehomes were destroyed by another raidingclan, forcing them into the outlaw�s life.Others are swift elven clans who havebeen raiding together for hundreds ofyears, passing down the tactics and tradi-tions from one generation to the next.When a PC chooses this kit, it is importantfor the DM to sit down with the player andwork out the details of the raiding tribethe character calls home.

Fighters and rangers are most appro-priate for this kit, although a gladiatorwho is also a war-leader or tribal cham-pion is not too far-fetched. Since someraiding tribes are nothing more than col-lections of escaped slaves, any PC race isappropriate. Raider characters are almostalways neutral or evil in alignment; a goodcharacter would have to insist on takingonly from those who can share theirwealth, such as the forces of the sorcerer-kings or rich merchants. There are nospecial ability requirements to be a raider.

Role: The raider is an outlaw, hatedand feared by most of the common folk ofAthas. He responds to this universalloathing with violence and fierce self-reliance. The raider long ago decided thatthe end justifies the means, and he is apragmatic survivalist. He plays to win.

In a campaign, raiders are villainouscharacters who are known for fightinghard and dirty. They consort with theworst kind of criminals and represent achaotic force that threatens the fabric ofAthasian civilization. Almost the only placea raider is welcome is in the company ofhis own tribe. Even then, most raidingtribes recognize the strongest lighter astheir leader.

Weapon proficiencies: Raiders mustspend one weapon proficiency slot on aweapon suitable for close combat�aknife, dagger, hand axe, or unarmed com-bat style specialization.

Nonweapon proficiencies: Bonus:Direction Sense, Heat Protection, andeither Running or Land-based Riding.Recommended: Appraising, Bowyer/Fletcher, Endurance, Fire-building, Gam-ing, Hunting, Intimidation, Navigation,Survival, Water Find.

Equipment: Raiders believe in the

DRAGON 73

value of moving fast and do not weararmor that could slow them down. Araider never voluntarily carries so muchequipment that he becomes encumbered,although he may exceed this restrictionwhen he carries loot. In addition, a raidermust purchase at least three weaponswhen he begins play—raiders are famousfor being armed to the teeth.

Special benefits: Experts at lying inwait and striking swiftly from conceal-ment, raiders have the ability to prepareambushes. The raider must spot theenemy before they spot anyone in hisparty and have at least 10 minutes to getready. Optionally, the raider can preparean ambush at a site that is likely to be trav-eled, such as an oasis or a commonlyused road. If the raider has time to set up,his side imposes a -4 on the opponents’surprise roll when the ambush is sprung.

Raiders are also at home dealing withcriminals and cutthroats. The former gaina +3 on their reaction checks whenapproaching such characters in a neutralsetting, such as a tavern.

Special hindrances: Raiders are gen-erally despised by all other people excepttheir own tribes. They suffer a -3 reactioncheck penalty when dealing with towns-people, villagers, templars, or merchants.In addition, if a raider becomes known tothe templars of a city, they make everyeffort to arrest him on sight.

Wealth options: Raiders start with 5d4×30 ceramic pieces.

Veiled One

Wizard kits

Description: A loyal member of theVeiled Alliance, the Veiled One has learnedall he knows of magic from his contactswithin the organization. He is part of anetwork of preservers and psionicists whoassist each other and carry out a secretagenda of working for change on Athas.The Veiled One is an urban character,skilled in intrigue and espionage.

Veiled Ones often adopt disguises,aliases, and other diversionary measuresto maintain their secrecy. Wizards arefeared and despised all over Athas, andmany lose their lives to the angry reac-tions of the common people. Above all,Veiled Ones fear the sorcerer-king and histemplars. In addition to all other require-ments, a character must have a Wisdomof 13 or better to show the common senseand willpower to be a Veiled One.

Role: The Veiled One is a revolutionaryin a brutal police state. Above all, he main-tains his secrecy. Second to the goal ofsurvival, he tries to advance the agenda ofthe Alliance. The Veiled Alliances of thecities each vary in their organization,strength, and aggressiveness; some are sopowerful they barely disguise their move-ments, and others have been decimatedby the strikes of the local king’s templars.

The DM must carefully develop the sce-nario for the PC’s chapter of the Alliance,as well as contacts for the PC in theAlliance. The DARK SUN campaign acces-sory Veiled Alliance contains a wealth ofinformation on running a Veiled Alliancecampaign.

Preferred schools: All schools ofmagic are welcomed into an alliance, pro-vided the wizard is a preserver and not adefiler. Illusionists, diviners, transmuters,and enchanters are particularly valuablefor the subtlety of their spells.

Weapon proficiencies: Small, easilyconcealable weapons are preferred byVeiled Ones. They may choose from thefollowing: blowgun, knife, dagger, sling,wrist razor.

Nonweapon proficiencies: Bonus:Reading/Writing, Disguise, Somatic Con-cealment. Recommended: Ancient His-tory, Spellcraft, Local History, ReadingLips, Sign Language. Veiled Ones arerequired to select at least one craft profi-ciency relative to their cover identity.These include nonweapon proficienciessuch as carpentry, cobbling, leatherwork-ing, pottery, or bargaining.

Equipment: Veiled Ones are requiredto purchase any equipment necessary totheir cover identity. A wizard posing as apotter should have a wheel, clay, and aworkshop; a wizard posing as a carpenterneeds a set of tools, etc. The DM shoulddecide on the amount of equipment nec-essary to establish a cover.

Special benefits: There are severalbenefits to being a member of the VeiledAlliance. First and foremost, the wizardenjoys access to the spells and research ofother wizards. He has tutors available toinstruct him when he advances in level,he can obtain spell components, and hecan pass along his own findings to otherwizards in need. Every time a Veiled Onegains a level, he may automatically addone new spell to his spellbook, just as if hewere a specialist wizard. This is cumula-tive with the specialist’s bonus, so special-ist wizards gain two spells when they gaina level.

The Veiled One has a network of infor-mation gatherers and accomplices inplace through which he can arrange forsafe houses or similar assistance. No mat-ter how much trouble he is in, the charac-ter can hide for up to three days with nopossibility of the sorcerer-king’s forcesfinding him. For each day after the thirdthat he holes up, there is a 10% chancethat the character’s whereabouts are dis-covered. To effectively hide, a charactermust not leave his haven or attempt tocontact anyone outside of his shelter.Doing so increases the chance of his beingspotted to 50% per day. The character caninclude one companion per three levels inhis hiding place.

Instead of holing up, the character canleave the city. Arranging transportrequires 1d3 days, during which the char-

acter hides; then the Veiled One may besmuggled out of the city. There is a base80% chance of success, but the DM maymodify this for the intensity of the searchand other similar factors.

Last but not least, the character has acover identity that allows him to movearound the city and interact with othersas a law-abiding citizen. The cover is com-plete unless the character casts a spell inthe sight of others or takes some otheraction that would arouse suspicion.

Special hindrances: As noted above,the character has a cover identity thatmust be carefully maintained. As a rule ofthumb, the character must spend half ofhis time playing the part of his cover—making pots, buying and selling goods, orwhatever. A character who neglects hiscover (poor potters taking long trips andreturning with great wealth, merchantsmissing opportunities to purchase goodscheaply, etc.) runs the serious risk ofbecoming outlawed.

Outlawed wizards are among the mostsought-after of criminals in any city-state.There is a 50% chance per day that the lawcomes so close to the character that hemust hole up or leave the city. Failure todo so guarantees an encounter with atemplar sweep for the character. Itrequires 2d4 months to re-establish acover after one has been blown.

The character must also honorrequests for assistance by his fellow VeiledOnes. From time to time, the character iscalled upon to perform jail breaks, to testprospective new members for hints ofdefiler magic, or to hunt down and killwizards attempting to leave the Alliance.Again, the DM should develop these asvery real commitments to the characterand give the resolution of these matters alot of attention. A wizard may not like theidea of blowing his comfortable cover byparticipating in a prison break, but as longas the wizard is in the Alliance, he has tobe prepared to obey orders.

Wealth options: Wealth is as normalfor a wizard. However, the character mayderive a steady income from a well-developed cover profession.

ArcanamachDescription: Each of the sorcerer-

monarchs selects an elite few to study andlearn magic under his protection. Thesehated creatures are arcanamachs—defilers sponsored by the sorcerer-kingand loyal to him. Acting as his emissariesand spies, the arcanamachs are the onlywizards of Athas who freely and openlypractice their art. Only the protection ofthe sorcerer-king himself keeps anarcanamach from an ugly death at amob’s hands.

Only defilers may choose to be arcana-maths, and only the best and brightest ofpotential students are selected. Thearcanamach must possess a Wisdom of 13or better, an Intelligence of 17 or better,

74 JUNE 1993

and a Charisma of 15 or better to qualifyas an arcanamach. Some arcanamachsbegin as neutral characters, but at somepoint in their careers they must whollygive themselves over to the service of theirking and assume an evil alignment.

Role: Arcanamachs are some of themost powerful characters in a campaign.Even the dreaded templars dare not trou-ble the arcanamachs for fear of the sor-cerer-king�s wrath. The lifestyle of thearcanamachs varies from city to city, butthey generally have any materials or luxu-ries they could want and guarded care-fully. Arcanamachs enjoy the favor of theirkings, and their fortunes rise or fall withthe sorcerer-monarchs.

Arcanamachs are known by differentnames in different cities. In Draj, they areknown as Lawgivers; in Nibenay, they arecalled Hands of Shadow. In the free city ofTyr, Kalak�s arcanamachs are now wantedcriminals. Most have fled the cityalthough there are rumors that a few havesworn allegiance to Tithian.

Preferred schools: Each of theschools of magic has its uses to asorcerer-king, and a wide variety of spe-cialists is recruited to serve as in the ranksof the arcanamachs.

Weapon proficiencies: Arcanamachsare occasionally required to serve withthe sorcerer-king�s armies. They maychoose from the following weapons: staff,dagger, sling, short bow, short sword,dart, javelin.

Nonweapon proficiencies: Bonus:Ancient History, Reading/Writing, andSpellcraft. Recommended: Land-basedRiding, Etiquette, Herbalism, Engineering,Bureaucracy.

Special abilities: Arcanamachs are theonly wizards of Athas who can openlypractice their art. Their access to theexcellent libraries of the sorcerer-kingsprovides them with the ability to automati-cally learn one spell of their choosingwhenever they gain a level. Specialists maylearn two. In addition, there is a 5%chance per level of the character that thesorcerer-king takes personal notice of thecharacter�s studies and allows him toimmediately add 1d4 spells to his spellrepertoire. Characters who enjoy thesorcerer-king�s notice can also researchspells or manufacture magical items at nocost to themselves, although they muststill take time to arrange for the correctmaterials to be brought to them.

Arcanamachs can requisition all sortsof magical items from the sorcerer-king�shoard, and they begin play with 1,500 xpworth of magical items already in theirpossession. When the arcanamach gains alevel, he can request another 1,500 xpworth of items. There is a 5% chance perlevel of the wizard that his request isgranted.

Within the domain of their sorcerer-king, arcanamachs will not be arrested orinterfered with by the king�s templars or

guards, within reason. An arcanamachcaught in a treasonous act is in just asmuch danger as anyone else. Arcana-machs can request guards at any timeafter they reach 5th level; usually a pair of3rd-level fighters are assigned for up to amonth, but the numbers and skill of theguards are increased as the arcanamachgains levels. The DM should be careful toration the arcanamach�s use of thispower; an arcanamach whose guardsconsistently die during their assignmentseventually finds no guards willing to servehim.

Special hindrances: The arcanamachis a marked man. He has enemies every-where�the Veiled Alliance, jealous noblesand templars, and even his ambitiouspeers�and only one friend: the sorcerer-king. In return for the favor showeredupon the arcanamach, the sorcerer-kingexpects absolute loyalty. The arcanamachmust vigorously pursue his sorcerer-king�s interests or risk disfavor.

Anytime the arcanamach wishes topursue his own studies, go on an adven-ture, or even just take a vacation, there isa base 50% chance that the sorcerer-king�sdemands interfere. The character may beassigned as part of a diplomatic party toanother city-state, he may be �asked� toaccompany a military force to battle, or hemay even be loaned out to a powerfulnoble or templar to assist in their enter-prise. The DM should play this carefully; ifthe player has been playing his characterwell, his arcanamach might not be both-ered quite so often. If the player has beenabusing his character�s perks, however,it�s a good sign that the wizard is leaningheavily on the sorcerer-king and is in themonarch�s thoughts.

Then, too, the arcanamach is veryoften the target of the sorcerer-king�s ene-mies. There is a 25% chance per monththat someone moves against the arcana-mach. The Veiled Alliance may attempt toassassinate him, or a templar may attemptto discredit the arcanamach in thesorcerer-king�s eyes by planting evidenceor similar tactics. The arcanamach mustbe eternally vigilant for the machinationsof his many enemies.

Wealth options: The arcanamachbegins with the standard amount ofmoney for a wizard character. However,he always has free lodging available tohim in the sorcerer-king�s palace.

Priest kits

ChroniclerDescription: The chronicler is a priest

who seeks wisdom in the lost records ofthe past. He knows more about the forgot-ten history of Athas than any other charac-ter, and he tries to use the ancient secretsin pursuit of his own goals in modernAthas. The chronicler is not just a tomb-robber or archaeologist; he is also a histo-

©1993 Dream Quest Games, Ltd.

DRAGON 75

rian who makes painstaking efforts torecord current events and pass on his ownknowledge to future generations.

Both templars and clerics may bechroniclers; druids have too many press-ing cares in the immediate present to caremuch about lost secrets and lore. Thelong lifespans of elves and dwarves makethem particularly appropriate for this kit,but priests of any race may choose to bechroniclers. Chroniclers may be of anylawful alignment, and require an Intelli-gence of 13 in addition to all otherprerequisites.

Weapon proficiencies: There areno special weapon requirements forchroniclers.

Nonweapon proficiencies: Bonus:Ancient History, Reading/Writing, Astrol-ogy. Recommended: Etiquette, Land-based Riding, Heraldry, Ancient Language,Religion.

Equipment: Chroniclers may use anyweapons or armor appropriate for theirclass. They are required to purchaseastrological charts, histories, journals, penand ink, and papyrus. These materialscost a total of 20 cp multiplied by thepriest�s level.

Special benefits: Chroniclers gain thethief�s ability to read unknown or ancientlanguages. This skill begins at a percent-age chance equal to the chronicler�s Intel-ligence score, and increases by 5% perlevel that the character advances. Chroni-clers also have a 5% chance per level toidentify the general purpose and functionof ancient magical items, tomes, or texts,just as a bard. The chronicler can identifyonly those items with some historical sig-nificance; a bone sword +1 wielded 30years ago by a common outlaw would notqualify, but a sword +1 wielded by anancient warlord 700 years ago would.

Chroniclers also are known for theirextraordinary memories. Athasian schol-ars must deal with extensive oral historiesand epic poems, and they rigorously trainthemselves to remember incredibly longtexts or songs. Once a chronicler reads orhears anything, he can commit it to mem-ory and remember it to the word forever.This process takes 1d4 turns plus the timeof reading or listening. The character canalso memorize maps, faces, or conversa-tions. In many cities, the chronicler�smemory is considerable admissible as evi-dence in a trial.

The game effect of this ability is toallow the player controlling the chroniclercharacter to confer with the DM andrecall the exact wording of instructions,directions, or bargains made with NPCs.The character also carries around a mapof the Tyr Region in his head; the DM canallow the player to refer to any nonkeyedmap relevant to the situation at any time.This ability gives the character a +1bonus on Intelligence checks and non-weapon proficiency checks for navigation,direction sense, survival, bargaining, and

76 JUNE 1993

any other proficiency the DM allows.Special hindrances: The chronicler

must attempt to recover any item ofancient work he knows of and return it tohis school or library. A templar chroniclerwho finds a steel long sword +3, or a suitof plate mail, or even a rare and expensivebook will go to any lengths to either pur-chase or steal the item and return it to hissorcerer-king. Chronicler clerics havesimilar responsibilities to a library,museum, or hidden temple. The DungeonMaster should be reasonable with thisrequirement; the chronicler will notattack his teammates over one rusty steelsword, but if his fellow adventurers cameacross an ancient artifact or book, thechronicler should insist on its return andstudy.

Chroniclers may keep only magicalitems that have no historical significance.All others must be returned to theirorganizations.

Wealth options: The chronicler beginswith the standard starting money for apriest character.

Tribal priestDescription: The struggle for survival

in the badlands outside the city-states ofAthas is fierce and terrible. Thousands oftribes wander the wastes; each year hun-dreds of these are slaughtered, enslaved, orsimply starve. One of the most vital edges atribe can possess over its competitors isaccess to the magic of a druid or cleric,whose spells can mean the differencebetween life and death for the tribesmen.

Templars cannot be tribal priests�their power lies in the domains of thesorcerer-kings. Tribal priests may be ofany alignment and race. Clerics are mostoften found as tribal priests, since they arenot tied to one place and can accompanytheir tribe in its travels. On occasion, adruid will be found as the patron of atribe that spends a lot of time in thedruid�s guarded lands. Tribal priests haveto be able to survive the rigorous life of atribesman before they become a priest; acharacter must have a Constitution scoreof 13 or better to qualify as a tribal priest.

Role: The tribal priest is a characterwith a heavy burden to bear�the survivalof his family and friends. He is often oneof the most respected and feared mem-bers of the tribe, and his words areextremely influential. PC tribal priests areassumed to come from a tribe that canspare them for the occasional adventure;otherwise, the character would spend allof his time creating water, quelling squab-bles, and healing the tribe�s warriors. TheDM can explain this freedom in two ways:Either the priest character is only a stu-dent or shaman-in-training with an NPCtribal priest who remains with the tribe,or the tribe is successful and stableenough that the PC can leave them to fendfor themselves from time to time.

The tribal priest kit is especially effec-

tive in a campaign built around theraiders and nomads of the wastes. A tribalpriest who spends most of his time associ-ating with urban characters from Athas�scity-states is playing the role of a barbar-ian priest, and is not paying attention tothe responsibilities of his position.

Weapon proficiencies: In addition tothe weapons appropriate for a cleric ordruid, the tribal priest is required to selectone of the following weapons: knife, dag-ger, short bow, spear, or sling. These arethe weapons of the nomadic tribes.

Nonweapon proficiencies: Bonus:Survival (in the terrain favored by thetribe), Water Find, Heat Protection. Rec-ommended: Animal Lore, DirectionSense, Weather Sense, Fire-building,Hunting, Tracking, Herbalism.

Equipment: Tribal priests come fromsocieties that are forced to make do withthe most basic of materials. They may notpurchase any metallic weapons when theybegin play, but are unrestricted after that.

Special abilities: Tribal priests canalways find shelter, food, water, and assis-tance with their protected tribe, no matterwhat the circumstances. The tribal priestcan also arrange for up to one guest perlevel to receive similar aid. Note that whilea tribe can always accommodate thepriest himself, a large number of guestsmay severely strain the tribe�s resources,and the tribal priest should never bringmore guests than the tribe can support.

Tribal priests are recognized through-out the wastes of Athas as important peo-ple. When dealing with any nomad, raider,slave tribe, or herdsman, the tribal priestgains a +3 on his reaction check. This canbe a disadvantage, as an outside tribe des-perately in need of a new priest may beinclined to seize the PC tribal priest fortheir own if he impresses them too much.

Special hindrances: The tribal priestis tied to his tribe. Although it is assumedthat he can occasionally leave the tribe togo adventuring, there are times when heis needed by his people. There is a 30%chance that the priest is required by histribe anytime he considers undertakingan adventure that would take him awayfor a long time. The DM should enforcethis rigidly for a character who tends toneglect his background, and be more gen-erous with players who are role-playingtheir characters well.

Another hindrance lies in the fact thatthe tribe�s enemies are the character�senemies as well. The character mustselect three distinct groups (for example,gith of the Black Spine Mountains, theJura-dai elven tribe, and the slave tribeWerrik�s Stalkers) to become his tribe�senemies. Whenever the characterencounters these enemies, he suffers a -4penalty on his reaction check with them,since his tribal markings and attitudesclearly mark him as a potential foe.

Wealth options: Tribal priests areimpoverished, beginning play with only a

few hand-crafted items. They receive only3d6 × 10 cp instead of the normal startingmoney of 3d6 × 30 cp.

Rogue kits

CaravaneerDescription: The caravans of the

great merchant houses are the lifebloodof Athas, carrying goods, news, messages,and slaves from one city to another. Thecaravaneer is a character who makes a liv-ing in these roving islands of civilizationamid the desert wastes. He is a skilledguide and trader, and in many cases asmuggler and a fence. Each new village ortown, each new oasis or desert tribe holdsthe promise of wealth and fortune. Cara-vaneers are infamous rogues who appearagain and again in the legends of Athas asuntrustworthy, avaricious characters whothink nothing of cheating on a deal. Thisis only part of the truth about these wan-derers.

Characters of any race may be carava-neers, but dwarven caravaneers find thata life of simple thievery does not make upa focus. Thieves and traders may take thecaravaneer kit; if the optional thief abilityrules of the Dragon Kings volume areused, the thief caravaneer has the abilitiesof Forge Document, Bribe Official, PickPockets, Open Locks, Move Silently, Hidein Shadows, Detect Noise, and Read Lan-guages. Caravaneers may be of any align-ment and have no special abilityprerequisites.

Role: The caravaneer is an arranger. Ifhe is a thief, then he is a thief who relieson cons, swindles, short-dealing, andsmuggling. He rarely resorts to actual actsof theft like burglary or brigandage. Inshort, he is a very traderlike thief. If thecharacter is a trader, then he is a dirtytrader who prefers to avoid declaring allof his imports and who seems forgetful ofbargains he makes�in other words, avery thieflike trader.

The caravaneer is a character with hisears and eyes open for opportunity. He isat the heart of the action, on the frontlines of the mercantile wars of Athas. Thecaravaneer can prove to be an excellentplot vehicle for a Dungeon Master, as heconstantly hears interesting rumors andseeks out new ways to get rich quickly.

Weapon proficiencies: Since he isoften called upon to defend the caravanagainst raiders, the caravaneer is requiredto be proficient in at least one weaponthat can be used in mounted combat andone weapon that can be used in missilecombat.

Nonweapon proficiencies: Bonus:Appraising, Land-based Riding, Bargain-ing. Recommended: Animal Handling,Cooking, Direction Sense, Etiquette, Fire-building, Weather Sense, Disguise, LocalHistory, Reading Lips, Alertness, Informa-tion Gathering, Looting, Observation.

Equipment: No special requirements.Special benefits: Caravaneers may

�sign on� with a caravan of their choice,receiving an appropriate wage to accom-pany the caravan in some capacity�scout, guard, purchasing agent, officer,etc. Generally, the wage and the position iscommensurate with the character�s level.A wage of about 1 cp per week per charac-ter level is appropriate, but as the charac-ter reaches higher levels the DM shouldincrease the character�s financial share inthe venture by appointing him as an offi-cer or senior agent in charge of the cara-van. (Caravaneers of the trader classactually own some amount of goods andrent space on a caravan to transport theirwares.)

The character is always guaranteed toreceive shelter, food, water, and trans-portation to any common crossroads,trading stop, or city-state in addition to hiswages. The character can also arrange forthe hiring of one companion per two lev-els, although the companion may have tosettle for a guard�s or laborer�s position.

Caravaneers are master smugglers andcan conceal caravan goods of up to 50 lbs.per level so that they will not be discov-ered in the caravan during routinesearches. Intensive searches require therogue to make a roll against his Intelli-gence, with a modifier applied for theamount of preparation the charactermakes. Smuggling a small pouch of gemsin an armored wagon is nearly foolproof;smuggling an escaped slave in the packsof a kank is much more difficult.

Caravaneers understand the life oftrade and the people who can be foundinteracting with caravans. When dealingwith merchants, other caravan persons,or innkeepers and stablemasters who dealwith caravans, the caravaneer gains a +3on his reaction checks.

Special hindrances: Known asscoundrels and gossips, caravaneers areoften perceived as untrustworthy andavaricious. The character suffers a -3penalty on his reaction check whenplaced in a situation where he is trying towin the trust of an NPC other than thosewith whom he receives a positive reactioncheck. For example, an elven chieftainmay be perfectly willing to buy and sellgoods with a caravaneer, but he wouldnever give the caravaneer a secret mes-sage or package to carry.

Wealth options: Caravaneers beginplay with the normal amount of moneyfor their class. The accumulation ofwealth is of great importance to the cara-vaneer character and he rarely, if ever,abandons riches or gives away money hehas no use for.

SycophantDescription: All cultures and societies

seem to have their share of flatterers andyes-men who gravitate towards wealthand power. The sycophant is a character

who constantly schemes to advance hisown position through his association withthe right people. His life is a constantclimb through the social ranks as he seeksmore influence and wealth than he cur-rently enjoys. In some cases, the boldestand most daring of sycophants hope towin a rich inheritance, a marriage intowealth, or even a noble title in the court ofa sorcerer-king. It is a dangerous game,and even the slightest misstep can spellostracism or even death.

Of all the PC races, only humans, elves,and half-elves possess the wit and charmnecessary for this kit. Sycophants are usu-ally bards, but clever and personablethieves can survive as sycophants. Syco-phants are generally self-centered individ-uals and may not choose to be of goodalignment. In addition to all otherrequirements, sycophants must haveIntelligence and Charisma scores of 14 orbetter.

Role: The sycophant begins his careeras a gossip and wit. He is a slave to fashionand makes a point of appearing with thecorrect escort at the proper time. Aboveall, he must be entertaining; a sycophantwhose company is not enjoyable is a syco-phant who will soon be forgotten.

Very few sycophants rise out of the low-est classes or come from slave stock,although it is conceivable that a slavecould take this kit as a recently freed con-cubine or artist. In the adventuring party,the sycophant functions as an excellentinformation gatherer, spokesperson, andspy. Most importantly, the sycophantknows people in high places, and he canoften pull strings through his currentcontacts to free people from prison,finance risky mercantile ventures, ormake introductions. A clever andunscrupulous sycophant with a weak-willed contact can completely dominatehis benefactor�and, in some cases, evenreplace him.

Weapon proficiencies: Sycophantsare not noted for carrying heavy arma-ment. If there is a weapon fashionable tonobility (for example, the rapier of theRenaissance), the sycophant is required tobe proficient in its use. The nobleweapons of the Seven Cities are: shortsword (Balic), javelin (Draj), bow (Gulg),club (Nibenay), flail (Raam), steel longsword (Tyr), and lance (Urik.) All otherweapon proficiencies must be selectedfrom small, easily concealable weaponssuch as the knife, dagger, or sling.

Nonweapon proficiencies: Bonus:Dancing, Etiquette, Heraldry, Observation.Recommended: Artistic Ability, Land-based Riding, Singing, Appraising, Dis-guise, Gaming, Musical Instrument,Reading Lips, Reading/Writing.

Equipment: The sycophant must pos-sess one outfit of noble quality to moveamong the elite of his city. This can cost10-30 cp, depending on the city. The syco-phant may wear armor and carry

78 JUNE 1993

weapons when journeying or adventuring,but generally goes unarmored and carriesonly a dagger or other small weapon as hemakes his rounds of the nobility. If heattends a party in full armor or visits ahigh lady while armed to the teeth, he suf-fers a -2 to -4 reaction penalty based onthe DM�s assessment of the situation.

Special benefits: The sycophant man-ages to infatuate a few powerful patronsfor a time. The character has a number ofcontacts equal to his level. Each of thesecontacts is perfectly willing and able toput the sycophant up for 10 days plusthree days per level of the character. Helives in the lap of luxury during this time.After visiting, the sycophant cannot visitagain until 100 days pass. The sycophantmay subtract twice his level in days fromthis figure. As he increases in level, thesycophant is eventually able to live hisentire life in one palace or another, sincehe is in so much demand. The sycophantalways leaves on good terms when histime expires, since he avoids offendingpeople by staying too long or not longenough.

Sycophants can also call upon favorsfrom their patrons. Obviously, the patronmust be in a position to help. Asking amerchant to free someone from the tem-plar prisons is useless, and asking a sor-cerer-king to protect a preserver isequally futile. Each time the sycophantcalls for a favor, roll a reaction check. Thesycophant gains a +1 bonus per three lev-els on the favor check. If he asks for morethan one favor per 100 days, each subse-quent favor check suffers a -2 cumulativepenalty.

The sycophant�s patrons are veryimportant to the campaign, and the DMshould go out of his way to develop thesocial ladder of the city-state. A cleversycophant uses his influence with onepatron to win an introduction to an evenmore important and influential patron,slowly climbing the social ladder. Themost daring (and foolhardy) of sycophantsstand by the sorcerer-king himself.

Special hindrances: As noted under�Equipment,� sycophants are usuallyunarmored and lightly armed (weapons ofsize S only.) The sycophant wears armoronly in the most obvious of circum-stances�accompanying a patron to war,duelling, or carrying a message through adangerous area. Even in adventuring, thesycophant rarely brings his armor unlessa fight is very likely, and even then hewaits until the last minute to put it on.DMs should feel free to impose reactionpenalties on sycophants who insist on amartial display.

Because he is unused to the weight andtactics of wearing armor, a given armortype protects the sycophant as if it wereone place worse than it actually was; thus,plain leather armor (normally base AC 8)is actually base AC 9 for the sycophant.This hindrance applies to magical armor

but does not apply to magical items like aring of protection or bracers of defense, solong as they are the only protectivedevices worn.

Wealth options: Sycophants begin playwith 2d6 × 60 cp. At least half of their trea-sure and earnings must be spent onclothes, luxuries, exclusive memberships,and other such fineries.

Noble

Psionicist kits

Description: Almost all humans anddemihumans have some potential withthe Way, but very few people are fortunateenough to find a tutor for their mentalpowers. These untutored potentials arefated to go through life as wild talents,possessing only a fraction of the powersthey would if they had studied. On Athas,learning and study for its own sake isoften a luxury only the wealthy and thenoble can afford.

The noble psionicist is a character whowas enrolled in a rigorous training regimeby her family when she was young. Likechildren of our own world who take pianolessons, most find the study of their ownminds to be unpleasant work, but othersstay with their tutors and develop into for-midable psionicists. These nobles enjoy apowerful edge over their rivals and aresome of the most clever and cunning ofopponents.

Noble psionicists may be humans,elves, half-elves, or dwarves. They maychoose to be of any alignment open to thepsionicist. There are no special abilityrequirements.

Preferred disciplines: Telepaths andclairsentients are greatly preferred fortheir information-gathering abilities.

Role: The noble psionicist is virtually apariah among Athas�s degenerate nobility.Her clear mind and self-discipline arevirtues seldom found among the elite ofthe Seven Cities. Despite her distance fromthe social scene, she is still well-treatedand respected by both her allies and herenemies. To her family, she is a valuableasset, a steel-bladed sword to be wieldedagainst their rivals. In time, as the head ofthe family, she possesses the wisdom andthe clarity of thought to bring the houseeven greater power and influence.

As an adventurer, the noble psionicistoften has a challenging agenda mappedout for her by her family. Whether or notshe follows that agenda is her own busi-ness. Until she actually assumes the man-tle of leadership and the noble title, she isoften free to pursue her own studies.

Weapon proficiencies: Nobles enjoyaccess to excellent weapons training.Many are taught the basics of self-defenseat an early age. The noble psionicistreceives a bonus weapon proficiency thatcan be used to learn martial arts or to spe-cialize in punching or wrestling (see the

©1993 Dream Quest Games, Ltd.

DRAGON 79

Complete Fighter�s Handbook).Recommended weapon proficiencies

include any weapon generally associatedwith the nobility of the character�s home.

Nonweapon proficiencies: Etiquette,Heraldry. Recommended: MeditativeFocus, Rejuvenation, Harness Subcon-scious, Dancing, Land-based Riding,Reading/Writing.

Equipment: While a noble psionicistdoes not particularly enjoy the display ofwealth, she also understands that appear-ances must be maintained. The psionicistmust pay 150-200% (d6+14×10%) the nor-mal cost of any clothing or equipment shepurchases in order to make it clear thatshe is a person of privilege. If the noblepsionicist cannot look the part, she willhave a difficult time convincing NPCs thatshe is a noble.

Special benefits: The noble psionicistbegins play with more money than apsionicist without a kit. She also has afamily, clan, or estate to support her. Ifshe wishes, the noble psionicist can livewith her relations indefinitely, enjoying alife of ease and luxury. However, a noblepsionicist who lives off her family�s for-tune will find that the family expects herfull loyalty.

The noble psionicist receives a +3bonus on reaction checks with any mem-ber of her culture or society who recog-nizes her as a noble. Many of Athas�slower classes have no love for nobility, butevery citizen of a city-state has learned torespect it. A noble character in commonclothes will not be recognized as a noble,no matter how many people she tells.

Special hindrances: As noted above,the noble psionicist must maintainappearances. She must always purchasethe finest version of any clothing or gearshe needs. This effectively raises the costof any piece of equipment to 150%-200% ofits listed cost.

The second hindrance of a noblepsionicist applies only if she is living offher family and using their estate as herhome base. Her relations are glad to haveher around, and will often ask her forfavors or support. At least once a week,the character will have to fulfill a familyobligation; she may need to use her men-tal abilities against the house�s enemies,she may be asked to spy on another rivalhouse, or she might even be �invited� toattend to the sorcerer-king as the house�srepresentative. The DM should use this asa tool to reinforce good role-playing; awealthy PC who asks her family to buysteel weapons for all her friends had bet-ter be prepared to pay for it with her timeand effort!

Wealth options: The noble psionicistbegins play with 3d4 × 90 cp. At the DM�soption, the character can also receive astipend from her family equal to 10 cp permonth per character level.

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Untutored oneDescription: The powerful manifesta-

tions of psionics in Athasian peoples oftenrun in strange courses. Sometimes stu-dents with access to the most understand-ing and powerful of teachers barelymaster the basics of the Way; sometimesrogue talents of unbelievable strengtharise in the most savage of tribes. Theuntutored one is a psionicist who haslearned from no one but himself. He isoften found living as an escaped slave or asavage raider of the desert. Most are bril-liant blazes that flare and die beyond thesight of civilization, but others haveshaken the world with their power.

Psionicists of any race or alignmentmay be untutored ones. There are no spe-cial ability requirements.

Role: The untutored one is often ahunted character. Templars and psioni-cists loyal to the sorcerer-king often pur-sue the PC under orders to capture himand learn the secrets of his power. At veryhigh levels, the untutored one often runsafoul of the Order, a secret group of high-level psionicists. Despite this concentra-tion of enemies, the untutored one oftenescapes their grasp�his abilities are oftenunknowable and uncontrollable. He is atrue wild card who represents a threat tothe established powers of Athas.

By necessity, untutored ones are lon-ers. Other psionicists scorn them, and thenonpsionic savages or slaves that raisedthem fear their great power. The untu-tored character is often forced into a wan-derer�s life, and few ever call a place orpeople home.

Preferred disciplines: Unusual giftscan affect any discipline, but the mostfamous and powerful untutored ones arepsychokineticists or telepaths.

Weapon proficiencies: Required:spear or knife. Recommended: short bow,short sword, hand axe, sling, or club.

Nonweapon proficiencies: Bonus:Rejuvenation, Endurance. Recommended:Heat Protection, Water Find, Survival,Hunting, Fire Building, Direction Sense,Land-based Riding, Running, HarnessSubconscious, Meditative Focus.

Equipment: No special requirements.Special benefits: The untutored one is

completely free to develop his own poten-tial, without the guidance of the estab-lished methods of learning the Way. Afterthe untutored one chooses his disciplines,sciences, and devotions, he gains a ran-dom wild talent, just like a nonpsionicistcharacter. This wild talent does not countagainst the allowable devotions and sci-ences he may know when he creates hischaracter, and it does not matter if the tal-ent is in a discipline he does not yet haveaccess to. The normal rules for wild talentPSPs are used, and the total added directlyto the psionicist�s normal PSP pool.

The character cannot gain more thanthree devotions or sciences in this way. Ifthe player rolls high enough to gain two

or more wild talents, any combination ofprerequisite powers and wild talents thatwould add up to more than three is sim-ply discarded. If the wild talent (or anybonus prerequisites) duplicates a devotionthat the character had already selected, hegains a special enhancement of thatpower but no new talents.

Enhanced powers that are successfullyinitiated (i.e., a power check is made)automatically have the effect listed underthe �Power Score� entry in the powerdescription. The only exception is a roll of1 or 2 on the power check, in which casethe power takes effect as normal. A psioni-cist with an enhanced power never suffersthe ill effects of rolling a 1 on his powercheck.

Special hindrances: The untutoredone is unfamiliar with many of the com-mon teachings of psionics, includingpsionic defenses. Unlike most psionicists,the untutored one does not automaticallygain psionic defenses and so must usenew devotions or sciences to acquirethem. The defenses are all telepathic pow-ers, and the normal restrictions forchoosing devotions and sciences applieswhen a character selects a psionicdefense.

Secondly, the untutored one suffers a-3 penalty to reaction checks with normalpsionicists who recognize him for what heis, and a -1 penalty with all other charac-ters except those of his tribe or family.The character is markedly unusual andcarries himself awkwardly; the burden ofhis unasked-for powers and his lack ofself-knowledge erodes his social grace.

Wealth options: The untutored onerarely owns more than the clothes on hisback. He begins play with only 3d4×15 cp.

Other kit ideasThe DM is not limited to the above

character kits; many other DARK SUNcharacters exist on Athas, and manywould make fine character kits. For exam-ple, a good one might be an elven runner,a multiclassed fighter/thief. Halflingshamans, dwarven sappers, or thri-kreenstalkers all would be good nonhuman kits.Other ideas for human kits might includean outrider (a fighter or trader who spe-cializes in guarding caravans), a dilettante(a bard or thief born of the nobility), or ahidden priest (a character who maintainsa shrine and practices elemental magicbeneath the noses of the sorcerer-kings.)

The Dungeon Master shouldn�t be theonly one coming up with new kits. If youare a player and you have a great charac-ter concept, talk to your DM about cus-tomizing a kit just for that character. Becreative and have fun; after all, isn�t thatwhat it�s all about?

Not just another bug hunt: TSR�s BUGHUNTERS� game

by Lester Smith

If you haven�t heard it before, here�ssome news: TSR has been working on anentirely new line of role-playing games, allpart of the AMAZING ENGINE system.

Even as you read this, the first two prod-ucts in the line�the BUGHUNTERS� andFOR FAERIE, QUEEN, AND COUNTRYgames�are winging their ways to hobby

82 JUNE 1993

stores, each with a copy of the 32-pageSystem Guide that serves as the core rulesfor all games in the AMAZING ENGINEline-up. Later this year, the MAGITECH�and GALACTOS BARRIER games will jointhose products, and work has begun onnext year�s offerings as well.

As the designer of the BUGHUNTERSgame, I�m taking this opportunity to tellyou something about the thoughts thatwent into that game�s creation�the whysand wherefores of its final shape. In orderto do so, I�ll first need to explain a bitabout the AMAZING ENGINE system ingeneral, so this article will also serve as aquick introduction to the AMAZINGENGINE line.

An amazing ideaThe title of the AMAZING ENGINE sys-

tem gives a hint as to the line�s purpose.Just as AMAZING® Stories magazine cov-ers a wealth of short fiction, the AMAZINGENGINE roleplaying system covers awealth of role-playing milieux. Forstarters, there�s the Victorian fantasyworld of the FOR FAERIE, QUEEN, ANDCOUNTRY game, the horrific science-fic-tion setting of the BUGHUNTERS game,the modern magic-as-technology environ-ment of the MAGITECH game, and the far-future universe of the GALACTOSBARRIER game, with lots more to come.Just as a short story is constructed differ-ently from a novel, with an eye toward get-ting you into the action quickly, theAMAZING ENGINE system is designed todo the same. All of its member games arebased upon the same core rules systems,and everything else you need for any par-ticular milieu is packed within a single128-page book.

When I joined the TSR staff last October.Zeb Cook had pretty much finished thecore rules for the system, and he wasworking on the FOR FAERIE, QUEEN, ANDCOUNTRY game. Being the nice guy thathe is, and wanting to make the �newbie�

feel welcome, Zeb invited me to join hisplaytest group for that game. I was imme-diately excited by the milieu he was creat-ing. For one thing, the genteel vs. bawdytensions of Victorian England are quiteentertaining, particularly when a goodlyportion of the citizenry is possessed of atleast a bit of fairie blood. For another,Zeb�s take on the magic system is fascinat-ing. Casting a spell is basically like con-structing a sentence: You designate asubject (the �victim�), decide upon a verbphrase (the �action� of the spell), then loadthe spell up with modifiers to reduce thepower cost (such as speaking it in rhymewhile dressed in green and standing onone foot). I�ll leave it to Zeb to reveal fur-ther details of the game at a more appro-priate time in the future.

The bughunt beginsI felt great excitement over the shape

the AMAZING ENGINE system was taking.So, when I was asked if I�d like to designthe BUGHUNTERS game�a game of per-sonal combat versus deadly alien crea-tures in the not-too-distant future�Ijumped at the chance, despite the fact thatthere was something of a time crunchinvolved. It had been decided that the bestway to launch the brand-new system wasto release the FOR FAERIE, QUEEN, ANDCOUNTRY and BUGHUNTERS gamessimultaneously, thereby showing off theAMAZING ENGINE system�s range of pos-sibilities, from unusual fantasy to grittysci-fi. This plan called for delaying releaseof the first game a bit while pushing theBUGHUNTERS game ahead in the sched-ule. Fortunately for me, a number of peo-ple volunteered to help out with theBUGHUNTERS game project (you can findthem listed by chapter in the game�s cred-its). It isn�t an easy thing to write to matchsomeone else�s peculiar vision of a newgame, especially when that writer is abrand-new member of the staff. Thesepeoples� willingness to help out and toease my initiation into the company madeall the difference, and I bless them for it,and their children, and their children�schildren . . .

The mechanicsWhen I started working on the

BUGHUNTERS game, there were a few�givens� I had to take into account. First, ofcourse, whatever I did had to match upwith the core rules in the System Guide.Not only did that apply to the specifics ofthe dice mechanics, character attributes,etc., it also directed the feel of any newrules I was to come up with. As a primeexample, the fact that each skill in theAMAZING ENGINE system defaults to arelated character attribute, rather thanhaving a separate number value to keeptrack of, served as a constant reminder tokeep my attention on fast and easy play.There were times when I chafed at this;

it�s easy for a designer to keep adding lev-els of complexity like new layers of snow-fall, losing track of just how deep the driftsare growing. However, as the whole tookshape, I became increasingly won over byZeb�s vision of how easy the game play ofan AMAZING ENGINE session should be.Of course, the fact that I had to fit anentire milieu within 128 pages served asanother pointer to the age-old K.I.S.S.maxim (�Keep it simple, stupid�).

Another �given� was that theBUGHUNTERS game would have a moredetailed combat system than most otherAMAZING ENGINE projects. The SystemGuide itself makes reference to that fact. Iopted for a tactical design that limits theactions available to a character by how farthe character moves in a turn, with indi-vidual actions defined in fair detail. Forinstance, in fire combat, aimed shots canonly be performed by a stationary figure,while snapfire can be conducted by awalking figure, and burst and autofireeven by a running figure. This results inappropriately tactical personal combat sit-uations for the milieu. My thanks to TimBrown for the work he contributed to thissection of the rules, and to ColinMcComb, Karen Boomgarden, and New-ton Ewell for related work on the equip-ment chapter.

In my opinion, the starship chapter isanother high point of the BUGHUNTERSgame�s design. Tim Beach took my desirefor a modular approach to ship creationand turned out an impressively designedset of statistics, floor plans, and matchingtext. Together, we worked out a simple butwide-ranging system of how ship speedrelates to mass and drive power. Thus,within a very few pages, the reader is pro-vided with a system for quickly creatingmany different starships at widely rangingsizes and speeds. Working with Tim onthis chapter was a distinct pleasure.

Character creation is the third leg of thetripod skeleton of the BUGHUNTERSgame. I�ll have more to say about PCslater, but for the moment I�ll point outthat the character-creation chapter pro-vides not only stats and beginning equip-ment for characters, but also a sense ofhistory and future goals.

The milieuHaving spoken about the skeleton, let

me now tell you something about the fleshof the BUGHUNTERS game.

From the project�s inception, a year ormore before I joined the crew here at TSR,the game was intended to cover the sortsof gritty human-versus-alien conflict por-trayed in such films as Aliens, Enemy Mine,The Deep, and Predator, as well as in ahost of novels and lesser-known B-moviethrillers. This suited me perfectly. As a GM,I like to draw adventures from lots of dif-ferent sources, and I frequently findmyself finishing a movie, TV program, or

book with the thought, �I wonder how myplayers would respond in this situation?�

At the same time, both as a gamer and agame designer, I�ve noticed how impor-tant it is for people to be able to conveythe essence of a game succinctly to theirfriends. New players are much more likelyto join a game whose premise is readilygrasped than one whose premise is not.The second sort of game may be loads offun to play once a player is familiar with it,but new players are going to feel uncom-fortable and unsure of their roles untilthen. Given that the AMAZING ENGINEsystem is designed to get you quickly andeasily from milieu to milieu, it would beespecially counterproductive to expectplayers to founder for a while beforebecoming familiar with each new game inthe line. Taking such things into account,I like to set things up so that there is aclear central premise, but one specificallydesigned to accomodate a wide range of adventure types.

How does this all reflect on theBUGHUNTERS game? Well, the central

DRAGON 83

premise I settled upon is that Humanityhas begun its first efforts to colonize thestars. However, the race is discoveringthat the galaxy is a much deadlier, nastierplace than could have been expected, fullof bloodthirsty creatures of all sorts,including savagely evolved animals, mur-derous intelligences, and even mechani-cal assassins. (There is a very good reasonfor the existence of these things�a simplesecret that is revealed to GMs and empow-ers them to adapt nearly any sort of sci-ence-fiction adventure plot to aBUGHUNTERS campaign. It is intendedthat players discover that secret onlythrough the course of play.)

A united Terra has responded to thisthreat by creating a special aerospace andmarine force consisting of physically andmentally enhanced humans, each clonedfrom normal human volunteers. The PCs,then, are larger-than-life warriors, withtheir donors� memories, personalities,and dreams�but bound to serve as sol-diers for the duration of Humanity�s need(in other words, indefinitely). Of course,because they are bigger and tougher thannormal people, these synthetic humans(typically called �synths� or �synners�) aremistrusted and feared, though oftensecretly envied.

Here it comes!

Wondering what TSR is about to donext? Turn to “TSR Previews” in thisissue and find out!The PCs may not get respect, but they

do get big guns, high explosives, and plen-

tiful targets. The problem is, of course,that those targets tend to be quite tough intheir own right. The result is a game thatcombines combat and fear, horror andheroism.

Establishing the right imagery for hard-ware in this game was a bit tricky. I thinkpeople have come to expect spaceships inthis genre to travel faster-than-light butstill have dim corridors lined with oil-stained pipes and bundles of grimywiring. Although the ships do move fasterthan light, they still take quite a while toget anywhere, so the isolation during voy-ages contributes to the sense of horrorwhen something goes wrong. What�smore, in this genre people expect to seethe stars drift by outside the portholes. Toaccount for all this, I decided upon a FTLdrive that skips in and out of hyperspacelike a stone skipping across the surface ofa pond, powered by a fusion engine whichdrives turbines to generate electricity.

There are other presuppositions for thisgenre, of course. For example, weightless-ness is never a problem in films of thisgenre�there�s an unspoken assumptionthat artificial gravity exists. Suspendedanimation is common, too. That�s allpretty high-tech stuff. Still, the weaponstend to be very similar to today�s slug-throwers, with visible smoke and recoil,and the typical combat uniform is highly

reminiscent of Vietnam-era fatigues andweb gear. That�s all rather low-tech stuff.

My solution to this high-tech/low-techdichotomy was to posit a future in whichthe United Nations (now United Terra) hasbecome the predominant government,and national wars are pretty much a thingof the past. Consequently, technology haspursued space travel rather than the pro-duction of more advanced guns. What�smore, a ballooning global populationstretches world resources ever thinner, inthe process creating rising pressures forcolonization of other worlds.

ConclusionOne of the most fascinating things

about working on this game was creatinga logical rationale that would take all ofthe �givens� and presuppositions intoaccount. I had a great good time workingon the BUGHUNTERS game, and from theresponse of playtesters, I suspect that agreat many people will have much funplaying it, as well.

84 JUNE 1993

Tenser�s Bottling Co., Inc.

The most useful and yet potentially themost dangerous class of magical items arethe potions and other magical fluids thatstore magical energies in fragile glass bot-tles. While a flask of oil of fiery burning isobviously useful, it is also obviously dan-gerous to have one in a back pocket whenyou fall into a pit! Even relatively harmlesspotions can still cause problems if theirbottles break, such as the embarrassment(and reduced effectiveness) caused byscrabbling across the ground on yourhands and knees looking for uncontami-nated drops of healing potion to drink.Here is one solution to the problem offragile potion bottles (along with a num-ber of new potions and other fragile magi-cal items), Tenser�s tantalus, also knownas Tenser�s potion caddy.

Tenser�s tantalus (Wizard)A tantalus is a nonmagical piece of furni-

ture, a liquor-stand that uses wooden ormetal rods to keep the bottles and glassesin the stand from moving about. Tenser�stantalus is a mobile, magical version of thesame sort of device, designed to transportmagical potions or other fragile items,keeping them safe and within easy reachfor the mage�s use.

Although there is no evidence that thismagical item was created (or even used)by Tenser, the famed wizard of theWORLD OF GREYHAWK® setting, the rea-sons its origin was erroneously attributed

86 JUNE 1993

by Spike Y. Jones

Artwork by L.A. Williams

to him are obvious; Tenser�s tantalus is aflat metal disc, 3� in diameter, which floatsat a constant 3� above the surface of theground (under most circumstances) andat the same 3� distance from its userunless specifically commanded otherwise.But while it shares much in common withthe Tenser�s floating disc spell, it also has anumber of significant differences, the pri-mary one being that Tenser�s tantalus is apermanent magical item, not a temporarymagical spell.

The disc�s upper surface emits a softglow extending for about a foot above themetal. Any objects placed entirely withinthis field are subject to a powerful quasi-magnetic force that holds any nonlivingmatter (including once-living materialssuch as paper, leather, or a small deadbody, as well as completely inanimatematter like glass, metal, or crystal) firmlyto the surface of the disc, but that has noeffect on living flesh, even creatures smallenough to fit within the field�s confines.No matter what pressures are exertedagainst it, the tantalus will protect objectswithin its field from the effects of violentmotions and other external shocks unlessthose shocks are powerful enough todestroy the metal disc. For this purpose,treat the disc as a metal shield, using theItem Saving Throws table on page 39 ofthe Dungeon Master�s Guide.

Since the quasi-magnetic force doesn�taffect objects only partially within its area

of effect, bottles taller than the 1�-tall fieldwill not be held by a Tenser�s tantalusunless laid on their sides. Bottles can bestacked, but that is difficult. Reachingthrough the glowing field and grabbing anobject on the disc frees the object�whenan object is grabbed, the field reacts as ifthe object is physically connected to thearm and thus as if it extends beyond theedge of the field.

Because objects only partially within thefield aren�t affected, a thrown spear canwreak havoc on the disc�s load�a spear islong enough that part of it is always out-side of the field. On the other hand, a slingbullet hurled at the bottles cannot breakthem because the field affects it as soon asthe bullet is fully within its boundaries,leaving the bullet suspended in mid-airjust inside the edge of the field. For maxi-mum protection, potions should beplaced as close to the center of theTenser�s tantalus as possible, protectingthem from weapons shorter than the 1.5�radius of the disc. If the disc is fullyloaded, items close to the edge can be eas-ily affected by short weapons such ashand axes or daggers.

A Tenser�s tantalus can hold up to 20lbs. of bottles and contents (the averagepotion in a glass bottle weighs about half apound), and will smoothly accelerate anddecelerate to safely follow its owner at anyspeed up to 18, including following him ashe climbs stairs. If the user moves beyond

the 50� effective range of command, thetantalus ceases all movement and hoversin place until either its user returns oranother wizard takes control of it.

A Tenser�s tantalus will follow its ownerif he falls into a pit, but because of theowner�s rapid acceleration, he will soonout-strip the disc�s power to follow. In apit 75� deep or less, the disc will gentlydescend to the bottom a few seconds afterits owner, but if the pit is any deeper theowner will eventually accelerate out of the50� range, meaning that the disc will stopin mid-air some 20� down from the upperend of the pit, waiting for someone tocome within range and take command.

Because such an obvious display oftreasures increases the possibility of theft,many Tenser�s tantaluses are equippedwith a permanent alarm spell with a vol-ume loud enough to be heard from 50�away but not farther. The alarm soundswhen anything enters the field withoutspeaking the alarm-deactivating com-mand word. Semi-solid manipulators,such as unseen servants, telekinesis orBigby�s hand spells, air elementals, orgusts of wind are all too tenuous to reachinto the field and take or destroy items,but all of these will activate the alarm.

A thief could attempt to steal the entiredisc away from its owner. This requires aStrength check on 4d6 to break the disc�sattraction to its owner. If the thief takesthe disc more than 50� from its owner(and remember, the alarm will soundunless the thief manages to touch only thebottom and rim of the disc), it is free to becommanded by another wizard.XP Value: 3,000 (3,500 with alarm)

Bottle of preservationWhile they look like normal glass bottles

from the outside, these common magicaldevices are invaluable to wizards or othercollectors who use them for storing oddsand ends.� The bottles come in a variety ofsizes and shapes, but all share one prop-erty; their interior walls project a spelldesigned to preserve indefinitely thefreshness of anything placed within them,including spell components or ingredi-ents for the manufacture of potions andother magical items. A more mundaneuse for a large bottle of preservationwould be the storage of perishable fooditems, but the use of even a common mag-ical item to preserve inexpensive foodseems a little wasteful.XP Value: 200

Bottle of trapping (Wizard)These magical bottles look absolutely

normal when empty except for their large,flaring mouths, and the elaborate, hingedstoppers that close them. The bottle�smagic is activated when it is pointed at anobject or person of less than 120 cubicfeet volume (which includes mosthumanoids 12� or less in height) and the

lid is opened. When this happens, a beamof multicolored light lances out from thebottle�s mouth to strike the target. If thetarget fails a saving throw vs. spells, itshrinks (as if affected by a reduce spellcast by a 12th-level wizard; a 12� tall crea-ture would shrink to 3� tall) to a size thatlets it fit within the bottle. Then the targetis sucked toward the bottle�s mouth.

At that point most inanimate objects areirresistibly sucked into the bottle, but liv-ing creatures can attempt to grab the lipof the mouth and hold on against theforce of suction. To cling to the edge of themouth, they must succeed at a Strengthcheck on 1d20 each round that they waitfor rescue. The bottle can only hold oneshrunken object at a time, so if the targetdoes end up in the bottle, it is entirelyempty of previously-affected objects.While the bottle�s walls are as fragile asnormal glass from the outside, they arestronger than steel from the inside, foilingmost attempts to escape.

There are two ways to exit the bottle. At

the command of the holder, the bottle canexpel its contents the same way that ittrapped them, shooting them outwardand subjecting them to an enlarge spell sothat they return to normal size within sec-onds of escape. Less commonly, someonemay escape a bottle of trapping when thebottle is destroyed, an easy task from theoutside. Unfortunately, destroying the bot-tle also prevents it from enlarging its con-tents, so that anyone escaping from ashattered bottle of trapping will still standjust a few inches tall until a dispel magicor enlarge spell is cast on him.XP Value: 3,500

Nerve tonicThis potion allows the imbiber to take

control of his own emotions, remainingcalm, cool, and collected no matter whatthe situation around him. All outsideinfluences on his emotions are eithereliminated or minimized. If used by anNPC, his morale rolls are made at +3.

No scare, charm, fear, or other emotion-

DRAGON 87

altering spell has any effect on theuser of this potion, and the useralso gains a +3 bonus to savingthrows vs. spells that affect the vic-tim�s emotions indirectly, such asspook or phantasmal killer. Thepotion has no effect on mind-con-trolling spells without an emotional com-ponent such as hypnotism or domination.All of these effects last for 2-5 turns. Eachbottle contains a single dose.XP Value: 150

Oil of monster repulsionLike many other oils, this liquid meant to

be applied to a single person�s clothing andskin rather than taken internally. It quicklysoaks in and works continuously for 12hours (unless removed by a strong solvent).Once applied, this oil releases a scent thatis odorless to all creatures except the onetype of animal or monster (lion, tiger, troll,blue dragon, goblin, etc. at the discretionof the maker) that it was formulated toaffect. That type of creature smells an odorso disgusting that it will not willinglyapproach within 80� of the offending per-son. An intelligent creature can overcomeits revulsion and force itself forward, but asit gets closer the odor increases so thateach halving of the 80� distance gives theaffected monster a cumulative -1 on allcombat rolls (such as attack, damage andsaving throw rolls); -1 at 40�, -2 at 20�, -3 at10�, and -4 at 5� or closer.

This oil can also be painted on inani-mate objects such as fence posts to createa large zone of exclusion that no memberof the target species can enter. One dose ofoil can coat up to ten objects this way.XP Value: 250

Oil of neutral scentThis magical oil�s volume and duration

resemble the oil of monster repulsion, butunlike that oil it doesn�t make the useremit a special scent. Rather, it neutralizesall scents that the wearer and his coatedequipment emit, making him effectivelyodorless. While this could have some badeffects (for instance, the user�s pet dogmay not recognize him), it is generallyhelpful, preventing the wearer from beingsniffed out by giant ants, carrion crawlers,griffons, minotaurs, rust monsters, wolves,snakes, and other creatures dependant onscent to hunt or track. Even if such a mon-ster blunders upon the wearer acciden-tally, the lack of a scent is likely to make ithesitate in combat (-2 on initiative rolls).

Unless the user can bathe a monster�sentire body in oil of neutral scent, this oil isuseless against the crippling scent attackof troglodytes and other smell-emittingmonsters.

When the effects wear off, the wearer isinstantly assailed with his own normalscent. It takes 1-4 turns before he is againso used to his scent as to be unaware of it.XP Value: 300

sized sculptures on the decks ofthe full-size ship, forcing the userto provide living crew members toreplace them. Although a normalmodel ship would probably bedestroyed if thrown against a rock,the magic of this item protects the

Pox: potion bottle�s contents until the ship-in-a-bottleAlthough this potion is often the result is fully enlarged. Thus, the boat will be as

of a failed attempt at creating some benefi-cial potion, it is sometimes intentionallymanufactured or substituted for someother potion (for reasons ranging fromcon games to assassination attempts).When first swallowed, the potion has noapparent effects. After about an hour,boils, rashes, warts, and sores appear onthe user�s body. These grow in numberand size until they cover the victim com-pletely, but while they resemble the symp-toms of many contagious diseases, theeffects of a pox potion are not catching.For every hour after the elixir�s ill effectsfirst manifest themselves (up to a maxi-mum of seven hours) the pox increases instages, with the victim�s Strength, Dexter-ity, and Charisma dropping by one pointand his hit points by two points each hour(a maximum loss of 7 and 14 points,respectively).

sea-worthy in fact as it was in appearancein the bottle.

Lest anyone think this an easy way tocreate a fleet, the cost of the special mate-rials involved in the creation of this itemare the same as those required to makethe full-size ships (see Player�s Handbook,page 67), and the mage must perform allstages of the construction himself, mean-ing that he will have to study the art of bot-tled ship building before he can craft hismagical models (Bottled Ship Buildingnonweapon proficiency: General, 1 slot,check vs. Dexterity at -2). Making a simpleraft-in-a-bottle can take the wizard asmuch as a month, while a multi-deckgalleon would certainly involve almost ayear�s effort; time enough for a shipyard toproduce a small fleet.XP Value: Half cost in gp to produce

Skunk waterThe only known cures for this poisonare a full dose of sweet water, a dispelmagic spell (the poison resists as if createdby a 12th-level wizard), or a cure diseasespell cast by a priest of 12th or higher level.There is rarely more than one dose of poxpotion found in a single place.XP Value: 50 if created deliberately

Ship-in-a-bottleTo all appearances, this seems to be

just another example of the sailor�s hobbyof building miniature vessels and sealingthem into large glass bottles. As with mostof its kind, this magical model is a highlydetailed replica, so much so that onecould almost believe that it was a real ves-sel shrunken by way of powerful magics.In fact, the magical ship-in-a-bottle isactually constructed in the same way asany other such model, but with expensiveenchanted construction materials. Theimpression that it is a ship that has reallybeen shrunken is only strengthenedwhen the item is used. At the moment it issmashed against a pier or seashore rock,the model expands to form a full-size ver-sion of the same ship in a single round;this can be anything from a two-manrow-boat to a trireme war-galley orbeyond.

Although the enlarged vessel radiates amild aura of magic, it has no magicalpowers and behaves exactly as a normalship. The ship is permanent, barring acci-dents of fate and the depredations of time,tide and barnacles. It is equipped as thebuilder depicted it in miniature, with theexception of a crew. Any sculpted crewmembers in the miniature become man-

This potion is not meant to be drunk, asit�s not appetizing (although nonpoisonouson its own) to the human or demi-humanpalate. When added to other liquids ittransforms them into impure, foul-smelling, undrinkable sludge. It has noeffect on poisons, and skunk water auto-matically converts magical potions to poi-son. A single bottle of skunk water can foul100,000 cubic feet of fresh water or turn 10magical potions into poison (type G, H, orI, with full effects felt only if a completedose is ingested; see DMG, page 73). Whilethe effects of skunk water are permanent,an equal volume of sweet water canrestore foul water to fresh. Sweet water hasno effect on potions made poisonous.XP Value: 100

Smoke of fire quenchingThis small and fragile glass globe

releases clouds of thick white smoke thatextinguish all normal fires within 60� whenshattered. Magical fires are entitled to asaving throw, requiring a roll of 15 or bet-ter, with a +1 bonus per level of the spell(so a fireball cast into an area protected bysmoke of fire quenching would only igniteif a saving throw of 12 or better is made).

The spell has no effect on fires createdby a creature�s body (such as the breath ofa red dragon) but secondary fires sparkedby these flames are affected. The smokedissipates in 3-6 rounds, and new fires canbe lit in the area once every trace of thesmoke is gone. The range of the thrownglobe is 90� (see Grenade-LikeMissiles, DMG, pages 62-63).XP Value: 500

88 JUNE 1993

The first game for all new gamers: the DRAGON STRIKE� game

Elation, frustration, hope, despair,relief, joy�no, these are not the emo-tional stages you pass through when youdie. They are the emotional stages of gamedesign. In particular, that�s what I wentthrough to design the DRAGON STRIKEgame. It�s new from TSR, Inc. and shouldbe available in stores everywhere thismonth.

The DRAGON STRIKE game is a mass-market board game for young, novicegamers. It will be available in stores likeWal-Mart and Target as well as regularhobby shops. Experienced gamers willfind that it makes a great gift for youngerbrothers, sisters, cousins, sons, daughters,kids down the street. sorry, got carriedaway there. Two to six people can play,ages 10 and up (lots of adults here at TSRhave had fun playing it, too). Each playerruns a character that is a fantasy hero,warrior, wizard, elf, or thief. One player isthe Dungeon Master and sets up theadventures. The other players try to winthe adventure before Darkfyre, thedragon, is placed on the board.

Of course, the game concept didn�t startthat way. Let me begin at the beginning.My boss, Jim Ward, gave me the choiceassignment of rewriting the DUNGEONS& DRAGONS® game�you know, the blackbox with the red dragon exploding out ofit. Boy, was I excited! Dare I say, I was evenelated. It�s not every day that a gamedesigner gets to work on the world�s pre-mier fantasy role-playing game.

Everything went fine for the first month

by Bruce Nesmith

Then upper management had the idea.The idea was to produce a board game forkids that included a 30-minute, action-packed video tape. It would be a great wayto introduce young people to fantasy role-

playing without wrestling with the com-plexities of the D&D® and AD&D® games.Once kids played this game, they�d beexcited about getting into role-playing.

My rewrite of the DUNGEONS &DRAGONS boxed set was dropped fasterthan last year�s DRAGONLANCE® calen-dar. Suddenly, I was making a mass-mar-ket board game that included amini-movie. I was definitely elated. (By theway, mass market means that the game issupposed to appeal to everyone, not justrole-players. A broad audience appealmeans more sales, which means moregamers, which benefits everyone.)

Quicker than an editor�s red pen, theplans for the game that was to become theDRAGON STRIKE system grew and grew.It got plastic pieces�24 of them, to beexact. It got two game boards. Then thegame boards became double sided. Itsoon included 16 adventures, 110 cards,card sheets, counters, bases, and ascreen. To cap it off, my boss was trans-ferred to Marketing and I got a new boss.Over half my time at TSR was spent inmeetings about the DRAGON STRIKEgame. It became a monster out of con-trol�and it was barely written down.

Then I heard those dreaded words:�Your deadline hasn�t changed.� I had onlythree months to design a game with allthat stuff in it, and I was starting fromscratch.

In no time, I had a game design and aprototype prepared. I was then ready forthe most terrifying experience a game

9 0 J U N E 1 9 9 3

designer can have: a playtest by othergame designers. I thought about wearinga bulletproof vest, but decided it wouldget in the way of my lunging across thetable to strangle critical co-workers. Likeall initial playtests, it ended disastrouslyand in frustration. I swept up the remainsof my shattered ego, extracted the gameboard from the claws of my formerfriends and colleagues, and slunk back tomy office. A warning to all aspiring gamedesigners out there: Sell your egos andbuy thick skins. If you can�t stand the heatof the playtesting, don�t bother applyingfor the job.

I set up several more playtests for thoseheartless people I work with. With theiradvice and suggestions, the game actuallybecame playable. Then it became good.Finally, it became fun (far more importantthan being good!). There was hope yet.

Now I had to write down the rules. Asyou might guess, I had used up a lot of mythree months getting to the point where Icould begin to write. Fortunately, I had aneditor. An editor is every game designer�sbest friend and worst nightmare, all rolledinto one. I had the best of both in AndriaHayday. She was there for all the playtests,all the endless meetings, all the swiftchanges in direction. Andria pulled my fatout of the fire. All she asked in return wastireless devotion.

Although I can lay some claim to thegame design, much of the actual writing isAndria�s. She worked endless late nightsand even cracked the whip to get me towork a few myself. Despair set in as thedeadline quickly approached.

Just before Christmas, I became afather for the third time, and my DRAGONSTRIKE game deadline arrived. I did mybest to match Andria�s pace while attend-ing more and more important but lengthymeetings. Finally, after what seemed to bean eternity, the project was finished. Whata relief! (Famous last words.)

Once a good editor gets hold of a manu-script, the manuscript won�t be let gountil it�s perfect. Andria had morechanges for me to make, more things toreview, and more things to do. For over amonth I worked on my regular projectand did whatever she needed to havedone. At last, even that was finished. Whata relief! (Haven�t I heard that somewherebefore?)

During all this chaos, we received theresults of our outside playtesting. Theplaytesters liked the game! After the shockwore off, I was even more relieved. But ifyou thought I would be overjoyed at thispoint, you were wrong. As a gamedesigner, you pour your heart and soulinto a game, giving it your best shot. Allyour co-workers can tell you that the

game is great, but until real, live kids playit and say they like it, you really don�tknow for sure. Now I knew.

As I write this, the game is still in pro-duction. I am still waiting for that lastemotional surge: joy. That will come onlywhen everyone reading this goes out andbuys a copy of the DRAGON STRIKE game.Joy comes when the game is a commer-cial success. Oh, it�s nice to be a criticalsuccess, too, but I find it much more satis-fying to know that regular people, not justcritics, enjoy my games. What are youwaiting for? Go out and make me happy!Buy the DRAGON STRIKE game.

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

DRAGON 91

The strangest magical weapons around: Bonded weapons

by Gregory W. Detwiler

Artwork by L. A. Williams

This article describes a new type of mag-ical weapon for the AD&D® game: thebonded weapon. What makes a bondedweapon different from a standard magicalweapon is the fact that it is not an ordinaryweapon with a dweomer of some sortplaced on it. Instead, it is an element,material, or essence bonded together inthe shape of a melee weapon. Thus, therecan be a fire axe made of the element offlame, or a fear sword made of the essenceof terror.

Players with spell-caster characters mustalready be wondering how to create suchmagical weapons. My reply is brief: Youcan�t. These weapons can only be createdby the gods themselves (who else hasaccess to the essence of things like �fear�or �pain�?), and thus are relatively scarce.Not only that, but two-thirds of theseweapons do not have a permanentdweomer. These temporary weapons havea limited number of charges; when theyare used up, the weapons themselves sim-ply dissolve into nothingness,

The basicsBonded weapons come in four distinct

classes: Minor Bond 1, Minor Bond 2,Major Bond 1, and Major Bond 2. A MinorBond 1 weapon expends a charge anytimeit scores a hit in battle, even when its spe-cial power would be useless or even coun-terproductive, such as stabbing ashambling mound with a sword made ofbonded lightning (which will make thebeast grow in power, as per its descriptionin the Monstrous Compendium). This alsomeans that even when the special power

works,it might

be wastedon weak oppo-

nents that don�t need that kind of power tokill them, causing the weapon to run outof charges rapidly. A Minor Bond 2weapon lacks this fault, being magicallyattuned to its owner (a process that takes24 uninterrupted hours). It expendscharges only when its wielder actively willsit to do so. No more than one charge canever be expended at a time.

Major Bond weapons 1 and 2 are liketheir Minor counterparts of the samenumbers, but they are powered by perma-nent dweomers, with no charges to runout. Thus, the only problem with a MajorBond 1 weapon using its power against thewielder�s wishes will come if the attack iscounterproductive, as in the case of thelightning sword used against a shamblingmound. Major Bond 2 weapons are thevery best, being equivalent to the best�conventional� magical weapons.

Even when its special power is useless orunused during an encounter, the bondedweapon is still a great improvement overmundane weaponry. The material oressence, once bonded together, is held inplace by a magical energy field shaped likethe weapon the creator desired to make.This field interacts with the magical pro-tection of creatures that cannot beharmed by ordinary weapons, enablingthe wielder to hit and harm even monstersunaffected by +4 weapons.

One caveat: All that the weapon�s energyfield does is to nullify the special protec-tion of supernatural creatures, enablingthe wielder to hit them as he would ordi-

nary creatures. It does not bestow anyattack or damage bonuses beyond whatthe weapon�s special power may inflict.(Strength bonuses on attack and damagerolls still apply, of course.) If a hero isarmed with the aforementioned lightningsword, and he runs into a gargoyle thathas somehow been made immune tolightning, the hero will do only normalsword damage to it. If he meets up with ashambling mound, he should run!

As stated earlier, roughly two-thirds ofthese already scarce weapons are tempo-rary (Minor bonds), while half of thoseremaining will not respond to an owner�swill. Of all bonded weapons, Minor Bonds1 and 2 each make up one-third of thetotal, while Major Bonds 1 and 2 eachmake up one-sixth. (Roll 1d6: 1-2, MinorBond 1; 3-4, Minor Bond 2; 5, Major Bond1; 6, Major Bond 2.) Reducing the numberof permanent items helps reduce the dan-gers of game imbalance, the more so sincehalf of both the Minor and Major Bondweapons will use their powers with everysuccessful hit on an opponent, no matterhow inappropriate that power use may be.

A freshly created Minor Bond weaponhas 16 charges, which are gone for good(as is the weapon) when they are used up.For a weapon found in a dungeon or thelike, roll 2d8 to determine the number ofcharges remaining. Remember that aweapon owned by an intelligent monsterwith manipulative organs will almost cer-tainly be used in combat against theadventurers, further reducing the totalnumber of charges or even discharging it,so that the party�s prize vanishes beforetheir eyes during the course of the fight.

Bonded weapons are never intelligentand never possess any other characteris-tics, such as the ability to detect items orcommunicate with a wielder. They have

DRAGON 93

no alignment and may be used by anyonewho picks them up, though severe reli-gious restrictions may apply if a weaponfalls into the wrong hands, as noted later.

The special powers of bonded weapons,unless otherwise stated (as in the case ofbonded-rust weapons), always workagainst normal living creatures, althoughmany normal foes may not need this typeof power to be used against them. If aweapon�s special power duplicates a spellor substance, its effect is no more versatilethan that spell or substance. Thus, if Sha-nara the thief sneaks into a necromancer�slair, her holy water sword works perfectlywell against the undead monsters guard-ing the place. If she returns to camp intime to see her partner Reland lovinglycarrying a kelpie into the local lake, theshort sword inflicts only normal damagebecause the kelpie, though evil, is notaffected by holy water.

The reverse is true, too, of course. Spe-cial powers will inflict extra damage oncreatures particularly vulnerable to thattype of attack (see �The weapons�). A holywater sword inflicts extra damage on crea-tures such as the undead, and a bondedweapon of ice greatly harms fire-basedbeings such as salamanders. The specialpower descriptions state what, if any crea-tures receive extra damage from the spe-cial powers, as well as what sort ofcreatures are immune to them.

Creating bonded weaponsAs mentioned earlier, the gods them-

selves are the only ones who can createbonded weapons. Needless to say, they donot do this all the time, nor is each deityable to create every type listed herein.Aside from keeping the campaign worldfrom being flooded with such weapons,this also means that the weapons that arecreated are quite typical of items in gen-eral that the deity in question would cre-ate. Air weapons are created by deitiesgoverning the air or atmosphere. Fireweapons are created by gods of heat andflame, water weapons by gods of water orthe sea, and earth weapons by earth-baseddeities. Lightning weapons would be a spe-cialty of gods governing thunderstorms,lightning, or electricity in general, and soon. Gods residing on the various elemen-tal, para-elemental, or quasi-elementalplanes can also make bonded weapons ofthe appropriate type; many weapons usingfear are thought to come from thedomains of the RAVENLOFT® setting.Other types of bonded weapons besidesthose detailed here are possible, subjectonly to the Dungeon Master�s researchand imagination (see details on the variousinner planes in the AD&D 1st Edition Man-ual of the Planes or DRAGON® issue #73,pages 10-13, then consider the details onweapons of magma, steam, vacuum,shadow, and so forth). Those listed hereare the most common.

In general, when a deity gives a bondedweapon to a character or temple of thatgod�s faith, it is as a reward for someextremely beneficial service that was per-formed on behalf of the god�s faith. Merelykilling a few unbelievers or defiling a tem-ple or two of the opposition won�t do thetrick; we�re talking major quests here. Theonly exception to this rule would be if thatdeity or a high priest funding the questgave a worthy character such a weaponbefore the quest was begun to ensure thequest was accomplished. This is particu-larly appropriate for those bondedweapons of a temporary nature; the thingwould have just enough charges to defeatthe main enemy (thus accomplishing thedeity�s goals) before vanishing entirely(thus preventing a super-powered charac-ter from conquering everything in sight byvirtue of his nifty magical weapon). If thisis the case, the PC who has been given theweapon might well be expected to safe-guard it from all combat until the maingoal of the quest has been reached, care-fully husbanding the handful of chargesuntil they are really needed. When fightinghis way through a monster-infestedwilderness to reach his goal, or cutting apath through the main foe�s minions, thehero could use only mundane weaponryand such magical items as he had gainedprior to the quest.

Improper use of a bonded weapon isgrounds for serious divine reprisals. Thisshould be spelled out very clearly by theDM in his role-playing of a high priest ordeity. If the PC ignores a warning, show nomercy! Letting characters of inappropriatealignment or faith touch, much less use,the weapon is sacrilege, and vengeancemight fall on the defiler as well. If abonded weapon is captured by foes ofanother alignment or religion, this is rea-son for yet another quest, to �rescue� theweapon from its captors. The quest wouldbe particularly vital if the weapon was aMajor Bond 2 weapon.

Should your party of PCs discover abonded weapon in a dungeon, don�t forgetthe possibility of the deity or clerics of theappropriate faith sending someone orsomething after the device once it hasresurfaced. This is an especially good plotdevice if more than one magical item wasrecovered from the dungeon; the PCsknow everyone�s after them because ofsomething they took from the dungeon,but which item is causing all the fuss?

The weaponsRemember that in each case below, a

bonded weapon does double normal dam-age against creatures that are especiallyvulnerable to that attack form or possessinnate qualities opposed to that attackform. For example, a white dragon wouldtake double damage from a fire spear�s hit.Also, creatures that are invulnerable to theattack form given still take normal damage

from the weapon. Thus, a fire elementalstill takes normal damage from that firespear. DMs should carefully check theinformation on each monster encoun-tered and make an appropriate ruling. Forinstance, an ice axe will probably do greatharm to salamanders, red dragons, andfire elementals. It is possible for water andholy/unholy water weapons to doublyharm fire-based beings, too, though only aholy water weapon will do extra damage toan undead being.

Air weapons harm any creatures thatcan be harmed by air-based attacks,including such spells as gust of wind or anair elemental�s whirlwind attack. Theyinflict an extra 1-4 hp of wind-burn dam-age against �normal� foes. Air elementalsand vampires in gaseous form, amongother monsters, take no extra damage. Airweapons seem very light and easy to use.

Earth weapons are effective against anycreature vulnerable to earth-based attacks,such as spike stones. Normal foes take 1-4hp scraping damage from each attack, inaddition to any normal damage theweapon inflicts. These weapons seemunusually heavy.

Fire weapons do 1-4 extra hp fiery dam-age to ordinary creatures that can beharmed by fire but are not especially vul-nerable to it. Note that though this type ofweapon will be warm to the touch, it willnot set material alight.

Water weapons inflict double damage onfiery creatures but do only an extra 1-4 hpwatery (drowning or watery blast) damageagainst ordinary foes.

Lightning weapons do double damageagainst creatures particularly vulnerableto electrical attacks, including anyhumanoid opponent clad in metal armor.Again, 1-4 hp extra shocking damage isinflicted against mundane foes. The poweris useless against electrical beasts such asblue dragons, and downright counterpro-ductive against creatures such as sham-bling mounds. Holding this type of weaponusually causes the wielder�s hair to standon end from the static electricity around it.

Ice weapons, like water weapons, inflictdouble damage against fiery opponents,and 1-4 hp extra cold damage against mostfoes. However, their special power is use-less against foes immune to cold-basedattacks, such as white dragons. This typeof weapon is cool to the touch.

Time weapons do no extra physicaldamage beyond the norm, but they agevictims by five years per hit if a save vs.spells is failed. This can be a source ofquick victory against most animals, whichhave relatively short lives, and may also beuseful against human and humanoidopponents, but it is of little or no valueagainst long-lived dwarves, elves, anddragons, or ageless golems and undead.

Rust weapons attack the foe�s armor and(if parrying is used) weaponry, in additionto the foe himself. Any metallic item struck

94 JUNE 1993

by this sort of bonded weapon is subjectedto the same sort of rusting attack that arust monster would inflict, or what theAD&D 1st Edition Oriental Adventuressixth-level wu jen spell metal to rust wouldaccomplish if they fail their save (see theMonstrous Compendium entry on rustmonsters for details). It thus does extradamage only indirectly against most foes,by depriving them of armor protection,though it can be decisive against irongolems and similar opponents. Rustweapons are produced, in general, bydeities who have the defense of instantlycrumbling any weapon that touches them.

Salt weapons, whenever they hit a foe,throw off a shower of salt grains that canblind the target for 1-4 rounds (assumingthe foe has eyes and fails a save vs. spells)and inflict 1-4 extra hp damage due todehydration as the weapon absorbs theenemy�s bodily fluids. Because of this, itdoes double damage against watery crea-tures such as water weirds, as well assemisolid opponents such as oozes, jellies,slimes, and puddings (giant slugs also takedouble damage). Sea deities produce suchbonded weapons.

paladins willcauset h eAsh weapons, created of the leavings

around the forges of blacksmith gods orfrom the quasi-elemental plane of Ash,behave similarly to salt weapons intheir blinding effects, though ashesare thrown off instead of salt. Thefoe takes 1-4 extra hp burningdamage; since these are ashesinstead of flames, there is no

have no Strengthrating, 10% of

their hitpoints

will be

doubled damage againstopponents specially vul-nerable to fire-basedattacks. Fire-immunefoes take no physicaldamage, though theyare still blinded ifthey fail a save vs.spells.

Holy/Unholywater weapons aretwo separate typesof weapons, lumpedtogether herebecause their effectsare so similar. Anygood or evil deity canmake the appropriate

the special attack of a giant skunk would.That is to say, the foe will be blinded for1-8 hours, losing 50% of his Strength andDexterity for the next 2-8 turns if the victimfails a save vs. spells, and any cloth item hitby the weapon will rot away. Magical itemsare allowed a save vs. acid. If the victimsurvives, the foul stench will still lingeruntil he has thoroughly washed and airedall his gear for several days. Nature deitiesmake these weapons, often for druids(rangers prefer weapons that do not stinkand thus give away their positions).

Positive energy weapons, often createdby good-aligned gods, do 1-4 hp extradamage due to burns from positive-planeenergy, or double damage against evilcreatures of darkness, such as undead andshadow dragons, as well as all evil crea-tures from the Outer Planes. Undead can-not touch these weapons withoutsustaining the extra damage; even vam-pires may be permanently destroyed bythem. Using such a weapon to attack good-aligned beings from the outer planes orhighly good beings such as

wielder to sustain the burn damage him-self; the opponent will take normalweapon damage.

Negative energy weapons, made bydeath- or evil-oriented deities, drain 1-4extra hp from the foes they strike, an effectsimilar to that of the spell energy drain orthe attack of undead such as spectres (thisdamage can be healed, however). Humansor humanoids slain by negative energyweapons can be animated as juju zombies,but unless the spell-caster is also the onewho wielded the killing weapon, they willbe free-willed. If a negative energy weaponis used against energy-draining undead,the wielder loses 1-4 of his own hit points,as the weapon�s dweomer interacts withthe �energy vacuum� inside wights,wraiths, etc. A character who uses thisweapon against undead can turn himselfinto an undead monster, even if the mon-ster doesn�t fight back!

Disease weapons, created by gods of dis-ease and plague, infect victims as the spellcause disease if a save vs. spells is failed.From one to six turns after the save is

failed, the victim will lose one point ofStrength per hour until his

Strength is reduced to 2,rendering him help-

less. For foes that

weapon out of holy orunholy water. They dodouble damage againststrongly (and innately)evil or good beings such asundead, paladins, devas,baatezu, tanar�ri, or lam-masu, as appropriate to theweapon type. They are generallyconstructed for characters such apaladins or clerics and are not meantfor use against humanoids and dragons,doing no extra damage to these plainopponents.

Musk weapons do all the damage that

D R A G O N 9 5

drained per �Strength point� loss, down to10% of their original hit points. Without acure disease spell, full recovery takes 1-3weeks, assuming the victim survives thebattle. Beings immune to disease or able tocure it by their innate powers (such as pal-adins) are immune to this effect, but not tonormal damage.

Slow weapons cause the victim to makeall movements (including combat) at one-half normal rates for the next four roundsif a save vs. spells is failed. Repeated blowsdo not make for a cumulative effect; theeffects of the first blow must wear off or bedispelled before the victim can be slowedagain. Copper dragons, stone golems, andother creatures with an innate slow abilityare immune to this effect. Speed- andtravel-oriented gods favor this sort ofweapon.

Wood weapons, favored by forest deities,let off a shower of wooden splinters everytime they strike a foe, doing 1-4 extra hpdamage to any creature that can beharmed by normal weapons.

Bone weapons, built by gods of death,act the same as wood weapons, but thetougher bone splinters do 1-6 extra hpdamage.

Fear weapons induce magical fear infoes for the first four rounds after beingstruck, unless they save vs. spells. Undeadand other fear - immune enemies are notaffected. Gods of terror (and the Dark Pow-

ers of the RAVENLOFT setting) are thoughtto make these items.

Sleep weapons, made by sleep- anddream-oriented gods, cause victims toinstantly fall asleep for four rounds unlessthey make successful saves vs. spells.Undead, golems, and similar unsleepingmonsters are not affected.

Paralyzation weapons paralyze victimsfor four rounds after a blow is struck,unless a successful saving throw vs. paral-ysis is made (the effects are noncumula-tive). Undead and similar beings, as well asany creatures with an innate power of par-alyzation, are not affected. Violence-hatingand speed-oriented deities prefer suchweapons as these.

Silence weapons affect those they hit asthough the priest spell silence, 15� radiuswere cast on them, although only thestruck enemy will be silenced. The foecannot call for help or cast any spellsrequiring verbal components, and mon-sters such as harpies, androsphinxes, anddragonnes cannot use their specialattacks. Music-loving gods make theseweapons.

Pain weapons, crafted by pain-lovingdeities, affect the victim as per the OrientalAdventures sixth-level wu jen spell pain. Afantastic pain is felt upon being struck,which passes swiftly. However, for the nextfour rounds, the foe�s Strength and Dex-terity will be reduced to 3, making him -3

on attack rolls, -1 on damage, -3 on reac-tion attacking adjustments, and -4 ondefensive adjustments if a save vs. spells isfailed.

Magnetism weapons are unusual in thatthey do provide an attack bonus, but noth-ing else. Against metallic opponents suchas iron golems, as well as human orhumanoid foes in metallic armor (even aslittle as that in studded leather armor), theweapon is +3 on attack rolls though itdoes normal damage. The wielder alsogains a +3 bonus in any attempt to parrymetallic weapons. Metalsmithing gods arethe main producers of weapons of magnet-ism weapons.

Radiance weapons (also called lightweapons) are produced by light- or sun-related gods. They give off a flash of lightthat effectively blinds enemies they strikefor 1-4 rounds if the target fails a save vs.spells. No extra physical damage isinflicted beyond the norm. Only the struckfoe is blinded; even nearby enemies arenot affected. Eyeless or blind enemies areimmune to this power. Furthermore, theseweapons do double damage against evilcreatures from the plane of Shadow, aswell as any darkness-related evil beingssuch as the undead shadows and shadowdragons. Undead who are vulnerable tosunlight, such as vampires, also take dou-ble damage and may be permanently slainby these weapons.

96 JUNE 1993® designate trademarks owned by TSR, inc.

Collaborators: an interview with Michael and Teri Williamsby Will Larson

DRAGON® Magazine wishes to thankCarla Vaananen of Louisville, Kentuckyfor her interview and indispensable helpin the preparation of this article.

The reasons why authors collaborateare nearly as many as the collaborationsthemselves. A skilled ghostwriter helps acelebrity tell his or her story. A commer-cially successful author lends his name(for a fee, of course) to a project largelyhandled by a relative unknown in aneffort to boost sales. A writer simply hastoo many projects in the fire, and a sec-ond author is sought to insure adherenceto the schedule. Two writers with consid-erably different strengths are pairedtogether in an effort to showcase both ofthem at their best. One author is a terrificidea person, while the other has strongwriting skills. And�let�s be perfectly hon-est here�every once in a while, a writersimply screws up and needs to be bailedout.

From an editor�s perspective, one canhardly help but be curious about whichcontributor created what. There are nophysical clues in the neatly numberedand labeled pages of the manuscript as toauthorship. The clues are more subtleand generally stylistic in nature, but theyare inevitably there for an editor familiarwith the work of the authors in question.

Thus, when a highly stylized writer withseveral impressive efforts to his creditannounces that his latest effort is a collab-oration, the collaborator is none otherthan his wife, and the resulting collabora-tion proves to be absolutely seamless, withno hint whatsoever of where one left offand the other took over�that, my friends,makes an editor sit up and take notice

effortlessly together, we (the TSR Bookdepartment and DRAGON Magazine)decided to interview them.

In one way or another, Michael and TeriWilliams have been partners for years.Almost six years of marriage have ledthem through all sorts of collaboration:teaching together at the University ofLouisville, raising dachshunds anddaylilies, and running Teri�s busy potterystudio in the Louisville suburbs. Recentlythe couple joined their talents in writingfantasy fiction with a story, �Mark of theFlame, Mark of the Word,� in 1992�sDRAGONLANCE Tales: The Cataclysm.Then came their novel, Before the Mask.

Michael and Teri Williams�s Beforethe Mask, the first volume in theDRAGONLANCE® Villains series, is thebook that caught this editor�s attention forthe aforementioned reasons, and a dandybook it is. It tells the tale of how Ver-minaard, the notoriously villainousDragon Highlord of DRAGONLANCEChronicles and Legends fame, became sodespicable. The book came out just thisApril.

To discover how Teri and Michael cameto work so flawlessly and apparently

Opposites often attract in romance andmarriage, but rarely make for a successfulwriting partnership. Michael and Teriabound in differences. He�s a big-city boy,and she�s from a wide place along aFlorida road. She wears bright colors,likes Jimmy Buffett, and never knows orcares what time it is. He prefers tan, Russ-

ian Orthodox chants, and gets himself andTeri where they should be�way beforeit�s time. He orders char-broiled steak andfrench fries. She eats half a salad andsaves the rest for later. Somehow, some-where between the salad and the steak,between purple and khaki, between Mar-garitaville and Moscow, the partnershipthrives.

At their dachshund-infested house inLouisville, Kentucky, Michael and Teritalked with our interviewer about howthey make their collaboration work.

TSR: What method do you take to col-laborate? Do you sit down and writetogether as you talk through the ideas, ordo you each write a part, then exchangethem for the other to read? And how doyou decide who gets what part?

Teri: We both invent the characters,unless we�re working on something likeDRAGONLANCE [stories], where some ofthe characters are already created. In allcases, we work from plot outlines, whichwe put together over long walks and con-versations. Once we have an outline talkedthrough, Michael generally writes the firstdraft, scene by scene and chapter bychapter. Then I take the hard copy andmake additions, cuts, and revisions, gen-erally late at night when Michael and thedachshunds are asleep. Most of my writ-ing is done in longhand, on the backs andmargins of pages. The manuscript passesback and forth between us several times�in the case of one short story, sixteentimes! In later drafts, I try to eliminate anynarrative confusions and check for thingslike chronology, plausibility, and smallcharacter consistencies�so that every-one�s eye color and name spelling staysthe same. But the work decides what isneeded, and who does what. It�s neverreally a case of the same person alwaysfocusing on the same aspect. We talk itover and see who has the best idea forevery particular part of the story.

Michael: Usually I knock down the firstdraft, as Teri said, after a lot of consulta-tion over what goes on. I do it early in themorning, before sunrise, because there�ssomething right about working in thedark hours as you wander into the dark ofa blank page. Teri and the dachshundsare usually still asleep at this time�as you

98 JUNE 1993

can see, the dachshunds have the easypart in the process. Then the text passesbetween us, taking shape and rhythm anddirection, kind of as I imagine improvisa-tion would be in a jazz piece. When thestory�s path is still dark ahead of you, out-lines and character sketches are a goodpoint of departure, but they can guide youonly so far. Then you proceed on instinctand on the unique pressures that rise upin the story as it begins to tell itself. Gener-ally both of us work on every part of thebook, but sometimes, after we�ve agreedon a particular idea for a scene, theresponsibility for working on it falls to theone of us who really wants the scenemore. It�s as simple as that: Enthusiasm inthe writing makes for a good read.

TSR: What do you do when you hit adisagreement over characterization orplot? And how do you handle it if one ofyou wants to put something in the storythat the other person really doesn�t like?Is it hard to get to a point in collaboratingwhere you don�t fear being honest aboutsomething you don�t like?

Teri: When we come across disagree-ment, each of us makes a case for how wethink the story should go, then we come toa consensus. It�s not hard to be honest. It�snot about us, or primarily for us. It�s abouta story and a reader, and we have to getout of the way. If you keep that in mind,the really weak or inappropriate thingsbecome surprisingly obvious. Somethingthat one of us wouldn�t like gets stoppedlong before the manuscript gets to a finalstage. Occasionally one of us might getattached to a detail�maybe even oneword�that we think the story may turnon, and we tend to get more particularabout things like that as we get closer tothe final stage. Hemingway calls it the �motjuste,� the precise word. Early on, we trynot to get attached to particulars, but oncewe�ve agreed on everything, we don�t likefor it to be changed. We work to balanceidea, story, and style, and last-minute tin-kering often destroys that balance.

Michael: When we disagree, I usuallybuckle under to Teri. But seriously, folks,we always talk out the disagreements andfollow the direction of whoever providesthe most convincing argument. Althoughwe�re very different from one another,we�ve spent a good deal of time writing,and simple experience and technique tellwhen a scene, a plot turn, or a bit of dia-logue just won�t work. So the disagree-ments are relatively minor and easy toresolve. Each of us trusts how hard theother presses a point, and each of us lis-tens especially closely if the scene is moreimportant to our partner than it is to us.Disagreements are usually no more thandetail, but even something as apparentlyminor as a word choice can be momen-tous at times. We work very hard to makeall parts of the story connect and res-onate, and that means we have to be hon-est to the story and to each other. If you

aren�t honest, the story shows it. I�m hon-est with my suggestions to Teri as well,but she takes criticism marvelously. Iadmit my ego gets in the way at times, butfor the most part, I take criticism well�atleast from her.

TSR: What do you do when one of youis inspired to write, but not the other?

Teri: Generally I find my great ideaslate in the day and want to discuss themright then. Michael�s more of a morningperson. We have learned to talk aboutwork in the middle of the day, when bothof us are awake enough. Michael is greatat applying intuition to the direction of thestory when he�s working past the pointwe�ve outlined. I enjoy discovering wherehe�s taken it, and most of the time, it�s thesame place I would have gone, too.

Michael: We have a little time frictionhere. Teri�s late hours and my early onesmean that she�s bleary if I want to talkearly, and that I�m nodding off if shewants to start an hour-long discussionjust a little before midnight. As she said,midday is the best discussion time. If theideas we come up with in the weehours�late or early�are any good, they�llhold until noon when both of us are clear-eyed and awake.

TSR: Do you feel any lack of individualidentity because of collaborating?

Teri: No. I�m not defined by my work. Iwould have an identity if I wrote withtwelve people, or if I didn�t write anotherword.

Michael: I don�t feel a lack there, either.Collaborating is a different process thanwriting individually. And in fact, Teri�s hada part in my work increasingly since GalenBeknighted, so much of late that in thenew book, Before the Mask, we�veacknowledged what I think has been thecase for a while now�that she is indeedcoauthor. I still have individual irons inthe fire, but remember that even the �indi-vidual� work a reader takes off a shelf isthe product of many collaborators. It�s notonly the writer�s judgment and insight,but that of the friends who first read themanuscript, of the editors and copy edi-tors, and of the artists, whose illustrationsgive a shade and feel to the world of thebook. Still, there�s a peculiarly solitarypleasure in the single-author book for me.My natural tendency is that I write tolearn, and there are lots of things youneed to learn on your own. I wouldn�twant to give up either individual or collab-orative work, since both satisfy me in dif-ferent ways.

TSR: Do you feel it�s easier to come upwith ideas or inspirations with anotherperson, or do you ever feel that you have tocompromise a lot in order to collaborate?

Teri: Compromise? You grow, buildingon one another�s ideas. It�s like being atan idea bazaar with thousands and thou-sands of available choices that haven�tcome from your own experience. And youdon�t have to use them all at once; many

DRAGON 99

of them will wait for your next book andthe one after that.

Michael: You probably get more ideasin collaboration, because something isalways happening in the exchange. Collab-oration is strangely competitive, as thoughyou try to top one another in a way. Ifyou’ve ever seen a basketball team withtwo superb athletes—the Chicago Bulls,say, with Scottie Pippen and Michael Jor-dan—you know that in the game, thoseguys play for the good of the team, butthey’re inspired to outdo one another inthe process. I think that kind of strivingmakes for better work.

TSR: As collaborators who live together,what do you do to separate work fromtime off? How do you deal with stresstogether as the deadline looms?

Teri: First of all, it’s not a “deadline” tous. We call it a “due date,” because refer-ence words are important as well, and“due date” is more peaceful and less omi-nous. We look at how long we have tocomplete something, then we arrange thetasks to get it done on time. It’s really amatter of considering the work, not thestress and worry. At any point in the pro-ject, our schedule is roughly the same: Wediscuss ideas and editing six days a week,but we rest and renew on Sundays. Basi-cally we keep a traditional Sabbath. Everywork idea I’ve ever had on a Sunday

showed great promise and no delivery.Michael: There are also some bound-

aries during the other days. I have to bevocal and say, “It’s too late to discuss that.I’m shutting down for the night.” Whenwe go out, we often insist on “no booktalk.” I handle stress by working con-stantly and gradually, so that there isn’t ablinding, breakneck rush in the last weeksbefore a due date; even so, the last week isalmost nonstop work. I tend to worrymore than Teri, and I’m probably moredifficult to live with when the stress beginsto build up.

TSR: Now that you’ve been collaborat-ing, would it be hard to say “I want to dothis one on my own”?

Teri: I have always approached writingin a collaborative way. I even teach it thatway. Michael will always be my firstreader, and even if only my name is on thecover, he will be a large part of the cre-ation of the work. But I don’t think Iwould ever need to say, “I want to do it onmy own.” However, if Michael had no timefor a project that I wanted to do, I wouldjust forge ahead.

Michael: No, I wouldn’t have a problemsaying that. I still want to do individualwork. There’s a certain sense of daringand exploration on a solo flight.

TSR: Why do you think your collabora-tion works so well?

Teri: Actually, given our differences, Isee no reason it should work well. I trulybelieve that only grace helps us communi-cate so well.

Michael: I think Teri’s answer to that isexcellent.

The dachshunds were loudly proclaim-ing their opinion that suppertime waslong since due, and with considerablereluctance, we took our leave of theWilliamses, the dachshunds, andLouisville, Ky., with fervent wishes thattheir writing partnership continues toflourish.

Two months from now in this samespace, watch for Jim Lowder’s enlighten-ing explanation of the intricacies of theFORGOTTEN REALMS™ time line. In themeantime, check out Michael and Teri’sBefore the Mask. You’ll be glad you did!

What’s your opinion?

What is the future direction of role-playing games? What problems do youhave with your role-playing campaign?Turn to this issue’s “Forum” and seewhat others think—then tell us whatyou think!

100 JUNE 1993

102 JUNE 1993 By Barbara Manui and Chris Adams

By Joseph Pillsbury DRAGON 103

104 JUNE 1993

DRAGON 105

106 JUNE 1993

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DRAGON 109

110 JUNE 1993

Can lead be saved? It�s all up to you!©1993 by Robert Bigelow

Photographs by Mike Bethke

write polite and concise letters to theirA small bright spot has appeared on thehorizon for those of us who want inex-pensive miniature armies. The courtsfound on close inspection that theresearch done by the New York HealthDepartment, and the conclusions drawnfrom that research, were seriously flawed.This has led to the sidetracking from Juneto late fall of the New York bill prohibitinglead in miniatures. This also sidetrackssimilar bills in other states, since many ofthose bills were based on the informationand studies passed on by New York. Mostother states are now waiting for NewYork�s final bill to be drafted before takingaction.

congressmen to explain that miniaturesare collectibles and should be exemptfrom any lead-banning bills. Residents ofother states should write to their con-gressmen as well, basing their concernson the New York legislation, asking for asimilar exemption for hobby materials.Point out that this ban affects not only our

Miniatures� product ratings

******* Above average****

Average

* Poor** Below average

ExcellentThis does not mean we can celebrate,however. Residents of New York should

112 JUNE 1993

games but the model railroad and doll-house hobbies as well, harming hobbyshops and much of the rest of our indus-try. You must keep the pressure on; theoutcry that reaches the legislators tellsthem how important the passage (or stop-ping) of a bill is to the people the con-gressmen represent.

Several people asked me to suggestways to keep lead out of the environmentif the owner of some lead figures decidesto get out of gaming or if his parents (orspouse) decide to get rid of the figures. Ifyou want or need to get rid of your fig-ures, look for a nearby gamer or gamingclub and donate your figures to that per-son or the club members. If you cannotfind anyone to accept your figures, sendyour figures to me, using the address atthe end of this article, and I will find agood home for them. We might be able tostart a miniatures �pool� from which peo-ple can check out figures for gaming use.

I also want to thank the individuals whohave responded to my requests for aplayer opponents� list and interconnect-ing-club set-up. The feedback has beenvery positive, and we are well on our way.If you have not sent in a note detailingyour playing forces or gaming periods,please do so (this includes clubs as well asindividuals). I want to assure everyonethat this is going to be a noncommerciallist that will be available to gamers and notto game companies for their mailing lists.

The bad news this month is that leadminiatures are undergoing a priceincrease, supposedly reflecting the grow-ing cost of lead bought in bulk by thesecompanies. I am not sure that this priceincrease is entirely due to bulk-leadprices, and I feel that most miniatures�companies should rethink their pricingstructures. The hobby is getting tooexpensive, and the prices are scaring offprospective new gamers.

I apologize for the lack of dragon fig-ures in this month�s column. While at theGAMA show, I churned out more reviewsthan I had thought, and the overflow fromMay swamped this month�s offerings.Now, on with the show.

Metal Magicc/o WargamesP.O. Box 278, Rt. 40 EastTriadelphia WV 26059

Hobby ProductsPostfach 10 10 204200 Oberhausen 1GERMANY

C1006a Female Fighter with Spear * * * * *One of the most frequent complaints

from my female customers is that all ofthe fighters must have been designed bymen, as there seems to be few practicalfemale fighters. Here, we present onefrom Metal Magic (we reviewed anotherlast month; this issue has a picture of bothlast month�s miniature and this one�s).

This fighter is scaled to 25 mm and is ademure 23 mm tall to the eyes from thecircular base. (The figure is made of lead,but the company has no plans to changethe content until the laws have settledout.) Her pants are frayed and have holesin places, and a metal plate rides high onone thigh. A long-sleeved shirt is coveredby a tattered chain-mail shirt. A leatherjerkin covers a slight bust, and there is aprotective plate on her left shoulder. Bothhands and arms are covered by plates;her right hand grasps a long spear with anicked point. Her upper body is coveredby a tattered, fur-lined cloak. Her facialfeatures are plain, and her lip is curled asif to protect it from the cold. Curly hairstreams out in a breeze. This figure ishighly recommended at $1.79.

RAFM Company, Inc.20 Parkhill Rd. E.Cambridge, OntarioCANADA N1R IP2

3045 Dark Elves Spider Cavalry ****½The possibilities of spider cavalry as

�vertical assault troops� was mentionedwhen we reviewed the goblin spider cav-alry from Grenadier. Unfortunately,morale and intelligence are not strongpoints for goblin soldiers. Now, RAFM haspresented us with a perfect morale-enforcement unit, one with initiative andintelligence.

The package contains eight pieces thatassemble into two spider-mounted troops.The figures are scaled to 25 mm and aremade of lead, and are very flexible.

The four leg assemblies, each of whichhas four legs, fit into the slots on the sideof each spider body. The spider has anarmored head and body with a simplechair for the rider. The pincers areextended out and eyes are visible,although not faceted. The thorax is cov-ered by well-done hair, with enough detailto withstand primer. The legs have somemild flash but are easy to clean. There wasno flash, and mold lines needed only light

cleaning with a knife.The rider�s body consists of two parts.

The lower part consists of knee-highboots in stirrups and pants. The body isdivided at the wide belt. The body top fitsinto a depression in the lower body, butneeded to be trimmed slightly as the holeslooked like they had filled partially duringcasting. The warrior is dressed in chainmail covered by plate mail in front and alighter armor in back. A neck decorationis the only ornate part of an otherwisefunctional outfit. The elf�s high cheek-bones and stern face are topped by aMohawk-style haircut that ends at theneck and frames the pointed ears. He isarmed with a huge sword held at theready, with only gloves softening theweight.

This is a well-done kit that requirespatience to finish well. This kit is highlyrecommended, and I�ll probably pick upabout three more sets for my dark elves.The cost per pack is $4.50 (it may gohigher after the metal changeover).

4001 Dark Elf Queen Arachnia& Pet ****

This 25-mm set consists of a nine-piecespider and a queen figure, made of lead.The spider is smooth skinned, withmouth, pincers, and even eyes well visible.The problem is that there are no instruc-tions with this kit, and the eight separatelegs will fit almost anywhere in the spi-der�s body slots. The front legs have sev-eral bends, but also had cracks in each The queen is dressed in knee-highbend (the cracks were fixed by using spiked boots, with the rest of her bodydrops of super glue). There was some being covered by a brassiere, an ornateflash, and care had to be taken to remove loincloth, and shoulder plates, all linkedit and not the sensory organs on the legs. together with a thin strand of chain. HerMold lines are present but easily cleaned. back is covered by a short cape that is

DRAGON 113

limbs are slightly out of proportion, butnot glaringly so. With no mold marks orflash, the queen lives up to her name. Thiskit is recommended, but you will probablyneed only one queen. The price is $5.

Lance and Laser Models Inc.P.O. Box 14491Columbus OH 43214

TORG 017 Giant Bruiser ****

The giant bruiser is a modern-genre,25-mm scale lead figure on an oval, flatbase. The figure stands 34.5 mm high,which puts it at just under 9� tall. He isdressed is a double-breasted suit withslight leg cuffs, shirt, tie, and what looklike cowboy boots. The suit buttons haveholes, and a couple look like they arethreaded. A rolled paper sticks out of thebottom left pocket. Buttons are on bothsleeves, and the figure is molded so as tohave creases in the pants. He is armedwith a spiked, wooden club in his lefthand and a grenade launcher with a longrotary magazine in his right. His hair istightly curled, and his facial expression isa toothy sneer. The eyes are nicely doneand the facial wrinkles are a nice touch,but the ears came out different sizes.

This is a very good figure for use witheverything from West End Games�s TORG*system to FASA�s SHADOWRUN* game.The figure is menacing and makes a goodenforcer. The only problem is that thedetail seems to be superficial. Carefulcleaning of the figure and a good paint jobwill fix this. It is recommended at $3.50each.

TORG 014 Dwarf Tunnel Fighter ***½This is a 25-mm scale lead figure on an

undetailed oval base. The figure standsabout 18 mm tall and is dressed like aminer with a serious attitude problem. Hewears a jump suit with knee-high cleatedboots. Most of his upper torso is coveredby a huge minigun, complete with motor,that he holds in his right hand. Detail isfair, but the holes are more oblong thanround on the barrels. His left hand is cov-ered by a glove and a wrist device, but alsograsps a combat knife complete withknuckle guards. On his head is a con-struction worker�s hard hat with amounted light and goggles; on his back isa large pack with an ammo belt thatsnakes its way around to the front of thefigure to the gun.

The face is poorly executed. Basicdetails such as eyes are indistinct, and theleft side of the face seems to be almostblurred. There is a cigar in his mouth, but

realistically wrinkled. She is half-kneeling teeth are not visible. Even the expectedon a block with a bas-relief spider. Her large dwarven nose is lost.straight, shoulder-length hair is capped by This is another figure that needs carefula headdress with a spider insignia and a attention and can be redeemed by a care-high crest. Her face is cruel, and she is ful paint job and a sharp, pointed blade.armed with a hooked bill and a whip. The This type of figure is not available for the

sci-fi genre anywhere else, and it wouldprovide a unique addition to anySHADOWRUN*, TORG*, or CYBERPUNK2020* world. The cost is $1.50 each.

Fortress FiguresP.O. Box 66Jonesboro IN 46938

WW201 Infestor Pod ****

The infestor pod is scaled for 25 mmand represents a possible horror for yourdungeon stompers. The figure is 20 mmhigh by 17 mm with a sprawling base. Thepod is horizontally ribbed with a group ofinterjoined sections. Tubular growths likeplants or vines grow along the sidestowards the opening on the top. The sack-like top emits large drops of a viscoussolution that run down the sides of thepod to the sprawling base. It costs only$1.50.

XL26 Ooze Creature ****

Scaled for 25 mm, this figure could be areal shock at underground pools, lavaflows, or surface swamps. The figure ismounted on a 23-mm circular base thatlends itself well to modeling fluid or sub-stances. This figure is a simple mix ofslimy, dripping substances that hasformed a troll-like face with pointy teeth.It has runny, oozing hands and the consis-tency and appearance of an often-usedcandle.

The figure has the advantage of beingalmost universally useful in any game sys-tem as everything from mutated chemi-cals to elementals. It�s worth the $2.50price tag.

Ral Partha Enterprises5938 Carthage Ct.Cincinnati OH 45212-1197

Minifigs1/5 Graham Rd., SouthamptonUNITED KINGDOM S02 0AX

02-162 Dwarf Flamethrower *****This 25-mm scale, lead weapon set con-

tains 12 different parts that form awheeled platform-mounted flamethrower.Its finished dimensions, not includingcrew, are 40 mm × 67 mm × 31 mm high.The wheels are molded to look like theyare made from heavy planks trimmed by awide metal band and secured by stripmetal and nails. The axle on the outsideappears to be secured by a spike and joinsthe wooden pegs easily, though the hole isa bit large. The bed is a box frame sup-ported by three braces and a huge frontspur with bolted spikes. A plank deck isnailed to the frame, as is a push handleframe. The front shield is made out ofplanks held together by metal strips andexhibiting a number of front pointing

114 JUNE 1993

spikes. The fuel tank is glued to the sec-ond and third boards and consists of ametal drum with a handle-locking sidedoor and a lock-down top. Bands withdouble rows of rivets join the planks. Theflame dispenser is a metal pipe thatextends from the tank through the shield,ending in a dragon head with a nicelydone hole in the mouth and good teethand board detail. The last part of the pieceis an air pump, with plunger-type com-pression and a pipe going to the tank.Both pieces have female ends, so carefullysecure the piece. This pump is part of acrew casting.

Two of the dwarven crew are assignedthe unenviable task of pushing the cart.The two are identically cast, with handsset to push a bar. They wear loose, unar-mored clothes and loin guards. They arearmed with sheathed short swords. Facialexpressions reveal looks of exertion; youcan almost see sweat drip into theirbeards. Their heads are covered withhoods. There was some flash on the circu-lar textured base, but this was easilycleaned. As a note, you might wish to trimthe bases down, as both figures are onlypartially protected by a shield.

The pump operator wears an ankle-length great coat with a wide sash belt. Hishands are gloved, and his upper back isprotected by studded leather. A large furcap and a short sword complete theadornments on this figure. His face is thin,with a long nose and gaunt cheeks, and hehas his mouth open as if puffing fromexertion.

cape, withgloves on his hands. A map pouch hangsfrom his belt. His face is thinner thanexpected, and he is squinting while star-ing ahead. His head is covered by a pill-box-type cap with a band and a skull onthe front. All clothes and the brand aremolded as though there is a wind.

The crew chief is holding a long polewith the flaming brand used to ignite theweapon. He wears a full set of chain mailcovered by a great coat and

This would be a perfect supportweapon for the Iron Lords Orc Foes set,with the dragon totem held by theircleric/shaman. This is recommended at$9.95 per set.

54-473 Crossbowmen ****½This set of 25-mm scaled figures con-

sists of three different castings for a totalof six figures. The figures are all mountedon circular bases that are nontexturedand come from the Conquistador line.The height is slightly shorter than forstandard adventurers but this is hardlynoticeable.

The first set consists of two figureswearing slipper-type boots and tightsknown from conquistador times. Eachwears a regular shirt with a drawstringclosure and puffed shoulders and elbows,and a set of knee-length trousers with

puffed cuffs; this uniform has no armorvalue. Each wears a soft hat with a feather.The hands are uncovered; the left handholds a crossbow and the right is drawinga bolt from a weapon pouch. A sword withhand guard hangs at the left hip. Eachface is serious and has a neatly trimmedbeard and moustache. These figureswould make excellent merchant militia-men for a town, or a defensive unit forfield marches. There was no flash onthese figures, but the legs looked very

angular.The second group consists of two fig-

ures with crossbows at the ready. Theyare dressed in knee-high boots with fold-over tops. The previously seen type ofknee-length pants with puffed upperthighs and knees adorn their legs. Shirtswith long sleeves and padded, sleevelessvests cover their upper torsos. A scarf istied around their throats, and their headsare covered by a Spanish-type helmet.Curly hair is visible, and facial hair is

DRAGON 115

neatly trimmed to pointed beards andmoustaches. The faces are well detailedand determined. Each is armed as beforewith sword and bolt.

The last castings are identical in posi-tioning to figure style #2 but have fullbeards, true burgonet helmets, and headsset more to the left. Both groups #2 and#3 share the angular leg problem of #1,but to a lesser degree.

These figures would make an excellentaddition to the sets of those who play inthe Maztica setting for the AD&D® game,

enjoy gaming in the early colonial periodof history, or are looking for excellenttown guards or medium troops. The set iswell recommended at $5.75 per pack.

02-161 Dwarf Bombard *****

This set is made of lead and consists ofsix parts scaled to 25 mm. The wheels forthe cannon are banded planks, joinedwith rivets and reinforced by metal strips.The hub has a pin/spike retainer that iseasily seen, with well-done wood grain.The gun consists of a huge timber main

body and a cross timber with plate andaxles bolted on both ends. The actual bar-rel fits in a notched section of the timberand is held down by iron straps and largebolts, while the cannon barrel has rein-forcement bands. This barrel also has aMr. Yuk-type goblin face in bas-relief onthe upper side of the cannon muzzle.

The leader wears a heavy leather coatover chain mail. The coat has long sleevesand a studded hem on the bottom. Thefigure clutches a cannonball in bothhands, with another at his feet. A pouch,water bottle, and short sword hang from awide belt supported by a shoulder strap.The helmet protects a face that is not asdetailed as it could be, though it has along beard and a moustache. The helmeteven has an extension to keep burningcinders from reaching his skin.

The swabber holds his swab in his rightgauntleted hand while he waits his turn.His feet are protected by fur-topped boots,and his upper body is covered by a joinedstrip leather suit cinched by a simple beltand buckle. No sword is visible, but thereis a pouch. A cape falls to his knees. Hishead is covered by a fringed helmet. Along beard falls and curls at the stomachline, as a look of concentration fills hisface. There was little flash or mold lineproblems except on the base and feet.

The gun captain holds a flaming brandin his right hand while his left is tucked inhis belt. The figure wears full-length armorwith studs on the lower half and a long-sleeve undershirt. His back is also coveredby an oddly cut fringed cape with hood. Hisfacial expression is pure acid and glare,and his beard bristles slightly. The highhelmet is topped by crossed straps.

With the rising number of powder-based miniatures, this is almost a must.With the detail, it is almost worth the $6.95price tag. Don�t surround it with troops,in case the gun explodes.

54-471 Sword & Bucklermen ****½This six-figure set is composed of three

different types of 25-mm lead figures. Allhave slightly oval, nontextured bases, allwear burgonet-type helmets, and all haveneatly trimmed if slightly varying beards.Little or no flash is present, but there aresome mold lines that require work.

Each figure in casting set #1 is of a manwearing a mid-thigh-length chain-mailshirt overlaid with padded leather. Hewears boots, but the left one is slightlyarmored and comes to mid-thigh, whilethe right folds over beneath the knee.Gauntlets guard both hands; a sword is inhis right hand while a notched shield withwrist straps and wide forearm straps is onhis left arm. The shield has a huge bas-relief of a bar that would be about 6� thickin real life. The sword blade is triangular,and the dwarf�s face is set but lacking finedetail. His beard is almost a van Dyke instyle.

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Each man in casting set #2 has knee-high boots that end with puffed-out edges.He wears pantaloons with tight behindand a puffy-shoulder, long-sleeve shirt. Heis protected in the front and back by plateto the waist and in front by overlappingplate to the thigh. A long sword is in hisright hand, and a dagger is in his left (hisleft also holds a round shield by its straps).The shield has a spoke design engravedon the front. This figure�s face has slightlymore detail and expression than type#1�s, and the beard is groomed to a point.The posing is good, and there are noangular surfaces that shouldn�t be presentexcept for a spot on one leg.

The figures in the last pair have shoes,pantaloon pants, and tights from mid-thigh down. Each man�s upper body hasornately done studded plate with buckleand leather connecting straps, with a sep-aration from waist down for easy move-ment. The back is protected by plate,while buttocks and upper arms are pro-tected by overlapping leather strips. Around wheel-embossed shield is on hisleft arm, while in his right hand he holdsa long sword. The face is well detailed,and the expression is stern.

These figures are good not only for theAD&D Maztica setting but also as out-standing town militia and police. Theywell worth their $5.75 price tag.

Grenadier ModelsP.O. Box 305Springfield PA 19064

Grenadier Models UK Ltd.25 Babage Rd.Deeside, Clwyd, WalesUNITED KINGDOM CH5 2QB

3112 Armored Centaurs *****Centaur cavalry gives you the best of

two worlds, speed and power, as well asthe intelligence to use them. These cen-taurs from Grenadier give you a start on amedium or heavy �cavalry� unit. The fig-ures are scaled for 25 mm and are cur-rently made of lead, but that will changeshortly as Grenadier adopts a new metalfor its miniatures. Both figures aremounted on slightly textured oval baseswith a hint of a mold line that is easilyremoved. Both centaurs measure 35 mmto the top of the head and are 26 mm long,the size of a small or medium horse (Iimagine the heavy cavalry figure shouldhave been bigger).

The medium unit would be equivalentto a man-at-arms in regular fighting units.His body is covered by a hemmed blanketon which rests a chain-mail suit. The suitstretches from chin to just short of theflanks, including shoulders and arms, andis secured by a strap and buckle. His chestis covered by a breastplate with angularshaping and back straps and buckles, and

his back is covered by an additional falling to shoulder length. The figure has apadded piece with quilt embroidering. sheathed sword on his belt. His glovedThe horse-body detail is very good, with hands hold a spear in the throwing posi-smooth muscle groups and a nicely done tion and an embossed round shield with atail. Remember to clip the extra lead dragon. There is a small nick in the shield,sprue from the front left hoof. The human but otherwise it is an excellent figure.part has good features, with long hair The heavy knight has overlapping plates

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covering his entire body from shouldersto the top of his hooves. Large formedplates with embossed dragons cover therear flanks, front legs, horse�s chest, andupper part of the human chest. Theseplates are secured to other plates bydetailed belts, straps, and buckles. Botharms are covered in overlapping platesthat end in gloves. The major joints alsohave rivets. The left arm has a kite shieldwith a dragon, while his right hand holdsthe sword he drew from the sheath andthrusts into the air. The human face has alook almost of surprise and is framed by aCorinthian-type helmet. Even the stomachis covered. Rearing up, the figure projectsa feeling of power. Even the tail is large.

I�m going to be broke shortly, as I need

at least eight of this figure set. It�s highlyrecommended at $6.99 per pack.

5620 Dwarf Warchief *****

This lead figure is scaled to the larger28-mm lines, although with its height of 20mm it could be used with 25-mm figures.The figure has a slightly off-round basetextured to resemble short grass. His basegarment is an ankle-length robe coveredby a long sleeveless chain coat. Heavygauntlets protect his hands; he holds hishelmet in his left hand and a bearded waraxe in his right. His helmet could bedeeper but is nice in its simplicity. Hishead is bare. Long hair, including braidedsections, falls to mid-back. A full mus-tache complements a beard that drops to

his ankles, and bushy eyebrows frame aheavy brow and eyes. A look of intenseconcentration is on his face.

This figure has now become an officerin charge of my heavy support units. It ishighly recommended at $1.75, but any sin-gle figure will be pricey at the new $2.25level that will appear when Grenadierstarts using its new metal soon.

3403 Cyberpunk Rockers ***½This package contains three different

music-related figures all scaled for 25mm. The lead figures all come mountedon undetailed oval bases with minimalmold lines visible. All three figures are ofyoung people of different heights.

Figure #1 is of a young lady posed as ifsinging in concert. At 27 mm she is tallerthan her companions. She is dressed inhigh, high-heel boots with fold-over tops,a miniskirt, and an open blouse with ahalter and puffy sleeves. Her left hand isout, and the right holds a wireless mike.Her hair is well done and short, and thefacial detail including teeth is very good.As a final touch, large hoop earrings dan-gle from her ears. There was no flash andonly one troublesome mold line.

Figure #2 is a guitar accompanist whowears high cowboy boots and probablyblue jeans. His upper torso is covered by aV-necked undershirt and an open shirtwith the sleeves rolled up. Good facial fea-tures portray a certain seriousness on aface framed by shoulder-length hair. Hisleft hand firmly grasps the neck of an elec-tric guitar with three knobs; the righthand is ready to strike a chord. There wasflash between the body and the guitar, butit could almost be removed by a pencil.

The last figure is a male dressed in highboots, a smooth shirt, and a great coatedged with embroidery. Standing 26 mm,he is posed in the classic nonmilitaryshooter�s pose with an automatic pistol inhis left hand. A very well done guitar withcrisper detail than the other figure�s isstrapped to his back, neck up. Facial fea-tures are set in a serious manner as helines up his shot, and his hair is styled andwavy.

Only one of these figures (the armedone) has potential value as a player char-acter for a cyberpunk-style near-futuregame, while the other two are good dio-rama or background pieces. The figuresare nice even at $5.95 per pack.

5622 Fightingman Marksman * * * * ½This 28-mm lead figure with an oval

base could easily be used as one of RobinHood�s men. Long boots and tights clothehis legs, and a jerkin covers a long-sleeveshirt. He has just released an arrow fromthe bow in his left hand. On his back is aquiver of arrows; a long sword and apouch hang from his belt. Facial featuresare smooth and not highly detailed, andonly a small beard breaks the symmetry.

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* indicates a product produced by a company other than

The hat has a feather in it. If you wish to reach me, I would prefer TSR Inc. Most product names are trademarks owned by the

This figure looks really nice with a little to have you call me unless you have infor-companies publishing those products. The use of the name ofany product without mention of its trademark status should

work. Remember to carefully cut away the mation for the gaming opponents list. My not be construed as a challenge to such status.

sprue connecting the bottom of the bow number is (708) 336-0790, and I am avail-to the base, as twisting it off may break the able MWThF from 2-10 P.M. If you want tobow. This figure is recommended at $1.75 write, the address is: Robert Bigelow, c/oeach. Friends� Hobby Shop, 1411 Washington St.,

Waukegan IL 60085.

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