Dragon Magazine #59 - A/N/N/A/R/C/H/I/V/E · Sales.. . . . . . . . . . . . . ... Reviewer Tony...

March 1982 Dragon

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Dragon Vol. VI, No. 9

There are a lot of nice things aboutwriting for a magazine that’s read by afew hundred thousand people. One ofthe less obvious “nice things” is this: Ifwe make a mistake, it doesn’t go unno-ticed. At least one of those hundreds ofthousands of people will let us know wegoofed, and then we get a chance to setthings straight.

Case in point: Lauren Kingman ofHyde Park, N.Y., wrote us to unmaskwhat he called “an attempt to reap ob-scene profits from ignorant gamers (andto successfully con the DRAGON’s editor-in-chief).”

His gripe is with SPELLBINDERS, aproduct of Orisek Industries. The set ofnotebook/binders was one of severalnew game-related accessories reviewedby yours truly in issue #55 of DRAGON™Magazine. The largest of the set, bearingan $8.95 price tag, is, in Lauren’s words,“neither original, new, or unique.... I candetect no difference between SPELL-BINDERS and what are known in the sta-tionery trade as ‘easel-back presentationbinders.’ ”

Lauren chides me — and rightfully so— for characterizing the product as“original.” Honest, I never heard of aneasel-back presentation binder until Igot his letter. And now that I know, Icringe when I scan the part of the reviewthat says, “Orisek Industries is a com-pany that makes ‘How come nobodythought of that before?’ products.”

Apparently, somebody had thought ofthat before, and it was presumptuous ofme to suggest that the concept of theeasel-back binder originated at OrisekIndustries. I hasten to point out that thecompany made no such claim.

Secondly, Lauren takes issue with theprice. “These binders have made myDMing easier for a long time,” he writes.“They can be bought at most stationerystores for about $4.... I suggest that (aDM) buy an easel-back presentationbinder and take the $5 he just saved andapply it towards a game accessory whoseprice is justified by development andproduction costs.”

Since I’ve never seen an easel-backbinder in a stationery store, I don’t knowwhat Lauren’s getting for his four-dollarinvestment. Maybe the SPELLBINDERSnotebook is significantly stronger or larg-er or more durable than the averageeasel-back binder. Maybe the differen-ces, if there are any, make the Orisek

product worth its price. That decision isup to the customer. In this case, all wecan really do — and should have donefour issues ago — is to let you know allthe facts when there’s a choice to bemade.

I’m far from convinced that SPELL-BINDERS is “an attempt to reap obsceneprofits from ignorant gamers.” OrisekIndustries is a small company that pro-duces relatively small quantities of itsproducts. When you don’t manufacturevery many copies of something, eachone costs quite a lot to make. The com-panies that make “normal” easel-backbinders presumably have a much largermarket for their product, and can affordto produce more copies at a much lowerprice per unit. Lauren has a right to com-plain about the price, in a comparativesense, but not the right to accuse any-body of making “obscene profits.”

Surely other readers reacted the sameway as Lauren when they read the reviewof SPELLBINDERS. I assume that to beso, even though he was the only personwho called the mistake to our attention.(If the stationery store in Hyde Park,N.Y., is the only place easel-back bind-ers are sold, I’ve just made a fool of my-self twice over.) To Lauren and the oth-ers like him, I apologize for my ignor-ance. And this “ignorant editor” owes agreater apology to all “ignorant gamers”out there who might have been misled bywhat was said, or not said, in the review.

Vol. VI, No. 9 March 1982

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

Marilyn MaysGali Sanchez

Sales.. . . . . . . . . . . . . Debbie ChiusanoCirculation . . . . . . . Corey KoebernickOffice staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cherie Knull

Roger RauppContributing editors. . . . Roger Moore

Ed Greenwood

This issue’s contributing artists:James Holloway Roger RauppJoe Lee Larry ElmoreBruce Whitefield Phil FoglioSteve Peregrine

DRAGON magazine is published monthly byDragon Publishing, a division of TSR Hobbies,Inc. Subscription orders and change-of-addressnotices should be sent to Dragon Publishing,P.O. Box 110, Lake Geneva WI 53147. Tele-phone (414) 248-8044.

DRAGON magazine is available at hundreds

Iof hobby stores and bookstores throughout theUnited States and Canada. and through a limit-ed number of overseas outlets. Subscriptionrates are as follows, with all payments to bemade in advance: $24 for 12 issues sent to a U.S.or Canadian address; $50 U.S. for 12 issues sentvia surface mail or $95 for 12 issues sent via airmail to any other country.

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

DRAGON™ is a trademark for Dragon Publish-ing’s monthly adventure playing aid. All rightson the contents of this publication are reserved,and nothing may be reproduced from it in wholeor in part without prior permission in writingfrom the publisher. Copyright 1982 by TSRHobbies, Inc. USPS 318-790. ISSN 0279-6848.

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

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March 1982 Dragon

his issue of DRAGON™ Magazine is specially forthose of you whose versions of “fantasy” have moreto do with planets than planes of existence, morewith lasers than longbows. Counting the coverpainting and a spread of 23 pages inside, this maga-

zine has more science-fiction material in it than we’ve ever usedin a single issue before.

Our center 16 pages are filled with Exonidas Spaceport, asetting described in meticulous detail by author Jeff Swycafferand designed for use in Traveller™ games. Rather than present-ing one narrow situation for characters to figure their way intoand out of, Exonidas is a package of opportunities, an environ-ment from which dozens of different sorts of adventures couldspring. Everything we and Jeff could think of is included in thepackage, all the way from a diagram of the entire solar systemdown to where everyone sits in the offices of Torman and Son.

Jim Holloway and his talented airbrush (or maybe thatshould be “talented Jim Holloway and his airbrush”) providedthis month’s cover, a portrayal of the climactic scene fromSkitterbugging, a science-fiction tale which precedes the Exon-idas section. Between the story and the spaceport is a pagedevoted to descriptions of the people and things from the storyin Traveller terminology. Further connections are left for you tomake: Could the skitterbuggers prosper in a place like Hori-theur? Are there mist wasps holed up in the hills of Theury?

All that talk about outer space doesn’t mean there isn’t plentyof material inside for fans of the D&D® and AD&D™ games. Firstand foremost among the “fantasy” features is From the Sorcer-or’s Scroll, wherein Gary Gygax introduces you to the magic ofcantrips and provides official descriptions of two new AD&Ditems, the Advanced Illusion spell and the Philosopher’s Stone.

We don’t need a fortune teller to be sure that A.D. Rogan’sarticle on gypsies will be well accepted by AD&D gamers. Thehistorical and legendary characteristics of gypsies combine tomake a potent and playable new character type. Speaking ofpotent, check out the Demonic Knights of Doom, as describedby Rob Kuntz in the debut of a new regular feature abouthappenings in the WORLD OF GREYHAWK™ Fantasy Setting.When one of these guys asks you whose side you’re on, you’dbetter have a quick answer — and it better be the right one.

Following in the format of his articles on dwarves in our lastissue, contributing editor Roger Moore presents “The halflingpoint of view” and “The gods of the halflings.” Just in back ofthat seven-page section is a detailed story on particular poi-sons from Larry DiTillio’s campaign that we hope you’ll findeasy to swallow.

Making up monsters is easy. Making up good monsters issomething else altogether, as Lew Pulsipher points out in“Make monsters, not monstrosities.” After you’ve read aboutLew’s guidelines, turn to the Bestiary and see how well youthink this month’s monster makers have done.

A quintet of characters from famous fiction, ranging from the(almost) ordinary to the extraordinary, are offered for youredification in Giants in the Earth.

Reviewer Tony Watson gives his evaluations of Starfire III:Empires and Demonlord in Dragon’s Augury. Chris Hendersonlooks at new releases from the world of literature in the mostcolorful installment of “Off the Shelf” we’ve ever published, andtwo more pages’ worth of miniatures and other game accesso-ries are covered in Figuratively Speaking. And miniatures arealso on Phil Foglio’s mind, as you’ll see in “What’s New.” Now,get the lead out and start reading. — KM

SPECIAL ATTRACTIONExonidas Spaceport: An adventure

for Traveler™ characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

OTHER FEATURESGypsies: A curse or a blessing — or both!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16The Great Kingdom and the Knights of Doom . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Skitterbugging — Futuristic fiction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Translating skitterbuggers into Traveller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32The halfling point of view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49The gods of the halflings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52Poison: The toxins of Cerilon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57Make monsters, not monstrosities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

REGULAR OFFERINGSOut on a Limb — Letters from readers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4From the Sorcerer’s Scroll — The magic of cantrips . . . . . . . 6

Advanced Illusion and Philosopher’s Stone . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Giants in the Earth:Sir Roger de Tourneville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Harold Shea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Anthony Villiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Mark Cornwall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Sniveley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Dragon’s Bestiary:Bleeder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Stymphalian birds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Spriggan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Convention schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67Figuratively Speaking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68Dragon’s Augury:

Starfire III: Empires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72Demonlord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Off the Shelf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75What’s New . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78Dragon Mirth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

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‘PC demigods’Dear Editor:

Enough is indeed enough. A hearty thanksto Greg Fox for his letter of protest (issue #55)concerning “player-character demi-gods,” i.e.those PCs stronger than Moradin, faster thanCorellon, and possessing magical items torival those of Thoth. I have recently encoun-tered a player/DM with the following charac-ter/NPC: a 20th/25th-level human fighter/magic-user, all stats between 18 and 25 (heav-ily weighted toward the upper end, of course),who owns an army of 1,000 dragons (specialhybrids, each using two different types ofbreath weapons), an ogre magi astride eachone. When asked what possible use this reptil-ian armada could be put to, he related hisplans for attaching a cable to each one andusing them to move his castle to a nearbyisland. And, finally, among his hundreds ofmagical items, he has a rod of curinglresur-rection with an infinite number of charges.

Ugh! And as if that weren’t enough, when Irelated this to a friend of mine, he merelysneered derisively and began telling me aboutwhat his 50th-level ranger (D:30, S:35) woulddo to such a wimp. I began to feel dizzy.

So, having had personal experience withthe PC demigod problem, I must applaud thefirst part of Mr. Fox’s letter. His observationsconcerning experience points, however, arenot indisputable.

Mr. Fox tells us that (gasp) a player actually(egad) wanted experience points for being hitin combat. What’s the big deal? As you rise inlevels, you not only progress on the combattables, but you gain hit points, and as we aretold on page 82 of the DMG, these increasinghit points do not reflect an ability to sustain anincreasing amount of physical damage, butthe skill and fatigue involved in avoiding dam-age. Therefore, a character who is hit in meleehas gained (if he survives) nearly as muchexperience (ah, next time I dodge thus andparry so) as a character who hits. I tend to givethese characters one-half share of experiencepoints, providing they were not rendered un-conscious, in which case I doubt they werepaying attention to their combat abilities.

This is not an unrealistic interpretation ofexperience, especially in light of some othermethods of gaining experience points, suchas finding treasure. Here we find a rule thatthe AD&D game could do without. Charactersin my milieu get no experience points for trea-sure, and advance quickly enough anyway. Isuppose there may be an explanation some-where as to why this system was ever incorpo-rated, but I have been unable to find it — onlyin an ill-thought-out paragraph on page 85 of

the DMG explaining, in essence, that after all,AD&D is “only a game” and that “compro-mises must be made.” The paragraph thengoes on to state that real fighters would getreal experience by “exercising, riding, smit-ing pelts, and tilting at the lists....” Somehow Ibelieve that one would gain a bit more exper-ience by battling a troll than by fencing with afriend.

Mr. Gygax has made an unforgivable mis-take here, and that mistake is underrating hisown gaming system. In my experience, AD&Dis the best role-playing game on the market,and, no, Mr. Gygax, concessions do not haveto be made. It in no way harms characters toreceive gold without the experience that sup-posedly goes along with it—after all, the twocan never be mutually exclusive. I have neverencountered the smallest pile of copper thatwas not guarded by something which consi-dered it valuable — and that something isworth experience points.

Bill KnorppDeSoto, Mo.

‘Spice and intrigue’Dear Editor:

I read an article in Up on a Soapbox inDRAGON #57 that upset me greatly. It was thearticle about how no “...intelligent AD&D™player would deliberately choose to play acharacter of evil alignment.” I have had manyexperiences with evil player characters, bothas a Dungeon Master and as a player, and Ihave found that evil characters not only havethe most fun, but they add spice and intrigueto the campaign, which helps the other play-ers enjoy it more.

Brian Blume (the author) said that in reallife evil characters are ostracized from socie-ty; that no one trusts them or cooperates withthem. In real life, who are the evil people? Arethey the thieves and robbers who terrorizepeople and roam the streets? Yes, sometimes;but evil also abounds in government, big bus-iness, and many other respectable profes-sions. Evil and criminal are not always syn-onymous. Evil merely implies that the personis out for his own good and he doesn’t carewho gets trampled in the process. There arethousands of people who fit this descriptionwho have not been ostracized from the com-munity. Many are the most trusted membersof corporations and businesses.

He stated that no one can trust the evilcharacter because the evil character will notcooperate with anyone. On the contrary, theevil character will cooperate with anyone he

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feels he can use to further his own ends. Athief will need fighter cover in an adventure tohelp him survive; an assassin will welcome thehelp of spell casters and other adventurers tocover his assassination attempts, and an evilwarlord will surround himself with other char-acters to prevent personal injury from ene-mies. Also, evil characters must advance inlevels, and will travel with a party and cooper-ate in hopes of receiving treasure and exper-ience. As for being well played, an assassinmay indeed backstab when an adventure isover for the extra experience, and a thief mayvery well pick party pockets (with the partynone the wiser). Of course, a thief who hassprung traps and opened locks for a party aswell as surprising opponents will definitely beappreciated, if not trusted.

Mr. Blume also says that when an evil char-acter begins to dominate other party mem-bers, the group will dissolve in chaos. In thegroup I am DM for, the only evil player charac-ter in the bunch is the second most powerfulcharacter in the group (next to a druid). Heplays very independently and is often awayfrom the party, but he does benefit them insome ways. He also keeps the other charac-ters on their toes, which keeps them fromgetting too lax. His presence is appreciated inthe campaign. In another campaign, my friendand I play a pair of neutral evil characters whohappen to be twin brothers. We are, by a smallmargin, the two most powerful characters inthe party. The party itself is almost exclusivelyevil and all the players are very independent.No one trusts anyone else past basic bodilydefense, and “party treasure” is a rarity. Allthe players and the Dungeon Master agreethis campaign is one of the best they haveever known.

Christopher MillerGrove City, Pa.

Weapon skillDear Editor:

The Leomund’s Tiny Hut article concerningthe use of sword and shield (#57) was a com-mendable article, and it set me to thinking.For quite some time, I have been using a wea-pons skill system that I others might be inter-ested in. One of the enormous improvementsbetween the D&D and AD&D game systems isthe proficiency rules. However, althoughthese rules provide for the process of learningto use different weapons, there is no way for acharacter to excel in any one weapon. Withthe system I devised, an individual may gain

(Turn to page 66)

DragonMarch 1982

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Dragon

by Gary Gygax

©1982 E. Gary Gygax. AIl rights reserved.

Elsewhere in this magazine is a new column. That, GentleReader, is where news of the WORLD OF GREYHAWK™ Fanta-sy Setting, as well as material for new adventures therein, willbe aired. This separation is made to avoid any confusion. He-rein will be found material for adventures in any ADVANCEDD&D® campaign, and occasionally DUNGEONS & DRAG-ONS® material too. The new column will adhere strictly to theGreyhawk campaign and what goes on there. So if you are benton immediate news from the Flanaess, please look elsewhere.What follows is strictly in the AD&D™ gaming realm.

This is not to say that no further word from me will be read inthe columns pertaining to Greyhawk, for I am still laboring onthe updating — as well as on (don’t faint) T2 and a pair of othermodules, “The Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun” (a scenarioconnected to S4) and “Wasp Nest — The City State of Stoink.”More or less concurrently, I am attempting to plug away at twonew volumes for AD&D™ gaming. The next book of monsterswill be the one to be released last (1984 possibly).

With plenty of labor and even more luck there will be anADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® expansion volumenext year. It will be for both players and DMs, with several newcharacter classes, new weapons, scores of new spells, newmagic items, etc. What will follow here in the next few issues is asampling of the material slated for inclusion in the expansion.

I have often wondered why no player or DM has asked meabout what apprentice magic-users actually do. The verythought always conjures up visions of Mickey Mouse havingtroubles with brooms marching endlessly with buckets of water— Walt Disney really outdid himself when he made Fantasia!That aside, I have always reasoned that apprentice dweomer-crafters had to fulfill the dual role of menial and student, per-forming chores all day and then studying late into the night.After a certain point, an apprentice would begin to acquiresufficient magical acumen to employ minor magics— mainly tolighten his burden of drudgery but also to create some amuse-ment at times. The petty spells gained by an apprentice magic-user are cantrips.

Previously, the acquisition of first-level spell ability sub-sumed that lesser magics would be ignored by the fledging

Vol. VI, No. 9

magic-user. The stuff of base servitude and inferior statuswould be cast aside for the heady power of actual spells! How-ever, as I worked on the list of cantrips which might be possibleto apprentices, I was struck by the real usefulness of many ofthem. Why not allow the magic-user the option of retainingcantrips? Would it unbalance play if a number of cantrips couldbe substituted for a single first-level spell? A few days of addi-tional work detailing the powers of cantrips and determiningtheir possible effects gave the answer: Not only did the additionnot adversely affect the game, the inclusion of cantrips made the play of low-level magic-users very much more interestingand challenging! The following regarding cantrips is from myAD&D™ expansion manuscript.

CANTRIPSCantrips are merely 0-level magic-user spells, the spells

learned and used by apprentices during their long, rigorous,and tedious training for the craft of magic-use. Most cantripsare simple little spells of no great effect, so when the individualbecomes a journeyman (1st-level) magic-user, the knowledgeand information pertaining to these small magics are discardedin favor of the more powerful spells then available. However, amagic-user may opt to remember up to four cantrips in place ofone 1st-level spell. This assumes that the magic-user has, infact, retained his or her book of cantrips — a tome as large as agood-sized book of higher-level spells.

The number and types of cantrips known and recorded isdetermined by random use of the tables given below. The ex-ception is the table of useful cantrips — those which wereemployed to make apprenticeship less wearisome. An apprent-ice will have one useful cantrip for each point of intelligence,and is allowed free choice from the list of 20 offered.

All cantrips are 0 level, have a 1” range, a generally small areaof effect, require only soft, simple verbal and somatic compo-nents, and are cast in a very short (1/10th to 1/2 segment) time.Only those which involve living creatures afford any savingthrow. The common cantrips are:

UsefulNo. Cantrips Reversed (2-8) Legerdemain (2-5)

1 Chill Curdle Change2 Clean Dirty Distract3 Color Dusty Hide4 Dampen Hairy Mute5 D r y Knot Palm6 Dust Ravel Present7 Exterminate Sour8 Flavor Spill9 Freshen Tangle

10 Gather Tarnish11 Polish Untie12 Salt Wilt13 Shine14 Spice15 Sprout16 Stitch17 Sweeten18 Tie19 Warm20 Wrap

No. Person (2-8)1 Belch2 Bl ink3 Cough4 Giggle5 Nod6 Scratch7 Sneeze8 Twitch9 Wink

10 Yawn

Personal (2-8) Haunting (2-5)Bee CreakBluelight FootfallBug GroanFirefinger MoanGnats RattleMouse TapSmokepuff ThumpSpider WhistleTweekUnlock

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Dragon

Chill (Evocation)A of E: 1’ cubeCT: ½ segment

Clean (Abjuration)A of E: 4 sq. yds.CT: ½ segment

Color (Evocation)A of E: 1 cubic yd.CT: ½ segment

Dampen(Evocation)

A of E: 1 cubic yd.CT: ½ segment

March 1982

CANTRIP EXPLANATIONS

Dry (Abjuration)A of E: 1 cubic yd.CT: ½ segment

Dust (Abjuration)A of E: 10’ r.CT: ½ segment

Exterminate(Abjuration)

A of E: One verysmall creature

CT: 1/10 segment

Useful Cantrips

A cantrip of this nature allows thecaster to cause liquid or solid materialto become about 40° F. cooler than itwas, subject to a minimum temperatureof freezing. If the subject is living mat-ter, the cantrip will be only half as ef-fective and will not lower temperaturemore than 10° below normal for thatcreature. Verbal component is a softwhistling, somatic is a downward-thrust thumb.

This cantrip removes heavy soil, dirt,and like foreign objects from floors,walls, dishes, windows, etc. The sub-ject surfaces are then spotless, but caremust be taken in removal of pigmentsand the like, so usually only one type ofmaterial will be treated in a single ap-plication. Verbal component is a lowoutrush of air, somatic is a circularhand motion.

This brings color to an object. It canbe used to restore faded hues or totinge those already colored with a dif-ferent hue. Thus, dull or faded fabriccan be brightened, pigments restored,or even hair or skin changed to anothercolor. The effect must be renewed ev-ery 30 days. Verbal component is ahumming, somatic is a back-and-forthor wringing hand motion.

When a cantrip of this sort is cast,the subject area is permeated by a fog-like dampness which leaves all materialwithin it damp to the touch. It is usefulfor many sorts of things. It is hard onparchment, and it similarly makes itand like substances hard to set aflame.Verbal component is a low hooting or ahummed ditty, somatic is a hand ges-ture upwards with writhing fingers.

The cantrip removes dampness andescess moisture from materials withinthe subject areas. It is useful for cloth,herbs, and cleaning chores. Verbalcomponent is similar to that of thedampen cantrip, and the somatic is atwo-handed wringing motion.

This removes all fine dust and tinygrit particles from exposed surfacessuch as floors, shelves, walls, etc.Material so removed is transported el-sewhere, but new dust can accumulate,of course. Verbal component is a con-tinuous in-drawing of breath, somaticis a back-and-forth hand motion.

When this cantrip is used, the castermay kill a small pest such as a fly,mouse, rat, beetle, or the like. It is use-ful for indoors and outdoor applica-tions. If the subject is very small, an

Flavor(Enchantment)

A of E: 1 objectCT: ½ segment

Freshen(Enchantment)


Gather (Alteration)A of E: 1 sq. yd.CT: 1/6 segment

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area of up to ½ cubic foot can be rid ofpests. The somatic gesture is a pointedfinger, while the caster verbalizes a low“zzzt” sound.

This cantrip enables the caster togive the subject a superior or better ordifferent flavor. Thus, much can bemade to taste as if it were lobsterbisque, but the dweomer will not actu-ally affect the quality or wholesome-ness of the subject. Spoiled food re-mains spoiled; a poisoned drink wouldstill be deadly. The verbal componentis a muttered lip-smacking sound; thesomatic gesture is a shaking motion.

By means of this cantrip the casterbrings new life or freshness to the ob-ject desired. The magic applies to foodand drink items such as milk, beer,meat, and raw vegetables. It also workswith cut vegetables, flowers, herbs, etc.Although it will remove a slight taint ofspoilage, restore drooping flowers, andso on, it lasts for but an hour. The sub-ject must be of relatively small size, i.e.a small cask of liquid, a sheep, a bushelof vegetables, etc. Verbal component isan “mmmmmm” sound, while the handmakes a mystic symbol with thumb andforefinger forming a circle and the oth-er fingers upright and apart.

This cantrip enables the caster toneatly gather numerous small objectsinto a stack or pile. For instance, ifnails, nuts, coins, papers, or like ob-jects were spilled, the magic would

Dragon

Polish (Alteration)A of E: 1 objectCT: ½ segment

Salt (Evocation)A of E: 1 objectCT: 1/6 segment

Shine (Alteration)A of E: 1 objectCT: ½ segment

Spice (Evocation)A of E: 1 objectCT: ½ segment

Sprout (Alteration)A of E: 1 cubic yd.CT: ½ segment

bring them together. It can be used se-lectively, for instance to separate onetype of material from another, but onlythe selected type would be gatheredneatly. The caster verbalizes the type ofmaterial to be gathered while making agathering motion.

When this cantrip is employed, thecaster, magically smooths and brings aluster to materials such as wood, metal,stone, leather, or ceramic. Naturaily,the desired object must be relativelyclean in order for the cantrip to be ef-fective. The object affected must be ofreasonable size — a floor of up to 1,000square feet, an armoire, etc. It worksbetter on smaller objects, of course,such as boots, mirrors, crystal contain-ers, etc. The caster hums a ditty whilemaking a buffing motion.

This causes a sprinkling of fine saltto magically appear and descend uponthe desired object — a stew, sometroublesome weed patch, or a barrelfull of stock fish to be preserved. Theobject must be a reasonable size — upto perhaps 4 square yards in area orabout 30 gal. liquid volume. Care mustbe taken to avoid over-salting if the ob-ject involved is smaller, and if the ob-ject is larger, it will not receive muchsalt. Verbal component is a labialsmacking, while the hand makes asprinkling motion.

Similar to the polish cantrip above,this magic allows the caster to removetarnish, rust, corrosion, and like sub-stances from the desired object. Thiscantrip brings about a mirror-brightshine to objects capable of such, caus-ing their surfaces to be smooth andunmarred. A piece of jewelry, for in-stance, would be made more attractive,and even its gems better (+1 on dierolls). A single object up to about 1cubic yard in volume can be treated bythis cantrip. Verbal and somatic com-ponents are similar to polish.

Unlike the flavor cantrip, this magicactually brings a particular spice to theobject food or drink. Thus, ginger,pepper, and like spices can be broughtto add zest (or disguise). Herbs like bayleaf, garlic, parsley, etc. can likewise beevoked by this. The quantity is suffi-cient to spice food or drink for about adozen people. The spice (or herb) ap-pears over the object vessel as a finepowder or flake, falls upon it, and addsits substance to the dish or drink. A dit-ty is hummed while the hand makes acrumbling and sprinkling motion.

By means of this cantrip the castercauses acceleration in the growth ofplants, particularly with respect to thegermination of plant seeds. Upon cast-ing, the cantrip will cause seeds toshoot forth tiny sprouts, buds to

8

Stitch (Alteration)A of E: SpecialCT: ½ segment

Sweeten(Evocation)

A of E: 1 object CT: ½ segment

Tie (Alteration)A of E: 1 objectCT: ½ segment

Warm (Evocation)A of E: 1’ cubeCT: ½ segment

Wrap (Alteration)A of E: 1 cubic yd.CT: ½ segment

Curdle(Enchantment)

A of E: 1 objectCT: 1/6 segment

Vol. VI, No. 9

flower, etc. Fruits and vegetables canbe caused to ripen (or actually go pastripening to spoilage) by this cantrip. Asusurrant sound is verbalized while thecaster’s hand makes hoeing motions.

This cantrip magically sews seams incloth or leather. It will make new onesor repair old work. About 20 yards ofcloth can be thus stitched, but onlyabout 2 yards of leather. The seam thuscreated is neither stronger nor weakerthan a seam done without magic. Usu-ally a brief rhyme is recited as the handmakes a sewing motion.

This cantrip is the same as a spicecantrip, except that the result is the ev-ocation of a sweetener — sugar, honey,or even a syrup. Components are abuzzing sound and a stirring motion.

By means of this cantrip the castercan magically cause the object —thread, string, cord, rope, or even cable— to tightly knot itself to either its oth-er end or an end of a similar object.within 1’ of it. The resulting knot will bea normal one such as a square knot,half-hitch, running bowline, or whatev-er the caster desires. The caster verbal-izes the knot name desired while hold-ing up three fingers.

This cantrip is the same as chill, ex-cept that the magic brings a warmingof the liquid or solid. The temperaturewill rise at most about 40° F. The can-trip will never cause living creatures tobecome warmer than their normal bodytemperature. Components are an “aah”sound while the hands are rubbedbriskly together.

When a wrap cantrip is employed,the caster creates a strong and sturdywrapping around the subject desired —a bit of herbs, a heap of flour, a bundleof cloth, etc. The material of the cantripis of a suitable type and thickness forthe item(s) to be wrapped. Thus, a fewounces of fine powder will be con-tained in a waxy tissue, gem stones in afelt-like envelope, meal in cloth, and soforth. The wrapping can be openednormally, but the caster can just as eas-ily order it to open, so the cantrip isoften used to enfold the material com-ponents of a spell. The caster verbal-izes a general class of wrapping de-sired while making folding motionswith his hands.

Reversed Cantrips

This cantrip is broader in effect thanits name, for it affects many food anddrink items. The magic curdles milkand hastens spoilage or wilting. It has apermanent effect on the object. It isotherwise similar to freshen. The casterverbalizes a retching sound while point-ing the thumb downward.

March 1982 DragonDirty (Evocation)A of E: 4 sq. yds.CT: 1/6 segment

Dusty (Evocation)A of E: 10’ r.CT: 1/6 segment

Hairy (Alteration)A of E: 1 objectCT: 1/10 segment

The opposite of clean cantrip, thislets casters soil, spot, and sully walls,floors, dishes, garments, etc. Verbalcomponent is a spitting sound, madewhile shuffling and stamping the feet.

By means of this cantrip the castercauses a film of dust and grime to set-tle upon all exposed surfaces within thecantrip area of effect. Verbal compo-nent is a low humming, while the handsmake shaking motions.

While this cantrip is not actually oneof the standard “useful” ones whichapprentices reverse for mischievous-ness, it is one which is generally usedfor no good purpose. It causes hair, fur,or hair-like growth to thicken and leng-then. Thus, a head of hair, a peach, abeard, a cat, or whatever could be af-fected. The growth will cause the sub-ject material to increase from 2-12inches in length. The subject materialmust be trimmed or cut to remove thecantrip’s effect. This cantrip can bereversed to shorten growth or effective-ly shave, but as the effect on shortmaterial (growth under 1 inch inlength) is complete absence of growthfor 2-12 days, it is not often used. Thecaster verbalizes snicking sounds whilemaking massaging motions for growth,or scissoring motions for removal.

Knot (Alteration)A of E: 1 object CT: ½ segment

Ravel (Alteration)A of E: SpecialCT: 1/10 segment

Sour (Evocation)A of E: 1 objectCT: ½ segment

9

This cantrip is a permutation of thetie. It causes the thread, string, cord, orrope to knot itself in such a manner asto be very difficult to untie, and from 2-8 rounds, minus dexterity bonus forreaction of the individual untying theknot, to undo. It works even on materialalready affected by a tie spell. The cast-er verbalizes a low “zizzing” soundwhile moving the arm forward withstrong wrist motion.

This cantrip is the reverse of a stitch.It will work only if there is a loose orbroken thread in the seam or fabric tobe affected, except for material magic-ally stitched by the appropriate cantrip.When the latter sort of seam or materialis involved, the ravel cantrip will alwayswork, except in the case where the sub-ject is otherwise magical, i.e. a bag ofholding, a cloak of protection, boots ofelvenkind, etc. The name of the cantripis verbalized while the fingers make aplucking motion.

When this cantrip is employed, thecaster causes the subject food or drinkto take on a sour taste, not unlike vi-negar of the appropriate sort. While it istypically used to spoil wine, beer, orsome pastry, the sour cantrip can beused to useful purpose. The magic ac-tually causes about a pint (maximum)of vinegar to appear over the subject.


Spill(Alteration)

A of E: 1 containerCT: 1/6 segment

Tangle (Alteration)A of E: 1 objectCT: 1/6 segment

Tarnish(Alteration)


This can be an empty container inwhich such liquid is desired. The casterpurses the lips and makes a whooshingsound while clenching the hand.

The opposite of a gather cantrip, thisenables the caster to cause the con-tents of a container to spill out. The ob-ject container is actually tipped by thecantrip, and as it is not powerful, con-tainers of more than about gallon size,or magical ones, will not be affected bythe cantrip. Solids and/or liquids withinthe object container will spill out, pro-viding the container is not securelyclosed or capped. The caster verbalizesan “oh-oh” sound while making anabrupt hand motion.

A permutation of the tie cantrip, thismagic allows the caster to cause finematerial such as thread, hair, smallgrass, and the like to become twistedand entwined in a tangle. It will notwork on heavy material such as rope.Untangling subject material will take 3-12 rounds, unless it is roughly done —and the material is broken and snappedin the process, torn loose, etc. The can-trip will tangle mixed materials such asgrass and string, hair and threads, andso forth. A buzzing is verbalized whilethe finger makes a stirring motion.

The reverse of a shine cantrip, thiscauses a covering of rust, corrosion,verdigris, or the like to cover an objectnormally subject to such tarnishing.

Untie (Alteration)A of E: 1 objectCT: 1/3 segment

Wilt(Enchantment)


The object must be of about 1 cubicyard or less in volume. Verbal compo-nent is a spitting sound, while the handmakes a sprinkling motion.

This permutation of a tie cantrip issimply the reverse of the magic. Thecaster selects an object — thread,string, cord, etc. — which is knotted ortied. The cantrip removes the knot ortying. Note that the untie cantrip willcause a tangle to be nullified. The can-trip will not remove both a knot and anormal tying (normal knot or onecaused by a tie cantrip), but it willcause the former to disappear so thatonly a normal tying remains. Somaticand verbal components vary accordingto desired result. In general, a poppingsound is made while the hands arepulled apart — either as if a knot werebeing untied or a cord snapped.

A reverse of the freshen cantripwhich affects only vegetable material— whether growing or picked. Thus, aplant can be made to wilt (or possiblywither if it is not very healthy) or abunch of cut flowers sag and droop.Verbal component is a descendinghum, while the forefinger is slowlycurled from an upright position.

Sorry, Gentle Readers, but that’s all there is room for in thisissue. Next month we will pick up where we left off and finish allof the explanations, as well as give a brief note on castingcantrips. Until then....

‘Advanced Illusion and Philosopher’s Stone by Gary Gygax

©1982 E. Gary Gygax. All rights reserved,

It seems that TSR gets the cart inadvance of the horse fairly often.Thanks to the kind offices of DRAG-ON™ Magazine, we don’t have to keepeveryone in suspense for months be-cause of premature actions. I referspecifically to the mention of an illu-sionist spell, advanced illusion, in theFIEND FOLIO™ Cyclopedia and tothe mention of the magic item, philo-sopher’s stone. Here is the informa-tion you need to handle both items.Just to keep our Gentle Readers wellinformed, they will eventually appearin a tome of material expanding AD-VANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS™games that should be ready in 1983.

Advanced Illusion (Illusion/Phantasm)

Level: 5Range: 6” +1”/levelDuration: 1 round/levelArea of Effect: 4 sq.” +1 sq.”/levelComponents: V, S, MCasting Time: 5 segmentsSaving Throw: Special

Explanation/Description: This spelI ity is lined with a quicksilver that ena-is essentially a spectra/ forces spell bles the transmutation of the basethat operates through a program (sim- metals iron and lead into silver andilar to a programmed illusion spell) gold. Either an alchemist or a magic-the caster determines. Thus, the illu- user will be required to effect suchsionist must concentrate on the spell transmutation, however. From 50 tofor longer than 5 segments after cast- 500 pounds of iron can be made intoing it, as the program has then been silver, or from 10 to 100 pounds ofstarted and will continue. The illusion lead can be turned into gold from ahas visual, full audial, olfactory, and single philosopher’s stone. Better still,thermal components. If any viewer two additional substances are possi-actively disbelieves the dweomer, he, ble within such a stone. The first is ashe, or it gains a saving throw versus greenish, crystalline salt which will al-magic. If any viewer successfully dis- low the manufacture of from 1 to 4believes, and communicates this fact potions of longevity and has a 75%to other viewers able to comprehend probability of occurring within thethe communication, each such viewer stone. The second is a pure whitegains a saving throw versus magic powder which, when mixed with a po-with a +4 bonus. The material compo- tion of longevity, can actually restorenents for this spell are a bit of fleece life to a dead human (or even a demi-and several grains of sand. human) if administered internally with-

in one week of his or her demise. (Cf.

Philosopher’s Stone: This rare and raise dead spell.) There is a 25%

magical object appears to be an ordi- chance the white powder is present.

nary, rather blackish and sooty pieceof rock. It radiates a faint dweomer. If X.P. Value: 1,000

broken open, a geode-like cavity will G.P. Sale Value: 10,000 (payablebe discovered. The interior of this cav- only for an unopened stone)

10

March 1982 Dragon

Poul Anderson’sSIR ROGER DE TOURNEVILLE

10th-level fighterALIGNMENT: Neutral goodHIT POINTS: 91ARMOR CLASS: 0NO. OF ATTACKS: 3/2DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-8 (+3)HIT BONUS: +1MOVE: 6”/15”PSIONIC ABILITY: NilSTRENGTH: 18/12INTELLIGENCE: 15WISDOM: 13DEXTERITY: 17CONSTITUTION: 16CHARISMA: 15

Sir Roger de Tourneville was a baronin England in the year 1345 who wasgathering an army at the village of Ansbyto aid King Edward Ill’s war againstFrance. Unexpectedly, Ansby was alsoselected as the landing site of an inva-sion force of the Wersgorix, a blue-skinned alien race bent on conqueringEarth and adding it to the growing num-ber of subject planets in their empire. A2,000-foot-long starship landed near thevillage and was quickly surrounded bythe English warriors, who believed it tobe sent from either heaven or hell. TheWersgorix tried to frighten the humanswith their advanced weapons, but thisproved a mistake. The Englishmen at-tacked in a berserk fury with hand-to-hand weapons and bows, and decimatedthe ship’s crew, which had never foughtin close combat before and had neverexpected to fight the humans anyway.

When Sir Roger and his men gainedcontrol of the starship (though he hadvery little idea of what it was or what itdid), Sir Roger proposed that the ship beused against the French and eventuallyagainst the Moslems to recover the HolyLand. His plan was enthusiastically re-ceived by nearly all the townsfolk, and2,000 people, with all their worldly pos-sessions and livestock, boarded the ves-sel for the trip. However, a captured alienwho had showed Sir Roger and othershow to work the ship and its weaponstricked them into making a voyage to the

nearest colony world of the Wersgorixinstead of to France, hoping the trouble-some English would meet their matchand be done with.

Such was not to be. Sir Roger wasquick to grasp the essentials of the alientechnology, and his knowledge of me-dieval combat and his knack for trickerysaved the ship’s company many times.He led cavalry charges against armedalien forces that succeeded because ofthe very unexpectedness of the assaultand his own leadership.

Even when it became apparent thatnone of the Englishmen would ever re-turn to Earth, he refused to admit defeat.

He overran a local starport, successfullydefending it from alien infantry and ar-mored attacks, and improvised new stra-tegies as he went along. At one point hisforces launched nuclear weapons fromtrebuchets, and fought off anti-gravityassault boats with longbows and ballis-tae. The Wersgorix, thoroughly unfamil-iar with such tactics and continually un-derestimating the English and Sir Roger,continued to withdraw. With capturedalien weaponry Sir Roger laid siege tothe main starport, destroyed all otheralien estates on the world, and eventual-ly conquered the planet.

In time, Sir Roger led expeditions on

11

captured starships to other worlds, bat-tling the Wersgorix wherever he foundthem and allying his forces with those ofother civilizations who hated the Wers-gorix as well. Sir Roger does not darecease his war with the aliens, since heknows if he did so the Wersgorix woulddestroy the humans and try to seek outthe lost Earth to destroy or enslave it aswell.

Sir Roger is a typical, lusty, battle-hungry Englishman whose personal man-ners do not quite reach the ideals of chi-valry or of his wife, Lady Catharine. He isgrey-eyed, has blond hair that he keepsshaved on the sides, and maintains aconfident and happy appearance evenwhen faced with tremendous adversity.If he perceives he is dealing with power-ful opponents, he is skilled at bluffingand never reveals his fear. He tends tointerpret sophisticated technology interms of magic and other unholy forces,being the medieval Christian that he is.He still holds Edward III to be his king,though he has no idea where Earth is anymore, and he plans to add all the worldshe’s conquered to the holdings of Eng-land when he returns, after the final tri-umph over the Wersgorix.

If encountered in an AD&D™ universe,it is likely that Sir Roger has landed hisship somewhere nearby and is out withhis men searching for aliens to fight. Hewears plate mail and carries a longswordand lance when astride his black heavywarhorse. He may also possess variousweapons of advanced technology; theMark V Blaster and several Energy Gre-nades from the GAMMA WORLD™ gameare suggested. His men may also have avariety of advanced and archaic wea-pons, though Sir Roger and his forcesprefer good old-fashioned hand-to-handmelee. There is a 50%. chance when SirRoger is outside the ship that he will beaccompanied by Lady Catharine (5th-level fighter) and by Brother Parvus, amedieval cleric (6th level) of small sta-ture. Whether he finds any aliens in theAD&D world is up to the DM.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: The High Crusade(paperback, Berkley Publishing Corpo-ration) by Poul Anderson.

Written by Roger E. Moore


L. Sprague de Camp & Fletcher Pratt’sHAROLD SHEA

7th-level fighter withspecial spell abilitiesALIGNMENT: Chaotic goodHIT POINTS: 69ARMOR CLASS: 1NO. OF ATTACKS: 3/2DAMAGE/ATTACK: By weapon typeHIT BONUS: NilMOVE: 12”PSIONIC ABILITY: NilSPECIAL ATTACKS: See belowSPECIAL DEFENSES: See belowMAGIC RESISTANCE: 10%STRENGTH: 13INTELLIGENCE: 18/70WISDOM: 14DEXTERITY: 17CONSTITUTION: 17CHARISMA: 15

Harold Shea served for many years asa staff psychologist at the Garaden Insti-tute somewhere in Ohio. Although rea-sonably competent in this position, hefelt unsatisfied and unfulfilled. Basicallyromantic in nature, he attempted to com-pensate for his unexciting life by takingon rather affected roles and dress, muchto the amusement of his friends andco-workers.

Finally, his chance to escape everydaylife came when an elder scientist, ReedChalmers, developed the theory of inter-universal apportation based on mathe-matical logic. Harold wasted no time put-ting the theory into practice, and suc-ceeded in dumping himself into the cen-ter of Norse mythology. Since that time,he has had several adventures in theworlds of myth and fantasy. As such, hisarrival into any AD&D™ universe couldbe either through choice or accident.

Harold Shea is a young man, slightlytaller and thinner than normal, with adark complexion and hair. There is a 70%chance that when encountered he will bedressed in clothes fitting to the world heis in; otherwise, his dress will be that of a20th century businessman or psycholo-gist — suit and tie. If he is armed, he will

carry a straight-bladed epee in an im-provised scabbard (treat as a short swordfor “to hit” and damage). He will not weararmor.

Harold is an adequate fighter, thoughsomewhat mediocre by heroic standards.His principal skill in fighting comes fromhis acquaintance with fencing in the“real” world. Due to his limited practiceand training, Harold will be unfamiliarwith most weapons and will suffer a -5penalty when attempting to use anythingbut a sword, dagger, or crossbow.

Harold Shea’s greatest power is hisspecial magic ability. When in a magicaluniverse, he can attempt to create anyeffect he desires, through the applica-tion of mathematical laws concerningmagic. When he desires to cast a spell,he must first describe the desired effectand then compose a poem about thespell. The poem must make a compari-son between the desired effect of thespell and some thing or event that issomehow similar to it. The poem must beat least 4 lines long with the first linerhyming with the third and the secondwith the fourth. Secondly, Harold mustalso have something to use as a materialcomponent. Neither the spell nor thematerial component have to be amongthose things found in the AD&D rules.The DM may choose to use other poeticforms, since Harold was not always con-sistent in the type of poem used.

Once all the requirements have beenmet, the success of the casting may bemeasured. The three factors to considerare the exact wording of the poem (inmuch the same way one would considera wish), the quality of the poem, and thetype and quality of material componentused. The outcome of the spell mayrange from more than the caster intendedto some entirely unexpected effect.

Since the system described above canbe too difficult or time-consuming formany DMs to use, an alternative methodwould be to allow Harold Shea a never-ending use of limited wish. However,there would be a 40% chance that thespell would backfire, regardless of word-ing, and the normal guidelines for word-ing wishes would still apply. Any back-fires will not kill or directly harm HaroldShea, but may place him in a very diffi-cult position.

There is an 80% chance that Haroldwill be accompanied by his wife Belle-phebe, a 12th-level ranger, and a 40%chance that Reed Chalmers will be withhim (treat him as a sage skilled in mathe-matics and metaphysics). If Harold’s wifeis not with him, he will be searching forher, and may ask the party to aid him.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: The Complete En-chanter, Wall of Serpents (BallantineBooks), The Green Magician (The Drag-on, #15-16); all by de Camp and Pratt.

Written by David Cook

12

March 1982 Dragon

Alexei Panshin’sANTHONY VILLIERS

10th-level ranger / 7th-level thiefALIGNMENT: Neutral goodHIT POINTS: 42ARMOR CLASS: 6NO. OF ATTACKS: 3/2DAMAGE/ATTACK: By weapon typeHIT BONUS: NilMOVE: 12”PSIONIC ABILITY: NilSTRENGTH: 15INTELLIGENCE: 17WISDOM: 16DEXTERITY: 18CONSTITUTION: 14CHARISMA: 17

Anthony Villiers, a remittance man,became a wanderer only partly againsthis wishes. He is, in fact, the ViscountCharteris, paid regularly by his father totravel. It is Villiers’s father who to a greatextent determines to which of the mil-lions of worlds in the Nashuite Empire hewill travel, by including instructions forreaching the destination of the next pay-ment in each communication to his son.To Villiers, interstellar travel is a fringebenefit of his position; he treats it as botha game and a pastime.

Under occasional surveillance by Em-pire officials, he moves about steadily tokeep them guessing. And, since he has alarge number of casual and intimate ac-quaintances scattered about the uni-verse, he enjoys short visits.

Among his closer human friends is aman travelling under the name “Fred,”whose situation is similar to that of Villi-ers, since he is the son of the Emperor.Fred, like Villiers, is a Chief in the BigBeavers (an organization whose ideal isto enter a wilderness and create a semb-lance of civilization from it), and is rough-ly equivalent to a 12th-level ranger, al-though he lacks the usual spell-castingability of that class.

Villiers is a fairly short, dashing man inhis late twenties or early thirties. Hedresses with little regard for current fa-shion even in his natural setting, and willappear quite outlandishly attired in anycampaign. How he reaches the DM’scampaign world is a matter for carefulconsideration — while Villiers is knownto occasionally travel to planets deemed“closed” by the Empire, he is not fool-hardy, and will be able to leave the planetquickly if danger is present. He thriveson confusion and intrigue, but exercisescareful judgement.

He usually carries with him a Curdler,a gun- or wand-like weapon that killsthrough nervous shock (unless the vic-tim successfully saves versus wands), af-ter a period of confusion, as the spell,lasting for 1-6 turns. Although he is soft-spoken, charming, and self-assured evenwhen treated badly, many take his atti-tude for arrogance. Villiers has manyfriends, but just as many enemies.

He is proficient in the use of both theCurdler and a second unique weapon,the Tingler. This device, reserved largelyfor duelling, appears to be a rod or acane. However, it destroys nerves oncontact, so that a blow will cause 2-8 hitpoints of damage to any creature havinga nervous system. The loss is permanentand can only be counteracted by a Re-generate, Limited Wish, or Wish spell.

Villiers will not use his thieving skills todirectly increase his wealth. He is espe-cially good at Reading Languages, Hid-ing in Shadows, Moving Silently, andOpening Locks (all at +5%), and lessskilled than normal (-5%) in the otherabilities.

Villiers travels everywhere with Torvethe Trog. Trogs, distinctly different fromtroglodytes as depicted in the AD&D™rules, have these characteristics:

FREQUENCY: Very rareNO. APPEARING: 1ARMOR CLASS: 9

13

MOVE: 12”HIT DICE: 5+5% IN LAIR: NilTREASURE TYPE: NilNO. OF ATTACKS: 1DAMAGE/ATTACK: SpecialSPECIAL ATTACKS: CharmingSPECIAL DEFENSES: NilMAGIC RESISTANCE: StandardINTELLIGENCE: Average to highALIGNMENT: NeutralSIZE: MPSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

Attack/Defense modes: Nil

As a race, trogs are confined to theirown planets, having in the past nearlydefeated humans in an interstellar war,and are considered dangerous. Onlyabout 50 individuals of the race are al-lowed to engage in interstellar travel.

Torve, a trog of high (13) intelligencewith 36 hit points, is not one of these few— he travels on false papers, forged sowell that discovery is nearly impossible(1% or 2% chance each time his papersare checked).

Among trogs, coloration is significantof profession. Peasants are gray or gray-ish olive, soldiers are white striped withblack, and scholars are solid brown.Torve is predominantly brown, but has awhite belly and faint black stripes on hisback, meaning that he is unpredictable,but essentially harmless.

Rather, he is an artist. Much of Torve’stime is spent composing various worksof art, or frobbs, as he calls them. Theactual production of one of these worksof art sets up a series of resonant thurbs,which have a hypnotic, calming, andcharming effect on some humans. A sav-ing throw versus spells is required for aviewer or witness to one of Torve’s artworks to avoid being charmed.

Torve is usually quiet, and although heprefers to stay in the background, hisunusual nature and appearance oftenbring him a great deal of attention. Hespeaks a broken version of the commontongue, in sharp contrast to the eloquentspeech of Villiers. His penchant, if it canbe said to be one, is for jellied whiteworms, the only meat he allows himselfto eat. Meat is his natural diet, and any-thing else but fruit rinds and some starch-es would be undigestible to him.

He appears as a large, furry man-frog,his features tending more to the latterthan to the former. Many humans findhim charming and comforting.

When faced with a fight, Torve will re-treat calmly if possible, but if corneredalong with Villiers he can demonstratehis proficiency in the use of the Curdleror the Tingler.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Starwell, The ThurbRevolution, and Masque World, all byAlexei Panshin (paperbacks, Ace Books).

Written by Andrew Dewar

DragonClifford D. Simak’sMARK CORNWALL

4th-level fighter with full sage abilitiesALIGNMENT: Lawful goodHIT POINTS: 27ARMOR CLASS: 9NO. OF ATTACKS: 1DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-8 (+3) or moreHIT BONUS: +2 or moreMOVE: 12”PSIONIC ABILITY: NilSTRENGTH: 16INTELLIGENCE: 18/74WISDOM: 16DEXTERITY: 14CONSTITUTION: 12CHARISMA: 15

Mark Cornwall originally lived in acountry of humans some distance froman enchanted land called “the Waste-land,” where nearly all the demi-humans,humanoids, and assorted monsters ofthe world lived. Mark was a student atWyalusing University when he one daycame across an ancient manuscript thattold of an even more ancient library hid-den in the remote Wasteland. He stolethe paper and set out for the Wasteland,but the theft was detected, and forces ofthe Inquisition (a distinctly evil branch ofan otherwise lawful good church) fol-lowed him, to also find (and destroy) thelibrary.

Mark, who sought only to gain furtherknowledge from the library, accumulat-ed a number of strange friends on hisquest into the Wastelands. He was joinedby a gnome smith, an elven bowman andhis pet raccoon, a small and furry beingof the People of the Marsh, a runawayserving girl, a robot, and a rafter goblinnamed Oliver. Together they were ableto use their strengths to overcome theterrors of the Wasteland, which easilydestroyed the army of the Inquisition.

When he finally arrived at the secretlibrary, Mark discovered the caretaker ofthe library was a being from another uni-verse. The alien was involved in a projectto eventually merge the powers andgood points of three separate universes:Mark’s magical world, a technologicalworld (modern-day Earth), and a peace-ful, humanistic world from which theserving-girl’s parents had come. Withsome reluctance, Mark has joined in thisundertaking, though he does not like ortrust anything technological in nature;indeed, Mark Cornwall does not truly be-lieve in technology, preferring the famil-iar world of magic instead.

Mark Cornwall is a young man, proba-bly in his late twenties or early thirties,who wears only normal clothing and noarmor but a shield. His extensive studiesat the University and at the Wastelandlibrary have made him the equal of asage in the major field of Humankind,with special categories of History, Lan-

Vol. VI, No. 9

guages, and Legends & Folklore. He hastwo minor fields, Demi-Humankind andHumanoids & Giantkind. Mark can speakcommon, Latin, and the caveman tongue,and he has a 40% chance to read anyother language employed by humans,Though most humans of Mark’s homecountry do not like non-humans, Mark isquite open and friendly toward all but theevil sorts. He thinks of himself as a schol-ar, not a fighting man.

Mark owns a magical sword, given tohim by his gnome friend, with extraordi-nary powers. It is a +2 weapon, emitting asoft light equal in intensity to a torch;against giantkind or evil humanoids itbecomes +4 to hit and does double dam-age plus a bonus of 4 extra points ofdamage. The longsword may be thrownat an opponent, with the same range lim-its as a javelin, will return to the caster(whether it hits or not) at the end of theround in which it was thrown, and can beautomatically grasped at that time.

Most of Mark’s fellow adventurers de-parted upon completion of the quest tofind the library, but two remained withhim. The serving-girl, Mary, is now hiswife; though she seems to have no ex-ceptional powers (being in effect a zero-level person with 6 hit points and AC 10),she cannot be attacked by any being atall because of the effects of her peacefulupbringing. She will not attack any be-ing, either, even if charmed. She is aclose friend of a large number of pixies,brownies, sprites, and the like who live atthe library.

Oliver, the rafter goblin, is 50% likely tobe present if Mark Cornwall is encoun-

14

tered. Oliver stands 3’ tall, and wears tat-tered and faded clothes of brown, red,and green. He has bare, hairy feet (like ahalfling’s, though he is not one). Oliverhas a thin and wizened appearance andlarge ears, and a small peaked cap sitson his head. His alignment is neutral,with good tendencies; he has 15 hitpoints (2 hit dice), armor class 9, andability scores of strength 8, intelligence17, wisdom 14, dexterity 16, constitution11, and charisma 13. Oliver has all of theabilities of a 10th-level thief and a 4th-level magic-user (DM’s choice of spells).

From living in several large librariesduring his life (primarily so he could playtricks on the students), Oliver has gainedsome sage-like powers and knowledge,though he has no major or minor fields(treat all questions asked of him as being“Out of Fields” on the chart on p. 32 ofthe DMG). Forgery is Oliver’s forte, andhe can copy anyone’s handwriting.

Mark, Mary, and Oliver, though theyspend most of their time at the library inthe Wasteland, would not be against theidea of adventuring to uncover the know-ledge of other lands and worlds. TheCaretaker conceivably has the power tosend them to other planes and universesif they desire. It is likely that if they didso, they would again gather an unlikelyassortment of traveling companions ofany conceivable race; perhaps theywould join or be joined by variousAD&D™ characters as well.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Enchanted Pilgrim-( p a p e r b a c k , B e r k l e y , M e d a l l i o nBooks) by Clifford D. Simak.


March 1982 DragonClifford D. Simak’s

SNIVELEY

3rd-level gnome fighter,with special spell abilitiesALIGNMENT: Lawful good with

neutral tendenciesHIT POINTS: 21ARMOR CLASS: 6NO. OF ATTACKS: 1DAMAGE/ATTACK: By weapon typeHIT BONUS: NilMOVE: 6”PSIONIC ABILITY: NilSTRENGTH: 15INTELLIGENCE: 15WISDOM: 13DEXTERITY: 16CONSTITUTION: 15CHARISMA: 14

Sniveley is a gnomish smith and wea-pons maker of considerable repute. Hishome is a large gnome colony in the hillsnear the Wasteland, a large area inhabit-ed only by non-human creatures. Oneday he was asked to supply a humanscholar with a sword he could use toprotect himself on a journey into theWasteland. Sniveley gave over a power-ful magical blade he had fashioned him-self; it pleased him, because of his pridein his work, to test the weapon againstthe chaotic powers of the Wasteland’sinhabitants. Eventually, however, Snive-ley himself felt a sense of responsibilityfor the man, named Mark Cornwall. Hetook off on his own after Mark and theother adventurers in his party, and joinedthem; his knowledge of the customs ofnon-humans proved to be of critical im-portance to the group’s survival. WhenMark’s quest into the Wasteland wascompleted, Sniveley returned to his hometo continue his smithing work. There hestill makes magic weapons on occasion.

Sniveley is very business-oriented, buthas no greed. He prefers other modes ofpayment rather than money for the pur-chase of a non-magical weapon or itemhe has made, and his prices are excep-tionally low. He cannot read or write, butthe gnomes of his colony developed anaccurate ledger system using symbolsthat Sniveley employs frequently.

Sniveley’s people are, like him, a com-bination of miners, smiths, and traders.The colony’s history and other factsabout non-human cultures are transmit-ted verbally, which makes the accuracyof older information suspect. Nonethe-less, Sniveley has committed to memoryan extraordinary amount of informationon non-humans, and can answer mostquestions about them with reasonableaccuracy, if he so chooses.

Though Sniveley distrusts most hu-mans (the society of humans near hiscolony is generally unfriendly to all non-humans), he has learned to trust thosefew of lawful good nature who also like

non-humans. He tends to be a pessimistabout the eventual outcome of any un-dertaking (except his own work), but ifhe gives his word to help in a situation,he will never go back on it.

Sniveley may be approached as to thepossibility of obtaining a ‘magical wea-pon, but he will only speak to those whoare lawful good about this. If he becomesconvinced that the making of a magicalweapon is for an extremely good cause,and if he feels the mission would be aworthy test of his weapon-making skills,he will give the weapon freely to theasker, accepting no payment. The way inwhich he manufactures such weapons isdifferent from the method described inthe AD&D™ rules; Sniveley is able tomemorize and cast the spells EnchantAn Item and Enchanted Weapon in hisworkshop on a weapon of exceptionalquality he has already made. He can alsocause the dweomers placed upon theweapon to become permanent with care-ful work. This process may take up to ayear or more due to the care with whichthe weapon must be made and the spellswoven into it.

Sniveley’s magical weapons are of var-

ied and unpredictable power; most seemto develop latent special abilities of ahelpful nature, though not even Sniveleycan guess what powers might appear.Should a player character manage to ob-tain such a weapon, it will be usable onlyby good or neutral persons. Its powersshould be secretly determined by theDungeon Master, and are Iikely to be tai-lored to fit the quest the player characterdesired the weapon for. Sniveley is 75%likely to join the character on the questas well, out of a sense of responsibilityfor that person’s well-being.

On an adventure, Sniveley is not likelyto wear any armor heavier than leather,and will use non-magical weapons likehand axes, hammers, daggers, or shortswords if entering human territory. Innon-human territory, Sniveley will belikely to carry no weapons at all, prefer-ring to throw rocks at opponents if com-bat is necessary (1-2 damage, 30-footrange), and relying on his knowledge oflocal customs to get him safely through.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Enchanted Pilgrim-age (paperback, Berkley MedallionBooks) by Clifford D. Simak.


15


GYPSIESA curse or a blessing � or both!

A brightly painted caravan rollingalong an unending road: gypsies. A dark-eyed lady with a tambourine, whirlinground the campfire to a wail of violins:gypsies. A crone hunched over a crys-tal ball: “Cross my palm with silver, dearie, and see what the futureholds in store.” The very stuff oflegend: mysterious, romantic,fascinating gypsies. Welcomethem to your AD&D™ cam-paign. But, who are the real-life gypsies? Where do theycome from?

No one is sure exactly when theycame to Europe, but they may havearrived in the Byzantine Empire in thesixth century. After the fall of Byzantiumand the Turkish incursions into the Bal-kans, the gypsies began to migrate west-ward. Almost always viewed with a mea-sure of suspicion and prejudice, theywere often persecuted, and only occa-sionally tolerated, by those around them.

The origin and history of the gypsiesprior to the sixth century is obscure.They claim to be of Egyptian origin,often referring to a homeland they call“Little Egypt.” The name “gypsy” is acorruption of “Egyptian.”

Linguistic experts, however, connectRomany, the language of the gypsies,with certain dialects found in northernIndia.

Their history is mostly to be deducedfrom their language. For example, thedialect of one tribe in Wales revealswords borrowed by their ancestors asthey traveled through Persia, Armenia,Greece, several Balkan states, Germany,and France before arriving in England.

Greek is the strongest element in mostEuropean gypsy dialects, indicating aprevious long stay in the Eastern empire.Gypsies call themselves the RomanyRye — the Roman people— though their

by

A. D. Rogan16

March 1982 Dragonlanguage has no Roman (Latin) elementsper se. This is another clue that theyaligned themselves with Byzantium whenit was Constantinople — “New Rome.”

The gypsies of legendSo much for the gypsies of history. It is

the gypsies of legend that provide mate-rial for an AD&D game. They are alwaysaccounted skillful thieves. They have anuncanny way with animals, especiallyhorses. And they are excellent — indeed,bewitching — musicians.

Natural bards, right? But wait! Gypsiesare even better known as fortune tellers.They are credited with bringing playingcards to Europe by their use of the Tarot.So the crone with the crystal ball must bea magic-user. The legendary “Curse ofthe Gypsies” (more rarely used by gamecharacters than the “Blessing”) indicatessome clerical powers as well.

Of course, no sane DM (if that isn’t acontradiction in terms) will allow a non-player class of bards with magic-userand cleric spell ability. What must bedone is to divide and limit these powersin accordance with traditional lore aboutthe gypsies.

First, the skills that fit into the bardclass are associated only with gypsymen and the fortune telling (magic-userspells) only with women. With one ex-ception: All of the Romany folk — men,women, and children — can function asthieves.

Secondly, the powers of the gypsiesare less than those of ordinary charac-ters or NPCs of similar classes. Gypsieshave no religion in the usual sense, andthere are no clerics per se among them.Historically, they have conformed to theestablished religion of the area in whichthey were living. In a typical polytheisticAD&D scenario, this may not be particu-larly important. What is important is thatthe Romanies will hesitate to hassle withclerics.

Gypsies can acquire certain druidspells through the special intervention ofNature deities. In this respect, they re-semble monsters with spell abilities. Tofurther limit their powers as a class, as-sume all gypsies to be illiterate. Scrolls,spell books, and tomes are of no use tothem, and their spells of all types arelearned by word of mouth. They aregood at languages, always having thecommon tongue and the Thieves’ Cantas well as Romany, their own language.In addition to Romany, they use a so-phisticated sign language. In order tolearn either one, a character would firsthave to gain the confidence of a band ofgypsies and then live with them formonths or even years.

Abilities and behaviorWhen rolling up an individual gypsy,

adjust to give him or her a better-than-average charisma, dexterity, and consti-

tution. Gypsies are always described assturdy, handsome people, and extreme-ly charming; this ought to be reflected intheir numbers. Though every Romanychal or chi does function as a thief, theexperience level of each individual in agroup need not necessarily be high.Some adults in a typical group will actprimarily as fighters. Each DM may do ashe or she pleases; I find it most sensibleto treat these adults as fighters withsome extra abilities, rather than as multi-classed characters. Gypsies are limitedto the armor and weapons available tobards. They are not aggressive and willnot attack unless provoked.

Gypsies are generally chaotic neutral;individuals may tend toward good orevil. They have a good deal of loyalty foreach other and for the Romany Rye atlarge, but have little respect for gorgios(non-gypsies) and their institutions. Asone striking example, they are liars; es-pecially will they lie to gorgios. In the1600’s, the writer Cervantes quoted agypsy as saying, “When we see fit, wemake no difference between yes andno.” This is partly self-protection, partlycontempt for gorgios, and partly just forthe hell of it — really chaotic. A Euro-pean gypsy legend makes them out to bea little more lawful by explaining thatJesus was crucified with only three nailsbecause a gypsy stole the fourth. SinceChrist was thus spared extra suffering,the sins of theft and lying are forgiventhe Romany people forever. Be that as itmay, the DM may use their propensity tolie to great advantage.

Because the gypsies are such a law-less lot, paladins and other lawful goodcharacters do not get along well withthem. Thieves, bards, druids, and rangersare generally on friendly terms with theRomany folk, who will welcome a partywith any of these classes represented init. Gypsies will avoid conflict with cler-ics, especially those who represent theEstablished Church of the surroundingcountryside. The gypsies’ reaction to allother character classes is neutral.

Gypsies are human. Elves — particu-larly the wood elves, who are their greatfriends —are well disposed toward them.Halflings are fascinated by gypsies, butrepelled by their rootless lifestyle; thetwo attitudes cancel out to neutrality.Dwarves and gnomes rather distrustthem. Gypsies hate orcs and all the gob-lin races and will show antipathy towarda party with a half-orc character.

Group encountersA party of gypsies encountered in the

wilderness may be as small as two orthree individuals or as large as thirtyadults. The larger the group, the greaterthe chance of finding spell casters amongit. A typical wilderness encounter will bewith a group of 10-15 adults and an equalnumber of children. A group this size will

17

travel in two or three small, two-wheeledcarts and a larger (four-wheeled) cara-van. When they pitch camp, they will setup small tents. They will have a string ofsaddle horses and mules, in addition to anumber of draft animals equal to 1-1½times the number of adults present. Thegypsies are famous horse-traders andwill be happy to sell or swap horses withadventurers. But let the buyer beware....

The Romany band is at an advantagein the forest. Gypsies move more quietlythan an ordinary group of this size wouldbe expected to and surprise on 1-4, as donomads. They are friendly with forest“monsters” — dryads, fauns, treants,and the like — with whom they oftenexchange information.

The average Romany chal (man) evenbelow bard level has special skill in han-dling and communicating with animals,especially horses and related beasts. Anobleman (gypsy with bard abilities) us-ually learns first those druid spells hav-ing to do with animals, Iike animal friend-ship or locate animals, to enhance andtake further advantage of this ability withanimals.

Gypsies are excellent trackers. Whenthey travel, they leave little trace excepttheir own distinctive trail, the patteran.George Borrow, an eccentric nineteenth-century English author who lived amongthe gypsies and wrote several booksabout them, described the patteran asan arrangement of grass, leaves, and/ortwigs which the Romanies leave to guidetheir fellows. A ranger might recognize apatteran, but not get all the informationfrom it that a gypsy would. Other charac-ters would not notice it.

Rarely, gypsies may be encounteredin gatherings of 50-100 adults, the num-bers of children and animals increasingproportionately, encamped near townsor cities. Their camp then takes on theaspect of a fair. There may be a perform-ing bear, jugglers, and fire-eaters. Re-member that gypsies have a special rap-port with animals, plus the use of theappropriate druid spells and excellentdexterity. Characters admiring thesemarvels run a grave risk of having theirpockets picked. There will be other waysto separate a party from its loose change.How about the old shell game? Roll d6;on a roll of 1, the mark will spot the pea.Larcenous DMs can run more sophisti-cated scams. And no saving throws forintelligence, please: a smart person issaid to be easier to con than a stupid one.

In a camp of this size, the chance offinding any spellcasting nobility — oreven the King or Queen of the Gypsies—is much greater than in a smaller gath-ering. Concentrations of gypsies largerthan this group are unlikely to ever oc-cur. In standard AD&D Monster Manualterms, their frequency is common inwoods and around settlements of anysize, especially in the smaller groups;

Dragonuncommon in deep, uncharted wilder-ness and in vast unsettled areas; andvery rare in dungeons or at sea.

Gypsy fortune tellersAs mentioned before, gypsies acquire

their spells in a slightly different wayfrom that of the standard spellcastingclasses, and the spells they learn dependupon sex. One hesitates to make this sortof distinction, but in the special case ofNPCs and for purposes of game balance,perhaps it can be excused.

A Romany chi (woman) may functionas a thief or, more rarely, as a fighter. Afew women will take up the study of mag-ic in order to tell fortunes or, in Romany,to pen dukkerin. When a gypsy womancommences her arcane career, she ceas-es to function as a thief or fighter. A be-ginner will chose those spells that willhelp her to fake an interesting seance,such as unseen servant, ventriloquism,and magic mouth. If she has psionic abil-ity, she studies the appropriate disci-plines of animal telepathy, clairaudience,clairvoyance, ESP, telepathy, telepathicprojection, and the like. Psionic ability isnecessary if a woman is to become theGypsy Queen, but not for lesser fortunetellers. As they rise in magic-user levels,fortune tellers learn the spells of ESP,clairaudience, and clairvoyance. At 4thlevel or above, they cast spells of objectreading, precognition, and telepathy,which act as the psionic disciplines ofthe same names. These bear the samerelation to these disciplines as the spellESP, for instance, bears to psionic ESP.

A gypsy fortune teller at even the low-est level can tell dukkerin, using the ac-companying chart (page 20). Roll dice tosimulate a fortune told by palmistry or acrystal ball, or draw from a deck of ordi-nary playing cards to read a fortune inthe cards. The DM may use the chart aspresented, or substitute any informationor misinformation he or she wishes toconvey to a player. The good or ill effectssuggested may not take place imme-diately. Instead, the DM should guide theadventure so as to give the character thechance to fulfill his or her dukkerin. On aroil of 00 or a draw of the ace of clubs, thegypsy chi will use any spells or artifactsat her command to answer the questiontruthfully. If she hasn’t the requisite pow-ers, she may very well retreat into mysti-cal jargon — “The spirits work againstme. The way is dark.” — and so on, ormay refer the character to a gypsy withgreater powers.

Any Romany fortune teller has a ballmade of crystal and a deck of cards aspart of her stock in trade. A clear distinc-tion should be made between these non-magical items and the similar high-levelmagic artifacts. the distinction need beclear only to the DM; if the gypsy is fak-ing it, that is the players’ lookout. Proba-bly the only way to tell if a gypsy’s spells

or artifacts are genuine would be for acharacter to cast detect magic — andany such attempt would be, ahem, dis-couraged by a Romany fighter’s stoutcudgel or something equally daunting.

The magical Crystal ball or Deck ofMany Things described in the DungeonMasters Guide or other similar items arethe property of very high-level gypsywomen and are greatly prized. One ofthe two aforementioned items, at least,will belong to the Queen of the Gypsies.When the fortune teller uses an artifact,spell, or psionic discipline for a client,the rules applying to this use are slightlydifferent. Instead of working under theusual stipulation that a person or area tobe scried must be known to the spellcaster, the gypsy puts herself in rapportwith her client or uses the client’s latentpsychic force by asking him or her to rubthe crystal ball, shuffle and cut the deck,etc., and as a result can descry people,places, and things known to the clientbut not to herself.

Some say that the traditional “cross-ing her palm with silver” washes awaythe baneful magic, and this is why mostfortune tellers insist on this ritual. Theactual cost of a dukkerin is counted ingold pieces. A simple reading, such asthe chart will give, costs as much as agood meal with wine in an inn. A fullseance, calling for high-level spells andthe use of magical artifacts, costs hun-dreds of gold pieces.

Fortune tellers are treated as standardmagic-users, with the difference thatthey do not read at all and thus cannotuse scrolls, spell books, or tomes, andcannot acquire “literate” spells like readmagic and legend lore. They do not de-velop new spells or enchant items. Afterninth level, they rise much more slowlythan other magic-users. Add 100,000points to the usual number of pointsneeded to advance for each level, cu-mulative, from 10 to 12, and 200,000points to the gap between each pair oflevels thereafter.

(Example: The “distance” from 10th to11th level is 475,000 points for gypsiesinstead of 375,000, so the gypsy M-Uneeds 850,000 points to make 11th level.The usual “distance” from 11th to 12thlevel is also 375,000, raised to 475,000 forgypsies. Added to the 850,000 points sheneeded for 11th level, this makes thegypsy’s 12th-level requirement 1,325,000points. Higher levels are achieved at1,900,000; 2,475,000; 3,050,000; and soon, incrementing by 575,000 each time.)

There is but one Queen of the Gypsiesat any time. She is not married, or evennecessarily related, to the King. She isusually the highest-level magic-useramong the Romany women. She musthave psionics (a non-psionic can achievehigh levels as a magic-user but cannotbecome Queen), and she must possess amagic item, relic, or artifact which re-

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Vol. VI, No. 9

lates to her art of fortune telling (as not-ed above). If two or more women are ofequal rank and qualifications for the po-sition when the reigning Queen dies,they may duel for the office.

Gypsy noblemenRomany noblemen function as bards,

but with some striking differences. Whena gypsy reaches fifth level as a thief, hemay become a fighter (reversing the us-ual process for a bard). Between fifthand eighth level, if he is found worthy(which is to say, if he has the minimumability scores for a bard), he is ennobledand becomes the equivalent of a “bardunder druidicial tutelage.” He receiveshis instruction from a nobleman of (bard)sixth level or above. He takes whatevernoble title happens to suite his fancy —Lord, Count, Duke, etc. —with no refer-ence implied or intended to level or thenumber of people in the band that heleads.

Gypsies have no titles or ranks amongthemselves, except for their King andQueen. When the gypsies of history be-gan to move into Europe, their leadersfound that a medieval ruler was not dis-posed to take a commoner seriously, sothey adopted “meaningless” titles forthemselves, and this pleasant fictiongave the gypsies a little political clout.“Noble” is a term to distinguish thesebard-like gypsies from true bards, just as“fortune teller” distinguishes the womenfrom true magic users.

Almost all the rules for bards apply togypsy nobility, except that they are notliterate in magic or any language, norcan they recognize any magic symbols.None of the “legend lore” material app-lies to them. Also, they have their own“bardic” instruments.

Gypsies, unlike true bards, play violins(or rebecs, depending on how muchanachronism one can tolerate in one’scampaign). Their playing alone acts asthe “playing and singing of a bard” de-tailed in the Players Handbook for, ofcourse, the gypsy cannot sing while fid-dling (just try it!).

Instead of the bardic instruments inthe DMG, gypsies have four magical vio-lins. These viols are the exclusive prop-erty of the gypsies and are never foundelsewhere in a campaign (as a crystalball might be). A real bard would knowsomething of their powers and would bewise enough not to attempt to play them.

Three are Lesser Viols, having the fol-lowing properties when played by a no-bleman of third level (bard) or above:

(A) Add +5% to the musician’s charmpercentage per level up to 12th; thus, 3rdlevel = +5%, 4th = +10%, and so on.

(B) Cast any three of the followingspells once per day: obscurement, snare,call woodland beings, summon equinebeings (q.v.), control winds, weathersummoning, or animal summoning. The

March 1982 DragonDM decides which three spells are avail-able for a particular Lesser Viol.

The Great Viol of Pharoah is the prop-erty of the Gypsy King and the symbol ofhis office. When he plays it, he has all thepowers of the Lesser Viols (choosingany of the listed spells, up to three a day).In addition, the Great Viol can cast, oncea day, a dance spell similar in effect tothe eighth level MU spell, Otto’s irresisti-ble dance. The musician need not touchhis victim, but the victim must be in nor-mal hearing range. A particular victim orvictims may be selected from a group; allwill hear the music, but only those de-signated by the violinist are affected bythe magic. The gypsy may play for fourrounds plus one round per level above12th, up to a maximum duration of eightrounds. After six rounds of dancing, thevictim is exhausted for 1-6 rounds. Afterdancing for a full eight rounds, the victimmust sleep for 1-4 hours. Roll on the ap-propriate die and adjust for exceptional-ly high or low constitution. An exhaustedcreature cannot fight or cast spells.

There is only one King of the Gypsiesat any time. He is a noble, usually of 12thlevel (bard) or above. When he dies, he issucceeded by the winner of a three-wayduel between the noblemen possessingthe three Lesser Viols. The victor be-comes King for life. He takes the title ofPharoah and becomes the owner of the

Great Viol. He then bestows his LesserViol on whichever noble he pleases.

Two new spellsThere are two unique Romany spells.

The first is Summon Equine Beings, a“‘druid” spell which may be cast by no-bles of third level (bard) or better, or byany of the magic viols. The spell is sim-ilar to call woodland beings but brings tothe aid of the gypsies one type of thefollowing equine or quasi-equine beings:

4-16 ponies, burros, or donkeys4-16 horses or mules4-8 centaurs1-4 hippogriffs/pegasi/hippocampi1-2 unicornsThe likelihood of attracting hippo-

campi is extremely rare, but if the spell iscast on the seashore or in a boat, theyhave as good a chance of being affectedas any other equine being.

The number of beings summoned isdoubled when the spell is cast by theGreat Viol of Pharaoh. All wild equinebeings save at -5; domestic horses,mules, ponies, etc., at -4; warhorses andother trained steeds (pegasi, etc.) at -1. Apaladin’s warhorse saves normally. Gyp-sies are always on good terms with anycreatures summoned, so no loyaltycheck applies.

The other spell exclusive to gypsies,Curse (Blessing) of the Gypsies, is avail-

able to any spell caster — magic-user(female) or bard (male) —of fifth level orhigher. This spell is very rarely used, andusually in response to a character’s ac-tion toward a band of gypsies rather thantoward an individual. Saving throws vs.magic apply, the caster must touch therecipient, and the spell requires six seg-ments to cast. The curse is spoken in theRomany language and translates as:“Horsefold will hate you; bad luck willfollow you; the Romany mark is placedon you!” The effects are as follows:

(A) The victim emits a peculiar odor,repellent to all equine or quasi-equinebeings (listed in spell description). Rid-ing horses, etc. refuse to carry the cursedcharacter on percentile dice rolls of 01-50. On rolls of 51-75, the character canforce the animal to carry him or her, butwith such difficulty as to cut the animal &speed by half. If 76-00 is rolled, theanimal will fight. Draft animals will balkand refuse to pull a vehicle the characteris riding in 50% of the time. Similarly,pack animals will refuse to carry thecharacter’s property or anything he orshe has handled 50% of the time. If 01-50is rolled, draft and pack animals refuse;51-90, they will submit and act normally,but on 91-00, they will fight. Equine crea-tures of greater than animal intelligencewill be hostile toward the victim; they willflee (75%) or attack (25%).

1 9

Dragon(B) Bad luck will follow the victim.

Once a day, as he or she attempts a featsuch as spellcasting, melee combat,lockpicking, whatever — depending onhis or her class — the DM will roll d20.Unless a natural 20 (no modifiers) isroiled, the attempt will fail miserably.Later attempts to cast another spell,strike another blow, etc., are unaffected.

(C) The Romany mark will appear onthe victim’s forehead. Druids, bards,rangers, and thieves recognize this mark,although recognition does not necessar-ily prejudice them against the character.Magic-users can identify the mark bycasting read magic and clerics by detectcharm. All gypsies recognize the markinstantly — and will harass or attack thecharacter, pursuing if he or she flees. Acleric can cause the mark and the ill ef-fects to vanish with remove curse, butmost lawful ones will refuse to do so un-less the victim makes restitution to theoffended gypsies.

The Blessing of the Gypsies is the re-verse in language and effect. Equine

creatures are well disposed toward thecharacter. He or she can quiet restlesshorses, etc., and such animals will workto the limit of their endurance if kindlytreated. Once a day, the DM rolls d20 forgood luck, which renders any attemptedaction instantly successful unless a nat-ural 20 is rolled. The “blessed” mark willput any gypsies encountered at thecharacter’s service.

Generating gypsiesWith their special abilities, gypsies are

a powerful breed. DMs ought to choosevery carefully the qualities and charac-teristics of the gypsies they place in theircampaigns, instead of relying on ran-dom dice rolls. This is especially true ofthe spellcasters. As a very rough rule ofthumb, consider an average band ofeight men and seven women. Of thetwenty-five children, ten are old enoughto be zero-level thieves. (A zero-levelthief subtracts 5% from each functionlisted on the “Thief Function Table” onpage 28 of the Players Handbook. Use d4

GYPSY FORTUNE TELLING CHART

Vol. VI, No. 9

to determine hit points.)Five of the men are thieves of 2nd-5th

level; two are fighters of 3rd and 6th lev-els. The 3rd-level fighter has abilityscores suitable for a bard, and has the hitpoints acquired up to 5th level as a thief.He aspires to the nobility. Their leader isa 2nd-level noble (bard).

Five of the women act as thieves of the1st-5th level. One is a 3rd-level fighter.The seventh woman is a fortune teller atthe 4th level. The thieves are armed withcudgels or slings and daggers; they wearno armor, but consider the possible ACbonuses for dexterity. The fighters wearleather armor and use short swords,slings, and daggers. The nobleman hasthe spells animal friendship and entan-gle. The fortune teller has charm person,ventriloquism, unseen servant, ESP, andaudible glamer. The spellcasting abilityis better balanced for this hypotheticalgroup than is necessary for running aRomany band. Again, each DM knowsbest what is needed for his or her cam-paign and players.

SPADES

85-86 Eight the gods frown(-1 to wisdom)

87-88 Nine misfortune89-90 Ten a handsome man91-92 Jack gifts93-94 Queen beware gifts

Die roll Card Fortune01-02 Two a journey03-04 Three a journey over water05-06 Four a journey underground07-08 Five beware of orcs09-10 six beware of snakes11-12 Seven a tall, dark stranger13-14 Eight lucky in love

(+1 to charisma)15-16 Nine unlucky in love

(-1 to charisma)17-18 Ten trust no one19-20 Jack trust a stranger21-22 Queen trust a woman23-24 King trust a man

Die roll Card Fortune73-74 Two the full moon is lucky75-76 Three beware the

waning moon77-78 Four news at the new moon79-80 Five warning81-82 Six a dark lady83-84 Seven favor of the gods

(+1 to wisdom)

CLUBSfrom a stranger

95-96 King DM’s option

Die roll Card Fortune25-26 Two trust an elf27-28 Three don’t trust a stranger29-30 Four don’t trust a woman31-32 Five don’t trust a man33-34 Six disaster35-36 Seven important news37-38 Eight important news

from a halfling39-40 Nine important news

from a man41-42 Ten important news

from two women43-44 Jack a dwarf befriends you45-46 Queen good health

(+1 to constitution)47-48 King poor health

(-1 to constitution)

Die roll Card Fortune49-50 Two success with money51-52 Three a spendthrift53-54 Four search to the east55-56 Five search to the west57-58 Six search to the north59-60 Seven search to the south61-62 Eight fair weather63-64 Nine foul weather65-66 Ten a gnome befriends you67-68 Jack use your gifts wisely69-70 Queen a fair woman71-72 King a wealthy merchant

HEARTS

DIAMONDS

ACES

Die roll Suit Fortune97 Spades death98 Hear t s love99 Diamonds treasure00 C lubs answer a question

20

March 1982 Dragon

BleederCreated by Ed Greenwood

FREQUENCY: RareNO. APPEARING: 1ARMOR CLASS: 4/6/8MOVE: 9”HIT DICE: 77-84 hit points% IN LAIR: 40%TREASURE TYPE: See belowNO. OF ATTACKS: 10DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-8SPECIAL ATTACKS: Blood drain, ramSPECIAL DEFENSES: RegenerationMAGIC RESISTANCE: StandardINTELLIGENCE: Average to highALIGNMENT: Neutral evilSIZE: L (6’ dia.)PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

Attack/Defense Modes: Nil

The bleeder is a fearsome monsterfound in caverns or ruins. Its sphericalbody resembles that of the dreaded be-holder, but the “eyestalks” of the bleederare actually bloodsucking tentacles.

Bleeders favor a diet of humans andhorses, but will attack anything havingblood (including such things as bloatedstirges).

In the bleeder’s digestive process,blood is used to generate energy whichis stored within organs in the body andtentacles (1 hp worth of ingested bloodbecoming 1 charge). The creature usesthis energy for motor activity and heal-ing. The transformation from blood toenergy takes 1 round.

A bleeder expends 1 charge every 2turns in motor activity (and thus is al-

most always hunting prey). Spending 1charge enables the bleeder to heal 1 hitpoint of damage to each of its 10 tenta-cles and 1 point of damage to its centralbody (but not its eye). The healing abilitycan be used once per round, and thecreature can attack as usual while theregeneration is going on.

Bleeders prefer to float above surfacesrather than resting upon them, and moveby means of Levitation. (An organ locat-ed in the upper half of the rubbery,spherical central body is a valued ingre-dient in magical potions and inks con-cerned with levitation and similar acts.)A bleeder may, however, “shut itselfdown,” remaining motionless and insen-sitive on the ground, and in that stateremain alive for long periods. To awakenfrom this hibernation, the creature re-quires an influx of electrical energy, or aphysical shock caused by a fall, blow,wound, or heat.

The bleeder’s 10 tentacles are retract-ed into the body when not needed (re-sembling eyestalks up to 4 feet in length),but can lash out to a full stretch of 20 feetwith blinding speed. All 10 tentacles mayact separately, or they may strike a sin-gle human-sized target in concert. Theinitial strike of a tentacle causes 1-8points of damage as the barbed tip at-taches to the victim. Sucking orificeswithin the barbs will drain blood at therate of 2 hp per round (per tentacle),beginning on the round after the hit wasmade.

If a tentacle attached to a victim isdamaged but not destroyed by any sin-gle blow, it will instantly and automati-cally drain from the victim’s body suffi-cient blood (in hit points) to restore it-self. Note that this reflex effect occursafter every non-killing hit, even if the ten-

tacle absorbs more than one wound in around. This instinct does not respond todamage suffered by the central body orother tentacles. A tentacle will continueto drain blood if it is doing so when thecentral body reaches zero hit points.Tentacles not attached to a victim at thattime are incapable of further activity.

A tentacle will remain imbedded in avictim until the bleeder retracts it, or untilit is torn free by the victim and/or com-rades exerting a total strength of 22. Avictim freed from the tentacles forcefullywill suffer 1-6 points of damage per ten-tacle as the barbs come loose. A bleederwill voluntarily retract a tentacle onlywhen its victim is reduced to zero hitpoints, or when its central body is downto 5 hit points or less (30% chance, checkeach round when applicable).

Bleeders have been known to ram orcrush opponents with their bulk. This at-tack does 1-8 points of damage, and isoften made purposefully while the bodyis turning and its tentacles flailing, sothat victims are dislodged from ledgesand precarious positions. The creature’stentacles each have 6 hit points and arearmor class 6. The central body has ahard, rubbery skin and is AC 4. It has11-18 hit points, and bears a large eye(AC 8, 6 hp, 12” infravision). If its eye isdestroyed, a bleeder may still locate op-ponents within 1” by smell and sensingvibrations.

Bleeders often meet in mid-air strug-gles to the death. The loser’s body is leftto become the breeding ground for off-spring. The central body is covered witha fluid secreted by the victor, and within1 day, from 1-4 young are “hatched.”Each offspring is 50% as powerful as anadult in all respects, and matures in onemonth.

21


Stymphalianbirds

Created by Michael Parkinson

Author’s note: Throughout history,creatures and characters from classicmyths and legends have stirred the imag-ination. The ADVANCED DUNGEONS &DRAGONS® game would be a lessergame if it lacked legendary monsterssuch as vampires, medusae, and uni-corns, to name a few such creatures.

Another formidable and fearsome crea-ture of myth not included in the officialAD&D™ monster list can be taken fromthe legend of the sixth task of Hercules— to destroy the carnivorous birds ofLake Stymphalus.

FREQUENCY: Very rareNO. APPEARING: 2-12 (in flight)

or 30-180 (in lair)ARMOR CLASS: 4MOVE: 6”/18”HIT DICE: 4% IN LAIR: 20% (but see below)

SprigganCreated by Roger Moore

FREQUENCY: UncommonNO. APPEARING: 3-18ARMOR CLASS: 6MOVE: 9”HIT DICE: 1% IN LAIR: 15%TREASURE TYPE: K on individuals;

P, Q, Y in lairNO. OF ATTACKS: 1DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-5 (2-16)SPECIAL ATTACKS: See belowSPECIAL DEFENSES: Silver or magical

weapons to hitMAGIC RESISTANCE: 10%INTELLIGENCE: Low to averageALIGNMENT: Neutral evilSIZE: S (2’ tall)PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil


Spriggans are small humanoids, eachof them having a distinctive, grotesqueappearance. Differences between themembers of a band of spriggans areconsiderable; no two ever have the sameclothing, facial appearance, or height.Spriggans form small raiding bands andravage the country near their lair, muchas brigands do.

22

Individual spriggans have the thievingabilities of a 1st-level thief, with the ex-ception of the band’s leader, who has theabilities of a 5th-8th level (d4 + 4) thief.The leader of the spriggans is also ableto bring down a curse one time permonth. The curse takes effect when theleader touches a victim or is hit by theintended victim. Once the leader firstemploys the curse power, he will be“charged” for 10 rounds thereafter andwill try to affect as many enemies as hecan in that time. The leader will usualIyonly use this ability if the spriggans’ lairis raided and their spoils taken. Typicalspriggan curses include penalties (-1 to-4) to saving throws, “to hit” rolls, or thelike. Such a curse has a duration of 4-12rounds depending on its severity, withweaker curses having longer durations.The effect may be negated by a Removecurse or a Limited wish.

All spriggans are capable of EnlargeSelf, a special spell that increases aspriggan’s height to six times normal,generally up to about 12’. This heightincrease gives the spriggan the attackpower of a hill giant (2-16 damage/round,or +3 to hit and +7 to damage). This pow-er lasts 4-9 (d6 + 3) rounds and can be

March 1982 Dragon

NO. OF ATTACKS: 1DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1 -8SPECIAL ATTACKS: See belowSPECIAL DEFENSES: See belowMAGIC RESISTANCE: StandardINTELLIGENCE: AnimalALIGNMENT: NeutralSIZE: MPSIONIC ABILITY: Nil


These man-eaters dwell in the midst ofmalarial marshes in damp, temperate totropical climates, but will plague the sur-rounding areas up to 10 miles away.Their weed-choked, stagnant swampsare inevitably girdled by thick vegeta-tion, hence often the birds’ lair is access-ible only by air. Colonies in such placesare densely populated (30-180 adultsand 10-60 non-fighting fledglings).

The Stymphalian bird has an ibis-likebody with an extended neck; graspingtalons and a fell beak, both of brass; andbarbed feathers.

When flying overhead, a group of thesebirds can loose a rain of feathers whichwill cause damage on any character orcreature below equal to a roll of d4 plusthe victim’s effective armor class. Dou-ble damage, or perhaps even more than

that, is rendered upon large targets suchas horses. This attack can be made onlyonce a day by any particular group inflight.

When it lands on a victim, a Stymphal-ian bird will attack with its claws (doing1-6/1-6) instead of its beak. If both talonsstrike, the target is knocked prone un-less he rolls less than his strength on4d6.

These foul birds are carriers of (rolld6): 1, blood disease (acute, terminal); 2,cardiovascular-renal disease (acute, ter-minal); 3, connective tissue disease(chronic, severe); 4, gastro-intestinal(chronic, mild); 5, gastro-intestinal (a-cute, terminal); 6, any two of the abovediseases.

The birds can only be damaged bymagic weapons or spells. A special con-coction of hydra blood, when smearedon the blades and points of magic wea-pons, will kill the bird unless it makes asaving throw versus poison; of course,the creature must be wounded (by asuccessful hit) before the poison can ef-fect. A successful saving throw vs. poi-son indicates no additional damage (thetoxin did not enter the bloodstream).

Stymphalian birds have such a violentstench that their opponents, when in me-

lee with a hunting flight or within 100yards of the lair, fight at -2 to hit (or at -1if a saving throw vs. poison is made).Similarly, any spells attempted by a spellcaster under these conditions have a20% chance of failure (only 10% if thecaster makes the saving throw vs. poi-son), in addition to any saving throws vs.magic that the birds are entitled to. Thisis because of the nausea and distractioncaused by the acrid fumes. A new savingthrow vs. poison must be rolled for inevery round when the stench is present.The odor and noise these birds exudemake it hard for them to gain surprise.

It may be possible to panic the birds(even an entire colony), depending onthe method employed and the DungeonMaster’s discretion: for example, Her-cules used a device fashioned by theGoddess Athene.

These savage birds will greedily try toattack any humanoid or demi-human.Because the Stymphalian birds eat thelocal citizenry and peasantry, kill ani-mals with their feathers, and spread dis-eases, any party attempting or offeringto destroy or rout an established colonymight be rewarded (or promised a re-ward) by those who are grateful. Thebirds themselves do not collect treasure.

used once per day, usually to scare op-ponents into fleeing or surrendering theirvaluables. It takes two segments for aspriggan to grow to its enlarged height,and the creature need only make a sim-ple somatic gesture (placing thumb inmouth and puffing out cheeks, as if blow-ing up a balloon).

Their use of this power has led manypeasants to believe that spriggans areactually the ghosts of long-dead hillgiants, and some folk may use holy sym-bols or holy water when confronted by aspriggan band — for good reason, andwith good effect. Though spriggans arenot undead, they are repelled by holysymbols and will flee if splashed withholy water. Some sages believe this hap-pens because spriggans are said to haveoriginated on a lower plane. Holy waterdoes not do actual damage to spriggans,except as it affects their morale.

Spriggans gain no bonuses for dexter-ity or racial type when using the thievingtables for pickpocketing, hiding in shad-ows, etc. They have a -25% penalty totheir chance to climb walls, due to theirheight. They cannot use thieving abili-ties when in giant form.

These creatures are usually found in

hilly regions. They often set up house-keeping in a lair once occupied by hillgiants. One of their other major occupa-tions in life besides robbery is kidnap-ping; spriggans have been known tosteal the children and babies of dwarves,halflings, and gnomes, and either holdthem for ransom or bring them up astheir own, training each child to be afighter or a thief. Differences betweenspriggan babies and babies of other ra-ces will be obvious to anyone, since

23

spriggan children are as ugly and foul-tempered as their parents.

Spriggans have a wide variety of skincolors; individual complexions are usu-ally some shade of brown, gray. or yel-low-white. They speak their alignmentlanguage, the common tongue, and theirown language. The leader (and only theleader) knows the thieves’ cant, since hemay have occasional ties with a localthieves guild to sell some of the sprig-gans’ stolen goods.


AND THEKNIGHTS OF DOOMNOTES FROMTHE WORLD OF GREYHAWK�FANTASY SETTINGBY ROB KUNTZ

THE GREAT KINGDOM

News from the Great KingdomMuch news is to be heard as of late

from the surrounding provinces of theGreat Kingdom as well as from Rauxesitself. A fleet from the recalcitrant SeaBarons has been dispatched to aid thecousin of the OverKing, who commandsNorth Province.

It is rumored that this movement camedown as an Imperial order from Rauxesto help alleviate the problems created bythe incursions of Almor and Nyrond intothe southern part of Bone March, as wellas to answer the North Provinces’ call foraid against these attacks. These incur-sions come at a time of continued raidsfrom the humanoid bands near Bellportwho have not thrown in their bannerswith the Herzog as of yet.

The Herzog continues to muster hisforces, awaiting the arrival of 2,000 sea-soned veterans of battles with the sea-wolves of the north. It is said that theLord High Admiral of Asperdi is actuallysending his most gifted commander tosee to the raids around Bellport, reaffirmsupply routes to the north, and open asolid marching front to move down theTeesar Torrent. This plan is seen as atwo-pronged attack, possibly with thehorns protruding south from the BlemuHills and across the Teesar to stormKnurl. In any case Knurl is being fortifiedagainst any advent and the armies of Ny-rond and Almor are waiting....

At Rauxes, all is astir. Recently aleague having association with the Arch-Cleric of Pholtus (of the Blinding Lightreligion) and having offices in manytemples in and around the OverKing’scapital, has announced its great disfavorwith the OverKing and its contempt forhis chaotic deeds of the present. It hasbeen claimed. by strong practitioners ofthe faith that the OverKing will not besatiated until all free people from alllands are enslaved and at the feet of hisintolerable throne.

In support of these claims, EmasstusCarcosa, a well-known sage and Patri-arch for the high seat of Pholtus at

Rauxes, has released substantial infor-mation regarding OverKing Irvid’s past.He states in a letter, supposedly sent toall Free Nations, that: “We have in ourmidst a devil incarnate. Hear me, people,that the thoughts of lrvid the insane areas black as his throne. We who worshipthe light will not stand still as the machi-nations of a madman destroy the oncesplendid Kingdom we have now grownto hate and cower in! The plans of thisman you call OverKing are those of achild nursed upon the breast of lunacy!!”

Carcosa went on to specify that muchof the madness was created from within.In fact, it is now known that a very high-level mage who was thought dead hasindeed shown up once again. He isXaene the accursed, cavorter with dem-ons, arch-enemy of the Mages’ Guild atRauxes (which he could not subvert norstand to serve), dabbler into all the ar-cane arts of destruction and chaos, andlast but not least court wizard to Irvid. Itis told that it was Xaene who spoke to thedemons, the undead, the humanoids,and under threats, sacrifice, and blood-letting created early the power which Ir-vid controls today. It was Xaene whocreated the Demonic Knights of Doom,who marshal the OverKing’s armies, whoconvert all evils to their bolstering ranks,and lead those fanatics of the Midnight’sDarkness Clan who are in opposition atthis time to the Secret League of Pholtus.

Carcosa called upon all good peopleto heed these warnings and tribulationsand rally to the support of the hallowedhall of Pholtus. He called upon all saintlyreligions, such as those of St. Cuthbertand of Ehlonna and Heironious, to swellthe ranks of good.

Shortly after making these announce-ments, Emasstus Carcosa was orderedarrested for treason and for subvertingthe state with falsified information. Therehas been an interim period in this affair,for the sage/patriarch could not be lo-cated and the followers of Pholtus wouldneither support nor deny what their mostexalted leader had said. It is known by

24

some, though, that forces from Irvid’spalace are scouring the capital and sur-rounding countryside for him. Thesecontingents of searchers are led by:

Demonic Knights of DoomFREQUENCY: Very rareNO. APPEARING: Variable (see below)ARMOR CLASS: VariableMOVE: 12” on foot,

21” mounted (see below)HIT DICE: 4-10 hit dice +% IN LAIR: NilTREASURE TYPE: Varies (see below)NO. OF ATTACKS: As level plus specialDAMAGE/ATTACK: Per weapon typeSPECIAL ATTACKS: NilSPECIAL DEFENSES: Armor absorbs

heat-based attacksMAGIC RESISTANCE: StandardINTELLIGENCE: Controlled,

but exceptionalALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil, neutral evil,

or lawful evilSIZE: L (6-7’)PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil


These Knights appear as normal menwith undistinguishable features, theirfaces hidden by visors. They alwayswear gold-plated armor — in defianceand mockery, it is said, of those alignedlawful good. They will appear mountedor on foot depending upon the type ofunit they are leading, with that variabilitydescribed below. These controlled ser-vants of the OverKing and Xaene werecreated by the two wizards to marshalarmies and to convert all whom they en-counter, by the sword or by fear of death.

4th-5th level: These generally serve ascaptains of forces of from 100-200 lower-level soldiers. They use +1 swords. Their+1 chain mail absorbs 10% of the dam-age from any heat-based attack.

6th-7th level: These knights are great-er captains, or colonels, in charge ofcontingents ranging from 200-500 men.They use +2 swords, and their +2 chainmail will absorb 15% of the damage fromheat-based attacks.

March 1982 Dragon8th-10th level: These are the generals

of campaigns, leading armies of 1,000-4,000 men or more. They wear +3 plateand wield +2 two-handed swords. Theirarmor absorbs 20% of the damage fromheat-based attacks. It is rumored thatthere are but five of these generals, andthe toughest of the lot is a 10th-levelknight who rides a horse that spits flame.

11th level and up: There are only twoMarshals. The greater of the two servesthe Northern and Eastern Provinces. Heis armed with a sword of cold and +3plate. He is said not to fear fire of anytype. The lesser Marshal, serving theSouthern and Western Provinces, isarmed with a mace of disruption +4 andis armored in +3 plate. The latter Marshalis at this time much in the consul of theHoly Censor of Medegia. It is rumoredthat the Marshals can withstand all firesbut dragon breath.

These knights all have scores of 15 orbetter in each ability. Though none ofthem has done open combat within therecent past, it is highly rumored thatsome of the generals and most definitelythe Marshals have superhuman strengthsand constitutions.

The makeup of any unit the knights areleading is detailed below. They alwayslead troops of veteran to elite status, andwill always have a varying number ofpersonal guards (5-15% of listed troopnumbers) of levels 2nd through 4th.These retainers are said to be the hand-picked troops of OverKing lrvid himself,which he entrusts to the knights to sendon special missions of raiding, spying,etc.; thus, they gain +1 on all moralechecks during such missions. They gen-erally come armored as the type of unitthey are assigned to, but the 4th-levelretainers are typically bedecked with +1weapons and armor.

Unit composition35% cavalry, as follows:

10% light horse scouts with swords,spears, leather or studded leather ar-mor, target shields.

15% medium horse with swords,lances, chain hauberks, kite shields.

10% heavy horse with lances, bas-tard swords, full plate or plate mail,kite shields.

50% infantry:10% light skirmish type with assort-

ed light swords, axes, maces, noshields.

20% medium foot with long swords,spears, maces, chain hauberk, noshields.

10% heavy foot with bastard swords,long spears, assorted pole arms, chainmail, and shields.

10% armored foot with halberds,pikes, assorted pole arms, full plate orplate mail, no shields.

15% Missile:5% light archers with short bows,

spears, short swords, leather jerkins.3% light crossbowmen with light

crossbows, short swords, axes, leath-er jerkins.

2% longbowmen with longbows,swords, leather armor.

5% horse archers with compositebows, swords, studded leather armor,target shields.

Some popular or notable units includethe following:

Heavy Foot regiment: Symbol is abronze baboon, and the mode (color) ofdress is colored saffrons, chocolates,and bone white. This regiment is knownas the “howlers” when they go into com-bat, for they howl and scream, causingmany a non-battle-ready foreign unit toretreat in dismay.

Medium Horse regiment: Symbol is atan horse, and dress is black and aqua-marine. This unit is known for expertisewith the javelin while either mounted ordismounted. Their nickname is the “bolt-ers,” for they are hard to keep fromcharging into a fray once the battle hasbeen joined.

Horse-Archer regiment: Symbol is twosilver arrows crossed upon the colors ofebony and scarlet. These warriors arevery accurate with their composite bowsand are called the “pointers,” for theyalways lead the way on campaigns andskirmish missions.

Note: The assigning of these names,colors, etc. was made easy by the appli-cation and use of the Dungeon MastersGuide. Though a wealth of material deal-ing with the armies of the World of Grey-hawk will be published in the future,there are always units from the GreatKingdom (or any land, for that matter)forming, reforming; or disbanding, sothe want for new unit types, names, andcolors along with the units’ distinctivefeatures and/or capabilities are alwaysneeded and helpful to both the miniaturecollector or to those players and/or DMswho wish a more realistic tone to theirassorted “paper” armies.

25

Dragon

26

Vol. VI, No. 9

March 1982 Dragon

“Astro-geophysical crewmen, skitter-buggers, derive their nickname from theTerran water bug that walks on water.The skitterbug darts about on bent spindlylegs like a homeless nomad. Its humannamesake sees an analogy to his life,darting from star to star, an astralnomad...”From the introduction to The Astro-Geophysical Handbook by the L-5Foundation, Luna One, 2112.

Cyranus began a new day, rising abovethe desert horizon on its fifth planet.Morning rays found the geodesic domewhere the All-American Boy fixed break-fast for the four-member crew.

As Cyranus continued the journey, itslight discovered junior grade recorderFinn M’Cormac staring across this new,flat landscape.

Nothing moved in the dawn shadowsthat silhouetted a clump of brown thornbushes. Dwarfed by a lack of rain, thedullish-colored plants blended into thesandy background that supported a fewreptile-like creatures, and a predatorsimilar to a mongoose.

For the next six weeks Finn and hismates would circle the planet’s equatorwith seismograms, pin-pointing whetherthe world’s natural wealth would supportcolonization.

The thought of a busy city imposedover this quiet scene brought a frown to

She shrugged, then touched the tinycheek tatoo and nodded. “I’ll try.” Shesat at the dining tab/e, closed her eyes,and seemed to be going into a trance.The men waited and watched.

Skitterbuggingby

GENEO’NEILL

Finn’s face. But, at least this place isgood for skitterbugging, Finn thought,taking a breath of clean, fresh air fromthe cloudless sky. The shuttle from theirmothership, Aquarius, was taking crewsto other habitable planets circling Cyra-nus that looked far more hostile.

The aroma of coffee shifted Finn’sthoughts from the desert to his emptystomach — the rich smell enhanced bythe crisp, dry air. He moved back into thedining area of the dome. “Coffee smellsgood,” he said, taking a seat at the diningtable.

“Good-morning-junior-recorder,” theAll-American Boy said, his voice an un-emotional monotone, placing a foodpakand cup of steaming coffee in front ofFinn.

Gent Jackson slipped into a seat acrossfrom Finn and nodded. “Hey, where’s theorange juice?

The All-American Boy shuffled overon mechanical feet with the juice carton.“Good-morning-driller.”

The big man took a tentative sip, hold-ing up his hand in the wait signal.“Hmmm.” He swished the juice in hismouth like he was sampling a vintagewine, and the All-American Boy waitedlike an expectant wine steward. Genttook another sip and smacked his lips,making an OK sign with his thumb andforefinger. The All-American Boy re-turned to his work.

From the doorway to the sleeping cub-icles, the two other crew members hur-ried into the dining area and sat down:Mikela Lucchesi, recorder and team lead-er; and Shigawara Kenjo, the team shooter— the explosives expert. The crew aterapidly, anxious to begin the first day’sshooting.

Finn pushed away his empty foodpakand watched Mikela eat, admiring herbeauty. She was tall, her slight breastsand hips barely contouring her athleticfigure. Her only adornment was a cur-ious black tattoo on her left cheekbone:The five-pointed star, no larger than a di-lated pupil, was a symbol for the Churchof the Transcendent, a small sect popu-lar with skitterbuggers and some star-ship personnel, particularily pilots. Se-nior ‘Scendents were rumored to be tel-epathic. Finn frowned, recalling anotherrumor: ‘Scendents practiced celibacy.

In the kitchen the All-American Boycocked his head: It was the hum again,vibrating through his circuitry with anuncomfortable sensation.

The Queen Mother sensed peril, send-ing one of the ancient songs through theHorde. It was the Song of Danger, a songalmost forgotten. All in the Horde vibrat-ed rapidly, sharing the emotion of fear.But the Queen Mother sensed a strange,high-pitched vibration — a disruption ofthe smooth harmony of the song. An

27

Dragonalien vibration, produced by — The QueenMother didn’t know.

Abruptly, the All-American Boy leftthe dome, unnoticed by the crew. Hewent to the shooter’s skimmer and flippedopen the explosive locker, removing ashiny detonator. The All-American Boydisappeared for a few seconds behindthe shadowed side of the dome, reap-pearing without the metal cylinder. As ifnothing unusual had occurred, he wentback inside and resumed breakfastclean-up.

“Hey, we could use some more juice,”Gent said, chuckling as the All-AmericanBoy hustled into the dining room withanother carton of orange juice. When thecrew first made camp, Gent had fingeredthe red forty-four emblazoned acrossthe little robot’s chest, and dubbed himwith the nickname.

Finished eating, Gent excused himselfand left the table. After a few moments,he returned from his sleeping cubiclewith a strange expression on his face.“Something downbeat going on.” Hisvoice was tight, hoarse.

The All-American Boy had cleared offthe table but lingered with his arms full ofcups and empty foodpaks.

“What’s that?” asked Finn. Shig glancedup from his coffee cup, but Mikela stu-died her crewchief notebook.

“Well . . . I’m missing things from mysleeper . . . like my watch.” A small veinbulged near the corner of the big man’sleft eye as he scowled uncharacterist-ically.

Finn snapped his fingers. “That re-minds me; I couldn’t find my gold penthis morning.” He smiled at Gent. “GuessI misplaced it. Kind of a funny coin-cidence.”

“Yeah, a coincidence,” the driller saidin an unconvinced tone.

“It’ll turn up,” Finn said, finishing hiscoffee.

“Yeah, well . . .” Gent paused, glancingat each of the other crew members, theblue vein throbbing as his voice rose. “ . . .I better not catch a coincidence in mysleeper, unless it’s looking for a kickedbutt.”

Surprised by his reaction, Finn staredat the big man, who looked back menac-ingly. They had been crewmates severaltimes, and Finn had never seen Gentangry or in a bad mood. But then, Finnthought, I’ve never seen Gent when hefelt someone had robbed him.

The All-American Boy slipped awayfrom the dining area, the air heavy withtension.

Shig defused the situation. “I have twotimepieces,” said the soft-spoken Orien-tal. “Please use this one until you findyour own piece.” He handed Gent anexpensive watch/calculator.

For a long moment, the driller juststared at the little man; then he grinned,

the vein near his eye disappearing. “Hey,upbeat. Thanks, Shig.”

Finn took a deep breath and sighed asthe two other men discussed jumpmusic— Gent’s hobby and favorite subject.Finn glanced over at Mikela and smiledto himself; she had not been listening,totally absorbed in her notes. Finally thecrew chief looked up.

Tapping her pencil on the table, Mike-la cleared her throat. “A few things be-fore we start.” Everyone took out a note-book as she gave the detailed compasssettings and other navigation details.“‘And Finn, please set the autos on therobot’s skimmer.” She looked back ather notebook. “We’ll go slow at first, untilFinn and I are sure that the break linesare sharp on the records.” She looked upand smiled. “Questions?” After a mo-ment’s silence, she added, “The robot willdouble back here at noon and move thedome while we eat. Secure your person-al gear.” Pocketing the notebook, sherose from the table. ‘Check your skim-mers and let’s do a little skitterbugging.”

Outside, Finn moved between the fiveskimmers, each loaded with the special-ized equipment of its user. He stopped atthe All-American Boy’s vehicle andpunched the compass settings into thecomputer-pilot. He checked the load ofgeophones, self-contained generatorscapable of sensing energy waves, knownsimply as jugs to the crew. The robot laidsix jugs a kilometer apart in a line knownas a “spread.”

“You’re set,” Finn said, tapping the ro-bot’s shoulder.

He checked his own skimmer. As crewtroubleshooter he carried spare parts, afirst-aid station, comm gear, extra CO,backpack extinguishers, and other es-sentials that wouldn’t fit on the otherskimmers.

While Finn mounted, a small gray crea-ture darted from underneath the skimmer,disappearing into a nearby cluster ofthorn bushes. It resembled a miniaturedragon — one of the reptiles? Gazing atthe distant landscape, a panoramic waste-land almost overwhelming in its drabdesolation, Finn nodded to himself: Thisis why I’m a skitterbugger. He looked outon a naked, virgin planet—before it wascovered with forests, crops, farms, cities,and people. He had the opportunity tolook where no one had looked before. Ofcourse, Finn had seen wilderness backon Earth, but this was different; this waspre-wilderness — a natural canvas, un-touched by the hand of man. The Corpsof Terraformers followed the skitter-buggers, then the colonists. A decade,maybe two, and this pre-wilderness woulddisappear. Finn blinked, feeling fortu-nate indeed.

The All-American Boy started movingwesterly, the four other skimmers follow-ing, with bright Cyranus shining againstthe crew’s backs.

28

Vol. VI, No. 9

Finn helped the robot lay out the firstspread of jugs, quickly burying the can-shaped instruments underground andmarking the location with a green flag.Then they skimmed past the firing pointand began on a second spread. Finn be-gan to sweat in the dry heat, and mo-tioned for the robot to continue aheadafter the second group was buried.

Heading to the first shot point, Finnmet Gent skimming up the line. “Fin-ished drilling the first one already?” Finnasked, his skimmer on hover.

“Yeah,” Gent answered, “it’s easy go-ing in this sand. The lasers melt it and weget a glasslined shot-hole. No slumps orre-drills.”

Finn nodded and turned his vehiclearound, following the driller past the se-cond spread of six green flags to thesecond shot point.

As Gent set up the drilling tripod, Finnarranged the other equipment. “Mikelawants the first few holes cut down onehundred and thirty meters,” the drillersaid, setting the depth gauge on the las-ers Four minutes later, he had finisheddrilling his second shot hole. Finn stakedthe hole with a red flag as Gent packedup. After a few moments, they skimmedaway in opposite directions, Finn return-ing to the first shot point and Mikela’sskimmer.

Shig had just loaded the hole with fivekilos of plastimon explosive. He advisedMikela, “Hole loaded and armed.”

The crewchief nodded, adjusting filtersettings on her recording console; thenshe squinted into a thin view slot of theseismic camera. “Look,” she said to Finn,leaning back.

He stepped up to the seated womanand kneeled, peering into the thin aper-ture. He saw twelve horizontal lines ofgreen light, barely shimmering in thecamera’s darkness.

“Looks good,” he said, standing up.“Want to shoot?”

Mikela nodded.“Shooter,” Finn shouted, “let’s do one

in ten seconds.”Shig flipped the arming toggle on his

autodetonator.The muffled blast rocked the grounded

skimmers at the shot point, the energywave from the explosion reflecting upthrough the surface crust, exciting thejugs to send an electrical wave backthrough Mikela’s camera and processingequipment. She watched the twelve linesbreak up as the camera recorded theshot. The seismogram would reveal crus-tal densities; and it was the unusual den-sity change that hid a pocket of steam, ornatural gas, or oil, or . . . nothing.

The crew waited for Mikela’s reactionto the shot.

The Queen Mother was shocked: Thesacred nest had been attacked! Newones destroyed. Vibrations — painful,

March 1982 Dragonconfusing vibrations. The Queen Mothervibrated, sharing the emotion of dread.And again, she sensed an alien pres-ence, resonating to the Horde’s song.

The All-American Boy had doubledback to the geodesic dome. At the door-way, he cocked his head for a moment;then he went inside, returning a minutelater with a small, shiny object in hishand.

Mikela let her breath out. “Pretty good. . . ” she checked a few calculations fromher notebook. “I think we’re getting aslight muffling in this sand. Let’s drilldown another twenty meters and increasethe plastimon to six kilos.”

Finn relayed the revisions to shooterand driller; then he established the patt-ern that would structure his day. Heworked the back spread, picking up a jugat each green flag, bypassed the frontspread, and settled at the second shotpoint. Shoot, record, pickup, leapfrog tothe next point.

The day was a recording success.Sixty shots. The crew had covered overseven hundred kilometers of the line.They were right on the six-week comple-tion schedule.

The horde vibrated with the Song ofAnger. It had been so long. Only theQueen Mother remembered the ancientbattles when there had been rival hordes.

Mikela ate and retired to her compart-ment to do more calculations on the re-cordings. The three men sat at the diningtable relaxing and drinking coffee, as theAll-American Boy scurried about dispos-ing of dinner trays.

Shig described the Okinawan martialart of Hai-ka to Gent. Finn decided thatthe little man’s English had a musical lilt.“ . . . Twelve lethal point.” Shig stood anddemonstrated a stiff-armed, extended-finger parry. The powerful thrust tra-velled to within a centimeter of Gent’seye —the move so quick that the reflex-ive blink followed the act.

“No thank you, Mr. Kenjo, sir,” Gentgestured his surrender. He stood, bowedformally, and said, “No Sir, I’m on yourteam.” As Shig sat back down, Gent pre-tended to shoot him with his finger.“Fooled you!” Laughing, he left the din-ing area. “Upbeat, yeah, yeah.”

Finn sipped the hot coffee, enjoyingthe luxury of doing nothing. It had been abusy day.

A scant few minutes later, Gent roaredback into the room like a wounded waterbuffalo. “It’s gone — my lighter.” Hisforehead was wrinkled with a frown. “I’velooked everywhere.” The vein throbbednear the corner of the big man’s left eye.Then he added, visibly and audibly sup-pressing his outrage, “And it ain’t just thelighter. My jumpmusic playdeck is gone!”

Finn looked at Shig. “Are you missingthings, too?”

The Okinawan nodded.“Klepto?” asked Gent, of no one in

particular.“A thief, Shig,” Finn explained.“Oh, no, that is not possible,” the little

man said in a sad voice. “One cannotsteal from crewmates.”

Gent snorted. “A klepto steals for ex-citement. He takes from everyone, espe-cially his friends.” He sputtered, chokingon his own anger. He coughed. And themore risk, danger, and emotion, themore exciting the act . . . Downbeat.”

“But we’ve all lost things,” Finn in-terrupted.

“Yes,” Shig added, “no one steals fromhimself.”

Gent grinned a humorless smile, thevein still very noticeable. He opened hismouth to speak, but said nothing, shak-ing his head with disgust.

“Gentlemen . . .” Mikela stood in thedoorway. The light highlighted the tinystar on her cheek. “Please rememberthat the dome was moved several hundredkilometers today. Things get shakenabout.” She paused for a moment, star-ing at the chronometer. “It is late andalthough your noisy enthusiasm for de-tective work is commendable, pleasesave some of it for skitterbugging tomor-row.” She turned and left.

Nothing more was said about kleptos.The three men finished their coffee insilence, Gent looking embarrassed.

As Finn settled into his sleeping ham-mock, he pictured Mikela. Quite a lady,he chuckled admiringly. She had neatlycalmed down everyone about the miss-ing stuff. But her moving explanationseemed a little too easy. Was there aklepto on the crew? Who? He drifted off,dreaming that he and Mikela were skim-ming over the surface of Cyranus V look-ing into a beautiful sunset. The dreamended abruptly as a giant hand snatchedCyranus, removing it from the horizon.

The Queen Mother vibrated the Songof Battle. The Horde shared the frenzy ofmadness.

The All-American Boy stood near Finn’shammock. As he watched the junior re-corder’s sleeping face, an overwhelminganger raced through his circuits: hostileurges of electricity.

Finn groaned, partially waking up.The anger faded; the little robot quiet-

ly left the sleeping cubicle.

The second day was very hot — andfrustrating for the crew. A series of prob-lems aborted the first shot, and after arare misfire the crew gathered to awaitthe third attempt. Finn watched thechronometer count down yet anothertime: -3, -2, -1. The plastimon charge ex-ploded one hundred fifty meters below

29

the sandy surface, rocking the parkedskimmers and nervous crew.

An unexpected second wave followedthe first. Finn felt like he was standing upin a rowboat.

“What was that?” Mikela shouted fromthe recorder’s skimmer. “It knocked thetraces off the paper like a nine on theRichter.”

“I don’t know,” Finn answered, “Ijust — ”

A third wave interrupted him, leavingthe crew speechless as they stared at theblasted shot hole.

The ground trembled and sagged likea cake slumping after leaving the oven,the sinking surface leaving a circular de-pression in front of them twice the size ofa skimmer. The crew felt the ground jig-gle again like trembling gelatin.

“We must have set off —” Finn started,but was interrupted again.

An opening, slightly larger than a drillhole, erupted near the center of the de-pression, raining sand and small rocksdown on the shocked crew. No one hadtime to seek cover; they stood shieldingtheir heads with their arms, pelted by thefalling debris. The eruption was accom-panied by a strong, sharp acid odor thatpermeated the choking dust.

Suddenly several shapes flew up outof the hole. The objects, about the size offootballs, circled clumsily in the dusty airseveral meters above the sunken shotpoint. Finn blinked. Three animate ob-jects, each a cluster of yellow phospho-rescent mist — shimmering ghost-like,giving off the pungent smell.

Mikela recovered her poise first. “Theylook like bees . . . no . . . shaped more likewasps . . . ”

“But not solid. They’re formed frommist,” Finn muttered hoarsely, awed bythe unique creatures. “Mist wasps . . . ?”He had never heard of such a creatureanywhere in the explored universe. Per-haps they were unique to the Cyranussystem, he thought or even to this planet.

“Yeah, giant mist wasps,” Gent added,holding his nose with two fingers. “Theystink like sulphur.”

Shig moved a few steps closer towardthe hole.

The three giant mist wasps seemed togain their bearings as they circled. For amoment they vibrated rapidly, increas-ing the intensity of their phosphores-cence. Then, slightly staggering theirdives, they swooped down on the Okin-awan. Shig assumed the Hai-ka defen-sive stance, ducking the first wasp, thengracefully sidestepping the next two likea matador. The first wasp hovered amoment, shimmering, its glow brighten-ing; then it swooped again, trying tosmash into Shig. He dodged to the sideand struck a chopping blow that slicedthrough the misty creature and left it un-harmed. Shig clutched a hand to hischest and slumped to the ground.

DragonMeanwhile, Gent had grabbed a plas-

timon loading pole and stabbed at awasp; the rod passed through the crea-ture harmlessly. The big man waved thepole in the air, attracting the attention ofthe wasps from the injured Shig, prevent-ing them from hovering and rechargingfor attack.

Finn and Mikela rushed to Shig’s aid,pulling him back to the nearest skimmer.Finn kicked on the motor as Gent backedaboard, still fending off the three waspswith the pole. “Go, Finn,” he cried, pok-ing at a diving wasp.

Finn gunned the engine and scootedaway from the three angry creatures, Heguided the skimmer back toward basecamp, sighing with relief.

“Look.” Gent held up the aluminumpole, its tip melted. “They’re hot afterthey shimmer to a glow.”

“Yes, they are,” Mikela said, smearingShig’s hand with healjell. Shig seemedbarely conscious as she gave him a shotand bandaged the burned hand, whichresembled a piece of roasted meat. “You’llbe good as new after an hour’s rest,” shesaid softly as the drug took effect.

“We had better call in the All-AmericanBoy.” said Finn. He tried several times tomake contact with the robot over theskimmer communicator, then said, “That’sfunny, he doesn’t answer.”

“You can try again later,” Mikela said.“I must contact Command on the Aqua-rius and report.” She tried to make con-tact with the starship, but the communi-cator only crackled with static.

“Oh, downbeat,” Gent said, “we’re be-ing attacked by monsters and no oneanswers the phone at headquarters.”

“We’ll try from comm center at thedome,” Finn said. “More power.”

“And if that doesn’t work, there may beanother way. The Aquarius pilot . . .” Mik-ela’s voice trailed off.

Finn glanced at the crewchief. Shewas touching the black star on her cheek.Realizing her intent, he asked, “What willyou need when we reach camp?”

“Quiet,” she whispered.They landed at the geodesic dome a

few minutes later, the wasps left far be-hind. Finn and Gent carried the sleepingShig to his hammock, as Mikela triedcentral comm. The two passed her asshe went to her sleeping cubicle, shak-ing her head.

“No luck, I guess,” Finn said to thedriller.

Gent rubbed the vein near his eye.“What the hell were them yellow things,Finn? Besides scary, I mean.”

Finn shrugged.“We must have stirred up their nest at

the shot point.”Finn nodded absently, sitting down at

the comm console. “Well, right now weneed to figure out a defense.”

“Uh-huh,” Gent agreed, “but how doyou do that against something like a

ghost? They’re only mist, but able tocharge themselves into boiling steam ...”

“We need to cool them off,” Finn saidslowly. Then he remembered that theAll-American Boy was still missing, leftback on the line. “Hey, we’d better callthe robot again.” He tried several timeswith no luck. “I wonder if the wasps gothim?” Finn thought aloud.

The Queen Mother felt a strange sen-sation. It did not originate in the Horde.An alien presence was sending a song.The vibration was crude, clumsy. TheQueen Mother recalled the ancient songs;the vibration did not seem to fit. She os-cillated in harmony with the alien’s waves,finally recognizing the basic vibrations.It was a primitive version of the Song ofPeace from long ago when there weremany hordes. But even the fiercest hordesobserved the sanctuary of an under-ground nest — never destroying new ones.Peace? For a moment she hesitated,considering the fear, the dread, the painof the Horde. She would have liked toreturn the Peace Song — but it was toolate, the violation too great. Hundreds ofnew ones had been stilled. The QueenMother sang her answer: the Song ofRevenge. The rapid vibrations over-whelmed the alien’s weaker song. TheHorde seethed with rage.

Mikela staggered from her room withglazed eyes. The men waited for her tospeak. She slumped down at the diningtable, and Gent poured her a drink from apitcher of ice water. “I couldn’t reach theAquarius. Maybe the pilot isn’t a ‘Scend-ent; I couldn’t tell.” She took another sipof water. Finn could see that somethingelse was worrying his crewchief.

“Mikela, what — ?”She stopped his question by holding

up her hand. “I felt myself drawn back tothe shot point. I concentrated on thatfeeling.” She paused again, taking anotherdrink, her eyes clearing but her faceshowing deep concern. “I reached apresence of authority . . . feminine . . . aqueen. Anyhow, an intelligent being.She seemed full of fear, hate, and confu-sion, mistaking my contact as a songfrom the past, a plea from an enemy. Irequested peace. She rejected the re-quest. Apparently our shot violated thesacred nesting place, killing many youngwasps.”

“An intelligent creature?” Finn wasamazed.

Shig, looking none the worse for wear,had rejoined the crew.

“Yes,” Mikela answered Finn, “but shecompletely rejected my plea. I felt an un-reasonable hate . . .” Her voice trailed offas she silently recalled her strangecommunication with the queen.

Goosebumps rose on the back of Finn’sneck. Intelligent mist wasps, angry forrevenge. He swallowed and asked Mike-

30

Vol. VI, No. 9

la, “Nothing more can be done with thequeen? No reasoning or explaining?”

She shook her head sadly.“No, they are a dying race,” she said.

“The nest is their final colony—and theirqueen knows only vengeance.”

A loud thump came from the doorway,interrupting the crew leader. The fourhumans turned to discover the All-American Boy, holding a large cone. Be-fore the skitterbuggers could react, therobot threw the cone away with both itsmetal hands, sending it smashing intothe comm console.

Everyone except Shig dropped to thefloor, shielding their heads with theirhands.

The Okinawan chuckled, picking upthe detonator. “The robot did not set thefuse or arm the device,” he said, stillgrinning. He threw the cylinder to Finn,who had stood up and was feeling foolish.

“Yeah, but look at the console,” Gentsaid, pointing at the dented tuning mo-dule where the detonator had struck thecommunicator. He flipped on the con-sole but got only static. “Can you fix it,Mikela?” he asked the crewchief, whowas also the team electronics expert.

Before she could answer, more crac-kling static, along with the smell of burnedplastic, came from from the now-immobilerobot.

“The All-American Boy needs somework, too,” Finn said, examining the de-vice. He inspected the charred circuitryand microchips that controlled the ro-bot, spotting a tiny piece of silver out ofplace. “Here’s the villain that made athief and a crazy boy out of our friend.”Finn held up a tiny screw. “Shorted outsome circuitry, and some of the chipsprobably need to be replaced, Mikela.”

She nodded, already immersed in re-pairing the communicator. “I’ll get to himnext.”

Finn checked the detonator in his oth-er hand. “What’s this for, Shig?”

“It’s a detonator for one of the big CO2bombs for shot-hole fires.”

“Jesus Christ!” Gent shouted, point-ing at the doorway. A wasp flew in, ap-parently after tracking the All-AmericanBoy back to the base camp. Gent grabbedthe pitcher of ice water to protect himselfas the wasp swooped. He ducked, push-ing the pitcher through the creature. Thewasp wobbled in the air in a stunnedmanner, its phorphorescence dulled to afaint glimmer.

For a second, Gent stared at the un-likely weapon in his hand, mumbling,“Ice water?” Then he cried, “Ice water!”and chased the mist wasp outside, tryingto poke it with the pitcher.

He’s right, Finn thought, somethingcold. We need to cool it off. Again helooked at the detonator he held . . . CO2 . . .The fire extinguisher packs! Runningoutside, he grabbed up a CO2 backpackand gun from the nearest skimmer,

DragonMarch 1982

shouting to Gent, ‘Come on, this is bet-ter.” He slipped on the CO2 pack,stretched the kinks from the feed hose,and clicked off the handgun safety.

Gent hurried to Finn’s side. The mistwasp had regained its bearings, and, af-ter building back its intense glow, it doveat the two skitterbuggers. Finn aimed thefunnel-shaped barrel of the gun andsqueezed the trigger. Whoosh. A cloudof icy smoke engulfed the wasp. As Finnand Gent watched, the creature con-densed into yellow droplets and fell tothe desert floor.

Shig and Mikela joined Finn and Gentnear a circle of wet sand — all that re-mained of the mist wasp.

“Upbeat,” Gent whispered, as the lastof the yellow drops bubbled into thesand.

Glancing down at the CO2 gun in hishand, Finn felt a sharp twinge of remorsein his chest. God Almighty, he thought,realizing that he had killed a sentientcreature. What have I done?

After a long silence, Shig suggestedan idea. “Suppose we drop one of myCO2 canisters down the shot hole?”

“Now wait,” Finn said, shaking hishead. “Self defense is one thing, but theHandbook prohibits offensive actionagainst an intelligent species withoutCommand approval.”

Mikela said, “You may be right techni-cally, but we are unable to communicatewith Command . . . a special situation. Ithink the important point is the degree ofdanger we face.”

“That’s right,” Gent agreed. “It’s not inthe Handbook, nothing about mist wasps.We don’t know how many are down thathole or what. I say bomb ‘em.”

“Just a minute,” Finn said, holding uphis hands. “At least let’s try to recontactthe queen. Mikela . . .?”

She shrugged, then touched the tinycheek tatto and nodded. “I’ll try.” She satat the dining table, closed her eyes, andseemed to be go into a trance.

The men waited and watched.Several moments later, the crewchief

stirred. Her eyelids flickered, she breathedin deeply, and was awake. After a drinkof water, she shook her head. “Nothing.The wasp queen will not respond. Shesees us as enemies.” Looking at Finn,she added, ‘She represents a true danger,and I think we should vote on Shig’s idea.Finn?”

Reluctantly, Finn nodded. He had toagree to a ballot, but . . .

The vote was three to one in favor ofdetonating a CO2 canister at the shotpoint.

After a few minutes, the crew hadshaped a plan. Mikela would stay andwork on the communicator, attemptingto reach Command as soon as possible.Shig, nursing his tender hand, wouldhelp Gent do ordinance work. Finn woulddrive and provide guard support.

As they loaded equipment, Gent ex-amined the safeties, threads, and timefuse on the recovered detonator. Satis-fied, he screwed the cone into the baseof a CO2 canister. “Okay, let’s blast thatwasp queen.”

For some reason, Finn rememberedanother creature that had been blastedto extinction in the twenty-first century— a marine mammal on Earth, also anintelligent creature. He had forgotten itsname, but in his mind he pictured one ofthe huge animals - about the size andshape of a shuttlecraft. He pushed theimage to the back of his mind as he ga-thered up the last extra CO2 backpack.“Ready.”

The three men mounted the skimmeras Cyranus began to set. It would be darkbefore they reached the shot point.

As they skimmed to the target area,Gent armed the canister by pulling thesafeties and activating the plunger thatfused the cone and canister together. Allthat remained was to set the timer on thefuse. “Ten minutes,” he decided aloud.“Yeah, we’re either in and out in ten min-utes, or dead.”

Finn looked ahead. Cyranus had set,and the dusk was alive with dancing yel-low lights. A dozen wasp sentries, hethought, wondering how many remainedunderground. “They look like huge fire-flies.”

Gent snorted. “Yeah, deadly fireflies.”Finn manuevered the vehicle down

about fifty meters from the shot point,parking behind one of the stunted trees,hoping the wasps hadn’t spotted them.

For a moment the three skitterbuggerssat motionless, steeling themselves forthe dangerous task.

Finally, Gent depressed the button onthe fuse, activating the ten-minutecountdown. “Let’s go,” he whispered,cradling the canister and leading theway.

Shig and Finn followed, each wearinga CO2 backpack as a weapon. They werewithin five meters of the hole before thefirst guard sensed them and swoopedto attack. They dodged the diving waspand hurried to the hole.

At the caved-in shot point, Gent pickedup a loading rod. He pulled back thespring device, attached the canister, andjammed it into the hole. Releasing thespring, Gent propelled the CO2 bombdown the shot hole.

Two wasps dove in tandem.Shig sprayed them both, spotting a

movement from the corner of his eye.“Finn, behind you!” Finn twisted andfired as the creature swerved away. An-other guard swooped in low at knee leveland disappeared in a cloud of icy smokefrom the CO2 gun.

The night was lit brighter than day bythe wasp guards.

“Let’s get,” Gent said. “The hole isloaded,” He glanced at his watch, “and

31

will blow in eight minutes.” They turnedand started running for the skimmer fiftymeters away.

Finn felt a sledgehammer slam into hisback just below his backpack. Out ofbreath, he sagged to his knees. Pain —his back was on fire. His vision blurred ashe gasped for air. He blinked, fightingdown the nausea . . .

Gent had caught up and quickly re-moved Finn’s backpack. Shig fired shortbursts of CO2 over their heads, keepingthe wasps at bay. Finn blinked andsquinted at his watch. Time was runningout.

“Okay, pal.” Gent had draped one ofFinn’s arms over his shoulder. Togetherthey struggled to the skimmer. Gentspread Finn out and started the engine.

Shig, bent over Finn, looked up andshouted, “Look out, Gent!” The big manfired and hit an attacking wasp at the lastsecond. Droplets of condensed yellowmist splattered over the skitterbuggers.

As the skimmer rose into the air, Finn’sthoughts swirled, the pain overwhelminghim. Time had run out. The explosionwas muffled, but Finn felt the shockwave, and the blast of cool night air re-vived him.

“You’ll be okay,” Shig said, holding upthe empty syringe, “in a few minutes.”

Finn nodded his gratitude, alreadyfeeling drowsy. He stared back at theshot point, a strange sensation in hishead — almost like a tuning fork vibrat-ing inside his skull . . .

The Horde was hurt badly, dissolving.The Song of Suffering vibrated weak/y.The great Queen Mother felt despair.She called on instinct to save the rem-nants of the once mighty Horde. The an-cient time . . . the time of many hordes . . .the time of growth and split . . . the timewhen the Queen Mother had been a newone, leaving her old horde . . . Swarm! Itwas a song she had almost forgotten: TheSong to Swarm. She vibrated, and theHorde shared the feeling of hope. Swarm,and away . . .

The hum diminished. Finn saw theshot point erupt like a volcano, spewinga great ball of glowing mist, hurtling itstarward. The ball was shaped like ashuttlecraft, outdistancing a few trailingluminous specks — individual wasps —leaving them in its wake. Those leftflared briefly, then snuffed out.

The shape of the swarm remindedFinn of the old Earth marine mammal—whale! Watching the mist wasp swarmdisappear, Finn wondered where theirqueen would lead them? To the stars?To where the whales had gone?

“Good luck,” he murmured, suddenlyfeeling weary. He closed his eyes as theskimmer sped to the safety of the basecamp.


(Editor’s note: Fiction sometimes makes a good backgroundfor gaming, and so it is with “Skitterbugging,” the story you justread. We asked Steve Winter, an editor for the design anddevelopment branch of TSR Hobbies, Inc., and an authority onthe Traveller game system, to translate the characters, crea-tures, and equipment from Gene O’Neill’s story into Travellerterms. So you want to be a skitterbugger? Take your pick....)

Translating

The skitterbuggers, members of an astro-geophysical survey

skitterbuggersinto Traveller

team, don’t fit into any one Traveller profession. They probablywork for a branch of the Scout Service, but any GMs wanting touse them in a campaign will have to design their own servicetables.

by Steve Winter

C r e wmembers

Finn M’Cormac778978 Age 26 2 termsAir/raft-1, Electronics-1, Liaison-1, Jack-o-Trades-1

FINN M’CORMAC Gent Jackson978785 Age 30 3 termsCarousing-1, Electronics-1 Mechanical-3, Streetwise-1

GENT JACKSON

Mikela Lucchesi6789A8 Age 30 3 termsAir/raft-1, Electronics-2, Leader-1, Prospecting-1Psionics: level 7 telepath

Shigawaro Kenjo898787 Age 26 2 termsBrawling-2, Demolitions-1

S u p p o r t i n g c a s t

The All-American Boy is a light work robot built on a type IIchassis with legs. Its sensors approximate human senses, andinclude a short-range communicator and voice simulator. It hastwo light work arms capable of lifting 5 kg each. Its brain (techlevel 14) is programmed with the equivalent of Electronics-1Mechanical-1 and Valet-1 Retail price is kCr 515.

The skitterbuggers had some interesting items of equipment:CO2 backpack: 3 kg, 20 shots, Cr 100 (Cr 10 to recharge); tech

level 8. This is a backpack fire extinguisher, effective againstelectrical and most chemical fires.

CO2 bomb: 5 kg, Cr 500, tech level 8. Under normal condi-tions, these are useful only for putting out fires. If one is set offnear a creature, treat it as a tech level 9 hand grenade.

Healjell: Can be smeared on small wounds to anesthetize anddisinfect. It also contains jellied Medical Slow drug to acceler-ate healing. The wound will undergo 15 days of healing in 24hours. A second dose must be applied if further healing isrequired. Tech level 9; Cr 150/dose; Availability 7+.

MIKELA LUCCHESI

SHIGAWARO KENJO

Mist wasps are hive creatures. While in the hive, all the waspsmerge into one amorphous creature. One cubic meter of thishive “plasma” can divide into about 40 wasps. Only the queenmother does not blend completely into the hive; it is a trueindividual with initiative and independent thought.

The queen mother is a level 5 telepath. All other mist waspsare level 2 telepaths. When linked with its hive, the queenmother has an almost unlimited supply of psionic strengthpoints.

Attacking mist wasps heat themselves to a temperature ofabout 250° C (430° F.). They attack from short range and cause2D damage when they hit. An attack will hit on a roll of 5+, withthe following DMs: nothing/jack -0, mesh -1, cloth/reflec -3,ablat/battle -5, evading -1, -Brawling skill.

Only extreme cold will affect a mist wasp. A shot of com-pressed CO2, compressed oxygen or any other extremely coldgas will kill one on a roll of 5+ (use the Group Hits by Shotgunsrule). A slightly cold object, like a pitcher of ice water, will driveone away on a roll of 8+.

If faced with extinction, mist wasps can cross interstellarspace at a speed of about one parsec every 50 years. They willsettle only on very old, geologically stable worlds.

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March 1982 Dragon

33


Exonidas SpaceportA Traveller� adventure

No spaceport can ever be said to betypical; these facilities have more indi-viduality than many cities. When space-ports are under consideration, however,Exonidas Spaceport on the planet Horl-theur is among the better examples of awell-planned port adapting to unusualcircumstances.

Horltheur is the third planet of themain-sequence star Taledde, a ratherordinary star of spectral class G3. (For agraphic display of the system, see Figure4 on page 41.) Of the seven planets andmany asteroids orbiting Taledde, onlyHorltheur is extensively settled. Coad,its satellite, boasts a significant base,however, and Donade and Corrade, twoMars-like planets in an outer orbit, havepermanent scientific colonies. There is atechnologically advanced mining colonyabout the gas giant Colosse that slingscompressed liquid hydrogen towardHorltheur. The Lesser Ring, similar tothe asteroid belt of Sol’s system butslightly less dense, also is host to severalstanding colonies.

Horltheur is a world of average size,composition, atmosphere, and hydro-graphic percentage. It has good depos-its of most strategic minerals, and its in-digenous life is richly varied, with beasts,birds, and sea creatures in orders ofcomplexity up to, but not including, trueintelligence.

The UPP of A-866A78-F applies toHorla, the smaller of the world’s two ma-jor continents. The other continent,Theury, can best be described by theUPP of D-866500-0, having recently un-dergone a cataclysmic war.

By the time the planet’s technologyhad advanced to the point where it coulddestroy itself, each of the two continentshad fragmented into opposing nationswith conflicting ideals. The crusadingspirit rose, and nations tried to imposetheir solutions upon their neighbors.Each of the Theuran nations was jealousand proud of its sovereign status, unwil-ling to unite; ultimately, they all foundequality in annihilation.

Destroyed along with every important

city on the continent was the TatheurGreat Port, a spaceport that was essen-tially the property of the interstellar go-vernment (as is Exonidas); the loss wasresented, to say the least, by the go-vernment’s leaders.

Horla continent escaped untouchedby the weapons of the short but deadlywar. Its fifteen nations were shocked intodropping their own squabbles by whatthey monitored as it took place acrossthe ocean. Right after the war all pro-gress, all business, all activity, on boththe ruined continent and the still-richone, stopped. The world was numbed bythe disaster. Those in power knew thatthe full effects of the war were yet to befelt. Within a couple of days, the realiza-tion came that three billion people haddied, and tens of millions more were des-tined to die as well unless a quick andefficient rescue effort was mounted.

Into this hushed atmosphere came agreat fleet: one of the interstellar go-vernment’s first-line Battleships, alongwith enough support craft to take on anempire. The fleet was led by Grand Ad-miral Jennifer de la Noue. First on heragenda: Rescue the people who couldbe rescued, and save what could besaved. Second was the laying of blame,and third the job of determining whatchanges needed to be made to punishthose at fault and prevent a recurrence ofthis disaster.

With her was Adrian Redmond of theinterstellar government’s Department ofCommerce, aboard an electromagneticeffects and communications ship thatwas a flying switchboard of tremendouscapacity. His job was to find a way torestore the economy of a world morethan half destroyed.

Directly on the site of the ruined capi-tal city of Tatheur, one of the Theurynations now dead, de la Noue’s fleet setup Emergency City, a class D spaceport,to aid survivors and treat the wounded.

On the continent of Horla lies the na-tion named Dirla, and within that the cityof Exonidas, Dirla’s capital. The mostpopulous of the fifteen Horlan nations,

by Jeff Swycaffer

Dirla wears its great city (pop. 950,000)like a crown. Now, With Theury continentdead, Exonidas, with its huge spaceport,is the biggest city on the planet; the portis (by default) the center of all off-planetactivity of any importance.

Lying at the northern end of a long bayon the Sea of Lamps, Exonidas Space-port is actually the land-bound half of atwo-element port facility. The other halfis an orbiting structure whose path keepsit always over the longitude of ExonidasCity. Twice each planetary day, the HighPort is directly above the Down Port. Theorbit, at a constant altitude of 38,500 ki-lometers, pulls the High Port around theworld at a velocity of 3.3 kilometers persecond. The same orbit is a convenientparking spot for cargo and for ships.This is the orbit that the fleet in presencenow occupies,

FIGURE 1: EXONIDAS DOWN PORTA: Spaceport Terminal. See Figure 2

for detailed description.B: Main Boost-Grid. The boost-grid is

the heart of any spaceport with the tech-nological base to support one. At olderports, ships must land under their ownpower, relying upon pilot expertise toavoid mid-air collisions or dangerouslyclumsy setdowns. Here, the boost-gridcan reach out with gravitic force andeither ease a ship to its landing pad orboost a ship from the ground into orbit.Using power from the main city powerreactor (not in area of map), the boost-grid can focus gravitic energy with mi-crometer precision.

The grid is composed of tungsten-steel rails 10 cm wide, set into the flatsurface of the landing field in a preciselydefined pattern. The energy conductedalong these rails is perfectly controlledby the main computers in the Port Au-thority building.

Any ship of up to 7,500 tons that iscapable of landing on the field can belifted up into high orbit, or can be broughtdown out of orbit and landed gently onthe field. The point of focus can bemoved by computer control in such away as to take hold of objects as far assixty degrees from the vertical linethrough the center of the grid; the range,or effective “reach,” is 50,000 kilometers.

The main advantage of the boost-gridis that the ship being boosted into orbithas no need to use its own drives, or

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DragonMarch 1982

Figure 1 Exonidas Down Port

35


indeed even to have a working drive. Thegrid can, for instance, boost prefabricat-ed sections of a larger ship up into orbitto be assembled in weightlessness. Ingeneral, the grid is used to lower shuttlesand small spacecraft that neverthelessdo have a backup drive for use in case ofgrid failure. The boosting and loweringof cargo and passenger containers with-out drives is not considered safe enoughto justify the economy of such a measure.

The fuel saved by a ship using the gridinstead of its own thrusters is on theorder of one ton of fuel times the ship’sdrive number times the ship’s mass inkilotons (but always a minimum savingsdue to use of the grid of one ton of fuel).Thus, a 5,000-ton ship using 2G drive toescape the world’s gravity would use tentons of fuel, which could be saved by useof the boost-grid.

The grid has 100 channels, meaningthat up to 100 ships can be simultane-ously handled by the grid, so long as thetotal tonnage being boosted does notexceed 7,500 tons. This multi-channelcapacity helps cut down the averagewaiting time for use of the grid.

The procedure for a small ship — aScout, for example—taking off from thegrid would be as follows: After final ap-proval for takeoff is received from thePort Authority computers, the ship, underits own power, flies up from its currentdocking bay (location M, see text below)until it is within the cone of the grid’seffectiveness. At an altitude of aboutthirty meters, the gravitic focus of theboost-grid is aligned upon the ship, anda gentle force begins to push it awayfrom the planet, while the ship’s ownmaneuver drives are throttled back to an“idle” setting. The grid has the precisionto release the ship either into an escapeorbit, any of a number of closed orbits, orexactly into the orbit of the High Port.For more on the High Port and its ownboost-grids, see below.

C: Airport and Heliport. This all-in-onetransportation center has an internation-al airport, a national heliport, a train sta-tion and a subway terminal.

D: Headquarters and home location ofthe 119th Heavy Marine Division. Thisdivision is a regular unit in the military ofthe interstellar government, and is basedhere with the permission of the Dirlannation. Although Dirla is the host nationto the Exonidas Spaceport, the port areaitself is considered to be legally a part ofthe interstellar government. Relationsare cordial, and the right to base the div-ision here was freely given by the Dirlangovernment. The 119th supplies thespaceport with security personnel andcan provide riot-control troops if needed.At this time, only one of the division’sfour regiments is based here; the otherthree are working to clean up the dis-order on Theury continent.

E: Naval Base with military boost-grid.This smaller but stronger grid is run offan independent power supply, as are allof the military installations at the space-port. This grid also has 100 channels,and can boost loads totaling 10,000 tonsat one time; despite this, the militarycommander here prefers to, purchasepower from the city and use the larger,public grid in Peacetime, because of thegreater computer power (hence, lesschance of a crash) available to the civili-an authority,

F: Scout Base with military boost-grid.This grid is identical to the Navy’s grid.Normally, a force of 30 Scouts is basedhere, most of which would be in highorbit at any given time. Currently, due tothe attention being paid this planet in itsunusual circumstances, 48 more Scoutsare attached to the fleet in orbit; this basesupplies their needs as well.

G: Energy reactor. This reactor supp-lies emergency power to the entire space-port, and all power for the military bases.

H: Fuel storage. Most of the fuel forplanet-based energy production comesfrom the system’s gas giant, Colosse. Itis skimmed, refined, and compressed infacilities in orbit about the gas giant,then shipped toward Horltheur in huge,free-falling fuel canisters. At the HighPort, this fuel is pumped into great fueltankers which are lowered by the boost-grid to the surface to be unloaded. Theoverall benefit seems marginal: roughlya thirty-five per cent savings in fuel, con-sidering what is gained and what is usedto get it into storage. But multiplied bythe thousands of ships and tens of thou-sands of cargo shuttles that yearly visitthe port, the savings are substantial.

I: Fighter Base. While most of the in-system Fighter strength is based at theHigh Port, this base has a portion of thespaceworthy Fighters and is also an Air-craft base. Currently, 200 Fighters and700 Aircraft are based here. While space-worthy Fighters must be made to ma-neuver in vacuum, and to operate as wellin any atmosphere, aircraft, specificallyhigh-performance jets, can be tailored tothe planet’s air. The result is that manyAircraft can outfight Fighters as long asthe battle is limited to the lower atmos-phere. This base was built with that factwell in mind.

J: Construction Yards. The yards here,with direct access onto the landing fieldand boost-grid, have a total constructioncapacity of 6.8 million tons, limited pri-marily by the boost-grid’s capacity of7,500 tons. The yards are generally in-volved with building Scouts, Merchants,and Colonial Cruisers for resale; largerships are not generally under construc-tion at any given time.

K and L: Planetary Defense Sites. Thebatteries of heavy lasers and rapid-firemissile launchers based here are situat-ed in heavily armored combat wells.

36

The city has many other such sites.M: Hangars and Storage. The hangars

have the capacity to house two milliontons of spacecraft and shuttles, pluseight million tons of cargo.

N: Exonidas City. The city, its popula-tion temporarily (at least) swelled tomore than one million by the influx ofrefugees, soldiers, and fortune seekerswrought by the war, is a nexus for com-munication and transportation of alltypes; phones, electricity, and broadcast-ing facilities are among its strong points,as are all modes of ground, air, sea, andspace transport.

FIGURE 2: SPACEPORT TERMINALAlthough Figure 2 (facing page) only

shows one level of the five-level building,the levels are all laid out in similar fa-shion. Level 4 is the highest-class, withthe most expensive shops and mostcompetent businesses. (This is not tosay that Level 1, with the most approach-able and inexpensive places of business,is “low class.” Far from it.)

In Figure 2, general areas of interestare labeled with letters, followed by anumber which designates the level, un-less all levels are laid out similarly withrespect to the function, in which case thesuffix “-all” is appended. Specific offi-ces, shops, or other items of interest willbe labeled with a number for reference,and a number to show the level. (Seealso Figure 8: A typical office suite.)

A-1: Main Entrance. The road loopsclose to the entrance, with automaticparking service in nearby undergroundgarages.

B-1: Terminal services and customerservice counters. Ticketing and weigh-inis handled here.

C-1: Portmaster’s Representative. Ineffect, a high-class advertising agencyfor the interstellar government. Maps,insurance, and miscellaneous servicescan be had here.

Currently working out of this office,using a false name and papers, is Inspec-tor General Robert Lawrence of the In-terstellar Port Authority. His mission isto investigate the feasibility of endingthe planet’s political independence byabsorbing it into the domain of the inter-stellar government.

D-all: Shops. Always within easy walk-ing distance in these areas are restau-rants, gift shops, services (barbers, in-formation booths, rest rooms), luggage,clothiers, jewelers and watchmakers,pharmacies, travel agencies, stores forsporting goods and supplies, military re-cruiting offices, and a large establish-ment belonging to the Travellers’ AidSociety. Several individual shops will bedescribed below. See also the note onarea F below for details on room layouts.

E-1: The International Airport. This isone section of the transportation com-plex described in area C on Figure 1.

March 1982 Dragon

Figure 2 Spaceport Terminal

37

DragonActivity in this area of the complex ismuch less than normal, now with farfewer travel sites left on the planet.

F-all: Businesses and Offices. Ship-ping brokers in abundance operate here,as do resale brokers, importers, manu-facturers, shipping line headquarters,and mercantile guilds.

Note: the divisions and lines shown onthe map are those between larger sec-tions of rooms; the walls portrayed arethe permanent, load-bearing walls. Eachof the “rooms” shown in Figure 2 is actu-ally a suite of rooms or shops. The aver-age business-office suite will be of thisconfiguration: Entrance is through alarge, lockable plate-glass door, either aswinging or a sliding type. Receptionareas, work areas, and conference cubi-cles might be separated by small, flimsyscreens, while file rooms, computerrooms, and meeting rooms might be se-parated by more permanent walls (whichdo not show on the floor plan). Thefloors are quite thick, made of perma-crete and reinforced with structural steel.The ceilings; however, are often merepanels of decorative material at a heightof 2½ to 3 meters, somewhat lower thanthe full 4-meter height of the main ceilingthat is the floor of the next higher level.The hollow space between the ceilings isoften filled with piping, wiring, and air-conditioning conduits.

(Several years ago, noted criminal Ec-chel Anstove escaped capture by cra-wling through such a space with enoughsilence and dexterity to avoid his pursuit.The feat was unknowingly duplicated bythe then-hunted Navy Captain AthalosSteldan on the world Chirkun.)

G-all: Open Area. On the secondthrough fifth levels, the area inside thecircle of dashes is open to the first level.On the first level is a planted area, styledas an indoor garden.

H-1: Security Gate. Tended at all timesby a small but efficient 119th DivisionMarine detachment, this gate has a verysecure weapons detector.

l-all: Observation Area. On the firstlevel, this is an open waiting area wherepassengers prepare for imminent depar-ture. On higher levels this area is an ex-tension of the shopping promenade, withan observation deck overlooking theboost-grid.

J-1-3: Port Authority Building. Space-port Authority Kevin Munrow, and hisflight controllers, computers, radio traf-fic controllers, and other staff are here.

The Port Authority (or, technically,Commissioner of the Port) is a memberof the Commerce Department, and there-fore subordinate to Adrian Redmond.From working with the local planetaryauthorities as long as he has, PortmasterMunrow has developed a great deal ofrespect for Dirlan policies. He does notfavor forcing the world into subservienceto the interste!lar government.

The Port Authority computers areroughly equivalent to three model/g-fibcomputers; their main purpose is to main-tain a clear and free airspace.

Area 1-4: The offices of Dentos, Cahn,and Cahn, shipping and resale brokers.For Traveller purposes this is a +4 brok-er. Approaching a clerk of this office witheven a hint of an unsavory or illegal dealis to invite immediate report and arrest.The brokers here have an almost uncan-ny reputation for being unbribable, in-corruptible, and, in business dealings,savage.

Area 2-2: S. Grimaldi, shipping and re-sale broker. Equal to a +3 broker. Crimi-nals might find a warmer reception herethan at Dentos, Cahn, and Cahn, but bewarned: S. Grimaldi will play both sidesof any fence. If reselling hot cargo turnsout to be unprofitable, blackmailing theseller might not be.

Scattered throughout the terminal are+2 and +1 brokers of any stripe, fromstruggling and honest to filthy rich andtotally criminal.

Area 3-1: In a visible spot stands therecruiting booth of the Turga Lancers, amercenary regiment active on this world.The Lancers are carving out a fledglingempire in the ruins of Theury continent,across the ocean; the appeal of so muchuntenanted real estate was too much tobe resisted. As much as the interstellargovernment and the Portmaster resentsuch an operation, no laws are being vio-lated, and thus Commissioner Munrowis unable to legally evict the Lancers’recruiters.

Area 4-1: Drake’s Slashers, anothermercenary regiment, has a recruitingbooth here. The Slashers, unlike theTurga Lancers, are building their empireon a foundation of good will. Where theLancers, a heliborne unit, are conquer-ing wherever they can, the Slashers, aheavy armor unit, have mobilized in whatis basically a rescue mission, bringingfood, supplies, medicines and medicalaid, and most importantly order, to thesurvivors of the war on Theury. In ex-change for the relief the Slashers bring,the survivors are all too glad to legallycede great estates of land that are cur-rently useless to them in any case.Whether or not these contracts bear theforce of law is an issue the Slashers feelwill be decided in their favor by theirprowling hovertanks.

See Figure 9 (on page 48) for the cur-rent zones of operation of these and oth-er military units.

Area 5-2: Hansen’s Supplies Store.Respirator helmets, air tanks, filters,masks, and all other manner of survivalgear is for sale here. Atmosphere testersand fallout detectors are popular itemsthese days. The Theury war was foughtwith heavy, high-explosive warheads,very few of which were thermonuclear.

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Vol. VI, No. 9

Thus, fallout over Horla continent hasnot been, and will not be, severe. Radia-tion testers are popular items neverthe-less, and public awareness of health ha-zards is high.

Area 6-1: Navy, Army, and Marine re-cruiting. Situated near the Portmaster’srepresentative, this is the sanctioned re-cruiting effort of the interstellar govern-ment. Policy dictates that recruits betrained on a planet other than their homeworld, but in this time of troubles, fewrecruits care to leave home. Even in spiteof this, the station is pulling in its quotaof man and womanpower.

Area 7-1: Bank of Exonidas. An inter-stellar exchange bank, fully integratedwith the computers that run bankingthroughout the sector, the Bank of Exon-idas can convert currency, make loans,prepare stock portfolios, collect forfei-tures, and in general take care of justabout any financial needs of travellersand businessmen. The bank is protectedby a system similar to a spaceship’s anti-hijack program; further, at any giventime there will be two Marines of the119th keeping a somewhat alert eye onthe doorway.

Area 8-4: Wrokla’s Port Best. This res-taurant is an offshoot of Wrokla’s Down-town, which itself makes a plausibleclaim to be the best restaurant in the city.Although this place endeavors to caterto the better class of people, it is man-aged by a man, Hill Darsen, who knowsthat most spaceport travellers are notrich. Thus, to avoid a very unpleasantmeal, a diner intending to patronize thisspot must have a minimum social level of9. This is better than Wrokla’s Down-town, where even to be admitted to thefoyer requires a social level of 11. A mealhere for two, including tipping and otherrequired gratuities, will cost upwards of100 credits.

Area 9-1: Traveller’s Aid Society Out-post. The main Traveller’s Aid Societystation was destroyed with TatheurSpaceport in the war. The station here isworking hard to gain the rich reputationthe Theuran station once enjoyed.

Twice-hourly tram service is madeavailable to the better hotels in the city,for those who are staying for some time;for the casual passenger, stopping hereonly for a connection, good-qualitymeals are dispensed, and a waitinglounge is provided away from the noiseof normal traffic. A travel agency isbased here, staffed by experts who areeasily capable of helping travellers sched-ule their routes most efficiently. Ticket-ing can be prearranged here also, as canluggage check-through and most pass-port requirements.

Although the Traveller’s Aid Societydeals mostly with members of the Socie-ty, non-members may benefit from theservices offered, at prices that are actual-ly reasonable. How the higher-ups of the

DragonMarch 1982

Figure 3 Exonidas High Port

39

DragonSociety can consistently manage to bringgood to excellent services to the publicat comfortable prices has ever been amystery; the policy is very well received.

Area 10-3: Susato, Morely, and Dow-land Legal Services. This law office, re-cuperating from an unfortunate incidentin which a live grenade was tossedthrough the doors, is perhaps the planet’sleading firm for dealings in interstellarlaw. Local law and criminal law cases willalso be handled by the firm.

Area 11-1: The Brass Beast. A wood-paneled alehouse with a low ceiling, re-producing the popular image of a rowdyhotspot of an era long past. Few things inthe “inn” are beyond tech level 2, and thethings that are — the soundproofing, thebeer coolers, and the splat-gun hiddenbeneath the bar — are well out of sight.Managed with precise absurdity by awell trained pair of anachronists, thespot’s rare dull moments are relieved bystaged fights between trained duelists,whose choreographed swordfights takethem from the fireplace to the kitchenand back, noisily but with no damagedone.

Area 12-2: Offices of Birkenlines Inter-stellar Shipping. Characters seeking em-ployment will find it at the following pro-babilities: Roll two six-sided dice. If theresult listed below is achieved, employ-ment is offered immediately. If the resultis one or two less than the minimumneeded, employment will be available inthat many months. Required rolls are:Pilot 7+; Navigator 7+; Engineer 6+; Ste-ward 6+; Medic 8+; Gunner 9+. Die Modi-fiers: +1 for every level of expertise abovelevel 1.

In general, when using the above me-thod of hiring on, the higher the two-diceroll, the better the position obtained. Forexample, a roll of 7 for a pilot hiring onmight land him or her the position ofbackup pilot for a Subsidized Trader,while a roll of 16 (assuming the pilot hadat least Pilot-5 skill) might mean the jobof chief pilot for a large luxury liner. Asalways, the referee may choose to mod-erate these results.

Area 13-3: Pilots’ lounge. A private andsecluded gathering spot for pilots andnavigators, where a quiet atmosphere iscarefully cultivated. A discreet playercharacter, having either pilot or naviga-tor skill, can sometimes find rumors here— rumors of the most productive andrewarding sort. Too many people havethe notion that a pilot is no more than achauffeur, with no considerations be-yond the comfort of his or her pas-sengers. But pilots are more than this,and the popular illusion is resented. Whohas the best view of the planet duringterminal approach? The pilot. Whose lifedepends upon keeping two eyes alwayscarefully open? The pilot. Whose job is itto know exactly where he or she is at anymoment? The navigator . . . .

“You may not have noticed, but thelast ship that left, just as we were comingin, was in a tearing hurry, and his identi-fication transponders weren’t working.”Who but a pilot would have noticed?

Area 14-1: First aid station. Treatmentis available here for the many little thingsthat plague travellers: nausea, overstress,headaches, and so on.

Area 15-2: Port Hospital. For thingsthat no first aid station can be expectedto handle. Excellent medical care is dis-pensed here by trained Naval medicalpersonnel. The fact that the medics hereare acting in an official capacity meansthat if a character comes in sufferingfrom bullet wounds, for example, the factwill be reported, and the character willlikely be interviewed by the police, or byport officials. Given a choice betweencrawling off somewhere to die and giv-ing oneself up in order to receive treat-ment, most people will choose the lattercourse. Some, however, will try to reacha civilian hospital away from the space-port to minimize the ramifications. Somepeople even know of outlaw doctors inthe city who work for organized crime.

The port hospital has a special areastaffed with experts on burn medicine, anecessary specialization consideringhow flammable spaceship fuel is. Cur-rently this department is desperatelyunderstaffed, since all doctors and med-ics having any expertise in burn treat-ment are working desperately at Emer-gency City to save survivors of the war.

Area 16-1: Computer and traffic con-trol center. Here the massive computerscontrol the multi-channeled boost-grid.The machines are constantly alert forfluctuations in the titanic gravitic forcesconstantly being re-focused. There is ahuman backup for any computer sys-tem, for the very good reason that ma-chine failures are always possible. Safe-ty is uppermost in the minds of the area’spersonnel, and the first consideration ofthe computers’ programming.

FIGURE 3: EXONIDAS HIGH PORTThe High Port is a 100-million-ton fa-

cility quite removed in structure fromany spaceship. Despite this, it can bedescribed in the terms of Traveller Book5, 1980 edition, as follows:

1OO,OOO,OOO tonsSW-Z400GJ4-00000Z-00000-L

Batteries 2TL=15Crew = 1400Fuel tankage = 10,000,000 tons

More than anything else, the High Portis an orbiting fuel tank where ships canrefuel before Jump, without having tocarry that fuel down to the planet andback up. Since Jump fuel usually com-poses a sizable percentage of a ship’smass, the overall savings are significant.

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Vol. VI, No. 9

A: Accelerator Terminus. This facilitysends unmanned cargo containers athigh velocity outward into minimum-energy transfer orbits, providing the mainsource of supplies and expendables forthe five major bases in the system otherthan Horltheur itself.

B: Fuel Storage and Power Plant. Fuelcoming in from the gas giant Colosse isheld here for eventual transshipment toHorltheur, for use in refueling ships be-fore their departure from the system.The fuel is sent from Colosse to the HighPort in great, unmanned cannisterswhich are then grappled by the HighPort’s gravitic boost-grids and unloaded.

C: Main Port Building. Located hereare the offices and apartments of themany permanent residents of the HighPort. The platforms extending from thecentral sphere are landing decks forsuch ships that can land; these decks areoriented by small gravitic generators, sothat small ships landing on any of themany platforms are held firmly “down”toward the main body of the port with aneven 1 G acceleration. Ships that cannotbe landed on a planet Iikewise cannot belanded on these platforms. However,several of the platforms are landing-shuttle bases, with a quick enough cycleof takeoffs and landings to comfortablyferry the passengers and cargo of, forinstance, a Liner, to the world below withminimal delay. The main port facilityhere has no shopping complex, and verylittle hotel space; the High Port is primar-ily a working port.

Some of the facilities to be found in theMain Port Building; but not shown indi-vidually on the map, are:

C-1 The Manufacturing Alley. Here, inan area of zero gravity, with industrialquality vacuum readily to hand, high-tech manufacturing concerns have basedthemselves, to manufacture and buildeverything from ball bearings to preci-sion microelectronics to made-to-ordermicroorganisms.

Although the High Port is, legally, en-tirely the property of the interstellar go-vernment, it has been judged wise to rentmanufacturing space to the corporationsof the planet below. The result is a profitfor everyone. The companies rentingspace here are from everywhere on theplanet, Horla and Theury alike. Since themajor population centers of Theury con-tinent are virtually dead, this now meansthat some 50% of Theury’s wealth is tiedup at the High Port, with the orbitingfactories suddenly having become entirecorporations, rather than just branch of-fices. The legal questions are still hang-ing over everyone’s heads.

C-2: The Portmaster’s Assistant’s Of-fice. Here, the Commissioner of the HighPort, Donald Wensley, oversees the com-plex operations of the port. He checks allcargo handling, monitors traffic, andmaintains law and order, and provides a

March 1982 Dragonhuman backup for the all-important com-puters that control the smaller boost-grids. Fortunately for the irascible ex-Navy Pilot, he has a capable aide to han-dle public relations and to deal withcomplaints. Merely keeping the port op-erating smoothly takes up all of Wens-ley’s time, and most of his temper.

C-3: Zero-Gravity Hospital. This hasbecome the ideal place to treat burn vic-tims, leprosy patients, and those suffer-ing from damage to large muscles. Heal-ing in zero-gravity is not much slowerthan healing on a planet’s surface, andthe absence of hampering gravity andweight is a godsend for suffering pa-tients. It would be possible, using gravit-ic neutralizers, to construct a zero-Ghospital or ward on the planet’s surface,and for extreme emergencies this is in-deed done. But the high cost of runningsuch neutralizers makes the High Port’shospital a better investment.

At this time, the hospital is virtuallyoverrun with burn victims from the war-heads that fell on Theury continent justfive weeks ago. It has been estimatedthat of all the people burned on that fieryday, less than five per cent ever receivedany treatment. Since burns, when leftuntreated, are more deadly than nearlyany other injury, this means that aboutninety per cent of those burned that daywho might have been saved have alreadydied. This is, of course, a drop in thebucket when compared to the 2.8 billionpeople who died within minutes of thefalling of the first bombs.

C-4: The Research Alley. High-energyresearch in weightless conditions hasbeen an ongoing concern of the HighPort since its dedication. The sub-quan-tum labs here are most heavily involvedwith duplication of other labs’ experi-ments, for validation purposes; little tru-ly original research is done here. Thesame is true for the jump-technologylabs and the meson-gun experimentalstation; testing the claims of more ad-vanced research is the order of the day.

D: Gravitic Boost-Grids. Like the mainboost-grid at the Down Port, these areused for the landings and takeoffs ofspacecraft, and of the unmanned canis-ters that this port handles. Unlike theDown Port’s, these grids are tightly fo-cused by their dish antennae, have onlyone channel, and maneuver the point offocus by rotating and elevating of thedishes themselves.

These grids are distinctly less power-ful than the main grid below, since thereis no gravity to be overcome, and theyhave a more sharply limited range. Eachof these grids can exert a push or pull of100,000,000 Newtons — which meansthat a ship of 10,000 tons could bepushed or pulled at an acceleration of1G, or a 1,000-ton ship at 10G. Since

there is no weight to work against, even aship much larger than 10,000 tons can bepushed into place. . . slowly. Each grid’sreach is 5,000 kilometers, with a sharpdropoff in power beyond that range. Likethe main boost-grid at the Down Port,these grids are not limited to simplepushing or pulling in the straight linebetween them and their targets; trans-verse force can also be applied.

The operation of these smaller grids isas follows: A ship, either coming into thesystem from its in-jump or moving upfrom the planet below, passes at low ve-locity near the High Port. Guided by thegravitic equivalent of radar, whichever ofthe two grid-dishes is closer maneuversitself until it points at the ship. Then (as-suming the ship is to be docked at theHigh Port) the dish swings slowly about,towing the ship closer to the landingplatforms at location C or location G(described below). As soon as the shiphas been settled comfortably onto theplatform, the dish swings back around tolatch on to its next target. The sameprocedure is used for capturing the in-frequent fuel canister shipments fromColosse; the canisters, massing 150,000tons, once slowed, are maneuvered tolocation B.

These grids can be used for pushingobjects away, as well as for pulling tar-gets in; this explains the two batteries ofRepulsors-Z listed in the USP above. Mil-itarily, these are of questionable value ina fight, but the High Port was never de-signed as a fighting port.

E: Solar Power Relay. Aimed always atone of three receiving stations on theworld below, this facility beams solarpower that is collected from five large,sail-like reflective mirrors (not shown) inan orbit parallel to the High Port’s.

F: Weapons Station, and Scout andFighter Base. In truth, the High Port isnot capable of defending itself. The heavylasers and missile bays mounted hereare a meager defense at best. The Scoutand Fighter fleets based here go only sofar to make up the gap. As just menti-oned, the High Port was never designedwith warfare in mind, at least not as aprimary concern. This small installationis somewhat of an afterthought.

G: Landing Platforms. Similar to theplatforms at C, above, these grids areused more for cargo than for passengers.

H: The Battleship Fair Phyllis, for scalecomparison. Ships too big to be landedon either the planet or the platforms ofthe High Port can hang in orbit parallel tothe port, tended by shuttles. This is howlarge ships are constructed; there is no“drydock” as such. When a ship too largeto be handled by the Down Port is to bebuilt, its pieces are boosted into the HighPort’s orbit and assembled. Indeed, thisis how the High Port itself was built.

41

Dragon

Figure 5 Chain of command

Thumbnail sketchesGrand Admiral Jennifer de la Noue667BF9; age 42The youngest-ever Grand Admiral of

the Navy, de la Noue has risen to the topthrough the vacancies left by her super-iors, who either died in the disaster atFirst Binary or were forced to resign afterthe cover-ups of Second Binary. De laNoue has survived primarily by beinguncorrupt and ‘incorruptible. She passedthrough the recent ethics investigationsof the higher ranks with an absolutelyuntarnished record.

Commodore Athalos Steldan687BB9, age 38Although Steldan has a slightly more

scandalous service record than is usualfor his rank, including one unprecedent-ed case of flight from prosecution, thefacts have always served to acquit him.He seems to attract misunderstandingsfrom his superior, the Grand Admiral, indirect relation to his frequent — somewould say regular — breakthroughs andsuccesses in his field. If he appeared tohave sparked the abortive mutiny of twoyears past, the fracas clearly revealed

the degree of danger in the old fleet or-ganization. Steldan’s greatest coup wasto rescue Grand Admiral Rothar Siennefrom six years’ captivity, when all othersthought the old war hero dead.

Captain Alexis Wren89A999, age 34Of good record and unimpeachable

reputation, Captain Wren’s top achieve-ment seems to be the remarkable speedwith which he reacted to the Theuranwar. By the time his orbital satelliteswarned him of the missiles, there wasnothing he could do to prevent the deathof a continent. Singlehandedly, howev-er, he kept the war from crossing the seato Horla continent. His Fighter commandintercepted and destroyed the very fewintercontinental missiles launched —which seemed to have been fired for nobetter reason than to leave no survivorsat all, neutrals or not — and his desper-ate videophone diplomacy with the lead-ers of the Horlan nations quieted theirfears thoroughly enough to prevent anoutbreak on that continent.

Vol. VI, No. 9

Commander Charles Denis9A88A9, age 34Sent to Theury continent directly on

the heels of the war, Commander Denishad the assignment directly from Cap-tain Wren to bury the dead, treat the in-jured, aid the survivors, enforce order,put out the forest fires, and get food tothe people starving in the hinterlands.That the commander has succeeded atall is amazing; that he has succeededwell is little short of miraculous. Workingout of Emergency City, little more than atent town built around a makeshift TypeD Spaceport (See Figure 7), he has es-tablished a system of advance campsthat distribute medical supplies, and hasput people to other work than fighting.

Major General Danielle AvinB9D999, age 38Using the mobile elements of the 119th

Heavy Marines, she has stopped theoutbreak of violence across the waste-lands of Theury continent, sometimeswithout firing a shot. The interstellar Ma-rines have long enjoyed a reputation forinvincibility; no would-be bandit chief-tain could stand against them, and fewwould try. General Avin leads her troopswith a personal touch that is respectedand admired, overseeing every aspect ofthe subdivisional operation with untiringattention. In areas she has pacified, noone has dared to renew the fighting.

Lieutenant General Roland Baker687989, age 46When the great battleship Fair Phyllis

dropped out of jumpspace, the first peo-ple from its fleet to set foot on Horltheurwere the 4427th Marines, and first amongthem was General Baker. This has beenthe first operation in the Division’s histo-ry when the order of the day was to keeppeace, suppress banditry, and help ferrycasualties of someone else’s war to safe-ty. General Baker has adapted fairly well.Proud of being “a soldier, not a police-man,” his operations have been perhapscarried out with too much of a show ofstrength. Advised by his staff againstsuch overreactions as softening up targetzones with artillery, air strikes, or orbitalbombardment, he has swallowed hispride and proven himself quite a police-man indeed.

Adrian Redmond596DF9, age 50Aboard his complex command post of

a spaceship, Redmond is here as a rep-resentative of the Commerce Departmentof the interstellar government. Wars dis-rupt commerce almost as much as theydisrupt human life; Redmond’s job is todo what he can to restore economicorder. The peculiarities of the worldHorltheur — its independent status andfierce nationalistic pride, its high taxesand great armies — brought about a

42

March 1982 Dragon

Figure 6 The Fleet in Presence

43


Figure 6: The Fleet in Presence

Battleship: Fair Phyllis1,OOO,OOO tons BB-Y3336J4-F09909-90009-WBatteries bearing 400 100 400Batteries 800 200 800

TL=15Crew = 38,000Agility = 3

Heavy Cruisers: Cator, Dynamme, Forodh,Horor, Interpe, Flamme

75,000 tons CR-Q3336J3-F09909-90009-3Batteries bearing 45 10 45Batteries 60 15 60

TL=15Crew = 700Agility = 3

Light Cruisers: Desideriche, Todanga, Todega, Okemo,Lusederiche, Posata, Dand, Rung, Crusedereche

20,000 tons CL-L3336J3-F09909-90009-0Batteries bearing 15 4 15Batteries 16 4 16


Fighters: 300 aboard the Fair Phyllis and30 aboard each of the heavy cruisers

25 tons FF-0106Y31-000000-40000-0Batteries bearing 1Batteries 1


state of confusion when the war hit. Eventhough no more bombs will fail, the un-touched areas will be hit with economicdislocations that only a master hand canminimize. No one has ever denied thatAdrian Redmond is a master hand.

Kevin Munrow768899, age 30As Portmaster, Munrow has the duty

to aid his superior, Redmond, in any wayhe might. For five weeks now, since thewar, flights have been coming and goingvia the international airport to and fromTheury, carrying volunteers, supplies,and other aid. Since Redmond’s arrival,the additional use of the Spaceport hasbeen called upon, and it has been Mun-row’s job to keep it running smoothly asa participant in the rescue/recovery with-out interrupting its other, usual duties.

Donald Wensley7F6889, age 34This grouchy ex-pilot is in charge of

the High Port, and has been strained tothe limit taking care of de la Noue’s fleet.

Hospital ships: Barber, Diezette, Remedy,Haven, First Assist, Health, Tinct, Salve

30,000 tons AH-M3334J3-000200-0


Electromagnetic Effects/Communications Ship: Graphein9,000 tons NL-J3336J3-200000-00000-0

x8


Fuel Tankers: x 40,000 tons A0-N5334C3-400700-00000-0


Destroyers: x232,000 tons DD-B333CJ2-F07609-90009-0Batteries bearing 31 1Batteries 31 1


Scouts: x48100 tons S-13339R1-000000-40000-0Batteries bearing 1Batteries 1

T L = 1 3Crew = 1 Agility = 3

Most of the shuttles transporting mate-rial from orbit to ground, from ground toorbit, and from one orbit to another, havecome from his port; when the space-hands of de la Noue’s fleet take a breakfrom duty, they take it at his port. Hisother duties cannot be forgotten either,leaving him busy with some problem orother for thirty hours out of every twenty-four-hour day. If one of his lieutenants isfoolish enough to volunteer to take oversome trivial chore, Wensley has plenty ofenergy to curse the fellow up and down.Since these emotional outbursts seem torelax Wensley, his staff somehow man-ages to provoke one every ten hours orso. Work gets done much more efficient-ly because of this, and so everyone ishappy.

Robert LawrenceABAA99, age 34Paradox: A loud-voiced, thick, tall man,

with an aggressive manner of conversa-tion, who is actually of a retiring disposi-tion when allowed to be, Inspector Gen-eral Lawrence of the Interstellar Port Au-

44

thority wields more behind-the-scenespower than do either de la Noue or Red-mond, while technically subordinate tothe latter.

Lawrence’s responsibility is to investi-gate, tactfully, whether or not it would bea good idea for the interstellar govern-ment to quash Horltheur’s independenceand incorporate the planet. How is oneto investigate an issue of such sensitivitywithout causing repercussions? Law-rence manages. He is to be a field agentfor Redmond, without anyone knowingit. When neither one’s employer norone’s contacts know whom is being dealtwith, how can results be achieved? Law-rence manages. And when one is himselfsuch a contradiction, how can he recon-cile himself to his somewhat distastefulmission? Lawrence manages. PerhapsRedmond is better off not knowing justhow.

FIGURE 7: EMERGENCY CITYA: Water Desalinization and Power

Reactor. This facility supplies 600 litersof drinkable water per minute, and nine

March 1982 Dragonper cent of the city’s electrical power.The rest of the power comes from im-ported fuel.

B: Hospitals. Like all the other hospi-tals on the planet, these are filled to over-flowing, primarily with burn victims.Treatment has been effective, however;very few patients have been lost afterbeing hospitalized.

C: Tent City. The city proper. Plumb-ing, drainage, and heating are all sup-plied from prefabricated units shippedhere by cargo carrier and set up virtuallyovernight. Living is as comfortable hereas might be expected, with little in theway of luxuries, but with all subsistenceneeds cared for. Currently, some 7,600people inhabit the “city”; of these, only280 are Navy and Marine personnel. Vir-tually every citizen of the city is single,and the only survivor of his or her family.Only luck has allowed them to live; thepsychological injuries treated here arevery nearly as deadly as the physicalones — or, say some doctors, moredeadly. Since more citizens here die

Figure 7

from suicide than wounds, this may wellbe true.

D: The Ruins. Extending for dozens ofmiles to the north, the ruins of the oldcity are perhaps the prime cause of thesesuicides. Beyond the horizon, occupy-ing the entire northern aspect of Emer-gency City, the blackened hectares pre-sent one of the most memorable andhorrifying vistas conceivable. The top-pled buildings all lean to the south, awayfrom the impact point of the nearest ofthe seventeen bombs that hit this once-city. Black, gritty dust constantly driftsto the east, a thin veil against the sun.

A short distance into the ruins, somesurvivors have erected a small monu-ment, built of stones salvaged from thetoppled buildings and covered with ce-ment. No one had the means to cast abronze plaque, so the legend was scrawl-ed into the wet cement, which then har-dened, leaving the inscription perman-ent. The words are a quote from an ano-nymous survivor, who was heard to ut-ter, just before dying of his burns: “This

Emergency City

whole thing was kind of dumb, wasn’tit?”

E: The Spaceport, class D. No boost-grid is installed here, nor terminal build-ing, shops, construction yards, or ware-houses Ships must take off and land ontheir own power, and must share therunway strips with normal aircraft thatfly in regularly from Horla continent.Spaced around the flattened and ce-mented field are landing-signal towers,so that ships may land by instrumentduring the city’s frequent thick fogs.

F: Headquarters. From here Com-mander Charles Denis oversees theoperation of the city, as well as activitiesaround the continent. There are fivecomputer model/1’s here, some radioequipment, and little else. Contact ismaintained with the advance campsspread over the continent from this head-quarters, and with the orbiting fleet. Forits part, the fleet sends down updatedorbital photographs of weather patternsand of surviving settlements.

G: Radio tower. Equipped to send and

45

Dragonreceive radio signals, and with the gravit-ic equivalent of radar, this tower is thecity’s link with the rest of the world.

FIGURE 8: TYPICAL OFFICE SUITEA: Corridor. Each square is 1.5 meters

on a side.B: Offices.C: Entrance to Torman and Son, ex-

cess stock liquidators. The firm is astruggling concern, equivalent to a +1broker. No one can quite tell if the Tor-mans are honest businessmen or not,although their twice-yearly audit neveruncovers anything more suspicious thanarithmetic errors. They don’t run a richfirm, or a really successful one, but theyseem capable of handling the assign-ments people bring to them. In this areaof the office, the receptionists deal withcustomers by phone, vid, or in person.There is a waiting room, neither spa-cious nor comfortable, but Torman andSon are not usually so busy as to keepcustomers waiting overlong.

D: Work cubicle. Here, clerk Jan War-ner makes his retreat, filing his personalpapers and worksheets. A customer com-ing into the offices with an assignmentthat didn’t require the personal attentionof the Messrs. Torman would probablybe shown in here to deal with Warner as arepresentative of the company. Jan canhandle his routine, perhaps without im-agination, perhaps without initiative, butwith something close to competence.

E: Work cubicle. Similar to D (above),this is the work space of Hjalmar Tar,company senior clerk. Although he’dnever admit it to anyone, Tar has everyhope of someday wresting control of thecompany from the younger Mr. Torman.Tar’s every effort has gone into knowingmore about how the company worksthan either of his employers — so that,on the long-awaited day when the seniorMr. Torman dies, Tar will be the only onecapable of keeping the company afloat.

F: Office of Richard Torman, the juniorpartner. In general, Richard runs the of-fice while Arnesco Torman, his fatherand the senior partner, runs the com-pany. There are phones to be answered,letters to be dictated, and clerks to beharried. Richard keeps things runningsmoothly enough, not knowing thatHjalmar Tar, the senior clerk he hatesand is hated by, has already made him-self indispensable. Richard wouldn’t lastten days without Tar; when the propertime comes, Tar intends for Richard tofind that out.

G: Office of Arnesco Torman, the se-nior partner. Privacy, more than any-thing else, is to be found here. Arnesco’sdealings are almost always by video-phone, where his aggressive personalitycan most effectively be applied. Arnes-co’s foes accuse him of browbeatingcustomers and clients; in truth, his tac-tics go far beyond mere browbeating. By

switching from being stubborn to beingreasonable, and at exactly the right mo-ment, he achieves amazing results. Ar-nesco is not just the crank old price-gouger he lets himself appear to be, but acrafty and successful businessman, self-trained, poorly educated, and, if the truthbe said, just a little bit brilliant. For eightmonths now, he has secretly been train-ing a more loyal replacement for the in-sidious Hjalmar Tar, so that when thetime comes, the disloyal clerk will unex-pectedly find himself unemployed. That,he congratulates himself, was easy. Nowon to real work.

H: The junior clerks’ work area. some-one needs to draft the sales contractsinto good legal formula; three juniorclerks take care of that necessary bit ofdrudgery.

I: Files Room. Somewhere in here,filed where not even Arnesco Tormancould find it, is the first credit ever madeby the firm. The rest of the files are dupli-cates of such things as stock certificates,letters mailed out, letters received, con-tracts signed, and so on. The originals ofanything truly valuable are depositeddowntown at the main branch of theBank of Exonidas.

J: Hallway. This way to the restrooms.In this area are the commonplace thingsto be found in any office: unopenedboxes of forms, the copying machine,and of course, the water cooler.

K: The Computer. Only Hjalmar Tarreally knows how to use the computer—or so he thinks. Hjalmar gains prestigeand pay bonuses for programming it,debugging it, kicking it when it crashes,and tending it in general. Of course thistakes some time away from his regularduties, and some of the office staff havecome to look on him as a well trainedloafer. Hjalmar’s replacement, when thesurprise is finally sprung, knows moreabout this class of computer than Hjal-mar has any hope of learning. There isno justice.

L: Conference room. Since Tormanand Son holds very few conferences, thishas turned into an unofficial storeroom,with boxes, bundles, and form verifiers.The table is nice, though, when it hasn’tgot junk piled a meter deep on top of it.

Outer space encountersImmediately upon breaking out of

Jumpspace, player characters’ shipshave a great chance of having an orbitalor insystem encounter. Roll 2D6 andconsult the following table.

2: No encounter of note: Normal trafficabout the system.

3-5: Free Trader. Roll on subtablebelow.

6: Pirate. Although the law level of thissystem as a whole is quite high, the im-mensity of the system makes the occa-sional grab for loot a feasible act — evennow, while the system is swarming with

46

Vol. VI, No. 9

Navy ships because of the one-continentwar below. Roll on subtable below.

7-8: Patrol. Roll on subtable below.9-10: Subsidized Merchant. Roll on

subtable below.11-12: Yacht. Roll on subtable below.

Free Trader subtable2-3: Smuggler4-8: Legitimate9-10: Forged papers11-12: Forged papers/smuggler/refe-

ree’s choice

Pirate subtable2-4: Scout5: Yacht6-10: Cruiser11: Roll twice, ignoring 11 or 1212: Roll three times, ignoring 11 or 12

Patrol subtable2-6: scout (x 1D6)7-10: Cruiser (x 1-2)11: Something heavier (ref’s choice)12: Roll twice, ignoring 12

Subsidized Merchant subtable2-4: Smuggler5-8: Legitimate9-11: Forged papers12: Carrying inspector plus bodyguard

squad; or, ref’s choice

Yacht subtable2: Kidnap victim3-5: Smuggler6-11: Legitimate12: Ref’s choice

In all cases, before radio contact isestablished, roll 2D6 for the other ship’scaptain’s reaction, with 2 meaning overthostility, 12 meaning genuine friendli-ness, and other results being shaded inbetween. Modify these results due to therealistic mission of the encounter. A Pi-rate, rolling a 2, will attack, to board andkill; rolling a 12, he might seek to enticethe players into a partnership. A Patrol,on the other hand, would be limited toextremes of either firing a warning shotand boarding for inspection, or lettingthe players pass without delay, while ra-dioing across a friendly and perhapsuseful message.

Down Port encountersRoll 1D6 twice, to give results from 11

to 66, reading one die as tens and one asdigits.

11: Unexpected -2 on sale price ofcargo.

12: All the passengers you need.13: Ship’s weapons for sale at 5%

discount.14: Unexpected +3 on cargo resale.15: Cargo for sale: your choice of first

digit on Trade table.16: Cargo for sale: Your choice.21: Unexpected +1 on cargo resale.

DragonMarch 1982

F i g u r e 8 T y p i c a l o f f i c e s u i t e 22: Fuel at 75% normal cost.23: Unexpected +2 on cargo resale.24: Cargo for sale at -1 on price.25: -10% on annual overhaul, good

here only, any time in the next six months.26: -30% on price of missiles/reloads.31: Bargain in a shop or store (low

value). 32: Bargain in a shop or store (low to

average value).33: Bargain in a shop or store (above

average value on needed items).34: Bargain in a shop or store (excel-

lent value).35: Rumor.36: Rumor.41: Favorable business offer; ref’s

choice.42: Rich passenger in need of quick

passage.43: Shipping delay.44: Insult.45: False accusation.46: Papers served on your ship, pre-

venting departure or loading.51: Small bomb placed on your ship;

50% chance bomb threat called in.52: Broker defaults, pocketing his fee.53: Embarrassing fiasco with friendly

natives and two marines.54: You are mixed up with and impli-

cated in illegal drug dealings.55: An accident occurs (1-2, to you;

3-6, to another).56: Illegal business offer (1-2, trap; 3-6,

for real).61: You suffer a false arrest.62: You suffer a false arrest, and find

that the evidence could easily lead to aconviction.

63: An attack from a person with a clubor fists (1-2, on you; 3-6, on another).

64: An attack from a person with aknife (1-2: on you; 3-6: on another).

65: An attack from a person with a gun(1-2, on you; 3-6, on another).

66: An attack from a hidden Psionicist(1-2, on you; 3-6, on another).

This table is used once per day, atmost. At the players’ option, this tablemight be used only once per week.

Players may, by their option, act withcircumspection, trying to avoid unplea-

sant encounters. If so, results on the ta-ble will be restricted to 31-46 inclusive.

Options for adventureThis world is legally independent of

the larger interstellar government, sothat going into business as an importer,for instance, while difficult, may be re-warding. There is great profit to be madein mining or salvaging the sites of theruined cities of Theury continent, organ-izing relief efforts (for pay), capitalizingon the nearly vacant continent itself(land prices are wildly unpredictable), oreven setting oneself up as a bandit king.(Many such have gone into businessdespite the order-keeping efforts of the

47


Navy and the Marines. Can you do betterthan they have?)

In space, the Fleet in Presence tendsto put a damper on piracy, a disadvan-tage equally offset by the presence ofplentiful, rich traffic ripe for raiding. Inother fields, trade is needed in the itemsthat Theury continent used to produce.Shortages of these products — mostlyhigh-tech stuff such as computers— willbegin to be felt on Horla continent be-fore too long.

The operations of the fleet are concen-trated toward the planet below. Whatwould happen if an enemy fleet made asortie at this time? Although this is felt tobe unlikely, so were the historic raids onPearl Harbor and on Port Arthur.

Back in the hinterlands of Theury, upin the high hills, survivors and banditsskirmish for control of the few unde-stroyed resources. The Marines arespread dangerously thin. Could a bandithorde, of tech level equivalent to 5 or 6,successfully ambush a patrol of Marinesat tech level 15? Can the Marines keeporder while killing an absolute minimumof troublemakers?

There’s an assassin high in the moun-tains, stalking one of the few living offi-cials of Theury continent. Is that in-tended victim now the legal president ofthe continent? Can he be saved?

Emergency City needs doctors. Theuryneeds able and willing workers of anydescription. No skill would be unwel-come. There is a government—an entirecontinent — to rebuild from scratch.

A rumor: Fifteen massive warheadsare unaccounted for. Are they buried,undetonated, where they fell? Were theyever launched? Are the records incor-rect? Some might object that this is atrifling complaint: The Turga Lancerscarry more than forty low-power tacticalwarheads, and Drake’s Slashers morethan one hundred. But these that are ru-mored to be missing are city-busting de-vices. In the wrong hands . . . .

A rumor: A group called the PlanetaryIndependence Party is planning to usethis opportunity for confusion to takeover the Spaceport at Exonidas in acommando-style guerrilla raid. Is it non-sense, propaganda, or truth?

A rumor: Theury continent has beenopened up to colonization. It’s up forgrabs, folks. Although not true, the storyhas gotten wide enough circulation thatentire planeloads of would-be adventur-ers have gotten themselves a grubstakeand some camping equipment, intend-ing to become frontiersmen and settlers.How are they to be stopped? Or shouldthey be?

There are opportunities on Horltheur;if you don’t seek them out, they’ll neverpay off.

Figure 9The planet Horltheur

48

DragonMarch 1982

The halflingpoint of view

bYROGER MOORE

he smallest and physicallyweakest of all thedemi-human races are

49

Dragonhalflings, so named because they arealmost exactly one-half the size of hu-mans. Male halflings average 3’ in heightand females slightly less; they all weighabout 50-60 Ibs., and they look much likesmall humans. In fact, evidence sug-gests that halflings are more closely re-lated to humans than any other demi-human race.

Most humans tend to see halflings aschild-like, basically happy, naive, andhungry most of the time. Some of theseobservations may be correct, but thewhole impression is still rather superfi-cial. How do halflings see themselvesand the rest of the world? How do theysee us?

One of the key words in halfling socie-ty is security. The world, from their view-point, is both helpful and hostile, and it’sthe hostile part that concerns them. Theaverage halfling has a strength rating ofabout 8, weaker even than an averagekobold. Direct hand-to-hand combat withan opponent of almost any sort can easi-ly be a losing proposition due to thisphysical weakness, along with the half-ling’s height disadvantage (against mostcreatures) and the limited fighting abilityhalflings can achieve (most never ex-ceed the 4th level).

These facts profoundly affect halflings’lifestyles and the structure of their com-munity. Halfling fighters, despite theirdisadvantages, are still quite common inany such community. They function inan almost entirely defensive role, gener-ally unwilling to travel with large armiesoff to war except in the most urgent cir-cumstances. Halfling fighters also serveas the local police or sheriff’s depart-ment, keeping the peace among their fel-lows and among the non-halfling tra-vellers who pass through town.

Halfling fighters are known to go ad-venturing, but they rarely go very far andare prone to retire quickly soon afterthey reach their highest level of ability.Then they may become involved in thelocal militia or government, devoting therest of their lives to community service(for which they are much appreciated).

Halfling clergy, either druids or nor-mal clerics, almost never go adventuringunless it is a matter of great importanceto the halfling people. Their primaryfunction is to help maintain the securityof the halfling community to the best oftheir abilities, and their most commonprayers are for the continued support oftheir deities in keeping their homes safeand their lives untroubled.

The normal (0-level) members of thehalfling community generally believe inan orderly, cooperative system of work-ing together to ensure the continuedstability of their society. Individuals whobreak the rules are scolded and pun-ished for “rocking the boat,” and it isimpressed upon them that their activitiesare endangering not only themselves but

their neighbors as well. “Safety in num-bers” is the moral of many of the child-ren’s stories halfling youngsters hear.This outlook tends to discourage no-tions of going adventuring in all but themost courageous — or foolhardy.

It is an interesting contradiction oftheir society that, while halfling adven-turers and heroes who leave the com-munity for long periods of time are muchrevered, they are also seen as being out-side the bounds of “normal” halfling be-havior. No parent tells a child to grow upand be like Uncle Boffo, who killed aworg singlehandedly and saved hisfriends from death by backstabbing aghoul. “Uncle Boffo is not like us regularhalflings,” mother would say instead.“We’re awful glad he’s around, but still itwas foolish of him to go adventuring likethat when he knows he could get hurt orlost. We’re safer staying here at home.”

The negative consequences of this in-sistence upon security are readily ap-parent. The average halfling is reluctantto take action in unexpected situationswithout looking for a consensus among

Most humans tend to seehalflings as child-like, basicallyhappy, naive, and hungry mostof the t ime. Some of theseobservations may be correct, bythe whole impression is stillrather superficial.

other halflings of what would be the bestthing to do. Thus, halflings tend to ap-pear shy, fearful, and overcautious whenon their own for the first time. Their so-ciety appears stagnated in the eyes ofother races, and they tend to close them-selves off from the rest of the world.

Halfling life, while it seems to suit themwell, can be described at worst as clan-nish and on the boring side. Yet there is agreat strength in this lifestyle, too. Oncemotivated by a leader-type toward somecourse of community action, halflings enmasse can be powerfully effective indealing with invaders, disasters, or othersuch problems. Oppressors can be over-thrown almost before they are even awarethere is a rebellion afoot, due to the half-lings’ speed and the intense cooperationhalflings demonstrate in a group of theirfellows. On more than one occasion,brigands who had previously raided ahalfling community have been complete-ly wiped out on their second raid, be-cause they overestimated their abilitiesagainst such apparently weak folk.

How is this possible? This ability is

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Vol. VI, No. 9

largely due to the halflings’ sense of or-ganization and willingness to work to-gether. At least as much of a factor is thathalflings, more than any other race ex-cept elves, are natural-born guerrillafighters. This is not to say they practicewarfare a great deal — they don’t. Buthalflings can conceal themselves in nat-ural terrain so well as to become effec-tively invisible. Their feet (usually no-ticeable only because they are hairy) arethick-soled and well adapted for silentmovement.

Most helpful of all in many ways istheir skill with missile weapons. Shortpeople of any race, unless they are verystrong, are at a disadvantage in hand-to-hand combat. The best they can hope foris to kill an opponent before the enemygets within striking distance; this is wherebows, arrows, and slings fill the bill. Hal-flings have practiced long and hard withshort bows and slings for this very rea-son, as well as using them for huntingand sport. Halflings have exceptionalnatural dexterity as well. All this com-bines to make them +3 to hit when usingany short bow or sling — an amazingdegree of accuracy, especially for a hal-fling who also has exceptionally highdexterity.

Imagine, then, the effectiveness of agroup of thirty halflings, wearing onlyleather armor and equipped with shortbows, hiding in a woods by a roadside,awaiting the passage of a robber gangwho cannot see or hear them. Bows arevery quiet, and pinpointing the locationof a bow-sniper in a forest is hard enoughwithout having to locate a sniper whocan effectively disappear in the same en-vironment. And halflings do not shoot towound. They have trouble taking pri-soners, for the same reasons they aren’tgood at close combat.

One of the things a small person cando to protect himself is to ally himselfwith a bigger person, even if that biggerperson isn’t the most likable sort of guy.Halflings seem to make such allianceson a larger scale than other races. It isvery unusual to find a halfling communi-ty located more than a couple hours’ rideat most from either a dwarven, elven, orhuman town.

Depending on the makeup of the near-est town(s), the population of a halflingcommunity will include varieties of half-lings that resemble their non-halflingneighbors. Hairfeet live near men, haveno infravision, and reside in small cot-tages. Tallfellows live in forests (some inhollow trees) and have infravision likeelves, as well as being more lithe andelven in appearance. Stouts are shorterthan hairfeet, live in caves and tunnelcomplexes, and have infravision. Theycan detect slopes and other undergroundfeatures in a fashion similar to dwarves.

Some of these similarities are proba-bly due to imitation and the effects of the

March 1982 Dragonenvironment. However, there is alwaysthe possibility of an occasional cross-marriage and subsequent mixing of thegene pool. Cross-racial marriages arequite rare in halfling society, but havebeen known to occur. Very little is said orheard about them, though.

Most halfling towns are set in temper-ate hills and plains. The dwellings them-selves tend to vary as described above,but are usually a curious mixture ofabove-ground cottages and hillside bur-rows and tunnels. Individual homes areoutfitted for comfort and a restful at-mosphere; greens and yellows are muchused in interior color. Large spaces areset aside for outdoor gatherings like par-ties, community meetings, and sportsevents. Gardens are common, and half-lings are prone to outfit their homes withodd bits of natural decoration: rocks,minerals, plants, bark.

Everything about halfling society con-tributes to the feeling of closeness andsafety. Even maps of halfling manufac-ture rarely describe areas external to thecommunity, other than noting (on themargin, in small print) that to the nor-theast is “where all the humans live,” orthat “the mountains are said to be in thisdirection,” and so on. Halfling communi-ties located near dangerous areas areoften honeycombed with subsurface tun-nels and ambush points, should invasionoccur, and the lands around are heavilyscouted by missile-armed patrols; am-bush points are likely to be maintainedas well.

Despite their misgivings about the“bigger folks,” halflings are generallyopen and conversational with others.They have good relations with other rac-es, though the bigger people are seenwith some suspicion, Halflings in gener-al do not bear hatred for any race and areprone to accept even the normally unac-ceptable sorts like half-orcs into theircommunity (though everyone will bewatching, of course). Halflings are usu-ally trusting and honest, though theyalso enjoy pranks and may become eva-sive if uneasy with their company.

With all the things working to discour-age halflings from ever becoming adven-turers, one wonders why some do any-way. Every society, no matter how close-ly knit, will have some rebels, those whodon’t fit smoothly into the usual Schemeof Things. Many halfling adventurers(particularly thieves and fighter/thieves)are from this sort of background. Theygrow tired of the unchanging nature oftheir life at home and set off seeking alittle excitement.

Nearly all halfling adventurers startout with naive attitudes and high expec-tations of how things are going to turnout; subsequently, some fall prey to themultitude of subtler dangers one meetsin the adventuring life. Yet even then,these halflings see their troubles as a fair

price to pay. Going adventuring is a sortof protest against comfort, a reaction tohaving things come too easily. Certainlythese adventurers aren’t rejecting allcomforts (some have been known tobring their pillows with them in case theywere unable to find a bed).

Adventuring is a dare to halflings, acalculated risk. It makes the adventurermore acutely aware of his or her ownlimitations and capabilities, and, in thewords of one halfling, “It makes you feelmore alive.” Halfling adventurers of anyclass almost never travel alone, and pre-fer going in a large group with a lot ofnon-halflings in it. (Any being who is nota halfling is automatically seen as capa-ble and experienced in adventuring.)

Because of their natural abilities tomove silently and hide, most halflingsdesire to take up a profession that makesthe best use of these talents. Being afighter has the drawback of putting thehalfling in frequent close-combat situa-tions (the disadvantages of which havebeen noted before). But being a thief, ora combination fighter and thief, is ano-ther matter entirely.

Despite their misgivingsa b o u t t h e “ b i g g e r f o l k s , ”halflings are generally open andconversational with others.They have good relations withother races, though the biggerpeople are seen with somesuspicion.

Now, it should be noted that halflingsas a whole are law-abiding and honest.They don’t make a living picking oneanother’s pockets, or filching gems fromtreasure rooms. Thieves, however, aren’tsupposed to get into direct combat. Theyare supposed to move silently, hide a lot,and make moves unseen by their oppo-nents Thieves learn to open locks (fuel-ing a halfling’s normally irrepressible cu-riosity about what is going on behindlocked doors). As for stealing, well, thatcan be rationalized as borrowing, or tak-ing things that someone has too many ofand won’t miss anyway, and besides, itwould be nice to have that ring....

Though they aren’t the best at climb-ing because of their size, and they havetrouble with other written languages,halflings make excellent thieves. Theyalmost never admit to being of that pro-fession, though. Halfling thieves describethemselves most often as simply “adven-turers” or “scouts.” One diminutive miss,a master of the thieving art, says, “I’m afighter. I just happen to do my best fight-ing from behind.”

Halflings who adventure for a longtime often undergo a subtle change inthe way they view their home communi-ty. They become mildly acute critics ofthe stifling aspects of halfling society,exceedingly aware of the stagnant at-mosphere, the extreme concern withsafety, the closed-mindedness that per-meates halflings’ lives.

Yet they, the adventurers, are alsoamong the most vigorous defenders oftheir home towns. After a long period ofhazardous journeying, after seeing theinnumerable horrors lurking in the out-side world, the quiet and security of ahalfling community is a wonderful reliefindeed. “There have been times,” saidone returned adventurer, “when I wisheda demon or two would come throughtown and make things interesting. I wasso bored. But then, if I really want to seedemons, I can go to a dungeon. It’s bet-ter that things stay quiet here at homeeven if it is a little dull.”

Halfling religion mirrors the race’s pre-occupation with security. Yondalla, themost powerful and widely worshippedhalfling deity, is usually known as the“Protector” who serves as a guardianagainst evil forces. She is able to hide herworshipers with illusions, usually mak-ing them invisible or disguising them asnatural foliage. Yondalla’s symbol is ap-propriate, too: the shield, representingdefensive power and security. Her holyday is called “Safeday.” Yondalla is alsothe “Provider,” an aspect perhaps relat-ed to the halfling love for comfort. Yon-dalla uses a variety of magical weaponsin the defense of her people, but none ofthem are particularly important in the ce-remonies for her worship, or even in thetales in which they appear. It was Yon-dalla, by the way, who gifted halflingswith their resistance to magic and poi-son, to protect them even further fromthe ravages of the world.

The smallest of all the demi-humans,then, is a race that at first glance shouldhave been quickly overwhelmed by thegreat cruel world long ago. It wasn’t,though, and halflings continue to thrivein close cooperation with the other demi-human and human races. Though half-lings maintain a low-key existence, indi-viduals arise with surprising regularity toconsiderable heights of fame (or infamy)as thieves; as such; they will continue toremind the rest of the world that the half-lings are still here — with each pursestolen, each treasure chest broken into,and each pocket picked.

Material for this article came from thevarious AD&D™ tomes, Iibrams, and man-uals, as well as from Paul H. Kocher’sexcellent Master of Middle Earth (paper-back, Ballantine Books). My thanks, too,to Cassandra Proudfoot, who was ableto point out some of the finer points ofthe thieving life. By the way, whereveryou are, I want my wallet back.

51


The godsof thehalflings

The halfling pantheon is a small one,having one greater deity (Yondalla) andseveral lesser deities and demigods. Mostregions worship only a few of them, fouror five at most, and as with all religionsthere may well be different gods wor-shipped in different areas.

Yondalla is the top authority amongthe halfling gods, though it is said hercontrol over Brandobaris is minimal attimes. Regardless of their orientationand spheres of influence, all the halflingdeities work together against the ene-mies of the halfling people.

Most members of the halfling pan-theon reside on one of the planes of theSeven Heavens, in an area generallyknown as the Green Fields. Sheela Pery-royl and one or two other deities maketheir homes on the plane of ConcordantOpposition, and Brandobaris roams thePrime Material plane, but there are timeswhen they too may be found in the GreenFields — just as the various Greek gods,come to Olympus to meet.

Sphere of

It is interesting that the more powerfulhalfling deities tend to be females. Bycontrast, dwarven gods tend to be males,and elven gods a combination of bothgenders. Halfling deities are not aggres-sive by and large, and are more taken upwith home pursuits and protection thanwith fighting. Even the adventurous Bran-dobaris avoids combat if he can help it.Most halfling deities are concerned withspheres of security, sufficiency, theearth, youth, play and humor, good luck,law, peace, secrecy, love, and friend-ship; one deity may actually control twoor more of these concerns, as is commonin this pantheon. The halflings have nodeities of evil nature, or ones represent-ing war, suffering, fire and water, ordeath. Yondalla is usually invoked atfunerals as a protector of the departedsouls of halflings. There is a neutral-aligned masculine lesser deity, Uroga-Ian, who sometimes acts as a judge ofand protector of the dead, but he is pri-marily an earth god. Urogalan lives on

Raiment Holy

the plane of Corcordant Opposition.The four deities listed in this article are

among the most commonly worshippedones. Some halfling druids might wor-ship deities from other pantheons (e.g.,Sylvanus, Ki, Dagda, Lugh), but this isnot common. Other deities may be devel-oped as desired by individual DungeonMasters, of course.

Despite the small physical size of thehalfling deities, their innate powers arequite respectable, and many of themwork closely with deities from other pan-theons as well, just as mortal halflingstend to work closely with other humansand demihumans. Brandobaris is said tovisit other thieves’ deities, particularlyHermes; Sheela Peryroyl is on goodterms with a number of Celtic divinities;Yondalla and the other lawful good dei-ties help and are helped by other lawfulgood deities, and so forth. Thus, it maybe safely asserted that the halfling pan-theon should not, despite its size, belooked down upon.

Sacrifice/Propitiation Place ofDeity Control Animal Head Body Colors Days Frequency Form WorshipSheela Peryroyl agriculture, weather butterfly bare green robes green full moon monthly seeds open fieldArvoreen defense, warriors war dog helmet chainmail silver before varies silvered anywhere

battle weaponsCyrrollalee trust, protection squirrel bare brown robes brown first day monthly prayers home

of monthBrandobaris thieves mouse feathered leather gray new monthly stolen anywhere

cap armor moon itemsHalfling clerics and druids may be male or female. They frequently lead their communities and influence its activities. Many

arbitrate disputes to obtain justice and good (if lawful good) or fairness and impartiality (if neutral).

52

March 1982 Dragon

by ROGER MOORE

ARVOREENLesser god

ARMOR CLASS: 1MOVE: 12”HIT POINTS: 298NO. OF ATTACKS: 3/2DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-20 (+8)SPECIAL ATTACKS: Summon halfling

heroes; invisibilitySPECIAL DEFENSES: +2 or better

weapon to hit; see belowMAGIC RESISTANCE: 65%SIZE: M (4½’ tall)ALIGNMENT: Lawful goodWORSHIPER’S ALIGN: All good and

neutral warriors (halflings)SYMBOL: Short sword and shieldPLANE: Seven HeavensCLERIC/DRUID: 8th level clericFIGHTER: 12th level rangerMAGIC-USER/ILLUSIONIST: NilTHIEF/ASSASSIN: 10th level thiefMONK/BARD: 8th level monkPSIONIC ABILITY: NilS: 20 (+3, +8) I: 21 W: 23D: 24 C: 23 CH: 21

The closest thing halflings have to agod of war is Arvoreen the Defender, thepatron of halfling fighters. Arvoreen neverattacks an opponent first, but the firstattack upon the deity (if it hits) does onlyhalf damage, regardless of its power.The first magical attack upon him is au-tomatically reflected back upon the cas-

ter; thereafter, spells are cast normally.For his part, Arvoreen can go invisible

at will and attack unseen for the first 4-16rounds of combat against any mortal,non-divine being. He commands a +4sword that can shapechange into anyother type of hand-to-hand weapon forcombat. Once a day, Arvoreen may sum-mon 10-40 halfling fighters (4th-levelHeroes), each armed with short swordsand short bows; they are AC 4 with 25 hitpoints each, and obey him implicitly.

Arvoreen, though quite powerful, isnot a particularly aggressive deity. Hefights only if attacked, though he doesseek out his enemies and actively con-front them to get them to desist fromtheir evil practices. He will not go very farout of his way to avoid combat if it oc-curs, however, and fights to the finish.

Fighters and fighter/thieves comprisemost of his worshipers; these fighter-/thieves are sometimes of neutral goodalignment, and all prefer to use theirfighting skills over their thieving ones.While Arvoreen does not hold thieving tobe necessarily dishonorable, he discour-ages thievery unless against enemies tobetter the chances for physical combatlater. (It’s okay, for example, to stealyour enemies’ weapons, or break intotheir camp to free prisoners or makeguerrilla raids, but not just to make your-self rich.) Arvoreen absolutely prohibitsstealing from other halflings or alliedbeings.

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DragonSHEELA PERYROYLLesser goddess

ARMOR CLASS: 3MOVE: 9” (24”)HIT POINTS: 306NO. OF ATTACKS: 1DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-16 (+6)SPECIAL ATTACKS: Unlimited use

of entangle spellSPECIAL DEFENSES: immune to all

weapons with wood in them;x2 or better weapon to hit

MAGIC RESISTANCE: 80%SIZE: S (4’ tall)ALIGNMENT: NeutralWORSHIPER’S ALIGN: All alignments

(halflings)SYMBOL: DaisyPLANE: Concordant OppositionCLERIC/DRUID: 14th level druidFIGHTER: 7th level rangerMAGIC-USER/ILLUSIONIST: 14th level

magic-userTHIEF/ASSASSIN: NilMONK/BARD: 10th level bardPSIONIC ABILITY: NilS: 18(00) (+3, +6) I: 22 W: 25D: 22 C: 24 CH: 22

Sheela Peryroyl, known as Sheela theWise, is the halfling deity of agriculture,nature, and weather. She appears as ahalfling female dressed in wildflowers. Itis said that when she sings she causesfields to grow, trees to bud, and seeds tosprout. Sheela brings good weather toher favored worshipers, but can easilysend drought or floods to others.

Her followers often wear a small flowerto honor her and strive to work in har-mony with nature and the earth. Theyhold two major celebrations yearly, asidefrom regular monthly services: when thefirst crops of the year are planted (called

Vol. VI, No. 9

The Seeding, New Spring, and other ti-tles, depending on the region), and atharvest time (High Harvest, The Reap-ing, etc.). Community-wide revelry iscommon at these celebrations, startingwhen the day’s work is done and contin-uing late into the night. The length ofthese celebrations varies from region toregion, but averages about 10 days.

There is a 1% chance a halfling makinga great quest or sacrifice in the name ofSheela Peryroyl will be granted the pow-er to cast an entangle spell once (at the6th level of ability) at an enemy. Thisdoes not depend on the halfling’s align-ment or class, except that true neutralhalflings can cast the entangle spell at12th level of ability. The power may begranted several times in a halfling’s life-time, but the quests or sacrifices made togain it will become harder and morecostly with time. Only one such entanglespell may be had at any one time.

Sheela Peryroyl, if needed, can createa special type of staff (like a shillelagh) inone segment from a blade of grass or atwig. This weapon is +4 to hit and does2-16 (plus strength bonuses) points ofdamage. She can also cast the spell en-tangle (her favorite method of attack anddefense) once per round as often as shelikes. The spell effects will be cumulativeif cast several times over the same area;i.e., should she cast entangle twice at atroll and should it make its saving throwtwice against it, the troll would be slowedto one-fourth normal speed. Additional-ly, each successive entangle cast afterthe first one will inflict 1-4 points of dam-age on all creatures trapped therein fromconstriction and abrasion. (There is nosaving throw for this, and it makes nodifference if victims can move or not.)

Her clerics are all druids and canachieve the 6th level of ability.

BRANDOBARIS Demigod

ARMOR CLASS: 0MOVE: 12”HIT POINTS: 185NO. OF ATTACKS: 1DAMAGE/ATTACK: 3-12 (+7)SPECIAL ATTACKS: See belowSPECIAL DEFENSES: See belowMAGIC RESISTANCE: 60%SIZE: S (3½’ tall)ALIGNMENT: NeutralWORSHIPER’S ALIGN: All thieves

and those who go adventuringSYMBOL: Halfling’s footprintPLANE: Prime MaterialCLERIC/DRUID: 6th level druidFIGHTER: 7th level rangerMAGIC-USER/ILLUSIONIST: 6th level

in eachTHIEF/ASSASSIN: 19th level thiefMONK/BARD: 6th level monkS: 19 (+3, +7) I: 24 W: 17D: 25 C: 23 CH: 20

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DragonMarch 1982

CYRROLLALEE Lesser goddess

ARMOR CLASS: 3MOVE: 12”HIT POINTS: 260NO. OF ATTACKS: 3/2DAMAGE/ATTACK: By weapon typeSPECIAL ATTACKS: NilSPECIAL DEFENSES: +2 or better

weapon to hitMAGIC RESISTANCE: 75%SIZE: S (4’ tall)ALIGNMENT: Lawful goodWORSHIPER’S ALIGN: All good

Cyrrollalee is the deity of friendshipand trust, as well as a protector like Yon-dalla. Cyrrollalee is thought of more as agoddess who protects the home butkeeps the inhabitants from becomingtoo defensive and closed in. This deityappears as a normal female halfling withbrown hair wearing simple peasant’s clo-thing. Her worst enemies are those whobetray a host’s trust or who break into

alignments (halflings)SYMBOL: Open doorPLANE: Seven HeavensCLERIC/DRUID: 10th level clericFIGHTER: 10th level paladinMAGIC-USER/ILLUSIONIST: 8th level

in eachTHIEF/ASSASSIN: NilMONK/BARD: NilPSIONIC ABILITY: NilS: 17 (x1, x1) I: 23 W: 24D: 24 C: 23 CH: 22

homes (of halflings) to steal. She is alsothe enemy of oathbreakers.If she so wills, Cyrrollalee can causeall non-living objects within a radius of6” of her to become animated as if by a20th-level cleric (up to 20 cubic feet ofmaterial, for 20 rounds). These spell ef-fects will continue even if Cyrrollaleeleaves the area. She can perform. thispower up to three times a day.

There is a 2% chance that if an excep-tionally faithful follower of hers shouldcall upon her for help while the followeris in his or her own home, Cyrrollalee willone piece of furniture (not larger than 5cubic feet in volume) to becomeanimated for 5 rounds, attacking all en-emies of that lucky halfling once perround during that time. Damage will varyaccording to the type of object animated.

Any halfling who receives this benefitmust perform a service for Cyrrollalee;the nature of the task (or quest) is left upto the Dungeon Master, and should bechallenging but not exceptionally diffi-cult. This gift may be given to a halflingonly twice in his or her lifetime.

Cyrrollalee’s followers are largely reg-ular halflings (zero-level) and some fight-er types. Worship services for her areheld on the first day of each month. Noparticular weapons are associated withCyrrollalee, though it is said she canmake use of any weapon, magical ornon-magical, a regular fighter could use.

The adventures and misadventures ofBrandobaris, Master of Stealth, are al-most beyond counting. Most of thesetales share a moral: It is better not to runoff into the wilderness on foolish dares;nonetheless, Brandobaris is an appeal-ing sort of rascal. He has much of thetrickster in him; he is primarily a cleverthief who fools his opponents into think-ing him harmless, then steals them blindand escapes their wrath. No matter howawful a situation he finds himself in (andhe’s found some pretty awful ones),Brandobaris always manages to find hisway out again — and make a profit.

Brandobaris is so skilled at moving si-lently he cannot be heard by any mortalbeing or god if he conceals his move-ments. He can hide so well as to be com-pletely invisible (seeable only with aTrue Seeing spell or magic item of sim-ilar power). Brandobaris goes on adven-tures to find some item he believes willmake life more comfortable for him, though

this does not always prove to work out ashe’d planned.

Brandobaris carries a +3 long daggerhe usually wields in combat (if he cannotavoid it). This dagger will magically pointout the fastest and safest direction ofescape from any trap or maze (makingBrandobaris immune to Maze spells whenholding it). He also uses a +4 sling thathurls a ball of dust whenever it is used;the dust ball has a maximum range of 48”(24” short range, 36” medium range) anddoes not harm its victim, who feels feelnothing, but must save vs. magic at -6 orfall deeply asleep for 6-36 turns.

The followers of Brandobaris are most-ly thieves and fighter/thieves. The moreardent followers are usually also theones who take the greatest risks.

An especially daring risk (one placingthe halfling in considerable jeopardy)that pays off is looked upon favorably byBrandobaris. He might reward the per-petrator of such a daring act — but only

55

once in that halfling’s lifetime, so as notto encourage the mortal to be too fool-hardy. There is a 5% chance that Bran-dobaris’ reward will be given to any hal-fling of 10th level or lower, raising thefollower one level in ability. Halflingthieves of 11th level or higher cannotreceive this particular reward, but mightbenefit in some other fashion from incur-ring the good favor of Brandobaris.

Because Brandobaris wanders thePrime Material plane, there is a 1%chance per level a halfling thief of 11thlevel or higher will actually meet Bran-dobaris, in the guise of another halflingthief, and be invited by the demigod togo on a thieving adventure. Other thievesmay come along on the adventure, but ifthey do not worship Brandobaris theymight find some of their valuables miss-ing when the adventure is over. Brando-baris reveals his identity only after theadventure is over, and only to hisfollowers.

DragonMarch 1982

by Larry DiTillio

Previous articles in DRAGON™ maga-zine on the use of poison have been help-ful. But those essays did not examinesome essential aspects of poison for theDM who wants a variety of toxins in his orher game.

The most significant omission is howlong a poison takes to affect its victimand how long it will it continue to do so.Neutralize poison is the only spell (out-

side of Heal) which will prevent furtherdamage. Slow poison simply delays theeffects — however, without guidelinesfor the action of a particular poison onceit’s inside a victim, these spells are diffi-cult to adjudicate properly.

I created a wide variety of poisons formy Cerilon campaign, delineating eachby smell and appearance and describinghow long each takes to affect the victimand run its course. By using guidelinessuch as these, a wily DM can now accu-

57

rately play the effects of the poisonbanespells.

In such a system, there is more sus-pense for players; sometimes only atgreat expense, or at the risk of bodilyharm, can they determine the true natureof a poison. But once they become famil-iar with the “give-away” scents and ap-pearances of the various toxins, thisknowledge will stand them in good steadthroughout the rest of their adventuring.

Below is a list and description of spe-

Dragoncially created ingestive and insinuativepoisons, contact poisons, and some tox-ins that are designed not to kill but mere-ly provide means for capturing or slow-ing down parties. Each toxin has a basedamage rate, to be used in one of twoways: A) Roll for damage once and di-vide the result by the number of roundsor turns it takes the poison to run itscourse; or B) Continue rolling the basedamage for every round or turn the poi-son is in effect. Method B makes poisonsmuch deadlier, and if used at all it shouldonly be employed for the heavier poi-sons (types C and D). Most of the poi-sons allow saving throws, usually foreither no damage or half damage. If aparticular poison seems too deadly ornot deadly enough, just fiddle aroundwith the numbers to your satisfaction.You might also wish to allow savingthrows in each round or turn the poisonis still in effect.

Swallowed poisonsType A

YAKSA: White liquid or powder, smellslike cherries. Does 4-32 damage (4d8),starting 1-8 rounds after ingestion, runsits course in 1-4 turns. Save for no dam-age, made at +2.

THRUM: Light bluish liquid, smells likesour lemon. Does 6-36 (6d6) damage,

starts in 1-4 rounds, runs its course in 1-3turns. Save for half damage.

BRAYLOCK: Odorless, syrupy amberliquid. Does 5-40 (5d8) damage, starts in1-2 rounds, runs its course in 1 turn.Save for half damage, made at -1.

CUPH: Clear liquid, smells like pineap-ple. Does 4-24 (4d6), starts in 1-6 rounds,runs its course in 1-8 turns. Save for nodamage, made at +1.

NIBON: Odorless, colorless liquid. Does6-48 (6d8), starts in 1 round, runs itscourse in 1 turn. Save for half damage,made at -4.

TUBON: Pale yellow liquid or powder,smells like ripe melon. Does 5-30 (5d6),starts in 1-10 rounds, runs its course in1-6 turns. Save for half damage, made at+1.

Type BKOLAS: Thick, brown liquid, smells likeroses. Does 8-48 (8d6), starts in 1-3turns, runs its course in 1-6 turns. Savefor half damage, made at -2.

BREEK: Odorless, colorless liquid. Does5-40 (5d8), starts in 1-8 rounds, runs itscourse in 1-4 turns. Save for no damage.

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JIMA: Light red powder or liquid, smellsIike papaya. Does 8-48 (8d6), starts in1-10 rounds, runs its course in 1-3 turns.Save for half damage, made at -3.

LOMAT: Odorless and colorless powderor liquid. Does 5-50 (5d10), starts in 1-6turns, runs its course in 1-4 turns. Savefor half damage, made at -2.

FRIN: Pale green liquid or powder, smellslike green apples. Does 3-30 (3d10),starts in 1-3 rounds, runs its course in 1-8rounds. Save for no damage.

AJIDA: Odorless and colorless liquid.Does 5-60 (5d12), starts in 1-6 rounds,runs its course in 1-3 turns. Vision growsdim after victim takes 10 points of dam-age, continues to dim until 30 points istaken, at which time victim is functional-ly blind. Only a Cure blindness spell willneutralize this effect. If blindness doesnot occur, victim’s vision will clear in 2-5turns. Save for half damage, made at -4.

Type CGALAS: Pale blue liquid or powder,smells like horse sweat. Does 4-40(4d10), starts in 1-3 rounds, runs itscourse in 2 turns. Save for no damage.

TRIF: Odorless, light gold liquid. Does5-60 (5d12), starts in 1-4 turns, runs itscourse in 1-12 rounds. Reduces victim’sdexterity by 2 points for every 10 pointsof damage taken. This is only restored byrest. Save for half damage, made at -2.

SILVER LOTUS: Light silver liquid orpowder, smells like lotus flower. Does7-42 (7d6), starts in 1-2 turns, runs itscourse in 1-6 turns. Reduces victim’sconstitution by 1 point for every 10points of damage taken. System shockroll required for every point lost; failuremeans instant death. Constitution pointscan only be restored by rest. Save forhalf damage.

BLACK MEAD: Clear liquid or gel, smellslike honey. Does 10-80 (10d8), starts in 1round, runs its course in 15 rounds.Causes disorientation (-2 to hit, damage,30% chance of spell failing) after 20points of damage are taken; disorienta-tion increases in 10-point steps thereaf-ter (additional -1 to hit, additional 5%chance of spell failure). This effect wearsoff 1-3 turns after poison runs its course.Save for half damage, made at -4.

Type DDEVIL—ALE: Odorless liquid, very lightorange color. Does flat 60 points of dam-age, sets in 1-3 rounds after ingestion,runs its course in 2-5 (d4 + 1) turns. Nosaving throw: antidote is only hope.

KUMBA: Odorless and colorless liquid.Starts in 1-6 rounds, death follows 1

March 1982

round thereafter. Save for no damage,made at -3. Failed saving throw meansdeath.

TYLATCH: Clear liquid, smells like san-dalwood. Starts in 1 round, runs itscourse in 6 turns, doing 10 points ofdamage per turn. Victim falls instantlyasleep, cannot be awakened. Save forhalf damage, made at -2. If the victimsurvives, he will awaken after the 6-turnduration.

VEDYA: Pale purple liquid or powder,smells like raisins. Does 10-100 (10d10),starts in 1-6 turns, runs its course over aperiod of 1-6 days (assess appropriatepoints of damage each day, dividing to-tal into one-hour increments). Agoniz-ing, very slow death. No saving throw.

YELLOW MOLD POWDER: A yellowpowder made from mold spores; whenmixed with liquid, it poisons just as yel-low mold does. Save for no damage; fail-ure means death, as per yellow mold.

MUFA: Odorless, colorless liquid. Startsin 1-10 rounds, throws victim into pain-ful, twisting convulsions, then does 15points of damage per round until victimdies. Convulsions have a 50% chance ofcausing an extra 1-6 points of damage ineach round. No saving throw.

GURCH: Dark green liquid or powder,smells like wax. Starts in 1 round, does aflat 75 points of damage over 1-10 turns.Very painful; victim disabled after taking15 points damage, cannot walk, fight,barely able to talk. Save for half damage,made at -4.

PRAKA: Small, blue-and-white speckledpellets. Starts in 1-4 rounds, does 20points damage per round until death.Causes vivid, monstrous hallucinations;25% chance of permanent insanity if vic-tim somehow survives. Save in eachround for half damage, made at -5, butstill eventually fatal.

Notes on swallowed poisonsThese poisons do no harm unless

swallowed. Some have telltale signs,others do not. However, even the telltalesigns may be masked if the poison isplaced in a drink of similar smell or taste(e.g., Yaksa in cherry brandy). A suc-cessful saving throw generally indicatesthe poison has lost some or all of itspotency or effectiveness.

Type D poison is almost always fatal.Antidotes are generally geared to a spe-cific type of poison (A, B, C, or D). How-ever, there is a 10% chance that a type Cantidote will cure types A and B, a 25%chance that type D antidote will cure A,B, and C, and a 5% chance that a type Bantidote will cure Type A. No “lower”poison antidote will cure a higher type.

Most of these poisons are fairly rare, orat the very least difficult to get. Poisonswill affect monsters thusly: Type A willwork on any humanoid up to 4 hit dice,type B up to 5 hit dice, type C up to 7 hitdice, and type D up to 10 hit dice. Trolls,orcs, ogres, etc., are considered huma-noids and can be affected by these poi-sons. Most swallowed poison will notwork on dragons, hydras, grey ooze, orother non-human type creatures.

AYALA: Scarlet fluid. Does 4-24 (4d6),starts in 2 rounds, runs its course in 1-3rounds. Save for half damage, made at-3.

BLUE LOTUS: Topaz-colored gel. Does5-30 (5d6), starts in 1-4 rounds, runs itscourse in 1-8 rounds. Paralysis sets inafter 15 points of damage, wears off in1-3 turns if victim survives. Save for halfdamage, made at -2.

Insinuative poisonsType A

TROLLSBLOOD: Grayish-green liquid.Does 4-32 (4d8), starts in 1-4 rounds,runs its course in 1-6 rounds. Save for nodamage.

PINK LIGHTNING: Pinkish fluid. Does5-20 (5d4), starts in 1-6 rounds, runs itscourse in 1-3 rounds. Save for half dam-age, made at -4.

Type C

KOTRA: Clear, oily fluid. Does 5-30(5d6), acts in 1 round, runs its course in1-10 rounds. Save for half damage, madeat -1.

DREAM JUICE: Green, black, or whitefluid. Does 3-24 (3d8), sets in immediate-ly, runs its course in 1-10 rounds. Causesvictim to fall down, become catatonic,and have vivid, pleasant dreams whiledying. Save for no damage.

STIRGE SWEAT: Brownish, sap-like liq-uid. Does 6-24 (6d4), starts in 2-6 (d4 + 2)rounds, runs its course in 2-8 (2d4)rounds. Save for no damage.

SILVER LIGHTNING: Silvery liquid. Does5-40 (5d8), sets in immediately, runs itscourse in 1-6 rounds. Save for half dam-age, made at -3.

Type BTEKO: Light blue oil. Does 4-32 (4d8), VILMAT: Clear, oily fluid. Does 6-36starts in 1 round, runs its course in 1-3 (6d6), starts in 3-7 (d4 + 3) rounds, runsrounds. Save for half damage, made at its course in 1 turn. Reduces intelligence-3. by 1 point for each 6 points of damage

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Dragontaken. This loss is permanent (restora-tion necessary). Save for half damage.

CHAK: White, chalky fluid. Does 2-16(2d8), starts in 1 round, runs its course in1-3 rounds. Reduces dexterity by 1 pointfor each 4 points of damage taken. Aswith Vilmat, this loss is permanent (res-toration needed). Save for no damage,made at -5.

Notes on insinuative poisonsThese are in general more fast-acting

than swallowed (ingestive) toxins. Coat-ing a blade with venom must be donefairly close to its use. When a sword issheathed after being envenomed, thereis a 50% chance the venom will berubbed off, and a 75% chance the venomwill be partially rubbed away.

Blade venom wears off after three hits.The first hit does full damage, the sec-ond hit half damage, and the third hitone-fourth normal damage. After that,venom must be reapplied. Blunt wea-pons may not be envenomed unless theweapon has some sort of spike for inject-ing the poison.

Most of these poisons will be encoun-tered in needle traps, or spread on dartsor arrows. Type A will affect humanoidmonsters up to 3 + 2 hit dice, Type B upto 5 + 2, Type C up to 7 hit dice. None willappreciably affect non-human monsters.Normal animals will be affected 50% ofthe time.

Special toxinsDEATHWINE: Odorless, burgundy-col-ored liquid. Could be mistaken for wine.May be used both ways, as blade venomor as a swallowed poison. It is tremen-dously lethal. A saving throw is allowed,at -5; if it fails, death occurs in 1 round. Ifthe save is made, the victim still takes 25points of damage, 12 in one round andthe other 13 in the subsequent round. Anantidote must be administered within 6segments of the poison’s introductioninto the system or it is useless. Death-wine and jts antidote are exceedinglyrare. The poison affects any humanoid,even trolls and the like, but no other typeof monster.

LUPTAK: A nerve toxin that may be in-jected, or can be rendered into gas. Itappears to affect dexterity, causing thevictim to stumble, fall down, be unable tofight, cast spells, etc.; however, it doesno direct damage. There is a 50% chanceof a victim taking physical damage froma fall while affected by the toxin, and avictim who is poisoned during meleewould be quite helpless. Its effects lastfrom 3-6 (d4 + 2) turns. Save for no effect.

Contact poisonsWITCHHAND: A clear liquid, almost im-possible to detect. Upon contact withflesh, it does 3-24 (3d8), starts in 1-4

rounds, runs its course in 1-10 rounds.Save for no damage.

DARKSNAKE: Reddish powder, leaves apale red discoloration on flesh or othersurface when applied. Does 4-24 (4d6)starts in 1 round, runs its course in 1-3turns. Save for half damage, made at -1.

BULUKA: Bluish, paint-like substance.Touch does 3-30 (3d10), starts in 1-6rounds, runs its course in 1 turn. Save forhalf damage, made at -2. Leaves a bluediscoloration after being applied.

GOLDEN FOOL: Gold powder. Touchdoes 4-48 (4d12), starts in 1 round, runsits course in 1-8 rounds. Save for halfdamage, made at -3. Undetectable whenused on golden-colored objects; other-wise it leaves a pale gold discolorationwhen applied.

Note on contact poisonsAll contact poisons must be touched

by bare flesh, and do not affect monsterslarger than 2 hit dice. Generally, some-thing treated with such a poison will af-fect only the first toucher.

Non-damaging poisonsThese substances are designed to ren-

der victims helpless rather than kill them.

CHAYAPA: A blue liquid, used on ar-rows, darts, needles, sometimes in dag-gers of venom. It must be injected, andworks only on humanoids (i.e., charac-ters), never on a monster of any type.Chayapa smells like mulberries, sets inimmediately. Its effect is to cause deepsleep for 3-7 (d4 + 2) rounds. It workseven on elves. Save for no effect.

MORPHUS: A clear, citrus-smelling liq-uid. Victims sleep for 1-6 turns afterbreathing fumes for round. Morphus isused like chloroform for abductions andthe like, and is a potent gas as well whenmixed properly. Works on elves. Save forno effect, made at -2.

GHOUL SWEAT: A scummy green gel,used like Chayapa. Smells like rottenmeat. Its effect is to paralyze for 5-10 (d6+ 4) rounds. It acts immediately. Save forno effect, made at +1.

FLYDANCE: A green, odorless liquid.Can be made into a gas, otherwise usedas Chayapa. Acts in 1-3 rounds; causesconvulsions that knock the victim off hisfeet and cause him to shake and twitcharound. Lasts for 1-6 rds. Save for noeffect, made at +2.

OPIA: A brown powder with a honey/al-mond smell. When drunk (it dissolves inliquid instantly) it causes blindness with-in 1-6 rounds This is temporary, lasting1-10 rounds. Save for no effect.

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Notes on non-damaging poisonsNone of these substances work on

monsters. However, Chayapa, Morphusand the others of similar type will workon normal mammals, such as wolves,apes, and bears. In such cases, the effectwill come on more slowly than in a man-sized creature; a large victim such as anape or a bear will be affected after 3-9 (d6+2) rounds.

Poison dosageA “dose” will always indicate the

amount of the poison or drug necessaryto affect one creature; e.g., a three-dosevial will be enough to affect three crea-tures or one creature three times. Takingmore than one dose of a poison requiresa saving throw against each dose, and alleffects are cumulative.

An “application” indicates enoughpoison to cover one sword or like wea-pon, 2 daggers. 3 spear heads, 5 arrows,or 10 darts. Remember, blunt weaponsmay not be envenomed.

Most liquid blade poisons will evapo-rate within one hour after application ifexposed to the open air. All will generallygive a blade a slight discoloration or flatluster.

General notes on all poisonsCharacters are assumed to know no-

thing about a poison until they have en-countered one. Poisons with a smell willof course give hints, and all such poisonssniffed at will be described as havingtheir characteristic smell, unless it issomehow masked. A tiny sip of poisontype A or B will not do harm; a type Cpoison has a 50% chance of taking effectafter a tiny sip; and a type D poison willalways do its damage no matter howslight the taste.

A poisoned character will be aware heis poisoned only when the toxin takeseffect. Symptoms can include a burningsensation, queasy stomach, shortness ofbreath, feverish feeling, shakes, cold-ness, etc. The character will definitelyfeel bad. A victim taking more than 20points of poison damage will generallyhave his “to hit” and damage rolls low-ered to simulate the effects of the poi-son, say by -1 for every 10 points of dam-age beyond the first 20.

Most of these poisons can be turnedinto gaseous form by a knowledgeablealchemist, but it is a dangerous and ex-pensive process. In gaseous form, a poi-son’s effect is the same; however, allsaves are for no damage (simulating theintended victim’s failure to breathe in agood whiff before it dissipates). Poisongas will usually be made from a swal-lowed poison type, though this is not ahard and fast rule.

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62

March 1982 Dragonby Lewis Pulsipher

Elephant-sized, 13 hit dice, AC-3, move 12”, immune to cold andcharms, animal intelligence butwith psionic powers, strikes for 2-76/2-72 and can spit acid....

. . .This sounds like a monstrosity, not amonster. A collection of unrelated num-bers similar to this, rolled on the tablesprovided in All the World’s Monsters,was the cause for merriment at the localgaming session. Yes, you can “create”monsters in this random way — youdon’t need tables to do it—but the resultis not a good, imaginative, useful mon-ster, it’s an unbelievable travesty. Thereis an art and a method to creating goodmonsters for role-playing campaigns;one should follow some common-senserules — guidelines, really — to avoid sil-ly, absurd, or illogical creatures.

The first guideline, as already indicat-ed, is avoid random aggregations of sta-tistics. If you have several dozen chartsand tables — far more than were used inthe case mentioned above — you maycome up with a good monster. But, likethe proverbial monkeys typing random-ly, you’ll wait a very long time for aShakespearean-quality creature. If youthink about the whys and wherefores ofthe monster, about the background tothe statistics, you can derive suitableand sensible numbers for speed, armorclass, hit dice, and so on from the mons-ter’s background, not from dice rolls.

The second guideline, then, is originsfirst. Every monster exists for a reason, ifonly because of survival of the fittest.Consequently, ask yourself how thismonster came to exist, which usuallymeans: What ecological function does itfulfill, as well as or better than any otherspecies, which enables it to survive andreproduce? Sure, you can call some-thing an “enchanted monster,” createdby the proverbial mad wizard or by a god,but this is usually a barren excuse, not areason. Unless you desire to give amonster an ability which is quite unlikelyto have developed naturally, even in amagical world — say, the ability to tele-port long distances — you should leavethe enchanted monsters and mad wi-zards to the dice throwers. Moreover,when you do devise a monster which isun-natural, remember that it will proba-bly be unable to reproduce, and in anyevent will probably be very rare indeed.

The third guideline, which ties in veryclosely with the second, involves defin-ing the ecological niche occupied by acreature. Your monster species cannotexist in a vacuum, sufficient unto itself. Itis part of the world: it affects other crea-tures in its habitat, and is affected bythem, even when adventurers or otherhumans are not present.

The monster must fit into the system,particularly the food chain, without de-

stroying it. If the existence of the mon-ster would alter the balance of nature,either its characteristics must be adjust-ed or you must alter nature in the rele-vant campaign areas. The monster musthave a source of food, a means of repro-duction and sustenance which enablessufficient young to grow to maturity tocontinue the species, and places to live.All of the details of hit dice, armor class,speed, and other statistics must conformwith the basic needs.

Let’s take an extreme example. Im-agine that many or all rabbits were aspowerful as the rabbit in “Monty Pythonand the Holy Grail,” able to tear out aknight’s jugular vein in one swift strike.This changes only one statistic, the rab-bit’s average damage inflicted per meleeround, but think of the repercussions onthe ecology! Swarms of carnivorous rab-bits, still reproducing at a high rate butnow, let’s say, eating the meat they kill,would overwhelm the predators whichusually limit the rabbit population. If yousuppose that these creatures appearedduring the era before civilization, youcan imagine these rabbits covering theentire world, stopped only by the occa-sional great predators such as lions andtigers. It is necessary, for the sake ofbalance in nature, that the fecund rab-bits be harmless eaters of plants.

What about the other extreme? Im-agine a species of dragons that doesn’tsleep much, produces a cub (or whatev-er young dragons are called) every year,and must eat 500 pounds of meat a day.Since dragons are the true kings ofbeasts, in any area devoid of human orother highly intelligent (and magical) in-terference, the dragons would soon beall over, a commonplace — until they ranout of food. As long as they could ex-pand into virgin areas, they would spreadlike the proverbial plague. The point:Dragons are so powerful that, unlessthere is some limit to their food intakeand reproductive rate, they will sweep allbefore them. A dragon necessarily sleepsa lot, to reduce energy (food) use, andrarely begets young. And it’s almost asnecessary that the dragon must live longbefore it reaches maturity; that is, beforeit can beget more dragons.

The questionsLet’s try to get at this in a more organ-

ized manner. When you consider how aproposed monster fits into the ecology,you can ask several questions:

What does it eat?What factors, other than availa-

bility of food and habitat, hinderthe growth of numbers of thespecies?

Where does it live?There are many corollary questions,

f o r e x a m p l e : Is it herbivorous, omnivorous, or

carnivorous?

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What routines does it follow toobtain food?

What natural enemies, diseases,and difficulties of habitat kill youngbefore they mature?

What is its reproduction methodand rate?

What is the minimum amount ofterritory which will support an in-dividual or a mated pair?

What terrain and climate is idealfor the creature, and how much dodeviations from this ideal reducethe creature’s ability to survive?

What are the creature’s natural“defenses”?

This may seem a lot to ask, but you’llfind in practice that everything falls intoplace quickly, or that the struggle tomake it all fit will result in improvementsin your monster design.

The answersLet’s go back to the two examples to

address these questions briefly. The rab-bit —the real rabbit, not the carnivorousbunny— is herbivorous, that is, eats onlyplants. Let’s assume it eats often but notincessantly (I’m not a rabbit expert) —an“intermittent” eater. It has many naturalenemies which eat young and adult rab-bits. As experiences in Australia demon-strated, when a foreign rabbit lackingnatural enemies was introduced andoverran the wild, normally predators keptthe numbers down despite the fecundityof the adult rabbits. If rabbits repro-duced at human rates, on the other hand,there would soon be very few rabbits.

Rabbits are small, so not much territo-ry is needed to support a pair, and sub-species seem to live almost everywhere.The rabbit’s defenses are speed of flight,color blending with surroundings, andsmall size — a rabbit twice as large asnormal, unless he’d seen WatershipDown, would be no less a victim ofpredators.

The dragon is another story. One mightsay the dragon eats whatever and when-ever it wants, but to conform to the ques-tions let’s answer that it is a carnivore,eating only meat. It hunts alone or with amate, and pounces on prey — often fromthe air, of course. The dragon has fewnatural enemies — man is the mostprominent — but its very low reproduc-tive rate keeps its numbers down. (Notethat the lower the reproductive rate, thelonger the individual of a species tendsto live.)

Dragons need lots of territory becausethey eat so much. Although the longsleeping periods of a dragon preserveenergy, a creature that big requires ahuge amount of protein and calories toproduce enough energy to fly. Differentspecies of dragon tend to favor differentterrains and climates; perhaps becauseof ‘the dragon’s size, individual speciescannot tolerate deviations from the ideal.

DragonAs for the last question, a dragon’s bestdefense is its great offense: biting, poi-son, breath of fire, whatever. But it alsohas a very tough skin, the ability to fly,and (in some cases) intelligence of a lowbut formidable sort.

Food gatheringTo describe the food-gathering habits

of a species, which have a lot to do withits statistics, I use categories adoptedfrom Game Designers’ Workshop’s ex-cellent game Traveller. The types areclearly and thoroughly explained in therules; a summary is provided here.

Carnivores eat meat only. Pouncersare solitary creatures which leap uponprey from hiding, or after stalking it.Chasers are usually pack animals whichattack after a chase; they have good en-durance but are not fast. Trappers usesome kind of device or construction tocapture prey. They tend to be solitary. Asiren is a trapper which uses a lure ofsome kind to entice prey into the trap.Killers are vicious creatures which at-tack almost anything, and which seem toenjoy killing for the sake of it. Obviously,pouncers and trappers (and some sir-ens) must be able to hide well and movesilently.

Herbivores eat plants or unresistinganimals. Grazers spend most of theirtime eating, and for defense rely on flightor stampede if they are herd animals.Intermittents are solitary creatures whichspend less time eating. They sometimesfreeze (like a rabbit) rather than flee im-mediately when confronted with possi-ble danger. Filters take in and expel wa-ter and air, removing nutrients. Theytend to be slow-moving, if not immobile.

Omnivores eat a mixture of plants andanimals. Gatherers tend to eat plantsmore than animals, behaving like inter-mittents. Hunters tend toward carnivor-ous behavior, while eaters will literallytry to eat anything they encounter. Somebeetles fit into this category.

Scavengers eat the kills of other crea-tures. Intimidators scare animals awayfrom their kill. Hijackers suddenly stealdead prey and carry it off. Carrion-eaterseat meat not wanted by the originalkillers and stronger scavengers. Reduc-ers, such as bacteria, continuously con-sume dead organic matter.

Some information garnered elsewhere:Carnivores tend to be territorial (seebelow) and more intelligent than herbi-vores. The majority of carnivores hunt atnight, and consequently tend to be colorblind. They also depend as much onhearing and sense of smell as on sight.Omnivores tend to hunt alone. Carni-vores hunt alone, in pairs, or in packs.Not surprisingly, carnivores require amuch larger area per creature than om-nivores or herbivores, because they’re atthe top of the “food chain.” For example,a square mile might support one (9-18

pound) carnivore, 20 omnivores, and upto 100,000 herbivores.

If a creature seeks food alone (or withits mate), rather than in a pack or herd, itmay exhibit territorial behavior. Duringmating time, at least, an individual willoccupy an area large enough to supply it(and its family) with food, and chaseaway any other creature of its specieswhich attempts to cross the boundariesof the area. Its mate is the exception, ofcourse. In many species the males set upterritories and then try to attract females.

Territories can be very sharply de-fined. For example, a bird may violentlyattack a mirror placed within its territory,seeing its reflection as a rival, but if themirror is moved just inches beyond theboundary the bird will ignore it. An inter-esting kind of monster would hotly pur-sue any intruder in its territory — butstop dead at the border unless the in-truder attacked it.

Other creatures have fixed abodes butare not territorial outside the lair, whileyet others wander about for most of theyear. If the monster is an egg-layer, itmight stop for more than a few minutesto lay its eggs before moving on. Crea-tures which rear their young —mammalsand birds, for example — will have dif-ferent territorial habits from those whichignore their young.

DefensesDefenses can be classified as those

which merely protect or preserve, andthose which harm an enemy. The firstcategory includes speed of movement(to facilitate escape), agility (for dodg-ing), unusual means of movement (flight,burrowing), avoidance mechanisms suchas camouflage and small size, sheer bulk(how many predators can kill an ele-phant or a whale?), tough skin (includ-ing dangerous coverings such as that ofthe porcupine), magic, and intelligence.The second category includes some ofthe above, such as speed and agility,size, strength, “viciousness” (which canmake up for a lot), intelligence, and mag-ic. And in either category, numberscount, or perhaps we should call it coop-eration among individuals — for exam-ple, in herd animals which warn eachother of danger, or in pack animalswhich hunt together.

The food chainWhen you think about ecological

niches in your world which might befilled, consider first those which ought tobe filled, lest the system fall apart. Forexample, several writers have pointedout that with all these monsters around,from orcs up to dragons, the food chainin the wilderness must be sorely strained.

That is, while plants convert sunlightinto food, something must convert plantsinto animal matter for the numerouspredators (and omnivores) which we

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find in a fantasy world. Perhaps there’s apeaceful, fairly large herd animal, withseveral subspecies, which reproduces ata high rate and efficiently converts plantsto its own animal matter. The predatorsthen live off these herds. Cattle and bi-son are rather large and dangerous preyfor many predators, but some creaturelike those, though smaller, might do.

In dungeons, too, one finds a food-chain problem in an artificial ecology.The inhabitants can’t live off one another(or there would be no one left for adven-turers to fight), and in many dungeonsit’s impossible for all the inhabitants toobtain food from outside, if only becausethe region would soon be barren. I’vesolved this problem in my world by creat-ing a giant “mushroom” which uses ab-sorbed heat from the earth, in place ofsunlight, to provide the energy which isconverted into food.

Even undead and enchanted monstersmust fit into some ecological niche, in-sofar as they cannot crowd out naturalspecies. Fortunately, these un-naturalmonsters reproduce very slowly, if at all;on the other hand, they do not die natu-rally. They don’t normally disturb thefood chain because they don’t eat, butthey may disturb or destroy the habitatsof natural creatures, and some may killnatural creatures just for the hell of it. Ifthe local inhabitants can’t fight back —imagine orcs against a powerful demon— then the enchanted monster or un-dead is going to strongly affect the ecol-ogy. This must be considered on a case-by-case basis, depending on the pur-poses and vulnerabilities of the un-nat-ural monster.

Getting ideasSo much for guidelines two and three,

origins first and ecological niche. Actu-ally, I find that sometimes the origincomes second, not first. While the originmust be a part of the creature consistentwith everything else, the impetus forcreating the creature may be a desire todevise a monster with one unusual abili-ty — say, a telkinetic power which ena-bles it to partially immobilize a victim.Once you know what power you wish touse, you can think about how this powermight originate, and how the monstermight fit into the ecology.

Moreover, I find that building a mon-ster around some unusual power resultsin a usable, perhaps outstanding, addi-tion to the “world.” Unless it is afar out orextremely powerful ability, the monsteris unlikely to be too powerful to use, andyou automatically avoid the danger ofpiling several abilities atop one anotherto create a super monstrosity.

The guidelines pertain primarily tomonsters you make from whole cloth,from your imagination, but most alsoapply to modifications of real beasts,and to your own versions of mythologi-

DragonMarch 1982

cal, legendary, and fictional creatures.Probably the average DM is better offbasing monsters on fiction or on realcreatures, at least to get some exper-ience before he begins to make them upwithout a ready-made background.

Real beasts are a great source of ideas,if you’re willing to do a little research.Most people know a little about the hab-its of mammals, but next to nothingabout insects, birds, fish, and plants.Merely by increasing the size of a beast,you can create a monster out of an in-nocuous creature. (Yes, such increasesin size, including giant humans, are con-trary to the laws of physics. But theselaws must stand aside somewhere; as-sume that an unidentified magic nullifiesthe square-cube relationship.)

Take birds, for example. The thrushlikes to throw nuts against stones inorder to get at the edible part. Might agiant thrush, or some monster with sim-ilar proclivities, try to smash a knightagainst a rock in order to get the “nut”out? The shrike, a small bird with surpris-ingly predatory tendencies, sometimesimpales its victims on its beak. Think of a(domesticated?) giant shrike streakinginto a party to impale a magic-user! Whatcould a Pegasus rider do if harried by aflock of giant bluejays (which, in the realworld, can drive away owls and hawks)?

Or, take bugs. Spiders conceal them-selves in a variety of ways when waitingfor prey —such as the tent spider, whichbuilds an opaque web tent to hide underuntil prey comes near. Other types ac-tively catch flying creatures with webnets, while yet others wait in holes in theground. One even emits a sticky sub-stance to immobilize a victim’s feet. Giantarmy ants would be formidable, for rea-sons we can all imagine.

Several species of carnivorous plantscan be easily adapted to fantasy games,such as the Venus flytrap. Plants in thesea, or animals resembling plants, alsocatch and eat other creatures.

You can also vary the habitats or abili-ties of real beasts. Someone has madeup land sharks, and what about flyinglions or burrowing wolves? Many legen-dary beasts, after all, are merely misper-ceptions of real animals or combinationsof them (e.g., the chimaera). But try notto forget the guidelines to monster mak-ing. I have my doubts about land sharks...

For legendary monsters, you usuallyhave some means of comparison with“real” beasts. If you know, for example,that a legendary monster was supposedto be twice as dangerous as a lion, and alion has been defined in your game, youcan work from there to determine statis-tics for the new creature. If a roc cancarry an elephant, it must be much largerthan said elephant. If a man on a wingedhorse could travel twice as fast as a realhorse, you have some basis for assign-ing numbers to the creature.

Monsters from fictionIn general, legendary creatures tend

to be one-shot, made by someone, notfitting into the ecology, so you need thiskind of comparison to give you someidea of what the monster can do. Butmonsters drawn from fiction — for ex-ample, orcs from Tolkien or Kzinti fromLarry Niven —often come complete withbackground information about how theyfit into the world. You may have to modi-fy the creature — for example, by reduc-ing the Kzin to animal intelligence — inorder to make it fit into your ecology.

There’s a tendency to make creaturesderived from myth and fiction overpow-erful because the DM forgets to take thefictional ecology into account. Classicamong these is the tendency to rate Tol-kien’s Gandalf — he’s a kind of monster,isn’t he? — as an umpteenth-level wizardmerely because he is virtually the only,and therefore the most powerful, spell-caster in Middle Earth. But if you com-pare what he can actually do with whatcharacters from your game can do, you’llfind that he wasn’t very powerful at all—in terms of the D&D® or AD&D™ rules,maybe an eighth-level cleric with a mag-ic ring and the ability to use a sword.

Similarly, just because some monsterdominates a work of fiction, the DMthinks it should dominate or be powerfulenough to dominate his world. He forgetsthat many role-playing worlds have a farhigher proportion of powerful magic andpowerful creatures than any world offantasy or science-fiction in literature.

(Note that the words an author uses todescribe a creature don’t necessarilyhave the meanings used in your game.Gandalf is a “wizard” because he usesmagic, but this doesn’t mean he must bea wizard, that is, magic-user, in a gamesuch as the D&D game, which allows forseveral types of spell casters.)

You can vary legendary or fictionalmonsters, too — for example, a cocka-trice which paralyzes or causes insanity,a foot-long Pegasus, a unicorn whichshoots missiles from its horn, a ghoulwhich flies. Make them larger or smaller,change speeds, change means or medi-um of locomotion, and so on.

Not “all or nothing”Whatever type of monsters you create,

try to avoid dogmatic or draconian pro-nouncements. The “rule” is: Avoid all-ornothing characteristics. For example, amonster which is vulnerable only to cer-tain rarely used spells, or only to a seriesof three or four spells cast in a particularsequence, is a poorly designed creature.If the players have ample opportunity tolearn of these peculiarities before theyencounter the beast, it will be a usable,but not outstanding, creature. Aside fromthe all-or-nothing nature of the creature,which is bad for the gaming aspect ofrole playing, it’s hard to explain how this

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unusual characteristic evolved. Even ifthe creature is enchanted, why in thegods’ names was it created with this oddAchilles heel? Another example of thismistake is the monster which is deadlyunless you know the trick which makes itharmless. The Pictish demons, for ex-ample (as described in the Gods, De-migods & Heroes supplement to the orig-inal D&D rules) are frightening until youlearn to lie down —then they ignore you.This is an amusing change of pace for aone-shot creature but would not workfor a standard inhabitant of the world.

An example of how to create a monsterwith one special power and avoid all thepitfalls might help. Let’s begin by givingthe new creature a simple telekineticpower. The creature can hold down orimmobilize an enemy or victim, or knockfruits off a tree, but it could not use tele-kinesis to pull a lever, turn a knob, use aknife, or do any other detail work, even ifit were trained to do so.

Unless the creature is very large, itcould not immobilize a large victim —thevictim would drag the monster along.For no particular reason except a preju-dice against giantism, let’s take the al-ternative approach: that the creaturehunts in packs to cooperate in immobil-izing large prey. Yes, the creature doeshunt — otherwise why the need for thistelekinetic power? And flesh-eating mon-sters are more fun, so let’s say this crea-ture is an omnivorous hunter which eatsanimals primarily, but is not averse to anoccasional juicy fruit or plant stem.

Hunting in packs reminds me of thewolf. Wolves rely on their endurance torun down a victim, but let’s not follow thewolf idea too closely. Perhaps our crea-ture pounces on prey, utilizing its teleki-netic power. If the prey isn’t caught with-in a few seconds, the monster won’t tryto chase it. Having no need for speed,our monster is relatively slow, but musthide well in order to surprise its victims.It must live in areas providing cover —probably brush or forests with heavy un-dergrowth, certainly not plains. Sincethe creature lies in wait for prey, it huntswhen most animals are active—the day-time, especially when new or failing lightincreases the chance of concealment.

Wolves are built for a long run, but ourmonster need not be. And unlike thewolf, it doesn’t need to fight — its prey isimmobilized and helpless. So, let’s saythe creature is four-legged but rather fatand roly-poly roundish, weighing 50-60pounds. It is not equipped with sharpteeth. Instead, it has a mouth shaped likean elephant’s trunk, through which itsucks a victim’s blood (or a plant’s jui-ces) until the victim is nearly dead. Thenthe monster can chew bits of dead fleshslowly, perhaps over several days. Be-cause the monster is slow and often sitsimmobile for hours, it uses little energyand eats surprisingly little for its size.

DragonTo settle questions of reproduction,

let’s recall our sort-of model, the wolf.We’ll say our monster has one litter of 6-8live pups per year, in spring (mammal-ian). Many die from their inability to keepup with the pack. Those that survive ma-ture in 6 months and live for about 5years, if they’re lucky. The pack is pro-miscuous; males and females do nothave “mates” per se, but can freely in-termingle provided the pack leader doesnot object.

Generally, lone animals of this speciescould take small prey, but would farepoorly in areas frequented by large ani-mals, especially large predators. Perhapsan individual driven from one pack wouldjoin another — nature’s way of insuringagainst continual inbreeding. Sometimesan overlarge pack might divide, or twopacks reduced in numbers by fights,famine, or disease might merge togeth-er. The packs may be loosely territorial.Probably an area of many square milescould support only one typical pack of10-40 individuals, which would continu-ously move about within the territory.

Altogether, this monster’s role is thatof a medium-sized flesh eater which cantake both small prey, like rabbits, and theoccasional large animal, like cattle, with-out presenting much danger that it willoverrun the countryside.

This creature’s natural defense is num-bers and cooperation between membersof the pack. The latter may require a sig-nificant intelligence. Armor class, hitdice, and attack statistics need not beoutstanding, for the creature relies ontelekinesis and its considerable size.

A summary of the creature’s statisticsas they might be expressed for use in anAD&D™ adventure are as follows:

FREQUENCY: RareNO. APPEARING: 10-40ARMOR CLASS: 8MOVE: 3”HIT DICE: 2% IN LAIR: NilTREASURE TYPE: NilNO. OF ATTACKS: 1DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-2 plus suck blood

for 1-4 per round thereafterSPECIAL ATTACKS: TelekinesisSPECIAL DEFENSES: NilMAGIC RESISTANCE: StandardINTELLIGENCE: Semi to lowALIGNMENT: NeutralSIZE: SPSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

Attack/Defense Modes: NilWhen the creature hits a victim it at-

taches to it and sucks blood each roundthereafter until one or the other is dead,or until the pack flees. The creature canstand immobile for hours. Its hair tendsto be the color of the terrain it typicallyhides in — e.g., dark greenish in a forest.The creature surprises on a 1-4 on a d6 insuitable terrain when lying in wait.

Thanks to their intelligence, these ani-mals are easily trained, but they occa-sionally choose to ignore orders.

The telekinesis ability is easy to definenow that we‘ve determined the othercharacteristics. Each creature can im-mobilize animals up to 30 pounds (300gp) in weight at close range (up to 1”), 20pounds at medium range (1”-2”), and up

Vol. VI, No. 9

to 10 pounds at long range (2”-3”). Itcannot move while using telekinesis un-less it is holding less than half the allow-able weight. Several can join together tohold one victim, perhaps taking turns sothat all can approach and “drink.” Theweights given assume the victim is notunusually strong for its weight. And if thevictim is only partially immobilized, itmoves at a proportionately slower speed— effects may be compared to those of aslow spell. Humans and many othercreatures also gain a saving throw vs.paralysis which, if successful, effectivelyhalves the weight the monster’s teleki-netic power may hold.

What about a name? I keep a list ofnames I’ve picked up from literature,from other players, and who knowswhere else, because I’m not much goodat making them up. I call this monster the“Starkhorn” — for its “trunk,” I guess —but perhaps you can think of somethingbetter.

Aside from simple encounters in thewilderness, this monster may be mostuseful to a DM when domesticated toguard an area or to assist a magic-user.

I don’t want to give the impression de-signing monsters is a mechanical pro-cess. Inspiration, if not romanticism, is anecessary element, particularly when themonster first takes shape. Without a de-cent idea, you won’t get good results.The sources and guidelines described inthis article will help you turn a good ideainto a good monster, and help you avoidturning a lousy idea into a lousy mon-ster. But no one can tell you how to turn alousy idea into a good monster.

(Continued from page 4)multiple proficiency in one item. For eachproficiency past the first, the character gainsa bonus: +3 for fighters, paladins, and rangers,+2 for clerics, druids, thieves, assassins, andbards, and +1 for magic-users, illusionists,and monks.

Using this system, I have in one of my cam-paigns a 6th-level elven fighter with quadru-ple proficiency in the longbow. He has a +9from special proficiency, +1 from good dex-terity, and +1 from being an elf for a total of+11, which means, quite simply, that anythingwith an armor class of 5 or worse (at shortrange) is dead meat as far as he is concerned.Then again, he can’t tell a mace from a hal-berd. In any case, I am hoping that someonebesides myself may profitment of these points.

from the employ-

Matt RogersDeerfield, III.

‘Priceless value’Dear Editor:

When I read “Two Magazines?” from JimDopkin (Out on a Limb, #56), I was extremelysurprised and outraged by his suggestions.Overpriced? Like all TSR products?!? I foundmyself wondering what he was talking about!

From my past experience with DRAGONand TSR I have always found the items rea-sonably priced. In fact, they are a bargain andare of priceless value because of the hoursupon hours of fun and fantasy they havebrought me. I cannot see how anyone whoplays D&D seriously can call it overpriced.

Nels BrucknerJasper, Ore.

Reprints revisitedDear Editor:

In issue #53 (Out on a Limb), concerningthe subject of magazine reprints, Chris Doylecomments on two types of collectors, thosewho want to keep issues for souvenirs andthose who want original copies. There isanother type of collector, though: those who,like me, want only the articles themselves andcould care less about fancy artwork (althoughthis magazine has some of the best artwork

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I’ve ever seen). I therefore would like to pro-pose a different method for reprints: Handle itlike the DRAGONTALES anthology. Print amagazine with all the Sorcerer’s Scroll arti-cles, or a book of monsters from the Dragon’sBestiary, including for example, all the mon-sters from one year, and print it each year. Ipersonally would love to see all the NPCclasses under one cover.

A single book/magazine for each specialfeature you normally print would let peoplechoose exactly what they want reprints of, notentire issues but articles from many issues. Ihope this is feasible, because I am dying tosee the old NPC classes and monsters whichappeared in the first DRAGON magazines.

Howard ChuBloomfield Hills, Mich.

Howard’s letter was received in late De-cember, at just about the time our secondvolume of reprinted articles was getting to thestore shelves. It’s no coincidence that theBest of DRAGON™ Vol. Il collection includes,among other things, many of the old Sorcer-or’s Scroll columns and most of the NPCclasses from the olden days. As for single-volume presentations, such as a Dragon’sBestiary collection: We have no such plans atthis time, but if we keep getting friendly per-suasion from people like Howard, maybe ourplans will change. — KM

March 1982 Dragon

Convention scheduleFANTASYLAIR ‘82, March 13-14 — Ponca City, Okla. is 2 hoursfrom Wichita, Oklahoma City, and Tulsa, and 6 hours fromDallas and K.C., according to the sponsors of this event, theNorthern Oklahoma Dungeoneers. The convention will featurecontinuous gaming of all types, including an official Pentetournament, an AD&D Open, and several other smaller AD&Dtournaments. A “Monster Mash” ball featuring a costume con-test will be held on Saturday night. Admission is $10/day. Write:Northern Oklahoma Dungeoneers, P.O. Box 241, Ponca CityOK 74602.

SIMCON IV, March 19-21 —A gathering of gamers to be held atthe psychology building on the University of Rochester RiverCampus. Admission is $5 per day, either by mail or at the door.More information is available from SIMCON IV, P.O. Box 5142,Rochester NY 14627.

LUNACON 25, March 19-21 — One of the longest-runningregional science fiction conventions in the United States, thenext Lunacon will be held at the Sheraton Heights Hotel inHasbrouck Heights, N.J. Special guests will include authorFred Saberhagen and artist John Schoenherr. The event isstaged by The New York Science Fiction Society, otherwiseknown as The Lunarians, Inc. For more information, contactLunacon 25, P.O. Box 338, New York NY 10150.

STELLARCON VII — QUASICON, March 26-27 — A mini-convention scheduled for the University of North Carolinacampus in Greensboro. Films, guest speakers, a costume con-test, computer demonstrations, and many types of gamingevents will be on the agenda. For more information, send aself-addressed, stamped envelope to SF3, Box 4 E.U.C., UNC-Greensboro, Greensboro NC 27412.

METRO CHICAGO GAMES FEST, March 27-28 — A gaming-for-charity event sponsored by the Compleat Gamer shop.Tournaments will be staged at the Howard Johnson MotorLodge in Palatine, III. All proceeds from the two-day gatheringwill go to the Easter Seal Society. For details, call the CompleatGamer, (312)934-0020.

MAVCON ‘82, April 2-4 —A gaming convention offering fanta-sy, science fiction, and wargaming competitions. The site willbe the University of Texas in Arlington. More information isavailable by writing to MAVCON ‘82, Box 19348-50, Universityof Texas, Arlington Station, Arlington TX 76019.

SPRING REVEL, April 3-4 — More fellowship and fun from TSRHobbies, including all of our — and your — favorite games,food, etc. Just drop in at the American Legion Hall, 735 HenrySt., Lake Geneva, Wis., or for more information write: SpringRevel, c/o TSR Hobbies, Inc., P.O. Box 756, Lake Geneva WI53147. Admission prices are $3 for the weekend or $2 per day.

SCIENCE FICTION WEEKEND, April 8-11 — This will be alarge exposition at the Registry Hotel in Irvine, Calif., to beconcerned primarily with science fiction literature and games,but also scheduled to include tournaments for D&D players andgamers of other persuasions. The salesroom will have morethan 50 tables of merchandise which should interest SF andfantasy fans. Several special programs, panel discussions, andan awards luncheon are scheduled. Full memberships are $12apiece in advance or $17.50 at the door. One-day admissionprices are $5 for Thursday and Sunday and $7.50 for Friday andSaturday. Contact: Science Fiction Weekend, c/o Fantasy Pub-lishing Company, 1855 West Main St., Alhambra CA 91801.

MUNCHCON II, April 16-17 — To be held in Corbly Hall on thecampus of Marshall University in Huntington, W. Va. Guestspeakers will include Richard and Wendy Pini, Jean Lorrah,and (tentatively) L. Sprague and Catherine deCamp. Seminars,D&D tournaments, films, and an art show are on the schedule—and admission is free! For details, send a SASE to MarshallUniversity Science Fiction Society, Memorial Student Center,Marshall University, Huntington WV 25701.

TRI-STATE CON, April 16-18 — Role-playing games, boardgames, miniatures, painting competition, seminars. For moreinformation, write to Tri-State Con, P.O. Box 40455, CincinnatiOH 45240, or call (513)671-3791.

CONTRETEMPS, April 23-25 — A science-fiction conventionto be held in Omaha, Neb. Further information is available bywriting to: Ship to Shore, P.O. Box 12373, Omaha NE 68112.

MARCON XVII, April 30-May 2 — The University Hilton Inn,3110 Olentangy River Road, in Columbus, Ohio, will the site ofthis convention, which features guest of honor Hal Clement.Admission prices are $12.50 through April 1, $15 at the door.For more information, write to Marcon XVII, P.O. Box 2583,Columbus OH 43216.

LEXICON I, May 1 — Role-playing games, wargames, comics,and many other subjects will be part of this one-day event in theBishop Kearney High School hall in Rochester, N.Y. For details,write to Mike Bovard, President of the Bishop Kearney GamingAssociation, 24 Leonard Crescent, Penfield NY 14526.

WARGAMERS WEEKEND, May 21-23 — This fourth annualevent will be held in the DAV Hall in Newburyport, Mass. Spon-sors are the Newburyport Wargamers Association and the ToySoldier hobby shop. Admission is $3 per day ($1 for Fridayevening) in advance, or $4 per day ($2 for Friday) at the door.Tournaments are scheduled in role-playing games, historicalgames, miniatures, and board games. Overnight accommoda-tions and refreshments will be available at the hall. For moredetails, contact The Toy Soldier, 20 Unicorn Street, Newbury-port MA 01950, phone (617)462-8241.

CONQUEST Ill, May 28-30 — SF author Norman Spinrad willbe the guest of honor at this gaming event, to be held at theContinental Hotel, Kansas City, MO. Tournaments are sche-duled for AD&D and TFT players, among others, and a gameroom will be open round the clock. Registration is $9 until April30, $12 thereafter. Contact: CONQUEST III, P.O. Box 32055,Kansas City MO 64111.

GRIMCON IV, May 28-31 —A fantasy and SF gaming gatheringto be held at the Oakland Hyatt House, Oakland, Calif. Theschedule includes all the usual convention attractions: films,dealers, demonstrations, and lots of tournaments. Pre-registra-tion cost is $14 for all four days. At the door, a four-day ticketwill cost $17, and single-session admission at the door is $7.More information is available by writing to GRIMCON, P.O. Box4153, Berkeley CA 94704.

M.I.G.S. Ill, May 30 — The Military Interests and Games Societywill stage this event at the Kitchener-Waterloo Regional PoliceAssociation Recreation Centre in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada.Seminars, painting contests, a flea market, board-game com-petitions, and miniatures tournaments are among the sched-uled events. Contact: Les Scanlon, President of M.I.G.S., 473Upper Wentworth St., Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L9A 4T6.

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Reviews byBill Fawcett

Photographs byKathy O’Donnell

RAL PARTHA

GriffonProp: 8 Det: 7 Anim: 6 Tech: 7

This beast shows plenty of evidence of Ral Partha’s usual attention to detail, nicelyblending the griffon’s avian and feline characteristics. The wings are attached at twopoints, making the assembled figure quite sturdy.

BOARDCRAFT

Fantasy PathsThree different sets of these strong, durable dungeon floors are available.

Each set includes 54 top views of rooms, passages, cottages, and so forth.Mounted on thick cardboard and printed in four colors, these playing aidsrank as the Cadillac of dungeon floor sets. (At Cadillac-style prices, unfortu-nately.) The wide variety of shapes and formats make them usable in justabout any underground situation.

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CITADEL

Paladin in ChainProp: 7 Det: 6Anim: 7 Tech: 6

This fully armored fighter comes witha pack that appears equipped for a dun-geon adventure.

MonkProp: 6 Det: 7Anim: 6 Tech: 7

A lantern, rope, and crossbow areamong the useful items visible in thepack of this adventurer.

March 1982 Dragon

CASTLE CREATIONSSuper Spies

Prop: 6 Det: 5Anim: 5-7 Tech: 6

Two sets of espionage artists are partof the Castle Creations line. All suitablefor use with the TOP SECRET™ game,the sets include spies made famous inbooks and movies.

KNIGHTS & MAGICKSamurai Warlord

Prop: 6 Det: 7Anim: 6 Tech: 7

This set from Heritage includes mount-ed and dismounted warriors and an ac-curately dressed retainer. Both figureshave both types of Samurai swords.

NAVWAR

Samurai (15mm)Prop: 7 Det: 7 Anim: 6 Tech: 7

Above-average detail and properly proportioned limbs arethe hallmarks of this moderately priced line of figures.

HERITAGE MODELS Women of Conan (bottomProp: 6-7 Det: 6 Each of these sets brings life to fourAnim: 6-7 Tech: 7 heroines from various tales, and each

left) and Sorcerers of Conan (bottom right)*characters from the legendary Conan novels. The women are allof the wizards is appropriately posed in the act of casting a spell.

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March 1982 Dragon

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STARFIRE III adds strategy to tacticsReviewed by Tony Watson

Two of the more interesting games inTask Force’s extensive line of sciencefiction and fantasy games are STARFlREand its sequel, STARFlRE II. Both spacegames (reviewed in DRAGON™ #47) aretactical, concentrating on ship to shipcombat between vessels.

The third game in the series, STAR-FlRE III: EMPIRES, changes that to givethe game a strategic framework. EM-PIRES, in essence, completes the set;players are now both tacticians and stra-tegists, admirals and policy makers.STARFlRE III allows players to makeeconomic and political decisions aboutthe management of their empires andreasons for fighting battles. Tactical bat-tles gain importance beyond any scena-rio victory conditions, and become theincidents that win and lose empires. (Itshould be noted that STARFIRE III doesnot stand alone; STARFlRE at least isrequired to conduct battles.)

EMPlRES is a fairly complex gamewith a great deal of detail. From two tosix players each manages the affairs of aburgeoning interstellar empire amongthe six home systems and sixty other star

systems. The game has no counters; re-cords are kept on paper while tactical

mercantile net and warships for the pro-tection and aggrandizement of steller

encounters are managed with STARFlRE real estate. Percentile dice rolls deter-and STARFlRE II counters and maps. mine planet values; the values of unin-

The base of EMPIRES’ strategic ap- habited worlds can be increased by co-proach is its economic infrastructure. Ionization; inhabited worlds that becomePlanets are exploited, with profits financ- allied (that is, the natives peaceably ac-ing freighters for tying systems into the cept amalgamation) can increase their

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March 1982 Dragonvalue; conquered systems offer no suchbonus. Die rolls also determine the pres-ence of intelligent life, as well as popula-tion size and technical level. To success-fully integrate a world’s economic valuewith the rest of the empire, merchantships of sufficient tonnage to transportthe world’s output must be built androuted through the world on regularruns. Commerce rading thus becomesan important element in strategy; it ispossible to cripple enemies by preyingon their merchant shipping, cutting offthe empire from its resources.

Megacredits collected can be spent ona number of things: colonization, increas-ing technology, and starships. Most mo-ney will be used on the last, since theSTARFlRE system emphasizes ship-to-ship action. Returning from the previousgames are the plethora of beam wea-pons, missile and gun launchers andspecialized systems for tracking, scan-ning, and exploration. Some new itemsare offered: transit instruments for re-cording warp lines, capital ship missilesto give larger ships a distinct edge overtheir smaller brethren, minefields, longrange scanners and pressor beams (theopposites of tractor beams). All of thesenew additions make some sense andcontribute to the game system. Some,like the transit instruments, are requiredbecause of the new strategic aspect ofthe game, while others, such as the capi-tal ship missile, are offered to rectifywhat the present designer felt were om-misions or needed changes from the firstand second games.

EMPlRES also deals with political rela-tions between empires, concentratingon non-player/player relations. As men-tioned previously, newly discovered sys-

tems can be inhabited by intelligent,technically advanced races. Rules areincluded for conquering planets — andsupressing rebellions of conqueredworlds — as well as more mundaneevents like non-player reactions.

EMPlRES has some interesting nuan-ces. Players compete for economicallyrich systems, but because of the move-ment system, which allows movementonly between systems connected by warplines, some stars gain strategic impor-tance for the movement opportunitiesthey present. The warp line method tendsto channel fighting and intensify battles.At the same time, the randomness of thesystem generation procedures and warplines help insure campaigns are different.

STARFIRE III offers a surprising a-mount considering its size and price.However, there are drawbacks. Groundcombat is completely ignored. Alsomissing are victory conditions; partici-pants apparently must negotiate this.The rules themselves need tighter organ-ization and clarity. Finally, a STARFIREcampaign is time-consuming —certain-ly not something to set up and play in asingle sitting. Fighting battles alone takesa lot of time. The STARFlRE tactical sys-tem plays quickly, but a medium sizedbattle can last an hour to 90 minutes, andbattles are fairly frequent. Fortunately,the nature of the game allows easy set upfor playing in installments.

EMPIRES has a few problems, but isstill an impressive framework for aSTARFIRE campaign that can be tin-kered with and added to. The game is notexactly a must for STARFlRE players,but adds some new dimensions.

STARFlRE III: EMPlRES is available inretail outlets only and sells for $3.95.

‘The Epic Game of Sorcery’?

DEMONLORD is what it claimsReviewed by Tony Watson

On the cover of the box for DEMON-LORD is the subtitle “The Epic Game ofSorcery and Conquest”. This is a fairlybold claim for a game that comes in apackage just a shade over four inches byseven and sells for under five bucks. Onecould raise a serious question as towhether a design produced under suchparameters could really measure up tothe term “epic”. After an examination ofDEMONLORD, this reviewer can onlyconclude that the game does indeed riseto its cover claim. The game is well de-signed, physically attractive, and com-bines a broad scope with an intelligentand appropriate use of detail.

DEMONLORD’s cover is a real atten-tion getter. Charles Vess’ painting of the

Demonlord, clad in purple robes, greencape and golden breastplate, his arm up-raised in spell-casting while his vast hostis assembled behind him, is visuallystriking. The attention to artwork andgraphics is continued throughout thegame. The 12” x 14” heavy cardstockmap is very colorful depicting thesteppes, hills, forests and streams of asection of the continent of Narth. Theperspective is a bird’s eye view; terrainfeatures are irregular and do not fill theentire hex. A given hex could have two ormore different kinds of terrain but theproblems this might entail for movementis nicely circumvented by the fact themovement costs are assessed per hex-side crossed rather than hex.

The counters, 154 in number, areequally as attractive. Effective and ap-

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Dragonpropriate use of color highlights theplaying pieces. Demon forces are pur-ple, the troops of the Hosar alliance aregold, and the various neutrals come inshades of blue and green. Silhouettes, ina great variety of styles (many are uniqueto a particular unit) serve both decora-tive and functional purposes. They de-note the type of unit, such as foot, horse,leader, or monster, and their shading,either white, black outline, or solid black,indicates armor class.

DEMONLORD’s 24 pages of rules arecoherent, nicely organized and easilyunderstood. Pertinent charts and tables,as well as a pictorial battle order and alisting of all important die rolls and dieroll modifiers are contained on a largefold out sheet.

The rules themselves are a fine bal-ance of intricacy, simplicity and chrome.There is enough complexity to keep thegame interesting and to account for themore salient aspects of this type of war-fare. The basic mechanics of movementand combat are compact enough to al-low for a large section on magic and lotsof little goodies like alliances with neu-trals, invocation of magical entities andtroops and a thoughtful system of victo-ry points.

Movement is a function of hexsidestraversed and movement mode of theunit (either foot, cavalry or winged);

costs of terrain varies with the type ofunit. Stacking is unlimited, so both sidestend to group their forces together intotwo or three armies under command ofone or more of the handful of leadersavailable for each. Leaders are impor-tant: unled troops move at half rate forone thing, while commanders make im-portant contributions to combat and arethe workers of magic.

Battles occur when forces of bothsides occupy the same hex. The troopsinvolved are removed off the board to setup in battle line. Terrain determines thesize of each side’s line as well as modifythe strengths or certain types of units.For example, missile fire is rendered lesseffective in battles in forests and heavilyarmored troops are at a disadvantagewhen crossing streams. Units are match-ed up one by one, until the battle linemaximum is reached or someone runsout of troop counters. Leaders are stack-ed with units that might need the help—leaders can use battle magic againstopposing units in hopes of temporarilylowering their morale factor. Three unitratings come into play in battles: missilevalue, melee value and morale. Missilefire, for both sides, precedes melee,though both procedures are essentiallythe same. The attacker must roll his at-tack factor or less (subject to modifiersfor armor, terrain and leadership) to hitthe target; if he does, the target must rollless than its morale factor to be unaf-fected, the morale throw being made ononly one die. If the morale rating ismatched, the unit routs. It will be saved ifits side wins the battle and taken prison-er if not; in any case, the unit is removedfrom the line of battle. If the morale rat-ing is surpassed, the unit is destroyedoutright. Combat continues in roundsuntil one side is wiped out or decides towithdraw. withdrawing units must makean automatic morale check, which canlead to disaster if the withdrawing forcesare of poor quality.

Walled cities and castles figure promi-nently in the game, mostly as sources ofvictory points, so some simple siege

Vol. VI, No. 9

rules are Included. The besieger canchoose to sit back and invest the citadel,which is less costly but more time-con-suming than the second option, thebloodier and quicker assault. As in fieldbattles, the leadership and magic ratingsof leaders play important roles.

In addition to battle magic, magic us-ers can use more strategic spells, de-pending on the power of specific sorcer-or. The exact spells for each side is de-termined randomly, by picking chits,though a player may choose one chit ofhis choice and give up one random pick.These spells include things such as earth-pit which effects the movement of ene-my units or necromon, which allows theDemon player to resurrect recently elim-inated units. The magic system addsconsiderably to the game’s play and fla-vor, but doesn’t overpower the militaryaspects of the game.

Both sides can attempt to augmenttheir forces by attempting to influencethe five neutral powers. Successful rollsbring that force in on the player’s side,though allies can be fickle and can revertto neutrality or even join the enemy inadversity. Each side can ask for rein-forcement, at a victory point loss, fromoff board areas. Invocation of specialmagical units can be accomplished bymagic users at specified temples. Forexample, a Demon magic user can at-tempt to conjure an army of gargoyles,trolls and dire wolves at the temple ofNinghiz.

Victory in DEMONLORD is either bysudden death, when one player seizescontrol of the other’s capital, or morelikely, by victory points. These are ac-cumulated on a per turn basis for suchthings as controlling more fortressesthan the enemy, holding enemy cities,winning battles, and having fewer alliesthan the opposition.

I was quite pleased with the game; it’sfun to play, colorful and filled with inter-esting little nuances. The designer hasadded features, such as the allianceswith neutrals, variable reinforcementsand variable setups for some units, toinsure the game does not become repeti-tive. The combat system is an intelligenttreatment of the medieval-style fantasyencompassing factors such as weapon-ry, troop type, morale and armor as wellas a healthy dose of magic. Enoughthought has gone into setting the scene,that it is relatively easy for the players toget into the spirit of the game. For fivebucks, DEMONLORD is a real bargain; itis one of the few games where I feel I gotmore than I paid for.

DEMONLORD, designed by ArnoldHendrick, comes boxed and sells for$4.95. The game is designed for two andplays in three or four hours. DEMON-LORD is a Dwarfstar game, a division ofHeritage USA, and as far as I can findout, is available only through retail outlets.

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March 1982 Dragon

Reviewed by Chris Henderson

THE BEST OF RANDALL GARRETTRobert Silverberg, editorTimescape Books 835574-2$2.95

Could it be that something is gettingbetter, instead of worse, for a change? Ifthis collection is any indication, maybe.

Science fiction is a field famous for itsrip-offs: Shoddy volumes of the stuffhave been hurried together and dumpedon the market for the unsuspecting buy-ers since the paperback book was in-vented. The Best of Randall Garrett isnot one of those books, however. Thankgoodness.

Lord Darcy is Garrett’s most famousand most popular character and thearistocrat-detective shows up in bothThe Eyes Have It, a tale of scientific sleu-thing, and in The Spell of War, an ac-count of young Darcy’s first experienceas a subaltern in the army.

Along with these is The Hunting Lodge,possibly Garrett’s best-known story. Nineother tales round out the volume, eachone helping to demonstrate the author’sbizarre wit. There is a subtle effective-ness to his stories; much of the intrigu-ing word-play Garrett is known for sur-faces readily in this collection.

And, on top of all this, one of the au-thor’s friends or admirers, introduceseach story, a list that includes MarionZimmer Bradley, Ben Bova, NormanSpinrad, Isaac Asimov, and Philip JoseFarmer.

Collections come out all the time, butonly a few are worth buying. This is oneof them.

FUZZY BONESWilliam Tuning Ace Books 0-441-26181-7-250$2.50

H. Beam Piper endeared himself tomillions with his alien race novels “LittleFuzzy,” and “Fuzzy Sapiens.” Althoughhe wrote another “Fuzzy” novel, it waslost shortly before his death and hasnever been found.

So, someone finding Fuzzy Bones on abookstore shelf might mistake this forthe lost Piper classic. This isn’t the case,but it’s no reason to be disappointed.

Ace books, having the rights to pub-lish Piper’s works and pastiches of thesame, could have palmed anything off

on the public and scored a quick buck,but chose not to. Author William Tuningwas given the task of studying Piper’swork and continuing his Fuzzy saga.With amazing clarity, and a strong graspof what Piper’s writing was all about,Tuning produced a totally enjoyablenovel, one well worthy of being calledthe sequel to Little Fuzzy and FuzzySapiens.

Its nearly 400 pages (a record thesedays in the genre) contain too much sto-ry to relate here. Suffice it to say that thebook goes into the anthropology of theFuzzies, examining why they seemedout of place on the planet where theywere first found by man. Tuning receivedhelp in developing the book’s sciencefrom a number of people, Robert For-ward and Robert Heinlein among them,assuring the reader of accurate as wellas entertaining premises throughout.

Few science fiction series were writtenwith such warmth or regarded as highlyby the public as this one. It makes onefeel good to see something so belovedtreated with such respect.

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO HOMECOMPUTERSFrank HerbertPocket Books 0-671-43964-2-595$5.95

Computers have been with us as aconcept for more than 30 years. Althoughmost people don’t understand them,practically anyone can tell you that acomputer is a thinking machine. We allknow them to be tools used by corpora-tions, governments, hospitals, schooldistricts, and other large impersonal bo-dies. Recently, however, they have start-ed to make themselves more available tothe public.

To most people though, the idea of ahome computer is still on the same levelas a family jet. Home computers seem tobe pretty much of an extravagance tomost people, a lot of money for a pur-poseless toy. Buying an expensive, use-less gadget which takes a masters de-gree in electronics to operate is not mostfolks’ idea of a wise investment.

The truth is, however, that computersare now priced within the budget of theordinary home. They are extremely use-ful, and they are fairly simple to bothprogram and run.

A home computer can balance bankstatements, pay bills, plan meals, calcu-

75

late taxes, play its owner a game ofchess, backgammon — or anything else—and a lot more.

Herbert has compiled the informationneeded for anyone who wants to eitherbuy, or at least think of buying a homecomputer. He explains what is coming,and why most everyone will need someform of home computer before the 80’sare over. He teaches the reader how towrite programs, how to understandcomputers, and how to buy one. It is asimple book, written in easily understoodlanguage. It is not a great book — but,then, most necessary books aren’t.

IN IRON YEARSGordon R. DicksonAce Books 0-441-37077-2-250$2.50

Gordon Dickson is the creator of theDorsai series. In recent years, he hasdone little more than churn out one Dor-sai novel and story after another, untilsome of it has gotten a tad threadbare.To some people, Dickson’s name hastaken on a few spots of tarnish; they keepwaiting for him to write something else.

Since the author does not seem so in-clined, Ace Books has put out a collec-tion of his short stories ranging over 20years of his lengthy career. Included arehumorous stories such as Zeepsday fromthe early 50’s, to the title story, writtenonly a few years ago.

All of the stories, no matter how whim-sical or serious, however, deal with anEarth of the future. It is a crowded, oftendeadly, complicated and dreary place, inmany ways hateful and loathsome. Thesubject matter ranges from the goingson in an inter-galactic small-claims court,to the firing of a secretary with tenure.

The problem with describing the sto-ries as a group is that, outside of the verygood writing and the wit and grace thatwent into each, there is little unity ofstyle to allow quick bunching.

Like most good Dickson stories, theseven in this collection are filled withsurprises. It is good standard science fic-tion fare, with a number of enjoyablejolts and twists thrown in to elevate itfrom the average to the highly enjoyable.Dickson is at his best here, showing thestuff that made him a Hugo and Nebulawinner. In Iron Years is not a great col-lection, but it is a good one.


Finally,an art bookas goodas its art

THE ART OF LEO & DIANE DILLONByron Preiss, editor

wrote a marvelous text that nicely comple-

Ballantine Communicationsments nearly 130 illustrations. Most of the

5-28449-6-1495 $14.95pieces also have an accompanying para-graph or two with background for the work.

One force that helped make science fic-The Dillons have perfected a wide range

tion and fantasy respectable was the artof styles and mediums in more than twenty

book. Showing the world the genre hadyears as illustrators. Of the 48 color plates,

more to offer than just “comic book art”the same method of creation is rarely usedtwice: watercolors, pen and ink, wood-

spread appreciation for it. Unfortunately,many collections suffered from an obvious

cuttings, rubber cement resist, bleaching,

lust to exploit a new market. Why, how, andcrayons, pastels and more.

when they were painted—details like theseAnd, although the book is the price of

were rarely given to the reader.three admissions to “Raiders of the Lost

This, at least for one stunning volume,Ark” the expense is worth it. This is a vo-

has changed. The Art of Leo & Diane Dillonlume that is easy to return to again and

is in all respects what an art book should be.again, and in the long run, afar more enjoy-

First off, the history of both artists is giv-able experience than still another Frazetta

en. Editor Byron Preiss and the Dillonsbook. This one was made with some smallthought given to the audience, and it shows.

ABOVE: Two watercolor and pastel paintings.A Wrinkle in Time (left), a 1979 painting, andMystic in Love, completed in 1973.

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DragonMarch 1982

ABOVE: (clockwise, from upper left) I Have No acrylic; a 1978 pastel and water color cover forMouth and I Must Scream, a 1967 casein; The Cricket Magazine; and The Other Glass Teat, aEagle and the Raven, a 1978 gouache; No 1975 watercolor and acrylic.Doors, No Windows, a 1975 watercolor and

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DragonMarch 1982

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DragonVol. VI, No. 9

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