Magazine

Issue #130Vol. XII, No. 9

February 1988

PublisherMike Cook

EditorRoger E. Moore

Assistant editor Fiction editorRobin Jenkins Patrick L. Price

Editorial assistantsEileen Lucas Barbara G. Young

Debbie Poutsch Georgia Moore

Art directorRoger Raupp

Marilyn FavaroProduction Staff

Lori Svikel

Subscriptions AdvertisingPat Schulz Sheila Meehan

Ed GreenwoodCreative editors

Jeff Grubb

CONTENTS SPECIAL ATTRACTION

7 The Arcane Arts:Without Merlin, where would Arthur have been?

8 Get the Most From Your Magic � John N. KeanDweomers are forever: long-duration spells for maximum effect.

16 Arcane Lore � Len CarpenterFrom Oriental Adventures to Western campaigns: new spells for the casting.

22 Hold On to Your Illusions! � Brian TillotsonCan a 6th-level illusionist create an army of 20th-level paladins? Well, almost.

28 The Faces of Magic � John N. KeanSometimes a wizard should look like anything but.

34 Better Living Through Alchemy � Tom ArmstrongAlchemists and their magical trade, from potions to poisons.

OTHER FEATURES

42 Shark-killer � fiction by Carol SeveranceHaving abandoned her god, a warrior faces her worst enemy � alone.

50 The Game Wizards � Jon PickensWhere the magic goes: more on the second-edition AD&D® game.

54 The Dragon�s Bestiary � John M. MaxstadtA mutant plant that only a GAMMA WORLD® game GM could love.

56 Miniatures in Wonderland � Robert BigelowRole-play 100,000 dwarves at once, at the 1988 GEN CON®/ORIGINS Games Fair!

58 Keeping a Good Watch � Ryan GrindstaffWho watches the watch men? Try these TOP SECRET® game timepieces.

62 Dungeon Etiquette � Jody Lynn NyeThe paladin�s on Tatooine and the wizard�s in Dreamland � what�s a DM to do?

64 The Oriental Sea � Margaret FoyMaritime might comes to Oriental Adventures.

70 If Looks Could Kill � Malcolm BowersA direct look at gaze weapons and the monsters who use them.

80 The Marvel®-Phile � Jeff GrubbScourge� picks up the tab at the �bar with no name!�

86 The Role of Computers � Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk LesserThe best of the best: Wizardry IV, Phantasie III, and Sanxion!

DEPARTMENTS3 Letters 12 Gamers� Guide 94 Convention Calendar4 World Gamers Guide 13 Index to Advertisers 98 SnarfQuest6 Forum 92 Dragonmirth 101 Wormy

COVER

2 FEBRUARY 1988

One of the things about being a magic-user, as cover artist Linda Medley shows,is that you never have to worry about not having anyone to talk to. The lady�sfroggie familiar seems to think differently about the matter, though � but that�s afrog for you.

LETTERSMore miniaturesDear Dragon:

I am writing in response to David Howery�sletter in issue #126. I do not play role-playinggames, but large-scale fantasy wargames havemy interest. I greatly enjoy reading DRAGON®Magazine for the ideas it gives me for spells andstatistics for creatures in my games. However,like Mr. Howery, I would also like to see cover-age of new figure releases, painting tips, andother miniatures-related topics. There are somany figures on the market now that it is notalways possible to keep up to date on what isavailable, especially as so many stores have onlya limited stock. I hope you do decide to runthese kinds of articles again.

Patrick Presnall-KelleherSan Diego CA

in fact, we are thinking about doing this verything. We urge our readers with interests inminiatures and miniature games to write andtell us what you would like to see if we hadsuch a column.

Dungeons &designersDear Dragon:

Though I thoroughly enjoy playing D&D®games, I never really had a set of my own. Soaround last year, I made up a set of rules for agame. Please send me some informationconcerning how I would go about getting thisgame patented, published, copyrighted, etc.

James J. BolandTrenton NJ

Jim Ward had some ideas on how to becomeinvolved in the gaming industry in his columnfor “The Game Wizards,” in issue #128 (page 34).You might also read the third letter in the“Letters” column for issue #124 (page 3) formore information. Legal information oncopyrighting your game is best received byconsulting a lawyer.

DRAGON Magazine is also interested inpublishing small fantasy-based games, thoughwe accept very few submissions. You could sendan SASE for our writers guidelines and query uson details relevant to your proposed design.

Hoist the flag!Dear Dragon:

I was curious why you changed the flag of themagazine (you know, the big �DRAGONMagazine� logo on the cover). . . . It�s different,and I like the new format. I especially likehaving the month and year on the cover. Before,if you wanted to figure out what month andyear the magazine was from, you had to openthe magazine and look at the bottoms of pages.

The best way I could imagine would be to visitall of the games and hobby stores in your areaand poet an index-card notice in each, givingyour name, gaming interests, and phonenumber Many game stores have bulletin boardsfor this very purpose. The more gamers theycan draw into the hobby the better their sales.

Dear Dragon:I recently moved and am having a lot of

Jacob Burby

problems finding players. I am 13 years old andnot a regular D&D game player; that makesgaming clubs even harder to find. Do you have

Orange Vale CA

any advice for finding players or announcingmyself to gaming parties in my area?

Gamers wanted

We’ll tell Roger Raupp you like his work.

Just out of curiosity, whose job is it to decideon a color for the DRAGON logo, the logo�sperimeter, and the outline of special featuresprinted on the cover? I think he, she, it, orwhatever does a fine job.

Tony DeFigioEdinboro PA

Dear Dragon:

Roger returns

are set in 8-point type with a leading of 9. Thebody copy of the magazine (like its logo) haschanged several times over the years; it used tohave Baskerville II type, and before that weused Triumvirate Regular:

While I'm at it with the covers, I would like tocompliment you on the artwork you�ve beenable to get. It is good enough to hold myattention for a few minutes before I launch intodigging through the magazine.

One other thing: What font do you use?Mark R. Mulik

Neosho MO

We changed the logo because we got tired ofcalling our periodical a “monthly adventurerole-playing aid” when it is actually a magazine.Stephanie Tabat designed the new logo, and weare in seventh editorial heaven over it. We'reglad you like it.

Thank you, too, for your praise of DRAGONMagazine’s artwork. We’ve been very proud ofit, and we have more high-quality art coming inevery issue. Our art director, Roger Kaupp,deserves some praise too, even if he does chaseeditors around with plastic mailing tubes.

The body copy of this magazine is 9-pointZapf Book Light with a leading of 10, set on a14-pica margin in three-columm format. Certainsections like the “Letters” and “Forum” columns

It�s a small thing, but a great convenience.

The real worldCurrent events can provide an

inexhaustible source of adventureideas for any modern or futuristicrole-playing setting, as many writershave pointed out. However, it is safeto say that many gamers involved insuch campaigns have visions of thepresent or future modeled insteadafter popular movies, novels, comicbooks, and TV shows. (I sure did.)There are galaxy-spanning empires,laser-toting gunmen, rebels andinterstellar wars � all of it cast outof the three Star Wars films, withRoad Warrior, RoboCop, and MaxHeadroom as well. Sometimes youget some Japanese spice, too (a laRobotech). It�s fun, bizarre, andmuch stranger than the real world.

Or is it? Within the last 50 years,we�ve had Adolf Hitler, the Bomb,Apollo 11, and Chernobyl. Hightechnology cloaks our world just asdeeply as high sorcery cloaks themysterious lands of fantasy games.Some events in our �real world�even make events in science-fictionand fantasy worlds seem mundane.

The following are examples ofreal-world themes I have rarely seenin science-fiction campaigns � or inespionage, superpowered hero, andmodern warfare settings, either.How realistic would they seem in agame campaign?

Civilian atomic accidents: Manygame campaigns consider civiliannuclear power to be of minor impor-tance, completely safe, or little seen� but poor control of nuclear �junk�caused several deaths in a poverty-stricken area in Brazil in 1987. Inaddition to the famous accidents atWindscale, Three Mile Island, andChernobyl, the worst-ever nucleardisaster apparently took place in thesouthern Urals of the U.S.S.R., latein 1957. A chemical explosion in anuclear waste facility scatteredradioactive plutonium over 1,000square miles, killing perhaps hun-dreds of people and dooming thou-sands more to lingering deaths fromcancer. This so-called �Kyshtymexplosion� left vast regions of landuninhabitable for ages to come. Willcolonists on other worlds be anybetter at nuclear management?

Nuclear extortion: Thunderballwas fiction � but a Florida city in1970 was threatened with destruc-tion unless the blackmailer wasgiven a million dollars and safeconduct out of the country. Plansfor a cobalt-wrapped H-bomb ac-

(continued on page 60)

D R A G O N 3

The World Gamers GuideWith issue #131 of DRAGON® Magazine,

�The World Gamers Guide� will come to aclose. We will run the listings in thiscolumn until they have appeared for threetimes, then discontinue the column. Nofurther listings will be taken. Our in-creased distribution and circulation world-wide are responsible; because of the greatincrease in international sales, we willsoon not be able to cope with the increasein WGG entries with our small staff size.

However, we are always open to submis-sions for the �Letters� and �Forum�columns, as well as regular gaming artic-les, and we welcome contributions fromanywhere in the world. We also encouragegamers to organize gaming clubs, set upconventions, and use the resources of theirlocal game and hobby stores.

This column had a long run and a goodone. We wish all gamers across the worldthe best this year. Keep gaming!

AD: AD&D® gameBS: BATTLESYSTEM� SupplementCC: CALL OF CTHULHU® gameCH: CHAMPIONS� gameCW: CAR WARS® gameDD: D&D® gameGW: GAMMA WORLD® gameMSH: MARVEL SUPER HEROES� gameOA: AD&D Oriental Adventures systemP: PARANOIA� gameRQ: RUNEQUEST® gameSF: STAR FRONTIERS® gameSFB: STAR FLEET BATTLES gameSL: SQUAD LEADER® game T: TRAVELLER®

gameTMNT: TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA

TURTLES® gameTS: MP SECRET® gameT2000: TWILIGHT 2000� game

Jeffrey Jongko (AD,DD,TS,T2000)12 Yellowstone StreetWhite Plains, Metro ManilaPHILIPPINES

Alberto Halphen (AD,GW,SF,TS)Lomas de ChapultepecM. Chimborazo 520/701Mexico DF C/P 11000MEXICO

SN J. (Steve) Hudak (AD,MSH,TS)P.O. Box 37-611 NSGA(NSA Naples, Italy)FPO NY 09521-4000UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Bill McQuillan (AD,CH,CW)042-74-1095HHC 7th SUPCOM, Box 43APO NY 09712UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Waye Mason109 Wolsey RoadNorthwood, MiddlesexHA6 2EBGREAT BRITAIN

Carlos Mondragon, Jr. (AD)Boulevard Campestre #128-3Col. Jardines del MoralC.P. 37160Leon, G40MEXICO

Aaron McDowell (AD,DD,GW,RQTT)44 Carters Tce.AshburtonSouth IslandNEW ZEALAND

Chai Tze Hwa (AD,BS,CW,DD,MSH,OA,SF,TMNT,TS)

Bishan Road, Street 12Block 137, #11-414SINGAPORE 2057

Siobhan McDonnell (AD)218 Haleys Gully RoadHurstbridgeVictoria 3099AUSTRALIA

Steven Eggerking (AD,DD,GW,TS)145 Omao StreetKailua, Oahu, Hawaii 96734UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

George Anastasoulis (AD,RQ,SF,T)

Apostolaki 1Nea SmyrniAthens 17121GREECE

Kristoffer (Chris) Kvello (AD)214-59170 LongyearbyenSvalbardNORWAY

Antonio Marcelo F. da Fonseca (AD,SF,DD)Rua Hadock Lobo 131 casa 7Tijuca, Rio de Janerio, RJBRAZIL CEP 20260

Kevin Armstrong (AD,SF)25 West WayHolmes Chapel, CreweCheshire CW4 7DGUNITED KINGDOM

René Rasmussen (AD,DD,OA,SL)Sondergade 15DK-9493 SaltumDENMARK

Colin Campbell (AD,BS,CC,OA,SFB,T)92 Oswald AvenueGrangemouthScotlandUNITED KINGDOM

Jeff JohnsonSPDC Ext. NordB.P. 328MarouaCAMEROUN

Thomas B. Mason (AD,CH,CW,GW,OA,P)502 MI Co., 2 ACR(Nurnberg, West Germany)APO NY 09093UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Torben M. Husum (AD,DD)Granvej 14100 RingstedDENMARK

Jorge Manuel Martins (AD,DD)Av. Salvador Allende, 21-AOeiras 2780PORTUGAL

Adrian Martinez (AD,DD,GW,MSH,TS,SF)#9 Chestnut StreetFairview, Quezon City, ManilaPHILIPPINES

Butch Sy Yap (AD,DD,GW,MSH,TS,SF)#18-D West RoadCubao, Quezon City, ManilaPHILIPPINES

J.V. Barredo (AD,DD,GW,MSH,TS,SF)#180-A Wilson StreetAllenby EntranceSan Juan, ManilaPHILIPPINES

DRAGON® Magazine (ISSN 0279-6848) is published monthly by TSR, Inc. The mailing address for all material except subscription orders is DRAGON Magazine, PO.Box 110, Lake Geneva WI 53147; the business telephone number is (414) 248-3625. DRAGON Magazine IS available at hobby stores and bookstores throughout theUnited States and Canada, and through a limited number of overseas outlets. Newsstand distribution throughout the United Kingdom is by Seymour Ltd., 334 BrixtonRoad, London, SW9 7AG, United Kingdom; telephone: 01-733-4444. Subscription rates via second-class mail are as follows: $30 in U.S. funds for 1 year (12 issues)sent to an address in the U.S. or Canada, $50 for 12 issues sent by surface mail to any other address, and $90 for 12 issues sent airmail to any other address. Paymentin full must accompany all subscription orders. Methods of payment include checks or money orders made payable to TSR, Inc., or charges to valid MasterCard orVISA credit cards. Send subscription orders with payments to: TSR, Inc. PO. Box 72089, Chicago IL 60678. A limited quantity of back issues are available from theTSR mail order department, PO. Box 756, Lake Geneva WI 53147. For a copy of the current catalog listing available back issues, write to the mail order department atthe above address. The issue of expiration of each subscription is printed on the mailing label for each subscriber’s copy of the magazine. Changes of address for thedelivery of subscription copies must be received at least six weeks prior to the effective date of the change in order to assure uninterrupted delivery. All materialpublished in DRAGON Magazine becomes the exclusive property of the publisher, unless special arrangements to the contrary are made prior to publication. DRAGONMagazine welcomes unsolicited submissions of written material and artwork; however, no responsibility for such submissions can be assumed by the publisher in anyevent. Any submission accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope of sufficient size will be returned if it cannot be published.

DRAGON is a registered trademark of TSR, Inc. All rights to the contents of this publication are reserved, and nothing may be reproduced from it in whole or in partwithout first obtaining permission in writing from the publisher. Copyright ©1988 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

AD&D, ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, ADVANCED D&D, AMAZING, BLACKMOOR, BOOT HILL, D&D, DRAGONLANCE, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS,FIEND FOLIO, GAMMA WORLD, GREYHAWK, TOP SECRET, STAR FRONTIERS, TSR, and WORLD OF GREYHAWK are registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.GEN CON is a service mark owned by TSR, Inc. ARES, BATTLESYSTEM, BLACKMOOR, DEITIES & DEMIGODS, DRAGONCHESS, DRAGONQUEST, DUNGEON,FORGOTTEN REALMS, GANGBUSTERS, POLYHEDRON, RPGA, TOP SECRET/S.I., and the TSR logo are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. ©1988 TSR, Inc. All RightsReserved. Marvel and all Marvel character names and likenesses are trademarks of the Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. and are used under license. Copyright ©1988Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Second-class postage paid at Lake Geneva, Wis., and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 110, Lake Geneva WI53147. USPS 318-790, ISSN 0279-6848.

4 FEBRUARY 1988

FORUMI would like to suggest a change to Intelligence

Table II of the Players Handbook (p. 10). In myopinion, the current data for magic-user abilitydoes not accurately reflect specific conditionswhich should affect ability ranges listed. Myown changes which expand upon the table aredetailed in the following paragraphs.

First, the wizard�s �base spell-power level ofefficiency� must be calculated by finding one-third of intelligence, rounding as appropriate. Awisdom of 18 adds 1 to the base number deter-mined, the result being the spell level of effi-ciency. A 14 intelligence (with 18 wisdom) wouldresult in a base efficiency with sixth-level spells(14/3 = 4.66, rounded to 5; 5 + 1 = 6).

What this means is that for sixth-level spells,the magic-user�s proficiency with regard to�maximum spells per level� and �chance toknow spells� remains just as shown in the table,with no modification (this does not includeexperience of the mage, mentioned below). It iswell known that first-level spells are �easier�than second-level spells, which are �easier� thanthird-level ones, and so on. Gamers can put thisconcept into a more mystic perspective: Theinnate force manifestations stored within allspells are of an increasingly arcane nature; thus,the level attribute is assigned as a gauge ofrelative complexity. With this in mind, considerbase efficiency as + 0 (0%). Each spell levelbelow this (i.e., the less complex incantations)receives a cumulative + 1 (or 5%) bonus to�max. spells/level� and �chance to know,� respec-tively. Conversely, each spell level above thebase power level (i.e., the more difficult ones) ispenalized by - 1 (or - 5%).

To make the data obtained even more progres-sive or individualized, every experience level ofthe mage (above first) improves the limits gener-ated above by + 0.2 (or + 1%); in other words,+ 1 (5%) at 6th level, +2 (10%) at 11th level, etc.Please note that the chance-to-know-spellspercentage may never go above 95% or below5%, due to modifications brought about by thisnew formula.

And now, the example: The same mage of 14intelligence is also 14th level. Consulting themagic-user ability table, we find that he has a55% chance to know (and can learn a maximumof) nine spells of the sixth level. (To use thestanding rules, he could illogically learn nineninth-level spells as easily as he could learn ninefirst-level ones.) With my proposed formula, hislevel (or rank, to avoid confusion) alone raisesthis limit to a 69% chance and an 11-spell limitwith sixth-level spells. To rationalize, thisgreater degree of ability would be due to hisextensive experience with matters arcane; a 1stlevel magic-user with 18 intelligence wouldjustifiably find the casting of a first-level spellmore difficult than would a higher rankingmage of lesser intelligence. Taking spell powerand character experience into account, ourexemplified mage may know 74% of the fifth-level spells he tries to learn, retaining a maxi-mum of 12 spells of that level; he may know64% of the seventh-level spells he tries to learn,

6 FEBRUARY 1988

and can retain only 10 of those spells.It should be pointed out that the rules for

intelligence minimums needed to cast spells ofhigher levels as shown in Intelligence Table I (14intelligence limits spell-casting to spells of theseventh level of power, for instance) are a goodcompliment to this new rule, assuring that asituation will not arise where a character is of alevel where he is able to cast spells of a certainpower but has a maximum of zero learnablespells in that category. With that in mind, theoverriding of the �minimum spells/level� datashould prove no great problem.

Christopher EarleyMastic NY

As a DM, I have often wondered how tohandle a PC affected by lycanthropy. PCs oftentried to seek help after falling victim to thedisease, but I prohibited this [because] I doubtedthat a werewolf would want to be human anymore than a human would want to be a were-wolf. (I tried to keep in mind what the actualcharacter would want, not the player.) Thus, Iencountered the following problem: Should Iconsider the character no longer a PC, orshould I allow the player to continue playing thecharacter?

For the sake of the character, I decided toprolong his life by continuing with the game.What next? The rules did not go into greatdetail on the subject. Therefore, I allowed thecharacter to receive help, but not consciously.

For instance: A PC wereboar is chasing acleric down the street. The cleric ducks into amagician�s shop and ambushes the boar, injuringhim badly. Later, the local mage (being of highlevel) comes upon the unconscious wereboarand, in sympathy, heals him of his lycanthropy.

Brent SilvisCorry PA

With all the talk about the future of the vari-ous classes in the revision of the AD&D® gamebooks, I have one suggestion. Remove the illu-sionist class entirely. �Why remove this class?�you ask. Two reasons. First, it is one of thehardest classes to qualify for. Second, the spellselection is pitiful.

My solution to this is to simply incorporate theexisting illusionist class into the magic-userclass. This would mean the illusionist-to-be onlyhas to roll an intelligence of 9 and a dexterity of6, as opposed to the 15 intelligence and 16dexterity required. This also allows the illusion-ist more choices in magical items.

The next step would be to merge the two spelltables. This is easily done, as most spells arealready available to magic-users. Some of thespells left are not exact duplicates of magic-userspells, but are close enough to existing spells tobe redundant (e.g., alter reality vs. limited wish).Any spells that are unique to the illusionist classcan be transposed to the magic-user table, withthe spell level being two levels higher than onthe illusionist spell table.

I know there are some of you who have

played and enjoyed the illusionist as is; I am notone of them. I think that the suggestion givenabove can only improve the play of the AD&Dgame.

Kelly CalabroWalnut Creek CA

Chaelmon von Zarovic was feeding AndyWright a lot of bull (in issue #125). In someanimal species, it is possible for each sex to findthe other a pain at times. No species, however,will refuse contact between sexes to the pointwhere breeding is interfered with (as vonZarovic would have with harpies). And if maleharpies produce only male harpy children,while female harpies bear only female young,the two sexes could never produce any childrenwith each other.

Van Zarovic is correct on some points, though.Harpies can breed with a wide variety of crea-tures, mostly humanoids or birds. But theyfollow the standard laws of crossbreedinggenetics. The case of the harpy follows: A hu-man and a bird (the vulture) were bred throughpowerful magic to form the harpy (other bird/man types may also have been formed depend-ing on the magic, bird, and humanoid used).The harpy prefers to breed with other harpies,but will mate with anything at least half-man orhalf-bird. When bred with a pure breed, theresulting child is similar to its crossbreed parent(the harpy in this case). When bred with an-other crossbreed (e.g., the centaur), the childmay resemble either parent or (rarely) both. Ineither case, if the child is bred again to the samespecies as its nonharpy parent, the grandchild isusually a normal type of the nonharpy ancestry(with an occasional trace of harpy traits). In thecase of harpies, such throwbacks rarely survivesince the harpies usually kill and eat them.

It is also true that the male harpy is clean andgentle � when compared with female harpies,that is. The female harpy lays two to four eggsat a time, but provides barely enough food forone chick, which means that only the strongestchick can survive. Since the female is slightlylarger than the male (a common trait amonglarge birds), the only time a male chick survivesis when all the eggs are male, which occurs oneout of eight times.

With a ratio of seven females for every male,the adult male doesn�t need to hunt for food andthus spends much of his time grooming himselffor the women (who usually henpeck himanyway). He is kept out of any danger, and thetypical adventurer either doesn�t see him or justassumes him to be a fleeing female. (The physi-cal difference is minor to the casual viewer asthe males also have large breasts.) However, themale�s gentleness consists purely of an unwill-ingness to put himself to unnecessary trouble ordanger while there are females who will do itfor him. The weak and helpless are no safer inthe hands of a male than a female harpy.

David Carl ArgallLa Puente CA

In regards to the letter from Mr. Van Veen inthe �Forum� of issue #123, I have to disagreewith his handling of orcs. Orcs are not meant tofight high-level characters; they are the cannonfodder of the AD&D game, just like zero-levelhumans.

Instead of increasing the number of orcs, ormaking the orcs more powerful, change themonster. Use gnolls, ogres, trolls, even hillgiants. These are the types of monsters thatmid- to high-level characters should be facing �

(continued on page 13)

Get the Most FromYour MagicSpell-casting advice for magic-users of all levels

by John N. Kean

Magic-users are limited in the number ofspells they can memorize and thereforeuse during an adventure. Individual andgroup survival depends upon having theright resources to survive the variouschallenges encountered; the more spellsavailable, the greater the chance of sur-vival. This article discusses a way to in-crease the number of spells that amagic-user can make use of during anadventure.

Some spells are permanent, such ascontinual light; others last until triggered,like magic mouth, or last for many hoursor days, like charm person. These spellscan be cast on one day, and they will stillbe in effect the next day or possiblylonger. Rest and study allow the magic-user to regain his or her full complementof spells. The magic-user can then startthe adventure with a greater number ofactive and potential spells available.

For example, a conjurer (3rd-level magic-user) can memorize one second- and twofirst-level spells at one time, or four can-trips instead of one first-level spell. Sheknows she will be traveling to a distanttown in three days. During the three daysbefore she leaves, she casts three second-level spells (one each day) � continuallight (permanent duration) on a wand toserve as a torch, invisibility (special dura-tion) on a halfling thief companion, andprotection from cantrips (three days dura-tion) on herself. Note that she casts thespells with the longest duration first.

She casts four first-level spells as well:armor (special duration) on herself andher horse; charm person (special duration)on a mercenary fighter companion toinsure his loyalty; and, wizard mark (per-manent duration) on her forehead tosimulate a birthmark.

She also casts eight cantrips. She uses ahairy cantrip (permanent duration) tochange the length of her hair, and colorcantrips (30-day duration) to change thecolor of her hair, eyes, skin, and robe (one

The table in this article presents spellsthat would be useful on adventures. Eachhas a duration of one day or longer, or aspecial duration such that the spell istriggered by a specific set of circum-stances. Other spells not listed may alsoqualify; check your spell books closely.Only imagination limits the possibilities.

It is important to remember that al-though a magic-user can only have a cer-tain number of spells memorized at onetime, rest and study allow spells to bereacquired. A 3rd-level magic-user canmemorize only one second-level spell. Itrequires four hours of rest and a half-hourof study to memorize another second-levelspell (Dungeon Masters Guide, page 40).Theoretically, the 3rd-level magic-user cancast a second-level spell approximatelyevery 4½ hours. This works out to five ina 24-hour period! Circumstances usuallyallow only one rest and memorizationperiod each day, but it is possible to havemore if the magic-user is clever and care-ful. Assuming only one appropriate spellof a certain level can be memorized andcast per rest period, then five first-, fivesecond-, three third-, three fourth-, twofifth-, two sixth-, two seventh-, or twoeighth-level spells can be cast in a 24-hourperiod, under ideal circumstances.

Having these spells in effect increasesher chances of surviving encounters.

Second level: invisibility, continual light,protection from can trips.

mark.

Cantrips: color, hairy, wrap.First level: armor, charm person, wizard

The day she leaves town, she memorizesthe two first-level spells and the onesecond-level spell allowable by her level.The following spells are still in effect for atleast two more days:

cantrip each). The birthmark and otherchanged features provides a very effectivedisguise. She also uses three wrap cantrips(special duration) to prepare packets ofspell ingredients for the spells she antici-pates needing. The packets can be quicklyretrieved with a present cantrip to expe-dite spell casting during emergencies.

There is no mention in the AD&D® gameliterature of the time required to rest forand memorize cantrips. I have assumedthat the time required is one-quarter ofthat required for first-level spells, becausefour cantrips can be substituted for onefirst-level spell.

�Usable duration� is the spell�s durationminus the time required to rest, thenmemorize a spell of the same level. Inother words, usable duration is the lengthof time that a particular spell will be ineffect after a spell of the same level isreplaced in the caster�s memory.

Particular notes on magic-user spellsmentioned in the table follow, arranged bythe level of the spells concerned.

CantripsColor: This can change the color of skin,

hair, eyes, clothes, or other items for aquick disguise.

Flavor: This cantrip is useful to mask theflavor of poisons or other additions to foodor drink.

Hairy: This can be used to change thelength of hair or beards for a quick disguise.

Wrap: This can be used to wrap spellcomponents for quick retrieval for spell-casting.

First levelArmor: One of the best spells, this one

improves the armor class of unarmoredcharacters (to AC 8) or creatures such asmounts or familiars (by one step).

Charm person: This spell improves theloyalty of companions, but it works beston NPCs (PCs might be angered). See theforget spell that follows.

Grease: This is primarily a defensivespell used to increase the difficulty forthieves or others trying to enter an areaby climbing or other means. It is good touse on a magic-user�s home before themagic-user leaves on a trip.

Nystul’s magic aura: This can be used togive nonmagical items a magical aura, tomislead unwary thieves or others. This is agood spell to use on worthless items foruse in trade later on; any number of magi-

D R A G O N 9

Long-Duration Magic-User Spells Table

SpellColorFlavorHairyWrapArmorCharm personGreaseNystul’s magic auraWizard markCon t i nua l l i gh t ForgetIn visibilityLeomund’s trapMagic mouthPreserveProtection from can tripsWizard lockExplosive runesInvisibility 10’ radiusItem

LevelCantrips

First

Second

Third

MaterialSecret pageSepia snake sigilCharm monsterDigFire trapHallucinatory terrainMassmorphPlant growthPolymorph other Rary’s mnemonic enhancerStoneskinAnimate deadAvoidance/attraction BeckonFabricate

Fourth

Fifth

Duration30 daysPermanentPermanentSpecialSpecialSpecialPermanent1 day/levelPermanentPermanentPermanentSpecialPermanentSpecialPermanent1 day/levelPermanentSpecialSpecial1 or 4 hours/levelPermanentSpecialSpecial(1+ weeks)PermanentSpecialSpecialSpecialPermanentPermanent1 daySpecialPermanentPermanentSpecialPermanent

"""

6""""""""

8"""

"

"

"

1"

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

1¼"

"

"

Studytime

(hours)1/16*

"

"

"

¼"

"

"

"

½"

"

"

"

"

"

"

3/4"

"

Sleeptime

(hours)1*"""

4""""

4"""""""

6""

Usableduration30 daysPermanentPermanent.SpecialSpecialSpecialPermanent(1 day/level) �4¼ hoursPermanentPermanentPermanentSpecialPermanentSpecialPermanent(1 day/level) � 4 ½PermanentSpecialSpecial

hours

(1 or 4 hours/level) � 6¾ hours

PermanentSpecialSpecialSpecialPermanentSpecialSpecialSpecialP e r m a n e n t Permanent17 hoursSpecialPermanentPermanentSpecialPermanent

* Assumed values.

Continual light: This spell is often usedto create a permanent, portable lightsource. If it is cast on the bottom of a long,narrow tube (possibly with a glass lensand cap), a flashlight is created. This spellcan a!so be used as a warning device. Ifthe magic-user covers the light sourcewith a lightproof material and sets it up bya door, chest, or other item, then when

Second level

Wizard mark: Though useful to createor remove birthmarks or tattoos, this canalso be used to mark items to prove own-ership, identify which items are trapped,indicate direction, etc.

cal items can be faked, from weapons tomiscellaneous devices. �Traps� on one�shome may also be devised before leavingon a long trip, deterring all but the mostdetermined thieves � and those thievesmay find only fake items.

Forget: This is useful for causing othersto forget things that are better left un-known � such as who cast the charmperson on the recipient.

Invisibility: This is most useful in render-ing companions, mounts, familiars, valu-able possessions, and so forth invisiblebefore embarking on a trip or adventure.

the item is manipulated, the cover is re-moved and the light shines forth, alertingthose nearby. This is particularly effectiveagainst thieves who employ silence 15’radius spells to cover the noise of theiractivities. If used in conjunction withwarning devices that make a noise whendisturbed, then only thieves with silence15’ radius and continual darkness spellscan enter undetected. If thieves catch onto this, then two or more continual lightspells can be used. One continual light willbe cancelled by one continual darkness,but the second continual light will stillshine forth.

Lead sheeting blocks certain magical

Magic mouth: One of the best spells, thisone won�t activate until a general or spe-cific set of circumstances occurs (PlayersHandbook, page 71). The spell can be seton a money pouch, activating whentouched by any creature except theowner. The spell can be placed on a porta-ble item which can be taken along on ajourney and placed in a room or campsite,activating when a stranger enters or ap-proaches. The spell can be used for adistraction, shouting �Fire!� or a similarmessage when activated (especially from adistance) by the caster, perhaps using acombination of gestures. The spell caneven be used to identify certain creatures(shouting �Demon!� when a demon ap-proaches, for example).

Leomund’s trap: This makes things diffi-cult for thieves, and may slow them downenough to prevent the loss of valued goodsat home or on the road.

10 FEBRUARY 1988

Level SpellFifth Leomund’s secret chest(continued) Magic jar

Sixth

Stone shapeWall of iron/stoneContingencyEnsnarementGeasInvisible stalkerMove earthReincarnateSpiritwrackTansmute water to dustCacodemonCharm plantDrawmij’s instant summonsLimited wishMass invisibilityPhase doorSequester

Seventh

SimulacrumAntipathy/sympathyCloneGlassteelMass charmMind blankPermanencyPolymorph any objectSinkSymbolTrap the soulAstral spellCrystalbrittleEnergy drainImprisonmentSuccorWish

Eighth

Ninth

PermanentPermanent

Duration

SpecialSpecialSpecial

60 days

SpecialPermanent

Special

PermanentSpecialPermanentSpecialPermanentSpecialSpecialSpecial1 use/2 levels1 week + 1day/levelPermanent2 hours/levelPermanentPermanentSpecial1 dayPermanentPermanentSpecialSpecialSpecialSpecialPermanentPermanentPermanentSpecialSpecial

"

10"""""""""

12"""""

"

2"""""""""

2¼"""""

Sleep Studytime time

(hours) (hours)8 1¼" "

" "

" "

8 1½" "

" "

" "

" "

" "

" "

" "

1 0 1¾" "

" "

" "

" "

" "

" "

Usableduration60 days � 9¼ hoursSpecialPermanentPermanentSpecialSpecialSpecialSpecialPermanentPermanentSpecialPermanentSpecialPermanentSpecialSpecialSpecialSpecial(1 week + 1 day/level) � 11¾ hours

Permanent(2 hours/level) � 12 hoursPermanentPermanentSpecial12 hoursPermanentSpecialSpecialSpecialSpecialSpecialPermanentPermanentPermanentSpecialSpecial

Wizard lock: Use of this spell securesspell books, scroll tubes, manacles, etc.

Third levelExplosive runes: This protects items

from unauthorized reading, but can beused offensively when a means of gettingopponents to read the runes is devised.

Invisibility 10’ radius: See invisibility,Item: A very useful spell, this permits

the transport of large or bulky items. Nomention is made about weight reductionof the itemed object, but it would not beunreasonable to rule that weight is alsoreduced. Also, items that are normallydifficult or impossible to carry, such as apool of burning oil, can now be carriedsafely.

Material: Common materials can becreated for later use with this spell, whensuch items may be hard to locate or ob-tain. If used in conjunction with other

spells, remarkable effects may be ob-,tained; for example, stone may be pro-duced, made into a statue with stoneshape, given a magic mouth to call out andattract an enemy�s attention, then given asepia snake sigil to catch the enemy.

Secret page: This spell prevents theunauthorized reading of maps, instruc-tions, introductions, or other writings.

Sepia snake sigil: Another of the best ofspells, this spells second application (Un-earthed Arcana, page 56 � a glyphmarked on some surface that is touched orgazed upon) is very useful. If the glyph iscast on a coin, gem, or similar item that islikely to be touched or gazed upon, it canbe packed away until needed. Thus, thespell can be used offensively, or to delaypursuit or defend against thieves (with thesigil-marked item in a money pouch orpocket). The third application (a smallcharacter written into some magic work toprotect it) will protect scrolls and spell

Protection from cantrips: This protectsrecipients from annoying or troublesomecantrips such as present, change, mute,distract, or spider

Preserve: This preserves perishablefoods, spell ingredients, or �monster parts�while traveling.

dallion of ESP, page 150). If magical ener-gies are blocked, then it is reasonable torule that lead sheeting blocks the �signals�that activate the magic mouth spell. Thus,lead wrapping of magic mouthed itemsshould prevent them from being activated,allowing them to be brought on adven-tures for later use. They can then be un-wrapped when needed. Lead wrappingcan also be used to protect other castspells such as continual light or sepiasnake sigil, and potions as well, from dis-pel magic.

energies, as per the Players Handbook(detect magic, page 44; ESP: page 70; and,clairvoyance, page 73) and the DMG (me-

DRAGON 11

12 FEBRUARY 1988

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FORUM(continued from page 6)that is, assuming you want to stick with human-oid monsters. The lists of monsters that are nothumanoid are too lengthy to get into here.

Furthermore, a DM could be really mean andgive the party something really dangerous:human opponents. These will definitely not belaughed at – not if the party has any intelligentmembers.

Following these suggestions will enable you touse orcs as they are meant to be used – asthreats to low-level parties, and as the mainforce in any large battles that may occur. Admit-tedly, goblins and other smaller monsters arealso found as cannon fodder in the large battles,but they are not the threat that orcs are.

Against the same size force, orcs will do muchmore damage than the smaller humanoids; andthe orcs still have a high enough rate of birth tokeep their population replaced. This makesthem ideal for use as shock troops and forharassing smaller parties of characters.

Tom BrincefieldBridgewater VA

D R A G O N 1 3

books, and can also be used as explosiverunes.

Fourth levelCharm monster: Cast on a mount or

monster companion, this spell becomesespecially useful when communicationwith the recipient is possible.

Dig: This can�t be �taken along� on anadventure, but the spell can be cast upon acampsite or similar area to aid in its de-fense. In combination with other spellsmentioned herein, a remarkable defensivesetting can be created in only one evening.

Fire trap: This is used to defend closableitems. It can be used offensively when away to get an opponent to open the item isdevised.

Hallucinatory terrain: This spell persistsuntil dispelled or contacted by an intelli-gent creature. Proper preparation paysoff. See dig.

Massmorph: This is only cast upon will-ing creatures. It lasts until dispelled or thecaster commands it to cease; it is best usedin advance to set up ambushes. See dig.

Plant growth: See dig.Polymorph other: A great spell! Almost

any creature can be �created� with this, ifenough is known about the creature.When combined with charm monster andother spells, one can create useful crea-tures such as pegasi for traveling, a giantscorpion for guarding a passage, or ahellhound for attacking. Dangerous crea-tures can be polymorphed into harmlesscreatures that can be safely handled, thenchanged back with dispel magic whenneeded. Even a tyrannosaur can bequickly disposed of if changed into a smallcreature and drowned.

Rary’s mnemonic enhancer: After thisspell is replaced, the caster receives threeadditional spell levels for the next 17hours! Don�t miss this one on trips.

Stoneskin: This is another good spell thatprotects the recipient from one physicalattack or attack sequence, such as theclaw/claw/bite of a dragon, a giant-thrownrock, or even falling damage (so the recipi-ent can jump to avoid a bad situation). Softweapons, such as fists, won�t dispel thedweomer. The whole party, includingfamiliars and valued mounts, should beprotected with this one.

Fifth levelAnimate dead: Turn those vanquished

humanoids and high-level monster foesinto your own ever-vigilant and loyal un-dead legions (if you aren�t good-aligned, ofcourse). The skeletons and zombies areimmune to sleep, charm, hold, cold-basedattacks, and morale checks. This is greatfor defending an area, or for producingcannon-fodder when attacking.

Avoidance: When cast on your valuables,such as money pouches and magic rings,this protects them from thievery. If attrac-tion, the reversed version, is cast uponcursed or trapped items (like those withsepia snake sigil, explosive runes, fire

14 FEBRUARY 1988

Mass charm: See charm person/monster.Mind blank: This gives l2-hour protec-

tion against devices or spells that detect,influence, or read emotions or thoughts,making it very nice to use before a

Antipathy/sympathy: This is similar toavoidance/attraction in its uses.

Clone: See simulacrum.Glassteel: Though of limited usefulness,

this spell creates almost unbreakablepotion containers, scroll tubes, etc.Cheaply made �gems� may also be createdfor trading purposes.

Eighth level

Mass invisibility: See invisibilityPhase door: This provides a secure, long-

lasting escape route. See dig.Sequester: This spell keeps valuables

secure or opponents �on ice.�Simulacrum: This spell is of limited

usefulness. Unless a specific creature andits knowledge and personality are re-quired, polymorph other is more useful.Nontheless, it could prove valuable indefensive situations in the magic-user�shome or lair.

Cacodemon: See beckon.Charm plant: See charm person/monster

and dig. This allows communication withthe subjects, as does speak with plants, soinformation can be acquired.

Drawmij’s instant summons: This keepsvaluables secure, yet quickly available.

Limited wish: Almost unlimited usesexist with this spell for preparatory or on-the-spot uses.

Seventh level

Contingency: This causes a companionspell to come into effect upon the occur-rence of a specific circumstance. Don�t bewithout this, See the spell�s description.

Ensnarement: See beckon.Geas: This is similar to charm person/

monster See beckon.Invisible stalker: See beckon.Move earth: See dig.Reincarnate: This is of limited useful-

ness, unless a companion dies.Spiritwrack: See beckon.Transmute water to dust: This spell is of

limited usefulness, unless a large supply ofwater or dust is needed, or must be re-moved. See dig.

Sixth level

trap, etc.), they make great gifts for enemies.Beckon (reverse of dismissal): A con-

jured, other-planar creature can be usedto investigate an area or soften up theopposition before the party commits itself.This is very dangerous, however.

Fabricate: See material.Leomund�s secret chest: This keeps

valuables secure at home and on trips.Magic jar: This spell can be useful, but

only in limited situations. It is worth con-sidering if circumstances permit and if therisk seems reasonable.

Stone shape: See material.Wall of iron/stone: See dig.

commando-style raid.Permanency: Of course, this makes

certain spell effects permanent. It can beextremely useful on the spell-caster�s ownperson, as the Players Handbook (page 91)indicates.

Polymorph any object: See polymorphother, material, and simulacrum.

Sink: See sequesterSymbol: See explosive runes and sepia

snake sigil.Trap the soul: This is usually used to

confine a foe. Other-planar creatures canbe required to perform a service immedi-ately upon being freed, but the magic-usershould back off afterward.

Ninth levelAstral spell: See the Manual of the

Planes for details on the use of this spelland what it may entail, as well as spell-recovery times.

Crystalbrittle: This spell is of limitedusefulness, unless used to weaken a foe orobstruction for a future encounter.

Energy dram: See crystalbrittle.Imprisonment: See sequesterSuccor: This spell teleports another

individual without error to the caster�ssanctuary, or the caster is brought to thepresence of the individual. Succor lastsuntil used.

Wish: See limited wish.

Checks and balancesUsing this spell-casting strategy requires

keeping track of what spells and howmany of each have been memorized andcast �between� adventures. Some risk isinherent because the �normal� comple-ment of spells is not available if a surpriseencounter occurs. If caution is taken, thisrisk can be much less than the benefitobtained from having these long-durationspells in effect.

Magic-users will almost inevitably try toabuse this strategy, but it isn�t necessary toforbid this strategy out of hand. It can behandled by adding encounters betweenadventures, when the magic-users don�thave their usual spells memorized. Thiswill also use up spells that have been cast,such as invisibility or stoneskin. Throwinga few dispel magic spells at the party willalso work, although the PCs can use leadsheeting to protect some items. NPCs canalso use this strategy against the PCs. Byallowing the players to use this strategy, aDM will have to increase the level of com-plexity and thought put into his play. DMswho use this strategy with NPCs will like-wise force their players to increase thelevel of their play in the same way. In theend, all will benefit.

This strategy exemplifies the beauty andlure of the AD&D game, and for runningmagic-users in particular. No limits exist tothe layers upon layers of detail and com-plexity that can be incorporated. The onlylimits are those of imagination and theamount of time gamers are willing toinvest.

Arcane LoreMagic from East to West

by Len Carpenter

Among the many new features of theOriental Adventures supplement are twonew spell-casting classes, the shukenja andwu jen. These two new classes each havetheir own complete spell lists, which in-clude many spells borrowed from thespell-casters of traditional AD&D® games.Clerical, druidic, magic-user, and illusionistspells from the Players Handbook andUnearthed Arcana have been adapted foruse by shukenja and wu jen. The OrientalAdventures spell lists also include manynew and original spells. While many ofthese spells are specially tailored for use inan Oriental campaign, other spells in thebook are fairly broad in nature and couldsee use in many situations and cultures.

Just as various spells have been adaptedfrom West to East, many of the spellsknown to Oriental characters would workquite well with the spell-casters of Occi-dental AD&D games. Presented herein arefour lists of Oriental spells adapted to thefour major spell-casting classes of WesternAD&D game settings.

In choosing which ones to adapt, Ilooked for ones that were not dependenton the unique qualities and characteristicsof an Oriental campaign world. Spells thattoo greatly overlapped or duplicated theeffects of spells given in the Players Hand-book or Unearthed Arcana are not in-cluded in the spell lists below. A few newspells are added for Western spell-castersby translating the effects of an Orientalspell into a similar spell that would beproper in an Occidental campaign.

The specifics of these general guidelinesare discussed below in the commentarieson the four groups of new spells. Anychanges or differences in the details ofthese adapted spells are noted and ex-plained. The material components, spelllevels, casting times, or specific effects ofspells are often altered in applying thesespells to Western spell-casters. Full de-scriptions of the few completely newspells are also given in these notes. Inthese commentaries, one asterisk indicatesa spell with a slightly altered title, whiletwo asterisks denotes a totally new spell inthe game. Simple abbreviations indicate

16 FEBRUARY 1988

The shape-changers of the East are notknown in the West, so the two spells usedto detect or forcibly change these beingsare inappropriate for clerics. These twospells, however, may inspire new spellsthat affect those creatures of the Westvaguely similar to shape-changers � lycan-thropes. Detect lycanthrope and forcewerechange are two completely new spellsthat may be known by clerics.

The metaphysics of the Orient is differ-ent from that of the West. Humans of theEast commonly experience reincarnationof the spirit and may have many past lives.As humans and most demi-humans in theWest are rarely reincarnated, the seconduse of the remember spell is largely un-known to clerics.

All of the new clerical spells are adaptedfrom the list of shukenja spells. The Occi-dental cleric differs from the shukenjaclass in several important ways, whichmust be taken into account when shukenjaspells are chosen. To begin with, the su-pernatural beings of the Orient are verydifferent from those of the West. Thespirit beings of the East have no Occiden-tal counterparts, so the many shukenjaspells used to influence kami of all typescannot be adapted for use by Westernclerics.

Clerical spells

the source of a spell; �WJ� stands for a wujen spell, �Sh� for a shukenja spell. Thenumber following the two letters showsthe spell�s level.

The many spells presented here neednot be introduced into an Occidental cam-paign all at once. Spells should be intro-duced a little at a time, appearing onscrolls or in hard-to-find spell books. Clericand druid spells may be granted by deitiesas the characters prove their worth. Mostfun of all, player characters might findthemselves the targets of spells neverbefore seen. A fighter hit by a magnetismspell or a thief made lawful good by acompel spell make for interesting encoun-ters in the campaign.

Of course, the spell lists can be alteredas the Dungeon Master sees fit. Somespells may be considered inappropriate forthe campaign, while additional spells fromOriental Adventures might be introduced.

Shukenja differ from clerics in theirrange of possible alignment positions.While shukenja are good-aligned holypersons who revere a great many kami,clerics are worshipers of a specific deityand can hold any one of the nine differentalignments. Those spells used by shukenjato coerce a wicked person into following amore enlightened way of life must bemodified � or even abandoned � to suitthe full range of alignments available toclerics. Remorse is a spell quite unsuitablefor neutral or evil clerics, and so should beprohibited from use by the cleric class.Other spells such as oath and compel mustbe broadened in scope to permit a cleric ofany alignment to coerce another intobehaving in a way closer to the cleric�salignment and beliefs.

Shukenja are highly adept at castingdivination spells. Clerics who do not havesuch great interest in the future or for-tune telling should gain spells such asomen or fate at a higher spell level.

The material components of a numberof spells must be changed to reflect reli-gious or cultural differences between Eastand West. Other changes in spell descrip-tions are made for various reasons ofmagic specialty, a deity�s sphere of influ-ence, or clarity of description.

First levelCalm: (Sh1) This spell may be used by a

cleric to soothe most forms of mentaldistress, except for magical fear, whichcan only be cancelled by a remove fearspell. This spell is identical to the shukenjaspell in all other ways but requires nomaterial component.

Detect disease: (Sh1) The clerical versionof this spell uses no material component.

Second levelDetect harmony: (Sh1) The material

component for this spell is the cleric�s holysymbol.

Omen: (Sh1) This spell is considered tobe second level for most clerics, althougha deity whose sphere of influence includesdivination and fortune telling may bestowomen as a first-level spell.

Weapon bless: (Sh1) The material compo-nents for the cleric�s spell are a quill madefrom the feather of an eagle and ink madefrom dragon�s blood. The identity of thefoe and several prayers of the cleric�sreligion are written on the weapon usingthe quill and ink, just as described underthe shukenja spell.

Third levelCastigate: (Sh3) As per the Oriental Ad-

ventures spell.Detect curse: (Sh3) The material compo-

nents for this spell are a small gem worthat least 10 gp and a few fresh rose petals.

Snake summoning: (Sh2) This spell willonly affect ordinary, nonmagical snakes;no serpent or serpentlike creatures aresummoned by the clerical version of thisspell. The material components for this

spell are the cleric�s holy symbol and aminiature silver flute that disappearswhen the spell is cast.

Substitution: (Sh3) Deities with littleregard for healing or protective magic,notably war gods, barbarian deities, ordeath gods, will not grant this spell totheir clerical worshipers. The preparedstatue must be made from materials cost-ing at least 25 gp.

Warning: (Sh2) To more clearly separatethis spell from the find traps spell, thisspell is treated as a third-level improvedversion of the find traps spell, rather thana second-level spell that partly duplicatesthe powers of the existing clerical spell.The chance to detect any mechanical ormagical trap within the 10' radius of de-tection of the warning spell rises to 100%.The chance of detecting any other type ofdanger, including invisible opponents, risesto 50%. The casting time of this spell is 6segments. This spell is identical to theshukenja�s warning spell in all other ways.

Fourth levelDetect lycanthrope: (* *) This spell is

similar to the fourth-level shukenja spelldetect shapechanger, except it can detectany form of lycanthrope. When cast upona lycanthrope in human form, the spellreveals the person to be a lycanthrope, butdoes not identify which type of lycan-thrope the person is. If cast upon a lycan-thrope in animal form, the spell revealsthe creature is a lycanthrope, but does notdivulge the creature�s human identity. Thematerial component for this spell is a balmof honey, dried carrot, moonwort, andbelladonna, which is rubbed onto thecaster�s eyelids. This spell is otherwiseidentical to detect shapechanger in range,duration, area of effect, and casting time.

Endurance: (Sh4) The material compo-nent for the reversed version, fatigue, is asmall quantity of cumin seeds or poisonnut.

Oath: (Sh3) Unlike shukenja with theiralignment limitation, clerics of all align-ments may cast this spell upon opponentsof any alignment in order to force theminto a desired behavior. A chaotic clericwill be less likely to abide by the condi-tions of the oath than a lawful or neutralcleric.

Pacify: (Sh4) As per the Oriental Adven-tures spell.

Reanimation: (Sh4) The material compo-nents for this spell are the cleric�s holysymbol, burning incense, and the cleric�sprayer vestment.

Sustain: (Sh4) The material componentsfor this spell are a few drops of wine anda small piece of bread.

Fifth levelAdvice: (Sh5) As per the Oriental Adven-

tures spell.Fare: (Sh4) Many deities with little inter-

est in fate, destiny, or divination will notbestow this spell on their clerics. For adeity with a special interest in divination

Force werechange: ( * * ) This spell issomewhat similar to the sixth-level shu-kenja spell force shapechange. This spellcan be used to force a lycanthrope toreturn back to his or her human form, orto cause a lycanthrope to go from humanto wereform against its will. This spelldoes not inflict the wracking pain of forceshapechange, but might cause injury if thelycanthrope assumes wereform whileconstricted by armor (see page 23 of theDungeon Masters Guide). A lycanthrope isentitled to a save vs. spells to avoid havinghis form changed by this spell. If the saveis successful, the lycanthrope does notchange form, and does not take any dam-age in trying to resist this spell. The mate-rial component of this spell is a moonstonecrushed into dust when the spell is cast.This spell is otherwise identical to forceshapechange in range, duration, area ofeffect, and casting time.

Instruct: (Sh6) The clerical version ofthis spell is greatly altered because clericsof all alignments may cast this spell. Alistener whose alignment is very differentfrom that of the caster will not be so easilyswayed. Listeners with a difference of onealignment component (either lawful, neu-tral, chaotic, good, or evil) gain a + 1 bo-nus to the saving throw. Listeners withboth alignment components different fromthat of the caster gain a + 3 bonus. Acharacter may still fail the save and be-come strongly devoted to the new religion

Sixth level

or astrology, this spell may be granted as afourth-level spell instead of a fifth level.The material components for this spellmay vary depending on the particularmethod of divination prescribed by thecleric�s religion, as determined by the DM.

Immunity to weapons: (Sh6) This spell istreated exactly as described in OrientalAdventures, but is handled as a fifth-levelspell to accomodate the existing spelldescription. Treating this spell as a sixth-level spell poses a problem; although thespell description states that shukenja of11th level or below can provide immunityto normal weapons with this spell, a shu-kenja must be at least 14th level to castimmunity to weapons as a sixth-level spell.For the existing spell description to makesense, it would be better to treat this spellas fifth level for shukenja and clerics. Thecasting time of the clerical spell version is8 segments.

Remember: (Sh5) For most clerics, thisspell can only restore lost memories. Thisspell won�t usually confer any knowledgeof past lives, because most character racesof Western AD&D game campaigns do notexperience reincarnation. Only elvenclerics might be able to peer into the pastlives of other elves with this spell. Reincar-nated PCs will have a much clearer mem-ory of their previous life with this spell,possibly allowing the use of certain skillsand abilities in the new form, as deter-mined by the DM.

by rolling a 1 for the save vs. death magic.Clerics, druids, paladins, and rangers all

gain an additional +2 to the save for theirstrong faith in and dedication to theiralignment and religion. These charactersmay still develop a mild interest in thenew religion by rolling a 1 for the savingthrow, but are immune from becomingstrongly devoted to the spell-caster�sreligion.

A character who becomes mildly inter-ested in the caster�s religion may commitsome minor transgressions against his orher original alignment, and may be penal-ized accordingly. A paladin might losesome of his important powers, or a clericmay lose touch with her deity and bedenied higher-level spells. The effects ofmild interest may be cancelled by anatonement spell.

A character developing a strong interestin the new religion is considered to havesuffered an involuntary alignment change.The character may be brought back to hisoriginal alignment and faith by receivingan atonement spell.

When the cleric casting this spell ad-dresses a crowd, the saving throw is han-dled as described in Oriental Adventures,but a bonus of + 1 to + 3 may be appliedto the group�s saving throw, depending onthe general alignment make-up of thepeople listening.

Smite: (Sh6) As per the Oriental Adven-tures spel l .

Seventh levelAncient curse: (Sh7) This curse may be

called upon by a cleric of any alignment tobring the wrath of the cleric�s deity upon afoe of both cleric and deity. The DM mustdecide whether the deity feels the curse iswarranted, judging by the intended tar-get�s obstruction or opposition to the cler-ic�s religion and cause. An evil cleric maycall this curse upon a good and noble foeof the cleric�s religion as readily as a goodcleric may call this curse down upon awicked person, In fact, undoing an ancientcurse cast by an evil cleric may be the goalof a campaign adventure.

Compel: (Sh7) This spell may be used bya cleric of any alignment to bring a foeinto line with the cleric�s alignment. If thecompelled character is changed to analignment outside the character�s class,then all special abilities and powers of theclass are lost. A paladin changed to theneutral-evil alignment becomes an ordi-nary fighter. This spell may be reversed bya wish or atonement spell.

Longevity: (Sh6) The material compo-nents for this spell are a piece of gianttortoise shell and an offering to the cleric�sdeity worth at least 1,000 gp.

Druidic spellsThe list of new druidic spells contains a

mix of wu jen and shukenja spells. Thetrick of choosing new druidic spells is topick spells that would suit the druid class

DRAGON 17

without robbing the Oriental classes of all

Spells that too closely duplicate existingdruidic spells should be avoided, and so

of their interesting nature spells.

should spells that would overload thedruid with too many spells that are varia-tions on a single theme. Druids have noneed for the animal companion spell whenthey already know animal friendship.Druids have plenty of interesting firespells as it is without piling on more firespells that should remain unique to the wujen class.

Spells that seem proper at first glanceare revealed to be inappropriate aftercloser inspection. Drowsy insects wouldseem a natural spell for druids by its veryname, but the true effect of the spell iscloser to the magic-user�s sleep spell. Re-verse flow is a water-control spell thatmight appear reasonable as a druidic spell,but why would druids wish to alter thenatural flow of rivers or waterfalls just tobe able to paddle faster upstream?

The wood rot spell is often inappro-priate for druids, although its reverse,prevent rot, would work well with theclass. A totally new spell in the game, curerot, is intended to overcome the mainlimitation on the power of prevent rot.

All of the new druidic spells are alteredin some way, usually to accommodate thedifferent material components that druidsuse with spells. Mistletoe is a holy symboland is included among the material com-ponents of all druidic spells, and the mate-rial components that are proper in theOrient must often be replaced by materi-als commonly found in a Celtic wildernesssetting.

First levelDetect disease: (Sh1) This spell is identi-

cal to the shukenja spell, but if the druidcan identify the disease and it is a normal,nonmagical disease native to the druidshomeland, then the druid has a 5% chanceper level of experience to concoct a natu-ral cure for the disease. Making the curetakes 2-8 turns. The material componentfor this spell is mistletoe.

Resist: (Sh1) The material componentsfor this spell are mistletoe, a few edibleberries, a drop of water, and a featherfrom a wren. This spell is a favorite ofrangers.

Second levelAnimate wood: (WJ1) The material com-

ponent for this spell is mistletoe.Create spring: (Sh2) The material compo-

nents for this spell are mistletoe and afreshwater reed.

Swim: (WJ1) The reverse of this spell,sinking, cannot be cast by druids. Thematerial components for this spell aremistletoe and a fish scale.

Third levelAnimate water: (WJ2) The material

components for this spell are mistletoe

18 FEBRUARY 1988

This spell also cures any rotting, decay,or damage to living trees or plants causedby natural disease or living organisms.

Explanation/Description: This spell islike a more powerful version of the pre-

vent rot spell. If cast upon a wooden ob-ject affected by a wood rot spell, this spellcompletely cures the wood rot at a rate of1 cubic foot per round until the object isrestored to its original condition. At leastpart of the original wood must be intactfor this spell to cure the rot; an object thathas totally rotted into dust cannot becured.

Components: V,S,MCT: 7 seg.ST: None

Level: 5Range: 3”Duration: Perm.AE: Special

Cure Rot * * (Alteration)

Fifth level

Prevent rot: (WJ5*) This spell is thereverse of the fifth-level wu jen spell woodrot. Prevent rot is the listed spell fordruids, since preventing wood rot is ofgreat interest to druids, while wood rotwould see only limited use. A druid wouldnever use wood rot against healthy, livingwood, but might use wood rot againstnonliving wood or hostile plant creatures.The casting time for the druidic spellversion is 6 segments. The only materialcomponent is mistletoe.

Animate fire: (WJ3) The material compo-nents for this spell are mistletoe and a fewholly berries.

Elemental turning: (WJ4) This spell doesnot turn elementals through the power offear, but causes them to wander awaypeacefully due to the druids understand-ing and command of elemental beings. Anelemental cannot be forced to return to itsplane of origin by cornering it, but it maybe sent back to its own plane by the druidif the elemental is willing to return. If theelemental is being controlled by anotherbeing, then a way must be found to breakthe creature�s concentration in order forthe druid to peacefully send the elementalback to its home plane. The casting time ofthe druidic spell version is 6 segments.The material components for this spell aremistletoe and a pinch of the element iden-tical to the type of elemental to be com-manded � a pinch of earth for earthelementals, a puff of breath for air ele-mentals, etc.

Fourth level

Wood shape: (WJ3) Druids should bevery reluctant to use this spell on livingwood, of course, but may use it freely onnonliving wood. The material componentsfor this spell are mistletoe and a miniatureadze (as per the Oriental version).

and a small vial of spring water mixed

Still water: (WJ1) The material compo-with cinnabar ore.

nents for this spell are mistletoe and asmall fan.

Damage is cured at a rate of 1 cubic footof wood per round, or 1 square yard ofplant growth per round. At least part ofthe original plant life must remain intactfor the spell to take effect. This spell maycure up to one acre of plant life, so thespell may treat a small grove of diseasedtrees or a garden plot partly destroyed byinsects. The material components for thisspell are mistletoe and a dead woodborerbeetle.

Ironwood: (WJ5) The material compo-nents for this spell are metal filings mixedwith willow tree sap, and mistletoe sprigs.

Sustain: (Sh4) The material componentsfor this spell are mistletoe, a small vial ofspring water, and a few edible nuts orberries.

Water to poison: (WJ5) This spell may becast by druids only if the DM permitsdruids to use poison. The reverse of thisspell, poison to water may be used freely.The material components for this spell aremistletoe and the fang of a poisonoussnake briefly dipped into the liquid.

Sixth levelQuickgrowth: (Sh6) This spell must be

used with care by druids, who should notuse it just to create natural curiosities toimpress the rubes. A good reason shouldalways be given for this spells use. Thereverse of this spell, wither, is rarely usedagainst living plants. Mistletoe replaces thestaff as the material component for thisspell.

Warp stone: (WJ6) Mistletoe is needed inaddition to a piece of twisted clay as thisspells material components.

Magic-user spellsThe majority of new magic-user spells

are culled from the list of wu jen spells. Inchoosing these spells, it is best to pickthose that would see use in a variety ofdifferent cultures and societies, and toavoid those special spells that should re-main unique to the wu jen class.

While wu jen sorcerers and Occidentalmagic-users are both able to cast a broadrange of spells, wu jen are somewhatmore specialized in their abilities. Wu jenare experts in the field of element control;when spells dealing with the elements andelemental beings are adapted for use bythe magic-user class, some of these spellsmade available to the magic-user should beplaced at a higher spell level or be toneddown in power. Still water and animatewater are both treated as one spell levelhigher for magic-users. Elemental turningand elemental servant are slightly lesspowerful when cast by a magic-user thanwhen cast by a wu jen sorcerer.

Certain other spells of element controlare too special to be granted to magic-users. The most powerful of elementcontrol wu jen spells, notably ice blight,whirlwind, internal fire, and tsunami,should be reserved for the wu jen only

D R A G O N 19

to allow the class to maintain its specialabilities and characteristics.

Other wu jen spells are too similar toexisting magic-user spells. Magic-userswho can hurl fireballs do not need to havethe fire rain spell made available to themas well. Magic-users do not need the waterprotection spell when they can alreadycast water breathing. Fire wings is toospecialized for magic-users to use, andmagic-users can already cast fly.

Magic-users do gain a few shukenjaspells. Detect curse is gained as a fourth-level spell, because magic-users can castremove curse at the same spell level. Thenew spell detect lycanthrope is also availa-ble to the magic-user at the third spelllevel. Mental strength and longevity aregained at higher spell levels.

Magic-user spells are not as greatlyaltered as cleric or druid spells, since thematerial components for most wu jenspells work well with magic-user spells.Changes made in spells are usually minor.

First levelAccuracy: (WJ1) A quill made from the

feather of a hawk is used in place of thebrush to inscribe the mystical characteron each enchanted missile.

Chameleon: (WJ1) As per the OrientalAdventures spell.

Secret signs: (WJ1) As per the OrientalAdventures spell.

Swim: (WJ1) As per the Oriental Adven-tures spell.

Second levelPrestidigitation: (WJ1) As per the Orien-

tal Adventures spell.Protection from charm: (WJ2) As per the

Oriental Adventures spell.Still water: (WJ1) As per the Oriental

Adventures spell.

Third LevelAnimate fire: (WJ3) As per the Oriental

Adventures spell.Animate water: (WJ2) As per the Orien-

tal Adventures spell.Detect lycanthrope: (* *) This spell is

identical to the new fourth-level clericalspell given above.

Magnetism: (WJ3) As per the OrientalAdventures spell.

Memory: (WJ3) The material compo-nents for this spell are a quill made froman owls feather, a pot of ink, and a sheetof vellum.

Fourth levelDetect curse: (Sh3) This spell requires no

material component.Elemental turning: (WJ4) Elementals

make their saving throw vs. this spell at+2 to their roll, because magic-users arenot as adept at controlling the elementsand elementals as are wu jen sorcerers.

Melt metal: (WJ4) The material compo-nent for this spell is a ruby chip worth atleast 100 gp.

20 FEBRUARY 1988

Prestidigitation is a first-level spell forillusionists, compared to second level formagic-users. Two third-level wu jen spells,disguise and face, are treated as secondlevel for illusionists. Both spells are consid-ered to be specialized forms of the alterself spell, used for very special roles to

Of the four main spell-casting classes ofWestern AD&D game campaigns, theillusionist gains the fewest new spells. Butunlike other Occidental classes, illusionists(who are such great specialists in one areaof magic) do not suffer greatly from thespell level changes applied to the otherWestern character classes.

Illusionist spells

Surelife: The material component forthis spell is a butterfly cocoon floating in ahalf-filled vial of liquid mercury.

Longevity: The material components forthis spell are a piece of giant tortoise shelland a scale from an ancient dragon of anysort or size.

Eighth level

Tool: (WJ7) As per the Oriental Adven-tures spell.

Elemental servant: The task to be com-pleted by the elemental can take no longerthan one day per two levels of experienceof the magic-user.

Seventh level

Warp stone: (WJ6) As per the OrientalAdventures spell.

Pain: (WJ6) As per the Oriental Adven-tures spell.

Gambler’s luck: (WJ6) As per the Orien-tal Adventures spell.

Metal to rust: (WJ6) As per the OrientalAdventures spell.

Aura: (WJ6) As per the Oriental Adven-tures spell.

Sixth level

Servant horde: The casting time of thisspell is 5 segments.

Water to poison: (WJ5) As per the Orien-tal Adventures spell.

Wood rot: The casting time of this spellis 5 segments.

Mental strength: (Sh5) As per the Orien-tal Adventures spell.

Metal skin: (WJ5) As per the OrientalAdventures spell.

Mass: (WJ5) As per the Oriental Adven-tures spell.

Ironwood: (WJ5) As per the OrientalAdventures spell.

Fifth level

Wood shape: (WJ3) As per the OrientalAdventures spell.

Transfix: (WJ4) As per the Oriental Ad-ventures spell.

Reverse flow: The duration of this spellis only 4 turns/level of experience of thecaster.

Quell: (WJ4) As per the Oriental Adven-tures spell.

fool others regarding the character�s trueappearance or status. A very powerful wujen spell, summoning wind, is known in aless-powerful seventh-level form. Fewother high-level spells from Oriental Ad-ventures are applicable to the illusionistclass.

Two wu jen spells are slightly alteredand renamed for illusionists. The wu jen�sfiery eyes and smoke shape spells areknown to illusionists under differentnames and have restricted effects.

First levelApparition: (WJ2) The casting time of

the illusionist version is only 1 segment.Chameleon: (WJ1) The casting time of

this spell is only 1 segment.Glowing eyes: (WJ1*) This spell is similar

to the first-level wu jen spell fiery eyes inmost respects, but with the followingexceptions. This spell version has no heatcomponent to it, so combustibles cannotbe set on fire by the beams of light. Also,the casting time of this spell is only 1segment. This spell behaves as does fieryeyes in all other ways.

Prestidigitation: (WJ1) The reverse ofthis spell, fumble-fingers, cannot be castby illusionists. The casting time of thisspell is only 1 segment.

Second levelDisguise: (WJ3) The casting time of this

spell is only 1 round.Face: (WJ3) This spell may improve the

apparent social class of the illusionist byId4 ranks, such as from lower middleclass to middle upper class (refer to theSocial Class Table on page 82 of UnearthedArcana). The reverse of this spell, loseface, is unknown to illusionists. The cast-ing time of this spell is but 1 round.

Fog shape: (WJ2 *) This spell is similar tothe second-level wu jen spell smoke shape,but only fog or mist may be shaped, notsmoke from a fire. The casting time of thisspell is only 2 segments.

Third levelMemory: (WJ3) The material compo-

nents for this spell are a quill made froman owl�s feather, a pot of ink, and a sheetof vellum. The reverse of this spell, erase-ment, cannot be cast by illusionists.

Fifth levelCreeping darkness: (WJ5) The material

components for this spell are a whiskerfrom a black cat, a drop of pitch, and asmall bit of obsidian.

Seventh levelSummoning wind: (WJ8) The number of

creatures that may be contacted using theillusionist spell version is only five timesthe level of the caster. This spell has amaximum range limit of 100 miles perlevel of the caster above ground, or 10miles per level underground.

HoldOn to Your

Keeping illusions (and illusionists)in balance

Illusions!

by Brian Tillotson

Illusions can be one of the most flexibleand creative aspects of the AD&D® game,yet many DMs would rather shake handswith a wraith than referee an illusionistPC. The official rules provide no limits tothe power of illusion spells. As a result,the histories of many campaigns includeone battle in which a low-level illusionistsingle-handedly demolished a powerfulfoe. This battle is usually followed by somany DM-imposed restrictions that illu-sions become useless in the campaign.

When can PCs or NPCs disbelieve illu-sions? How much damage can an illusiondo? How complex can an illusion be? Thisarticle looks at how illusions work, anddescribes rules for using illusions withoutupsetting game balance or restrictingcreativity. Most of the article applies to thephantasmal force family of spells, butother illusion/phantasm powers are dis-cussed as needed.

In this article, �illusionist� means anyonewho creates and controls illusions. Thisindividual does not have to be a memberof the illusionist class. Magic-users maychoose phantasmal force as a third-levelspell, master thieves may cast illusionsfrom scrolls, and some monsters andmagical items may create illusions.

How illusions work

The image: mental or physical?A visual illusion is an image without

substance. It cannot affect objects or crea-tures that do not perceive the image. Butis the image itself real? Does it reflect andabsorb light as a photograph or paintingwould, or does it exist only in the minds ofits victims? Official publications give noexplicit answer, but there are two reasons

22 FEBRUARY 1988

The answer to whether the image isimaginary or real determines how illusionswork in a campaign. If the image existsonly in viewers� minds, then the DM might

Second, projecting illusory images intoviewers� minds seems unreasonably pow-erful. According to the Players Handbook,page 75, �all believing creatures whichview the phantasmal force” are affectedby it. The viewers can be at any distance,and need not be known to the illusionist.To affect all viewers� minds directly re-quires magic to reach over tremendousrange and area, and into an unlimitednumber of minds. (Consider an illusion ofa flying dragon viewed from miles awayby a large army.) Further, each viewer�simage must be different to account fordistance and viewing angle. This uniqueperspective must be handled automaticallyby the spell because the illusionist mightnot know where all the viewers are. Ifthat�s how it works, then phantasmal forceand its kin are powerful spells indeed!

Illusions seem more reasonable if theywork like mobile three-dimensional paint-ings. Painting with magic, the illusionistcreates an image which is seen by theviewers� eyes. The magic is restricted inrange and area of effect. The illusionistneed not locate all the viewers; anyonewho looks at the illusion will see the imagewith the correct perspective.

First, if illusions directly affect the mindof the viewer, then they should be blockedby techniques which protect the mind.However, no mental defenses are effectiveagainst illusions. As examples, the psionicdiscipline mind bar and the spell Serten’sspell immunity are each effective againstmany mental invasions, yet neither isdescribed as defending against illusions.Thus, illusions are unlike mental attacks.

to believe that illusions are as visible to theeye as to the mind.

rule that the illusion cannot be seen byviewers of whom the illusionist is un-aware, or that only a limited number ofviewers can be affected. If the image isreal, then the image should be visible evenwhen viewers know that it is an illusion.In that case, illusions could be used forspecial visual effects, such as obscuring aview or providing light. This encouragescreative, nonviolent uses of illusionistmagic, which is another good reason tochoose the �real image� interpretation

In the rest of this article, it is assumedthat illusory images are real. This interpre-tation applies only to the phantasmal forcefamily of spells. Some illusion/phantasmspells, such as spook and phantasmalkiller, are obviously mental attacks.

Purely audible illusions, most of whichare cantrips, are harder to interpret. Offi-cially, a successful saving throw (or disbe-lief roll, in the case of audible glamer)makes the target unable to hear thesound. This seems like a mental effect. Asdiscussed above, however, this is inconsis-tent with what is known about mentalattacks and defenses. Furthermore, it isunlikely that audiovisual illusions such asimproved phantasmal force would havereal visual images but mental sound ef-fects. A more reasonable interpretation isthat auditory illusions produce realsounds. A successful saving throw revealsthat the sound�s cause is magical, but doesnot make the sound inaudible.

Illusory damage: mind over matterThe greatest source of conflict about

illusions is their ability to do damage. Howcan an image with no substance hurtanyone? The answer is that it can�t � butthe victim�s mind can.

to fear or stress are not always healthy.People who narrowly escape injury areoften left weak and trembling. Many faint;a few actually die of fear. Luckily, thismental trauma is usually short-lived. Thevictim looks himself over, sees that he isunhurt, and begins to feel better.

With illusions, the victim gets no suchrelief. Consider a typical case: John theStealthy sees the white-hot flames of afireball erupt about him. This is upsettingin itself, but in addition, John�s clothes andhair vaporize as he watches, and his skinblisters and chars before his eyes. Need-less to say, John is going to be prettyshaken up by the experience. Illusions thatdepict wounds with images of blood andgore should leave any believer weak andshaken, corresponding to a loss of hitpoints. Some victims would be renderedunconscious, and the weak-hearted fewmight even die.

DMs could leave it at that, letting illu-sions do damage to the point of uncon-sciousness, but rarely or never lettingthem kill. This has a number of advan-tages for the campaign. It gives charitableDMs a way to defeat characters withoutdestroying them; it also lets a party of

Even in the real world, human reactions

good characters capture enemies andcollect loot without being wanton killers.

The official view seems to be that illu-sions cannot kill, as shown by case 14.10of the BATTLESYSTEM� supplement (page26): �Illusions that do �killing� damageactually only put their victims into a cata-leptic state.� Unfortunately, the durationand effects of catalepsy are not defined. Areasonable choice is to use the definitionof unconsciousness on page 82 of theDMG, (i.e., the creature remains in a comafor 1d6 turns and thereafter requires atleast one week of rest).

The wounds caused by an illusion neednot be imaginary. A creature damaged byan illusion must touch or be touched bypart of the image (i.e., the creature mustbe in the area of magical effect). Supposethat illusion magic does more than createa visible image: It gives power to victims�minds to create real injuries on theirbodies. Illusions like this can injure as wellas frighten. This is a reasonable interpre-tation, since the description of the illusion-ist spell mirage arcane states: �As with allpowerful illusions, the mind of the be-holder will cause appropriate effects uponthe viewer�s body.� An illusion would notimmediately kill a victim, since the mindwould stop creating wounds when zero hitpoints was reached. However, unconsciousvictims with real wounds could bleed todeath unless they received aid within 10rounds (DMG, page 82).

Illusions powerful enough to inflict realwounds might also be used for healing. Ifa character expects a cure light woundsspell and sees wounds being healed, hismind might cause actual healing if theillusion is not detected. Of course, situa-tions where the injured character trulywould not suspect illusory healing arerare. An example would be a badlywounded PC meeting a kindly strangerwho claims to be a cleric, but is really anillusionist.

Note that the damage potential of illu-sions comes from both the mind and theeyes acting together. Thus, creatureswhich do not see the illusion due to blind-ness, sleep, or unconsciousness cannot beharmed. Likewise, unintelligent creaturessuch as dinosaurs, insects, and slimescannot be damaged directly by illusionsbecause they are too stupid to understandthat they should be hurt. Indirect harm isstill possible, of course. For example, askeleton is too mindless to be harmed byan illusory fireball, but would take damageif the creature fell into a pit concealed byan illusion.

Disbelief: denying the imageThe essence of an illusion�s power is

belief, so a good defense against illusions isdisbelief. Successful disbelief occurs whenthe observer is convinced that what hesees is not real, despite the evidence of hissenses.

For disbelief to be possible, there mustbe differences between each illusion and

One problem with illusions is decidingwhen characters should try to disbelieve.Player characters should have a chance tonotice errors, but the illusion should notbe obvious. To meet this need, some DMsgive lengthy descriptions of every objectand creature the party meets. This tech-nique taxes a player�s patience and bur-dens the DM with excessive preparationtime. Alternatives are to never give theparty a clue, or to risk giving everythingaway with clues like �John thinks thetoads hop funny.�

The problem of NPC disbelief is evenmore difficult. To always try to disbelieveis unfair to the PC illusionist. To neverdisbelieve is unfair to the NPC. To play itby ear is sticky business: Try as you mightto be objective, it�s hard to forget thatwhat the NPC sees isn�t real, and it�s eventougher to convince your players thatyou�re being reasonable.

The disbelief system presented hereapplies to both PCs and NPCs; it is basedon the idea of subconsciously detectingand interpreting errors. Detecting anerror means that the character�s mindnotices something unusual about the im-age � perhaps the way a monster moves.Interpreting an error means finding someway to explain it; is the creature an illu-sion, or is it just limping? Detecting errorsand interpreting them are differentevents. More intelligent and skilled illu-sionists make fewer errors, and moreintelligent viewers are better at spottingerrors. Interpreting an error as an illusion(i.e., disbelieving) is a function of experi-ence and willpower.

To see how good the image is, the DMsubtracts a secretly rolled 1d20 from thesum of the illusionist�s intelligence and

Subconscious disbelief

Illusions in the game

the reality it simulates. The scales on adragon may be the wrong shape, or asoldier�s feet might not touch the ground.Spell-casters of higher level and greaterintelligence can minimize these differ-ences, but an intelligent observer mightstill notice them. Noticing some peculiarfeature, the observer might attempt todisbelieve. This need not be a consciousact � the viewer might suddenly realizethat the troglodyte he is fighting doesn�tsmell bad enough to be genuine.

Disbelief is automatic if a viewer touchesthe illusion and it doesn�t respond realisti-cally (e.g., someone swings a swordthrough a goblin without even getting itsattention). According to the description ofphantasmal force in the Players Hand-book, �the illusion lasts until struck by anopponent � unless the spell-caster causesthe illusion to react appropriately.� If theillusionist is controlling the image andcauses it to react � blood spurts, rockchips fly, a character appears to walkacross a bridge, etc. � then disbelief is notautomatic.

level. The result is called the image quality.Any viewer whose intelligence is greaterthan the image quality detects an error,and that viewer�s subconscious immedi-ately tries to disbelieve (i.e., interpret) theimage. The disbelief roll is a standardsaving throw vs. spells, with magical-attack adjustments for wisdom. Like theerror-detection roll, it is secretly rolled bythe DM.

If the illusion-caster is not a member ofthe illusionist class, the character�s levelfor purposes of the image-quality roll isless than his actual level. The effectivelevel for magic-users is two lower than theactual level, just as for the fourth-levelmagic-user spell dispel illusion. A high-level thief has a 25% chance of failurewith a scroll, so a thief�s effective level isfive lower than his thief level. Creaturesthat use magical items to create and con-trol illusions are effectively zero level,unless they can also cast illusion spells �in which case, a monster�s hit dice equateto illusionist level directly. A deck of illu-sions controls itself; it is effectively 12thlevel with an intelligence of 15.

Each sufficiently intelligent viewer hasan automatic chance to disbelieve when hefirst observes an illusion. For example, a7th-level illusionist with 15 intelligencecasts a spectral force which is seen by afighter, a magic-user, and a thief. A 20-sided die is rolled and comes up 9. Sub-tracting this from the illusionist�s level andintelligence total yields an image quality of[(7 + 15) � 9 = ] 13. The fighter�s intelligenceof 9 is too low, but the magic-user�s is 17and the thief�s is 14. Thus the magic-userand the thief, but not the fighter, havedetected errors and get an automaticattempt to disbelieve the illusion.

Normally, there is only one subconsciousattempt to disbelieve for each sufficientlyintelligent viewer. More attempts to disbe-lieve occur if the illusion and the viewercome into contact (e.g., an illusory fireballbursts among the party, or a charactertouches an illusory wall). If only one im-portant sense component (usually touch) ismissing, then a disbelief roll is made forviewers whose intelligence is higher thanthe image quality. If more than one impor-tant sense component is missing, theviewer gets a disbelief roll regardless ofintelligence. If disbelief fails, the viewerdoes not recognize the illusion. Successfuldisbelief means that the viewer recognizesthe illusion, and any illusory attack inprogress causes no damage to the viewer.Damage remains from any previous at-tacks which were not disbelieved.

Which sense components are importantdepends on the image, the viewer, andother conditions. For example, whentouching a wall created by phantasmalforce, touch is the only important missingsense. The same illusory wall would bemissing two important senses if the viewerknocked on it to produce a sound. A fire-ball involves mainly visual, tactile, audi-tory, and thermal senses, only one of

DRAGON 23

which is missing from a spectral forcespell. Blows struck by illusory monstersshould include sound as well as touch.Dragons have an acute sense of smell(Monster Manual, page 29), so smell isimportant for any illusion which affects adragon.

To continue the scenario above, let usassume that the magic-user and the thieffailed to disbelieve the illusion at firstsight, so all characters believe the image.The illusion depicts a blue dragon whichbreathes on the three. The lightningbreath normally includes visual, tactile,auditory, and thermal aspects. Only one ofthese, the tactile sense, is missing fromspectral force, so only the magic-user andthe thief get a subconscious attempt todisbelieve. The magic-user succeeds, soshe takes no damage and knows that thedragon is an illusion. If she can communi-cate this to the others, they receive a +4on any subsequent attempt to disbelieve.The fighter and the thief attack the dragonwith swords. The thief hits, so he getsanother automatic chance to disbelieve. Ifhe succeeds, he is still wounded from thedragon�s first attack.

Beings with superhuman intelligenceautomatically detect some illusions. Ac-cording to Legends & Lore, page 7, beingswith 19 or higher intelligence automati-cally detect first-level illusions; those with20 intelligence detect second-level illu-sions, etc. The level of the illusion dependson its level as an illusionist spell. Thismeans that phantasmal force cast by amagic-user is a first-level illusion, notthird. Cantrips are zero-level spells, soillusion cantrips are automatically detectedby creatures with 18/51 or higher intelli-gence (as might be obtained by using wishspells, as per the DMG, page 11).

Conscious disbeliefThe disbelief attempts described above

occur automatically, secretly, and instantly(in game time). Player characters, ofcourse, may attempt to disbelieve at anytime. To prevent a chorus of �I disbelieve!�on every encounter, explain that a charac-ter can do nothing else during the round

Conscious disbelief requires only a savevs. spells. A character (or player) whodecides to disbelieve has already noticedsomething peculiar or has been told thatthe image is an illusion, so image quality isirrelevant to the decision. Conscious disbe-lief is often necessary for thick-wittedcharacters, since their low intelligence isunlikely to exceed any reasonable imagequality. A conscious attempt at disbelief inno way reduces the character�s chance tosubconsciously disbelieve.

A special form of conscious disbeliefoccurs when a clever or desperate charac-ter decides to close his eyes. Unable to see,the character might to be unharmed if apending attack is an illusion with onlyvisual components. This is a reasonabletactic for someone like a lst-level thiefwho thinks (or hopes) that the huge reddragon in front of him might be an illu-sion After all, he is unlikely to make his

The character is always free to disbe-lieve new developments when they affecthim (e.g., a fighter who has already at-tacked an orc during a round may none-theless choose to disbelieve if the orcsuddenly uses a fiery breath weapon).Spell-casting is not disrupted if the spell-caster successfully disbelieves an attackeither consciously or subconsciously.

he attempts to disbelieve. This is becausethe character hasn�t spotted anythingwrong with the image, and must spendtime looking � looking hard � for errors,and deciding whether any errors aresignificant. For example, when blasted bysome magical effect, a character mayattempt to disbelieve voluntarily. If suc-cessful, the character recognizes the illu-sion and takes no damage. If the disbelieffails or the effect turns out to be real, thecharacter receives no saving throw, be-cause while everyone else was jumpingout of the way, he was standing therelooking for errors in the image. Likewise,if the character chooses to disbelieve anattacking monster, the character may notattack and may not use shield or dexterityto defend against that monster during thatround. The character can still defendagainst attacks from other opponents.

disbelief roll either consciously or subcon-sciously, and saving vs. breath weaponwould only change the texture of ashes heleaves behind. The character must closehis eyes before the DM announces anattack; if he waits to see what the attackis, he will be affected by it. A characterwho avoids damage this way has not suc-cessfully disbelieved an illusion. He canstill be harmed by the illusion if it attackswhen he opens his eyes. Naturally, closingone�s eyes in combat gives opponents whoare not illusory lots of nasty ideas.

Modifiers to disbelief rollsMany factors affect the difficulty of

disbelieving an illusion. In general, any-thing which increases or decreases thedoubt in a viewer�s mind affects thechance to disbelieve. The list of modifiersin the table with this article cannot becomplete, but it should give a general idea.All factors are assumed to provide bo-nuses or penalties to the disbelief roll.Some might be more appropriate as modi-fiers to the image quality, but that wouldmerely complicate matters.

All but the last two modifiers listed hereare suggestions � use them, change them,or ignore them as you see fit. For example,illusory creatures popping in from thin airnormally give viewers + 1 to disbelieve,but if a monster summoning spell hadrecently been used, viewers would disbe-lieve at �2 because they have alreadyseen a similar effect. An illusory creatureunharmed by a lightning bolt would nor-mally add +2 to disbelief rolls, but not if itwere a magic-resistant creature like amind flayer.

Damage from illusory spell effectsWhen a damaging illusion is believed,

damage is determined randomly. Theillusionist can only dictate the image;damage is determined by the victim�smind. Level-dependent effects, such as thenumber of damage dice for a fireball,operate at the actual level of the spell-caster, regardless of class. If the illusion iscreated by a magical item, use the appro-priate level for an item of that kind (e.g.,6th level for a wand).

To understand this limitation, considerthat the only visible difference between a5-HD fireball and a l0-HD fireball is theintensity of the flame. Low-level illusion-ists are not skillful enough to simulate theintensity of more powerful spells. Do notwaver on this point; a low-level characterdoing 20 or more dice of damage perround will wreck a campaign faster thanany magical item.

Unlike normal spells, an illusory magicaleffect can be repeated from round toround, doing additional damage. Fortu-nately, this process is self-limiting, since anintelligent victim usually receives a disbe-lief roll for every attack. Otherwise, theeffect only stops when the illusionist isattacked or decides to stop.

A single illusion spell can create only one

24 FEBRUARY 1988

kind of effect. To switch from fireballs tolightning bolts, the illusionist must cast anew illusion. Note that there is no reasonthat an illusory magical effect shouldappear to come from the illusionist. Anillusory fireball could originate anywherewithin the illusion�s area of effect. Theillusionist is free to draw attention awayfrom himself by appearing to do nothingwhile some unseen agent demolishes theopposition.

Illusory creatures in combatAn important issue is that of how many

separate creatures one illusion can in-clude. Can a 6th-level illusionist conjure upan army of 20 paladins, each armed with along sword + 5, Holy Avenger? It could bedone, but the illusion might not be verybelievable if any fighting takes place. Incombat, the illusionist must control eachillusory being�s attempts to hit, simulateinjury on both the bogus creature and itsopponent, and control attempts to dodgeopponents� blows. When a blow is notdodged, the illusionist must create a con-vincing image of bloody death. Each ofthese effects taxes the illusionist�s skill,concentration, and stamina.

An illusionist can control illusory crea-tures with as many hit dice as he haslevels (e.g., a 6th-level illusionist couldcreate and control six 1-HD beings, one 6-HD being, etc. This limit reflects the abilityof the illusionist to control the many de-tails of combat. Higher-level illusionistshave more skill. Human and demi-humancreations can be used; the differencebetween illusory lst-level fighters and10th-level fighters is the skill with whichthe illusionist handles them in combat.Created creatures must be all of one spe-cies, but may differ in equipment, hit dice,and tactics.

If the illusionist exceeds the hit-dicelimit, then details are being neglected andall opponents get an automatic attempt todisbelieve during every round of combat.(This is in addition to any other disbeliefattempts to which the viewers may beentitled.) The illusionist can control twiceas many hit dice of illusory creatures ifnone of the creatures are in combat. (Thiscan be used as a bluff.)

The illusionist must roll to hit for eachillusory being�s attack, since he can controlthe attempt to hit but not the victim�sattempts to dodge or parry. Use the appro-priate attack matrix for each creature�s hitdice or level. High-level illusory cavaliersand fighters get multiple attacks appropri-ate to their level, but weapon specializa-tion or bonuses for strength, weapon ofchoice, or race do not apply. Damage isdetermined randomly, as appropriate forthe creature or weapon. Sufficiently intel-ligent opponents get a disbelief roll when-ever the illusion hits or is hit.

The armor class of illusory creatures isthe same as for normal creatures of thesame type. Illusory warriors may beequipped with whatever armor the illu-

Armor class and hit points are ratherfuzzy concepts for semi-invulnerablecreatures such as lycanthropes and forregenerative creatures such as trolls.Disbelief rolls are made whenever a crea-ture should be hit � thus, if a viewerstrikes a bogus werewolf but appears todo no damage, he still receives a subcon-scious attempt to disbelieve (regardless ofintelligence, if more than one sensorycomponent is missing). Regeneration re-duces the initial hit points available. Forexample, a 9th-level illusionist conjures atroll; 45 hit points are rolled. The illusion-ist gives the troll 25 hit points initially. Ifthe troll is wounded, up to 20 hit pointscan be restored by regeneration. Beyondthat, the troll cannot regenerate.

The illusionist may choose to combinean illusory magical effect with illusorycreatures (e.g., a bogus magic-user couldappear to cast a spell). In such a case, thelevel of the magical effect must be sub-tracted from the hit dice available to thecreatures.

An anomaly of illusions in melee is thatillusory creatures do not get parting blowswhen an opponent turns to flee. The oppo-nent has turned his back, so he cannot seethe illusion and therefore cannot be hurtby it. Likewise, an illusory thief cannotbackstab.

� not just direct opponents � attempt todisbelieve every round that the creatureremains active.

The DM should decide how the total hitpoints for all creatures in an illusion aredetermined (e.g., a random roll: 1d8 formonsters, 1d10 for fighters, etc., or always5 hp per hit die). The illusionist assignsthese initial hit points to individuals as hesees fit, since the illusionist decides howmuch effort is expended in each creature�sdefense. When an illusory creaturereaches zero hit points, the illusionist�smental fatigue is so great that he cannotmake the creature evade the death blow.If the creature fails to fall dead, all viewers

sionist chooses. No magical or dexteritybonuses are allowed unless the total illu-sory hit dice are reduced by the amount ofthe bonus.

Effective use of illusions in combat re-quires the illusionist to concentrate on thedetails of the battle. The spell pro-grammed illusion can create an illusion ofcreatures performing some action, butcannot react to opponents. Programmedcreatures are as likely to attack the air asto strike an opponent. Similarly, if theillusionist stops concentrating on an im-proved phantasmal force or spectral forcespell, fighting degenerates to programmedaction for the duration of the spell. Any-one who strikes a programmed creaturerecognizes the illusion. Even a pro-grammed dragon breath would be rela-tively harmless because there would be noway to simulate injury. Each victim re-ceives an automatic attempt to disbelieve;those who fail take only half the normaldamage. (These limitations do not apply tothe spell shadow monsters and its descen-dants, which create semireal monstersthat react to opponents.)

The effectiveness of illusions in combatis usually limited by the chance for victimsto disbelieve whenever damage is done.Illusions are often more effective if used toconfuse or mislead rather than injure. Insuch cases, disbelief becomes irrelevant.

A single illusion spell can simulate onesignificant effect. For example, one illusioncould cover a pit with illusory grass. An-other could create an illusory building,light an area as if by a light spell, or createa wall of fog. Of course, the object oreffect must be no larger than the illusionspell�s area of effect.

Illusions are useful for defensive con-cealment. An illusory wall with arrow slitswould offer no physical protection, but itwould give 90% concealment to archers,thus improving their armor class by four.This would be true even if all opponentsknew that the wall was an illusion, sincethe image of the wall would continue toconceal the archers.

An illusion can effectively blind an oppo-nent. An illusory darkness spell would beimpossible to see through, even if theopponent recognized it as an illusion spell.

Noncombat illusions

D R A G O N 2 5

Table of Modifiers to Saves Against Illusions

Illusion�s condition Saving-throw modifierIllusion cast by an opponent believed to be an illusionist +1Illusory creature appears from thin air +1Illusory creature or effect is the same as a real creature or effect already used by opponent � 2Illusory situation is obviously inappropriate (e.g., orcs and elves working together, fireball underwater) +2Illusion lacks important sensory component + 1 per missing senseIllusion is of a �normal� creature, but it is unharmed by weaponsIllusion is of a �normal� creature, but it is unharmed by magic

+ 1, + 1 per plus of weapon+2

Illusion is of a stationary object (e.g., a wall) � 1Illusion is seen poorly (e.g., through fog or over distance) �1 to �4Illusionist has never seen creature or effect which he depicts in illusion +4Viewer�s ally claims to have disbelieved illusion +4Viewer is a cavalier +2

Unlike regular darkness, the illusion canmove anywhere within range, continuingto cover the opponent.

Illusory magical itemsIllusions can include magical items

which produce visible effects (such aswands). The power of these devices islimited by the illusionist�s level, just as foran illusory spell. A 1st-level illusionist cancreate an illusory wand of fireballs, but itcan only do 1d6 hp damage. The level ofthe magical item is subtracted from thetotal hit dice that the illusionist can controlin melee (e.g., a 6th-level illusionist couldblast opponents with bogus 5-HD lightningbolts from an illusory wand wielded by abogus 1st-level spell-caster).

Illusory magical items can enhance anillusion�s credibility. For example, castingsix fireballs in a row is pretty unlikelyunless the spell-caster is using a wand.

Illusory magical weapons are also possi-ble. If a fighter hits an elemental andcauses a visible wound, the elemental islikely to conclude that the fighter�sweapon is magical � even if both thefighter and the wound are illusions, andthe illusionist doesn�t know that magicalweapons are needed to hit elementals. Theexact weapon bonus would be difficult toguess from the image, so the DM shouldroll 1d4 to see what bonus the victim

the hidden object�s identity, but will let theviewer know that he sees an illusion.

True invisibility is a good defense againstillusory attack. The illusionist cannot cre-ate visible wounds on an invisible victim.Indeed, the illusionist doesn�t even knowwhen the creature has been hit, so illusoryattackers do not react correctly. If theinvisible creature is hit by an illusion, treatit as a programmed attack: The invisiblecreature automatically attempts to disbe-lieve, and takes only half normal damage ifdisbelief fails.

An illusionist cloaked in a normal invisi-bility spell is revealed when attacking,even if the attack is carried out by anillusory creature. Merely casting an illu-sion does not constitute an attack. Onlywhen the illusion is used to actively dam-age its viewers will the illusionist�s invisi-bility be dispelled.

SummaryThe system presented here solves some

problems and helps bring illusions intobalance with other forms of magic. Disbe-lief is handled consistently. Damage andcomplexity of illusions are proportional tothe illusionist�s skill. Low-level illusionistscan befuddle stupid opponents or damageweak ones; high-level illusionists can foolnearly anyone. Members of the illusionistclass can use better illusion spells to dam-age powerful opponents.

No system covers every possibility thatcan arise when creative players use a spelllike phantasmal force that �can create theillusion of any object, or creature, orforce. . . .� Decide what the principles ofillusory magic are in your campaign, thenmake sure your players are aware of thembefore illusions are used. When a situationcomes up which the system doesn�t cover,keep the game friendly by not using ques-tionable techniques until you reach someagreement on how such techniques willwork. Enjoyment of the game is a coopera-tive venture; with a little understandingfrom the players and the DM, illusions canadd a lot of spice to an interesting world.

[For another view on saving-throw modi-fiers for illusions, see Illusory Solutions,”by Matt Battison, in this issue of DRAGON®Magazine.]

Some players may want to use phantas-mal force as an invisibility spell. Bothspells belong to the class of illusion/phantasm magic, but they are quite dissim-ilar. Phantasmal force is a general-purposespell that is maintained by concentrationand can be used to attack; invisibility ishighly specialized, requires no concentra-tion, and is dispelled by aggressive acts.

Despite these differences, the DM maydecide to allow illusory invisibility. If so,the result will differ from the invisibilityspell. Illusory invisibility lasts only as longas the illusionist concentrates (or for a fewextra rounds if improved phantasmalforce or spectral force is used). The areaof effect and range are the same as forphantasmal force.

Inanimate as well as animate objectscould be made invisible. Many objectscould be made invisible as long as all re-main within the area of effect. Unless itseyes remain visible, an invisible creature iseffectively blind because light does notreach its eyes. Disbelief does not reveal

In visibility

thinks the weapon has. Add this numberto the illusionist�s damage roll. Note thatthe number must be sufficient to hit thecreature (e.g., at least +2 for an elemen-tal). The �weapon� has no actual bonus, sothe illusionist�s unmodified �to hit� rollmust be sufficient to hit the victim.

26 FEBRUARY 1988

Magical disguises for wary wizards

MagicThe Faces of

this,” she whispered – and they weregone.

A short time later, fully recovered fromthe dimension door�s effects, the two satdown to a cold meal by a milestone out-side of town. The young woman picked ather dried food while the older manwatched.

‘Never saw anyone killed before,” shesaid. A minute later, she set her food aside.“Who were those women, Farfell?”

by John N. Kean

The dining room of the inn was in utterchaos. Patrons scrambled for cover undertables and in corners. Chairs flew, drinksspilled, and tables toppled with resoundingcrashes. The few who were lucky enoughto have magical protections invoked them.

The tumult centered around a middle-aged man in a leaf-green robe, nowslumped over a table. A dark crimson stainspread around the rune-inscribed hilt ofthe dagger protruding from the man’sback. His staring eyes held no sign of life.His assailants – two small, wiry women –lay on the floor in pools of blood, only afew feet away. A burly companion of thewizard stood over them with sword inhand, panting and eyeing the crowd forother foes. A female companion of thewizard uttered words of power whileholding a silver cross over her fallen liege;the words’ uselessness, however, was plainon her face.

In a dark corner, huddled under a table,sat a young woman and a middle-agedman, both clad in brown peasants’ ragsand dusty from the road they had onlyrecently left. “Farfell, shouldn’t we helpsomehow?” whispered the womannervously

“Not much we can do,” muttered theman. He brushed his short black beardwith a thoughtful hand. “The Green Wiz-ard is beyond our assistance. His compan-ions seem to have things under control –as much as can be. Just sit still; your lifedepends on it.”

The woman bit her lower lip and wassilent. The noise of the crowd died downas the patrons who hadn’t fled realizedthat the excitement was over The inn’sbouncers were quickly regaining order.

The man sighed after a few momentsand closed his eyes to concentrate. “Timeto depart, my apprentice, for a safer partof the land,” he said. “Take my arm, andwe’ll be off.”

The young woman caught his armtightly in hers. “I get dizzy when you do

and draw a crowd. He succumbed to theintoxication of power. In our world, fewactions go unanswered. Remember: circleswithin circles. One of the persons or crea-tures that the Green Wizard angered musthave hired the Daughters of Hel to destroyhim, for that dagger was one of theirweapons. It destroys both life and soul,forever and ever A horrid fate. Possiblythe thieves guild of Theylena has finallygained revenge after the Wizard’s widelyproclaimed theft two years past of themagical treasures from the guilds for-merly most-secret headquarters.” The man

“The Green Wizard was quite compe-tent, but very flashy He liked to show off

anonymity.

Farfell grunted. “It is very true. You haveoften questioned why I am so careful tomaintain our anonymity why I keep sucha low profile. You chide me for beingparanoid. Today you saw why. This is agood time for a lesson about modesty and

He has certainly gotten his hearts desire.”Lo-Ree looked awav angrily. “That’s very

callous.”

The man swallowed his food and pickedat his teeth. “Assassins, Lo-Ree. Daughtersof Hel, the Mistress of Death. It was wisewe left; they always operate in threes, andI only saw the two. The Green Wizarddearly liked to be the center of attention.

28 FEBRUARY 1988

Table 1Magic-User Spells That Alter Appearance

Spell Level ApplicationChange Cantrip PossessionsColor Cantrip Changes color of eyes, hair, beard, mustache, skin,

clothes, etc. (one spell per application)Dirty/clean Cantrip Clothes and personHairy Cantrip Add or remove hair from head, beard, mustache,

eyebrows, chest, arms, eyebrows, etc. (one spell perapplication)

Hide Cantrip PossessionsMute Cantrip PossessionsRavel/stitch Cantrip ClothesTangle/untie Cantrip Hair and beardComprehend First Allows comprehension of unknown spoken or

languages written languages native to assumed identityEnlarge/reduce First Personal Strength First PersonalWizard mark First Creates or covers birthmarks and tattoosInfravision Third For use when assuming the identity of creatures

with infravisionPhantasmal Third Many imaginative uses

forceTongues Third Allows speaking and comprehension of assumed

racial or alignment languagesPolymorph self Fourth Allows changes in size, weight, sex, race, and speciesUltra vision Fourth See infravisionMagic jar Fifth Used to take over the body of another (a great dis-

guise!)Reincarnate Sixth Allows assumption of another bodily form (but the

magic-user must die first, so this shouldn�t be usedlightly)

Shape change Ninth The ultimate disguise, giving form and full abilitiesof just about any creature or thing short of uniquedivine creatures

brushed back his long, dark hair. “Thetaller you stand, the better target youmake. Had he been less the publicity-seeker he was, the Green Wizard mightstill be whole. It’s hard for a foe to exactrevenge when he doesn’t know whom heshould strike down.

“So we who work magic and shape theworld must maintain our anonymity. Wemust avoid grandiose actions and brag-ging, but that is but a small part of it. Bigtalk is for the stand-tall folk like cavaliersand other sword-swingers, and thosewhose egos are out of control. Wizardsmust use more quiet and subtle tactics.Disguise – that’s the key. Obscure youridentity and you protect yourself from allenemies. Shadow is a friend to the bright-est light.

“Magical disguises have advantages overphysical disguises. They cannot be physi-cally detected. They don’t rub away or falloff However, they do stick out undermagical detection spells – but all goodthings have their prices.”

Farfell settled himself against a rock,assuming a comfortable position. Lo-Reedid the same, head now turned towardher teacher “Let us have a lesson on magi-cal disguise,” said Farfell. “First, I willdiscuss the spells that enable us to pose asother professions – not merely as thepeasants we now appear to be. Then weshall talk of personal magics to render usalien to our closest friends and kin – andeven to ourselves. . . .”

or species by use of polymorph self,assuming the appearance of another race

The magic-user has at his commandseveral spells which allow him to alter hisoutward appearance. These spells includea number of enchantments which altervestments, possessions, select physicalfeatures (hair color, eye color, height,weight, etc.), and even a character�s race,physiology, and personality. These dis-guises are achieved through both illusionand actual transformation, thus allowingthe magic-user to either appear to be or toactually be something he normally is not.A really effective disguise is achieved by

Altering appearance

In the AD&D® game, the magic-user isafforded a unique ability for disguise.There are numerous spells that allow this� spells that change a PC�s appearance orapparent class, or that allow the PC tomimic spells of other spell-casting classes.In any tight situation, the magic-user hasthis ability for disguise at his command.For example, in a region where magic-users are deemed evil and thus are subse-quently hunted down and executed, aforeign magic-user may still move freelyfrom city to city disguised as a rovingcleric or low-level thief. For the DungeonMaster, numerous story lines and challeng-ing situations are opened up by this ability.For the player, many intriguing opportuni-ties are presented. In all, magical disguises,and the situations in which they may beemployed, provide a rewarding experiencein role-playing to player and DM alike.

Thief-classfunction Magic-user spell (level)Pick pockets Present (cantrip). Object must be known or visible; ESP may

allow location and identification of unseen objects.Open locks Best to use: unlock (cantrip); mute (cantrip), used to alter hinges,

lock mechanism, deadbolt, etc.; or, knock (2 MU). Note thatdimension door (4 MU), passwall (5 MU), teleport (5 MU), orpolymorph self (4 MU) (as an ooze or similar creature) can beused to bypass locked doors, but must be used out of eyesight.Also, present (cantrip) can be used to retrieve known objectsfrom locked containers.

Find/remove Locate object (2 MU) is useful for locating trap components suchtraps as trip wires.

Move silently Levitate (2 MU) and fly (3 MU) allow movement without touch-ing the ground; good if used with climbing motions.

Hide in shadows Jnvisibility (2 MU).Hear noises ESP (2 MU) can be used to search for creatures with average

and above intelligence, allowing eavesdropping.Climb walls Levitate (2 MU), fly (3 MU), dimension door (4 MU), and teleport

(5 MU) can be used to reach places without climbing. Featherfall (1 MU) can be used to descend or eliminate falling damage.

Read languages Comprehend languages (1 MU) and read magic (1 MU) areuseful.

Table 2Spells for Mimicking Thieving Abilities

tongues, comprehend languages, infravis-ion, and ultravision spells. Strength,enlarge/reduce, shape change, and magicjar are also useful. Spells which effectthese various disguises are in Table 1.

Mimicking classesUndoubtedly, there will occur in each

magic-user�s career a point at which hewould rather not have his magical abilityknown to the general public. In theseinstances, sudden and complete transfor-mations of visage and race may be inap-propriate � being a blonde-haired,blue-eyed human one minute and a grislyhaired, red-eyed half-orc the next mightattract a bit of suspicion. As a result, amore subtle disguise might be more advan-tageous. By mimicking abilities open onlyto other PC classes, the magic-user maydisguise his true nature by putting forththe appearance of a fighter or thief,thereby exhibiting the abilities of thoseclasses without arousing any suspicion.

A fighter-class appearance can be as-sumed with the help of armor, enlarge,shield, strength, protection from normalmissiles, stoneskin, Tensor’s transforma-tion, and shape change spells, for example.A thief-class appearance can also be as-sumed, as most thief-class functions can beaccomplished with or mimicked by the useof spells. The necessity of casting spells toimpersonate thief functions can be trickyif there�s an audience who shouldn�t knowof the impersonation. The vocalize spellwill be of some assistance. Spells whichallow the magic-user to mimic thievingabilities are listed in Table 2.

Mimicking spellsSpell-casting professions other than that

of the magic-user can also be assumed.Many magic-user spells are the same as orsimilar to spells of other professions. Also,it isn�t necessary to actually cast magic-user spells that are the same as or similarto the spells of the new identity assumed.It is possible to pretend to cast spells ofthe assumed appearance that have savingthrows, such as command (first-level cleri-cal) or hold animal (third-level druidic),and when nothing happens, just say thatthe target must have avoided the spell (i.e.,saved). The spell-caster can also pretend tocast spells that have no observable effect,such as bless (first-level clerical) or augury(second-level clerical); others won�t knowthese spells are ineffective. The use offaked spells can make the assumed ap-pearance more believable, though theassistance of the DM is required if othergamers are to be fooled. It is even possibleto cast regular magic-user spells thataren�t similar to spells of assumed profes-sions, with the explanation that they arenewly created or discovered spells of theassumed profession.

Tables 3-5 list the other spell-castingprofessions and their spells that are thesame as or similar to magic-user spells.The similar magic-user spells are listed in

DRAGON 29

parentheses. Spells that can be faked arealso included. Other spells, not listed,might also be faked. Table 6 lists all-purpose spells that can be used to imitatemost other spells. Only spells from theupdated list in Unearthed Arcana are

considered. Spells found in Oriental Ad-ventures or DRAGON® Magazine aren�tincluded, though many are appropriate.

Material, verbal, and somatic compo-nents often differ between magic-userspells and equivalent spells of other pro-

fessions � especially holy symbols forclerical spells and mistletoe for druidicspells. Range, casting time, area of effect,duration, and so forth may also differ.Magic-users won�t automatically know thecorrect components and characteristics of

First level Third level Fifth levelBless/curse* Animal dead (5 MU) Animate dead monsters (animate dead,Ceremony* Cause blindness* 5 MU)Darkness (2 MU) Cause disease* Commune (contact other plane, 5 MU)Detect evil (2 MU) CJoudburst (3 MU) Dispel evil (banish, 7 MU)Detect magic (1 MU) Continual light (2 MU) Quest (geas, 6 MU)Invisibility to undead* Dispel magic (3 MU)Light (1 MU) Feign death (3 MU) Sixth levelMagic stone (cast magic mouth (2 MU) on Glyph of warding (symbol, 8 MU) Aerial servant (invisible stalker 6 MU)

it so it becomes �magical�) Locate object (2 MU) Forbiddance (antipathy, 8 MU)Penetrate disguise* Prayer* Part water (6 MU)Portent* Remove/bestow curse (4 MU) Speak with monsters*Precipitation (1 MU) Word of recall (teleport, 5 MU)Protection from evil (1 MU) Fourth levelSanctuary* Abjure (dismiss, 5 MU) Seventh level

Detect lie* Astral spell (9 MU)Second level Div i na t i on * Control weather (6 MU)Augury* Lower water (6 MU) Gate (9 MU; or ensnarement, 6 MU)Chant* Protection from evil 10’ radius (3 MU) Succor (9 MU)Detect charm* Speak with plants (charm plants, 7 MU) Symbol (8 MU)Hold person (3 MU) Sticks to snakes (polymorph any object,Holy symbol* 8 MU)Messenger * Tongues (3 MU)Speak with animals*Withdraw*Know alignment (2 MU) * Denotes spells that can be easily faked by merely imitating the spell-casting.

The level of the magic-user spell which duplicates a given clerical spell is given in parentheses.

Table 3Clerical Spells Which Can Be Mimicked

Table 4Druidical Spells Which Can Be Mimicked

First levelAnimal friendship*Ceremony*Detect balance*Detect magic (1 MU)Locate animal (locate object related to

animals, such as a stable, 2 MU)Precipitation (1 MU)Speak with animals*

Second levelCharm person or mammal (charm person,

1 MU; or charm monster 4 MU)Feign death (3 MU)Fire trap (4 MU)Locate plant (locate object related to

plants, such as garden markers, 2 MU)

Third levelCause disease*Cloudburst (3 MU)Hold animal (hold monster, 5 MU)Know alignment (2 MU)Plant growth (4 MU)Pyrotechnics (2 MU)Stone shape (5 MU)Water breathing (3 MU)

* Denotes spells that can be easily faked by merely imitating the spell-casting.The level of the magic-user spell which duplicates a given druidic spell is given in parentheses.

Transmute rock to mud (5 MU)Wall of fire (4 MU)

Sticks to snakes (polymorph any object,8 MU)

Animal growth (5 MU..Animal summoning II (mount, 1 MU)Pass plants (dimension door, 4 MU; or

teleport, 5 MU)

Fifth level

Speak with plants (charm plants, 7 MU)4 MU)

Animal summoning I (mount, 1 MU)Call woodland beings*Dispel magic (3 MU)Hallucinatory forest (hallucinatory terrain,

Fourth level

Control weather (6 MU)Finger of death (death spell, 6 MU; or

power word, kill, 9 MU)Fire storm (wall of fire, 4 MU)Reincarnate (6 MU)Transmute metal to wood (polymorph any

object, 8 MU)

Seventh levelConfusion (4 MU)Conjure earth elemental (conjure elemen-

tal, 5 MU)

Transmute water to dust (6 MU)Transport via plants (dimension door, 4

MU; or teleport, 5 MU)Water summoning (control weather 6 MU)

Feeblemind (5 MU)

Animal summoning III (mount, 1 MU)Conjure fire elemental (conjure elemental,

5 MU)

Sixth level

30 FEBRUARY 1988

spells of other spell-casting classes withoutresearch. This could be difficult, especiallyfor high-level spells.

If they are nearby and paying attention,however, spell-casters from other classesmay recognize the deception when spellsof their profession are cast by magic-users. If the magic-user hasn�t studied theother spell-casting class�s spell, this recog-nition will be automatic. If the magic-user

druids, or on intelligence for illusionists, issuggested. However, it is unlikely that alow-level spell-caster will be sufficientlyfamiliar with high-level spells of his profes-sion to recognize the deception; nor is itlikely that a spell-caster will recognize thedeception for spells not yet encountered,or encountered spells not learnable due to

save on 1d20 vs. wisdom for clerics andhas researched the other class�s spell, a

* Denotes spells that can be easily faked by merely imitating the spell-casting.The level of the magic-user spell which duplicates a given illusionist spell is given inparentheses.

Third levelContinual light (2 MU)Dispel illusion (4 MU)Fear (4 MU)Hallucinatory terrain (4 MU)Invisibility 10' radius (3 MU)Paralyzation*Rope trick (2 MU)Suggestion (3 MU)

Four first-level magic-user spells can beselected in place of one seventh-levelillusionist spell.

Seventh level

Astral spell (9 MU)Vision (contact other plane, 5 MU)

Death fog (cloudkill, 5 MU)Demi-shadow magic (magic missile, 1 MU;

fireball, 3 MU; lightning bolt, 3 MU;cone of cold, 5 MU; or cloudkill, 5 MU).

Shades (monster summoning, 3-9 MU)Alter reality (limited wish, 7 MU; or wish,

9 MU)

monster 4 MU)Invisibility (2 MU)Magic mouth (2 MU)Mirror image (2 MU)M i s d i r e c t i o n * Ultravision (4 MU)Ventriloquism (1 MU)Whispering wind (message, 1 MU; sending,

5 MU; or, demand, 8 MU)

Sixth level

Summon shadow (monster summoning IV6 M U )

Project image (6 MU)Shadow door (phase door 7 MU)Shadow magic (magic missile, 1 MU; fire-

ball, 3 MU; lightning bolt, 3 MU; or, coneof cold, 5 MU)

Magic mirror (4 MU)Major creation (material, 3 MU; or fabri-

cate, 5 MU)Maze (7 MU)

Chaos (confusion, 4 MU)Demi-shadow monster (monster summon-

ing, 3-9 MU)

Fifth level

Shadow monster (monster summoning,3-9 MU)

Massmorph (4 MU)Minor creation (material, 3 MU; or fabri-

cate, 5 MU)

Fourth levelConfusion (4 MU)Dispel magic (3 MU)Emotion*

Detect magic (1 MU)Fascinate (charm person, 1 MU; or charm

Alter self (polymorph self 4 MU)Blindness (power word, blind, 8 MU)Deafness*

Second level

Phantasmal force (3 MU)Spook*

First levelAudible glamer (2 MU)Change self (polymorph self, 4 MU)Dancing lights (1 MU)Darkness/light (2 MU/1 MU)Detect illusion (3 MU)Detect invisibility (2 MU)Light (1 MU)

CantripsAll magic-user cantrips can be used by

illusionists.

Illusionist Spells Which Can Be MimickedTable 5

Table 6Magic-User Spells for General Spell Mimickry

Phantasmal force (3 MU)Limited wish (7 MU)Wish (9 MU)

Each of these spells has many applications.

intelligence (Players Handbook, page 10).Besides, magic-users can always claim thatthe spell is a new spell, or a previouslyunknown version of an old spell.

“So you see, Lo-Ree, we can assumemany identities. You should cultivate sev-eral believable ones – different ones forthe different places you go, or for thedifferent people with whom you deal.Most identities can be used for the rest ofyour life. Others should only be used oncefor dangerous adventures, then discarded.

“That is why I am Will, cleric of Wee Jas,when I’m in Nimro Dell; the halfling rogueAngus MacFergus of Kilchurn Castle onFlodden Field when I’m in Nutty Woods;Lucky, the animal procurer, in the capitol;and the half-orc rogue Grizzle Greasygutswhen I deal with the miners of GemstoneRift. And that’s why we pretended to betwo thieves who pretended to be richivory merchants when we recovered thatspell book from the Red Hand in StoneCirkel, after it had been stolen from ourclient – and why we will never use thoseidentities again!

“These are some of the tricks we havefor survival. It’s nice to gratify one’s ego byseeking fame for one’s exploits andpowers, but I prefer the security thatanonymity provides. Light attracts vermin;darkness is the cloak that protects all.”

D R A G O N 3 3

Better LivingThrough AlchemyPotions and poisons:the alchemist NPC class

by Tom Armstrong

The beginning alchemist character mustmeet or exceed the following scores: intel-ligence 15, wisdom 13, dexterity 13, andconstitution 15. A high intelligence isnecessary for the prospective alchemist tobe able to learn and memorize the im-mense quantity of facts required for suc-cess. High dexterity is desired so that thealchemist can easily create his own glass-ware and avoid, as much as possible, spillsand other mistakes which may result infaulty results. Wisdom is needed for the patience and perseverance required of allalchemical work, and an alchemist with alow constitution would not long remainhealthy from constant exposure to as-

In AD&D® game terms, the alchemist isa subclass of the magic-user, and is thecreator of magical and mundane potions,powders, fluids, poisons, antidotes, andinks. An alchemist is generally found inmost large cities, but can sometimes (15%chance) be found in smaller towns andvillages, and only rarely (5% chance) is heencountered as an adventurer.

Alchemists were the scientists of Medie-val times. They studied the physical sci-ences to understand the relationshipsbetween them, and between these sci-ences and man. The end of the rainbowfor an alchemist was to find or create thePhilosopher�s Stone, a miraculous itemwith the power to transmute ordinarymetals into gold, prolong life, and answerquestions about the mysteries of livingthings. Alchemists believed the combina-tion of science and magic would achievethese ends.

and his wisdom exceeds 15, he is entitledto a bonus of + 10% to all earned experi-ence. .The alchemist can be of any align-ment, but is generally neutral in somerespect of his alignment.

The alchemist uses ld4 for hit points. Heattacks and makes saving throws on thesame tables as does a magic-user, exceptthat saving throws vs. poisons and acidsare at +2. He can be of the human, half-elven, or elven (any type) race. Level ad-vancement is exactly the same as formagic-users of the same races, as per page9 of Unearthed Arcana. No other classmay be taken in conjunction with thisclass by either humans or demi-humans.The beginning age in years of an alchemistis 24 + 1d8 if human, 150 + l0d4 if el-ven, or 35 + ld6 if half-elven.

Before beginning his life of research, analchemist must first complete an appren-ticeship under a master alchemist. Duringthis apprenticeship, he is taught manyskills, including: glassblowing; plant, ani-mal, and mineral identification; and, the basics of metallurgy. He also learns how toread, write, and understand the ancientAlchemist�s Script, a secret language thatis never spoken (being composed of sym-bols alone) which is special to this class.Following this training, any alchemist can,at will, utilize the following powers: locateplants, locate animals, and summon ani-mals. These powers can each be utilizedonce per round, one time per day forevery five levels of experience the alche-mist has. In order to identify potions whiletraveling, the alchemist must have a testkit, which costs 10 gp and is sufficient tomake 5-10 tests.

If the nonweapon proficiencies in thesorted poisons, acids, and other solvents Dungeoneers’ Survival Guide are used, theused in his research. alchemist character starts with no profi-

If the alchemist�s intelligence exceeds 16 ciency slots, because the character utilizes

Illustration by Roger Raupp

the skills noted above and further de-scribed in Table 1. The alchemist gains anadditional proficiency slot every fourlevels thereafter, beginning with 5th level.

An alchemist may wear leather or pad-ded armor but prefers no armor at all. Analchemist never uses a shield, and is lim-ited to the following weapons: hand axe,club, dagger, knife, sickle, sling, staff,whip, and blowtube.

A sickle is a 2�-long tool used to cut grassor grain. Alchemists frequently use one,since it can be used to gather the plantsthey need and can double as a weapon atthe same time. The blade is sharply curvedand is sharpened on the inside of thecurve. Damage for a sickle is 2-5 hpagainst small and man-size creatures, andl-3 hp against creatures larger than man-size. The weapon speed factor is 3.

A blowtube is a short tube, 1-2� inlength, used to blow powder at opponents.The maximum range of a blowtube is 20�,which may be lengthened if the wind is inthe firer�s favor. The powder is containedin a tissue paper or thin glass tube whichbreaks open on impact; the powder mayalso be placed in the tube loosely, with apaper wad at either end. Powders in glassor paper �bullets� affect only the target;loose powders affect all within a 20�-longcone that is 1� wide at the start and 15�wide at the terminus. Dusts may also beemptied out by hand from small packets,each covering a 10� radius.

An alchemist can use flaming oil as aweapon. Those aligned with good neveruse poisons, but the use of poisons byother alignments is at the discretion of theDM. All alchemists, regardless of align-ment, can create poisons and antidotes.

At the first level, an alchemist is profi-cient with but one weapon. The attempteduse of a weapon with which he is notproficient incurs a penalty on his �to hit�roll of �5. Additional weapon proficien-cies are gained every five levels after thefirst. An alchemist attacks only once perround.

Alchemists can utilize any magical itemwhich is usable by all classes, plus thoseitems usable by both magic-users andillusionists. Certain magical items haveimproved performance when possessedand utilized by an alchemist:

Alchemy jug: The amounts of the vari-ous fluids are doubled, but the rate offlow is the same, so the time necessary tocompletely pour out one of the fluids isdoubled.

Beaker of plentiful potions: If used by analchemist, such a beaker always givesforth five different potions.

Cloak of poisonousness: An alchemisthas a 15% chance per level of recognizingsuch a cloak, and thereafter has an equalchance of negating the poison in the cloak,rendering the cloak perfectly normal. Ifthe attempt to negate the poison fails, thealchemist must save (at + 2) against thepoison�s effects.

Philosopher’s stone: Double the normal

DRAGON 35

Table 1Alchemist Nonweapon Proficiencies

ProficiencyAnimal identificationGlassblowingMetallurgy Mineral identificationPlant identification

AbilityIntelligenceDexterityIntelligenceIntelligenceIntelligence

Modifier+3+10

+1+5

Table 2Alchemist Experience Points and Levels

Experience points0-3,000

3,001-6,0006,001-12,000

12,001-24,00024,001-48,00048,001-96,000

96,001-180,000180,001-350,000350,001-700,000

700,001-1,050,0001,050,001-1,400,0001,400,001-1,750,000

Experiencelevel

123456789

101112

1d4 forhit points Level title

1 Novice2 Apprentice 3 Ini t ia te 4 Mixer5 Brewer6 Distiller7 Compounder8 Junior Journeyman9 Senior Journeyman10 Junior Alchemist

10+1 Senior Alchemist10+2 Master Alchemist

400,000 experience points per level for each additional level beyond the 12th.Alchemists gain 1 hp per level after the 10th.

Table 3Alchemist Skill Levels

Level123456789

101112131415161718192021

22+

ReadLanguage*

50%53%57%60%63%67%70%73%77%80%83%87%90% 92%94%96%97%98%99%99%99%99%

IdentifyPotion * *

5%10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%50%55%60%65%70%75%80%85%90%95%99%99%99%

-5%10%15% 20%25%30%35%40%45%50%55%60%65%70%75%80% 85%90%95%99%99%

IdentifyPoison * *

DetectPoison

--5

10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%50%55%60%65%70%75%80%85%90%95%99%

* The ability to read languages does not enable the alchemist to read any magicalwritings not pertaining to all classes or to alchemists alone.* * Test kit is required.A roll of 00 in any of these skill areas always indicates failure.

Alchemical oven and still from a 15thcentury German woodcut.

Illustration courtesy of Dover Publications, inc.

Alchemists seldom build strongholds,preferring to live in cities, where they arereasonably close to their sources of supply.Should an alchemist build a stronghold, hewill not collect revenues from the localinhabitants, nor will he often be seensocially by the locals. Rather, he is a rec-

When adventuring, an alchemist usuallytravels with a group containing fighters,but more probably with the usual contin-gent of clerics, magic-users, and thieves inaddition. The party will probably guard orassist the alchemist with the procurementof the rare materials necessary to com-pound his formulas. Should an alchemistbe sought to accompany adventurers, heonly leaves his research and business ifpromised an equal share of any treasurefound, plus ample opportunity to searchfor the various herbs, minerals, and otheringredients necessary for his compounds.He always has the means to carry a rela-tively large number of vials and othercontainers in which he can store the vari-ous ingredients he finds in his travels. Heguards any such acquisitions jealously;their safety is of paramount concern,secondary only to the safety of the alche-mist�s life.

Hirelings and henchmen can be found atany time. Henchmen are fighters, rangers,druids, magic-users, thieves, or barbari-ans. A barbarian only becomes the hench-man of an alchemist if the barbarian is 4thlevel or higher, and if the alchemist hasperformed some deed of benefit to thebarbarian�s clan or tribe. An alchemiststrongly prefers to work for a magic-user,whether to help create a homonculous,mix a potion for a magic-user of 7th levelor above, etc. The process of creating ahomonculous is given in the MonsterManual, page 53, and in DRAGON® issue#97, page 35.

amount of metal can be transmuted. Ifgreen crystals are present, an alchemistcan create 2-5 potions of longevity fromthem. If white powder is present, thealchemist can utilize it to create two raisedead potions rather than just one.

36 FEBRUARY 1988

Table 4Typical Alchemical Equipment

Item (price)Alembic (2 gp)Apothecary jar (3 sp)Beaker (2 sp)Bellows (5 gp)Brazier (10-20 gp)Cauldron (30 gp)Crucible (5 gp)Cruet (1 gp)Funnel (1 gp)Glass, chunks (1 gp/pound)Glass tubing (1 sp/foot)Glass-working tools (50 gp)Graduate (5 gp)Ink (1-5 sp per bottle)Lens* (10 gp)Mortar and pestle (3-18 gp)

Parchment (1 sp/sheet)Prism* (10 gp)Quill (1-5 cp)Reagent bottle (3 gp)

Retort (2 gp)T o n g s ( 3 s p )Vial, clay (1 sp)Vial, glass (3 sp)Vial, metal (1 gp)Scale (30-100 gp)

Test kit (10 gpl

* Prisms and lenses require a very high level of skill in glassblowing, and so are not commonly found, except in the largest cities.Prices and availability of these items may vary considerably from campaign to campaign.

Open glass globe with a long, glass neck; used for distillationFor handling hot glassware and specimensContainer with cork, glass, or metal stopper; used for the holding of materialsAs aboveAs aboveWeights and balance for accurate weighing of materialsMaterials for the testing of unknown magical and mundane fluids; contains enough for5-10 tests

For keeping recordsTriangular, solid-glass item for the refraction or splitting of lightFor use as a writing penLarge glass bottle with a fitted glass top; used for containing acids, poisons, and othercaustic fluids

DescriptionAn airtight, glass distillation deviceGlass container with fitted glass cover for storage of herbs and other materialsOpen glass container for mixing fluidsFor fanning a furnace or forgeFor containment of a fireLarge metal container for heating liquidsOpen ceramic or stone container for melting or sublimating materialsSmall glass bottle with a fitted glass top; used for holding fluidsGlass cone with an opening in the small end; used for pouring liquidsRaw material for the making of glasswareMaterial for making of pipettes and other itemsEquipment needed for the making of glasswareMarked open container for the accurate measurement of liquids

For writingGlass magnifier for concentrating rays of light (an examination device)Ceramic or stone bowl and grinder, used to powder and mix ingredients; various sizesare available

Alchemists Substance-CreationF a i l u r e s

T a b l e 5

A l c h e m i s t � sintel l igence

151617181920+

Chance off a i lu re

15%10%5%3%2%1%

Roll 1d100 when a substance iscompleted. If the result is equal toor less than the percentage shownafter the alchemist�s intelligence, rolla 10% chance for a harmful sub-stance (see pages 38-39) to be cre-ated. If this does not occur, then rollon Table 5A. A roll on Table 5 of 01always indicates a failure.

the gathering of materials for his research.An alchemist can identify potions and

poisons, and can detect poisons at a cer-tain percentage chance of success, depend-

luse, spending his time in research and in

ing on his level. As shown on Table 3, thechance for identification of a poison ishigher than his chance to detect a poison,In the first case, he already knows he isdealing with a poison, and he has only todetermine what type it is. In the secondcase, he does not know that the substance

in question is a poison, and therefore muststart from scratch. There is never a 100%chance for success in any of these areas,since there is considerable variation in thecompounding of any potion, and one cannever be absolutely sure of any test resultsfor that reason.

DRAGON 37

* If a result of 00 is obtained, the DM determines the effects of the substance, keep-ing in mind the relative power of related substances and of substances of the samelevel. This does not mean the new substance must be of the same level as the oneattempted. It is entirely possible that the new substance is more (or less) powerfulthan that intended, and it might not be beneficial.

Minor explosion; l-4 hp damage to all within 10� of explosion.Explosion; l-20 hp damage to all within 20� of explosion.Major explosion; 3-30 hp damage to all within 30� of explosion.A new potion is formed! *

Intended effect of substance is reversed in a harmful manner,as the DM decides.

Substance inert; no effect, other than a very bad taste.Makes the imbiber ill for 2-8 hours; �2 to all attacks and savingthrows during this time.

Failure resultDie roll01-60 61-70

71-73

74-8586-9394-99

00

T a b l e 5 AAlchemist Failure Results Chart

The alchemist in townIf an alchemist decides to set up a busi-

ness in town, he will need a lot of moneyto establish a laboratory, library, andhome. First, a building is necessary, thecost of which varies according to theprevailing prices in the campaign. Thebuilding must have sufficient space tocontain at least the living space, library,laboratory, and sales area.

The living area must include an area forsleeping and one for cooking, at the least.The library can simply be a large roomequipped with sufficient shelving to holdthe numerous books, scrolls, and researchrecords which the alchemist naturallyacquires. The purchase of the basic booksand scrolls necessary to begin a laboratorycosts the alchemist 500-2,000 (5d4 X 100)gp per level of the potions to be produced.

The laboratory represents a large por-tion of the alchemist�s investment. Manyvarious items of glassware, such as alem-bics, beakers, flasks, jars, vials, and retortsare necessary, particularly if the alchemistplans to work on more than one potion ata time. However, he can save some moneyby making most of the glassware himself.

The sales area need only be a smallroom with a door to the street for cus-tomer access. An additional 50-200 gp isneeded to cover initial supplies of solvents,herbs, and basic furnishings.

38 FEBRUARY 1988

5th LevelESPExtra-healingPhilter of glibnessHill giant controlInvulnerabilityWater breathing

11th LevelDust of appearanceBlue dragon controlCloud giant controlOil of etherealnessFire giant controlFire giant strength

13th Level 14th LevelCloud giant control Dust of drynessDust of disappearance Oil of elemental

invulnerabilityGold dragon control Oil of impactMagic resistance* Mist dragon controlStorm giant control Sove re ign g lueStorm giant strength Ultimate solution

* Potion of magic resistance: This potion imbues the imbiber with a 20-50% resist-ance to all magic. The drinker should keep in mind that the resistance extends tobeneficial spells as well as harmful ones (XP value 1,000; GP value 2,000).

12th LevelBronze dragon controlCloud giant strengthOil of disenchantmentRed dragon controlOil of sharpness, + 6Silver dragon control

9th LevelBlack dragon controlBrass dragon controlFrost giant controlGreen dragon control

Super-heroismDust of tracelessness

8th LevelOil of fiery burningKeoghtom’s ointmentLongevityOil of sharpness, +4

Stone giant strengthOil of timelessness

7th LevelA c i d r e s i s t a n c e Human controlIncense of meditationNolzur’s marvelous

pigmentsStone giant controlWhite dragon control

10th LevelCopper dragon controlFrost giant controlOil of sharpness, +5Treasure findingUndead controlElixir of youth

6th LevelFire breathFlyingElixir of healthHill giant strengthOil of sharpness, +3Oil of slipperiness

3rd LevelClairvoyanceDiminutionGaseous formLevitationLife elixirPlant control

1st Level 2nd LevelAnimal control ClairaudiencePhilter of beauty Rainbow huesClimbing Oil of sharpness, + 1Fire resistance SpeedHealing Sweet waterPhilter of love Ventriloquism

4th LevelGrowthHeroismInvisibilityPolymorph selfOil of sharpness, +2Vitality

Potions and Compounds by LevelTable 6

These are relatively simple compounds,the first mixtures learned by an appren-tice alchemist.

While the ingredients are simple, thereis a chance that the mixture does notperform as intended. This is the chancetaken when mixing any alchemical for-mula, and is indicated on Table 5.

Some of the substances from the trea-sure lists are not given here: potion ofdelusion, oil of fumbling, elixir of mad-ness, incense of obsession, dust of sneez-ing and choking, and the philter ofstammering & stuttering. These items arecreated only when an unlucky or ineptalchemist errs in the compounding ofsome other item; as a result, there are noknown formulas for them. When an alche-mist fails in the compounding of somepotion, there is a 10% chance, rolled be-

research to learn exactly what else may benecessary to compound a given potion.The DM adjudicates the alchemist�s suc-cess in research. The costs for research isat least 50-300 gp per level of the potiondesired (�potion� here means any alchemi-cal substance). Table 7 describes powders.

The magic potions commonly availablein the AD&D game have been divided into�levels,� and are shown in Table 6. Aninvestment of 100-500 gp must be investedto gather a library of research scrolls andbooks for each level of potions. This is aone-time expenditure per level. Each po-tion requires a certain amount of time tocompound. The alchemist must have, atthe very minimum, the ingredients shownin order to create any potion. It is morelikely that the character must do some

Research and compounding

Table 7Typical Ingredients for Alchemical Powders

PowderAphrodisiac

Ingredients (and other notes)Asafetida, cayenne, euphorbia (causes target to become more interested in the opposite sex than in any-thing else)

Courage Tiger lily, persian gum (negates the effects of magical fear)Cure bleeding Irish moss, kelp, woundwort (stops all bleeding, even if a limb has been severed)Cure circulatory diseases Peony, sweetbalm, kelp, coriander (60% chance of curing any normal circulatory disease)Cure nausea Coriander, alfalfa, peony (cures any airsickness, seasickness, or nausea due to an excess of alcoholic

drink)Cure nervous disorders Lavender, asafetida, coriander, bryony (60% chance of curing any normal nervous disorders)Cure paralysis Asparagus, bitter herb, alfalfa, bryony (50% chance of curing any paralysis)Cure respiratory diseases Acacia, angelica, knotweed, coriander (60% chance of curing any normal respiratory disease)Friendship Chicory, olive leaf, sweet balm (causes target to become friendly to the powder-caster; saving throws at

+ 1 apply)Bryony, daffodil, amaranth (cures 1d4 hp for any mortal, nonmagical creature)Daisy, jasmine, toadflex (repels all normal or giant insects)Wolvesbane, sulfur, Solomon�s seal (lycanthropes avoid anything with this powder sprinkled upon it)Jimsonweed, solomon�s seal, hawthorn (sprinkling on magical target causes the item to glow with a sil-very sparkle)

Healing (minor)Insect repellentLycanthrope repellentMagic detection

Night vision Carrot, arrowroot, sesame, jimsonweed (grants the user the ability to see in the dark as well as a cat; thisis a light-intensifier and does not grant infravision)

Scroll ink Widely variable, depending on the scroll (for use in scroll writing and copying)Sleep Poppy, sweet balm, chamomile (target desires only to lie down and sleep; saving throws apply)Smoke Alder, mangrove (creates dense gray smoke covering an area within 10� radius of impact)Tranquilizer Hemlock, knotweed, white lotus (target becomes very lethargic and quiet; saving throws apply)Truth Nettle, myrtle, celamine (target is compelled to tell the truth; saving throws at + 1 apply)Undead repellent Mandrake, jasmine, loosestrife (undead avoid anything with this powder sprinkled on it)

The duration of the effects of all powders, except for curative types, is 3d6 + 2 minutes. Also, all references to saving throws inrelation to powders are vs. poison.

fore rolling on Table 5A, that one of these�mistakes� is the result.

The formulas for potions vary widely.There are many substances with similarproperties, and these can be combined inmany different ways to create the sameeffect. For this reason, an alchemist mayknow how to create a given potion, butmay not recognize it or a formula for itwhen he sees it, simply because it wascreated by another alchemist.

An alchemist can create one level ofpotions per day for each level of experi-ence he has gained. He may never �com-bine days� to create a potion of a levelhigher than he has obtained. Powders areconsidered to be half-level potions for thispurpose. For example, a 1st-level alchemistcan create two powders or one first-levelpotion. A 6th-level alchemist can createone sixth-level potion, six first-level po-tions, three second-level potions, or anyother combination of potions that does notexceed six, in the course of one day.

An alchemist receives experience pointsfor the creation of potions and other magi-cal materials equal to the experience-pointvalue of the finished item. An unsuccessfulattempt at a formula still earns 50 xp. Healso gains experience through the finding,identification, or discovery of variousplants, animals, minerals, etc., for hisformulas (5-50 xp per event).

Any alchemist can distill or create poi-sons. The strength of the poison dependson the level of the alchemist. Damage done

DRAGON 39

Table 8Typical Ingredients for Alchemical Potions and Powders

Alchemical substanceAppearance, dust ofAcid resistance, oil ofAnimal controlBeauty, philter ofClairaudienceClairvoyanceClimbingDiminutionDisappearance, dust ofDisenchantment, oil ofDragon controlDryness, dust ofElemental

invulnerability, oil of

ESPEtherealness, oil ofExtra-healingFire breathFiery burning, oil ofFire resistanceFlyingGaseous formGiant controlGiant strengthGlibness, philter ofGrowthHealingHealth, elixir ofHeroismHuman controlIllusion, dust ofImpact, oil ofInvisibilityInvulnerabilityKheoghtom’s ointmentLevitationLife, elixir ofLongevityLove, philter ofMeditation, incense ofNolzur’s marvelous

pigmentsPlant controlPolymorph selfRainbow huesSharpness, oil ofSlipperiness, oil ofSovereign glueSpeedSuper-heroismSweet waterTimelessness, oil ofTracelessness, dust ofTreasure findingUndead controlUltimate solutionVentriloquismVitalityWater breathingYouth elixir

6 oz. of powdered chalk, 500 gp of emerald dust, and 12 annis hairsTwo giant slug eyestalks, and a black dragon fangA paw, hoof, or claw of the animal type to be controlled, and a lock of a druids hairA lock of sirine hair, and a ground succubus hornSix giant bat earsTwo giant owl eyes, and a cadaver thalamus glandA giant spider leg1 oz. of shrinking violet flowers, with either 1 oz. of snyad blood or a powdered sprite wing12 powdered pixie wings, or one whole (dead) invisible stalker12 oz. of disenchanter hairThe brain of the appropriate dragon typeA dustdigger arm, or a portion of a sandlingDependent upon the type of elemental to be controlled: earth uses tiger eye, water uses smokyquartz, air uses zircon, and fire uses ruby (gem values of at least 1,000 gp). Powder the gem, thenadd 4 oz. of the appropriate element.6 oz. of doppleganger blood, or two mind flayer tentaclesA bottle of aerial servant essence 6 oz. of troll bloodA chimera stomach, or a barbed devil clawFive salamander scales, or three drops of phoenix bloodA red pyrolisk feather, or a stench kow hornEight hippogriff wing feathers, or a lock of Pegasus tailDust from a destroyed vampire, or three dead vapor rats (in a bottle)A brain of the appropriate giant typeSix fingernails from the appropriate giant typeAny minor devil tongueA spriggan heart, or 6 oz. of ogre-mage bloodA vial of holy water, three lammasu feathers, or 1 oz. of troll fleshA vial of holy water, and a couatl featherThe heart of a lion, or an androsphinx feather6 oz. of nixie blood, or dust from a destroyed vampire or succubusA lock of lamia hair or a rakshasa brainA powdered minotaur horn6 oz. of pixie sweatA tarrasque or gargoyle horn1 pint of royal jelly from giant beesTwo beholder eyestalks, or 8 oz. of Type II demon ichor10 phoenix head feathers3 oz. of elven blood, or 6 oz. of mummy dustA lock of dryad hair1 oz. of hallucinogenic spores from a myconid, and one holy/unholy symbolClematis, lady�s mantle, and 500 gp worth of platinum or sapphire

2 oz. of treant sap, 1 oz. of shrieker spores, or a vegepygmy �brain�A doppleganger brain, or a jackalwere heartTwo giant dragonfly wingsOne tarrasque tooth per + 1 of enchantment4 oz. of boggle oil6� piece of cave fisher filament, one roper tentacle, or 16 filaments from a giant sundewA thri-kreen eye, four unicorn mane hairs, or a giant wasp wingFour giant wolverine claws, and 6 oz. of (any) giant�s bloodFour shedu tail hairsPart of a time elemental2 oz. of boggart boneThree ancient dragon scalesHand of an evil high priest, or dust from a lich�s bones2 oz. of dracolisk acid, and two �pearls� from a land urchinA bottle of leprechaun�s breathA vial of holy water, and a titan fingernail clipping or 3 oz. of troll bloodEight water naga scales, or 1 oz. of triton gills6 oz. of ki-rin hair

These ingredients are only a few possibilities. Imagination and research may discover other items that also produce the desiredcompound. The DM must keep in mind that it should not be easy to acquire all the ingredients for a potion � the more powerfulpotions in particular. At least one ingredient should be from a powerful monster, be very rare and expensive, or be found in someremote place.

Typical ingredients

40 FEBRUARY 1988

by a poison is equal to the creator�s levelmultiplied by 1d6, so a 1st-level alchemistcan create a poison that does 1d6 hp dam-age unless a saving throw vs. poison issuccessful. Naturally, if a saving throw issuccessful, no damage is done by thepoison. There is a 10% chance that thedistillation of a poison results in failure. Ifthis happens, the result is simply an inertfluid. Do not roll on Table 5 if this occurs.

Alchemists may distill poisons fromvarious monsters, if they have a formulashowing them how to do it properly. Theresultant poison does the same damage orhas the same effect as if it had been ad-ministered by the monster from which itwas distilled. If distilled without this for-mula, the result may be weaker or may donothing at all.

Whenever an alchemist creates or dis-tills a poison, he simultaneously formu-lates its antidote. This is not necessarilyout of concern for others, but more out ofself-preservation.

Acids can be created by the alchemist,beginning at the 5th level of ability. At the5th level, an alchemist can make an acidthat does 1d6 hp damage to any creaturetouched by it. Acids created by alchemistsof higher level than 5th do 1d6 hp damagemore per level of the creator over 5th(e.g., a 7th-level alchemist can create anacid doing 3-18 hp damage).

Powders and dusts are simple com-pounds which are quickly learned by analchemist. They can be added to foods ordrinks, sprinkled upon an item or creatureto be affected, or fired from a blowtube.Most powders are compounded fromvarious herbs, roots, flowers, etc. Theacquisition of these plants is not necessar-ily easily accomplished. The DM deter-mines whether or not a given componentis available to the alchemist, and if notavailable, what must be done to acquire it.A few powders require the addition ofpowdered gems or other substances. Forthis reason, most alchemists become col-lectors of gems and jewelry rather thangold and silver.

Various compounds, powders, and po-tions are given in Tables 7 and 8, alongwith the substances necessary for theircompounding. However, the alchemistcharacter needs to research or acquirethese formulas to determine the properproportions of the ingredients and themethods of their compounding. The DMmay include in treasure hoards somescrolls containing various formulas forpotions and powders. Without a formulafor a potion or powder, an alchemist can-not create it, even if he knows everythingelse about that substance. Magical alchemi-cal scrolls may be found which enable analchemist to compound a potion that isotherwise beyond his level, but these areusable for one mixing only.

Other useful substances which an alche-mist might acquire include acids, alkalies,alcohol, oils, and water, for use as sol-vents, corrosives, preservants, and the

like. A chemistry textbook offers moreinformation for gamers who want moredetails on this.

Even though the alchemist appears to bemore a scholar than an adventurer, he canstill be an active and viable NPC, and agreat asset to any group of adventurersreturning to town from a trip into thewilderness. If the DM allows the alchemistto be proficient in throwing rocks, vials,etc., the alchemist can be effective assecondary artillery, preceding hand-to-hand combat. Also, his assortment of

Illustration courtesy of Dover Books

fluids and powders can be as effective asmagical spells in many cases. It becomesfrustrating for the characters to find auseful potion, then have to use of half of itin order to determine just what it is. Al-chemists can save lots of trouble here withtheir special skills.

Try the alchemist in your campaign. Hemakes a great NPC for the DM, but he�seven more fun for the players!

[Previous versions of the alchemist NPChave appeared in DRAGON issues #3,45,and 49.]

DRAGON 41

42 FEBRUARY 1988

uti squatted motionless near the edgeof the reef flat, her still body washedtime after time by the wave�s ceaselessaction. Her golden brown skin andthe faded skirt and long-sleeved man�stunic she wore for warmth against theevening chill blended perfectly with

the tumble of coral stones and boulders.Only her eyes moved as she searched the incoming

swells.�Come to me, brothers,� she chanted softly. �Come fill

my nets before I turn to a cold stone here in the sea.� Shedid not use a true beckoning spell � she dared not withPahulu lurking nearby � she only said the words in timewith the shifting waves.

Flickering color caught Iuti�s attention, and she shiftedher gaze to follow the erratic paths of two blue-green par-rot fish. They began feeding on the living coral, and Iutiwatched patiently while they darted here and there amongthe colorful growths, turning and drifting togetherthrough the clear water as if they were one.

The parrot fish turned away from the reef, and abruptly,Iuti dashed forward. She leapt a gap in the coral and scoopedthe startled fish into her hand nets. As quickly as onetouched and tangled itself in the left net, the other did thesame in the right. Struggling for footing in the wave�s strongbackwash, Iuti lifted each of the fish to her mouth, bitingthem just behind their eyes. It killed them instantly andremoved them forever from Pahulu�s power.

It was a game these two played, the island sorceress andthe mainland warrior: one forever lurking in the back-ground, the other meticulously avoiding all use of themagic that would give the sorceress entry to her soul.Pahulu�s sorcery was particularly powerful in and aroundthe sea, Iuti knew. The sorceress could send her soul intothe living fish and other sea life, binding them to her willand enchanting them so that their flesh would cause terri-ble nightmares, even death for any who ate it.

Iuti glanced back toward the beach as she disentangledthe fish from her nets. She knew the sorceress was theresomewhere, hiding in the shadows, waiting for the chancethat Iuti might break her resolve never to use magic onthis isle. Iuti wondered if the islanders knew that theirhealer gained her power by draining it from other livingcreatures, if that was why so little magic was in evidencehere. She stuffed the fish into her woven waist pouch andwiped the slickness from her hands.

Casually scanning the reef flat, Iuti saw that the girlTarawe had crept closer while she was busy with the fish.Tarawe was lying prone in the water now, with only herhead above the shifting waves, no doubt thinking herselfwell-hidden. Iuti restrained a smile, her unacknowledgedapprentice was getting better.

Iuti supposed she would have to do something aboutTarawe soon. Send her away. Make her angry or afraidenough to stop her spying before the others, especiallyPahulu, decided to take notice. It was too bad, for theteenager showed great promise and was obviously inter-ested in learning. Often, Iuti came upon her practicingsome technique learned only from distant watching.

A change in the air brought Iuti�s full attention back to

Shark-killer

by Carol Severance

Illustrations by Paul Jaqmys

DRAGON 43

44

the sea. The rhythm of the waves had not changed. Norhad the wind, but something was oddly different. Shelistened carefully above the rumbling surf, wishing shecould call on Mano�s power to amplify the sounds. Shehad lived so long under her totem�s protection that attimes she distrusted her own natural senses.

Iuti grew taut as she recognized the soft splash of canoepaddles and the barely audible cadence of a whispered warchant. Quickly, she sank down again and turned her looktoward the open sea.

No islander would be outside the lagoon at this hour. Itwas near dark, the sun had almost set. Iuti had onlystayed on the reef this long to teach Tarawe a lesson �and to irritate Pahulu. She hoped the girl, at least, wouldhave sense enough to remain hidden.

The chanting drifted off with the wind for a moment,then returned, just loud enough for Iuti to follow the boat.Through squinted eyes she made out a shadow on thewater, then the wavering silhouette of an outrigger pad-dling canoe bearing steadily toward the island. As itreached the breaking waves, the steersman dug his paddledeep into the sea, turning the canoe parallel to the reefsedge. The chant changed. The beat became stronger, thevoices deeper so that the sound carried clear and cleanthrough the night air.

�Mano, protect the girl,� Iuti whispered softly. She didnot ask the shark�s safety for herself � she no longer heldthat right � but dread crept like mainland cold across herback. The chant was a ghost song, sung only by crews ofthe dead. She could see-now that the canoe carried onlyseven paddlers. The place before the steersman wasempty.

The canoe moved steadily closer. It would pass justyards away from-where Iuti hid. She braced herself as bestshe could against the surge, and breathed sporadicallybetween the sweep of the deepening waves. The tide wasreclaiming the reef, so she would have to move soon orrisk drowning.

The sudden thought that the canoe might have come forher made Iuti shiver, gave her a taste of brine throughinadvertently parted lips. The great warrior Ser IutiMano, one the Teronin War�s bloodiest survivors, deadwith a sackful of fish on her back. There was a joke to testthe gods. She sucked in a slow, deep breath, tucked herchin to her chest, and slid beneath the water while thecanoe glided past.

As soon as she dared, Iuti lifted her head again. Therewas something familiar about the canoe, though it seemedto be made in the island style. Wood thunked on woodand a muffled curse reached Iuti�s ears, causing her tochoke in surprise. She dropped quickly-underwater again,holding what little breath she had left until it could be heldno more.

This was no ghost canoe! Not unless dead men nowcursed in the gutter tongue of Teron. Iuti shifted andpeered again through the near darkness. Knowing nowwhat to look for, she recognized the slightly high prow andextended outrigger of a Teronin war canoe. It had beenaltered to appear island-made from a distance, and cer-tainly the death chant was real enough, sung in the is-land�s own dialect. But the men aboard, she would

FEBRUARY1988

�We are not interested in war here,� Pahulu said. �Goaway and don�t speak about it further. We will remaininside at night until the canoe completes its third passage.We will provide no opportunity for untimely accidents,and the ghost canoe will go elsewhere to fill its vacantseat.�

Iuti cursed then � the islanders for their stubborness,Pahulu for her duplicity, and herself for having so foolishly

�Aye, and you killed your own family totem to seal thebargain,� another added. �How can you even think oftaking up that blade again?� Iuti lifted a hand to herneck, where she had once worn a strand of Mano�s teethto signify her shame. She had drawn the great gray sharkto her with an ancient family song, then slit his stomachwith her fine, metal sword, relinquishing his protection sothat she could live for a few short months without furtherbloodshed. The necklace was gone now, but the feel of theshark�s lost strength still burned against her skin.

�You gave your word not to bare your sword on oursoil,� one of the younger men said.

eign ways and tales of bloodshed corrupt our children.�Her black teeth glistened and her eyes flashed triumph.Iuti knew she could never convince the others while Pa-hulu denied her warning.

�But Pahulu was far up on the beach,� Iuti said. �I wasat the reef�s edge, so close I could have reached out andtouched the canoe.� She explained again about the shapeof the vessel, repeated the whispered war chant she�dheard, and the Teronin curse. She implored them to aidher in preparing for the island�s defense.

But they would have none of it.�Go back to your hut,� Pahulu said, �before your for-

�No, warrior, it was a true ghost canoe that came to-night,� Tarawe�s uncle went on. �Pahulu saw it fromshore. We all heard the chant right here in the village.�

�We have no quarrel with the Teronin,� Tarawe�s unclesaid. He was chief of the leading clan, and he spoke for allthe others. �These islands are neutral territory, morevaluable left alone than destroyed by roving warriors. Wepay regular tribute to the Teronin to leave us in peace.�Iuti wondered, not for the first time, what these smallislands had to offer that kept the Teronin away. Perhaps itwas only their isolation and their seeming poverty thatprovided their protection.

�The only lives that vessel seeks are those too foolish toprepare a defense,� Iuti told them all when Pahulu in-sisted the ghost canoe was real. �It�s an old Teronin trick.They use some local superstition to frighten their intendedvictims into huddling together unarmed. Then they attackwhen you are most vulnerable. If you insist upon hidingin your homes to avoid a nonexistent ghost canoe, Teroninwarriors will walk ashore unchallenged two nights fromnow. They will slaughter you in your own homes.�

As soon as the canoe was gone, Iuti slipped back acrossthe reef flat. She startled Tarawe from her hiding placeand urged the soaking, shivering girl back to the village.Pahulu was already there, talking excitedly to the gatheredislanders.

wager, were as alive and warrior-wise as she. Iuti re-mained as still as the growing coral until the canoe hadcompleted its passage along the windward reef.

accepted the conditions of these people�s peace. She wasenraged by the casual reference to her disgrace. Shedumped her pouch of fish at Tarawe�s uncle�s feet andstalked off, taking little satisfaction from the envious com-ments concerning the size and quality of her catch.

�Fools,� she muttered.�Shark-killer,� she heard one of the women reply.She pointedly ignored Tarawe, who had entered the

canoe house and was measuring the height of the largestcanoe�s prow.

The girl came to her early the next morning. She satcross-legged just outside Iuti�s small cookhouse, watchingin silence while Iuti moved the boiled breadfruit from thekettle to the wooden pounding board. Iuti slammed theheavy pO down onto the mound of softened breadfruit.

�What are you going to do?� Tarawe asked after atime.

Iuti did not look up. �You can see very well what I amdoing.� The stone pestle crashed again and again into thewooden trough. Had this been an ordinary day, thesounds of similar pounding would have echoed across theisland. But the islanders were performing only silent andsafe duties today, those which could be done in or neartheir homes.

�I mean about the Teronin.��The pO struck with enough force to splatter white bread-

fruit paste.�If you keep swinging like that,� Tarawe said drily,

�you�ll bash yourself right in the head. Then a ghost ca-noe will come for sure.�

Iuti bit back a sharp reply, smiled slightly, and lightenedher strokes. �I�m not afraid of ghosts,� she lied.

�Are you afraid of the Teronin?�Iuti sighed. �Go away, girl, you know I can�t speak to

you of the Teronin.�Tarawe leaned her elbows on her knees, chin on crossed

hands. �If they�re going to kill us all tomorrow night any-way, what does it matter if you talk to me now?�

�It matters because I gave my word not to,� Iuti said.She met the girl�s frank stare. �I killed my own family�sgod, gave up my right to his power and his protection, toprove my word was good and gain your elder�s permissionto live here in peace. Do you think I took that oathlightly?�

Tarawe was the first to glance away. Iuti returned to herpounding.

�My uncle and the others will be eager enough for yoursword tomorrow,� Tarawe said after a time.

Iuti snorted, wondering why the girl was being so per-sistent. �Even if I were released from my vow, my swordarm would be of little use after the entire Teronin fleetarrives,� she said. �The Teronin don�t engage in contestsof honor. They won�t stride across the reef one by onetomorrow to meet your island champion.�

Tarawe�s hesitation was very slight. �Then you mustmeet them tonight,� she said, �when they are but a few.�

Iuti blinked, glanced around to be sure they were notbeing overheard. The girl was right, of course, that it nolonger mattered, but her word had been given and thehabit of caution was strong. She sucked a wad of bread-

DRAGON 45

Iuti stared at her, then down at the pounding board,remembering suddenly those early weeks on the isle, whenshe had thought her exhaustion and restless, dream-ladensleep were the natural result of her healing wounds andoverall weariness. Pahulu had been too eager, however,and Iuti had become suspicious. She discovered that eachtime she attempted a simple sleep or self-healing spell,each time she sang the fish into her nets instead of simply

�Not lives,� Tarawe corrected. �Souls! Pahulu stripsthem of their power while they rest here in �peace,� andthen the elders sell their empty shells to the Teronin.�

�By the very gods!� Iuti breathed. �The tribute! Youbuy your freedom by selling human lives!�

�What others?� Iuti demanded.Tarawe hesitated again. Then she laughed; her voice

became a mocking parady of Pahulu�s. �Did you thinkyou were the first to be invited to our island, warrior? Ohno, you�re not that special despite your great reputation.We offer our hospitality to many people � as many as ittakes to keep the Teronin recruiting ships filled. Theyprefer those already trained to war, but they care little fortheir prior loyalties.�

Tarawe stared at the breadfruit for a moment, thenangrily kicked sand over it. �I thought you were differ-ent,� she said. She jumped up and settled her fists on herhips. �You�re even worse than the others! You just sit hereand take what comes. They at least had the excuse ofbeing tricked into giving up their strength before theTeronin came. You�re still whole and strong, and ��

�I have a metal sword which I cannot use, girl.� Iutilifted the pO, then began to pound again, striking thebreadfruit to the beat of her words. �A sword that I willnot use even if your elders ask.� A gob of sticky paste stuckto the pestle and flew off with the next downward stroke.It splatted on the ground near Tarawe.

�But you�re a trained warrior,� Tarawe said. �You�vefought the Teronins before. You have a real metal swordand a chance against them.�

�When a warrior takes the life of another person, evenan enemy, she exposes her own soul to the evil that sur-rounds all violent deaths. She becomes vulnerable to thedarkness, and without careful training and the protectionof her family gods, she has little defense against it.�

Iuti dropped the po and leaned forward. �Have youever cut through human muscle?� she demanded. �Killing

a man is not the same as killing a shellfish, girl. It is not soeasy, nor can it be done with so little consequence.�Tarawe pulled back, and Iuti forced herself to speak morecalmly.

�I can cut the inner muscle of a giant clam with a singlestroke!�

fruit from the side of her hand.�You could surprise them,� Tarawe said, her eyes

sparked with sudden excitement. �They won�t be expect-ing you on the reef tonight. You could kill them all beforethey even knew what was happening.�

Iuti took a deep breath and resumed her pounding.�I�ll help you.� Tarawe cried. �I know the reef, and I

know how to use a knife.�That brought a laugh. �You know how to slice bread-

fruit and gut fish, girl.�

46

A package lay at the bottom of the box. Iuti untied thecoconut twine bindings and folded back the woven wrap-pings to reveal a heavy, wooden war club. Lifting it inboth hands, she carefully inspected the double row ofshark�s teeth that lined the weapon�s jagged edges.They were Mano�s own teeth, stolen from his body to

earn herself this brief time of peace. Iuti ran her fingersalong the glistening, white surfaces, tested their seatings in

It pained her to see so ill-kept a weapon, but, even ifher oath had not been given, she would not bare thatblade again. She had used it to kill Mano-niuhi, the greatgray shark, protector of her clan and family. It had beenthe price of her stay on this �neutral� island � that andher honor.

Later, hidden inside her sleeping hut, Iuti opened her private box. The locking spell had not been of her owndevising, although it yielded easily enough to her touch,and was thus safe from Pahulu�s influence. Iuti tossed hercold-weather cloak aside, sneezing at its mustiness. Pow-dery sprays of mildew blossomed on each of the leatherclasps and on her torn mainland boots. Rust lined theedges of her forbidden sword�s scabbard, and Iuti wincedas she pushed it aside.

Tarawe blinked back tears, then spun and ran off be-tween the trees. The shadow disappeared as Iuti�s nextstroke split the wooden pounding board in two.

�I came here because I was too well known to find anymainland hideaway,� Iuti said. �I came here because Iwas desperate. I accepted your elders� conditions for mystay only because I was too weak and horror-filled to do

otherwise. Freedom from evil carries a heavy price,youngster.� A shadow, darker than the surroundingshadows, flickered near the edge of the clearing. Iutistraightened.

�Go away, girl,� she said very softly. �Go away now,and do not come near me again.�

� B u t � ��Go!�

�I thought you were different,� Tarawe said. Her voicesounded again like that of a young girl. �You resistedPahulu from the beginning. That�s why I came to you, tohelp you.�

�Even the most powerful and practiced of warriorsmust leave the battlefields at times,� Iuti said. �The dark-ness and the blood and the horror all blend into one aftermany killings or after we have been weakened by injury or exhaustion or simple disgust. The approach to evil be-comes irresistible.�

�Aye,� Iuti had replied, �a miscalculation,� and fromthat day on, she employed only her physical skills. Shelived and fished as she had in her childhood before beingtrained to the ways of power and war. The nightmaresceased and her strength slowly returned. She looked upagain at Tarawe.

�A miscalculation,� Pahulu had said when Iuti con-fronted her. �I sought only to test your intentions, to ver-ify that the fish you provide the villagers are not taintedby any mainland sorcery.�

waiting for them to come near, Pahulu was using the op-portunity to drain her strength away.

FEBRUARY 1988

the fire-hardened wood and twisted coconut fiber.�Mano,� she whispered. �It is time. Tonight I will take

you back to the sea. I claim no right to your protection,but I still owe you vengeance. Tonight we will taste againthe blood of our enemies.�

She lifted a shield from the box � it, too, was studdedwith Mano�s power � and placed it along with the warclub atop her sleeping mat. Iuti had honored her pledge toset aside her mainland war tools, but no one had sug-gested she not create new ones with the island�s own re-sources. They assumed that because there was no metalhere, there was no way for her to create replacements.And, Iuti realized now, the islanders had expected her tobe helpless under Pahulu�s dark influence.

After hiding Mano�s weapons and setting the box andits other contents out to air, Iuti walked to Tarawe�s un-cle�s house and tried again to explain the danger. Pahuluarrived just behind her and whispered into the chieftain�sear so that he simply frowned and refused to listen toIuti�s warnings. She called him a fool, him and all hispeople, then did what she had really come to do.

�Keep your niece away from me,� she complained.�I�m tired of her following me about the island, watchingeverything I do. She belongs with the rest of the children.�It was cruel to shame the girl so, but this was not a timefor a warrior to have an untried teenager at her back.Besides, if Pahulu joined in the battle tonight, as Iutiknew she must, Tarawe was safer locked away with hersiblings. The sorceress would not hesitate to kill the girl ifshe could gain power by doing so.

If by some chance I survive this night, Iuti promisedTarawe silently, I will take you from this place and findyou a home among people who pay their debts honestly.

Returning to her own hut, Iuti twisted her long hairinto a topknot and donned her faded brown trousers andtunic. She hid the war club and shield within the bulk ofher skirts and the bundle of her nets and set off throughthe jungle.

�So, warrior, you think to defy the gods and fish on thereef despite their clear warning.� Pahulu stepped into thepath and reached out to touch Iuti�s bundle of nets. Iutistepped back.

�If, indeed, it is a warning as you claim, I am in nodanger until tomorrow,� Iuti said.

�A ghost canoe rarely departs without filling its emptyplace,� the sorceress replied. �You could be injured on thereef today and die on the morrow.� She reached for thenets again. �Perhaps I can offer a small wardingspell. . . .�

�If you touch my nets again, sorceress,� Iuti said with-out moving, �it will be you for whom the ghost canoecomes.�

Pahulu smiled tightly and refolded her arms across herchest. Her eyes and her very stance pleaded with Iuti todefy her, to use some small spell to set the battle in mo-tion. Iuti knew that that way led only to death. Her onechance lay in the surprise of her weapons and the arrivalof the unsuspecting Teronin. Not even the sorceress wouldexpect her to act tonight. Iuti stepped around the oldwoman, shivering as the old woman�s cackling laughterfollowed her along the shaded path.

Iuti chose a place on the reef near where she had beenthe evening before. Squatting in the waist-deep water, shefreed herself of the skirt and anchored it along with thewarclub and shield beneath the waves. Setting her fishspear atop a coral stone, she dismantled the woodenframes of her hand nets and tied the two nets together,testing them with a yank before draping them across oneshoulder.

Finally, she pulled a leaf-wrapped packet of dark pastefrom her waist pouch. The dye had been boiled downmonths ago from the sack of a giant octopus, and she usedit now to draw dark lines along her cheeks. The marks ofMano would provide her no magical protection during thecoming battle, for even if the shark still acknowledged her,she dared not use his magic while Pahulu was nearby.Still, the Teronin had no way of knowing she had forsakenher totem; the marks might slow them at least for an in-stant.

As the sun began to set, Iuti listened for the distant beatof the paddler�s chant. Several times she thought sheheard it, then realized it was only the waves and the wind.When the faint sound finally came, she was stiff from notmoving, growing cold in the late evening air. Shiftingcarefully, she stretched what muscles she could withoutrevealing herself, and adjusted her height to the risingtide.

The whispered war chant halted sooner than the nightbefore, as if the Teronin were taking more care this timenot to be overheard. Iuti fingered her nets. Even thoughshe was waiting for it, she started when the eerie ululationof the death chant began. The sound was like winter iceslicing through her soul.

Something moved to her right, and abruptly Iuti sankdown so that only her eyes were above the water line.There was a thud and a startled cry, cut off quickly, then asplash as one of the Teronin toppled from the canoe.

Instantly, the death chant stopped. A shout came fromthe canoe, then a shrill keening wail from the beach.

�Mano�s teeth!� Iuti cursed. The call had been one ofquestion; the wail � Iuti recognized Pahulu�s hated voice� an answering Teronin attack command. The sorceresshad given Iuti�s position away.

The canoe drifted for a moment, then a frantic, whis-pered command brought it closer to the reef. Before theTeronin could get near enough to leap directly onto thecoral, Iuti jumped up. With a great shout, she slung the

fish nets across the front of the canoe. Making use of theincoming surge, she yanked hard, bringing the entangledbowman crashing into the prow and turning the canoeitself into the reef. As the canoe sped toward her, shethrew her spear.

Her aim was true, and thanks to endless hours ofpounding breadfruit, her arm proved as strong as ever.The thin, wooden spear sliced easily through the neck ofthe nearest warrior and lodged solidly in the shoulder ofthe one behind. Two slivers of cold touched Iuti�s soul,and she knew that the bowman and the first of the spearedwarriors were dead.

She felt Pahulu slip a wedge of darkness into the open-ing the deaths created. Without Mano�s protection, Iutihad little defense against the evil cold, yet she dared notcall upon the sea god. She could feel the sorceress circling,waiting for the chance to enter fully and take control.

�I�ll give myself to the Teronin before I give myself toyou, old woman,� she muttered.

But Iuti was too well battle-trained to stand quietlywhile the Teronin killed her. There were only three left,possibly four if one was hiding under the empty seat. Shesealed her mind as best she could, and scooped up herclub and shield.

�I am Mano!� she screamed and flung herself at thetwo warriors now leaping onto the reef. One man stayedaboard, trying to save the canoe from the waves. Iutilaughed aloud when the others hesitated before shriekingtheir own battle cries in reply. Even in the growing dark-ness she read recognition and fear in their eyes. It wasclear they had not expected a battle on this night, andcertainly not one with a fully armed and aware warrior. Itwas clear, too, that they now knew who she was.

She warded a blow from the nearest man�s sword, twist-ing her shield as the blade turned so that Mano�s teethdug deeply into the Teronin�s sword arm. He cried out,stumbled. A wave washed away his footing. Instantly, Iutibrought him down with the war club. Blood from his armand the back of his crushed skul stained the twilit waterblack. Warmth swirled at Iuti�s ankles while Pahulu�sdarkness and images of horror forced a deeper gouge intoher consciousness.

The second warrior�s blow caught Iuti as she rose, stilldisoriented by Pahulu�s oily thrust. She deliberately col-lapsed under the blow to lessen its force, but still the war-rior�s wide metal blade slid across her shoulder like abranch of fire coral. She fell, rolled painfully, and

D R A G O N 4 7

48

crouched to meet him again. She called on the honest painin her shoulder, the true pain of ripped skin and torn mus-cle, forcing it to take precedence over the chaos in hermind. She met the Teronin�s second thrust with Mano�sshield, raking it downward along the man�s arm andchest. Then she killed him with a sweeping blow of themighty war club.

Iuti staggered under Pahulu�s immediate attack. Hermind squirmed away from the darkness like an eel tyingitself in knots to escape a fisherwoman�s hook. Gasping,she slid the back of her hand along her shield�s jaggededge and focused on the pain to keep from calling out toMano.

Iuti felt rather than saw movement on the canoe. Shespun around, loosening the shield. The canoe had pulledoff the coral and was drifting slowly just beyond the line of breaking waves. There were two people on board, facingeach other with drawn swords.

Tarawe! Iuti realized with horror that the girl had some-how managed to get aboard the disabled Teronin vessel.Of course, she thought, and cursed herself for a fool. Itwas Tarawe who downed the first Teronin. With a fishspear, no doubt, thrown from the edge of the reef. Iuti hadseen the girl practice the move often enough. But how hadTarawe escaped her uncle�s vigilance, and where had shegotten the sword?

The Teronin crept forward, balancing with practicedease on the bobbing canoe. Tarawe crouched, waiting,sword arm close to her side. Iuti could not throw theshield for fear of hitting the girl. There was a movementbehind Tarawe as the man Iuti had speared earlier strug-gled to pull the wooden spike from his shoulder. Heyanked it free just as the other Teronin lunged at Tarawe.

The girl dipped neatly beneath the warrior�s swordarm, and Iuti sent her shield sailing, knocking the manwith the spear into the sea. Again, ice grabbed at her soul.Another death. Iuti pushed Pahulu back. The last Teroninstumbled as he passed Tarawe, caught himself, thenabruptly slumped forward across a blood-soaked hull.Tarawe had killed him, gutted him as smoothly as if he were a tuna.

Tarawe stared at the dead warrior for a moment, thengave a ragged cry and bent to jump into the water. Aswift, dark shape slid beneath the drifting vessel.

�Stay in the canoe!� Iuti screamed. Another dark formapproached the canoe, and another. Mano had come forthe taste of blood.

�Stay in the canoe!� Iuti called again. She could hearthe panic in her own voice, see it in Tarawe�s stance. Pa-hulu ripped at her mind�s raw edges.

Then abruptly, Pahulu pulled back. The darknessfaded, disappeared, the nightmare images ceased. Star-tled, Iuti turned back toward the beach. Pahulu wasstanding in knee-deep water, and as Iuti watched, shelifted both hands to point at the Teronin canoe. The shrillkeening began again, and Iuti heard Tarawe cry out, along shuddering wail.

�No!� Iuti shouted. �Leave the girl alone!� She turnedback to see Tarawe drop her sword and clutch her head inboth hands. The girl swayed, stumbled, reached again forthe side of the canoe. The sharks circled, waiting.

Time and again as Iuti swam and fought and swamagain, the racing sharks startled her into choking down yetmore of the blood-slimed sea. �Take me quickly,� she triedto sing, �before Pahulu sucks my soul dry.� Her arms felt

Pahulu smashed her, forcing her deeper in the water. Aschool of tiny needle fish swarmed around her face makingit impossible to breath. In desperation, Iuti attempted anattack spell of her own, ripping in the manner of Mano atthe sorceress�s mind. She had a swift taste of acrid bilebefore Pahulu twisted away and jammed her own wedgeof control deeper.

Iuti glanced again at the canoe, then threw her war clubas far as she could into the sea, knowing she could neveruse it against the sharks. She dove into the next wave andstarted swimming. Something bumped against her leg.She screamed and sank, choked on foul-tasting brine.Fighting back to the surface, she saw that it was only oneof the Teronin, torn almost in-half by the sharks. Shepushed the ravaged body away and swam on.

The sucking tentacles of an octopus wrapped aroundher ankle, tugging her against the sweeping waves. Shesmashed the creature away. The blow struck Pahulu aswell; Iuti felt a slight ripple in the sorceress�s power. But itdid nothing to diminish her attack. And Iuti could not killall the creatures of the sea.

Iuti stared at the blood-darkened sea and felt the numb-ing weakness of true terror. She had swum in this placebefore. As an honored member of Mano�s clan, she hadmingled unharmed among the lesser cousins while sheconspired to slay the great Mano-niuhi himself. Staring atthe blood-darkened water, she knew that no family song orsword, however strong, could protect her from the shark�svengeance now. The small cousins were already ripping atthe Teronin, and Mano-niuhi had yet to appear.

Iuti knew she could not maintain the warding spellaround Tarawe and fight off Pahulu at the same time, notwithout her family god�s help and that was no longer hersto request. Her only chance was to swim to the canoe andpaddle both Tarawe and herself beyond Pahulu�s power.

Pahulu used her power over the sea creatures then.Small fish thrashed at Iuti�s feet, their sharp, poisonousspines raked against her bared skin. Eels and other darkthings slid from their holes and sank their teeth into herankles. Iuti battered them away with the war club, but forevery one she killed, a dozen more appeared. The verycoral itself burned.

�Stay still, Tarawe,� Iuti called. Above the rumblingsurf, she heard the sorceress shriek with laughter, while inher mind, rotten black teeth grinned in triumph. Thenightmare images swarmed back, filling the gap her use ofthe power had provided. Pahulu�s shrill voice lifted againabove the waves, and Iuti poured more strength into thewarding spell.

�No!� Iuti cried. She lifted her own arms and flung apowerful warding spell toward Tarawe. The strength of itknocked Tarawe back against the outrigger strut.

�The girl killed twice,� Pahulu laughed. �She has nowarrior�s protection. She is mine!�

�You may not have the girl!� Iuti shouted across thereef to Pahulu. The sorceress�s black teeth shown wet inthe twilight; she grinned and Tarawe screamed again.

FEBRUARY 1988

like stones, she could barely lift her head high enough togasp in air.

Suddenly, a great gray shadow appeared beneath her. Itrose to her side.

�Mano!� Iuti gasped, then screamed as the Mano-niuhi bumped against her, sliding like crushed glass alongher wounded shoulder. She thanked Mano for the pain,focused on the sharp agony to drive away the ebony hor-rors in her mind. Pahulu�s attack receded in the greatshark�s presence.

Smaller sharks circled, darted close, then dashed awayto feed on the Teronin. They returned again and again,churning the water to a bloody froth. Would Mano-niuhitake her himself, she wondered, or would the smallercousins tear away her soul piece by bloody piece?

�Mano,� she whispered through frigid, terror-tightenedlips. The shark continued to swim beside her, to watch hersteadily with one shining eye. �Brother, I stole yourstrength to gain a few months of peace,� Iuti slipped un-consciously into the singsong of an ancient family chant,�but I did not steal your soul. I did not eat your flesh norshare it with others on the land.

�I do not call on your protection now,� Iuti sang to theshark. �But I beg you, take back my family�s power now.Take it quickly, before Pahulu wrests it from me and usesit against the girl and later against all others who cross herwill.�

Tarawe�s shout tore Iuti�s attention from the shark. Shelifted her head, gagged again on foul-tasting water. TheTeronin canoe was still beyond her reach. But there was asecond canoe floating just beyond it. Iuti thought for amoment that it must be another of Pahulu�s illusions, forit flickered and wavered with the movement of the waves.But then she heard the cadence of the death chant andrealized a true ghost canoe had come at last. It had oneempty place, the other seven were filled with the still flick-ering images of the dead Teronin.

The last place is mine, Iuti thought in despair, I willspend the rest of eternity paddling empty seas with a crew-ful of my most hated enemies.

Without warning, Mano-niuhi veered away, scrapingonce again along her side. For an instant, Iuti thought theend had come, that Mano would kill her at last. But thegreat shark merely circled, then swam back toward thereef. As the distance between them grew, Iuti felt Pahulu�scrippling attack return. She swallowed brine, coughed,and gagged her way back to the surface.

Tarawe cried out again and pointed.Pahulu had moved farther onto the reef, standing now

in water up to her waist, waves washing as high as hershoulders. Her arms were still lifted toward Iuti, and hereyes were squeezed shut. Iuti caught her breath as sherecognized the phalanx of dark forms streaking throughthe water toward the sorceress.

Pahulu cried out when the first shark struck, more instartlement than in pain. The twisting darkness in Iuti�smind shivered, then strengthened. A second small cousinraked its razored teeth across the sorceress�s hip, and athird ripped a gouge from her side. The darkness shat-tered. Suddenly, Pahulu was thrown back into the water,

Tarawe�s dark eyes flashed in triumph as she took thesword. She grinned and quickly joined Iuti in turning thecanoe away from the reef. Below them, alone in the starlitsea, Mano-niuhi slid silently back into the deep.

�I will pay my own debts from now on,� Tarawe said.And, almost, Iuti smiled. She rubbed her hand across

her injured shoulder, glanced at the frenzied sea, thenwiped the blood away on her wet trousers.

�I no longer carry the shark�s protection and power,�she said. �I have only a warrior�s natural skills now. Still,I have debts of my own that need to be settled.� She of-fered Tarawe the rusty blade�s hilt. �You may join me ifyou wish.�

�Where did you get this?� she asked, picking upTarawe�s bloodied sword and turning back. She recog-nized the, blade now by the rust that marred its edges.

�Pahulu.� Tarawe�s voice trembled. �She brought it tomy uncle�s house. Later, the auntie guarding the doorlooked away long enough for me to escape with it. I didn�trealize until too late that Pahulu meant for me to come soshe could use me against you.�

Tarawe glanced away, then straightened and lookeddefiantly back. �But it wouldn�t have mattered. I wantedto come. I would have found a way even if Pahulu hadn�tprovided the means.�

Iuti remained silent.

Iuti stumbled toward the canoe�s bow and dumped theremaining Teronin warriors overboard, shuddering as herlost brother and his cousins raced to take the kill. Leaningover to inspect the damaged hull, she saw that the woodenwar shield was tangled in the hanging fishnet. She broughtit aboard and laid it carefully, teeth down, in the bottomof the canoe.

Tarawe stared at her, then back at the place where Pa-hulu had stood. The ghost canoe had drifted into theblood smeared shallows, and the old woman�s image wasslowly reforming in the vessel�s final empty place. As theimage solidified, the last of the nightmare images disap-peared from Iuti�s mind.

the sea. She grabbed for the paddle that Tarawe thrusttoward her and pulled herself hurriedly toward the canoe.Something stabbed her foot as she clambored aboard, andshe almost collapsed in relief when she saw it was onlyMano�s war club, bobbing in the waves beside her. Shelifted it onto the outrigger.

screaming, shrieking in surprise and agony. The myriadsea creatures she had controlled tore from her mentalgrasp and fled, abandoning her to the famished sharks.

When Mano-niuhi struck, Iuti was with him just as hehad been with her on many a battlefield of old. She tastedthe slick tartness of Pahulu�s blood, twisted her head fromside to side as she shredded the sorceress�s flesh betweenher double rows of teeth. She thrilled with her brother atthis momentary pause in his endless, ravaging hunger.

And then, suddenly, she was alone.Iuti reached frantically for Mano-niuhi�s mind, at-

tempting to reestablish the bond. But there was nothing.The tie was gone. Only emptiness and cold remained, anda feeling of terror that she had never before experienced in

DRAGON 49

tions between the Players Handbook spelllist, the mage�s spell book (his or her per-sonal spell list), and the Spells Usable byClass and�level � Magic-users table (page26, Players Handbook; the spells a magic-user takes on an adventure). We occasion-ally go through this in �Sage Advice,� sowrite if you want to see it again.

A number of you would like to see aspell-point system. You will be disap-pointed. Spell-point systems are morecomplex than the current system, andtrying to balance them is a pain. For exam-ple, in a very simple system in which aspell costs one point per spell level, atypical high-level cleric will seldom runout of cures, which creates severe balanceproblems in play. Worse choices includeseparate point costs on a per-spell basis, orshifting spells between levels to maintainthe simple one-point-per-level relationship.Designing a whole new system is only afraction of the work involved in introduc-ing spell points; the real grunt work is inrebalancing and debugging the numbers(which is one reason you probably won�tsee psionics in the second edition, either).In short, a complete redesign is impracti-cal, and a hasty patch to the existing sys-tem won�t meet our quality standards.

Since the questionnaire, much of mysecond-edition time has been spent on thespell lists. In broad terms, I am makingthose editorial changes required by altera-tions to the game systems, and (secondar-ily) fixing or dropping problem spells, withthe emphasis on fixing, if possible.

The editorial work is fairly mechanical,dealing mostly with scale changes in theinterest of simplification. In the secondedition, many abstract ratings will bereplaced with more realistic measure-ments. For example, spell ranges will begiven in tens of yards, while spell areas ofeffect will be given in tens of feet (theindoor/outdoor range distinction willdisappear). Turns and segments will disap-pear as units of time, to be replaced byminutes and optional speed factor ratings,respectively. Weight measurements will beconverted from gold piece equivalents topounds. These changes should enhancethe playability and realism of the game.

The new developmental changes are reallyexciting. Response to the �schools of magic�concept has been overwhelming, though avocal minority wants the system kept op-tional. The challenges of doing this systemare to keep it simple enough not to turnaway beginners, and not to invalidate thethousands of �general practitioner� magic-user characters in existing campaigns.

To illustrate the first problem, there arecurrently eight schools of magic: Abjura-tion, Alteration, Conjuration, Divination,Enchantment, Evocation, Illusion, andNecromancy. If each school had but twospells at each level, then every spell listwould have a minimum of 16 spells! Thecurrent lists have odd gaps (there are nosecond-level Conjurations) which we willno doubt fill, but time constraints will

by Jon Pickens

Work on the second-edition AD&D®game project continues apace. Along withdesigner David �Zeb� Cook and chief edi-tor Steve Winter, I have been working onthe revision as a general researcher (theyknow my face at the local library), font ofrules knowledge, and conservative gadflyin the dynamic process of shaping therevised game. Among my revision-relatedactivities have been the collection of thepublished errata and rules interpretationsfrom �Sage Advice� and similar columns,compiling and organizing the input wereceive through letters and other sources,and overseeing the Second Edition Ques-tionnaire that appeared in DRAGON®Magazine and POLYHEDRON� Newszine afew months ago.

Before continuing with spells and magicin this month�s installment of �The GameWizards,� here is a report on the progressof the questionnaire. Our questionnaire in-basket closed in early December, and atthat date we had received between 4,000and 5,000 responses (which just more thanfilled three large boxes that shared myoffice space for the last few months). Weare currently evaluating the responsesand, with luck, should have meaningfuldata in January. If there is sufficient inter-est, we will summarize the results for a

50 FEBRUARY 1988

The second complaint about the magicsystem was the difficulty in figuring outwhat spells go in a magic-user�s spell book,how to use the Intelligence Table II (page10, Players Handbook), and the distinc-

With respect to the magic system, thesingle most difficult concept in the magicsystem was that of spell memorization.Many players still do not realize that thisword is used as a specific technical gameterm, and not at all as in the standarddictionary definition. We�ll explain it betterin the second edition; in the meantime, thecurious can read The Dying Earth by JackVance for inspiration.

So far, we have mainly looked at thewritten comments and occasionally pulleda random sample of 100 responses at atime to check on specific questions asvarious rules sections have been drafted.The results have confirmed quite a few ofour developmental directions, although wedid get a few surprises. The most signifi-cant development so far has been ourdecision to rework. the bard class. Weknew the Players Handbook bard was notpopular, and the initial decision was madeto cut the class entirely due to lack of timeto do a proper job of revision. However,enough demand for a new bard class camein to convince us to put one in the nextedition. Our thanks to everyone who tookthe time and effort to make their opinionsknown.

future issue of DRAGON Magazine.

the spells from Unearthed Arcana will find

force us to remain with the basic PlayersHandbook and Unearthed Arcana lists,adding only the most critical selections.Some of the spells will undoubtedlychange schools (for example, the en-chanted weapon and enchant an itemspells are currently not Enchantments),but we�ll keep these to a minimum. Thegoal is to keep the specialties and generalpractice different, but dynamically bal-anced and independently viable.

At this time, Alterations and Evocationsare in good shape, Enchantments aresomewhat irregular, Conjurations are veryweak, Divinations at upper levels arealmost nonexistent, Abjurations are bor-ing, and the less said about Necromancy,the better! Illusions are a special problembecause they already form the basis of anexisting class; this type of spell will behandled in some depth (those interested inpreliminary discussions should read FrankMentzer�s �Spelling Bee� in POLYHEDRONissue #6).

Clerical magic will be divided into�spheres,� somewhat analogous to�schools,� allowing the DM to custom-tailorclerical spell lists for specific clerical sectsin his or her own campaign.

Overall, these developments will lead toan expansion of the spell section of thesecond-edition Players Handbook. Nearlyall of the first-edition spells and many of

their way into the revised lists. The trick is

clerics without a wisdom bonus have

to make all the potential new specializa-tions work without swamping the begin-ner with a mass of confusing information.Several readers have suggested movingexcess spells into a supplemental book,and we may in fact eventually do so (onebig goal of the second edition is to reducethe number of books the players and DMshave to carry around!).

Another factor leading to the expansionof the section will be the elimination ofreferences to spells in other lists. Eachspell will have its own description. Nomore turning to the clerical section fordetails on a magic-user�s spell! Some refer-ences within a spell list will remain (forexample, the fourth-level clerical cureserious wounds spell will reference thefirst-level cure light wounds spell), but thiswill happen most often in the case ofhigher-level versions of the same spell.

On the other hand, cantrips will disap-pear from the core rules (we have to getspace from somewhere). The basic prob-lem that cantrips were introduced to solve� that of a 1st-level magic-user trapped ina 3- to 4-hour adventure with only onespell � will be dealt with in some otherfashion. The idea of giving magic-usersbonus spells for intelligence has problems;magic-users with intelligence scores of 9-15 are driven out of business. Additionally,

other options, but mages do not. We�re stilllooking-at this one.

One major structural change � the combi-nation of the druid spell list with the clericallist, and the illusionist list with the magic-users� list � will prove interesting. Asidefrom the challenge of organizing the infor-mation simply, the result must avoid allow-ing supercharacters to be created throughspell selection (we guarantee that anEvocation/Illusion combination will not bepossible). This change will come under closescrutiny during our debugging process.

Within the individual spell lists, we will tryto keep spells at their current spell levels.Nobody wants to force massive changes inthe spell books of existing characters. Theonly exception to this general rule I canthink of offhand is the first-level clericalresist cold spell, which will be combinedwith the second-level resist fire spell, leavingthe Unearthed Arcana’s endure heat/coldspell at first level (incidentally, the damagenegation of the last spell will be limited to 10hp damage).

Individual spells may have a fair numberof changes. These will be aimed at makingthe spell easier to use (like the first-levelmagic-user spell identify), at eliminatingcontradictions (like the first-level illusionistspell color spray), and generally makingthe weaker spells of a given list moreuseful. For example, the casting time ofthe second-level clerical chant spell will bereduced to two rounds, making it substan-tially more useful (in one local campaign,players have only used this once in overnine years; some campaigns have neverused it). Many spells with two-dimensionalareas of effect (for example, the first-levelclerical bless spell) will be redefined forthree dimensions, and various other spellproblems will be addressed. Some otherspells may be combined with their oppo-sites: haste/slow, wizard lock/knock andlight/darkness are likely candidates).

At the same time, we will avoid addingessentially theatrical effects to spells (suchas create food and water producing �cleri-cal sludge� � i.e., nutritious cardboard).These effects, while fun, are really theprovince of the individual DM unless theirspecific purpose is to control abuse of thespell in play (such as the characteristicglow of a magic-user�s globe of invulnera-bility spell). Generally, DM controls onspells subject to player abuse will be intro-duced or tightened, and role-playing op-portunities will be enhanced. One suchcontrol, spell components, will remain asan option, but costs will drop by a factorof 10, as the move to a silver standardlooks pretty solid (and gold will, in gen-eral, become about 10 times more rarethan in the first edition).

And speaking of money, Zeb has melooking for historical prices of armor,weapons, and transport (carts, ships, etc.)- with year and source citations, natu-rally. Got to run before the library closes;see you in a few months with anotherupdate.

52 FEBRUARY 1988

by John M. Maxstadt

DESCRIPTION: Whirrzlers are carnivo-rous desert plants that have developed aunique method of flight. They have no gasbags, instead rotating their flat rosettes ofleaves so rapidly that they lift off likehelicopters. They use this ability to settletheir roots on carrion. Whirrzlers mustfeed fairly often; from time to time, theyattack larger creatures wandering thedesert.

DIET: Carrion, often from slain prey.

HABITAT: Deserts, drylands, and radioac-tive deathlands.

ATTACKS: 1 cut for 6d6 hp damage.ORIGINAL STOCK: Sword plant (agave).MUTATIONS: Mobility/flight (special),texture change (variant), modified leaves,adaptation, increased sense (smell), andsize increase.

MS: 1d4IN: 1d4DX: 1dl0 + 2CH: 1d4CN: 1d8 + 10PS: 1d20 + 20

AIR SPEED: 6/900/18

NUMBER: 1d4MORALE: 1d4 + 3HIT DICE: 10d8ARMOR: 2SIZE: 1.5 meters across

This mutated monster is described insecond-edition GAMMA WORLD® gamestatistics. Conversion to third-edition rulesshould not be difficult.

Whirrzlers (Propeller

54 FEBRUARY 1988

Illustration by Richard Bennett

color, so they are hardly visible at a dis-tance. However, they never surprise crea-tures that can hear, because of the low

Whirrzlers are light metallic blue in

Whirrzler Mutation Immunities Table

1d8 Immunity1 Cold2 Heat

Whirrzlers have the adaptation muta-tion, so each can only be injured once byany nonphysical form of attack. The GMmay decide to which attacks any givenwhirrzler has become immune, or may

Whirrzler leaves are as hard as iron andas sharp as swords; they attack by edgingsideways into their opponents and slicingwith several leaves at once. Whirrzlersattack creatures with AC 1 or 2 only oncebefore flying away, since this hurts theirleaves (doing l-4 hp damage to them).

whirring sound they make when they fly.

3 Light and lasers roll 1d6 � 2 to see how many immunities it4 Electricity has developed. The GM should then roll5 Sonic blast and blasters 1d8 for each immunity on the following6 Radiation table. Whirrzlers encountered in radioac-7 Life leech tive deathlands are assumed to be immune8 Molecular disruption to radiation.

Miniatures in Wonderland

by Robert Bigelow

A world came to an end on Day Fourof the GEN CON® 20 Games Fair ofAugust 1987, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.The miniatures area, upstairs at theMECCA building, constituted a worldwhich measured 15,000 square feet.Over 75 miniatures games covering theentire gaming spectrum were playedthere, using thousands of well-paintedfigures fighting in such game systemsas TSR�s BATTLESYSTEM� supplement,Games Workshop�s WARHAMMERmass-combat game, FASA�s BATTLE-TECH® game, GDW�s STRIKER rules,and Task Force Games� STAR FLEETBATTLES system. Historical battleswere fought, recreating conflicts fromthe time of the ancients into the eras ofNapoleon, the American Civil War,World War II, and wars yet unfought.There was a club-run marathon gamecovering a modern invasion of WestGermany, and an invasion of a SouthAmerican country run by one person.

Many of these games allowed begin-

ners to play and learn the rules. Hun-dreds of gamers were involved, withstand-by lists filling for the beginnergames. Thanks to the planning andpersonal abilities of the judges, as wellas the good behavior of the players,things went well.

That was last year. This year hassomething special, something a gameronly rarely sees. Even as you read thisarticle, many of you will just be receiv-ing your judges� request packetsfor the biggest gaming event of thedecade: the first combined GEN CON/ORIGINS Games Fair, scheduled forAugust 18-21, 1988.

ORIGINS is to historical gamers andminiatures enthusiasts as GEN CONconventions are to role-playing gamers.In the past, ORIGINS has had partici-pants from the United Kingdom, Eu-rope, Australia, Africa, and SouthAmerica. Each year, these gamers rallytheir armies to do battle and establish,once and for all; who is the best com-mander. Those who like miniatures alsobring along entire armies in miniatureform from all time periods, painted in

just to see how the �other half� lives.Miniatures and strategic gaming will bein the West Hall of MECCA at the 1988convention in Milwaukee. Large num-bers of beginning-level games areplanned to give everyone a chance tojoin the hobby. Come and try it!

Most of all, we need the judges andgamers to make this convention a win-ner. If you have a game you�d like torun for role-playing or miniaturessystems, and you�d like to share it witha few thousand other people, do it? Fillout your judges� forms and send themback by the dates marked. If you didn�tget a judges� packet and wish to do so,write to us at the following address andwe�ll get a packet to you:

GEN CON/ORIGINS 1988 Games Fairc/o TSR, Inc.P.O. Box 756Lake Geneva WI 53147

We hope to bring you more informa-tion on this upcoming event as detailsbecome available. Let�s make this thebest games fair ever.

incredible detail for their �little wars.�What does all this mean to you, the

role-player? Maybe a chance to role-play a hundred characters at once, or

56 FEBRUARY 1988

Keepinga GoodWatch

Wind these watches with care!

by Ryan Grindstaff

In the TOP SECRET® game, there comesa time in all campaigns when the Adminis-trator asks himself, �Where can I find alisting of unique and innovative gadgets?�Well, that is the question this article an-swers. Herein are a number of highlyspecialized watches. They have been se-lected from various spy novels and movies,and some even from my own imagination.I have tried to create statistics and expla-nations which are feasible, but you mayhave to change them to fit the campaign.

Geiger-counter watch: This watchoperates normally until the time-settingstem is pulled out. When this is done, thelong sweeping hand of the watch gives areading of local radioactivity. as follows:

� 12:00, no significant radioactivity.� 3:00, low-grade radiation causing

some illness after a full day�s exposure (5%chance of death).

� 6:00, an hour�s exposure results inillness lasting several weeks, with a fair(25%) chance of death.

� 9:00, an hour�s exposure results in a50% chance of death within a week of thetime of exposure.

Caltrop watch: Though this watchlooks like an ordinary digital watch, it isvery useful in delaying pursuit. All anagent needs to do is remove the watch andbang it on a hard surface. This action popsfour spikes out of the watch, guaranteeingthat one spike will be perpendicular to theground at all times. The spike can punc-

58 FEBRUARY 1988

ture any normal tire or boot, though it willprobably be destroyed in the process. Thiswatch is perhaps best used if placed undera parked car�s tire.

Garrote watch: This watch looks like aregular watch until the agent tugs on thewatch, pulling it away from the wristband.A thin, strong wire unreels from thewatch, forming a very serviceable garrote.Surprise is the garrote�s forte; this weaponhas a HTH value of 20 when the victim issurprised and 3 otherwise.

Tracker watch: This watch comeswith a small transmitter. When the watchis within 25� of the transmitter, a smalllight flashes on the watch face in the di-rection of the transmitter. This watch maybe useful in tracking down bugged micro-film or documents in the lair of an un-friendly opponent.

Acid watch: This watch appears nor-mal in all regards. When the watch coveris unscrewed, it becomes apparent thatthere is a small container within. Thecontainer holds one teaspoon of metal-eating acid which can eat through onemetal bar in one minute (the exact width isleft up to the Administrator). This watchcould be useful in escaping from jail.

Escape-kit watch: This watch isopened similarly to the acid watch. Insidethe watch are a tiny pair of wire-cuttersand a metal file band.

Bomb-detonator watch: This watchis a fancy digital watch with four optionbuttons. When pressed in the propersequence, the back plate releases. Insideare two 60� strands of ultrathin wire. Alsoinside are two blasting caps and one ounceof plastique (plastic explosive).

Compass watch: This watch looks like

a regular nondigital watch. Pulling thetime-setting stem out until it clicks sets thewatch on compass mode so that the face�floats.� The 12 o�clock point representsnorth, 3 o�clock east, 6 o�clock south, and 9o�clock west.

Rotary-saw watch: This watch oper-ates like a regular watch. But by pressingtwice on the watch face, you release theblade, which activates the tiny electricmotor powering the saw. This motor�spower supply will become exhausted afterfive minutes. The blade can cut throughsteel at 1� per minute. Remove this watchbefore using it!

One-way receiving watch: Thiswatch seems to be a fancy digital watch,but it contains a small receiver. When asupervisor has to get a message to anagent, and there is no other way to do so,he can transmit a message from theAgency to the agent. The agent�s watch

receives the message and scrolls it acrossthe watch from right to left (much likeweather updates at the bottom of a TVscreen). A beep or light-flash heralds thearrival of a message. The receiver�s rangeis 500 miles.

Time-bomb watch: This watch lookslike any normal digital watch with analarm option on it. Thumbing a switch onthe side causes the back plate to magne-tize. If the watch is then set for any timeon the alarm mode, it will explode at thetime for which it is set. The watch con-tains two ounces of plastique.

Bug-jamming watch: This watchlooks like a regular digital watch. Whenthe option buttons are pressed in a certainsequence, it transmits a frequency whichjams any listening device within 9� of thewatch. The watch�s power supply becomesexhausted after 15 minutes of use.

X-ray safecracking watch: This

watch appears to be a normal digitalwatch. By pressing the option buttons in acertain order, the glass cover swings out toform a viewing screen. A small, high-voltage battery powers the device�s X-raymechanism for approximately 90 seconds;this is ample time to open almost any safe.The view of the tumblers, made possibleby the watch, gives a + 50 to a character�schance when attempting to open a combi-nation lock.

Dart-gun watch: Appearing to be anormal watch, this is in actuality a one-shot dart gun. The firing mechanism is acompressed-air device that can be repres-surized by twisting the watch face around,which pumps up the device. Darts arealways poisoned to produce unconscious-ness, disorientation, or death. A spare dartis kept inside the device. Virtually sound-less and well-concealed, this weapon has aDECP of 0; the agent will appear to be

setting his watch when he fires it. Thedart has a range of 3�, with a PB rangemodifier of � 5.

Alarm-detecting watch: This digitalwatch looks normal in every way. Whenthe option buttons are pressed in a certainsequence, it activates an alarm detector.When within 5� of an electronic alarmwith a concealment rating under 35, thewatch face blinks softly until moved awayfrom it.

Bug watch: This watch functions nor-mally in every fashion. If the watch is setfor a certain predetermined time, thewatch face swings open to reveal a smalllistening device. This bug can be plantedto pick up any significant noises in thearea 10' around it, such as voices or move-ments. It transmits the noises to the watchitself (which is actually a receiver for thetransmitter), and the wearer can hear thetransmissions using a small earphone. The

D R A G O N 5 9

bug transmitter has a range of 90�.Microreader watch: This device looks

like a normal digital watch. When theoption buttons are pressed in the correctsequence, the watch crystal and face canbe removed. If a microdot or some micro-film is placed inside in a flat position, thelight inside the watch beneath the film isactivated, and the watch-crystal magnifier(sans face) is held over the lighted film, the

agent may read the film � provided hehas good eyesight, of course.

A few general notes about these watchesfollow:

1. All of these special watches are water-proof to a depth of 100�.

2. Prices on the watches are between$lOO-$500, depending on the campaign.

3. All watches are durable, being able to

withstand most physical damage. Up to500 lbs. of pressure may be applied beforea watch breaks.

Some of the watches herein are ratherpowerful. Remember, gadgets are sup-posed to help your agents, not play thegame for them. With this in mind, youmay want to alter some of the watches tofit your campaign needs. And most of all,have fun!

(continued from page 3)companied the threat. The plot wasrevealed to be a hoax � but a col-lege student in 1976 designed a 9.5-kiloton plutonium fission bomb for aphysics course at Princeton. Materi-als for constructing homemadeatomic weapons have, according towriter John McPhee, been availablefor years to those who know whereto find them. What does this bodefor futuristic high-tech cultures �or even for today?

Availability of nuclear weapons:Some atomic weapons are free forthe taking. A B-47 that suffered amidair collision in February 1958was forced to drop an atomic bombinto the mouth of the SavannahRiver in Georgia. The bomb was notrecovered and is probably stillthere. Other aircraft and submarineaccidents have deposited atomicweapons in various locations acrossthe world. What sorts of things willwe lose in the future?

Atomic tests in space: Before thePartial Test Ban Treaty of 1963, theUnited States and the Soviet Unionconducted atomic weapons tests inouter space. One such experimentturned into a disaster during theUSAF/AEC test series called ProjectDominic, in which H-bombs werelaunched into space from JohnstonIsland in the Pacific Ocean. A 1.5-megaton burst at an altitude of 250miles caused a communicationsblackout over the South Pacific, anddramatically increased the radiationin the lower Van Allen belts. Thisradiation damaged the power sup-plies of the first British satellite(Ariel) and two USN satellites, andshortened the longevity of Telstar 1.What would such weapons do inmodern or futuristic warfare?

Ground-to-air/space lasers: In late1975, it was alleged that the Sovietsattacked one or more U.S. recon-naisance satellites with infraredlasers, blinding them for a short

drones with some success. Deathrays are old news.

Orbiting debris belts: Manmadejunk orbiting the -Earth is so plenti-ful that many satellites have beenstruck and damaged by it, possiblyincluding Cosmos 954, Cosmos 1275,PAGEOS, and GEOS-2. One of theChallenger’s windows was damagedon a June 1983 flight by a paintfleck that struck it at several miles asecond. There is some evidence thatthe debris problem is accelerating aslarge pieces of junk (like rocketboosters) explode or are struck bysmaller pieces, producing a broadband of dangerous and nonrecov-erable garbage that threatens allfuture space launches. Will Earth betrapped by its own debris? Willother worlds have this problem?

Fascist space powers: The firstnation to develop workable plans fora manned military spacecraft wasNazi Germany. The Sänger-Bredtskip-glide bomber was so advancedin design that elements of its planshave been used in developing theSänger II, a proposed West Germanspace shuttle. The ingenious scien-tists of the Third Reich also sent thefirst man-made object into outerspace (a V-2 sent aloft in October1942). A high technology is no guar-antee that the people using it haveyour best interests in mind.

Unexpected availability of space-craft: In the mid-1960s, a NASAemployee began buying a largenumber of space-related items atU.S. government surplus auctions.He was forced to sell his collectionto a salvage firm, and many of theitems have come to rest in a com-mon junkyard � including a Mer-cury capsule, an unused Skylabspace station, and a complete ApolloLunar Module. Another Mercurytest vehicle was recovered by divers,put on civilian display, then sold to achurch. Someone tried to steal it;

then the capsule disappeared.Spaceport disasters: The worst

single loss of life in a space-relatedaccident was not the Challengerexplosion. A 1960 launch at theSoviet Tyuratam space complex washalted by a rocket manfunction;while technicians and scientistsworked on the rocket, it exploded.Dozens of people are believed tohave died in the fiery blast. Amanned Soyuz rocket exploded onthe pad in September 1983, and thecosmonauts were saved only at thelast second by their escape system.Many rockets the world over ha-ven�t made it into space, much lessaway from their launch towers.Launch-pad explosions are common.Why should future spaceports befree of such problems?

“Cargo cults” in high-tech societies: Many of the UFO sightings from thenorthwestern Soviet Union andScandinavia, involving flashing stars,glowing clouds, and �shafts of light,�are the result of nighttime launchesof satellites from a formerly top-secret space base in the Soviet Un-ion, the Plesetsk Cosmodrome.Several of these UFO sightings werewidely discussed in the Soviet (andworldwide) popular media. Otherspace launches have produced simi-lar problems; the �space gods� arereally ourselves.

The point of all this is that thefuture has caught up with us. Eventhe most �advanced� science-fictioncampaign lags behind the pace ofreal world; we are neck-deep inwhat we used to think was the stuffof science fiction or comic books.And the pace is picking up, notslowing down.

Do science-fiction games reflectreality? No, not very well. Reality istoo bizarre to be science fiction. Asone of Pogo�s friends once said on arelated topic, it�s a mighty soberin�thought.

period of time. A Soviet ship fired alaser at an American military air-craft recently, temporarily blindingthe pilot. Lasers have also been used lately by the U.S. against aircraft

60 FEBRUARY 1988

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS is a registered trademark owned by TSR, Inc.

DRAGON 61

by Jody Lynn Nye

Sooner or later, every DM has to dealwith the fact that all facets of his worldmust yield to the world outside � the onecalling his illusionist home for supper, orhis warlord to a one o�clock dental ap-pointment. It is, of course, the DungeonMaster�s whim (a phenomenon with whichany player is familiar) as to what he willdo with an errant player�s character,which we assume must now run aroundthe magical kingdom without a soul orother guiding force. An aspiring DM willusually have to work something out withhis players regarding their physical (ormental) departure from the game by theend of the first session he runs.

In the 11 years I�ve been playing D&D®and other role-playing games, the solutionsmy assorted DMs have come up with tosolve this problem have been varied, if notto say fair. I wouldn�t call any DM fair whohad that kind of gleam in his eyes. Solu-tions I have seen included:

1. Instant death. The character who iswithdrawn from a game in the midst ofcombat is now dead. Generally, this elicitsprotests from the player, who will soon belate for his appointment because of argu-ing with the DM. If arguing doesn�t work,there is usually more delay while the

62 FEBRUARY 1988

player negotiates (using �spirit talk�) withone of the other players to carry his char-acter�s body to a temple, roll for resurrec-tion or reincarnation, and in some casesarrange probate for the character�s estate.At this point, a danger of real death awaitsthe player, whose parents or spouse havebeen fuming in the car while waiting forhim all this time.

2. Unconsciousness. The characterlapses into unconsciousness and cannot behurt (except by large objects falling onhim). It is up to the DM whether the char-acter, in the player�s absence, must becarried home or comes out of it in time totransport himself.

3. Teleportation to an inn. As soon as thefront door slams shut behind the player,his player character vanishes in a puff ofmagic from his friends� view and reap-pears in front of a brimming brew in hisfavorite inn�s common room. His hitpoints, experience points, and gold piecesare intact (except for his bar bill) from thepoint at which he left the adventure.

4. Banishment to Limbo. The DM we hadwho sent the characters of departed play-ers instantly into Limbo, no saving throw,lasted precisely three weeks in his posi-tion. No one could get characters above1st level, and after rerolling charactersthree times running, no one wanted to try.

Then there are the difficulties resulting

when the body of the player is still there,but the mind is not. For example, sessionsused to run rather long in the firstdungeon campaign in which I played. Iwas not used to staying up past 1:00 A.M.,

and the games would grind on till thenfrom the early afternoon. I enjoyed thegames tremendously, and I didn�t want tomiss a moment � but by the witchinghour of 13 o�clock, my metabolism wouldhave thrown a sleep spell on me, and I�dsink into incoherence and slumber. Whatdoes the perfect DM do?

The basic question should be: How doesthis person wake up? Is he inclined to beviolent? Clear-minded? If the answer to theformer is no and to the latter yes, you cankick him awake every time you need himto do something. If the opposite is true,you may play his character for him or useone of the methods described above forplayers who leave the game. Do whateveris safer and healthier for the continuedhappiness of yourself and the player.

In the long sessions mentioned above,my own DM allowed a combination ofthose methods. When I fell asleep, mywizard character was run by one of mycolleagues, who initially woke me up to geta list of my character�s remaining spells,then nudged me out of it when it was timeto go home. The DM also took an incrimi-nating picture of me curled up with hiscat, but you do not need to do that. Somepeople are allergic to cats.

So what do you do when your paladin�splayer discovers that you have cable televi-sion, and Star Wars is on during thecourse of the game? The player ensconceshimself before the tube, happily recitingevery line right along with the characters,laughing with the droids, and lookingdistant and noble when Luke staresbravely out at the setting suns on Tatooine.Appeals to him to come back and play likea paladin do not work. When your playerscry, �Jonathon! There�s a dragon attack-ing!� they get a response of: �Ain�t likedustin� crops, boy.�

This example is simply deliberate deser-tion. The player is no more aware of whatis going on back in the game than is theaforementioned sleeping player. However,since the latter condition depends onphysiology, and the former on inclinationand the presence of a television, the DMmay feel that he can be a little harsherwith the former. After all, the paladin�splayer came to play a D&D game, and notto enroll in the Jedi academy, right?

Then there is unavoidable desertion, aswhen the volume of Coca-Cola and OrangeCrush your player has been ingestingfinally exceeds the capacity of his bladder.If you ever intend to rotate the DM�s posi-tion and play in a campaign run by one ofyour players, it is wise to understand thatsuch things happen. Don�t call nastilythrough the bathroom door, �There was abalrog, and your wizard got crisped!� Thisis shooting at a helpless target. If theplayer remembers this when it�s his time

to run the game, you�ll be sorry. Revengenever allows saving throws. It�s better topause until nature has run its course (ittends to go in cycles, so allow for it), thenresume the adventure.

Another point the DM needs to makewith his players early on is whether or notthe characters can hear �spirit voices.�This phenomenon usually occurs whenthe party splits up, through death or dis-tance, when there is no earthly (or un-earthly) way that the character couldactually have heard his companions talk-ing to him. Thud the Fighter wanders allby himself into the room with 17 doors onthe north wall. The disembodied voices ofhis friends two levels down (who havealready passed through) advise him to pickthe middle one. Does the DM allow it?Worse yet, what happens to NebraskaSmith, sole survivor of an expedition, whois getting lots of help from. his deceasedcounterparts in solving a cryptic puzzlethat will save his life � and incidentally,the party�s treasure?

Some DMs honestly don�t care if theirplayers cross the lines of dungeon reality,but some get really bent out of shape overinfractions. Depending on how fiendishhis trap is, and how long he�s been work-ing on it, your DM will exact appropriatelyweighted punishment for spirit-voice aid,especially if someone blurts out that theGreat Machine God is really Voyager 6,and you can escape by throwing Duracellbatteries at it.

Admittedly, spirit voices are lots of helpif the players aren�t too experienced. Thegroup members need to work moreclosely together to learn game mechanics.But, from the DM�s point of view, spiritvoices can be a pain in the neck, and theDM should say so if he feels that way. Hemight not allow the active character tobenefit from the commission of what is inhis eyes a crime.

A DM may well have other laws in-tended to make game play move faster. Ishe allergic to puns (a common and insidi-ous disease found in dungeoneeringgroups) and so forbids them except atmeal breaks? Does he count down, thensubtract hit points from a character forevery clock minute that a player describesa previous adventure?

The DM is trusting his players to playfair That means everything from notcheating on your number of availablespells, to keeping mum about a dopple-ganger in your midst. It�s more fun to winwhile sticking by the house rules. Youcan�t play D&D games without cooperat-ing with each other. By participating as aplayer, you have made an unspoken agree-ment to abide by the DM�s directions,however silly. By accepting a player, youhave agreed to be as fair to him as you areto all your other players. It makes moresense than playing a D&D game all alone.

Otherwise, chances are very good thatthe next time you go to the bathroom, abalrog will crisp your wizard.

, D R A G O N 6 3

The Oriental SeaThe high seas of the Oriental Adventures world

by Margaret Foy

This article introduces historical Chineseships and new ship-related rules to theAD&D® game�s Oriental Adventures cam-paigns, using the ship rules published inDRAGON® issue #116 (�High Seas,� pages10-27). So that you can use these twoarticles together without confusion, thetables here are not numbered sequentially,but are numbered as if the two articleshad been printed together.

One book used in preparing this articlewas especially helpful: G.R.G. Worcester�sThe Junks and Sampans of the Yangtze(Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press,1971), a compilation of that author�s ear- lier works on junks. It has detailed plansof over 150 junks and sampans. If youwant to know anything about these shipsand the people who use them, here it is.

Whatever the Chinese can do on land,they can also do on water. Floating inns,groceries, shops, and teahouses exist. Evenducks are raised on boats. Hundreds ofdifferent kinds of junks and sampanscruise the great waterways of China.China�s principal waterway system is theYangtze River, with all its tributaries and

Lorca

canals: 5,500 miles of navigable watersserving 750,000 square miles. Winter-traveling vessels of 5� draft and summer-traveling vessels of 14� draft can reachIchang, 1,000 miles from the sea. Rivers inOriental lands in the AD&D® game couldbe equally extensive.

Ship propulsionThe most distinctive Chinese sail is the

square lugsail with battens. A lugsail ishung from a lug (a type of yard), which ishung from the mast at a point two-thirdsof the way along its length. The head ofthe sail is shorter than the foot � three-fifths the length of the foot, usually. Thefoot of the sail is laced to a boom. Battensare strips of bamboo sewn across the sailand attached to the mast. Battens force thesail to stay flat so the ship can sail at asharper angle when tacking, and make iteasier for the sail to be reefed (partiallyfolded) and lowered. The sail acts like fan-fold computer paper when raised or low-ered. Even when full of holes, a battenedsail still draws the wind well. The battensalso replace ratlines, which allow the crewto climb up the sail when necessary.

The junk and sampan are Chinese ves-sels characterized by a keelless flat bot-tom, a square bow, and a high stern.. They

were the first ships to use bulkheads(walls across the hold) to form watertightcompartments and strengthen the hull.Each ship uses rowing techniques distinctfrom those used by Western ships. Therower faces forward and pushes the oarwhile standing. Usually there is only onerower per oar. Rowing and sailing wereoften combined to add speed.

Junks and sampans are also sculled. Along sweep, the yuloh, is hung over thestern and worked from side to side topropel the boat in the same manner that afish uses its tail to swim. The sweep isoften so long that the rower has to standon a high platform at midship. Thesweep�s great weight is carefully balancedso that it can be easily worked.

Poling a boat is the process of sticking apole in the riverbed and pushing the boatforward. Except for steering problems,hanging onto the pole, and getting the poleout of the mud, poling would be a simpleprocess. The energetic style of polingrequires the poler to begin at the bow andwalk the pole back to the stern. Polingworks only in water 10� deep or less.

The hardest way to move a vessel istracking: hauling a boat with ropes bypeople on shore. This is, however, the onlyway to go up rapids. The heavier cargo is

Ocean War Junk

Illustration by Daniel Horne DRAGON 65

off-loaded and most of the crew go ashore.As their water levels fall in the winter,many of the rivers of China become shal-low stretches interrupted by rapids andnarrow channels. Some rivers have rapidsall year round; others become foamingtorrents during the summer. Rapids occurwhen the bed of the river suddenly drops,when the river is partly blocked, or whenthe river enters a gorge. Dangerous areasinclude boulders and rocks, whirlpools,boils, and backwaters. Each tracker wearsa harness which attaches to a bamboorope. The track on shore may crosscreeks, canals, or boulders, or it may becarved out of the side of a vertical gorge.

When considering whether to track aboat or not, five questions are important:

1. How long are the rapids?2. How many trackers are needed to

haul the boat upriver?3. How long will it take?4. How much will it cost?5. What are the chances of successfully

shooting the rapids and tracking withoutdisaster?

For purposes of comparison, a verydifficult stretch of rapids could be a milelong, take nine hours and 200 trackers,and require payment of one yuan pertracker for a total cost of 10 taels. Thechance to successfully track or shoot theserapids is 65%. At the other extreme, avery easy stretch of rapids could have a95% chance of being successfully negoti-ated, be 10 yards long, take 12 trackershalf an hour, and require payment of onefen per tracker for a total of 12 fen. Thelast case would be appropriate for track-ing a boat through a canal gate.

When negotiating rapids, roll percentiledie to see if the tracking or shooting issuccessful. If the attempt fails, the vesseltakes damage as per Table Vb. Once thehull has been reduced to zero or fewerpoints, it breaks up, throwing thoseaboard into the water. Each must save vs.paralyzation every 20 yards of rapids ortake l-6 hp damage.

Crews and ship typesThe basic statistics for Chinese ships are

given in Tables Id and Ie. Additional infor-mation is provided here.

The crews of junks and sampans arefrequently all of one family, having oftenbeen commanded by three generations oflaodah in turn. Laodah (meaning �oldgreat�) is the Chinese title for a ship cap-tain. The t’ai-kung is the bow lookout whowields the bow sweep (if there is one); hetakes soundings with a long boathook. Theshao-huo-ti (cook) is also in charge of buy-ing provisions for the vessel. The hsien-ch’ueh (�man of all work�) is the equivalentof the landsman or ordinary sailor.The pa-liang-chia-ti (�one who has toclimb�) is equivalent to the able-bodiedsailor.

The lorca is a ship with a Western-stylehull but with a junks rigging and sails.The statistics given in Table Id are for alorca whose hull has had bulkheads addedto give the hull more strength. If you wishto have a lorca which has not had its hullmodified, use the statistics given in TablesIa and Ib of the �High Seas� article (issue#116) for a cog, caravel, brig, or corvette,

Table IdOriental Ships� Statistics

VesselLorcaKiangsu trading

junkOcean war junkRiver junkPechili trading

junkSmall war junkCrooked-sternjunkFishing junkFlower junkHouse junkFishing sampanCreek sampanJunks sampanDragon boat

Cost Full Deck Free- N o . N o .Ton- full partial

Size No. Defensive points(1,000 length length Beam Draft board of

nage decks decks deckhouseof Max. Each Rigging

Size taels) (ft) sampans Crew add. Hull mast & sailL 43 130 110 30 8 4 500 1 2 16 X 12 2 20 38 60 15 27

L 50 90 70 18 6 4 135 1 0 27 X 3 2 38 35 40 10 30L 80 120 100 25 6 6 280 2 1 20 x 10 2 30 60 50 15 27L 30 90 75 18 5 2 110 1 0 38 X 16 1 8 19 30 8 10

M 33 60 45 12 4 3 40 1 0 25 X 10 1 22 18 26 8 16M 53 80 75 15 3 3 80 1 0 - 2 46 16 35 8 8

M 23 70 65 16 4 2 75 1 0 20 x 15M 16 50 45 10 5 3 20 1 0 10 x 7S 14 40 30 10 3 2 13 1 0 -S 13 40 35 8 2 1 10 1 0 -S 11 35 - 5 1 6" 4¼ 0 0 -S 5 15 - 3 10" 6" l/2 0 0 -S 3 9 - 3 8" 4" 1/3 0 0 -M 20 66 - 6 15" 3" 12 0 0 -

1 22 16 60 - -1 10 8 20 8 200 7 36 8 - -1 4 18 12 - -0 3 18 10 - -0 3 15 8 - -0 1 2 10 - -0 39 0 18 - -

Note that historical ships often varied widely from these given statistics, which are for AD&D game purposes only.�Max. add.� indicates the maximum number of passengers, excluding the crew.Defensive points are a ship�s hit points (see DMG, pages 54-55 and 109-110).

Pechili Trading Junk

Small War Junk

Crooked SternJunk

66 FEBRUARY 1988

but increase the R&S (rigging and sail)points by 8 points and their speeds by 3�.

The Kiangsu trading junk and the Pechilitrading junk are different-size versions ofthe same seafaring cargo and passengership: the sha-ch�uan (�sand boat�). Theyare found all over eastern Asia sailingfrom one seaport to another. They are alsoused by pirates and are outfitted withanywhere from 2-10 artillery engines.

The ta-ping-ch’uan (ocean war junk) andthe k’uai-tu (small war junk) are just twoof the many types of war junks. Almostany type of junk can be converted fornaval use with the addition of artilleryengines. The ocean war junk carries 4-16artillery engines; the small war junk, 2-6.

The chang-k’ou ma-yang’tzu (river junk)is a sailing cargo boat for rivers and bays.The hou-pan-ch’uan (crooked-stern junk) isa river cargo vessel built to negotiate themost treacherous rapids, using bowsweeps for added maneuverability. Theshape of the crooked-stern junk allows itto use two stern sweeps, which makes iteven handier in the rapids. With the two

Creek Fishing Sampan

Junk’s Sampan

Dragon Boat

stern sweeps and 16 oars, it is capable of the wind fails. Oars for both ships are 30�good speed, even when traveling upriver.The river junk also makes use of oars (18of them) when the current is too strongfor the sails to carry it upriver or when

long, and the bow sweep is 50� long. Thecrooked-stern junks main stern sweep is90� long, and the side stern sweep is 50�long. The main sweep is handled-by the

Table IeOriental Ships� Speeds

Vessel

Sailing Rowing Speeds Poling Speeds Mnvr.

No. Base Oar No. of Rowing No. ofmasts speed Mnvr. length oars Normal Full Sprint mnvr. poles Normal Full Sprint Poling Sculling

LorcaKiangsu trading junkOcean war junkRiver junkPechili trading junkSmall war junkCrooked-stern junkFishing junkFlower junkHouse junkFishing sampanCreek sampanJunks sampanDragon boat

4 27 8 - m - m -5 33 8 - - - - -3 30 8 - - - - -2 27 6 40� 16 12 16 184 30 8 - - - - -2 36 8 20� 40 21 28 31- - - 40� 16 15 20 214 27 6 - - - - _- - - - - - - -- - - 12� 4 3 4 5- - - 5� 2 4 5* 6- - - 5� 2 5 6* 8- - - 5� 2 4 5* 6- - - 5� 36 26 35* 39

* The vessel is being paddled, not rowed.�Mnvr.� is maneuverability, as per DRAGON issue #116.

- 20 1 1½ 2 12 -- 35 1 1½ 2 12 -- 50 ½ 1 1½ 12 -6 30 1 2 3 10 10 8- 20 1 1½ 2 12 -6 - - - - - -4 - - - - - 4- 6 3 4 4½ 6 6- 8 6 8 9 8 -6 4 3 4 4½ 8 66 2 3 4 5 6 44 2 3 4 5 4 44 1 2 3 4 2 2

Ship graphics by David Sutherland laodah, who stands on a platform 25�above the water. The additional crew ofthese junks handle the oars and tracking.The crooked-stern junks often travel ingroups of about eight so that they may

RiverJunk

FishingJunk

combine their crews for tracking.

FlowerJunk

The yao-Wang-ch’uan (fishing junk) alsocarries six oars, each 30� long. The lou-tzu-ch’uen (flower junk) is a floating restau-rant or teahouse. It can be hired for anafternoon (2 taels) or evening (5 taels) ofboating, music, song, and food. The flowerjunk accommodates 24 guests.

The house junk on Table Id is a largervariety of the many kinds of house junks.

D R A G O N 6 7

These junks are usually anchored among amaze of rickety, thin walkways. If it be-comes necessary to move the house, theboards of the walkways are removed to letthe junk pole out and move away. Thefamily aboard it usually has one or twosampans for getting around. There areseveral advantages to the house junk: norent, no land tax, no problem with floods,and no hassle when moving.

The three sampans on Table Id are poledor paddled in the shallow waters theynormally frequent. They can be used forfishing, ferrying, and cargo transfer. Withthe addition of a roof, they may also beused as homes. In harbor settings, somesampans have small kitchens aboard formaking meals for the crews of other ves-sels (possibly leading to boat fires).

Dragon boats, specific to China, varyfrom 44� to 110� in length. Their sole pur-pose is to race in the Dragon Boat Festival,held to commemorate the drowning ofCh�u Yuan (in the 4th century B.C.), a poetand statesman of the Chou dynasty. Theraces recall the frantic searches for hisbody by his friends and admirers. TheFestival is held on the 5th and 15th days ofthe 5th moon. The festivities include offer-ings to the Lung Wang. Debts are to besettled at this time. The festival is verynear those of the Last Sowing and theSummer Solstice. The cost of the boats and

68 FEBRUARY 1988

Table VbAmount of Damage Caused by Monster Type

MonstersCarp (R)Crocodile, giant (R)Dragon turtle (R)**Elemental, water (R)Nature spirit, greater (R)Nature spirit, lesser (R)Mottled wormOctopus, giant (C: 6 tentacles)River dragon (R)Sea dragon (R)**Sea snake, giant (C)Sea turtle, giantShark, giant (R)Squid, giant (C: 9 tentacles)Typhoon dragon (R) Verme (R)Whale (R)

Hull % Chancedamage * to capsize

1-12 8-122-8 7

3-12 12-14ld4 per 4 HD 2 per HDld4 per 4 HD 8-15ld4 per 4 HD 2-7

- 152-8/rd. 0

2-12 10-123-12 11-13

2-8/rd. 0- 15

3-12 10-153-12/rd. 0

2-12 10-125-20 20

ld4 per HD 2 per HD

(R) indicates that ramming is used.(C) indicates that crushing (with a number of appendages) is used.* As per DMG, pages 54-55 and 109-110.* * Steam breath weapon also causes damage of 1 point per 6 hp.

Table V (addendum)Amount of Damage by Cause

Source of damage Damage done *Rapids (hull 100%) l-6 hp per 10 yards of

rapidsStink pot 1Mine 2

Fire boat 1 4 * *Disintegrate 2Divine wind 3/levelElemental burst 1

Fire breath l/level **Fire rain ½/level**Fire shuriken 1/3/level**Fire wings 2 **

Hail of stones 1/2/levelHorn of blasting 18Incendiary cloud ½ /6 hp**Steam breath l/levelTsunami S/levelWall of fire 2/level**Wall of force 5-30

Whirlwind l-10

Wind breath l/levelWood rot ½/turn

* Defensive points damage, as per DMG, pages 54-55 and 109-110. Consult Table VIin issue #116 if necessary, and Table VIII in that issue for the effects of fire.* * Amount of fire damage.

races are borne in part by the pious as anoffering to the river gods. The crew andofficers are drawn from the same neigh-borhood, company, or village. The raceusually runs diagonally across the riverfor a half mile or so. Since the draft (whenfully loaded) of these boats is only 3�,contestants must pause at least once for afew minutes to engage in some furiousbailing. DMs may handle the race as aproficiency contest as outlined in OrientalAdventures, page 52; the proficiency ispaddling, which requires one slot with abase chance of success of 14.

Table descriptionsTable Id is very similar to Table Ia of the

�High Seas� article. �Maximum additionalcrew� refers to those who stay with thevessel. Polers, rowers, trackers, and pilots for rapids are hired as necessary, and arenot counted toward this total.

Most of the vessels on Table Ie havemore than one speed listed. Sailing speed,maneuverability, and direction were ex-plained in the �High Seas� article. Oarspeeds are given as �normal,� �full,� and�sprint.� Normal oar speed can be kept upfor four hours. Full speed can only bemaintained for an hour, and sprint speedfor only 30 minutes. After the maximumtime at a given oar speed, it must be fol-lowed by one hour of rest. An asterisknext to the oar speed means the vessel isbeing paddled, not rowed.

Sculling speed, regardless of the vessel,is 7�) which can be maintained for sixhours before an hour�s rest is needed. Inemergencies or under very favorableconditions, this speed can be raised to 13� for an hour,

Poling, like oar speed, has normal, full,and sprint speeds, which are subject to thesame time restrictions as oar speed. Polingand sculling maneuverability are handledas per oar maneuverability.

The following combinations of the formsof propulsion are possible: sail with oar orpole, or sculling with oar or pole. The finalspeed is the sail or sculling speed plus one-half of the normal poling or rowing speed.

The speed of the vessels given can bemodified by several factors. A current, beit river or tidal, adds or subtracts one-halfof its speed to a vessel�s speed. (By way ofexample, the Upper Yangtze River in win-ter varies between 1� and 9� in gamespeed, and in summer from 12� to 24�.) Inrapids however, the full speed of the cur-rent is added when shooting, up to 39� invery violent rapids.

Table V lists the new sources of damageappropriate to an Oriental campaign. Astink pot is a half-gallon clay jar filled witha mix of gunpowder, sulfur, and nails inone half, and any malodorous substance inthe other half. It is then sealed with clayand plaster, forming a simple bomb thatproduces a cloud of noxious smoke equalin effect to a stinking cloud, lasting forthree rounds. It also does 2d6 hp damageto all within 40�. Stink pots were dropped

Table VIII (correction)Effects of Fire and Other Damage

Hull: (Percentage of hull damaged) X 2 = Percentage chance to start sinking forboats without bulkheads.

Hull: Percentage of hull damaged = Percentage chance to start sinking for boatswith bulkheads.

Table IX (addendum)Miscellaneous Items

Actual speed = [(Base speed + Maintenance adjustment) + Wind adjustment] +Current�s speed adjustment � (Damage adjustment) ± gust of wind adjustment.

from the yards of one vessel onto an op-posing ship. Mines are floating versions ofstink pots with timed fuses. They arefloated downstream in large numbers in

suffer the usual chance for sinking � i.e.,two times the percent damage to the hull(note the correction!).

The addendum to the �High Seas� Tablethe hopes of disrupting enemy ships. Fireboats are paired by a chain which snagson enemy ships so that the fire boats cometo rest on either side of the target. Eachfire boat sets a 14-point fire.

The addendum to Table VIII includes onenew point: The percent of hull damage isthe percent chance for sinking, because ofthe watertight compartments formed bythe bulkheads. Lorcas without bulkheads

IX includes an altered speed formula.Fouling results when a vessel fails to makeits maneuver roll when changing from onepoint of sail to another when rowed, pad-dled, poled, or sculled. The crew must rollon Table III of the �High Seas� article foreach type of movement used. The lengthof fouling differs for each type ofmovement.

DRAGON 69

If LooksCould KillLooking gaze weaponsright in the eye

by Malcolm Bowers

In Greek mythology, the sight of theoriginal Medusa could turn creatures tostone. Perseus, well-armed with wingedsandals, a magic wallet, a helm of invisibil-ity, and an adamantine sickle, killed her bylopping her head off. Athena had warnedhim not to look directly at Medusa butonly at her reflection, and had given him abrightly polished shield to this end. Thehead still turned creatures to stone afterparting company with its body, and Per-seus used it to good effect on a couple ofoccasions afterward, once petrifying 200people.

Not only medusas, lesser kin to the origi-nal, but also many other monsters in theAD&D® game have gaze weapons of somesort. Much information about these attackforms is left to surmise, however. Forinstance, can we take the details of theabove myth as accurate for game pur-poses? What exactly is a gaze weapon,anyway? How do creatures so endowedsurvive reproduction and so on if they arenot immune to their own gazes? How doesone deal with such attacks in melee? Canonly one victim be affected in a round?This article tries to remedy the lack ofinformation and provides advice on han-dling such abilities.

What is a gaze weapon?A gaze weapon is not simply any magical

radiance emanating from the eyes of acreature. For instance, the rays projectedfrom a beholder�s eyes are not such anattack; the gaze of a basilisk, however, is.If we read the monster descriptions, wecan discriminate between the two sorts ofspecial attacks. With regard to that of thebasilisk, we read that it petrifies �anyfleshly creature which meets its glance.�This phrase, or variations thereof, occursin the descriptions of all creatures withtrue gaze weapons. Eye contact is a prece-dent for this type of attack; thus, blindcreatures such as grimlocks will be unaf-fected by a true gaze weapon, as will those

who avoid eye contact with a monsterthus empowered. It can also be deducedthat true gaze weapons are not typicalspell-like abilities limited in number ofuses. Once activated, they affect anyonemeeting the gaze, plain and simple. Withthis in mind, a basic definition can beprovided: A true gaze weapon is continu-ous and requires full eye contact in orderto operate.

How do gaze weapons work?It�s a kind of magic, as the song says �

but it is not the normal kind, since it doesrequire eye contact. Light is necessary,since eye contact is impossible otherwise.Perhaps the magic is carried by lightwaves in some way; this would fit in withthe fact that gaze attacks can be reflected(unlike the original Medusa�s petrifyingappearance). We could picture a gazeattack as a weak, continuous magicalradiance that requires energy in the formof light to �step it up� to an effectiveweapon. In total darkness, one could standsafely (?) eyeball-to-eyeball with a medusa,as far as the gaze goes anyway, since themagical emission is too weak to penetrateone�s eyes without the presence of light tocarry it.

It is commonly supposed that light in thevisual spectrum (rather than infrared orultraviolet) is needed for gaze weapons.This restriction makes the definition mucheasier to work with, so we will assumethis to be the case. Perhaps only visuallight has the proper wavelength for inter-action with magic. If infrared radiationcould carry a gaze attack, say, then onlythose with infravision would be suscepti-ble to such an attack in normal darkness.This is not hinted at in the AD&D® gameliterature. A monster with an infraredpetrification gaze attack would be aninteresting beast, indeed!

Gaze-weapon ranges are limited byvisibility, because of their dependence onlight, but do not need that much light tofunction. Gaze weapons are effective if thecreature�s eyes can be seen at all � that is,if they are within the radius of illumina-

tion of a light source. Gaze weapons dohave fixed limits of operation, though; seeTable 1 hereafter.

The magic of a gaze weapon must act onits target through the visual organs, evenwhen boosted by light, because it is tooweak to affect it in any other way. This isnot so unusual; the senses are �weakpoints� in a creature that magic can ex-ploit. For example, eyebite works throughsight and suggestion through hearing.

Gaze weapons require eye contact to bemaintained for a short space of time � asecond or so � for the magic to work. Thesaving throw indicates someone has achance to wrench his gaze away in time orshut his eyes, either escaping with partialeffects (as in the case of a pyrolisk) or noeffects whatsoever. Those who have sur-vived gaze attacks invariably report thatthe monster�s gaze was curiously compel-ling � a side effect of the magic. If thesave is failed, the gaze acts as an equiva-lent spell cast at a level of magic use equalto the creature�s hit dice. Magic resistanceis then applied, if the victim possesses it.The effect itself � petrification, death, etc.� takes a segment to accomplish. Notethat a gaze causing petrification turns avictim�s carried equipment to stone, just asa flesh to stone spell does.

Other �eye attacks�There are a few monsters that might

seem at first to have gaze weapons, butcloser acquaintance unmasks these abili-ties as spell-like powers with limitations onthe number of uses and on the necessityfor eye contact even if the attack doesemanate from the eyes of the creature.

Attacks falling into this category are: themagical rays projected from the eyes of abeholder, retriever, or spectator; the areaeffects of the frost man�s �ice blast�; theopinicus�s �sun sparkles�; and the eye ofthe deep�s stunning attack. The death gazeof a sea hag and the death-stealing gaze ofa nabassu demon do not require eye con-tact, and have a limit on their number ofuses; hence, they are spell-like powers, nottrue gaze weapons. Likewise, some hor-dlings have a gaze equal to a ray of enfee-blement, but this can be used on only oneopponent per round. The eye killer�s la-serlike �death stare� can only be used onceper day, and is a physical attack of sortswhich employs magically amplified lightradiation. Incidentally, all of these othereye attacks could work in darkness (exceptfor the gaze of the eye killer), althoughthere could be some targeting difficulties.

Note that immobilized characters (thoseaffected by the gaze of the ultrodaemon,floating eye, scarecrow, yeti, or revenant)are subject to double the usual number ofattacks for automatic hits and maximumdamage (plus incidental damage whereappropriate), if their attacker chooses toattack. Otherwise, these victims can bekilled or bound at the rate of one perround. This applies to magically sleepingcharacters, too (such as those affected by

DRAGON 71

the jackalwere�s gaze), although they willcertainly wake up if the damage inflictedfails to kill them outright. (This is a generalmelee rule � see the Dungeon MastersGuide, page 70 � which takes precedenceover the notes in the yeti�s description inthe Monster Manual.)

What is done to a helpless foe dependson the attacker and any of the victim�sallies. Jackalweres always seek to kill, andultrodaemons attempt to slay or enslavehelpless characters, but the rest of thegaze-using creatures attack as listed inTable 1 rather than efficiently dispatchingtheir victims.

Duration of gaze attacksThe length of time a gaze effect lasts,

where not given in the texts, is determinedas if it were an equivalent spell cast at alevel of spell-use equal to the creature�s hitdice. �Of course, some of the effects can beremedied by various means. A sleepingperson can be shaken awake in a round.All forms of charm (whenever caused byan ultrodaemon, spirit naga, scarecrow, orvampire) are broken on the death of thecreature responsible. Spells directly coun-tering the effect suggest themselves inmany instances.

Gaze weapons are magical; thus, dispelmagic negates their effects in some cases.Where the effect is sustained by the magic- charms, enfeeblement, confusion, paral-ysis, etc. � then dispel magic should havethe usual chance of working. But when-the magic only induces a physical state orcondition, and does not sustain it, dispelmagic has no effect. For instance aboalisk�s gaze induces a disease, whichthen takes its natural course until a curedisease intervenes, or until death results.Dispel magic will not affect these condi-tions any more than it will reverse theinduced damage done by a pyrolisk, fatalor otherwise. Death gazes also inducerather than sustain a state, and require apowerful dweomer to restore life to thedeceased. Where magic sustains an alteredstate, the affected creature radiates a faintmagical aura.

Petrification, the all-time favorite gazeweapon, opens up an interesting can of rotgrubs. There is no evidence as to whetherpetrified creatures emit a dim dweomer ornot � and one can�t actually do an experi-ment to find out. (If a petrified creaturedid not suffer a fatal system shock survivalroll, then detect life will give a positiveresult, but that�s by the way.) Nowhere inthe AD&D game rules, either in the text ofthe stone to flesh spell or in the descrip-tions of the various monsters which pet-rify, is it stated that dispel magic can orcannot reverse petrification. Looking atsimilar spells doesn�t help much: trans-mute rock to mud is affected by dispelmagic, but transmute metal to wood is not.Polymorph any object can be used as apowerful flesh to stone spell, and can bedispelled, but this doesn�t necessarilyimply that flesh to stone or the equivalentgaze weapons, can be dispelled, too.

In the absence of any official ruling,DMs must make up their own minds. Forwhat it is worth, it has been the assump-tion in a number of campaigns that stoneto flesh is needed to reverse all petrifica-tion. Modules seem to support this, gener-ally providing such a scroll (or equivalentpotion) when monsters which have theability to petrify are present.

The DM might allow dispel magic to becast at a monster, using the same proce-dure for casting the spell on items (DMG,page 41). The spell must be targeted at asingle creature, and magic resistance anda normal saving throw are allowed. If thespell takes effect, it prevents magical at-tacks by spell, innate ability, or any sort ofgaze weapon for one round.

RangesThe gaze ranges given in the Monster

Manual are in scale inches where theyappear. The later ranges are given in feet,as in the Unearthed Arcana spell eyebite.Following the principle of the latest gamevolume published -being the most correct,a set range in feet has been adopted. Thisseems logical, since eye contact is onlypossible at short range. There should be

72 FEBRUARY 1988

no difference between above- and below-ground settings in this regard. Most magi-cal effects and some gaze attacks havefixed ranges, so it is only reasonable forthis to apply generally. In suggestingranges, the nature and power of the at-tacks, and the creature employing themhave been taken into account.

Having a fixed range for gaze weaponsmeans that characters with keen sight(wearing eyes of the eagle, for example)are not subject to attack at a greater dis-tance than others. With regard to thisdecision, no form of magical scrying willtransmit a gaze attack; such methods ofobservation magically duplicate a scenerather than directly send any light/magicradiation to the observer. (The DM maywish to provide cursed items or specialareas that give magical viewers the �bene-fit� of having gaze weapons affect them ata distance.)

Gaze immunityFor whatever reasons, some creatures

are immune to their own gaze weapons.The pyrolisk is immune to fire, and henceis impervious to its own gaze. Vampiresare immune to charm, as well. The scare-crow�s gaze affects only intelligent crea-tures; since the scarecrow is mindless, it isunaffected. A spirit naga�s gaze-charmsaffect humanoids � a restriction whichexcludes nagas. The ultrodaemon�s gazeacts as a hold person; since the ultro-daemon is not a person, it is unaffected byits own gaze (see DRAGON® Magazineissue #90, �Hold That Person,� for a full listof what races can be affected by thisspell). Similarly, the delusion effect doesnot apply. Lastly, the revenant�s gaze af-fects only its killer, not itself. As men-tioned in Table 1 (see footnote 1), theblindheim can�t see when it uses its gazeweapon. Consequently, although it is notimmune to its own gaze, being blind pre-vents it from any such effects. All theother creatures can be affected by theirown gaze weapons, whether these gazesare reflected or come from another mem-ber of their species.

Living with lethal looksThere are evidently problems of interac-

tion between members of a species thatcan petrify each other at a glance. Thereseem to be two possible solutions. First,gaze-using monsters could meet and mate,as appropriate, only in conditions wherelight is absent. This supports the idea thatgaze weapons only work in visual light,since some of the monsters have infravi-sion or ultravision. Although other sensescould be used for communication, thissolution leads to many practical problemsfor the races concerned, which often huntprey above ground.

Second (and a more likely explanation),gaze-using monsters could forgo usingtheir gaze. There is evidence toward this� the blindheim �turns on� its gaze at will.Likewise, the charonadaemon only uses its

gaze when it is angry; its usually pale eyes

Gaze-monster offspring are unable todraw back their nictitating membranes

glow red in this case. Logically, the abilityto refrain from using their gaze weapons

until maturity, which prevents the young

should apply to all gaze-using monsters. Avery simple mechanism can be proposed

from affecting each other. (The parents�

to allow this. All creatures with gazeweapons have a nictitating membrane � a

own membranes keeps them from harm-

third, inner eyelid that many animals inthe real world possess. In the case of gaze-using creatures, this membrane is clear,

ing their offspring.) Magical creatures

allowing them to see normally (and intothe infrared and ultraviolet spectra in

usually mature quickly (a year or so in the

some cases), but stopping the gaze attackfrom being emitted by the eye. This mem-

main), at which stage they leave the lair

brane can be drawn back instantaneously.Once it is withdrawn from the eye, thegaze operates continuously without con-scious volition until shut off again.

When angered or in combat, a creatureso empowered always uses its gazeweapon; in potentially dangerous situa-tions, it instinctively activates it. Acharmed creature involuntarily uses itsgaze on the sudden appearance of othermonsters, for example, and thus mayaccidentally affect members of the partythat charmed it.

Thus, gaze-using creatures refrain fromusing their gazes in the exclusive companyof their own kind, although the degree ofcontrol varies. The more irascible crea-tures (such as medusas) find restraintdifficult, and so are mostly solitary crea-tures. On the other hand, jackalweres inhuman form sometimes mingle with hu-mans in order to attack them by surprise.In this instance, the jackalwere saves itsgaze weapon for the best moment � un-less a suddenly perceived danger causes itto use the ability reflexively. These crea-tures also instinctively avoid each other�sgaze when more than one combats a com-mon foe (see below).

with full control of their abilities.Refraining from the use of their gazes is

important for petrification-causing mon-sters, assuming they don�t eat stone [see“The Ecology of the Maedar” in DRAGONissue #106]. These creatures are able toseek harmless prey, such as rabbits andother small game, which allows them tosave their gaze weapons for use on crea-tures inimical to them � naturally, adven-turers head this list.

Gaze weapons in combatGaze weapons operate without con-

scious volition once activated, so they are

As written, the boalisk�s gaze has no save

useable in addition to any other allowable

if met, and can affect only one person per

attacks. Because these attacks are continu-ous, anyone in the gaze range has a

round. Since its gaze requires eye contact,

chance of being affected. A monster willemploy its gaze to its best advantage in

it is a true gaze weapon, so the same pro-

combat; for example, turning its head

cedures should be used as with other gaze

from side to side will cover a 120° arc infront of the creature, or a 180° arc in

attacks, and the text concerning its attack

cases in which the creature is hard-pressed. Of course, if a thief backstabs

disregarded. Use Table 2 to determine

such a monster, it will certainly turn itsglare on the attacker unless the creature is

whether or not the creature�s gaze is met,

killed outright.The descriptions of the boalisk and yeti

indicate that a saving throw determineswhether or not their gazes are met. Allother descriptions of monsters with truegaze weapons state or imply that the crea-ture�s gaze must be met before a savemust be made. The notes on the dracoliskin the Monster Manual II provide a veryuseful table for determining if a gaze hasbeen met (this table has been reproducedas Table 2 in this article for the sake ofconvenience). It is suggested that this caseapplies without exception to all monsterswith gaze weapons.

74 FEBRUARY 1988

and then allow a saving throw. The re-duced potency of the gaze is balanced by awider possible field of effect, since anycharacter within range can be affected bythe attack.

The descriptions of the jackalwere�s andyeti�s gazes state that they affect unsus-pecting or surprised creatures respec-tively. This does not mean that onlysurprised victims are affected; it merelyindicates a better chance of using thegazes in surprise situations (these crea-tures love ambush). This feature is sub-sumed in Table 2, and is applied normallybefore any required saving throws aremade. Table 2 shows the chances of meet-ing the gaze of any large creature. Add 1to the table result if the gaze-using crea-ture is man-sized; add 2 if the creature issmall.

The figures in Table 2 represent thechances of meeting a creature�s gaze inany given round or period of surprise.Characters need only one check (and if thegaze is met, one save) at this time, permonster. Surprise may be negated, on anindividual basis only, by high dexterity(DMG, page 62). Individuals in this groupare assumed to be avoiding the gaze dur-ing this period if they are aware of thedanger. In all other instances, they areassumed to be viewing the monster.

DMs may alter these probabilities ifcircumstances warrant it. For instance, aninvisible character would have only halfthe normal chance of meeting the gaze ifthe monster is unaware of him. A one-eyed creature could still use its gaze effec-tively; the chance of meeting its gazewould be the same as that for a two-eyedcreature. In this case, however, savingthrows would be at +4.

There is almost always a low chance ofmeeting the gaze of a gaze-using creature,even when attempting to avoid it. This isattributable to the hectic movement ofmelee, peripheral vision, and Edgar AllanPoe�s �Imp of the Perverse� (which makesyou do what you don�t want to do). Char-acters avoiding the gaze fight at a penalty.The penalties given in the notes on thedracolisk are �4 to hit and +4 to be hit,which are standard for fighting invisibleopponents. The difference here is that adracolisk is not completely unseen � onemay catch peripheral glimpses of its limbsand so forth in most cases (the floating eyeis an exception). It is suggested that penal-ties of �3 to hit and +3 to be hit shouldbe added when avoiding a gaze. Thisshould apply to the blindheim as well,giving it three possible armor classesagainst an attacker.

If characters take elaborate steps toprotect themselves (such as blindfoldingtheir eyes or fighting within a darknessspell), they automatically avoid gaze weap-ons, but will fight at �4 to hit and dam-age, a +4 penalty to armor class, and �4on any saves they might have to make (seeDungeoneer’s Survival Guide, page 32).Characters with proficiency in blind-

fighting (DSG, page 27) have their usualadvantages.

Within a melee round in which a gazeweapon takes effect, an initiative rolldetermines which combatant is affectedfirst. In the case of spell-casting, however,the spell-caster is affected as soon as hebegins casting the spell (unless, of course,some precautionary measures areadopted). Melee is not static; thus, it ispossible for a monster to lunge at thespell-caster � say, if the opponent was notinitially in range.

As previously mentioned, creatures withgaze weapons instinctively avoid eachother�s gaze when fighting a common foe.These creatures suffer no combat penal-ties, since they are not fighting each other.To determine if gaze-using creatures in aposition to affect one another do so, roll1d10 for each creature for each round.The creatures meet each other�s gaze onlyif both creatures roll a 1 or 2. Even then,both are entitled to a saving throw. Ifeither makes it, both save � since makinga saving throw indicates wrenching one�sgaze away before the magic can takeeffect, and thus must be reciprocal in thisinstance. Magic resistance can then beapplied individually where appropriate.

A few reflections on mirrors

tion, the mirror must be half the range or

From the descriptions of the monstersgiven in the various tomes, we only knowfor certain that gazes causing petrificationcan be reflected back at a monster. Itseems reasonable to assume that all gazeweapons can be treated in the same way.The weak magical emanation of gazeweapons is carried by light, and so can bereflected as light is.

Mirrors are not perfect reflectors, how-ever, so reflection of a gaze weapon re-quires better light conditions than thegaze itself needs to function correctly.Both the monster and the mirror must bewell-illuminated � as a rule of thumb,within half the radius of illumination of alight source.

The limit on gaze ranges in Table 1 isabsolute and linear. For effective reflec-

less from the creature to affect it, sincethe gaze radiation must travel to the mir-ror and back to the eye.

Normal rules for the reflection of lightapply, so reflecting the gaze back into thecreature�s eyes is not automatic; the char-acter must hold the mirror at the correctangle for this to occur. Determine thechances of a monster meeting its gaze in amirror using Table 2. Add 1 to the figurepresented for a large mirror, and add 2 fora very large mirror (six square feet andlarger). There is no adjustment for the sizeof the monster. Unintelligent monstersattack normally and will not recognize amirror, while intelligent ones attempt toavoid the reflection. Creatures using thisevasive maneuver suffer combat penaltieswith respect to the mirror wielder, asdiscussed earlier.

Even if the lighting and distance require-

Although the spell lasts but a round, it is

ments are satisfied, and the monster meetsits gaze, it still receives a saving throw. Ofcourse, some monsters are immune totheir own gaze (although there is no needto inform players of this fact). In addition,the oddly shaped eyes of the greater basi-lisk and the hooded ones of the dracoliskmake it difficult to reflect their gazes backwith any degree of accuracy. With regardto the former creature, the mirror mustbe within 10' of the greater basilisk; thedracolisk has a straight 90% chance ofbeing unaffected by a reflected gaze.(Short-sightedness may help the greaterbasilisk, but the nictitating membranes ofthe dracolisk don�t affect on susceptibility.)

A polished metal shield may be used as alarge mirror, although it would be difficultto keep in this condition; the dents andscratches of combat would quickly reduceits efficacy. A better idea is to affix a largemetal mirror onto the front of a shieldprior to entering combat with a gaze-usingmonster, keeping the mirror safely withina backpack until that time.

The first-level illusionist spell gaze re-flection �creates a mirror-like area of airbefore the illusionist,� who can seethrough the effect as if it were one-wayglass, remaining fully protected behind it.

76 FEBRUARY 1988

as effective as a large mirror. All notespertaining to normal mirrors apply.

It is not generally possible to reflectother attacks than true gaze weapons.Magical rays from wands, beholders, andso on may appear to be shafts of coloredlight, but this is due to light scatteredperpendicular to the rays � a side effectof the magic. The rays themselves do notconsist of light, and they pass throughmirrors, armor, and so forth withouthindrance. An exception may be made forthe eye killer�s weapon, which is composedof light. Use the same procedure used forreflecting gaze attacks. In this case, how-ever, the light is dispersed if not reflectedback into the creature�s eyes. If the light isreflected, consult the monster descriptionto determine the effects.

The catoblepas has a gaze which hascharacteristics of both a death ray and adeath gaze, so mirrors have an unusualeffect: they split the gaze. The death raycarries on unimpeded, but the death gazeis reflected. If the catoblepas meets itsown gaze, both it and the mirror wieldercould die � both get saves against the splitand weakened magic, though.

The original Medusa was defeated byPerseus, who used a mirror to effectivelycombat the creature. Apparently, theMedusa�s petrification power did not re-flect into his eyes. How, then, can a mirrorreflect a gaze back to a monster, but not toa character? Well, it can�t, really. Laterversions of the story often depicted Me-dusa as being turned to stone by her ownreflection � this was common in fantasyfiction especially. Since the AD&D gamesystem has evidently adopted the latterform of dealing with reflected gazes, weshould stick to it, and ignore that bit of theoriginal myth. Perhaps Perseus was justlucky; after all, he did sever the Medusa�shead with one stroke.

The idea of a reflected gaze being safe isa misconception in game terms. The gazeshould be reflected in the same way for allconcerned: Anyone viewing a monster in amirror has a normal chance of being af-fected by its gaze. This could be quiteinteresting when cautious characters lookaround corners.

Astral and ethereal effectsThe various monsters that can petrify

have sensory perceptions and attack formsextending into the Astral and Etherealplanes. This is due to the close affinity ofthese creatures with the plane of elemen-tal Earth, and thus with the inner planesin general. The pyrolisk also has percep-tions and attack forms extending into thetwo planes; its affinity is clearly with theplane of elemental Fire. (The pyroliskdescription does not mention astral aware-ness et al., but the foul fowl turns up onthe appropriate random encounter tablesand frequency charts at the end of Mon-ster Manual II.) These creatures may haveoriginated in the elemental planes and

later migrated to the Prime Material plane.While retaining extraplanar awareness,they lack the ability to travel the planesnow. There is a �natural� diffuse light ofsorts in both the Silver and Purple Realms,sufficient for the use of gaze weapons. Allnormal procedures apply, but the DM maywish to have the gaze range extended tothree times normal due to the propertiesof the planes.

The catoblepas appears nowhere on anyastral or ethereal encounter charts; givingit the ability to see into and use its gaze-weapons in these planes in the MonsterManual may have been an error. As far ascan be ascertained, the catoblepas have noconnection with anything elemental. Thus,it is suggested that the DM ignore thecreature�s astral and ethereal side; thecatoblepas is nasty enough without it. Theother gaze-using monsters have no partic-ular elemental affinity, and thus shouldhave no astral and ethereal awareness orattack forms.

Illusory problemsIf a party casts illusory darkness on a

gaze-using monster or an illusory wall infront of it, the party can still be affectedby the creature�s gaze. Illusions do notalter physical realities, so there is still lightto carry the gaze attack. Illusions existonly in the mind�s eye, and will not stop anattack going through them. The chances of

meeting a gaze in this situation depend onwhether or not the monster can see pastthe illusion. If it can�t, gaze contact iscoincidental, and the chances on Table 2are halved (roll 1d20); otherwise, thechances are normal. An obscuring illusionnegates all surprise situations for thepurpose of finding if a gaze has been met,since one�s eye is not drawn to the mon-ster. Players might not initially be aware ofwhat is happening if this situation is set upas a trap; one such example is a perma-nent illusion of a wall cast over an alcovewith a chained basilisk in it. Someone whohas made a save against the gaze would beaware that something funny was going on,though.

Illusions of creatures with gaze weaponsare only possible with spells like shadowmonsters which create monsters that arequasi-real. Gaze effects do not extendbeyond the spell�s area of effect, however.Even then, each time a special attack isused, a save against the illusion itselfshould be allowed before the save againstthe special attack. Without this restriction,illusionists would create spectres or bo-daks all the time rather than other, moremundane monsters.

Magical preservationWith the death of a gaze-using creature,

the nictitating membranes that suppressthe gaze in life lose their shielding proper-

ties, and the gaze attack itself ceases tofunction. Using the severed head of amedusa to petrify people, like Perseus did,is not alIowed. (The original Medusa in themyth was more powerful than the lessermedusas who populate the AD&D gameworld. As further proof, Stheno and Eury-ale, the Medusa�s sisters, were immortal �an attribute well out of the reach of theseAD&D game monsters.)

Powerful magic, however, may be usedto maintain both the gaze and the mem-branes of the gaze-using monster as if thecreature were still alive. First, the corpse(or at least the head) of the gaze-usingmonster must have a preserve spell caston it within a turn of the creature�s de-mise. This action must be performed by acaster of at least 8th level. To keep thegaze working, a properly phrased limitedwish or similar spell must be cast on thecorpse. This spell must then be followedby a permanency spell. If the inner eyelidsare carefully removed intact (a finicky taskwith a chance of success equalling 10% +1% per point of dexterity) and given simi-lar treatment, they can be fashioned into apair of lens that give immunity to theparticular form of gaze attack used by themonster. (The limited wish and perma-nency are separate from those used tomaintain the gaze weapon.) The process ofmaking these protective devices, however,is very tricky and involves melding the

DRAGON 77

Table 1Monsters Using True Gaze Attacks

MonsterBasiliskBasilisk, greaterBlindheim¹BoaliskBodakCatoblepas²Daemon, charona-Daemon, ultro-³Demon, babau 4DracoliskEye, floatingJackalwere 5MedusaNaga, spiritPyroliskRevenant 6ScarecrowUmber hulkVampireYeti 7

Gazeattack

PetrificationPetrification

BlindnessDiseaseDeathDeathFear

Hold/DeludeEnfeeblementPetrification

HypnosisSleep

PetrificationCharm

Internal fireParalysis

CharmC o n f u s i o n

CharmParalysis

DurationPermanentPermanent11-20 turnsPermanentPermanentPermanent

1 turnSpecial

7 roundsPermanent2-7 rounds

2 turns Permanent

PermanentInstantaneous

2-8 roundsAs spell

3-12 roundsAs spell

3 rounds

Givenrange

-

50�30�-

30�6�--

20�20�--

3�-------

Suggestedrange

40�50�30�20�30�60�30�40�20�20�10�30�30�20�30�10'20�20�20�30�

Gazeimmunity

-------

Yes-----

YesYesYesYes-

Yes-

1 The blindheim�s gaze provides its own light, of course. Although it can be seen, it is a true gaze weapon in all other respects. Thelight beams are so bright that the blindheim cannot see past them when they are in use. Its acute senses of smell and hearingcompensate for this, so it can still target its gaze attack and defend at normal probabilities.

² This nasty monster is the exception to the rule. Its gaze attack is both a gaze weapon � in that it is continuous and requires eyecontact for its full effect (i.e., no save) � and a death ray in the usual sense in that it can kill without eye contact if a save is failed.This makes it powerful indeed.

3 The victim of an ultrodaemon�s gaze is affected as if by a hold person spell for as long as he can see the ultrodaemon�s eyes. Evenif the save is made or if eye contact is otherwise broken, the victim still suffers delusion (see Monster Manual II, page 31). Thiseffect is very powerful; without true seeing or similar magic, characters should not be able to ignore it. A good way for a DM tosimulate the effect is to require a save vs. wisdom on 1d20 each round for a character to be able to attack the daemon.

4 The enfeeblement caused by the babau demon is 33%.5 The jackalwere, like its cousin the wolfwere, can take any of three possible forms: jackal, normal human, and a partially changed

form with a manlike torso and limbs, and a jackal�s head. The jackalwere can use its gaze in any form. This affects any characterof any level if he fails his save.

6 The revenant is only included for completeness; its gaze is effective only on its intended prey.7 Half the damage caused by the yeti�s squeeze is physical; the rest is cold damage. Consequently, those with resistance to cold can

negate or reduce the chilling effects.

Table 2Chances of Meeting aGaze Attack

Character is: ChanceCompletely

surprised 9 in 10Surprised 7 in 10Viewing monster 5 in 10Attacking normally 3 in 10Avoiding gaze 1 in 10

78 FEBRUARY 1988

membranes with a finely fashioned pair ofcrystal lenses (at least 1,000 gp per pair).The resultant lenses are indistinguishablefrom the other magical eyes in the AD&Dgame.

Incidentally, eyes of charming and eyesof petrification (the reversed sort) can betreated exactly as the gaze of a vampire orbasilisk respectively. Use the proceduresgiven in this article to adjudicate their use.The eyebite spell requires eye contact, butthe mage casting it won�t use it in situa-tions in which he cannot meet someone�sgaze. Treat this spell as a normal spell.

Other visual effectsTable 2 can also be used for determining

whether or not any potentially hazardous

visual phenomenon is observed. Thesephenomena may range from sights aspleasant as a nymph disrobing to as un-pleasant as a penanggalan separating itshead from its body. The latter is particu-larly nasty; the saving throw only deter-mines the severity of the viewer�s fate. Inall fairness, a chance should be given toavoid seeing it altogether. Other phenom-ena the table could be used for include theblinding flare of a magnesium spirit, thegibbering mouther�s spittle, or the sight ofa sea hag�s ugly face. Use Table 2 to deter-mine whether or not the character islooking at the creature or object beforerequiring a saving throw.

DRAGON 79

Justice is served!(Part 2)

TheMarve l -Ph i l e

Well, I�m steamed. After all my work toput everything on Scourge under one roof,the editor of this fine magazine, Roger ofthe Retreating Hairline [Ouch!], cut it intotwo parts. Even �The Marvel®-Phile� hasits limitations. Our apologies to all andsundry.

by Jeff GrubbMark Gruenwald, the writer/producer ofThe Official Handbook of the Marvel Uni-verse. Thanks also go to The Turning Pagecomics shop in Milwaukee, and to theTomorrow is Yesterday and Toad Hallshops in Rockford, Ill., for their help inlocating many of the long-forgotten backissues in which these particular ex-villainsfirst appeared.

In any event, this second section doesallow me the chance to extend thank-yousto people who have helped me put thissucker together. Special thanks go to

And now, the final selection of Scourge�svillains, featuring the victims of the �barwith no name� massacre � and Scourgehimself.

BIRD-MAN II™ Achille DiBacco

F A S E R I PEX EX GD GD TY TY TYHealth: 60 Karma: 18Resources: PR Popularity: � 4KNOWN POWERS:

Flight: EX (10 areas/turn).Blaster: RM intensity force, Z-area range.

TALENTS: None.CONTACTS: None.HIS LIFE: The original Ani-Men (and theoriginal Bird-Man) were killed in a battlebetween Count Nefaria and Iron Man. Thesecond Bird-Man, Cat-Man, and Ape-Manwere recruited by Death-Stalker, a foe ofDaredevil. All were normal humans withsuperpowered costumes. Ape-Man andCat-Man were killed by Death-Stalker, butBird-Man, defeated earlier by BlackWidow, escaped.HIS DEATH: Bird-Man was among themany villains who attended a meetinghosted by Gary Gilbert at the criminal �barwith no name� (see Firebrand for details).He was slain there by Scourge in a massa-cre of 17 criminals.

80 FEBRUARY 1988

TURNER D. CENTURYTM

Clifford F. MichaelsF A S E R I PPR TY TY TY GD TY PRHealth: 20 Karma: 20Resources: IN Popularity: � 1KNOWN POWERS:

Flamethrower Umbrella: EX flame dam-age, l-area range.

Flying Bicycle Built For Two: EX speed.Time Horn: Device intended to kill those

under age 65 by ultrasonic waves, butinstead induced unconsciousness within10-area radius, affecting same victim type;MN intensity.TALENTS: History and Invention.CONTACTS: None.HIS LIFE: Clifford Michaels was raised to

believe in the values of the early 20thcentury, and he sought to force thosevalues on the modern world, first trying to�clean up.� San Francisco, then attemptingto kill everyone under the age of 65 inNew York with his �Time Horn,� whichfailed to perform as he hoped. He wasdefeated in the first case by Spider-Woman, and later by Spider-Man andDominic Fortune.HIS DEATH: Turner D. Century, mentallyunstable but branded a criminal, was avictim at the �bar with no name� massacrethat claimed Bird-Man and many others.

CHEETAH� Esteban CarracusF A S E R I PRM RM IN RM TY EX GDHealth: 140 Karma: 36Resources: TY Popularity: � 6KNOWN POWERS:

Superhuman Abilities: The above statsare for Cheetah at his most powerful, asan agent of the Kree race. At the time ofhis death, each of Cheetahs FASE abilitieswere EX (Health: 80).

Claws: RM material strength, both whensuperpowered and later as part of hiscostume.

Speed: EX (5 areas/turn) as an agent ofthe Kree.TALENTS: None.CONTACTS: Ronan the Accuser and theKree.HIS LIFE: A petty thief, Carracus wasendowed with superhuman powers by aKree Sentry, and was used as a pawn incombat between Ronan the Accuser andthe original Captain Mar-Vell. His powerswere destroyed with the Kree Sentry, buthe retained his name and costume.HIS DEATH: The nonpowered Cheetahwas killed in the �bar with no name� mas-sacre mentioned above.

COMMANDER KRAKEN�Name unknownF A S E R I PRM GD GD TY GD GD TYHealth: 56 Karma: 26Resources: GD Popularity: 0KNOWN POWERS:

Bionic Left Hand: Originally a hookcapable of emitting a RM-intensity electri-cal shock; replaced by HYDRA with afunctional bionic hand of RM strength.

Bionic Left Leg: Functioned as normalleg; allowed flight at TY speed (6 areas/turn).

Electro-Sword: Device capable of firingAM-intensity electricity (3-area range);could reflect up to AM-intensity force andenergy attacks.

Sea Vessels: Squid-shaped submarineswhich fired shells of AM damage, and hadtentacles of AM material strength. Otherstats: watercraft, Control EX, Speed RM (6areas/turn), Body AM, Protection AM.TALENTS: Handguns and EdgedWeapons.CONTACTS: HYDRA.HIS LIFE: A modern-day pirate who soldhis services to HYDRA, CommanderKraken fought and lost against Sub-Mariner and Iron Man.HIS DEATH: Unable to rebuild his seago-ing ships after his last defeat by Iron Man,Commander Kraken retired to commitsmaller crimes in the Midwest. He wasslain in the �bar with no name� byScourge.

CYCLONE™ Name unknownF A S E R I PGD GD TY EX GD GD TYHealth: 46 Karma: 16

Resources: GD Popularity: � 5KNOWN POWERS:

Wind Control: Cyclone�s sole powerderived from the costume he wore, whichallowed him to control air with AM ability.He could perform the following powerstunts:

* Fly at GD speed (8 areas/turn);* Disrupt other fliers (AM intensity);* Lift others into air (AM intensity);* Attack all in one area for RM damage

from wind blasts; and,* Create vacuum around one target (AM

intensity).TALENTS: Engineering and Invention.CONTACTS: The Maggia.HIS LIFE: A NATO engineer, Cycloneturned his invention of a wind-controllingdevice into a tool for the Maggia. Cyclonefought and lost to both Spider-Man andMoon Knight.HIS DEATH: Unable to use his device,Cyclone died in the �bar with no name�massacre.MORE INFO: MHAC6 New York, NewYork.

FIREBRAND™ Gary GilbertF A S E R I PGD GD IN EX EX GD TYHealth: 80 Karma: 36Resources: TY Popularity: � 12KNOWN POWERS:

Costume: Firebrand�s suit gave him hishigh strength. Without it, his Strength was

GD and his Health 50. The suit gave himMN resistance to Fire.

Flamethrowers: One mounted on eachwrist; projected AM-intensity heat andflame at 3-area range.

Flight: GD (8 areas/turn).TALENTS: Physics and Invention.CONTACTS: None.HIS LIFE: A radical agitator who used histalents to further criminal ends, Firebrandwas a longtime foe of Iron Man.HIS DEATH: Gilbert retired his costumedidentity to become a business agent forother criminals, usually meeting them atan abandoned bar in Medina County, Ohio,known only as the �bar with no name� AsScourge had already made early successesagainst low-level criminals such as Gilbertand his clients, Gary called a meeting ofcriminals to discuss the problem. Seven-teen other criminals made the meeting(Water Wizard was late with a flat tire,which saved his life). All weapons werechecked at the door, but Scourge infil-trated the meeting disguised as the bar-tender. Gilbert and the other 17 were shotdown by Scourge, wielding a cut-down .50machine gun in each hand.

HELLRAZOR™ Name unknownF A S E R I PR M E X GD RM TY PR TYHealth: 90 Karma: 16

Resources: PR Popularity: � 2KNOWN POWERS:

Wrist Blades: Hellrazor�s primaryweapon; IN material strength braceletswhich had sharpened edges, inflicting INedged-attack damage; could also fire astream of sharp razors, IN damage, withZ-area range.TALENTS: Martial Arts B and E.CONTACTS: Roxxon Oil.HIS LIFE: An agent of Roxxon Oil hired todefame and kill the Black Panther, he wasdefeated (once deprived of his wrist-weapons) by T�Challa and Spider-Man.HIS DEATH: Caught without his weap-ons, Hellrazor was killed at the �bar withno name.�

G R A P P L E R ™ Name unknownF A S E R I PR M G D T Y G D G D G D T YHealth: 56 Karma: 26Resources: RM Popularity: 0KNOWN POWERS:

Battle Staff: A flexible steel rod of EXmaterial strength, used as a battle staffand wielded with IN ability to inflict RMdamage. Blunt end of the staff contained acoil of RM-strength cable, which could befired with 2-area range to either entanglean opponent or serve as a cable, to bereeled in.

Radio-Controlled Plane: As private planein Advanced Set MARVEL SUPERHEROES® rules book, with IN control.TALENTS: Martial Arts A, C, and E;Finances; and, Boxing.CONTACTS: None.HIS LIFE: Advised as a youth to study�leverage,� the Grappler became a masterat the idea, both in a physical and financialsense. His single attempt to put �leverage�to criminal use by stealing an armored carfilled with gold was halted by She-Hulk.HIS DEATH: Grappler was a victim of the�bar with no name� massacre.

HIJACKER TM Name unknownF A S E R I PTY GD TY GD RM GD GDHealth: 32 Karma: 50Resources: GD Popularity: 0KNOWN POWERS:

Body Suit: Hijacker had no superhumanpowers, instead gaining his abilities fromhis heavy body-suit, which provided thepower for his weapons. His heavy, brown,reinforced fabric suit provided RM protec-tion against physical, energy, heat, fire,and cold attacks. When sealed with hisodd-looking helmet, Hijacker had his own4-hour oxygen supply and was immune togases.

Vario-Blaster: Hijacker�s main weaponwas a multifunction gun attached to thebelt of his outfit by a cable. With this 2-area-range weapon, Hijacker could fire:

* �Nuclear flame� for AM fire damage;* Knock-out nerve gas of IN intensity;* Projectiles for RM damage;* �Ionic blasts� for RM energy damage;

and,* An �Activator Beam� of IN intensity,

which activated any nearby machinery.Crime-Tank: A heavily armored fort on

treads, Hijacker�s mobile base was an off-road vehicle with EX control, TY speed,

D R A G O N 8 1

AM body, and IN protection. Its spikedtreads inflicted IN damage, and it hadelectromagnets of AM intensity with a 4-area range. This tank was destroyed bythe Thing and Black Goliath.TALENTS: EX Agility with Vario-Blaster.CONTACTS: None.HIS LIFE: A gimmick-laden villain whospecialized in stealing technology for laterresale in criminal auctions, Hijacker wasfirst defeated by Ant-Man, and later byBlack Goliath and the Thing. He was goodat last-moment �rabbits out of the hat�tricks that no one expected.HIS DEATH: Hijacker unfortunatelyattended the �bar with no name� massa-cre. Without his gimmicks and protection,he proved easy prey for Scourge.

JAGUAR™ Ramon De RicoF A S E R I PRM RM EX EX TY EX TYHealth: 100 Karma: 32Resources: TY Popularity: � 6KNOWN POWERS:

Infravision: RM intensity.Claws: Worn on gloves; inflicted RM

edged attack damage, and were used toscale buildings (1 floor/turn).TALENTS: Martial Arts A and C.CONTACTS: HYDRA.HIS LIFE: Head of the Commando Divi-sion of HYDRA under Silvermane, El Jag-uar was a devoted leader who took pridein leading his crack troops into battle,until his defeat by Daredevil and NickFury�s SHIELD forces.HIS DEATH: El Jaguar was just one moretombstone outside the �bar with no name.�

LETHA™ Hellen FelicianoF A S E R I PRM EX RM EX TY TY TYHealth: 100 Karma: 18Resources: GD Popularity: 5KNOWN POWERS: None.TALENTS: Wrestling, and Martial Arts A,C, and E.CONTACTS: Roxxon, the Power Broker,and the UCWF�s Grapplers.HER LIFE: Female wrestlers recruited byRoxxon to break into Project Pegasus,Letha and Titania were stopped andserved time in prison before goingstraight. Letha�s strength was boosted bythe Power Broker, and she and her co-horts, the Grapplers (not to be confusedwith the Grappler, above) joined theUCWF.

HER DEATH: Letha attended the meetingat the �bar with no name� in order to findTitania�s killer. She succeeded and paid forthat information with her life (see lastmonths �The Marvel-Phile� for informa-tion on Titania).

MIND-WAVE™ Name unknownF A S E R I PTY TY TY TY EX G D R MHealth: 24 Karma: 60Resources: EX Popularity: � 8KNOWN POWERS:

Psionic Powers: Mind-Wave�s naturalmind powers were boosted by a helmet ofhis own design, which gave him the fol-lowing abilities:

* ESP, with which he could blindside anontelepathic opponent at will; and

* Mental communication with otherswearing similar helmets, his �think tank,�or with other ESPers.

Think Tank: A large, heavily armedvehicle controlled by Mind-Wave�s mentalpowers, and used to rob banks. The vehi-cle had AM control, EX speed, EX body,and had GD armor. It had heat-ray can-nons which inflicted IN damage at a 3-arearange.

Heat Ray: Hand-held version; inflictedRM damage at a 2-area range.TALENTS: None.CONTACTS: None.HIS LIFE: A criminal possessing mentalabilities heightened by his own inventions,the megalomaniac Mind- Wave robbedbanks in Europe and America untilstopped by Daredevil and Uri Geller.HIS DEATH: Mind-Wave�s mental abilitiesfailed to warn him about Scourge, He diedin the �bar with no name� massacre.

MIRAGE I™ Desmond CharneF A S E R I PGD TY GD TY EX TY GDHealth: 32 Karma: 36Resources: TY Popularity: � 3KNOWN POWERS:

Image Generation: Mirage�s suit allowedhim to produce several MN-rank PowerStunts involving illusion. He could:

* Disguise himself and others within al-area range;

* Use invisibility; and,* Project multiple images (up to 8)

within l-area range.TALENTS: Handguns (often carried one).CONTACTS: None.HIS LIFE: A holography technician withdelusions of criminal success, Mirage wasdefeated by Spider-Man and Daredevil onseparate occasions.HIS DEATH: Mirage attended the �barwith no name� at the time of the massacre.Though a victim, he was reported to havesurvived as part of a ploy to lure Scourgeinto a trap. Dressed as Mirage, CaptainAmerica captured Scourge, who was thenshot to death by another mysterious assail-ant, who may be yet another Scourge.

RAPIER TM Dominic TyroneF A S E R I PIN EX GD GD GD TY GDHealth: 80 Karma: 26Resources: EX Popularity: 6KNOWN POWERS:

Electro-Stun Sword: Delivered EX-intensity electrical shock that caused un-consciousness; l-area range.TALENTS: Fencing and Martial Arts A.CONTACTS: None.HIS LIFE: A former partner of Silver-mane, Tyrone achieved recognition as theheroic Rapier while planning revengeagainst his crime-boss partner. He foughtSpider-Man inconclusively.HIS DEATH: Like so many others, he diedat the �bar with no name.�

RINGER™ Anthony DavisF A S E R I PGD GD GD TY GD TY TYHealth: 36 Karma: 22Resources: GD Popularity: � 4KNOWN POWERS:

Rings: Devices on Ringer�s wrist fired avariety of rings, including: Explosive Ringsof RM damage; Freezing Rings of RM cold;and, Constriction Rings of IN materialstrength and damage. In later versions ofhis suits, he had a �particulate-mattercondenser,� which could form rings of INstrength from soot in the air.TALENTS: None.CONTACTS: None.HIS LIFE: Ringer made his entry into thecriminal life by battling with Nighthawk ofthe Defenders. Severely beaten, he vowednever to fight again, but he was latercaptured by the Beetle and forced to fight

82 FEBRUARY 1988

Spider-Man. Afterwards, he moved to theMidwest.HIS DEATH: Believing he had finally hitthe big time, Ringer was instead shot todeath at the �bar with no name.�

SHELLSHOCK�M Name unknownF A S E R I PGD EX TY TY GD TY TYHealth: 42 Karma: 22Resources: TY Popularity: � 4KNOWN POWERS:

Special Handgun: RM material strength,3-area range, fired assorted projectiles(including IN explosive projectiles, IN heat-seeking and guided projectiles, and anexpanding yeast-putty of AM strengthwhich entangled opponents).TALENTS: Handguns.CONTACTS: Psycho-Man.HIS LIFE: A former flunky of Psycho-Man, Shellshock kept the weapon designedfor him and teamed up with Livewire(another former flunky) to steal AliciaMaster�s statues. They were defeated bythe Thing.HIS DEATH: Shellshock was present atthe �bar with no name,� and there met hisend, thanks to Scourge.

STEEPLEJACK II� Maxwell PlummF A S E R I PGD EX GD GD GD TY GDHealth: 50 Karma: 26Resources: GD Popularity: � 3KNOWN POWERS:

Body Suit: RM protection from physicalattack.

Acetylene Gun: A multipurpose weaponthat could fire:

* RM-damage force;* RM-damage energy;* Wire slipknot of RM strength; and,* Heat and light of RM intensity.

TALENTS: None.CONTACTS: None.HIS LIFE: Taking the designs and outfit ofthe first Steeplejack (Jake Mallard, whodied fighting Power Man), Max Plummfought Ms. Marvel � and lost.HIS DEATH: Steeplejack attended thefinal bash at the �bar with no name.�

VAMP� Name unknownF A S E R I PRM EX GD GD GD GD RMHealth: 70 Karma: 50Resources: GD Popularity: � 4KNOWN POWERS:

Absorbo-belt: A SHIELD device whichpermitted Vamp to duplicate the physicalnon-superhuman abilities of other individ-uals within 1 area of her. These included:

* Duplication of Strength, up to RMrank, with no effect on Health; and

* Duplication of Fighting and WeaponTalents.

Telepatby: Vamp had EX telepathy.ALTER EGO: Vamp was a superpoweredvillain who actually had another super-powered villain identity as her alter ego:the Animus, a huge-headed primitive withgreat powers:F A S E R I PRM RM IN IN RM EX INHealth: 140 Karma: 90The powers of Animus once included thefollowing:

Mental Bolts: IN-damage force;Crystal Club: EX material strength; if

used as a focus for mental abilities, itraised them by one rank;

Telekinesis: IN rank.Animate Objects: IN intensity.

The Transformation from Vamp to Animuswas remote-controlled by a device held bythe criminal Corporation. All damagetaken in one form did not carry over tothe other, though long-term effects (Stun,Slam, or Kill) did.TALENTS: Espionage.CONTACTS: The Corporation, BlueStreak, SHIELD (temporarily).HER LIFE: Vamp and Blue Streak weredouble agents for the Corporation whoinfiltrated the SHIELD �super-agent� pro-gram. Vamp battled Captain America bothas Vamp and Animus, but lost.HER DEATH: Without her absorbo-belt(confiscated by SHIELD), and being eitherunable to use or lacking the control deviceto become Animus, Vamp died at the �bar

with no name.�

SCOURGE� Name unknownF A S E R I PTY EX TY EX TY RM GDHealth: 52 Karma: 46Resources: EX Popularity: � 5KNOWN POWERS:

Scourge’s Gun: One shot did EX damage;5-shot burst, RM damage; 5-area range, EXmaterial strength. Fired an explosive bulletthat lowered an opponent�s physical pro-tection by � 2CS. Scourge preferred to usethis weapon at point-blank range, andcould use one such weapon in either orboth hands with perfect facility. Weapon

DRAGON 83

was easily concealed .50-cal. Thompsonmachine gun with sawed-off barrel and

for help. Cap took the costume of thedeceased Mirage to set a trap for Scourge,

stock (folding wire stock used). A 5-roundclip was used; extra clips probably kept onScourge�s person.

Scourge’s Van: Control TY, speed EX,body GD, armor GD. Carried spare weap-ons, ammo, disguises, computerized crimefile, television communications gear.TALENTS: Weapon Specialist with owngun (In Agility), Criminology, Disguise, andMarksman.

and he managed to capture the murderer� but Scourge was shot by an unknownassailant in the shadows, using a gunsimilar to Scourge�s and calling out thesame �Justice is served!� cry. Before hewas shot, Scourge made a confession ofhis origins � but his story has sinceproved to be false. The true origins ofScourge, and whether there are others ofhis ilk, are unknown.

CONTACTS: Domino, a masked detectivewho had MN contacts in the criminalunderworld.HIS LIFE: Appearing out of nowhere toeliminate the Enforcer, Scourge cut a wideswath through the criminal ranks of theMarvel Universe. He concentrated onactive costumed criminals of medium-to-low power, keying on many lesser-knownvillains whose abilities were based moreon devices than natural or artificial muta-

101 uses for a dead villainScourge�s victims were generally (though

not always) individuals who derived theirabilities from high technology, whichgranted them powers or enhanced alreadyexisting abilities. Scourge destroyed theseitems when possible, but criminals tend toleave multiple caches of equipment orplans. Many items were confiscated fromslain villains by Ohio police following the

tions. Blindsiding nearly all of his victimsand allowing for no warning at all, he wasstartlingly successful before either thecriminal community or any heroes caughton to his activity. His few �missed opportu-nities� included failed attacks against Con-strictor (foiled by Captain America),Kraven (accidentally foiled by Tigra), Hob-goblin (foiled by Spider-Man, but Scourgekilled Wraith instead), Cobra and

Diamondback (missed fuel tank on theirship), and Water Wizard (see Firebrand,above). It is possible that there were or aremultiple Scourges on the loose (see textbelow and entry on Titania in last months�The Marvel-Phile�).HIS DEATH: Following the massacre atthe �bar with no name,� Water Wizard � alate arrival � contacted Captain America

massacre at the �bar with no name.� Cer-tain slain criminals may have left relativesor criminal allies who will take up theiridentities and causes in the future. It ispossible in gaming campaigns for a �new�Firebrand or Blue Streak to appear andbedevil your heroes. By the same token,Scourge (or someone like him) may returnto bump off more criminals in yourMarvel Universe.

8 4 F E B R U A R Y 1 9 8 8

©1988 by Hartley, Patricia,and Kirk Lesser

Talk is exceptionally cheap. How manytimes have you heard about the release ofa new game product, only to be bitterlydisappointed because the game neverreaches the retailers� shelves? The productis either overhyped by a company�s publicrelations department, or else the programitself is nothing more than a dream fromthe disturbed sleep of an overly optimisticprogrammer. Those products that domanage to come to market on time and ata fair price have that little something extragoing for them � veracity! Here are somenew products that are sure to please.

Sir-Tech Software, Inc.P.O. Box 245Charlestown Ogdensburg MallOgdensburg NY 13669(315) 393-6633

We are delighted to inform one and allthat Wizardry IV – The Return ofWerdna, has been released in formats forthe Apple II computer family. (Our in-depth review will follow later this year.)We spent a delightful afternoon with thegame�s creator, Roe R. Adams III, andprogrammer, Robert Woodhead. Theseindividuals are responsible for more fan-tasy role-playing goodies and code for avariety of systems than many entire com-panies. Roe�s credits include reviews editorfor Softalk Magazine, game editor forComputer Gaming World, and author ofthe Ultima III and IV game manuals andthe third Wizardry manual. Roe alsoplayed a very important role in the designof Ultima IV and the initial design workfor The Bard's Tale I. Robert Woodhead is the programing genius behind WizardryIV and is also the co-creator of the entire-Wizardry series. Both men have outdonethemselves with the latest scenario � agamer�s delight!

For three hours, we sat enthralled dur-ing the demonstration of Wizardry IV Allshould be advised that if you are not atleast a strong intermediate or experiencedWizardry gamer, you should wait to playthis scenario until you have the first twoWizardry scenarios under your belt. Thisis not a game that can be cracked in aweek; one of the finest computer gamersin the United States, Ronald Wartow,required over 150 hours to complete thisscenario.

We must also explain to our readers whywe will not offer any game hints to Wiz-ardry IV now or in the future. There areseveral reasons for this decision. First, Sir-Tech Software (Robert Woodhead�s com-pany) will be offering certificates ofaccomplishment to those individuals whosuccessfully complete the game. A GrandMaster Certificate will reward those in-trepid adventurers who complete the

86 FEBRUARY 1988

game with a plus number of keystrokesremaining to them (more on the keystrokecount later). Second, from what we havewitnessed, this is truly a gamer�s game �to give any hints away would destroy thetotal challenge that wizardry IV repre-sents. If you recall the feeling you hadwhen playing a computer adventure gameand finishing the scenario without outsidehelp, Wizardry IV embodies this samesense of happiness. For those of us whomight have become a bit jaded with othercomputerized FRPG releases over theyears, the enjoyment of finishing an ex-tremely difficult game should not be tam-pered with by offering tempting tidbits ofhints. We won�t destroy that sensation foreveryone � especially ourselves! Third,we promised both Roe and Bob that wewould not leak hints, but would try tooffer gaming strategies for players beforethey become engrossed with Wizardry IV

As a final note, Sir-Tech will be offeringunique telephone support for hints. Forexample, you cannot receive hints regard-ing level one until three weeks afteryou�ve purchased the game. For dungeonlevels one and two, you won�t be able toreceive hints until after the fifth week ofadventuring. Sir-Tech believes thatadvanced and intermediate players willhave figured out the levels according totheir established timetables, and the hintswill-help the novice adventurer getthrough a level before the frustrationfactor causes a foot to be levied againstthe computer screen.

Don�t expect dynamite graphics. This isan adventure game played on far morelevels than the visual one. Do expect win-dowing, from Werdna and his allies, to theopposing adventurers, with graphic por-trayal of each adversary adventurer and,in some cases, a color image of your lo-cale. You can play on the purely hack-and-slash level, or go beyond what you see towhat you feel, and complete the offering�scosmic level. With multiple endings, Wiz-ardry IV adds another component to thecurrent stacks of role-playing games. Thisis a mirror image of other Wizardry sce-narios, in which the antihero of the firstWizardry scenario, Werdna, becomes theplayer. While you were once the adven-turer entering the dungeon to defeatWerdna, you now play Werdna trying todefeat the adventurers, as you battle yourway out of the dungeon.

Over 500 adventurer characters submit-ted to Sir-Tech over the past several yearshave found their way into this fourthscenario, each attempting to halt Werdna�sescape. They confront you, and you musteliminate them as you make your way upthrough the 10 �known� dungeon levels.This is a stand-alone dungeon, and playersshould have the first scenario�s ProvingGrounds of the Mad Overlord) manual toaccompany play. Sir-Tech will sell thatmanual to you, should you need it to playWizardry IV

There is no character creation, and no

need to purchase weaponry or otheritems. You are Werdna, who has lain uponhis funeral bier for heaven knows howlong � Werdna, one of the most despisedand evil wizards ever to haunt a floppy.You start the scenario completely weapon-less and without the power to cast a singlespell, and you are rather chilly, for you aretotally naked. This, of course, means thatyou are quite susceptible to bodily injury.The one method by which you cancounter such weaknesses is to recruitfriends as soon as possible. These friendsconsist of the monsters your adventurershave battled in the first scenario. Remem-ber the Chattering Coins? They are nowyour allies. And, as you are bereft of spell-casting power, the selection of a Priest or

Magic-User might offer such skills on yourside as you progress through the dungeon.These allies are requested by steppingonto pentagrams, which are foundthroughout the dungeon. Part of thegame�s completion depends upon how wellyou utilize the NPCs who join you. You canselect three groups of allies at a time, sobear in mind the capabilities of some ofthe specific creatures you encountered inthe first scenario; you�ll be able to usethem to better your situations if youchoose correctly, discarding them to gainothers of differing skills when circum-stances dictate the need for other abilities.

We mentioned the keystroke countearlier. When you start the adventure, onemillion keystrokes are set on the screen.Each time you press a key, one is deductedfrom this number. This may seem like anenormous number of keystrokes withwhich to finish the game � but it isn�t! Wehad Werdna arise from the bier, find thefirst pentagram, and request three accom-plice groups, which used 11 keystrokes inless than two minutes.

Fortunately for all, Robert Woodhead hasseen fit to include a Save Game feature thatis accessible at any point in the game (halle-lujah!). Now, there is no need to leave thedungeon simply to save the game, thenspend an hour and a half to return to thelocale where you left the adventure, tocontinue pursuit of your goals. Don�t forgetthis feature in the heat of gaming!

However, the Save Game feature isn�tfree of cost. When you save a game, thatmeans you, as Werdna, are actually restingand taking care of yourself. Well, the sameapplies to your adversaries. When yousave a game, the Guardians and the Ad-venturers are also going to rest, meaningthey are returned to full strength to theirlocations within the dungeon level youoccupy. As you can see, the Save Gamefeature should only be used after onecomplete dungeon level has been mappedand the opponents within that level eradi-cated. Once you have, cleared all encoun-ters out of a-dungeon level, they are trulygone! There are no more random crea-tures afterward, allowing you to map thatlevel completely without interference untilyou rest (Save Game). So, despite its con-

venience, thought is required as to when agame should actually be saved.

The puzzles and mazes are nonlinear.This means you�ll be ascending and de-scending levels throughout the adventuresimply to solve a particular puzzle (orperhaps three or four puzzles at a time).Assistance for solving puzzles is built intothe game, as the Wandering Oracle ofMron occasionally stumbles across yourpath. In order to elicit information fromthe Oracle, you must trap it � but theOracle doesn�t hold still! You have to chaseit down, and the Oracle sometimes runsthrough areas that have an explosive ef-fect on your hit points. There are timeswhen utmost care is required, and othertimes when total abandonment of cautionis necessary. If you manage to trap theOracle, you can request a hint � but thehints cost money. Thus, if you have nomoney, you�re out of luck � or else youmust use the charge card that you findlater on in the game to charge the hint toyour bill. The Oracle has about 40 hintsthat you can buy.

Of particular concern to you as Werdnais the fact that Trebor � who was annihi-lated in the first scenario � is back tohaunt your every step. Trebor is on thehunt, and as the ghost gets closer andcloser, messages pop up on your screen.The tone of each message indicates howclose Trebor is, and you will certainly wishto avoid his clutching grasp at all costs!Should death take Werdna, which we canguarantee will happen over and over againuntil the strategy is acquired for success,you don�t have to reboot the game.Werdna is returned to his bier to beginagain, or for you to restart the scenariofrom its saved-game status.

Each level of the dungeon is thematicand progressive. Passage through dungeonlevels one to three is considered the �tuto-rial� phase of the dungeon. These intro-ductory levels are just as deadly as theupper regions, but require less mapping.The intermediate and expert levels rangeupward from there, but don�t forget � thepuzzles are nonlinear. Just because you�reon level six doesn�t mean you won�t needsomething from level two.

As Roe so aptly stated in our meeting,�Never has a mage had so much fun.� Thisis certainly true of Wizardry IV There area variety of goodies throughout thedungeon that Werdna can retrieve, from avariety of magic caps and footwear, tostaffs and potions. The real trick rests inWerdna knowing what to use for a partic-ular situation, and in maintaining coolthought processes at all times. As your evilwizard does not attain experience points,the entire game revolves around success-ful escape from the dungeon where he hasbeen imprisoned. Over 100K of superblywritten prose is in the game, affording theplayer fantastically described locales,messages, and the like, which will oftenbring a smile to your face.

We haven�t seen another adventure

DRAGON 87

game like Wizardry IV this offering couldremain a test of a computer gamer�s skillas much as 20 years in the future. If yousuccessfully complete Wizardry IV you�lldeserve the certificate and will be knownas one of gaming�s elite players. We willreport on the game in more depth (with-out giving the game away) after we receiveour review copy. If you think you�re expe-rienced enough, good enough, and gutsyenough, Wizardry IV – The Return ofWerdna, is the best bet in years for yourgaming dollar.

Strategic Simulations, Inc.1046 North Rengstorff AvenueMountain View CA 94043-1716(415) 964-1353

Feature ReviewPhantasie III ****

�Exhausted and opposed by superiorforces, our position seemed hopeless �even desperate. Not only had we beenunable to meet with Lord Wood, but arather untimely attack by the forces ofEvil caught us unaware. Had Brother Duffnot so adroitly cast a Resurrection spell,Footpad might never have risen from thefield of battle. The heroic engagementundertaken by both Ironsmyth and Blud,who fell upon our surprised foes with apike and a + 5 sword, bought us time toflee. The Trolls fell back confused, notexpecting such a momentous offense fromonly two of our group. Ironsmyth andBlud slashed and hewed Troll arms andlegs, bashed heads, and skewered bodiesas we fled the area. Had it not been for thenearby safety of the village of Lansing, mypen would have long ago been stilled. Ourdwarven ranger Ironsmyth and gnollfighter Blud were teleported out of com-bat by our wizard,

88 FEBRUARY 1988

Aessopp. Their wounds were effectivelytreated with potion and spell. Their heroismensured the continuance of our quest!�

So wrote Ellwylly, elfin monk and mem-ber of our adventuring party whose un-dertaking was to halt, once and for all, theonslaught of the Dark Lord Nikademus inhis attempt to conquer the entire world.This is the third and latest Phantasie scen-ario from Strategic Simulations. PhantasieIII, the Wrath of Nikademus, is far morecomplex than the previous Phantasie sce-narios which lay the foundation for thisfantasy role-playing adventure. You�ll findyour characters involved in a war of witsand combat not only in the normal world,but in both the Planes of Light and Dark-ness, where some of the most powerfulcreatures you�ve ever encountered will bemet. For those who have become em-broiled in either Phantasie I or PhantasieII, the good news is that characters cre-ated for those games can be imported intoPhantasie III.

The version we have become most famil-iar with is the Apple II format, which weoperate on an Apple IIGS computer. Thegraphics are like those of the Apple II, andthe speed of play is slowed whenever ascreen refresh occurs. Once you get accus-tomed to the �blocky� graphics (which isonly a real problem for those of us whoare used to graphics specifically designedfor the IIGS, Atari ST or CommodoreAmiga), you should be pleased with thescreen display.

All of the necessary information forsuccessful adventuring is offered for im-mediate consideration. The top window,which encompasses approximately one-third of the screen, contains informationon each of your six characters. The char-acter�s name highlights each column, withthe numeric assignments listing: the char-acter�s class, the number of current and

total possible magic points, the number ofhit points remaining to the character, andthe total number of hit points possible.The magic points and hit points are criticalstatistics that must always be consideredwhen faced with a specific action.

Beneath these statistics, your six charac-ters are each displayed as a separate stickfigure. The stick figure represents thehead, arms, torso, and legs; when a spe-cific part of the anatomy is injured, bro-ken, or otherwise damaged by a hostileweapon or magical attack, such is indi-cated directly on the stick figure. To theright of each stick figure is informationregarding that character�s specific health,ranging from OKAY to GONE. The latterreading can be cause for alarm, as yourbest bowman is of little use to you if hisright or left arm has been removed fromhis body. Unable to aim and release ar-rows, the character can do little morethan parry. Should he possess a few magicspells, use can still be made of any offen-sive or defensive magics, as an arm is notrequired to cast a spell. Does this soundsomewhat callous? Perhaps, but when youconsider the entire party is needed todefeat Nikademus, each member plays animportant role that cannot be negatedsimply because a part of his body has beendamaged.

Fortunately, there are healing spells andhealing potions that can repair such dam-age. Unfortunately, such spells and potionsare extremely rare commodities until theparty gains experience and visits some ofthe more difficult dungeons and cities.Until you manage to get beyond the novicestage, remain wary, fight well, and fleewhen necessary!

The center window of the game screencontains information on your currentgeographical location (such as the hills)and what area of Scandor your party

inhabits. A 5 X 5 grid is labeled A to E forwest to east, and given Roman numerals Ito V for north to south. If you read win-dow D-III in the area section, you aremore east than west, and more south thannorth. The window to the right of the areainformation is a message window. Whenyou encounter anything, or if your partymembers initiate an action, a messageappears here informing you of what�sgoing on.

The lower third of the screen display ismore graphic in nature. There are twotypes of graphic displays: one for theoutdoors and one for dungeons. For out-door adventuring, the left window revealsthe terrain where you are located, withdifferent colors and patterns indicatingpaths, deserts, grasslands, forest, moun-tains, hills, rivers, lakes, or seas. If withina dungeon, this window shows the mean-dering corridors and rooms of the localeas you find them. In other words, thiswindow automatically maps your dungeonfor you. When you leave the dungeon, youhave the option of saving the dungeon�sstatus. Thus, if you return to this localeagain (which will definitely be necessary),the dungeon as far as you explored itremains mapped.

We ran into a problem here. In twoinstances involving the first dungeonlocated just beyond the boundaries of thetown of Pendragon, the dungeon did notremain mapped, even after we requestedthe dungeon status be saved. This oc-curred after our characters meanderedabout the countryside and investigatedother dungeons. This leads us to believethere might be a built-in time factor in thegame. Because of this time factor, if youdon�t revisit a saved dungeon after somany disk accesses, the mapping is lost.

The window in the right lower third ofthe screen represents your adventuringparty. The order of the names at the top ofthe screen is duplicated with a graphiccharacter in this window. With PhantasieIII, you have the option of �ranged� com-bat, meaning you can place your charac-ters in one of three positions for combatpurposes. We found that the heavy duty

90 FEBRUARY 1988

fighters should remain in front, while themost accurate bowmen and your magic-users will do well in the back row wherethey can be protected from the slings andarrows of outrageous fortune by the moreheavily armored fighters in the front row.

The party arrangement can only beinstituted during an encounter. For exam-ple, see the lower screen shot on page 82of DRAGON® issue #126. Here, your partyhas just met a group of four Gnome Magesand one Gnome Lord. The menu optionsdisplayed indicate what your group can doat this time. Until your group is experi-enced, selection #5 (FLEE) is one to con-sider. However, one must keep in mindthat flight allows the enemy a free attackat your party. If your band has little trea-sure or gold in its possession, selection #4(BEG MERCY) can be a good selection, espe-cially when faced by superior forces. Asurprising number of outdoor encounterscan be dealt with by selecting #3 (GREET).The characters encountered and greetedsimply return your friendship and leaveyou alone to pursue other interests. Selec-tion #2 (ACCEPT SURRENDER) should never beattempted until the odds have been whit-tled down a wee bit in your favor duringcombat. We have found that the higher-order creatures rarely, if ever, surrender.In any event, you shouldn�t have to worryabout them until you become experiencedadventurers and find yourself in combatin adventures in the northern reaches ofScandor. (Until you are experienced, re-main south!)

Selection #1 (FIGHT) is the menu com-mand you will be accessing most of thetime (and with good reason, for withoutthe battle, there is no remuneration as faras acquiring gold or treasure). When youselect #l, the following combat menuappears:

1. Thrust (with melee weapon): You getone solid swing at the opposition. If youhit, the damage caused is usually one totwo points more than any other type ofattack.

2. Attack (with melee weapon): Now youare able to take two normal swings at youradversary. However, if your character

doesn�t have a high attack percentagerating, the character will Thrust insteadThis is governed by the computer.

3. Slash (with melee weapon): You aregiven an opportunity to make as many asfour quick blows against the enemy. Nor-mally, any hit with this mode results inone to two fewer hit points of damagebeing done than usual.

4. Lunge (with melee weapon): Only afighter can utilize this command, whichenables your warrior-type to attempt anattack on the second rank of opposingcretins. This is a normal swing and carriesnormal damage points.

5. Aim (melee weapon at a vital bodyarea): This is our favorite attack; it enablesyour character to take a swing at eitherthe head or torso of an opponent. Al-though there is less likelihood of a con-firmed strike, you cause more hit-pointdamage than usual to the enemy whenyou do hit.

6. Spell (cast a spell): Any adventurerpossessing spells who has the requirednumber of magic points can cast any com-bat or other spell with the press of thiskey. You�ll be asked the spell number ofthe magic desired, and will have to targetthe spell to the appropriate rank of theoncoming nasties.

7. Parry (with a shield): This is a methodof defense highly praised by characterswho can no longer fight due to brokenlimbs and the like. When selected, thecharacter onscreen raises his shield todeflect any oncoming blows. The shielddeflection decreases the damage caused byan attack and makes that character harderto hit. This is a command that a wizard inthe back row might use when he hasexpended all of his magic points. Justremember to make certain that the personwho is using this command actually pos-sesses a shield!

8. Fire (a bow): For those characterswith bows, this is a fantastic opportunityto get in your licks without taking front-row chances! We found that increasing allcharacters� archery capabilities came inhandy, as positions were switched severaltimes during combat, based on the num-ber of hit points remaining to characters.With bow-accuracy spells and bow-firingcapabilities, those characters who can nolonger sustain front-row combat can tar-get the enemy from the back row and rainlethal arrows at will.

9. Other (options): This section bringsanother menu onscreen. The selections inthis secondary menu consist of:

A. Back: This command places youradventurer at the rear of the party.

B. Middle: This command places youradventurer in the middle ranks, thusallowing a normal chance to hit and be hit.

C. Front: This command places youradventurer in the first rank, thus allowingthe greatest chance to hit or be hit.

D. Time Lag: This command defines thelength of time combat messages remainonscreen.

E. Redo: This is the �Whoops, I made amistake� option. This option allows theplayer to redo all of the assigned combatoptions.

It is important to remember that death isever-present in Phantasie III. When yourhit points reach zero, that�s all she wroteon the pages of the life-history book.There�s no allowance made for storedenergy reserves that allow for negative hitpoints. The only way back from the deadis by a Resurrection spell, which is rathercostly in that it only returns an adventurerfrom the dead (i.e., a character�s hit pointsare still missing, meaning that additional potions or healing spells are required tobring the character back to full strength).

Different injuries require differentforms of magical care. For example, ourthief Footpad received some nasty blowsin combat early in the game. One blow�removed� his right arm, with GONE beingindicated in his health statistics. Thismeant that Footpad could no longer firehis bow, which was his finest talent. Withan arm gone, only a Third Level HealingSpell or Healing Potions #7 through #9could take care of his injury. Resting at theInn in any of the towns only restores asmuch as one Break or two Injuries, butdoes nothing for parts that are gone! As aresult, magical healing was Footpads onlyhope. As it was still early in the adventure,much more adventuring pn our part wasrequired to locate a dungeon that pos-sessed a Third Level Healing Spell, as wellas an armory in a village that sold a Heal-ing Potion #7. To make matters worse, twoother adventurers also succumbed to theGONE syndrome because of thoughtlesscommands on our part. Fortunately, thesecharacters forgave us as we movedthrough Scandor.

Phantasie III has great depth. Filmon,who is located in the Pendragon Archives(the first dungeon), assigns specific questsfor you to complete. Once you successfullyfinish these little trips, returning to Filmonrewards you with additional assignments.Each assignment is meant to prepare youfor the final encounter with the Dark LordNikademus. Here are a few timely hints tohelp you along your way:

1. When meeting annoying creaturesoutdoors, always GREET them first. (Younever know; they might like you!)

2. The Dwarven Burial Grounds are agreat place to obtain better weapons.

3. The viper in the Gnome Catacombs isnot easily distracted; then again, nothing isimpossible.

4. The Plane of Light and the Plane ofDark are complete opposites.

5. The Undead are not very fearful.6. Setting off traps can sometimes be

useful.7. The Valley Giants are not only tough,

they are also spell-casters.As a final note, thought usually works

best in any situation. Don�t dash headlongwithout pausing to give your brain achance to play. Phantasie III is an ex-

tremely addicting fantasy role-playingadventure, despite its graphic-displaydrawback. We hope the game will bereleased in a true Apple IIGS, Atari ST, orCommodore Amiga format.

News and new products

Broderbund Software17 Paul DriveSan Rafael CA 94903-2101(415) 492-3200

Fans of the Ultima adventure series andthe Autoduel and Ogre software gamesfrom Origin Systems will now find theseofferings distributed by Broderbund,following an affiliated label agreementwhich took effect on August 8, 1987. Ori-gin Systems had previously been distrib-uted by Electronic Arts. Ultima V, thenewest of the Ultima adventures, wasreleased last year in formats for the AppleII computer family (priced at $59.95).

Electronic Arts1820 Gateway DriveSan Mateo CA 94404(415) 571-7171

Mini-ReviewSanxion * * * *

A product of the Amazing Softwareentertainment software line from Elec-tronic Arts, Sanxion is a shoot-�em-uparcade game with graphic�s that�ll knockyour socks off! The screen display isamazing; you not only obtain a side viewof your Sanxion warship and the terrain inthree dimensions, but you also have anoverview of the action as it is occurring.

Requiring 128K of RAM, the fun starts assoon as the program is loaded. You controlthe Sanxion warship with your joystick asyou fly over rugged terrain. You mustwatch out for enemy warships that havebut one goal: to destroy you! Fortunately,you are armed. Unfortunately, so are they.The hostiles come at your ship at differentspeeds, and some of these hostiles havespecial features. One enemy ship, forinstance, looks like a worm with a bluehead, and can�t be destroyed until you hitits head with your own ship�s laser beam aconsecutive number of times. Other shipsswarm, making it very difficult for you todestroy them all. Enemy pods come flyingin from the opposite side of the screen,each with the objective of colliding withyour Sanxion warship. Fortunately, theobservant pilot can avoid them with somejoystick dexterity.

The basic design of the alien ships variesfrom sector to sector; one wave has theappearance of donut rings, while in thenext sector the enemy ships look likerockets. You can evade the enemy bypiloting your ship faster to bypass theseswarms of death.

When you complete a sector by destroy-ing or bypassing the alien vessels, you

enter a training course where you destroywhat appear to be flying coins; thus re-ceiving bonus points as a reward. After apreset amount of time has passed, youcollect your bonus points and move on tothe next sector. When you have success-fully completed 10 sectors, you fly to theDark Side, where you must deal with thealien�s secondary force of warships.

This game utilizes the Commodore�sgraphics to their utmost potential. Eventhe detail of having your ship�s wings rockback and forth in flight is present. If youwould enjoy an arcade game at an afforda-ble price of $19.95 � one that outdazzlesother offerings in graphics and play � thisis it. The scenery is terrific, and the musicand sound effects are tremendous. Elec-tronic Arts has delivered another hit!

The Clue CornerThose who are playing Dark Castle from

Silicon Beach Software on the Macintoshmust realize by now that there are fivelevels of adventure. If you continue to playafter finishing off the fifth level, you�llnote that all you�re getting is a rerun ofthat level, until you run out of lives withwhich to parry the evils on that level.

For intrepid Shadowgate adventurerswho just can�t figure out what to do aboutthe fair maiden in the right-hand tower(who turns out to be not so fair after all),try using the implement forged of a pre-cious metal that you found on the ledge.

For players involved in Eternal Daggeradventuring who have made it to theNecromancer Dungeon, Level 1, here�ssome critically important advice: The doorthat leads to the arena is trapped. Also, ifthe Feathered Cloak is of interest to you,seek out a tower in the northwest cornerof the Elven Island.

Bard’s Tale I parties should not ignorethe utterings of a Magic Mouth inMangar�s Level One. The words spokenare necessary for teleportation to thesecond level at another point in this level.

Bard’s Tale II adventurers who havemade it to the Grey Crypt should watchfor a bunch of wraparound magic. Also onthis level, consider the movement of awatch as a guide.

If you are truly enamored with a specificcomputer game, your ballot nominatingthat game as the best one of 1987 for thatsystem is of interest to us. Simply writeyour own name and address, the name ofthe game, and the system on which youplay the game on a postcard or in a letter,and mail your correspondence to:

Hartley and Patricia Lesser179 Pebble PlaceSan Ramon CA 94583

We ask that you do not telephone us. Ifyou have any comments about a specificgame, send them with your vote. Anddon�t forget: We�re still looking for gamehints from you gamers, and will publishthe best we receive each month.

DRAGON 91

92 FEBRUARY 1988

DRAGON 93

CONVENTIONCALENDAR

Convention Calendar Policies

This column is offered as a service to ourreaders around the world. Anyone mayplace a free listing for a game conventionhere, but the following guidelines must beobserved.

In order to ensure that all conventionlistings contain accurate and timely infor-mation, all material should be either typeddouble-spaced or printed legibly on 8½” X11” paper. The contents of each listingshould be short, succinct, and under 150words long.

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

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

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

where additional information and confirma-tion can be obtained.

Convention flyers, brochures, newslet-ters, and other mass-mailed announce-ments run the risk of not being consideredfor use in this column; we prefer to see acover letter with the announcement as well.No call-in listings are accepted. Domesticand foreign conventions are welcome.

WARNING: We are not responsible forincorrect informatlon sent to us by conven-tion staff members. Please check yourconvention listing carefully! Our widecirculation ensures that over a quarter of amillion readers see each issue. Accurateinformation is your responsibility!

Convention listings should be mailed bythe copy deadline date to ConventionCalendar, DRAGON® Magazine, PO. Box110, Lake Geneva WI 53147. Copy dead-line dates are the last Monday of eachmonth, two months prior to the on-saledate of an issue. For example, the copydeadline for the July 1988 issue is the lastMonday of May 1988. Plan ahead; earlylistings pay off!

If a convention listing must be changedbecause the convention has been can-celled, the dates have changed, or incor-rect information has been printed, pleasecontact us immediately! For any ques-tions-or changes related to this column,please call either Robin Jenkins or RogerE. Moore at TSR, Inc., at (414) 248-3625.

* indicatesindicates

Canadian convention.European convention.

CONTINUITY, February 12-14This science-fiction and fantasy convention

will take place at the Holiday Inn Medical Center

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in Birmingham, Ala. Jo Clayton and RobertMcCammon are guests of honor, Sharon Webb istoastmaster, Val and Ron Lindahn are artistguests, and Hal Jones is comics guest. Scienceguests will be provided by the University ofAlabama at Birmingham and by NASA. Specialevents include a short-story contest, costumecontest, video room, open gaming, Society forCreative Anachronisms demonstrations, aluncheon, trivia contest, Cosmic Casino, andtarot readings. Registration fees are $25. Allchecks or money orders should be made pay-able to CONTINUITY. Write to: CONTINUITY,PO. Box 55302-5302, Birmingham AL 35255-5302; or call: (205) 328-3664.

DUNDRACON XII FANTASYROLE-PLAYING AND PLAY-BY-MAILGAME CONVENTION, February 12-15

Held at the Oakland Airport Hilton Hotel inOakland, Calif., this gaming convention willfeature a variety of events including tourna-ment and open gaming, a miniatures-paintingcontest, SCA demonstrations, a flea market, anda dealers� room. This year�s events will alsoinclude a play-by-mail Mini-Con featuring anumber of guests and live versions of favoritePBM games. Registration fees are $25 (or $10per day). For details, write to: DUNDRACON,386 Alcatraz, Oakland CA 94618.

GENGHIS CON IX, February 12-14Join the Horde as GENGHIS CON IX moves to

winter quarters at the Airport Hilton in Denver,Colo. This convention is sponsored by the Den-ver Gamers Association and the Colorado Mili-tary Historians. Events include all varieties ofboard, miniatures, computer, and role-playinggames. The ever-popular game auction willmake another appearance this year. Specialgaming events include competitions in VICTORYIN THE PACIFIC, TITAN, CIVILIZATION, KING-MAKER, and ADVANCED SQUAD LEADER. TheColorado Military Historians will also sponsorone of the first qualifying rounds for the WRGAncients National Championships. Registrationis $15. Write to: Denver Gamers Association,PO. Box 2945, Littleton CO 80161.

ORCCON 11, February 12-15This gaming convention will be held at the Los

Angeles Airport Hyatt Hotel. Role-playing,wargame, computer game, and family boardgame tournaments are offered, as well as vari-

ous seminars and demonstrations, a flea market,a game auction, and an exhibitors� area. Writeto: ORCCON 11, c/o DTI, PO. Box 8399, LongBeach CA 90808; or call: (213) 420-3675.

FAL * CON I, February 19-21This gaming convention will be held at the

Howard Johnson Convention Center in Merid-ian, Miss. Guests of honor will include SteveJackson, Dave Miller, Phil Foglio, and RobertAsprin. Scheduled events include an RPGA�Network AD&D® game tournament, opengaming, a video room, blacksmithing, cloth-weaving, and pottery demonstrations, an art

show and auction, a masquerade party, an SCAdemonstration, and much more. Membershiprates are $20 for the entire weekend. Interestedgamers may send their checks, money orders,or information requests to: FAL*CON, PO. Box4707, Meridian MS 39304.

NOT-A-CON, February 20-21This mini-convention will be held at the Pal-

metto Ball Room on the Clemson Universitycampus in Clemson, S.C. Activities will includean AD&D® game tournament, a CHAMPIONS�game tournament, and a miniatures-paintingcontest. For details, call: (803) 656-6650.

CONTEMPLATION 88, February 26-28This science-fiction, fantasy, and gaming

convention will be held at the Ramada Inn inColumbia, MO. Guests of honor include Jerryand Roberta Pournelle, and Larry Niven. J.R.Daniels is the artist guest of honor, and KeithBerdak is fan guest of honor. Events include anart show and auction, panels, a masquerade, avideo room, a hucksters� room, and games.Membership fees are $14. Write to: CONTEM-PLATION, P.O. Box 7242, Columbia MO 65205.

CREATURECON 88, February 26-28Sponsored by The Creature Shop, this gaming

convention will be held at the Ice House BallRoom at the corner of W. Eldorado and VanDyke in Decatur, Ill. Featured events includetwo miniatures-painting contests, RPGATM Net-work tournaments (including AD&D®, MARVELSUPER HEROES®, and TRAVELLER® games),open gaming, fantasy drawing contests, science-fiction games, a dealers� room, an art show, anauction, lectures on fantasy-gaming conceptsand on writing fantasy adventures, and a num-ber of guest authors and lecturers. Registrationis $15 through February 20, and $20 at the door.Preregistration fees must be paid in advance bycheck or money order, made payable toCREATURECON 88. For tickets or details, sendan SASE to: CREATURECON, PO. Box 2875,Decatur IL 62526; or call: (217) 875-1316.

UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE 88February 26-28

Sponsored by the University of SaskatchewanGamers Club and The Wizards Corner, thisconvention will be held in Room 148 of thePhorvaldson Building on the University ofSaskatchewan in Saskatoon. Events include anAD&D® game tournament with a grand prize of$50, a STAR FLEET BATTLES tournament with aprize of $50 and a miniatures-painting contest.The entrance fees are: $80 for a team of four inthe AD&D game tournament; $10 for the STARFLEET BATTLES tournament; and, $1 for theminiatures-painting contest. The prizes for theseevents depend upon the number of teamsentered. Write to: The Wizard�s Corner, 801 CBroadway Avenue, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan,CANADA S7N 1B5; or call: (306) 934-4777.

BASHCON �88, March 4-6Sponsored by the University of Toledo Benevo-

lent Adventurers� Strategic Headquarters, thissixth annual event will be held on the thirdfloor of the University of Toledo Main CampusStudent Union in Toledo, Ohio. This conventionwill feature a host of events, including a gamesauction, a miniatures-painting contest, a gameexhibitors� and dealers� room, an RPGA� Net-work AD&D® game tournament, an AADA CARWARS® tournament, a schedule of movies, aswell as more than 120 other role-playing, board,and miniatures gaming features. Steve Jacksonis the guest of honor. Send an SASE to: Student

Activities Office, UT-BASH, BASHCON, 2801 W.Bancroft Street, Toledo OH 43606; or call: (419)537-4654.

JAXCON SOUTH 12, March 4-6This 12th annual gaming convention will be

held at the Jacksonville Hotel on the Riverwalkin Jacksonville, Fla. Miniatures, board game, androle-playing game events will be held, as well asa large dealers� room, a flea market, tourna-ments, movies, door prizes, and more. Registra-tion is $18 at the door. Dealers should write to:JAXCON SOUTH 12, Dept. D., PO. Box 4423,Jacksonville FL 32201. Write to: JAXCONSOUTH, Dept. A., PO. Box 4423, Jacksonville FL32201; or call: (904) 772-9040 between 7 and 9P.M. only.

CALCON III, March 11-13 *This role-playing, board, and miniatures-

gaming convention will be held at the GlenmoreInn in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Sponsoredevents include a major AD&D® tournament($250 first-place prize offered), TUNNELS &TROLLS� games, a Monty Hall Bake-off Extrava-ganza, CALL OF CTHULHU® games, and a hostof minor tournaments. Other events include anauction, miniatures competitions, a miniatures-painting contest, LAZER TAG® games, intros anddemos of many RPG systems, and much more.Registration is $7 until March 1; or $10 thereaf-ter. For details, write to: CALCON III, PO. Box204, Station �M,� 220 4 Avenue SE, Calgary,Alberta, CANADA, T2P 2H6.

TOTAL CONFUSION 2, March 11-13The second-annual TOTAL CONFUSION game

convention will be held at Clark University inWorcester, Mass. RPGA� Network events will beheld for AD&D® and CALL OF CTHULHU®games. Regular events include 10 �unlimited�AD&D game events, and CHAMPIONS�, DC�HEROES, CAR WARS®, and numerous otherboard and role-playing game features. Aminiatures-painting event, a dealers� room,seminars, 24-hour open gaming, and much moreare also offered. Preregistration for all threedays is $15, or $6 for each individual day. Regis-tration after March 1 is $7 per day. Write to:TOTAL CONFUSION, 151 Chandler Street,Worcester MA 01609; or call: (617) 793-0853,(617) 562-2554, or (617) 755-4207.

UMF-CON, March 13This science-fiction, fantasy, and gaming

convention takes place at the Student Center ofthe University of Maine in Farmington, Maine.Barry B. Longyear, the nationally knownscience-fiction writer, will be attending. UMF-CON features AD&D®, TOP SECRET®, RISK®,and BATTLESYSTEMTM game events, along withnumerous other board and role-playing games.Registration is $5; each game requires a $2entry fee. Write to: Table Gaming Club, c/oStudent Life Office, Student Center, SouthStreet, Farmington ME 04938.

DRACONIS, March 18-20This science-fiction and fantasy convention

will be held at the Galt House in Louisville, Ky.Anne McCaffrey will be the guest of honor, andJulia Ecklar will be fan guest. Featured eventswill include the Dragon Bazaar, open gaming,filksinging, a masquerade contest, an art showand auction, panels, workshops, a LAZER TAG�area, and a child-care center. Registration feesare $17.50 until February 17, and $20 thereaf-ter. Children ages 6-12 may be registered forhalf price. For details, write to: DRACONIS, PO.Box 162, Concord MA 01742.

SIMCON X, March 18-20This convention will be held in the Wilson

Commons on the University of Rochester�s RiverCampus in Rochester, N.Y Events include role-playing game tournaments, wargames, minia-tures competitions, movies, demonstrations, anda dealers� room. Registration is $5 before March1, and $10 thereafter. For details, write to:SIMCON X, PO. Box 29142, River Station, Roch-ester NY 14627; or by calling: (716) 275-9379.

AGGIECON 19, March 24-27The Southwest�s largest science-fiction and

fantasy convention, this event will be held onthe Texas A&M campus in College Station, Tex.Guests of honor include Gene Roddenberry,Katherine Kurtz, Bob Eggleton, and KerryO�Quinn. Special events include the Quest (bypopular demand), open gaming, 25 authors andartists, nine major SF films in 35mm (to beshown in a 2,500-seat auditorium), a dealers�room with over 100 tables an art show andauction, a banquet, a masquerade ball, andmore. Preregistration fees are $10 for all fourdays (if paid prior to February 28), with anadditional $4 charge for entry into the Quest.At-the-door fees are $5 for one day, $14 for theentire weekend, $1 for the midnight movie, $10for a banquet ticket, and $5 for entry into theQuest. Children under three are admitted freeof charge, and children ages 3-12 for half thenormal registration fees. Students of TexasA&M are entitled to discounts on AGGIECONpasses. For details, write to: AGGIECON 19,TAMU, Box J-l, MSC, College Station TX 77844.

MAGNUM OPUS CON 3, March 25-27This science-fiction, fantasy, and gaming

convention will be held in Columbus, Ga. Guestsof honor include Yvonne Craig, Michael Bishop,Charles N. Brown, Hal Clement, Catherine andL. Sprague de Camp, Stephen R. Donaldson,Lloyd A. Eshbach, Phillip Jose Farmer, GeorgeR.R. Martin, Norman Spinrad, Jack Williamson,and others yet to be announced. Activitiesinclude gaming tournaments, an art show, amagic show, an open talent show, a dance, anart auction, a con suite, and movie rooms. Writeto: MAGNUM OPUS CON, 4315 Pio Novo Ave-nue, Macon GA 31206.

CONTEST V, March 31 - April 3Tulsa�s only all-gaming convention will be held

at the Holiday Inn Holidome at 8181 E. SkellyDrive in Tulsa, Okla. Events will include gametournaments, demonstrations, role-playinggames, board games, computer games, minia-tures competitions, live games, free gaming, acontinuous video room, dealers� room, auction,and special guests. Registration fees are $6before March 1, and $8 at the door. For moreinformation, contact: CONTEST V, PO. Box 4726,Tulsa OK 74104.

POINTCON XI, April 2-3The West Point Military Affairs Club is proud

to sponsor this year�s 11th-annual POINTCON.The convention will be held at the West PointMilitary Academy. All types of gaming will befeatured, including miniatures competitions(ancient, Napoleonic, and microarmor), fantasyand science-fiction RPGs, board games, opengaming, and much more. Dealers will also bepresent for promotion and sales of games andrelated products. Preregistration is $4, or $5 atthe door. This price includes entry fees into anyevents at the convention. For details, write to:Tim Brown, Box 4377, West Point NY 10997; orcall: (914) 938-4257.

BAMA CON II, April 8-10Sponsored by the Fantasy Game Club of the

University of Alabama, this three-day gamingconvention will be held at the Stagecoach Inn,4810 Skyland Blvd. Fast, in Tuscaloosa, Ala.Planned events include workshops, seminars,and panels on science-fiction gaming inventions,metaphysics, and computers. Most gamingtournaments (including computer-gaming tour-naments) will feature cash prizes for first place.Demonstrations and exhibits include an artshow, along with fencing, martial arts, andminiatures-combat demonstrations. Parties,filksinging, and storytelling, will go on aroundthe clock. Registration is $15 until April 1, and$20 at the door. Room rates at the StagecoachInn are $21.95 for a single room and $25.95 fora double. For more details, write to: BAMA CONII, University of Alabama, PO. Box 6542, Tusca-loosa AL 35486.

CAPCON XI, April 8-10The Ohio State University Miniatures and

Gaming Association (OSUMGA) announces the11th annual CAPCON, to be held in both ball-rooms of the Ohio Union, 1739 N. High Street, inColumbus, Ohio. Featured events include:miniatures events, board games, and role-playing games from several time periods andgenres; several AD&D® and BATTLESYSTEM�game tournaments; and, a miniatures-paintingcontest. Convention times are: April 8th, 5:00P.M. to 11:30 P.M.; April 9th, 9:00 A.M. to 11:30 P.M.;

and, April 10th, 12:30 A.M. to 10:30 PM. Admis-sion is $3 per day. Write to: OSUMGA/CAPCON,Box 21, The Ohio Union, 1739 N. High Street,Columbus OH 43210; or call: Jill Moody at (614)299-5658, or Jon Kimmich at (614) 447-1705.

GAME FAIRE �88, April 8-10The ninth-annual GAME FAIRE convention will

be held at Spokane Falls Community College inSpokane, Wash. Events will run continuouslyfrom Friday night to Sunday afternoon. Theprogram includes game tournaments, microar-mor, historical miniatures, a video room, adealers� room, SF and fantasy RPGs, boardgames, family games, and a game auction. Thelocal chapter of the SCA will also host a demon-stration. Registration for this convention is $10prepaid or $12 at the door. Friday-only orSunday-only passes are $5; Saturday-only passesare $6. All profits from this event go to theWishing Star Foundation, a local charity dedi-cated to helping needy children. Write to:Merlyn�s, W. 201 Riverside, Spokane WA 99201;or call: (509) 624-0957.

GAMESFAIR 88, April 8-10The United Kingdom�s premier games-playing

event and the eighth GAMESFAIR organized byTSR, UK, will be held at Reading University inReading, United Kingdom. Events will includean AD&D® game open championship, anAD&D® game team competition, a CHASE�game tournament, a huge game of EN GARDE, acreature-creation competition, all-night gaming,a charity marathon, game demonstrations, andmuch more. Tickets for the full three days are37.00 residential, or £12.50 nonresidential.Contact: The Organisers, GAMESFAIR 88, TSRUK Ltd., The Mill, Rathmore Road, CambridgeCB1 4AD UK; or call: (0223) 212517.

MISCONCEPTION, TOO, April 8-10This gaming convention will be held at the

Auraria Student Center on 9th and Larimer inDenver, Colo. Featured events include AD&D®,BATTLETECH®, CHAMPIONS�, and STAR FLEET

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BATTLES game events among others. Preregis-tration is $3; at-the-door fees are $4. Tourna-ment fees are $1 for each event. For registrationpayment or details, write to: AGC, Metro StateCollege, 1006 11th Street, Box 39, Denver CO80204; or call: (303) 556-3320.

S.T. CON �88, April 8-10 *This gaming convention will be held at the

Marlborough Inn, 1316 33rd Street NE, inCalgary, Alberta, Canada. Guests include Bjo,John, and Lora Trimble, Sonni and Dr. RalphCooper, Diane Carey, and Gregory Brodeur.Special events include an art show and auction,a costume contest, a short-story competition, aSTAR TREK®: THE RPG tournament, a STARFLEET BATTLES tournament, and numerousmini-competitions. Registration is $25 beforeApril 7, or $30 at the door. Single-day registra-tion may be purchased for $15 a day. RPGtournament fees are $5 per player; STAR FLEETBATTLES tournament fees are $2 per player.Write to: S.T. CON �88, Unit #38, 3223 83rdStreet NW, Calgary, Alberta, CANADA. T3B 2P9.

I-CON VII, April 15-17This seventh-annual gaming science-fiction,

fact, and fantasy convention will be held at theState University of New York in Stony Brook,Long Island, N.Y. Harlan Ellison and Hal Clementare special guests; the guest of honor and mediaguests are yet to be announced. This year�sprogram will also feature guests from film andtelevision, science and technology, and book andmagazine publishing. Tickets for this event are

$16 before March 25, or $18 at the door. Allchecks should be made payable to I-CON. Forfurther details, send an SASE to: I-CON, PO. Box550, Stony Brook NY 11790.

LAUDERDALE SKIRMISHES �88April 15-17

SKIRMISHES presents the grand opening ofthis role-playing/wargaming convention at theHilton Inn at Inverrary in Ft. Lauderdale, FlaEvents include: AD&D®, TRAVELLER®, STARFLEET BATTLES, and CAR WARS® games;Napoleonics; board gaming; a dealers� room;SCA demonstrations; and, other RPGs andhistorical events. Hotel reservations may bemade by calling: (800) 327-8661. Registration is$18 for the weekend. Write to: SKIRMISHES,PO. Box 2097, Winter Haven FL 33883; or call:(813) 294-9166.

MUNCHCON 7, April 15-17This science-fiction, horror, and fantasy con-

vention will be held on the Marshall UniversityCampus in Huntington, W.Va. This year�s themeis an H.P. Lovecraft Memoriam. Featured eventsinclude a costume contest, an art show and sale,seminars, movies, FRP gaming, board gaming,AD&D® and CALL OF CTHULHU® game tourna-ments, a hucksters� room, and more. For details,send an SASE to: James Augustus Isaacs, Con-vention Coordinator, MUNCHCON 7 HQ, 6466Farmdale Road, Apt. 7, Barboursville WV 25504.

SYNDICON I, April 22-24Sponsored by the Windy City Science Fiction

Association, this gaming convention will be heldat the Holiday Inn at 1250 Roosevelt Road inGlen Ellyn, Ill. Room rates for SYNDICON are$49. Jean Rabe, head of the RPGA� Network, isthe guest of honor; Rick Loomis, founder ofFlying Buffalo Inc., and Barbara Young, editor ofDUNGEON� Adventures, are the special guests,Featured events include a two-round RPGA�Network AD&D® game feature tournament andMasters game tournament a one-round RPGA�Network AD&D game team tournament, a one-round RPGA� Network AD&D game specialtournament) a PARANOIA® and a MARVELSUPER HEROES® game tournament, a CARWARS® and an ILLUMINATI� event, and more.Registration is $12 before March 1. The first 50Saturday buffets are $9 each; Sunday�s buffet isalso $9. Thereafter, rates increase to $15 formembership and $12 for buffets. Write to:WCSFA/SYNDICON, PO. Box A3981, Chicago IL60690; or call: (312) 462-7954.

AMIGOCON 3, May 1-3This science-fiction and fantasy convention

will be held at the Holiday Inn Sunland Park inEl Paso, Tex Guest of honor is George AlecEffinger, with Brad Foster as artist guest ofhonor. Events include open gaming, an artshow, a masquerade party, and a dealers� room.Preregistration fees are $12 for the entireweekend, if paid prior to April 22. At-the-doorfees are $15 for the entire weekend or $7.50 foreach day. Write to: AMIGOCON 3, PO. Box 3177,El Paso TX 79923.

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